#or we both sit around and ignore that he never goes out. either way it’s silence from him | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

111gloomtime · 4 months

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math class

⭐️: fluff, matt x reader

cw: kissing

a/n: this story is actually based on true events that have happened in my life that i’m still giggling and kicking my feet over 🤭 anyways enjoy

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— hey, wanna come over today?

sure! be there in 10 —

these are the text messages that have lead to me to where i am now. aka, sitting in my car in matt’s driveway, regretting every decision i have ever made.

matt sits in front of me in math class, and ever since about 4 months ago i’ve had a major crush on him. it started off as a small crush, so basically just me discreetly staring at him in class and getting butterflies whenever we made eye contact. but one conversation led to another, phone numbers got exchanged, and now i’m at his house.

most people would be ecstatic to be in my position; sitting in their crush’s driveway, waiting to go in and hang out with them. its not that i don’t like matt, its actually quite the opposite. i like him so much im scared i’ll fuck it up in there. or what if he invited me over to tell me he doesn’t feel the same? i’ve never been over to a boys house, if you can’t tell.

after practically shitting myself i decide i should just go in. i shove my phone in my pocket and get out of my car. i walk up to his door, making sure i don’t step in any puddles. rainy boston weather is hell.

once i reach the door i knock on it 3 times. i hear some faint voices behind the door, then it swings open. but its not matt who answers the door. he told me he had 2 brothers, chris and nick. i had only seen them in pictures, but i think this one is chris. the boy stares at me for a moment.

“MAATTT!! your girlfriends here!” he yells out behind him with a giggle. had matt told them i’m his girlfriend? my cheeks go red and i try to shake the thought. matt suddenly emerges from a separate room and smiles when he sees me.

“ignore chris, hes a dumbass.”

“kid i’m standing right here”

“i know” matt says as we both give each other a look and giggle. he nods his head to indicate i can come inside, so i promptly step in as chris closes the door behind me. suddenly i see a woman come in through the hallway from the kitchen.

“oh you must be y/n! i’m marylou, matt’s mother.” she says as she gives me a hug. i smile and hug her back.

“it’s so nice to finally meet you! matt never shuts up about you, you know.” she says with a sly smile. i don’t know what to say back so i just laugh.

“mom..” matt says as he puts his face in his hands.

“it’s nice to meet you too!” i say cheerfully.

“okay i’ll leave you two alone, but remember matt; keep the door open. i’m not ready for any grandkids yet.” marylou says. my face goes red and so does matt’s.

“oh my god mom we’re not doing that.” matt says, embarrassed.

“alright well just in case.” she says as she turns around and walks away.

“do you wanna go upstairs?” matt says. i nod and he shows me the way to the stairs. as we’re walking through the hallway, i see a room illuminated with pink led lights. i peer inside and see another boy. matt catches up with me and also looks inside.

“that’s nick, my other brother.” matt says to me.

“hey girl!” nick says to me.

“hiii nice to meet you! i’m y/n” i say back.

“oh trust me, i know who you are.” nick says as he gives matt a look.

“i hate this family.” matt says sarcastically, which makes me laugh.

it seems like matt talks about me a lot to his family, which is shocking because he seems like he keeps his love life very private. that could be a good thing or a bad thing. either way, i love the fact he’s close with his family. once we make it to his room i sit down on the side of the bed and he sits down on the other.

“wanna watch a movie?” he says as he picks up the tv remote.

“sure!” i say. matt moves himself so he’s sitting against the headboard of his bed, and i do the same. my heart is beating at a concerning rate. i can practically feel matt’s body heat, i’ve never been this close to him before. he starts scrolling through movies on netflix, but i can’t pay attention to the tv right now.

“is this one good?” he asks. not gonna lie i have no idea what movie he just picked out, but i’m gonna go with it because i won’t be paying attention anyways.

“yeah” i say. i look down and see something poking out from under his pillow. i pull it out and see that it’s a small pug stuffed animal.

“oh my god. is this yours?!” i say with a smile on my face. matt sleeps with stuffed animals?!!! i might pass out from how attracted to him i am right now.

“you weren’t supposed to find that..” he says as he smiles and buries his face into his hands. “his name is mr wrinkleton.”

“that is the cutest thing ever.” i say. he tries to grab the toy back.

“hey!” i say, reaching over him to grab it back. we both start laughing and he holds it over his head, causing me to try and reach up for it. finally, i grab it from him.

“YES! i win!” i say in a teasing voice. we’re both laughing so hard that i don’t even realize the position im in. i’m straddling him. once we both stop laughing and realize what’s happening, we both just stare at each other. my heart starts beating even faster when i realize what’s about to happen. we’re gonna kiss.

i put my hands on his chest, looking down at his lips then up at his eyes again. i can feel his heart racing too, he’s just as nervous as i am.

i put my face down to his and place a soft kiss on his lips. matt puts his hands on the back of my heads and pulls me in for another kiss, this one is deeper. he snakes his hands down to my waist and keeps kissing me. surprisingly, i’m not as nervous as i thought i’d be right now. usually when i kiss a guy i’m scared out of my mind, but this feels… natural. everything about matt feels familiar and comforting to me.

once the kiss breaks i lift my head back up and look down at him. he’s smiling, his lips plump and pink and his hair slightly messy.

“i have something to tell you. i really like you.” i say.

“yeah i caught onto that.” he says with a chuckle, and he pulls me in for another light kiss. after this once i get off his lap and snuggle up beside him, looking at the tv.

“i think we should hang out more often.” i say jokingly.

“me too.” he says. he puts his arm around me and lays his head on mine and i snuggle closer.

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this is low key bad but i got lazy

#matt sturniolo #matt x reader #chris sturniolo #fluff #nick sturniolo #sturniolo triplets #fanfic #matt sturniolo smut #chris sturniolo smut #christopher sturniolo

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sachirobabe · 1 month

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Chapter 4

Kuroo Tetsurou x reader

Wc: 2758

Summary: You, a dedicated member of the girls' volleyball team, find an unexpected connection with Kuroo Tetsurou. Igniting a bond over shared passions and stolen moments, love blossoms on the court; all because you met him at a captains meeting.

<— Previous | Masterlist | Next —>

Taglist: @merlucide, @lemurzsquad, @02shuuu

"So?" Yaku sits down at the lunch table, slamming his lunch, making Kuroo jump a little in his seat.

"So what?" Kuroo pretends to not know what the blonde is asking for.

Yaku clicks his tongue, "Can you believe him?" He gets Kai's attention, "He doesn't shut up about this girl for almost 3 years and when he finally hangs out with her, suddenly he has nothing to say?!"

Kai chuckles, "I hate to say it Kuroo, but he's right."

"Shhh!" Kuroo looks around, making sure nobody is listening, "Will you shut your big mouth? Somebody will hear."

"Like everybody doesn't know." Kenma rolls his eyes.

"They don't! Only you guys do." Kuroo frowns.

"Not true." Yaku shakes his head.

"The other guys on the team know as well." Kenma says before focusing back to his phone. Kuroo continues to roll his eyes.

"Well, are you not gonna tell us?" Yaku says, still speaking very loudly.

Kuroo can't fight the smile creeping up on his face, just thinking of you makes his entire being swoon.

"He's blushing." Yaku nudges Kai, "God, you're so down bad." Kuroo ignores him and continues to eat his lunch.

"C'mon Kuroo, we've endured 3 years of you talking about her, just tell us what happened." Yaku is still determined to get this man to talk.

"After the captains meeting, we got some food and talked for a little." Kuroo stays quiet, remembering how pretty you looked the entire time you were with him. "She got onigiri and I payed, I wish I could've seen her surprised face again, it was adorable." He continued to ramble on.

Yaku was deeply invested on his captains love life, he listened to Kuroo go on and on about you.

"The way she had her hair suited her so well, and she even playfully nudged me, I swear my skin is shining from the spot where she touched me—" He goes to show his teammates the spot where you touched him, but he was interrupted.

"Okay okay, lover boy, I asked for how it went, not for you to declare your love to her for the millionth time." Yaku rolls his eyes, already hearing him talk about how pretty and nice you are.

"You asked, I'm simply just telling you how it went." Kuroo crosses his arms over his chest.

"No, I didn't ask for you to gush all over her." The blonde glares.

"Alright, doesn't matter." Kai intervenes, "What happened after eating?"

"I was going to walk her home, but we heard thunder so she quickly left before I could offer." Kuroo's smile falters a little.

"That's why you don't have a girlfriend." Yaku shakes his head.

"He doesn't have one cause all he does is talk about

Y/n, but never makes a move." Kenma quietly says. "You guys are being loud." He pockets his phone and begins to walk away from them.

"Who waits 3 years to finally talk to their crush? I thought you were more bold." Yaku goes on.

"You've never had one either." Kuroo rolls his eyes, "Plus I get nervous around her. Look at her."

Yaku and Kai groan, not wanting to hear him go on again. It's no hate to you, they think you're kind, but their friend is a wimp who is making them suffer by not doing anything to advance your guys' non existent relationship.

You're sitting on top of a desk near your coach, Himari right next to you as she chews on some pocky.

"Don't you guys have better things to do?" Coach Mori raises an eyebrow at the two of you.

"No." You both say in unison and she rolls her eyes, you two spend way too much time together. You're basically psychic.

"Tell us some drama." Himari has a glint in her eye.

"There is none. And if there was, I wouldn't be allowed to tell." Mori glares and continues to type on her computer.

"Aw, come one. Just a little? What about that guy you were talking to?" You swung your feet.

Mori turns in her seat, "What about the boys' captain?"

Himari looks confused, "Kuroo Tetsurou? He's cute."

"He's flirting with her." Mori points her finger to you.

"No way." Himari is baffled.

"What? You're delusional." You laugh. "He is cute, though." You whisper to Himari and she lightly pushes you.

"You should've seen them at the captains meeting."

"Bro, change the rules so vice captains can go, I need to see this." Himari laughs.

"We were being friendly!" You raise your hands as if it's obvious. "You never used to bug me about the previous captains."

"Because the previous captains didn't look at you the way he does." Mori rolls her eyes. "Now shoo, the bell is about to ring."

"Nothing is going on." You clarify and your coach plugs her ears, not wanting to hear any of it. "Can you believe her?" You say to Himari as the two of you walk out of class.

"I'd have to see for myself." Himari shrugs and you gasp.

"You believe her?" You feel betrayed.

"Mori is never wrong when it comes to guys." Himari says confidently.

"Oh yeah? Well she was wrong about the last guy she went on a date with, he stood her up." You furrow your brows.

"I meant for other people." She laughs, "Remember when Izumi got cheated on last year? Mori called it."

How could you forget, she warned her just by meeting the boy once. "Coincidence. I mean, look at him." You open the door for class and walk in.

"Or when she knew my cousin was gonna marry her boyfriend. After they dated for a week." She emphasized.

You roll your eyes, "Uh huh."

"She's never wrong. Now I know Kuroo Tetsurou has a crush on you." She winks and pokes your cheek. You continue to deny, you had just gotten to get to know him.

Classes trudged on, it was the second week and you're already sick of it. You were looking forward to practice today, the practice match with the boys had you almost on the edge of your seat.

The lineup you drew during the captains meeting was the one being used for this practice match. It wasn't completely set in place, your coach would make tweaks where ever needed.

You and a few other members began to change, you could barely hold your excitement, you were basically buzzing. Without a word, you quickly left the club room and made your way to the gym.

"She's happy." Misaki, your libero laughs.

"The girl's been begging for 3 years for this." Himari sighs, closing her locker and leaves.

A few boys were already in the gym setting up, you figured they had it down.

"Um, excuse me?" You hear a voice and turn, seeing Kenma stand before you. "Do you want us to put the net at the girls height?"

"No, the men's is fine. We practice with it anyway." You say and continue to look at the rotations on the clipboard. Kenma's a little surprised, but goes to the others to tell them to raise it a bit more.

"You seem ready." Coach Mori chuckles, taking her clipboard from you, "You got them down, don't worry."

"I was just memorizing the others', in case we get confused." You say.

"Go stretch." She rolls her eyes, you begin forming a small circle of your teammates as they slowly join.

"Wait so in the 2nd rotation I serve, but once we lose the point Rikako comes in for me?" Emi, your right side asks. Rikako was a first year, and a damn good one, her passes were amazing.

"Yeah, we need your serves." Himari says, watching you from the corner of your eye trying to decide who's got serve and who's receiving.

You jog back to your coach, who orders the team to huddle up. "We got serve." You say.

"You finally won a coin toss!" Aiko slaps your back, she was another passer.

"I don't always lose?" You frown, your coach gets all of your attention again and begins to go over rotations quickly.

"Go out there and play." Your coach breaks you all out and the starters head onto the court. You started off in the right front, Himari behind you with the ball, next to her was Keiko; a middle blocker, she was waiting for Misaki to sub in for her, Naomi was next to her in left back, Emi in left front, then Mei standing in front of the net, checking out the boys' heights. She was 6'1.

Kuroo started in the left front, then Kai, and Yamamoto in right front. Yaku was in right back for Inuoka, Kenma was in middle back, and Fukunaga was in left back.

Your coach hides her hand behind her back, telling Himari where to serve.

"You nervous?" Kuroo asks you from the other side of the net.

You scoff, "Not in the slightest." He smirks and pulls back to hide Kenma so he doesn't have to pass. You get ready to switch with Emi, as soon as the whistle blows you're in the left position with your arms ready by your head.

You watch the ball go over the net and aim for Kuroo, he passes the ball with ease, giving Kenma an easy ball to work with. You watch Kenma carefully, dissecting his every move.

His back was arched slightly in mid air, giving you the hint that he was going to give it to Yamamoto, "Right!" You yell and were correct when the ball left his hands.

You and Mei get ready to block him, she takes away his cross shot easily because of her insane height, meanwhile you were really only good for getting touches.

"Straight!" Naomi yells and prepares to receive the ball.

Yamamoto yells something you didn't quite catch, but he hits right through Mei's block, she wasn't expecting such a hard hit. The ball begins the fall short in front of Misaki, but she saves it with one hand.

"Himari, left!" You yell, knowing the original play was out of the question when the receive was wonky. Himari knows she can count on you, she sends the ball your way and you wait for the ball to reach its peak, then beginning your approach.

You may have been on the shorter side of your team, but you worked a ton on your vertical. You soar into the air, seeing Kai and Kuroo's strong arms, you decided to give it your all and try to break through the block.

Which you did, it landed in front of Kenma after it ricocheted off of Kai's hands. You land back down and begin cheering with your team.

"Nice save, my bad." Mei apologies.

"Don't worry, you'll get it." Misaki encourages.

"Great set as always, Himari." You smile, giving her a high five and she blows you a kiss as a joke.

"Nice job, ladies, get another Himari." Your coach nods to her. You roll the ball towards her and you face forward again.

You watch Kenma bring his team together and say a few things.

"I know you were scared to try and hit through my block." Kuroo sassily said, walking back.

"Oh please." You laugh. "I could any day."

"We'll see." He gives you a wink then goes back to pass.

The whistle blew and the ball was sent over, you perceptively watched Kenma, you knew he liked to play tricks with his eyes and fake body movement.

This time Yaku gave a perfect pass to Kenma and he sets it to Kuroo, he gives a powerful hit in between the gap of the block.

It slams right in between Misaki snd Naomi, both fail to get a hand on the ball.

"Sorry, I'll do a better job of closing the gap." Mei cringes at herself for such a stupid mistake.

"It's all good, focus on the next one." You pat her back.

"We'll do better too!" Naomi nods to Misaki.

"We're good guys, cmon let's go, next point." Himari says. The rallies were back and forth, to be honest you weren't really looking at the score too often, you were having so much fun despite how competitive you could get.

Point after point, you all learned something and were able to adapt for the next point. Both sides had great back and forth rallies, but ultimately, you lost the first set.

"Don't be too down, we've never played a boys team before. This is new." Your coach said.

"We're not too far off in height, it's mostly just Kuroo and Kai we have to worry about." Himari states, out of breath, but a huge smile on her face. You can tell she's having fun too.

"We got this next one, guys, let's go." You break the team out and begin the second set. This time your team is the one to back it up by one rotation. You're in middle front, Emi wasn't the best at receiving serves, so you pulled back to hide her further in the back.

You wipe your shoes to make sure they weren't slippery before getting into position. Yamamoto is now up to serve, you are now starting to question why Kenma wasn't their first server.

He serves to you, it was very powerful, but you were able to read it and direct it towards Himari, your arms stung a little after receiving it.

It was a perfect pass, so Himari went for the quick attack with Mei, which successfully made it over the net, despite Kuroo being amazing at blocking. It was received easily and thrown back at your team by Fukunaga.

The game ended with you guys taking the second set, but they took the third. You all shake hands, out of breath. Even though your team lost, you were happy to finally be able to play with the boys. It was definitely great practice for both sides.

"What happened?" Kuroo says, finding you after the practice match, you were drinking from your water bottle talking to your coach, a few members were taking down the net.

"I believe you lost a set." You shrugged and laughed. Your coach eyed the boy, watching his mannerisms with you.

"I believe you lost the game." He chuckled and you deadpan.

"Next week. Just you wait." You say, "Oh, I was meaning to talk to you about your lineup." He turns his head like a confused puppy. "Why don't you have Kenma serve first?"

"Yamamoto has a good serve." He says.

"You should try having Kenma serve, that way he gets more back row time and you'd have 3 hitters in the front for longer." You explain.

He thinks for a moment, "That could work. I'll tell coach." He smiles, "Thanks. You play good, by the way. I haven't been able to watch many matches, but I've heard some things."

"Bad things?" You raise an eyebrow.

"No," He laughs, "of course not. I've heard your hits are powerful and you read the ball well."

"Thank you, Kuroo." You say. "You know, we'd always go and support your games, but I see that's not reciprocated." You jokingly roll your eyes.

"Hey, cut us some slack," He chuckles, "We'll be present more often." He promises. Coach Nekomata calls Kuroo over and he gives you a small smile before leaving.

You're left with your coach and Himari, who you didn't realize came over to gossip with her sister. You deadpan looking at them.

"She's telling me what her great mind is predicting." Himari smiles widely.

"Oh shut up." You roll your eyes. "I don't believe your so called gift."

"I'm never wrong, hun." Coach Mori shrugs and begins to pack up. "You're always welcome to ask for my opinion."

"Yeah sure." You narrow your eyes at her, "You ready?" Himari nods and takes one last sip of her water bottle before putting it with the rest.

"You FINALLY talked to her in person, wow." Yaku smiles at his tall friend.

"Will you be quiet?" Kuroo looks around.

"Everybody knows, dude." Yamamoto says, "I'm surprised she doesn't with how much you look at her." He laughs. "Can't blame you, though."

Kuroo turns his head so quickly at his teammate, "Nuh uh, you're not allowed to be jealous when you haven't done shit." Yaku laughs and walks away.

Kuroo rubs his forehead, his team was going to make his age so quickly with how much they stress him out.

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worldofheroes · 1 year

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Playing Games

bbc!sherlock x fem!reader summary: you and sherlock are stuck in the flat, bored out of your minds. what comes next is surprising to both of you (mostly you). warnings: 18+, smut, p in v sex, language wc: 1.2k a/n: based on a request by @fierytteokbokki! I took a creative liberty or two - not necessarily angry sex, but I hope you still like it :)

It’s been a long four hours.

You’re sitting on the couch of 221B Baker Street, trying to get some work done, but Sherlock is in front of you, pacing and muttering to himself.

“Can you stop that?” you ask him, getting slightly irritated. “I’m trying to work here.”

“I don’t know why John insists you stay here, to watch me like I’m some sort of child!” Sherlock exclaims, turning around to face you.

He’s not wrong. Your cousin, John, took you under his wing until you settled back in after living away, but now he uses you to leave Sherlock and get some alone time. You don’t blame him.

“I don’t know either, but to make this more tolerable for both of us, please, sit down or just do anything else but pace like a wild animal.”

“I just need a case! Something, anything will do!"

“I can’t control that, so don’t take it out on me. I don’t want to be here either.”

“No?”

“You really think a 30-something wants to stay in on a Friday night?”

“I don’t know!”

“Just… quit pacing, and maybe John will be back home so we both can do what we want.”

You focus your eyes back on your screen, but you sense Sherlock is staring at you.

“What do you want?” you slam your laptop closed.

“What?”

“You’re staring?”

“No, I’m not."

“Sherlock, please stop acting like a child! What do you want with me?”

“I am not acting like a child!”

You roll your eyes and sigh, going back to your work, hoping you can ignore Sherlock that way, hoping John comes back soon.

Sherlock pushes your laptop closed.

“Dammit Sherlock!” You look up at him, and he seems pleased with himself. “Are you fucking serious right now?”

“I’m not being that annoying, am I?”

“Oh god,” you say, rubbing your face. “I am not in the mood to do this, Sherlock. Just, leave me alone, okay?”

“Leave you alone? You’re free to leave at any time, y/n.”

“I’m pretty sure John would kill me. He says you need to be supervised, especially when you don’t have a case.”

Sherlock frowns.

“Seriously, what do you want?”

“Bored.”

“Not my problem, Sherlock.”

“You’re the only one here, won’t you please entertain me?”

“You’re an adult, entertain yourself.” You set your laptop aside, standing up in front of Sherlock.

“What do you do all day on your laptop? I’ve never seen you without it.”

“I work remotely.”

“That’s all?”

“You don’t need to know."

“Hmm,” he hums, stepping closer to you.

“I really don’t like you,” you say, moving to walk past Sherlock. As you do, Sherlock grabs your arm. “What?”

“I’m sick of this too.”

“Great, now let me go,” you say, trying to wiggle out of Sherlock’s grip.

“This is fascinating,” Sherlock whispers.

“What now?”

“You’re trying to hide your true feelings.”

“What are you talking about?”

Sherlock smirks, which makes you roll your eyes.

“Admit it.”

“I’ve had enough of you, Sherlock,” you tell him, staring him down.

“We don’t have to play games, y/n. We’re adults.”

“Seriously, just let me go and I’ll leave. I know that’s what you want.”

“That’s not what I want,” Sherlock mutters.

Sherlock is inches from your face, eyes locked with each other. He leans in and kisses you.

You’re taken aback, but the hesitation goes away as he places a hand on either side of your face. You've pushed down these feelings for Sherlock, as he works with your cousin - it didn't seem right.

Sherlock’s kisses get messier, hungrier, and you find yourself touching him in any way you can.

You eventually find the buttons on his shirt, and start to fiddle with them.

“Tell me what you want,” Sherlock mutters into your ear.

“I just want you,” you tell him, colliding your lips with his again.

He pushes his body against yours, and you can feel his hardness under his clothes.

You undo his buttoned up shirt and slide it off. Your hands move up and down his chest, learning his body.

He tugs at your shirt, and you happily comply. It gets tossed somewhere on the floor, but you’re not paying attention.

Sherlock’s hands move down your sides and to your jeans. “May I?” he whispers, his hands on the zipper.

You nod, unable to speak.

Once your jeans and panties are off, he gently pushes you onto the couch, stradling you. He again presses his crotch against you, making both of you moan.

“Just fuck me already, Sherlock,” you whisper, running your hands through his dark curls.

“With pleasure,” he growls, taking his own pants off, tossing them aside. When he removes his boxers, you’re surprised by the size of his cock.

“Sherlock,” you squeak.

“I’ll take care of you,” he says as his tip comes into contact with your center.

You buck at the sensation.

“Good,” he whispers, gathering spit on his hand to lube the both of you up.

His tip gently enters you, and you can’t help the moan that escapes from your lips.

“Oh, I’m not even in yet,” Sherlock says, leaning down to kiss your neck and pushing deeper into you.

“Fuck, Sherlock,” you moan, unable to say anything else.

Sherlock gently rocks his hips, helping open you up.

“You feel so good,” he growls.

You moan in reply, your brain short-circuiting.

His pace quickens, and soon the flat is filled with moans and the ungodly noise of bodies coming into contact repeatedly.

Neither one of you hears the door open.

“Jesus Christ!” you hear John shout.

“John!” you exclaim, trying to cover up but there’s nothing in your reach to help you. In your startle, Sherlock’s dick pulls out from you.

“With Sherlock?” John shouts, covering his face.

“John, I can explain,” you say.

“No, you don’t need to explain,” John says, turning around and walking towards the door. “I will never be able to get this out of my head,” he exclaims as he exits the flat, closing the door behind him.

Sherlock grins at you.

“What?” you ask him, slightly annoyed by his grin.

“I love how we were caught by your cousin,” he tells you as he leans in for a kiss.

You turn your face away from him. “Yeah, well, I’m not in the mood any more.”

“Oh, you’re not?” Sherlock cocks an eyebrow.

“Are you serious?”

“I’m going to finish fucking you, and that’s not a request,” Sherlock says, pushing back into you.

“Fuck,” you gasp.

“That’s what I thought,” Sherlock sends you a sly smile.

“Do your worst,” you say with a mischievous smile.

“With pleasure,” he retorts, starting up his thrusting again.

Only moans come out of you as you have some of the best sex you’ve ever had, and soon you feel your orgasm coming.

“Sherlock,” you mumble between breaths. “I’m close.”

“Keep it in for me, baby,” he tells you.

“I don’t know if I can,” you gasp.

“One more second.”

“Sherlock, I can’t!”

“Go ahead, baby girl,” he mutters against your neck.

You release and almost scream at how good it feels. A few more thrusts more and Sherlock comes in you, gasping.

He collapses on top of you.

“Fuck, Sherlock,” you say, running your hands through his hair.

“You seemed to enjoy that,” he smiles against your chest.

“Fuck,” you say again.

“Do you want to admit those feelings now?” Sherlock teases.

“I’ll think about it,” you smile.

Sherlock smiles and kisses you as you wrap your arms around him and hold him close.

#benedict cumberbatch x reader #sherlock holmes x reader #bbc!sherlock x reader #sherlock smut #sherlock holmes imagine #bbc sherlock x reader #sherlock x reader #sherlock imagine

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mrvlbimbo · 2 years

Note

Could we get some angst like where either bimbo!reader and Eddie get into an argument and/or go on a break but they can’t stand being away from each other and do the whole confession and kiss in the rain cliche?

I FUXKING love this

I totally imagine them being like that meme where the couple is arguing but one is still sitting on the other’s lap.

It’s their anniversary but he has hellfire that night so he says she can come with him and they can go on a date after.

So she goes and she assumes her seat on his lap and she’s just happy to be there with him. She’s a little worried about it but she’s not mad.

But then time goes on and he’s kinda rude and he ignores her the whole time. So she starts to get grumpy, huffing and crossing her arms so he’ll console her.

He doesn’t seem to notice, making her even more upset. She’s glaring into the side of his head, desperately hoping he notices (she likes attention)

Finally he realized as he puts his arm around her shoulder, whispering something incoherent against her forehead. He seems annoyed.

She grumbles, pulling away from him and shaking her head. “Babe. Stop, you’re being stupid,” he hisses, instantly turning his attention back to the group.

Her heart drops at that word “stupid” so many other people had called her that but never him. She’s holding back tears for the rest of the session as he seemingly ignores her.

He feels terrible, heart breaking at the sad look on her face. Despite that, he couldn’t bring himself to look pussy-whipped infront of the club. So what? He’d apologize later and she’d forgive him easily. He’d seen her brush off far worse insults from far less important people.

But he didn’t account for the fact he was the most important person to her. And his words would do more than sting a little.

She was ready to go straight home and cry all night but she still had to go on a date later. She didn’t say another word to him, even as they loaded into his van. She stayed pressed against the cold window, keeping as far away from him as possible. “Take me home, please,” she whimpered, her voice tired and broken.

“Calm down. We’re going to dinner, remember?” He sighed, reaching over to pat her thigh.

She smacked his hand, turning her head just to glare at him for a second. “No. I wanna go home.”

“I’m not mad about tonight. Let’s just enjoy our date.” She almost laughed at that. Mad? What right did he have to be mad?

“Let me out of the car.” He rolls his eyes, effectively ignoring her demands. “NOW. EDDIE.”

He reluctantly pulled over, letting her out of the car so she could pace around angrily. Her heels clicked on the abandoned road and she stumbled slightly, falling into his arms.

He stepped away and let her go as soon as he was sure she wasn’t going to fall over.

Then the rain started to pour, drenching them both and running her hair and makeup. And she had just been thinking things couldn’t get any worse.

One bad thing after another all day she finally broke, angry tears streaming down her face and clouding her vision.

“Fuck. Baby, c’mere.” He pulled her back into his arms, crushing her against his chest in a way he knew she loved. Usually.

“Stop. Stop it,” she whined, pushing against his chest.

“I know. I know. Fuck I messed up so bad. I love you, I love you so much.” Giving her little kisses on the forehead as she glared up at him, her lips twitching up just the slightest.

“No you don’t.” She pouted, shaking her head sadly. That hit him. How could she ever feel even for a second like he didn’t love her? He loved her with everything he had, he felt terrible for not showing her that.

“Baby. Of course I love you. I love you more than anything.”

“Y-you wouldn’t even look at me.”

“Babe. Listen to me.” He cradled her wet cheeks in his hands, their faces so close together that their noses and lips were brushing. “I will never ever ever ever ignore you like that again. It was killing me to sit there without giving you some lovin. But I just didn’t want to- I don’t like the way people talk about our relationship. I didn’t want to put you infront of the club like that and have them say something rude.”

“I’m sorry...” now it was her turn to apologize, forgetting to be mad when she heard his fast rapid breaths. He was trying his best to hold it together and that hurt her more than anything he could have said.

“Hey-hey. None of that. This is all my fault. Lookit this, I made my girl cry and everything. What a shitty boyfriend I am.”

“Don’t say that,” she grumbled, finally relaxing into his arms.

“Look. I know I don’t deserve you. You’re so good, so perfect, so pretty, so kind, so lovely and just for me. I love you so much. I don’t deserve any of it. But I can’t live without you. You’re it for me, baby. You’re the love of my life.”

“Kiss me,” she murmured, tears washed away by the rain and a weak smile on her face.

“Yes ma’am”

And so they did the cliche couple thing of kissing in the rain, desperately grabbing at eachother and trying to chase away the idea of ever being apart.

Eddie x bimbo!reader masterlist

#eddie x bimbo!reader🎀#eddie munson x reader #stranger things #stranger things season 4 #eddie munson stranger things #eddie stranger things #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson #eddie munson fanfiction #eddie munson fluff #eddie munson angst

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judeswhore · 7 months

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you and ur brother and all ur mates staying at this cabin for a week. Since your brothers bestfriend is jude he’s obviously going to be there. u guys had sex with eachother the night before jude had to go back to Madrid and he left u alone cold in ur bed the night after. You thought it was more than just a fuck because it felt so intense, passionate and loving but clearly not. so when u all arrived at the cabin u kept ignoring jude. If u saw him walk up to you, u would walk the opposite way. There being a storm and the power would go out meaning u guys would have no source of heating other than the fireplace in the living room where ur bsf was sleeping. U not being able to sleep cuz of the cold and jude can’t either except he couldn’t sleep cuz his mind was on u wondering if he’s done something wrong and why u’ve blocked him.

Him sneaking to your room to find you snuggled up under the covers. He knew u weren’t asleep because he knows you. Caving in and letting him inside. He’s instantly warming you up and asking if you can both talk it out. Just talking abt the whole situation and him telling u he left a note for you instead of a text because he wanted to act romantic. Just acting very lovey dovey for the whole night and falling asleep in each others arms and just waffling abt anything the whole night

u know it’s him the second the door opens bc it’s like ur body is tethered to his but u think if u just pretend to be asleep he’ll go away but jude’s nothing if not persistent. he’s all “i know ur not asleep. u snore like an old man when u are” and he says it bc he knows it’ll get a reaction out of u. so ur sitting up to glare at him all “i do not snore” but he just grins at u and that smile is enough to break ur heart. he doesn’t ask, just comes into the room and shuts the door behind him, plops himself down in ur bed while ignoring ur glare and asks why ur avoiding him. and ur telling him ur not avoiding him u just have nothing to say and he’s hurt by that bc he thought there was something between u after that night and he’s so confused why u went so cold on him straight after. he’s feeling awkward, fiddling w his joggers and asks “do u regret it? did i- did i hurt u?” and now ur looking at him like he’s an idiot telling him “ofc u hurt me!” and he’s panicking thinking he’d done something during the sex but ur quick to carry on all “u fucked me and then u moved to a different country without even saying goodbye! u didn’t text or call or even get my brother to say goodbye. u used me and i felt like an idiot” and jude’s sitting there all??? bc he’d left u a note on ur bedside table telling u to see him before his flight left the next morning bc u were sleeping and he knew how exhausted u were so he didn’t wna wake u. but then u never turned up and when he landed in spain you’d blocked him on everything and he couldn’t even ask ur brother abt it bc then he’d have to explain sleeping with u and that wldnt go down well.

so now jude’s looking at u all confused like “u didn’t get my note?” and he’s so embarrassed when he goes on to explain “i was trying to be cute. i left u a note bc i thought it was romantic” and it’s so ridiculous that a note was the cause of this whole thing bc it had ended up getting knocked straight into ur bin without u ever looking at it so u just assumed that jude had used u and left. finally talking abt it after months of silence and u both feel stupid bc you’ve lost so much time bc of something so silly and jude’s half laughing when he finally kisses u again all “maybe if we’d just told ur brother instead of sneaking around we could’ve avoided all of this”

#hey jude :)

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havendance · 16 days

Text

@androxys this is all your fault. I had a Cass fic I was going to work on tonight but then you had to infect me with your brainworms grump grump grump (affectionate).

Anyway, I'd like to write more for this later, but for now:

---

Barbara doesn't like this. If there was any other way she could get out of this, she would. But Black Mask has got her tower surrounded and her agent down there at the mercy of his mob. It's Barbara's fault he's in that mess. She's not just going to sit here while the mob attacks. She will defend herself.

She steadies the rifle in her grip, aims carefully. Dad... oh, Dad, forgive me... He'll understand, she hopes. That this decision is already rotting in her stomach. That she didn't have a choice.

Black Mask is counting down.

This is it. Now or never. Her finger rests on the trigger. Barbara fires.

Protect the Tower. Don't be seen. Those were Batman's orders. Helena knows she can't do both. She'd honestly like to see Batman try under these circumstances. Still, she waits as long as she can.

"Five, four, three..." Black Mask counts down.

She has a couple batarangs, a smoke bomb, and not much else. Maybe if she starts at the edges-- If she uses the smoke bomb first as a distraction-- Helena hesitates for just a second too long.

"One," Black Mask says.

Suddenly there's a crack. A spurt of red. Black Mask crumples to the ground. He's dead. For a moment, everything is still. Everyone is staring. Helena's first thought is that it must have been one of the Blue Boys except they look just as shocked as anyone else. The shock only holds for a moment and then everyone's moving again.

Black Masks mob is falling apart rapidly. Half of it's charging forward and the other half's trying to run away. The Blue Boys are going for cover while trying to keep between Mask's men and the tower. People are looking around. No one knows where the bullet came from. Helena doesn't either, but bullets are rare in No Man's Land and this is her chance. She throws down the smoke bomb and slips into the fray.

Maybe she can get out of this without being seen after all.

Jim's in yet another argument with Sarah when Montoya runs in and shuts them both up.

"Commissioner," she says, "your daughter!" And Jim's blood runs cold.

He hates this, he thinks as he runs after Montoya down the streets. He hates that everyone abandoned them. He hates that they're alone. He hates that they all have to turn into their worst selves to survive. He hates it all and he hates that Sarah seems to think he isn't doing everything he can.

"There was an attack," Montoya is saying. "Someone shot Black Mask."

The fight's over by the time they get there, reinforcements at their back. Black Mask's men are scattered. His body is lying in the middle of the street. Lowell and another man are leaning against the side of the building. Both of them look injured. The other two men are nowhere to be seen.

"Commissioner!" Lowell says as he runs past. Jim ignores her.

He goes up the stairs two at a time, Montoya behind him.

"We're coming in!" he shouts. No answer.

They break down the door.

Barbara is sitting in her chair at the table next to her window. There is a rifle in her hands.

Jim runs over to her.

"I'm okay, Dad," she says. "He didn't get me."

He pulls the rifle from her hands. She lets him take it. It's unloaded he notices, still warm to the touch. The bullets are on the table.

"Babs... what happened?" He asks. He already knows the answer.

"I'm sorry," she says.

The rifle goes on the table. Jim holds her tight. "You're alright," he says. "Thank God you're alright."

"--might have seen the Bat," Lowell is saying when he comes back down.

"We got no idea who shot Black Mask," Harvey tells him.

"Don't worry about it," Jim says.

"Hey, I don't want to be the next person shot full of--"

"Harv, shut up." Montoya says.

Harvey shuts up.

"Let's get this place cleaned up," Jim says and doesn't wait for any questions.

#dc #barbara gordon #helena bertinelli #jim gordon #batman: no man's land #batman #my fic #havendance writes #carthago delenda est

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bangtaninborderland · 2 months

Text

Risk It All (27)- Temporary Goodbyes

Genre: Chishiya X F!reader | eventual smut | angst

Warning: none for this!

A/N: ignore me spam posting these 😭

Prev | Masterlist | Next

It had been four days since AN and Kuina had arrived, you'd spent the first catching up, the second discussing the borderlands, and the third making a run to the closest store which went surprisingly well considering Chishiya had to explain the way from home and the fourth dragging Chishiya from bed to join the land of the living once again.

His wounds had healed enough to walk around, barely....

"I said no Chishiya." You slammed the cupboard door. "It's too dangerous."

"If I don't go my visit is going to run out." He retorts. "There are no choices here."

You huff, blowing a strand of hair out of your face. "We don't even know if we need visas anymore."

"I'm not risking it and I know you won't either." You know Kuina and An can hear everything, it's not like the walls are thick but you're thankful they let you both have your privacy. "We don't know when the next game will start."

You pull out a packet of rice and pour it into a pot. "Don't use terms like 'we' when you decide this all on your own."

"I did but you shouldn't expect any different." You can practically hear him shrugging. "I have to leave today."

"You can't even walk let alone win a game!" You shout, the bag of rice ripping open and spilling everywhere. "Fuck."

"Let me help." Chishiya says, limping over to you. "Just sit do-

"Stop trying to baby me! I can handle a bag of spoilt rice Chishiya. You can't handle an adult conversation where you discuss something as important as joining another game yet you can help me clean up unimportant messes?"

He frowns. "That's not what you're mad about."

You know it's not. "Whatever just go away."

"I'm leaving to enter the game today." He reminds you.

"I know."

"Are you going to join?"

You shake your head. "I don't need to, not yet."

He nods. "How many days on your visa?"

It hadn't been something you'd begun to worry about, the time was more than enough. "I think 11"

"I'll be fine." He mumbles.

You hate that he seems to understand why you're upset. "I know you will."

"You're scared." He points out as though it's not obvious.

You forgo cleaning the rice in favour of pushing your way into his arms. "I'm terrified, what if you don't come back?"

"I will." He reassures you, his hand hesitantly brushing against your waist. "Don't think about pointless things like that, if I die you just keep going."

"Don't say stuff like that!" You smack his arm, tears threatening to fall. "You can't die Chishiya."

"Why?" He asks, pulling back a little to look at you.

The words are no more than a whisper but you knew he heard them considering how close your bodies were. "Because I need you."

He laughs, shaking his head. "You don't need anyone, I don't need anyone, you want."

"Fine then I fucking want you okay. Is it so bad I want you to be safe?"

"I will be."

It's easy to ignore the way your nose grows stuffy as you shed a few tears. "You don't know that."

"I do."

"How." You mumble into his chest.

He looks the the ceiling as though genuinely considering his answer. "Because you don't know how to fix the power generator if it goes out and I'm pretty sure if it does you'll die which although seems great because I'll never have to hear you complain again is more trouble than it's worth considering the fact there's a great chance you'll follow me to the afterlife, which by the way I don't believe it, and you'll continue to be just as irritating there too."

You push him away in favour of going back to clean the rice. "I should have let you bleed out on the doorstep.

"You wouldn't do that." He laughs

You ask him. "Why are you so sure?"

"Because I fucking need you." He imitates you.

It's almost like a reflex when you throw the broom at him. "Fuck you."

"Can't, don't have condo-"

Kuina pushes past Chishiya, opening up the cupboard containing the canned food. "This looks fun but I'm hungry."

Chishiya glares at you whilst you hold back a laugh, your chest shaking as you try to be quiet.

"Can't wait to leave." You hear him mutter as he sits down at the table.

Kuina looks at him before pointing to the hall. "Door is right there."

"Great, now I won't get lost." He thanks sarcastically.

You watch them bicker as you tip the dirty rice into a bag, a smile on your face as you force yourself to forget the fact that in a few hours, the house that had become somewhat of a temporary home would be lacking one crucial person.

Lunch passes by as no more than a blur, the food you'd helped Kuina make sitting practically untouched on your plate by the time everyone else had finished. "You weren't hungry?" An asks, taking your plate as you'd asked.

"Not really." You force a smile. "I'm going to lay down for a little I think my head is starting to hurt."

You don't wait for a response from anyone before you pull yourself up, walking directly to the bedroom and closing the door behind you.

It turns out that forgetting Chishiya would be gone was harder to forget than you'd ever imagine.

You don't ask who it is when there's a knock on the door, your instincts know who it is before they walk inside. "You're being a crybaby."

"Fuck you." You know it is probably ineligible from the way your face is buried in the pillows that you and Chishiya share but you don't care. "Go away."

The bed dips as he sits down."I'm not going away, not until later."

"Stop making jokes."

"Look you're right, I could die but I won't and if I do you'll be okay. I told you not to fall for me, not here but you didn't listen and this is what the outcome is. I won't baby you and tell you that it's going to be fine because we both know what could happen but I'd rather not leave here with you being sad and depressed." You force yourself to look at him despite how awful you must appear.

"Because you'd struggle in the game if I was sad?"

He snorts before schooling his face when he catches your expression. "I wouldn't let it affect me so no but afterwards it would be annoying."

"If there even is an afterwards." You say aloud with it thinking.

"I haven't lost a game up to now and I won't anytime soon so stop being ridiculous and come and show me how to play this stupid card game you kept mumbling about ." He pulls the blanket off you.

You manage to smile at the way he remembered the conversation you'd had two days ago. Chishiya, still unable to get out of bed, you'd wanted to try and keep him company, but despite your 30-minute pleading session for him to let you teach him a few of your favourite card games he had refused.

"Chishiya?" You grab his hand before he opens the door.

He spins on his heel to face you. "Yeah?"

"Please don't die on me."

"I won't." He smiles, pulling the door open.

Kuina and An are already sitting around the makeshift table, the deck of cards in the middle with various snacks dotted around the floor.

You take a seat on one of the pillows, Chishiya sitting beside you. Kuina catches your eye, mouthing an "Are you okay?"

You nod with a smile, despite knowing you looked sad. You wanted to enjoy today, even if it was for a short while you could pretend like everything was normal. "Isn't it morbid playing card games considering where we are?"

You laugh at the question An asks as she shuffles the cards. "Not really, I think it's kind of ironic."

"Idiotic more like." Chishiya scoffs.

You and Kuina both roll your eyes at the comment, An seemingly unbothered as she hands you the pack of cards to which you deal out equally. "So the name of the game is called cheat but some people call it-"

"Bullshit." An finishes.

You raise your eyebrows at her. "You know it?"

"Of course I do." She laughs. "I'm the best at it."

"I doubt it."

You both laugh, as Kuina and Chishiya stare at you both in confusion. "The game also has another name, some people refer to it as "I doubt it."

"Ohhhhh!" Kuina claps. "Now I get it."

"Okay forget this im going to sleep." Chishiya makes to stand but you pull him back down by the pocket of his pants.

"Sit and shut up." He raises his eyebrows in something akin to shock before huffing and sliding back down into his previous position. "So as I was saying, the player to the left of the dealer, which would be Kuina, starts by placing between 1-4 cards face down in a discard pile in the centre. The player must state what the cards they have placed down are but they do not have to tell the truth. They do however have to keep the value the same. For example, I could say I have the 3 kings but place down 3 of the clubs... are you all following?"

You wait for all three of them to say yes before continuing. "The other players can call "cheat" or "bullshit if they think the player is lying about the value of their cards."

"So what happens then?" Chishiya asks, looking at his cards.

"Well, I'd say Kuina, for example, were to say that if you were to call cheat you would have to show your cards to everyone. If Kuina was right you would have to pick up all the cards in the centre, then it would be Kuina's turn to go. If Kuina is wrong, the person on the left of the player, which would be me, will go next."

"And if no one calls the bullshit thing?" You almost choke at hearing Chishiya cuss but you hold it back.

"Well I would take my turn but I must declare the value of my cards to be only one up or down from what you have said yours is." You answer him before turning back to Kuina and An. "For example, Chishiya says his cards were kings. I would have to say mine are queens, kings or aces."

Kuina nods enthusiastically, smiling at her cards. Her body angled away from the rest of the table. "I get it, so how do you know who the winner is."

"The person who gets rid of all their cards first is the winner."

Chishiya hums. "Who's going first?"

"An?" You offer.

"Sure." She smiles, placing down one card. "I have the 7 of diamonds."

"Bullshit." Chishiya spits with a grin the second she finishes her sentence.

You can't stop yourself from laughing at how his face falls when An turns over her card, the 7 of diamonds. "Don't forget to pick it up."

"Go away." He huffs, picking up the card as though it's tainted.

The game passes like that, thankfully no arguments arise despite a near miss when Kuina calls Chishiya a liar because "you're a bad liar your face looks weird when you lie." Only for him to respond with "Your face looks weird all the time but I still believe you when it's necessary."

You'd had so much fun playing, the memory of your sister beside you as you silently remember the way you used to help her cheat at the game against her friends. She would always call you her eyes.

"I have to leave soon." Chishiya whispered as he pulled you aside, Kuina and An still at the table packing up the cards. "I need to be there before I miss my opportunity."

"I know but can't you stay just a little longer?" You ask, fighting the urge to lock him in the bedroom and prevent him from leaving.

"I can't risk not getting a place in the game. I'll be back but I have to leave soon."

"How soon?" You don't need him to answer, the sickening feeling in your stomach tells you what you need to know.

He looks to the floor. "In the next thirty minutes."

You bite the inside of your cheek, not wanting to cry. "Okay."

"Fuck." He huffs, grabbing your wrist. "Come with me."

You let him pull you into the bedroom, waiting until he closes the door to speak. "What's wrong?"

"I'm going to come back but if I don't the generator won't hold out with all three of you using it for an extended period of time. If it comes between saving yourself, Kuina or An you know what to choose."

You ignore the subtlety of his message. "You'll come back it doesn't matter if the generator won't work."

"I will but if I don't."

"But you will." You insist.

"I will."

"Chishiya?" You whisper, taking a step closer.

"Hmm?"

"Can I kiss you?"

He takes a step closer, closing the already small gap between you. "Are you incapable of making your own decisions?"

"No?" You shake your head.

"Then don't ask."

If you could freeze a moment in time this would be it, his hand resting against your hip, albeit awkwardly. His lips pressed against yours, your body ignoring the need for oxygen by supplementing it with a need for him.

He is the one who breaks the kiss, his eyes mapping out your face before smiling a little. "You'll be fine."

"You have to come back."

His tone was definitive. "I will. I should leave now, don't come out until I leave. I'll tell Kuina to come in here."

You so badly wanted to beg him to stay, the fear that he was walking into his death was almost crushing and despite how final the words felt you'd hate yourself forever if you missed an opportunity to say them. "I love you, please be safe."

"Tell me when this is all over." He places a light kiss on your forehead before extracting himself from your hold and leaving the room. You watch as the door closes behind him, the silence in the room is deafening without him.

You tried so hard to ignore the sound of the front door opening and closing, so so hard, but you couldn't, you couldn't stop yourself from hearing him leave nor stop the tears you'd been holding back since early morning.

He was gone and you, you were truly realising just how lonely the Borderlands were.

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hyuuukais · 4 months

Text

.・゜-: ✧ :- FICTIONAL REALITY .・゜-: ✧ :-

pairing • bang chan x fem reader

synopsis • fiction or reality? y/n preferred the former, escaping into another world, escaping her problems. so what happens when reality takes that away from her; wiping her own story-in-progress off both her laptop and beloved usb? and what happens when she opens the door in the middle of a crisis to none other then the love interest of her novel... and he's holding her usb?

warnings • general, blood, vague descriptions of a car accident

MASTERLIST | PREVIOUS | NEXT

CHAPTER TWELVE • LEAVE TOWN (1.9k)

"I need to go back. I must have missed something-"

"Why do you insist on doing everything we say not to?" Minho groans, throwing his head back against the couch.

All of you are huddled around the coffee table trying to brainstorm the next step. Chan has a blanket wrapped around him that somehow made it around your shoulders when you sat on the floor with him, facing Minho and Jeongin on the couch. Your legs are pressed against each other, and you can see Chan's hand slowly making it's way to yours under the table. Part of you wants to just grab it, hold it, never let go, and the other part wants to pull away, run as far as you can.

You don't move your hand.

"Because." You resist the urge to roll your eyes.

"Because why?" Minho rubs his brow with one hand.

"Just because!" You throw your hands up, forgetting Chans. "They're the only ideas that make sense! Either I go back to find what I missed, or I go confront Yeonjun."

"Why do you need to confront him?" Chan asks, leaning an arm on the coffee table. "I mean, yeah, you left him, but for good reason. You don't owe him an explanation. He... he hurt you, Y/n."

"I know," you voice cracks, betraying your straight face. Biting the inside of your cheek, you wait until the pressure behind your eyes goes away before speaking again. "Maybe it's not him who needs to be confronted."

"What do you mean?" Jeongin, who's been mostly quiet since you got back, asks.

You don't exactly know how to put this next part into words. "Maybe... it's me? The whole reason I moved here was to run away. The reason I wrote my novel was to escape. I've ignored my problems. Maybe I need to stop running."

"Bullshit, we all avoid our issues. You don't see us with fictional boyfriends and black goo in our sinks." Minho sits up, looking at you directly in the eye. "You're not the problem."

One thing he says catches your attention. "Black goo?"

"Yeah, in your sink?" Minho wrinkles his nose. "It smelled awful." Noticing the look on your face, a mix of horror and confusion, he shifts down to the floor in interest. "What? Is this new?"

"Not exactly," you say, trying to piece it together. "I saw it in a dream when this all began. Do you think it's a sign?"

"Of what?"

"Running out of time?" You whisper, hearing Chans breath catch.

"I..." Minho glances at Chan, then back to you. "It could be anything."

Jeongin is the last to join you on the floor. "No, I think Y/n might be right. I felt something in the air... change, I don't know. Right when she suggested it."

Minho clears his throat once, twice, a hand coming up to rub his chest. "What can we do?"

His voice is hoarse when he speaks and you look at him with concern, but his eyes are squeezed shut and he coughs lightly.

"Do you need some water?" Jeongin leans away from him.

"No I-" And he can't stop coughing.

Rough, wet coughs erupt from Minho, his eyes wide open now. Unable to stay sitting up, he folds forward, a hand hitting the ground hard. The force of the coughs have him heaving, pulling the neckline of his shirt. For a split second, you make eye contact, and you can see the fear in his face.

Something is killing him.

"Min!" You shuffle beside him, breaking free from your frozen state and emerge from the warm blankets to rub his back. He won't stop coughing, tears forming at the edges of his eyes, snot starting to run out of his nose.

Every inhale is like sandpaper, unable to catch his breath. Minho starts grabbing blindly, trying to ground himself as his vision starts to go, limbs weakening.

"Fuck, Jeongin do something!" You shout, panic seeping into your words.

"Why me?" His voice rises, clearly scared.

"You know more about these forces than any of us!" You cry, watching at your best friend's eyes start to droop, as his upper body starts to sway. "Min, please. Please, please, please. Hold on. For me. Fight this thing!"

As you beg, Chan moves beside you, pulling you away as Minho's body slumps sideways toward your lap. Chan barely catches Minho's now unconscious body before his head hits the table, holding his face. In the mixture of tears, drool, and snot, there's a trickle of dark red blood from his nose.

Almost black.

Above you lies Minho, safely tucked into bed and currently being monitored by Chan while you heat up some leftover soup on the stove. It's quiet in this house; the only sounds to be heard are the wind whistling through old bones and your wooden spoon hitting the pot. Jeongin sits at the table, watching nothing through the window.

Both of them, Chan and Jeongin, had to team up to calm you down after the earlier events. No one knew what had happened, but that at least Minho was breathing, wheezing. What killed you the most was not knowing. Was Minho going to get better on his own? Did you need to do something? Is he going to get worse? These questions are going to keep you up at night.

It's not long before the soup is ready and you bring a bowl up to Chan. He refused to let you into the room, saying "You don't need to see him like this, not now. Go eat downstairs with the kid."

And so you did.

It felt silly. This was your house, not his, so you should be allowed to go wherever, however, a part of you is grateful for his protectiveness. Seeing Minho's body slumped over on the floor was enough to make you hysterical once, surely it could happen again.

"Y/n, can I ask you something?"

Oh, right. You weren't alone.

"Shoot."

"Do you ever feel..." Jeongin sighs through his nose, hard. "Do you ever get a weird feeling about this town?"

"Only all the time." You play with your soup; you aren't hungry.

"Okay, another question." There's more hesitancy in his voice. "Have you ever left town since moving here?"

"Yeah I'm sure I have-" And you really think about it. Over the course of now around a year and a half, "I've... never left town. What?"

You stare at Jeongin because what the fuck do you mean you've never left since moving in? The furthest you've gone is your own house, and that's not far out.

Out of the corner of your eye, you see your phone light up. There's a text from an unknown number. It reads: check it. That could only be one thing.

"Come," is all you say before jolting up from the table, tripping over yourself up the stairs. You hiss in pain when your knee makes contact with the hard, wooden step, but you have more important things to do than lie there in pain.

Jeongin's never been in your office, squinting in the dark as you rush over to your laptop in the corner. He hits his right leg on the couch, losing his balance and falling; you don't even notice.

The USB is plugged in already, of course it is.

TRY LEAVING. I DARE YOU.

"Fuck. You."

New emotion rises in your chest, eyes brimming with tears against your will. Crying out in anger, you slam a fist down on the keyboard, and a sob wracks your whole body. Soon you can't breathe, can't think, can't do anything but sit there and weep. You feel useless. You feel small. You feel everything bad about yourself.

"Hey, hey, hey," a soft voice breaks your bubble. "Can you hear me?"

Nod.

"Do you want to be alone?"

Shake.

"Come here."

Warm arms wrap around you, picking you up and laying you on the couch. There's no question of who it is, Jeongin must have grabbed him. Soft fingertips gingerly wipe your tears away, moving to pull the throw blanket on the couch arm over your body. Plush lips kiss your left cheek, your right cheek, another on your nose until you're a blushing, giggling mess. You sniff, looking up at Chan with a goofy smile, the bad thoughts and feelings melting away.

How could you feel so terrible around someone like him? Love, personified?

"Thank you." Your eyes flutter shut, hands with a mind of their own pulling Chan down for a chaste kiss before sleep finds you.

Nightmares continue to plague you, slipping in and out of sleep, tossing and turning. Yeonjun is present in most of them, at the edge just watching you, basking in your fear from afar. And there's always that shining beacon of light, the figure of a person when you get closer, trying to guide you out.

Hours have passed when you wake, but it's still the early morning. Cold sweat settles on your skin. You swing your legs over the couch edge and walk to your desk, surveying the damage done to your laptop. A key has flown loose, but other than that, it's intact. You laugh.

Everything in you wants to fling that thing out the window.

Instead, you take a deep breath and walk downstairs, right outside. A light breeze hits you, raising goosebumps on your bare arms. Your eyes adjust to the dark quickly, spotting your car sitting down your driveway a bit. Parking further away let you enjoy a bit of a walk before work. Living away from the majority of civilization has made your views on safety change, leaving your door unlocked at night, a window open.

Or, in this case, your keys still in the ignition.

"I was wondering where those went." You laugh to yourself.

Maybe you weren't in your right mind. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to take the dare. Maybe you are playing into the hands of the universe and doing exactly as expected.

But maybe you don't care anymore.

How could you? Your best friend could be dying. Your love interest is dying. Everything you touch wilts. The stray cat you feed daily is probably worse off now that it's met you than it was before you moved across the street. With this in mind, you start the car.

You leave town.

And it only takes about 15 minutes for whatever force has been keeping you confined to the small town to realize where you are and what you're doing. You have to keep going. You have to get back home. Risking your life never felt so good, knowing at least you'll save those who deserve it.

Thinking you've made it a safe distance, you turn the radio on. It crackles to life, spitting out bits and pieces of old tunes. You hum along to something you recognize, although the name is lost on you. Something about time.

At first, you think you've dreamt leaving the house altogether, not processing the loud crash or warm liquid oozing down your your head to your chin, dripping dark red, just the floaty feeling. You don't feel the glass in your hair, the bruises forming, the blood dripping down your nose, surely broken from the force of hitting the steering wheel.

Instead, you focus on the cold air rushing in. Did you open the window? You must have. How else would you be feeling it? You focus on the moon shining brightly in the sky. You focus on the tug of sleep pulling you under and under and under and under...

Until you wake, in complete darkness. A band of light rises from the base of the floor, distorted by water.

●

notes • goodnight! lol

taglist • @yongbbokkie @chaeryred @tenebrisirae @toplinelix @chansdoll @amaranth-writing @3rachachoo @linosjureumi @thebrownemo @tfshouldidohere @channie-143 @frogieeheart @kangaracharacha @skzswife

TAGLIST CLOSED ^^^blue means i can't tag you

#.・゜-: ✧ :- FICTIONAL REALITY .・゜-: ✧ :-#bang chan #bang chan x reader #bag chan x fem reader #skz #stray kids #skz x reader #stray kids x reader #non idol au #skz au #skz fanfic #bang chan fanfic

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jungle-angel · 5 months

Text

Family Ties Are Stronger Than Time (Rhett Abbott x Reader)

Summary: You're supposed to beon bedrest for a bit after just having had the boys so Rhett decides to take Amy with him to visit an old friend and learns something about a family member that shocks him

Notes: A very, very Happy Hannukah to all who celebrate, I feel bad I haven't done much but this has been sitting in the back of my brain for a while. I hope it came out well enough, I was nervous writing it but I'm hoping it came out well enough 🥰🥰🥰🥰

Warnings: Mentions of war, birth etc.

"Alright sweetheart," Rhett said to Amy. "You ready?"

"Yeah!" she exclaimed excitedly.

She hopped down the steps of the general store you both owned with Rhett helping her down onto the snowy sidewalk and into the truck where he buckled her into her carseat. He placed the blue and gold box full of baked goods next to her, hoping that they wouldn't spill over on the ride out of town. He and Cecelia had painstakingly made them for three days, hoping that they turned out alright.

Down the roads they went, out of downtown and back to the more rural areas in town where ranches became a more common sight than buildings. They passed by the Waldorf school where Amy and Hannah both attended kindergarten and preschool respectively, the grounds now covered with snow and the farm across the street with it. Rhett had to laugh a little as he had lost count of how many times he had gone to the farm across from the school to help fix a tractor or help the farmers with their cows.

Finally, they came to a lonely little stretch of ranch, the old farmhouse sitting on top of a little hill with stretch after stretch of fence surrounding it. He pulled up to the garage and parked the truck, letting Amy out and taking the box with him.

"Go ahead Doodlebug," Rhett told her. "Go ring the doorbell."

Amy rang the little bell next to the door and in a split second it was opened by an elderly woman with white hair, her eyes lighting up when she saw Rhett and Amy.

"My sweet I didn't think you were coming!" she exclaimed happily.

"What, Sara? Ya'll thought we were gonna ignore ya'll?" Rhett chuckled.

"You.....you, you get in here, come, come in," Sara beckoned.

Rhett and Amy both went into the house and removed their coats and shoes. "Elie around at all?" Rhett asked.

"No, no, he went to go help Officer Joy or something," Sara told him. "Here, I'll fix you both something."

Rhett loved coming down to visit Sara. Ever since he was a little kid, he loved the way the elderly Polish woman made him feel welcome in her home and had even taught him a little bit of her language. Sara and Elie Abramowicz were as close with the Abbotts as the Duttons were, more like family than friends.

"Where is (y/n)?" Sara asked.

"She's all holed up in bed," Rhett chuckled. "Boys were born two days ago."

"Ah and on the first night of Hannukah no less," Sara said with pride.

"Oh, speaking of which," Rhett said, seating himself on the old, rickety barstool at the kitchen counter. "Made these a few days ago."

He gave Sara the box and when she opened it, her face lit up. "You didn't!" she exclaimed.

Rhett laughed before he and Sara hugged. "Didn't burn the kitchen down makin'em either," he laughed.

"Oh Rhett," Sara sighed. "You know I haven't been able to make sufganiyot since Mama passed away. Thank you. As if Elie and I didn't owe your family enough already."

"Sara what the hell are ya'll even talkin about?" Rhett asked her. "You don't owe us nothin."

"Oh but we do," Sara insisted. "And it all goes back to your Oma."

"My grandma?" Rhett asked.

Sara nodded.

"Wh.....what'd Oma Heidi have to do with anything?"

Sara scrunched her deeply wrinkled brow. "You mean to tell me that your Papa never told you?" she asked him.

Rhett shook his head.

"Here," Sara said, putting the box of fresh sufganiyot next to the toaster. "You stay and I tell you."

Rhett stayed put, keeping a careful watch on Amy who was in the living room playing with Elie and Sara's boarhound, Boris. He waited for Sara to finish making a mug full of heady black tea before she seated herself across from him.

"You know that Elie and I used to live in Warsaw?"

Rhett nodded.

"I remember a long, long time ago after the invasion," Sara began. "We were trapped in our city like animals, nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. Elie and I, we were so young, fifteen and seventeen years old and in terrible danger. Every night we all prayed for a miracle."

Rhett could almost see it before his very eyes and the terrible scene that played out in his mind like a movie.

"Your Oma had come to us with a group of people who claimed they could help," Sara continued. "French and German resisters who were bent on getting people out of the hands of the Nazis. We didn't trust them at first, but quickly we realized we had no choice. "Six hundred of us fled from Warsaw in 1943," Sara explained. "Six hundred. We went on foot, by rail and by truck, all the way to a safe place where we hid."

The more Rhett listened to the story, the more the shock ran through his very core. Royal had never said anything about his mother or about what she had done before leaving Switzerland.

"You see Rhett," Sara said. "It is because of your Oma that we and so many others lived. That is why Elie and I remain close with your family. After we came to America, your Oma and I remained very close friends, so much so that she came to fetch me the night you were born. I made a promise to your Oma that I would watch over you when she passed Rhett.....and Elie and I intend to keep that promise."

Rhett could feel his eyes burning. He had never known. "Why didn't Dad say anything if he knew?" Rhett asked her.

"Do not blame your father Rhett," Sara answered. "That was your Oma's wish. Your father knew how much pain she had gone through for others and didn't wish to inflict that pain on anyone else."

He felt a few loose tears falling from his eyes when he heard Sara's story. "Wish she was still here," he croaked.

"Ah but she is," Sara assured him. "I know she is Rhett."

It took him a while to process the story he had just heard, but after a while, Rhett felt an immense sense of pride, knowing how strong his ties were to the people who were like family to him.

Rhett heard a truck pulling up a little while later when who should appear but you and Royal with Hannah, each of you carrying a little carseat that safely held Tatum and Tanner, your twins.

"Hey Sara," Royal called as he entered. "We come bearing a Hannukah gift for you and Elie."

"Royal Abbott, you march into my house while your son is here...."

Royal laughed, unable to make out the rest of what she had been saying.

You and Sara talked a good long while while Rhett talked things over with Royal. Surprisingly enough, Royal was more than understanding about the whole thing.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell ya'll sooner son," Royal said. "I saw how much pain it had caused Oma.......I didn't want any of that pain passed onto you guys."

Rhett tried hard to hold back the tears in front of his father but he couldn't. Royal pulled him in and held his son when he saw that look in Rhett's eyes.

When all was said and done and everything had settled, you and Rhett gathered in the living room with Sara and Elie when he had returned, the two of them absolutely head over heels for your boys. Cecelia had joined you a little while later along with the rest of Sara and Elie's family. The grandkids all taught Amy and Hannah how to play dreidel and the delighted shrieks and shouts that came from the living room had you and Rhett in the best of moods.

"Think they'll sleep ok tonight?" you asked.

"No doubt darlin," Rhett chuckled. "Just wait till Christmas Eve."

You half laughed and half groaned at the thought, knowing Amy and her Dutton cousins would all be up till some ungodly hour, having eaten all the candy in their stockings. You and Rhett shared a sweet kiss as you watched the kids. Rhett looked out the living room window and saw that one of the stars was shining a little brighter that night, mouthing a silent "thank you" to his Oma Heidi, who he was sure, was watching over you all.

#rhett abbott #rhett abbott x reader #amy abbott #royal abbott #cecelia abbott

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scentedpepper · 1 month

Text

Missions, Malaise and Migas Pt. IV | Leon Kennedy

Pt. 1 Pt. 2 Pt. 3 Pt. 5 Pt. 6 Pt. 7 Final Part

Fandom: Resident Evil

Pairing: Leon Kennedy x Male Reader

Summary: Leon and Y/N have some underlying issues. Ones they tried to warn DSO about.

Content Warnings: None

Other Pairings: Luis Sera x Reader

Author Note(s): I looked this over briefly in class 😥 ignore errors 🙏

It's sometime later that you open your eyes, not knowing how long it has been, but the lights in Luis' hotel are still glowing warm and your partner is sitting beside you, on the bed. You're not sure when your legs had made their way up onto the mattress, or when you'd turned on your side and laid with your hands placed together. All you know is that the bed is comfortable, the room is warm and the area is void.

Your gaze is blurred for a moment and the man is unaware of your consciousness until he can feel the bed move underneath him, ever so slightly.

His eyes raise to your body and stay fixed for a few seconds and he releases the sigh in his chest. You're not sure which part of this whole ordeal it's meant for, but you don't question it as your vision focuses on the table that's been pushed back up and the sandwich that sits atop it.

Your eyes begin to drift around the hotel room and you prop yourself on your elbows before Leon tells you to stop. His voice is much calmer than before. The anger is gone.

"He's out. Getting supplies for us with Ada. "

Your forearms crunch with the strain of your body and the weight you're pushing on them. There's a slight dip at the head of the bed and the feeling of his hand is soft yet firm when he presses your left arm down, putting you back in the position he found you.

"Rest. " He can't bring himself to say much more.

Your eyes close and the sigh that follows is tired. Tired, the way you always feel now. You wonder why he's here, why he hadn't gone with Ada and you wonder what time it even is. And if you're safe.

Of course, you aren't.

But that knowledge lays in the back of your mind for now, until it's ready to be disturbed again. Which, it inevitably will.

When you look at your partner, you're faced with his stony expression and he speaks before you even say anything.

"When they come, we leave. You don't wander off from me. When I point, you shoot. Understand?" Leon stares hard at you, his words sharp, direct and calculated like it all takes no thought.

You want to be civil. Really. You want to keep this new resonance of calm and you're too tried to rev the engines but– you're not his subordinate either. And you've never taken kindly to being spoken to as such.

Your need to take responsibility seems to evaporate and float out the window and before you know it, you're pushing yourself up from the bed and you're not speaking, not saying anything. Not even looking at him now, you just walk towards the bathroom door.

Leon watches your body twitch in protest at the sudden movement of your muscles and his lips press tightly together when you seem to just ignore it. The bruising on your lower back has turned a deep, ugly shade of purple and it's blotchy, painful.

It looks bad.

And you're still not moving slow enough. Not to him.

Leon shifts and he is there as your fingers turn the knob. Your head has whipped around when his hand almost covers your wrist, the heat of his fingers resting atop the bandages. His shoulders are slumped forward slightly and his free hand massages the back of his own neck, closing his eyes as he goes in to speak.

His voice is low and weary and it doesn't seem to hold the same weight it had before.

"Listen. "

"I don't have the patience. "

Your eyes close, you try to move in. To push the door open or shirk away, but both of your wills are too strong and instead your hand comes down hard on the metal of the bathroom knob.

"Are we doing this?" You ask.

"What, exactly?" Leon replies in a grave tone, the corners of his mouth curling downward. "Because it looks like you're avoiding the issue. "

Your brow raises. "Do you even know what the issue is?"

The question hits him like a brick and his jaw sets solidly. "Yes. " He states, emphasizing the last vowel, shifting in his spot before adding more. "I wasn't the one that went and took off in some stupid, blind fit of rage. "

You want to say something else, something more. It's on the tip of your tongue but with the little self control you have left, you don't. "The mission will be back on track, alright? Don't worry about it. " You try the door again. But, to no avail, so your head rolls on your neck, stretching the taught muscles.

"Not yet. " He replies and his hand flattens against the door as he pushes. "Look. We had a disagreement. Things get said. That's life. Now grow up, step up and do the job. " He stops for a second, keeping the door closed, seeing the way your left cheek hollows and flutters when you bite it, probably out of annoyance.

Then, something deeper sets into the creases of your face and it keeps coming, seeping like honey into the creases of your expression. He knows you're keeping something inside but you're hesitating and he's forcing it out.

"What?"

"You're an asshole, you know that, Kennedy?" The words pump out like oil seeping from a car. Disgusting, slippery and he doesn't want it on him. "Still the same one I met 10 months ago. "

It's like the clouds outside have taken his face and made his expression disappear like raindrops touch the Earth. There's surprise, but the rest is indefinite.

The sound of the broken door moving draws both of your attention away and makes the air stale. Shifting and fumbling and then Luis enters, still talking, still alive and Ada is following closely, a bag grasped in her hand.

"Mi amore! You can say you missed me now. " He's turning back around to fully enter and shut the door and he's being playful and doesn't seem to read the thick tides in the air.

"Hey. " You greet, softer than you've ever spoken to Leon.

You glance at Ada and you can tell she's analyzing the situation for what it is. Because it doesn't take a scientist to know something is not right between partners. Her eyes catch the way you guys are peeling away from each other, hands leaving the door and faces smoothing out as if to hide whatever words or heated looks you just exchanged and the act fools Luis. But not her. Never her.

Luis has stopped for a moment to hold your face and it's only after he gives you a quick peck on the cheek and starts talking to everyone does she see the relief for a moment on your face, the ease of posture and the slacking of the skin around your eyes.

Her attention is on Leon almost immediately after the interaction, and there she is, like a crow, watching. Circling. Picking apart the loose threads and the seams. She starts at his brows first, knowing if his facial muscles are tweaking, even the slightest, it's gonna be there. And it is. Subtle. An irritation. But there. He's trying to hide it, mask it. Keep it to himself.

She picks at his lips next. Thinner and pouty. Sealed tighter than ever before. Any information wanting to escape he's keeping very secret. Very private and held back.

But it'll show.

The way he holds his body language is a lot less expressive, his shoulder sags, so subtly if you weren't truly paying attention, you'd never know.

And his eyes follow, almost dance in uneven steps as they tread tactfully after Luis then follow you following Luis. Who is oblivious, but attentive, and carries the conversation to make up for your silence. She's got to admit, the man has character.

Her attention returns to Leon's gaze when he rolls them and then the way he's walking to stand towards the farthest wall across from you, still watching as you and Luis converse, the words flowing naturally, not all bunched up and jagged like yours and his.

Her focus hones into the twitch of his face.

He looks tired now, possibly regretful, the way his muscles are sagging and his skin is growing soft and melancholy at the creases, around the eyes.

But his jaw is still set and the blue is still resting on the two of you. Critiquing the details. The way your hands brush together as you pick items out, how Luis maneuvers past you with a soft hand on your back, how his warmth radiates when he stands within proximity. And the fact that you're actually receptive to this man has him twisted up.

The longer Leon focuses on your sudden bout of happiness, the more he wants to leave and turn away, let it flood over him.

But he stays there and he doesn't even notice the way Adas eyes are doing twirls and cartwheels over his features. His expression is on you and so is his brain, though he would never admit it.

She's noticed all the information she'll need. Her lips curl slightly at a thought as she unpacks the things from Luis satchel onto the counter.

Right here. In front of her eyes.

That even the man who's saved the world numerous times can't hide the fact that he's head over heels in love.

#resident evil #leon kennedy #leon kennedy x male reader #leon kennedy x reader #leon kennedy x you #luis sera x reader #luis sera x you #male reader

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lunanoc · 6 months

Text

first tentative meta post about wu xie my beloved, more specifically about his characterization in his less than stellar moments, sparked by a discussion with @thelaithlyworm about whether or not the lost tomb 2.5 is in character for wu xie according to the books. i figured i'd take the rest of my thoughts to a separate post since our exchange was clogging up poor OP’s replies, and because i feel like a difference in opinion like this is worth being made public if only so people can get both sides of a rare discussion about the books and reach their own conclusions, so for those who are interested here’s a link to the original post where this discussion takes place in the replies if you'd like the full context. sorry in advance for how long this will likely be, and i hope there's no problem with me directly tackling some of the arguments that were made in favor of lost tomb 2.5 being an accurate adaptation of book wu xie's characterization, which is a take i strongly disagree with

i think much of the problem in the discussion simply lies in the fact that we seem to have fundamentally different interpretations of wu xie’s character in the books, because as i see it, none of the insistences that were quoted prove that wu xie has ever acted the way he does in 2.5 in the books—if anything, they disprove it. the quote from ch. 92 of sand sea that was brought up goes as follows:

this is where i believe the problem of different interpretations is at play, and to be fair some of it is ambiguous so there is some leeway, but i read this recollection very differently from how @thelaithlyworm seems to. as i see it, wu xie is recalling a time where pangzi, understandably concerned about his friend because he sees the toll the sha hai plan is taking on wu xie, and the lengths he’s having to go to in order to set it in motion, tells him it’s not too late to stop and turn back. to which wu xie replies that even if he had decided to stop and live his life blissfully unaware of the extent of the wangs' reach and their machinations, things would have caught up to him eventually given they’d infiltrated the jiumen to the extent they had.

“and at that time you’ll have already left me one by one, leaving me to foolishly face those fists” is the most ambiguous as to what exactly it's referring to, but i personally see it as referencing either the fact wu xie and his friends would have by then eventually drifted apart or they'd have stopped giving him their support should he have decided to ignore the truth and sit around doing nothing, or more sinisterly, would have potentially all been replaced by then if there hadn't been a plan in motion. it's likely a little bit of both. to which pangzi replies that he’s right, conceding and agreeing that wu xie never truly had a choice about his involvement to begin with, which is more or less the entire point of sand sea and the wider narrative of the main story.

no part of this conversation is reminiscent of the open conflict between them in 2.5 in that neither of them here are angry, and neither of them are even aggressive or antagonistic towards each other or in general. this is quite a calm if resigned conversation wu xie is recalling that also fits the overall cynical tone of the chapter itself, and wu xie’s certainly not acting out and pushing his friends away in a bid to deal with everything himself. if anything the entire point of sand sea is to show that despite each character acting independently, the sha hai plan only succeeded because they worked together and not alone, and that wu xie needed his support system to create an invisible yet tangilble network that could take down the wangs. so no part of this particular passage reads as though pangzi is saying he ever considered bailing on wu xie because of his behavior, and even if that were the case, it would still be referring to a hypothetical situation and not their current one.

wang meng's behavior in ten years later is also not the greatest example to use as an argument to prove 2.5 wu xie’s characterization is present in the books, mostly because it's actually wang meng himself who's more so the one acting like that than wu xie himself. wang meng, in his concern for wu xie, tries to guilt trip him into letting go of his obsession with xiaoge, and he is the one who instigates a conflict with wu xie that culminates in him staging xiaoge's "death" as a last ditch effort once spewing bottled up vitriol at wu xie and threatening to take over wushanju don't work.

it's however misguided at best given that not only did all of wu xie's close friends who participated in the sha hai plan agree to do so willingly (i’m of course not talking about li cu and co among others who very much did not consent) and so accusing wu xie of having coerced them takes away from their own agency, but the sha hai plan was a necessity beyond freeing xiaoge, which is something wang meng fails to understand. wang meng makes the mistake many people in the fandom do of pinning wu xie’s determination to see that plan through solely on his desire to free xiaoge, and of course that’s an important part of it, but the narrative makes a point of building up over the course of the main books and tibetan sea flower that wu xie’s entire family was at stake as well, and had been for several generations, so on a personal level it went beyond xiaoge alone. but again, whatever truth there is to wang meng’s words (which is an interesting but entirely different topic) still doesn’t make it true that wu xie was either actively petty or vitriolic towards his friends as a way to vent his own frustrations.

several moments in which wu xie objectively does terrible things or acts horribly were listed as a way of justifying that his behavior in 2.5 is in character and in line with how he acts in the books. and of course these moments do happen, and it's very true in sand sea especially that wu xie does terrible things (it's part of what makes him such an interesting character). but again, this argument feels somewhat in bad faith in that it conflates all negative behavior and traits together regardless of what specific shape those negative behaviors take in order to justify that his portrayal in 2.5 is faithful to the books simply because he displays negative behavior in that adaptation, completely disregarding that his less than stellar actions and emotions aren't expressed in the same ways in the books and in 2.5. my dislike of wu xie in 2.5 doesn't stem from him doing unlikeable things, otherwise i wouldn't like wu xie as a character in general. wu xie absolutely does do a lot of terrible things in sand sea especially, but the inherent problem with 2.5 is that none of the things he does or the way he acts in the books ever lines up with the specific way he acts in 2.5.

in the books, even before sand sea, yes wu xie is manipulative (re: threatening bodily harm to himself to force wu erbai into sharing information with him), yes he cut up bodies and sent them to li cu among other extremely morally questionable things, yes he kidnapped li cu and made him go through literal hell, and likely did much the same to other people before him (hence the seventeen scars on his arm). he has and continues to have even in recent book canon re: yucun biji the ability and will to inflict permanent psychic damage on people he deems to be deserving of it or a threat. he’s by no means perfect or even overly kind, and if someone were to say that a number of the earlier drama adaptations especially soften his character and make him much more wide-eyed and innocent than he actually is in the books, i would absolutely agree with them. i would also agree if someone said that gap in characterization is why some people don’t like him much in the sand sea drama. but the fact is for all the negative traits and behavior he displays at varying points in the books, none of them are ever expressed in the very specific way they are in 2.5.

@thelaithlyworm rightfully mentions wu xie's ptsd as justification for much of his more "toxic" reactions to things, and his ptsd is incredibly important in understanding how wu xie works as a character and what his experiences have forged him into, to the point it's a topic that deserves its own in-depth post. but saying we have different definitions of what ptsd is is both accurate to the complex nature of ptsd, and a bit disingenious because of the complex nature of ptsd, because the emotional dysregulation and impaired decision-making it entails won’t necessarily manifest in the same ways in different people.

in 2.5 wu xie, ptsd manifests in the form of vitriol and anger he directs at pretty much everyone in his immediate vicinity, more especially pangzi, because it has no other outlet in that situation than outwards. and i’m not saying ptsd expressing itself like that never happens, because it very much does. what i'm saying is that book wu xie's ptsd, while very real, doesn't manifest in the way it does in 2.5 wu xie.

in book wu xie, ptsd manifests in much more internalized ways, and so he’s far more prone to directing the anger and pent-up emotions inwards through self-harm, both mental and physical (i.e. the scars on his arm, his persistent self-hatred, etc.), and the emotional dysregulation very often comes not in the form of chaotically expressed emotions, but rather abnormal lack of them, as arguably wu xie's bad coping mechanism is emotional dissociation, and when the emotions are truly too strong to be distanced from, they come out in the form of panic attacks he often doesn’t recognize as such (i.e. when he finds xiaoge and believes he’s dead in book 8, or when he has flashbacks on their way to motuo in yucun traveling notes) or of general breakdowns (i.e. wu xie stays numb once xiaoge disappears behind the gate up until he starts crying in the street once he returns to hangzhou).

it’s incredibly rare that wu xie’s trauma directs itself outwards towards his loved ones, and while he might do so in his head quite frequently (which we the readers see since most of the books are from wu xie's point of view), it's rare he actually externalizes it, and since his comments can only lead to conflict if they're extrernalized, there's rarely ever genuine conflict between him and his friends. one of the only times it happens with pangzi specifically is in tibetan sea flower were he makes an honestly cruel dig at pangzi about yuncai because pangzi’s withheld information about xiaoge from him:

but even this scene, which is the closest to anything that's portrayed in 2.5 between them, plays out differently, not only because wu xie knows very well he’s going too far, his mention of yuncai isn't solely an outlet for his anger. he’s very consciously trying to bait pangzi into telling him what he knows, and so aims at where he knows will hurt most. it's targeted and mean because it's meant to be, but it's also not a gratuitious outlet either unlike his comments are more often than not in 2.5. it's manipulation, and he's certainly not trying to push pangzi away, nor is it driving a wedge between them despite how uncalled for his comment it. and more importantly, pangzi once again proves himself to be the most emotionally stable of the iron triangle by not stooping to that level or making light of the conversation. he knows perfectly well what wu xie is doing, so any conflict is diffused before it can even take root, and stays an isolated incident, whereas in 2.5, conflict is an underlying theme.

ironically there are more examples of this type directed at xiaoge, but even those don't showcase the same blind anger or gratuitous meanness that 2.5 wu xie consistently displays, and it's that specifically that's out of character. while wu xie vents his frustrations at xiaoge in book 4 over being kept in the dark, he's more serious about it than angry, and very quickly realizes his foot-in-mouth comment and backtracks accordingly:

he's at his most openly angry with xiaoge at the end of book 8 when xiaoge leaves them all in banai, and even goes as far as trying to have xiaoge detained by qiu dekao in a last ditch effort to force him to stay (which in itself is the real manifestation of him not being able to control his emotions correctly and reason going out the window where xiaoge is concerned, and it only ever really happens in relation to xiaoge, but that's also a topic for another post):

but again, while he's visibly angry and upset, and is looking for support from others around him to validate his upset at xiaoge leaving, he never actually spews any vitriol at xiaoge himself despite his anger being obvious, never actually calls him names outside of his own head despite the rare quality of his anger, never tries to instigate conflict for the sake of venting his overflowing emotions, nor does he ultimately stop xiaoge from leaving. even later as he follows xiaoge up changbai mountain, his desperation eventually turns into resignation and acceptance, not venting.

this post is way too long, but my entire point here as it has been from the start of this discussion is that while wu xie in the books does get angry, he does have ptsd, it does manifest in the ugliest ways and he's certainly not an angel, his anger in general never veers into extended open conflict or gratuitous vitriol thrown at his loved ones as a misguided form of venting his own emotions like it does throughout the vast majority of lost tomb 2.5, just like a number of the conflicts he gets into with other characters stem from out of character reactions from those characters to begin with (i.e. xiao hua absolutely losing it over wu xie hiding wu sanxing's betrayal of xie lianhuan in 2.5 vs. this information being very casually received in book 7). and that's where my point of contention with that adaptation lies.

i feel as though this is a case of agreeing to disagree as far as interpretation of wu xie's character goes, and that's absolutely fine, but in the same way that it's alright to dislike things simply because, it's equally as alright to like things for the same reasons. it's fine to like lost tomb 2.5, and my opinion of it is purely my own, but liking it doesn't necessarily have to be rooted in whether it's adapting the books correctly, even if it can be.

my dislike of 2.5 stems from how i consider it to be out of character by comparison to the books, and my entire point here has been to explain that different interpretations of any particular source material can exist, and therefore yes, it's entirely possible to view 2.5 wu xie as out of character, just as it's entirely possible to dislike that adaptation for the same reason. and i'm far from the only person to have this interpretation. so no, my dislike of 2.5 doesn't come from not liking it when wu xie’s doing unlikeable things, or else i wouldn't like wu xie as a character, nor is it because i don’t understand what ptsd is given the particular ways in which it can manifest from one specific person to another

#i just have strong opinions about this sorry if it's coming off strong #and i'm perfectly willing to debate with quotes etc #but lbr there's a reason lost tomb 2.5 is more or less unanimously the most disliked adaptation across the board #both in the western fandom and chinese fandom #though tbf the chinese fandom doesn't tend to like the dramas all that much in general #which is valid sometimes tbh given some of the takes i've seen about dmbj as a whole from people who refuse to touch the books but well #still #first wu xie meta #exciting #dmbj #dmbj meta #wu xie #dmbj novels #lost tomb 2.5

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justwearthegoddamncardigan · 1 year

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Just cuddles and kisses

Established Minho x ace!fem!reader

Set during tmr (movieverse)

Summary: Minho and reader just started dating, and she's a little worried about being ace (dw it all works out in the end)

Note: this fic is technically a continuation of Classic, but it can also be read as a standalone. Classic was initially in the same post as this, but I separated the parts to make them shorter

Warnings: internalised aphobia?? not really but just in case, language (Glader slang)

You've been dating Minho for a while now, and it's a long time before you have to address... it. As happy as you are, you're pretty nervous about having a relationship with Minho.

While you haven't really gone 'public' yet, you know that it's only a matter of time before the other Gladers find out.

When that happens, there's gonna discussions about your relationship and invasive questions and ugh, you just don't want to deal with it.

You're mainly scared for the bolder Gladers to ask about being physical. Minho hasn't said anything about sex yet, but the topic has got to come up sooner or later, and you stress yourself out at night waiting for that conversation.

You've known for a while that sex is... completely off the table for you, and you're scared that he'll want to leave you because of that. You know Minho isn't the type of guy to make a big deal out of it, and he'll be really nice about it at least for the first bit. But after a while, you're sure that having a sexless relationship will get old real fast.

You confided in Newt about it once, and he advised you to just talk it out with Minho.

That's easier said than done, though. You know that, respectful as he is, Minho is still a teenage boy with teenage hormones in a Glade where you're the only girl.

Plus, you already know that he's just holding back for you. He's pulled away from making out on multiple occasions because of a problem... further south, and you know that he's waiting for you to be ready.

He's being patient, and it's great, but the issue is that you'll never be ready. For you, sex is something you neither need nor want.

It's been alright so far, since you've just ignored the problem and kept the relationship limited to the kisses and little dates you manage to pull together in such a restricted space.

But, it all comes to a head one day when you're spending a late night in the Runners hut.

When you've both gotten tired of poring over the maps, Minho starts leaning in to drop light kisses around your face. You giggle as his lips brush against your jawline.

You love it when he does that, because it gives you a heads up that you're probably gonna be making out soon. And he's not even doing it with that intention, it's just a cute thing he does when he's bored with work.

You turn to him, forgoing the maps as you wrap your arms around his neck and pull him in to deepen the kiss.

That's when things start to get a little too heated, and it all goes to shit.

He's moving his hands around more than usual, and he's brushing over your ass and chest in a way that may or may not be intentional; you can't really tell.

Either way, you're hyperaware of every point of contact, and it starts to be too much. You can feel your heartrate speeding up, not in the good way, and-

"Y/n." Minho breaks away from the kiss and gently cups your face with a hand. "Hey, you with me?"

You nod and give him a smile, leaning in again, but he pulls back. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, fine."

"Ohh. Is this about... being physical?" he realises. "Listen, we can take as much time as-"

You back away, shaking your head. "I don't-" Your voice catches as you try to speak, and your vision starts to blur. Shuck, now you're crying.

You tilt your head up, staring at the roof as you blink rapidly.

"Y/n, hey. Just come and sit." You let him guide you to the table. "Talk to me, please."

You take a deep breath... and still no words come out. You close your eyes, processing your thoughts first before speaking.

"I don't... want sex." You meet his eyes as you tell him the truth. "As in; ever. I just- it's not an option for me. The thought of having sex, doing anything sexual at all, and just, all that kind of stuff happening to me... it makes me feel sick. I just- I can't."

"Oh," says Minho. "Alright. Okay. That's fine."

"Minho..."

"No, I'm serious. Listen, it's okay."

"How can it be okay? You want sex. I can feel it, when we're together."

"How can you feel it? What, do I just look at you with sex eyes? Because I promise-"

"No, I feel it. Against my hip."

"Oh." Minho's face reddens considerably, and he lets out an awkward laugh. "Okay, well. That's a me problem. I can- I can deal."

"I just- Minho. I know how important that kind of intimacy is to people. What if we stay together, and you're never satisfied? What if I'm not enough for this relationship?"

Minho lets out a stunned breath. "Not enough? Y/n, you are everything, my whole world. Every day I wake up and I get to see your smile. I get to run with you, and laugh with you. I get to be with you. You think not having sex is gonna break all that?"

"But sex is..."

He shakes his head. "Maybe I've been doing a shitty job then, if you really think you wouldn't be enough without sex."

"Y/n." He takes your hands and looks you in the eye. "I love you. And I realise we haven't said that, but I think now's as good a time as any for you to know. I love you, and this isn't gonna change anything."

You give him a watery smile. "I love you too. But it's still-"

"Okay. Full disclosure, I can take care of myself. Most guys here are taking care of themselves. Someone probably is, like, right now."

At your wrinkled nose and mildly grossed-out expression, he winces. "Right. Let's set some boundaries. No talking about sex?"

"Um, talking about sex in general is usually okay. Sex jokes are actually pretty shuckin' funny sometimes. But the way you did it just then was... I don't know. Icky?"

"Okay, sure. Talk about it normally unless you're uncomfortable. Easy. What about with us? Where should I avoid when we're- Shit, do you hate kissing too? God, I'm so sorry." He looks at you worriedly. "Shuck, Y/n. We've been making out like, every day. You should've told me earlier. I'm so-"

"Minho, no, don't worry about that, it's okay. I actually... love kissing. Kissing you, I mean." You duck your head, blushing slightly. "Making out is fun most times too, but some days it's a lot. Tongues and stuff are... overwhelming sometimes. It depends on the day."

"Make sure you let me know, okay? Promise me."

"I promise," you say, smiling. "And with touching... normal contact is fine. It's good, actually. I love cuddling, and when you pull me in by the waist. And everything else too. I'll tell you if anything is bad."

"Okay." He reaches out to take your hand. "So we're all good?"

"We're all good."

"I love you."

You pull him closer by his shirt, and he melts against you as you kiss him.

"Love you too."

⭒----⭒

"Ooh, Y/n and Minho spent the night together," sings Ben when you walk out of the hut and move to the dining area. Keepers have their own huts, so you'd slept in Minho's that night.

You let out a laugh at what he's implying and grin at Newt's knowing smile.

You feel arms wrap around your waist as Minho walks up behind you. He presses a kiss on the top of your head and moves to get food.

When he returns, he hands you a plate of food, complete with your favourite fruits from the gardens, and slides into the seat next to you.

"Fuck," he hisses as he bumps his leg on the bench.

"Fuck indeed," says Ben with a shit-eating grin.

You snort. "Slim it, Ben." Newt rolls his eyes on your behalf.

"Well, how was it?" asks another boy, leaning in interestedly.

"A gentleman doesn't tell," comments Minho, pointing dramatically. "What happens behind closed doors..."

"So he was shit, wasn't he," says Ben to you.

You shrug. "Well, I'm very satisfied from last night."

You laugh at their supportive and slightly lewd cheers.

As Minho meets your eyes with a smile, you think back to last night.

You'd exchanged soft kisses and cuddled until you fell asleep wrapped up in his arms.

"Yeah, see? I'm fantastic in bed."

This is so lame idk how to end a fic besides 'i love you' like please be more imaginative

Edit: added a silly little scene at the end so it doesn't just end with ily

Anyways, thanks for reading!! Hope you enjoyed this one - another self-indulgent idea I needed to put out.

I want to note that for the depiction of asexuality and ace x non-ace couples, I'm writing based on my own experiences and what I would want in a relationship with a non-ace person. Everyone is different, and there's a whole ace spectrum of people who may not relate to all of this.

Requests are open as always, so if you have any ideas feel free to send an ask ❤

#the maze runner #tmr minho #minho x you #minho x reader #tmr minho x reader #my writing

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starseneyes · 1 year

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Chenford REWIND- Lucy Chen / Tim Bradford - The Rookie - Season 4 Ep 21 & 22

Here's another pair of episodes that have been requested together a few times, now, so I'd love to answer the call!

SPOILER ALERT: If you hate spoilers, you'll hate this. Run away. Turn around. Scroll on by. If you do choose to enter in, I'm going to write this as though I were seeing the episodes for the first time, but I will be spoiling both these episodes and reference episodes leading up to it.

If you're ready to read, I'm ready to share. Let's dive in!

Mother's Day

"Mm, yeah, that's a hard pass. Look, I'm boycotting Mother's Day, but even if I wasn't, I really don't think this is the right time to meet your parents."

Lucy Chen putting up her walls and keeping the men she dates at arms' length is completely on-brand. We haven't even heard her call a guy she was seeing "boyfriend" to date on this show.

And with everything going on with her mother and her utter lack of support for her daughter, I don't blame her for not making a big deal out of Mother's Day.

Also, Chris, honey. It will never be the right time for Lucy to meet your parents because y'all ain't gonna last. Lucy is meant to be with Tim. You saw it, once, at the world's worst double date, but you've chosen to ignore it. So, you're a moron.

"I figured you'd say that. But they've been hounding me about meeting you for weeks."

Run, Lucy. Run. Because his parents sound as clingy as he is, and you do not need that drama in your life.

Your instinct is right not to want to meet his parents... maybe you don't need to continue knowing Chris, either. Just sayin'.

"Are you really freezing your mom out?" "I mean, I bought her flowers. I'm not an anarchist." "I'm thinking we just lock in the Hyatt. They have a lazy river, what else do you need?"

Oh, look. Tim and his Blonde Bitch and Lucy and her Dead Weight Puffin have run into each other in the station.

Last time the four of them were together, it looked like Chris and Ashley were mighty jealous of Tim and Lucy's connection. I mean, if I were sitting at a semi-romantic dinner next to the love of my life, I'd be distracted, too!

"You think I'd be sick of beaches, at this point, but it's gonna be awesome."

Watch how Lucy looks at her man (and I don't have to clarify which man in the scene, because y'all know how this goes).

She's looking at Tim like he's got a second head. Because there's no way this man is going to be happy going to the beach. He doesn't. like. SAND!!

"I gotta get to work." "Me, too. I'll walk out with you."

Good. You two can take a long walk together, realize you're perfect for one another, and leave Tim and Lucy the hell alone. Everybody wins! (especially us)

"Call me if you change your mind." "I'm not going to."

Love how he touches Lucy and she physically pushes him away. Like, back off, dude. When Lucy's mind is made up, it's made up.

"Change your mind about what?" "He wants me to meet his parents. So, uh, whose idea was Hawaii?" "Mine, I guess, why?" "

Nyla's arrival interrupts the thoughts, but we all know why. Tim Bradford is Tim Bradford-ing, again, and giving too much in a relationship. He hates sand! And he's suggesting they vacation... on an island.

But there's something else needling at her about this vacation...

"Are you proposing to Ashley?"

Look. At. Her. Face. Her face right before she asks. She's building up the courage to ask him this, because big Hawaii vacation is more than he ever did with Rachel, and it screams romance, right?

"What!?"

Cackling laughing at this. This is the furthest thing from his mind, right now. Yes, he's dating this... person... and they're doing dating people things. But, he's not even thinking about marrying her.

"Of course not. We've only been dating a few months."

This suggests that Tim Bradford likes to take things slow, and isn't in a rush when dating someone. But, the "of course not" shows that he thinks it should be obvious to Lucy.

"You might not be aware of some of the signals that you're sending." "What kind of signals?" "The kind that makes her get a manicure because she's assuming she'll be sending pictures of her hand to all her friends."

Tim looks terrified. Look, we all know Ashley is a placeholder girlfriend until Tim and Lucy get their act together. But he doesn't know that.

Tim is visibly shaken. His hand is unsteady on the wheel, he's looking back at Lucy repeatedly while stumbling through answering the call. Because he really never contemplating marrying this woman. Something in him knows she isn't the one.

*hint* The gorgeous, badass gal beside you with the sunshine-y personality and compassionate heart is right there. Might wanna ask her something sometime, eh?

"My abuela taught me the perfect curse to put on him."

I have to put this line in here for context. Yes, Angela is talking about Nyla's ex. But we now know that if you need a curse, Angela's your gal.

"When did hotels get this expensive?" "Oh, that's pretty good." "Seriously?" "Yeah, I mean, it's a nice hotel."

First off, Lucy is doing all the planning for any trips they take once they get their act together. Second, this kinda hurts. It drives home how long it's been since Tim's taken a romantic vacation.

We know that Tim remained faithful to Isabelle while she was missing. We know that they were together for a long time. But when did they stop going on vacation together? How long has it been?

Tim, you deserve to go on more romantic vacations... but not with Baywatch Reject, okay?

"Oh, you're going to Hawaii. Congratulations on your engagement." "Ah, told you." "I'm not getting engaged!" "Does your girlfriend know that?" "Yes. It's not an issue."

Annnnddd... another voice echoing the romantic vibe of Hawaii that lends to the expectation of engagement. I was rolling!

"Looks like you won't be the only one getting married." "What?" "Nothing. Ignore her."

I love the look that Angela and Lucy exchange, here. Much as there have to be bets rolling around about Chenford, I'm sure there are other bets, gossip, and secrets in that station.

Angela knows Tim better than most, but even she knows that Lucy could be onto something she's not. When this all started, Tim and Lucy had to hear about each other through the rest of the Station.

Now, they've got one another on speed dial and are the first to know what's going on with the other. So... maybe Tim is proposing.

"Ashley can't possibly think I'm proposing." "Why not? I mean, you're of a certain age-"

Tim's face on that had me rolling. We can estimate he's about 10-12 years older than Lucy. And that reaction was priceless.

"She is in her prime. I mean, on paper, it's, it's like a no-brainer. Okay, be honest. Can you see yourself married to her?"

He can't. We can see in his face right there that he really can't. And as the wheels are turning, something pops into his mind that sets him on edge. He glances over at Lucy and he nearly gulps.

Now, I can't tell you what he saw. I'm a Meta writer, not the show Writer or the actor. I can postulate all I like, but I don't know the answer here. But my guess? If he thinks of the future and being married again... he sees Lucy.

Because the person for him isn't the person he's dating. I truly believe he started this relationship with Ashley as a way to distance himself from his growing feelings for Lucy. He's burying them deep down, the same way he did his trauma with his father. And like his father, it's going to take an external force to bring it all to a head.

Lucy is trying to get Tim to talk this out, the way that she talks things out. But we can feel the edge to everything, here. She's not yet fully aware of what she feels, but it's there.

It's dripping in her hesitancy at first asking him if he's proposing, in her nervousness at his response to this question. Because if he's that serious about Ashley, there will never be room for them.

And as Lucy waits for her answer, Tim realizes he can't say the truth. So, he lies.

"Yeah. I can."

The cameras purposefully focus on Lucy, here. On her disappointment. On her sadness. Because, she's not ready to admit it, but she's falling for Tim.

Yes, she is with Chris for the same reason Tim is with Ashley. They both think the other isn’t an option (though for different reasons, at this point). They're both deflecting because they can't get hung up on something that'll never happen.

It's admirable, in a way. They're trying to be happy for the other person while hoping they'll pretend themselves into believing they're happy, too.

"I'm not expecting a proposal. I would say no if you asked."

Proving that everyone got into Tim's head, he addresses the issue with Ashley directly. But I don't think he expected this. Tim isn't ready to face his feelings for Lucy, but having this door shut is unexpected.

"I have no interest in every being married or having kids. I'm just not wired that way."

First of all, there is nothing wrong with being this way. Nothing at all. Some of my closest friends never wanted to be married or have kids, and as we near 40, they've stuck to that and are quite happy.

But there is something wrong with Tim being with someone like that. Because he wants the wife and kids.

Tim didn't have the stability of a safe and loving home, and he wants so badly to break the cycle and pass on a different legacy to his own kids.

Tim spots Lucy watching from the window, and he decides to turn the situation on his head. He's been stressed the eff out all day worrying about this. Now that he knows Ashley has zero interest in marriage, he has to have some fun.

Lucy's Heart Breaks

I don't think she knows until this moment just how deep it is, how she feels about Tim. She's known for a while that something was there—something that could never be.

But watching through the glass as he gets engaged to someone else... it hits so hard she can't ignore it. She can't pretend it away. She can't bounce back.

I've seen people say this is the moment for her—the moment she realizes she's falling for Tim. I go back and forth on it. Because she's known for a long time that she has a thing for Tim.

We saw back in 4x01 that she was totally ready to sleep with him. And while Lucy's confident in her sexuality, she doesn't sleep with just anyone. We know she doesn't do one night stands. She has her standards and sticks to them.

Even earlier in this episode, she can't be completely oblivious to how she feels when he says he can see himself marrying Ashley. No, I'd argue that Lucy has known since 4x01 that there was something there.

Is this a point of no return for her in terms of pretending? Yeah, I can go with that. Because in this moment, she can't shake it loose, and she can't move on. Tim is engaged and she's heartbroken, and they were never even really a thing, right?

So, is this the moment she realizes she has feelings for him? No. I think 4x01 sealed that up because she knew she was willing to sleep with him that night. But, is this the point of no return in terms of pretending not to have said feelings? Yeah, I can roll with that.

Chris approaches, and she keeps looking back at the parking lot, because that's where her mind is stuck.

"It's a good thing you didn't come because my mom, she drove me crazy."

Lucy offers a half-laugh. But she's visibly upset. She's so distracted that even Chris, Mr-Hums-THE-Song-And-Can't-Read-A-Room picks up on it.

"What's wrong?" "Nothing. I-"

Her phone goes off to the "GOT YOU!" message and now she's pissed. Because she's now had to deal with a slew of emotions striking her all at once, only to find out it was a joke.

"Could you just wait here. I need to go find Lopez and figure out how to put a curse on someone." "Yeah, right. Oh, you're serious."

"Serious as a heart attack", as they say. Tim screwed with her emotions, and she's pissed.

Day in the Hole

AKA "Finding Your New Favorite Flavor"

"Come on. We gotta get to work." "She'll be here." "Seriously, we gotta go." "She'll be here."

Mom and Dad waiting for their daughter to show up. Come on, you see it, too! Tim's back from his vacation with the Land of Sand, and we've thankfully left Lucy's jump-scare behind us.

Hopefully the curse doesn't work too well because Lucy might want things to not fall off in the future, if you know what I mean.

Lucy is applauding like a proud mother as Tamara nearly kills a couple people. Tim's glaring like a slightly-annoyed father. I love this family.

"My car was your first car." "I mean, if we're including cars I've stolen, this is probably like my fifth." "What?" "Joke!"

Yeah, you can't joke like that around your step-dad. Tim's a bit of a hard-ass, if you hadn't noticed.

"You are gonna take it to the mechanic though, right? You never know what these cars have been through." "Yeah, Tim set me up with his guy." "What, you did?" "Yeah." "Oh, you have a heart after all."

Mom and Dad... you're flirting in front of the kid. Like, Tamara's not the kind to go "ew", but, still. You might want to chill out considering you're still dating other people.

"Relax, ok? It was purely self-interest. You would be a total drag to ride with if she died in a fireball of mangled metal on the 405."

Did you hear how Lucy gave him that motherly "tsk" in the middle of this!? I've heard it a few times since in Season 5, but this is the first time I can remember it really standing out to me in previous seasons.

"Joke!"

Not your best first attempt at a dad joke, Timothy, but since it's you, we'll let it stand.

"Previous owner of your car is Jake Butler."

Can I say I love how Tamara kept picking things up off the desk (like a kid) and Lucy played the mother role by wordlessly taking each thing away all while continuing her work? Lucy is such a natural mom!

"Let's take a look at his mugshot... But." "What? What the what?!"

This next shot is GENIUS. I have no idea who came up with this (writer/director, etc), but it's genius. We go from the two shot of them looking at the monitor to a shot of Tim approaching.

He sees something that stops him in his tracks... and then we get to see it, too.

Half the station's gathered around Lucy's monitor. And each actor is giving an amazing performance, here. I've paused and played a million times to appreciate each one. Do it. You won't be sorry.

"What's going on?"

Cue everyone looking at Tim. Except Lucy. She's about a beat behind everyone else, which draws my eye to her, every time. And the music bumps up to give us an auditory transition.

"It's even more uncanny in real life."

Through a combination of swift transitions, body doubles, and Eric Winter being in two different positions, we get the treat of meeting... Jake Butler. Tim's doppleganger.

Come on, how much fun must this have been for Eric Winter to get to play this kind of character after playing Tim for so long? And my husband especially appreciated Jake's pot belly.

Yes, while he hasn't seen this show, Matthew is fairly well-versed in Chenford and my appreciation for Melissa O'Neil and Eric Winter as performers.

We get a bit of split screen at the end (throwing me back to my Parent Trap obsession as a kid... yes the one with Haley Mills. I'm old). And I'm frankly excited at all the different techniques in use for this episode when one actor has to be two characters simultaneously.

"He really doesn't look that much like me." "The hell he doesn't." "Not the brightest bulb, though." "Oh. Oh my god. It's Tim and Dim."

The ladies get a chuckle out of that, but Tim's nonplussed.

"Yo. This is blowing my mind. It's like we're looking in a fun-house mirror of handsome." "Sit down Dim... Jake."

I died laughing the first time I saw this. Lucy really got into his head on that one. But, knowing how easily Lucy can get into his head these days, it's no surprise.

"Have we met before?" "No. That I'd remember." "Oh, you would."

Even Tim's doppleganger is flirting with his girl! Yes, I've seen the episode and know that Dim should know why Lucy looks familiar. But it's funnier this way and just plays into what a dumbass Dim is.

"You just wanna see me pretend to be Dim." "Duh." "Fine. I'll do it." "Yes! Okay, okay."

Lucy is so excited she puts both hands on Tim to stop him in his tracks as he's walking.

"So, uh, we gotta dirty you up. And then we have to slick back your hair, because, you know, that guy was, like, kinda greasy." "You are enjoying this way too much." "Oh, and tattoos! We gotta get tattoos."

Lucy, Tim Bradford isn't your Ken doll. As much as we all know you'd like to practice dressing (okay... undressing) him.

"Rescue 1 status?" "Rescue 1. We're ready in 60 seconds."

How much do I love that Lucy is heading the team to protect her man? There's no way she's going to let anyone hurt Tim, but it also gives us the chance to see some worried Lucy.

Tim's been worried about Lucy going undercover so many times, but we've not really seen her worried before. The hit man UC before was fairly safe. He wasn't in any real danger.

This is different. This is a criminal on his turf with a long drop and plenty of armed guns standing by. Lucy's worried for her man.

"Get ready to breach." "If anyone lays a hand on our UC, you put them down."

Let's be real. Lucy and Angela are two of the most important people in Tim's life at work and outside of it. And here they are getting to be his guardian angels—his wife and his best friend. I love it.

"So, I had Dim's girlfriend picked up." "Okay. Why are you being weird?" "It's easier to show you."

We need Sava to know who is going to go undercover with Tim, right? As if things weren't weird enough with Tim's doppleganger, now we've got Lucy's.

Tim is inside and already waiting for her reaction. Now he gets some payback for how much she was ragging on him and his doppleganger. Tim's smiling like an idiot.

"Guess we know who's going undercover with Dim." "Yeah, Juicy." "No." "That's Juicy." "I don't like that."

Our babies get to go undercover as a couple! They spend so much bloody time trying to run from how they feel, and now they've gotta cozy up to one another and play boyfriend/girlfriend? Sign me up! I'm so ready to see this.

We know both of them are capable in the field, though Lucy's a little more natural on the fly. But getting to see them together's gonna be fire, right?

"If we're gonna make this work, our backstory's gotta be airtight."

Oh, Lucy, honey. I didn't mean actual fire. You've lit enough candles to send a beacon to all of LA more powerful than the Bat Signal.

Lucy brings Tim a beer. And while they've shared drinks before and he's been in her apartment before, I find this particular combination so very domestic. They're brainstorming on the couch instead of at the counter, and I think all of this ambiance shows how relaxed they are around one another.

But also that Lucy's a tiny bit horny. Look, we know she's in a committed relationship with Curried Goat Boy, but subconsciously Lucy has lit a hundred candles because she wants Tim Bradford.

Now, Lucy's not a cheating person. We know this (and I go into more depth in 5x01 Meta and beyond). But, some part of her is subconsciously excited to have Tim in her home and wants the ambiance to be just right.

"Agreed. So, um, how did Dim and Juicy meet." "At a barbecue." "That's lame."

Also, are there barbecues out in LA? Like, real barbecues where you smoke meat for hours at a time? Or is Tim talking about a cook out? They really are two different things... I'm from the South, so we're kinda weird about that.

Plus, when Tim first said it, I said, "Lame." So, I take a small bit of pride in being on the same page with Lucy on this one!

"Really? You think you can do better." "Watch me! Okay, so, um, you were on the run from the cops. A bank robbery gone wrong. You ended up in my building, frantic, looking for a place to hide. And I opened the door for you. I lied to the cops for you. And, ooh, and it got me so hot that we hooked up while they were still searching the building."

Tim's mouth has fallen so far open that we're halfway to his O face.

He's imagining every bit of that. Because, after all, he remembers better when he listens, right? And Lucy just took him through one heck of a journey that will be burned into his brain for a long time.

He's imagining every bit of it... especially that last part.

It takes a second for him to recover.

"Okay. That's, that's, that's pretty good, actually." "Thank you." "Mmhmm." *giggle*

His brain's moving, now, and he's overthinking. Because, what bad guy will ever say, "Kiss your girlfriend or I'll pop a cap in your ass!"?

Also, I love Lucy's giggle. There's an episode in Season 5 where I discuss it extensively, but I love how it makes an appearance, here, considering where this scene is headed.

"So, look, we, we should, we should probably, you know, talk about the elephant in the room." "Hmm?" "You know, if we're gonna sell that we are, you know, actually boyfriend and girlfriend, then we might have to, uh, you know?"

And Lucy does know. But she's having a lot of fun fucking around with Tim. Come on, the girl is so repressed in her feelings for him that she's never gotten to really poke at him this way. And she is loving it.

"Have to, have to what?" "We might have to, to." "Okay, okay. We might have to PDA?" "You know what, forget it." "No, no! Okay, you're right."

Lucy nearly touches Tim's hand before he moves it. They're still very careful about being physical with one another, partly because of the boundaries of their job, but also the personal boundaries they've set with one another.

Remember what I said in 4x01 about proximity making it harder to deny what they feel. They're sitting as far away from each other on the couch as they can, as it is.

"Yeah, you're right. I mean, if we're gonna, if we're gonna have to kiss it probably shouldn't be for the first time." "That's what I'm saying." "Right, yeah."

Because the baddies need to see you kissing, right? Like, isn't that what everyone does when they're engaged in criminal activity? Stop to make out?

Maybe James Bond does, sure, but actual baddies?

Whatever. I wanna see them kiss as much as the rest of you. So, let's see if they can get through the initial awkwardness to get the job done.

"Should we maybe, uh, should we stand?"

It cracks me up that this is so awkward for them. Just a few months earlier (show time) these two were considering the horizontal mambo in his bed, and now they can't even figure out how to get through one kiss.

When Tim makes the kissy face and she runs away, it cracks me up so much. I mean, nobody really kisses like that, first of all, and I'd probably die laughing, too.

Fishy face Tim is not his best look.

"We're professionals. Let's just get this done with." "Woah. Well that's romantic." "I'm not trying to be romantic." "Well, you're succeeding."

Tim and Lucy. Never change. Y'all are making me die laughing when normally I can't stand awkward scenes. But Tim and Lucy can be this frank with one another because neither thinks the other is an option.

Truly, that's what gives them all this freedom. They think the other person has zero interest. They each think it's all in their head. So, they can treat this little moment as something totally bizarre that they have to do for work.

Tim gives Lucy the most chaste-wouldn't-offend-my-Spanish-Catholic-grandmother kiss in the world. And he looks so damn proud of that tiny peck, too!

Lucy echoes all of our thoughts.

"I'm sorry. Is that it?" "You know what, if you're gonna criticize-"

Tired of talking, Lucy pulls him in with both her hands on his face. Their lips meet, and as soon as they do, Tim's hands instinctively go to her arms.

The kiss deepens as the camera shift around them, both of them leaning into one another as Lucy's right hand falls from Tim's face.

Their lips part briefly, the hint of a smile on Tim's lips as his hand settles on her shoulder. Lucy's left hand falls from his face.

This pause could have been the end of it. The second their lips parted, they had done the assignment. Case closed. Kiss achieved. Move on to the next thing.

But Tim and Lucy don't want to stop. Now that they're finally here, both of them want to keep going. Tim has her in his arms. She has her hands on his chest.

In this moment, they've forgotten the assignment. They've forgotten Chris and Ashley. This is the definition of "getting lost in the moment". Tim and Lucy are the moment.

Tim is a touching-foreheads kisser and a top-lip-lover. He goes for hers just as the door behind them opens.

You've. Been. Caught.

Lucy distances herself from Tim by pushing off of him with her hands. His left hand drops from her am as he literally runs to the wall to put distance between them.

"I should probably go."

I love Tamara. Like, she's not judging them in this moment, and she has absolutely no idea what is happening. But, she has to know that there's something between them just waiting to be unlocked.

"No. This is work. This is work."

Lucy spat it out the first time, but she says it again because, well, it's true. And she needs a way to explain this away. Not just to Tamara, but to herself.

"Yeah, yeah, we're, we're going undercover." "Hey, it's cool. I mean, you don't have to explain yourself. I should probably go." "No!" "No, I, I was just about to leave. You know what? No, I don't have anything."

Cackling. Dying. ROLLING the first time I heard that. Tim Bradford is so flustered he can't even remember if he brought anything in with him. And what would he be looking for, exactly? A file? Paperwork?

"I'll see you tomorrow." "Good work tonight. Ay."

Lucy. Chen. Did you really just say that? Even she can't believe she said that. But Tim is too flustered to call her out on it.

"Great work, as well. Bye."

Tim high-tails it out of there so fast. And Lucy lets him go. But why?

Because they both know what just happened wasn't some fluke. They both wanted it. They both felt it. And neither knows what would have happened if they hadn't been interrupted, but both knows that because they were... it's awkward.

Like, they could barely talk about having to kiss. How are they going to talk about the fact that it felt... real?

"I'm gonna go to my room." "Yeah, me, too."

Lucy can't talk about this. Tamara just walked in on her kissing a man who isn't the man she's dating. Not just thin-lipped kissing. We're talking mouths open, bodies touching, hunger growing kind of kissing. And it was with her boss.

And who is outside reeling? Tim Bradford. I love that the writers/director gave us this space to see how Tim feels. Because it would be so easy to dismiss this as a one-sided thing where the subordinate falls for her boss.

But Tim Bradford's been on his way down for a long time. He's been able to push it down, repeatedly. Even last episode when picturing his wife, he had to push Lucy down. I firmly believe it.

But tonight he kissed Lucy Chen. And she kissed back.

I used to think this was his moment of realization, but the more I've rewatched the episodes, I still think 4x01 was a huge revelatory moment for both of them that they've been pushing down and ignoring ever since. They never discussed it and they're both running from it.

This is the episode that makes it so much harder for Tim to run. He's been completely convinced his feelings were one-sided. But this is a hint to him that, maybe, he's wrong. Maybe, just maybe, she feels it, too.

Because she wasn't kissing him like a platonic coworker. She was breathing into him as much as he was breathing into her.

She didn't want to stop anymore than he did, and when Tamara walked in, they were both flustered. She felt it, too.

Yes, Tim's reeling from how he feels because he was smacked in the face with feels tonight. But he's also reeling from the fact that freaking Lucy Chen kissed him back.

"Hey." "Hey."

He was waiting for her. He's been thinking about this since last night, as has she. And he wants to talk to her before they head in.

"Listen, about-" "We should probably-" "Go ahead." "No, you go first." "You sure?" "Mmhmm." "Uh, okay. I just wanted to say..."

His eyes are so soft, here. Look at him. He's more of a show guy, but he's trying to find his words. And Lucy Chen's looking at him so expectantly.

And he chickens out.

"We need more work on our backstory. Give it more depth. Key moments. You know?" "Yeah, we, uh, we could take the morning, you know, while we're waiting for Hajick to call." "Great." "Great."

Look, obviously it's the Season 4 finale and they needed to drag this out more. But there are also a host of obstacles between Tim and Lucy, and he's not entirely sure of how he feels.

Having the night to think has also lead to time for him to doubt. He's doubting his own memories. Maybe it was the beer. Maybe the adrenaline. Maybe it meant something to him and nothing to her.

So, he chickens out. But Lucy doesn't know that. All she knows is that Tim wanted to talk to her, but it wasn't what she'd hoped to hear... so she shoves her feeling back down.

They're both in a point of mad denial. But, I think this episode was a turning point for them because it marks the end of them being able to pretend with themselves.

Yes, they'll still pretend with one another because they care so much about each other that they want the other to be happy, no matter what.

But, within their hearts both Tim and Lucy know there's something there that cannot be ignored any longer. Tim longs for Lucy. Lucy yearns for Tim. And until they start actually talking about all this, that's where they'll stay.

As always, thank you for reading! Please keep the requests coming! It rained all day, the kids had a rainy-weather fun day indoors, Matt has a cold, and I'm still nursing the back thing. So, writing this was a great distraction.

I really appreciate y'all reading and going on this journey with me. Next one'll likely be for Tuesday night's fresh airing of 5x13. But I'll try to get to more requests on the flipside! Stay safe out there.

#Chenford #Lucy Chen #Tim Bradford #Melissa O'Neil #Eric Winter #The Rookie #Lucy x Tim #Tim x Lucy #Meta

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