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jamestrmtx · 3 years

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The Bebop Blues - [Animal Crossing | Tom Nook x Reader]

[Gender-Neutral Reader | Slow Burn + Tragicomedy]

Chapter Two | Oh My God, They Were Business Partners (Part 1 of 2 | His POV)

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Friend.

That word -- however simple -- sounds off, yet he dismisses that when reminded of what it implies.

He wasn't one of those guys.

...Or was he?

Tom sighs and proceeds to wear a jacket for tonight, regardless of how little he feels the need for it. He wasn't taking any chances this time, and much less considering it is them who would have the spotlight tonight. The thought of spending another moment together at the beach makes his face warm up and his heart race twice as fast. Those feelings are fluttery enough to make him feel young again -- like a teen experiencing their first love.

"Ready to go, Tom?"

His heart takes a leap and he has to gather all the strength necessary in order to not display any shock. To cover up, he harrumphs, checks himself one last time in the mirror, and turns around to be greeted by a warm, smiling face. "Y- Yes," Tom blurts out, awestruck. He presses his tail against the counter to hide the fact that it's wagging just like a puppy's and controls his nose to keep it from twitching like a bunny's. "You look wonderful, by the way," he adds, gaining some courage. "The colours compliment you well."

"You think so?" the human asks, smiling. They then grin wide and perform a full, three-sixty spin to show him their outfit, this one mainly composed of a sharp-looking (dress/tux) and shoes fitting for the elegance it gives off, both with a colour opposite to their skin tone. A simpler but no less eye-catching accessory clings onto their head and an umbrella of equal splendour tops off their attire, in spite of it mostly being used to shield them away from the rain. They close the umbrella, step inside, and set it down next to the terminal when he suggests that they do so. "I forgot to buy some shoes that matched with my other outfit, so I had to improvise a bit!"

"...You look lovely, either way," Tom mutters, words nearly a whisper and further difficult to hear when loud thunder crashes from nearby.

"What?" they ask, still smiling, but now raising an (in-game, non-existent) eyebrow. "I, um… I couldn't catch that, I'm afraid."

His throat hurts with how dry it becomes.

Mother Nature has saved him from a possible screw-up, so he takes a moment to close his eyes and thank her in his mind -- multiple times in a row, and quickly, too. Were Resident Services not air-conditioned, he would likely be sweating bullets by now. Electricity and it still being able to work in spite of the growing thunderstorm is yet another thing he's grateful for.

"We should wait until the rain stops a bit more," he says, squinting his eyes to direct a smile back at them. "Would you like to stay for some tea and snacks?"

As if jinxing the situation, Tom sees them pull out a napkin and sneeze into it, though it's evident they try not to be caught by him -- judging by how stealthy they are about it. They go as far as to look away and make the sneeze as quiet as possible, a sight amusing to him, but likely not so much to them. Still, he goes in favour of their wishes and says nothing about it.

"Sure -- That would be nice," they reply, nodding.

He nods back and gestures for them to follow him over to his desk.

"There's a spare jacket over there," he says, pointing with his eyes and nose to a corner of the room, where a few items lay hanging on the wall. "Feel free to use it, if you're cold."

"Thank you."

Though he can't see their face now that he has his back turned to them, Tom feels his chest warm up with the tone they've just used. Notwithstanding it being a simple and quick 'thank you', their voice is what stands out. It's a happy one, with a hint of surprise hidden in it. The thought makes him wonder if he'd caught them by surprise, yet he again reminds himself that he's still only their friend -- getting ahead of himself would do him no good. He'd rather be struck by lightning than even consider the idea of forcing his feelings on them or so much as persuade them into anything.

With that reminder, the man holds in a breath, sighs it out, and goes back to working on the tea afterwards.

He first takes the boiling water from the kettle and pours equal amounts in two cups. Then, he grabs two tea packets, opens them, and sprinkles them in, these instantly sending a subtle, herbal aroma into the air. The process is topped off by some honey, a pinch of sugar, and a mint leaf. A floral scent forms when all the ingredients combine and helps calm his busy mind down to a slight worry, though it doesn't last for long; he takes a quick glance back at the human the very moment he hears their footsteps and fabric shift as they slip the jacket on. Their presence had always left him a bit on-edge, though it's more prominent now that he's acknowledged a different kind of liking towards them. It's even more evident at the present, as it's hard to ignore them with Isabelle currently gone.

Rain drops hitting the roof create a lullaby and prompt him to check on how the line for karaoke's going so far, an observation obtained from the view of the window nearest to him. No more than two people can be seen waiting: one a villager and the other a tourist. The two entertain themselves through some small talk, but there's no denying by the look on their faces that they're not so hopeful about the rain ceasing anytime soon. Tom then shakes his head and lets out another breath when he realizes he's trying to buy himself time to avoid messing up further around the human. After an entire year of knowing them, it felt strange being alone with them now -- as it made him too awkward for his own good.

To fight against that, he picks up both tea cups, turns around, and almost drops them when he sees the state they're in.

They're dozed off on his office chair, managing to look peaceful regardless of them being in such a cramped space. They have his jacket zipped all the way up, and their head is tilted to the side, cuddled up against the hoodie as faint snores leave their mouth, chest rising and falling with each one. It's a true, refreshing sight for Tom's sore eyes, but it ends quickly once another thunder crashes -- louder and undoubtedly closer than the first one.

The sound makes them wake up with a jolt and face him with wide eyes. A tired look combined with their shock causes for him to worry over their well-being more than he often did on a daily basis, so he pushes all his doubts aside and approaches them without further hesitation. "Here's your tea," he says, handing them one of the cups. "It's lemon and orange, with a bit of honey and mint." He smiles when they do and tries not to flinch when their fingers graze his hand as they reach for the tea. "Let me know if it needs more sugar. I'll go search for some snacks now."

"Thanks, Tom," they reply, smile brightening. They then set the cup down on the desk and shift in their seat. Steam rises as they observe the liquid, and a subtle frown shows up on their face. Their contemplative state lasts until more lightning strikes, snapping them out of their trance. "How… How long was I out, anyway? The rain's still going strong."

Growing more and more worried, the man sets his own cup of tea down, rummages through his belongings for a mirror, and gives it to them after. "Only ten minutes or so." His hand stiffens when they grab the mirror and he finds it hard to let it go; their fingers brushing with his palm only worsen his case twice as much. "I don't mean to pry or intervene in anything personal, but…" He breathes in, closes his eyes, and lets his tension out with a quiet huff. "Have you been getting enough rest lately?" His question is a mixture of awkwardness and concern as he tries to push through his uncertainty. "You…" He hesitates. "You seem tired today, even though it is your turn to perform for tonight first."

Just when Tom thinks he's controlled how flustered he feels around his crush, they smile again and contribute to him breaking the world record for fastest pulse.

"That's precisely why I haven't slept much these past few days." Their confession's blunt but serene, allowing his worry to lessen as they continue with, "I practiced for a whole month -- It's... It's a shame I won't be able to sing to a bigger crowd yet, I'll admit. I've been getting ready for far too long now!"

Fire alarms ring in his mind as an idea surges through all of his worries.

"Would you like to sing for me, then?" he asks, gulping tension away.

Silence stays for some time, a would-be good sign -- didn't the human look so taken aback by the offer.

"Of- Of course," they blurt out, eyes wide and mouth agape. "I'd love to!" Far too sudden for him to withstand, they set their cup down once more, stand up, and thank him in the form of a slap to his back -- albeit, carefully to avoid spilling his tea everywhere. "Honestly, I- I can't thank you enough for this. You're the best business partner there is, a- and I'm… I'm super glad to have met you, Tom!"

The human returns to their seat, retrieves their drink, and finishes off what little's left of it. Meanwhile, Tom stares in a daze, at a dire need to recover from both their actions and words alike. He drinks his own cup and later goes to look for some snacks, though he can't quite shake that feeling away. It's like trying to get the scent of herbs out of a shirt. No matter how many times the fabric is washed, the aroma still comes out and brings forth any memories related to it. He had to either keep washing it in hopes of finally getting rid of it -- or accept its fate, and either succumb to it or throw it in the garbage. None of these choices he's too sure of, so he relents with the flow of things for the moment being.

"Again…" Their voice turns quiet as he lays out a bowl of snacks next to their empty cup of tea. "Thank you. You should have some, too!"

The man smiles at them and nods, too stricken to use his words presently.

A few moments later, he sits down beside them and meets their gaze.

"...I should be thanking you for your company," he says, sentence rushing out of his mouth before he can even register the meaning behind it. "You've been a wonderful friend to me, (Y/N)."

They smile back and wink. "Right back atcha, Tom."

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Updates will be weekly on Sundays from here on out!

#tom nook x reader #animal crossing x reader #gender neutral reader #male reader #female reader #romcom #tragicomedy #angst #fluff #slow burn

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spidernana · 3 years

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if ya still want prompts, i am asking you, pretty please, for the softest, sweetest swap papyra fluff you can make. i'm talkin' tooth rotting, diabetic coma-inducing sweetness.

Sorry this is a little late ^^; I was trying to get all my stuff for Fracture out and this just fell to the wayside. So... late Papyra fluffiness~ with a touch of the Spook holiday

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Late afternoon spilled golden light through the crisp and multicolored leaves of the trees lining the streets of New Ebott, its people alive with excitement and glee for the coming of both fall and Halloween. The air was thick with the scent of wood smoke, apples, and the chillness of autumn, and near the edge of the city, the parking lot of a large store sang with the vibrant energy of its people’s excitement, the clatter of carts and the shouting of schoolchildren and the chattering of parents rising over the rumble of cars and a nearby airport.

The grocery store itself was bustling with activity as well, bags of candy and cheap nylon costumes and cans of hair color cluttering every cart lining every checkout stand. Among the aisles of holiday décor, leering pumpkins and inflatable ghosts and cake makeup falling off the emptying shelves and into the reaching hands of gleeful children, both human and monster alike, there sighed a human clinging to the push bar of a shopping cart, pale beneath a veneer of freckles and the thick fall of their auburn hair.

They were heavily pregnant, leaning just as heavily on the cart before them to remove some weight from their ankles and sipping at what looked Sprite from a fast food cup, and were watching, with a great deal of exasperation, as a tall, broad-shouldered skeleton monster flicked busily through the racks of costumes much too small for his lanky frame.

“Tell me you’re not thinking what I think you are,” they sighed at last, swirling the contents of their cup and looking critically on the leg of the costume the monster had pulled from the rack (scarecrow, huh... wonder what he could be planning), and the skeleton, glancing back at his mate with a single raised brow and the twinkle of mischief in his clever sockets, cocked his skull to the side as questioningly and innocently as he could manage while smirking.

“and what do you think i’m thinking?”

Chara threw their husband a scathing look that he let roll off of him as easily as water off the back of a seal. Trying to be stern with Papyrus was like trying to argue with a brick wall that fired back with Nerf darts, but they had to at least try.

“You did this last year too, baby… You scared Helen so badly she couldn’t look at our yard for months. I had to promise the homeowner’s society I’d rein you in this time,” they reminded him, setting their cup down and folding their arms firmly (it was getting very hard to do that, the baby was very adamant about being in the way, and in the center of attention, before even being born), and Papyrus, adopting a look of complete and utter surprise, threw his newly acquired costume into their cart and raised his hands to give evidence to his innocence, twirling the stick of his sucker between his teeth idly.

“i have no idea what you’re talking about. i’d never do that to helen, our absolutely not annoying old bat of a neighbor that i definitely don’t loathe with every fiber of my being, and may or may not sabotage regularly,” he protested, the drama and sincerity of the hand pressed to his bright orange hoodie's chest ruined completely by his crooked, conniving grin, and Chara scowled back at him, tapping a sneaker toe against the stained tile below.

It wasn't him that got all the complaints about his shenanigans and pranks; they all knew that he'd just ignore anything he was reprimanded for. Not that they had any real control over him... or wanted to, really. Most of the time it was quite funny, his little stunts and practical jokes. It's what had made them fall for him in the first place... his sense of humor.

This time, they'd been threatened with a fine, though. Uptight little group of Karens that the homeowner's society was...

“Papy…” they huffed moodily, clenching their lips together, lowering their brows, and attempting to look fierce, but, as always, the skeleton monster they'd decided to marry for some reason or another merely snorted out a chuckle at their expression, reaching out a hand to stroke their jawline with his thumb dotingly. He'd never been very impressed by their attempts to be firm... usually said they just looked like a kitten having a temper tantrum.

So flattering.

And yet, even despite the slight antagonism in his petting, despite his complete dismissal of their complaints with his usual disregard for rules and propriety, they felt themselves softening under his smile and his touch, his forefinger twirling a lock of their hair around it and brushing his knuckles against their neck the way he knew they liked. They blamed the pregnancy hormones, completely ignoring how charming he could be when he wanted to be, and swatted his hand away temperamentally.

“Don't try to butter me up, I'm serious,” they snapped, snatching up their cup to pop the lid and grab up a piece of ice to chew on (something they'd never done before the baby... along with downing some of the strangest food combinations of their life), and the tall monster let out a heavy sigh, dropping his rejected hand away but stepping closer as well, to both clear the way for a gaggle of children trying to look at costumes and to stroke the swell of his mate's hip at the same time.

Chara pouted, crunching their ice and glaring into their cup... but also didn't pull away, letting Papyrus pulll them closer and bend to push a slightly sticky but very sweet kiss to their cheek. They knew what he was doing, trying to worm his way back into their good graces the best way he knew how (it honestly wasn't fair, the kind of effect he had on them... at least they knew they had the same power over him, when the tables were turned), and sent him a look from the corner of their eye when his hand pressed to the small of their back, massaging the soreness at the base of their spine with his thumb.

He winked back, switching his sucker to the other side of his mouth with a roll of his magical tongue (they were so proud of him for quitting smoking that they never complained about the sweets; he'd gone cold turkey the second he'd found out they were carrying), and leaned his free elbow on the cart, crossing a huge orange Converse over the other lazily.

“alright, let’s look at the facts, honey. i’m just browsing completely innocent, totally nondescript, fully camouflaging halloween costumes that might make a passerby think i was a decoration. and if, by chance, i was wearing one and holding completely still at the time they thought that, sitting among other decorations in the yard on a dark evening, and holding a candy bowl intended to make people come closer, they might be alarmed to find out that i wasn’t, in fact, a plastic skeleton,” he explained nonchalantly, a spark of magic flickering from his fingertips to soothe the pain in their spine as he did so, and merely shrugged a broad shoulder at their steeply arched and skeptical brow, grinning snarkily.

“i don’t see how anyone could possibly blame you for a harmless misconstruction from a third party.”

He was an honest to god menace.

Chara scoffed, rolling their eyes and snapping the lid back onto their cup... but felt the fight go out of them even as they shook their head in wonder at their husband's capacity for troublemaking. It wasn't in them to discourage him too much, especially when they were just as frustrated by the efforts of their nosy, gossiping neighbor... what was wrong with a bit of honest fun? The neighborhood kids had loved it.

Screw Helen, and the rest of them too. They'd pony up thirty bucks for a nice Halloween.

“You’re impossible, you know that?” they sighed good-naturedly, reaching up to kiss the monster's cheekbone before scooting their shopping cart a little further down the aisle, and Papyrus followed along in their wake, smiling widely and victoriously. He leaned forward to prop his chin on their shoulder when they came to a stop again, looking over paper packages of makeup and gaudy accessories, sneaking his arms around their middle to hug them close and stroke their rounded belly lingeringly.

“you love it~” he purred, clearly pleased with himself and his efforts at cajoling his little human partner, and they sent him an indulgent, sideways glance, covering one of his hands with theirs and using the other to pluck a container of clown makeup from the shelves.

“Of course I do. I wouldn’t have you any other way,” they replied simply, squeezing his phalanges between their fingers and bumping the side of their head against his skull softly. Papyrus' smile softened until it melted, at that, his sockets closing and his face pressing into the dip of their throat, breathing them and the mating mark beneath their blouse in happily. The embrace of his arms tightened minutely, his larger frame swaying them both in place, and for a moment they could both feel, their souls beat as one, everything else around them fading.

And then a toddler knocked over a display in the next aisle, the crush of the sounds in the store swelled around them, and the moment was gone. He gave them one last squeeze, and a lingering press of his teeth to the corner of their lips (an offer and a promise; later, later) before standing back and smirking at the blush on their cheeks, so bright it nearly matched their hair.

“you keep bein’ so sweet i’m gonna have to marry you,” he crooned, taking the makeup package they had clearly forgotten about from their limp hand, and Chara, jolting and blinking back into reality, watched him look over the little box with a consternated divot between their brows, twiddling their fingers to catch the fluorescence of the overhead lights on their wedding ring.

“We… we’ve been married for three years. I’m pregnant with your baby,” they spluttered, pointing indicatively to the bump currently stretching out the front of one of their favorite sweaters (the baby monster moved at nearly that exact moment, stretching and turning with great deliberateness), and Papyrus, nodding approvingly at the box of makeup and tossing it into the shopping cart, waved a hand dismissively, walking around them and, with an expression of sudden inspiration, pulling his cell phone from the back pocket of his sweat pants.

“details. oh! speaking of which, what do you think about dressing liiiiiike…” he lead up, unlocking his screen and flipping through pictures, before alighting on one and turning to show it to them proudly.

“this.”

...it was a picture of an extremely pregnant woman with her belly painted like a jack-o-lantern, the rest of her costume made to look like the stem and leaves.

“Papyrus, I swear,” Chara sighed, shooting the lanky monster a dirty look and directing the cart into the candy aisle (they were going to need so much chocolate for all this headache...), and Papyrus followed, snickering and pocketing his phone again as he watched them attempt to shove an entire pile of Twix bags into the cart.

“in front of our baby? whatever will helen think,” he tutted sardonically, shooing their hands away so he could help them with their candy hoarding, and Chara stood back to let him, sipping at their soda again and snorting as a vision of themselves in that costume flashed through their heads.

He'd tease them with pictures of it for years, they knew it.

“I’m not painting my stomach like a pumpkin,” they insisted, pointing mutely at an equally large pile of Reese's cups to direct their husband in his pillaging, and he pouted playfully as he obeyed (bless him, he didn't even question it), dumping about twelve more large bags of candy on top of his rumpled costume while doing his best to mourn the loss of his idea.

“spoilsport.”

Chara scoffed, ignoring the looks they were getting for the frankly incredible amount of candy going into the cart, and, once they had raided the Almond Joys and the Kit Kats as well, lead the way towards the check-out stands, ready to go home and get off their feet.

“Hooligan,” they retorted, finding a queue with only about ten people waiting in it (short, compared to some of them), and Papyrus, sighing extremely dramatically and slumping over the end of the cart to fill their line of sight, did the best impression of puppy dog eyes that a skeleton monster can muster, his lower lip line nearly wobbling beneath the fake tears in his sockets.

“i looooove yoooouuu...” he whined, fluttering the lids of his sockets at them, and Chara raised their brows superiorly, though a smile played around their mouth, sending cracks through their facade and resistance both. Damn it...

“I love you too,” they rejoined, trying not to chuckle at the sight of the almost too tall monster laid out over the cart completely. People were staring, children pointing and adults gossiping behind their hands, but they honestly didn't care. This was what they loved so much about spending time with this... this ridiculous, hilarious, handsome monster. He was just too much.

He worried so much about not doing enough, not being enough. In their eyes... that was the last thing he ever had to worry about.

“pleeeeease...” he begged outside their considerations, proffering the picture of the painted woman in his hands as though offering a sacrifice to a god, and they couldn't hold it back any longer. They snickered, snorting through their nose in the depth of their hilarity (his face lit up like a Gyftmas tree, overjoyed and amused both), and leaned heavily on the push bar of the cart, wiping amused tears from their eyes onto the sleeve of their sweater.

“Oh fine. I suppose I'll need to keep my lawn skeleton company. Wouldn't want him to get 'bonely',” they snarked when they had finally settled the laughter shaking their body, watching Papyrus scramble to stand back up from his awkward posing, and his let out a bark of laughter at their turn of phrase that nearly made the person in front of them jump out of their fur-lined Uggs.

He rounded the cart to bend, run his phalanges into their loose hair, and kiss them, fully and unabashedly, and brushed his nasal ridge against their nose when he pulled back, a huff of laughter and adoration on his honeyed breath.

“you're prefect~”

#papyra #papyrus x chara #underswap #fluff #i'm gettin' diabeetus from that lmao #ficlet #request #sorry its late semi #i hope ya like it~

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wychive · 3 years

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𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 — 𝙡. 𝙟𝙮. (#𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙠𝙛𝙣)

fic type // oneshot — 3.9k

prompt // when an individual is born, their magic aura makes itself present indicating what magic they would be using. very few were born with a dark magic aura and died within their first breaths, you were one of the two recorded births that made it. now you were searching for the other one

pairing(s) // juyeon x gn!reader (pltn.)

genre(s) // PG18 & adventure, fluff, angst

warning(s) // knives, stabbing (in a dream), nightmares, mention of food, depiction of anxiety, description of smells, being drunk, deceased major and minor characters, blood, corpses

author's note // it's finally here! i've been working on this for a few weeks already and that's why it's so late :'( thank you to @omigogames for proof reading this ily queen 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩 this was for @kpopficsnetwork' s halloween event that they held last october <3 please read the rest of the member's works on the event! i recommend listening to wandering and as the world caves in (at the angsty parts) while reading this as it really sets the mood. i hope you enjoy!!

you wiped the drop of sweat off your forehead as you approached the top of a hill. you sat down on the grassy floor and took out a flask still full of drinking water. you downed a quarter of it, feeling your body re energize as you do so. you never thought it would take this long to search for them.

how many months has it been? five? six? you've lost count, having to travel miles across the world just to find the hidden treasure you've been seeking for years. see, you were born with a 'unique' aura. everyone has their own which determines what kind of magic they would be using for the rest of their lives. your family had the common ice or water elementals but you turned out to be the black swan in a ballet full of snowy white ones.

you were born with an aura that was powerful enough to cause a black out, in other words, you had a dark magic aura and somehow managed to survive throughout the years. your mother was no different from the rest but she tried her best to guide you on controlling your powers or even combine your magic powers with hers to make an elemental combo. she died two years before you went on this journey to find the one only other person who successfully survived their own birth of having this magic aura. the only things you knew about them were that they were at least 20 years older and that they were born as a female.

the fact that only you and one other person have this magical ability made you think about them day and night. were you their soulmate? or did they think of you too? were they a kind or evil person? did they ever confuse people like you did? were they affected by society's comments that they're now shut away in some dungeon? you could go on and on for days about this special person even though you haven't met them yet. you were eager to find them, even if it took you years to do so.

as you wondered about the unique person, you stared into the dark abyss with shining dots, not realising your eyelids were shut soon after. that night you dreamt of all the possible outcomes this journey would end, mostly happy endings where you would find the person and be their friend or you get to spend the rest of your life with them. you did not want to think of the sad ones, yet your mind wanted to see you suffer. nightmares were common as they came with your dark powers but you still hated it when they disturb your perfect sleep. with that, you woke up from a nightmare just as the person was about to strike a knife in your chest.

the pain felt so real that as soon as you woke up, your hand clutched onto your chest. luckily (or not so) you heard the uniform paced heartbeat from your eardrums. this caused you so much as you did not even see that the sun was just above the horizon, greeting the earth a good morning. you sighed in relief as you thank the universe for not getting you eaten by a wild animal.

you stood up, stretching your arms and legs after another night of sleeping on a thick cloth. you packed up your things and placed your sturdy backpack on you before starting your trekking journey. you checked your phone for any updates or news of the world that was not so boring as you began to walk south towards a small town. once approaching the main road, you slipped your phone back into your front pocket before following the flow of cars.

a smile appeared on your face, looking at how idle the town was at eight in the morning. it wasn't so noisy as most of the cars had stopped at diners or cafes for a tasty breakfast. the only things you could hear were people greeting each other with a simple 'hello' and the birds that had just been awoken from their slumber.

you checked the amount of money you had left; apparently, it was enough for you to last three days for all three meals and then it was downhill from there. you shook your head, thinking of ways to earn at least a little bit of money before moving to another town (if you needed to). your eyes drifted from the trees to the bakery that was on the opposite side of the road.

you could see the silhouette of a person placing buns in their respective containers. the person was in chef whites, with their sleeves rolled above their elbows. you really didn't want to catch feelings for anyone at the moment, especially in this state of being homeless and short on money. nonetheless, you were hungry and so you decided that you wanted some fresh baked buns on a saturday morning like this.

as you walked into the cozy bakery, you noticed a variety of desserts and buns arranging from croissants to baked pizza buns. the aroma in the air made your stomach growl. you took one of the pick-up trays and a pair of tongs and immediately went for the custard and red bean buns.

"oh my god," a voice exclaimed followed by a bit of coughing. "why do you smell so bad?"

you brought an arm to your nose, smelling yourself. you actually didn't smell half-bad. it only has been a day since you showered properly, how could it be that bad? you rolled your eyes as you looked in the direction of the voice. ah, it was the silhouette from earlier.

"is this how you greet customers?" you shot back, raising one of your eyebrows.

"no, of course not," the person said. "but your stench is unbearable." they scoffed and shook their head, giving a smug expression.

"well, i'll only be here for just a bit. don't worry about it, i'll be out before your regulars arrive," you said, assuring that you WOULD be out before anything else happened.. but you did not. as you didn't expect the prices of food to be that high.

"look at this place," the employee said, leaning his palms against the edge of the counter. "what did you expect?"

he was right, the place looked like it was straight up from a renaissance painting with its mini chandeliers and pink roses on the sides as decorations. it did look like a modern cafe twisted with some hint of the classics.

"is there anything i could do? to pay for this i mean," you asked them, hiding your embarrassment of the lack of money.

"depends… what kind of element do you use?"

"...ice," you lied. no one would want a rare dark element in their place.

"hm.. i guess we could use some ice making help," they thought, then looked back at you who seemed desperate for the job. yes, it would hold you back on a few days but you really needed the money.. and a place to stay if they let you.

"okay, then. you're hired," they said as they lent out a hand for you to shake. it was covered in leftover flour and smelled like yeast. you grabbed his hand and shook it.

"the name's juyeon, and you?"

"y/n… i'm guessing you're a fire user?" you replied. it was obvious as he was cocky, yet a charming fella. you could say a demon in disguise.

"clever, i like that in people," he smirked, his face looked smug and it really pissed you off- but he might be your new manager or boss so you stuck up to it and let out a simple fake chuckle. "any other questions?

"do i get a place to stay along with the job?"

"no but you could stay over at my place," he acknowledged. your eyes dart around the room before they landed on him, as you let out a laugh.

"excuse me?"

"you heard me. i have a spear bed and everything," he said. you were baffled, it seemed like he didn't care if you were a serial killer, plus, he only knew your first name and what 'element' you responded to. what were you going to do?

"fine," you said, already looking forward to the comfort your body was going to feel once you finally sleep on a mattress.

"alright then, let's get to work barista."

as you both get to his apartment, you gazed at your surroundings. everything looked neat, and not a spick of dust were to be seen. you look at the mini hallway in the studio apartment of his and see two doors, opposite of each other and another at the end of it. before you could even step foot in the kitchen, the male pulled you aside. your reflexes almost caused you to punch his stupid face when you remembered that you were just a guest at this comfort place of his.

"rules," he said, in a stern voice. "one, not too much noise between eleven at night to six in the morning. two, don't use too much of the hot water because i'm touched starved too-"

you rolled your eyes at his last remark, acknowledging that it was a cruel true joke. "-three, save some snacks for me if you're planning to eat it all and four, we leave the bakery together and come back together. i'm not sure who your guardian is but, i'll make sure you're in one piece once you return to them"

"i'm my own guardian, excuse you."

"still, your safety is guaranteed when you're with me," juyeon claimed. you thought it was rubbish but still, he had a bigger brother vibe with the way he spoke and so you went with the flow.

"the left one's mine, the last one's the bathroom," he said, referring to the hallway of doors you were staring at. the muffled sound of news reporters from the television drowned itself in the background when you close the door behind you. a smile appeared on your face as you got to have your own room, without juyeon ever bugging you.

you place your heavy army backpack beside the door as you lay on the bed that was neatly made. you smiled, finally having a proper place to sleep. you thank god for the (annoying) co-worker that you met that day. you didn't even have a chance to shower before your thoughts drifted away, causing you to sleep.

the next morning, juyeon woke you up by shouting your name from the kitchen multiple times. you groaned at the sound of his voice at seven in the morning when you were used to waking up at nine. you sat up and started your day from there. thankfully, it wasn't too exhausting.

a morning walk to the cafe bakery was thankfully peaceful with the both of you not being the big social type nor the small talk type. the warm rays of sunlight made your morning so much better. you began working at the bar, where you produced many types of tea and other refreshing drinks. you managed to conjure up ice easily with some tricks your mother taught as a child.

you introduced yourself to the regulars as a new employee at the place and they politely welcomed you to the town and cafe. their smiles were genuine and sweet, they gave off a motherly feel whenever it appeared. yours, too, was genuine. you missed being in a community like this, so dearly that you almost teared up at the sight of a child being kind to you.

the night was better. the walk back to his place was filled with stories about the regulars that juyeon had been told. you had inserted some dull dad jokes here and there, making him let out a chuckle at least once.

once you both arrived at the apartment, you immediately went to get your shower supplies and headed to the bathroom. while showering, you thought of ways you could find her faster. you have tried multiple ways but still couldn't find solid proof of her whereabouts. you sighed scrubbing the bubbly shampoo onto your scalp. you could ask juyeon for help but your identity would be revealed and he might just kick you out for that. maybe, just maybe, you could keep this act up? for a little longer. at least until you get enough money to live on your own.

that was what you did for the next few months, keeping your act up for the rest of the world. you were careful not to reveal too much of yourself, not spreading too much information across to other people, not even juyeon. even if you had secrets, he still treated you as normal as everyone else. though, he did seem weird at times as if he could read your thoughts. this scared you as it wasn't impossible to learn occlumency even if it took time. over time, you and juyeon developed this best friend bond with each other; protecting and having each other's backs when needed. of course, he was the same person as the one you met on your first day around town which left a sense of comfort in you.

a nightmare dressed as a daydream was what you were as you would sneak out on nights before non-working days. you had to let out a piece of your dark powers out somehow. even if you knew how to conceal them, it didn't mean you could control them forever. you found a cave in the far east where no one would hear nor see you, and so that became your little relaxation cave.

not so long after, you found out that there was a man who could find things you couldn't. some say he had connections to the deeper net or even that he was related to some who were part of an underground gang. nonetheless, it didn't stop you from seeing the fella once a week or two. this method made itself a purpose as he gave you more information than any general person could; her hometown, her family members, and so much more.

it seemed like a miracle, though you never thought that she would have children, more than that of a son and a daughter. a fact that surprised you was that she had the same surname as your roommate. that was all the information he had, it was not much but you still thanked him for it. your night-ventures continued on, exploring the town and gathering bits of information through drunken folks at the tavern.

you would get home just before dawn and sleep until noon. of course, the male you lived with would nag you on waking up late but he never really cared either. he loved to see your bite back with your poor choice of words. everything felt right and everything felt okay, you were in peace with the world.

"where are you going?" his voice emerged from the darkness, causing your body to jump.

"i'm just gonna get some drinks," you answered, in a confident tone as you bit your inner bottom lip.

"are you going to go see him again?" juyeon asked, snickering along with his words. "don't think i don't know what you're up to."

his statements and questions made your mind run wild; how did he know? why didn't he ever stop you? did he understand what you were doing? did someone tell him? you became a still worried mess, not knowing what to say nor do. you were stuck in a pose as if medusa were to turn you into stone.

"please, just tell me where you're going tonight, or bring me with you," he said, his voice groggy as if he had woken up from a short sleep.

"no, i'm sorry, juyeon," the words flew out of your mouth as your thoughts re-organized themselves. "you can't"

"why not?" he asked, once again. at this point his questions seemed like an endless stream of cloth.

"because- you just can't," you sighed, relaxing your shoulders and going up to him. you didn't have any excuses because you weren't used to lying so much to someone who you cared for. "it's dangerous if you do, please just listen to me."

he sighed deeply as he always does before he nags. "i want to listen to you, y/n, but you going off in the middle of the night and coming home late isn't… so you. do you need to talk? or something. i know i'm not good with comfort but i'm here for you if you need to let out anything at all."

you felt broken, because you knew how much he longed for this type of relationship. he had told you about his sister that passed not so long ago and how much he adored her. you were about to say something when he placed his hands on your arms and gripped them, as a sign to not leave him.

"could you just tell me? please? i promise it would be a secret," he pleaded, truly worrying about what became a routine.

"you should sleep, juyeon. you have work tomorrow," you tried to avoid answering the question as much as possible but he made it so hard.

"i just want to know-"

"juyeon, you don't need to know. it's nothing important. you don't need to worry about me, alright? i promise i'll be okay," you said, in a sensible tone. you heard sniffles from the male that stood before you, as his grip on your arms loosened. he cracked a smile which held in pain mixed with joyful memories.

"you sound just like her," he said, in a shaky tone. he sounded weak, and you could see the pool of tears around his eyes. in that moment, you felt your breath turn shallow. you closed your eyes and immediately embraced the bigger man into a tight hug. you knew who he was referring to as he would do it so often when you opened your mouth to say anything. "you're like her" or "you act like my mother, you know that?", he always stated these in a cheery manner, but seeing him shatter like this made your heart wrench.

you decided to skip your night shenanigans when you lead him towards his room. you've never been in it but stepping into it, felt so cozy as if it were a cold breeze on a hot summer day. you sat him down on the edge of his bed, seeing his tears turn into a gold-ish colour. you sighed, seeing this side of him. you always saw the bright sunflower yellow but not this burnt out maroon red. you sat in silence as his sniffles calmed down.

the balcony door let in a ray of moonlight which shone on the boy beside you. you turned to look at him, and saw a grin emerge from his lips.

"thank you," he said in a whisper-tone. "for being here, y/n."

juyeon stared at the pale full moon that was on display for the people of the earth. "i'll always be here," you say, holding his hand. it was a nice intimate moment for the both of you. the state of serenity made you think about the things that led up to this right here and it was all because of a person whom you've never met.

"y'know.. she had the same powers as you," juyeon said, sipping his hot chocolate. you both were seated at the kitchen island with hot cocoas and mini marshmallows. it was almost four in the morning and so you both decided to stay up a little bit more, as if the sands of time didn't take precious hours of rest.

"she was a frost user as well?," you asked him, eager to know his family background.

"no," he said, chuckling before stuffing a few marshmallows into his already rich drink. you sat there, with one lifted eyebrow. "what are you talking about exactly?" you asked, warming your hands as it cupped the mug in front of you.

"you know what i mean," he said, holding in a deceiving smirk. your eyes widened and your hand gripped onto the mug handle. it wasn't the fact that he had discovered your hidden powers nor how he had hid the information that he knew your powers but it was the fact that the person that you were looking for all this time had died.

all the traveling and suffering lead you to this moment had been for nothing? you did all of this for her, and yet you turned into a sobbing mess when you visited her grave. juyeon held you close as you weeped when you saw her headstone. it absolutely broke you even if you've never even seen her nor heard her. he stayed strong for you when your head was buried into his chest. he could even feel the mix of rage and sadness as your powers seemed to leak from your tears.

"i miss her too," he spoke up, still caressing your weak state. "i'm sure she would have adored you so much, y/n"

your feelings got the best of you and soon every noise stopped, with only an ever-lasting ring in your ears. your tear-filled eyes opened to see a ring of dark purple surround you like a globe with your feet dangling in the air. it was a new, unspoken sight to see but what had happened outside the bubble was a new horror to you.

juyeon was laying on the ground, upon the many other graves. his skin covered with burnt marks of some kind, and his chest area covered with blood spots which may came from bullets. your bubble disappeared as you jumped down on the ground, going over to his lifeless body as fast as you could.

"y/n.." he said, breathless. "i'll be okay."

"but.."

"they'll be here soon."

you were confused on what he was referring to - not until you heard police and ambulance sirens coming from a distance. you cupped his face which managed to give you a small grin even in his hurtful state. "don't leave. don't leave me please."

"you need to run, y/n"

"stop. stop.. saying that," you pleaded, with some of your leftover tears dripping onto his burnt clothing. you could hear his last breaths too, which made it harder for you to ever leave his side.

"i'll see you later.. alright?" he asked, as his final words. his body fell to limp in your arms, when your tears started flowing like a never ending river. the sirens were coming closer at the scene of the crime, and there you sat, clutching onto him with your last hope of humanity. you didn't care about the police nor the property you destroyed, you lost him. you lost HIM.

in that moment, the world stayed still with no promise that it was going to spin again. your head felt dizzy as your limbs felt numb. you knew it only had been a few minutes but it felt like centuries with your silenced screams. you didn't want to be outcast, you were already alone in the world with no one else you could call for help. everyone else had their counterparts but all you had was yourself. you hated the thought of being lonely and so you stayed there, weak, just to feel something worth living for.

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unoriginaltoast · 6 years

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Hey for your new bingo how about Peter and Ned for the "I'm fine: Narrator they were not fine" prompt. Maybe with Peter coming down with the flu or something and trying to convince Ned that no he's totally fine to hang out then go on patrol afterwards no really. Or something.

I am absolutely not against doing prompts more than once, especially for multiple fandoms and especially for my fav prompts! So thank you anon and I hope you like this story :)

Peter slumps against the bathroom wall as sweat forms on his warm brow. He places a shaky, clammy hand on his cheek and tries to steady his breathing. Peter has been up since four that morning thinking he was going to throw up, but nothing came. Now, he just rests on the cool tile because it’s much more comfortable than his too-warm bed.

May is on a business trip until Monday and Peter just needs to make it through one more day of school. Then, he can relax that weekend, after his patrols, of course. Mutant spider-kids don’t get sick days, especially since crime in New York City never takes a break.

He uses all of his strength to pull himself off the floor and steadies himself against the wall. He feels like the floor is about to come over and swallow him up, but he tries to shake the thought from his mind. He just needs to focus on getting out the door and then on surviving school.

It takes some time, but Peter manages to throw on some clothes and get his backpack together. He’s out the door with a few minutes to spare and makes it to the bus stop right on time. The fresh air even makes him feel a little better, he thinks. Maybe that was all he needed after all.

It was not, in fact, ‘all he needed,’ as he begins to feel worse and worse as the bus snakes its way through the New York City streets. Finally, after what feels like an eternity of bumping and jostling, it pulls up in front of the grand stone steps of Peter’s school. He gratefully gets out, takes a deep breath, and walks inside.

He’s not a foot away from his locker before Ned spots him and comes bounding over with news of all the exciting things that happened to him in the 18 hours they had been apart. His best friend is about to open his mouth to talk about the latest thing he found on Youtube when he stops and takes another look at Peter.

“Hey, man, you okay?” he asks, the excitement draining from his face. It’s replaced by a particular brand of worry, the kind that only comes from being friends with a superhero.

“I’m fine,” Peter dismisses him shortly as he attempts his locker combination. He pulls the door open and deposits his books.

“You don’t look so fine,” Ned presses. “Did you have a big fight last night? Oh! Did you get that robber on Eleventh Street? Or the arsonist that set those fires down on Forty-second? What about the–”

“No, Ned,” Peter replies. “I went home. I studied. I went to bed.”

“What about,” Ned starts and then drops his voice into a whisper, “Spider-Man?”

“Spider-Man needs to study or else Spider-Man has to go to summer school.”

Ned almost laughs at this, but stops himself as his laughter turns into an amused puff of air escaping from his nose. “You’re smart as hell, Peter,” he tells him. “There’s no way you’re going to summer school.”

“Yeah, Math and Science are alright, but tell that to the D I got on my last English paper.” Peter frowns, trying to push the memory of getting that report back out of his mind. He opens his mouth to say more, but his breath catches in his throat and he dissolves into a fit of harsh coughing. Ned swiftly places a hand on his back and it’s only then that the boy can feel the heat radiating off of Peter.

“Dude, you’re burning up,” Ned reports as Peter finishes his coughing with a dry heave.

“I’m fine,” he says again.

“You should go home.”

“I’m fine,” Peter replies more forcefully this time and with a pointed glare at Ned. His friend puts his hands up in surrender and backs off and Peter immediately feels guilty for snapping at him. “Sorry. Long night.”

“It’s cool, man,” Ned says carefully and grabs his backpack. “Well, then come on. I guess we gotta go or we’re gonna be late.” He’s not entirely sure if Peter should be going to class, but he also knows he’s not going to convince him otherwise. Peter just nods, grabs the books he needs and closes his locker before following Ned through the halls.

***

Peter manages to make it through the day. Barely, but he makes it. By three that afternoon, he’s absolutely wiped out and finds himself craving the gently caress of his twin-sized bed. Ned is still a constant at his side. A few times, Peter almost took a dive straight onto the tile floor, but Ned managed to catch him in time. He doesn’t believe for a hot second that Peter is actually okay, but he doesn’t know how to argue with his best friend.

“You should go home and go to bed,” Ned says. “Take the night off. New York can survive without Spider-Man for a day.” It’s those words that bring Peter back to reality as they walk outside the school. He can’t go home and go to bed. He has to make up for lost patrolling time the night before.

“I’m fine,” Peter replies. “In fact, I’m so fine that I need to run home and get my suit! I have a long night ahead of me.”

Ned frowns, noting the paleness on Peter’s face aside from two red flashes on either cheek. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, man.”

“I don’t really have a choice.”

“Of course you do!”

“No. I don’t.”

“Peter–”

“Jesus, Ned would you just leave it?” Peter shouts, attracting attention from students surrounding him. They spare a quick glance at the two and then move on, but Ned is stunned by his friend’s outburst.

“Dude,” he starts, but Peter waves his words off.

“I’m sorry. Look, I’m not 100% today, but I have to go out there because if I don’t, who will? That’s responsibility. That’s my responsibility.” Ned doesn’t look convinced, so Peter adds, “Do you want to come with me?”

That brightens Ned’s face and he breaks into a wide, excited smile. “Wait me? On patrol? With you? You never let me come!”

“Yeah, well consider it an apology tour. Come on, I gotta get the suit.”

***

It takes Peter some time to change into the suit between panting for air and dry heaving, but he makes Ned wait in the living room, so his friend doesn’t notice. Then, the two are out on patrol. Ned has a police scanner on his phone and is reporting disturbances to Peter who judges whether or not he needs to go in and assist.

A little before eight that evening, Peter stops a mugging in an alley a few blocks from his high school. He manages to keep the victim safe while running the criminal in circles. Just as he’s about the tie the man up with his webs, he feels a sharp pain in his stomach. He glances down and sees the handle of a knife sticking right out of his abdomen. Under normal circumstances, Peter would just take the knife out, tie up the criminal, and let his healing factor do the work, but the fever he is sporting makes him panic. He slings a web wildly, manages to catch the edge of a balcony, and is slung through the air. He lands on the other side of the alley, giving the mugger a chance to escape.

“Peter!” Ned’s voice rings through the built-in speakers. “What happened?” But Peter can’t find the words to respond. He’s too busy fumbling with the handle of the knife and trying to breathe. Ned calls his name again, but Peter barely hears it. The edges of his vision become spotty and he faintly hears Karen say something and then the sound of a phone ringing lulled him into darkness.

***

Peter feels warm. Not the intense heat he felt before, but comfortably warm. He wants to stay here in this state forever, but he soon becomes aware of an incessant beeping that pulls him from the comfort. As his senses come back to him, he feels the prick of something on the top of his hand, smells a particularly sharp sanitized scent, and hears the beeping of a few other machines. He knows immediately where he is and that knowledge makes him want to stay asleep forever.

“Alright, kid. I know you’re awake,” a not particularly angry, but not very friendly voice says. Peter slowly pries his eyes open and blinks the blurriness away. He glances up and finds himself looking at Tony Stark, who looks tired yet agitated with his arms crossed over his chest.

“A one-hundred and three-degree fever and Mister Genius thought he could go to school?” the man asks with one eyebrow raised. “And then go on patrol?”

“I was fine!” Peter insisted.

“Try again.”

“I thought I was fine.” This earns him a pointed look and Peter sighs heavily. “Okay, I’m sorry.”

“You’re damn right you’re sorry. What the hell were you thinking? You should have been at home in bed with your unnecessarily hot aunt taking care of you.”

Peter makes a face at the idea of his aunt being hot and then says, “But I need to go on patrols every night. Crime doesn’t stop just because I’m sick.”

“And if you push yourself too hard you’re not going to be around for the rest of the days that there’s crime in New York,” Tony responds. Peter slumps back further against the pillows, knowing his mentor is right. “Thankfully your friend Ted was there.”

“Ned?” Peter asks, sitting back up. “Where is he?” For the briefest of moments, Tony’s expression softens as he steps aside. As he does so, Peter notices Ned sitting in the chair behind Tony, slumped over as he snores.

“Kid wouldn’t let me leave without him,” Tony said. “And I normally wouldn’t let anyone over here but he was so damn insistent that I couldn’t just take you and go.” Peter nods slowly as he stares at his sleeping best friend. “You owe him.”

“I know,” Peter replies.

“Good, you’re not as stupid as you act.” Tony takes a step back and moves towards the door. “Get some sleep, you’re with me the rest of the weekend. Red can stay too.”

“Ned,” Peter corrects. “And thanks.”

“Oh, you won’t be thanking me after I’m done with you this weekend. Just wait until tomorrow when your fever’s down. My lab needs a cleaning.” And with that, Tony disappears.

Peter slumps further into the pillows and looks over at Ned. With a friend like him, Peter knows he’ll always be just fine.

#peter parker whump #hurt peter parker #marvel prompt #whump bingo #fuck me up fam #Thanks for the ask!!!

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