#ask their friend if it's okay if they use their white noise machine

[thebibliosphere]

I'm scrolling through some ambient noises to help me write, and it got me thinking. Y'know those white noise machines people use for sleeping?

Do you think there's a very specific brand marketed at Gothamites?

Like everyone else has rainy nights on the beach, whale song, the crackle of the campfire, and everyone's all-time favorite "rickety fan about to oscillate off your shitty ikea desk at four in the morning."

And then there's "The Sounds of Gotham," a nighttime ambiance made up of heavy thunderstorms interspaced with the wail of police sirens and the occasional smattering of gunfire.

If you upgrade to premium, you can get the added sound effect of "small vigilante child dropping onto your apartment roof followed by the heavy pitter-patter of their combat boots as they dropkick a criminal off the fire escape."

Mm. Cozy.

#they go to metropolis to visit a friend on the weekend #ask their friend if it's okay if they use their white noise machine #friend is like 'sure' #proceeds to spend the rest of the night wondering why their guest room sounds like an active crime scene #'oh that' says the Gothamite 'that's just my white noise machine' :) #Metropolites continue to be very worried about their goth counterparts #invests in earplugs from the drugstore asap #batman

[silver-ink-iron-words]

T_T

This is so touching!

I was going to wait until tomorrow to post this. But then I was like, I've already made them wait long enough, and what's the harm of posting two things in one day?

Felt it'd be nice to have Part 6 be a little less plot-driven. You'll see what I mean

-------

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

QPR, Part 6

“[Hero], come on!” the villain called, from where they laid sprawled on the couch. “You said it wouldn’t take that long!”

“Hold on just a sec.” The hero’s voice floated from the kitchen. “They’ll be done soon.”

The villain scowled and flopped back on the pillows. “You never see Do-yun making Ha-rin wait around forever.”

“That’s because tv shows have this magical trick called the jump cut.” There was the sound of an oven door closing. “We'll just let them bake, and then they’ll be so good you won’t even remember the wait.”

The villain groaned.

Then they heard the sound of running water, and burst up, rushing into the kitchen. “Are you doing my dishes?!”

The hero jerked their head up like they’d been caught vandalizing. “I was just going to do a few while we waited.”

“Okay, one, you do not need to do my chores on k-drama night. And two, how long is the baking going to take?!”

The hero glanced to their phone on the counter. “’Bout fifty more minutes.”

The villain gaped. “That’s most of an episode!”

“Well I didn’t want us to have to pause the show during a big scene. This way we can – Jesus your hands are freezing!”

The villain had come up behind the hero to hug them, pressing their hands on the hero’s stomach.

“Come watch tv dear,” they said into the hero’s shoulder. “I’m cold without you.”

The hero shook their head, but also cracked a small grin. “You’re evil.”

The villain matched their expression and pressed their hands more. “Of course I am. It’s the only way I can get you to cuddle me.”

In the end, the brownies were, in fact, good enough to make the villain forget why they were annoyed in the first place.

---

“Oh my god,” the hero said.

The villain fidgeted. “Do you like it?”

“Like it?” The hero looked up. “[Villain], it’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”

The hero was holding a small fluffy teddy bear, its fur the black, grey, white, and purple of the asexual flag.

The villain beamed. “Really?”

The hero nodded gleefully. “He needs a name.”

“I think the tag says its name is ‘Fuzzy’ or something. You could – ”

“Ferdinand,” the hero decided, assessing the stuffed animal. “Ferdinand Bearnsby. The next Prince of Denmark.”

The villain wrapped the hero in a hug. “I’m so glad you like it.”

---

“So is [Villain], like, a law-abiding citizen now?” the hero’s friend asked.

“Uh, sort of?” The hero gazed around at the restaurant’s outdoor seating area. “They still break minor laws, but I think they’ve really toned it down to stress me out less.”

“Hey, that’s great.”

The hero swirled their iced tea with their straw. “Yeah, I guess.”

The friend quirked an eyebrow. “You don’t agree?”

The hero sighed. “Okay, so don’t ever tell [Villain] this, but I think their ‘devil may care’ attitude is maybe, kinda . . . a little bit cool?”

The friend grinned. “Oh really?”

In return, the hero’s smile was sheepish. “It’s a little embarrassing to admit, but I secretly wish that they’d behave more like their old villainous self sometimes.”

“Hm, well I suppose that – ”

Something enormous crashed into the street, making all the dishes clatter. The hero and their friend both whipped their heads around to see the cause of the noise.

“[Villain]!”

“Oh hi [Hero]!” The fifty-foot tall mech waved at the two of them. “Fancy meeting you here. How did you know it was me?”

“[Villain], why are you in a giant robot?!”

“Isn’t it cool?” The villain spun around, their heavy feet cracking the pavement and the machine's hinges screeching with every movement. “I finally figured out how to get the power system working.”

“This is illegal.”

The villain laughed. “Ah okay, I see the issue. But, fear not my darling, for I have” – they pulled out a sheet of paper that looked miniscule in their enormous metal hands – “a permit!”

Soon after, the mech continued walking down the street, while the hero followed them, shouting at the top of their lungs.

The friend watched them go, and then chuckled. Those two maniacs were perfect for each other.

---

A-spec stories taglist:

@feline17ff , @piept , @doublericenobeans , @vioqueenofmushrooms , @pigeonwhumps , @thelazywitchphotographer , @taramacgay

#asexual #aromantic #qpr #hero x villain #villain x hero #aroace #ace #aro #qpr pride #qpr concepts #heroes and villains #villains and heroes #villain #writing snippet #writeblr #aspec #aromantic spectrum #asexual spectrum #wholesome #fluff #Hero - 'they'll be done soon' #Also Hero - 'just fifty more minutes' #not a prompt

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Hug Me, Bring It In

A/N: As a sucker for hurt/comfort tropes I had to write out that scene of us comforting this unnamed Mark we find during our wormhole trip. That’s all <3

(ISWM 2 Spoilers)

..............

“Ouch--!! Goddamn...okay, where the hell did I get dropped off now?”

You tumbled onto the floor of a random bathroom, groaning a bit as you got to your feet.

Somehow you can never stick the landing; they didn’t get any easier to brace for. But at least you got a break from Lady chasing you to the ends of the multiverse. They were crazy enough to follow you through two timelines and a wormhole just to get that crystal from you.

Yeah, they were a USA agent, so you probably should have handed it over like any law-abiding universe inhabitant would. But they’ve given you reasons not to trust them--like threatening you and Mark with a gun when neither of you knew how to shutdown the massive wormhole.

You didn’t intend to mislead them into thinking you’re “evil” for refusing to surrender it. You recall that machine telling you to resolve the paradox.

When Lady ripped the bracelet from you, the crystal reappeared on your glove and glitched you out of the tunnel, confirming that only you could fix this.

It had to be you, and nobody else.

First, you had to find Mark so you can warn him not to use the warp core. But with every timeline you crossed, with every Mark lookalike you encountered..it only got more and more difficult.

You got thrown into either chaos or confusion. It was hell.

So you wondered what would happen in this universe.

Though after getting a bearing on your surroundings, you heard a noise outside the door, and you tensed for a moment. Then you heard it again.

It sounded like...someone crying?

You hesitantly opened the door in front of you, finding yourself in a seemingly normal modern house. Across the short hallway was Mark alone in a room, sitting on the bed with his back turned to you. This time around he was dressed like...a completely normal guy. White shirt and jeans. And he had headphones on, clearly unaware of your presence as he was listening to a song.

The only “odd” thing was that he was just crying nonstop, occasionally muffling his sobs with his hands.

As you entered the bedroom, you considered asking him about the warp core (and potentially break this universe)..but decided against that. Clearly he was upset and you couldn’t just interrogate him, even though this wasn’t your Mark and you were on an urgent mission.

‘Then again..I have all the time in the universe.’ You looked at the crystal. ‘If I can help at least one Mark I find..would it make any difference?’

It was worth a shot.

So you sighed softly and cleared your throat. “Hey. It's me."

Slowly, his sobs ceased for the moment as he looked over his shoulder to see you--his beloved captain--standing there with open arms. You figured a hug was the best thing you could offer to him right now. He got up from the bed, whimpering as he shuffled towards you with the saddest brown eyes you’ve ever seen on a man.

It was truly heart-melting. Even here, he’s still a damn puppy.

He stopped in front of you, lips trembling. As if he were waiting for your permission.

“It’s okay, you can cry. C’mere.” You made a beckoning gesture. That’s all it took for him to burst into tears as he latched onto you, his body shaking with every sob he let out.

You were slightly taken aback by his loud crying at first, but you just hushed him and patted his back, occasionally rubbing small circles instead.

This felt..unusually normal. You were worried this was some kind of trick, and something bizarre was gonna happen at any given moment.

Yet nothing did. You were just standing here, comforting your best friend from another universe as he sobbed into your shoulder. It was relieving, in a way. He probably didn’t realize how badly you needed this hug, too. So you took comfort in it as well.

“Can I..ask you something?” You eventually spoke as he appeared to be calming down, only for him to respond with a dry heave before more crying and incoherent babbling left him. It startled you for a second.

‘Okay, okay..bad idea. I can’t ask him about it. Maybe the next one I meet...’

Sighing, you stroked the back of his head. “I’m sorry I’m taking forever, Mark.” You muttered, not to him in particular. “I promise I’ll find you and we’ll fix this together. Just hang on a little bit longer for me, okay?”

Even though he didn’t understand what you were talking about, you could feel him nod into your neck, clinging to you tighter as the sobs slowed enough for him to speak one thing clearly: "Th-Thank you.."

You smiled a bit and closed your eyes, wishing you can just stay here and talk to him, even for a minute more.

Unfortunately, the crystal decided you’ve wasted enough time as you glitched into another world and your arms suddenly felt empty.

Annoyed, you dropped them as the smell of smoke filled your lungs, and you realized you were now decked-out in bomb squad gear in the middle of some ruined building.

'Well shit, it’s back to chaos, I guess. Time to keep searching..’ You huff, hoping that Mark you encountered was doing better.

#iswm x reader #in space with markiplier x reader #iswm 2 x reader #space mark x reader #actor mark x reader #idk if it's him for sure but eh #hurt/comfort #iswm 2 spoilers

[renegadeontherunn]

ooh these asks are so cool!

🍅🧵🕯️

hey kylie!!! thanks for the ask!

from these cottagecore asks

tomato: have you ever gardened, and if so, what is your favorite thing to grow?

haha…so funny story actually i have killed every single plant i have ever owned. including like cacti and succulents that i thought lived forever w no maintenance??!?!????? LIES. AKFJAJKFKA OKAY LISTEN. i used to live in a dorm room that got literally NO sunlight. and then after that i either under- or overwatered them probably bc they still weren’t getting enough sunlight & then well i don’t even know what the problem was after that. i’m just so bad at keeping plants alive i don’t know why! i even had a little plant app and everything! anyway. it’s spring now & i have a real apartment w a real balcony and everything so i’m probably gonna try my hand at plant mothering again akdjjakfka so wish me luck. oh! but to actually answer the question, my favorite plant that i had was a basil plant named pluto! rest in peace fr

thread: what is a recent creative project that you are proud of?

ooh wait i love this question! i got asked to be in a short film a couple months ago & that was so cool & fun! my friend is a film major & she was doing this whole project for a film festival my town was having (which was actually so cool & way bigger than i thought—like daveed diggs & cord jefferson came to do talks it was insane). and we had like kind of a hefty crew (like 11ish people in total) & it got submitted & screened at this arts festival which was so incredibly cool!!! and i just really loved the whole process of getting to film & actually seeing what that was like & yeah!

candle: what is something you can’t go to bed without?

WHITE. NOISE. specifically the sound of my fan, or, in the winter (cause i didn’t wanna have my fan running all night when it was cold akfjak) i actually got this like white noise machine that has all these different noise settings & options and the brown noise is my absolute fav!!!! it has like white noise, pink noise, and brown noise, which i didn’t even know were things but they ARE and the brown noise is the best i literally have it going every single night, i love it.

#these were such fun questions!! #thanks kylie!! #but yeah the short film i got to do was SO much fun #everyone i worked w was really cool & nice #and fun fact abt me it’s like my dream of dreams to be an actor #so this was an insanely cool & special thing for me to be able to do #so it made me really happy & i actually got a lot of really nice comments on my performance in it and stuff #even by people i didn’t even know which was really unexpected and nice #so yeah :) #love you kylie!!! i hope you’re having a wonderful evening #answered #fiona speaks #kylie tag!

[invisibleraven]

"I won't tell a soul" for Sweet Tarts?

Carrie crept down the stairs silently, careful not to wake her friends strewn across the floor of her living room. They had a party the night before celebrating finally graduating high school, and everyone had slept over, piling on cushions and air mattresses to sleep.

But Carrie had been unable to sleep, and after an hour of tossing and turning finally got up to fix herself a snack in hopes that would make her tired.

However when she entered the kitchen, there was Reggie, sitting at the island with a plate full of toast and a mug full of tea steaming beside him.

"Hi," he whispered. "Couldn't sleep?" Carrie shook her head and took the seat across from him. "Me either. Your house is freaky quiet."

"You need noise to sleep?" Carrie asked, swiping one of his pieces of toast, grinning over a mouthful of peanut butter and honey.

Reggie scowled at her momentarily then nodded. "I live right by Silver Lake, usually have my windows open so I can listen to the water. Otherwise I usually listen to my music to fall asleep, and I forgot my headphones. Hoped a snack would tire me out. You?"

"Brain is too active," Carrie admitted. "Wondering what comes next I guess."

"You got into your top school didn't you?" Reggie asked, sipping his tea.

"Yeah... but what if I'm not enough there?" Carrie pondered. "Here I rule the school, but I'll be a nobody out there, no one will know or care who I am, it'll be like starting from the bottom all over again."

"You could never be a nobody," Reggie replied, looking earnest.

"Thanks," Carrie said, ducking her head to hide her blush, then got up to grab a glass of water. "What about you?"

"Band is going on tour, hoping to secure a label the summer. Otherwise community college come the fall to study whatever tickles my fancy," Reggie replied with a shrug.

"No burning ambitions?" Carrie asked as she sipped her water.

"Not really. I like playing bass, and I help Julie's dad out on bigger photo shoots, I like that too. But I've never had a definite answer as to what I want to be when I grow up you know. Happy was good enough for me."

"I wish I could live like that, instead of having to have everything planned out for me," Carrie sighed. "Not have the weight of expectations, of supposed greatness on your shoulders every second." She looked up at Reggie. "Don't repeat that will you?"

"I won't tell a soul," he said, making a crossing motion over his heart then letting out a yawn. "Okay, I think it's time we both head to bed."

"D-do you wanna come up to my room? I have a white noise machine, might help you sleep?" Carrie asked.

"You wouldn't mind?"

"Nah. Besides if we can't sleep I can stay up and give you a manicure," Carrie replied.

Reggie eyed the chipping black polish on his nails. "Yeah, I could use a refresh. You wanna do that now or try to sleep?"

"Nails first."

The next morning, Julie yawned and rubbed at her eyes, glancing around at her still sleeping friends. Snickering at the line of drool escaping Luke's mouth as he cuddled his pillow, at Willie's fire socks hanging off his toes while his feet burrowed further in between Alex's knees, and Flynn snoring softly from her curled up position on the love seat.

Wait, where was Reggie?

Julie knew Reggie had a lot of trouble sleeping, so she figured he got up early to eat. There were some dirty dishes in the sink, but no traces of her bassist. Traipsing around the mansion, she caught no sight of him. Finally she went upstairs to see if he had left and let only Carrie know. Only when she pushed open the door to Carrie's room she had to stifle a gasp.

Because there, laid out on Carrie's pink princess bed was Reggie, his nails a fluorescent red colour, curled around Carrie, her nails a more sloppily done baby pink. They were fast asleep, and looked pretty darn comfy, so Julie decided not to disturb them.

But she was totally not going to be quiet making breakfast or making fun of them when they emerged to eat later. Until then she'd keep their secret, and quietly closed the door behind her, smiling all the while before going back downstairs to spoon Luke awake.

Or maybe she would take a page from Reggie and Carrie's book and go back to sleep. That seemed a good idea, and curled around her human pillow before drifting off, remembered hues of red and pink dancing before her eyes as she did.

#filled prompts #ficlet #jatp sweet tarts #julie and the phantoms

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

Andrew Doyle: Culture warriors don’t like debate, it risks taking them away from the approved script

Have you ever noticed that social justice activists all sound the same? And by that I don't mean they've all got plummy upper middle-class accents, although they generally do. I mean that they all seem to speak in the same sort of language. They use terms like "problematic," "toxic masculinity," "white privilege," "decolonization," "cis-heteronormativity" and a million other buzzwords.

And then there are the slogans. Here are some examples. "Trans women are women." "You are erasing our existence." "Your words are violence." "That's my lived experience."

Now, Robert J. Lifton has described these kind of terms as "thought terminating cliches." Those "brief, highly reductive, definitive sounding phrases that become the start and finish of any ideological analysis."

Culture warriors use these cliches to try and put an end to the conversation. The phrases simply don't invite further questions. And when they do, we end up in this weirdly circular discussion. You'll have no doubt seen exchanges like the following on social media:

"Trans women are women." "What is a woman?" "Anyone who identifies as a woman." "But how do I know how to identify as a woman if you can't define woman?" "The definition of a woman is anyone who identifies as a woman."

And this goes round and round and round. All of this brings to mind the 19th century headmaster Andrew Ingram who coined this interesting phrase: "the gostak disdims the doshes."

Now the sentence is syntactically sound. There is a subject, an object and an identifiable verb. As such, we understand that the doshes are able to be distimmed, and that such distimming is carried out by the gostak. Or if you want to see this in dialogue form, it looks like this:

"What is the gostak?" "The gostak is what distims the doshes." "What's distimming?" "Distimming is what the gostak does to the doshes." "Okay, but what are the doshes?" "The doshes are what the gostak distims."

And this is how these ideological discussions often go. They've come up with these impressive sounding words and concepts that can only really be understood in reference to other nebulous words and concepts. And you can see why this might drive everyone insane.

And of course that's the whole point. When people are speaking different languages, there can be no possibility of conversation.

This week, my friend Peter Boghossian, who's an American philosopher and academic, released a video in which he is seen attempting to reason with a group of activist students at Portland State University. He's conducting a thought-experiment in the plaza, and he's asking people to talk through contentious statements such as "defund the police" and "there are only two genders," and it was this statement that upset some of the students.

[.. 🤡 🤡 🤡 ..]

Now remember that this is all because Peter was simply asking people to discuss the statement "there are only two genders." And the video is worth watching in full, it's on Peter's website.

Because what you hear are people who are speaking in slogans as a substitute for thought. As you heard in that brief excerpt, all of them are repeating identical mantras.

And all of this was outlined in 1945 in an essay by George Orwell called "Politics in the English Language." He wrote:

"A speaker who uses that kind of phraseology has gone some distance towards turning himself into a machine. The appropriate noises are coming out of his larynx, but his brain is not involved as it would be if he were choosing his words for himself. If the speech he is making is one that he is accustomed to make over and over again, he may be almost unconscious of what he is saying, as one is when one utters the responses in church."

And that's what we're hearing from culture warriors. Just the mindless repetition of liturgical cant. One gets the depressing sense of a hive mind, people who have subordinated their individuality to a bigger ideological project. Whereas most young people still go to university to debate, to be challenged and to consider alternative world views, this minority of activists, they go to university in order to conform.

So when you hear these buzzwords, these thought-terminating cliches, it's always worth probing a little more, asking some further questions. Culture warriors don't like debate, because that risks taking them away from the approved script. They might even have to challenge some of their own certainties. But we should never forget that beneath all this jargon, these are intelligent human beings who have simply forgotten what it feels like to think for themselves.

==

Unsurprisingly, there are parallels with the more traditional religions.

“God is love.” “You send yourself to hell.” “Something can’t come from nothing.” “You just hate god.” “It’s a metaphor.” “You can’t know love without god.” “You can’t be good without god.” “Someone obviously hurt you.” “I’ll pray for you.” “Well, I have faith.”

Islam has its own.

“There are no scientific inaccuracy in quran.” “There are no contradiction in quran.” “Nowhere in quran does it say that.” “That’s a mistranslation.” “That’s the wrong interpretation.” “Girls matured faster back then.” “You have to read it in Arabic.” “That’s an unreliable hadith.” “Yet you say nothing about when Christians did it 300 years ago.”

As with the traditionally religious, I’m not convinced the woke religionists actually understand their own doctrine. For example, I don’t think they know that Judith Butler says there’s no such thing as an inherent or stable “gender identity.” All they know is the noises to produce from their larynx to demonstrate their piety and affiliation with The Right Side of History™.

Like the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation, there’s a mystical element to social constructivist ideology. Chanting the words will turn the wafer into the substance of the body of Christ; a miracle that defies material reality. Chanting the slogans will make them true; society will be transformed in conformance with “lived experience” and in defiance of objective reality.

#Andrew Doyle #the gostak distims the doshes #buzzwords #slogans #catchphrases #thought terminating cliches #talking points #regurgitation #mantras #woke activism #cult of woke #woke #wokeism #wokeness as religion #mysticism #woke mysticism #religion is a mental illness

[skzsauce01]

Designer Eye Bags and Luxury Grenades

Synopsis: Minho is simultaneously the best and worst partner you could have chosen for the chariot race. Or, the epic highs and lows of demigod chariot races.

Warning: mentions and uses of weapons

Word Count: 2.5k

Pairing: son of Hermes!Minho x child of Hephaestus!reader

Camp Half-Blood AU Masterlist

You and Minho agreed that he would source the chariot while you would build the horses for the upcoming chariot race since regular, organic horses don’t like you much. You’ve tried to trick them with sugar cubes, but they can always smell your fear or hesitation or general disdain for anything that you can’t take apart. Because of that, the last race was disastrous, and you don’t want a repeat of that. As such, for the past couple of days, you have been spending every waking minute at the forge, melting and molding Celestial Bronze and tinkering around with gears. All those sleep deprived nights paid off. Gleaming golden in the sun, your creations are a thing of beauty as they walk autonomously around the arena.

“Wow,” Minho says.

You smile proudly at the pair of metal horses whom you’ve named Squeaky and Clicky. Everyone else has noticed them now, and you accept their looks of awe readily. “Yep. Look at them go. We’re winning this for sure.”

“I was talking about the bags under your eyes. Gucci or Prada?”

You snort and say, “Hermès,” which makes him crack a smile. “Where’s the chariot?”

With an even broader grin, Minho gestures to the dingy, abandoned wheelbarrow-esque contraption behind him. “Ta-da! Courtesy of Demeter’s Cabin.”

Normally, you would think that Minho stole it—after all, he is the son of the god of thieves—but this “chariot” looks so dilapidated that you would believe the campers from Cabin 4 willingly gave it to him. The wood in the front is rotting, the wheels are out of shape, and the whole thing screams, “Dead weight!” You can’t believe you trusted him, best friend or not.

“Are you serious? I spent all that time making our horses, and all you can come up with is this?” You point at your face. “Designer eye bags, Minho, and I get this in return?”

He shrugs. “Jackson stole the one I wanted, and he threatened to put me on cleaning duty for a week if I stole it back. But you can fix it up. You can fix anything.”

Flattery is a powerful weapon. You sigh and begin circling around the wheelbarrow, appraising it up and down. You have never understood your father more now. Machines can be tricky and require you to be very specific, but organic life forms don’t do what you tell them to most of the time either. Sure, you can repair this, but it would be much better and probably more efficient if you just made one from scratch. The issue is that you don’t think you can do that in two hours.

You whistle for Squeaky and Clicky, and they come trotting back to you. Minho nods appreciatively at their quick pace and pats Squeaky on the nose.

“Nice horsey,” he says. “Don’t breathe fire on me.”

“Don’t worry, I didn’t have time for that. Okay, I need a hacksaw and as much Celestial Bronze as you can find. Just to make sure, you have weapons right, or do I need to make those for you too?”

He smirks. “C’mon, what do you think I spent all my time doing? I got us covered, just focus on the chariot.”

You respond by reaching into your tool belt for a hammer and smashing the two handles of the wheelbarrow. Squeaky and Clicky make noises of approval, and Minho hurries off to get you your materials.

Up until the race begins, you’re hard at work at destroying and rebuilding. Meanwhile, Minho greases the horses and scouts out the competitors. The chariot races are no longer restricted to teams from the same cabin, though many campers still pair up with their siblings. As usual, Apollo’s Cabin’s chariot is led by bright white horses, and the duo from Ares’ Cabin have skeleton horses. A team comprised of the sole child of Hades and a son of Demeter also has skeleton horses. When you ask for details on the chariots since information on the horses isn’t that useful, you learn that Seungmin from Athena’s Cabin has a spring-loaded net trap set up. You have tin snips, a tool made for cutting metal, in your belt, so that’s hardly a concern for you.

When you complete your revisions, the finished chariot looks nothing like what it started off as, with Celestial Bronze sheets reinforcing the frame and sturdy wheels that won’t fall apart after two seconds. It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty good for the small amount of time you had.

As Minho harnesses Squeaky and Clicky to it, you do one last maintenance check on them, making sure that their gears are well oiled and the little secrets you implemented in them are still in good shape. At the start line, you stand in the front with the reins in your hands while Minho stands behind you with his sword out. You note that his shirt looks suspiciously bulky but say nothing now that all of the participants have lined up beside you.

The chariot races require a driver and a fighter, but new rules state that drivers and fighters are permitted to switch positions if desired, which is why you have a large hammer resting between your feet. It’s not like you really need to drive Squeaky and Clicky with reins anyway; they’ll follow your verbal instructions.

“Try not to fall off like last time. They’re fast,” you mumble as you shift your stance. Chiron is almost done explaining the rules everyone knows.

“You spooked the horses, not my fau—”

You cut him with a loud shout for Squeaky and Clicky to go, and Minho grabs onto the side for stability. You take the lead swiftly as your horses are warmed up from their trotting earlier. Your partner, however, is currently holding on for dear life as he swings his sword to deflect the arrows Felix from Apollo’s Cabin has started shooting.

“Left!” Minho shouts and you repeat the command to your horses who veer viciously into the crimson chariot from Ares’ Cabin.

“A little to the right!” you shout once you notice that Changbin has his electric spear with him. It crackles when he jabs his spear in your direction. Too frazzled to speak, you jerk the reins even further to the right. “Minho!”

Ares’ Cabin is on your tail now, so you have to switch between focusing on the track and defending yourself from them. Even after flinging a handful of nails at him, Changbin still relents. To make things worse, Aphrodite’s Cabin has gotten sight of you, and their most combative camper is leading the charge with a sword. Behind you, Minho growls.

“Can your horses go any faster?” he yells.

“Hold on tight! Giddy up!”

That phrase activates the store of nitrous oxide you placed in them, and the chariot lurches forward. Squeaky and Clicky are increasing their lead, so you glance back to get the bearings of everyone else only to see Minho pulling the pin of a grenade with his teeth.

“Cover your ears!” he shouts directly in your ear as he lobs the grenade.

You swiftly turn around and do as he says. Instead of a loud explosion, there’s a series of popping sounds and the smell of hot butter. Minho swears, and you look back to see multicolored popcorn all over the track. Not exactly ideal, but a few of the horses get distracted by the food and linger behind as their drivers try to get them back on course.

“That was the wrong one,” Minho groans as he fumbles around beneath his shirt where he definitely has grenades strapped on.

“Where did you get grenades from?” you hiss. Hecate’s Cabin has appeared seemingly out of nowhere, and their fighter is leaning over the side with a dagger taped to the end of a broom. An interesting choice when spears exist, but you’re not too interested in finding out how well that makeshift weapon works. “Left! Watch your right, Minho! Also, your grenades?”

Minho easily parries the attacks with one hand while double checking his stash with the other. “I made some, stole some. Left!”

“We’re already going left!”

“No, I said net!”

You preemptively reach for your tin snips, but the Celestial Bronze woven net lands on top of Squeaky and Clicky, tangling their feet together, and the fail-safe you implemented makes them completely halt. It’s your turn to swear as a parade of chariots glide past yours. As you bitterly stare at Athena’s Cabin’s team, your horses obediently wait for you to fix the issue.

“Eat,” you command, and they begin gnawing at the metal ropes at their hooves. Powerful teeth in exchange for fire breathing was a good decision. You would help them if you could, but the rules state that if you leave the chariot, you’ll be disqualified, so you have Minho lift up sections of the net with his sword for you to cut. “Eat faster,” you mumble, knowing full well that such a command doesn’t exist in their program.

“We can still win this,” Minho assures. “I’ve got four more, and two of them are from Ares’ Cabin. But one is confetti for when we win, so I guess it’s just three.”

Of course he would have one with confetti. “What else you got?”

“Um… Greek fire, a pig ball, a couple of hay fever arrows. We both suck at using a bow though.”

You can work with that. You’ve practiced tennis serves with hammers and nails before. A loud boom from farther down the track draws your attention, and fortunately, Squeaky and Clicky have finally eaten through the mess at their feet.

“Go! Giddy up!”

The boom from earlier, caused by Greek fire by the looks of it, disqualified the non-Ares team with skeletal horses. A charred chariot from Athena’s Cabin and a destroyed chariot from Dionysus’s Cabin also lay in the rubble. As Minho lowly whistles when he sees the damage, you fly right past the scene and barge your way into the thick of the masses.

Minho leans over the side and waves at Ares’ Cabin. “Hey, Changbin, catch!”

Minho tosses him the pig ball. Confused, Changbin, the ever athletic demigod, catches it with one hand, transforming his team and two other teams beside him into little teacup pigs. All six squeal and scamper everywhere, leading to chaos on that side of the track. You direct your horses to the opposite side where Hecate’s and Aphrodite’s Cabins are locked in a fierce duel. They ignore you and Minho, which gives Minho the opportunity to slide out a new grenade to use. He throws it far ahead to where Apollo’s Cabin is, and you both cover your ears. It’s a real one this time, albeit less explosive than the usual because Camp Half-Blood has regulations on weapons of mass destruction in camp games. In the commotion, Minho also decides to borrow your hammer to swing at the chariots of the dueling teams, toppling the Aphrodite fighter off.

You urge Squeaky and Clicky forward and pass by the craters of the grenade. Minho pushes your hammer into your hands and points at the red chariot. Though the chariot is Ares’ Cabin’s, the team aboard it is from Hermes’ Cabin.

“We have to take them down,” Minho insists. His sword is back in his grip, and he lowers himself into a proper fighting stance. “Get closer.”

“A little to the left! Give me the arrows.”

He places all of them into your tool belt. When you’re close enough, you execute a perfect tennis serve, and the hay fever arrow lands cleanly onto the side of the chariot. A puff of white smoke later, Hermes’ Cabin team is violently sneezing and losing control.

“That’s what you get for stealing our chariot!” Minho yells as he makes a gesture that would offend anyone. After making another one with his sword, he nudges you. “It’s just Ares and Apollo now. I’ll drive, you shoot.”

You yank the reins as the skeletal horses start galloping in your direction. “They’ll only listen to me! Also, you’re a horrible driver.”

“Fine, we’ll both fight.”

Apollo’s Cabin is in front, so you aim at them while Minho focuses on the closer range attacks from Ares’ Cabin. However, your aim isn’t as good as Felix’s. He meets your arrows with his own, and the hay fever magic bound in them dissipates into the air. On the other hand, Minho is holding up surprisingly well to Changbin’s electric spear, though he does scream a few times when the tip of the spear scrapes his arm. When you’re out of arrows, you assist Minho. With a well-timed smash, you break Changbin’s weapon, which results in a very upset child of Ares that you do not want to be on the other end of.

You flash him an apologetic look before saying, “Giddy up!”

The finish line is just around the corner, and the only thing that stands in your way is an annoying archer. And possibly an angry Changbin, but he’s been left in the dust, so he’s not a priority.

“All the way to the left!” Minho says, and you tell the horses the same thing. You have no idea what he has planned. “Duck!”

While you wildly look around for a duck on the loose, Minho shoves you down to the floor of the chariot and throws something. Another loud boom shakes the ground, and you realize that that was Greek fire. When you peer out over the side, you are greeted with scattered green fires and two white horses running frantically around with an empty chariot behind them. They’re unharmed, but the same can’t be said for their driver and fighter, both of whom are moaning on the ground. You hope they have ambrosia with them.

“Cabin 20 incoming!” Minho says, drawing his sword out to face off the dagger-broom combination weapon. He tries to slice the broom handle in half, but his sword transforms into a piece of driftwood. “Giddy up! Giddy up!”

The chariot suddenly dips to one side, threatening to dump both you and Minho out. Clicky is starting to steam, but you push your team forward since the finish line is in sight. Minho informs you that one of the wheels is now a tumbleweed and that he’s now going to use a grenade.

“We’re almost there!” you tell him, trying to stop him.

However, as Squeaky and Clicky thunder past the finish line with Hecate’s Cabin following close behind, he pulls out the pin. Like all of the campers gathered, you put your hands over your ears and pray that he launches it far away. Instead, there’s only a relatively quiet pop. When you look, a spiral of colorful confetti rains down on you and Minho, who has a smug grin on.

“Told you we would win.” He catches a handful of the confetti and throws it haphazardly at your face, making you bat them away. “I told you so, but guess who still doubted me?

You sigh and mumble something about Hermès bags, receiving a light flick to your arm. You don’t really care about that now that you’ve won, but there’s something about the way Minho gloats that both irritates and amuses you.

Organic life forms—always a pain.

#stray kids #skz #lee know #lee minho #stray kids imagines #skz imagines #lee know imagines #stray kids scenarios #skz scenarios #lee know scenarios #stray kids x reader #skz x reader #lee know x reader #lee minho x reader #stray kids fluff #skz fluff #lee know fluff #lee minho fluff #stray kids au #skz au #pjo au #demigod au #camp half blood au #20220714

[creat0r-cat]

Bucky Barnes x reader - (Un)Happy Independence Day

The sound of firing guns rang in Bucky’s ears as he ran across the field, occasionally ducking into the yellowed grass and firing his own weapon. Small explosions of dirt from the enemy’s active assault sprayed across his army green uniform, filling his nose with the musky and spicy smells of the earth and gunpowder. His commanding officer shouted commands which were barely audible over the ringing in his ears. 

Looking to the side, Bucky watched as one of his fellow soldiers was shot down. His eyes widened and heart raced as he began to panic. Never once since he enlisted had Bucky regretted joining the army, but now he was beginning to. He could have been home, relaxing and reading a book, or hanging out with his best friend Steve Rogers, maybe he could have been going out on a nice date with a beautiful girl, but no, he chose to join the front lines and potentially lose his life for his country.

As Bucky quickly got on his knees, firing his gun, a large wave of pain flowed from his chest. He had been hit by an enemy bullet. ‘No,’ he thought, lying on the ground as his vision began to fade, ‘It can’t end here. Steve, I’m sorry..’ Everything went black but lit up again just as quickly. Bucky looked around, trying to recognise his surroundings. 

To his horror he finally did.

Bucky Barnes was back in a Hydra Headquarters, strapped into that cursed machine while scientists read words from a book. His head hurt so much and his chest felt like it was on fire as he struggled against his bindings, screaming in agony. His feet slammed against the metal footrest and he shut his eyes, wanting to wake up from this horrible nightmare.

BANG BANG BANG

“Bucky?? Are you okay?? Open the door!”

The winter soldier opened his eyes, falling off of the bed as he woke up. He was back in his room in the Avengers’ tower, his dark gray sheets around him and disconnected from the rest of the bed. From outside, he could hear the sounds of fireworks being shot into the sky by some of the neighbors. The knocking on the door just added to the unwanted noise as the voice of Steve Rogers commanded F.R.I.D.A.Y. do unlock the door and let him in. 

He then entered the room and rushed to Bucky’s side. “Hey, are you okay, I heard you crying out in your sleep.” Steve said, his hand squeezing his best friend’s shoulder in a comforting manner. He then realized what was going on. “Was it the fireworks?” Bucky was shaking underneath his wrinkled sheets and didn’t respond. He was too afraid to speak, even to act because he didn’t know what he would do out of pure instinct. 

“The war is over, Bucky, and Hydra isn’t going to get you. You don’t have to worry anymore. I’m here. You’re safe.” Bucky wanted to believe those words, and for the most part he did, however his time behind enemy lines had messed him up. The sound of fireworks that he used to run toward as a child he now backed away from, as he remembered the sounds of battle and visions of fallen soldiers filled his mind. Bucky didn’t want to seem weak, but here he was about to cry like a child over fireworks of all things. He used to love this time of year, but now he could only stay in his room and pray for it to be over for the next few days.

“Do you want to talk about your dream, Buck?” Asked Steve, looking worriedly at his friend who shook his head. “I.. I don’t feel well. I think I’m just going to try and sleep again and skip the celebration tomorrow.” Steve was saddened by this. Sure, he wanted his friend to be okay, but he really wanted to spend Independence Day with him as well. “All right. You know where I am if you need me.” Steve gave Bucky a tight hug before exiting the room, leaving Bucky alone with the sounds of distant fireworks. 

The next day, the Avengers’ Tower was alive with the hustle and bustle of the Fourth of July. Tony and Steve were arguing over the last donut with red, white, and blue sprinkles, Natasha, Clint, and Peter were setting up decorations, and Bruce Banner worked on some new fireworks for the celebration later that night. (Y/n) (L/n), Vision, and Wanda Maximoff both watched the chaos going on from the kitchen while preparing food for the grill and table. 

“I don’t really understand the concept of Independence Day.” Said Wanda softly, looking at the other two in the room with her. The bickering between the co-leaders of the Avengers stopped and they looked toward the young witch in surprise. “Really?” Asked Tony who took another bite of his donut much to Steve’s annoyance. “Do you want to understand it?” 

Wanda nodded and Steve took the opportunity to delve into his patriotic passion as two of the three decorators rolled their eyes. “Look what you’ve started.” Said Clint, his shoulders shaking with a suppressed laugh as Wanda struggled to keep up with the history lecture that she had unknowingly asked for. 

(Y/n) looked around suddenly, noticing something, or rather someone, was missing. “Hey Steve, where’s Bucky?” Steve stopped talking about the Revolutionary War long enough to answer her. “He was.. Having some trouble sleeping last night and isn’t feeling well so he’s spending the day in his room.” (Y/n) frowned in concern. She hadn’t known her boyfriend wasn’t feeling well and felt guilty that she hadn’t gone to check on him at all. “Vision, you and Wanda can handle the rest of the food, right?” She asked the mechanical avenger who nodded and motioned for her to be off.

It didn’t take long for (Y/n) to reach Bucky’s room and when she did, she knocked gently on the door. “Bucky? It’s me, (Y/n), are you okay? I heard you weren’t feeling well.” From beyond the door she heard a rustle, as if something or someone was moving around, but no one answered the door. “Babe?” She tried again, hoping he would open the door so she didn’t have to. (Y/n) wondered if maybe he was asleep, but was proven wrong when there was a soft reply. “Don’t worry, I’m okay doll, you can go back downstairs. Go enjoy the festivities.” 

There was a hint of sadness in his voice and (Y/n) couldn’t help feeling bad about his condition. “I’m coming in.” She said, opening the door before Bucky could tell her not to bother. There he was, looking healthy as a horse and getting up to try and stop the door from opening. (Y/n) was confused. “Bucky? What’s going on? Are you okay?” 

Bucky knew he had been caught in his lie. He invited her to sit on his bed, thinking out what to say next. (Y/n) looked at him expectantly and suddenly spoke up. “You’re not actually sick, are you?” She said that in a monotone voice, sounding a bit upset. Bucky felt awful. The two of them hadn’t even been together for a year yet, and he didn’t want her to feel obligated to throw away a fun holiday like this for his sake. 

“No. No, I’m not actually sick.” He confessed, sitting on the edge of the bed and looking down. “Then why aren’t you joining us downstairs? We’re going to start up the grill outside on the balcony, maybe get a campfire up and running, and watch the fireworks. Doesn’t that sound fun?” 

It did sound fun, but that’s what made Bucky so sad. After everything he had done, why should he be out there celebrating America’s independence after he worked for Hydra to take over his beloved home country. Why should he celebrate freedom after he had taken so many innocent lives?

 A tight hug snapped him out of his damp mood and his eyes widened to feel tears falling on the back of his hands. He hadn’t even realized he had started crying. Furiously, Bucky wiped at the tears, trying to get rid of them and toughen up. 

“It’s okay, you can cry. I won’t judge you.” Said (Y/n) softly, hugging him tighter and nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck. Bucky’s wall of emotions shattered and he broke down. Turning around to face her, he held her in his arms and cried freely. He couldn’t form coherent words as he tried to explain to her why he hid from everyone. She didn’t say anything, trying to understand him as he finally managed to calm down. 

“I just don’t feel welcome. I’ve hurt so many people, heck I’ve killed so many people. I killed Tony’s parents and even tried to kill all of you at one point or another. I don’t deserve to be celebrating with all of you.” He looked at (Y/n) who looked at him with sad eyes. 

“You deserve to be with us as much as anyone else, Bucky. First of all, you didn’t have a choice in the matter during your time with Hydra because you were brainwashed. Second, you’re forgetting who all you’re celebrating with. Tony has indirectly killed thousands of people with the weapons he used to manufacture, Natasha used to be a Russian spy, Clint is technically an assassin, Wanda used to work for Hydra, Bruce is literally a green radioactively-made monster who can take down giant flying carnivorous alien worms,Thor has killed thousands of people because he’s a small-g god, and I work as an agent for SHIELD. You fit right in with us!”

Bucky laughed softly, falling back into her arms. “I guess you’re right..” He murmured but his faint smile didn’t last. “Do fireworks bother you?” Guessed (Y/n), a small puzzle being put together in her mind. “Is that why you had trouble sleeping?” Bucky nodded, feeling a bit stupid for admitting it. “They.. give me nightmares and flashbacks from the war.. And Hydra.. And they keep on going for days because of the Fourth of July.” 

“If there was a way to make the noise disappear from the fireworks, would you go out to see them?” Bucky nodded. “I love fireworks.” (Y/n) smiled happily. “I’ll be right back.” She left his side and Bucky immediately missed her warmth and comfort. He wondered what she could be doing. Bucky prayed that she wasn’t going to tell the others and hugged his knees to his chest anxiously. 

When (Y/n) returned, she was carrying a pair of large black headphones. “What?” Bucky asked in confusion. “They’re noise canceling headphones. I use them sometimes when I go to the firing range for practice. Try them on.” He hesitantly put it on, adjusting the ears to fit his head and he was shocked when all the noise from his room and downstairs disappeared. It was like he was just alone with his thoughts with nothing to interrupt him. 

(Y/n) tried to speak to him but he could hear her. She tried again and this time he told her he couldn’t understand what she was saying, making her laugh as she took the headphones off. “It looks like they work.” Bucky hugged her tight, kissing her cheek happily. “Will you be joining us downstairs? You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” She assured him, the question lingering for a second as he considered the option for the first time in quite a while. 

“I’ll be downstairs in a bit. I need to freshen up.” (Y/n) smiled happily and gave him a quick peck on the lips. “Alright then! I’ll see you later!” As she left Bucky’s room, he watched her retreating figure with a smile. What did he do to become so lucky that he could have a girl like her?

By the time he had gone downstairs, everyone was already on the balcony. The smell of grilling chicken, burgers, and steak wafted through the air as well as the sound of laughter. When he appeared in the doorway, Steve was the first to catch sight of him, looking at his best friend with a look of absolute shock, not expecting to see him out and about that evening. 

“Ay, Manchurian Candidate, nice to see you!” Called Tony, waving at him from his spot next to his wife, Pepper. (Y/n) looked over at him and smiled as one of Clint’s daughters braided her hair. “There are some sodas and beer in the cooler if you’d like one.” Said Wanda as she drank a Pepsi beside Vision on the couch. Peter was already over at the cooler, grabbing two juice pouches, one for him and one for another one of Clint’s kids. 

As Bucky got settled down nervously between (Y/n) and Steve, his fellow soldier patted him on the shoulder. “I’m happy you could join us, Buck.” 

“You can thank (Y/n) for that. She convinced me that I was welcome.” 

“You’re always welcome. The past is in the past so enjoy the present. It’s not like we have a time machine and can go back to when and where we came from.” Joked Steve and Bucky laughed. 

Two hours later, the fireworks started. (Y/n) was seated comfortably in her boyfriend’s arms as they watched the colorful display in the night sky. Bucky looked down at her, the black headphones placed comfortably on his head and keeping away the loud sounds of the explosions. 

“I love you, doll.” He murmured softly, nuzzling his face into her shoulder as she held onto him with a smile. “I love you too, Bucky. Happy Fourth of July.”

#bucky x reader #bucky barnes x female reader #bucky barnes fanfiction #the avengers #mcu fanfiction #bucky x y/n #bucky fic

[babygirl-diaz]

Baby James

“Sam!” Steve called out after he took out the last Hydra agent. “Sam! Where’d you go?” He called out again as he stepped over the bodies of the agents and went through the warehouse. He soon heard a baby’s cry and followed it to a lab where he found bodies of 5 people in lab coats. His mouth dropped and his eyes widened when he found an empty glass bassinet with a white blanket and a small baby sized electronic headband that looked more like a torture device as it had many wires connected to it. He picked it up and put it back on the bed, before following the cries once again. Steve got behind a work station and immediately had a gun pointed at him.

“Hey, whoa, Sam, it’s me! It’s Steve!” Steve said putting his hands up.

“Shit, Steve, sorry,” Sam apologized and lowered the gun.

Steve noticed a baby tucked in Sam’s left arm and he crouched on the floor and watched the baby in awe.

“Is that…”

“…the baby they were experimenting on? Yes,” Sam finished Steve’s sentence for him.

Steve reached out to touch the baby’s wet cheek. There was something so familiar about him. He had tanned sun kissed skin, head full of dark curls, a small nose, thin lips, but it’s those big blue eyes that reminded Steve of Bucky.

Shaking the thought away, Steve got back up and helped Sam off the floor. “Are you okay?” He asked his friend.

“Yeah, I’m good,” Sam replied. “You?”

“I’m good too,” Steve answered. “What do we do with him?” He asked pointing at the baby.

“Let’s take him with us for now and then we can figure it out,” Sam replied, and rocked the baby in his arms when he started crying again.

Steve nodded and got in front of Sam and the baby. “Come on, follow me. I think we took down all of them but just to be on the safe side.

Steve destroyed all the machines in the lab so that they were rendered useless. He then led Sam and the baby out of the warehouse and got into their truck before driving away.

***

When got to the hotel, they took the baby to their room.

“Now what?” Steve asked.

The baby was fast asleep in Sam’s arms and Sam was watching him in awe.

“We have to get supplies for him. He can sleep on my bed tonight but when we get back home tomorrow, we can buy him a crib.”

“Sam…” Steve trailed off looking at his friend. “…we can’t keep him. Tomorrow morning we should give him up to an orphanage. They’ll take care of him.”

“Are you-“ Sam started to say loudly but then lowered his voice. “—are you out of your mind? This is likely a super powered baby. Much like you. Hydra is after him, and we only took out one lab. God only knows how many more there are out there. We can’t just leave this baby to strangers and call it a day. Hydra will do whatever it takes to get to him.”

“So what do you want to do?” Steve asked.

“I say we take him back with us,” Sam told him.

“How are we supposed to take care of a baby?” Steve started to pace the room. “We know nothing about them.”

“Correction. You know nothing about babies. I have a nephew and several baby cousins, whom I helped raise,” Sam informed him.

“So you’ve made up your mind? You’re taking him with you?”

“Yes,” Sam replied decisively. “We just need to get him out of Germany and to the US. We don’t have any paperwork on him. It could be difficult getting him back home.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Steve assured him. “I’ll have Tony take care of it.”

“Thanks,” said Sam. “Do you wanna hold him?”

“What?” Steve slightly panicked.

“The baby, do you wanna hold him?”

“I’ve never held a baby so small. What if I hurt him?” Steve asked worried.

“You won’t!” Sam assured him. “Here, it's okay!” He said putting the baby in Steve’s arms. “Just support the neck like... yeah, there you go! You got it!”

Steve smiled at the sleeping child in his arms who squirmed and made a small noise when Steve took him. “Shhh… it’s okay, kiddo. I got you.” Steve whispered to him.

“You’re a natural,” Sam teased.

Steve looked up at him and rolled his eyes. “Thanks,” he said. “This baby… he reminds me of Bucky.” He finally admitted.

“Not gonna lie, that’s what I thought too when I first saw him,” Sam told Steve. “Do you think he could be—“

“But how?” Steve asked before Sam could finish his question.

“Well, how else are babies made Steve?” Sam huffed.

“Bucky was with Hydra this whole time. He was kept brainwashed and in a cryo state most of the time. When would he—“

“I don’t know,” Sam shrugged. “But it would make sense why Hydra is after this baby. Besides, look at him, apart from the skin color, he looks exactly like your friend. I say Bucky had a thing with that doctor, Alicia.”

“Hmmm… I suppose you’re right,” Steve replied.

“Maybe once we find Bucky, we can reunite him with the baby?” Sam suggested. “In the meantime, we keep him.”

“How old do you think he is?” Steve asked.

“I say he’s at least 3 months old,” Sam answered.

“Does he have a name?”

“I don’t think Hydra named him,” Sam replied and reached out to gently thump the baby’s chest when he started to wake up. The baby made a face but then didn’t cry and fell asleep again.

“What do we call him then?” Steve asked.

“I don’t know,” Sam answered honestly. “Do you have a name?”

Steve thought for a little bit, gently rocking the baby before saying, “How about James?”

“James it is then.” Sam grinned and took the baby back from Steve, who hesitated before giving him back. “Hey James,” Sam cooed and kissed his forehead.

#SamSteve #Steve Rogers #Sam Wilson #Captain America #post catws #post avengers aou #fanfiction #aashnas drabble

[ph4ngz]

lust quirk w/ izuku midoriya

fem!reader, aphrodisiac themes…

—

“Hey Zuku, look what I won!” You motion with a spare hand for your best friend to come over.

His puppy dog eyes remain fixated on you whilst he strides along, admiring how every arcade machine nearby flashes and flickers warm tones upon your cheeks.

“Yeah, what’s up?” He asks, noticing a stick of unusually red cotton candy clutched within your fingers.

“I mean I- I mean… uhm-”

Embarrassment whooshes around your head. The sudden aimless clenching of your walls has you stumbling along every word over and over again as Izuku watches you struggle, confused as to what the fuck is happening.

“You okay?”

“YES- yeah! Yeah let’s uhm, let’s go back to the car.”

“We’ve technically just got here?”

Your body forces you to grip onto the puzzled guy’s long-sleeved shirt for dear life, pupils dilating by the second as you finish your cotton candy treat. Dragging his weight across the weirdly patterned carpet shouldn’t be this difficult at all, yet your current state says otherwise.

You watch him lean back against his truck, the uncomfortable throbbing between your legs making you feel as if you’re doing something illegal somehow.

So fucking pretty.

Izuku’s shirt was white. Plain. But oh, did it make him look gorgeous. The fabric dipping in between his prominent abs, slightly see-through thanks to the lemonade you’d spilt on him earlier.

It’s the way the sticky liquid soaked into it, allowing anyone close enough to catch a glimpse of his happy trail. His happy trail, which you so desperately want, no— need to dance your eager fingers alo-

“H-HELLO?” His deepened voice wobbles into your ear, using one of his large hands to attempt to snap you out of… whatever it is you you’re doing.

His breathy whimpers ground you, a gasp of your own accompanying his. You’d been feeling at your best friend’s abs the whole fucking time.

“Y-Y/N… what’re you doing? MMPH!”

You’re leaning into his front now, pushing him against the cool black paint of his car, locking your plumped lips with his. Your shaking hands wrap around the back of his neck to keep him from running away, but unbeknownst to you, he wouldn’t run even if you did remove them.

During the sudden kiss, Izuku can’t help but push his head down further to deepen it. Although it ends rather quickly.

“Wait. It’s the cotton candy.” He states, running his thumb over and around his and your raw lips.

“Huh…?” You slur in response, too distracted by the forming butterflies in your stomach. Not to mention the growing pain sprouting from your sex urging you to bite down on your leftover cotton candy stick.

He licks his lips, stained pink-red and sweet. It’s obvious now, you’ve fallen under the effects of some type of quirk.

“I… I can’t. Do this. S’not right, I’m sorry.” Sighing, Izuku hurries you into the passengers seat before buckling you up and chucking the leftover stick in the back.

From this position, you can kiss his cheek. So you do.

“Y/N.” He warns, softly yet sternly once the seatbelt clicks.

Tears stab the back of your throat, the recurring unfamiliar pain pulsing through your lower half.

Five minutes pass, not a word exchanged between the two of you. Just your forced, hot and heavy breaths. Izuku signals to let another driver in front of him.

Just your breathing is turning him on. He slowly turns to glance at your rosy face, noticing your bottom lip caught between teeth to prevent a string of inappropriate noises.

So tense, desperate…

“AH- Hah-” you wince, legs jumping and arms reaching directly for your cunt to relieve the now searing sting.

Izuku panics once he sees you in pain, almost instantly exceeding the speed limit around every back street he can find.

“Iz-UKU! Please it hurts!”

His veiny hands begin to squeeze the steering wheel, knuckles and fingertips fading white.

“Just hold on, please just-” he stops mid-sentence. You’re already peeling off your leggings.

Your own trembling fingers push aside a pair of soaking panties, urging to find the perfect position over your throbbing clit.

“I’m so sorry…” you trail off whilst slinking back into the passenger seat.

Your best friend rubs his tired eyes and ruffles his hair in such a way that makes you whine, green hair sticking to his wet forehead when he looks at you.

The stinging sensation isn’t stopping, not with your own hands.

Izuku peers down at you fingering yourself, a shameful tent forming beneath his denim jeans. He’s never seen you in such a state before.

He grips the gear stick beside him, any tighter and he’ll crush it.

“M-My hands don’t work. It won’t stop hurting me I can’t- UH!” you speak breathlessly, short sentences being the only things you can vocalise beside embarrassing moans.

Fuck, a red light. No excuse now.

“Izuku, please. I beg you! Just make it stop! I can’t breathe it hurts so much…”

You sob and shuffle around in your seat all the while rapidly tracing circles around your poor cunt, prying away his grip from the gear stick with your other hand.

“Okay. Alright, Y/N.” He replies softly, resting his cold digits on your burning hot pussy.

One simple touch from him sends ultimate euphoria through your bloodstream.

“Ohhhh my god~” you indirectly thank Izuku, no thoughts of anything other than him. His heart melts at your reaction, so fucking adorable.

He begins to apply pressure to your aching clit, the intense pleasure forcing your eyes to clench shut. The randomised vibrations of the car like shockwaves.

It’s not long until sweet arousal seeps into the velvety seat beneath you, so much of it that you can feel every drop coat the valley of your ass.

“You’re staying at my place tonight, okay?” Izuku states, opening the door on your side and unbuckling you.

You look around, tearful eyes scoping out the driveway you’d just pulled into for anyone else who could potentially fall witness to your lustful state. Your panicked driver turns his head to face you, noses almost touching when you carefully swing your legs to the side.

“…Hey, did you hear me? I s-”

He stops and takes a deep breath in, trying to ignore your hands in his hair, pushing him down to your spread, quivering legs.

Izuku’s wide eyed gaze connects with yours as he’s hardly forced into a crouch position. He breaks eye contact to take in the best view of your pulsing, soaked cunt. Cute little panties still pushed to the side, too. Struggling to absorb any more arousal.

You gasp at the almost guilty expression he adorns, fuelling his desire to taste you.

The handle on the roof above you serves it’s purpose and keeps you steady enough not to fall when a keen tongue swipes a perfect streak through your folds.

You mewl at your best friend’s actions, resulting in an array of short-winded moans from him.

“Fuck I-”

His forehead rests on the squishy surface of your thigh, nuzzling into it like he’s telling himself to hold back.

Time’s ticking. He’s taking too long. And you can’t take the stinging.

“Izuku please! Fuckin’- PLEASE! I’ll do anything I swear j-just make the pain stop! It’s okay I’m pretty sure I’m in love with you anywayghmph-!”

Soft lips slot with yours once again, except this time you struggle to separate the animalism from the passion. Not that it’s a problem.

Sounds of Izuku’s belt unbuckling become much needed music to your ears, and it only gets better when the melody is followed by a whisper against your lips.

“Back seat, clothes off.”

After climbing into the back and removing any remaining material constricting your heated body, you’re met with a harsh slam of a car door and a pair of tough hands gripping your hips.

“Fuck wasting time.” He says lowly.

And with no time to waste, you’re pulled into his lap. Your ass cheeks welcoming each subconscious squeeze he blesses you with.

The darker hair covering Izuku’s firm thighs is rough against your sensitive skin when he grinds his leaky cock into your clit. Everything is so fucking surreal, dreamlike.

“Hohmygod- Ahah~” He laughs nervously into your neck as he barely fits the head of his cock inside you.

“K-Keep going, make me feel better ‘Zuku…”

His heart stops for a second at his designated nickname, deeming him unable to stop his hips from bucking up and burying himself deep into your slick, tight pussy.

Bottoming out, Izuku sucks in painfully chilled air through his teeth and exhales with a growl.

“NNGH! FUCK!” You yelp, overwhelmed with a sudden and intense orgasm. Your vicelike grip on the man’s shoulders is bound to leave crescent shaped scars.

As shocked as he is at your abrupt clenching on his dick, Izuku starts to guide you up and down, making sure to run his thumbs over your nipples every so often.

“Ah! Ah! Ah!”

“F-F-F-uck!”

Each and every moan bounces along with the whip-like crack of his skin on yours, the irresistible power in his movements making it harder to breathe, let alone hold your tears at bay.

“Shhhit you’re- crying… Y/N please I’ll cum too fast if you do that!”

Izuku’s car jolts whilst a scarred finger desperately circles your puffy clit. Seconds after another orgasm, black and white spots beginning to appear in your vision whilst you wait for him to rid of his damp shirt.

Hot droplets fall from your cheeks and drip upon his now bare chest, silent screams and ragged breaths escaping his and your mouth.

Multiple swift strokes of Izuku’s fat, veiny cock send a third round of pure goddamn ecstasy hurtling your way.

“Gonna cum- Gonna cum- Y/N!”

The feeling of your best friend’s thick cum trickling down your fleshy walls, the feeling of him twitching and pulsing. Shivers shoot upside your spine, any bodily strength eliminated.

“I’m so sorry,” You repeat, arms giving out and forcing you to lay against the also-fucked-out guy below you.

“This was all my fault, fuck me for being so naïve.”

Silence.

You’re about to speak up again but…

“I love you too.”

Izuku doesn’t dare pull out, placing a hand on the back of your head.

“And you’re sure you haven’t consumed any red cotton candy today?” You whisper, nibbling the shell of his ear.

“Positive.”

#izuku smut #deku smut #izuku midoriya #izuku x y/n #my hero x reader #boku no hero academia #midoriya x y/n #mha izuku #mha smut #mha deku

[obeymeoasis]

Demon Bros React: MC Defends Them From Nasty Remarks

Warnings: Explicit language, MC being mildly violent (throwing/kicking things).

Lucifer

Lucifer had just finished some paperwork for Diavolo and was on his way to R.A.D to deliver it.

In the hallway he could hear two demons talking and laughing. As he got closer he heard them say "Lucifer" and instinctively ducked into a nearby alcove.

"Lucifer's such an asshole." "I know, right? He acts like he's so much better than the rest of us when really, he just has a huge stick up his ass. It's no wonder he doesn't have any friends. Even his own brothers don't like him!" "He'll probably spend the rest of his life being Diavolo’s little bitch."

He would be lying if the comments didn't make him angry. But it was far from the worst thing he had heard about himself and would definitely not be the last time someone spoke ill of him.

With a weary sigh, Lucifer turned toward the south entrance where he could walk in order to avoid the demons. He could have strode past and glared at them menacingly. He could have made them grovel on their knees. But he was honestly exhausted and looked forward to this day being over as soon as possible. Plus, it would reflect poorly on Lord Diavolo if he started a fight with some lesser demons over this.

Suddenly, the chatter of the demons was interrupted by a loud thumping sound followed by the sound of one of the demons screeching in pain.

Lucifer quickly turned around to see- Oh no. You were standing in front of the demons, rage clear on your face. The demon who had yelled in pain was crouched on the ground holding his bruised shoulder. A History of the Devildom textbook was open on the ground, pages crumpled.

Did you... did you just throw a textbook at a demon?

Before he could even move, he heard your angry voice. "Listen here you fuckers. How dare you talk about Lucifer like that. He's one of the kindest, most intelligent, most thoughtful beings I've ever met. And you have no right to speak of him like that! I love him!"

Lucifer's heart burst at your declaration, his cheeks warming in pleasure. The two demons however, who had been gaping at you in shock, were now beginning to look murderous. The injured one stood up and slowly inched toward you, a vicious grin on his face. "Oh, is that so? And what the hell is a weak human like you going to do about it?"

You opened your mouth to speak but before you could say anything, Lucifer picked you up and threw you over his shoulder. "Love, I appreciate how you stood up for me. There's not many people who have done so for me before. But any more would cause trouble. And also, please don't throw textbooks at others, no matter how much you think they deserve it."

With a smug smile on his face, Lucifer began to walk toward the dorms. You, however, were struggling to turn your head around, still yelling and pointing angrily at the demons. "This isn't over! Sleep with your eyes wide open! You'll be hearing from my lawyer!"

He really did love you.

Mammon

Mammon was at the casino on a Monday night. It was lively as always, crowds of people playing group games and others drinking and mingling.

But for some reason, Mammon felt like being alone. He was in one of the more quiet corners, playing the slot machines.

He honestly should have been back at the dorms doing his homework. He was here because he felt like he had to, but his heart wasn't really in it. Mammon thought about packing it up early and texting you to see if you wanted to hang out.

The sudden sound of glass shattering broke through his thoughts. There was some sort of commotion going on and Mammon could hear angry yelling and cursing, some kind of argument.

Like many of the other customers, Mammon drifted toward the noise wanting to see what had happened. His heart sank when he saw you in the middle of the crowd, still in your R.A.D uniform, arguing with an older demon who Mammon recognized as a regular. They had played some games together before that always ended in angry accusations. The remains of a drinking glass lay shattered on the floor.

Mammon quickly rushed to your side. "MC, what the hell are you doing here?! What happened?" Up close he could see how livid you looked, you were trembling with fury.

The older demon opened his mouth while gesturing at his ruined clothes. "This bitch threw a drink at me! I should have them arrested! Do you know how much this tuxedo costs?" Ignoring him, you turned to face Mammon.

"Mams, Lucifer told me to check up on you and you weren't answering my calls. So I decided to come in person to make sure you were okay. But then I heard this asshole saying terrible things about you to his friends, calling you a liar and a cheater and all kinds of horrible names that you're not!"

Mammon was shocked to see you were struggling to fight off your tears, your lower lip quivering. "I know how caring and genuine and loving you are and I couldn't stand by while he said those things about you! None of it’s true!"

Overcome with emotion Mammon embraced you fiercely, shielding you from the other demon. "Oh, babe. Ya really are a special one.” Mammon gently stroked your hair and whispered in your ear. “I don't care about what he said, but thanks for sticking up for me. I love ya so much."

"Now let's make a run for it so that demon doesn't kill us."

Leviathan

Levi was slowly getting used to being in a relationship with you in public. At first, interactions were limited to the privacy of his room: cuddling and watching movies, gaming together, reading manga together. But now he looked forward to waiting for you after classes and walking home with you while holding hands.

His face got really red and he had a hard time making eye contact with you but still, he thought it was an improvement.

Right now he was waiting for you outside your classroom, scrolling through his D.D.D to kill time. Suddenly, he heard someone call your name.

“MC, you’re dating Levi right?” At the sound of his name he peeked in the window to see you cornered by three demons. He saw you nod. 

The demons began to barrage you with questions. “Why are you with a loser like that? Doesn’t he like never leave his room?” “He’s honestly the ugliest out of his family. I don’t believe that Levi and Asmo are related.” “You don’t actually find him attractive, do you?” “Are you with him ‘cause he’s like the easiest to control?” 

Each word felt like someone was piercing his heart. These were all things that he had thought or wondered himself, days when the darkness seemed to win over his mind. But to have them spoken out loud, especially in front of you, it was unbearable. It was as if his lowest and most shameful thoughts were being justified.

He was afraid to hear what your answers would be. Biting his lower lip, Levi turned to head home by himself but flinched at the loud sound of something slamming into the wall. He peeked inside the window again and saw you standing there, furious, your hands clenched into fists. You had apparently kicked one of the desks into the wall, black scuff marks clearly visible against the white paint.

“Alright, listen here you despicable fucks because I’m only going to say this once. My relationship with Levi is private, meaning all of your questions can be answered with ‘none of your damn business’. But since you’ve gone out of your way to waste my time, I’ll let you know this: Leviathan is more beautiful, inside and out, than any of you will ever be in your entire miserable lives. I honestly don’t think you deserve to breathe the same air as him and I hope Levi summons Lotan to devour the three of you."

Levi’s jaw was on the floor. He had never heard you speak that way. He had never had someone defend him so fiercely. His thoughts were interrupted by the classroom door suddenly slamming open as you walked out."

“Oh Levi, tell me you didn’t hear anything just now.” Your eyes were wide and you looked at him nervously.

Levi grabbed your hand and held it tight between two of his own. “I did, but it’s alright. Thanks for what you said.”

“Anything for my Lord of Shadows.”

Satan

Satan was heading to the library, your usual after-school spot. Some days you two spent hours there doing homework, reading, or just chatting quietly about your day before heading to dinner.

As he approached the table he saw you sitting down with a stranger seated opposite you. Leaning closer he was relieved to see it was a classmate you were friendly with, someone he knew you hung out with occasionally.

Satan was about to say hello when he stopped at the mention of his name. "MC, are you sure it's wise to be this involved with Satan?"

He quickly ducked behind a nearby bookshelf. Satan usually wasn't one to eavesdrop like this but the question concerned him.

"MC, I'm asking you for your sake. Satan is dangerous. He's violent and cruel. There are rumors about him beating up other demons and doing horrible things to them. What if he tries to hurt you too?"

Satan flinched. Sure his wrath had led him to do some destructive things before, but it was never without reason. Is this how you saw him as well? His thoughts began to spiral. What if you grew scared of him? Of his wrath? What if you flinched at his touch? That would hurt more than any of the rumors that swirled about him. 

Satan saw you take a deep breath before speaking. "Well, I appreciate you talking to me about this. I know you meant the best and were just thinking about me. But I promise you, you have nothing to be worried about. Satan would never hurt me."

He saw your friend shake their head, exasperated. "But you don't know that! What if one day he can't control himself and has an outburst or something?"

You replied carefully. "Satan is gentle. Incredibly so. He always treats me with nothing but respect and kindness. And Satan's not some kind of monster. He knows how to control himself and his powers. I love him. I really do. And until he decides to stop loving me, I want to be by his side."

He saw your friend huff irritably and get up to walk away. "Suit yourself, MC. Don't say I didn't warn you."

Satan took this as his cue to walk over. Your eyes brightened at the sight of him and you started to ask him about his day, acting as if nothing had happened. Satan played along for a bit, but then reached across the table for your hand and began playing with your fingers.

His hand was shaking. "I'll never stop loving you, you know. For as long as I live you're the only one for me. I love you, MC."

Asmodeus

Asmo was thrilled when you said you wanted to go dancing with him because he was usually the one pestering you to do things. He was having so much fun with you tonight, twirling you around on the dance floor and marveling how beautiful you looked under the shimmering lights of the club.

He was beginning to feel a bit hot, however, and excused himself to the bathroom, making sure you were safe on of the couches with a bottle of water in your hand.

Asmo had just finished touching up his makeup and adjusting his outfit when he heard two demons near the entrance of the bathroom gossiping loudly about him.

“Did you see what he was wearing tonight? He might as well have come naked instead of wearing those scraps of fabric he thinks counts as an outfit.” “My friend slept with Asmo once. She said he’s super easy, he’s willing to pretty much sleep with anyone.” “I bet him and that human won’t last another week. Once he’s done with them he’ll trash ‘em and move on to the next one, like he always does.”

Being the Avatar of Lust meant that Asmo had heard these kinds of comments before, whispered in the hallways at R.A.D or the dark hallways of nightclubs. It never really got easier listening to them though, and he realized he was biting down hard on his lower lip, his nails digging into his palm. 

Asmo contemplated what to do. He didn’t want to keep you waiting by yourself outside but he also didn’t want to run into the demons talking about him. Their comments affected him more than he thought they would. Maybe it was because you were involved. He wouldn’t do that to you. You knew that right? He would never treat you like a plaything.

Taking a deep breath and steeling his nerves Asmo schooled his face into an expression of careless indifference. He took a step outside, ready to greet his "fans", but was surprised to see that you had gotten there first.

And what a sight you were. Despite being much shorter than the two demons, it seemed you were the least bit intimidated. Your glare was ice cold as you gestured wildly at the two of them, and moving closer Asmo realized you were screaming.

"How fucking dare you say such vile things? You don't know the first thing about Asmo. You're really going to shame someone for what they wear?! For what they do in the privacy of their bedroom?!"

You pointed angrily at the demons, who seemed too stunned to move or say anything. "People like you make me fucking sick. You're despicable! Talking as if you're so high and mighty when all you do is judge others! How dare you? You cowards!"

Asmo could see you were getting more and more enraged and your hands were beginning to tremble. He leapt forward to stand between you and the demons and put his hands gently on your shoulders. Once he saw that you were okay, he gave you a passionate kiss, his mouth hot and needy against yours.

You kissed him back for a moment but moved away to hiss, "Karens, Asmo! Karens in the fucking Devildom, who would have thought?!"

"I know, darling. Let's head home. We can have a nice, relaxing bubble bath together."

Beelzebub

Beel was looking through the menu, deciding between a couple of his favorite dishes. It was your one year anniversary and despite his insistent protests, you had remained firm in your decision to pay for that night’s meal. Ever since you and Beel began dating, he pretty much always paid for your meals together because of how much he ate. But tonight, you wanted to be the one to treat him for once.

Beel knew you had secretly been saving up Grimm and he’d feel so guilty if you spent it all on him. Which was why he was trying to decide between a couple of different things, when normally he would have ordered everything on the page.

“Babe, please order whatever you want. I can practically see the thoughts turning in your head. I told you that I wanted to pay for tonight and I’m going to keep that promise. I want this to be a special night for us, so don’t worry about it.” Before he could protest, you called the waiter over.

Beel sighed and knew there was no changing your mind on this. You were incredibly stubborn when you wanted to be. He rattled off his usual order as the waiter frantically scribbled down notes, struggling to keep up. Once finished, Beel handed over the menus and smiled at how cute you looked, a mixture of pride and smugness on your face.

But your expression soon turned sour as you heard the conversation from a couple sitting a few tables over. Their voices were intentionally loud and they kept sneaking glances at your table as if to watch your reactions.

“Oh my lord, honey did you see how much food that guy just ordered? What an absolute pig!” “I saw, darling. I honestly pity his date right now, they must be soooo embarrassed.” “Is there anyone who wouldn’t be ashamed to be seen in public with such a selfish glutton?”

Beel’s heart felt like it had sunk. Embarrassed? Was MC embarrassed to be seen with him? Panicking, Beel thought back to all of the dates he’d had with MC so far. He realized that they ate out a good majority of the time they hung out, with Beel eating his normal enormous portions each time. Oh no, what had he done?

Head bowed, Beel slowly looked up at you, afraid to see what kind of expression you were making. But to his surprise, you didn’t look embarrassed or ashamed at all. You looked like you were going to murder someone.

He watched as you cleared your throat and then began speaking even more loudly than the couple had been. “OH BEEL, MY HANDSOME, KIND, LOVING, STRONG, SEXY, TALENTED BOYFRIEND. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! YOU’RE HONESTLY SO AMAZING AND ONE OF THE QUALITIES I LOVE ABOUT YOU MOST IS THAT YOU’RE NOT A JUDGMENTAL ASSHOLE WHO MAKES RUDE INAPPROPRIATE COMMENTS TO STRANGERS ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE NONE OF THEIR DAMN BUSINESS!” 

Beel felt his lips inch into a smile and he flushed with amusement and happiness. But you weren’t finished just yet. “EXCUSE ME WAITER?” 

Your waiter practically ran to the table and looked between you two nervously, then at the couple glaring daggers in your direction. “COULD YOU PLEASE BRING US ANOTHER MENU? MY BOYFRIEND WASN’T FINISHED WITH ORDERING WHAT HE WANTS. OH BEEL, I LOVE HOW MUCH YOU EAT. HOW COULD SOMEONE BE EMBARRASSED OF A WONDERFUL GUY LIKE YOU?”

Beel took the menu and began listing some more foods at random, not really paying attention. He was too busy thinking about how much he loved you, how nobody aside from Belphie had ever stood up for him like that, had protected him like that. His cheeks felt like they were about to split from how much he was smiling.

When the waiter finally left, looking frazzled, Beel made his way over to your side of the table. He knelt down and nuzzled into your neck before giving you a tender kiss on your forehead. “MC, you’re amazing.”

Belphegor

Belphie had to admit, the gardens were a pretty nice place for a nap. Earlier in the day you had practically dragged him outside claiming that you were bored of sleeping in his room. As if that was even possible.

At first he was pretty annoyed that you were making him get up and move around. But the newly washed picnic blanket, the cool breeze rustling through the trees, and the light smell of flowers in the air all contributed to a very nice environment for a nap.

Belphie rested his head on your lap, already feeling his eyelids growing heavier. Your fingers gently combed through his hair, lightly scratching against his scalp, and he practically purred.

He guessed he had been asleep for about ten minutes when he awoke to the sound of your voice and something prodding against his knee.

Irritated at the disturbance, Belphie looked up to see two R.A.D students he recognized for always causing trouble. He looked over to see you scowling and guessed you had been telling them to leave so they wouldn't wake him up.

One of the students leered down, blocking out the light, and used the tip of his foot to poke Belphie's knee again. "Well the two of you make an odd fucking pair, huh?” He sneered, “Personally, I don’t date people who have MURDERED me in the past but what do I know? Love works in all kinds of mysterious ways.” You flinched as if someone had slapped you and Belphie growled, his hands curling into fists.

The other student leaned down to clap Belphie on the shoulder. “I gotta admit I didn’t know you had it in you, chief! I always thought you were...” He gave Belphie a once-over before adding “Well, everyone thinks you’re a bit fucking useless, eh? But I’m glad to see you’re capable of something.”

Belphie opened his mouth to reply venomously but was interrupted by the most horrifying sound coming from your mouth. It sounded like a combination of wailing and screeching as fat tears rolled down your cheeks. It was difficult to hear what exactly you were saying because of how hard you were crying, but Belphie could make out “How could you say that?!” and “Leave him alone!” among the screams. 

The two students had their hands over their ears, their faces twisted into grimaces of pain. One shouted, “What the fuck is wrong with you?” Worried, Belphie put a hand on your shoulder in an attempt to calm you down but you shrugged it off, continuing to cry and wail. Pretty soon other students began gathering around you, whispering amongst themselves and looking to see what all the noise and commotion was about. It was difficult to ignore you when you kept yelling things like “You’re horrible! Horrible! Leave us alone!” 

The two instigators looked at each other for a brief moment before deciding to run off, not wanting to get involved any further. And as soon as they left, it was like a switch had been turned off. You stopped crying and screaming immediately. If he hadn’t been there from the beginning, Belphie never would have guessed that you had been crying. Your face was perfectly calm and you sat relaxed with your hands folded, the picture of innocence.

“Belphie, don’t worry about what those two idiots said. We’ve talked about it enough and we’ve both worked it out, haven’t we? And you’re not useless. You know how much I love you and care about you. You mean so much to me.” 

Belphie leaned over to take your hand in his trembling one. He reached down to brush a stray leaf out of your hair before whispering, “MC, you’re fucking terrifying sometimes. I love you.”

#obey me #obey me headcanons #obey me hcs #obey me imagines #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey levi #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me asmo #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #obey me beel #obey me belphie #om! headcanons #om! hcs #obey me! shall we date? #obey me!

[transias]

Hello!! I saw your taking requests and I was wondering if you could write a johnny x reader where the reader is related to kreese maybe he's their uncle or godfather anyways one day kreese has the reader there with him to show them off and johnny connect's dots that there related , Its okay if you dont wanna write it I love your writing btw💕

An Unexpected Surprise.

Pairings: Johnny Lawrence x Godchild Kreese!Reader

Warnings: Mentions of death

A/N: Thank you so much, y'all are so sweet oml! will always be more than happy to write for all of you, so don't even worry about it <3

〰️

My parents had died about two weeks ago. Everything happened so quickly, I barely had time to process it.

It wasn't like I could put my life on pause for a moment. If my parents were here I know they would probably say something like, "(Y/n), keep going. You got this, life goes on no matter what happens. What matters is that you're brave enough to fight back and continue."

And that's what I was planning to do.

"(Y/n)?" A voice called out, pulling me away from my thoughts.

I look up and smile softly, "Kreese, it's so nice to see you!"

"Hey kiddo." He greets, "I haven't seen you in forever, you've grown up so much!" Kreese ruffles my hair, "I'm so sorry about your parents, how are you feeling?"

I shrug, "I don't know. I'm still processing it but i'm fine, it'll all be okay. Right?"

He nods, a smile curling onto his lips, "It will. Now come on, we have a drive ahead of us." He places his hand on my back, guiding me out to the car.

Kreese and I talked about settling into California, what I liked to do, and his job as a Karate Sensei.

"You know, (y/n). We could use someone as strong and wise like you in Cobra kai." He says.

I furrow my eyebrows, "You really think so?"

Kreese nods, "Yes. My students are all brawn but no brain, well maybe except one of them." He chuckles, "He's my best student, I think you'll get along with him."

I think about it for a moment. Me? Karate? A minute of silence goes by before I sigh, "Alright, i'll join you."

Kreese smiles widely before ruffling my hair, "'Attakid."

〰️

The next morning we went out for breakfast, got enrolled at a nearby school, bought a couple of things I needed, and basically helping me settle into California.

It was not a little late in the afternoon and I sigh, looking out the window. "How would you describe the kids here?"

Kreese looks up from the television then back to me, "Annoying."

I scoff a little, "Well that's helpful."

"I don't know, (y/n). I'm old! It's not like I can roll up to the skate park and just say, "how do you do, fellow kids?"" Kreese replies.

I chuckle and shake my head, "Fair enough. Plus you're a Sensei so i'm sure being in charge of a bunch of kids and teenagers isn't so much fun."

He nods before looking at the time, "You know what? There's this place that all my students go to hang out in. Golf n' Stuff, I think it's called? Anyways, why don't you go over there and try and get acquainted with some of the kids?"

"Yeah! That'd be awesome!" I stand up, grabbing my jacket and a bit of money I had saved up.

"You need me to give you a ride there?" Kreese asks. I shake my head, "I'll take my bike so I can also try and get familiar with the streets." I smile at him.

"Alright, just make sure to be back home by 10:30!" He added. I nod, "Got it, see ya!"

〰️

I lock down my bicycle at the racks, taking a deep breath before walking into the place.

Loud noises from chattering and machines filled my ear, I was somewhat regretting this already but screw it, I had nothing to lose.

Grabbing some tokens for a few of the arcade machines, I step up to the Donkey Kong machine. I quickly start tapping on the controls and avoiding the barrels he'd throw at my character.

"Shit!" I mumble, losing the game. I turn around and see a boy with blonde hair, staring at me along with two of his friends.

I furrow my eyebrows before making my way off to another game, I can still feel their eyes staring at me and before I knew it, the blonde boy was next to me, a smirk on his lips.

"Hey i've never seen you around here before, are you new?" He asks, leaning on the wall. I nod, "Yeah, I just moved here yesterday to live with my Godfather." I reply, "The name's (y/n) (y/l/n). Nice to meet you...?"

"Oh, i'm Johnny Lawrence!" He replies, "(Y/n), that's a lovely name for a lovely person like you."

I chuckle and I can feel my cheeks warm up, "Is that something you say to all of the people you flirt with?"

Johnny shakes his head, "Nope, only with majestic people such as yourself."

"You flatter me, Lawrence."

"Well, I assume you're here alone. Would you like to hang out with me?" He offers. I nod, "Yes, please! That would be lovely."

The entire night is incredible, Johnny and I played on the arcade games, mini golf, and he even tried winning me a stuffed animal from the crane machine but unfortunately fails.

"Let me try!" I step up onto the machine.

"I don't know, babe. It's a little difficult."

I aim for a giraffe stuffed animal and successfully winning the animal, I lean down to reach for my prize and look over at Johnny who looks amazed.

"Here, a little prize as a thank you for being so kind to me, tonight." I hand it over to him.

He chuckles softly and shakes his head, "You're incredible."

I look over at the time and it's 10:21, my eyes widen and I quickly walk outside with Johnny.

I begin to unlock my bike, "I'm so sorry! I have to be home in nine minutes! But thank you for tonight, it was so lovely."

"Wait!" Johnny exclaims, placing a kiss on my cheek, "I hope to see you again, (y/n)."

There goes that not so familiar yet wonderful feeling fluttering in my stomach. "See you around, Lawrence!" I wave goodbye at him, quickly biking back home and making it a minute before my curfew.

〰️

Monday rolls around and so does school and my first lesson at Cobra Kai.

I'm grabbing my books out of the locker when all of a sudden I feel a pair of hands on my shoulder, "Nice to see you again, stranger." A familiar voice rings.

I turn around and see a smiley Johnny, "Johnny, hey! I didn't know you also went here." I smile at him.

"It's a small world, isn't it?" He raises his eyebrow, "So, I realized that I never got your number! This weekend was a little torturing since you were on my mind the entire time but I couldn't call and hear you sweet voice."

I chuckle, "Smooth, Lawrence. And fine, you can have my number." I pull out a piece of paper and write my number on it, handing it to him.

The bell rings and soon everyone is leaving, "I'll call you, see you later!" He waves, I wave goodbye before trying to find my first class.

〰️

Later on, I grab my bike and make my way to Cobra Kai earlier than most of the students.

I push the door and see Kreese, practicing a few moves before I clear my throat and catch his attention. "(Y/n), welcome to Cobra Kai! I have something for you."

I remove my shoes before walking onto the mat and closer to him, he pulls out something white and I gently take it from his hands, "This is my uniform, right?" I ask. "It's called a Gi. You will wear this during class so make sure you always bring it, got it?" He crosses his arms.

I nod, "Yes!"

"Yes what?"

"Sir?" I furrow my eyebrows.

"It's Sensei, not sir, not Kreese. Sensei."

"Yes Sensei!"

I change into the Gi and walk outside to see a group of teenagers gathered around the mat.

A familiar face catches my attention and I wave over at him, "Johnny, hey!" I smile.

He excuses himself from his friends and walks over to me, "Hey! What are you doing here?" He asks.

"Oh, my Godfather asked me to join Cobra Kai. I'm not looking forward to getting my ass kicked though." I chuckle.

Johnny nods, "Don't worry, i'll help you out."

"Lawrence! I see you've met my Godchild." Kreese exclaims, walking over to us.

Johnny furrows his eyebrows before finally realizing, "Oh- yes, Sensei, I did!"

A nervous look forms on Johnny's face and Kreese walks closer to us, "Everything okay?"

Johnny gulps, "Yeah! This is just an unexpected surprise. That's it."

"Everyone! This is my Godchild, (y/n). They will start training with us and I expect you to treat them as one of your own. Is that clear?" Kreese announces.

"Yes Sensei!" The class replies.

〰️

"So, that was quite unexpected." I hear Johnny state.

I nod, "Yeah, i'm guessing you're that 'best student' he mentioned to me."

"Oh jeez, this complicates things a little. Do you think Sensei will kill me if I ask you out on a date?"

I pause and look over at him, "You were gonna ask me out?"

Johnny nods, "I'm still planning on it." He smirks and walks closer to me, "I think you're worth the risk."

#karate kid #karate kid x reader #karate kid imagine #johnny lawrence #johnny lawrence x reader #johnny lawrence imagine #cobra kai #cobra kai x reader #daniel larusso headcanon #daniel larusso x reader #daniel larusso

[ao3komorii]

Tangling with the Lifeguard (Pool Party Sett/Reader)

The Pool Party Sett story is done! I’ve gone with a beach!AU sort of setting where league races exist in a modern-day beach sort of place. Also sorry to any MF or Syndra mains, they don’t really come out the best in this xD Hope you enjoy, and as always, there is a smut warning for the end!

---

The sun was shining high in the sky, crystalline waters lapping against the shore as beachgoers took advantage of the perfect summer day. Taking in the scene from your place in the shade of a tree on the border between the beach and parking lot, you let a smile grace your lips as you mused on just how much this place seemed to not change, even after so many years.

The last time you had set foot on this beach, you had been twelve years old, full of excitement and unaware of the harsh realities of the adult world. Your parents had brought you here for that summer, now thirteen years ago, the beautiful beach an unforgettable experience. You had left after that summer with treasured memories, and a new friend, that same friend the very reason why you had returned to Port Navori beach after so long.

Taliyah had been the same age as you, with fairly lax parents who let her roam the beach by herself, even as the small twelve-year-old she had been. You had bonded instantly, spending almost every day together, and keeping in touch through letters, and later emails and text messages.

You had long said that you had wanted to come back and visit the lively beach town, but the timing hadn’t been right, not until this year.

You were done all your schooling, and had quit your high-stress, low-pay job, and as Taliyah had said on your last phone call, you had no reason not to visit. Her parents had been travelling the world since they retired, so you would have her house all to yourselves.

In your absence, Taliyah had become a fairly accomplished surfer in the local scene, working at an ice cream shop on the beach to support her expensive pursuits. She had been so insistent that you couldn’t find yourself able to refuse her offer; work in the ice cream shop with her in the day, and then spend the rest of your time catching up with each other. You had missed your friend dearly, and had accepted the offer without a second thought.

And now here you were, waiting at the beach’s edge for Taliyah to show up. She had told you to dress for the beach, sounding casual as was her usual, so you had worn a swimsuit with a short, flowy shoulderless dress on overtop. Unwilling to look like a lobster by day’s end, you had carefully layered yourself with sunscreen, and now all you needed was for your friend to get here already. Just when you were about to get out your phone to text her, an excited call of your name had you re-stowing the phone in your bag and looking back to see your friend bounding across the parking lot towards you.

Taliyah, dressed in a two-piece water suit and carrying a tropical-flower-print surfboard, came to a stop before you, leaning her surfboard against a tree to free her arms to tackle you in a hug.

“You’re finally here!” she grinned, surprising you with the strength of her hug. “We’re gonna have so much fun!”

“So what’s first?” you asked as you pulled back from the hug.

Taliyah hummed. “I guess I’ll show you the shop.”

You followed her onto the beach, recognizing the small bright blue building from the pictures she had sent you before. Taliyah took you around the back, fishing a key out of her pocket before unlocking the door and leading you into the small room.

There were large tubs of ice cream in the middle of the room, the walls lined with containers of various toppings and machines. On the back wall from you were two windows, glossy menus pasted to the doors that would display out when they were opened. Upon walking closer to the menu signs, you noticed something.

“Hey, it says we open at nine, but it’s ten-thirty…”

“It’s fine,” Taliyah replied with a shrug. “The owners are pretty chill. If anyone complains, I’ll just tell them I had to train the new employee.”

You playfully rolled your eyes. Sometimes you really envied Taliyah’s ability to be so carefree. Her calm energy was a big help for you, having got advice from her on numerous occasions over the years.

Taliyah came over to where you were, eyes flitting boredly to the menu boards before turning her attention back to you. “So I’m thinking we get you taking orders while I make them.”

“Works for me,” you agreed. It certainly sounded easier than figuring out what a poro float was supposed to be. You never knew ice cream stands had such fancy options now, used to the simple menus of ice cream cones and bars back at the shops in your hometown.

You were about to open the order windows when you were stopped by a rustling noise from the back of the store. You turned to see Taliyah digging in a cardboard box in the back corner, pulling out some folded-up fabric that was the same sky blue as the stand.

“Didn’t think you’d get away without an embarrassing uniform, did you?” Taliyah teased, tossing some of her fabric pile your way.

You caught the bundle, unfolding it to find an apron with Poro Palace Frozen Treats in pink bubble letters, little white fuzzy animals dotting the apron. There was an accompanying blue visor hat that looked like something out of a kid’s store. You reluctantly slipped both items of clothing on, looking back to find that Taliyah had done the same.

“Stylish, huh?” she smirked, striking a modelesque pose.

“We look like we work at an amusement park, Tali,” you laughed.

“Feels like it sometimes with all the annoying kids that come by,” she replied. “Okay, you can open it up now.”

Taliyah settled herself down in a chair in front of the section of ice cream tubs, and you reluctantly turned to unlatch and open the windows, unsure of exactly what you were getting yourself into.

The small room lit up with the outside sunlight streaming in from your window to outside, the immediate glare of the sun making you wish you had worn sunglasses.

Almost immediately, the masses were upon you. You noticed a woman with several children in tow who perked up as she laid eyes on you, striding over to you with her children right behind her, pushing each other as they scrambled to be the first one to get over to you.

You heard Taliyah groan behind you. “Get the pen ready. They always have the most annoying orders.”

You rose an eyebrow, but picked up the pen and notepad that sat beside the cash register as the woman came to a stop before you.

“You know, I’ve been waiting for an hour already. You young girls don’t know how hard it is for mothers,” the woman complained, not letting you get a word in edgewise. “Alright, tell her what you want.”

“I want a brownie sundae!” a small boy with blue hair who clearly intended to make full use of his outdoor voice shouted. “But with cotton candy ice cream and pop rocks and I want only blue candies!”

“Uh…” The kid was talking too fast for you to write, but luckily Taliyah had your back, a got it ringing out from behind you.

You weren’t sure how you had managed to get their orders out before they melted, messing up their total several times before Taliyah had to come and help you out. With a last snide look and a fistful of blue napkins, the mother and her little terrors left the stand at last.

“She’s the worst,” Taliyah said, bringing your weary gaze her way as she cleaned off an ice cream scoop. “I accidentally put one red candy in that kid’s sundae once and he screamed until I remade the whole thing!”

You winced. “Feels like we got off easy today.”

“Yeah,” Taliyah agreed. “Helps that they order the same thing every time, so I’ve got some practice.”

“Are they all this bad?” you asked, turning away from the window after seeing no potential customers nearby.

“Not all of them,” she replied with a strained smile. “I swear the heat just brings the jerk out in some of the people here.”

Speaking of jerks… your conversation was interrupted by an impatient-sounding throat clearing noise from behind you. You whirled around to see a redheaded woman with heart-shaped sunglasses and a revealing swimsuit leaning against your counter. She was staring at you like you were gum she had stepped in, flipping some hair over her shoulder when she knew she had your attention.

“Five cherry snowballs,” she said, dropping a few coins on your counter, some of which bounced and hit the floor. “To the red umbrella, thanks ice cream girl.”

Without any further interaction, she turned on her heel and strutted away, hips swinging as she went, leaving you wondering what had just happened.

You slowly turned back to face Taliyah again. “Um, do we usually deliver?”

“Nope,” she answered. “Not to people like that anyways.”

“But…” you protested weakly. You knew Taliyah got away with a lot here, but you didn’t want her to lose her job because some rude girl complained to her bosses. “I’ll just take them over and next time I’ll just say we don’t deliver.”

“Still tempted to put rocks in their snowballs,” Taliyah joked as she set about piling the scoops of red ice.

Soon you had a tray with five cherry syrup-coated piles of shaved ice in little plastic bowls with accompanying little plastic spoons stuck in the side of the dishes.

“I’ll be right back,” you said, heading past Taliyah to the back door, opening it to find yourself back out in the mid-morning heat.

The sand still felt uncomfortably hot underfoot, even with your flip flops on. With how hot it was out, these would have to be delivered as soon as possible to not be a puddle by the time they were eaten. Your only problem was that you had no idea where to go.

The redhead had said that she would be at the red umbrella, but of course nothing at this ice cream stand would be that easy. Standing just outside the hut, you were treated to a veritable rainbow of colored beach umbrellas. You counted at least ten red ones scattered across the beach, none particularly standing out to you. You didn’t have many options, and were forced to go with the most tedious one; checking every red umbrella until you found the girl and her group.

The first umbrella had been a bust, as had the next five. The sixth had led to a sweaty old man who told you that you were just in time to help him sunscreen his back. By the time you had hurriedly fled from that creep, it had been about five minutes of searching, the snowballs on your tray looking considerably droopier than they had been when you had left the shop.

You stared down at the tray of melting treats, unsure of what to do now. Should you go back and have Taliyah remake the snowballs? Try a few more umbrellas and hope you got lucky? You really hadn’t been anticipating this much stress when you had agreed to work here with Taliyah for the summer.

You frowned at the now-more-water-than-ice treats, your decision made. You couldn’t serve these, not as melted as they were. You would go back and help remake them and see if Taliyah had any insight as to which red umbrella was the right one. You turned around to head back to the stand, only to trip on your overheating flip flops and fall forward with a cry.

You had closed your eyes with a flinch as you fell, but opened them with a start as you heard a grunt from right in front of you. Looking up from your position in the burning sand, you felt like your heart was going to stop in your chest.

Standing before you was the most attractive guy you had ever laid eyes on, with fire red hair and a pair of black animal ears that looked soft to the touch. He was dressed in a tight pair of swim shorts, a lightweight red jacket tied around his waist. He had a flower lei around his neck, but that was the only thing that he wore on his top half, his insanely-well-built torso on full display, a torso you realized with horror was currently splattered with red syrup and shaved ice.

You looked from the hot guy to the ground, the sand around you speckled with plastic cups, spoons and napkins, your tray turned upside down in the sand. You slowly risked a gaze back up, only to see the guy staring down at you from behind his pink-tinted sunglasses as a clump of ice fell from his stomach to the sand just in front of your hands.

Embarrassment forced you to spring up, grabbing some stray napkins from the ground and dabbing them against the mess of syrup and ice on the man’s abdomen.

“I’m so sorry, I–” You looked up from your apologizing to see the man silently staring at you, your hand freezing in place as you realized that you were basically feeling this guy up through the napkins, the realization making your cheeks burn with shame and embarrassment.

“I’m really sorry!” you cried out, pulling your hands back. He still hadn’t said anything, and you realized that you couldn’t just stand here like an idiot, your flight instinct kicking in as you reached down to grab your tray before moving around the man and fleeing in the direction of the ice cream stand.

“Hey, wait!”

The man tried to grab your arm as you passed, but you were faster in your embarrassment-fueled retreat, and soon the hot stranger was far behind you. You didn’t stop running until you were back at the shop, the empty sand-logged tray clutched tightly to your chest, your heartbeat pounding in your ears as you shut the door, making eye contact with a confused Taliyah.

“Hey, are you okay?” she asked, getting up to approach you when you didn’t respond. “Talk to me. What happened? If that snob said anything to you–”

“No, no, she didn’t,” you replied weakly, sinking to the floor with your back against the door. “I didn’t even get to her.”

“Then what happened?” she pressed, bringing you a glass of water and prying the tray from your hands at last.

She ushered you to your feet and down into her chair, taking a seat on one of the counters. You took a deep breath, taking a sip of the water before recounting the events of the past ten minutes to Taliyah, who listened silently.

“…I didn’t know what to do, so I just ran,” you finished, setting your water down to bury your face in your hands.

“It’s no big deal,” Taliyah replied gently. “Everyone has embarrassed themselves in front of someone. Remember that time I tripped over my board in front of that group of tourists?”

“I covered him in cherry syrup, Tali,” you groaned. “I don’t think I’m cut out for this.”

“It’s your first day,” she stressed. “You’re bound to mess some things up.”

She stood up, returning to the shaved ice machine. “Now how about we remake those snowballs and then I’ll–”

Taliyah had frozen in place, a plastic cup in her hand as she stared straight ahead.

“Tali?” you questioned, standing up. “Are you–”

“That guy you dumped the snowballs on,” she quickly interrupted. “Did he have majorly cut abs and animal ears?”

“Uh, why?” You felt a jolt of fear shoot up your spine as you followed her gaze to see the man from earlier currently approaching the shop, well-defined abdomen now minus the sticky mess you had spilt all over him. “Oh god, it’s him!”

You and Taliyah exchange wide-eyed glances before you dove down out of sight, hiding behind the tubs of ice cream like they were a fortress.

“Please get rid of him!” you begged. “I’ll do whatever you want, I just can’t face him!”

You heard Taliyah sigh. “Fine, but this means you’re coming stone hunting with me tonight.”

You agreed immediately, even if the prospect wasn’t overwhelmingly appealing. Taliyah was always eager to add to her collection of shiny stones, but was so picky that it often took hours to find just one stone that met her standards. But right now you were so desperate that you would have promised her anything just to make the angry hot guy go away.

From your position behind the ice cream tubs, you could only hear Taliyah’s voice clearly, the general noise of the beach preventing you from hearing what the furry-eared man was saying. You wanted to peek out from your hiding spot, but found yourself chickening out. You really didn’t need him catching sight of you and making Taliyah’s job even harder.

You had gotten so in your own head with panic that you had completely tuned out of your surroundings until a hand waved in front of your face and you realized Taliyah was crouching in front of you, calling your name.

“You okay?” she asked worriedly.

“Is he gone?” you replied quietly.

“Yeah, he’s gone,” she confirmed, standing up and grabbing your forearms to pull you up with her. “Now help me remake those snowballs and then I’ll fill you in.”

You bit your lip as you scooped shaved ice into a row of plastic cups as Taliyah readied the cherry syrup. Soon you had five pristine-looking snowballs on your slightly-sandy tray, the sight of them bringing you back to your moment of collision with the cute guy.

The tray was snatched from your field of vision by Taliyah, who headed over to the rear door. “Be back in a few. Try not to freak out too much while I’m gone.”

And then the door was closed and you were left alone. Looking over at the order window, you decided that you were probably safer to just resume your position behind the ice cream tubs, unwilling to risk being out in the open in case the guy decided to come back.

While she was gone, you couldn’t help but fret over exactly what had been said between your best friend and the mysterious hot guy. She didn’t seem to be upset, so clearly their conversation hadn’t been that intense. Or maybe it had; Taliyah was a fairly relaxed person, so it would be difficult for a random angry customer to really get to her. But that didn’t quite make sense either; if he had yelled at her, you would have heard it over the noise of the beachgoers. All you were doing was overthinking yourself to death, exactly what Taliyah had told you not to do.

And it was there you remained until Taliyah returned, closing the door behind her and placing the serving tray in the sink before she turned her attention to you at last.

“Calm down, it’s fine… I think,” she said.

“You think?”

“Well he didn’t seem mad,” she explained. “He asked if a girl that looked like you worked here and I said you went home sick. Said he’d come back another time.”

“Another–” Oh god. Was he really so angry that he was willing to come back just for the chance to yell at you?

“I can see you freaking out,” Taliyah scolded. “Don’t. You’re fine. Musclehead or not, he’s not going to kill you just because you spilled shaved ice on him.”

She was probably right; hot shirtless guys on the beach likely had more important things to do than yelling at clumsy ice cream shop workers. By tomorrow, he would probably forget you ever existed, and you could go back to enjoying your time working alongside your best friend.

 The rock collecting that night had been long and boring, at least for you. Taliyah hadn’t found any rocks she liked enough to take home, only ending the search after she had found some sea glass that she had deemed acceptable to add to her collection. You could only hope that you wouldn’t owe her any more favors any time soon, unsure if you could survive another late night rock hunt.

The next morning, you entered the shop alongside Taliyah, who put her bag down and began to set up the day’s supplies. Considering it was ten minutes past opening time and Taliyah had insisted that she didn’t need help setting up, you decided that you might as well just open the order window for the day, hoping that mom and her group of demon kids wouldn’t be waiting out there, only to unlatch the widows and see something arguably worse.

The window had only been open a peek, but it was enough for you to see the large figure of the man from yesterday standing ten feet or so from your shop, his back facing you as he stared out at the beach. In your brief glimpse, you also noticed that the jacket wrapped around his waist had a white plus sign in a circle as well as the word lifeguard in white blocky letters above it. Oh god, of course you had gone and pissed off a lifeguard on your first day here.

You shut the barely-open windows with a too-loud slam that made you wince before you quickly locked them again and rushed over to Taliyah.

“Tali, he’s here again!” you hissed.

“Huh?” she replied, pausing her task of refilling a container of sprinkles. “Muscle guy?”

You nodded frantically and Taliyah frowned, putting the sprinkles down and approaching the order window herself. You watched as she opened the window ever so slightly, peering out for a few seconds before closing it back up.

“Well… can’t say I was expecting him to actually come back,” she said evenly.

“What do I even do?” you asked, staring at the order windows like they would burst open at any second and reveal you to the clearly-determined lifeguard. “He’s a lifeguard, Tali! What if he bans me from the beach?”

She rolled her eyes in response. “He can’t just ban you from the beach. Lifeguards don’t have that much power. If they did, I would’ve been banned a long time ago for all the times I’ve surfed after hours.”

“Then what does he want with me?” you asked, looking away from the window.

Taliyah shrugged. “You’d have to ask him that.”

“But what if I… don’t?” you replied weakly. “He’ll give up eventually, right?”

“I mean, maybe?” she said. “But it might be easier to deal with him now and get it over with.”

You saw her point, but it wasn’t her that was being pursued by a tall, muscly lifeguard with a vengeance!

Taliyah clearly caught the reluctance on your face and sighed. “Fine, I’ll switch with you for today. Now let’s go over how to make the basic stuff before we open.”

True to her word, Taliyah had allowed you to hide in the back making orders, telling the lifeguard guy that you were off today. You watched him walk away from behind the shaved ice machine, hoping that your ordeal was finally over, but your hopes were quickly dashed the next day as you went to open the store again, only to see the same broad back facing you from just outside the shop.

Taliyah had reluctantly agreed to switch again that day, and the day after. But by day four, even the promise of helping her scavenge for rocks again wouldn’t get her to agree to switch.

You closed the window again, turning to Taliyah with pleading eyes, but she was having none of it.

“It’s been four days,” she said, arms crossed. “Clearly he’s not giving up. You should just see what he wants.”

“But…” The thought still terrified you. You knew you deserved to be yelled at for what you had done, but it was made that much worse by the fact that the subject of your plight was just about the hottest guy you had ever seen.

Taliyah shook her head at you. “Okay, but I’m not doing orders again today, so if you want to keep hiding from him, we’ll have to move onto plan B.”

Plan B, as it turned out, was a mascot suit of sorts; three fluffy poros stacked on top of each other like a snowman. A poro each made up your upper and lower body, the last poro being the head of the costume. You looked incredibly awkward, the arms and legs of the costume hairy and tipped with little brown claws. You were momentarily stunned by the sheer lengths you were going to just to avoid this guy, but you were already in the costume, so you reasoned that you might as well follow through with it now.

Taliyah put the costume’s head on you and your world was plunged largely into darkness, minus the mesh one-way view out of the top poro’s eyes. You were helped to the back door, some fliers for the store shoved into your hands.

Taliyah helped you walk out front, and you were pretty quickly swarmed by kids. You couldn’t see the lifeguard guy, but the relief that coursed through you was short-lived, swallowed by the immediate explosion of business brought on by your costume.

One thing you hadn’t considered in your haste was the heat. You weren’t sure if it was the costume or if today was hotter than usual, but very quickly you found yourself becoming a sweaty mess under the weight of the dense, furry costume.

The longer you were in the costume, the worse you felt, but you were determined to stick this out. So you handed out fliers and posed for photos with children while Taliyah ran the stand.

You wished that you could wipe the sweat from your face, but you weren’t sure if you could even reach up to remove the costume’s head yourself due to the awkward shape of the costume. So you endured the ever-increasing heat, only feeling wearier as the time ticked by.

You waved goodbye to a group of kids as they left with their ice cream cones, the sweltering heat really bearing down on you. As you went to turn and head back to the stand to ask Taliyah to help get the head off, a wave of dizziness crashed over you. You took one step towards the stand, and then another, and then it all went dark as you felt yourself falling forward, too weak to stop your descent to the ground.

 You woke up with a heavy head, feeling foggy with confusion. The last thing you remembered, you had been heading back to the stand…

Immediately, you realized that you weren’t at the ice cream stand, and you weren’t wearing the poro suit, or even your beach dress. Sitting up in the cot you laid in, you found that you were wearing only your swimsuit.

As you sat up, a blue ice pack that you hadn’t realized was there fell from your forehead and into your lap. Picking it up, the pack only feeling slightly cold, you turned to look around the room, still unsure what exactly was going on.

You were in a room of some sort, guessing it was afternoon by the minute amount of light filtering into the room, even through the closed curtains. There was a fan gently whirring above your head, but otherwise the room was silent.

There was another cot beside yours, and a table nearby with a few red first aid kits stacked on it, some bandages messily spilling out of one of them. There was a sign pulled over the door, the side facing you reading come on in, we’re open.

You got up from the bed, shuddering with disgust when you noticed just how sweaty your whole body was. The bed squeaked as you got up from it, your knees hitting a bedside table between the cots that you hadn’t noticed had been there. On the small table was a glass of water, as well as a white fan that was emblazoned with what looked to be a group of cats waterskiing.

You picked up the fan, letting out a small laugh at the silly-looking cartoon cats on the fan. It looked like something you could win at a carnival booth.

“If you can laugh, then I guess you’re feelin’ alright.”

A deep voice from behind you made you jump, fingers fumbling the fan, which fell onto the floor with a clatter that was only made louder in the quiet room. You turned to look behind you, only to fall off the cot in shock when you saw the very lifeguard you had been trying so hard to avoid standing in the doorway of a small office you hadn’t noticed was there.

“Hey, careful!” He quickly crossed the room to squat down in front of you, taking your elbow and helping you back up onto the cot. You were too stunned to resist and found yourself falling into his chest as a wave of dizziness hit you.

“You okay?” he asked, and you tried to nod, but your head was spinning too much to focus. “Hey, hold still.”

He placed his hands on your shoulders, keeping you steady against him until you were able to regain your focus. When he was satisfied with your condition, he pulled back, releasing your shoulders and instead reaching out for the glass of water on the table next to you.

“Drink,” he instructed, handing you the cup before standing up. “I’ll be right back.”

He stared at you for a moment before finally turning back and heading into the office at the back of the room.

You watched him go, feeling on edge, but complied, bringing the glass up to your lips and taking a long drink. The last thing you wanted to do was give this guy more reason to be upset with you. You were surprised at just how refreshing the water felt, and you had soon downed the entire glass, placing it back on the table when you were done.

“Alright, lay back down,” the lifeguard instructed as he returned.

“What?” you replied. What was he going to do to you? How had you even got here? Where was Taliyah?

He stopped before you, furrowing his eyebrows as he looked down at your shaky, terrified form. “Are you–”

“I’m sorry!” you exclaimed, bowing your head. “I didn’t mean to spill the snowballs on you! If you need to yell at me, go ahead. I’m sorry I didn’t just come out sooner and–”

It had occurred to you mid-ramble that he had yet to say anything, and you cut off your babbling, slowly looking up to find him staring at you with what you could only describe as a bewildered look on his face.

He blinked. “Is that why–”

“I’m so sorry!” you interrupted, bowing your head again. “If you want to ban me from the beach, I get it!”

“Ban ya from the beach?” he replied with a bark of laughter. “The only thing I wanted to do was get your number.”

“My… what?” You had to be hallucinating. There was no way he had just said that.

“Lay down first,” he spoke sternly, and you complied, still feeling stunned by his words.

Once you were laid down, he picked something up from the bed, which you recognized as another ice pack. He placed it on your forehead, the cool pack immediately flooding you with a feeling of relief. Closing your eyes, you let out a tired sigh, suddenly feeling fatigued.

“Get some rest, princess. We’ll talk when you’re up again.”

You took his advice, the cooling from the ice pack lulling you back to sleep, your eyelids too heavy to keep open.

When you woke up again, you felt infinitely better, your head clearer and body feeling less overheated. The ice pack on your forehead was room temperature, and it was now dark outside. There was a light illuminating your left side as you sat up in bed, turning to see the office in the back with its light on.

The cot squeaked under you, which was responded to by the squeak of a chair from inside the office, the red-haired lifeguard emerging from the office and approaching your bedside.

“Feelin’ any better?” he asked, and you nodded, biting your lip nervously. “Got you some more water.”

You looked over to the bedside table to see the water cup refilled and took hold of it, grateful to have something to focus on other than the intimidatingly muscular man before you.

You drank the entire glass before you forced yourself to finally address the situation before you. “Um… why am I here?”

“You passed out,” he replied bluntly, taking a seat on the cot next to yours. “Overheated yourself in that rat costume.”

“They’re not rats, they’re poros,” you replied, unsure of what to say.

He let out a huff of laughter. “Poros that important to you that you’re willin’ to fry yourself for ‘em?”

“No, that was…” you trailed off. Well, you might as well just admit it. If he had gone out of his way to care for you after you had passed out like an idiot, then he deserved the truth. “I was avoiding you. I was scared you were going to yell at me. My friend didn’t want to keep covering for me at the window so I decided to wear that stupid poro costume.”

“So that’s what that was about,” he replied. “And here I thought you were avoidin’ me ‘cuz you weren’t interested. Gave up on gettin’ your number and then got news that someone passed out from heat stroke.”

You were still having a hard time comprehending the asking for your number part, so you instead chose to focus on the other half. “Heat stroke?”

“Not sure what you expected, wearin’ that costume in this heat,” he said. “Can’t say nobody’s ever been afraid of me before, but giving themself heat stroke just to avoid me is a new one.”

He sounded somewhat self-deprecating, and you immediately felt bad. You had clearly misjudged him, and realized that he hadn’t even mentioned the snowball incident himself.

You forced yourself to meet his eyes, even with as awkward as you were currently felt. “I’m sorry for giving you so much trouble, and for spilling snowballs all over you. I’m just really sorry.”

He laughed. “Ain’t nothin’ for you to apologize for. I’ve had worse get on me since I started workin’ here, and usually it ain’t from a cute girl.”

You tensed in your seat, tearing your gaze from his to look down at your feet, your cheeks feeling warm.

“Hey, don’t go overheatin’ yourself again,” he scolded, standing up from the bed. “If you’re not interested, that’s fine, but I think it’s best if I take ya home. Don’t need your friend yellin’ at me again if you pass out on the way back.”

As much as you wanted to deny his assertion of you being not interested, you couldn’t muster up the courage, so you instead quietly accepted his offer of help. You would have to ask Taliyah what he had meant when you got back.

It was surprisingly cold on the beach at night, the icy breeze sending shivers along your skin. You stared out at the dark ocean waves, entranced by the water crashing against the sand, when your focus was broken by some soft fabric being laid over your shoulders.

You turned to look over your shoulder to see Sett just behind you on the steps of the lifeguard office, the jacket that was usually around his waist now laying on your shoulders.

He caught your curious look and raised an eyebrow. “You nearly cooked yourself to death today, I ain’t about to let you freeze yourself to death now.”

“Thanks,” you replied quietly, reaching a hand up to keep the jacket around your shoulders.

Your feet met the soft sand as you followed Sett towards the parking lot. The beach was totally empty, an odd contrast to how things were in the daytime. It felt weird to actually see the shape of the landscape unobscured by giant beach umbrellas and a sea of bodies. You only looked away from the empty scene when you realized that you had left the sand, and Sett was staring expectantly at you.

“…what?” you asked, getting the feeling that he had said something that you had missed.

“Which way?” he repeated with a quick glance at the street ahead of you.

“Oh right,” you replied. “My friend lives on Sandstone Way.”

Sett’s ears perked up. “By that tacky souvenir shop?”

“Yeah,” you laughed. “Right by there.”

You giggled at Sett’s assessment; you had noticed the eye-hurtingly brightly painted store when Taliyah had walked you to her house from the train station. She had rolled her eyes at the store as you surveyed the display of t-shirts with embarrassing designs on them, stating that sometimes they got some good rocks in, but it wasn’t worth the amount of tourists always asking for directions when she was walking around the neighborhood.

Looking over at Sett out of the corner of your eye, you were struggling to think of anything to say. He was dressed in just his sandals and shorts, his sunglasses forgone and giving you a clear look at his golden eyes that seemed to glow in the dark.

“So this your first summer here?” Sett asked, breaking the brief silence as you walked side by side. “I know I’d remember you if I’d seen ya before.”

“I was here for a summer when I was a kid,” you answered. “But everything looks so different now. Maybe I just saw this place differently when I was a kid.”

“Nah,” he dismissed. “It never used to be this busy here. Tourists bring money to this place, but it means it’s always loud around here.”

The conversation was slowly helping you feel more comfortable with the intimidatingly handsome lifeguard. You felt dumb for putting so much energy into avoiding him.

“So have you always lived here?” you asked.

“Born and raised,” he answered with a grin that you couldn’t help but feel looked a little sad. “Ma used to work at the boating shop… and the laundromat… and the candy store.”

“All at the same time?” you asked incredulously.

Sett shrugged. “Didn’t have much of a choice. Pa ran off on us when I was a kid, and it wasn’t like anyone would hire a fatherless runt to work for them.”

“Sounds like it was hard,” you replied. “Did you ever find out where he went?”

“For his sake, I’d better not,” Sett sneered. “I heard ma cry missin’ that scumbag more times than I can count. There ain’t a family here for that bastard to come back to.”

“How is your mom doing?” you asked as you turned onto Sandstone Way, passing by the tacky tourist shop, the flashy paint on the walls too bright even at night.

“She’s doin’ good,” he answered, finally looking happy with a satisfied smile. “Got her to quit her jobs when I started workin’ enough to pay the bills.”

“You’re a good son,” you complimented him. “She’s lucky to have you.”

You smiled at him, coming to a stop before Taliyah’s house. “Well, this is me. Thanks for walking me back.”

“Take care of yourself,” he said. “I don’t wanna see you passin’ out again.”

“I’ll try not to,” you replied. “No more poro costumes for me.”

“On that topic,” he purred, leaning closer to you. “You never gave me an answer.”

“An answer?” you squeaked, flustered by his sudden closeness.

“I’ve been tryin’ to get your number for days now,” he replied, and you did your best to supress a shiver from running up your spine. Was this real life?

You wet your lips with your tongue nervously, unable to miss how Sett’s sharp eyes watched the movement.

“I, um, I don’t have my phone on me,” you said, immediately realizing how dumb you sounded. You didn’t need your phone on you to tell him your number! You hastily made to amend your statement. “…but if you come by the stand tomorrow, I’ll give it to you!”

“Oh?” Sett’s grin was wide, gold eyes flashing dangerously. “I s’pose I could find some time to stop by. See you then, sweetheart.”

Sett turned to walk away, but you stopped him with a call of his name. “Wait, your jacket–”

“Keep it for the night,” Sett replied. “I’ll get it from you tomorrow.”

You reluctantly agreed, stunned silent by his bold flirting, his jacket sitting warm on your shoulders as you watched him walk away. You stared at his broad back until he was out of sight, only then turning to head inside, knowing Taliyah would be waiting.

 The next morning she was still on you as you spent some extra time getting ready.

“I still can’t believe he gave you his jacket,” she teased with a grin. “I mean, I figured he was probably into you, but–”

“You what?” you replied as you paused styling your hair.

“I kept telling you to talk to him,” she replied. “No guy like that is going to wait outside your work for days in a row just to yell at you for spilling ice on him. But I didn’t think you’d believe me if I told you.”

“I just feel so stupid giving myself heat stroke just go avoid him,” you lamented.

“Yeah,” Taliyah frowned. “If I had realized it was that hot out, I never would’ve let you go out in that thing.”

“It’s my own fault for being so dumb,” you insisted.

“But hey, it all worked out, didn’t it?” Taliyah grinned as she slipped on her water shoes. “You’ve got a hot lifeguard coming to visit you at work today.”

“Don’t remind me. I’m still super nervous,” you said, adjusting your beach dress over your most flattering swimsuit.

“You’ll be fine,” Taliyah replied. “He’s clearly super into you. You should’ve seen him when you passed out yesterday.”

“What?” You had been so tired last night that you had only told her the basics before crashing for the night, completely forgetting to ask her what had happened yesterday.

“Someone got him when you collapsed,” she told you. “You should’ve seen his face when he pulled off the poro head and saw it was you inside the costume! I tried to come with, but he told me he’d handle it. I maaay have threatened his life if anything happened to you, but just a little.”

You laughed. So that’s what Sett had been referring to.

Taliyah came up from behind you as you stared at your appearance in the mirror, resting her chin on your shoulder and meeting your eyes in the mirror. “Relax, you look great. Fuzzy ear boy isn’t gonna know what hit him!”

“Fuzzy ear–” you sputtered, laughing at Taliyah’s choice of words. “I guess his ears do look pretty fuzzy.”

“Well if he lets you pet them, tell me how soft they are!” she teased, pulling back from you to grab her bag. “Now let’s go. You’ve got a boy to meet!”

You somehow felt even more nervous today than you had the few days you had spent avoiding Sett. You were still having a hard time wrapping your head around the fact that a guy that looked like he had walked straight out of a fireman’s calendar was coming to your little beachfront ice cream stand for the sole purpose of getting your phone number. And his jacket, which was folded neatly on the countertop beside you.

You weren’t exactly sure when he was going to come. Usually, he would be there waiting outside in the morning before you opened, but all you had opened up to today was a sparsely-populated beachfront, no handsome lifeguards to be seen. By two in the afternoon, your anxiety had begun to get the better of you.

“Stop pacing,” Taliyah scolded you. “He’ll be here.”

“But what if he decided not to?” you said, taking a deep breath to try and calm yourself down. “What if this was just a joke?”

“Then I’ll go kick his butt,” she responded plainly. “He’ll come. Relax.”

You were about to reply, when a ding of the service bell at the order window had you spinning around, ready to take an order, only for the words to die on your lips when you laid eyes on the well-muscled lifeguard with the fuzzy black ears just outside the order window, sending a grin your way.

“Here to pick up my order,” he said, leaning an arm against the window.

“Your… order?” you replied, too entranced by his appearance to properly make use of your brain.

“A pretty girl promised me her number if I came by,” he replied, looking down at you through his sunglasses.

“I… right… I…” You turned back quickly to see Taliyah staring expectantly at you, mouthing the word number at you. Right.

With slightly shaky hands, you reached for the small notepad at the front counter, taking that and a pen in hand and trying not to focus on the fact that Sett was watching you as you began to write.

Double-checking that the number was right, you handed the paper to him, your fingers touching as he took it from you. Remembering about your other promise, you reached over to grab the lifeguard jacket from the counter beside you. You went to hand him his jacket, surprised when he didn’t take it from you.

“What time do you get off?” he asked, and you answered a quiet six. “Give it back to me then.”

With a short wave and a grin, Sett made a show of stowing the phone number in his pocket before sauntering off and leaving you standing there slack-jawed.

“See? Was that so hard?” Taliyah called from her seat at the ice machine. “Now you just have to keep it together for your date.”

“I don’t know if I can,” you said, leaning back against the counter.

“You did last night, didn’t you?” she countered. “He’s just a guy. A really hot guy, but still. Don’t freak yourself out. You deserve a nice guy. It’s just a bonus that he has more abs than spiders have legs!”

You let out an amused huff. Taliyah was right, as she always was. You needed to get over yourself and let yourself have a good time tonight.”

But for now, you had customers to deal with. You and Taliyah let out a shared groan as you saw the nightmare mom and her army of brats heading towards you. You both returned to your posts, hoping their overly-complicated orders would be right on the first try this time.

 Taliyah let out a yawn, stretching her arms high above her head before beginning the process of cleaning up for the day. After the last customer left, you hastily closed the order window, not wanting to give anyone the chance to come and beg about how it was only five minutes past closing and they’ve been wanting a banana split all day. You had learned your lesson from that mistake on day two.

Once the order windows were closed and locked, you joined Taliyah at the side counter, helping to return all the different containers of toppings to their rightful places. You found your hands moving slower, your nerves slowing you down in order to prolong the inevitable.

Taliyah eventually got tired of your pitiful attempt at stalling for time and gently removed the container of blue sprinkles from your grasp. “Just go, I’ll finish up here.”

“Are you sure?” you asked, and Taliyah sent you an unimpressed look. “Okay, fine, I’m going, I’m going.”

“I hope you know I expect all the details later!” she grinned as you made your way to the door, hesitating with your hand on the door handle for only a moment before opening the door.

It was mercifully less warm outside today than it had been yesterday, not to mention that you were also minus a heavy mascot costume. Yesterday hadn’t ended too badly for you, but you would still prefer to not end today in a hospital if you exacerbated your current heat-sensitive state.

You weren’t sure if you preferred if Sett was already there, or if you got there first to wait for him; neither option seemed to abate your nerves. But of course, the lifeguard was prompt as always, leaning against one of the beams that held up the awning above the order window.

You didn’t think you had been making much noise walking along the sand, but he seemed to hear you, turning to face you with a grin as you approached.

“Ready?” he asked as you came to a stop before him, tucking some of your hair behind your ear in an effort to keep your cool.

“Yeah,” you answered, impressed that your voice hadn’t come out squeaky with how nervous you were.

“Good,” he replied, before his grin turned teasing. “Was half expectin’ ya to come on our date in that rat costume.”

“Poro!” you corrected again, trying not to get flustered by his mention of this being a date. You weren’t sure what else it would be, but you couldn’t help the butterflies that fluttered in your stomach when he had acknowledged the obvious.

He surprised you by taking your hand, pulling you along with him as you tried desperately not to stumble and fall into the sand.

The beach crowd was beginning to thin out, people heading home or to one of the many beachfront restaurants nearby. Watching as a kid packed up his sand toys, you wondered if one of those restaurants was where you were headed as well. Sett hadn’t told you anything about what the plan was, and you found yourself curious when he led you to the bright white lifeguard office.

At first, you had thought that maybe he had forgotten something, at least until you followed him into the small building to see what looked to be the table that had previously held all the first aid kits, now decked out in a soft-looking purple picnic blanket. On top of the makeshift picnic table was a spread of various tasty-looking finger foods, the scene completed by two chairs pulled up to the table, cushions with a starfish pattern placed on the seats.

You were perhaps too dumbfounded by the sight, as you snapped out of it to Sett calling your name, looking over at him to see him looking surprisingly tense. You should probably say something, you realized.

“It looks great,” you said, meaning every word as you looked over the table. “Are those cabbage rolls?”

“Ma helped me make ‘em,” Sett explained, looking bashful for the first time since you had met him as he raised an arm to scratch at the back of his neck. “Helped me with all of this, actually. Never done anythin’ like this before.”

“You mean a picnic?” you asked curiously.

Sett chuckled. “Picnics. Dates. Not a lotta women ‘round here who wanted anythin’ to do with a fatherless half-breed.”

You had a hard time believing that; you had noticed several mothers checking him out as they packed their family’s stuff to leave the beach. But the hint of something sad in his eyes made you reconsider. You had no memory of seeing someone like him that summer you had spent here, but it wasn’t like that was a surprise to you. You and Taliyah had been in your own little world at that time, only ever spending time with each other.

“Well I’m excited to try your cooking,” you said, figuring a change of subject was for the best.

Sett grinned as he sat down. “Should be decent. Haven’t poisoned anyone since high school.”

Your eyes widened, hand freezing on its path to grab a cabbage roll, startled eyes darting to his.

Sett let out a bark of laughter at your alarmed face. “Relax. Wouldn’t poison ya. Maybe those kids that keep swimmin’ into the boating zone, but not you.”

“Thanks… I think?” you replied, biting your lip as you stared down at the cabbage rolls, weighing your options.

“Wasn’t real poison anyways,” he scoffed, taking some rolls from himself. “Not my fault sugar and salt look the same.”

You laughed, grabbing some food for yourself at last. “I suppose they kinda do.”

“Ma didn’t wanna hurt my feelings, but I knew when I tried some myself,” he explained.

“It was nice of her to try,” you offered.

“Too nice,” he said. “Ma is always too nice. Never said anythin’ bad about my old man, even after what he did. Had to work three jobs for years because of that bastard, but not a word.”

“Well I’m sure she’s glad she has you,” you commented. “Even if you give her food poisoning sometimes.”

“Once,” he corrected, taking a bite. “Learned my lesson the first time.”

You followed his lead, finding the food to be entirely poison-free, and actually the best home-cooked meal you had eaten in a long time. The conversation moved to swapping work stories, and you were unsurprised to find out that the mother and her the demon children had been a thorn in Sett’s side as well.

“They really buried sleeping sunbathers in sand?”

“Five times in a day one time,” Sett grouchily confirmed. “Last time Braum went to handle it. Said I would bury those little assholes under the sand if I had to go yell at them one more time.”

You sympathized with his pain. You felt lucky that you had only experienced the tip of the annoyingness iceberg with that group of little terrors.

“Braum?” you inquired as you both left the lifeguard office, the beach now fully dark.

“Fellow lifeguard,” he answered, nonchalantly taking your hand in his as you made your way off the beach. “Bald, giant moustache, even bigger than me. Better at the whole gentle-but-firm thing than I am.”

“Oh, I think I’ve seen him before. He comes by for poro pops sometimes,” you said, mind drawing a picture of the surprisingly friendly man in the small purple swim bottoms with a weakness for poro-shaped ice pops. “So are you the head lifeguard then?”

Sett considered your question. “Guess I am the boss of ‘em. All of the other lifeguards are always comin’ at me with problems to solve. The extra pay doesn’t hurt either if I wanna keep momma from feelin’ like she has to work.”

“Say thank you to her from me for the dinner. It was really good,” you said as you passed by the familiar tacky souvenir shop.

“She’ll be happy to hear it,” he replied with a soft smile that made your heart thump in your chest. “I know she wishes she had more to cook for than just me.”

You both came to a stop before Taliyah’s house, and you sneakily glanced over just to make sure Taliyah wasn’t peeking out from a window, which she wasn’t. You turned your focus back to Sett, only to find him closer than he had just been. How was he so good at sneaking up on you?

A large hand came up to cup your jaw, thumb brushing against your cheek, and your face was tilted up towards Sett’s. You were glad it was dark out, because otherwise you knew your reddening cheeks would be obvious.

“Still afraid of me?” he asked, voice low, lips so close to yours that you could make out a small scar that crossed over his bottom lip.

“No,” you answered, making no move to pull away as you stared up into his eyes. “Not unless I was about to taste your high school cooking.”

“Smart,” he replied with a smirk. “But I’m talkin’ about right now, because if you don’t turn and run into that house, I’m gonna kiss you.”

Your bag almost tumbled from your grasp, but you held fast as you stared at Sett, whose own had already become half-lidded. You had no words to describe how much you didn’t want to run right now, so you didn’t use any, instead angling your face further upwards, trying to make your willingness abundantly clear.

With a grin, he leaned down and kissed you.

Pulling back slightly, he dove back in, his other hand coming to your waist to pull you against him. You happily leant into him, your hands on his firm chest.

When he pulled back again, you opened your eyes at last, feeling almost as dizzy as right before you had passed out from heat stroke.

Sett looked content, and you were only hoping you looked half as composed as he did right now. He leaned back in to give you one more peck before pulling back from you entirely, the cold from the air outside immediately apparent as soon as you were minus his warm hands against your skin.

“Think I’ll stop by tomorrow,” he said. “Been cravin’ a cherry snowball for some reason lately.”

 Sett was a man of his word, you learned, though you were less happy to see him the next day when he asked if he could order a cherry snowball served like last time, and then laughed as you had proceeded to sputter like a broken machine.

His visits became daily, sometimes bringing Braum with him, who continued to surprise you with the sheer amount of poro pops he was able to consume in one sitting. Quite a few nights a week, you had found yourself all around Port Navori with the half-Vastayan lifeguard. You were surprised at how supportive Taliyah was being, considering you had originally come here to spend time with her.

“Gives me more time to surf,” she answered with a shrug when you had asked her. “And maybe that boyfriend of yours can convince you to stay here after the summer is over.”

“Boyfriend?” you yelped, and Taliyah raised an eyebrow.

“You aren’t? I thought he would have made it official by now. It’s been over two weeks… have you guys even done it?”

“Taliyah!” you scolded her, switching back to professional mode as a group of people approached the stand.

As you helped prepare their orders, you couldn’t help but think about what she had said. You and Sett had kissed quite a lot actually, but he had yet to do more than that. But it was far too embarrassing a subject for you to have the confidence to broach, so you had resolved yourself to just be content with things as they were.

It was just your luck that right then was when Sett had decided to make his daily visit to the stand, approaching the counter as the other group left.

Taliyah apparently wasn’t done pestering you for the day as she sped to meet him at the counter before you could get there yourself.

“Hey!” she greeted Sett with a sly smile as you stood frozen behind her, nervous about her motivations. “You’re on your break, right?”

Sett raised an eyebrow. “What about it?”

“Well,” she said, in the voice you knew meant that she wanted something. “There’s a surfing contest I entered, and it’s almost my turn and it won’t even take that long and–”

“Tali!” you interrupted, rushing over to the counter.

“All I need is an hour,” Taliyah insisted, before pulling you beside her at the counter. “And she needs some help while I’m gone since lunchtime is when most of the people come by.”

“I’m fine, I–”

“I’m in,” Sett cut in, eyeing you with almost palpable smugness.

“Awesome!” Taliyah replied, immediately shucking her apron and hat onto the floor in her haste to get out the door. “Have fun, see you after I win!”

“Taliyah!”

Your call of her name fell on deaf ears as she already had her board and was out the door, leaving you standing at the counter with Sett still leaning against the counter.

Sett reached up to pull his sunglasses off, tucking them into his packet, his golden eyes fully uncovered and sparkling with mischief, the sight alone making you feel weary.

“Well? You gonna invite me in?” he asked. “Not sure I’d fit through the window.”

You scrambled to meet him at the back door, not wanting him to try and get into the shop through the order window that was less wide than he was. It was a strange feeling to open the back door of the shop to a guy that was almost too tall for the doorway, and another thing entirely to try and corral him into behaving as you tried to keep the ice cream stand functioning while Taliyah was gone.

“Aren’t lifeguards supposed to set a good example for others?” you huffed, wiping ice from your apron. At least he hadn’t made things truly equal and put cherry syrup on the ball of shaved ice he had pressed against your neck.

“Not when I’m off the clock,” he answered. “Besides, it’s my once in a lifetime chance to see what workin’ one of these is like.”

It would definitely be only one time if you had anything to say about it. If the almost-hour with him here had taught you anything, it was that Sett was not cut out to work in an ice cream shop.

The scoops of ice cream he doled out were easily twice the size of the ones Taliyah did, which made for happy customers, but a less happy bottom line if he was here for more than an hour. He was also lacking Taliyah’s patience, and you were forced to sideline him when an especially picky middle-aged woman came by who insisted you remake her smoothie four times until it had an acceptable pH level. The woman’s complaints had miraculously stopped the moment Sett had approached the window himself, becoming so invested in flirting with the handsome lifeguard that she had snatched her next smoothie attempt from you without complaint, not even glancing your way as she batted her eyes at him, only leaving when he excused himself with an excuse of needing to make more orders.

You approached Sett to check on him and found yourself pulled down into his lap as he leaned back in the chair.

Huffing, he pulled you against him, nuzzling against your neck. “Don’t know how you deal with that. Couldn’t pay me to make her damn smoothie one more time.”

“You get used to it,” you replied. “Don’t you deal with worse as a lifeguard?”

“Yeah,” he grunted. “But nothin’ sayin’ I gotta be nice when I deal with ‘em.”

“That’s true,” you laughed.

“If anyone complains, they can go somewhere else. Ain’t another beach within a hundred miles as well-run as this one,” he bragged, kissing at your neck.

As much as you were enjoying his sudden affection, you knew time was running low until Taliyah would return. You made to pull back to tell Sett that, but were instead pulled into a kiss that took you a few breathless moments to find the strength to escape.

“This Friday,” he murmured, face inches from yours. “There’s a party at the pool. You should come with me.”

You had heard about the exclusive pool parties on this beach from Taliyah, but hadn’t expected to ever get an invite. The pool, which was at the far end of the beach from the ice cream stand, was as exclusive as it got. Gated with walls so high that you couldn’t see in, it was the membership-only place to be for all of the elite in the beach town of Port Navori.

“Is that… okay?” you asked hesitantly.

“Why wouldn’t it be?” he countered, and you didn’t really have an answer. “It’ll be fine. Come. Have some people I wanna introduce ya to.”

The door burst open at the same time as you nodded your agreement, revealing Taliyah clutching both her dripping board as well as a shiny blue ribbon.

“You won?” you asked, trying to disentangle yourself from Sett, who reluctantly let you up.

“Easily!” Taliyah gloated. “Nobody else stood a chance. So how were things here?”

“The money ain’t worth the drama of this place,” Sett griped.

Taliyah laughed. “Smoothie lady come back with a vengeance?”

“I’ll take kids buryin’ sunbathers up to their ears over this any day,” he replied with a grimace, standing up and stretching.

At his mention of ears, Taliyah had brought both hands up to her own head about where Sett’s were on his head, and you quickly waved at her to cut it out before he saw. Thankfully she did, but you could tell that you were going to get asked if you had pet his ears yet as soon as his fuzzy ears were out of earshot.

“I’ll text ya the time when I know it,” Sett said, giving you a quick kiss on the head and a two-fingered salute to Taliyah before heading out the back door.

“So?” Taliyah asked, pulling the chair up to the ice cream station after she had stashed her prize ribbon in her bag. “Are they as soft as they look?”

“I didn’t pet them,” you answered.

“It’s been over two weeks!” she complained. “Has he at least asked you to be his girlfriend yet?”

You shook your head. “He did invite me to a pool party with him on Friday at that fancy pool.”

“Really?” Taliyah responded, eyes wide. “You have to tell me what it’s like! I mean, I’ve seen satellite photos, but it’s not the same…”

“I’ll probably be too nervous to remember any of it,” you grumbled.

“This is your chance!” Taliyah encouraged. “By Friday it’ll be three weeks. You need to ask him if he sees you as his girlfriend or not.”

You reeled back, waves of anticipatory anxiety rolling over you. “I don’t want to scare him off. What if this is just casual to him and I’m too dumb to see it?”

“Then you’ll know,” she replied. “I know you. It’ll eat you up if you put this much energy into a guy without knowing how he feels about you. So ask. If he says no, then at least you’ll have an entire store’s worth of ice cream to drown yourself in after!”

Taliyah was right. She was always right. You knew that you couldn’t keep whatever this was up without knowing where you stood with him. The more time you spent with Sett, the more you wanted, and if he intended to keep things casual, you would rather know sooner so you could make an informed decision.

So that would be the plan then. Go to the party, have a good time (and get some photos of the pool for Taliyah) and then ask Sett about the state of your relationship. Sounded easy in theory. You could only hope you could muster up the courage to go through with the plan when the time came.

 After hearing that the party was to start at four, Taliyah had gone all out, closing the stand at two so she could help you get ready to impress the snobs. You hadn’t put up too much of a fight, happy to have her help and her company, as your nerves only climbed higher the closer it got to four o’clock.

“You’ll be fine,” Taliyah said as she styled your hair. “You’ll only feel worse if you don’t get an answer from him. And with how good you’ll look at the party, he won’t be able to say no!”

“Thanks, Tali,” you replied gratefully. “I promise I’ll get you a bunch of photos of the pool. And whatever else you want.”

“What I want is for you to stay here for good,” she said. “So really I’m just doing myself a favor by helping you. This place has been a hundred times more bearable since you’ve been here, and I want it to stay that way.”

“Still,” you persisted. “I feel bad that you’re going to so much trouble. If you want anything, just let me know.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Taliyah dismissed with a wave of her hand. “You should get going, don’t wanna be late to the fancy pool party.”

She practically shoved you out the door, and then you were alone, walking down the mostly-empty sidewalk. As you walked along the street, you couldn’t help but dwell on the possibilities. What would happen at the party? What would Sett say?

If he told you that he wasn’t looking for anything serious, what would you do? It was hard to have an answer for until you were in the moment, since a lot of it would depend on what Sett’s answer would be.

You walked through the parking lot, and then onto the beach, passing by kids building sandcastles and games of beach volleyball as you walked towards the end of the beach where the pool was. As you made your way to the fancier end of the beach, you began to notice the differences that marked the split between here and the side of the beach that you were usually on.

The shops on this side of the beach were much fancier, the sand littered with designer beach chairs and umbrellas. It was crazy just how different two ends of one beach could be.

The pool was noticeable from a great distance, or at least the wall white walls that surrounded it were. At least you weren’t going to get lost and miss the party entirely.

You approached the pristine white stairs that led from the beach up to the pool entrance, equal parts excited and apprehensive. The entrance was an open doorway, covered by a deep blue curtain and guarded by a muscled bouncer in white. The sight alone was intimidating; why hadn’t you just asked Sett to meet you beforehand?

You plastered a reluctant smile on your face before approaching the man. “Hi, I–”

“Name,” he interrupted, not looking up from his clipboard, sunglasses too dark for you to see his eyes.

Well it wasn’t like you hadn’t expected some level of standoffishness from the elite side of the beach. Keeping your smile up, you told him your name, waiting the prerequisite few moments for him to leaf through the list.

He seemed to have found what he was looking for, as his hand with the clipboard went to his side and he moved over to the curtain, pulling it to one side to allow you to enter. He had said nothing further, but seemed to be staring in your direction, so you took that as your cue and walked towards the now-open entryway and into the pool.

The entryway led into a hallway with pristine white walls, soft lighting hanging overhead. You could begin to hear chatter as you got closer to the end of the hallway, exiting into an explosion of sight and sound.

The pool was huge, and there seemed to be an intricate gold pattern on the tiles at the bottom. The pool was surrounded by lounge chairs and umbrellas, tropical foliage bordering the inner walls around the pool.

There were people all over, in and out of the pool. There was also a bar in the center which seemed to be very popular, as many people were carrying around intricate-looking cocktails.

More than the scenery or the people, your eyes were scanning the area for Sett. You checked your phone again to make sure, finding that it was the time he had told you to be here for. Maybe he was just running late or…

Your rising concern was broken up by the tap of designer wedges on the granite heading your way. You looked up from your phone to see two girls heading towards you, one of which you realized you had seen before.

The stuck-up redhead that had been the reason you had been out on the beach to spill the snowball on Sett in the first place was striding towards you, not a hair out of place underneath her likely-expensive sun hat. At her side was a lilac-haired woman in a swimsuit with a plunging neckline that was color blocked with various shades of purple. Together they made quite a striking pair, but your previous encounter with the redhead had you wishing that Sett would get here soon to save you from the impending conversation.

“Look, Sarah,” the purple-haired one sneered as they came to a stop before you. “So eager to pretend she’s one of us that she rushed right over.”

You took a step back, but that only seemed to embolden them.

Sarah lowered her sunglasses, staring at you like you were in her way. “Sad when they don’t know their place, Syndra.”

“Sett invited me here,” you replied defensively.

The women exchanged a pointed look before Sarah raised an eyebrow at you, a hand on her hip. “You ever think about why that was?”

“What?” you replied, unsure of what she was getting at.

“She doesn’t get it,” Syndra said with a cruel undertone in her voice that unnerved you.

“Look around,” Sarah said sharply. “Really look. Do half the people here look like they belong?”

You looked around, not sure what you were supposed to be seeing. A man with a hook-nose sat at the pool bar, flanked by women in skimpy bikinis. A humanoid form that seemed to be made of water conversed poolside with a large purple man in a ratty straw hat who was holding a ukulele. What were you supposed to be noticing?

“Sett is too nice to break it to you, so the job falls to me,” Sarah said with a smirk. “This is our annual loser fest. Charity case race. Bring-a-freak-to-work-day.”

“Pig party,” Syndra supplied.

“Yeah, pig party,” Sarah repeated, noticing your confused look. “Don’t know what that is? Poor thing.”

“I don’t–”

“It’s pretty simple,” Sarah interrupted. “We take half the summer to find the biggest freak we can, and then we bring them all together and crown a winner, and by the looks of you, Sett is really going for the top prize.”

You gasped, eyes wide, suddenly feeling like you were going to be sick.

“Aw, you really thought he liked you, huh?” Syndra mocked with fake sweetness.

“He didn’t… he never…” you stammered, clutching your bag to your chest.

“Well duh,” Sarah replied haughtily. “He wanted to win. Do you tell a pig when it’s about to become bacon?”

“What is meaning of this?” Braum accused, storming up to your group. “I have not heard of such a thing!”

“Need-to-know, Braum,” Syndra dismissed.

“And you didn’t need to know,” Sarah added.

You felt numb. This whole time… is that why Sett wouldn’t ask you to be his girlfriend? Why he never did more than kiss you? All this time, he had just seen you as a prize pig for an ugly date contest? It all made sense now, why he had been so desperate to get your number. He had never liked you… it had all been one sick joke. You should’ve known; nobody as attractive as Sett would ever see you as anything but a freak. And was too cowardly to come and tell you the truth to your face.

“Look, she’s crying,” Syndra taunted. “Don’t cry! Soon you’ll be queen pig!”

You couldn’t do this. You couldn’t stay here with all these people who saw you as less than human as your heart was breaking into pieces. You were so, so stupid, now wanting nothing more than to cry in peace. So you did, turning and running as fast as your legs would take you out of this awful place.

“Bye, piggy! We’ll ship you the ribbon!”

You heard Braum shout your name, as well as the cruel laughter of the women, but you didn’t stop running. Not when you got to the beach, nor the parking lot or the tacky souvenir shop, the sayings on the gaudy shirts too blurry to read through your tears. Your feet didn’t stop until you were at the doorstep to Taliyah’s home, out of breath, tears running down your cheeks.

The door opened, Taliyah’s face appearing in the doorway. “Hey, did you forget– wait, what happened?”

 “Settrigh, stay still!”

Sett frowned, but did as his momma requested, allowing her to tie the ends of his hair after she had finished arranging it. He loved his ma dearly, but he really didn’t have time for her to redo his hair ten times right now.

It was getting way too close to the start time he had given you, and with how nervous of a person you were, he had intended to be on time, but that was before his mother had discovered the reason why he was cutting their visit short today.

Ma was aware that he had been seeing someone, had been ever since Sett had needed help making food for their first date.

“You do intend to let me meet her, Settrigh?” she asked, stepping back once she had fixed his hair to her satisfaction.

“Yes, ma,” he answered, standing up from the chair.

He wasn’t exactly surprised by his momma’s eagerness, considering this was the first girl he had ever dated, let alone considered introducing to her. This world was shallow; he had learned that early in life, which may be why he found himself so drawn to a girl who had put her all into having nothing to do with him. You broke up the monotony in this busy beach town and gave him something to look forward to other than seeing his ma for the first time in a long time.

Sett knew he was working on a time limit. You had mentioned that you had planned on only visiting Port Navori for the summer, and the summer was half over already, which meant his chances to convince you to stay were also halved, which is where tonight came in.

He had been taking things slow, not wanting to come on too strong and scare you off like he had watched happen to many a beachfront pick-up artist. He had been unwilling to rush things and lose you, but the slip of the calendar into August had forced his hand.

He would be lying if he said he wasn’t a bit apprehensive as to how today would end. How would you take him asking you to be girlfriend? He could only hope that he hadn���t misread you entirely.

He didn’t go to the pool parties often, but it seemed like a good way for him to introduce you to his friends, as they didn’t often all gather outside of those parties. He knew you would likely feel out of place, but Braum would be there, and he intended to stick by your side the entire time. And then after the party, if things went well, then maybe he would end the night with you as his girlfriend, but the party would be the first step.

As he left his ma’s house, he found his mind turning to the party. If you were wearing that red swimsuit you had worn last week, then it was going to be a difficult night for his self-control. His desire to take things slow had really taken a hit then, his only saving grace being ma’s lecture on being a gentleman pounding in his head as he tried not to look at how your chest was half-busting out of your top as you leaned over to pick a thread off of his glove. You were really too hot for your own good, which made him all the more eager to see you.

He knew he was running late, the party having started at least ten minutes earlier. It wasn’t his style to be late, but he was also pretty helpless to defy his ma. He only hoped that you hadn’t given up on him and left.

He took the shortest route possible, which included a short trek through some bushes that left him more leafy than he would’ve liked, but it was all forgotten when he spotted the stairs that led up to the pool entrance.

He was able to bypass the doorman who was only half as big as he was and seemed to be wary of interacting with him, stepping out of the way as Sett approached. He pushed past the curtain, hurried steps heading down the hallway. You hadn’t been waiting outside, so clearly you had been able to get in. He tried to fight back the excited grin that wanted to take over his face, but it was a losing battle as he entered the pool area, eyes immediately scanning the area for you.

“Your cruelty is unimaginable!” Braum’s booming voice carried easily through the air. “That girl has done nothing to be deserving of such treatment!”

What had Braum so worked up? Generally he was an easy guy to get along with, easily Sett’s most tolerable co-lifeguard. Not much phased him, which was a little concerning. But Sett had other priorities, the most important being locating you.

You weren’t in the pool, and didn’t seem to be sitting in any of the chairs. Maybe you had gone to the bathroom and would be right back–

“Well how else was she supposed to know Sett is too good for her? She clearly wasn’t going to see reality without a little help.”

Sett’s ears perked up, his attention snagged by the mention of his name, but especially by the latter half of the sentence. He turned around to see Sarah Fortune with Syndra at her side, who had her arms crossed and looked bored. In front of them was Braum, looking more irate than Sett had ever seen him.

“What’s this about?” Sett asked in a warning tone as he approached, the fur of his ears standing on end, leaving him feeling like he wasn’t going to like where this was headed.

“Nothing you need to worry about,” Sarah dismissed, flipping her hair behind her shoulder with a flick of her head. “We just showed a daydreaming little clout chaser the way out.”

Sett’s eyebrow rose. “A what?”

“Your ice cream girl,” Braum cut in. “These two have told her that this is a party for pigs. They have told her that you intend to bring her here to win ugly contest, and then she had run off.”

“What?” Sett growled dangerously, but the two women remained nonplussed.

“We did you a favor,” Syndra stressed. “If we get a reputation of letting just anyone in, then we’ll lose all status as members of the ruling class of the food chain. So we decided to throw this little pig party to make you come back to your senses.”

“You’re one of us, Sett,” Sarah added. “This pool doesn’t have room for little nobodies who don’t know their place.”

“Rather be a nobody than whatever the hell this is,” Sett snarled angrily, the full knowledge of the truth turning his bad feeling to a mix of simmering fury at the two women, and worry for you. He hated himself for being late and allowing this to happen to you. “Save your concern and don’t talk to me again.”

“But we were–” Syndra started, but Sett wasn’t in the mood.

“If you even look at her again, you’ll have me to deal with. And unlike that girl you just bullied outta here, I ain’t so nice.”

With that, Sett turned on his heel and stormed towards the exit to go do his best to fix this mess.

Braum quickly followed behind him. “My friend, I am sorry I could not stop them in time.”

“Ain’t your fault,” Sett replied. “Wish I’d have known. Gotta go see if she’ll even talk to me at this point.”

“I wish you luck,” Braum said as exited the hallway and emerged out into the sunny late afternoon.

Sett parted from Braum, taking the stairs two at a time as he surveyed the area, trying to see if he could catch sight of you. He quickly crossed the sand, making a beeline for the ice cream stand, even if it seemed like a longshot. He passed by a group of kids throwing sand on an older man sleeping on a towel, but ignored it and kept going. If anything was on fire, Braum could put it out. Sett’s sole focus right now was finding you and hoping you’d let him explain himself.

His chest felt heavy with anger and regret. How could he have let this happen? He hadn’t realized how cruel those women could be, and it had led to them making you believe he thought you were some freak he was using for convenience, which could not be farther from the truth.

Seeing those two talk about you like you were a pariah had brought him right back to when he was younger, to what he had endured at the hands of people just like Syndra and Sarah. People who had ostracized him, did their best to make him feel like he didn’t have a place here. Sett-the-beast-boy-bastard; the words had haunted him for a long time.

He had grown tough in response to the years of bullying, but you hadn’t. This was your first exposure to how awful this place could be. He and ma had dealt with it for years after pa ran off; he had nearly gotten expelled from school after a particularly bad fight with a kid that had made one too many nasty comments about his ma to his face.

Sett stopped, letting out a frustrated sigh as he saw the large closed sign on the front windows of the ice cream shop. So that was a bust. Without giving the store a second look, he continued on towards the rocks and then up to the parking lot.

There was only one other place to try. Chest tight, Sett followed the same path he had the night of your first date, the same path he took every time he walked you home. The walk there was one long blur, his feet unable to stop moving until the familiar house was in sight. Without a moment’s hesitation, Sett approached the front door, rapping his knuckles against the wood. When no answer came, he tried again, and after a few moments, the door opened to reveal Taliyah, who glared once she caught sight of him.

“What do you want?” she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

“Is she here? I need to talk to her,” Sett said, urgency bleeding into his voice.

Taliyah sighed, stepping outside and closing the door behind her. “You’re lucky I’m even talking to you after this. You don’t deserve to talk to her if that’s how you let your friends treat her.”

“They ain’t my friends,” Sett argued. “If I’d have known they were gonna pull that shit–”

A sly smile lifted the corner of Taliyah’s lips. “Good answer. If you had said anything else, then I’d be slamming the door in your face right about now.”

“Then can I–”

“Talk to her?” Taliyah interrupted. “Nope. Not a good idea.”

Sett’s face must have taken on a darker quality, because Taliyah retreated back a step, raising her hands in the air in mock surrender. “Relax, tough guy. I didn’t mean it like that. But she’s a little too upset to talk to you right now.”

The information only made Sett feel worse. He wanted so badly to talk to you, to do what he had wanted to do before this mess had happened and make you his girlfriend. You had never felt farther away than you did right now.

“Give me some time to calm her down. I can get her to be at the pier at seven, then the rest is up to you,” she said, levelling him with a stern look. “I know this wasn’t your fault. That’s the only reason I’m giving you a chance. She really likes you, so try not to make her feel any worse than she already does. Bye.”

And then Taliyah was gone, retreating back into the house and leaving Sett standing on the doorstep.

 “Brought you some water,” Taliyah announced as she entered the room, glass in hand.

“Who was at the door?” you asked.

She shrugged. “Someone looking for my dad. Told them he’s not here.”

You nodded. It was probably too much to hope that it would be Sett. You winced as you thought his name. You hated how much you wanted to see him, someone who had used you to win some popular kid ugly date contest.

So it had all been a lie then? All the things he had told you about his life, his family? Every time he had kissed you, was he picturing kissing one of those girls instead? Is this really what popular people did for fun? You felt stupid for falling for it, for falling for him. You were so stupid.

With some prompting from Taliyah, you took a sip of the water. After she had made sure you had drank the whole glass, she sat down next to you, taking the glass from you and setting it down on the bedside table.

“I should have known,” you croaked.

“Known that popular girls are bitchy? Maybe,” she responded.

“That it was too good to be true,” you corrected.

“You’re acting like you’re eighty,” she scolded. “There are other guys out there. Ones who don’t have shitty friends.”

“Yeah, I know,” you replied. “But I really liked him. And I didn’t even get to pet his stupid fuzzy ears.”

“Well if you’re joking, then you must be doing okay,” she said. “How about we go do something to take your mind off of things?”

You frowned, and she rolled her eyes. “Not right this second. I’ll give you until six-thirty to get yourself ready to go.”

Taliyah got up off the bed and headed towards the door. “I’m not gonna let your night be ruined because of a couple of snobs.”

She closed the door, leaving you alone with your thoughts again. You laid back on the bed, intent on taking some time before you got ready to just veg out. As much as the notion of going out didn’t excite you right now, it was probably better than being a mopey mess all night. There would be other guys; it was just a shame that you had liked this one so much.

Two hours later, you were walking down the street with Taliyah. Your getting ready to go had consisted of washing your face of all the smeared makeup from your crying, brushing your hair into a semi-decent state and then watching dumb cat videos on your phone until you felt like you didn’t want to crawl in a hole and die.

Taliyah had assured you that you didn’t look bad, which you might have believed if you hadn’t seen yourself in the mirror as you were leaving, but at this point you were beyond caring about how you looked right now.

Taliyah had refused to tell you where she was taking you, and so you were forced to follow her down the familiar path towards the beach, unsure of where it was you were being led. Part of you was worried that you might run into Sett, but then the more rational side of you took over; he was likely back at that pool, partying it up with those girls and lamenting that you had run off before he could win his ugly date prize. It was crazy to realize just how flawed your judgment had been.

You had expected to be walking onto the beach, as it was where you two usually spent most of your time, but Taliyah didn’t go to the parking lot, instead heading towards the rockier section of the beach. You hadn’t been over here before, only vaguely aware of the area as a prime fishing location, bait shops and the like lining the street across from this part of the beachfront.

She took you past the fishing spots, down to near the end of the beach, where there was a small pier that went about thirty feet out into the sea. Like most of the beach at this time on a weekday, the pier was empty, most of the fishermen also having headed out with their day’s catches.

Taliyah led you down the pier to the small bench at the end of it, pushing you to sit down. When she didn’t do the same, you looked up at her, confused.

“I’ll be right back,” she said. “I’m gonna go grab something to help cheer you up. You just enjoy the view for a bit.”

You decided to follow her advice, staring out at the water. There wasn’t much to see other than some boats in the far distance and some buoys bobbing in the water that marked the swimming section from the boating section.

It was kind of nice in a way, the calm waters helping you to relax as you watched the waves roll in and out. You stayed like that for a while as you allowed yourself to zone out until you began to wonder how much time had passed. Pulling out your phone, you saw that it had been almost twenty minutes, and yet there was no sign of Taliyah as you looked around.

You had assumed that she went to get you two some food, which likely was still the case. Some of the places here tended to have rather large dinnertime crowds, so a twenty minute plus wait wasn’t exactly unusual. You had no idea where she had gone, so all you could do was wait. If she wasn’t back by seven, you would just text her and ask what was up.

You let yourself be taken in again by the rolling waves as you continued to wait, trying to recall what kinds of restaurants there were on the beachfront. It couldn’t be that fish and chips place; Taliyah had spent a full half hour last week complaining about how stale their food was. Or the taco place, since it had been closed for renovations for the past week. You had been trying to think of a third option when your concentration was broken by someone taking a seat next to you on the bench.

You looked over, expecting to see Taliyah back with some food, but instead nearly jolted off of the bench when next to you was the very man you were out here trying to forget.

Just seeing him when you were feeling so pathetic sent a jolt of you weren’t sure what up your spine, your flight instincts screaming at you as you made to stand up, only to be stopped by a firm grip on your wrist.

“I know you don’t wanna see my face right now,” Sett said. “But I can explain.”

“Explain what?” you replied meekly. “Those girls explained enough.”

“I haven’t,” he insisted. “Just listen for a minute. Then you can leave, or punch me, whatever you want.”

You took a look around, still not seeing Taliyah anywhere. You weren’t sure what he could have to say that would make much of a difference, but you sat back down, and he let go of your wrist.

You turned reluctantly to face Sett, waiting for him to talk first.

“Never told ‘em to do somethin’ like that,” he said gruffly. “Didn’t even know about it ‘til I got there and you weren’t there.”

“But they said…” you started, taking a breath to keep yourself calm as you prepared to recount the hurtful words. “They said you were only spending time with me so you could win their whole ugly date contest.”

Sett’s eyes narrowed, the skin of his knuckles tightening on his curling fists. “First I’ve heard of it. Ain’t no way you’d ever place in an ugly contest anyways.”

His words threw you. “Wait, so you don’t think I’m ugly?”

He snorted, a grin playing at his lips. “Well I was plannin’ on askin’ you to be my girlfriend after the party, so nah, I don’t think you’re ugly.”

“You–” you gasped, pulse skyrocketing. This was not how you expected this conversation to go. You were half convinced you were experiencing auditory hallucinations until Sett reached over, pulling you into his side.

“This is my fault,” he spoke lowly. “If I hadn’t been late, I’d have been there to stop that from happening.”

“What happened when you got there?” you asked quietly.

“Braum told me what happened, then those two tried tellin’ me they did it for my sake,” he growled. “I thought I was used to seein’ through bullies from how I grew up. Doesn’t matter now, they won’t be botherin’ you anymore unless they wanna find out why momma says I got her temper.”

“Why were you late anyways?” you asked.

He groaned, leaning his head back against the bench. Even with the sun mostly set, you could clearly see a pink tone to his cheeks.

“What is it?” you pressed, curious about why the intimidating lifeguard was suddenly being so shy.

He let out a long sigh, finally meeting your eyes. “Ma was doin’ my hair.”

You looked him over, realizing that his hair did seem to be tied differently today. The only thing that looked the same was his ears, just as fluffy as they always looked. You could almost hear Taliyah’s voice screaming in your head to pet them. Speaking of Taliyah…

“Taliyah!” you gasped, trying to extract yourself from Sett’s grip, but failing. If Taliyah was to come and see you here with the guy she had taken you out to forget about… “My friend, she’ll be back any second and–”

Sett laughed, and you were immediately left with the feeling that you were missing something.

“She ain’t comin’ back,” he said amusedly. “I’ve got you all to myself for the night… if that’s what you want.”

“Taliyah set me up?” you breathed, not having suspected a thing.

“I asked her to,” Sett explained. “Wasn’t about to let you go ‘cuz of some shallow assholes.”

Taliyah was much sneakier than you had given her credit for, you realized, but you couldn’t bring yourself to mind right now. Though that didn’t mean you weren’t hungry, your previous stress melting away and removing the only distraction from your empty stomach.

“So,” you hummed. “Are you still going to ask me to be your girlfriend?”

You still had no idea what would happen by the end of the summer, but you really wanted this. You wanted him.

“Yeah, was plannin’ on it.”

 You had thought about it all the way back to Sett’s house. Was it really for the best to go back to your city when the summer was over? Back to your parents’ house to find an equally demanding and unfulfilling job?

The more you thought about it, the more you wanted to stay. Taliyah was here, Sett was here, and other than your brief nasty encounter at the pool earlier, this summer had been the best one you’d had in a long time.

Sett seemed intent on giving you more reasons to stay as he was on you pretty much as soon as you entered his house. You had been standing in the entryway, looking at a picture of what must have been Sett and his mother when he caught you off guard, picking you up from behind.

You yelped, turning your head back to face him just in time for him to dart forward to snatch a kiss.

“You’ll have time to look around later,” he said as he walked down the hall, nudging a door open with his shoulder and then taking you into what looked to be his bedroom.

Once again, you were scarcely granted a look around before Sett had overtaken your attention yet again. You were swiftly carried over and deposited on the bed, Sett eagerly caging your body down against the sheets with his own.

“I wanted to go slow,” he said against your ear. “Didn’t wanna mess things up. But that’s not what you want, is it?”

“No,” you gasped as he snaked a hand under your dress, and then under your swimsuit bottoms. “I… I want…”

“This?” he inquired, thumb brushing against your clit, causing you to jolt against him with a breathy moan. “Waited a long time to hear that.”

Seeking more room to work, Sett pulled back to reach down and pull down your swimsuit bottoms, tossing them to the side. You watched with reddening cheeks as he returned his attention to you, head disappearing under your dress next.

His first lick against your pussy felt back-archingly good, but you didn’t have a lot of room to move with Sett’s hands holding your lower half in place. His tongue felt slightly rough, bringing pricks of pleasure-pain along its path.

Closing your eyes tight, you tried not to squirm, but it was difficult as Sett’s tongue prodded inside you before moving back to sucking at your clit. It felt good, almost too good, but you found yourself wanting more than his mouth against you.

“Sett,” you moaned. “Please…”

You weren’t sure if he got the message until you reached down to grasp at one of his hands. He pulled back from you, wiping one forearm against the wet lower half of his face as he sat back. His position on his knees on the bed allowed you a good look at the decently-sized bulge in the front of his tight swim shorts.

Sett caught your eyes, reaching one hand down to cup his cock through his shorts. “All you, sweetheart. Still think I think you’re ugly?”

You somehow managed to shake your head, speechless from his ardent display of his body. Sett seemed to bask in just how speechless he had made you, a sexy grin overtaking his face as he stared down at you.

“Couldn’t ask for more than this,” he said. “But if you want more…”

He was such a tease. With a burning face, you relented.

“Could you just put it in me please?” you asked, too shy to make eye contact.

“Can do,” he replied, and you could easily hear the smug satisfaction in his voice.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Sett stood up from the bed to pull his shorts off, wincing slightly when he pulled the tight fabric over his painfully-hard cock. Tossing the shorts to the floor, his attention quickly returned to you.

Giving his cock a few slow strokes, he watched you sit up on the bed. Feeling a burst in confidence from his display, you reached down to the hem of your dress’ skirt before pulling it up and off your body, Sett’s hungry gold eyes unable to look away from you as you moved onto your swimsuit top.

Once your top was off, Sett struck, pulling you towards him. Sitting at the edge of the bed, he pulled you onto his lap, reaching around to your front to cup your breasts as his mouth went straight to your neck. His hands were warm against the sensitive skin of your breasts, rolling your nipples under his thumbs as his teeth scraped against a sensitive spot on your neck.

You felt his hard cock under you and shifted yourself against it, Sett letting out a deep groan in response. You could feel how wet you were, but this wasn’t enough. You needed to fuck him, needed this building tension to come to a satisfying end for you both.

You turned in his lap, looping your arms around his neck and leaning down to kiss him. Sett was happy to meet tongues with you, one hand resting on your ass until you pulled back from the kiss.

You met eyes with Sett, who began to help you lift yourself up, lining up his cock with his other hand. When he brought you back down onto him, you both sighed as you were fully seated on his cock at last.

“Nothin’ else would feel as good as you,” Sett groaned as he began to help you move and up and then back down onto him. “Never wanted any girl as bad as I want you.”

You were much less coherent, moaning out his name as your hands grasped against his chest. With a further burst of confidence, you reached a hand up to his ear, running your fingers along the fur and enjoying the resulting groan, the next upward thrust of his hips hitting even better into you. Maybe you would leave this out at Taliyah’s interrogation later.

“There,” you moaned as he shifted you in his lap, his cock hitting even deeper inside you. “Right there, Sett.”

“You’re so tight,” he groaned, pulling you down into a rough kiss as he held you close, thrusting up into you as you eagerly moved along with him, needing to make this gorgeous man under you cum.

Sett came first, stilling for a moment before pulling you slightly back to put a finger to your clit, letting you cling to him as you followed him over the edge.

Once you had both come back down from the clouds, you were set back gently on the bed so Sett could run off to grab a cloth to clean you up with. You watched him leave the room, still having a hard time comprehending just how you had ended up this situation.

You definitely had some phone calls to make tomorrow. Your parents would be surprised, but you would probably focus on the Taliyah part rather than the new boyfriend part of your reasoning. Taliyah would be overjoyed for sure; you’d have to thank her for her meddling when you saw her.

As Sett returned, you realized something.

“Wait, is your mom home?” you asked in horror. You hadn’t made any effort to be quiet during sex, forgetting about his mother until he re-entered the room.

Sett laughed at your mortified face. “I don’t live with ma, so no.”

“Oh god,” you breathed in relief. “I was worried I was too…”

“She ain’t here,” he replied as he joined you on the bed, handing you the cloth he had grabbed. “You can be as loud as you want.”

You dropped the cloth, burying your head in your hands, Sett’s amused laughter ringing in your ears as you tried to content with just what you had signed yourself up for.

#xreader #readerinsert #league of legends #league of legends x reader #lol x reader #league of legends sett #sett #pool party sett #sett x reader #smut #pool party sett x reader

[scandinavianfairytale]

Beside you

Pairing: Ivar x Reader

Warnings: So. Much. Pinning 🙈 All the fluff 😊 Ivar being attentive 💙

I know you're still online. Read the text as you glanced at the screen that turned on and illuminated your otherwise dark working space. It was Ivar again.

Can you stop spying on me? You replied and rolled your eyes.

I wouldn't have to spy on you if I knew you were making good choices. Ivar rolled his eyes as he texted. He was staring at your window, only a small blue light still on in an otherwise completely black apartment. Suddenly the window opened and your head poked out of it. You looked equally tired, anxious and angry.

"My God, Ivar! Can you go annoy Freydis and leave me alone?!" You screamed down at him. He has been like this for the last 3 days.

"Right. I'm coming up."

"Ivar no, I have a deadline I need to catch." You groaned and put a hand over your head.

"I don't care. I know your code and I'll be up in 2 minutes. If you don't open up, I will start yelling and banging on all your neighbour doors." He replied nonchalantly and before you could say anything else, he was already entering the apartment building. You sighed and closed the window before saving your documents and almost letting out a shriek as you realized in what state the apartment was. Before you could tidy up at least the clothes that were lying everywhere there was a loud knock on the door.

"I know you heard me. And I suggest you open the door in 30 seconds or all hell is breaking loose." You heard Ivar say loudly. You could almost feel the hate the neighbours will feel towards you if you don't get him out of the hallway.

"What do you want, Ivar?" Finally the doors opened and he was met with a very dissatisfied looking friend. He didn't say anything, just marched past you, taking off his shoes and entering the apartment.

"By all means, come in." You rolled your eyes and slammed the doors shut.

"Did you save your work?" Ivar asked and pointed to the computer.

"Yes, but- Ivar no!" You yelled when he slammed the computer shut.

"You can't do that-" You were cut off, when Ivar spun around to face you, marching to you and stopping right before you, grabbing your arms.

"Listen, you've been working at this pace for almost a month - you've barely seen Erik or me or anyone else. And whenever we see you you're looking completely drained and tired or preoccupied because your head never leaves this project. You aren't even sleeping well anymore - the bags under your eyes tell me everything. So I'm done watching you wither away. Go get changed and ready for bed. I'll make us some tea and put on a movie and I'm not leaving until you're sound asleep. Now, move." With his head he motioned to the bathroom and nudged you in the same direction. Even though you grumbled something under your breath you still followed his instructions.

Ivar took a big inhale as he looked around the messy apartment.

"Okay then." As the water boiled, Ivar picked up the trash and clothes that littered the floor and furniture and gathered all the dirty dishes that you accumulated, before soaking them in dish water.

After the bathroom door opened, the steam was the first that exited, before you made your way to the bedroom. Ivar already made the bed and the projector was already set, the soft whirl of the machine instantly calming you - you always felt like it was a white noise machine your sister used to put her baby to sleep.

"Here you go, chamomile to help calm you down."

"Did you-"

"Yes, lemon and honey were added. Now just lay down and relax."

"What movie are we watching?" You asked as you got situated in the bed, before grabbing the tea cup Ivar offered and inhaled the scent of your favourite tea.

"Collosal." Ivar replied and got in the bed as well.

You laughed and made small comments as the movie progressed, but he could see how sleep was slowly creeping in on you. Your speech got slurry, your eyelids got heavy and your comments stopped making sense, but he could see you wanted to power through it.

"Just...yarn...car." Was the last thing you got out before you fell asleep. Ivar chuckled and took the empty mug from your hands, before shutting off the projector and turning to observe your shallow breathing before settling beside you and falling asleep himself.

Thank you for reading! 🙏💙

The GIF doesn't belong to me - belongs to the amazing creator! 🙏😊

So this is another part of the story that has no head or tail at the moment 😅 I will make a Masterlist when I'm done or when it finally starts making sense and the gaps are filled 😅 but I did switch the narrative a bit - instead of 3rd person POV it's switched to 2nd person POV, hopefully that's okay 😊

#alex hogh andersen #ivar #ivar the boneless #ivar ragnarsson #ivar imagine #ivar x reader #modern ivar #vikings #modern vikings #fanfic #short story #beside you

[thunderheadfred]

🦅Hawks HC’s🦅

This is SO unnecessarily long. Some NSFW. Minors do not interact.

- - - - -

General

Has zero social life or hobbies outside of work. He knows it’s unhealthy, but like, who has the time?? Oh? Lots of people do?? Haha what are healthy work/home boundaries? He desperately wants to retire and always talks about a world without heroes, but the truth is he would have no idea what to do with himself if he got his way. Take him to a park at midnight and watch him turn into a giant repressed child on a swing. He’ll do a standing-360 and it will be terrifying.

Listens to music way too loud in his headphones to drown out wind noise. Probably half deaf at this point. His musical taste is wild; listening history all over the fucking place. Algorithms have no idea what to do with him.

That visor? It’s prescription. Wow is he far-sighted. He wears glasses. He’s not blind without them (rather the opposite) but they help him see things directly in front of him without massive eye strain. Yeah, he looks really hot in glasses.

Prefers communicating via text. Sometimes it’s a lot of dumb memes, but mostly it’s sincere. He can say what he means when he doesn’t have to put on a public front.

Smokes like a chimney. Self medicates with stimulants. Coffee, tobacco, sugar. Fidgety, likes things in his mouth or hands. Gnashes on toothpicks and popsicle sticks. He really should go back to therapy, huh? His teeth are sparkling white for the cameras but his breath could use some work. Chews gum a lot to compensate, and always does it really loudly with a big shit-eating grin.

Impatient as fuuuuuck. Rude about it. If you take too long doing anything, you’re going to hear a foot tapping. He’ll smile and laugh it off, never ever directly criticize you about it. But lord, the dramatic sighs. He WILL nudge you out of the way and take over in order to finish a task faster, and it’s truly fucking annoying.

LOVES food. Has the metabolism of an actual bird. Will seize upon any excuse to eat. No need to be self-conscious about eating in front of him; he wants you to enjoy it. Steals bites from you and talks with his mouth full. Prefers street food and take-out, usually eats while walking or flying. Sit-down restaurants are an invitation for gawkers.

He’s one of those celebrities that looks way taller on TV. In real life, he’s small and compact. So you’re surprised the first time you see him in person. He has a big head. Literally.

If you’re taller or bigger than him, he does Not Care. He treats everyone like they’re four feet tall, even Endeavor. Everything you do is cute. If you’re actually short, he’s going to carry you around all the time, and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Collects big chunky overpriced watches. All the better to tell you you’re late.

Half his clothes are brand fucking new. Sometimes he forgets to take off the tags. (Don’t look at the prices, do NOT) He never seems to wear the same thing twice. He also never seems to go shopping. Brands just give him stuff, and he shrugs and goes “yeah okay.”

The other half of his clothes are old, faded, and patched up. Every item he acquires for himself has deep sentimental value. If you tell him to throw away that nasty ten-year-old pair of frayed cargo pants, be prepared to find out how wrong and evil you are for even suggesting it.

He doesn’t snore; he coos. Loudly. Like a fucking pigeon trapped in a megaphone.

- - - - -

Dating

Gift-giving is his love language. Bringing your favorite snacks. Leaving novelty magnets on your fridge. He found a copy of that book/game/movie you mentioned like a month ago, don’t you remember? If he has to go out of town on a job, he’ll bring back the ugliest possible souvenir, just to annoy you.

He likes gifting jewelry especially. Covering you in shiny baubles, little golden things. Not expensive, but unusual. Antiques or handmade, even bizarre vending machine crap. Gets really handsy if you wear or show off his gifts.

Since you’re the first person who has given him The Feels, if you are resistant to his advances (like, say, because he’s way too famous and you’re terrified he’s gonna break your heart) he’s going to go fucking nuts trying to woo you. Doesn’t have a single patient bone in his body but will wait as long as it takes for you to come around. He’ll act like he’s cool with just being friends at first, just hanging out, haha. Oh you’re busy today? That’s cool. Inside he’s shrieking like a tea kettle. Go ahead, make him wait.

Don’t bother giving him a key to your place. He’s coming in through the bedroom window or patio door. Just put out a damn welcome mat on your balcony... or a bird feeder.

A bit of a voyeur. He likes to watch you do your normal routine without interruption. He can see from miles away so if you’ve got your lights on at night, he’ll creep for a while before he comes in. It comforts him immensely, seeing a little slice of the world that isn’t constantly in need of saving.

Is super talkative and funny but a terrible communicator. Makes more jokes the worse he feels. Will almost never tell you what he needs. Most of the time, he doesn’t even know. You will learn to read between the lines and gradually notice his tiny unconscious cries for help. Back rubs make him emotional.

He shows up at your place at the weirdest times. All hours. You’re never ready. At first it was infuriating, because you wanted to look your best and have time to prepare, but you figure out pretty quickly that seeing you in your natural state is his favorite thing. He never gets to be around normal people, doing normal things. A boring, lazy afternoon is his idea of paradise.

He’ll pick through your things and ask a world of invasive questions. A medicine cabinet raider. He wants to know every fucking tiny thing about you, live vicariously through you.

He actually lives in a top floor penthouse. Because I mean, where else? Never spends any time there; mostly he seems to roost on the balcony. He has used the front door maybe once. He much prefers your place, and will only take you back to his after months of dating. It’ll take like, an entire emergency. You’ll end up in his bed by mistake.

Because when you finally come over, he’s embarrassed. Its sparse. White. Things in boxes. A new furniture smell. Like he’s not done moving in, though he’s lived there for years. He wants you to move in So Bad but doesn’t want to be pushy. If you don’t start leaving your stuff there, he’ll steal things from your apartment. Where the hell is your favorite t-shirt? Or that pillowcase you like? Dammit Keigo.

He’s a decent cook, a habit he made himself pick up because he thought it might make him feel more normal. It... didn’t. He never actually cooks until you give him an excuse. He’ll bring you breakfast in bed and watch you eat every bite with big hungry eyes.

He’s got a separate wardrobe for his hero costume and all his feathers. Yeah. His feathers. Because he can detach and control his feathers at will, when he’s alone at home he kind of just... shucks off his wings. The first time you see him do it, your eyes fall out of your head. He walks around in a tee shirt and boxers with these ugly little stumps covered in brownish, blood-red down. It actually looks kind of gnarly, like he got mauled by a bear.

He’s never dated until you. No one has ever been in his apartment until you. No one has called him Keigo until you. He has some bigass intimacy issues. Because. Y’know. The trauma. But god, he wants you in his life so bad, even if he has no idea how to make time for your relationship.

He’ll want to keep you to himself for a while. Once you go public he’s going to have an arm around your shoulders at all times. Publicly Displays his Affection way more than is socially acceptable in Japan, and gives precisely -100,000 fucks.

His fans either love you or hate you. There is no in between. He will immediately take your phone and threaten to drop it from a great height if he catches you reading shitty gossip about the two of you. Does NOT care about his public image anymore, doesn’t want YOU to care about it either. He’s gonna retire soon anyway, remember? That’s a lie.

Being a charming motherfucker is the core of his public persona, so you will get jealous. A lot. He will flirt shamelessly without realizing it. He will get photographed in compromising positions with gorgeous people.

Once you accept that he’s basically an actor 80% of the time and that Hawks and Keigo are separate identities, you’ll both feel better. When he comes home (to YOU) and falls over exhausted and stops being Hawks(tm), when he scratches his ass or burps in front of you, when he yells to you from the bathroom, when he groans childishly about his shitty day while laying face-down in your lap, you’ll know you have nothing to worry about. Keigo is all yours.

Boundaries? Never heard of ‘em. He’s either a million lightyears away or he’s glued to your hip. The whiplash is astounding.

Absolutely says “I love you” wayyyyyy to soon. It thrills you but scares you off at the same time, because there’s no way Hawks - The Hawks - can actually mean it, right? (He does)

Rings? Nah. When things get serious, he will make a necklace out of a feather for you, and if you ever take it off, you better be asleep or in the shower. Even then you’re on thin fuckin ice. If you’re not wearing it he knows. He’s never mean about making you put it back on, it just makes him nervous if he can’t feel your heartbeat.

- - - - -

SPICY CHICKEN NUGGETS

High sex drive. Horny like 25/7. Probably a symptom of having way too much pent up stress.

Often takes care of it himself when he doesn’t have the emotional resources for anyone else, even his S.O. Figures you don’t want him coming on to you as often as he would like to, but he’s too stupid to talk to you about it first. Morning masturbator.

Yes he’s fucked around a lot but he’s not exactly a playboy either. People have always thrown themselves at him, and before he met you he let them do it. Especially when out of town and staying in a hotel. Whatever happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, etc.

He’d never be unfaithful to you though; his loyalty and dedication are frankly a little unsettling. Sometimes you feel like the only thing in his life other than hero work. Teach this man to knit. Make him join a book club. Christ. Anything.

Does in fact have seasonal mating patterns and it’s super embarrassing.

An underwear-sniffing perv. He’ll definitely hump your pillow.

Gets a sick thrill out of breaking in and startling you. Coming up behind you in the dark, sneaking into your bed. It’s probably his worst habit, and even he hates that he does it. If you get better at detecting him he’ll be so proud. Land a slap on him and he’ll be a horny mess.

Dog-whistles at you. Often from rooftops, and you have no idea where he is but you know he’s leering.

He will call you a lot of really stupid pet names. He likes the way you blush when he finds a newer, stupider one. Calls you angel when he’s really far gone.

Likes to scratch you with his stubble until your skin turns raw and sensitive. If it annoys you or hurts a little? Even better. Making you squirm is his new favorite thing. Especially when going down on you. Your inner thighs are always exfoliated.

His cock is average in every respect. This is not a bad thing. He knows how to please you with every totally normal inch of that cock. He has some kind of homing beacon installed on your sensitive spots.

Goes absolutely insane for blowjobs. Any time, any place.

Likes to bend you around in all kinds of positions with an assist from his feathers to hold up an ankle here, an arm there. Get used to floating mid-coitus. It just seems to happen.

Spanky.

His number one priority is making you feel adored and at home in his bed. Ohhhhh he likes to make you smile. But if you encourage him to get pushy and dominant with you, you will have a good, good time.

He’s switchy, and will lose his shit if you initiate or take control. Again, he’s always horny for you, because he can finally let go. Breathe in his direction and he’s hard.

Doesn’t moan much, but Babe, he’s a dirty talker. He’s not smooth or deliberate about it, it’s more like he can’t fucking believe you let him do whatever he wants to you. You like that huh? Like he’s in stages of shock. He’s singing your praises to high Heaven and muttering oh shit oh shit oh shittttttt and laugh-crying as he cums. He never talks about his feelings; he fucks about them.

After. Care. King. He loves pampering and clucking over you anyway, this is simply another excuse to do it. He knows exactly how much water you drink in a day. Can’t take care of himself for shit, but you? You’ll never have a need he won’t try to fill. What’s all that hero work for if not this? Yeah, soak it up. You deserve it.

#hawks #takami keigo #hawks headcanons #hawks x reader #hawks x y/n #hawks x you #gender neutral #smut #bnha #mha #mha headcanons #bnha headcanons #mha fanfiction #bnha x reader #mha x reader #fred writes #no idea why I’m writing these #guess I’m just in a Mood

[tfwhynoy]

Magician & Technorganic Liaison w/ MTMTE:LL Crew reactions to reveal and comfort through difficult adjustment. Liaison is kinda like TFA Sari, not knowing themselves for most of their life, but also representing potential future of organics and mechanicals. Does Adaptus find out before and try to kidnap them often? Is that how they ended up on the Lost Light in the first place? What do you think? You can choose who want to be friends or potential romances since they can have technorganic kids!

Okay, this is probably not really what you meant or were asking for but I wrote a whole thing.

One moment you were having a drink and chatting with Swerve, the next someone’s servo accidentally swiped you off the bar top. You had been caught, but you still fell on cold hard metal. Your elbow took the brunt of the fall, shooting pain through the rest of your arm. A trip to the med bay was mandatory to see if anything was fractured or broken.

With cybertronian scanning equipment being as large as it was, a full body scan was easier than trying to just get your arm. You simply had to lay down flat and let them work the machines.

What concerned you was when First Aid froze.

The frantic rescan and quiet muttering wasn’t reassuring. He ended up having to get Ratchet who stared at the scans for a painful amount of time before telling you something that should be impossible.

You’re technorganic, half human and half cybertronian.

Ratchet is going over the scan, explaining each part. You hear a few words you know already, spark, stabilizer, you think he even points out a non-functional t-cog, but most of it is white noise as you just process how that could even happen.

It’s impossible, you've lived your whole life normally. You would think there would be something that would show up at any doctor’s appointment. Surely something had to be amiss, an odd noise when you breathed, an abnormal sounding heartbeat, joints that didn’t feel or look like normal joints made of bone instead of metal. Anything.

But as you run over every memory, milling over every detail that doesn’t make sense, you remember you’ve never had an X-ray before. You’ve never broken a bone or had any real issues that would warrant any kind of MRI or CAT scan either. Hell, you can’t even remember the last time you went to a dentist. You brushed plenty and never had any issues with your teeth. You were actually pretty afraid of dentists, all the drilling and shots, the very idea of someone taking a file to your teeth made your skin crawl so you just never went and no one ever took you as a kid.

Your arm is okay though, your weird skeleton wasn’t even damaged, but the skin and muscle around it is going to bruise like hell and you’re recommended to only use that arm lightly if at all for the next few days. It’s the last of your concerns as you leave the medbay with a clean bill of health.

Part of you refuses to believe it. How could such a thing exist, organic and mechanical don’t mix. It’s physically impossible for you to exist like this, right? Who would even create you and why?

You ask Rewind for any records and footage of experiments to create technorganics. You searched everything you can find, the most prominent thing being Scorponok’s messed up headmaster technology. It was on Earth, with humans, but it was still nothing like you in any sense.

You start to message your parents, asking if they knew anything. They were your parents. The people who supposedly conceived and birthed you. How would they not know anything. They had to have lied to you, kept the truth from you even when they knew you were going into space to keep an eye on Megatron. When knowing you were half cybertronian is vital information you should always have known.

It’s difficult to write anything though, any time you try and type your hands just start shaking. You have so many questions, so many accusations, so many thoughts running through your head they tumble across the keyboard and just turn into an uncompressible mess of typos and unfinished thoughts. You end up sending snippets to Ultra magnus for him to correct and make sure it’s even compressible and almost immediately regret it when he sends back a ten page report of constructive criticism.

A quick scan of the first page or two does help though, anything past is debates on whether to use an oxford comma or not or other minor things you can’t even begin to care about right now.

A few days pass while you wait for a response you’re still forced to function as a normal human being (though calling yourself human feels almost painful with how wrong you know it is). Your thoughts begin to slow down to a crawl. A slow mantra of “Who lied to you? Who can you really trust? What else don’t you know?” repeating on loop as you lay awake at night or just try to breathe during your few breaks.

When you finally get a message back from your parents it makes you want to sob.

A stillborn baby. She had been born at home, she hadn’t cried or screamed like a normal baby should have, instead born limp and lifeless. As they had left their house to go to a hospital though they found you on their doorstep.

There is nothing said about what they did with the baby. Just that they lied to the doctors, said that you were the one born instead. They go on about how easy it had been since you looked just like them anyway.

You always had your father’s eyes.

Your stomach turns at all of the implications and the pieces that don’t align and-

You close the message. You can’t do this, not right now. It’s all too much and you can’t even be sure if this is real either.

It’s eventually Rodimus who forces you to take a vacation. A whole week focused on rest and recovery. Rodimus even offers to visit a nearby planet for a change of scenery, but you decline. You already feel so tired, you don’t have the energy to be a tourist right now.

Your next visit to Rung is more than overdue, and you vent everything you can think of now. You start crying in the middle of the session and you're not sure why. Everything feels so big and so small at the same time. It’s a titanic revolution and yet… How much is actually changing? Are you making a mountain out of a molehill?

It’s a long session with the promise of several more on the way. Even if you only just scratch the surface your left feeling more prepared to continue on, if not a little emotionally raw.

Drift offers to meditate with you, cleanse your mind and make your aura shine. You would normally decline but, maybe meditating and trying to relax might actually help. So you agree, after you make Drift promise to not talk about anything religious. You could handle the spiritual stuff, but the thought of him theorizing about how or why Primus made you this way makes you want to bang your head against a wall.

He agreed to your terms and it wasn’t that bad. He set up an area your size, full of crystals and lightly scented incense that was all supposed to absorb negative energies and lessen stress. The whole nook was colored soft lilacs and blues with hints of whites and pinks dotted around. You didn’t quite think the place was soothing because of the tiger eye dotted around the place but it was a calming place all the same. He helped you relax and unwind, just forgetting about everything for a while.

He kept his promise and you left feeling a little less overwhelmed by everything.

After another day you ask Ratchet to teach you about your body. How anything works, and if there is anything else you should be doing to take care of yourself. He’s quick to remind you that he has no clue how your organic half may have affected the cybertronian functions, and that they’d have to perform tests to even begin to guess your work, but you’re okay with that.

You’ve… You’ve gotten this far thinking you were a normal human. Even if you still have no clue how you came to be or how you work yet, you aren’t alone here.

You’ll be okay.

#transformers #maccadam #reader insert #x reader #mtmte #more than meets the eye #drift #mtmte drift #ratchet #mtmte ratchet #rodimus #mtmte rodimus #rung #mtmte rung #mtmte rewind #rewind #ultra magnus #mtmte ultra magnus #ask to tag