#i never knew what these small oranges were lol | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

astrophileous · 7 months

Text

Every Single Day

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female Reader

Synopsis: When his daughter demands him to tell the story of how the two of you met, Spencer can't help but oblige.

Warning(s): dad spencer🥰, established relationship (eventually), parent-child relationships, alcohol consumption, brief interaction with a douchebag, made-up astronomy facts, made-up places, idk if there's any cursing but I'll throw it in here to be safe, implications of sex and nsfw themes (minors be advised), pregnancy, mentions of illness, mentions and/or implications of character death, topics of loss and grief, angst and fluff because I love the best of both worlds👍 (pls lmk if I missed anything)

Word Count: 7700-ish

Author's Note: hi 👋 I'm back again with another dad!spencer fic bc apparently I'm a sucker for him. I got a lil carried away with this one lol but anyways, I'm also writing this for the meet cute challenge hosted by the amazing and talented @imagining-in-the-margins so pls go head to her profile and show some love cause she's a peach ❤️ don't forget to leave a LIKE+COMMENT+REBLOG

Criminal Minds Masterlist

The air smelled of freshly brewed coffee. Against the wind, shades of crimson and orange swayed on the trees. Fallen leaves crunched underneath his feet to the cadence of his leisured steps.

Two deep breaths, in and out. Spencer Reid greeted autumn with the deep longing of an old friend.

Next to him walked a source of light bigger than the sun, jumping and bouncing excitedly on the sidewalk. Her tiny fingers emitted warmth inside of his hand. There was a skip to her step that reminded him of the innocence he had long lost. The innocence she now possessed.

Spencer loved this little girl beyond everything he had ever known.

"Puddle, Dee."

The tiny bundle of joy jumped to escape the small pool of water, grinning up at her father, who then began ruffling her hair until she evaded his onslaught with a shriek.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, Pumpkin?"

"You never told me how you met Mommy."

Spencer glanced down at the 6-year-old, dressed gorgeously in her favorite floral dress, complete with a sweater that had entailed a hearty discussion about humans' perception of cold. It was only after he bribed her with the promise of a chocolate cupcake from Wakey Bakey did Spencer finally convince her to wear the woolen piece of clothing.

His daughter stared at him with a radiant smile peeking out behind a curtain of hair. A smile which Spencer always argued had belonged to you, even though the rest of Diana Aurora Reid was the splitting image of her beloved father.

"Surely I've told you before, Dee."

"Nuh-uh."

"Of course I have."

"No, Daddy. You haven't."

"Pumpkin, you know I don't forget stuff ever," Spencer said, looking at the little girl who was swaying along to the rhythm of her footsteps. "I used to tell you that story all the time. Back when you were still a baby."

Just as predicted, Diana let out a dramatic gasp as if Spencer had uttered the most offensive thing known to mankind; like claiming the earth was actually flat, for example. Spencer couldn't contain his grin upon seeing her reaction.

"But Daddy, that was so long ago!"

"Do you not remember, Dee?"

Diana shook her head.

"Fine. But Mommy must've told you the story already, right?"

"She has, but--"

"But?"

"But I wanna hear it from you."

Little Diana knew that her father could never resist her puppy dog eyes, especially garnished with that adorable pout on top. Once upon a time, you declared it sickeningly cute and annoying whenever Spencer would pull the same trick on you. When Dee started doing the same to him, you had simply laughed and kissed his cheek, letting him get a sweet taste of his own medicine.

Spencer smiled at the young girl next to him, squeezing her nose and relishing in the gleeful squeal that echoed from her chest.

"What do you wanna hear, Pumpkin?"

Diana held her chin, seemingly deep in contemplation before deciding, "Everything, Dad! I wanna hear it from the start."

"The start, huh?" Spencer hummed thoughtfully, his mind already reeling back to the first moment he ever laid eyes on you.

The story began on yet another ordinary Friday night.

Luck was on the BAU's side when the team managed to wrap the case they had been working all week just before Friday afternoon. By the time the sun was setting, their jet was already high up in the sky, en route from the state of Delaware to Quantico, Virginia. Spencer was looking forward to going home at a reasonable hour for once--maybe catching up on the four reading materials he had promptly pushed aside after his team was called to Delaware to work on the latest case--but that plan dissipated when Derek Morgan suddenly appeared by his side.

"Drinks. Tonight. Everyone's coming, and I'm not taking no for an answer," Derek said before dragging a reluctant Spencer away with him, ignoring the protests that the younger man kept grumbling under his breath all the way to the team's favorite bar.

Spencer just hadn't known it yet, but later down the road, he would spend the rest of eternity thanking Derek Morgan for dragging him along that night.

The Friday night crowd at Shaw's was borderline brutal, but fortunately for the team, a booth in the corner became vacant the moment they stepped into the threshold.

Two hours later, Spencer's fellow teammates weren't even close to calling it a night. The last chorus of "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" by Whitney Houston had just finished blasting from the speakers when Derek sauntered back to the booth, twirling a flushed Penelope Garcia in front of him. Spencer slipped out of the booth to allow them in--preferring to stay on the most outer seat instead of crammed between his tipsy friends' bodies--before sitting down once more.

"Hey, Genius," Penelope called, waving her empty beer glass in front of Spencer's face. "Be a darling and get me a refill, will you?"

"Garcia--" Spencer quickly snatched the glass from her hand before she could send it smashing against someone's head, "--are you sure you want a refill?"

Penelope scrunched her nose. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I think you're plenty drunk already."

"I'm not that drunk," Penelope denied, giggling when an unexpected hiccup interrupted her slurred words. "Derek, tell the beautiful Doctor I'm not that drunk."

"She's not that drunk, Reid." Derek grinned. "While you're at it..."

Spencer could only sigh when Derek slid his own empty glass across the table.

It was past 10 o'clock at night, and the crowd of people in the establishment seemed to have doubled in the couple of hours that the team had been there. Spencer had to squeeze himself through the ocean of patrons flooding the bar, barely able to move his limbs without other people's arms or elbows bumping against his ribcage.

Spencer was waiting for the bartender to complete his order when he happened to glance towards his right, catching sight of the concealed panic that triggered every profiler bone in his body.

Any other person would have taken one look at your face and presumed that everything was alright, but Spencer knew better. He recognized the frantic movement of your eyes, the tight press of your lips, and the impatient knocking of your fingertips on the counter. He only caught the tail end of your voice before discreetly listening to what the man you were talking to had to say.

"--so, unfortunately, I can't."

"I told you, Baby. My Veyron runs at over 260 miles per hour. We can go to Red Clover Hill and get you back home safely by twelve. It's simple math," the guy slurred smugly.

"Actually, that's not true."

The drunken man turned around at Spencer's interruption.

"Excuse me?"

"The Red Clover Hill State Park is approximately 229 miles away from here. Though theoretically, you could drive your Veyron at its maximum velocity, which is around 268 miles per hour, it's very unlikely you'll be able to maintain that speed for the entirety of the ride, considering the terrain you would have to go through between here and there. The fastest you can probably get to the park is in 60 minutes, give or take, and that's being generous. You would have to drive back to D.C. as soon as you arrive at the park if you wish to be back by twelve. It's just realistically impossible."

The man in front of him couldn't be less impressed by Spencer's lengthy rant.

"And who the hell are you?" the drunken guy said, pinning Spencer with a stare that was clearly supposed to be intimidating.

Spencer didn't even flinch. "No one. Just a guy who happens to know a lot about... simple math."

Your loud cough tore Spencer's attention away from the drunk man and towards you, who looked ready to burst from the laughter you were holding underneath. Even under the terrible lighting of the bar, Spencer could still pinpoint the hint of unspoken amusement glimmering inside your eyes.

"Sorry, Bill," you said to the man. "I really do need to be back home by twelve tonight. Maybe some other time?"

Bill didn't need to be told twice. He received the message loud and clear.

Spencer watched the other man scurry away, tail between his legs, before your charming smile enraptured him once more.

"Thank you for that. I was beginning to think he might never leave."

"Happy to help." Spencer smiled thinly, scratching the back of his neck even though the spot wasn't itchy. "What did, uh, why did he want to take you to Red Clover Hill, of all places?"

"Oh. That was... partially my fault." You grinned innocently. "I didn't know he was gonna be an insufferable drunk when he came over, and I was in the middle of watching this."

You pulled out a silver tablet from your lap. Spencer took a peek at the screen, seeing what looked like a live feed of the night sky--over North Carolina, judging by the visible constellations on the vast scene--stamped with the day's date at the bottom of the footage.

"You're watching the Roux-Nell?" Spencer deduced after gathering the facts: the live feed of North Carolina sky, the mention of Red Clover Hill State Park that harbored one of the highest grounds in North Carolina, including a collection of some of the most sophisticated telescopes in the country; you must have been planning to view that night's sighting of the Roux-Nell comet, its first time since the last one in 1927, and only its third one in history.

"Yes! How did you... don't tell me. You're an avid astronomy fan, too?"

Spencer's responding smile only made you beam even brighter.

"Anyway, that guy earlier, Bill, he approached me and asked what I was watching. So, I started talking about the Roux-Nell and about how I wish I was at Red Clover Hill right now since everyone keeps saying it's one of the best spots to view tonight's sighting. I thought he was genuinely interested until he started talking about his Veyron this, his Veyron that. I didn't even realize until a whole five minutes later that he was talking about his car!"

When you finally finished explaining, your eyes locked with Spencer's hazel ones before you seemed to cower shyly.

"Sorry. I can get a little excited when I'm talking sometimes."

"No! Don't be, it was--" Spencer stopped himself before he could complete his sentence.

What was he about to say?

Insightful? Entertaining?

Endearing?

Eventually, Spencer opted to settle for something safe and simple. "I get that way too, sometimes. A lot of the times, actually. So you don't have to apologize."

The fire flickered back inside your gaze following Spencer's admission. It burned brilliantly beneath the kindness you radiated, forged by the sharp intelligence he could see shining out of your eyes.

"So--" Spencer cleared his throat, attempting to shift the conversation in order to distract his racing mind, "--why did you tell him you needed to be back home by twelve?"

"Oh, that? I told him I'm donating blood tomorrow morning, so I need to at least get seven hours of sleep for the night."

"That's a clever lie."

You tilted your head slightly at his statement. "What makes you think it's a lie?"

"Because you're here. Nobody drinks alcohol before they're supposed to donate blood."

Your eyes flashed with surprise. "Not bad, Mister. You're very perceptive."

Spencer shrugged, trying not to appear too flustered by your casual compliment. "It's what I do."

You raised an inquisitive eyebrow at his reply.

"I'm a profiler."

"Profiler?"

"With the FBI."

"FBI, huh?" You hummed, something akin to intrigue swirling in your eyes. "So, you study criminals? Trying to decipher their way of thinking, why they do what they do. Dissect their past history for any related trauma, maybe even pinpoint a psychological stressor that could trigger a criminal behavior, that kind of stuff?"

Upon hearing your response, it was Spencer's turn to be intrigued. "Exactly that kind of stuff. How did you...?"

Grinning sheepishly, you pulled a professional badge out of your pocket, holding it up in front of Spencer so he could see the emblem covering its surface.

"Edgewater Psychology Center," Spencer read the words aloud, understanding dawning on him as he found your eyes once more. "You're a psychologist."

"Guilty as charged."

Spencer couldn't fight off his amused smile. "That explains it, then."

"You know," you began, leaning further against the bar counter to shorten the distance between you and Spencer, "I've never met a profiler in person before. Most of my colleagues, they have consulted on a federal case at least once in the past few years, but the bureau hasn't yet contacted me so far."

"Really?" Spencer took a step forward, closing the distance by a mere inch. "Sounds like a big loss for us. We're idiots."

You bit down on your bottom lip to suppress a smile, your gaze flicking between Spencer's own lips and eyes. For the shortest of minutes, nothing else existed in Spencer's world but you; your smile, your scent, and your kind eyes. You were a magnet carved out of his wildest dreams, and Spencer, well, he might as well have been made out of the purest of irons.

But before Spencer could get lost deeper in your relentless gaze, a shout of his name slashed through the air from across the bar. Back at the booth, Derek was waving his hand frantically in the air, stopping only when Spencer signaled him to sit back down and that he was returning in a minute.

"I have to go." He smiled tentatively, apologetically.

"Oh?"

Spencer tried not to revel too much over the small dip of disappointment at the edge of your voice.

"My friends. They, uh--"

"Oh, no, it's alright. You don't have to explain," you told him gently. "See you around, Mr. Profiler. Hope you have a great night."

With that said, you went back to watching the live feed on your tablet while Spencer, begrudgingly, trudged across the room with two refilled beer glasses in his hands, back to where his friends--minus Rossi and Hotch who were conversing among themselves at one of the standing tables--were waiting.

"Finally," Derek groaned once Spencer slammed the glasses down on the table.

"Who was that?" Emily asked as he slipped into the booth.

"Huh?" Spencer followed Emily's gaze, finding you perched up at the very end of it. "No one."

"No one?" Emily's eyebrows rose. "She didn't seem like no one from where I was sitting."

Spencer took an insanely large sip of his leftover beer.

"Holy shit, you like her, " Derek muttered. "He likes her. Pretty boy's got a crush."

"No, I don't."

"Yeah? Tell that to those red cheeks of yours." JJ chuckled.

Instinctively, Spencer touched his own cheeks as if he could physically feel the change of colors on his skin.

"I'm just tipsy," he tried to reason.

A collective scoff reverberated through the entire booth.

"What's her name, Spence?" JJ asked.

When a full minute ticked by without so much as a grunt of acknowledgment from Spencer, Penelope reached out and slapped the man right across his shoulder.

"Ow!"

"You didn't ask for her name?!" Penelope exclaimed.

"It didn't come up!"

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard you say, Reid," Emily noted before sipping her margarita.

"Nope. I'm not having this. Not tonight. Look at me, Sunshine." Penelope grabbed Spencer's face in her hands, forcing him to stare directly into her glasses-rimmed eyes. "I'm not letting you spend the rest of the night like this. You will get your cute little tushy out there and talk to that girl. You will get her name and also her number, maybe even ask the nice pretty lady out while you're at it. Now, have I made myself clear?"

Spencer barely managed to swallow his nerves before he offered Penelope two tiny nods.

"Good. I don't wanna see your face back here if you're not at least pocketing her phone number. Now shoo."

Penelope sent Spencer flying across the bar with a dramatic stumble. By the time he reached your side, Spencer was nothing less than a stuttering mess and a thundering heart.

"Hi," Spencer breathed out once he found your welcoming eyes.

"Um, hi?"

"I'm Spencer."

"Okay... Spencer?"

"Reid. Spencer Reid." He cleared his throat. "Sorry, it's just... I realized while I was sitting over there--well, my friends actually made me realize--that I, uh, never got your name. Which, you know, of course I never got it because I didn't ask. So, I was coming here, wondering if maybe you'd like to give it... to me?"

You blinked once. Twice.

By the third blink, Spencer wished the earth would open up and devour him whole.

"You want my name?"

Spencer nodded.

"What are you planning to do with it?"

"Call you?" At your bemused expression, Spencer quickly elaborated, "Not call like call. I meant referring. Yep. That's it. Although, maybe if you want to, I would love to call you as well. Sometime. And perhaps, you know, ask you out... on a date?"

Spencer swallowed the lump of nervousness in his throat. In front of him, you were pretty, even with the conspicuous scrutiny in your eyes as they assessed Spencer as if he was some sort of an enigma. Embarrassment burned hotter through his veins with every second that passed by. He was merely two exhales of breath away from dashing out of the door when you finally spoke up.

"Okay."

"Okay?"

Smiling, you produced an old receipt seemingly out of thin air and asked the bartender to lend you a pen, scribbling something down as soon as you had it between your fingers. When the tiny piece of paper emigrated to Spencer's hand, the Cheshire cat in him jumped out once he noticed the ten digit numbers written neatly underneath a name he could only assume as yours.

"Will that be enough, Spencer Reid?"

"For now," Spencer replied before grabbing his wallet and shoving the paper containing your name inside. "I'll call you."

"You better."

After Spencer's departure, you returned your attention back to the tablet in front of you. Barely five minutes later, though, your serene watching session was once again interrupted. Only this time, it was by the ringing of your phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi, this is Spencer."*

Surprised, you swiveled your head left and right, stopping once you spotted Spencer standing on the other side of the room. His eyes were trained towards you, and behind him, a booth of four people seemed to have directed their attention at you as well.

"Spencer?"

"I know this is very untoward," he began, "but would you like to go out with me?"

"Boy, you certainly don't waste any time at all, do you?"

"I believe it's called being efficient," he countered, making you laugh. "So, what do you say?"

"Sure," you answered, enjoying the way Spencer beam at you from across the room. "I would love to, Spencer."

A breeze blew gently against Spencer's face, caressing the tendrils of curly hair that had fallen over his forehead. Diana's little fingers started to grip his tighter as the wind strengthened.

"Did you take Mommy on that date, Daddy?"

"Of course," Spencer replied, reminiscing the exact day when he had picked you up in your apartment, sweat glistening on his palm as he clutched the bouquet of flowers in his right hand. "We went to see a Mark Rothko exhibition at the National Gallery of Art, and before I took her home, we stopped by Wakey Bakey to buy some lemon tarts."

Diana gasped. "Wakey Bakey?!"

The little girl's reaction compelled a chuckle from Spencer's chest. "Yes, Pumpkin. Wakey Bakey."

"What happened after that, Daddy?"

"What do you think happened after that, Dee?"

"Um--" Diana pursed her lips, deeply lost in thought, "--did you become girlfriend and boyfriend?"

"Yes, we did."

"And you got married?!"

Spencer laughed at Diana's apparent excitement over the prospect of her parents getting married. "We did, yeah, eventually. After I proposed to her."

"Oh! Oh! The proposal!" Diana exclaimed, jumping up and down in the middle of the sidewalk without a care in the world. Spencer had to tug her back towards him before she could harm herself or the other pedestrians. "Tell me! Tell me! Tell me about the proposal, Daddy!"

"You wanna hear the story about how I proposed to your mother?"

"Yes, please!"

Chuckling to himself, Spencer mumbled a quick fine before his gears had started turning towards a specific memory in his mind. Spencer was sure, even without his eidetic ability, there was no way he could have ever forgotten about the day in question.

The day you agreed to have him as your forever.

Spencer had fallen in love with you during the first date, right around the time of yet another one of his animated ramblings, where instead of shaming him to shut the hell up, you had simply stared at him in awe and said, "You're pretty when you talk."

The young agent was sure he couldn't get rid of the blush adorning his cheeks for at least an entire week.

By the time the fifth date rolled around, Spencer was absolutely certain that you were the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. It wasn't a surprise, then, that a few weeks before your first anniversary came up, Spencer had pocketed a diamond ring with a promise of forever on the tip of his tongue.

Combing the courage to take this historical leap was easy. Difficult was trying to conjure up the perfect proposal plan that he would deem worthy enough for someone like you. There were no rooms for mistakes. Spencer wanted everything to be perfect because he believed you deserved nothing less.

Which was why, in moments of desperation, Spencer ended up turning to his fellow teammates in the FBI for help.

"I don't know if I'm the right person to ask about this, Spence. Will only ever proposed to me after finding out about Henry, and we only got married after I thought he was gonna die on the field," JJ explained. "It was never the most ideal of situations, but I would never change a thing even if I could."

Unsatisfied with JJ's answer, Spencer proceeded to find the BAU's tech genius in her bat cave.

"Go big or go home, my friend," Penelope said following a 10-minute hysteria she erupted into upon learning about Spencer's intent to propose. "Splash out on the bottle. Don't hold back on the grandeur. Spend all of your savings if you have to."

"Garcia--"

"Fine, maybe not all of your savings. You should leave some for the wedding."

Spencer spent weeks mulling over Penelope's advice.

Working as an FBI agent didn't pay as well as most people thought it would, and Spencer's tendency to collect first edition books wasn't exactly an affordable hobby. It meant that as much as Spencer wanted a proposal filled with the greatest grandeur--just as Penelope had suggested--he didn't have a fat enough balance in his bank account to make his ideal proposal concept a reality.

And Spencer probably would have spent the limited fund in his savings down to its very last cent, had it not been for Derek catching him browsing through the internet for the cost of a hot air balloon ride.

"I just want to give her the perfect proposal," Spencer admitted after he finished revealing everything.

"Kid, it doesn't matter," Derek said. "Don't you see? She doesn't care about hot air balloons or any kind of grandeur. She only cares about you. There's no such thing as a perfect proposal. You're just using it as an excuse to put off asking her 'cause you're scared of what she's gonna say. But you don't need to. You two are so devastatingly in love, it's disgusting."

In the end, grandeur wasn't even present in the room when Spencer decided to pop the question.

On that particular night, Spencer arrived in his apartment just a few minutes before midnight. His aching muscles were calling for sleep as he toed his shoes off, but his footsteps soon ceased when he caught sight of his dimly lit living room.

You were fast asleep on the couch, face illuminated by the television light. Spencer's movements were careful as he knelt in front of you, studying the soft and hard edges of your features like historians would an ancient scripture. He couldn't help it when his fingers reached out on their own accord, brushing the softest of touches against the high point of your cheekbone. Inside its cage, Spencer's heart started to stir.

You were so beautiful.

Even after one year of being together, Spencer was often still taken back by how lovely you were. He adored every detail of your being, most fervently the scars that littered your skin in a constellation of stars. All of the places in your body where your scrutiny had wandered in a fleet of insecurity were the same places that Spencer wanted to worship for the rest of his life. In his eyes, you were eternally magnificent, and this thought clouded Spencer's mind as he went to shake your shoulder gently.

"Spencer?" Your groggy voice sounded meek in the comfort of Spencer's apartment, the same one he had been sharing with you since you moved in three months prior. Your lips tilted with the tiniest hint of a smile at the sight of him, and Spencer thought he would melt when your fingers instinctively reached for his face. "You're back."

"I'm back," he confirmed, leaving a trail of kisses on your palm. "Why aren't you in bed, my love?"

"I was waiting for you," you admitted. "I have something to say."

"Really? Me too."

"Hm?" Curiosity flared in the center of your eyes. "You first."

Smiling, Spencer leaned down to steal a quick kiss before saying, "Marry me."

Your breath hitched.

After a few seconds of silence, your nervous laughter filled his ears. "Right. That's a nice one, Spencer. Very funny."

"I'm not joking, sweetheart."

Spencer reached into the inside pocket of his satchel, pulling out the velvet box that had weighed down his bag by several grams for the past few weeks. Any remnant of sleep you still had in your eyes was instantly washed away the moment he opened the box to reveal a pretty ring sitting inside.

"I've had this for a while now," Spencer admitted. "I kept putting off asking you because I believed I wanted everything to be perfect, until Derek knocked some sense into my head and made me realize that I was just afraid of taking the leap. He's right, as always, but don't tell him I said that."

Spencer paused at your teary laugh, relishing in the melodic sound that made his heart nearly burst in two. "My love, I don't need the perfect proposal when you're the promise of a perfect life. Any life with you is the one I want to live for the rest of my time, and I want to start living that life from this point onward. What do you say, sweetheart? Will you marry me?"

Spencer never thought the word yes could sound so incredibly spectacular.

The celebration had started right away, commemorated by the shedding of clothes from each other's bodies, finalized by panting breaths and entangled limbs beneath rumpled sheets. You lay on the bed with your palm on Spencer's chest, his own hand tracing invisible patterns on the vast canvass of your skin.

Spencer watched as you stared at the ring circling your finger. "Do you like it? We can exchange it for a new one if--"

"Spencer Reid, don't you dare."

"Apologies, ma'am." He grinned, continuing the random patterns he was drawing on your skin before he spoke again, "By the way, you said you also have something to tell me."

You looked up at him with a blinding smile before scooting out of Spencer's arm and reaching for the nightstand. When Spencer saw what you had rummaged out of the bedside drawer, Spencer thought his heart had forgotten how to beat.

"Is that--"

"Surprise," you murmured giddily, handing over the object in your hand into Spencer's awaiting palm. "I found out yesterday, but I wanted to tell you in person."

Spencer sat up on the bed, staring with disbelief at the small item in his hand. He only realized he had started to cry when a drop of tears fell down, blurring the two tiny pink lines in his vision.

"This is... you're..."

"I'm pregnant, Spencer," you professed.

Just an hour earlier, Spencer thought the word yes was the best thing he could ever hear falling from your mouth. But as he held you in his arms, his lips catching yours once more in a heated kiss, Spencer realized that you had many more surprising admissions waiting to be said out loud.

And Spencer couldn't wait to spend the rest of his life listening to every single one of them.

"Daddy, are you saying I was already in Mommy's belly when you proposed to her?"

"Yes, you were, Pumpkin," Spencer said, smiling at the blatant curiosity in Little Dee's eyes. "You were a surprise we didn't see coming."

Diana's responding smile was a picture of satisfaction. The father-daughter pair continued to walk down the street until Dee's voice tore through the silence once again, "Daddy?"

"Hm?"

"I thought you said a man and a woman can only make babies after they're married."

Spencer's footsteps halted on the pavement.

The silence must have stretched for only a partial of a minute, but the expectant stare Dee was nailing against his face, along with the internal panic that had short-circuited Spencer's brain made it seem as if the world had skidded into a standstill. Frantic eyes darted everywhere for a chance at rectification, and Spencer couldn't stop the words from tumbling off his lips when he saw the worn-down sign of a florist up ahead.

"Dee, would you like to buy some flowers for Mommy?"

The little girl squealed an excited yes before skipping the few steps left towards the flower shop. Spencer let out a relieved breath at having narrowly escaped such a harrowing crisis.

Once Spencer stepped into the shop, a multitude of fragrances immediately enveloped his surroundings. Diana was lingering back and forth around the vibrant displays when Spencer approached, her tiny eyebrows frowning in the most adorable way as she assessed the rows of flowers in front of her.

"Have you decided yet, Pumpkin?"

"Can we get some of Mommy's favorites, Dad?" Diana requested, pointing her tiny finger at the display of flowers she knew to be your favorites. "And then we can add some of these daisies, too!"

Spencer couldn't fight the smile blossoming on his face as he asked the florist to assemble a bouquet made out of daisies--Dee's favorite type of flowers, the same one printed all over the dress she was wearing--along with your favorite flowers in the center. Diana stared in awe at the deft work administered by the florist, her mouth forming an "O" once the bouquet was wrapped and ready to go.

"Do you think Mommy will like them, Daddy?"

"I know she will, Pumpkin," Spencer answered earnestly, his memory replaying that first time he had come home bringing the same arrangement of flowers in his hand.

Spencer came home to the apartment in utter disarray, and yet, it still was the best view that he had ever witnessed in his entire life.

Ever since his office was transformed into a nursery, the books he previously kept in there had to be relocated to the living area. Most of them had gone by now--some donated, and some others sold at second-hand bookstores--but piles of them still littered in various corners of the room.

Apart from his mountainous collection of books, small trinkets also covered every available surface of the place. From the empty nursing bottles in the kitchen sink to the breast pump on the counter, and the tiny socks on the coffee table to the pacifier jammed between the sofa cushions; every single one of them contributed to the mess that his apartment had become. Yet as he paused to inspect every inch of the place, Spencer couldn't find any other emotion besides warmth flooding his chest.

Muffled footsteps padded towards the living room before you appeared from the hallway with a freshly bathed Diana in your arms. As soon as your eyes locked with his, the crease between your eyebrows automatically vanished.

"You're home."

"I'm home." Spencer grinned before welcoming you into his embrace.

He stole a quick kiss from your lips before bending down to smother a 7-month-old Diana who yelped in glee when Spencer began attacking her with kisses all over her face.

"She's been fussy since yesterday," you told him. "I think she missed you."

"Did you, baby? Did you miss Daddy?" Spencer cooed. "I can take her for a few while you rest. You look tired. Are you feeling okay?"

"Gee, Spence. What a way to a girl's heart."

"You know what I meant, sweetheart."

"It's fine, Spencer. I just got a headache, but it's all better now that you're here."

Spencer smiled as he kissed your free knuckles. "If it's any consolation, you're still the most heavenly creature that I've ever laid eyes upon."

A sneaky laughter rumbled past your chest. "Fine. I'll let you go just this once," you said before letting Spencer take a yawning Diana into his arms.

As Spencer carried Dee towards the couch, you noticed a bouquet of flowers lying next to the kitchen sink in the corner of your eye. You glanced at the young genius with a discreet smile before aptly transferring the flowers into a vase.

"These are pretty," you commented, joining your family in the living room. You put the vase in the middle of the coffee table amidst the books and various baby clutters before dropping yourself against Spencer's side.

"They're your favorites."

"I know. As usual." You smiled affectionately. "And daisies. You've never bought me daisies before."

Spencer's eyes gleamed. "I bought the daisies for Dee."

"Oh?"

"I think daisies are gonna be her favorite."

"You do, huh?"

"One hundred percent."

Spencer's eyes looked up from Diana to you then, whose own gaze had been kept intently on your husband and daughter. Darkness embellished the area underneath your eyes, and Spencer couldn't help but count the lines of fatigue that seemed to have multiplied on the contours of your face. Even then, Spencer thought you had never looked more stunning than you did at that moment; as his wife, the mother of his child, and the woman who owned the sole reign of his heart.

Confusion wandered into your eyes when you noticed Spencer's stubborn stare. A surprised squawk escaped your lips as Spencer unexpectedly captured them in a rather long kiss. When he pulled back, Spencer looked the very image of a man who was drunk on love.

"I love you. You know that, right?" Spencer confessed as he squeezed your hand twice in his palm.

"Spencer, what's going on with you?"

"Nothing. I just--" he paused for a chuckle, seemingly trying to find the right words to say before he could continue, "--I owe my life to you, sweetheart. For all of the times you have pulled me out of the darkness, to the light you've brought into my life. You and Dee are the reason I keep on breathing. Without the two of you, I'm nothing."

"Spencer," you breathed out. "Where did all of this come from?"

"I don't know." He shook his head. "I just wanted you to know how grateful I am to have you in my life and that you've brought Dee into ours. Everything worth fighting for about me is because of you."

The telltale signs of tears began to cast a shadow over your eyes. You pressed your hand to Spencer's cheek, feeling the rugged sensation of his newly shaved stubble stroking your skin. Spencer melted into the warmth of your touch.

"You're giving me far too much credit here, Spencer," you whispered. "Everything you are has always been your own doing rather than mine. All I ever did was cheer you on from the sideline. You would still have become the person that you are today even if I weren't in your life."

Spencer physically shuddered at your last statement. "Don't say that. I can't even begin to imagine a life without you in it."

"Well, even if such day does come, when I won't be a part of your life anymore, I know you're gonna be just fine. Because you'll have Dee with you--" you stroked Diana's head lovingly, "--and I know that the two of you will give each other enough love and strength that you won't even notice I'm not around anymore."

The frown on Spencer's face deepened.

"You're not allowed to leave me. Ever," Spencer decided childishly.

"Fine. I won't. But you have to remember--" you brought your palm towards Spencer's chest, feeling each rhythmic thrum of his heart which seemed to flutter ever so slightly underneath your fingers, "--I'll be right here if you need me. Always."

Spencer's own hand landed on top of your hand, entwining your fingers together without ever tearing his fierce gaze away from yours.

"Always."

The sun was shining down in flimsy rays when Spencer and Dee finally walked past the familiar gate. Glimmers of gold sneaked past the reddish leaves on branches before falling upon the ground.

Next to him, Diana was humming a melody that Spencer recognized from one of your specially curated playlists. Her little hands struggled to carry the gigantic bouquet that she couldn't wait to present to you. It didn't matter that the bouquet itself was nearly as tall as she was, Diana still refused to let Spencer assist her.

"I wanna give Mommy the flowers myself," she had told Spencer in a manner that reminded him too much of your own stubbornness.

After a couple more minutes of walking, Spencer's reverie was soon broken by the excited squeal coming from the little girl beside him.

"Mommy! Mommy!"

Diana dashed into a sprint before words of warning could fall from Spencer's lips. He watched intensely as Diana's little feet moved upon the ocean of fallen leaves on the ground. Her tight grip around the bouquet never wavered even when she ran up the grassed hill, all the way towards the destination in her mind.

All the way towards the headstone with your name written on it.

When Spencer finally got there, Diana was kneeling next to your grave with panting breaths, but the smile stretched on her lips was the biggest one that Spencer had ever seen.

"Hi, Mommy. I'm back with Daddy," Diana announced. "Daddy, go say hi to Mommy."

"Hello, my love." Spencer smiled before taking a seat next to his daughter.

"We brought flowers, Mommy! They're your favorites. I added daisies to make them prettier." Diana beamed before putting the bouquet against your headstone. "You're not gonna believe what happened in class yesterday!"

As Diana animatedly began to recount the funny incident in her classroom--somehow involving a boy named Patrick and a cup of slushie--Spencer watched over her with a permanent smile on his lips. The little girl loved to talk--a trait she obviously acquired from both of her parents--and Spencer knew just how much you used to adore listening to Dee's rambling at any time of day.

It must have been at least ten minutes later when Diana's story eventually whirled to an end. Her attention instantly shifted to the family who was paying their own respect just two headstones over, a small squeak of puppy tumbled from Dee's lips before she dashed towards the boy with a golden retriever pup beside his legs.

Spencer shook his head affectionately at his daughter's antics.

"I know we were just here a couple of weeks ago, but Dee wanted to tell you about the slushie incident herself," he said. "And, well, I can never deny the chance to visit you, love."

A loud laughter boomed a few feet away. Spencer watched as Diana ran around jubilantly with the little boy and his dog. The boy's father waved at Spencer from the distance, which he replied with an acknowledging nod.

"She's getting so big, sweetheart. Sometimes, I just wanna stop time and keep her as my little girl forever. I wish you were around to see how much she's grown." Spencer smiled ruefully. "I can't believe that it's been more than a year since you were gone."

Spencer thought back to the last few moments you spent on this earth. How just a few months prior, the doctor had advised you to stop the treatment and take a rest at home instead.

The chemo isn't working, was what the doctor was really saying. You should be spending as much time as you can with your family.

So, that was exactly what you ended up doing.

Spencer had quit his job at the FBI shortly after you were diagnosed, opting to take a full-time job of teaching where the hours were more humane and reasonable. The day you were discharged from the hospital, Spencer made a vow to himself to make every day as memorable as he could, and he was keeping true to it. Those last few months were filled with countless road trips, an unforgettable weekend at Disneyland, and visits to various museums across the states. Spencer made sure that each day was charged with love and laughter, a perfect day culminated by an equally perfect night, with you falling asleep in the safety of his arms.

Until one morning, when Spencer woke up to your cold and lifeless body lying by his side.

"Do you remember what you told me once? About how Dee and I would never notice you were gone because we would have each other?" Spencer recalled. "You were wrong about that, sweetheart. Your absence is the first thing I notice every time I start my day. The moment I open my eyes, I notice that you aren't lying next to me on the bed like you're supposed to be. I notice the cold imprints on the sheets where your warmth used to linger. I notice you in every corner of our home, but most importantly, I notice you in Dee."

Spencer glanced at his little girl, playing and running around a pile of fallen leaves with her newfound friend and his pet dog. His heart floundered at the scene.

"Everyone keeps saying that she's an exact copy of me, but I see glimpses of you in her more and more every single day," Spencer admitted. "She's the only anchor I have left now, my love. Without her, I'm lost. I try constantly, with whatever strength still resides in me, to give her everything she would ever need. Shower her with every ounce of love I have left in my heart."

A lone tear cascaded down Spencer's cheek. He quickly erased it away with a wry chuckle.

"What I would do to have a minute with you again, my love. I hope you know I'd give my heart and soul to have those extra sixty seconds just to stare at your beautiful face. To hold you in my arms one last time. I try my best to fill the void that you left for Dee's sake. Some days are difficult, and I keep thinking about how much better it would be--how much better off she would be--if it were you here with her instead of me. I'd trade places with you if I could. I fear that all of me would never be enough for her, because she needs you. We both do."

Spencer inhaled a breath, forcing the imminent wave of tears from breaking the dam he had masterfully crafted since the moment you were gone. He promised a long time ago never to allow the grief to consume him.

He still had his daughter to think about.

"I'm beginning to think people are wrong when they say time makes everything better. The pain never lessens. It just becomes bearable with time. Dee makes it bearable," Spencer confessed. "I can only hope I'm doing the same for her."

"Daddy! Daddy!"

Spencer hurriedly wiped away any sign of tears from his face before he caught Diana in his arms. Her innocent laughter was a balm to the gaping wound in his chest, and Spencer allowed himself to bask in the bliss that his little girl brought to his life.

"What is it, Pumpkin?"

"Look what Brian's mom gave me!"

Spencer looked at her tiny hand to see a plastic daisy ring gracing one of her fingers. He looked up towards the family in the distance, mouthing a thank you to the mother who waved him off with a smile.

"It's very pretty, Dee."

"Like me?"

The young dad chuckled. "Yes, very much like you."

"Like Mommy, too?"

Spencer's smile softened. "Very much like Mommy, too. Yes."

The exhilarated smile Diana rewarded him could probably light up the entire state of Virginia at night.

Five minutes later, Spencer found himself bidding you a goodbye, with Diana promising to visit again very soon to give you an update over the slushie incident that supposedly got Patrick in a lot of trouble at school. The air was getting even chillier as the two walked the path they had taken after arriving at the cemetery. Spencer tugged Diana closer to his side once he saw the familiar gate lurking a few feet ahead, keeping her safe while simultaneously seeking her warmth.

"Daddy?" Dee's voice arose shyly once the pair had reached the main street.

"Yes, Pumpkin?"

"I miss Mommy," she admitted quietly.

Spencer's fingers instinctively tightened for a split second around his daughter's hand. "I know you do, Pumpkin. You just need to remember, even if she's not physically with us anymore, that she's always watching over you and keeping you safe."

Diana nodded her head understandingly. "Do you miss her, too, Daddy?"

"Every day, Dee." Spencer smiled, glancing back towards the gate of the cemetery behind him. "Every single day."

2K notes · View notes

avatarchic · 29 days

Text

— FOREIGNER

How the Karasuno boys would react to meeting Shoyo's foreign cousin.

— starring. karasuno boys x foreign exchange student!reader (separately), student teacher!reader in ukai's

— tags. fluff, first meetings, pining

— warnings. use of 'pretty' and 'cute' to describe reader, but no pronouns are used, you slap ryuu in his LOL, mild suggestive comment in ryuu's if you squint

— requested? yes! thank you so much for your request this was fun to write :)

— notes. some of these are longer than others sorry ADHKWH my biases are showing a lil // this ended up being a first meeting + how they act when they start crushing on you, but it they're so cute so i didnt wanna change it lolol

daichi is whipped for you from the start

he doesn't show it (or he doesn't think he does) but he's attracted to you the second he lays eyes on you

he's extra sure to be polite to you, too embarrassed too show his brasher nature in case it scares you off

he loses his backbone whenever you're around

he needs to scold some of the first years for goofing off, but you're standing there? he's all sunshine and rainbows

when he finds out that you're a foreign exchange student, he's over the moon

he subtly finds out your classes from shoyo, who of course doesn't realize his intentions as he blurts out your schedule happily

he checks up on you often, making sure you're adjusting well to japan because "what kind of captain would he be if he let his underclassman's cousin have a hard time?"

the team is none the wiser, except for maybe koshi who sees through his shit immediately

he has a habit of patting your head as a greeting, even if he's just passing you in the hallways even if you complain about him messing up your hair

overall, he's super soft with you :)

sawamura daichi! was annoyed when he met you. shoyo hadn't shown up to practice and wasn't answering his phone, which left the captain ready to send the orange-haired freshman to an early grave. after kei made a smart remark that he saw shoyo lingering near the school entrance, he was on a mission to give the boy hell.

kei was right, of course. when daichi made his way to the entrance, he saw shoyo right away. he stomps over, lips parting to lecture the younger male about responsibilities when his eyes ghost over you. he stops short, shoyo's name barely dropping from his mouth as he pauses.

when you both turn to him, daichi feels his breath catch in his throat. it was clear that you weren't from around here. your odd sense of dress stuck out like a sore thumb—not to mention he had never seen you before. but if anything, he thought you were pretty.

"you're late for practice," daichi states lamely, barely managing to tear his gaze away from you to glower at shoyo. "i ought to put you on cleaning duty tonight."

the threat fell on deaf ears, shoyo's large grin unfaltering as he wraps an arm around your midsection in a tight hug. "captain! sorry, sorry," he apologizes, though the wide grin on his face told daichi he wasn't serious. "my cousin texted me that they were here, so i had to say hi!"

at his words, you finally snap out of your stupor, offering daichi a small smile. "i didn't realize he had practice. i wouldn't have called him out if i knew."

daichi presses his lips together, feeling his ears warm at your kind tone. "it's okay," he says softly. "i'll let him off for now. it's nice to meet you—i'm sawamura daichi."

when you introduce yourself, he finds himself repeating your name in his head.

"oi," he clears his throat, turning to shoyo with a deadpan expression. "c'mon. we're late enough already." daichi turns to bow his head at you politely, quickly turning around before you can see the warmth in his cheeks.

your sweet voice calls out a goodbye, and daichi decides then and there that he wants to get to know you better.

"hey, hey—why are you so red?"

"you're gonna shut up now if you want to go home early tonight."

koshi didn't realize you were shoyo's cousin until after he got to know you a little

he couldn't help it—when he saw you he just thought you were super cute lmao

he fumbles a bit in front of you

he really really tries to be a cool, calm, and collected person but sometimes he embarrasses himself by saying odd things or staring at you a little too long

when he does figure out you're related to his underclassman, he takes the opportunity to get to know you better

and when he finds out you're in his homeroom? even better

the type to arrange study session together with you every weekend just to spend time with you

he actually invites you to watch their practices and games before shoyo does LOL

the whole team knows about his feelings and he doesn't even care, constantly throwing an arm over you shoulder and hanging around you during downtimes

wants to impress you, so he gives it his all (and then some) whenever you're there

his sets get more accurate and he even blocks more hits than he would've before

he really wants you to think he's cool

but if you compliment him, he's exploding on the spot

suguwara koshi! had no idea you were shoyo's cousin when he met you. you looked nothing alike and your personalities were completely different. despite you being a complete stranger, the lost look on your face amused him.

you met koshi when shoyo accidentally stranded you at the train station. you were supposed to take the same train to his house, but he didn't notice you weren't right behind him when he stepped into the train car. the last you saw of the tangerine-haired boy was the back of his head as the doors closed on you.

you were standing there in a panic, though no one stopped to check if you were okay. shoyo had you hold his schoolbag while he dragged your suitcase along, and when you tried calling his cellphone you heard it buzz in the bag that hung on your shoulder. for the life of you, you couldn't remember which stop to get off or which streets to take to get to his house.

"are you lost?" a gentle voice asks you, pulling you from your anxious thoughts.

your eyes meet and koshi can't help but think you're cute as hell. you look doe-eyed in your panic, rounded eyes and parted lips. when you don't answer right away, koshi's cool demeanor switches and he stumbles into an embarrassed frenzy. "wait, can you even understand japanese?"

thankfully, you do, having learned it from shoyo at a younger age. you blink away the remnants of your panic with a few hasty nods. "yes, sorry. my cousin accidentally left me here, and i don't really know how to get to his house..."

koshi calms down at your insistence, chuckling to himself. "do you know the address?"

you wince, "no."

"alright," he says in a way that he hopes is soothing for you. "i can keep you company while you wait for him to return, then. it'd probably be nicer than just standing here by yourself."

when you agree, he hides his smile. he asks you several icebreakers, such as your name and your favourite colour. with every passing second, he only thinks you're even cuter than when he first saw you.

eventually, shoyo does come back, panting and heaving as he runs up the stairs to the station platform. his bright eyes widen when he sees you together with koshi. "oh, sugawara? you've met my cousin?"

koshi meets your eyes with a grin. "i guess we'll be seeing each other more often."

honestly asahi doesn't even acknowledge you when you first meet

he doesn't find out you're shoyo's cousin for weeks, so you're really just another classmate to him

you don't even talk to each other until like a month or so after you transferred

and even then, your conversations are short

he's polite to you when you work together, but he doesn't really try to become friends with you

don't get him wrong! he thinks you're nice and pretty, but he is too damn shy to initiate anything with you

you kinda think he hates you at first, but after you realize that he's just not an outgoing person you relax around him

when he does find out you're related to shoyo, you end up seeing each other more often out of class

you show up to more practices, even if you're just sitting on the benches doing homework

shoyo even drags you along whenever the team meets up outside of school to hang out

as a result, you and asahi eventually grow closer and he opens up more bit by bit

he doesn't actually start crushing on you until graduation nears

he realizes it when he hears you cheering his name at one of their bigger games

he thinks his name sounds prettier coming from you

he doesn't initiate any skinship with you, but he's always asking about your day and checking on you in his own ways

will absolutely combust if you even so much as brush pinkies as you're walking together

azumane asahi! first met you in class. like koshi, he doesn't know you're related to shoyo initially. when the teacher introduces you, making you write your name on the board, you don't have the same last name as shoyo. he doesn't really pay much attention to you, minding his own business as he takes out his notebook and pens.

several weeks pass and your homeroom teacher announces that you'll be partnering up for a group presentation. your first real conversation with him goes as expected—you exchange contact information and go your separate ways when the bell rings.

he thinks you're attractive, but he's too shy to actually act on those thoughts and he just pushes through the project, interacting with you as little as possible.

it's only when shoyo forgets his volleyball uniform at your house that asahi figures out you're related.

he sees you first, standing in the gym entrance while you wait to be invited in. you look hesitant as your eyes cast over the several members of the volleyball club, your gaze landing on asahi. when recognition flickers behind your eyes, he thinks you're there for him.

he opens his mouth to greet you, but before he can even utter a word, an orange blur runs past him. you're almost knocked on your ass as shoyo tackles you, excitedly calling out your name. "what're you doing here?" he asks you, tilting his head as he releases you from his death grip. "you never come to practice."

"you left your uniform at mine," you explain quietly, pulling the clothing out of your bag.

there's a moment of silence, before all hell breaks loose. the others scream and yell at shoyo, yuu and ryuunosuke shaking him by the shoulders as they demand why they weren't informed about his girlfriend.

even asahi's jaw drops at the thought of you, his classmate and group partner, dating shoyo, of all people.

"we aren't dating!" you exclaim, shaking your hands in front of you adamantly as disgust paints over your facial features. "we're cousins."

as the club eventually quiets down, you meet asahi's gaze over the commotion. when you offer him a bashful smile, he can't help but return it.

as expected, yuu is also whipped for you the second you meet

he swears on his life that he has never met someone as perfect as you—not even kiyoko (which says a lot)

at first, his attraction to you is entirely physical and he doesn't hide it

he compliments you every time he sees you he even compliments your outfits even if you're just wearing the karasuno uniform

he practically begs shoyo to bring you to practice just so he has an excuse to ogle at you and profess his 'undying love'

you'd probably make good friends with kiyoko, bonding over the second years' unabashed feelings and loud professions of love lol

though he's completely smitten with your looks, yuu doesn't learn a thing about you until like two months after your transfer

he realizes it when koshi asks if he knows anything about you and no, the fact that you're pretty doesn't count as something

during a late night run to the nearest convenience store, he runs into you

you're dressed casually, and he realizes it's actually the first time he's seen you outside of uniform

he thinks you're very cute in your bunny pajamas

he approaches you with koshi's words in mind, and asks if you want to hang out for a bit

your hang outs become a common thing, and eventually it's your weekend tradition to meet at the convenient store after sundown

after really getting to know you, he realizes that he likes more than just your appearance

shockingly, once he figures out his feelings for you, he tones down a lot

he would stop confessing his love for you every moment he could, but he gets casually affectionate with you

he'd always stand close enough for your shoulders to touch and would absentmindedly guide you places by taking your hand

he's never had a real crush on anyone before, so he's feeling it out with you

nishinoya yuu! has hearts in his eyes the moment he meets you. shoyo brought you to practice one day, excited to introduce his favourite cousin to his teammates. he had all but dragged you to the gym by the wrist, ignoring your insistent utterings that you can walk on your own.

"this is my cousin!" shoyo announces the second he bursts through the doors in true hinata shoyo fashion. you were the last ones to show up, so the entire team was there to witness you getting dragged in by shoyo. "they transferred here from overseas."

yuu feels the world stop once he glances over at you after receiving a particularly harsh spike from tobio, freezing into his squatted position. his world becomes a romcom movie—he swears someone must be blowing a fan in your direction with the way your hair sways as you walk into the gym. he might even be seeing the air sparkle in your presence.

he's absolutely starstruck with you, and he makes no effort to hide it as he bounds over to you. he takes your hands in his, looking at you with wide eyes as he takes you in. he can hear someone groaning, maybe daichi, as they mutter something along the lines of "he's at it again."

"i'm nishinoya yuu," he introduces himself. "you're really cute!"

your mouth opens, but no words come out as you simply stare at yuu in surprise. shoyo had given you a brief rundown of his group members, and you realize that this might be why he warned you about the libero in particular.

even when daichi smacks the back of his head, apologizing to you quietly, yuu remains in his lovestruck gaze.

you stay to watch their practice, at both shoyo and yuu's insistence, and yuu makes a point to be even more extravagant than usual. you can't help but laugh at his boisterous rolling receives and the way he calls out ridiculous move names.

oh ryuu. typical ryuu.

the first words he ever speaks to you end up with him getting slapped

like yuu, he thinks you've been blessed by the gods with your looks and he makes it clear to you when you meet

he asks you to go out with him, only to blatantly check you out right after, which earned him a smack to the face

eventually, he does apologize for his behaviour, though you don't accept it right away

when you tell him that you hate guys who treat others like eye candy, he's sure to tone it down for you

of course, a man can't change overnight

he still flirts with you, and with other women—he can't help it ;( him n yuu are menaces

however, when he's not being an absolute pest, he gets to know you

he learns about your interests and hobbies, and finds himself indulging you in them (who would've thought he'd end up enjoying the art of bracelet making?)

when you become close friends, you become his person

he goes to you whenever he wants to talk about something, and he lends an ear whenever you need to vent

he asks you about your home country often, wanting to know more about your life before you came to japan

he'd even go out of his way to do things for you that remind you of home whenever you start feeling homesick :)

it's not until well after graduation when he realizes that he might actually like you

tanaka ryuunosuke! was mid confession when you met. shoyo had brought you to one of their games, and just as ryuunosuke was getting on his knees to ask kiyoko to marry him, his eyes fall on you.

it's almost astounding how quickly the second year moved from the glasses-wearing beauty to you, appearing in front of you in an instant. before shoyo can even introduce you, he stares you down with a steeled expression, his eyes narrowing.

"you're the prettiest person i've ever had the pleasure of laying eyes on," he claims in his most serious tone. he takes your hands in his as he presses his lips to your knuckles. "please go out with me."

there's a collective sigh as the team turns away at his antics. you, on the other hand, feel your head pound in irritation. "excuse me?"

ryuunosuke doesn't hear the vexation in your tone, or chooses to ignore it, as his eyes trail over your features. even when you're staring at him in an angry disbelief, he thinks you're incredibly pretty. however, as his eyes drop lower and lower, his mind enters a less-than-appropriate headspace.

the feeling of your hand connecting with his cheek rips him out of his lewd daydreams. you didn't slap him hard, but the sound echoed over the loud chatter of the audience members anyway. "you pervert," you utter, gritting your teeth as you turn on your heel. you barely tell shoyo good luck as you all but stomp off to the bleachers.

ryuunosuke stares at your back, holding his reddening cheek in mild awe. yuu nudges his side. "don't tell me you're into that, man."

he at least has the grace to blush.

to be honest, you and tobio do not get along until much later

it's not because you're related to shoyo it is

he just genuinely has no idea how to talk to you lmao

you meet him on the first day of school with shoyo

the realization that he may be teammates with the very guy he had practically berated in middle school took priority over greeting you tbh

it's only after their initial fight when he realizes that you, a complete stranger, saw him yell at shoyo as harshly as he did (even if shoyo didn't have many nice things to say either)

he's kinda embarrassed abt it tbh

like?? you had to see him like that?? he's mortified

so when he joins the volleyball club and you're a manager, he avoids you like the plague

when he talks to you, he accidentally comes across as if he hates your guts (he doesn't, he just cannot properly converse with people to save his life)

your relationship is extremely terse for months, since you get pissed off at his behaviour and he doesn't know how to act normally around you

he doesn't warm up to you until one of their games later in the season, where the morale is low and the team is hanging their heads

you give them an uplifting speech, telling the team that they're stronger than they think

it's the first time tobio looks at you in a pleasant light, and he merely puts a hand on your shoulder to say thanks as he makes his way back to the court

slowburn as fuck tbh he might not even realize he likes you until you're about to graduate (cut him some slack he's only a lil slow)

kageyama tobio! barely acknowledges your existence when you meet. you had moved to japan before their first year at karasuno began, so you showed up with shoyo to the first day.

of course, tobio recognized shoyo immediately from their encounter in middle school. shoyo had dragged you to the gym to go with him to sign up for the volleyball club, insistent that you try to apply to be a manager or something. tobio was there, about to spike a volleyball.

the second shoyo and tobio lock eyes on each other, they're at it like cats and dogs, and you're left standing there in confusion. seeing shoyo as angry as he was is shocking to you and you wonder what the hell this other guy must've done to rile up your sunshine cousin so much.

tobio doesn't even look at you as he argues with shoyo, not meeting your eyes until after the fight has 'calmed' down. he stares at you quietly for a moment before averting his gaze, grumbling something under his breath as he leaves to retrieve the volleyball shoyo made him drop.

he doesn't say anything to you as you talk quietly with daichi about becoming a manager. he vaguely overhears shoyo introducing you as his cousin, but he's too annoyed to listen.

later on, when him and shoyo are finally accepted into the club, and you're brought on as a manager-in-training, tobio still ignores you.

you don't have your first conversation until a week later, when you corner him after practice. "what is your problem?" you demand, your hands propped on your hips. "i know you don't like sho, but you haven't said a single word to me since you joined the club."

tobio flushes in embarrassment as he stares at you. he doesn't mean to, but his eyes narrow into what could be perceived as a harsh glare. "i don't have anything to say," he says truthfully, his voice coming out colder than necessary.

when he rushes off to hide his growing fluster, you're left standing there confused.

you and kei barely interacted at first tbh

he had never seen you before and it was the weekend when you met so he had no reason to assume you'd ever talk again really

even after finding out you were related to shoyo, he didn't bat an eye

after all, he's not exactly going over to the orange-haired boy's house for sleepovers lolol

but to his surprise, you're in his classroom the next monday morning as a foreign exchange student

your classmates rush to you, overwhelming you with numerous questions about your hometown, and it's clear to kei that you're flustered

you meet his gaze over the crowd of people, and for a moment you're shocked to see him

however, before either of you can do anything, you get bombarded with even more questions

to your surprise and his, kei scoffs as he approaches your crowded desk

"can't you see you're bothering them?"

the gaggle of students dissipates with embarrassed apologies, leaving you and kei alone

your relationship with him from then on is odd

there's an unspoken agreement that you both don't like being bothered by other people, and you lowkey bond over it

he would never admit you're friends, but he comes to your rescue often

if you can't understand a phrase or if you don't know the answer to a question in class, he'll quietly help you out (but don't bother asking about it, 'cus he'll deny it vehemently)

when you start hanging out during practices, he ruffles your hair and rests his arm on your head regardless of your height

making fun of you is his love language (not that he'd ever admit he has feelings)

tsukishima kei! meets you when you're babysitting natsu. the team had been out getting ice cream (as per koshi's insistence—for team building), leaving kei in a sour mood because he would rather be anywhere than here.

"shoyo! sho!"

the whole team looks over, seeing a little girl who is the spitting image of their short middle blocker running toward them. kei's expression drops even more, because there's two of them?

shoyo almost drops his ice cream cone with the way the little girl jumps on him. "what are you doing here?" shoyo asks, scrambling to catch his sweet treat. "where's—"

before he can finish his sentence, another figure comes running at them, out of breath. "natsu!" you scold airily as you make your way up to the team, hunching over and resting your hands on your knees as you try to catch your breath. "jesus, don't just run off like that!"

you look up at shoyo from your hunched position, letting kei get a good look at your face. you're flushed, sweat beading on your brow bone and lips are parted as you breathe harshly through them. it's clear to the blond that you've been running around for some time now, something that makes him snort into his strawberry ice cream cup.

"sorry, sho," you wince, practically dragging the little girl, natsu, to your side. "she ran off while i was paying for her snacks. she probably saw you through the window." you vaguely gesture to a nearby convenience store, holding up a bag of candy.

you talk with shoyo for another moment, before turning to the rest of the team. your eyes briefly meet kei's and he arches a brow at you. you apologize for interrupting them, but daichi insists that you're fine and that you and natsu can hang around since you're there anyway.

as a result, you and kei end up standing near each other as the group converses. kei had been hanging a little bit away from the others, minus tadashi of course. you end up near him by coincidence—you don't know the others, and the three of you end up quietly sitting in acknowledgement that you didn't want to talk.

my darling baby tadashi is a mess when you meet <3

he was practicing his volleyball skills when he accidentally whams you in the face

he'd feel guilty about it for a while (even if you insist you're fine) and would use it as an excuse to buy you drinks from the vending machines lol

"this is the fourth drink you've bought me this week??"

"i have to make up for hitting you somehow :((("

becoming friends with tadashi is surprisingly easy, given how shy he can be

it becomes a habit to meet you by the vending machines before practice

the time in the halls between classes and volleyball are spent getting to know you

he asks a lot of questions about what it's like in your hometown and the differences in your culture

i don't think he'd start liking you until after you also get close with kei though lol good luck

the first time he sees you joking around with the tall blond, he thinks his heart is about to beat out of his chest

you must be an angel, he decides as he watches you get along with kei

the three of you form a trio and you end up spending more time with them than shoyo LOL

kei absolutely knows about tadashi's feelings and takes every opportunity to tease him about it whilst you're blissfully unaware

he's so so smitten around you after he realizes he likes you

the type to look at you like you hung the stars in the sky yourself and to becoming maddeningly red whenever you so much as make eye contact with him

yamaguchi tadashi! hits you in the head the first time he meets you. he was in the gym alone, practicing his float serve. you pushed through the heavy metal doors just in time to get slammed in the face with a ball gone awry.

he feels his heart drop to his toes as he quickly rushes over to you, asking if you're alright and if you need to see the nurse. his panic only worsens when he realizes you're bleeding from your nose.

although the hit shocked you, you're left watching in amusement as tadashi scrambles to find something to stop your nosebleed with. when he eventually returns to you, having ran from the boys washroom to grab a wad of papertowel, he apologizes again softly.

"are you okay now...?" he asks when your nosebleed finally stops. he looks almost like a kicked puppy, his hair falling limply into his eyes.

even after you reassure him that you're fine, tadashi still wears his guilt like a crown. he offers to buy you something from the vending machines, and does so despite your insistence that he doesn't need to.

"you can accept it for my sake," he says sheepishly as he offers you the cold can. the two of you converse quietly, with you introducing yourself as a new foreign exchange student.

"oh!" he suddenly lets out, looking over at you. "did you need something in the gym?"

"i was looking for my cousin," you sigh. "he said he was in the volleyball club and i haven't been able to find him at all today."

he's shocked when he finds out that you're shoyo's cousin—the boy had talked about you earlier in the week when he found out you were transferring to karasuno. as you talk, tadashi thinks to himself that shoyo never mentioned how cute you were.

your first meeting with keishin is awkward

ltrly knocks you off your feet when he runs into you

he's kind of brash when he meets you, not caring if you think of him badly because of it

you don't have much of a relationship at first—your work pulls you to the classrooms after all, so he doesn't really see you around often

the next time he sees you, you're stomping into the gymnasium mid practice with an irked expression

he's about to tell you off for interrupting practice, but he quiets when he sees you make your way to your younger cousin

he only watches in amusement when you tell him off for his horrid grades

when shoyo turns to keishin for help, he only shrugs with a lazy grin on his face

"sorry, little man, you heard 'em. no volleyball games until you raise your grades"

to shoyo's chagrin, you and keishin make a terrifying pair for him (and the other three idiots lolol)

you only really start hanging out with him when you end up making a late night run at his convenience store

it's the first time he sees you in casual clothing and the case of beer in your hands makes him laugh

"you wanna share that?"

he becomes your drinking buddy every other weekend, and he grows to cherish the time you spend chugging back cans of beer with him

keeps his feelings on the downlow, but as time goes on even the boys realize that their coach has a soft spot for you

ukai keishin! bodies you the first time you meet. the man doesn't realize his own strength until he literally knocks you flat on his ass after he turns a corner and bumps into you. his eyes go wide when the books and papers in your hands go flying, falling around you in a frenzy.

"shit," he curses under his breath, bending down to pick up your things. "sorry 'bout that." his voice is gruff as he speaks, collecting your papers without much care. when he returns them to you, some of them are scuffed and crumpled.

as he's handing you your things, he finally gets a good look at you. you're dressed more formally than he is by a mile. he holds a hand out to help you to your feet, his brown eyes falling to the lanyard around your neck.

"you new here?" he asks, jutting his chin out to gesture to your nametag. student teacher is typed above your name and picture.

you nod deftly, brushing off any dirt from your dress pants. "i started today. and you are?" your eyes meet his, and he knows you're silently scrutinizing him. he's much too old to be a student, you deduce easily, but he's dressed far more casually than any other other teachers.

when your eyes drift up to his bleached hair, he snorts. "i'm the coach for the volleyball club," he grumbles. "i don't need to be wearing fancy shit like you."

he sees your eyes light up in recognition as he analyzes your face with crossed arms. "the volleyball club? you must know my cousin then. hinata shoyo?"

keishin deadpans at you. "you're the runt's cousin?"

©AVATARCHIC please do not plagiarize, repost, translate, or copy any of my works.

884 notes · View notes

7s3ven · 3 months

Note

can you please do poseidon/reader and she finds out luke is the lightning thief?

THE GRUDGE. luke (pjo)

( master list )

IN WHICH… Y/N L/N can’t forgive Luke for his crimes despite loving him more than she loves herself.

“I know in my heart hurt people, hurt people. And we both drew blood, but, man, those cuts were never equal.”

Warnings : spoilers, small angst (in my opinion lol. I’m more sensitive to family/friendship angst, not relationship angst), short(ish) oneshot

A/N : to any other writers, do you ever act out the situations you’re writing so you can write a better descriptions of reactions and then you realise that you’re actually a good actor?

Because I literally just acted out Y/N’s reaction and either I’m great at fake crying (which has been a talent of mine) … or my heart-wrenching sobs were real 😨. Also, the song one of us from the Lion King suits Luke perfectly.

—

The life of a half-blood wasn’t easy, especially not when you were a forbidden child. Y/N flipped through her fashion magazine, aimlessly swinging her legs as she lay on her front. “Y/N.” Luke called out, pushing the creaky door open. She lifted her head, staring at him curiously.

“Hey, Luke.” She smiled at him, clasping her hands together. He grinned back, slowly walking over to her side.

“You feeling okay?” He asked, placing a heavy hand on her shoulder. With Percy, her half-brother gone, she was alone in her cabin. Again.

Y/N gazed at him through her lashes. “Yeah. I’m good. I’m fine.” She whispered, reaching out to grasp his wrist. Luke bit the inside of his cheek.

“I have your phone.” Luke uttered, handing Y/N her device. Phones weren’t allowed in camp but Luke found a way around that, much to Y/N’s happiness. She had spent far too long in the mortal world to give up scrolling through social media.

“Thanks, love.” Her pink-tinted lips curved into a soft smile. “You have no idea how much I need this now that Percy is gone on his quest. It’s so lonely here.”

Y/N always hated being in her own company. Her cabin got messy and she never had the motivation to clean it. She was thankful for Luke because he always helped her with the mundane task that should have been easy, but not for her.

“No problem, princess.” Luke lightly kissed her forehead while she laughed. “I can’t wait until Percy is back because I have a feeling that things are about to change.” Nothing good lasts for long. Y/N, more than anyone, knew that. She stalked through the thick vegetation, harbouring a heavy sword. She had heard rumours of Luke… and she needed to confirm it for herself, even if it meant endangering her safety.

“Luke.” She called out, her voice shaking. She didn’t want to believe the rumours but Luke was unpredictable. Ever since returning from his quest, he hadn’t been the same.

Y/N had been at Camp Half-Blood for longer than most and she had seen demigods come and go, desperately searching for glory but never finding enough of it.

“Luke.” She said again, repeating it like it was a mantra that would save him from the terrible fate he had chosen. She dragged her sword against the ground, her eyes scanning for the slightest bit of movement amongst the trees.

She sighed, thinking of returning to camp before she spotted a flicker of orange. "Luke?" She whispered, but he still heard her. She stepped towards him, breathing heavily.

"Luke... what... is it true? Did you..." Y/N couldn't find the right words. "What did you do, Luke?" She asked, grabbing him by the front of his shirt when she noticed how he avoided her gaze and how his eyes looked so guilty. "What did you do?!"

"I did what I had to, Y/N. The gods... they don't care about us." Luke stiffened as Y/N glowered at him, her eyes filled with so much rage and hate and sadness and everything in between.

"You're wrong, Luke!" She exclaimed, harshly shaking him.

"I'm not like you, Y/N! My father doesn't care about me. Yours might give a shit about you but that doesn't apply to anyone! Look around you. Poseidon ignored Percy for years while nurturing you. My father abandoned my mother and I when he could have helped us. Ares hates Clarisse for being a girl and forces her to train harder until she collapses. They try so hard to find every little flaw in us that they ignore what we've done for them."

"But why this, Luke? Why betray us? Me! You betrayed me, Luke! And all your friends and family! Hermes may not give a shit about you, but I do! I have loved you since we first met, Luke! I fucking love you and you betrayed me!" Y/N slammed her fists against his chest, screaming until tears welled up in her eyes. "What did you do to Percy?" She muttered, her voice barely even a whisper. "Tell me. Tell me now and I might spare you! Please… please.” She hiccuped, her hits growing weaker.

Luke wheezed as Y/N gripped his throat for a split second. "He'll be fine... he only got stung."

"I hate you." Y/N seethed, rage engulfing her soft heart until it spilled out and poisoned her body with its toxins. "I hate you. I hate you. I hate you! Gods, I hate you, Luke! Fuck you! Fuck… you!” She screamed, the sound echoing around the empty trees.

But she still couldn't bring herself to stab him. "Get out of here, Luke. Go! Leave! I never want to see your face again!" Y/N's voice shook as she shoved Luke away from her.

Heart-wrenching sobs slipped past her lips as she pointed an accusing finger at Luke. "The gods have fucked up, Luke, but you are no different. Maybe you had the right idea at first... but you went with it the wrong way. And it cost you everything. Don't go near Percy again. Don’t you dare touch him ever again! You don’t deserve his kindness! Don't even look at him because I promise you, if you do, I will drive a stake through your heart!” Y/N's confident voice faltered for a moment. She shakily inhaled. "I hope you're happy with yourself." That fated day still haunted Y/N's mind. She often had nightmares about it, where things turned out different had she stabbed Luke. She always woke up with a loud gasp, covered in a light layer of sweat.

On her nightside table, her phone rang. She hadn't been using it much since Luke left. She slowly reached for it. Nobody had her phone number except her close friend, who lived in Tokyo, her cousin, and... Luke.

Her heart was beating unusually fast as she shakily turned the device over to peer at the screen. Her stomach churned and she dropped her phone in horror. Percy was in the infirmary, still recovering from the pit scorpion attack. She was somewhat thankful for that.

She let the phone ring, letting out a sigh of relief when it finally stopped. But it started again, and again. Until on the third ring, she finally clicked the green button.

She didn't say anything, flinching at the sound of Luke's voice. "Y/N? Y/N. Thank goodness you picked up! I knew you weren't going to answer my iris message so I was hoping your phone was working."

Y/N cut Luke off from his ranting. "Luke... don't call me again."

"Wait, Y/N. Please listen to me. I love"-

She hung up before he could finish. She stared at her phone, gripping it tightly. With a guttural scream, she threw it across the room. It landed safely on Percy's bed and a part of her was glad that it did. It was one of the only things she had left from Luke.

She didn't know if she could ever forgive Luke for betraying her trust. And the worst thing was that she still loved him from the bottom of her heart. "You good?" Y/N quietly walked towards Percy, helping him sit up. He groaned.

"Yeah. I'm sorry about Luke... I know how much he meant to you." Percy's eyes softened as he stared at Y/N, intertwining his fingers with hers.

"He, uh... tried calling me last night." Y/N pressed her lips into a thin line.

Percy tilted his head to the side. "So what'd you do?"

"I ignored him until the third time... then I hung up after I told him to stop contacting me."

"You don't have to be so tough all the time, Y/N." Percy uttered, pulling her into a tight hug. His arms wrapped around her waste and she sighed.

"I really want to scream, Percy. I just... can't believe he could do that so easily. I mean, leave us... leave me. I'm trying not to care and I'm trying to say I'm fine but I can't let it go." Tears welled up again, dripping down the red apples of her cheeks.

Y/N would be lying if she said she hadn’t tried to figure out why Luke did what he did. She tried to piece everything together but it only hurt her head and heart to think.

After ensuring Percy was comfortable, she stepped outside. The camp was in utter chaos after Luke’s betrayal and they were trying to find more spies amongst them. Most people suspected Y/N because she ran into the woods to confront Luke and she was closely associated with him, which didn’t help. But she loved her friends and she could never leave them as Luke had.

She wandered into a small clearing, dipping her hand into a cold river nearby to calm herself. She didn’t even notice someone was watching her from behind until they cleared their throat.

With a panicked gasp, Y/N looked over her shoulder. She was expecting a fellow camper, maybe even Luke, but not Hermes in all his glory. The pair stared at each other for a minute before Hermes finally broke the awkward silence.

“You’re Y/N, right?” He hesitatingly pointed at her, worried he had the wrong girl.

She nodded.

“I know I’m probably the last person you want to see after Luke left.” Hermes started off, sheepishly scratching the back of his neck.

“Luke is the last person I want to see.” Y/N retorted, “You’re second on that list.”

“He really did like you, you know."

“It wasn’t enough apparently.” Y/N shrugged, already accepting that she could tear Luke from his fate, “Maybe I deserved the betrayal… but not from Luke. He practically made me into the person I am. I guess he wanted to see how high he could build me before I fell. He had everything yet he still wanted more.”

“He cared about you. Dare I say, Y/N, he love”-

She cut him off just as she had cut Luke off. “Don’t say he loved me because if he did then he wouldn’t have done this! He… he wouldn’t have done all this!” Y/N choked on her words as she bit back a sob.

“He still loves you. Not loved. Not past-tense. Never past-tense. I’ve seen him, you know. He misses you and for a while, he tried to contact you in every way he could just so he could hear your voice. Even if you were screaming at him. I know that in another life, he wishes he didn’t have to leave you behind.”

“There shouldn’t be another life!” Y/N exclaimed. Getting angry at a god was dangerous but she was so frustrated and angry and hurt. Hermes didn’t seem to mind. He nodded his head, understanding her emotions. “Don’t you get it? You also have to take the blame. You’re part of the reason why he betrayed us!”

“He’ll forgive me eventually.”

Y/N shook her head. “No. You and every other deity thinks that your neglected child will forgive you but they might not. They might forgive but they will never forget. If I can’t even forgive the boy I love with all my heart, how do you think Luke will ever forgive you?” She furrowed her eyebrows.

“Forgiveness takes strength." Hermes whispered, barely loud enough for Y/N to hear. "Luke is much stronger than I originally thought and you, the mighty daughter of the sea god himself, are too.”

“Yeah, well,” Y/N shrugged as she stood up, brushing the dirty off her pants. “I don’t think I’m quite there yet.”

“It takes time.” Hermes said, “Meanwhile, I would suggest answering that.” He pointed at her phone that was ringing in her hand. Y/N didn’t even notice with how distracted she was.

She briefly looked down at the screen and raised her head again, her lips parting when Hermes was nowhere to be seen.

She hesitatingly pressed the accept button and raised her phone to her ear. She heard him quietly gasp, surprised she even answered again. “Luke… hi.”

PJO TAG LIST : @lostinhisworld @julielightwood @outerbanks-stuff @jennapancake @csifandom @evrybodydies1 @kkrenae @s0ulsniper @annispamz @justanotherkpopstanlol @soraya-09 @simpforeveyone @papichulo120627 @corpsebridenightamare @lilacspider @prettylilsimp @urmomsbananabread @ur-lacol-dsylexic @hottiewifeyyyy @kamiliora @be-bap @finnickodaddy @th0tblckgrl @shoyofroyoyoyo @uniquely-her @imafrkinsimp @syraxesrevenge @ahh-chickens @dracoslovergirl @midnightstar-90 @8812-342 @liv1104 @krkiiz @arialikestea @ch16rles @lizziesliz @maryclx01 @lukecastellandefender @yuminako @coryoskywalker @julielightwood @crybabysbakery @jsbaby @liviessun @p3pperm1nttea @angie-esc @purplerose291 @prettylilsimp @10ava01 @froggiesstalks @happy-jj @czennieszn @gisellesprettylies @loveyava @csifandom @luvvfromme @mashiromochi @kamiliora @yorksyree @mqg125 @jamesmackreideswife @niktwazny303 @2hiigh2cry @user021099 @living-in-my-imagination88 @xx-all-purpose-nerd-xx

449 notes · View notes

certainlynotasimp · 11 months

Note

I had a thought seeing as how whipped Miguel is for sunny what if sunny has Miguel get them like a puppy or kitten because I know he would eventually cave in

To Love and Hold.

((Miguel O’ Hara X Female! Reader))

A/N: This man is whipped more than cream😭😭. Thank you for the request and I’m sorry if it sounds muddled because I literally fell asleep writing it and I just finished it this morning.

A/N: If you guys wanna read more about Sunny and Miggy then come on to the Masterlist! And if you wanna be added to the taglist, then please leave a comment here>><<. And thank you all for reading💕✨

Warnings: Grumpy x Sunshine, Barely any use of (Y/N) ((Sunny is their nickname, not there name)), Female Pronouns, Fluff, Comparing Babies to Pets ((please do not have a baby if you want a pet lol)), Baby talk, breeding kink? (This isn’t a smut, but I love giving Miggy ideas), slight nudity, and Google Translated Spanish (It was 3am by the time I wrote this and I felt bad for messaging people to double check this so please forgive any mistakes and correct me the in comments.)😭

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There are some things that always remain the same for every dimension. No matter how small or advanced that dimension may be, there were three things that Miguel can think of that always remains the same.

There’s always a Spiderman or Spiderwoman.

New York is still a cesspool for crime

….

“Miggy, come look at the kitties!” an excited shrill breaks the man out of his thoughts. He scowls at the unwanted attention around him as he readjusts the baseball hat on his dark locks. Not having his spider suit engaged was an odd feeling, especially since they were in an unknown dimension looking for an anomaly that not even Lyla can find.

“Come on, Guapito!” She urges as Miguel glares at her for yelling out in a public place. He tugs at the collar of his crew neck as he saunters over to the bouncing woman. Her pink sundress makes her standout like a sore thumb as she gawks at the group of kittens in the window.

There were three orange tabbies exploring their surroundings and tussling amongst their glass prison. He can agree that all of them looked adorable, but seeing as he was never an animal person, he doesn’t understand the cooing his companion does towards the cats.

“We can’t keep wasting time window shopping, mi amor.” He quietly scolds her as he gently leads her away from the pet shop and starts walking her down the sidewalk. His eyes burned as he looked at the pavement beside him until he felt a small tug to his shirt.

Already running though all the things that might come out of her pretty glossed mouth, Miguel sighs and looks at her. “What is it, shortie?” He tries to tease, hoping she would get annoyed enough to just give him the silent treatment.

“Miggy,” She sings sweetly, already the itching feeling started in Miguel’s brain.

‘What does she want?’

“I was thinking…” Her voice hesitated as he feels her arm slither it’s way around his waist. The hand on the small of her back tenses up as her touch ignited tingles down his back. “Since I’m the only person who lives at the Lobby and I can’t live with you…

Here it comes,

“Can I have a cat?” She flutters her eyelashes up at him as she presses herself into his side. Miguel tugs down his baseball cap as he rolls his eyes.

“No.” He answers sternly as he tries to avoid eye contact by looking around them. Miguel is as stubborn as a mule. If he decided on something, then there’s barely enough room for anyone to even breathe a different way about it.

He admits that when it comes to his little spider, he lets some things slide that he knew he shouldn’t have, but normally her requests were doable. Not this one.

“But, Miggy, why not?” She whines as she glares up at him.

“Can we talk about this later, Cariño?” He growls as he notices the atmosphere around them changing. Before she could protest anymore, her Spidey senses hit her like a shotgun.

“Watch out!” She warns as a cat gets throw over a row of buildings, heading right towards them. Miguel grabs her waist and leaps on top the nearest building as the car takes out the sidewalk.

Both put a pin in their conversation as they suit up and go detain the anomaly villain.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Another sticky note falls onto the floor beside his feet as Peter looks up to his colleague, amused by the antics he’s enduring.

For the past week, Sunny hasn’t let go of the idea of having a cat. Miguel tried envading her pleas at first, trying to distract her with other topics and missions to worry about. When she caught onto that, she confronted him about it. Much to his misery, he had to be brutally honest with her about why she can’t just bring a cat to come live with her in The Lobby.

“Taking something from another dimension is already risky enough, but to take a living animal could cause serious anomalies that will cause a crash.” He tried to explain with a stern stare as his love looks at him.

“Do you know for certain that it will happen?” She quips with her head tilting slightly. Miguel raises an eyebrow before replying, “I mean, considering if we are just talking about a normal cat, then no I’m not certain, but…”

“So let’s try it!” “Oh santa madre de Cristo... Mi amor, por favor sé razonable…”

Now her tactic has been subliminally suggesting him with hidden messages. He wasn’t surprise when Peter picked up the sticky note and sees a little doodle of a cat playing with a ball of yarn.

“Aww that’s cute.” Peter admires as he examines the note. “I can’t wait for Mayday to get old enough so she can draw me little doodles like this.”

Miguel snatches the sticky not from him and throws it on the small pile he’s accumulated. This might be Mr. kitty 11 or 12 that his Sunny has hidden in his suit today.

“(Y/N) has been hiding them on me hoping I would get her a cat.” He admits as he slumps into his office chair. Normally, he would act like it wasn’t bothering if it was anyone else making a stupid request. But it wasn’t just anyone. It was his beloved. His beloved who was so tired of spending nights here alone that she desperately wanted a companion.

“Why can’t you get her one?” Peter nonchalantly says as he leans against the monitor’s desk. “There’s plenty of strays around my apartment that she can have a full range to pick out of.”

Miguel scowls at Peter’s ignorance as leans back in his chair. “Any small change to a dimension can cause it to implode on itself. I’m not risking an entire universe just for one cat.”

Miguel digs his finger into his eyes as he groans in frustration. He hated making her upset, but she should understand just as well as he does what the possible consequences they would face if he did go pick up a random cat.

Peter watches at him in amusement before commenting. “Why not go get one from one of those dying universes? Certainly it wouldn’t cause too much damage if it’s already going to shit there.”

Miguel rolls his eyes as he looks at Peter in annoyance. “There’s still risk of-“

Peter claps his hands as an idea sparks in his mind. “Oh, I know, you two can have a baby!”

Miguel freezes in place as a look of pure horror goes over his face. His skin turned pale at the thought about having a child.

“Can’t risk the universe being brought to the end if you make a baby. Besides it would help her deal with her loneliness by constantly having someone to take care of and it would be a more fun to-“ Peter’s reasoning gets interrupted by the sound of Miguel opening a portal and jumping through as Peter smirks victoriously.

“Worked like a charm.” He chuckles as he knows he just made his friend one happy lady.

~~~~~~~~~

“Cariño?” A soft knock interrupts the deep slumber of the curled up spider as she stirs awake. She yawns as she looks over towards the clock and realizes it was the equivalent of 3am in Miguel’s home world.

Another knock draws her attention back to the visitor as she slips out of bed. Her body shivers as she exposed to the cold air of the room. The old college shirt only stopping at mid thighs as she shuffled to the door.

“Miggy?” She calls through the door.

“Déjame entrar, mi amor. Tengo un regalo para ti.” He pleas lovingly at her which causes her lips to curl into a soft smile as she realizes what he must have.

Opening the door, she gasps at the sight before her. In his spider suit, Miguel had several scratch marks along his face along with pieces of rubble in his dark locks. His dark eyes shined in exhaustion as the furious little ball of fur battled to be free from his hold.

Her concern briefly switches to awe as she sees a small, filthy kitten hissing and wiggling in Miguel’s large hands. Its long fur stuck out in clumps due to the debris covering it as its black and white fur looked gray. Its yellow eyes glares up at Miguel as it cries for its mother.

With a wide grin, the woman takes the small kitten from Miguel and holds it to her chest. The kitten stopped it’s hissing for a moment as it push itself off of her chest to look at her. A curious tilt of its head along with a soft hello causes a tear to roll down her cheek. The bundle of fur relaxes into her chest with soft purs emitting from its fragile body.

“Mi amor…” She whispers as she looks up at him, “Thank you so much…can I really keep it?”

“He doesn’t really have any other option. His world was dying due to some invasion caused by the Talokians and since the universe was crashing away, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to let you have the only survivor.” Miguel says nonchalantly as the conversation with Peter plays in his head again.

The idea of his little sunshine bare foot with swollen ankles as she roams around the Lobby and his apartment certainly was a conflicted vision. His clothing being the only thing that would fit over her body as she created their child in her body. Their child. Their family.

His thoughts get interrupted by the feeling of small hands dusting off debris off his shoulders. His eyes meet hers as he realizes that he’s been silent for a while. The kitten was now curled up on a soft looking blanket on the floor while his little spider tried to clean him up a little. Her soft lips connect several times to his jawline causing him to chuckle.

“You’re welcome, Cariño.” He mutters before leaning down and meeting her excited lips with his own. She giggles when he wraps his arms around her waist and picks her up as he closes the door behind him.

“Now then.” Miguel muses as his mouth curls into a warm grin while walking them to the bed. “You can show your gratitude by…” He pauses as his lips brush against hers again before a surprise squeal erupts from his love as she was tossed on the bed.

“Acostado ahí…” He mutters as he removes his gizmo, causing his suit to disintegrate, leaving him in only a tight pair of boxers. A blush forms on her cheek as she admires his muscular physique, despite the nasty bruises that mare his tanned skin. He smirks when he sees the effect hr has on her before crawling onto the bed. Her breath shudders as his broad shoulders slither up between her legs as his hips cause her legs to part.

Before she could react, Miguel lays his full body weight down on her as his head rests on her chest. His arms wrap around her waist as he buries his nose into her shirt as he yawns. His exhausted red eyes look up at her warm ones as he mutters against her clothed breast, “Y déjame dormir escuchando mi lindo corazoncito…¿Sería eso aceptable para ti, mi amor?”

Smiling softly down at him, his love’s arms wrap around his shoulders as a hand finds itself tangled in his thick locks of hair. “Of course, my love. It’s yours to listen to forever.”

With a soft kiss to his crown, the couple falls asleep in each other’s arms as their new kitten climbs up and curls up on Miguel’s back.

~~~~~~~

Translations:

ah maldita sea... mi vida, por favor se razonable…-ah fucking hell... my life, please be reasonable…

Déjame entrar, mi amor. Tengo un regalo para ti. -Let me in, mi amor. I have a gift for you.

Acostado ahí…-Laying there…

Y déjame dormir escuchando mi lindo corazoncito. - And let me sleep listening to my pretty little heart.

¿Sería eso aceptable para ti, mi amor? -would that be acceptable to you, my love?

~~~~~~~

Taglist:

@ameliadraws

@tojisrightnut

@whyareyoubored

@silly-lovestruck-em

@luvil1y

@chims-kookies

@himesuedi

@22carolina08

@chaoticevilbakugo

@boredwithlifeatthispoint

@hoshhoshh

@isaidoop

@pheroineux

@rosiepetalss

@aniya7

@savannahlynnes

@boldlypessimistic

@dilfaddiction

@xsuvs

@bunnybopug01

@tanakaslastbraincell

@brivers

@mistermouseshideyhole

@paranoiac-666

@reypolaris

@beeframon

@sofiahowland376

@bby-lupin

@thesrtuggleisveryreal

@arminarmout15

@mintellaine

#miguel o’hara x reader #spiderman #spiderman 2099 #spiderman 2099 x reader #spiderman across the spiderverse #spiderman into the spiderverse #miguel ohara #fanfic #miguel o'hara

1K notes · View notes

sserpente · 4 months

Text

The Mistletoe Tradition

There was only one piece of decoration left in the box now—it was a dew-fresh mistletoe complete with a red ribbon. And you knew just where to put it.

With a smile, you danced over to Astarion and held the green plant above your head. The vampire spawn looked up, confused and flustered both at the same time.

“Wanna know what my favourite Yule tradition is?”

“I’m sure you’re about to tell me,” he purred.

“Whenever two souls are caught under the mistletoe, they have to kiss.”

A/N: I’m not sure if Christmas/Yule is a thing in Faerûn but if it wasn’t… I sure made it a thing now! Worked in some of his actual quotes for it to be even more relatable because we're all simps, lol. Also using Yule and Christmas interchangeably here because I can. Merry Christmas to you all! ♥

Words: 2197

Warnings: fluff

“Jingle Bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way…” Humming to yourself, you rummaged through your bag to take a closer look at the items you had snatched on your journey today. A bag full of peanuts, perfect to still your hunger on the road, a new dagger you had taken from a corpse, for your old one was falling apart at the hilt, a letter from an Iron Fist written to Lord Enver Gortash himself, and—perhaps most importantly—a little snow globe you had found in an abandoned cottage. It wasn’t much but it was better than nothing and had definitely been worth Lae’zel’s eye roll.

You were headed towards Baldur’s Gate and decided to rest in the Elfsong Tavern where Gale, Wyll, and Halsin were currently discussing the price of a room to stay in for the next couple of days. The air smelled like mulled wine and pine cones, and the tables in the tavern were decorated with tree branches, candles and sliced oranges and cinnamon sticks. The atmosphere was lovely—festive. You leaned against Astarion with your cheek against his chest, a sigh escaping your lips.

The pale elf was quite used to your—at least by his standards—unusual behaviour by now. Well… sort of. He’d expected more hostility toward him after the night he tried to bite you, that much you knew. Instead, you’d offered to help and… huh, secretly drooled all over him.

He certainly knew what he was doing and you hated that it worked. You didn’t want to turn into a giggling and blushing mess in his presence and yet… that was exactly what happened. Every. Single. Day. You tried to hide it as best as you could but at this point, you were pretty certain that he knew you were a hopeless case whenever he was near. And once you’d started sleeping with each other… you had become putty in his hands entirely, desperate for his touch even when it wasn’t sexual.

You offered him a cuddling dose daily now and you never let go until he did.

“All right, everyone. We’re settled. The owner has agreed to give us one of the suites upstairs. It has thirteen beds, its own washing area, and a fireplace. I don’t know about you but I am knackered,” Wyll announced as he cracked his bones.

“You go ahead without me. I’d like to take care of something real quick. I won’t be long,” you said, the idea thundering through your head with a start having you beam from the inside out.

Gale lifted a hand as if to raise everyone’s attention before speaking. “I hope so! I have a perfectly hearty rabbit stew planned for supper.”

It had taken the inn owner ten gold pieces and a lot of convincing to get you a Yule Tree. Was it important in midst of everything that was happening? Possibly not. Were you still humming Christmas songs yet again as you carried a small box full of ornaments and decorations up the wooden stairs to your room? Absolutely.

Gale was already cooking. They all knew the very moment you entered the room with it that the tree someone had brought up in the meantime was your doing. And now, while the others were getting ready to rest for the day, you began decorating the room as if you didn’t have a care in the world. And for just a moment, you pretended you didn’t.

You spotted Astarion glancing at you from the corners of your eye. He’d crossed his arms before his chest, looking as handsome as ever and even more so now with his hair still a little damp from getting the dust of the road off of him.

“Need something?” You smiled, noticing how he admired the pine cones dipped in molten silver and the delicious-smelling orange slices on the tree for just a second too long. The straw stars you were specifically proud of as you stood on your tiptoes and stretched to put the biggest one on the tip of the tree, completing your masterwork.

“Oh, don’t mind me… I’m just enjoying the show.”

You blinked at him, gnashing your teeth as you felt a treacherous heat creeping up your cheeks, for his gaze was by no means fixed on the tree anymore but your behind. At times it was still hard to believe this incredible elf was attracted to you of all people.

“Is this really necessary? I mean, really? You’re wasting our time and energy on decorating a tree?”

“Hey… we won’t know yet if that’s our last Christmas. I don’t mean to be pessimistic but you know just as well as I do that there is a good chance we won’t make it out of this alive. I might as well enjoy the little things until… I can’t. You never know. Besides, this is the first time in weeks we’re sleeping with a roof over our heads. We have beds and a fireplace. I would be silly not to decorate a little, especially with a recent murder right next door.”

“Well… I suppose… but don’t expect me to help you.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it, oh fangy one! I’m actually done and it looks absolutely amazing, if I may say so.”

Astarion scoffed—playfully so. It was then Halsin joined, admiring your tree up close with a second portion of stew in his hands.

“Well, I think it looks beautiful. There’s no better way to get into the festive spirit than with a little bit of nature in one’s home.”

You fought hard to hide the chuckle bubbling up your throat when Astarion rolled his eyes as soon as the druid turned away again.

“The man really can’t shut up about enjoying the freedom of nature’s gifts.”

You couldn’t help it. You burst out laughing. Needless to say, your companions’ shocked expressions made you cackle even more but perhaps the surprise on Astarion’s face was what brought you even more joy than the way he had mimicked Halsin.

“In the end, it won’t be the mind flayers who kill me. It’ll be you,” you choked out, wiping your eyes with the ball of your thumb. Gods, you were actually crying from laughter.

There was only one piece of decoration left in the box now—it was a dew-fresh mistletoe complete with a red ribbon. And you knew just where to put it.

With a smile, you danced over to Astarion and held the green plant above your head. The vampire spawn looked up, confused and flustered both at the same time.

“Wanna know what my favourite Yule tradition is?”

“I’m sure you’re about to tell me,” he purred.

“Whenever two souls are caught under the mistletoe, they have to kiss.”

“Do they now?”

You grinned.

“Well… in that case, we better not risk the wrath of whatever god came up with it.”

“That would be Frigg, wife of Odin and mother of Baldur who never wanted the mistletoe to be forgotten again after Loki—“ You didn’t manage to finish your sentence for in the next moment, Astarion pulled you close and pressed his lips against yours. The kiss was a promise and a reward, a display of affection… and a small gesture of care warming your heart.

“How do you always do that?” you murmured against his mouth, breaking the kiss just long enough to draw a deep breath. “Leave me wanting for more? Tempting me?”

“Tempting you, hmm? Well… You know what they say… the only way to cure a temptation… is to give in to it.”

A little squeak escaped your lips before you could stop yourself. You pressed your lips together to a thin line, eyes wide as your hand flew up to your mouth to cover it. But of course, Astarion had heard you. Amused, he quirked an eyebrow.

“What was that?”

“N-nothing.”

“Really? Because I think I heard quite the delectable little noise coming from your lips just now.”

“N-no. Oh gods, you have to stop this. I will melt, Astarion. I will literally melt and then you can go get a mop and wipe me up!”

Astarion laughed, surprise mixing with delight. “Oh, darling, I could go all night… as you well know,” he purred.

Another squeak. He’d caught on to it now, of course—that the reason for those inhumane sounds escaping your body was all his doing. Oh, for fuck’s sake…

“Okay, that’s it.” Arms akimbo, you narrowed your eyes at him. You were all but flustered when you grabbed the collar of his shirt with such vigour, the tiniest hint of surprise and hesitation flittered across his face before his smug smirk returned and you kissed him yet again, longer and more passionately this time.

“You really will be the death of me” you breathed against his lips. “It’s a nice way to go though, I won’t complain.” The urge to rip off his clothes there and then grew stronger with every passing second. You knew he wasn’t ready yet, despite his relentless teasing and you’d be the last person to push him but… judging by how he wrapped his arms around your waist yet again and pressed you closer to his body yet again, a heartfelt kiss was never off limits.

You sighed against his lips, the mistletoe dropping to the ground. Only the gods knew what would have happened if you had not been interrupted despite your fellow companions still in the room but alas, the door burst open with a bang so loud you both flinched.

“This… is… AWESOME!” When Karlach entered the room, she was wearing the ugliest Yule sweater you had ever seen. Tinsel and two baubles were hanging from her horn and in her hands, she held a massive candy cane and a mug of what you assumed was eggnog. “I LOVE Christmas! Oh, you got us a tree! We should go and buy presents for each other to unwrap tomorrow!”

“Karlach, please, it’s late and I’m tired,” Astarion complained.

“Fiiiine, tomorrow morning then. A kid downstairs just told me about this fat guy called Santa who climbs through the chimney and puts gifts under the tree if you leave him cookies and milk. Do we have cookies and milk? We have to get cookies and milk!”

You laughed. In that case… you certainly had a long night ahead of you before you could get a good night’s sleep.

Everyone was fast asleep by the time you got up and tiptoed across the cool floorboards on naked feet in the dark, past the crackling fire in the centre of the warm and cosy room, and toward Astarion’s bed. You could hear the wind blowing outside the tavern in the dead of night as you climbed under the covers and cuddled up to your lover who had, without a doubt, been expecting you. Astarion wrapped you in his arms, his lips grazing your bare neck ever so slightly.

“Hello, darling.”

At peace and content, you both listened to the instruments Gale enchanted to play quiet music to lull you all to sleep.

“Well, aren’t you brave, revealing your lovely neck to a vampire like that?”

You chuckled into his pillow, stretching even more.

“You know… I think we’re past the point now where I have to tell you each night that you can… I mean… if you’re hungry just… feed on me, alright?”

“R-Right.” For a moment, a both vulnerable and surprised expression washed over his handsome face—but it was gone before your memory could properly capture it, not to mention the darkness around you made that very difficult. He was so incredibly good at masking his feelings, that you longed to cuddle the shit out of him and tell him that it was all going to be okay. “Well… I’ve only just learned how wonderful it feels to have a choice and have your boundaries respected, all thanks to you. I’d actually prefer if you asked.”

So instead, you settled for wriggling yourself under the covers until he stirred.

“That’s… that’s good. That’s very good,” you whispered as you cuddled up to him even more.

“So? Can’t you sleep or are you just too excited until morning to see me again, love?”

You chuckled. “Your bed is more comfortable than mine.”

In the dark, it was hard to tell whether Astarion’s confusion was real or feigned. It was amusing nonetheless. “You will find that all the beds in this room are the same, pet.”

“No. No they aren’t. Mine doesn’t have you in it.”

“Oh… my cheeky little pup.”

Your chuckle turned into a childish giggle as a jolt of electricity rippled through you as if Gale had hit you with a lightning blast.

“You know exactly what you’re doing to me, don’t you?” you whispered.

Astarion hummed in response. “Well… yes. Though I have to admit I have never met anyone displaying their excitement as openly as you, darling.”

“I’ll make sure to never stop. Merry Christmas, Astarion.”

The vampire spawn sighed when you shuffled even closer and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek.

“Merry Christmas, love.”

A/N: And Merry Christmas to you all as well! ♥ I had to dedicate this year's Christmas Imagine to Astarion. I fell so hard for him thanks to Neil, it's insane. I hope you'll spend some lovely days with your loved ones! ♥

#astarion #astarion imagine #astarion x you #astarion x reader #astarion x tav #astarion fluff #astarion ancunin #astarion ancunin imagine #astarion ancunin x you #astarion ancunin x reader #astarion ancunin x tav #baldurs gate 3 #baldurs gate 3 imagine #neil newbon

345 notes · View notes

void-wolfie · 7 months

Text

Paper Rings

summary: you take jenna on a surprise date.

pairing: jenna ortega x gn!r

tw: extra fluffy super romance-y

words: 1.1k

a/n: i had an idea and went with it lol, i have requests i'm working on but progress is slow, i'm still around if anyone wants to chat though

"Just a few more steps," you held on to your girlfriend’s hands, watching the little furrow of her eyebrows as she kept her eyes closed.

"I'm starting to wonder if you're just leading me out to the middle of nowhere to kill me,"

You scoffed, glad she couldn't see the embarrassingly big smile spread across your face, "I couldn't kill you, you are way too cute,"

"Alright, just one more-" You took another step only to lose your footing. You fell backward, your back slamming into the ground harshly. Jenna, who was holding your hands to keep steady, tumbled forward with you. She fell on top of you, the impact knocking all the wind from your lungs. You heard a noise akin to a groan or a yelp, but you couldn’t tell if it was you or Jenna through the commotion.

"Oh my god, are you okay?" she quickly pushed herself up, straddling your waist as she checked you over for any injuries.

"Fine," you groaned out, your chest aching from the fall, "surpriseee..."

Her head tilted as she looked at you confused, wondering if maybe you hit your head on the way down.

You pointed behind you and her eyes followed. The white sheet laid out across the sand, the candles lit in the center, the little picnic basket at the edge. The ocean sat just in front of you, not even twenty feet out. It was cliche, but romantic nonetheless.

"You did all this?" you nodded, not lost on how she was still straddling you, her thumbs lightly brushing beneath your shirt and sending electricity through your nerves.

"It's amazing, I love it," she kissed you, making sure to pour all her emotions into the action.

You never knew a kiss could be so soft and sweet, and at the same time take your breath away and leave your head spinning.

"Wow…" it was all you could think to say as Jenna pulled away.

She giggled, loving the dumbstruck smile that overtook your features, "Come on, Romeo,"

She helped you up off the ground, pulling you towards the picnic blanket.

The sun had just set, hues of red and orange faded into pinks and purples as night crept over the beach. You and Jenna were still cuddled on the sheet you had laid out, a spare blanket was wrapped around the two of you. Soft music played in the background as you both watched waves roll in and out.

Jenna moved to snuggle deeper into your lap, wiggling back and forth in your arms before suddenly stopping. A confused expression made its way across her face.

"Babe?"

"Yeah?" You looked at her sitting in your arms, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"What's in your pocket?"

You thought about it, your pocket? You didn't have anything in your- oh-

Then you felt it, digging into the side of your hip. How could you forget?

"Oh, that," now she seemed curious, "I got you something, close your eyes for me?"

She spun around in your lap to face you, giving you her full attention and closing her eyes like you asked.

You pulled the little ring box out from your pocket, opening it to make sure it still looked perfect for her. It brought a smile to your face, newfound excitement coursing through your veins like lightning in a bottle. You took a second to compose yourself, trading in that toothy grin for a softer smile instead. You closed the little box and held it out towards Jenna, who still had her eyes closed as patiently as ever.

"Ready?" you asked, doing your best to sit still despite your excitement and nerves.

"Open!" You couldn't wait for an answer, you were too excited.

Jenna opened her eyes, the gaze immediately landing on the box in your hands. Her eyes shot back up to yours, her brown eyes filled with curiosity and excitement lit up by the faint glow of sunset.

"Baby-" she took the small box from your hands not yet opening it but examining it with curiosity.

You started to get nervous, she didn't think you were proposing right? It was still way too early for that...

…right?

"Open it,"

She looked up at you excitedly before gently opening the box in her hands. You watched her jaw drop, staring down at the little ring inside.

You started to get nervous, what if this was a bad idea? what if she didn't like it? was it too much? too little? maybe this whole thing was just a stupid idea-

"Oh my god... It's amazing baby!" her face lit up, and she went from shock to amazement. One of the happiest looks you'd ever seen on her face.

Inside the box was a little silver ring, made to look like the origami rings you made her. You had it custom-made just for her, and by custom you mean you made it for her yourself. Your friend taught you how to cut metal and use a welder just so you could make it for her. It was far from perfect, but you thought that that's what made it special.

You and Jenna had a tradition. Every time you went out, you gave her a paper ring. It started as just a way to keep busy at restaurants, giving you something to fidget with to help hide your nerves, but over time it grew into something more. Now whenever you and Jenna go on a date, you have an origami ring waiting for her. Except now, she could take one with her wherever she goes, and this one would last much longer than the paper ones.

Jenna slid the ring onto her finger, admiring the way it looked on her hand. Her eyes held more adoration than you'd ever seen before. You wanted to kiss her right then and there and never let go. And as if the universe were listening, you got your wish.

Jenna grabbed the back of your neck and pulled you in for a kiss. You were caught off guard, but that didn’t matter when all you could focus on was Jenna's lips on yours and the taste of her strawberry chapstick.

She wrapped her arms around you and pulled you in tight. Any tighter and she might as well have been suffocating you, not that you would've minded. You wrapped your arms back around her and buried your face into her neck, the smell of vanilla and oak overwhelming your senses.

You didn't really care what the future held as long as you had Jenna there beside you.

#jenna ortega x reader #jenna ortega #jenna ortega x fem!reader #jenna ortega x gn!reader #jenna ortega x y/n #void-wolfie

463 notes · View notes

btsgotjams27 · 2 years

Text

busted | jjk

Your husband comes home with a new gift and you’re not happy with it.

✨ title: busted | ✨ pairing: biker!jungkook x f!reader ✨ word count: 851 | ✨ rating: m/18+, minors dni ✨ genre/au: fluff, light smut (?) | parents, married ✨ warnings: language, jungkook is having a quarter-life crisis, mentions deceased parent (jungkook’s), they have two small children, jokes about cheating, kissing, groping, fingering, breeding kink(?), reader is turned on by jungkook’s outfit, allusions to sex ✨ a/n: i can't believe jungkook is giving us writers such good content. ily bby. i apologize to @bngtnbrat & @gguksflowers b/c i didn't give you what you actually wanted LOL. i got lazy and didn't want to write smut. don't hate me.

"And where did you come from?" you asked, eyeing your husband from head to toe. "And what are you wearing?"

Jungkook jumped back, doe eyes widened, clutching his chest when you turned on the entryway light. "Holy shit, babe–you scared me." He was dressed in black, not unusual for him - but it wasn't his everyday outfit. He donned a moto-style canvas jacket, skinny jeans, and boots.

You stood there with a deadpan expression, arms crossed, waiting for him to answer. You wanted to see how he'd get out of this one.

He looked at his outfit, confused about why you were fussing over it. He was trying to play it cool and keep his seventeen thousand dollar Harley Davidson purchase a secret. "Why aren't you asleep?" He deflected, evading your questions, and he would never hear the end of it now.

You took a step closer to him, squinting at the orange letters etched in his jacket. "Why does it say Harley Davidson on there?" You already knew what Jungkook was up to, but you needed him to verbalize it.

The low rumbling of a motorcycle could be heard from outside when you checked in on your baby boys. Wondering who the hell bought a bike in your neighborhood. Was it your obnoxious neighbor, Taehyung? Did he finally bite the bullet and make the purchase?

When you peeked through the blinds, a person on an all-black motorcycle was sitting in your driveway. Someone must be at the wrong house, you thought. They pulled off the matte black helmet, lightly ruffling their long, dark, wavy locks - revealing it was not a random stranger but your husband.

Jungkook gently pushed himself off the bike and glanced at the darkened house in front of him. You quickly stepped away from the window, hoping he didn't see you. Your eyes fluttered shut for a moment, and a deep sigh escaped. You told yourself that you wouldn't blow up on him.

Jungkook shrugged. "Just a jacket I bought," he said casually, brushing past you and setting down his backpack.

"Huh--" You turned to him. "Where's your helmet?"

Busted.

He stopped dead in his tracks, beating himself up because you caught him red-handed. Jungkook slowly turned to face you, guilt written all over his face. He knew he couldn't lie anymore. Scratching his temple while dodging your gaze, he muttered, "It's hidden in the bushes."

Taehyung left for the weekend and forgot to give Jungkook the code to his garage. That's where he's been storing his new purchase.

When the two of you started dating, he expressed that owning a motorcycle was a dream of his, but with getting married and having two small children under the age of five - it became a pipe dream. A van was more plausible, not a motorcycle. So Jungkook never brought it up again until his mother passed away. Then there was endless talk about buying his dream bike because life was too short to not buy things that made you happy.

It's not that you didn't want him to have one, you wanted him to have everything he could ever want, but again, the two of you were responsible for little humans now.

"Is that why you've been going out late at night? To ride your bike? Thought you were cheating on me." You were relieved when you discovered it was a bike, not another woman.

He lightly chuckled, holding his arms out for you, bringing you flush against his chest. "I could never cheat on you, baby. You're the only one I want, the only one I'd want to carry my babies," he grinned, peering down at you.

"Kook–don't," you whined when he groped your fleshy cheeks under your oversized shirt. "The kids are sleeping." He was shameless, really, and wanted to fuck you anytime, anywhere.

Was this his way of apologizing for the bike? Fucking you into oblivion?

He connected his mouth to yours, letting his warm tongue find yours. He smiled when he pulled away, causing you to whimper. "Then you gotta be quiet, don't you?"

You broke away from his embrace, playfully hitting him in the chest. "We need to talk about this, you know?" you grumbled. "You're not gonna get away with this."

He chuckled, leaning in and trailing kisses across your jaw, tugging you closer into his frame. "Not gonna get away with what? My bike or you?"

You mewled when his hand found its way into your underwear, lightly touching your already sensitive bud. "Your... bike," you stuttered, eyes fluttering shut at his touch. Jungkook's never been shy regarding affection; he'd always give you hugs and kisses, even with the kids around.

"Can we talk about it later?" he asked, giving open-mouth kisses along your neck, gripping your waist, pressing you against his hardened length.

You had to admit, you liked him in this outfit. Who knew you'd be so turned on by a stupid motorcycle jacket and skinny jeans? God--you're easy.

Jungkook started removing his jacket, but your hands stopped him. "This--stays on." He flashed a shit-eating grin. "Everything stays on."

✨ next ~ busted again

#jungkook fanfic #jungkook fic #jungkook drabble #biker jungkook #bts fanfic #bts fic #jungkook x you #jungkook x reader #jungkook smut #jungkook scenario #jungkook imagine #jungkook #jeon jungkook #bts jungkook #jungkook fluff #jungkook x y/n

3K notes · View notes

the-cat-and-the-birdie · 7 months

Text

I don't think non-New Yorkers know how funny Miles and Wiles having Jordans is.

Like it's REALLY funny and really Brooklyn - New York of him.

Miles, Wiles, and Jordan Sneakers - Clever Cultural Characterisation

[A MEDIUM length post were I talk about Brooklyn Sneaker Culture and it's use in ATSV]

Have you ever wondered -

Why is Miles the only one wearing branded clothing?

When all other brands are either spoofed or replaced, why is Miles - the main character wearing such VERY BLATANTLY branded sneakers?

And why is Nike, a random shoe brand, the choice to go with?

There's a reason the creators show Miles' creativity and personality through his shoes.

And it's because

JORDANS HAVE A CHOKEHOLD - on Black Guys in High School from NYC

And this might be bizarre to some and idk if it translates to other black communities- (please tell me if it does)

But here in Brooklyn, almost every masc guy in my high school was OBSESSED with Jordans. Most guys I knew can name certain releases by looking at them, and had multiple pairs in different colors

JORDANS WERE LIKE SOCIAL CURRENCY - from middle school all the way to college. And it's a very cultural thing here in Brooklyn.

What colors you had and how many are something you bragged about. Many guys own multiple different colorways of Jordan's and will WAIT in line hours for a new release.

There's a store call Flight Club here in the city, and sometimes you'll see the line going out the door, of well dressed black guys waiting for the new release of Nikes to start going on sale.

Of course Adidas is popular, but no where near the culture hold as Nike to us.

I remember begging my parents for like a week until they brought me Black Air Force 1s

And I STILL have them over ten years later. They're too small, but they're holding up well. And even until this day, my home town is lined with sneaker stores. There's one around the corner from me rn.

Here it really is natural for guys LOVE JORDANS and to use them as a form of self expression. It's not odd for Fashion is on the minds of black guys in Brooklyn.

Even in high school, guys were matching their outfits and always trying to get the latest brand name. Mind you, this is an inner-city school full of 98% low income black kids. For us that was a social language.

Some shoes even have their own 'personalities' tied to them:

For example:

Black Air Force 1s (the one above) are often called 'hit a lick' shoes. Hitting a lick means to rob someone. So there's this idea that if you have those on you about that action lol it's an chill inside joke though it isn't serious.

White Air Forces are seen for guys who DON'T do that because they're too worried about getting their white ass shoes so clean.

Keep the above in mind for the next part

Hair cuts - like shape-ups and fades, Backpacks, and Shoes are three big things that were a fashion influence in my high school HARD.

Trends also are a big thing here, and they come on really quickly. I remember for maybe four years a brand called Sprayground got big, and after all SO many high school kids started collecting these $80 bags in all different colors. I wanted one so bad.

A lot of them had illustrations of things like money or weed.

If you see a mfer with the shark mouth bookbag RUN he's the biggest fuckboy you've ever met.

Which is to say - !42 WOULD HAVE ONE OF THESE BAGS

Guys get SO INTO THEM

How many of the iconic orange boxes that you lined up in your room (yes they keep them) was something you boasted about.

MFers would deadass have this in the corner of their room and bring you over talking about sum 'it's decor' SIR IT'S A HOARDING ADDICTION

They'll walk different, and NEVER squat, because doing that might crease the leather along the toe box. And creased Jordans are not fresh so what's the point - they're ruined. A guy in my class use to being plastic bags and tie them around his ankles when it rained then he walked home.

Like look at this Reddit post I found -

'is he stupid' 😭😭that's so mean but like here EVERY guy just assumes you know not to do that to Jordans ever

And that's why the creators do it - AND THEY DO IT WELL

And it's so impressive their deep understanding of this very specific thing that happens in mostly black high schools in NYC.

Cause that's not something you can just search up and research really.

Because of our culture - Miles & Miles!42's shoes are a silent language in their own right.

Like Miles!42's shoes are one of the first things we see about him.

They're the first thing we're suppose to notice - because it let's is compare him to Miles.

Miles' Jordans are iconic - the white and red shoes.

They're clean and white, with pops of color and personality. Like Miles, he's about being the good of Spider-man, while also getting himself and adding his own colors to it.

And because it's natural to the character and the culture, they let his shoes be the signal that Wiles is not like Miles. He has a different style, in fighting, in speaking, in personality, from his hair literally down to his shoes.

REMEMBER HOW I TALKED ABOUT SHOES HAVING PERSONALITY AND THE BLACK AIR FORCES ??????

Wiles' shoes are VERY similar to Black Air Force 1s. It's basically that with utility bags and purple detailing.

That's a signal - like I said: WILES IS ABOUT THAT ACTION. He's here to get his lick back.

From his standpoint, as a black guy from Brooklyn with his personality, he would know about this culture. He'd know the message black Nikes send where he's from.

It'd be natural for him - Hell yeah he'd go for the black Jordans.

He's speaking his social language.

Wiles' doesn't have to say 'fuck around and find out' he got on Air Forces with bags on them - HE'S ABOUT IT.

The writers didn't wake up one day and say 'Oh Nike wants a brand deal?! Okay cool'.

They don't show Wiles' shoes to be like 'LOOKY BUY THE NICE SHOES' - We are shown this shot

For them to be like : This is who Miles!42 is.

Because of sneakers.

Isn't that COOL? ISN'T IT. ISN'T IT COOL THE SOCIAL DYNAMICS OF INNER CITY BLACK KIDS IN NEW YORK??

But it's really funny to me to see Wiles shoes and be like 'damn he bout to fuck Miles up'.

THE IDEA OF THEM FEIGNING OVER JORDANS Fyyofydyogoc

Do guys where you are do this?? Like is this a thing y'all know any Sneakerheads.

Anyway I would put a pic of Hobie but I'm on mobile so they won't let me and I'm lazy

Bye.

#no proofreading fuck it we ball #spiderman #atsv #marvel #spider man #across the spiderverse #atsv miles #atsv analysis #miles morales #miles g #miles 42 #Earth 42 miles #Earth 42 Miles Morales

499 notes · View notes

ferrstappen · 11 months

Text

the first time we broke up l Lando Norris

a/n: im sad so I wrote something sad? imsorry lol. feedback is always appreciated, and if you like this please let me know bc this is a story I have a pt 2 in mind <3 also, we are soon to reach 1k? on my side blog? OMG <3

pairing: Lando Norris x female reader

warnings: a teeny tiny mention of sex if you squint real hard, swear words.

words: 2.7k

genre: fluff, angst, everything tbh.

summary: it was easy to remember how you and Lando fell in love, but it kept getting harder for you to remember why you love him.

You didn’t fall for Lando Norris right after you saw him for the first time.

He was a bit shy, easily flushed, but the glint in his grey eyes never failed to appear whenever he saw you.

You didn’t meet him with the thousands of people following him, girls trying to get his attention, a garage with his name written in big letters.

No, his racing career was a bit under wraps in your neighborhood. Yes, everyone knew the youngest Norris boy was into racing and had a promising future, but he still was the boy they’d seen grow up, nothing out of the ordinary.

You joined Millfield right after he dropped out to focus on his career, but somehow your circles combined and were eventually introduced to each other just as teenagers.

Lando didn’t exactly chase you, neither did he say anything to you; he was content with the way your gentle eyes met him, eyebrows raised while listening to one of his stories racing. Lando was sure he was sleek, covering his feelings.

Well, it’s not like he exactly knew about feelings. He was a teenager, getting accustomed to the weird twist in his stomach whenever he was told you were coming to a reunion, the inevitable way the corners of his mouth shifted when he noticed you, the glimmer in his eyes when you noticed him.

You were oblivious as well. Maybe the feelings weren’t as clear as those of the curly haired boy with a passion for racing, but he made you happy as a friend. His presence gave you a tranquil sensation, you could listen to his stories, the drama between his mates on racing, the country he visited last week… you never realized when you began needing those stories, those eyes, those curls, to make your day, your week, your month.

You remember vividly when he got to the coffee shop where you always met, this time just the two of you, completely unaware your mutual friends denied your invitations in order for either you or Lando to make the first move.

Only one person in the group bet on Lando, everyone´s money was on you to make the move… if only you recognized the feelings.

There was an unknown pep on his step when he saw you already sitting on the corner booth, and his smile only grew bigger when you told him you’d already ordered for him.

His usual.

You knew what Lando liked. You paid attention to him.

That realization, that you knew him, you observed him enough to know how he liked his tea, how he always ordered a fresh orange juice because he needed something

cold. It stirred something in him, Lando couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but something shifted; the twisting was more intense, his heart beating faster, his hands getting clammy, his throat blocked because his brain was ordering to let his feelings out in the open.

But he didn’t do anything until you left the small café, and that’s where you got the answer for his happy and almost childish demeanor.

A black mini, with tinted windows and everything.

He asked if you liked it, coyly resting his body on the passenger door, keys carelessly dangling on his index finger. You laughed, loudly, asking how was he going to drive if he didn’t even know the street signs.

He shrugged you off, reminding you he’s an almost professional racer.

Still, you pretended to be terrified when he switched the ignition and the engine roared, driving you home.

This time, as you watched him drive you through the gloomy English skies, the same twist in the stomach, the closing of your throat, hands itching to touch him.

And you did.

Lando didn’t try to hide his enormous grin when your hand was placed on his knee, then finding a more stable place over his hand on the stick console.

He stopped the car in front of your house, the iron gate half covering the large family home, green filled your surroundings. All these details never left you; the humid window, water droplets running through the iron gate, the grass was greener after the rain last night, his shaky hands running through his curls every five seconds, his eyes finding your own as your name left his lips, even if he didn’t exactly know what to say.

Time stopped when you kissed for the first time.

It was cliché, but it was true.

The first kiss with someone you liked; the start of something new and exciting, the beginning of your first love.

And it continued just like that.

Movie dates, Lando masking his fear when meeting your father when he was just arriving from work, his mum telling you to wait for him upstairs because he was running late.

Falling in love with Lando was easy, too easy maybe. Lando Norris was easy to love, with his boyish grin, the mischievous glint in his eyes when he made you laugh, the tears escaping his beautiful eyes when something was too funny, the way he clutched his stomach because laughing physically hurt him.

He always went all in, never trying to pretend something he wasn’t, never masking his feelings.

Lando shared the same feelings, but maybe he fell in love with you before he was aware of it. Perhaps it happened after you dedicated him a bright smile, the way your facial expressions changed when he told you a story, feeling lucky during a weekend trip to Brighton where you let him be the first one to really love you, to truly be vulnerable with.

Those weekends watching movies and playing Call of Duty, falling asleep with your hand on his hair, waking up every once in a while with your leg over his middle, surprising you on a school day to pick you up on his black mini whenever a race calendar was changed.

Then, he was offered his first seat in Formula One for McLaren.

You jumped into his arms, screaming with joy as his parents joined you in the living room, his tear stained cheeks knowing it was official.

You don’t know how it happened, you’d been together for two years already when he was announced as the new driver, and maybe you were too young and naïve to think the only thing that would change was the distance after he moved near the McLaren headquarters, his calendar messier and tighter.

You didn’t bother him to ask what you should wear to the first appearance on the paddock. Maybe jeans and a blouse would be okay for Friday, a long floral dress on Saturday to match the warm aussie weather, but Sunday…

When you voiced the concerns to your girlfriends they immediately got to work, marking a date on the calendar to go shopping. Your mum did the same, even offering to take you and the girls to London for the weekend. Money wasn’t an issue, you just wanted to look worthy of being there, the girlfriend of a Formula 1 driver.

You stayed up all night studying other girlfriends. You checked Isabel Hernáez who always looked angelical and casual, freely using the merch of her boyfriend’s team. Giada Gianni gave you more inspiration with one colored suits, ankle length dresses, white jeans. Cate mas more into black leather, ripped denim shorts and high heels. Maybe you’d take inspiration from a pregnant Kelly Piquet, with cute dresses with denim jackets and jumpsuits.

Getting to know people on the team was easy, everyone was friendly and took time getting to know your name, shaking hands, introducing you to other members, but you didn’t really see Lando.

Of course you didn’t, he was busy preparing for the race.

But you didn’t see him afterwards; he didn’t look for you after the press point. At least his parents were there as well and they didn’t know about his whereabouts.

He arrived to shared hotel room, throwing his body on the bed. You could see him still trying to process his first weekend on F1, not being on the sidelines but a protagonist, a star.

But you were already wearing your pajamas.

He never saw your outfit.

The season went by and you don’t really know the moment where you sighed after not getting a text, a facetime call, an emoji.

It was blank.

College was kicking your ass, all of your friends were dealing with the same, and you wanted to lean in your boyfriend, to tell him you were tired, stressed and sad because you missed him, but never really got the chance because most of the time it was his assistant who picked up the phone and said she was going to remind Lando to call you.

You weren’t oblivious enough to ignore the lacing pity on the woman’s voice, because she did rely the message every time, but Lando forgot every time.

Or maybe he didn’t care.

The first time it ended, you expected it. It hadn’t been one of those situations where the boy notices his girl is drifting away and by all means necessary tries to win her back or remind her why he was the right guy for her.

He didn’t even notice your absence in the last races of the calendar. Why would he? He didn’t pay attention to you even when you were there cheering for him, so why would you bother to fly across different continents if you’d only see him on a fancy hotel room where he fell asleep and be gone the next morning.

Your friends started looking the relationship with other eyes, mixed feelings, not being able to ignore the mood swings whenever your phone vibrated and it wasn’t him.

They also knew you saw the different fan accounts with his name, posting pictures of different women leaning in his ear and a grin decorating his features.

It was the same grin, the same twinkle. Maybe he was more confident now and didn’t want to settle, because in your eyes, if he stayed with you he was settling for the easy, the known, the familiar. But maybe he could do better than that, perhaps he deserved the new, the exciting, the adventure.

You don’t know when you took the decision, maybe when he called to tell you he was home and to come over to plan the Christmas presents.

And it gave you hope; of course he was going to be overwhelmed during his first season, it was a new life doing what he loved, and people seemed to really like him as well.

He greeted you with a smile and quick peck, lacing his fingers with yours and walking upstairs of his family home. You greeted his family on the way, his younger sister announcing she needed your help with a school project, but Lando told her it was his time with you.

And your smile grew bigger, hand tightening around his.

Nothing prepared you for what was to come, though.

He said it so nonchalantly, like it was nothing, just a small relocation.

Lando kept walking about thisnew apartment McLaren was paying for him; he could even have a yacht almost parked in front of his new apartment.

It was the dream for any twenty-year-old.

But you knew you didn’t have a part in that, because it didn’t take an expert to know how it was going to end.

This wasn’t the case where everything would be fine because both people were just so sure in the relationship, not because they loved each other, but because they trusted and complemented each other.

And that wasn’t the case for you and Lando anymore. So when you told him the words I think we should take some time, he didn’t take it too well.

Lando was blindsided, he felt betrayed and hurt and angry just by the fact you thought of needing some time away from him. He wasn’t aware of everything you’d done to try to fit into his lifestyle; the cameras, luxury, lack of stability.

He didn’t slow his voice or quiet his tone. No. He got up from his spot on the bed and asked how you could do such thing to him, why if he’s been nothing but a loving boyfriend, and he couldn’t believe how selfish you were being, leaving him because things got harder than expected.

It wasn’t easy to smile through the tears flooding your eyes, even if it was a painful smile, but it was liberating to let him know everything you’d done for him; moving, studying in planes and uncomfortable airports, humiliating yourself with his assistant because he simple didn’t care, the sympathetic DMs announcing he was seen with a girl last night, they didn’t do anything but seemed really close. You got one of those messages every other week when you didn’t join him.

He scoffed, tried to ridicule you, trying to express his feelings the best way an immature twenty year old could do.

“I don’t want to take some time, I don’t care about that. If you want to break up then that’s what we do. That way I don’t have to wory about giving explanations of whatever I choose to do,” His eyes didn’t meet yours, but it wasn’t because he was sad or anything, it was because he was angry with the situation, with you, and with him, even if he didn’t realize that part yet. “When did you become so selfish, you couldn’t wait a couple of weeks or even days after I got home? You are aware of that, right? I’m home with my family for the first time in fucking forever, and you decide to break up, fuck you.”

You knew you wouldn’t be able to hold it inside much longer; vision blurry from the tears, lungs trying their best to keep breathing with the thick knot on your throat.

And that’s when you knew it was over, because you didn’t want to fight. You didn’t want to make your point to him, knowing he wouldn’t understand.

That was the first time you and Lando broke up.

#lando norris one shot #lando norris au #lando norris fanfic #lando norris x reader #lando norris imagine #lando norris angst #lando norris fluff #lando norris x you #lando norris x y/n #lando norris f1 #f1 x you #f1 x reader #f1 fanfic #f1 angst #f1 fluff

984 notes · View notes

holrye · 6 days

Text

A love she can't have

summary: a window into the sacred nights of a small island kingdoms queen and her lover

tags: plot divergence, smut, fluff, light angst, yearning, implied chubby reader (section is tiny)

a/n: ahhhh, so I'm super nervous to post this, lol. Im not the most confident in my writing, and I've been working on the idea for this for so long. tbh I don't know if I like how it turned out. I made so many different versions, and this is the only one that stuck. I hope you guys like it :)

One night, every six or seven months, the estate of this small island kingdom is empty.

No bustling of maids and butlers as they prepare meals and clean. The orange hue of the lights inside are dimmed and the sheer curtains are often drawn.

A tradition, some would call it. Others would say it's strange. What could the young ruler do all to her lonesome up in that immense estate? Does she force her staff to leave for nefarious reasons? What secrets could she be hiding? All fair questions that will go unanswered for as long as you live.

Privacy as the ruler of a nation is somewhat expected to wane upon your coronation. The kings and queens before you knew this, and were mindful of it. But never has a ruler taken so many precautions as you on these particular nights. These nights were often random to the public as well, the only sign being when the staff are ushered from the large french doors at the estates entrance.

What could the diligent leader be cooping herself up for?

Oh, if they only knew…

If your people only knew that their queen was hiding a scandalous affair, with a pirate no less. What would people think? They’d say you’d gone insane, and were seduced by some horrid marauder. You’d lose every ounce of power you gained and be left to fend for yourself. Not a thing to your name other than the clothes on your back, they’d raid the estate and denounce you.

So, these nights are secret. Whispers between you and your midnight guest that never leave the halls of the estate.

Though the guest in question is far less worried about the conspicuousness of your meetings. Not because he lacks care for your reputation, but because some would say he's a bit obtuse. A fool in love with someone he should never associate with.

You only become aware of his visits hours before he arrives, leaving you little time to fruitfully convince your entire staff to leave. Though it sounds unchallenging, your estate employs hundreds of people. Gardeners, chefs, handmaids, every task you could do yourself is done for you, mostly at the behest of your late mother who ruled before you.

There's only so many excuses you can use without sounding suspicious. You want them to spend the night with their families or you’d like the estate to yourself or you had an awful mark on your back you didn’t want anyone to see as you bathed (that last one only made your head maid look at you worried).

By now, they’d chalked it up to your eccentricity. The queen is just a bit strange. It made you more likable to some, relatable. There was little judgment, at least to your face, though that too was likely because of your rank. You cared little, as long as they were all gone before he blew in.

He usually arrived just before midnight, his boat tied just off shore. A small cove sat behind your estate, sharp boulders and thick shrubbery concealing it. This is where he hides his vessel, only doing so after it was nearly found the morning after by a gardener.

You scolded him harshly in your letters through the following months.

You’d wait on your bedroom balcony, watching the bushes. Sitting at the small table, eagerly stirring your cup of tea and waiting. Your feet are bare, cold from the breeze and the stone underfoot.

The chill of soft trepidation is a feeling you’ve come to know since you met him. An almost nauseous feeling in your stomach, stiff cold limbs, a heavy chest. The months worth of built up suspense that has you on the edge, tempting you to jump.

Only when a hint of tanned skin is seen through the leaves, does your chest tighten. The bush moves again and his body pushes through, nearly falling to the grass. He catches himself before looking up to your balcony.

A smile stretches his freckled cheeks, and his feet are moving again.

You stand, gulping the last drink from your cup before hastily fixing yourself. Crickets and his heavy breaths as he climbs up the balcony are the only noise throughout the garden. It seemingly makes your heart pound faster, anticipation building in your belly.

With a few more pulls, the man hops over the banister and stands before you. A shallow and shaky breath leaves your nose. Months of letters, declarations of love and yearning built up to this meeting. It always feels like the first time, standing before him in your frilly nightgown. It's embarrassing and euphoric all at once.

“Long time, no see.” His voice is soft, smile apparent as he speaks.

You smile up at him, blush dusting your cheeks.

“Hello, my love.” Your voice is softer than you mean it to be. He moves a step closer, and you notice the small bundle of letters in his hand. They’re addressed to him and the handwriting is your soft cursive. You question his purpose in bringing them, but don’t ask.

“Have you eaten?” You ask. It’s a silly question now that you think about it, the man is known for his appetite.

He nods, still smiling as he moves closer again. His hand meets your arm, slowly sliding up to lay against your neck. The movement is soft, his thumb caressing your jaw as he looks at you.

Your arms move to his shoulders, broad and strong. They slip to the back of his neck, dark, wet hair matting to your hand. He smells of salt water and sweat. He likely had to snow to shore due to high tide, which completely engulfed the cove most nights.

His eyes droop, as he presses a hungry kiss to your lips. It has you curling into him, his full hand meeting your hip. His feet start to move you backward, against the cold stone wall behind you. His hand moves from your jaw to the space beside your head, stealing your breath as he kisses you. Your hands twist into his hair, keeping him there until you both break with a gasp.

He moves his hand to your lower back, pulling you into him again only for you to press a palm to his mouth. His eyebrows twist as he looks at you.

“I have some things inside for you.” You say, cocking your head to the left.

“Of course you do.” He smiles at you again.

Your bedroom, a large rounded room with a bed much too big for one, is lit with hundreds of candles. Two bottles of champagne sit unopened on the table in the middle of the room with two glasses sat to the side. An array of cheeses, bread and fruit sit on a plate to the side as well.

The bedspread is soft below you, your eyes glued to the liquid in the flute as you listen to Ace read your writing. Your hand wrapped around his wrist and your head rests against his hip as his voice nearly soothes you to sleep. You want to make a bed out of his tambre and sleep in it forever.

“I fear the selfishness I feel when you aren’t in my company. I cower at the thought of it boiling over and taking hold of me, interfering in my daily work. I yearn so much for the day I can be with you, freely, without the need to veil our flirtation. To think, I rule a nation as a queen. I wield power most only dream of, and yet I feel powerless in your absence. It nearly sickens me.” He pauses, looking at you over the parchment.

“A kiss would satiate me for the time being. I soft kiss that speaks your tenor and goes by your name. I look forward to when we meet again, my love. May that heavenly time come soon.” He ends it by saying your signature out loud. He folds that paper again, placing it back in its envelope.

The look on your face is melancholic, thinking back to the sadness you felt writing those letters to him. How much you missed him and what you would’ve done to see him at the time. It's embarrassing, listening to the heart you poured into the paper for him out loud.

He looks at you again, hand moving to the top of your head. He plays with the hair there, the comfortable silence taking the place of his voice.

“Is Edward well? I heard his health started declining again.” You ask, sipping from your glass again.

He nods, smile fading slightly as he speaks again.

“Yeah, the old man shouldn’t work himself as hard as he does. It's catching up to him.” Whitebeard was an acquaintance of your father, often meeting him for peace treaty signings. Even as a pirate, he’d earned your fathers respect.

“Hardworking as ever.” You smile.

He smiles as you sit up, finishing your glass off and setting it upon the bedside table.

“You're one to talk, your highness.” He chuckles, extending his arm for you to lay against his chest.

“Ruling a kingdom is a lot of work. I do what I have to do. You’d think being a pirate, he’d use more of his free time being…free.” You say. A soft laugh leaves his chest as he nods his head.

“You’d think.” His voice evens out again as he looks down at you.

Your hand moves to cup his cheek, holding it there for a moment. It’s warm. Everything about Ace is. Whether it be his devil fruit or his personality. He warms your heart in a way you’ve never felt before. It makes it harder when you have to watch him leave, his broad form disappearing in the bushes. You’d say goodbye to him with tears in your eyes as he kissed your lips and abandon that warmth until you saw him again.

“You're so beautiful.” You don’t mean to say it out loud, biting your lip when your mouth speaks before you catch yourself. His lips quirk, eyes half-massed as he gazes at you.

“I could say the same about you, sweetheart.” He chuckles.

The room goes quiet again.

He takes your hand in his, pressing your palm to his lips. It's soft and he keeps moving up your arm, to your shoulder. He pauses a moment before looking at you again.

“Is this okay?” He asks, kissing your shoulder again. A blush brightens your cheeks. You know what he's asking.

With a dry swallow, you nod and he smiles for the millionth time tonight. He climbs on top of you, moving from your collar bone up to your neck. Your hands move to his head, grasping the hair there at the sensation. He kisses the section just below your ear, sending a shiver down your spine.

A throaty chuckle falls from him as he starts his descent of your body. A kiss pressed to your collarbone, a kiss to your sternum, a kiss to your belly, it's all too much. His hands meet your hips, bunching the fabric of your dress slightly. He moves down, pressing soft kisses to the middle of your thighs.

“You're so soft.” He says, smiling into your sensitive skin. You sigh, wanting nothing more than for him to ravish you like he’s done so many times before. His hands bunch at the end of your skirt, slowly pulling it up inch by tantalizing inch. It's enough anticipation to make you sick.

He raises the hem to your hips, your lacy undergarments showing. You sit up as he pulls it off of you, your breasts bouncing as they fall. He kisses your lips again, before laying you down on the bed again. Your knees press together, a familiar warmth swirling through your gut and into your core.

His hands land on your hips, softly squeezing the skin that lightly hangs over your panties. Your breath catches when he kneels at the edge of your bed, looping his fingers into your underwear and slipping them down your thighs.

He exhales loudly, seemingly holding his breath before. He takes your knees over his shoulders, nipping at the fat of your thighs. A long stripe from your inner thigh to your groin has you shaking. His hands move to yours scrunched up in the blankets, lacing your fingers together.

A slow lick to your clit leaves you breathless, eyes shutting as you squeeze his hands.

“You taste so good.” it's muffled by your skin, but you understand him. He licks you again, softly sucking your clit into his mouth.

His mouth is so warm and wet, it has you in a euphoric state. This feeling only he can give you, one that you want to feel forever. Making love to Ace felt otherworldly, no matter how many times you did it.

“Ace..ah-” Your voice is caught in your throat, his tongue moving down to your hole.

“Yes, my love?” His tone is mocking, as if demanding you answer him. Your lips are raw, drool dripping from the corner of your mouth as you try to speak.

Words fail you, one of your hands moving from his, to his head. Leverage.

He hums into you, slipping his tongue in and out of you a few times before replacing it with his finger. His mouth moves back to your clit and your seeing stars, the blinding white matching the pace of the growing knot in your stomach.

“Ace-” You sigh as your muscles tense up. Your orgasm hits you in waves, leaving your thighs shaking around his face. He sucks the soft skin around your pussy as you come down, hands moving to your thighs.

“Mm, baby…” He says, his voice hoarse as he moves up to your face. Your skin is sticky, hair sticking to your face and palms sweating. He kisses you, the heady taste of yourself on his tongue. Your hands move to his face, draping your arms around his neck.

With little hesitation, he reaches for the buckle of his shorts, dropping them and climbing on top of you. You lift your legs, wrapping them around his hips.

“You ready?” He asks, and you nuzzle your nose into his. With a huff, he’s pushing in and the both of you sigh loudly at the contact. His movements start slow, smooth.

His hips meet yours and your eyes go white. His hand rests next to your head, his thrusts making his bicep flex a bit. It makes you drool, pressing a kiss to his wrist as he evens out his pace.

“You feel so good…hah-” His breathing is erratic and his other hand moves to the fold of your knee. Your head falls back, moans leaving you otherwise speechless. It feels so good, you can’t move.

His pace picks up, quickening as both of you approach your highs. Your breathing is stunted and your eyes are clenched shut. Ace moves his face to the crook of your neck, licking a strip up to your chin. Everything is perfect.

“I love you.” You say, looking him in the eyes. You swear you feel his cock throb inside you.

“I love you too, your highness.” He smirks.

With two or three deep thrusts, he’s finishing inside you. You scream, voice breaking when you finally cum again. He thrusts a couple more times, only pulling out when his cock stops throbbing. Your pussy clenches around nothing, his cum dripping out of you onto the pristine sheets.

He falls into the empty space next to you, wrapping an arm around your waist as you clench your thighs together again. The aftershocks leave you drowsy and you roll in to his chest, drifting to sleep.

You don’t wake again until the early morning the next day. Ace is awake, his warm hands brushing through your hair. Your eyes scrunch at the brightening horizon before looking back at him.

“You sleep ok?” He asks.

You nod, kissing his jaw before rising to stretch. He rubs a hand down your back and gets out of bed.

Mornings after he visits are melancholy, knowing the inevitable has come to pass yet again. He’ll leave you for another period of time unknown to him or you. Your letters will be the only form of communication you'll have for months. It’s all a bit too much to bear.

You rise, hugging him from behind as he puts his clothes back on. Freckles decorate his back and shoulders and you want to count every one of them.

Before you know it, you stand looking up at him on your balcony wrapped in a sheet. His kiss is as warm as ever, not wanting to leave. You hold him there for a while, tears nearly forming in your eyes already.

“I’ll see you soon.” You nearly whimper. He wipes your eyes with his thumbs, smiling at you.

“I’ll keep you in my thoughts, my love.” He smiles and you remember your gift you still have to give him.

“Wait!” You say, scurrying inside and grabbing a small locket off of your vanity. You hand it to him, and he opens it.

“Keep it close to your heart.” You say. The picture inside is of you, and it warms his heart. A smile creases his eyes as kisses you again. He kisses your cheeks and your forehead as the sun starts to show over the horizon.

“I love you.” He says, slowly stepping back and over the banaster. You reach your hands out one last time, cupping his face and kissing him before he climbs down and runs through the garden.

With one final wave and kiss to his palm, he disappears into the greenery.

No one knows why the queen hides herself away certain nights of the year. Maybe shes up to nefarious activities. Maybe she does have secrets.

Maybe she's just in love with someone she can’t have.

104 notes · View notes

wooahaeproductions · 1 month

Text

Viewfinder

Lee Seokmin (Dokyeom) x Female Reader

Genre: fluff, smut, photographer!reader x bf!seok

Word Count: 1.7k

Warnings: nude photography, appreciation of Seokmin’s body, a little thigh riding? and protected sex (its gentle and sweet)

Rating: 18+ MDNI!!!

A/N: So this happened…lol. Thank you so much to the lovely June @onlyhuis for brainstorming with me and betaing!

Also tagging: @highvern @wongyuseokie @the-boy-meets-evil for uh reasons lol

Your camera clicked as you snapped multiple photos of the sun's rays against the top of the water’s ripples. Spring was in its prime and when you woke up that morning, you knew the weather was perfect for an outing to the marina park. You stopped clicking the shutter and flipped open the screen to review the photos you just took with a small smile. You had captured several shots of the sun’s reflection, the halo of it spreading out across the water as it nearly blinded you with its brilliance.

As a magazine photographer, you enjoyed your work taking photos of models and fashion items. Still, sometimes it was nice to take photos for yourself, for your own enjoyment and the park at the marina near your home never let you down. Soon, the cherry trees surrounding the area would bloom, providing you with more of the nature content you loved photographing the most.

You stopped looking at the pictures you took and pulled out your phone to look at the time when you noticed a text from your boyfriend letting you know that he was coming to pick you up from the park. He sent that about 10 minutes ago and most likely would be waiting in the parking lot any minute now. You made your way to the lot where he was indeed waiting for you in the car when you arrived.

You opened the door to the back of the car, offloading the tripod you were carrying on your shoulder into the seat and setting your camera bag next to it. “Did you get some good shots today, love?” Seokmin asked you from the front seat. You looked up to answer him and were quite happy you hadn’t put your camera in its bag yet because your boyfriend looked so stunning in the glow of the sunset.

You lifted your camera and looked through the viewfinder, seeing the most perfect shot of him. He had the window rolled open to let in the warm breeze and it ruffled his bangs slightly. His head leaned back against the headrest, and his sunglasses rested on the bridge of his nose just as the oranges of the sunset began to paint his face. You pushed the shutter closed and the camera clicked, taking the photo.

“Yes, Seokmin. I got some great shots today,” you grinned, putting the camera in your bag now that you had captured your favorite human.

“Including the one you took just now?” He said, teasing you and shooting you a devastatingly adorable smile.

“That one might be the best one of the day,” you teased back, although it was a true statement in your mind. You pushed your camera bag into the seat further, making sure it was secure before closing the door and making your way to the passenger side. Seokmin leaned over and opened the door for you to get in. You settled in your seat, putting your seatbelt on before he pulled out of the lot heading for home. You looked over at your boyfriend, marveling at how lucky you were to have someone like him.

A few hours later, you were finishing up dinner when you had an idea to keep the inspiration that you had during the day going. “Hey, Seok?” you started.

“Hmm?” he responded, gathering your empty plate from the table to take them into the kitchen.

“So there’s one type of photography I haven’t done yet and I think I’d like to try it today…” you said a bit nervously.

“Okay, well what is it? Let’s do it,” Seokmin responded enthusiastically before knowing what it was.

“Um, nude photography,” you squeaked, looking down at your hands.

You heard him let out a light laugh before saying, “Anything for you, baby”. You knew that was true, he’d do anything you asked of him.

“Okay, well let me grab one of my cameras and I’ll meet you upstairs?” you said and he nodded after placing the dishes in the sink to wash later.

He went up to the bedroom while you went into the other room that housed all your cameras, and you grabbed your favorite one, the one you knew would capture all his gorgeous angles that made you weak in the knees. You took a deep breath as you made your way up the stairs. You didn’t know why you were so nervous, it’s not like you and Seokmin hadn’t seen each other naked before. But for some reason, the bond between photographer and nude model held a different type of intimacy.

You walked into the bedroom to find Seokmin lying on the bed, peering up at you while his arms propped his head up on the pillows. You fought to keep back a gasp as you eyed the bareness of his back, thighs, and ass. The sunlight that had shone earlier had now changed to moonlight that spilled into the room, creating shadows against the lines of his shoulder blades. Just when you thought he couldn’t get more beautiful, you were proved wrong.

His eyes lit up as you looked at him through your camera, and just as he gave a wide toothy smile, you pushed the shutter down to capture the moment. “Like what you see?” he asked cheekily, albeit a little out of character. You giggled, knowing he likely was nervous too and was acting like that to dissipate the unease.

“I very much like what I see, my muse,” you said back, still laughing. You snapped a few more photos, capturing the planes in his face and the curves of his naked frame. You knew you would edit these photos to be black and white, to better accentuate the shadowing and finer details of his body. You sat next to him on the bed as he moved to pose so you could get a closer shot. His skin looked so smooth that you couldn’t help but reach forward and brush your fingertips along the top of his shoulders.

You went to pull your hand away, but he stopped it with his own. “Couldn’t resist could you?” Seokmin joked.

“No, I couldn’t,” you said, rather bluntly. He wasn’t exactly expecting that answer and tugged you towards him, capturing your lips with his. As you kissed, he slowly took the camera from your other hand and set it down on the end table near the bed. Your now empty hand moved to rake your fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck.

You continued kissing and found yourself further up on the bed, hovering over Seokmin. His hands had moved to the small of your back, pulling your clothed body flush against his naked one. He let out a whimper when your clothed core rubbed against the erection he was now sporting.

“I think we are a little uneven here, love,” he spoke, breaking your makeout session.

You smiled and leaned your forehead against his. “Should I even it out then?” you said, wasting no time and taking off your shirt. It was followed by your pants and undergarments, leaving you bare like Seokmin had been for the past twenty minutes.

“You’re so lovely,” Seokmin breathed out, leaving a peck on the top of your shoulder. You grinned at the notion of the subject complimenting the photographer. His hands found your hips, pulling you back against him. His skin against yours was silky and you couldn’t help but buck your hips against him.

He let out a sharp breath when his tip hit the edges of your folds and knew he couldn’t wait to be inside you. He rubbed his length against you, dragging it lightly as you gave a slight moan. He could feel how wet you were for him already. You reached your hand down to rub small circles on your sensitive nub, desperate for the sensation.

As if he read your mind, Seokmin reached over into the drawer of the end table and pulled out the familiar foil package. A minute later, he was pulling the latex over his cock and you had taken your spot back on top of him. You rolled your hips against his thigh, working yourself up even more to be able to take him soon.

“Please, baby,” He growled as you grinded against his toned thigh, hearing you let out whines. “I need to be in you,” He continued, taking more control now and moving you so your core was lined up for him.

You nodded, confirming that you were ready for him. He pulled you forward, sinking you onto him. He hissed, feeling how molten your walls had become for him. He slowly began pumping and you started a rhythm with your hips meeting his, going faster with each pump.

Moans and whines echoed around the room as you chased your highs together. Hands found purchase wherever they could, his on your ass cheeks pulling you as close as possible and yours digging into his shoulders for leverage. The coil in the pit of your stomach stretched more and more until Seokmin whispered in your ear. “I’m close.”

His warm breath against the shell of your ear and the knowledge that he was going to come undone just for you almost made the coil snap. One more particularly deep thrust later, he came with a groan. The feeling of him twitching within you brought your orgasm along with his.

You collapsed on top of him as he slowly pulled out of you, chests heaving as you caught your breath. Your vision that had gotten a little fuzzy at the peak of your high was returning, rewarding you with a glimpse of Seokmin’s gentle smile. He pressed a kiss to your temple and brushed a strand of hair behind your ear before he rid himself of the condom, tossing it in the trash can.

You moved to lay down next to him, pressing yourself into his side. He turned over to face you, pulling the covers over you as he moved. His arms engulfed you, bringing you closer to his chest and he rested his chin against your cheek. As you snuggled underneath the covers with Seokmin, you knew there was no one else in the world you would want to see in your viewfinder.

©️wooahaeproductions

All works on this blog are protected under copyright. Do not repost, continue, or translate my works.

#seventeen smut #kvanity #svthub #ksmutsociety #kbookshelf #dk fanfic #dk smut #dk fluff #svt dk #svt lee seokmin #svt fluff #svt smut #dokyeom

146 notes · View notes

bearsbeetsbeskar · 1 year

Text

Restoring the Roots (Joel Miller x Therapist! reader)

Chapter 1: Pre-Contemplation

Chapter 2 here | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | main masterlist |

Pairing: Joel Miller x therapist! reader, post outbreak Rating: none, will be changed to explicit in future chapters (slow burn, eventual smut, age gap) Summary: Life after moving to Jackson looks drastically different for Joel, survival mode is over and now he and Ellie can finally put down new roots. Ellie adapts easily but Joel finds himself struggling to settle into this new life, in more ways than some. At Ellie and Tommy’s insistence, Joel begrudgingly finds himself in therapy to try and work through his struggles but what he encounters is more than just painful memories and deeply rooted trauma. A/N: I cannot say enough thank you's to the number of lovely humans who encouraged this idea and supported me as I embark on my very first fic! And what better Pedro character to be the guinea pig for this idea? Lots of this story draws on my personal knowledge as a social worker, as I am working towards becoming a certified equine assisted therapist. Consequently, there are lots of horsey terms, therapy terms, and vivid descriptions of trauma at certain points. Feel free like, comment, or reblog if you enjoy it :)

Taglist (for now): @beskarandblasters, @pr0ximamidnight, @theewokingdead, @atinylittlepain, @prolix-yuy, @swiftispunk, @harriedandharassed, @amywritesthings

If anyone wants to be on the taglist please let me know! If you don't want to be on it then also let me know lol.

~~~~~~~

You sat up taller in your chair, arching your back and rolling your shoulders in an effort to stretch out your spine, exhaling softly as you heard the cacophony of crunches and protests from your muscles. You had been hunched over your notepad for over an hour, eyebrows scrunched together and your mind running on autopilot, as you caught up on client notes that you had fallen behind on for the last couple days. The downside of having a small therapy practice, hell any therapy practice, was that there was a never ending litany of documentation to fill out. Seeing as you were the only therapist in the tiny commune of Jackson, there was never a shortage of clients and consequently, never a shortage of session notes that you had to write.

“Hun.”

You hear your name spoken in a warm tone from behind you. You barely look up from the page as you try to rewrite the word ‘diagnosis’ after what feels like the fifth time. The word has basically lost all its meaning at this point.

“Honey, c’mon, the sun is about ready to set and you can wrap that up tomorrow.” The cover page to the notepad closes on top of your hand and you look up to see your assistant, Tracey, giving you a knowing look and then glancing towards the front of the office. You follow her gaze to the front windows and take in the deep ember orange hue washing over the business faces and windows on the opposite side of the street, signaling the end of another day. Sighing softly, you lean back in your chair and cross your arms over your chest with a frown. You know she’s right and yet you still have the same dispute every day.

“Trace, you and I both know that if I don’t get them done today, they will just be added to tomorrow’s to do list, besides this is the last one I swear,” you say to her with a smirk, as if she has not heard that excuse before.

You were never the kind of person to half-ass your responsibilities at your job, including client documentation, even if there was no longer any governing body or association to uphold professional social work standards. You did your job with integrity, even the mundane administrative tasks that involved more writing than actual talking with clients. Tracey knew this of course, it was something she admired about you, how suited you were for this line of work. It was clear that you cared deeply for the clients that you supported. But it doesn’t mean it was not a fight when the end of the workday rolled around and she had to tear you away from your desk and practically shove you out of the office door.

She rolled her eyes at you and her lips curled into a small smile as she headed towards the door with her coat and bag in tow. “Promise me you will at least be out of here before the night patrol starts?” She points her finger at you as she stops just ahead of the door. You nod and wave her off as you turn your focus back to the notepad, smoothing your palm over the words etched into the cover ‘Restorative Reins.’

You had only been in Jackson for roughly over a month, though it felt like much longer. Much like everyone else who had survived the outbreak and came to find refuge in the small settlement after the world went to shit, you were grateful to accept any basic decencies of normal life that were afforded to you. Warm meals, warm showers, hell running water in general was a miracle in and of itself at that point. So when you actually arrived in Jackson, you were dumbfounded to see how much normalcy surrounded you. Children running and playing in the streets, storefronts of various thriving businesses, sheep being rounded up in a nearby corral - hold on, a fucking MOVIE THEATER?

While it took some time to grow out of the perpetual fight or flight mode that you were entrenched in from life on the road, you did eventually fall into a good pace in Jackson. Especially after getting involved in the community and taking up the job as the local therapist, you had never been busier, and you loved it.

The world felt unflinchingly obsolete post outbreak, but being able to support others with their mental health never failed to bring you joy and an unshakeable sense of purpose. You wanted to help others as they navigated their pain and broke down the mental blocks that entrapped them in their trauma. You wanted to help them realize the innate strength that they possessed. Sadly, you never got the chance to practice long term, as you finished up grad school just before the outbreak happened. But that didn’t seem to matter now as you had an endless stream of community members that you saw on a weekly basis at your practice, all with their own pain and struggles, seeking support.

It was crazy to think about the short period of time that had passed since you started at the job, how much you had done for the residents, how much more that you wanted to do. You were pulled from your memories when the office phone rang, internally groaning as you looked at your watch.

4:58 p.m. Of course.

Steeling yourself you picked up the phone, praying that it was a quick call.

“Restorative Reins Practice, how can I help you?” you answered.

“Oh! hi ma'am,” a warm, mellow Southern drawl greets you on the other end. “Are you the local therapist that has been helpin’ folks out around here with their mental health?”

"That's me,” you reply warmly, “what can I do for you?”

The man hesitates briefly, “Well, I was uh wanting to know a bit more about the business I guess, how the therapy process works, fees and stuff for someone who was interested in getting help. Not me though, it’s not for me, it’s for my brother, Joel. My name is Tommy by the way,” he mentions quickly.

“No problem Tommy, I can explain the basics to you including the different types of therapy I offer and how the process works,” you reassure him. You explain to him the different services, how the equine therapy worked, walk in hours, session lengths and so on.

“I should probably mention that my brother ain’t keen on getting help and reaching out to others when he needs it, he’s too damn proud to acknowledge it, so he really doesn’t think he has any issues and thinks everything is fine… but he’s having a real tough time settlin’ down here. He’s so haunted by his past and he’s been acting differently lately, more temperamental, well, more than usual,” Tommy adds. You smile to yourself and nod, as you’ve had many clients before who were stuck in similar struggles and closed off to therapy initially.

“I can definitely understand that,” you sympathize with him. “It sounds like your brother has been through a lot and you just want him to get some support, which is great. Therapy isn’t for everybody but I have worked with many individuals like him who were going through similar situations, and they found great success.”

“That’s great to hear. That’s all I want for him is to get some help,” Tommy states.

“Now with that being said,” you continue, “therapy is voluntary, I cannot force someone to attend, but if your brother would agree to a consultation with me, I could chat with him more about where he is at, the kind of support he could benefit from and go from there. No pressure to commit to anything,” you propose to him.

“Hmm, I think he could be persuaded to try that, now that you mention it like that,” Tommy chuckles, sounding pleasantly surprised.

“Awesome! You can tell him to stop by the office any time and we can discuss it more. We’re open from 9-5,” you tell him, silently relieved that it was an indeed quick call. He thanks you and hangs up.

Something else akin to curiosity creeps into your mind as you recount what Tommy briefly told you about his brother. Maybe more so intrigue. You wonder how resistant he is to therapy, what happened in his past to hurt him so deeply, but you catch yourself before your thoughts run away from you further, either way you look forward to helping another person in need.

~~~~~~~~~~~

“Tommy, I swear to god if you bring up this damn therapy shit again, I won’t hesitate to shoot you next time we’re out on patrol,” Joel growled through clenched teeth, as he walked away from his brother into the kitchen of the house.

“Boy, it ain’t like I never heard that before,” Tommy quipped sarcastically, rolling his eyes as he followed Joel into the kitchen, pausing in the doorway as he leaned against the frame, hands shoved into his pockets. He observed his brother's rigid stance, the tightness in his shoulders, as Joel stood over the sink, looking out the window.

This felt like the umpteenth time that Tommy had broached the subject of Joel getting help and talking to a ‘shrink,’ as he dismissively described it, for the issues that he was struggling with. Joel was fine. He didn’t have any fucking issues. He was doing just fine and didn’t need some professional to scrutinize him, reduce him to his vices, and open old wounds from his past life. He was encouraged to go to grief counseling after Sarah died but by some grace of God, or whatever godforsaken omnipotent entity existed at that point, the outbreak occurred. Forget mental health, physical health and survival became the only focus.

Tommy exhaled softly. “Listen, I'm only suggestin’ it because I care about you. Ellie cares about you. You both have been through hell and back in the last year, I mean shit, we all have. But it seems like everything y’all went through is still affecting you, holding you back from letting your guard down and settling in here,” he states plainly, sadness lacing his tone.

“That’s bullshit Tommy and you know it,” Joel snaps, turning to face his younger brother and leaning back against the counter, arms crossed in defense. His gaze narrows. “I go out on patrol don’t I? Pick up extra shifts wherever it’s needed, help out with the contracting jobs, go out with Ellie in town.” Joel stood up taller, puffing out his chest, challenging his younger brother. Tommy shook his head, running his hand over his face with an exasperated expression. Heaven forbid Joel did anything for himself that did not involve contributing or providing for someone, period. He just couldn’t shake that from his identity, and it broke Tommy’s heart as he watched his brother’s stubborn pride, ridden with guilt and trauma, swallow him whole.

“Man when are you gonna fuckin’ do something for yourself Joel?!” Tommy asserted, his frustration reaching a boiling point. “Forget the damn commune, forget the community, forget Ellie for a sec and think about the last time YOU did something for yourself, the last time YOU reached out for help goddamnit.” He pushed off the doorframe and crossed the threshold of the kitchen as he strode towards Joel.

“You’re not on the run anymore brother. You don’t have to just survive. You can have a life here. You can sleep without keepin’ one eye open and relax without lookin’ over your shoulder. Don’t you want that? Don’t you think you deserve that?! Don’t you think you deserve this?!” Tommy said as he gestured around the cozy kitchen and fixed his older brother with a pleading stare.

Joel’s eyes widened as he tried to step back, the edge of the counter biting into his lower back as he took in Tommy’s weary face, the pain in his soft brown eyes, mirroring his own. His younger brother rarely raised his voice anymore. The outbreak took its toll on his hot headed temperament that never seemed to simmer down, even after he was discharged from the army. Joel knew that Tommy cared about him, hell he knew how deeply his brother loved him, after all they had respectively been through in the last twenty years, it had to be serious for him to raise his voice.

Joel opened his mouth, ready to bite back but his brother raised his hands in the air in surrender, “Look, this is the last time I will bring this up, I swear. But yesterday I called up the therapist in town who’s been helpin’ folks out, and asked her about the therapy process and she seems real nice, and supportive. She said you could come in for a consultation and talk to her and see if you’re interested,” Tommy said quietly.

Joel’s gaze narrows as he scrunches his eyebrows together in incredulity, “You-”

“I had nothing to lose Joel. Absolutely nothing. And neither do you,” Tommy cuts him off, raising his chin in defiance. “At least go talk to the therapist, if you don’t like her or you’re not feelin’ it, then I’ll drop it and let it go. Okay? The office is on the main street, just beside the clothing store, adjacent to the stables and they’re open everyday from 9-5.”

“Jesus fucking Christ Tommy,” Joel leaned back as he looked up at the ceiling, wishing it would collapse in on him. Gotta love that brotherly love.

“Look I should be getting back now, Maria will be waiting for me. Here’s the number and address for the business. I’ll see you around okay?” Tommy patted through his pockets and retrieved a small piece of paper with writing scribbled on it, placing it on the counter beside Joel. He gave him a last placating look before he walked out of the kitchen, the front door closing behind him with a soft click.

Joel pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled sharply before turning back around to look out the kitchen window. He hung his head in defeat, rounding his back as he rested his elbows on the counter and glared into his matte reflection in the sink. He didn’t need any help. He was doing fine. He’s still upright and breathing, with blood coursing through his veins isn’t he? Albeit, he's not jumping out of bed like a sprightly thirty year old anymore. His knees pop and crackle when he gets up from crouching over machinery for too long, his joints protest the next day when he pushes himself too far, moving slower than usual on job sites.

Hell, even his memory is starting to get cloudy around the edges. If it weren’t for Ellie some days, he’s sure he would leave the house without pants on, what with her always reminding him where things are in the house, special events that are coming up in the community that he forgets about. He had been a bit more snappy than usual, as Ellie so lovingly pointed out one day, but that’s nothing compared to his normal demeanour.

“You’re becoming a grumpy motherfucker y'know that? Jeez, who shit in your cornflakes this morning?” She grumbled at him with a mouth full of cereal, after he snapped at her reminder that it was parent day at the local school. Parent day, P.A. day, Joel hadn’t dealt with any of this shit in over twenty years since Sarah was in school. Even then he managed to swiftly neglect many of the parental events, seeing as Sarah was the perfect student, with nothing but glowing reviews from her teachers. The fact that Ellie was going to school amidst a fucking apocalypse was enough for Joel to be content.

But still, he’s doing fine, right? Just fine.

“Maybe talking to someone that’s not related to you would help you, y’know? Being able to talk about shit that you can’t talk to me, or Tommy, or anyone else about you know?” Ellie proposed to him later that night.

As luck would have it, she was already home when Joel and Tommy spoke in the kitchen and she had heard pretty much the entire conversation. And like Tommy, she only wanted Joel to get support because she cared about him.

“Think of all the shit that we went through in the past year, forget the infected, and the raiders, and FEDRA, and almost dying,” she casually listed off on one hand as if she was reciting a grocery list.

“There's so much shit that we’re both carrying with us, demons from our past, and it’s gotta come out one way or another. Look, therapists aren’t there to judge you, or analyze you,” she continued, “they’re kind of like a sounding board for you to bounce your thoughts off of, and they help you process shit you’re going through. You never know unless you try it,” she said matter of factly.

“Like Tommy said, you got nothing to lose man. Plus the whiskey and pills will only help you numb reality for so long, you’re gonna go insane eventually,” she said, fixing him with a knowing look as she leaned back into the couch beside him.

Joel just grunted in response and frowned. Damn this kid for being too insightful for her own good.

Ellie might be young but she most certainly wasn’t naive. And as much as Joel would have liked to assume that her easy transition into life in Jackson was on account of her youthfulness, it really wasn’t. It was just the fact that she had never known a normal life, as heartbreaking as that was. She never had the chance to experience such normalcy before everything turned on its head. But she developed friendships with a few of the other teens in the community, namely one girl Dina, who she hung out with after school, went to the movies and other community events with.

She didn’t have to actively try to fit into Jackson, she just did. Joel would never acknowledge the pangs of jealousy he felt gnawing at his insides when he saw her getting on so well, but it didn’t mean they chipped away at his morale any less.

Ellie smirked at his lack of response, knowing he was mulling it over in his mind. With the relationship they had developed over the past year, she was grateful to be able to talk to Joel and actually get through to him.

“Damn maybe I should be a fuckin’ therapist, that was good advice wasn’t it?” she grinned at him, elbowing him in his side.

Joel snorted and shook his head. “Christ, I must be losing my mind for real this time if you’ve got me considering it.”

“Now c’mon,” she wiggled her eyebrows at him, “you owe me at least a few games of Boggle for that pep talk,” she said triumphantly, holding up the weathered board game that was on the coffee table.

#joel miller x reader #joel miller x female reader #joel miller x f!reader #joel miller x therapist! reader #joel miller x you #joel miller smut #joel miller fanfiction #the last of us fanfiction #tlou fanfiction #joel miller #the last of us #tlou #the last of us hbo #equine assisted therapy #equine therapy

495 notes · View notes

luminnara · 2 years

Text

Cherry Bomb | Billy Hargrove x reader

The reader gives Billy a run for his money

Aka you’re loud and tough and have a cool car and for Billy that means love at first sight. I might have written him too sweet here but idc, this was supposed to just be a short little thing and then it took on a life of its own and here we are. Sorta follows the start of season 2 but then does its own thing lol

Masterlist

Requests are open!

PART TWO

Warnings: mentions of abuse, drinking, f slur/homophobia (thanks neil)

Tags: @smenny @infinitelyforgotten

Billy Hargrove hated this fucking town.

He hadn’t even been at the new house for a full week yet, and he hated it and everything around it. Hawkins was a little shithole, as far as he was concerned, full of hicks who couldn’t tell their left asscheek from their right. And the worst part? It was October, and it didn’t even look cool outside.

God, he wanted to go back to California. At least it was sunny there. At least he had the beach. This place was just gloomy and beige, the townspeople all boring and normal. Nice, conservative families, who dressed in nice, conservative clothes, and drove nice, conservative cars.

That really wasn’t Billy’s scene.

At all.

When he drove to Hawkins High one gray morning, he made sure he made a fucking spectacle of himself. He had managed to toss Max in the car before Neil was awake to start yelling and then tossed her back out in the middle school lot before tearing away again. His stepsister wasn’t about to cramp his style, not when he needed to size up the locals.

He had his stereo blaring a Scorpions casette, he had his favorite denim jacket, and he had half a pack of cigarettes left. His jeans were tight. His hair looked good. And he knew his Camaro was the sexiest car in town.

Because how could it not be? Everybody else drove pickups or ugly sedans. He hasn’t seen or heard a single engine that rivaled his, and that stroked his ego a little bit. At least he could become the king of Hawkins, Indiana while he was stuck there. At least he could get the attention he knew he never got at home.

He could see everyone staring curiously as he pulled into the parking lot. Girls—and guys—were craning their necks to see who was driving this unfamiliar car, and when he got out and grabbed a cigarette to light, he spotted a group of girls who were absolutely swooning. He glanced over them and then looked away again, surveying the rest of the student body while he still had the chance to enjoy the fresh, stinking air. Those girls would be all over him, desperate to use him to get back at their parents. He knew they’d all wanna get with the bad boy from out of town. They’d be good for a quick hookup and then they’d either wander off after their great conquest or he’d get bored and move on to the next one, never giving himself the opportunity to stop and wonder how bad it was for his mental health.

Oh well. It gave him something to do, at least. And he was good with girls, and he liked the attention, never mind that it was hollow and performative and none of them would ever actually care about him. It’s not like he was expecting anybody in this backwater little town to give a shit, anyways.

They were all whispering and giggling, the guys sizing him up. He definitely stood out, with his earring and mullet and denim on denim getup. They were all the picture of small town midwestern America, the fashionable ones all looking perfectly respectable and the less fashionable ones looking fine. There wasn’t much in the way of diversity.

It was boring as shit.

He resisted the urge to stomp out his cigarette in irritation. He also resisted the urge to get back in his car and get the hell out of there. He wanted to be anywhere else at that moment, literally anywhere would be better than—

The sound of an engine pulled him out of his thoughts and he turned towards the street.

He was not expecting what he saw.

Because how could he possibly have expected that?

A bright orange muscle car—shit, was that seriously a cuda??—whipped around the corner, narrowly missing a guy on his bike. The windows were down, Sammy Hagar was blasting, and Billy suddenly felt like he was being challenged. As much as he wanted to appreciate this car, whoever the fuck was driving it was seriously pissing him off just by existing, and when they had the nerve to park right next to him, he wanted to explode.

Who the hell did this guy think he was?

Billy puffed his chest out and straightened his shoulders. He was a fairly broad guy, and he knew how to use that to his advantage. He was ready to start a fight just to prove that he couldn’t be fucked with…but then the driver got out, and all he could do was stare.

What the hell was a girl doing with a car like that?

“Hey.” You said as you climbed out, shoving your aviators up onto your head to look at the new guy. “You parked in my spot. I don’t like that.”

He immediately sneered at you. “Sorry, sweetheart. Didn’t see your name on it.”

“Don’t have to. Everybody knows it’s mine.” You said coldly. Then you paused as you looked him over. He didn’t look too bad…but you knew his type. You had to put him in his place before he got too cocky with you. “You’re new, so I won’t make you move today. Consider it like a welcoming gift.”

His eyebrows shot up in surprise. You were bold. At least there was one interesting person in Hawkins.

“Nice car.” And with that, you turned away, and Billy watched your ass as you went.

———————

You tried not to think too much about the new guy, but that proved difficult when everyone else was talking about him. You were unlucky enough to have a locker close to Vicki’s, and when you approached it before lunch, you found that she, Carol, and Tina were blocking it as they talked.

“—I mean, did you see his ass?” Carol asked in a comically loud whisper.

“I heard his name’s Billy Hargrove,” Vicki said. “He just moved from California.”

Great. At least you knew his name now, for when you inevitably ran into him again. It really wasn’t that you didn’t like him—on the contrary, you were interested. Very interested. You liked his looks. You liked his car. You could guess that you had at least a few common interests. You just didn’t want to deal with him being a complete ass to you, not that it was anything you couldn’t handle, having grown up with three older brothers.

And you also didn’t want to deal with girls like Carol and Vicki and Tina, who did their best to bully you and grew increasingly frustrated when their insults seemed to roll off of you like water off a duck’s back.

“Move,” you grunted at them.

They paused their conversation, looking you up and down with disgusted expressions.

“Oh.” Carol said, wrinkling her nose. “It’s you.”

“It’s me, and this is my locker,” you growled. “Move.”

She did, but not without a loud scoff. “Freak.”

Water off a duck’s back.

You sat alone at lunch, waving at Robin but ultimately deciding to fly solo. All you had was a sandwich, anyways. You were planning on sneaking out for some fresh air if you could, maybe taking a power nap in the car—

“This table have your name on it, too?” A familiar voice sneered.

You looked up to see Billy Hargrove standing there, hands shoved in his jacket pockets, no food in sight.

“It does,” you said, watching as he took that as an invitation to sit down across from you.

You could already feel the girls glaring daggers at you.

“I’m not sure you understand the concept of what I’ve been trying to tell you,” you growled, putting your sandwich down. “This is my spot. Now you’ve taken both my parking space, and my lunch table.”

“Don’t care.” He put his elbows on the table, his chin resting on his hands as he looked at you. “Name’s Billy.”

“I know.”

“You know?”

“Your admirers won’t shut up about you.” You tossed your head in Carol’s direction. “Why don’t you go sit with them?”

“No room,” he shrugged. “Besides, I figured I’d come introduce myself.”

You arched an eyebrow. ��Why?”

He sighed and put his hands on the table as he straightened up. “Because nobody else in this stupid fucking town has a car like mine…besides you.”

You wanted to laugh. Not at him, but at how honestly cute he was being. “You like it?”

“Where the hell did you get a Barracuda around here?”

“Guess you underestimated this stupid fucking town, huh?” You grabbed your sandwich again.

Before you could enjoy it, though, Billy had snatched it out of your hands and taken a bite, staring you down. Daring you to do something about it. But you were determined not to react, because you knew his type…and you knew he was trying to get a rise out of you.

You also knew that he didn’t have any food on him and hadn’t tried to get any, and you felt like maybe he could appreciate half a sandwich more than you could.

“Who’d you get it from?” He asked through a mouthful of food.

“It was a gift.”

“Don’t tell me you’re some stuck up rich bitch who just gets cars as presents every year,” he scoffed, seeming genuinely offended.

You rolled your eyes. “No, it was my mother’s.”

His eyes nearly popped out of his skull and you actually did laugh that time.

“No fucking way,” he said. “Women don’t drive cars like that.”

“She did.” You shrugged, using every skill you had ever gained from dealing with your brothers to not jump across the table and strangle him.

At the use of the past tense, you saw him hesitate for a moment. “She dead?”

“No,” you shook your head. “But she can’t drive anymore. The boys all had their own rides by the time she had to quit, and she’d never sell it…so I got it.”

“Big car family, huh?” He asked, almost seeming like he was warming up to you.

“My dad owns the mechanic shop here in town.”

You saw Billy really perk up at that one. “You know, I never did catch your name, sweetheart.”

You offered him a sickly sweet smile as you stood, stepping away from the table and patting him on the shoulder before you left. “Maybe next time, handsome.”

He stared after you as you walked away from him for the second time that day, knowing that not only did he have to talk to you on a regular basis now, but also that he would already do just about anything for you.

—————-

You left school without any further Billy incidents. You half expected him to catch up and try to race you or something, but your drive back home was peaceful—or as peaceful as it could be with the way you drove on Hawkins’ quiet roads—and completely uneventful.

Your family lived in a cozy old house situated right next to the shop, and as you pulled up, you saw that your dad and brothers were working.

“You better not let Mom see the way you drive that thing,” Danny yelled as you approached the garage.

“Don’t let your old man see, either.” Your father grunted, wiping his hands off with a rag before tucking it back into his pocket. “Good day at school?”

“It was fine.” You shrugged, leaning on a car. “There’s a new guy.”

“Family moved in on Cherry Lane,” your second brother, Curt, called from beneath a car as he worked on it. “The mom was in this morning. Said she’s got a daughter and a stepson and a husband named Neil.”

“I met the son,” you said.

“How was he?” Your father asked absentmindedly as he walked to the desk to pull out a logbook and scribble in it.

“An asshole.”

“Language,” he growled out of habit, not bothering to look up.

“A jerk,” you corrected yourself.

“Better.”

You heard the sound of wheels against the cement as Curt pushed himself out from under the car. “We need to have a talk with him?”

“No, I can handle it.” You snorted a laugh. “He drives a Camaro, you know.”

“Damn, really?” Danny asked. “And here I thought the ‘Cuda would always be the nicest car in town…”

“It still is!” You argued.

“Get him to bring it in and we’ll see.”

You rolled your eyes. The concept of Billy fucking Hargrove coming into the shop wasn’t one you felt like visiting quite yet, even though you figured it would be inevitable. If not for service, since he seemed the type to try to do everything on his own, then for parts. You knew the boys—and your dad—would appreciate the Camaro, but you had your doubts about how much they’d appreciate its driver.

“Maybe,” you grumbled, tightening your grip on your backpack strap and heading across the lot towards the house.

“Hey, sweetie,” your mom called as you entered the kitchen through the back door. “How was school?”

“There was a new guy and he took my parking space.” You grumbled, plopping down at the table across from her.

“Did you give him a piece of your mind?” She laughed.

“Sort of.” You paused. “He likes the Cuda.”

“Then he has good taste,” she smiled.

“He said women don’t drive cars like that.” You grumbled.

“Then, unfortunately, he’s a man,” she snorted, leaning back in her chair. “Your father was like that when I met him…’til I finally got him to race me, and I smoked him.”

You grinned. You’d heard this story dozens of times, but it had always been one of your favorites.

“Of course, that was what…fifty nine?” She laughed. “Sure didn’t have the Barracuda back then.”

“So what’s the moral here?” You asked. “I should race him and then when the Camaro can’t keep up he admits he was wrong?”

“Camaro? At least he really does have nice taste. What’s his name?”

“Billy,” you sighed, laying your chin on your arms. “Billy Hargrove.”

———————

The next morning, you were running late. You were never one to show up particularly early, but you had a feeling that if you didn’t make it before Billy showed up, your parking spot was in jeopardy. Sure enough, when you pulled in, the Camaro was already there, and your mood was quickly souring.

“Billy Hargrove, get out of my spot!” You yelled over the sound of Iron Maiden.

“Mornin’ sweetheart,” he smirked, leaning up against his car.

“Move!”

He looked around. “The only other free spot is this one right next to me. Not sure what the point would be.”

Oh, he was definitely just trying to get under your skin.

You let out a loud noise of disgust and pulled into the space anyways. When you got out, slammed the door, and marched away without another word, Billy just watched you go, grinning to himself like a madman. He had been thinking about you all night, and not even in a dirty way--okay yeah, that was involved, too, but not exclusively--and he had actually been eager to head to Hawkins High just because he knew he’d be able to see you.

He’d never felt this way before, and he really wasn’t sure what to do about it besides keep bugging you. He had already asked around and gotten your name—as well as the numbers of about six different girls—and judging by the way the others talked about you, you weren’t all that popular. On the one hand, he could see why; you were loud and liked to give everybody the finger, just like him. On the other hand…well, you were just like him, and as far as he was concerned, that was fun.

He wanted to get to know you better. He wanted to do more than just give you a ride and try to get as handsy as you’d let him. He was curious about you, and he wanted to get you to like him enough to actually have a real conversation.

You spent the next few days trying not to give him too much attention, but he was always there. He always parked in your spot, because apparently, it was his spot now, and your spot was right next to him. He always sat across from you at lunch, and after the third day, you started bringing extra snacks. Not for him, but because you knew he never brought anything for himself and if he had his way he would eat all of your food.

“Why don’t you ever bring your own lunch?” you huffed on day five.

“Didn’t have time to stop at the store this morning,” he shrugged as he tore through a bag of chips you had thrown at him.

“You outta food at home or something?” you asked. You were just glad he was leaving your sandwich alone so you could actually enjoy it for yourself.

“No,” he snarled with a little too much oomph.

You stared at him for a long moment but kept your mouth shut. You could tell you’d somehow hit a nerve, and it seemed that Billy Hargrove, the obnoxious, attention-seeking bad boy, was a little more complex than you had initially thought.

He was silent after that, looking pissed off as he ate. The problem wasn’t that they didn’t have food. Sure, they didn’t have nice three course meals for dinner every night, but they had food. The real problem was that his father called him a pussy anytime he did something as simple as make himself a sandwich, because Neil called that women’s work, and Susan was usually gone for work by the time Billy was getting up for school. And it’s not like Max was gonna make him anything when she hated his fucking guts. So, basically, he was relying on you to give him your scraps at this point, even though he refused to tell you and look like the weakling his father always told him he was.

You spent the rest of the day wondering about it. The tone in his voice when he gave you that no had been angry and defensive, and he was definitely upset about your question for a reason. You figured something had to be going on at home, but you had no idea what that might be, and you weren’t about to push him when he obviously didn’t wanna talk about it.

So you didn’t bring it up again, but you did start bringing more snacks.

As much as Billy annoyed you, you had to admit he brightened your days a little bit. Okay, a lot a bit. You found yourself enjoying the way he shamelessly flirted and all the stupid pet names he gave you, and you started seeking him out for a change. He was a complete dick to everyone else, but with you? With you, he was actually halfway decent. He even carried a textbook for you one time.

You liked it. And, as always, the sneers and glares from Carol and her friends hardly bothered you.

“Slut.” Vicki said as she passed you in the locker room.

“The mirror’s over there, Vick.” you said as you pulled your gym uniform on.

You heard her scoff before someone shoved you forward into your locker. When you turned, you saw Carol standing there with her arms folded over her chest, a nasty smile on her face.

“Okay, what is it this time?” you asked, pulling your shirt down and squaring up with her.

“I just don’t see why he hangs around you.” she said.

“Who?”

“Hargrove,” she hissed. “Duh.”

“You already have a boyfriend, Carol.” you rolled your eyes, sitting down to pull your gym shoes on. Three older brothers and a childhood full of schoolyard fist fights meant that there was nothing Carol could do to scare you...especially because you had gym with her, and you knew she couldn’t pack much of a punch.

“Just stay away from him!” Tina snapped.

“Why?”

“Because he’s ours!”

You glanced up at her. “I don’t exactly control him, you know. He does what he wants.” You stood and turned away, then paused and looked back at them. “And who he wants.”

They stared at you, their jaws dropped in shock. You just shrugged and walked away, heading out of the locker room and up to the gym. Would you regret starting a rumor about yourself? Probably, but it was worth it for the look on their faces. Plus...you wanted them to stay away from Billy. You told yourself it was because they were just annoying and you were saving him the headache, but there was a little bubble of jealousy you kept trying to push back down. You didn’t want them to go after Billy, because over the past week, you had grown so used to him bugging you that you had begun liking him.

And you didn’t want to think about that.

At least you had gym, right? It would be a perfect distraction, and if push came to shove, you could probably find a way to hit Carol with a dodgeball or something. You wouldn’t have to think about Billy Hargrove and whether or not you liked him at all, because for the next hour or so, you had nothing but physical exertion to focus on, and no boys would be around to--

You stopped dead in your tracks.

The boys were inside playing basketball, and unfortunately, it was shirts versus skins…and extra unfortunately, Billy was on the skins team.

And he looked good.

He was absolutely destroying the other team, and when he got the ball from a frustrated Steve Harrington and made a basket, you found yourself biting your lower lip. Billy was glistening with sweat in a way that was so sexy you thought it should be impossible, and for a guy who smoked so much, he seemed totally athletic. At least he could back up that macho man attitude he always put on.

“Oh my god,” someone whispered from behind you.

“He’s totally better than Steve Harrington…”

“He’s hotter, too!”

You glanced back to see most of the girls from your class had all clustered in the doorway, their eyes all glued to Billy. That jealousy rose in your chest a little, and you had to face forward again before you said something else you’d regret.

When you looked at him again, you caught Billy’s gaze, and a blush spread across your cheeks. He gave you a nod and a smirk, and—had his eyes always been that nice? No way, right?—and he actually winked. He winked at you before jogging off to join the rest of the guys at the other end of the court.

The girls erupted in excited whispers as everyone insisted that he had winked at them, but you were too shocked to say anything.

“Ladies,” the PE teacher growled from the sidelines. “We’re outside today. Chop chop.”

You tore yourself away, following the others in a daze. How had this happened? Just a week ago, you had been totally annoyed by this guy, and now, you couldn’t stop thinking about his abs. You didn’t want to stop thinking about his abs.

He didn’t want you to stop thinking about them, either.

When he saw the way you stood there and stared, Billy finally knew for sure that you were into him, and it made him happy. It also made him happy to know that you had seen him beating Harrington, and as all the other guys congratulated him on winning, he was busy running a hand through his hair and thinking about how he could spend more time with you.

At the end of the day, you walked out to the parking lot to find Billy leaning up against your car, a cigarette in his mouth. Your weird mood immediately soured, and you gave him an angry look as you stomped up to him.

“Off my car, Hargrove!” You barked.

“What’s the matter, sweetheart?” He chuckled, puffing smoke in your face. “Afraid I’ll chip the paint?”

“Afraid you’ll get your sweaty hands all over it,” you snapped.

He grinned and leaned down, looking you in the eyes. “Thought you liked me all sweaty. Or was that some other girl eye-fucking me in the gym today?”

“That was definitely Carol,” you rolled your eyes, ignoring the heat spreading across your cheeks. “I was busy watching Steve Harrington.”

Billy’s eyes darkened angrily. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. Now move.”

He took a step to the side, just far enough for you to open the door and toss your bag inside. “What’s Harrington got that I don’t?”

“What?” You asked, looking back at him.

“You heard me.” He said bitterly. “What’s that douchebag got going for him?”

“Billy, I was kidding.”

“…oh.” He furrowed his brow. “Yeah.”

“Steve is popular. I don’t really talk to anybody popular besides Carol and her friends, and that’s not exactly by choice.” You climbed into your car and Billy actually closed the door for you before leaning on the open window.

“Why not?” He asked.

You shrugged. “Don’t really get along with them.”

“Don’t you have any friends? You’re always all alone, doll.”

“I like Robin.”

“Who?”

“Yeah, alright. I gotta get home, Hargrove.” You turned the key in the ignition and the barracuda roared to life in a way that had Billy grinning again.

“This is a nice ass car, babe.” He said over the sound of the engine. “She suits ya.”

You had to smile at that. “Thanks, Billy.”

His heart warmed at the sight, and he decided he wanted to see you smile more often.

“You wanna go for a drive, sweetheart?” He asked, still leaning through the window.

“Don’t you usually pick your sister up after school?” You asked as you grabbed your sunglasses and put them on.

“She’s got a skateboard. She’ll just go to the arcade or something.”

You looked at him for a moment. “…alright, fuck it. Where you wanna drive, Hargrove?”

“I was hopin’ you’d lead the way, doll.”

“Then hurry up, because I don’t drive slow.”

You threw the car into reverse and he only had a second to jump back before you were peeling out. With a triumphant yell, Billy jumped into the Camaro and took off after you, tires squealing as he tore out of the parking lot.

You weren’t too bad at first, obeying all the basic things like stop signs and the concept of crosswalks. But as soon as you were on a two line highway outside of town, you opened it up, glancing at your rear view mirror every so often to see Billy grinning behind you as he kept up.

The cars were roaring, the road was empty, and soon, Billy had pulled into the other lane and was riding next to you…and something about it felt so fun and so right to be racing alongside him.

You led him down the highway a ways before hitting the breaks and turning onto a smaller road and he followed begrudgingly, a little pissed that he didn’t get to race you for real. When he saw your destination, though, his anger dissipated.

The lake was beautiful.

And you were beautiful, too.

He got out of his car to join you as you spread your jacket out on the ground and sat on it. When he sat down next to you, he realized how quiet it was, and for a moment, he just took it in. He wasn’t used to quiet. He wasn’t used to peace.

“I like to come out here this time of year,” you explained, looking at the water. “It gets busy sometimes when the weather is nicer, but come fall, there’s usually nobody around.”

“It’s nice,” Billy commented.

“You know, you almost kept up with me back there,” you teased, nodding towards the cars.

He scoffed. “I was going easy on you, baby.”

You wrinkled your nose. “Why do you call me that?”

“Call you what?”

“All these pet names. What’s the deal?”

“You don’t like em?” He asked, looking down at you as he leaned back on his hands.

“…I didn’t say that.”

His signature smirk returned. “They just suit you is all. ‘Specially Princess.”

“What?” You smacked his shoulder playfully. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He just laughed. “It just fits. You’re a princess with a pony car.”

“Muscle car.”

“Whatever you say.”

And you laughed, and it made him laugh, and you decided it was a nice sound coming from him.

“You’re not too bad, Billy Hargrove,” you said.

To him, that was practically a declaration of love.

“Oh yeah?” He asked, inching closer.

“Why aren’t you a jerk to me?”

The question caught him off guard. “…what?”

“You heard me.” You said, noticing the momentary vulnerability in his eyes. “For the past week I’ve been watching you hit on girls like Carol and tell Harrington to go fuck himself. The worst thing you do to me is eat my lunch and take my parking space. You’re practically a gentleman with me. What gives?”

Billy didn’t know what to say. He didn’t like feeling so exposed, because you were managing to strip away every single barrier he had put up to protect himself over the years. He wanted to clam up or tell you to fuck off, but when he looked down at you, he realized that he wanted to talk to you…and he’d never tell you to fuck off, because he never wanted you to leave.

And he didn’t want you to think he was just an asshole, because he wasn’t.

But he couldn’t possibly spill his guts to you.

“Guess I’m just sweet on you, babe.” He managed to say smoothly.

Your heart fluttered. “…are you?”

His heart fluttered, too. “Might be. What’s a guy gotta do to get a date with the hottest chick in Hawkins?”

You were full on blushing, and he thought that it was downright adorable. That was a sight he was used to—girls blushing because of his sweet talk. Normally, this would be when the clothes started coming off, but he was fine with talking, even though you drove him wild. He wanted to hear your voice, and he wanted to spend time with you, and he didn’t want to scare you off.

Meanwhile, your mind was racing. A date? With this asshole? Sure, you had grown used to him being around, but he was the type of guy to ask a girl out, fuck them, and then dump them again. You really didn’t feel like having your heart broken over some idiot like Billy Hargrove. But then again, you had three older brothers would make him regret ever speaking to you if he pissed you off, and you really did like him…

“Ask me,” you finally said.

He let out a tiny breath he hadn’t realized he was holding and gave you his best panty-dropping smile.

“…wanna go to Tina’s party together?” He asked.

You grinned. Tina would blow a gasket if she saw you walk in with Billy, and you’d pay good money to see how pissed off Carol got.

“I didn’t get an invitation,” you said.

“I did.” He shrugged.

Of course he did.

“Just come as my date, sweet cheeks. Unless you’re scared.”

“Scared?” You scoffed. “Of what? Bad beer and public make out sessions?”

“Didn’t know you were into those,” he smirked, leaning forward.

He was suddenly looming over you, and you couldn’t look away from his beautiful blue eyes and those dark lashes that framed them.

You swallowed hard. “I’m not.”

“No?” He asked, and you could feel his breath on your face.

“…maybe.”

“Maybe?” His smirk grew into a grin. “How ‘bout we find out?”

You wanted to kiss him.

You really, really did.

Fuck. How had this happened? You weren’t supposed to get a crush on the asshole new kid. You were supposed to put him in his place, get him to stop parking in your spot, and then maybe toss him a bag of chips or a cookie once in a while so he didn’t starve at lunch. That was it. So how had you managed to develop such a crush on Billy Hargrove?

You wanted to kiss him. You really did. But…you knew his type, and you didn’t want to become another one of his conquests. You didn’t want him to get in your pants and then move on to easier prey. You were sure he could just look at Vicki or Tina or Carol and they’d be on their knees ready to do anything he asked in a heartbeat, and you were also sure that it would absolutely kill you to watch.

But you really, really wanted to kiss him.

“Babe?” He asked impatiently, snapping his fingers in front of your face. “Eyes on me. C’mon.”

You focused on him again, mentally said fuck it, and grabbed him by the front of his jacket.

His eyes were wide with surprise as you yanked him down roughly. For a moment, he tensed, and his immediate reaction was to wrench himself backwards and out of your grip, because whenever someone came at him fast like that, it ended in bruises and split lips. But then, everything was still for a moment, and he was just staring into your eyes. He wasn’t used to girls initiating things. He wasn’t used to not being in complete control with them. But he found that he kinda liked it, especially when your lips met his in a kiss that felt all too sweet to be coming from someone who had just taken complete control so quickly.

But oh, did he love the feeling, and as you sat there at the edge of the lake, kissing Billy Hargrove, he decided that he never wanted it to end.

——————-

You crushed an empty beer can in your hand and tossed it away. The look on Tina and Carol’s faces had totally been worth showing up with Billy, even if you had lost him not five minutes later when one of the guys from the basketball team grabbed him and said something about a keg. Now, you had just finished your first beer, you were very skeptical of the weird punch bowl in the kitchen, and you were on the hunt for this keg and the idiot who was probably chugging from it.

You walked out into the yard and were immediately greeted by the sight of a crowd and the sound of chanting.

Yep.

This had to be it.

“Billy! Billy! Billy!“ the guys yelled over the sound of Motley Crue.

Yep. You found him.

You watched, mildly jealous that he had so much beer and you had just run out, as he finished the keg, threw his head back, and sprayed some in the air. The guys all erupted in cheers, Tommy H. loudly announcing that Hawkins had a brand new keg king.

A smile played at the edges of your lips. You were...proud, sort of? You knew the boys at Hawkins High took the whole keg king thing very seriously. In fact, before Steve Harrington had come along, your brother Curtis had carried the title, and you had helped Danny drag his drunken ass into the house on more than one late night occasion. Now, apparently, Billy was the new king, and even though his bare chest was covered in spilled beer, you thought the look and title suited him.

You didn’t think the stickiness would, though, and you were immediately reminded of all the showers you’d had to toss your brothers into after parties just like this one.

“Alright, keg king.” you said, pushing your way past a couple boys to stand before Billy. “Let’s go get you cleaned up.”

He was leaning against Tommy heavily, still trying to get his sea legs back. When he looked down at you with a lopsided grin, though, you could see that his eyes were still fairly focused, and when he spoke, he was pretty coherent. At least he could hold his alcohol.

“Hey, sweetheart,” he said, chest still heaving as he caught his breath.

“Hey, Billy.”

“Didja see me?”

“I did.” you laughed at the manic look on his face. “Very impressive, dethroning Harrington like that.”

“Harrington’s been a pussy ever since he started dating Nancy Wheeler,” Tommy sneered.

“That’s not very nice, Tommy.”

“What the hell are you doing here, anyways?” he scoffed. “No way you got invited. Fuck off.”

Ah, there it was. Tommy’s dazzling attitude. He had never liked you, because you had never put up with his bullshit—or Carol’s—and you generally tried to avoid him. Unfortunately, it seemed that he was practically gluing himself to Billy, and you’d been seeing him following the new boy around with the rest of the jocks lately.

“You fuck off,” you snapped at him.

“What the hell did you just say to me?”

“You heard the lady. Fuck off, Tommy,” Billy snarled, giving him a rough shove.

You were pretty sure you heard Carol gasp excitedly somewhere in the crowd.

“Yo, what gives, man?” Tommy asked as he stumbled back. “She’s a total freak. She shouldn’t even be here.”

You watched as Billy’s eyes narrowed, and all you could see in them was rage. He grabbed the front of Tommy’s Halloween costume and yanked him forward, and for a moment, you thought he was going to waste him right there.

“Don’t fucking talk to my girl like that.” Billy growled, knuckles turning white as his grip tightened.

“Your—what?” Tommy tried to glance at you but Billy grabbed his chin and held him in place.

“Understood?” He demanded.

“Y-yeah man,” Tommy stammered quickly, nodding his head.

“Good.” Billy let him go with another shove before turning to you. Then, as if to illustrate his point, he took your face in his hands and pulled you in for a hot, wild kiss that left your head spinning.

You could practically hear the shock on Carol, Tina, and Vicki’s faces.

“You were saying?” Billy asked casually, letting you go again.

You cleared your throat and steadied yourself again, taking in a breath to replace the one Billy had stolen.

“I was saying you’re covered in beer and you’re going to get sticky unless you wash it off,” you said, ignoring the stares everyone was now giving you. “Come on. You might even get to kick someone out of the bathroom mid-fuck if you’re lucky.”

He grinned at that and was immediately at your side, arm draped over your shoulders as he steered you towards the door. He was enjoying the party, you could tell; he loved all the attention he was getting, and he loved the free booze, even if it was shitty. He had already been crowned keg king, and the girls were all making bedroom eyes at him while their boyfriends tried to act tough enough to hang with him. But instead of paying attention to any of that, he was holding your hand like a lost kid at the fair, following you through the crowd obediently.

You spotted Nancy Wheeler drinking the questionable punch, and Steve Harrington looking distraught. Whether it was about her or the fact that he was quickly losing his seat as the most popular guy at Hawkins High, you didn’t know, but you tried to offer Nancy a concerned glance and received a confused look from Steve instead.

“Hey, don’t pay attention to him,” Billy grunted said you led him out of the kitchen. “Fuck that guy.”

“Alright, Billy. Whatever you say.”

“I mean—don’t fuck him,” he growled. “I’d kill him if he touched you.”

“How sweet.”

You could tell the massive amount of beer he has just consumed was starting to hit him when you glanced back to see a lazy smile on his face.

“Y’think so?” He asked.

“Yes, very sweet.” You stopped in front of the bathroom and banged your fist against the door. When no one answered, you tried the handle, finding it unlocked, and you shoved Billy inside.

“So rough, baby,” he smirked as you pulled the door shut. “If you wanted to get me alone, coulda just asked…”

“Hold still, Hargrove,” you mumbled, pulling one of the perfectly white hand towels off the rack and wetting it in the sink.

He leaned up against the counter in a way that you knew was premeditated, stretching his torso out and giving you the best view of his golden skin as possible. When you turned towards him, you paused for a moment, appreciating the sight before shaking your head and smoothing the towel down his chin and neck.

“Shit!” he hissed, jerking back. “Couldn’t’ve made it warm at least?”

“Come on, you big baby.” you laughed, scrubbing him clean.

“It’s cold.”

“Being cold is better than being covered in beer.”

He huffed indignantly but held still, stewing. He wasn’t used to this. He wasn’t used to someone trying to take care of him. The soft touches, the light laughs whenever he made a particularly grumpy face, the lack of blood and bruises and pain...it was new to him, after so many years of nothing but shouting and pain.

“There.” you said, wiping his chest off. “Better.”

He quirked an eyebrow as he looked down at you. You were standing between his legs, pressed right up against him, but there was no blush creeping across your cheeks as you checked your work.

“Y’know, this is usually the part where the chick is throwing herself at me.” he commented as you stepped away to wring the towel out in the sink.

“Oh yeah?” you asked.

When he didn’t give you another smooth reply, you glanced up at him. He was looking down at you almost thoughtfully, his eyes following your every move as you laid out the wet towel on the counter and turned to look at him properly.

“What’s wrong?” you asked.

He immediately scoffed. “Nothing.”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

He paused, then reached for you. You let him pull you to stand between his legs again, his hands moving to your waist. Instead of trying to kiss you, though, he spoke, and he asked you the last question you expected him to.

“Why’d he call you a freak?”

You were expecting something more flirtatious, some attempt at getting in your pants because you were together in a bathroom at a Halloween party and Billy was buzzed thanks to becoming keg king. You really didn’t think he cared about why Tommy H. and his clique thought about you, because why should he? Billy was already the coolest guy around, and he’d only been in town for a week. You didn’t really get why he was even into you, besides the fact that he liked your car.

“Why do you care?” you asked stubbornly.

He fixed you with a look that suggested he was just as stubborn as you were. “Tell me.”

“...Fine.” you sighed. “I dunno. They don’t like me because I don’t like any of them, and I’ve had a locker next to Vicki for years, so I’ve been dealing with them just as long.”

And a lot of their parents talked badly about your family even though they needed them to fix up their shitty stupid cars, and you’d been an absolute terror on the playground in elementary school, and your brothers had spent more nights at the sheriff's department than you could count and in a town like Hawkins that meant you were bad news.

“I’ll make them stop.”

“You really don’t need to, Billy.” you said. “I’m fine. And if I really needed help...well, I’ve got three big brothers.”

He snorted angrily, like a bull about to charge. He didn’t like that you were refusing his help. He wanted you to want his help, because he was offering it and he never offered it to anybody. Didn’t you realize how highly he thought of you, that he would stoop so low?

“Fine. Whatever.” he jumped off the counter and eased you back a few steps. “I need another beer.”

And then he was returning to the party, and you were left staring after him, wondering what the hell his deal was.

--------------

“My god, Billy,” you groaned. “Could you at least give me a little help here?”

He just grunted and tried to push you away, which decidedly did not make it any easier to get him out of the car.

“Quit!” you hissed, hauling him into the street and kicking the door shut behind him. “God, how are you so heavy?”

“M’ muscles, baby,” he slurred, his head lolling back as he licked his lips and grinned.

You wrinkled your nose. “You are so fucking drunk.”

“Yyyyeah....”

After he’d stormed out of the bathroom, you’d lost track of him for a while, choosing to wander and stop thinking about him for a while. Apparently, during that time, he’d won at least one other drinking contest, mixed up a bowl of something that was even worse than the weird punch, and by the time you found him again, he was completely sloshed.

Getting him into the Camaro had been decidedly easier than getting him out again was. He’d already puked on the grass at Tina’s once, and you hoped that meant that he had reached the stage where all he needed was a boatload of water and some good sleep.

Unfortunately, you didn’t actually know where on Cherry Lane he lived, and when you’d tried to ask, he had been vehemently against going back home. There were moments of clarity in his drunk eyes, but all you saw in them was absolute terror at the prospect of dropping him off at his place and then figuring out your own way back again.

“‘M not goin’ in there,” he said as you ducked under his arm and half-dragged him up the street towards your house. “He’ll kill me...”

You frowned. “Who?”

“M’old man,” he hiccupped.

Your frown deepened, but before you could try to get anything else out of him, you saw the front door open and you froze.

“What the hell is this?” your oldest brother, Kenny, asked, standing there with his arms folded over his chest and taking up the entire doorway.

“Just shut up and help me get him inside!” you hissed, trying and failing to drag Bill up the steps.

Your brother took in the sight and sighed. “You owe me, kid.”

“Don’t call me kid,” you grumbled as he joined you on Billy’s other side, hoisting him up easily and getting him up to the porch far more quickly than you’d ever be able to on your own.

“Why’d you bring him here?” he asked as you let go of Billy to close and lock the door.

“Because I don’t know which house is his, and he said his dad would kill him,” you said, following as your brother dumped Billy on the couch. He grunted and for a moment you were afraid the movement might make him sick, but he just rolled over, tucked his face up against the cushions, and immediately passed out.

Well, at least he was easy to put to sleep.

“...This that Hargrove guy?”

“Yeah.”

Kenny grabbed a blanket off the back of the couch and threw it over Billy unceremoniously. “Go get him some water. He’ll be fine down here til morning.”

You sent your brother a silent thank you look before running to the kitchen. It wouldn’t be the first time a guy spent the night drunk on that couch after a party, and after seeing Billy in action, you doubted it would be the last.

“He’s the new keg king,” you commented when you came back and set a cup down on the coffee table.

“I thought that Harrington kid was?” your brother raised an eyebrow.

“Not anymore.” you looked at Billy almost fondly. It was a stupid title, keg king, but you were still a little proud of him.

You could tell that Kenny was the tiniest bit impressed, just as you’d hoped he’d be. He’d graduated from Hawkins High five years ago--and then Danny had, and then Curt, and now you were on your way--and he had been one of those guys who would yell and fight and drink more beer than humanly possible at house parties. Now, he was slightly calmer, but all three of your brothers still knew how to throw down. Actually, now that you thought about it, maybe you didn’t mind Billy’s antics and asshole attitude because it felt so familiar.

“Well. He’s lucky you brought him back here, because nobody else’s house is better at making hangover breakfast.” Kenny snorted, heading towards his room. Before he opened the door, however, he paused and fixed you with a glare. “And you better stay the fuck upstairs all night. No funny business.”

You felt your face heating up. “Kenny!”

“Got it?”

“Yeah, I got it.” you grumbled, making for the stairs. “Don’t let him choke on his own puke in his sleep.”

Your brother rolled his eyes. “Goodnight, kiddo.”

“Night, Kenny.”

You trudged up the stairs and managed to take a shower before going to bed. You were fucking exhausted, but at least you were back home, and Billy wasn’t lying in a ditch somewhere. The worn out old couch downstairs wasn’t the comfiest, but it was a perfectly good place to sober up. You just hoped he wouldn’t leave before you got the chance to check on him in the morning and get at least a shitty thank you for dragging his ass all the way there.

When Billy woke in a strange house, on a strange couch, he was more than a little freaked out. He couldn’t see the piles of trash that would indicate he was still at Tina’s, and he definitely wasn’t back at his place, because there was no way Neil wouldn’t have already beaten the tar out of him for sleeping on the couch.

He pushed himself up and immediately felt the familiar nausea and headache of a hangover. He could remember most of the night, right up until he had walked away from you. After that, everything was a blur, and he had no idea who had given him a ride, or if he had even gotten a ride, but he was at least a little glad that he didn’t seem to be covered in vomit or mud or anything that would indicate his night had gone worse than it did.

He downed the cup of water in front of him greedily and then put his face in his hands, rubbing his eyes. He felt like absolute shit, but it could be worse. It could always be worse. Now, he needed to find his keys, and his car, and then a bite to eat, and then he could spend the rest of the weekend making himself scarce in the hopes that Neil wouldn’t catch him.

...Fuck.

Neil.

Billys father would have definitely noticed he hadn’t come home by now, and he wasn’t going to be very friendly when he did. Billy wasn’t getting away without a good beating this time, that was for sure, and the thought made his throat tighten as anxiety rose in his chest. He had to get out of there, wherever there was, before anything happened.

He stood as quickly and as quietly as he could, noticing that his boots were still on. Had he just crawled into some random house and passed out on there couch? He wouldn’t put it past himself, honestly.

“Where do you think you’re going?” a feminine voice asked as he reached for the door.

He froze and turned. There, through the doorway to the kitchen, he could see a middle-aged woman sitting at a table, sipping from a mug as she watched him. Behind her, there was a big guy standing in front of a stove, cooking what smelled like bacon and eggs. At the sound of the woman’s voice, he looked back over his shoulder towards Billy, fixing him with a smirk.

“Glad you didn’t die in your sleep, keg king,” he mocked.

Billy immediately bristled. He didn’t know who this guy was, but he was asking for a fight if he thought he could just--

“Be nice, Danny,” the woman chuckled, taking another drink. “I can’t count the number of calls I used to get from Hopper to come grab you out of the drunk tank.”

The guy rolled his eyes and turned back to the stove. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever.”

The woman looked at Billy again and then gestured to the chair next to her. There was already an empty plate and silverware set out for him and a full glass of orange juice, but he didn’t move. This was way too strange.

“Come sit down, sweetheart.” she said. “You need to eat. Then you can run off.”

He didn’t budge. He didn’t trust this. Nice things like this didn’t happen to Billy Hargrove, and parents didn’t just sit there and not shout when they found out their kids got absolutely shitfaced the night before. He was too hungover to even manage that award-winning smolder he was so good at that always got all the moms going.

“Sit down,” Danny growled, setting a plate full of bacon down on the table.

Billy just raised his lip in a sneer.

Danny rolled his eyes before yelling towards the second floor. “Hey, shitheads! Breakfast!”

Billy heard thumping upstairs, two doors slamming open, and then something that sounded like a shoulder hitting a wall.

“Fuck off, Curt!” you shouted.

“Move, pipsqueak!” a guy yelled.

Billy turned in alarm to see another guy, this one more his age than the one in the kitchen, tearing down the stairs, with you hot on his heels. You were still in your pajamas, but you looked like you were in far better shape than Billy was...and suddenly, he started putting two and two together, and he realized exactly whose house he was in.

“Hey, you’re up!” you smiled at him.

“Outta the way, keg king,” Curt growled, shouldering past him.

“Be nice, Curtis.” your mom said.

“Come on.” you seized Billy’s arm, pulling him towards the table. “You have to eat before Curt gets it all, or else there won’t be anything left.”

Your brother was already chowing down, but he managed to fix you with a glare that you happily returned.

“I should go.” Billy mumbled, trying to pull out of your grip.

He underestimated how strong you were, though, because you just tightened your hold on him and dragged him towards the chair next to your mother. “No way. I didn’t go through all that trouble getting you back here last night for you to just leave without food.”

He made an irritated noise, but when both of your brothers and your mother glared at him, he sat down. There you were, feeding him, just like you did at lunch every day. When your mother smiled at the sight of him reaching forward and taking a piece of bacon--with his fingers, not a fork, something that would have earned him a sharp slap at home--he realized where you got it from.

Your family was way different from his.

“Honey, will you go get Kenny and your father?” Your mother asked, turning towards you. “They’re already out in the shop.”

“But I just sat d--”

“I’ll make sure your brother doesn’t eat all your food.”

“Fine.” you sighed, pushing your chair out and running out the back door.

There was silence for a moment, broken only by the sound of bacon crunching, before one of your brothers spoke up.

“You like my sister, huh?” Curt growled.

“Fuck off,” Billy spat back.

“Ooh,” your brothers laughed, glad to finally get a reaction out of Hawkins’ new keg king. “Pretty boy here does talk.”

Billy shoved another strip of bacon into his mouth and sneered. “Shut the hell up.”

“Boys, don’t antagonize him when he’s not feeling well.” your mother said calmly, looking at her newspaper.

“Not our fault he can’t hold his liquor,” Curt said, leering at him from across the table.

Billy may have been exhausted with a splitting headache, but his temper was still there. He slammed his hands down on the table--your mother picked her mug up just in time to avoid any of her coffee spilling, as if she was very used to doing so--and leaned towards your brother, just about ready to grab him by the shirt and teach him a fucking lesson.

“Boys, no fighting at the table,” a gruff male voice said, and Billy immediately sat down as your father appeared.

Billy was waiting. Waiting for the shouting. Waiting for something along the lines of you fucking pussy, practically begging for table scraps, sitting there like some fucking faggot with no shirt on under your jacket and that stupid pretty boy earring. He was bracing himself for a fist in his face or hair. He was ready to be yanked from his chair and shoved into something. It’s what his old man would have done, so why shouldn’t yours?

You snuck around your dad and took your seat next to Billy, glancing at him. Everyone had noticed the sudden quiet that came the moment your father came in, and your mother gave you a knowing look, as if she recognized something you didn’t.

“I told you not to work before breakfast,” she chastised your father and older brother as they sat down. “Makes the whole kitchen smell like oil and grease.”

“Gotta finish that job for the Wheelers,” your father grunted, scooping a few helpings of scrambled eggs onto his plate. He took a drink and then finally seemed to notice Billy sitting there, looking sullen and hungover, avoiding eye contact as he crunched on bacon. “You the Hargrove boy?”

“Yessir.” Still no eye contact.

He realized too late that he hadn’t even looked up at your father, and once again, Billy was bracing himself.

“Bet you’ve seen better mornings.” Your father chuckled. “I like that Camaro. You bring that here all the way from California?”

You watched as Billy relaxed slightly, and he finally managed to look up at your father. You didn’t understand why he was so tense. He was practically afraid. Yeah, your dad could be stern when he wanted to—he had three sons within a fairly short time frame, of course he had perfected the tough dad routine—but he was never mean.

And then you remembered Billy’s drunken statement from the night before, about how his old man would kill him if he came stumbling home so late and so drunk, and realization dawned on you. At the time, you had thought he wasn’t serious. Tons of people said stuff like that, and they always meant that their parents would be seriously pissed off and they’d be grounded for a month. You were starting to get the feeling that maybe Billy’s dad wasn’t really the grounding type.

“I did, sir.” Billy said, some of that smooth façade crawling back into the picture.

“You take good care of it.” Your dad commented. “Kenny brought it into the garage first thing this morning and we popped the hood. Doesn’t even need a tune up.”

Billy puffed up a little and you had to resist the urge to laugh at him. It was actually cute watching him interact with people in a setting where there were no girls and no Tommy H. tripping over themselves to impress him.

“Thank you, sir.” Billy said.

You noticed how stiff and polite he was, and it bothered you. He said sir like he had to. It was more than just because he was talking to your father. It was as if he was afraid to fuck up, because he was afraid of what might happen if he stepped out of line.

Just like that day at lunch, you found yourself thinking about how there was so much more to Billy Hargrove than pretty eyes and a bad boy persona, and you felt like you were chipping away at the walls he had put up, slowly but surely.

---------

After he left your house, you didn’t see or hear from Billy for the rest of the weekend.

It worried you a little bit.

Thankfully, you had plenty of work to do, and your dad saw to it that you spent most of Saturday and Sunday helping in the shop. Less than thankfully, however, that meant dealing with an onslaught of questions from your brothers, all of whom had plenty to say about Billy Hargrove and why he’d better keep his mitts off their baby sister.

You could tell they actually liked him, though. By the end of breakfast, they’d actually almost been getting along, even Curtis. You knew it meant that you would be able to bring Billy over more often, and you hoped that he would actually accept the invitation now that he had gotten some free food and realized that they weren’t all going to beat the shit out of him.

On Monday, he wasn’t in your parking space, and that worried you a little more. You left it open for him, seeing as it had become his space, and tried to wait around...but when he still hadn’t shown up by the first bell, you gave up and went to class.

He finally appeared at lunch, leaning up against your locker in that way that made him look extra gorgeous. You had to admit, the guy knew how to work his angles, even in the shitty fluorescent lighting of the hallway.

“Hey, sweetheart.” he greeted.

“Careful, that’s Vicki’s locker,” you said dryly. “Might get her a little too worked up if you get your cologne all over it.”

He snorted a laugh. “You like it?”

“Your cologne?” you paused and leaned in. “...Yeah, it’s alright.”

“Just alright?” he taunted as you opened your locker.

“Yeah, you heard me.” you shoved your books at his chest for him to hold while you pulled out your lunch, and you saw the way he winced as they hit his ribs. “...Hey, you okay?”

He immediately bristled in that overly defensive way he always did. “I’m fine. You’re always so fucking worried about me, babe. It’s a bad look.”

“Whatever, Billy.” you rolled your eyes.

“What’s for lunch?”

“A sandwich you will not be sampling for me, and a sandwich you will be sampling for you. My mom insisted that I bring you one.”

When he was quiet, you glanced up and saw a strange, faraway look in his eyes. He almost looked emotional. You wanted to ask if he was okay again, but you knew the answer would be even more volatile this time, so you simply took your books from him, shoved them in your locker, and then slammed it shut.

He threw his arm around your shoulders as you walked to the cafeteria, seeming completely at ease and not at all bothered by the fact that absolutely everyone was staring at the two of you. You could see them all whispering, some trying to hide it behind their hands, others not bothering at all and just talking about you at a normal volume.

“Oh my god, are they seriously together?”

“What’s Hargrove want with her?”

“I thought he was into Carol. It’s what she’s been telling everyone.”

“Yo, Hargrove!” one voice called out over the others.

Suddenly, you were faced with Tommy H. and a few of his friends, guys from the basketball team who probably didn’t even know your name. They forced you to come to a halt, blocking the hallway as Tommy looked over your head to talk to Billy.

“We’re gonna scrimmage in the gym. You in?” he asked.

Billy offered him one of those smooth, nonchalant smiles. “Nah. Got plans.”

Tommy’s eyes slid down to you. “...Seriously, Billy?”

“I said I got plans,” Billy growled. “You got a problem with that?”

Tommy suddenly smirked. “Oh, I see. Not really my type, but let us know how it is, yeah?”

The rest of the guys chuckled, and you suddenly got the feeling that you were the butt of a joke. When you looked up at Billy, you saw that he was laughing along with them, in that fake way he always did with people at school. People he didn’t actually give a shit about.

People who weren’t you.

“Come on,” he muttered, nudging you around Tommy and urging you to walk forward.

“Do they really think we’re about to go fuck in your car?” You asked bluntly, glaring up at him. “And you didn’t correct them?”

“What d’you want me to say?” He asked angrily as he glanced down at you. “Just leave it, doll.”

“I don’t want to,” you grumbled, leaning into his side anyways. “I shoulda punched him…”

You didn’t get a chance to see the fond look Billy cast your way. Even though you were tucked right up against his bruised ribs, he loved having you there next to him, and he never wanted to let you go. He didn’t care what dickheads like Tommy H said, he was into you for more than just sex, though judging by that kiss by the lake, you’d probably be great in the sack. No, Billy legitimately enjoyed the time he was spending with you, even though he didn’t really know how to show it.

When you sat down for lunch and he still hadn’t brought up Friday night or the morning that followed it, you decided that you would have to be the one to breach the subject.

“My parents like you, y’know,” you said.

He raised a brow as he bit into the sandwich you’d brought for him. “They tell you that themselves?”

“Yes, actually.”

“Your family’s weird as hell.” He said bluntly, not caring how rude it sounded.

“What makes you say that?” You asked.

“Uh, they seriously don’t have a problem with drunk guys like me crashing on their couch?” He scoffed. “My—most parents would lose their fucking minds.”

“They kind of just…would rather somebody not end up on the side of the road somewhere,” you shrugged. “My brothers partied a lot when they were in school. Actually, our whole family has kind of a…reputation.”

“What kind?”

“The kind where everybody else’s parents talk shit, but they can’t be too mean to our faces because they need their cars fixed.”

“It’s a good thing I don’t care about reputation, then.”

You let out a loud laugh. “You? Not care about reputation? That’s rich.”

“What?” He asked, irritated. “I don’t. Not really. In fact, I—you know, I don’t have to explain myself to you.”

“You don’t, but it might be kind of nice if you did,” you pointed out.

He gave you one of those angry snorts, the kind that he always paired with a disgusted grunt in the back of his throat, and it made you smile. At least Billy was back to normal after the weekend, even if that meant he was back to being a dick.

——————-

It was a night a few weeks later that you learned why he was such a dick.

A sound outside your window startled you, and when a second one followed, you decided to check it out. You turned the lamp on your bedside table on and slipped out of bed as quietly as possible, thankful for your carpeted floor and the way it muffled your footsteps. When you reached the window, you saw a familiar face, as Billy Hargrove was clinging to the side of your house.

“Oh my god,” you hissed, opening the window and grabbing a handful of his denim jacket to pull him in. “What the hell are you doing here? It’s fucking midnight or something—are you okay?”

He wasn’t.

He wasn’t okay.

You sat him down on the edge of your bed and he just stared down at the floor. His lip was split. He had a black eye. A nasty bruise was forming on his jaw. He looked like he had just coke from a fight, though you had no idea who he possibly could have been facing when word around school was that he had already beaten the absolute shit out of Steve Harrington.

“Billy, are you okay?” You asked when he didn’t answer.

This time, he gave a slow shake of his head, still refusing to look up at you.

“Hey,” you stepped between his legs and gently took his face in your hands, mindful of the bruises as you tilted his head up to look at you. “What happened?”

“…Neil.” He said. Somehow it was more to himself than to you.

For a moment, you had no idea who he was referring to. You wracked your brain trying to remember if you went to school with anybody named Neil, and you came up empty…until you realized that you had heard the name before, from your brother.

“…a daughter and a stepson and a husband named Neil.”

You suddenly felt sick to your stomach as all the pieces of the puzzle began falling together. Every time he winced when you shoved him too hard. The way he was so nervous at breakfast. His bad attitude. It was all starting to make sense, and you hated it.

“He isn’t here now,” you whispered, pulling Billy’s head to your chest in a hug. “He’s gone. You’re safe with me.”

That broke him. Because he knew he was safe with you. He always had been, from that very first day where you let him eat your sandwich at lunch.

You felt him shudder as a silent sob rolled through his body. You didn’t care if he cried on your pajamas. He needed it.

“Don’t tell,” he mumbled, his voice muffled against you. “Don’t you dare fucking tell anyone about this.”

“I won’t tell,” you murmured as you ran your fingers through his hair. “I promise.”

This time, you heard the sob that wracked him and it broke your heart.

“Wanna spend the night?” You asked.

“…not on that shitty couch.”

“In here. With me.”

He hesitated, then nodded, and a minute later, he was curled around you, breaking down, holding you tightly like you were the teddy bear his father had never let him have as a kid. You could feel the chain around his neck tickling your skin every so often, and it reminded you that it was Billy Hargrove whose chest you were pulled up into.

And nobody else’s.

#billy hargove x reader #billy hargrove x y/n #billy hargrove #stranger things

4K notes · View notes