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vcg73 · 2 years

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Free Kurt - Wedding Edition

OK, so I never made it all the way through the episode, so this is off the cuff. But in the spirit of ‘canon is bullshit and Kurt deserved better’, here is my shot at Carole saving Kurt from that absurd S6 wedding per this request: https://www.tumblr.com/elledelajoie/697137179001028608/free-kurt-challenge-3?source=share

TITLE: Mother May I

~*~*~*~*~

��Excuse me. Can we talk for a minute?” Carole asked, knocking softly on a support post next to the hale bale on which sat Pam Anderson, Blaine’s mother.

The dark-haired woman smiled, looking relieved to have company, and it was then that Carole realized that this woman was a stranger to everyone here, excepting her son and Kurt, and had probably been feeling a little bit lost amongst the twittering throng of wedding guests, and friends and family of the two young brides.

“Of course!” she said, scooting over a few inches to make room on the blanket covered bale. “It’s Carolyn, right? Kurt’s mother?”

“Carole, actually,” she corrected with a smile, trying not to let her puzzlement show. Surely Kurt had, at some point in his relationship with Blaine, met the other young man’s parents. And hadn’t Blaine ever talked to his mom about his boyfriend’s family? She could remember Finn excitedly babbling away about every little detail of his girlfriends’ lives when he had dated, alternately, Quinn and Rachel. And Kurt had told Burt and her all about Blaine. Even before they started dating officially, every visit home from Dalton Academy had been full of information on Blaine, the information frequently seeming to burst out with his enthusiasm to talk about the other boy.

Pam shook her head. “Right, I’m so sorry. I’m terrible with names. I’ve met so many new people today that all of the introductions have flown right out of my head.”

“Are you friends with the brides’ mothers?” Carole asked, momentarily distracted from original intention in seeking this woman out.

Pam blushed. “Actually, no. My son recently broke up with the young man he’d been living with and I was coming as his, and I quote, ‘emergency plus-one’. But then he and Kurt unexpectedly got back together yesterday, so I was going to bow out, but the boys said I should come anyway. Since I’d already bought the dress and all.” She laughed a little awkwardly, seeming to only just notice that her dress and Carole’s were very alike. “I see we have similar good taste. We almost look like we should be mothers of the grooms, instead of guests of the brides!”

The other woman laughed again, but Carole felt like her thoughts had just screeched to a halt. “They just started seeing each other again? I thought my step-son was still dating that older gentleman that he met online.”

“Oh, no. I think they were just friends. That’s what my son told me,” Pam said. “Blaine broke up with Dave last week because he said he felt like he and Kurt had worked things out, but as far as I know it didn’t become official until yesterday.”

Carole’s brow creased. She suddenly felt rather suspicious of this odd chain of coincidental timing and events. “Something is very wrong here,” she said slowly. “And I think it may be partially my fault. Earlier, Kurt was saying something to his dad and me about how he had almost gotten married last year and what a young and foolish decision that was at the boys’ age. We should have just agreed, but instead we started waxing on about how you had to grab every moment of life and make the most of it. I’m afraid I may have inadvertently projected my regrets for the opportunities my son Finn never got to have onto him.”

Pam reached out, giving Carole’s hand a wordless squeeze of sympathy that told her the other woman had heard the tragic news of Finn’s passing.

“And Kurt takes everything to heart, doesn’t he?” Pam said with a small sigh. “He’s such a sweet young man. I never did get the full story on what broke them up the first time, but I regretted losing him almost as much as Blaine did. I love my son, but I know he isn’t good at taking responsibility for his actions, and I suspect he was at least equally at fault in whatever happened. Blaine has a bad habit of assuming that circumstances will always fall in line to suit his preference, and he becomes oblivious to anything that doesn’t fit that narrative. Those two have broken up and gotten back together so many times that I’m starting to believe Blaine’s in claims about destiny and soulmates.”

Carole sighed. “I’m not sure that I agree. Sometimes couples break up because they just aren’t suited for each other, no matter how strong the love is. And now Brittany is trying to convince our sons that they should get married in a double ceremony today. I overheard Sue Sylvester talking to Brittany just now, and I believe the idea originated with her. That woman has an unhealthy obsession with Kurt, and lately she’s been fixed on the idea of ‘Klaine as endgame’.”

“She what?” Pam nearly screeched the words, standing abruptly. “They can’t do that. The first time they got engaged, they’d been back together for a day, and look how that turned out! Maybe they’ll work out in the end, and maybe not. I hope they do, but not like this!”

“Agreed,” Carole said, glad to have an ally in this. She would not hesitate to take on that track-suited maniac for Kurt’s sake, but she could not honestly claim that she wasn’t a little bit scared to do it alone. “Brittany apparently thinks that having two gay weddings at one time will counteract the bad luck of her and Santana having seen each other in their bridal wear before the ceremony.”

Pam’s face froze in a quietly baffled expression, looking so much like her son for a moment that Carole had to smile. Jumping up, she grabbed the other woman’s hand and gave her a tug. “Come on. We have a wedding to save, and another one to stop.”

A few minutes later, after a hurried conference with Mirabel Lopez and Whitney Pierce, the posse of Glee moms descended on the small room where the would-be brides and grooms, along with the still looming presence of Sue Sylvester, were waiting. Each mother drew her child aside for a serious heart to heart talk.

“Kurt, I know I’m not actually your mother, but I’m going to speak to you now as if I were,” Carole said, taking Kurt’s hands in both of her own. “This is a mistake. You and Blaine started dating under less than ideal circumstances and your entire high school relationship was a series of misunderstandings and missed opportunities, usually with you paying the price to end things peacefully. I stayed out of it then, feeling that it wasn’t my place to interfere, but Finn told me a lot, and I need to apologize if I ever made you feel that I was unapproachable. Maybe if I had tried harder to let you know that you could trust me, and that you had someone you could talk to when things got rough, you never would have felt like you had to do everything on your own. Or felt like you had to give and give until there was nothing left.”

Kurt gaped at her. “But, I…” He trailed off, unable to deny that he had done just that. “Things are better now.”

“Are they?” she said, looking into his eyes and nodding to herself when he flinched away from her intent gaze. “Or do you just want them to be better because you’re in love?”

“It hurt when he was gone,” Kurt said softly.

She impulsively gave him a hug. “I know it did. Letting go of someone we love, someone we put all our hopes and dreams into, does hurt. It hurts a lot. Believe me, I know. But your first true love doesn’t have to be your one and only. You and your father taught me that.” Letting go, she led him to a handy bench to sit down. “Honey, you can’t just ignore your problems, or magically make everything okay by wishing everything was good again. If the past year of grief counseling has reinforced any lesson for me, it’s that one. You broke up for valid reasons. Maybe you worked those problems out, and maybe you didn’t. Only you can answer that for sure, but when you and Blaine got engaged, it was essentially by ambush after you’d only just become a couple again, and I don’t think you were ready for that. And now, after another breakup, you’ve gotten back together yet again, and now someone else is trying to ambush you into a wedding. Someone else’s wedding, that you’re being forced to gate-crash no less! Does that seem like an ideal situation, or something that will work out well for you?”

Kurt’s blue eyes were welling up with tears. “No,” he whispered. “I feel like Alice from ‘Alice in Wonderland’, like random things just keep happening to me with no rhyme or reason, and the more I try to go along and make everyone else happy, the more lost and confused I feel. But Carole, what if I call it off and I lose him all over again?”

“If you can’t be honest with him, and with yourself, you’re going to lose a lot more than that,” she said gently. “For now, Brittany and Santana just need to know that they’re stronger than a little bad luck, and that today should be their big moment; a special day just for them. Their moms will figure out what to say to make that right. As for you and Blaine, just tell him that you want to date for a while. You two have always been in such a hurry for a big grand gesture to somehow prove your love, and you don’t need that. Just spend time together. Maybe go back to New York and try leading individual lives, different apartments, different jobs, different schools, and make sure everything between you is open and honest this time. But be a couple in all the important ways. By the time you graduate college, if you’re still on the same page, then set a date and plan out the wedding you want. Not this.”

The tears were trickling down Kurt’s face now, but he looked so relieved that any doubts Carole had harbored about interference vanished. He had not been born to her, but Kurt Hummel was her son just as much as her darling Finn had been, and her love for him was true motherly affection. She hugged him again, tightly.

“I love you, Carole.”

She smiled. “I love you too, honey. Now, let’s go see how the others are coming along, and get this wedding back on track before all the guests get bored and stage a giant musical revolt that makes ‘Les Mis’ look like a summer picnic.”

Kurt laughed and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, blotting away his tears and blowing his nose. “They would do it, too. You can’t put that many divas in one room and not expect fireworks.”

In the end, only one couple tied the knot that day.

Brittany’s fears of bad luck were lifted by all of the gathered glee club members and guests forming a giant circle around the couple and singing Elvis Presley’s “Good Luck Charm”. (Which somehow everyone knew, including Brad the pianist, who magically appeared at the Indiana barn just in time to accompany the group.)

Sue Sylvester’s bad temper was soothed by a personal invitation from Kurt to be the officiant on his next wedding day – regardless of when and where that happened to take place, or whomever he ended up marrying. At this promise, Sue abruptly decided that she did not particularly care about the identity of his groom, and that really, Blaine was too short for him anyway. He needed someone tall and statuesque. Someone who would look good on a cake topper. Someone not unlike a young male version of Sue Sylvester. Porcelain would be receiving texts and emails of prospective hotties every week for the rest of his single life.

Blaine Anderson picked a fight with Kurt over the drinks table for embarrassing him and ruining his big moment yet again. He whined so loud and snarked so annoyingly, that Burt Hummel abruptly had a change of heart and decided that Kurt had been right all along to dump him. In celebration of this moment, the two Hummel men shook hands and proceeded to dump a bowl of bright red, hair-gel melting, icy punch right over the top of his head.

Pam Anderson bonded with Carole, Mirabel, and Whitney, drinking and dancing the night away, and putting down the roots of a great friendship and a killer ladies bowling league. The next day Blaine - newly single and still showing blotches of a peculiar shade of pink here and there due to Brittany having made the punch out of double-strength Kool-Aid - drove his still happily inebriated mother, who had partied until dawn, home to Ohio.

Kurt returned to New York, much more happily single. Two months later, he went on a blind date set up by his best friend Elliott, and they hit it off immediately. According to Kurt’s very pleased father, the guy wooed his son like romance was a National sport and Kurt’s heart was the pennant.

Brittana lived and loved happily ever after.

THE END

#Free Kurt #elledelajoie

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insomniactalks · 2 years

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sooo people (r*na’s) are starting to talk about this. Im getting a little worried, i mean there’s nothing to be worried about i know my pw will be engame but this still could mean something, right..:(

Meg Donnelly talked about HSMTMTS in a recent interview and she revealed that she had filmed a lot of scenes with Matt Cornett which means EJ and Val will have a friendship. "When we filmed High School Musical, most of our scenes were together so that was really cool. It was so easy and so comfortable and we actually got so much closer on the High School Musical set. It was really weird not seeing him in a blue wig, but nonetheless, it was great." (This part is from an anon but still addresses what you're asking about so I'm putting it t/g.)

Here's the article everyone's freaking out about LOL. I have quite a few asks in my inbox about this part Meg talks about, so I will try to answer them all today (some t/g to save time). First thing first, let's all take a nice, deep breath. Okay? Breathe in. Breathe out. Now, I don't think we need to worry all that much just yet. Didn't we all predict months ago there was a strong possibility EJ and Val could be childhood friends from camp? Maybe they’ve been attending Camp Shallow Lake since they were junior campers and have always been close friends. Does Meg’s quote here really surprise anyone? To me, it just (partly) confirms Val and EJ may share history/a friendship and they’ll use it as an opportunity to show EJ’s growth as a character from the last time he attended camp (when he food poisoned Emily so Nini would be the lead). Val was presumably there at camp when it happened. But EJ doesn’t operate the way he used to (during his selfish 1.0 days) and Val may very well call attention to that. If they are good friends, maybe Val will let the audience know that she sees a real change in him from last year. He’s not who he used to be. The EJ now is “a really good guy” (2.08) who tries to do the right thing (in the right ways this time!) Just b/c “most” of Meg’s and Matt’s scenes were t/g doesn’t inherently mean that’s the end of Portwell lmaooo. Meg also said a few weeks ago that she feels like ppl will “really like” her character, even tho Val will contribute to some drama this season. I don’t think she would make that claim if most of the audience was supposed to hate/dislike her. I’m not getting antagonistic vibes from Val given her character description, which implies she won’t be just another Lily. Tim also said the Wildcats would “come head-to-head and heart-to-heart with Shallow Lake campers Jet, Maddox, and Val," which very well could mean Gina misinterpreting EJ and Val’s relationship at first before she has an eventual heart-to-heart with her by season’s end. Please keep in mind this show spent 2 whole seasons building Gina and EJ up as individual characters first, then progressed their story t/g. It took them 2 seasons to even agree to go out on a date together. With S3′s timeline being only 2 weeks, I doubt Val will cause any lasting damage to Portwell. This is the first season that they’re dating and we, the audience, get to see EJ and Gina as boyfriend and girlfriend for the first time. It’s more likely Val will force EJ and Gina to confront any insecurities in their relationship during these 2 weeks than Val causing them to permanently break up. Plus, as far as we know, Meg will be guest starring only in S3. I don’t think we’ll see her character again for any future season(s) considering Val may be based in California, not Utah. I get the feeling once the trailer is released, Val’s part in the trailer may be deceptive in that it’ll look like she’ll cause bad drama for Portwell, but it could actually be the good kind of drama that will help strengthen them in the long run. TLDR: don’t stress over Meg and Matt sharing “most” scenes together in S3. I know Portwell have a tough season ahead of them, but who says they won’t continue on this journey together? Val might just help EJ realize just how much he cares about Gina and how different his relationship with her is from his previous relationships. We just won’t know until S3 starts airing.

#hsmtmts #hsmtmts speculation #hsmtmts s2 #hsmtmts s3 #hsmtmts val #meg donnelly #matt cornett #tim federle #ej caswell #gina porter #portwell #gina x ej #ej x gina #nini salazar roberts #thanks for the asks!

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kozu-chan · 2 years

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under the mistletoe

kenma x reader, oikawa x reader, iwaizumi x reader

since it's christmas eve, here's some christmas headcanons involving mistletoe for my faves!!

content warnings: fem!reader, fluffy fluff, mentions of food, kissing, pet names (babe, baby, darling in oikawa's and my love in iwa's), i kinda sorta got super carried away with iwa's...

kenma

🎄since kenma's not a big fan of huge crowds, the two of you just spend christmas eve together at your place

🎄you're cuddled up on the couch eating popcorn and sipping hot chocolate while some christmas movies play

🎄kenma insists that "the nightmare before christmas" works as both a halloween and christmas movie so the two of you watch that too

🎄you bake cookies together and accidentally get dough on each other's faces

🎄you both cuddle up on the couch again and look at memes while waiting for the cookies to heat up in the oven and again when you're waiting for the cookies to cool

🎄at some point it transitions into a battle of who can take the most embarrassing photo of their s/o as possible

🎄kenma says that there's no way he could lose because he has the most beautiful girlfriend who's incapable of looking bad

🎄who taught this man how to be this smooth?!?!? i-

🎄the answer is akaashi. that man is secretly a smooth menace who gave kenma some tips but you didn't hear that from me-

🎄you gape at him, clearly flustered, and you take a picture of each other because yes, he also got really flustered and embarrassed because that was so out of character for him lol

🎄like this is the boy who never uses pet names and isn't the best at expressing compliments or his emotions...

🎄but of course, he still finds little ways to show you he loves you and make sure you know he loves you and it's so cute!!

🎄anyway, back to the story...

🎄the two of you eat some of the cookies together and save the rest for the morning santa

🎄when the two of you wake up in the morning you open up the presents you got each other and make breakfast

🎄you got kenma a new game and matching golden bracelets. he got you something that you've wanted for a long time.

🎄since the two of you put a lot of thought into the gifts, you take some time to admire them and try them out

🎄you and kenma spend a little extra time playing his new game

🎄pls it's so wholesome because you're both learning together and you get so competitive-

🎄he will never ever admit it even if it's kind of obvious to you, but sometimes he lets you win

🎄"you're the only one i'm okay losing to..."

🎄kozumekenmawhyareyousocuteomg

🎄then once the two of you calm down, you get breakfast

🎄well, he makes you pancakes and whatever else the two of you want and you make a quick run to the store to get some onigiri and apple pie since you both love it

🎄after breakfast, the two of you snack on some candy canes

🎄you look up and tap kenma's shoulder. "hey look! mistletoe!"

🎄kenma looks up and looks back at you. "there's no mistletoe-"

🎄"i'm just kidding! i don't need an excuse to kiss you!" you giggle and pull him close for a kiss

🎄best christmas ever if i do say so myself <3

oikawa

💙this man is super social. we already know this

🤍and because of this, he takes you to a christmas eve party that's full of a good mix of his friends, your friends, his teammates, and family.

💙he actually got one of his friends to throw the party at their place and invite a ton of people you know so you would be comfortable

🤍he's cute like that 🥺

💙he dotes on you the entire time

🤍and by the entire time, i mean the entire time

💙he waits for you when you have to use the bathroom "because someone has to hold your drink and it's gonna be me"

🤍he's so cheeky stop he's the most adorable, hopelessly in love dork ever

💙this man is SPOON FEEDING you because he wants to, and i quote, "show off his beautiful girlfriend and make everyone jealous from how cute the two of us are"

🤍"babe... isn't this getting too much?"

💙sweetie this is THE oikawa tooru. he is the opposite of subtle and to him, there is no such thing as "too much"

🤍but he's willing to tone it down if you get uncomfortable because even he knows that you shouldn't make anyone uncomfortable.

💙he just wants to romance you and make sure you love his present!!

🤍and boy oh boy does he deliver...

💙once you're both at his place, that's when the real cuteness begins

🤍you enter his home and find the entire place decorated with mistletoe and tinsel and presents and even a fake reindeer!!

💙"tooru you really did the most oh my god-"

🤍"but you love it, don't you?"

💙"of course i do! this is amazing!"

🤍"anything for you, baby"

💙this man is such a simp but like, the cutest simp i know-

🤍he gives you one of those professional looking photo albums with pictures full of the two of you and handwritten reasons why he loves you 🥺

💙me and who fr 😩

🤍this man is making you cry bc w h a t that's so sweet!?!?!?!

💙this man also finds every. single. possible. chance. to be under the mistletoe so he can get a kiss kiss

🤍"darling look! mistletoe!"

💙you roll your eyes. "tooru, babe, this is the nth time you've done this-"

🤍but you always give in because duh that's your baby, your gorgeous man, the love of your life!! of course you're still gonna kiss him!

💙now there's a happy, spoiled oikawa who's cuddled up to the most loved, beautiful, one and only love of his life <3

iwaizumi

🎁after knowing each other for so long, you've definitely turned iwa into a christmas lover

🎁he gets so excited about it now it's so cute-

🎁he doesn't even care about being teased by his friends because he's a man who's secure in his masculinity and knows he's can like what he likes and it doesn't take away from how "manly" he is 😌

🎁iwa's a surprisingly good gift giver unlike me and he always gives the most thought out gifts that he thinks knows that his friends and family would love <3

🎁this year, he gives oikawa a bullet journal and a new set of pens because he knows how much oikawa likes pretty, aesthetic notes

🎁oikawa kinnie moment 😚🤞

🎁he gives his parents super comfy matching sweaters with their family name on it since his mom likes matching things and he knew his dad wanted a new sweater

🎁he gives you a ton of kisses!!

🎁okay obviously he gives you something more than that because he loves you so much lol

🎁this man may not look like it, but he's an easily flustered, dorky, adorable simp when it's just the two of you

🎁i mean, it seeps into his personality around everyone else but it's a lot tamer because our man has a reputation to keep :)

🎁you're really impatient for gifts because you're excited to see what hajime actually got you and you really wanna see his face when you give it to him!!

🎁however, iwaizumi hajime is also a fairly traditional man so he waits for christmas morning to open presents

🎁and no amount of whining or pouting will change his mind. our man is sturdy and will!! not!! budge!!

🎁he tries a lot of things to take your mind off of it, and for a while, it works

🎁he invites oikawa, makki, mattsun, and some of your close friends over for a dinner, but once they leave and you're both cleaning up, you're eyeing the presents, causing your exhausted boyfie to sigh

🎁he takes your hands in his and looks you in the eyes "y/n, my love, i know you're excited to open gifts and give me mine, but we need to wait until morning, okay?"

🎁this man KNOWS that pulling out the "my love" makes you weak bc it gives me butterflies so you pout and nod, kissing his cheek and going back to cleaning up

🎁after the kitchen and living room is clean, hajime tries out a movie

🎁he cuddles up to you and watches your favorite christmas movie with you and pulls out all the snack, drinks, blankets, and pillows

🎁stop bc that's so cute haji where are you and why can't you be real?!?! 😩

🎁but after the movie you look at the time and ask if you can open presents now

🎁ma'am it's 10 pm?!?

🎁iwa just laughs and kisses your head

🎁"how about this? i'll clean up and then we can sleep so the time passes by faster. is that all right, my love?"

🎁"okay haji" you let out a yawn and make your way to the bathroom to do your night routine

🎁he follows behind you so you can do your routine together

🎁after he tucks you in with a kiss to your head because he's the sweetest, he cleans everything up and goes to bed with you

🎁when you wake up, iwa's already in the kitchen finishing up breakfast and you gape at the scene in front of you

🎁haji went ALL out

🎁 there's streamers and stockings and tons of decorations all over the living room and kitchen

🎁"merry christmas, my love! now we can open presents" he greets you with a peck to the lips and leads you to the couch with the presents

🎁you give him your gift first and you're super excited to see his reaction since you got him a limited edition godzilla figure that you found at a store

🎁"is this real?" he looks incredulously at you, then the figure, and then back to you. you nod and he sets it down so he can hug you. "thank you so much, my love! here's your gift..."

🎁you carefully take the gift and unwrap it to find a beautiful golden necklace with your name and his engraved on the heart shaped charm. "haji... this is beautiful!" you wrap your arms around him kiss him "i love it so much!!"

🎁iwa just can't help but smile as yours only gets larger once he shows you his matching bracelet. "i knew you would"

🎁this time, he's the one kissing you only to realize that you've been sitting under the mistletoe this entire time <3

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littlethie · 3 years

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Your girlfriend’s best friend - Draco Malfoy x reader

How does it feel to watch your best friend date the love of your life?

A/N: Alright, so I wanted to post something in between studying. I will be working on the request tomorrow because I have an exam yay! So I am working on it don’t worry!

Warnings: angst, swearing, alcohol, my English

Words: 2,3k

notmygif

You weren’t the first one. You weren´t the main role, and you weren´t his. It was your best friend, Angelica, a beautiful Gryffindor. You kept thinking about it, with your chin lazily rested in your palm. The boy you were sure you loved was in love with someone else. And as if it couldn´t get any worse, he was in love with the girl you considered a sister.

You couldn´t tell her, even if you wanted to. And what would you even tell her? Hi Angelica, I´m totally in love with Draco Malfoy, your boyfriend? You sighed.

You just weren´t the first one. The first one to break the tedious house stereotype, the first one the Slytherins would consider their friend. It was all her, all Angelica.

And so you were here, watching the two of them sitting next to each other by the Slytherin table. No one cared anymore. Everyone liked Angelica. She was beautiful and funny. The entire school knew Draco wasn´t the only Slytherin crushing on her. Of course you admired your best friend, she was one of the first people you had met when you had started attending Hogwarts and you had been friends since the day one. So you suppressed the pain.

You were thankful, though. If it wasn´t for her, you would have never met Draco. The truth was, you had fallen in love with him thanks to her.

***

You had always thought he was this spoiled, evil, good-for-nothing prat and bully until Angelica introduced the two of you. You immediately clicked. You were both a little reserved. It wasn´t natural for Draco to spend time with non-Slytherins and you could see he was just as nervous as you were. To be honest, he hadn´t wanted to meet you. “One Gryffindor is enough.”

But he did.

And your friendship blossomed.

No one questioned when you two were studying together or walked the halls of the castle together. Angelica had paved the way for you. But at the end of the day, it was still her bed and still her lips he couldn´t get enough of.

***

“Hey, stop staring, you look like a psycho,” one of your friends elbowed you and you quickly shook yourself out of your trance. “I´m not staring,” you swiftly replied, “I just got lost in my thoughts,” she was looking at you. Other friends were too. They weren´t blind but they understood your situation. That´s why no one had said anything so far. Then you noticed Angelica standing up and walking towards you. Did she see me? It was your first thought.

“Hey, bestie, Slytherins are having this secret party tonight. Blaise managed to steal some liquor from Slughorn the other day. And guess what, Y/N, you and I are invited!” she squealed. You were looking at her. Quiet. A Slytherin party? More of her and Draco being all over each other? Nah. “I´m sorry Angie, but I can´t. I have to stud-,” you were cut off by her furrowed brows and annoyed voice, “Study? Again? You always “have to” study, lately! It´s like you don´t even want to spend time with me anymore,” she put her two index and middle fingers in the air to mimic quotes.

Well, this wasn´t entirely false. You wanted to spend time with her, but not with her and Draco. “I´m sorry, Angie. I can´t.” you stood up, took your things and walked as fast as possible. You couldn´t go. It was already too much for you and Angelica was starting to notice that something was off.

You plopped yourself onto the grass and watched the Black Lake vibrating peacefully under the slightest touch of wind. How could you let this get so far? There was something calming about the goosebumps forming on your body from the wind. You closed your eyes and let out the frustration with a deep exhale.

“You´re a huge ass sometimes, you know that Malfoy?” you snarled at Draco who had managed to take your textbooks. You had been studying by the Black Lake but your mischievous friend had had other ideas. “You still love me though,” he smirked, and your cheeks turned red. Oh he was right. So right. He climbed onto the tree. “Let´s see,” and opened your textbook. “Draco, please, I really need to study! Can´t you go bully someone else? Perhaps someone who won´t punch you in the face like I will?” you stood under the tree with your hands on your hips, looking up at the happy face of the platinum haired boy.

“... then chop the valerian, add it to cauldron, and apply a high heat…” he read out loud. “Draco, are you seriously going to read my notes? Out loud?” you were getting nervous. “After that, juice…” suddenly, his loud, in that moment annoying voice stopped. His eyes roamed something in your book. His face changed. He was… in awe. “Draco? What did y-,”

“Draco Lucius Malfoy. Birthday, 5th June. Hair, pearly white. Eyes, grey like the ocean during a storm. An intelligent Slytherin. Amazing seeker. His favourite class is potions. Sorry, potions with Snape. Best friend, Blaise Zabini. Even though he just said he likes to spend time reading books more than spending time with him. His favourite colour is green, pft, so cliché. He loves apples. The green ones. Because, again, he loves green.” He was now looking at you. Your palms were on your forehead and your eyes were wide. Your words stuck.

“You really wrote down everything I told you about myself?” he couldn´t believe. You were still quiet, not really knowing what to say. Cheeks red, heart racing. “Y/N that´s… that´s amazing,” he was smiling. Draco jumped down from the tree, coming closer to you, handing you your textbooks. “I don´t want to forget anything,” you said quietly, looking into his eyes that were now tracing your face. His lips were slightly apart. You could smell his scent. Vetiver and apples would definitely become your favourite after being so close to Draco.

“Oh there you two are! I was looking for you all over the castle!” Angelica exclaimed and planted Draco a kiss on his cheek. You snapped out of your trance, looking at them. “Hey,” Draco turned to her and planted one on her lips. You raised your eyebrows a little and picked up your stuff, leaving them there.

“Hey! Y/N! Where are you going?” Draco yelled after you. But you acted like you didn´t hear him.

You really didn´t want to go. At first you hadn´t thought you´d be affected. But you were surely starting to be and being around them was just unbearable. It had even led you to consider cutting the ties and burning the bridges. But every time Draco had looked at you, you just couldn´t go through with it.

“My missus keeps complaining, Y/N, save me please,” you heard a voice behind you, and you rolled your eyes, keeping them fixated on the lake. “Oh, so now she sends you to talk some sense into me?” you snapped and pulled your knees closer to your chest. As if sending him was supposed to help. “You know how she is,” he sat down beside you, “she misses you. I miss you too, to be honest,” his voice was low and gentle. Your mind was running around how he just called her his missus. You couldn´t hide that it had made you a little angrier.

“I´m not going, Malfoy,” you stated coldly, putting your chin in between your knees. “Malfoy?” he laughed lightly, “someone´s grumpy. What happened?” his hand landed on your back and your alarm went off. He couldn´t keep doing that. “Nothing. I just don´t feel like socializing,” you answered and stood up the second his hand started to run circles on your back. He grabbed your hand.

“Y/N, please. I just want to make her happy,” oh damn his mixed signals, “and you make her happy.” What were you supposed to do? What were you supposed to say? It made you sick to your stomach. “I´m sorry, Draco, but as I said I-,”

“See! Here´s the Draco! You´re warming up to me again,” he laughed, “please, just sit down,”

“No.”

“What do you mean no? I will make you…,” he smirked and you looked down at him and at his hand still holding yours. Suddenly he let go of your palm and wrapped his arms around your legs, making you fall down onto the ground, pinning your hands above your head. “See, I told you,” he snickered and you started kicking your legs, your yelling slowly turning into laughing. He hovered above you.

“I swear I´ll kick you in your balls,” you growled but a smile was trying to form on your lips. “You wouldn´t…” he looked at you, face all serious, then turning into a wide grin. He was on top of you and your heart was beating just too fast for your comfort. All this was leaving you confused and furious. Your face fell. You pushed him off. “Enough, Draco,” you whispered, stood up and made your way to your dorm.

***

“Are you sure you don´t want to go?” your roommate asked you, handing you your own stolen firewhisky. “Why would I want to go?” you scoffed, drinking it like water. You were already a little buzzed. “To tell him. Everything. Or to yell at him. To scold him, lecture him, whatever, Y/N. But you should do something,” she said and took the bottle back. Something in you snapped.

Probably that was why you were now fairly drunk, stomping down the corridor to the Slytherin common room. You didn´t know what you planned to tell him, but you now knew you had to say something. You were already losing him to Angelica. Nothing mattered anymore.

“Y/N?” a voice echoed through the corridor and you turned around just to face the one boy you had been hoping to see, “I thought you didn´t want to come,” his eyebrows were raised but face still, emotionless. He almost looked annoyed.

“I didn´t. But I need to speak with you,” you stated, words a little sloppy. He narrowed his eyes. “Are you drunk?” he asked and took a step closer. You ran your hand through your hair. “Maybe. But that doesn´t matter. I´m angry with you,” you said boldly and lifted your chin. “That´s why you came? You said you´ve had enough of me.” Oh, so he was angry too.

“Are you really telling me you´re mad because I said that? Can´t you see what you´re doing to me?!” you really tried not to scream but when the Slytherin door opened Draco immediately dragged you into a dark corner. Loud music came out of the room but died down as the door closed. Your bodies were pressed together, hearts beating fast. His eyes fell on you and his hand rested on your waist. The time felt like it was frozen. But you pushed him away, again.

“See? I can´t be near you, Draco. Because every time that I am, I feel like a lunatic! You make me weak and I hate it. I can´t be friends with you anymore. I don´t love you like a friend,” there was a smile growing on his face, but you continued, “And you must be fucking blind not to see it. So I am sorry, but I can´t see you if I can´t have you. I-“ you were cut off.

By his lips.

On yours.

He pressed you against the wall and you let out a small whimper. He was rough. Almost hungry. His hand was at the back of your head, grabbing your hair as tight as he could, while he supported himself against the wall with the other. Your hands sneaked around his neck, to his hair and back to his cheeks. He was kissing you. You were kissing him. But he wasn´t yours to kiss. He was Angelica´s. He belonged to someone else. You stopped.

“Draco,” your breaths were heavy and deep, “this isn´t right.” He looked at you and caressed your cheek. “But it feels right…” he whispered and started leaving light kisses on your neck. “What about Angie?” you tried to stay focused but it was almost impossible. “I don´t care about Angie… you know that,” did you? “I´ve always cared about you. I thought you didn´t like me like that…”, he stated. You cupped his face. “Draco. Listen to me. I can´t be kissing you, when you´re with her. Make your choice. I did mine. You know where to find me,” you said and let him go. You lightly pushed him and walked away, leaving him to think through what you just said. But he didn´t have to.

He loved you. Just like you loved him. He had been feeling the same confusion, the same anger and had had same dilemma. It had been you all along. The way you knew him. Every single detail, because you cared. The way you looked at him and spoke to him. He knew he loved you and there was nothing to think about. A smile grew on his face as he turned around to run after you. To grab you, hold you, spin your around. Maybe he had liked Angie at first, but it was you he loved. It was his girlfriend´s best friend. And now that he knew your feelings towards him there was nothing that could stop him.

“I knew it,” he stopped as a voice bounced from the walls. His tall figure turned back around just to meet the eyes of a girl he had betrayed.

“That you love her,” her hands were folded on her chest and her gaze was cold. She was slowly approaching him. “But here´s the thing, Draco. You are mine. If you go running after her, I´m not going to ruin your life, but hers. I am going to make sure she´ll never finish school. I am going to make sure, she´ll be in constant danger. I am going to make sure she´ll believe in every single rumour about you. I am going to break her heart. Because no one takes what´s mine.”

427 notes · View notes

thatiranianphantom · 2 years

Note

It’s always interesting to see how BAs minds work. For them, 605 was just 'crumbs' and fan-service for BH and they are truly the ones winning, which tells you how far ahead of context they’ve been this whole show because they rely on screeners and ‘behind the scenes shootings' instated of the actual show. The episode did nothing for BA except placing BH as a way superior dynamic and one that holds the show together at that, you had them point out that what’s happening in RiverVale is an anomaly, in another universe they called the V/A/B love triangle 'old fashioned', had Veronica and Jughead calling themselves the counterparts to Archie and Betty (which BAs are trying to twist but that word mostly means that you complement the role of the other person) and none of the characters seemed thrilled with the idea of a BA marriage. One thing I noticed, they had Cheryl say "awkward..." when Jughead asked about their marriage, which feels like a weird thing to say because it suggests history between them of some sorts, which is again weird because J/T were already stablished in that universe. And strangely, no one is speaking about how Jughead asked everyone (but his own girlfriend) to help him recreate that BA scene when it was stablished that it didn’t matter which one the person to do it, in fact, in that universe, Tabitha didn’t fully trust in Jughead's theory until Betty fully did.

In the episode – which was literally a parallel universe to RiverDale, they never had BA actually meaningfully interacting. For Archie it was a killing spree in hopes to bringing his father back (which is very true to Archie as a character, and it’s been stablished twice in Vale that he keeps trying to be his father, almost obsessively, and I can see that taking way more form in Dale). A whole episode of BA wedding and zero scenes BA scenes in her wedding dress. Betty truly didn’t seem to care about her marriage, and didn’t hesitate to kill him the moment she saw Jughead in danger, in fact, she didn’t hesitate to believe Jughead and a quote that no one is speaking about: "i saw my life flashing behind my eyes and knew I had to come here…", she saw her life (future, maybe) and knew she needed to go to Jughead. That’s not foreshadowing at all. That paired with the obvious efforts of doing those comic book covers with Jughead saving Betty from Archie, and both of them wearing wedding clothes. If a show made this much effort on some crumbs or fan service, I would genuine reconsider.

It’s crazy how Bughead having to save the universe together, hold each other tight in what could be the end of the universe, kiss and go almost all the way for it, repeatedly saying they are in this together is considered a crumb, what it means having an actual scene for BAs. And the ending scene, isn’t even a win for them by any means, Jughead changed the ending to stop the b0mb from happening in Dale. The ending was Vale/Dale re-starting, because that’s exactly how 5x19 ended. If BA and JT are together in Vale, it’s because that’s the way it needed to be so Vale stopped being Dale's parallel universe – by context it means Dale needs to be different, and it will, Ethel told Jughead that changes might influence the events. The ending scene gave you a post BH saving the universes, where they obviously don’t remember the sacrifice they just made, go down the stairs and show up together to dinner in matching clothes (because that was intentional) and being pulled apart by Archie and Tabitha, they don’t go towards them themselves. That’s enough visual to tell you what is going to happen in RiverDale.

RVD has the same formula every-time, it will go back to the couples again, give it until 608/609 (leaked part of the script for 608 suggest T/J are having trouble already - to no one’s surprise) until they start getting invested in their own story lines, and often by the 12 episode, those story lines start to get connected (mostly Bughead's). That episode confirmed BH endgame to me, and not matter how many contractual interviews the actors are forced to do is going to change the obvious ending of the show.

I am presenting this almost without comment, because yes.

Small sidenote to that awkward thing - the 'dale versions of themselves have been super hunky-dory about their former SO's dating other people.

Yet in this episode, we have it being implied as awkward for Jughead that BA was getting married, we have Jughead and Veronica decide to skip the wedding and we have Betty almost sound embarassed that she was with Archie before the bomb, when Jughead tells her he read it in the comic.

That is also very 👀

#Answered #Bughead #RD negativity #Anti-B*rchie

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xyzcekaden · 3 years

Photo

🍔 chains on the swings of the set 🍔

by airauralintensity (aka me, xyzcekaden!)

His name is Norman Midable. “But you can call me Nor.” A subversion of the guy-at-college-vies-for-Kim’s-attentions plot.

fandom: kim possible (cartoon) characters: kim possible, ron stoppable, OC (technically), wade monique and rufus in supporting roles ship: kim/ron, kim/oc genre: romance, angst, friendship themes: college au, major original character, cheating, one-sided romance, canon endgame, working through relationship problems, kim has a type word count: 6.8k chapter: 1/2 rating: T

read it below, on ffnet, or on ao3!

A/N (11.3.2021): A common KP college!au centers on Kim potentially leaving Ron for a smart jock type (a smock, if you will), but I’ve always taken such issue with that because it undermines Kim’s growth in the show. So, what if she met someone just like Ron instead? Enter Norman Midable: a very mediocre conspiracy theorist with a dry sense of humour. I kinda meshed his personality based on one of my IRL friends, Felix, and Ron from yvj's 'a lot like love.’ (If you haven’t read that yet, please do. It’s unfinished but will still be one of the best character-centric pieces I’ve ever read.)

Title from Tightrope by Walk the Moon. Inspired by early Ron Stoppable concept art. If you recognise it, it doesn’t belong to me. I actually plotted this out back in 2019, then proceeded to forget about it for years haha. I’ve never created an “original” character before (‘original’ in quotes because he’s basically Ron lol), so let me know what you think!

~~~

The Kimmunicator rings just as Kim finishes making her bed in her new college dorm, and she lets herself have a split second of wonder. Even the day before orientation, the world needs saving.

"What's the sitch, Wade?"

"My badical best-friend/girlfriend moved into college today, and I miss her," an unexpected voice replies.

"Ron!" She flops backwards onto her bed in delight, and it's almost like she's still back in Middleton.

"KP," he says on an exhale. She can hear everything he's feeling in that one breath, or maybe she's just feeling those same things herself.

She flicks her eyes between her screen where she can see the way Ron is looking fondly at her and the approximate area where she knows the front-facing camera to be so that Ron has something to look at. "How long have you been back?"

"Mr. and Mrs. Dr. P dropped me off a bit ago. I just finished dinner with the 'rents before I called you."

"Ah, a Ron on a full stomach, my favourite," she teases. "It means there's one less thing that I need to compete with for your attention span."

"Not tonight, KP. You've been the only thing I could think about since yesterday."

She looks down at the screen then, ascertaining his seriousness. "Wanna try that again? I know for a fact that you were up late last night playing Zombie Mayhem."

Ron scratches the back of his neck and chuckles. "Nah, I just said that 'cause if I said the real reason I was late this morning, the tweebs would have heckled us all day. I really just couldn't sleep last night. I was… well, I was worried about you, honestly."

Kim smiles appreciatively. "That's sweet, Ron, but you of all people know I can take care of myself. There's nothing I can't handle."

"Can you handle yourself around the Hirotakas and Josh Mankeys of college, though?"

Kim's heart and smile drop like anchors. "... What?"

She watches as Ron scrunches his face up in the universal sign of knowing you just said the wrong thing, and she can't even laugh at the sight. "I… didn't mean to say that. I didn't mean to say it that way. Please forget it," Ron begs.

She can't, of course. "You think I'm still like that?"

There's the sound of rustling as Ron rubs a hand down the front of his face. "No, I don't," he answers eventually, and she believes him. She wants that to be enough, except… "But I haven't seen you not like that, either, you know?"

She is ready to defend herself—the instinct to act-first-think-later is deeply ingrained in her at this point, and it's saved her life more times than she could count—but she stops herself just in time, and she reviews.

No potential romantic interests ever surfaced since the two of them began dating; no one in Middleton would dare try. There would never have been a chance for her to demonstrate her loyalty to Ron. As hurt as she is by the knowledge that Ron still harbours an insecurity over that, she is in no position to blame him.

She swallows down her offense and looks back at the screen. Ron has his head in his hands, roughly rubbing at his temples in self-flagellation.

No, she doesn't blame him at all.

"Hey, stop that," she calls out. Her best-friend/boyfriend's attention jumps back to the screen, and she gives him a small smile. It's no big, afterall.

"Let's make a promise to each other right now. Okay?" Ron nods. "Do you promise to trust me?"

"With my life and with my heart, too."

They're still young. She knows that… but sometimes Ron is just so genuine, so transparent about his feelings for her that she's ready to be older, to actualise the dream she can hear in his words.

"Then I promise you: I have no interest in 'golden hotties'. My guy has a heart of gold and a pocket full of hot sauce; what could be better than that?"

Rufus pops up from wherever he was hiding. "Cheese!"

~~~

Her first class of the first day is the one Kim's been looking forward to the most. Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies sounds like the exact sort of thing people go to college to learn, and even the classroom is a quintessential lecture hall like she's seen in movies. It's as good of a start as any to help her figure out what she should major in. She has some ideas, of course, but it helps to keep her options open.

She slides into a seat in the second row an easy seven minutes before class starts, and she takes the time to set up the new digital notebook Wade made her as a graduation present. She likes it—at least, she likes the idea of it; supposedly it'll automatically upload her notes onto her laptop back in her dorm room—but writing on a screen instead of paper will take some getting used to.

The professor enters, welcomes everyone to college, introduces her class; and just like that, they're off. It's rather anticlimactic. That's another thing she'll have to get used to, too.

After fifteen minutes of going through the syllabus, some voices gradually getting louder distract everyone's attention to the back of the class. There's some guy trying to force his way to an empty seat in the middle of the last row, and the students already seated are having none of it.

"Young man, if you're going to be late on the first day, you'd do well to avoid causing a commotion at the same time," the professor admonishes. "There is plenty of space here at the front."

The guy swivels his head between his desired seat and the professor before slumping over in begrudging defeat. He walks down the steps knowing everyone in the class is watching him, and he takes the first empty seat on the edge.

Second row, right next to Kim.

"Man, this casks," he says under his breath as he settles in.

"Well, if you got to class on time, you'd have your first pick of seats," Kim retorts without thinking. Her eyes widen cartoonishly. "Oh my god; I'm so sorry. That was so ferociously rude! I don't know what came over me!"

Her seatmate has his eyebrows raised in mild interest at the blunt girl before him, then he shrugs. "Nah, you got a point, though."

Determined to salvage her first impression, Kim sticks her hand out confidently. "I'm Kim, Kim Possible. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Over the years, she's become used to the effect her name has on people: shock, awe, fear, (derision if you're Bonnie Rockwaller). To her surprise, the guy doesn't react at all like she expects. Besides the fact that he doesn't seem to even recognise her name, he just holds his hands up in the universal signal for don't-come-any-closer. "Woah, woah, woah. 'Acquaintances'? Take a guy out to dinner first before you go putting labels on anything."

She doesn't sputter, but it's a close thing.

Thankfully, the other person lowers his arms and smirks. "I'm just teasin' ya. You can call me—"

The sound of a throat clearing stops him from introducing himself, and the two look to the front to see the professor looking straight at them. They sheepishly face forward.

The professor keeps their unimpressed gaze on them for a moment longer before continuing. "As I was saying, the final project is a semester-long research paper that you will submit to me in both papercopy and digitally no later than the first day of finals week. People may partner up if they so choose, but no more than three to a team. The topic is up to you, but your arguments must utilise…"

Suitably chastised, Kim takes diligent notes to make up for her poor lack of concentration. Out of the corner of her eye, she can see her classmate constantly looking over at her.

The professor dismisses them for a mid-lecture break, and Kim says something before he can. "Why do I have the feeling you want to ask if we can partner up for the project because you're afraid you can't make the grade on your own, and you think that I'll pick up your slack?"

The other student blinks at her. "That's not the only reason," he feebly argues.

Kim takes a deep breath and puts on a placating smile. "Sorry, but that's not gonna happen. Besides, I'm honestly not the best project partner. I have a really... erratic and time-intensive extracurricular that I do. It's better for both of us if I work alone."

She's not ashamed of the fact that she saves the world on a weekly basis. She really isn't. It's just that she doesn't know how much this guy knows, if he's even heard of her, and it's kind of much to explain with only a few minutes left in the break.

Luckily, the student doesn't push her. He just turns to his laptop, and Kim takes that as a sign that the message has been received. The professor comes back into the lecture hall, and the second half of the class goes without incident.

That is, until her Kimmunicator goes off.

"Ah yes, I was wondering when I'd have to make this announcement. No cellphones in class; no exceptions!"

Kim hops out of her seat and over her seatmate with practised ease. "Sorry, professor! I have to take this."

The professor seems to realise something as soon as they get a good look at Kim's face. After referring to some papers in their briefcase, they nod. "Very well, Ms. Possible. Join us again whenever you're ready."

Kim waves appreciatively as she bounds out of the nearest exit. "What's the sitch, Wade?" she asks as soon as the door closes behind her.

On the small screen, the image is split between Wade on one side and Ron and Rufus on the other. "You just got a really weird hit on the side, Kim, and it's for you specifically."

"Aw man, no one ever remembers me!" Ron laments. Rufus agrees, "Uh-huh, uh-huh."

"What's going on?"

"Someone just asked you for help with his, uh, 'WGSS' project? I tried doing some research, but my usual sources aren't being very helpful. The only results that pop up for that acronym are Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies courses at colleges. I sent a clarification email in response, but I'll keep looking until we hear back."

So he did recognise her. Kim rolls her eyes. "Don't bother, Wade. Some classmate of mine thinks if we partner up for the semester project, he won't have to do any of the work."

Wade pulls at the collar of his shirt uneasily. "He wrote here, and I quote, 'I promise I'll do the work. I just need some help, is all.' Close quote."

"That's what you do, right?" a voice from behind calls out. Kim whirls around to find the guy from class only a few steps away from her. "Help people?"

Other students are spilling out of the lecture hall behind him. Class must have ended while she was out.

Kim is used to making quick decisions with barely any information to go on. It's a habit that's saved her life more times than she can count. Between his earnestness, his unique way of going about asking her, and something else she really can't just put her finger on, she decides to trust him.

After one last glance to the student's hopeful expression, she looks down to her team on the screen. "Tell him I'm in."

She hears cheers behind her, and she can't help but smile.

"Who is this guy?" Ron cuts in, trying to peer closer to the screen as if that will help him see the newcomer behind Kim.

"The form says 'Norman Midable'," Wade responds.

The other student steps closer to Kim, eyeing her device with interest, and she tilts the Kimmunicator over so that they both can be seen by the camera.

He gives a jaunty little salute. "But you can call me Nor."

~~~

It really is more a matter of when than a matter of if.

"Excuse me, hi," someone interrupts Kim where she's sitting out on a picnic table in the quad doing her assigned reading. She looks up confusedly at the young girl, probably a freshman like she is, looking nervous and embarrassed.

"Hi," Kim answers, wary but kind. "Can I help you?"

That's what you do right? Help people?

The words of that guy from her WGSS class flit through her head, unbidden and annoying. She forces it out of her mind as quickly as it came in.

"Yes! Well, no. Uh…" the student trails off. Kim surreptitiously looks around, wondering if Ron's routine emails to Prank'd finally resulted in her appearance on the show.

Finally, the girl musters up the courage to say what she wants to say. "Are you Kim Possible?" she blurts out.

Oh. Kim can't help the embarrassed twist to her smile. "Yeah, that's me."

The girl plops down in the seat opposite from her in relief. "Oh my gosh, hi! I heard you were going to attend this school, but I thought it was just a rumour!"

Kim gives a strained smile. As nice as they always are, she's still not used to people recognising her while she's doing basic, average girl things.

"Well, clearly not a rumour," she jokes awkwardly. "I really go here."

"That's so cool. You know, you came to my hometown once! Yeah, there was a boat stuck in the canal, and you were able to clear it out with, like, wine and a spyglass, or something. If the canal were blocked for any longer, my uncle wouldn't have been able to bring his shipment downstream and would have lost out on a major contract. Literally, he was up a creek without a paddle."

Kim's awkwardness melts into genuine pride, and she chuckles freely at the other's joke. "I'm glad to hear that I helped your family out, even if it's indirectly. That was down in Mississippi, right? I remember that."

The two of them happily converse about each other's hometowns and some of Kim's most memorable missions. Her reading can wait. She's just happy to find someone who didn't treat her like she was too cool to talk to them or who clearly just wanted to be able to say that they met Kim Possible once.

It's nice while it lasts.

"Howdy, ladies," someone greets as he smoothly slides into the seat next to hers at the picnic table.

The other girl shoots Kim a quick, weirded out look, and Kim nods concedingly to show the situation is still under control. "This is Norman," she says as she gestures to the intruder with an eye roll. "I met him in WGSS, and I thought he would know better than to butt into people's conversations uninvited." She directs the second half of her statement to Nor with a pointed look.

Nor simply shrugs. "The more the merrier, right?" He leans across the table with an outstretched hand. "Hiya. No need to be so formal; you can call me Nor."

The girl warily reaches out to accept his handshake. "Hi, I'm—"

"—Not obligated to divulge your identity if you're genuinely uncomfortable," Kim interjects with a stink eye still directed towards Nor.

"Who's uncomfortable? Not me." Nor laces his fingers behind his head and leans back in affected nonchalance. Since there isn't anything to actually support him, he's just suspending himself at an unnatural angle in the air.

Kim darts her hand out to topple him over, but Nor's spasm to avoid her touch results in his backwards fall anyway. Nor yelps, and Kim is still laughing at him even when she leans over to help him upright again.

"Are we still meeting up later?" Kim asks through a giggle as she sweeps some grass off Nor's hair and the back of his shirt.

"Yeah, why?" Nor asks, roughly mimicking the same sweeping motion on Kim for the sole purpose of annoying her.

He succeeds; she swats his arms away. "Then why are you bothering me now if you know you'll see me later?"

"Uh, is there a maximum on how often I can see you in one day? Come on, Kim."

She doesn't respond, instead trying to force the bookbag he took off back into his hands while trying to tug the zipper closed. "I'll see you later then," Kim underscores.

"Alright, alright. I can tell when I'm not wanted." Nor finally takes the bag into his own grasp and heaves himself out of his seat. He bids goodbye to the other girl, "I hope I get to meet you again without Kim Jong-un over here dictating when and where I go."

Kim gasps in offense, and Nor winks. "Laters."

Needing to have the last word, Kim calls out after him, "Yes! I will see you 'later'!"

She stares after him until she's sure he won't turn around and bother them again. Her squinted eyes smooth into something much friendlier when she finally turns her attention back to her new friend and her amused look. "I'm so sorry about that," Kim effuses.

"No problem," the girl brushes off easily. "Was that your boyfriend?"

Kim chokes on air. "W-what?" she coughs out.

The other student offers her water bottle, but Kim waves her off. "No, no. He's not my boyfriend," she eventually gets out. "I do have one, but he's working back home."

"Ah," the girl intones. "Well, you better watch out for that one"—she points in the direction where Nor had walked away—"'cause I think he likes you."

Kim twists her face into an are-you-sure-about-that expression, and the girl shrugs like hey-you-never-know.

"So, what's your boyfriend like?" she redirects. "Can I see a picture?"

Kim is more than happy to oblige.

~~~

Between instances like that one, the events her Resident Assistant puts on, and small talk with her classmates, Kim slowly gets to know more and more people. It helps make the big campus feel a little smaller, and it definitely soothes the homesickness for Middleton that lances through her every now and then.

She'd even call some of those people friends, but she hasn't been able to find anyone she gels with that well. At least, no one except—

"Nor! This isn't research!"

The two of them are in the library, supposedly doing independent research in order to pick a topic for their WGSS paper. Kim presumed the frantic and intermittent typing on Nor's end was the creation of an annotated bibliography while she thumbed through books, but a chance glance on his screen reveals an active forum of some sorts instead.

"Uh, ch'yeah it is, Kim," Nor retorts like it should have been obvious. "There are bozos on the internet who think Truman Capote was the real author of To Kill a Mockingbird just because they can't handle it when a woman is successful. That sounds like prime WGSS material to me! How can I be expected to properly defend my stance without fully understanding the opposing narrative's standpoint?"

Kim faceplms. "We're writing a term paper, Nor, not a blog post for your latest conspiracy-theory-of-the-week fixation!"

Nor patronisingly shakes his head. "Kim, Kim, Kim… Wait, what's that short for, by the way? 'Kimothy'?"

"Nor!"

"Is there a problem here, Ms. Audible?" a gruff voice snarks from behind her.

Kim and Nor wince in their seats before turning around to face the school's librarian.

"No problem at all, Professor Snarkin," Kim says in that tone people use when they know nothing they say is going to be good enough for the other person to hear.

"Is that so? Well, there shouldn't be any problems then when I kick you out of the library for disturbing the peace."

Nor checks his watch. "Could you kick us out in about 30 to 40 minutes? If I wait any longer than that, I'll be late for my next class."

"You'll be later than that if I end up burying you under the Archaeology tomes for the juniors to find during their labs! Out, now!"

Kim and Nor quickly scramble to collect their things and hightail it out of the library. As soon as the door swings closed behind them, they're greeted by a blur of white tackling Nor in the gut and making him spill the contents of his never-fully-closed bookbag.

"Igor! How are ya, buddy?" Nor exclaims with no heed paid to his other belongings.

Kim shakes her head at the scene. "An albino gopher. Nor, you ever think about circumventing the college's no-pet rules with something more normal?"

"Like what?" Nor asks obliviously as he ruffles Igor's fur.

"Like something not albino!"

"Kimothy, Kimothy, Kimothy—"

"—That's not my name."

"Oh, it isn't? … Well, anyway—"

"We need to pick a WGSS topic today, Nor," Kim interrupts before Nor could launch into a long winded and almost-impressive-in-its-meaninglessness tirade on something or another. "Come on, we'll try to find spots in the student union instead."

Igor follows along happily as the two students make their way through campus in companionable silence. The late September weather is still warm, but something in the air tells them autumn will make its appearance any day now.

"You know, when I first signed up for WGSS, I thought it was gonna involve a lot more women and sex than it does."

Kim snorts. That much is obvious.

Nor continues, "I should have known on the first day that something was up when there weren't nearly as many dudes in the hall as I expected."

"It's not too late to drop," Kim teases.

"And leave you all alone to write a paper about Truman Capote?"

"If you intended for him to be the topic of the paper instead of Harper Lee herself, maybe you actually should drop."

She cuts a sideway glance at Nor just in time to catch a smirk on his face that must mirror her own. He draws her into a quick one-armed side hug before ruffling her hair as he pushes her back to her side of the sidewalk.

"If you think that's all it takes to get rid of me, Possible, think again."

Kim fights a lot of things; but even she can't fight the smile on her face as she makes a show out of complaining and fixing her hair.

~~~

"... And get this: he eats his cheeseburgers with fries, chips, and mashed potatoes on it! 'I call it the 'potager'. Wanna bite?'" Kim pitches her voice low and nasally to imitate Nor before bursting into giggles. "Gorchy!"

As Kim wraps up her tale of when she and Nor hung out a few days ago while working on their final project, Ron gets a funny feeling in his chest.

"Oh, oh, and one time he even brought one to class! The professor had to dismiss him because he sounds like a freaking food processor when he chews. There's technically no food ban in the syllabus, but I think they'll include one this semester just for Nor."

It takes a second, but Ron recognises it as jealousy. Before he knows it, he's abruptly changing the subject. "How tall is this guy?"

Kim takes in stride, however, and tries to imagine Nor for a second. "Uh, about your height? He gels his hair up; it's hard to say."

"What was his class rank in high school?" he continues determinedly. Kim snorts. "His high school didn't do class ranks. He says that's half the reason he was even able to get into this university."

"Does he play any sports?"

"I don't even think he plays sports video games."

"What's his BMI?"

"And how exactly am I supposed to know that?"

"Hnnnngh, fine. Bueno Nacho or Cow 'n' Chow?"

"Ha. Cow 'n' Chow."

"Has he ever saved the world or done any freak fighting?"

"Definitely not; we'd have heard of him if he did."

Ron sits back in his seat, satisfied with the information he's gathered. "Wow, this guy is even more mediocre than I am!"

"Ron!"

"What?" he defends. "Can you blame me for trying to learn a little more about the guy that you're spending all your time with now?"

"I think your motive is just a tad more ulterior than that," Kim admonishes.

"Ahhh. School word, KP."

Kim rolls her eyes, but she can't help how her mouth quirks at the corners. The older she gets, the more she realises how hard it is to admit something you don't know; but Ron rarely ever has that problem.

"Why don't you tell me what's really going on?" she asks with a conceding tone. When Ron struggles with what to say to her, she senses that this is a bigger deal than she originally ascertained.

She watches him as much as she can through the screen while she waits. She hasn't spent this long this far apart from him in forever, and moments like this one hit her with how much she's taken his proximity for granted. This conversation would be a lot easier sitting on the couch in her den side by side, his hands in hers.

"It's like I said, Kim. You spend a lot of time with this guy now, is all," Ron eventually gets out. "You didn't even come home for the long weekend."

Kim doesn't like where her mind went next, but it's worth it to voice and seek clarification on your understanding of a situation. It's a habit that's saved her life more times than she can count.

"Do," she starts, then stops, then starts again, "Do you think I would leave you for some guy I just met?"

Ron lets out an audible sigh, and Kim bites her lips at the admission. How long has she been making him feel this way?

"Maybe not leave me, but…"

"Ron." She's pleading, though she couldn't pinpoint what exactly it is she's asking for. "I honestly can't imagine myself ever leaving you, for Nor or for anyone! You're not just my boyfriend; you're my best friend. Remember my promise at the beginning of the semester? I'm not gonna break it six weeks in."

Cursed with an audiographic memory of anything Kim Possible has ever said, Ron cannot help how his brain remembers the exact phrasing of her promise, phrasing that does not cover the situation in which they've found themselves.

And yet, he understands that Kim invoked the memory of the promise for what she really means it to mean, so he resolves to let it go.

"You're my best friend too, KP," he says with a small smile.

Kim mirrors it with a palpable sense of relief; and Ron reminds himself that it was she who was waiting for him the whole time, not the other way around. Now it's his turn.

Ron would be the first to admit he was anxious about Kim going off to college. He had nightmares of Kim attending fancy seminars or college parties, meeting people who could talk intelligently about the things she cares about, getting bored of him and the kinds of experiences being with him entails. What could a high school boyfriend—who takes cooking classes at night,and daylights at Smarty Mart, and stays behind in their hometown—give her that college couldn't?

to: Kim <3 hola kp, think u got time 4 a chatty chat 2nite?

from: Kim <3 sorry Ron :( the school's community haunted house is in desperate need of volunteers

Luckily for him, college didn't transform Kim overnight. Even with her advisor's recommendation to hold off on extracurriculars for a semester, she still has the same extreme aversion to staying still that she did in high school; the only difference is that he can't be along for the ride. He told himself he could handle that, and he can. Really.

But only to an extent.

from: Kim <3 and Nor's acting like he's too busy to help me help them, so I have to deal with him too :P

from: Kim <3 I think I'll have time on Tuesday!

After reading the latest messages from Kim, Ron throws his Ronnunicator over his shoulder in frustration and plops face down on his bed.

He almost wishes Kim would attend fancy seminars and college parties, just to do something that isn't hanging out with Nor for once.

Ron sneers at the name even as he says it in his mind.

The two of them study together; they explore the collegetown, or go to the movies, or walk around the park; he introduces her to frankly genius fast food concoctions…

Ron's seen this movie before.

He's 100% sure that this Nor character already likes or is in love with Kim, and Ron can't even blame him. Thanks to Bonnie's active efforts, Kim is completely unaware of the kind of magnetic pull she has on people: she's a one-two punch to the heart with her looks and her personality, and she soothes the wound with a smile. Nor would have to lack both eyes and ears to be immune against the full force of Kim's charms for the extended periods of time that he's been spending with her.

What's worse? Kim likes him back. She likes him back, and she doesn't even know it.

Sure, she may not be a crushing sheep around Nor—though, Ron almost wishes she were; that's a Kim he knows how to handle—but she regards him with affection and familiarity. There's an ease and a comfort to the way Kim talks about the guy that Ron hasn't seen from her since… well, since him.

Despite what she says or what she intends, there is a very real chance that she develops genuine feelings for her classmate. What then? What happens then, and what is he willing to do about it?

Rufus scurries over to the Ronnunicator to read the message log still open on screen. "Kim, Kim!" he chitters.

Ron forces himself back into an upright position and picks up the device to see what Rufus was talking about: a new message came in while he was dwelling.

from: Kim <3 my morning class lets out at noon, let's call over lunch?

to: Kim <3 i do miss my kp lunch dates. alrite, c u then! good luck with the haunted house

to: Kim <3 as long as u tell the truth all night long, maybe u'll actually enjoy urself this time

from: Kim <3 ha ha ha. thanks :P

from: Kim <3 talk to you later, i love you!

to: Kim <3 rite back at ya kp :*

Ron lightly scratches Rufus' back as he scurries up the sleeve to Ron's shoulder. "We haven't lost her yet, buddy."

~~~

One Saturday afternoon, Nor texts her asking if she wants to go to the mall then to Cow 'n' Chow on the way back, and she jumps on the offer immediately. She hasn't gone shopping in forever! Besides, with the November chill finally settling in, she'll need some layers to tide her over until she can switch out her wardrobe for winter clothes during Thanksgiving break.

She asks him when he wants her to pick him up, and he says it's no big, he'll drive.

Strangely, his response causes a sense of impending to strike through her chest. It's a familiar feeling that has saved her life more times than she can count; but without any noticeable threats in her physical environment, she pushes the feeling down. It's just a trip to the mall with her best friend—her best college friend, she amends in her mind. If she happens upon any trouble while she's out, she can handle it like she always does. She's Kim Possible.

She texts back that she'll be ready in fifteen, and Nor arrives in thirty. Kim opens up the passenger seat and greets him with a glare.

"You think this happens by accident?" he defends, gesturing to his casual outfit and gelled hair with a raised eyebrow and his tongue literally in his cheek.

"I think you're an accident," she shoots back as she clicks her seatbelt. "Come on. The mall closes in four, and it'll take the better part of an hour to get there."

Nor hollers with laughter as he peels out of the parking lot of Kim's dormitory. "Is that how Planet Earth's Sweetheart Kim Possible should be speaking to the populace she's meant to protect?"

Kim groans good-naturedly. "Oh my god, don't call me that. It's so embarrassing."

"What's so embarrassing? In fact, I think you should be outraged. It's not good enough! You shouldn't rest until you're the Sweetheart of the entire solar system!"

Nor's so ridiculous. "Seriously, please stop talking."

"I'd tell you to shoot for the stars, but the title of Galaxy's Sweetheart is already taken by the winner of last season's Lowardia's Next Top Model, Wardrangea."

Kim can't even respond with how hard she's laughing, and Nor finally lets up on his joke so he can join her. The comforting blur of the scenery whizzing by, the happy and relaxed feeling in her shoulders, the sound of Nor's laughter trickling down into giggles… She likes that she can focus on those entirely from her spot in the passenger's seat. It's nice to be driven for a change.

When they reach the mall, they stop at a directory since it's both of their first times there. Nor's in the market for a new pair of sneakers, but he's in no rush. They pick a store clear on the opposite side of the mall so that they can stop and explore in a gradual meandering towards their destination.

As they walk, Kim points out storefronts whose contents she wants to check out, Nor explains his theory that shopping over the Internet is going to become so popular that it'll render the brick-and-mortar shopping experience obsolete within the next ten years, and they both share a laugh at how ridiculous that sounds.

Relaxation settles over her like a physical thing. This is the first time all semester she's done something just for herself, where there's no expectation of her and she can be a basic, average girl—and what's more basic and average than a trip to the mall with your best college friend?

By the end of the day, Kim gains a few new sweaters from Old Maroon and a cute jacket from Club Banana, and Nor is proudly rocking his new kicks, his old pair carried in his bag. On the way back to the car, she doesn't think about it too hard when she offers to drive them back. "CNC is, like, right next to the school; you'd basically be driving us the whole way back. It's only fair that I take the return trip."

"We're hanging out at a local mall, not roadtripping to South Dakota," Nor deadpans. "We don't need to take turns."

She's embarrassed that she asked, but she refuses to show it. "I was just offering. What's in South Dakota?" she redirects as she and Nor load the backseat with their things. "I was there once on a search and rescue mission for a little kid who got lost in a corn field, but I didn't get a chance to look around."

"The Six Grandfathers, Kimothy! A.K.A. the greatest cover-up job in American history!"

With a wry smile, she settles into the passenger car seat as she buckles herself in for another of Nor's conspiracy theories. "Do tell."

"You've heard of Mount Rushmore, surely. Well, that mountain is known to the local tribes as the Six Grandfathers, and…"

Nor excitedly babbles about the long-held belief that there is a secret room carved into the mountain behind Abraham Lincoln which houses national secrets while he drives, and Kim just sits back and lets his voice fill the space.

Throughout the whole mall excursion, the impending never fully went away. She refused to let it spoil her good time; but now, with the feeling growing the further along they go, it is begging to be acknowledged.

In line at Cow 'n' Chow, she thinks about mentioning it to Nor when they sit down, but he starts a conversation before she can bring it up.

"What does the word 'transaction' mean to you?" Nor asks before taking a sip of his soda. He is leaned back slightly and turned on his side to face her, adjoined countertop seats being the only ones available when they arrived.

Completely taken aback by the random question, Kim has to take a second before answering him. "Isn't that just, like, an exchange? I go to Club Banana, give the cashier money, and get to walk out with a new jacket."

Nor nods as he assembles his potager. "Yes, yes. Exactly that. Has anyone ever told you that you seem to have a transactions-centric approach to your relationships?"

She makes a face. "What does that even mean?"

"Like… Look at your whole business model. You don't exchange cash; you just ask the people you've helped for favours when it's convenient—favours, I will point out, which they're already capable of providing. This makes the transactions more personal and therefore more valuable or memorable to you, and you've been operating that way since middle school. That's bound to have long-term effects on your perception of the world. Why else would shopping be your favourite hobby?"

He adds the last part as a joke, but Kim has stopped staring at him like she was humouring him and has since started paying rapt attention. He's startled enough at the sight to lose his train of thought, and he continues with less assuredness. "Right, uh. So… Couple that with the fact you're just a genuinely nice person, and I bet it ends up being net-negative for you. I've only known you for a few months, but it seems like your whole existence is so rooted in what you can do for others that when things are done for you unprompted—like today with the car ride—it straight up triggers a recalibration."

Kim still hasn't said anything, so Nor finally bites into his meal, giving her time to think.

And think she does. She completely ignores her own meal as her mind conjures up memory after memory: times she went out of her way to express appreciation for someone after a favour as small as sharing a pencil sharpener in class; tantrums of But I was good! in her youth when she didn't yet understand that behaving well wasn't praised with extra cookies the way behaving poorly resulted in no cookies at all.

"I… think you're onto something," she admits slowly, hesitantly.

Nor raises his eyebrows at her. "What's with the tone?"

"Well, what am I supposed to do with that? How do I fix it?"

He's waving his hands in the air before she even finishes her question. "No! No no no no no. There's nothing to fix! You're clearly happy and fulfilled. I was just… I had a suspicion and wanted to see if I was right. I thought you might have noticed or known this about yourself already. It wasn't meant to mean anything."

"But this isn't normal, right?" she argues.

Nor registers the note of self-criticism sneaking its way into her voice and realises he's messed up. He quickly pulls her into a side hug, hardly a feat with how close the countertop seats are positioned. "Aw, Kimothy. You can't let yourself think like that. 'Always be abnormal,' that's what I always say! Here, have a fry. That'll make you feel better."

The chatter and clatter of a busy restaurant fade into silence as he waves a fry in front of her face, slow motion. The press of his hand on her shoulder and his arm around her back is grounding. Despite the discontent from the previous conversation, she feels comforted here. This place, this ambience, this feeling… it's all so familiar.

There is no more impending.

"... Kim?"

She opens her eyes, and Nor's face is way closer than she remembers it being. The sounds come rushing into her consciousness like a CD on fast forward, and her hand is on Nor's cheek.

"Kim, what was that?"

What has she done.

She stands up abruptly, balance honed from years of cheerleading and freak-fighting being the only thing stopping her from stumbling onto the ground.

"I gotta go," she says, but she is already out the door.

#kim possible #kim possible fanfiction #ron stoppable #kim x ron #k/r #xyzc*#cotsots

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dramioneasks · 4 years

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HP FESTS: Dramione RomCom Fest (Part 1)

Dramione RomCom Fest 2020:

12 Years and 3 Months by pixiedustandbluebutterflies - T, one-shot - As news of their engagement takes Wizarding England by storm, elusive power couple Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger are finally sharing their love story in this Witch Weekly interview!

50 (First) Dates with Hermione Granger by HufflepuffMommy - G, WIP - Draco Malfoy sets his heart on romancing Hermione Granger, but she has short-term memory loss; she can't remember anything that happened the day before. So every morning, Draco has to woo her again. Her friends are very protective, and Draco must convince them that he's in it for love. Plot (andsummary) taken from the movie "50 First Dates" for the Dramione RomCom fest!

About Time by WordsmithMusings - E, WIP - When Draco's Father reveals to him that the men in their family have the ability to travel back in time, he uses his newfound gift to do many things - save a life, be a better friend, reconnect with a witch, and fall in love.

All's well that ends well (to end up with you) by weestarmeggie - M, one-shot - Hermione Granger is all set to be the maid of honor at her best friends wedding. She is taken back when she finds out that the best man is none other than her ex-fiance.

Away by In_Dreams - E, WIP - Desperate for a change of pace, Hermione unknowingly commits to a home exchange with Pansy Parkinson and finds herself swept up in the chaos of New York City and into the arms of Draco Malfoy. Dramione/Hansy. Loosely inspired by The Holiday.

Bells on a Hill by HeyJude19 - T, WIP - Left by his fiancée a month before the ceremony, Draco never got his dream wedding, so agreeing to assist Granger with her own wedding planning to distract himself from his broken engagement seems like a great idea—though Draco probably shouldn't fall in love with the bride-to-be. Based very (very) loosely on The Wedding Singer.

Chasing the Future by Rdlentz8 - T, WIP - An unusual and anonymous Patronus finds a frustrated Hermione alone in the library and talks to her about being lonely. Could this be the push she's needed to change her fate? Inspired by A Cinderella Story. There are direct quotes from A Cinderella Story.

Domino Effect by KoraKwidditch - M, WIP - Resolved to live her life in Muggle London, Hermione Granger finally felt free. Free from the Ministry, free from her celebrity status and everything that entailed. But who knew that one cataclysmal incident would lead her straight into the Malfoy's den and down a series of unfortunate events? At least they think she's a Muggle.**A Dramione retelling of While You Were Sleeping**

Fairytales and Wishes by Charlie9646 - T, one-shot - All Scorpius wants is for Hermione to be a nice step mother, but somehow that sort of gets lost in translation with his accidental magic.

Flipping Through the Pages by DarkAngelOfSorrowReturns - T, WIP - Draco Malfoy had a fascination with a popular book series and its writer. His life changes when he meets her.

The Hate List by bethelson - T, WIP - While chaperoning the post graduation trip, Hermione and Draco find themselves wandering the streets of Paris in the middle of the night, fruitlessly searching for the seventh years they were supposed to be in charge of. What Hermione doesn’t know, is that those seventh years struck a bargain with Draco to keep her occupied so they could sneak out for a last hurrah before they all head back to London. So in his efforts to derail her search, he convinces her to join him in their own night of frivolity. As they paint the city red, they slowly learn to let their guards down, and find that putting the past behind them allows them to finally focus on the present. ___ My contribution to the Dramione RomCom Fest!

Hollywood & Vine by dreamsofdramione (Bugggghead), msmerlin - M, WIP - As the manager of an occult bookstore currently renting a room from an old friend and living paycheck to paycheck, Hermione wasn’t exactly living the Hollywood dream. But her life is turned upside down when a chance encounter with Tinseltown’s current heartthrob, Draco Malfoy, leaves her questioning everything she thought she knew about life and love. or the one in which Hermione unintentionally falls in love with a movie star.

Home is Where the Heart Is by lrs002 - T, one-shot - A rewrite and Draco/Hermione look at basically the last scenes of the movie Sweet Home AlabamaOr in the other words: The Wedding and the Kiss

How to Lose a Wizard in 10 Days by GracefulLioness - E, WIP - Hermione will do anything to prove to her boss at Witch Weekly that she's ready to take on more serious topics, including dating a man just to drive him away for the sake of her next column, How to Lose a Wizard in 10 Days. But pushing Draco Malfoy away proves to be a challenging task, perhaps because he's got ten days to make her fall in love with him. Inspired by How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

It Happened One Knight by Klawdee - T, WIP - “A spoiled heir running away from his family is helped by an old classmate, who is actually a journalist in need of a story.” Based off of the 1934 film, It Happened One Night

It's All In The Malfoy Family by TwilightToMidnight - M, one-shot - Over a decade of longing and desire comes to fruition one night. Not quite the way Hermione expected but definitely with a bang. Everyone and their dog seem to be working against her. For the 2020 Dramione RomCom Fest. Loosely based off Sabrina (1954 - with Audrey Hepburn).

Love, Actually in Dramione by Blessedindeed - G, one-shot - I absolutely love the movie "Love, Actually" and was so excited to make some art pieces from a few of the more memorable scenes! Many thanks and kudos to QuinTalon & NuclearNik for hosting and being such amazing encouragers to everyone! I cannot wait to dive into all these fun pieces!!

Love, Hermione by pandora_rose_xo - G, WIP - When Hermione leaves some personal letters lying around in a sleepy haze, Dobby comes across them, and trying to be helpful delivers them to their recipients. Who were never supposed to see them.

Metamorphosis by persephone_stone - T, WIP - Draco Malfoy is king of Hogwarts High—student body president, captain of both the water polo and basketball teams, and boyfriend of Astoria Greengrass, the hottest girl in school. That is, until said girlfriend returns from Spring Break with some unexpected news: she’s dumping him for a college boy. Now, Draco is on a mission to win her back. And who better to help him turn into a more intellectual, cultured version of himself than Hermione Granger, the smartest girl in school? As he and Hermione spend time together, will Draco learn how to be the right type of boyfriend for Astoria? Or will he instead learn that maybe Astoria is not the right type of girl for him? Written for the Dramione RomCom Fest, based on the 90’s teen romcom She’s All That.

Midnight in Paris by Aneiria - E, one-shot - ‘Granger,’ Draco replied, casting a quick wandless charm to clean his own clothes. ‘Want to watch the magic you’re casting next time? Whatever spell that was, it nearly took both of us out.’ Hermione’s face settled into a frown of confusion. ‘I thought that was you,’ she said, hesitantly. ‘I wasn’t using magic.’ They both looked away at the same time, taking in their surroundings. ‘Where are we?’ Hermione wondered out loud, as she spun on the spot and took in the sights. It was the wrong question, really.

My Big Fat Muggle Wedding by BiscuitsForPotter - G, one-shot - Draco's gotten more used to having Muggles as future-in-laws, but what about his parents?

No More Waiting by anchoredto717 - T, one-shot - The end of Hogwarts, an impending Mastery, and confirmation that Hermione is well and truly over Ronald Weasley: three factors that push Draco into a place he never imagined. Is he really going to Harry Potter’s house party? A one shot heavily inspired by the 90s teen classic, Can’t Hardly Wait.

Off the Rails by RoseHarperMaxwell - E, WIP - For the Dramione RomCom Fest 💚 My adaptation of the movie Trainwreck (Amy Schumer/Bill Hader), featuring Draco in Amy's role. “Pans.” Draco’s head falls back petulantly. “I can't interview Granger, especially not about how she's healing Potter. Neither of them are going to want to talk to me. Make Creevey do it.” “No, you'll do it. And don't sulk at me, Draco.” Pansy shuts him down immediately, not that he expected to talk her out of it. She gives assignments, not suggestions. “Old Quidditch rivalries. Gryffindor Princess confiding in the Prince of Slytherin, with a side of The Boy Who Lived. You’re the only one for it.” She drops her pen on her notepad with finality. “She’s also fit as hell now. I’d even fuck her, so our readers will be drooling over her. This is easy, Draco. Don’t fuck it up.”

One Thing We've Got by IrisCalasse - M, WIP - Over a decade after the Second Wizarding War, Draco Malfoy is a broke socialite straddling the Muggle and magical worlds. One day a new neighbour moves in his residential complex. What has happened to Hermione Granger to make her hide from Ronald Weasley? If Cormac McLaggen is gay, why is he hanging around Granger so much? And why does her cat seem to know way too much about everything? Based on the plot of Breakfast at Tiffany's, but set in 2012 London with a magical twist. Updates every 16th of the month.

Pin down your heart by hiyas - G, one-shot - Hermione Granger contemplates a door when Destiny comes knocking.

Playing Cupid by tygermine - T, one-shot - Set It Up AU.

Pretty Witch by TakingFlight48 - E, WIP - When confronted with the opportunity to take on an alter ego - Hermione Granger, Potion's Mistress and the Wizarding World's Golden Girl became Vivian Roberts - London's weekend escort. For three years she lived in this duality until Draco Malfoy, lost in Soho and driving a precious DB6, wound up uncovering her secret. This is the tale of Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy finding a balance between work and love through the guise of fake dating, unacknowledged feelings, and Hermione not wanting to let go of a part of herself that is no longer serving her.

Promises, Promises by Musyc - T, one-shot - Lawyer and social work advocate Hermione Granger is one signature away from fulfilling her dream to have a house-elf education program. All she needs is to seal the deal, and Draco Malfoy has promised the full support of Malfoy and Son Developments. But the owner of the property is balking, there's a new buyer in the mix, and a promise isn't a contract.

The Proposal by FaeOrabel - M, WIP - When Head of Creatures Division of the DMLE, Hermione Granger, is pushed into a corner regarding a new marriage law she doesn't want to comply with, she gets the brilliant idea to stage an engagement with her long time, loyal assistant, Draco Malfoy. Draco goes along with the charade on the condition she gets him promoted to a new position. A deal set, they prepare to fool not only the Minister of Magic, but Hermione's best friend, and Draco's entire family. What could go wrong? Just the threat of Azkaban should they fail.

PS I love you by emotionalsupporthufflepuff - M, WIP - After a tragic accident, Hermione must reintroduce Draco to a life they've built far away from home. She recieves unexpected help in a series of letter written by Draco himself before the accident...

Regrets Only by nztina - T, WIP - Draco and Hermione are the best of friends - until Hermione goes off to teach at Hogwarts and Draco realises that he doesn’t just miss her. Upon her return to London, he intends to reveal his feelings, but she has a surprise of her own, one that will definitely put a damper on Draco’s plans. Draco. Hermione. And...Hermione’s fiancé?

Restless in Ripon by QuinTalon - T, WIP - Scorpius Malfoy wants his father to be happy again and as his grandfather often told him, a Malfoy always gets what he wants. A nosy radio host, well-meaning friends, and fate will help bring two lonely souls together. Well, that and one tenacious eight-year-old.

Rushing Back by floorcoaster - M, WIP - Draco Malfoy is thirty, surviving, and very much not thriving. He's near the utter end of himself when he experiences the worst of all possible bad days--a double betrayal that rocks him to his core. Unmoored, untethered, he winds up in a strange place, where he begins an adventure through time that will change the course of his life. A time travel fic with a twist on the movie "13 Going on 30."

Say Anything by MidnightValkyrie - G, 9 Chapters - To know Draco Malfoy is to love him. Hermione Granger is about to know Draco Malfoy. Written and created for the Dramione RomCom Fest, based on Say Anything.

She's the Snake by monsterleadmehome - E, WIP - In a universe where Voldemort never came back, Harry lives with Sirius, and Dumbledore isn't dying, the worst thing the Golden Trio has to contend with is their grades and Quidditch matches... oh, and the recent magical attacks on Muggles and Muggle-borns. Harry is sure Malfoy had something to do with it, and though Hermione doesn't agree, her sarcastic offer somehow turns into her latest nightmare: to go undercover as a boy in the Slytherin dorms and find out what's really going on. And maybe throw a Quidditch game or two. But there's one thing she hasn't prepared for: falling in love with the boy she's supposed to be spying on.

Signed and Sealed by niffizzle - M, WIP - She owns a children's bookstore. He runs a corporation buying significant shares of small businesses. Never in their lives have Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy gotten along — or so they think.

Timing is Everything by anne_ammons - M, 7 Chapters - Draco Malfoy is your average bachelor living an average bachelor's life, until he crosses paths with his former classmate, Hermione Granger. Strike that - when has Draco Malfoy ever been average? A retelling of the 1994 movie, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Dramione-style.

A Trip to Kouloura Beach by rennaissance_woman - one-shot - A day at the beach, what could happen?

The Truth About Kneazles and Crups by samkablam7 - T, WIP - When Draco Malfoy started hosting his wizarding radio show The Truth About Kneazles and Crups, he had no idea that it would bring Hermione Granger back into his life. He also didn't know that they would both be interested in each other. The only problem? She thinks that the radio host she's interested in is his best friend and Pro-Quidditch-player-wannabe, Blaise Zabini.

Untitled Marital Crisis Comedy by Darlingheart - G, one-shot - Draco is rich, handsome, and most importantly, excellent with the ladies. Harry Potter is not. Which is where Draco comes in. With Draco’s help Harry will learn there’s more to life than being a one-woman man. But what happens when Draco meets someone who changes his mind? And what does Hermione Granger have to do with it...

A Woman of Some Dignity by mcal - G, one-shot - That seemed to get his attention. “What are you—of course I respect you, you daft witch!”

“Your actions today show the opposite!” I answered. “And now if you’ll excuse me, I’m a woman of some dignity and I’d like to shower in peace. You’ll kindly wait half an hour before Apparating back to my flat.” Hermione's not one for diaries, but it's been a week to say the least. It all started off with a confusing meeting with Draco Malfoy in her office, and... well, Hermione thought maybe recording her thoughts on the events would help her process. She isn't wrong.

You lost and lonely, You just like heaven by Wake_The_Dragon - T, WIP - Dramione Romcom Fest. Hermione Granger had needed something new and a change of scenery was a good start. What she hadn't counted on was renting a flat with an annoying (if handsome) ghost, who claims he isn't dead. Somehow, helping out a ghost and falling in love were two things she hadn't bargained for.

You Wish by Talonwillow (Ehollis303) - T, WIP - What makes a bad case of "Black Cat Flu" more tolerable? Young Perseus is learning that hearing about dueling, torture, revenge, giants, dementors, chases, true love, and miracles from his Grandfather Scorpius certainly makes things easier- If the man would finish the story that is. A story about love, where not even death can keep the beautiful feisty stable-girl and her sometimes irritating one true love apart. Together they must battle the evil Lord Voldemort through an adventure crossing the magical and fairy tale realm.

#Fests/Exchanges/Challenges #dramione #Dramione RomCom Fest #humour #fluff #based on other book or movie plot

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yourfinalbow · 3 years

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Ack anon I'm sorry. Tumblr ate your ask and I'm 🔪 But I saved your ask to put on the Google Doc so don't fret! I have it!

“Hi Ghastie Ghast, I wanted to share a prompt with you lol. I decided to go more holiday theme’d because it’s never too early to get into the holiday spirit.

“Your favorite winter drink was back on the menu, so I decided to surprise you with it.”

Please enjoy this prompt lmao”

The nickname made me -_- but hi Little Gray Circle Dude With Sunglasses! Thank you for sending me this! I had fun writing it. I'm assuming you wanted a Destiel fic, so that's what I wrote! (Also bonus points for Saileen as a background ship?) I sort of strayed a little from the prompt and the tone gets heavier as it goes on… 👀 I also accidentally wrote more than intended, so you can read it on Ao3 if that's easier. (And maybe give it a kudos because you’re the best?)

Title: Black Coffee Derangement Syndrome

Ship(s): Dean Winchester/Castiel, Sam Winchester/Eileen Leahy.

(Basic) Tags: Fluff, Slight Angst, Domesticity in the Men of Letters Bunker, Established Dean/Cas, Established Sam/Eileen, Using black coffee as a metaphor for hypermasculinity, With a whip cream style topping of internalized homophobia. *Finger guns.*

Warnings: Coffee gatekeeping and small sections of fluff that are as sweet as Cas’s Starbucks order. Also I’ve been to Starbucks once. Maybe twice? (Also a single mention of a drug that's commonly found as white powder, the non-descriptive comparison of Sam’s stupid health stuff with emesis, and use of the name that the figurehead for Germany in WW2 bore, just to be safe.)

Rating: T? Maybe? For language?

Word Count: 9k+

Quick thanks to my awesome beta @walksinstarllight! They are a poet and a writing sorcerer (wizard without a hat), and the only reason this fic even makes sense so please go shower them in kudos. (You can find their work here.)

Another thanks to @internetintroverts, who described a peppermint mocha to me in like 300 words because I drink black coffee and know nothing of anything ever. You can find their work here! (There's an Easter egg of one of their fics in this one hehe.)

The first thing Dean did when Cas got back from the Empty was give him coffee.

Okay no.

The first thing he did was fall into Cas’s arms and grip that stupid trenchcoat until his knuckles turned white. Shaking and laughing with hot tears streaming out of his eyes, he told him he was an asshole for leaving him like that. And to never, ever do it again. With blurry eyes and all other thoughts hazy, he told Cas he could have it, he could have what he wanted. Whatever he wanted. He told Cas he loved him too.

But then the next thing was coffee.

Caffeine is a hunter’s number one best friend, and since Cas was human again, Dean knew Sam was going to come at him with his stupid green health drinks and herbal tea. As Cas’s knight in shining armour, (a title used by Dean and Dean only), it was his duty to protect him from the disgustingly liquified rabbit food.

Now he expected Cas to like black coffee, you know, like a normal person.

But no, oh no. Apparently, he was dating a heathen.

Dean had to actually rub his eyes the first time he watched Cas fix his own coffee. He stood in the doorway of the kitchen, mouth agape.

Cas was leaning on the counter, humming some song that Dean could neither recognize, nor would he approve of, thank-you-very-much.

(Ok it was Champagne Problems by Taylor Swift and it's entirely possible he's listened to it once or twice but he still doesn't approve of it, thank-you-very-much.)

He held his yellow and black striped, bee-themed ceramic mug Eileen had bought him in one hand, and the entire five-pound bag of cane sugar in the other. And there he stood, happy as can be, pouring it directly into his mug.

Dean rubbed his eyes again.

And not even like, a normal amount either.

He just kept pouring, and pouring, and Oh my god he’s still pouring. Dean thought. It would honestly be more believable if it wasn’t sugar at all, and instead was in fact Cas’s secret stash of cocaine.

Dean might actually have to put sugar on the grocery list after he was finished.

His thoughts traveled back to Ishim doing the same thing with his coffee, in the tiny little diner Cas had set up as a meeting place. Dean had barged in that day, not thinking of his brother mocking him, or the possibility of danger inside. His vision was as tunneled as his thoughts focused only on Cas, not caring about anything else.

By that time the following day, Dean thought they were both going to die. The bloody and uneven sigil on the wall, Cas no more than ten feet away. Not quite within a comforting reach. The room was spinning from the blow to his head, and he could barely make out the words being spat from Ishim’s mouth.

“You blast me away, you’ll blast away every angel in the room. I’ll survive. Castiel, on the other hand, he’s hurt. He might live, or he might just end up a bloody smear on the wall.”

He almost lost Cas that day.

The blood rushed to his ears as his instincts sought out the mark on the wall. Ishim had told him to roll the dice, but in his head he couldn’t look past the chance of rolling a one. Watching the acrylic cube bounce until it decided Cas’s fate. There was no dilemma, there wasn’t even a decision to be made. He would always choose Cas over himself. Silent acts of care he could never vocalize.

An inability to speak formed from fear and cowardice. Like a lion in his stomach scratching at the words until they fell back down his throat.

And it was that inability to speak that led Cas to think he was nothing more than a tool for the Winchester’s to use.

He almost let Cas believe he meant nothing to him.

Dean cleared his throat. “Mornin’ Sunshine.”

Cas set down the bag of sugar and picked up the pot, the glass making a small clink as it hit the top of the coffee maker. “Goodmorning Dean. Would you like any coffee?” He greeted cheerfully, turning around like he hadn't just put enough sugar to make a pound cake in his coffee.

“Uh.” Dean was still caught off-guard by Willie Wonka over there. “Sure Cas.” He took the coffee pot from his hand and muttered a thank you.

“So,” Cas started while Dean reached into the cabinet for his own mug. “What ingredient do you suggest I put in my coffee this morning?”

“Uh...I don't know man. I drink my coffee black.”

“Yes I know you’re boring Dean, but you can still help me not be.”

“Black coffee isn't boring it's-”

“Dean, if you say ‘manly,’ I will sit you down and make you eat only spinach and kale for a week.” Sam said, walking into the kitchen, hair still spiked up from sleep. He used one hand to sign the words, his other one occupied by Eileen, who was sleepily shuffling closely behind.

Dean looked aghast. “I would starve.” He attempted to sign his indignant response, hands moving sloppily while holding both his mug and the coffee pot.

“I think that's the point.” Eileen said, laughing. She looked at Cas. “Is Dean gatekeeping your coffee aspirations again?”

“Yes.” He answered, ignoring Sam’s laugh and Dean’s huff of exaggerated outrage.

“Have you tried cinnamon?” Sam suggested. “You like Dean’s apple pie, and that has cinnamon in it.”

“I’m not so sure about that, Sam. Dean told me not to ever take cooking advice from you.“

“And I stand by that.” Dean interjected suddenly.

“I can cook!”

“Ehhh…” Eileen’s comment bought her a look of betrayal. “Though Sam may be right on this one, you might like it.” She shrugged.

“See.”

Cas pondered the thought for a moment. “Perhaps I will then.”

“Do we have nutmeg?” Eileen said, breaking away from Sam’s grip to check one of the cabinets. He walked to the other side of the kitchen, intending to look through the spice rack, knowing exactly what his girlfriend was getting at.

“You better not mess up my damn kitchen.” He said quickly. “Or you're organising them all next time.”

Sam rolled his eyes, knowing full well Dean would never let him organise the kitchen. Eileen looked through them, carefully turning the bottles around until the labels faced her. She pulled out the cinnamon and clove while she was looking for the nutmeg.

“Found it.” Sam called from the other side of the kitchen, walking over and putting a hand on Eileen’s shoulder.

“Thank you.” She said with a smile, grabbing the plastic spice jars.

She individually tossed each one to Cas. “Use these, it will taste like a pumpkin spice latte.”

“And don't forget the milk.” Sam added.

Cas scrambled to catch the spices, successfully grabbing two of them out of the air, the third one intercepted by Dean.

“What’s a pumpkin spice latte?” He looked at Eileen before snatching the bottle of cinnamon from Dean.

“It's a famous drink you can get at Starbucks.” Sam answered.

Cas tilted his head to the side and squinted at him. “What's a Starbucks?”

“You know, the coffee shop Alex and Patience drag Jody to all the time.” Dean said.

“I’m pretty sure Donna drags her there too.” Sam added. “Something about girl’s date night out.”

“The one Claire says is for ‘basic bitches’?” He lifted his hands, forming air quotes as he spoke.

“Yeah.” Dean answered, quietly laughing. “That's the one. She’s probably right, too.”

Cas carefully put the different spices in his coffee, eyeing the mug warily. His light brown coffee now had specs of...stuff in it.

(And unbeknownst to him, there was also a small pile of sugar at the bottom, the coffee so saturated it wouldn't dissolve any more.)

Eileen laughed at the look on his face. “It's good, I promise.”

Sam turned to look at her. “How would you know? Most of the time you get hot chocolate and spike it with bourbon.”

“You’re the one who gets a Pink Drink.”

Dean choked on his coffee. “What?”

“It's strawberry and coconut milk, and it's delicious.”

“Sure it is Sam.” Eileen jabbed.

“So what I'm getting here is that not only have you two been to Starbucks often enough to have a regular order, but Sam gets something called a ‘Pink Drink’?”

“No…” Sam started, trying to find a way to defend them. “Sometimes we…”

“...Make our own drinks.” Eileen snapped her fingers as she finished for him, attempting to save them from the endless stream of good-natured insults Dean would throw at them otherwise.

“Well you two are a real Martha Stewart, aren't you?”

“Yeah, except she's a convicted criminal.” Sam attempted to snark back.

“So are you!”

Before either of them could respond, Cas shoved his mug into Dean's face. “You have to try this, Dean. It tastes like pumpkin pie.”

Dean carefully grabbed the hot mug from Cas and took a sip. He was right, it did taste kinda like pumpkin pie. He took another sip, letting the pleasant flavor sit on his tongue. The different spices mixed perfectly together.

“I mean it's… okay.” He lied.

Dean contemplated his pumpkin themed food options. “Though I would rather just have pumpkin pie.”

Cas took his mug back. “Fine. More for me.” He said with a smirk, mimicking the look Dean gives him every time Cas says he doesn't want anymore bacon, before taking another sip of the makeshift pumpkin spice coffee.

Dean smiled at him, setting his own mug down and moving Cas’s out of the way to pull him into a kiss. He could smell the nutmeg almost as much as he could taste the cinnamon on his lips.

“Mmm we should bake pumpkin pie tonight.” He said, pulling away just enough so he could talk.

“I would like that.” Cas answered. “All four of us could make pie. According to the 'mom blogs', as you call them, it would be a good family bonding exercise.”

“That’s right. And if they want any pie, they gotta help make it. That means more for us if they refuse.” He grinned.

“A win-win situation, really.” Cas smiled before tugging Dean close so their lips met again.

“I love you.” Dean muttered.

“I love you too.” Cas said softly.

Behind their backs Sam and Eileen were fake-gagging at their sickly sweet interaction, but secretly just glad the two of them had finally gotten over their stubborn (and oblivious) selves.

Sam was honestly overjoyed to see his brother finally happy. He would even go as far as saying finally willing to be himself, too. (Not that he would ever say this outloud. Sam can practically see Dean’s eyes roll farther back into his head than should be possible at the words.) All four of them had gone through more shit in the last few months than any normal person would in their entire life. They were all just lucky to be alive, and with that, learning how to savour the little moments of overly sweet normalcy.

(And the pumpkin spice-life Dean had secretly been longing for since they were little kids.)

So of course they were going to help bake pie.

---

“I want to try Starbucks.” Cas said the next morning, both of them still in bed.

Dean groaned, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. “Can I ask why, or is this one of those, 'I'll tell you later’ disasters like with the slime ingredients?”

“I want to try all the human things that I didn't get to try last time.” He said offhandedly.

Dean pictured Cas’s hurt face when he had told him he couldn’t stay, smile broken as Dean’s own heart shattered from the look the newly-human angel was giving him.

He wanted to tell him it was going to be okay, that Cas himself wasn’t the reason, but the lion in his stomach clawed the words down faster than even the thought of ruining Sam’s chances at survival could.

With a pang of guilt from the memory, Dean pulled himself closer to Cas and rested his head on the other man’s chest. He wrapped his arms around him, trying to preserve as much warmth and comfort as he could until they had to inevitably get out of bed. “Only if you let me sleep like this for thirty more minutes.”

Cas smiled. “Oh, are we making deals now?”

“I’d sell my soul for you.” Dean said cheekily, which earned a glare from Cas. “Believe me, I know.”

After a beat he went on. “Fine, you have a deal.” Before Dean could celebrate by tugging the covers over their bodies, Cas added another clause to their agreement. “But... in true Crowley fashion, you have to seal the deal with a kiss.”

Dean lazily threw his arms into the air. “Victory.”

He turned over, pulling himself upwards until he was just inches from Cas. Cradling the angel-turned-Winchester’s head in his hands, Dean placed his lips on Cas’s, melting into the touch as he felt the other man’s arms wrap around his torso.

When he broke away from the kiss, Dean found himself face to face with the most beautiful smile he had ever laid eyes on, one born from adoration and love. Cas’s eyebrows were slightly scrunched up, but for once it wasn’t a sign of confusion when met with some obscure eighties rock reference. It was a tiny expression of care, and it was one that was truly Cas. Not Jimmy’s, not even one Cas had picked up from him or Sam. It was completely and wholly Cas, and a completely and wholly human thing to do.

He realized Cas had been doing that long before the Empty stole his grace.

Dean smiled back at him, relaxed. Like taking in a deep breath after being under murky water for forty years. He brushed a loose strand of soft, brown hair into its place, before falling back into his spot and closing his eyes. “Crowley would be proud.” He whispered with a soft laugh, smile deepening as Cas joined him.

When their quiet laughter died out, there was a pause, air stagnant and in its own sleepy haze

“Oh and Dean?”

“Hm?” Dean turned his head to look at him, eyes not failing to glow with their unusually bright, green pigment. He took a deep breath, the lids of his eyes already started to slowly fall back down again.

“The slime wasn't a disaster. You enjoyed it.”

“I did.” He muttered sleepily, a loose smile forming on his lips as he drifted off to sleep. Cas laid there, running his fingers through the other man’s hair, contentment and admiration showing itself in every feature on his face.

This was more than he could have ever wanted.

---

“Dean. Dean wake up.” Cas was excitedly whisper-shouting in his ear like a kid on Christmas morning. It was exactly thirty minutes later, (he had counted), and Cas was ready to get moving.

“No.” He answered back, mimicking Cas’s tone.

“But you’re like a cat.” He teased. “You're on me and I can't get up.”

Dean sighed. “I can't believe I let you talk me into this.”

“It didn't take much convincing.”

Dean rolled over to give Cas a playful glare, but was met with the saddest puppy dog eyes he had ever seen, completely throwing him off his guard.

“I'm going to kill Sam for teaching you that.”

Cas just continued to give him that look.

“Fine.” Dean relented, sitting up with a yawn and thinking about how he will now never be able to win another argument.

“Get dressed.” Cas said excitedly. “We're going to Starbucks.”

“Hooray.” He gave a sarcastic laugh, but a smile creeped on his lips.

They walked out of their room together, heading towards the bunker’s library. Dean slid in one of the chairs, turning Sam’s still-open laptop around and waking it up.

Cas, meanwhile, turned to a random page of the lore book resting on the table and started reading in an attempt to pass the time.

The sound of Dean typing filled the air. “So, I just looked it up, and do we have to go to Starbucks?”

“Yes.” Cas said simply, not looking up from the book.

Dean groaned. “Cas there isn't one in the county, let alone Lebanon. That's probably why Sam and Eileen make their own.”

“Where's the closest one?” Cas asked, his blinding, blue eyes glaring at the back of Sam’s computer like he was trying to will the coffee shop to be near.

“I thought it was across state lines and in Nebraska at first, but it looks like there's a small one in a town called Washington. It's about 80 miles from here.”

“Let's go!” Cas excitedly straightened his trenchcoat and headed towards the door.

“Or, we could leave Starbucks to the fourteen year old girls.”

Cas turned back around and rolled his eyes. “Yes, I’m sure their entire demographic is fourteen year old girls, staff included.”

Alright, smartass. Dean thought, struggling to hide a smile.

Cas walked out the door, expecting Dean to follow.

“It takes an hour to get there, our coffee’s going to be cold by the time we get home, and it's freezing outside.” Dean muttered under his breath, but he grabbed his keys off the table and stood up, willing to follow Cas to the ends of the earth if it meant he would stay with him.

Not that he was going to enjoy this trip. In fact, he was currently doing the opposite of enjoying, and they hadn’t even gotten into the car yet. Starbucks. Starbucks. Really, Cas? Of all the places he wanted to go, it had to be Starbucks. He couldn’t want to explore humanity through Target or something?

Even Claire wouldn’t be caught dead in that place, with all the frou-frou toppings, elaborate drink mixes, and colourful, drizzled syrup. The people who go to Starbucks are the kind of people who like coffee that doesn’t taste like coffee. Teenage girls who might as well just be drinking whip cream, and that was without considering the seasonal drinks they fawn over.

Seasonal drinks that shouldn’t legally be allowed to be referred to as coffee.

Dean couldn’t believe he ever agreed to this, but still, he begrudgingly followed.

---

Using the GPS on Cas’s phone, (Dean said his insane directional skills helped out too), they found the Starbucks relatively easily once they were in the little town.

They parked the Impala, and Dean looked at the modern building. The green lettering contrasted with the tan plaster walls, spelling “Starbucks.”

He heard Cas get out, his feet making a crunching noise as they hit the gravel, and watched from across the top of the car as he started towards the coffee shop. Dean looked at the building warily, reluctance painted on his face.

Cas was telling him some random fact about a bird he saw, but Dean could only think about his reputation that was about to shatter like a vase dropping on tile floor.

Reputation with who? He didn't know.

Well, he had a vague idea, but chose not to let his thoughts wander that far.

It was okay. This was fine. He could swallow his pride and-

“Ooh. The peppermint mocha looks good.” Cas was reading the limited edition drinks on the drive-thru menu as they traveled across the parking lot.

Dean was going to barf.

They walked into the building, immediately hit with the overwhelming smell of excessive amounts of flavoured syrup indoused coffee. Dean glanced around the well-lit building, taking note of the many different people there.

(He wasn’t about to have any black-eyed minions reporting his Starbucks order to a very judgmental Queen of Hell.)

Cas pushed Dean’s protesting body into the line, looking pleased with the many different options written on the menu overhead.

He enjoyed the small touch of Cas’s hands on his back, moving him forwards to the line, but was grateful Cas was careful not to let them linger there too long.

He was still wary about doing… this, in public.

He knew Cas was patiently waiting for him to be ready, so he didn't know how to tell him that he might never be.

The teenager working the cash register interrupted his train of thought. “What will it be for ya?”

“I would like a peppermint mocha please.”

“Alrighty. And you?”

“I'll take just a black coffee.”

The barista looked unimpressed. “And your names?”

Dean grinned. “John and John.”

“No relation.” Cas added.

The barista just sighed. “How do you want me to differentiate the two of ‘em then?”

“Oh you can put ‘John Bonham’ on mine.” Dean replied.

“Comin’ right up.” Their tone didn't change, still just full of apathy that could only be perfected by the work of a burnt-out teenager.

Dean and Cas walked down to the end of the counter and towards the pickup section. “Now tell me, Castiel.” He stressed his partner’s name. “Who’s John Bonham?”

Cas sighed, but the corner of his mouth upturned in a grin. “John Henry Bohnham, affectionately referred to as ‘Bonzo’, born in 1948 and was most well known for being the drummer of the rock band ‘Led Zeppelin’.”

“Mmm very close, but unfortunately you forgot the word ‘best’ in front of ‘rock band.’” Dean smirked before leaning in for a chaste kiss.

“You should have said I was ‘John Bon Jovi.’” Cas said, smiling.

“Why? Because you’re only good at this sometimes?” Dean closed the gap between them.

As soon as their lips met, Dean pulled away instinctively, realization hitting him like a hunter with a bat as his eyes widened in terror. “I-I'm sorry, I didn’t...” His words faltered as he looked around at the people sitting in the coffee shop, all of which were paying no mind to them.

He felt sick, guilt gnawing at him from a pit in his stomach.

“Hey, it's okay Dean. You know I'm perfectly fine with public displays of affection, and no one else even saw us. There's no need to apologize.”

“Yeah-h.” He said shakily. Before he could figure out who he was apologizing to, a voice from behind the counter called.

“I have an order for a mister ‘John’ and ‘John Bonham’.”

“That's us.” Dean spat the words out quickly, turning around to take them from the barista’s hand. He rushed out of the door, the small tinkling sound of the welcome bell and the blood rushing to his ears drowning out the sound of Cas’s call from behind.

He sat in the front seat of Baby, knowing he was being childish. Dean took a shaky breath and tried not to think about it.

About what the hell he was thinking, kissing Cas out in public like that. The judgemental eyes- black or not- that were watching. He thought about what his father would say, mind instantly going back to a moment in his childhood he has tried to forget since it happened, wondering where he went wrong.

About the time John had caught him and Lee, ignoring the weak excuses Dean was stuttering out. Skipping town faster than they had done in years.

About how the left side of his face had been a yellow-ish purple for weeks following, and the sore spot on his arm from where he caught the pavement as he flew towards it.

About how he had told Sam he just fell on a hunt. “Don't worry kid, you should have seen the vamp when I was done with him.” He swung his fist around in slow motion, pretending to punch an invisible enemy as his little brother giggled in childish bliss.

About how John never looked at him the same. The disgust in his eyes, harsh words on his lips.

About how he vowed to never disappoint his father like that again, and their joint hatred for that part of him. Sometimes it felt like the only thing they could agree on.

About how somewhere, somehow, he had decided Cas was different. That he somehow didn’t count, and that losing him hurt so much, was such an egregious pain, he wanted as much of Cas as he was allowed to have. And how that was something insurmountable stronger than the twisted, sick feeling John had placed in his gut.

He remembered something Cas had told him once: “Hatred isn’t a natural trait, Dean, it’s a learned one. A baby isn’t born with the ability to hate, it’s passed on from one broken soul to another. Love, love however. That’s something different altogether.”

Cas’s hand on his shoulder pulled Dean out of his thoughts. “Hey.” He said softly.

“Hey Cas.”

“I love you.” He got in the passenger's seat, taking his coffee from Dean’s still frozen hand.

“I love you too.” He whispered absentmindedly, staring straight ahead and seeing nothing but thoughts from the past. His mind fighting an internal battle, logic telling him that what he had with Cas wasn’t wrong, and even though everything from fate to God had tried to wedge itself between them, it was still the most right thing he had. And he knew that, but his dad’s drunken, booming voice echoed throughout his head, telling him that he was dirty. Telling him the Winchester men had no place for someone like him.

“You better stop that now, boy. Bad things happen to you when you’re weak.”

At the time he had taken that as a warning, rather than a threat. But now Dean wasn’t so sure.

It’s not even that his Dad was particularly religious. He wasn’t told that it was a sin, or that he was going to Hell. Though it’s not like that particular statement would have been wrong. He thought with a bitter laugh.

While the thoughts in his head were screaming mercilessly, the drive home was in a simple silence. The only noise being Cas’s occasional sip, and the sound of soft fabric rubbing against skin as Cas moved his hand in small, comforting motions against Dean's back.

When they got to the bunker, Cas, who was genuinely impressed that Dean managed to drive them home without crashing into a tree, pulled Dean out of the car and gently shook him out of his self-imposed stupor.

“Your coffee's cold.” Cas said with a laugh.

Dean blinked a couple times, clearing the fog from his mind, before laughing along with him. “And who’s fault is that? You were the one who insisted on traveling across the state to get it.”

“Do you want some of mine?” Cas asked. “There's a little bit left, and I held it next to the heater. It should still be lukewarm.”

“No thanks, Cas. I can go make some in the kitchen.”

“But what if I want you to try it?” Dean glared at him. “Don't make me do Sam’s ‘puppy dog eyes’ again.”

“Okay, okay. You win.” He put his hands up, mimicking a surrender. “I'll try some of your stupid, Christmas cookie, candy-cane flavoured coffee thing or whatever.” They started walking towards the entrance to the bunker.

“Peppermint mocha?”

“That's the one.”

Cas laughed at him.

“Oh just, give it here.” Dean said. He took a long sip from the disposable cup. He could taste a vague hint of whipped cream mixed in with the coffee, its light fluffy texture sticking to the last swallow of smooth liquid in the bottom of the cup. The chocolate and espresso rested on his tongue, and the peppermint was strong and refreshing. He took another sip.

“Does that face mean you like it?”

Dean looked at him guiltily. “No.” He opened the bunker’s door and started walking down the metal stairs.

“Yes you do.”

“No, I don't.”

“You took a second sip.”

Dean reached the bottom of the stairs first, and walked over to the War Room table to set both coffee cups and his keys down.

“So? I was trying to make sure I properly understood the flavour. Since when is that a crime?”

“You wanted to properly understand a flavour you didn't like?” Cas walked up to Dean and pulled the nearest chair out to sit down.

“What are you two arguing about this time?” Eileen asked from the library.

Cas clenched both of his hands into fists, putting the right one on top of the other. He made small, circular, stirring motions with his right hand. “Coffee.” He signed swiftly, movements fluid.

“Ah. That makes sense.” She spoke the words.

“What makes sense?” Sam asked, walking in from one of the hallways, making sure Eileen could see his lips before speaking.

“They're arguing over coffee again.”

Sam glanced at both of them, before his eyes reached the two cups on the War Room table.

“Wait a second… Dean?” He looked at his brother, before turning to face his best friend. “Cas?”

“Yes, Sam?” Cas answered.

“Did you two go to Starbucks?”

“I don't want to talk about it.” Dean grumbled.

“Yes, we did!” Cas sounded way too excited to be referring to coffee. “I got a peppermint mocha, and Dean tried some and liked it.”

“I did not.”

“I don't care what coffee you like, Dean. What I do care about is that you went all the way to Starbucks, and didn't bother to ask if we wanted to come.”

“Not cool Dean.” Eileen walked in, shaking her head and hiding a smile.

“I might have thought about buying you two drinks, but there was no way I was ordering yours with a straight face.” He looked at Sam. “And it's an hour away, they wouldn't have been hot or cold or whatever they're supposed to be by the time we got here.”

“Well then we'll just have to go back, all four of us.” Eileen put simply.

“It's an hour away.”

“We know.” Sam added.

“Let me say that again, in case you weren’t listening. It's an hour away. For coffee. That isn't even that good.”

“I beg to differ, Dean.” Cas said.

“Yeah I'm definitely with Cas on this one.” Eileen agreed while Sam nodded along.

“No. There's no way I'm getting back in Baby to drive all the way to Starbucks again.”

“Fine. We’ll go get our own.”

“With what car?” Dean said, very sure of himself.

Sam snatched Baby’s keys off the war room table, which in hindsight was probably something Dean should have expected.

“Let's hope Sam doesn't have too many shots of espresso.” Eileen said, faking concern. “I would hate for your baby to pay the price.”

“Fine. I'll drive you.” Dean grumbled while Eileen double fist-pumped her win.

Cas looked very pleased with the thought of getting to try more coffee.

---

They left shortly after, the drive over painful for everyone except Dean, who listened to the same four songs on repeat the entire hour.

(It’s their own fault, really.)

---

“Can we please listen to something other than Bob Seger on the trip home?” Sam complained as he slammed shut the door to Baby’s backseat.

“You’re just mad you didn’t get shotgun.” Dean said, closing his own door. “Besides, driver picks the music, everyone else shuts their cakehole.” Sam mouthed the words along with Dean, having heard the speech a million times before.

Eileen and Cas got out, neither one of them had any desire to input on their squabble, and were instead engaged in their own, quieter discussion.

Both brothers continued to argue until they walked into the Starbucks.

“Ah. There's the scent of overpriced coffee I missed.” Eileen joked as she took her first breath inside the building, using her hand to waft the smell towards her.

“What are you getting?” Cas asked Sam.

“I want my usual, and Eileen, what are you having?”

“Hot chocolate with espresso shots please. This place doesn't sell liquor.” She shook her head sadly and Sam laughed. “Good thing I brought my own.” She winked at them, opening her jacket just enough so they could see the inside pocket and showing off her flask.

“Oh, now that would be a Starbucks I would go to.” Dean said.

“You two wait in line.” Sam pointed to Cas and Dean. “We’ll save a table.”

Dean looked like he wanted to protest, but they walked away before he had the chance. Cas leaned over towards him. “Don't worry. I'll order Sam’s.” He very conspicuously winked.

Dean smiled at his attempts of regular human interaction, before over-the-top winking himself.

“Can you order for us? I need to talk to Sam about something.”

“Sure thing…” Cas had to think before finishing his sentence. “...buckaroo.”

Dean outwardly cringed. “Keep trying, you'll get there eventually.” He patted Cas on the back, which was slightly moving in a chuckle.

It was good to see Cas filled with so much simple joy. Face creased from laughter rather than stress, he seemed so much lighter. Happier. It was only a small sliver of what he deserved, but it was something. Maybe he could live with driving an hour to get what he assumed was half-decent coffee.

“What would you like?” Cas asked him, eyes still filled with a sparkle that only comes from gaining something you thought you lost.

“Uh.” He thought about it for a moment, almost considering branching out into the unexplored terrain that was the dark green menu with small, white text, before shuddering at the thought.

“I think I'll take that expensive black coffee I didn't get earlier.”

Dean was not going to turn into one of those people, if he had any say about it.

Cas walked into the line, leaving Dean to scan the room, furiously waving Sam over when his eyes found their booth.

“Sam.” He sounded like he was trying to whisper, but his volume raised far higher than that. The patron closest to Dean gave him a look before turning back to their work.

“Sam, come here, it's urgent.” His brother turned to look at him, rolling his eyes before getting out of the booth.

“What do you want?” He said once he reached Dean.

“Sam. Help. What do I do?”

“About what?”

“About what kind of coffee Cas is having.”

“Oh god, Dean let it go. He's not going to only ever drink black coffee. Contrary to popular belief, former angels do actually have souls.”

Dean ignored the implications that he didn't have a soul, too distracted by Cas. “But look.” He motioned his head towards where Cas was standing, next in line to order. “He’s eyeing the weird fruity drinks.”

“Dean. It's Cas. The man’s favorite food is PB&J. What did you expect him to have, taste?”

“Alright that's rich coming from mister Pinkity Drinkity or whatever the fuck.”

“You walked into a Starbucks and ordered black coffee, I don't think I'm the wrong one here.”

“Wait, wait. Shut up. Quiet.” He hit Sam on the shoulder in a childish attempt at getting him to stop talking so he could listen.

“Ow. That hurt.” Sam muttered, before turning to watch Cas, which Dean was already doing.

“I would like to try a…” Cas methodically scanned the menu again. “A ‘Passion Tango Iced Tea,’ please.” The barista took no mind to the excessive air quotes.

“It's not even coffee.” Dean said to Sam, clearly distraught. He turned to look back at Cas.

“And your name sir?”

“Lizzo.”

Dean threw his arms up into the air. “I can't believe this is the man I love.” His voice cracked like he was holding in tears of anguish from listening to Cas order.

Sam just rolled his eyes at the theatrics. Right, and he’s the dramatic one.

“Aw. You're in love.” Sam held his hands up, forming a heart and mocking his brother.

“Oh shut up. What are you, seven?”

“Is Cas your gay thing?”

“You shut your mo-”

“What are we gossiping about?” Eileen whispered, cutting Dean off and causing them both to jump.

“We're not gossiping.” Sam said indignantly.

“Sam started it.”

“Jerk.”

“Bitch.”

“This is where I call you two ‘asshats’, right?”

“It's ‘assbutt.’” Cas said, walking up to them and catching the tail end of their conversation. “And that's my line.”

Cas handed them each their drinks, before excitedly trying his own. He put the plastic cup up to his mouth, almost missing the straw. When he swallowed the cranberry-colored liquid, his face relaxed in pleasure.

“I know this one isn't coffee, but it's really good.”

“We didn't get coffee either.” Eileen said. “So don't worry, Dean's the odd man out here.”

Dean glared at her before trying his own coffee, and well, it was coffee. The point of buying expensive caffeine still went straight over his head.

The four of them went over to their thankfully-still-available booth and sat down. Dean and Cas sat on one side, both instinctively choosing the side that faced the door, with Sam and Eileen sliding into the seats directly across from them. They sat there, talking about nothing in particular, and certainly nothing of importance, before falling into the natural art of storytelling.

Aside from killing monsters, that’s what hunters did best. Sitting around and sharing stories. As tiring and dangerous as their lives were, some hunts were worth sharing exaggerated and hyperbolic versions of, especially over drinks.

Sam’s favourite story to tell changed every time, and one would almost be inclined to believe that most of it wasn't real, but the wildest parts also caused the most merriment. (Dean pretended he hadn’t witnessed the whole thing, sparing Sam by not telling the other two how it actually went down.)

Eileen shared of her time in Ireland. “Foreign country, foreign monsters.” She said with a wink, telling of creatures neither Sam nor Dean had even read about.

Dean’s favourite story to tell, aside from the fact that he killed Hitler, was the time he got to solve a mystery with everyone’s favorite talking dog. And yeah, all three of the people that sat at the table had heard both many times before, but that didn't matter, it was still enrapturing to hear them again.

Cas had millenniums to choose from, but always found the most interesting hunts to be the ones with the Winchesters. He also had many hilarious stories about his adventures with Crowley, but he was less fond of those.

“I remember once, Dean went on a hunt with Dad.” Sam started. “Nasty vampire, it got a hit or two on Dean. I think you guys went with another hunter. Young. About your age, actually. Uh…”

He snapped his fingers, trying to recall the name. “Lee. That's it.” Dean looked up from the coffee right as Sam said it. “Do you remember him?”

Something flashed in Dean’s eyes, but his brother didn't seem to notice.

Cas, who was used to admiring every minute detail of Dean's expression and posture, didn't miss the ever so slight, yet sharp, inhale. Or the way he swallowed before speaking, trying to clear the small lump from his throat.

Dean noticed too, internally rolling his eyes at his own reaction.

“Yeah it's been a while, but I remember him.” Dean was blatantly ignoring Cas’s burning stare from beside him, and the fact that he had stabbed Lee through the chest just last year.

Cas made sure no one was watching before gently placing a hand on Dean’s thigh. Knowing it would comfort him from both intuition and experience. Dean stiffened under the touch, but after realizing no one could see where Cas’s hand was, he visibly relaxed.

“What happened to him?” Eileen asked innocently.

“Oh uh, a hunt I think. Most of us go that way, I assume he was no different.” Technically Dean dealt the final blow, but it was the entrancing call of the monster, greed, and the life Lee and Dean had both secretly wanted, that caused his former-friend’s downfall in the end.

“Yeah.” Sam said solemnly, suddenly lost in his own thoughts, most of which were riddled with grief.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, letting the weight of their many losses wash over them like a tidal wave.

One made of espresso and milk rather than the rough waters of the sea.

---

The ride back was more manageable, Dean allowing them one song choice each, complete with a warning to pick wisely.

(They all very cheekily chose the songs they knew would bother Dean the most.)

---

Full on coffee, cookies Dean bought for them at Starbucks, and brimming with contentment, (as well as the fact that they spent half the day in the car), Cas suggested to Dean that they “hit the hay” as they stepped back into the bunker.

They laid there in silence, breathing in scents of comfort, coffee, and each other, until Cas eventually drifted off to sleep.

Dean, however, continued to lay there. Thinking.

He remembered the first solo case John sent him on.

Something curled inside his gut.

They had been two nuns, their fate a product of hate crime. Put to death for simply being themselves.

Dean didn't blame them for coming back as ghosts.

He remembered the words - ones he would soon learn were slurs - that John would spit out like acid.

Or offhandedly toss like they didn't bear enough weight to shatter the window of a person's self-image.

It had taken him almost forty years to realize that very same window inside of him was in sharp, jagged pieces. Cutting anyone and everyone who came near.

It had taken Cas dying to start picking them up again.

He turned to look at the man next to him, relaxed and blissfully sleeping. His chest moved up and down rhythmically, and Dean slowed his breath to match until he fell into a surprisingly peaceful slumber.

---

When Dean woke up, the other side of his bed was cold.

He didn't panic, knowing full well that Cas probably ran to the bathroom, or was pouring another mountain of sugar in his coffee.

Losing Cas again to the Empty had ripped him apart, but months of spending every night with his partner left him with less nightmares and waking in cold sweats then he had since before Hell.

Dean also learned that his own presence was enough to fight off the demons of solid, black goo that plagued Cas’s head at night.

He was finally starting to understand why life seemed to lose all meaning when Cas was gone, and from there he could slowly start to rebuild both of them.

Dean heard soft padding noises as socked feet walked down the hall, and there was a knock on the bedroom door. "S'your room too, Cas. You don't have to knock." He laughed, words slightly slurred from just waking up

Cas walked in, wielding two mugs of coffee and a proud look shining in his eyes. “I made us coffee.” He said triumphantly, handing one of the mugs to Dean.

“I put chocolate and peppermint in your coffee.”

Dean fake-gasped. “You monster. Ruining the integrity of my drink like that.”

“I'm a human, you ass.” Cas responded, a smile tugging at his lips. “Besides, I know you liked mine yesterday.”

“I did not.” He said, discontentedly crossing his arms. “I only drink coffee that's as black as my soul. Darker than the night sky. Hotter than the bunker’s computer when it overheats. As manly as-”

“Oh, just drink your damn coffee.”

“Fine.” He groused. “But I'm not enjoying it.”

Cas raised an eyebrow at him, before setting his mug on the bedside table and sitting down behind Dean. The bed creaked underneath him as he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Dean’s waist. “Is this why you and Sam never use umbrellas?” He joked.

Dean laughed.

Cas rested his head on the crook of Dean’s neck and whispered. “You know you don't have to pretend.”

“Pretend what?” Dean asked softly.

“You know.”

“That I don’t like flavoured coffee?” He said with a snort.

“Sort of.” Cas hugged him tighter. “No one’s going to think any less of you Dean. You’re allowed to like the things you like.”

“I know.” He resigned.

“John isn't here anymore.”

“I know.”

“I love you.”

“I know.” The words barely came out as a whisper, hot tears betraying Dean’s eyes as they silently leaked out and ran down his cheeks.

He tried to wipe the tears away, hearing his Dad’s voice in his head and knowing he was being stupid.

Dean couldn't help but think of himself as a small, living-room window, from an old, dilapidated house. Stained yellow with age. Cracking from wear.

He let the drumming of his Dad’s words in his head be drowned out by Cas’s voice.

He couldn't unwrap the fuzz from around him, so he didn't know what Cas was saying, ears seemingly filled with cotton. It was just the knowledge alone that he was there. That he was holding him and whispering comforting words into his ear. That even as a human he could heal Dean at his lowest points, and still see him as the brightest, strongest, soul.

You don't really know what a picture is going to be until it's done.

Maybe that window is a beautiful stained-glass portrait.

“Uh.” Dean cleared his throat. “What-what do you have?” He indicated Cas’s coffee by angling his head towards where it sat on the nightstand.

“I made iced coffee.”

Dean just looked at him, astounded, eyes widening. “You mean it’s not hot?”

“Yes, that's where the ‘iced’ in ‘iced coffee’ comes from.” He said very seriously.

They both sat in silence for the next hour, peacefully drinking their coffee and enjoying the presence of one another.

---

When they got out of bed and ventured into the rest of the bunker, they found Sam and Eileen in the library.

They were sitting in adjacent chairs, with Eileen laying her head on Sam’s shoulder and reaching for her water bottle on the table. They were reading a book together, but Eileen shook Sam indicating she had seen them walk in.

“Goodmorning.” She greeted cheerfully.

“Mornin’.” Dean pulled up a chair across from them, and watched as Cas did the same.

“What are you two reading?” Cas asked.

“The Men of Letters’s Bestiary.” Sam said.

Dean snorted. “Ah. Doing a little light reading are we?”

“We're thinking about filling in some of the pages.” Eileen added.

“Yeah, for all of the stuff they have here, it's surprisingly empty.” Sam continued flipping through some of the pages, most of which were blank.

“Heh. I should put you in that thing, Cas.”

Cas let out a laugh. “Right. Because I’m a good example of an angel.” The sarcasm was masking something else in his voice.

“If it makes you feel any better, you’ve always been my favourite angel.” Dean only realised how sappy he sounded after it came out of his mouth.

“Yeah, I’ve heard the rest of them are dicks.” Eileen added.

Cas smiled at that, seemingly back to normal.

“Right, well you three can do that, I'm off to the Dean Cave.”

“Or…” Sam started.

“We could go back to Starbucks.” Cas finished, nodding his head enthusiastically.

“Yeah... that's not where I was going with that, but I like where your head’s at, Cas. We should definitely go back.”

“Eileen?” He asked.

“Hell yeah.”

“Dean?”

Dean pressed his mouth into a thin line and glared at him. “Yes, sure, fine. But we're not making this a daily thing.”

“That's fair.” Cas agreed. “It's probably not very healthy.”

He went to grab his wallet and keys before Sam could start his speech on the nutritional value of green things, and Eileen snatched her water bottle off the library table as they all got up to leave.

---

Dean gave up on letting them choose the music after snickering and requesting “Friday” by Rebecca Black for the third time in a row.

(It wasn't even Friday?)

---

Dean stepped out and closed Baby’s door in the parking lot of Starbucks an hour later, kicking the loose pieces of gravel on the asphalt for the third time in two days.

“We might as well just live here.” He said, tone dripping with sarcasm.

“I wouldn't make that offer if I were you, Cas looks like he’d be totally on board.” Sam laughed.

Cas went and stood beside Dean as they started walking towards the building, smiling.

“What?” Dean asked, question genuine and free of all malice.

“Nothing.” Cas answered, smile not faltering.

His eyes revealed nothing but pure devotion for the man he was staring at. A silent promise, one without pressure, that he would be standing there, and Dean could take the leap anytime he wanted.

Dean was slowly inching towards the end of the diving board.

---

“I think I'll just drink my water.”

“Oh that's exciting.” Sam joked. “If I got you a lemon to go with it, would you be able to handle that?”

“Don't talk to me about my drink, when yours is a vivid green puke colour.”

“Hey, at least it actually has a colour. And a flavour at that.”

Dean couldn’t believe those words were coming from the same man who drinks exactly a hundred and one ounces of water a day. (Which, according to Sam, is the recommended amount for males, as stated by the Institute of Medicine.)

(Dean didn’t care.)

“Fine then.” She turned to look at Dean. “Get me the strongest thing on the menu.”

Dean laughed before turning to Cas. “Let's just go get in line before we suffer at the hands of the Leahy like Sam.”

Sam and Eileen went to look for a place where they could all sit again, playfully bickering the entire way.

While he was standing in line with Cas, Dean looked over at his brother, and found him and Eileen sitting at a small table in the corner.

Cas was still helping him learn ASL, so he caught parts of their conversation.

“If Jack is in every drop of rain, do you think he's in your water?” Sam signed, trying to contain his laughter.

Eileen pushed her water away with a look of disgust. “You’re lucky I love you.” She answered back.

“I know I am.”

He watched her silently laugh before turning back to look at Cas.

They really did have it good, didn't they?

“What are you ordering, Dean?”

Dean stood there silently, contemplating. He internally weighed his pros and cons, mind leaving the menu entirely. While there was still a lot of shit he had to work through, (shit he had been actively not working out his entire life), there wasn’t much of a decision to be made.

He would always choose Cas.

“You know what?” He reached out and grasped Cas’s hand firmly. “I was thinking about being less boring. What ingredients do you suggest I try?”

Cas smiled warmly, reaching the crinkled corners of his eyes. “They have a cinnamon flavoured one. That’ll be almost like apple pie.”

“Will it really?” Dean’s tone was dismissive, but there was a smile on his face.

“Yes, Sam told me.“

“Not that I trust Sam’s judgment, but okay, I think I’ll take one of those.”

“I'm going to have a real pumpkin spice latte this time.” Cas seemed very pleased with the aspect of buying something they could make it home, but Dean wasn't going to fault him for it.

The patron in front of them finished ordering, clearing the way for Cas and Dean. The barista from the first time they went caught sight of them and made a face. “Wait a minute. I think I know you two.”

“Yes, we came here yesterday.” Cas helped. “Well, we actually visited twice, but you weren't working the second time.”

“Right... John and John, how could I forget?”

“This time we're ordering for four though.”

“I would like a…” Dean squinted at the menu, looking for the cinnamon flavoured coffee. “‘Cinnamon Dolce Latte.’ And my devilishly handsome friend here will take the pumpkin spice version.”

“And what are the other two drinks and names?”

Dean whispered something in Cas’s ear. “I'll drink the coffee, but I won't budge on this one.”

“That's okay Dean, you’ll get there eventually.” He whispered back.

The barista looked unimpressed with them. Again.

Dean cleared his throat. “Ahem, sorry. The tall one with the stupidly long hair,” he pointed towards Sam, “is getting…” he trailed off before looking to Cas for help.

“I don't know, man. It was something sickly looking. Cold? Green? Possibly tea?”

“And Iced Green Tea Latte?” The barista suggested.

“That's the one. His name is Jimmy.”

“And the lovely lady sitting next to him would like the strongest drink you have. Her name is Robert.”

“Her name is Robert…?” He slowly pointed towards Eileen, sounding unsure of himself.

Or them.

“Yup.” Cas said.

Eileen gave a little wave from across the room.

He gritted his teeth in a very clearly fake smile. “Coming right up.”

They paid for their coffee and picked it up, taking the travel cups across the room and towards Sam and Eileen.

Cas took a sip from his pumpkin spice latte, gleefully smiling. “As much as I like trying different drinks, I think I might start just getting this one. It's my favourite.”

Sam leaned over to Dean, neither one taking their eyes off of Cas. “Should we tell him the drink is seasonal?” He glanced at Sam, before staring back at his partner, whose face was beaming like a literal ray of sunshine.

Dean’s face softened. “Nah. Let’s not ruin his moment.” He took a sip of his cinnamon coffee and damn, it was delicious.

Nothing at all like apple pie, but still delicious.

Cas walked over to him, making eye contact in a silent question. Dean nodded with a small smile, and Cas took his hand.

“I love you.” Cas whispered.

“I love you too.” He whispered back.

They didn’t whisper to hide, and it wasn't because he was ashamed. It was because that exchange was just for them.

Dean leaned in and softly kissed Cas.

Now that was to tell everyone in the shop that his devilishly handsome friend was spoken for.

Slowly, the sun would come out and shine through the stained-glass window, shadow portraying the picture of an angel.

And alright, fine, Dean could admit that he enjoyed the peppermint mocha.

He thought about it for a moment, before giving a light chuckle, realising something.

“What?” Cas asked, turning to look at him with a soft smile resting on his face.

“Nothing.” Dean whispered, squeezing Cas’s hand in his. He took a sip from his coffee, relishing in the warm and cozy flavour enrapturing his tongue.

He was only thinking that maybe, just maybe,

Cas had changed him too.

---

Bonus Epilogue:

Dean held the glass door open for the other three, and they all walked out onto the asphalt, laughing, and making their way towards Baby.

The street lamp overhead flickered, and all four of them froze.

“Did anyone happen to get the salted caramel macchiato?” Dean whispered.

---

-This fic on Ao3 (Kudos and comments would be greatly appreciated.)

-Writing Tag

-Ao3

-Request fics/drabbles/ficlets. (Please)

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anothertimdrakestan · 4 years

Text

Tongue Tied - Tim Drake x Reader

Words: 2.4k

Requested? Yes! From a lovely anon!

“Hello lovely author, may I please request a Tim x reader who start as nerd friends, then she finds out about him being Red Robin before he can tell her, and then Red Robin saves her one day and she lets slip that she knows it's Tim. With her smarts, she's able to help him with cases and missions, and the batfam is impressed by how smart she is. You can choose whether it's a romantic ending or not, that's up to you. I just feel like smart Tim needs to be seen more. Thanks😊”

LINK TO PROMPTS & MASTERLIST -> REQUESTS ARE STILL OPEN!

When I tell you I love me a smart reader I LOVE ME A SMART READER! Thank you so much for the wonderful request! Strap in dear anon you set me up for a long one and I really said “get in the car!” I hope you enjoy ; )

In the midst of a mental breakdown you let the flashbacks ensue, that’s the only correct way to lose your mind as everything you thought you knew crumbled around you right?

First you remembered “meeting” Tim Drake-Wayne for the first time. You always put meeting in quotes because you’d been in love with him for months and had sleuthed out his favorite coffee shop just to stumble into him. And because you’re you, nothing can really go as planned can it? Your plan to stumble into Tim was taken more literally when he caught you from tripping as you tried to enter the store, as you pulled yourself from his chest you felt your cheeks redden immediately.

“Oh my gosh I am such a klutz I’m so sorry” he looked flustered himself, nervously fidgeting with his sweatshirt sleeve. “Oh uh, no problem, are you okay?” he up from his jacket to meet your eyes, and though he’d never tell you his heart melted on the spot, his brother Dick defined it as “love at first sight” but that seemed too cheesy. “I’m fine! You going in here too? This is my favorite spot!” you shook off the nerves, making your way into the cafe. Tim followed you in, and to your surprise paid for your drink. Sitting at a little bar you pulled out some of your college textbooks before you realized Tim and slipped into the seat next to you.

“You in college?” his voice made you jump, your head jolting up. “Oh - no! I just think this kinda stuff is interesting. Math can predict everything ya know!” you slid your textbook between the two of you, feeling Tim’s shoulder lightly brush yours as he leaned in to read it. “Totally! Like even the golden ratio in nature!” Tim explained excitedly.

That day turned into texting every single day and hanging out whenever Tim could, and it slowly developed into a best friendship.

How did you not see the red flags like how Tim could rarely, almost never hangout at night? Or how he’d have strange bruises scattered across his body. Tim always looked dead tired but you knew he didn’t do any activities after school, to be honest the math just didn’t add up, so you took to investigating before making a conclusion - as any good scientist would. And because he’s a messy teenage boy investigation was easy.

While over at the manor Bruce had called Tim to W.E. for some sort of emergency press conference about his younger brother Damian biting a reporter, the interview was only supposed to be a half an hour. So, Tim left you with snacks and Youtube in his room while he threw on a suit and tie, which he looked like an absolute five course meal in - that wasn’t the point. You took the opportunity the riffle through his room, not exactly sure what you were looking for as you pawed through stacks of overdue assignments and dirty clothes.

With deep breaths you relived the moment that hadn’t stopped playing in your head, finding his Red Robin suit. Throwing open his closet you stifled a laugh at his pajama pants and ratty t-shirts but you choked on air when a deep red and black suit fell from the top of his closet onto your face. Thinking it was some sort of halloween costume you held it up and realized what you were touching. It made sense, the late nights, bruises, frantic cancellations, it all added up except that Tim was the sweetest person you knew, the most loving soul you knew was kicking ass while you struggled through trigonometry.

Unable to comprehend what was happening you put everything away and went home, shooting Tim some bullshit excuse about your family as your ran up to your room and began making a list - comparing Tim’s absences to Red Robin sightings, googling photos of Red Robin and drawing comparisons to the way he held himself like your best friend. There truly was no denying - Tim Drake was the Red Robin. Then it hit you like a truck - Bruce Wayne was Batman. And you assumed all of Tim’s adoptive family were vigilantes as well. You didn’t sleep that night, trying to make google searches that didn’t give anything away while trying to make a list of everything you discovered.

Tim was Red Robin. You still couldn’t wrap your mind around it. So you sat in your room at 4am, crying. Because Tim was probably out risking his life for years without you knowing. Everytime you yelled at him for cancelling plans was probably because he was out saving lives and he took all your anger, he let you berate him for scrapping his knees when it was probably the fucking Joker whooping his ass. Is it right to apologize? To tell him what you found out and try to move on with the friendship. Is this like a “now that you know I have to kill you” kinda thing? You weren’t exactly ready to die.

It seemed like Tim’s secret to keep, it was difficult at first to keep the facade that you didn’t know what he was doing at night, you just tried to always be understanding and appreciative of all the time he made for you. You fell back into the lull of best-friendship, Robin or not, Tim was the best person you knew.

“You’re in love with her Drake” Damian chided, almost annoyed with Tim’s ambivalence on the topic of his life long crush. “Am not, she’s my best friend. It’s not my fault you don’t understand friendships demon” Tim spat back, keeping his head down to hide his blush. “I’m with the demon, you practically worship the ground she walks on” Jason called, drinking straight from.a carton of milk as Dick cried out in disgust before adding his own opinion to the mess that was Tim’s love life. “Sorry kid it’s 3 to 1 which means you have to ask her out for real, remember last time?” Tim glared at the mention of his failed date proposal where you thought he was speaking in strictly hypotheticals. “You can’t out vote me on my own feelings” Tim groaned. “All in favor of allowing us to out vote Tim?” The three raised their hands again as Tim stomped up to his room, he planned on going on a peaceful patrol to plan his dream date for you.

A couple weeks into knowing Tim’s secret you learned that if you climbed to the roof of your apartment building you could see Batman and whomever he took out for patrol flipping around the city late at night. It had become a nightly routine and you’d grown to be able to identify the hero by their style of movement, your notebook filled with notes and sketches about each boy or girl. Then when you hungout with Tim you could match a vigilante’s mannerisms with one of his siblings, it was simple science really. Then you began taking down notes about whoever the Bats were fighting if it was public, discovering little facts and trying to slip Tim subconscious knowledge, it was the least you could do to help your favorite boy on earth.

But that wasn’t enough, you wanted in on the excitement of crime fighting, to have more knowledge than was on broadcast TV. So you took to the streets of Gotham armed with pepper spray, a pocket knife, and a notepad. You learned tidbits of information that you poured over, working it together until you’d solved a case, then you’d slip hypothetical ideas to Tim throughout the hours of hanging out. You felt like a real life hero, and you were getting better by the day.

“Jeez Tim it’s like you’ve been working double time! You’re solving cases before they’re even on B’s radar, what’s your secret kid genius?” Dick was stretching on the BatComputer while Tim feverishly typed in his newest solve. “Well I hangout with Y/N! She’s like a good luck charm dude I also get the best ideas when I’m with her! It’s pure magic bro I’m telling you” Tim explained as he frantically finished his report. “Lovers do have that effect! So when are you gonna tell her you’re in loveeeeee” Dick cooed as Tim shook his head. “Shut up Dickwing I’m working” was all he could give Dick without blushing or mixing up his words. He just had to plan something perfect.

But it never was perfect was it?

Kill Croc was out in the sewer, and you’d taken it upon yourself to help Tim out, you knew people who knew some of the people that helped out Croc and you were determined to find him first at any cost. That’s how you accidentally ended up in a dirty drug deal.

“Hey Timbers, you’re gonna wanna get to my location asap, I’m pretty sure your girlfriend is in trouble and it would be rude of me not to offer her saving to you” Jason heard a scramble from the other side of the comm as Tim confirmed he was on the way. He watched carefully as you searched for an escape from your capture, normally he would’ve busted the drug dealers for capturing teenagers by now but he was feeling magnanimous, deciding to give Tim the opportunity to save an unsuspecting but terrified Y/N.

There were definitely no clear exits, you cursed yourself for getting too close. You were not Red Robin, you played the long game you didn’t rush into the arms of armed drug dealers in the name of the law. Your heart was beating out of your chest as they pointed a gun at you, forcing you to walk towards a sketchy delivery truck with the other kids. “Ooh totally not gonna happen!” a familiar voice cheered as glass windows shattered, none other than your best friend stood with a grin. He looked hot as fu- not the time, not the time.

“Come any closer we’ll blow her brains out!” you felt a loaded pistol connect with the back of your head as you froze, begging to any god to live and promising not to be a field agent ever again. “That’ll be pretty hard without your gun dumbass” Tim called as four batarangs knocked the guns out of all the guy’s hands. Red Hood, who you knew was Jason Todd, burst through the back windows, guns raised. “I thought we had a deal you sorry bitches. Now let these kids go or I’ll show you what blowing brains out really looks like” the men froze, letting everyone escape.

“Too late for us, but we’re taking the pretty girl with us!” one of the men had picked up their gun, aiming it straight between your eyes and firing. You screeched when a flash of red jumped in front of you. Almost in slomo you watched the bullet connect with Tim’s body. Your scream was deafened by Red Hood’s guns as he knocked all the men completely out. Rushing to Tim’s side you pulling his head into your lap. “Tim! Oh my god Tim are you okay!” you cried as Red Robin pulled off his domino mask to reveal a very confused Tim Drake. “Kevlar, I’m fine, bullets pack a punch but it just knocked the wind out of me, how did you know who I was?” Tim sat up, showing you the bullet sized dent in his suit.

“We should go somewhere else and I can explain” you smiled sheepishly, letting Tim put his cowl back on as he loops his arm around your waist, pulling you to the top of the nearest building.

“YOU’VE KNOWN FOR MONTHS” Tim looked shocked as you explained how you figured it out and how you’ve been helping him out for weeks. “Should I have told you? I’m really sorry I just didn’t know I felt like you’d tell me when you were ready” you flinched at Tim’s shout and he calmed down. “To be honest I don’t know, you’re one of few that know who I am, but I’m glad you know, makes this even better” Tim added the last part softly, placing his hand on your cheek to lift your lips to his. Your eyes widened in shock before fluttering closed, kissing him back. The build up of months detangled itself in a night, and kissing Tim was just as perfect as you’d imagined all those years ago.

“So you’ve really been solving all those cases and you didn’t even tell me! You’re totally amazing at it!” Tim added, almost as if he’d been thinking during the kiss. “Yeah it’s pretty fun, you’re still gonna let me help right? I’m not stopping now!” you poked Tim’s chest while he thought. “I mean I’m pretty sure Babs needs a partner, but no ground work, you saw how well that went tonight, but it’ll be good to have a partner who finally knows everything” Tim exhaled, letting everything off his chest.

“Partners!” you smiled, leaning in to seal the deal with a kiss.

“This is totally epic” you stood stunned as the BatCave shined in all it’s glory. “I mean yeah it’s pretty cool, look this is my actual suit, I bet the one you saw was an older model!” Tim let you around the cave, showing off his favorite parts. You squeezed his hand trying to convey how excited you were. “I’m gonna be a better detective than you soon Timmy” you teased as Tim showed you the ropes of the BatComputer. “In your dreams babe” he rolled his eyes. “Babe huh? Didn’t realize you asked me out” you scrunched your nose at Tim while he blushed. “Oh uh, see I meant to, but yeah, I definitely should do that like-” you cut him off “yes Tim I’ll be your girlfriend you idiot” you laughed at how tongue tied the loveable boy was. You weren’t going to pretend like you didn’t get flustered around him either - you practically tripped on your own feet the first time you met him, but look how far you’d came from there.

From friends to partners to lovers and probably everything in between, you were finally Tim’s in every way, working side by side was the best thing to ever happen to both of you. That’s not quite right. Tim Drake himself was just simply the best thing that’s ever happened to you. And you to him. And that’s truly love at it’s finest.

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yarart4ever · 3 years

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y'all I just watch LoA: A Thousand and Twenty Questions and... I actually... like it??

like for once, Tigress isn't being shit on and is actually being respected. she wasn't being a pushover like in other episodes, she actually single-handedly defeated Dao Dai, and we are given a whole new prospective on her. the episode is actually funny and a really great character study on one of the most complex characters. I'll admit, when I saw that she was being her usual bitchy-noncanon self, I was immediately worried that this was going to be another flop.

but then... something caught me off guard...

my favorite scene is definitely with Master Yow and Tigress, and how they played with the "curiousity killed the cat" quote. it was a very interesting interaction that I did not expect. but it was what Master Yow says about Tigress that surprised me...

T:"I keep telling everyone I don't have any questions!"

Y:"of course you do! 'is Master Shifu proud of me?' 'am I performing the dipping pheonix twist kick correctly?' 'why am I so angry so often?'... perhaps you will answer me a question. why do you refuse to ask what you wish to know?"

yeah no, I'm not joking. these were actual lines! and what surprised me the most is that all of us fans have been suspecting that for so long, yet until now we have never heard it come from any of the characters mouths. I can count on one hand the amount of times the series has discussed Master Shifu and Tigress' father-daughter relationship, and I'm guessing even the creators are wondering why Tigress seems to be the way she is in the show, but that has never been talked about. and judging by Tigress' questions spoken by Master Yow, you can only imagine the kind of verbal (and maybe even physical) abuse Tigress must've put herself through to be the best for her master.

another thing that caught me off guard was her flashback to when she was at the orphanage, and she's actually asking pretty decent questions for a literal child, yet she's barraded by her peers and caregivers at the orphanage, and it's so sad! I thought, knowing LoA Tigress, she's going to snap and yell out this personal reason, but instead, the pain in her expression as she keeps it to herself, was enough to tell us how she really feels. Master Yow even said, "the stoic Master Tigress displaying total and utter vulnerability. a rare and precious wonder indeed!" (well it won't be after kfp2-) and that was such great thing to hear coming from the actual character's mouth other than us pandom folks.

like it is literally canon! Tigress has trauma and anxiety! and the creators finally have balls to not shit on her and actually give her that arc in the episode! we stan!

also, here's little things I've noticed that I also loved in the episode:

~the way Tigress puts others needs before her own, as she does in the canon movies. she's constantly worrying about her friends while she's trying to find a new wonder for Master Yow so she could ask how to save her friends. and even when Yow caught her at her vulnerable point, she doesn't let that stop her from doing her job, as she immediately asks "how do I stop Dao Dai's machine?" not only that, but from the very moment she realised the villagers wanted to harm Master Yow, despite not being much of a fan, she immediately defended him and protected him the whole time like she's a body guard and it's actually sweet.

~okay moving besides from Tigress, there's this one line where Mantis describes Master Yow as Shifu's 'man crush' and it is literally the funniest thing! anyone want a bi-sexual Shifu? XD

~I'm sorry, my TiPo heart seems to not have an off button in a scene with Yow and Tigress, after Yow asks "why do you refuse to ask what you wish to know" we all know Tigress was going to say something, but immediately shushes herself and goes into defence mode after hearing Po's scream. the worry in her voice as she calls his name and the way her tail swishes while she tries to find him is so cute- agh! girlfriend goals! we stan again! (also idk if Tigress just said "stay out of sight, I'll be back after I rescue HIM" or "THEM".... either way imma go with 'him' lol)

~the final scene after Tigress defeats Dao Dai, everyone gathers around the box and opens the door, and Tigress is immediately met with a "well done, Tigress!" and a proud smile from Master Shifu, Po completely fanboying over how awesome her 'box-fu' or 'kung-tainer' was, and the rest of the furious five smiling at her with pride too. I like this a lot because though Tigress has her own doubts about herself, she finally sees that the people she cares about are proud of her and are always going to stand right by her side. it's just, so amazing, and I love it so much! true family goals right here.

there was no point to this post, I just wanted to share my thoughts lol. I totally recommend A Thousand and Twenty Questions. maybe I'm hyping it more than I have, or maybe the LoA fans think I've underestimated the show's potential, idk, but these were just points I have noticed.

#kung fu panda #kfp #tigress x po #tigress #master yow #legends of awesomeness #kfp: loa #kung fu panda: legends of awesomeness

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sweetestlamb · 4 years

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Lighting Up Your World Part 2

Episode 18

Author’s notes: THANK YOU!!!!! I’ll start there, thank you guys for your overwhelming support on part 1 that I posted yesterday. You guys make me feel like such a great writer, hearing that some of you cried because of something I wrote. incredible. This part is shorter because I was a bit strapped for time and I scrapped a vast amount the original version I had because I got new ideas and I just didn’t feel like the other version was enough or had the feeling I wanted. Anyway, I hope you guys still enjoy Part 2 aka Episode 18. Tell me your favorite line in the comments, I just think that would be cute hehe lol. *Plays “Lighting Up Your World” ♫ ♫

He remembers the exact moment that he purchased the ring, its sparkling brilliance from under the glass display, he imagined it sitting on her dainty fingers taking the place of her many other decorative rings. He imagined her face has he placed it on her finger. The store associate had wondered over to him with a knowing smile on his face, as if he knew that look very well, had seen it on the lovesick faces of countless men. After a few minutes of rapid questioning, he walked out with the precious stone in his possession, nerves shooting up and down his veins until he felt like a ball of anxiety. The ring heavy as lead in his pocket as he staggered home in a daze, in disbelief at what he'd done.

When he had come home to the castle, he could feel the ring burning a hole through the pocket of his jeans. His heart pattering away, erratic in his chest. He avoided eye contact with Mun-yeong as she greeted him at the door, candied smile welcoming home as she eagerly pulling him into the house demanding that he play with her.

She hadn’t been amused by his suggestion of cards.

Viciously pushing him in the wall and latching onto his neck like a leech. Hours later, he stumbled out of bed panting as he stealthily hid the box in the bottom of his drawer,covering it with mounds of clothes before tiptoeing into his bed alongside his brother dreaming of Mun-yeong in pristine white walking down an aisle that was laden with soft pink rose petals that matched the hue of her lips. He woke up saying "I do." Relieved that his brother was a relatively deep sleeper and hadn't heard his slip of tongue.

The sounds of nature, birds chirping and the wind rustling leaves pulled him from the sandman's hold, as he blinked awake, rubbing the remnants of sleep from his eyes. Immediately he noticed the lack of pressure on his arm, too light without her head cushioned on his bicep as she used him as her personal pillow. He had long stopped trying to get her to use a pillow, she was adamant that his arms were a perfect substitute. A wave of pride blossomed in his chest every time she would stroke a finger across the bulging muscle, humming in approval, openly appreciating his body.

Stumbling to the bathroom he groggily brushes his teeth before hopping in the shower to wash off the sweat that lingered from being pressed against her flesh all night. After changing into his outfit, another t-shirt and jeans with sneakers, he’s a creature of habit. He walks out of the camping can eyes scouting for his missing girlfriend before finding her over the open grill, poking at the meat she's grilling, tongue poking out slightly as she impatiently waits for their tenderness.

What he doesn't expect to see is a little helper on her side, Min-jo, sits in the chair right next to her, eagerly watching the meat as it grills, babbling away at Mun-yeong, who for the most part looks content in the child's presence.

"How do I pick the people I put in my family?" Her innocent voice lifts with curiosity as she peers up at Mun-yeong, eyes shining brightly with young hope and naivete. "What age will I be ready to choose my family?"

With a sigh he watches Mun-yeong bring a slightly underdone piece of beef to her mouth, she's always too impatient to wait for food to reach its necessary temperature for consumption, higher internal heat his ass. The juices from the meat run down the side of her mouth, and he's left feeling like he's watching a lioness in the wild, lethal and it is majestic.

"Didn't I already tell you to stop following me? I don't have any answers for you." She dismissively responds, looking exasperated clearly this isn't her first time hearing and rebuking this question.

He coughs to announce his arrival, watching both their eyes snap up to settle on him, one pair with adoration the other disinterest then glee.

Min-jo greets him first, "Hi, Mr.Prince!" She waves enthusiastically at him, little hand looking like it could take flight at any moment, he blushes at his new moniker, glaring at Mun-yeong who smirks at the intended response.

"You don't need to call me that, remember I told you my name." He answers sheepishly rubbing his neck.

"But Ms. Witch told me that you and your brother, who is an illustrator saved her from her castle and then you lived happily ever after. I never knew that princes could save witches." She says the last sentence with pure wonder, sighing softly.

"Only if they're pretty princes just can't resist a pretty witch. They follow them wherever they go." Mun-yeong teasingly eyed him, images of young Gang-tae happily trailing after a dispassionate Mun-yeong playing out in both of their memories.

"Well I didn't exactly save her from the castle, I just lived there with her. Together, we made it happier. We became a family and a family has to live together, so they can lean on each other and not do pointless work." Mun-yeong scoffs at his reminder of Sang-tae's story, rolling her eyes affectionately at him.

"That sounds nice. And now you live on a house on wheels. I've never seen one before." She eyes the camping van, as he approaches them taking the last chair, on the left with Mun-yeong in the center.

"How long have you two been here?"

"This brat came here an hour ago, I keep telling her to go away but she won't listen. " She hands his a bowl of food and he notes with barely concealed amusement that a smaller bowl is aggressively placed in Min-jo's grasping hands.

"Thank you Miss Witch!" Min-jo chirps sweetly, scarfing down the food without another word.

Mun-yeong watches her before devouring her own food, her leg brushing against his when she sways into his body heat, a morning chill lingering in the air, as he glances at her and notices that she is wearing a short cotton romper, soft blue with white speckles splashed across the material. Drastic shift from yesterday's funeral best, he smiles at the implications. He wraps an arm around her shoulder drawing her into his heat, her hum of satisfaction rumbling through his body.

Min-jo's chopsticks clink on the bowl as she asks, "If you two share a brother, does that mean you are brother and sister?" His cheeks redden at the inquisitive child.

"No. He's my boyfriend, we share his brother."

"Oh." She easily accepts before adding to his embarrassment, "What do you do with a boyfriend?"

He whips his head to stare at Mun-yeong willing her not to ruin the innocence of a child, she looks back at him with a straight face before answering, "Well a lot of fun things. Sometimes we kiss, he likes that a lot and sometimes we even--"

"Yah!" He pinches her arm, hard.

She slaps him in retaliation, pouting as she soothes her pained skin, "I was going to say hug and hold hands. Why did you pinch me?"

He doesn't believe her for one second, her filter non-existent indiscriminate of the audience.

He glares at her until she resumes eating her food, ignoring the rest of Min-jo’s constant stream of questions. If she kept this up she could be an adept detective.

Entertaining a child has never been a task he's been troubled with before and he worries his lip as he looks at the little girl bouncing in her chair with unfiltered glee. They’d made the mistake of feeding her and now she had a boundless amount of energy, unable to keep still for even a moment.

"What should we do now Miss Witch?"

"I'm not here to entertain you. And he's my toy so you can't play with him." She juts her thumb in his direction, he admonishes at her statement arguing that he is not a toy. She nods unconvincingly as if his arguments are futile and she has already made up her mind.

"I'm bored." Min-jo continues, ignoring them.

"Then leave."

"But I don't want to." She whines.

"Then make your own fun."

Their bickering reminds him so much of Mun-yeong and Sang-tae tears prickle in his eyes as he decides to check on his brother. It's been two days since his abrupt departure, the longest they've been without each other. He softly announces that he'll her right back before disappearing into the van, their rising voices following him each step of the way.

I'm fine. I'm working and drawing. Stop worrying, have fun with Mun-yeong. Remember a kiss is better than a fight.

The highlights of his conversation with his older brother, who had answered on his third ring, rushing him off the phone because he was quote, "very booked and busy", he really needed to stop Mun-yeong from teaching his hyung her ridiculous slang. Especially phrases like that, that even he couldn't decipher. He had hummed along as if he wasn't completely lost before bidding Sang-tae goodbye.

He took a moment for himself before rejoining them outside, letting his brother's voice wash over him. He knew their relationship had a tinge of codependency but hadn't realized to what extent until their separation. This was good for them. Healthy. He knew that now.

It just hurt a little right now, but that was okay. Pain wasn't permanent.

The sounds of water splashing hit his ear drums as he jumps off the last step of the camping van, as if on autopilot he rushes to the lake, cold chill on his skin as he searches for Mun-yeong.

She stands on the bank of the lake. Safely out of reach, watching as Min-jo flaps her little arms wildly keeping herself afloat. She is helped by the presence of bright pink floaties on her arms, buoying her onto the surface of the wet escape.

"Can you come in the water Miss Witch?"

He watches Mun-yeong gaze at the water, fear bleeding into her irises before she blinks it away. Brief and clipped response, "No."

There is a pregnant pause, before the child continues, "Are witches afraid of water?"

Mun-yeong's eyes are cold as she looks at Min-jo, he watches the interaction enraptured in this achingly honest conversation encrypted in their own language.

"Yes."

He's releases a breath he didn't know he was hiding. Watching Min-jo nod at her response, "That's okay. Everyone is scared of something. I'm scared of being alone. But you said when I'm older I can find a family. Maybe one day you'll find a way to be in the water." She says it matter of fact, like she has no doubt that Mun-yeong will conquer this fear.

The sun is no longer as high in the sky and the skyline begins to swirl into hues of pink, orange and yellow. Like a mad painter dragged their unwashed paintbrush across the surface.

"I think it's time we took you back." His voice breaks their bubble as they turn to look at him. He smiles at them both, charmed by this little whirlwind who has bulldozed her way into Mun-yeong's path. Vaguely wondering what happens when a tornado and a hurricane meet?

They walk back to the diner, Min-jo in the center and the eyes that land on them make him wonder if they look like a family, Min-jo had reached out to grasp their hands but Mun-yeong had slapped it away complaining of her dirty lake hands. The girl had only laughed before happily holding his hand instead before Mun-yeong broke between them, reminding her that he was her toy much to this chagrin.

The same older woman who had prevented Min-jo from following them the previous day, hastily bursts through the door as they draw close enough to be seen, her frantic voice shrill in the air, "Where have you been? Why did you leave without telling me? Are you okay?!" She grabs Min-jo, raptly checking her body for injuries, touching the wet hair on her head before looking at them angrily.

"Who are you? And why are you with this child?"

Min-jo beats them to answer, "This is the pretty witch and her prince." She beams at the woman, who looks taken back at the response.

He bows low in apology before continuing the explanation, "I'm Moon Gang-tae and this is my girlfriend Ko Mun-yeong. She came to find us we wanted to make sure she made it back safely."

She stares at him, scrutinizing his answer but once she sees that the girl is not harmed she sighs before accept his apology, "Okay. Thank you, I'm sorry for any trouble she caused you." She respectfully bows in return.

"You must have been really worried about her."

She freezes at his statement, looking down at Min-jo before averting her eyes, "No. I wasn't. I.....was just bothered thinking about her."

He raises an eyebrow at the defensive deflection.

"That's the same thing." Mun-yeong quips sharply.

The woman's eyes narrow but there is no argument.

They all stand in silence, the wind howls around them, darkness beginning to fall as the sun drifts into the water.

It is time for them to go.

"Well this is goodbye, be well and stay safe." He bows once more, Mun-yeong waves once before turning away without another word to either. He shoots Min-jo an apologetic smile as her huge wet eyes follow Mun-yeong longingly.

Then she's ripping herself from the tight grip of the woman who cries at the action. She runs straight into Mun-yeong's back. Little feet thundering on the ground and she quickly closes the distance between them.

"Wait."

Mun-yeong halts her movement, still facing away.

"Can....I?.." She stutters around the words that jumble in her mouth, eyes staring a hole in Mun-yeong's back, she must be impervious to its heat. After a long drawn out pause she bravely finishes her question, "Can I be apart of your family?" The hope laced in her voice batters at his heart, she's just a child who wants to be loved. Crying out for it. Begging for it.

"No."

Her little head bows in defeat, nodding as if she understands, nobody wants her and she doesn't belong anywhere.

She starts to walk back to the woman, all the previous joy and wonder sucked from every cell of her body. Walking as if a marionette on a string, stilted.

"We're leaving. A family needs to stay together, to lean on each other." Mun-yeong's voice causes her to pause mid step, a twinge warmer than it was earlier. The first day of spring after winter's bitter cold. "You should find a family that worries about you and who needs someone to lean on too. A family that will never leave you."

He watches as those huge eyes slowly travel until they land on the lady. She runs back to her, body trembling as she looks at her like she's seeing her for the first time. Eyes now able to see what has always been right in front of her.

"Can we be a family?"

The woman gasps, turning her head away, eyes glistening. Min-jo reaches out and takes her hand, small palms appearing even tinier in the woman’s hold as she peers up hopeful once more.

He turns away before he can see the conclusion, walking away to fall into step with Mun-yeong, who turns to meet his gaze. He notices the tear streaks on her skin, fondly looking at her, falling ever more in love.

"How did it end?"

He shrugs, taking her hand, "I didn't stay. But I hope it's a happy ending."

"Me too." She squeezes his hand, tightly.

******************************************************************************************

She wordlessly goes into the camping van announcing that she wants to take a nap. He nods at her, pressing a kiss to her wet cheek before letting her go.

He opens the box of supplies he bought days ago, nerves all but obliterated, he's never been surer of anything in his life. He works diligently but quietly, eyes tracking the door of the camping van to ensure Mun-yeong doesn't suddenly appear before he's done. As he finishes his last touches, he climbs the stairs of the camping van. Eyes softening at the sight of his girlfriend laying on his bed roll, snuggling into his night shirt. He coos at the rare and precious sight, loathing the idea of waking her.

The choice is taken from him when her lashes flutter open and her unfocused eyes land on him, she jumps up nonchalantly hiding the shirt behind her. He pretends not to see it, pointedly looking away from her. Before he beckons her up.

"Come with me."

He offers his hand, sees her in all blue glowing in the sun as she waited for him.

Once again, she takes his hand. It's just as sweet as the first time. His heart is giddy with love.

He contemplates asking her to close her eyes but ultimately decided against it, he wants her to see and relish every moment.

Her small gasp as he pushes the door open makes his heart tremble and do a back-flip, bouncing all around the cavities of his chest. She looks around astonished at the scene, the faint twinkling of the fairy lights that adorn the camping van, blinking rhythmically, like stars that fell from the sky, the long winding path of rose petals that lead to a blanket that is topped with a bountiful basket and a bucket with wine.

"Wow."

She turns to look at him, eyes glossy and shining under the luminescence of the fairy lights. "What is this?"

He doesn't answer her question, actions have always spoken louder than words for him. He escorts her down the path of petals, softly crunching under their feet. Until they reach the blanket and he helps her sit before lowering himself next to her.

He opens the basket, removing all the food he purchased and hid away, small sandwiches and fresh fruits. He plucks a strawberry out before pressing it to her lips, "Open up." The dark desire that rolls through her eyes makes his body flush in return. She obeys silently, wrapping her lips around the soft flesh of the berry, biting down, relishing at the flavor before swallowing. She feeds him a slice of honey dew in return, fingers dragging across his lips bewitchingly.

They consume the rest of the food in silence, feeding themselves and each other in equal turns. Before he pours them both a bottle of the cheap wine he was able to purchase in a liquor store in the town. Her eyes never leave his face as she drinks the wine, captivated by his every move.

"Are you full?" He whispers not wanting to interrupt the calm that has settled like a warm blanket over them.

"Yes, I'm no longer hungry." Intentional pause, as her eyes lock on his lips. "For food."

Adjusting himself in his pants he ignores her tempting offer, for now. The main event is still around the corner and he needs all his wits for that.

Taking her hand in his large palms, he rubs his thumb along the soft skin, gazing into her eyes with his own laid open, wanting her to see everything he feels.

"Mun-yeong, I love you. I love who I am with you, who I've become with you, I want to be with you always."

She blinks at his words, words escape her as she stares at him. He doesn't give her a chance to flounder much more, pulling out what he had hidden in his pocket and placing it in her hand.

The button eyes of the nightmare doll, glow under the moonlight and she looks down at the thing she once dismissed as "ugly crap", now a prized possession.

"Mang-tae?..."

"I'm still a coward a little, he's going to help me tell you a message." He guides her eyes to the scroll sticking from the pouch, all too similar to her concealed message to him.

She slowly pulls the paper from the sack, hands trembling as she unfurls it and reads the message written. She's a fast reader, incredibly so, he knows that and the message is fairly short yet she stares at it for what feels like hours, maybe even years, time is relative in the moment.

She reads the message again and again and again and again and again.

Before she finally puts it down. Then the tears come, easily, flowing like a river, soaking the neck of her romper and she lets them fall, doesn't interrupt their journey, allows herself this brief moment of vulnerability.

She's never looked more beautiful in his eyes.

He tells her so, "You look so beautiful. I want to see this face until I die."

Without a word she places Mang-tae tenderly on the blanket, before crawling into his arms, wrapping her own around his neck and she answers his question with a kiss. Their lips crash together with enough force to knock him backwards, dragging her with him as they tumble on the blanket.

Her tongue prods at his mouth and he eagerly allows her entrance, moaning at the sweet flavor of strawberry that floods his taste buds, sucking her tongue into his mouth to get more. His hands rub at the exposed skin of her back, traveling down to squeeze her soft lush ass, bringing their pelvis in contact. She grinds down sensually on his erection, moaning at the hot sensation. He pulls the tie holding her romper together, pulling back from the kiss to strip her bare. She resembles a wood nymph naked underneath the smattering of stars in the inky sky, the forest rustles around them.

While he's lost in the glory of her body, she undresses him, pulling his shirt over his head and pressing hot open kisses against his stomach, before unbuttoning his pants and pulling them own with his boxers in one firm tug. Then she hungrily gazes at his body, hands massaging his thighs before she crawls back into his arms, their bodies slotting together like puzzle pieces.

Their tongues meet in a languid battle, bodies rolling against each other like waves, uncontrollably. He presses a curious finger at the folds hidden between her thighs and groans at the enticing wetness that surrounds the digit. Coating in her sweet juices. She shakes her head above him, lifting up to dislodge his finger. He looks at her in question.

"I'm too close. I can't take foreplay. Make love to me." She pleads, demands, begs. All of them, at once.

She steals his breath, just like she did his heart and his control. He wonders what he will have left after her? What will still be his when she takes it all? He would give anything to her.

He is incapable of denying her so with a gentle grip of her waist he moves her aligning their bodies before his cock brushes against her most intimate spot, with a fluid tilt of his hip he slides into her tight pussy, it feels like coming home.

He exalts at the sensation, letting it roll over him, basking in her constrictions around him as she wiggles in his arms before pulling his ear lobe into her wet mouth, "Please."

He thrusts into her, powerful but steady, drawing her close and forcing her to meet him. She begins to ride him, feet planted beside his hips as she rams herself down into his hard cock, the view is unbelievable her face twisted in euphoria under a million dazzling stars, he takes a snapshot in his mind.

Before she knocks all thoughts out of his head, plunge down harder and faster onto him, he grabs her waist desperately, needing to slow her down. But she fights his grip, pushing his hands beside his head and he could easily take control but as he watches her fall apart he realizes she needs this. Desperately. Everything tonight has been out of her control, she needed to gain some of it back. Needed to find her footing as he effortlessly swept her off her feet.

He lets her hold his hands down, giving no resistant, watching her fuck herself on him, entranced by the indecent sight of his dick disappearing in and reappearing out of her. In. Out. In. Out. InOut. InOut. She sets a punishing pace despite asking him to make love to her but he muses that their version of love hasn't always been gentle or tranquil, sometimes it was volatile even explosive so for them this is making love. It similar to everything else in their lives has layers, that they are continually peeling back to expose a new coat.

She starts to moan loudly, little ahs so sweet in the wind, twisting and undulating until every downward thrust bumps against her clit, she keens as she pants out his name, "Moon Gang-tae, Moon Gang-tae!"

He holds on for the ride, hips slamming violently into hers as she tightens around him, walls crushing him until finally she shakes in his arms, her body twitching almost out of his hold and he swiftly snatches her back, drilling into the tight wall of her pussy until he feels his pinnacle nearing, the blood in his head surges and he feel his length swell and explode as he tumbles over the edge, driving every last drop of him inside her until she's stuffed full.

She collapses onto him, knocking the wind from his lung. But he takes her weight, wrapping her in his arms.

"Yes." She breaths into his ears.

Sliding out of the tight glove of her pussy he rolls to the side, catching Mang-tae once more, her brows farrow again.

"You didn't let me finish." He gently chides. Taking her hand and bringing it the the pouch on the doll's back once more, he sees the shock that washes over her features, eyes large in wonder as she pulls out the object hidden inside.

A sparkling gold ring, a modest princess cut diamond sits proudly on top, as beautiful as its new owner.

"Are you serious?" Her voice trembles, the tears coming again.

"Yes. But right now it's just a promise ring, a promise that one day I'll be a man who's worthy of being your husband. I wanted to give it to you now so you know that I'm yours and I want you to be mine in very sense of the word. What do you say?"

Her face crinkles into a smile, "You promised not to make me cry again. You already broke that promise tonight. You better not break this one."

He chuckles, "Those are happy tears that doesn't count. And you didn't answer my question." He needs to hear her answer.

She looks at him from under her lashes, naked and beautiful under the inky black night sky, lips blessing him with her response, "Sure. Why not?"

He smiles at the nonchalant answer as she weeps, before taking the ring from her hand, gently pressing the ring onto her finger, it looks like it belongs, perfect fit.

She tackles him onto the blanket, showering his face with kisses as he laughs loudly, freely. Living out his wildest dream with girl that he liked who become the woman that he loves.

The message on the scroll crushed between their weight. But the words are unaffected.

Marry me, someday?

They were in no rush they had a lifetime ahead of them.

Maybe even another after that, if they were reincarnated and destiny brought them together again.

*******************************************************************************************

She drives them to their new location, he doesn't comment on her driving past the diner or looking through the glass to see Min-jo happily talking to the woman, their hands wrapped around each other as she pulls the lady behind her, excitedly jabbering. Neither of them say anything but she smiles the whole drive after, humming along to BLACKPINK on the radio.

♫ ♫ Dududududu ♫ ♫

He still doesn't comment when they end up at another site with a lake and mountains in the background.

After using the bathroom when he comes out of her van he finds her standing on the bank of the river. Feet barely grazing the water.

Wrapped around her arms are the bright pink floaties he saw on Min-jo's arms.

His breath hitches as she looks back at him, defiant smile on her face. Her ring shining from its permanent spot on her finger.

She takes a step towards the water.

#its okay to not be okay fic #its okay to not be okay #psycho but it's okay #moon gang tae #ko mun yeong #emotional fic #I really felt things writing this #hope you enjoy part 2 #episode 18 #tell me your favorite line

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autobee23 · 3 years

Text

I'm usually shy to talk about my gripes about RWBY because in other fandoms I got bullied or talk behind my back saying how horrible of a person I am, but really if I get the backlash so be it.

The last few seasons of RWBY has gave me such an out of body experience because characters I haven't seen for a while, I have a bad experience keeping up with shows and when I heard you had to pay to watch the episodes for RWBY I just dropped it for a bit then one day went "huh how is RWBY doing now?", and when I saw what happen with Adam I was pretty shocked at this whiplash of his personality change and went "the fuck happen to him?" I remember liking him because he was cool and intimidating but knew when someone threaten his White Fang he backed off, but didn't enjoy he had to work for humans, so when I saw he kill his own like "I wanna have this power so I can make my ex girlfriend so miserable and destroy everything she loves." like the guy didn't give a fuck Blake was in Beacon but now he does give a fuck? The hell?

Then I remember how the FNDM were so angry at Adam for cutting Yang's arm, like he is so irredeemable now because he cut her arm off, and that had me confused because this was showing how powerful Adam was and how Yang's rage got the better of her and had consequences, but the FNDM didn't like it and so CRWBY decided to write him so unlikable to the point he was gonna BOMB Blake's home and everyone in it to make him so evil that when he died by the hand of and I quote "lesbian love" I knew that this was not going to get any better.

And than Ironwood came back in the picture, I was worried they would write him like "I'm pretending to be nice so I can have the relic and back stab these kids", but he actually...Was nice to them? He gave them a place to stay, new clothes, weapon upgrades, and there license so they can get money while trusting them with his secret plans, and I thought 'ok so the kids will be alright here since it's Atlas with the best military and tech to figure shit out', but...Ruby didn't trust him because...He worked with Ozpin...? And he wasn't going to save everyone because he was having trouble getting the stuff he needed because a elect representative for Mantle was causing him the problem. It's a hard pill to swallow that he can't save everyone, but it's better than losing everyone and that's the reality of it, but no.

Team RWBY and friends just did so much shit behind his back and were shocked when he got angry at them, him shooting Oscar was pretty dumb like wtf but then it hit me--he was going to be written so unlikable like Adam, and I was dreading what was to happen to my poor boy Ironwood, Ironwood's character is one of my favorite tropes in other media outlets. Boy they didn't even miss a pace on writing him so out of bonkers, and I got hella angry when I discover he had a semblance that was NEVER mention in the show to make the FNDM stans defend them from anything and everything from any critique, a little side note, I've been on both ends of defending something I like and being critical on the other, it's not fun on either end because people are just assholes when you say something they don't like and won't listen to you.

Can I say how rather ironic it is that Ironwood was gonna bomb Mantle just like how Adam was gonna bomb Blake's home ( I forgot the island's name ) and fans just took it as "they are irredeemable! They wanna bomb innocent lives!", so if this Theodore guy is gonna use a bomb to harm the innocent you'll know he's evil.

The way they handled Penny was...Sloppy, even stans must see that was very sloppy at the least, I'm sure many Penny fans are angry that she had two fake out deaths then turn human and get killed a few episodes later, like why would you do that??? And how she died, was waaaaay stupid and insensitive??? Like suicide is a very touchy topic as is, assistance suicide is even MORE touchy and it was for a sad emotional scene for her and Winter? What the fuck? It could've been emotional, you can make a machine having a soul have an emotional sacrifice!

Huge example?

The Iron Giant, he is a giant robot that while not the same situation as Penny learn the concept of ‘soul’ and sacrificed himself to save many lives because he knew even by the smallest of chance, he can survive this attack because he can repair himself if he is in pieces.

CRWBY could have done something emotional like that with Penny, but for whatever reason they didn’t and it left many disappointed, myself included. For some reason CRWBY doesn’t like many males as the death count so far on screen has been dudes, and gingers--like what the hell did gingers ever done to them?

Volume 9 is going to be interesting to witness unfold.

#anti rwby #rwde #sorry i need to process this #and this is the best way?

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soyouthinkucanwrite · 3 years

Text

Chapter 3 - Unexpected texts

Synopsys: The name of the series is super random, don't mind me. Reader is a postgraduate student at NYU, made a docuseries on her research, and the show got picked up by Netflix. She goes on a press tour and meets Tom on a ‘chat show’. They get together and she decides to stay for a few days in London with him. This could be an amazing few days or more? It’s been interesting writing how they’ll deal with distance and tight schedules once ‘honeymoon’ is over...

Heads up: my first language is Portuguese, so that might explain some things here - of course, I wrote thinking about myself hahaha

Warnings for the series: mention of illicit drugs, angst caused by distance, smut (next chapters, very explicit), anxiety caused by paparazzi, and rude random people taking photos.

Other than that, this is just my guilty pleasure writing so lots of caring sweet Tom and fluffiness.

Chapter 1 - A new city

Chapter 2 - Show time

Chapter 3 - Unexpected texts

This is 2.4k words (approximately)

Later, you were just laying in your hotel room and watching some tv, or telly how they say over here. You wanted to get some sleep and maybe call your parents to tell them about the day. It was so crazy, you didn’t think they’d quite grasp how crazy, but you wanted to include them anyway. I guess maybe especially because of that. Tomorrow you guys had to be at the station super early for the Radio 1 Breakfast with Greg James. 6 o’clock you thought it was that David had told you. You might as well check with him and set an alarm already. So you went to grab you phone for texting him and got a text from an unknown number.

The contact you had saved as “Tom Holland” (with the air quote marks) was calling on Facetime. Shit. This couldn’t be him. Could it? Have you even given your personal number to the producer at Graham? Shit. Just answer it and kill Lukas. You pressed the green button and the screen was dark. There was some music in the background, but it was a little muffled. And sure enough, there he was. Smiling at the phone slightly bellow his eye level. He’s hot. You look like shit with zero makeup and your hair in a crazy pony tail.

“Hi!” He said laughing. “Do you believe me now?”

“Hi…this is embarrassing. Sorry! I have the worst friends and is just like them to try to pull a prank on me because of this” You answered.

“No worries, darling. I’m a little sad you’d think me texting you is laughable though.” He joked.

“You know what I mean! Like I said, Tom Hanks wanting to work together I would have an easier time believing.” You laughed.

“Maybe I want to work together. By the way, I’m glad you did, but for future reference, you probably shouldn’t use your personal number for these things.” He advised you.

“Well, it’s not like I have more than one number so…” You told him.

“Your agent’s then.” He clarified.

“I don’t have an ‘agent’.” You emphasized the last word.

“Well, you should probably get one then, darling. Trust me on this one.” He was walking and the music got louder for an instant and then muffled again. Looks like a bar or the outside of a bar at least.

“Are you in a bar?” You asked him laughing.

“Excuse me, not a bar, a PUB. And no, I’m on the sidewalk of a pub, actually. Going home.” He said. “And you are…?”

You were kind of getting what he wanted from you and that was kind of annoying actually. He’s a movie star for god’s sake. Can’t he get a girl in whatever pub he’s at right now? “Busy actually.” You answered him.

“Oh sorry. Terrible timing, huh? I asked for your number this afternoon, after the show. But the bloody PA just sent me it right now. He might lose his job for this. Took him a lot of convincing, ya know?” He was talking and walking, you could see he was clearly trying to start a conversation and all that in the middle of the street.

“So you just got it and couldn’t wait to text me huh?” You teased.

“Kind of, yeah. The two pints probably helped me build the nerve. I’m not usually like this. I barely facetime my friends.” He told you.

“And in the middle of the street. If you get mugged, I don’t want to be accounted.” You were relaxing a bit and sat on the bed leaning on the headboard. He laughed at your joke. Maybe he was just drunk and not really after a booty call. “I thought you british were famous for spending nights at the pub. Why you leaving so early, anyway?” You asked.

“Got to get up early tomorrow for a work out.” He answered simply.

“Of course you do” You said.

“And I much rather talk to you too.” He said.

Silence. What do you answer to that? Is he flirting with you? He’s definitely flirting with you.

“Ahem” He cleared his throat. “I really did liked your show, you know? It’s really something.” He said.

“You did? Thank you. Means a lot.” You said. “I’m still shocked it’s getting this much attention, to be honest.”

“Why? I’m shocked no one’s done it before. Is such a good idea. But maybe if they’ve done it, it wouldn’t be the same. Cause your presenting is probably what makes it that good.” He had stopped walking and you could hear keys juggling in his hand. “I live really close to the pub. I know” He laughed and you laughed back. “Hey!” He said to someone outside the screen and started to walk up stairs.

“Do you live with someone else? Your parents?” You asked.

“Uhh…no, no. I mean yeah, my mates Harrison and Tuwaine and my brother Harry. It’s just Tuwaine and his girlfriend downstairs though, I think.” He told you while taking off his shoes.

“Hey don’t go cockblock your friend now” You laughed.

“Never. And always.” He joked back. “Thought you’d be out enjoying London tonight, or were you planning on going out later?” He asked you in a thick accent.

“What? No, I’m a serious business girl. No time for shenanigans” You said laughing, so he’d know you were joking.

“Shenanigans” He laughed back. “Your English is better than mine you know?”

“Oh I’m sure” You answered sarcastically. “Flattering will get you far, but lying will not”

“I’m serious. If you haven’t said it today I’d think you’re American. You kind of have a New Yorker accent” He said.

“Yeah? ‘Fuhgeddaboudit’” You said in a thick accent and you laughed together. It was fun talking to him.

“What other languages do you speak?” He asked you when you stopped laughing.

“Portuguese, English…Spanish, Italian, a little bit, and German” You answered while counting your fingers.

“No way. Say something in German. By the way, I’m still here, I’ll just change these clothes.” He said while putting the phone on the nightstand and getting out of the frame. He was taking off his clothes, you thought. And he wanted you to say something in German.

“Nennen sie das Ärger?” You said, without thinking everything through.

“Now say the same in Portuguese” You heard his voice but didn’t see him.

“É isso que eles chamam de problema?” You said again.

“Yeah, portuguese is defenitely sexier.” He laughed and grabbed the phone again to sit on the bed. He was shirtless and with his head on the headboard of the bed. “What did you said anyway?”

“Excuse me, I wasn’t aware I’d have to translate it.” You mocked being offended.

“Oh so it WAS dirty. I thought I was imagining.” He teased you.

“You’re smooth.” You shook your head. “I’m still not saying it. You’ll just have to learn Portuguese, or German.”

“I’ll learn Portuguese if you teach me.” He said. “How long are you here for?”

“Just till tomorrow.” You said. “Flying back to New York tomorrow night.”

“More interviews?” He asked.

“Tomorrow’s the last one actually. But I’m traveling with David, he makes the show with me, and I’ve kept him from his fiancé long enough. That and we have to prepare for big meeting with executives next week, you know find an agent and stuff.”

“I could talk to my agent if you want to, he’s an actors agent but maybe he knows someone for other kinds of jobs” He said. “You don’t have a fiancé to get back to, do you?”

“No. No fiancé or jobs for that matter.” You laughed. “And I’m not even sure what kind of jobs would those be.”

“Publicity deals. If I had a brand, I’d want you to be the face of it. It’s the face of diversity and youth, isn’t it? It’s a beautiful face” He said.

“The face of diversity and youth?” You laughed. “Now you’re the one confusing me with Tom Hanks” You joked and he laughed out loud. “I could use some friendly recommendation though, on the agent thing. I don’t even know where to start looking and sounds like the type of thing you don’t want to ask the wrong people” You added.

“Yeah, sure. He’ll know someone for sure.”

“Thank you”

“Glad to help! Really!” He smiled at you. “So where you going tomorrow?”

“Breakfast show at Radio 1. Greg James I think” You answered.

“Oh he’s great! We were there today. You’ll have a great time! It’s a bit early, no? Am I keeping you from sleep? Do you want to hang up?” He was cute, all concern and stuff.

“Yes, yes and no. I’m enjoying you keeping me from sleep.” You said. Maybe it was the time, but that was kind of bold Ana. Good job?

“Good. I’m enjoying it too.” He said while you were getting under the duvet, getting cozy. “Are you enjoying London? What’s your favorite place so far?”

“I loved what I’ve seen from the car window” You answered sadly. “And all the studios we’ve seen.” You laughed a little. “But since we’ve landed it’s been go go go.”

“That’s a great song though.”

“I can’t believe you got that reference.” You said surprised. You love The Maine.

“I love The Maine. Honest. ‘Where I come from you learn to make the best of things’”

“‘But honey since we’ve met you know you’ve had the best of me’” You mock singed together and laughed when you finished the verse.

“OH MY GOD DO YOU WANT TO MARRY ME?” He joked while laughing.

“YES! AND WE CAN GET ON THE ROAD CHASING INDIE BANDS ON TOUR?” You joked back.

“I mean, that’s the dream, that’s the dream.” He said. “I can’t believe that you haven’t seen London though. Wish you’d stay longer, I could take you some places. If you’d like, of course” He said.

“Don’t you have work? I though movie stars didn’t have time for tourism in their own home town” You teased.

“I’m sure movie stars don’t. Good thing I’m not one.” He said smirking.

“Ok, and where would you take me then?” You asked. Where you really contemplating extending your trip just right now? Get a grip on yourself woman.

“Uh, I don’t know. Parks?”

“Parks?” You laughed.

“And pubs.” He laughed too. “To be honest those are the only places I go to when I’m home. I take my dog on walks and drink with friends.”

“Doesn’t sound like a bad life to me.”

“No, I guess not.”

You guys kept talking for hours about everything and nothing. Favorite music, food, drinks, spots for each of those in different cities. You lived in NY but had lived in Berlin before and he was interested in that and you were very interested to hear about the places he’d been, but mostly about London.

“So you actually live here?” You asked him.

“What you mean? London? Yeah.”

“But don’t you work more in LA and stuff? You have a place there too?”

“Uh, no, actually. I don’t work there as much. No as much to justify getting a place anyway. If I’m honest, I haven’t stayed in the same place for too much time, unless I’m off work. And then I’ll be here. Closer to the family. Friends. You know.” He told you.

“That’s nice. It sucks to be away all the time”

“You probably know what I mean. There was a time I was considering getting a place in LA, you know, that whole Hollywood thing. And I was kind of seeing someone there at the time, so that might have had some influence in the decision. We were looking at houses and they were amazing, huge and crazily luxurious.”

“You were going to move in together?”

“No, she was just helping me look for places. Anyway, it didn’t worked out and in the mean time I found this house here so it was for the better I think.” He was opening up to you. “That’s really not for me. That whole life. Mansions, cars, the paparazzi.”

“Listen, I’m not sure how to break it to you. But you might not have chosen the best work line then.” You joked.

“No joke” He laughed. “I know it’s part of the job. At some extent. But I don’t need to go looking for trouble too. This way I’ll just deal with all that when I’m at the states and here I can focus on something else. Spend that money with something else. Spend my time with people that I actually care about and care about me. You know?”

“I like your mind” You said without thinking and there was a while of silence between the two of you.

“I think that’s the best compliment I ever gotten” He said.

“Shut up. You know what I mean.” You blushed.

“I know. And that’s why.” He smiled. “I like your mind too. I like that you don’t filter it. You’re genuine” You had blushed and closed your eyes at his compliment. When you opened them he was smiling at you. “You have the most amazing green eyes, you know that? They’re beautiful. And smile too. I love your smile.” You turned your head to the side, like you didn’t understand what he was saying, but you did. You were only studying him.

“Where you getting at Holland?”

“Can I see you tomorrow? Will you have sometime after your interview?” He asked.

“Yeah. I have the day actually, my flight is not until 11 at night, I think. When you want to meet?”

“I can pick you up right after and we can grab some lunch, sounds good?”

“Yeah, sounds perfect” You said and looked at the clock, it was 02:38 in the morning. “But I should probably try and get some sleep now, or I won’t be a real person tomorrow.” He touched the screen on his phone, probably looking at time himself.

“Shit, that’s late. Sorry, I didn’t felt the time” He apologized.

“Me neither” You smiled. You wanted to say more, like how amazing it was talking to him and that’s why time flew like that, how you haven’t felt that in many years. But you didn’t.

“Okay, I’ll let you go now. See you tomorrow then?”

“Yeah, see you tomorrow Holland” He laughed. “What?”

“I like how you call me by my last name. Sounds good. See you tomorrow (y/l/n)”

“I liked how mine sounded in your English accent”

“Yeah? Did I pronounce it right?” He laughed.

“Close enough” You laughed. “Alright, good-bye now”

“Tchau” He said while you hanged up, catching you by surprise.

You couldn’t believe what just happened. Oh boy indeed. You were sure you weren’t even going to be able to sleep tonight, smiling in the dark to yourself like that. Get a grip woman.

#tom holland #tom holland fic #tom holland x reader #tom holland one shot

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