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zepskies · 10 months

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This is more of a Sam and Dean request than a reader and Dean request but what about Sam having a crush on Dean's gf? How would he react to that, I am honestly CRAVING angst and this is the angstiest, is that a word, thing I could think of, I am so sorry if you don't like angst or this makes you uncomfortable!!!

Oh my God. You killed me with this one, hun. 😫😫 I have another SB imagine coming next week, but I thought I'd put out this one for Dean to break it up a bit.

Pairing: Dean W. x Reader, one-sided Sam W. x Reader Word Count: 1,500

Imagine: You are Dean's one exception.

Sam knows it's wrong.

You're smart, with a degree in history that aids them well on hunts.

You're sharp, with a smart mouth that rivals Dean's (and keeps him on his toes).

But you're also kind. You take care of him and Dean with all the feminine grace and care they've never had in their lives.

Sam realizes it when he's up until 3 a.m. in the bunker's War Room. He's sat at the table, researching, eyes bleary, hands cramping from turning pages. And he finds a mug of hot tea sliding next to his idle hand on the table.

You're there with a smile and a hand on his shoulder. "Workin' hard or hardly working?"

Sam clears his throat and nods, chuckles a little. "I'm good." He eyes the mug. "Thanks, though I might need something stronger."

You eye him with gentle reproach. "Nope. Green tea is better for you this late at night. You really should go to sleep, Sam."

Sam tacitly agrees, but only because he can feel the warmth of your hand through his clothing, and it makes his face warmer than the tea. He watches you walk away, notices the curve of your ass in those little shorts. He can imagine your warm hands on his body, caressing him. He can imagine letting his lips graze your skin, exploring you, then devouring you.

And that's when his thoughts stutter to a halt. Sam inwardly cringes.

Despite his sleep-deprived brain, he's reminded that you're traveling down the hall to the room you share with his brother, and for Sam, it's nothing short of torture.

Because he realizes then that he isn't just fond of you. He doesn't love you like an older brother, or even a quasi-brother-in-law. He wants you.

Again, Sam knows it's wrong...but he can't help it. It's one of the saddest cliches in the fucking book. You're his brother's girl, and he wants you for himself.

And it's getting harder to hide it from Dean. They know each other too well -- a result of having no one but each other, but more practically, having lived in such close quarters for so long before they discovered the bunker.

When Sam gets hurt on a hunt, the cut is at a bad angle. He can't quite reach, so you dutifully come around and gently move his hand out of the way to do the stitch yourself. You tsk at him in playful disappointment. "I swear, it's a wonder you and Dean aren't walking patchwork quilts at this point."

Sam chuckles through his nose, wincing when the movement pulls on the stitch. You shoot him a stern look. "Stop moving."

"You're the one making me laugh!" he says, smiling incredulously.

"I don't accept excuses," you retort. "Keep still, please."

"Yes, ma'am," Sam says, his breath hitching for a different reason as he feels your soft hands along his side. He plays it off as pain. "Sorry," you murmur more sincerely. He tells you it's okay. His gaze flicks up, unconsciously finding Dean's face across the room.

He's just finished cleaning a cut on his hand. But he's been watching; Sam can tell. Dean's too perceptive not to notice Sam's discomfort. He probably even knows why. Sam can see a glint of it in Dean's eyes, the stoic front of his face.

"There we go!" you say in satisfaction, and you pat Sam's bare arm. He gives you a wan smile. "Thanks."

"You done, sweetheart?" Dean asks. You get up from your seat by Sam. "What do you need?" you ask.

"You. Come 'ere," he says with a smile, giving you a beckoning finger. "I felt that knot on the back of your head earlier. Think you're slick?"

You huff, but you also smile, in the way you only do for Dean. Sam watches you get up and go to Dean, who touches your cheek, stroking with a thumb first. Then he parts your hair to inspect the back of your head, and you wince a bit. You did fall pretty hard, now that Sam thinks of it. He frowns.

Dean lets out a deep breath. "You've got a nasty bump. You're taking it easy tonight, got it?"

"Yeah? Gonna help me relax?" you whisper. But Sam still hears you, because apparently no one taught you how the hell to whisper.

Dean smirks. "Watch it. I'll think you're flirting with me."

You give him a coy smile as your hand travels up his chest, between the open edges of his plaid shirt, then all the way down, to tease at his belt. "Believe me, when I do, you'll be the first one to know."

Dean's smirk deepens, but his eyes are softer. He closes a hand around yours and brings it to his lips. You lean up and request, wordlessly, for a kiss. Dean obliges you, capturing your lips with a soft kiss.

He eventually breaks from you, only to press his lips to your forehead next, closing his eyes with a sigh. He doesn't like it when you try to hide your injuries from him. You just don't want him to worry so much.

You smile and rest against his chest afterwards. It's clear as day what your heart holds.

It's hard for Sam to watch. His throat constricts, but he takes pains to avert his gaze.

He's so full to the brim with this that he sees no other recourse. He catches Dean alone in the kitchen and tries to make a confession. "Dean, we need to talk."

"Can it wait 'til I'm done?" Dean's plating up some stovetop mac and cheese -- your favorite.

"You're done cooking," Sam points out. Dean looks up at him. "We're doing a little dinner in bed situation. I made her promise to take it easy."

Sam admires the way Dean takes care of you. He really does. But it's also like a small oyster knife twisting in his gut. "Good. I'm glad," is all he says. "Yeah, we can talk later."

"Later" doesn't come for a long time. Weeks, in fact. But every time he tries to broach the problem, Dean finds a way to wiggle out of having the conversation. Always a distraction. A hunt. A fire you almost started in the kitchen. Being "in the middle" of something -- something in the bedroom that you insist needs Dean's immediate attention. Sam gives up for a while after that.

But Winchesters are nothing if not goddamn stubborn. Sam finally catches Dean alone in his room for once. You've gone to the grocery store, leaving the brothers alone in the bunker, but not for long, so Sam needs this chance.

"Dean, can we talk?"

Dean looks up at his brother from where he sits on the edge of his bed. He taps his knee, releases a breath. They both know what this is.

"Are you gonna do more than talk?" Dean asks. It's not what Sam expects. "What?"

"Whatever's on your mind, are you ever gonna do something about it?" Dean asks.

Sam stares back at his brother. He thinks. Hard. He's flipped back and forth for months. If he tells you how he feels, it's over. Things will never be the same between the three of you. It'll confuse you. It might even hurt you. It'll hurt Dean. Sam loves you both, if in very different ways.

So Sam is a bit deflated when he raises his resigned gaze and meets his brother's. "No."

After a moment, Dean nods. "Then we've got nothing to talk about."

But... Sam wants not to want you. Not to love you. Deep, deep down, a large chunk of him feels that he shouldn't have to hide himself. That you have a right to know the depths of what he feels, and what he feels for you.

"I see you're not convinced," Dean says dryly. Sam is silent, until Dean sighs and beckons him over. Sam obliges and sits down next to his older brother, the man he's looked up to (at least metaphorically) his whole life.

"I'd give my life for you. You know that. Right, Sammy?" Dean says. "If I couldn't tear the world apart, I'd lay myself out flat."

Sam sighs. "Dean..." Of fucking course he knows that. Dean already had given his life for him once. Remembering that only adds to Sam's guilt.

Dean meets Sam's gaze directly then. "But this is where I draw the line. She's my line," he says. His face is almost stoic, but his eyes are filled with unyielding fire. "I'm not layin' down on that. Not for you. Not for anyone."

Sam's heart clenches with every kind of pain, but he's also never respected his brother more. He nods. "I get it."

"No, you really fucking don't," Dean says. He's more than serious. "I mean it, Sam. I'll break your damn nose."

After a long moment, Sam nods. He knew Dean loved you. Of course he did. But this is the first time Sam truly understands how deeply. How completely. It's more than jealousy can fathom.

Sam realizes then that he lost, even before he began.

AN: Whew! 😮‍💨 I got way deeper into this than I expected to. Poor Sam. 😭 But I hope this scratched your angsty itch, my dear!

Read the Sequel

Here's the requested sequel to this: Sam crosses the line.

Also, if you want to read the reverse of this (Dean is in love with Sam's girlfriend): Dean gives you an impossible choice.

Dean Winchester Imagines

Dean Winchester Masterlist

Main Masterlist

Dean Tag List:

@hobby27 @this-is-me19 @kazsrm67 @letheatheodore @agothwithheavysetmakeup @jacklesdeanvessel @foxyjwls007 @wincastifer @ades106 @emily-winchester @deans-baby-momma @melancholictearz @luvs4dria @nic-kolas @katherineann83 @sleepyqueerenergy @wayward-lost-and-never-found @tipthejar @ajjustice @thewritersaddictions @samanddeaninatrenchcoat @deanwanddamons @antisocialcorrupt @adoringanakin

@theonlymaninthesky @teehxk @midnightmadwoman @mrshalverson2021 @iprobablyshipit91 @agalliasi @venicesem @waters-2567 @chriszgirl92 @lyarr24 @ladysparkles78 @solariklees @xsophianicolex @deansbbyx @mimaria420 @candy-coated-misery0731 @curlycarley @sarahgracej @bagpussjocken @ultrahviolentart @beskarfilms @skyesthebomb @deans-spinster-witch @tmb510 @iamsapphine

#ask me stuff #dean winchester #dean winchester imagine #being deans one exception #sam in love with deans girlfriend #sam winchester #sam winchester imagine #sam and dean #angst #unrequited love #dean winchester x reader #dean winchester x female reader #dean winchester x you #dean winchester fic #spn #supernatural #zepskies answers

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reasonsforhope · 7 months

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"Lead is a neurotoxin; it causes premature deaths and lifelong negative effects. It’s said “there is no safe level of lead exposure” — as far as we know, any lead causes damage, and it just gets worse the more exposure there is.

After a 20-year, worldwide campaign, in 2021 Algeria became the final country to end leaded gasoline in cars — something the US phased out in 1996. That should make a huge difference to environmental lead levels. But lots of sources remain, from car batteries to ceramics...

Bangladesh phased out leaded gasoline in the 1990s. But high blood lead levels have remained. Why? When researchers Stephen Luby and Jenny Forsyth, doing work in rural Bangladesh, tried to isolate the source, it turned out to be a surprising one: lead-adulterated turmeric.

Turmeric, a spice in common use for cooking in South Asia and beyond, is yellow, and adding a pigment made of lead chromate makes for bright, vibrant colors — and better sales. Buyers of the adulterated turmeric were slowly being poisoned...

But there’s also good news: A recent paper studying lead in turmeric in Bangladesh found that researchers and the Bangladeshi government appear to have driven lead out of the turmeric business in Bangladesh.

How Bangladesh got serious about lead poisoning

The researchers who’d isolated turmeric as the primary cause of high blood lead levels —working for the nonprofit International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh — went to meet with government officials. They collected samples nationwide and published a 2019 follow-up paper on the extent of the problem. Bangladesh’s Food Safety Authority got involved.

They settled on a two-part approach, starting with an education campaign to warn people about the dangers of lead. Once people had been warned that lead adulteration was illegal, they followed up with raids to analyze turmeric and fine sellers who were selling adulterated products.

They posted tens of thousands of fliers informing people about the risks of lead. They got coverage in the news. And then they swept through the markets with X-ray fluorescence analyzers, which detect lead. They seized contaminated products and fined sellers.

According to the study released earlier this month, this worked spectacularly well. “The proportion of market turmeric samples containing detectable lead decreased from 47 percent pre-intervention in 2019 to 0 percent in 2021,” the study found. And the vanishing of lead from turmeric had an immediate and dramatic effect on blood lead levels in the affected populations, too: “Blood lead levels dropped a median of 30 percent.”

The researchers who helped make that result happen are gearing up for similar campaigns in other areas where spices are adulterated.

The power of problem-solving

...When the Food Safety Authority showed up at the market and started issuing fines for lead adulteration, it stopped being a savvy business move to add lead. Purchasers who were accustomed to unnatural lead-colored turmeric learned how to recognize non-adulterated turmeric. And so lead went from ubiquitous to nearly nonexistent in the space of just a few years.

That’s a better world for everyone, from turmeric wholesalers to vulnerable kids — all purchased at a shockingly low price. The paper published this month concludes, “with credible information, appropriate technology, and good enough governance, the adulteration of spices can be stopped.”

There’s still a lot more to be done. India, like Bangladesh, has widespread adulteration of turmeric. And safety testing will have to remain vigilant to prevent lead in Bangladesh from creeping back into the spice supply.

But for all those caveats, it’s rare to see such fast, decisive action on a major health problem — and impressive to see it immediately rewarded with such a dramatic improvement in blood lead levels and health outcomes. It’s a reminder that things can change, and can change very quickly, as long as people care, and as long as they act."

-via Vox, September 20, 2023

#lead #lead poisoning #turmeric #bangladesh #south asian food #south asia #public health #public safety #government #good news #hope

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tiredfox64 · 22 days

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May i make a request? So pretty much fem reader is a a kill for hire, (with morals) no innocents etc) and liu kang sand either bi han kuai and smoke, or kung lao and raiden, to recruit her, they watch,as she asks all bubbly and sweet to lure in her tagret only to kill them easily, posion or something?. They ofc fall in love XD

She Would Hurt A Fly

Prior notes: You not one of my opps trying to convict me of something, right? FBI already trying to get me after my constant research on Datura. Don’t put me in jail for making a murder scene 👁️👁️.

Pairing: Lin Kuei Bros x Afab reader

Warnings‼️: Violence but you will learn something about pigs.

“You want us to fetch…her?” Bi-Han asked with uncertainty.

All the brothers looked down at a picture of you that was given to them by Liu Kang. No offense but you seem like some ordinary person. But according to Liu Kang you are a tricky woman who is a fierce killer. That can’t be right.

“She looks so sweet though.” Tomas said.

“Do not judge, lest ye be judged.” Liu Kang replied.

“You said she was an assassin that can be hired? If you have the Lin Kuei at your side, why would you need someone else like her that you have to pay for?” Kuai Liang had a point.

“Though true that I have your clan by my side, she can do something none of you were trained to do. I don’t question the Lin Kuei’s abilities but I need someone with her unique expertise.”

Liu Kang’s words only fueled their curiosity even more. Bi-Han was somewhat upset with the god for thinking that he needs someone else other than his clan. But if his words are true he wants to see it for himself. So they’ll accept this quest to get you. They won’t act immediately however. They need to see if you are truly needed. What can you do that is so different?

══💤══╡°˖✧🦊✧˖°╞══💤══

Target acquired. Your target: a lowlife scum who is somehow let free after committing his heinous crime. People talk, and they all think he somehow paid the judge for his freedom. Some even think he had the justice system by the balls way earlier than when he committed the crime. And you were hired to kill him in any way you see fit. You would have done this job for free but your clients insisted that you deserve the pay. Work your magic girl! You have an audience with you now that you don’t even know about.

Bi-Han, Kuai Liang, and Tomas hide in the bushes and behind trees to keep an eye on you. It looked they were just stalking a poor woman who was having some car problems in front of her farm home. You could have fooled anyone.

“Should we help her?” Tomas asked.

“Do we look like mechanics, Tomas? Do us a favor and keep your mouth shut.” Bi-Han berated him.

“Settle down, brother. You are only irritated because she has not done anything yet. How about we approach her now and-“ Kuai Liang was cut off when he heard you yell out to someone. All their heads turned to see what you were going on about. Time for action.

You were waving over your target and started asking for help. You acted like a clueless damsel in distress. A poor woman who can’t get her truck to start working.

“Please sir, I need your help. My car is acting all strange. Please sir, I’d really appreciate it.” You gave him your sweetest voice while looking up at him with puppy dog eyes.

Who could say no to a face like yours. He accepted which made you jump for joy and clap your hands. That wasn’t fake you were just happy that he accepted in the first place, already making the job go smoothly. Your target had no idea what he was walking into. Hell, he even thought the same thing that you were making this too easy for him. It would be him who will fall victim to you.

You kept your act going. You asked dumb questions about the car and acted all sweet when he corrected you about something. Yet you were only pissing Bi-Han off even more. He wanted to yell at you to do something else. Kill him already. The brothers were all missing the point that this was how you do your. The fact is you lure your targets in. Give them a false sense of security before striking them down. They only know how to sneak up and strike when the opportunity opens up. You just have more patience than them. They don’t have to wait any longer because now you are striking.

You offered to get the man a drink for being so kind to you. He accepted of course. You were quick with getting him a cup and you passed it to him. He looked at you strangely as he looked down into the cup with blue liquid inside of it. He asked you what was inside. You reassured him it was just Calypso lemonade, nothing bad. Well, he trusted you. You built his trust up before, why would a sweet and bubbly lady like you mess with a man’s drink?

He gulped it down quickly and immediately he started reacting. The brothers turned their full attention onto him. Alright, so maybe you weren’t so truthful. Maybe you put in some drain cleaner that was a similar color to the lemonade. Maybe, just maybe. They watched him stubble away from you while holding his throat.

“What’s happening? Did she do something?” Tomas asked, convinced he blinked and missed what you did.

“I don’t know. He just started coughing.” Kuai Liang might not know but Bi-Han suspected there was something else they weren’t thinking of.

Of course you won’t stab a man in broad daylight. You’re a professional. And then it clicked.

“Poison”

“What was that?” Both brothers asked Bi-Han.

“She has clearly poisoned him. The fool was too stupid to realize she was luring him in.” Bi-Han wants to act like he wasn’t doubting you just a few moments ago.

“I’m a no-rust-build-up woman, myself.” You declared to the guy as you watched him crawl away from you, still keeping up that sweet voice.

And just like that he was gone. No blood left over or screams to already anyone else. A quick yet painful death for him and a job well done. Now to dispose of the body.

You left quite an impression on the boys. Kuai Liang finds your tactic to be effective. You fooled them all and he find that incredible. Tomas thinks you would be amazing as a huntress. You have the patience and the sneakiness to be one. He wouldn’t mind learning a thing or two from you. And Bi-Han…what the fuck is he doing.

“Brother, are you…smiling?” Kuai Liang looks confused and Tomas seems horrified.

Bi-Han doesn’t say a word, only hums in response. He’s smiling as he watches you drag the body over the pig pen. This isn’t like a smile one does when they are day dreaming about their crush. No, this is a smile that says he likes you but not in the right ways. A closed-mouth smile that shows no warmth but a devilish desire.

You are a deceitful woman who has tricked all. You trap your victims by giving them a false sense of security. You leave no evidence and do it silently so no one would know. You are leaving that man’s family clueless of his demise. You are wicked and he likes that a lot.

Again he’s not alone in that. Tomas would like to get close to you just to learn your tricks as well. Maybe see if that persona is actually you or just some trick. Either way he wants to get to know you. Kuai Liang is awed by intellect and you have sure shown that by your well constructed plan. He can see why you are even worthy of hiring. You do it so effortlessly it makes your beauty pop out more. We got some bachelors over here.

“Should we go up to her now and tell her Lord Liu Kang’s proposal?” Tomas stepped in front of Bi-Han when asking that question. The only response he got was Bi-Han’s hand in his face, pushing him away so Bi-Han could keep looking at you.

They’ll wait this out a bit. At least it will give you enough time to dump the body into the pig pen and feed your poor, hungry pigs. They can stomach it.

══💤══╡°˖✧🦊✧˖°╞══💤══

You were brought before Lord Liu Kang who told you he would like to have you around. It was a big shock to you. A god wants to hire you? Slap that on your resume immediately.

You accepted the offer quickly. You thanking him for seeing that you are a good person at heart and only try to kill those who deserve such a fate. An antihero if you will. And hey, you have the chance to meet some new people now. Bi-Han, Kuai Liang, and Tomas seem to be really interested in getting to know you.

Liu Kang was very suspicious of their intentions though. Mostly Bi-Han since he still had that devilish smirk on his face as he stared at you. He hasn’t even talked he just keeps giving off that low hum. Something is off. Maybe he won’t have you train with the Lin Kuei.

“Perhaps I shall send you to the Wu Shi Academy. They might be a better fit for you.” Liu Kang said in perfect earshot of the brothers.

A collective ‘no’ rang out from them which told you and him everything. They like you, they like your skills. They just won’t have any drink you give them. Especially not a Calypso.

After notes: Heathers is free on YouTube. It’s really important you know that. Might give a hint on how I thought of this. Might also be craving a Calypso badly. That Southern Peach gets me.

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beenbaanbuun · 26 days

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comfort human w/ yeosang

——————————————————————————

Everything felt bad

You couldnt really describe it any other way. The way the rain pounded against your window in a way that was so repetitive it hurt your head was bad. The way the usually soft wool of your cardigan rubbed the same spot on your arm over and over and over again was bad. The way your socks constricted your toes was bad.

You would smell the meal you’d cooked earlier, the smell making you want to gag. You’d tried disguising it with a candle, but the sweet scent mixed with the crackle of the wick was enough to make you put it out after just a few minutes. You were left with an even worse mixture of burnt candle and meat and you wanted more than to plug your nose.

If you could, you would simply live in a vacuum. There would be no input from the outside world. Nothing but silence and pressure and the sweet nothingness that would come with being alone… truly alone.

Of course, that wasnt feasible. You didn't know where to find a room where ‘nothing’ existed and so you were left in this limbo where you felt too uncomfortable to exist yet you couldnt do anything about it. You were stuck, living a life that you simply couldn’t live without wanting to tear every folicle of hair from your head.

You recalled having a conversation with your boyfriend about it the first time he ever found you in this state. Yeosang had been nothing but kind, as he usually was, and had sat and listened to you complain about everything for what felt like hours. He didn't say anything, just let you talk and cry and release every negative emotion you had about, well, everything onto him.

He claimed to not know how to help the first time it happened, but him being there was enough. He didnt speak, didnt touch, but you knew he was there and that seemed to make life seem just a little bit easier.

The second time it happened around him, it turned out he’d done his research. Overstimulation was what he called it, and he pulled up his notes app on his phone to show you a long list of things that might help. He let you look through it, picking and choosing the ones you thought might make you feel a little better. Yeosang let you know with a kind smile that if they didnt work then you’d never have to do them again if you didnt want to.

By the end of that evening, there was a smile on your face and the sound of the cars passing by outside no longer made your teeth ache.

In the end, you’d decided that it was Yeosang that helped the most. As long as he was there with his familiar scent and comforting warmth, there was nothing that could truly bother you. That’s what made this all the more difficult.

Yeosang was home right now, with his members at their dorm, but that wasn't always the case. Sometimes he was half the world away and you had to navigate this whole thing by yourself. Of course, your insanely methodical boyfriend had come up with a system to help when he couldnt be with you - a weighted blanket sprayed with his cologne. You had to admit, it helped a little, but nothing could compare to having him by your side. Nothing made you feel as good as when Yeosang was lying next to you.

Tonight, the blanket wasn't working at all. You’d pulled it on top of yourself in the hope that you wouldn’t have to disrupt the games night Yeosang was having with his members. Perhaps it was the fact you knew he was so close that was making it feel worse. Why should you settle for a blanket when your boyfriend was nothing more than a 10 minute drive away from you?

It was selfish, you told yourself. Yeosang didn't exist for the sole purpose of making you feel better. He had his own life outside of your meltdowns, and he’d been so excited for this games night for so long. You wouldn’t forgive yourself if you interupted that.

So you lay there, a pillow grasped tightly around your ears to try and block out the sound of the rain. You were naked, having removed any fabric that might irritate your sticky skin. The blanket was pulled up to your neck,and if it werent for the worry of suffocating yourself, you wouldve had it over your head. All the lights were off and your phone was lay face down on your nightstand. It wasnt anything close to the vacuum that you truly desired, but it was as close as you would get.

So you lay there, everything hurting as you tried to block out the world around you. It wasnt really working but you had to try. You had to-

Your phone rang out through the dark room. It was on do not disturb, but there was still one person you’d allowed to bypass it. Yeosang was calling you.

Your body jolted as you sprung up, desperately feeling around for your phone in the dark room. Your hand eventually found the vibrating object and you turned it towards you. The bright light made you flinch, but you ignored it, desperate to hear your boyfriends voice.

“Baby?” He breathed out as soon as you accepted the call. He sounded panicked, and your mind began to spin. What could’ve happened to make him ring you in such a frantic state?

“Yeosang,” you responded, voice quiet, “is everything okay?”

Your boyfriedn breathed out what you assumed was a sigh of relief.

“Thank God you're okay,” he said, “I’ve been texting you for hours but you hadnt responded. I just needed to know that everything was okay.”

‘Selfish,’ your mind told you. ‘You made him worry about you just because the rain was too loud? You’re a bad girlfriend.’

“Sorry, Yeosang,” you replied, “I just fell asleep.”

He sighed into the phone and you could tell he didn't believe you. Fuck. Now he knew you were lying to him. Trust you to make everything worse.

“Baby,” he grabbed your attention, “I’m going to ask you how you are, and you’re going to tell me the truth, okay? Whatever it is, you can tell me.”

And you knew that. You could always tell Yeosang anything, but that didn't mean you should. It didn't mean that you weren't being selfish when he inevitably left the games night to comfort you instead. You wished there was a way out of this whole thing, but there wasn't.

“I’m not good,” you said. It was the truth, plain and simple, and you knew Yeosang would appreciate that, even if it only made the self-resentment that had been building within you, grow. “I just - I feel really bad, Sangie.”

Silence. Thats all you could hear. You had to assume that he’d muted the call on his side since he hadn't ended it. You wanted to know why, your eyes watering at the thought of what he might be saying to his members behind your back. It was just the anxiety talking, you reminded yourself. It didn't help.

The first thing you heard when he unmuted it was the jingling of car keys ahnd him saying one last goodbye to his members. There was a chorus of ‘goodbye’s back and then the door shut.

“I’m going to stay on the line with you, okay?” You hummed an affirmation. “I know that if I dont then you’ll somehow manage to convince yourself that you’re the devil incarnate, and I cant have my angel thinking that about themself, can I?”

“You really don’t have to,” you whimper, not wanting to inconvenience him any further.

“Oh shush,” he grumbles as his engine roars to life, “you know I'd give the world for you.”

#ateez x reader #ateez fanfic #ateez oneshot #ateez fluff #ateez scenarios #ateez fic #yeosang oneshot #yeosang fluff #yeosang x reader

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1for5 · 24 days

Text

yes im changing

paige bueckers x reader

(paige x uconn psychology student!reader)

masterlist

synopsis: with y/n being in a new environment, still facing rejection, how can she bounce back?

chapter 3

oh no it is. aubrey’s new roommate is the girl paige.. you know..

“oh hey” y/n said awkwardly. “hi! im aubrey, im sorry about earlier..” aubrey replied and apologized. “oh no it’s okay, i just got hurt and im already so tired from today” y/n gave her a comforting smile.

after about an hour, getting unready, aubrey and y/n meet again in the living room. both of them cant sleep, both from excitement to start a new year. they got to learn more about each other other, and they started to feel less awkward.

“oh yeah i know the girl you were with earlier, we see her often, i think shes the daughter of coach’s friend” aubrey mentioned peyton. “ah yeah she told me! shes also freshman in psychology with me” y/n replied. “thats cool! she can bring you to our games and support us huskies!” aubrey said.

“we will see, since i just really focus on my academics this year. plan to get high grades and transfer to stanford. got rejected but its my ultimate dream” y/n sighed. she then talked about stanford more and her father. aubrey comforted her, saying “im so sorry, im always here for you! reach for that goal, im sure your father is proud of you. but in the meantime, dont worry, uconns got you!”

the two got sleepy and head off to bed. y/n felt happy as she felt more relieved with choosing uconn. she closed her eyes, getting rest for the next day.

next day; first day of actual school

“you guys will make your own research, anything about psychology, i want to see your passion and skills. research has to be done by the end of the semester, but we will have working sessions mixed with the lectures so i know you guys have progress.” the professor said.

it was y/n’s first class, and she got bombed with this? i mean yeah, she could do it, but it just suprised her as it was the first thing her professor said. and plus, what topic could she even work on?

after classes, peyton invited y/n to watch basketball training with her. y/n insisted but peyton really wanted to watch her “crush.” y/n nodded her head, and just thought that she could use her laptop, thinking about what her research should be about.

when they went into the court, aubrey saw y/n and waved at her, paige and the others looking confused, but y/n just shrugged it off and heard aubrey explaining to her team that they are roommates. on the other hand, peyton was getting excited and pointed at azzi. “she is sooooo pretty. ive been crushing on her ever since my dad bought me to their game. she’s a sophomore” peyton exclaimed. y/n teased her for a bit, and then she pulled out her laptop.

she didnt know what topic to use, and when she heard the basketball team talk about their homework, she got an idea.

a comparative research on the academic resilience of students and student-athletes in the university of connecticut.

#paige bueckers #paige bueckers x reader #paige bueckers fic

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mountttmase · 3 months

Text

Winter Sun - Chapter 6

Note - happy valentines guys 🥺 the second to last chapter I actually can’t believe it like how did we get here. I know a lot of you have been dreading this moment and won’t actually read it until next week but I hope you enjoy and I’m sorry in advance 😌🩷 I know it’s not the best thing to read on a day like today but I would love some feedback so please let me know what you think if you’d like to 🩷

Pairing - Mason Mount × Reader

Word count - 8k

Warnings - series will contain fluff, smut & angst

Masterlist

Waking up wrapped up in Masons arms wasn’t something you ever pictured at the start of this holiday. Another rule broken but you could look past this one.

He was adorable, his hair a mess as it fell over his forehead making him look even more boyish and charming than usual and his eyebrows were pinched together making him almost look irritated but it was his pretty pink pout you loved the most. Wanting to reach down so you could kiss him properly but you knew you shouldn’t.

As quickly and as quietly as you could, you got yourself out of his grip and made your way back to your room. Popping a gentle kiss on his head as you did so before getting ready for your last day by the pool. You wanted to get there a little earlier today just in case Ben was waiting for you and your suspicions were confirmed when you found him outside already.

‘You all ready for your lesson, y/n?’ Ben smiled as soon as you stepped outside and you nodded at him shyly.

Truth be told, you were a little apprehensive about coming out here today after the drama of yesterday. Not wanting everyone to look at you sympathetically or for anyone to make a fuss but thankfully it was just Ben and Woody out here for the moment and when the latter sent you a bright smile you returned it.

‘I think so’

‘Good I was researching all night and I think I’ve devised the perfect lesson’ he smiled proudly so after a big deep breath you made your way to the steps of the pool and Ben came to stand next to you. ‘It’s not so deep just here, should come to your waist so you’ll be alright’ he smiled but when he held his hand out you took it before following him into the pool.

You felt your knees shake a little with each step you took but soon enough you’d made it all the way down and Ben was right, the water was just past your waist and you felt like half the battle was done already.

You started off holding onto the sides, letting your body float with a little help from Woody before you could do it on your own and you began to kick your legs.

‘What’s going on out here?’ You suddenly heard, looking up to see Mason stood just outside the door with an unreadable expression on his face.

‘Swimming lesson’ Ben told him, looking up at him nervously as they hadn’t spoken since Mason snapped at him yesterday but you knew Mason couldn’t stay mad at him for long.

Mason didn’t answer, just nodded his head once before walking back inside and you felt your heart sink. He hadn’t even looked at you before going in and you wondered if you should follow him in but Ben was ready for the next part of your lesson so you just ignored it for now.

You and Ben were surprised at how quickly you managed to pick up the basics but no one was more surprised than Carly. Excitedly squealing as you showed her your new tricks before grabbing her phone to take some photos in order to commemorate the big moment.

Mason still hadn't come back outside even after everyone else had and once your lesson was over and once you’d dried off you still couldn’t find him inside anywhere but when you came outside again there he was sat. All on his own on the table to the opposite side of where the pair of you could normally be found.

You wanted to speak to him but his attitude this morning was making you feel unsure of yourself until you gave yourself a pep talk. This was Mason, the boy who kissed you like you were his own yesterday and whose arms you fell asleep in last night so you shook yourself off and made your way over to him.

‘Mase?’ You asked, standing in front of him so that he’d look at you and when he eventually did were shocked at his blank expression. ‘Why are you sat over here all alone?

He didn’t answer you, just shrugged before looking back at his phone and you didn’t know what to do. He’d never been this way with you before ever and you were shocked at how cold he was acting towards you after yesterday.

‘Can I get you a drink? Anything to eat?’

‘No thanks’

You were stumped, your tummy sinking lower the longer he looked away from you so eventually you did the only thing you could and walked away from him. Going back to your own lounger and sitting down but you could see Ben moving out of the corner of your eye.

‘I’ll go have a word with him. We haven’t spoken since yesterday so it’s probably me he’s in a mood with’ he told you. Watching him stalk off over to the other side of the pool and chat to Mason for a few seconds before their pair of them went out of sight.

You weren’t sure what you’d done to make him not want to talk to you or even sit by you so you let Ben go and see to him. Watching the pair of them stand up and walk down to the grassy area that was just out of sight and even though it was none of your business you were itching to know what they were talking about.

When they came back Mason was smiling and laughing with Ben but he still didn’t come and sit with you. Making it clear that it was you he had the issue with and you felt your eyes fill with tears. You tried blinking them away but it was no use, you were upset and confused and no longer wanted to be out there with him so you quickly got up and rushed back inside to your room. You knew he was watching you leave but he made no attempt to follow you and you didn’t know if you were sad or relieved about it.

‘Stop crying’ you whispered to yourself once you were in the safy of your bathroom. Fanning your face and dabbing your eyes to try and stop yourself having a full on meltdown but you were so confused by his actions you didn’t know how to behave.

You thought about spending the rest of the day in your room but that seemed a little dramatic so with one final look in the mirror you made your way outside again. Not before chucking on a cover up as you felt a little uncomfortable being so exposed in front of him again for some reason but by the time you were back outside Mason had moved again. Sat on his side of your shared lounger and your heart gave a thump at the sight of him.

You didn’t know what to do, would it be awkward if you went and sat there again? Or would it be more awkward if you went and sat somewhere else?

In the end you went back over, sitting up right as he was laid back and you made no attempt to even look at him until you felt his fingers close around your wrist. Turing to look at him with a blank expression as his eyes looked deeply into yours.

He didn’t say a word, just patted his chest with his free hand as an invitation for you to lay on him and even though you desperately didn’t want to give into him that quickly you felt yourself shuffling around to face him. Laying back in his arms so you could place your head on his chest and when he squeezed you tightly you felt yourself on the brink once more.

‘Why did you get dressed?’ He asked you quietly, his hand reaching up and under your top so he could lightly run his fingers across your skin but you just shook your head as you nuzzled into him further. Not able to string a few words together as you were feeling shy and unsure of yourself but he only held you tighter.

You knew this was his way of saying sorry without actually saying it and even though you so desperately wanted to talk to him about what was bothering him, you also didn’t want to push your luck and push him away any further away.

So you laid there in silence. Listening to one another’s breathing as Ben's music played over the speakers in the background. The warm sun on your skin as you soaked up the last of it that you could only for it to hit you that this was probably the last time you’d be able to lay like this with Mason out here.

Everything seemed to have turned into a mess overnight and the prospect of this being the last time you could do this together had you subconsciously cling onto him a little harder.

‘I’m just popping inside to get a drink’ he suddenly murmured against you forehead, pulling away slightly but in your panic you held him in place.

‘I can get that’ you told him, the incessant need to please him taking over as you went to sit up but he was holding onto you tightly and you couldn’t move.

‘It’s okay, I’ll get it’ he whispered. ‘Would you like anything?’

‘No thanks’ you told him. Releasing him so he could go and when he came back you noticed he had a bottle of water for you anyway.

This time he didn’t invite you to lay with him, crawling next to you and placing his head on your chest this time and your hand automatically went into his hair so you could run your fingers through it. Feeling him hum into your neck as you stroked his skin and when he reached up under your top again you let him. His fingers splayed out against your ribs so he could hold you close before hooking his leg over yours.

You felt him shuffling about again soon after. Keeping his hand on your body but rolling you onto your side as he laid his head on the pillow next to yours so you could face each other. The small smile on his lips settled you slightly but his sad eyes were throwing you off.

Ever the unexpected, he lent forward just a touch to place a kiss on the end of your nose before settling back down again. Shutting his eyes but you didn’t follow suit. You wanted to really look at him but you hated the way your heart thumped in your chest as you did.

You’d hadn't realised it until this week but he really was the prettiest man you’d ever seen. There was nothing about him you didn’t like and looking at him like this was making your tummy flutter.

Suddenly his eyes snapped open, boring into yours and you knew you’d been caught looking at him. Your cheeks flushing as soon as his lips curved up into a little smile before you watched him raise his head. Looking around to see if anyone was looking your way or paying attention to him but everyone must have been preoccupied as he swiftly dipped his head to place the softest and sweetest kiss to your lips.

‘Sorry’ you whispered but he didn’t reply. Just pulled you further into his body again so you could cuddle into his chest but this time you let yourself go. Falling asleep on him as he pressed kisses to your head every so often.

No matter what the pair of you did that day, Mason was by your side. When you went inside to make some lunch he was there, helping you get everything you needed as he trailed his fingers across your skin repeatedly.

When the rest of the boys asked if he wanted to join them for a quick game on the grass he told them he was too tired and fell asleep with his head in your lap as you chatted away to the girls until you all decided it was getting late and you wanted to get ready for tonight.

Mason still wasn’t very talkative even though he was being clingy and you wanted to do something to snap him out of it so you found your most outrageous outfit in hopes the tight black leather skirt and off the shoulder top would lift his mood but you were nervous to see him again after how today had gone.

Carly texted to let you know she was ready and heading to the living room so you grabbed your bag and headed out to join her. Mason clearly had the same idea as you and was leaving his room at the same and your mouth went dry as you looked him up and down.

He always dressed well but he looked so sexy right now. His white vest hugging him in all the right places and not leaving much to the imagination as his baggy trousers sat nicely on his hips whilst the white over shirt tied it all nicely together. His white outfit unconsciously making the pair of you look like yin and Yang and you felt drawn to him. Walking towards him like he had some sort of magnetic force but it was the look in his eyes that made your knees weak.

He looked hungry, eyes flickering all over your face as he met you in the middle of the hall and you wanted to melt into him. His hand coming up to cup your face and you lent into his palm as his eyes focused on your lips. Licking his own subconsciously as he leant forward, bumping your nose gently before leaning down to kiss you but the sound of Carly’s voice from upstairs made you both stop in your tracks. His lips barely a centimetre from yours as his warm breath fanned your face but he was pulling back, placing his lips on your forehead now before linking his fingers through yours and walking you upstairs.

He dropped your hand as you neared the top. Not wanting anyone to see you like that together but the thing that confused you was the way he didn’t want to even stand near you now. Sticking with the boys as they tried to order a taxi and when they eventually came you ended up in two different ones.

Dinner was fine, Mason perked up a little and it was the most you’d heard him speak all day but the only issue was he was talking to everyone else but you. Thankfully with everyone joining in you didn’t feel too awkward about it but you didn’t get to share dessert like usual and your heart felt heavier the more the evening went on.

The bar you had booked for the evening was only a short walk away and you stuck with Lauren as Mason spoke to Chilly in front of you and when he didn’t wait for you to go in with him you felt even worse linking your arm through Lauren’s as Dec guided you to your table.

You’d noticed it all week, girls eyes lingering on Mason but his eyes rarely left yours so you never worried about him going to speak to anyone else. Tonight was different though.

He was looking everywhere but you, standing and chatting with Woody and Kayla and you stuck to Carly’s side as you needed a laugh and she was always the best person to go to for that.

Eventually all the girls were together, squeezed in a booth with Lauren on your other side now but when the boys came back from the bar Mason was nowhere to be seen.

‘Where’s Mase?’ Carly asked, looking up at Ben in confusion but when he nodded back to the bar with a cheeky smile your tummy dropped for the millionth time that day. You knew what that face meant and you didn’t want to hear it at all.

‘He’s chatting some girl up at the bar. I think she’s Italian so she barely understands him’

‘Of course he is’

‘Hey give the guy a break, he’s been good all week, barely looked at anyone so no one got uncomfortable with some random girl around. Let him let his hair down a bit’

‘Is that why he’s had a face like a slapped arse all day?’ Dec laughed, sitting himself next to Lauren before reaching over to tap your knee. ‘You next then, y/n? I’ve been waiting all week to set you up with someone’

‘I’m alright, thanks’ you smiled, looking down at your lap but you didn’t miss the look in his eyes. Deep down you knew he knew something was going on but you were too upset thinking about Mason talking to another girl to think about that right now. You were just thankful at least you couldn’t see him for now.

It was difficult trying to talk to everyone when you were feeling so miserable. Trying to smile and keep up with what everyone was saying but you knew you kept going in on yourself and staring into space and ignoring everyone.

‘You okay?’ Carly whispered, wrapping an arm around your shoulder as you were in your own head and the sound of her voice made you jump.

‘Y-yeah sorry, just in my old little world there’ you laughed but the look of concern on her face made you squirm.

‘Are you sure? Has something happened? I know what you’re like and you like to bottle it in but you would tell me wouldn’t you?’

‘Yeah, of course’ you breathed, downing the rest of your drink before sending her a smile. ‘Do you fancy a dance? I could do with shaking my butt around a bit’ you laughed and thankfully she agreed. Pulling the rest of the girls with you but as soon as you were out from the safety of the booth you were right in his eyeline.

You could only see the back of her but you could tell she was his type from a mile off. Petite but curvy and leggy with tanned skin and flowing shiny hair but it was his hand resting on her waist that was the real kicker. Hers on his chest as she laughed at whatever he was saying in her ear and the sight made your skin prickle uncomfortably.

It was fair to say you’d been tipsy most nights on this holiday, but all you could think about right now was getting black out drunk. You didn't even want to acknowledge Mason existed right now so on your way to the dance floor you stopped by a different bar and grabbed some shots. Downing them like they were water but they were having the desired effect. Joining the girls and for once you didn’t care what you looked like or if Mason was watching and liked what he saw. You were having fun with your girls like you should have done this whole week and when a waitress came by with a tray of shots you got one everytime.

You could barely see or hear a thing, all you could do was feel the music as it moved through you and under any normal circumstances you knew it was silly to get in this state but right now you just wanted to forget everything and everyone.

You stumbled back to your table alone. Wanting to down some water before you went back to dance again and you noticed Mason still wasn’t with the boys. Your eyes searching for him and you spotted him sitting at a different table with the girl from the bar and a few of her friends who all appeared to be fawning over him and you could tell he was in his element. Not even paying you a glance whilst you were nearby and you couldn’t help but let out a scoff as you finished your water.

‘You okay?’ Woody asked, holding into your arm as you stumbled slightly but you just sent him a bright smile in hopes he’d see you were fine.

‘I’m gooooood’ you slurred, tapping his chest lightly. ‘Gonna go back for a dance’ you told him, watching both of his faces look at you with a frown before you felt someone else’s hand on your shoulder.

‘Come on, we’ll come with you’ Ben told you, linking your arm as Woody took the other and even though you knew you shouldn’t, you risked a glance back over to Mason who was still flirting his little socks off but you could see Dec going over to join him now.

As soon as you were back on the safety of the dance floor you felt yourself let go again. Watching Ben join Carly as they whispered about something and you knew it was about you from the way she was looking at you.

You wanted to know what they were saying, getting ready to go and join them until you felt someone’s hands on your waist and you knew who it was immediately. Masons aftershave overtaking your senses as he pressed himself into your back but you were in no state to fight him off. Melting into his body like you always did and you cursed yourself for having this reaction.

‘You alright?’ He asked in your ear. Goosebumps rising on your skin immediately but his sudden concern for you was making you angry.

‘What do you care’ you mumbled loud enough for him to hopefully hear as you tried to pull away from him but he was too strong for you. Holding you flush against his body and you thought better than to try and wiggle away again.

‘Let’s go sit down okay?’ He told you, pulling you off of the dance floor and back over to your table where there were a few bottles of water sitting waiting. He opened one for you immediately and helped you take a few glugs before tilting your face up to meet his.

Even blurred you hated how pretty he was, his brows furrowed into a frown as his eyes scanned your face and you wanted to pull away from him but you couldn’t. He was your weakness and even if he’d been dangling other girls in your face tonight you still wanted to be next to him now.

‘I’ll get you something to eat, yeah? Sober you up a bit’

‘Whatever’ you huffed, pulling your face out of his grip so you could go back to sulking and he left you to it. Disappearing for five minutes before coming back with a white box.

‘I had to bribe the bouncer so I could bring these in so you better eat them. Most expensive chips in the world, these’ he told you, opening the box up and setting them in front of you. Even though you were mad at him your heart still fluttered at the way he’d made sure there was a little blob of mayo on the side.

You didn’t thank him, but sat and ate your chips quietly between sips of water. The room slowly stopping spinning as you ate and when Mason put his arm around you so he could pull you closer you let him.

‘You alright now?’ He asked in your ear, kissing your temple gently as he reached for a chip but you just let him. Not wanting to talk to him after he’d barely said a word to you all day and he knew you were pissed at him. ‘Not gonna answer me no?’ He chuckled, his tone infuriating you but you didn’t have a chance to fight back. Everyone else coming back to join you and eyeing your box of chips curiously.

‘Another round?’ Woody asked the group, everyone cheering but Mason shook his head for the pair of you and you huffed out of annoyance.

‘I’ve only just got you back to semi sober, no more yeah’

You again didn’t answer him with words. Shrugging your shoulders as he laughed in your ear before kissing the nape of your neck. You hated how affectionate he was being, but you also didn’t want to part from him so you just sat quietly as he spoke to the others. Trying to ignore Carly’s glances from across the table as you knew she’d picked up on your mood and you’d have to come up with some sort of explanation.

‘I hope I didn’t ruin everyone’s night’ you told her as you all started to leave later on in the early morning. Choosing to walk back as you weren’t too far but thankfully Ben and Mason were trailing behind so you could speak to Carly in front of them. ‘I didn’t mean to get so drunk’

‘No you’re fine’ she smiled, linking her arm through yours even tighter. ‘Is everything okay though?’

‘Yeah fine I just, maybe I’m a bit worried about the flight tomorrow’ you told her. Again feeling awful for lying but it was technically true. The thought of a few hours next to a silent Mason as you freaked out in the sky was eating away at you but as always Carly reassured you things were fine and she’d be there if you needed her.

‘You sure that’s all? I know what you’re like and I know you like to keep it all inside’ she told you. Her tone was soft and not accusatory at all and you felt your lip wobble at how understanding she always seemed to be. ‘You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to but if you need to then I’m always here’

‘I know Carly, you know I’m bad with my words sometimes but you know you're my go to when I’ve sorted myself out and built up the courage’

‘I know’ she laughed. Wrapping her arm around your shoulder so you could hug while you walked back. ‘And when you’ve built it up again, you come and find me, yeah?’

‘I promise’ you whispered. Wanting to break down and spill everything to her there but you couldn’t. It was against the rules.

The boys came and joined you closer to the house, Mason reaching for your hand but you wrapped your arms around yourself so he didn’t get the chance and he kept his hands to himself after that. Stuffing them into his pockets and keeping his head down as he followed you inside to say goodnight to everyone.

When the time came, you followed Mason down to your rooms. Not even acknowledging him as you made it to your doors and you quickly opened yours before shutting it tight, hoping he would get the message you didn’t want to talk but only a few seconds later you heard a few gentle taps.

You knew what would happen if you let him in and even though he’d been off with you all day and had pissed you off beyond belief you still found yourself walking over there and opening it for him.

‘Can I come in?’

You didn’t answer with words, just shrugged before turning away and walking back in your room. Not even bothering to look to see if he’d followed but you soon enough heard the door click shut and felt his presence behind you.

‘You still don’t wanna talk to me?’

‘You haven’t spoken to me all day pretty much’ you shrugged, facing away from him as you took your shoes off.

‘That’s not true’

‘I’m not gonna argue with you’ you told him, hoping you could brush past him to get to your suitcase but he was quick to stop you.

‘Come here’ he sighed, taking hold of your arm gently so he could turn you to face him before cupping your jaw with his free hand. His soft eyes on yours and you tried not to melt under them but as always he was making it difficult for you. ‘It's our last night here, I don’t want us to be upset with each other.

‘Apart from that half an hour you sat with me you ignored me all night, Mason’

‘You were busy-‘

‘No you were busy’ you told him, pulling out of his grip and you watched his eyes turn hard.

‘Bit like you were busy this morning huh?’

‘What are you on about?’

‘Forget it, I’m going to bed’ he huffed, turning away from you and back over to the door but the sight made you finally lose your cool.

‘You’re fucking infuriating sometimes I swear’ you exploded. ‘You’ve spent the whole night with a load of random girls in your lap and you think I’ll want to just hang out with you now?’

‘Why do you care?’

‘Cause it’s one of the rules, remember? No flirting with other people but it’s fine when you do it? You barely say a word to me today but just because you got me some chips you think everything’s fine now?’

‘Can you not see I’m trying to protect you? Protect us? All week I’ve been dodging questions about us so I thought I’d make it look believable if I talked to someone else. It didn’t fucking mean anything. As for the rules, it was one not to kiss but we’ve done that multiple times’ he fought back. His voice louder than he’d intended it to be but you were furious and passed caring if anyone heard you.

‘Oh whatever, you just say and do whatever you want to get your own way’

‘You want me to do what I want yeah?’ He growled, slamming his fist against your door before reaching for you and pressing you up against it with his hand wrapped tightly around your throat. ‘Cause all I’ve wanted all night was to fuck you senseless. Why do you think I haven’t been around you huh? Cause I can’t fucking control myself around you anymore’

You couldn’t deny his little outburst excited you and when he squeezed the sides on your neck that little bit tighter you couldn’t control the whimper that left your lips.

‘Fucking do it then. If that’s what you want’

‘Is it what you want?’ He whispered, eyes burning into yours and all you could muster was a little nod. ‘Words baby, I need you to tell me with words’

‘Yes’

You couldn’t talk anymore after that. His lips claiming yours as your knees went weak but thankfully you were still pressed up against the door by his body and when he reached down to hoist your legs up around his waist you jumped to help as you wrapped your arms around his neck.

‘You want me to fuck you here yeah? Fuck you up against this door like the little brat you are’ he muttered, trying his hardest to undo his zip and push his boxers down and once he had you felt his tip pressing up against your underwear.

‘Please Mase’ you whimpered, awkwardly reaching down so you could move them to the side and as soon as you were open to him he was pushing inside of you. Not giving you a second to adjust but you welcomed the slight sting as he drove himself into you. Using you like he never had done before as you buried your face in his neck but the gentle bite of your shoulder let you know he wasn’t happy you were hiding.

‘Look at me when I’m fucking you’ he grumbled in your ear, letting you raise your eyes to look into his dark ones and the sight made him snap his hips faster before slowing down again. Pounding into you with hard measured thrusts and you thought you might explode on the spot before he suddenly ground to a halt. Leaving you unsatisfied as you tried to move your hips against him. ‘Get down, get undressed and get on all fours for me’

You did as he asked, not wanting to argue whilst he was in this weird sort of trance so you rid yourself of your clothes as he did the same before getting on your bed and onto all fours.

Again he gave you no warning and simply grabbed your hips so he could position you where he wanted you before slamming back in and you cried out as your body slumped forward. He was quick to wrap his hand around your hair and pull you straight back up and into his body, tongue tasting the back of your neck as he licked and sucked away at your skin and you knew you were teetering on the edge.

He pulled out suddenly, making you gasp before you felt his tongue soothe the emptiness. Hands on your thighs as he massaged them roughly before flipping you onto your back suddenly so he could enter you again.

You’d never had sex like this before. Him treating you like a rag doll that he would throw about for his own amusement but you couldn’t deny it was turning you on more than you thought it would. The sloppy sounds you were making together made your insides quiver and the way he was holding your arms by your head as he stared into your soul made you buck your hips up into him. Meeting his movements before you both hit your breaking point. Hitting your highs in tandem before he collapsed onto you.

You werent quite sure what would happen next but Mason didn’t seem to be moving from his current position. Head in your neck with just about enough room to breathe as he held you whilst your fingers found themselves lost in his hair until you moved them to his back. Your fingertips stroking up and down with a featherlight touch just as you knew he loved and you felt him melt into you with every passing second.

Was he falling asleep? Did he want to stay here with you tonight? Was he still mad at you? Were you mad at him?

You couldn’t think anymore as he started to move. Fingers trailing up and down your sides with the same gentleness you were showing him and the sensation made you squirm but the kisses he was pressing to your neck made you gasp.

You could feel him inside you. Hardening again as he kissed and touched your body and even though you weren’t sure you had it in you to go again, you let him work you both up until he was resting on his forearms with his nose brushing against your own.

His eyes were different this time though, lighter and softer, like the weight of the world had been lifted from him which was only mirrored by the soft smile on his lips as he began to thrust in and out of you steadily again.

‘So fucking beautiful’ he sighed, reaching down to place the most tender and loving kiss to your lips. ‘What have you done to me baby? I can’t keep away’

‘Mase-‘

‘Shhh’ he interrupted, continuing to press delicate kisses all over your face as he rolled himself into you and you knew your cheeks were burning from the intimacy of it all. A stark contrast to how he’d treated you not so long ago. ‘Let me take care of you’

So you did, and it was nothing like what the pair of you had ever done before. Bar the last round, sex with Mason had been fun and goofy, two people who cared about each other exploring the others bodies as they made each other feel good but right now? It was intimate, slow and sexy. He wasn't just trying to get the pair of you off this time he was seeping into your skin and you felt consumed by him.

You’d never made love to anyone before, but if you had to guess what it felt like then this would probably be it. He was worshipping you like you were his one and only, forehead resting on yours so he could look straight into your eyes as he made you cum before his face lost in your neck as he calmed himself down.

When he finally got his breath back he rolled off of you almost immediately, standing to pick up his clothes so he could get dressed before turning to you awkwardly and sitting on the end of the bed. His body was turned away from you and a sense of dread filled you immediately. Clearly he wouldn’t be staying for a cuddle tonight, watching him playing with his fingers absentmindedly and even though you couldn’t see his face you knew whatever was about to come out of his mouth you wouldn’t like.

‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to go too far I-‘

‘Mase it’s fine’

‘You sure? He asked and you nodded even though he couldn’t see you. ‘Well I suppose it’s good to go out with a bang’ he told you trying to make a joke out of the situation like usual in jokes it could relive some of the awkwardness but it just made you feel worse. He was practically confirming that this could be your last time together and you felt your eyes sting immediately. ‘End of the week, end of the agreement right?’

‘Um yeah’ you replied, coughing halfway through to try and cover up the pain in your voice. Pulling the sheets around you even further as you felt far too exposed right now even though he didn’t seem to want to look your way anymore.

‘Thanks for… you know. We’ll just keep it as our little secret, no one else needs to know’ he mumbled, sounding like he wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. ‘I’ll head out then’’ he told you, before turning slightly to look at you but you kept your head down so he reached for your hand so he could place a gentle kiss on your knuckles.

Whilst his touches normally thrilled you, this just hurt and you let the pain consume you as he placed your hand down onto the bed before getting up and leaving.

You had nothing to say to him, hurt and upset bubbling up in your chest as your hand came over your mouth to hold back your sobs as you finally let your emotions out as soon as the door clicked shut.

You were unbelievably hurt by the whole thing, the way he’d been with you since you’d woken up, a stark contrast from the day before and him leaving you like this now was just the final nail in the coffin.

The thought of him hearing you cry made you want to die so you just turned onto your side and hid your face in the pillow so it could absorb your sobs. Your body shaking as you cried it out and it took you a while to calm down. Even then falling back into crying for a few minutes every so often.

It felt like a break up, worse than a break up because you’d only gotten a taste of him before he shut everything down and left you open and exposed. Now you just felt cheap and a little bit dirty as you still felt him everywhere but you knew he wanted nothing else to do with you now.

In the end you jumped out of bed and ran into the bathroom. Standing under the shower for longer than necessary as you tried to scrub away all memories of the last week but nothing seemed to make the uneasy feeling dissipate.

Sleep didn’t come easy either as you tossed and turned all night and you knew you looked like hell when you woke up so when you saw Carly in the kitchen with Ben you tried to look at them as little as possible.

‘You alright, y/n?’ She asked as you popped yourself down in front of her and no matter how much you tried to convince her you were fine you knew she was sceptical.

‘You look like Mason just before he left’ Ben laughed, spoon in the air so he could gesture to your eyes. ‘Said they must of used some new cleaner that was super strong and made his eyes all puffy’

‘Left? Where’s he gone?’ You asked, wondering if he’d gone gone or just popped to the shop and right now you didn’t know which scenario you preferred.

‘Home, I thought you knew?’ Carly told you, her head tilting to the side in confusion. ‘He’s gone straight to Manchester and his flight was super early’

‘Oh’ you uttered, your heart plummeting. ‘yeah, sorry just slipped my mind I guess’

‘He came and woke us up this morning, said he had to get back for an emergency but he said he’d told you’ Carly uttered and she stirred her tea.

‘Oh right, I was out of it still, maybe I forgot’ you told them and thankfully they just nodded and smiled along.

‘Don’t worry, you’re sitting next to me on the flight. Managed to change it and get us three in a row together so you’re not on your own’ she smiled, thinking that was probably your first thought but right now you didnt care. He’d left without so much as a goodbye and all you wanted was to break down in her arms. You were beyond confused with the last 24 hours so you quickly excused yourself and walked out the patio doors.

You went and sat outside, far enough away from the door in hopes that you couldn’t be seen and you let your emotions get the better of you. Tears freely falling down your face as you sat there crying silently. Not even having the energy to sob or make any noise but the tears kept flowing down your face as you wallowed in complete misery.

‘What you doing out here?’ You heard suddenly, wiping your eyes quickly before looking up to find Dec right next you but his face dropped as soon as he saw how upset you were. ‘Hey? What’s going on?’

‘Nothing, I’m fine-‘

‘Well you’re clearly not’ he said, taking a seat next to you. ‘Do you want me to go get Carly?’

‘No no, I don’t want anyone to see me like this’ you laughed. Wiping your face furiously but the tears kept flowing.

‘Talk to me then, what’s made you so upset’

You didn’t know what to say, the words on the tip of your tongue but you were conflicted as to what you should do. Dec was Mason's best friend and you knew it properly wasn’t the best idea to confide in him but you knew in the back of your mind he was still suspicious of the pair of you so you threw caution to the wind and spilled your guts. Breaking one of the last rules you had left.

‘It’s Mason’ you sighed, a weight suddenly lifting as you knew you were about to tell all but Dec looked none the wiser to what you were about to say. ‘I’ve been lying to you, to everyone, we both have and I’m so so sorry’ You whispered. Watching his eyebrows pinch together in confusion and you knew you had to tell him the truth fully. ‘This whole week we’ve been… seeing each other’ you told him. Hoping that would be enough information for him and by the solemn nod of his head you knew he understood.

‘I had my suspicions’ he laughed, tapping your thigh comfortingly. ‘When did it start?’

‘Bens house the other week. He was tipsy and being super flirty, we both were, and I don’t know how but it just happened’ you told him, looking up to face him but thankfully he wasn’t looking at you disapprovingly. ‘He told me he wanted to pay for me to come away as I was the only one that couldn’t make it and that if I wanted to we could carry on sleeping together for the week and-‘

‘Wait, hang on?’ He interrupted, his face looking angry and you knew what he was thinking straight away. ‘He paid for you to come away so you’d sleep with him? I swear to god-‘

‘No it’s not like that’ you laughed. ‘The sleeping together part was just an added thing on top, he didn’t want paying back or anything like that but that’s why I’ve been cooking for him and buying him ice cream, like trying to do anything to say thank you’

‘You know you didn’t need to do any of that? Masons many things but I know he would have paid for you without making you do all that’ he frowned before it looked like a lightbulb went off in his head. ‘So what’s happened, are you upset about that girl last night?’

‘No… well yes but that’s not all of it. He was off with me for all of yesterday and I had no idea why, then there was the girls but when we got back he still wanted to sleep with me before he… just ended everything’ you sniffed. ‘He was so cold after, like just said I guess we’re done and went back to his room I felt humiliated’

‘I’m sorry, y/n’ he sighed, wrapping an arm around your shoulder as he gave you a minute to calm down.

‘Don’t apologise, it’s not your fault’ you told him but you could tell from his body language he had more to say.

‘Look you didn’t hear this from me, but he’s always liked you y/n. Whether that is just in a friendly capacity or more I know he’s got a soft spot for you. Whatever he’s done I don’t think he would have meant it, in his weird little mind he’s probably thinking this is the best for both of you without realising how much he’s messing up’ he reassured you. ‘Last night when you were out of it, we could all tell something was wrong. That's why I went and got him but I hadn’t even finished saying what was wrong with you before he was up and trying to find you’

‘Really?’ You sniffed, wiping your eyes. Thinking back to how he’d looked after you in the club last night and your eyes filled tears once more. ‘It’s not him, it’s me. We set rules and broke all of them but the most important was no feelings and I really thought i could do it but… he’s really fucking hard not to like’ you laughed causing Dec to laugh along with you as he squeezed you a little tighter.

‘I’ll have a word with him’

‘No don’t’ you panicked, shaking your head as you wiped your tears. ‘It’s not gonna make any difference and I’d rather he didn’t know how I felt’ you sighed. ‘I just wanna forget it and go back to normal with him, if that’s possible’

From the way Dec was looking at you, you both knew it might never be possible to be normal with Mason again but thankfully he didn’t say anymore on the matter. ‘Will you be alright?’

‘I’ll be fine’

‘We’ll be home before you know it. But don’t let him ruin what’s been a nice week’

‘I won’t’ you smiled. Thinking back to all the good times you’d had with and without Mason this week and even though it had ended in the worst possible way you were still so happy you got to be there with everyone.

y/n

liked by benchilwell, carlywlms_, woody_ and others

y/n learning extremely valuable life lessons courtesy of chilly 🌶️

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benchilwell the best student I’ve ever had

y/n the only student you’ve ever had 😩

carlywlms_ LOOK AT YOU A REAL LIFE MERMAID 🧜‍♀️

y/n I KNOW RIGHT WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT IT 🐳

woody_ um sorry was I invisible out there?

y/n sorry woody 🥺 you were an excellent assistant

declanrice show off

y/n can’t help it I’m a fast learner

okaylaaa I actually can’t believe how quickly you picked that up you’re a natural

y/n swimming date when we’re home?

okaylaaa you’re on

laurenfryer_ is there anything she can’t do?

y/n hold down a stable relationship

__nads I’m inspired 🤭 feeling an ocean themed cupcake collection when you’re back 🪼

y/n you’re so right let’s do it 🌊🐡🐙

Tagged: @footiehoemcfc @prideofpd @yoursselo @chelseachilly @willow-writer-ivy @mm-vii @katharinanadiaa @mmountseb @carlottawllms @saltyheartnightmare @masonmtxo @harvestmount @chillymountsjess @treblebluesblog @pulisicsgirl @bluesswift @feelinglikeineedlotsofnaps

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knockout-stan · 3 months

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NSFW, fem human, voyeur, Optimus gets curious and checks security cameras to see where you went

- In an uncommon occurrence, Optimus Prime found himself alone at the base, or so he believed. He knew Arcee, Bumblebee and Bulkhead were having leisure time with their human friends.

- Ratchet was out, which was the uncommon part. He had made an offhand comment about his servos stiffening up. Optimus proposed collecting some energon remnants could help. There were some detected in leftover mines that were drained by Megatron's troops. But, any piece counts.

- But the last one unaccounted for was you... Optimus had greeted you earlier, but didn't bid you goodbye. You normally always leave with a goodbye, so you must be somewhere in the base. Optimus approaches the base terminal to access the security cameras. He could go looking for you, but there were some areas of the base the bots didn't fit into. Like the kitchen.

- Optimus checked the kitchen cameras, and failed to spot you. A quick glance to the couch to his left on the platform suggested you were here. Your things were still here after all. Optimus turns his attention back to the cameras, switching to the next place to think of. The barracks.

- The barracks were meant for human soldiers. A decently sized room with two rows of bunks. A few beds were less dusty than the others from the one or two times the humans had sleepovers.

- Optimus spotted the dusty beds, but one was free from dust and finally, he spotted you. His mind was put at ease. It seems you had gone off to take a nap? But your hand is moving and between your thighs…

- "Hm..." Optimus hummed in confusion. What were you doing on the bunk if you were not sleeping? A small whine left your lips, and suddenly it clicked.

- Self pleasure was not an unknown concept to Optimus. But he rarely felt such an urge, if at all. He had other things to do to think and occupy himself with. However, human sexuality was unknown to him. He only had a basic understanding of the human reproductive system, so he was a little surprised to find humans would engage in something like this

- Optimus blinked hard, realizing he was staring and looking quite closely. He had seen enough, and he should give you your privacy. You had gone to the barracks after all, away from everyone else to engage in your self pleasure.

- A curious part of him began to stir however. He had seen diagrams of human reproductive organs of course, he had done some research on human biology when he came to earth. But seeing how your fingers seemed so eager to rub your sensitive parts piqued his curiosity further. The little bud and folds squished and contorted under the touch of your fingertips. That was something diagrams didn't tell him. Of course it was like the rest of the fleshy human body. But Optimus had never seen this before, and the knowledge-hungry archivist mind of his wanted to see more.

- Optimus forced the tab closed. He had watched you pleasure yourself through a security camera. That was wrong, and an invasion of your privacy as well. He felt guilty for doing so, and quietly berated himself for doing so. The thought of apologizing to you diminished as quick as it came. No, he would only stir up trouble that didn't need to be stirred.

- He closed his eyes in hopes to focus on another thought. But he could only see the image of you on the low res security footage laying on your back with your legs open. Your fingers eagerly but tenderly rubbing your clit. And those noises he'd never heard you make before filing his audials even with the tab closed…

- Primus, why couldn't he have just turned it off once he realized?

- The thought of pleasuring himself in his berth room appeared in his mind. Optimus was quick to push away the thought, he had disrespected you enough as it is. He'd need to take a drive, asap. He called Ratchet back to base, opened the groundbridge for him, and as soon as he was able, he was off to patrol.

#optimus prime #transformers prime #transformers fanfiction #tranformers prime x reader #transformers x reader #valveplug #tfp optimus prime #optimus x reader #tfp optimus x reader

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mylovelies-docx · 10 months

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Sorry, I Love You - Part 5

Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood afternoon, everyone.

:) Have fun

Plot: You and Bucky have a good thing going - best of friends that also have more than a little chemistry between the sheets. Everything is fine until you develop feelings for the man who doesn't want a relationship. What will happen when Bucky finds out?

C/W: Awkwardness, flashbacks, feels

Word Count: 1,950

Tag List: NOW CLOSED! If you'd like to keep up with this story, please follow my blog and turn on notifications! ❤️ you :)

[Prologue][Part 1][Part 2][Part 3][Part 4]

This wouldn't be your and Bucky's first undercover mission together, but it would be the first one where the tension between you is decidedly not sexual. You're not even sure how well the two of you can pull off this charade since you have no idea what your chemistry is like anymore. Used to, you could do anything together, be anything together.

Not so much now.

There’s an awkwardness between you. Silences pregnant with all the things left unsaid – or should have been left unsaid. You’ll catch Bucky watching you from the corner of your eyes, always with an unreadable expression like he’s trying to figure you out again without actually asking any questions.

You can't imagine that you've changed so much in the intervening months, but Bucky makes so much progress in therapy that his confidence in himself and his personality grow by leaps and bounds all the time.

You don’t know this new Bucky, but you wish you did. You wish you had been with him to see his growth, encourage him on.

You’ve missed out on so much of your life by staying away from the Tower. You’d had so many plans that never came to be – no walks in the park when the flowers started to bloom, no trips to the beach on the hottest days of the year, no ice skating when the first snow fell. You kept a tab on everything that should have been on the calendar in your mind, noting all the days that had significance in the past but went uncelebrated this year.

But what’s done is done, and you have to pay for your actions – half a year away is a small price to have Bucky back in your life, even as a stranger instead of your lover.

You’re now trying to organize your new life on the outskirts of a small town in Russia, just a few miles away from a HYDRA base. Snow was falling thick and fast as the quinjet touched down hours ago, leaving behind a pristine blanket of white outside your new home. The small, two-bedroom cottage looks rustic, but it is still nicer than most of the surrounding homes due to Tony’s influence. There is hidden technology that will help the house to stay warm in this cold climate and random high-tech appliances, lights, and other things that look normal and are anything but.

With the HYDRA base going radio silent, you may be in this little home for longer than was initially expected earlier this year. Bucky is sure that the base is still active, though. He spent a lot of time here as the Winter Soldier, but no one has received reports from the embedded spy in recent months. This inactivity is concerning since you're no longer sure what is going on inside the building anymore.

It would be too obvious for Bucky to go undercover inside the facility, so that leaves it up to you to infiltrate as a researcher. The spy had assured last year that no one from the facility lived in the town you’ve settled in, so it’s safe enough for Bucky to remain close by as you work.

But the small town you’ve settled in is so traditional that the only way to remain inconspicuous as a younger woman is to be connected to a man in some way – be it living with family members or a husband.

And since you don't want to be labeled an outcast or worse, Bucky is here.

Bucky is going to be a mechanic at the small family-owned shop just down the road, and his prosthesis is covered in Stark technology that makes it appear as if he’d never lost it. Bucky used to spend a lot of time fixing up old cars and motorcycles between missions, so he should really enjoy spending his days in the garage helping out the Kowalds.

Unfortunately, your background isn’t as fun. You’re a whiz when it comes to biology, so Nat cooked up a false resume full of lab work that centers around eugenics and biomanipulation – things your spy had reported the facility was actively looking into. In order to get your foot in the door at the HYDRA facility, the Avengers had to create a background so disturbing that you're not even sure if you can interview for it properly.

You're just zipping up into your thick winter coat when Bucky walks out of the kitchen drying his hands on a dish towel.

“You headin’ out now, doll?” He asks, a small worry line between his eyebrows.

“Yup,” you answer back with a comforting smile on your face. “I need to go meet with our contact to make sure that everything is still okay.”

“Just be careful, yeah?” he tells you, slinging the towel up onto his shoulder. Today is his first day at the mechanic shop, so he's dressed in blue overalls with a small name tag stitched onto his chest. The sun is just barely rising, but he's going to be late if he doesn't hurry.

"You know me, Buck. My middle name is Safe."

"Your middle name is Trouble and you can't convince me otherwise, babygirl."

You stick your tongue out at him and blow a raspberry, holding your middle finger up in the air as you turn around and head out the door. Once out of his sight, you smile and bask in the feeling of having your friend back.

You'd missed the banter and easy wit you used to share together, so this small exchange feels like a return to normal. The awkwardness might return in time, but you hope Bucky has forgiven you enough to power through.

You trek along the deserted streets. The early hour and layer of snow on the ground seems to be keeping the townsfolk within their homes, wrapped snugly under their warm blankets. You sigh heavily and watch your breath fog in the air, the mist condensing and freezing your skin as you walk through the cloud.

You pass house after house, noticing lights turning on and the sound of hairdryers, televisions, and conversations humming in the air. Everything has a vague, indistinct quality to it, lulling you into daydreams of what their lives are like. Is it simple? Do they enjoy this cold, snowy location? Or are they also dreaming of a warm day laying in the grass in nothing but a pair of shorts and a tank top?

A memory worms its way to the surface of your mind of a day spent just like that with Bucky.

This was only a few weeks before your friends-with-benefits situation started. It was the hottest day of the year so far, the humidity heavy in the air and making the sidewalks and parks of New York City intensely uncomfortable. Even though Stark has the Tower equipped with the latest technology, he's incapable of leaving anything well enough alone. He'd been tinkering with the HVAC and somehow short-circuited the entire system. Everyone in the Tower was miserable and cranky, choosing to avoid one another in an attempt to stave off arguments and confrontations.

You'd been sitting in the shade of the balcony, fanning yourself as you watched all the teeny tiny people on the ground maneuver the crosswalks and traffic to get to where they were going. It was no warmer outside than it was in your room, so you chose to people-watch instead of lay there and sweat miserably on your clean sheets.

Just as some bratty kid you’d been watching chucked the ice cream he’d been yelling for only moments ago onto the sidewalk, the sliding glass doors behind you whooshed open. The sound of metal knocking against the doorframe had let you know that Bucky was the one to interrupt your spying.

Regretfully turning your neck, you felt your skin sliding wet and hot against itself. A frown marred your features as you stared at Bucky as he stood behind you, his eyes alight with mischievous glee.

“What did you do…?” You question slowly, almost afraid to know what that look was all about.

He shrugged a shoulder and smirked. “Nothing too bad.”

“BARNES!!!” a voice roared from the depths of the Tower.

You quirked an eyebrow at him and a small, disbelieving smile graced your lips. “That doesn’t sound like nothing, Buck.”

Bucky hmm’d and glanced back into the building when a CRASH reverberated from where the voice had yelled moments ago. “I was going to get out of here for a while. You wanna come?” he questioned breezily.

“And why would I want to leave when Tony’s working on fixing the AC?” you replied as you continued to fan yourself. Bucky’s eyebrows had quirked ever so slightly.

“Y/L/N!!!”

Your hand had frozen mid-fan and your eyes widened so much that Bucky couldn’t help but laugh.

“Where’d you say we were going?” you asked as you rose quickly from your seat and bypassed Bucky at the door.

***

“You little shit!” You had laughed uproariously when Bucky finally admitted to the prank.

“What else was I gonna do?” he responded, turning his face to look at you.

Even with the intense heat that day, you and Bucky had decided to forgo the climate controlled vehicles in the garage and went instead with the fastest getaway vehicle – Bucky’s bike. The wind had whipped against your body when you held onto Bucky and watched the city fall into the distance behind you.

He apparently hadn’t had a destination in mind, so you had ridden until cities and towns disappeared. He’d pulled off beside a barely visible hiking trail and jumped off his bike. You had followed suit and watched as Bucky pulled a blanket from inside the storage compartment on the bike. You hiked your eyebrows questioningly, but only got a grin in response.

That’s how you had found yourself lounging on a blanket in the middle of a field with Bucky on the hottest day of the year. You’d chatted and laughed for hours until the sun had slowly faded from the sky. Out that far, the light pollution of the cities couldn’t touch the stars. You had gazed upwards, trying to draw the constellations as you remembered them.

You weren’t any good at astrology or astronomy, but the stories behind the figures in the sky captivated you nonetheless.

You laughed again and turned to face him as well. “And why’d you have to implicate me, huh?”

“Figured it’d be more fun that way,” he had answered slyly.

You had wound your arm up and smacked him on the stomach, your hand bouncing off of the toned muscles. He’d caught your wrist on the next swing and held it up and away from his body. You’d tried to tug it away, but his metal fingers held fast and didn’t let you go. You rolled over toward him and began trying to use your body as leverage, but you had only succeeded in pulling yourself closer to him.

You huffed and blew the piece of hair that had fallen over your eyes away and looked up at him. He’d had a look in his eyes that he hadn’t directed at you before, but you’d seen glimpses of it when he’d find someone to bring back for the night.

You can’t help but think that that moment had been the turning point in your friendship with Bucky, the moment he thought about asking you to be friends-with-benefits. Of course you’d found him handsome long before then, but that was a moment that really cemented your attraction to him.

You didn’t have romantic feelings at the time, but you should have known they were inevitable.

Part 6

@jackiehollanderr @rabbitrabbit12321 @12345sebby @blackwood-bodecker-housewife @lauraashley93 @themorningsunshine @happinessinthebeing @nash-dara @calwitch@stany0url0calwh0res111 @pono-pura-vida @learisa @introverbatim @kentokaze @marvelogic @kaz11283

#bucky x reader #bucky barnes x reader #bucky x y/n #bucky fanfic #Sorry I Love You

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lou-struck · 3 months

Text

A Bout of Bad Luck... Part 1

Featuring: Lucifer, Mammon, and Leviathan

Part 2 Coming Soon...

~Human superstitions may not be believed in the Devildom. But you know bad luck when you see it.

a/n: I hope you guys like this one. It was a lot of fun to research these superstitions and figure out which character would be the one to break it.

Lucifer~

Lucifer is exhausted…

With Diavolo and Barbatos away on business, he has taken up the brunt of all of the paperwork from RAD. He has locked himself away in his office so he can diligently do his work without any distractions.

And that he does.

The only time anyone in the House of Lamination has seen the Avatar of Pride is when, at your insistence, he leaves his office to eat, shower, or take an unfulfilling rest.

It's not enough, but he is thankful that you take the time to pester him to do something good for himself when he slips into this workaholic mindset.

But behind his office door, he is struggling. His face is so low to the desk that he wonders if he is actually awake at all.

Is he actually doing his work or just dreaming of it?

The thought sends an ice-cold shiver through his spine. His shoulders jolting him upwards in a panic. His weary, blood-red gems zero in on the sheets before him, and he is relieved to see that he, indeed, was not dreaming of work.

A gentle but determined rapping on his heavy wooden door pulls him from his thoughts.

He clears his throat and watches the entryway eagerly. He knows that little knock anywhere. "Come in, Mc." With a flick of his wrist, the door is magically whisked open so you can step in, wheeling in a little tea cart. The little cups clink chipperly as you scold him for not taking a break earlier.

He stands to greet you and finally takes a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror. His hair is ruffled, and his face looks unusually pale. But the most shocking thing to him is that his dress shirt is on inside out.

When you see it, you let out a little snort in amusement. The blush doesn't come to his cheeks, but the fact that he is looking so unkept in front of you causes him to panic.

"I think you should keep it like that, Luci," you smile, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I heard that somewhere in the human world, it's bad luck to turn your clothes around when they're inside out."

He pauses briefly, processing your words, but to his knowledge, human superstitions of misfortune carry little weight in the devildom. Anything that may happen to a human once a black cat crosses their path or walks under a ladder is purely coincidental. But your worry warms his heart.

"It's just a superstition, My Dear. But thank you for caring about me," he smirks, giving you that little pet name that never fails to make your knees go weak.

Giving you a full show, he swiftly removes his shirt and places it on correctly. If anyone else saw him like this, it would be quite humiliating, but with you, it's a silly little memory that will bring him comfort for years to come.

With the shirt on correctly, he moves out a little wrinkle and looks up at you, raising his brow as if to say, 'See? No harm done.'

But in that same instant, a strong gust of wind miraculously blows open the previously locked windows.

His brilliantly organized paperwork scatters about the room in a whirlwind of ink and parchment as he curses under his breath.

"I told you it was bad luck." you cry out, rushing over to shut the windows, shutting them quickly before any more damage is done.

"This may not have anything to do with my clothes." he sighs crouching down, beginning to sort out the papers. Some of them are definitely damaged beyond repair, but thankfully, not all of his hard work is lost.

"Whatever you say, Luci," you tease, joining him on the floor to help him out.

Your assistance is invaluable to the Demon, and soon, the floor will be clear of paper debris. Lucifer secures the last incomplete pile in a folder and extends his hand to help you off of the floor where you had sat cross-legged, inspecting each little page.

"Thank you for your help today, Mc; without you here, this little cleanup would've taken me far too long."

There is a mischievous little light in your eyes as you take his hand. "I know how you can thank me properly."

"Oh, you do?" he teases, thinking up something sinfully sweet. "Please enlighten me."

You bring over the tea cart from earlier, the enchanted teapot still releasing a gentle tendril of perfumed steam as if it had just been poured.

"Take a proper break, Lucifer." Your voice is stern and leaves no room for argument. "You've been working way too hard, and we both know it."

He laughs and goes to sit down in his office chair in defeat. He knows you're right. "Fine, you win. But I expect your company to be a part of this little deal of ours~."

His beloved office chair creaks, and he feels himself falling backward. You reach out a hand to keep him from falling with his now-broken seat but get taken to the floor with him.

His back hits the carpet first as you land comfortably on top of him unharmed. You burst out laughing, and he cannot escape its infectious nature. "See?" you gasp between giggles. "This is what I meant about bad luck."

He may not be the biggest believer in bad luck, but if the two of you ending up like this is a part of it, the Demon may not mind a bit of human superstition.

Mammon~

If he had lost a bet to anyone else, Mammon would be holed up in his room sulking. But seeing the expression of pure joy on your face as you walk down the cobbled streets of Majolish towards the ice cream parlor makes him feel a bit better about his loss.

There is a spring in your step that makes the Demon's chest seem a bit lighter as he follows slightly behind you. Something shiny catches his eye on the path ahead. He loves shiny things.

"Oi, Mc." he calls happily, rushing towards the unclaimed treasure on the ground just outside of the parlor. "check this out."

It's just a piece of grim on the ground, but Mammon's greed gets the better of him.

Just as he crouches down to take the sweet, sweet Grimm for himself, you place a gentle yet firm hand on his shoulder.

"I don't think you should take that," you say worriedly.

Mammon looks at you like you just told him Beel went on a juice cleanse.

With pure disbelief.

"What are ya talkin about?" He laughs. "It's free, Grimm. How can I be the Great Mammon if I don't take it?"

Shake your head and point down at the still-untouched coin. "Look, it's tails side up." Your voice is so serious, but the Demon still has no idea what you're going on about.

"Yeah, so?"

"In the human world, there's a belief that if you find a coin with a tail side up, it is bad luck if you take it for yourself. You should flip it and leave it for someone else to find." Your lips curve outward in a smile at your explanation as if talking about this silly human belief fulfills some sense of longing you have.

The white-haired Demon tosses his head back in good-natured laughter. "Silly human, that kind of superstitious stuff isn't real. I'll take the Grimm And put it towards somethin' special."

You let go of his shoulder wearily and roll your eyes. "All right, whatever you say Mammon." You start to walk towards the ice cream parlor with a happy smile on your face.

His own is bright and victorious as he picks up the coin and slips it into his pocket. "Wait for me Mc," he calls, springing to his feelings and rushing after you.

He watches as the glass door shut magically behind you, and he steps into the glass pane, ready to push it open, only to walk right into the door face first. "Owww."

His nose is throbbing as he stumbles back. Seeing his face print marking the clear surface would be a lot funnier if he wasn't so embarrassed.

You open the door and gently guide him inside. "Mammon! Are you okay?" you ask, sitting him down in one of the parlor's leather booths."

"M' fine," he mumbles. Low-key loving the attention that you are giving him. He pulls out his wallet and hands Goldie to you. "Let's jus get some ice cream."

You take the card promising to get something that he will like. As you walk away, the pain in his face starts to subside. But this sensation is quickly replaced with another unpleasant one. Cold water droplets begin to land on the crown of his head. It's small, harmless, but extremely annoying.

He shifts to the left, it lands on him, sending a strange shiver down his spine.

To the right. The droplets still land on his head.

You come back once the Demon is balancing on the very edge of the booth, two glorious-looking ice cream cones in your hands. Mammon's gaze zeroes in on the ice cream cone topped with edible gold flakes. "Is that one for me?" he grins, reaching towards the sparkling treat. It barely reaches his lips before the scoop topples off of the cone and onto the Avatar of Greed's pants.

You say nothing as you try to hide your laughter and Mammon has to wonder if this bad luck stuff humans are worried about may be the real deal after all.

"Mammon?" you say kindly, sliding a pile of napkins across the table for him. "Do you want me to get you another one?"

"Yea," he mutters embarrassedly. "I-in a cup this time, please, Mc."

Leviathan~

Nights like these are some of Levi's favorites. It's just you, him, and Henry. Although the latter is just swimming circles around his fishbowl, not paying the two of you any mind.

The Avatar of Envy is struggling greatly, trying to divide his attention equally between the game and your pretty face illuminated underneath the blue light of the screen.

Thankfully, your opponents are not that good, so he can do both. And when you get the final kill to secure your win, he watches in puppy love admiration as you throw your hands up in the air victoriously and sink back into the dark beanbag chair he set up next to his gaming chair.

"We did it!" you sigh, wiggling out of your chair. "I'm gonna grab a drink from the kitchen before the next round. Do you want anything.?"

"Sure, thank you." he hums, trying to think what drinks are in the fridge. "Could I get one of the Blushberry Spritz?"

"you bet," the smile you give him is blinding. Although he may be a shut-in, just spending a few minutes with you is like being outside, feeling the gentle rays of the mortal sun on his face.

With you gone, he doesn't enter another game. Instead, he decides to pull up a different tab on his computer to check some of his emails.

He entered a giveaway for some merch the other day and keeps poking into his inbox to find out if he has won anything.

The first few emails are just promos and order updates for his Akuzon packages. But he notices that one of his online friends send him some kind of attachment. Just as he clicks it open, you come back into the room, placing a chilled can of Spritz on his Rui and Friends coaster.

"What's that?" you ask, leaning over his shoulder. You're so close to him. Levi can feel his skin heating up, his thoughts fizzling out of his head like the bubbles in his drink.

What if he just turned and kissed you?

Wouldn't that just be so crazy?

"Levi?" Your sweet voice brings the now-flustered Otaku back to reality and he tries to remember what it was that the two of you were talking about before. His amber gaze darts to the screen for a hint and then he remembers the ominous message on the screen before him.

This Message is Crazy Powerful!!!

Send this thread to 10 friends and ur CRUSH!!! will ask you out 2morrow <3 <3 <3

Ignore And Be CURSED With Bad Luck 4 Eva!!!

You sigh and sit down in your seat, "Ugh, you guys get this kind of stuff in the Devildom too? I hate those things."

Levi sorts and clicks away from the email. "Yea this stuff's for normies."

"So you're not gonna send it at all?" you ask, a bit of worry in your tone that makes Levi's heart beat faster. You're worried about him, and it makes him feel so, so good. Like he just got the grand prize out of a claw machine on his first Grimm kind of good.

"Nah, like I said, it's just a silly message." he beams, deleting the message and going back to the game lobby.

You laugh it off and pick up your controller, your separate screens buffering as the countdown begins.

10…

9…

8…

7…

6…

5…

4…

Your screen continues to count down, but Levi's stays frozen halfway between four and three.

"Wait, what is happening?" he whines as his screen stays unmoving. "Mc, is your screen acting like this too?"

He turns to look at your screen and realizes that you are already on the map. The other online members of your team rush past his unmoving character without care.

"Oh shoot, Levi." you exclaim "I'll stay with you until your screen catches up." He watches as your little character rushes back to the frozen Leviathan just in time to see his avatar explode into a pile of little purple pixels.

Levi bites back a curse as his screen finally catches up, but now all it's saying is 'GAME OVER'

You try to hold your ground, but your rescue attempt leaves your character right out in the open.

Your avatar meets a similar fate a few minutes later.

You laugh it off with that sweet human optimism he loves, and he tries to keep his cool. After all, the last thing he wants to do is embarrass himself in front of you.

But the same thing happens again.

And again…

Even after he reboots the Wifi he still dies in-game due to some weird glitch or system error.

After the 7th or so glitched match, he begins to wonder if you were right about that bad luck stuff after all.

'GAME OVER' fills his screen again as he lets out a cry in defeat. At least this round, he was able to make it a few steps before getting hunted down, but it's still so annoying.

Levi looks over at you and sees you chewing the inside of your cheek in thought. But then the strangest thing happens.

You quit the game and place your controller on the table. "Well that was rough," your smile just as bright as ever. Even after the last half hour of his helpless, probably cursed, playthrough attempts. "How about we watch a movie instead?"

The thought of a cozy movie night with you makes the blood rush to his face, and he nods dumbly, wondering if he will get the chance to hold your hand as it plays.

@enchantedforest-network

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umbracirrus · 10 months

Text

Okay, so, I have recently been thinking about axes and their importance in Nord culture in Skyrim, in part because I have something planned in a fanfiction that involves giving an axe and have been doing a little bit of research into it, and I have gone down a bit of a rabbit hole so please bear with me on this mini essay in which I have pulled together my thoughts/observations about axes in Skyrim and my two favourite Jarls, Balgruuf and Ulfric.

So, as anyone who has done the Civil War quests in Skyrim would know, there is a pivotal point in which the balance of power in Skyrim shifts either towards the Empire or the Stormcloaks based purely upon the player's alignment - when Whiterun either aligns with the Imperials or is taken by force by the Stormcloaks. Of course, there is one particular event which happens immediately before the battle begins, and that is the delivery of an axe.

However, at this point I would just like to bring up something which will become relevant later no matter what your alignment - at the point of the axe being sent, you have been named a Thane of Whiterun. Balgruuf won't hear anything to do with the Civil War when a dragon is attacking the Western Watchtower, so becoming both Dragonborn and a Thane is a prerequisite to the Civil War.

If you align with the Empire, it is Balgruuf who decides to send an axe. If you ask why, he gives the explanation that "if he returns it to you it means we have business to settle. If he keeps it, then we are at peace.", and if you ask whether you should say anything, he says that Ulfric knows what it means (also important for later!). The other dialogue option which isn't just 'sure, okay, I'll do that' also says that it is tradition, and that Ulfric honours traditions.

Obviously, Ulfric doesn't accept it and you return to Balgruuf with the news that he will be attacking Whiterun and suddenly, the city is under siege. When you win, Balgruuf personally thanks you for what you have done after his victory speech.

Now, on the other side of things, if you side with the Stormcloaks, it is Ulfric who gives you the axe to take to Balgruuf, but his explanation is much more... succinct. "If he keeps it, I will bide my time. If he returns it to you, it means war."

And as with the other side, because the game would be pretty boring is Balgruuf was to go "sure, I accept Ulfric's axe", he rejects the axe and that in turn means that you return to Ulfric with his axe, and he expresses his disappointment that Balgruuf had done so.

The two Jarls wanted the other on their side, but their views were fundamentally different they couldn't accept. 😭Sending their axes was just a formality, a way of saying 'this is it, we have to fight now'.

So what I am basically getting at, the civil war quest establishes that giving an axe is a way of determining allies and enemies, depending on whether it is accepted or rejected.

Coming back to what I mentioned earlier, in order to do the civil war quest and to talk to Balgruuf in order to either give him Ulfric's axe or to give his axe to Ulfric, you have to have become the Dragonborn and are a Thane of Whiterun. When you become a Thane in Skyrim, you end up receiving a weapon as a reward, typically named 'Blade of *insert hold name here*'. Except in two places.

Whiterun, and Eastmarch. In those places, you get either the Axe of Whiterun or the Axe of Eastmarch.

If I remember correctly, the blade weapons are randomly generated so have the potential to be axes, but these two are specifically named to be and are axes.

What else is in common with Whiterun and Eastmarch?

Their Jarls (Balgruuf and Ulfric) are the only two people in Skyrim who actively partake in and have knowledge of the tradition of the sending of axes.

When you become a Thane of these two holds, you are not just becoming a Thane, you are becoming a trusted ally of the Jarl, somebody who they can rely upon. Even more so with Ulfric, because you can only become a Thane of Eastmarch with Ulfric as Jarl if you are Stormcloak aligned.

Speaking of being Stormcloak aligned, how about a diversion back to the Civil War, specifically when the battle for Whiterun has reached its penultimate stages, Balgruuf has been defeated and has surrendered control of Whiterun. After an argument with Vignar (and I'll get into him later because he makes my blood boil), Balgruuf turns to you and says a line which absolutely breaks my heart - "And you. A Stormcloak? I'd thought better of you." 😭

Balgruuf thought you his ally, he had given you his axe, and you have just gone and stabbed him in the back (figuratively, and quite possibly literally depending on character build). As I said, it breaks my heart when he says that line.

Basically, what I am getting at, is that the depth of such a simple tradition in Skyrim is immense and I wish that there were more things like it (beyond the duel to the death for the throne thing, looking at you Ulfric) or saw it used more in the game. And that Balgruuf and Ulfric are by far the best Jarls in terms of character development and just how much their homeland and traditions mean to them. And I wish that there was a way to keep Balgruuf as Jarl even if you are Stormcloak aligned because fuck Vignar, and you know what? Fuck Maven Black-Briar too, she sucks. Laila is pretty incompetent as Jarl but at least she isn't Maven and that's a rant for another time. But not having Maven as Jarl is main reason I join the Stormcloaks more often than not. Balgruuf is usually the main reason that I join the Imperials on playthroughs.

Now... Vignar Gray-Mane. When you make him Jarl of Whiterun and he names you Thane, he gives you the Blade of Whiterun, not the Axe of Whiterun (yeah, I know I said that I think the blade weapons can be randomly generated as axes, and no doubt it was given to stop you from having multiple axes of Whiterun, but I just don't like Vignar soooo....). That's mean. Especially after we protected the city and helped him become Jarl too. There's another layer of insult there if you've rescued Thorald, his nephew, from the Thalmor. At least Brunwulf Free-Winter gives you the Axe of Eastmarch when he is Jarl if you defeat Ulfric for the Imperials and complete that shitshow of a quest 'Blood on the Ice'. Brunwulf is a bro, not Vignar. Hmph.

#Skyrim #elder scrolls v #the elder scrolls #skyrim civil war #tes v #tes v skyrim #jarl balgruuf #balgruuf the greater #jarl ulfric stormcloak #ulfric stormcloak #save me from this hell that is gushing over Balgruuf PLEASE #i wish I could marry him in-game and ahhhhhhh #I have been thinking about this ALL DAY at work after looking through the game scripts last night #and then realising that I got an axe from Balgruuf in a current playthrough #then checking the uesp page about weapons you get for being a thane and just going :O

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arlecchno · 8 months

Text

everything has changed (alhaitham x gn!reader)

ONE. i just wanna know you better

masterlist next

SUMMARY - alhaitham was positive that he was not worthy of anyone's love, nor was anyone worthy of his. but after bumping into you on a random wednesday morning, he was ought to be wrong in many ways. also; in which you attempt on asking alhaitham out a grand total of three times; three different ways, three different places, and three different situations, in hopes of him reciprocating your so called love— people do say that third time's the charm, right?

A/N - i have delayed this for far too long. i have maybe slept while editing this draft for around 4 times. i was supposed to post this last week. forgive me pls

“three times.”

“pardon?”

you smiled at the gray-haired man at his desk, holding up three fingers as you repeated yourself once more. “i'll only ask you out three times, and if you decline all three of them, i won't ever bother you again. you can trust me on that.”

if there's one thing about you that alhaitham could describe, it's that you are… maybe a tad bit weird.

no, scratch that, you're insanely weird.

it's silly, he thinks. you're a well-known and respected scholar slash biologist from the amurta darshan. there's no one in the akademiya who doesn't know you, not when you're widely known for your eccentric researches and experiments. no, alhaitham definitely did not look into your work profile after that little incident. and even if he did, it was purely for work purposes, he was mainly doing his duty to report about it to the higher ups, lest he craves punishment or a lecture from grand sage azar.

anyway, frankly speaking, you should be professional, at the very least. hell, you have a doctorate. the title itself should be written all over you.

so why are you speaking to him like… well, he doesn't know. like you're a fool? a desperate moron in love? whatever it is, it's anything but professional to him.

see, this all started due to that sudden incident from a few weeks ago.

nothing ever beats the rush hour in the akademiya on a wonderful wednesday morning, it seems.

as a full time worker at the prestigious institute, it was just another day for you and your overworked colleagues. however, getting errands done during this time around would be a death wish, everyone within the akademiya walls knew of that, and of course, you do too.

yet it seemed like you had just dug your own grave.

honestly— who wouldn't? you needed to head over to your lab immediately, the specimens in the crate you were currently carrying needed to be experimented on within the fifteen minute timeline you had mentally set up in your head, so it was obvious that you had no time to lose.

and to speak; the crowds in the house of daena honestly weren't that bad— maybe a little less spacious than usual, but still merely nothing for an experienced scholar like you. see, that's what you had initially thought before getting back to your private lab.

you just need to head on over to the biology section of the house of daena to retrieve a book titled ‘fungi and its extraordinary lives’, and you'll be set to continue conducting your ongoing research project. look— you did think of snatching the book way earlier before you even set out on an adventure of getting your crate of supplies, but it would've been too much work for you to go back and forth from your lab, as it was already close to the house of daena.

you figured it was best to do it on your way back instead, which, in full honesty— was not even a bad idea. it was just that things just had to escalate a whole lot differently than you had intended to.

see— your first mistake was keeping your eyes busy on your task instead of what's in front of you. which, in another sense, is what any other normal person would do. well, you know your way around the akademiya like the back of your hand. the shortcuts to aisle number thirty-six in the house of daena, the bathroom to the end of the hall on floor two, the shortest route to the archive room of the akademiya, you name it. so you thought you could just waltz your way through the library easily. again, your first mistake.

your second mistake was that you were clearly doing anything but walking, understandably so. you're well aware of the akademiya rules: no running in the institution, no careless mistakes, no idle chit chat and gossip— among many others. right, the handbooks weren't a stranger to you. there was even a point in your life where you were forced to memorise it from a to z by one of your professors because you were unfortunate enough to have unintentionally broken one of the many minuscule rules that one time, which in your opinion was quite the torture for a mere student like you back then. you may or may not still hold a grudge against the said professor.

as you were double checking your to-do list with a pencil and piece of paper on your beloved crate, you hadn't realized that you were walking towards someone. okay, maybe the correct word for your actions right now would be sprinting, but you'd hate to admit that you were in the wrong.

now, this is your last mistake. the person that is about to bump into you is not a mere scholar, whom you can't just apologize to once or a few more times and move on with your day.

next thing you knew, you collided into the person's chest that was so hard it felt you just crashed into a wall, and much to your dismay, caused you to harshly fall on the pristine floors from the impact, along with your precious, precious crate, which is now most likely a lost cause as your specimens and other important stuff you had worked so hard to look for earlier were all over you and the extravagant floors of the house of daena. disgusting, you know, but that was the least of your worries right now.

as if that wasn't already downright embarrassing enough, you're now covered in gooey fungi, you have totally made a fool out of yourself, and all eyes are currently on you, scholars and students alike whispering amongst themselves at the scene they were witnessing. a monstrosity, truly.

you were sure that you'd be the main topic of gossip for at least a week. maybe two weeks at best.

the house of daena was silent, with only the chit and chatter amongst the scholars as an exception. at first sight, you wondered why everyone would pay so much attention to you instead of continuing on with what they were doing just a fleeting second ago. surely this happens in the akademiya at least once, no?

you've made two revelations to this; one, you were so ungodly hideous that everyone just had to stare. or two, you had probably just bumped into some hot-shot akademiyan.

of course, the first thing any sane person would do is look up to the perpetrator who had cause you this much damage. (it was your fault to begin with.)

so you did.

and of course any normal person who had just been bumped into would have thought of the same thing: have every reason to be angry at the person who bumped into you, whether they were in the wrong or not.

so it was only natural that you too, had the same thought in mind.

but the second you laid your eyes on him, it's as if the whole world stopped, and you finally understand why everyone was so adamant on just standing there and whispering about your little incident instead of helping you out like any decent human being would. and the latter of your revelation was definitely on spot. you would've done a victory dance if you were in any other situation except this.

because the person you had just bump into is none other than the scribe of the akademiya, the one and only, alhaitham.

you've heard of him a few times— apparently he's quite the reserved man, yet would not hesitate to call you out on your wrongdoings or foolish mistakes. well, that's what you heard anyway; as a mere worker who is trying to make ends meet, you are in no position to judge people based on what your fellow juniors run their mouths about these days.

for as long as you've been both an alum and full-time employee at the akademiya, it's truly a wonder that you've never actually seen the scribe in person. right, that's also what you've heard people say— that the scribe can hardly be spotted, nor can he be found easily to begin with. he's never in his office, and it's not often that you'd find him within the akademiya walls; the man is anywhere but at his working place, and somehow gets away with it because he's the scribe, whose presence is not of importance unless he deems so.

and if you are granted the position to say this; it is mainly because the higher ups of the akademiya takes great pride in their respected positions, so it is not a shocker that someone with an official title like grand scribe can frequently get away with such things.

egocentric, blunt, unambitious and many more— those are the few descriptions you've heard over the past few years from scholars about the scribe.

but out of all of the mysterious things you've miraculously heard about the man, you've never seen or heard people point out how attractive he is.

how could they not? he’s got a broad frame that could actually knock the breath out of you (which in this case, quite literally did knock you down), a set of clothes that somehow just screams him, despite the fact that you know next to nothing about the guy, tuft of gray hair that bounces graciously and looks luscious enough it makes you envious how he even manages to take such great care of it, and lastly, a pair of turquoise eyes that looked like an oasis from the sumeru desert, one you could just stare into forever, ever and ever.

this man is a whole package.

it was like the gods had granted you the perfect opportunity to present yourself in front of an attractive man, like the gods have finally decided to fill a bit of colour into your hopeless romantic and workaholic life, and gave you this blessing— except for the fact that this, this might be the most embarrassing way possible in doing so.

oh how you want the ground to swallow you up right now.

after what seemed like forever (it was less than thirty seconds), the man of the hour finally speaks, startling you with his voice. “would you rather sit down there like a fool or will you stand up?” ouch. maybe it's safe to say that at least one of the things people say about him are, in fact, true.

you blinked, once, twice, before you could pick up on what what he said and hurriedly stand up, glass jars of your specimens that were previously all over you clinking to the floor a little too loud, some already having been broken and shattered, but you could care less when the man in front of you was currently glaring at you like you have committed one of the six cardinal sins.

before he could even jab you more with his next few blunt words, you decided to bow down to a complete ninety-degree and started profusely apologizing, all previous thoughts of wanting to blame everything on him for ruining your prolonged experiment were thrown out the window (again, it is your fault in the first place.)

sure, this might hurt your pride and ego, but you'd rather do this than having the possibility of listening to the scribe giving you a lifelong lecture on the basic rules of the akademiya, or yet even worse, you get sent to the grand sage and have your doctorate and title revoked for being unprofessional, unethical, or whatever nonsense grand sage azar would demote you for. call yourself dramatic and insane, but you'd rather not inflict any chances of ending up humiliated or jobless. or both.

a beat passes, and you're still mumbling out apologies, causing alhaitham to clear his throat in order to cut you off.

“you… you can stand upright now,” he said, and it takes you another few seconds before you reluctantly do as he says, and the first thing you see is him looking at you with a puzzled expression plastered on his face.

“i apologize once again, scribe. it was my fault, i wasn't looking,” you looked down as you spoke, staring at your ruined materials on the white tiles.

alhaitham all but sighs, and tells you to look where you're going next time. you couldn't help but only nod, not even glancing at him once out of embarrassment. “you are fully aware of the akademiya rules, are you not? act one-o-three; no running in the institution unless–”

“–an emergency occurs, or and if ordered to by either of the six sages, grand sage included,” you finished his sentence with the slight of an eye roll, before remembering that this was the scribe, not your annoying biology professor who countlessly had you memorise the five-hundred-page worth of akademiya rules. truthfully, there was no need for a teaching institution to have that many rules.

then, he prompts another question: “do you perhaps need any help…” he seemed to have trailed off, and you flickered your eyes to him just for a fleeting second to see what he was doing. “amurta scholar?” he finished his question as he stared at your lab coat, a small badge to your left with the amurta logo pinned on it, indicating which darshan you are from.

“uh… no– it's alright,” you say sheepishly as you quickly crouched down, already starting to pick up your glass jars and whatnot. “you should get going, scribe. you must have a lot of work to do here in the akademiya.”

alhaitham could only nod as you tell him that, not even minding the fact that you were not able to see him as of the moment. he merely tells you to watch where you're going next time and starts to walk away; which in your opinion was maybe just a tad bit rude— the least he could do was help you out. but knowing him, as per what people talk about, that'd be nigh impossible. also, you did say that you didn't need any help, so you couldn't blame him per se. honestly, if you were in his shoes you'd probably have done the same.

so you hurriedly finished cleaning up your mess and ran to your lab, all in your splattered–with–gooey–fungi glory. as you sighed behind closed doors, you prayed to the gods above that your project would go smoothly and peacefully. fingers crossed.

well, maybe after yet another exhausting trip to the avidya forest for another set of fungi, that is.

but of course, it was only wishful thinking, there's not a lot to hope for when alhaitham pretty much occupied your mind the whole day. it has even gotten to the point where your fellow juniors had to snap you out of your daydream so that you could actually focus on your research.

sure, call yourself a hopeless romantic (maybe a crazy lunatic in this case), but who wouldn't fall for him at first sight? and who the hell cares about the things scholars gossip about him? a man with that sort of pretty privilege could run over your toe and you would gracefully thank him for it.

and, point in case— alhaitham isn't that bad. okay, sure, maybe a little too blunt and too uncaring for his own good, but he is not as bad as people make him seem.

maybe you should get to know alhaitham more, right? not because you're interested in him (you are, but that could be pushed aside for now), you merely want to debunk the bad rumors about him going around (they aren't even half as bad, just highly exaggerated and overall childish) and make sure that everyone knows that alhaitham is not just the egocentric and arrogant guy people always see (he probably is just exactly that, but it's worth the try).

you firmly believe there's more to the scribe than what meets the eye.

so, you make it your mission and goal to get to know alhaitham better, even if it may be the worst idea possible.

spoilers: it absolutely is the worst idea possible.

after the minor incident you had, you tried your very best to encounter him during work hours, which honestly wasn't as challenging as you thought it was. sure, he's not around much, but after maybe a week or so of hanging around the house of daena (stalking would be the ideal word you're looking for), you finally got to know his routine— well, only for when he's around the humongous library, but that will suffice for now.

evidently, alhaitham would only visit the house of daena on wednesdays, and weirdly on saturdays, at ten in the morning sharp. for what reason you quite have no clue, but he's frequently around the linguistics section, reading a book or two about ancient runes and that sort of stuff, sometimes even seen squabbling with a certain architect from the kshahrewar darshan too. you don't know kaveh much— but apparently he's acquainted with alhaitham, of all people.

but now that you know a part of his routine, you can probably catch the opportunity to get to know him. so ever since then, you have been, quote unquote, “bumping„ into him nonstop.

the first few times you bumped into him, you had greeted him a couple of times, and after a bit of coaxing, you somehow managed to drag him into small talk. you've even gotten to the point where you're asking him when he's free— reason why? of course, you just want to take him out for a bit during lunch break to make up for the incident you two had just a few weeks ago, definitely no ulterior motives whatsoever; which unfortunately, alhaitham kept declining because he quotes that “it would be a waste of time,” and that “things should just be left in the past.”

but that clearly didn’t stop you from trying, again and again. your guardians clearly didn't raise a quitter.

one thing you did find out about alhaitham after a few conversations with him is that the man is anything but fond of small talk, which was expected. and after countless attempts on trying to get him into one, you eventually had to go on a different route to get his attention.

so, here you are now, somehow having managed to reach your way to his office— and miraculously enough, alhaitham just so happens to also be present at the time, which gives you the perfect opportunity to raise the deal that has been dying to escape from your throat.

look— there's no denying that you are here for work purposes; you were requesting for one of your documentations to be cited and reviewed, and although alhaitham is mainly responsible for documenting data regarding the akademiya and the six darshans, he offered a helping hand during one of your small talks you had successfully managed to coax out of him.

and you did come here for that, but you just couldn't help but blurt everything out.

and it doesn't really help that alhaitham is looking at you like you've submitted the worst thesis possible. you haven't even handed it to him yet.

alhaitham continues to frown. “would it not be a hassle to be asking me out that much? why would you even be interested in me?” he had asked, and he didn't bother waiting for your reply as he continued speaking. “you could use those three times right now and i'll decline all of them instantly. that way, you won't have to bother me again.”

“well aren't you quite rude, scribe,” you huffed, retracting your hand back to your side. talk about rude; you're here for the sole purpose of asking him out. “give me a chance, would you? i'm confident that you'd have changed your mind by the time i'm on my last chance,” you grinned as you quirked your eyebrows up and down, and alhaitham almost rolled his eyes as he folded his arms over his chest and leans back on his chair. almost.

“i highly doubt it,” he says.

you tucked your files closer to your chest. “have you ever heard of the saying ‘third time's the charm’, scribe?”

“i believe so, yes,” he nods, then adds: “you'll only ever hear obsessive gamblers say that sort of nonsense when they've lost their current gamble, in hopes of winning the next round.”

in an instant, your jaw drops. “are you implying that i am gambling my love life?” see, if you look closely— alhaitham was this close to smiling.

“i am just saying that there is no point in pursuing something, or someone, in this case, when you've already failed the first time, biologist,” well, now you understand why scholars say he is unambitious. “it would be a waste of time to be around me, or be with me, for that matter. i doubt that i could ever reciprocate your feelings.”

ouch. you'll probably have to double check your list of alhaitham's personality chart again.

“please?” you plead, and alhaitham stares at you for a little too long that you eventually had to break eye contact to avoid his intense gaze. “i promise you that i will never bother you again, you can trust me on that. you won't even see my face on the grounds of the akademiya.”

he looks at you confusedly. “are you not the famous biologist with fifteen awards on their name? i am bound to bump into you in the near future, in one way or another.” he says, tapping his finger on his forearm.

huh, how did he know that you have won fifteen akademiyan awards? as far as you know, this guy knows nothing about you, the fact that he had to check which darshan you are from during your incident was enough proof.

maybe you're not the only one who is interested in the other.

“that's not the point!” you groaned, rubbing your temple with your free hand. this may or may not be directed to both your thoughts and him.

okay, maybe this was a bad idea after all— alhaitham is an impossible man. you'd think that you were capable enough to break his façade, to see the true him after a bit of pestering, but nooo, you're pretty damn sure this is him. there's no such thing as a façade. he's just… alhaitham. which could either be a blessing or a curse, if you ever manage to steal his heart. that, or maybe both. but then again, it still doesn't change the fact that he is one tough nut to crack.

alhaitham sighs. “will you really leave me alone?”

“huh?”

“will you really stop bothering me once you're over with your… shenanigans?”

you blinked. then, you widen your eyes, nodding. “of course. i won't pursue you again, scribe. all i am asking is for you to lend me your time for the duration of— uh, actually, i'm not sure what i am supposed to call this,” you mumble the last few words, but still audible enough for the gray-haired man to hear.

“say, hypothetically, what would you do if i were to agree to one of your three chances of asking me out? what will you do then?”

“oh,” you shift from one foot to another, awkwardness coursing through your veins at the lack of answer you could think of at the top of your head. “i… i am not quite sure. that's for future me to worry about, i guess?”

alhaitham raises a brow, but doesn't question your uncertainty. instead, he says something else in return: “alright, then. i will indulge in your antics for as long as you'd have me as your… social experiment.”

social experiment is just an over exaggeration, right? it has to be. no rational person says it like that.

“what?”

“i'm saying that i will agree to the terms you have given me, but you will stop bothering once your chances are up. do you understand?” he enunciates his words carefully, and you almost dropped your files, right then and there.

gulping, you nod, a small grin tugging at your lips, and alhaitham already regrets his words when you say: “of course.”

well, be prepared for a rollercoaster ride.

extra note - ok guys please keep me in your thoughts and prayers 🙏 writing slump is crazy this is the first work i’ve posted in over 2 months. that is ridonkulous. hope i don’t disappear again

taglist; @isotofl @dancinghillary @heartswonder

taglist is still open!! :D

#alhaitham x reader #alhaitham x you #genshin x you #genshin impact imagines #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact reader insert #genshin x reader #al haitham x reader #genshin alhaitham #h✧˖— writes #h✧˖— everything has changed #i went through the five stages of grief writing this #yet somehow i still hate it

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