#not at the desk currently! ✦ queueing | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

moonchildstyles · 10 months

Text

hyssop

rosemary part two: y/n made harry want to try, even if he didn't always believe he deserved the chance

wordcount: 11.5k+

—————

The spring-inspired logo of The Flour Pot gleamed in the Sunday morning sunshine, the front window crystal clear and streak free. With this week's trip being later in the morning after Harry managed to sleep some, the bakery wasn't quite as busy as he'd seen it in the past. He released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in.

While many of those initial anxieties he'd felt that first time he dared even stepping onto the sidewalk had melted away like butter in a croissant, there was still a part of him that braced himself when approaching those front doors. The butterflies were an enemy he had control over currently, but they always got bold whenever he was too close to (Y/N). He still kept his hands clenched in his pockets.

Peering through the glass doors, he saw only a pair of patrons sitting at one of the tables, a set of pastries between them with only one fork to share. Both of the women looked content sharing those bites. Slipping inside, the bakery lacked the kind of noise he'd begun to associate with the space. The queue to the front register was only two people long.

But, (Y/N) wasn't there.

The same dark-haired girl he'd seen the last time he traveled through was there along with the boy darting through the pastry case, but there was no bouncing bow or arms laden with heaps of bread. There was a part of him that deflated at that. He knew it was a bit later in the morning than his previous visits, but he figured that she'd still be here. He was only a couple of hours late.

Hands stuffed in his pockets, Harry felt extremely out of place in the shop. Without (Y/N) there, there wasn't much of a reason for him to be there—even if the pastries were delicious. Toeing at the ground, he wanted to inch towards the exit, leave before anyone could really notice, but it wasn't busy enough to make an exit without feeling eyes on him.

Before he had a chance to make any plan, dark brown eyes of the attendant behind the register landed on him. She brightened at the sight, flicking her attention back and forth between him and the customer she was helping at the desk. She recognized him.

Just as the next client stepped up to order, the other waiting off to the side for their order, Harry saw her ask for a moment. She told the customer that she would be right with him, she just needed to take care of something super quick.

With that, her long ponytail brushing her back, she disappeared through the cafe doors. True to her word, she was back in a moment, a smile shot in Harry's direction. She was right back to helping her client, apologizing for the delay.

It was a beat later that (Y/N) emerged.

Her cheeks were stretched into a smile, and eyes bright as she spotted him almost immediately. Her plastic gloves were quickly stripped from her hands as she approached him, her hair lacking a bow in favor of a sparkling clip.

"Harry!" she beamed, looping around the counter to meet him where he stood in the middle of the shop.

Harry swallowed down the smile that wanted to take over his features. No one had been excited to see him in years.

"Hi, (Y/N)." His heart skipped a beat when her smile grew that much larger at his greeting.

He followed her lead as she stepped off to the side, out of the way of anyone should the line grow and other patrons enter. She stood with her hip popped, discarded gloves bunched between her hands. "Did you just get off work?"

Shaking his head, he allowed his gaze to take a trip down her form. Flour spotted her top, soft leggings conforming to the shape of her legs and well-worn shoes on her feet. "No, I went home and slept a little before coming in."

(He slept for a little over an hour, but that was better than nothing).

"When did you get off?" she asked, shifting her weight on her feet.

Pulling one of his hands from his pocket, he brushed the tip of his nose with his knuckle. "I usually get off around four or six depending on what time 'm schedule to go in."

"In the morning?" she blanched, stretching her neck with a furrow in her brow.

Harry hummed a confirmation.

"Oh," she sounded, her eyes wide, "I knew you worked late shifts, but I guess I never thought you worked all night. I don't know how you do it; I hate getting up before the sun is up, I don't think I could work like that."

Shrugging, Harry brought his hand up and repeated the brush against his nose to conceal his mouth. The tiniest of curls touched the corner of his mouth, the closest thing to a smile he'd given to another in a long while. The bubbliest non-morning person he'd ever met, he thought.

"Y'get used to it."

"Well, I'm happy you could come in today because I have some stuff for you." Her voice was something like a song, lilting around her words as she rocked on her heels.

Harry wasn't sure if it was his lungs or his heart that squeezed at the sound of that. "Yeah?"

"Mhmm," she hummed, "Go sit down and I'll go get everything. I'll take my break right now too so we can talk a little."

Before he could say much else, she was scooting back to the kitchen, her bound back hair being the last thing he saw before the cafe doors closed behind her. From the corner of his eye, he saw the dark-haired cashier glance at him, a short smile on her lips as she continued to wipe down the counters.

Harry took a spot towards the back, a few places away behind the couple who paid no other patrons any mind. His restless hands did what they do best as he began to pick at his cuticles, the beds still raw from the last time he plucked at the frayed skin.

By the time (Y/N) was strolling out of the kitchen, the waiting patrons had exited, leaving only he and the other couple filling the lobby. The dark-haired girl behind the desk had huddled into the corner shielded by the pastry case, her phone in her hands as she took advantage of the lull in clientele. (Y/N) had a ramekin with a puffy pastry she was carefully holding in one hand while the other had a plain, square Tupperware case.

She hopped on the high stool in front of him, that table bracing her weight as she carefully shifted with her gifts. With the duo laid out in front of him, a spoon balanced on the top of the Tupperware, she gave him a giddy smile.

"I know it's closer to lunch than breakfast at this point, but I did make you one of those soufflés I was telling you about." As she spoke, she pushed the ramekin towards him, the lightweight top of the soufflé puffed and golden brown. "I also made focaccia last night, and saved you a square if you wanted to try."

"Focaccia?" he posed, grabbing the spoon from her outstretched hand.

"It's a kind of bread," she laughed, the sound light and airy, "You can make it a whole bunch of different ways, but last night I made it with black pepper, basil, and a little bit of parmesan. Have you ever tried it?"

"Maybe?" he shrugged. (There was a period of time back when his sister was distracted with her boyfriend a lot, that his mother didn't know what to do with herself and decided to try her hand at bread making. He could never and would never tell her, but she wasn't very good, so there was a high chance that he'd tried a version of whatever bread (Y/N) was talking about, just a very bad version that he didn't give more than a nibble to).

"Try the soufflé first while it's still warm from the oven, and then I'll show you the bread," (Y/N) decided.

While there was something a bit awkward knowing that (Y/N) was going to watch him eat and wait for a reaction to something she made with him in mind, there was no universe in which Harry was going to say no to homemade food. After being accustomed to frozen meals and canned foods, things like this with real flavor were things Harry cherished more than what was probably normal.

He kept his eyes on his hands as he poked the spoon through the eggy top layer of the treat, strings of cheese clinging to the utensil as he scooped out a bite. A plume of fragrant steam lifted through the air, holding notes of rosemary and thyme with the bite of a salty cheese. Popping it in his mouth, Harry felt that pressure to give her a good reaction disappearing. He wouldn't have to make anything up when he swallowed it down, the praise was going to come naturally.

The bite was custardy and warm, while being entirely light and airy. Hints of the different cheeses were sprinkled throughout, still warm and melty from the steam that had collected in the middle of the pastry. Ribbons of spinach added a bitter bite that cut through the cheese and egg, adding to the fresh herbs that were sprinkled across the top of (Y/N)'s creation. It was perfect—better than the scone even, but Harry had a feeling that anything he ate of her's, he would decide it was better than the last.

As much as he wanted to tell her how well she did, he couldn't wait that long to take another bite. Maybe he was a bit frantic, eager to try another shoveled bite, but the only reason Harry figured as much was because of the huffed laugh that (Y/N) let out. He could still feel her eyes on him, though now he only felt the warmth, not the weight.

"(Y/N)," he started after finally pulling the spoon away from the treat, "This is... I didn't think y'could make anything better than the scone, but this is amazing. Really." He hoped she understood how much he meant what he was saying, even if he held onto his stoic mask.

The booming smile that took over her features had something close to pride sitting in the back of Harry's chest. He liked knowing that he could put a smile like that on her face, even if there was a valid argument he could make stating he didn't deserve it.

"I'm so happy you like it!" Her voice bubbled bright and giddy as she spoke. "They're one of my favorite things to make, even if they're a little hard to deal with sometimes. If you ever want one and it's not Friday, just let me know before you come in and I can put one aside for you."

Having been unable to stop himself from taking another bite, Harry had to rush to swallow it down by the time she stopped speaking. He nodded to her, taking down the eggy, cheesy, salty bite in a heady swallow. "Thank you," he told her again, "That's really nice, (Y/N)."

He didn't know how, but her bright smile seemed to grow wider as she watched him take another heaping bite. Her cheek was smushed against the palm of her hand she had splayed over the side of her face, her elbow propped onto the table.

"You don't have to finish it if you don't want, though. I know it's pretty heavy, and we still have the bread I wanted to share with you," she said, though she didn't make any attempt to stop him when he shook his head.

"I'll finish it," he told her bluntly, a little too invested in the soufflé to care about the huffed laugh she let out at his reaction. A beat passed while she tried to hide how happy she was to see him scarf down her food before Harry began to savor the bites once he made it to the bottom of the cup. "How much do I owe you?" he asked, having almost forgot about the price of the treat.

A knit pinched her brows together though her eyes remained bright. "What do you mean?"

"For this." His own expression mimicked hers with his brows drawing together in the middle.

"Oh," she sounded, the word coming out on a breath, "Don't worry about it. I got it covered."

That had him pausing on the last couple of bites left of the soufflé. "No. How much do I owe you?"

Something stubborn had her eyes hardened when she looked at him across the small table. "You're not paying for this, Harry. It was a gift from me, don't worry."

"'M not taking free food from you, (Y/N). That's not fair after all the work y'did and everything," he argued.

"You are," she countered, a surprisingly firm edge to her voice, "I don't care. I wanted to do this for you, so I think it's perfectly fair. Now finish it so we can have some of the bread before I have to get back to work."

"(Y/N)..."

She didn't let him get very far before he was cut off, "Harry."

As much as he knew she was trying to tell him that he would be in trouble with her if he pushed the issue further, he liked seeing her get a little stern. It was cute seeing her go from the chirping, bubbly tone she used almost exclusively to putting her foot down over something so trivial. He thought she looked rather pretty like this.

He decided, looking at her trying to be stern in her Flour Pot uniform and shimmering nails, that he'd make it up to her somehow, this free breakfast.

Looking all too smug when he didn't argue back, (Y/N) brightened up when she saw him take the last bite.

"Thank you again, (Y/N)," he told her, wiping his face with one of the napkins in the holder on the table.

"Of course, Harry," she beamed at him, practically bouncing in her spot, "I'm just happy you liked it. I was getting nervous because I think I talked it up a little, so I didn't want to disappoint you."

He wanted to tell her that he was almost completely sure that there wasn't any way she could disappoint him. He kept his mouth shut.

She pushed the Tupperware towards him, the lip of the lid grasped between her fingers. "Do you think you still have room to try?"

Peeling back the lid, a square of dimpled bread was revealed to him. Basil leaves were pressed into the surface of the bread, crisped and preserved under a layer of crusty cheese. Flakes of black pepper could be seen throughout the dough and sprinkled over the top. The bread perfumed the air with spicy black pepper notes and the warmth of the cheese and basil. A small section of the container was cupped off, holding a creamy dip, tinted a golden yellow.

"I definitely have some room," he decided, his eyes growing to the size of his stomach with all the food being offered to him.

Fresh bread and a warm breakfast all in one day. She was spoiling him.

"Is it okay if I have a little with you? I made sure there would be enough for the both of us if you're okay with sharing."

"'S your food, 'course I don't mind," he told her, his lips turning into a frown. She was sharing with him, not the other way around.

Harry waited for her to take her first bite, fingers plucking off a corner with a basil leaf imprinted into the top. The bread was light and airy when he took his turn, chewy and soft when he pinched it between his fingers. He watched as she dipped into the condiment she had told him was a garlic aioli. One of her favorites; both to make and eat.

Just as he went to take his first dip into the sauce, (Y/N) had the same idea. Their fingers bumped, (Y/N) pulling back immediately with a soft sound exiting her lips. He hadn't realized he was holding his breath until his lungs began to ache.

"Sorry," he said first, jerking his chin, "You first."

(Y/N) hesitated for only a second, her eyes on him before she blinked in a flutter of long lashes. "Thanks," she chirped out, recovering as she dipped her next bite into the aioli.

When it was Harry's turn, he almost felt bad to be eating so much of her food when it should be celebrated from the rooftops for everyone to see and try. The crust on top was warm and crunchy, salty with the help of the parmesan she had spread across, while the middle was light and chewy. A bite was given to each taste with the help of the black pepper.

In an unsurprising turn of events, Harry wanted to say this was his favorite thing she'd ever made before.

"This might be my favorite," Harry settled on, waiting his turn before he plucked off another bite, the warm oil drizzled atop the bread shimmering on his fingers. "I know I keep saying it, but this is really amazing (Y/N). It's been a really long time since I've had anything like this, but you're really amazing at this."

He knew he was rambling, a habit he wasn't familiar with as his tongue fumbled around the words before he had a chance to stop them. He only managed to quit when he shoved another bite of the focaccia into his mouth, the bread all but melting over his tongue.

Her smile was ever-present as she spoke, "Thank you. I haven't been making bread like this for very long, on my own at home and all. I'm not super great at it yet, but it's been really fun and I think I'm getting better. It's more fun than the baguettes and sourdoughs I make here, I think. I get to make it however I want."

"You're very talented, (Y/N)." The compliment felt lame falling from his lips but it was the best he could do before he started going off again, possibly telling her how amazing she was once more.

She chirped her gratitude out, all but glowing under his praise. He liked knowing he could make her feel like that, give her the sunshine look that warmed her features.

The bread between them slowly dwindled to small chunks the longer they sat across from one another. (Y/N) told him more about the bakery and the people she worked with, what she liked making at home and what she preferred to keep at work. She didn't make him talk for more than a few hums here and there, allowing him to soak in her presence and settle into her without worrying about what he could share with her and what would be better to keep to himself.

The longer they sat, more and more patrons flitted into the shop. It started as a trickle, the groups small enough to be attended to before another would step up. The line didn't reach longer than a pair of people. Until the lunch rush came in.

(Y/N) cut herself off when a large group made their way in. Her eyes scanned the growing line and the pastry case that was getting picked through with every person that placed their order.

"I should probably get back to work. I definitely took longer than fifteen minutes with you," she said, looking more than a little reluctant to hop off her stool, "But you can stay as long as you want, eat however much you want." Just as she turned on her heel, a goodbye on her lips and wave on her fingers, he saw her stop in her tracks, turning back to face him. "Thank you for coming in, by the way. My days are always a little nicer when I get to see you."

Harry's hand clenched around the napkin he had been using to wipe his fingers and clean his face, the paper crumbling in his grip. His throat was dry, tongue too big for his mouth as he took in what she saw. How was he supposed to respond to something like that, when he almost wondered if he knew any words at all? Those butterflies were sabotaging him.

Even with Harry's lack of response, (Y/N) didn't look perturbed at all. She gave him that glowing smile once more—bright but only for him. "I'll see you later?"

"Y-Yeah," he stuttered out, a disjointed nod accompanying the word.

That was all she needed to hear before she was turning back to the kitchen. She waved at him, tossing that smile over her shoulder. "Bye, Harry."

"Bye, (Y/N)."

By the time Harry felt as though he needed to leave, he felt relaxed enough he could sleep some of the day away. He doubted a nightmare could enter his brain after a moment like this—the vision of (Y/N) in his brain, scented with soft bread and pastries made with only him in mind.

—————

It was a habit now for Harry to park in the same spot by the bakery every time he went into town. Even if he had no intention of sneaking inside and getting a glimpse of a fluttering bow and a whiff of rosemary, he always took his place across the street from The Flour Pot. The fresh air and the extra steps were good for him, anyway.

Getting out of his car, library books at his side, he couldn't help but to glance at the building. He cast a lingering look through the glass, eyes scanning through the pane in hopes of seeing a familiar face. It was an old instinct coming to the surface after so long of burying it underneath his hopes of a different life; he used to do the same, checking on his mother and sister to ensure they were safe and none of his mistakes had found them. The same habit was beginning to form for (Y/N).

Through the window pane, he saw her standing behind the pastry case, her profile to him as she spoke to the dark-haired girl he now knew to be her friend Sabrina. (Y/N) gesticulated as she talked, hands held out with her fingers spread out, emphasizing whatever story she was telling that had Sabrina holding back her laugh behind her own hand.

Harry had to drop his gaze, stitching his gaze to his feet as he walked to keep the smile from creeping onto his features.

Heading towards the library, Harry created a rhythm as he counted the cracks in the sidewalk with loose pieces of pavement kicking up with every step. It was on the sixteenth crack that he heard his name being called out behind him.

He knew that voice.

The plastic covering on his library book crackled when he tightened his grip on the spine. Looking over his shoulder, there was that smiling face framed by those stray strands of hair that escaped her ribboned bun. She beamed at him where she stood across the intersection from him, the dark pavement separating them.

"Wait up!" she called, looking both ways before scampering over the painted crosswalk to meet him. She slowed to a stop in front of him, the straps of her bag sliding off her shoulder. "Hi," she chirped out.

"Hi," he answered, his voice sounding decidedly less excitable than her own even if his chest was thumping,

"How are you?" she asked, "Today's your day off, right?"

"Yeah," he mumbled out, nodding his head, "I jus' woke up, so 's going alright so far."

"Long night last night?" she continued, getting comfortable in the conversation even if it was nothing more than small talk.

Harry recalled the twitch that had started in his eye now that Theo and the others had started trying to chat with him during the overnight shifts since Harry had accidentally opened the floodgates with his questions about (Y/N). "A little bit," he settled on, holding back a sigh, "But 's alright. How about you?"

Casting her gaze behind her to the bakery she'd just run out of, she only shrugged before looking back at him. "I don't like doing mids so they're always long, but I'm done for the day at least," she smiled at him, glancing at the book at his side, "Are you going to the library?"

Shifting his weight on his feet, Harry felt a little more exposed than he felt comfortable with. He always felt much more at ease when (Y/N) spoke of herself or he was able center questions around her.

Swallowing, Harry nodded.

(Y/N) perked up at his answer, almost bouncing in her spot. "I didn't know you went to the library and everything," she started, "I just finished at the bakery for the day, would it be alright if I tagged along?"

Another invitation, but one that he was to extend to her.

It felt personal in an odd way to invite her to accompany him, to see him pick out different novels and how he interacted with people that aren't her. The universe around them seemed to only extend to The Flour Pot and the grocery store—the only places where he was allowed to exist around her.

But, if this was their universe, then she was the center star. She beamed up at him, the kind of sun a creature like him would warm himself under, trailing pathetically behind. How he is supposed to say no to that?

"Sure," he mumbled out, "A-Are y'sure y'don't want to go home?" If it were him, after a long shift, he wouldn't even entertain the idea of doing anything other than heading home right away.

"I have too much energy to go home," she bubbled, inching closer to him to match his route to the library, "I had coffee this morning, so I'm all over the place. I'm worried about what I would do to my living room if I go home right now; I'd probably rearrange everything and decide to redecorate with money I don't have."

Dropping his gaze to his feet, Harry hid the twitch that tugged at the corner of his lips.

He fell into step beside her, slowing his paces as they trekked down the sidewalk to the library on the corner. She tugged on the strap of her bag, the lengths seemingly constantly falling from her shoulder.

"When did you get home last night?" (Y/N) asked, her voice floating over the sound of the cracked concrete under their feet.

Harry shrugged, shifting his books into the opposite hand leaving the one closest to her swinging at his side. "I stayed a little late and made it home by four."

(Y/N) shook her head, fixing the strap of her bag once more. "I'm starting to think you're a vampire, Harry," she chided, "I don't know how you do it. I like to stay up late and everything too, but I only like the nighttime because I have nothing I need to do."

"You get used to it," he told her. Harry could feel his features softening at her bubbly remarks.

"Sure," she said, lilting her voice into a tease, "Anyway, what are we looking for at the library today?"

Bringing his hand up to brush a knuckle under the tip of his nose, Harry felt that exposure again. "Jus' returning these, and probably check out a few more."

"What are your favorite kinds of books?" (Y/N) bounced in her steps beside him, glancing up at him with that sunshine face. "I didn't know you liked to read so much."

Just as Harry brought in a heavy breath through his nose, the steps to the library doors were in front of them. The proverbial bell that save him, he decided. Instead of giving her any kind of answers he was able to grab the stainless steel door handle and pull it open. "After you," he murmured to (Y/N).

The laugh that fell from her lips was enough to keep his chest from constricting so tightly. He hadn't even meant to make her laugh, but he'd take it whenever she was willing to give it.

(Y/N) waited just inside for him, only stepping towards the front desk when Harry was beside her. Ms. Klarke looked at them over the green frames of her glasses, brows rising with her eyes widening for only a moment before she fell back into that same pleasant expression she always greeted Harry with.

"Hello, Mr. Styles," she started, something in her eyes flashing before she moved onto his companion, "and Ms. (Y/N)."

"Hi, Ms. Klarke," (Y/N) chirped.

Harry felt out of place for a moment, listening to them speak to each other with the kind of familiarity he hadn't been invited into for years now. He only offered a small wave to the librarian in greeting, "Hi."

"How can I help you two today?"

(Y/N) looked to him immediately. Harry's hand started sweating around the plastic covering of his borrowed book. "Jus' here to return these and get something new," he mumbled once he reached the wooden desk.

"Already?" Ms. Klarke asked, "I'm going to run out of books for you soon, if you keep this up." She swiped his books off the counter, tapping away at her computer before swiping them under the scanner. "Lucky for you, though," she continued, "I did get some new ones I put out yesterday on your shelves if you wanted to look there first."

"Thank you," Harry said, feeling shy now that he had someone at his side. He hadn't had anyone there to run errands with in years.

"By the way," (Y/N) piped up, her eyes on the librarian, "We're bringing back some of those special croissants at the bakery, Ms. Klarke. This Sunday we'll have some of the currant ones and the fig sandwich ones, if you want to come by."

Ms. Klarke's expression brightened like Harry had never seen before, a hand landing on her hip as she looked at (Y/N). "Thank you, dear! That's so exciting, thank you for letting me know."

"Of course," (Y/N) beamed, offering up extra information to Ms. Klarke while Harry kept his eyes on the grains of the wooden desk.

He felt like a potted plant, standing in the middle of the interaction. At least this was saving him time before (Y/N) would follow him into the shelves and watch as he picked out new books to try.

Soon enough, the conversation ended with Ms. Klarke prompting them to look around, (Y/N) looked to Harry to lead the way.

"Where to first?" Her gaze dropped down the opposing wings of the library, each end marked with flags showing off different genres.

The shelves were packed with books, some visibly old with cracked spines and barcodes that had been replaced more than once, while others were vibrantly bright with fresh packaging. Spaces were left here and there for new arrivals to make a home, but it seemed like a place like this wouldn't ever run out of space no matter how many volumes were shoved into the empty spaces.

"This way," he said, shoving his now empty hand into his pocket.

Harry trailed through the shelves, not even bothering to look up at the markers as he went. He knew where he was going, even if he took slow steps as if contemplating where to go next.

The mystery section was the last one to amble through before reaching Harry's destination. The dark spines with words like murder and cold case. He didn't bother to look too close at the editions. Mystery wasn't a genre he enjoyed anymore, not since many of the subjects became the things he was trying to run from not escape into.

Bypassing the space, Harry led them to the shelves just an aisle over. The romance section.

Among the stacks were the stereotypical shirtless covers with overtly sexual titles, the kind of books that would have been on the roster of a women's wine and book club. Interspersed through were the bright covers Harry was more familiar with, blocky titles with drawn covers and bestselling authors.

He could hear (Y/N)'s footsteps behind him, following him into the section he took his time getting to. The pat of her feet stopped just beside him.

"You like romance books?"

Swallowing, Harry feigned an attempt to get a closer look at a book as he crouched down. He didn't want to see her face if she had any other thoughts about his selection. "It's easy to read," he told her, eyeing a volume with gold lettering over a dark blue cover, constellations decorating the binding, "Happy endings and all that."

"That's why I like them, too," she said after a beat, her voice soft to match the ambiance of the library, "There's always so much going on, it's nice to read something happy and soft instead of focusing on all the bad."

An invisible pressure that had been pressing on his chest waned at her words. While there wasn't much opportunity to share his preferred book genre with others, Harry hadn't ever wanted to. He always figured it was a little embarrassing to admit to reading kissing books. Of course (Y/N) wouldn't have any kind of problem with it, though. He should have figured.

The static of her presence shifted as she began her own perusal of the shelves. A beat of silence settled between the two of them, only the whisper of another patron heard down the aisle.

Swallowing, Harry felt his heartbeat in his chest. "I also like to read fantasy stuff sometimes," he told her, feeling all too nervous to be sharing something so trivial about himself.

Her response came in the form of a small hum, "Really? What kind do you like?"

Distracting his restless hands, Harry plucked the blue book from the shelf, the plastic covering crackling under his fingers. "Kind of like Dracula and those kinds of things," he mumbled, pretending as if he didn't feel her eyes on him, "They're hard to read sometimes, jus' because the language is hard to understand, but I think they're pretty interesting."

"I don't know if I could read any of those monster books, honestly," she said, huffing out a laugh, "I think I would give myself nightmares if I read them after dark, but they do sound really interesting. I want to know if it's still as scary now as it was back then."

The thought of (Y/N), perky and bright as she was, sitting down with a book like Dracula or one of the other great gothic horrors, had Harry almost breaking into a smile while looking at the book in his hand. He'd be interested to see her reaction to something that dark.

A process Harry was far too familiar with started then: the seemingly endless browsing of library shelves. Even after picking out the trio of books that would keep him busy for the week, he didn't find any kind of rush to head out immediately after. (Y/N) meandered with him, finding her own interesting reads before restocking them on the shelf. Harry could hear her mumbling something about needing to get a library card.

"So this is what you do on your days off?" she asked once they reconvened around a shelf of autobiographies.

Nodding, Harry had his eyes forward as he spoke. "Usually. I visit you, the library, and sleep. Nothing exciting."

"That sounds so nice, though," she all but melted, "I feel like I'm so busy all the time, even when I'm not at work. I know I'm lucky to be doing a hobby of mine for work, but it does take out some of the fun of baking for myself, you know? And it used to be a kind of stress reliever, but now it just feels like I'm doing my work again."

"I'm sorry," he told her, brows knitting in the middle at the explanation. He'd never really thought about it like that, if he was being honest. He always figured that if you're doing something you love, you never work—or whatever it was that quote said. "I've never thought about it like that."

"I didn't either before I started," she shared, "But, it's okay, really. I still enjoy baking and my job is easy because of that, I just don't have the urge to bake in my free time like I used to."

"As long as you're happy," he murmured. He felt as though it was a secret he was sharing with her between the stacks, that he thought at all about her happiness.

Her finger paused on the spine of the book she was tracing over, a falter in her route. Looking up at her, he saw the ghost of a smile on her lips.

"Do you bake or cook or anything like that?" she asked once she seemingly recovered, her attention now placed on the autobiography of an eighties songwriter.

Taking in a deep breath, he kept himself from drawing his gaze over her profile. His attention was forcefully placed on what looked like a memoir of a philosopher. "Not really. Baking is too scientific for me; all the measuring makes me feel like I'll mess it up," he offered, "And, I don't really cook anymore."

"Anymore?"

It was an innocent question. The wording he used was something anyone would pick up on, so he wasn't sure why he felt nervous knowing that she picked up on it. He swallowed, throat bobbing around the building words.

"Yeah, I don't cook much anymore but when I lived with my—um—my mum we used to cook together a lot." Though it was little more than a sentence, this was the most he'd talked about his past to anyone in over a handful of years. He just hoped she didn't ask about his mom.

"That's really sweet," she said, looking up from where she was reading the back description of one of her books, "What did you like to cook?"

Relief touched his chest at the new subject matter. It didn't matter how long it's been since he and his family had to scatter themselves around, it was still hard to speak on them when he never got to process the grief over losing them. This was easier, speaking about her indirectly, even if he could still feel that well of emotion growing heavier in his stomach.

"We liked to make this soup together a lot; it had rice and chicken sometimes and other little things. I think I was too young to really pay attention to what she was putting in before she had me doing something else. It was that and a lot of grilled cheeses, and Sunday dinners, and just... things she knew I liked."

Harry felt himself shutting down when he started uncovering more and more memories in the kitchen with his mother. Those moments were what they had left up until things changed, her always having him help even when he was old enough to do more than wash the produce and stir the pot. His defense mechanism of shutting down kicked in, shutting him out of his own memories and own recollection of those days.

"That's really cute," (Y/N) murmured, looking at him with something in her eyes that looked entirely too soft to be directed at him. Her gaze lingered before it dropped back to the book in her hands. "I've always been okay at cooking, but before I started at the bakery, I used to make cupcakes all the time."

Cupcakes. That was much easier to focus on. He almost wanted to thank her for changing the subject.

"Yeah?"

"Mhm," she hummed, sliding the book back into place on the shelf, "I used to try all kinds of weird flavors with different frostings and little designs in all different colors. It was so fun, but now the idea of doing something like that after I get home from work makes my hands hurt before I've even started."

A furrow pinched at Harry's brows. That same instinct he had that urged him to check on her earlier piped up once again. "Do your hands hurt a lot from work?"

"Sometimes," she shrugged, facing him with the tendrils of her bow fluttering behind her, "If I'm working on the bread case that day, then yeah. All of the yeast stuff that needs me to really work with it and everything, that hurts my hands the worst, but it usually depends on the prep."

It was the way her face dropped when she said the word prep and how quickly she pulled out her phone afterwards that had that concerned instinct flaring once more. Even as she tapped away at whatever it was that lived in her phone, her attention stitched elsewhere, he still squared his shoulders as if to show her he could help. "What's wrong?"

"I almost completely forgot I have to go in for an overnight this weekend. Sabrina was supposed to, but she has a concert that night she doesn't want to miss," she sighed, finishing whatever it was that was on her screen before putting her phone back into her bag, "It's basically just a prep shift while we're closed so the opener is ready to put things in the oven. I haven't done one in so long; I don't want to."

"You can't get out of it?" Harry pressed, feeling worried over how much she didn't want to do it.

Was there more he needed to be concerned about? Was she hiding from something? Was someone making her do this? How was he supposed to help her if she didn't tell him what was going on?

"It's honestly not that bad, I'm just being dramatic," she smiled at him, relaxing some under the intensity of his gaze, "These are the kinds of shifts that hurt my hands the most, but it's nice going on when everything is closed. I don't have to be in uniform, and I can just listen to music and be by myself for a little while."

By myself. That pinged in Harry's head a little too loudly. He understood what she was getting at—the kind of solitude that had him gravitating towards his own overnight shift—, but that didn't ease him into the idea of her being alone overnight in the bakery.

"I'll be like you that day," she told him, kicking her toe lightly against his own Vans, "A vampire getting up before the sun is up, and everything."

He wanted to lighten up, especially at the small touch she offered him without reason, but he still was working overtime in his head. "You'll be alone? No one else is coming in with you?"

"Yeah, but it's not so bad," she said, inching out the aisle with Harry following her lead, "I'll see one of the other girls when I come in after we close, but after that it's just me." He was sure she could tell he wasn't completely eased at the new centimeter of information. "I promise it's not as bad as I was acting. I don't even think I'll need to drive that day, so I won't need to worry about parking or anything either."

Though Harry knew she was trying to reference back to when she told him that she wasn't very good at parking and always made herself nervous when she had to pick a spot in the overflow lot by the bakery, he was focusing too much on the fact she wasn't planning on driving at all.

"What do y'mean?"

"I think I'm going to walk to work that day since it'll be so quiet, anyway. It'll help me relax a little afterwards, I think."

Harry almost stopped in his tracks. She planned on walking to her overnight shift. The shift that exclusively deals in dark nights and little to no light? The one that encourages those that feel too comfortable in the dark to come out and mess with someone like her? The spines of his chosen books crackled at his tightening grip.

"You're going to walk?"

"I live in a townhouse a few blocks over, so it's not a long walk or anything. I would do it more often, I just hate usually have things to do afterwards that I need to drive for."

"What time do y'get off?" The question rolled off his tongue before he had even decided he was going to ask as much. He hoped he wasn't coming off as creepy as he sounded.

"I think I'm scheduled until two, but I usually stay a little longer just to make sure everything is resting well before I leave." The information was offered to him with no fight. Another red flag to Harry's too cautious brain. Worst case scenarios began to brew in his brain with villains who made sure to exploit her trusting nature.

He brushed a knuckle against the tip of his nose, taking in a deep breath. "If you're willing to wait a little until I get off, I can walk y'home."

It was (Y/N)'s turn for her steps to falling in the meandering trail they were curating through the stacks. She looked at him with an incredulous look on her face, brows raised and eyes wide. "Really?"

A determined set had his features in hard lines. A furrow scrunched Harry's brows, mouth set into a hard line with a jaw to match, gaze stitched to her own. He didn't waver even when he faltered over his words. "I...I don't like the idea of y'walking alone in the dark."

The incredulous mold of her features melted away to something much more shy and flustered. A small smile curled her lips, her eyes softening as she looked up at him through a flutter of lashes. She was the closest thing to the human embodiment of the butterflies that made their home in Harry's stomach.

"You don't mind after working all night?"

"No."

Her smile grew some at his simple answer. "I think I'd like that, then. Thank you, Harry."

Harry only dropped her gaze to keep her from spotting the small curl of his lips over the sound of her voice wrapping around his name like silk.

—————

Harry had his eyes glued to the clock stationed above the computer in the stock room. The second the hands thunked into position, detailing out three o'clock, he was punching out. Not a minute later. He wasn't going to be late with someone waiting on him.

He promised (Y/N)'d he'd be there to walk her home, and he wasn't going to be a second late.

It was barely 3:02 a.m. when he stepped out into the rain-soaked parking lot, scaling the length to his car. All night had felt like a countdown, Harry near constantly checking the time on his phone to ensure he would finish with his boxes in time to clock out right away when the time struck. Other than a wave over his shoulders, he didn't waste time playing into the chatty goodbyes of his coworkers. (Even on regular nights, he didn't understand how they could be so eager to socialize at three in the morning after a full shift).

After pulling out of the parking lot, the drive to her bakery felt like five minutes with the way he was driving. He especially didn't want her to wait long enough for (Y/N) to get any wild ideas about waiting outside the front doors for him. But, as he pulled up to the building, The Flour Pot sign darkened, there was no one there.

Peering through the windows after he picked his usual parking space across the street, he saw only a tiny light. Knowing what he knew of the layout, it looked as if it could be one the light to the kitchen or a back office, but the shine could easily be mistaken for a glare from oncoming traffic.

That was where (Y/N) was. Safe inside.

The drumming in his chest settled at the knowledge. He hadn't realized he had given so much weight to the scenario where he would pull up to her already walking home without him, some faceless entity trailing her, opening its maw to reveal sharpened fangs before swallowing her whole. (He'd been thinking about checking out Dracula again since their conversation in the library, but after this he figured his imagination was a little too active for something like that).

Now it was his turn to wait. She had warned him that she would be later than her scheduled time of two o'clock, and he had no qualms about waiting it out for her. He was a patient person, a virtue Harry and learned in his old life, but this was one of the first times he felt content to wait for someone. As long as she didn't leave without him.

Harry settled into his seat, soft music filtering through the speakers.

——————

Almost an hour later, from the corner of his eye, Harry saw movement from inside the bakery. The light in the back had been flicked off moments before he saw a comfy dressed figure slipping out of the front door.

(Y/N) had her hair pulled back, a loose shirt on with soft leggings and her ever-present Vans on her feet. Her bag was slung over her shoulder, hands full of her keys and her phone. She took her time locking the front doors.

Through that hour of waiting, fatigue had settled in Harry's bones, making his movements much more lethargic than normal as he readied to meet her on the sidewalk. Until he saw her pull out a pair of headphones from her bag, slipping the buds into her ears before turning in the opposite direction of the shop.

Though he didn't want to scare her, Harry had to quicken his pace and catch up with her as soon as he could. She didn't seem to hear the thud of his feet over the pavement and splashing through rain puddles until he was close enough to call her name. (Any kind of creature could have snuck up on her with her being so distracted like that. The thought sent a frigid chill down Harry's spine).

At the call of her name, Harry's hand inches away from grazing her arm, (Y/N) spun around, hand to her neck with a squeaking scream clogging her throat. Realization came a moment later, her widened eyes and startled stature melting away when she took him in.

"Jeez, Harry, you scared me," she breathed out.

"Sorry," he told her, hand dropping back to her side, "I didn't want y'to leave without me."

"That's right, oh my god," she bubbled off, replacing her headphones back into the pod carrier, "I almost completely forgot you're walking with me. I'm sorry, tonight's been a really long night."

"'S okay," he said, stepping that much closer to her over the cracked concrete. "At least y'didn't get too far before I caught you."

"Yeah," she smiled at him, nudging her shoulder to keep the straps of her bag up, "Thank you again. Even though I almost forgot, it means a lot."

Harry only nodded his head, that odd feeling of a smile twitching at the corner of his mouth returning at her words. It wasn't something he'd experienced in a long while, but (Y/N) seemed to be the only one that could pull it from him.

Falling into step beside her as they started on the couple block walk to her home, he saw as she flexed her fingers as her sides, her phone being discarded to float in her bag instead of in her grasp. "Are your hands okay?"

Flexing her hands out in front of her, (Y/N)'s joints were visibly stiff with spots of flour decorating the hem of her sleeves. "Yeah, they're not too bad, actually. I've definitely had worse." She ran the pad of her thumb over the meaty part of the other. "I'm really only sore right here, but I'll be fine."

Her voice was like a melody over the sounds of the night. Rain showers had cleansed the town earlier in the night, leaving their footsteps to be complimented by the stick of raindrops clinging to the rubber soles of their shoes. Leaves rustled around them as drops slid down the surface, arcing down every leaf until joining a puddle created on the concrete around them. Everything smelled wet and fresh; clear. (Y/N)'s refreshing presence fit in perfectly.

"'M happy you're alright," he said, his own hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans. Peering at her at his side, he saw her looking to the sky. He slowed his steps to not leave her behind. "Am I allowed to know what y'made today?"

"Of course," she laughed, looking at him with the same kind of wonder she was giving to the starry sky, "I prepped a lot of shortbread tonight, so Sabrina can make them into tulips later, and even more croissants. I did a few other little things for the bread case but I think the croissants got me the worst today."

"Yeah? Why do you think that?"

"It's all the layers," she started, leading him in taking a left out of the main town, "It's a lot of rolling it out and making sure I get it all done before the butter starts melting in between. I've gotten a lot better at the timing since I've started, but it's still a lot to work on all at once."

"I didn't know that. 'M sorry." He now suddenly felt bad for enjoying any of her treats. He didn't like the idea of her hurting just for a sweet to start his morning.

"Don't be sorry, it's okay. Someone has to do it," she chirped out, mimicking the birds that were beginning to wake up around them, "How was your night, though? Did you just get off?"

Harry shrugged. He didn't really feel like telling her he'd been waiting for over an hour outside the bakery for her. "I got off a little earlier, but yeah. It was an easy night, jus' boring. Longer than I thought it would be."

Her bag bounced against her hip as they walked, her eyes like the starlight when she looked at him. "Unpack anything fun?"

Dropping his head, he brushed his knuckle against the tip of his nose to conceal the small twitch on the corner of his mouth. He knew what she was getting at. "I mean, I did unpack some cookies tonight."

(Y/N) had them cross the street before turning into a suburban area, full of small houses. It was like a gingerbread house community Harry thought, everything similar but distinctly different with the way every inhabitant decorated the outside.

"What kind of cookies?"

He had to look the other way this time to keep her from seeing that smile. He didn't know why, but he wasn't sure if he wanted her to see him like that; as if she would call him out, like even she would know he wasn't supposed to be happy like that.

With a shrug and his composure in place, Harry told her with a flat tease, "This raspberry kind with white chocolate, I think? And one of the other guys unpacked some fancy cheeses, too. At least I heard anyway."

She was silent beside him for a moment. "I can't tell if you're making fun of me, or if you really forgot that those are two of my favorite things right now."

"Are they?"

That had a peal of laughter falling from (Y/N)'s lips. She drifted close enough then to bump his hip with her own, looking up at him with faux offense. "You think you're so funny, don't you?"

Looking at his feet, the puddles he disrupted with his steps and the clinging wetness that filled the cracks in the pavement. Peering at her from the corner of his eye, he spotted her still looking at him, a smile crumbling her facade.

"A little."

(Y/N) only laughed and shook her head, bumping his hip once more. She mumbled something under her breath about how of course he did.

Straying from her path, (Y/N) bumped Harry's hip once more, her bag pressing into his side. His steps never faltered, eyes forward and a twitch in his lips. He forgot what it was like to be teased and have fun with someone.

The silence that fell between them was filled with the clear, dewy slick of the rain under their feet. The gingerbread neighbourhood he'd seen down the street was now around them in their cookie cutter shapes and frosting decor. Short white picket fences outlined the perimeters of the small front yards, the houses stacked side by side behind.

(Y/N) stopped in front of a row of three units. A set of pastel colored curtains in the window of the one bookending the building gave away exactly who lived there. A dull cream paint was brushed over the panels with a muted blue trim and front door. It was a complete replica of every other townhouse on the block.

The personal touches came in the form of a sunshine yellow bird house hung on her small porch, leaves and twigs poking out of the front hole. A welcome mat was placed in front of her door, the pattern one of daisies and strawberries though the colors had now been muddied and dull from every time a pair of feet wiped themselves off on the fibers. Around the side was a window with a flowerbed hung underneath. Instead of blooms and bright petals, Harry spotted brown leaves and wilted stems. She tried her best to keep those plants alive, he was sure.

"This is mine," she said, looking up at him with starry eyes. For the first time since he picked her up, he saw those lines of fatigue around her irises, exhaustion tugging at her features.

"I'll see you soon, then?" he asked. He didn't mean to sound so abrupt, but he wanted her to get some rest. As much as a part of him wanted her to linger outside with him, to spend some of these usually lonely hours with him, it wasn't fair to keep her from sleeping. She wasn't like him.

Nonetheless, a soft smile touched her chapped lips. "Definitely."

Despite the pause that would allow her to head inside and end her night, (Y/N) lingered for a beat longer. Reaching a hand up to press those stray baby hairs out of her eyes, she looked at him through the fan of her lashes.

"Harry?"

He swallowed. "Hm?"

She looked sheepish in that moment, struggling to meet his eyes with a shy smile on her lips. "You can tell me if this is too much, but I was wondering if I could have your number, maybe?"

Harry's voice stuck in his throat when he processed what she said. His hand clenched in his pocket, his phone suddenly heavy in his back pocket.

A nervous hand pushed back hair that wasn't in her face when the silence stretched on a little too long for comfort. "I don't know, I'm sorry, I just think it might be nice to know when I'll see you again, instead of just waiting? And, I'm really bad at remembering to tell you about the things I see that make me think of you or things I think you'd like and all, so it would be cool to tell you before I forget."

Standing there in the clean air after rainfall, a dew touching his skin with birds beginning to sing around him, Harry felt frozen. His heartbeat didn't quicken, his blood didn't rush, his hands didn't shake. He had been plunged into ice, stopping him in his spot with a breath of air stuck in his lungs.

(Y/N) wasn't supposed to ask him that. She wasn't supposed to want to see him, to find things in the world that made her think of him—she wasn't supposed to think of him at all, really. How did he get here?

How had he tricked her into seeing anything more than a standoffish man who didn't need anyone but himself? Even with these stolen moments together, he couldn't imagine he would enter her mind in the same way she had been able to do to him.

A shuttering blink had Harry's eyes clearing by the time he opened them to find her still standing there. In a millisecond, words tumbled out of his throat, his hand fumbling for his back pocket. "Y-Yeah, of course."

In clumsy fingers, he held his phone out towards her. The device had a hairline crack along the side of the screen, a case that had seen more wear-and-tear he figured most people would allow, and a generic Lock Screen. He didn't bother opening it up and taking her to the needed app. There was no security to get through on there, nothing for him to hide in his squeaky-clean existence.

"Thank you," she said, looking up at him with a shy smile on her lips. She was bashful under his gaze, gingerly taking his phone and swiping through the screens and tapping on what she needed, a short tremor touching at her fingers. "Is it okay if I text myself from your phone so I have your number too?"

Swallowing, Harry nodded his head, stuffing his hands back into his pockets before he had a chance to pluck at his cuticles again. "Maybe—um—y'can let me know the next time y'have a shift like this, and I can walk y'home again. Maybe."

A breathy laugh fell from her lips at his stumbling words, her gaze flicking from the phone to him. "Definitely, I'll let you know. I don't get scheduled for these often anymore, but you'll be the first to know if that changes."

Harry couldn't remember the last time his body reacted this way—the frozen limbs, the waking heart, the stunted lungs. Definitely never under such sweet circumstances, he knew that.

Though he felt like he could have been standing there long enough to see the sunrise then set again, it only took a moment for the text she sent to herself to go through. She took her own phone out then, surely looking at the text and saying Harry's number for herself. There was something especially bright in her gaze when she looked up at him to return his own device, her phone being wrung between both of her hands.

"I'll see you again soon, then?" she asked, toeing at the ground. She didn't attempt to fix the sliding strap of her bag.

"Yeah," he sounded in the quiet of the slow morning, a nod of his head.

He expected her to then spin on her heel and head inside, a goodbye said over her shoulder before he would trace his path back alone. Instead, (Y/N) lingered, her hands growing busier on her phone, playing with the corners of her phone case. That nervous pinch in her brows returned.

"C-Can I hug you?" she asked, voice almost as small as the dew drops on the grass of her yard, "It's okay if you're not a hugger or anything, though, I just thought I'd ask 'cause..."

She trailed off before any real explanation could be given, a sheepish shrug in its place.

If he thought he had been plunged into ice water before, Harry swore he was frozen under the throes of an avalanche now.

"No—um—y'can. 'M okay with it." His voice felt thick in his throat, smearing over his tongue before falling out for her to taste too.

(Y/N) brightened like he had given her something sweet, a treat she couldn't have made herself.

Harry couldn't remember the lead up or any of the details before she had folded her arms around him. She had reached up, looping her arms around his neck while Harry's settled around her middle. His hands spanned the planes of her back, ducking down with his nose touching the crown of her head, ruffled strands of hair tickling him.

From the outside, there was nothing special. She didn't squeeze him particularly hard or press her whole body to his, she didn't spill any secrets into the column of his neck. But, this had to be one of the most profound moments in Harry's recent life.

The last time someone hugged him, he had to have been a teenager. He'd forgotten what it felt like to feel that kind of gentle touch.

She didn't linger for too long, drawing away after she had cradled him for long enough. The absence of her form left a ghost of heat on Harry's body. He almost wanted to clutch at it like it was really her. He'd settle for the warmth of her gaze.

"Thank you for walking me home and everything, Harry." Her smile grew as she spoke. "It made my night."

He could have crumbled then. Whatever was happening to his body and his brain, he wasn't sure. It felt good, though.

"Goodnight, (Y/N)," he murmured as she took her slow steps back to her front door. His hand tightly clutched his phone in his pocket. "I-I'll text y'when I get home?"

It was like the sunrise occurred right in front of him the way she perked up. "Yes, please! I might be asleep, but I want to make sure you made it home okay." That bubbly smile was tacked onto her lips as she absently fiddled with the doorknob. "Goodnight."

Harry stayed on the concrete until she was safely inside, a wave being thrown over her shoulder to him before the door was sealed shut behind her. It was then when he was alone that he allowed a smile to break out over his features.

Though only the ground under his feet saw it, the smile was for (Y/N), only.

His phone was warm in his palm when he pulled it out, something he was willing to convince himself was still from (Y/N). Sliding open the lock screen, the message thread she had started was still up.

Up top, her name was punctuated with a lotus flower and a croissant. The one message she sent to herself was a heart emoji. Though he hadn't been the one to press send, seeing the text in the blue bubble on his side the screen, made his heart tick. It was easy to pretend he was the one that sent it in the first place.

The whole walk back to his care he couldn't wipe the smile from his face.

—————

hyssop represents purification and hope; letting go of the past and allowing a better future

eepppp! super excited to show you some different parts of rosemary h! patreon is now a little more than halfway through the story now, so if you cant wait you can def sign up there and get to know more of their story! thank you soooooo much for reading and following along! so sorry if theres any mistakes but please let me know if you have any fun ideas or requests or predictions!

866 notes · View notes

littlemissnoname13 · 2 years

Note

Hihi!! I really loved your professor!Draco hcs (and all of your draco fics, i think I've read them all lol) I was wondering if maybe you could write smut for professor!Draco? Maybe elaborate on the whole "sitting on his lap while he's working" thing?

Hi Anon. I’ve been wanting to write this as soon as I saw your ask because Professor Draco is my guilty pleasure. Sorry it took this long.

Take a Break, Professor Malfoy (D.M)

Summary: a one shot based off these head cannons (the reader is a little whiny here. Just saying)

Words: 2000ish

Warnings: smut, age gap (reader is 18+ and the gap is not too big), some form of degrading, pet names, cock warming, spanking if you look hard enough. 18+ Mature content, mature words, read at your own discretion. Also, there is consent from both parties at all times and this is not proofread.

A/n: Hi, I’m currently away from tumblr at the moment because my daytime job is busting my proverbial balls. If you see this, this post was on queue. I have a few fics on cue actually. I’ll get back to your messages and asks ASAP. 😭🥲

Masterlist

It’s a hot day.

It’s a day stowed right in between spring and summer where days are suddenly longer and sweaters are a thing of nuisance. Especially during the afternoon.

She's already peeled off her school sweater and tossed it carelessly under the foot of his large four poster bed. Her school tie lays next to all her other things slowly accumulating on his bedside table. He’s made space in his drawer for her to put her stuff in but she is tired from all her classes and the bedside table is closer.

“It’s such a lovely day outside.” She muses out loud, rolling on the bed and onto her back.

He doesn’t say anything. He hasn’t said anything for the last hour.

“I’m thinking picnic by the lake.” She tries to get his attention again. “What do you think?”

“Everyone will still be out.” He reminds her, without bothering to look up from the sack of papers in front of him.

“But I’m soooo bored, Draco.” She grumbles. Tendrils of her hair cascade off the edge of the bed and she blows a strand away to look at him.

Wire rimmed glasses rest on his nose and above his glasses, she can see his brows furrowed in concentration. His shirt sleeves are rolled up neatly and the corded veins on his forearm bulge just a little with every moment of his quill that is moving faster than the golden snitch.

He makes one last scribble and drops his quill back into the ink pot. The chair creaks against the floorboard when he turns his body to face her.

“Cmhere then.” He says, giving her a crooked grin that makes her feel lightheaded. “You can sit on my lap while I grade these papers.”

Hearing that, her body automatically leaps off the bed and darts towards his desk. She worries that she looks way too thrilled to be close to him but he doesn’t seem to mind.

A lazy smile is pulling on the corners of his mouth and his arms are wide open in anticipation.

She is quick to sink into his lap, her legs straddling him as she gets comfortable. When satisfied, she curls up into his chest and her face on the crook of his neck.

Long fingers brush her spine in gentle strokes and all the restlessness inside of her is put to an ease. She can fall asleep like this. She can die like this. She doesn’t even care.

It's terrifying how he holds so much power over her.

“You can fall asleep.” He murmurs against her earlobe as if reading her mind. “I’ll carry you to bed if you do.”

When she was a little girl, she’d fall asleep on her living room sofa and wake up snug and comfortable in her own bed. For a while, she had convinced herself that she was teleporting .But now, when she looks back, a nostalgic kind of sadness washes over in high tides because having someone to carry you to bed when you fall asleep in random places is a luxury.

She’d fallen asleep with her books sprawled on the rug of his room while he was away at a faculty meeting yesterday. When she’d woken up, she found herself on the bed. As snug as a bug.

She knows she can trust Draco to put her to bed but sleep is not what she wants.

What she wants is no sleep.

What she wants is for him to cast the silencing spell on the walls of this room and take her on his desk again. She wants him to fuck her brains out all night long,

“Don’t fight the sleep, sweetheart.” He whispers into her ears, his voice softer than lullaby. “You’ve had a long day.”

“You would know.” She grumbles, her eyes still closed. “You gave us an enormous report to write and submit by the end of this week. Who does that?”

“So you haven’t started on the report, I assume.”

“Nope.”

“May I ask why?” He asks. This whole time, his other hand hasn’t stopped grading papers.

“Oh, I was hoping to further my academic career by sucking off my professor.” She sighs against his neck, shifting her hips a little to get more comfortable.

They both know she’s only joking but still, he drops his quill and cups her arse in his palm. “Is that so?” He asks, giving it a squeeze.

“But then I changed my mind.” She peppers kisses along his throat. “I’m going to get up early tomorrow to go to the library. I have some books in mind that might help with the report.”

“Good girl.” He chuckles and kisses the top of her head before resuming his grading. She can tell he’s not impressed with any of the tests that were turned in because he keeps clicking his tongue and cursing at Salazar Slytherin.

“That’s it.” He sighs, exasperated. “Another one of these stupid answers that miss the fucking point and I’m done with my teaching career.”

She giggles and cups his frowning face in her hands. Her thumbs gently smooth out his creased brows and she leans in to place a kiss on his lips before removing his glasses.

His blue-gray eyes are so vivid up close that it robs her off her breath. His pupils dilate when they focus on her and just knowing that she is the center of his attention makes her incredibly giddy.

“Take a break, Professor Malfoy.”

~~~~~

Her voice is a soft silken caress on his heated skin. It feels like a crosswind, cooling him off and sedating him into a state of pure bliss.

“Can’t.” He replies, grabbing her firmly by the hips to still him when she starts to rub up against him.

He knows where this is going.

She’s a siren and the rhythm in which she grinds her hips is a siren song he isn’t capable of resisting.

“But I want you.” She says, her voice sounding like a near sob. “Look at how bad I want you, Draco.”

She holds his large hand in her small one and guides up her skirt. Slipping the fabric of her panties aside, she presses his hand against her clit.

“See?” She blinks her eyes so innocently at him that he loses it. She’s so wet her arousal is pooling down her inner thighs.

He allows his index finger to circle her clit and she arches her back in instant response.

“I need to finish grading those papers.” He says through his teeth, unsure if he’s telling her or reminding himself. His cock is jerking up, aroused at the wet sounds of her pussy and he has to will himself not to bend her on his desk and pound her till she is deliriously moaning his name.

“Please.” She is pleading now. The little brat is rolling her hips and chasing her orgasm by fucking herself on his fingers.

“Please what?” He asks, using his free hand to grip her arse to still her.

“Please, sir.” She chokes out, tears welling in the corners of her eyes. She is right on the edge of her orgasm and the thought of her at his mercy gets him off.

There has always been this power dynamic at play since the very beginning. The imbalance of power is so prominent that he often wonders if he is corrupting her. Sometimes, he lies awake next to her after carrying her to bed and wonders if he is taking advantage of her.

But then she rolls to her side and snuggles up against him. She kisses his cheek and tells him that she loves him.

It’s always been about trust between them. He fucks her like a whore and runs her a hot bath afterwards. He massages her shoulders and gives her forehead kisses.

He just wants to take care of her. He wants to take her to dinner and buy her every stupid thing her heart desires.

“Are you going to come on my fingers, pretty girl?”

“Yes.” She moans, struggling to keep the friction going. When he looks at the desperation in her eyes, he wants to let her come but not before he punishes her for being bratty.

His hands strike her arse as she whimpers. “Yes what?”

“Yes, Sir.” She moans. “I want to come on your fingers.”

“Then come.” He growls, pumping his fingers in and out of her pussy. He knows she needs that extra stimulation on her clit so he uses his thumb to rub steady circles on it.

She is almost there. Her eyes are rolling back and she is clenching his fingers inside her tight little hole. He increases his pace and she makes that little whimper she always makes before she comes.

“My girl is such a filthy fucking slut. Fucking herself on her Professor’s fingers.” His hands strike as arse again. “Imagine what everyone will say if they ever find out.”

She’s panting. She’s falling apart.

“That gets you off, doesn’t it?” He murmurs against her neck. “Everyone knowing what a filthy little whore you really are.”

Her orgasm crashes through her in multiple waves. With each passing wave, she trembles and cries out his name. When she’s spent he pushes the strands of hair from her sweaty forehead away and places a loving kiss on top.

She opens her eyes and looks at him expectantly. Her lips curl up into a pout and he has to stifle a laugh.

“What?” Draco arches a brow at her.

“You didn’t fuck me.” She huffs, post climax sleepiness already making her eyelids droopy.

Draco contemplates his options for a bit. If he fucks her now, he’ll have to go to class with ungraded papers tomorrow.

He reaches for his belt buckle and undoes his zipper. When his achingly hard cock springs free, she instantly looks more awake.

Draco kisses her softly and begins pumping his cock in his fist.

“Are you going to fuck me, now?” She asks.

“No.” He smirks, lifting her so he can push his cock inside her. Slowly, he feels her velvet walls suck him in. She is clawing at his back, moaning.

She frees her left hand and places it on the lowermost area of her stomach. “Here.” She sighs. “You’re all the way up here, Draco.”

“Fuck.” He groans. “I will never finish grading these fucking papers if you say things like that.”

“But it’s true.” She whispers, grinding her hips.

“Sit still” He says, stilling her for the third time that day. “Sit still and let me finish grading these papers while my cock is inside of you. Then I’ll fuck you just the way you want it.”

Her eyes dance, calculating the pros and cons of his proposal. “Fine.” She snaps and sinks back into his chest and closes her eyes.

Draco kisses her one last time and goes back to grading his papers. Ever so often, he pauses to rub her clit. She grits her teeth but stays true to her word. She does not move one bit.

By the time he grades his last paper, she is sniffling against the crook of his neck. His heart aches at the sight so he carries her to bed.

“I’m going to make it up to you, sweet heart.” He brings her hands up to his mouth. He kisses her knuckles and her fingers. “I’m going to make you feel good.”

She sniffles and nods in response.

Draco spreads her legs apart and takes his time licking her pussy. When he gets another orgasm out of her, he lines himself up against her entrance and she sucks her breath in anticipation.

“I love you, you know that?” He whispers into her ears when he sinks inside of her. When he rocks into her in slow steady strokes, she abandons all control and gives him the reins.

“I love you too, Draco.” Her breathy whisper tickles the side of his face.

The thing is, he’d do anything for her. His heart is at her mercy and he’s given her all the reins to his entire existence.

And even when he wraps his hand around the base of her throat, he knows this for a fact.

She’s in control.

#Draco Malfoy #draco malfoy fanfic #draco malfoy fic #draco fanfiction #draco fanfic #draco malfoy fanfiction #draco x reader #draco malfoy smut #draco smut #draco malfoy x reader #draco x reader smut #draco x you #draco x yn #draco malfoy x you #draco malfoy x yn #draco fic #professor!draco #professor!malfoy #professor draco

2K notes · View notes

starlightts-posts · 1 year

Text

Neteyam x avatar!reader

part 2 :))

genre: fluff

part 1 part 3

a/n: i have no clue what to add to part 1, but here you go!

When Lo'ak suggested that you should try and experience the adrenaline of riding an Ikran, the vibrant blue color got drained from your face. You admired the creature, no doubt in that, but the thought of being among the clouds frightened you, especially if it meant having Lo'ak as the escort.

"No," you push yourself through the doorway of your bedroom, passing the youngest son of Toruk Makto with a full box of Norm's paperwork in your arms. "I am not stepping out of this laboratory to fly a banshee, especially if it means you get to skip your sparring match with Neteyam."

"Come on," Lo'ak rolls his eyes and skips after you, dodging the 'happy birthday' sign that Max insisted Norm hangs above your bedroom door the day prior with a quick bend. You place the box down on Norm's precisely clean desk with a huff, your best friend stealing a peek over your shoulder at the statistics with a frown. "It'll be fun! Definitely much more of a fun than this.." he points to the papers, "mess."

You pinch the bridge of your nose and turn to face the blue-skinned boy with a sigh. "Lo'ak-"

"Don't be a wuss," you send a scowl his way. He brings his hands up in surrender, the corners of his mouth curving into a weak smirk. Lo'ak knows how to hit the nerve of yours. "Flying an Ikran is our tradition. If you wanna fit in, you need to do it." you walk away from him with an annoyed groan. "Besides, i'm gonna be there with you!" Lo'ak calls after you, chuckling when he receives a whine in return from the hallway.

---

"I hate you," you breathe out, knees weakening and heartbeat speeding up. You are currently sitting cross-legged on the upper chamber of the Hometree, hands tied behind your back.

When you noticed a note on your door in the morning from Norm that reminded you of his and Max's quick trip to collect more examples from Pandora's flora, you used their absence to sneak out in your avatar and wander around the forest, unaware of the pair of yellow eyes watching your every move.

"I wanna pluck your eyes out right now," you state with a threatening tone when Lo'ak approaches you with his Ikran. You pull your knees to your chest as they stop in front of your shivering figure, clearly amused by your reaction. "I thought you said you and Neteyam have a sparring match in the morning."

Lo'ak pats the side of his banshee before he kneels beside you, excitement present in his gaze. "We do," he nods as his hands travel to your tied ones. He frees them but immediately traps them in his, knowing you will try to escape any minute if he doesn't. "I'm just not going to show up."

"That's awful," you voice your opinion about the situation and let the Na'vi push you forward. Your chest tightens when the two of you reach the Ikran, tears forming in the corners of your eyes. "Lo'ak, please.."

Your best friend places one of his hands on your shoulder while the other finds its way on his banshee and begins to caress her skin affectionately. "Do you trust me?" he locks his eyes on the back of your head and notices the hairstyle change, which probably is from Kiri and Tuk.

"I do," you swallow hard when his Ikran slightly rubs her head against the back of your shaking hand, not noticing Lo'ak connecting his queue to hers. "I do trust you."

"Good," he grasps your waist and lifts you up with ease, putting you on the creature. Unintentionally, you swing one of your legs over to the other side of his colorful Ikran, heartbeat increasing when she releases a screech. Lo'ak positions himself in front of you and finds a steady grip on the banshee while you wrap your arms around his waist. "Ready?"

"No-" with a whistle, the Ikran runs to the edge of the upper chamber and you bury your scrunched face in Lo'ak's shoulder. "I hate you!"

The beginning of the unpleasant flight is mostly filled with gliding and slow pace, but after Lo'ak notices the lack of your screams and swears, he starts to mess around with the speed and adds some tricks to spice it up.

"It isn't that bad, is it?" he glances over his shoulder at you, chuckling. You slap his shoulder-blade in disagreement. When your hand meets his vibrant blue skin, Lo'ak takes a sharp turn to dodge a floating island he didn't notice before he dedicated his attention to you. The sudden change accompanies the pressure of the wind around you, pushing your side. Your fingertips brush Lo'ak's bicep as you fall off his Ikran, eyes widening. "Shit!"

A panicked shout of your best friend's name scratches the inside of your throat and strikes Lo'ak with guilt and fear. His Ikran senses the enormous amount of panic and dives after you.

Your falling avatar is caught by a strong pair of arms, saved from a harsh fall and possible death. You catch your breath as Lo'ak stops next to your savior, relief present in his gaze.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Neteyam pulls your shaking figure to his chest and glares at his irresponsible brother. Your arm sneaks behind his shoulders while his lecture continues to pass through your ringing ears.

"I didn't expect them to fall!" Lo'ak tries to defend himself, unable to absorb the situation. Neteyam scoffs and adjusts your position in his embrace, encouraging you to spread your legs and make yourself comfortable - promising he has a secure grip on you and that you're allowed to move. "Y/n, I'm sorry."

"It's okay-"

"No, it's not," Neteyam cuts you off and points to his younger brother, ears pulled back. He clicks his tongue, "You're so fucking lucky they aren't injured. If they were, you would be headless."

Lo'ak lowers his head in shame as you lean backwards, your savior's breath hitching when your back is fully pressed against his chest. To say you are intimidated is an understatement. Neteyam doesn't curse often, hell, he doesn't curse at all because he wants to live up to his father's expectations, but when your health and safety is involved, he isn't afraid to break the rules.

"Go home," The Olo'etykan-in-training commands, fighting the urge to beat some sense into his brother. "And help Kiri with the preparations for the ceremony." Lo'ak opens his mouth to protest, but with one quick raise of Neteyam's eyebrows he doesn't waste a second and swallows his words.

"Again," The younger son makes eye contact with you and scratches the back of his neck, embarrassed. "I'm sorry." you send him a nod of forgiveness and assure him that you are going to be okay with a soft smile. With a stern look piercing through his skull, Lo'ak disappears in the clouds above you.

Neteyam places his forehead on the nape of your neck and sighs with relief. "You okay?" he hums, his lips brushing against your skin which sends goosebumps down your spine. Your hand travels to his knee and leaves gentle rubs on top of it as he shifts in his spot behind you.

"You scared the hell out of me," he confesses and pats the side of his Ikran, tightening his grip around your waist. You chuckle under your breath, pressing your back to his chest when the banshee begins to move forward. "Thank you, Eywa, for the sickening feeling I got when Lo'ak didn't show up to the sparring match."

"Thank you, Eywa, for sending this brave warrior to save me."

Neteyam slaps your thigh gently and presses a sweet kiss on the back of your head, chuckling. "Shut it."

#neteyam x reader #avatar imagine #neteyam imagine #neteyam #avatar

845 notes · View notes

blueraineshadows · 1 year

Note

Good morning, lovely lady! I'm very sorry to bother you again!

I have a little request if you find the time :)

I'm going through some stuff in my life atm that's really getting me down, so I need as much escapism as possible! 😅

*******

So after Hogwarts, MC and everybody went their separate ways. She hasn't seen Sebastian for years, but occasionally, they talk via owl. I'm thinking that Seb went on and got a really exciting job where he could travel and explore? Maybe MC got some kind of job at the Ministry that was a little less exciting?

Anyway, MC ends up meeting a handsome man at the office she works at, and he courts her before proposing to her. She says yes, even though she still harbours deep feelings for Sebastian, but she hasn't seen him for literally years.

At first, the fiance is really nice and kind, but he's been wearing her down little by little. A bit controlling. MC feels she's becoming quiet and docile.

There's a Hogwarts reunion in Hogsmeade and MC reunites with everyone. Sebastian attends, and there's still this literal connection between him and MC. They chat, and she introduces him to her fiance, whom Seb dislikes very much. He sees how they interact with each other and is furious.

Seb corners MC later in the night, after a few drinks, and tells her her fiance is an ass. That he's draining her spark. MC is angry at Seb, but there's so much sexual tension between them. Queue elicit affair-y smut between them.

Maybe fiance discovers and tries to drag MC away, but Sebs having none of it? Meh, Im rambling now, but you get the idea 😅❤️

Thank you for the Ask! 💜 I hope this meets your expectations...I got rather into it, so it's quite long!

Emotional/Fluffy/Spicy ❤️🥰🌶

Sebastian Sallow x F!MC x OC William Bennett

Dearest MC,

I hope this letter finds you well. How is London? I hear the weather has been very hot this summer. I can only imagine the assault on the senses a bustling city like London conjures in such heat.

As for me, I have spent three weeks in Italy, and it is beautiful, rich with history. You would have loved the library archives with its relics. It made me think of you and our times together. I wish you could have seen it. Currently, I am making my way back to England, stopping off to meet with Ominis, before returning to Feldcroft.

I hear there is a reunion of our old class mates in Hogsmeade at the end of the month. All being well with my journey, I hope to make it and see everyone. It will be nice to reunite with old faces and hear new tales. Are you attending? It would be lovely to see your face again. If I am lucky enough to attend, then I hope to see you there.

Be well. I miss you, as always.

Yours,

Sebastian.

The parchment was beginning to curl at the edges, she had read it so many times. MC smoothed the tip of her finger over Sebastian's name, signed by his own hand, and felt a weight settle heavily over her chest. His letters were few and far between, but each one woke up the most secret part of her heart. That special place where she kept her feelings for Sebastian curled up tight.

MC had not seen Sebastian for years, not since he had left to travel the world for his new job, leaving her behind to sit at a stuffy Ministry desk all day. She cherished every letter he sent, but her deepest desire was to see him, to hear his voice. It tightened her throat just to think of it.

"Darling, are you here?"

MC jumped at the sound of William's voice and quickly folded the parchment, tucking it away safely inside her blouse. She smoothed her hair and set her face into one of calm sweetness, William did hate it if she didn't look pleased to see him.

She grabbed the pile of files from her desk that needed to be stored and stood up, making herself look busy as William appeared in her office doorway. He looked dapper in his fine suit, top hat in hand, his coat over one arm. He smiled, blue eyes lighting up at the sight of her. "There you are, my love," he said. "Care for some lunch?"

"Of course," she said. She patted the files. "Do I have time to file these?"

He looked at the folders, a slight frown on his lips. "If you must. I will be glad to see the day when you no longer have to be messing about with old, dusty archives."

"It's not so bad," she replied. She attempted a smile, trying to please him. "I quite enjoy it. When I was at Hogwarts..."

"Yes, yes, I know," he said, waving a hand to brush away her words. He moved to tug the files from her arms and dump them on her desk. "Soon you will not need to worry about such things. You will have social events to attend, girlfriends to have afternoon tea with. As my wife, you will want for nothing, I promise you. No need to sit at a desk all day wasting your time with your nose stuck in a book."

He chuckled and shook his head, fetching her coat from the hook. "Honestly, women who read!" He clicked his tongue and held the coat up for her. "I thought we would lunch at that lovely place near the river we like."

"Of course," she agreed. "Whatever makes you happy, my dear."

His smile was satisfied as he took her arm and led her out of the office. She kept her head down and her smile polite, nodding and saying all the appropriate words as they walked from the Ministry towards their restaurant.

Behind this meek mask, her heart was twisting at the feel of Sebastian's letter against her breast. How had she let her old life slip so far through her fingers? How had she ended up so lost?

She tightened her hold on her fiancé's arm, thinking that he might be the only thing holding her up right now. Handsome William Bennett, heir to a railroad fortune, deep in favour with the Minister for Magic, and admired by many. He had charmed her, courted her relentlessly, and then he had proposed. It had been the bottom of a long, lonely, slippery slope and she had accepted.

The huge diamond glittered on her finger, but her heart felt dull, empty. Somehow MC had lost herself and she wasn't sure how to get herself back.

....*....

The train slowed to a stop at Hogsmeade Station and MC stepped from her carriage, hand in William's as he escorted her, the image of the perfect gentleman. Behind his polite demeanour, he was quietly seething. He had not wanted to make this trip, but had refused to allow her to travel alone. It was unbecoming for a young woman, he had lectured. So, despite his disdain, he had accompanied MC.

The Scottish Highlands were looking as beautiful as ever and MC took a deep breath, her eyes drinking in the familiar sights. She felt some of the weight lifting from her heart. It felt like coming home.

The next port of call was The Three Broomsticks. William had reserved two rooms for them.

"We could, of course, share a room," he murmured, near her ear. She felt herself clam up, her fingers clutching his arm a little tighter. He mistook the movement for something a little more desirable and brushed his fingers over her knuckles. "We will be wed come the winter, it wouldn't be the most terrible thing to share a bed, and you could almost say it is a romantic setting."

He gestured at the quaint little village, his eyes warming with desire as he gazed down at her. "I would love nothing more than for you to come to me at night, share my bed."

She flushed and lowered her gaze. William was handsome, to be sure, and MC had shared kisses with him, polite courting touches. But there was no fire there, no burning need to feel him closer. Waiting for marriage was an excuse, and one that would soon be void. MC didn't want to think on it.

"I...I'm not sure if that's entirely appropriate," she said, quickly. "This is a close knit community, people talk. We should wait until we are married, William. It's the right thing to do."

William's lips tightened in disappointment, but he nodded, regretfully removing his caress from her hand. "Of course, my love. Seperate rooms it is."

MC fought back her shiver of relief.

That evening, dressed in a dark green dress with silver threading in the bodice (not in the hope of impressing a certain Slytherin, of course), MC entered the bar of The Three Broomsticks. Her corset was tight, but she was breathless for a whole other reason. Tonight, she might see him. Sebastian might have come.

"MC!" Poppy came bounding out of nowhere, cheeks flushed with happiness, her hands clasping MC's tightly. "Oh, I am so glad you came!"

The girls embraced and MC felt the burn of tears as her old friend squeezed her tightly. "I have missed you, Poppy. And look at you! So beautiful!"

William frowned at such open displays of affection, but he was polite when introduced. MC couldn't help but see the flicker of confused disappointment in Poppy's eyes at the word, fiancé. MC fixed her smile in place and moved to greet the others.

Garreth and Leander were there, Natty and a few others MC was pleased to see, but her eyes couldn't help but stray to the entrance, her heart hoping for a glimpse of unruly brown hair.

William was bored, his face a little sour as he stood by the bar. He watched MC closely, frowning when Garreth and pulled her in for a hug. MC had soothed William with soft touches on the arm, reassuring smiles, but she was tense, afraid of doing or saying something wrong. If only he had let her come alone. If only she could breathe.

And then the doors opened, two men walked through, and MC's heart dropped, stilled and then soared, beating a mile a minute. Ominis looked so dashing, and tall, commanding the space around him as his wand led him further into the bar. Beside him, as always, was Sebastian.

"Oh," MC breathed. The sound escaping her lips without any thought for hesitation. Oh, but he looked so wonderful! Better than she had ever imagined!

Sebastian's face had lost it's smooth roundness of boyhood, but it had filled out in other ways, ways that made MC's mouth feel so very dry all of a sudden. His shoulders, his hips, the length of his legs, the way he laughed at something Ominis had just said, his head falling back just so. Her starved eyes gobbled it all, hungrily. He pushed long fingers into his hair, rumpling the brown locks and MC felt her hands clench into tiny little fists. Oh, how her fingers longed to do the same.

She thought she might cry, faint like some over dramatic socialite, or maybe just lose the entire contents of her stomach right here in front of everyone. Butterflies were flipping madly in there and she pressed a hand to her chest, that heavy tightness seeming to become a pounding thud. Or was that her heart?

"Goodness me, is that the youngest Gaunt boy?" William asked.

Ominis was hardly a boy any longer, and would no doubt frown at the term, but William could be pompous and irritating at times. He had a habit of behaving as if people were below him, and MC wondered how it had not bothered her sooner.

MC tore her gaze from Sebastian to nod at him. "Yes, Ominis Gaunt," she replied. Her words were a little breathless, her eyes desperate to return to Sebastian. "I thought I had told you I attended Hogwarts alongside him."

William's gaze was sharp, almost irritated. "You did not. You must introduce me, MC."

"Of course," she agreed. She took William's arm and they moved to join her two favourite Slytherin boys at the bar.

Sebastian's gaze fell on MC and he stilled, pure delight washing over his features. "You came!" He exclaimed.

Ominis stilled beside him, his head tilting a little in the direction Sebastian had spoken. His words were soft, filled with warmth. "Don't tell me MC is here?" He smiled and held out a hand. "Then I must greet her at once. Where are you, my dear, for I have missed you a good deal."

MC flushed and held out her hand, placing it in Ominis', who then placed a gentle kiss on the back of it. William watched the whole thing, his mouth tightening at the familiarity between his fiancé and the young Mr Gaunt.

Sebastian was watching too, his eyes only for MC, as if he needed to savour detail as she had of him.

"Ominis, may I introduce my fiancé, William Bennett?" She guided Ominis towards William who shook his hand in greeting.

"Bennett?" Ominis asked. "Of the Bennett Railroad family?"

"The very same," William said, proudly.

Sebastian's eyes at darkened at this introduction, his eyes now assessing William closely, his lips thinning a little. Ominis turned to introduce him, and while William was polite, he had no interest in Sebastian. He was more keen to speak with Ominis, to rub shoulders with a well known Wizarding family.

William looked down at MC. "Why don't you run along and chit chat with your little chums, my love, and let the men talk."

Sebastian's eyes widened, his eyebrows shooting upwards as he glanced between William and MC. A flush darkened MC's cheeks and she nodded meekly, unable to even meet Sebastian's gaze. If she had, she would have seen the shock in his eyes at her timid behaviour. The girl he knew would have been spitting fire if someone had belittled her like that.

MC left William to talk to Ominis, every fibre of her being trying to resist as she turned her back on Sebastian. It hadn't been enough, not nearly enough, and she almost gasped at the need to be nearer to him.

They sat for dinner, William dominating Ominis' attention, but he kept a possessive hand at MC's arm or lower back at any given opportunity. When they ordered, MC had quite fancied the chicken, but William ordered the beef for the both of them, not even consulting MC to see if that's what she wanted.

MC risked a glance towards Sebastian and swallowed at the fury in his eyes as he glared at William. Her heart pounded. Shame made her gaze drop to her lap, her fingers twisting her napkin. She felt like an outsider imposing in on her own body. Her very ears rung with the horror of losing her own sense of self.

She looked at the people sitting around the table, chatting, laughing, her own lips moving and attempting to smile, but it felt strange. Her heart craved all of this, these familiar and much loved faces, but her head was warped. She felt trapped.

The only thing that helped was the wine, and even that had been chosen and poured for her by William.

Poppy clasped her arm after they had finished their meal. She leant across to William. "I am going to steal your lovely fiancé for a time, we have some much needed girl talk to catch up on."

A crease appeared on his brow as he stared at Poppy, then he glanced across the table towards Sebastian, who was deep in conversation with Garreth. Slowly, he nodded. "Of course, you two ladies have fun."

Poppy led MC away from the table and outside into the cooling evening air. MC gulped down her breaths and held on to Poppy, grateful for the escape.

Sebastian may have been talking to Garreth, but he had been keeping an eye on MC all night, his fury mounting at the way that pompous bastard had belittled and shamed her. His fingers ached from the need to smash his fist into the prick's pretty face.

Poppy pulled a hip flask from her silk bag and held it out to MC. "Here, you look like you could do with some of this."

MC saw the flask. "That had better be fire whiskey," she said.

"What else?" Poppy grinned.

MC took the bottle and swallowed two long gulps, gasping, but relishing the burn as it went down.

"Why him, MC?" Poppy asked, bluntly. "Why William?"

MC shrugged. "He was kind to me."

Poppy frowned. "That is no reason to sign yourself up to marriage with him," she said. "I mean, you don't look yourself, not a happy, blushing bride in the slightest. And, yes, he is pretty, but he is no Sebastian, MC. Not by a long stretch."

MC gaped. "Wh...what?"

Poppy gave her look. "Oh, MC, really? We're not kids anymore, and you are not fooling anyone, especially me. The tension between you two is so thick, you could slice it with a good Diffindo!"

MC's blush touched the tips of her ears. "Do you think William has noticed?"

"If he hasn't, then he is even more of a fool than I thought."

MC stared at her. Horror was one emotion tugging at her. The very idea of William knowing the depth of her feelings for Sebastian was chilling. But she could also see the ridiculous predicament she had found herself in, and it really was one of her own making. But how would she get out of it?

Maybe it was the alcohol going to her head, or maybe she was going mad. Either way, she started giggling, and then she couldn't stop. And then Poppy was giggling. It felt good, so good. It was a release and MC seized it with both hands. She held up the fire whiskey. "I think I need some more of this."

....*....

The air inside the bar was becoming too suffocating and her corset felt like an iron band. MC was flushed from the whiskey, hot and flustered by the presence of one Mr Sallow, and yet he still wasn't close enough for her liking.

She met his gaze for about the 100th time and he smiled, a delicious, sinfully beautiful smile. Her lips parted. Oh, Merlin. She really might faint this time. And then he was moving towards her. Her pulse picked up the pace and she wiped sweaty palms against her hips.

William was visiting the bathroom, there was no other distraction, and then Sebastian was in front of her. "There you are," he said, softly. His gaze was warm. "Finally, a moment alone."

"Yes," she breathed. She stared at him, inwardly kicking herself. Yes? Is that really all she could say?

A torrent of unspoken words hung between them, suspended, dangling like tempting fruit. Now that he was right there, in front of her, her tongue seemed frozen and all she could do was stare.

A flicker of concern clouded his eyes. "I did worry a little when you didn't reply to my last letter. I had hoped you would be here, even if just to ease my mind that you were alright."

"I'm sorry," she said. "That was rude of me. But, I am glad to see you here. I am glad you made it safely home."

He nodded, a small smile on his lips, but he still looked concerned. "I didn't expect to find you engaged, though. That was a surprise. At least you have someone looking out for you, if that's what he actually does?"

Her lips tried to lift into a smile, but she had never been able to lie to him. The words that fell from her lips felt stilted, wrong. "I'm fine."

His eyes narrowed a little. "You are happy, aren't you? I mean, it's what you want."

She knew what he meant, oh she did. He knew her better than she knew herself, even though miles and time had kept them apart. She needed to smile and nod, the perfect little puppet she had become, tell him that she was happy, she was fine. Her life was all roses and smiles, etc, etc.

Her lips parted but nothing came out. His eyes dropped to her mouth, distracted by their movement and nerves made her tongue dart outwards, flicking over her bottom lip. Her breathing stalled at the way his eyes darkened, a fire building behind them, and her traitorous body responded. Flame, searing and coiling deliciously, overwhelmed her and she actually gasped, because she was leaning forward. Her body, like a magnet, was drawn to him, impossibly drawn to where it belonged.

Shock at the realisation made her straighten and she pressed trembling fingers to her cheeks. Where she belonged!

Merlin, she couldn't breathe. She turned on her heel and made a dash for the door, not caring who saw as she grabbed up the skirt of her dress and headed out into the fresh air.

Of course, Sebastian followed. Hadn't he always?

He caught up to her, took her arm, and spun her to face him. "Please...don't." She gasped.

He didn't let go. She looked down at where his long fingers held her forearm, not gripping her, just holding her. No possession, no demand, just a touch. Her lips trembled.

"I've seen you face countless monstrous enemies, take down the darkest wizards and slaughter trolls in broad daylight," he said. "But I have never seen you cower, or hide as much as you have tonight, MC, and it rips me open. It kills me to see you so, a shadow of your former self. How did this happen? Is it him? Does he hurt you?"

"Of course he doesn't hurt me! Don't be ridiculous."

"You're aren't happy though, are you? Not really," he pushed.

Her chest heaved against the tight laces of her corset, tears stinging the backs of her eyes. He was right, gods he was right and she hated it, because it meant she was wrong, she had failed.

"I...we shouldn't be talking like this..." She glanced around the now darkened street.

Sebastian's face tightened. "Why? Because dear William won't like it?"

She flinched.

He tugged her a little closer. She let him, her eyes glued to his. "Well, I don't give a flying fuck what he thinks."

A small cry left her lips as he grasped her hand and began to walk her away from the entrance of the pub, his stride determined. She had to jog to keep up, her little heels clacking on the cobbles, her other hand lifting the hem of her dress.

He took her to a darker, more secluded corner, and a thrill shot through her despite everything. She found herself backed up against a stone wall, his face inches from hers. He leant a hand against the wall near her head, his other hand coming up to gently cup her face. She closed her eyes, the touch of his skin against hers a forbidden flame.

Merlin, she was leaning into it!

"Tell me the truth," he begged. "Tell me he makes you happy, and I will leave you alone, I promise. But if he doesn't, even if there is the smallest doubt, then tell me. You can tell me."

"Sebastian..." Her voice was a whisper, a plea. "Don't..."

"I cannot bare the thought of leaving you with him if he is going to continue to crush you like he is, because that girl I knew at school, that wonderful, fiercesome girl, who knocked me on my arse on my first day...that girl is going to die if you let him bully you like that."

She stared up at him. Her heart hurt. Maybe she was already dead inside and that was why she had let things slide so far.

He looked down suddenly, and she followed his gaze. Her breath stilled. When had her fingers threaded themselves into his clothing? She was grasping the front of his vest, a fistful of cloth under white knuckles. She couldn't let him go either. If she let him go, then she might just float away, lost to the skies, a drifting ghost of herself.

Their gazes met again. How she had missed those eyes!

"Don't look at me like that." His voice was rougher, deeper, an edge to it that made her skin erupt with goosebumps.

"Why not?" She was playing with fire. She was going to burn herself.

"Because it makes me want to throw decency out the window, and kiss you until I can't breathe," he said, darkly.

Oh, she was definitely going to burn. She realised she didn't care.

The fingers curled in his vest pulled him closer until his lips were a breath from hers. "Do it," she sighed. "I can't breathe anyway."

The moan in her throat was relief. His lips found hers, a soft, teasing taste that promised so much more. Eagerly, she welcomed him, parting her lips and offering her tongue, the taste of him more intoxicating than any fire whiskey.

Her fingers found their way into his hair, sliding through the softness, and it sharpened the ache growing within her. Her body pressed up against his, the solid length of his frame so safe, but exciting. Their clothing was an irritating barrier, her skin screamed to feel his, like she wouldn't feel complete until she could wrap herself around it.

"Gods, MC..." He groaned, his mouth moving to taste her jaw, her throat, his tongue swirling up to flick against her ear. Her grip in his hair tightened. Yes, this was what she wanted, what she craved.

MC closed her eyes, savouring the feel of his lips on her neck, his mouth sucking, tasting her flesh. The warmth of his hand seared through the silk of her dress at her waist, the bones of her corset stressed under the pace of her breathing. "More," she panted. "Sebastian..."

He claimed her mouth again, his hips rocking against her, her back scraping against the stone of the wall. She smoothed a hand down the expanse of his back, melting at the flex of muscle, before drifting lower, daring a squeeze of his delicious backside.

"Fuck," he breathed. The profanity sent a crackling thrill through her, and she moaned. Yes, she would love to do that, craved it even.

He began moving his mouth downwards again, lower this time to swirl his tongue against the tops of her breasts, the flesh moving rapidly above the rim of her corset with every panting breath. His fingers tugged at the damned thing. "I need more of you," he muttered.

And she would give it, gladly, she realised. A pin slid from her hair, a long lock tumbling free to tickle against her flushed cheeks. She was lost, drunk on his kisses, his touch, and it was nowhere near enough. She felt like a woman starved.

A rustle of silk, cool air against her legs and then a warm hand smoothing up the flesh of her thigh. The sound that left her throat was almost feral. "Yes, yes," she panted. She grabbed at him, fingers tugging his shirt free from his trousers, a hand sliding up underneath to explore the hot, firm flesh waiting for her there.

She ached for his touch, her thighs trembled in anticipation as he slid his hand higher. Just a bit more, she begged silently, her eyes squeezed tight. Just a bit higher. His finger tips grazed against damp silk, and then he was gone, ripped from her clutches forcefully, and someone was shouting.

"How dare you!" William held Sebastian by the scruff of his neck, shaking him, fury twisting his face into something terrible, frightening even. "How dare you lay your hands on my fiancé!"

MC was gasping, her hair in disarray, her skirts caught up revealing a bare leg. Red marks of passion bloomed on her throat and chest, all the way down to her neckline. Her legs shook, not from fear, but from a need unmet.

"William!" She held out a hand for him to stop, the other hand hastily smoothing down her skirts. "Stop, William!"

Sebastian shook himself free of William easily enough, shoving him backwards and whipping out his wand. He aimed it at William, his lip curled. "Grab me like that again and you'll know about it!"

William pulled his own wand out, eyes narrowed. A stand off. William flicked his gaze towards MC and his fury faltered, his mouth gaped at the sight of her so dishevelled. "MC..."

She smoothed the loose strands of her mussed hair back from her face, the beginnings of a flush flooding her cheeks. She kept her hand held out, stepping between both men. "Lower your wands," she said. She looked at William. "Please."

"I think not," William said. "He dares to put his hands on you, violating you in such a way. I ought to castrate him for this!"

"I'd like to see you try," Sebastian spat. He adjusted his stance.

"Stop it, both of you!" MC had thought herself in a mess before, but this, this was something else.

"I knew it! I knew he was going to do something like this, just from the way he was watching you at dinner. His eyes never left you," William growled. "Disgusting, loathsome piece of trash. You are not worthy of her!"

MC gasped, her body moving to guard Sebastian. He was more than capable of looking out for himself, but she couldn't help it. Out of the two, she would jump in front of Sebastian first. Every time.

"Did he hurt you? I've a good mind to call an Officer to deal with this," William said. He was trying to aim his wand around her at Sebastian, outrage twisting his mouth.

He thought Sebastian had attacked her! It had not occurred to William that she had been willing. MC put her hands to her forehead. Oh, Gods, this was getting worse!

"There will be no need for an Officer," she said. She backed up towards Sebastian.

"Don't be ridiculous, MC," William snapped. "Now, step out of the way and let me deal with this filthy heathen."

MC went calm. She straightened, her eyes growing hard as an old fire awoke in her, the part of her that had been a fearless fighter. She backed up further still, her hands feeling for Sebastian and he took hold of one, his wand arm coming over her shoulder, still pointing at William.

William's eyes bulged as Sebastian wrapped his other arm about her waist, holding her against him. "What is this!?"

"Lower your wand," she said, coldly.

William hesitated, torn, but lowered his wand. "MC, you better start explaining this," he said. He looked from her to Sebastian, to the way Sebastian's arm held her protectively. "Did you let him touch you like that?"

William looked horrified, disgusted. MC felt a brief flash of shame, but shook it off. "I'm sorry, William," she said, calmly. "But, yes, I did."

William's jaw clenched. He stared at her, his humiliation playing out across his face. She swallowed. And then, William looked a little smug. "What will this do to your reputation?" He spoke with an oily undertone. "Oh dear, MC, rutting with a nobody in the street. Of course, how could I marry such a harlot? Your name will be a shameful piece of gossip whispered in parlour rooms. I expect it would be highly unlikely that the Minister would appreciate such behaviour. Such a shame to lose your pathetic little job over it too."

"You wouldn't," she gasped.

Sebastian moved his mouth closer to her ear, the warmth of his breath brushing her hair gently. "Let me take him," he whispered. "It would be my pleasure."

And he could do it, she knew he could. She had seen him kill before, just as he had seen her kill. She had covered for him, lied, to save him from Azkaban. She did not make that choice only to see him sent there anyway, and for her honour.

William shook his head in distate. "You would honestly choose him, over me?"

Her hand gripped Sebastian's arm, holding it against her stomach. "I love him," she said. There was no doubt, no faltering in her words. It was the truth at last. "I always have, ever since I was a girl."

She heard, and felt, Sebastian's breath hitch, and his arm tightened around her. She hoped with every fibre of her being that he felt the same way, otherwise she was making a monstrous fool of herself.

William flinched at her confession as if she had slapped him. He rubbed a hand over his face, shaking his head, and then his wand flicked upwards, a spell shooting from the end of it. His face pure rage.

But, Sebastian was ready. He blocked the spell with ease, and cast Bombarda in return, sending William flying across the street into a stack of crates. The crash echoed across the cobbles and MC gasped. "Sebastian!"

"It's alright, I've got you," he said. "I've got you."

She sagged against him. "Don't let me go," she whispered.

And then the world spun, blackness, and with a pop, they landed onto a wooden floor. MC sat up, disoriented, gazing around. Her stomach still catching up with her after Apparating.

She turned to look at Sebastian. She recognised where they were. It was his cottage in Feldcroft.

She was sitting on the floor with Sebastian, in his home, just the two of them. She had admitted that she loved him. The weight in her chest had lifted. The enormity of the whole evening crashed over her and the tears gathered in her eyes. Her lips trembled, and then she was sobbing.

Immediately, Sebastian pulled her into his arms, kisses rained down over her hair, her face. His lips kissed the tears from her cheeks and his hands soothed her, calming strokes on her arms and hair. "It's alright, you're safe here," he murmured. "You never have to go back there, to him. It's alright now."

She pulled back to look at him, her hand moving to his cheek. It was real. He was real. "You were gone," she sobbed. "You left and I thought I might never see you again."

His face was pained, his eyes regretful. "I had to leave, get away from this house. I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you."

She buried her face into his shirt, clutching him tightly. "I can't believe you're really here."

"I would have taken you with me if...if I had known..." He faltered and took a breath. He leant his chin on top of her head. "Did you mean what you said back there?"

She nodded. "Every word."

He groaned, squeezing her tighter. "Gods, the time we have lost. Years apart...I should have taken you with me."

She looked up at him. "We still have time," she said. She hesitated. "We could have the rest of our lives."

Their gazes locked. "I've always loved you," he said. "I thought it was only in my dreams that you felt the same way."

She shifted up and put her forehead against his. She huffed a laugh. "We're both as bad as each other. Ominis was right, we are a right pair of idiots."

"I won't tell him you said that, he would be far too smug," Sebastian grinned.

He took her left hand and pulled the huge diamond from her ring finger. "Let's get rid of this shall we?"

"I should return it," she mused.

"Not in person you won't," he said, firmly. He twirled the ring thoughtfully. "Wait here."

He climbed to his feet and moved towards a chest in the corner. He rummaged through it until he found a small box and returned to kneel on the floor beside her. He flipped the lid and turned it to face her. "This was my mother's," he said.

MC looked at his face, surprised to see him looking so shy. She couldn't recall a time she had ever seen Sebastian shy. Then, she looked in the box. Inside was a silver ring set with a pretty emerald, a tiny diamond each side of it.

"It's not as big as the one you were wearing," Sebastian said.

"It's beautiful," she said immediately. And it was. Not flashy, not heavy, not a statement. Beautiful, and sentimental to him.

"Would you wear it?" He asked. She met his gaze, lips parted. "As my wife."

He honestly had to stop stealing her breath like this, it really couldn't be healthy for a girl.

He smirked, his eyes playful. "You could come and see the world with me. I think it might look even more beautiful with you beside me."

She smiled. "How can I say no to that?"

"Quite easily," he said. "But I would rather you said yes."

She looked down at his mother's pretty ring and held out her hand, fingers spread a little. "I suppose you had better make sure it fits then."

His fingers shook as he took the ring from the box and slipped it on to her finger. Of course, it was a perfect fit. He smiled. "It's like it was waiting for you."

She took hold of his shirt front, fingers gripping hold of him like she had back in Hogsmeade. "Now, where were we?" She asked.

His lips curved into that delicious smile she loved so much. "Allow me to refresh your memory," he said.

His mouth claimed hers as if he never intended to stop, and she didn't want him to. Ever.

Click HERE for part 2

#hogwarts legacy fanfic #sebastian sallow #mc x sebastian sallow #sebastian sallow fanfiction #hogwarts legacy #blueraineshadows

254 notes · View notes

am-i-the-asshole-official · 5 months

Note

WIBTA for not getting my coworkers holiday gifts?

Sorry in advance for the long ask, I have adhd so I'm not always great at figuring out what's relevant to the topic lmao. I (29M) have been working at my current workplace since I graduated college (so ~7 years). For the first few years I worked pretty much alone. I have a close working relationship with my supervisors, and I have a lot of interns filter through, but I was the only person at my 'level' of work, if that makes sense. I would write cards for my supervisors, and with my interns I would do something like bake cookies for everyone, or take them all out for dinner (to clarify I always have at minimum 3-4 interns, I wasn't just taking someone I was in charge of out for a one on one dinner lmao).

Last year, four more people were hired who work in the same position/level as me (early 20s-mid 30s, all F). I get along with them alright as coworkers, but they are all much closer with each other than I am with them. They didn't know eachother before starting here, but I make a lot of effort keeping distance between my work and personal life, vs they have all become friends outside of work. I also have enough issues with them that I wouldn't want to be friends with them outside of work (very condensed version is that I am openly aroace and they are Weird about it). I am firm about keeping boundaries/distance though and that makes it easier to deal with them.

Again, we work together really well when we're actually talking about work-- it's just the non-work stuff that I don't really vibe with. Also, their level of friendship is very normal in our workplace/field, since we are in a very very rural area where the tiny little town we're in is almost entirely centered around the one industry/company that we're at. The fact that I'm not friends outside of work with my coworkers gives me a reputation for being weird/cold (but I don't care if I seem weird as long as it means I can keep some distance).

Last year, we all talked about Xmas gifts, and decided that we wouldn't get each other anything, but rather just pitch in for some wine and fancy pastries for a mini office party. It was nice, except then right before Christmas I found a gift on my desk from one of them (like, a 50$ gift, which is quite expensive considering how much we make). I asked her about it, saying I appreciated it but didn't have anything since we agreed not to get eachother gifts. She said something like she didn't expect anything, just wanted to get me something. I thanked her and but was uncomfortable enough that I ended up giving the thing to a friend of mine (who knew it was a re-gift and was happy to have it lol). I didn't plan to get anything, except then I found out that the other three had all consequently gotten eachother and me gifts as a result of her. I talked to the one coworker I get along best with, and she agreed with me that it would now be rude to not give anything in return, so I just got everyone relatively impersonal gifts (books).

However, finances are tight this year for me (coworkers don't know that) due to some medical bills. We are doing an office cookie exchange, and again agreed not to get each other gifts, but one of them (same one who started this last year) hinted that she had 'a little something' for each of us anyways, but no need to reciprocate.

If it's relevant, we are in the US, all white, and all varying degrees of atheist/agnostic/ex-christian.

No idea if this will even get out of the queue before Xmas lol but: WIBTA if i stuck to our agreement to not get my coworkers Christmas gifts, even if they get me gifts anyways?

What are these acronyms?

#aita #am i the asshole

51 notes · View notes

rosewaterandivy · 1 year

Text

2. make plans to break plans

Summary: Rumor has it, that hometown hero-turned-teacher Steve Harrington is hot for teacher. The English teacher next door to him at Hawkins High, who also happens to be his childhood friend, that is.

Pairing: Steve Harrington x chaotic!dumass reader

Warnings: no use of y/n - reader goes by Trouble instead, depictions of high school, cursing, dumb group chats & contact names, references to Vine memes, mention of a broken engagement, sad girl hours

A/N: Modern!Teacher AU, English teacher reader, History teacher Steve, slow burn, friends to lovers, romance. Here’s 3.1K of Steve and Reader’s ~feelings~; feedback and reblogs are appreciated, enjoy!

series masterlist

previous || next

Then - Fall term, November

The end of the day finds you hunched over your keyboard, furiously typing back a reply to some helicopter parent. You blow out a puff of breath and hit ‘send’ as your door creaks open.

“Hey,” Steve greets pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. He sets his hydroflask down on your desk with a clang and leans against a nearby desk. “You ready?”

“Yeah, gimme just a sec,” you say, logging off for the day. Turning back to your desk, you give him a small smile and shove a few things into your backpack. On Tuesdays and Thursdays the two of you worked at Tiger Library, aka extended tutorial sessions in the library. The extra pay was decent and it allowed you both time to keep up with any grading or lesson planning that had gone neglected during the week.

You rearrange a few items on your desk before swiping a stack of essays to hopefully grade. Steve hits the lights after you, while you nudge the door open with your hip, elbow pressing down on the door handle and balance a backpack dangerously close to slipping from your shoulder.

“Gimme,” he tuts, index finger looping around the strap sliding from your arm, “S’okay, I got it.”

You hum in assent, turning to take the stairs down to the first floor, Steve hot on your heels. “Thanks,” you try to keep your voice level and impassive passing through the corridor. Steve keeps a respectful distance as you stride through the doors of the library.

Something is wrong, but he can’t guess as to what. You’d been off all week; since your weekend bender, really. Nance had dropped you back at The Hideout to get your car and once she’d returned she beelined directly to her room and didn’t say a word.

Nancy rarely has such a visceral reaction to anything, so whatever you had divulged to her was enough to crack the surface of her rage. Having been on the receiving end of it before, Steve knows it’s endless.

But the question remains, why haven’t you said anything to him? You’re friends, thick as thieves and have been for god knows how long. Yes, you’re an unfiltered, oblivious dumbass with poor emotional regulation skills, and he hates that at times. But you are his friend; and Steve currently wants to throttle himself for allowing you to go radio-silent for the better part of a week.

He sighs, for what feels like the millionth time today, he’ll let you be.

For now.

Students have claimed tables and chairs for the evening, notebooks and laptops scattered here and there. Chairs pulled up as teens arranged themselves amongst their cliques, catching up on the latest gossip since the final bell rang.

Making quick work of Vickie’s computer you set up shop, decidedly ignoring her post-it reading ‘Dumb & Dumber - don’t mess with my shit!’ Steve slides in the circulation desk behind you, depositing your backpack at your feet. Silently, you prize the post-it from the monitor with two fingers and pass it to Steve who reads it with a snort.

He snaps a quick photo to send to the ‘elite meeting’ group chat and tosses it into the trash. Queueing up the collaborative playlist for the night, you call out, “Okay team, this is our final Humanities night at Tiger Library before the fall break, so you know the drill.”

The students turn to the circulation desk, conversations falling to a murmur. Steve crosses his arms and leans back against the built-in bookshelf, he gestures between the two of you with his index finger, “Ask either of us a math or science question and you will be vacated from the premises.”

A few laughs and snickers ring out here and there.

“Yeah,” you concur, “Harrington will suplex you into next week and I’ll post it to the school’s socials.”

That shuts them right up.

“Furthermore,” you continue, “The collab playlist is live for tonight and if any of you turkeys forces me to listen to anything that would make your friends and parents ashamed to know you,” you pause, eyeing a few kids menacingly, “I will force everyone present to listen to ska for the rest of the session. Got it?”

Steve shudders and shakes his head, “That is not an idle threat, by the way. She’s done it before and it was god awful.”

Announcements made, you and Steve sign off on a few seat-time papers for the credit recovery kids and settle in for the night. You open your texts to find a notification from Eddie in the group chat. Reading through Harrington and Buckley’s responses, you tap out a reply to Eddie’s question.

💫elite meeting💫

bandcamp 👿: why is my paladin not at Hellfire you schmucks?

god’s fav 😎: spill the tea, sis.

dingus 👽: ooh, if he’s breakin out the yiddish he must be pissed!

trouble 👁️👄👁️: it’s like you don’t even read your emails eds.

god’s fav 😎: whaddup, i’m eddie, i’m 28, and i never learned how to fuckin read ✌️

bandcamp 👿: shut up.

During tutorial nights, someone from the group would be assigned to take care of dinner for whomever else was stuck on campus. Nancy had made a laminated chart and stuck it to the loft’s fridge, y’know, like any completely sane person would do.

You huff a laugh and open your insta feed, clicking on the invite in your messages. ‘Steve has invited you to eat at Chipotle today!’ You select your regular order, tacking on some chips and queso for good measure.

After a while, a student shyly approaches the circulation desk with a worn copy of The Catcher in the Rye and a worksheet in hand. You give her a reassuring smile and invite her to take a seat. As you’re reviewing the questions she’s struggling with, Eddie storms into the room searching for Mike.

“Wheeler,” he bellows, startling the students from their conversations, “What the hell is wrong with you?”

The student at your side jumps in her chair at the sheer volume of his voice. “Oy, Munson,” you hiss, “Can it!” He fixes you with a perturbed glance and strides over to Mike’s table to tear him a whole new asshole.

Managing to get the students back on track, you talk through the more complex passages of the text with the girl, directing her back to the questions when appropriate, and send her off with a friendly wave.

Returning from his circuit around the library, Steve dramatically slumps into the chair at your side, letting out a long-suffering sigh. He shoves his glasses up to his hair in an effort to scrub at his eyes. “What’s got ya down, clown?”

He blows a raspberry and rolls his eyes at your quip. “See that table by the windows?”

“Yeah,” you nod, noting the giggling group of girls, freshmen, if you had to guess. Sneaking side-long glances at Steve before blushing profusely and turning back to their friends. “Ooh, they seem struck by you!” you tease, letting your voice twang in a southern affectation.

“Don’t encourage them!” he admonishes, “They wanted help with geography, I don’t even teach that,” he sulks.

“Steven,” you gasp, “Don’t tell me you never learned to read a map, you are an educator!”

Steve fixes you with a glance, “I’ll have you know, it all gets very confusing in Europe after the dissolution of the Soviet Bloc.”

“Don’t you teach AP World: Modern?”

“Yeah, you know that.”

“A-are you indoctrinating the students, Steve?” you needle him, earning an exasperated huff in response. “Snowflake,” you tsk reproachingly, “Trigger warnings! War on Christmas!”

The taunting continues until Eddie approaches the desk. With a too-wide smile directed at Steve, you cut your eyes across the library to where Wheeler sits trembling like a leaf.

Mike looks well and thoroughly abashed after whatever Munson just lectured him about. Sinking as low in his seat as he did during the parent conference facilitated by Assistant Principal Bauman. Munson had clearly laid it on thick.

Chains jangling against his hip, he sits on the desk. “Hey there, big boy,” he purrs winking at Steve, causing him to blush and sputter. “Light of my life,” he croons addressing you, “A thousand apologies for young Wheeler there,” he nods at the dejected teen in question, “It will not be happening again.” Raising his voice to a louder pitch, hollers out, “Not on my watch!”

“Yeah,” you goad him, waggling your brows, “On god, no cap?”

He stares at you as if you’d grown another head, and leans down to your level. “What fuckin’ Tik-Tok nonsense is that now?”

A notification pings from someone, Steve probably; grandpa that he is, he refuses to silence his phone like a normal person, no matter how many times you show him the focus or do not disturb function.

He throws his keys at Eddie, who catches them before the ring of metal can brain him in the face. Steve pouts as Eddie jangles them triumphantly walking out the door, “Be back in five, hot stuff!”

Steve sends you an annoyed look, “Please tell me that wasn’t directed at me.”

You take a loud sip from his hydroflask and grin, “No, you’re big boy and I’m hot stuff,” you chide. “C’mon now.” Like it’s the most logical thing in the world.

“So,” he mutters escorting you to your car later that evening. “Are you ever gonna spill what went down the other night?”

“Huh,” you kiss your teeth with a wet click, bag slung haphazardly across your arm. “Thought Nance would’ve cracked by now.”

“What d’ya mean?”

You kick at the rocks scattered along the blacktop, refusing to meet his eyes. “Well,” you sigh. A grunt, a huff of breath before you tug at the strap of your backpack and admit flatly, “He, uh, ended it.” You hold up your left hand and wiggle your fingers in proof, and sure enough, no engagement ring in sight.

Steve never truly understood what people meant when they said the phrase ‘seeing red’ until now. Granted, he’d been knocked on the head more than most in his time, but even with the concussions he still had enough sense to know that you were the real fucking deal. And any asswipe that thinks he can do better than you is sorely mistaken.

He should know.

Willing himself not to vibrate with rage, he slings an arm across your shoulders and pulls you to his chest. You sniffle and press your forehead to his neck, he smells clean and comforting like cypress and vetiver with the faintest whiff of laundry detergent.

“M’sorry honey,” he soothes, voice soft and low, subtly rocking from side to side as you fail to stop the tears from falling. “I gotcha, it’s okay.”

Naturally, you completely lose your shit in the school parking lot while Steve holds you. And truthfully, you’re more frustrated than anything because you’d been trying so damn hard to keep it together this week. You thought you’d been doing pretty well, too, until Harrington used his dumb best-friends-forever powers of perception.

Unbeknownst to you, everyone’s been desperately trying to keep their cool.

Nancy was tight-lipped about the cause for your bender last weekend, but occupants of the loft were distinctly aware of how rigidly she held herself after dropping you off. Completely glued to her phone in case you needed anything at all and going so far as to out-law rom-coms for seemingly no reason.

His anger is simmering now, bubbling just under the surface because hell if he’s going to let you see how affected he is. True, he was never the biggest fan of your fiancé, well, ex-fiancé now, but he seemed like an okay guy.

Clearly not.

A wet sob claws its way from your throat as Steve draws you closer, his hand cradling the back of your head. He’s doing his best to comfort you, but there’s only so much he can do in the parking lot of Hawkins high school.

He pulls back briefly to look down at you, searching your face for any signs of discomfort. “Wanna crash at the loft?” He asks, voice hushed, as if he’s afraid to spook you. You glance over your shoulder to your car parked a few spaces away, eyes wide and wet.

Steve feels like he’s lost all language. Doesn’t know any words because you’re stuttering, cursing, and sobbing against his chest like he’s never heard before. He’s at a complete loss as he shepherds you toward his car, opening the passenger door and sliding you into the seat. He has to pry your fingers off from the way you’d latched on to his shirt.

As the door closes, he grabs his phone and types out a quick missive to let the roommates know what’s coming.

🫰freeloaders🫰

steeb🖕: nance, a heads up would’ve been nice

bucko 🤠: 👀

nwa 🔪: oh shit.

dumbass🤘 : stop talking in code nerds

steeb🖕 has changed the name of this group from 🫰freeloaders🫰 to 👊 fight club👊

steeb🖕: trouble is crashing with us, it’s bad guys. like, defcon 1

bucko 🤠: isn’t that the lowest level of defcon?

steeb🖕: not the time robs

nwa 🔪: her fiancé broke it off, that’s why she got shitfaced. didn’t want me to say anything until she was ready

bucko 🤠: what a piece of shit

dumbass🤘: i’m gonna need his name and address, ss# is a plus but not a necessity

bucko 🤠: eddie NO

steeb🖕: eddie YES

nwa🔪 has ‘liked’ this message

“Sorry–” you whisper hoarsely, “I’m–sorry–”

Steve’s mouth falls open, so fucking helpless and confused. “There’s no need for that,” he assures you, “You didn’t do anything hon.”

You’ve barely gotten out of the shower, hair damp and dripping on the tiles of the bathroom. You stand in the doorway, dressed in an oversized Warped Tour shirt from ages ago, one bare foot scratching the adjacent ankle.

Steve had to coax you to shower after arriving at the loft, your face puffy, smeared with tears and snot. Once you had been safely stowed in the shower, Nancy went into crisis-management mode. Delegating tasks to everyone in proximity to her and speaking in hushed tones with your parents on the phone.

Robin was in charge of securing a sub for you tomorrow (and, let’s be honest, one for Eddie, Steve, and herself as well), Eddie was researching moving companies and doing some mild internet sleuthing about your ex, just for his own research purposes, which left Steve on babysitting duty.

You start crying again, hiding the tears in your palms and dropping to the floor, curling up. Shit. Shit. Shit. Steve’s losing it. Can’t even keep you happy for two seconds–which he knows is the easiest job in the world because you have attention span of a goldfish and will laugh at anything.

He’s still perplexed when he drops to the floor with you, splaying his legs around your body, wrapping his arms around your back. His shirt is basically soaked through, sopping with your tears but that doesn’t deter you. You burrow into his chest, hands crawling up his shoulder blades, fingertips digging in enough to bruise, and you cling to him like a lifeline. Steve’s chest swells in pain for you, a hurt he feels down to his bones. You’re shaking with sobs and shivery hot in his arms.

Unable to soothe your tears, Steve gets to work and slides an arm down underneath your legs to secure you against his chest. “Okay honey, hold tight,” he breathes, scooping you up as he rises from the cold tile floor. You press your face further into his chest, sinking so deep into his hold he thinks you might fall right into him. Another choked sob as you nod.

He carries you down the hall and into his bedroom, all dark and quiet. Steve lays you down atop his sheets where you continue to sob fitfully, eyes blooming with fresh tears. He reaches over your body, takes the far edge of the sheet and pulls it around, tucking it beneath your back. He does the same to the other side and soon enough, you’re wrapped snugly in its cocoon. Only your head is visible.

And he knows you’re sad, and it’s very fucking real. The kind of sadness he felt when Nancy crushed his heart to smithereens back in high school. That, but times a thousand.

“How’s that?” he says, breaking the silence now that your cries have died down. “Better?”

You blink at him after a while. Your head jerks a few times, eyes pointedly cutting to the open space on the bed next to you.

Steve shucks his shirt, volleying it to the hamper, and slips in chuckling at the way you inch your body closer to his. His arm falls to rest against your hip, “Okay honey,” he whispers over the top of your head, “Better now?”

“Mmhm,” you sigh, pressing your forehead to his chest once more. “Stevie,” you rasp, voice muffled, “Can you stay?”

“Yeah,” he says right away, fingers sketching along your side, a crease of worry forming between his brows. “‘Course I’ll stay honey, long as you want.”

Steve spends another couple of hours with you, settling down in hopes that you’ll eventually drift off to sleep. He pulls a movie up on his phone, something with little emotional labor because you’re more than likely spent for the week. He lays next to you on the bed, propped up by a pillow or two, his free hand tracing calming circles against your hip. After the credits roll, your swollen eyelids begin to slip shut.

He stays for a little longer, just until your breathing evens out and he knows you’re asleep. As gently and slowly as he can, Steve gets out of bed careful not to jostle you awake and makes his way to the living room. Everyone’s awake and lost in their own little world, it’s quiet save for the sound of clacking keys and mouse clicks.

Settling against an armchair, he clears his throat and says, “She’s asleep, for now.”

“How’s she doing?”

He shrugs, because isn’t that the million dollar question. Steve couldn’t begin to guess at that thoughts rattling through your brain. But he tries anyway, “Uh, not great.”

Silence settles around them once more. Steve stares wordlessly at the ceiling and grits his teeth loud enough for everyone to hear. He inhales a deep, steady breath and it feels like the only one he’s taken in hours.

And for the first time in a long time, he allows himself to fall back on a familiar feeling. To push past all the anger and hurt; the tinge of his own failure he tries not to associate with you, struggles to do that most days, too.

Behind the darkness of his eyelids, there is strangely so much light.

A semblance of hope.

#steve harrington x reader #steve harrington #fanfiction #stranger things #reader insert #the kids aren't alright - rosewaterandivy

156 notes · View notes

adventuresinteyvat · 6 months

Text

‎‎‎‎‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ⚞ ADVENTURES IN TEYVAT is looking for DAINSLEIF ⚟

AiT is a SFW 18+ DISCORD-BASED RP, taking place in a sandbox version of Genshin Impact's world that changes in real-time with each update. We offer IC TEXT CHATROOMS && PARAGRAPH-STYLE ROLEPLAY across the various regions that are able to be visited.

⚞ CHECK PINNED POST FOR MORE INFO ⚟

#genshin impact #dainsleif #gi dainsleif #genshin dainsleif #rp ad #genshin rp ad #genshin impact rp #roleplay ad #discord rp #mod lector bookkeeping!#not at the desk currently! ✦ queueing

9 notes · View notes

the-girl-wh0-cries-w0lf · 9 months

Text

You're waiting for a train...(15)

Come Back To Reality

Robert Fischer x reader

description - Y/n and Cobb are finally able to come back to reality. But Y/n worries if her and Robert in the dream was just that; a dream.

word count - 1.6k

warnings - just way too much fluff!

a/n - why am I actually getting sad how close we are to the end! I know this one feels like the end but we've still got one more chapter left ;)

Previous Part Series Master list Master list

If you want to be added to the taglist - here

3…2…1.

My eyelids fluttered open with the weight of a thousand hours. My body laced with grogginess. I crack my bones and felt the comfort of the plane seat under me.

I smiled.

We did it.

I giggled.

I turned to my side and greeted each member with giddiness. We all sat back and relished in success.

I felt a hand grip my shoulder from behind. I turned to see Arthur shooting me a wink. I placed my hand over his and squeezed it in acceptance.

I looked over and failed to meet Robert’s own gaze as he was locked in contemplation. I realised his mind must be flooded, the overcrowding shocking his sense into silence.

But my eyes trained on my father’s still sleeping form. My breath stuck in my throat. His eyes fluttered ever so softly and when they finally opened, they were tired enough for a lifetime. But they were still bright. And they still pleaded love once they landed on my form. As I squirmed about in my seat unable to hide my excitement. He laughed at the freedom of my movements.

Saito followed soon after. He reached into his jacket to pull out his phone.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

I stood by my father in the queue for passport control. The others had separated off but we stayed together.

His hand slipped into my mine and gave it an affirming grip.

He was next in line.

He turned to me, his face flushed as he was about to divulge everything he could, fearing this could be his last chance. Saito could have screwed him. The clearance may not have been successful.

He struggled to find the words so I decided to help him out.

“I guess you’re healed now. Whatever happened down there it was definitely some form of catharsis.”

“For you and me both.” He breathlessly laughed out.

“I don’t know about that.” His face fell at my sad tone. “I’m gonna need some time. A lot of things have happened down there. I just don’t think I can do it yet.”

“I understand.” He delivered a swift kiss to my hairline. But pulled away with his hand still clasped around mine. “But now we’ve got all the time we need. We’re not running against the clock anymore.” A tear escaped in relief. But I brushed it away before I became noticeable.

“Next.” Was shouted down our line. Dad nervously looked to the awaiting officer. We came together in as miniscule a hug as we could muster before he was sent along first.

He offered up his passport and the officers eyes passed over it intensely. A minute drudged on. We never stopped for a single gasp.

“Welcome to America, Mr Cobb.” His passport was stamped and shoved back to him across the counter. I could see my dad’s frame melt and relax. He moved on more spritely than I’d ever seen. This meant it was my turn and as I approached no worries plagued me. But as my passport was shoved back to me, I remembered there was still just one. And he currently stood at the desk to the side of me.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

I shucked my suitcase off of the carousel. I slowly paced my way back down to the exit, following my dad’s silhouette.

I passed each member and acknowledged them with minute appreciation.

I nodded at Yusuf.

I waved at Ariadne.

I winked at Eames.

I smiled at Arthur.

But I was struck in my place when I saw Robert waiting for his own bag. His eyes were locked on his phone but they briefly flitted up just enough to recognise my frame. Fearfully, I scampered to the side. Taking solace behind Arthur’s frame. He looked down at me and couldn’t help but giggle.

He looked up to Robert. He then nodded in understanding.

He turned around and gripped me by the arms so I couldn’t run from what he was about to say.

“We both know what you promised yourself, but we both know how you feel. After everything,” He trailed off and looked over to where Robert was searching for my frame in the crowd. “I think you finally need to take something for yourself” He patted my shoulder and then unceremoniously shoved me towards Robert. I stilled but then ran back to place one last kiss on Arthur’s cheek.

Well I guess there was no turning back now.

I skipped up hoping speed would remove my desire to turn back. I tapped his shoulder and he turned around.

“I just wanted to say I heard about your father and I wanted to offer my sympathy. You must miss him?”

Our eyes finally met unadulterated and we both were allowed to show as much desire as we could.

“Have we met? You look awfully familiar.” The question no longer filled me with dread. I tucked my hair behind my ear and giggled at his dulcet tone.

“I’d like to think I’d remember someone like you.” I flirted back. He laughed but his eyes still raked mine for familiarity. I shook out to start again. “The plane. I was the wall you crashed into.” He laughed in memory and seemed to relax upon this declaration.

“Robert Fischer.” He held out his hand and I shook it. I couldn’t believe how soft his skin was. “But seeing as you already mentioned my father you already knew that so forget what I said it was stupid.” He broke his hand away and mimicked shooing. His body was racked with nerves. So I clasped his hand once again.

“Y/n Cobb. Pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise.” He breathed out through a smile. “Beautiful.” He whispered before his mind could catch up.

“I’m sorry?” I questioned, thinking I had misheard.

“Oh sorry it’s just that I think you’re very beautiful but there were more eloquent ways to express it.” He once again began to flap his hands about. He seemed embarrassed but I found it endearing.

“Anyways it was lovely to meet you.” I declared and quickly turned, secretly hoping he would stop me.

“Wait!” Told you. “Can I get your number?”

I turned back around but didn’t stop walking as I shouted back.

“I gave you my name. If you’re as powerful as you look you’ll find me by tomorrow.”

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

I caught up to my dad as he conversed with grandad. I fidgeted as I approached, nervous about meeting his eyes for the first time in years. Instead he took my hands away from their movement and pulled me into a bone crushing hug. Tears burst out and it was the only conversation I needed.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

We arrived back to the home I had struck from my memory. Fearing it would sting too much.

We both got out, our steps tipping on the edge.

The walk inside felt a lifetime and it seemed the buzzing of life resumed within my mind once again.

We stood as strangers in our own living room. My eyes flitted over every surface to commit it to my mind.

Grandad approached the garden.

“James! Philippa!”

The two innocent frames finally turned from their play and I laughed through tears when I got to meet their beautiful eyes once again.

They ran forward. Jumping into the awaiting arms of their father and sister. James launched into me whilst my dad swung Philippa around. I sunk my head into James’ neck and just relished in feeling him close. We eventually swapped and I offered Philippa the piggy backs she had loved. She began playing with my hair from behind, slicking it through into loose braids. But she gave up and instead felt she’d be more at peace with her arms locked tightly around my neck and her cheek next to mine.

A thousand photographs could never capture the love of that single moment.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

I awoke and stretched in the sheets that had been left since my last day. They had been washed, obviously, but grandma had tried to keep my room as untouched as possible.

My bones melted from the deepest sleep I had ever had. For the first time I had slept unaided and it had cured every ache in my chest.

Suddenly my door was thrown open and I looked up in time to see James launch himself onto body. He cuddled into my side and I threw my arms around him, squeezing him.

“Good morning, Jamesy.”

“There’s a man here.” His voice, ladened with sleep, informed. I tensed.

“He’s got a really fancy car and suit and he asked for you.”

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

My bare feet plodded across the cold wooden floor. I shuddered in my shorts and tank top. I opened the door. And there I was greeted with Robert, in his perfectly tailored suit, stood in front of his car, that I am assuming he didn’t drive himself due to the man stood to the side.

A smile brushed across his face when I finally entered his sight.

“Do you have any idea how many Y/n Cobbs there are in L.A.?” He declared with perfect practise.

“Well, I didn’t want to make it easy for you.” I teased back whilst carefully making my way to him across the stones.

We were now inches apart. Just gazing into each other.

“So did I pass the test? Am I powerful enough to take you out on a date?” He toyed using my previous taunt. I blushed under his intense gaze. My hair fell in front of my face but he carefully brushed it back behind my ear.

“What did you have in mind?” I asked and he smiled so brightly.

From inside the house my dad watched on from the kitchen window. His morning coffee clasped in his hand. Like me, his previous attire was forgone for a soft pyjama top and checkered pants. He looked onto his daughter but once he recognised the light which oozed from her frame, he merely relented, well as much as any father can, and smiled.

“You would’ve been proud of her, Mal.”

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

taglist: @jonsncws @h-l-vlovesvintage @theethy @fashionki11a @felicity1994 @bearchermer @idkyoutellmesmh @mimimarvelingmarvel @butterfly-lies-chase-them-away @neotanpopper @deliriouslybi @folklorde24 @thefandomdiaries07 @viarosemcmissile @noirrose21-blog @thepoeticfirefly @xoxo-gothic-girl @skeletonwrite @jellyzelek @kaylamarie306-blog @bloodcanbehot @lazybot @raineeace @thearieunhinged @multifans-things @queenofterrasen418 @bey0ndne0 @justanotherkpopstanlol @iamliterallyspidergwen @frozenhuntress67 @alice2612

129 notes · View notes

jon-withnoh · 14 days

Note

Danbea prompts, you say?! "There was only one bed" #3 - Person A waking up to Person B curled up and sleeping on top of them. (Tbh any of the "there was only one bed" prompts.)

Okay so this became a whole thing. Here is part one of two I hope you enjoy! (Beware, this is three thousand words long.)

Danny drew her coat around herself, shivering. It was snowing so heavily she could not see more than a few feet in front of her. Clutching her carpet bag in both hands, Danny began to move in the direction of where she suspected the stationmaster’s house to be. She had only gone a few steps when a figure emerged out of the flurry of snow around her, knocking into her with surprising momentum.

“Oh dear,” said the figure. “I do apologise. I cannot see further than my own feet in this weather.”

Danny stopped short. “Mrs Lacy?”

Mrs Lacy, bundled up so heavily as to be almost unrecognisable, did a double-take. “Miss Danvers. Now what on earth are you doing here?”

“Mrs de Winter sent me ahead on the train so I could meet her when she arrived.”

“She’s driving?”

“Yes, Madam. She has an appointment in London today and will set out afterwards.”

“Hm.” Mrs Lacy’s exhale produced a small cloud of steam. “I doubt she will be able to set out in this weather. I spoke to the conductor just before the delay was announced. They have had reports of heavy snowfall all over the country, even in London.”

Danny gave a non-comittal shrug.

“What do you recommend we do now?” Mrs Lacy asked.

“There is no chance of continuing our journey this afternoon?”

“I’m afraid not,” Mrs Lacy said. “There are snow drifts all along the way. They will have to wait to clear them until it stops snowing. It would be a wasted effort otherwise. I suggest we go to the village and beg for a room somewhere. Come, I shall take you under my wing, seeing as you are without your lady and I am without a maid.”

Danny opened her mouth and closed it again. She could see blurry figures all around them, moving from the train in the direction of the stationhouse. Clearly, Mrs Lacy was not the only one who trusted the train conductor’s assesment of the situation. Danny found herself torn. What if Rebecca did set out from London and Danny was not there to receive her? Should she not try and make her way to Scotland via some other route?

Mrs Lacy had been watching her. “Miss Danvers, we are in the middle of Lancashire. We are entirely reliant on the train and the train will not depart until tomorrow at the very least. If Rebecca does arrive before us and gives you any trouble, I will personally vouch for your dedicated attempts to continue your journey.”

Danny blushed. “Thank you, Mrs Lacy.”

“Good girl,” Mrs Lacy said, interpreting her thanks as aquiescence. “Follow me, I have excellent directional instincts.”

Mrs Lacy led the way through the stationhouse and into the town beyond. It was small, smaller than Kerrith or even Lanyon. Spotting the pub amongst the row of houses along King’s street was no difficult feat, though Danny kept this thought to herself. Mrs Lacy gave her a triumphant smile and pointed at the pub, picking up her stride. Danny hurried after her. The snow on the pavement had not been cleared. It was beginning to melt inside her boots.

As soon as Mrs Lacy pushed open the worn entrance door to the pub, Danny realised that they were not the only passengers to think of taking shelter here, nor had they been the first. She watched Mrs Lacy’s smile faulter as she took in the mass of people crowded around the fire place, the bar, and the reception desk. Nonetheless, the two of them joined the queue by the desk and waited their turn.

The woman behind the desk gave them a cheerful smile. “What can I do for you?”

“Good afternoon,” Mrs Lacy said. “We were on the train that is currently stranded at the station and would like to spend the night. What kind of rooms can you offer us?”

“Offer? You don’t suppose you were the only passengers looking for rooms, do you? I have one room available and that is it. It is small, but neat and tidy as all our rooms are. It should have twin beds. Ethel—” The woman turned and called over her shoulder. “It’s twin beds, isn’t it?” There was a call of assent from somewhere at the back of the room. “There you have it. One room, twin beds, will that suit you and your—”

“Lady’s maid,” Mrs Lacy said. “And I suppose we will have to make do.”

“Very well then,” said the woman. “Here is your key. You’ll want to take a left at the top of the stairs and go to the very end of the corridor.”

“Thank you,” Mrs Lacy said. “Come along, Miss Danvers, I am sure we will be quite comfortable.”

Mrs Lacy’s easy familiarity made her blush. She was used to it from Rebecca, but that was different. They had grown up together; she had taken care of Rebecca when Rebecca had still been afraid of the dark. Mrs Lacy barely knew her. Still, she followed Mrs Lacy up the stairs and down a narrow corridor with doors on either side. As the woman had said, their room was at the very end. It was much colder here than it had been downstairs, where the logs were piled high in the fireplace and there was a steady stream of hot soup and tea from the kitchens. Danny stood back as Mrs Lacy set down her suitcase and unlocked the door.

“Hm,” Mrs Lacy said. “Hm.”

“Is anything the matter, Mrs Lacy?”

Mrs Lacy thought on this for a moment. “You see, I distinctly recall that woman downstairs speaking about twin beds, and, for that matter, confirming the existence of twin beds with Ethel, whoever she is. Do step inside this room and tell me what you see.”

Curious, Danny went to stand next to Mrs Lacy and peered into the room. It was very neat, as the woman had said, with chequered curtains and a small peat fire in the fireplace. What did not match her description at all was the bed against the righthand wall. It too was exceedingly neat with a plain coverlet and clean white sheets, but it was decidedly one bed, intended for two sleepers. Danny’s cheeks burned.

“She must have been mistaken,” Mrs Lacy said. “I shall go downstairs and see what they can do. Maybe they can swap our room with someone else’s. There must be something they can do.”

Danny bowed her head as Mrs Lacy turned down the corridor once more. She waited until the decided clunk clunk clunk of Mrs Lacy’s boots on the stairs had faded, then stepped eagerly into the room to stand beside the fire. However long it took Mrs Lacy to rectify the situation was as good an opportunity as any to warm up. Danny set down her bag and held out her hands. She sighed as the warmth of the fire began to envelop her frozen fingertips. She closed her eyes, feeling herself come back to life.

“There is nothing to be done.”

Danny whirled around. Mrs Lacy had returned, standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips.

“It is this or finding another place to sleep and at this rate, every establishment will be completely packed by the time we get there. If only I had some acquaintance here who I could persuade to take us in, but of course, we are in Lancashire. We shall have to make ourselves as comfortable as we can.”

That was that. Mrs Lacy set down her suitcase on the stand at the foot of the bed and began to sort through her things. Danny remained standing by the fireplace, her hands folded. She tried to conceal her horror at this development. To share a room with a woman of Mrs Lacy’s standing — would Rebecca expect her to act as lady’s maid to someone who was not Rebecca?

Danny kept her mouth shut and her eyes fixed on the floor as Mrs Lacy made herself at home. She followed silently as Mrs Lacy suggested they go in quest of dinner and ate her soup with as little conversation as she could muster. Fortunately, Mrs Lacy did not seem to require any long speeches from her. She seemed happy enough to converse without much back and forth, though more than once Danny found herself the recipient of an amused smile. Danny kept her eyes on her soup, unwilling to interrogate why the gentle curve of Mrs Lacy’s mouth flustered her so much. Finally, Mrs Lacy set down her cup of after-dinner tea and stifled a yawn behind her hand.

“We had better turn in,” she said. “If they do get the train up and running over night we do not want to miss it.”

Danny made to rise from her chair, but froze midway. She had carefully avoided thinking about the issue of turning in all afternoon. To share a room with Mrs Lacy was bad enough — there would be no way of avoiding each other in such close quarters — but to share a bed? Danny had not shared a bed with anyone since childhood, and never with a stranger. Maybe she could sleep in the chair next to the bed. Surely Mrs Lacy would be relieved at the suggestion.

“Are you coming?” Mrs Lacy was halfway across the room already, calling over her shoulder. Danny hurried after her.

Someone had come to turn down the bed and draw the curtains while they had been at dinner. The fire had been stoked and the lamp on the bedside table turned on. It would have been quite comfortable if Danny had not been so full of dread at what was to come.

“Well,” Mrs Lacy said, “we had better not dawdle. I will brush my teeth and then we shall see about our sleeping arrangement.” She went over to her suitcase and took out a small bag.

Once Mrs Lacy had gone to find the bathroom down the hall, Danny forced herself to move from her spot by the door. She had left her carpet bag on the chair by the bed. She opened it gingerly, knowing already that she would find nothing but a few essentials. Everything else was neatly folded away in her suitcase and that had been sent up to Scotland along with Rebecca’s luggage.

By the time Mrs Lacy returned, she was sitting on the edge of the bed, still wearing the dress she had traveled in.

“You haven’t changed?”

“I have nothing to change into… Madam,” she added quickly. “My suitcase was sent ahead this morning along with Mrs de Winter’s things.”

“That is unfortunate. You’ll have to borrow something of mine then.”

“I couldn’t possibly,” Danny said decisively.

“Are you sure?”

Danny nodded.

Mrs Lacy shrugged and turned to her suitcase. Danny averted her eyes as Mrs Lacy took out a nightgown and sat on the edge of the bed to take off her shoes. Remembering that she had brought a toothbrush, Danny stood up from the bed and excused herself to go to the bathroom. Shivering in the draughty room, Danny brushed her teeth. There was no warm water. Her shivers intensified as she washed her face. When she straightened up, her cheeks were bright red.

Back in the little room, Mrs Lacy had finished changing. She had chosen the left side of the bed and was sitting up with her dressing gown draped around her shoulders. Danny noticed the coverlet, folded carelessly and left on the floor next to Mrs Lacy’s suitcase.

“I hope you don’t mind my taking this side,” Mrs Lacy said. “I prefer to sleep further away from the door.”

“No, I…” Danny cleared her throat. “I don’t mind at all.” Avoiding Mrs Lacy’s gaze, she went over to the right side of the bed and sat in the chair next to it, folding her hands.

“You cannot be serious.”

“Madam?”

“Miss Danvers, don’t tell me you mean to sit up all night in that chair?”

Danny opened her mouth, helplessly, but could not think of anything to say.

“No, that simply will not do,” Mrs Lacy said fiercely. “You will wreck your back and resent me all the way to Scotland. I will not have that.”

“I wouldn’t resent you.” Danny kept her eyes downcast. “But you must allow that I am doing what is right. You shouldn’t be forced to…”

“Forced? Forced? Miss Danvers, you do not think you are forcing me into anything, do you?”

“No,” Danny conceded, “but the circumstances…”

“My dear girl, if I had truly been outraged by the circumstances, I would have fought much harder to rectify the situation. My pockets might not be as deep as my brothers, but they are most certainly deep enough to find a suitable place to sleep, even in an overcrowded country inn. No, while this is inconvenient, I did not think it worth the effort to turn this whole place on its head merely so I would not have to share a room with my esteemed sister in law’s maid. Now come to bed. You will thank me tomorrow.”

Unable to form another word of protest, Danny rose from her chair and sat on the edge of the bed. She unhooked her boots and put them closer to the fire to dry. With trembling fingers, she pulled her hair out of its twist and began to comb it with her fingers. There was movement on the other side of the bed. A moment later, Mrs Lacy wordlessly held out her hairbrush.

“Thank you.”

Danny wrapped her fingers around the handle of the brush. The dark wood was worn smooth, resting well in her hand. Danny brushed her hair in silence. She could feel Mrs Lacy watching her, it gave her the sensation that her skin was burning all over with a small, but strangely pleasant fire.

Hastily, Danny braided her hair and handed back the brush.

“Thank you,” she said again.

“If you wanted to take off your corset for the night,” Mrs Lacy said matter-of-factly, “you would be more than welcome. I won’t look.”

Would the mortification never end? Moving as quickly as possible, Danny rid herself of the aforementioned undergarment, hastily buttoning up her dress again once it was done. Feeling rather exposed, despite the layers of fabric still covering her, Danny returned to the bed and sat on top of the covers, her back against the wooden headboard. Mrs Lacy raised an eyebrow.

“Please,” Danny said. “You must allow me at least this. I couldn’t— with someone of your standing, it would be… please, Mrs Lacy, I will be fine.”

“Very well,” Mrs Lacy said patiently. “If you change your mind…”

“Good night, Mrs Lacy.”

“Good night, Miss Danvers.”

The room sank into silence at once. Mrs Lacy turned onto her side and, with a small huff of exhaustion, was asleep within minutes. Danny sat up in bed, staring now at her hands, now at the fire and more often than not, she was ashamed to admit, at Mrs Lacy. She had often noticed that Mr de Winter’s sister was very handsome. Though his senior by almost a decade, her face had lost none of the youthful mischievousness that smiled down at the visitors of Manderley from pictures painted in Mrs Lacy’s youth. Her eyes were invariably kind, whether she was looking at her brother, Rebecca, or even one of the servants. In sleep, there was something else in her expression, a vulnerability Danny had never seen before. It was difficult to look away. It took an hour for Danny to convince herself that Mrs Lacy would not suddenly wake up and find Danny staring at her. Danny thought she might never look her fill.

Before going to bed, she had wondered what it would feel like to be trapped in a room like this with Rebecca. Would Rebecca have allowed her to sleep on the bed? Would Rebecca have wanted her to? Danny could not say. Rebecca would not have looked at her the way Mrs Lacy had, though once she was asleep, Danny was certain the situation would have been the same. She would have looked and looked at Rebecca, her face as impenetrable in sleep as it was in waking. She would have warmed Rebecca’s hands during the night, leaning forward in her chair. She would have sat and burned and waited for an invitation that would not come.

Mrs Lacy rolled over and sighed in her sleep, the covers drawn up almost to her nose. Danny’s back was aching. Moving carefully, so as not to wake Mrs Lacy, she lay down on top of the covers, first on her back and then, relenting, facing the centre of the bed.

“Good night, Mrs Lacy,” she whispered and, pressing her eyes tight shut, drifted off to sleep.

Danny awoke shivering. She was curled up on top of the covers, arms wrapped around her chest to trap a warmth that was not there. Her muscles felt sore from the cold. How long had she been shaking in her sleep. Danny did not notice the hand on her shoulder until it gave a gentle squeeze. She gasped in shock and turned around to find Mrs Lacy sitting up in bed with her arm outstretched.

“Miss Danvers,” Mrs Lacy said groggily. “You’ll catch your death.”

“Let me j-just—” Her teeth were chattering so intensely she had to break off and start again. “I will rekindle the fire.”

“There’s nothing here to rekindle it with.”

“That f-feels like an oversight.”

Mrs Lacy held up the bedcovers. “I would prefer if you did not freeze to death under my supervision. Rebecca would never forgive me.”

Danny shook her head, weakly.

“Miss Danvers, what does it matter who I am or why we are here? You can barely speak for shivering. Don’t be a fool and we will never discuss this night again.”

Danny’s eyes darted from Mrs Lacy to the empty grate and back again. It could not have been past three in the morning. It would be hours before she could go down and ask for their fire to be lit. Mrs Lacy tugged at the bedcovers, her face expectant.

It did not feel like defeat, slipping under the covers next to Mrs Lacy. Danny was much too cold to feel anything but relief. Even under the covers, her muscles would not stop twitching.

“There now,” Mrs Lacy said gently. She pulled up the covers to cover Danny’s shoulders, then took her dressing gown from the foot of the bed and piled it on top of Danny as well, rubbing her arm through the layers of fabric. “There now,” she said again. “That’s much better, isn’t it?”

Danny could not reply. She was beginning to feel warmer under the covers, too comfortable and exhausted to speak. Mrs Lacy seemed to understand. She lay back down, facing Danny and closed her eyes. Danny expected her to withdraw her hand now, but it stayed where it was, gently brushing along her arm.

#rebecca das musical #my fic #danbea #beavers #There was only one bed #part one of two #Danny is a useless baby lesbian #Beatrice is also a useless lesbian #i need to pick a title for this so it can go on ao3 #part two to come at some point…#ask games #writing prompts #seriously i hope you enjoyed this

19 notes · View notes

jhuuni · 7 months

Text

Sunshine- Lee Seokmin

ray of sunshine dk x classmate reader

angst? comfort

word count: 1157 (series??)

dk is known to be such a happy person, but how come you walk into your classroom and see a different version of him you’ve never seen before.

Lee Seokmin, also known as Dk. Was the school's funniest guy, and it was honestly the truth everyone loved him because of his happiness and how he always brings a smile to everyone’s faces. He was loud, you have to admit but even the teachers couldn’t get too annoyed after he disrupts the lessons as he makes them laugh and smile.

So how come this all so ray of sunshine was in front of you crying on his desk.

Your classrooms are locked at lunchtime, but you forgot your wallet to pay for food so you were given the keys , but to your surprise the door was open and you noticed Dk head down on the desk.

His body was shaking, he sounded like he was trying to catch his breathe, but his sobs began to get louder and louder.

You were worrying a bit, you weren’t particularly close to him, but you were close enough to say hi around school, and sometimes due to mutual friends would hang out outside of school. But you knew you weren’t close enough for him to explain why he’s crying.

‘Seokmin,’ you whisper gently tapping his back, you just couldn’t resist walking in and out on him in this unknown state, ‘is everything okay?’ Stupid question but what else could you of said.

He jumps up ,startled at your touch and your presence. His eyes were red, and puffy, lunch had only been an hour in but you could tell he’s been crying all day, even possible all night. But how come you didn’t notice earlier?

He wipes his tears away, and smiles. A forced smile. That began to twitch and more tears began to block his view.

You didn’t know what to say in this moment, but you decide to rummage in your coat pocket and found a packet of unopened tissues.

It’s currently winter and you always get very bad colds, so your mum makes you carry tissues around all the time, sometimes you don’t touch them for weeks.

You place the tissues on his desk.

He began to weep harder.

He props up his elbows on the desk, and face in hands.

‘Thank you y/n.’ He whispers.

You smile, and gently rub his back, you notice he takes a tissue out of the packet and rubs his eyes, you feel a bit more happier knowing he won’t use his sweatshirts sleeves anymore which is probably another reason for the redness around his eyes.

‘Seokmin, you don’t have to tell me what’s wrong, but I want you to know I am here for you. Whatever is going on I’m rooting for you and I’m by your side whatever journey your going through.’

The silence is broken off by more weeping and his stomach making a grumble sound.

‘Have you eaten yet?’ You asked worriedly.

He shaked his head, you decide to do what you originally came for and get your purse.

‘Seokmin, I will only be 2 minutes I promise, let me buy you something.’

Before he could turn down your offer you left the room. You felt guilty for leaving him in his sadden state, but you would of felt worst if you left him in hunger.

And you were 2 minutes, the queue was empty. You came in and out with 2 chicken sandwiches and 1 banana milk and 1 strawberry milk, you couldn’t decide which Dk would have liked so you got a choice for him.

You walked back into the classroom hoping he hasn’t left, and he hasn’t , in the same position but this time he’s on his phone.

‘ I brought you a chicken sandwich and you can choose the milk!’ You exclaim , happy to see there is no more tears on his face. And that the tissue packet is half empty on the table.

‘You honestly didn’t have to get me anything, I wasn’t that hungry.’ He said with a smile, an honest smile,watching you sit in front of him and placing the sandwiches and milks in between you both. He chose the banana one which made you happy inside as you only liked the strawberry ones.

You open your sandwich and take a bite, which he mirrors. It was silent but it was comfortable. It wasn’t awkward one bit.

You both finished your sandwiches and were drinking your milks until the silence was broken.

‘Y/n’

‘Mhm’

‘Can you not tell anyone about earlier please.’ He requested.

‘Of course not, don’t worry your secret is safe with me.’ Sticking out your pinky finger, he takes it and wraps his and you both burst into laughter.

‘Also Y/n’

‘Mhm’ you reply, looking up at him.

‘Why do you not call me by my nickname? I mean I don’t mind but no one in school calls me Seokmin anymore.’ His muddled expression makes you grin.

‘Hmm to be honest I don’t know why, but saying Seokmin rolls off my tongue better ? You get me? When I say Dk it sounds too forced.’ You reply by making a disgusted face in a jokey way which he responded with nodding and giggling a little bit.

‘Fair enough.’ He says now with a big smile, looking back at his phone.

✮ ✮ ✮

‘Dk? Broo we have been looking for you the whole of lunch, have you been here the whole time?’ You turn your head to see that Cheol was standing at the door. Cheol was one of your mutual friends so when he saw you two together he was a bit confused but didn’t think much about it and just shot you a smile.

‘Cheol did you find him?’ You hear Soonyoungs voice, he peeks his head around the door and shouts.

‘DK I MISSED YOU, DONT LEAVE US AGAIN AT LUNCH!!’

Soonyoung runs in and gives Dk, who was still sitting down, a massive bear hug.

‘Soonyoung don’t worry it was only this one time’ Dk replies in laughter.

But what he said made you happy, you did hope this his last time being sad , as you didn’t like seeing such a happy soul upset. But you couldn’t control this.

‘Oh hi y/n!’ Soonyoung says once realising you were in the room.

‘OHHHHH!’ Soonyoung screams again this time you covered your ears since he was very close.

‘Y/n was tutoring you? I heard Miss Smith was looking for a maths tutor for you, so she decided on y/n’ he looked at us waiting for confirmation but before we could say anything, someone else walks through the door.

‘Guys please come, the younger years are joining us and the teams are uneven numbers, Soobins group and Chris’ are joining up.’ Jun states panting and gripping on the door for support, it seemed as if he ran across the whole field to deliver this important message.

‘DK LETS GO BEAT THEM!!!’ Soonyoung screams once again which made everyone laugh.

Dk looks at you as he stands up and mouths a ‘thank you’.

You just nodded your head with a smile in response.

tags: @hannieheartuu

#seventeen #seventeen flufd #easter #svt #txt #enhypen #tomorrow x together #dokyeom #dokyeom fluff #dokyeom imagine #hurt/comfort #seventeen right here #lee seokmin #svt dk #dk

46 notes · View notes

ephiesoul · 17 days

Text

❤️ Queue Check

Here’s what’s currently on my desk, hope this helps for anyone curious 💛

This isn’t including all the requests I’ve received, this just includes what I’ve actually started working out

Black font means being finished

Green font means Done and waiting to be uploaded

Crossed means recently uploaded

Last updated: 05/13

Regular

Phantom do it for me

Murdock Pride tea

Bill do it for me

Jim’s do it for me

Natemare do it for me

Remus meds reminder

Bing Angel & Demon

Host Angel & Demon

Night Prisoner

Dark in a box

Google Priest

Actor & Ben cringe

Damien Guard

Iplier in a box

Yancy in a box

Damien in a box

Requests

Beetle juice with a plush (for Twitter)

Dark with plush (for Twitter)

Hermit Prisoner

Hermit Star

Abe, Damien, Actor do it for me

Gerard Way

Ethan heart hands

Dr. Who Bday

Graduation request

Event

Left over Valentine Event requests for

crazyw3irdo

Ravenmakesthings

May Event

… I don’t remember their names at the moment

Paintings

Fizzarolli x2

*This isn’t including commissions or requests through Patreon 💛

#queue check #you don’t really want to know how many sketches are in my desk..

14 notes · View notes

bestaez · 2 years

Text

Strangers (Chapter Seven)

Strangers from Hell AU

Series Masterlist

pairing: ot7 x reader

genre: yandere, horror/thriller

NEW!! warnings (will update as needed): murder, mature themes, obsessive/possessive behavior, emotional manipulation, stalking, bullying, violence, blood and injuries, non-consensual touching, attempted sexual assault (not by BTS), mc has some self-deprecating thoughts, mc is lowkey in denial. pls heed the warnings, this chapter gets a little intense!!

word count: 4.6k words

As weeks go by, you find yourself getting more and more accustomed to this new life. Each day at work you spend your time getting more invested in your role, trying your best to make it seem like you’re actually supposed to be there and not just a nepotism case. You don’t know if you’re being paranoid or if your co-workers really are talking about you behind your back, what with the way Jiwan is always snickering and whispering somewhere in your peripheral vision.

But none of that matters, you try to remind yourself. Not when you know you’re supposed to be there, or at least that’s what you tell yourself. And looking at the small photo frame of your family that you keep at your desk and focusing on your mother’s smiling face, you know you have to do your absolute best to not let her down.

Besides, you have the best supporters waiting for you at home. Those seven men are always there to cheer you up when you have a hard day, somehow reading your mood without you even needing to say anything. They all have their own love language, whether it be cooking you meals or offering to give you a foot massage when you can barely stand on your feet. Even the quieter or stranger ones of the bunch are actually quite sweet deep down, you have found. In a way, you feel like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Each one has their own quirk but you find them all endearing.

You would almost feel bad getting so close to these men when you have a boyfriend but it’s not like he seems concerned these days. After that weekend where he blew you off for work, you decided not to chase him and just wait for him to reach out again - which, probably sounds like you’re giving up on the relationship but you just found the whole ordeal to be too stressful to worry about. Deep down, you knew Jihoon was just a workaholic and that it was okay to not hear from him sometimes.

He had texted you a few times throughout the week, checking in with you and updating you on how his work projects were going. You had spoken a few times over the phone, but he often claimed he was too tired and asked for a raincheck. You would be lying if you said it didn’t sting a little but you didn’t want to seem like a clingy girlfriend so you let it be. That dream you had where you both were excelling in your careers and moving in together somehow seemed much farther away now than it did before.

But, all in all, things were fine. That’s all you could really say about it, nothing had improved but nothing had worsened, either. Overall, you felt pretty neutral about everything. The journaling had been helping, you thought. Every night you dedicated some time to writing - whether it was about your day or just a short story you had thought of. You’re not sure if it was doing anything to help the stress, but it definitely felt therapeutic.

Sitting at your desk at work, you were mindlessly checking emails as there was nothing currently in your queue to work on. The work day was close to being over but it was still probably too early for you to clock out so the best thing to do was make it at least look like you were busy. You glance at your phone, fighting off the urge to text Nayeon out of boredom. She had been in work meetings all week, mostly out of office, and you missed seeing her around.

A random thought popped in your head that it would be nice to cook some dinner for your roommates, after they had been taking care of you these past few weeks. Without thinking, you decided to browse on your computer for a good recipe. You had become so absorbed in your task that you failed to notice the presence over your shoulder.

“Oh, that one looks good.” Barely concealing your gasp, you jumped back to see Jiwan standing there with raised eyebrows. You opened your mouth in shock, but nothing came out.

She smirked condescendingly, “Is that the best way to spend company time and resources?”

You couldn’t bear to look away from her, not wanting to see the stares from other co-workers that you could already feel burning into your skin. But you also didn’t know how to diffuse the situation and it seemed like Jiwan knew it.

“My queue was empty so I was just checking something really quick.” The words felt heavy leaving your mouth, causing you to nervously gulp.

“Oh? Then, why didn’t you come ask one of us if we needed help with anything?” At your silence, she continued. “I mean, that is why you’re here, right? You’re supposed to pick up the tasks we can’t finish.”

“Jiwan,” You hear someone’s voice say quietly behind you, but you don’t dare to look. Your heart was pounding in your chest and you just felt so small.

“No, she needs to hear this. I’m tired of her getting away with being incompetent.” Her venomous tone causes something in you to snap as you step out of your chair, finally meeting her eye to eye.

All of the sudden, you were in the cafeteria from your memories again. Everyone was staring at you, waiting for you to make your next move. That voice in your head was whispering for you to go in for the kill, but you shook it away. You couldn’t let that side win again.

Clearing your throat, you try to steady your voice, “Jiwan, I had no idea you felt that way. If you thought that my work was lacking, you could have just come to me one-on-one. You didn’t have to make a scene.”

She seems taken aback by your sudden strong front, not exactly sure how to respond so you beat her to the punch.

“Is there anything I can help you with right now?” Raising your eyebrows questioningly at her, she can only gawk at your quick change in attitude.

“In that case, I’ll head out now. Seeing as there’s nothing here for me to do,” She remains silent as you begin to gather up your things. No one says anything as they all watch it unfold, apparently shocked to see someone handle Jiwan in such a professional way. They probably weren’t expecting to see the newbie have a backbone. They clearly didn’t know you.

You can feel everyone’s gaze on your back as you walk to the elevator, heart racing as you get inside and press the lobby button. When the doors finally close, your cool façade breaks and you lean against the metal wall with a small gasp. You can’t believe you just did that to your superior, in front of all those people. Panic starts to settle in by the time the elevator doors open as you wonder if you just lost your job. It seems you never truly learned to get your emotions in check.

The walk to your bus stop is a blur, your eyes staring unseeingly before you as you wring your hands nervously. Surely, that conversation alone wouldn’t get you fired, would it? You were respectful but firm. In fact, maybe it would impress some of the right people. But, what if Jiwan just used it as evidence that you were insubordinate? That sounds like something she would do.

You wondered what Nayeon would have done if she saw you. Would she be proud of you for finally standing your ground? Hopefully this didn’t embarrass her, not wanting to get her in trouble. If only she had been there, maybe then Jiwan wouldn’t have said anything.

A sudden buzzing feeling in your pocket interrupts your thoughts, slipping your phone out to see an incoming call from your mom.

“Hello?”

“YN? You there?” The sound of your mother’s slightly raised voice caused your heart to speed up anxiously.

“Yes, can you hear me?”

“Sorry, honey. It’s so loud here, hold on-” The loud background noise lessened after a few moments, a deep sigh coming over the line as it seemed your mother had found a quieter space to talk in. “That’s better.”

“Where are you?” You ask impatiently, anxiety creeping and settling into your bones.

“The hospital.” Your heart stops and before you can respond, she continues. “It’s Minjun. He had an episode.”

“What kind of episode?”

“He had a seizure in school, just out of nowhere. The doctors aren’t sure what caused it but they’re keeping him here for a couple days.”

“I’ll get a bus back as soon as possible,” Before you can even really think about it, your mind is already made up. There’s no way you can sit here idly while your baby brother is stuck in a hospital room probably scared and confused.

“No, no. I don’t want you to miss work. We’ll be okay, I’m here with him.”

“How is he doing? Is he okay?”

“He’s fine, he’s-” She stops herself short, and each passing second of silence feels even more threatening. “Actually, there’s something I wanted to ask you.”

“What is it?”

“They are recommending a certain treatment and it’s, well, it’s more expensive than I had imagined. I hate to do this to you but the restaurant is not getting enough business as it is and now I’m gonna have to take off work-”

“Oh- of course,” You stammer, wincing guiltily at the slight reluctance you feel about forking over the little cash you already have. You would do anything for your family, but your internship salary is pretty small and you’re not sure how much more beneficial you could be in this situation. “How much?”

The number your mom gives has you frozen in shock, forcing yourself to blink after a moment passes. You don’t know how you will afford to send her that and pay rent at the same time. “Uh, okay. I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thank you so much, honey. I’ll pay you back.”

*****

When you arrive home, your thoughts are a swarm of stress over your brother’s health, the medical bills, and now the possible chance of you losing your job. You hadn’t even thought of that when you readily agreed to send your family money - the fact that you may not even have an income soon. Before you could overwhelm yourself with that thought, you pushed it away. Nothing was certain yet. This was just your own paranoia.

You stare up at the residence sign, feeling like this was the first time you truly studied it. The worn out black letters looked so dingy up close. Eden, it read. Perhaps it was a little paradise here. The outside world felt like hell sometimes, one bad thing after another. But right here, you felt safe.

Despite that, after the day you had, you felt like you weren’t ready to go home quite yet. You knew that as soon as you got home, one of the boys would question you on how your day went. And right now, you didn’t feel like talking about it.

Your feet seemed to know where you wanted to go before your mind caught up to it as you found yourself standing before a bar. It was the same bar you met Jihoon at in your first week here. You don’t know why it felt like a long time ago. The memory of the comfort your boyfriend had brought that night gave a bittersweet aftertaste. It had been so nice to reunite with him then but now, it just felt like he was an old friend you were trying to get back into contact with. The truth was, you were needing more in this relationship and you weren’t sure if he really even cared to give it.

You entered the small dive bar in your business attire, not standing out too much from the other patrons. Most were dressed casually in jeans or slacks, but there were a few others who also looked like they had come from work. It was that group that gave you the same understanding look. Hopping up on one of the stools, you raised your hand to get the bartender’s attention.

Downing another shot, you winced at the bitter liquor sliding down your throat. You never understood how people said the taste got better after each drink. It all tasted horrible but you supposed no one was actually drinking for the flavor. Case in point, here you were getting shitfaced at a dingy bar near the residence to drown out your thoughts. You knew it was probably a bad idea to turn to alcohol at such a low point in your life, but right now you didn’t care. For one night, you just wanted it all to go away.

And it seemed to do the trick. It got to the point where you couldn’t even remember what bothered you and even then, you continued to drink in an effort to chase this feeling. You wanted to enjoy the peaceful feeling you got while buzzed. You probably looked crazy to anyone else watching, giggling to yourself as your hands cupped your warm cheeks.

But, of course, your happy little bubble eventually had to burst.

The sudden arrival of someone next to you came as a surprise and you looked up to see it was a man about your age, maybe a little older. He looked handsome enough, although you couldn’t be certain because of your unfocused vision. But his button up shirt made you think he was probably decent.

“Hey there,” his voice was deep but not like Taehyung’s. Wait, what? Why are you thinking about him? “Can I buy you something to drink, honey?”

At that, you immediately felt ready to go home. There wasn’t anything obviously wrong about this guy but you didn’t need to go down that rabbit hole right now. You weren’t looking for a one night stand or anything at all. You just wanted some time to yourself.

“No thanks,” You smiled at him politely, sliding off your stool and collecting your bag. “I think I’ve hit my limit tonight.”

You’re impressed with how steady you are as you walk to the exit, stepping out into the humid summer air. It’s a good thing that you decided to cut it off there because you’re not sure you would have made it home if you had drank any more with the way you’re stumbling every few steps. Still, you’re not that drunk and your place is only a few blocks away.

You’ve barely passed a few streets when you feel a hand cover your mouth from behind, muting your surprised shriek. Using your momentary shock against you, your attacker begins to tug you backwards into a nearby alleyway. It gets darker with each step you take further away from the street lights.

Eventually, your stunned state passes as you snap into action. When squirming and trying to pull their arm off of you fails, you get desperate as you realize you’re running out of options. You don’t even hesitate to bite harshly into the hand pressing into your face. That does the trick as you hear a disgruntled shout and the tight hold on your figure releases. You don’t bother turning around to see who it is, instead taking off in a sprint back towards the street.

Your heart thunders in your chest as you hear heavy footsteps behind you. Just when you think you’re going to make it, a hand grabs your hair and yanks you back. The searing pain in your scalp causes you to scream before you’re thrown against the brick wall to your right.

“Shut the fuck up,” he pants in your ear, his hot breath fanning across your cheek. His hands grip the neckline of your tank top, ripping the fabric to reveal your chest. Keeping you stuck in his embrace, he roughly pulls your bra down and palms the exposed skin of your breasts. “You should have just said yes when I offered you that drink, honey.”

Not giving you the time to process what he said, you feel your pants being tugged down until they reach your lower thighs. His body presses tightly to your figure, causing the hard bulge in his pants to rut into your ass uncomfortably. You gasp in pain as your forehead scrapes the wall, panting at the feeling of him nipping harshly at your neck. This can’t be happening. The remnants of the alcohol buzzing in your blood lingers and creates the most terrifying numb feeling to take over your body. That with his heavy weight on your back makes you feel so helpless.

“Help! Plea-” The grip returns to your hair as he pulls back and rams your head into the wall again, stunning you yet again. Your head throbs in response as you feel blood trickle down your forehead.

“Make another sound and I’ll really knock you out,” He threatens, clearly fed up with your attempts to escape. You don’t know if you even want to be awake for this, contemplating screaming again just so he would put you under.

Before you can even make a decision, the presence behind you is suddenly ripped away. The feeling of another hand grabbing your shoulder to turn you around causes you to yelp, flinching away before you see it’s a familiar face.

“It’s just me, noona.” Jungkook holds his hands out carefully and you want to cry at the sight of him. You fall into his embrace with a sob, the events of the evening catching up to you as your adrenaline finally runs out. You barely even register the hands pulling your clothes back into place, not wanting to acknowledge the embarrassment you will inevitably feel at people seeing your exposed skin.

“It’s okay, YN. You’re safe now.” You turn over your shoulder to see Taehyung rubbing your back with a deep frown on his face. Behind him, you see Namjoon and Yoongi standing over the man from the bar as his wounded form lays crumpled on the ground. The two holding you turn you back around as they lead you towards the exit, not allowing you to see what causes the man to scream in pain in the next moment.

“We won’t let anything happen to you.”

*****

You don’t remember much after your roommates came to rescue you from that alleyway, too drunk and exhausted to stay conscious. You probably looked a sight to any passerbyers in the street, sandwiched between Taehyung and Jungkook as they practically carried you up to the residence. Anyone outside of the situation probably just assumed you were just a messy drunk with good friends that cared enough to get you home. They wouldn’t be wrong. If you weren’t so pathetic, you wouldn’t have wound up in this mess.

All you know is you woke up some time later to Jimin’s face hovering over yours, studying you with a concerned look and pressing a damp cloth to your forehead. Blinking in confusion at the bright light overhead, you reach up to grasp his arm near your face.

“Oh, you’re up,” He gasps, backing up and helping you sit up after you come to. Upon sitting up, you notice Seokjin standing a few feet away with a somber look on his face.

“What happened?” You ask, licking your lips in an attempt to sooth the dryness in your mouth.

Jimin’s eyes followed the action and as if sensing what you needed, reached for a water bottle on the coffee table. You thank him and take a few gulps, feeling more awake as you do.

“You don’t remember?” Seokjin’s voice sounds almost apprehensive as his dark eyes watch you carefully.

“I- I do but not much after the guys got there. I must have passed out,” You explain, eyebrows furrowing in thought. “What happened to him?”

“You don’t need to worry about him. He won’t bother you ever again.” Jimin reaches to tuck a few strands of hair behind your ear, causing you to freeze at the intimate act. He has never initiated contact like that before but you assume it’s just his way - always taking care of people.

“What does that mean?” Both men merely stare at you in response so after a pause, you continue, “Namjoon and Yoongi were there, I saw them-”

“He’s been apprehended. That’s all you need to know.” Seokjin answers with finality, lips pressed in a firm line. You watch him for a moment before deciding to drop the subject.

“Taehyung and Jungkook?”

“They’re with the others, should be back soon.” The blonde haired male responds, pulling out a white box and digging through the contents for a moment before pulling out some antiseptic products. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to clean this up for you.”

You nod, tilting your head to allow him easier access as he begins swiping across the wound with an alcohol wipe. He mutters a quiet apology after catching your wince at the stinging sensation. Your eyes widen when you suddenly feel a gust of air hitting your forehead, realizing he must have blown on the affected area in order to soothe the sting. Biting your lip awkwardly, you look around the room to avoid making eye contact with him being so close to your face. It’s at this moment that you finally realize where you are.

“They brought me to your room?” You can’t stop the question falling from your lips, looking back at the manager curiously.

“Yes. They knew you would probably need to get looked at,” he explains after applying some ointment and a bandage. “Plus, we didn’t think you would want to wake up alone after...”

Jimin doesn’t need to finish the sentence, you all know what he’s inferring to. You clear your throat and nod in appreciation, looking down and finally noticing the large dark shirt adorning your figure. You still had your work pants on but not the blouse you had on before. “Did you change my shirt?”

“That was Jungkook,” Jimin answers truthfully, leaning back on the coffee table. “Your shirt was ruined and well- we thought you’d be more comfortable this way.”

You don’t respond to that, instead gripping the fabric between your fingers tightly as you feel tears well up in your eyes. You blink quickly in an attempt to rid them away but they continue to fill up without your permission. Jimin must notice the quick wave of emotions passing through you as the silence fills the room, save for a few sniffles here and there.

“Do you want to talk about it?” When you don’t answer, he tries again, “Do you want to go to the hospital?”

“Jimin.” Seokjin's low murmur comes in a warning, but you’re already shaking your head at the mention of the word hospital. There were too many painful memories for you there and you knew you weren’t in the right headspace to go back. They would only ask you questions and questions until eventually, they deemed you weren’t safe to go back home. You couldn’t risk that now, not when you made it this far on your own.

You can tell he wants to press you for more information so you quickly wipe your tears before throwing him a watery smile. “I’m okay, Jimin. Thank you both for helping me. I think I just need to rest now.”

At that, you’re up and walking to the door. You hear footsteps follow you but don’t expect it when your arm is suddenly seized, causing you to turn and see Seokjin peering down at you. His eyes are searching yours for something but you don’t know what so you simply stare back at him.

“YN,” He begins in a quiet voice, but you know Jimin can hear from where he stands a few feet away. “I hope you now know that we would do anything for you. We already feel like you’re one of us.”

You don’t trust yourself to give a proper response, so you merely bow your head in a nod. It takes a little wriggling to pull your arm out of his hold but he allows it, gaze unwavering on your face. Glancing at Jimin over his shoulder, you give them a small smile before turning back to the door.

Your feet carry you up to the bathroom, desperate to rinse off the feeling of that man’s hands on your body. The hot water feels nice on your skin, not caring if you’re just numb to the burning feeling it leaves. You’re not even sure how long you’ve been standing there before you finally reach to turn the tap off. Reaching for a towel, you realize you forgot to bring a change of clothes but you can’t find it in you to care. So what if any of your roommates see you walking around in a towel? It can’t be much worse than the view they got of you tonight.

Catching your reflection in the mirror, you’re taken aback by what you see. Your forehead is already starting to bruise, a nasty cut to go along with it. Your eyes are swollen and blotchy-looking from crying. Your neck has a nasty red mark on it from where he bit you, the sight of it causing a shudder to run through you. You turn away and head back into the hallway, unable to look any more.

You thought returning to your room would be comforting but once the door shuts behind you, you can’t help but feel completely and utterly alone. The thought crosses your mind to go back to Jimin, but you don’t want to resort to that just yet.

Picking up your phone, you dial Nayeon’s number without thinking. After everything, you just needed to talk to another woman right now.

“YN?” Her hushed whisper reaches your ear as if she’s trying not to make too much noise.

“Hey Nay,” Your voice comes across wobbly, trying to keep your tears at bay. “Can you talk?”

“Um, I’m kinda in the middle of something.” At the sound of your sniffle, she pauses. “You okay?”

“Yeah, just.. Something happened tonight. I wanted to talk-”

“Was it the thing with Jiwan? Yeah, I heard.” She sighs, and you feel your breath catch as you remember the events that took place at work. God, what a day. “Listen, don’t sweat it, okay? I’m sure she wasn’t too upset about it.”

“O-oh, right...”

“Honestly, I’m kinda proud of you for going off on her. That bitch needed someone to put her in her place. I’m just sorry it had to be you.” The volume of her voice gets a little louder and you figure she must have moved to a more private space.

“Do you think I’m gonna get fired?” You can’t help the worry in your tone, fingers grasping the material of your t-shirt tightly. “I really can’t lose my job right now.”

“No, no. I don’t think so.” Nayeon responds casually. “If anything, she might just try to give it to you a bit harder out of spite. But don’t let it get to you.”

You hear her speak again but it’s clearly not directed to you as her voice sounds muffled and a little far away. It takes you a moment to work up the courage to announce why you really called but before you can get a word in, she breaks the silence.

“Hey, I’m sorry but I have to jump on another call really quick. Will you be okay?”

Just at that moment, you hear other voices from outside your bedroom. The boys must have just returned.

“Yeah, I think so.”

A/N: whew! things are heating up. after this chapter everything’s gonna get a little crazy so be prepared. we only have a few more chapters after this too i can’t believe it😅 let me know what yall think!!

taglist: @min-mingii @micheleinumaki @potaetopic @namjinieesope @mageprincess7 @minshookie29 @outro-kook @nikipedia07 @axniyx @kittykatfey @peaceout97 @kurodach @bex-tk1 @sa7kou @purpuravm @doublebunv @amylouisecullen @rossemayme @unsureofwhathappens @sleepy-time-dreamy @anushaackerman @shyloh-the-cornsnake @toughbook @urbanbts @carpioassists @millenniumspec @maliyachan @lovely247 @croctears @uarmyhore @shadoweepingscream @inlovewiththehpcast

#bts fanfic #bts fanfiction #yandere fanfic #yandere fanfiction #yandere kpop #yandere x reader #yandere bts #yandere namjoon #yandere seokjin #yandere yoongi #yandere hoseok #yandere jimin #yandere taehyung #yandere jungkook #bts x reader #yandere bts x reader #bts x yn #yandere bts x yn #strangers from hell au

330 notes · View notes

iamnot-crazy · 2 months

Text

Trials of the Cloaking Brooch

░ Chapter 2 ░

Chapter 1 Chapter 2

ROTMNT

Summary: On his way to the Run of the Mill pizza, Leo spots out the corner of his eye a glint behind a trash can. He lingers over to investigate only to see a lost clocking brooch. Timidly he picks it up and twirls it in his fingers only to realize that he no longer had 3 green fingers but 5 human skin-toned fingers his eyes glance up at the semi-reflective trashcan to see a human form staring back at him. As he was about to investigate more, a beep from his phone caught his attention. it was a snap from April to the group chat with her and his brothers. He opened it up to see her lying on a desk with the caption "I'm sooooo bored." He glanced back up at the human reflection and an evil glint appeared in his eyes. He stood up shoving his phone back in his pocket and began his walk to April's school.

A/N: This is a book I am almost finished within A03 I wanted to post it here as well here is that link if you prefer to read it there. https://archiveofourown.org/works/41621709

---

April finished her Interview with Alsie, so the two make their way out of the office to find Leo jumping up and down and cheering with one of the other club's officers. April smiled to see him making friends so quickly. Leo was the most social of the turtles the others were fine with being in the sewers away from the outside world she could always tell Leo felt otherwise despite the mask he puts up.

"Leo! let's go," April waved for Leo to follow her. Leo immediately nodded before shaking the hand of everyone and then grabbing the deck he received from Alsie. He then skipped his way over to April.

"LEO! Will you be at our next meeting?!" One of the officers yelled as they left. Leo turned around to see the other officers waiting for his answer and Alsie leaning back in the doorway to the connecting office smiling an approving smile as she awaited his answer. Upon seeing her Leo straightened up with a large smile.

"You can count on it!" He shouted in response before spinning back around and out the door with April.

"You look like you had fun today," April remarked looking at his large smile.

"I didn't realize this nerd game was some much fun!" He exclaimed holding up his new deck of cards.

April laughed at his excitement happy to see him so happy, "so you never told me where you got this brooch?" She questioned looking at the golden star-shaped brooch that hide under his blue jacket.

Leo looks down at it almost forgetting that it was there, "oh I found it by a dumpster." He shrugged before turning his attention back to his deck of cards.

"Weird those things are pretty expensive. I wonder if the person who lost it is looking for it?" April wonders out loud grabbing the brooch to investigate it.

Leo quickly yanked the brooch out of her hand defensively, "well finders keepers!"

April yanks her hand towards her chest and stops walking surprised at his sudden defensive behavior but Leo keeps walking down the street ignoring her confused stares. Out of the corner of his eye, Leo saw something to change the current subject. A smile appeared on his face as he looked inside the human pizza place and sees his human reflection standing in the crowded restaurant waiting in line. Everyone around his reflection was laughing and smiling with their friends and family enjoying pizza while he stood there with them.

"Let's grab a slice for Los hermanos!" He shouted, without even waiting for April he runs into the restaurant and joins the queue. He looks around giddily as no one even glanced in his direction or flinched at his appearance.

April was not far behind him joining him in line, Leo leans over to whisper to her, "can you believe it April no one is looking weirdly at me and I don't have to wear a funky disguise or anything!" His smile beamed, lighting up the room. April smiles letting him enjoy himself as he looks around at everyone.

When they finally reached the counter the tired teenager barely looked up at Leo before asking for his order, Leo cheerfully ordered six pizzas for his brothers, splinter and April. They finally left the restaurant with six pizza boxes as Leo skipped to the nearest entrance to the sewers.

He lifted the manhole for April to begin her climb down before following carefully closing the manhole cover. Once they reach the bottom April started to make her way towards the lair only for Leo to quickly grab her by the shoulder she looked up at Leo who let off a serious tone but his eye held a pled to them "Can you promise not to tell my brothers?" He asked.

April gave a soft smile and responded with a nod after today she can see how happy being a normal human has made him feel. Knowing his brothers they will probably be a little hurt by how much fun he had today being a normal human and not a mutant turtle or they will try and steal the brooch from him.

Leo smiled at her response before taking off the brooch and returning to his turtle form. He looked down at the golden star when shifting it in his hand his reflection changed from his human form to his turtle form, he smiled happily before placing it in his side pouch for safekeeping.

As the two approached the lair Leo immediately shouted, "PIZZA!" and the three brothers came running out of their spaces and into the center space immediately grabbing a pizza box of their own and digging in. Splinter slowly walked out of the living room to join the boys, and April as they all sat on the floor telling each other about their day, everyone but Leo. Donnie looked over at his usually talkative twin smiling as he half listens to Raph's team training ideas and half looked at the pizza thinking about something.

**Next day (Wednesday)**

All four of the brothers were in Donnie's Lab today working on projects, Mikey and Donnie were working together on a project over by Donnie's desk. Raph and Leo were using one of Donnie's whiteboards to plan out some combo moves that will work well with all of their mystic powers and Donnie's tech.

Donnie looked over at Raph and Leo to see they had one and a half boards filled with drawings and figures. But Donnie noticed something off about his twin as he began fidgeting in his seat, his foot tapping like crazy and he kept checking the time. Donnie raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth ready to ask his brother what was wrong when Leo jumped out of his seat and grabbed the expo marker out of Raph's hand. Leo scribbled on the board as he spoke a mile a minute about some kind of combo move. Ralph took a step back in confusion as Leo filled the remaining bit of the board.

Once Leo finished he place the marker down before clapping his hand together, "alrighty well now that that is done I'm going to go get some fresh air!" He announced before disappearing out of the Lab leaving the three brothers confused. Raph shot a look at Donnie almost to ask him I'd he knew what was going on, he shrugged before standing up to follow his twin.

"Wait, Donnie! What if we do this!" Mikey shouted before grabbing at some wires in their open project as soon as he did a small explosion sent him flying out of his seat both Raph and Donnie went running to his side forgetting about the oddity of their other brother's exit.

Leo first ran to his room to grab his magic deck before skipping to the ladder that lead out of the sewer and reaching for the broach in his pouch. He secured it to his chest and then looked down at his ten fingers and glanced down at the sewer water to confirm his human reflection. He smiled and gave himself a wink before climbing out of the sewer.

He made it to the school just in time for the bell to ring and students began filing out of the school as he shuffled past everyone and followed the path April lead him down yesterday to the room MTG was hosted.

He turned the corner of the open door where Alsie and the three other MTG officers were gathered. The redheaded girl looked and smile at Leo, "welcome in Leo!" She greeted, "we are just going over meeting notes from yesterday give me a minute and I'll be right with you." She then diverted her attention back to the officers and their meeting which Left Leo to wander.

Leo made his way over to the back shelf where they kept the extra decks. He looked at the different color decks and grab the white deck with the lion on it. Opening up the deck he looked through the cards and what they do.

Alsie then snuck up behind him and slide her way beside him, her body angled towards him as she stood inches away from him, "I see you're looking at the white deck." She leans onto the counter and tilted her head to be completely in Leo's line of sight. Leo looked at her soft smile and nodded. "Did you want to play a round with the white deck then and I'll play the blue deck", she suggested as she reached for Leo's blue deck that he placed in front of him.

Behind them, the three officers broke into a fit of laughter causing Leo to turn around to look at them. The three boys were whispering to each other and all smiling and laughing while looking in Leo's direction. As soon as they made eye contact with Alsie they immediately stopped laughing and began giggling to themselves.

Alsie rolled her eyes and grabbed Leo's blue deck and two play mats and made her way over to an empty table. She placed the two mats down across from each other and sat down and began shuffling her deck. Leo quickly followed and mimic her shuffling. "Do I need to go over the rules again?" Alsie asked.

"Of course not I got this nerd game in the bag!" Leo says confidently.

Alsie giggles as she finishes her shuffle, "well then let's see what you got!"

"What!? How!?" Leo shouts as he stood up.

Alsie laughed at his frustration, "I told you I wasn't going to let you win this time."

Leo gained his composure back as he straightened himself and fixed his jacket. He shoved his hand in his pockets and leaned back, "pure luck next time I'll beat you!"

Alsie smirked tilting her head, "I look forward to it."

The officers began laughing again gaining Leo's attention once more. He looks over to see the three hovering over a computer making a flyer of some sort. They were making kissy faces at Alsie from behind Leo as soon as they realized Leo was looking at them they stopped and giggled to themselves again.

Alsie was glaring at them a fume of anger surrounded her, as soon as Leo looked back at her the anger dissipated and was replaced with a soft smile. "What's with them?" Leo whispers cupping his hand over his mouth to direct his question to Alsie.

Alsie shot a glare over in the boys' direction, "They are just really annoying!" She snarled. A beeping noise came from Leo's phone gaining his attention. He looked down to see it was now 4:30 and Donnie was asking where he is. Leo rubbed the back of his neck, "Gah it looks like I gotta go."

"Alrighty then," Alsie says as she begins picking up the cards. "Will you be coming back tomorrow?"

Leo brighten up at the invite, "of course so that I can beat you!" He challenges.

Alsie smiles, "Awesome I'll see you then."

Leo grabs both the blue and white deck and walks out of the room. as he leaves he can see from the corner of his eyes the three guys laughing as Alsie takes an empty deck box and pitches it at one of their heads.

**(Thursday)**

Leo thought sneaking out of the sewers would be easier today as all his brothers were in the arcade trying to beat Leo's impossible high score on the Atari Football game. Quietly snuck out of the arcade as his brothers cheered on his youngest brother Mikey as played the game.Leo first went into his room to grab his magic decks before heading to the sewer exit. Once he turn the corner he saw none other than his twin standing guard on the ladder. Leo fumbled trying to hide his decks behind his back. "Leo" Donnie welcome looking up to see his brother approaching.

"Donnie! What's up? My favorite twin!" Leo greets him with a large fake smile receiving a glare from his brothers.

"Alright, Leo what is going on?" Donnie interrogated he crossed his arms and stepped away from the ladder.

"Whatever do you mean?" Leo defended but his body tensed up.

Donnie shook his head and pinch the bridge of his nose, "Leo, you are a terrible liar. Just tell me what's going on."

"Nothing is going on my dear brother." Leo lied as his smile grew to mask his lie.

"Then where are you going?" Donnie pushed.

"Uhh, April's..." Leo lied again his hand clutching the decks which Donnie noticed. One of Donnie's metal arms shot out of his shell and sped to grab the items behind Leo's back before Leo can react it yanked the decks out of his hands.

"Magic the Gathering cards? Where are you playing magic?" Donnie questions while he investigates the decks.

"With April." Leo then makes his way over to Donnie grabbing the decks out of his hands, "April did this interview with the magic club and got into the game and then got me into the game" Leo then walks past Donnie and to the ladder, "so I'm meeting up with April so we can play."

Donnie didn't seem to like the answer but it was clear it was the only answer he was going to get out of his twin. So he watched as his brother climbed the ladder and out of the sewers.

Leo let out a breath of air once he made it to the surface and closed the manhole. He reached into his pocket and grabbed his clocking broach and place it on his chest before making his way to the school.

Leo opened the classroom door to see Alsie sitting on top of a desk next to an unfamiliar guy."That's her Ex-boyfriend." Someone whispered next to Leo causing him to jump. He looked over to see one of the officers Leo known as charlie, he was the youngest out of the group being a freshman to everyone's senior he had brown hair and was as skinny as they come. He was sitting at the desk close to the doorway with his laptop open working on some kind of homework. Leo walks over taking a seat next to him the other two people in the room haven't taken notice of Leo's entrance.

"Where is everyone else?" Leo asked.

Charlie just shrugged, "it's Thursday not everyone hangs out today unless they need to work on something or if you're like me and stuck waiting for your cousin to give you a ride home."

"Alsie is your cousin?" Leo questioned but just received a nod from Charlie as he continues his work.

Leo looks up at the couple on the other end of the room with their back facing him. He wore a football shirt and his arms looked like they were about to tear apart with how big his muscles were. He had a notebook out that he was jotting down notes and Alsie was pointing to things in the book and explaining whatever she was pointing to. Leo tried his best to listen to what they were saying but to no avail.

"What are they talking about?" Leo ask Charlie who looked up for a second to analyze what his cousin was doing.

"Most likely football plays, Alex is the quarterback and there is a game tomorrow. Alsie is good at strategizing so he likes to get her opinion on plays." Charlie replied before returning to his homework.

"Football you say." Leo ponder with a grin before he stood up and started making his way over to the couple.

"Hey, Alsie!" Leo waved as he walked over to them.

Alsie jumped up at her name and turned to see Leo. As soon as she locked eyes with Leo she jumped off the desk and away from her Ex, "Leo you came!" She said happily.

"Of course, I told you I was going to beat you at magic today," Leo responded cheekily. "What are you two up to?"

"Alex is the quarterback and he came by to run some plays by me," Alsie explain and pointed to the notebook with X's and O's and arrows.

"I'm trying to come up with something new because the team we are playing against tomorrow has all our plays memorized," Alex explains as he hits the notebook in frustration.

"Football plays you say," Leo says as he rubs his chin and gives a cheeky grin, "lucky for you I'm just the man to help with that!" He then snatches the notebook out of Alex's hand and began writing. "Just this morning I got a score of 99 to 0 on Atari Football a perfect score, so your looking at the king of awesome football plays!" Leo gloats as he filled the notebook with 4 unique plays before handing it back to Alex.

Alex and Alsie looked over the plays making a few comments about what players would do best with the different plays before Alex snapped the book closed, "wow Leo this may work!" He pats Leo hard on the back, "thanks, my dude!"

Leo flicked his hair and stood proudly, "it's only right of me to share my amazing gifts!"Alex broke out laughing patting Leo's back with every laugh, "you're real funny my dude!" He then grabbed all his stuff, swinging his bag onto his shoulder leaving the second strap hanging, "I gotta go show this to coach but I'll see you at the game right, Leo!"

Leo smiled, "yeah sure!" He then turned to Alsie who grinned at him before jumping into the desk.

"I didn't know you knew football, I thought all you homeschool kids ever did was study and watch TV." She laughs.

"Well my brothers and I have an Atari system and the football game just so happens to be my favorite," Leo explains all of a sudden getting flustered.

"That's so cool, how many brothers do you have?" She asked leaning closer to be more engaged with their conversation.

"Well I have an older brother Raph, my twin Donnie, and my little brother Mikey," Leo stated and counted on his fingers. He quickly had to fix himself as he went to the other hand to count the third brother instead of pointing up three fingers on one hand. He is still not quite used to having five fingers instead of three.

"Oh wow, that's a lot! I bet your parents have a handful," she exclaims.

"How about you do you have any siblings?" Leo asked.

"Nope, it's just me and my pops. What are your brothers like?" She questions diverting the conversation back to Leo.

"Well Raph is big and strong always coming up with the plans, Donnie is super techy, and Mikey is very artistic. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only brother that doesn't have anything going for them." Leo confesses.

"Honestly thought you would be the one making all the plans?"

"Well I do on occasion but since Raph is the oldest everyone listens to him."

"Interesting well if it's anything I think you're super cool and smart, not a lot of people can think up such unique strategies and that makes you super cool." Alsie smiles flirty at him immediately sending making Leo's head explodes as blood flushes to his face.

Leo stamped rubbing the back of his neck thinking of what to say next when he looks slightly out the window to see none other than Donnie flying past the window. Leo froze as he watched all three of his brothers chasing after something in front of the school.

Alsie noticed Leo's gaze and followed it upon seeing the mutant turtles she jumped up in delight and ran to the window. "Oh, mi gosh! It's the mutant turtles!" She shouted excitedly gaining Charlie's attention who ran to the window to join her.

"I uh got to go!" Leo tries to excuse himself.

"Wait! Before you leave I have a question" Alsie demanded, "would you like to..." She rubbed her arm for support, "would you like to go to the football game with me tomorrow?"Leo shot her a wide smile, "yeah, that would be cool." Leo then made his b-line after his brothers.

#writing #rottmnt #rise leo #rise of the tmnt #rise mikey #rise donnie #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rottmnt oc #rise oc #teenage mutant ninja turtles #rise

13 notes · View notes