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#tomorrows the last day of our musical and i’m gonna be so sad when we’re done
axolozzy · 6 months
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have a huge headache but cannot sleep and it’s already 2am
my absolute best friend left halfway through the spongebob musical earlier and didn’t tell me, and still has not texted or called or anything or even told me congrats or that i did a good job
i don’t know how to feel. before the show we were super excited and she was hyping me up and then. she just fucking left halfway through and hasn’t said a word at all and i feel sick
like she knew about the musical for 5 months and knew how important it was to me and she was super fucking excited to see it and we’ve been talking about it forever and suddenly she just left, and at the end i was looking for her and wandering where she was since i had no idea, and i found out from someone else she left not even halfway through the show and didn’t tell me
i’m just. i don’t even know what to think and idk if she’ll even show up tomorrow and i just feel like shit. i can’t sleep at all
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fandombandomfics · 1 month
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Not So Apple Pie Life
Chapter 3
After a sound check with the band, I go to the green room to decompress. I still get nervous before any show, even after all these years of performing on stage in front of people. Guess it’s because this is the first of many sold out shows on this tour. I hear my phone go off and look to see text messages from my brothers. 
Little bro: good luck at the show tonight and on tour, proud of you 
Big bro: good luck on tour, see you around kid 
I smile slightly at the messages and text them back saying thanks. As the show goes on, we watch the sets from the green room. 
“Noah where did you go after the sound check?” Jolly asks
“Oh I went for a walk and grabbed a bite to eat,” I say 
“Until after midnight?” Folio asks. I try to come up with a lie that was enough to keep them from asking questions. 
“Oh I went to the gym and went for another walk,” I say 
“Mind was racing?” Jolly asks and I nod. 
“Yeah it was, guess just nervous for this tour since it’s sold out,” I say 
“I think we’re all nervous,” Ruffilo says 
“Yeah but it’s gonna go great,” Folio says 
We make our way to the stage and wish each other luck. When I walk on stage, the crowd cheers and I smile. Later into the setlist, I spot Sam and Dean in the crowd. It took me a second to make sure I wasn’t seeing things. At the end of the show, after the crowd left, I went back to the stage to grab my water bottle I left behind. 
“Great show Noah,” Dean says, walking out from the shadows near the stage. I jump startled and hit his arm.
“Asshole you scared me,” I say with a chuckle. He chuckles and I get tackled in a hug by Sam. I chuckle and push him off. 
“Dude your vocal range is insane live,” He says 
“Thanks bro,” I say with a chuckle. 
“So where are you going tomorrow?” Dean asks 
“Going to Charlotte,” I say 
“Noah we gotta–,” Jolly says, stopping in his tracks. I turn around and smile, greeting my friend. 
“I’m coming Jolly,” I say 
“We’ll see you around,” Dean says 
“See you both around and happy hunting,” I say, whispering the happy hunting part to them. I walk over to Jolly and I can tell he’s gonna ask me who they are when we get back to the bus. I grab my bag from the greenroom and head outside with Matt and the others. 
“It’s the guys!” I hear a few fans say. I chuckle and we take pictures with them before we get back on the bus. 
“Who were those guys you were talking to?” Jolly asks 
“My brothers,” I say and it got dead quiet on the bus. 
“Noah that’s not funny, you’re an only child,” Ruffilo says. I laugh nervously and put my bag down.
“Well..thats was a lie,” I say 
“Why lie to us..the fans?” Folio asks 
“Because my relationship with them is very…complicated,” I say. The guys look at me with both anger but sadness. 
“Don’t trust each other?” Jolly asks 
“It’s more complicated than that, my brother Dean and I got into a huge fight over me wanting to pursue music. Dad died a while back so it’s just been the three of us for a long time. He told me to never come back when I left. So I didn’t,” I say 
“Who’s the oldest?” Matt asks 
“Dean is the oldest, I’m the middle child, and Sam is the youngest,” I say 
“They came to the show tonight didn’t they? And they came last night huh?” Bryan asks and I nod. 
“Yeah sorry I never told you guys it’s just been…complicated and a lot to go into,” I say 
“Well when you’re ready to tell us the whole story let us know,” Jolly says and I nod, feeling exhausted from the past two days. 
“I’m gonna get some shut eye,” I say and walk towards my bunk. I can never tell them the full full story. I get in my bunk and shut the curtain. I take out my phone and look at an old picture of us as kids. I sigh and plug my phone in, having a feeling this is gonna be a long tour.
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twilightknight17 · 2 months
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Last night on P3R: middle-school SEES, struggling with my social calendar, the Abyss of Time, questionable movie choices, and oh god we finished Sunset and now I’m hitting sad stuff in everything else I’m playing/watching too.
I’m still in Tartarus from last time, so I can knock out a few more floors before we go home. I’ve been introduced to a new thing, though, and it’s a Big Hand!
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I kind of love how goofy the hands are. They do a little dance and sometimes it syncs up with the music. ^_^
After that, it’s time for the next gatekeeper floor! And it’s--
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...oh. Oh god. Is this it? I’m not ready for this. I’ve got Mitsuru with me, but oh man. Not the Table.
……
...false alarm. This is a Terminal Table, not a Crying Table. We’re safe for a little longer.
That wasn’t so bad.
Also, I got a weapon for Shinji as a quest reward, and it’s a crossing sign from in front of a school. It’s so silly.
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I rolled through the next set of floors pretty quick, but I don’t think anyone’s quite prepared to take on another gatekeeper. Everyone is pretty drained in terms of SP. So we’re gonna head home for the night, and go learn some more nonsense from school tomorrow.
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...all right, actually an acceptable discussion related to the book we’re reading. But hey, sometimes your soulmate can be your rival! Seven years from now, two rival soulmates are gonna be climbing through a cognitive space station!
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This is not a fair discussion when Minato’s soulmate still isn’t here for another month and a half.
Anyway, Mitsuru is very worried about Shinji. He wants to extend his leave of absence from school again even though he’s come back to the dorm. So I guess he’s been absent for two years now? She really wants him to re-enroll, though. She, Akihiko, and Shinji were the only three members of SEES originally, back when the three of them were in middle school.
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Apparently they could barely handle the first floor of the tower, which… They were children, so I’m not surprised. No adult supervision, either, and Mitsuru only had minor navi powers. I’m surprised none of them got killed. At least Ken has all of us who’ve already learned to fight to keep him safe.
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They promised that they’d all graduate high school together, which explains why Mitsuru is so invested. She clearly cares about both of them a lot.
You can hand over the extension form here, but there’s also the option to hold onto them and go find Shinji to talk again. So… I guess you can literally just end the events there if you choose to not take the form back and go pry.
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...there’s nothing we can do?
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And any miracles I can make will come too late. If only my sister was here… It’s just a cruel twist of fate that which twin survives the car accident determines whether Shinji can live ten years later.
He says he’s happy to spend time with me, though.
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This isn’t fair, you can’t hit me like this after the fic Jade and I finished and the end of MGS4 and the fic my other friend is writing AND--
God. And he doesn’t want to tell anyone.
At least Junpei is happy. He really, really likes Chidori. But he’s willing to go at her pace on everything.
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Good for you, my guy.
Let’s go upstairs and check on Ken. He’s banging something around in his room, so probably good to make sure that he hasn’t dropped a box on his head or something.
He’s fine, but he does ask me to come in, because he wants to ask for a favor. Turns out, he’s got a pet hamster!
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...you’re gonna be fine, Ken. But okay. What’s the little guy’s name?
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……amazing. Yes, I will take care of Hamburger, but I’m also not gonna let anything happen to you. Everyone here is going to take care of you. You’ve noticed, right?
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Because you’re the youngest and you’re our collective baby brother/kid. No one wants you to get hurt, and it’s unnerving how you talk like you don’t matter, and like you’re not planning to make it through all this alive.
Maybe school will be less depressing. It’s a good day to go to art club. Apparently Keisuke’s dad is very enthusiastic about him studying art abroad! And he says he’s going to go! But then he immediately says he’s not excited about it, so… Keisuke, seriously. What do you want to do?
Ah, well, I’m sure he’ll figure it out.
And then a box falls on Minato’s head, and everything goes dark.
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Keisuke gets Mina to the nurse’s office, and after he wakes up, checks him over. Apparently Minato has dodged a concussion. He blames himself, because apparently he’s the one who put the box on the shelf. He’s not used to cleaning, because the maid does all of that at home.
Right. Sure. Careless at cleaning because of the maid. Cool.
He really seems to like the idea of being a doctor, and he’s afraid that if he goes to become an artist, that’s it, he can never be a doctor.
So… sounds like you made a decision, dude.
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Keisuke. What. Do. You. Want. For fuck’s sake.
Anyway. So people have been talking about the culture festival all week. There’s gonna be a haunted house. There’s gonna be fried food. The archery club was gonna do a maid cafe, which I know because Yukari was so mad she was gonna have to wear a maid dress.
But, a typhoon is rolling in, so the festival is canceled, and isn’t gonna be rescheduled despite Mitsuru’s efforts. And after school on Friday, we head straight home, because the wind is starting to really kick up.
But… there’s still one person wandering around Port Island Station.
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He’s not worried about the oncoming storm. He wants to talk, specifically about Chidori. He asked if she was okay. If we were taking care of her. If she was being a problem.
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...no, you dumb asshole.
He also wants to bitch at me again about how we want to stop the Dark Hour.
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Apathy? Maybe if you’d caught me six months ago. I have people I like now, and a reason to care. Meanwhile, you’re sitting there talking about how I don’t understand the ‘true value’ of my powers. What value is that? Wandering around at midnight killing people, like you do?
Minato is drenched by the time we get back to the dorm, because the downpour has kicked in and the typhoon has properly arrived. Everyone is a little cranky about missing the festival (except Yukari), and Minato’s got chills and fatigue from getting soaked, so he opts to go to bed early because he’s not feeling well.
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…uh. Hi? Is the elevator about to crash?
Igor says that he hasn’t called me in my dreams in a while, and wants to open up some more special fusions for me to do. Which is great and all, but like… I am trying to sleep because I am sick. Can we do this any other time?
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I see. Well, that’s… vague? Are you talking about like… the other Full Moon Shadows? The Clockwork God? Do you know what’s about to happen and won’t tell me? Although I guess you can’t help it, considering who made you.
Even if he wasn’t always like that.
Well, let’s get a good night’s sleep and see how we feel in the morni--
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Minato. Mina. Darling. It’s MONDAY. You slept for TWO DAYS?
So, according to Q, Minato was feeling well enough that the team went to Tartarus last night. And Igor left the Velvet Room at some point, making it unstable enough to crash the elevator into the Abyss of Time. Apparently it’s not just the Abyss that no one remembers. They don’t seem to remember the instigating trip to Tartarus either.
Weird. But understandable I guess.
Anyway I missed two days of possibly playing my MMO all day. You could have at least showed me my teammates checking on me!
I guess I’ll spend my vacation hanging out with Shinji. Senpaiiii, teach me to cook!
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...senpai is mean. XD
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But apparently I’m a menace in the kitchen, so maybe I deserve it.
Let’s go to the movies, too!
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Yes, we’re seeing this. It’s a movie about cute animals!
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…….oh fuck me this is Watership Down isn’t it
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Shinjiro-senpai I’m so sorry.
He sounds like he’s about to cry. X’’’’D
I thought it was a nice movie!!!!
Well, now someone has wandered into Tartarus again, so let’s head back, and check in with the Velvet Room about those new fusions. I’m not a high enough level for them yet, but it can’t hurt to look.
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...why does it get its own fire attack. Why does it inflict charm.
WHY IS ITS LEVEL UP ITEM ITS HEAD. WHAT HEAD.
God.
After buying everyone new weapons and fusing some more personas, we’re probably going to be in Tartarus for a while. Because, well…
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I’m broke.
So next time, yeah, we’re gonna save people, but also, time to look for so much money.
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asexual-spongebob · 5 months
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chapter 11 - Peso and Shellington and the sleepover Notes:
All I’m gonna say is that I have a feeling this chapter is going to be short (edit: it is, but that’s fine) Oh and um… *insert that emotional h2o piano music here* ALSO YAY SLEEPOVER!!! enjoy some hurt/comfort shellso shit also I am so sorry abt Shellie singing weezer. I’ve been listening to a lot of weezer lately lmao. and I thought it was funny. ALSO WOOO FIRST UPDATE OF 2024 Ik I’ve said this many times but chapter 12 is complete and will be posted soon (maybe later today or tomorrow) I’m very excited to share it. also sorry for any spelling mistakes or anything.
Shellington, Kwazii and Peso had went shopping for souvenirs in a small coastal Irish town 
A boat speed by, slashing them.
He had been splashed! 
Shellington froze, he knew that it was too late to think “please no tail” so he opted to dive into the water instead. 
“Oh that water looks quite nice!” Shellington remarked awkwardly, diving into the water below, disappearing into its deep blue depths, people staring at him.
“Shellington!?” Kwazii and Peso called from above the deck.
Shellington swam back up from the surface, “here’s a towel. Matey.” Kwazii meowed, handing a clean towel to Shellington
Shellington, Kwazii and Peso were sitting at the dock, waiting for Captain Barnacles and Dashi to pick them up, Shellington looked pathetic and drenched  in his towel. 
Colours of the world Spice up your life Every boy and every girl Spice up your life People of the world 
Spice up your life Aah . 
Kwazii pulled out his indestructible Nokia phone from his pocket, with a look of embarrassment on his face, Shellington was wheezing, along with Peso
“Why is your ringtone a spice girls song” Shellington snorted “I HAVE A SPICE GIRLS HYPERFIXATION  OKAY?!” Kwazii shouted in a unhinged manner “hey no need to yell…” Peso mumbled. 
“Hey Kwazii we’re on the our way, we’ll be there soon!” Dashi smiled  “great!” Kwazii replied
“So what did you get?” Peso said, turning to face Shellington “chocolate” Shellington smirked, handing one of the small chocolates to Peso and Kwazii.
•••
Today was the last day The Octonauts would be in Ireland for awhile 
“I’m gonna miss this place…” Shellington breathed as he glanced out the window of his lab, all of the memories rushing back. 
What the hell?!
You know those strange caves I visited… well something strange happened to me.. just splash me…” 
You’re a fish???? 
yeah… those caves were really weird…. they uh- turned me into a fish..
Kwazii?!  you followed me?! 
I just wanted to make sure you were safe matey! I didn’t know where you were going! I thought you were sleep walking!
What happened??
The moon um… basically possessed you and you got really upset… oh and you got really mad at Kwazii.. and everyone found out…
who goes there!
hi Kwazii… can we talk…
Yeah sure me hearty 
So what is it?
remember when I got really mad last night… 
yeah matey. I know you didn’t mean it. Trust me. 
Over here! 
remember when I went to those strange sea caves?
yeah?
well um.. I went during a full moon and well.. The pool started bubbling and I became a merman..
Shellington stared out the window in silence, gathering his thoughts, a sad expression on his face, Peso had quietly came in the room, he couldn’t help but notice how quiet it was, and the over all sad atmosphere.
Sure, Shellington was quiet, especially while doing his research. But this felt off… dare I say eerie.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Peso said softly, placing a comforting flipper on Shellington’s back, breaking the silence. “Nothing..!” Shellington lied, flinching, not wanting to worry Peso.
“Okay… I suppose it is something..” Shellington admitted “Im kind of sad I guess…” Shellington sighed “why?” Peso pressed, “because we’re leaving…” Shellington said so quietly it was almost a whisper 
“It’s okay! I bet we’ll come back here someday!” Peso assured “thanks Peso.. Shellington replied, feeling slightly better now. 
“Maybe we should throw a sleepover?” Peso proposed  “Oh yeah!” Shellington agreed “after I take a bath we can!” Shellington added, grabbing a towel and walking to the bathroom.
“AND I DON’T WANNA BE AN OLD MAN ANYMORE ITS BEEN A YEAR OR TWO SINCE I WAS OUT ON THE FLOOR SHAKING BOOTY MAKING SWEET LOVE EVERY NIGHT!!!” Shellington’s horrendous singing boomed from the bathroom, Tweak walked by the bathroom door questioning her life decisions. 
••• 
Shellington grabbed the popcorn and candy and lied some blankets and pillows down on the floor in the game pod. 
“Hey we’re throwing a sleepover, wanna join?” Peso asked Dashi,  “oh sure!” Dashi smiled. Later on, Dashi was painting Kwazii’s claws and putting a face mask on him as they watched Tweak sing some karaoke with Kwazii’s karaoke machine, making Dashi blush. 
Captain Barnacles was watching a movie, Shellington held Peso in his paws and was licking his face “thanks Peso” Shellington purred affectionately as he munched on some popcorn “¡De nada, Shellington!” Peso chirped.
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mlobsters · 7 months
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supernatural s10e18 book of the damned (w. robbie thompson)
charlie roleplaying hiro protagonist from snow crash? hacker with a sword. and the nola vampire mob or whatever this group is. surely there's a connection with benny and they didn't just pick yet another character with a very specific regional accent
i like charlie, i like felicia day as charlie, but i am lukewarm on her playing a more action oriented version of charlie. i am on board with her kicking ass, but not sure felicia is the best person to take charlie there. and really straining my suspension of disbelief that charlie just stabbed a guy in a throat, got distracted by a tattoo and shot in the leg but still gets away. wait, not even leg, in the abdomen???? come on, y'all. that's not manageable without medical intervention
started this ep late and flu+covid boosters are startin to kick my ass a little bit, reconvene tomorrow. ass still being kicked by this spikevax - still Stressed. but it's earlier and i've taken some ibuprofen that's still working. let's see
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dean in sweats, well i'll be
sam, if you don't come clean after dean is telling you everything that went down with crowley and rowena... 🔪
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wiki says charlie was born in 85, so she's two years younger than sam. anyway, 🎵kid sister, kid sister. kid sister and me!🎵
DEAN We’re due for a win, okay? Overdue. I’ll tell you another thing, if this actually does work, we’re gonna take some time off. SAM What, like a vacation? DEAN Mm-hmm. And I’m not talking just like a weekend in Vegas or sitting in some crap motel watching pay-per-porn. No, I’m talking about a beach. Drinking cervezas, go for a swim, mingle with the local wildlife. When was the last time either one of us was on a beach? SAM Never. DEAN Sand between our toes, Sammy. Sand between our toes.
asking for the apocalypse right there. how many seasons until they get a successful vacation together? (15x20?)
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also sign me up for the inner-workings-free meatsuit
METATRON What? I thought we were having a moment. Can’t we be besties? CASTIEL No. Because you killed my friend. METATRON Oh pfhht. Dean is fine, mostly. Can’t you get past that? CASTIEL Never.
thinking about the boys perpetually stowing their baggage, but we can respect someone who holds tight to a grudge
often bitch about the musical score but i like this sound design and filming. more atmospheric and creative than they usually go
oh, dean. sammy, tell him about cas and metatron rawrgh
every tom, dick, and harry has an angel blade. so goofy. is that a standard issue cupid weapon?
DEAN And you call yourselves nerds. Come on. You got this. CHARLIE He’s right. Let’s get our Alan Turing on. Decypt this bitch.
neal stephenson (who wrote the aforementioned snow crash) also wrote cryptonomicon which contains a fictionalized version of alan turing. and
According to Stephenson, the title is a play on Necronomicon, the title of a book mentioned in the stories of horror writer H. P. Lovecraft
necronomicon aka the book of the dead (not damned but close). also mentioned evil dead/army of darkness recently and this heartbeat drum beat thing for when dean's gettin the whammy from the book reminds me of ... that. (evil dead movie contains the necronomicon)
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KEEP YOUR EYES TO YOURSELF, BUCKO
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SAM Look, just let us translate the book, okay? If there’s a cure, we’ll do it and deal with the consequences later. I can’t lose you. DEAN Really? SAM Yeah, really. DEAN You change your mind on that, cause that’s not what you said last time. SAM Oh, come on, man. You know I didn’t mean that.
many thoughts. sad and tired thoughts. realizing now, would dean even remember how sam said he lied about that right before dean died? and this is one rough conversation to be having in front of charlie. really part of the family, esp if she's on board with the fuck the consequences we gotta fix dean. hurts to think dean really is still doubting sam's commitment to him. hurts and is exhausting that sam still hasn't told him about what he got up to.
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this cabin sure is swanky for one-of-many bobby-managed hunter safehouses
CHARLIE What did Dean mean? When he said you changed your mind? SAM So, awhile back, we had a chance to, um…close the gates of Hell. And in order to do that, I would’ve had to die. And, I was okay with that, and I am okay with that, but Dean was not. And so, he uh… CHARLIE He saved you. SAM Yeah, he saved me. CHARLIE And let me guess, in doing so, he did something you didn’t want, and that pissed you off. And you said something that hurt him? SAM Yeah, that sounds about right.
round and round we go on the patented winchester merry-go-round
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either they're mending my emotional connection to the show or padalecki is just that good but got me crying. felt very genuine
SAM You know, when Dean came to get me at school, I-I told myself… one last job, you know? One more job. And then when – when I, um…. When I lost Jess, I, again, told myself one more job. There’s always one more job, you know? And one more job, and one more job, and then I was gonna go back to law and – and to my life. CHARLIE You were the Dread Pirate Roberts of hunting. SAM Yeah. I guess I really understand now that….this is my life. I love it. But I can’t do it without my brother. I don’t want to do it without my brother. And if he’s gone, then I don’t…. CHARLIE I got it. I-I do.
that was nice, having her give him the out to stop and collect himself
samateur hour, hated that it made me laugh
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so does cas get like, extra powerup now that he had someone else's grace and his own back? like super mario bros flower power, shooting fireballs. based on those raggedy ass wings, guessing not
dean slippin into southern accent talking to this bad nola witch man
DEAN It’s calling to me, Sam, okay? I can hear it. It’s calling to the Mark. It wants me to take the book and run away with it. Burn it now.
reminds me of naomi and the rocket with the protomolecule sample in the expanse. why yes, i will destroy this, of course.
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SAM Well, you know what, Cas? You got your Grace back. You’re back. You did the right thing. CASTIEL You did the right thing. That book needed to be destroyed. We will find another way, Sam.
you did destroy it, right, sam?? very convincing reaction here
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that was cuter than i expected
i continue to not understand why sam doesn't just tell dean about the cas and metatron thing! jesus christ. do we have to do this?? making cas lie about it too. sigh. so tiresome
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these lyrics and the slomo pizza party as sam has a minor internal breakdown over lying about, SHOCKER, not destroying the book. made me laugh, not gonna lie. hammering the point down way too hard. this is how you lose me, show
having sam's voiceover as he talks to (as yet unseen rowena) while still on the shot of sam looking increasingly Stressed at their little party is unusual for this show too. i like to see them trying different things, like with the clip i had at the beginning
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hopefully this will be interesting, at least?
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spn s5e10
(god, remember the party before jo and ellen died? that had vibes and atmosphere. cas getting drunk with the girls, and first ep with crowley)
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cybergardenities · 9 months
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journal entry from the road, 1AM 13.08.2023, Istria, Croatia.
Inspired by Keren Cytter’s „White Diaries” I’m launching an irregular series of journal entries from the road (I am on the road pretty much the whole time, since last June). May these entries contribute to my monography or at least to my graduation movie.
I’m in amok. For the most of the day I’ve been in amok. I’ve been calling my friends frantically, talking with them about my next, September journey. Planning things isn’t as exciting as it used to be. Today I’ve committed a faux pas. I gave in to my inner greedy goblin. My friend Joffroy told me that he’s got a spot for a vintage near Lyon. I, blinded by vision of being 1800 euros richer enthusiastically signed up, even tho I’ve dropped out of it almost a month ago. Five minutes before that I’ve been bitching to my parents that I feel like I’m being fucked over by my friends, cause I try to make everyone feel good and combine their busy calendars with my urge to go to Latvia to see art and drop acid and whatever else do nomadic art students do when they don’t attend universities. As soon as I announced my decision to leave for a vintage in France, to my Latvian crew they got angry, rightfully. I lacked empathy for my koibito, since we wouldn’t see each other for over 4 months and I didn’t even tell them in a separate call or message bout that. They told me they felt very sad. They were right, it was too sudden, but I was in amok, just today W420’s aunt told us she wouldn’t be hosting us in Berlin, which derailed our summer plans for 7th or 8th time. I took the occasion as it happened, but than I reflected on it realized I could’ve done it more smoothly. I apologized, we sent each others some music we found, it’s better now. Mediatized communication sucks ass. Tomorrow I’m gonna text my koibito I got kicked out anyway since I can’t work for the whole duration of the vintage (that’s 100% true). We’re gonna go to Riga. My parents told Riga is cheap and cool. I don’t have a joint like Cytter does in her diaries, but maybe for the better? It would hurt my lungs and I would get stoned too much, I have weak tolerance. I’m currently living in something that resembles a very luxurious refugee camp, with almost no POC, only rich, white german kids. Imagine 2000 people in tents and vans, crowded, laying almost on another with pitches among those little 5 meter pines. All the way from the mountain to the sea. My dog is getting mad over people walking near the tent. Swimming has cleared my mind. Deep blue of sea depths does its job. I need to sit down and write down some of my research notes for my new movie. I’m gonna build a dirty video mixer. Hopefully with my koibito, we’re gonna play something together. Soon I’m gonna write an analysis about “Parable of the Sower” by Octavia Butler and “Diamond Age” by Neal Stephenson with their implications for further research and my upcoming movie. The landscape is very cowboy here. It’s dry, cut in half with a big road. It’s very sharp and high resolution, like a photo taken on a quality color film. With colors so bright it deceives you at first, that it wasn’t taken on a Texaco station in 1985. This is a landscape Rango wanted to die in.
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kristenswig · 1 year
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Best Original Screenplay
Winner:
TÁR by Todd Field 
After all, “a soul selects her own society.”  But remember the flip side of that selection closes the valves of one’s attention.  Now, of course, siloing what is acceptable or not acceptable is a basic construct of many if not most symphony orchestras today who see it as their imperial right to curate for the cretins.  So, slippery as it is, there is some merit in examining Max’s allergy.  Can classical music written by a bunch of straight, Austro-German, churchgoing white guys exalt us, individually as well as collectively and who, may I ask, gets to decide that?  What about Beethoven?  You into him?  Because for me, as a U-Haul lesbian, I’m not too sure about old Ludwig.  But then I face him.  And I find myself nose-to-nose with his magnitude and inevitability. 
Nominees:
The Banshees of Inisherin by Martin McDonagh
Suppose me house makes us quits. If you’d stayed in your house, that would’ve made us quits, but you didn’t, did ya?  So it doesn’t, does it? I’m sorry about your donkey Pádraic, honestly I am. I don’t fucking care. Haven’t heard any rifle fire from the mainland in a day or two.  I think they’re coming to the end of it. I’m sure they’ll be at it again soon enough, aren’t you?  Some things there’s no moving on from.  And I think that’s a good thing. 
Barbarian by Zach Cregger
There’s gonna be a sign in our yard tomorrow morning. A sign. A “for sale” sign.  We’re moving Frank.  I hate to do it you know but the wife thinks if we don’t do it now we might not be able to get out this time next year.  This neighborhood’s going to hell Frank!
Petite Maman by Céline Sciamma
Are you scared? Of what? That I might not come back. It will all go well. I meant in the future.  I meant your mom. Yes a little. Why? Because you’re often unhappy.  You’re not often glad to be around. I don’t think it’s your fault. Really?  I sometimes wonder. You didn’t invent my sadness.
Saint Omer by Alice Diop, Amrita David, and Marie N’Diaye
Laurence knows that her daughter will always be with her.  She’s inside her.  What I tell you isn’t poetry, it’s science.  We know that during pregnancy, the cells and DNA of the mother migrate to the fetus.  It’s less known that this exchange works both ways.  The cells of the child also migrate to the organs of the mother.  They lodge themselves in her body, from the brain to the toes.  Even after the birth.  Even if the pregnancy isn’t carried to term.  The cells go on living, sometimes throughout the entire life of a woman.  A mother and her child are interlinked, one with the other, inextricably.  It’s inevitable, it’s biology. 
You Won’t Be Alone by Goran Stolevski
Every me...every last me thirsts for every him.  Only not the skin-flesh him.  Him the boy inside.  Him the boy with the eyes...the eyes that look scared even when they’re smiling.  It’s that boy.  Him I want to put my arms around.  To hold him.  To hold him.  Chase the scared-ness away. 
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golbrocklovely · 3 years
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never needed // colby brock
A/N: so fun fact about this fic is that i came up with it last year back in november. it was around the time me and my ex best friend stopped being friends. i was really in such a rough headspace, and i think the concept shows it. i just finished writing it today and wow... i still feel this way to some extent, but not fully (thank god). also i literally cried while writing it today so there’s that. hope yall enjoy this one. i'm trying to post a bunch of fics since this coming week is my bday (the 14th). no guarantees, but i'm trying my best to put out at least six things. let me know what you think of this one. see yall later :)
prompt: colby has been ghosting you for a while, just when things were starting to get good between you two. after a week of ignoring you, he’s finally ready to talk. || fem!reader x colby brock
trigger warning: angst, cursing, heartache, crying, honestly this one is really sad so sorry about that, happy ending tho
word count: 2331
~~~~~~~
"Are you fucking kidding me?" I groaned to myself, staring at my phone.
Colby was still ignoring me, something I had grown accustomed to this week. He had ghosted my calls and my texts. He turned his read notifications off too, so I had no clue whether or not he had even seen my messages at all.
Everything had been going great between us. We had met a couple years back and hit it off as friends right away. I always thought he was attractive, and our friendship was always really flirty; so much so that fans thought we were together. And then finally, something clicked a couple months back. I wasn't sure if it was the accidental drunken kiss we shared, or just a built up of feelings, but we finally decided that maybe we should test out an actual relationship.
We promised each other we would take it slow, both of us still heartbroken from our previous relationships and our general trust issues. But these past two months, we went into overdrive, actually taking the time to feel each other out as boyfriend and girlfriend.
And for the first time, I felt happy. Genuinely happy.
A week ago, we had even gone on a cute little date, something we had started doing regularly. We were in the middle of our conversation; I remember I laughed hard at something he said. It was loud enough that some of the patrons in the restaurant stared at us. And when he tried to shush me jokingly, a silence had fallen over us.
His face dropped suddenly, he became super serious and quiet, and then he asked if we could go home.
He told me the next day that he thought he got food poisoning and it just hit him in the restaurant. I didn't think anything of it and was fine with going home early.
But now, I wonder if he was lying.
I looked back down at my phone, reading over my messages from the past week to him.
Was I taking this too far? He could have just been busy. I don't wanna come across as clingy.
"Ugh, fuck that." I muttered out loud to myself, rolling out of my bed to get a drink.
I didn't care if I came across as clingy. I had a right to know why he was ignoring me. If it was work related, he would have told me. He had done that in the past before.
This was different, I just knew it.
Tomorrow, I planned to go over and see him. I would have done it tonight, but I knew he wasn't home. He was out with some friends at Saddle Ranch. Like a fan, I had to watch his stories on Insta, since that was the only way I knew where he was.
"Don't expect too much from him." Sam said.
I shook my head at that memory. When we got together, everyone was happy for us. But I could feel a certain tension in the room, a certain caveat that wasn't being mentioned. Later that night, Sam and I were by ourselves, and he asked me if Colby and I had really made our relationship official. I told him we hadn't gone all the way, but that we were taking it one step at a time.
"I'm happy for you guys, really. I just wonder..." His voice trailed off.
I cocked my head. "Wonder what?"
"Look, I love you both, but I don't know if Colby is really ready for a relationship. There's a lot of things he still needs to work through." He stated.
"We're not that serious." I laughed.
"Yeah, yet. If you plan to be, I just don't want you to get your heart broken because he wasn't ready." Sam admitted.
I patted his shoulder lightly, smiling. "Relax, Samuel. Everything will be fine."
"Alright. Just... don't expect too much from him, okay?" He mentioned, his eyes narrowing on mine.
That had been two months ago and... I think I should have heeded his warning.
A loud knock at my front door brought me out of my thoughts, scaring me. I grabbed a knife from my kitchen, striding over to the door. I glance through the peephole to see who was there.
Colby's face stared back.
"Y/N, it's me. Can you open the door?" He called.
I scowled at him through the peephole. "Sorry she's not home right now. Maybe you should try responding to her texts.”
“Look I'm sorry, but that's why I came over. I wanted to talk in person.” He replied.
“Damn, that’s a shame. Too bad she’s not home!” I exclaimed angrily.
“C’mon now, don’t be childish.” He remarked.
I swung the door open, holding back from yelling into my hallway. “Childish?!”
He smirked at me. “I knew that would get you to open the door.”
“You’re not funny.” I deadpanned, glaring at him.
“Can you please let me in? I seriously want to talk.” Colby responded, his eyes landing on mine.
“No, Colby. It’s one o’clock in the morning, I don’t feel like talking, and you’re drunk.” I jeered, resting my hands on my hips.
He scrunched up his face dramatically. “No, I’m not. I only had like two drinks.”
“Oh my mistake. I figured a person that randomly comes over to talk at the ass-crack of night is usually drunk,” I quipped. “Don’t you have better things to do, like be at Saddle Ranch?”
He stepped back, raising an eyebrow. “How’d you know I was at Saddle Ranch?”
I could feel my cheeks heat up. “Because… I watched your stories.”
“Nice to know you pay attention to me,” he uttered under his breath. “Please let me in.”
“No. Fuck off, Colby.” I hissed.
He rolled his eyes at my comment. “If you don’t let me in, I’m just gonna make noise out here in the hallway until you do.”
“Bet.” I huffed.
“What was your favorite movie again… ‘10 Things I Hate About You’?” He questioned, stepping back further into the hallway.
I blinked. “Yeah, so what?”
He looked up at me, giving me a devilish smile. “…You’re just too good to be true.”
My face dropped at his voice. “Colby.”
“Can’t take my eyes off of you.” He sang, pointing at me.
“Are you really-” I started.
He cut me off, running his hands down his body. “You’d be like heaven to touch.”
I hushed. “Seriously stop-”
“I wanna hold you so much.” He closed his eyes, wrapping his arms around himself.
I grunted, smacking my hand towards him. “Colby, it’s one in the morn-”
“At long last, love has arrived.” He opened his arms wide.
“Shut the fuck up!” I whisper-shouted.
“And I thank God I'm alive.” Colby praised up towards the ceiling.
I retorted. “You’re fucking embarrass-”
He spun in a circle slowly. “You're just too good to be true.”
“I knew giving you the code to my apartment was a bad idea.” I grumbled.
“Can't take my eyes off of you.” He winked, pointing at me again.
Colby took a big inhale, ready to start singing the music, but I grabbed his arm and pulled him into my apartment.
I slammed my door shut, locking it quickly. “Next time you do something like that, I’m gonna kill you.”
“That’s not very- why do you have a knife?” He motioned toward the knife sitting on my side table.
“What-? Oh, I thought you were an intruder.” I explained.
He lightly smiled, his dimples appearing. “You think an intruder would knock?”
I snapped, annoyed. “Aren’t you here to apologize?”
“Right, right,” he cleared his throat, his demeanor changing. “Y/N, I’m deeply sorry.”
“Sure.” I narrowed my eyes, walking towards my kitchen.
He followed me. “I know what I did was fucked up. I should have responded to you.”
“You completely ignored me for over a week.” I informed him, resting my back against the counter.
He nodded. “I know. I shouldn’t have done that.”
I crossed my arms uncomfortably. “…were you busy?”
“No, not really.” He divulged, dropping his head.
“So, you purposefully ignored my calls and text…” I could feel my hands shake against my arms.
“You make it sound bad-” He mumbled.
“It is that bad.” I emphasized, stopping him. “Colby, you wanna talk about being childish? That shit was childish.”
He agreed. “I know it was.”
“Obviously not since you keep joking about it.” I argued.
“I’m not trying to joke,” he protested, running his hands through his hair. “Do you wanna know the honest to God truth?”
“Of course I do.” I answered, furrowing my eyebrows.
He exhaled, glancing at me. “When we first got together, even though we were taking it slow, I was terrified to date you.”
“Terrified?” I puzzled.
He swallowed hard. “Yes. Scared shitless.”
“Why?” I questioned.
“I thought it was because I didn’t want to ruin our friendship. But then… at dinner,” his voice lowered, his shoulders dropping. “I realized it was more than that.”
I shook my head, confused. “What are you ta-”
“I’m falling in love with you, Y/N.” He confessed.
His words made me step back, my breath hitching in my throat.
I choked. “What?”
“When you laughed really hard, and did that cute snort thing you do, I remember we looked at each other… and all I saw was you,” his eyes bore into mine, causing goosebumps to rise all over my skin. “No one else in that restaurant existed. And in that moment, I wanted to tell you I love you.”
I stammered out words, unable to think clearly. “S-so… you-”
“When I felt it, I knew I had to go home. Because I was just so shocked at the feeling. I haven’t felt that way for anyone in a long time.” He sighed exhaustingly, “and… I apologize that I ignored you. Every time I saw your messages, I knew I should have responded. But my body, my mind, wouldn’t let me.”
I frowned. “Because you love me?”
“Because… I’m scared to love you.” He admitted.
A heavy silence fell over the apartment. I shuddered out an exhale, not even noticing I had been holding my breath in for so long. Colby closed his eyes, twisting up his face, and turned his back to me.
“Why are you scared to love me?” I gulped, scared of his answer.
His shoulders tensed as he gripped the counter. “The last time you felt heartbroken… did it leave you feeling empty? Because that’s how I felt… for so long. It’s not even the empty feeling that bothered me. It was the fact that I knew something used to be there… and now it’s gone. I miss who I was before.”
I opened my mouth, but no words escaped.
“I have this deep, guttural feeling that you’re gonna realize I’m not worth loving, and that there is someone else out there that is, and you’re gonna leave me.” His voice trembled as he spoke, “everyone… always leaves me.”
I gasped quietly. “Colby-”
He turned back to me, his face becoming red. “I just feel like no one ever needs me, you know? Like some people only keep me around because they don’t have the heart to just tell me they don’t care anymore. Even Sam has someone else.
I consoled. “That’s not-”
“And I know it’s selfish to want everyone around me to only want me. I don’t really feel that way. I just… don’t feel like anyone really needs me as much as I need them,” his chest quaked as his breathing began to speed up. “And when you realize it too… I don’t think I can live through that fall out again. I don’t think I’m gonna survive it.”
“Wait, Col-” I murmured.
“At that dinner, I had this gut-wrenching anxiety come over me; a voice in my head that said ‘she’s gonna leave you too’ and… I’m just so sorry.” He panted, his eyes welling up.
I wrapped my arms around him tightly, pressing his body into mine as hard as I could. He buried his face into my neck, his body almost going limp against mine.
I couldn’t help my own tears spill as they landed on his shirt. “Baby, why didn’t you tell me you were feeling this way before?”
“I was ashamed. I should be stronger than this.” He fumed through his tears.
I rubbed his face lovingly. “Who said that? You are strong. Expressing your emotions is strong.”
He nodded, croaking. “I’m so sorry, Y/N. Can you forgive me?”
“Of course. How about tonight you stay over, and then in the morning, we’ll talk about this more? Okay?” I suggested, resting my hands on his forearms.
“Yeah.” He whimpered.
I smiled brokenly. “Come on, let’s go to bed.”
I lightly grasped Colby’s hand, pulling him slowly into my bedroom. He stumbled along, his head remaining down.
I sat him down on the bed and slid off his jacket, placing it on my dresser. I cupped his face, tracing his jaw with my fingers. His eyes finally landed on mine as I tilted his head up.
I leaned down and kissed his lips, resting my forehead against his.
“I’m not gonna leave you, Colby.” I stated, gazing into his eyes.
He begged in a hushed tone. “Please don’t.”
“I won’t. I promise.” I reassured, kissing his forehead.
I walked over to the other side of my bed and laid down. Colby kicked off his shoes, taking his belt off and pulling his jeans down. After getting undressed, he slid into bed with me, laying his head down softly on my chest. Wrapping his arms around me, he buried his head into my neck again, sighing against my skin. I ran my fingers through his hair, a light hum falling from his lips. I ran my other hand up and down his spine, feeling him shiver under my touch.
“We’ll be okay, Colby.” I whispered.
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gamerwoo · 2 years
Text
hansol: the lovers playlist
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characters: hansol x female reader
genre/warnings: idol au, strangers to friends, fluff!!!
word count: 816
summary: and when the daylight comes i’ll have to go; but tonight i'm gonna hold you so close; ‘cause in the daylight we’ll be on our own; but tonight i need to hold you so close.
a/n: things in bold are in english
previous song | next song | back to playlist
“Oh, shit. I should probably get back to my dorm.”
Hansol’s eyes suddenly leave the TV that’s displaying the results of the last round of Smash, looking up at you as you stand from the couch. You didn’t realize how late it had gotten since you’d been so preoccupied with video games with Hansol, Wonwoo, and Mingyu.
“Oh, wow,” Wonwoo’s eyes widened as he checked his phone. “Yeah, we should probably be getting to bed.”
Mingyu stood from the couch and offered a warm smile, “Do you need someone to walk you to the door?”
“Uh, I might call a cab or something,” you shrugged. “It’s dark and I didn’t drive here, so…”
Hansol had met you at your dorm and the two of you had been taking the train around the city all day. You didn’t need a car, but you also didn’t expect to go back to his dorm to play video games with his bandmates for the last five hours.
“Well…w-why don’t you stay here,” Hansol suggested suddenly.
You, Wonwoo, and Mingyu all gave Hansol a quizzical look.
“Wait, really?” you asked. “Is…that allowed?”
“Technically,” Wonwoo shrugged, “but we have–”
“It’s fine,” Hansol waved his hand at whatever worry Wonwoo was going to point out. “_____, you can crash here tonight if you don’t have anywhere to be tomorrow.”
It didn’t really take long for you to consider the offer, shrugging as you replied, “Nah, we have the day off tomorrow. I’m down if it won’t get you in trouble.”
“What’re you worried about?” Mingyu smirked. “Think the managers will get the wrong idea?”
“Even if they did, there’s no dating ban,” Hansol scoffed, “and I’d set the record straight. I never lie to the managers so they always believe what I say – unlike some people.”
Wonwoo shrugged while Mingyu scratched the back of his head.
“Sometimes lying is necessary for a good time,” was all Wonwoo said.
But that was how you ended up laying beside Hansol on his bed, staring up at the ceiling at 3am. The light in his room was off, however he had a small rock lamp still turned on and radiating a warm orangey glow. The two of you had been changing positions on the bed as you talked and laughed and talked some more, but you were currently on your backs beside each other, laying sideways on his bed as you stared at the ceiling. Hansol had some sphere thing that projected stars and constellations on the ceiling, so that was what was holding your attention in the moment of silence that had fallen after your last conversation about what you’d be doing had neither of you become idols. He had music playing as a soft humming in the background, but you vaguely made out the lyrics of a Maroon 5 song.
‘I never want it to stop because I don’t wanna start all over, start all over. I was afraid of the dark but now it’s all that I want, all that I want, all that I want.’
“You have a schedule tomorrow, don’t you?” you asked suddenly.
“Hm?”
“Wonwoo was going to say you have something when you invited me to stay. I assumed it was something like ‘we have schedules tomorrow’.”
“Worse,” Hansol chuckled shortly. “We’re going to Japan tomorrow.”
Your head turned to see Hansol was already looking at you, “Japan…?”
“We released a Japanese mini album that we’re promoting,” he explained. “We’ll be in Japan for the next month.”
You felt a pang of sadness. Hansol had become your best friend. You hung out all the time, you’d become friendly with his members, and you were happy and comfortable around him. Outside your group, he was the only close friend you had. What were you supposed to do without him for a month?
But another thought popped into your head.
“Wait, you have to get up early to get on a plane, but you’re still awake at 3am,” you pointed out. “Hansol, go the fuck to sleep! You should’ve told me!”
He laughed as you whacked his face with a pillow, taking it off of his face and tossing it back to the head of the bed.
“_____, I’m not going to see you for a month,” he stated. “No hanging out, no late night drives, no nothin’.”
“Yeah, I’m well aware,” you deadpanned.
“So I didn’t say anything because I didn’t wanna sleep,” he admitted with a soft smile, warm brown eyes looking into yours. “I wanted to spend time with you before I left. You’re my best friend and I’ll miss you.”
God, it was like you were in some romcom or something. This whole moment was exactly like that, and it made your heart flutter how it would if you were watching it on a screen.
You offered a smile to match his, “I’ll miss you, too.”
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Text
Dance, Dance
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
Summary: there’s been too much going on ever since you started messing around with your best friend.
Pairings: Colin Shea x Black!Best Friend!Reader
Warnings: minors dni, smut, angst, fluff
(A/N: yaaaay it’s done. This was a fun little series. I loved writing it. Titled after the song Dance, Dance by Fall Out Boy. Thanks everyone that enjoyed. Like, follow, reblog, and comment ☺️)
»»——————————- ♡ —————-————-««
You didn’t even know it was possible for you to fake smile for this long. As much as you enjoyed doing the whole music thing, industry shit was kind of the worse. You’d been overdue for at least a glass of champagne, but now you needed something stronger like whisky.
Things had been hectic lately. Just getting stuff ready and playing ball. The label that signed you was a smaller offshoot of a bigger one and so now you were here watching Colin take one for the team and schmooze it up since he knew the rest of you hated this part.
It wasn’t like you were bad at the whole thing. It’s just there was only so much you could deal with before finally reaching your limit. And all the old men ogling you was definitely something you could live without.
“Hey,” Ryan, your bass player, greeted as he sat beside you. It was kind of funny seeing the rest of them in suits and shit. You didn’t think they could wear anything but jeans and converse.
Hell for Colin clothing was already optional. Now he was there wearing a suit. Playing the part. And doing it well. You couldn’t lie, though. He looked good as hell. Obviously you weren’t the only one to notice. The woman whispering in his ear right no clearly saw it too.
“Hey,” you said with a sigh. This dress was scratchy as hell, but it was cute. It was probably worth more than your rent so you were really trying to not mess it up. Fuck you felt awkward.
So, yeah things had been a little weird since they’d walked in on you on Colin’s lap. Not that they could see that his pants had been undone from how you were but let’s just say the rest of the band had been doing this thing where they’d been trying to figure out your couple name ever since.
Still you didn’t know how to act around them. Especially since you’d left like your ass was on fire. Unlike with the whole girlfriend thing, the two of you didn’t get the chance to talk even a little after that. It felt like life was pulling the both of you in so many directions what were you even supposed to say. Sure the guys managed to squeeze their jokes in but other than that nothing.
You’d had photo shoots and meetings and just all kinds of shit. Sure this was definitely the life you wanted and you kind of appreciated the distraction. Didn’t mean you wanted to keep living in limbo with him. So it’s not like you’d been avoiding him so much as finding the time to have serious conversations was kind of not there.
At the same time it’s like were you even prepared for whatever he had to say. You don’t give a guy head and then make out with him for him to stop and start with ‘I just don’t think-‘ and expect him to say something not terrible. Especially not a guy like Colin. Even if you were holding out hope.
You knew his track record going into it. Which is why those rules had been in place. You’d been around a thousand Colin’s. You knew how it went. It was hit it and quit it every time. What made you different. If he really wanted to talk he would have. Nothing had ever kept him from telling you dumb shit all the time. Suddenly he couldn’t text?
Whatever. You didn’t even want to care. This was about the music. It was your fault anyway. You’d known better than to get tangled up in him but you’d done it anyway. You’d just have to live with that.
“So what are we doing tomorrow?” He asked.
You shrugged with a sigh. “I dunno. Was just thinking about keeping a low profile. I’m not really feeling it right now.”
Ryan frowned. “You know Colin doesn’t care,” he replied with a chuckle. “You know how he gets.”
“That’s fine,” you replied with a small smile with a shrug, bringing your glass of whiskey up to your lips. Thank goddess for an open bar, though, right. At least that would help you through the night.
“Okay so,” Colin said finally coming over to plop down beside you on a barstool,“how we feeling about an after party?”
You shrugged while him and Ryan started talking it over. If anything you’d probably go back to the hotel but whatever.
You rested your chin on your fists as the boys talked. It’s not that you wanted to be sad girl right now. You should be the happiest you’d ever been and you were but fuck this is gonna sound so lame but you missed your best friend. But no you forgot to wear underwear and now apparently neither of you knew how to act around each other.
“What about you?” He asked. “You know we’re no good without our fearless leader.”
“I thought this was a party,” you said setting your glass down. “I didn’t realize I was leading you into battle.”
Colin chuckled. “Oh it’s us against the world, Baby. There’s always a war.” He winked as he grabbed your glass. Not even phased when you protested and made grabby hands for it. “I’ll get you a new one if you say yes.”
“Eat a dick,” you grumbled then tried to get the bartender’s attention.
“Who pissed in your iced coffee?” He asked with a chuckle. “Come on. It’ll be fun. Better than whatever the fuck this is.” Can’t argue with that.
You shrugged. “I’ll see. I’m kinda tired.”
He pouted. “Don’t be a party pooper. Come on. Don’t you wanna hang with us. Keep us out of trouble.”
“Keep him out of trouble,” Ryan corrected making you laugh.
“Yes. Fine. Keep me out of trouble.” He rolled his eyes dramatically. “Come on. I’ll make it worth it.”
“How?” You asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Well,” he started as he thought, “I’m already taking you out for breakfast tomorrow so that’s out.”
“You are?” You asked with a chuckle. This was news to you.
“Um, duh,” he said before poking your side. “Why wouldn’t I?”
You shrugged. “I dunno. It’s not that serious.”
Colin sighed, rolling his eyes. “Come on. I promise it’ll be fun.” He nudged you. Then his face softened. “Do you really not wanna go?”
No, but even though you were irritated with him you still felt like a lovesick puppy. And his eyes had gotten all romantic looking. It was so hard not giving in to him.
That’s how you found yourself out in the New York air. Crossing your arms in front of you. “What’s this?” You asked as you walked up to a limo.
“Our ride,” he said, into your ear.
“Hey, Colin,” the woman greeted him with a smile as she walked passed to get in. “You coming?”
He had the nerve to smile at you all brightly as he grabbed your arm. “Isn’t this cool,” he said as he sat beside her. You on the other side of him. Why didn’t you just go back to the fucking hotel when you had the chance.
The entire way to the party was filled with them laughing and talking. The entire time you were thinking say something, anything, but no you sat there awkward as hell. Ryan and your drummer James were sort of trying to include you while your rhythm guitarist Parker had decided to go to the hotel. You wish you’d just gone with him. You knew that’d be your first mistake.
You hated being in such a sour mood. Especially with so many people around. “You want a drink or something?” Colin asked into your ear, trying to talk over the loud music. You sighed, putting on another smile on as you nodded.
You tried to follow behind him, but this place was crowded. Looking back you saw that Ryan and James were no longer next to you either. Shit. Way to make this situation better, right.
Well Colin was right at least. This was better than that place crawling in suits. You walked along trying to find at least one of the men you came with and you were officially over it. Then you saw the balcony and decided to check out there next.
The fresh air was kind of nice. Maybe you just needed to clear your head for a minute. Hell you were ready to go to bed anyway.
Maybe tomorrow you’ll spend the day in the city. Doing whatever you wandered upon. No thinking about the next few months and how everything’s going to go from zero to one hundred. Not that you weren’t looking forward to it, but for now you wanted to welcome a little bit of peace.
Hopefully there’d be no thoughts about a certain guitar player either. That you doubt, but you could try. You yawned and groaned. Fuck it you’re leaving.
“Of all the people I thought I might see tonight,” a familiar voice said before you could get inside.
That voice made you stiffen. Then you started groaning as you turned to face him. “As if my night couldn’t get any worse. What are you even doing here?”
“What you think you’re the only one that gets invited to parties?” He asked.
When you’d parted from your last band, it wasn’t exactly the nicest situation. You always made your rule clear even if you’d broke it with Colin. Even with him it’s not like he did what Andrew did.
Things had been going okay with them, but it was nothing like now. This time around it felt so real. Like musically you were meant to be. Maybe that’s why you didn’t want to ruin things by blowing up even if Colin was sending you enough mixed signals to write an album about.
Back then though. It wasn’t like this. Yeah you liked your other bandmates back then, but with Colin, Ryan, and James it almost felt like a family. You all meshed. You all got along. Despite everything going on you loved them.
With Andrew’s band there was never a connection. You played. You went home. Over and done with. So the night he corned you, trying to kiss you it came out of nowhere. When you told the rest of them didn’t care. You were replaceable. Then you saw that flyer and decided to say fuck it and quit.
“What are you doing here?” He asked now, taking out a cigarette.
You shrugged. “That’s none of your business.”
He scoffed. “Heard you guys got signed. Who’d you sleep with to manage that?”
“Well, it wasn’t you.”
He rolled his eyes. “Who you here with? The new guys you’re blowing?”
You clenched your jaw before taking a deep breath. He didn’t know. Who the fuck cares. So you started walking away because you really did not give two shits.
“Yeah, my friend Dina was telling me you fucked her ex,” he said.
Your back stiffened as you stopped. Closing your eyes. God you wanted to scream at him, but he wasn’t worth the trouble. Wasn’t worth causing a scene. That’s what you told yourself last time and that’s what you were telling yourself now.
“Yeah said she walked in on you too,” he said coming up behind you.
“Dina doesn’t know what what she’s talking about.” You took a deep breath then bit your tongue, but still didn’t turn to face him.
“Well she sure had a lot to say. About how much of a whore you turned into after being a little tease.”
You closed your eyes suddenly feeling sick. You shouldn’t let it get to you. You knew it but fuck. This is why you didn’t do this. You didn’t need the drama.
“Dude, fuck off,” you finally said wrapping your arms around yourself as tried walking away again, trying to tune out whatever shit was spewing out of his mouth.
Promising yourself that you wouldn’t cry. Eyes finally catching Colin’s as he did a grin spread and then quickly fell from his face. Standing around the same girl from earlier. At least he managed to keep up with her.
He started walking towards you without a word and seeing his way was the only way towards the exit there was no avoiding him. That’s when you felt fingers grabbing at your wrist. Twisting your arm so you had no choice but to face him.
In between the, “you little sl-“ and Colin pushing him away from you, you’d ended knocking into someone. Beer spilling on the front of your dress. Way to make a shitty moment even worse guys. This was a fucking loan. Thanks for that. Fuck tonight just wasn’t your night huh.
“I’m so sorry,” a drunk girl slurred, putting her hands on your shoulders.
“No it’s okay,” you sighed feeling your eyes prickle with tears. Fuck you hated it. Your chest suddenly feeling tight. You had to get the fuck out of here.
As soon as you made it to the elevator you took a deep breath. Closing your eyes and leaning down the wall as the doors closed.
“What the hell was that?” Colin said. You squeezed your eyelids. The little bit of frustration that had left, coming back in an instant. “Did he hurt you?” He asked, grabbing your hand. “What the hell happened?”
“Stop,” you said, snatching it away. “Just… stop.” Your heart felt like it was sinking into your chest. You just wanted to eat and shower snd sleep. Fine fuck it. Shower and sleep. You’ll eat in the morning. You just wanted Colin to stop following you and for him to shut up.
“Hey!” He stopped you as soon as you got off. “What’s wrong? Just tell me what happened.”
You scoffed and rolled your eyes. “You don’t have to pretend to care okay.” You shrugged. “You weren’t thinking about me ten minutes ago.”
“What do you mean I was looking all over for you,” he said furrowing his eyebrow.
You rolled your eyes again. Ugh it felt like you couldn’t stop. “Yeah, it sure looked like it.”
“I was. You can ask Ryan and James. Alyssa was helping me.”
“Do you think I’m fucking stupid, Colin?” You asked raising your eyebrow. “I get it. We messed around and you’re a fuckboy or whatever. It’s not like I was expecting to be different or something. You do this all the time. That’s fine but you don’t have to pretend like you give a shit. And I’m the fucking idiot for thinking you would because I thougt-” your voice broke as you just shook your head and walked away.
Colin stood there looking stunned. Feeling like he was one second away from puking. Finally taking a deep breath when he realized that if he didn’t catch up to you know you’d get into a taxi without him.
“Wait, Y/N,” he called out.
But you didn’t turn around. Heart thumping in your chest. You blew out your cheeks and rested your head against the window. Feeling there was a lump in your throat.
You felt like such a baby. All teary eyed in a cab. Red eyed as you made your way to your room. Crying in the shower. Then not stopping as you settled into bed. And for what. You fucking up the one thing you always told yourself. Listening to your stupid vagina. And your heart as much as you hated to admit it.
Not only was it stressful to think about what this would do for the band, but you and Colin had really built up the best connection. Now what happens. You’re not gonna get that with someone else. And that was the worst part.
Your eyes were so heavy, but you were suddenly so awake. All that complaining about being tired. Now look you can’t even sleep. Your head felt too heavy. Nose too stuffy, too.
You scrolled through your phone. And may or may not have done a small dive into who this Alyssa girl could be. Then message after message started rolling in now that it was a little passed midnight. You’d get to them in the morning. You’d also stole his weed pen so you could relax a little bit.
So. Sucks to be him.
That’s when you heard the door open. Stomach flipping and mouthing, ‘fuck.’ Dropping your phone because if you could pretend you were asleep maybe he’d leave you fuck alone. Ugh he probably got the key from the front desk.
The television was still on and it’s not like he’d never walked in on you sleep in front of the TV before so he’d think nothing of it. Your back was facing the door so it’s not like he could see you. You’ll take your chances.
You heard crinkling and him shuffling a little, but you were mostly trying to be quiet. A few moments later you heard him getting down on his knees beside you. “Hey,” he whispered into your ear before kissing your temple.
Nope. Go away.
“I know you’re awake you little thief.” He chuckled, but then stopped when he realized you clearly weren’t giving in. Turning over away from him. Colin took a deep breath. “Babe, I’m sorry.”
Your eyebrow raised. Okay so maybe you weren’t expecting that.
“I’m sorry I lost you tonight,” he sighed. “I’m sorry for not talking about things sooner. And if I made you think there was anything going on with me and Alyssa. Who does not like me by the way. She’s into Ryan,” he added, with a chuckle.
You snorted out a laugh. “Seriously?” Finally breaking your silence.
“Uh huh.” He laughed. “I know right. They kept dragging me between them once he found out. I felt like I was in fucking middle school.”
Then it got quiet.
“I’m sorry if I made you think you were just a booty call,” he finally said.
Your eyes opened, but you still didn’t turn to face him. You weren’t really sure what you were supposed to say or do if you did.
“You have always been more than a booty call. I get that I’ve done things before, but I’d never treat you like that. Why do you think we haven’t had sex. I couldn’t have our first time be on that gross fucking couch.”
… fair.
Ugh.
UGH.
You wanted to pull his hair. Not even in the sexy way. He was so annoying. Why couldn’t you just have been asleep so you could have been mad at him for a little longer.
Colin didn’t wait for you to respond as he got in behind you. Scooping you into his arms from behind. “You’re my best friend, Baby. I’d never fuck us up. I don’t wanna lose you.” Then he started kissing your cheek softly.
“You’re so annoying,” you mumbled, but still didn’t turn over.
“Maybe,” he said. “But it’s cuz I can’t stand when you’re mad at me.” He sighed wrapping you up in his arms. “Remember that one time? And it was just over lyrics.” He chuckle. Then when he realized you weren’t laughing he sighed again. “I promise I’ll make tomorrow better. Well today. Or whatever. You know what I mean.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t run in here on some I have to be the first shit.” You finally turned to look at him and he was quick to kiss your forehead. Eyes ask puffy. Nosy really stuffy. He didn’t care. Just wanted to have his lips on you.
“I am, but now I can’t stop apologizing.” He chuckled. “I really am sorry.”
“We can work on your road to forgiveness plan.”
“As long as you’re the one paving it I’ll do whatever it takes.”
You rolled your eyes. “You’re so corny.”
“Maybe.” He chuckled. “I’m just trying to get you to smile.”
You sniffled. God he was so annoying. “I know.”
He looked at you softly before swiping his lips across yours. “Okay now I’m gonna be the first person. Happy birthday, Baby.”
Another sniffle as you couldn’t stop yourself from chuckling softly. “Thank you. How do you know you’re the first?”
“Oh you’re cool because all our little fan girls are wishing you a happy birthday,” he said with a laugh.
“You’re just jealous.”
“Never. You deserve it.”
“Stop being such a fucking sap right now.” You whined pushing him away.
“Nope. I actually have a surprise for you,” he said, letting go so he could get out of bed. “No peeking!” Then he kissed your cheek again.
Of course you weren’t gonna listen, but since he wasn’t made of glass you couldn’t see. His body blocking whatever view you may have had. Just heard the flicker of a lighter.
“So, I was gonna go with the old fashioned flowers and chocolate for an apology,” he started. “But since it’s your birthday,” he said as he turned around with a little cake in his hands, freshly lit numeral candles on top.
As he softly started to sing happy birthday you felt yourself tearing up again. Of course he had to do something like this. Sappy asshole. Just had to make it impossible to stay mad at him.
Now you were sitting with your legs criss crossed applesauce across from him. Not being able to help the smile that spread across your face.
“Make a wish, Baby,” he said. As you blew out the flame he looked at you softly. That same stupid romantic look in his eyes. And it was like you couldn’t help yourself as you started to lean in. Lips connecting and it almost felt relieving. 
Colin pulled away for a minute to set the cake on the night stand. Going back to you he pull you onto his lap. Lips moving against yours as you wrapped your arms around his neck then put your hands in his hair.
He laid you down. Thumb stroking your cheek. Tongues finally meeting. Kisses deep. Now sleep was the farthest thing from your mind. You just wanted to feel him.
All of the thoughts about how that was it had melted away. If he was going to be serious about this than you wanted it. Wanted him. “Colin,” you whimpered. His lips going against your throat.
“What do you want, Baby?” He asked in a whisper.
“You.”
Clothes started to be removed. Hands and lips going to intimate spots. Like between your legs as he made sure your pussy would be ready for him. His mouth touching you just how you needed. Moans and sighs spilling from your lips.
“Y/N, Baby,” he whispered as he wrapped his arm around your leg so he could spread you open for him. Getting snug between your thighs as he lined himself up. “You sure? We don’t have-“
You cut him off with a kiss. He obviously got the message as he started to push into you. The head of his cock already making your head spin.
“Colin,” you whimpered against his lips.
“That’s it,” he said. “It’s okay. I got you.”
You nodded and moaned, foreheads resting against each other. Looking into those soft blue eyes as he inched in. “Ah,” you squeaked.
“You’ve got this,” he whispered into your ear as he finally bottomed out. Staying still for a moment so you could could used to him. Fuck he was big. You don’t think you’d ever felt this full before.
Hips rocking slowly as his lips went back to yours again. “Colin,” you whimpered again.
“So fucking beautiful,” he whispered as he looked down at you.
“More?”
“Tell me what you do want, Baby. I’ll do anything you want.”
“Harder. Please.” Fuck you felt desperate. He was just filling you up so good. Just how you needed him.
He pressed his lips to yours as he started getting deeper. Rolling his hips into yours. Then pushing your arm above your head with his hands holding yours down.
“Right there!” You pulled away with a gasp.
“Where?” He asked into your ear not stopping what he was doing before pulling your earlobe between his teeth. Nibbling on it. Making your eyes go blurry.
“Oh,” you let out another little squeak. That wasn’t good enough for Colin, though. He wanted you to scream his name.
He raised up off of you. Getting on his knees and pushing your legs up by your ears. Hands on the back of your thighs.
Every time he went in, your body bounced from the force. Pussy squeezing him tight. He looked between you seeing the way your wetness covered him. “Fuck,” he groaned. “Pussy even prettier with my dick in it.”
Why was he doing this to you. Was it not enough that he was about to turn you inside out? He had to talk to you like that too. Why was he trying to ruin you like this. He was fucking you like he wanted to be the only man to fuck you. Maybe he did. Maybe you wanted him to be.
“Ah, ah, ah, ah!” You cried out
“That’s it. That’s what I like to fucking hear. Doing so good for me, Baby,” he groaned. “Gonna fuck you all night. Keep you full a me. Want that?”
“Uh huh,” was all you could say. Your orgasm was hitting you so hard. “Colin. I’m cumming.” It was like you were weeping. “Oh my god.”
“Fuck yeah,” he groaned as your pussy tightened around him. Orgasm gushing out of you. “That’s my girl,” he said as he put his hand on your clit. Coaxing it out even more. “Keep cumming for me, Baby. That’s it.”
It happened so quickly. One minute he was fucking into you and then the next his face was between your thighs. If he was trying to make you squirt he got his wish. Your legs shaking, body spasming as he forced you there.
You covered your eyes with your hand just as he pushed back into you. Where he grabbed your arm to push it up so you were no longer covered. “Don’t you ever cover yourself, you hear me,” he said as he started fucking into you again. “I want you to look at me when I make you cum.” He put his lips against your chin.
Fuck. This was gonna be a long night.
You don’t know how many times you’d orgasmed. Just that it felt like once they started they didn’t stop. Just the way he was getting you there and trying to keep you there was almost too much. As soon as he came in you, you were ready to pass out. Your body officially worn out. But forced yourself to use the bathroom before bed even though walking really didn’t seem like a great option at the moment.
Then you got back in his arms. Snuggling into him. Colin holding you tight. It felt like where you were supposed to be.
As the sunlight broke, you were so worn out that you stayed like that for a minute. Him waking up first with your head tucked under his chin. Yawning and checking the time. Not that he cared. He’d stay like this for as long as you wanted him to.
When you started to stir, he nuzzled you with his nose. Kissing your forehead gently. “Morning, Birthday Girl,” he whispered in a raspy voice.
You moaned and stretched. Putting your head in his neck again. “Not yet.”
He chuckled. “We have to get to brunch.”
“There’s always dinner. I’m tired.”
He smacked your butt. “No, no, no. I’m not letting you sleep the day away. I gotta make up for yesterday.”
“Make up for yesterday by being my pillow. And we can have sex in between.”
Colin laughed softly. “As tempting as that is, we gotta get up.”
You took a deep breath out your nose. “Fine, but I get to pick off your plate.”
“When do you not?” He rubbed your back. Colin reached over to grab his phone to check the time. “Wait, what the fuck,” he chuckled.
“What?” You asked, with a yawn.
“James said, ‘I’m happy for you guys really but we’re going to breakfast without you if you don’t hurry up. Happy birthday y/n.”
You laughed. “What?”
“The one before it was stop having sex we’re hungry. Ryan said, ‘Colin stop being the Yoko Ono of this ba-‘I’m the Yoko On- oh now they’re fighting about it.”
You snorted. “They’re gonna argue about this all day, aren’t they?”
“Yeah probably.” Colin laughed.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
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ptergwen · 3 years
Text
sensation
Tumblr media
w/c: 4.6k
warnings: some swearing, suggestive tings, and a pretty bad ending
summary: it’s the last night of your world tour, and tom has the perfect way to celebrate
a/n: i know y’all have been waiting for this one! everyone really loved when worlds collide but i ran out of ideas for it lol sorry... anyways my solution was to turn it into a oneshot :D based off the au!! i’m honestly nervous about posting this cuz a lot of you asked for it and i don’t wanna disappoint but i tried my absolute hardest to make it special <3 please enjoy
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“thank you so much! we love you!” you shout to the audience, laughing breathlessly when they shout back. one of your dancers pulls you into a side hug, you throwing your arm around his neck. “we’re so fucking lucky you chose us, that you came all the way here. i’ve seen some of you back at night one. wow.” your voice gets wobbly, thinking about how loyal your fans are.
the tour started in new york, and they’ve followed you here to london.
tonight is an emotional night for everyone. you’re about to wrap your last show before you continue again in the summer. touring the u.k. has been a dream, and you’re just as thrilled to travel the rest of the world after your break. it’s bittersweet because you’re going to miss the hell out of your crew and the millions of lovely faces you’ve sang to each week. but, you do get to spend your time off with a special someone.
he’s watching you from the sound booth, sending fond smiles and loud cheers your way. thanks to you, tom has been at every show you’ve played in england. he brought harry along this time because he’s also a fan and wanted to see you. well, tom is more than a fan at this point. you’d say he’s more of a boyfriend. you haven’t discussed labels just yet.
your dates have mainly been over facetime, since you live on opposite sides of the world with insane schedules. a heartthrob actor and international popstar is quite the combination. you’ve only seen each other in person a couple of times, the first being pretty recently.
zendaya brought tom along to hang out with you in los angeles. he happened to be there recording some lines for a movie. she saw your concert earlier that night and invited him to crash the dinner plans you’d made, resulting in the best surprise and most fun you’ve ever had. the other time you enjoyed each other’s company was one weekend in paris. that was... something.
besides those two miracles, everything between you and tom happens through a screen. you’ll down bottles of champagne or keep warm under blankets while talking about your days. it’s nice, having someone on the other end who listens and actually hears you. tom gets it. you both do.
finishing your tour in london is convenient because not only will you have tom to comfort you, but you get to stick around for a while. he’s invited you to stay at his place. you can’t wait to meet the other holland’s, his friends, and obviously tessa.
“fuck, i’m gonna cry. i’m already crying,” you announce to the crowd, though they can tell from the tears streaming down your face. more dancers huddle around you and turn your single hug into a group one. you’re laughing and sobbing and holding on tight to everyone. fans bawl their own eyes out, the fact that this is it starting to settle in. the onstage crew even gets choked up, seeing you like this.
tom pouts from where he’s watching. he wishes he could run up there and squeeze you tight, but he’ll have to save that for when you’re done.
“i love you all so much, literally every single one of you in this room,” you tell everyone for the nth time tonight, swiping a perfectly manicured finger under your eyes. “my lighting crew, sound crew, my band, my fearless fucking dancers-“ a hiccup cuts you off. people burst into fits of giggles, which is a much needed tension breaker. you adjust your headset so the mic doesn’t pick up any other bodily noises.
grinning, you rest your arm on a shorter dancer’s shoulder, then go on. “sorry, sorry. i just wanna say, like, three more thank you’s before i get out of here.” there’s a chorus of no’s and encouraging whistles at the mention of you leaving. you blink back more tears to delay the breakdown you’re going to have. “thank you to my friends who always show up for me.”
with a knowing smile, you glance over at tom. “and, thank you to my more than a friend.” he smiles back, both hands held over his heart. harry elbows him in congratulations. more screaming erupts from the crowd as they realize where you’re looking and who you’re looking at. this will be sure to spark some headlines. whatever, you’re used to trending on every possible social media platform by now.
“this is the big one,” you preface, taking in a breath while everyone quiets down again. “thank you to you guys. for trusting me, for caring about what i have to say in any way. i feel your love. i really do, and i hope you feel mine.” your fans yell that they love you back, dancers gently swaying you side to side, emotions on high. there’s one last song, and it’s over.
“this has been the sensation tour, and i’ve been your host. was i good?” you try to lighten the mood, earning a bunch of what sound like positive shrieks. the earpiece you have in makes it hard to tell. “y’all were even better.” exchanging looks with your dancers, you pull out of the hug so you can get to your mark for the finale. they follow your lead. music comes through the speakers.
“i’ll see you again soon, okay? i promise. here’s sensation,” you introduce the song, immediately bursting into more tears. it’s torture to say goodbye. thankfully, you have the most incredible fans on earth, so they sing along with you at the top of their lungs. that includes tom and harry, your ultimate stans.
when the show is over, you run right off stage and over to tom. he’s waiting on the side with actual heart eyes for you. you practically leap into his arms, a hand cradling the back of his head, both his arms draped low and tight around your body.
“you were so amazing up there! absolutely smashed it, darling,” tom breathes out. his face is smushed between your neck and mostly bare chest. “thanks, tom. seriously, thanks for being here tonight and every other.” you smile a tired smile and wind your other arm around his neck. he presses some light you’re welcome kisses to your skin. “mm, thanks for having me. how’s it feel to be done?”
you sigh, fingers running through his curls. “like the biggest relief, and also really sad.” you’re such a mess that you could cry again on the spot. tom senses it and lifts his head up to see if you’re alright. “super depressing,” you surprisingly reiterate without the waterworks. “i know the feeling. you’ll be back soon, though. you said it,” he murmurs, a grin on his lips as they brush against the corner of yours.
you’re about to kiss him properly, then one of your dancers comes up to you. you’d forgotten that there are still stage managers and security everywhere, too. you get completely lost in tom whenever you’re together.
“you killed, babe,” coco greets you, linking your arm in hers. tom takes the hint and lets go of you. he watches on with a smirk. “nah, you murdered,” you send the compliment back and bite your lower lip. “i dunno, i feel like someone murdered me!” there’s coco with her dramatics. she’s genuinely hilarious, your shared sense of humor playing a huge part in your friendship.
she brings your free hand to her heart. you gasp at how fast it’s going. “that shit is really beating, coco. are you, like, okay?” “probably not. it was the freestyle that got me.” coco went a lot harder than usual tonight, since it was her last big dance break for a while. she puffs air from her cheeks and nods to tom. “this your man?”
“yeah, you could say that. i’m tom,” he answers, holding out a hand for her. “coco.” she pulls it like you would in a handshake. you beam at them, one of your best friends and unofficial boyfriend finally meeting. “sounds promising. i approve,” coco mutters to you. bumping your hip into hers playfully, you take one of tom’s hands in both of yours.
“aw, we have your blessing or something? your permission?” you coo and get a push at your shoulder from coco in return. tom chuckles, his thumb running over the back of your hand. “no! i was gonna say you should bring him out back,” coco clarifies, like it was obvious. you’re not sure what she’s on about. “uh, what’s out back?” you question. “an axe?” tom teases.
coco gestures to the nearest exit. “we’re having a little goodbye party in the parking lot. fire pit, snacks. remember?” nope, you’d completely forgotten. the idea first sounded like the perfect way to end your night, so you agreed to go. that was before you were dripping sweat and mentally exhausted. now, all you want to do is unwind with tom and tom only.
the superstar life is one you’re happy to lead, just not at this exact moment.
“i do now.” you muster up your most apologetic smile for coco, tugging on tom’s hand. “i’m sorry, co. i think we’re gonna pass.” her jaw drops. you’re never one to skip these things. “aw, for real? it’s our last night!” tom threads his fingers through yours while you talk. “bro, we’ve been together for almost a whole year,” you laugh out, nuzzling your cheek into tom’s chest. “get sick of me.”
“never,” coco deadpans. she catches you gazing up at tom, relaxing as his arms hug your middle. she’s known you long enough to tell what’s a fling and what’s real love for you. this is something special, and she can’t get in the way of it. she’ll let you navigate this yourself. “ok, just for tonight. you’ll text me?” coco gives you a real smile, raising an eyebrow at tom. he gathers that’s a good thing. he’s in.
“mhm. maybe we can hang out tomorrow,” you agree and let your eyes flutter shut. all that’s keeping you up are tom’s strong arms. “tell everyone i love them.” “i think they know.” coco shakes her head lightheartedly. tom laughs at her. “be good,” she tells him and means it, rubbing your back on her way to the lot. that leaves you and tom alone at last.
custodians are cleaning up the arena, fans are piling out, and you’re clinging to tom while his steady heartbeat grounds you. this is the only after party you need.
“harry’s got the car when you’re ready,” tom mumbles, tucking a piece of damp hair behind your ear. you loop your arms around his torso with a hum. “i was kinda wondering where he went.” “yeah?” he gives you a small smile. “gotta ask what he thought... of the show.” yawns are creeping past your lips, tonight’s events catching up to you.
“i like feedback from the fans, or stans,” you elaborate in your sleepy state. tom uses his fingertips to tap your temple. “what about me? i’m your biggest.” “i’ll, um, follow up with you later.” your words are slurring. “right now, home.” warmth spreads throughout tom’s entire body, his house becoming yours for a bit. “your chariot awaits,” he affirms before helping you to your dressing room.
after collecting your things, you follow tom out to the car. harry is in the driver’s seat, and you two slip into the back. he exchanges a look with his brother through the mirror while you settle on his shoulder. you’re hugging his bicep, his lips pressing to the side of your head.
“thank you for driving,” you speak softly to harry. he starts to pull out of the spot with a nod. “no problem. get to say i was y/n y/l/n’s chauffeur.” tom clicks his tongue even though harry is joking. you snicker at his remark, joking back. “you want the job? better be a five star ride, then.” your banter brings yet another smile to tom’s face. his family is everything to him, so seeing you get along so well means the most.
“right, right. did you have a good time?” harry wonders, twisting to see behind him while he turns around. he also peeks at you snuggled up to tom before facing forward. “great, actually. did you?” you check, the grin clear in your voice. harry goes into full stan mode. “no shit! you were brilliant, y/n. god, every note was just like how you did it the studio.” he’s raving, which is much appreciated by you.
“good answer.” tom shoots his brother a wink. “‘s that what you wanted to hear?” he asks in reference to your conversation earlier. your response is a kiss to his shoulder. “yay. i’m happy you liked it, harry.” he buzzes with excitement, having his favorite artist care what he thinks.
not much is said for the rest of the drive. tom and harry make some hushed conversation about golfing this weekend while you struggle to stay awake. they’re obsessed with that damn sport. it’s honestly nice to see, that tom has something he likes to do when he isn’t shooting hollywood’s biggest movies. your free time will finally give you the chance to discover other hobbies.
you stumble out of the car upon arriving to the boys’ place, a backpack on your shoulders and tom’s hand held tight in yours. you’ve got only a few essentials with you for tonight. the rest is on the tour bus, so you’ll gather it after your hangout with coco. besides, everything you need at the moment is right here.
“home sweet home,” tom announces as harry unlocks the front door. his words bring a tired smile to your face. “finally,” you exhale, keeping your fingers laced with tom’s and following the two of them inside. “i could show you around a bit, give you the grand tour. or-“ tom stops talking, feeling your weight on him. harry huffs at how oblivious his brother is.
“mate, she’s falling over. save it,” he suggests and kicks the door shut lazily. you’re done in. you’ve been having to lean on tom since the show ended. “another time, then,” tom mumbles, securing his arm around your waist. “there is one thing i wanna see.” your voice is low, body curled into tom’s side. he raises an eyebrow. “and that is?” “your room.”
tom takes that in a suggestive way, like he does most things. “we’re getting right to it, are we?” he questions, harry gagging and you nudging his arm with your head. “not like that, dummy. ‘cuz i’m sleepy.” there’s a beat of silence. “ask me again in-“ “wow, look at the time!” harry interrupts so he doesn’t have to hear the details. he’s sure he’ll witness enough after it happens. “off to bed i go! goodnight.”
he rushes to get to his room, yelling out, “great show, y/n!” on the way. “thank you! night!” you call back, tom letting out a sigh. “div of the century,” he says under his breath. “must run in the family,” you playfully retort. that gets you a firm poke at your side. “where’s everyone else?” you glance up at him. there should be two other idiots and a lovely, furry lady running around.
“tuwaine’s gone to the pub, harrison’s filming late, and tess is at mum and dad’s,” tom fills you in, grabbing your arm and draping it around his middle. doing him one better, you hug him with both. you squint in confusion about the last part. “they watch her when i’m out,” tom answers your unspoken question. “ah,” you nod, then deflate ever so slightly. “i wanted to meet her, though. the other boys, too.”
tom smooths the pad of his thumb over your cheek. “you will, darling. it’s only for tonight.” he kisses the same spot reassuringly. “we’ve got loads of time.” “yeah, we do,” you agree, instantly cheering up and letting your head fall onto his chest. “now, where’s your room?” “just upstairs. you need some help getting in?” he’s only playing around, but you accept, tightening your arms around his neck.
“show me the way,” you beam at him. “happy to.” tom wiggles his eyebrows, you jumping up. your legs wrap around his waist, his arms holding you against him. with a satisfied hum, you squish your face into his insanely soft shirt. “what a diva,” tom sarcastically complains while taking you to the staircase. “doesn’t even say please. no manners from this one.”
“you try dancing in six inch heels for two hours,” you shoot back, patting the side of his neck. he moves one hand down to your thigh for a better grip. you’re nearing the top of the stairs. “think i’ll leave that to you,” he decides and squeezes your thigh. “look at me, carrying the whole music industry.” your face easily gets hot and your words turn to murmurs. “shut up. you should listen to other songs.”
you’re on the second floor now, tom going for the first door. he frowns at his rejected compliment. “no, i like yours. they’re my favorite.” “really?” your muffled laugh sounds from his chest. “what was the first thing i ever said to you?” he asks, a toothy grin on him even though you can’t see it. you recall the faithful night he slid into your dms while he carries you into his room.
he’d tripped over his words somehow, the fangirling fool. before that, he tweeted to the whole world that he wanted to see you in concert. it was a huge thing, and people were freaking out about it, even more so when your online interactions became routine. that’s nothing compared to where you are now.
you’re currently living with him and basically dating. possibly, in love. the base of it all really is your music.
“that you love me.” you pause for the ellipses. the corners of your lips turn up. “but, you really meant to say my work.” “both apply.” tom passes that off like it’s a side comment, carefully laying you down on his bed. you look up at him with a curious glint in your eyes. “what does that mean?” his cheeks flush, and he bites back the smile that’s growing. this was supposed to go... differently.
you sit up, breathing out a laugh at tom’s boyish behavior. he’s precious, truly. “you do love me?” those three words will change everything if he says yes. he takes both your hands in his and holds them between you two. you meet his doe eyes. “yeah, y/n/n. i do.” so, you were right. “i love you... and, that wasn’t how i planned on saying it.” signaling for him to elaborate, you tilt your head to the side.
tom sits down next to and faces you before continuing. “it was supposed to be romantic, right?” he rolls his eyes up to the ceiling, annoyed he ruined this. “candlelit dinner, flowers, that sort of thing. seems more fitting for the occasion.” you shift closer to him until your knees are touching. your face is lit up, voice dropped to almost a whisper.
“since when do we do things the way we’re supposed to?” you point out and set your hands on his shoulders. “we’ve gone straight from online dating to me moving in. that’s usually not how it works.” tom chuckles lowly. his own hands find their place on your hips. you’re so good with words. then again, you are a singer. “guess you could say we’re, um, spontaneous,” he agrees, fingers drawing circles on you.
you and tom have explored some of each other’s most intimate places, yet you’ve never shared a moment quite like this. it’s like meeting him for the first time again. he’s too tongue tied to spit out what he wants. you somehow know, anyway. what you cherish most about your relationship is that you two completely and totally understand one another, on every level.
“tom?” you speak quietly, butterflies filling up your body. “hm?” he hums back. this is one of those moments where it all just clicks. “i love you. i really, really love you.” you giggle out of the pure happiness that consumes you, tom joining in your laughter. “i love you, too.” he sounds like he’s said it a million times and he’ll say it a million more. he leans over so his forehead rests on yours. “really, really love you.”
your warm breath hits his face, eyes darting from his own to his lips. “i want you to be more than...” you trail off, unsure of how to phrase it. “more than... more than a friend?” tom pokes fun at what you said during the show. there’s less and less space between you with every second. “you mean, like, a boyfriend?”
“exactly. be my boyfriend,” you all but demand. you’re half asleep and desperate to be able to call him yours already. “bossy, bossy, bossy,” tom chastises, swiping his thumb across your bottom lip. how he goes from being shy and giddy to the cockiest person alive in minutes, you’ll never know. “please?” you throw in to sway him. your hand locks with his, slowly moving it off your face.
you run your tongue over your teeth. “at least kiss me.” “you don’t have to ask,” tom breathes, lips now ghosting over yours. “i was going to.” true to his words, he closes the microscopic gap between you, you pushing forward against him as you kiss back. your first kiss in love. his lips taste like the chapstick he always uses, and he moves them softly.
he places a hand on your knee, you opening your mouth so he can have access to it. instead, a yawn exits. tom pulls back with a breathy laugh. “you must be exhausted, yeah? let’s get you to bed.” he pecks your lips once more. “my girl needs her beauty rest.” that confirms your relationship. you scrunch your nose and grin wide. “and, she’s gonna get some with her boy.”
you’re reminded of how sweaty you are when you catch a whiff. “oof, wait. do you think i can take a shower first?” you grimace, fanning at the air for emphasis. tom uses the tip of his nose to nudge yours. “absolutely. need help in there, too?” he’s not asking in that way, only so nothing happens. the hospital wouldn’t be the most pleasant place to spend your break. plus, he doesn’t want to be without you too long.
“you know what? yeah.”
that’s how you end up intertwined under the hot water, letting it cascade down your back as tom hugs you close to him. you sigh in content and tangle your fingers in his fluffed over curls. you’ve learned that he’s super into having his hair played with. it’s endearing, how he instinctively leans into your touch, eyes closing as you tug on the roots.
he drops his head down to kiss your shoulder, dragging his lips to your collarbone in a way that tickles. they land on one of your breasts next. there isn’t anything sexual about it, only loving. just in case he gets too excited because it’s not uncommon he does, you gently put a finger to his lips. tom takes the hint and lets up. you continue combing through his wet hair while you step out of the water.
“do you ever sing in the shower?” he questions, drawing your naked body in closer to his. “sometimes, yeah. i honestly feel like i sound better there,” you admit and slide your hand down to the nape of his neck. tom’s tongue darts out to lick his lips. “not true. you sound beautiful everywhere, and don’t fight me on this one.” he smirks in satisfaction, you groaning at your loss.
“i really enjoy hearing your voice when it blares through an arena, though,” tom keeps buttering you up. you shake your head and settle both arms around his neck. “man, i just love you so much.” “i love you, sweetheart,” he murmurs back, you switching places so he can give his hair a final rinse. you watch him and his glowing body, admiring the sight.
“what a sensation you are,” you say mostly to yourself, which doesn’t stop him from hearing. “i see what you did there.” he eyes you while you do the same to him. your arms still around his neck pull him back to you. “tommy? do you sing in the shower?” you meant to ask him before, then he started throwing all those compliments at you.
tom scoffs, walking you back so you’re against the wall. “i don’t sing anywhere.” “what?” you gasp and put a hand on his chest. “you’re lying, you have to be. wasn’t billy elliot a musical?” he narrows his eyes at you as he tries to gage where you’re going with this. “that i did a decade ago, and way before puberty. couldn’t sing a word without cracking after that.”
your mouth is left hanging open in shock and disappointment. you bet he has a nice voice, and he’s downplaying it. “y/n,” tom begins, cupping your jaw with his palm. “since we’re living together now, there’s a lot you’re going the learn about me. good things, weird things.” he shrugs casually. “this is one of the weird things.”
“only because you make it weird! come on, let me hear you,” you request and wrap a leg around his waist. you’re giving him a hopeful smile. “god, no. you’ll hate it,” he almost laughs, a hand on your thigh. “i’m literally a singer. how could i hate something i love?” you refute, batting your lashes at him. “especially when someone i love is doing it.” “i love you, too. but, i’m not.” he’s quick to shut you down.
“drop a bar!” you try to coax him, which he already has a comeback for. “you first.” “i can’t. my throat is all scratchy from earlier,” you lie. tom presses his lips into a line, feigning pity. “aw, you know what’ll make you feel better? tea. i’ll go get you some.” he turns to shut the water off, so you grab his shoulders. “no, the steam is working. you can stay.”
“love,” tom addresses you in a warning tone that you can’t take seriously. he can’t either, a giggle escaping him. “my voice is shit. ask anyone, and they’ll tell you.” “i won’t believe them,” you hum, pushing back curls sticking to his forehead. “sounds like you just have stage fright. we can work on that, though.” “how?” he tightens his arm around your middle.
“i’ll bring you on for my next show. we’ll do a little duet.” you’re joking, though that would definitely be interesting to see unfold. “uh, never. what happened to you being tired?” tom cleverly deflects and digs his fingers into your side. you look down in defeat. “i forgot about that.” “yeah, yeah. no, seriously. we should really get to sleep, y/n/n.” he’s back to his sweet, attentive self. “‘s been a long night.”
giving in with a nod, you capture his lips in yet another kiss. tom never gets tired of them, and neither do you. you break it after a few seconds, lips lingering on his as they detach. “carry me?” you ask again, not caring how whiny you sound. tom presses a quick kiss to your forehead. “oh, you’re adorable. of course.”
well, you’ve found something to keep you occupied until the next leg of tour. you’re going to discover the many layers your intriguingly unusual boyfriend has.
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twicearoundthesun · 2 years
Text
Jihyo didn’t think much of it when Nayeon excused herself to answer the phone; she just figured between the TV blasting children’s holiday music and Sana and Momo bickering over noodles, it was a little too hectic for a phone call in the apartment right now.
Chaeyoung giggled, reaching for the penguin plush that Jihyo was making dance in front of her. Jihyo smiled and brought it up closer to the three-year-old’s face, pretending the penguin was kissing her cheeks and tickling her. She giggled, louder this time, and leaned back against Mina, who gave her a real kiss on the head. The door opened again and Jihyo glanced up. Nayeon stood frozen in the kitchen.
“They’re ours.” Nayeon whispered. She looked like she was in shock; pale, and staring only at Jeongyeon. Jeong’s mouth hung open in surprise, too; she must have known what was going on. The rest of them sure didn’t. Jihyo knit her brow and was almost afraid to ask.
“What’s yours?” Momo looked up from her dish.
“Yeah, what are you talking about? You look terrified.” Sana was in the middle of using the distraction to steal Momo’s food, which she quickly noticed and whined about.
“The lawyer just called.” Nayeon whispered. Everyone froze. “About Dahyun and Tzu.”
Jihyo felt a jolt of electricity go through her. “We.. We won?”
“We won.” Nayeon’s happy tears were starting, now, and Jihyo heard Jeong sniffle. Sana and Momo were already a mess. “Jeong and I can foster them.”
“When can we bring them home?” Jihyo was breathless; it was a whisper. She felt a relieved laugh bubble up to the surface. “We get to take them home for good.”
“It’s too late tonight. They’re sleeping, and by the time we get there and back it’d be late.” Nayeon took a shaky breath. “Tomorrow morning. First thing. We’ll all go.”
Jihyo’s felt herself relax. The stress she’d been carrying in for the past few months was disappearing. It seemed to be the same for everyone in the apartment.
She glanced towards the door to Chaeng’s bedroom – a room that for the last few months had held three kid-sized beds, ready for two new occupants to join the family. A wave of emotion hit her; tomorrow morning would be the last time they had to drive an hour to the government care facility Dahyun and Tzuyu had been placed in once their old foster home had been shut down four months ago, the last time they’d have to tuck them into bed and say goodbye at night to drive an hour home. They’d been going in shifts, one or two of them would visit each day so the kids always had a familiar face, but even so with an hour commute both ways it was taking a toll on both their schoolwork and their sanity.
And suddenly she was crying, too, and almost everyone in the room was. Chaeyoung was distraught at the sudden change in mood, eyes watery and looking around for someone to tell her everything was okay.
“No, honey, don’t be upset. We’re not sad!” She quickly wiped away her own tears, trying to calm herself. “Sometimes… your Unnies get so happy they cry.” She lifted Chaeyoung from Mina’s lap and hugged her close. Jeongyeon and Nayeon came over to sit on the ground with them, Jeongyeon rubbing her back and holding an arm around a still-teary Nayeon.
“We’re happy. We’re so happy, babygirl, you know why?” Nayeon whispered she reached for Chaeyoung’s hand.
The younger girl sniffled. “Why?”
“Dahyunnie and Tzuyu are gonna be a part of our family now.”
Her brows knit. “They are part of our family.”
Jeongyeon laughed and sniffled. “You’re right, you’re right. But they’re going to come live with us… You guys are going to have sleepovers every night.”
Her eyes widened. “Really!?”
“Really, baby. They’ll sleep in the two other beds in your room. Would you like that?”
“YES!” she squealed.
“You’ll have to share your toys and your stuff. You’re going to be nice and share?”
“Yes!!! I’m… will be nice.”
“And they’ll go to the same school as you again, too.” Nayeon pointed out.
Chaeyoung paused. She took a breath in and looked at Nayeon incredulously. And then she burst into tears, breaking Jihyo’s heart in two. Nayeon was quick to lift her into a tight hug, rocking them both back and forth and rubbing her back.
“Baby, hey, it’s okay!”
“I m-miss Dahyunnie and Tzu. Miss them at school. I miss playing with them.” She hid her face in Nayeon, who kissed her on the head.
“I know, babygirl. Tomorrow we’ll go pick them up. And we’ll help them get all comfy here. Right?”
Chaeyoung sniffled. “Y-Yeah.”
“Are you so happy you’re crying too? Like your Unnies?” Nayeon asked softly.
“Yeah!” She wailed. Despite herself, Nayeon gave a teary laugh and continued to rock her back and forth, now with Jeongyeon’s fingers threading through the kids hair soothingly.
“It’s very, very happy news. We’re okay, little girl. It’s gonna be so good.” Jeong whispered. “We’re gonna be a happy little family. A big family.” She glanced up and met eyes with Jihyo.
Jihyo just smiled and nodded, Mina squeezing her hand. She squeezed back. Sana and Momo joined everyone on the floor and they huddled together around Chaeyoung, making her giggle and forcing everyone into a group hug. Jihyo’s heart soared thinking of the two new little family members they’d be getting tomorrow.
It wasn’t going to be easy, but they all knew it was going to be well worth it.
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sarcasmandships · 3 years
Text
honey and glass ~ spencer reid
i am in love with spencer reid but he only has eyes for jennifer jareau
spencer reid x reader angst + hurt/comfort (sorta, it’s all in first person but with no names/no specific descrptions)
song fic inspired by ‘honey and glass’ by peyton cardoza
word count: 4.8k
disclaimer: i do not ship jeid or think they had any chemistry but it’s a good opportunity for angst x
you know those kinds of girls who look like they're made of honey and glass like sticky sweet ash
it’s a summers night in california and i’m on the beach at sunset.
the sand is rough under my toes and a warm, gentle breeze blows a strand of my hair across my face; he lifts his hand to brush it away. tucking it behind my ear he stares down at me and the sun hits his face at a perfect angle, illuminating his hazel eyes like pools of honey. he leans in and i-
“ow!” i yelp, as morgan launches the volleyball at my head, “what was that for?”  
“come and play,” he laughs, waving me over to where he stands with emily and hotch.
i shake my head, “no, i don’t feel like it,” i mumble, massaging my left temple where the ball bounced off my skull.
morgan rolls his eyes and jogs past where i’m sitting to collect the ball, “what’s up with you then?” he teases.
i shrug, “nothing. I’m just tired,” i say feigning an unconvincing yawn, “ask one of them to play.”  
i motion with my head towards spencer and jj, they’re down by the edge of the waves and she throws her head back and laughs at something he says. her sheets of blonde hair ripple through the wind and he looks at her in pure awe and amazement as she giggles at something he said.
“nah, don’t wanna interrupt the kid when he’s trying to make a move,” morgan shrugs, “come play with us, we need an extra person.”
an extra person.
right.
because what else am i but another body to fill the space?
“i don’t want to,” i say, forcing myself to tear my eyes away from jj and spencer as i stand up, “hotch said the jet is leaving first thing tomorrow, i’m gonna head back to the hotel and get some sleep.”
morgan says something, but i don’t register it as i allow myself one last glance at spencer and jj. she is trying to convince him to paddle in the waves with her, he shakes his head but when she takes his hand in hers i can tell he’s melting inside as he follows her into the water.
and i just know that he’d follow her so far out to sea that his head was underwater as long as she kept their hands intertwined.
i turn away from morgan so he doesn’t see the tears burning in my eyes.
and you can't get the taste off your tongue burnt sugar and a little bit of rum
we’re in a dimly lit bar somewhere.
hotch left hours ago, he wanted to take advantage of one of the rare nights he would be there to read jack a bedtime story.
rossi is at a table in the corner, sitting with a woman who has not-so-subtly draped her leg over him.
derek is out of my line of sight and i’m thankful for that.
emily, garcia, and jj are dancing.
i sit at the table with spencer, he’s drunk.
more tipsy than drunk i think, but he so rarely drinks anything that the sight of him swaying along to the music was an anomaly. i can’t ignore the fact that his eyes are firmly fixed on jj as she dances, and i grip my wine glass so tightly i half expect it to shatter in my hand.
he leans across to me and my heart skips a beat as i inhale the alcohol on his breath, “i’m in love with her, y’know,” he slurs.
“i know, spencer,” i smile sadly and down the rest of my wine.
he doesn’t even notice when i grab my coat from behind him and shuffle towards the door.
and she dances in the rain with her clothes on drenched to the bone never knows when she's all gone, she's the life of the party
spencer and i are watching the big bang theory.
neither of us particularly like it, but there aren’t many channels on our hotel room tv and spencer enjoys the physics references at least. i watch his face light up as a character mentions something about quantum theory that i cant understand, and spencer launches into a rant about the universe and the stars.
i don’t have the knowledge to keep up with him or the heart to tell him to stop so i sit and listen, admiring the way his eyes sparkle and his hands gesticulate when no one interrupts him with a deprecating comment.
we sit there like that for the rest of the night, in our respective twin beds with him telling me the secrets of the universe and me wondering how on earth i will ever get over him.
and deep down I know that nobody flinches when she takes off her clothes
“anything you like?” emily asks me through the dressing room curtain.
“i’m not sure…” i mumble in response, biting down on my lip as i stare at myself in the mirror, “i-i don’t think this is my colour.”
the dress looked so beautiful on the hanger, but now that it’s on my body the fabric bunches up in all the wrong places and i can’t recall a time that i’ve looked worse.
the lights are just washing you out, i tell myself.
you’re having a bad hair day, it would look better with your hair down, i tell myself.
you just need some lipstick, i tell myself.
but when jj announces she has found the perfect dress and i stick my head out of the curtain to see her, i am slapped in the face with the realisation that it isn’t the lighting or my lack of makeup it’s just me.
because jj looks beautiful as always, her dress hugs her waist and the skirt fans out around her as emily demands she gives us a spin. she isn’t wearing makeup, her hair is in a ponytail too, the lights don’t wash her out because she is radiant and flawless, and the lights aren’t the problem.
i am.
i cry in my car as i drive home from the mall, and when i get home i tear everything out of my fridge and fling it into the trashcan. i vow to go to the store and stock up on salad and chicken.
i go to the store but i don’t buy salad.
and I wonder what it's like to be one of those girls to sit in the sun and look at the world and never think, "wow, am i enough?" ‘cause life is easy when you know that you're the main character
i’m in hotch’s office as he grills me about a stupid mistake i made in the field. i can hardly focus on his words as i shrink back in the chair, counting all the reasons that i don’t deserve to be in this job.
i’m not as smart or fast or strong as the others. i don’t have an eidetic memory or hacker skills and i can’t even maintain myself as a solid average agent because i keep fucking up.
“i’m not going to write you up,” he says, and my heart soars a little in my chest, “but i need you to understand that if you do something like that again i won’t have any choice, you were lucky no one got hurt today.”
i nod silently and blink back the tears that threaten to spill over.
“go home, get some rest,” he says and i don’t hang around for a second longer, darting out of his office i crash headfirst into a tall frame.
“wow, slow down,” he chuckles, resting a hand on my shoulder to steady me.
“spencer,” i gasp, looking up at his sympathetic smile, “what are you still doing here? we landed hours ago….”
he shrugs, “i waited for you.”
my heart skips a beat.
“you didn’t have to do that.”
he shakes his head, “you’re my best friend, i wanted to. plus i thought you might need someone after being in there with hotch.”
i swallow and offer him a slightly forced smile.
best friend.
“thanks, spence, that means a lot.”
he looks at me quizzically.
“what’s wrong?”
“nothing, just only jj calls me spence…anyways” he holds out his arm for me, “shall we go?”
i have to restrain myself from seizing his arm, and settle for tentatively wrapping my own around it, “thanks spencer…you’re such a good friend.”
he smiles down at me and its almost enough to melt away the icy feeling in my heart as i call him a friend. the coldness in my chest in my chest is a feeling i’ve grown accustomed to but when i’m with him everything is warm and bright again.
he feels like yellow.
and i feel like maybe i am enough.
and I'm sitting here thinking this is not fair
i feel like blue.
i’m alone in my apartment flicking through tv channels, trying to find something that isn’t a medical or crime drama. because after my day at work i can’t look at any more blood or dead bodies, even if its as fake as the pep in my voice when jj calls to ask if i’m okay.
“hotch grilled you pretty bad, huh? you sure you’re okay?”
“yeah, spence – spencer – waited for me and we went to get milkshakes after.”
“aww that’s so nice, you know i think he has a soft spot for you,” she teases.
something acidic bubbles in my throat, but i can’t tell her that i know she’s wrong because he spent half the night telling me how much he loves her. i have to gather the strength to respond without the venom in my heart poisoning my voice.
“oh, i don’t think so,” i laugh, “anyways, i should go – my movie is about to start.”
jj tells me to have a good night before she hangs up, and i switch off the tv. at this time there’s noting but romcoms and i don’t want to sit through hours of pining when its on replay every day at the office.
i watch my own reflection in the blank tv screen as sobs wrack my body.
but her smile makes it hard to be mad it's not her fault that I'm so fucking sad
jj holds me in her arms as i cry into her chest, “it’s okay, you’re gonna be okay,” she coos, rubbing soft circles on my back.
i sniffle against her and i just know that my eyes are puffy and red but i can’t switch off the floods of tears that fall from them.
“do you want to tell me what’s wrong?” she asks.
i shake my head against her because how could i tell her?
how could I tell her that the man i love is in love with her?
and that i want to resent her for it but i can’t because she’s such a good fucking friend that she’s sitting here with me, unknowingly wiping the tears that i can’t stop shedding because i can’t be her.
she gives me one of those heart warming smiles that could bring peace to a dying man, and in that moment i am reminded again of why he loves her. there are worse people to love, i suppose. if spencer is going to cut out his heart and give it to someone it might as well be someone like her.
but that doesn’t make it hurt any less.
and i hate myself for the part of me that hates her. she’s done nothing wrong. it’s not her fault that that spencer loves her, and its not her fault that she doesn’t realise.
so I'll sit here and look at these girls in the sun dancing in the rain and just having their fun
i hate alaska.
my teeth chatter as we trudge through the snow filled field, and i pull the cuffs of my coat over my glove cladded hands. i hate the cold. i hate alaska. i hate the serial killer who dragged us all out here. i hate the impending snowstorm that was keeping the jet grounded for another night.
“should we even be out here?” i groan, “i mean if it’s not safe for the plane, then surely its not safe for us.”
“we aren’t 50,000 feet up in the sky though,” morgan says and i roll my eyes at him.
“it’s cold enough to make me feel like we are,” i huff.
spencer nods sympathetically at me, “i don’t like the cold either, not much snow in vegas.”
“i think we should have two behavioural analysis units,” i begin, “one to catch serial killers in cold climates, and the other in hot ones.”
he laughs, “i’d like that, but i think it’d just be us and garcia on the hot team.”
“we’d get by.”
he’s grinning at me, his messy brown curls are squashed down under his bobble hat but a few of them still manage to peak out. he’s wearing a multicoloured striped scarf and mismatched gloves.
a snowflake lands on his eyelash and i reach out to brush it off.
“thanks.”
“anytime.”
morgan launches a snowball at us, and it hits me in the back of the head, “hey! what is it with you and throwing things?” i snap.
morgan roars with laughter.
“not funny derek!”
he resumes his snowball fight with emily and jj and i draw my arms across my chest. i watch as they prance about in the snow, falling to avoid the snowballs launched by the others and laughing when they get hit. the sun is just starting to set, and it’s rays catch jj’s hair at the perfect angle, bouncing off the golden blonde strands as she dances around morgan. her and emily have joined forces to pelt him with snowballs.
i look up at spencer to see him starting at her in awe. his nose and cheeks are flushed from the cold, and the sun reflects against his own face, illuminating his eyes. they’re beautiful. like honey and glass.
“guys! come join us!” jj calls.
i shake my head, “there’s not enough money in the world.”
she pouts at me, “spence, please,” she says sweetly and before i know it he’s by her side and scooping up snow.
i watch from the side-lines.
spencer roars with laughter when emily hits morgan square in the face with a snowball, he wraps an arm around jj as she nearly collapses from laughter, something twinges in my stomach.
but he looks so happy, and that melts my glacier heart slightly.
maybe alaska wasn’t so bad after all.
and maybe one day, i can forget the past and be one of those girls of honey and glass
“nice to meet you, agent,” agent fitz says, holding out his hand, “we’ve heard good things about you up in the new york office.”
“really?” i say, shaking his hand and i can’t fight the smile that creeps across my face.
“really. give me a call if you ever fancy a change of scenery.”
“i’ll keep that in mind, agent fitz,” i give him a nod and a smile as he walks away.
new york was cold in the winter, but it didn’t seem like the worst place in the world.
but I think that it's hard for people to see that I love all these girls, and honestly it doesn't matter what you look like or how much you weigh
i wondered once how i’d ever get over my love for spencer reid, and now as he sits and sobs on my couch i realise that i don’t want to. it hurts me to love him, and something stabs my heart every time i catch him staring at her, but he deserves someone to love him like he loves her.
“i guess i’m just starting to realise that she’ll never love me back, and i don’t know why or what’s wrong with me,” he says and looks up at me, his eyes filled with tears and his face blotchy and red.
“there’s nothing wrong with you,” i say, wrapping an arm around him and wiping his tears, “sometimes the people you love just don’t love you back, but that’s not a reflection of you or your self-worth,” i reiterate to him the mantra i say in my mirror every morning.
he whimpers and my heart breaks for him.
“it doesn’t feel that way, it feels like i’m dying inside every time she talks about him or tells me about their dates, and i try to be a good friend but-”
his voice cracks and another sob escapes his chest and i tighten my grip around him; heartbreak doesn’t seem to get easier with age, because here we are, two fbi agents in our late twenties crying over our crushes like we are in junior high.
because before i know it the tears are flowing down my face faster than his and when he breaks away from our embrace to ask me why i’m crying, i can’t tell him it’s because i am feeling everything he is.
“i just don’t like seeing you like this,” is all i can muster up.
it's just that these girls know they're okay there's a beauty in knowing your place in the world in loving yourself and knowing your worth
“hey!” spencer greets me as he steps into the elevator with me.
“hi,” i mumble back, taking another sip of coffee from my travel cup.
we’ve been called in on a case, but i’ve barely had any sleep and i’m struggling to keep my eyes open.
“you look tired, are you okay?”
you look tired.
so the bags under my eyes were obvious then.
“yeah,” i say, swallowing the lump in my throat, “just a late night, y’know.”
“oh…oh! is that your way of saying your date went well?” he says with a coy grin.
“what?”
oh! something clicks in my brain and i understand what he means.
“no! not like that no…actually it didn’t go well at all, he turned out to be a total misogynistic creep,” i say with a bitter laugh.
“oh, i’m sorry….”
i shrug and take another swig of coffee, “it’s okay, you didn’t know. to be honest i’ll probably end up calling him again anyways.”
spencer stares at me, confused, “why would you do that?”
“well, i don’t exactly have guys falling over themselves for me, do i?”
spencer frowns and i can see his brain working overtime behind his eyes, “so you’re just going to settle for less than you deserve?”
“i don’t have many other options do i?”
he reaches out an arm to place a comforting hand on my shoulder, “don’t worry, you’ll find the right guy for you soon. it’s only a matter of time, you’re worth more than a misogynistic creep,” he squeezes my shoulder and before i know it we’ve already reached our floor and he’s gone.
you’ll meet the right guy for you soon.
what if i already have?
you don't have to be perfect or never get sad that's not what it means to be honey and glass
it’s late and i sit at my desk, sorting through piles of paperwork.
my eyes blur as i enter the gruesome details of our latest case, from fatigue or tears i can’t tell. i think emily and hotch are still hanging around the office somewhere, but the others had gone to dinner as soon as we landed, promising that they would do their paperwork tomorrow.
i knew i would have no appetite sitting across a table from spencer and jj so i had sat silently in the back of the suv as hotch drove us back to the office.
a singular tear rolls down my cheek and splatters on my page, smudging the not-quite-dry-yet ink. i let out a shaky breath and wipe my eyes, i don’t know why i’m crying really.
no one had necessarily done anything wrong. only when we were in the field and the unsub had detonated the bomb, spencer chose to push jj out of the way instead of me. i was lucky that one of the s.w.a.t agents had grabbed my arm in time and pulled me back to safety.
it had been hours and my ears were still ringing from the explosion.
maybe spencer thought he was closer to jj, that he had a better chance of saving her, we are trained to make difficult choices based on survival odds, i told myself.
only spencer hadn’t been closer to jj, and she was surrounded by three s.w.a.t agents whilst i only had one next to me. but no one had really done anything wrong, no one died, no one even broke a bone. and it pains me to admit to myself but had i been in spencer’s position and had to chose between saving him or morgan, i know that would pull spencer out of the way every single time.
i jump as emily creeps up behind me, “hey, you okay?”
i don’t even try and disguise my puffy, red eyes or tear tracks as i look up at her, “no. but i think that’s okay.”
and everyone has their highs and their lows the nights you spend crying, believe me, I know
it’s roslyn’s birthday.
i don’t think anyone else in the team knows because they keep exchanging looks whenever jj snaps at one of them and i can see the annoyance in their eyes.
when jj barks at spencer and snaps her pencil within the space of five minutes i drag her into a storage closet and wrap my arms around her.
“shhh,” i say soothingly, “it’s okay, you’re gonna be okay.”
jj shakes her head, “i don’t think so, i thought this day would get easier with time but it’s just getting worse,” she sniffles.
i stroke her hair, “i know, i know its horrible and you deserve to cry as much as you want to. but you are so strong, and i know you can get through this-”
“i’m not,” jj shakes her head, “i’m not strong or brave or anything that you all think i am, i’m not like you I-”
“like me?” i question.
“you always hold yourself together, whenever there’s a case with a kid i’m falling to pieces but you keep it together. i mean i’m the one crying in a storage closet….”
i stare at her in disbelief, because jj is the strongest woman i know and i don’t understand how she can’t see that.
“i don’t have a sister who killed herself jj,” i say slowly, “you have survived 100% of the bad things that have happened to you because you’re a fighter, that makes you strong.”
she shakes her head and clings to me, “but i’ve lost pieces of myself, i’m not the same person i could’ve been if life had been kinder to me and that makes me sad. my sister is dead and that makes me sad, everyone thinks i’m this strong and perfect person and that makes me feel guilty because i can’t be that person.”
in a turn of events, she is crying into my chest, her hair is greasy, and her mascara runs and i realise that my best friend was never truly on the pedestal i placed her on. and i realise i am part of the problem, treating jj like she is the be all and all of perfection and unattainablity when i should just be treating her like a friend.
spencer loves her and that kills me but it’s not what’s important right now. i’ve spent too long inside my own head, struggling to view her as my best friend or the other woman but now i see that she is someone that needs my help.
i know what it’s like to cry myself to sleep so i don’t want jj to go through something like that alone. so i vow there and then, to push my own feelings aside and be whatever she needs me to be.
i don't want to be these girls for beauty or fame but for the confidence they have in their own damn name
“smile!” garcia says as she appears with a camera.
emily, jj, and morgan turn to face her and pose but i duck out of the frame. garcia pouts and morgan grabs onto my forearm to pull me back into shot. i wish that i had the self-confidence to let him, to fall in next to him and make a silly pose at the camera and not worry if my hair was sitting nicely or if i was breathing in enough.
“come on! i need pictures for my scrapbook and you’ve been dodging me all night!” she whines.
i stare down at my feet, “garcia i’m not photoshoot ready like these guys,” i say, trying to make my voice light and floaty but it just sounds like im choking back tears.
“come on, just one picture,” jj says kindly, waving for me to come and stand next to her.
i shake my head again and wring my hands. the last thing i need is another photograph of jj and i to compare myself to every time i’m feeling extra low and self-destructive.
i try and remember the vow i made, to be there for my friend despite my own feelings. but she isn’t sad anymore, she’s happy and smiling and drinking wine, me squeezing in between her and emily for a stupid photograph isn’t going to make or break her.
it’s just a stupid photograph.
“no thanks,” i choke, “i’m going to get another drink,” i scurry away to the kitchen before anyone can object.
i shut the door quickly behind me and press my back up against it, taking a deep breath. i can’t quite believe i was successful in escaping garcia again.
“are you avoid garcia and her camera too?”
“spencer!” i laugh shrilly, “i didn’t even see you there.”
“yeah, i’ve been hiding in here for a half hour,” he smiles sadly, “i hate having my picture taken, especially next to morgan. he makes me look even lankier if possible.”
i frown, spencer had no reason to feel insecure.
“why don’t we get garcia to take a picture of just us two?” i suggest nervously, “you won’t have any reason to feel insecure next to me….”
he looks at me quizzically, “what do you mean?”
i wring my hands again, “just that you’ll automatically look even better if i’m next to you…cos’ i’m…well y’know,” i say awkwardly motioning to my face and body.
he cocks his head to the side, “are you trying to tell me you think you’re ugly, so i’ll look better by comparison?”
i shrug.
“well, i think you look beautiful.”
so I'll sit here and look at these girls in the sun dancing in the rain and just having their fun
we’re on the plane journey home.
spencer and jj sit next to each other, their arms pressed together as they share the arm rest. spencer is reading a book; his eyes scan down the pages at lightening speed and i know he’ll be finished soon.
i am on the opposite side of the plane, i sit by myself, i like the space.
i keep my eye on them throughout the flight; just as i predicted, it doesn’t take long for spencer to finish his book and he places it down on the table in front of him. jj picks it up and teases him for the long-winded title, i don’t catch what she says, something about astrophysics.
he starts to ramble, and she interrupts him with another teasing remark, he flushes when she gently nudges his chest. i turn my head to stare out of the window, biting my lip.
they aren’t even doing anything, jj is just being friendly. and i still can’t handle it. i lie my head back against the headrest as i gaze out of the window, admiring the new york skyline as it fades into the distance.
a nervous chuckle from spencer snaps me out of my trance, and i look back over to see him and jj giggling secretively as she whispers something into his ear.
 “where are you going?” emily grumbles, she’s half asleep with her legs splayed out across two chairs when i accidently bump her foot.
 “bathroom,” i say quietly with a forced smile as i shuffle past jj and spencer, my heart seizing in my chest as she teases him about how long his hair is getting, brushing her hand through the curls.
i’m already silently sobbing in the bathroom so i miss the pitiful look that emily and morgan exchange.
and I know it doesn't make sense to forget the past but I promise, one day, you'll be honey and glass
“agent fitz?” i say, clutching my phone tight in my hand.
“ahh, i’ve been wondering when i’d be hearing from you.”
i laugh quietly, “yes, well i’ve been thinking about what you said, and i think i could do with that change of scenery now.”
i wrote this in a couple hours and didnt proof read so apologies for an errors :))
part 2
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cah0mie · 3 years
Text
To all my MCs that never really Enjoyed Celebrating their Birthday
Mammon: Alright! What does everyone have planned?
Asmo: I bought them multiple massagers so they can have a relaxing, stress-free day!
Satan: I bought them the new book series for them from their favorite author. I figured we could discuss the meaning throughout the story together.
Lucifer: I convinced Diavolo to give them the day off from any school activities so that they may rest, since they have worked hard it was an easy request. I also made a reservation at Ristorante Six.
Beel: I practiced how to make their favorite dish perfectly so they can have a delicious lunch!
Levi: I bought them the new most popular game they really wanted to try!!
Belphie: Uuhhhh guys? I don't know about this. I mean don't you remember what happened when we asked what they wanted?
Mammon: When they said they didn't want to celebrate? I've thought of that, and I have a plan!
Satan: This ought to be good.
Levi: Why exactly are we letting him run things anyway?
Mammon: Shut up and listen up! We don't have to celebrate anything! We can just try to help them unwind a little. Just friends trying to help their other friend, for no reason at all!
Satan: That sounds so suspicious, they would realize what we were up immediately!
Mammon: Do you have a better plan!?
Satan: ....... *Sighs* No....
Lucifer: Then I guess that's our best shot at doing this for them.
Belphie: I'm not entirely thrilled about following a plan made by Mammon, but I agree that it's the only idea we have.
Asmo: That's pretty sad..
Mammon: Shut up! All of you!
Lucifer: Moving on, I have already told MC that we have no school tomorrow. Hopefully they will sleep in and buy us some time.
-next morning 9:00-
MC: Shit....slept in a bit late didn't I?
-there's a knock on the door-
MC: Come in.
Asmo: Oh good you're awake!
MC: Just woke up. What's up?
Asmo: Oh, just got you a little something~ *carries in a tray with a cover on it*
MC: ..... Asmo..... What is this?
Asmo: I just thought you deserved *takes the cover off* Breakfast in bed.
MC: ...... *Stares at Asmo* What's the occasion?
Asmo: Can't I just do something nice because I fell like it.
MC: You're a demon.
Asmo: But YOUR demon, right?
MC: *shakes head, smiling* Thank you for the food, it looks great.
Asmo: Oh, but that's not all. *Retrieves a bag set by the door* Now, this mask will massage your eyes and play relaxing music.
MC: Asmo-
Asmo: This here will massage your neck and shoulders- which you could really use being hunched over a desk constantly.
MC: ASMO-
Asmo: And these are supposed to wrap around your legs and feet. They are massaged through air waves.
MC: ASMO!!
Asmo: What? I'm on the last one.
MC: Asmo, what IS all of this?? I don't need all of this, if anything you should use it.
Asmo: Now isn't that silly, of course you need it!
MC: As-
Asmo: Now, enjoy your food and relax as long as you wish! *Leaves*
MC: .....*sighs* .. So it's gonna be like that huh?
-few hours later-
Mammon: Yo MC! How about a game of Poker? I know you can't resist the game and the bets!
MC: It's more of the people and the conversations that I enjoy then the game itself. If we get more people on board sure.
Mammon: Uuummm, then how about some blackjack?
MC: Mammon, you know I'm not a gambler.
Mammon: Then how about....... Rummy?
MC: How about Speed?
Mammon: What?
MC: If you want to play a two person card game that bad, let's play speed.
Mammon: ...... What are the rules?
MC: Come here, I'll show ya.
-half an hour later-
Mammon: Wha-!? What the hell!? How are you so fast!?
MC: It's called 'been playing it for years'.
-lunch time-
Beel: Here you go MC. I made your favorite.
MC: Beel, this is much appreciated but why aren't you getting your food first? You must be hungry.
Beel: Nah, I'm ok. Besides, you deserve it.
MC: How so?
Beel: For being a good friend. 😊
MC: ...... *Sighs* ... I can't refuse you when you look at me like that and you know it. That's why you abuse it....
-afternoon-
Belphie: MC, it's time for our afternoon nap. Are you coming?
MC: I'm coming, I'm coming. *Goes to lay down beside him*
Belphie: Oh hold on! *Grabs a different pillow* Use this one instead.
MC: .... Isn't this one of those pillows that are supposed to keep you cool all through the night?
Belphie: Yep! You kept mentioning how hot you'd get while you're sleeping and how uncomfortable you'd be. I'd like my cuddle buddy to be comfortable while sleeping together.
MC: ....... There's NO other reason behind it?
Belphie: What other reason would there be?
MC: .... Fine. *Lays down with the pillow* Thanks.
Belphie: No problem.
-Evening-
Satan: MC, I'd like to talk about the theme in this book I've been reading. It's really confusing to me, I was hoping for different mindset to even it out?
MC: Sure, what book is it?
Satan: Come to my room, I'll show ya.
MC: Ok, *follows*
Satan: *lifts a book off his desk* This is it, apparently this story is holding the idea that committing crimes is alright depending on the situation.
MC: For example?
Satan: Committing murder is alright say, if someone kidnapped your kid.
MC: You think that's not alright?
Satan: I'm a demon, watching humans kill each other is pretty much sport to me. I just see it very unrealistic.
MC: .... Depends on the situation. Say your child was abducted and about to be sold off and become a victim of human trafficking. If this is proven then you should be pardoned for the most part, you will just have to live under new names and protection.
Satan: Wow, I didn't realize how complicated it all was.
MC: Yep, that's life. *Goes to leave*
Satan: Oh, before you go. *Grabs the series of books* Here, read these. I already have and I believe they're right up your alley.
MC: ...... Aren't these the new series of books, that just came out the day before? And you already read them?
Satan: *smirks* If you don't believe me, quiz me.
MC: ...... *Takes the books* .... Why do I not believe this is all coincidence?
Satan: *shrugs* Who knows?
MC: ..... *Leaves*
-Dinner-
Lucifer: MC, you're cooking?
MC: Yep. Everyone else cooks for dinner, I figured I could pick up the slack a little.
Lucifer: How much longer will the food take? We have a reservation in an hour.
MC: It shouldn't take too mu- wait, back up. What the fuck are you talking about!?
Lucifer: Is there something wrong?
MC: A few things yeah! One, I'd like more of a heads up! Two, why now!? What is this for!?
Lucifer: Consider this a reward for all your hard work.
MC: ...... Ok yeah no, this calls for a meeting.
-Everyone is gathered in the common room-
Asmo: What's wrong sweetie? You looked stressed
MC: I am stressed, all of you are stressing me out.
Mammon: Oi!! What did we do!
MC: Everything that has happened today was because my fucking birthday! Wasn't it!?
Satan: So what if it was? Why can't we celebrate it?
MC: I asked you not to.
Beel: MC, why do you hate your birthday so much? We only want to make you feel appreciated... 🥺
MC: Don't give me that damn look. I told you that it was a little too personal, and I rather not talk about it.
Belphie: Do you not trust us?
MC: I didn't say that, it's just...hard to talk about...
Mammon: Have you even tried?
MC: Have you tried not stealing shit? Difficult isn't it?
Levi: Woah! Burn!
Mammon: Shut up!
Lucifer: MC, we would probably understand your request better if you were to explain.
MC: ....... Let's just say... Something REALLY BAD happened on this day.... And everytime someone tried to celebrate with me....I remember it..... When I don't want to....
Levi: .... Woah.... Tragic backstory confirmed!
Asmo: Oh sweetheart, I'm so sorry.
Satan: I'm not.
Mammon: Wha-! Satan!
Satan: What!? Come on! When they first show up they state us down like we're frogs in the dessert, and they don't want to be reminded of some shitty memory!! You're better than this! Whether you like it or not I'm celebrating your birthday every year! Because you deserve it!
Lucifer: Agreed. You're stronger than you give yourself credit for. I believe with a little push you can love past that block on your mind.
Beel: I'll still make you delicious meals that we can enjoy together!
Belphie: You're keeping that pillow, whether you like it or not.
MC: ......... You all are assholes..... I hope you know that....
Mammon: Yeah well, you're a pain in the ass too. So we're even.
-later that night-
Levi: ....... I got that game you wanted....
MC: ....... You want to play together?
Levi: ...... Please?
MC: ...... I'll grab some snacks and drinks. You set up the game.
Levi: Yay!!
-----
That was much longer than I meant it to be, and alot more feelsy. Regardless, I hope you all enjoyed.
If you see anything that I could have done better, please don't hesitate to inform me. I accept all forms of constructive criticism.
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emmyhem · 3 years
Text
right where you left me (l.r.h)
a/n: hi everybody! so this is a bit of a longer one that is inspired by the song “right where you left me” by taylor swift on evermore. it’s one of my favorites by her because i love the writing and the concept. whether you’re a taylor fan or not i suggest reading and then listening to the song with the fic in mind, it makes the song hit extremely hard. also expect more taylor inspired stuff in the future because she’s one of my all time favorite artists. this one is sad but i live for the angst so what’re you gonna do? my calum piece, “everything you’re missing” should be up by the end of the week and i’m working hard on my very first michael and ashton pieces as well, which is really exciting. anyway i hope you all enjoy and are being safe (get vaccinated if you can!) once again my messages are always open and feedback/criticism is always appreciated. hugs and kisses to all, thanks - emmy <33
pairing: luke hemmings x fem!reader 
summary: you met 20 year old luke hemmings in a coffee shop eight years ago and were sure your life had been decided. you once told him you’d wait for him until you were sure he was happier without you. you never thought that day would actually come.
warning(s): angst, cursing, alludes to possible infidelity, it’s a sad one so buckle in. 
word count: 6.2k
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Current time - December 14th 
The familiar ring of the entrance bell pulled your attention from the worn book beneath your fingers to take a routine glance at the patrons rushing in from the early December chill. Mitten covered hands, and icy cold flushed cheeks entered one after the other. Your typical seat in the corner of the small cafe was shielded from the penetrating winds that accompanied each person in their entrance but you still shivered in sympathy at each new arrival. 
Your steaming earl grey had faded into a tepid puddle at the bottom of your mug as the hours passed on the analog clock that adorned the brick wall in the front. Olive, a barista you had become friendly with over the years approached your table with the cafe’s winter speciality, an orange cranberry muffin in hand. 
“Last one.” she said, sitting it on a pine green napkin in front of you. 
You reached into your purse for a few spare bills to cover the cost when she stopped you by placing a hand on your forearm. 
“On the house for our favorite customer.” her eyes were filled with pity as she nodded down to you, and you were too tired to feel embarrassed. 
“Thanks, Liv.” you sighed. 
“It’s my pleasure, besides I always feel like we’re robbing you when you pay full price, you only ever eat half anyway.” she added as she walked away. 
You picked at the baked good, memories flooding your brain with each bite. 
Eight years ago - December 14th 
As you clutched your books with a death grip you cursed yourself for forgetting your gloves in your dorm. The wind was picking up and it wouldn’t be long until they were numb completely, and your sweater paws were less than effective in warming your frozen fingers. 
A flickering red light glowed just a bit down the street and a sugary citrus aroma was pulling your stiff limbs towards it against the wind. The closer you got the more mouthwatering the smell became and soon enough you had reached the door, bracing yourself for the chill of the copper handle as you pulled it open. 
Sweet, warm air enveloped you as you stepped inside. The red brick walls were chipped in more than a few places, red and green christmas lights twinkle from a tree in the corner, and the crackling of the fireplace was like music to your ears. You wondered how you had never noticed the quaint cafe before as you took your place in line behind a tall man wearing only a thin black hoodie and beanie for protection from the cold weather. As you got closer to him a piney scent cut through the sweet smell of pastries and you caught yourself leaning in to get a better whiff of its freshness. 
Your eyes scanned over the menu that hung behind the cash register while he ordered and did your best to ignore the chill that ran up your spine when his soft aussie accent invaded your ears. 
Once he finished and stepped off to the side to wait for his order you moved forward and placed your books on the counter. 
“Hi, how can I help you today?” a young ginger barista with an abundance of freckles said. 
“Hi,” you paused and located her name tag. “Olive, I’ve never been here before but there's this smell that-” 
“Our orange cranberry muffins.” she interrupted pointing to a chalkboard in front of her that read, “Warm up with a wintery treat, try our famous orange cranberry muffin today!” 
Your stomach growled quietly at the thought as you nodded. 
“I would love one of those and...a medium early grey, please.” you replied, pulling a 10 dollar bill from your pocket. 
“Sadly, we have just sold our last one to the customer in front of you.” she nodded to the enticing blonde man that had caught your attention earlier, who was now staring down at his black vans as he shifted his weight from one leg to the other. 
You narrowed your eyes at the muffin thief when he glanced up at you innocently while accepting his coffee from another worker. 
“We do still have our gingerbread and pumpkin muffins if you’d be interested in one of those instead.” Olive continued motioning a hand to the glass display of tasty treats to your right. 
You let out a disappointed huff, “That’s okay, just the tea please.” 
You paid for your order making sure to leave a few extra dollars in the tip jar before taking a seat on a worn burgundy couch near the fire to wait for your drink. 
Leaning your head against your hand for support you allowed your eyes to drift closed and listen to the pops and crackles of the fire meshing with the soft holiday music echoing through the place. You only opened your eyes back up at the feeling of the couch dipping beside you. 
Sitting too close to not acknowledge, was the boy from earlier who was now alternating sips of what smelled like a strong latte with bites of the muffin that could’ve been yours. 
“Are you doing this on purpose?” 
His head snapped in your direction at the sound of your voice, and he finished chewing before responding.
“Doing what?” 
“Taunting me with your stupid muffin.” you were aware of how childish you sounded but hunger had always brought out the irrational side of you. 
“It’s actually quite delicious.” he smirked, ignoring your frustration. 
You groaned in jealousy, “Don’t rub it in.” 
Realization sparked in his eyes. 
“Got the last one didn’t I?” 
You nodded. 
“M’happy to share.” he grinned, breaking off half and holding it out to you. 
“No, really it’s fine. I’m just being annoying.” you waved him off. 
“I’m not annoyed. Really, take it. I’d have to throw it away otherwise.”
Your eyebrows raised at his comment. 
“I’m stuffed.” he explained, patting his stomach twice. 
“I don’t believe you, but I’m starving and this smells incredible.” you responded, accepting the baked good. 
You closed your eyes and let out a satisfied hum after biting into it. 
“Holy shit, this is like the best thing I’ve ever eaten.” 
The boy watched you and laughed at every pleased noise that you released. 
Once you had finished your half you turned back to see him still watching you, he had scooted even closer to you and your knees knocked together at your movement. 
“Thank you, that was amazing. Although it was pretty rich I don’t think I could eat a whole one either.” 
“Your welcome,” when he paused you realized you hadn’t even introduced yourself but still stole half of this guy’s muffin. 
“I’m y/n.” you filled in. 
“Luke.” he returned. 
You nodded and repeated it, testing how it felt on your tongue. 
“Thank you again, Luke.” 
The two of you began talking about, school, work, music, your favorite movies, astrology, anything really. By the time you glanced up from the conversation the cafe was nearly empty and the fire in front of you had burnt out leaving a smoky debris hanging in the air. 
“I think they’re closing.” you said while checking the time on your phone. 
“Fuck, I’ve got a paper due tomorrow.” 
“Sorry, I kept you back.” you apologized, both of you gathering your things as you talked. 
“No, s’not your fault.” he dismissed as you both began to walk to the door.
Standing a few feet away from the exit you could already feel the nip that was permeating through the glass, it sent a chill through your spine making you wiggle your shoulders. As you stared at the floor over the books in your arms, trying to decide what the best way to ensure you would see Luke again was, you heard the buzz of a zipper. You lifted your head to see your new acquaintance removing his arms from the sleeves of his black hoodie. 
“Are you crazy? It’s freezing out there.” 
“I know, you’re shivering.” he answered, swinging the fabric behind your back until it dropped and wrapped around your shoulders. He pulled on the sleeves till they were hanging in place and you watched through your lashes, completely in awe of his concentrated expression. 
“Luke, I can’t wear this you’ll freeze and I can’t just take your clothes.” 
“C’mon of course y’can. I’m warm blooded. I'll be fine and you aren’t taking it. I’m gonna want to come in for one of those muffins tomorrow and you know I can’t eat the whole thing, so you’ll just have to be here to share with me. We meet, we eat, I retrieve my jacket, all is right in the world.” He smiled through his words, attempting to warm you up by rubbing his hands up and down your shoulders quickly. “Think you can do that?” 
“I’m sure.” 
“Excellent. Meet me here at 9:00 tomorrow.” 
You nodded as he pushed the door open and despite him trying to act unaffected you could tell from his rigid stance he was freezing. 
“I’m counting on you alright? Stay warm, y/n.” he reiterated through chattering teeth before exiting the shop. 
Current Time - December 14th 
When they talk about one moment defining your life it seems silly, and unrealistic. One day of your life is hardly even a blip so one minute defining everything seems completely ludacris. You would have never bought into it eight years ago, right up until Luke muttered those three words to you before braving the cold. 
“Stay warm, y/n.”
He said it and you had one of those moments. One of those, “and then everything changed.” moments. 
You had always been sure that your purpose would come to you later in life, maybe you’d have a spiritual awakening while in some foreign country. Maybe you’d read a book that would change your view on everything, or god forbid you’d have a close encounter with death and the epiphany would come then. You would’ve never guessed that a nearly missed encounter with the world’s best muffin and a lanky Australian guy would do it. 
But here you were eight years after the encounter, your hair was longer, the crinkles that appear by your eyes when you smile now linger, and Luke was nowhere to be seen, but some things haven’t changed at all. A half eaten muffin, the comforting cafe, and your unwavering certainty that your life’s purpose was to love and to be loved by Luke Hemmings all remained. 
Seven years ago - March 27th 
The door swung open to a positively beaming Luke, he leaned in to press a swift kiss on your cheek before hurriedly pulling you inside. 
“I have a surprise for you.” 
“You do?” you questioned, taking notice of the subtle burnt smell in the air and the smoky atmosphere of his apartment. 
He nodded excitedly pulling you by the hand into the kitchen where you were met with messy countertops packed full of lumpy and slightly charred muffins. Your mouth fell open and you turned to face your boyfriend who was smiling timidly at you, eyes scanning over your face. 
“I made you our muffins.” he smiled, proudly looking at his work. 
“Wha- how? How did you even get the recipe?” 
“Olive helped me out.” He responded, taking a seat on one of the bar stools by the island. 
“Lu, this is incredible. Thank you.” you praised, moving to stand between his legs. 
“I hope they turned out good. Y’know baking is a lot harder than it looks.” he tutted while unwrapping one for you. “Open up.” he instructed, tapping your chin. 
Your teeth struggled to bite through the dense baked good, and while your taste buds fought with the bitter crumbly substance you questioned whether Luke had actually followed any recipe at all because what you were eating tasted nothing like the warm, gooey, and tart treat that the two of you had come to love. 
You chewed slowly to avoid swallowing and kept your face as neutral as possible. 
“How is it? Good?” he spoke nervously and the little glint of hope in his eyes forced you to swallow it down and paint on a pleased smile. 
“Mmm” you moaned “It's delicious, Luke.” 
“Yeah?” he beamed. 
“Really good.” you nodded, your eyes drifting longingly to the sink. In that moment you would’ve killed for a glass of water. 
“Wow, I mean I thought they’d be alright but this is great. Lemme try.” he brought your muffin up to his mouth and in a panic you snatched it from his hands, squeaking out a small “No!” before shoving the rest of it in your mouth. 
“Babe, there’s plenty, no need to be greedy.” he laughed while unwrapping another. And you really should’ve thought this through because with puffed out cheeks full of possibly the worst muffin in history you took a step back and watched him bite into one. His face twisted in disgust and he quickly spit what he had taken back into the wrapper. 
When he looked back up to you, you were standing there with a full mouth and wide eyes. He cocked his head to the side in confusion, “You enjoyed that?” 
The second you shrugged your shoulders, feigning innocence Luke burst into a sharp cackle, his legs kicking up into the air from the force of his laughter. You took that as an opportunity to run to the trash and rid yourself of the awful taste in your mouth. 
Luke was still struggling to catch his breath while you finished pouring yourself a glass of water. 
“It’s not funny, Lu.” you argued between sips.
“Why didn’t you just spit it out?” he chortled, beckoning you closer with grabby hands. 
“Because, it was so sweet.” you reasoned. 
“Really? I would argue it was more rancid than sweet.” 
“Not the muffin you goon, the gesture.” you elaborated, smacking his shoulder. 
“I can’t believe you ate the whole thing.” 
“Shut up. I was trying to be nice.” you pouted. 
“Hey,” he said, standing and opening his arms. “M’sorry I know.” 
You waddled into his embrace, wrapping your arms around his back. 
“I love you for that.” he sighed, before kissing the top of your head. 
You froze in his hold, those three unexpected words echoing through your head. 
“You what?” 
His chest shook lightly as a laugh fell from his mouth. 
“I love you.” he repeated. It was so nonchalant, as if he’d said it to you a hundred times before. “You alright with that?” 
You nodded before pulling back just enough that you could see his face. 
“I love you.” you returned. 
Luke’s hands cupped your cheeks, a groan passing his lips before he pressed a soft kiss to your now pouty mouth.
“Say it again.” he pleaded into your mouth. 
“I love you.” you sighed, chasing his lips with your own. 
“And again, and again, and again…” he continued, rewarding you with one lingering peck for each declaration. 
“Mmm” he hummed in content when he decided he was satisfied. “Never stop saying it.” 
Current Time - December 14th 
A whirlwind romance like the one that the two of you had shared was never meant to be sad. It was the kind of love that constantly feels like a cheesy montage full of sweet moments that happens at the end of a rom-com. Unsuccessful baking attempts, cozy study dates, spontaneous weekend trips, hundreds of shared muffins, piggy back rides home from the bar, that’s what made you Luke and y/n. 
The two of you didn’t do well with the hard stuff and it worked because there just wasn’t any. Everything was easy and it felt good. It felt right. 
It had never even occurred to you that the hard stuff was part of any great love, that inevitably one day things would get hard. It really hadn’t occurred to you that pushing through the hard stuff was something that Luke may not be up for. Because you were and you always had been, all in. 
Six years ago - February 17th 
You had gotten home late after a long shift at the library you worked at part time . Luke was sitting on the couch scribbling something in a notebook and taking tiny sips of his steaming cup of tea, too impatient to wait for it to cool properly. 
You’d been listening to an audiobook while organizing the shelves that day and the somber tone of it had seriously dampened your mood. It also made you extremely grateful that you had Luke to cuddle away all your sorrows. 
He had noticed your sad expression the second he saw you and was quick to pull you into his arms and press you for information. 
“What happened baby?” he cooed as you nestled as close into him as physically possible. 
“Sad book.” you mumbled into his chest. 
“Aw, love you shouldn’t let that stuff get to you. S’not real, there’s no need to get upset.” This was something you had heard plenty of times before, seeing as you were an extremely emotional person and felt things strongly. 
“It was so sad though, bubs.” You reasoned that talking through it with someone else might dull the ache that it had left on your taut heartstrings. You explained the whole plot, how the couple had met on a plane and spent their two separate vacations together and along the way fallen in love. Luke would hum or nod every so often indicating he was listening but you knew most of his focus was on the fact that you were tearing up through your explanation. He let his lips rest along your hairline as you got to the climax of the story, speaking through cracks in your voice to tell him that they had lost each other’s numbers on their way back and while the woman was able to move on and find love later in life, the man waited at the airport for years hoping that one day he would see her again. 
Luke’s hand ran through your hair while your head rested on his chest. 
“I don’t think there’s anything romantic about it. It’s just sad.” he concluded. 
“I disagree.” 
“Really?” 
“I’d wait for you.” you confirmed, running your fingers over the fabric of his shirt. 
“Not forever though,” he added. 
“I’d wait until I knew you were happier without me.” 
“Yea, me too.” he agreed. 
“I’d never be happier without you.” 
Current Time - December 14th 
One thing that you never doubted in your relationship was whether or not Luke loved you. You knew he did. It was something that had always been casual between the two of you, it was as much a greeting as it was anything else. 
As the sun rose and broke through your curtains the words to break the silence that lingered from the night before wasn’t “Good morning” it was “I love you.” Before leaving for work instead of an impersonal “Bye!” you shouted “Love you!” through the closing door of your apartment. It was a phrase that had been repeated millions of times, and despite the casualness of it all, it never lost its meaning. 
Even now, five years since you’d last seen him you knew with every bone in your body that no matter where he was right now, half the world away or two blocks downtown, he still loved you. 
Luke always kept his promises, a million times he had promised that he would always love you. And a million times you had promised it right back. 
A hundred years apart wouldn’t change that, let alone five. 
Five years ago - December 13th 
You watched the snow fall from the living room window, what you would normally find peaceful was making you go insane. It had been perpetually silent around your apartment for the past couple of weeks. Luke was hardly ever home, when asked he would tell you that he had a big project at work and needed to teach the new intern how things were done in the office. You hadn’t thought much of it, there were times when you were busy and had to put things with him on the back burner to focus on the uncertainty of work. It had never been an issue because as far as you were concerned things were set between you and Luke. There was the unspoken promise of forever. 
Of course, that didn’t stop you from missing him tons. On this specific occasion the cold weather had left you with clogged sinuses and a bad headache, one that you would typically soothe with a cup of  earl grey from the cafe and an abundance of snuggling. Since Luke wasn’t around to fulfill your touch deprivation you decided that wearing one of his favorite sweatshirts would have to do for now. 
You blindly reached into his drawer to search for it but stopped when your hand caught on a folded piece of paper. You pulled it out and walked to the bed, flicking on the lamp as you sat. Once the light turned on you were able to see it clear as day, two airline tickets to Sydney departing on the 20th and returning  on January 3rd. The two of you had briefly discussed travelling to Australia at some point so you could finally meet his family but nothing had ever been confirmed. 
The naivety that had always been a part of who you were began to connect non-existent dots with hopeful lines. Luke was planning on surprising you with Christmas in Australia with his family. It explained why he was never home, it also explained the secretive phone calls you had started picking up on after he scurried out of bed in the middle of the night a while ago to speak to someone in hushed tones just outside the bedroom door.
That night when he finally got home at nearly eleven you had made sure to leave half a muffin with a note that read, “Miss you, stud muffin. You work too hard. Love you -y/n” on the kitchen counter. From where you laid in bed, you could hear him laugh as he read it aloud. You quickly sat up in bed when the laughs you were reveling in started to sound like sobs. 
The dim lighting in the kitchen didn’t stop you from seeing the tears on Luke’s face as he looked up to where you stood, stunned in the hallway. 
“What’s wrong?” you hurried to him. 
He made a sniffing sound before gathering you in his arms. He held you so tight that if it wasn’t so sincere it might’ve hurt. 
“Lu, what’s going on.” you squeaked out. 
He tightened his arms around you and nuzzled his face into your hair, emitting soft cries every so often. 
“I love you, y/n.” 
“I know. I love you too.” 
“I swear I’ll always love you. I swear.” 
“I know. Hey, Lu I know.” you soothed as his breaths became more labored. 
At some point you had managed to calm him down and coax him into bed, you reasoned that he was just so tired that his feelings got the best of him, something that had happened to you many times before. And honestly you were just happy to be back in his arms once again, so when he was wrapped around you in bed, his hands playing with your hair like they always did when he got anxious, you didn’t think twice about it when he said,
“We need to talk tomorrow, over breakfast. We can go to the café if you want?” 
You nodded against his chest as sleep overtook you, the last thing you heard being “I promise I’ll always love you.”  
Current Time - December 14th 
Your reminiscing was interrupted by a high pitched screech from the front of the cafe. When you followed the sound your eyes landed upon a distressed toddler, about three years old if you to guess, who was pouting up at a tall, gorgeous woman that was apologizing profusely to Olive for her son’s outbreak. You wouldn’t have looked twice at the scene if  it wasn’t for the way Olive’s troubled expression and wide eyes were directed precisely on you. 
The child was screaming through his cries “I want daddy’s muffin!” His face was red and blotchy from tears and the cold weather but didn’t completely overtake his creamy skin tone that complimented his familiar blue eyes. He was an adorable kid, a full head of blonde ringlets and chubby cheeks that you were sure turned a light pink when he smiled. 
He kind of reminded you of Luke. When the thought entered your head you were quick to dismiss it though, because if you were being honest most things reminded you of Luke. 
“I’m so sorry about this. He isn’t normally so loud, it’s just that my husband loves these muffins and he promised Sammy one.” you heard the gorgeous woman say. 
“It’s fine, the cranberry orange muffin is a big hit around here. They sell out almost everyday.” Olive responded, her eyes unbreaking from yours. 
“Yea that’s what Luke always tells me.” 
Five years ago - December 14th 
The walk to the café felt longer than it typically did and you had no idea why, for some reason you didn’t notice that Luke was dragging his feet. Maybe it was because you were sure that this impromptu breakfast date was to tell you of the surprise Christmas trip to Australia. Maybe it was because any amount of extra time you got to spend holding Luke’s hand in your own you considered a gift. 
When you finally arrived you were quick to usher him to your favorite table, one that was secluded in the corner, enough to have a bit of privacy but also allowed you to people watch on slow days and have telepathic conversations with Olive from across the room. 
You noticed that Luke wasn’t eating after a few minutes, his muffin half sat untouched in front of him and his nervous demeanor was driving you crazy. 
“I have to admit something.” you finally said, tired of the silence. 
Luke nodded for you to continue but refused to meet your eyes as you spoke. 
“I know about Australia, I found the tickets in your drawer so if that’s what you're so nervous about, there’s no need. Of course I’ll go with you, you have no idea how excited I am to meet your mom, she can finally show me all those baby pictures that she’s always telling me about.” you were so busy picturing your potential trip to Luke’s hometown that you didn’t notice Luke’s teared up eyes and anxious tapping. 
“Y/n, the tickets aren’t for-” he cut himself off before the approaching crack in his voice could prevail. “I met someone.” 
“Okay?” 
You didn’t even know what that meant, he met someone? You met people all the time, what does that have to do with the trip?  You lifted your mug to take a sip while you waited for him to continue.
“I mean I-I have feelings for someone, uh someone else.” 
You didn’t even feel your grip release, you didn’t hear the shattering noise, you didn’t feel the scorching liquid seep through your top onto your skin. 
Luke was leaving you. He fell in love with someone else. It was serious enough that he was bringing her home. Luke was leaving you. Luke was leaving you. Luke was leaving you.
“I don’t understand.” The crying had already begun, and although it didn’t surprise Luke he couldn’t bear to watch it. He stared at the spilled tea and shards of glass. The entire cafe’s eyes were on you and you didn’t even notice all you could see was that Luke’s weren’t. 
“Look at me.” you pleaded. There was a time when he would’ve seen your face, seen how distressed you were and gone back on everything solely because it hurt him too much to see you hurt. 
When did that stop? Why hadn’t you noticed? 
“I love you y/n, really I do. But I love her too.” 
“You love her more.” you didn’t even try to phrase it as a question, there was no point, you already knew the answer. He must’ve loved her more because he was leaving you for her. Luke was leaving you. 
Your acknowledgement of his feelings didn’t make it hurt any less when he didn’t deny it. Luke was leaving you. 
You sat in silence for at least five minutes, it felt like years. Luke watched you cry, fighting the urge to wrap you in his arms, and sway you back and forth until you stopped. He wouldn’t do that because it was selfish, it would ease his troubles more than yours, he deserved to see how his hurtful actions affected the one he swore to shield from any and all pain. 
“I’ll have everything out of the apartment by the end of the week.” 
The end of the week? You had planned on spending the rest of your life with him and he was telling you that he would essentially be out of your life by the end of the week. Luke was leaving you. None of it felt real. 
“I can’t tell you how sorry I am. I love you.” 
Watching him leave felt surreal, you couldn’t hear anything but your blood pumping, you hardly took any notice when Olive rushed to your table and pulled you into her embrace. 
Luke left you. 
Current time - December 14th 
You could feel his presence as soon as he stumbled out of the bathroom.
How could you have missed him coming in?
You dragged your eyes up his body from his feet, and when they fell upon his face it was like someone had pressed play after fast forwarding through the years that had been taken from you. You weren’t 23 anymore, and Luke certainly wasn’t either. He’d always had a strong build, but he held himself differently now. He was confident and collected, very sure of himself. He had a bit of scruff lining his jaw but you could tell it was well kept and intentional and a pair of black rimmed glasses sat on the bridge of his nose. You reacquainted yourself with his appearance from your spot in the corner. 
With each subtle change you catalogued in your brain, vivid images danced through your head, like a kaleidoscope of what could’ve been. You saw lazy Sunday mornings on the couch leisurely sipping coffee, the open windows next to you bringing in a sweet breeze making the house smell like fresh grass after it rains. You saw yourself pushing a stroller through a park, Luke chasing behind one of your little ones just a few feet ahead. You saw roadtrips, vacations, theme parks, crowded family dinners, trick or treating, white gowns, and wedding cakes. You saw binkies, and bottles, tangled sheets, ruffled hair, pecks on the forehead, lunch boxes, and I love you notes. 
The last scene you saw, one that felt so real you could’ve sworn you were really there, started with Luke sitting on the floor surrounded in wrapping paper a toddler curled up in his lap. He wore flannel pajama pants and a ratty shirt he had purchased at the concert you went to for your third date. He took sips from his mug of lukewarm coffee every so often, and you were sure if you got close enough you’d be able to smell it on his breath, not that you would mind. His curls were grown out more than he typically liked them, they were messy from sleep and obstructing his vision slightly. Just as you reached out to brush them from his forehead, it was like you had been thrown backwards by a force strong enough to make your stomach drop. 
Reality. 
You could still see Luke from where you stood but he was so far away now. You reached your hand out again, gasping in shock when it hit a sheet of glass, you knocked against it firmly but nothing happened. It was like a window where you watched the scene unfold. A woman you had been in the same position as not seconds ago stood up and revealed her face. It was his wife, she handed Luke a small gift bag and waited patiently as he opened it. He acknowledged the gift, a framed photo of the two of them and leaned forward to press a thank you kiss to her lips. 
“Stop!” you called.
No one can hear you. 
“Luke, I’m right here.” you yelled, slamming an open hand to the glass. 
Hot tears fell from your cheeks as you continued to knock and shout. 
“Lu, please.”
As he pulled away from the kiss a grin plastered his face. And it hit you, he was happy. He really was happy. 
Realization of the thing you dreaded the most in the world happened quickly, but not painlessly. Luke’s eyes flicked to your own, he saw you through the window. He saw you calling for him, crying for him, begging for him. He saw you and then he looked away. 
And reality snapped you back yet again, right into the present moment. You were in your café, staring at your empty mug, your face felt hot and wet. When had you started to cry? You reached a shaky hand out for a napkin to wipe your tears, but ended up knocking the mini poinsettia pot in front of you over instead. A crash echoed through the café and everyone turned their attention to you and your frantic demeanor. Everyone, even Luke. 
You forced your eyes up from the glass that sat shattered on the white tablecloth with slow movements and shallow breaths until they finally found the culprit, the reason for your pain. You could see right through the light blue of his eyes, shock and bittersweet nostalgia pooled in the cerulean waves. 
Just like you were suddenly 29 and hurt when you saw Luke. He was suddenly 20 and enamored when he saw you. 
He physically winced while taking notice of the black streaks that cascaded down your cheeks. It reminded him of leaving you. It was all his fault. 
He met your gaze with a desperate one of his own, silently praying that you could still read him well enough to understand. 
His eyes released unspoken declarations with every slow blink. 
I can’t believe I’m seeing you. I miss you. I still love you. I’ll always love you. 
You can’t be here right now. I’m with my family. I’m happy now. I’m happy without you. 
Every silent, stabbing confession all summed up into one that you had been afraid of for the entire eight years that Luke Hemmings had stolen from you. 
I love you, but somehow that stopped being enough.
The place was silent. All eyes on you. 
“I’m so sorry.” 
You weren’t quite sure who you were apologizing to or what for,  it could’ve been to Olive for making yet another mess that she would end up cleaning. It could’ve been to all the customers you disrupted when you broke the flower pot. Or Luke’s son who you had stolen a muffin from. Or maybe his wife, that you had been demonizing in your head for years, seeing her only as the woman who stole the love of your life. It could’ve been to Luke, you were sorry you hadn’t taken him seriously, he was in love and he had a family and you were still waiting around for the day he decided to come back for you. The day that would never come. 
Deep down though, you knew you were saying it to yourself. Eight years is a long time, you had stopped living for yourself a long time ago. You did miss Luke, of course you did but maybe part of the hole in your chest that you had been so desperately trying to fill, was yourself. You really missed you. You without Luke. How could you have forgotten about her? 
“I have to go.” this time you knew exactly who you were talking to and as your feet carried you to the door you didn’t even contemplate turning around when Luke’s voice broke through the silence of the café to say,         
 “Y/n, wait!” 
You kept walking, past the stunned patrons, past Olive, past Luke. You kept walking until you were sure that no one would catch up. You just kept walking because after all this time you were so done waiting.
291 notes · View notes
combat-wombatus · 3 years
Text
Crimson Snow
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Pairing: Hawks (Takami Keigo) x Fem!Reader
Genre: angst :’) (a lil bit of fluff thrown in here and there)
Warnings: mentions of blood, character death. 
WC: 7.8k. am i sorry? no.
Summary: Childhood friends doesn’t always equal lovers in the future. You wished that was the case, but ever since Keigo disappeared, you found it hard to believe in love again. 
(A/N): this was. i had to write this. it wasn’t up for debate. finishing this at 4am in the morning aldksjfhajshd. spent a grant total of 2 days brainstorming & writing this fic. not proofread at all. heavily inspired by the song 小幸运 by Hebe Tien. i strongly suggest you give it a try and listen to it as you read this :p (for all my chinese speakers out there...let’s see how you deal with this heartbreak :’) so yeah. i’m actually...really really proud of this fic. i tried a new format with this, and i think i kinda like it. also i left the ending up to interpretation if you don’t read the epilogue. enjoy! 
credit for this au goes to @wafflesandkruge​
here’s the link to the music :)
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The one constant in your life.
The boy who’d always been there for you, through the dark days and the cold nights, holding your hand through it all.
The one who’d held you when you broke down.
The one who’d tucked you under his wings as the skies crackled with energy, rain pouring from the heavens, and told you that no matter where you went, he’d stay with you. He’d keep you nice and dry, snuggled close to his body as he shielded you from the storm.
The one constant in your life.
He’d left quietly in the night, not stopping by to say farewell.
In his place, he’d left a lonesome letter, tucked away beneath a boulder on your special hill.
“I’ll come back for you. Wait for me, okay?”
And from within that plain white envelope, a single red feather floated out, carried on the autumn winds, drifting aimlessly.
Almost as if it were lost.
And in that moment, you felt as if you’d lost a part of yourself, a little piece of your soul.
You weren’t sure you were ever going to get it back.
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Years passed. You waited. There was no sign of him
Not in the skies, not on the land, and even though you’d sometimes see him in the reflection of the water, sitting next to you as you told him about your day, he wasn’t really there either.
I won’t give up on him.
I’ll stay strong.
He told me he’d come back for me.
Against the test of time, your resolve never withered. It only grew, strong as steel, taking over the crevices in your heart where he’d left his mark.
I’ll wait for you, Kei.
But please…come back to me.
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“Hey, (Y/N)!” Your friend called out enthusiastically from her position on the couch. “Come look!”
“What?” You stepped out of the kitchen, only to be greeted by a familiar face, smirking on the TV screen.
“Look at him! He’s this new hero, and he’s only 18! (Y/N)! He’s our age! Isn’t he hot?” She pointed at his flickering image. “His hero name is Hawks!” Squealing, she turned to you. “Isn’t that so cool?”
You stood in shock, the glass of water that you had been holding slipped from your fingers and shattered onto the floor. Liquid pooled around your feet, soaking your slippers, but you made no move to step aside.
“Woah! (Y/N), are you okay?” She jumped off the couch, rushing towards you. “Hey, (Y/N)? He’s cute and all but…this is a little bit much, isn’t it?” She looked at you with concern, eyebrows drawing tighter when you didn’t respond.
“(Y/N) …what’s wrong? You look like you just saw a ghost.”
Shaking yourself from your daze, you averted your eyes. “Ahh, I’m sorry. Uh…I just, I never thought I’d see him again.”
“Wait, you know him?” Your friend looked at you, surprised. “(Y/N) …did he do something to you?” She asked softly. “If he did, I don’t care how cute he is, I’m gonna kick his ass to high heaven if need be. Someone like that shouldn’t be a hero.”
You shook your head, chuckling a little. “No…no, there’s no need to do that. It’s just…it’s been a long time, and I just didn’t expect to see him.”
“Ahh. Well, step out of that puddle! Come on, let’s grab you some paper towels.”
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Hey!
It’s me, (Y/N). I…I saw you on TV today. You look…different. In a good way, I suppose. You’ve bulked up a bit.
You never used to smile like that though. Not like…like you were smiling for others. Seeing you smile for the camera, well…it made me sad.
But I’m happy that you’re ok. I think it would probably be hard for you to find me, since obviously I’m not on the news. So I’ll come find you instead, yeah? What do you say we catch up sometime?
I miss you. I’m in college now. I’m doing pretty good. You’re an overachiever, aren’t you? 18 years old and you already have your own agency.
Not that I’m complaining. Thanks for making it so easy for me to find you :)
So…let’s meet up sometime, when you have time? Maybe for some coffee? I know a quaint little place. It’s not too far away from your agency, three blocks to the right, turn left, and walk to the next intersection. It’s the corner shop. You can’t miss it.
I’ll wait for you there this Saturday, okay? I’ll do my work there. You can walk in whenever you have the time.
Your chicken, (Y/N)
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Saturday came faster than you could prepare yourself. You checked your reflection repeatedly in the mirror, double-guessing your outfit decisions.
What if he doesn’t like it?
Is this too formal for a coffee date?
“Hey, (Y/N)!” Your friend barged into the bathroom. “I saw all the clothes on your bed! Are you going on a date?”
“Uh…just a meeting with an old friend. To catch up,” you explained.
She looked at you suspiciously. “Old friend…is it that guy on TV? Hawks?”
You grew flustered. “Err…yeah. If he got my letter.”
She looked you up and down, then dragged you into her closet. “Good thing I just went on a shopping spree last weekend then!” She pumped a fist excitedly in the air. “I’m giving you a makeover!”
Two hours later, you stood in front of the bathroom mirror once more. Your friend had put you through every single possible combination of outfits using both your closet and hers, and you had to agree that she had impeccable taste.
“Come on, you’re going to be late!” She shoved you out of the bathroom.
“I didn’t set a time!” You protested, laughing.
“Well, get your ass out of here! My boyfriend’s coming over!”
“So that’s the real reason you want me gone, hmm?” You teased her.
“Shush! Get out!”
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Hawks was on patrol. You had been on his mind the entire week. Ever since your letter had reached his desk, he couldn’t stop thinking about you.
Thinking about you brought back happier times, and he wasn’t masochistic enough to give himself false hope.
No, it would be better for you to forget about him, and vice versa.
Still, he couldn’t stop himself. His body flew of its own accord, ignoring the sensibilities of his mind that screamed at it to stop.
Go back! The reasonable voice inside his head yelled.
Fly back!
His body refused to listen.
He found himself gently landing on a rooftop, right across the little café you told him to meet you at.
He even debated going inside. Just for a second. Just for a cup of coffee, to warm myself up in the chilly late-afternoon breeze, he told himself.
Then, he scoffed. Who was he kidding? If he went inside, he wouldn’t have the resolve to step back out before he saw you.
Shaking his head, he flew away as quickly as he could.
If he’d stayed a moment longer, he would’ve seen you walk down the street, humming a little tune to yourself.
Maybe then his resolve would’ve cracked.
Too bad he’ll never know.
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Sitting alone at a table for two was an unpleasant feeling. Especially when you’re on your third drink, the waitress keeps eyeing you with pity, and you couldn’t concentrate on your work.
“Miss?” The waitress stopped by your table again. “Sorry to bother you, but we’re closing in 15 minutes.”
You checked the time on your laptop. Crap. It was already 5:15.
“Oh yeah, uhh, sorry to bother you!” You chuckle awkwardly. You quickly packed your books and laptop, dropped a $20 bill on the table, and hurried out the door. Walking home in silence, you tried your best not to feel too disappointed.
Maybe he just didn’t have time?
It’s ok. You’ll just ask him again, another time.
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Another time.
You sent him countless letters. For the first year, at least. When he ignores all of them, you visit his agency in person.
As you walk through the glass doors, there’s a man sitting behind the reception desk.
“Hello, miss. How can I help you today?” He asks in the customary polite tone.
“I’m looking for Keigo. Hawks,” you answer, trying to hide your nervousness.
He looks at you suspiciously. “How do you know his first name?”
“We…we were childhood friends,” you tried to explain. “I…well, I haven’t seen him in a while.”
He took a closer look at you. “Can I ask for your name, miss?”
“(Y/N). (Y/N) (Y/L/N).”
He sighed. “I’m afraid that you’ll have to leave the premises, Miss (Y/L/N). You’re not allowed to be here.”
What?
He hadn’t kicked you out before you told him your name.
“Why-” you started, but he cut you off.
“Miss (Y/L/N). I’m afraid that I have to ask you to leave, and don’t come back. Should I call security to escort you out?”
Holding back tears, you clutched your purse close to your chest and hurried out the glass doors, wishing nothing more than to shatter them into pieces.
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You didn’t send any more letters after that.
Years pass. Every year on your birthday, Keigo gave you a feather.
“So I’ll always be with you,” he joked.
His feathers are extra durable, but time can wear down even the strongest things.
The last feather you got from him was ten years ago.
It can barely be considered a feather at this point, and you keep it in a special glass case so it can’t get any more worn down.
Ten years.
You’re turning 25 tomorrow.
Ten years of waiting around for him turned into ten years of watching him date other women. Ten years of hiding your pain every time another picture of him kissing a new girl graced the covers of the tabloids.
The first time, you cried yourself to sleep.
It wasn’t the last time.
Again and again, he breaks your heart.
By the third year, you convinced yourself to stop looking at the tabloids and the gossip sites.
By the fifth year, you scold yourself. You vow to stop crying over a stupid childhood crush.
By the seventh, you told yourself that you needed to forget about him. Step back into the dating ring, make out with someone else, and remove his presence entirely from your mind.
That didn’t work out.
Ten years.
It killed you to finally harden your resolve, but you told yourself that you couldn’t spend your whole life waiting for someone who was never going to love you back.
You’re turning 25 tomorrow, and you’re going to go on a date.
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He’s watching you. He always is.
It makes him feel like a creepy stalker, but he can’t help it.
He watches you as you step into the restaurant, decked out in formal wear that looked amazing on you.
Going on a date. With someone who wasn’t him.
He stays on the rooftop, watching you through a window as you ate and laughed.
He wishes that he was the one making you laugh, that he was the one helping you order food from the menu, that he was the one sharing a dessert with you.
He’s selfish like that. It never does him any good.
He’s scared, really. Scared of commitment, tarnished by his time spent in the work program.
He sees you as the one thing in life that they can’t take away from him. You have this innocence, this purity that you always carry around with you, because you’re a part of a time when his life wasn’t so complicated.
He doesn’t want to shatter that illusion.
He never reached out to you because he’s scared.
He’s scared that he’ll break you.
He stopped sending you feathers, heart splintering every time your birthday comes around, hoping you’ll eventually forget him.
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You don’t.
It’s not that you didn’t try.
No one else really interested you.
That is, until Masaki came along. He was bright, happy, always upbeat. He could find the words to cheer you up, to make a bad day that much better. He was attentive, caring, sweet.
He was everything that most people would look for in a partner.
And slowly, you began to open up to him too.
You fell into his embrace easier. You got a little happier when he came over for dinner.
You felt just a little safer when you were wrapped in his arms, a luxury you never thought you’d have.
Two years later, during a picnic date, he proposed.
You always had a love for picnic dates. Maybe because your first date, with Keigo, was a messy picnic affair during the spring, on top of a little hill where wildflowers bloomed and birds pecked at your leftovers.
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“Stop!” You giggled, whipped cream smeared all over your cheeks. “You’re going to get it on my clothes!”
Keigo laughed, then popped another strawberry in your mouth. “You can wash that off later, silly! Just have fun!”
“It’s not fun when my clothes are all sticky,” you whined. “You try it! It feels gross!”
He smirked. “Oh really?”
Taking a strawberry, he dipped it in the container of cream you had brought, then stuck it down his shirt.
“Ha! Take that!” He gloated.
You stared at him in shock. “Did you just–”
“Yes I did! And it’s not gross at all, see?” He plucked the strawberry back out and shoved it in his mouth.
“Eww! Kei, that’s disgusting!”
“No it’s not, it still tastes like a strawberry! Mphm!” He chewed, licking his fingers.
He regretted that decision later, when bees swarmed the front of his shirt.
“Eek!” He shrieked, hopping backwards.
“Kei, take off your shirt!”
“It’s so sticky!” He yelped, trying to peel the front of his shirt away from his chest.
“I told you!”
“Hey, now is NOT the time for the ‘I told you so’ speech, okay?” He finally ripped his shirt off.
You couldn’t help it. You cackled.
“What now?” He looked at the bees feasting on his ruined tee.
“I told you so,” you teased him.
Taking one look at the devious glint in his eyes, you scooped up the picnic supplies and raced down the hill.
He followed, wings beating, taking off into the air. He reached you within seconds, tacking you to the ground.
“Hey, that’s not fair!” You struggled against him. “You know you’re fast when you fly!”
He looked at you mischievously. “And what about it?”
“You can’t race me like that when I’m on foot!”
“Who said we were racing?” His eyes locked on your lips. “I was just trying to catch up to you.”
You blushed, suddenly realizing how close his face was to yours.
“Kei–” you started.
“Can I kiss you?” He interrupted you, then quickly blushed. “I mean, only if you want to-”
You wrapped your hands in his hair, interrupting him with a kiss.
He tasted like the remnants of strawberries and cream, sweet honey on a beautiful spring day.
And it was a beautiful spring day.
Perhaps the last beautiful spring day you’d ever have, for the next spring, he was gone.
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Beautiful spring days were few and far between. You’d learned that the hard way.
But today…you were inclined to think that it might be another one of those days.
Your boyfriend of two years had proposed on a beautiful spring day reminiscent of one long ago.
You supposed that this marked a series of firsts.
First date. First kiss. And now…a proposal.
You accept his proposal, tears in your eyes. He thinks that they’re tears of happiness, and in part, they are.
You don’t tell him that this was the one thing that you never thought you’d do. You feel like you’re betraying Keigo.
You have to remind yourself that he betrayed you first.
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Half a year later, you have a wedding. It’s a small wedding, with only your families and close friends. You considered reaching out to Hawks’s hero agency, but decided to spare yourself the pain.
He’d moved on. So would you.
Unbeknownst to you, when the ceremony rolled around, Keigo was standing on a nearby rooftop, the wind blowing away his tears.
He couldn’t believe how beautiful you were.
He knew that he couldn’t have you, but didn’t you know that he was a sucker for pain? Watching you repeat the vows was like getting punched full-force in the gut, but the wind never returned to his lungs.
He felt empty inside. Something essential was missing, and he knew what it was, but he also knew that he couldn’t ever have it. Not if he wanted you to stay alive.
As the ceremony finished, he flew away into the sunset, and you caught a glimpse of his crimson wings, purely on accident. You shook your head in disbelief.
“Now I’m hallucinating too,” you muttered to yourself.
But no matter how hard you tried to convince yourself you imagined the whole thing, that final view made it so much harder for you to forget him.
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Another year passed, and the seasons changed as they did. Spring flowing into summer, summer fading into autumn, autumn slowly drifting into winter.
Gradually, your new life engulfed you, the comfort of it all slowly draining away your doubts. Your husband was a good man. A faithful man. A caring man.
He held doors open for you and snuggled you on the couch. He played with your hair and made you breakfast in bed. He made it difficult for you not to love him.
You weren’t entirely sure you wanted to resist, anyways.
One night, you woke up in your shared bed, screaming in pain. Your lower back burned, almost as if you were getting branded.
Your husband woke up to the commotion. The bedsheets were stained with blood. Fresh, crimson, blood, all of it coming from you.
Whimpering, you laid limp as Masaki set you on your belly, trying to figure out the source of the injury. Taking a clean paper towel, he gingerly wiped the blood off of your raw skin, showing a tattoo emblazoned in gold ink.
Written in elegant cursive were three simple words.
Three words, but they hurt to look at.
(Y/N) …I’m sorry.
Your husband stared in shock. This didn’t happen. This couldn’t happen, could it? The only way someone got a tattoo like this was if their soulmate died, and, well…he was still very much alive.
He wasn’t your soulmate.
In this world, quirks weren’t the only strange thing.
Soulmates existed. But most never found out until it was too late.
When your soulmate died, their last words would be tattooed permanently on their other half’s skin in a bloody and painful process.
Their last moments would flash before the other’s eyes.
Nothing you could do. Nothing you could be sure of, until it was too late.
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Fires blazed everywhere.
Building after building, it ate away at the crumbling city, tearing down everything in its path.
“Help!” A voice choked out, raspy from smoke intake. “There’s a beam—ugh—on my leg. I can’t get it off!”
A winged figure crouched on a burning rooftop, out of breath and utterly exhausted.
Backup wasn’t coming.
The whole city was burning.
Standing shakily, he sent the last of his feathers off to help the trapped woman.
“That’s it for me then, I suppose,” his smile wobbled slightly. “My work here is done.”
He couldn’t risk jumping off of the roof. His wings were stubs on his back, and only a single feather remained.
“That’s not enough for me to fly off, now is it?” He chuckled mirthlessly. “Oh, if only you could see me right now, (Y/N). You’d be proud. Saved more than 500 people today, you know that?” He sighed, sitting down on the roof. “Lost count somewhere around there. You were always proud of me, weren’t you? The only one that believed in me when I told myself I couldn’t fly.
You’re the one that taught me to fly, remember, chicken? Those were the good times.
Look at me now. Talking to myself. Don’t even have the strength to fly down anymore.” He coughed into his hand, blood staining his palm. He grasped tightly onto a keychain around his neck, smearing the metal with crimson.
“I never did thank you. Guess it’s too late now.” He stared up at the sky, hues of orange and gold dancing across the horizon.
“Never did treat you right.” He plucked his last feather off of his back, twirling it around in his fingers.
“You were always too good for me. Too good for anyone, really.” He laid down on the roof, back no longer sensitive to the burning heat.
“I lost the right to love you a long time ago. I’ve got no business crying over you.” He chuckled bitterly. “But is that going to stop me?”
Letting go of the keychain and his feather, his hands went limp.
“(Y/N),” he sighed, closing his eyes. “I’m sorry.”
The roof collapsed, the hungry flames licking at the bottom finally swallowing him whole. His comms fell out of his ear, the plastic melting in the heat.
A single red feather floated down to the ground, charred and blackened.
The only remains of his body they’ll ever find.
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You were sobbing uncontrollably. Keigo.
He was your soulmate.
The boy you loved.
The one who’d abandoned you.
The one who you tried to forget.
He was your soulmate.
Your soulmate, who was dead.
“Turn…turn on the TV,” you whispered weakly. “Turn it on. I need to see.”
Masaki reached for the remote, flipping it on to the news channel.
“Earlier tonight, a bomb was detonated in Nagoya prefecture. Top heroes were on the scene, including Endeavor and Hawks, but their quirks are ill-suited to fight the conflagration. Endeavor has resorted to using brute strength to rescue people from the rubble, while Hawks hasn’t been seen since the beginning of the night. We are now reporting his status as MIA, and will continue to look for the Winged Hero, along with updating our reports on the status of missing civilians–”
You shut the TV off. You’d heard all you needed to.
Throwing on a mishmash of clothing, you sprinted out the door. Hailing a taxi, you hopped in before it had even screeched to a full stop.
“Hawks Hero Agency.” You told the driver, not bothering to mince your words. You hadn’t bothered to wipe all the blood off of your back either, so it was gradually staining your coat a deep crimson, a mocking parody of the way that Keigo’s feathers used to lay against his back.
His feathers that were burnt, charred, turned to ashes, no longer able to bring you the comfort they once had when they wrapped you in a warm embrace.
The driver looked concerned. “Miss, do you know what happened today? Hawks isn’t–”
“Yes, I know. Drive.”
You pressed your forehead against the window, breath steaming up the glass. It reminded you of one winter, when the two of you had been building snowmen, and your mother called you in for dinner.
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“Kei, I have to go,” you tugged at his hand.
“Aww, (Y/N),” he kicked at an unfortunate stone with the scuffed toe of his boot. “Why can’t you stay a little longer? We haven’t finished his head yet.” He pouted.
“I can’t, Kei,” you tried to make him release his iron grip on your hand. “Mama’s gonna get mad.”
“Then I’ll make you stay!” He boldly declared, wrapping his little arms around your frame, tackling you to the snow-covered ground.
The two of you giggled, engaged in a tickle war, your mom’s voice fading into the distance.
“(Y/N) (Y/L/N)!” Your mom yelled, marching over to where the two of you lay, tangled in a heap. “Do you want to get a cold?”
“No, Mama,” you said, slowly getting up and dusting the snow off of your parka. “I’m coming.” You turned around and poked your tongue out at your friend, letting your mom drag you back into your house.
Keigo sat in the snow for a while longer, not exactly excited to go back to his house.
Suddenly, an idea popped into his head.
He beat his little wings as fast as he could, half flying, half stumbling to your kitchen window.
Sneaking a peek inside, he saw you staring questioningly back at him. Not bothering to hide his mischievous grin, he puffed out a breath, steaming the window, took his little glove off, and started writing.
“D O  Y O U  W A N T  T O  F L Y  W I T H  M E ?” He painstakingly wrote out.
You shook your head, and his grin quickly dropped from his face. Looking down, he almost missed the words you mouthed out.
“I can’t read it!” You tried your best to sign. “It’s backwards!”
“Oh!” He tried his best to write the mirror image of what he had just written, making sure that you could read it from your point of view this time. You read his little message, a grin taking over your face.
“Y E S!” You mouthed. “YES, YES, YES!”
Quickly scarfing down your dinner, you waved a hasty goodbye to your mom, racing out the back door, only to get tackled into the snow.
“Come on, let’s go!” He took ahold of your hand. “Race you!”
“You can’t race me if you’re holding my hand!” You shrieked in delight. “Stop it!”
He paused, turning around. “Hmm. Well, maybe I don’t want to race you then,” he looked at you with a small smile on his face. “I wanna try something new!”
“Oh?” You asked, seeing the way his eyes lit up with delight. “What is it?”
“I wanna fly! With you!”
Giggling, he turned you around so that your back was facing him. He circled his arms below your armpits.
“Hang on!” He flapped his wings as fast as he could, kicking up a storm of snow around you. To his surprise, he actually managed to lift the two of you off the ground for around 3 feet or so. He wasn’t expecting it to work on his first try, but the two of you really were flying!
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Sighing, you turned away from the window.
Happier times, you chuckled mirthlessly.
Isn’t it sad that I’m only remembering them now?
The car screeched to a stop at the front door to the Hawks Hero Agency.
You stepped into the lobby, the fluorescent lights blinding.
It’s the middle of the night, but they don’t seem to mind, you thought. Everyone was bustling around the place like it was normal.
The receptionist had changed since you’d last been here.
She spotted you and hurried over, most likely because of the blood staining your clothes.
“Miss, are you hurt?” She gave you a once-over. “Can I help you?”
You stared at her in shock for a moment. What were you here for again?
“Oh…uh,” you wrung your hands nervously. “I’m here for Hawks.”
Her expression of concern melted away into one of annoyance. “Another fangirl. This one appears to be married too,” she scoffed at the band adorning your left ring finger. “People these days…” she muttered underneath her breath, already hurrying back to her desk, where the phone rang incessantly.
“No. I’m not a fangirl.” You lifted your head. You might be in pain, but damned if you were going to let a stranger strip you of the remaining shreds of your dignity.
“I’m his soulmate.”
The way you said that phrase with such conviction made the lady pause.
“Soulmate?” She questioned. Girls had tried this trick on her before, but…when asked to prove themselves, they merely responded with “oh, it’s just a feeling,” or “I just know it.”
Never once had anyone said this phrase with such confidence.
“Yes.” You shut your eyes, defiantly holding back tears. “You have comms, right? What did he say before the comms died?”
The lady stared back at you, a pang of sorrow shooting its way into her heart. You weren’t joking around, were you?
“I…yes, yes we do. What’s your name, miss?”
You sucked in a deep breath. “(Y/N). (Y/N) (Y/L/N).”
She stared at you for another moment, then quietly pulled out her comms.
“He said…” she choked a little. “He said, ‘(Y/N) …I’m sorry.’ We weren’t sure who he was talking about. We assumed it was a civilian he wasn’t able to save,” she pressed the back of her hand to her mouth. “Oh God…”
Quietly, she choked out another question. “Was it…was he talking about…you?”
You didn’t want to reply. You’d heard enough.
The lady didn’t try to stop you as you ran to the elevator, your fingertip pressing the “up” button so hard it bruised.
Quickly looking at the directory, you found his office.
“420.” You choked out a pained laugh. “He always did like messing around with people.”
Collapsing against the corner of the elevator, you wrapped your arms around your knees and lowered your head. You felt so goddamn tired.
Why did it have to be you?
Why couldn’t he break someone else’s heart?
Someone who was stronger?
Someone who could take this in stride and move on?
Why did the universe choose you?
The elevator bell dinged, rousing you from your thoughts. You stood up slowly, a trail of blood staining the place where you once sat.
Crimson, like the trail of feathers he’d (perhaps intentionally) shed during that game of hide and seek.
You buried your face into your hands.
Goddamnit, Keigo! Why does everything have to remind me of you?
You made your way into his office, most likely the messiest of all the top pro-hero offices. Paperwork was scattered everywhere, jackets strewn across the floor. You even saw a shoelace string laying on the carpet next to his desk.
It’s almost as if he’d always expected to come back.
Stepping cautiously over the objects that littered the ground, you came face-to-face with a cabinet next to his desk.
Snowglobes. So many snowglobes.
Snowglobes occupied every shelf of the cabinet, and the glass doors made it easy to examine the contents.
You squinted closely at them. They were all…different angles of the same scene, you realized.
The snow park above your houses.
He’d had snowglobes made.
They immortalized the place where the two of you played all day in the snow.
The place where he first learned how to fly, gliding off the hills like a paraglider.
The place where he’d picked you up and learned how to fly with another person’s life in his hands, hugging you close to his chest, reveling in your warmth.
In the spring, it was the place where he took you on your first picnic date.
The place where the two of you shared your first kiss.
The place where he left you his goodbye note, tucked away under the grounding weight of a boulder you used to lay on, basking in the sun’s warmth.
He’d had 12 snowglobes made. Your lucky number.
12 different angles that showcased the same scenery.
Suddenly, your legs wouldn’t carry your weight anymore. You leaned back into his chair, still smelling faintly of his scent.
How can someone’s scent not change over 13 years?
You closed your eyes, and quickly opened them again when you saw a pile of letters on the corner of the desk.
You weren’t sure why they caught your eye. They weren’t anything special, really. Plain white envelopes addressed in plain black print.
You took a closer look.
That was your name on the envelopes.
You leaned closer, quickly shuffling through them all.
Each and every single one of them was addressed to you.
Each and every single one of them was dated a year apart.
Each and every single one of them was marked for your various addresses over the years, his handwriting steadily improving.
You couldn’t resist your curiosity. Taking a paper cutter, you tore through the seal of the earliest envelope.
A single red feather, beautifully preserved, floated out.
You stared in shock. He…he didn’t forget.
He never forgot.
He just chose not to send it.
Hurriedly opening the remaining envelopes, you acquired more feathers, each fresher than the last.
By the end, you had a pile of 13 crimson feathers, right next to 13 shredded envelopes.
You looked around, confused. Why hadn’t he left a note? Any note?
Did he…did he never write letters?
You knew that you had sent him letters.
Maybe they did throw them out as spam.
Your curiosity piqued, you pulled open drawer after drawer, but none of them held anything of personal importance.
Finally, you came upon the bottom right drawer.
It was locked, you realized.
You carefully place the feathers back in their respective envelopes. Sealing them up once again, you carry them in a stack, making your way downstairs.
The agency workers saw you with the letters in your arms, not sure if they should stop you or not. When you looked to the receptionist and murmured a quiet “thank you”, they stood their ground. If she was okay with you walking away like this, then there shouldn’t be a reason that they wouldn’t be.
The taxi driver who took you here was still waiting outside. Seeing you arrive, he stomped out his cigarette butt and opened the backseat door for you.
“Rough night, miss?” He looked at your back, pity obvious in his expression. “Do you want me to take you to a hospital with that?”
You shook your head. “They can’t fix that. Do you remember the way we came?”
“Aye, yes I do,” he stepped into his own seat. “I’ll take you there right quick, miss. Don’t you worry.”
As you rode back home in silence, you couldn’t stop thinking about the cabinet in Keigo’s office.
The feathers, folded away safely in the envelopes you were holding.
If he never forgot, why did he never reach out?
The car door slamming shook you from your daze. “Miss, you’re back home.”
You stared at the man, realizing that you didn’t have your wallet on you.
“Do you mind waiting a second? I’ll go get my wallet now–”
He shook his head. “I know where that blood came from. See here?” He rolled up his sleeve.
“Got mine when I was 22,” a melancholy smile framed his face. “Rare, right? I never did find out who she was.
But the hospital staff helped me that day. Looked for deaths around my age, and then when I tried to pay ‘em, they refused. Said ‘twas only the right thing to do. Now I finally get to repay the favor. Don’t you go tryna pay me now. Won’t ‘ccept it.”
He leaned back against the hood of his car. When you opened your mouth to object, he merely saluted you, hopped back into the driver’s seat, and drove off into the night.
You turned to your house. The lights were still on inside, meaning your husband was still up. He probably couldn’t sleep, not after what had just happened. You couldn’t blame him.
Stepping inside, you heard muffled sobs coming from the kitchen.
“Masaki?” You leaned on the doorframe. He looked up at your voice.
“(Y/N)?” He rose from the table. “You’re…you’re okay,” he wrapped you in a hug.
You cleared your throat. “…yeah. Yeah, I’m okay,” you hugged him back.
I’m okay, you tried to convince yourself.
“Where did you go?” He looked at you curiously. Finally seeing the envelopes in your arms, he paused.
“Babe?” He asked softly. “Did you…did you know him?”
You buried your face into his chest. “Yeah…yeah, I did.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked softly.
“Not really…not now…” you replied.
He patted your back lightly. “That’s ok. I understand.”
The rest of the night went by in a blur. The letters were scattered on your nightstand, your husband helping you into the shower. He’s changed the bloody sheets already, but the stains on the mattress were stubborn and refused to come out.
Crimson stains, in the shape of wings.
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Days later, some people from the agency stopped by your house.
“Is there a (Y/N) (Y/L/N) at this address?” The receptionist from your earlier encounter knocked on the door.
“Uh, hi. Yeah, that’s me,” you answered, not bothering to change out of your bathrobe. Your complexion had grown waxen, face shallow. Your hair formed an unkempt nest, spiraling around your face.
She gave you a smile, pity etched in her face. It disgusted you, really.
All anyone ever gave you nowadays was pity. Pity cards from your coworkers, although you weren’t sure how the information leaked out. Pitiful glances from your husband, who insisted on doing all the chores around the house.
Pity, pity, pity.
“What is it?” You asked her.
“We have some…documents for you.” She waved over two guys, each lugging a large crate of…paper?
“Wait…all that? For me?” You were confused. There was no way that that bottom drawer, even if all it contained were letters, had that much paper in it.
“Yes, (Y/L/N)-san. It’s all for you.” The men dropped off their crates at your door.
“What’s going on?”
“These were stored in the records house. Hawks filed them. They were all addressed to you, so we felt that this was the proper treatment.”
“We’ll leave you to go through these in your own time.” She started down the steps. Then, as if remembering something suddenly, she paused.
“You know…he was a good man,” she smiled gently. “We all knew he had a secret someone. We just didn’t know who they were. I’m glad he found you. Hero work is dangerous, especially for top heroes like him.
I hope that you find joy in those letters.” She turned back and finished her journey down the steps.
You turned around and looked at the crates.
Found me?
You smiled bitterly, a brittle coldness taking over your heart.
He never really did find me, did he?
Sighing, you sorted through the crates, looking for the ones that were dated the earliest. You carried the oldest set of letters into the bedroom and tore open the first envelope.
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Hey, (Y/N). It’s me, Kei.
I hope you haven’t forgotten about me. I mean, I’m not an easy person to forget, I suppose, but it has been a while. Three years, to be exact.
Three years can do a lot to a person.
I should know.
How are you doing? I hope you managed to keep Timothy alive. You were always prone to overwatering him.
I’m not sure how long cacti live, but…if you nurture something, anything can happen, right?
I’m a hero now. I’m sure you know. My debut was broadcasted all over national television. They just can’t resist making themselves look good, can they?
At least now I’m allowed to write. I hope you understand why I haven’t written to you in so long.
I didn’t forget about you. How could I? Even though we were only 15, how could I forget someone like you?
I missed you. I don’t think you understand how much. It felt so empty, living without you by my side. Like…like I wasn’t ever warm enough, even bundled in the tightest blankets. I was always missing you.
Sounds like a curse, eh?
But don’t worry. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I just wanted you to know that.
Yours, Kei.
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Ripping open letter after letter, you realized that you held his entire life story in your hands.
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Hey chicken. It’s Kei again.
Realized I’ve been treating these letters as a kind of diary. I guess it’s…therapeutic? Even though I know I’ll never send these. I don’t want to put you in danger, you know?
Do you remember when we were kids?
We had all the time in the world to do whatever we wanted.
I miss that time.
Not as much as I miss you though.
I check in on you every so often, but I make sure you never see.
False hope is a dangerous thing. It shatters your soul into pieces, and when you try and piece them back together, it cuts your heart so badly you wish you’d never started.
But, you see, you’re like a drug for me.
I can’t seem to stop myself. No matter how bad it hurts, I…I still come back.
You wouldn’t know, of course.
I suppose there’s a reason it hurts when you stare into the sun.
I’m already broken, yeah? I don’t want you to break with me.
The thing is, I know you’d want to. I know we promised we’d always come back for each other. We promised we’d always be here for each other.
But some promises were meant to be broken.
You can’t be here for me, birdie. You’ll get hurt.
That would hurt me more than anything else, (Y/N).
So for my own safety, and yours…
This is the last time I’ll write to you.
I have to move on, or else those pieces of my soul?
They’re already in splinters, but if I keep going like this, they’ll be nothing more than powder, and I don’t think I could go on like that, yeah?
I love you, forever and always.
Kei.
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Ha. Guess what.
What I said in the last letter?
A fucking lie.
I physically. Can’t stop.
The thought of not writing to you breaks me more than the thought of never being with you, and that’s a milestone I never thought I’d be able to pass.
So here I am again.
You’ve already heard my entire life story.
I wish I could be there to hear yours.
I saw you tonight, standing on your balcony. You know, the stars were so bright tonight. Reminded me of your eyes the first time I flew with you around the whole field, yeah?
Sparkling. You never stop sparkling, do you?
You know…do you ever wonder who your soulmate is?
I know that the world is cruel. I know that we don’t know exactly who our soulmates are until one of us dies.
But…do you ever think about it?
Who’s out there, just waiting for you?
Because I do.
And sometimes, when I’m at rock bottom, I’ll imagine that we’re soulmates.
I’ll create scenarios in my head. We’d be happily married. I’d spoon-feed you ice cream.
We’d play tickle wars with my feathers, have pillow fights, binge TV shows.
We’d watch horror movies, and you’d hide your face in my chest the whole time.
But…those scenarios always make me feel worse after I wake up. Because they’re not real.
And I…I so desperately want them to be real.
But you can’t always get what you wish for, yeah?
Going on a big mission soon. Undercover. Cool, right?
You’d be proud of me, I think, if you saw me.
I have to go now. But I’ll come back safe for you, yeah?
I know you won’t wait for me. I want you to wait for me, but…I know it’s not in your best interests. Probably not in mine either.
Sometimes I try and convince myself that it’s okay to be selfish. I want what I want, and you only live once, right?
But then I realize that you’re the one I’d be putting in danger.
And that’s when I realize you can’t ever stay with me.
It’s okay. I’ll watch from afar.
I don’t think I’ll ever be able to stop loving you.
Yours,
Kei.
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You put the letter down and rummaged through the second crate, desperately trying to find the last letter that he wrote.
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Hey birdie. Long time no see. Ha.
13 years and I still can’t forget about you. Doesn’t seem normal, does it?
I’m convinced that we’re soulmates, but then again, I may have convinced myself. You know…I used to hate the idea of soulmates. Sharing your life with another person, seen as incomplete without them?
Sharing my soul?
Bunch of crap, right? I like making my own decisions. Wasn’t ever much of a rule-stickler. But…you know…I’m starting to warm up to that idea.
But only with you.
And that’s why I’m convinced that we are, in fact, soulmates.
You don’t know how my heart breaks every time I see you. Manual is a good guy. I know he’s treating you well.
That’s the only reason I’m letting you stay married to him, really. If it was anyone else, I would’ve busted their ass.
But…you deserve someone like him. Someone who can give you their all.
Someone who, if you date them…they won’t lead you into danger.
Soulmates are a finicky concept, yeah?
So…I guess we’ll never know ‘till one of us dies.
Yours,
Kei.
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Epilogue
Rainy winter days were the saddest days of the year.
Especially today.
Strolling through the park, you held a black umbrella in one hand and clutched a glass case tightly in the other.
You stopped in front of a marble headstone.
“Hey there,” your voice cracked.
“Miss me?”
A whistling wind, scattering powdered snow and frozen rain across the landscape, was your only answer.
“Kei, I–” You collapsed onto your knees, uncaring of whether or not the cold would seep in. It couldn’t get colder than your soul now, anyways.
“I…I didn’t go to your funeral.” Tears rolled down your cheeks, leaving a silvery sheen in their wake. “There were too many people and I…I couldn’t handle it.”
“But…Kei…” You choked out an ugly sob. “Why didn’t you send me the fucking letters?”
“I don’t care how dangerous your work was. You can’t get anywhere without taking risks in life, Kei!” You screamed at the marble façade, willing it to crumble.
“You can’t–”
“You can’t make my decisions for me!”
“I should be the one who gets to choose who I love!”
Your screams attracted the attention of several bystanders, who quickly averted their eyes and walked away when they saw your distraught state.
“You shouldn’t have tried to choose for me!”
“And now–”
“You’re dead, Kei! What am I supposed to do now?” Your tears pooled on the frozen ground, marking little dents in the snow.
You slammed your fists into the ground, the glass case in your hand cracking.
Another ugly sob made its way out.
“Kei–” you whimpered.
The glass shattered, splintering into thousands of tiny pieces, each fragment glittering like diamonds.
Slivers found their way into your palm.
Crimson blood, the color of the worn-out feather freed from its enclosure, splattered the snow-white ground.
“Kei,” you whispered, carefully placing the feather on top of the chiseled marble.
“Wherever you are, I hope you’re happy.”
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Masterlist
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