#was it awful what happened? yes. absolutely. she will feel that guilt for the rest of her days.

[monty-glasses-roxy]

Hell yeah friendo wants it so you all shall receive!! Long post ahead!!

SO

What I was thinking about specifically that led to this realisation is thinking about Bonnie, and the fun narrative I've built with Roxy being the one to kill him. But it hit me this morning that it wouldn't work like that.

Because Bonnie isn't dead. Or at least, not by the animatronics' standards.

The human body can survive a lot, but it has it's limitations and weakpoints. When a limb is missing, it cannot be replaced with another. We have prosthetics, yes, but they're bulky, they're inconvenient, and a lot of amputees prefer not to bother unless they need to. Killing a human, requires the heart to stop beating, and the body to be unable to recover enough to keep it beating. Or so is my understanding of these two topics, I've never lost a limb or died so take this with a pinch of salt perhaps.

All of this doesn't apply to an animatronic. What makes them alive, is not their body, and Fazbear Entertainment animatronics don't have the agency to decide what gets replaced and what doesn't anyway. Losing an arm is the same as a minor scratch on a human's arm. Kinda stings, but it can heal, or in their case, get fixed back up again. Any and all damage to them is like this, even if they can feel pain. Nothing like this is permanent for them.

Which leads me to believe that if you removed the battery, the heart, of an animatronic, it would still be considered alive. The battery can be replaced like anything else can. If it's flat, it can be recharged and reinstalled. Just like the damage, just like the rest of their bodies, the battery doesn't matter.

What removing the battery does, in my opinion, is put the animatronic on pause. Nothing functions without power, and they physically cannot be aware of anything, because nothing is functioning. I suppose it's more similar to a coma or unconsciousness if we're going to draw similarities to humans here. The important thing here, is that they're not dead. No animatronic would consider them as such, because they're still there. Non-functioning, appearing dead to any human eyes, but they know they're not. Stick a new battery in, patch up the damages and just like everything else, it's like it never happened.

So what does kill an animatronic? What is the important part of them that dictates whether they're alive or not? Well I dunno what they're specifically called in robotics or what their Fazname in the fnafverse is, but I've always called them personality chips. The things you put into the metal body, with all the programming, all the memories, and all the life is determined by those things. They're the most protected thing in the animatronic's body and the most expensive to replace. If you were to truly kill the animatronic, you would need to remove and destroy them.

This is the only type of permant damage an animatronic can have. A damaged chip that still functions, causes problems that may not be able to be fixed. And since those chips control every part of the body as well, damages to them effects everything.

What this means for Bonnie, to me, in the narrtive I have built, is that he's still considered to be alive. The battery was removed (violently) and he's heavily protected from anyone that could repair him and wake him up again. He has been stopped. He's been put on hold. He has been removed from the equation. That's it.

This logic applies to everyone they may have lost too. Foxy? Paused. Chica's Cupcake? Paused. The Minis that can't be woken up? Paused.

None of them are dead. Not a single one. Their chips are still around, and that means, their life is still intact. They've been put in stasis, but they're still there. They can come back.

Now, you may be wondering, what to do with this. If they can't die with the chips still intact, then how do you give them grief? How do they feel about an animatronic being on pause like this? The answer is simple!

Awful. It's fucking awful.

"But they can come back! It's not permanent!" you say, but that's not the issue now. It's not about where they are, what happened to them or whether they're truly dead or not. The issue now loops back around to them being animatronics.

Animatronics have no agency. They are not valued like a human life would be. Whether they're alive in all but body or not, they are still not human. They only exist, when it suits whoever owns them, and who owns these animatronics? Fazbaddecisions Entertainment.

How they value an animatronic is entirely based an money. That's it. Who they are, what they do and what they become is not their concern. If there's money to be made, money to be saved, or money to be lost, they care about it. Thoughts, feelings, justice, happiness, and most importantly, lives? That's not on their agenda unless they're covering up another dead guy. Fazbear Entertainment holds all the dice. They're the ones that make the call on what happens to an animatronic, day in and day out. And they don't care unless it involves money.

So, what does this mean for the animatronics in stasis? That are still alive but non-functioning? What does it mean for the animatronics still going about their daily duties? The ones that know their friends aren't dead and are still very much alive?

It means uncertainty. It means unreliability. It means unpredictability. It means some animatronics will go into stasis, and come back out within a few months, while others wake up a decade later. It means all the animatronics not in stasis, don't know when or if they will ever see their friends again. It means they don't know if they make enough money to not go into stasis for very long themselves. It means getting a new member of the team and the worst animatronic they really hoped had gone somewhere else was chosen instead of their best friend. It means a new version of their loved one with a new set of chips could show up and they have to smile at a duplicate that has no idea who they're even talking to, whilst wondering why.

This is just what their life is and always will be. The knowledge that they can be swapped out at any time. They can be here this year, go into stasis, and not come back for another five. There's a seething frustration with every animatronic they bring back, or every new animatronic they introduce to the world, when their friends are right there and ready to go. What makes these animatronics better than their loved ones? Why is there a new version of them and not the one they know and miss so much it hurts? No one is going to tell them if the chip got damaged. No one is going to tell them if an accident snuffed their life out in a milisecond. They can ask a member of staff, but every single one of them will have a different answer. So many of them have lied to them, and so many have hurt them without a second thought, that it's just not worth the risk.

And so, they are left to wonder why knowing full well they will never get an answer.

#fnaf security breach #long post #there's so many layers to this #they're NOT humans and thus we can't assume they would see things the same as us #that's what this boils down to I suppose #please enjoy my ramblings :) #and all of this is relevant to an AU but this is a post about a CONCEPT #it's about the IDEA and the UNDERSTANDING #its NOT about the story even when I call it back to bonnie and the others #its about what death looks like to an animatronic! #death is permanent but what is CONSIDERED death is different #bonnie for me isn't dead in roxy's eyes. she didn't kill him because he's still alive and he's safe #was it awful what happened? yes. absolutely. she will feel that guilt for the rest of her days. #but she is NOT a killer. not by her standards or the standards of her friends. #anyway yes please enjoy I need food then I'm gonna get back to wiki stuff I'm determined to work on it today

[mewtonian-physics]

"zuko alone episode" is a reference to avatar the last airbender where in the second season the deuteragonist is isolated from all other established characters. a lot happens in it tht i cant summarize in 500 letters. i think actually you'd have to have seen it to get what i mean. but i basically am trying to say "how does raiden function in the world, how do people perceive him, when he is existing outside of the videogame narrative module". how does he fare w strangers

very fair i have not watched that show so i did not get the reference, i am uncultured or something who knows.

im going to put this under a cut because i will be talking about sexual harassment and thanks to a certain ex-president that will unfortunately include (non-graphic) discussion of assault. homophobia + transphobia will be referred to as well. because people suck, and i don't just mean the ones in the metal gear universe. (has what i've seen from certain sections of the metal gear fanbase heavily influenced my perspective on raiden's general life experiences? yes. yes, it unfortunately has.)

i think raiden and the rest of the world are... i think there's kind of a gap between them, at least from his perspective. he doesn't quite know how to deal with strangers, so more often than not he just... doesn't try. it doesn't help that i think--well, i know, all i have to do is look at the early mgs2 playerbase and even sections of today's players to get an indication of how some people would respond to his existence--he'd have to deal with some pretty awful harassment and that would make him even less inclined to be social. why bother risking it?

that gets even worse after mgs2 because fuck you president johnson [coughs] i mean like. it's bad enough just dealing with that in regular situations. dealing with it from a man whose life you're trying to save? (i'd add specifically that it's the president, but unfortunately that really doesn't make it any more shocking.) at this point the idea of being at ease around strangers is ridiculous to him. since, y'know. he apparently can't do anything without risk. (can you tell i'm really fucking mad about that scene? because i am. i've only found one angle to look at it from that makes any sense and it is, of course, the absolute worst option available.) so he's really not good with strangers. at least, not adults. there's no way in hell he hasn't helped at least one lost kid find their parents or something like that, idk.

also reminder that i do not take rose's word alone as any kind of resource on account of how she does not stop lying so as far as i'm concerned the space between mgs2 and mgs4 is wide open in terms of what happens. i think after he made the decision to separate himself from rose (there is no way he didn't blame himself for what 'happened' and i am of the opinion that he left because the guilt was eating him alive and he was afraid he'd somehow make things even worse if he stayed) his difficulty figuring out what was real and what wasn't just got even worse, and he just... spiraled. not in the way rose told it, but he absolutely did spiral. i don't think alcohol ever really factored into it--the poor guy's head was messed up enough already, not being sure if anything in his life was real, he wouldn't want to risk making that any worse.

i think he probably was just wandering for a while, looking for something to do with himself, not really caring what happened to him. he just wanted to feel like a human being. someone real and tangible. if something could do that, could ground him, then what else really mattered? it wouldn't even bother him if he was badly hurt, as long as the pain could make him believe he really existed.

deciding to rescue sunny was what gave him something to focus on. fast forward to between the time when he left the PLA after becoming a cyborg and the start of mgs4; he perceived himself as a monster and decided that it would be better to isolate himself again, this time from everyone. eva insisted on having a way to keep in contact with him, but he never reached out to her, only ever the other way around. and he didn't even consider anyone else as possibilities. he stopped seeing himself as human. who was he supposed to talk to? in his mind there wasn't anyone left who wouldn't hate him (rose), be disappointed in him (snake), pity him (eva), or be downright terrified of him (sunny). and after that, people... well, that part is canon.

so uh i guess what i'm saying is that when it comes to how he functions in the world... he doesn't. not in regards to other people anyway. he can be quite self-sufficient (though that doesn't mean he always is, just that he can be when he wants to be) but his interactions with the rest of the world are awkward at best and nonexistent at worst.

i think... i'm actually thinking more about pre-mgs2 rn, sorry, but i think the rest of the world would just perceive him as odd, in multiple different ways, how he looked, how he acted. the way he was polite to everyone (or maybe just anxious) but never casual with anyone, never seeming to be friendly, always carried himself with so much tension, never made eye contact, too quiet, too withdrawn. 'effeminate.' (you know how it goes with the homophobia.) because of course so many people would judge him for the way he looked the moment they found out he wasn't a woman (not a man, either, but he didn't even really understand that himself, much less know how to explain it to other people). face too soft, jawline not sharp enough, features too delicate, eyes too large, eyelashes too long, hair too pretty, too feminine in the way it brushed his shoulders. even the general shape of his body was wrong. (note: these are NOT things i agree with they are however things i have seen other people complain about with regards to him. like i said earlier, a lot of my thoughts on his experiences with others were influenced by the reactions i've seen irl people have.) a lot of people would just see him as weird, or 'deviant', or whatever. and he wasn't exactly well socialized as a child (+ i hc him as autistic), so that'd just make things even harder. his experiences with the rest of the world would not be particularly fun ones.

idk. idk. i feel like i'm probably going on about things you weren't asking about at this point. if you have specific questions about stuff lmk i really do enjoy answering questions like these it's just i have so many thoughts that it's not always easy to figure out what i'm actually supposed to be saying lol. hence why it took me two hours to answer this.

#ask #anon #raiden

[aflyingcontradiction]

The Magnus Archives Relisten: Episode 186 - Quiet

Martin II: Because it makes the sadness feel at home. It turns it from a burden into... Martin I: ... an indulgence.

I think I can sort of relate. This isn't something that happens to me a lot, but it is definitely a slightly familiar thought process.

Martin: Because you want to stay. Because you want to have a real rest. To just breathe and … be quietly sad, I guess.

It's true. The poor bastard has just been RUNNING (metaphorically, though sometimes literally) since the apocalypse, if you don't count the brief stint at Salesa's and even there he didn't really get to be by himself enough to digest any of it. I mean, Martin goes on to argue that it wouldn't be healthy but to be honest, wouldn't it??? At least for a moment??

Martin: But we both know that loved ones make the worst therapists. They’re too wrapped up in trying to stop you hurting to actually help. But hey, we know all about that, am I right?

I think I've got that issue from the loved one's side (that is, I'm the one often too wrapped up in trying to be comforting to really help). But then, I have always said that Martin is painfully relatable to me.

Martin II: It wasn’t your fault. Martin I: Yes, it was. Martin II: That’s just the guilt talking. (...) Martin II: She was awful. Martin I: She wasn’t well. Martin II: Both things can be true. Martin I: She was still my mum! Our mum. Whatever! Martin II: And we’re glad she’s dead.

At first I thought the "Martin literally talking to himself" thing was a little hokey, but this is actually a very nice way of presenting the torn emotional landscape that is Martin's feelings about his mother.

Martin II: Because you feel guilty about everything.

If I remember correctly my partner gave me a very significant look when we were listening to this together for the first time. Martin really is uncomfortably relatable at times.

Martin I: I choose the guilt, because (...) Because it motivates me to do better!

I am beginning to feel a little uncomfortably seen here...

Martin II: It’s this, this fantasy that you have, that whatever you find at the top of the Panopticon is just going to solve everything.

Being called out by YOURSELF for your bullshit has got to smart a bit.

Martin II: I can’t tell you their names, because we don’t know them.

Hey, you literally just told us one of them is named Tim! Which one is it??

She wasn’t talking, wasn’t engaged with any of the bright and happy people. Her smile was fixed and deliberate, and it didn’t quite match her eyes. She was among this joy, yes, these sparkling friends, but she was not a part of it, not really. She tried to be, wanted so desperately to be a part of their easy warmth, and maybe they thought she was. But they hadn’t known her, not really. They hadn’t seen the empty ice that filled her, that kept her apart from them, that she desperately tried to thaw with each and every friendly face that smiled at her.

Yeah, been there, done that...

If they should stumble upon an old photograph, some half-remembered birthday party that still brings up a smile, and then see her face, sat there amongst the revellers, they will frown, just for a moment, as they try to remember her name. Then they will shrug, and forget they were even curious. They will not think to wonder about her.

It does seem like every single Lonely episode conjures up at least one scene or concept that is an absolute nightmare scenario for me. Cf. THIS SHIT!

My impression of this episode

This is a very quiet episode (does what it says on the tin, I suppose!) but also a very good one. Martin's "self-analysis" is rather poignant in parts (and perhaps hits a little close to home at times, as Martin-centric episodes apparently tend to do for me). I also find this expression of the Lonely rather fascinating (and again, personally hard-hitting), but the Martin-Martin conversation is definitely the highlight of this episode.

#tma relisten #the magnus archives

[goobiegoobert]

Could I ask for the Glamrock band confessing to their crush...'s twin by mistake?

Just like you?

_______________

A/N: I love this idea so much and for no fucking reason??? It's just muah perfection a brilliantly silly idea

Warnings: None! Maybe just a little bit of identity issues so be careful just in case!

[ GN reader ]

_______________

Glamrock Freddy

This was his moment, puffing out a bit being told by others that taking time to yourself and deep breaths helped, couldn't say he understood it perfectly but with each pretending breath it did feel quite silly. Maybe that was the trick? Feeling absolutely silly until all your nerves went away!

It didn't really make things much better, though what did help was having a good old conversation with a buddy! Chica understood to a specific degree of his nerves but ended with a shrug and pats on the back pushing Fazbear out the dressing room with words of encouragement.

❝ Go get 'em, Faz! ❞

It took a good while but he did find you! Circuits start to fry and warm them beyond recommended safety features, placing their paw on your shoulder giving it a warm shake and hesitant chuckle. You seemed so, surprised and confused.. Chica had already gotten to you huh? So stumbling over his words with garbled buzzes from their talk box making it hard to decipher until muttering out a very defeated 'Do you love me too?' Only to be pushed away with shock and anger on your face until.. Oh no, in all the words of Fazfuck dictionary could the one Freddy Fazbear tell he fucked up. This wasn't you huh? Each way the twist of disgust didn't feel right, your noose didn't scrunch up how it usually did and the eyes seemed differently colored too.

➤ Let's just say that he instantly began to apologize and ask who this person was! ➤ If they didn't respond at first he'd start trying to correct things in a soft voice about how he was looking for Y/N L/N, and thoroughly apologizing nearly a thousand times over to this person ➤ After initial shock and disgust from your twin, it morphed into them laughing at the damn bear nearly choking on themselves and using the animatronic as support ➤ Freddy could absolutely just collapse here and now, wouldn't even mind his case being slapped on a new endoskeleton and getting scrapped ➤ Teasing ensued from this look-alike, taking their sweet fucking time to milk this ➤ Letting time pass and finally allowing their hurting stomach to ease up from the constant pressure until mentioning something about you to him ➤ Freddy was zoned out for a good bit until leaning down and allowing your twin to whisper some funny little findings to him, which in the case at point raised Fazbears confidence in managing to land a yes from you skyrocketed ➤ Good luck !!

Monty Gator

No. ➤ I have to be real with you guys, Monty wouldn't be fooled, king absolutely knows which one is which like fucking Haruhi from OHSHC. ➤ I feel maybe once he fucked up and got his shit wrecked by your twin bc he went in to give you a smooch on the top of your head from behind ➤ Thinks having a twin is neat and will confuse the rest of his band with his games from this ➤ As well to this he totally befriends your twin simply for the fact it's funny as fuck to em

Roxanne Wolf

Wouldn't fail their confession but! ➤ Roxanne is here for you tbh, has managed to figure you out fair and square ➤ Sill can slip up between you two but still can and will fuck up ➤ Instantly apologizes and when you're around expresses all her guilt by hugging you and promising she'll never do it again ➤ Still happens but every time is so awful for her, it's almost as if she's betraying you ➤ mostly confuses you two if she sees one of you from behind ➤ gotten pretty good at telling apart the front!!

Glamrock Chica

It had been almost an hour of you two performing karaoke during the time of Chica surprisingly not being too busy for once, surely this was the moment!

You paused and asked to take a break to use the restroom before sprinting off and leaving the chicken to her own devices whilst thinking about how to pull this off now or never right? At least Chica believed this confession to be a do or die, a real rockstar moment. So once she'd seen you pass by the window and rearrive knocking onto the greenroom door she'd open happily simply awestruck and pick you up placing pecks all over you carrying you into the room.

Only to realize you were banging your fists on her chest and squirming about with a scowl on your face, huh weird. So putting you down with a tilted expression, gears within turning about processing why you seemed so upset.. usually excited about being smothered in her affection what happened!

➤ It took you walking back into the room to be super confused ➤ literally looked back and forth between the two of you multiple times before placing your twin down and moving to pick you up and study you ➤ Man chica feels really bad now :( ➤ Literally apologizes to your sibling and to you before just picking up where she left off to continue professing how much she really loves ya! ➤ Not the most hung up one about it but instead finds it funny that their first attempt at confessing to you was met with a practice dummy look alike ➤ Has a hard time understanding the concept of twins but overall such a sweet girlfriend about it 10/10

#💾 . boo's spooks #fluff #fnaf security breach #glamrock freddy #monty gator #glamrock chica #x reader #x male reader #x gn reader #glamrock freddy x reader #montgomery gator x reader #roxanne x reader #chica x reader

[gobackhomewhereitssafe]

She’s the Only One

This is my first post! It’s the fake scenario I currently fall asleep to every night. I finally had to write it down. I’m not totally satisfied with it, I just usually fall asleep before it ends. Haha.

Pairings: mob!bucky x you

Warnings: violence, mild angst, fluff

The night had been going unbelievably well. It was the first time you were meeting Bucky’s friends. They’d taken to you instantly and you’d spent hours at a booth in his club listening to their stories, you’d hardly stopped laughing. Bucky was the happiest he could remember being. He couldn’t stop watching you, amazed at how natural it felt to be with you, easy as breathing. And he realized, as necessary. 

Everything happened so fast and so slow at the same time, it was disorienting. Like a scene from a movie, suddenly bottles behind the bar started to explode as if in slow motion. The sound of shattering glass filled the room as screams erupted from every corner of the club. Bodies were dropping to the floor, some dead, some simply trying to crawl to safety. A group of men had opened fire, and their target was anyone. 

You had barely begun to process what was happening when you felt a strong hand push your head down. You felt yourself being tucked under Bucky’s arm, his hand gripped your waist and he was half-carrying you out of the booth. He kept you behind him and you watched as his metal hand shot out in front of him. It moved with alarming precision, you heard the sharp “pings” as the bullets aimed at him were deflected off of his palm. He never flinched. You couldn’t close your eyes. You watched his face, hard with concentration. You couldn’t understand it, but you were not afraid. His men had convened into a line in front of you, returning heavy fire. Bucky led you both out through the kitchen and out the back door, into a waiting car. He had no sooner closed the car door and it was peeling away down the alley. 

The car ride was silent at first. He was too afraid to speak, too afraid that if he broke the silence it would fill with you screaming at him for putting you in that situation. You opened your mouth to speak and he squeezed his eyes shut, preparing himself for the onslaught. 

“Where are we going?” You asked, merely curious. His eyes snapped open wide in surprise. He could barely comprehend your casual tone. Of all the questions you could have asked, that was all you wanted to know?

“Safe house.” He said. You nodded, and took his hand as you leaned your head against the window. 

The drive was long, and you’d eventually dozed off on the way. Bucky knew you had to be in shock. Nothing else could explain your lack of fear. No anger, no panic. Once you were asleep, he called Steve. 

“Who the fuck was it?” He spoke low as not to wake you, but his voice was urgent. 

“Rumlow’s boys. Ambushed us in retaliation for the deal with Zemo. We’re behind you. We weren’t followed. See you in a minute.”

Bucky snapped the phone shut, and crushed it into pieces.

...

He was beyond pissed, but he carried you like a baby, gentle as could be. The mix of feelings he had was making it hard for him to breathe. Furious, scared, worried, enraged. You looked peaceful, which was helping him stay focused.

He laid you on the bed and your body automatically responded to the soft sheets, stretching then curling up, and you let out a soft sigh. He felt his heart squeeze and tears pricked at the corner of his eyes. He pulled the blanket over you and tucked it under your chin. He moved an armchair closer to the bed, so he could sit beside you and reached out to run his thumb across your forehead. He didn’t know if you even needed soothing, but it made him feel helpful and he didn’t know what else to do.

“Is she ok?” Bucky tore his eyes away from you to see Steve leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, his face serious.

“Yes. She didn’t get hit.” He looked back to you. “She’s just sleeping.”

“How much did she see?”

“Everything.” Bucky said, a mix of rage and guilt in his voice.

“What are we going to do about it?” He put both hands up defensively, shaking his head in response to Bucky’s head snapping up, knowing what normally happened to witnesses. “I don’t mean it like that. I mean, what are we going to do for her. Is she going to be alright?”

Bucky relaxed slightly and returned his gaze to your face. “Full protection, around the clock. And she does not leave my sight until every last one of them is dead.” Bucky’s jaw tightened, the only sign of his fury, as he continued to softly stroke your hair. “But yes, I think she’ll be alright,” he said. 

Steve nodded. He watched as Bucky noticed you moving. Still asleep, a frown slowly formed on your face, your fingers started to twitch and your hands turned into fists. You whimpered softly. You were having a bad dream. Bucky’s metal hand moved to gently massage the hard furrow between your eyes until your face relaxed again. He moved his hand to your cheek and leaned down to put his face next to yours. He whispered into your ear, “Shhh, baby, you’re ok. I’ve got you.” He nuzzled his face into your hair and kissed the top of your head. You didn’t wake, but responded to his touch by pushing your head into his palm, like a kitten. He resumed thumbing soothing brushes across your face.

“I’ve never seen you like this before, Buck.” Steve said. “This one is different.”

“She’s the only one.” Bucky said simply. Bucky felt weak, his mind forcing the image of what could have happened tonight into his head. He shuddered and instinctively moved to hover protectively over you.

“You’re in love, pal.”

Bucky didn’t look away from you. “I know.” 

...

You stirred and stretched, slowly opening your eyes and taking in your unfamiliar surroundings. You turned to your side and saw Bucky’s figure immediately slide off the chair he was in to be face-to-face with you. He looked so sad. 

“What’s wrong?” You asked. 

“What’s wrong?” He almost yelled. “What’s wrong?! You were almost killed last night. I’m waiting for you to run screaming from this room! I spent the whole night trying and failing to prepare myself for you to leave me!” 

“You didn’t sleep at all?” Your tone was only concerned. It was absolutely maddening that you were so calm.

“Baby,” he paused. He was truly confused. “I don’t understand. How are you so...ok? Last night, you could have died. Weren’t you even scared?” 

You thought for a moment and answered honestly. “No.”

“Why not?”

You took Bucky’s face in your hands and looked him in the eyes. “Because.” You pulled him closer and gave him a long, firm kiss. “I was with you.” 

He rested his forehead against yours and chuckled softly in relief. “Goddamn, baby. You are one tough bitch.” His tone was pure awe.

You smiled. “Yes. And you are stuck with me.”  

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes drabble #bucky x you #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes x female reader #bucky x reader #bucky imagine #mob!bucky #mafia!bucky #mob!steve #mafia!steve rogers #bucky fluff

[loveaffaire]

OK OK OK!! SO I SAW THIS IN MY REELS!! how about a tom holland or peter Parker x reader (u choose) where they both are arguing over something that tom/peter did by mistake (not cheating tho) and tom/peter just doesn’t know what to say so he just screams out her name and continues to ramble his mistake and her how sorry he is.......BUT WHEN HE SCREAM HER NAME HE ACTUALLY SAID Y/N Y/M/N HOLLAND (or Parker)

and reader is just like all shocked and blushing and she just kisses him to shut up his rambling and it’s all cute fluffy with apologies and cute overall heart melting! I hope you write this I love your work❤️❤️❤️

His Last Name Next To Mine

Pairing: Tom Holland x reader

Warnings: Arguing, controlling family issues, angst, some cute fluff.

Word count: 1.4k

A/N: I think Tom is someone who will definitely have that slip up lol. I wrote this at 3am and i haven’t proof-read it so yeah, I hope you still like it though<3

“I can’t believe you did that, Tom” you snarled as you walked through the apartment door, almost shutting the door on Tom’s face in the process.

You were so angry, you were livid. You’ve just come back from a dinner party at your parents and your lovely boyfriend has blurted out something he shouldn’t have.

“I said I am sorry!” Tom said sharply as he locked the door behind him, kicking off his shoes near the shoe rack.

“No, sorry doesn’t cut it! I told you to not tell them and then you just slip up like that?” you yelled from across the living room with your hands up with your hair from frustration as you looked at your boyfriend with wide eyes.

“Yes I made a mistake,” he yelled back, now getting a little angry with all the fuss,”I told them that we’re moving away to New York and you’re taking that new job because I slipped! It wasn’t intentional!” he loosened up his tie and started walking towards you.

“Don’t come near me Tom, I’m really mad at you” you whispered angrily as you tried to calm yourself down. You pulled a chair out and sat on it, keeping your palms flat on the cold table.

Tom stopped right in his tracks, “I don’t know why you’re so angry, you were gonna tell them anyway right, baby?”

You scoffed as you looked up at him, “yes, that’s correct, I was going to tell them myself which you ruined!”

You pushed the chair back as you stood up, your heels clicking on the hard floor as you made your way to the bedroom. Tom followed you with a stony look on his face.

“Y/N, don’t you walk out on me when we’re talking- hey!”

You banged the bedroom door as you walked into the bedroom, almost breaking the thin necklace as you removed it from your neck. You heard the bedroom door slowly opening.

“Don’t bang doors in my face, Y/N” he said with his eyebrows raised, nose flaring with anger.

You took a sharp turn, facing him, you said, “you know what’s your problem, Tom-“

“Yeah, tell me what’s my problem” he cut you off this time as he stood close to you, trapping you between his hard chest and the wall behind you.

“Oh, I will tell you what your problem is,” you narrowed your eyes at him, pushing his chest away and stepping aside. Tom didn’t stop you, he always respected your boundaries, even when you both were arguing.

“I’m angry because you told them we’re moving away when I was planning to tell them that when we have already shifted! You know how controlling they can be; how they get in my head and now they will try to do it again. I don’t want them to control me anymore, Tom!” You snapped as your eyes started to get wet.

It was true, you parents were always a little too involved in your life and as a 26 year old, you hated it. You kept things from them and only told them when it was done with, you felt that it was the only way to have some privacy.

Tom knew it all too well. He knew how controlling they were and how they tried to get in your head. Hearing you express this as you looked at him with teary eyes broke his heart as he tasted guilt on his tongue.

“Baby, I’m sorry. Listen, come here-“

“And I hate how you’re making it look like I’m making a big deal out of this by yelling at me!” You stomped your feet and shook your fists like a little kid but you were so frustrated, it didn’t matter.

You slowly stepped away from him as you clutched your head, you felt a headache coming.

“Baby,” Tom huffed, “you know I hate it when you walk away from me during an argument-“

You turned on your heels as you reached for the bathroom door, twisting it open as you quickly walked inside and oh boy, Tom decided that he has had enough of you walking away in the middle of his sentences.

“Wait- Y/N Y/M/N HOLLAND YOU COME BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!”

You heard the door shut behind you as you stood cold in your tracks, your fists opening up in shock. In a daze, you turned around and slowly unlocked the door and peeked outside. Tom stood there cold in his tracks with his mouth slightly open in shock as his forehead glistened because of the thin layer of sweat. You both looked at each other with wide eyes.

“What did you s-say?” You whispered as you blinked slowly, waiting for him to answer.

Tom opened his mouth and then closed it, no words coming out as he waved his hands around in panic, “I said Y/N Y/M/N Y/L/N” he said quickly.

“My last name sounds nothing like whatever you said but it did sound a lot like your last name. . .” You said cautiously as you took small steps towards him.

“I- okay fine, I said Holland. Please don’t be mad” he whimpered as he bit his bottom lip, clasping his hands together.

“Why would I be mad?” you said softly, you hated seeing him scared and right now, he looked terrified.

“I don’t know, I don’t know,” he blabbered as he closed the distance between you two, wrapping his arms around your body, “you know when you think about something a lot in your head and that thing kinda slips out of your mouth? Yeah that is what happened again and I know I pissed you off before and I don’t want to do it again, I’m so sor-“

You softly pressed your lips to his, he got the hang of it pretty quickly as his lips started to move against yours in an instant. You felt his tongue making its way to yours as you pulled back, your face still close to his. Tom frowned as he pouted his lips, asking for more.

“Do you think about it often?” you asked gently as you brushed his hair away from his forehead, “like-like my name with your um last name?” You felt shy, your cheeks turned rosy as you looked down briefly.

“I think about it all the time” he said rather quickly, resting his forehead to yours.

He bumped his nose against yours playfully, your bodies clinging to each other. In that moment you and Tom were one.

“I know we’ve been together for just 2 years and we’re so young but I can’t help it” he mumbled against your lips as your eyes fluttered, “can’t help it if you look like an angel, can’t help it if I wanna kiss you the moment I wake up, just can’t help myself”

You embraced him in your hold, lips roughly meeting his in a passionate kiss. Butterflies bursting in your stomach from his little speech. His tongue successfully made its way to yours this time, gently picking you up to place you on the bed as he gripped your body.

Tom felt you gasp as he kissed you again, you moved your body away from his hold gently as he loosened his grip. Tears streamed down your face.

“Y/N, what’s wrong? Was it something I said?” he panicked as he cupped your face. You sat up as Tom supported his body on his knees, you shook your head.

“No no. I’m just- I’m so overwhelmed, I love you” you said as you laughed softly, feeling a little embarrassed now as you worried him for no reason at all.

“Oh baby” he signed as he kissed your cheeks, “I feel awful about tonight though, I should have been more careful” he frowned his brows as he looked at you.

“I’m sorry I yelled at you” you sniffled as you choked on your words.

He admired you as you dried your wet eyes, how gorgeous you looked even when you were crying tears of joy.

“I have a crazy idea” he whispered, brushing your hair out of your face, he spoke up again before you could say anything, “maybe we should get married”

To Tom’s surprise, you hadn’t freaked out, rather quickly nodded your head. Tom almost pulled a nerve when you told him that you were thinking the same thing. The next morning, you picked out a pretty white dress and he fixed his tie, you both walked out of the court with his last name next to your first name and you realised that you’ve never been this happy before.

A/N: so. . . yeah? Don’t know how I feel about this, I also have absolutely no idea how court marriages work.

Leave some feedback below if you liked this, would appreciate it if you can like/reblog! Thank you!!

© loveaffaire

#tom holland #tom holland x reader #Tom holland one shot #Tom holland imagines #Tom holland fluff #Tom holland x reader smut #Tom holland smut #Tom holland angst #Tom holland oneshot #Tom holland fanfic #requested #peter parker #Peter Parker one shot #Peter Parker imagines #Peter Parker x reader #Peter Parker fluff #Tom holland imagine #Peter Parker x reader smut

[neonlights92]

RUN: Chapter VII (Epilogue.)

Jeon Jungkook hops from bed to bed, sleeping with as many beautiful, rich women as he can possibly find time for.  He’s young and attractive, with a silver tongue that gets him practically anything he wants.  So when his friend and boss, Kim Taehyung, tells him it’s time to settle down, Jungkook takes it pretty badly.  And when he finds out that the woman he’s destined to marry is, in fact, his little sister’s best friend, he is less than impressed.

You have spent your entire life trying to forget the way you feel about Jeon Jungkook.   So when you find out that Jungkook is to be your husband - and that he is anything but pleased about it - your world is thrown into chaos.  How can you survive a loveless marriage with the man you are hopelessly in love with?

Hey friends! Enjoy the epilogue <3  Namjoonie next..

You were pissed.

Jungkook had promised you he wouldn’t be late tonight.

It was your one year anniversary - one whole year of being married to the love of your life - and you were meant to be celebrating at a fancy restaurant with champagne and good food. 

You’d gotten all dressed up - squeezed yourself into some ridiculous contraption of a dress - just for him, and now it looked like you were going to miss your booking.

Eight o’clock passed…

Then eight-thirty…

Then nine…

By the time your husband finally decided to make an appearance it was more than an hour passed your reservation time.  You’d taken off your dress - kicked off your heels - and made a move on your makeup when the door to your bedroom clicked open.

“Hi Angel…” 

Jungkook’s sheepish tone greeted - and you chose not to answer - instead glaring at his reflection in your vanity mirror.

“I know, I know I’m late,” He’s pulled his tie and blazer off, the sleeves of his crisp white shirt rolled up to his forearms.  You chose not to comment on the suspiciously red coloured stains peppering his collar.

“Happy anniversary to us, I guess.”  Your own voice was sharp and angry - in the year you’d been married to Jungkook he had made you feel special and loved - but that didn’t mean he still didn’t fuck up.

“I’m sorry baby,”  He moved towards you quickly, and you stood turning to face him, “It was - y’know… God.  It’s Bangtan.” The desperation on his face pulled at your heart strings.

You knew your husband’s job was important - you knew that as a member of the Special Seven - as Bangtan’s shadow he had more responsibilities than he would probably ever tell you. 

And you knew that you wouldn’t be able to stay mad at him for long.

But still.  It was meant to be a special night for the two of you.  An acknowledgement of everything you’d been through together.

An acknowledgement of your love for one another.

You couldn’t help that you were disappointed.

“It’s alright,” You shrugged, “It’s part of the package, right?”

He sighed heavily and reached up to push some of your hair out of your face, “I hate disappointing you.”  His tone was tender and a little more of your anger fizzled out, “I love you so much Angel.  I always want to be with you - I always want to make you happy.  But I’m not always very good at it, huh?”

You chose not to say anything - slipping your bottom lip between your teeth and staring into the eyes of the man who had changed your life.

God.  Your heart swelled to nearly three times it’s size at the look on his face.

Such reverence and adoration - like you were a work of art.

He always made you feel special, like that.  

“I’m sorry baby,” His voice was sincere, “I really am.  I know tonight was meant to be special…. God.  What kind of husband leaves their wife waiting for them on their anniversary?” 

He laughed without humour, and you felt a stab of guilt.

“It’s okay Jungkook,” You licked your bottom lip and shrugged, “We’ll celebrate another time.”

He touched your face gently and frowned, “I know you’re disappointed… And you have every right to be, Y/N.  Tonight should’ve been about us.”

You sighed heavily, “What kept you out so late?”

His eyes darkened and you noticed for the first time how tired he seemed.  He’d been out all day - and if the blood on his shirt was any indicator it hadn’t been easy.

“Namjoon.”  He answered hoarsely, “He barely comes out on missions with us anymore.  Barely wants to be around any of us…” 

You felt a stab of guilt.

Since the night you’d been kidnapped almost four months ago, Kim Namjoon had turned into a shell of his former self.  You knew you couldn’t have done anything - you were just as much a victim of Sana’s brutality as he was - but you still felt awful.

“What happened?”

“We tried to help him… Lord knows we’re all emotionally constipated.  But Jimin thought it might be nice to take him out for lunch.  So we did.  And then…” Jungkook shook his head, “Namjoon cut himself with his steak knife.  He hasn’t gotten used to his prosthetics yet.” 

“The blood?” He clicked his tongue, “He was sitting beside me.”

You instantly felt terrible.  You moved to wrap your arms around your husband, pulling him down for a fierce kiss.

“I’m sorry baby,” You whispered against his mouth, “I’m so sorry.”

He shook his head and frowned, “No stop - don’t.  I’m sorry.  I’m sorry I can’t take you out for anniversary meals like normal couples.  I’m sorry I come home with blood on my shirt -” 

“It’s okay Jungkookie.”  You pressed a hand to his cheek and he smiled softly at the nickname he’d begrudgingly accepted, “I know who you are - I know the world we live in.  I accept it.  I accept you.  Is it annoying? Of course.  But I won’t give up on us.  Ever.”

He leaned into your touch and kissed your palm, “I love you baby.”

“Me too.”

“Next time though, text me alright?” You pulled a face, “I wouldn’t have bothered getting dressed up.”

He nodded and pressed a kiss to your forehead.

“I will Angel.”

He spent the rest of the evening showing you just how sorry he was, and how much he absolutely adored you.

Needless to say, it wasn’t the worst way to spend an anniversary.

//

“I have something to tell you.”  Nayeon had shown up not five minutes ago, with a promise that you had to sit down and listen to her.

You’d obliged of course - she was your best friend after all.

But her confession had knocked the air out of you.

“I’m getting married.”

She was grinning from ear to ear.  You almost dropped the cup of tea you were drinking.

“What?”

“I’m getting married.”  She didn’t seem upset, “That’s why I came round.”

“To who?”

Her smile widened, “Song Mino.”

“Oh!” You mirrored her expression, “Song Mino.  He’s… Nice.”

“And hot.”  

Your face flushed and you nudged Nayeon playfully, “Stop it.”

“I’m happy.”  She told you honestly, “I might not know him very well but he seems like a decent guy.  And like I said… Hot.” You laughed this time at your friend’s unabashed appreciation of her husband-to-be and clicked your tongue, “Well if you’re happy sweetie, then so am I.”

“My dad told me last night.  Mino’s father approves - so does Taehyung….”  Her eyes flitted to yours guiltily and immediately you realised what this was.

A setup.

“You want me to tell Jungkook.”

Her lips stretched into a thin line.  She grimaced.

“Yes.” 

“Why can’t you tell him?”

She frowned deeply, “Because Jungkook’s hated Song Mino ever since they were kids and he stole Jungkook’s first girlfriend.”

“Your brother is not that petty.”

“Yes he is.”  She raised a brow and scoffed, “Don’t tell me you don’t know that about him.”

You bit back a laugh at the thought of Jungkook holding a grudge for as long as he apparently had with Mino.  Then you frowned.  Tonight was meant to be a different kind of surprise for your husband.

“I also had some big news for Jungkook tonight.  I was going to wait to tell you but since you’re already here….”

For a brief moment Nayeon seemed confused by what you’d said before her eyes widened and she shot out of her seat.  She moved towards you like you were a glass of water and she hadn’t drunk in a week.

“Oh my god.  Oh my god.”  She pulled you in for a hug, “You’re pregnant aren’t you?  Oh my God! How far along?”

You laughed at your friend, “I only found out this morning.  We’ve been trying for a couple of months… But I’ve only missed one period.” 

Nayeon’s eyes were sparkling with tears and you were sure your own weren’t too far off, “Oh my god!  Don’t worry about telling him about the wedding.  I’ll do that sweetie.  You just worry about telling my brother he’s going to be a dad!” 

A loud thud caught both your attention and you turned sharply to find the brother in question - your husband - staring at you both in shock.

“Wait… What?”

Jungkook’s eyes flitted between yours and his sister’s.  He blinked slowly, as if slotting everything into place.

Nayeon pulled away from you quickly and shot you an apologetic look.

“Surprise?”  She said to her brother with a weak smile before grabbing her things and making a nervous beeline for the exit. 

Nayeon mouthed “I’m sorry” to you as she disappeared and you had to stop yourself from laughing at the entire situation.  Of course it would all happen like this.

“Was she… Was that…”

You stood quickly and moved towards your husband, cupping his face in your hands softly.  Your eyes roved his his features carefully, looking for any sign of apprehension.  But all you saw was surprise… And joy.

“I’m going to be a dad?” He whispered, eyes wide, “For real?”

“For real.”  You smiled up at him and pressed a kiss to his lips, “You’re going to be the best dad.”

He broke out into a wide grin and bundled you up in a hug, raining  his own kisses down across your face.

“Oh my god Angel.  We’re going to be parents.  Oh my God!” 

You giggled at his reaction and squealed when he lifted you off your feet.

“Pregnant wife.”  You warned him, and he put you down quickly, patting your head and shoulders to check for signs of injury.

“Oh my god.  Pregnant wife,” His smile was dazzling, “I love you so much Angel.”

“I love you too Jungkookie.”

You had spent so long running from your feelings for Jungkook.  And he’d done the same.

Thank God you finally decided to stop and rest.

Things would never be perfect - but you were happy.  And so was he. 

And that was all that really mattered to you.

//

#jungkook x reader #jungkook #run #mafia au #bts #romance #arranged marriage au #kpop x reader

[floralseokjin]

⤑ made-up love song drabbles

Seokjin’s chapter ix 

kim seokjin x reader warnings; angst, this feels pretty heavy at certain points but gets lighter as you go on, there’s a therapy session included, and just a lot of introspection  words; 7,459

author’s note; this kind of ran away with me, wasn’t expecting it to be so long haha but I hope you enjoy! 

Read the original chapter ix here 

↪︎ read the series here / and drabbles here

After you left Seokjin immediately poured the rest of his whisky down the sink and rinsed his glass. His mind was whirring, head heavy and starting to throb. He swallowed two painkillers down with some water and took a deep breath. He felt like crying. It felt like everything was crumbling around him. All his recent happiness, all his progress, and now possibly it seemed, his relationship with you… 

He’d wanted nothing more than to beg you to stay, and he had to an extent, but he knew it wasn’t right. He closed his eyes, not quite believing you’d witnessed all that. You probably thought he was a monster. He hadn’t lost his temper quite like that in a while, not since before the divorce�� Embarrassment washed over him, yet he couldn’t stop himself from still being mad at Nana. He knew what you said made sense. He knew he’d been out of line but Nana continuously goaded him. She’d done so throughout their marriage. But he was no saint, he knew how to provoke her too. It’s what they did best. 

He moved away from the sink and tried to quash his anger, instead thinking of you and how much he had hurt and upset you. He hadn’t meant for it to get that bad, and he knew deep down that the reason he was so angry was because he’d brought it all on himself. He caused the incident by keeping his relationship with you secret. It hadn’t been on purpose, he wasn’t being vindictive, if anyone would believe him. He just… He had been selfish. He didn’t want to ruin anything because he was finally really happy after god knows how long. It was stupid in hindsight, but what was done was done now. 

He reached for Arin’s mug of hot chocolate and fresh waves of guilt and emotion hit him. She didn’t deserve any of this. He needed to be there for her, to push his own troubles away and put on a brave face because none of this was her fault. She needed to know that. Thankfully, the drink hadn’t grown cold yet, and he finished it off with some cream and mini marshmallows. He took one last deep breath and made his way down the hallway. Moping was no good for him. That’s what Chaewon always said. 

Arin looked happy to see him, instantly reaching out to him as he took a seat next to her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and hugged her close, kissing the top of her head. He immediately felt lighter with relief. His daughter had always been his magical cure, and even though a cuddle wouldn’t make everything in his life right again, it certainly helped, and was very much needed. She asked where you were at one point, and unsure what to say, and feeling like shit for lying, he quickly said you needed to be somewhere. Arin probably didn’t buy it, looking dubious as a result of today, bus she didn’t say anything, asking instead if they could watch a movie. 

She wasn’t very talkative, and he didn’t blame her. Neither was he. He spent most of Shrek the Third lost in his own thoughts. As his anger slowly drifted away, shame replaced it. He’d been absolutely awful today and even if some of the things he’d said to Nana came from a valid place of concern, most were shouted for no reason other than frustration and hatred on his part. He was ashamed of himself. 

After the movie finished, Arin complained she was feeling hungry, so he left her to pick a new movie while he found something to cook up for dinner. He caught sight of the bowl of salad and his heart sunk, remembering the picnic outside. There was no salvaging it now, everything had probably spoiled in the sun, and as he waited for Arin’s dinner to cook, he went outside with a garbage bag, throwing away all the food you’d painstakingly prepared. It felt like he was throwing your relationship in the trash. He didn’t eat with that thought in mind, managing one piece of toast before it turned on him. 

At around 6pm his phone started to ring, vibrating in his front pocket and giving him a shock. For a split second he prayed it was you, but he knew he was being foolish. You needed time and if he was being honest with himself, so did he. He needed to concentrate on Arin tonight, as much as he…loved…you, his daughter’s wellbeing was the most important thing. If he could just make sure Arin was okay, then tomorrow he could concentrate on you and him. 

Pulling out the device he saw it was Nana. He suddenly felt very, very sick but picked up with a cautious hello. He was almost 100% sure she wanted to speak with Arin, the only way she could seeing as Arin was too young to have a phone of her own, but he was still wary, not wanting a repeat of earlier. 

“I want to speak to my daughter.” There was anger to her tone, and he knew her well enough to understand she had her guard up right now. She’d left his place upset and emotional, and that was two of the things she hated people seeing. Especially him. She hated being vulnerable. 

Seokjin sighed weakly. “Nana, come on, don’t be like that.” He hesitated, wanting to say sorry for today but the word wouldn’t come. Despite the guilt setting in, he was still pretty angry and frustrated himself. 

“I want to speak with Arin,” she repeated. “Will you let me?”

“Of course I will,” he replied. What did she take him for? 

He turned to Arin, ready to tell her it was her mom on the phone, but she was already waiting, her ears probably catching Nana’s name a few seconds previous. He smiled gently at her and passed his cell phone over. He tried to concentrate on the television as they spoke, not wanting to eavesdrop. Arin was uncharacteristically quiet as she hummed along to whatever Nana was saying, the occasional okay and I know slipping from her lips as she curled a lock of hair around her finger over and over again, but he understood why. Today had been overwhelming for everyone involved but especially her. She hadn’t seen or heard them argue in a long time, both he and Nana careful to hide them from her as of late. Today had been an awful mistake and the now a stronger wave of guilt was eating him up. 

After a few minutes he heard Arin tell her mother she loved her and then she hung up, returning the phone to Seokjin. He stretched over and placed the device on the coffee table, turning back to his daughter apologetically.   “I’m sorry about today, Arin.” 

She immediately flung herself into his arms, wrapping hers around his sides to hug him tight. He squeezed her right back, running his fingers through her hair gently. “Daddy was really angry, I shouldn’t have shouted.” 

“Mommy shouted too,” she reminded him. “She was angry that I called Y/N my stepmom.” Hesitantly she looked up at him, her eyes wide with worry. “I didn’t know it was wrong.” 

Seokjin sighed gently, trying to see things from Nana’s point of view. “It’s not a wrong word. It’s just a word that hurt your mother’s feelings.”  Arin looked a little confused by that explanation, and suddenly Seokjin felt the urge to be as honest as he could with her. She was still young, yes, but she wasn’t stupid. Far from it actually. She deserved not to be kept in the dark. 

“She… she didn’t know that Y/N is my girlfriend.” 

“Why?”

“I was wrong and didn’t tell her.”

Arin stayed silent as she mulled his words over. After a few moments she simply said, “I didn’t know that.” 

Seokjin ran a hand down her back, choosing his next words carefully. “Will you tell me what happened today? How mommy found out?”

Arin wriggled away from him to get comfier, sitting back against the sofa again. Seokjin copied, lifting his arm up so she could cuddle up to him. “She asked if I had a new bracelet and I told her Y/N had bought it for me last weekend when I stayed with her.” 

Looking down at her wrist now, Seokjin saw no bracelet and he guessed Arin had taken it off in a bid not to hurt her mom even more. She was such a sweet child, always thinking of other people’s feelings. 

“Mommy asked who she was and I said she was my stepmom – only because Suzie told me that’s what she is. Suzie has one too and it was fun because then we both had stepmoms.” 

Seokjin nodded along in understanding. “It’s okay, it was only a misunderstanding. But to use that word it needs to be discussed first, okay?” 

It was Arin’s turn to nod and Seokjin continued carefully. He was well aware everything was up in the air now so it hurt hearing the words that came out of his own month. “Right now Y/N is just Y/N. Before we use that word we have to make sure she likes it, alright? And mommy too.” 

“I didn’t know.” 

“I know you didn’t,” he comforted, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. He wasn’t even too sure she knew what exactly the word meant. 

They both stayed silent for a little while before Arin spoke again. “You and mommy haven’t argued for a long time until today…because I said that word…”

“Hey,” Seokjin exclaimed softly wanting her to look his way. “We didn’t argue because of you. None of this is your fault, okay? It’s my fault and I’m really sorry.” 

She gave him a small smile and patted his head. “It’s okay, daddy. I still love you.” 

He couldn’t help but chuckle slightly. He could always count on his daughter to cheer him up. “Thank you, Arin.” He kissed her cheek. “I love you too. Very much.” 

The new week started off badly. He had been foolish to think Mondays were something of a fresh start, foolish to think calling you first thing in the morning was a good idea, and as you told him you needed some space and that you’d call him once the week was over he couldn’t help but think the worst. You’d insisted that you weren’t mad at him, and you had no reason to lie to him, but there was no doubt you were upset… overwhelmed. That morning he’d woken up even more ashamed of the way he’d acted the day before, wincing as he remembered the way he’d lost his temper. He’d sworn that he would never let that side of himself appear ever again, but it was easier said than done. Nana had struck a nerve with the way she had spoken to you and it had been impossible to keep his cool. 

He felt deeply ashamed when he thought about how confused you must have felt watching he and his ex-wife hurl abuse at each other. Deeply ashamed when he thought about the way you’d found out things he had never told you… You were hurt he’d never let you know what triggered his divorce, and he understood why completely. It wasn’t like it hadn’t crossed his mind to share such a personal detail with you, it had, of course it had, he just couldn’t bring himself to say the words. Your experience with infidelity was the complete opposite of his. You had your heart torn to pieces by your ex-fiancé and he had his ego bruised… His marriage with Nana had already been completely over, he just didn’t have the guts to get out. She was correct, he was a coward through and through. 

But most of all he was deeply ashamed of his behaviour entirely. He had never meant to compare the both of you. He had never meant to use you to hurt Nana. It was extremely petty, such a low blow, and he didn’t know where it had come from. Rage had washed over him and he’d spat words that he couldn’t take back. It was the worst thing he’d ever done in his entire life, and despite the grievances he had with Nana, he regretted those words deeply. He hadn’t wanted to hurt her like that. It was shameful, and he felt horrendous for hurting both women with his foolish behaviour. 

Was there a happy ending after this? If Nana didn’t already hate him, she did now, and you were probably not too far behind. You’d seen him at his most poisonous, heard him use you to prove a point, found out things he’d kept from you, and learned he’d kept you a secret from his ex-wife. How embarrassed you must have felt… How confused… He’d made so many mistakes along the way, it was a wonder they hadn’t caught up with him sooner… 

He wouldn’t be able to bear it if you wound up hating him. Not when he loved you so much. He hadn’t even had a chance to confess yet, coming so close to it Saturday night but backing out because he was scared it was too soon. He’d made the decision there and then to tell you once he took you to Paris, getting swept away with the idea and the romance of it all, but now the regret for not professing his love that night was like a lead weight inside his chest. Would it have changed anything? Would yesterday have had a different outcome? 

And while he was regretting things, he regretted not letting Nana know about the relationship. Yesterday could have been avoided completely – maybe. 

The more he thought, the worse it got and by Tuesday he could feel himself spiralling. He knew the feeling all too well. Soobin had already worked out something was the matter. (His lack of morning shave a dead giveaway.) And that meant he was doing a terrible job at hiding his mood. He couldn’t have Arin sensing the same. She obviously hadn’t forgotten about the weekend and wouldn’t anytime soon, but he couldn’t make it worse for her. He needed to be there for her, as her father, not too busy distracted with his own misery. It was selfish. 

But he couldn’t suppress it all. He knew that was unhealthy. So, Tuesday night, once Arin was tucked up in bed sound asleep, he called the one person his former happiness had been neglecting for months now… 

“Seokjin,” Chaewon greeted, her warm voice laced with surprise. “Long time no speak.” 

He felt guilt immediately wash over him. “Yeah… I’m sorry about that.” It was stupid really, she wasn’t taking it personally, he could guarantee that, but nevertheless it was an emotion he was all too familiar with these days. 

Chaewon chuckled. “Don’t apologise for being happy and not needing me.” 

His heart twisted. 

She sensed his trouble. “Jin?”

He hesitated, looking down at the bottle of whisky sat at his desk. He was in his home office. “Something happened.” 

There was silence as his therapist processed his vague words before she pressed him gently, “Oh?” 

He took a breath. “Are you free to talk?” 

“Yes, of course.” 

“I’m sorry for calling you out of hours.” He apologised. “Don’t feel bad about billing me for this. I’ll even pay double.” 

“Seokjin, don’t be silly,” she told him softly.  “Let’s name this a friendship call. Now, what’s wrong?” She sensed the last bit of reluctance he was holding onto. “Come on, you can tell me anything.” 

He sighed. “I don’t know where to start.” 

“How about from the beginning?”

They spoke for an hour in the end, Chaewon listening attentively as he explained the weekend’s events. He left nothing out, or least what he could remember. He made no attempt to hide his wrongdoings or soften the story. He didn’t want to. He knew he had done wrong. She was sympathetic, but she didn’t mince her words when it came to her disappoint in him. 

After the argument he and Nana had gotten into just before Arin had moved in with him, he had worked hard with Chaewon to find a way to curb the anger he often felt when he and his ex-wife communicated. He thought he had been successful, but now he realised all he’d done was find ways to avoid it. He barely spoke to Nana unless he had to, a hello barely exchanged when she called in the evenings to speak to their daughter. A text shared to confirm when Arin would get picked up for the weekend, or one shared to cancel visits… He saw her even less. Jia, Nana’s PA and closest friend was the one who collected their daughter, and he knew it was because his ex-wife wanted to avoid him just as much. 

In the long term they had just been making things worse. That’s why last Sunday had been so bad. A build-up of every single frustration felt since the last time they’d seen one another, because no doubt Nana had her own list. It was a recipe for disaster. 

It felt good to confide in someone though, someone who knew him very well on a professional and personal level. Chaewon was amazing at putting him in his place so kindly. It was a gift really, and he appreciated it immensely. The older woman saw his negative traits but never judged him. She understood them and tried her best to help him with them. He guessed that was her job, but she did it so well it was hard not to see her as some sort of friend. 

That’s why when she asked to see him in person tomorrow he didn’t hesitate to free up his schedule. Truth was, he wanted it too. His mind was still clouded and he needed her insight. Her advice. He wanted a good night sleep too but he didn’t think that would be possible any time soon, no matter how much Chaewon tried to help him. Not when his sheets continued to smell like you…   

.

.

“It’s about time you both let go of the past.” 

Seokjin let Chaewon’s words sink in as he sat opposite her, nervously chewing on a nail. It wasn’t a habit of his, but it was somewhat of a distraction right now. A comfort. They should have let go of the past a long time ago. Maybe then they would have divorced sooner. Maybe then there would be less resentment…. 

“Arin is the one thing you have in common and you need to work together in order to be the best possible parents you can.” 

That cut his heart deep, a twinge similar to what he’d felt all week. Ever since you left. “I know,” he replied quietly. “It’s just…”

He couldn’t continue. Despite how he’d insinuated Nana was a bad mother, he didn’t think that deep down. They both loved their daughter equally, but that love was separate. It had been separate practically since she was born. Arin was missing their combined love, although she knew no different… 

“You need to let go of all that bitterness and resentment.” Chaewon continued. Words she had said fairly regularly for the last two years or so. “For your sake, for Arin’s…” But now there was a new addition. “…and Y/N’s.” 

Seokjin snorted. “Who said I haven’t scared her away already?”

Chaewon stare turned a little stern. “It was a shock to the system, anyone would need some time to process what happened.” When he stayed silent, she continued. “You have to make her see you’re trying your best to change things. You need to take responsibility for your actions.” 

“I will.” 

He wanted nothing more than to apologise profusely and answer any questions you had, but you’d requested time first and he was listening. He was just scared that time would work against him. He continued on, ignoring his deepest, darkest worry. 

“It’s not fair on her. She should never have witnessed all that, and it just drums in how unfair this has been to Arin her whole life.” Arin had been the witness to many an argument when he and Nana were still married. “I hurt the people closet to me because of my careless actions,” he concluded with a sad smile. Time after time. 

“And it’s not too late to change that,” Chaewon reminded. “Put a stop to all this nonsense.” 

Seokjin’s smile grew for a millisecond, feeling like a child getting told off. 

“Your marriage with Nana didn’t work out, that’s life. But you have a beautiful little girl together. That’s the most important thing, and it goes hand in hand with your own happiness.” She paused and then continued. “It’s very obvious that Y/N brings a great deal of that to the table.”

Yes, you did make him deliriously happy. He felt young again when he was with you. He felt invincible. Loved. He felt loved. 

“Concentrate on both of them – Arin and Y/N – and make some changes. Talk to Nana – civilly. Make this work and you can all be happy. I promise you that.” 

He had never heard Chaewon like this before, she was practically pleading with him. He let out a little laugh. “You make it sound so simple.” 

She simply smiled at him. “If you’re determined enough, it is.” 

.

.

“Mom wants to talk to you.” 

Seokjin looked at his phone outstretched in Arin’s hand with slight confusion. For the past four nights, ever since Sunday, Nana had spoken with Arin just before she had to get ready for bed. It was routine now, another avoidance, he exchanged a hello with her and then passed the phone on. Her tone less defensive as the days went on. Tonight had been the same despite his session with Chaewon this lunchtime. But to his surprise, maybe Nana was making the first move. 

He took the phone from Arin with a smile, not wanting to make her nervous. Usually he left her alone to speak to her mother, not wanting to pry or insert himself but tonight he was sat next to her on the sofa, replying to emails on his laptop. He hadn’t been listening at all, too engrossed with finalising details for an upcoming project, so of course it had come as a shock to find Arin passing the phone to him. 

“Hello?”

“I was just wondering if I could have Arin this weekend.” Nana totally bypassed a greeting of any kind, but she wasn’t demanding in her tone, nor defensive, it was just the way she was. She’d always been straight to the point, no time for pleasantries, and many years ago, when they’d first met, he’d found it highly amusing. 

“Um, of course,” he replied, taken back a little. He would be more than happy for her to have Arin. It wasn’t her weekend, but that had never bothered him before. He wanted Arin to see her as much as possible. It was only fair seeing as their daughter now lived with him. 

There was a brief silence before Nana spoke again. Had she been expecting him to say no? Surely not. But then again, after last weekend maybe her worries were valid. She found her bearings. “What time does she finish school? I’m taking Friday out, I’ll drive down and collect her.” 

Seokjin couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow in surprise. Nana had not once collected Arin herself. “She finishes at 3.”

Nana hesitated, “Do you think they’d let her finish early?” 

“I don’t know… It’s usually only emergencies –”

“Never mind,” she stopped him. “There was just a bunch of things I’d planned, thought we could get a head start, it’s fine.” 

He glanced over at Arin who was watching him hopefully. It was obvious what their phone call had entailed. They’d been making plans for the weekend and Arin was visibly excited. He smiled at her. 

“I could always phone the school tomorrow,” he suggested to Nana. “See if it’s possible. Maybe she could skip the whole day?” 

Nana sounded ecstatic. Something he hadn’t heard in years. “Really? Do you think there’s a chance they’d say yes?”

He shrugged to himself. “It’s just one day, I don’t see why not.” 

Nana was busy thinking. “Maybe I could take tomorrow afternoon away from the office too… Pick her up at 3.” 

It was his turn to hesitate now, opening his mouth ready to suggest something. He knew he owed his ex-wife an apology, but over the phone just wouldn’t do. He needed to see her. He went for it. “Or I could do it for you? I can drive her to you.” 

“You would do that?” She sounded shocked. 

“If she’s allowed to miss a day then yes.” 

“Oh.” It wasn’t often Nana was left speechless. “Okay,” she agreed after a moment. “That would be great actually.” 

His attention went back to Arin then, who was practically vibrating with excitement next to him. His replies hadn’t given away much, but it was enough to tell her she’d be seeing her mother this weekend – and possibly skipping a day of school. He grinned at her and she clung to his arm. 

“Can I say bye to mom?” 

“In a minute, Arin,” he chuckled, amused by her eagerness. “We’re not done yet.” His next sentence was directed at Nana. “I’ll text you tomorrow morning and let you know what the principal said.” 

For the first time in god knows how long there was no malice or sarcasm attached to her gratitude. “Thank you, Seokjin.” 

He took it as a positive sign. Things were changing. They would change. 

The next day he dropped Arin off at school himself. The plan had been to head to reception and ask if he could talk with Principal Jung in person, but after saying his goodbyes and watching Arin meet up with some friends in the playground he began to get second thoughts. What if he accidentally bumped into you? He was on pins even in the parking lot. He wanted to give you all the space necessary and the last thing you probably wanted to see was him walking towards you in the corridor. At work. 

No, instead he drove to his office, phoning the principal as soon as he’d finished up his morning meeting. Hoseok – as he’d been told to call him – was completely understanding. Seokjin didn’t even have to whip out the sob story about Arin missing her mom dearly. Dirty tactics were always the last resort, and he could talk a good game, but thankfully his skill wasn’t needed today. Arin was all set to go this evening. 

The drive wasn’t a long one thankfully, just under an hour as Nana lived in the neighbouring city. This wasn’t the first time he’d been to Nana’s penthouse, the place she’d bought after they’d sold their family home, but the last time had been pretty explosive. Not nearly as bad as last weekend, but close. Arin had thankfully been waiting in the car for him that time, as he and her mother argued over where she should live permanently.  

Seokjin stood beside Arin in the elevator, feeling nervous for the conversation he wanted to have. He was never above apologising when he was in the wrong, but with his ex-wife saying sorry had never come easily. It was childish and he knew he needed to change, so today was the perfect test. If he wanted a clean slate he had to be as honest as possible. 

“Mommyyy,” Arin squealed as she opened the door to greet them, barrelling into her practically. 

Seokjin stood back as they hugged, a soft smile on his face. 

“Arin, I missed you,” Nana informed her, breaking away to take her bag. As she did so, she glanced at Seokjin, then back at their daughter. “Listen, darling, go to your room for a little while so I can speak to daddy.” 

Seokjin felt a little relieved. At least they were on the same page – potentially. 

Arin though, was unsure, looking between her parents as she spoke. “I don’t want to. What if you argue again?”

He felt his heart break at her words. “We won’t, sweetie,” he reassured, bending down to look her in the eyes. “I promise.” 

She still looked dubious, but then Nana took over, her voice light and breezy.  “We won’t be long, okay? Think about what pizza you want to order for dinner.” 

Arin’s eyes lit up at that request and Seokjin couldn’t help but chuckle. That pizza obsession of hers was getting dangerous. “Okay,” she agreed easily, waving to him before she skipped off to the furthest part of the apartment. 

Seokjin watched her leave before rising up again, tugging down the ends of his jacket. Nana was looking at him, an unreadable expression on her face, but he knew it wasn’t anger she was feeling, so that was a plus. He thought back to Sunday, how mad they had both been, how upset Nana had looked as she’d rushed off. The guilt came back. 

He exhaled. He might as well just bite the bullet. “I’m sorry for calling you a terrible mother. I didn’t mean it.” 

Nana stayed silent but her arms wrapped around herself. It was such a vulnerable action, it took him by surprise. 

He continued. “I was just frustrated. I let things build up and exploded.” 

She stared him straight in the eyes, shoulders sagging a little but her voice was strong. “You know I love our daughter half to death.”

“I do,” he agreed. “I don’t doubt that.” 

She look relieved. It made him feel oddly sad. He had never wanted to make her doubt herself as a mother. He was a piece of shit. 

Still, she needed to understand some things. His point of view and where he was coming from. His frustrations weren’t all for nothing. They were valid. “But you have to understand I’m the one who has to pick up the pieces when you end up cancelling on her. It takes its toll.” 

Nana’s gaze flickered to the floor as she whispered. “I’m trying to be better.” Then she looked up again, her voice stronger. “I’m trying to free my weekends up. I’m trying not to do as much. I thought maybe I could even have her for an evening every weekday? I could pick her up from school, take her out for dinner. I know it’s a distance but maybe I could get every Wednesday afternoon away from work... Hopefully.” 

Seokjin was impressed. Nana lived and breathed work so to hear she was thinking about possibly taking an afternoon away every week was… It made him very happy. “She’d love that,” he grinned genuinely. “She misses you a lot.” 

Nana couldn’t help but smile too. “I miss her always.” With a slight chuckle she continued, “This apartment is so quiet without her.”

Seokjin looked down at his feet and grimaced slightly. He knew that feeling all too well. Living without Arin had been close to torture after the divorce. Everything felt so silent, the house gigantic and lonely. He hated the thought of Nana feeling the same way. “You can see her any time, Nana,” he murmured. “I’ll never try to stop you.” 

Despite everything, their grievances toward one another, they had and would always co-parent well. Arin was their number one priority and she needed both parents in her life. 

“I know that,” Nana nodded, “and I’d never try to take her from you.” 

It didn’t bear to think about, but he had to admit, sometimes it was easy for irrational thoughts to creep in when someone was left feeling insecure. 

“She loves living with you. She’s really settled at her new school, she never stops talking about her friends.” Nana continued, making small talk of sorts. He couldn’t remember the last time they’d done this. “She’s the happiest I’ve ever seen her.” 

Seokjin nodded in agreement. She loved her new school, her new friends – her new life, you could say. That was easy to see. 

Nana cleared her throat, dropping her arms to her sides. “I apologise too. I was out of line turning up at your door like that. I was just so mad... so hurt.” She took a few seconds. “I wish you’d just told me.” 

“I should have.” She was absolutely right. “I see that now and I regret it. It was wrong of me to keep my new relationship from you. I wasn’t doing it to be vindictive. I just...” he stopped himself. Even though they weren’t excuses, they felt like they were. His reasons didn’t matter.

“You should have been the first to know because of Arin. If I was in your shoes, if it was the other way around, I would have been angry too.” He stopped and sighed at his stupidity. “I never meant to hurt you, neither did Y/N. She actually had no clue you didn’t know until that day.” 

Nana’s eyes widened with shock, before she looked regretful. “Yeah, that one makes me feel even guiltier. I shouldn’t have spoken to her the way I did. It was a shock to hear Arin speaking about a stranger like that. A stranger I had no clue existed.” 

Seokjin appreciated her apology, but he needed to make sure she understood something. “Yeah, about that, Arin really has never called Y/N her stepmom. We’ve only been together for a few months. I spoke to her about it and Arin understands that’s not the case. It was just kids being kids.” 

Nana nodded. “I shouldn’t have flown off the handle, and I should have listened to your explanation the first time around.” 

He held her gaze. “I’m not trying to replace you, Nana.” 

If that’s what she was worried about, it wasn’t the case. He had never meant to compare the two women and he regretted it deeply. 

Nana’s lips quirked up at the side, her voice relaxed and at ease. “But eventually Arin will call her that.” 

His eyebrows shot up, understanding what she was getting at. “I don’t know,” he shook his head. His relationship with you was up in the air right now. He’d made one too many mistakes. 

Nana brushed him off with sway of her hand. “I guess I’ll learn to deal with it when the time comes.” 

He admitted defeat. “And I’ll have to do the same.” 

It was inevitable really. One day Arin would probably have two blended families and while he really wanted his to be with you, he didn’t want to get his hopes up right now. 

Nana snorted. “Fat chance of that happening. I don’t have time to fall in love again.” 

He stayed silent, unsure what to say. He’d thought the same once upon a time. Until you walked straight into his life. (Or, more fittingly, until he’d reversed straight into yours.) Everyone deserved love in their life and he hoped that one day his ex-wife would find it again. 

She was looking over at him sadly now, eyes softening, and it was almost jarring to see her show this much emotion in front of him. “I did love you, you know,” she murmured before laughing quietly at herself. “I felt like I never told you enough, but in the beginning it was good, right?” 

“It was.” Seokjin hated getting nostalgic, in fact, he actively avoided it, but in this moment he let himself go. Ten years ago, he and Nana had fallen hard for one another. It was fast and exhilarating but – “We just…” 

“Rushed into things that weren’t meant to be?” She finished for him. 

He’d been so eager to marry before he was thirty, to follow in his parents’ footsteps. He wanted, no, needed, to become CEO.  He needed to build something he could be proud of, and having a family fit into that logic. He’d had tunnel vision, but it wasn’t all bad. 

“I can’t regret it though,” he told Nana softly, “because we made Arin.” 

“At least we agree on one thing,” she chuckled. 

“Yeah,” he smiled. 

It was strange speaking like this with one another. He couldn’t even think of the last time something similar had happened. They were always too busy at one another’s throats, not listening to what the other had to say. Now all that fight had gone. They were both exhausted from years of bitterness. Years of fighting. 

He didn’t want to fight anymore. 

Nana seemed to think the same. 

“I’m ashamed she had to hear us fight like that,” she said. “I apologised on the phone but…” 

“She’s okay.” He reassured. “I think she still thinks it’s her fault a little though. I’ve tried telling her it wasn’t repeatedly.” 

“I’ll talk to her over dinner.” 

“Good idea.” 

There was a pregnant pause before Nana chuckled. “This is the first time we’ve spoken so civilly in a long time.” She hesitated, wanting to say something else. He waited patiently, curious. “Maybe we should think about talking it out with a professional?” 

He raised his eyebrows. It wasn’t a bad idea actually, but then… thing seemed to be working out well on their own right now. “Maybe we should see how things go first? Now that we know how one another feels.” They weren’t out of the dark yet, but it was looking hopeful. “But if you think it will help then I won’t refuse,” he added, wanting to show how seriously he was taking this. 

She smiled slightly. “Okay, we’ll see how things go.” 

It seemed like the conversation had run its course then, and Seokjin shuffled, about to suggest he head out now, but Nana spoke again. “Are you okay?” She asked. “No offence, but you look like shit.” 

He laughed, actually laughed, at her words. He could always count on her to be honest with him. “I haven’t been sleeping very well,” he admitted, “but talking with you definitely helped.” 

She eyed him doubtfully. “I hope I haven’t ruined things with you and Y/N. I can talk with her if you want?” 

“No, it’s fine,” he shook his hand. 

She looked down, feeling foolish. “I guess I did enough damage.” 

He chuckled. “No, pretty sure I did that all on my own.” 

Looking up, her mouth opened, as if she was about to ask him what he meant but stopped herself at the last second. She wasn’t there yet, and neither was he. 

He took a step back. “I should go.”

Nana went to follow him to the door. “I’ll have her back by Sunday. Do you want to say goodbye?” She saw his nod and called for their daughter, her voice echoing off the walls. “Arin? Arin, darling, come here and say bye to your dad.” 

A few seconds later he heard Arin’s footsteps getting closer, she hovered by the entryway, looking worried for a second, as if she was expecting the worst but then she saw her parents smiling faces and relaxed instantly. 

“I’ll see you Sunday, okay?” Seokjin told her as she made her way towards him. He reached to pick her up, something she scolded him over sometimes because it was “embarrassing” now. She was getting older, he kept forgetting, because to him she would always be his little girl. This time however, she let him do so, wrapping her arms around his neck as she kissed his cheek. 

“Okay, bye daddy. Love you.” 

“Love you, too,” he grinned, kissing her back before he put her down.

Nana watched on with a grin of her own. 

Being home alone was odd. Seokjin couldn’t remember the last time he’d been on his own. In the week Misook was here to help out with Arin and the housework, then every other weekend she often dropped in when he needed her. When the house wasn’t occupied by his daughter or Misook, you were here with him, so it had been quite a while since it was just him. It reminded him of the past, when he’d lived here all alone. He never wanted to go back to that. 

He was happy to see Friday roll around. It felt like he’d been waiting all his life. Just one more day and he’d get to speak to you. The lack of communication was killing him. Ever since you’d began dating you’d spoken every day. It felt strange to be without that, like he was missing a part of himself. He’d been able to distract himself with work throughout the week, but no amount of distractions could really stop him from thinking about you. Stop him from missing you. Because he did. Terribly. 

The photo on his desk didn’t help matters either – the two of you smiling together on the fishing trip he’d organised over the summer – but like hell was he hiding it away in a drawer. 

It was probably best that Arin was with Nana this weekend. It gave you both some time to talk and sort things out – hopefully. He was praying so hard that everything would be okay, but he was getting ready to fight for you. Just in case. Of course he would listen to what you had to say, and respect it too, but if it happened to be bad news he would try his best to make you see how sorry he was and how hard he was trying to change. He couldn’t lose you. Not when he loved you so much.

You made him want to be a better man. 

.

.

He got home pretty late from the office, staying just to avoid an empty house and after having a quick shower and ordering takeout, he decided on an early night. This week had been mentally and emotionally draining so it was probably for the best. Plus the sooner he slept the sooner tomorrow would come. 

He’d just stepped out of the bathroom when he heard his phone ring in his sweatpants pocket. He pulled the device out automatically, expecting it to be Namjoon, because who else would be calling at this time? But to his surprise and utter amazement, he saw your name flashing across his screen. 

His heart began to pound embarrassingly loud and he rushed to answer, sounding a little breathless as he murmured your name.

“Hey, you,” your replied, and he swore he could hear the smile in your voice. His shoulders instantly released the tension he hadn’t realised they’d been holding. 

“I wasn’t expecting you to call tonight.” He heard himself say, cursing himself because it sounded so dumb. He was over the moon you’d decided to call. Of course he was. 

“Sorry, I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” 

“Of course not,” he rushed. “Well,” he laughed, “I was just about to head to bed.” 

You laughed along softly, the sound making his heart sing. “I was going to wait until tomorrow but Soojung is with Taehyung tonight and being alone means I can’t stop thinking about you.” 

He couldn’t stop the sigh of relief that slipped past his lips. It was so good to hear you say that. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you all week. Are you ready to talk? I’m willing to answer any questions you have.” He meant every word. 

“I’m ready,” you replied. “Should I come over? I don’t want to do this over the phone.” 

“I can come to you?” He suggested instead, not wanting you to go out of your way for him. “Arin’s with Nana until Sunday.” 

“Oh. Okay. Now?” 

“It’s not too late?” 

“No, it’s fine.” You sounded a little eager and that just made even more relieved. He’d been expecting the worst all along. “I really want to see you.” 

He smiled, happiness overwhelming him. “I’ll be there soon, okay? Really soon.” As he spoke he made his way into the closet, opening up his drawers to find a clean t-shirt. 

“Don’t speed,” you told him jokingly.  

“Of course I won’t,” he laughed. “I’m going to hang up now but I won’t be long.” 

“Okay, see you soon, Seokjin.” 

He couldn’t stop the grin on his face as he said his final goodbye, his heart racing with excitement as he tore off his old shirt to put the new one on. It was a little creased, but it would do. He didn’t have time to find anything else. 

He needed to see you. 

He needed to be with you. 

#seokjin fanfic #bts fanfic #jin fanfic #fic:mls #mls:drabbles #floralseokjin:writings

[nejibaby]

Memories

Pairing: Neji x Fem!Uchiha Reader

Summary: There are a lot of terrible things that have happened to you as an Uchiha that you wanted to forget. But with Neji’s help, you’re able to move on and move along. Things have started getting better for you, however, once the Fourth Shinobi War was declared, time seemed to start running out.

Word Count: 2.1k

Memories - Part 1 | Deja Vu - Part 2

A/N: I didn’t exactly follow the plot and somehow it turned so angsty 🙈 Please let me know your thoughts~

There are memories you hold so dear that you refuse to have them tainted no matter what. Most of those memories are of the times you spent playing or training with your brother Shishui, his best friend Itachi, and Itachi’s brother Sasuke. Those times were the golden days for you; the best of the best, if you may.

Conversely, there are also memories that you just wish would disappear. They’re the memories of incidents you wish didn’t happen at all. They’re the type of memories that you push at the back of your mind, because you believe that if you think about it or even spare a single second for it, then it’ll be more real. Because you’re in denial. You’re in denial not only about the death of Shisui, but also of the Uchiha clan.

But then there’s a single memory you have that always stands out. It’s a memory that you both want to forget and remember.

The tragedy of the Uchiha clan had changed the only survivors — you and Sasuke. You had already started changing a little because you had to deal with your brother’s death, but seeing the horrible scene in the clan’s district had been the icing on top.

Your drastic change had been evident on the day you came back to the Academy after you were discharged at the hospital. What once was a girl full of life had become an empty shell.

The moment you sat down entered the room, people had started talking. Mostly it’s just about asking someone else if you were an Uchiha or if they know about the clan’s misfortune. They were meaningless chatters so you easily drowned them out.

But there was a comment that had reached your ears. “Why is it such a big deal? People die anyway, it just so happened her clan died on the same day.”

The comment kept ringing inside your head but then someone beside you spoke up, “Don’t you have anything else better to do than talk about someone else’s life?”

He was met with silence so he continued saying, “People die everyday, it’s a fact. Some die because of illnesses, some because of old age, some because of poverty, accidents, or murder. As shinobi, we can die in the line of duty. But that doesn’t make death any less painful to the one left behind.

“If your family is alive, then good, but maybe use that brain of yours because logic says not everyone gets to be as lucky as you.”

Naturally, you want to forget about the unsolicited comment of your classmate, but you want to remember that among the students inside the room, one boy had stood up for you. Quite frankly, you needed his saving that day. Otherwise, you would’ve beaten yourself up for mourning too long.

And when you realized who that boy was, his words weighed even more. Because Hyuga Neji was a boy notoriously known for thinking that everyone’s fate is predetermined from birth and that luck plays absolutely no part in it.

“Not everyone gets to be as lucky as you.”

And for a hot minute he had abandoned his belief as he stood up for you.

It sounds hypocritical if you think about it.

But maybe just as he had saved you, you had opened his eyes just a little bit and helped him see that his beliefs were skewed too. In a way, you had helped each other, at least you hoped.

It’s because of that day, that memory, that you find yourself gravitating towards Neji.

It isn’t attraction at all at first, more like genuine curiosity about him and his life. But you didn’t get to know him further until the Chunin exams where he had disclosed the way of their clan. It’s at that time where you understood why he acts the way he acts.

You can’t help but wonder about how two clans with almost similar circumstances— both with kekkei genkai, both living in Konoha, both considered to be one of the strongest clans in the shinobi world— could have completely different ways of living. One clan is almost completely annihilated, while the other has slaves of their own blood. And if you’re being completely honest, you aren’t exactly sure which is better.

You have gotten the urge to talk to him after hearing his story, although you really didn’t know what to say. But then the chance never came up because of the chaos orchestrated by Orochimaru.

After the Chunin exams and the attack of Orochimaru, you hadn’t heard of Neji for a while since you’ve been tasked to help with the repairs of the village. And when you did hear about him, it was terrible, terrible news.

Sasuke left the village to seek power from the very person who just wrecked havoc in Konoha. His leaving alone left you in despair. What Itachi was to Shisui is exactly what Sasuke means to you, and him doing such a thing without even letting you know makes you feel like a failure both as a friend and as a family.

The news didn’t end there, however. Apparently the squad that Shikamaru had led to retrieve Sasuke had been severely injured and were on the brink of death — one of them being Neji.

You remember feeling guilt and regret burning your skin. You remember the shame of not being able to save Sasuke from the darkness and not being able to help the retrieval squad in any way. You blame yourself for the horrible things that happened.

Since then, you have made it a point to visit the squad in the hospital every day, making sure you apologize and thank them for their service. But admittedly, it’s Neji that you always stay with longer.

It’s not that you aren’t comfortable with the others, they’re really nice and easy to get along with. But they always have other visitors with them, mostly their team members and relatives. Neji, on the other hand, didn’t get as many visits since his other teammate, Rock Lee, was also injured because of his fight with Gaara. So Tenten and Guy sensei would switch visits between the two every other day.

Besides that, his clan members rarely ever visited. And you didn’t want him to be alone in such trying moments, especially when you didn’t get to do anything to prevent this from happening.

As closed off as Neji is, because of your constant visits, you have found a way to worm yourself into the walls he put up. And by the time he’s discharged from the hospital, you somehow became close friends.

From that moment on, you find yourself coming to Neji on times that you’re in despair and in doubt. You trust him enough to tell him your stories, worries, and fears because he doesn’t judge you. And he does the same with you.

Neji listens when you want him to listen, and talks when you need him to talk. He’s quite level headed and very much rational, and because of that he gives the best advice.

With him, you find yourself healing and growing. With you, he finds himself learning to forgive.

Neji easily makes you see things in a different way; a different light; a different perspective, and helps you become a better shinobi and a better person in general.

For you, Neji has such a comforting aura. While he’s sometimes cold and stoic around others, with you, he softens up. With you, he’s gentle; careful even. And it’s because of this that you find yourself admiring him more and more.

But before anything could happen — before you could even confess — the Fourth Shinobi War was declared.

Just like that, time seemed to start running out. And you have lost all hopes of being together with Neji as a lover rather than a friend.

The war is awful. Quite frankly, it overwhelmed you too much, too easily. The bodies lying on the floor with dried out blood reminded you of the massacre of the Uchiha clan. But the only person who’s able to calm you down and help you move along is Neji.

The both of you fight side by side, always nearby Hinata in case she would need help. When the night comes and the enemies cease their attack, it’s your turn to talk Neji into relaxing a bit because he’s started straining his eyes from too much use. And because it’s you who asked and it’s you who’s there with him, he knows he and the rest of the Allied Forces are safe, so he rests.

But somehow chaos ensues and in the middle of it, you both get separated. You’re worried deeply, but you trust his skills and his strength, and you know you’ll be reuniting with him again.

And reunited with him you did. But when you have found him once again, he’s blocking out the Ten Tails’ attack with... his body.

With desperation, you transported to his side as quickly as you can. Summoning your last bits of chakra, you use Susanoo to protect him, Hinata, and Naruto. The last thing you remember is the look of relief on Neji’s face, but before it could morph into worry, you have already blacked out.

By the time you have woken up, you’re in Konoha’s hospital. The first thing you see is Neji resting his head on the side of your bed, peacefully sleeping, looking as angelic as ever.

Your body aches with every breath you take, even more so with little movement. But you didn’t let that deter you from weaving your fingers along the Hyuga’s hair. He stirs almost immediately and then he opens his pretty eyes. He sits up upon seeing you.

“I’m sorry, did I wake you up?” You softly ask.

He doesn’t respond to your question. “You’re awake,” he sighs in relief. “You’re finally awake. Let me go call Lady Tsunade and Sakura.” He stands up.

But before he can even take a step, you grab his wrist. “Stay,” you mumble.

Neji looks at you, reading your face. But then he nods and sits.

“Is it over?” You ask.

“Yes, the war’s over.”

“What happened after?”

“It’s a long story… but tell me, how are you feeling?”

“I’m feeling fine. My body aches, but it’s not a big deal.”

“What do you mean it’s not a big deal?!” Neji looks upset that it takes you by surprise. “Do you remember what happened? Didn’t you know you almost died?! You almost used up all your chakra to use Susanoo! That’s so stupid and reckless!”

His aggressive tone effectively gets you angry. “I did it for you!” You snap. “Of course I remember what happened! Even if I want to forget, the memory is branded in my mind! You fucking wanted to use your body to shield Naruto from that attack, didn’t you? How is that not stupid and reckless? Huh?”

Neji’s chakra flares up as he clenches his jaw. Yet, he doesn’t speak.

You breathe out, trying to calm down. You rarely ever fought with Neji and he’s never really raised his voice to you. With your body still tired and aching from the war, you didn’t want this conversation to escalate further so you try to diffuse the situation before it blows even more out of proportion.

In a low voice, you speak, “I was so scared, Neji. I didn’t want to lose you. I’ve lost everyone I’ve ever loved.”

A tear falls down from your eye and Neji’s heart breaks at your forlorn state. “I don’t want to lose you too. I can’t…” you squeak. “I love you so much, I can’t lose you.”

Neji’s breath hitches at your declaration. He could hear his heart drumming against his chest.

You love him?

He doesn’t know if he heard you right or if his mind is just playing tricks on him. It happened before. He’s loved you for so long… and there have been plenty of days he dreamt of hearing you say you love him too. And right now he isn’t sure if this is the reality or just another one of his dreams.

As if you’ve read his mind — like you always seem to be able to do — you repeat your words. “I love you, Neji.”

It’s the confirmation that he needs. And hearing your words knocked the wind out of him. “I… I…” he starts saying.

But you’ve taken his stuttering and his pale, panic-stricken face as a sign of an incoming rejection, so you look down instantly and say, “It’s fine if you don’t like me the same way. I just hope we can still be friends after—”

“No, I… I love you too,” he breathlessly confesses before you even finish your rambling.

Your head whips up after the words left his lips. You stare at him, unbelieving.

And just as you did a while ago, he repeats his words with conviction, “I love you too.”

A smile makes its way to your face, and when he smiles back, you immediately know this is a memory you won’t ever forget.

#neji hyuga #neji #neji hyuuga #neji hyuga x reader #neji x reader #neji hyuuga x reader #neji x y/n #neji x you #neji x oc #neji hyuga x you #neji hyuga x y/n #neji hyuuga x you #neji hyuuga x y/n #Neji angst #neji lives #neji fanfiction #neji fanfic #naruto #naruto fanfic #naruto fanfiction #neji imagine #naruto angst #naruto shippuden #naruto imagines

[gb-patch]

Ask Answers: May 15th Part 1

It’s been longer than usual since our last answer session, so I’m answering a ton of questions today! It’s so big I split it into two parts. Thank you for the patience on getting a response to these.

Thanks for reaching out to us with your questions and kind words ^^!

Sorry if this has been asked before or isn't something you can say but is there anyway for Cove to confess in step 4? I wanted him to confess in step 3 and followed all the steps to make him do it but ended up texting my family instead of Cove at the end.

Yeah, Cove can confess in Step 4!

Hello! I heard that Cove is on the spectrum, albeit undiagnosed. As someone who is ND, this makes me UNBELIEVABLY happy. I literally was brought to tears! Thank you for that!

Out of curiosity, will Cove be diagnosed in Step 4? I have a strong feeling y’all won’t make it a HUGE deal/make it out to be negative, so I’m not worried about that whatsoever! I’m just curious just he’ll off handedly mention it? Or will it just not be touched upon at all (which is ok!)?

Either way is ok, I’m just curious!

I’m happy it made you happy! Admittedly, Cove simply being someone with autism that grew up not being diagnosed was something I included for myself. I didn’t really think anyone would notice or ask about it, aha. But players did start to have questions about his traits, so I started to talk about it outside of the game. It’s great to see it get such a positive response and now I do feel like having it be a non-topic may have been the wrong choice and bringing it up would’ve been good in terms of having positive representation for that. I don’t know if I’ll find a way to mention it in Step 4 now, with how far along the game is, but I am at least thinking about it when originally it wasn’t something I really even considered.

Hey!  Just wanted to say thank you for Our Life.  It's been a bright spot and a needed escape in what's otherwise been a crummy year.  I know you just did a Q&A post but I figured I'd ask anyway.  Was just curious about Step 4.  Will it be similar to the other Steps in that it consists of several different moments or will it just be one long sequence?

Step 4 is shorter than the prior Steps because it’s just an epilogue rather than a full arc of a story. It’ll consist of scenes that all happen in a set row one after the other. There won’t be a collection of Moments to choose from. But it’ll still be very sweet and fun.

¡hola!, you see, first I want to say that I love Our Life! (°◡°♡) and I have 2 important questions, would Cove cry watching titanic? and what is the saddest part according to him? (sorry for my english) 

Titanic would make him cry. He’d probably think the parts showing people who aren’t able to make it to the life boats/are choosing to stay and go down with the ship were the saddest.

Hello, I wanted to ask how much you earn with creating games? Like is it possible to make a living? Thank you >< <3 

How much I earn varies a lot month to month based on Steam sales, Patreon backers, and how many projects are in full production at the time. It’s also hard to say how much I make historically, since that also changes dramatically year by year. But I do earn enough to work on these games full time! I really appreciate all the support that allows me to do that.

Hey!! I was wondering for the 18+ Our Life moment, will there be an emphasis on safety/comfort for all involved? I feel like there  would be just going off of what the rest of the game is like, but I wanted to ask 

Yes! Cove is a nervous boy himself and also super cautious about doing anything the MC doesn’t like, so clear consent from both is absolutely needed for anything to happen. It’s a conversational sexy times Moment with stops/starts so the two can talk about how they’re feeling, rather than a heat of the moment just going for it kind of thing.

Hey!! I was wondering how long the wedding dlc would be? Will it be broken up into moments, or just one big event? 

It’s one long series of scenes all in a row rather than a collection of Moments to pick from. It’s the shortest and the least expensive of all the DLCs. It’s not super crucial to get and those who aren’t into big weddings can totally skip it without worry.

HELLO AMAZING DEVS 👋 i am hopelessly in love with the worst guy ever (jeremy king) and because of this i have a really stupid question: does he really hate people who are nice to him? TvT he’s too cute to be mean to istg it’s a miracle JB held the urge to be consistently nice to him bc just look at his FACE he is so cute! thank you for jeremy’s route it’s so lovely (and awful bc he’s scum 11/10) it gave me so much laughs LMAO i hope you guys have a good day!! 

Haha, thank you. He doesn’t hate them but he’s certainly not pleased with them. Jeremy is either uncomfortable with or annoyed by people being sweet on him, depending on how they approach it. He’s far more comfortable with jerkiness. It lets him relax and he can be himself without it being a problem, since he’s also a jerk. He feels a level of guilt being such a little punk to kind people, not enough to be a better person but still.

Has Cove dated or been interested in someone other than MC? 

Nope! He stays single over the course of the game if he’s not with the MC.

Is Step 4 more mature? Or it's gonna be set in similar atmosphere as Step 3? 

Step 4 is a similar atmosphere as Step 3. Though, it’s actually kind of less mature-topic heavy than Step 3 since it’s just a ‘hey, let’s check in on the gang to see what they’re up to’ style epilogue rather than a story arc with serious issues.

will there be new music for now and forever?? or will the old our life music be reused? 

It’s gonna be a brand new soundtrack. We’ll be opening up a job position for that soon.

Hi, is it okay if we use the assets in Our Life (like the sprites) for fanworks or fan content content, like edits? 

Sure! Just as long as you don’t use the assets made by those artists to make money.

Quick clarification on Step 3 choices: I hope I didn't come off rude (because I LOVE the game, really!!), I was just curious because the intro threw me off at times. For example, you could choose how you felt about Elizabeth in Step 2 (Dinner), but during the Step 3 intro, it says that you got closer to Liz and I didn't get a choice in it. 

For the example, it can’t be helped that you’re closer to Liz in Step 3 than you were in Step 2 because she’s inherently closer to the MC regardless of whether you liked her or not in Step 2. Her feelings are out of your control and the game isn’t so dramatic that you can push her affection away and not let her bond with you, haha. But ‘being closer’ can still be relative. For some people maybe that means you’re best buds now and for others it might just mean you’re not fighting all the time any more. If there’s other parts you want to mention, feel free to let us know.

Did the illustrator for Our Life change? 

We have many OL artists! The main artists who set the game’s style haven’t changed, but there’s multiple other artists who help finish assets.

So Miranda's type is confident and outgoing, huh? So...does that mean Terri's her type?? 👀 

Haha, sorry for the late reply on this. As you might’ve seen in our post yesterday- yeah that is her type.

Hey! First, I just want to say I've really enjoyed how detailed OL got with gender identity and sexuality and how respectful the topics were handled! It's been so wonderful to play since the experiences could be close to my own (I'd be lying if I said I didn't tear up at parts). Second, I was wondering, would future games explore the topic of polyamory? I'd love to see more visual novels allow room for that and I saw you've explored the topic before.

Keep up the amazing work! ♡

Thank you! We do want to include polyamory in at least some of our future projects. Floret Bond, which might be what you’re referring to when mentioning how we’ve explored the topic before, is on hold unfortunately. So right now I’m not sure when something might release or what will be the first game of ours to come out with poly relationships (we might do something else before FB is done). We’ll have see how things ends up coming together.

Hey um. I feel like im not allowed to ask this on the private discord cuz people will yell at me but why is there so much focus on OL2 and not finishing OL1 stuff? I like the new people but i kind of want to finish cove's story and get derek and baxter stuff first. didn't people pay for it? 

I’m sorry, I don’t understand entirely what’s making that situation a concern. There’s a channel in the discord for critique where no one is allowed to comment back. People can voice things they’re worried about without any way for others to push back on it. And the two teams working on the OL games are different. We try to post pretty often about how we’re hiring brand new people to start on Our Life: Now & Forever. The OL1 team is all still working on OL1 like normal. There’s only more updates on the Patreon for OL2 because the expansions to the first game are mostly script-based at this point while OL2 is just starting to get all its art, which means there’s a lot more to show off as previews.

Also, there was a Kickstarter for the first Our Life, if that’s what you mean by people paying for it. But one of the stretch goals was to start Our Life 2 early, before fully completing Our Life 1, so that the new game could be out sooner. It wouldn’t make sense to stop doing OL2 work because that would be going against what backers were promised. Maybe you didn’t get the full story before and hopefully this clears it up!

Hello! I know it's up to every player but.. What is your recommendation for playing order? Did you ever had any timeline  events planned? 

I didn’t make the events with a planned timeline. The events got made simply as I had ideas for them and then I just kind of organized them from left to right on the screen in an order to space out more dramatic ones between more lighthearted ones. Any order the player wants to go with is totally valid!

Hi! It's Step 4 a paid dlc or update? And how long it's planned to be? Ps. Love the game! 

The Step 4 epilogue is free! The Cove Wedding DLC does cost money, though. Those are planned to be shorter than the usual Steps/DLCs.

Will we have options for what sort of job the MC might have by the time step 4 takes place? 

Yeah, you can. It’s not super exact or detailed, but there are options about it.

Is there a pandemic in Our Life world, or is it just in a better timeline with no pestilence? 

Our Life is pandemic-free! That didn’t exist when we began working on the project and it’s not something we’d like to feature in this story now that it has unfortunately come along, aha.

Hi, you said that you can play tic-tac-toe or hangman with Cove in Boating if you're sick/scared but I keep getting tic-tac-toe. Am I doing something wrong?

After being sick/scared you have to continue to be upset/unwell. If you calm down and decide to just chill you’ll end up playing tic-tac-toe.

Hi, GB Patch! Since Lee was initially commissioned to only appear in two Steps does this mean she won't appear in the Wedding DLC? I really like her character so it'll be a little weird to not have our cousin at our wedding, aha.

She is gonna be in Step 4/the wedding DLC after all! We’re still working with her creator to make sure it fits with what they wanted.

Is Sunset Bird based on a real place? Asking for a friend, not trying to move there or anything. 👀

It’s based on small beach towns in So-Cal, but not one specific town you could go see in real life, I’m afraid. It’d be nice if it was real, though.

—– —– —– —–

We released a new FAQ! It answers common questions and we’ll keep adding more to it. Please check there before sending an ask. FAQ   Also, if you prefer to just see the main posts without all the asks/reblogs, feel free to follow our side account instead: GB Patch Updates Blog

#our life #Our Life Beginnings & Always #Our Life: Now & Forever #ask #gb patch #gb patch games #xoxo droplets

[vintage-writes]

Yes I’m Mad, You Broke my Leg (Tomura Shigaraki x Reader)

Pairing: Tomura Shigaraki x Fem!Reader

Summary: You are currently undercover at U.A High School as Aizawa’s teaching assistant. One day on a field trip with Class 1A the League of Villains shows up and you now have to pretend that you’re definitely not in love with the leader. Of Course, Maybe you took it a tad too far. >-<

Warnings: None, Fluff. Slight bit of Angst but otherwise it’s just a pouty Shigaraki..

Word Count: 2 057

_________________________________________________

“Shigaraki is dead ahead moving into the back alley. Y/n, I need you to cut them off,” Aizawa’s voice echoes in your ear. “I’ll handle Kurogiri.”

Your feet continuously pound against the stone floor. You pass several run down buildings as you sprint down the deserted streets. The League of Villains recently attacked an old hospital currently experimenting on quirk enhancement. Seeing as the U.A. students were conveniently nearby, the Saturday school trip has turned into yet another effort to finally get a hold of Tomura Shigaraki, head of the League of Villains. Because God forbid, we actually do something normal for a change.

As Aizawa’s newest teaching assistant, that he reluctantly agreed to, you were now careening around corners on foot to catch up to him and cut him off from behind while Aizawa took chase from the front. So far, you just wish you had stayed home.

As you make your way around the final corner you run into the man himself. His cotton blue hair billowing behind him, his cloak flapping around in the wind. His trademark hands are currently in place blocking your view of his handsome face.

“Hello Villain”, you say.

He says nothing in response, simply tilting his head at you.

“I’ve been ordered to stop you here”, despite not being able to see his face you can tell by his body language, he isn’t pleased with the idea. “Why don’t we have some fun.”

“Let’s not”

You quickly slip the knife waiting in your belt into your right hand. Using your quirk you block off all the exits except for the one in the direction of Aizawa. You lunge forward and swipe your knife at him but he jumps backwards in time to avoid the edge. You swipe again, he dodges again, and like this you proceed to dance around another with jabs and slashes. Despite his size and lowered visibility, he is able to move rather smoothly.

Again, you decide to emit your quirk to land a blow on him which he narrowly avoids. However this time, as he dodges away he latches all five fingers onto a column supporting a nearby building. His quirk manifests at an alarming rate and eats away at the majority of the column before swiftly shifting over to eat away at the bricks and chipping paint of the building itself.

“Wait! NO!” You lunge forward intent on stopping him, knife discarded. The area didn't have any time to be evacuated, therefore, many people were still residing in the houses. If the building collapsed, it could definitely take a life or two.

Surprised by your sudden cry, he jumps away from the wall. Between the fingers, you can see his eyes have widened considerably. Before you had any time to say or do anything that could potentially explain the sudden outburst, you hear Aizawa’s voice shouting from behind.

“Y/n, get him now!”

Right. Remain focused.

You turn back to the task at hand only to freeze. Rushing towards you at an alarming rate was Shigaraki, hand outstretched, aimed at your face. On pure and absolute instinct, you drop down into a crouch before swinging your left leg around to connect with the corner of his knee. The blow lands with a sickening crunch and he immediately drops like a sack of potatoes as you roll out of the way. Adrenaline thrumming through your veins as you roll onto your feet again, turning to face Shigaraki. He’s lying on his side, hand fallen beside him and face in full view. Shigaraki’s face twists in pain as he lets out a strangled cry. However, this time,  Kurogiri sits beside him and without wasting time, the two disappear. 

“Dammit!” Aizawa says as he rocks up beside you. “Nice job though, that will definitely throw a wrench in their plans.”

You look up at Aizawa, confusion written all over your face.

He chuckles softly, “Nice job on breaking his leg, it’ll give the heroes a chance to breathe and track them down.” Aizawa begins to walk away and motions for you to follow so that you can meet up with the students. However you remain frozen in place as realisation begins to set in. Guilt immediately floods over you. You broke Shiggy’s leg. You gave him a clean break to HIS LEG. You wander after Aizawa in a daze. Meeting up with the students feels like a nightmare as each one compliments you on a job well done. It doesn’t feel like a good job. You plaster on a realistic smile as you pretend to revel in the glory. It’s an incredibly strange feeling to be praised for doing something you really didn’t want to do.

You’re never going to hear the end of this.

___________________

Three agonising days pass before you’re allowed off campus. You send in a request with Principle Nezu and he allows you to stay off campus on Friday night for your ‘Mom’s birthday’. Aizawa gives you papers to mark and sends you off with a pat on the head and a request to remain safe. 

“I doubt Shigaraki’s allies will be too pleased with you, stay out of the spotlight.”

You gave him your thanks before leaving campus. Now you stand in front of a rundown warehouse, cake in hand, mentally preparing yourself for the shit you’re about to get into. God can only prepare you for the amount of petty, pouty rage, Shiggy’s about to send your way. You move forward and slowly open the door. It swings open on its hinges anyway, screaming into the open space. On the musty couch sits Dabi and Toga watching some god awful American drama.

Dabi looks up and with a teasing smile and proclaims, “Would you look at that. It’s the hero.”

“Shut up, Dabi”

“Oh, Y/n, Y/n, Y/n”, he tuts. “I feel like maybe you should be a little nicer, especially with the mood he’s in right now.”

“Don’t you think I know that”, you hiss back, holding up the cake tin.

“You think Cake is going to fix this?”

You pause before softly mumbling a tired ‘maybe’. Dabi bursts out laughing while you throw a venomous look at him.

“Oooohh, no need to be like that, or are you going to break my leg now too-- ow!” He shouts out, rubbing his head. Toga raises her arm again, TV remote in hand. A warning written all over her face. 

“He’s in the back Y/n”, she says. She offers a smile, hand still raised. “Don’t worry too much about it.”

You thank her and send Dabi another mean look as you duck around the corner, striding towards the back room. As you reach the door you release a breath before entering.

Shigaraki sits on the couch, head in his hand as he watches the news. Surprisingly enough he’s staring intently at the sports channel. He’s avoiding you, you realise. You walk in on soft feet to stand in front of the couch. You place the cake on the coffee table. You decide to be straightforward and address the elephant in the room.

“Hey Baby, how’s the leg”, you say gently.

“Hi Darling,” he starts off, “It’s fine.”

Darling, he says. That one’s new.

“Are you mad?” you whisper. He finally meets your eyes. Crimson eyes burning with heat.

“Why would I be mad? It’s not like you broke my leg”, he says, gravelly.

“Baby, I promise you, it wasn’t on purpose. You caught me off guard. I barely even knew what I was doing, it was all on instinct”, You start off desperately. “I swear, it will never happen again. Aizawa just caught me off guard.”

His eyes fixate on you. He’s studying you thoroughly, doubt swirling in his eyes. His calm face remind you of someone in mourning. He leans forward, hands interlace, elbows resting on his knees. He doesn’t look at you again. Instead, he stares into the spot above the TV. Ideas turning behind red eyes. You feel your heart drop. Does he no longer trust you? Is this the end of the relationship? You’ve always known Shiggy’s trust was difficult to earn but you never thought it would be lost, especially not like this.

“Do you not trust me?” he asks at last.

You still. Do you not trust him? That’s ridiculous. Of course you trust him. You’d lay down your life for this man. For the opportunity for him to be happy, to burn the world down that betrayed him. To cripple a society that is unequal and cruel.

However, the scene plays back in your mind, the sight of his hand moving towards your face. His pinky tucked beneath it, only the thumb and forefinger truly posing as some form of a threat. Granted the only reason you had done what you did, had more to do with an object coming towards your face then a lack of trust in him.

You kneel down in front of him and rest on your knees. You remain on the side of his good leg, eye-level with him.

You reach forward and grasp his interlaced hands, unlocking them and entwining your own within his gloved fingers. Slowly you lift each hand up and place a kiss on the knuckles.

“I love you so much, of course I trust you.” You say gently. “This will never happen again.”

He smiles and then proceeds to lift up your hands in order to place kisses on your knuckles. Sincerity pooling in his eyes.

“I love you too. Please be safe.”

You send him a wink, “Always, and one really good thing came from this. The Pro’s trust me a whole lot more now.”

His smile drops suddenly and so does your heart. Maybe that came out wrong.

“I’m still in a lot of pain”, he says, looking away with a pout, “I’m still mad.”

You climb onto the couch next to him and place a kiss on his cheek before whispering, “I brought cake.” You beam up at him and he lets out the softest little chuckle.

“What kind of cake?”

You giggle.

“Chocolate, Delicious Chocolate.”

“Alright, I’ll eat the cake and then see if I’m still mad.”

You let out a laugh before kissing him full on the lips. Slightly chapped as his lips are, they’re still soft to the touch. He places a hand on your cheek and deepens the kiss, groaning. Warmth spreads over your body as you feel at peace.  Wrapping his arms around you, you fall into him. The worrying for the past few days suddenly feels silly now as his gentle heat engulfs you.

You pull away breathless. Eyes like plated Mars, stare into your own. His beauty is stealing away all reasoning. Taking away the very air of your lungs.

“Cake?” you ask, a blush spread across your cheeks.

He nods back, “Cake.”

You reach over for the Cake tin and hand it to him before reaching down again for the spoons. As you turn back you see that he’s already opened the tin, a card sits in his hand as he stares down at both, a look of confusion written all over his face. 

Oh Yeah, that’s what you forgot to do. He looks at the card, then at you before lifting the cake out of the tin and displaying it for you. Out of the corner of your eye you can see the card has been placed aside. Without looking at it you already know what it says. 

A quick note to “Enjoy the precious time spent with family” signed by Principal Nezu.

“Babe”, he says “Why does this cake say ‘Happy Birthday Mrs (L/n)’”

You Throw him a sheepish smile.

“Happy Birthday, Mom”

_______________________________

A/N: There is nothing anyone can say to convince me Nezu wouldn’t do this.

#shigaraki x reader #bnha #bnha fic #bnha shigaraki #fluff #angst #mha #mha shigaraki #shigaraki tomura #soft!shigaraki #mha tomura #tomura shiragaki #principal nezu #shigaraki x y/n #my hero academia shigaraki #shiggy #sfw #my hero x reader #my hero fanfic #my hero academia #villain x reader #tomura x reader #shigaraki x you

[star-spangled-steve]

His New Partner

Chapter 47: The Aftermath

Series Masterlist

Previous Chapter

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Fem!Reader

Words: 4292

Warnings: Angst, fluff, mentions of death, pregnancy.

A/N: This took me so incredibly long (as usual), but I hope you guys enjoy it!

Having to tell Y/N about Tony’s death was one of the most heartbreaking experiences of Steve’s life. Nothing saddened him more than watching his wife cry, and cry, and cry, not even wanting to believe that what she was hearing was true.

Tony had been such a close friend of hers, helping her all throughout her pregnancy, assisting her with anything she and A.J. needed when Steve himself hadn’t been present. Hell, she even named their son after him. Y/N loved Tony like a father and she simply couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that she would never get to see him again.

The woman was depressed for days, the weight of the death of her two friends simply being too much to carry. Steve too was a mess, as he also cared for Natasha and Tony so deeply. But he knew that he really had to take care of his wife right now, as she was barely eating, drinking, or sleeping, all while being pregnant.

So much loss was just too hard for her to bear. It also had her worrying about who else she could possibly lose if things kept going the way they did.

Y/N’s body wracked with sobs as she sat sideways on her husband’s lap on their bed, her face hidden in the crook of his neck. He had pulled her onto him as a way to try and comfort her, as she’s been crying for the past two hours since he’d told her about the terrible news.

She asked Steve if she should call Pepper to send her condolences, but he advised that it was late and she should probably wait until morning. Any bit of sleep Pepper could get should be cherished, as it would probably be very hard for her.

So now here the couple sat, the only sounds in their house being Y/N’s sobs that she tried to muffle in her husband’s shoulder, wanting to make sure that baby Anthony James didn’t hear.

“I... I just...” she began to speak in between sniffles, but then she cut herself off. She didn’t want to say something that could make her sound selfish, but this one thought was starting to be the only thing she could think about.

“What, sweetie?” Steve questioned, tears in his own eyes, rubbing his hand up and down the expanse of her back soothingly. “What is it?”

The woman lightly shook her head. “Never mind.”

“No, no.” The man urged, bringing a hand up to cradle the side of her face, stroking her cheek lovingly. “Tell me, come on. Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“It’s just,” she choked on a sob, “I feel like I’m losing everyone I care about, you know? And-And I...” Y/N lightly shifted in his lap, wanting to look him in the eye, “I know this may sound awful, and not what I should be thinking about, but... I just can’t help but be thankful for the fact that it wasn’t you who died out there.” More heavy cries came out of her as she covered her face with her hands, trying to calm herself down.

“Oh, baby-”

“I just...” she cut Steve off, needing to get this all out, “I just can’t stop thinking about it. We’ve been so unbelievably lucky, Steve. We’ve lost so many of your teammates over the years, and we’re, I’m so lucky that you haven’t been one of them. But like... what if you were? I couldn’t do this alone.” The woman gestured down to her baby belly. “I couldn’t raise these kids with you. I couldn’t go on without you. And, oh my god, I feel so bad for Pepper, Steve. I wouldn’t survive what she’s going through. I-“

“Hey, shhh.” The man cut in, wrapping his arms around her and bringing her closer to his chest. When her words were getting faster as she kept going, Steve could tell her that anxiety was getting the best of her, and knew that she needed to be soothed. “Shhh, babydoll, shhh.” He lightly rocked her back and forth, pressing soft kisses to her hair every now and then. “I know that it’s a lot to deal with, N/N, but you’re getting worked up over something that hasn’t happened. I’m right here, angel. I made it and I’m right here.”

“But what if one day you aren’t?” Y/N questioned, not even wanting to imagine how she would feel if that happened.

“Then you’d get through it, okay?” He spoke gently. “Just like Pepper is going to, because we’re going to help her out. But that’s not even going to happen with us, because I’m not going anywhere.” Steve brought a hand to her belly and rubbed it comfortingly. “Remember that pinky promise we made? That I’d return home from the time travelling safely? Well it worked, and it doesn’t just apply to that mission. I’ll always come home to you, princess. I promise.”

“M’kay.” Y/N spoke into his shoulder, sleepily. Her husband was grateful that his words were effective in calming her down, previously worried that she wouldn’t be getting any sleep at all that night. He held her tightly for several more minutes before she became completely silent.

“You feeling sleepy, doll?” He asked her quietly. And when he didn’t get an answer, he glanced down, slightly smiling to himself when he saw what she was already asleep.

Y/N’s hands trembled as she applied some sparkly pink lip gloss to her lips, staring in the dresser mirror intently. Words couldn’t describe how nervous she was for today’s events. First of all, it was the first time she was leaving the house in almost a week, as so far she had been too depressed to be productive in the slightest. This meant that it was the first time she’d be seeing the world with the other half of the population returned. Secondly, today she, Steve, and A.J. were going to lunch with Sam and Bucky. This would be the first time she’d ever met the brown-haired super soldier who was her husband’s best friend, and the thought made her so very anxious.

Steve and Bucky had been like brothers since childhood. They had probably always talked about their future wives and how they envisioned them to look, talk, act. What if she didn’t live up to the expectation in Bucky’s head about what Steve’s wife would be like? What if she was a disappointment?

“You look so gorgeous, baby.” Steve spoke from behind Y/N, interrupting her insecure thoughts. He stood behind her as they faced the mirror, his front to her back, his hands resting on her large belly. The man rested his chin on her head and gave her a small smile in the reflection. “You sure you’re okay to go? You seem a bit uneasy.” Ah, yes. He could always read her like a book.

“Yeah,” the woman spoke, gulping, “just a bit nervous. I’m meeting your best friend today.”

Steve smiled slightly, feeling complimented that she cared so much about the people in his life. “Well if it makes you feel any better, I just talked to Sam, and Bucky is just as nervous as you are.”

“Really?” Y/N questioned, shuffling out of her husband’s hold to chose her earrings. She decided on her silver ones with dangly pink hearts.

“Oh yeah.” The man said. “Sam said he’s worried that you’ll be angry with him.”

His wife turned to face him in shock, her mouth agape. “What? Why?”

Steve shrugged. “I’m not sure honestly. We can talk it through when we’re there.” He watched as she put in the earrings and started fixing her hair in the mirror again. “Speaking of being there... are you almost ready to go? You’ve been getting ready for like forty minutes, sweetheart.”

Y/N gave him a slightly annoyed look, though it was completely playful. “You try finding an outfit that compliments your figure when your stomach is larger than the freaking planet.” She sighed, before suddenly turning more serious. “I just wanna’ look good. It’s his first time seeing me. What if he thinks you could’ve done better?”

Steve frowned at her words, though he wasn’t completely surprised that she’d say something like that. Y/N has always been incredibly insecure, even though she had no reason to be. She was absolutely perfect in Steve’s eyes. “Doll,” the man spoke, walking up behind her once again and turning her around to face him, “there is no better than you.” He brought a hand up to cradle the side of her face. “You’re so beautiful, N/N. So incredibly perfect, and I’m so lucky to have you. I wish you could see yourself the way I see you.”

The woman smiled at his words, looking up at him lovingly. “I-“

She was about to say something when they were interrupted by the sound of a toddler laughing, and the two began to chuckle, wondering what baby Anthony was up to. “I’ll go check on that.” Steve stated. “You just take your time, pretty girl.” He then pressed a kiss to her forehead before exiting the room.

She took a deep breath, in and out, facing herself in the mirror. ‘You got this, Y/N.’ She told herself to try and calm her nerves, before hurrying to finish up.

*****

“You got this, man.” Sam assured Bucky with a pat on the back as they stood on the sidewalk in front of the diner.

Much like Y/N, Bucky was also incredibly nervous for this meeting. He was honestly worried that the woman would be mad at him; mad at him for taking away her husband for two years. It was to rescue Bucky that Steve had to leave, and perhaps Y/N would still be holding a grudge. He wouldn’t blame her if she was.

He was also a murderer, in his own eyes. No matter how many times Steve and the others had tried to assure him that what he did wasn’t his fault, Bucky still couldn’t believe that. He knows that it was his hands that did it, and for that he still felt an immense amount of guilt. Would Y/N even feel comfortable bringing herself, her son, and her unborn daughter around a man as tainted as himself?

A black Audi being parallel parked next to the sidewalk alerted the pair that the family had finally arrived, and Sam gave Bucky a reassuring pat on the back.

“That’s them.” The Falcon stated, watching as Bucky gulped.

The first to exit the car was Steve, who immediately shot his friends a grin as he jogged over to the passenger side door, opening it for his pregnant wife. He helped her out with a steady arm, even though she really wasn’t far along enough yet to need it. He just loved assisting her.

“Hey!” She greeted the two with a smile as her husband got their son out of his car seat.

“N/N!” Sam cheered back, opening up his arms for a hug. “It’s so nice to see you! Look at you, all pregnant and everything. You look awesome.”

“Aww, thanks, Sam. It’s so nice to see you too, buddy.” Y/N agreed as she settled into his embrace. As they separated, she turned towards Bucky with an adoring look on her face. “And it’s so great to finally meet you.” She chuckled.

The long-haired man let out the breath he didn’t even know he was holding, relieved that she was happy to meet him. “You too.” He smiled back, quite shyly too. He hoped that one day he could gain back the confidence in himself that he once had.

“And boys,” a deep voice had all three of them looking to Y/N’s right, “there’s someone else I’d like you to see.” In his arms was little Anthony, all wide-eyed and smiley. It was rare that he got to meet new people. “Buck, this is A.J.”

Sam practically melted on the spot. “Aww, look at him.”

Bucky’s mouth went agape. Steve had told him that he had a son and a wife, but seeing them both in front of him was almost overwhelming. The small kid from the 40s was all grown up. “W-Wow, I-” he was at a loss for words. “He’s... beautiful, Steve. I’m so happy for you. You two are practically twins.”

Steve nodded his head with a laugh. “Yeah, so I’ve been told.” He turned to his other friend. “Sam, I know you’ve met him briefly in passing before. A.J., do you remember seeing Sam? Your Uncle Sam?” He asked the boy.

Anthony nodded his head and Y/N giggled.

“Unqle Sam.” He slurred out, making Sam’s mouth drop open.

“Wow!” He said in astonishment. “This kid is smart!”

“Wanna’ hold him?” The woman asked.

“Oh my god, of course I do.”

Steve gently passed the toddler over to his friend, making sure that Sam was holding him correctly before he let go.

“Hey, little guy. I’m your uncle.” He beamed, turning to Y/N and Steve. “I’m an uncle of Captain America’s son. This is so cool!” The man watched as she laughed again before he turned to Bucky, who has been quietly staring this entire time. “Wanna’ try, Bucky?”

“Oh... I-“ The man stuttered. “I don’t know if she wants that. I mean-”

“Of course I want that.” Y/N cut him off insistently. “You’re his uncle too, Bucky.” She gave him an encouraging smile, and he nodded his head at Sam.

Once again, Steve stepped in to make sure that Bucky was holding him right. The moment that A.J. was in his arms, the brown-haired soldier was in awe of him. His best friend in the world helped create this cute little thing. How crazy.

“Buddy, can you say ‘Uncle Bucky?’” Steve asked his son.

A.J. looked up with a twinkle in his eyes before cheering: “Unqle ‘Ucky!”

Y/N put her hand over her heart. “Good job, sweetie!”

“Atta’ boy!” Steve rejoiced.

A.J. clapped a couple times at his parents’ words before his eyes went wide at the feeling of metal. He looked down and saw Bucky’s metal arm supporting him up. “Woah...” he marvelled.

Bucky shifted nervously.

“So cool! I wove it!” The little boy cheered though, making a warm grin appear on the man’s face. His heart just melted.

“Thanks, kid.”

Steve gave his friend a meaningful nod and smiled before speaking up. “We should probably go inside.” He gestured to the diner in front of them.

Y/N quirked an eyebrow teasingly. “Papa’s getting hungry, huh?”

Steve gave her a playful smirk. “Oh you know it.” He gently took A.J. out of Bucky’s arms, and Bucky moved to hold the restaurant’s door open for them all. “Thanks, Buck.”

Sam leaned closer to Y/N as they walked inside. “Steve sure does love holding A.J., huh?”

A loving look appeared on her face. “He’s hardly put him down since A.J. returned to us.”

*****

“So, Y/N, you’re an actress, right?” Bucky asked as the woman was sipping her water, and she nodded, swallowing.

“I am.” She smiled. “It’s been a while since I’ve done anything, though. I took a two-year break when I was having this little guy,” she cocked her head towards A.J., “and then the industry was really slow for the past five years. A couple studios tried to make some stuff, but it just wasn’t the same.”

Y/N and Steve sat in one side of the booth while Bucky and Sam sat in the other. Y/N and Bucky were seated against the window, and A.J. sat at the end of the booth in a wooden high chair provided by the diner. They had just ordered their lunch and were waiting for it to arrive at the table.

“I do have a couple movies booked for after this one’s born, though. I’m so excited to start working again.”

Her husband grinned and put his arm over her shoulders. “I’ve missed going to your premieres.” He looked at her with admiration. “I’m so proud of you every time.”

The woman simply blushed and looked up at him from under her lashes before leaning into his side, her actions speaking for her.

“That’s awesome, N/N.” Sam spoke up. “You can give me all the inside details, right?” He asked playfully. He always enjoyed getting the spoilers from her.

“Enough, Sam!” She giggled. “You know I’ll get in trouble.”

“Hey,” he gave her a serious expression, though he was still teasing, “if anybody gets mad at you, we’ll take care of it.” He gave a slow wink, making her roll her eyes.

“That’s never good.” Y/N shook her head. “I do not need the father of my children and his idiot friends getting me in deep messes, thank you very much.”

Steve chuckled and Bucky even cracked a smile at her words.

“Hearing Steve be referred to as the ‘father of someone’s children’ is still so odd for me to hear.” The dark-haired man stated. “You never thought you’d get this life, pal.”

The Captain’s expression turned soft in an instant. “I know, Buck.” He looked to both his left and right, taking in his little family. “I’m so very lucky.”

“I just can’t believe your second baby is almost here.” Sam said in disbelief. “We’re just getting used to kid number 1, and kid number 2 is already on the way.”

“I know, it’s crazy.” Steve agreed. “Then after that, kid number 3 can come along...”

Y/N playfully rolled her eyes. “He’s already planning the next one, my goodness.”

“Hey, the more little yous running around, the better.” Her husband stated.

“A.J. is a carbon copy of you, so I wouldn’t get your hopes up for the next ones to look like me.”

“Then we’ll just have to keep trying.” He gave her a flirty wink, making her laugh and shake her head at his dorkiness.

Bucky leaned closer to Sam and whispered, “When did he get so smooth?”

“Years of practice.” The Falcon whispered back. “Though, she’s pretty awkward sometimes so I guess she’s easily impressed.” His words came from love, as Y/N’s awkwardness was what was so endearing about her.

A voice had everyone looking to the side where the waitress had brought them their food, each adult at the table thanking her before she went off.

Everyone began to dig in on their meals. Steve was multitasking between feeding A.J. small spoons of macaroni and cheese and eating his own lunch. He and Bucky’s plates were almost double the size of Y/N and Sam’s, due to their super soldier metabolism that the woman had always been so jealous of.

“Open up, buddy.” The Captain spoke softly to his son, and Anthony James took the spoon in his mouth gently. Y/N smiled adoringly at the interaction.

Sam was also super glad that A.J. and Steve were forming a bond. He knew how crushed his friend was when they had returned from being on the run, only to see that Steve had missed so much. He couldn’t help but wonder how Y/N felt on the matter all of this time later.

“I have a question.” He spoke up, making everyone turn to him. “I don’t want to strike a nerve or anything, but... N/N, I was just wondering how you were doing about Steve and us being gone for two years. I know that it was a while ago for you, but it feels like just yesterday for me. Literally.”

Bucky looked down at his plate in shame, the guilt feeling like it was eating him away.

“Well you know, at first it was really hard. To build up that trust again, right? But we’re great now. He’s done a lot to make up for it and I know that he’s truly sorry.”

Steve had a guilty look in his eyes as well whenever it was brought up, and she found his hand under the table, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“I sort of feel like I should apologize too.” Sam added. “We kept trying to find ways to return, but there was huge consequences every time. And I’m sorry, N/N. I know how hard it was for you.”

“It’s alright, Sam. I promise you I’m not holding a grudge about it.” She told him honestly.

“Um...” Bucky cut himself off, trying to find the right words.

Steve was intrigued. “Yeah, Buck?”

“I really want to say sorry too. To Y/N.”

She began to shake her head. “Oh, Bucky-”

“No, I... let me. Please.” He insisted, and she nodded her head, letting him continue. “This has been weighing down on me for a little while. What happened was basically all my fault. If it wasn’t for me getting in the way, Steve wouldn’t have missed so much. He could’ve been with you for those two years. I took him from you and I’m really sorry, Y/N.”

“Bucky,” the woman spoke earnestly, “you have absolutely nothing to apologize for.” She watched as his shoulders visibly relaxed. “You and I both know very well that Steve makes his own decisions. And by the sounds of it, you would’ve been in a lot of trouble if he hadn’t stepped in. So in a way... I’m glad that he was there to help you.”

Bucky smiled at her words, grateful that she was so considerate. “And here I was thinking you’d hate me or something.”

Y/N’s jaw dropped as she shook her head ‘no’. “Oh my god, no, Bucky. I could never hate you for what happened. I’m so happy that you can finally be a part of our lives, and I’d love it if we could be friends.” She glanced at her son and then back to Bucky and Sam. “He loves having his uncles in his life.”

Bucky had an appreciative expression on his face, looking to Steve and saying, “Alright, pal, you got a good one.”

Y/N beamed and let out a small giggle, as her husband gave a nod and said, “I know.”

Now that A.J. was done his meal, he was getting restless just sitting in the high chair. He started to whine and wiggle a bit, reaching his arms out to his parents. “Mama, dadda!”

“He wants to sit with us.” Y/N said as Steve took him out of the chair and sat him on his lap.

“So desperate for attention, just like you.” Steve quietly teased her.

She stuck out her tongue at him before looking down at her boy. “Anthony, can you tell me who this is?” She pointed at Sam, trying to test his memory.

“Unqle Sam!” The toddler stated excitedly, making Sam nod cockily.

“And this?” She pointed this time at Bucky.

“Unqle ‘Ucky!”

“Yay!” The mother cheered. “You’re such a smart boy!”

“We claim him now.” The Falcon quipped.

“He sure does love his aunts and uncles.” Y/N added.

A.J. nodded, before beginning to list: “Unqle Sam, Unqle ‘Ucky, Unqle ‘Wodey, Aun’ Peppa’, Unqle ‘Ony...”

At the mention of Tony’s name, Y/N froze, glancing down at her lap, trying to hold back her tears. It didn’t go unnoticed by the men, as Steve’s hand that wasn’t holding A.J. grabbed her thigh, rubbing softly.

“Buddy,” Steve spoke gently to his son, “we talked about how Uncle Tony’s not around anymore, right?” The words pained him to say, but he had to make A.J. understand that he wasn’t coming back.

“I know.” The boy spoke sadly. “I want him.”

“Us too, little guy.” The blond man stared at his wife. “Us too.”

Bucky and Sam remained quiet until Y/N finally spoke up, “You two are coming to the funeral, right?”

The Falcon nodded. “Of course.”

The other man was silent for a second. “I... I don’t know if he’d want me there, to be honest.”

Y/N looked him in the eyes, sensing his guilt. “I understand why you might think that. But I promise you, he would in no way be offended to know that you were there. He wasn’t that petty, and deep down, he knew that you’re not at fault for what happened, Bucky.” She watched the man bite his lip in contemplation. “Please come. I know that Pepper would like as many of us there as possible.”

The brown-haired man nodded. “Okay... I’ll be there.”

“Good.” Steve said. “Then we have the thing we’re hosting for Natasha.” His wife nodded along. “It’s smaller, we know she wouldn’t want a crowd. But we need to honour her somehow.”

“I completely agree.” Sam added. “I’ll help in anyway you guys need.”

“Thank you.” Y/N spoke, deep in thought. God she missed her friends so much.

*****

Y/N stood by Steve’s side on the dock, A.J. in her arms as she was trying to hold back her tears, failing miserably. Watching Pepper place flowers in the pond, ‘Proof That Tony Stark Has A Heart’ in the middle of them, made her so unbelievably sad. Losing the love of your life must be the worst feeling imaginable, and she was so grateful that she hadn’t had to experience it.

Seeing little Morgan having to say goodbye to her dad made Y/N’s arms tighten around A.J., determined not to ever let him go.

Steve wrapped an arm around his wife, pulling her into his side as she tried to cry as quietly as possible, not wanting to disturb.

Everyone at the funeral was devastated, but also so thankful and proud of Tony for everything he’d done for them. He was a hero; a martyr. Who most certainly had a heart.

Y/N liked to think that Tony and Natasha were looking down at them now, so happy that friends and family all across the universe could be together again. Finally.

Next Chapter

Feedback is always welcome!❤️

#steve rogers x reader #captain america x reader #chris evans x reader #steve rogers x you #steve rogers x y/n

[moonlit-han]

stray kids’ reactions to their s/o having a bad relationship with their parents ↠ all members

genre: reaction, angst, hurt/comfort word count: 3k warnings: brief descriptions or mentions of verbal/emotional/physical abuse, emotional manipulation, dysfunctional family relationships, alcoholism, swearing request: yes a/n: to the one who requested this: i hope that, if you have a dysfunctional or abusive relationship with your parents, you’re able to leave the environment safely. or, that the behavior changes or stops soon. make sure that you have somewhere safe you can go and at least one other person you can talk to and who can help you. be safe, darling!

✧ masterlist & tag list info in bio ✧

↠↞

bang chan

chan would be in utter disbelief that people could act like that

he kept repeating that parents should care about their children

that the yelling and screaming should stop

he would, honestly, have a very low opinion of your parents from the moment he found out everything they’d said and done

he’d not be one to make rash judgements about people,

but there are some lines he holds firm on

you’d long ago learned to go blank when your parents started on their shit

it didn’t matter if it was aimed at you

or at each other

but yelling, blaming, and cussing wasn’t at all what you wanted to experience or be around

chan would make damn sure to be there anytime you had to visit your parents

he didn’t want you to feel alone and small ever again

he had very clear boundaries with your parents

(not that they really respected them, though)

but that didn’t stop him from walking right out of the house, your hand in his, if they tried controlling him

chan had long ago perfected the art of getting you out of your parents’ house at the first sign of trouble

he’d always know when something bad was about to happen between you, too

chan would do everything in his power to make you feel better every time you were feeling shitty because of your parents

he firmly believed that no parent should stifle their child like that

and should never yell or strike you

n e v e r

and don’t get him started on the emotional manipulation

.......

he’d always comfort you after seeing your parents on those rare times courtesy required you to see them

the day you’d told chan all the abuse you’d endured, he simply held you as the both of you cried and cried

and he’d held you all that night, too

really, chan would hold you every single night

and soothe your frantic breathing when the nightmares caught up with you

once, he’d used a phrase that your mother was fond of when she was trying to guilt you into doing things,

you’d gone blank and stopped hearing him

from that day forward, he never used the phrase around you again

chan was adamant that the two of you would not act like your parents in any way

if he was upset, he’d go for a walk and then come back later to talk calmly about whatever had been upsetting

he never took things out on you

no emotional manipulation whatsoever

and the idea of laying hands on someone in anger was abhorrent to him

chan would be absolutely committed to making you feel safe and loved

lee minho

minho was, honestly, pissed

he was pissed that you were dealing with shit from your parents

he was pissed that you didn’t seem to have a chance to rest these days

he was pissed that he felt utterly useless in the face of your unhappiness

he’d noticed that you gazed into space more than usual

that you were sleeping more

all minho wanted to do was comfort you

but you were keeping to yourself

and, worst of all,

not asking for help from him

when you came home from work late with your eyes red-rimmed

minho immediately picked you up in his arms

and took you into the bedroom to cuddle you

over the next hour, he listened as you explained how you’d gone to your parents’ house

and how they hadn’t let you get a word in edgewise

that wasn’t anything new, and, all things considered, they hadn’t treated you too badly

at least no one had decided to slap sense into you

as you’d tried to tell them that you’d just moved in with minho

you wanted them to be happy for you,

but they were scornful and insisted that you were too young at 23

that you were throwing your life away by moving in with your boyfriend

you didn’t care

not really

but something in you needed them to know.

so now that you were back home

and in minho’s arms, you completely fell apart

more than you’d fallen apart on the drive home

you’d only let yourself sniffle as you drove bc you knew you’d crash otherwise

but now you could cry and cry and cry

and let yourself get tugged into the torrent of emotion that flowed through you

minho just rubbed your back and murmured sweet nothings to you

then helped you shower and change into your pajamas

before tucking you under the covers

so you could finally let yourself rest

meanwhile, minho made you some tea and a couple pieces of toast

hoping the honey he’d smeared on top would help you feel better

but really, just needed his arms around you

seo changbin

you’d been at your parents’ for a family gathering

and came back home with a blank look in your eyes

knowing that things were strained between you and your parents,

changbin was ready to support you however you needed

you kind of fell into his arms

and just started crying

your body shook and it took long minutes for you to calm down

changbin wasn’t quite sure what he could do,

besides comfort you and make sure you were safe

he was angry that the situation between you and your parents was worse than he’d known

as you gulped out the story of your mother taking you into the kitchen

and hissing thinly veiled insults, telling you that you were selfish,

changbin heard the blood pound in his ears

if he could make your mother shut up, he would

he wished the two of you could live together

but you were still in college and couldn’t exactly do that easily

so, he hoped that all the time you spent together

and the fact that you were taking so many classes

was enough to get you through still living at home

it was still hell for you, though

you hadn’t realized how bad it was until you started dating changbin

and he’d told you that no, your parents trying to guilt you into not going to college in favor of taking care of them was not normal nor okay

you were glad you had changbin to give you perspective

he was the sweetest man you’d ever met

and you were in awe of how he fought for your right to autonomy

you couldn’t resist feeling overwhelming tenderness for him

all he wanted to do was treat you with as much respect and love as he could

like chan, changbin was incensed that parents would treat their child, or children, like that

and would definitely have a few sharp words to say to your parents

he wouldn’t exactly care about the consequences

there were simply things that were acceptable and some that weren’t

and he cared about you too much to not say something

he would do small, sweet things for you

just to see you smile all the more often

changbin made a point to tell you just how much he loved you

every

single

day

hwang hyunjin

as hyunjin watched you crumple on the doorstep of your house

he knew something was wrong

rage filled his mind when he saw you crying so brokenly

he had no idea what had happened

but he could guess and it made him

utterly furious

how dare they

how dare your father be such a bastard

if hyunjin could, he would spirit you far, far away from home

he wanted you to be safe

hhhhhhhhhhh

………….

he strode forward and sank down on the step next to you

you tried not to rely on hyunjin too much

the last thing you wanted was to be codependent

but with such a crappy home situation

you needed some sort of support

and your boyfriend was the best support you could ask for.

he was understanding

he would fight for you as long as he could

and wanted to make all the hurt you’d experienced go away

he knew that wasn’t necessarily possible

bc emotional wounds are difficult to heal

and need a long time to work through

but he’d be there for you

with his warm arms around you,

things seemed a bit less bleak

but you still couldn’t believe that your father had just threatened to throw you out of the house and to hit you

to punch your lights out

your mother had tried to intervene

but he simply wouldn’t listen

you’d grabbed your phone and just kept inching toward the door

hoping you’d make it before anything bad happened

so now you were there on the stoop, sobbing

you hadn’t even noticed hyunjin until his arms were around you

he’d been on his way to come see you

but now he was your protector

he held you like a piece of pottery that had broken

and he was putting you back together

like you were now kintsugi

a piece of pottery that was broken but now repaired with gold

the unseen cracks in your soul slowly,

so slowly

being filled with hyunjin’s care and love

han jisung

jisung would be the one to sneak you out of the house at midnight

just so he could see you

and so you could have time free of your parents’ control

you’d go to the park near his house

and sit under the trees or feed the ducks

as soon as he got his license

and could drive others around

he’d come pick you up to go to school 

and drive you home,

making damn sure to take all the longest routes he could

you’d told your parents that you had an after-school club,

one that lasted all the way until 5 pm,

all just so you could spend time with jisung

and not be at home

you’d spent many a night with jisung,

crawling back into bed early in the morning after having slept together in the back seat of his car

his parents weren’t too fussed about what he did,

especially since they knew your parents treated you like shit.

in the spring semester of your senior year of high school,

jisung’s parents had invited you to simply live at their house instead of your own

or, at least spend the weekends there

it helped

it more than helped, since you were happier than you’d ever been when you finally brought as many of your things as possible to jisung’s

it was lucky that jisung’s parents were such wonderful advocates of your safety.

they spoke to your parents and convinced them to let you spend more time with jisung

….granted, they neglected to tell your parents that jisung was your boyfriend of three years

but that didn’t matter

a good friend would do much the same for you

so, you practically moved in with jisung for that semester as you applied for colleges

and finally gone a week without shaking

jisung was determined to help you work through the anxiety your parents’ treatment had done to you

anytime loud noises made you start shaking or freeze up,

jisung would just calm you by cuddling you

and distracting you with any and everything he could think of

in time, jisung’s presence and love helped you heal

lee felix

felix wouldn’t understand why anyone would want to be so mean

what was the point?

when you’d started dating…

felix tried to be kind to your parents, he really did!

but when you’d brought him with you to see your parents

and you’d gripped his hand so hard that he was afraid his circulation would be cut off,

he knew something was wrong

felix had whispered, “you okay, babe?”

but you’d only been able to grip his hand harder

felix had just politely made an excuse about needing to go somewhere

and gotten you both out of there

you’d explained everything on the way home,

felix simply holding your hand the whole time

and trying not to cry

you’d gotten used to the shit your parents threw at you

but with felix’s heartfelt response

and his support,

you really did think about how wrong and twisted it was.

the alcoholism in your mother’s family had finally manifested

and turned your mother into....

just a bit of a monster

you were far too used to hiding in your room as she raged downstairs

and then ignoring the reek of alcohol that lingered in the carpet the next morning

it was difficult to get through school sometimes

but felix being there definitely helped

he’d bring you little crystals that he’d left out in fresh water and moonlight

to help clarify your energy and mind

slowly but surely as felix was more solidly your boyfriend

his support was invaluable

he was there for you when you needed him

and understanding when you needed time to yourself

felix read up on how to help people deal with emotional trauma

and made sure to employ strategies he’d read.

he didn’t want to do the wrong thing,

didn’t want to inadvertently hurt you

((not that he’d ever be capable of that, though))

he would give you all the cuddles he could

felix would literally try to cuddle the sad out of you

he was convinced he could do it akhfdsjfhg

when his arms were around you,

you believed his cuddles would make everything better

and honestly, they did

felix’s capacity to love was endless

kim seungmin

seungmin, like minho, would be so damn angry

and i mean,,,,,

a n g r y  p u p

akdfghkjsdfhgakfdghsdkjf

he wouldn’t put up with any shit from your parents

and it didn’t help that they were totally against you having a boyfriend

for every reason they could think of

if either of them said anything shitty to you in his presence

he would be like a simmering cauldron of rage

seungmin never

and i mean never

would dream of yelling around you

or at you

or anything like that

any rage he felt toward your parents wouldn’t be let out anywhere near you

seungmin knew better than to do that

he didn’t want to trigger something in you.

whenever your parents were particularly horrible

seungmin would just hold you

you’d moved as far away as you could from home

and then met seungmin

so when the two of you travelled,,,,,

reluctantly;;;

to your parents’ home for any important holiday or birthday or whatever

((even though you really didn’t want to be anywhere near them))

seungmin became all the more protective of you

when seungmin felt you were becoming overwhelmed by the controlling and manipulative behavior of your parents,

and when you’d tried and tried and tried to set boundaries with them

but they still wouldn’t listen,

he would hold you all night long

so tightly you thought you would burst

but burst with contentment and the feeling of absolute safety

yang jeongin

jeongin’s caring and sweet nature only extended so far

he had no love for your parents

none at all

you’d told him all the ways in which they’d scarred you

emotionally, physically;;;;

and he’d felt like he was about to explode

he’d thrown his arms around you and just repeated “i’m sorry” over and over again

jeongin would try to be mature about the situation

but also wanted to just scream

he’d dutifully write down all your triggers

and make damn sure to never cause you to feel uncomfortable because of him

but jeongin would also be unsure as to how to deal with your parents

while he’d want to confront them,

he also wouldn’t have the experience to deal with bad relationships

not because he’s young or anything

just that his life is full of love

he’d want to protect you

and make sure you’re okay at all times

jeongin wouldn’t give a shit about what your parents thought of him

why should he when they treat you poorly?

he’d probably buy you little sweets

so that if you’re having a bad day,

at least you have something tasty

and he’d try to come up with things to take your mind off your parents

and sometimes that would just be kissing you

sweetly and soundly

so that all you could think about

and feel

and know

is him and all the love he feels for you

#inkidz #districtninewriters #stayhavennet #stayracha #ultkpop #0325net #stray kids fanfic #stray kids reactions #stray kids angst #stray kids imagines #skz reactions #skz angst #skz imagines #skz fanfic #stray kids fluff #skz fluff #bang chan reactions #lee know reactions #seo changbin reaction #hwang hyunjin reaction #han jisung reactions #lee felix reaction #kim seungmin reaction #yang jeongin reaction #moonlit-han #abuse tw #emotional manipulation tw #dysfunctional family tw #.moonlight

[melzula]

Could you write a Fire Lilies blurb about Princess! Reader and Zuko 's date night in their tale of Ba Sing Se?

a/n: you have no idea how excited I was when I got this request!!!

~ part of the fire lilies series ~

It’s a quiet day in Ba Sing Se as the Princess sweeps the floor of the tea shop and prepares for the morning rush of customers. She doesn’t get paid nearly as much as Zuko and Iroh due to only working part time, but she makes up for it by working in the dress shop across the street. It’s easy work and her employer is very kind so she can’t complain. Besides, this was the kind of simple life she had been longing for ever since her departure from home. The transition hadn’t been easy, especially not for Zuko, and she knew it would take some time to get used to, but now that they were in Ba Sing Se they had all the time in the world to settle down and finally begin a life together.

Across the way at the front counter Zuko watches y/n work silently, an unreadable expression on his face as he does so. He’s doing his best to at least try to make a life here despite how adamant he feels about the city being nothing but a prison, if not for him then for her, because she deserves it after all. It was something he had promised her long ago, and though their relationship had become worn and strained it was still there altogether, and the knots that had formed along the way were finally beginning to loosen now that they were here in Ba Sing Se.

“You know, it has been a very long time since the two of you last had the chance to be alone,” Iroh points out. “Perhaps the Princess would appreciate a romantic night out with her boyfriend.”

“There’s nothing to do here,” Zuko complains. “Where could we possibly go?”

“I’ve heard they have a beautiful fountain here,” Iroh suggests.

“I have to work.”

“Nonsense. I can cover your shift for you so that the two of you may go out together,” his Uncle offers, and before he has the chance to protest y/n approaches the counter with her dustpan and apron in hand.

“The shop is ready for customers,” she says with a small smile. “I should get going. Miss Tai asked me to open up the store today.”

“Of course. Zuko, is there anything you’d like to say to the Princess before she leaves?” Iroh asks, giving his nephew a gentle nudge to the ribs. Zuko scowls before clearing his throat and attempting a gentler approach to the question as you stand there expectantly.

“Would you like to go out on a date tonight?” He asks in a strained voice, obviously uncomfortable and out of his element. He’d never really had to ask her on a date before, she’d always just kind of been there, by his side and ready to spend time with him. Since when did a simple bowl of ramen together not count as a real date?

“I’d love to,” she giggles, obviously appreciative of his efforts, “you can pick me up from work.”

“He’s looking forward to it!” Iroh grins, and Zuko blushes with embarrassment at the delicate laughter that escapes y/n as she exits the shop and heads to work. Spirits, help him.

~~~

Zuko waits impatiently outside of Miss Tai’s shop, a permanent scowl on his lips and the urge to fuss with his hair stronger than anything he’s ever felt. He isn’t sure why he allowed his Uncle to do his hair or why he’s putting so much work into a date with his longtime girlfriend, but he knew Iroh had been right about the fact that it had been much too long since they’d last went out like this. But it wasn’t Zuko’s fault, at least not in his eyes, because he had been busy and couldn’t tend to y/n right away like she had hoped he would. The pair had been so close together yet so far apart in his years of hunting the Avatar, and when it was quiet enough his thoughts were often loud with doubt over whether or not she still loved him as much, if at all, as she did when they’d last met in their secret tunnel.

A muffled giggle is what catches his attention, y/n’s hand held over her mouth as she tries to stifle her laughter for Zuko’s sake. He wants to complain but the words die in his throat at the sight of her. Dressed in Miss Tai’s finest silk dress, the Princess looks absolutely radiant and quite literally takes Zuko’s breath away.

“Do you like it?” She muses with a sweet smile. “Miss Tai let me borrow it for our date.”

“You look... really pretty,” he finally says with a small smile of his own.

“And you look absolutely adorable!” y/n squeals, prompting Zuko’s smile to immediately morph into a scowl. She gives his cheeks a light pinch and laughs when he gently swats her hand away. “You should do your hair like that more often.”

“It took Uncle ten minutes to do my hair,” Zuko sulks as the Princess finally puts him out of his misery and ruffles the awful hairdo away.

“I’ll have to thank him when we get back,” she giggles before taking his hand and dragging him off to venture out into the city. “So what should we do?”

“I don’t know,” Zuko grumbles. “This city is nothing but dirt, I don’t know how I can possibly enjoy it.”

“Well you can’t enjoy it with an attitude like that,” the Princess argues. “There’s a cake stand over there. You like cake, don’t you?”

“I’m not in the mood for cake.”

“Then what are you in the mood for?”

“Nothing,” he grumbles, and the Princess’s once cheerful demeanor dwindles into one of disappointment. He doesn’t want to be here, she knows that better than anybody, but she had hoped that maybe by going out together he’d at least warm up to the idea of living in the city. Y/n loved Zuko more than anything in the world, but she was starting to doubt whether or not he still felt the same way about her. Their flame was beginning to dwindle and though she was desperate to keep the fire going it seemed that wouldn’t be possible without his help.

“Maybe you should just go home,” she offers quietly, releasing his hand and turning her back towards him in order to hide her growing tears. “That way you won’t have to be here when you don’t want to, a-and I can just explore the city by myself.”

Guilt weighs heavily upon Zuko’s shoulders at the sound of her trembling voice as he yet again manages to disappoint her. He wants to apologize but the words are stuck in his throat, so instead he lets out a small, awkward cough before coming up and gently resting a hand on her shoulder.

“That fortune teller booth looks kind of fun,” he suggests, and when she gives him a pointed look he says, “I promise I’ll be on my best behavior.”

“Okay,” y/n sniffles quietly, a weak smile present upon her features as Zuko intertwines his fingers with her own and guides her towards the booth. He doesn’t miss the manor in which she tightly holds his hand, almost as if she’s afraid she’ll lose him if he lets her go, and it urges the Prince to increase his pace as he guides her towards their destination.

“Yes, step right up, lovebirds!” The eccentrically dressed man encourages, immediately taking the Princess’s hand and yanking her forward to read her palm. Zuko bites back the threat that rises up his throat, and y/n watches with childlike excitement as the fortune teller scans the grooves and lines of her hand. “Ah, this is very interesting.”

“What is it?”

“I see that you’ve lived a very happy life, though it hasn’t been easy as of late. The love you have in your heart is strong, but this love will be put to the test when the time comes.”

“Sounds like a bunch of nonsense,” Zuko mumbles only to earn a glare from the Princess in return. Put to the test? Hadn’t they already been through the hardest parts of their relationship already? What else could possibly make things worse?

“You will live a content and comfortable life and die a peaceful death. Oh, and you’ll most definitely be having twins!”

“Twins!” Y/n repeats delightedly, but all color drains from Zuko’s face at the idea and suddenly he feels very lightheaded.

“Okay, thank you, that’s enough,” he finally interjects, making sure to pay the man before dragging you off to your next destination.

“We’re going to have twins!” The Princess squeal delightedly.

“How do you know he’s not just some crazy old man?” Zuko retorts.

“He could be,” she admits with a shrug, “but it’s nice to have something to hope for even if it isn’t real.”

He says nothing in response to her wishful thinking, but he must admit that he does enjoy the idea of settling down with the Princess, starting their own family, creating a new legacy. Maybe staying in one place wouldn’t be so bad after all.

After a few minutes of aimless walking the two stumble upon the famous fountain of Ba Sing Se, though it doesn’t look like much to either of them due to the fact that the lanterns aren’t lit.

“This is the fountain everyone always talks about?” The Princess retorts with obvious disappointment. “I thought it would be prettier.”

“Hold on,” Zuko says, and before y/n can question him the Prince begins to use his bending to light the lanterns around the fountain. It’s dangerous and absolutely foolish to use his bending out in the open like that, but he’d rather be thrown in jail by the Dai Lee than have his Princess be upset. Her eyes sparkle with complete and utter awe at the sight of his fire bending, recognizing the flow of his movements and admiring the beauty of the flames that dance among the lanterns.

Now lit in all of its glory, the two stand side by side and admire the shimmering water that flows from the fountain. Zuko wraps an arm around the Princess’s waist, and she happily rests her head upon his shoulder once she’s safely nestled into his side.

“Thank you for taking me out tonight,” she murmurs quietly. “I’ve missed spending time with you like this.”

“Me too... I know I’ve been difficult with the transition into our new life here, and it’s going to take some time for me to get used to. But I also know that this should have happened a long time ago, and I’m sorry it took me this long to fulfill my promise to you.”

“I don’t care about how long it took us to get here,” y/n replies earnestly. “All that matters is that we’re finally together in Ba Sing Se just like we planned all those years ago. We can be happy now, but only if you allow yourself the chance to enjoy it.”

“I want to,” Zuko utters, turning to face her and gently cupping her cheek with his hand, “and I know with your help I can.”

The Princess smiles faintly at his proclamation, and when he leans down to kiss her she meets him halfway to seal their lips together in a tender kiss. It isn’t very long or very passionate, Zuko still not used to the idea of public displays of affection due to the fact that he’d refrained from act during his time on the ship with the crew, but it’s special and beautiful all the same.

Ba Sing Se is the start of a new beginning for the a coupe, a second chance at happiness and a place where they can start over. It won’t be easy, and the transition won’t happen over night, but at the two kiss underneath the ember glow of the fountain’s lanterns, the Princess knows that they’re finally going to get their chance at happiness, and so she savors the feeling for all it’s worth.

Because the spirits know it won’t last for very long.

| tags: @rainteslerrrr @oddment-niwit-blubber-tweak @thebluelcdy @royahllty @the-firebender-girl @coldlilheart @ilovespideyyy @yiyibetch @eridanuswave @lammello @a-monsters-love @knaite-solo @zukh03s @titaniafire @dekahg @emberislandplayers @kikaninchen-2 @lozzybowe @izzieserra @melacholy @music-geek19 @thia-aep @thyunnamed @haylaansmi @nataliahaslosthershit @idkdude776 @aangsupremacy @thirstyforsometea @ihaveaproblem98 @brown-eyed-thang @djskfkdkkf @xapham @yeetletzgetitjae @misnmatchedsox |

#zuko #zuko x reader #zuko imagine #prince zuko x reader #prince zuko imagine #zuko and the princess #avatar the last airbender #atla #atla x reader #tales of ba sing se #fire lilies #request #gif used above is not mine!

[mandelene]

If you're still taking requests, can I have ℧ with Arthur please 👀

You sure can! 💕

The Tea Party and the Promise-Breaker

Word Count: 1690

“But you said you were gonna play tea party with us!”

“I know, darling, but I’m quite tired and—”

“You promised!” Amelia screeches.

Arthur swears he feels something in his skull rattle. He did promise, but that was before he worked three 16-hour shifts at the hospital and started to feel unwell. He woke up yesterday morning to a sore throat, but he refused to call out sick over something so trivial. Now, the sore throat is worse, his head hurts, his sinuses burn, and he can feel his nose beginning to run.

This is his first day off all week, and although he’d love to play with Amelia and Madeline, he simply doesn’t have the energy to entertain them. He wishes he could have a two-hour nap, but that won’t be possible since Francis is working until the early evening, which means Arthur is in charge of supervising their two six-year-olds for the day.

“You never want to play with us,” Amelia accuses him, sounding genuinely broken-hearted.

He knows it isn’t easy for the girls when he’s not home very often, and the last thing he wants is for them to think he doesn’t love or care about them—nothing could be farther from the truth.

“Okay, I’ll join the tea party,” he surrenders, overwhelmed by guilt. “Would you girls like me to set the kettle?”

“We’re gonna have imaginary tea, Dad,” Amelia explains, a little exasperated by how out of the loop he is. “But you can bring your own tea if you want…And bring cookies, too!”

“All right. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

“Yaaaaay!” Amelia cheers, jumping up and down several times before grabbing Madeline’s hand and dragging her toward her room. “Let’s get all of the toys, Maddie!”

When the girls are out of sight, Arthur releases a cough he’s been suppressing and buries it into the crook of his arm. A tea party won’t be too labor-intensive at least. He’d rather sit down and drink tea with the girls than have to run around with them in the yard.

He makes himself a large mug of tea with honey and lemon. Then, he grabs whatever leftover pastries are in the fridge—Francis is always baking something for the girls, it seems like. Thankfully, he finds some chocolate chip cookies as well as financiers. He sets them on a plate, gathers extra silverware and napkins for the girls, and makes his way back up the stairs, clearing his aching throat along the way.

When he arrives at Amelia’s room, the little children’s activity table that she normally keeps against the wall has been moved to the center of the room, along with two children’s chairs and two beanbag chairs.

Arthur doesn’t particularly like the seating arrangement, but he knows better than to complain. He places the treats, napkins, and his tea on the table and makes himself as comfortable as he can in one of the beanbag chairs, letting his weight sink into it with a sigh.

Amelia and Madeline have lined up their teddy bears and dolls around the room, and Madeline seems to have drawn a sign on a poster board that proudly says, “MADDIE AND AMELIA’S TEA PARTY.” The text is surrounded by doodles of flowers, teacups, and stars.

“What a beautiful sign, Madeline,” Arthur compliments her.

She sheepishly smiles and hugs her favorite teddy bear, Kumajirou, against her chest. “Thank you…Daddy, you didn’t wear your tie. You were suppose’ta dress up for the tea party.”

He looks down at his attire and frowns. Yes, perhaps flannel pajama bottoms, a black t-shirt, slippers, and his gray bathrobe weren’t a great stylistic choice. Both of the girls are wearing dresses and tights. “My apologies, ladies. I can change, if you’d like?”

“It’s okay. You just havta act like a gentleman,” Madeline instructs, and Arthur can’t help but smile at how endearing all of this is.

He should enjoy it while it lasts—the girls won’t be interested in having tea parties with him when they’re older. Although he’d rather be in bed, he’s glad he agreed to this.

“I’ll try to be on my best behavior,” he assures them before taking a sip of his tea.

“You havta stick your pinkie finger out,” Amelia reminds before pretending to pour tea for herself and Madeline from their children’s tea kettle and into plastic teacups.

Arthur puts his pinkie out and nods. “Ahh, how could I forget? So, tell me, has anything interesting been happening at school?”

Amelia immediately begins to talk about how some other girl in their class recently got a new bike, and how she feels awful that she’s six and a half years old and can’t ride a bike yet. “Will you teach me, Dad?”

“Of course, love. When summer comes we can think about it.”

“Promise?”

He’s learned his lesson about making promises. “We’ll see,” he says instead, ignoring the expression of disappointment on Amelia’s face. He takes a napkin from the table, excuses himself, and blows his nose softly, wincing at the ache in his sinuses…He’s feeling a bit feverish as well.

“Are you okay?” Madeline asks him, concerned.

“I’m just a bit under the weather,” he admits. “So, no hugging or kissing—I don’t watch you girls to catch this.”

Madeline doesn’t seem to be willing to let the subject go just yet. “Did you take medicine?”

“I will in a little while. Thank you, poppet.”

Amelia stands up and comes over to him to yank on his arm. “You havta go to bed, you’re sick. You always say we can’t play when we’re sick and havta rest, remember?”

Arthur feels his patience thinning, but having an excuse to lie down for a moment could be worth it.

“I can’t go to bed. I have to take care of you girls. It’ll be lunchtime soon, and I have to—”

“No, mister.”

“But I—”

“No buts!” Amelia scolds him, and for a second, he forgets who the adult in the room is.

He picks up his mug of tea and begrudgingly follows Amelia back to the master bedroom, where he obediently lies down on his and Francis’s bed, groaning when his sore muscles meet the memory foam mattress.

“We’ll take good care of you!” Amelia exclaims, exuberant.

Arthur’s not too sure he’s looking forward to this, but as the girls go and conspire out in the hallway, he allows himself to close his eyes for just a moment…Only a moment…He has to stay up to watch the girls…

The next time he opens his eyes, Amelia is poking a thermometer against his mouth, waking him from a very brief snooze.

“You’ve gotta take your temperature, Dad.”

Now that his body has had a taste of sleep, he feels absolutely exhausted. He takes the thermometer from her and puts it under his tongue, curious to see what the reading will be. When it beeps, he grimaces at the number taunting him. A hundred and two point seven. That’s thirty-nine degrees Celsius—enough to signal to him that this is probably more than a mere cold.

“Do you have a fever?” Madeline asks from the end of the bed, eyes shimmering.

“No,” he lies. “I’m fine, girls. It’s nothing to worry about…You should both return to the tea party. I’m going to rest here for a moment and—”

Amelia touches his forehead with her cold hand, and he shivers. “You need medicine.”

“I’m all right for now, girls. Really. Go back and play.”

To his surprise, the girls do leave, and he lets out a sigh of relief…That is, until he hears Amelia talking to someone over the house phone in the distance.

He jolts out of bed and dashes over to her, but it’s too late…

“Papa wants to talk to you,” she says, matter-of-fact.

Damn.

He takes the phone from her, feeling a growing pit of dread in his stomach. “Hello?”

“Arthur, why didn’t you tell me before I left the house this morning that you were feeling ill?”

“I’m fine, Francis.”

“I’ll be home in an hour.”

“You don’t—”

“See you then.”

And just like that, Francis hangs up.

Arthur puts the phone down and prepares his most intimidating scowl, ready to direct it at Amelia, but then she pulls on his arm again and says, “We can play tea party next time. Don’t worry. You’ll be all better soon.”

The scowl disappears and is replaced by a wistful smile. “Thank you, love. I’m sorry our plans have to be put on hold. I’ll make it up to you both, all right?”

The girls nod, and Arthur sends them off to finish the pastries that are still waiting for them in Amelia’s room. In the meantime, he finishes his tea and blows his nose again. He sucks on a cough drop and grits his teeth against the immense pressure in his sinuses. After seeing the color of his mucus, he’s willing to bet he has a sinus infection.

He leans against the headboard of the bed and falls asleep against his will.

-----------------------

“Come, mon amour—you’re going to have a sore neck and back if you stay like this. Lie down properly,” Francis coaxes him, bracing his head for him.

Arthur’s not sure how long he’s been asleep, but he lowers his head so that it’s on his pillow and lies flat on his back. “…You didn’t have to come home early.”

“I’m glad I did—you have a fever, and a high one at that,” Francis says, setting a damp hand towel on his feverish brow. “Did you really think you’d be able to tend to the girls when you’re like this? It’s dangerous. You should have told me.”

“…'m sorry,” Arthur mumbles, still incredibly tired. The towel on his head feels nice.

“You just wanted a reason to leave the tea party, didn’t you?” Francis jokes, brushing his hand against his warm cheek. “The girls told me about it.”

“Oh, of course. The next time I’m asked to play dress-up or ‘hair salon’ with them, I just may have to give myself bronchitis.”

Francis laughs and kisses the side of his head. “Conniving man.”

#hetalia #aph england #hws england #aph nyo america #aph nyo canada #hws nyo america #hws nyo canada #aph france #hws france #aph face family #hws face family #hurt comfort #sick arthur #drabbles

[fatefulfaerie]

A Century Apart Part 1/2

Kakariko without the stench of blood in the air was frankly sickening to Zelda’s lungs. 

She had trouble breathing in the air that took so long to clear, that had forgotten the war of a century prior, that was normal to an entire country of people that had become accustomed to a post-apocalyptic Hyrule. 

When she had first arrived here, Link draped as best as she could manage over his horse, she was frankly overwhelmed with nausea, some of it due to her worry at Link collapsing moments after an unanswered question, some of it due to the blood caked on his tunic, and some of it due to her terrible, terrible, stomach twisting guilt for making it here alive. 

It was night now, and the twelve hours that Link spent recuperating in his slumber had felt to Zelda like an entire week. She tossed around a circular slice of orange carrot as she sat with worry twinging her heart. Normally sitting on the floor to eat as the Sheikah were accustomed to would have made her back hurt, but she paid little mind to her back.

Impa cleared her throat, and so Zelda looked up and across the table. The noise was so familiar that she almost expected to see the Impa she knew, in her twenties and incredibly agile.

Yet this Impa had eyes that had aged, eyes that had faded from a red as bright as cranberries to a hazel, a common side effect of Sheikah aging.

“You’ve hardly touched your food,” Impa said, wrinkles and all, her face more spotted and much more round nowadays. “I know the carrots aren’t your absolute favorite but you always used to love when I made Seafood Rice Balls.”

Zelda nodded, and faked a small smile, although it came off as a simple pursing of her lips.

“Yeah, I…I remember,” she muttered quietly as she tore away her glance, looking back down at her plate. The scientist within her knew that she was, in fact, hungry and needed food to sustain herself, yet the princess with her wasn’t quite ready for such indulgence, for such luxury. 

She began with a carrot.

It was soft, obviously well-cooked as her teeth bit upon food for the first time in a hundred years. It was buttered and salted and spiced with something she didn’t recognize, something they wouldn’t have typically served at the castle.

She almost forgot how to swallow as the chewed-up orange mush threatened to trail down her throat, but she gulped the single slice of carrot down nonetheless. 

It felt strange, eating, and it felt strange that it felt strange.

She could tell Impa was watching her eat, especially as she dove the chopsticks into the Rice Balls that, over a hundred years, she forgot she missed.

“When was the last time Link was in Kakariko?” Zelda asked, reacquainting herself with the texture and taste of the white rice, the seasoned fish on top of it, the leafy seaweed around it. She didn’t dare to meet Impa’s glance.

“About a week ago,” Impa said. “He came to restock, as he does occasionally. It wasn’t a long visit, though. I suppose he had places to be.”

Zelda nodded, using the cloth napkin on her lap to wipe away any stray particles of food from her mouth. It was almost an instinct, the way she was trained to always be proper, the way her back was straight were she sat, the way she refused to let herself be and just put her elbows on the table. Paya obviously had no problem with it when she ate earlier. Zelda envied her casual manner, living decades upon decades away from a kingdom.

Zelda didn’t expect Impa to reach out and grab her hand, and thus she almost ripped her hand away she was so unaccustomed to it. Zelda looked up.

“He is going to be okay,” Impa insisted slowly and calmly with eyes aged with wisdom. Zelda had no choicest to truly trust them. “He pushed himself very hard to save Hyrule and to bring you back. I would wager he hasn’t slept in days…and the injuries he ignored, well, it’s about time they caught up to him.”

“S-sorry to interrupt,” Paya stammered. Zelda didn’t even hear her come back down the stairs. “It…it’s Link.”

“What’s wrong?” Zelda asked standing up completely panicked. “Is he okay?”

“Oh gosh I shouldn’t have phrased it like that,” Paya said. “He’s fine, he’s just stirring. You said you wanted to be there when he woke up?”

“Yes,” Zelda said, nodding, her hand lightly fisted at her chest. “Y-yes, of course. Please lead the way.”

He didn’t look any different when Zelda finished the last steps of the stairs, Link coming into view. His face was still terribly scratched up and bruised. The only difference now was that Paya had-and she would have to ask later how a Sheikah could be so stealthy as to wrap a person’s chest without waking them up-dressed Link in bandages to brace his broken ribs. There was a fair amount of blood on the bed from the gash on his leg, but it seemed to be well-sewn up now, the wound cleaned and covered with a fresh bandage. There was also a half-empty bottle of a familiar dark purple elixir, a common painkiller among Hylians. Zelda used to use it for headaches.

She could she the way his blue eyes had begun to shine through eyelids. The room was dark, lighted only with candles that smelled of lavender and honey. It seemed so long ago that they had brought Link in, Zelda suggesting they keep the main lanterns in the room doused so that Link could perhaps sleep sounder.

“Link?” She asked as she stepped forward, the combination of her lack of stealth and her thin brown sandals making the wooden floor creak.

She knelt at his bedside and repeated her query.

“Link,” she said. It was now a whisper, like she was pretending to be the lover she never was to him.

The fatigued hero hummed as he blinked open his eyes lethargically.

“Zelda,” he said, softly in his half-awake state with a small smile. The former princess assumed it was because he knew of her presence before his head rolled over to her and he flipped out with wide eyes. It was as if someone had put smelling salt underneath his nose, the way he bolted upright.

“P-princess! I…” Zelda watched with equal parts awe and glee as he ignored the extremely likely pain in his ribs to fix his messy bedhead. Not to say he was in any way successful. “I’m sorry, I…”

“Link,” Zelda said, in such a soothing way that Link froze immediately. It may have also been because she placed a hand on his cheek. Zelda gently guided him back down to lay on the pillow.

“You look fine,” she assured him. “And you are in no condition to do anything but rest.”

Link’s icy blue eyes pleaded for something Zelda couldn’t place. They looked at her, studied her in a way Zelda wasn’t used to.

“Princess, I…” he began, but his words faltered, as if his intended sentence just walked off a cliff, accidentally ran out of room on the ledge and was now falling and forgotten. “I would like to call you Zelda,” he finally said. “Is that all right?”

Zelda nodded, and had to keep from tearing up.

“Yes,” she said, water making her green eyes shine like emeralds. “I would actually prefer that.”

It looked as if Link had something else to say, and yet he hesitated with a hitched breath. Zelda hesitated too, not what to say, but whether or not it was fair to reveal that she could read him like a book. It was a byproduct of their time together a hundred years ago, a time he may not have any recollection of at all, a time he may even be scared of. It was for those reasons that she demonstrated her patience instead, taking his hand and fooling herself that she was conveying her care with her eyes.

“I remember you, by the way,” Link said.

Zelda shifted slightly. There were so many memories between them and so many things that could be assumed between the memories that she couldn’t help but fear what story he had construed.

“I remember you not liking me,” Link continued, Zelda sighing, opening and closing her eyes with a slight cringe. Of all the things for him to remember. 

But he didn’t stop there.

“I remember you warming up to me and us becoming friends…at least I think.”

Zelda had looked down at her hand, the way her thumb ran up and down his palm.

“Do you remember anything else?” Zelda asked, tilting up her head. Link seemed genuinely out of answers and that’s what broke her heart the most.

“Is there something I should remember?” Link asked. Zelda shook her head.

“No,” Zelda said quietly, detaching her hand from Link’s. “It’s nothing of consequence.”

She moved her hand to his forehead, brushing aside a lock of his dirty blonde bangs. 

“I’m glad you’re recovering well, Link,” she said softly. “I’ll leave you to your rest. We can talk more later if you’d like.”

She stood up to leave but didn’t get far, Link’s hand grabbing her wrist and seizing her heart.

“Wait,” was the word he spoke to explain himself. Zelda turned her head to look over her shoulder. She couldn’t help but be surprised that Link had indeed, meant to grab her, was entreating her with those soulful blue eyes, deep as an ocean and filled to the brim with conflicting emotions.

“There’s more to it than what I remember,” he said. “There’s…well there’s how those memories make me feel.”

“What do you mean?” Zelda said, turning her body but refusing to kneel at his bedside, her cautious heart already shattered enough to not risk being broken even more.

“Whenever I remembered something that happened between us,” Link began. “I would try to draw you, would try to capture your beauty, but the image of you was always fleeting. Sometimes I forgot whether your hair was truly blonde, whether your eyes were brown or green, whether or not freckles dotted upon your nose, your cheeks, what the shape of your face was. But each time I tried to draw you I felt like I was getting both closer to and farther away from perfection.”

“Link,” Zelda said as she shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

“I didn’t either at first,” Link continued. “I didn’t understand why I was so enthralled by your beauty, why the sound of your voice twinged my heart, why the thought of your touch made me feel the warmth of my blood.” 

Zelda knew what he was describing, and she knew it well. It was for that reason that she couldn’t believe his words, that she searched within her lungs for the ability to breathe.

“Link,” she said breathlessly, finally kneeling down. “A-are you saying…?

She couldn’t even finish her question but Link nodded nonetheless.

“Once I realized it was a crush,” he said. “I tried to ignore it, telling myself that nothing in my memories indicated anything more than an obligatory friendship, that it was disrespectful to think in such a way of someone who was royalty, but…” He bit his lip. “No cliff was as easy to descend as the one that dictates love. I fell quickly and I fell fast. It felt familiar too, like something was in ruins inside me but this time, it was simple to salvage, to rebuild and to…” Link chuckled. “I can’t think of another word.”

Zelda was speechless, her mouth slightly parted and her eyes frozen. Link didn’t expect his declaration of love to be so paralyzing.

“I-I guess I,” Link said, continuing in the absence of Zelda’s words. “I kind of got the feeling that you also have similar…” Link looked for another word, but it didn’t exist in his brain “…feelings…” He inwardly cringed. “So I figured I would bring up the subject...but maybe I...shouldn’t...have?”

Zelda was quiet, almost too quiet, before she stood and finally said five words, five words that left Link in the dust of such an anticlimactic response.

“You never talked this much,” she said, before shooting him with green eyes filled with conflict and pity and turning around to walk back down the stairs.

#zelink #botw #breath of the wild #you ever write something and think it's really good #and then you read it and you realize it's actually crap #well that's happened #I felt like I was finally back as the fatefulfaerie you know and love #but alas #I'll write a part two if you guys like this #not like as in physically like but #you get the gist