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its-time-to-write · 10 months

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What about Jaime liking someone who works at/owns a flower shop so he keeps making excuses to come in and get flowers? Richmond is real confused about why he’s giving away so many bouquets all of the sudden

(Ps I love love love your work! I’ve got it so I get an alert whenever you post because of how much I love it!)

this one turned out SO CUTE I hope you like it!

wishing on every one

You know you’re fucked as soon as he walks through the door of your shop.

Then he tells you he’s looking for flowers for his mum who’s visiting him for the first time, and you know you’re extra fucked.

He’s absolutely gorgeous, especially in the soft light streaming through your flower shop windows, framed by the vibrant hues of the plants lining the shelves.

Then he says, “I’m Jamie,” peers at your name tag, and tells you that you have a lovely name. You’re blushing the entire time you lead him around the shop, answering each one of his questions as best you can without stuttering. He cracks jokes, picks out a nice bunch, and leaves you one flower for yourself on his way out.

And then, the next week, he comes back.

Jamie Tartt, AFC Richmond’s star footballer, comes back to your shop and flirts with you again.

Of course you know who he his, you knew the moment he stepped through the door. You live in Richmond after all, and you agree with the great Dani Rojas that here, football is life. It’s just hard to believe that your favorite footballer is back in your tiny little store and maybe sort of kinda definitely flirting with you.

You don’t let it get to your head (much). It’s Jamie Tartt, you’ve seen him on Lust Conquers All. To him, flirting is like breathing. You also don’t tell anyone, although you feel like you’re bursting inside. Your flat mate notes that you’re smiling more and that you always seem to be humming, and could you please maybe be careful when you’re skipping around because she just mopped the floor and doesn’t want you to slip.

But Jamie Tartt keeps coming back; first once a week, then twice, then about every other day. He follows you around as you help him choose flowers for all kinds of occasions, and then he’a gone again, leaving you to wonder which time will be the last.

—

At Nelson Road, things are in chaos.

Ok, maybe chaos is too strong a word. Things are… out of the ordinary.

Well, but things have been out of the ordinary ever since Ted Lasso showed up.

Things are… weird. Yeah, that’s a good word. They’re weird. And “they,” refers to Jamie.

It starts off simple enough. It's Sam’s birthday, so Jamie shows up with some flowers. He heard Sam say they were his favorites, so it makes sense that he’d bring them. No one notices anything.

The next week, he’s brought some for Ms. Welton.

“It’s for all the shit you do that we don’t know about,” he explains. “Didn’t want you to think we didn’t notice.”

Rebecca doesn’t comment on the double negative, just smiles and says, “Thank you, Jamie,” as Keeley sits forward on the couch in a slight state of shock. The Jamie she was with had never done something like that for her romantically, and here he is doing it platonically. Holy shit, he really has changed.

Rebecca also doesn’t take the flowers to mean something they don’t. She knows that the team looks to her with the same respect they would afford an older sister or even a mother (although she is not old enough). Strangely, she doesn’t mind. It makes her feel loved in a way she’s unused to, and the flowers from Jamie hang upside down on her wall so they can be immortalized.

Barely a week after that, he’s gotten some for Keeley. “It’s to make up for the ones I never got you,” he tells her. They’re all bright pink with fluffy petals. Keeley wraps her arms around Jamie with a squeal of delight. Roy grunts angrily, so Jamie pulls out a bunch of dark red and black flowers. “Didn’t leave you out, grandad,” he grins as Roy pretends to hate the bouquet. But even he isn’t cold-hearted enough to hate flowers.

Suddenly, people are getting flowers every other day. It’s become Jamie’s thing. Ted gets some sunflowers when he seems like he’s missing home a little extra. Will gets a bunch of sweet-smelling flowers that Jamie doesn’t know the name of, but he knows that purple one’s lavender because he remembers how you told him it reminded you of growing up. Dani gets a bundle of tulips and it almost makes him pass out from excitement, but luckily Isaac is there to catch him.

Dani is firmly seated on the bench in the locker room and Jan Maas has removed all tulips except one, and now Isaac has the chance to turn to Jamie and ask the question that’s on everyone’s mind.

“What gives, bruv?”

Those three words make Jamie turn bright red, but he shrugs it off with a laugh.

“What, can’t get me best mates flowers?”

“It is a little better than the PS5s,” Richard says. There’s a chorus of agreement, much to the surprise of Coach Beard.

Jamie thinks he’s in the clear and his face isn’t red anymore but then Dani says, “Jamie Tartt, why did you decide to give us flowers and not some other expensive gaming device?” and Jamie knows he’s completely and utterly fucked. He did not think this far. He has no excuse, no lie, so what comes out of his mouth is, “The flower shop girl’s fit,” and then the locker room completely descends into chaos.

The boys are firing questions at Jamie faster than he can even understand them, and Ted’s just laughing at the pure pandemonium. He remembers similar moments when coaching other football teams, American ones, and the good feeling that comes along with “boys being boys,” in the way the phrase was originally intended.

All pertinent information is successfully extracted from Jamie before the team heads home, except your name and which flower shop it is. Colin says that’s the most important bit, but Jamie refuses to tell them more than the fact that your laugh makes the sun shine brighter. Isaac nods thoughtfully and Roy shakes his head, but it’s with a fondness he reserves only for his team.

It could be any shop, really. There are conversations across the parking lot of the best way to figure out which one it is and Jamie’s getting nervous when he hears Ted’s voice call his name.

He turns, and Ted hurries over to where Jamie’s car is parked.

He carefully places a hand on Jamie’s shoulder (softly, unlike the crushing grip of his father) and looks Jamie straight in the eye.

“Jamie, life’s too short to beat around the bush. You like her. I think it would be best if you rose to the occasion and just asked her out. I be-leaf in you, son. You just gotta get clover it and do what you gotta do.”

Jamie doesn’t pick on the flower puns until about the third one. He’s laughing a little bit and Ted is too, all while regarding Jamie with a soft look that Jamie always wished his father would give him. Ted pulls Jamie in for a hug and says, “In all seriousness man, we’re rooting for you.”

Jamie gives him a look, which makes Ted hold up his hands in defense. “Alright, alright, I’m done,” he says. “For now.” Then he winks and headed to meet Coach Beard.

—

It’s the middle of the afternoon when the bell on your door jingles, and you look up from the register hoping to see Jamie.

Instead, you see a middle-aged man with a mustache smiling at you.

He says, “Howdy,” in a way that is so very American, that you can’t help but break into a wide smile.

“Hi!” you reply, “How can I help you?”

“My name’s Ted Lasso,” he says walking toward you. “I coach football here in Richmond.”

You’re still grinning. “I know who you are, Coach Lasso. I’m a big Richmond supporter. Have been since I was a kid.”

“Just Ted is fine,” says Just Ted. “I usually don’t like to introduce myself along with my job title because it makes me seem all uppity, but I thought it might make more sense if I did.”

You scrunch your nose in confusion so Ted says, “You were expecting to see Jamie today, is that right?”

You nod. Shit. Shit, shit, shit. Jamie’s coach is in your flower shop and he knows that you like him and he’s probably going to tell you you can never see Jamie again because that’s the only logical reason he’s here, right? Maybe Jamie’s been skipping practice to be here with you and that all has to end now because football is life and you of all people should know that. Shit.

Ted must be able to see the panic on your face because he shakes his head and says, “Don’t worry darlin’, it ain’t anything bad. I’m only here to let you know that boy’s got it down bad for you.”

Wait, what?

“Oh,” you reply.

“Yeah, oh,” Ted chuckles. “Why’d you think he was here all the time?”

“I- I don’t know,” you say. “He flirts with everyone. I’m nothing extra special.”

Ted shakes his head again. “There’s where you’re wrong. You’re somethin’ extra special. Did you know I found you based on the way Jamie talked about you alone? He didn’t even give your name, but I’ve been in here once or twice myself and I must say, he was right when he said the sun shines a little brighter when you smile. I figured it had to be you the moment he said that.”

You’re smiling again. Jamie said that about you? To his coach?

Ted’s talking again. “Listen,” he says, a little more serious, “Jamie’s like a son to me. And sometimes dads need to give their sons a little push so they can get rid of their training wheels and just go for it, you know what I mean?”

You’re at a loss but Ted just grins. “I got here exactly three minutes before the boys take a break for lunch, which means that Jamie should be in here-” the bell at the door jingles “-right about now.”

“Coach?” Jamie asks, looking very adorable and very confused. “What’re you doing here?”

Ted shrugs. “Sometimes dads gotta take things into their own hands. Give you a little extra boost, as it were. Figured you’d be in here forever before you got the guts to make a move and by then Nelson Road would be completely overrun by flowers. Not that that’s a bad thing,” he says with a glance to you. “Anyway. I’ll be on my merry little way. Beard’s saving me a seat at our favorite lunch spot.”

Ted waves a two finger goodbye and pats Jamie on the shoulder as he heads out the door, bell ringing behind him.

“So,” you say, making your way around the counter over to Jamie.

“So…” he replies, looking down at you.

You take his hand. “Heard from a reliable source that you have a crush on me.”

Jamie grins. “Ain’t a crush babe, I’m a grown lad. Think it’s somethin’ a little more real.”

“Uh huh,” you say, smiling back at him. “Well it just so happens that I also have a crush on you as well as a thirty-minute lunch break that starts right about now…”

#jamie tartt x reader #jamie tartt fanfiction #jamie tartt imagine #jamie tartt x y/n #jamie tartt x you #jamie tartt #ted lasso

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undead-supernova · 3 months

Text

HIGH TOLERANCE

Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5

Masterlist

warnings: so much angst, a night gone wrong, more (derogatory) Steve, Gertrude (extra derogatory), Delta-9 gummies

pairings: modern!bestfriend!Eddie x bisexual!fem!reader

plot: dates aren't always what you want them to be...let alone with people who you don't really want to be on dates with

wc: 4k

song inspirations: VOID by Melanie Martinez, We Are Nobody Else by Lady Lamb

Part 4: "Only 10mg"

“What do you mean you haven’t seen any movies this year?”

“I mean, I’ve seen movies. I just haven’t found anything I thought was interesting in the last eight months.”

“What do you watch then?”

This morning you actually found someone on Hinge named Gertrude and by the afternoon you were on a lunch date. And you’d thought they were cute when you met up at Grub Burger, like really cute, with thin-rimmed rectangular glasses and a long dark braid down their back. They had a soft voice and an even softer smile…but it was quickly starting to go downhill.

Every question they threw at you felt like an investigation where you were wrong every single time, as if your preferences weren’t good enough. Even the lack of movies you’d seen.

In your defense, you usually went to the movie theater if Eddie asked. He was really good at guessing when a movie’s going to be worthwhile (and you weren’t). He never once disappointed. He’d also never taken you to a movie without at least giving you something of the cannabis persuasion and buying a large popcorn for you to share.

Sometimes he even bought your ticket.

Which you always pretended were dates like the desperate woman you were.

“Yeah, I really like 2000s movies,” you replied, shrugging. “I’ll pop on a Seth Rogan film every once and a while. Like, I know they’re a little outdated or whatever, but they’re fun. Oh, especially if you smoke some weed. Then it’s super funny. Like, This Is The End? It’s just cool to see all these actors—"

“I mean, they’re, like, super problematic,” Gertrude interrupted.

You nodded. “No, I know,” you agreed, scratching at your neck. “I know. It’s not the best, but like, I recognize that. I don’t think it’s all funny. And it’s not just Seth Rogan, there are other genres like dramas and fantasy and horror. Have you heard of the movie The Invisible? It’s about this guy who dies and is a ghost and can’t talk to anyone and finds out he—”

“I just thought because you’re queer, you’d have better standards for the media you consume.”

Pausing, you felt yourself deflate. You shrugged again, wondering how this conversation was turning into something else entirely. “I mean, I think you could argue that every piece of media is problematic, depending on the way you look at it. If you acknowledge that the media you like is flawed, you’re still allowed to enjoy it. It’s not that hard.”

Gertrude gave you that judgmental look again, pushing their fork around their French fries. “Agree to disagree. Anyways, maybe you should ask me a question now.”

As if I had had any chance to ask anything since we sat down.

“Uh, okay. What’s your favorite color?”

Gertrude finally smiled for the first time since you’d greeted each other. They really were pretty. There was just something so grating about their attitude…

“I think I like a soft yellow, something bright and cheery.”

You nodded, trying to seem more interested than you were. Some part of you even felt like laughing. “Yeah, yellow’s a good color. Very vibrant. Makes you happy.”

“What about you?”

“I don’t know. Maybe black? Red?”

Steve sighed, scratching his bare thigh before going back to his cherry and goat cheese ice cream. Eddie merely stared down at his cream puff flavor, unsure as to why he thought this date would be a good idea. He’d suggested they go out to get ice cream (definitely not to distract himself from what was probably happening across town with someone who he definitely wasn’t thinking about).

But Steve didn’t remotely hesitate, making Eddie think that maybe that was a sign. He was in it now. They were getting somewhere…

If only it hadn’t started going downhill just from asking basic questions that they somehow hadn’t thought of in the last however many years of knowing each other.

“Ah, come on, Eddie. You can’t say red!”

Eddie’s eyebrows furrowed, trying not to get irritated. “Why not?” he asked. “It’s a color. That was part of the assignment.”

“I just feel like it’s a little stereotypical for you.”

“Why, ‘cause I like metal?” Eddie guessed with a sigh sitting in the back of his throat. He was careful not to release it.

“Uh, yeah,” Steve replied. Like it was obvious. Like it was stupid. “Precisely.”

“Okay, then what’s yours, big guy?”

“Probably red or green,” you answered. “Not a soft green. More like a deep emerald?”

“Like Christmas?”

You shook your head. To give them credit, it was a common question you got whenever anyone cared enough to ask.

Well, except for one person...

“Well, no. I wouldn’t consider myself someone who likes Christmas all that much.”

“Let me guess, your favorite holiday is something weird, like St. Patrick’s Day.”

What the hell was this person even talking about? Were they hearing themselves talk?

You successfully suppressed your sigh before you decided to answer honestly. “Uh, my favorite holiday is Halloween.”

“Next you’re gonna tell me your favorite holiday is Halloween.”

Eddie raised an eyebrow. “Uh, because it is.” What was Steve even talking about? Why was he suddenly being so fucking judgmental? “Let me guess, your favorite is Christmas,” he bit back.

Steve laughed, oblivious to Eddie’s venom. “Yeah, the lights are cool. The hot chocolate with the peppermint in it. Oh, and the snow. You can layer everything. I mean, it’s cute. Plus,” he stopped, clearly trying to make his next sentence sound less rude. “I just think Halloween is a little…meh.”

“Meh?”

Steve shrugged. “Yeah.”

“What beef do you have with Halloween?”

“It’s just a little overdone, don’t you think?”

You shook your head, appalled as to why they didn’t get how important the holiday was.

“No, I think it’s about expressing yourself and becoming something more than what you are. It gives kids a moment of exploration of themselves and creativity. Not to mention its importance for queer people and how they can have one night where they can be themselves—"

“—without the scrutiny of the public. We could walk out in drag or anything feminine whatsoever and it’s not considered threatening, even if that’s shitty in and of itself. But it’s still that opportunity.” Eddie smiled to himself. “That chance. It’s bringing a sense of fucking safety that’s otherwise missing.”

Steve nodded before he shrugged, scraping at the bottom of his cup. “Yeah, you make a good point. I guess I haven’t really thought about it like that.”

Eddie forgot that he and Steve never really had conversations like these. It was usually you who he could talk to for hours on end, deconstructing what it meant to live and how everything was about perspective. Inebriated, sober—it didn’t matter. Like those days at the aquarium, you were able to see the bigger picture at the end of the day. You talked about stuff like this without even having to be asked.

That ticket still sat in his wallet. He always took it out whenever he needed a pick-me-up. It gave him a spark of hope that life could change for the better if someone like you existed.

Steve kept talking, but Eddie was pulling out his wallet and running his fingers over the ticket like it would bring you here and he could have you here instead.

As you and Gertrude fell into silence, you put your hand in your skirt pocket, feeling the smoothness of Eddie’s yellow pick. Tracing the edges, you wondered what it felt like for him to run it down his strings. How it fit in his fingers.

How he was doing.

Where he was.

If he was available.

You looked at Gertrude, watching them scroll through their TikTok feed, volume up, before you stood and grabbed your purse.

“I have to go.”

Eddie watched Steve reach the very bottom of his cup, hoping there was a way for him to slip in a reason to leave. Because, holy shit, this was a piss poor excuse for a date.

He looked back over at the long line forming at the door, knowing you would die to have a cup of the wildberry lavender flavor. You were a big fan of Jeni’s Ice Cream and always gave him grief whenever he went without you. It was kind of funny how your face would screw up as you yelled at him for being a traitor. He nearly chuckled at the memory.

And it suddenly hit him that he was way more concerned with his thoughts of you.

How your date was going.

Where you were.

If you were available.

Fuck having a good enough reason to leave.

“Can we go?”

You basically sprinted to your car, barely registering how rude you had just been. You didn’t say goodbye, didn’t even give them an excuse. But you argued to, well, yourself that telling them some shitty excuse would be ruder than not saying anything at all.

All you wanted was to talk to Eddie and tell him about how awful your date was. How mean Gertrude was and how confused you were about what the hell you’d done to deserve their scrutiny.

Sighing, you scrambled into the front seat and tossed your phone onto the passenger seat. Pulling out Eddie’s guitar pick, you tried to calm yourself down. You studied the brand, the tiny tortoise outline with the shell replaced with the Tortex brand name. It read that it was a Dunlop, 50mm. Smooth. Thin. The kind Eddie always said he preferred, always said it hit the strings so magically. Said it rang out the bottom E string, like it was trying to reach the heavens and got there every time.

And there was your eyeliner, ruining it.

You shook your head, resigning to the fact that you probably should just go home and isolate yourself for a while. Try and figure out how the hell you were supposed to be normal around Eddie and Steve the next time you saw them together.

Is that how it’s going to be now? you wondered, feeling nausea pool in your stomach. Are they going to be a package deal? Is that something I could survive?

For how long?

Before you could even start your car, your phone started going off. As soon as you saw Eddie’s picture pop up, you let out a sigh of relief.

“Hey,” he breathed, sounding as exhausted as you felt.

“Hey, hello,” you replied, trying to calm yourself down. “Hi. I was actually about to call you.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah. I just had the worst date ever,” you grumbled, trying to rub the eyeliner off the pick.

“Me, too.”

You sat up straighter, shoving the pick back in your pocket. “Really?”

“God, yeah. I’m never going to Jeni’s without you again.”

“You went to Jeni’s without me?” With Steve, you felt like adding.

But you were going to be good. Just this once.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Like I said, I’m never going without you ever again.” You let out an irritated huff. “Listen, Weirdo, would you mind if I came over and we took some edibles and, like, watched a movie?”

Thank God.

“Yes, please.”

“See you in twenty?”

You smiled. “See you in twenty. Traitor.”

Eddie had gotten back to your apartment at the same time as you, both fighting for the closest parking spot with playful honks. You may have almost hit his van. And he could (maybe) admit that he almost deserved it.

“That’s rude,” he said as he hopped down from the van. “That’s just—”

He stopped as he finally got a look at you. Because it wasn’t even fair anymore, the way you just being you flustered him. Just standing next to your car with a simple Joan Jett t-shirt tucked into a short skirt and black Converse. Some sword earrings. And fishnets. Fucking fishnets.

Did he mention that you were wearing a different pair than the night before?

How many do you fucking own?

“That’s just what?” you asked, looking confused.

Eddie had to get a grip. He couldn’t keep doing this, couldn’t keep losing his focus whenever you were around. Hell, he was already losing his focus when you weren’t. When you were looking like this, it made everything worse. Much, much worse.

He shook his head before poking your shoulder. “Extremely rude.”

You rolled your eyes and swatted his hand away, starting the short walk up to your apartment. “Hey, you asked me to hang and then you tried to steal my favorite parking spot? Where are your manners?”

“I think we both know I lost those years ago.”

“Okay, weirdo,” you said.

“Uh, what did you just call me?” Eddie asked playfully, clasping his hand over his chest.

A giggle escaped your lips as you ascended the stairs, making his smile widen.

“You heard me!” you exclaimed as you quickened your pace up the steps. “And I will not be taking it back!”

The two of you bickered like always, going back and forth with seemingly no end to each bit that you started and never truly seemed to finish. Sometimes it felt like he couldn’t help himself around you, always excited to hear what you had to say or what you wanted to do. Anything you wanted, because any opportunity to be around you was an opportunity worth taking.

You decided to heat up leftover soup for you both, maneuvering around the kitchen while you complained about the weather and your upstairs neighbor who was taking all the warm water these days despite the scorching heat.

Eddie wouldn’t admit it, but he was having a hard time paying attention to your words. How could he when your hands were waving around the air and putting your hair up? How in the hell was he supposed to pay attention when you decided to run chapstick over your lips? Or when you bent down to take your shoes off, skirt riding up just enough to reveal the lining of red underwear? And how was he supposed to feel normal when you were wearing the cutest fucking socks, with black cats sporting witch hats next to a brewing cauldron?

“I’m gonna go pick out a movie,” Eddie said suddenly, backing away from the kitchen.

“Oh, yeah,” you said absentmindedly as you fiddled with the microwave. “That’s a really good idea. What’re you gonna put on?”

“No idea,” he lied. “Absolutely no idea.”

After you finished the chickpea and sausage soup, you and Eddie popped 10mg Delta-9 gummies and decided to chill on the couch. As soon as Eddie pressed play on your remote, you immediately knew it was the opening to When Harry Met Sally. Like always.

But it wasn’t like you were paying attention. If anything, you were talking over it like you were in a crowded room. Small talk here and there until you were unable to keep your questions to yourself.

“So, you said your date with Steve didn’t go well,” you said. “Do you want to maybe talk about it?”

Eddie groaned, throwing his hands over his face. You may have taken the opportunity to stare at him, how his tattoos were visible. He’d shown up in his jean jacket but discarded it as if he was taunting you with only a black tank top and jeans. His guitar pick necklace around his neck. Rings. Threaded bracelets and watch. That fucking nail polish…

Focus, you told yourself. Just focus.

“I don’t know…” he trailed, biting his lip.

“I’ll share mine if you share yours,” you suggested.

A sigh left his lips before he gave in. “He thought it was predictable that I liked black and Halloween.”

“Has he even met you?” you asked, scoffing. “Of course you do. That’s, like, your whole thing. It’s not predictable, it’s just who you are.”

“I know! It was so weird. We’ve known each other since high school. I don’t know how he didn’t know that already. Rob knows more than him, apparently.”

“She’s extremely observant,” you noted.

Too observant.

“That’s a good...observation.” Now it was your turn to groan, making Eddie laugh before he added, “Now’s your turn, Weirdo.”

Well, I couldn’t stop thinking about you the entire time. So what does that say about me?

“I got absolutely slammed for my shitty 2000s comedies.”

“But Michael Cera is a visionary…” he trailed, confused.

“Well, apparently they’re all problematic and I’m damaging our community.”

Eddie shook his head, rolling his eyes. “Whatever. So is everything else. Besides, you don’t even laugh at the bad stuff. It’s like eating around a bad food you like. It’s not like the whole plate is bad, right? Most of it’s good.”

“That’s what I’m saying!” you exclaimed, throwing your hand up. “It’s like eating at Waffle House. You know it’s not going to be the best meal you’ve ever had, but damn if those waffles don’t hit the spot every time. Especially when you’re fucked up.”

“You get it! You may be the smartest person I’ve met.”

“Or maybe the dumbest.”

“Nah, you’re pretty intelligent…when you want to be.”

“Ouch!” you said, grabbing one of your throw pillows and whacking him with it. “Take that.”

Before you could take another shot, he took the pillow from you and hit you back. “You deserved that one, Weirdo.”

You fell into gentle laughter, shaking your head at him before you sighed and leaned your head on the back cushion. Eddie readjusted, also leaning his head back so he could make eye contact with you. He wrapped his arms around the pillow, hugging it to his chest.

For a moment, you just kind of sat there and looked at him. Watched his eyes flicker back and forth between yours while you did the same. Studied the brown, the way his pupils dilated as you kept staring at each other. You couldn’t say how long that lasted before you finally said something.

“I just don’t think it’s supposed to be this hard.”

“What, dating?” he asked, tightening his grasp on the pillow.

“Yeah.”

He nodded, letting out a hum. “I don’t think so, either.”

You looked away from Eddie’s gaze to find him fiddling with the pillow’s black fringe, clearly anxious about something. It was exactly how he played with his lighter or tapped his leg. Rapid, incessant. Finding his bearings through the texture as if it could keep his attention longer than a few seconds.

And then he said your name, bringing your eyes back to his.

“Should I keep seeing Steve?” he asked.

This time you were the one readjusting, feeling yourself scoot even closer to him. Your legs were touching, the blanket seeming to slip halfway off you two. But neither of you moved to fix it.

“Does Steve make you happy?”

“I…I don’t know.” He let out a staggered breath. “I think so.”

And you tried not to, but your leg was slipping further down his calf. Blanket be damned—you were already starting to burn.

“Tell me something. Why do you always put When Harry Met Sally on?” you asked, trying to steer away from the subject of Steve Harrington. Trying to distract yourself from the heat building inside you. Trying to distract yourself from thinking something stupid. “I thought the second Lord of the Rings movie was your favorite. The Two Towers.”

He shrugged. “No, yeah. The Two Towers is my favorite. I just think I’ve just always related to When Harry Met Sally. Always missing my chances, opportunities. Always just one step away from getting what I want.”

Was Eddie getting…closer?

You raised an eyebrow. “Missing your chances?”

And why was he staring at your mouth?

“Yeah.”

But weren’t you also staring at his?

“Are you, um, Harry?” you asked, trying to keep yourself from doing something stupid. “Or are you Sally?”

Why was he so close to making you do something stupid?

“Depends on the day,” he said, softer this time.

And why was he leaning closer, searching your eyes for some kind of confirmation that this was okay?

And why were you about to let him?

“What do you want?” you asked, barely above a whisper.

Eddie didn’t answer, the hum of Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal being the only sound left in the room other than your shared breathing.

“What has she done? She makes desserts.”

It was growing heavier the closer he got to you, maybe the closest you’d ever been since you met. And it was so strange, the way he affected you.

“You all went to a Met game together?”

Your fingers reached out, searching for his. Found it on his thigh, also reaching for yours. Fingers touching, itching to twine. And it was so strange, the way he moved you.

“But Sally hates baseball.”

And there Eddie was, leaning in more and more, his breath seeming to intoxicate you the more it fanned over your face.

“Harry doesn’t even like sweets.”

But it was dangerous, the way he could break you.

His lips just barely brushed yours before you pulled back.

“No,” you said.

“What?” Eddie asked, leaning back. “Are you okay?”

All you could think about was Steve. Eddie literally just told you he was happy with Steve and then he was going to, what, kiss you? What business did he have doing that? And what business did you have being a homewrecker?

“I think you should go,” you said sternly, throwing the blanket off and standing.

Eddie looked up at you like he was confused. As if he wasn’t just trying to do something incredibly stupid.

“What? Really?”

You walked over to the opposite end of the living room, desperate to stay the hell away from him. Because there was some part of you that was wondering how stupid kissing him would really be. But maybe if you stayed as far away from him as possible, you wouldn’t be tempted. You couldn’t be.

“Yep.”

Eddie shook his head, standing. “What just happened here?” he asked. “Like, seriously.”

You shook your head. “I just want you to go, Eddie. Okay?”

“No, not okay. Jesus H Christ,” he huffed, throwing the pillow on the couch. “You can’t just kick me out and not even tell me what I’m doing wrong.”

“You should figure that one out for yourself. You’re probably too high anyway,” you said, maybe a little too bitterly.

“It was only ten milligrams,” he emphasized. “And maybe, just maybe, I need to be given some clear fucking communication.”

“You’ll figure it out.”

He gave you a hard stare. “Really? Is this really what you’re doing right now?”

“What?” you pushed. “What am I doing?”

Say it, you thought. Eddie, please just say it.

“Maybe you should figure that one out for yourself,” he mocked.

And before you could figure out how to respond, Eddie turned away from you. He stomped over to the kitchen counter, grabbing his keys and wallet before walking towards the door.

“For the record,” he said, turning back to look at you in the eye. “I’m completely sober. You of all people should know I have a high tolerance.”

Eddie opened the door and slammed it right behind him.

Eddie couldn’t stop his thoughts firing at a rapid pace as he nearly sprinted to the van. He was going to pass out, he was so sure of it this time. Hell, he was dying. He had to be dying. There was no way he was going to survive this.

The kiss. The fucking kiss. He was going to kiss you. He was actually going to do it.

Eddie’s fingers trembled as he tried to unlock the driver’s side. But the keys slipped from his fingers, clanging onto the asphalt.

“Fuck,” he whispered, barely able to fight against whatever was grabbing hold of his throat and tightening its grasp. Shaking his head, he leaned his back against the driver’s side door. “Shit.”

Eddie clutched his chest for real this time, feeling his heart race. The panic was flooding his system, tears pricking at his eyes as he tried to focus on the breeze. The white noise of it moving through the trees. The stupid fucking squirrel nearly getting run over as someone barreled through the speed bumps. Your fucking Halloween socks.

This was going wrong. All of it. Every single last scrap of dignity he had was gone. He blew it. He fucking blew it.

If he was stronger, he would turn back around and bang on your door. Demand that you talk about this and tell you how your shared avoidance was going to be the death of any and all chance at a relationship. Kiss you the way he knew he could, knew he would.

Because there was no way, no way, that nothing was happening between you two.

He knew it. You knew it.

If only he was strong enough.

And it was occurring to him that he didn’t feel this way about Steve. If anything, he could never feel this way about him. And, frankly, he was starting to truly understand that it had nothing to do with Steve. It was everyone. He would never be able to feel this way about anyone else.

This time, Eddie couldn’t shake that off.

This time, Eddie knew that something had to change.

You couldn’t help but hope he’d turn back. That he’d walk right back in and kiss you the way you knew he could, knew he would if he wanted you like that. And maybe he did want to kiss you, you couldn’t say. But why would he continue to see Steve, bringing him up in nearly every conversation if he wanted you? What would be the point of that?

You were more confused than ever, finding yourself haunted by the scene playing on the TV behind you.

“What’s the matter with me?” Sally exclaimed.

“Nothing,” Harry said softly.

“I’m difficult!”

“You’re challenging,” he countered.

You fell back on the couch, sobbing as you listened to Harry and Sally go back and forth, nearly taunting you with how fucking accurate it was. How fucking accurate everything around you was, from music to movies and back again.

“No, no, no! I drove him away!”

This was your fault, and now you had to live with those pesky little consequences you hadn’t thought of. You drove Eddie away and now you had no idea how much longer you had before he would fade into a stranger, a fever dream of what once was. And a reminder of what could’ve been.

Taglist: @mrsjellymunson

#Eddie munson #Eddie Munson x you #Eddie munson fluff #Eddie munson angst #eddie munson fanfiction #eddie munson x female reader #eddie munson x reader #best friend!eddie #modern!eddie munson #modern!eddie x reader #best friend!Eddie x reader

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roycevelvet · 2 months

Text

Darkness at the heart of my love

Pairings: Noah Sebastian x reader Warnings: none Notes: again, don't know where this is going, many ideas, never an ending hihi. Also, listen to this song, it was my muse for this thing/chapter whatever you wanna call it lol.

You traced the faded design on your chipped nail polish, lost in memories of a summer filled with his laughter and stolen kisses. It seemed like ages ago, those sunny days when his voice was always there, comforting and familiar. Now, as you waited for him to answer the phone, you couldn't help but feel the weight of all that had shifted.

"Hey, babe" Noah's voice finally rasped through the phone, heavy with sleep. It was the first time you'd heard from him in days.

"Hey" you forced a smile. "I was starting to think you'd forgotten about me."

He chuckled, but it lacked its usual warmth. "Sorry, busy week. Soundchecks, interviews, you know...”

You bit your lip, pushing down the familiar pang of loneliness. "Yeah, I figured," you mumbled. You weren't sure if you were more hurt by the missed calls or the casual dismissal of your absence, like he hadn't missed you at all.

The silence stretched, thick with unspoken emotions. Finally, you gathered your courage. "So, when do you think we can have a proper talk? It’s been a while since, you know, we’ve had an actual conversation that lasted longer than 5 minutes.”

"Honestly, (Y/N), it's been crazy. I don't know when things will settle down."

The truth stung. You knew it wasn't just the tour schedule anymore. He wasn't making the effort, and your once vibrant connection felt like a fading radio signal, distorted and barely there.

"Okay," you said, your voice cracking slightly. "I understand."

You ended the call quickly as you didn't want him to hear you cry. The quiet in your small apartment felt overwhelming, tears welled in your eyes. It made it hard to see as you scrolled through X.

Among the bright lights and pictures of concerts, there he was. Noah, laughing with a bunch of fans, his arm around a pretty blonde girl, her smile big and happy.

A wave of nausea washed over you. You knew, logically, that he was a celebrity, bound to interact with fans. But the sight of him so close to another woman, the intimacy of his touch, ignited a jealousy you hadn't anticipated.

It wasn't just jealousy, though. It was a deeper feeling of insecurity that had been bothering you for weeks. It ate away at your confidence, leaving you feeling empty inside. You started to wonder if you were just a temporary fix in his glamorous world when he came back home.

Every time Noah didn't respond to your messages or calls, it felt like a punch in the gut. You felt completely alone, like you were drowning in a sea of uncertainty, desperately clinging to the hope that Noah would throw you a lifeline.

But he never did. Instead, he brushed aside your attempts to share your feelings, making empty promises and offering half-hearted apologies. It felt like he didn't really care about you anymore, as if you didn't matter in the grand scheme of his busy life.

When you called, he was always laughing with someone in the background, always busy, always talking. Other times, he was tired, his voice heavy with exhaustion, or sleepy, his words slurred as he struggled to stay awake. But his attention was never one hundred percent on you. It was as if he existed in a world that never slowed down, a whirlwind that left little room for anything else, for anyone else.

One evening, as you sat alone, feeling sad and listening to music, how poetic. The lyrics of "Darkness at the Heart of My Love," the song you and Noah shared, echoed around the room. Now, the lyrics felt hollow, a cruel reminder of a love that couldn't survive the distance.

A bitter smile twisted your lips. The summer had died, taking your love with it. You finally understood Noah's silence. It wasn't just about the tour schedule; it was about him choosing a different path, a path that didn't include you.

The anger that had been simmering beneath finally boiled over. You grabbed your phone and dialed his number, your fingers trembling slightly. He answered after the first ring, his voice laced with surprise.

"Is that it, Noah?" you began, your voice surprisingly steady despite the storm raging within you. "Is this how it ends? With unanswered calls and texts and photos with girls who look like they stepped out of a magazine?"

The silence on the other end was heavy and suffocating. Noah was surprised by your sudden outburst, his usually quick response delayed as he struggled with your words.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Noah spoke.”I… I don't know what to say, (Y/N). It's not like that."

He sighed. Did he just fucking sigh at your words? This making you even angrier than you already were.

"Then what is it like, Noah?" you asked, raging. "Why do I feel like I'm always waiting for you, but you don’t seem to need me?”

There was a pause, a long silence again. And then, Noah's voice said “I’m sorry, (Y/N). I've been so caught up in everything... I didn't mean to make you feel this way."

His words made you feel hopeful at first. But then doubt crept in, whispering that maybe he did mean it to make you feel this way. After all, he had been practically ignoring you for weeks, so why would things suddenly change now?

"Tell me, Noah," you continued, your voice shaking slightly as you recite the lyrics of your shared song. "Does your love have a darkness? Does it run cold, deep, like the lyrics you so readily quote all the time?"

Noah's answer came quickly, his words rushing out. "No, (Y/N), it's not like that. I love you, I really do. But... I've been struggling with everything."

You listened, feeling a tug on your heart with each word he said. But even as he opened up about his struggles, you couldn't shake the lingering question: why hadn't he reached out to you sooner? Why had he left you feeling lost and alone, without any explanation?

"Goodbye, Noah," you said, the weight of the word crushing you as much as it crushed him.

You didn't wait for a response. You didn't need one. You ended the call, the silence on the other end told you everything you needed to know.

—

But the silence wouldn't last forever. Occasionally, you'd be brought back to reality by the harsh ringtone cutting through silence. Your heart would skip a beat, hoping it was Noah finally reaching out, but it was never Noah.

Everything seemed to remind you of him, yet you never felt lonelier. You couldn't help but wonder why Noah never bothered to reach out, not even once. Did you really mean that little to him? Were you really that disposable?

In the days after, you kept busy with work or watching Netflix late into the night, trying to avoid thinking about Noah. But he was always there, like a ghost in your thoughts.

You tried to find comfort in your usual daily routine, but it couldn't fill the emptiness. The coffee tasted bitter, hanging out with friends felt empty, and the nights felt long and lonely.

You tried to move on, exploring new things and even going on a few dates. But every new situationship felt like a weak copy of what you had with Noah. He had made a big impression on your heart, and no matter how much time passed or how far you went, you couldn't forget it.

Despite the hurt, there was a small shimmer of hope. You wished, deep down, that someday he would return, willing to fight for you. Though you felt really silly and stupid for even dare to think this way.

But even as you struggled with everything, life kept marching on. You started to find joy again in unexpected places, glimpses of happiness.

And slowly, ever so slowly, the ache in your heart began to simmer down. It didn't disappear entirely – you doubted it ever would – but it became more bearable, a constant companion rather than an overwhelming force.

You threw yourself into your passions, rediscovering the things that brought you joy before Noah had come crashing into your life. Music became your refuge once more, the melodies and lyrics you hadn't realized you'd been missing.

—

One evening, a couple of months later, you had a small gig at a nearby bar. It was a simple chance to share your songs with a small crowd which you really appreciated.

The concert was fantastic, but you did feel kinda relieved when it ended. As you left the stage, still buzzing with adrenaline, you were met with cheers and applause from the small but enthusiastic crowd. Lottie and Taylor, your ever-supportive best friends, beaming with excitement.

“(Y/N), you were absolutely stunning out there!" Lottie exclaimed, pulling you into a tight hug. "I'm so proud of you!"

"Seriously, (Y/N), that was incredible," Taylor chimed in, her voice filled with genuine admiration. "You absolutely smashed it!"

You smiled at your friends, feeling grateful for their constant support. Together, you moved through the crowd, settling into a cozy booth.

The air was filled with the scent of beer and the sound of people chatting and clinking glasses. Laughter and shared memories filled the air, recalling inside jokes and cherished memories.

They skillfully avoided mentioning Noah though, as they were fuming with him for how he had broken their best friend down to a shadow of herself.

You were thankful for them, as they had been there since the start, helping you through the heartbreak.

As the night went on and the drinks kept coming, you got lost in the fun with your friends, forgetting about time and how much you had to drink. But just when you were starting to relax and enjoy the moment, you felt someone looking at you.

You turned around and saw Noah, his expression hard to figure out but somehow familiar. And in that quick moment, it was just the two of you, silently looking at each other. Everything else around you disappearing.

To be continued.

#noah sebastian #nick folio #nicholas ruffilo #jolly karlsson #bad omens #angst #light angst #fluff #bad omens fan fic #bad omens fic #fan fic #fan fiction #fanfic #fandom

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thepaperpanda · 11 months

Text

Fireworks || Dabi x fem!reader

Summary: Dabi agreed to visit a festival with you

Warnings: none

Word count: 1748

Authors: Cass & Rouge

Dabi grumbled, reluctantly pulling the hood over his head as you insisted on dragging him to the festival. He found the whole idea utterly ridiculous, and there were plenty of other things he could be doing instead of wandering amidst a sea of vibrant stalls and overly cheerful crowds. But for some inexplicable reason, he found it difficult to say no to you. "Why do you want to go there again?" He muttered, squeezing your palm as you kept pulling him forward.

You couldn't contain your excitement as you walked alongside Dabi through the vibrant festival grounds. The air was alive with laughter, music, and the mouth-watering aroma of various foods. It was a sensory overload that filled you with joy.

"Isn't this festival amazing, Dabi?" You exclaimed, a wide smile spreading across your face. "I love how it brings people together and creates such a lively atmosphere! Thank you for joining me."

"You were whining for weeks. I had no other choice but to join you," Dabi rolled his eyes, tugging the hood further over his head. "This place is too damn bright and colorful, with all these annoyingly happy families everywhere. How much longer do you plan on staying here?"

Sensing that Dabi wasn't quite himself, you decided to pause and give him your full attention. You came to a gentle stop, turning to face him with a concerned expression on your face. "Hey, Dabi," you said softly, your voice filled with genuine care. "Is everything alright? You seem a bit off."

"Yeah. I am fine but I'm not a fan of crowded places like this," Dabi muttered, casting a gentle frown in your direction. "But if you're enjoying yourself, then I suppose it's worth it. Are you having fun here?"

"I love all these stalls," you continued, eyes darting from one display to another. "The handmade crafts, the vibrant clothes, and the intricate artwork — it's like stepping into a world of creativity. But if you're not feeling well here, we can get back home."

"I didn't let you drag me all the way here just to go back home now. Let's just dive and explore, I bet you also want to see the fireworks."

It was peculiar that he took an interest in it. Festivals were never his thing, yet when you mentioned this particular one, he found himself searching online to see what it had in store.

"Look at the food stalls!" You exclaimed, unable to contain your excitement. "The aroma of sizzling skewers, the colorful array of desserts, it's like a feast for the senses."

You motioned towards a nearby stall, where a skilled chef expertly flipped and seasoned a plate of sizzling takoyaki. The tantalizing aroma wafted through the air, making your mouth water.

"I can't resist trying everything," you admitted with a playful grin. "From traditional favorites to unique fusion dishes, there's something for everyone. It's a culinary adventure."

Dabi chuckled shortly, looking at your excitement. It was actually very cute to see you like this, maybe coming here wasn't such a bad idea.

With a loud sigh, he tilted his head to the side. "Well, then. Pick something. My treat."

"Hey, Dabi," you said, a soft smile gracing your lips. "I think a little something sweet might help lift your spirits. How about trying this?" You pointed to a plate of freshly made taiyaki, warm and fragrant, filled with a rich custard cream. The golden-brown fish-shaped pastries beckoned with their inviting aroma, promising a delightful treat. You quickly laid and offered the pastry to him.

Sighing deeply, he nodded and accepted the pastry.

Indulging in sweets wouldn't alter the circumstances, but perhaps it would bring a momentary spark of joy to your day. "Thanks. I can see you really enjoy all this."

"Yes, Dabi. Thank you for joining me!"

His arm wrapped around your waist as he pulled you closer against himself. "You know I want to make you happy, so don't thank me."

You nuzzled against Dabi, inhaling the scent of his intense cologne as it enveloped your senses. The aroma filled the air, mingling with the warmth of your proximity. Your nose pressed gently against his chest, and you could feel the steady rhythm of his strong heartbeat resonating beneath your touch. "I love you."

"I love you too. Now c'mon, let's enjoy this whole thing before I change my mind, little one," he uttered, patting your head. "Let's go and see what else they have here."

As you strolled alongside Dabi through the bustling festival, your gaze scanned the surroundings until it settled on a familiar figure. Among the crowd, there was no one else but Hawks.

Dabi frowned, feeling how your hand slipped out of his. His displeasure grew as he realized you had left his side, but his disdain deepened further when his gaze fell upon Hawks.

Hawks perked up, feeling the gentle tap on the shoulder. He turned around and immediately smiled. "Little feather! How small the world is!"

"Keigo!" You got on your tippy-toes and offered him a hug. "Long time no see! How have you been doing?"

"Oh, ya know, busy! Flying here and there, keeping the number two hero title," he winked and tapped your nose. "Keep it down with the name, 'kay? I don't want people to spot me, since somehow I blended in."

"It would be easier if not the feathery backpack, heh," Dabi commented, walking up to you. "Don't you have better stuff to do?"

"And here is my favorite, crispy friend," Keigo smiled a little wryly. "I do but I also want to relax. I never took you for a guy that likes such colorful places. Kinda against your whole aesthetics," he teased, making Dabi groan.

"Forgive me, Hawks. I always forget about it!" You whispered quietly. You looked at Dabi above your shoulder. "Oh, he agreed to visit this place with me! I was whining for too long, probably."

Hawks' arm wrapped around your shoulder. "Oh, don't be silly, little feather. I bet you didn't whine, he is just grumpy. With me? I would take you here the moment you would have asked."

"But she ain't with you so keep your hands to yourself, chicken," Dabi muttered, grabbing your arm and pulling you back to himself.

The hero only laughed. "Someone is getting jealous, as I can see."

"H-hey, Dabi!" You whispered, taken aback by his sudden reaction. "You know well, Hawks and I are friends for years!"

"So? I work with him, and you don't see me boasting about it," he snapped, his arms enveloping your shoulders in a tight embrace. Dabi pressed his head gently against yours, glaring at Hawks with fiery anger in his eyes.

"Aww! Grumpy and jealous," Hawks continued his teasing.

You reached out and ruffled Dabi's hair a little. "That's what made me fall for him."

"Look at you, Dabi," Hawks hummed, "So soft and gentle. So cute!”

"Yeah," Dabi groaned. "Hey! People! It's Hawks! He is here!"

"Huh! No, no... Keep quiet!” Hawks pleaded, but it was too late. As soon as people realized that it was indeed him, he got surrounded by fans excited to meet their favorite hero.

Dabi used this little commotion and pulled you away. Finally, he had you all to himself again. "That's better."

"You were truly jealous!" You smiled at him, instantly intertwining your fingers with his. "But that was not necessary, now he won't be able to enjoy the festival calmly."

"I don't fucking care if this bird brain will enjoy the festival or not," Dabi rolled his eyes. "He was hitting on you, and this annoyed the fuck out of me."

"Excuse me, he was what?" You tilted your head.

"Are you really that clueless, Y/N?" Dabi growled. "He was hitting on you. Flirting with you, and you are mine, only mine. I don't need that chicken around you."

"No, Dabi! Hawks would never flirt with me, I'm completely opposite of his type!"

"He doesn't have a type. He is attracted to pretty girls, and of course my girl is the prettiest of them all." He said, pulling you closer. "C'mon. We are leaving this place. Just don't give me the sad face, it will be worth it.'

"Oh, already?" You made a sad tone but squeezed his palm. "Sure, then, let's go. Lead the way, handsome!"

"You'll like it," he assured.

Dabi guided you along as you walked together, eventually leading you to a serene hilltop. Seating himself on the soft grass, he pulled you gently onto his lap, enveloping you in a warm embrace with his strong arms.

You put your head on his shoulder. "What are we doing here?"

"You'll see in a moment. Just be patient," he nodded, patting your head.

As you nestled closer to Dabi, a mesmerizing fireworks display began to illuminate the night sky. With each burst of vibrant colors and dazzling patterns, your eyes were captivated, fixated on the breathtaking spectacle unfolding before you. The crackling sounds filled the air, harmonizing with your racing heartbeat as you both stood there, enchanted by the magical display of light and wonder. Time seemed to stand still as you watched the fireworks dance and fade, creating beautiful memories etched in your mind forever. "Look! It's pink! Oh! There! Such a beautiful green!"

Dabi's chin rested on your shoulder, and he pointed at the fireworks. "I can see pretty purple and blue hues there. Those are actually pretty," he admitted, squeezing your waist.

You side-eyed him; he was the most handsome man you've ever came across in your life. Leaning forward, you brushed your lips against his cheek. "I love you."

"You are a lucky one," he nodded and suddenly pulled you into a short kiss. "Because I love you too," Dabi added shortly after pulling away.

"Dabi? Promise you will never leave me."

"Why would I leave the only good thing in my whole fucked up life?" Dabi nuzzled to your neck. "Leaving you would be a foolish mistake."

"Please... Don't say like that."

"I tell you how it is, little one. You are the only good thing in my whole life, and I am not letting you go."

Your arms wrapped tightly around his neck as you held him close, enjoying fireworks.

Dabi cuddled you close; it was all he needed. He didn't care if the fireworks were pretty - the fact you were happy and with him by your side was the most important.

#Dabi x reader #Dabi fluff #Dabi x you #Dabi x y/n #Dabi and Hawks #my hero academia fluff #MHA fluff #hawks x reader #Hawks x you #keigo takami #keigo takami x reader #dabi

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osleeplessflowero · 2 months

Text

Sans doesn't know how many minutes he'd spent in a sealed off room of the lab, keeping the door shut, staring at it with trembling eyelights and hands. When Alphys told him the recent project had..gone awry, he hadn't expected things to turn out this bad.

Raising a shaky hand, he pushes his glasses up further onto his face so they don't fall. He'd already been scolded once by his younger brother for breaking the last pair by accident.. don't need a repeat of that.

Experimenting with souls had been a common theme the last few months to see how well they'd do under different conditions, but..this attempt? It's..

He hears banging on the door, likely someone's hands along with the sounds of something slithering across the floor. Wet, goopy noises can also be heard accompanied by strange, out-of-sync breathing. ..It knows where he is. He doesn't know what it wants to do with him, and frankly, he's scared to find out.

A walkie talkie beeps on his belt. He quickly grabs it out of instinct, almost dropping it in the process as he holds it up to where he can hear from.

"alphys, i hope you are responding to tell me you are going to lure it away from me." He speaks in a hushed tone, knowing it's still listening outside.

"I-I'm making my way down there now, Sans. I.. I don't know what happened, they're.. it's just like the Determination projects-" Alphys fidgets around as she scurries through her lab, picking up this and that and dropping anything unimportant in the moment.

"I-I don't.. kn-know what their Intent is. If you end up exposed, PLEASE be careful. One bad hit and you're dust!" She stresses her words despite her stuttering, opening the door to the elevator and heading down.

"don't gotta tell me twice. i'm staying in here." He'd considered shortcutting, but..he's still gotta help her study this entity, even if he doesn't really want to get near it. No calling it quits now. ..He's still going to keep a door as a barrier though, just to be safe.

Several different pitches of giggles are heard through the door as the entity lightly hits it in the same spots, until it manages to make a dent. Letting out a breath, Sans walks over to the monitors in the room to look outside through the cameras. Empty rooms are scattered about on each one, able to be viewed from different angles.

He looks over to see this strange mass outside via the door camera.

A large, white mess of a form wriggles and writhes, its upper half constantly changing between various physical forms and species types. Two arms rest on the door gently, while two more above them seem to be the ones hitting it. Its eyes are black hollow voids with every form change, the one thing that remains consistent. Upon zooming in a little more, Sans can see a little melty smile on its face.

He can't help but wonder what it could possibly be thinking..or what it's trying to do. Turning to the door, he contemplates. He could Check them.. there's not that much of a distance. Might as well, right?

He focuses on the door, his eyelights flickering out before one returns with a bright, brilliant shade of blue. His focus is brought to its soul, a bright, vibrant mess of colors and static, constantly shifting forms. There are some different colored strings coming out of it in different directions. Guess this is what happens when you try experimenting on something distorted..

Okay..that part's kinda obvious. But why do they want to see him?

Another sound is heard from his walkie talkie, so he holds it up.

"how close are you?" "Very, I-I should be able to get down there in a few more minutes. C-Can you hold off until then?" "yeah, just please hurry up."

Alphys stops responding, so he turns back to the cameras, only to see the mass looking up at it with a widened grin. He jolts, only to see a bigger dent be formed in the door from the impact of its hits..

"they're gonna break it down at this rate-"

Some white, goopy hands begin to pull on the bottom of the door to try and lift it. He quickly rushes over, trying to pull it back down. "shit shit shit shit-" "Sans, I'm almost there! Oh my stars, why is it?-"

It pulls open the door with all of its strength, launching itself into the room. Sans braces himself for impact, his eyes squeezing shut. ..But..he doesn't take a hit? What's going on?

He opens his eyes, looking both up and down as the figure rapidly changes shapes, hugging him tightly. Clinging to him, like if they were to let go they'd be lost.

"uh..hey there." He chuckles nervously, confused by this whole scenario. One bizarre thing after another.. "so..is this what you wanted the whole time?"

It nuzzles its heads against him, its smile content.

"taking that as a yes. well, uh..i guess this is okay. have i melted your heart? hearts? same thing."

Various giggles come out of "You", as Alphys enters the room abruptly.

"Sans! Are you-" She halts, seeing how the mass is reacting to him so...affectionately? How peculiar. "..Are you okay?"

"well, i think so. they haven't lashed out at me or anything, just..done this. feels kinda weird, very cold."

"Well, at l-least they don't have a Hostile intent..this..this could prove useful! Tests could go by a lot easier if it trusts you. And it seems to really like you already, s-so.."

"how would you feel about me stickin' around?" He asks, "You" perk up instantly at that. "you like the sound of that?"

He's suddenly squeezed much tighter as those voids on your face shift to be shaped like hearts. "i guess i have my answer."

"Have you Checked them at all?" "huh? oh, yeah, i did earlier." "What does their soul look like in the current state?" "well, it's a flashing mess of colors and distortion. also had some weird looking strings coming out of it." "..Strings?" "yeah. different colors as well." "Did you see where they were leading?" She walks over, putting a hand on "Your" shoulder before recoiling once you let out a sound of warning.

"well, a few were leading to me, but a few were spreading off in different directions, too." "..Oh my stars." "what? what's wrong?" "I think I might need to look over your soul." "why?" "Just..trust me, okay?"

#“me and the amalgamate i pulled by being a punny guy”#sleeplessflower's oneshots #undertale x reader #sans au x reader #sans x reader #science sans x reader technically

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pechadream · 5 months

Text

Sebastian's Flower Dilemma

Pairing: Sebastian/Farmer OC

Summary:

Sebastian didn't like flowers. Anyone who knew him could tell you that much.

It's not like he hated flowers, he just didn't care enough about them to spend some extra time in his day learning about them or stopping to look at them.

They looked decent at best in his opinion for most cases, they weren't anything wow worthy to him. It's not like he was going to bother anyone who did like them. But it took too much work to keep them looking good, so he never saw the point.

He didn't know a single thing about flowers.

So why the hell was he standing at the back of Pierre's shop looking at a wide array of bouquets?

Category: Fluff, Illustrated fic

Content warnings: Mild language

Word count: 6671

A/N:

Guess who got motivated to write/post fics again after like three years thanks to SDV?

I'm going to try to find my writing style again and I'm also trying out a new format for my fanfics where I include my art.

I'm gonna be testing and messing around with the format for the next few oneshots I post (E.G. The spacing of drawings and the placement of them in the fic) in preparation for a much much bigger fic planned, so feedback is really appreciated for that!

(Please note: For most oneshots, the drawings will most likely stay as [clean] sketches.)

Sebastian didn't like flowers. Anyone who knew him could tell you that much.

It's not like he hated flowers, he just didn't really care enough about them to spend some extra time in his day learning about them or stopping to look at them.

He didn't know a single thing about flowers.

So why the hell was he standing at the back of Pierre's shop looking at a wide array of bouquets?

He pursed his lips and stared at the vibrant colors in front of him, silently thanking yoba that Abigail wasn't home and that Sam had no plans on going to the store as he didn't want to risk his friends catching him and making a big deal about it or annoying him.

Why were there so many options? Why do some of the flowers have meanings? Who the hell is writing meanings for flowers??

Sebastian's hand picked at a loose thread on his hoodie as he walked closer to the bouquets and looked at the vibrant options in front of him.

He, personally, wouldn't really care what bouquet someone gave him, but this was serious. He wanted the best for her. But how the hell was he supposed to find out what flowers she even liked?

He thought back to when he visited her farm a week ago, her bright smile as she took his hand and led him to the corner of her farm that held her animals. The gleam in her eyes sparkling as she showed off her new flower patch in the center that surrounded her fruit trees.

"It's not really much right now," She said as she walked over towards it. "But I'm hoping to grow a lot more flowers soon when I can buy the seeds! Doesn't it look pretty?" She turned to look at him, his heart tugging as he smiled back to her.

"Yeah… It looks nice."

She definitely didn't know of his lack of interest in flowers.

Sebastian looked at a rose bouquet as he tried remembering the flowers that she had planted down. He was sure she mentioned it once, but the name completely slipped his mind.

Maybe she texted him the name?

Sebastian let out a sigh and pulled out his phone, completely unaware of what else was happening in the store.

He scrolled through their (many) texts between each other and alas, there was no mention of the damned flower name.

Of course. Maybe Pierre would've known if she bought it recently? But how the hell was he supposed to ask–

"-Yeah okay dad! I'll just put these in the back, okay?"

Sebastian froze, his eyes going wide as he heard the familiar sound of a certain someone's voice.

Abigail.

Shit.

Why is she here!? She said she'd be out all day because she had things to do!

And why was this the day that she decided to help Pierre of all days?!

Sebastian's eyes darted around, there's absolutely no way he'd be able to hide or try to get away without her seeing him. He couldn't put his hood up, if anything that'd just make him stick out more.

The sound of footsteps started getting closer as he just froze in place, not even daring to look away from his phone.

His mind raced as he held his breath.

don't notice me don't notice me don't notice me don't-

"... Seb? What are you doing here?"

damnit.

Sebastian's head shot up as his panicked eyes met Abigail's (very confused) gaze. His mouth opened, trying to come up with some stupid excuse as to why he was next to a bunch of bouquets. His eyes darted back and forth from Abigail, then to the bouquets, and then to his phone.

Abigail stared at him, waiting for him to respond before she followed his gaze to the bouquets and her mouth formed an 'o' as it sank in.

"Oh my god…"

Nonononono-

"Holy shit- Are you- Sebastian, are you going to ask someone out?" A wide grin plastered itself on her face as she quickly set down the boxes onto an empty shelf before rushing over and squeezing him in a hug. "I can't believe it! Sebby's fallen in loveeee-"

"NO- No, it's not-!" Sebastian shoved his phone into his pocket and backed away from Abigail. "You're completely wrong- I'm not asking anyone out, I'm just- …. looking at the flowers?" He weakly said, his voice getting more quiet as he kept talking.

Abigail snickered, "God, if you're gonna lie, at least put in some effort." The girl walked over to the display, leaning against the side of it. "Soo, which one were you thinking of?".

Sebastian's fingers picked at the loose thread on his hoodie even more roughly as he dug himself deeper into a hole. "None of them! I'm just- Looking at some for Maru, because she said she needed flowers for an experiment and- " "Sebastian that's an even worse lie." She shook her head and gestured for him to come over. His shoulders slacked as he felt defeated, taking his three steps of shame over to be closer to the display.

Abigail's teasing grin softened as she nudged his shoulder, "C'mon, I know you're probably struggling with this. Tell me who you're crushing on and I'll help you pick one!" She walked over to stand beside him. "Sooo? Who is it?"

Sebastian felt his face burning up, god he wanted to die. He took in a deep breath before finally saying her name.

"... It's Luna."

He could only stare at the floor as his face reddened, he couldn't believe he was just sharing his crush as if he were in highschool.

Abigail stared at him, taking it in.

"Wow, that's…" She took in a breath.

"... not really much of a surprise." Abigail let out a laugh.

His head snapped back to look at her again. "What?" Sebastian stared at her in confusion. "How- how did you-" He watched as she shrugged. "Dude, you're so predictable! I was gonna guess if it was Luna you're asking out! But it's kinda rude to guess someone's crush like that so-"

"Abby, how did you know?" Sebastian shoved his hands into his pockets, his face burning up more. Abigail just stared at him blankly.

"Sebastian…" She shook her head and placed her hands on his shoulders, "Oh, sweet, oblivious, Sebastian…" the woman let out a sigh. "How can you be so oblivious to what you do? Mr. 'Of course, Luna! Of course I'll step outside into the sun for you!'." She said in a mocking tone while clasping her hands together.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "I do not act like that." He smacked her on the shoulder gently. She scoffed with a grin, "You sure? It really seems like that to me!"

Abigail rolled her eyes before putting her hands on her hips. "What kind of flowers does she like?"

"I… Don't know." He said, nervously rubbing the back of his neck as Abigail just stared at him blankly.

"You… Don't know?" She stared at him for a second before walking over and picking up a rose bouquet. "What about this? It's pretty, isn't it?" She lifted it towards him as he backed away.

"I dunno… Isn't that a bit… Cliché?" He gently pushed it away as she let out another sigh. "Dude, she won't care! If she feels the same way then she'll just accept it and make out with you or something! She's not gonna throw it on the floor and stomp on it while going on about how 'This didn't even cost 10,000G, I don't want it'!"

Abigail placed the bouquet back before picking up another one, this one being a bouquet of daisies and holding it out towards Sebastian, "How about this one?" She watched as he scrunched his nose. "That feels too childish." Abigail scoffed and placed it back. "Seriously? Seb, she's not gonna care, she's not picky!"

"But I want there to still be thought put into it!" He watched as Abigail took a closer look at the selection. "Kinda hard to put thought into it when you don't even like them, Sebastian…" She muttered as she grabbed a bouquet of mixed flowers. Sebastian stared at it for a second before opening his mouth again. "Oh, what is it this time." Abigail said with an exasperated tone.

"Isn't it a bit… much??"

"... What is that even supposed to mean."

Sebastian gestured to the flowers as she looked down at it as well. "I dunno, it just feels really… Fancy? Like- That's not something I'd get for a confession, probably more so an anniversary or something- It's a special occasion bouquet."

Abigail blinked at him.

"Why are you acting like you know anything about flowers?" She placed the bouquet back into its spot, "Although I guess you are right," She ran a hand through her vibrant hair, "It does seem like it’s a bit much."

They both let out a sigh as the bell above the door rang, footsteps entered the building as Abigail and Sebastian continued to stare at the flowers in front of them.

Pierre said his usual greeting which was then met by a chipper: "Hey! Do you guys have some cleaner in stock? Mom wanted me to grab some, she just ran out."

Wait… Is that-

"Ah, I believe we do! It should be near the back. Tell Jodi that Caroline and I say hi, okay Sam?"

God damnit.

"Sure thing!" Sam's voice sounded like it got closer as footsteps got closer, Sebastian pulled his hood up and held onto the edges tightly, there was no possible chance of that working, but he did not want Sam seeing his face right now. Maybe there was a tiny chance that the cleaner was closer to Sam than he thought, and Sam might not see him.

Abigail saw his tense body and stressed expression as she giggled lightly before walking closer to the flowers and gesturing to some, before looking at Sebastian and raising an eyebrow.

Sebastian shook his head as his lips squeezed together.

"Hey, whatcha up to?"

A pair of hands that belonged to the voice latched onto his shoulders.

Sebastian flinched hard and quickly turned around, stumbling backwards and almost bumping into the flower display as his eyes met with Sam's expression, a massive grin on the man’s face while his eyes gleamed at catching his best friend looking at flowers. (It was actually more likely that he was just amused that he startled Sebastian more than anything else.)

"GOD- You can't just- Sam–! What is your problem!?" Sebastian shoved Sam's shoulder as Sam started laughing, Abigail's laugh quickly followed. "You gotta admit, Seb," She started up, "That was kinda funny!"

"No it wasn't!" He buried his head in his hands, his face felt like it was on fire.

Sam walked closer to Sebastian as his grin got wider, "Dude, do you have any idea how suspicious you look right now?" He gestured his hand towards Sebastian's outfit, "You're wearing all black with your hood up while looking at flowers- If Mayor Lewis saw you he'd probably think you were about to play another prank!" He let out another laugh while Sebastian glared at him through his fingers.

"What are you even doing here? I thought you hated these things!" Sam tilted his head before it sank in. "Wait…" His eyes widened as he let out a gasp, "Don't tell me-!" Sam looked at Abigail for confirmation as she nodded with a grin on her face. "Our precious lil' Sebby's in looove!" She wrapped her arms around Sebastian and gave him a squeeze. Sebastian groaned and pushed her away while she continued to laugh.

"No it's- That's not-!" Sebastian tried to argue but got abruptly cut off by Sam giving him a tight hug, "Holy shit, Seb! Who's this lucky person who gets to date your anxiety riddled ass?" Sam asked him with a gleam in his eye.

Sebastian pushed Sam away before thinking it over for a second. He considered lying right then and there but then he remembered that he just told Abigail and he knew she'd call him out on lying right to Sam's face.

Plus if he lied to Sam and got caught, Sam would act all dramatic and try to use it as a way to guilt Sebastian into buying Joja-Colas for him again.

And he didn't feel like wasting his money like that.

Sebastian stared at Sam for a few seconds, seeing how Sam's eyes sparkled in anticipation before finally speaking up. "I'm… I'm going to ask out Luna."

Sam let out a gasp, his left hand covering his mouth as his eyes widened in shock, while his right found its way onto Abigail's shoulder to keep himself stable.

"Wow, Seb! Luna? You're… gonna ask her out??" Sam's hand lowered from his mouth to rest on his chest as if he were in shock, the grin on his mouth saying otherwise. "Yeah I already knew that."

Seriously!?

"Wh- How the fuck did you both know?" Sebastian finally put his hood back down and crossed his arms as Sam and Abigail both laughed. "Sebastian we've known for so long– It's so obvious that it'd kinda be sad if we didn't!" Sam gave his friend a pat on the shoulder as Sebastian scoffed. "What do you mean 'it's obvious'? No it wasn't!" He rolled his eyes, "How long did you two even know?"

"About three months."

"What're you talking about? I've only liked her like that for one month!"

Silence filled the room as Sam and Abigail stared in shock before they both burst out with hysterical laughter again. "Holy shit!" Sam gasped for air, "We knew you had a thing for Luna before you did!" He leaned against Abigail for support again as Abigail laughed as well. "Oh my god!" She wiped tears from her eyes, "When you two get together I'm so telling her about this!".

"Like hell you are! And- And besides! She might reject me, so there's no guarantee that we'll start dating!" Sebastian scrunched his nose as Sam only started laughing harder, "Dude! No way you can't see how into you she is!"

Sam clasped his hands as he then began to do his best impression of Luna. "Why- Sebastian! Of course I'll listen to you ramble about coding when I know absolutely nothing about it! Of course I'll watch these gorey movies with you despite hating horror with a passion! Oh Sebastiannn! There's no other seats available by the fire! Can I sit next to you in a way where we’re really close togetherrr?"

Sebastian watched, unamused as ever, as Abigail then joined in. Making sure to move her bangs to mimic his hairstyle by covering one eye as she lowered her voice. "Why, of course, Luna! Luna, would you like to practice the flower dance routine with me despite the fact I hate it with a passion? Yes of course we can play some games on my TV, Luna! We're gonna have to sit on my bed though– Hey Luna, do you need any help around the farm despite the fact I burn easily and I hate being outside and would never help my other friends like this?"

They both laughed as Sebastian grabbed a nearby newspaper and rolled it up, whacking them on the head with it, "Okay, okay, god. I get it. Knock it off."

Sam cleared his throat, "Anyway– I'm more surprised you're actually going with the traditional way of asking someone out in town. You didn't really seem like the type." Sebastian shrugged as he looked back to the flowers, "I mean, I didn't even consider the tradition for asking her out. I just knew she loved flowers, so I was trying to pick out a bouquet of her favorites…" He pursed his lips again, why couldn't he just remember the damned flower's name!?

"Buut…" Abigail spoke up for him, "The thing is, he forgot what her favorites were, so now I'm trying to help him at least pick out one that's at least something she'd like,". Sam's mouth formed an 'o' as he looked at the flowers as well.

"... Welllll- I don't know her favorites either, but I can help!" Sam gave him a grin and a pat on the back, "It can't be that hard! Just- Get a bunch of flowers that seem like something she'd be into! That's not that difficult, right?" He walked over to the display and opened his mouth to speak. "Wait- Sam, no-!" Abigail gasped as Sam quickly turned away whilst sneezing. Abigail quickly dragged him further away from the flowers as he dug through his pocket for a tissue. Sebastian grimaced as Sam blew his nose.

"Yeah, uh… Thanks for the offer, but maybe you shouldn't be anywhere near those." Sebastian gave him a pat on the shoulder as Sam nodded. "Good idea." Sam walked further back and gave them a thumbs up. "I'll just send encouraging thoughts from this corner!". Abigail gave him a thumbs up in return before turning her attention back to Sebastian.

"Alright, plan B time." She lifted up a manual Pierre left laying near the flowers as she smiled at Sebastian. "Dad left this list of flower names here, so how about I read out the names and you'll see if you can recognize them from what she told you!". Sebastian and Sam both stared at the girl, which she only responded with a scoff as she put it back down, "Well, I dunno how else you expect to remember it!" She crossed her arms while Sebastian went back to staring at the flowers.

Sam hesitated before walking over again. "Hey, what about those?" He pointed towards a bouquet of tulips, "I'm pretty sure I've seen those around her farm before, so she's gotta at least like them, right?" Sam watched as Sebastian shook his head, the blonde's shoulders slacking as he let out a groan. "Sebastian, you can't seriously be acting this picky when you don't even know what she likes!"

"But I want her to really love it!" Sebastian ran a hand through his hair, letting out a sigh. He could really go for a smoke right about now… Sebastian looked up at his friends again, watching as they both stared at him, realizing just how important this was for him, before their expressions softened.

Sam's eyes scanned his face before giving him a smile, "Okay… I get it, this is important to you. How about you pick something based on what she likes? Like- What's her favorite color?" Sam asked, picking up the flower list Abigail set down a while back.

"I'm not sure…" Sebastian stared blankly ahead of him, "I never really do small talk so I've never asked her anything like; 'hey what's your favorite color?'," He shrugged as Abigail hummed, "Well… She always wears that top that has pink and blue on it, maybe her favorite colors are those?".

Sam nodded, looking at the bouquets with a small frown, "Well that'd be a safe bet, but there aren't really any bouquets with both of those colors," He pointed to some, "A lot are just pink but there's not that many blue ones, let alone pink and blue."

They all stood there in silence for a bit, all thinking it over.

Abigail let out a gasp as she snapped her fingers, "I got it!" She grinned at the two, now confused, men as she walked over to grab two bouquets.

"How about I pick out two random bouquets, and then you can tell me which ones that you think Luna would most likely love more! Then, I can put the other one back and pick out another!" She said with confidence, "It's an elimination game!"

Sebastian and Sam glanced at each other before shrugging. "Sure, I guess that'll work." Sebastian said as he watched the purple haired girl quickly grab two bouquets before turning around and presenting them.

"Tadaaa!" She held out the bouquets as Sebastian looked at them. One of them looked to be a light pink Fairy Rose bouquet. He swore he recognized it from Luna's farm last year, she must've grown it back then around her farmhouse. The other bouquet were mostly Sunflowers, with a few smaller flowers that he didn't know the names of.

Sebastian thought about it for a second before pointing to the Fairy Rose, "I think she'd like those more." He watched as Abigail nodded and placed the sunflowers back.

Huh, maybe this might actually be the plan that works.

Sebastian watched as Abigail grabbed another bouquet, this one being way more vibrant than even the sunflowers.

"What even are those??" Sebastian raised an eyebrow to her as she turned back and looked at the name above the price. "Uhhh," she squinted her eyes, "Tiger Lilies." She turned back to him.

Sebastian paused, his brain trying to remember where he heard that name from, did she mention it before?

Oh wait-

Sebastian watched as Luna tended to her flowers. "So," He watched as she looked up at him before he continued, "Any idea on what flowers you're gonna plant next?" He asked as she stood up, wiping the dirt on her hands off on her apron.

"Ah, not yet… I wanted to plant these pretty flowers that grew outside my old apartment building, Tiger Lilies, but it turns out that they're poisonous to cats! And I don't wanna risk harm with Solar since she wanders out here frequently to nap with the chickens." She sighed as she wiped the sweat off her cheek, "I didn't know Lilies were poisonous to cats… Did you? It's such a shame too! They're so pretty…"

He definitely shouldn't get the bouquet of Lilies for her then.

Sebastian grimaced, "Yeah no- That'd be a horrible choice." He watched as Abigail tilted her head, looking back at the Lilies. "Really? I thought she'd like these."

"She told me that Lilies are poisonous to cats."

"Oh shit– really?"

"Yeah."

Sebastian watched as Abigail quickly put the bouquet back. "Yeah I uh- don't think she'd like it if you killed her cat." Sam patted Sebastian's shoulder. Sebastian flicked his hand away, "Wow really? You don't say." He stuffed his hands back into his pockets as Abigail picked out another bouquet. At least they were getting somewhere with this plan.

Ding!

The trio tensed up, their heads quickly snapping to look at who entered the store, just hoping it wasn't Luna.

"Ah, hello Evelyn!" Pierre's voice rang out.

They all let out a sigh of relief as Evelyn walked past, most likely not even noticing the trio. Abigail twirled a piece of her hair with her fingers, "Wow, we all just kinda tensed up there huh?" She laughed as Sam spoke up, "Yeah," He scratched the back of his neck, "I didn't think I was gonna freeze up like that! Thank god it wasn't Luna though, she definitely would've noticed us."

Abigail turned to go pick out another bouquet again as she continued to speak, "I completely forgot that it's around this time that Evelyn comes in to get seeds for the community garden around this time, I might need to go help her out if she needs certain things. Sam, can you step in for me if that happens?" She asked as Sam grimaced.

Wait a second…

"Abby, do you want me to sneeze on all the flowers or something?" Sam asked, narrowing his eyes at her as she laughed, "It would be kinda funny!" She shrugged as Sam gawked, "No it wouldn't!".

"Hold on, I'll be right back." Sebastian quickly left his two friends behind as he walked over to Evelyn. "Hi Evelyn." He waved to the old woman as she smiled at him, "Ah! Hello, Sebastian! What brings you out here?" She asked as he nervously fidgeted with the fabric of his hoodie again. "Ah- Well, uh… I was hoping to get a gift for Luna, since she's done so much for everyone in town! And, um-" He picked at the skin by his nails as he continued to speak, "I wanted to give her some flowers… But I don't really uh- know what she likes… So, I was just wondering if you knew, since I know you two talk a lot." He stumbled with his words as he felt his throat tighten up. God, he did not enjoy talking with people.

Evelyn nodded understandingly as she gave it a thought, "Ah… I think she's mentioned to me that she loves Carnations, Fairy Roses too. They were her grandmother's favorites as well, funnily enough!" The woman sighed happily as she reminisced, "Ah, I remember when Mariana would tell me all about those two flowers… Maybe I should plant those when they're back in season?" She shook her head gently before turning her attention back to Sebastian.

"I think if you gave her some Carnations, she'd absolutely adore it," She gave him a smile as she gently took his hands.

"She's a very kind woman, she takes after her grandmother a lot… So make sure not to break her heart, alright dear?" She gave him another smile before letting go of his hands and walking away to go to the seed aisle.

Sebastian stood there for a second, blinking twice as his mind went blank.

Was everyone seriously more aware about how he felt more than him?

He let out a sigh before walking back over to the bouquets and taking a look at the names, ignoring Sam and Abigail watching him as they whispered between each other. His eyes scanned the rows as they finally landed on what he was interested in.

White Carnations.

He took a deep breath before picking it up and looking at it closer. Making sure the petals weren't wilted and that it looked perfect, he stared at it again.

It looked…

Bland.

He didn't really know much about flowers but even he knew that it didn't really have anything impressive with it all being white.

Abigail must've sensed his disappointment as she spoke up gently, "Ah… Seb? If you want, then uh- We can actually make it more custom by adding in the Fairy Rose that we looked at earlier. The pink might add a nice contrast to the white!" She took the bouquet from his hands and placed both down on a nearby table before pausing, her lips pursed. "I'll have to go get my mom to do this, she makes all the arrangements anyway, but it shouldn't take long! And it won't cost extra!" She said as she quickly ran off, leaving the two men standing there.

Sam cleared his throat and turned to Sebastian. "So… ah…" He rocked back and forth on his heels, "When are you gonna ask her out?" He watched as Sebastian shifted, his eyes fixated on the bouquets. "I'm… I'm not sure. She seems really busy, I kinda forgot how busy she gets during this season so I might just ask her out during one of our hangouts at her house?" He shrugged, Sam stared at him.

"Wait- How frequently do you two hang out again?"

"I dunno, every saturday night?"

"... And... what do you two usually do?" He watched as Sebastian shrugged, "We usually just watch a couple of movies and talk about whatever." He paused before speaking up again, "Actually, it's more like I watch the movies. She usually ends up falling asleep midway through and I'm just stuck there because she's using me as a pillow or something."

Sebastian looked to his friend, who looked very amused by what was told to him.

"Sebastian. Are you sure you weren't having dates?" Sam tilted his head, a grin slowly creeping its way onto his face.

The two of them stared at each other, Sebastian's face getting warmer and warmer by the second before he broke eye contact and stared at the ground. "Sam, why are you still here?" Sam shrugged as he waved to Caroline, who was following Abigail over. "I'm here as moral support for my best friend." He said, as if it were obvious, "Plus, it's kinda funny."

"Well you're doing a pretty bad job at being moral support." Sebastian ignored Sam's offended gasp as he looked up and waved to Caroline as well as she smiled at the two before taking a look at the flowers.

"Alright, I'll see what I can do with this, it'll probably take at the very most ten minutes. Sebastian, do you want to watch and see if you like the arrangements?" She asked as she took the flowers out of the paper and pulled out a fresh sheet for the new arrangement, placing it down in a temporary vase and carefully placing the flowers in one by one. Sebastian stayed silent as he watched, giving a nod if Caroline asked his opinion on how it was going as Sam and Abigail just stayed further back, talking between themselves.

After a bit of careful placement, the bouquet was soon done. Caroline pulled it out of the vase and wrapped it in fresh paper before handing it over to Sebastian. "Alright, how do you like that? Do you need any adjustments to the flowers?" She brushed her hands off on her skirt as he looked it over, a very slight smile grazing his lips. "I think this is good… Thanks."

Caroline gave him a smile, "Of course," hummed as she started cleaning up her workspace, "Oh! Pierre will probably tell you this when you're checking out, but these bouquets will stay fresh and good looking for about a week. After a week, they'll start to wilt. It most likely won't be noticeable until about two days after the week is over, give or take, but you'd still better hurry and give the bouquet to Luna before it wilts. Of course, it will last longer in water if you have a vase for it at home. That'd probably be the best option if you do."

Sebastian nodded as she spoke, "Yeah, okay… I'll be sure to- … wait what-" Sebastian's mind went blank as he processed what she said about Luna as she only smiled and walked back into her house. Sebastian turned to Sam.

"Sam. Be honest with me."

"Hm?" Sam turned his attention from Abigail to Sebastian, noticing the man's embarrassed expression.

"By, 'it's so obvious that you're into Luna', exactly how obvious do you mean?"

Sam shrugged, "I dunno, it was just kinda just- there- Like, when you'd text me at around midnight asking me what you should respond to her text with when you normally don't care much about your responses," He continued to explain, "And whenever she'd walk into the room and go over to you you'd immediately start smiling and you'd listen to every single thing she says. You'd also do things like offer your umbrella or jacket if it was raining or if it were cold."

Sam watched as Sebastian's expression softened before starting up again, "It's a bunch of little things, but I think everyone can kinda tell how happy she makes you. Plus, you've even commented a few times on how you feel more energized when she's around," He ran a hand through his blonde hair as Sebastian's grip on the flowers tightened. "Do you…" He hesitated, "Do you really think she feels the same way?" He asked as his eyes bore into the flowers.

Sebastian felt a hand place itself on his shoulder as he looked up and met eyes with Sam, who gave him a reassuring smile. "Yeah, from what I can tell, she's just as into you as you’re into her." He grinned as Sebastian took a deep breath.

"Okay, I'll figure out how to tell her when I get home." Sebastian watched as his two friends high fived. "Fuck yeah, dude!" Sam wrapped his arms around Sebastian, careful to not crush the flowers, "You've got this!".

Abigail laughed while watching the two, "Look at you, Seb!" She grinned at him, "Making the first move! Ah- You really are all grown up! It brings a tear to my eye!" She wiped away a fake tear as Sebastian finally laughed, feeling more confident now compared to how he felt just a few minutes ago, "Come on… This isn't that big of a deal." He pushed Sam away as Sam shook his head, "It is, though! Just think of it, Sebastian. You and Luna, living on that farm, maybe with some kids-"

Sebastian quickly cut him off with a whack to the forehead, rolling his eyes as Sam only grinned at him, "You're a bit ahead of yourself there. We'll probably just test out dating before doing anything official yet, let alone talk about kids." He watched as Sam shrugged, "You never knoww-! Ow!" Sam rubbed the back of his head, shooting a glare at the woman who slapped his arm, who only smiled at him before turning her attention to Sebastian. "He's probably only this excited because we placed a bet on who'd confess first and he's winning right now, don't mind him!" She said as she started to push Sebastian over towards the checkout.

"You what??" Sebastian watched as Abigail dismissed him by waving her hand, "Nothing, nothing!"

She led him over to the counter before giving him a quick hug "Good luck, Sebastian," She smiled before running back over to Sam.

Sebastian only let out a nervous sigh as he placed the bouquet on the countertop. Pierre scanned the bouquet before looking at Sebastian, "Is that all you'll be buying?". Sebastian only nodded, his throat feeling too tight to speak. Everything sounded muffled as the nerves finally set in on what he was doing, he could somewhat make out that Pierre was telling him about how to take care of the flowers. Luckily Caroline already told him about that, otherwise he'd definitely not know what to do since he practically zoned out whatever Pierre was saying.

"That'll be 200G."

Sebastian paused, processing what was said before pulling out his card and swiping it through the scanner as Pierre cleared his throat, catching his attention. "If you'd like, I can put the bouquet in a bag so it's more discreet," He offered. Sebastian stood there for a second, thinking it over before nodding, "Yeah, I think that's a good idea. Thanks.".

Pierre nodded as he carefully placed the bouquet in a bag before handing it over to Sebastian, "Good luck." Pierre waved goodbye to him as Sebastian walked out the door, passing by Abigail and Sam without saying a word. The sun immediately glaring down on him as he squinted, looking around to see if Luna was around.

He took a deep breath before taking the long walk back to his house. Hoping that Luna wasn't there to buy something from his mom.

The walk home was uneventful, by the time he arrived his mom already closed down the shop so there was no way Luna would've been there which he was definitely thankful for, as he was able to sneak back into his room unnoticed.

He placed the bag with the bouquet under his desk as he then collapsed onto his bed, not even bothering to take off his shoes as he just laid there.

He pursed his lips together as his eyes stared straight into the wall, his mind racing as it all sank in.

He was going to confess to her.

Sebastian felt his face heating up, his eyebrows furrowed as he thought about it more.

What if she rejected him?

What if she didn’t want to be friends anymore?

Has he just been getting the wrong signals?

What if-

DING!

Sebastian rolled onto his back as his hand dug through his pocket and pulled out his phone, flipping it open, his eyes focused as he saw the notification.

1 NEW MESSAGE

He paused, assuming it was Sam, before opening up his texts and seeing who it was.

Luna.

Perfect timing as ever.

He paused before opening her text message, there was an image attached.

'Look!! Solar has me trapped :c'

The image attached showed a blurry picture of a small blonde kitten laying on Luna's shoulder, her face is barely visible from the top corner but his eyes could make out that she was smiling. As Sebastian processed what was happening another text was sent.

'She's never done this before! I think she finally likes me :D You're no longer gonna be her favorite person anymore!! hehe >:3'

He smiled as he quickly typed back to her,

'It's not my fault that she just likes me more than you, I'm not the one who tries to give her baths.'

He his arm fell limply to the side of his head as the phone began buzzing again, must've struck a nerve with that, he laughed as his other arm draped itself over his eyes.

His mind started to wander, thinking about his concerns about confessing to Luna. Why was he getting so worked up about this?

Why this of all things?

He was never one to hesitate over taking risks.

He bought his motorcycle on a whim when he was seventeen and he pierced the majority of his piercings by himself. All those worked out just fine (except his first piercing, which did get infected.) So why was he so worried about this?

He pursed his lips, his empty hand tightly being curled into a fist.

The worst she could do is say no, and even then, it probably wouldn't be a harsh rejection either. She's a nice person, she wouldn't be hurtful about it.

Sebastian turned his head and stared at the phone in his hand as he thought about what Sam said to him earlier about Luna feeling the same way.

He did have a feeling that she was getting a crush on someone, but maybe he should see if he could question her a bit on it just to make sure before he screwed anything up. He considered himself decently observant despite what his friends said. He was sure that he’d be able to tell what her reactions meant to certain things he'd do.

He took a deep breath as he moved his arm so his phone was hovering over his face and started typing without a second thought. His thumb hit send without even reading it over so he wouldn’t get second thoughts as his eyes bore into the screen ahead of him.

'Hey, do you want to hang out tomorrow? If you're not busy, that is.'

He stared at the message, his brain screaming at him for actually going ahead with the plan he so messily came up with.

What were the chances she’d say yes? She’s very busy with her farm this season, so there’s no way that–

DING!

'Yeah sure!! I should be done with my work around the afternoon like usual, should I come over then?'

'Yeah.'

Sebastian quickly threw his phone to the opposite side of his bed as he shoved his face into a pillow, his face felt like it was on fire. His hands buried themselves in his hair as he cursed himself out, silently thanking the fact that his pillow muffled him.

He lifted his head, his eyes staring at the bag with the bouquet in it as it sat there taunting him. He felt as if this was one of the biggest risks he's ever taken in his entire life. He didn't want to screw this up and lose her as a friend.

But with the off chance that she might like him back the way he liked her,

Then maybe this was a risk worth taking.

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writtenonreceipts · 8 months

Text

Rowaelin Month Day Ten: Co-Stars With Chemistry @rowaelinscourt

Find Part One Here Rowaelin Month Masterlist

Thanks for all the kind words on part one! I hope part two lives up to your expectations! Part three, and the conclusion, will come later this month. Bonus points if you spot the "against the tide" reference ;)

Warnings: None, right around 4k words

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

The Words We Share-Part Two

<<Welcome to Terrasen! I’m your host Aelin Galathynius and this week we’ve got a special episode coming your way. We’ll be live with none other than Rowan Whitethorn to discuss his new book. Dead Man’s Game is his first step into fantasy and a twisted tale of pirates, curses, and of course a dive into Scottish history. Join us next week in a special LIVE episode. Until next time, readers.>>

It wasn’t the worst promotional Aelin had ever done in her life. But it also wasn’t the best. She’d written and scrapped over a dozen and so far, that was the one that hadn’t sucked the most. Somehow.

Aelin stared at the blinking square on her computer that asked if she wanted to publish the message or not. Technically she could still turn down the interview. She could tell Dorian off and ignore Whitethorn for the rest of his existence and move on with her life. And then she’d probably lose her job and end up homeless.

Wincing, she clicked the button and immediately spun away from her computer.

Her office, big and bright and vibrant, had a large window that overlooked downtown. In the distance the mountains were shrouded in a thick layer of clouds, not surprising but a little disappointing. She much preferred her summer months warm and clear. Still, she let herself admire the view and took a moment to appreciate the stillness of the day.

Until her gaze landed on her phone.

There were a handful of messages from Sam that she’d left unread. He’d tried calling her after she’d returned home, but she didn’t pick up. Rowan was still on her mind. Rowan and his stupid accent and his stupidly large hands. How was it that someone she hated (and who hated her in return) could treat her to the best date she’d been on in months? Years?

She didn’t know. And she didn’t want to call Elide to talk to her about it because Elide was a meddlesome little minx.

Now as Aelin stared at her phone, she found herself wondering if there was anything Sam could say that would have her forgive him.

Whoever stood you up is an idiot, Rowan had said.

And…maybe he was right.

A knock at the door was the only thing that snagged her attention. She looked over to see Dorian leaning against her doorway.

“Aelin,” he greeted. He had his usual grin in place, black hair in an easy disarray. His blue eyes shone with too much placating humor.

“I hate you.” It wasn’t an exaggeration either. He was really good at being annoying.

“Oh, c’mon, I’m doing you a favor,” Dorian insisted. He didn’t look the least bit apologetic. “I guarantee this’ll get your viewership up.”

“Not even Chaol is this mean,” Aelin said. She slumped down in her seat, tilting her head back against the chair rest.

“You only like him because he brings in chocolate cake,” Dorian said.

“Yeah and he isn’t an ass like you.” Aelin continued glaring at her boss and friend, picking up her pen to scratch at the pad of paper beside her desk, just for something to do.

“Aelin, Rowan’s our best-selling author, not to mention the demand of getting more events from him like this.” Dorian picked an invisible piece of lint from his shirt and shrugged. “Hate him all you want, but our readers and your listeners have been begging for this.”

Aelin had seen requests forms on their website, she’d been to plenty of conventions and heard the reviews—she knew that Dorian was right. But…

“I like Whitethorn even less than you,” Aelin said. Though, the words sounded hollow in her own ears.

Dorian didn’t seem to notice. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll take you out to dinner to make up.”

Aelin had had enough of men propositioning her for dinner. She waved Dorian off.

“Go be the big CEO man, I’ve gotta write this script and get the general outline to Whitethorn,” she said.

Dorian left with a wave of his hand.

Aelin rolled her eyes and pulled up a new document on her computer. A small notification bar in the corner of the screen indicated views on the recent upload. In the span of three minutes there were already over two hundred views and the number was rapidly rising.

She glanced at the large stack of paper still sitting in the corner of her desk. She’d gotten it just last week—the tell-tale mysterious new novel Rowan had written. Even Dorian said it was remarkable. Aelin had yet to view it since it was no longer a part of her job description to edit and critique manuscripts. But since she’d be interviewing Rowan, she got early access to the novel.

In truth, she’d enjoyed Rowan’s work. There was always something about it, even if she did mark up every page with as much red as she could manage. But, really? Most of the comments weren’t negative. Often, she even found herself praising the way a sentence worked or the callbacks he gave to earlier chapters.

Now, having the manuscript before her, Aelin couldn’t help but feel a little excited at having the book before her.

At least this would be enough of a distraction for her.

It wasn’t until the sun began to set and shadows crawled across the walls of her office, that Aelin finally looked up from the manuscript.

And to her phone that lit up with another message.

Cursing, Aelin opened the chat with Sam.

>>Sam: you can’t keep ignoring me.

<<Aelin: I told you I needed time.

>>Sam: It was one night. we’ll have dozens more.

Aelin scoffed at the surety in his words. Shaking her head Aelin sent one last message.

<<Aelin: I’m done. This is over. I can’t keep playing games and being a placeholder.

>>Sam: We’ll talk in the morning.

He could try calling her, but would find it difficult considering she was blocking his number that very moment.

It felt good to set that boundary, to tell him no, to feel like she was in control.

In all honesty, she was still caught up on spending time with Rowan Whitethorn and not tossing her wine on him. He’d been a gentleman, an ass, but respectful all the same. She would have to thank him for helping her that night despite how much she didn’t want to. He didn’t need to step in and give her an excuse to use against Kaltain. And he certainly didn’t need to pay for dinner and make sure she got into a cab safely. He hadn’t needed to do any of it and she hadn’t expected him to. But he had.

She wanted to be irritated at him for it. She wasn’t a damsel in distress for him to take care of or who needed help to begin with. She would have dealt with Kaltain on her own just fine.

Still, it was nice to have someone looking out for her.

Shaking her head, Aelin flipped through the manuscript to the first page once again.

She had a dream, once, years ago, where she would stand out on a rocky shoreline and stare into the ocean as she wondered just how far she could sail before the world swallowed her whole.

…

Between screaming Fall Out Boy lyrics, two impromptu dance parties, and chugging half an energy drink in the parking garage of the publishing building—Aelin finally found herself ready to face the inevitability of the day.

“It’s going to be fine,” she told herself one more time as she fixed her lipstick in the rearview mirror. “Everything is going to be fine.”

It had been her mantra that she prepared for the live podcast she would be filming that day. For the first time in a very long time, Aelin found herself nervous for the day. And she did not get nervous. No, Aelin prided herself on being confident, capable, and being able to keep her head on straight.

That was before she’d read Rowan’s book, though.

She got out of her car, energy drink and manuscript in hand, and headed up to her office to prepare for the interview.

She hadn’t had any issue in reading Rowan's book. In fact, she’d stayed up the entire night just to finish it. Everything about the book had captured her attention. From the magic to the world building to the romance—it had all been just what she loved most in a book. Even if the book wasn’t as spicy as Aelin preferred to get in her books, there had been something real about the way Rowan chose the write this novel.

And now she’d have to tell him.

She was not looking forward to it if she were being honest. For as much as she loved gushing about novels and diving into different worlds and characters…she’d never done so about one of Rowan’s books. And this book was so different from his other books.

Aelin felt far too jittery as she waited for the elevator. The usual crowds all milled about her, all too concerned with their own issues to give her much credence. She didn’t know if that was better or worse.

She hadn’t felt this way about an interview in ages. Only her first real podcast session had been as bad and that was only because she’d gone into in on no sleep and four shots of espresso.

The elevator slowly lumbered up to the proper floor while Aelin paced the small space. Thankfully no one else was in here with her. That would have just been icing on the cake.

“It’s going to be a great day and everything is going to be fine,” she told herself as the doors slid open to the proper floor. Dorian of course was standing right there, leaning against the far wall.

His black hair was styled perfectly out of his face, his smirk ever present. He gave one last twist to the new wedding band on his finger as Aelin stepped out of the elevator and began walking to her studio.

“You ready for today?” he asked, keeping stride with her easily.

“Of course, I am,” she replied. Her confidence was deceiving, but it was something she’d practiced ever since she was a child who wanted to get out of trouble. “It’s just like any other podcast.”

Dorian made a noise in the back of his throat. “This is potentially the biggest release our company—”

“I know, Dorian.” Aelin stopped outside her studio and handed Dorian the mess of energy drink and notes she was carrying so she could unlock the door. “I’m not an idiot.”

Dorian followed her inside and she caught a sheepish smile on his face. “Sorry. I know you know. And I know you’ll take this seriously. Just…try not to hate on him too much, yeah?”

It was no secret really that Aelin and Rowan had a slight rivalry going on. At least, Dorian was the only one really aware of it. And Elide. But Elide was the best at keeping secrets herself.

“Can I tease him about the fated mates trope?” she asked.

“No.”

“Boo.” Aelin took her things back from him and rolled her eyes. “Do you want to read through my notes? Give me your approval, oh great one?”

He was already walking back out of the studio, waving a hand overhead. “Behave!”

Aelin snorted a laugh; she’d been granted honorary approval to go to his bachelor party three months ago; if anyone needed to behave it was him. She wondered partially if his wife actually realized what she’d gotten into.

No matter.

Aelin settled into her usual routine upon arriving at the office in the morning. If she kept things as normal as possible, they were bound to work out, right?

So she bounced between her actual office and the studio for the next hour, running through her questions and side comments she could make about various points and ideas she’d highlighted from Rowan’s book.

Elide stopped by a few times to give her a countdown to when the podcast would air. The other woman was technically an acquisitions editor, but Aelin was going to try and steal her to be her assistant. That would piss Kaltain off.

When there was ten minutes left until they were slated to begin. Aelin went to the studio to make sure everything was ready. She usually made sure the couch and chair were angled properly first with microphones at the ready before ensuring a blanket and a few pillows were easy to reach. Not that she thought Rowan would want to snuggle up with a puppy studded fleece blanket—it was the thought that counted.

She was just organizing her desk with her notes and her copy of Rowan’s manuscript when she heard Elide’s voice down the hall.

“She’s just down this way.”

Aelin gave everything one final look in the studio before deciding that was just as good as it was going to get. After all, everything was neat and organized. Except the bookshelves. Those were pure chaos. But in Aelins opinion, keeping bookshelves looking perfect was a useless task.

Elide rounded the open door, looking far too amused by what was about to unfold.

“Hey Aelin,” she said, leaning against the jam. Her black hair hung in loose waves and her expression was carefully impassive—though that gleam in her eyes was hard to miss. “I found your next interview in the halls.”

Sure enough, standing behind her was Rowan. He was dressed casually, far more casual than she’d ever seen him before. No dress shirt or tie, no slacks, no fancy shoes worth more than her car. It was a startling contrast to when he’d saved her at the restaurant. Even his hair was different. Not that it was bad. The man had good hair.

“Thanks, Elide,” Aelin said with a smile. She hadn’t been staring too much, had she?

“Let me know if you need anything,” Elide said. There was no mistaking her brow raise as she departed.

Oh, Aelin was certainly going to be interrogated later this afternoon. She stuffed that away far in the back of her mind.

“Come on in, Mr. Whitethorn.” Aelin gestured him into the room and swung the door shut behind him. “Have a seat on the couch, we’ve got a few minutes.”

She was going to keep this professional and dignified. All she had to do was get through the next forty-five minutes and then this would be over. Fifty if she took in time for ads and brief intermission in the middle.

“You can call me Rowan, you know,” he said as he took up an easy position on the couch. His silver hair was, as usual, perfectly styled and left his handsome face on display. “After the restaurant and everything.”

Aelin had to fight to keep from glaring too much at him. Though she did end up pursing her lips tightly enough that her lipstick was definitely going to smudge.

“I think we should agree to never talk about that night. Ever.” True nothing that embarrassing had come of it, other than a hit to Aelin’s pride, but talking about it would only lead to more people hearing about it. And she really didn’t trust Whitethorn not to tease her about it. Besides, talking about getting stood up by a guy she’d wasted too much time on, to Whitethorn of all people, was not something she wanted to do.

Especially considering she’d spent a great deal of time in the last week thinking about how handsome Rowan actually was.

Rowan only smiled as he watched her shuffle her notes and papers. Aelin knew if she met his gaze that she would let something slip so she avoided eye contact. She'd gotten good at that.

"If you need water, there's a mini fridge under that end table,” Aelin told him. “Or I can get you a coffee real quick?”

“Water’s fine,” Rowan said. He reached for the fridge and pulled out one of the plastic bottles chilling. “I'm curious though, did you forgive the man who stood you up? Or did he have a reasonable explanation?"

"It's none of your business," Aelin replied stiffly. This was a mistake. Maybe she could call Elide in here to act as a buffer. "Do you want a look at some of the questions I have planned or are you okay going in blind?"

Rowan shrugged. "I'm always up for a bit of fun."

Aelin didn't have a response for that so she spent the last few minutes until airing explaining to Rowan how the microphone worked. He could mute himself if he needed to cough or anything like that, but ultimately, she had control over sounds volume and everything along those lines.

"Do your worst," he told her as she opened the podcast.

"Welcome to Terrasen, listeners and readers alike," Aelin said, still glaring at Rowan. "As you know, today's session is going to be extra fun and special as we have Rowan Whitethorn with us for the first time. I know many of you have asked about having him on the show as well as have been interested in what he's been working on recently, so here we are."

She paused for a brief moment in preparation. "Rowan, thanks so much for taking the time to join us today."

"Thanks, Aelin," he said, leaning into the mic just a little. His accent lilted in that familiar way and he looked far too at ease sitting across from her. His watch clicked happily along on his wrist catching the light as he clasped his hands together. "It's good to be here. I've been a long-time listener."

Liar. "Really? What have been some of your favorite episodes?" She'd catch him out and not feel the least bit sorry for it either.

"Well, the series about what makes a romance book was rather interesting, I have to say. Especially your comments on smut," he grinned at her and Aelin flipped him of. At least this wasn't a video session too.

"I like a bit of fun," she dryly, throwing his own words back at him. "Good to know what keeps you entertained."

"Oh, I like hiking too."

"Right," Aelin snatched on to that with the sole goal of getting out of the current conversation. "Which is something you grew up doing a lot of right? You grew up in Scottland?"

"Aye, just outside of Edinburgh," Rowan said. "Moved to America when I was seventeen, but most of my summers I went back to stay with my cousins."

"Do you miss it?" Aelin asked. "From what I've read in your books the landscape the history, the people, it's all so beautiful and wonderful and rich."

"Aye," Rowan ran a hand over his chin. "It'll always be a part of me. My da taught me everything about the outdoors and nature and adventuring as he could before he passed, that's why I moved to America. So my mum could be near family. And growing up without him just left a hole in my heart, y'know? So writing and research just turned into a way for me to remember him.”

Aelin tried to ignore the effect of his words. She knew what that was like exactly.

“Right,” she agreed, “sometimes telling stories is the best way to remember someone, or something.”

Rowan met her gaze again and something flashed in his eyes as he nodded his agreement.

“Plus, it’s an easy way to relieve stress,” he added. “With all the research I’ve done, y’know I spent every day for three months training with a group of tae kwon do specialists just to learn how to describe one fight scene properly?”

From there, it was easy for Aelin to continue asking him about writing and research and why he’d chosen non-fiction to begin with. Just like the night at the restaurant—it was far to easy to talk to him. Far too easy to have this simple, easy-going conversation with him.

In fact, it had been a long time since she’d been able to talk like this to anyone. Which, maybe wasn’t a good thing. Most of this was scripted anyways not to mention Rowan had done plenty of other interviews and certainly had many of these responses memorized.

Hell.

She’d started reading too much into this.

“So,” Aelin said as they were nearing the end of the segment. “I’m still surprised you actually made the leap in to fiction—fantasy no less. And with a lead character like Celaena Sardothien.”

“You’re surprised I can write a female main character?” Rowan chuckled. He’d rolled up the sleeves to his shirt a while ago, one of his arms in a full tattoo sleeve. She couldn’t understand whatever language the majority of the tattoos were in but she did recognize a few Gaelin words and symbols in the mix.

“Well, yes.”

“C’mon, Galathynius,” he said, “even you have to admit you liked my book. I did a good job. Especially with Celaena.”

“Do I though? You should see all the marks I made on the manuscript.” In truth there weren’t very many, at least not as many as she had given in the past. But she would add some if it would shut him up.

“The book hits all your favorite tropes,” Rowan said. He wore that all knowing smirk of his that had been infuriating (and fine, fascinating) her for the last forty-five minutes.

“How do you even know what I like?”

Rowan chuckled, a sound that hit Aelin like a shot to the heart. “We’ve been friends for five years.”

“We’re not friends,” Aelin corrected, but there was no malice in her words.

“Please Galathynius,” he insisted, “you like me.”

“Shut up Whitethorn.” Aelin muted him as burst into laughter and she had to fight to keep her own voice even as she addressed her listeners. “We’ve just had a great conversation with novelist, Rowan Whitethorn about his upcoming high fantast adventure Dead Man’s Game which will be released on November fifteenth. Thanks for listening friends, we’ll see you next time.”

She made all the necessary clicks and flicks to shut the mics down properly and just like that the segment was over. Looking up, Aelin scowled at Rowan. She’d been doing that a lot hadn’t she?

“Seriously?” she asked.

“Are we really not friends?” Rowan finally leaned back in his seat. Even that small bit of distance was enough that Aelin felt she could finally take a breath of air.

The table between them wasn’t even that big but being close to him had put her heart in overdrive and made her mind feel like a pile of mush.

“Whitethorn,” she said, ignoring his small eyeroll at the use of his last name, “we both know the extent of our “relationship” has been insulting each other.”

That made him pause and another look flashed across his features, one Aelin couldn’t identify. But it made her squirm all the same. So, she launched herself out of her seat. She didn’t want to think about anything beyond being done with this segment and maybe having some peace of mind.

“It was a live session,” she told him, “so you can listen to it whenever. I think Dorian had a few extra things he needed to get you relating to your edits.”

Aelin needed to shut down whatever emotions were cutting through her. It wouldn’t do good to dwell on them or Rowan longer than necessary. This was just a passing occurrence. Eventually he would leave their publishing house—or get so big as a name that he couldn’t be bothered with her silly little podcast.

Not that she cared. Or that it mattered.

Slowly, Rowan stood from his seat, his eyes trained on her. “Do I get your edits?”

Aelin blinked. “What?”

“Your edits? All the notes and thoughts you had on the manuscript?” He didn’t move to leave like she expected him to. He just kept waiting for her answer.

“I—” she paused. “You really want them?”

“Of course,” he said, “your thoughts have always been invaluable to me.”

She’d never really understand that word: invaluable. Oh she knew what it meant and that Rowan said it as a compliment, but it had always struck her as an asinine and bland way of describing somethings true worth. Rowan regarded her with such sincerity that Aelin was already reaching for the giant stack of papers from where she’d left it on the edge of her desk.

For some reason, she was hesitant on giving him the pages. It wasn’t like she’d struggled with this before. As she held the manuscript out for him, however, she felt shy. And Aelin damned Galathynius was not shy. Mala above.

“Ignore what you don’t like,” she said, just as she always did.

“Thank-you,” Rowan said. He tucked the papers into his arm and, finally, retreated for the door.

“Wh—” Aelin paused mentally cursing herself, “Rowan?”

He turned, hand on the doorknob.

“Where did Celaena’s character come from?” she asked, it was the one question they didn’t get into during the interview, but the one that intrigued her most. “She’s brilliant, strong, and has to be inspired by someone. Who?”

A small smile quirked one side of his lips as he pushed the door open. “I thought it was obvious.”

And then he was out the door, swallowed up by a shout from Dorian calling him into his office.

Aelin could only stare after him. And just like the night of that insufferable date—she was left confused and uncertain about what his words actually meant.

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Tumblr is not allowing me to tag anyone right now, so if you could reblog to increase exposure, I would so very much appreciate it! <3

#rowaelin #rowaelin month #rowaelinmonth #aelin galathynius #rowan whitethorn #rowan x aelin #aelin x rowan

91 notes · View notes

juyeonszn · 7 months

Text

WHAT IS LOVE? — TWENTY FIVE

PAIRING ₊˚⊹ lee juyeon x f!reader

SUMMARY ₊˚⊹ all is well in the business of matchmaking. except it’s actually not, because lee juyeon, the school’s star baseball player, has just come to you for help in obtaining the girl of his dreams. oh yeah! and he happens to be the guy you’ve had a crush on since your first year of university.

MORE ₊˚⊹ i’m sleepy

˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖ ˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖ ˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖

TWENTY FIVE — The Middle Of My Heart (1.60k)

Juyeon had always been a “go with the flow” type person. For as long as he remembered, he never let himself stress out over trivial things if he didn’t have to. It was the reason he was voted baseball captain.

As he was growing up, he didn’t let his patience waver when he couldn’t get something down. If there was a skill he couldn’t master the first couple tries, he didn’t beat himself up over it. He kept practicing and practicing until he got it, reveling in the fruit of his labor afterwards.

He never changed in that way. If something didn’t go his way, he tried not to let it get to him. Some things happened to be out of his control and there was nothing he could do about it. He wanted to keep that mindset even in this situation, with Tzuyu.

He stares in his mirror with slouched shoulders. What did one wear for a date? What did one wear for a fake date?

If he admitted it to himself, he was nervous. He felt like he could break into a sweat any moment. He wanted to impress you with the amount of effort he was about to put into this entire thing. He’d even called the roller rink this morning to reserve it for just the two of you for an hour. He was dedicated.

Part of him also just really wanted you to enjoy yourself. His friends’ warnings had been bouncing around in his head all night and he wondered if he truly was hurting you in any way, shape, or form. If that was the case, he wanted to make it up to you with this.

Juyeon heads out 30 minutes earlier than the time he originally told you, so he had some extra time to choose a bouquet of fresh flowers before he picked you up. He immediately feels out of place the moment he walks into the flower shop, the florist noticing by the slight part of his lips. She comes up to him with a friendly smile and asks what she can help him with.

“I’m looking for something for a friend,” Juyeon says, eyes dancing around the shop. “She doesn’t have a favorite flower, so she’s relying on me to pick for her.”

The corner of the florist’s lips quirk up and she nods. She was an older lady with an all knowing, all seeing look in her eyes. “Since it is the peak of summer, I think I have just the bouquet for you!”

She leads him towards the lily section of the shop. Juyeon didn’t even know there were this many variations of the simple flower. In fact, it wasn’t simple at all considering there were dozens of hybrids and species right in front of him. His attention lands on a vibrant orange one in the center of the display. The label reads “Enchantment Lilies” and Juyeon doesn’t even care if the florist brought him to look at any others. He decides that these are the perfect flowers for you.

“Can— uh— I’d like to get these actually.” He points at the bouquet. The florist’s smile widens even more.

“These were actually the ones I wanted to show you. Great choice. She’ll like these very much.” He follows her back to the register to pay for the set, not even worrying about the price. She wishes him luck on his date and he ignores the way the back of his neck heats up at the assumption.

The whole drive to your apartment, he glances back and forth from the bouquet in his passenger seat and the road. He doesn’t know if it was the vivid color or the flower itself that gravitated him towards it. It could’ve been that it was just as bright as you were. But it also could’ve been that there was a uniqueness about the set that was similar to your own.

He hoped these would become your favorite flower, just like they’d become his.

His car rolls to a stop right in front of the stairs for your unit and he shoots you a quick text to alert of his arrival. For a second he just sits and waits, but then realizes this is a good opportunity to practice his gentlemanly behavior. He snatches the bouquet (gently) and exits the vehicle, running around to the passenger side to wait for you.

He’s not entirely sure why his cheeks feel like they’re on fire or why his pulse begins to speed up when he sees you coming down the steps. You’re dressed in a hot pink summer dress, almost looking like a real life Barbie. The two of you make eye contact momentarily and Juyeon can’t help the goofy grin that spreads across his face.

“Woah, opening the door for me?” You ask as you stroll up to him, holding your purse in front of you with both hands.

“Chivalry isn’t completely dead,” he jokes, still holding the flowers behind him as he opens the car door. “Here, these are for you.”

You hide the way the whole interaction shoots you straight in the heart, thanking him and getting inside. While he’s shutting the door behind you and running to the other side, you swallow thickly. These had to have been the prettiest flowers you’d ever seen. They were wrapped in shimmery cellophane, the stems tied together with a pearly white ribbon. You didn’t know how much longer you could keep pretending this was fake for you.

It’s silent for a majority of the ride to the roller rink, save for the sound of his music filling the car. He hums every now and then but you keep your focus out of the window, forcing yourself not to look at him. It was very much on you for agreeing to do this, but you knew if you stared for too long it would be game over for you.

If there was no chance for you to be his girlfriend, you at least wanted to be his friend. You wanted to keep him around any way possible, as selfish as it was. If that meant going on pretend dates to aid his future love life, then so be it. It was the closest you’d get to the real deal.

Juyeon puts the car into park once you’ve pulled into the lot of the roller rink. You raise an eyebrow at how empty it is except for the few cars that most likely belonged to the employees. The male drags you toward the entrance where a neon sign buzzes with the word “Open”.

The entire rink is vacant minus you and Juyeon. There’s an employee at the DJ stand, a couple at the snack bar, and a few others doing other things, but as far as patrons go it’s just the two of you. When the DJ sees you, he switches on the music and an early 2000s mix plays through the speakers along with the main lights dimming and the colorful ones shining onto the rink.

“What size shoe do you wear?” Juyeon asks you, snapping you from your daze. You tell him and he disappears, most likely to grab skates for you.

When he returns, it only takes a few seconds to lace them up and get out onto the floor. You wobble the whole time, Juyeon holding onto your shoulders and walking backwards. You keep your eyes trained on your feet out of fear that you’ll trip if you look away. Maybe wearing a dress was a bad idea.

“W-why is it so empty today?” You gulp, gripping his biceps tightly. He slowly guides you around the perimeter of the rink, his attention solely on you and the cute way your nerves show through your expression.

“I might’ve reserved the place just for us for an hour,” Juyeon confesses, bringing a hand to cup the back of his neck. “I figured it’d be easier to learn how to rollerskate if there weren't a shit ton of people around.”

You flicker your gaze up at the brunette who has a fond glint in his features. Upon hearing his admission and the loss of support on one side, your foot slips from underneath you and you lose your balance. You brace yourself for the impact against the hard floor, squeezing your eyes. But said impact never comes.

There’s a hand pressed to your lower back and a warmth near your face. Your eyelids flutter open cautiously, preparing yourself for the sight before you. You’re dangerously close to the floor, but Juyeon’s hold on you is enough to keep you from falling completely. His nose almost brushes your own, eyes searching your face for any indication that you might be hurt. When he doesn’t find what he’s looking for, they meet yours. You’re entranced by the softness in his irises, as if he alone was capable of bringing peace to the world.

Juyeon feels like his heart has just stopped beating in his chest. There’s a heavy sensation weighing on top of him that he can’t quite put his fingers on. All he can think about is the fact that you look gorgeous at this proximity and he doesn’t understand why he’s never seen it before. Why he’s never noticed the way your hair frames your face or the way your lips form a pout when you’re deep in thought. Why he’s never noticed that you look at him the same exact way he’s been looking at Tzuyu.

And then he’s utterly confused. Because why is he thinking all of these things?

PREV ₊˚⊹ TWENTY FOUR — for research purposes

NEXT ₊˚⊹ TWENTY SIX — AND THE CROWD GOES WILD

MASTERLIST

˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖ ˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖ ˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖

TAGLIST ₊˚⊹ @matchaoreocrepes @maessseongs @tannieflix @winterchimez @kyusqult @itsbeeble

#the boyz #the boyz smau #tbz #tbz smau #the boyz juyeon #tbz juyeon #lee juyeon x reader #lee juyeon smau #lee juyeon social media au #juyeon x reader #juyeon smau #juyeon social media au #juyeonszn #what.is.love.juyeon🩷

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glitchtricks94 · 2 months

Text

No Title

Giyuu Tomioka x Reader

I had a song in my head. Then this happened. The song is not exactly happy either, so forgive the random soft angst. And lack of beta reading. Also I can't think of a title so hence the fic name. Enjoy the short drabble! -Glitchtricks

"Don't go yet." The words Giyuu uttered to himself as he watched you leave him in the airport repeated in his mind like a broken record. He never had the will to try and push past that moment, to push past losing his chance. Giyuu could never push past losing you. The years rolling past since you flew away had all bled together. He went through the motions, moving forward without the original passion he had in his life, finding himself the gym teacher at his old high school. He supposed that he could be on a worse path in life, yet everything would still feel more vibrant next you. You still kept in touch, yet everything felt far too distant, your time in America having shaped you into a whole new person. You and Giyuu could barely find anything to speak about anymore in your conversation outside of the usual pleasantries. Heart wrenching to him, really. Each night he swore you stabbing him in the chest would hurt less than this song and dance you both seemed so insistent on performing. "Good morning." "It's 4 PM, Giyuu." Giyuu stared at his phone in his hand. Each time that happened he could only pick out that you still remembered to use his first name. "I suppose that's something." He'd mumble to himself as he got up and prepared for the day.

Nothing could have prepared him for the sight of you again, not after being apart for so long. You still looked as radiant as the day you left. Giyuu froze as he was walking past the art room, catching you speaking with Tengen cheerfully. His eyes were glued to your figure, your bright smile that always lit up his entire world, adding color to every dull hue that surrounded him. It felt like he was breathing again when he suddenly found you latched onto him in a hug. When did you even see him? "Giyuu, it's been forever!" You cheered, your familiar voice acting as an anchor. Shakily raising his arms, Giyuu returned your excited affection, his mind still wriggling out of the disbelief that had him in a vice. "When...When did you-" "You know Tomokia?" Tengen asked, stealing your attention from Giyuu. "Yeah, we were best friends before I left for America!" You chirped. "He was nothing but supportive of chasing my dreams." Tengen hummed in surprise at your response. "Oddly flashy for a guy like him." "He was always full of surprises when we were younger." Giyuu cleared his throat, drawing attention back to himself. "When did you get back?" "Just the other day. I thought I messaged you about it." That explained it. Giyuu had recently tried to force himself to push forward, having changed his number last week to hopefully get the ball rolling in giving up the ghost that had to be his deep seeded infatuation with you. Leave it to him to reconnect so soon after. It always did feel like the universe was laughing at him in some twisted manner. "I changed my number the other day." Giyuu murmured, looking away from you in shame. "We never exchanged much other than small talk. I figured you had decided to stay in America and didn't want to come back home." "Giyuu, I told you I was studying abroad for my art degree." You spoke, making him flinch at the clear displeasure in your tone. "I know, I know." He sighed, looking back at you with desperate eyes. "Could we discuss this somewhere more private?" "Don't stop on my account." Tengen laughed, earning a set of glares from both you and Giyuu. "Fine." You huffed, shaking your head. "I still don't get why you thought I'd never come home, though." Giyuu felt his heart stutter as you continued speaking to him as you walked out of the room. "I could never leave you forever." You still said that? After nearly half a decade? He swore he could faint. Giyuu didn't realize his feet began to move to trail after you, trying to soak of more of your sorely missed presence. "You still mean that?" "What?" "That you won't leave me forever?" You stopped, looking over your shoulder at him. For a moment, it felt like the days following graduation again. Giyuu couldn't tell if he was having a flashback, everything around him blurred except for you and your honey sweet smile. "Of course I mean it." "Don't go yet..." He whispered, earning a confused look from you. "Giyuu?" You called, panic sweeping over you as tears brimmed Giyuu's eyes. "Please...Please don't go yet..." He whimpered, stepping closer as you turned to face him fully. "Please don't leave me..." He sniffled, pulling you into a tight hug, desperation rolling off him in waves. "Oh, Giyuu..." You sighed, hugging him back as you pet his head in the, thankfully, empty hallways. "Of course I won't leave you." "You did once..." "And I came back." "Why? I thought you were happy in America, away from me, pursuing your dreams." Giyuu sobbed, his grip on you tightening once again. "My dreams were always rooted here, with you. I just had to go somewhere else to truly start reaching for them." You explained softly, your mind filling with old feelings you thought you had shed in your third year of high school. "I always wanted to work beside you in some way." "Does...this mean you won't leave again?" "I could never leave you. Not forever."

"Thank you...Th-thank you so much..." Giyuu bawled, finally relaxing as the dam that held all his emotions and feeling for you, the very dam he tried so hard to build over the years in your absence, finally broke, drowning him in the ensuing flood. "I missed you for so long..." "I missed you, too." "Do you want to catch up over tea?" "Why not over dinner? Lasts longer." "Yeah..." Giyuu breathed, stepping out of your embrace and wiping his eyes with his sleeve, a small, tired smile painting his features. "We can get your favorite and eat while watching a movie. Just like we used to." "That sounds perfect." "After school's out then?" "Absolutely." You replied, flashing Giyuu a signature grin. He missed that terribly. He nodded. "See you later."

#glitchwrites.notepad #giyuu tomioka x reader #giyuu x reader #kimetsu academy #light angst #giyuu x you #demon slayer x reader #tomioka angst #angst with a hopeful ending

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elsfleur · 11 months

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could i request headcanons of abby or ellie with a gf who is spiritual or a witch? really likes astrology, tarot readings and the like? thank u :)

this is so self indulgent of me because i literally work as a tarot reader and am an astrology girlie so this request absolutely warmed my little witchy heart, yes yes yes!

🔮 ʾ ⠀

✧˚ you had stumbled upon what was clearly a teenage girl’s room in patrol, bright pink walls and polaroids, decorative burnt out lights from christmas trees spread across the ceiling, but most importantly: a stack of gossip magazines that put literature to shame. ellie submitted to her curiosity, quickly scanning through the still vibrant pages until her eyes fell on something curious: horoscopes. studying the small font beneath the latin names filled with dates she finally spoke up: a gemini.

✧˚ you hummed in response, confused, before catching sight of the magazine in her hands: oh, yeah you’re a gemini sun. a scorpio moon too, based on my calculations.

✧˚ a what sun? there are moons too? in all her years of life with a burning passion towards astronomy and space, going as far as dreaming of being an astronaut, something so distant in the reality you lived in, never has she ever heard the words you were speaking, searching through her memory for something and being faced only with constellation names, were you calling her a star?

✧˚ ellie was absolutely enthralled by your astrology knowledge, tearing out the horoscope pages out of all the magazines and carrying them back to your campsite despite having heard you say those were not accurate. she would take the opportunity to bombard you in astronomy facts, eyes glowing as you took the time to explain that beyond being the second planet from the sun and earth’s closest planetary neighbour venus was also a representative of love. she wanted your explanation on all of them, she would suddenly be starting conversations with things such as dina you’re such a leo and you would laugh.

✧˚ the girl was a general skeptic of all things, but when she told you about the retrograde movement of planets and you explained the devastating effects of a mercury retrograde on people, you best believe she would blame every miscommunication to occur during that period on the planet.

✧˚ at one point she would even begin confusing astronomy and astrology among herself, not quite sure where she had gotten the information she was stating as fact to joel until he burst out laughing over the traits of the taurus constellation. she really didn’t see what was so funny.

✧˚ the crystals and tarot cards were a bit too much for her to believe though, rolling her eyes until she fully understood how much those meant to you, choking back laughter as you eagerly explained what some pretty rocks could do energetically and read her future. she was the only one allowed to make fun of you though, elbowing jesse in the ribs when he started to question your card interpretations.

✧˚ you best believe she used your interests to her advantage though, memorising just enough to know if you felt sick she should hand you the light green rock and the pink rock was a love declaration (you gave her a small tumble of rose quartz and she carried it around everywhere), would write you little fake horoscope notes about how it would be a good week for your zodiac sign and a smoking hot auburn haired girl would kiss you that week and placing it by your bed, even went as far as drawing you both as the lovers card, though she would not show you it.

🔮 ʾ ⠀

bonus!

✧˚ abby was the opposite, not caring much for astrology but taking your tarot readings with the utmost seriousness. you once pulled the death card before she was off to patrol and her eyes instantly glistened with tears before you started explaining that was not what that meant.

✧˚ would still ask if your zodiacs were compatible though and absolutely take it to heart if you said they weren’t, deeply offended and claiming there clearly wasn’t any proof to your beliefs. if they were though, she’d point it out with a smirk every single time you spoke of the stars.

#ellie williams x reader #abby anderson x reader #ellie williams headcanons #abby anderson headcanons #the last of us fanfiction #lesbian #astrology #elsfleur

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bananasofthorns · 2 years

Text

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

“Hello?” Joel calls as he flies into Gobland, dodging stalactites and stalagmites to land in front of fWhip’s house. “Are you home, you smelly, tiny man?”

He wanders around shouting for a minute or two before there’s a responding yell from deeper into the cavern. A second later, fWhip appears on the path, building materials still in hand. He looks even tinier from so far away. Stifling a laugh, Joel makes his way over.

“Hi!” fWhip greets brightly, staring up at him with wide eyes that shine like soul lanterns in the dimness of the cave. “You’re not here to kill me again, are you? That would be really inconvenient, I’m kind of in the middle of something.”

He gestures over his shoulder at the build. It kind of just looks like a few grey and teal boxes stacked on top of each other. Joel raises an eyebrow.

“It’s a work in progress,” fWhip explains.

“Ah. That makes more sense.”

“The inside looks really cool, though! Do you wanna see?” He pauses, then clears his throat. “You’ll, uh. You’ll probably be able to fit. I mean, I’m pretty sure I measured everything correctly.”

Joel’s eyebrow raises higher. Very reassuring, that is. “Sure, lead the way,” he says. “I’ve got something to ask you about.”

“Of course, of course! Come on in. I’ve still got some finishing touches I need to add, but the inside is done, for the most part.”

fWhip cheerfully leads them inside. Joel doesn’t bother to hide his awe as he takes in the high ceiling, the vibrant colors, and the surprisingly refined but still cozy atmosphere of the inside of what he’s now realizing is a bar. fWhip leads him to one of the booths at the side of the room and hops into a seat, pulling the table closer to himself so that Joel can sit. It’s a bit of a tight squeeze, but he does, somewhat surprisingly, fit.

“This place is sick,” he says, eyes catching on the Warden head sitting on a shelf above the bar.

He’s a little bitter about that.

...okay, maybe more than a little bitter, but he’s not here to pick a fight. He’s here to do the opposite of that, and also he has to admit that it does look pretty cool up there. Fits with the color scheme and everything.

“Why, thank you!” fWhip says with a bright grin that bares his pointed teeth. It feels only a little bit like a threat, but he couldn’t do anything to Joel, anyway. “What did you want to talk about?”

Joel clears his throat and pulls the shulker out of his inventory. “Well, first of all. I’m here to offer you this in exchange for the copper you gave me.”

He sets the box on the table and waits, watching with a suppressed grin as fWhip opens it, eyes going so wide Joel imagines he can see sparkles.

“No way,” he breathes, holding the half stack of raw gold blocks - most of Joel’s supply, thank you very much - like they’re the most precious thing he’s ever seen. “This is all for me? Are you serious?” He pauses, eyes going impossibly wider. “And the diamonds?! Joel!”

“Yeah, of course it’s yours, why else would I be giving it to you?”

“Well I don’t know! This is amazing, thank you.”

fWhip stuffs everything back into the shulker and tucks the entire thing into his inventory. Joel very carefully doesn’t let his eyebrow twitch; it’s not like he was planning on giving away the shulker, too, but he has plenty extra. It’s fine.

“Was that it?” fWhip asks.

Oh, boy, Joel thinks, even though he’s pretty sure it won’t be that big of a deal and fWhip will probably say yes anyway, especially now that he’s been softened up by all the pretty, shiny things. He doesn’t even know why he’s nervous. Here goes nothing.

“So, you know how last world, we invited Grian on for a day?” he starts, tentative.

fWhip nods. “Yes,” he says, drawing out the word. “What, you think we should do it again?”

“Kind of.” Joel pauses, takes a deep breath, and blurts, “Can you whitelist Etho for me?”

He hesitates, then adds, “Please.”

fWhip stares at him. His eyes are very large and very blue. It’s a little unnerving. Joel stares back and refuses to show how unsettled he is. He’s, like, seven feet taller than fWhip. It’s fine. He’s totally fine.

“Etho,” fWhip repeats. “As in, Etho’s Lab? That Etho? The guy who basically invented modern redstone?”

Joel considers this. “Yeah, I guess so.” Honestly, he’d kind of forgotten about Etho’s reputation. “He’s, like, my friend now.”

“How’d that happen?”

Joel tries not to be offended. “We, uh. We met in Double Life...?”

fWhip’s eyes go wider, if that’s even possible, and he nods, slow and understanding. Sometimes Joel forgets how clever he is. He doesn’t even know where he found out about what, exactly, Double Life was. Maybe Jimmy told him. Maybe it was Lizzie, in those weeks at the start of Empires when him and Jimmy and Scott were gone.

“Was he your—?” fWhip starts. Joel cuts him off with a nod that’s a little more frantic than he means it to be. “No way.”

“Yes, way.” Joel hesitates. “At first, kind of I didn’t expect us to, like, get along, since I’m— well, you know how I am, and he’s so...Etho—” He grimaces. fWhip’s never met Etho; he probably has no idea what Joel’s talking about. “But he’s actually pretty cool, I guess. Don’t tell him I said that.”

fWhip takes that in for a moment.

“Yeah, of course we can invite him,” he finally says. “Just let me know when and I’ll do it. Anything for you, buddy.”

He reaches over the table - or leans his entire body over, really, with how short he is here - to pat Joel’s shoulder. Joel sighs. He shouldn’t be this emotional about...he doesn’t even know exactly what. Stupid death games, he thinks, then pauses. That’s not quite right.

Stupid emotions.

“Thanks,” he manages. “I’ll, uh— I’ll message him. And let you know when, and all that.” He pauses. “Thank you again, fWhip. Really.”

fWhip grins, as bright as the gold tucked away in his inventory. “Any time, my friend. Any time.”

#smallishbeans #ethoslab #boat boys #aywth au #banana writes things #banana made a post #next chapter they'll actually talk dw asdjhkf

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elvensorceress · 1 year

Text

something more than seven sentences Sunday

tagged by @rogerzsteven @buddiefication @spotsandsocks @alyxmastershipper @dickley-buddie @kananjarus @messyhairdiaz @rewritetheending @ajunerose @hippolotamus @buddierights @shortsighted-owl @jobairdxx 💕

tagging @fatedbuddie @monsterrae1 @the-likesofus @thekristen999 @blutterlie @matan4il @mansikkaomenabanaani @spaceprincessem @fiona-fififi @heartbeatdiaz @finduilasclln @lostinabuddiehaze @bekkachaos @eddiescowboy 💕

idk what this is yet, it’s a surprise to everyone including me. but here, you can have what I have so far 😘

Buck is the first to know. Like with most anything else.

Eddie says, “I’ve been thinking about— about maybe trying—” The words fail him because what doesn’t fail him these days. He has to try again in the middle of the locker room because he was the fucking dumbass who started saying these things at the end of their shift.

Buck’s first shift back.

Buck, of course, tips his head curiously, attentively, but if he wonders why these words are so difficult and why they taste like asphalt and storms and acidic sludge hospital coffee and sizzling burning flesh and desperation in Eddie’s mouth, he doesn’t say anything. He couldn’t know any of it anyway.

“I’ve been thinking about dating again,” Eddie manages this time, and isn’t struck down by a bolt of lightning on the spot. Because they were already struck down by a single bolt of lightning, and it can’t happen twice. It can not ever happen again. It’s still there, fizzling under his skin, singing in his blood. It makes his flesh too hot too tense too tight too itchy too needy.

Buck’s face is somehow motionless, blank, without expression or reaction. Like the words struck him dead. Because things strike out of nowhere and they stop his heart and take his life and leave Eddie screaming himself hoarse to anything that might bring him back.

“Yeah?” Buck says, like he’s interested, like he’s supportive. He’s always supportive. But he sounds lifeless. Neutral nothingness.

Eddie can’t really look at him, but affirms, “Yeah.”

“Hmm.” Now, it’s almost thoughtful. The soft, small sound that comes from him. Or doubtful? Maybe doubtful is a better description. Because Buck doesn’t sound like he believes it or comprehends it, and obviously no one in the world would expect it.

Eddie doesn’t even know how it came out of his mouth.

How did it come out of his mouth?

“Yeah, no,” Buck says. Contradictions and ambivalence. Ambiguity. “I get it. I-I mean you’ve been alone and— and single now for—” He pauses and likely attempts math in his head. His forehead scrunches and his eyebrows narrow and he touches one fingertip to the other fingertips on one hand like he’s counting. “For a long time? So. Yeah. Makes sense. You, uh, you want help setting up some profiles and picking out dating apps?” He shuts his locker door and it’s a very loud, very harsh clash that jitters and grates over Eddie’s frayed nerves.

“No,” because how can he not add his own contradictions and ambivalence. “God, no.”

Buck scoffs then gives him a wide, amused, slightly mocking smile. One that’s too stiff but also too knowing. “It’s not a weird, rare thing anymore, old man. Lots of people meet through dating apps. Most of them I bet. That’s what they’re there for.”

Eddie scoffs back at him because he can. “Yeah. I’m sure that is what they’re there for.”

At least the amusement doesn’t fade. Nothing of him should ever fade. Nothing of him should ever be lost. Nothing should die nothing should die nothing should die. “Hey, not all of them are for hookups. Some are legit. I can help. I know a ton of them.”

He walks to the doorway where Eddie is standing and then he’s too close and freshly showered and smells sweet and clean and alive and vibrant, and Eddie would fall to his knees and offer worship this second if it meant feeling him alive, always keeping that bright beautiful spark cradled in his hands no matter how it burns.

“Unless of course you don’t care and want all the options?” Buck says with such nonchalance? As if anything about it could ever be apathetic indifference?

He’s lucky Eddie can’t touch him because that at least deserves a fist to his arm. But touching can’t happen. Touching burns, destroys, hurts, aches with how it presses on wounds and digs into scar tissue and ignites fire in his blood. Eddie levels him with a glare instead. “I said dating. I was thinking about dating not fucking around.”

Buck laughs something hollow and mirthless. “Same difference.”

“It is not. Not to me.”

Buck rolls his eyes. “Okay. Whatever. Have fun bar hopping and bothering people in the middle of a grocery store or whatever the old-fashioned way is. Oh! Maybe Chim and Hen and Bobby and everyone should know about your plight and they can set you up on blind dates. That’s a good, old school form of dating, right? I could probably even text Taylor just to say hi and see if she has any ideas of someone for you.”

What in the unholy fucking spawn of hell? Eddie sticks a vicious finger in front of Buck’s face and only just manages to not snarl, “You breathe a word of this to anyone, especially the soul-sucking ex-demon and I will—”

“You’ll what?” Buck quirks an eyebrow and chuckles like the petulant brat he was when they first met. “Kill me dead? Sorry, you’re too late for that. Already died. Already came back. Still here. Didn’t work.”

It’s so fucking chipper and derisive, and Eddie might legit hate him for a good three seconds.

If he could ever hate someone he needs and craves and adores and misses and could breathe like oxygen and worship more than any deity because Buck is life-giving sunshine and soul-sustaining joy and every word that could ever be synonymous with love.

But he is a self-deprecating jerk sometimes. Still casually dismissive of his worth. As if he didn’t have a whole horde of people falling apart and shattering over nearly losing him.

So, Eddie does what he was taught any parent should do when confronted with this kind of negative attention-seeking, destructive, self-hatred. He stops the way he wants to scream and grab him and shake him until he fucking understands. He gives him nothing but his own cold, dead expressionless non-reaction, tells him, “Not funny.” And walks out without another word.

Buck is extra sweet and extra behaved and extra soft the next time Eddie sees him, when he comes over for dinner and playing games with Chris.

But that doesn’t help Eddie either.

#seven sentence sunday #buddie #buddie wip #911 #911 spoilers #fic: catching lightning #jenwyn wip

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akaridream · 1 year

Text

after dark pt. 3: stakeout (hawks x reader)

tags: hawks x reader

cw: cursing, hawks is a big fat flirt, afab reader, mentions of drugs/alcohol

taglist: @inkthgoat @pnsduck @animedreamworlds @melxdig @mizvaun @mysideeffectsofyou

masterlist

From the roof across from the Fukuoka police headquarters, you watched the sun drift lower in the gray sky. Your shadow was long and wind howled in your ear. In the other, you were being entertained by Hawks’ incessant singing.

“And all I am is a man, I want the world in my hands,” he sang, off-key and unabashed through your ear piece.

You pulled your hoodie tight around your ears. “Oh, please don’t ruin The Neighborhood for me too,” you laughed.

“Ruin?” he said, feigning offense. “You get a private karaoke session and this is how you thank me?”

Tired of pacing, you laid down on your stomach, chin on top of your hands, peering over the side of the building. “If I had my way, we’d be listening to an orchestral suite or something.”

“Orchestral suite?” He fake snored, making you scoff.

“Don’t be so uncultured, bird brain,” you sneered. “There’s one called The Planets, it’s actually really cool. Each movement was written to be the personification of the Greek gods they’re-” Hawks snored even louder, but you just talked over him. “It’s actually really interesting!”

He laughed. “Relax, I’m just messing with you. Tell me about-”

“Hold on a sec, I’ve got movement.” Your eyes focused on the door of the police station.

“Ugh, finally. Dude is supposed to be on patrol already, not cooped up in the office,” Hawks whined.

“Never mind, it’s not him,” you said, body relaxing.

“Damn. Is surveillance always this boring?” he asked.

“Not when I get to listen to the music I like,” you joked.

“Wow, so ungrateful! But you like The Neighborhood enough to know them at least, right?”

“Yes, I like some popular stuff. But I find long, complex pieces to be more mentally stimulating when I’m working, especially since I’m always alone.”

“So what’s so cool about this Planets piece?” Hawks asked. You could tell he was munching on a snack.

“I don’t want to put you to sleep.”

“You won’t, I like hearing you talk about stuff.” You could hear the smile in his voice. It made your heart stutter.

“Well… Okay,” you resigned. “So each planet has a totally different vibe. Like, Mars is the god of war and that movement is aggressive and bombastic, definitely sounds war-like. But then Venus is next and it’s this ethereal, soft piece with a dreamy feeling. All seven are totally different. So yeah, it’s neat.”

“Sounds cool. Do you have a favorite?”

“That’s tough. Everyone loves Jupiter, and for good reason. It’s bright and vibrant and the main melody is gorgeous. I also really appreciate Saturn, it has this solemn vibe but has this really pretty ending. And I really like the far away, mystical feeling of Neptune, it definitely makes you feel like you’re floating through endless space. But I also can’t overlook the dreamy, almost sleepy sense you get from Venus… Sorry, I’m rambling,” you chuckled, slightly embarrassed.

“No, not at all,” he said. “Like I said, I like hearing you talk. You’ll have to send your favorite one to me, I’ll check it out.”

“Really?” you asked. “You aren’t just making fun of me for liking classical music?”

“Hey, I may joke around a bunch but I promise I’m not making fun of you, angel. You’re smart, so I’m sure you have good taste.”

There’s that word again. Angel. Why does it make my heart stop like that? Wish I had the guts to ask why he insists on calling me that, you thought. But you were too scared to broach the line of flirting just yet, especially since you were on the job. How awkward would the rest of your contract be if he wasn’t interested? Plus, you weren’t kidding when you told him you were chronically single. You had no idea how to act in a relationship, and there was little doubt in your mind that Hawks was experienced. His confidence was proof that he knew just how attractive he was. You’ve never had trouble with emotions before, so get this little crush under control, you told yourself.

“So what do you usually listen to?” you asked.

“Pssh, I dabble in all sorts of stuff. Some pop stuff, some metal, whatever’s good. How about we go for some Local Natives next, they’re a little more indie.”

After the first few bars, you started tapping your foot. “Hm, good bass line,” you said, barely hearing Hawks humming along. “Did you say you like metal?”

“Oh yeah. But I won’t scare you off with that just yet,” he chuckled. “It can get a little intense.”

“Hey, I get it. We all need an outlet for that teenage angst.”

Hawks gave a full-voiced laugh. “For sure! Speaking of angst, you ever get into American Emo stuff?”

“Yeah, quite a bit when I was young,” you said.

“I’ll make us a playlist and we can serenade each other all evening tomorrow. Let me know your requests!”

“Will do,” you said, internally laughing at the thought of Hawks outside your bedroom window with a boom box like in the movies.

Your target finally exited the police station and headed for his patrol vehicle. Hawks turned off the music and switched your headsets to listen in to the police scanner so you could follow the target without needing to trail him directly. While Hawks’ wings were built for speed, yours were not. You followed as closely as you could, taking shortcuts across rooftops to rest your wings while keeping an eye on the streets below.

“Sounds like he’s going to do some detective stuff, probably a follow-up interview,” Hawks said.

“Yep, headed north. Any movement there yet?” you asked.

“Actually, my target just walked out. He’s with two others. Just regular office chit-chat.” He paused. “Seems to be headed to the train station with the others. He gets on at Hakata and heads south to Kasuga, so I’ll just fly there- Well, apparently he forgot something in his office.” He paused again. “But he isn’t going back inside, just standing around looking at his phone. Weird.”

“That is weird. Wonder what his deal is,” you said, thankful that your target had stopped for coffee so you could catch your breath.

“Okay, he’s on the move again. I’m suspicious now, so I might tail him to see which train he gets on.”

Hawks followed his target from the rooftops to the train station, then sent out a feather to discern which direction he would go.

“He’s heading north,” Hawks said, surprised. “That’s unusual. He must not have wanted his co-workers to know where he was going. I’m going to head up to the next station, see if he gets off there.”

Once he reached the next train station, Hawks carefully scanned the crowd, looking for his suspect from the Safety Commission.

“Must have stayed on the train. Hopping up to Hakozaki next.”

“That’s pretty close to where I am. They might be meeting up after all,” you said.

“I’ll be surprised. If they’re links in the Trigger supply chain, it’s pretty bold of them to meet up so soon. I mean, your guy just got caught about a week ago.” Hawks grew quiet in thought as you both flew over the city.

“Just made it to Hakozaki, and I already see him getting off the train,” Hawks said. “He’s heading east towards the river.”

“Shit. So am I,” you said. “You feel confident in getting a clear photo of him whenever he stops walking?”

“I took one of him already, just in the crowd at the station.”

“Really? That’s perfect. Maybe you know what you’re doing after all, Hero,” you said.

“You taught me well, and I may not be as dumb as I look at least.”

“You getting close? I’m across from a fried chicken place we might have to check out,” he asked, kneeling near the edge of the roof.

After tailing the police cruiser for a few more blocks, you spotted crimson wings ahead, despite the dying daylight. You drifted on the wind towards him, your silent wings aiding your stealthy approach.

You smirked and landed several feet behind him, your boots crunching the gravel giving away your position. He whipped around, slightly startled.

“Damn, your wings really are silent! You’d make for a bad-ass stealth hero, you know.” The way his bright eyes raked over your form made you self-conscious, but his smile told you he was pleased with what he saw. “The all-black outfit really suits you.”

You rolled your eyes playfully. “Oh please. You’re laying it on a bit thick, don’t you think?”

“Laying what on thick?” He stood and drew near to you, flashing a coquettish grin.

“You’re such a flatterer, Hawks.”

He brushed away a strand of hair stuck to your hood. “What, I’m not allowed to compliment you?”

You blushed and couldn’t hide your smile. “We are co-workers, you know.”

“Yeah, for now.” His flirty tone made your cheeks flare to life further. No guy had ever shown you attention like this. He must just be this way with everyone. Can’t let myself think I’m anything special compared to the number three hero in the country.

You walked to the edge of the building together, peering over to the street below. Hawks’ target from the Safety Commission looked around, then spotted the police cruiser pulling over near the next intersection. He began walking with purpose.

“Think I should head down to street level and try to listen in?” you asked.

Hawks shook his head. “Don’t want you to get spotted. I’ll send down a feather.” He handed your digital camera over to you. “Try and get some pics of them together without going all the way down there.” Despite his typical lighthearted demeanor, Hawks’ tone was serious and his eyes narrowed in focus.

You nodded, both of you watching the man below. Without a word, he entered the police vehicle.

“Well, that tears it, huh?” Hawks asked, sending a red feather down to rest on the roof of the car.

You fluttered over to a lower roof to take pictures of the pair. Thanks to the street noise, you couldn’t make out any of their conversation. Hopefully Hawks’ feathers are as useful as they seem. Your camera shutter clicked away as they conversed. After taking a sufficient number of photos, you returned to Hawks’ side.

“They’re working together, and it’s definitely related to Trigger,” he said, eyes closed in concentration. “They’re surprisingly confident despite the report last week. Yamamoto- the PSC guy says he can supply more on Thursday. Officer Mori says that’s fine. They’re going to meet at Bay 7 at the docks, 10 pm. No correspondence until then.”

“Damn. You were dead on, then.”

Yamamoto exited the vehicle and hailed a cab. Hawks’ feather darted from the police cruiser to the roof of the cab, listening in.

“Sounds like he’s headed home now. Must be making serious cash if he can afford a cab for that distance,” Hawks said. He recalled his feather and stood, rubbing the stubble on his chin. You watched the gears turn in his mind and couldn’t stop the thought of how incredibly handsome he was. His large hands, strong jaw, glimmering eyes… He chewed his lip in thought, making you subconsciously lick your own lips. He is not making this easy for me… He’s too fucking hot.

As if he could sense your stare, he caught your eye. “You okay?” he asked, voice low.

Mortified at being caught, you shook your head. “Yeah, I’m fine, sorry. Just thinking.” Suddenly warm, you lowered your hood, trying to get the cool air to circulate around your burning ears.

“Yeah, I was too. Have to wonder if there’s anyone else in the PSC or the police department involved or if it’s just the two of them. We should try and figure out who Yamamoto is getting his supply from and when.”

“Yes, I agree. Perhaps we can dig up some intel tomorrow or Wednesday, then catch the hand-off Thursday night,” you suggested.

He nodded. “Yeah, good plan.” He sighed and shrugged. “Well, I guess that’s as much as we can do for now. But hey, I’m glad we got what we were looking for.”

You snorted. “Yeah, me too. Can’t believe it went so well, actually. I almost never get anything usable on the first night.”

“For real? Then we should spent the rest of the evening getting some dinner to celebrate our first success!” he said with a brilliant grin. “I think that fried chicken place is open til nine!”

“We’ve only been at it for a couple hours now and you’re already done for the evening? We could go back to my office and start looking for info,” you said, crossing your arms.

“Well, I’ve been doing hero work all day and I’m starving! And your office is aaaall the way across town. We’ve already made progress, so I think we deserve a little reward. So, what do you say? Join me?” he asked, extending a hand towards you.

“Have you forgotten that you’re super famous? I can’t be seen with you in public!” you said, more harshly than you meant it.

“Aw, angel,” he pouted. “You aren’t going to let me take you out?” He tilted his head like a curious puppy.

Had it been anyone but the ever-charming and undeniably attractive Hawks, you might have scoffed. Instead, you sighed and relented.

“Do they have takeout?” you asked.

Hawks beamed. “Sure do! What sounds good to you?”

“Whatever you’re having, so long as it isn’t too spicy,” you said.

Hawks started punching the restaurant’s number into his phone. “You know, my apartment isn’t too far from here. We could always take this back to my place to eat, if you get tired of eating on rooftops.”

Your eyes grew wide. “You’re trying to get me to go back to your place on our first night of work?” you chuckled, assuming he was joking.

Realizing how his words had come off, he stammered. “Oh shit, uh- That’s not how I meant for it to come out at all! I mean- Yeah, I’m placing an order for pick-up, please.” His cheeks burned a lovely shade of red to resemble his feathers. He rubbed the back of his neck and you laughed silently as he fumbled through the dinner order. So he finally breaks the confident persona, only to come off even more endearing. He’s so cute my heart might explode.

He hung up the phone and turned back to you bashfully. “Should be ready in ten minutes,” he said, swallowing hard and chuckling. “Sorry, I really didn’t mean it like I was trying to hit on you or anything.” He paused. “Uh- Not that I wouldn’t hit on you, I mean, you’re gorgeous! But taking you back to my place would be-”

You laughed. “Hawks, relax, okay? I’m not mad or anything.” He calmed down and laughed with you. He thinks I’m gorgeous?

“Good. Sooo, you don’t mind me hitting on you then? Just a little?” he asked, cocking a brow up.

Your heart soared and you gave a coy smile. “Oh, if you must. So long as we’re done working.” You met his eyes, bravely returning his flirtatious spark.

“Yeah? Like… Everyday when we’re done, or after our little contract is up?” he asked eagerly.

“Geez, you are so impatient!”

“Yeah, maybe I am.” He shrugged. “But what can I say, you really are gorgeous.”

You couldn’t maintain eye contact, so instead you raked your eyes over his body. “Oh, shut up. But… You aren’t so bad yourself, bird brain.”

A soft blush bloomed across his cheeks and he shrugged. “Eh, I try not to look like a total wreck at least. While we wait, you wanna show me that planet orchestra you were talking about?” he asked

“Yeah. I may not be the brightest bird, but I like to be open to new things.”

You smiled and pulled out your phone as you sat on the ledge. “I’ll play it through the headsets, okay? This one’s Jupiter, I think you’ll like it best.”

Hawks sat down next to you, his wings puffed up to block the biting wind. They were much larger than yours, but they didn’t intimidate you as they had upon your first meeting. Now, they were your shield.

The song began with a jovial burst of energy. The driving percussion and triumphant brass energized you, and you found it hard to sit still without conducting an invisible orchestra with your fingers.

“Sounds like a movie,” Hawks remarked.

You nodded. “Yeah! A ton of modern film composers have been influenced by this suite.” You closed your eyes, allowing your head to sway with your favorite passage.

Hawks was trying to pay attention to the music. He really was. But he was far more enraptured by you. Your excited heartbeat, your soft scent, your angelic wings nestled within his own. The elegant music only emphasized his infatuation with your beauty. He knew you would eventually open your eyes and catch him staring, but he just couldn’t take his eyes off you.

You sat in comfortable quietness, enjoying the music together. You felt Hawks’ arm gently resting against yours, pinky nestled against yours. Butterflies surged in your gut as you allowed yourself to lean into him. He provided warmth, deep in your chest and relief from the cool wind. As the lengthy song neared conclusion, you opened your eyes. Hawks’ golden irises sparkled in the dim light, his gaze soft and attentive. He glanced at your lips, but turned his head away.

Was he… Thinking about kissing me? Or am I totally misreading him? I have to be over-thinking it. He’s a flirt with everyone, right? Gotta keep this professional. Probably shouldn’t have said he could hit on me.

As silence filled the air once more, you opened your mouth to speak. Hawks’ stomach gave a noisy growl, sending you both into a laughing fit.

“Right on cue, as always!” he said.

He stood and offered his hands to you, helping you to your feet. Not letting your hands go, he pulled you close.

“Would it be super cheesy to say that song was almost as beautiful as you?” he asked with a cheeky smirk.

You giggled. “Yes, extremely.”

He laughed too and brushed his thumb over the back of your hand. “Guess I’ll just keep it to myself then. Back in a few with dinner.”

As he fluttered down to the street, your heart hammered against your ribs. You rested your icy fingers against your burning cheeks. He is such a dork. An absolutely adorable dork.

part 4

#hawks x y/n #hawks x reader #bnha hawks #keigo takami x reader #keigo takami #keigo takami x y/n

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