#awkward flirting

[kneelingshadowsalome]

Helped my parents in our garden today and just couldn’t stop thinking about König x florist!reader.

Just imagine peacefully working in your flower shop when a guy walks in, looking for the perfect bouquet for his date/partner but he’s accompanied by this massive mountain of a man. He is clearly far too big for the small space of your shop, and just looks so out of place. Whilst you’re serving his friend, König can’t keep his eyes off you, asking you everything and anything about flowers. What they mean, where they originally come from…just anything! And when you name a flower, he mumbles its German name. "We also have peonies for example." "Ah, yes, Pfingstrosen. They are very beautiful." like you

And shortly before he and his friend leave, this sweet giant asks you what your favourite flower is!!

Plus, picture me this: It’s a more rare or exotic flower, which you don’t easily get in normal flower shops. But he gets them regardless, just to see that ethereal smile on your face again!!

I had to share this, because I am melting…

This is so sweet! König bringing flowers to his heartthrob even if she’s a goddamn florist is canon for me now 🩷

I had another quick imagine with this setting, I hope you like it anon!

Florist!Reader who explains everything there is to know about flowers to this hulking man who seems so very interested in them that you could almost think he wants to be a florist himself.

But then you notice it’s you he looks keenly when you speak; not the flowers. You get flustered soon and start to prattle about stupid things such as how brides are the worst customers: so demanding and bossy usually, don’t they know that peonies are seasonal like every other flower, even if this is a flower shop you can’t get all the things with the flick of a wrist from December to May!

Then you realize you’ve just babbled nonsense about weddings and brides and floral wreaths for about 5 minutes straight... and the gentle giant is still looking at you like you’re the flower he wants to take home instead of all the beautiful varieties in the display cabinet. He’s smiling, too. Softly, as you close your loose mouth and look up at him with sudden shyness.

“And which flowers would you pick for your own wedding wreath...?”

There is an awkward silence that follows as your eyes widen from his question. He realizes his blunder immediately and swallows – suddenly shy just like you are.

“I’m sorry. I mean, if you are not yet married…”

“I’m not married,” you quickly say and swallow the following “I don’t even have a boyfriend” that tries to come out of your mouth.

Hope sparks alive in his eyes again, and you’re feeling like swooning right there on the floor of your old little flower shop. His smile is warm, even if everything else in this man is rather intimidating and tense. And Christ, no one has ever asked you that. No one except this big, silent, shy giant of a man – the kind of shy that probably turns absolutely crazy and feral in bed... Your cheeks heat up just from the thought.

“Ah. Is that so? Surprising,” he comments on you being free, or at least not yet married. “How come that is?”

“I guess I haven’t yet… found the right one,” you try to hint to this man that you’re absolutely single, free, with no strings attached whatsoever to anyone or anywhere.

“Hm. That makes two of us,” he says and smiles again.

The hotness on your cheeks only gets worse when the giant's friend sighs audibly a few feet away – he's just trying to choose a bouquet and didn't know he'd have to suffer the awkward but oddly successful flirting of his mate.

“Get a room, you two...”

#florist!reader x könig #cute hot and sweet #awkward flirting #answered

[sadiegirl2021]

Silly little one shot for @gwynrielweeksofficial - Day 2: Compatible (loose interpretation)

Soul Meets Body on Ao3

“I don’t care how good-looking he is, Nesta! I’m not letting you set me up on a blind date.”

“Gwyn! Please!! This guy is your soulmate. He loves all the same books as you, he goes to the gym, he’s got a coffee addiction! You’re basically the girl version of him.”

“So! Blind dates are weird. You know how shy I can get…”

“He’s shy too!”

“Oh, wonderful! Really selling it. So we’ll just sit there, and not talk at all during dinner?”

“Talk about books!”

“Bye, Nesta!”

“Wait–”

Gwyn hung up the phone. She was sick of this. Why couldn’t her friends just accept that she didn’t want a boyfriend right now? College was crazy enough without adding love or sex on top. She needed to stay focused and certainly had no room to entertain Nesta’s blind date idea.

“So stupid,” she mumbled to herself, reaching for a bag of apples at the supermarket.

“What did you call me?”

Gwyn looked up and felt her jaw comically fall to the floor as she gazed at the most beautiful man she’d ever seen. Raven-black hair, golden eyes, and tall… so freaking tall!

“Oh… no… I wasn’t–”

He smiled, and her heart skipped a beat. “Relax, I’m just messing with you.”

Gwyn didn’t dare speak again, for fear it would be an incoherent jumble of words. This was what she was talking about with Nesta. Whenever she started talking to a cute guy, she froze like this! Her mind raced with funny and interesting things to say, but her mouth decided to keep shut. She just smiled at him.

“.... those are good apples,” he said, shifting a little awkwardly. Gwyn would have expected someone of his stature to radiate confidence.

“Yeah… they’re my favourite.” Gods, so smart, Gwyn!

“Me too… I like oranges as well.”

“Same.”

Was this possibly the worst conversation she’d ever had?

He cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable. “Do you come here often?”

Oh my god. Was he… flirting with her?

Gwyn let out a little chuckle, “Oh yeah, the supermarket is where it’s at. Haven’t you heard?” Better!

He laughed, and damn if it wasn’t giving her crazy butterflies.

“I’m Azriel,” he said smoothly, seeming to relax more in her presence.

“Gwyn,” she replied with a slight flush on her cheeks.

“Gwyn,” he whispered like an answer to a question. “I don’t normally do this… I mean I never do this… but do you want to grab dinner tonight?”

“Like a date?”

“Yeah… I mean, cool if not… I just–”

“Yes! I’d love to.”

He seemed to sigh in relief, “That’s great! Amazing… can I grab your number, and I’ll text you the details?”

She nodded, “Of course!” Oh my god, how did she pull this off? He was the hottest guy she’d ever met, and he just asked her out!

They gleefully exchanged numbers, exchanged a few more awkward observations of the fruit around them, and went their separate ways.

Gwyn practically floated home, dying to rummage through her wardrobe for the perfect outfit. Nesta was going to kill her… but blind dates were stupid! At least she knew she was attracted to Azriel.

______________________

Gwyn had opted for a short, sapphire-blue, body-con dress with silver strappy heels and no jacket. It was the height of summer… plus she looked way too hot to cover up.

“I can’t believe you’re going out with some rando over the guy I picked for you!” Nesta huffed from the couch.

Gwyn finished putting on her cherry-red lipstick and rolled her eyes at Nesta’s statement.

“Cassian is going to be pissed. You’re turning down his best friend for some stranger.”

“You know, I haven’t even met Cassian yet! So why would I want to date his best friend? Are you even dating Cassian?”

“Don’t judge our… situation! It’s complicated.”

“Because you’re in love with him?”

“He wishes!” Nesta laughed with an air of ‘yes, I love him so much it’s killing me, but I don’t know how to handle emotions.”

*Buzz Buzz*

“That’s him! Can you please get it? I need to grab my bag.”

It was Nesta’s turn to roll her eyes as she threw off her snuggly blanket and made her way to the door. As she opened it, she quipped, “You better not be some serial killer–Oh my god, Azriel!?”

“Nesta… hey! Do–Do you live here?”

She nodded in confirmation. “You’re Gwyn’s date for tonight?”

“Yeah, we met at the supermarket earlier. Hey, Cassian was in a foul mood today. What happened with you two last night?”

Nesta scowled at the mere mention of his name, and Azriel flinched, not expecting an answer.

“Hey, Azriel,” Gwyn chirped as she left her bedroom.

Azriel’s hand flew to his chest, as if someone had shot him with a cupid's arrow. “Wow! Gwyn… you look–”

Gwyn couldn’t even let him finish; she hated compliments, “So do you! Shall we go?” she asked, moving to the door. Nesta had the strangest look on her face, and a sly grin that was a little frightening. Gwyn gave her a ‘what the fuck’ look in exchange.

Azriel seemed to notice their interactions. “I’ll give you a minute.” He backed away into the hall to wait for her.

“What?” Gwyn exclaimed.

“That’s the guy!!”

“What guy?”

“The blind date guy… Cassian’s friend!”

“Are you serious?”

Nesta nodded with a huge grin.

Gwyn could only laugh. “Well… I still think blind dates are stupid!”

Nesta smirked, “So destiny intervened! Have a great night with your soulmate!”

“Shut up!”

Gwyn caught up with Azriel. He looked so sleek in his pressed black trousers and crisp white shirt, with a couple of buttons open to show a thick silver chain. If this was indeed her soulmate, she had some serious praying to the gods to do in thanks.

#gwynriel #pro gwynriel #gwynrielweeks2024 #gwynriel weeks 2024 #one shot #awkward flirting #soulmates

[estro-gem]

Zooble x Gangle: Wind beneath Wings

The Amazing Digital Circus AU: Oasis

Author's note:

I want more content about these two! This is mostly fluffy Gangle-centric shenanigans, but I have a nice little Zooble-centric fic planned next.

For now, it's just our lil' bean being a lil' bean.

And also being a lil' minx. I want Gangle unhinged and set loose.

I want it so bad!

Warnings: Eh... nothing really worth calling out...

Awkward comments that may or may not count as flirting? Objectifying.

Misunderstandings.

Non-cis couple struggles/panic.

Nothing really triggering, I think (I hope).

SUMMARY:

Gangle and Zooble hangs out in the main room, the day after Pomni's arrival. The situation ends up with Gangle awkwardly trying to comfort the jester.

Things get worse as Pomni oversteps her boundaries, chasing Gangle back into Zooble's arms for comfort. Fluff and gossip ensues. That's about it.

Oh, Jax and Ragatha is there too!

All characters belong to Gooseworx.

WIND BENEATH WINGS

“Oi… newbie is NOT doing ok…”

Zooble’s words were mumbled to themself more than to their partner, who was currently wrapped and twisted around their torso and arms. Gangle’s comedy mask was dangling over their right shoulder, hanging upside down. Looked like Gangle was in a goofy mood today, if not strangely more clingy than usual. The Zolo-being couldn’t help but wonder if the new arrival from the day before had their partner feeling particularly protective. The thought alone left Zooble with a rush of fuzzy heat.

It's not like Zooble’s face gave anything away.

Pomni had just crept into the main area of the tent, fidgeting her hands together by tugging at the gloves fitted around their fingers. She didn’t notice them lounging idly on the colourful props that was collectively shoved to the side. Zooble figured that the only reason why they weren’t spotted yet, was because their body seamlessly blended in with the surroundings – even Gangle looked like a discarded Christmas decoration draped around them.

“You’re telling me things I already know, Zooble.” She dismissed, only swinging her head from side to side as she spoke with a hushed voice, “I noticed.”

“You always do, Smiley.” Zooble also replied in a soft tone to mirror her partner.

“Yes, I do.”

When did Gangle become so smug? She’d give Jax a run for his money if she kept it up…

Although it was not uncommon for the couple to break character when alone, there was something about Gangle’s mannerisms that had Zooble concerned. She was fixated on Pomni’s uncertain movements despite the light sway of her head. Every time Pomni would sweep to layout of the area with their eyes, the ribbonoid would tense up for the second that the jester’s eyes fall over their position, only to just miss them.

It wasn’t until Gangle snickered when Zooble realized that she wasn’t unnerved, but rather anticipating.

Waiting.

The sentient Zolo-sculpture huffed in amusement, “You hunting, little owl?”

“I can’t help but feel the unbearable urge to mess with her.” Gangle spoke almost numbly.

“Oh? Isn’t that Jax’s job?” Zooble quipped amused, “You have me believe that he has a bad influence on you.”

“Oh hush! I know you feel it too…” Gangle laughed, “You probably want to get back at everything that happened to you when you were still new here.”

“Nah, don’t care much for it anymore” they sighed. They couldn’t care enough about ruining someone else’s day while they had to focus on getting through their own.

Just drifting along peacefully, with their beloved Gangle.

Gangle stopped swinging her upside-down head, to stiffen her neck into looking at the triangular-faced abomination she cared for so dearly. Zooble’s heart almost jumped out of their chest when they felt the ribbons faintly constrict around their body, just to fall slack within the next moment.

“What if I care for it?” Gangle asked innocently. Her feral smile was not so innocent.

“Ay, ay!” Zooble mocked a stern tone, “Don’t go rogue now, you need to be nice-and-quiet-little-Gangle. What are you trying to be? A barer of chaos or something?”

“It’s so…” Gangle, once again distracted by Pomni’s shaking form, turned her head to fixate on the little jester again, “…tempting.”

“Oh, so I’m not tempting enough anymore, huh?” Zooble teasingly asked. Gangle wouldn’t stop eyeing Pomni, testing Zooble’s patience more than they were willing to admit.

“Hmmm…” Gangle mused, apparently in deep thought, “I think I prefer my meat a bit… fresher.”

That did it.

“That’s not what you said last night, YOU LITTLE #$@%&!!!” Zooble bellowed, digging their digits into the ribbons wrapped around their torso.

Gangle couldn’t stifle the abrupt squealing laughter that broke from her mouth. She spasmed as she desperately tried to break free from the Zolo-being, but to no avail. Her blasted ribbons got tangled and she didn’t possess the coordination to unravel herself when Zooble was responsible for her spasmic jerking. Her partner could be relentless when it came to tickle-fights.

She always lost.

“OkAY! Okay! Uncle! UNCLE!” Gangle practically screamed between her hysterics. It was music the Zooble’s ears, so they had no intent to stop just yet.

“Uncle? Who’s she? Don’t know her.” Despite Zooble’s enthusiastic motions, their voice appeared bored and uninterested.

“ZOOB, I can’t breATHE!”

“That’s ok, we can’t die here anyway…”

CRASH

In a flash, Zooble stopped and jumped at least 5 feet away from the source of the noise that interrupted their antics. Gangle was tightly wrapped around them, so to shield her, they grabbed her mask and nearly crushed it against their torso.

Their eyes land on Pomni, now alarmingly close, with a broken flowerpot at their feet and frazzled look on her face that never seemed to go away – it just varied in intensity. Gangle squirmed for Zooble to release her mask so she could turn her face to see, but the Zolo-being didn’t budge until the initial shock was gone and their mood was killed.

No fun today, it seemed.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” Pomni frantically apologized, “I wasn’t looking where I was going, and I knocked into this block, and it knocked over-”

“Yeah, whatever, don’t care.” Zooble dismissed, rolling their eyes, “It pays to have situational awareness, by the way.”

“I didn’t mean to interrupt!”

“Well, you did. Deal with it and move on.”

“But I-”

“Shut it and move on, jester!” Zooble cut Poni off, cringing uncomfortably as they turned on their heels and took long strides to walk away. They don’t let Gangle, now unraveling herself off them, slow them in the slightest. Zooble sauntered their way over to Jax, who just walked out into the main area himself, seemingly amused by whatever expression the Zolo-creature sported. Gangle only glanced back to her partner before turning around – her eyes now fixed on Pomni, suddenly wearing her tragedy mask.

When did she switch out her masks?

“They meant it literally, Pomni.” Gangle suddenly piped up with a gentle, but now raspy tone, “They accepted your apology and gave you good advice; around here, it’s best not to dwell on things. It will make you abstract faster.”

Pomni’s frown was replaced by a perplexed expression upon hearing the ribbonoid’s explanation.

“They looked so… bothered.” Pomni eyed the tears on Gangle’s face, “And you look miserable. You were laughing just now.”

“They are bothered, but not exactly by you, don’t worry.” Gangle didn’t bother trying to muster up a sad smile – it was too much effort for someone she didn’t trust yet, “I figured a happy face is the last thing you would want to be comforted by.”

“Actually, for a second, it made things seem more… normal?” Pomni chuckled awkwardly, stepping closer. “You actually have a cute laugh – I wouldn’t mind hearing it again some time.”

“Zooble loves my laugh too, they just won’t admit it – so don’t tell anyone!”

Pomni laughed a bit. Gangle was bombarded with the feeling of 2 mismatched eyes burning into her back, but didn’t turn to look just yet. That would give her partner mixed signals…

“Yeah, I’m not surprised!” Pomni took another step forward, tugging at her hair strand that was framing her face, “It’s a shame to see you cry, though… you’re smile lights up the room…”

This was getting interesting, in an uncomfortable way.

As soon as Pomni took a step forward, Gangle took a step back. Too close. The jester was getting just a little too close and saying things that were just a little too comfortable. She couldn’t tell what Pomni’s intentions were – just that she was new, scared and desperate for support – which was expected! But just how desperate Pomni was, was yet to be determined.

Despite the prior fantasies of Gangle toying with Pomni, that was all they were. Fantasies. It was never something that Gangle would ever act upon. She was a firm believer in the roles they each had – and judging by how quickly Zooble jumped back into character upon Pomni’s arrival, she was very sure that they shared the sentiment. When the couple was alone, they could be whatever they wanted and where-ever they wanted. Gangle had the knack of taking Zooble far away from the Circus, into their own little fantasies, flying above the clouds while riding on their wind.

Zooble was the turbulent to bring Gangle back down to the desert ground, before Gangle’s wings burnt out. The Zolo-being was very dynamic in her role; capable of passing by as a gentle breeze or lifting the earth to create a sandstorm to pin everyone down. They kept them grounded by living and acting in the moment.

The wind – careless, free and ever-present – never bothered by the matters of anyone else, moving as it pleases despite anyone who may enjoy or dread it. It hits you with heat and sand, biting at your skin to remind everyone that they are still trapped in the desert and that it’s best to find shelter within the hellscape of dunes – pushing those who stray away back – back to the oasis.

The wind always blew towards the oasis. The burrowing owl was happy to fly with it, back to her burrow, where it’s safest.

But as Pomni pushes back into Gangle’s space, despite her gentle prompts, Gangle did not feel so safe anymore.

“Zooble a great partner, we have a good thing going.” Gangle said almost abruptly, “Their rough around the edges, but also just easily misunderstood.”

“Partners, huh…? You two have a circus act together or something?” Pomni asked, genuinely intrigued, her voice shifting into an unknown tone, “I can only imagine what you are capable of! Your body is so weird…”

Gangle internally cringed at the unfortunate misunderstanding, wishing for a way out of the conversation. The whole interaction was draining her in a way that she wasn’t quite used to – having grown close to only a handful of characters over the course of their long stay together.

She didn’t like being ogled at like a zoo animal.

“We all do acts together, depending on what Caine has in store for us.” Gangle said, decisively looking back to Zooble, who was now choking Jax while he clawed at their arm. It was only a moment until Zooble and Jax noticed her gaze, causing them to share a swift glace with each other in their frozen positions, before Zooble loudly called out.

“Hey Gangle, help me kill this guy real quick?” Zooble refused to let Jax go, who managed to choke out something along the lines of ‘save me’.

Gangle’s hero in shining armer.

Gangle glanced at Pomni, “I’ll stop them from doing anything reckless.” She walked towards her friends in a hurry, “I’ll see you around!”

She didn’t wait for Pomni to answer.

When Gangle made it over to her partner and her friend, Zooble dropped Jax to flop onto the floor, almost limp with how he was previously robbed of air.

“All good?” Zooble asked, looking over the ribbonoid.

“Just peachy!” came Jax’s hoarse voice from below, “Thanks for asking!”

The abomination responded in kind by kicking the bunny in the side, who heaved and coughed dramatically. Zooble only rolled their eyes and waited for her partner to answer. Instead of a verbal answer, Gangle responded by lifting her arms towards her partner and waited patiently.

“Gangle wants uppies?” Zooble jested, but swiftly moved to hoist her up, allowing Gangle to wrap and twist her ribbons around her significant other’s torso in no time. It was easy for Zooble to endure. If the masked ribbon didn’t know and better, she wouldn’t have seen the look of mild concern briefly flash over Jax’s face before he dramatically gagged to express his disapproval of the couple’s PDA.

This is what she was comfortable with. This was her people – her home. She could be herself here. Not with some outsider.

Gangle giggle, “As if you and Raggs don’t suck each other’s faces off.”

Jax scrunched his face in disgust, “That’s disgusting… we don’t do that, by the way! I’m not even sweet on her. We’re not even friends.”

“Yeah, you’re right, you definitely aren’t friends.” Zooble piped in, before winking at Jax. They all knew about Jax’s boundaries about touching. They all knew about the deal between the bunny and the ragdoll, even when said bunny and ragdoll didn’t know themselves. Although Jax didn’t seem to pay Zooble’s quiet reassurance any mind, he was noticeably more at ease when he stood up again.

Damn bunny and his micro-expressions.

Zooble diverted their attention back to Gangle upon feeling her cling tighter than usual, “Did something happen?”

“Just hold onto me.” Gangle sighed, gaining the concern of the two surrounding her. No one expressed it, though. Their faces were trained and fixed as they usually were – Jax and his lazy grin, along with Zooble’s careless neutralism.

“What did she do to you?” the Zolo-creature asked casually, effectively hiding how their blood was starting to boil.

“Nothing!” Gangle whined, before whispering something that also resebled a whimper, “…Boundaries.”

“Pushing boundaries?” Zooble asked, quirking an eyebrow as their voice dropped down to its depths.

Gangle only looked ahead, catching the eyes of Jax, who was very intrigued by Gangle’s current state. The eye contact was unintentional, but it was enough for Jax to read something that spawned a sinister smile that could rattle anyone with how icy it appeared.

Spasmic, he abruptly turned his head to directly stare down the jester from across the room.

The snake was hungry again.

“You guys are disgusting. I’m leaving.” Jax exclaimed, stomping off, “Pomni!? Where are ya? I need your stupidity to reset my brain from seeing these lovebirds swapping spit!”

As always, Jax seemed to hit the nail where it hurt the most – for Pomni in this case. There was no way she could misunderstand the relationship between Gangle and Zooble now. When Gangle saw the shock and dread on the little jester’s face, whether it was due to Jax making his way over to her, or if it was due to realizing that Gangle had a significant other, the ribbonoid physically deflated with relief.

Zooble noticed.

“I’ll ask again, what did she do to you – exactly?”

“Probably not something really worth sending her into Jax’s coils, but at the time, she just made me uncomfortable.” Gangle said, sounding too ashamed for Zooble’s liking.

“Yeah? How? Spit it out.”

“She just… I don’t know, maybe I read too much into it?”

“Gangle.” Zooble took her face in hand to force the masked ribbon to face her. “Spit. It. Out.”

“She seemed flirty at the time!” Gangle babbled out upon request, “Pushy even. She didn’t understand that we… you know…?”

“That you are mine?” So straightforward, as Zooble always were, but it earned a nod from the tear-streaked girl, now a blushing mess.

The abomination huffed, clearly disapproving of the jester’s antics. They were so annoyed when Jax teased them about her ‘smooching up to Gangle,’ but they never thought that there was a hidden truth to the bunny’s words. Maybe they could get him to cough it out by choking it out of him harder next time. Still, the jester had no business making Gangle feel threatened in any way – Zooble’s blood had reason to boil after all.

Zooble wouldn’t show it, though. They calmed themselves with the fact that her girl came running into her arms as soon as she could.

Such a good little minx!

“Mmmkay, I get why Jax hates her now.” Zooble mused as they slowly started to walk to a more secluded area, “I think I’ll hop onto the hate-train too.”

“Don’t bother, she still new.” Gangle whined, not wanting to start or deal with any unnecessary drama, “She’ll learn as time goes by – I was just sensitive. It happens when I have my tragedy mask on-”

“I’m not having this.” Zooble cut in, “You are human, and you have boundaries. She needs to respect that – new or not… And until she learns that; my arms are always open. Anytime. Anywhere. Understood?”

Gangle’s heart wanted to burst, evident by the fresh flow of tears flowing down her face. She nodded, earning a small Zooble-version of a smile as they nuzzle their forehead against Gangle. They couldn’t kiss, but this was as close as they could get it and Gangle wouldn’t want it any other way.

“Now that that’s dealt with, I’d like to watch Pomni get her @$$ kicked by Jax.” Zooble said as they watched Gangle swap out her masks to smile up at them again, “Did you know that he basically hates her?”

Zooble currently lounged near the table, with Gangle wrapped around them, as she should.

“I didn’t know it ran that deep.” Gangle said, squeezing Zooble for a view seconds, watching and giggling as their face darkened with a blush, “I heard that Pomni left Raggs for dead with Kaufmo when he abstracted, so I guess I should’ve figured that one out by now. Oops, I guess.”

“Well, I heard that she shoved Raggs into Kaufmo to save herself.”

Gangle gasped, “No!”

“Yes! Jax didn’t say that specifically, but you know him. You can never get a straight word out of him.”

The couple’s attention got dragged back to Jax, who was currently dangling Pomni in the air by the two pom-poms of her hat, holding her up to flash her his most animalistic, predatory smile Zooble had seen him give. Pomni was curled into herself as best she could, eyes wild with dread.

“I bet he’s going to lose it and bite her head off.” Gangle challenged, earning a chuckle from her partner.

“Nah, I bet he’s gonna punt her across the room.”

Gangle huffed, “Not with those skinny legs.”

Zooble shot her with an incredulous look, “He’s a giant rabbit, have you ever even seen rabbit legs?”

“No, but apparently you saw his legs…?” the ribbonoid jested with a feral grin of her own, “Is there something I should know? Do you swing to both sides of the fence?”

“Don’t start with me, you little-”

“JAX, YOU PUT HER DOWN RIGHT NOW!” they got cut off by the hysterical cry of their beloved ragdoll, jumping into her roll again. While it was good to see her up and about after nearly dying the previous day, they collectively deflated upon the realization that they would not see the who would’ve won their little bet.

Well, there could always be a next time.

And there would, no doubt, be a next time.

For now, the couple was happy to just watch a bunny melt into a puddle at the sight of a ragdoll – something they had trained to spot after years of exposure to Jax’s micro-expressions. The sucker was in so deep for Ragatha, they couldn’t help but silently cheer them on. It was almost too bad that those two kept their affection for each other so silent. It was as if everyone knew that they were a couple, except the two that the couple consisted of.

It was almost tragic…

But it made up for everything by providing one hell of a show.

Some silly fanart/sketches of this fic: (CLICK HERE TO SEE)

Oasis: TADC AU list

Masterlist

#fanfiction #the amazing digital circus #tadc oasis au #oasis #tadc zooble #tadc gangle #zooble x gangle #tadc pomni #tadc jax #tadc ragatha #jax x ragatha #bad analogies #awkward tension #gangle is a little minx #zooble is here for it #someone help pomni #pomni didn't mean any harm #awkward pomni #awkward flirting #awkward gangle #everybody hates pomni #jax hates pomni #lesbian panic #protective zooble #protective jax #established relationship #mutual pining #crossing boundaries #too many tags #fluff

[bloody-bee-tea]

IntiMarch 2024 Day 11 - Make me something sweet

The prompt for this was "Kiss me"

Satoru is bored out of his mind and he’s not shy to let his manager know about it. Things are always horribly slow between the breakfast and the lunch rush and it’s complete overkill to have three people tending today.

Or any day, really, because two people could handle this just fine, in Satoru’s opinion.

Well, in all honesty he probably shouldn’t complain because it means he has a job and doesn’t have to rely solely on his family’s money but still.

He’d rather be home than be bored out of his mind like this. And it’s not even as if he can slack off, and waste his time away on the phone because Nanami is already sending him glares as it is and even his manager is looking over more often than not, so Satoru has to at least pretend.

Satoru forces a smile on his face when the next customer comes in, but Nanami is already at the cashier, so he lets him handle everything, while Utahime busies herself with actually making the coffee.

There’s not even anything to stack up, because they keep everything meticulously prepared and so Satoru heaves out a huge sigh.

“If you’re that bored why don’t you just leave,” Nanami snaps at him after one too many sighs and Satoru makes a face at him.

“Believe it or not, I actually do need the money,” he gives back. It’s not a huge secret that Satoru’s family is loaded, but it’s an even less well-kept secret that Satoru despises all of them and would rather die than be reliant on their money.

“But why does it have to be in my shift?” Nanami complaints, not even waiting for Satoru to reply before he turns his back on him.

“It’s not as if I chose this,” Satoru still mutters, certain that Nanami hears him and that, too, is the truth.

He asked for one more shift per week and this is what Yaga gave him. He’s not going to refuse, even though he would rather work with anyone else than with Nanami, with his stick up his ass, and Utahime, who hates his guts.

Satoru mechanically smiles again when the doorbell chimes but he immediately straightens up when he spots the customer who came just in.

“Oh, wow,” he breathes out because the guy who steps closer to the counter is certainly a sight to behold.

His long black hair is made up to a messy bun at the back of his head, half of his hair still spilling out. He’s build like a fighter, tall and thick and Satoru guesses he can lay him out flat in seconds, but his smile is the sweetest thing Satoru has ever seen and it honestly feels as if he’s swooning when he spots his incredible eyes.

It takes Satoru a moment to even notice the huge gauges the guy is spotting and then another one before he spots the ring in his lips and Satoru feels as if his heart is going to beat right out of his chest.

Satoru can feel Nanami side-eyeing him, but he is professional through and through, because he easily smiles at the gorgeous guy.

“Suguru, welcome back,” Nanami greets him and Satoru immediately files that away.

Suguru. What a nice name.

“Nanami, hello,” Suguru gives back and he seems to be a regular because after one too many creepy incidents Yaga told them not to wear their nametags anymore.

“The usual?” Nanami asks and Utahime starts preparing the order before Suguru even nods, so he really must come by often enough for them to know what he wants.

Or he’s just incredibly boring, Satoru thinks when he sees that Nanami rings him up for one black coffee. Well, with a face like that, he’s allowed to be boring, Satoru decides.

“You’re a little over-staffed today, huh?” Suguru asks as he waits for his order and before Nanami can even open his mouth, Satoru slides up to the picking-up area.

“I wouldn’t say so, I’m very lucky to be here today,” Satoru sweetly says blinking his eyes at Suguru and for a split second he thinks it works but then Nanami is right there, smacking the back of his head.

“Ouch,” Satoru complaints but Nanami only rolls his eyes.

“Behave, Satoru,” he chides him and his face only gets more constipated when Satoru pouts at him. “Just for once, please be normal.”

“It’s perfectly normal to flirt with customers,” Satoru hisses back before he turns back around to Suguru, smile already back on his face, but it slides off when he realises that Suguru walked away without another word.

“It’s not!” Nanami tells him. “Don’t alienate him, he’s a regular.”

“Yeah, I could tell,” Satoru sighs out, stretching himself out over the counter. “But so boring with his black coffee. Does he ever order anything else?” he asks.

“No, never,” Utahime chimes in. “That’s his go to and he can’t even be swayed with specials or other offers.”

“Ugh, he clearly doesn’t know what’s tasty.”

“Satoru,” Nanami warningly says but Satoru is barely listening to him.

“Does he always come by at this time?”

“Except for the weekends,” Utahime confirms and Nanami groans when Satoru’s grin grows bigger.

“Yaga!” he calls out, turning around, Nanami hot on his heels.

“If he changes shifts permanently, I want out of this shift!” he says, just as Satoru marches into Yaga’s office.

“What the hell is going on?” Yaga breathes out, already pinching the bridge of his nose but Satoru only gives him a winning smile.

This is going to be great.

~*~*~

“Suguru, hello,” Satoru greets Suguru a day later, with no annoying Nanami breathing down his neck and he enjoys the way his familiar approach briefly makes Suguru’s steps falter.

“Satoru, was it? What happened to Nanami?” he asks, clearly confused by Satoru’s presence, but Satoru will get him used to this soon.

He has all the morning shifts now, after all.

“He had to change shifts, which is why I’m going to be here from now on!”

“I see,” Suguru gives back, a small smile curling around his mouth and Satoru knows that he already has him half charmed. “I’ll take—”

“A black coffee, yes, I know,” Satoru interrupts him, already busying himself with getting his order. “Here you go!”

He presents the cup with a flourish, even though there’s not even some latte art he can show off but Suguru still takes it with a smile.

“Thank you,” he gives back. “Until tomorrow then.”

“Until tomorrow,” Satoru agrees and gives Suguru his biggest smile. “I can’t wait.”

And Satoru really can’t; he has an entire plan ready. He’ll ease Suguru into his presence for a week and then he’ll get his order wrong, so Suguru has to come back and Satoru gets another chance to talk to him.

It’ll be fine, it’s an absolute fool proof plan.

~*~*~

Satoru slides his newest concoction over the counter. It’s an almost disgustingly sweet drink Satoru came up with on the spot and he thinks that this time, it’ll have to be the one that brings Suguru back in the shop to complain about his orders always getting fucked up.

Suguru thanks him with a warm smile and Satoru decides not to read anything into the way Suguru’s fingertips slide against his fingers as he takes the cup because so far Suguru hasn’t come back.

He still comes in at his usual time of course, but no matter what Satoru puts in his coffee, Suguru never returns to demand a refund.

And it’s driving Satoru up the wall.

He’s usually good at flirting; his looks help and Satoru knows how to wield them in a way that makes people flustered and while Suguru is always unfailingly polite and even jokes with him, he never ever reacts to any of the more flirtatious remarks Satoru makes.

It’s maybe time to admit that Suguru doesn’t want to respond to any of his flirting attempts but Satoru refuses to admit defeat.

Not until Suguru outright tells him to stop it.

~*~*~

Suguru comes in with a girl at his side and Satoru’s heart plummets to the ground.

“Shoko, goddamit, just stop,” Suguru says, sounding more relaxed than Satoru has ever heard him and he watches with mounting despair how Suguru slumps over her much more slender frame and how she takes it like a champ.

Satoru could do that, too, he petulantly thinks just as he plasters his usual customer smile to his face.

“Everything okay?” Suguru asks before Satoru can even say something and Satoru nods.

“Of course, hello, welcome, what can I get for you today?” Satoru asks, acting as if Suguru and the girl—Shoko apparently—are just another pair of regular customers and not the actual man of Satoru’s dreams and the woman who destroyed it all.

“Satoru, are you sure you’re okay?” Suguru asks again, and Satoru tries to keep his attention on Shoko, who is raising a questioning eyebrow at Suguru.

“You know the people here by name?” she asks, quickly scanning Satoru to see that he’s not wearing a name tag.

“It’s my regular coffee shop, Shoko,” Suguru tells her and the casual use of her name makes something sour curl in Satoru’s belly.

“Can I get you your regular today, too?” Satoru forces himself to ask and dutifully rings it up when Suguru nods.

Satoru takes Shoko’s order as well and then gets to preparing them without his usual pestering and bantering. He only realises too late that muscle memory overrode everything because instead of making Suguru his stupid black coffee like he was supposed to do, he still makes one of his extra special drinks for Suguru.

He briefly thinks about pouring it down the drain and making Suguru that boring order but in the end, the coffee is already made and the sooner he hands it over, the sooner Suguru and his girl will leave.

“Satoru,” Suguru tries again as Satoru puts the drinks on the counter, quickly snatching his hands away before Suguru can even think to reach for his.

“Thank you for your patronage,” Satoru stiffly says and turns away from them before Suguru can find his voice again.

“Oh wow, he’s prickly,” Shoko mutters, not quite low enough for Satoru not to overhear and so it hurts extra bad when Suguru doesn’t even say anything.

But Satoru guesses he has his answer to his flirting right there.

~*~*~

“Satoru, hello,” Suguru greets him as he steps into the shop and Satoru gives him a brief smile, before he busies himself with Suguru’s coffee.

This time he’s not caught off guard like he was yesterday and so he makes extra sure to make Suguru a black coffee and nothing else.

“Here you go,” he says as he hands Suguru his coffee and he briefly falters when he sees how unhappy Suguru looks.

“Everything okay?” Satoru can’t help but to ask because he knows that Suguru sometimes struggles with his classes or that his sisters are giving him grey hairs and Satoru aches to alleviate his stress even just a little bit but he has to remember that that’s not his job.

Suguru already has someone who does that for him. At least Satoru hopes Shoko does.

“Sure,” Suguru quietly gives back without meeting Satoru’s eyes and he simply takes his coffee and leaves.

“Okay then,” Satoru says to the empty space in front of him and wonders if things will always be like this between them now.

Maybe he should change shifts again. Maybe he shouldn’t have tried to flirt in the first place.

“What is this?” Suguru’s voice suddenly asks and he sounds mad.

Satoru’s head flies up and watches how Suguru marches straight up to the counter, not even caring about the other patrons in the shop.

“Huh?” Satoru very eloquently asks and Suguru almost slams the cup down on the counter in front of Satoru.

“This? What the hell is this?”

“Your—black coffee? Just like you ordered?” Satoru cautiously says, because he doesn’t know what’s going on, why Suguru is so angry.

“But you never make me what I order,” Suguru huffs out and despite everything Satoru can feel himself go hot in the face.

“And you never complaint!” he hotly gives back. “And now that I do what you ask me to, you come back here to what? Complain about a perfect order?”

“Yes!” Suguru almost yells right back and Satoru looks around the shop.

Everyone is looking at them, including the new girl who took Utahime’s spot for the day.

“You’re on your own for a moment,” Satoru tells her before he turns around and walks straight into Yaga’s empty office.

He doesn’t even have to turn around to know that Suguru is following him and just a few seconds later the door closes.

“What is going on, Satoru?” Suguru asks and Satoru heaves out a breath.

“What is supposed to be going on? I made you your fucking coffee, Suguru, what more do you want from me?”

“I want you to make me one of your stupid sugary concoctions!” Suguru gives right back and Satoru is at a complete loss.

“I don’t get it. You never complained about them but you also never said anything about them. I don’t know what’s going on.” It’s a first for Satoru to admit something like that and Suguru must realise that because his entire stance softens.

“The first time you made me something that was not my black coffee I almost came back,” he says, seemingly making sure to keep his composure. “But it turns out I like what you make me. I was looking forward to what you make me.”

“I wanted you to come back,” Satoru blurts out without thinking and Suguru frowns at him.

“You wanted me to complain?”

“I wanted you to come back so we could talk some more,” Satoru admits. “I changed shifts just for—" He cuts himself off but of course Suguru can finish what Satoru wanted to say perfectly well.

“I’m glad you changed shifts,” Suguru quietly says and steps closer to Satoru, who immediately takes a step back. “Satoru?”

“You should probably go,” Satoru bitterly says. “I bet Shoko is waiting for you somewhere already.”

It’s mean and way too telling, going by the sudden understanding washing over Suguru’s face, but he can’t take it back anymore.

“I wanted to introduce Shoko to Utahime,” Suguru says with a small smile. “She’s just her type.”

Satoru blinks.

“She’s gay?”

“I am, too,” Suguru tells him and dares to take another step towards Satoru.

“Huh, me too,” Satoru says, though it’s probably redundant at this point.

He already admitted he was trying to flirt with Suguru.

“So, what do we do with that now?” Suguru asks, that same warm smile on his face that first caught Satoru’s eyes and Satoru squares his shoulders.

“Kiss me,” he orders, clearly catching Suguru off guard with that but it barely takes him a second to digest Satoru’s demand before he leans in.

It sends tingles all through Satoru’s body, especially when his lips catch on the ring in Suguru’s lip and he doesn’t quite manage to suppress his low groan.

It’s better than anything Satoru daydreamed about and going by Suguru’s low chuckle against his lips he seems to know that somehow.

“You taste sweet, too,” he whispers without really pulling away and Satoru blinks his eyes open.

“I only make you my favourites,” he mutters.

“You have good taste,” Suguru says and Satoru leans in to get another taste of Suguru for himself.

“I really do,” he then agrees and it makes Suguru laugh again, clearly catching up on what Satoru really means.

“Now give me your number so we can meet outside of this shop and Nanami can have his morning shift back. He’s miserable in the afternoons.”

“He’s always miserable,” Satoru says out of reflex even as he’s busy getting his phone out. “You gonna take me out on a date?”

“I’m going to take you out on so many dates,” Suguru seriously says and leans in to nip at Satoru’s lips again, sliding Satoru’s phone out of his hands in the process. “This evening even if you have time.”

“Absolutely,” Satoru agrees without even thinking about it.

If he already has other plans, he’ll simply reschedule. Suguru takes precedence.

“Here you go. I’ll text you.”

Satoru can only blink, not even having noticed how Suguru put his number in and clearly messaged himself already and before he gets his bearings back Suguru already walked out of him.

“Hey,” Satoru calls after him, but he’s way too late and he can only watch Suguru’s broad back leave the shop.

And then he startles badly when his phone chimes.

It’s a text message and Satoru almost breaks the screen, he’s tapping on it so insistently.

Meet me here at 6pm for dinner the message says, accompanied by a link and Satoru wants to puff his cheek in outrage at the demanding tone of this but then he sees that Suguru saved his name with a little heart next to it and Satoru melts like a cube of sugar in a cup of coffee.

It’s hard to be mad when he has to smile so much.

#bt writes #jjk #satosugu #geto suguru #gojo satoru #no curses au #coffee shop #awkward flirting #pining #getting together #love confessions #first kiss

[atths--twice]

Rediscovering the Thrill

What may have happened while they were staying at The Falls when Mulder left the bedroom telling Scully that the thrill was gone.

Fictober day 4 prompt 9: I wouldn't do that if I were you.

The thrill is gone. 

The words Mulder had said when he left the room kept repeating in her ears as she straightened up while she waited for her face mask to dry. 

The thrill is gone. 

How could it be gone when it had never even started? At least not in the way he was implying. Not how Rob would mean it if he was speaking to Laura. 

She knew he was teasing her, acting the part of a hurt husband, but still… 

Picking up his shoes, she placed them on a shelf in the closet. Seeing his sweatshirt had been left on the bed, she sighed as she snatched it up to hang it in the closet.

The thrill is gone. 

Is that what he wants? she wondered, placing the sweatshirt on the hanger. A thrill? Something that isn’t who we are? Does he want to be someone else? For me to be someone else? Or is it our thrill that’s gone? 

“Hey, Scully,” Mulder said, poking his head around the corner. 

“Jesus Christ, Mulder,” she said, dropping his sweatshirt and looking at him in exasperation. 

“Sorry,” he said, tapping his fingers against the doorjamb. “Didn’t mean to scare you.” 

“Yeah, well,” she huffed, picking up the sweatshirt and hanging it with a bit more force than was needed. “Did you need something?”

“It’s still early,” he said rather sheepishly and she raised her eyebrows, waiting. “I know I won’t be sleeping anytime soon. You wanna watch a movie or something?” 

She stared at him, crossing her arms and drawing in a breath. 

“You don’t have to, but-” 

“No, I…” she said with a quick nod. “I will.” 

“I mean I don’t know what’s on, but…” 

“It’s still early,” she finished and he nodded, tapping his fingers on the doorjamb again. “Maybe we could see what’s inside that gigantic basket Pat gave us.” He grinned and she attempted to smile back, but her skin felt tight. She touched her face and nodded. “You go open it, I’ll wash this off and join you.”

“You got it, Mrs. Petrie.” 

“Shut up,” she said, pushing him out of her way as she walked to the bathroom. She heard him laughing as he left the room and she smiled slightly. 

Ten minutes later, she walked into the kitchen to find the contents of the entire basket laid on the counter as Mulder looked at it dubiously. 

“Nothing good?” she asked and he sighed. 

“I don’t know. It’s all so… frou frou-y.”

“Frou frou?” she teased. 

“Yeah. They’re not brands I recognize. Look at this one, what’s that name? I can’t make it out. Solare’s? Sss… Salane’s? I can’t tell.” 

“They’re crackers,” she said, looking at the box and then at him. “Take them, the salami, and that cheese and I’ll grab a knife and a plate.” 

“The wine too, or no?” he asked and she shook her head with a slight frown. 

“No, the wine at dinner made me feel… I don’t know. I don’t want any. But you go ahead if you want.” 

“Nah. It’s not exactly my first choice, especially this one from… Zairess? Seriously, what is this? Where did Pat get these things?” 

“Probably some hoity toity shop somewhere. Gotta keep up with those appearances, right?” she asked as she opened cupboards and drawers searching for what she needed. 

“I would hate to live in a place like this,” he said and she snorted. “No shit,” she said, rolling her eyes. Shaking her head, she finally found what she was looking for and grabbed a large plate and a sharp knife. 

“But you wouldn’t mind it.” 

“Living somewhere where neighbors help each other out? That’s not so bad.” 

“But dinners at their house? Tuna casserole dinners, Scully? ZZ Top wine?” He gestured to the bottle he had put back into the basket and she laughed. “From the finest little shop in San Diego, but still…” His eyes widened and he stepped backward out of the kitchen as she followed. 

“At least the tuna was dolphin safe,” she deadpanned and he grunted. 

“Not as safe in my stomach. It definitely did not agree with me.” 

“Proper food can have that effect on a body used to only eating takeout and microwave dinners.” 

“Are you knocking my frozen meatloaf meals, Scully? How can you when it’s made for hungry men like me?” 

She laughed again as they sat down on the couch and she set the plate and knife on the coffee table. He added the salami and cheese, opening the box of crackers and then the bag inside. Placing some on the plate, he picked one up and took a bite, chewing thoughtfully. 

“Not terrible,” he stated, chewing again. “But definitely dry. I’ll go get us some water.” 

“Hmm,” she hummed with a nod as she opened the salami and began slicing pieces of it and laying them beside the crackers. 

Mulder came back and snatched a piece as he set the glasses of ice water on the coffee table. 

“Hmm. That’s good. Zany Tony makes a good salami.” 

Scully laughed as she opened the cheese and started slicing it. 

“Who makes this cheese?”

“It said Wandering Willows Farm on the package.” 

“The fuck it did,” he laughed, reaching for the wrapper and looking at it. “Tira’s Cheese. Tira.” He looked at her and shook his head as he dropped it back onto the coffee table. “Your name was better.” 

“If I ever decide to throw all this away,” she said, waving the knife to indicate the room at large. “I’ll become a cheese maker and call it Wandering Willows, just for you.” 

“It’s a solid plan. People do love cheese.” He tried to take a slice, but she stopped him by blocking his hand. 

“I have a sharp knife in my hand. I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” 

“But, Scullyyyy,” he whined. “Tuna casserole.” She shook her head and snorted out a laugh. “With white wine, need I remind you.” 

“No,” she said with a shiver. “You don’t need to remind me. I think Tira’s vineyard made that wine too.” 

“Ha!” he exclaimed, bumping her with his shoulder and laughing quietly. “Cheese and wine. You’ll have some stiff competition at ol’ Wandering Willows.” 

“I can take her,” she said, finishing with the cheese and setting the knife down. 

Picking up two slices of cheese, she handed him one. They nodded as they tried it, watching each other as they chewed. 

“It’s… cheese,” he stated and she nodded in agreement. “It’s not bad.” 

“But it’s not great.” 

“Better than tuna casserole.” 

“Hell yes it is,” she said, reaching for another piece as well as a cracker and a piece of salami. “Let’s see how all three are together.” 

He prepared a cracker for himself and they nodded once again as they took a bite. 

“Oh, that’s good. Much better as a combo,” he said, shoving the rest of it into his mouth. 

“Yeah,” she agreed. “Much better.” 

“Does it need mustard? I think there’s a jar of Zoreli’s in that basket. Or Tortoroni’s Tangy Mustard.” 

“Is it Zoreli’s and Sons? Because I really prefer that brand over just Zoreli’s.” 

He laughed as he began stacking the salami and cheese onto another cracker and she smiled as she did the same. 

“Wandering Willows will have to speak to the Zoreli’s about an exclusive deal to work with them.” 

“It’s in the bag. One of my employees is sleeping with the boss of the Zoreli family. They made an offer they couldn’t refuse,” she said in her best Brando voice and he choked on his cracker when he started laughing. 

He reached for his glass of water, choking and sputtering, as she thumped him on his back and chuckled softly. 

“Scully,” he said in a strained voice after he had taken a few large drinks, shaking his head and coughing as he laughed again. 

“You want into the Willows… you’re then in until you die.” 

“Or you’re given a pair of cement shoes,” he said with another cough. 

“Meh…” she said with a shrug. “You gotta protect the family.” 

“I never knew the cheese/wine/mustard business had such a dark side.” 

“Why do you think you don’t recognize the brands we’re eating tonight? The others…” She ran her thumb slowly across her throat and his eyes widened. “We don’t play at the Willows.” 

He smiled slowly, shaking his head as he stared at her. She smiled back and then looked at the television. 

“Are we still going to watch a movie?” 

“Yeah,” he said, smiling as he set his glass down and reached for the remote. “Yeah, we are.” 

He flipped through the channels until he landed on something, glancing at her for her approval. She nodded, not really caring what they watched. He set the remote down and made up another cracker to eat. 

They watched the movie in near silence, eating their snack and drinking their water. 

But every once in a while, he glanced at her and shook his head as he laughed through his nose. She smiled and shrugged, an entire conversation being spoken without saying a word. 

What do you think now, Mulder? she thought, looking at him out of the corner of her eye. Is our thrill still gone? Do you-?

“Is being bedfellows the only way into a place of employment at Wandering Willows?” he asked, pulling her from her thoughts. 

“Not always,” she said, carefully considering her words. “All options for employment are taken into consideration.” 

“So if it’s beneficial to the farm…” 

“Or if the person is just really good looking…” she said with a shrug and he smiled. 

“And they own a mustard farm…” 

“Or a fruit farm. We’re always looking to expand. And if we can lock down jellies… well…” She sucked air in through her teeth and he threw his head back as he laughed. 

Yeah, she thought with a smile. The thrill is definitely still there.

#fictober 23 #fictober2023 #xffictober23 #the x files #season 6 #Arcadia #teasing #awkward flirting #humor #fake relationship #sharing a space #banter #laughter #xf fanfic

[punkerduckiememes]

I know innuendo when I hear it.

#gambit #remy lebeau #xmen97 #anna marie lebeau #xmen #rogue #romy #enough romy angst #awkward flirting #innuendo #rogue x gambit #x men the animated series

[ao3-deviance]

Hypothetically Speaking

New Fic on Ao3

Summary:

"And if the friendly person is oblivious?"

"Like, how oblivious?"

"Like," Bakugou held up his hand, ticking things off on his fingers. "They've held hands, call each other their given names, go out to eat together, watch movies together, train together, we're best friends, I'm pretty damn sure we've cuddled, he plays with my goddamn hair, and he hugs me whenever I've had a bad nightmare–is any of this ringing any bells for you?"

"Are we not talking hypothetically anymore?"

"Obviously we're not!"

"Oh. Well, when'd you start doing all that stuff with Midoriya? You're supposed to tell me these things, we're best friends!"

"Mido–Deku? What the fuck are you talking about?"

"You said the super friendly person was you're opposite."

"First off, Deku isn't the only friendly person in our class. Second off, did you hear literally anything that I just said? I said they're my best friend."

"Yeah! I can't believe you didn't tell me! Bro code, dude. How cold, kicking me to the curb."

"Eijirou," Bakugou said. "Please. Stop talking and actually think about the last five minutes of this conversation. I need you to really think about what I said. Really really hard."

#kiribaku #bakushima #bakugou katsuki #Kirishima Eijirou #first kiss #awkward flirting #getting together #my writing

[thelandswemadeofpaper]

Felix: What if we went out to dinner, but not as friends…?

Kagami, in confusion: So do you want to go as enemies?

#not 100% if it fits...? #kagami x felix #awkward flirting #kagami tsurugi #felix graham de vanily #miraculous ladybug #ladybug and chat noir #ladybug

[dinogoose]

and now you’re mine (it was all by design)

“So uh,” Buck begins, leaning against the truck and crossing his arms over his chest, “Come here often?” He asks in the suavest voice he can achieve.

Eddie looks around, confused, “To a house fire?”

Not deterred, Buck nods his head.

The older man shakes his head, exasperated, as he continues rolling up the hose, “Yes Buck, it’s our job. What is wrong with you?”

(or, buck uses pick up lines to get with eddie. it doesn't go well.)

Buck's up late one night, going down the rabbit hole, following article after article to ease his active mind.

After he finishes reading one titled ‘6 Literary Masterpieces That Almost Never Saw the Light of Day’, he stumbles upon one called ‘40 Best Pickup Lines Ever!’ which is a bold claim, but Buck clicks on it anyways.

The lines are all ones Buck has heard before, the very cliche, corny, classic pickup lines. Ones that would likely never truly work on another living, breathing person.

Although, Buck is desperate.

So he makes a plan, he’ll finally confess to Eddie, finally ask the man he’s been in love with for years, out.

But of course, because he’s him, he’s going to use these overdone lines to do it. What could go wrong?

(Later, when he tells Maddie about this plan, she smacks him upside the head for being an idiot)

—

His first attempt happens on a call- which in his defense, it was as they were wrapping up, and no one was injured.

He gives himself a little pep talk, trying to psych himself up. The only thing it does however is make Ravi think he’s crazy as he watches him mutter to himself.

Then using all the confidence he can muster up, he struts over to Eddie.

“So uh,” Buck begins, leaning against the truck and crossing his arms over his chest, “Come here often?” He asks in the suavest voice he can achieve.

Eddie looks around, confused, “To a house fire?”

Not deterred, Buck nods his head.

The older man shakes his head, exasperated, as he continues rolling up the hose, “Yes Buck, it’s our job. What is wrong with you?”

Buck huffs, ready to explain himself, or maybe try a different approach, when Bobby calls for everyone to get back in the truck.

Eddie shoots him one last baffled glance before he gets on the truck.

Buck shakes his head, slightly dejected. He’ll just need to try again.

—

Another opportunity presents itself during some downtime they have in between calls.

Buck finds Eddie lounging on the couch, watching Hen and Ravi playing an intense round of Mario Kart. (Buck is pretty sure there’s money riding on it)

He plops down on the cushion next to him, which Eddie pays zero mind to as personal space doesn’t exist in their friendship.

Eddie’s hand is opened, facing palm up from where it’s resting on his thigh. Buck bumps their knees together, attempting to gain his attention.

The older man turns to look at him, his eyebrows furrowed together asking a silent question. Buck leans in closer,

“Your hand looks heavy, can I hold it for you?” He asks, gesturing to Eddie’s hand. Eddie’s eyebrows scrunch together even more as he squints at Buck.

“What?” Is what he eventually asks, still scrutinizing Buck as if the answers to all his questions will be displayed clearly on the blonde's face.

Buck just sighs, long and drawn out before turning away from Eddie.

“…Never mind.” He dismisses, missing the way Eddie’s lips tick up into a smile.

Buck is certainly feeling less sure of his plan, but hey, the third time's a charm right?

—

At the very end of their shift, Buck decides to give it one last go.

They’re removing their turncoats from their last call when Buck suddenly turns to Eddie,

“Are you from Tennessee? Cause you’re the only ten I see.”

“…I’m from Texas,” Eddie answers slowly, as he hangs up his coat.

“I know you’re from Tex-“ Eddie walks away towards the locker rooms, “-as. Man, I thought that was going to work.” Buck whispers to himself, another failed attempt under his belt.

Though this time Chimney had a front-row seat and is now cackling so loud Buck can feel his ears ringing.

“What was that?” Chim asks in between his laughter, Buck shoots him a glare that makes Chimney laugh harder.

Despite not wanting to tell him in the slightest, because Chimney’s an asshole, Buck feels like he should tell someone about this plan (this plan that’s stupid and half-baked at best).

“I’m trying to… ‘pick up’ Eddie, using pick-up lines.” He tells him using hand quotes. Chimney doubles over, nearly cracking his head on the linoleum.

“God- sometimes I can’t even believe you’re a real person, Buckley.” He stands up, wiping his eyes, “Well, I’m off to tell Hen about this, but,” Chim glances over to the locker rooms, “good luck, lover boy!” Then he claps Buck on the back, before leaving him standing alone.

Buck trudges to the locker room, not prepared for the awkwardness he and Eddie have been experiencing all day (that’s entirely his fault).

“Hey, man.” Eddie greets casually as if what happened five minutes again didn’t occur.

“Hey,” Buck says back, before changing from his uniform into his civvies with practiced ease.

Eddie is already done, and holding his duffel, due to his head start, but he seems to be waiting for something.

“Do you want to come over?” The brunette asks, catching Buck a little off guard.

“Oh- uh- yeah. I’ll follow you home?” It’s phrased as a question, but they both know this routine well, so Eddie just nods affirmatively.

He leaves and Buck takes a moment to slam his head into his locker.

—

Eddie unsurprisingly beats him home, (home, he meant the Diaz’s home) so Buck takes a moment to freak out on his porch.

What if Eddie confronts him? Calls him out for being a weirdo who’s been horribly flirting with him all day?

God, Buck doesn’t think he’d survive if Eddie turned him down, even if it was gentle and kind, because Eddie is a wonderful man who does his best to be good (and he succeeds, it’s one of Buck’s favorite things about him).

Buck honestly might be a minute away from a panic attack when the door in front of him swings open, startling him out of it.

“Did it hurt?” Eddie asks once the door is fully opened. He’s changed into a soft t-shirt and sweats, and Buck feels his mouth dry up.

“What- huh? Did what hurt?” Buck asks, meeting Eddie’s eyes, which seem to be sparkling with… amusement?

“When you fell from Heaven.” The older man deadpans. Buck squints in confusion at him, until everything clicks.

“You dick! You knew!” He shouts, jamming a finger into Eddie’s chest. Eddie just snorts at him, dragging him inside before shutting the door.

“Of course I knew, I’m not an idiot.” The words are mean, but he sounds incredibly fond so Buck lets it slide.

“Oh, my god. I cannot believe you right now.” Buck declares dramatically, though his hand now rests over Eddie’s heart, craving the contact.

“I’m sorry!” Eddie exclaims through laughter, “I had to, you’re my favorite person to mess with. But to answer your early question, yes, you can hold my hand for me.”

Buck shoves him a little, then grabs his hand intertwining it with his own.

“Chimney made fun of me for using pick-up lines on you.” Eddie’s smile grows upon hearing this.

“Rightfully so.”

“You’re an ass.”

“Yep, one hundred percent.” Eddie agrees easily. He tugs Buck closer to him, their faces inches apart, “Now will you kiss me?”

Buck closes the gap between them, slotting their mouths together perfectly. They move against each other in sync, always in sync.

When Buck bites gently on Eddie’s bottom lip the older man gasps, opening up for Buck’s tongue.

They break apart both panting.

“Hey, what material is your shirt made of?” Eddie asks suddenly, still slightly out of breath. Buck tilts his head dazed.

“‘Cause it looks like boyfriend material.”

(here’s it is! it was slightly rushed because I’m traveling currently, but I hope you still enjoyed! thank you for reading!)

#tv: 911 #buddie #911 show #911 fox #evan buckley #eddie diaz #buddie fic #911 fic #911 fanfic #chimney han #awkward flirting #silliness #buck x eddie #buddie 911

[starsarefire824]

New ficlet! 🖤

Lay Me Down Slow

It's 1998 and Will is anxiously making his way to a bar to meet up with Mike, who he hasn't seen in over a decade. Emotions run high as he shares a drink with him, and when a confrontation turns violent, it leads to truths being told and the two of them finding each other again. Will POV.

Listened to boygenius's "Cool About It" too many times and this is the result. This will probably be three parts. Tags will change as this goes on. I live for reunited Byler and I can't stop writing it, so I hope you like. <3

“You look—different,” Mike says, his hand motioning around his own jaw.

“Hmm,” Will blushes and brings his shoulders to his ears. “I don’t know—just grown up I guess.”

Mike shakes his head and sets his drink on the table, forgotten. He’s crouched over like he always is, back looking uncomfortably bent and his hands hanging loose in between his spread legs. It doesn’t go unnoticed by Will how close his knees are to Mike’s fingers.

“No,” Mike says, his tone adamant. “Not just grown up—just—I don’t know—more you .” He laughs at himself. “That sounds stupid—”

“No, no!” Will interrupts. “I think I know what you mean.”

“I like this,” Mike states softly and reaches out. Will tries not to wince when his hand comes up to his face and he fiddles with the small, silver earring dangling from his left ear.

#byler #writing snippet #byler fanfic #will byers #stranger things #mike wheeler #awkward flirting #reconnection fic #twenties byler

[neonganymede]

Fukumori Week Day 6: sakura trees / veterinary clinic au

Go appreciate this beautiful companion piece <3

Ranpo slapped a piece of paper down on top of the scattered stack of bills. “We’ve been commissioned by the owner of a local veterinary clinic to locate his missing cat!”

“A cat, you say?”

The end of spring and the promise of new beginnings, of warm summer and soft flowers that would soon scatter the streets in a dreamy blanket of pink. A lovely view that Fukuzawa enjoyed every year, but for now, he appreciated that the petals had yet to fall from their branches.

It made finding the cat a simple task.

#bsd #fukumori #bsd fukuzawa yukichi #bsd mori ougai #fukumoriweek2023 #vet clinic au #fluff #awkward flirting #elise is a cat!

[practically-an-x-man]

The Facts Were These (Nikoletta x Abner)

Summary: She can't touch him without leaving a permanent mark... but that's just another obstacle to be worked around, and he has a solution.

Tags: fluff and angst, first kiss, copious amounts of awkward flirting... and way too many references to Pushing Daisies

Word Count: 4.4k

____

La Gatita Amable. 

One look around the bar told her it wasn’t exactly… well, amable. No outright fights had broken out, but the room was packed to the gills and flooded with chatter so loud Nikoletta could barely hear herself think. The press of bodies all around her made her hackles rise from the moment she stepped through the door.

She’d been half-convinced to wait in the van with Nanaue. It would be safer, both for her and all the others in the bar. She’d found a dress that covered her not-quite to the knees, and she still wore her gloves despite the strange looks that earned her, but that was the best she could put together. And it was still an awful lot of skin to have exposed. 

Once, she’d have dressed like this at every opportunity. High skirts, low necklines, hardly a sleeve in sight if she could help it… walking in stilettos with her head held high, relishing in the way she commanded the streets. She felt sexy. She felt powerful.

She couldn’t afford that now. Not when any touch, even the smallest brush of skin, would leave an irreversible mark. 

Even this dress, taken from a helter-skelter assortment of clothes and disguises, the first thing she’d worn in years that wasn’t a prison jumpsuit or her mission suit, was a risk. She was aware of every inch of skin that was left uncovered, and it hardly gave her confidence.

Only two things convinced her to join the others in the bar. The first was the thought of staying cooped up in that bus with the land-shark. She didn’t enjoy small spaces, and a companion who could only speak a half-dozen words was hardly the best of company. 

The second was the dress. Cleo had found it buried at the bottom of the trunk: a crisp goldenrod, sleek fabric (pure polyester, synthetic and safe) layered with delicate lace flowers, that hugged every curve of her body and pulled in tight to a Grecian neckline at her throat. It was exactly the sort of thing Nikoletta would have worn in her prior life, before the shadows. Despite every warning in her mind… it called to her. She couldn’t resist. She wanted a taste of the life she’d left. 

So she found herself in the bar, packed into a booth with the wall of the bar on her right side and Abner pressed in on her left. At least he was wearing sleeves. Her heart still pounded with every shift, every brush, but no shadows were spread.

Maybe that meant her heart was racing for a different reason. 

She wasn’t ready to acknowledge that thought just yet. She refused to get involved with a man she couldn’t even touch. 

Conversation swirled around her. Nikoletta hardly said a word. She’d learned not to fill the air with needless chatter, not to speak unless she could command the room, and there was no way she’d command the room amid so much chaos. So she didn’t speak. She just… waited and watched and listened, taking sips from her cocktail as an excuse to keep the conversation from turning her way. 

Her right hand was curled loosely around her drinking glass, her gloves squeaking against the condensation. Her left hand, under the table, was held in Abner’s. She couldn’t remember who’d initiated that. He was a bit more fearless, at least in this, but… she’d hardly been able to let go of him since the plane. Carefully shielded through layers of cloth, it was another thing she couldn’t resist. Their clasped hands rested on his knee - hers was bare, unsafe, and he at least had that much sense. 

Christopher let out a boisterous laugh from Abner’s left- someone must have said something funny, she wasn’t paying enough attention to the conversation to know what or whom. The sound was loud and harsh, sharp enough to pull Nikoletta from her thoughts just in time for Christopher to knock Abner’s shoulder a bit too hard and send him pressing in far too close. Nikoletta squirmed away, hyperaware of every little break in his clothing - the inches where her gloves and his sleeves didn’t quite align, the open buttons in his shirt, his neck, his face-

But the distance never quite closed. Abner shifted in his seat, returning that safe few inches between them, and gave her hand a brief squeeze through her gloves. 

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled, hardly loud enough for her to hear. Nikoletta just nodded, fighting hard to quell the pounding in her ears.

She wasn’t sure which was worse: that she’d been terrified of him pressing too close, or that it almost hurt when he pulled away.

It was because he wasn’t afraid, she told herself. It was because he’d dared to introduce himself those years ago, to shake her hand, to be the first to ask for her name. It was because he kept holding her hand, fearless to her shadows.

It wasn’t emotion, she thought. She was starved for touch, and he was the only one to grant that touch - at least in the small ways he could. It wasn’t anything deeper than that. She couldn’t afford for it to be anything deeper than that.

But… she wished she could lay her head on his shoulder. She wished she could be closer than this. She wished… a lot of things. 

“We should dance. Let’s go dance.” Christopher decided all at once, slamming his hands down on the table with a resounding bang!. Beside her, Abner flinched, and his grip tightened on her hand.

“What about the mission?” DuBois remarked, rather dryly, “The target? The whole reason we’re here?”

“Oh, calm your tits, we’ll be ten feet away,” Christopher huffed, already sliding out of his seat. Abner scooted into the empty space without hesitation, and Nikoletta felt a bit of the tension in her chest ease. He still hadn’t let go of her hand. 

One by one, they finished their drinks and slid out of the booth to dance and refill their drinks. Even DuBois, with a bit of convincing. Even Cleo, with Sebastian on her shoulder.

Even Abner. And he let go of her hand. 

It left Nikoletta alone in the booth. She didn’t dare join them. It wasn’t safe to be a part of that crowd, all skimpy clothes and flailing limbs and careless drunken bodies. Once she’d have loved a good night out like this. She’d always enjoyed the feeling of being surrounded by humanity, by vitality, to feel the bass pounding in time with her heart.

But she couldn’t have that life anymore. So she contented herself with watching the others. Despite her best efforts, her eyes kept getting drawn back to Abner. 

He was a terrible dancer. But he looked like he was having a lot of fun. It was the most unencumbered she’d ever seen him - though the comparison was prison, and that would weigh on anybody. But… he was smiling. She’d never seen him smile like that before. She wondered if she ever would again. 

Nikoletta watched him for longer than she should have. She wasn't sure why.

After a while, and to her surprise, she found him walking back up to her. Abner’s face was flushed, and he tugged at his sleeves like he was debating whether he wanted to push them up to his elbows or not. He dropped his hands back to his sides as he approached her.

“Hey,” he said, stopping in front of the booth. He still had that smile on his face - faint, but more than she'd ever seen in Belle Reve. 

Suddenly, Nikoletta was grateful she hadn't chosen to wait in the bus.

“Hey,” she replied, tilting her head at him. She was surprised to find a smile on her own lips. It probably looked as foreign to him as his smile looked to her. “You, ah- it looked like you were having a good time.”

Abner nodded but didn’t speak. His eyes shifted back and forth, refusing to settle on her. Finally, seeming to summon his courage, he held out a hand. 

“Care to dance?”

And lord, how she wished she could.

“I shouldn’t.” she muttered. The look on his face broke her heart. Nikoletta grimaced, reaching to take his outstretched hand and give it a quick squeeze. “No, I- I want to, but… you know I shouldn’t. Look at what these people are wearing. Look at what I’m wearing.”

“I’ve- um, I’ve noticed.” he muttered, the flush in his cheeks becoming a touch more pronounced. Nikoletta bit back her smile. Abner waffled for another moment or two, shifting on his feet, then slid into the booth beside her. He left a healthy amount of space between the two of them. She wished it were lesser. She wished it were more. She… didn’t know.

“Where’d you learn how to dance?” Nikoletta asked, trying to spur the conversation forward before it could fall into a lull. She was more than a little out of practice. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d sat down and chatted like this - no ulterior motives, no power plays, just… talking. Like a couple of human beings. 

Abner chuckled under his breath. 

“Nowhere.” he admitted, glancing over at her with the same shadow of a smile, “You don’t have to pretend I’m a good dancer. I’m awful and I know it. It’s just fun to move around a little. Especially after being cooped up on the bus.”

“Amen to that,” Nikoletta muttered.

“Normally I’m, um, I’m not brave enough.” he continued, ducking her eyes, “To just stand up in front of people like that.”

“But the patriot got a little booze in you, huh?” she guessed, fingers tracing the rim of her own glass. Abner let out another low laugh, shaking his head. 

“Yeah, I guess.”

“I don’t know…” Nikoletta sighed, “I kinda like it. I like seeing you be brave. You should try it more often.”

She wondered why it was so hard to speak gently. Sharp words she’d mastered. Anything softer than that just felt awkward, like she was stumbling over herself and couldn’t quite find her balance. She remembered being better at this. Maybe she’d spent too long in prison, surrounded by so many barbs and spurs on every side. 

But she wanted to remember how this dance went. She wanted to be brave again.

Nikoletta slid across the booth, closing that distance between them. Her thigh pressed into his, the touch blazing against her perpetually-chilled skin. That took enough courage, but she did her best to summon a little more. Nikoletta reached out, all too aware of the hem of her gloves, her bare skin only inches away from his own, and brushed the hair back from his face. She wanted to see his eyes. 

“It’s really nice to see you smile like that,” she murmured, noticing the way his dark eyes flicked uncertainly across her face. Nikoletta offered him a smile as she drew her hand back to her side. “You look handsome when you’re happy.”

“You’re beautiful,” he replied without hesitation, though his voice had gone so quiet she almost couldn’t hear him amid the noise of the bar around them, “All the time.”

It was far from the first time she’d been called beautiful. Even in Belle Reve. She’d been pursued plenty of times, often less-than-genuinely. Most just wanted a share of her power - or if not that, at least the protection and security she could offer amid those prison walls. They chatted her up with their smooth words, their empty promises, yet they shied away every time she took a step closer. The façade was as thin as tissue paper. Like they thought she was stupid, or so lonely that she’d take any bullshit chance she was offered.

She was lonely, yes. But not that lonely. And she was far from stupid. 

So she turned them away every time. 

But this felt different. This didn’t feel like a grab for power or security. She had no doubt that he believed every word he said.

And it… it felt good, coming from him. She hadn’t felt beautiful in years.

Abner’s eyes found her face again, and this time they didn’t slide away. It was the most intense she’d ever seen him. 

“Nik, I…” he started, swallowing hard like he had to summon the words from deep within himself, “I really want to kiss you right now.”

She reached for his hand again, safe between layers of fabric. This was all she had. This was… maybe all she’d ever have. She wanted to be satisfied with that much - it was still more than she’d had in years - but she couldn’t help longing for more.

It was easier just to be cold. 

Nikoletta ducked his eyes. 

“I really wish you could.” 

There was sadness painted across his face for several long heartbeats. Then she watched the sun dawn on him, crisp and bright like nothing else. He had an idea.

Abner squeezed her hand once, tightly, then pulled away. 

“I’ll be right back.”

She watched him cross the room, right up until he turned a corner and fell out of sight. And Nikoletta waited. She hoped he hadn’t run off. He didn’t seem like the type just to flee without warning, but… maybe he’d used up what little reserves of confidence he had left, and he couldn’t hold his nerve anymore.

“My mom, um-” Abner said, almost startling her from her thoughts. He had something clutched in his hands, a long and thin cardboard box - tin foil? Wax paper? As he spoke, he slid halfway back into the booth beside her, moving with more surprising assuredness than Nikoletta had perhaps ever seen from him. His voice didn’t quite match the confidence of his movements, but that was okay. “My mom used to like this show, Pushing Daisies? Anyway, I- I have an idea.”

At that, he flipped open the box and drew out a long stretch of plastic wrap. Nikoletta noticed, to her faint amusement, that his hands were trembling. He took in a slow breath, visibly steadying himself as he held up the barrier. 

Then, in a shocking display of sudden courage, his lips were on hers. 

She wished she could say it was a beautiful kiss. It wasn’t. She was a decade and a half out of practice, and Abner seemed even more so. The plastic wrap proved as much a challenge as it was a saving grace, folding and wrinkling and pulling taut in strange ways as they moved. And in truth, Nikoletta’s brain short-circuited so completely from the sudden contact that she couldn’t remember all of what happened. 

It wasn’t a beautiful kiss. But it was a kiss. 

And she wanted another. 

Nikoletta pulled back after a moment, but Abner kept leaning in like he was chasing a second kiss. For the briefest moment, every cell in her body screamed to reciprocate. Now that she’d experienced it once, she never wanted to break away from him again.

It scared her more than she wanted to admit. She didn’t want to become addicted to touch. She’d been just fine without it. 

She closed her gloved fingers around Abner’s wrists, drawing his hands and the plastic wrap he held between them away from her. He looked confused but didn’t fight. 

“You know, you…” she sighed, “You really shouldn’t do that.”

Despite the words, a faint smile crossed his face. Nikoletta had no idea why. 

She didn’t get the chance to find out. 

“Lovebirds!” Christopher’s voice, louder and perhaps a touch more inebriated than he should have been, was her only warning before he gave Abner a harsh shove into the booth. 

He probably meant it as a joke. She hoped he meant it as a joke. It was so much more cruel to think that he’d done it sincerely, that he wanted a tangle that ended in permanent marks. He called himself Peacemaker - Nikoletta wanted to believe that. She wasn’t sure she really did. 

Abner stumbled, one hand catching himself against the booth while the other landed against Nikoletta’s waist. His face ended up far too close to her own, close enough that his breath tickled her cheek when he exhaled. Her own hands caught the lapels of his shirt, nothing but reflex, and she nearly pulled him into a collision with the momentum of it all.

Like before, he managed to recover before any marks were made. Like before, he disentangled himself and returned a bit of space, a bit of safety. Christopher had already vanished, disappeared back into the crowd before the consequences of his actions could catch up to him. 

“Are you okay?” Abner murmured, dark eyes flicking over her figure in a cursory glance of concern. Nikoletta wondered why he wasn’t checking himself for shadows, when things had gotten so dangerously close. She wondered why he didn’t care.

“I- yeah, I’m alright.” she admitted, though she could hardly hear herself speak over the thundering of her heart, “Are- are you?”

“Yeah. I’m okay.” he agreed, firing just one quick glance over his shoulder, “I’m- um, I’m going to try and find Flag and tell him what happened. Wait here.”

He was gone before she could respond, vanished like a startled rabbit into the brush. There went that brief, bizarre confidence of his. This was more the reaction she was expecting. But, just for the moment, she didn’t mind the extra space. That had gotten too close. She had gotten too close.

This wouldn't last. It couldn't. 

Who would dare to seek out romance with the most damaged person in Belle Reve?

She didn't know why he wanted her.

____

Six months later…

The couch was old and the TV was grainy, but they were hers. The man beside her, with his arm tucked protectively around her shoulders, was hers too. She was still getting used to it. 

Nikoletta leaned her head back against Abner’s shoulder, relishing in even that simple touch. She didn’t imagine she would ever get used to it, these simple careless touches. Baron had taken to curling up on her lap, and she ran her fingers through the cat’s dark fur until he purred with the ceaseless rumble of a jet engine. It was a good feeling, she thought, to have her touch bring comfort instead of fear.

“This was the one you were telling me about,” she remarked with a glance at the screen. The scene she saw was amusingly familiar, though she’d never seen the show a day in her life. “Back at the bar. Corto Maltese.”

“Mm-hmm.” Abner agreed, “Pushing Daisies. If he touches her, she dies, so they have to kiss through plastic wrap.”

“Hm. And I thought our situation was bad enough,” NIkoletta said, vaguely amused. She reached up and brushed her fingers softly down his cheek, if only for the fact that she could. The corners of Abner’s lips twitched, almost a smile. For a moment, she thought he was about to kiss her - again, just for the fact that he could, unencumbered. But the music swelled before he could, and he nudged her back towards the TV. 

“Here. Watch.” 

She obliged, turning her attention to the washed-out images flashing across the screen. It struck her, for the briefest moment, as an echo of her own life: a dark-haired man, not too dissimilar from Abner himself, sharing a kiss with a shorter woman through a layer of plastic wrap. She could see why he was so connected to this show. 

“You really shouldn't do that…”

“That was why you smiled,” Nikoletta mumbled, biting back a smile of her own as she thought of the bar, “I said that same thing to you and I didn't even know it. And you smiled.”

“You remembered a detail that small?” Abner asked, breaking his focus from the TV to glance down at her. Nikoletta nodded.

“Of course I remembered. It was the first kiss I've had in fifteen years.”

“It was the first kiss I've had… ever.”

He looked a little sheepish at the admission, but Nikoletta didn’t so much as raise her eyebrows. She’d guessed as much. Their kiss in the bar was hardly as coordinated as the one on the screen. But real life never was. 

“You look like him, too.” she added, brushing the hair out of his face to get a better look. Abner’s brows crinkled. 

“Tall and sad?”

“No, I mean-” she started, though his interpretation hadn’t been entirely wrong, “I mean you’ve got these big dark eyes, and the same hair, and… and you’re gentle like he is.”

“Gentle?” he echoed, a deep crease still pulled between his brows. Nikoletta almost wanted to point that out, too - she’d seen the same expression a dozen times in just three episodes of the show. She found it cute. Abner glanced down at his hands, frowning a little, “I blew up a building. Multiple buildings.”

“And he brings people back from their incredibly violent deaths,” Nikoletta pointed out, gesturing at the television, “You know that’s not what I mean. I think you’re sweet. You… you care about the things other people forget about.”

She thought of him finding her in the empty halls of Belle Reve after a nightmare, offering her coffee and company before he even knew her name. She thought of him in the bar, careful with every touch but still reaching for her, worried about her safety before he even thought of his own. She thought of him, scratched and bleeding but determined to rescue a scrawny stray cat from where she’d gotten stuck behind an air conditioning unit - a cat who now was well-fed and healthy, stretched out in a sunbeam across the room. 

He was the only one to ask for her name. He was the only one to remember the bus driver’s, and to grieve for him when he’d been lost. He called Flag once a week to check up on his healing, and went out to lunch with Cleo every Wednesday. He cared. And he hardly seemed to notice it. 

“Waller wanted me to mark you.” Still lost in thought, Nikoletta hardly realized she’d said the words until Abner glanced down at her. 

“Hm?” 

“After the others started going after you.” she explained, dropping her head back against his shoulder as she spoke. Maybe she wanted to remind herself that he was here, alive, to feel the rise and fall of his breathing beside her. Maybe she just couldn’t bear to meet his eyes. “She didn't like all the conflict, and she figured getting rid of you would be easier than trying to work things out with all of them. And she thought you’d be dangerous. Uncontrollable. She told me to mark you.”

Abner was silent for a while, chewing on the words. His thumb traced back and forth over her shoulder. Nikoletta chewed her lip. Maybe she shouldn’t have shared that tidbit. He must have known that there were some in Belle Reve who wanted him dead, but… she doubted he’d known it could have come from her own hand.

Finally he sighed. 

“I guess she kind of got what she wanted, in the end.”

He was referring to the marks on his back, the ones she’d left on him back in Corto Maltese. He was referring to the fact that his being stained by her shadows now meant he was out of Belle Reve - though not in the manner Waller had wanted. 

Nikoletta knew that. But the thought of him marked like the rest, thrown to the wolves of Belle Reve, torn apart by a dozen prisoners in need of their fix of bloodshed…

She shuddered. 

“I'm sorry,” Abner corrected quickly, running his hand in gentle circles over her back, “I just meant-”

“I know what you meant. It's okay.” she muttered, “I'm just… glad I didn't do what she wanted.”

“Me too.” 

She sensed that he wasn’t just talking about his life. Really, back at Belle Reve, she doubted he cared much about that. Most people didn’t, when they were staring at a life sentence in the world’s most dangerous prison. Nikoletta certainly fell into that crowd - she’d have fought if someone came after her, but the thought of her death itself did not frighten her. 

Up until Starro, she didn’t remember fearing death at all. Up until Starro, she couldn’t think of any reason to care.

Nikoletta reached up, cupping the back of Abner’s neck and drawing him into a brief kiss. He’d gotten a lot better in the past six months. To be fair, he’d had a lot of practice. He hummed faintly, leaning in to deepen the kiss. This time, she couldn’t bring herself to pull away. Damaged and broken though she knew they both were, she couldn’t help melting against him.

“I saw myself in him,” Abner mumbled after he’d pulled back from her. His eyes darted briefly to the TV as credits rolled across the screen, “Watching it the first time. I always thought that the plastic wrap was the most romantic thing. Y’know, just… wanting to be so close to someone you couldn’t be close to that you came up with any solution you could. And… being loved even though you weren’t normal.”

As he spoke, he rubbed anxiously at his wrists, seeming not even to realize that he was doing it. Nikoletta took his hands and gave his fingers a brief squeeze, succeeding in drawing his eyes back to her. Something softened in his expression as he did - not only affection, but something like closure. He’d gotten what he wanted, in a way that almost seemed like fate. 

Nikoletta released his hands only a moment later, and gently shooed Baron off her lap so she could stand up. Abner gave her a tilted look, that familiar crease reappearing between his dark eyebrows. 

“Where are you going?”

“The show’s making me hungry,” she said, tilting her head towards the kitchen, “I was going to see if I could get a pie put together. Wanna help?”

“I’m- um, I’m really not much of a cook.”

Nikoletta shrugged.

“Then we’ll try, and fail, and go to the pie shop down the block instead.” she said, “C’mon.”

She ducked into the kitchen, trusting that he would follow, and sifted through the counters until she found what she needed. Flour, sugar, a recipe she’d pulled off a can of sweetened condensed milk… and a box of plastic wrap. 

She didn't really need it anymore. Not for anything except cooking, that was.

But when had romance ever been about need?

#any big fans of the show might notice that some of abner's attempts to flirt are ned's quotes... i like to think it gives him confidence #my ocs #nikoletta bordeax #my writing #oneshot #angst #fluff and angst #awkward flirting #the suicide squad #abner krill #polka dot man #oc x canon

[phoenixiancrystallist]

Title: Adularia

Fandom: Forspoken

Rating: G

Warnings: None

Summary:

Perhaps this was why Auden had never been a passable cook. Too easily distracted by her curiosities, and Frey consumed her curiosity. And her fascination. The flex of her muscles as she worked the dough, the curve to her cheek as she smiled at some nebulous thought, the soft shimmer to her hair in the morning light. All of it the perfect harmony of distraction that made Auden lose her focus so, so easily in Frey's presence.

They're married, your honor :P

#forspoken #Forspoken fanfic #Frey Holland #Auden Keen #freyden #mentions of Pilo #← warning mostly for CF lol #first kiss #awkward flirting #domestic fluff #idiots in love #to be fair Auden is way less of an idiot than Frey but still lol #knish as a flirtation device

[herrmannhalsteadproduction]

I Am Looking Disrespectfully, Sir

Summary: This is a ficlet that goes in the secondary series that I started as a complement to the main A Herrmann/Halstead Production series. (That series is an AU where Christopher Herrmann's mom had an affair with Pat Halstead resulting in a baby. The series follows this OC character (Rebecca "Bex" Herrmann) as she grows up and gets to know her brothers and the various Chicago teams. It is very much an AU, just to underscore that. It doesn't follow the same timeline and characters will follow different paths.)

Click here for the Series Rundown where you can find the links to read all of the previous installments (which I highly recommend you do so that this one makes sense.)

Rating: Teen

Relationships: Connor Rhodes/Will Halstead

Warnings: Language and super awkward flirting...

A/N: This is Connor's POV for the break room scene from Chapter Three of Wingman? Wingwoman? Wingperson.

I Am Looking Disrespectfully, Sir

Connor

There was something going on with Will today. He was…twitchy. And blushing way more than usual, not that Connor was complaining about that at all.

He and Will were headed toward something. That was a fact. Connor was holding firm on not crossing any lines though until Will gave him a clear signal to move forward. Given everything the man had been through and was processing, he wanted to be respectful of his boundaries.

But damn, if he didn’t want to see how far that blush went down.

Connor let mind wander in that scenario, just a little bit, when the day finally calmed down long enough for him to slip away to the lounge for a coffee.

The lounge coffee was disgusting, but he doubted he’d make it out to the cart across the street before being called back to the ED so needs must.

Will arrived shortly after and Connor smiled at him from his spot at the counter as he fixed his drink. “Hey, crazy day, eh?”

“Always is,” Will sighed as he grabbed a bottle of water. He stared down at it like it had caused him some kind of personal grievance.

Glancing over at him, Connor raised an eyebrow and Will reached for his wrist with his free hand in an aborted gesture before grimacing slightly.

“You okay?” Connor asked, getting flashbacks to a similar interaction earlier in the day. Something was happening with Will and Connor couldn't stamp out the feeling that it might have something to do with him.

“Yeah.” Will rubbed at his arm and the grimace deepened, a determined line creasing his brow. He strode over to his cubby and pulled out his white lab coat. “Air conditioning’s getting to me a bit.”

“Won’t you get overheated in that?” Connor asked, watching as he slipped his arms through the sleeves. The air conditioning was good, but it wasn’t that good. Especially down in the ED where it was crowded and the outside air blew in with the constantly opening doors.

Will shrugged. “I can always do this,” he said, grabbing one sleeve and folding it back a couple of times.

He shot Connor a little sideways look and—

Hunh.

Yes.

Something was…definitely happening here.

Okay, Dr. Halstead. You have my attention.

Connor took a sip of his coffee to hide his smile, watching as Will slowly—oh, so slowly—pushed the sleeve up over his elbow.

The man did have a nice forearm.

Will’s sudden grin had him itching to drag him out of that coat entirely, but Connor also couldn’t help wanting to see where this went.

Setting down his water, Will went to start in on the other sleeve when the sly look on his face dropped away, bent arm frozen in the air in front of him.

“Hang on,” he grumbled, fumbling with the fabric and trying to pull it back down and—

Oh, he was stuck.

Sexy Moves Halstead was stuck in his coat and it was the most adorable fucking thing Connor had ever seen. He didn’t want to laugh, but he couldn’t stop the soft chuckle that slipped out.

“Hang on, let me help,” Connor said as he set his coffee down and stepped into Will’s space to gently tug the bunched-up fabric over his elbow and down his arm.

Connor kept his touch light, well aware of the way they were dancing all over Will’s carefully drawn lines at the moment, and looked up when he was done. “All fixed.”

He hadn’t let go of Will’s arm yet. Didn’t want to. Not when he could feel the muscles flexing beneath his fingertips.

Will stared back at him and then—

Then.

That motherfucker bit his lip, ever so gently before letting it go.

Connor’s eyes zeroed in on the move and firmly reminded himself that he could not make out with Will in the lounge.

“Go out with me,” Will blurted out and it took Connor a moment to process the words

“What?” He blinked in surprise, taking a small step back. Did he just?

“Would you, Connor,” Will said, deliberating over every syllable. “Like to go out on a date with me?”

Something was happening.

The best thing.

Finally.

“I would love that.” Connor’s cheeks ached at how wide his grin was stretching them. “How about tonight?”

Will lost his bravado for a moment and looked stunned, like he hadn’t expected Connor to jump right on his offer. As if Connor would be stupid enough to hesitate. “Tonight sounds perfect,” Will said, biting his friggin’ lip again into another little smile.

Connor was only so strong. He moved in closer, invading Will’s space. “I could pick you up in my fancy car.”

“Ah, no,” Will laughed, poking at him. “The asker gets to do the picking up.”

Connor shrugged, unfazed. “Fine by me,” he said, not one to let an opportunity to pass him by. “I’ll pick you up for our second date.” 

Will’s eyebrows flew up. “Second date? Feeling pretty confident about there, are we?”

More like thrilled to actually be taking the steps Connor had been fantasizing about for ages. If Will was finally giving him the greenlight, of course Connor was going to start locking him down.

Second date. Third date. All the dates.

“Let’s just say—” Connor was practically pressing Will against the counter at this point and sincerely hoped no one would come in to ruin this moment. “I’ve thought a lot about getting you in my car.”

Will’s eyes widened and Connor figured he was imagining exactly what had been going through his own mind over the past few months, but then he let out a strangled noise. “Oh, ah, haha…”

He might have blown over those lines a little too quickly, he realized. “Too much?” Connor took a careful step back, giving Will some room.

“No?” Will said, voice pitched about an octave higher than normal. “Maybe?”

The doubt that had been seeping into Connor’s brain started to dissipate as Will straightened up and reached out to stop him from retreating completely.

“It sounded a little too good,” he confessed, taking a deep breath. “I had my fill of fast and fun in New York. I never really had anything that lasted and you know all about the reasons behind that.”

He did and Connor found himself once again wanting to track down Pat Halstead and punch him in the face. He leaned against the counter instead, keeping his face open as he listened to Will talk.

“I want to take things slow here with you,” Will said. “Because this is important to me. You’re important to me. I want…whatever it is we’re starting here to last.”

This man…

This man was going to kill Connor and he’d never been happier about anything in his life.

“Me too,” Connor said, reaching out to squeeze Will’s hand and press the truth of his words into the motion.

“Good,” Will said before shaking his head. “Still going to be thinking about you and that damn car for the rest of the day though so thanks for that.”

Any lingering tension Connor felt instantly melted away at those words. He released Will’s hand and shot him a shit-eating grin. “Good.” He shouldn’t be the only one plagued by those visions.

And now they were one step closer to someday making them a reality.

Connor headed for the door, calling over his shoulder. “Pick me up at seven.”

“I’ll be there,” Will replied in a voice full of promise.

It took all of Connor’s will power not to do a victory dance the second he was out of the room, but the ED floor was quite possibly an even worse place to do that.

Maggie looked over at him with a knowing smile. “About damn time,” she said.

He let his grin speak for him because she wasn’t wrong. It was about damn time, but also—

It was exactly the right time.

A date.

With Will.

Best day ever.

A horrible thought hit him right then.

…he was never going to be able to look at a lab coat the same way again.

Click here to read I Am Looking Disrespectfully, Sir on ao3:

#A Herrmann/Halstead Production #chicago med #chicago fire #chicago pd #one chicago #one chicago fanfiction #Not Fics and Ficlets and Fun Bits #ficlet #will halstead #connor rhodes #rhodestead #awkward flirting #fluff

[mikaharuka]

A Delight in Hands - Official Post

Finally, months later, I have a new entry for A Series in Hands!

This entry is pretty special, since it is my first go at writing from Winter Light Carlisle's perspective. Also, this fic takes place in Apricity's near future, starting right after the Seattle trip and continuing on through the summer, several months later.

The events of this fic will show up in Apricity in due time.

Title: A Delight in Hands [Part 6 of A Series in Hands, Winter Light]

Fandom: Twilight, Life and Death

Ship: Carlisle Cullen/Beau Swan, Carlisle Cullen & Jessamine Hale

Rating: Teen

Category: M/M

Word Count: 900 words

Summary: Carlisle notices Beau's major crush and his attempts to get closer... without realizing he already succeeded in winning Carlisle over long ago. [An Apricity future fic, taking place in the near future, starting right after the Seattle arc and ending during the summer, several months later. Sister fic of A Flirt in Hands.]

Notes: You can read this without reading canon or Apricity. However, this fic takes place in the Winter Light Verse, a world that differs notably from canon. For this fic, you don't need to know much, but it is recommended that you read the sister fic, A Flirt in Hands, first (Tumblr post). Also, a few notes are listed in the A/N for context.

(fandom-blind friendly by default, Apricity-blind friendly too)

You may be interested? @mrsmungus, @udaberriwrites, @magma-saarebas19, @aislinnstanaka, @lena-hills, @bees-and-sunshine @bleepbloopbotz, @sliebman10, @axolotlsupremacyowo, @0nelittlebirdtoldme, @kayedium-writes, @hylianjo

#twilight #life and death #carlisle x beau #beaulisle #gay twilight #twilight fanfiction #twilight rewrite #beau swan #carlisle cullen #awkward flirting #flower language #dumb vampire jokes #bellisle #carlisle x bella #bella x carlisle #winter light series #a series in hands #mizuka's fics #twilight renaissance

[halenhusky309]

Uhm Shockop fans who are in deep hiding in the fandom that scavenging for scraps, I just found this new Shockop fics on Ao3.

So far, there is only one person (me) read it, so you guys should give this fic a shot and support the writer for gracing us with this good soup.

#shockop #fic rec #Shockwave #Optimus Prime #Awkward flirting