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redflagshipwriter · 2 months

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Young Lovers shot by Cupid ch 3

(Damian/Danny dpxdc fic, Damian and Stephanie buddy cop fic)

Masterpost

Brown was a somewhat agreeable partner to travel with when she was not aiming to irritate him. She made no side trips, unexpected stops, and she certainly did not feel the need to show off world-class acrobatics when they were aiming for speed.

Begrudgingly, Damian admitted to himself that she was not entirely terrible. The revelation that she felt some competitive spirit in regards to Drake was good information. That could improve their working relationship considerably. Perhaps he would allow her more grace.

They arrived at the mall in short order.

They looked up the blueprint from outside and quietly conferred on a plan. The large building was closed, dark, and quiet. There was a single security office, and it seemed that the mall did not employ anyone overnight. Damian pried open a vent on the roof and slipped inside silently. Brown was at his heels a moment later. She hit the ground with a soft tap of her boots.

Imperfect, but excusable, Damian generously allowed.

The office itself was a damp little nest of filing cabinets with a lingering and unpleasant aroma of popcorn butter and coffee. Damian wrinkled his nose through the task of sorting their security tapes.

The food court tapes from yesterday had already been removed, labeled, and put away.

Unfortunately, they were literal tapes. Damian huffed in disbelief at the bulky VHS units.

“Holy moly,” Brown muttered. “I thought the old man was the only person who still used these.”

Indeed.

Damian suppressed a sigh. “I think it unwise to linger here and watch all the footage,” he said, but he hesitated to take them. It would have been much better if they could simply make a copy. But these? Impossible. Wasn’t it?

…Batman would know. Damian crossed his arms unhappily. The oldest members of the family would hold this knowledge. “You are too young to know these devices?” he confirmed.

Brown huffed a little laugh. “Yeah, but how hard can it be?” She tapped at the likeliest tape with a gloved finger. “There has to be a way to make copies. We can look it up. But we could just watch here. You know what time the incident was, don’t you?”

“Yes,” Damian admitted begrudgingly. “But it would be optimal to watch the entire day’s footage to ensure that nothing else happened.”

Brown blew out air between her lips. “Alrighty then.” She dug out her nightphone and apparently started searching for tutorials.

Between the two of them, they managed it. They slipped away with two recorded tapes. They made a detour to deposit them in Spoiler’s bike storage before returning to their patrol. In between normal activities, they quietly debate their next challenge: watching the tapes. Obviously, Batman was the only person in the world paranoid enough to retain such ancient technology. They needed to use his equipment. But how to do it without being seen? It was kept in the entertainment room closest to Father’s bedroom, so that he could watch his childhood favorites if the nostalgic urge struck. He occasionally did so as background noise for filling out paperwork.

“The easiest time would be when he’s at work,” Brown recapped thoughtfully. “But there isn’t much of a window between when we get free from school and when he could come home from work. It would take weeks to watch it all that way even once, and by then Valentine’s Day would have passed.”

Damian made a tsk of disgust. It was true. Unfortunately, the fastest way to draw attention to their operation would be to forgo school. That would invite scrutiny from Pennyworth.

“Oh look, a carjacking.” Brown threw herself off the building and screeched like a bat as she fell. The sound rang out and echoed across the cold, dark streets.

It was a bloodcurdling sound. The guilty man looked up with amusingly wide eyes and a pale face. Damian suppressed an amused snort and came down in silence at a different angle.

After they had apprehended the fool and left him with a stern warning to follow the law or else face the pain of losing a hand, the two returned to the skies.

“That was pretty metal,” Brown said, in a tone of ardent admiration.

Damian cast a look back at the building they had been passing. He hadn't noticed anything in particular. To what was she referring? The window grates? Something inside the windows? He chose not to respond other than with a grunt.

Brown laughed again.

He ignored her harder and channeled his tenseness into an unnecessary flip before landing. He stood and put his hands on his hips as he surveyed the city. “Your Mother is frequently at work while you are imprisoned in school.”

“...Yes.” Brown cocked her head to the side.

He nodded briskly. “You will give me a disease,” Damian instructed. “Of course you may not malaise without supervision. You must come to the manor.”

“Oh, fake a sick day or two,” Brown breathed. She clasped her hands together. “You're becoming such a real boy, d’you know that?”

“Tt.” Damian turned away with disgust so that he did not have to see Spoiler bouncing on her heels.

“Alright, symptoms. Can't argue with diarrhea!”

He cringed hard.

“There's a good reason for no one else to see it,” Spoiler justified. “We can't fake a fever. We could maybe manage clamminess, red eyes, etc.” She paused. “But honestly, the two of us being sick at the same time would go a long way to convince, since we have a history of antagonism.” He could see her make a face under her mask. “Tonight could work against us for that.”

Damian nodded. “We will have to invent a conflict,” he said. He immediately started picking through their patrol for a premise.

She blew a raspberry. “Nah, adding details gives them something to unpick,” she said.

He was struck by the unwelcome realization that she was not wholly unintelligent. His mouth felt glued shut.

“I'll just go back in a bad mood, make a couple faces and sigh loudly once,” Spoiler said airily. “You put on your little thundercloud face and storm away, give crisp answers to anyone who asks if there's something wrong.”

“...And in the morning, I will sleep in,” Damian said. “Past my alarm. Pennyworth will note it as a matter of concern. I will get ready for school.”

“I'll call and ask if I can malaise at the Manor, since my mom is at work and she's worried,” Brown continued easily. “Alfred will put two and two together and tell you to stay home.”

Damian hesitated. “I think that if you had given me some low-class disease,” he started.

She cut him off with a lifted hand. “You get that illness isn't a class related thing, right?” She huffed. “Maybe you got me sick with your elementary school germs. Little kids are disgusting.”

…His peers were upsettingly unhygienic. He gritted his jaw.

Still, he had his self respect to maintain.

“I would never pass a contagious disease,” Damian vowed. He had too much self discipline for that. “The origin must be you.”

She hummed.

“Robin and Spoiler, you two are closest to Red Hood. Care to lend a hand?”

The two straightened into professional posture that Damian didn't remember leaving. “What's the situation?” Brown asked.

“He shook a bush and a lot of creepy crawlies flew out,” Oracle drawled. “Danger is minimal, but containment is impossible with one. Dropping coordinates.”

The next hour was spent dragging dregs of a gang from Bloodhaven out of dumpsters and other such crannies in order to escort them to city limits. They were aurally assaulted by Todd’s idea of a motivational speech and his puerile territorialism. “Stay out or I'll cut your hands off and sew them onto your ankles, blah blah.”

Damian tuned it out. Mother had truly wasted her time on him. He was so dramatic.

The rest of the night went as planned. He and Brown returned to the cave in a pointed silence, wrote professional reports, and stalked to their respective showers without exchanging a word.

He went to his room and picked up his alarm clock. Perhaps he ought to adjust the time?

‘No. If Pennyworth is passing and does not hear it at the usual time, he will note the irregularity.’

Damian willed himself to sleep. When the alarm did go off, it took his finely honed discipline to turn the machine off and then lie back down in bed. It was… uncomfortable. he laid there stiffly, looking at the ceiling.

He forced his eyes to shut. He matched his breathing to a pattern for sleep. And he waited to see how long it would take for someone to notice that he had slept in.

His punishment for childhood began at 8 am and released the prisoners at 3 pm. Therefore, he habitually awoke at 6:30 am. After an agonizing wait Damian peeled open an eye to see that the time was 7:12.

…It was past the time that he would normally have arrived at the breakfast table. He weighed if he wished to hurry downstairs or let Pennyworth come to check on him.

Something felt like a rock in his stomach. Damian sat up and put a hand to it, frowning at the sensation. What was this? When he had thought about his actions causing Pennyworth to abandon his post and trek up a flight of stairs the odd feeling had emerged.

There was a knock on his door. Damian's head shot up as it opened. Pennyworth peered in and his eyebrows went up slightly at the sight of Damian still abed. “Good morning, Master Damian,” he greeted.

“I apologize.” Damian took the hand off of his stomach and all but leapt to his feet. “I have- overslept. I will be but a moment.” He paused, genuinely flustered. “Good morning, Pennyworth.”

“Your breakfast is ready,” Pennyworth said mildly. “Excuse me.” He closed the door.

Damian raced through the bare minimum of his routine and pulled on a school uniform. He made it to the kitchen at 7:20. He faintly heard a phone ring in the other room. His heart gave just one undisciplined leap. Was it Brown, telling their story?

Drake was slouched halfway over the table, cradling a hard-boiled egg in his hands. An otherwise empty plate had been pushed into the center of the table. He had kicked his chair out quite far and was leaning directly forward, his entire upper body on the wood. He contemplated the depths of the egg with a wrinkled brow and eyes halfway hidden under bangs.

Damian edged around Drake to his seat, careful to avoid physical contact.

“You're late,” Drake said to the egg.

Perhaps it was his egg, Damian thought snidely. He was an oversized duck, was he not? Perhaps he had laid that egg and that was why it was so fascinating to him.

“Oy,” Drake drawled. He sniffled as he turned to look at Damian. “What's wrong with you? Forget a project?”

“Do not be foolish,” Damian forbade. He picked up his silverware and set it on his breakfast.

Drake regarded him for a long time. “Are you sick?”

…Why did he think so?

“No, I am not,” Damian snapped back, before he could think better of it. Perhaps he ought to have let Drake establish his alibi.

“I don't know, you look kinda off,” Drake said. He let the hand cradling his egg hit the table and he squinted.

“Master Timothy,” Pennyworth said.

Damian did not jump.

“Ms. Brown has just called to say that she's quite under the weather. I will be retrieving her shortly. How is your condition?”

Drake sat up. “I'm fine, Alfred,” he said formally. Then he blinked. “I think Damian is sick.”

He bristled. “You will bite your tongue,” Damian snapped back. “I am- I am no such thing.”

He could see the moment they both decided that he was, in fact, too ill for school. That was the goal: but he could not accept it calmly. They would assume he was on death’s welcome mat. Therefore he hissed and protested and derided Brown’s name with only a distant smidgeon of guilt.

But eventually, Damian was ushered to a quiet and dark room to wait while Pennyworth informed the day prison that Damian would be absent from Geology, Geometry, and all manner of vile variations on how one might ensure misery for a lone intellectual in a flood of brainless oafs.

Success.

Brown was delivered and managed to appear in the same room that Damian had been consigned to. She had managed to contrive an unusually poor condition of her normally lustrous hair. That, combined with shapeless clothes and smudged eye makeup, served to make her appear quite terrible indeed.

“You look terrible,” Damian told her, because she had done a good job.

A muscle twitched visibly under her eye.

“Is Bruce gone yet?” She asked.

Damian shook his head. “He will leave at 9:30.”

Brown sucked on her lower lip for a moment and wiggled into the crack of the sofa cushions. “I think we should go to his VHS room before he leaves, so when he notices someone was in there he doesn't see a reason to investigate.”

Damian shook his head minutely. “No. He will take the opportunity to spend the day with his ailing children and watch his favorite childhood show. We will have no opportunity to watch the security footage.”

“Not his kid,” Brown muttered. “But you're right. The chance is too high.” She let her head hit the back of the sofa. “That would be a good way to spend a real sick day, I think.”

Was she wistful?

Damian eyed her in bewilderment. Was she aching for bonding time with Father?

“I shall inform him that you want to watch his detective show at a later date,” he decided generously.

#red young lovers #dp x dc #dc x dp #dead serious #damian wayne #stephanie brown

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valorant-drabbles · 6 months

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I am in dire need of more iso x reader so bad

Can I ask for Iso x cold! sniper! reader Can be platonic or romantic if it's okay (・∀・)

So reader has been part of the protocol for a while before iso (they joined just after gekko) and she's still a lone wolf then enters Iso. They would always coincidentally bump into each other and reader would just nod at him and walk past him even though Iso tries to strike up a conversation. (also reader is prone to getting hurt all the time whether it's on a mission or just a normal everyday fistfight with strangers)

One mission Iso and reader were both in the same team, timeskip to team entering battle, so reader pushes Iso out of the way and takes a hit resulting in reader being critically injured so when they got back to HQ Iso confronts them

Thanks for requesting! I will say, this was a little tough considering I don’t know much about Iso’s personality aside from what it says on the wiki. I apologize if this is ooc! Hopefully I did him justice!

Gender-Neutral Reader written, but input whichever gender you prefer/identify as if you’d like!

Summary: Lone wolf Reader keeps their distance from everyone- even from the newest recruit, Iso. Despite his best efforts to be friendly, conversations are avoided or cut short. But one fatal injury on the battlefield is the final straw, before Iso decides that he’s had enough of the ‘stand-off-ish’ façade, and demands answers. Does the reader actually give a shit or not?

Warnings: Some cursing, critical injury (nothing graphic), near death experience, possibly ooc Iso?

Word Count: 2.3k

Cold Shoulder

Reader x Iso

| Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 |

When Iso initially joined the Protocol, he was expecting to be treated with an air of caution. He was, quite literally, an assassin. And to boot, one that had been requested to target one of the Protocol's agents; Omen. Many were still skeptical of him- and he couldn't exactly blame them. For all they know, he could've joined Valorant to make his job easier to finish.

It had been a fair few weeks by that point. Some of the agents had come around, seeing that Iso wasn't just out for blood and, in fact, was seeking haven within their walls. His skills in the field proved expert, proving further to any doubters amongst VP's ranks that he was worth the risk; the myth incarnate.

Though he was far from the most impressive in the field. As arrogant as Iso could be, even he couldn't doubt the abilities of his fellow agents; with Reyna and Chamber both being most fascinating to him. The empress herself, and the expert marksman... could there be a more intriguing member to be drawn to?

Yes, actually.

Expert sniper rivalling even Chamber's ability, Y/N was incredible to witness on the battlefield, and Iso very quickly found himself drawn to his fellow agent. Swift, precise, seemingly always appearing at the right moment to save someone's ass; hell, even Yoru couldn't help but be grateful for Y/N's sharp eye.

Unfortunately for him, Y/N was notorious amongst the agents for being one of the coldest people there, keeping to themselves when not on a mission; even proving a tad short-tempered at times as well. They had quite the record for starting fights with certain agents-- okay, yes, it was Yoru, and yes, it was very much warranted.

Yet... Y/N intrigued him still. As a result, he did his very best to get on their good side. Complimenting their aim after a particularly close call, offering to grab them some coffee on cold mornings... he'd even tried to strike up a conversation once or twice. To no avail, sadly. But it didn't stop him from trying. He was nothing if not persistent.

"Y/N!" Iso raised his hand in greeting, as he spotted you across the hall, supposedly heading his way. Another chance, he thought- maybe he'd get some progress today. Y/N had noticed the newest agent greeting them, and nodded firmly in recognition. Did Iso... just get acknowledged? That was a first with you! It excited him a bit more than perhaps he might've thought.

"I saw you in the shooting range earlier... looked like you were having a competition with Phoenix. Heard you wiped the floor with him, good job." Iso started as you approached him. You gave a small shrug in response, hands in your pockets as your sniper rifle hung off your back. "It wasn't much of a challenge. He was too distracted with trying to impress me to... well, impress me. It was finished rather quick."

That didn't surprise Iso in the slightest. Phoenix did have a slight ego, always feeling the need to try and impress the newer agents in hopes of gaining their respect. So far it'd only really worked with Gekko and Harbor... and that was enough for him to do it even more frequently.

Before the assassin could open his mouth to add anything to the conversation, he found himself being brushed by rather quickly by you. His eyebrows knit together slightly in frustration as he turned just as you passed, reaching out to grab your shoulder.

"Y/N, wait-"

"Don't touch me." You scolded coldly, your tone enough to startle Iso into retracting his hand immediately. He cursed himself internally- why had he done that? He must've broken a boundary by touching you, even if it was innocently. Fuck.

"I'm sor-"

Slam went a door in his face. Your door. To your room. Had he been standing in front of your door this whole time...? God, how creepy he must've come off, he thinks. How come things always went to poorly when he tried to talk to you...?

Sighing heavily, he ran a hand through his hair, with the sound of his lone footsteps echoing down the now-empty hall. With an air of defeat, he resigned to go to his own room for the night. Maybe he'd have better luck with you tomorrow...

---------

A few days had passed since Iso's failed conversation attempt, and things with you were still as barren as ever. It frustrated him to no end, but there really wasn't much else he could do.

All too soon came the day when you and Iso were sent on a mission together. You seemed as indifferent as ever, whilst Iso saw it as another opportunity to try and win some form of your favor. But god, was he ever trying hard not to come off as overbearing.

The team was ordered to defend B site of Pearl, one of Iso's favorite spots out of all the locations the Protocol would send them; primarily because you were in your element. Staring down B Main with an Operator set up, waiting, watching... It'd be a lie to say that Iso wasn't staring. Your focus and intensity was... fascinating to watch. Iso was positioned at B Screen, meant to watch the side of the pillar that was out of your range. Emphasis on 'meant' to watch... As he was far too busy watching you in action to actually focus.

A bullet from your classic shot past him, jolting him out of his daze as he caught your glare. "Iso, focus. They could be rushing us any second." You scolded. As a result, Iso's face grew a fine shade of red out of embarrassment. You'd definitely just caught him staring, now he was completely thrown off. God. Could this mission get any worse, even though it barely started?

As if on cue, the mirror agents had rushed by the box atop B Ramp. Your heart dropped for a moment as you saw an enemy Chamber quickly set up from behind the box, scope aimed directly for Iso's head. Goddammit.

"Iso!" You shout to him, panic evident in your voice, which was... definitely new. Your tone was usually so monotone, empty, uncaring- but the second you saw your teammate's life in danger-

You were moving before you knew what was happening, abandoning your operator at your position as you ran forward. You'd managed to grab his arm, forcefully yanking him down as a bullet whizzed past, missing Iso by mere milliseconds. Now disoriented, Iso was shaken by his shoulders, meeting your steely gaze.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?! Aren't you supposed to be some kind of... myth or some shit? Where is your head at?" You hissed at him, causing Iso to swallow the nervous lump suddenly in his throat. Why was he so off his game today? Was it solely the fact he was put on a mission, at the same site as you? Was it--

Bullets began raining through the screen they were ducked behind, relentlessly. That was an Odin in action, easily- the inaccurate bullet holes said that much, since they were shooting from so far away-- though before you could properly assess the situation and form a plan, or even call for backup- you felt a searing pain in your shoulder. A pained hiss escaped from you as you instinctively pushed Iso away. Then another bullet, then another-

Before you could take more hits, you found Iso in front of you, sending his shield forward to stop anymore bullets from reaching you.

Throwing you into his arms, Iso took a running start and slid into B hall, where your operator was, setting you down by a wall. "Sage, I need backup at B site immediately!" Iso shouted into his coms, as he positioned himself at your Operator. His eyes bore into your soul as you felt a strong dizziness overtake you, the sound of the gunfire becoming a ringing in your ears.

"Don't you dare die on me, Y/N."

The last thing you remember is Iso firing your Operator, and the sound of the Odin stopping.

------------

You awaken to the dim lighting of the infirmary, and a soreness throughout your torso. Moving to sit up was painful, forcing you to move slower as you got a feel for your surroundings. Looked to be about 3AM, based on the deafening silence. And the clock on the wall was a helpful indicator as well. Duh.

You rubbed your face, still feeling completely drained and exhausted. Looking down at your torso, you see nothing but a few new scars, presumably from where you'd been shot. A shoulder shot, one to the side, and one just narrowly avoiding your stomach. Any more bullets and you'd look like swiss cheese.

Once your senses were fully awake, you became acutely aware of another presence in the room. Your eyes shot towards where you sensed this presence, expecting to find Sage or maybe even Skye-

"Iso?"

Iso had been sat in a chair nearly, eyes closed resting, with a single earbud playing music into his ear. Usually he'd have both in and completely tune everything out after a mission- something you'd noticed the first few times you'd gone on a mission with him. A little thing to notice, you thought to yourself.

At the sound of your voice, though a tad hoarse from having just woken up, Iso's attention was directed to you immediately. His eyes widened in both surprise and relief, as he tossed his earbuds aside, and slid his chair over to your bedside. "Oh thank god. You've been out for days, I was starting to think Sage lied to me when she said you were stable." His voice was drenched in relief.

"You told me not to die on you. So I didn't. Just following orders." You started, earning a slight glare from your fellow agent, who didn't seem too pleased.

"Uh- no. No more of that." He interrupted you before you could say anything else, holding his hand up, as if to tell you it was his turn to speak. Your eyebrows furrow in confusion. "No more of what-?" You prompt slowly, not entirely sure why he seemed so upset. You were fine, weren't you?...

"This... whole thing you do!" Iso gestured vaguely at you, trying to find the proper words to convey his frustration, but it only left you more confused- and a little irritated.

"What are you talking abou-"

"You pretend not to give a shit about anybody, you give everyone the cold shoulder- you make it clear you don't want to associate with any of us. And then, for some reason, you basically throw yourself in front of an Odin to save me? Risked your life for someone who you've only ever pushed aside?" Iso's eyes narrowed at you as he speaks. You feel a strange nervousness twinge in your chest.

"Sage had to resurrect you, Y/N. You literally died for me! I just... don't understand what your deal is!"

You didn't notice until now, but... Iso was holding your hand in both his own. His voice was wavering, but he dared not subject you to anything further than that to show his fear.

You find yourself averting your gaze, noticing there's a single lilac on the table next to your bed.

"I... I apolog-... No. I'm sorry, Iso." You correct yourself, your usually-tense shoulders shifting to a more relaxed position, despite your mild discomfort at being called out like this. Had you really been so cold towards the other agents?

"Listen, I-... Don't exactly have an explanation that'll satisfy you." You admitted softly, causing Iso's gaze to soften in return. Sighing, you continue. "I've always... worked on my own. I never found a need to make connections with the people I happen to work alongside, because I know that... one of us is inevitably gonna leave, or die. It'll cause more grief than anything, getting close to people, only for them to be taken in the blink of an eye. I've been through my fair share of loses... and I'm just sick of how terrible it feels. It's better for me to just get by without getting too attached. Nobody gets hurt that way."

"I don't think you're thinking about this right at all." Iso piped up quietly, though there was an air of understanding laced in his words. "I was a fixer, Y/N. I worked solely on my own, like you. If I crossed the wrong kind of people, anyone I cared about could become weapons to be used against me for blackmail. It was only after joining the Protocol that I started opening up to others. After all, Valorant has promised to protect me from my employers, so any connections I make within Valorant are... safe. This is the only place I feel like I can make friends that won't be used against me, I guess." He wasn't able to keep his cheeks from reddening. Admitting all this was new for him, but... he thought that if he shared his own experience with you, maybe it would provide you the comfort you need to do what he did.

The silence in the room was heavy, and yet... it was oddly comforting to you. You actually had someone who understood where you come from. A small smile found its way onto your face, as you allowed your gaze to meet Iso's.

"I guess despite my best efforts... I ended up caring about someone after all. Some idiot who almost got a bullet to the forehead." You couldn't help but smirk faintly as you flicked Iso's forehead, causing the man to flinch in response. He shot you a slight glare, though no malice could be detected behind his eyes. He let out a sigh, shaking his head slowly.

"You're... never gonna let me live that down, are you, Y/N?"

"Nope."

#valorant x reader #valorant #valorant iso #valorant fanfiction #valorant agents

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lanawinterscigarettes · 1 month

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The Masters taking care of a sick reader

Characters included: Simm, Missy/Gomez, and Dhawan

Warnings: being sick (duh) but nothing other than that

A/N: i don't feel good :( so i wrote this mainly for myself as a comfort thing (which is why it's so short) but since it's allergy season and more people than just me feel sick i thought y'all would like it too

Simm! Master

Saxon! Simm would clear his schedule as much as he could so he can spend time with you

He'll allow you to lay close to him in bed while he goes over paperwork or smth

Feral! Simm, on the other hand...

This man wants you nowhere near him. He refuses to be infected with your pathetic human germs /hj

He ends up relenting because of the puppy dog eyes you give him as you beg to cuddle (and because he missed you, but he'd never admit that)

Missy/Gomez! Master

Her maternal instincts come out big time when you're sick. She dotes and fawns over you like you're a child

Insists that you get plenty of rest and even makes you soup to help you feel better

She hums soft lullabys to you while tucking you in bed, setting herself up in an armchair nearby so she can be there in case you need something

Might even play your favorite song on the piano if you ask really nicely

Dhawan! Master

Such a sweetheart tbh. He refuses to let you lift a finger, doing everything for you since you're much too fragile to do it yourself

He makes you some sort of warm drink, like tea or hot chocolate, to help sooth you (no coffee though, you're not allowed the caffeine until you get better)

Literally is at your beck and call the entire time you're ill. You could ask for a live dodo bird and he'd go out of his way to get it for you if it makes you happy

Stays in bed with you most of the time, meaning it's possible he ends up getting sick after you unfortunately

Likes < reblogs | comments are greatly appreciated <3

Main masterlist | Doctor Who masterlist | wanna be added to my taglist?

🏷 taglist: @theonetruepotato87 @sessa23

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silly-circus · 3 days

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★SillyString’s story/background★

(Way long overdue lmao and long I’m so sorry guys, also made some edits because I wanted to word some things better)

I want to start off by saying she is me, me is she(Im not sure if I made it clear or not so apologies I’m kinda dumb🫰). I say “her” in my posts instead of “me” because idk it feels right since I make her look differently than I actually do. Even so, we share the same name and I do the clown look all the time when I go out to places that I get an excuse to🧍‍♂️so really it is just me but anyway,,, time to begin! This is my first time actually writing this out so I’m sorry if it’s formatted and explained terribly

First off, Silly String is my persona’s clown name. She came up with it herself, everything else was Pennywise’s idea. She was originally a human, and still looks like one and has the appetite of one(when she changed Pennywise assumed she would want to eat people. He was wrong.) She lived in texas(yee-honk) before moving to Maine literally because she thought “why not?” and ended up in good old Derry. Her life growing up wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t the best. She was always into odd and strange things, or things that most would find creepy(clowns. Love clowns. They’re so cool) so she was kinda outcasted from others at a young age but soon people learned to just let her live in peace which of course she was happy about. She did manage to make some friends, solidarity. After moving, she continued pursuing freelance photography and painting, but her full time job is as a barista in a local coffee shop(wow, how interesting💀).

The way that she met Pennywise was kinda stupid. All she was doing was taking photos of the local wildlife and next thing you know a kid is running by before she notices a fucking weird ass clown creature from hell charging straight towards her(she still snapped a photo before running). He does catch up to her and jumps her. How she managed to not get away, but the kid did, don’t ask me. She survived, her camera unfortunately did not(he gets her a new one eventually guys trust).

since then, they kept bumping into each other. He does try to kill her again but she kept managing to escape him(pissed him off more and more each time) but soon enough he starts to chill out and basically decides to learn more about her. The more she realized he was going to not continuously try eat her every time he visited she would start asking him questions about who he was as an entity and where he came from. It does start out as a weird friendship where he would mess with her at work or appear out of literally no where to hang around. He does start to enjoy her company and watching her do normal, human things since her doing it made it seem entertaining. After a while of slowly getting closer and closer they become loving parters yay(she was still human at this time).

Fast forward and they get “married” which they really call their “eternal binding.” Basically what it means is that she became a part of him. As in if he dies, she dies. She unfortunately didn’t gain any cool shape shifting and such, she just gets to live and thrive as long as he does. When it first happened she was having a hard time with it simply because she’s going to outlive everyone she knows and will continue to, but over time she made her peace with it and saw it as a privilege to watch the world change around her and of course stay with her beloved.

Also the year they met was set in the 1980s, or honestly it could be any time after that or something I don’t know yall get creative I’m just going with the flow.

That is it :) sorry again this is long, and I hope every one has a good day/night(it’s 3 am why do I do this to myself). I also hope you guys continue to follow along with me on their lover clown journey :D

AND- little sneak peek of an upcoming piece I’m working on for Mermay 😙

#pennywise #it #it 2017 #i heart them #pennywise the clown #artists on tumblr #clown artist #clowns #pennywise the dancing clown #pennywise x persona #self ship art #silly clowns in love #married clowns

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sillysnack · 7 months

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remembering every post in my saiki k twitter series and. here are the headcanons.

why do i have 28 of these? jesus christ. out of all the cast, the ones i'm pretty sure would be really online in canon are chiyo, imu, shun, mikoto, maybe reita, kusuo's a lurker, touma, kokomi...

all of them have a social media presence, duh. but, like...

anyway. since there Are 28 saiki k twitter compilation posts, i have inserted a fuck ton of headcanons 😭😭😭 like these are. sooo many. 😢

[established relationships] torisai, teruimu, mikochiyo, kubokai. classics.

yumesaisaisai friendship (chiyo & kusuo & kusuke & metori)

^ following up on that, kusuo and chiyo like sending to metori items they want bought for them. ("oh but kusuo wouldn't–" whatever!)

teruhashi kokomi's a tv girl fan

they're all lesbians. hit them with the lesbian beam, one by one. i think mikoto's the only one who hasnt outright said shes lesbian in my series

speaking of my lesbian headcanons, one particular post of mine that blew up coincidentally had kokomi calling herself a lesbian and omg some of the comments r so annoying like "ahhh she has a crush on kusuo though" "when did she say that!" like god forbid the lesbian (ME) headcanons xyr favorite characters as lesbian as well 😒

she/he saiki kusuo; she/they imu rifuta

kusuo and shun both eat plain pasta? it's their preference??? it's what made kokomi. stop having a crush on kusuo?!?$?^?^?<????

^ i was eating plain pasta at the time. most of my saiki k twitter posts are just influenced by my daily life. i used to get comments like "these r so creative" thanks. thats all just me. i dont give much thought to those.

one post, i had kusuo tweet out her thoughts on Starbucks' coffee jelly frappe; literally just My actual thoughts that i altered a bit to make it more kusuo-like. i never ordered that frappe again.

kusuo, chiyo, and shun? are fans of project sekai

chiyo's a fan of d4dj, shun's an enstarrie, and imu's a bandori fan (eve oshi :-))

toritsuka reita and teruhashi kokomo are The. strawberry shortcake fans

metori and kokomi are the only ones who are verified (Not the twitter blue one)

kusuo has a separate priv account with zero followers

kokomi has a priv account with only four followers (chiyo, kusuo, imu, and mikoto)

akechi touma is a hater of words like funnily and bookworm.

kusuke and reita are gleeks. thats my fault... i'm bingewatching glee.

omg. following up on the saiki kusuo project sekai player— he is a ichika hoshino oshi

reita has one-sided beef with satou

kusuo does not like whipped cream

nendou created his twitter account with the help of his mom 🩵

imu, shun, and kusuo have broken the fourth wall

aren is a fan of persona 5 and has compared kusuo to akiren. kusuo unfortunately has no idea who he is.

mera and aren have the same part time jobs

one kokomin threatened to bomb kusuo using a photo of kajii motojirou from bsd. this isn't a headcanon, it's just one of my favorite things from the series.

im remembering a lot more but. holy fuck. this post is long 😭

#cloud talks a lot #saiki k #saiki kusuo no psi nan #saiki kusuo no ψ nan #tdlosk #the disaster of psi kusuo saiki #im not tagging everyone #saiki kusuo #yumehara chiyo #kaidou shun #toritsuka reita #<- fun fact! 3/4 of those guys are the ones that tweet the most #teruhashi kokomi

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sebstanaddict · 9 months

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Too Good To Be True

Sebastian Stan x Reader Story

Summary: A romantic comedy story where Sebastian Stan falls in love with reader but she is not who he thinks she is.

After one of her dreams came true, which was meeting Sebastian Stan, reader thought life would finally get better for her. Unfortunately it didn't and she was forced to take a job all aspiring actresses usually took early in their careers, which was becoming a waitress/barista. One day her idol came to her work place and turned her world upside-down, literally. Will she finally get the luck she so desperately needed in her life or will bad luck continue to haunt her?

Pairings : Sebastian Stan x Female!Reader

Chapters : 3/20 (Might add more)

Chapter list >

Warning : none

Word count : 6.4k words

This story is inspired loosely by Sebastian's love life so it will have characters from his real life but I will not name their real names. I will only use Sebastian's real name in the story.

---

Chapter 3 - Conga

Go Get 'Em Tiger Cafe, LA, California - 1 month later

—

The milk steamer let out a hissing sound as soft foam started to form in the housemade almond milk inside the stainless steel cup. Being able to make a cup of latte or cappuccino using an expensive coffee machine was something Y/n never thought she could do. She guessed human brains really have a large untapped capacity for learning anything. Still, she moved out of Silicon Valley not expecting to learn to be a barista or a waitress, she wanted to learn acting, which she did, and there was nothing else she would love to learn more than acting. But the fact that she had started to run out of money and that she hadn't scored a role on anything yet, not even a commercial, she had no choice but to do the aspiring actress slash waitress job.

After her very first audition in front of Sebastian ended up with her being injured, she was forced to stay in her apartment for two weeks until her ankle was healed, so she missed out on four auditions she was supposed to do within those two weeks. She ended up doing some auditions over zoom and she also recorded videos of herself and sent them out to agencies and production houses. Of course, those types of auditions couldn't beat an in person audition where the casting directors could see her directly, so she assumed one of the reasons why she hadn't gotten any roles yet was because of that. Or maybe she just wasn't that good. Sometimes that thought crossed her mind. But Eve, her aspiring actress roommate, who had more experience in the acting world than she was, told her that she was good and kept encouraging her to do auditions. Her acting teacher Miss Davidson also told her that she was good and kept encouraging her to continue. She ended up enrolling in a part time acting class at the conservatory to improve her acting skills more while also having the waitress slash barista job on the side.

Despite being side tracked in her efforts to succeed as an actress, she was still somewhat grateful that she could get a job at the Go Get 'Em Tiger cafe. Eve was also working there and she helped her get the job. The cafe was located in Los Feliz and it was supposed to be quite a popular spot for Hollywood celebrities to hang out. However, in the two weeks that she had started working there she had only met one celebrity, Chris Pine, who was alone and spent almost half the day there just reading a book. She had more than hoped that Sebastian would one day come into the cafe but that day had not come yet.

Speaking of Sebastian, after a week of not hearing anything from him, she was convinced that the reason he was so nice to her was because he had hit her head with a frisbee. There was no chance he was interested in her at all and even though she knew it from the beginning, deep down she couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed. She remembered the way he looked at her at the conservatory's infirmary and in his car. She felt like there was something more there. But of course there wasn't. She was just hallucinating. He probably looked at everyone the way he looked at her. She had tried to convince herself.

Despite knowing she didn't have any chance with him she couldn't help but wonder if she would ever meet him again. The results of the audition had been announced about a week before. The role of the main character's sister went to her classmate Lily, while both the roles of the main character's girlfriend and friend didn't go to anyone from the conservatory. It seemed no one was good enough for both roles so Sebastian and the other producers most likely opened auditions to other people. This made it harder for her to meet him again and it had made her sad. Even though she only met him briefly she felt the impact was quite deep. Yes, after meeting him in person she could say that she was more in love with him than ever. How could she not? Especially after how he had treated her. But of course it was not good to dwell on it too long. It was useless. She had zero chance with him so she should focus her mind on other things and she could proudly say that she was successful in that.

She had only been working at the cafe for two weeks but she was a fast learner that the manager had trusted her to graduate from just being a waitress to being a barista. She was quite proud of that until that day that is.

She poured the foamy almond and macadamia milk into a cup where a small amount of espresso was already in. She moved the stainless steel cup containing the milk slowly to form the signature leaf like design on top of the cappuccino. The end result was pretty and she was really happy with it. She placed the cup of cappuccino onto a tray where she had prepared some sachets of sugar and Stevia as well as a teaspoon and rang the bell. Soon Eve came over.

"Table 7, Eve." She said, gesturing her head towards a table by the window where a man was sitting.

"Okay, thanks Y/n. You're getting really good at the foam design." Eve commented and smiled at her after glancing at the cappuccino.

"Oh thanks. I tried my best." She smiled back.

She had just finished cleaning up after making the cappuccino when the one person she had hoped to meet again in the past month walked in. It was Sebastian!

He looked exactly, if not even more good looking than the last time she saw him. He still had long hair pulled back into a ponytail but he had slightly thicker stubble. He wore a navy sweater, which was peculiar to wear in LA at this time of the year, but of course he still looked good wearing it. She couldn't help but continue to stare at him. He looked around for a bit and then walked straight towards her. But just before he could really see her, her embarrassment got the best of her. Somehow she didn't want him to know that she ended up being a barista slash waitress instead of a successful actress. So she quickly ducked and squatted behind the counter, pretending to clean the cupboard in front of her with a rag that was in her hand.

"Excuse me." His voice traveled down into her ears and she could feel warmth crawling from her neck up to her cheek.

She pretended not to notice and hoped another employee could deal with him instead but she was the only barista scheduled to work at that hour and Eve was cleaning up tables on the patio outside while the cafe's manager was busy in the kitchen supervising a new cook. No one else could cover for her.

"Hello. I'd like to order please." Sebastian called out again and she took a deep breath. Okay, alright, you can do this. She encouraged herself and slowly but surely started to stand up.

"Oh hello. What can I get for you, sir?" She smiled nervously, trying to put on a professional face. For all she knew he probably didn't remember her. It had been a month after all since he last saw her.

Sebastian stared at her with his gorgeous blue eyes and soon recognition appeared in them.

"Oh hey, it's Y/n, right?" He asked, smiling wide at her.

"Hi Sebastian." She smiled back, feeling both, elated and embarrassed that he still remembered her.

"How are you? How's your ankle?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowed in concern.

Her heart felt warm at his question. Not only did he remember her, he also remembered her injury. But of course, after what happened, it was normal that he would remember.

"Oh, it's healed. I just sometimes feel weird walking on it. But it's mostly fine. Thanks for asking." She replied and he nodded in response.

"That's good. Happy to hear that." He smiled.

"Yeah. Thanks." She smiled back.

"I didn't know you worked here. Last time I was here, which was about three weeks ago, I didn't see you." He stated.

"Umm.. yeah. I just started about two weeks ago." She replied, blushing again as the embarrassment she felt earlier came back.

"Oh, I see." He nodded.

"I.. uh.. have bills to pay so I didn't have a choice." She blurted out. She didn't know why she said it and she felt really stupid for saying it. Having a high paying job for most of her life, admitting that she needed a job was actually quite embarrassing for her. It seemed her nervousness got the best of her.

"Oh yeah, I get that. Everyone in the business had to do this at some point in their careers. I did too." He winked and she could feel butterflies in her stomach and she was sure her face had reddened again.

"What job did you do at the beginning?" She finally asked after she had recovered from his wink.

"I was a waiter, also a store attendant at some point. But my first job was at a cinema, taking stubs of tickets from moviegoers. Stuff like that." He chuckled.

"Oh, the cinema huh? I bet you had a blast being able to watch movies a lot." She commented.

"Oh yeah I did. That was the only good thing about the job." He said.

They laughed and she couldn't help but notice that he did the nose scrunch. It was something cute that he did sometimes when he laughed and she couldn't believe she could witness it directly.

Just then a family of four entered the cafe. A dad, a mom and their daughter and son. They walked straight towards the counter.

"Anyway, sorry, what can I get you, Sebastian?" She asked, her eyes glancing behind him where the family had stood.

"Oh yeah. Sorry." Sebastian turned his face towards his back for a quick second and saw the family then he turned back to face her.

"I'll just have the iced almond macadamia latte and I'll also have the avocado toast." He said.

"Alright, that would be eighteen dollars and fifty cents, sir." She said after entering his orders into the cafe's system.

"Sir.. I feel so old." He chuckled as he pulled out his wallet.

"Sorry, I didn't mean.." she said but she was cut off.

"It's okay, Y/n..I was joking." He winked and she blushed again.

"Here, keep the change." He said as he gave her ten one hundred dollar bills.

Her jaw dropped as she received the thousand dollars from him. She knew that he was a generous tipper but a thousand dollars was just too much!

"Sebastian.. I.. I can't accept this." She said as she tried to give the money back to him but he put his hands behind him and wouldn't accept the money back.

"Just take it Y/n. I insist. Now let's not make these people wait for too long." He said as he beckoned his head back towards the family that were standing behind him.

"I.. okay. Th.. thank you so much, Sebastian." She stammered as she put the money into the till and typed the amount and tip that he gave into the system, her hand shaking a little.

"Hey, the change is just for you. So.. don't put them into the system." He reminded her.

"Oh.. right. Thanks." She said as she picked most of the money back and put them into her pocket. If her manager was there he would have scolded her or even take the money away from her but he wasn't and she was really grateful for that.

She deleted the actual amount that he had given to her from the system and entered the amount of the order instead. Then she printed out the receipt.

"Here's your receipt and please kindly wait. We will bring your orders to your table once they're ready." She said while giving him the receipt.

"Okay, thanks. I'll be on the patio." He said and she nodded.

He smiled at her one last time and finally turned around and left her. She felt weak in her knees as he left but she shouldn't be like this. There were other customers that needed her attention! She scolded herself.

"Good morning, sir, ma'am. What can I get for you today?" She smiled as the dad and mom of the family approached her.

"Good morning. We'll have two bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches please, then a GGET BLT and a Protein Brekkie." The mom replied.

She quickly put in their orders with her heart pounding hard in her chest. She rarely accepted large orders, Eve usually did the order taking so she was scared she would get them wrong.

"Okay, what drinks would you like to have today, sir, ma'am?" She asked after making sure the food orders had been entered correctly.

"I'll just have an iced latte, please." The dad replied.

"Make that two and two orange juice for our kids. But please make sure not to use nut milk for my husband's latte because he's allergic to nuts." The mom said.

"Yeah, I always forgot to say that. I'm allergic to nuts." The dad said.

"Noted, sir, ma'am." She said as she continued to enter their orders into the system.

"So, that would be seventy one dollars, sir, ma'am." She said as the total of their orders appeared on the cafe's computer screen.

The mom paid and they finally left her to sit outside on the patio, leaving her to finally work on making all of their orders.

She dealt with the orange juice first as they were the easiest to prepare while also waiting for the coffee machine to heat up. Then she prepared the iced lattes next. A regular iced latte and the one Sebastian ordered, the iced almond macadamia latte, basically had the same recipe. The only difference was with the milk that was used. A regular latte used regular cow's milk while the iced almond macadamia one used housemade almond and macadamia milk.

She remembered the dad was allergic to nuts so she made sure not to use the wrong milk for him. After a while all the drinks were done and she rang the bell to call Eve.

"Table 10 and 15, Eve." She said as Eve approached her.

"Y/n.. is that Sebastian Stan on table 15?" Eve asked with her eyes wide as she looked outside towards the patio where Sebastian was sitting.

"Yup." She nodded.

"Oh wow. Did he remember you?" Eve continued to ask.

"Believe it or not he did remember me." She smiled, her eyes glazed a little as she remembered the way recognition entered his eyes when he first saw her earlier.

"That's so cool." Eve exclaimed in awe.

"Well, I guess he would remember me seeing how I embarrassed myself and he basically had to carry me multiple times." She chuckled.

"Yeah, you're so lucky. By the way, do you want to bring his order yourself?" Eve asked.

"Umm.. I still have some cleaning up to do. Maybe it's best that you do it. Don't want to keep him waiting too long." She replied.

"Okay." Eve nodded and she finally left to bring the orders to Sebastian and the family.

She was again just finished cleaning up after making the last order when she heard a female voice scream out.

"Help! Somebody call 911!" The mom from the family screamed.

The mom was standing over her husband who seemed to be choking. She immediately got out of the counter and went over to them. Her heart dropped to her stomach as she watched the dad whose entire mouth had swollen. His face looked pale. It was clear he was having anaphylactic shock and had trouble breathing.

She immediately pulled out her cellphone and called 911. As soon as she was done the cafe's manager and Eve went to stand by her, trying to calm the mom and help the dad in any way they could.

"He's having an allergic reaction! I told you he was allergic to nuts!" The mom shouted at her.

"What?! Did you give this man nuts?" The cafe's manager turned to her, his voice raised.

"No! I.. I made sure I put regular milk in his order and not almond milk." She defended herself.

Her eyes glanced at the latte glasses on the table and then she turned to look at Sebastian's glass on his table, and realized their orders must have been switched. She didn't give anything on the glasses to differentiate between the lattes and Eve didn't know which ones were which. She didn't tell her. In all of her excitement and nervousness of meeting Sebastian again, she had forgotten to tell her. Her heart sank deep into her stomach as she realized that she was in big trouble.

—

"You're fired!" The cafe's manager spat at her about an hour later.

Thankfully the emergency responders came not long after she realized her mistake and they were able to inject the man with adrenaline, helping him in reversing the effects of the allergy thus allowing him to breathe normally again. They still brought the man to the nearest hospital to observe him and made sure a second anaphylactic attack didn't happen.

The man's wife was absolutely furious at her and even threatened to sue them. She calmed down eventually after the cafe's manager refunded her and told her that they would deal with any medical expenses for the man's recovery.

She was standing in the cafe's manager's office, looking down at her feet in fear and shame as the manager continued to scold her and berated her. Eve stood next to her, looking down at her feet as well.

"I.. I'm really sorry Mr.Smith. It was an honest mistake." She stammered.

"Honest mistake?! More like stupid mistake! The man could've died and you could've been charged with murder!" He shouted and she winced at that.

He was right. The man could've died. She was completely horrified at the thought.

"Me firing you is tame compared to what could've happened to you. You know I could've demanded you to pay to cover that man's medical expenses. But I know you don't have the money. So I won't ask you for that. But I won't pay you a dime." He continued to say with venom in his voice.

She could only nod as she listened to him. Her punishment was fitting. She accepted that.

"Now Eve, I'm not going to fire you. You've been with us a long time so I'm letting you go with a warning." Mr.Smith said as he turned to look at Eve.

"Thank you Mr.Smith." Eve nodded and glanced at her for a split second, as if silently saying to her how sorry she was at the turn of events.

"Now go! Both of you!" Mr.Smith said as he waved his hand and dismissed them.

She nodded, turned around and followed Eve out of Mr.Smith's office. Her mind was still reeling after what just happened.

"I'm really sorry, Y/n." Eve said.

"It was my fault, Eve, that's okay." She sighed.

"I'll ask my friends in case they know if another cafe or restaurant is hiring." Eve offered.

"Yeah, thanks Eve. I'll look for a job myself too." She said as they arrived at the small room which housed the employee lockers as well as some benches where the employees could sit and rest.

"I have to go back out. You'll be okay, right?" Eve asked, placing her hand on the side of her left arm.

"Yeah. I'm just going to go back home after I change." She said.

"Okay. See you later, Y/n." Eve reached out and gave her a brief hug then left her alone.

As she changed out of her uniform the severity of the situation dawned in her. She was unemployed, yet again! What was it with this year? She thought in disbelief. She was fired twice that year, something she never thought she would experience. Yes, she realized that for all these years she mostly had experienced bad luck and unfair conditions. But something big like this never happened to her twice in the same year. Why was she such a loser?! She complained internally as she slammed the door of her locker hard, but instead of closing, the door fell down onto her, the hinges were destroyed with rust. She cursed as she struggled to put the door back onto its place but couldn't so she just left it leaning on the locker.

Go home. That was all she could think about as she finally went out of the employee room and slung her bag around her shoulder. Her emotions about the whole situation had started to come to the surface and she felt like she was about to cry. She didn't want to cry in front of the other employees and customers. So she quickly went out of the cafe, forgetting completely about Sebastian who apparently was still there, sitting at the patio.

She wasn't sure what to do as she walked closer towards where his table was. As it happened his table was near the exit of the cafe so she couldn't really avoid him. He was looking down while reading a book so she hoped she could just slip past him. But her hope was squashed as she got closer to him and Sebastian looked up at her.

"Y/n? What happened?" Sebastian asked, his eyebrows furrowed in concern. She didn't want to stop but she didn't want to be rude either so she stopped.

"I.. I don't know if you saw what happened but.. I got fired." She said slowly.

"Oh no. I did see what happened." He said, staring at her in concern.

"Yeah, I.. I mixed up your order with that man who got an anaphylactic shock. He's allergic to nuts and I gave him your latte." She explained.

"Oh, that explains why I couldn't taste the almond and macadamia in the latte." He commented.

"Yeah.. I.. I'm sorry about that. I can ask the other barista to make the correct latte for you if you want." She offered.

"Oh no, thanks. That won't be necessary. I already finished more than half of it anyway." He said, smiling.

"Okay. Well, I have to go. See you later, Sebastian." She waved a little at him and quickly turned to leave him. She was on the verge of crying and she didn't want him to see it. But Sebastian didn't seem to get it because he quickly stood up and followed her.

"Y/n! Wait!" Sebastian shouted at her but she pretended not to hear him and she decided to run. She crossed the street and headed towards a parking lot where she had parked her car.

"Y/n! Stop!" She could hear Sebastian shouting after her so she immediately ran to her car and ducked behind it, hoping Sebastian didn't see her. She squatted on the ground, her heart beating fast in her chest as she waited to see if Sebastian had seen her. Moments later she could hear the sound of footsteps. A pair of white sneakers showed up in front of her and she knew he had caught up with her.

"Y/n?" He called out gently. She looked up to see him staring at her with confusion on his face.

"Y/n.. why are you hiding from me?" He asked in amusement.

"I.. I'm sorry. I just.. " she sighed. She couldn't tell him that she was about to cry. But seeing him looking down at her with genuine concern on his face broke the dam in her heart that had stopped her from crying ever since the incident happened. Tears started to fall from her eyes and she finally cried. She tried hard to stop because she was embarrassed but she couldn't. Once she started she couldn't stop. She cried hard, grieving over her bad luck in employment that year. Swirls of fear and uncertainty circled around in her chest. She never felt so powerless in her life. She didn't have a job! How was she supposed to live now?! She didn't want to end up homeless. She continued to sob.

Sebastian walked closer to her and knelt in front of her. He opened his arms wide and pulled her into his embrace, startling her. She froze as she ended up sitting on the ground while Sebastian's arms circled around her body tight.

"There.. there.. it's okay Y/n. Everything is gonna be okay." He soothed her while his hand caressed her back gently.

Home. She suddenly felt like she was home in his arms. She stopped crying and took a deep breath. Inhaling deeply the intoxicating smell of his cologne mixed with what she guessed was his signature scent. The warm feeling of his arms around her, the softness of his sweater and especially his comforting signature scent successfully calmed her down. She sniffled and Sebastian slowly let her go.

He raised his hand up to her face and wiped the tears falling down on her cheeks gently with his fingers. Her heart galloped fast in her chest as she felt his warm fingers on her cheeks and she blushed.

"I.. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cry in front of you." She stammered.

"It's okay Y/n. Don't worry about it." He looked down at her and gave her a warm smile, making butterflies flutter around in her stomach.

For a moment they just looked at each other and she could feel it again, how he looked deep into her soul and she felt her heart skip a beat.

"Are you feeling better?" He finally asked, breaking the silence.

"Yeah..thank you Sebastian." She smiled and took a deep breath.

“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked gently as he let her go completely and sat crossed leg on the ground in front of her.

“I.. Well, I was just grieving over my unemployment. This was the second time I got fired this year and I just worry so much about my future. I.. I don’t want to end up being homeless, you know.” She sighed.

“I see. This was the second time you got fired?” He asked curiously.

“Yeah it was.” She replied. She ended up telling him about her previous job at Silicon Valley, how she waited three months but couldn’t get a job and how she decided to go to LA to pursue an acting career. Of course she omitted the fact that he was the reason why she decided to pursue an acting career. She didn’t want him to know that she was his fan. She didn’t want him to feel uncomfortable because of it.

“Wow, I admire you for wanting to step out of your comfort zone. Not everyone has the balls to do that.” He commented. He seemed genuinely impressed at her story and that made her confidence level raise.

“Thank you, Sebastian. I really appreciate you saying that.” She smiled and he smiled back.

"You’re welcome, Y/n. By the way, I have something serious to talk to you about, but maybe we should go somewhere more comfortable. It’s getting kind of hot out here." He suggested as he stood up and extended his hand towards her.

"Oh okay." She said, startled as she held his hand and stood up.

"Let's just go to my car and I can put the AC on." He said, beckoning for her to follow him towards his car, which was coincidentally parked next to hers.

She just nodded as she followed him to his car, wondering what it was that he wanted to talk to her about.

Moments later they sat side by side in his car. He put the AC on full blast and she could feel warm air blasted out from the fan. Slowly the air turned cool and gave her some relief from the sweltering California heat. Her heart beat fast in her chest as she waited on what he was going to say to her. She couldn't help but fantasize that he was going to confess that he had fallen in love with her, like what happens in romcoms. But her logical side argued that there was no way it would happen. She was simply not his type. Heck, she was nobody's type. Her single status for the past thirty years proved that.

"Y/n.. first of all, I hope you don't think of me as some kind of creep for saying this to you." He said and she immediately shook her head.

"Nothing you say would make me think that." She said.

"Not even if I told you I'm a cannibal?" He laughed and she laughed as well.

"Okay, maybe that. Wait.. it's not that, is it?" Her eyebrows raised.

He laughed so hard that tears started to form in the corners of his eyes.

"It's not that, Y/n." He finally said after he stopped laughing and regained his composure.

"Oh. Phew!" She said in relief, making him laugh again.

"Anyway. What I wanted to tell you is. I want you.. to work for me." He slowly said.

"What?!" She exclaimed out loud, flabbergasted.

"Yeah. Filming for Pumping Black is happening soon and I need some PAs, personal assistants, you know. To help on set and.. well.. maybe off the set as well." He said, his eyes looked to the right as he seemed to be thinking.

She couldn't believe her ears! Sebastian f*****g Stan was offering her a job?! Out of everything that could happen in her life this one definitely never crossed her mind. Well, she would of course prefer to work with him as an actress, like a co-star of his, but being his personal assistant sounded awesome too! She could be with him 24/7! Okay, maybe not exactly 24/7 but close to that. It was like every Sebastian's fan's dream job! She couldn't believe her luck!

"Are you serious?" She asked, wide eyed.

"Yes, I'm serious Y/n. But if you don't want to work for me then it's okay. I know I'm practically a stranger to you and this might be weird for you. So I understand completely if you don't want to take up on my offer." He explained quickly.

"Oh.. yeah, well, it does seem weird, I can't deny that." She said, playing hard to get a little and he smiled knowingly.

"But.." he trailed, teasing her.

"But.. of course I would work for you Sebastian! Being your PA beats being a waitress or barista any day!" She exclaimed excitedly.

"Happy to hear that." He chuckled.

"So, when do I start?" She asked.

"Well, I love your enthusiasm but aren't you gonna ask about your salary? You should never forget asking about that in a job interview." He reminded her and she laughed.

"This doesn't feel like a job interview. But yeah, you're right. How much are you going to pay me, mister?" She asked and he laughed.

"Twice the amount Go Get 'Em Tiger paid you." He said.

"Oh! That's great! If I told you they paid me 50 grand a month would you pay me 100 grand a month?" She teased.

"I don't believe they paid you that much, Y/n." He protested and she laughed.

"Yeah, they didn't, unfortunately." She chuckled and he chuckled as well.

"Well, I assume they paid you in the range of two to three grand a month." He said.

"Yeah, you're right." She nodded.

"Okay, in that case I'm offering you four grand a month. And that's for working from 9 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon. You'll be compensated more if you work outside of official working hours. I usually pay twenty dollars per hour for work outside of working hours." He explained.

"Okay, that sounds good, Sebastian." She smiled. "How long will you need me for?"

"Well, filming will last for about three months. Two months at a studio here and a month in France. So I'll need you for at least three months. But I do have other projects coming after that where I may need your help again..I guess we'll see." He replied.

"That sounds amazing. I've never been to France before." She said in awe.

"Oh yeah? Well, it's a beautiful country, you'll love it there." He commented.

"I'm sure I will! So, when do I start?" She asked eagerly.

"Well, filming for Pumping Black is going to start in about a week. So I'd say you should start immediately. However, I still need to run this by the other producers and Maya too. I'm sure they'll be okay with it and I just need to ask them for formality's sake, you know. Because I already have three PAs working for me at the moment."

"Oh. Are you sure you still need me?" She asked, doubt started to form in her heart.

"Of course Y/n! The more the merrier! And even if you don't end up working for me personally we still need PAs for the other actors." He explained.

"Okay. That sounds good." She nodded.

"Yeah. Speaking of actors. I'm sure you know we ended up not giving the girlfriend and friend role to anyone from your conservatory." He said.

"Oh, yeah. I knew about that. We must be really bad huh?" She chuckled.

"Well, no actually, that's the thing. Out of everyone who auditioned for the role of Celeste, you were actually on the first rank, Y/n." He sighed.

"What?! Are you serious, Sebastian?" She asked, her jaw dropped.

"Yeah. But, well.. I regret to say that the other producers decided to get someone more known and famous as Celeste, if you get what I mean. Someone who could help sell the movie to the general audience. So, I'm sorry. You should have gotten the role, Y/n." He said in regret.

"Oh my God! Really?!" She exclaimed out loud, her hand covered her mouth in disbelief.

"Yeah. But I'm sure you'll get a better role in the future. You have great talent, you just need to keep practicing and take as many auditions as you can." He suggested.

"Sebastian.. you have no idea how much this means to me! I mean.. I know I didn't get the role. But to be the first rank on the audition! That is awesome!" She said in delight.

He smiled and stared at her softly, making her heart skip a beat. Once again she felt like he was seeing her deep into her soul. His beautiful eyes gazed at her warmly and she felt her heart was going to burst out of her chest.

"It is awesome, Y/n. But you know what's more awesome?" He asked with a glint in his eyes.

"What?" She asked curiously.

"This!" He said as he turned the radio on and a Gloria Estefan song started to play from the speaker.

She laughed as she recognized the song. It was the up-beat song Conga. Sebastian started to move his shoulders in tune with the music while she just watched him and laughed.

"Come on Y/n! Move your shoulder. Move your body a little." He encouraged her and she didn’t have a choice but to obey her new boss.

They ended up singing and dancing to the song, turning her bad day into an unbelievable day.

"Is this going to be the norm working for you?" She laughed as the song finally ended and Sebastian finally stopped dancing.

"Oh yeah it is!" He exclaimed excitedly and she laughed.

"Being able to spontaneously sing and dance when prompted is one of the job requirements." He teased.

"Oh okay. And how did I do?" She asked, smiling.

"You passed with flying colors, Y/n." He replied and winked, making her blush yet again.

"Anyway, I have to go to the studio. I have an appointment in an hour with Maya and the other producers." He said.

"Oh yeah, okay. I should just…go then." She said as she placed her hand on the door handle of the car.

"No wait, I can drive you home first if you want." He said, reaching out to touch her hand, making her heart skip a beat. She could feel that she was blushing again. He retracted his hand slowly and smiled warmly at her.

"Umm.. you don't need to do that Sebastian. My car is literally next to yours." She smiled as she pointed to her car with her thumb.

"Oh! Okay then! Good. By the way, can I have your number?" He asked and her heart galloped fast in her chest. Sebastian f*****g Stan asked for her number! What were the odds of that happening?! She screamed internally.

"So I can let you know when you can start and where the set is and all that." Sebastian continued when she didn't respond.

"Oh, right!" She said, feeling utterly embarrassed. Of course he wanted her number for work related purposes. How could she be so stupid.

She gave her number to him and he saved it in his phone. He then called her number and asked her to save it. She couldn't believe she had Sebastian's number! Lara must be freaking out if she told her about it.

"Alright. I'll contact you as soon as possible, Y/n." Sebastian smiled as he put his cellphone back in his pocket.

"Looking forward to that, Sebastian. And.. thank you so much for giving me a job." She said as she reached out and squeezed his hand, making him smile.

"You're welcome Y/n. Take care." He winked and she blushed.

"You too, Sebastian." She replied.

"Thanks Y/n." He replied, smiling wide at her.

She opened his car door and stood by his car. She waved as Sebastian saluted her and finally drove away, leaving her feeling weak all over.

Yup. Luck was definitely on her side this time. She was sure about it. But the universe had something up its sleeves that she wasn't aware of. It might seem like she was lucky for the time being but unfortunate events would soon be coming her way again, as they always have throughout her life.

Chapter 4 >

Taglist

@dhoruwolfie

#sebastian stan #sebastian stan fanfic #sebastian stan fanfiction #sebastianstan #sebastian stan x reader #sebastian stan x y/n #sebastian stan x you #sebastian stan x female reader #sebastian stan fluff

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endlessevenings · 3 months

Text

Food to Meet You || Daiyu & Mahuika

TIMING: current LOCATION: a latte to love PARTIES: @bountyhaunter & @endlessevenings SUMMARY: daiyu is the unfortunate recipient of mahuika's desire to chill. the two actually get along! CONTENT: passing mention of infidelity

It was the middle of the day. A Latte to Love (which, stupid and ridiculously cheesy name, right?) was far busier than she would’ve wanted. Mahuika had half a mind to make people decide to leave, but she was trying to turn over a new leaf, or something (she wasn’t). However, her gaze zero-ed in on a woman sitting by herself. At a small table, probably chosen because she didn’t want anybody else around.

Luckily, Mahuika didn’t really choose to pay attention to things that didn’t fit with her vibe.

So once she’d gotten her extra-hot-extra-chocolate-mocha, she wandered over, dragged her fingers across the chair opposite the woman. “Can I sit?” She raised an eyebrow. “There’s nowhere else to go. Please?”

—

Her earbuds were slotted perfectly in her ears, music pumping through them as Daiyu scrolled through her phone. She was here to be productive and take stock of her financial situation, but it wasn’t working out. Not even while sitting in a coffeeshop filled with people tapping away on their little stupid laptops. No, she’d not even opened her notebook and calculator app. She was just tapping away on Reddit, arguing with a stranger about something she hadn’t been passionate about up until fifteen minutes ago. So it went.

Even her drink (a caramel frozen latte) was abandoned in favor of the fight, so when she spotted someone’s fingers on the chair across from her and saw her mouth move she was pulled from her thoughts.

Daiyu pulled out one of her airpods, caught the last of what she was saying. She pulled her legs (which she’d stretched out under the table) up and nodded. “Yeah, sure, go ahead.” She’d prefer to say no, but she was a little taken by surprise. She considered plopping the earbud back in. “They gotta add more seating spaces here, it’s always so fucking busy.”

—

“You’re the best.” Mahuika grinned before sitting down. “It’s way too busy, right? I mean I can’t speak from tons of experience, I sometimes just get coffee to go, but you’d think a place with this much success and this complete lack of space would give thought to expand, right?” She was just talking to talk at this point, but she had a good voice and her opinions were at least relatively well curated, so her talking was good, and the woman across the table from her was bound to be grateful for her company, even if her face didn’t show it quite yet.

She tapped her nails against the coffee cup. The sound was satisfying, and it gave her time to think about what to say next (not that she was really in doubt of what to say, but it was good to give that illusion, and to be prepared for if she ever was in doubt).

“You come here often?” It sounded like a line, but that wasn’t something Mahuika was interested in right now. “I’m Mahuika.” She stuck her hand across the table in at least some level of excessive enthusiasm and an attempt to hold an aura of welcoming vibes or something. “Also do you want like, a muffin or something to eat? Least I can do, since you’ve been so nice as to let me take over some of your personal space. I heard the banana-blueberry ones are to die for. Not literally, of course.” A stifled and seemingly awkward giggle escaped her lips. “I was feeling hungry, so I was gonna maybe get some sort of tempeh sandwich anyhow, and I’d be totes down to get something for you, too!”

—

Daiyu hadn’t the foggiest idea about when or how a business should expand. Her brother and sister had gotten the entrepreneurial gene, but it had fully skipped over her. She didn’t mind it much, there were other shortcomings that were worse. “Yeah, absolutely,” she said, with feigned confidence, as she’d always back up whatever she’d said even if it was completely nonsensical. “So many people, ridiculous.”

The sound of the other’s nails on the coffee cup went right against the beat of her music and she wasn’t sure whether she should take the other out or put them both in again. She should just go back to getting take out in her car. But then there were her finances …

She pulled out her airpod, as it seemed the other was in a chatty mood. Daiyu took the extended hand, shook it. “Daiyu.” Mahuika seemed nice, if not a little eager and it wasn’t like she hated people — it was just that she wasn’t particularly good at talking to them without starting something. But luckily the other spoke her love language. Food. “Oh, I won’t refuse a free muffin,” she said shamelessly. “I’ll take that one, yeah. Sounds healthy. Got a bunch of fruit and stuff.” She sunk back in her chair a little, put her phone down. “It really is the least you could do.”

—

“It really is!” Not that Mahuika had half an idea about how to run a business, nor did she have any intention of ever running one, but it felt good to say things with confidence. It could make them true, and even if they weren’t, she sounded competent and that was good enough for her. Or at least good enough of a start. Not good enough in the long run, but being at the start didn’t necessitate being in the long run, so she was chill with that.

“Awesome, swell, cool.” She wanted to slap herself across the face for how she sounded. “The sugar must already be getting to me, I’ll go and get your muffin and my sandwich all lickety split. Be right back!” She set the business card of some lady who’d been staying at Bearcliff and who had told Mahuika to contact her if she ever wanted to talk about other jobs (bleh, gag – the lady was in HR or something too, which double yikes), but it would do well to make sure that nobody messed with her mocha. Not that she thought Daiyu would, but other people? You could never be too sure.

In almost no time, she had made her way back over, muffin on a plate in one hand, sandwich in the other. “God, I was totally starving. Famished, you know?” She took a big bite of her sandwich, marveling at how good it actually was before she focused back on the other woman. “So what do you do for work? I work at the Bearcliff Motel. Not like, way exciting or whatever, but it does the job, and sometimes I get tips, so that’s… chill.” Mahuika shook her head. “Plus, it gives me time to read and learn on my own clock.”

—

Daiyu was never sure if she hated or loved busy places. She liked the sounds of other people, but sometimes it all seemed to drill into her head aggressively, leaving her defenseless against all the stimuli. Right now, as the other passed through positive words as if searching for the right one, she found herself amused. Sometimes humans could be so endearing, right? It made her feel like watching a toddler jump in puddles, drenching the clothes of them and their parent alike as they both laughed. Observing the pretty simplicity of life without partaking.

“See you soon,” she said, curling her lips into a grin as she fiddled with her airpod case, clicking it open and shut, open and shut. The conversations of others droned in her ears and she tried to block it out as she waited, not wanting to know about Lucy’s ex or Jonathan’s new job. This was part of why it so often felt like she was more observer than partaker — her heightened senses weren’t made for hanging in bars, but rather for tracking in the woods. Still, she grinned as the other sat down again. “Awesome. And yeah, I get you, I feel like there’s a void in my stomach that’s never filled.”

Daiyu picked at her muffin, taking a piece off and stuffing it in her mouth. Mahuika asked her about her job and she wanted to slam her head on the table. “Oh, cool, what do you do? Clean rooms and shit or deal with the people at the front desk?” She couldn’t imagine a worse job at the moment. “What’re you learning about?” This also seemed like a horrible thing. To read during work. Double punishment. “I’m a food critic,” she said, taking a demonstrative bite. It wasn’t a lie. She was very critical about food. She just wasn’t paid for it. “Not working now, though! But this muffin def gets a good rating from me regardless. Anyway, work’s work. Work sucks. What do you do beside work?”

—

She had to be doing something right, considering the other woman was smiling. So, score one for her, Mahuika supposed. Not that she was keeping score of how successful she was at life (except that she totally was), but there was often something satisfying about being able to get people to act just as she wanted them without whipping out her magic. It meant she had power all her own, just like her parents had said. Though thinking about her parents nearly immediately soured her mood, and so she pushed those thoughts away. She could stew in her thoughts later, back in her apartment, when she was alone, but right now that would totally destroy the vibe.

“Same. I’m just always so hungry.” Which was half true, but it was the right thing to say, and Mahuika could always eat. Something something filling a void that she couldn’t fill otherwise. Which couldn’t be true, right? She was plenty full of everything. (Including, perhaps, herself, but that wasn’t a rabbit hole she was going to follow anytime soon!)

“I do both actually. Front desk and also clean rooms. It’s … well, it’s boring, but it’s something, and not that I’m one to follow gossip or rumors, but I do get to know a whole lot of things just because of where I work, which is kinda rad.” Mahuika grinned. “I’m reading about Physics. It’s my favorite subject, but I figure I might go and try one of those Emily Henry novels sometime. See what all the hype on TikTok is about.” What did she do besides work? “Oh! I like going clubbing sometimes. Also for hikes, because, like, nature, you know? I only moved here back in like July,” (never mind that she’d lived outside the town most of her life), “so even though it’s been a while, I guess I’m still looking for what the cool stuff to do is. What do you do?”

—

The muffin was really good and Daiyu bit off another bite, this one larger. She chewed as she talked, “Sometimes I do get stuffed, of course, when I get a full meal but even then I always know I’m just gonna get hungry again. Not the worst, though, considering there’s so much banger food out there.” She chased her muffin with a sip of coffee.

“Yeah, well it sure is something. What kinda things do you hear? Get a lot of criminal activity? Affairs?” She’d slept in her fair share of motels over the years and seen some funny stuff — things that could be disturbing to others, too. “Oh, cool. I don’t really read a lot, to be honest, don’t have the attention span for it.” And she was bad at reading, but that was an easy to omit fact. “Physics is like … about gravity and shit, right? Well I know about that.” She grinned, a little dopey. “Hikes are great, I love those too. Just get out in nature, stretch your legs and all. Perfect. Clubs are …” She grimaced. “Loud. But you do you.” Daiyu pulled her notebook to her, deposited it in her bag. “I’ve only been here a few months myself, first time in town. Figuring stuff out as well. But yeah, I like to hike. Watch movies. I like my dog.”

—

“There really is. People limit themselves way too much with what foods they eat, but it’s a relief to see that you aren’t one of those people.” Was it possible that she was actually just getting along with someone, even without trying too hard. There was a sort of magic in food (though not actual magic, and the people who claimed as such were idiots) and maybe that was bringing the two of them together in conversation. Mahuika took another bite of her sandwich and quickly chased it with her drink.

“Yes – to both of those, actually. But sometimes also people who’re like, running away. Which I get, if you have a shit situation at home, running away can be the best option.” Or even if your life seemed picture perfect but your family were a bunch of lame cowards, but Mahuika wasn’t exactly about to say that. Not to mention she hadn’t really run away. Not far, at least. If her family wanted to, they could find her. But she didn’t want them to, and so far her wish had come true. “So valid, not everyone can have the attention span for it, but I guess I just was bored a lot as a kid and books were always there, so…” she trailed off, lost in thought for a brief moment before she shook her head and returned to the conversation at hand. “It is about gravity and shit. I just think it’s a fascinating science, and I like finding answers and making stuff make sense,” (which was true, at least in a way) “nature is the best. Also something you can always count on. I mean, weather and shit can be unpredictable, but I’m betting you get what I’m saying. Clubs are loud.” Which was part of why she liked them. That and drunk people usually didn’t question what they were doing. “Movies are good. I have a cat and a rat. I like them. They’re good company.”

—

“Yeah, like I get having comfort foods, but you’ve gotta try new stuff and be experimental. Life’s bland without good food!” She plopped another bite of the muffin into her mouth. Daiyu wasn’t the best at non-confrontational conversations, as she hadn’t had many of those in her life, but there were a few safe topics. Food, dogs and shitty movies. The weather, maybe, at times. “How’s the sandwich?”

The subject of people allegedly having families they wanted to run away from was something Daiyu really didn’t feel like addressing. Wasn’t that how she ended up in motels? Why she was in this town? Putting miles and miles between herself and her family in an attempt of separation. Not that she was running away, though — a deep buried part of her was afraid of what would happen should she try to sever ties definitively. Her father’s hands were like claws holding onto all that was his already.

“That’s not really fun gossip, though. Guess that’s nice that you offer a place, though. Should give discounts.” She stuffed her mouth again so that she didn’t have to say anything more (not that eating was a deterrent from talking usually). “Ah, shit yeah, I get that. I mean, I did ‘read’ as a kid.” Daiyu used physical air quotes. “As in, I liked to look at the pictures in the books we had.” But she’d always taken to the violence best, not the study. In a way it made her a good hunter. “Oh, valid. I just don’t try to question things I don’t get, you know? It works.” She sat back a little, splitting her muffin into little bitesize pieces. “Yeah, it’s always there. Nature, I mean. Consistent like that. No opening hours or whatever.” She let out a laugh. “A cat and a rat? And the cat doesn’t eat the rat, like Tom and Jerry? I mean, that’s a mouse, but still. That’s awesome. What’re they called?”

—

“I agree. Life’ll be all boring if you don’t try new stuff!” She nodded. “The sandwich is great. It’s perfectly flavored and the bread isn’t even like, stale or dry or whatever? Which is amazing.” So maybe Mahuika was, once again, falling back in her habits of being too cheery, but at least this time she was far more tempered with it all, and the woman didn’t seem to mind, and so she kept going.

“Oh yeah, that’s not fun gossip.” Mahuika made a face. She might’ve not always been even close to the nicest of people, but even she knew that taking joy in someone else’s bad situation (when you didn’t cause it, that was) was a bit over-the-top movie-villain cruel. So she didn’t take joy. Not usually. Rarely. And if she did, she didn’t do so outwardly. Because that was lame and also could just get her into trouble and she very much didn’t want to get into trouble. “Pictures are like, super cool, so I get that. Plus, there’s that saying that a picture’s worth some huge number of words, so you’re just like, way more efficient or like more advanced than the rest of us, maybe?”

“Yes, a cat and a rat, and no, they don’t.” The rat was her familiar, so maybe the cat just got that? Not that Mahuika was going to explain that to the stranger. “They’re called Cat and Rat. Except Cat’s the rat and Rat’s the cat. I just wanted to be quirky or whatever when I named them, I guess?” She shrugged. “What’s your dog's name? We should also totally chill again when we’re not getting crowded out by college students, yeah?”

—

She took a mental note that the sandwiches at a Latte to Love were good rather than asking for a bite, which she was admittedly very tempted to do. “Absolutely. Hate dry bread, though, yikes. So good to know the sandwiches here slap.” Daiyu was glad with her muffin, though, as it had a nice kind of stickiness and was hitting a sweet spot – literally.

“I’ll want to know all about the hot goss, though,” she said, “Maybe not here.” She was still bothered by Jonathan going on about his job. She longed for her airpods. She clicked the case open and shut again. She nodded fervently, “Abso-fucking-lutely. I’m pretty much just a genius because I just look at pictures and don’t read books, you’re absolutely right.” It was a fun line of thinking, anyway.

Daiyu thought a cat and a rat being called Rat and Cat respectively was the height of comedy and so she laughed. “That’s fucking amazing. I love that. You weren’t being quirky, you were being hilarious. And the way they’re friends, that’s amazing too.” She pulled up her phone, showed her background. “This is Nugget. He’s the best. Clever as hell, and fast as a whip.” She stuck the last bit of her muffin into her mouth. Jonathan was still buzzing in her ear. A head ache was setting on. She didn’t want to grow agitated when things were going pretty well, so she said, “Find me online, yeah? I need to get to a work thing but we should keep this ball rolling.” She grabbed the wrapper and balled it up. “Gonna tell them allll about this muffin. Tasted great! Appreciate ya.” She gave a salute, grabbed her coffee and bag and got up. “Great meeting you.” She did mean it. Sometimes it was nice to not sit alone.

#wickedswriting #c daiyu #chatzy #writing #food to meet you #// i love marin and i love daiyu <3 #thank you for this

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miniscule-meow · 1 year

Text

Isabell and the Lads: Unfortunate First Meeting (7)

Word Count: ~1.7k

Warnings: Mentions of dehumanization

Master Post

First Part | Last Part | Next Part

---

Zeke takes her out into the living room, holding her exactly how she instructed. It makes her feel things- which is concerning. She should not be feeling any sort of things concerning humans. She certainly shouldn’t be feeling anything positive. She’s experienced first-hand just how dangerous humans can be, and she has gone through too much to let herself re-open those wounds. But knowing that Zeke had stopped, and asked her how she wanted to be held, then he followed her instructions to a tee. Him, who’s so gigantic she should be entirely insignificant to him. She was injured, and right where he wanted her to be with nowhere for her to run, and he paused and attended to her every word. He took care to make sure she was comfortable. He looked at her and he listened to her like there wasn’t any size difference between them at all. She’s felt utterly helpless with humans before, but this was something else altogether. Somehow, this almost made her feel powerful?

Then he sets her down.

From her new perspective on the coffee table, all the bravado she was feeling flees from her. The two humans settle down on the couch, their torsos tower over her like two monolithic walls. She backs up, her back pressing against a candle in the center of the coffee table. The cool glass standing solidly behind her makes her feel less exposed. She slides her back down the wall and takes a seat. Her leg is thankful for the respite after what she just put it through.

“So, you’ve probably already gathered, but we never got the chance to properly introduce ourselves. I’m Marcus. This is Zeke.” Marcus says gesturing to himself and his roommate.

“My name is Ezekiel.” He corrects quietly, though she is certain that Marcus has never once used Zeke’s full name while she’s been here. She wonders which he prefers, because he’s never bothered to correct Marcus before.

“Zeke and I were talking last night about getting some things together to help you feel more comfortable here while you’re staying with us!” Marcus chatters on without missing a beat. They’ve apparently started putting a list together for all the things they’ll need to get for her. She fights to keep her expression neutral while he goes through the shopping list.

He prattles on, but all she can think about is how she's already so far down the slippery slope to becoming a pet to these humans. They have her willingly climbing into their hands, they're putting together a shopping list for supplies. She has to get out of here as fast as possible, before a cardboard box isn't the worst place they decide to put her.

“What do you think about all that?” Marcus's expectant look pulls her back into the present. The humans in front of her are obviously waiting for her to say something. She was too caught up in her own thoughts, she didn’t hear the question. Even if she did, she isn’t certain she would be able to respond. Her throat constricts looking between the two massive beings. Their eyes are focused solely on her, and it’s hard to make her voice cooperate. The weight of their attention is too much to bear. She opens her mouth in an attempt to speak, but the words just won’t come out. Her heart hammers in her chest as the seconds of silence stretch between them.

“Hey, what’s the matter, cat got your tongue?” Marcus leans in closer, his massive form looming over her as he frowns worriedly. The proximity only causes her heartbeat to become more frantic. “You were talking to us before—" Her mind instantly turns to a deeper panic, she’s upsetting them. There will be consequences if she doesn’t start acting the way they expect her to, if she- but Zeke interrupts her thoughts, shooting a hardened glare over at his roommate.

“Marcus, you are literally so rude.” He placing a hand on Marcus's shoulder and pulling him back, out of her space.

“What? She was! I was trying to be encouraging! Like a, you did it before you can do it again kind of thing,” He holds up his hands defensively.

“As far as I recall, and feel free to correct me if I’m wrong,” he says turning to her, before shifting his focus back to Marcus, “It seemed as though she mostly just spoke when she felt it was absolutely necessary. So, maybe she just doesn’t feel like talking to you right now.” Zeke shrugs, “Which, is absolutely fine by the way,” he adds, looking her way once more. She’s a little taken aback by the blunt observation of her behaviors, but he has her absolutely pegged.

“Well, she talked to you in the other room.” Marcus grumbles, crossing his arms.

“That doesn’t mean she enjoyed the conversation.” Zeke’s brow raises slightly. “We weren’t exactly sharing favorite colors or anything.”

“Mine’s purple, by the way.” Marcus winks down at Isabell.

“Marcus.” Zeke says in a tone that says Marcus is missing the point of what he was trying to say.

“Zeke’s is green.” Marcus grins, just pushing buttons now. Zeke just stares at him, not justifying his antics with any sort of visible reaction as far as Isabell can tell. But Marcus smiles and snickers like he’s just won anyway. She has to admit, it’s amusing watching the two bicker back and forth. Marcus is loud, energetic and unpredictable. Zeke is soft spoken, stoic and steady. They really do seem to be polar opposites.

It's hard to have the casual kind of conversation they want her to have with them, but it’s easier when they aren’t staring right at her. Zeke was exactly on point with his observation of her. She mostly only spoke to them when she felt it was necessary before. Part of her wishes it wasn’t necessary at all.

She doesn't think she'll ever be able to trust a human. But, if she’s going to get back home any time soon, they’ve got to think that she trusts them. Or at least that she’s trying to trust them. That’s going to involve talking to them. So, she’ll just have to swallow her fear the best she can.

“I… I like orange, I-I guess. L-like a golden kind of….” She says quietly, her voice tight with uncertainty, and trailing off when she notices that both of their heads have snapped down to look her way. Her shoulders stiffen as she falls under their complete attention. She looks between the two of them, holding her breath. Marcus’s grin widens, spreading lopsided across his face. He excitedly nudges Zeke, who simply presses his mouth flat and shakes his head in response.

“You’re just encouraging him.” He says with a sigh. She catches a smile ghost his lips as he steals a glance over at Marcus, shaking his head one more.

“I’m sorry that- um. I- I’m sorry that I’m- th-that I’m making this so… s-so… hard.” She shifts nervously, wincing at her own stammering mess. She can’t imagine they’re enjoying listening to her patter on like this, it’s basically unintelligible. She doesn’t dare look up at them lest she loses what little momentum she has. She simply fidgets with her sleeves, focusing on that and not the massive humans staring at her. “It’s just. Um. You’re just… It-it’s- it’s just that you’re just… big,” she squeaks out lamely. “I don’t know.” She adds with a huff. Isabell sits staring down at her feet, trying to pretend they are her size and that she wasn’t just being held in a single hand just moments ago. “It’s ah- i-intense. Um, i-intimidating, maybe? I-I guess? Sorry.”

“You’re fine. I’m sorry we can’t be smaller,” Zeke says empathetically. That was what she told him she wanted when he had asked if there was anything they could do to make her feel better.

“Oh wait!” Marcus exclaims, nearly jumping off of the couch. Isabell flinches back, violently. She presses herself against the candle behind her, no longer thankful that it’s there. Her heart rate spikes as she stares up at him on high alert, waiting for him to pounce. Zeke jolts as well, looking at him warily. “Okay. Okay, okay, okay. I’ll be right- or, actually. Here. You come with me.”

He scoops her up into his hands so suddenly she lets out a small yelp. Memories of her being grabbed flash before her eyes, these types of scenarios have never ended well. That, mixed with the very real pain she feels from her sore body and bruised ribs only cause her more stress. She tumbles awkwardly in his palm, and he pulls her in close to his chest. At the same time, she hears Zeke protesting, scolding Marcus, and telling him to be careful. He responds with a quick apology, but she isn’t sure if it’s directed to her or Zeke.

Marcus holds her much like Zeke did, in an open palm cupped close to his chest. It’s just the method of getting here there was a little… more forward and more panic inducing. He dashes off to another part of the apartment. “Zeke get your laptop!” He calls over his shoulder.

#g/t #g/t writing #giant tiny #g/t stories #g/t community #giant #tiny #isabell and the lads #listen Marcus is just a himbo and he's excited to be making friends #my writing #some things in the future may cross with how the old story went btw so if a few things seem repetitive thats why #i didn't hate the whole story #just some aspects of it #so i'm going through and keeping the stuff i liked and tossing the stuff that didn't work for me

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stingslikeabee · 1 year

Text

@dojimakaichou . from here

Melissa listened intently to what the captain had to say - the reinforcement of regulations was not surprising in itself, and it was indeed a fact amply established among the crew on board of the Tojo. But to an extent, Daigo likely knew that his counselor was aware of what was provided for in these handbooks; and in the same fashion, the man had probably anticipated that it wouldn't be an ordinary situation that would end up bringing the Inadian to his ready room with that subject.

But not even the telepath had predicted the tale that followed - the very personal experience that had pained Daigo enough to go to a certain extreme to prevent such suffering again. While he delved into these details about the emergency on his last assignment and just what it had cost him in terms of peace of mind (and the evident loss of life for the unfortunate souls who were not able to escape), it all made sense; it was a very upsetting moment, but one that also clicked for Melissa.

A lot about Daigo Dojima suddenly was cleared up; the woman would be among the first in the ship to sustain that their captain was not 'heartless' (stubborn, sure; a bit of a rebel, too - but never heartless when he literally took bullets and hits meant for other people serving under him). But Melissa had noticed the peculiar addendum to the Tojo's regulations in relation to families, and now it was clear that it derived from structural aspects of the craft that were also connected to a conscious decision of his.

Daigo had not only parental problems of his own (seeing how he was forced to go to therapy not by Sohei Dojima as his father, but on orders from the Federation risking the potential forfeiture of command if he failed to do so), but also carried the immensurable burden of feeling like he had destroyed the families of his innocent passengers.

"I understand where you additional precautions come from, captain," the woman said at length, having moved back into her seat and just watching the Japanese man walking around the room to fetch some coffee. It didn't take a trained specialist to realize that speaking about these matters was akin to a trigger for Daigo (if not a real one) - he was agitated and very much closed-off to the discussion as a matter of principle. However, the Inadian was also careful to not word her thoughts in a way that suggested she agreed with Daigo's approach.

As every good psychologist in most cultures would say, avoiding one's fears would only make them come back stronger at a later period. And as logical as the captain's arguments could be, it didn't change the fact that they would now put him into a very delicate and painful position - at the end of the day, Daigo would be unable to avoid the emotional distress.

It was as natural as breathing - and Melissa found herself inhaling sharply before too standing up, pathing towards the captain and making use of the replicator next.

"Bronsian bourbon, neat," the counselor ordered without a moment of hesitation or pausing to look at Daigo for permission. While the machine worked to materialize her drink, it felt as if Melissa was focused solely on the spectacle of the particles being arranged and coming together to create the alcohol she desired, but the Inadian did not linger when the order was complete: she picked up the glass, placed it on the opposite palm and then faced the human male.

Her eyes were open - and perhaps the captain could be expecting a fierce rebuttal or some sort of argument, but all Melissa offered him was a small smile, holding his gaze in an unwavering way before bringing the crystal tumbler to her lips and sipping it minimally.

"In that case, I can give you more information. The parents of the baby imagined this would happen, so I'm authorized to speak on their behalf," the counselor clarified, but did not allow the silence to stretch for long given the delicate matter of the conversation and the fresh wounds uncovered, "It's Shun and Azumi, Daigo. A half-fae baby - if it wasn't because of that particular detail, I wouldn't have been asked to talk to you."

#dojimakaichou #v: Yakuza ; space federation AU #t: running will get you nowhere #setting course for pain land #estimated time of arrival: now

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ch0c0-cake · 2 years

Text

A Little Spill

five hargreeves x afab!reader

requested by @reinaeru

request summary - helloooo could I request for a Five x Fem! Reader? basically it takes place after S3, five and reader are at a coffee shop but they're strangers. five momentarily forgets that he doesn't have his powers anymore so when he tries to blink he suddenly crashes forward into the reader. the reader is instantly infuriated since the impact made her spill her drink all over herself, and she thinks that five did it on purpose to humiliate her like in those random prank encounters on TV shows. five and reader start arguing until they both get kicked out of the coffee shop for being too loud. the rest is up to you, thank you very much in advance <3

note - I hope this is what you wanted ! sorry if it’s a bit short :(

warnings - cursing

Living in a reset timeline with no powers was certainly something Five was going to have to get used to. As soon as he learned he couldn’t blink anymore, he knew it was going to cause problems. Such as, trying to teleport and running into things in the process. Like people, unfortunately.

This time, it was a coffee shop. And a very angry woman.

The coffee shop had gotten pretty busy after he’d gotten his. The wait was long, and Five occasionally took in the faces of the people waiting. Some checked their watches, some impatiently tapped their foot, some scrolled on their phone casually. Five had to admit he had a smug smirk on his face, calmly drinking his cup of black coffee while everybody else had to wait. It was the simple things in life.

After finishing his drink, he returned the mug while another name was called. His thought process was simple. Blink somewhere else. As soon as he went to jerk forward to teleport, he crashed. Shit. His body had slammed into another, and the loud rattling of ice and splashing of a drink combined with a loud shriek.

Goddamn it.

“What the hell?!” A voice shrilled, and Five looked to see who he had happened to crash into. The lady probably would have looked very beautiful if she didn’t have a snarl on her face and coffee dripping from her jacket.

“Shit.” He sighed. “Sorry.”

“What the hell did you do that for?!” She demanded, earning a scoff from Five.

“Wh- you think I ran into you on purpose?” Five scowled. The audacity!

“Yes! You literally like- lurched forward and bumped into me! Right after I got my coffee too!”

“Look, I swear it was an accident! Why would I run into you on purpose?”

“I dunno, you tell me!” She snapped back. She was really insistent that he had run into her on purpose. This was ridiculous. “Maybe to humiliate me by making me spill my latte!”

“You really have an imagination, don’t you?” Five retorted. “Do you even hear yourself right now? I don’t even know you! Besides, that’s not even real coffee!”

“Oh, so you’re insulting my tastes now?”

“It was an accident! Jesus, lady, what do you want from me?! I have no reason to make a lady I don’t know spill her drink that’s not even coffee! It’s just cream and sugar!”

“Okay, I’m gonna need to ask you both to leave.” A different voice spoke up. Five looked to see one of the baristas, looking peeved. “You both are disrupting everyone.”

“He’s the one who made me spill my coffee!” She argued, and Five pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Uh huh. And you’re yelling like a maniac.” The barista quirked an eyebrow. “Both of you get out.”

“Whatever. I was leaving anyway.” Five rolled his eyes and simply left. He already needed another cup of coffee. He glanced around for another shop, before he heard the bell of the door. The lady had decided to take her leave.

From the corner of his eye, he watched as the woman took off her soaking wet jacket and held it in one arm. She sighed and he noticed her start to walk over to him.

“Look, if you’re just here to yell at me some more, I don’t have time.” Five shook his head.

“No, I’m not going to yell at you.” She sighed out, rubbing her temple. “I’m sorry about that. I didn’t really mean to start shouting.”

He raised an eyebrow, trying to tell if she was being genuine.

“It’s fine if you don’t accept my apology. Just…figured I’d say something. I’ve had a shitty past couple days. So…yeah. Sorry.” He watched as she started walking away.

“Hey!” He quickly called, and she turned around with a confused expression. “I didn’t catch your name.”

She smiled ever so slightly and walked back over to Five. “I didn’t throw it.” She retorted. “I’m (Y/n). Why?”

“Well, (Y/n), I was going to buy you another drink to make up for your spilled latte, if that’s okay with you.”

“Well, stranger, I think I’m going to take you up on that offer.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~☂️~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

tags 🏷 - @ay4kshalatus @vennythearsonist @ells-graveyard @its-loki-bitch @xaenii @zanrioo

#five hargreeves #five hargreeves x reader #the umbrella academy #umbrella academy x reader #fem reader #five hargreaves x reader #five hargreeves x you #umbrella academy season 3

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gi-maeve-rose · 2 years

Text

“I don’t know what you got in your head, but this is not what we do, Isa,” Valeria hissed into the phone. “This is the first and last time you’re pulling this kinda crap again, you hear me? And we’re having a long ass talk about this when you get home.”

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Monday, October 31st, 11:48AM

Radio silence all weekend, save for a check in text from Isabella every few hours Saturday and Sunday, and a text early that morning saying ‘Happy Birthday’ and letting Valeria know she was off to school. It was all the interaction Valeria had energy for, especially after the events of Friday night.

She wholly wished that she wouldn’t remember it when she crashed back in her apartment. Unfortunately for her, she remembered every little bit of it when she regained consciousness around noon the next morning, and she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it since. About Rafael. His body was so warm against hers when they danced, his arms tight and secure around her waist. He was so gentle, until he wasn’t. He became hungry. Ravenous, even, biting and marking her lips and neck, hands clawing at her clothes, grasping at her ass and breasts. The friction of their hips grinding—

“Happy birthday!” Fin unknowingly interrupted Valeria’s intrusive thoughts, placing an open box of donuts right in front of her on the desk. “You still like strawberry with sprinkles, right?”

Bless God. Valeria smiled and laughed, taking a pink frosted donut with pumpkin and bat shaped sprinkles. “I’m genuinely surprised you remember that.” She took a large bite. “It was literally a decade ago you bought me donuts.”

He set the box by the coffee station, taking a jelly filled donut for himself while Carisi helped himself. “I remember because they’re as sweet as you,” he joked with a goofy grin.

“Back it up, smooth talker, or I’ll tell Phoebe you’re flirting with me.”

“Hey, now. No need to threaten my life like that.”

Sonny laughed around his bite of donut as he went to take his seat across from Valeria. “How’re you feeling?” he asked her, pulling open his laptop. “I texted you Saturday morning, but I didn’t hear back.”

“Come on, Carisi, you saw how wasted she was Friday night,” Amanda chimed in jovially from her desk. “You think she was up any time before noon?” Not that Amanda was any better, but she for Ed herself up before noon so she could pick up Billie and Jesse from her mother’s place. Being a mom was a full time job, even with a hangover.

“Listen, I may be Hispanic, but I don’t drink often enough to have a tolerance,” Valeria defended. “I’m just glad I was able to get myself up to my apartment.” After making a visit down the hall, but they didn’t need to know that. Christ, every time there was even the vaguest mention, she was back in his apartment, their hands all over each other.

It made it even harder to forget when Rafael walked into the squad room. He was always cleaned up so nicely, standing so proud. Today, however, he was more modest, his smile softer. He carried with him a small, red gift bag, setting it in front of Valeria. "Happy birthday, Detective Castillo."

Rafael made it known amongst the squad that he wasn't the gift-giving type. He would have a drink and celebrate for a few hours, but that was more or less the extent of it. Save for his mother, of course. ‘A special something for a special someone’, or however that quote went. But which was it? Was Valeria a special someone, as indicated by the gift, or just another detective, as stated by Rafael? And Friday night… They hadn’t talked since, barely seen each other. Valeria lost count of the times she held open their text thread, typing and deleting messages until she ultimately decided it was best to act like it never happened. But now she wasn’t sure if that was the best move. Rafael was smart. There was no way he’d believe that she didn’t remember, especially when she’d been actively avoiding him. Maybe this was his way of an unspoken reconciliation.

Valeria blinked in surprise, looking between Rafael and the bag. “I— This is for me?”

Rafael chuckled. “I am giving it you.” It was the least he could do. There was no bad blood, no feelings of regret. Mostly butterflies, but that was a need-to-know basis. And no one needed to know. Rafael caught the knowing glances exchanged between Fin, Sonny, and Amanda as Valeria hesitantly dug through the tissue-stuffed bag.

Her expression quickly transform from confused and curious to beaming, squealing in delight as she pulled out a hand-carved mortar and a bag of pilones. “You stopped by Javi’s bodega on Clark, didn’t you?” Any embarrassment or reluctance was wiped away and replaced with appreciation.

“I might have recalled you whining about a broken mortar during the move, and more recently a craving for sweets,” he mused proudly, crossing his arms over his chest. He nodded to the bag. “There should be one more thing in there.”

More? What was this about? She reached into the bag again, pushing tissue aside until her hand touched a thin string. Cold. Metal. A chain? Valeria wrapped her fingers around it and pulled, mouth agape when she revealed a silver chain carrying a small blue pendant roughly in the shape of Puerto Rico. “Holy…” She looked up at Rafael with wide eyes. “There’s no way you found this at Javi’s.”

“He had some handmade necklaces made with rough cuts of gemstones.” It was a long shot and a risk of rejection, but when Rafael saw it hanging on a little rack, he couldn’t pass the opportunity to get it. He walked behind her, taking the necklace and unclasping it to put around her neck. “He said it was Larimar, but I’m pretty sure that was just to sell me on it.” Though he would’ve bought it either way, and would absolutely do it again just to see the look of wonder on her face again. He felt relief and, yet again, pride when she accepted the gift, lifting her hair off her neck to let him fasten the clasp. Again, the detectives shared glances, but Rafael didn’t care. All he cared about in the moment was getting a chance to get Valeria alone to talk about what happened the other night…

“Jeez, man,” Fin piped up, pouting. “Why you gotta flex on my donuts?”

Valeria laughed, letting her hair back down. “Don’t worry, Fin, your gift is still my favorite.” She looked at herself, the necklace, in the reflection of her phone screen. She couldn’t stop smiling. “Thank you, Counselor,” she said, looking up at Rafael. “I love it.”

“Love what?” Olivia asked as she finally came into the squad room. “Sorry I’m late, by the way. Noah was having a problem with a classmate and I had to have a sit down with him, his teacher, and the other student and his parents.”

“Need me to fight the kid?” Valeria offered.

Amanda chuckled. “You can’t fight a ten year old, Val.”

“Watch me.”

Olivia scoffed, holding up a hand. “I appreciate the offer, but no. It’s all taken care of.” She noticed the bag and its contents when she got closer, brows raising. “Is this what’s getting all the love? Had I known, I would’ve gotten you something, too.”

Carisi took his seat across from Valeria, giving her and Barba a knowing smile, and Valeria rolled her eyes. “It was as much of a surprise to me as it is to you,” she insisted. “The night at the bar and the donuts were more than enough, but I guess Rafael thought—

Woah, hang on. Rewind. “Rafael? This is from you?”

Rafael rolled his eyes at Olivia in the same manner Valeria did at Carisi. “To make up for Friday night.” He was purposely vague, knowing they’d connect it to his absence at the bar, but he noticed Valeria tense, not making the same connection.

“You didn’t miss anything,” Amanda promised. “Valeria was her same, loud self. Just drunk.”

“Oh, piss off,” Valeria laughed. “You’re just mad I beat you in a drinking game.” She unwrapped one of the pilones, popping it in her mouth and putting the rest back in the bag, along with the mortar. “I’ll be right back, I’m gonna put these in my locker.”

“Hey, let me try one of those sucker things.” Sonny thanked Valeria in Italian, watching her walk off before he turned back to Rafael with a wide grin. “Speaking of suckers,” he mused, unwrapping the candy.

Rafael blinked, taken aback by Sonny’s retort. “Excuse me?” he huffed.

“We’ve worked with you for, what, a little under a decade?” Fin wheeled his chair over next to Carisi. “Out of everyone here, you’re closest with Liv, and I don’t think you’ve ever gotten her a present like you did for Val.”

“And a necklace, at that,” Amanda added.

To which Olivia balked. “A necklace?” She could always do without presents for any occasion. She wasn’t much of a materialistic person anyhow, and she figured Valeria was more or less the same way. To add, she didn’t think Rafael was much of a gift giver. In all the years she knew him, he never came off as thoughtful. That’s not to say he didn’t have a good heart, he was just… a little cold, for lack of better phrasing. “What’s that about, Rafa?”

Rafael smiled, unashamed. “Well, like Detective Carisi has been hinting at, but not that it’s anyone else’s business, I’ll admit I’ve grown fond of Detective Castillo.” That was an understatement. “Where most people would find her abrasive and vulgar attitude to be a turn off, I find it amusing and charming. The Connor Davis case aside, she’s dealt with a lot of other things, and she didn’t let any of it stop her from getting to where she is now, didn’t let it break her down. If that’s not something and someone to admire, I don’t know what is.”

While the sentiment was obvious, the details weren’t until Rafael practically just poured his heart out. He was outspoken, but no one thought like that. “Wow,” Sonny huffed, brows raised. “So, what, you two are a thing now?”

“I don’t think so,” Fin said like he already knew. “I don’t think Val would’ve been all that surprised by the gift otherwise.”

“So, he’s in the process of wooing her,” he deduced. “Is it working?”

What was happening? Rafael found himself just barely able to keep up. “I’m sorry, are you guys putting my love life under investigation now?” The conversation was ridiculous and invasive, but honestly amusing, evident by the grin on his face.

Olivia smirked. “Should it be?”

“Liv!”

Olivia laughed, squeezing Rafael’s bicep. “I’m teasing, Rafa,” she assured. “Whatever happens, I’ll take this as a disclosure of a romantic relationship, if it comes to that.” She started toward her office, gesturing to the rest of her team. “Regardless of that, let’s get to work. Rollins, Carisi, I still need your DD5s from that Joshua Fletcher case.”

“On it, boss,” the two said in unison, switching back to work mode.

Rafael watched as the squad went back to work, but Valeria’s desk remained empty. It was taking a lot longer to put away a little gift bag than it should have. He couldn’t help feeling uneasy, making his way toward the back. He heard her before he saw her, scolding someone in Spanish. When he peeled into the room, he saw her on the phone.

Rafael’s brows furrowed deep. Isabella didn’t seem like the type to get herself into trouble. “Hey.” He walked over, leaning against the lockers. “What happened?”

Valeria groaned, slumping back against the lockers. “I’m too young to be dealing with teenage rebellion,” she complained. “Isabella didn’t show up to her fourth period class. I don’t understand, she’s never done this before. She’s always been a good kid.”

He smiled gently. “Even so, I’m sure she just wanted a bit of adventure,” Rafael reasoned. “It’s not unheard of that even the good kids test the waters at one point or another.” His grin turned cocky. “Besides, she is your sister. I wouldn’t be surprised if she takes after you just a little bit.”

Valeria balked with a scoff, playfully shoving Rafael’s chest. “Dick.” She held the sucker in her mouth as she grabbed her phone and closed the locker. “She’s got until the end of the school day to call me back.” She hoped she would. It didn’t occur to Valeria that anything else could be wrong.

Rafael chuckled, swaying back from the shove before standing straight again, a little closer to her now. He could smell the cigarettes she smoked that morning and cherry candy on her breath. “Until then…” He glanced toward the door to assure privacy. A flutter rose in his lower belly, spreading quick as he turned back to Valeria. “Can we talk about what happened Friday night?”

It was a goddamn ambush. Valeria knew better than to trust the candy, but she fell for it anyway. It was worse than alcohol in this case, her inhibitions lowered. Too trusting. All of the embarrassment from that night, the whole weekend, came flooding back, her blushing cheeks visible through her makeup, shaking her head wildly as she avoided eye contact. “Look, Counselor, I’m sorry about that,” she apologized frantically. “I was extremely inebriated, I was stressed, and I didn’t— I just—“

“Needed a little stress relief?” Suggestive, witty. He laughed as she shoved him again, this time catching her hand and keeping it against his chest. “Hey. You don’t have to apologize for anything. You did nothing wrong.”

“It was inappropriate,” she argued.

“It was hot.” The claim shocked him as much as it shocked her. He didn’t plan to divulge that much so soon, but he went along with it anyway. “I couldn’t stop thinking about it all weekend. I only stopped you because you were drunk, and I wasn’t going to take advantage of you. I wouldn’t do that to anyone, especially you.”

Were the candies spiked? Did he gift her edibles? Was this really happening? Valeria could only stare, mouth slightly agape. “No mames,” she finally said. “It’s not funny.”

Rafael shook his head. “I’m not joking,” he insisted. “And I’m not lying when I tell you I wanna see if there’s something there.” Not that he wasn’t sure if there was already. He just needed to know if she felt it, too.

Valeria had dealt with a lot in her life. Her father dying, a junkie mother, a vicious cycle of abuse, raising a kid when she was just a kid herself. She’d seen some horrible things in the world, things that would make anyone hide away for the rest of their life. For Valeria, it was this. Admission of feelings that she swore she never wanted to deal with again. Valeria had chalked up that night to exactly what Rafael said: stress relief. Granted, she didn’t get it, but that’s all she was looking for.

Or so she thought. Could he hear her heart hammering in her chest? Valeria took a deep breath to steady her nerves. She tried to find the words, but came up short and exhaled heavily. Rafael held her hand tighter, leaned in closer. “I’m not expecting publicity,” he clarified. “Honestly, I don’t even want that. These feelings… I’ve had them before for another woman, a long time ago, and it didn’t turn out the best for me, so I understand that apprehension. We can keep it between us for as long as we need. I just… I don’t want to pass this up.” He wouldn’t. Not again.

How was it possible that all of that helped and didn’t, simultaneously? Valeria still felt that nagging anxiety about jumping into something new yet old. And yet… She relaxed a bit, her fingers against his chest playing with the collar of his shirt, tugging gently at his tie. “Does that come with the promise of more pilones?” She grinned, looking up at him from beneath dark lashes.

And somehow everything was brighter. Rafael smiled slowly. “As many as you want,” he promised, bringing her hand up to kiss her knuckles. “And how does dinner with me tonight sound?”

“Are you finally gonna cook for me?” A half step closer and their bodies were just barely touching, despite how much she wanted to feel him against her again. But she was sober. She could restrain herself better now… Right?

She was so close… His hand let go of hers, pushing her hair behind her shoulder and letting it glide down her back, stopping at her waist. “I just might,” Rafael mused quietly. “But I’m keeping an eye on your alcohol intake.”

And there went the mood. Valeria rolled her eyes, stepping back. “I’m already sick of you. I’m getting back to work.” Rafael opened his mouth to sass more, but Valeria stopped him with a hand over his mouth. “Aht!” She slid her hand down, opening his mouth and putting her sucker in. “Shut up.” She walked out, but not before giving a final warning glare.

Rafael stayed put for a moment longer, a big, goofy smile on his face. Valeria was far from his usual type, but holy fuck, was he enamored. She was bold and fiery. Along with amusing and charming, it was a major turn on. His tongue swirled over the sucker she placed in his mouth, savoring the flavor of cherry and her. Easy, Rafa. Not here. He took a calming breath, collecting himself and pushing his sinful thoughts aside before he took his leave.

•••••••••••••••

6:41PM

The oxytocin made from the earlier agreement between Valeria and Rafael died down, gradually being replaced with worry as each hour passed. Valeria still hadn’t heard anything from Isabella, even hours after she was suppose to be home from school. It just wasn’t like Isabella to not check in, let alone skip classes. From her fourth hour gym class on, she was a no show. But even if she had skipped the rest of the school day, Valeria was fully prepared to not give a shit, so long as she was safe. She kept checking her phone every five minutes for anything. A call, a text, an email, something.

Valeria reluctantly started shutting down for the night, slapping her laptop shut. She caught Amanda’s attention as she was also getting ready to leave. “Hey. Everything good with you?”

Valeria shook her head with a heavy sighed, pushing a hand through her hair. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I haven’t heard from Isabella since this morning. She skipped all of her classes after gym and I haven’t been able to reach her.”

Amanda sympathized, also internally screaming that her own daughters could act out at one point or another. “I take it she doesn’t do this kinda thing often,” she assumed. “Anything I can do? Want me try calling her?”

“Could you? And if she answers, tell her I don’t care about her playing hooky right now, I just wanna know she’s safe.”

Amanda was already dialing Isabella on her phone. “Yeah, of course.” She reached over, squeezing Valeria’s arm.

Fin and Olivia were just about to make their way out, leaving Olivia’s office to see Valeria mildly distressed and Amanda on the phone. She quickly sensed the maternal worry and made her way over, Fin behind her. “Hey. What’s going on?” she asked, sharing in the collective anxiety.

“Isabella is skipping classes and not answering my calls,” Valeria explained.

“No answer for me,” Amanda announced regrettably, watching helplessly as Valeria started to pace.

Olivia set her purse and coat down on the desk, stopping Valeria. “Hey. Don’t worry, okay? We’re gonna find her.” She turned to Fin and Amanda. “Amanda, try to track Isabella’s phone. Fin, I want you to call Carisi. I know he’s home for the night, but see if he can stop by Valeria’s apartment and see if she’s home.”

Olivia turned her attention back to Val. Her heart aches for her, knowing very well the fear of not knowing where your little one was. It never went away, not even years after the fact, after getting Noah back safe and sound. “Val. Deep breaths, okay?” She sat with her at one of the desk. “Can you think of anywhere Isabella would go? A friend’s house? A relative?”

She thought she was done being victimized. Valeria had already lost count of how many times she’d asked someone else these questions. It took some getting use to. The familiar feeling of being sat down and questioned made her feel sick. “She has her friends, Marisol and Heather, but Marisol is visiting the Dominican Republic with her family, and Isabella was with Heather all weekend.”

“Is it possible she went back with Heather, then?”

Valeria shook her head. “I called Heather’s mom when school let out,” she explained. “Heather hadn’t seen her since third period and she didn’t leave school with her.” She fidgeted in her seat, pushing her hands in her hair again, pulling at the roots. “God dammit. What the hell is she thinking?”

“She’s a kid, Val,” Olivia reminded gently with a reassuring smile. “Often times, they don’t think at all.” She was learning that herself the older Noah got. More so with his classmates than with him, and for that, she was grateful.

Valeria scoffed. “Ain’t that the truth,” she muttered. She turned to her Mac Book, opening it again to try calling Isabella one more time. “You know, she wanted to go to Coachella next year, so I preordered tickets for her and her friends. Now I have to see if she’ll even have a social life by that point. She is so grounded.”

Olivia chuckled. “Need me to get you anything?”

“Coffee? Light cream and sugar?” She smiled in thanks, turning her attention to the laptop as Olivia got her her caffeine. She sighed harshly as she checked every messaging app for a fifth time, still with nothing to ease her worries.

“Hey, Val? TARU tracked her phone,” Amanda informed, turning the laptop toward her. “Is that address familiar?”

Valeria squinted at the screen, mentally cursing herself for already taking out her contacts, but she was able to make out the address. “This little shit,” she cursed, but felt immense relief. “That’s Sean Morris’s house, a kid on her debate team.”

A small smile grew on Amanda’s face. “A crush?”

“A huge one.” Valeria shook her head, rolling her eyes. “I swear to God, I’m already over having a teenager, and she’s not even mine.”

Olivia chuckled, standing with Valeria and gathering her things. “Well, at least we can say this conclusion is better than the alternative. What happens now?”

Valeria slipped on her jacket, phone in hand. “What happens is I’m gonna text her to have tonight, because she’s grounded as fuck tomorrow morning.” Until then, Valeria would have fun herself. It was her birthday, after all.

After saying good nights and leaving the precinct, she sent Rafael a text before she started driving. ‘Hit a little panic but all good now. B there in 20.’ Just before she rolled away, she was sent a response that she couldn’t help but smile at.

‘Take ur time, Te mantendré más tiempo cuando estés aquí ;)’

#smut #fluff #fanfic #oc #nypd #svu #law and order svu #special victims unit #elliot stabler #olivia benson #sonny carisi #amanda rollins #donald cragen #nick amaro #rafael barba x oc #rafael barba #john munch #angst #l&o: marked

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mxyacho · 7 months

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Maya's Home

Where after sleeping together, Maya and Alex discuss the night before and where they stand with one another. @alexbrookes

Maya Cho

Maya was awoken by the rays of the sun poking through her curtains and kissing her face. Her mind was still in those early morning cobwebs where everything felt groggy, but even through the haze she vividly remember the night before. Not that she could forget with Alex asleep next to her. Not just next to her - she was draped around him. He looked so peaceful and she didn't want to wake him so carefully, she untangled herself from him and slid herself out of bed as slowly as she could so he wouldn't wake.

Now out of bed she found one of her oversized shirts to put on before walking into her little kitchenette. She didn't have coffee (not that Redwood seemed to have an abundance of it) but she did have water and some tea leaves so she could make some tea. It would help occupy her mind as she waited for him to wake up and prepare her for the conversation that was bound to occur. And she didn't know why but she was nervous about it. She didn't think he would but her biggest fear would be that he would regret it and it would be a one night thing. That she would have ruined their friendship because of last night and lost the closest person she had here in Redwood.

But she wouldn't know until he woke up and so she made a pot of tea and sat at her desk by the window, drawing idly to keep her mind distracted while she waited.

Alex Brookes

The other side of the bed was cold when Alex finally awoke. He was slightly disappointed that she wasn't there next to him, reveling in both her body heat and the closeness of another being, but he knew she was still in the house. After stretching his neck, Alex pulled off the covers and got out of Maya's bed. Unfortunately his clothes were all still in her living room. Once he had freshened up in the bathroom, he snuck out to the living room to put his clothes back on. He had assumed Maya would be in the kitchen since he'd heard the kettle beginning to boil on the stove, but she was sitting at her desk and looking out the window. Thankfully he had been quiet enough that he at least had his underwear back on before he got her attention. "Morning," he greeted, giving her a soft smile as he pulled his pants on. "Did you sleep alright?" He'd still had some nightmares, but not as bad as he'd been prepared for given he'd literally just killed a man less than 48 hours before. Fully clothed again, he stepped over to her desk to look over her shoulder at her drawing pad, gently brushing his hand over her back. "Whatcha drawing?"

Maya Cho

Maya had thought about staying in bed and just laying there with him until he woke, but unsure if that was something he would have wanted or felt comfortable with, she had gone with the safer option of waiting for him in her living room. And it allowed her to distract herself with her comfort activity so she didn't overthink about what was going to happen when he rejoined the land of the living. Her pencil was gliding across the page as she drew the sun rising over the lake. Or at least attempted it - it was still in it's early stages so it looked less like the picturesque view and more like a rough doodle. But like many things, good art took time. She was so engrossed in her task she hadn't heard Alex get up and grab his clothes until she heard him greet her.

She sat up a bit and turned, giving him a smile as she watched him pull on his pants. "Morning," she greeted back, going back to her drawing for just a minute. She figured she'd let him get dressed without her oogling him with her eyes. "Good....maybe better than I have in a while. You?" She had felt him toss a little last night but she didn't think to mention it. If he wanted to share then she would let him but she wouldn't pry. They had already shared quite a bit last night. Maya was only aware of him behind her when his hand touched her back and she smiled as she looked over her shoulder. "Just the sun rising over the lake. It's still a work in progress so don't judge it too harshly," she replied, joking as she nodded towards her kitchen. "I made tea if you want some....I don't know if you're a tea person but I thought you might want something when you woke up."

Alex Brookes

"Same here. A few nightmares I think, but nothing too bad considering the past 48 hours." Though he was still vulnerable and reeling from his time at his family ranch, he was happy to feel safe and comfortable back in Redwood in Maya's home.

Alex was first in line to admit he knew next to nothing about art, nor did he have an artistic bone in his body for the most part. Photography had been the only creative thing he'd ever enjoyed or been good at. Even then he didn't feel it had been a creative hobby for him. He simply liked looking at things in the world and took pictures of those things. It hadn't been until his best friend had asked him to do wedding pictures that Alex had looked into how to use his camera beyond the basic functions and things like photography composition and color theory. The vast majority of it still felt way beyond his understanding. There was no doubt in his mind Maya had infinitely more creativity than he did. While he hadn't done it often, he enjoyed getting to watch her draw. Her expert hands clutching the pencil as she thought about and made each line. He would've loved to see some of her pieces from before the outbreak when she'd had all the materials she wanted at her disposal and infinite inspiration at her fingertips. Her current drawing was far from complete, but he could still see it was a landscape of some sort. "Never," he promised, grinning. "It already looks good now, and I'm sure it'll be amazing when you're done." He wasn't used to morning afters with girls he wasn't in a relationship with. Would it be weird to kiss her? They hadn't talked about any of it. "Usually I'd say yes, but I'm not enough of a tea person for you to waste any on me. I'm good with just some water." He wasn't sure what kind of tea she was making and how abundant it was. Alex paused as he tried to think of the best way to say his next words. "So.... I guess we should maybe talk about things? Last night and all that, I mean." Still as smooth as ever.

Maya Cho

Maya was glad that he seemed to be honest and a little open about why he had tossed some in the night and she took that information as a good sign that things were still good between them. "I'm glad. You definitely deserved some good sleep after everything." She mostly meant because of the ordeal he had gone through but after what they did together while he still had some injuries, she couldn't blame him for needing extra sleep.

Her cheeks filled with a hint of a blush as he complimented her work and she sat her pencil down to get up and make herself a cup and get him some water. She didn't take it personal that he didn't want tea - tea was not for everyone. When she passed him she thought about kissing his cheek but she didn't know if it would be appropriate. Was it or would he see it as too much? That was something she would have to figure out later.

She got him a glass of water and was pouring her tea when he mentioned last night. Oh God....now she knew they needed to talk about last night but she would be lying if she wasn't nervous about what he would say. "I guess we should...." She muttered, trying not to sound nervous as she handed him his water. "Did you want to go first?" She felt like if she tried to guess what he was thinking she'd say the wrong thing and ruin their friendship and she didn't think she could handle that. That was the last thing she wanted.

Alex Brookes

Taking the glass of water, Alex nodded, hoping that Maya would say something more substantial first to no avail. He understood, though. He was fairly sure that neither of them wanted to ruin things by saying the wrong thing. While he certainly didn't regret their night together, he would if it meant their friendship ended. "Right. Um...." Alex had no idea what to say, how to explain every little warring emotion inside of him. "You know that I like you. A lot. And I definitely don't regret anything last night, if that's what you might be thinkin'. Last night was amazing." How honest should he be with her? He'd never held much back from her before, but now if felt like there were more feelings on the line. The last thing he wanted to do was to hurt her inadvertently. It was possible that maybe Maya felt something romantic for him, though he hadn't thought about it until then. He didn't know if he could give her what she wanted. She had her own ex that she was trying to get over, or so he thought. "I don't want to hurt you. That's the last thing I want. But right now... I just don't think I'm ready for a real relationship. If that's even what you would want, I don't know. What I'm trying to say is I care about you so much, and while I'd be happy to continue doing this sort of thing on a regular basis, I also understand if you don't want to. If you have even the slightest inclination that I could hurt you by not being ready for a relationship if we started something regularly, then I don't think we should do this. Our friendship comes first before anything else."

Maya Cho

Maya had to admit that she was completely terrified about what Alex was going to say. Her mind was reeling with all the possibilities. Last night was a mistake, they couldn't be friends, he needed space to think.... every bad thing was in the forefront of her mind. At least, until he spoke. It started off good and a blush covered her face when he said his last night had been amazing. But she was waiting for the but because normally when something started off good it was always followed with a but.

And then it came and what it did, Maya felt.. relieved? Because the but was not a bad but. Her shoulders relaxed and her face lighting just a bit but she took in what he was saying."Oh thank God," she breathed out with a relieved laugh, "I was worried you were going to say that we shouldn't do this again." It was a great relief to know he didn't want to not see her after last night. "I care about you too, Alex. I was worried I might have overstepped a bit and I would never want to put you in an awkward situation."

Alex Brookes

The awkward morning after was one more reason Alex was hesitant to hook up with anyone when they hadn't made clear boundaries first. Sex was already such a big boundary for him. He already didn't want to hurt Maya, but it always made it worse when they'd already been together physically. All he could do was wait to see what she said and what was on her mind.

He internally let out the mental breath he had been holding. She wasn't upset. "Overstep? Hell no. I feel like I'm the one who practically jumped you," he joked, though it wasn't as if she had seemed to mind. Obviously he never wanted to push her into something she didn't want. "So... we're good, then? On the same page and all that? I'm good to keep this going if you are." It had risks with it, yes, but Alex was willing to take those risks as long as Maya was willing to as well. He already cared deeply for her, but he couldn't imagine himself being ready for another relationship anytime soon. There was still a guilty part of him for even sleeping with Maya so soon after leaving Rosalie despite knowing there was nothing wrong with sleeping with her. Rosalie had given him straight up permission. Unfortunately, his feelings weren't that easy to sway. If feelings came into the mix later... well, he would deal with that when the time came.

Maya Cho

Maya breathed out her laugh, feeling her cheeks twinge a little shade of pink. "I mean, you kinda did, but I was not complaining." Not that she could complain about a single thing last night. Night was incredible. "Yeah, yeah we're very good." Alex meant the world to her and she had been ready to bend over backwards to apologize if she had let things go too far. Much like Alex had said, Maya wasn't ready for a relationship. Honestly, she was terrified of one. What had happened with her and her ex had really messed her up and she didn't know if she could let herself feel like that again, even though she would be lying if she didn't think she had felt something when she was with Alex. But again, like Alex said, their friendship came first. It always had and it always would. "After last night, I am quite happy to keep this going. Last night was....incredible." She wasn't lying. Not that she ever would with him. But she wanted him to know that she enjoyed last night as much as he seemed to as well. "I was actually hoping we could do it again but I didn't want to put you in a weird spot."

Alex Brookes

Alex still wasn't quite sure what Maya's feeling were on starting a relationship, but she seemed happy in the moment and he supposed that was all that mattered. Given their conversations, he'd assumed that she wasn't ready for one either after the way she'd always talked about her ex. If they needed to break things off later on, they could do so. Only time would tell. He would try to remain hypervigilant to make sure neither of them ended up getting hurt. "Good," he said, grinning. "I'm happy to hear that. And happy to hear things were incredible." Alex was as human as any other guy; obviously it was nice to hear that their night had been good for her too. "I think we can arrange something." He shrugged nonchalantly in a joking manner. As if he had a line of girls outside his door and she was the privileged one to be with him. It wouldn't surprise him if she had been with others in Redwood, not that he minded. That was her business, and he knew that most people were more willing to have casual sex than he was. For now, all that mattered was that they knew what they wanted and he could let some of the worrying go to the back of his mind. Dropping the joking act, he grave her a more genuine smile and leaned in to bring their lips together for the first time since waking up.

#maya && alex #c: alex 001

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dangaer · 1 year

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@kissespink asked: ❣️ + kiwa & Yuma ? 💖

SEND ME ❣️ + A SHIP AND I’LL TELL YOU… [ VOL. 2 ] ( no longer accepting! )

who is the little spoon?

this is definitely a BOTH answer because of the taller member of the couple being spooned is my absolute guilty pleasure but also, i think yuma is someone who really likes to protect those he offers his time to. it ultimately depends on their mood for that day as neither wish to set up a complete routine for it when the reality is that some days someone is going to need it more than the other person and that is how it comes to that, though it was definitely a discovery that took yuma a very, very long time to completely get given his mindset at the beginning - and one he completely apologised for when he experienced the act of being spooned for the first time!

who sings in the shower?

kiwa for definite! a lot of yuma's original music taste are ballads that he'd usually end up making the lyrics to towards his friends on the spot, or the fancy music played at balls given his occasional meet-ups with the rich as a child. i like to imagine that sometimes it's loud enough for him to overhear and he likes to comment on it once she's come out, just to see the reaction on her face in knowing she can be heard. some of the lyrics are very, very memorable that it's not uncommon to see him hum the same tune in her presence later on in the day when he's gardening, a fact she probably gets her revenge on to his obvious chagrin!

who plays pranks on the other?

yuma for definite! he's always been used to being a prankster and unfortunately the act of things that might be considered that way is something he's come to associate with when it comes to love. at first, it was probably kou or the other mukami brothers who either egged him on to do something, or simply got kiwa involved because they knew it would put him in a tricky predicament. while at first they bordered on rather unsettling, i like to imagine they take more of a playful attitude now. such as replacing the sugar for the salt one morning or change position with ruki every half an hour or so and act like he's always been there despite obviously not having been so.

who is the one who listens to pop music?

following up to the one before the previous ask, i'd definitely say kiwa again! yuma honestly has 0 knowledge of the current pop world and despite his own literal brother being someone who works in that industry, he can't even name one of his songs off of the top of his head. given its something kiwa finds herself rather passionate in, he does take the time to listen to her and understand the way she explains it, but sometimes he ends up having to ask her to repeat the name of the song he thought was somewhat okay the next day to listen to while he's gardening with a somewhat apologetic look on his face, though it's as sincere as he usually can get.

who brings the other a random cup of joe?

it's a both of them kind of love language ♥ started off by kiwa of course because yuma's humanitarian skills were equivalent to a cabbage to begin with but soon his actions followed hers by slipping past simply getting her a drink for mealtimes and him bringing one to her in the morning or simply just because he was making one. i can imagine she does it a lot when he's in the garden, which then makes him take a break and they get to talk to each other for an hour or so, out in the garden when the night is clear but either in the kitchen or dining room when there's a storm brewing on the horizon. he always is a little bit off with her coffee order, but when he gets it, he gets it well.

who picks the cheesy movies for date night?

definitely a kiwa thing to do, considering yuma is an old man who has spent 90% of his life in the garden rather than catching up with anything modern. that isn't to say he finds them boring though, kiwa probably explains these movies are cheesy and therefore the quality isn't good, but damn if it's not clear that yuma gets invested, first the awe of how someone's managed to capture so many angles and do it so efficiently, but then he's just really invested in a plot. their first one was probably about some farmer and as that resonates very close to his heart, he's the one telling kiwa he wouldn't mind if she brought another one next time. soon enough they're eating all the popcorn, sharing the information and just genuinely having a good time, even if they do end up focusing more on each others company than the actual movie by the end of it!

who is more likely to feed the other in public?

YUMA! his favourite thing to do in a nutshell, it's not what kiwa might be expecting but he is one of the first to decide when he wants someone to try something. it's something that stemmed from the garden, where he would give her a tomato to eat in the meantime when waiting for dinner until it comes to the actual dinner table, where he's made himself a weird new flavour with his food and he wants to check if it's not his tastebuds going weird. they get a lot of pointed stares at the mukami dinner table, and the dining hall, but he has no qualms about it. he'll just be even more affectionate as revenge!

who gives the other random little compliments?

kiwa for definite! yuma isn't good at expressing himself at the best of times, i imagine it's not rare to find kiwa be the one to physically perk up and let him know when she thinks something looks good on him or he's done something genuinely good. it's one of the main lessons he's wished to learn for himself since he started dating her, so it's with such small actions does she end up helping him the most. sometimes he just stands closer to her when he's got a new hairstyle or outfit to see if she'll say something, and every time he wants her to it's when she does! he knows that's a little attention seeking, but it's harmless in the long run. he's much rather a big actions kind of person, who will seek others help if he has to write a long string of words.

who is always stealing food from the other’s plate?

yuma because it's definitely self imposed revenge for all the food he gives to her, though he hopes it'll encourage her to steal some of his too. he's overheard those around him talk about how that's a cute thing to do, and sometimes he's just hungry and too lazy to reach out for food that is probably still in the same room. she's probably teased him about it before but he's the one who tries to act innocent over it, but he's definitely one of the hungriest when it comes to even hanging out with his brothers too.

who is more likely to let the other borrow their car?

throwing in a third party, ruki, here, because yuma probably doesn't even know how to drive and the mukami mansion always appears to have been managed by chauffeurs the same way the sakamaki's is, yuma is the one to always dare kiwa to do it, but he's also aware of how slightly uncomfortable she finds hanging out with him due to his rather unapproachable actions and responses in turn, so most likely ends up either convincing him or distracting him long enough that they end up being able to grab the ride for the evening. it does end up in a load of fights when it turns out he didn't actually ask for permission, but they're the type of couple who i think would manage to walk places by foot if the push came to an obvious shove.

who makes the list before they go grocery shopping?

yuma because he has no confidence in how much he'll actually remember in the long run. kiwa is the one who probably ends up adding the food that people like as treats because honestly if yuma had it his way it would simply be full of fruit and veg so everyone got their five a day, and yuma doesn't even question any decisions she makes for it rather than looking disapprovingly if it's kou or azusa's handwriting on the paper instead. kiwa probably also ends up writing and even doodling even cuter things rather than yumas scruffy handwriting, something in which he ends up appreciating more than he can put into words. they're never thrown into the bin like they should be, though it's insisted they're kept in a safe keeping pile for now instead unless they are ruined beyond repair, no matter how hard they've tried.

who makes sure the other takes their meds when sick?

yuma, because he is her boyfriend and her caretaker in that moment. brought up in an era where the cold / flu literally killed people, he's seen how much things have evolved but can never ignore that nagging feeling in the back of his mind, now that she's the only human in the house. kiwa's the more attentive caretaker of the two, as she'll actually help him out when hes sick and feed him all the right food alongside treats, rather than his very forceful way of suggesting that she'll have to spend the next week in bed because "even if you're better, i don't trust things going right that quick. you should take the baby steps" even if the babysteps to him include making her only take small exercises to begin with, he'll stay by her side until he's 100% certain everything's fine though!

who watches sports and has to teach the other the rules?

yuma again, but ... the rules aren't guaranteed correct and sometimes kiwa probably finds herself looking up the rules on google because yuma's edition of the sports is rather violent in the long run. whenever she finds something different she always takes the time to explain it to him, something in which he acts a bit haughty to at first until he understands that she's doing it to genuinely help him rather than belittle his knowledge, and sometimes they just spend countless hours side by side where he'll play with her hair as she lets him know just how exactly to actually play football without committing the amount of fouls he believes is safe to do so in the long run. so really, it's kiwa who explains the rules to the both of them because he'll have them on the wrong tangent otherwise.

who pulls the other to their feet for a dance in the living room?

kiwa kiwa kiwa!! yuma says he doesn't know how to dance and i love the idea of her deciding right there and then that they're going to fix that because there's no way she's going to allow that on her run! it's when they have the room to themselves does she end up pulling him up, even with the disbelief that marks his features in place of the usual smirk at what she ends up doing, but once she settles them on the right path it turns out that he's a filthy liar and can lead them for miles. they both end up dancing for a good few minutes after that, simply lost in the sight of each other other to notice the music player has either run out or paused to even pick a next song. only when they break away does it become clear they've completely lost track of time because of it.

who has to keep reminding the other to hurry or they’ll be late?

while they're both very reasonably on time, able to wake up if need be and usually get prepped in advanced, they both have had moments where they've had to slip into these roles. it's not usually with judgement but rather concern, especially if they have things planned such as a date or are simply going sightseeing in order to capture a certain animal that time in the morning. kiwa is probably very quick to remind yuma he doesn't have to go, while he's the one who will let her know she can blame him if people ask in the long run what took them both so long to get there, they're a couple who do have each others backs, if the situation calls for it.

who is the one most likely to get a tattoo with the other’s name?

yuma at first because he is, infact, very sentimental like that. he knows kiwa has a few of her own and the way she describes them as being rather a form of self expression, he finds himself the first to want to prove his own to her in that way. they both eventually go to get something sentimental together, because they both know then that they can take a look at those patterns and simply remember why they did such a thing for each other, they both enjoy the way it looks on each other, too. people like to ask them about it sometimes, but they have no qualms in being honest or trying to hide it, something that gives them a smile and a chuckle to one another as they walk away hand by hand.

#kissespink #❛ 𝐘𝐔𝐌𝐀 𝐌𝐔𝐊𝐀𝐌𝐈 ⧽ — answered.#long post /#AS IN EXTREMELY LONG IM SO SORRY #THIS WAS SO FUN TO RAMBLE ABOUT please lmk if theres anything you disagree with but #honestly their genuine growth and how much yu.ma learns from kiw.a but also how much kiw.a gets to see from yuma despite #how much of the world views him otherwise is honestly one of the softest things to me ????#i love them being that domestic ship because they simply both deserve it <3 #diabolik lovers /#kiwa / yuma tag /

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mt-musings · 1 year

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Bluebell

Chapter 4

After being abruptly transferred to the BAU at what she suspects was Gideon's request, Cassie Boann struggles to find her footing. Shy and solitary by nature, the transition is made all the more difficult when Dr. Spencer Reid seems to take an almost immediate dislike to her. Unfortunately for them both, their respective areas of expertise leave them paired off more often than not. But when Cassie's past literally starts hunting her, Spencer is forced to consider that he might, in fact, not hate her at all.

Quite the opposite, actually.

Spencer Reid x OC

Warnings: Canon typical violence, kidnapping, stalking, drug use, blood, injury, death, PTSD, eventual smut, more tags to be added

Series Masterlist

Read on AO3

4. Come As You Are

When she was seven her father made her a treehouse in the forest behind their house. It overlooked a brook that provided a near endless supply of grey, water-smoothed stones that she carried back to line her windowsill with. Inside the treehouse she kept the tin tea set she’d brought with her from Virginia and one of her mother’s old matryoshka dolls that she named Chuck. She’d spend hours making faery boats to send down the stream or pouring over the yellowed pages of the books that lined every inch of the house’s den.

Sometimes, if she closed her eyes, she could almost hear her father’s piano playing drifting out the open studio window, blending with the babbling of clear water and her mother’s near-musical laughter. Sometimes she could feel the roughness of the pulpy pages beneath her fingers, feel the sting of the scent of freshly cut wood and varnish. She could convince herself that if she opened her eyes and looked up she’d see the rafters on which her father had ardently painted the stars for her.

But more often she remembered the metallic scent of blood and the sharpness of steel, the way it felt for her lungs to burn for want of breath. More often he awoke with her nose still burning and her cheeks damp.

Sometimes she wondered if they would be proud of her, or just angry, after all they had sacrificed. Would they think it a supreme waste of her potential to spend her days surrounded by death and depravity? Would they be ashamed to know that she spent more time with corpses than her peers, that she preferred it that way?

That she had shattered so absolutely and easily?

She slammed the file shut, pinching her temples at the thought of having to explain to them what she’d become. Not who—she’d lost her long before. She’d become a creature, a clockwork oddity that stared stone-faced at daily horror and envied the quiet serenity of the dead.

“You alright there, kid?”

She looked up to find Morgan looking at her with concern clear in his eyes. She sighed, giving him what she hoped passed for a smile.

“Just tired.”

“I was just on my way to grab some coffee. Come on, take a break.”

She thought about refusing, about turning back to the never-ending stack of violent deaths that awaited her. Instead, she nodded and followed him to the break room, taking the mug he handed her numbly.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Do you ever think about Nietzsche?”

Morgan laughed. “Not if I can help it. Why?”

“Because he merely cautions us against staring into the abyss. He doesn’t ask why we would.”

“I think I understand why you and Gideon get along so well,” he said, nudging her with his elbow as he leaned against the counter next to her. “I’m going to let you in on a secret though. It’s okay to compartmentalize. It’s okay to take a weekend off. It’s good for you.”

Cassie made a face, draining the still steaming mug of black coffee but said nothing. She knew he was coming from a place of kindness and concern, that he didn’t understand why she threw herself into the work with such obsession. She dropped her eyes to the mug in her hands, somehow feeling more disconnected than she had before.

“I’ll keep it in mind. Thanks.”

“Anytime. I’m always here if you need an ear.”

“Hey guys,” Emily said, popping her head through the breakroom door, “Hotch wants everyone in the conference room.”

---

Cassie lay in bed staring up at the ceiling. Chopin drifted from the stereo in an effort to bring her peace, but it only served as background noise. Her heart hadn’t stopped pounding since the briefing in the conference room six hours ago, the sound of her own blood deafening in her ears.

She hadn’t stepped foot in Whitefish since she was eight, Montana since she was nine. The thought of even stepping foot in the Glacier Park International Airport had been enough to make her empty her stomach in the third floor bathroom at work.

She glanced at the alarm clock on her bedside table. It was early for her, nearly eleven. She hesitated a moment before grabbing her phone and flipping it open, punching the only number in her speed dial.

Gideon picked up on the second ring.

“I’m going to tell Hotch I can’t go.”

“Bebe—”

“Whitefish is only like, thirty minutes from the house. I can’t. I just can’t.” She made a face at the way her voice cracked, trying to blink back tears. There was a pause on the other end, long enough that she had a momentary fear that he’d hung up.

“I hope you know I support you either way. You need to do what’s best for you.”

She huffed, tears slipping down her face. “You’re supposed to tell me I have to go. That it’s my job, that I need to identify the remains. That they asked, specifically.”

“They asked for someone to help identify the victims. We can find someone else in forensics to help.”

She tried to calm her breathing as her tears bordered on hysteric. She pressed her hand over her eyes as if it alone could block out the wave of emotion threatening to consume her.

“I can talk to Hotch, it won’t be an issue. Nobody else would know—”

“No,” she said, too sharply. “No, I—I’ve got to go back sometime, right? Flathead’s got enough unsolved murders. And nobody will know the woods better. I’m sorry—I shouldn’t have called so late. I was just freaking out a little.”

“I’d be more surprised if you weren’t. It’s perfectly natural.”

“I—” she began, but cut herself off, biting her lip, “Thanks Gideon. I’m sorry again for calling so late. I’ll see you on the plane in a few hours.”

“Any time kiddo. You know that.”

She said goodbye and hung up, tossing the phone to the other side of the bed as she blew out a lung full of air, wishing that speaking to Gideon had left her feeling settled, at the very least.

Instead she crossed to the bathroom yet again and heaved her guts into the toilet.

---

Cassie spent nearly the whole plane ride in silence, nose buried in the files Hotch had brought containing photos and forensic information. Spencer found himself glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, noting the furrow that never softened from between her brows. Her skin looked almost sallow and her hands trembled ever so slightly a they ran across the photos.

It was odd, even for her.

What was doubly odd was the way Gideon seemed to hover, nearly always within an arm’s length. It wasn’t until she broke away to complete the preliminary autopsies that he stepped away, going with the rest to conduct the first round of interviews. Spencer, as usual, stayed behind, synthesizing what information they had so far into a rough geographical profile.

After a few hours he meandered his way downstairs to the makeshift morgue the sheriff had cobbled together. It was little more than an old storage room filled with some spare folding tables wrapped in plastic. Still, it never seemed that Cassie was one to complain.

“Hey Cass, you doing okay down here?” he asked, making sure to take shallow breaths after the last debacle.

“Fine. I’m going to need them overnighted to the Smithsonian for further analysis, I just don’t have the equipment here,” she said, motioning to the stacks of boxes behind her, “I just need to finalize my instructions for the imaging department, then I can come up and help with the profile.”

“Are you sure? I mean, that you’re alright. You seem a little off.”

Something shifted in her expression, almost like a mask being set over her features. She gave him a tight-lipped smile.

“Of course, why wouldn’t I be? Now, if you wouldn’t mind filling me in on what you’ve put together so far, perhaps I can fill in a few of the blanks.”

---

“We’re a bit tight on space here so Reid and Boann, you’re going to have to bunk up,” Hotch said, eyeing the pair.

“Um, I’m not sure—” Spencer started, eyes widening. Cassie cut him off.

“That’s fine. What time are we heading down to the station?”

“We’re heading out at 8:15.”

“Right, thanks,” she said, taking a key from Hotch, “I’ll see you guys in the morning.”

Spencer watched her retreat and disappear into their now shared room with a sense of rising panic. Derek clapped a hand on his shoulder as the others broke away to their perspective rooms, chatting about where to grab dinner after they’d dropped off their bags.

“You going to be okay kid? You look a bit like a deer in the headlights.”

“Yeah, of course I’m fine, why wouldn’t I be?”

“You ever share a room with a woman before?”

“I don’t see how that has anything to do with—”

“Some friendly advice, make sure to get up extra early if you want a warm shower,” he said, winking, “I’ll see you in ten for dinner.”

Spencer rolled his eyes as Derek set off to the room he was sharing with Hotch, though he did have to admit that he’d made him feel just a little better. He took a deep breath before pushing the door open, stealing himself for what would likely be another painfully awkward interaction.

The room was small and dimly lit, though mercifully contained two lumpy looking queen beds. Cassie had already taken the bed furthest from the door and was sitting cross legged on the duvet, typing furiously, case photos laid out neatly around her. She looked up as he entered, giving him a nod just as her cell rang. She glanced at the number before answering, sandwiching the phone between her shoulder and ear as she continued to type.

“Tell me you got it,” she said, by way of greeting. She nodded as whoever was on the other end spoke, furrowing her brow.

“No, I want a CT and a full modeling, not just the x-rays. Yeah, I know. Tell Martha it’s for me, she still owes me. I’m sending the paperwork right now. Yeah, no I understand. Can you make sure Dr. Bashir takes a look at it first thing tomorrow? Thanks Ayesh, you’re the best. Yeah. Alright, call me tomorrow.” She hung up, tossing the phone to the side, picking up one of the photos and examining it closer.

Spencer put his bag down on the other bed, loosening his tie. There was an unspoken rule in the BAU not to profile other members, but he found it especially hard around Cassie. Perhaps it was because he still knew so little about her, but then again, Emily was new as well and he didn’t feel the need to try and get in her head every quiet moment.

“We’re going to go and grab some food in ten if you want to come. It’ll probably be a good way to get a lay of the area.”

“Thanks, but I’ll probably just order in. I want to go over the dump sites again before we head in tomorrow.”

“Sure,” Spencer said, tossing his tie on top of his go bag, “See you in a bit then.”

“See ya Spence,” she said, absentmindedly, already back to her notes. He was glad she didn’t see the face he made at her off-handed use of his nickname. Perhaps it was so off-putting simply because he was so used to her stiff formality rivaling only Hotch. Maybe it was the soft tone her voice had taken, something he’d never heard from her before. Maybe it was the way she refused to allow him to pin her down.

He left the room, making sure the door was locked behind him before jogging to meet the rest of the team.

“Where’s Boann?” Derek asked.

“She wanted to stay back and go over the dump sites.”

“Yeah, but the kid’s gotta eat, right?”

Spencer just shrugged, glancing at Gideon who didn’t meet his eye.

“Well, I’m starving,” said Emily, breaking the tension.

They found a small mom and pop restaurant at the end of the main drag and took up most of the back of the place, though the owners hardly seemed to mind. Spencer was quite sure the others saw Gideon discretely order a veggie burger to go, but no one said anything about it, even though it was obvious it was for Cassie. He hated the little jealous part of him that resented her for the clear interest Gideon took with her—perhaps he’d simply gotten too used to being Gideon’s sole protégé. It wasn’t as if he had to be worried. Sure, she was handy with a gun, but she spent more time scouring over crime scene photos than trying to profile the unsub.

Even today she’d disappeared off to the grave site as soon as they’d finished relaying their respective information back and forth. It was almost as if she couldn’t sit still, her eyes constantly shifting to sweep the scene behind him, checking behind her at the slightest sound.

If it had been anyone else Spencer would have said they were terrified, but he couldn’t work out the reasoning behind it. It was a typical case—gut-wrenching, as all cases involving children, but typical. One might even argue it was less gruesome than others, not that that had ever seemed to bother her before.

He was drawn out of his thoughts by Gideon, who pushed the take out into his hands. He didn’t say anything but Spencer understood—try and get her to eat.

He unlocked the door and found her sitting cross legged on the far bed still, curls standing on end from all the time she’d run her hands through it. She’d changed into an old t shirt and a pair of cotton shorts that did little to disguise the scars that carved through her flesh.

It wasn’t just her arms and chest that were scarred—her thighs too were covered in the distinctive jagged wounds, interspersed with round hypertrophic scars. The hypertrophic scars were easy to identify—he’d seen enough on victims to know without second thought. They were cigarette burns. Dozens of them.

He felt a rising sense of nausea. They were old, years healed by the looks of them. Were they self-inflicted? Had someone done, well, all of that to her? He shook his head, trying to dispel the train of thought.

“Gideon thought you might’ve forgotten to eat,” he said awkwardly, placing the bag on the table next to her. She didn’t look up, too lost in thought to have even noticed that he’d been staring.

“Oh, um, thanks. I’ll get to it in a bit. Just going through the soil samples. They don’t quite make sense.” Spencer glanced at the alarm clock. It was already nearly eleven.

He sighed and grabbed his bag, dumping it on the bathroom counter as he flipped on the shower. He was dead tired. All he wanted was to pass out for as long as possible before starting over again tomorrow.

Cassie was in the same place when he returned, now squinting at photos practically pressed to her nose through a pair of wire-rimmed glasses. They made her look younger, somehow. Maybe it was the way they magnified her already over-large, doe-like eyes, or how the gold made her freckles stand out.

“Can you take a look at these for me? Would you say this indentation is more ovular or trapezoidal?” She handed him both the photograph and a large magnifying glass. He struggled over it for moment before handing it back.

“I couldn’t be sure.”

“Damn. I’ll have to wait for imaging then.” She took the photo back, setting it aside while she rifled through a second stack of papers that looked like some sort of geological data. She checked a few figures before typing furiously, one hand massaging her temples.

“I’m going to head to bed.”

He eyes found his and she looked almost confused for a moment. “Oh—Oh, I can work out in the lobby if the light will bother you.”

“You’re fine just—maybe think about getting some sleep soon? We have a lot of canvassing to get done tomorrow.”

“Of course. I just have a little bit left.”

Spencer climbed under the covers, turning so he faced away from her light. He didn’t have to be a profiler to know she was lying.

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