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alwaysmicado · 3 months

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Sunshine

6.7k | 18+ MDNI | fwb!Joel Miller x f!reader | pt. 7

Warnings: no outbreak AU, implied age gap, alcohol & painkillers, a little kiss, lots of sarcasm, angst, jealousy (reader would never!) Summary: A spontaneous meeting in a bar lays bare some uncomfortable truths. A/N: Why be sad when you can just turn off your feelings and not be sad anymore? It’s so easy. /s I can't tell you how much your messages about this series mean to me!! I love talking to you about it and I appreciate your enthusiasm and support soooo much!! Enjoy this part and let me know your thoughts! 🤍

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The Birds Don’t Sing, They Screech in Pain

– Werner Herzog

– – –

You don’t have feelings. You don’t have a heart. The world is a joke and nothing you do matters.

And you got a great ass.

So fuck it.

You close the mirror cabinet and look at your reflection. The steam from your recent shower lingers in the air, creating a hazy atmosphere around you. With a determined gaze, you meet your own eyes, trying to convince yourself of what you so desperately want to believe.

You. Don’t. Have. Feelings.

Sighing exasperatedly, you leave the bathroom to go get dressed. You eye the empty space on the wall where the mirror used to hang in passing and can’t help but smile sardonically at the clean floor below. Who knew you had such a talent for cleaning blood?

If your current job doesn’t work out in the long run, crime scene cleaner could be a viable alternative.

You rummage through your drawer for a fresh pair of panties, a soft bralette without any bothersome hooks, and a flowy dress you can easily pull over your head. Comfort is key today. Your morning shower proved tricky enough, but you managed somehow, maneuvering very ungracefully to keep your injured hand dry.

Thankfully, you were smart enough to go to bed early last night and get up in time this morning, allowing you ample time to change the bandages and dress yourself with just one functional hand.

Exhaustion still lingers in every single one of your bones, but you’re determined to not let it get you down. Not again. So, you pour yourself a cup of strong coffee, sit outside on your balcony, pop the painkillers you got at the emergency clinic on Sunday, and browse the internet for a new mirror.

The sun kissing your skin feels nice, and the fresh air invigorates your senses. There’s even a flock of birds doing their choreographed dance in the sky. Just for you. You’re living in a goddamn dream, aren’t you?

You scoff, down the rest of your coffee, cough when it goes down the wrong pipe, and go back inside once you don’t feel like you’re choking to death anymore. It’s time for work.

Your boss graciously let you work from home on Monday and Tuesday, but since there’s an important meeting scheduled this morning, she’s asked you to come to the office today. The meds should get you through the day, you’ll just have to figure out how to do your job effectively without the ability to type with your right hand.

You could try to push some of your workload onto the new intern who’s been unsuccessfully trying to flirt with you for the past month, but he strikes you as the type to show up with flowers and a teddy bear after you compliment his sneakers once — it’s probably not the best idea to entertain him.

An office romance sounds hot on paper, but your job is the only halfway stable thing in your life, so you don’t want to mess it up for some guy. Especially if said guy looks young enough to get carded in bars.

Why can’t you just not need money and not have to go to work at all? Is that really too much to ask?

“Get your shit together,” you murmur to yourself as you grab your bag, your keys, and quickly check your appearance in the bathroom mirror. Eh, you look fine considering the messed-up past few days you had. The black wrist brace is kind of derpy—you can already see Kristen giggling at it and very much not believing any excuse you invent for it—but the smile you force onto your face looks virtually natural.

What a little sunshine you are.

Sandals on your feet, sunglasses sitting on your nose, wireless earbuds in your ears, your top three songs of the week on a blissful loop, you start your walk to the office. Nothing bad can touch you when the rhythm of your favorite beats courses through your veins, encapsulating you in an invincible cocoon.

For the first few minutes at least.

Your pulse quickens and your chest tightens as the gas station, where Joel could barely wait to pull out of you before gushing about his date, comes into view. And of course, Chris, the clerk, steps outside right as you pass it to inexplicably water the two withered plants next to the entrance.

You attempt to speed walk, hoping to avoid an embarrassing encounter, but where’s the fun in that, right? Sure enough, you hear him calling after you.

You roll your eyes behind your glasses and reluctantly stop, pulling out one of your earbuds as you turn to face him. His eyes fixate on the black brace around your wrist.

“What happened to your hand? Too much fun on the weekend?” he asks, a mischievous grin playing on his lips.

You sigh, not in the mood for a detailed conversation, and also very much aware of what he’s probably insinuating. “Just a little accident at home,” you reply, keeping it vague. “Don’t do yoga if you’re drunk.”

He chuckles. “I’ll keep that in mind.” When he realizes you’re not going to say anything else, he’s nice enough to not keep you any longer. “Well, I hope it heals soon. And let me know if you, uh, need anything. You know where to find me.”

You nod, offering a polite smile, and continue on your way, reinserting the earbud to drown out the world. You turn up the volume, lip-sync, and ignore Joel’s call without missing a beat.

– – –

“Please, tell me. Please, please, please. Come on…you know you’re gonna tell me eventually, so let’s just save us some time and get it over with. You know I can keep a secret.”

As expected, Kristen is very intrigued by your wrist brace. In fact, she has been switching between begging for you to tell her what happened and coming up with some outlandish theories since you sat down at your desk four hours ago. To nobody’s surprise, they all involve some sort of sex accident.

It’s kind of funny, though, that none of the elaborate stories she imagines come close to capturing the absurdity of your reality. Oh well, you’re used to it by now. And yet, there’s no way in hell you’re going to divulge one of your most vulnerable and embarrassing moments to her. Not a chance.

“I already told you,” you say without stopping your one-handed typing. “I got drunk watching The Bachelor and then my genius brain decided that was the perfect moment to try out some new yoga positions. It’s a miracle I only sprained my wrist and didn’t break my neck.” You put on your most convincing smile and look at her. “It’s embarrassing as shit, okay? I mean, look at this thing,” you point at your injured hand. “I look like a kid who fell off a swing on the playground.”

Kristen giggles and is about to say something, but right at that moment, she receives a phone call from a client. She sighs, narrows her eyes, and mouths, “This is not over.” You wink at her and go back to typing with your left hand, occasionally swearing under your breath when you hit the wrong keys. This is all so much fun.

The rest of the day goes by in a blur of emails, phone calls, bad coffee, painkillers, Kristen putting a heart sticker on your wrist brace, another meeting, and your phone lighting up with new messages from Joel.

By 5:30 p.m. your brain is about to explode, so you decide to call it a day and leave. There’s a frozen pizza waiting for you at home and you can hear your pajamas and sofa calling your name. Sweet, sweet solitude; it’s so close you can feel it. You just have to walk out fast eno–

“Drinks.”

“Did you seriously just hide behind that plant and jump out?” you chuckle, and Kristen’s grin tells you that is absolutely, one hundred percent what just happened.

“Drinks,” she repeats. And when you open your mouth, she says it again, but this time she gives you her most adorable pout.

“Okay, okay,” you say with a playful roll of your eyes. “You can stop the puppy routine.”

“I love how easy you are,” she beams at you and plants a kiss on your cheek. “Let’s go!”

The warmth of the summer evening envelops you both as you step outside. The sun, still casting its golden hues across the city, paints the urban landscape with a vibrant palette. Kristen, with a fancy sun hat perched on her head that perfectly complements her black hair, looks for bars near you on her phone.

As you try to decide on a bar, the balmy air carries the distant sounds of the city’s summer symphony. The occasional laughter from a nearby cafe mingles with the hum of traffic, creating a lively backdrop to your anticipation.

Amidst the ambient noise, your phone buzzes with Tommy’s name flashing on the screen. You answer, bringing the phone to your ear.

“Hi Tommy.”

“Hi honey,” Tommy’s voice comes through, the background noise indicating he’s at a lively place. “Just calling to ask how you’re doing today.”

“You know you don’t need to call me every day to ask me that, right?” you chuckle, still unable to understand why he even cares. You don’t deserve him.

“Come on, it’s the highlight of my day,” he says in mock offense, and you can perfectly picture the grin on his face.

“Well, if it’s that important to you…” you say, a smile on your lips. “I’m good. My friend and I are going for drinks. Just need to decide on a bar first.”

“What a perfect coincidence! I’m at this new place right now. They got great burgers and drinks, even non-alcoholic stuff,” he tells you excitedly. “Oh and Joel’s here, too.”

Your heart skips a beat at Tommy’s words. Joel is there, at the same place. The thought of seeing him again stirs a concoction of emotions within you — longing, uncertainty, and a subtle yearning for things to be okay. There’s an undeniable pull. You miss him.

As you take a moment to think of your answer, Kristen mouths, “Who’s that?”

“It’s my friend, and he’s inviting us to join him at a bar,” you explain to her.

Tommy’s voice perks up on the phone, “Come on, it’ll be a blast. The more, the merrier!”

You look at Kristen questioningly, and she gives you two thumbs up and a big smile.

You sigh and look up at the sky. There’s a big bird chasing a smaller one. “Okay, we’re in,” you say to Tommy, and his excited shouts in your ear make you giggle. He sends you the location and you immediately order an Uber for you and Kristen. You don’t have to wait for long.

Sitting in the car, your initial, albeit reluctant, excitement has turned into annoyance as the hands of the clock seem to move at an agonizingly slow pace. What was supposed to be a ten-minute journey has stretched into an interminable thirty minutes, courtesy of the unrelenting rush hour traffic.

The air inside the car feels stifling, even with the AC humming, and the incessant chatter about football between the driver and Kristen becomes an indistinct drone. Your lack of interest in the sport combines with the whirlwind in your head, making their conversation an incomprehensible blur.

As your stomach churns, a sense of queasiness settles over you, intensifying the already uncomfortable ride.

By the time you make it to the bar, you’re tired, cranky, and wish you had just gone home after work. You could be lying on your sofa right now, stuffing your face with pizza, watching Netflix, and testing your new vibrator before falling asleep in your soft bed. But no, you just had to be social, hm?

As you enter the crowded and lively bar, the buzz of upbeat chatter, clinking glasses, and the rhythmic thump of music surrounds you. Everyone’s loud and happy, and you’re just not in the right mood for it. Slowly making your way through the sea of faces with Kristen trailing behind, you spot Tommy seated in a cozy booth.

The mere sight of him puts you at ease — for about a second, that is.

Your eyes fall onto Joel and the woman who’s casually touching his shoulder, comfortably nestled against the plush cushioned seats. You’ve never seen her before, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist or even a sober brain to figure out who she is. What is she whispering into his ear now? He’s laughing. You can see his eye crinkles from where you’re standing.

The sight is like a punch to your gut.

For a moment, you’re frozen in place, and the urge to turn around and run away grips you. Unwelcome emotions and memories surge back, catching you off guard and leaving you breathless. Just as you contemplate an escape route, Tommy spots you from across the room, his face lighting up.

“Sweetheart,” he shouts, rising from his seat and waving enthusiastically. His excited shout draws the attention of everyone around him, including Joel. Your eyes lock, and for a brief moment, the world around you fades. The corners of his lips instinctively turn upwards as he looks at you, but after spotting your wrist brace and the pained look on your face, he furrows his brow.

What the hell happened to you?

In the blink of an eye, you flip a switch in your brain, put on the most radiant smile you can muster, straighten your shoulders and cross the room. Joel’s concerned eyes don’t leave you for a second.

“There she is,” Tommy says, genuine warmth in his voice as he leans in to plant a kiss on your cheek, followed by a tight, comforting hug. “It’s so good to see you.”

“You too, Tommy,” you murmur, a sense of momentary relief washing over you in the wake of his presence.

He pulls away from the hug, extending his greeting to Kristen, before introducing you both to the beautiful brunette sitting next to his brother. Draping his arm around your shoulders, he tells you with a smile that, “This is Jan, an old school friend of mine. We actually didn’t plan this whole meeting with everyone, somehow we just all ended up here. Funny coincidence,” he chuckles and you strain the muscles around your mouth so hard it hurts.

“It’s nice to meet you, Jan,” you say, reaching out to shake her hand. She reciprocates your greeting and gives you a charming smile.

“And I don’t need to introduce you to this guy, huh?” Tommy grins, squeezing your shoulder.

Your gaze shifts to Joel, who’s caught in the limbo of whether to remain seated or stand up, so he ends up awkwardly half-standing, caged in the narrow space between the bench and table.

“Hi, Joel,” you say, your eyes lacking their usual vivacity—a detail not lost on him.

He settles back into his seat, audibly clearing his throat. “Hi, darlin’.”

He studies your face as you settle down beside Tommy. You look as beautiful and glowing as always, but the longer he looks, the more cracks in the carefully put up facade he can see. Your smile isn’t genuine, your eyes look a bit swollen—like you’ve been crying or not sleeping well—and your body language screams unease.

The others may not notice, but he does. Because he knows you.

Kristen takes a seat beside Jan, seamlessly weaving herself into the ongoing conversation with Joel. Her ability to navigate social dynamics with such ease leaves you marveling – how is she so good at this? Her charm extends, connecting the trio in animated small talk.

Your body eases into a semblance of relaxation as Tommy pulls you closer and presses a kiss on the crown of your head. “I’m so glad you’re okay,” he whispers into your hair, a tender reassurance that brings a sense of solace.

Sitting up straight, you return his smile, gratitude evident in your eyes. “Thanks to you.”

Tommy beams at you, momentarily lost in the exchange, before redirecting his attention to the group. “Are you guys ready for a first round of drinks?” he asks, the unison response from everyone echoing with enthusiasm, a collective “yes” that adds a burst of energy to the already vibrant atmosphere.

– – –

After three rounds of drinks (you very responsibly decided to change to coke after one mojito), burgers, nachos, sharing the epic tale of how you managed to hurt your hand doing yoga, Jan gossiping about the guy her adult daughter brought home last week, Tommy sharing hilarious stories from his and Joel’s workplace, and everyone seemingly having loads of fun, you let yourself relax a bit.

It’s nice witnessing Joel’s laughter and enjoyment. A warmth spreads through your heart at the sight, a flicker of happiness for him. Yet, the subtle discomfort lingers as Jan’s touch becomes a constant presence on his arm. Rationalizing it as a casual gesture during conversation and under the influence of drinks doesn’t fully erase the twinge of unease settling within you.

But you can handle it, you convince yourself.

Until you can’t.

You can’t handle it when Jan’s hand finds its way to Joel’s thigh and her lips brush the shell of his ear.

You glance at Joel, searching for a reaction, a flicker of discomfort perhaps, but his response is subtle. A shift in his seat, a movement so slight it could be mistaken for a casual adjustment, yet there’s a discernible change in his demeanor. It’s a momentary pause, a beat in the rhythm of the evening.

The weight of the scene bears down on you, and you feel a pang of vulnerability, a subtle ache in your chest. In that split second, a mix of emotions surges within you – a tinge of hurt, a brush of jealousy, and a sting of betrayal.

Emotions you haven’t felt in years. Emotions you have sworn to yourself you’d never feel again.

Why does it bother you so much? Is it because it reminds you of how you touched him, how you ran your hand further and further up his thigh when he was taking you home for the first time, teasing him until he couldn’t take it anymore, pulled his car over and fucked you in the driver’s seat? Has she done that with him? Is she as addictive as you are?

This close to a full-blown panic attack, you jump up from your seat to the surprise of everyone at your table. You make brief eye contact with Kristen, who shoots you a sympathetic look.

Excusing yourself, you navigate through the bustling crowd towards the restrooms, located downstairs and accessible via a staircase. There are three separate spacious restrooms, and you choose the first one. Inside, you immediately head to the sink, running your left hand under cold water. The sensation helps to calm you down.

Closing your eyes, you take deep breaths, reassuring yourself that it’s not a big deal, and that it’s exactly what it was always meant to be—probably even for the best.

Then, as you try to find composure, a knock on the door interrupts your thoughts.

“Occupied!” you yell in response to the knock, and then you hear Joel’s deep voice saying, “It’s me.”

Of course it is.

You sigh exasperatedly and shuffle to the door to let him in. Joel enters, swiftly locking the door behind him.

“There’s two other restrooms, you know,” you murmur as you walk back to the sink and divert your attention to your reflection in the mirror, concentrating on fixing your hair.

“Yeah, well, I specifically want the one with you in it,” he says with a little smirk, his eyes searching for yours in the mirror. As your gaze meets his, he’s taken aback by the lack of the usual sparkle that used to light up your eyes at the sight of him. The absence of that adoration he’s grown accustomed to leaves a void, and a tinge of concern creeps into his expression.

“Hey,” he says tentatively, his voice softer than before. “Are you okay, darlin’?”

You look at him, and the weariness in your eyes doesn’t escape his attention. There’s a distant quality to your gaze, and it sends a pang of worry through him. The connection he once felt in your eyes seems to have dimmed, and he can’t help but feel a sense of loss.

It’s the same expression you had when he last saw you. He hates it.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” you respond, putting on your fake smile again, but the lack of conviction in your voice doesn’t go unnoticed.

Joel’s concern deepens as he steps closer, the teasing smirk replaced by genuine worry. “I’ve been trying to reach you, but you haven’t responded to any of my texts or calls.” He rubs the back of his neck and clears his throat, his brow furrowed. “I was worried something happened, and—he points at your injured hand—my feeling was right.” He tilts his head and studies your face. “What happened?”

You turn around and lean against the sink, holding your right arm with your left hand, your eyes revealing a complex mixture of emotions. “I told you already,” you say nonchalantly. “Getting drunk and trying to do elaborate yoga poses is a dumb idea if you’re as clumsy as me.”

Joel raises his eyebrows, not believing a word you’re saying. “That’s not all, is it?”

“What do you mean?” you say, feigning ignorance.

“You don’t seem like yourself and I’m…worried about you.” Joel’s concern etches lines on his forehead as he shifts his weight from one foot to the other. His eyes, usually warm and comforting, narrow slightly as he studies your seemingly cheerful facade.

“But this is myself.” You point at your smiley face with your left hand and tilt your head. “You don’t like it?”

He shakes his head, a subtle sigh escaping him. “That’s not what I said. I just feel like something’s off.”

“Is it because I’m happy?”

“It’s because I don’t believe you’re happy. I know you too well, baby.”

You scoff, a defensive edge creeping into your voice. “Why is it so hard for you to believe that I’m happy? Do you want me to be miserable?”

“No, sweetheart. There’s nothing I want more than for you to be happy. But you’re lying to my face right now and I don’t appreciate that.”

You turn your head to avoid his gaze, your silence speaking volumes, your hand tightly gripping the flesh of your arm as if to contain the emotional turmoil threatening to spill over.

Stop it.

“Darlin’,” Joel says gently, closing the physical gap between you two, and reaching out to place his warm palms on your shoulders. “Look at me.”

A shiver runs down your spine and tiny goosebumps instantly form on your skin. You’ve missed his touch more than you care to admit — to yourself or to him. His touch is tender, a plea for connection, but you hesitate. Reluctantly, you meet his gaze, revealing the deep sadness you tried to conceal.

What happened to you? Whatever it was, it breaks his heart that he wasn’t there to protect you.

“Why didn’t you call me?” he asks softly.

“Not everything’s about you, Joel.”

“I know that. I just…wish you would let me know what’s going on.” His touch becomes a subconscious reassurance as he absentmindedly rubs your arms, as if trying to make sure you’re really there in front of him.

“Why do I owe you that? Why do I owe you every shitty detail of my life while I know virtually nothing about you?” you say a little sharper than intended.

Joel takes a deep breath. “You don’t owe me anything. I just thought–” he pauses, searching your eyes. “I miss seeing that spark in your eyes when you look at me,” he admits, his thumb gently brushing against your cheek. “I never fully realized how much it meant to me until now.”

You take a moment to process his words and his touch as frustration bubbles up inside you. Your heart aches.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Doing what? Caring about you?”

“Ruining the mood.” You shake your head, swallowing what you actually want to say, any traces of happiness erased from your face. “If you’re trying to make me feel bad, it’s starting to work.”

“I’m not trying to make you feel bad. I’m trying to understand what’s happened since the last time I saw you.” He tilts his head and studies your face, genuine concern in his eyes.

All you can see, though, is disappointment. He’s disappointed in you, you can sense it. And how could he not be? You’re a liability, a mess. Looks like he’s finally seeing you for who you are, and that’s why he replaced you.

“And now’s the best time to do that?” you scoff, averting your gaze and looking around.

“What am I supposed to do when you don’t respond to me for days on end and this is my only chance of talking to you?”

You look back into his eyes. “How about leaving it alone?”

“I can’t do that. Not when it comes to you,” he says, shaking his head and moving closer, his cologne filling your senses like a familiar embrace. His hands trace the contours of your neck, a gentle and deliberate touch that ignites a cascade of sensations. His thumbs brush your cheekbones with a tenderness that speaks of longing, his gaze dropping to your lips before finding your eyes again.

In that charged moment, the air between you thickens with unspoken desires before you both succumb to the magnetic pull drawing you together. Your heartbeat quickens, matching the rhythm of anticipation. Without breaking eye contact, he closes the remaining distance, his lips meeting yours in a soft yet passionate kiss. The familiar sensation of his lips on yours is both electric and comforting, and you allow yourself to get lost in it for a bit.

As he eases away, his fingers trail lightly down your neck and arms, leaving a tingling sensation in their wake. There’s a soft smile on his lips as he breaks the silence.

“I mean it when I say I care about you and want the best for you, darlin’,” he murmurs. “And you don’t have to tell me any details about what happened if you’re not ready yet, but I need to know what made you not want to call me. We’ve been there for each other in difficult situations before, so I just really don’t get it.”

You raise a skeptical eyebrow, frustration and anger intertwining with the lingering memory of his lips on yours.

“Why in the world would I ever call you while you’re on a date?” you say quietly, a steely edge in your voice, no trace of a smile to be found on your lips.

Oh. So it did bother you.

Joel’s expression shifts from concern to a momentary realization, the lines on his forehead deepening. “I would always drop everything to be there for you. No matter where I am or what I’m doing.”

You laugh wryly. “Joel. Seriously. Are you really trying to tell me you were oh so worried about me while you were fucking someone else? And that you’re worried now even though she’s currently upstairs, desperately waiting for you to take her home? Come on, don’t insult my intelligence.”

He stares at you in utter disbelief and takes a step back, as if physically recoiling from the weight of your words. “That’s not what–”

“Look, Joel,” you push yourself off the sink, straighten up, and walk past him towards the door. “It doesn’t matter. You can fuck or date whoever you like. Jan seems nice and like a good match, so I’m very happy for you.”

“Sweetheart, I’m not doing any of that. You misunders–”

You turn around sharply to look at him. “I misunderstood the woman who’s had her hands all over you the whole evening?”

“It’s not like that,” he insists, trying to get through to you. “She’s drunk as hell and probably doesn’t even realize what she’s doing. And I’m not interested anyway.”

“Sure. That’s why she’s here right now.”

“I had nothing to do with that. Tommy invited her without telling me,” he says, running his fingers through his hair as his stress is mounting. “Darlin’, please. This isn’t even about her; it’s about you and me. And maybe it’s time to stop pretending everything’s okay when it’s clearly not.”

You turn your head, deliberately avoiding the intensity of his gaze as the weight of his words settles in. His plea sends palpable waves of discomfort through your already wounded emotions, causing your chest to tighten further. Why is he doing this? Is this fun for him?

“So you’d rather keep pretending everything’s fine?” he presses, his tone a mix of concern and urgency, the edges of his patience beginning to fray.

Okay, now you’ve had it.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Joel. What do you want from me?” you hiss at him, frustration dripping from your words.

Joel is momentarily taken aback, but his own agitation prevents him from fully grasping your distress. A deep sigh escapes him as he props one hand on his hip, rubbing his eyes wearily with the other.

“Since when does it matter what I want?” he murmurs.

Ouch.

That hurt.

Your face falls, and you feel like he just slapped you across the face. The sting of his words cuts deep, causing tears to well up in your eyes.

Joel’s eyes widen in shock when he sees the look on your face. “Shit, no, I didn’t mean it like that,” he stammers, realizing the impact of his words a moment too late. “I’m sorry, baby, I–” his voice trembles with regret, desperate to undo the damage he’s done.

“Is that how you really feel? That I don’t care about what you want?” you ask, your voice shaky.

“No, I shouldn’t have said that, I’m so–”

“But that’s how you feel? Deep down?”

Why are you acting so surprised? Were you really naive enough to believe him when he said he was happy with you? God, you’re dumb.

“Oh, sweetheart…” he reaches out to wipe away the tears that are making their way down your cheeks, but you push his hand away.

“I came here for you, Joel,” you blurt out, your raised voice startling him. “And I–I spent the last three hours making conversation with everyone, including the woman you’re fucking, because I care about you and want you to be happy, even though my hand is killing me and I’m so drained I have to force my eyes to stay open.”

You express yourself with animated hand gestures as you talk through your tears, your voice breaking.

“I had a horrible weekend and needed some time to recover, but I was so fucking happy to see you tonight because I’ve missed you and I’ve–I’ve never hidden how much I like spending time with you. Why is that not enough? What more do you want from me?”

Your big, watery eyes pierce Joel’s, and the fact that he’s the reason for your tears pierces his heart.

“Darlin’, I’m so sorry. It wasn’t right what I said.”

He takes a step closer to you, the desperation in his eyes matching the pain in yours, intending to pull you into a comforting hug to calm you—and himself—down. However, you immediately take a step back, creating a physical distance between you two.

“Do you want me to cry ‘cause seeing you with another woman breaks my heart? Is that it?”

Joel stares at you incredulously, your accusing tone making him wince. “No, of course no–”

Your heart is racing, and you can feel the tightness in your chest growing with every second you’re looking into Joel’s eyes. Eyes that—until now—have always made you feel so calm, so safe, so…loved. Your hands tremble slightly, and a lump forms in your throat, making it difficult to speak.

“Do you want me to make a scene in front of everyone ‘cause it physically pains me to think you’re touching her the same way you touch me?”

Joel opens his mouth to say something, a fleeting impulse to express himself and try to console you, but he catches himself, realizing that uttering those words might inflict more damage than repair right now.

“Do you want me to beg you not to leave me ‘cause I can’t even imagine my life without you anymore? Is that what you want?”

“Sweetheart...” He takes a step towards you, his eyes pleading, but you cut him off.

“No, I’m fucking sick of this,” your words spill out between sobs as tears stream down your face. “It’s always the same. I’m good enough only as long as I act the way you want it, and the minute you get bored or realize I’m not as perfect as you imagined, you replace me with someone better. Everyone always fucking leaves and I’m so sick of it.”

“Darlin’, I swear that’s not what’s happening,” Joel implores, his whole body so tense and hot he’s sweating through his shirt. “I’m not leaving and I really didn’t mean to hurt you.”

You sigh deeply, grab a paper towel from the dispenser on the wall, blow your nose, and dry your tears.

“I knew this was gonna happen and I still let myself believe I could be enough for once,” you murmur more to yourself than him, your head pounding painfully.

Serves you right for having feelings.

Joel says your name gently, trying his best not to spook you. His words hang in the air like a lifeline, a desperate attempt to mend what is broken.

“You are enough. You’ve always been enough. I’m so sorry for making you feel otherwise.”

Your head is spinning, emotions tumultuous and unyielding. In dire need of fresh air and distance from Joel, you stagger towards the door. His voice follows you, pleading.

“Sweetheart, I promise I’m not going to leave you. And I’m so incredibly sorry for upsetting you, I just–” he exhales deeply and clears his throat. “I wanted you to be honest with me about your feelings, but this wasn’t the way to go about it. I’m sorry.”

The door swings open, and you turn around, the forced smile from before back on your lips.

“Well, congratulations, Joel,” you say, your tone laced with a mix of bitterness and anguish. “You got what you wanted. I hope you’re fucking happy.”

The door slams shut behind you, leaving Joel stunned, alone with the haunting echoes of shattered trust and unspoken pain, the distant thump of music mirroring the beating of his remorseful heart.

As you make your way back upstairs, the residual heat of the argument lingers on your skin. Taking a deep breath, you enter the lively space once more. Tommy, who’s standing at the bar, notices you, concern etched across his face.

“Hey, is everything okay, honey?” he asks, his voice soft with genuine worry.

You manage a tight smile. “Yeah, I’m okay. My hand’s just hurting really bad now and the meds make me dizzy, so I’ll head home.”

He furrows his brow. “Joel’s my designated driver, but I can take a cab, so he can drive you home.” He looks around, searching the bar for his brother. “Where is he anyway?”

“There’s a huge line in front of the restrooms, he’s probably still waiting. And it’s okay, Tommy, really.”

You wrap your arms around his neck, seeking solace, and bury your face in the crook of his neck. He responds by pulling you into a warm and reassuring embrace, a gesture that speaks volumes without the need for words. Luckily, he’s drunk enough not to smell his brother on you.

“I missed you,” you murmur, your eyes closed.

Tommy strokes the back of your head and chuckles. “I missed you, too, sweetheart.”

He pulls away far enough to look into your eyes, giving you the brightest smile. “Tell you what. You come over for dinner on Friday — no ifs, ands, or buts. Maria’s been wanting to see you, and we just finished our patio, so it’s perfect.”

You pinch his cheek and shake your head at him. “It’s not fair that you’re this charming, you know? How could I ever say no?”

“Don’t say no, then,” he says playfully, a hint of worry still in his eyes.

You sigh exaggeratedly. “Okay, okay, I won’t.”

“Attagirl. And you’re sure you don’t want Joel to drive you?”

“Yes, I’m sure. I always find my way home somehow.” You plant a kiss on Tommy’s cheek, and he finally agrees to release you from his embrace after securing a pinky promise that you ‘a hundred percent won’t flake out’.

You walk over to Kristen and Jan, who are still sitting at your table, engrossed in an animated conversation. Observing them for a moment, you find yourself captivated by Jan’s effortless charisma. She’s a real sunshine — and unlike you, she doesn’t have to fake it. Had you met her under different circumstances, you might have liked her.

Kristen’s eyes meet yours, and her brow furrows slightly, registering the expression on your face for a fleeting moment. Swiftly, you put on a polite smile and step closer, masking the momentary vulnerability with practiced ease.

“Ladies,” you say, a touch of self-deprecating humor in your tone, “I know I’m lame, but I’m actually going home already. Just wanted to say goodbye.”

Jan answers first, surprising you with a warm smile. “Oh, that’s not lame at all! You’re just smarter than us.”

You hold up your injured hand and deadpan, “Yeah, I’m a real genius, aren’t I?”

Jan and Kristen giggle, and you join in, sharing a brief moment of camaraderie. You’re so good at this. Almost believable.

As you look for your bag on the bench, contemplating the logistics of your departure, Kristen catches your eye and winks at you.

“I’ll come with you,” she says, giving you a reassuring look. “Our boss is gonna have a fit if I fall asleep at my desk again, so…I guess this is what being a responsible adult is,” she sighs. She hands you your bag, downs the rest of her drink, and the two of you say goodbye to Jan, who’s now getting up to search for the Miller brothers.

Kristen takes you by the hand, gently leading you outside. The cool breeze brushes against your face as the sun starts its descent, offering a much-needed breath of fresh air. Settling down down on the curb together, you find a comfortable spot, trying your best not to inadvertently flash someone as you adjust your dress.

“I’ll call us an Uber,” Kristen says, her tone comforting. You appreciate the warmth of her presence as you wait for the ride, the fading sunlight casting a soft glow on both of you.

“Done.” She wraps her arm around you, providing a supportive shoulder for you to lean on. The two of you sit in silence, the ambient noise of traffic and distant chatter from the bar filling the air, serving as a backdrop to the racing thoughts in your mind. Eventually, Kristen succumbs to her curiosity.

“So…” she starts, her voice carefully navigating the sensitive terrain. “That’s him?”

You chuckle faintly. “Yup. That’s him.”

“Hmm, I get it now. He’s hot as fuck,” she says, happy that she can make you laugh. “Do you think he’d be up for a threesome?”

“Oh, I’m sure he’d be up for it. I’m just not so sure about his heart being able to take it. Or his back. Or his knees.”

Kristen giggles and then looks at you for a moment, fascinated by this evening’s revelations. “It’s so interesting, I had no idea you were into older guys.”

“I, uh, didn’t know either before I met him.”

“I see,” she nods, a thoughtful expression on her face. Another minute of shared silence passes before she decides to just come out and ask you the one burning question on her mind.

“Do you love him?”

You don’t need a second to think about your answer.

– – –

Thank you for reading!! 🤍

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#fwb!joel miller x f!reader #joel miller x f!reader #series: you wanted this #fwb!joel miller #joel miller x reader #joel miller #joel the last of us #the last of us fanfiction #the last of us hbo #pedro pascal characters #joel miller fanfic #joel miller tlou #joel miller angst #joel tlou #tlou fanfiction #the last of us #joel miller au #joel miller x you

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clockwayswrites · 1 year

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Like Betta Fish Do - Part 9

Masterpost of ao3 link and all parts. wc: 2920

Jason hated Danny, a little. The other had really (accidentally) downplayed the effect the ectoshot would have. Flu like symptoms his ass, Jason felt like his insides were trying to crawl their way to the outside. Danny had apologized profusely and frequently, and Jason had forgiven him. Still, he hated Danny a little for doing this to him. Danny earned a lot of points back, though, by acting as Jason’s personal ice pack through the worst of the fever. Jason spent a lot of hours with his head or chest pressed against Danny’s cold back as he lay, miserable, on the couch with Danny sat on the floor in front of it. It was even nicer when Danny would absently run cold fingers through Jason’s hair and scratch lightly at his scalp. Jason tried not to think about how good that felt. How easy it was to let Danny touch him. He was determined to just blame the fever and ignore how his very bones seemed to hum in pleasure at the contact. Or maybe it was Danny humming. Purring? Fuck this fever, seriously.

So Jason sat close to Danny and Danny spent most of the time doing homework on a laptop that looked one step from death. “Summer classes,” he explained when Jason asked. “I’m trying to get all my gen eds done so that I can double major. Maybe even triple? I don’t know if I want to have spend the time on the language classes a Math major needs.” Jason hummed in response, trying to tuck the information away in his sick ailed brain. He couldn’t decided if he hoped Danny and Tim never met (con, they were both too damn smart), or if he desperately wanted them to meet (pro, Tim would replace all of Danny’s failing tech in a pique of disgust). Maybe the scholarship already came with a new laptop? That sounded like it would be a Tim thing to do, but Jason wasn’t sure how involved Tim was in the scholarships. “Math sucks,” he settled on. | “Sure it does, book boy. I bet you were an English major.” Danny had found Jason’s pile of books early on the second day and made fun of him. But Danny had also found both ‘Pride and Prejudice’ movies to download and had put them on for Jason to watch. They had spend all day trying to make it through the Colin Firth one as Danny kept pausing it whenever Jason dozed off due to the fever. “Nah. Never even finished high school. Too busy being dead,” Jason mumbled and tried to press closer to the cold. Danny must have done something because the chill increased. Jason let out a content sigh. He was almost asleep when Danny spoke. “You’re not just dead any more. You can still have a life.” “Don’t know if I deserve one.” “Of course you do,” Danny said. Danny didn’t know what Jason had done, the Pit groaned in response. Jason let himself slip asleep rather than deal with either of them.

The next time Jason drifted towards consciousness, there was a hand on his forehead. It wasn’t right though. It was familiar, but it wasn’t right. “Too warm.” “You sure are Jaybird. You’re burning up.” Jason jolted up and almost fell right back over as the world swam around him. When it solidified, it settled into a very different pair of worried blue eyes than he was expecting. “Big bird?” But if Dick was here, where was Danny? There was no sign of the other now; no laptop or textbooks or scribbled equations. Too many takeout boxes stacked too messily were the only clue, but Jason figured that could be excused by his sick state. Jason knew that Danny hadn’t been with him the whole time he’d been sick. The other clearly came and went at least a few times to pick up food, his school work, and other supplies. What Jason didn’t know if the timing was just lucky or if Danny had managed to disappear before Dick had made it past all the safeguards. He hoped Danny wasn’t stuck hiding in a closet or something. “What?” Jason asked. Dick had been saying something to him, but Jason hasn’t caught a word of it. He rubbed at his eyes to try and focus. “Did you get dosed?” “Does? No. Just the stupid flu or something,” Jason lied. “Why are you here?” “Because you didn’t show up for patrol for a few days in a row, little bird,” Dick said softly. He brushed Jason’s sweat soaked hair off his forehead. Jason swayed into the touch. Not even two days of finally being touched apparently was all it took to lose his self control. At least Dick wasn’t shying away from him right then. Not like he normally did. Right, his brother had said something. “That made you break into my place? You know that was fucking stupid. What if I’d been…” Jason trailed off and motioned to his eyes. What if he’d been in a Pit rage. “You don’t drop off from everything like this when you are. We were worried,” Dick said. He sounded worried, but Jason didn’t feel like he could figure out if it was real right then, not with his head so full of cotton. Maybe it was. This was Dick, he seemed to care. Of course, then Dick had to go and add, “You should have checked in.” Jason snorted at that. “Not for patrol reasons,” Dick said, rolling his eyes. “So that we didn’t worry, little bird. And so that I could have brought some soup from Alfred.” “Mmm… yeah, would have been worth it for the soup,” Jason decided after a moment. “Most things are worth Alfred’s soup,” Dick agreed with a chuckle. “But no, you had to be stubborn and not let us know you were sick so there’s no soup for you.” “Shut up,” Jason grumbled with no real heat. He tried to let himself fall back onto the couch but was stopped by Dick pulling him forward. “Nu-uh. We’re going to get you up and into the shower. You’ll feel better in clean clothes and I can change the blankets on the couch and get these through the wash.” “No.” “Yes,” Dick said in a sing-song voice that made Jason want to punch him. Instead he let Dick help him off the couch. Now that it had been mentioned, a shower really did sound good. He was left propped up against the door frame of the bathroom while Dick got the shower started. The sound of the water was almost soothing, and Jason eyes drifted closed. Normally the Pit would be snarling at him to stay alert— to stay focused and on guard— even (especially) in the presence of his family, but it seemed as drained by the ectoshot as he was and stayed quiet. “Jay?” “Hum?” “Do I need to get you to a hospital?” Jason pried his eyes open to glare at his brother. When had Dick gotten so close? He hovered just in front of Jason like if he wanted to reach out and pull Jason close. Shit, Dick really was worried, wasn’t he? “It’s just the stupid flu or something.” “I don’t know, you’re really out of it, Jay. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen you with your guard like this.” “’S fine,” Jason said and let his eyes close again. “You’re here. I’m safe.” “Okay little bird,” Dick said softly and started to help Jason out of his sweat soaked shirt. “Let me take care of you.”

Dick helped peel off Jason’s shirt and tossed it on the floor. This wasn’t his first time undressing and shoving one of his family members into the shower. Being a vigilante left no room for modesty between the mortal wounds, medical procedures, and decontamination processes. It was easy to be clinical about it at this point. Besides, his mind was too busy reeling over Jason’s words. Jason felt safe with him. Jason, who even when he was sitting right next to them, still held them at arm’s length. Who Dick wasn’t sure would even show up at the few family meals he did attended if it weren’t for Alfred’s cooking. Who struggled to share any details about a case. Who didn’t ask for help when he was this sick… … felt safe with him. Dick had to bite his lip to keep the tears from welling up. He hadn’t thought Jason would ever trust him again, not really. He hadn’t been sure if he’d ever really have his brother back. He didn’t even need— want— Jason back in a creepy ‘just like he was before’ sort of way. Dick knew that was impossible. Jason dying had changed them all. Him coming back had changed them again. Jason had talked to Dick about it once, just a little. They had both been drunk— Jason more than Dick— and Jason had talked. He had talked like the words were spilling out of him, bleeding out of him; a soft steady flow of horror. There in the dim light of Dick’s apartment Jason had talked, just a little, about what it was like to live with the Pit rage in him. How it was like a rabid dog on a leash that was barking, barking barking. Dick didn’t know how someone even thought over that noise, but he was so damn proud of Jason for managing. He was so damn proud of Jason for clawing his way back to life— out of his grave and out of his madness and out of his rage. He didn’t want the old Jason back. He just wanted a chance to get to be a brother to this Jason. He was so damn proud of the man he’d become. His eyes ran over the horrible autopsy scars that crossed Jason’s chest. The stark reminder of exactly why Dick hadn’t been sure they’d ever really have Jason back. Jason, when he had to change around them, always did it as quickly as possible. But right then the scars were on full display. Because Jason was trusting Dick to see them. Dick tried hard not to think too much about it. Jason needed his help right then. He could deal with the mental fallout later. With some wrangling, Dick got Jason into the shower. After getting fresh clothing, he took a seat on the closed toilet, flicking through his phone from somewhere to order food from. He wanted to be close by in case Jason lost his balance in the shower. “Is Ben’s good for pizza?” “What?” At least Jason was sounding a little more clear headed. “Ben’s. I’m ordering food.” “Yeah. Get a supreme. The chicken bbq one is good too.” “Got it.” Dick selected the pizzas, added maybe too much garlic bread to the order, and submitted it. Then he pulled up the family chat. The one that Jason still refused to be part of. Dick: So Jason’s running a pretty bad fever. He thinks it’s the flu. Oracle: He’s actually staying home and not patrolling when he’s sick? Tim: Shit. It’s that bad? Dick: He’s pretty out of it. Shower seems to be helping and I’m ordering food. I’m going to stay the night here unless you need me on patrol. Bruce: We’ll rearrange patrols. Keep an eye on him. Dick: Will do. He wasn’t going to let Jason down again.

When Jason woke on day four, he felt good. He wasn’t perfect, he knew that. Danny had said it would take at least a few infusions— maybe several if his core took to it badly. He might never be without lingering effects. But even with just the one shot of ectoplasm Jason felt better than he had in years. Jason let himself linger in bed for a bit, slowly stretching out his sore muscles, before sounds from his kitchen made him stir. The press of otherness was back, so Jason assume that Danny was back. His arrival still made Jason shudder with a chill of cold. It wasn’t as overwhelming as it used to be, but there was never any doubt when Danny was around. Yesterday Dick had hardly left his He’d convinced Dick that he would be fine for the day and that he should go to work. Dick had still insisted on waking Jason up in the morning before he headed out, but Jason had rolled over and went back to sleep. And now Danny was back. The sound of something clattering, followed by cursing, had Jason finally rolling out of bed and heading to the kitchen. He half debated at least pulling on a shirt over his sleep pants, but the cursing had turned rather fevered. Besides, he didn’t think that Danny would be bothered by his scarring. He had to stop in the doorway to the kitchen and just stare. Smoke hung in the air. Danny was right in the middle of it— holding an ice covered frying pan out at arms length. Jason was pretty sure the tips of Danny’s bangs were singed. Jason was smirking. He knew he was. He really couldn’t help it. “I can see why you always bought food these last few days.” Danny whirled to face him, blue eyes wide. He made a cut off little noise and flushed bright red. Chuckling, Jason stepped into to the space— the kitchen was hardly big enough for two people— and reached around Danny to turn the burner off. Danny’s arm was cold as he brushed against it. When Jason pulled back and Danny was still just staring at him and had grown redder. “You good there, fish?” “Um, what? Oh!” Danny finally blinked. The blush went right to the tips of his ears. “Right, yeah? But, um, I don’t think that the eggs are okay.” “Don’t know if my frying pan is either,” Jason said, eying the frozen hunk of metal. “Sorry,” Danny said with a wince and dumped it in the sink. He waved his hand and let the ice melt. Scorched eggs washed down the sink. “How did you burn them so badly?" Jason asked. He was actually a little impressed. “I never learned to cook, okay? We didn’t really cook at my house so I’m having to pick up all of it now,” Danny said with a little shrug. “It’s, ah, not going so well.” “Neither of your parents chefs?” “Too much ambient ectoplasm,” Danny said as he tried to scrub at the charred pan. Jason didn’t think it would do any good. “When the casserole tries to eat you back one too many times you sort of give up on eating at home.” “What.” “Reanimated food. They’re always bastards. I have scars from the hot dogs still,” Danny said and also gave up on the pan and turned around to lean against the counter. “…I have so many questions and I don’t know if I want answers.” Danny shrugged again. He picked at the ends of the hoodie he was wearing, unraveling the ragged edge further. “You probably don’t. So, um, I was in the right to leave the other night, right?” “Yeah. It was my brother checking up on me. I don’t think I’m ready to explain all of this,” Jason said, giving a little wave of his hand to indicated everything as he leaned against the counter next to Danny. Danny glanced at him, his eyes flickering over the chest scars and back up. “They do know you died, right?” “Sorta hard to miss,” Jason said, crossing his arms. “But they think the Pits brought me back. We all did. Not that…” “It’s different, knowing you’re still dead,” Danny filled in where Jason trailed off. “Yeah. I’ll tell them later, maybe, but I want things to settle more. Shit, wait, am I going to get powers like you have? Then I’ll have to, I guess. It would hard to hide magical ice.” “Oh, you probably wont get ice. There are lots of difference cores. There’s all the elemental ones, fire and electricity and things, but also like, technology and shadow and a the Ancients can have really unique ones like time and hope. We won’t know what yours is until we get rid of the corrupted goop and you have enough ectoplasm.” “Huh,” Jason said with a frown. “So more ectoshots?” “More ectoshots. But we’ll give you a few weeks in between so you can recover. I’ve got to get myself moved to Gotham anyways, and I don’t really think you should take any of it if I’m not around, just in case your powers do develop.” “Yeah, alright,” Jason said, brain already working on how to hide all of this from the Bats. He was just starting to get things back to better with them. He didn’t want to throw ‘hey, turns out I’m still a little dead’ into the mix. He didn’t want to see the looks on their faces at that news. He didn’t want to break anyone’s heart again. He didn’t want to lose them again. Jason cleared his throat. “Well, guess I better give you my number then. Not that I don’t know when you’re around, but would be shit of you to have to come all this way just to check on me. How do you keep getting back and forth, anyways?” “Oh, sometimes I use a portal but mostly I just fly.” “You what?”

-----

AN: So this chapter was originally a single scene, but it decided it really needed more time. Then Dick decided to show up. I’ve gone back and forth about showing a POV other than Jason or Danny, but Jason is such an unreliable narrator about himself and Danny doesn’t know how Jason used to be, and I wanted to be able to show that. So Dick will show up a few times! He’s mostly here to have feelings.

And yes, Danny was totally bluescrened by shirtless Jason there at the end! I debated the POV for that, but thought it was funner that Jason has no clue why Danny is blushing like a tomato.

This is rough in places, I know, but my focus has been shot by pain. Besides, cleaning it up is what rewrites are for! Speaking of, rewrite of chapter 3 will be up on ao3 Thursday! Thank you all always for your wonderful response to this and stay delightful, darlings!

#dp x dc #danny fenton #jason todd #dick grayson #dead on main #danny fenton/jason todd #like betta fish do

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kujousgf · 4 months

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II. DARK LEGION. mdni. 18+. series masterlist

pairings: wanda maximoff + mutant!reader

summary: you and wanda talk... kind of

warnings: slight violence

wc: 1.8k~

< previous chapter | next chapter >

It’s a stupid question, Wanda knows that. Of course you know about the prophecy, why else would you be here? There is no way that you just happened to show up out of nowhere without knowing. You nod, and you’re happy your hands are occupied in your pockets to stop them from twitching or fidgeting, you haven’t had this many eyes on you in, well, a while. “Agatha spoke to me about it briefly,” you pause for a second, “but I’m not entirely familiar with what it seems to be talking about.”

You hope Wanda understands what you mean when you say that without having to say it explicitly. You’re familiar with who Chthon is, but what you don’t know is what exactly the Darkhold means by Wanda being ‘born from Chthon’ and simply because of the nature of the God, you’re not sure she would be willing to discuss it so openly and in front of everyone. You’d been thinking about it for a combined few hours now, trying to figure out what exactly is meant by the word ‘born’. You were actually largely confused by the fact that this prophecy was in the Darkhold at all. That, however, was something you could think about later.

Agatha cuts in before Wanda can speak and effectively seals both of your fates, “Wanda, dear, why don’t you take our Hunter to the library? You two can discuss the prophecy while the rest of us come up with a plan. Maybe some of Tony’s gadgets can help track down Lilith.” She smiles after she’s done and you both know you can’t say no because it wasn’t really a question. You should just leave, really, go back to that middle of nowhere town and forget all of this even happened, but you still can’t shake that nagging feeling in the back of your head. The one that tells you this is something you have to do whether you want to or not.

It’s quiet as the two of you walk to the library, the only sound being your footsteps on the floor and the occasional bird chirping outside when you walk past an open window. It’s not an entirely awkward silence, it’s just that neither of you are particularly willing to start a conversation. You’re focused too much on trying to remember exactly where the library is just in case it becomes useful in the future, and Wanda’s trying not to focus on the way her heart speeds up when you're near.

In order to ignore the way your own heart seems to be beating out of your chest, something that hasn’t happened in a long long time, you attempt to make small talk. “What,” you pause for just a second, trying to figure out which question you want to ask, “did Tony mean when he said ‘new’ loverboy? And what’s so funny about me not being a boy?” It comes out a little awkwardly, not used to talking with people lately. And, admittedly, you realize you sound a little childish asking this particular question and something tugs at the nerves in your forearms when you do. It gives you a feeling you’d rather not think about.

Wanda merely glances at you, “I don’t believe that has anything to do with the prophecy, does it?”

You inwardly wince. Wrong question to ask, then. Your people skills clearly need work, but Wanda is also clearly guarded and doesn’t seem to want you around. She’d sounded unhappy, but cordial at best when she greeted you merely ten minutes ago. You can’t blame her, though, you’re not that happy to be here either. However, you can be cordial, too. There’s no need to act familiar with her, because even if it feels like you are, you’re not. “Of course, my apologies. That was rude of me to ask.. I’m sorry if I’ve overstepped.”

It really is none of your business what Wanda’s past relationships were or if she had any at all, you’re not sure why that was one of the first questions you asked, it wouldn’t usually be. What you do know is that the pulling in your nerves has shifted to a pulling at your veins that spreads through your body and you’re certain that it has nothing to do with Wanda now. You try not to let it show, but something outside of the compound is beckoning you towards it, calling for every essence of your being.

Your head snaps to the side and quicker than Wanda can even open her mouth to ask why you’ve stopped walking, your dagger is unsheathed and lodged into the chest of some… thing, pinning it against the wall and watching as the holes where its eyes would be glow green before they go dim and the creature turns to ash with a shrill screech. You’re not sure what it is and neither is Wanda, but the pulling in your veins has stopped and you feel the tension leave your body.

“What was that?” Wanda’s eyes have widened slightly as she looks between you and the pile of ash on the ground. “I…” you’re hesitant to say it, not wanting to face the facts, “believe it was sent by my mother.” You re-sheath the knife when you’re sure that was the only one. Wanda hadn’t even noticed you had it, otherwise she might have been more hesitant than she already was to go to the library alone with you. Even though she has no reason to suspect you’ll hurt her. In fact, part of her knows that you would never.

“What a—” Wanda thinks of what to say, not wanting to say anything to offend you, but knowing a thing or two about bad ‘parents,’ “nice welcome present.” She settles with, and you actually laugh a little. It’s quiet and it’s mixed with a bit of disbelief, but it’s a laugh and Wanda almost doesn’t hate the way it makes her feel warm inside. “Yeah, it almost makes up for the missed birthdays.”

The rest of the walk to the library is quiet and uneventful. Since there was only the one creature in the hallway and you couldn’t sense any more, the two of you decided you’d just tell Agatha after she was done whatever it was she was doing and perhaps she could tell you what it was. It wasn’t quite so tense with you and Wanda now, a little joke goes a long way, but neither of you attempted to make any small talk afterwards. You don’t feel the apprehension radiating off of Wanda anymore and she doesn’t feel the need to run away radiating off of you.

The library is nice if not a little dusty, as if the Avengers don’t make use of it nearly as much as they should. If you had a library like this you would be in it all the time. The bookshelves are a deep brown color and you run your fingertip across the length of one of the smaller shelves. Real wood. The room itself is huge and the walls are lined with bookshelves. There’s space in the center of the room with a large wooden table and a few chairs, but the rest of the space is filled with rows of bookshelves. You wonder just how many topics are covered in all of these books and if any of them have anything to do with what’s going on right now.

Your fingertips graze the spines of a couple of books as you make your way to the table, stopping to peer around the room. Wanda doesn’t speak, just observes as you take in the compound’s library. She had been enamored with it when she first moved into the compound and it seems to have the same effect on you. She’s noticed that the older books are the ones that catch your eye and for reasons she’s largely ignoring, files that detail away for later.

You reach into your back pocket and grab the envelope, taking it out and setting it on the table without really looking. It slides a little when it hits the wood before stopping. You don’t speak at first and neither does Wanda, waiting for you to figure out what you want to do, watching the wheels turn in your head as you look up at the ceiling. You take a breath before you look at the witch. There’s not exactly any point in keeping secrets, you decide.

“You know, I wasn’t going to come. When Agatha sent me that letter,” you gesture to the wrinkled envelope on the table, “I was fully prepared to ignore it. After all, it’s not exactly custom to agree to help someone you haven’t seen or spoken to in fifteen years, but there was something nagging me in the back of my mind, telling me I had to at least figure out what it was she wanted. But now that I’m here… I don’t think that’s what it was at all.”

Wanda’s breath catches because she knows what you’re going to say next and she doesn’t know if she wants you to or not. She feels it, too, the pull in her chest, and it’s like she can almost see the energy that connects you to her and her to you. She doesn’t entirely hate your presence anymore and it’s scary. It’s scary because it’s only been about 30 minutes and she can’t tell if these are her own feelings or if she just thinks she’s feeling this way because she’s supposed to. It’s scary because no one had ever made her feel anything more than indifference in less than a week. Up until she’d met you, hell, up until ten minutes ago, she had sworn to herself that she wouldn’t want anything to do with you, but now that you’re here she doesn’t know if she can ignore that pull. It’s almost infuriating. It was something she was going to ignore until you brought it up, but now that you have—

“I still don’t really know what I’m supposed to be doing here, but,” your voice pulls Wanda back to the present and she knows she has to stop you before you continue. “Don’t… please,” it’s a plea because she knows once you say those words there’s no taking them back, once the universe knows, there’s no taking it back, “I know, but it hasn’t even been a day and I,” her next words make bile rise up in her throat, “I have Vision.”

#alice's series !#alice's fics !#wanda maximoff x female reader #wanda maximoff x you #wanda maximoff x reader #wanda maximoff imagine #scarlet witch x you #scarlet witch x reader #scarlet witch imagine

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allieisacrybaby · 11 months

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Summer Nights Like This

Julien Baker x Fem!Reader

no warnings, just pure summery Julien Baker fluff :)

The sun slowly descended across the horizon, the birds chirped happily, and the breeze blew cooly across your face, carrying the smell of freshly mown grass and citronella. It was the perfect summer evening. You were perched on the back porch bed swing in your Nashville home that you shared with your partner Julien. You were reading your book in utter bliss when the sound of the sliding glass door opening and closing redirected your attention from the fantasy in your hands to the woman approaching you.

“Hey punk, how’s your book?” Julien asked, cozying up on the bed swing next to you. Sticking your finger in the book to not lose your place and reply,

“So far, so good. I’ve made quite the dent in it today.”

“That’s awesome.” she smiles, but her eyes tell a different story.

“What have you been up to? I haven’t seen you much today.” you ask. JB sighs, slumping her shoulders forward. That was your cue. You find your bookmark, stick it between the pages, and tuck it next to you, giving her your undivided attention. JB sees your shift in awareness and pulls your dangling legs from the edge of the bed swing and into her lap, getting extra comfortable. Once she’s situated, she begins,

“I have this vision, but I just can’t seem to recreate it. I can hear it so clearly in my head, but I just can’t find a way to put it into reality. I’ve spent all day mixing different instruments and chords together, and I just cannot get it right for the life of me. It’s been absolutely exhausting and frustrating.”

“I’m sorry, love. I can’t imagine how frustrating that must be. How about you call it a day and spend the rest of the evening out here with me? We can put on some music, make dinner, and sit out here and enjoy this beautiful summer evening. How does that sound?” you suggest.

“Really? Princess, that would be amazing.” JB smiles, you can see her body relax, and she gives you that big ‘ole cheesy grin.

“Of course! Ok, here’s the game plan. You’ll connect to the Bluetooth speakers out here and play whatever you want and just relax, and I’ll get to work making dinner inside. Oh! Do you have any requests for dinner? We have a lot of stuff because we went grocery shopping yesterday, so I can whip up whatever you want.”

“I could really go for some pesto pasta.” she sheepishly responds.

“Coming right up!” you grin, popping up from your spot on the swing. Before you can get far, Jay grabs your wrist and pulls you down for a kiss. It’s sweet, tender, and warm, just like her. You blush deeply and scurry off to get dinner started.

*****

Entranced in preparing the pasta and the song's melody playing throughout the house speaker system, you don’t register the sliding glass door opening and closing or the soft thump of Blundstone boots across the hardwood floor. You only register that another person has entered the kitchen when a pair of sun-warmed tattooed arms wrap around your waist.

“What are you doing in here? You’re supposed to be outside relaxing.” you chastise sweetly.

“I got lonely. I missed my girl.” Julien smiles, resting the side of her cheek on your back, effectively smooshing herself into you.

“Well, dinner is almost ready. I just need to plate this after mixing the pesto and tomatoes into the pasta. If you miss me that much, you can sit at the island and watch, but I can’t finish dinner if you’re wrapped around my waist, baby.”

“Fine, but we're eating dinner on the bed swing so you can sit in my lap.”

“Deal.” you agree. She unravels her arms from around your waist and gently kisses behind your ear before making her way to a barstool.

After plating the pasta and pouring drinks, you and JB return back outside, plopping down onto the bed swing, plates of pasta in hand. JB sits her plate down to the side and makes grabby hands in your direction. You know immediately what she wants, and you shake your head with a goofy grin and scootch your way into her lap.

Taking in the countryside before you, the sun had finally set, and what was left was an orangy hue spreading a precious glow just above the rolling planes of land. Absolutely breathtaking.

“I’m so glad this is our home.” you sigh out in gratitude, leaning into Julien’s sternum.

“I mean, yeah, but this house isn’t really my home, though,”

Furrowing your brows in confusion, she shakes her head and continues,

“You’re my home. I could be anywhere in this world, and the minute you’re there with me, in my arms, I’m home.”

“JB, that is the cheesiest, sweetest thing you’ve ever said. You’re such a sap.” you smile, tears slowly welling in your eyes.

“It’s true. No house could ever replace the feeling of comfort you bring me.”

“Jay, Stop it. I’m gonna cry, and I haven’t eaten my food yet.”

“I’m sorry, doll, I’m sorry. Let’s eat this delicious food my little chef has so kindly cooked up.”

Dinner consisted of little talking, many satisfied groans of appreciation for a good meal, and a couple of stolen kisses. By the time you’d finished eating, the sun had been replaced by the moon, the chirping birds were replaced with chirping crickets, and a smattering of stars had appeared across the midnight-black sky.

“That was delicious, baby, thank you.”

“Of course. I’m always happy to take care of you when you’ve had a rough day.” you smile, snuggling into her side.

A particularly chilly breeze rolled over the two of you. JB grabbed the tattered quilt that lay over the back of the swing and covered the two of you up.

“I could stay out here forever.” You sighed, nuzzling your nose into Julien’s neck. Wrapping an arm around your back and pulling you closer to her side, she smiled down at your sleepy face.

“Me too, doll, me too.”

#allie writes?????#julien baker blurb #julien baker fanfic #julien baker fanfiction #julien baker x reader #fanfic #fanfiction #boygenius #boygenius fanfic #boygenius fanfiction

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divinemare · 2 months

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-ˏˋ⋆ 𝔄 𝔠 𝔬 𝔲 𝔯 𝔱 𝔬 𝔣 𝔤 𝔬 𝔡 𝔰 𝔞 𝔫 𝔡 𝔪 𝔬 𝔫 𝔰 𝔱 𝔢 𝔯 𝔰 ⋆ˊˎ-

└──» ✎ 。 Azriel x Oc

part twelve

part eleven

┊✧*｡ ✯┊☪︎⋆✧*｡ ┊

The screaming in her ears somehow intensified as she got farther and farther away from the small cottage. Birds chirped atop of her and howls that sounded like something more sinister than animals combined in an almost unbearable grieving symphony.

Mareena woke up from her nightmare without so much as a jolt. She was used to them by now, she had had them since she had any memory. They had stoped tho, for some time. And then, out of nowhere, had started again.

She got out of bed slowly, taking her time to shake off the side effects of the nightmare, she didn’t wanted to go down looking like this. So she purposefully took longer than usual getting ready to go start the day.

The spring sun in Velaris greeted her with warm when she stepped outside of her balcony, the air was filled with warm smells. She let herself be momentarily carried away by the peacefulness of the moment, until soft, almost inaudible knocks on her door made her open her eyes again.

“Come in,” she already knew that, when she turned around, Azriel would be standing on her doorway with his hands on his back, not daring to come inside, no matter how many times she invited him in.

So she smiled, and turned around to face the Shadowsinger before her.

“Goodmorning,” his deep voice was like morning coffee, and it made her smile grow wider and the feeling of reluctance slip away.

“Goodmorning, Az, want to come in?” Her smile turned amused, and one of her eyebrows shot upwards already knowing what his answer would be.

“No, uhm, I just came to… breakfast is ready, are you coming?”

Mareena laughed softly, and nodded.

“I will, in a minute.”

Azriel nodded too, and turned around as if to leave, but stoped midway. He wanted to say something, Mareena saw it in the way his eyes twitched ever so slightly.

“Another nightmare?” He asked after a moment of silence.

Mareena’s smile disappeared and a heavy expression settled instead. She sighed deeply, and nodded as she closed the window to the balcony.

“Yes, how’d you know?”

“You always go out the balcony in the mornings after a nightmare,” he said as a matter of fact.

Right. Azriel knew her better than literally anyone else. Even herself.

She smiled softly, for she would be lying if she said her heart didn’t beat a little faster whenever he pointed out any small details that only he noticed. But it did.

“I’m ok, same as always,” in his hazel eyes Mareena saw perfectly how her answer hadn’t convinced him at all, and that it only made him much more worried.

But Azriel didn’t argue, he simply nodded softly and looked anywhere else but at her.

“Ok, then… I’ll wait for you downstairs,” he gave her one last look, and when Mareena smiled softly in only response, he left the room in complete silence.

She stared back at the city under her, and sighed one last time, reminding herself that everything she needed was right there, and she didn’t need to look back on old pointless fantasies.

“Oh hey, good morning!” Mor’s sweet voice greeted her first when she stepped into the dinning room, she looked as gorgeous as ever, even if it was only morning.

“Good morning,” Mareena answered with a smile, and gave her good mornings to Amren as well when she saw the female coming down stairs.

Amren was somewhat like a… new friend, if 70 years could really be considered new. She was a petite, strange looking female who really actually frightened her most of the time. Not to mention she was so old not even Rhys knew how much.

But she had become really important to the Inner Circle, not only because she had become part of them, but because of everything she had actually done for them.

Amren had taught both Rhys and Mareena how to control their powers during a time were they were so volatile it became more like a huge problem. Just right after losing Alhena and Valeria, actually.

She had kept them alive, and now they owed her, big time, for it.

“Breakfast is ready, there’s only one cinnamon roll left, so who wants it?” Azriel asked from them kitchen, bringing over the plates him an Rhys had cooked with the help of the violet eyed male.

“It’s mine!” Cassian screamed while he rushed down the stairs, his big and powerful steps reverberating in the walls.

Mareena immediately woke up completely and started running before Cassian gave the last step to come down.

“Uh-uh, it’s mine!” They raced each other, trying to push the other out of the way to get to the last cinnamon roll.

☪︎⋆

Later on that day, Azriel and Mareena found themselves doing groundwork for a mission Rhys gave them.

It was dangerously close to the Middle, so Azriel decided it was a mission he had to take on himself instead of sending any spy.

Since Rhys became High Lord, things had drastically changed for them. Not only the war ended months after, but their lives as they knew them as well.

Cassian became General, it had been an entire problem on its own, since Illyrians did not wanted to accept a bastard as their General, and still were weary about. Azriel had become Spymaster, which, was really the least surprising of them all, he was just born for it, and it finally gave him a purpose in which to use his abilities. After some time, and Amren becoming part of their family, she took the place of Second, and Mor of Third. And for her… well, for everyone else she was still the High Lord’s “puppet”, the Goddess of Death of the Night Court.

Almost immediately after being bestowed as the new High Lord, Rhys had offered to break the bargain that was transferred to him upon his father’s death, but Mareena knew very well that it wouldn’t be a good idea as new High Lord, one that already had much against him being considered a desgrase for being a Half Blood. He needed her as the monster she had served his father. And at the end of the day, Mareena felt a thousand times safer with him that she had felt with Rhett, she knew perfectly well that Rhys would never use his power on the bargain to make her do anything she didn’t wanted to do, and that was enough for her to play the part outside her family.

“Now it can just be a nice tattoo,” she had said to him in response.

And it was. The mark on her body that had meant submission, that had bound her in the body of a monster she had never wanted to become, was now just another reminder that she had too survived that, just as the scars on her body.

“Don’t get too far away, ok?“ Azriel murmured to her, earning a side long glance from Mareena.

He always told her that whenever she accompanied him to any mission. The overprotective ass-bat.

“Don’t… even say it,” Azriel read her thoughts before the nickname could even roll out her tongue, and Mareena had to hold back her laugh at his expression.

She only nodded, and let him get some steps ahead before murmuring:

“Ass-bat,” she could almost hear him roll his eyes, and she chuckled internally.

They spent hours working together, until they finally found what they needed, and decided to go back to Velaris.

It was past midnight when they finally found what they were looking for, so the dangers grew as each minute passed. But Mareena never really felt threatened or scared, just as she hadn’t felt when she first escaped the Spring Court. There was just something unexplainable that kept her calm while being in the most dangerous place of Prythian.

She could actually say, but never out loud, that she liked that place; it felt mysterious, like something was calling her to explore it.

It had always been like that, but tonight it felt bigger, like a real call.

It happened from a moment to another; she started listening a whisper that resembled too much like the sound of her name. A whisper that felt both familiar and unknown, young and old, warm and cold.

She turned around, trying to look for the source of said whisper.

“Az?” She asked, turning back again, only to find she was surrounded by nothing else but trees and darkness.

No Shadowsinger in sight.

What the actual fuck?

She was sure she hadn’t been here a moment ago, that this was not the path she had been taking with Azriel, she was no longer near the Middle, she was now actually on the Middle. How in the Mother’s holy Cauldron had she gotten here, then? And where was Azriel?

He couldn’t have left, he would never leave her here, she had probably absentmindedly wandered away, and he was surely now looking for her with several reproches in mind.

Oh, he was going to kill her, badly.

“Oh Mareena, oh Mareenaaa,” she cursed to herself with a big sigh.

Everything was going to be fine, she knew the way, she could walk without problem, or maybe stay here, Azriel would find her surely in no time.

But then there it was again. That Mother damn whisper. It sounded stronger now, closer, clearer.

“Mareena…”

It was definitely saying her name.

Her heart began to race unexpectedly, she looked all around her, not finding anything at all.

“Ok, now maybe I’m scared,” she murmured to herself.

“Mareena…”

But even as she felt a tight knot on her chest, she began walking towards the way where the whispers seemed to be coming from. She couldn’t understand why, it was just as if a force was pulling her closer and closer.

This was so fucking reckless and dangerous and reckless, and good Mother had she done some reckless things in her life.

This definitely topped them all.

“Mareena…”

“Mareena..”

And just as when she had gotten lost the first time, she did so again, it had seemed to her that she had walked a few steps, but now she found herself in a totally different space.

In front of her, two big trees made an arc that resembled an entrance, and beyond, a clearing that looked nothing like the rest of the Middle was being illuminated by the moonlight.

Unlike the rest of the forest, that was dark and seemed to have a monstrous vibe in it, this place was colorful, full of life.

“Mareena…”

But even then the whispers didn’t stop, rather became so strong now that it was no longer a whisper.

That voice…it sounded much more clear now, but…

“Mareena…”

Her heart contracted on her chest, her eyes teared up with the sudden necessity of letting tears run.

“Mareena…”

A cottage was sat between a field of flowers not so far away, and she only now noticed it was right there in front of her.

That cottage…it was the cottage.

“Mareena…”

She let out of gasp as realization settled in, and an underwhelming feeling clouded her vision with hot tears.

Then the voice became louder, and louder, and louder, until her ears were pierced with a terrible scream.

“Mareena!”

And then she was awake.

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milyz · 3 months

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[ 12:04 am] ━━ Unexpected confession

｡⁠*ﾟ⁠+ hdc, holy shituh mila finally posted?! and yes.. it's mha.. BUT I MEAN WHY NOT?? enjoy now.

moon out, silvery hues illuminating and glistering on the surface of the water. y/n stood at the side of the river, late night baths are always something she looks forward too. Slowly she peels off her clothes exposing her body.

just this morning, class 3-A of UA arrived at a local mountain for a field trip and also for a research project. Each student are paired into groups of two, and y/n is paired with nejire. together from morning to night, the class did their respective researches, ending the day with some freshly baked fried meals.

from afar, Tamaki Amajiki's dark blue eyes gazed upon the sight of a certain classmate of his, gently laughing with her friends. he felt a smile forming at the sight of y/n. before reality hit and be shifts his gaze away. he adores her, if he could have the courage to confess, he would but he couldn't..

that night, he tossed and turned, groaning with frustration. the sounds of the birds, the tree's rustling with each other kept him awake. he decided to take a small walk around the area, he gets out from the tent, zipping back up the tent together. The night wind is a gentle caress, the subtle movement touching the skin with a soothing and calming effect.

The trees surrounding the area and you, you could only hear the sounds of the river, small waves crashing into each other. Soon, he saw a glimpse of someone, a girl showering herself in the river.

he thought his eyes were messing with him, thinking some sort of a ghost or a joke was all he was seeing before his eyes adjusting itself to the dark.

y/n's shiny and dark hair seems to absorb the darkness around it, giving it a liquid shadow. Her back straightens as she tilts her head back creating waves on her hair. Tamaki stood there absolutely spellbound by her, "woah" soon escapes his lips.

y/n shirked, as she immediately got startled by the hushed tone. She quickly rustled through her stuff grabbing her towel before running behind a bush. (She gotta skedaddle LOL)

"Sorry! Sorry!" Tamaki yelled out, he felt terrible for causing her distress. he rushed his way back to his tent completely hiding himself from y/n. After y/n finally able to catch a breath and slips on her clothes, she decided to go to his tent.

Tamaki was all huddled up under his sleeping bag as he tried sleeping it off before y/n zips open the tent exposing him. "hey" y/n gradually enters the tent.

His eyes gleamed at the sight of y/n, before he remembered back what happened. "y/n, I'm so sorry for interrupting you" his head tossed back in frustration.

"It's alright, I'm supposed to be the one apologising." y/n sat Infront of Tamaki, her arms wrapped around her knees as they tugged together. "wait why? no no--" he stutteres creating an awkward quarrel between him and y/n.

y/n giggles the more he tried defending her. "hey" y/n places her hand on his thigh, his face turns red and he gets flustered. "let's go outside and watch the stars maybe?" y/n smiles. how can somebody look so beautiful, her smile makes me feel complete, it makes me feel wanted. the thoughts ran through his mind.

all he could do was to nod, nod to anything y/n said and suggested. "really? I mean ya sure-.. Id like that because I- I like you you know and-" he paused. oh no he practically exposes himself to y/n, at that very moment.

the silence between them was loud, all they could do is to sit there together in silence before y/n burst into laughter, "really?" Her grip tightens on his thigh, Tamaki nods tenderly. "oh .. I mean, I guess i could say I have the same feelings for you too" y/n felt the sense of butterflies in her stomach as she confessed a long held secret to Tamaki.

xoxo, mila<3

half asleep rn, bout to mimimimi my way out

p.s, credits to Sen ifykyk her bc she wrote some parts 🕊️ ily senny 🫶🏻

#milyz #milyzfluff #headcanon #my hero academia #boku no hero academia #tamaki amajiki #holy shit #raaaaaa

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ikeromantic · 6 months

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Alice in College pt3

An IkeRev Central characters AU! Written for my IkeRev 1K Celebration, a boarding school AU was the poll winner. Approx. 2800 words. 3/6

Part 1 Part 2

Alice was late. She’d slept right through her alarm, and woken up to unfamiliar sounds. Her dorm neighbors moving around in their rooms, the odd creaks and groans of the old building, and strange birds chirping outside her window. Alice dressed in record time and hurried to Mousse’s office.

She skidded to a stop at the door and took a breath, preparing her excuses. Only, when she looked in, Mousse had his head resting on an open book. His eyes were closed and his breath was shallow and steady. Was he? Definitely. He was sleeping.

For a moment, Alice held her breath. Stay and wake him, she thought, or go and hope she wouldn’t be in trouble. Before she could decide though, Mousse inhaled sharply. His long, dark lashes fluttered open.

His gentle green gaze was warm and sleepy, and unexpectedly intimate. Mousse smiled at Alice as he sat up and took a long stretch.

She couldn’t help but notice the way his shirt came a little untucked, giving her a momentary view of his firm abdomen, the slight v of his pelvis just above his belt buckle, and a shadow that might have been the start of a happy trail . . . Her head snapped up as his arms lowered, and her cheeks went hot. Let’s hope he didn’t notice me staring, she thought. Bad enough to be late, worse to start ogling a - was he a teacher?

Mousse stood, tucking his shirt back in gracefully. Not that it would have mattered. Standing, his vest grazed his hip, just below the belt line, covering the view.

Nothing to see here, folks, Alice thought, and almost giggled out loud.

“You have the most beautiful smile.” He held out his hand. “I’m Mousse Atlas. Upper classman and teaching assistant for our diplomacy and culture program.”

Alice reached to shake his hand and was surprised when he pulled it to his lips instead. His touch was light as a whisker. The barest brush of satin and warmth and then her hand was her own again.

Mousse didn’t seem to notice his effect on her at all. He gestured a student’s desk across from him. “Dean told me what happened. I have to say, you don’t seem the type. But this detention is a good opportunity to give you extra time to catch up on cultural studies.”

“Oh? Yes. Ok.” Alice finally found her voice, much good it did her. She looked at the stack of books set on the desk and swallowed. That was . . . a lot. “That - that’s all for me?”

“Don’t worry. It only took me a moment to put together.”

Which hadn’t been her worry at all, but she nodded and managed a breathless ‘thanks’. Alice sat down and reached for the book at the top of the stack. “Guess I’ll just get started?”

Mousse gave her an encouraging smile. “I think you’ll find diplomacy a fascinating topic. And I’m right here if you have any questions as you read.”

He looked so cheery about it that Alice found herself smiling back at him as if she were really excited to be tackling a giant stack of text books. But honestly, she was glad to be spending time with Mousse. He was cute and seemed nice. Less strict than Dean too.

Alice started the book. She was surprised to find it wasn’t a dry, academic text but rather a biographical with an interesting narrative. When she looked up again, she was twenty pages in and Mousse was snoring softly. He’d fallen asleep again with his head resting on an open book, the edges of a map visible along the edges of his tousled hair.

“Finally.” A loud whisper from the doorway drew her attention. Loki was crouched there, a playful smile at the edges of his lips. He beckoned her over.

“I’m in detention,” she whispered back.

Loki rolled his eyes. “Come on. He’s not gonna notice.” When she didn’t stand, he held out a hand to her. “You don’t really want to sit here and read books all morning do you?”

For half a heartbeat, Alice felt torn between doing what she was supposed to, and following Loki into whatever strange adventure he had planned. But it really wasn’t much of a contest. She apologized silently to Mousse as she crept out of the room.

“Don’t you dare vanish us to another balcony, or I swear-”

“I won’t,” he gave her an unrepentant grin. Then he took her hand and led her quickly away from Mousse’s classroom.

Alice thought he might be taking her to the dining room. The smell of fragrant hot tea and something sweet wafted through the hallway and her tummy gave a little grumble. She hoped Loki hadn’t noticed, but one glance at him told her he definitely had.

“Sounds like I rescued you right in time.”

“I was going to get breakfast before my first class, even if you didn’t show up. So you didn’t really rescue me,” she retorted, feeling embarrassed and a little defensive. His lips turned down in a little pout that was so ridiculous and adorable that she couldn’t stay mad. “Fine. Fine. You rescued me. Thanks.”

The resulting grin lit up his face. “I’ll collect my reward later.”

Alice raised an eyebrow. “What reward?”

Loki’s eyes narrowed and his thumb stroked the back of her hand. “A kiss, of course. As a thanks for rescuing you.”

“Absolutely not.” She pulled her hand free of his.

There was a flash of hurt in his gaze at the rejection, but then he started laughing. “It’s a joke! You are so serious, aren’t you? I’ll have to work harder to lighten you up!”

Alice wasn’t sure she’d seen anything in his expression but mirth. He was hard to read, and his moods seemed to pass like summer storms. “Ehm. Ok. Well. It wasn’t a funny joke. I don’t just go around kissing people, and I don’t like being told I have to as a reward.”

Loki let out a sigh and rubbed his belly. “Ah, you made me laugh so hard I hurt. Come on. And stop frowning or you’ll frighten Harr!” He opened a nearby door and waved her inside.

She did stop frowning, though not because of anything he said. Instead of a dining room, the space beyond was some sort of mad scientist lab crossed with a decadent tea party. Oliver, the grumpy child, sat on a stool with a cup of tea in hand. Harr sat behind a counter of glass beakers and trays of toast and pancakes, holding a small plate, a forkful of food halfway to his mouth. Blanc leaned against a windowsill, smiling as he glanced over at her.

“Look who the cat dragged in.” Oliver sighed as if this put him out very much.

“I didn’t drag her,” Loki stepped in behind Alice and shut the door. “She volunteered!”

“That makes a difference,” snorted Oliver, sounding very much as if it didn’t.

Harr set down his plate and fork. “Welcome to our little breakfast club, Alice. Would you like a cup of tea?”

“She’s starving,” Loki replied, loudly.

Alice felt heat rise to her cheeks. “I - I’m not starving. I just skipped breakfast to go to detention and-”

“Detention already?” Blanc tsked. “What happened?”

She didn’t want to tell this group what she’d seen in Amon and Dalim’s secret laboratory so she gave them the same version she had given Dean. Alice wasn’t sure if they believed her or not, but they didn’t question her story.

“Dean can be very strict,” Harr said, his voice so soft she almost couldn’t hear him. Especially over Loki, who was sharing how Dean had once assigned him a 100 page essay as punishment for skipping class.

Blanc handed her a cup of tea, and surprisingly, Oliver pulled a chair over for her. In no time at all, Alice was enjoying breakfast and listening to the others chatter. It was a lot more fun than reading in silence while Mousse slept at his desk.

“So, what is this room? A study hall or practice lab or something?” She spoke up during a lull in conversation, curious about why they’d chosen this spot to have their breakfast.

“It’s our secret laboratory,” Loki replied, his cheshire grin wide and mysterious.

Oliver rolled his eyes. “Don’t tell her that. It’s not secret.”

“It’s a study room reserved for upperclassmen,” Harr told her, giving the other two a frown. “Oliver and I are using it for our senior project.”

Alice’s eyes went wide. “The little kid is a senior?”

Blanc covered his smile with a delicate gloved hand, while Loki just laughed aloud. Harr looked as if he wasn’t certain how to reply, but he didn’t have to worry over it long.

“I’m not a kid. And I’m not little.” Oliver glared at her. “Get that through your thick skull.”

Rude, Alice thought, but she nodded. No one else seemed inclined to argue. “So, umm, what is your senior project?”

“That is a secret,” Oliver said just as Loki spoke up.

“We’re making a better magic crystal.” He fiddled with the cat-ear of his hoodie. “But don’t tell anyone, ok?”

Harr let out a breath and thumped Loki in the back of the head. “You aren’t supposed to just share that with anyone.”

“Alice isn’t just anyone. She’s my friend! And she won’t tell.” He turned his bright gaze toward her, intense crimson and gold flaring in their depths. “Right, Alice?”

“I won’t. I promise. But I don’t understand why it’s a secret. Are you afraid someone will steal your ideas?”

Blanc set his tea cup down. “It’s not so much theft that is a concern. Although, there are students that would steal another’s work. It’s a problem of permission. You see, here in Cradle, the Magic Tower controls all aspects of crystal production and distribution. They wouldn’t approve of such research happening at the college without their knowledge or consent.”

“So . . . just send them a letter or something?” Alice knew immediately that there was an issue with that solution. Loki’s usual smile dropped into a grim, flat-lipped frown and Harr’s gentle expression faltered.

Oliver snorted. “Oh yeah, you’re the first to think of that. Idiot.”

Harr sighed. “The fact is, we aren’t planning on giving them our research. Even if it was simple to ask for permission, which it isn’t. I wish things were different.”

“I don’t.” Loki stuck his tongue out, his playful spirit regained, if with an unexpectedly sharp edge. “When we succeed, no one will have to ask the Magic Tower for anything ever again.”

Blanc smiled, easing Alice’s nerves. “Suffice to say, such things are complicated here. Let’s talk about something less serious. There will be plenty of time later to debate the good and bad of the Tower.”

The conversation moved on from there to other things. What classes they had this term and whether they’d gotten lucky with their instructors. Alice was relaxing into the flow of conversation, at ease for perhaps the first time since she’d come to Cradle. At least . . . until she saw the clock.

“Oh! Oh my god, I am late!” She stood up so quickly that she nearly spilled her tea.

“It’s not even 7:30?” Harr blinked at her uncertainly.

She nodded. “Yeah, but my first class started at 7!” Alice set down her plate and tried to pull out her map all at once, almost dropping both. “I can’t get in trouble again!”

“Calm down,” Oliver sighed. “I’ll take you to class.”

Loki hopped up. “I can take her there faster.”

“Please. If you take her, the two of you are just as likely to end up in the forest as you are to get her to classroom.” Oliver grabbed the map out of Alice’s hands. “Come on.” He didn’t wait for her to agree, just opened the door and strode out.

“Umm. Alright. Well, thanks for breakfast! I’ll see you later!” She hurried after him with a wave.

For having such short legs, Oliver moved fast. He was half-way down the hall already, and Alice jogged to catch up. “Thanks. For - for -”

“I wanted an excuse to get out of there anyway. Don’t thank me.” Oliver glanced up at her and let out a small breath, almost a sigh.

“Well. Thank you for helping me out anyway. No matter why you did it, I appreciate it.” She saw something in his gaze soften before he looked away.

Oliver said nothing for a few long moments, then he pushed the map toward her. “You need to learn how to navigate.”

“It’s only my first day of class! I literally just got here. And the halls and stairs make absolutely no sense. Besides -”

“It’s not a criticism. Just a fact. Now look at your map. See how there’s one main hall that starts there, at the lobby?” As they walked, Oliver explained how the halls went together, and which floors held what.

By the time they got to her classroom, Alice felt a little better about getting around. Oliver was a surprisingly good teacher, and very patient when he stopped being irritated. She impulsively bent down and hugged him.

Oliver froze for a breath, as if unsure what to do. Then he pinched her hip. If his arm had been a little longer, the pinch would have been right on her butt cheek.

Alice yelped and let go. “Did you just - did you pinch me?”

“Figure it out.” He gave her a saucy grin that absolutely did not fit on such a young face. With a wave, he turned and left her there in the hall.

“That little jerk,” she murmured. Then she went to class.

Her morning passed in a blur. Hurrying from one lecture to another, filling her notebook with information she hoped would make sense once she had some time to catch up on the reading assignments. Alice even took lunch in her room so she could spend the hour cramming history along with her sandwich and cookies.

She was on her way to her first afternoon class, a beginner’s session in Alchemy, when she ran into Dean - or, no, she could tell by the way he dressed and the playful smirk he wore that this was Dalim.

“There you are!” Dalim rushed to her side and slipped an arm over her shoulders to pull her against him. “I was so worried!”

“What, because you abandoned me when Dean showed up in the restricted section?” Alice wriggled out of his embrace.

“I swear I didn’t mean to leave you behind. I thought you were with me the whole way. But when I turned around, you were gone. I even went back for you.” His blue eyes were wide and desperately honest.

Alice shrugged. “Whatever. I don’t believe you. So . . . what do you want?”

“Mostly, I wanted to make sure you were ok. And I wanted to make it up to you. Me and Amon both.”

“Yeah, well, I’m fine. And the best way you can make it up to me is to not get me in trouble again. I was in detention at 6am today. SIX!” Alice frowned. “And I have to be there every day this week.”

Dalim’s shoulders fell. “Wow. I guess I really messed up. If you want, I can go to the office and confess everything. Tell them I led you there, that this is all my fault.”

For just a heartbeat, Alice considered it, then shook her head. “No. Then we’d both be in trouble.”

“That wouldn’t be so bad, as long as I got to be in detention with you.” He touched her hand lightly, sending a little pleasant shock up her arm.

He’s good, she thought. “Would you not touch me without asking, please? You’re very handsy,” was what she said.

Dalim gave her a warm smile that said he knew what she was thinking. “I seem to be apologizing a lot today. I’m sorry for surprising you. I just like to reach for pretty things.” He looked down at his hands, pretending contrition.

Alice took a breath, trying to firm up her resolution. She was not going to let Dalim side track her. She needed to go to class, and stay out of trouble.

“Look, I won’t pressure you, but if you are willing to give me another chance, meet me in the dining hall after dinner. If you don’t show, I promise I won’t bother you anymore. But if you do, you’d make me the happiest man on campus.” His smile would have lit a candle - no - a bonfire - at fifty paces with the warmth in it.

“I’ll hold you to that,” was all Alice said, ignoring the tripping-fast beat of her silly heart.

Part 4

#ikemen revolution #ikerev au #ikerev mousse #ikerev loki #ikerev harr #ikerev oliver #ikerev blanc #ikerev Dalim #fanfiction #fanfic #otome #otome guys #fluff #follower celebration

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heartstringsduet · 1 year

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oh michelle sweet woodruff for the flower prompt 👀

When suddenly, you can type 1k+ in an hour no sweat but you can't step into your WIPs. Thanks for prompting me dear Tessa. Also, woodruff is pretty famous in Germany to flavor drinks and jelly.

Sweet Woodruff. Humility “Promise me you won’t laugh, but…"

If you asked people what Carlos Reyes was known for, they’d say cooking (only TK would answer “loving me”). It wasn’t a rarity for TK to bring homemade lunch and to have only half of it left because Marjan wanted to “test its spice level”, “Mateo wanted to see “if it tastes like my Tia’s cooking” and Paul tasted to see if his version of the dish was better than Carlos’. Once TK started coming home with a grumbling stomach and a sour mood, Carlos started packed extra. They called it the 126 portion. Half for TK, half for everyone else.

So when the bakery Captain Vega had ordered cakes for Evie and Izzy’s birthdays cancelled last minute, and the stress filled the rig like it was mixed into the air, TK suggested, “Carlos is off today. He could make the cakes.”

Cap looked at him briefly from the passenger seat, her arms still wound tightly around her chest. “Really? Is he a good baker?”

“He’s an amazing cook.”

“A cook does not make a baker though,” Cap mused.

“If his baking is half as good as his cooking, the girls will be in heaven,” Nancy said from the back of the rig, making TK beam in pride and nod.

“I don’t want to just put this on him-”

“Let me ask him!” TK offered. “I’m sure he’ll love to make something for the girls. And we all know they’re a little in love with him still, so getting their crush to bake them the birthday cake? Two birds, one stone.”

“Two cakes, one dreamboat of a baker,” Nancy chimed in.

Carlos agreed, reluctantly. TK could hear hesitancy in his tone and his pauses. It didn’t help that once he said yes, Cap listed her girls’ dietary restrictions and wishes with Carlos on the speaker. One raspberry chocolate cake - gluten free - no sprinkles but lots and lots of crushed candy on top and cut into the shape of a heart ; one classic birthday cake but with an ombre effect on the outside of the three layers. Even TK gulped at the detailed instructions and he had never baked a single cake before.

“I realize what a tall order this is- just- never mind Carlos,” Cap interrupted herself, “Just get a normal and a chocolate gluten free cake mix and call it a day. Those were just the wishes we gave to the catering but - they’ll love anything you make. I'm sure of it.”

“No,” Carlos told her. “No, of course they’ll get the cakes they wished for. It’s their birthday.”

It’s past midnight when TK comes home, weary bones carrying him up to his apartment but the smell of baked goods resuscitate him. He can almost taste the vanilla sprinkles batter on his tongue, feel the raspberry buttercream on his hands, the still warm dough of the pieces of cake Carlos had to cut away for the heart form.

Still in shift, TK had texted Carlos ‘DO NOT wash away the batters and creams from the bowls. DO NOT’

Carlos hadn’t replied. But as he steps in, TK’s mouth falls open. The kitchen is in a state he’s never seen it before. He didn’t know they had this many bowls to begin with. This many utensils, even this much counter space to put everything on. It’s a wonder the sugar container hasn’t fallen over yet.

Carlos doesn’t even seem to hear him come in. When TK walks closer, the tense form of his husband gets added to by a frown, sweat on his brows, as Carlos leans down and raises a trembling hand holding a cake lifter toward the edge of something TK can’t see from this angle.

He waits until Carlos releases an unhappy sound and straightens back up to say, “Hey babe. Are you okay? How are the cakes looking?”

When Carlos turns to him, full bodied, there is a gleam of something that can only be called madness in his eyes. “The cakes?”

“Yes…the cakes?” TK tries for humor “Unless you’re building a bomb over there?”

He walks over and attempts to enter the kitchen space but Carlos suddenly steps into his way. “No. Don’t.”

“Don’t what?” TK asks, dread slowly sinking in at how truly distressed his husband seems. “What is going on?”

“The cakes aren’t done yet. I- I tried. I searched for a recipe, finally found the perfect one, gluten free, one naked cake. I got all the ingredients. I stuck to the recipe. I swear I did! But the batter was too runny and then I kept it in too long so the top burned and then i had to start again but I over whipped the buttercream and when I finally got the cake layers done they were still too hot so the new batch buttercream ran and I had to go back to the store and get new ingredients to-”

TK takes Carlos face in both hands, just like Carlos would when TK spiraled. “Hey, hey, breathe baby, breathe.”

Air whizzes out, high and sharp but Carlos seems to relax the more free breaths he takes. TK never lets go of his face. He swipes a thumb over the flour dusted cheek until Carlos’ skin regains its normal color.

“Now, are you still working on both cakes?”

Carlos shakes his head, then winces. “One is done but-”

“Come on, show me? I’m sure it’ll be tasty. It’ll be beautiful.”

Carlos looks down at the ground. “They’re really not.”

“Shh. You’re just too hard on yourself.”

Carlos closes his eyes with a sigh. He kisses TK’s wrists, then he leads him into the kitchen. The chaos is even worse in the center of it.

“Promise me you won’t laugh,” Carlos asks, blocking the cake with his body.

Before TK has a chance to reassure him, Carlos has turned back around with a plate in his hand. The cake on it looks a bit uneven, crumbs are mixed into the chocolate buttercream outside and Carlos has overdone it with the colorful candy topping. If TK squints, and truly, mostly because he knows it’s supposed to be, he can guess the uneven arches on top make it heart-shaped.

He is still smitten with his husband; not a day goes by he’s not in awe of something mundane Carlos does. Just today he marveled at how quickly and accurately Carlos flossed.

The cake isn’t picture perfect, isn’t what he knows Carlos had envisioned. TK still wants an exact copy of it for Valentines.

“Babe, Izzy will freak out. It’s beautiful.”

“It’s not perfect.”

“Carlos, you tried to save their birthday, you made the cakes they wished for. They’ll better be over the moon for them, or I will eat all of it myself in revenge.”

TK goes over to the chunks of chocolate cake that lay discarded on the crowded counter. He takes it and dips it into the pink cream in the bowl next to it. It’s sweet, rich and delicious. “I love it.” He walks over, gives Carlos a kiss. Carlos tastes like birthday cake batter. “They’ll love it. I’m sure they will.”

Carlos finally seems to relax, a tightrope cut through until tension leaves exhaustion. Even tired he manages a small smile. “The last time you had too much cake you spent a few painful hours in the bathroom. So maybe don’t try again?”

TK huffs. “That was one time. And I’m sure the cake was expired or something.”

“Uhuh.”

“Come on. You want me to help with the other cake or not?”

“Please. But again, promise not to laugh because this one looks worse.”

It does look worse. TK smiles a bit, but then they both make sure that the second cake looks at least decent enough to save Carlos’ reputation. The 126 will ask for a Carlos Cake for each of their birthdays.

#michelle writes #flowers in the window #tarlos #tarlos fic #tarlos drabble #tarlos fluff #why do these always end up so LONG #I vow to make the next one short

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uwoo97s · 2 years

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⁺ ೃ࿔ the girl with the pink glasses - Nishimura Riki

poc reader ! she / her pronouns used ! anyone can read honestly.

“this is y/n , she’s a foreign student here at bighit high. please treat her with the upmost respect!”

the teacher seemed nice, notforcing you to speak up and introduce yourself, which you honestly didn’t really enjoy doing. she spoke for you instead.

“since we have assigned seats.. you can sit at the back in that desk next to the window, since it seems empty for today!”

you nodded your head at the teacher, giving her a small smile in which she returned. pushing your baby pink glasses a little bit. (a nervous habit you had.) up the bridge of your nose.

once you were seated down, you didn’t pay much attention to the people watching you, you were more focused on the cute little blue bird right outside the window.

murmurs could be heard, though they mostly sounded like girl voices. even though now you had in headphones the volume wasn’t too loud, you wanted to be able to hear in case something important was going on.

“he’s here..” “i know.. he’s been gone for a while” “he’s kinda hot though..”

was all you could make out through your headphones before you sighed, turning up the volume of your song.

meanwhile, while you were in lala land, listening to music and drawing a portrait of the blue bird you’d previously saw, ruckus was happening in the classroom.

“riki!” a boy with red hair called out, whose name happened to be jungwon , niki’s older friend but also upper classmen.

ruffling the hair of the black haired boy, causing him to scoff and let out a chuckle. “hey jungwon.”

“you know you’ve been gone for quite a while right? me and the boys had started to worry about you..”

what his upper classmate was referring to was the amount of days niki had missed, niki wasn’t a bad kid of course, he just wasn’t too passionate about getting up and coming to school everyday, which had started effecting his grades along with his spot on the schools sport teams.

“but seeing as your back.. i hope you’ll actually start coming to school again? or else you can kiss going to the soccer tournaments goodbye!” jungwon, nudge his shoulder a bit when saying the last part, causing niki to look at him with a strange expression, making the older male laugh.

when niki had finally made it to his seat, which happened to be the one you were in. the seat the teacher assigned to you a few minutes ago before making her departure.

niki flew confused gazes towards jungwon, who was busy talking with another one of his friends sunoo, who also happened to be niki’s friend and classmate.

“she’s a new student.. foreign actually.” sunoo budged in, stating only the facts. before going back to taking selfies on his phone (that he would soon post on instagram) and pretending to listen to whatever it was jungwon was rambling about.

niki thought to himself for a few minutes before he decided to speak up. “excuse me?” no reply. so the boy tapped his finger against the desk, grabbing your attention. lifting up your head and glancing at the person in front of you.

“this is my seat.” the males voice came out strong, to you he sounded a bit rude but you don’t believe he did it intentionally. nodding your head you got up from his seat, which cause niki to get a better view of you. his cheeks turned a light but bright shade of pink, a blush really, when he saw those big pink glasses of yours, they made you look so.. pretty

he watched as you grabbed your things and walked away, finding another empty desk where you had went back to doing whatever it was you had been occupied with before he interrupted you.

niki couldn’t help but feel, bad he made you move, but also couldn’t help how even though he’d just met you, and didn’t even know your name he thought you looked absolutely adorable in your big pink glasses.

#enhypen #enha #kpop #nishimura niki #niki scenarios #enha niki #jungwon #sunoo #x reader #kpop x reader #kpop x poc reader #poc reader #x black!reader #enhypen scenarios #kpop ff

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bluiex · 1 year

Note

(x.x Now I'm just brain rotting over monsterfucker Scar with watcher!Grian. (Slight body horror warning? But not much) I might continue this & make it spicier but for now…)

"Oh my, it sure is dark outside tonight. I can barely see a thing in this super scary forest!"

Scar pauses for effect, scanning the trees with an eager grin.

"It would be a shame if something attacked me in the dark right about now. I could easily be pinned down by, say, an overgrown bird."

He waits for any sort of sign of life from the forest and lets out a pointed sigh.

And then, out of the corner of his eye, he sees a flash of purple. Anticipation runs up his spine and he takes a sharp breath–

"Scar."

"–You sure took your time," he purrs back, facing Grian with a teasing laugh. The man almost looked mortal right now; he could be mistaken for any old parrot hybrid, if you weren't too knowledgeable in that world. Unthreatening feathers lined his collar and his pretty wings were more stunning than intimidating.

But Scar could taste the pure, unfiltered, violent power emanating from the almost-human shell he barely fit into.

"Because I'm not interested in whatever game you're playing," Grian scoffs. "I don't know why you're so insistent on seeing my you-know-what form. It's not the most flattering thing."

"You could have me on my knees in any form, songbird," Scar replies, tucking his hands behind his back. "Would'ya feel better if I told you it was a Vex thing?"

"No. I know it's not. You feed off enough of my power as is, I'm not trying to ruin you."

Scar nods, solemn. "Hm, real shame, and here I was offering myself to be ruined. Well! I can go visit someone else then."

And the bait finally snags.

"Someone else?" Grian snaps to attention, an odd glow to his eyes. "You stop that, mister. I know your game. There isn't anyone else."

Scar snorts. "Really? 'Cause I was just parading myself around for a good while there. If you're not worth my time I'm not going to drag this out any longer. You're hardly the only other powerful being on this server."

He mutters a couple names and base locations to himself and turns on his heel without a glance back. He can feel Grian's growing possessiveness, and it's exactly what he wants.

"If you're really not interested I'll just be on my way. It's a good thing we live so close to–"

He catches the sound of a twig snapping behind him, and before he's even realized it his back is up against the bark of some nearby tree.

"Don't move," Grian snarls, but there's no real anger behind his words. It's less emotional and more… animalistic. Scar swallows, though his smirk doesn't waver for a second.

"Fine, Scar, fine. You win, okay? You're the worst."

Under the sliver of moonlight as his only light source, Scar sees something shift in his lover. And he can only feel restlessness growing under his own skin.

To put his awe into words would be an impossible task.

Grian's wings… split. It's far from gruesome– or maybe it is, and Scar's just understandably numb to these things– no, it's beautiful. Flesh twists, makes way for more eyes beneath those soft feathers, reds and blues shifting to galaxies contained within plumage, silver freckles for stars. Scar maintains eye contact the entire time, a fond grin on his face, and Grian stares back defiantly, like a challenge.

More feathers sprout along his body, and Grian ditches his jumper. They bloom from underneath that unfair sleeveless shirt he wears and direct his attention to the man's rippling muscles. Grian is so much stronger than most people give him credit for, he thinks, and that only excites him more.

His teeth grow sharp, his usual talons look more like knives. A true bird of prey; he's built to kill.

"Happy?" Grian growls, his voice echoing through Scar's head until it feels like it's the only thing he's ever known. Grian, Grian, Grian.

He whimpers, unable to force down the noise once Grian's hands are back on his wrists.

(It's hardly an issue. He's already prepped himself, and that rare foresight on his part will soon be something to brag about.)

"Gods, Scar. You're impossible."

Scar is like me fr fr.. OKAY BUT THIS IS GOOD. I NEED MORE- I want more-- if you feel so inclined to write the spicy bit... I'd love to read it (and I'm sure everyone else would as well)

#bluie gets an ask poggers #long post #I really shld tag this but Idk what to call it #scarian watcher au?#might just go back and tag the other posts this

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clivemwilliams · 28 days

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Tobago 2024

Tuesday 23rd – Wednesday 24th May

Well here we are again – enjoying a great holiday and continuing to spend the children’s inheritance – not that they seem to mind ! Do a blog they say – but make it funny but not too long ! No pressure then. Arrived here yesterday after 10 hour flight, including a 1 hour stop over in St. Lucia. Used British Airways who were very good. Flight was preceded by a search of the airport shops for a cheapish pair of sunglasses following the annoying failure to find my fairly new expensive ones which have now been officially declared lost ! After successfully negotiating our way through a succession of passport and security checks we were met by our driver Angelo who drove us the 40 mins to our Nature Retreat/Eco Lodge - he said it would take 15 mins ! Soon realised Tobago time is very similar to Devon time !

The lodge is our base for the next 3 days and is basically in the middle of nowhere – surrounded by a rainforest with a huge variety of bird life most of which seemed to be up having a party last night as the squeaking and screeching at times sounded like someone had actually been murdered !

It turns out we are the only 2 guests staying here which is quite nice but also a bit weird - we have the pool and all the grounds to ourselves and effectively the chef is just cooking for us.

This morning we went on a 3 hour nature trail accompanied by a really good local guide who really knew his stuff – although he was very impressed with Judith’s bird knowledge !

I enjoyed taking photos of the birds – some of which were good – most I deleted, whilst Judith enjoyed what was effectively a private birding tour of the forest.

Outside our bedroom window is a row of bird feeders for humming birds which is very entertaining and provided me with some great photo opportunities – not all of which were taken ! – they dart around so quickly it’s not that easy getting the perfect shot.

Oddly, and this freeked Judith out to start with, the bedrooms are not locked and there is no key !

I’ve included some of the bird photos below – as basically that’s all we’ve done apart from spend the afternoon by the pool in the 31c heat.

Need to mention that the food being served is really good although, unfortunately so far it’s been mainly fish – there is no choice - it’s basically ‘eat it or leave it’ ! Doesn’t bother me as I love fish but unfortunately Judith won’t even eat anything that’s been anywhere near a fish so that just leaves the salad – oh yes but Judith will not eat anything green so that just leaves the tomatoes ! I blame her parents !

Tomorrow we’re off on a morning tour of the wetlands – should be good – no doubt more birds to photograph !

Sorry if you don’t like birds – the next 10 days will be a lot about birds but I’ll try and include non bird related stuff wherever I can.

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xandraspalace · 1 year

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Where the Heart Settles

----- Where the Heart Settles || Banzoin Hakka [HOLOSTARS EN]x GN! Reader - Birthday Fiction

Summary : Hakka used to think that a garden was nothing more than just a place filled with various flowers. However, on his birthday, you proved him wrong. Hakka found himself settling his heart in a safest haven, the garden you made only for him.

WC : 2421 words.

Warning : Grammar errors, fluff with a hint of angst, hint of TEMPUS lore, Ikemen Sengoku references, MLQC references, etc.

Featured Characters : An unnamed friend (OC), Gavis Bettel (mentioned), Josuiji Shinri (mentioned), and Magni Dezmond (mentioned).

Disclaimer : Everything written here is FICTITIOUS. This story is written in second-person point of view and the reader is gender-neutral. The personas written here are based on the avatar of the characters as vtubers, not the person behind it. Enjoy.

A/N : IT’S MY FAVORITE BIRD’S BIRTHDAY AND FOR ONCE I MANAGED TO POST THE BIRTHDAY FICTION ON TIME YEYYYY:D

Other Platforms : [MEDIUM] [TWITTER]

INDEED. From the outside, your tea shop might look like just a normal shop. That's not wrong at all. You actually run a tea house in your homeland, Xenokuni. However, everything changed when the Jester came to you. Your shop is no longer an ordinary tea house. It now also serves as an information base specifically for Adventurer's Guild TEMPUS.

You don't remember why you agreed to that. But one thing you know that once the war was over, you had to part ways with your significant other because the Jester took him to the TEMPUS Guild headquarters. And it had been quite a while since the last time you saw him.

"I'll be fine, I promise."

To be honest, those worries never went away, not only because he left you, but also because of the eroding effects of the Records Corruption on his body after he was attacked during the war.

No one knows when they will attack again. You always get scared and anxious every time you think about it. There has been no peace since the people of Xenokuni questioned the validity of Utopia that the elites of Elysium had idealized.

“Today is his birthday,” you glanced at the digital clock in the room and sighed, feeling a little disappointed. You wanted to celebrate his birthday with him too.

You don't know, but perhaps the divine forces heard your complaint and answered your wish. The sound of—specifically—okobo sandals hitting the floor can be heard clearly by your ears. However, you ignored whoever it was, considering that your close friend who also works at your tea shop was up front to greet customers.

But not long after, your friend split the curtain door open to see you. They stood there with a wide smile, it made you confused. “[Y/N],” they called, excitement could be heard in their calm voice.

"What, are they our customers who want tea or clients who need information?" you asked.

“You have a guest.”

With hesitation, you asked again, "I have a guest?"

However, your question was answered when your friend stepped back, making way for someone. From behind the curtain, you saw a figure that you would never have thought of. Your eyes widen in disbelief.

You missed this person so much. It would be a lie if you didn't expect a little bit about his sudden arrival, but you also can't hope too much because of his busy life now as a member of the Guild TEMPUS. But one thing you were sure of was that the divine forces did heard your complains about just a moment ago.

“Hakka…?” you called his name, approaching him slowly. “Is that really you?” That was a stupid question, you admit to yourself.

The purple-haired man smiled gently at you. "Of course it’s me. Is there any coolest and cutest exorcist that is better than me here? Tell me who it is!”

It was him.

You could confirm it from his antics. Your hand reached for his face, making sure that he wouldn’t disappear when you touch him. You looked down to see one last thing that could prove it was really him.

You lifted one of the Hakka's hands gently, his eroded one. When you saw the traces of the corruption on his right hand, you could finally breathe a sigh of relief. “Oh, right. It is you,” you laughed shakily, probably because of the tears you were trying to hold back.

Hakka also raised his right hand to hold yours that was cupping his cheek. "I'm home," he whispered softly.

You finally pulled him into a hug. Hakka also rested his chin on your crown. He embraced you with such tenderness while whispering sweet nothings.

Being in his arms again made you realize ... he is your home, no matter how far you two were apart.

Since Hakka left for Guild TEMPUS, you have prepared something for him when he comes back. His arrival on a birthday was perfect, so you could show the things you prepared for him as a gift.

You told Hakka there was a place you wanted to show him. You also warned him that this place would be dangerous to visit. The reason why is because this place you were going to visit has the most and strongest concentration of Records Corruption residue. You even call it the Xenokuni’s residue center of Records Corruption.

But because you told Hakka it would be a birthday gift for him, he agreed to go there with you. He paid no heed to the actual danger he was about to approach. You'd think there would be at least a bit of trauma reactions from him because of what happened to him during the war. But it seemed that he really was the coolest exorcist because he was not afraid of any dangers and obstacles before him.

"You guys will have a date?" your friend, who was serving some customers, asked.

"Not really a date, but we will take a little stroll," you answered. “You wouldn’t mind looking after the shop by yourself for a bit, right?”

Your friend laughed lightly and shook their head. "Of course I don't mind. And Hakka,” they turned to the Tengu. “I wish you a happy birthday. I thought you came here because you or someone from the guild needed information. Turns out you actually came here to meet your darling.”

Hakka touched his chest, acting dramatic. "Ouch, that's hurting me, you know?" Hakka and your friends laughed, making you smile with them.

Right after that, Hakka took something out from inside of his white kimono cloth that covered his black shirt. “Here.” Hakka took out an envelope and handed it to your friend.

"What is this?" they asked.

“Letter from Dad,” he loud-whispered to them you could hear him. "He really misses you."

You looked at your friend with teasing gazes and chuckled. “Looks like you guys miss each other. It's not a one-sided feeling."

Your friend received the letter from the Tengu. Shades of pink blushed their cheeks.

Hakka grabbed your hand to quickly step out of the tea house. “Bye, Mom! We're off."

"I'm not your mother!" they protested, but did not seem to hate it.

Before actually leaving, once again Hakka shouted, “Shinri's my dad, so you're my mom. See you!”

“Don't tease them too much,” you laughed while walking out of the tea house with him.

"It's okay. They need to know that Shinri is missing them as well." He took your hand in his. "Let's go. Should we jump down to the spot you mentioned or walk to enjoy the view instead?”

You giggled. "Let's take a walk. I want to enjoy, not only the view, but also spending time with you too.”

"That's a great idea."

With that, hand in hand, you went to the place where your gift for him was.

After a while of walking, you and Hakka finally arrived at your destination. You stared into the misty abyss in front of you. The concentration of Record Corruptions residue at the bottom of the abyss made your stomach sick. Your legs felt weak, as if you were tired. You're not sure how you came to this place for the past few months.

“Careful there.” Hakka wrapped once of his arms around your waist, making sure you didn't fall. The Tengu looked at you with a worried look.

Hakka felt the same way as how you feel. But thanks to his Karasutengu Data, Hakka could still stand and make sure he didn’t fall because of the corruption residue concentrations

“Hakka, let's go there,” your muttered weakly, pointing a dark, narrow alley. You tried to stand still. "There's a nice place at the end of the alley. I think that place has not been touched by the residue of Records Corruption," you explained.

Hakka gave you a curious look. While helping you, the two of you entered the alley way.

When you and Hakka reached there, the exorcist dropped his jaw in surprise, his periwinkle eyes was perfectly rounded. “What is… this…?” Hakka was speechless with what he saw before him. He felt like he was in a different world.

A bed of flowers stretched out in front of him. It wasn't that wide, but what was before him can spoil his eyes and it could rest his mind which was previously spinning abysmally because of the corruption residue concentration outside.

"It's a small garden," you answered his previous question. You looked at the garden fondly. “I found this place a while after you and Shinri left to join the headquarters members. Before you left, the Jester had asked me to take a few samples of the corruption residue, and the alley way caught my attention, then I found this place,” you once again explained.

Hakka listened to you carefully and you continued, “I noticed that the soil in this place is more fertile than most of the land in Xenokuni after the battle. I sent a sample of the residue that the Jester requested along with a letter containing a report about this place. Sir Dezmond replied to the report and said it seems that this place was indeed left untouched during the battle. The influence of the Records Corruption didn’t reach this place.”

What you said earlier was true. The place seemed untouched by the influence of Records Corruption at all. That place was so fresh and calming, as if it was a world apart from Elysium which is always filled with an unobtrusive aura, despite its beautiful scenery. The exorcist took a deep breath, feeling the fresh air.

A thin, soft smile touched Hakka's lips. "It's beautiful," he uttered, lightly chuckling.

A few moments after gazing at the garden, Hakka noticed how neat the garden was. The corner of the garden had been fenced in with wooden pickets. Flowers of all shapes and colors grew out of its well-tended soil. He wasn't sure everything could be this neat without someone’s hands.

"I grew all of these flowers and tended it ever since Sir Dezmond said I could plant this place with flowers and trees." As if you were reading his mind, your statement succeeded in answering Hakka’s curiosity. You smiled sweetly. “I thought I'll take care of this garden and show you someday. Apart from being located near the Records Corruption residue center, this place has become my safest haven when I need a place to clear my mind.”

Hakka looked at you in surprise. But if you look at his smile and eyes, curiosity, excitement, and pride was mixed together. “You did all this?!”

Seeing his expression, you laughed lightly. “Yup! You came here at the right time—it's your birthday, so can you consider this as your birthday present?”

"You mean... you tended these flowers for me?"

You nodded, “Do you like it—woah!”

“I love it!” Hakka interrupted your question with an instant answer as he jumped on you, hugging you tightly. You and Hakka bursted out laughing. "Are you going to continue to take care of this garden until later?" he asked.

“You bet!” You looked at him with a prideful smile. “When Xenokuni is more stable, when Elysium is fine again, I want people to see this garden too. I want to prove to them that even in the midst of despair, there is still hope blooming for us to hold on to.”

Before the war erupted, Xenokuni was a very beautiful place. The spring usually beautifies every corner of the land. The garden was like a mini version of Xenokuni's condition before the battle.

Hakka could practically see the love and devotion that had been poured into each and every flower. The sight was overwhelming yet feeling so good.

“Happy birthday, Hakka.” As he stood there in amazement, you reached out and took his hand, smiling somewhat bashfully. "Years from now, I hope we'll still be together and come out to see these flowers again."

In the hands of the elites of Elysium, Hakka never knows what will happen in the future. However, seeing you who were so committed and confident about the future, he couldn’t bear to destroy your hopes. The sights you mentioned—a stable Xenokuni without war, and a beautiful Elysium without dictatorship of the elites—Hakka really wanted to see those sights. He wanted to see the end result of his and the rest of Guild TEMPUS’ hard works.

Hakka hold your hands tight in his. “What are you talking about? Of course we will always be together. Where are you going? You're stuck with me for a really, really long time."

It might sound like a joke, but Hakka wasn’t joking at all. He was very serious about what he said. His bluish violet eyes painted dedication and compassion.

The spring breeze blew, not carrying the gray vibes of Xenokuni, but the scent of the flowers you tended to so beautifully. In your heart, you felt so proud of your gift for him, seeing how calm Hakka was when he's with you.

You noticed your hands he was holding. Hakka looked back at you with a beautiful smile on his face. He pulled you into a hug, embracing you so gently, protecting you from the outside world.

To the exorcist, this was what it’s like if pure, unadultred joy took form. “[Y/N],” he called your name softly.

“Yes, Hakka?” You shot him a questioning look as he smiled and looped his arms around you, drawing you closer.

“Thank you... Thank you so much... Thank you for being with me...”

Hakka used to think that a garden was nothing more than a place filled with various flowers. It was indeed beautiful, and colorful, and sweet. But it was just what it was. However, in that moment, you proved him wrong. Hakka found himself settling his heart in that very place. He found himself a safe haven, only for you and him. And it was a prove that love could still bloom in the midst of despair and hopeless darkness. A place that shines so brightly in the midst of chaos, it almost felt like you two were hidden away from the rest of the world.

Since the war that destroyed Xenokuni happened, Hakka no longer believes in the concept of Utopia. But maybe, with you, he can feel what they call “perfect world.”

To him, meeting you was a blessing. You turned his world upside down, yet you do it beautifully and effortlessly.

With you, his heart settled.

Forever. -----[FIN].

Where the Heart Settles Fiction by Author Xandra April, 2023

#xandraspalace #xandraspalace_arc #holostars #holostars x reader #holostars en #holostars en x reader #banzoin hakka #banzoin hakka x reader #holotempus #holotempus x reader

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mchlgayser · 1 year

Text

✮ 'hello there!' ft reo mikage

synopsis: It all begins with a 'Hello' and the bond blossoms into something deeper-

─── ୨୧ warning: languages

─── ୨୧ notes: HELLO everyone! How're we doing today? I'm sorry for being inactive for that long, I've been dealing with a few crises right now and it's draining but I'm getting back on track, and it's lovely! Thanks for waiting(?) and here is something for a make up 😘! (this is an au, not entirely following the manga plot just for my fun only teehee)

Voices muffling with the help of the booming music sound elicited from the headphone. You had to change your pair of sweats into new fresh ones but keep your baggy pair of pants. You get a brush to comb your hair and get your bag before you eventually leave your bedroom. The annoying creaking sound of the creaky stair doubling, thanks to your heavy Doc. Martens boots.

Both your drunkard parents turn their heads toward your way looking with a look as if you are out of your mind 'What?' You told them with a roll of eyes 'Where ya think ya' goin'?' They gain another roll of eyes from you 'I'm going to school.' You didn't wait another moment to dash outside of the house that smelt of heavy alcohol and cigarette.

The immediate scent of the morning breeze hit your nose, the wind gushing faintly, and the twittering sound of birds from afar as you continue walking down the wet pathway - effect from the hours-long drizzle that dawn.

It was fifteen minutes walk to your school - past by a convenience store, the coffee shop, the usual library you would hang out at during summer, and the public swimming pool whose water stinks like the school's toilet water.

You see a couple of students from your school walking - some on a bicycle, riding to school and you see him. An unfamiliar bright purple-haired. He is alone but behind him filled with a group of people, both men and women. You could notice from afar how uncomfortable he is with some of them.

Half of the classes ended, and it was finally time for recess. Unlike usual, you decided not to eat with your friends but instead, you ran off to the school's gymnasium. The place is dimmed despite the bright weather outside but it is somehow cold and chilly inside. You sat on the stage pulling out the cream bun you bought at the canteen and began unwrapping it.

You eat your food in silence - the music still shuffling loudly, when suddenly the door opens once more and this time - a familiar bright purple hair came in sight. You spot the guy from before, and he is strutting towards you 'Hello there!' He greeted with a small smile - under the bright sunlight coming from the gaps in the door you could notice his - even brighter purple hues. They were round and big even when he smile.

'Can I seat with you?' You look around before you shrug 'Sure' You are carefree about it and it eases him, he hops beside you on the stage unwrapping his bun, and began eating with you, in utter silence before you decided to break the ice 'What's your name?' You asked in the process you silenced the music not noticing the gawking reaction he's giving you 'Mikage Reo.'

This time it was your time to gawk at his face 'You are that Mikage Reo.' You are familiar with the name. How could you not? He is the only heir of the Mikage Corporation. His parents are famous for their generous donation every year to the school - even if this is an elite school for kids born with silver spoon feed to their mouths. You? You are a scholarship case. Your parents are no CEOs, millionaires, or such, they do nothing to gain your position in this school. All are your grades.

'Hey!' You spaced in back to reality when you heard Reo shout 'What are you thinking about?' He chuckles stuffing the bun wrapper inside his pocket. You shake your head at him with a lazy chuckle 'The bell rang, we should head back.' He informs offering a hand for you to take 'I barely know you.' You said with a smug look and your brows cock 'Really now? You know my name and I know yours...' You give him a suspicious look

'No, you don't.' You give him a challenging look to which he laughs back 'You are Y/n.' Your jaw drops for a moment before you laugh at him 'How do you know?'

'How can I not know?'

It continues as a routine for both of you to eat together during recess and head back to class. Today is no different, Reo would walk to the gymnasium along with the bun he bought and meet you there - like usual but this time you had your hair tied (you had a little of your hair tied if you had short hair).

'Hey!' He grin when you didn't respond to him seeing that your nose is stuck in the book you are reading plus the headphone that he'd never seen leave your form - either on your neck or on your ears.

The gloomy figure towers over you are what averts your attention back to actuality 'Oh - hey.' You close the book placing it beside you before you pet the space beside you for him to sit 'Here, I got extras for you.' He handed you your usual cream bun 'Thanks.' You smile accept the food and waste no time digging in.

He chuckles creating a halt in you. You look at him with one brow cock upward 'What so funny lizard boy?' He chuckles even harder pointing toward the corner of his lip 'You got some stain there.' You make a face as you lick clean the stain off your lip 'Is it still there?' He nods making you groan, ready to wipe more access using your uniform before Reo hands you a tissue 'Use this instead.' You wipe some more and continue eating like before.

Reo was on his track - still, watching you eat with - somehow big curious eyes 'It would be a waste not to eat that.' You said still munching on your bun but your eyes are on him. He lightly jolt when you said that and awkwardly grin 'Yeah, sure. No way I would give you.' He joked making you roll your eyes 'Like I want to. I can just buy another one.' You declared with a pretended scoff.

Reo is about to take his first bite when the bell rang 'Slowpoke.' You tease finishing the last bite and throwing away the wrapper. You take your book and put it back the headphone on your ears 'I'll see you tomorrow.' You wave at him and was about to leave when he holds your hand 'Wanna go somewhere later?' Your eyes shrink before you ultimately nod your head, agreeing.

'Alright, I'll see you around!' And he left first, running off to his class as you did the same - but walks instead.

The bell rang indicating the school had ceased, Reo who had just gotten out of class but didn't waste any more seconds dashed outside to your blocks 'Y/n!' You heard somebody yell, you turn your head around to look but your head aggressively clashing on another people. You both thud to the floor with a loud groan and a throbbing skull.

'That hurts..' You wince gently, soothing the light bump on your head. You open one eye to see Reo on the other side, also holding his temple and rubbing it 'You are bleeding...' You croak, Reo carefully lifts his eyes to meet yours and laughs 'Slight, I'll be fine.' You rejoin him together in laughter before you both get up and went shortly to the infirmary to badge up.

The nurse gave you both reusable ice packs along with a small towel, she even instructed you to take a cold shower after you both got home.

'You sure you'll be fine?' He asks, a visible pout on his face 'Yes, I will. You should go home and get proper treatment. I don't want your parents coming to school and suing me for that huge bump on your head.' You mess around earning a laugh from him 'But I promised you I'll take you somewhere.'

'You didn't promise, even if you did it's okay. We can always go some other time, right?' A small grin slipped on his lips and he bobs his head in agreement 'See you tomorrow!' You said ready to leave when he hold your hand once more

A soft peck left lingering on your cheek, your heart thumping like crazy just like you've run a marathon, and your face exploded into a million shades of red 'Get home safe,' He mentions placing a flat palm atop your head and rubbing it 'See you tomorrow.' You watch him retreat to a nice black car as he gets in with a man assisting him and he left - with his car window rolled down - easy for him to wave over at you.

The car figure disappear not long after and you left, with the thought of Reo leaving a gentle peck on your cheek.

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insurrection-writes · 10 months

Text

Sincerely | TVD

"i would live this life a thousands more times just to meet you."

"i wouldn't."

Three.

Parts: ONE TWO THREE FOUR

a/n: writing this as I sit at work doing the most mundane things.

The house is silent.

He returned back to the sleepy town after weeks of travel.

Legs propped up on an old wooden desk, hand's occupied by a well worn book. One he has read a hundred times, and will read a million more.

Focused on the words dancing across the page, he almost doesn't hear it. The fluttering of papers, dampened by the oak beneath his heels.

Slowly lowering the book to his lap, he returns his feet to the ground. Curiously, he reaches to open the desk drawer as the sound settles.

Where a empty drawer should be, lays a solid stack of paper. Letters. Addressed to no one, signed by one.

He skims the top letter, and then the next, and the next, until he's gone through at least thirty of the more than four-hundred pages.

Writings about feelings, goals and triumphs, doodles on the sides, he almost feels like he's violating some sort of privacy.

He's well into the two hundredths when Niklaus comes barging into the house, door slamming into the wall, puncturing plaster and drywall.

Huffing and puffing like a unsophisticated fairytale, eyes wild and unfocused. Niklaus seeks Elijah, tumbling into the dark study, thoroughly sending unease into his older brother who had not yet seen this flimsy version on Klaus in many decades.

Standing before Elijah, Klaus feels almost foolish to be so unkept by such a seemingly minor occurrence. Staring into his older brothers eyes, he speaks only three words that will very certainly start a downward spiral for the whole family;

"I found her."

The wolf was gone, it had been for quite sometime now.

Sitting at the kitchen island, any outside projects long abandoned, Mauve planned out her next steps.

Sorting out her lists, notes she’d taken from the many books laying around the house.

She was confident she was in Virginia, most books on gardening and wildlife in the house were based around Virginia. The native plant and animals matched.

It made sense to her.

She couldn’t leave the boundary. Which made no sense to her.

She never was strongly opposed to the idea of magic before, so why would she be now? Her only logical conclusion was that it was a magic barrier. That made the most sense, she couldn’t cross it, that wolf couldn’t cross it, but other living things could. The birds, the squirrels, the insects. She couldn’t.

Sorting out her thoughts.

Why was she effected by this magic? Why did her attempt to ending her own life suddenly turn into her locked away behind an invisible wall?

Was this heaven? It couldn’t be. It was never real, right? Maybe she wasn’t still alive. Maybe she was dead.

She felt alive. She thought she was alive. No way she wasn’t alive, right?

Right?

He followed Niklaus to this supposed house in the woods.

The house his brother claimed to house her.

Twenty-two miles off the no name dirt road east of town. Hidden in the vast expanse of natural preserves of Virginia.

They hadn’t even a chance to discuss the matter further than his brothers inability to approach the house, slammed by a magical force.

Why hadn’t they made a plan?

“Niklaus, please do inform me of what you plan to do.”

Klaus stopped his stomping, halting to turn back towards his older brother, exasperated, “I have no plan, Elijah! I just need to know she is really here, I need you to confirm my suspicions!”

Elijah walked calmly towards him, steps light and cautious, “What suspicions brother? What could you possibly think other than one thing?”

Silent, Klaus kept walking, closing in one the clearing just through the trees.

Elijah continued, “Please tell me you’re not hoping for something else. If what you saw was real, then she really is-”

Breaking through the tree line, he stopped mid-sentence, losing all train of thought.

A girl, no older than twenty five years of age, stood in the middle of a garden, none the wiser of the brother’s presence. Meer yards away.

Humming a song that sounded eerily similar to his dreams, she swooped down at the waist to grasp at a plant when Klaus finally spoke to answer, “Our soulmate.”

#elijah mikaelson #klaus mikaelson #stefan salvatore #tvd damon #tvd elijah #tvd stefan #soulmates #tvd klaus #tvd fanfiction #tvd #the vampire diares imagine #damon salvatore #soulmate!au

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phantombeesting · 2 years

Text

He wasn't expecting anything in all honesty. I mean it's just another day to everyone else.

March 29th.

The sun rises, birds chirp, people kiss their loved ones and Billy Hargrove turns 18. The world just keeps on spinning.

The morning passes as expected. No fanfare, no cards, no presents, no well wishes; just Neil reminding him that now he's an adult he will be held fully accountable for all his 'misdeeds' with no leeway, just real consequences. Billy had to fight the joyless almost manic laugh that bubbles up inside him at that, leeway? That's what Neil's been giving him? Holy Shit that's funny. Thankfully if he shows any signs of this perceived hilarity on his face no one notices and he makes it away from the house without Neil showing him what this new version of accountability looks like.

——

The ride to school with Max passes in comfortable silence, the sound of the engine the only thing breaching it. Since she so generously offered to nail his balls to the floor with the hell bat that still haunts his dreams, their relationship has gotten better. Not on the level of siblings but it had only been a few months. They’d even talked about it, actual words, tried to see each other's sides in it all. A conversation made easier by Max seeing the reality that was waiting for Billy at the house, see the pound of flesh Neil took from him for failing to keep her safe. She’d understood his fear a little better then, and promised not to put him in that position again, as long as he (in her words) stopped being an emotionally constipated asshole, which yeah fair.

Billy had even started helping out with the babysitters club runs. The boys were still wary of him and tended to climb in with Harrington or Wheeler if she was about, but that weird girl El seemed to like him. And he would be lying if he said he hadn’t discovered a soft spot for her in return. He’d even started keeping a couple of the cassettes she liked in the car to make her smile.

As they pull up outside the middle school Max jumps out of the car, grabbing her bag slamming the door behind her. Before he had a chance to pull away Max leaned back through the window.

“Remember you’re picking me up from El’s tonight at 6 pm sharp”

“Curfew isn’t till 11 Max can’t you stay longer? I was hop…”

She cuts him off “6 pm sharp Asshole”

With that she runs off towards her boyfriend, Billy fixes the boy with a harsh stare, he can see him fight the urge to shrink under his gaze and Billy’s lip curls up slightly at that. He doesn’t dislike the kid and if he’s going to be dating Max then he'll need that backbone.

A little annoyed at the marching orders Max had given him, Billy peels the Camaro out of the school lot, turning his music up and heads toward Hawkins High.

—

It's the last day of school before the start of Spring Break so there's a sense of excitement spreading across campus. Talk of parties, date nights and mall meetups; Billy just doesn't have it in him to pay actual attention to any of it.

"Hargrove, are you even fucking listening ?"

Fingers snap right in front of his eyes bringing his focus to the annoyed-looking Tommy across the table.

"No. You talk shit so often Hagan I've learnt to tune most of it out" Billy bites back. That earns him an unimpressed look from the other boy and a barking laugh from Carol. Tommy wasn’t too bad if he was being honest, but he only really cared about sitting next to whoever the current kind was. Power by association.

"As I was saying asshole, party tonight at Britneys. Are. You. Coming?" Tommy drags the last few words out like he's talking to a child. “I’ve heard she’s hoping a certain King slayer will show up and let her polish his sword.”

“Fucking Jesus” Billy wipes his hand down his face “Really wish you wouldn’t call me that”

“I kind of like it, ‘King Slayer’ sounds sexy” Carol lets the words roll off her tongue like she’s trying to taste them, looking right at Billy playing up the pout on her lips for effect.

Her words rile her intended target as Tommy’s ears go bright red, it’s clear which of them has the most control in their relationship. It’s fun to watch the games they play with each other sometimes.

“Well sorry to disappoint a loyal subject but I have better things to do.”

“Like what? Don’t tell me you're turning bitch too now Hargrove” Tommy practically spits the words out. It’s something Tommy’s been joking about since they got back from Christmas break, implying he's disappointing him the same way Steve did; it’s slowly starting to feel less like a joke the longer it goes on.

Billy can feel that familiar anger pulling his skin tight. “Since when have I fucking answered to you?” He doesn’t give Tommy a chance to answer standing up from the table and storming out. He needs a smoke.

———

The rest of the day passes easily enough, most teachers have checked out and either show movies or let people read their own books. The tension that started to work its way under Billy’s skin at lunch still sits there, it finds a home in the muscles of his jaw and the hunch of his shoulders and by the time the bell rings to signal the end of the day it’s infected his whole being. He doesn’t even have practice to help him burn it off.

———

He can’t go back to the house like this, he’d just be asking for trouble. And despite what he told Tommy, apart from picking up Max later he doesn’t have anywhere to go, doesn’t have anyone he can talk to. That's the bit that hurts the most; after everything that’s happened in the past year, the beatings, the fight, the interdimensional monsters, it’s the loneliness that eats at him alive.

If he were less of a coward he’d reach out to Harrington; they’re on decent terms now but he couldn’t exactly call them friends as much as he likes to think it’s heading that way. He’s the only person that comes to mind when Billy thinks of opening up and sharing that dark, raw, ugly space inside him, the only person he thinks will understand. It’s times like this that he misses his Mom she’d know what to do.

With a lack of a better destination, Billy ends up at the quarry. He skips stones until his arms are sore, plays songs that remind him of the warmth of his Mom’s smile and feels the tick in his jaw loosen a little. Before he knows it it’s almost time to pick up Max.

———

“What do you mean she’s not here?” He can hear the crack in his voice and sees the confusion starting to pull at Hopper's brow.

“She said she’d be here, she can’t not be here.” He tries to take a handle on the mess of rage and fear ripping through him, rising up his throat like bile threatening to choke him. Real consequences, he’d threatened real consequences, he’s dead, he’ll kill him, Max promised, he’d trusted her, she promised, she promised, she promised. He can’t breathe, visions of the bat, his dad, and Harringtons’ bloodied face flood him and he can’t breathe, he’s choking.

“Woah kid take a breath, I can tell you where she is but first just take a moment ok?” Hopper takes big deliberate breaths inviting Billy to mimic him, moving slowly forward like he thinks he’ll spook, reaching out to place a hand in the centre of Billy’s chest “Come on, In and out, you can do this, In and out.”

Billy tries to focus on the slight pressure of the chief's hand, he manages a shaky breath. It’s still early, he still has time to find her, Hopper knows where she is, he said he’d tell him where she is. He can still fix this.

“Come on big guy In and out” the name actually pulls him slightly from his panic if he had more air in his lungs he might have laughed.

It takes what feels like hours but in reality must just be no more than a few minutes but Billy can finally breathe on his own, it’s still shaky but he can control it. Hoppers gone from big theatrical breaths to just watching and waiting for Billy to finish pulling himself together.

“So I’m going to tell you where she is in a moment, on the understanding that at some point when you’re ready you are going to come here and fully explain what just happened.”

Billy opens his mouth to lie to reassure him but gets cut off.

“And I’m not going to buy that it’s nothing, because Kid that wasn’t nothing. You don’t need to tell me now, just need you to agree that you’ll tell me eventually. OK?” Billy can tell from the tone that it’s not really a question so he just nods.

“Ok so I dropped El and Max off at Steve’s earlier” And that hits him like a tonne of bricks.

Barely above a whisper “She’s with Harrington?” Of course she’s with Harrington, a bubble of laughter leaves his throat there’s no happiness in it, just a sad resignation.

“Look, she told me you knew. That he was letting them use his pool for something” Hopper takes a moment, like he’s mulling something over. “Ok so here's what we’re going to do, You’re going to get in my truck and were going to drive over there, together and me you and those girls are going to have a little conversation about honesty” As Hopper moves away Billy can hear him mutter “Friends don’t lie my ass.”

———

The ride over to the Harrington house is long enough that all traces of anger have left Billy’s body, he’s left with a sick hollow feeling sitting heavy in his gut.

“I erm called ahead, spoke to Steve let him know we were coming. Seems the brats weren't fully honest with him either.” Hopper wipes his hand over his face as they pull into the driveway.

Steve must have been looking out for them because he slips out the front door just as the chief cuts the engine.

“He said he wants to speak to you before you go in. Take as long as you need, I’m going to head in and find those two” Billy doesn’t think he could speak right now if he tried, just tilts his chin down to show he heard.

Hopper clears his throat as he leaves the vehicle, clapping his hand on Steve's shoulder as he reaches him, they exchange a few words Billy can’t hear and he sees Steve gesture to the house before the Chief heads inside.

Steve looks as apprehensive as he feels, and that actually makes him feel a little better. Ok he can do this. Billy takes a deep breath and steps out of the truck.

“Well this feels familiar, you standing in front of a house, hiding my sist… hiding Max” Billy wishes there were more bite to the words but he’s just so tired.

“If it makes you feel better I’m not going to tell you she’s not in there this time” It’s an attempt at a joke that doesn’t really land. He hasn’t been able to look at Steve fully until that moment, focusing instead on the ground in front of him. But now he sees the apologetic half smile, the pleading look in his eyes, it’s open and honest. And Billy, fuck Billy wants to trust him.

“I told her she needed to tell you, that erm even if she didn’t tell you everything that she should maybe give you some sort of heads up” Steve's hand has moved to the back of his neck, he’s nervous. And Billy is so fucking confused.

“Can you just go in and get her? Please? I’m not really in the mood Harrington”

“I think you should come in with me” He catches Billy off guard with that.

“Harrington…” Steves already stepping backwards towards the house

“Come on, might as well right you’re already here” His eyebrow is raised almost in a challenge now, a smile starting to play at the corner of his mouth. Billy starts slowly putting one foot in front of the other moving towards him.

“Steve …. Please” He hates how needy that sounded

“Plus if you’re wanting to feel really nostalgic i’m sure we can find you a plate or something for you to smash over my head” Steve is full on grinning now, it’s not sharp or cruel like Billy would expect. It’s warm and lights a new kind of fire in him “Come on Hargrove, don't you trust me ?” And wants to say ‘no’ but somewhere inside he knows that’s not true.

Billy huffs out a laugh “Lead the way Princess”

Steve turns to the side bowing slightly and moving his arm as if to show Billy the way “After you Birthday Boy” That stops Billy in his tracks.

“How the fuck did you know it’s my birthday?”

“A little shit-bird told me” Steve turns around walking through the house “Come on they’re through the back”

————-

“SURPRISE!!”

And surprise is fucking right.

He was expecting an apologetic pool damp Max.

He wasn’t expecting this. This being Harringtons pool area covered in handmade decorations, paper cutouts of stars, hearts, flowers in a rainbow of colours over every surface he can see, a painted (and still slightly wet looking) Happy Birthday banner and a table covered in pizza boxes, a big pink cake and are those waffles?

It seems like Hopper has already had a word with Max and El as they are both standing sheepishly under the banner.

“Sorry Billy, I just wanted it to be a surprise. I didn’t think'' Max is kicking the toes of her shoes against the floor, to anyone else she’d look disinterested, Billy knows otherwise can tell she's close to tears.

“I like it” Billy has to clear his throat, he can feel words getting stuck in his throat. “Plus it’s still a few hours till curfew so now harm done right?” He reaches out and pushes her head slightly knocking her a little off balance.

“Actually Mom said I could stay at El’s tonight, said to tell you Happy Birthday and feel free to stay out and have fun”

Billy just raises his eyebrow at that.

“Don’t worry I can confirm she’s actually telling the truth, I spoke to Susan before she knows where Max is staying” Hopper helpfully adds.

“Shall this party started then?” Steve presses play on the stereo he’s set up outside and the sounds of Girls just want to have fun fill the space.

The girls crowd the food table, piling plates with pizza slices and syrup covered waffeles. The mood lifts and they are laughing and pushing each other around.

Billy turns towards Steve “Never took you for a Lauper fan Harrington”

“Oh big fan, massive, huge” The smile on his face is infectious “It’s a mixtape El made for you, all the songs that make her happy”

Billy can’t stop smiling, they’ve all done this for him. Theres a fucking cake, he really hopes thats strawberry frosting,

“Wanna grab some pizza? I hope you appreciate that Max talked me into getting that Pineapple monstrosity, I don’t get it myself but she said you liked it” Steve passes him an empty plate and gestures at the table. The girls have left the boxes open all over it.

“I like the contrast; sweet and salty, don’t knock it till you try it, Pretty Boy” Billy lifts a slice to his mouth taking a bite. Steves pulls a face as he watches his chew “What don’t you trust me Harrington?”

Steves not one to back down from a challenge “Yeah ok got nothing to lose right? but if I hate it I’m blaming you” he lifts his pizza up in a toast “Here’s to new experiences” and was that a wink? Billy is 90% sure that was a wink is Harrington flirting with him? Today is giving Billy fucking whiplash.

Once they’ve had their fill of pizza (Steve denied liking the hawaiian pizza but still ate two more slices), and the sun has set Steve lights the candles on his cake and Bill makes his wish; he’s very happy to find out the frosting is indeed Strawberry.

“Ok come on girls we’re going” Hopper comes to stand next to Billy “Come on I’ll take you back to your car”

“Yeah sure, I’ll just be a moment” Billy moves to help move the plates.

“I can drop you off later if you wanted to stay for a while” Steve offers.

“Wait you sure?”

“Yeah I mean pools heated, we still have pizza and waffles…”

“I’m taking the waffles” El’s standing there gripping the edge of the waffle filled plate, it’s not a question. Her expression makes both Billy and Steve laugh.

“Ok well we still have Pizza and the cake” Steve corrects himself. “Plus I have a few beers in the fridge”

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that” Hopper grumbles “So you staying or coming with?”

“I’ll stay thanks Chief” Billy half salutes him laughing when Hopper narrows his eyes at him.

“Suit yourself, and remember our deal ok kid? Whenever you’re ready just come find me” and with that Hopper rounds up Max and El, gets them to say their goodbyes and takes them back to the cabin. Watching El try to hug Billy goodbye holding armfulls of waffles is a sight to behold.

————-

That's how Billy ends up on the night of his 18th birthday sat on the edge of Steve’s pools feet dipped into the water slowly sipping a beer. El’s mixtape has been swapped out for something more Billy’s speed (Or at least as close as he can get from Steve's collection).

Billy breaks the comfortable silence “Thank you by the way, for letting them do this here”

“Happy to do it, which reminds me” Steve slowly pushes himself to standing and makes his way over to the kitchen door, he steps inside for a brief second before making his way back towards the pool holding something small in his hands. He lowers himself down next to Billy again closer than before “Have to give it to you before midnight or it’s not a Birthday gift anymore”.

He holds out a palm sized black box to Billy, it’s wrapped in red ribbon with a big bow tied on the front. He hesitantly takes it running his fingers over the smooth bow. "You really didn't have to"

"I know but I saw it the day after the girls asked me to host tonight and I just couldn't not get it for you" Steve takes a sip of his beer, watching Billy’s fingers work the ribbon off the box.

Billy held the box unopened in his hands, he can feel a thrum of energy skittering through the air.

“The gifts inside the box” Steve snarks from beside him.

Billy tries to glare at him but just can’t keep up the blank face for long before cracking into a smile. He turns his attention back to the box lifting the lid, nestled inside is a brand new zippo brand lighter the exact same colour as his camaro. His nose scrunches up and he sniffs away the tears that are trying to form. “Thanks Steve really it means alot” He brings the back of his hand up to wipe at his face. He can see Steve still watching him, a soft smile on his face. He notices that they’re started leaning into each other's personal space.

“Can I tell you what my wish was?”

Steves takes a moment to answer his eyes firmly fixed on Billy’s face now, When he does answer it’s barely above a whisper “Yes erm yeah go ahead”

Billy takes a deep breath fuck it he’s come this far. He turn himself further into Steve space, eyes flicking down to his lips “That you wouldn’t punch me when I try this” He starts slowly moving towards Steve giving him time to move away, when he sees Steve leaning in as well he brings his hand to rest against his cheek pausing right before their lips meet and Steve mutters “To new experiences right?”.

He’s not sure who moves first after that because as soon as their lips meet Billy is lost, all he knows is the taste of Steve's lips and that the hum that lives under his skin is now a full blown flame. The kiss starts off slow, tender, almost innocent but quickly becomes something desperate all teeth and tongue and desire.

It’s Steve that pulls back first smiling when Billy tries to follow him “I like that alot more than the fucking pizza” he leans back in claiming Billy’s lips when he huffs out a laugh in response. Once the initial desperation has dimmed slightly, they are left looking at each other, bodies pressed together.

“Do you want to stay the night? We can go out for breakfast tomorrow before I drop you off at your car. You can come in with me or I can set you up in a spare room. No pressure”

“Why? two new experiences a day your limit Pretty Boy?” He raises his eyebrow at Steve.

“Technically I’m at three for today, maybe four if you count the baking and icing the cake as seperate things”

By the end of the night Steve had lost count of the new things he could tick off.

#harringrove #billy hargrove #stranger things #just let me picture them happy #steve harrington #stranger things headcanons #soft bois

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