#aw crap I just realized I forgot another two I actually have checked out | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

jobean12-blog · 4 years

Text

Top Shelf: Chapter 10- Recipe for Love

Pairing: Bucky x reader (Bookshop/Bartender AU)

Word Count: 2,064

Summary: You and Bucky decide to host dinner for your friends and afterwards you get the best idea ever...

Author’s Note: Thank you all so very much for sticking with me and continuing to read! This has really been such an escape for me and I can never thank you enough for reading and being so kind and supportive. Thank you all for reading and much love always ❤❤❤

Warnings: sweet fluff, soft smut, fluffersmut, fun with friends :)

Previous Chapters

Chapter 1: Enchantment

Chapter 2: Cookie Crumble

Chapter 3: Sweet Anticipation

Chapter 4: Read Between the Limes

Chapter 5: Secrets on the Shelf

Chapter 6: Love Between the Covers

Chapter 7: Love Lines & Soul Finds

Chapter 8: Drunk in Love

Chapter 9: Pour in onto the Page

The rest of the night goes on in a blur of soft touches, heated kisses and whispered, “I love yous.” Now that the words are out it’s as if neither of you have anything else to say. The uber ride back to Manhattan is as sugary sweet as the cotton candy you’re licking off your fingers. “Oh my god, Bucky! I forgot how good this stuff is!” you exclaim as you pull off another chunk of the spun sugar. “I know!” Bucky replies, kissing some melting pink sugar off your lips.

You giggle, trying to refrain from poking him with your sticky fingers. “Sweetheart, if you get that sticky crap stuck in my hair, we’re gonna have a problem.” Your fingers reach toward him as you hold back laughter. Bucky quickly grabs your wrist and brings your hand to his mouth, slowly sucking the sugar off the tip of each finger. “I wish we were home already,” you breathe out.

When you finally fall through the door of your apartment, you’re surprised you’re still dressed, Bucky’s hands groping you from the moment you got out of the uber. He walks you backward until you bump the small island in your kitchen, his arms lifting you up and sitting you on the countertop. Your hands card through his hair as he kneels between your legs, pushing up the skirt of your dress.

His eyes watch you as he trails kisses up your thigh, his soft hair slipping through your fingers as you try to find a hold on something. With the languid movements of his tongue he takes you apart, your body completely sated as he stands to unzip his jeans. You waste no time, helping him get them to the floor.

He enters you slowly and you feel every inch, his forehead pressed to yours while you relish in the feeling of each other. The lights from the city cast a soft glow on your skin as Bucky’s hands and mouth explore every inch with a newfound reverence. It isn’t long before you come undone, his name a quiet plea falling from your lips.

The next morning you find the other side of the bed empty, but the smell of freshly brewed coffee permeates the air. With a satisfied hum you throw off the covers, covering your nakedness with Bucky’s shirt. “Do you always walk around shirtless?” you ask as you enter the kitchen, Bucky’s back to you as he stands over the coffee pot.

“Are you complaining,” he croons, throwing you a look over his shoulder. “Not at all,” you say, walking over and wrapping your arms around his waist. “That smells so good! I’m so glad someone is finally using the coffee pot. I usually just get it from the café down the street.” He turns and hands you a steaming cup, asking, “you mean the little spot on West 22nd and 9th Ave?” You nod as you take your first sip, moaning at the taste.

“It’s going out of business!” You nearly spit out the delicious coffee, “WHAT?” Bucky frowns, holding you against his chest, “yeah, the new Starbucks that opened nearby is killing them.” Now it’s your turn to frown, the realization you may have to start brewing your own coffee or paying way too much for one making you angry. You take another sip, eyeing Bucky over the mug, “that’s awful. I really liked that place!”

Kissing the top of your head he says assuredly, “you have me and since you seem to approve of my coffee making skills, I think you’ll manage.” With a contented smile you reach behind him for your cookie tin, picking it up and noticing it feels way too light. “Bucky. Did you eat the last of the peanut butter chocolate chip cookies?”

Hanging his head, he doesn’t answer but it’s all the confirmation you need. “I can’t believe you didn’t even leave me one!” He tries to look sheepish but fails terribly as he checks for crumbs along his mouth. “Well, they were amazing! And I was hungry this morning!” he says in defense. “You’re lucky I love you, you know that” you say. He takes your unfinished coffee from your hands and places in on the counter. “Actually, I’m the lucky one and I love you too,” he says, before stopping any further conversation with his lips on yours.

You spend Sunday afternoon at the bookshop with Bucky, organizing some shelves and just enjoying each other’s company. As per her usual Sunday visit, Grandma Betty strolls in shortly after lunch, her smile bright at the sight of you both. “Look at you two. You’re practically glowing today! I knew a night out would be good for my boy. Was it as fun as you remembered?”

Bucky sends a heart stopping smile your way before launching into a full recap of your night and how perfect it was. Grandma leaves with a smile that matches yours and a promise of some of your now famous peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.

After the visit you can tell that Bucky’s mood has dampened slightly, his teeth working over his bottom lip and his forehead creased in thought. “Hey baby, you think Steve, Peggy, Nat and Sam would want to come over for dinner next weekend? Maybe we can do it early before you guys have to be at the bar?” His spirits seem to lift at the idea, and he sends out a text to see if everyone is available.

Once your plans are made and you all settle on a time you ask him, “what do I make for dessert?” He laughs, raising his brow before he speaks. You cut him off, “I’m not making you any more of those cookies. In fact, I’m going to make a whole batch, give them all to your grandma and you can’t have any!” He pretends to pout which makes you laugh, his antics hard to resist. “I’ll bake something new! A surprise!” you exclaim, winking his way.

You spend almost every weeknight at Bucky’s apartment, except for Wednesday night because Nat insists she needs some girl time. “So. Does it feel different now that you guys said I love you?” she asks, sitting on the couch with her legs stretched out over yours while sipping her wine. “It just feels right. I can’t really explain it. It all seems so cliché when I really think about it, but I’ve also not felt surer about anything before.”

Nat tilts her head in understanding, her hand reaching over to squeeze yours. “I get it. I’m so happy for you.” With another sip of your wine you reply, “thanks, I love you. Now stop stalling and tell me about your weekend with Sam!” She giggles and you squeal when you see a light blush creep over her cheeks. “OH MY GOD! WELL??” She kicks you with her foot, scowling before she says, “it’s the wine! I swear!” You laugh, knowing full well she’s full of shit. “Yea right. You can’t fool me. SPILL IT!”

Saturday morning rolls around and you and Bucky leave his apartment together, you’re heading out for baking supplies and Bucky heading to the bookshop to open and prepare for his early departure. “If you need me to pick anything up on my way back just let me know, doll. I can easily make a stop.” You pepper his cheek with kisses, saying thank you in between before planting a good one on his lips. “I love you,” he murmurs, watching you walk down the street until you’re out of his sight.

You decide on making a coconut cream pie for dessert, checking beforehand that everyone is a fan of the fruit. It’s the first time you’re making it and you’re both excited and nervous. Once you have everything you need you head back to Bucky’s and start preparing, making sure to send him plenty of silly texts as you bake. Thankfully the two of you had made a sauce and breaded chicken cutlets the night before so all that had to be done other than the pie was frying up the cutlets and cooking the pasta.

Bucky arrives home right on time. “Wow. It smells amazing in here baby.” He gives you a tight hug, picking you up off your feet and kissing you soundly before running off to take a quick shower. Once he’s clean and ready you finish up the cooking and put the pie in the oven. Bucky sets the table and you prepare some small appetizers.

Steve and Peggy arrive first, and Peggy joins you in the kitchen for some gossiping and wine. You look over her shoulder to see Bucky and Steve on the couch plowing through the snacks. “Hey boys! Can you please try to save some for Nat and Sam??” They both look up guiltily, trying to hide their mouthfuls of food. “Sorry,” they mumble simultaneously.

Luckily, Sam and Nat show up only moments later and Sam can snag a few bites. Dinner goes off without a hitch and everyone sits with their glass of wine while they wait for dessert. “Nat has been going on and on about y/n’s baking all week! I can’t wait to eat this pie!” Sam shouts. “I know, Bucky said her cookies are better than my mom’s!” Steve chimes in, raising his eyebrows.

Everyone looks at Steve in shock, their mouths hanging open. “What the heck guys?” you say as you walk to the table holding the pie. “What happened?” Steve quickly speaks up, “nothing y/n! We were just talking about how good your baking is. That looks amazing!” You throw them a knowing smirk and put the pie on the table, serving a slice to everyone.

Sam shovels in a giant bite, moaning around the fork. “Holy cow, this is incredible y/n!” Steve follows suit, closing his eyes and mumbling something about heaven while he chews. Bucky looks up and gives you a wide smile, his eyes twinkling as he mouths “I love you.”

Before you can answer him Sam snorts, pulling your attention away as you watch him point and laugh. “Jeez, you two are sweeter than this pie.” You scowl at him and try to hold back your laughter but fail miserably when Nat chimes in and says, “that’s the best you could do. Really?” Everyone starts laughing and Bucky pulls you into his lap, feeding you a piece of the pie. “Wow. It really did come good,” you say, only loud enough for him to hear.

While everyone continues to eat Bucky makes some coffee, the smell drifting through the small apartment and perking everyone up. The rest of the evening goes by fast and before you know it, Bucky and Sam must leave for the bar. Bucky tries to help you clean up, but you shoo him out, looking forward to a little alone time with Peggy and Nat. “It’s fine Buck, don’t worry! We can definitely handle this!”

It doesn’t take the three of you long to clean up, afterwards getting comfy on the couch with a glass of wine. You hang out for another couple of hours before the yawning starts, the wine and good food catching up to all of you. “Thank you so much for coming, this was so fun!” They enthusiastically agree, telling you for the hundredth time how delicious the pie was.

An hour later you’re in the bath, relaxing under the bubbles and teasing Bucky by sending him sexy pictures. ‘Doll, this is so unfair…I know what’s under those bubbles and I want some.’ You giggle, placing your phone safely on the towel next to the tub. Grabbing the plate of pie you brought into the bath you take a bite, savoring every flavor as it swirls over your tongue. You mentally give yourself props, loving how much everyone praised your baking abilities.

Finishing the last bite, your eyes suddenly go wide, and you blurt out, “that’s it!!!” You drop the empty dish to the floor and grab your phone, trying to text Bucky as quickly as possible. “Shit, shit, shit!” you curse at your slippery fingers, wiping them off on the towel. ‘BUCKY! I KNOW HOW TO SAVE THE BOOKSHOP!’ The text goes through and you smile to yourself, excitement coursing through you while you wait for his reply.

@aesthetical-bucky @auro-ora @azurika-writes @bucky-on-my-mind @buckys-broody-muffin @bugsbucky @book-dragon-13 @devynsdiary @eurynome827 @hailmary-yramliah @godofplumsandthunder @hawksmagnolia @hiddles-rose @imgaril-lindru @ikaris-whore @itsunclebucky @jhangelface0523 @jewelofwinter @jewels2876 @loricameback @littledarlinhavefaithinme @littleredstarfish @mushyjellybeans @marvelgirl7 @marvelandotherfandomimagines @metal-armed-cuddly-dork @nano--raptor @randomfandompenguin @sallycanwait68 @softpeachbarnes @scarletsoldierrr @the-wayward-robot @when-the-hell-is-bucky @throwmyheartawayagain @flyawaybay @amandatar-06 @nd1998sc @captainchrisstan @vherriepie @fire-flv @jamesbarnesappreciationclub @irishflutiegirl @rinthehufflepuff @moonybarnes @nordlysinthewoods @inflxmes

320 notes · View notes

fanficnewbie · 4 years

Text

Sienna Weighs In P6

OPEN HEART: SECOND YEAR - CHAPTER SIX

(ETHAN x FEMALE MC)

MC is Dr. Francesca Houseman *This entry takes place between the visit to Leland Bloom’s house and the tests on his yacht. (This is a chapter by chapter series…)

Sienna cheers on Francesca for standing up to Ethan.

PREVIOUS CHAPTERS Chapter 1: MC tells Sienna about her Ethan convo at Donahue’s. Chapter 2: MC and Sienna discuss Ethan’s gym routine. Chapter 3: MC questions how well she really knows Ethan. Chapter 4: MC takes Elijah and Sienna to see Evelyn’s exhibit. Chapter 5: Sienna talks MC through a panic attack over Ethan. Word Count: 1889 Rated: Teen

***

“To standing up for yourself!” Francesca and Sienna clinked their beer bottles and each took a healthy gulp before setting them back on the bar.

Francesca turned and surveyed the Sunday night crowd at Donahue’s, it was only slightly busy. Old school hip hop played while a few patrons danced. Most were at tables littered with various drinks and engrossed in animated conversations with their friends and/or colleagues.

She swiveled back on her barstool to Sienna who gave her a knowing smile. “It felt good didn’t it?”

Francesca grinned widely, “It felt soooo good! Almost as good as Baz & June coming to my defense on the way over to the Bloom Estate. Ethan’s been treating me like crap for weeks and it was nice to know that others noticed it too.”

Sienna nodded, “I’m not gonna say I told you so but…”

Francesca playfully pushed her, “Shut up.” She took another sip, “What did Ethan even say to you when he showed up yesterday morning?”

Sienna shrugged, “Nothing really. He looked pissed and it was obvious he was there to see you so beyond ‘hello’, there wasn’t much to say.”

Francesca toyed with her beer bottle, “It probably kills him that you know about us.”

Sienna took a sip, “Well that’s his deal not mine. You guys are both adults, I’m just tired of waiting for the man to come to his senses. It’s like watching Elijah and Phoebe all over again.”

Francesca groaned and chewed on her bottom lip before looking back up, “Hey, speaking of Elijah…”

Sienna held up her hand, “Jackie already told me and you guys should just drop it. You gave him your advice and now it’s up to him. We’re all going to deal with our interns the way we see fit and that just is not going to look the same for everybody.”

Francesca scowled, “Sothy can’t even do a basic blood draw, that’s not acceptable.”

Sienna grew sullen, “We all have our individual challenges to overcome.”

Taken aback at the sudden shift, Francesca studied her friend closely. The week before she had commended Sienna when she triumphantly shimmied into a pair of jeans from college, but now she realized that she was starting to look too thin, almost gaunt with darkening bags around her eyes. She touched her arm, “Hey, so many of these conversations are about me and my dumbass issues. But are you okay? You’ve been so tired lately and you’re still losing weight…”

Almost on cue, Sienna turned to her, her face instantly brightening, “No silly, I’m fine, I’m great. You brought me out for a celebratory drink so let’s celebrate!”

Francesca sighed and gently squeezed Sienna’s arm, “Listen, you know you can talk to me about anything without judgment right? I’m your friend and I’m here to help you through whatever. This doesn’t always have to be about me and I’m so sorry if it has been totally one-sided as of late.”

Sienna smiled, “Francesca I love our convos, and I love helping you, and I know I can come to you, and I promise, I’m fine. A-okay.” She patted Francesca’s hand reassuringly.

They sat in silence for a few moments before Sienna reached for her phone. “Hey, I haven’t checked Pictogram in like forever. Did it work? Did Dr. Ramsey like that photo you posted a few days ago? Oh my God, I can’t believe I forgot all about it.”

Francesca smiled smugly as Sienna unlocked her phone. Yes, Ethan had liked her photo. It was a stunner, one she had taken the Summer before she started at Edenbrook. Surprisingly, the whole thing had actually been Jackie’s idea…

***

“So hell hath frozen over and Ethan Ramsey has a Pictogram account!”

Francesca was sitting on the floor in their living room, her back against the couch with her laptop in her lap. Sienna was above her, sitting horizontally across the couch in the same position. She peered over Francesca’s shoulder, “Oh my god, you got him to post a half-naked photo of himself?!”

Jackie walked into the living room with her tablet, “Who’s half-naked?”

Sienna and Francesca both froze for a second before Francesca answered. “Uh, Dr. Ramsey. I helped him create a Pictogram account so he could search Gwyneth’s product history. His profile photo is from when he ran a triathlon so he’s in swim shorts. He only allowed me to use it because he figured nobody would ever see it.”

Jackie sat down and leaned over Francesca to view the image, she raised her eyebrows, “Wow! Who knew he was hiding that six pack under his lab coat? Damn Francesca, I’m finally starting to see why you’re so into the guy.”

Jackie’s eyes met Francesca’s astonished gaze, she chuckled, “You really don’t think I’m that stupid do you?”

Francesca’s face reddened, “Please don’t tell me it’s that obvious?”

Jackie thought for a second, “Nah, I honestly think I may be the only one who’s caught on, besides Sienna of course. I mean, we live with you. I’m sure you’re fine at Edenbrook, I’ve never heard any rumors.”

Sienna nodded, “Francesca, you know I’d tell you if I ever heard anything. I mean some people are still jealous of your rapport with Dr. Ramsey but they all attribute it to your top intern spot and Banjeri save.”

Jackie shrugged and she typed on her tablet, “Accurate.”

Francesca visibly relaxed, “Okay well, I can live with that. Anyway, I was just telling Sienna that he has an account now and I think it’s kind of hilarious. I mean, he kept it private and I’m his only friend.”

Francesca suddenly turned to her friends, her voice earnest,”You guys cannot tell anyone about this account or picture. He’ll know immediately that it came from me. Promise you won’t tell.”

Sienna put her hand on Francesca’s shoulder, “I promise. You already know we can keep secrets hon.”

Jackie gave Francesca a mischievous smile, “Same, but only on one condition.”

Francesca paled, “Oh god, what?”

Jackie turned her screen around where she had pulled up Francesca’s Pictogram account, “You set a thirst trap.”

Sienna frowned, “What’s that?”

“No, no, no, no.” Francesca vehemently shook her head.

Jackie turned to Sienna, still smiling broadly, “It’s a sexy photo that you post to make your followers thirsty. In this case, to make one specific follower thirsty.”

“No, it’s obvious and desperate and…” the panic in Francesca’s voice started to mount.

Sienna cut her off, “I like it. Where do we find a photo?”

“Wait Sienna, what? No!” Francesca looked at them both incredulously, “How pathetic does that make me look? Less than two weeks after Ethan becomes my PG friend, I post some random, sexy photo? Come on, even he could see through that one.”

Jackie shrugged, “I’d say you’ve waited too damn long as it is!”

Francesca was at a loss for words as she stared down her two friends. She slowly realized that she had no choice if she wanted to keep Ethan’s account under dibs and sagged against the couch in defeat, “Fine. But only because I know you won’t find a photo worth posting anyway.”

Undeterred, Jackie opened a new browser window, “What photo storage account do you use and what’s the password?”

Francesca gave her the details as she stood up, “I can’t believe this is happening, I need a drink. I’ll be right back.”

Her friends didn’t even acknowledge her exit as they started scrolling through the hundreds of photos on her Google account.

Several minutes she returned to their flabbergasted faces. “What? What’s wrong?”

Jackie turned her tablet around and Francesca’s eyes went wide. “Holy shit! I forgot all about that photo.”

Jackie shook her head in awe, “I didn’t even think you had it in you.”

Sienna giggled, “That my dears, is a bona-fide thirst trap.”

Francesca sat down and marveled at the photo, “I took that in Cancun after graduating from med school. I went with a group of friends and it was the perfect day on the beach, so we decided to be silly and take photos in our favorite “Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition” poses.”

Her mind started to change as she contemplated Ethan’s reaction to the photograph. “Hmmmm, I do look kinda hot huh?”

Jackie raised an eyebrow, “Kinda? No red-blooded, hetero man will be able to resist the allure, the pure sex of this picture. Dr. Ramsey among them.”

Francesca took a deep breath, “Post it.”

***

Sienna scrolled through the likes and comments, “Wow, is this the most popular post on your account?”

Francesca laughed, “I believe so. Even the friend who took it wanted me to tag her for credit.”

Sienna grinned as she came across Ethan’s red heart, “There it is.”

Francesca smirked, “Yup.” she leaned in, “And let me tell you the most infuriating part. I kept checking my phone to see if he had liked the photo. Nothing for two days. So, the next night I was up really late studying. I didn’t go to sleep until just after 1am, and I checked my phone before I dozed off, nothing. I woke up like three hours later to pee and guess who had liked my photo?”

Sienna’s eyes went wide, “Wait, in the middle of the night? He was on your account in the middle of the night!”

Francesca nodded, “And, and this was after the whole Gwyneth/Board thing. So at the same time he’s giving me the cold shoulder at work, he’s lurking on my account at home.”

Sienna shook her head in disbelief, “That man is so confused.”

Francesca rolled her eyes, “Whatever. That’s why I stripped down in front of him yesterday.”

“What?!” Sienna’s mouth hung open.

Finishing the last of her beer, Francesca smiled, “I needed to kick him off his hypocritical high horse. So, after he barged into my room telling me I had three minutes to get ready on my day off, I called his bluff. I literally took off my underwear right in front of him. I mean, I turned my back to him but still, the look on his face was fucking priceless.”

Sienna turned to Francesca, put hands on her shoulders, and met her eyes, “You are officially my hero.”

Francesca smiled, “Well, that deserves another round.” She motioned to the bartender.

“Plus, I’m sure we’ll only be celebrating this victory tonight. Who knows how he’ll act towards me at work tomorrow, especially now that we’re in this absurd competition with Mass Kenmore.”

Sienna exhaled, “Yeah, you and Aurora going to be okay? I cannot take a repeat of the Landry experience.”

Francesca nodded, “I swear to you that we’ll be fine, We talked it out, made a pinky promise and everything. I’m more worried about Ethan and Tobias.”

Sienna frowned, “Aurora’s new boss?”

“Yeah, apparently he and Ethan have some bad blood,” Francesca shrugged, “I have no idea what it is about though.”

Sienna thanked the bartender as he placed fresh drinks in front of them and reached for hers, “Well that’s a good thing right? Now, he has somewhere else to direct his anger.”

Francesca thought for a moment, “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Cheers to that!”

Sienna clinked her glass, “Hun, how many times do I have to tell you…I’m always right!”

Read the Ethan Pictogram Companion Piece here: Pictogram Pitfalls & Chapter 7: Francesca confides in Sienna how she met Ethan’s mother.

***

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING. YOUR LIKES AND COMMENTS MEAN THE WORLD!

TAG LIST

@i-bloody-love-drake-walker @senseofduties @octobereighth @jooous @fenekko @msjpuddleduck @perriewinklenerdie @polishchoicesfan @alwaysmychoices @binny1985 @cordoniansqueen @heauxplesslydevoted @a-i-n-a-a-s-h @sherlockedmcu @xxdangerouscapri15xx @paisleylovergirl @dr-nancy-house @humaumount @stanathanxoox @trappedinfandoms @padfoot0415 @thefluffyphotographer @oofchoices @crazy-loca-blog @yorit1 @hopelessly-shipper @lovebubblechoices @lifeof-liv @the-soot-sprite @mfackenthal @loveellamae @sharrybh20 @soft-for-drake @choices-lurker @cerisesayeed-ramsey @the-other-ramsey @princess-geek @flyawayboo @riverrune@ethandaddyramsey @queencarb @vika-rafa @ramseyandrys @togetherwearerapture @bellcat2010 @imescullen @teenytinytanya08 @ethanramseyyy @amy-choices

#open heart #ethan ramsey #dr ramsey #open heart fanfic #open heart fanfiction #open heart fandom #ethan x mc #choices open heart

75 notes · View notes

jane-the-zombie · 4 years

Text

No Control || SOLO

TIMING: Present LOCATION: Jane’s Apartment PARTIES: Jane Wu & Guest SUMMARY: After a long day, a person from Jane’s past comes to visit her, and doesn’t like what they find. CONTENT: Mass Poisoning TW (brief mention), Food Poisoning TW (brief mention), Gun Violence Mention

Exhaustion clung to Jane as she slumped against her motorbike, pulling into her parking space. First, it the poisoning at Pat's Place, where she spent a better part of the night administering the antidote and taking statements. And then there was Erin Nichols, the black market organ dealer. Jane peeled herself off her bike, shoving the helmet she didn't wear under her arm as she went to crawl up the stairs. She was going to get a few hours of hopefully peaceful sleep before crawling back to the precinct to deal with the Nichols situation. She had lawyered up immediately, and there was no way they were getting anything else tonight.

Kavanagh couldn't have picked another night to get evidence dropped on her doorstep? Of course, that was just a grumpy thought and not actually Regan's fault, but it was closing in at eleven o'clock at night, and she hadn't been home for more than two hours at a time.

"You look like shit."

Jane's head shot up. Her hand automatically flexed to her gun. The only people that hung around this time of day were people buying drugs off Felix, and the last time she ran into one of them, they pulled a knife on her. It wasn't a drug buyer, but as Jane recognized the man leaning against the railing, she sort of wished it was.

"Daniel?" Confusion colored Jane's voice. "What are you doing here?"

"Can't a man visit her old partner?"

The question was innocent enough, but the hardness in Daniel Jefferson's tone wasn't easy to miss. He was angry at her. Understandably, Jane reasoned, considering she got him shot in the shoulder. Nervousness crept into her knees, and sweat was starting to build upon the palms of her hands.

"Thought you would have called first. I don't have the guest room set up."

Daniel scowled at her. "I have a motel room."

"Oh?"

They stared at each other until an uncomfortable silence washed over them both. Jane knew him enough to know that he was doing it on purpose, to remind her of what she did. He used to do it whenever she fucked up when she was still a rookie detective. They'd been partners for years; they were supposed to have each other's backs. That meant calling each other out when they were stupid.

Then again, Jane hadn't really been a perfect partner these last few years had she? She hadn't been good for anyone. She did her job the best she could, and then spent her time chasing after her next high. First, it was skydiving, roller-coaster riding, bungee jumping. And then it turned into jaywalking without looking both ways, speeding far too fast, drinking far too much, sleeping with questionable people.

She lived her life the way she wanted to — gambling. Other people weren't included in that anymore. She couldn't even remember the last time she answered a text from her father. He was the only one that still tried anymore. Lucy, her best friend since she was thirteen, had given up sometime last winter, Lizzie and Steve only called whenever she had upset Dad. She certainly didn't talk to her old friends at the station anymore.

Getting her partner shot in a blown stakeout operation on and then not visiting in the hospital even after transferring stations didn't exactly make her the most popular back in Portland. Not that she minded.

Forever was a blink of an eye, none of them would really matter in the coming years, would it? 50? 100? 500?

Daniel folded his arms over his chest and shifted on his feet, pulling her from her thoughts. "I'm here for work. I have a gig. You would know that if you checked your fucking phone. I tried to call you. Your voicemail is full."

Yes, she knew that. She rarely answered her phone unless it was work, let alone listened to voicemails. "A… gig." Usually, she would ask if that some new slang for a case, but she had the sense not to be a smart-ass at the moment.

"I'm not a cop anymore. You would also know that if you had bothered to keep up with me. I retired after the gunshot wound healed up." Jane gaped at him.

Dan was getting old, Jane would joke whenever he would yawn too much. He had a wife and a couple of ankle-biters running around. Well, then again, his ankle-biters probably weren't that small anymore, were they? Jane tried to remember when the last time she had really even thought about Daniel. In her dreams, probably, when she remembered the EMTs carting him away, blood pooling in his shoulder. But she never thought she'd see the day where Detective Daniel Jefferson retired.

Something that felt suspiciously like guilt gnawed at her. Of course, she felt guilty — but Jane never really thought about it because she didn't need too. She was going to live forever. How was one mistake going to impact the rest of her life? The rest of her life was forever. Daniel was going to live until he was 97 - because he was stubborn. Daniel had always been stubborn — with his wife and millions of grandchildren from his ankle biters. Then he was going to die because that's what he got to do at the end of his life. Jane had to start her life anew. She had forever.

Her mouth had dried up, and she was stuck staring at Daniel like he had four heads. She was reminded when she had first been assigned as his partner. A few years older than her, she spent the first couple of her rookie years looking at him wide-eyed as he dragged her to her first homicide as a detective. Threw her straight into the fire — the best way to learn, he'd said.

Daniel decided to keep talking since she hadn't said anything yet. "Private security," he explained. "Not a bad gig, certainly safer than what we were doing before."

"Are you looking for an apology?" Jane cut him off shortly. "Is that why you're here at my doorstep at five in the morning? Jefferson, I took full responsibility for what happened that night. I'm sorry. I screwed up. I'm not pretending like I didn't -"

"I'm not here for you, Jane." Daniel cut her off.

"Really? Then why are you here?"

"Because I got a text early this morning from your brother saying your dad's worried sick. He asked me to check on you."

She stiffened. "I don't need to be checked on like I'm a teenager. I'm busy with work and life — in case you hadn't heard about the mass poisoning or half of the other crap that goes on in this town." The bitterness in her tone returned. This town. This terrible, awful town where nothing good ever happened. Jane wouldn't be here forever, though. She could be wherever she wanted soon enough. What was a year or two or ten or one hundred? "Look, Turner transferred me because I screwed up. I get it. And I'm —"

"No, Captain transferred you because you were out of control!" Daniel argued. He ran a hand through his sandy hair, and let out a low, agitated groan. "Are out of control."

Jane bristled. "Excuse me —"

"No, excuse me. I forgot — Everything here is all about you now, right?" She recoiled like she'd been slapped in the face.

"My business between my dad and me and my family —"

"Wrong answer, Wu. You don't get to talk right now because I'm the one that had to listen to your brother, begging me to come and make sure you're alright because your father is beside himself. You are thirty-five years old, Jane. I've been watching you go off the deep end for three years, even before whatever the fuck that was at the warehouse."

It was like she was being scolded. Jane vaguely expected to get sent to her room without supper. "Daniel, I don't know what —"

"You're going to die alone if you keep this up, Jane." Daniel was disgusted, and Jane's mouth snapped shut. She could see it — how angry he was at her. He was tense, brow furrowed, fists clenched until the skin stretched across his knuckles turned white. He wanted more, but Jane realized Daniel really wasn't here to get into it with her. "Whatever the hell you're doing — the extreme sports, the fucking motorcycle, staying here in White Crest — there's something wrong with this place. We both know that. And avoiding your family's call, your friends, me? You're going to die alone and sad and early, and that's the only thing anyone will ever remember you for, Jane. What the hell are you doing to yourself? This isn't you."

There was a long silence. "And if I like where I am right now?"

"Then you're an idiot, Wu." Daniel shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans, wincing slightly. She caught it then, how he favored his right side. He was probably still in physical therapy after the bullet wound. Her eyes flickered back to his face. "You're going to fall. And no one will be here to catch you, and the only person you'll have to blame is yourself."

Jane said nothing, and Daniel shook his head, muttering something she couldn't hear under his breath. Just like that, he walked away, and Jane was left wondering how many years it would take to forget the pain in her chest.

#wickedswriting #para #para solo #solo

11 notes · View notes

snappedsky · 4 years

Text

Fanatics 74

Squee, Johnny, Devi, Tenna, and Colton are forced to embark on a fantastic quest.

*Links to previous and next chapters in reblog*

The Imaginary Quest

Colton grumbles grumpily to himself as he descends into his basement. “‘Clean the basement, Colton’,” he says in a mocking tone. “‘You can play your guitar later, Colton.’ Dad just doesn’t get it.”

He sighs bitterly as he reaches the basement floor and looks out at the stacks of boxes, left abandoned since they moved in.

“What the hell am I even supposed to do with all this crap?” he groans as he starts unstacking. He opens random boxes, looking through them for anything interesting, before pushing them to the side again. Most of them are filled with old toys and other things they don’t use anymore. It can all go to the dump for all he cares.

But after a few minutes, he spots something interesting in a seemingly random box and his face lights up.

“Ooooh, I gotta show this to Squee!” he exclaims as he grabs the item and races upstairs. He dashes out of the house, through the yard, and knocks rapidly on his neighbor’s door.

“Eh?” Johnny grunts as he cracks open the door.

“Hey, Johnny,” Colton smiles, bouncing up and down on his feet. “Squee around?”

“Hey, Colton,” Squee calls out from somewhere in the house. “Come on in.”

Nny sighs with annoyance but holds open the door for Colton, who bounds in. Granny Cammie is sitting in her wheelchair next to the couch, where Devi, Tenna, and Squee are resting while they all watch TV. Colton steps in front of them and presents his prize. “Look what I found in my basement!”

Squee leans forward as he reads the name on the old board game box. “Caves and Creatures?”

“Yeah!” Colton chimes, “it’s an old roleplay game. It takes place entirely in your imagination.” “Sounds lame,” Tenna snorts.

“Sounds cool,” Squee grins.

“It is!” Colton agrees, “I completely forgot I even had this. Wanna play?”

“Yeah,” Squee nods and stands up. “But let’s do it outside. It’ll be quieter.”

“Are you saying we’re loud?” Devi scoffs.

“A little,” he admits as he and Colton head out the door.

“I mean, he’s not wrong,” Cammie shrugs.

“How long are you staying here,” Johnny grunts at her.

Outside, Squee and Colton sit at their usual spot on the curb and Colton opens box. Inside is a bunch of papers and pencils and a rather thick guidebook.

“Not much of a board game,” Squee comments.

“Like I said, this takes place entirely in your imagination,” Colton explains, “the guidebook is full of different stories we can follow- or we can create our own. And we use the papers to detail our characters and their adventures, keeping track of their progress, treasures we find, and enemies we kill and whatnot. Oh, check it. My old character sheet!”

He hands Squee a sheet of paper. On it is a rather crude drawing of some kind of buff, humanoid creature and next it in barely legible scribblings is the characters information.

“Name: Fartbutt the Smelly?” Squee questions.

“Hey, man, I was like seven,” Colton shrugs.

“Level 2 orc warrior,” he continues, “special power: knocking enemies out with his farts. Wow, brilliant. So you sticking with this one or…?”

“Nah,” he laughs as he flips open the guidebook. “I’m gonna start a new character. Here, this is the character guide.”

They spend the next hour or so creating their characters, taking turns flipping through the guidebook for all the proper information. When they’ve finished, they’re both beaming with excitement.

“Alright, okay,” Colton says as they look over the story index. “We’ll introduce our characters in the story. So, which story should we do?”

“Oh, this one,” Squee replies, pointing at a story titled ‘King of the Cursed Forest’. “Love a good forest setting.”

“Okay,” Colton smiles and flips to the beginning of the story. He gets ready to read but stops and hands the book to Squee. “Here, maybe you should read instead. You are a story teller.”

“I mean, I’m actually just a writer but,” he shrugs as he takes the book. He quickly skims the first couple paragraphs before clearing his throat.

“Two adventurers arrive at a tavern in a small town called Darkside, on the edge of a twisting forest cloaked in shadows,” he begins, “since the small establishment is mostly empty, the adventurers acknowledge each other as they approach the bar and introduce themselves.”

He nods at Colton. “After you.” “I am Fariti,” Colton says in a ridiculous, fake-girl voice. “An elven archer. My hobbies include archery- at which I am quite skilled- and hair styling, as you can tell by my glorious, purple locks.” Squee snickers as Colton mimes tossing back long hair over his shoulder.

“I am Neetch,” Squee says in a slightly regal voice. “A half-elf rogue. So we have something in common.”

“Ha!” Colton scoffs. “You are merely a half-elf. You are not even good enough to lick my shoes.”

“Too bad. They are nice shoes.”

The two break character as they start giggling. Then Squee clears his throat and continues to read.

“The tavern keeper approaches the adventurers.” He puts on his best gruff voice. “What can I do for ya?”

“Have you any elven wine?” Fariti asks.

“‘We may have some in the back’ the tavern keeper replies wearily before turning away,” Squee says.

“Never mind,” Fariti sighs. “I would prefer information.”

“On what?” the tavern keeper questions.

“The treasure of the Cursed Forest.”

“Oh,” Neetch says with interest. “Seems we have more in common as I am interested in the Cursed Forest as well.”

“You aren’t the only ones,” the tavern keeper says, “many adventurers go after the legends of the Cursed Forest and never return.”

“Then you must know a lot about it,” Fariti muses.

“I may know something…for a pri-.” Squee breaks character as he starts coughing. “Oh, man,” he says in his normal voice. “Doing that voice hurts my throat.”

Colton laughs and after a short break for Squee to clear his throat, they continue.

After bribing the tavern keeper with some coin, the two adventurers learn many legends of the Cursed Forest, one of which being the treasure is guarded by a horrible king. The two agree to work together to find this treasure and enter the forest.

Squee and Colton spend hours playing their game. Their characters make steady progress through the Cursed Forest, fighting their way through dangerous foes, gather amazing items, and meet interesting individuals.

Squee enjoys it the entire time. It’s seems so simple, but it’s the most fun he’s had in a long time. And they both get so lost in the story, they don’t notice anything going on around them.

Inside the house, Nny, Devi, Tenna, and Cammie don’t notice anything going on outside either. And neither does anyone else on the street. Nothing much happens on Grave Road.

But Shmee, who was left resting on the coffee table, senses what’s happening. Without Squee, he is not able to move to look out the window. But he can feel it. A great change is taking over. And it worries him deeply.

Finally, Fariti and Neetch defeat the King of the Cursed Forest and claim the treasure. Squee and Colton both cheer and pound the air.

“Woo, that was awesome,” Colton grins as he leans back and looks at the sky. What he sees causes him to freeze up.

“Yeah,” Squee sighs and leans forward. He suddenly feels exhausted. “I didn’t expect it to be so…immersive. We should definitely play it again.”

“Colton?” he questions when his friend doesn’t respond. He’s looking around with a mixture of shock, fear, and awe. When Squee looks up, he quickly realizes why.

They are surrounded by giant, dark trees with twisting branches and trunks. The thick canopy of leaves overhead is completely blocking the sky, the sun just barely leaking in through the cracks. The thin trunks are bending around the surrounding houses. Odd creature noises can be heard somewhere in the shadows.

“Uh-um….” Squee croaks.

“How long have we been playing?” Colton asks, “do I have an ancient beard?”

“Did…did I do this?” Squee questions as he stands up. His knees just about give out underneath him and he crouches down to steady himself.

“Are you okay?” Colton asks worriedly.

“I-I don’t know,” he replies, “I suddenly feel really…weak.” He looks up at the surrounding trees that looks just like how he imagined the Cursed Forest. “Aw, man. I did do this.”

“What? How?”

“With my…imagination powers,” Squee replies, “I got so engrossed in the game I accidently created…the Cursed Forest.”

A guttural growl is heard from the shadows nearby.

“Aw, jeez,” Colton squeaks.

“Help me up,” Squee orders, sticking out his hand. “We have to get inside.”

Colton helps him to his feet and they hurry into the house.

“Nny!” Squee exclaims, startling everyone. “I-I really screwed up!”

“What’d you do?” Johnny questions. “Did you blow up another convenience store? I keep telling you to keep your bombs and your wallet separate.”

“No, Nny, I…just, go look outside,” Squee demands as he hobbles to the kitchen. “I need to get something to eat.”

The adults all get up and walk to the door- except for Cammie, who rolls. They are immediately flabbergasted as they look outside.

“I’m staying inside,” Cammie grunts and rolls away.

“What…” Johnny breathes, stunned.

“Wow,” Tenna comments, “I know Nny hates to mow his lawn, but I didn’t think it would get this bad.”

Devi glares at her incredulously.

“I’m just trying to lighten the mood, man, this is fucking weird.”

“What happened?” Nny asks as they hurry back to Squee, who’s busy scarfing down a sandwich while Colton stands nearby.

“We were playing that game and I got super into it,” Squee explains between mouthfuls, “and I think I accidently manifested all of that with my imagination.”

“You created an entire world by accident?” Devi questions.

He shrugs. “Sure looks that way.”

“It’s pretty awesome when you think about it,” Colton smiles.

“Not when you consider we’re living in the Cursed Forest with all its dangerous creatures,” Squee points out.

“Ah. Right.”

“Can you change it back?” Tenna asks.

“I don’t know,” Squee replies, “if I knew how, I would’ve done it already. But I’ve never…destroyed something I’ve created before.”

“What if you just…will it to disappear, like how you will it to appear?” Nny suggests.

“I’ll try,” he shrugs. He closes his eyes and thinks super hard about the forest disappearing. “Is it gone?”

They peek through the window and still see the overhanging branches and leaves. “Nope,” Nny replies.

“Okay…” Squee sighs.

“What if we just completed the quest?” Colton suggests.

“But we already did that,” he points out.

“Our characters did, but we didn’t. Maybe if we defeat the King, it’ll give you, like, closure or something.”

Squee shrugs. “It’s worth a shot. I’ll call the guys.”

He grabs his phone and sighs with disappointment. “I have no reception.”

“I guess the Cursed Forest doesn’t have good cell service,” Colton remarks.

“Looks like we’re on our own this time,” Squee grunts as he pockets his phone and faces everyone. “You guys up for a quest?”

“I guess,” Nny shrugs.

“Yeah, I wasn’t doing anything today,” Devi adds.

“Sure, sounds fun,” Tenna nods.

“Count me out,” Cammie replies, “forests aren’t usually wheelchair friendly. I’ll just stay here with the cat.”

Nugget meows in agreement as she hops onto Cammie’s lap.

“That’s probably for the best,” Squee agrees, “okay, let’s gear up.”

Squee slings his bag over his shoulder and rests Shmee on his head. Johnny throws on his coat. Devi and Tenna dig around in his closet before grabbing a bat and brace knuckles, respectively. And Colton grabs the Cave and Creatures guidebook.

“It’ll help us find our way through the forest,” he clarifies.

“Then let’s go,” Squee demands.

They exit the house and head down the street where the woods get thicker. The trees seem to have just appeared out of nowhere- which they essentially did. They aren’t bursting out of the asphalt; more like they were gently placed on the roads and sidewalk. The trunks have grown around houses and vehicles, causing almost no damage.

Civilians have noticed the sudden change as they step out of their houses in bewilderment. They don’t pay Squee and the others any mind as they pass by.

“You really do have an active imagination, Squee,” Devi comments.

“Too active apparently,” he remarks.

They’re suddenly stopped by shouts of terror and a group of people race by frantically.

“Uh oh,” Squee grunts as they turn to whatever it was they were running from.

Three creatures fly into view. They’re like large snakes with feathered wings and fangs protruding from their top lip. They hiss angrily at the group, their forked tongue flicking about.

“Winged serpents!” Colton exclaims, “cool!”

“Less cool when they’re attacking us,” Squee argues. “Duck!”

He shoves Colton to the ground as the serpents swoop at them. Then he draws his knife and slices through the wing of one. It immediately crashes and Squee quickly steps on its trashing tail and slices its throat.

The other two split apart, one going after Johnny, the other going for Devi and Tenna. The girls duck and Devi swings her bat, smashing the serpent’s snout in and knocking it to the ground. One final swing crushes its head.

Simultaneously, Nny makes quick work of the final serpent with one quick swing and slices its head off.

“That was easy,” Tenna comments.

“They are the lowest level creatures in the forest,” Colton points out, “but we should keep moving. Their blood is gonna attract predators.”

After quickly cleaning off their weapons, the group continues their progress through the forest. They don’t get very far though, before they hear movement in the surrounding shadows.

“Who’s there?” Devi snaps, raising her bat.

“When has asking ‘who’s there’ ever produced an actual answer?” Nny chides.

Whatever it is, it’s crunching the dirt just out of sight. Everyone strains their eyes as they struggle to see into the darkness.

A shiver shoots up Squee’s spine and he tackles Devi and Tenna out of the way. “Watch out!” he cries just as something comes charging out of the shadows. Johnny and Colton shout with surprise as it brushes by and skids to a stop before facing them again.

“A monster boar!” Colton exclaims.

It is indeed a giant boar with large, stained tusks and fangs and beady red eyes. It scrapes its hoof along the ground before charging again towards Squee and girls. They scream as they barely dive out of the way.

“What do we do?” Devi yells.

“Uh-uh-ge-get into the trees!” Squee orders.

The three quickly scramble up the nearest trees as the boar charges them again. They manage to get just high enough to be out of reach of its tusks. But it slams into the trunks and nearly knocks Tenna loose.

Before it can try again, a rock hits the back of its head.

“Over here, you big pig!” Johnny barks.

The boar turns to face him, snorting angrily. It scrapes its hoof against the ground, preparing to charge. Nny faces it head-on.

The boar takes off. Nny doesn’t flinch and raises his knives, ready to attack. But before he can get the chance, an arrow flies out of the shadows and connects with the boar’s right, front tendon. It squeals in pain as it collapses, skidding across the pavement.

Before it can try to recover, a figure flips out of the shadows, lands on the boar’s body, and slices open its throat with two daggers.

Johnny stares at the figure with surprise but keeps his knives ready as they step off the boar. They’re quite tall and slender, but lean, with short black hair and pointed ears. They’re dressed in leather clothing with many knives hanging from their waist and slung across their chest.

“Is that-?” Squee questions but before he can finish, an arrow hits the trunk just inches from his face, making him squeal.

Another person exits the shadows, brandishing a bow. They have very long, thick purple hair that spills down their shoulders and back. Poking through it are two very long, pointed ears. They’re also dressed in leathers with a quiver of arrows slung across their back.

“Fariti!” Colton exclaims.

“And Neetch,” Squee breathes.

“State your purpose,” Fariti orders, in an absolutely ridiculous, high-pitched voice.

Devi and Tenna immediately burst into laughter while Colton buries his face into his hands. “Why does she sound like that?”

“That’s the voice you gave her,” Squee points out as he drops out of the tree and faces Fariti. “Uh, we mean you no harm. We are adventurers.”

“Really?” Neetch asks with a voice that sounds a lot like Squee trying to sound older. “You seek the treasure of the forest?”

“Mostly the king,” he replies.

“Then we shall travel together,” Neetch declares, “the more, the merrier. Right, Fariti?”

“Very well,” she sighs, lowering her bow. “As long as they do not slow us down. And cease their guffaw.”

“S-sorry,” Tenna snickers behind her palm while Devi takes a few deep breaths.

“Then let us continue,” Neetch says as he starts marching. Fariti follows in-step while Squee and the others stay a little behind.

“Do they know they’re, you know, make-believe?” Colton asks quietly.

“I don’t think we need to tell them,” Squee replies.

As they walk through the forest, Neetch looks over his shoulder at them. “So, why is it you seek the King of the Cursed Forest?”

“Um,” Squee hums with uncertainty as he and Colton glance at each other before responding, “glory?”

“Ah! Me as well,” Neetch replies, “I wish to bring my half of the treasure to my village, where I will celebrate richly with my friends.”

“He’s pretty campy,” Nny comments quietly.

“That’s kind of what I was going for,” Squee shrugs.

“I, on the other hand, require the treasure to free my family from poverty, and attain the life of luxury I so deserve,” Fariti adds.

“Sounds like a classic backstory,” Devi comments.

“Hey, the classics are great,” Colton argues.

“Halt!” Fariti orders as she and Neetch come to a sudden stop.

“Wh-what is it?” Squee asks nervously.

“We are being watched,” she replies, “prepare yourselves.”

Everyone readies their weapons, their eyes carefully scanning the surrounding shadows.

“I don’t hear anything,” Tenna points out.

“Yeah, it’s quiet,” Nny agrees, “for the first time since we’ve been here.”

“An eerie silence,” Colton muses and flips through the guidebook. “That’s the first sign that we’re nearing the King’s domain.”

“Excellent,” Neetch comments, “let us proceed with caution.”

They start moving again, carefully, constantly checking over their shoulders. And then, just as suddenly as the silence began, it ends with sinister giggling.

“What’s that?” Devi asks, raising her bat.

“G-goblins!” Colton exclaims, “the King’s minions!”

“Watch your backs!” Squee orders, “they’ll surround us.”

They stand back to back, weapons raised just as a large group of creatures leap out of the trees around them. They’re short- barely four feet- and green with large ears, little fangs, and claws instead of fingers. They land on the adventurers, grabbing their heads and shoulders as they spit and snicker.

“Ah! Fuck off!” Devi barks.

“Release me, foul creatures!” Neetch shouts.

“Not the face!” Colton cries.

“Watch the hair!” Fariti snaps.

Johnny grabs the one clambering on his face and throws it at a tree with enough force to snap the creature’s spine. Then he grabs one nibbling at his shoulder and uses it like a club to smack off another clawing at Squee’s face. With that distraction gone, Squee grabs one of his knives and stabs the other one clawing at his back.

Meanwhile, Fariti managed to block most of the goblins with her bow. She quickly throws them off and loads a couple arrows before shooting the ones attacking Neetch. Then, he grabs some throwing knives and turns to Devi and Tenna. He whips the blades and they all strike the goblins in their backs. They jerk a second before falling dead.

Finally, the only goblins left are the two on Colton, who’s blocked most of their attacks with the book. Devi quickly smacks them away with her bat.

“Is that all of them?” Neetch asks.

A still-living goblin suddenly leaps at him from behind. Before it can connect however, Tenna punches it out with her brass knuckles.

“Boosh!” she cheers and grins. “Now it is.”

“Let’s keep moving,” Fariti orders, “before more show up.”

They step around the bodies and continue on their path while Colton flips through the guidebook.

“Okay, let’s see,” he muses, “first the eerie silence, then the goblins. That only leaves one more barrier.”

“Which is?” Devi asks.

Both Colton and Squee gulp fearfully as the ground starts shaking beneath their feet. “The forest troll.”

The trees are knocked over like tooth picks as a large creature approaches, quaking the ground with its footsteps. It’s over eight feet of rippling muscle in nothing but a loin cloth. It carries a large club on its shoulder and glares at the adventurers with the beady eyes on its disproportionately tiny head.

“Watch out!” Squee cries as it lifts its club. “It’s a one-hit killer!”

Everyone dives out of the way as the troll swings its club down, leaving a small crater in the asphalt where they were standing. Before it can decide who to attack next, a couple arrows pierce its left shoulder. It snorts as it turns to face Fariti. She looses two more arrows into its chest, but it barely seems to notice as it charges. She quickly rolls out of the way of its club.

“This thing just ate our attacks when we fought it,” Colton points out.

“Yeah,” Squee agrees, “but remember how we beat it?”

He smiles shakenly and nods. “Yeah.”

“Neetch!” Squee calls out, catching the half-elf’s attention. “You and Fariti keep it distracted!”

“Understood!” he nods before throwing a knife at the troll. It pierces its right shoulder, but again the troll doesn’t seem to care.

“Nny,” Squee says as he draws his knives. “Go for the joints.”

“Got it,” he smirks.

With the troll’s back turned to them, its focus on Fariti and Neetch, Squee and Nny charge its back. Squee slices its ankle tendons while Nny does the back of its knees. It immediately cries out in pain as it falls to the ground, its legs now unable to support its tremendous weight.

“Now finish it!” Squee orders.

Johnny starts to swing for its neck but stops when he notices the dropped club. He grins and he pockets his knives.

“What are you doing?” Devi asks.

“Just a sec,” he replies and grabs the club’s handle. Exclaiming with exertion, he manages to lift it over his head and, smirking, brings it down on the troll’s head, smashing it like an egg.

“That works,” Squee shrugs.

“Well done!” Neetch cheers, “you are much more capable adventurers than I originally thought.” “Uh, thanks,” Squee replies awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head.

“I admit, your skills and knowledge surprise me,” Fariti adds.

“We are very knowledgeable,” Colton smiles.

“Now, let us continue,” she orders, “the King’s dark palace awaits.”

With the trees knocked out of the way, they can see their destination in the distance. It’s gotten a bit of a makeover- darks vines now cover most of the exterior- but it’s still recognizable.

“The mall,” Squee declares.

“Where evil lives,” Nny snarls.

They approach the building quickly. Anyone who was outside when the forest emerged is now cowering inside their vehicles. Anyone who was inside is banging on the windows, begging to be freed. The automatic double doors are sealed shut by the thick dark vines crisscrossing the walls but they are easily chopped away by Johnny’s knives. As soon as the doors are open, a mob races out, crying with relief.

The adventurers peek inside. The power must be out because it’s completely dark; not even the emergency lights are on. There doesn’t appear to be any life with the civilians gone.

“The King awaits,” Fariti says darkly before they step inside.

“Where do you think he is?” Tenna asks.

“Most likely on the second floor,” Squee replies, “somewhere he can have a throne.”

“The furniture store?” Devi suggests.

They climb the stairs to the second floor and approach the furniture store, and sure enough, right in the doorway is a large easy chair. Lounging in it is a tall, well-built elven man in robes made of plants and flowers. Flowers also stick out of his long black hair and he is holding a scepter that looks like a thin tree trunk with a green orb at the top.

“Who dares approach my sanctum?” he demands, his voice echoing off the walls.

“King of the Cursed Forest,” Neetch booms, “we have come to defeat you and take your treasure.”

“To have traversed my forest and defeat my minions is quite a feat,” the King says as he stands up. “But your adventure ends here.”

“Let’s hope so,” Squee remarks.

The King lifts his scepter and vines smash through the nearby walls and ceiling, charging the adventurers like giant snakes. Everyone immediately dives out of the way.

Squee quickly reaches into his bag and slaps on his goggles before activating his rocket wheelies. He nimbly zips around the vines and rushes to the King, knives raised. He doesn’t even see Squee coming until they’re face to face. Squee swings his blades but instead of hitting the King, he hits an invisible barrier. His attack backfires and he flies backwards, slamming into the wall.

“Ugh, dammit, I forgot,” he groans as he gets up on his elbows. “We have to destroy that orb on his scepter. It’s the source of his power.”

“Yeah, sorry,” Colton says as he cowers behind a couch. “I should’ve mentioned that.”

“Then we shall aim for the scepter!” Fariti declares as she looses an arrow. It flies straight for the orb but a vine comes up and blocks it.

“He won’t make that easy,” Neetch points out.

Snarling, Squee gets up on his feet and zooms to the King again. But before he can get close, giant vines burst out of the ground and wrap around the King like a protective cocoon.

“Did you think you could use the same trick on me twice?” the King jeers, his voice echoing out of the planet barrier.

Another grouping of vines swing at Squee and he zips backwards, dodging them, and ducks behind the couch next to Colton. Meanwhile, Johnny, Devi, and Tenna keep their distance and dodge the swinging vines.

“What now?” Devi asks.

“I mean,” Nny shrugs, “maybe we can’t because of like magic of whatever, but what if we just…burned them?”

The girls look at each other with realization while he reaches into his coat and pulls out of a lighter.

“Fuck it up,” Devi nods approvingly.

Nny lights the lighter and tosses it into the onslaught of vines. As soon as the flame makes contact, the vine lights up like dried grass. Everyone watches with surprise as the fire quickly spreads around the plants and the King cries out in pain.

The barrier around him spreads apart as he swings his scepter and he glares through the burning vines. Squee glares back over the couch.

“Shmee, get the scepter,” he orders.

The bear dives over the couch and deftly slips around the flames. The King spots him coming and raises his free hand. Small, thin vines extend from his robes and catch Shmee. He thrashes about, snapping most of them but more keep coming. When he manages to free a leg for a second, he kicks the scepter.

“No!” the King exclaims as it’s knocked from his hand to the floor. Immediately, Fariti shoots an arrow at it and Neetch throws a knife. But before they can hit it, more vines bust through the floor and knock the scepter out of the way.

“I will not be defeated!” the King exclaims. The vines lunge towards them but they easily jump out of the way.

Squee leaps over the couch and charges for the scepter. The King spots him and summons more vines beneath his feet, shooting him into the air and over the second floor balcony.

“Squee!” Shmee exclaims. He rips off the rest of the vines holding him and dives after him.

Johnny, Devi, and Tenna briefly glance after them before Johnny glares at the King. “I’m going for the scepter.” The girls stare after him as he rushes towards the still-burning vines.

Nny easily weaves around the plants and makes his way to the scepter. The King sees him coming but before he can attack, an arrow and a knife pierce his side. He cries out in pain and turns to face Neetch and Fariti.

“Impudent wretches!” the King barks and lifts both his hands, pointing one at Nny and the other at Neetch and Fariti. More vines burst from the ground, lifting them off their feet and wrapping around each of them.

“Dammit!” Johnny snarls as he struggles in the plant’s grasp.

“Nny!” Devi exclaims as he’s lifted higher and higher.

“This may be it, partner,” Neetch says.

“Then it has been an honor to adventure by your side,” Fariti replies.

The King laughs triumphantly as the vines begin to squeeze. “Did you really think you could defeat me? My power is unfathomable! I will never be defeate-!”

He stops suddenly as the sound of smashing glass seems to resonate around them. Everything freezes and he turns around to see Colton kneeling beside his scepter, the orb crushed to pieces beneath his guidebook.

“N-no,” the King stammers, trembling. “I-it’s not…possible.”

“I need to say a really cool one-liner here,” Colton whispers as he stands up and faces the King. “You know what they say. The pen is mightier than the swor-.”

Before he can finish, the entire building starts shaking. The vines are sucked back into the ground and Johnny, Neetch, and Fariti hit the floor hard.

“We are victorious!” Neetch cheers.

“What about the treasure?” Fariti asks.

A large chunk of the ceiling crashes to the floor beside them.

“We will worry about that later,” Neetch replies, “for now we must retreat!”

“The building is coming down!” Tenna exclaims.

“No shit!” Johnny snaps as he scrambles to his feet.

“Let’s get the fuck out of here!” Devi orders.

“Wait for me!” Colton cries.

Everyone races away, leaving the King in shock as the mall collapses around him.

The adventurers escape safely and turn to see the vines that were wrapped around the walls are also being pulled back into the ground. They watch for a second as the building crumbles from the force before Johnny looks around worriedly. “Where’s Squee?”

“Hey, look!” Tenna exclaims, pointing at the surrounding the forest. All of the trees are beginning to fade away into sparkles that disappear in the wind.

“Neetch! Fariti!” Colton gasps. The two adventurers are meeting the same fate, but seem completely oblivious to it.

“Looks like we’ll have to do some digging for our treasure,” Neetch comments.

“We’ve worked this hard for it,” Fariti shrugs, “what’s some more hard work?”

They both smile as they fade away.

“Adventure on, you two,” Colton says with a salute.

“The forest is gone and everything’s back to normal,” Devi observes and looks at the collapsed mall. “Well…almost.”

“But where is Squee?” Johnny asks impatiently.

“Hang on,” Colton says as he takes out his phone. “I have service again.”

He sends Squee a text and receives a quick response. “He says he’s outside and okay. He’ll meet us at home. He just needs a break.”

Johnny sighs with relief. “Alright. Let’s get out of here then.”

They all turn and begin the quest back home. Meanwhile, on the other side of the mall, Squee is sitting on the ground against a building, Shmee in his lap. He sighs heavily as he looks up at the unobscured sky.

“That was kind of fun actually,” he comments, “still, I can’t believe I created like a whole world. That’s…wild.”

“Indeed,” Shmee agrees.

“Well, I guess I’d better head home,” Squee says and starts to stand up.

“Squee, wait,” Shmee orders and he stops.

“What?” he questions.

“Let’s just…stay here a little longer. It’s not often it’s just the two of us anymore.”

“What do you mean?” Squee asks with mild amusement. “It’s like that every night.”

“Yeah, but even then we have the cat with us and you need to sleep,” Shmee points out.

“Alright,” he shrugs and settles back down. “I don’t mind.”

Squee rests his hand on Shmee’s body and Shmee holds him back with his stubby arms.

“Squee, tell me a story,” Shmee says.

“Okay,” Squee replies, somewhat uncertain. “What story?”

“Tell me about when we first met.”

Squee smiles. “That feels so long ago now. Well, it was another normal, crappy day. The kids made fun of me at school. Mom forgot I existed and didn’t make me dinner and Dad yelled at me to get a job so I could buy my own food. So I was feeling pretty lousy when I went into my bedroom.”

“And then I saw a brown teddy bear on my bed. I was so happy. I ran back out to thank Dad but he said he had no idea what I was talking about. When I went back into my room, the bear was sitting up on my bed and its smile seemed to widen. Then it said, “hello. I’m your new friend.”

“I was even more happy. I didn’t care where you came from. You were my first friend.”

“And now you have lots of other friends,” Shmee says, “you’ve really grown and changed a lot since then. You’re so strong, so brave. Even more so than you think. You don’t even need me anymore.”

“Don’t be silly, Shmee,” Squee scoffs, “of course I need you.”

He doesn’t reply and Squee glances at him. “Shmee? Are you okay?”

“Squee, listen to me very carefully,” he orders, “I don’t have a lot of time.”

“What? What are you-?”

“Just listen. You are extraordinary. You possess unique and special powers. And the Daydream doesn’t believe you need protection anymore. In fact, they view you as a lost cause and would prefer to separate from you entirely.”

“Wait, what-what do you-?”

“This forest was the final straw. You are growing more and more powerful. They’re gonna take me away. I have no say in the matter.”

“What?” Squee exclaims, “no, Shmee, you can’t-!” “I don’t agree with them,” Shmee continues. “You are not a threat nor a lost cause and I would much rather stay with you. But…I can’t.”

“Shmee!” he cries and lifts him up in front of his face. “You can’t leave!”

Shmee smiles sadly at him. “You don’t need me anymore. You have lots of friends now. And you’re braver and stronger than you think.”

“B-but, Shmee, you’re my friend too!”

“I know. And you’re mine.”

Shmee squeezes Squee’s hands with his own. “I’m so proud of you, Squee.” It feels like a breeze blows by and Shmee falls limp. Squee stares at him in shock, at the light, lifeless body with its soulless, white eyes and empty smile. Just an old, ratty teddy bear.

Squee flings his hands away and screams.

#invader zim #invader zim fanfiction #johnny the homicidal maniac #johnny the homicidal maniac fanfiction #iz jthm crossover #myart #myocs

6 notes · View notes

randomfandomfamily · 5 years

Text

Alright, here’s the other story I did a few weeks ago. It takes place during Season 2 Episode 4, so… yeah. Good times. Anyways, I just got done editing the crap out of it, so I’ma post it now and get to work on some of those requests ✌

“GARY!!” Little Cato panicked. Pushing himself off the ceiling, he tried to chase Gary into the translucent pink void. He slammed into it, unable to pass, watching Gary disappearing behind a wall of solidified time. “NO!!”

He beat his fists against the wall. “Gary?! Gary, can you hear me?! Gary!” The power flickered back on, gravity reactivating, and Little Cato fell unceremoniously to the floor. “Hang on, Gary, I’m coming!” He pulled his blaster off his side and fired it at the wall. “Come on, come on, come on!”

The gun wasn’t working, so he holstered it and took off running. “Guys! Gary’s trapped on the other side, we gotta get him back!” He couldn’t hear anyone, and he assumed the worst. Had all been injured in the crash. Or maybe they- “Nightfall! HUE! Ash, Fox, anybody! Hello?!”

Every hallway was empty. Giving a frustrated shout, Little Cato went back and checked every room. Twice. “Empty, empty… AVA where are they?!” He paused, realizing the ship’s AI hadn’t answered. “AVA, too? What is going on?!”

He looped back around to the control room. “Guys, this isn’t funny! We have to help Gary, he’s trapped on the-!”

Then he remembered. He and Gary were the only ones in the control room when it hit. Everyone else was…

“On the other side…” Little Cato whispered. “I’m on the other side.” He felt his heart sink with the realization. “I’m trapped.”

Between the slowly increasing despair and suffocating fear of never getting back to his friends, Little Cato spent the next couple of days throwing anything and everything at the pink wall that kept them separated. Eventually he realized that he simply didn’t have the resources to break solid time.

So he decided to be a little more productive with his time. He spent the next couple of days doing some repairs. There wasn’t much he could do, but he knew how to use the welding tools, so that’s what he took care of first.

After about four days of making absolutely sure he welded together every piece of the ship he could (it took longer than expected without AVA to tell him where to go and what to fix), Little Cato ended up back in the control room, tapping his fingers anxiously against the arm of the chair.

The controls weren’t working. Nothing was working. And that stupid wall of pure pink frustration still wouldn’t budge no matter what he hit it with.

“Think…” Little Cato crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. “Gary and the others are gonna try and find a way through from their side, and they’ve probably still got AVA. Maybe the best thing I can do is wait. I mean, the ship’s still connected, right? I could seriously mess stuff up if I start messing with wires.”

Rocking back and forth, he reconsidered. “Then again, this is a time shard. Maybe normal laws of physics don’t apply here.” He paused. “Does this fall under physics? Whatever, it’s some kind of science.”

He stood and cracked his knuckles. “Well, it’s been a week and nothing’s happened. If nothing over there has affected anything over here, then I guess I can mess with some stuff if I need to.”

The only real problem was that Little Cato wasn’t sure what to do. He could do surface repairs. He understood the basics of spacecraft engineering. He knew how to hack into someone else’s mainframe. He could lightfold, jump a dead craft, hotwire someone’s ship (that last one was strictly emergencies only), but the Crimson Light was an advanced shipt. And when it came to redirecting power and trying to keep track of the important wires that needed to not be cut, it was completely beyond him.

He was a hacker and builder, but he was not equipped for this.

Fortunately, he found a manual that outlined the ships wiring and circuits and whatever else was in this complex monster of a ship. Unfortunately, it was huge and full of words he didn’t understand. But, on the plus side, he had plenty of time to read through it and even understand most of it.

Which also meant… that meant his friends still hadn’t come for him.

But they were coming, Little Cato was sure of it. Even as weeks and weeks passed, he knew that they were going to come, even if it was taking a while.

The more he studied, the more clear it became that he wouldn’t be able to move the ship. He would have to redirect power to the engine, and he didn’t have access to it. He tried to see if he could do it indirectly from the controls but, as he suspected, the time shard was preventing any correlation between the split sides of the ship.

He couldn’t get power to the engine, but he could redirect it to the parts of the ship he did have access to. In order to make sure he had as much power as possible, he shut off most of the lights and redirected it to oxygen, gravity, and other essential parts to his survival on the ship.

By the time he had studied all the materials and mastered the intricacies of the ship, there was an estimated sixty-seven years or so before he ran out of power. Not that he would ever need that much power because Gary would definitely find him long before then.

The three years he had already spent there were nothing, really. He had already spent that long in the Lord Commander’s care, and that was way more terrifying.

There was only one thing that he had from the other side, and that was the hologram he had built of his father. It was kind of the only thing that kept him motivated. When in doubt, Avocato was always there to say that he believed in Little Cato’s abilities.

Or at least that’s what Little Cato could program him to say. The real Avocato had never even said ‘I love you’, much less ‘I’m proud’ but, hey, a kid could dream. Besides, who else would know? Fox was his roommate, and he didn’t even know.

Three years doubled, then tripled, and suddenly twenty years had gone by. Little Cato had stopped carving lines into the wall. There were too many to count.

Except that he had counted all of them. Several times. Because he didn’t have much else to do.

All he could do was wait. Wait and survive. Fix the ship, maintain the ship, wait for Gary, survive until the next day.

Being thirty-four was weird. Little Cato around Gary’s age… though Gary would actually be in his early fifties by now.

Little Cato often wondered if the others were stuck just like he was. Could they have possibly found a way to detach the Crimson Light from the shard? Or maybe they had called for help and gotten on a different ship?

Gary did have universe-saving to do… dimensional keys to find… it would make sense if they had all left. Little Cato wouldn’t blame them, really. Two decades was a long time to wait.

“You bet it’s a long time,” a voice laughed, “I’ve been hopping timelines for a while now. Twenty years is no joke.”

Little Cato whirled around. “Nightfall?” But of course there was no one there. He shook his head. “Get it together, Little Cato. You haven’t been here that long.” The tally marks on the wall seemed to laugh at him. “Well… not long enough to go crazy, anyway.”

He hesitated. “But hypothetically speaking… what would Nightfall say if she were here? She knows more about time than I do…”

“The best thing you can do is remember is to stay calm.” Nightfall’s voice said gently. “It doesn’t matter how much you know or how much you learn, it’s useless if you are too scared to act.”

Little Cato smiled. “Right… stay calm.” He smiled to himself while he worked. “And you know who was always pretty good at keeping people calm? Mooncake.” He grinned. “Mooncake always gave the best face hugs.”

“Chookity-pok?”

“Well, probably Gary because he has, you know, arms. But you and your little poddles totally win in the face-hug department.”

“Chookity.”

Little Cato chuckled. “Yeah, well-” He dropped wrench he was holding. “What the heck am I doing? Am I seriously talking to myself?! Get a grip, man!”

And he had a grip… for another two years or so. Then he figured, what’s the harm in pretending he had Nightfall and Mooncake back? As long as he remembered that it wasn’t real, everything would be fine. It was really no different than the hologram he had of his father.

He just couldn’t imagine Gary. Only Nightfall and Mooncake.

Though after a while it seemed kind of wrong not to include HUE. And things were just too quiet in his room without Fox around to bicker with, and if Fox was there of course Ash had to be there.

Clarence got to be there to for some reason, but Little Cato didn’t remember when he showed up. Or Tribore. They both just sort of appeared.

Somehow he managed to fix AVA. Though he wasn’t sure if he had actually fixed AVA, or if that was just one more thing he had created in his slowly deteriorating mind, but she and HUE seemed to be getting along either way.

And KVN was there… but he hated KVN. There’s no way he would have imagined KVN there with them. Maybe he had been there the whole time… that had to be it. Of course that was it. KVN was just always there.

The only one who wasn’t there was Gary. Tribore asked about it once, where Gary was, and all Little Cato could do was tell him the truth: Gary was on the other side. They had to get back. No matter how long it took.

But then awful things started to happen. Fox and Ash died, Nightfall slowly started to go blind, things that Little Cato wouldn’t wish upon his friends in a million years were becoming reality all around him. Part of him started to wonder if ever really imagined them.

Forty-five years on the other side of the time shard, and Little Cato had completely forgotten he was ever alone.

Little Cato had forgotten that he was the trapped one. He had forgotten that the friends he had conjured were only meant for emotional support. Everything was real to him. Sixty years of trying to break through the time shard to find Gary was so so real…

He didn’t remember that he forgot until he was saved.

It wasn’t until he saw Gary staring down at him that he remembered where he had really been for the past sixty years. When he had his ghostly friends to keep him company, he forgot that he had been alone, his mind twisting his memories so that he never remembered.

But being back… being young and back in his time… he remembered. Every memory came flooding back: every torturous night, every haunting day, every moment of crippling loneliness came back with a crushing vengeance.

“I was alone for so long…” Little Cato stood, trying not to show how hard it was to reorient himself. “For sixty years…”

Gary blanched. “Wait, are you saying you remember? You remember what happened in there?”

“Ugh.” His own insanity flashed through his mind. “Yeah… all of it.” He couldn’t stop thinking about how twisted everything had gotten. All he had wanted was the reassuring memories of his friends. Something to call on when he didn’t know what to do.

How did things get so out of hand? Why did they get so out of hand? Maybe trying to create a person out of memories wasn’t all that… healthy.

An image of a gray box prodded at the back of his mind. There was something he had to do.

“Dang. Loneliness is the worst, man. I’m just glad you’re okay.” Gary looked at him, concerning tugging his features into a worried frown. “You are okay… right?”

The answer was no. But he couldn’t tell Gary that. He also couldn’t lie and say yes. So he just said, “Thank you, guys. For not giving up on me.”

And then he left. It was going to be a long, long time before he was ready to talk about what happened in the time shard. But there was one thing he definitely wouldn’t be telling this to.

It was time to put that hologram away. For good this time.

#final space #little cato #look #i didn't say this was gonna be a happy fic #random disaster writes

44 notes · View notes

thingr1 · 4 years

Text

(this is how you) bring me back to life

Rating: General Audiences

Characters: Dick Grayson, Alfred Pennyworth, Damian Wayne, Jason Todd, Tim Drake

Summary: Dick gets comforted by his siblings after a bad day.

Cross posted: FFN and AO3. (A/N found on both sites)

For: @alannaofroses for the prompt: Dick gets comforted after a bad day.

~o~

It was one of those days where nothing went wrong...but nothing really went right either. One of those days where nothing terribly awful happened, but there were enough false alarms and close calls to keep him on his toes. Until suddenly he couldn’t keep the pose anymore.

Looking back on it, Dick couldn’t quite determine what had brought him to this point. Maybe it was the eight-year-old girl trapped under a beam while the house burned around her that he’d barely reached before everything collapsed at four in the morning. Maybe it was the desperate bullet from a cornered bank robber that shot into his police vest mere centimeters from his exposed neck, leaving a painful, purpling bruise this afternoon.

Or maybe it was all the little things in between; the rush hour traffic when he couldn’t drag himself up early enough after crawling under the covers only an hour before, the empty fridge after work since he forgot to stop for groceries, his TV going up in smoke mid-cartoon.

Whatever it was, Dick was drained. Past exhaustion, past coherent thought.

Of course, he’d realized this only after Alfred texted to remind him of family dinner at the Manor tonight. Even Jason was supposed to be there, which was a blessing and a curse in itself. When the invitation had come last week, there really hadn’t been a reason to say no.

So now here he was, squealing up Wayne Manor’s driveway with eyes half-lidded and pop music blaring in a vain attempt to keep himself from passing out from sheer “doneness with the world” mid-drive.

He ground the car into park, the engine giving a splutter of protest before going silent along with the heavily autotuned singer from the radio.

Dick sagged against the steering wheel, groaning into his frozen fingers.

He couldn’t do this. He was too tired. He couldn’t face his family right now, couldn’t handle the drama that was sure to drown him the second he walked through that ridiculously fancy door.

Dick loved his family. He did. He did.

But dealing with them on a good day was hard enough when all they did was make each other miserable. With only Dick to act as mediator. It was exhausting. Dick hated picking sides, hated that it was necessary. Hated that Bruce always mysteriously, conveniently disappeared before he could be dragged into the mess. Finding middle ground took patience and energy Dick didn’t always have. Now, would be a good example.

He loved his family. But the thought of walking into a storm of petty arguments and insults made his stomach twist.

Dick sighed into his hands. He couldn’t hide out here forever. Alfred would come looking. If anything, Dick could just…sleep. Sink into his bed and not get up until his brain and body had reset into some semblance of functional humanity. Retreat into the sweet embrace of unconsciousness until he was ready to take up the older brother mantle again and be the responsible adult for a spell.

Yeah. Bed sounded good.

 Now he just needed to get there.

“Okay, Dick,” he whispered. “Baby steps.”

Step one: Take hands off wheel.

He pried his fingers up—one by one by one—until finally their death grip on the pleather ring was relinquished.

Two: Exit car.

He fumbled with the handle, tugging it so the door unlocked and cracked open. He nudged it with his foot so it swung out all the way with a dull thud. Cold, damp air flooded the interior, making Dick shiver. He swung one leg out, then the other. Stood up.

A wave of dizziness washed over him, made him stumble back against the car, head heavy and blood rushing loud and fast in his ears. Whoops. He remained still, blinking until the spots left his vision. Okay? Okay.

Three: Knock on front door.

Muscle memory had him shut the car door, press the lock button on the fob. He must’ve spaced out for a sec, because the next moment he was up on the porch, hand wrapped around the knocker. The brass handle barely touched the plating before the door swung inwards.

Dick blinked owlishly at the sudden empty space in front of his fist, at the butler standing just inside.

“Master Dick,” Alfred greeted. “Do come inside. The weather is dreadful.”

“Hey, Alf,” Dick mumbled, tongue strangely uncooperative as he shuffled into the front foyer. “Made it.”

The butler’s eyebrows furrowed. “Are you quite all right, Master Dick?” he asked, a touch of concern audible in his tone. “You seem a bit out of sorts.”

Dick nodded numbly. “M’good. Promise.”

Alfred frowned deeper at that, wrinkled hands grasping Dick’s wrists to check his pulse.

Dick sagged against the door frame, allowing the butler to fret over him; brush his knuckles to his forehead, check the dilation of his pupils.

“Alf, I’m fine,” Dick croaked; tone dry and cracked even to himself. “Just tired.”

Alfred pursed his lips. “If you say so, Master Dick. However, I must insist that you remedy this situation before attempting any of your extracurricular activities. Dinner won’t be ready for another hour or so. Go rest.”

Dick nodded; more of a droop as his head sagged to his chest and stayed there. “‘Kay.”

Step…four. Five? Go to bed.

The walls spun lazy circles around him as he plodded down the hallway, every footstep dragging as if cement had been sealed into his feet. At some point he stumbled through an open door as his hand (when’d he put it on the wall?) suddenly didn’t support him.

Blinking, he realized he’d wandered into the main living room. Didn’t exactly process more than that, hazy vision zeroing in on the couch. Shuffling across, Dick flopped bonelessly onto the beautiful beautiful silk, sagging into the cushions with a muffled groan.

Just five minutes. Five minutes, and then he’d slip upstairs and hide in his room before any of his siblings caught him like this.

He was fine. He just.

Needed…

Five.

…

Dick couldn’t call it sleep, exactly. That is, he never lost consciousness and fell into the peaceful, black abyss of nothingness. He just kind of…drifted. Not fully aware of his surroundings. But not completely oblivious to them either.

It was almost like he was…floating.

A distant part of his mind prompted a word for the sensation, but the far greater part was content with just…existing. Not thinking. Not processing anything. Just drifting through a hazy gray fog.

Dick would rather just be asleep. But it seemed his body wouldn’t let him. So this would have to do.

As if through cotton, he thought he caught snatches of phrases, whispered words echoing around him.

“—when did he—?”

“How long—?”

“—moved at all—?” 

“—imbeciles do to Grayson?”

The words became clearer, louder; persistent enough against his senses that Dick began to lose his grip on whatever gray area between sleep and awareness he’d found himself in.

“—you must have done something.”

“Oh, so it’s my fault now, is it? Newsflash, brat: This is the first time I saw him today!”

Nope. No. Dick didn’t want to hear it. Wanted instead to sleep and float and forget for a minute how useless he was, how selfish he was to purposely ignore his siblings, how much he wished for a moment he didn’t have to exist until he was ready to face the world again.

He turned his nose into the fabric of the couch, squeezing his eyes so tight he saw stars, attempting to block out the invading sounds without actually moving his limbs to do so.

The whispers, which had been growing steadily louder, stopped.

Crap. Had they noticed him move? Please don’t drag him into whatever this was. Not now.

Then, “Dick?”

Soft. Concerned.

Dick almost (might have) whimpered.

There was a beat of silence. Two.

“You good, Goldie?” Gruff. Somehow gentle, in its own way.

Dick shook his head before he could think the gesture through, huddling deeper into the couch with a shiver. He was okay. He just needed to rest, to sleep, and he would be fine. He…he needed…

He almost jumped at the feeling of small hands on his arm, of a leg looping over his waist. A familiar small figure climbed over him, pushed at his torso and tugged at his limbs until suddenly someone was wedged in between the couch back and Dick’s chest, both arms wrapped around him in a hug.

Dick blinked down at the spiky black hair—the only part of the barely teen visible since his face was buried in Dick’s shirt. Slowly, hesitantly, Dick’s arm squeezed back where it had been maneuvered around Damian’s waist. He pressed his chin into the soft raven crown and closed his eyes.

Damian relaxed into the hold, pressing his nose under Dick’s collar bone.

This. This was nice.

But before he could settle again, process the new sensation, revel in the warmth radiating from his littlest brother, another hand tapped his knee.

“Oi, Dickhead, move your feet,” Jason griped.

Confused, brain still not quite present, Dick shifted his feet back slightly. Jason snorted. And then hands wrapped around Dick’s ankles, hauling them into the air. Dick felt the brush of a shoulder on the underside of his calf, heard a muffled grunt, felt a dip in the couch cushions. And then his feet were rested on someone’s—Jason’s—lap.

Jason patted his leg a couple times before propping up his forearm on Dick’s calf. Dick heard the familiar crackle of an old paperback being opened, the slide of a bookmark being removed from yellowed pages.

There was a rustle by his head, fabric on fabric as someone—Tim, it could only be Tim—sat down in the armchair by Dick’s head.

Thin fingers brushed against his scalp, began to card through his hair; gentle and unsure at first, gaining confidence as Dick instinctively angled into the touch. It had been years since he’d been on the receiving end of this, of someone gently stroking his hair and massaging his scalp.

A memory, brief and hazy, of a larger hand mimicking the same path through his curls as Dick lay injured and feverish in his early Robin years came to him. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed this till today.

How much he’d missed being held, being pressed into by people he loved on all sides, sharing a space too small to reasonably contain them all. If there was one thing Dick missed the most from his circus days, it was the touching that came with shared love, affection, and not enough room to do anything but express it.

But that was the circus. The Manor was different. Larger, emptier, easier to escape in the aftermath of disagreements in.

Dick minutely braced himself for the words to start. For the chatter that would inevitably escalate to something sharper, something louder, and ruin this moment.

But it was quiet.

Well…relatively.

Dick could hear(feel) Damian’s breath against his chest, each puff warm and slightly tickle-y. Could hear the sshhhk as Jason turned a new page in his book, an occasional quiet whistle or snort through his teeth as he read. And of course, Timmy clumsily typing with one hand at speeds that still defied all human logic, the other one still curling in Dick’s hair.

No one arguing. No one speaking. Just…being.

It was…peaceful.

Dick. Dick could handle this. This was good. This was nice.

Slowly, surely, Dick relaxed. Damian pressed tightly into his torso. Jason’s legs bouncing up and down beneath his calves. Tim’s hand scratching through his hair.

Tears rose unbidden to his eyes as a knot in his core he didn’t even know existed began to ease, warmth taking its place.

Overall, it had been a cruddy day. But if this could be how it ended…surrounded by family, not bickering, just enjoying one another’s presence…maybe it wasn’t so terrible after all.

#batfic #my fic #r1fics #RascalJoy #batfamchristmasstocking2019 #Angst #Fluff #not quite toothrotting fluff but getting there?#Hurt/Comfort #minimum editing we die like mne #batbros #Dick is on the receiving end of the cuddles for once #Dissociation #just a touch #bcs2019

15 notes · View notes

bangtanfancamp · 5 years

Text

S.U.G.A

-yoongi x reader

-10k pieces of fluff

-your flaky best friend forgets you,yet again, leaving you to spend the day with the oddest boy you’ve ever met. But maybe that’s not such a bad thing.

College had been the best experience so far. After growing up so sheltered and in such a small town, this new world of experiences was such an exhilarating adventure. There were so many people, so many new stories. You loved it.

You had never been in the center of things like this before. Always observed but never joined in. But you felt alive here. One of your favorite things you’d found so far was the theater department. People there had so much life, so much wild exuberance and this abundance of passion- it was infectious. Every second you were there you felt yourself coming alive, and you were beyond enamored with it.

It was also how you’d met one of your best friends here, Taehyung. Goofy, handsome, extraordinary Kim Taehyung. Every day he’d be a different character- different hairstyles, hair colors, piercings, clothes. He was constantly reinventing himself. You never knew what to expect, but the thing that never changed was his gigantic heart and his contagious laughter.

Taehyung made everything bright and impossibly joyful. He was hilarious and could turn the mood of an entire group when he walked into a room. He was kind to everyone and loyal to a fault to the people he loved, especially his best friend Jimin. He was incredibly talented in so many ways. You were constantly in awe of him. To be honest, you were battling a massive crush on him that was quickly going nowhere, but you couldn’t help it. He was … him. He was so effortlessly himself and absolutely wonderful. He was Taehyung…But, truth be told, in spite of all these wonderful things, that boy was flaky as heck.

Which is exactly how you wound up here- standing on the threshold of his house for the past fifteen minutes with no answer. The two of you were supposed to rehearse a scene for one of your classes. It had been Taehyung’s idea for you to come over to his house in the first place. But 15 minutes, 5 texts and 3 calls later, he was nowhere to be found while you froze your legs off in the chilly spring air. You were not dressed for this… this outfit had been chosen for aesthetics, not practicality.

Finally, something began to buzz in your pocket. You snatched out your phone to be greeted with the contact photo he’d been so proud of- his handsome face smashed behind glass like he was trapped in your phone. Normally, it made you smile, but right now the best you could muster was snorting in annoyance as you answered the call, bringing it to your ear without bothering to say hello. You didn’t really have to. Taehyung started in immediately with-

“OH MY GOSH, ______, I am SO SORRY!!! I totally, completely forgot we had plans today! I am so sorry. I’m the worst!! the absolute worst! Do you hate me? I’d hate me. I’m so sorry,____. Ugh. I met for breakfast with Jimin and Mina and inspiration struck and well, we’re in the middle of dying Jimin’s hair.”

Huh. That was a new one. You certainly hadn’t gotten that excuse from anyone before.

“I’m so sorry,_____. I’ll make it up to you! I will. I promise I will. You know I’m good for it. Food later? On me? We can get your favorite- chipotle? Extra chips and everything.”

“And guac?” You added softly after a moment’s hesitation.

“YES! Oh my god YES! She still loves me guys!” He yelled back to the room.

“Yes! You can have all the guac in the world. You can have an entire swimming pool full of avocados if you forgive me!”

You rolled your eyes at him. Why did he have to be so cute all the time. How were you supposed to stay mad at that?

“Calm down,” you laughed. “You’re so Stupid. But what do I do now? While you’re still busy dying jimin’s hair…?”

“Silver! We’re dying it silver. It’s gonna look so good, ____, my piece de resistance. And maybe once he looks like a Greek god, he’ll finally have the nerve to ask that girl from economics out so we can STOP HEARING ABOUT IT EVERY- ow! Hey! that hurt! Show some respect. I hold your good looks in my hands!!” Tae shouted. Jimin must have smacked him for his comment. You couldn’t help but laugh.

“Tae,” you interrupted, attempting to grab his attention. “Tae!”

“Sorry, love. That heathen almost bruised me. What is it?”

A soft blush illuminated your cheeks at his casual endearment. You made a mental note to process the glory of his lips calling you “love” at another time- you know, when it wasn’t his fault that you were freezing your extremities off.

“I live across campus, Tae. I biked all the way over here to see you, and I really am in no mood or that kind of shape to just turn around and go back already. Plus, I’m freezing. It’s like the second coming of Jack Frost out here. I thought it was supposed to be warming up.”

“You’re totally right. The jacket I had to throw on completely ruined my look this morning. Tragic rockstar chic will have to wait for better weather,” he lamented. “Hey, why don’t you just crash at my place until I get back there? I don’t think any of my roommates are home. There’s free tv and you know where all the good snacks are. There’s a key in the mailbox.”

“Your mailbox? Isn’t that incredibly unsafe?” you scrutinized.

“Someone’s always losing one so we stuffed an extra in there. I will not be dragged out of bed at 2am to let someone and their hookup in when I have an audition the next day just because they can’t be bothered to keep up with their keys in the throes of passion,” he said disgustedly. Clearly this hypothetical had actually happened. Probably pretty recently gauging the fleeting irritation in his usually chipper tone. “Anyway, I’ll be home in two hours- tops! Promise! In the meantime, my home is your home.”

“Fine. But if you’re not here in two hours, you owe me ice cream after chipotle, and I intend to collect, good sir.”

“MUAH!” Tae blew kisses at you through the phone. “Of course, princess! Muah! love you! You’re the best!”

“Yes, I am,” you sassed, attempting to cover the spike in your heartbeat. “Now go, before you fry jimin’s hair off. He won’t know what to do with himself if there’s nothing to run his fingers through.”

“Yah! Could that happen?” Jimin’s clear voice piped up in the background. “You said this was foolproof!”

“It is! Don’t worry! I got this. I’m basically a pro” Tae hushed him. “___, bye my love! Don’t burn anything down cuz you’re mad at me.”

“No promises,” you smiled into the phone as Tae rushed to quip back before you ended the call with a click. “Well all right then, this isn’t weird at all.”

You fumbled around the mailbox until you found the key they’d taped on the inside. You debated whether you should bring the massive stack of mail in it inside with you. Clearly no one had checked it in a while but wasn’t it a crime to tamper with someone else’s mail? Did this count? Whatever. It needed to be done, and you knew Tae certainly wasn’t gonna do it so you gathered up the armful and let yourself inside.

This felt so strange, walking into someone else’s home. You’d been here before for parties and to watch movies- epic marathons of whatever Tae was currently immersing himself in or terrible foreign films you had to dissect and critique for class- and for Tae’s award show watch parties (the oscars were his film critic super bowl), but this was different. This was another animal entirely. Being in the silence of someone else’s home when they weren’t there felt vaguely like trespassing even though you had permission to be there. Tae was alright with it, but you weren’t sure if you were.

You dropped your massive canvas bag by the front door and made your way to the kitchen. He was right- at least you knew where the good food was. You’d been responsible for helping refill enough snack bowls at Tae’s parties.

Tae split the massive house with four other guys, but you’d only met a couple of them. Everyone’s schedule was so all over the place that you’d only met Namjoon and Jungkook- the first double majoring in philosophy and business so you hardly ever saw him but he seemed cool, and the latter was busy giving Jimin a run for his money in the dance department. The other two you had yet to meet.

Helping yourself to a bag of barbecue potato chips and a cold can of root beer, you made your way toward the living room when you suddenly realized how stupidly wrong Tae had been- You weren’t alone at all. There was a boy on the couch. An incredibly cute boy at that.

He was fully dressed in an over the top black and white outfit. Sleeves cut off the too long shirt, black shorts, striped socks and black high tops. He had on way too much chunky jewelry and a backwards black and white snapback. Hardly the sort of things someone wore to bum around in at home. He had a thick shock of maroon hair, and it looked like- was he wearing eyeliner? Yes…yes, he was. A thick band of it too. He was stretched across the sofa, eye closed, with a chunky set of headphones over his ears, and you could hear the bass in the music from here. That must be why he hadn’t heard you banging on the door half the morning.

You froze in the doorway, unsure of what to do with yourself. No one was supposed to be here. This was weird enough when you thought you were alone. Now this poor guy was gonna think someone had broken into his house, and he wouldn’t be entirely wrong. “God dang it, Taehyung. How do you always get me into crap like this when you’re not even here?” You groaned under your breath, about to turn around and slip out as quietly as you’d come in, when your company finally noticed you.

“Um, hello?” A low voice croaked out. It wasn’t as deep as Taehyung’s, but it had a certain kind of authority to it that made you still immediately.

“Oh…. h-hi there,” you waved meekly.

“Are you- did Namjoon- are you a guest of his?” The boy queried, squinting his inscrutable eyes at you and pushing one ear of his headphones back to hear your answer. God, he was even cuter than you’d thought.

“What? No, i’m…oh! You mean??? No! Dear god, no, I’m not one of Namjoon’s booty calls.” You balked.

He seemed to realize that he’d alarmed you and immediately sat up. “Hey, it’s okay if you were. We’re all adults here. I didn’t mean anything by it.” He puts his hands out, palms toward you- God they were pretty hands though- like he was trying not to startle an animal. You probably did look pretty jumpy at this point. What was in the water at this place that all the boys looked so unreal?

“There’s just… not usually pretty girls just wandering around the house in the middle of the day when I think I’m here alone. Just… trying to figure it out.” He explained.

“Oh,” you sighed. “That’s fair. I’m sorry there’s a…uh, stranger … in your house. I’m a friend of Taehyung’s. We were supposed to rehearse for a project today, and he totally forgot and bailed on me. I live over in the Hillman dorm so he said I could crash inside until he got here. I’m sorry. He said no one was home.”

Quietly, he nodded, taking your explanation in.

“I-I can go,” you began to drift backwards. “It’s not that big a deal. I can wait for Tae somewhere else.”

“Hey. No, it’s okay. Hillman’s clear across campus. That’s too far if you’re trying to get a hold of him. You can stay. On one condition.”

Quirking your eyebrow, you stilled at this. “Okayyy….what is it?

“You have to share those chips with me.” Simple enough. He leaned forward, elbows to knees, to whisper the next part conspiratorially,

“And you can’t tell anyone I let you steal one of my sodas and survive. It’ll ruin my credibility around here.” For the first time, he smiled. And boy, what a smile. The intensity of his demeanor dissolved instantly, replaced by this sweet, innocent smile that warmed his entire face. Something about it clutched at your chest in a way you hadn’t expected.

“Oh God, I stole your soda?” You groaned. “I’m really battin a thousand today, huh?”

Sighing, you trudged toward the couch as he pulled his feet back to make room for you. You flopped down on the far end of it and kicked your head back to look at the ceiling. “I’m really sorry about that…?” You rolled your neck over to look at him, voice lilting up at the end in a question.

“Yoongi,” he smirked.

“______,” you huffed back, annoyed with yourself for how this entire day had gone so far. You extended your hand toward his. “Nice to officially meet you.”

He hesitated, only for a second, his feline features sizing you up. Nobody had ever looked at you with this kind of scrutiny before. You couldn’t quite describe it. He wasn’t objectifying you. Honestly, it looked like he was just trying to figure you out. Like you might be the only person who knew the answer to a puzzle he’d been trying to solve for decades, and he’d gotten bored waiting for you to show up. You didn’t know what to do with that.

Slowly, he took your hand in his to shake it back. His hands were larger than you expected, strong with intricate veins running across the back of his palm. They were impossibly warm. You wondered what you’d gotten yourself in to.

“Likewise. I’m guessing I’m the last one to meet you?” He asked.

“Not quite.There’s still one other roommate I don’t think I’ve met yet. Tae told me his name. I think it was….is his name José..?”

“Hoseok.” Yoongi grunted, rolling his eyes absurdly far back in his head. “And no, you must not have. Trust me. You’d remember him.”

“Do you guys not get along? Sensing some tension here.” You also noticed Yoongi hadn’t seemed to let go of your hand yet. You cleared your throat, only to be met with a questioning look. You darted your eyes to where your hands were still joined as yoongi’s eyebrows shot up to hide beneath his shaggy bangs. He dropped your hand immediately like it was cursed. Geeze, He didn’t have to throw it like that. His contact had been kind of…nice.

“Sorry.. on a major sleep deficit over here. Must have spaced out.” He buried a hand in the hair at the nape of his neck .You wondered in passing if his hair felt soft.

“S’fine. So, what’s the deal with hoseok? What’s the hostility there?”

“There’s not. He’s my best friend. He just drives me nuts sometimes. He’s also the reason I’ve been up since 5am today.” He shook his head disgustedly.

“Good grief, why?” You were intrigued.

He pulled his headphones down to settle around his neck and straightened the backwards cap he had on.

“Isn’t that awful? I was having such a good night’s sleep too…Hobi is in the dance department. He has this assignment to create a visual project with students from another complimentary major so he pulled me and Namjoon in on it. Something about learning how to network…”

“I thought Joonie was a philosophy major?” your brow crinkled in confusion.

“He is. But little known fact- he’s also one of the best rappers on campus.”

You felt your eyes go wide before you could stop them. “Seriously?! I mean, I guess he’s got the voice for it.”

“Does the name RM mean anything to you?l

“Half the girls in my dorm want to throw their panties at him. They talk about him all the time- they never shut up about him actually. But I’ve never made it to one of his shows. Why?”

Yoongi’s eye sparkled, chuckling to himself. “That’s Namjoon.”

“SHUT. UP!” Stunned, you clapped your hand over your mouth. “you’ve GOT to be kidding!”

“No, he is. Scouts honor. So now that you know, are you gonna be one of those girls throwing your panties at him too?” Yoongi’s dark eyes glowed with mischief.

“I’ve known you 20 whole minutes and that’s already the second time you’ve insinuated that I want to be in Joon’s bed. Should I be offended by that?” You pressed your hand to your chest in mock disgrace, a challenge in your eyes.

Laughing, Yoongi ducked his head sheepishly.

“Dang,you’re right, aren’t you? My bad. I guess I’m just kind of used to that sort of traffic around here. But you seem like a nice girl. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“Hmm, it’s fine.” You smiled. And it was…You had much bigger concerns- like did Tae ever bring other girls around? You weren’t sure why the thought of that bothered you so much. A boy as flirty and outgoing as him must take girls home all the time, but you couldn’t help the sharp pang of whatever this was that stung your chest. Strangely, you then wondered if yoongi ever did, a thought you quickly brushed aside as your stomach twisted. You didn’t much like that idea either.

“Honestly, I’m just waiting to find out if there’s an explanation for this get up of yours.” You gestured toward his body.

“Hey! This is a look.” His brows crumpled in defiance.

“Oh it’s quite a look all right. Very 2013.” You teased.

He huffed at you and readjusted his hat as he soundlessly mimicked you. You couldn’t help but laugh.

“Anyway! Namjoon, hobi and I are all rappers actually. We’ve messed around with some song writing, played a few gigs. They’ve gone pretty well so hobi took this project as an excuse to make a music video for us. Jungkook’s been thinking about switching to the film department so he roped him into being our cameraman.”

“Is that why you were up before God and the sun?”

“Yeah, hobi showed up banging on the door at the butt crack of dawn and brought these God awful outfits. He insisted that we wear them and smeared this ridiculous makeup all over us. Told us to stop complaining- that he always has to wear stage makeup for performances and to stop acting like we were above it,” he gestured annoyed at his face.

“I kinda like it….” you offered softly. You caught him curiously dart his eyes at you. “What? I think it looks good …on you. Makes your eyes look-intense. I certainly wouldn’t mess with you.”

He playfully snarled, baring his teeth at you.

“Well, at least that makes one of us. I think it looks ridiculous. I just don’t know how to take it off. Every time I try to, I just spread it around. Makes it worse”

“I see that,” You giggled. “ I can help you, if you want. After I find out the rest of the story.”

“Deal.” He arched a sinister eyebrow at you.

“So. Where was I ? Oh. 5am call time, ridiculous outfits, stupid makeup. He drags me, Namjoon and jungkook to the middle of a rooftop downtown and then hoseok decides he wants us all to learn this stupid choreography he’s come up with. For him that’s fine, it’s what he does. But I hate it- I can do it, don’t get me wrong - but I hate it. I just wanted to do what I came there for- rap- But he wouldn’t back down, he insisted on it since it was for his grade and his vision, whatever that means.

“So we spent the next 5 hours going over and over it all. I got it down too. At least I thought I did, until we started shooting and hobi became the worst director ever. I finally gave up and told him he could film my scenes tomorrow but I was done for the day. So I bounced. And here we are.” He spread his arms and crashed back against the couch, drawing a laugh from you.

“So hoseok is a dance nazi?” You asked, leaning forward to assess how to get all this makeup off Yoongi.

“Yep… i was too tired to change so I just crashed on the couch, ready to finally get some peace and quiet without him squawking at me every five seconds.” He scrunched his face in annoyance, shaking his head like he was reliving it again. He actually looked pretty adorable when he was frustrated.

“Sounds like you barely made it out alive,” you teased.

“You have no idea. I had to leave my dignity behind as a distraction.”

“Well, let’s see if we can help get you some of it back. I think I have some of those wipe thingies that get makeup off in my bag. Let me grab it.” You hopped off the sofa, sundress swinging around your hips, and bounded toward the door. You returned moments later with your giant canvas tote.

“Dang.. You sure taehyung stood you up? I think you lost him somewhere in that bag. I can hear him crying for help,” Yoongi snickered, shoving a chip in his mouth.

Blushing, you clutched it closer to your body.

“Ha ha. I just never know what I’m gonna need- so I bring everything.”

“I can see that,” he teased.

“And if I didn’t, then you wouldn’t be one step closer to not looking like the joker anymore, so hush will you?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Yoongi smirked, raising his hands in surrender. It made your pulse quicken for some reason. Taking a calming breath, you sat back down beside him, much closer this time.

“May I ?” You asked, reaching for his hat.

“Sure.” He smiled warmly at you.

You gently moved the cap back and his thick hair flopped forward into his eyes. He attempted to blow his fringe out of his eyes, trying to sit still for you, but with no luck. You gingerly reached out to push his hair back for him and couldn’t help but notice how his chest stilled at your touch.

Gosh, you barely knew this guy. What were you doing? You’d help put on and take off makeup a million times for shows and parties. Why did this feel so different?

“Don’t let this be weird. This is gonna have to come off somehow right? So just um, close your eyes for me okay?”

“You got it, boss.” He mumbled, lashes fluttering shut over his cheeks.

“Do you- are those fake eyelashes Yoongi?” You tried to stifle your laughter.

“Did he -are you serious ? God I don’t know what he was doing. I was half asleep when he did this to me.”

“And foundation?”

“Yeahhhhh, that I know. Again, not my idea.”

“You poor thing,” a giggle spilling from your lips that you tried to pull back. “Don’t worry, I’ve got you. Just relax for me okay?.”

“This is as relaxed as I get.” He quipped, but you couldn’t help but notice the smile tugging on the ends of his lips.

Lifting his chin with your forefinger and thumb,

You went to work carefully removing the terribly applied lash strip clinging desperately to one eye. His eyeliner had been so thick you hadn’t caught it all this time. His eyelids fluttered with relief after the sticky thing was removed, his face twisting and stretching like he was trying to feel if he was himself again.

Once free of it, you carefully followed the curves of face to help him get the rest of the eye makeup off. It wasn’t until you were this close that you could take in just how beautiful he was. With his eyes closed, you took a moment to really savor his features. They were so delicate but so perfect. The ridge of his jaw was so smooth, his skin beneath the makeup perfectly polished marble.

He noticed your stillness and smiled.

“Everything all right out there?”

Startled out of your day dream, you scrambled back to work. “Of course. Just assessing the damage.”

“Whatever you say,” he smirked. He seemed to be warming up around you. He so was easy to talk to despite his pensive aura. You liked talking to him.

“What’s yours by the way?”

“My what?”

“Your major. What’s your story?”

“Nothing particularly interesting I’m afraid. I’m undeclared right now. Every person I meet here seems so incredibly talented. Even if you just look at the people who live in this house- painters, philosophers, actors, filmmakers, dancers, poets….rappers. I had no idea a person could be so many things. Every time I think I know what I want to pursue, I find out five more options and I’m back to square one.” You dabbed at a particularly stubborn spot along the corner of his eye.

“i guess I’m still trying to find where I fit. Growing up I thought you had to find one thing, stick to it, perfect it and that became your future. Became who you were. But… I don’t think it’s that simple anymore.”

“People are more complex than we give them credit for. They evolve so much over time. It’s hard to ever really know someone.” Yoongi mused.

“What about you?” You asked softly.

“Oh, uh-Music production,” he responds quietly, almost a whisper.

Impressive. That was one of the hardest programs to get into here.

“That’s… dang. You any good?” You nudged his ribs with your elbow. Despite his thin frame, he actually felt quite solid.

“Who knows” he shrugged. “ but I love it.” He mumbled the last part almost as an afterthought. Like he wasn’t sure he wanted to share it. You tucked your feet beneath you as you got comfortable on the couch, increasingly intrigued by the boy before you.

“That’s really cool. But I meant does anybody really know you?” it felt like a strange question, but you were so intrigued by him- you were honestly just trying to figure out if there was anyone he’d let close enough to crack his algorithm.

“people know as much as I let them know.” He said thoughtfully.

“But..doesn’t that get lonely?” You brushed along his cheekbone, noting how quickly the conversation had veered in a heavy direction.

Yoongi was quiet for a beat. Slowly, he exhaled before simply answering “yes.”

Softly, your hands fell away from his face and folded in your lap. Yoongi cleared his throat, but you remained silent. You hadn’t expected him to share something like that with you so easily. What could you possibly say now?

He reached up run his fingers over his face as his eyes fluttered open.

“Are we finished? Am I myself again?”

You nodded gently. “All clear,” a smile ghosting across your lips.

“Ya! Finally!!” He stretched his arms out wide, shaking his head dramatically. “I can breathe again! Aaagh!! I could kiss you.” Yoongi didn’t seem to notice the impact of his words on you, too busy enjoying his freedom.

“comments like that and you’re busy worried about girls wandering out from Namjoon’s bed….” you mumbled to yourself.

“What was that?” He asked, neck twisting over his shoulder to look back at you. You blushed and dropped your eyes.

“Oh! Nothing. Don’t worry about it.” You tried to cover for yourself, how well you didn’t know. He shrugged, unbothered and lifted himself from the couch.

“Hey, i’m gonna change out of the rest of this.” He slipped his thumb beneath one of his chunky gold chains. “Finally got some momentum now that my face is back in order.” His smile was a bit lopsided and it made you want to kiss the corner of it.

“Glad to have inspired you. Maybe I should head out…”

“Why?” He grunted. “You just got here. Sit tight. We can watch a movie.” With that, he left. Off and down the hallway, he disappeared with a click.

Welp, this was an interesting turn of events. You crossed your legs, feet tucked beneath you as you spread the skirt of your dress over them. You felt strangely nervous now, despite his invitation. You barely knew him so why were so glad he had asked you to stay? You took a sip of your soda and glanced around the room, fidgety and restless, eventually pulling out your phone hoping that scrolling through it would distract you from waiting for your unexpected company.

Soon enough, yoongi returned, plopping on the sofa, albeit much closer than he’d been before. You were still wedged against the left arm of it but he’d planted himself mid sofa this time, not on the other end. There was still distance but not enough to calm your pulse. He’d changed into a long black sweater. The sleeves were too long and spilled over his knuckles, while his legs were adorned in fitted black jeans with a rip in the knee that stretched as he shifted to find a comfortable position. You could tell he felt more like himself this way, his demeanor had shifted. It was easier, lighter, more open. It suited him.

“So,” he broke the silence,” what kind of movies do you like to watch? And Please don’t tell me you’re as much of a snob as taehyung.” He turned his face to look at you.

“No,” you laughed. “I’m not. He is a bit hard to please in that department, isn’t he?”

“You have no idea. Last week, jungkook was watching transformers in here and Tae practically gave him an entire dissertation on how much he hated Michael Bay’s cinematography.” Yoongi shook his head, disgruntledly.

“Yeah, that sounds like him. Though transformers is hardly a masterpiece. Is that your kind of film?”

His face scrunched,” I don’t think it’s anyone’s kind of film. That movie is mindless- just bombs, butts and boobs. It’s just something to have on in the background. I’m not invested enough to care that much.”

“So, what do you like then?”

His crooked smile was back. “Ah, ah, you never answered my question,” he tutted at you. “I have seniority here and I asked you first. So spill.” There was a challenge in his eyes, but a whimsy in them too. Like if you answered, correctly he might have a prize for you.

“Honestly?”

“Honestly.”

“Okay, you’re gonna think this is silly but….” you drew in a breath.

“Ilikemusicals” you blurted out all at once and Yoongi laughed- truly deeply big belly laughed. Shocked at his reaction, you fought back the urge to pop him in the shoulder.

“What’s so bad about that!? Gosh you said it like you were confessing your had leprosy..or herpes. Everybody likes musicals.” He said flippantly.

“Hardly. Nobody in my town growing up liked musicals. The theater kids were weirdos.” You frowned, arms wrapped protectively to your body. eyes suddenly occupying themselves with a particularly fascinating stain on the carpet as you avoided yoongi’s gaze.

“Well, that sucks. But it just means you grew up around narrow minded people. Anyone worth their fine arts credit loves La La Land around here.” He leaned over to bump his elbow to your arm, face dipping to find your eyes. “Now will you look at me again?”

You felt yourself unfurl a little bit as you reached to tuck your hair behind your ear and found that lopsided grin you felt yourself yet again reacting to. “Fine. I accept my punishment.” You attempt to sneer but it comes out far too soft, all the ferocity of a fluffy little herbivore.

“We both know looking at me isn’t a punishment.” His eyes drift sideways at you, a high eyebrow arched as he extends his neck and lifts his chin to display his profile for you, elegant hands tracing the crook of his jawline and the length of his throat. Oh god……was it normal for your pulse to hitch like that? Time to get this back under control.

“Confident boy.” You tipped your head to the side, and Yoongi’s smile grew so wide you could see all of his teeth.

“That I am- when I wanna be, I guess. I can see why Tae likes having you around,_____. You’re a fun girl.” He stated it plainly like it was the most obvious fact in the world. Tae. You were supposed to be waiting for him.You’d gotten so wrapped up in yoongi that you’d stopped watching the clock ages ago. How strange. Tae normally occupied so much of your brain space but right now the only thing on your mind was Yoongi. Shocking how quickly your attention had been usurped by this new boy.

“Thanks. You’re bad not at all, Yoongs. That eyeliner led me astray.”

He snorted with deep throaty chuckle. “Yoongs? Is that what you just called me?”

“What if it is?” You teased. Uh oh, did he not like that?

“Then I take back my previous compliments.”

“Wow. Is that really all it takes to fall out of your good graces?” You feigned offense.

“Apparently yes. Cuz that was god awful. Never call me that again. You really think that was gonna be the winner?” He deadpanned as he looked sideways at you, hand poised on his knee flicking through the TV guide.

“I was just testing it out. I’ve already seen you barefaced, I thought maybe we were close enough for nicknames.” You attempted to shrug nonchalantly.

His feline eyes squinted over at you again. God, he was hard to read when he wanted to be. But then that whisper of a smile was back creeping up the side of his lips and you felt yourself finally exhale.

“Fair enough,” he nodded with a soft laugh. “Just not that one. There are much better names you could be calling me.” He bit his bottom lip playfully, eyebrows wiggling and disappearing behind his scarlet fringe.

“Gross. Hard pass.” You tried to make your face a mask of disinterest, but behind the veil you felt your chest collapsing. This boy. He erupted into bright laughter, almost cackling at you.

“God you’re cute when you’re uncomfortable. I can see right through you.” He reached over to pinch at your cheek. For a few dazed seconds, you let him. You were so caught off guard by his touch you didn’t know if you should stop it. Eventually you wriggled your face away, huffing at his long fingers. Was cute a good thing ? In your experience attractive boys tended to friend zone “cute” girls. It was usually a glorified step above being called their sister. But yoongi didn’t say it like that… you wondered.

“So hotshot, since my ideas out of contention, what’s yours then? What do they call you on stage?” You recrossed your arms beneath your cleavage and stared defiantly at him. His eyes flicked down just for a second before they fell away, tongue peeking out to the edges of his smile.

“What do you mean?” He asked.

“You know, what name do you rap under?” Your eyes went a little round, hoping you’d asked that right.

“Ah. It’s kind of.. I don’t know. Say what you will, I guess.” He ruffled the hair at the back of his head. “Suga. I go by Suga.”

A snort flew out of you before you could stop it. “Seriously? And you gave me crap about Yoongs?”

“I know. I know. It’s a long story. But I’m kind of attached to it now.” His smile was soft, like he truly was terribly fond of the moniker.

“I don’t know. You’re gonna have to convince me on that one.” You lifted a quizzical brow at him. His eyes glistened at your challenge and suddenly you didn’t fee quite as in charge anymore.

“It makes for a great intro on my verses when I’m working with the guys.”

“Oh really? Show me.” You weren’t sure where that came from.

“Feisty. Okay.” He reached in his pocket to pull out his phone. He thumbed around looking for something on it until he smirked triumphantly. His intense gaze returned you and his lips snaked into a smile. Why was he looking at you like that? Like he was going to devour you and have fun while he did it.

“I have one condition.”

“Again with the conditions. What is it this time?” This was all a game to him. It made you feel like a rubiks cube- you weren’t if he was trying to solve you or you were trying to solve him- but he was so god dang intriguing that you were willing to play along either way.

With his gaze locked on you, he breathed, “You have to close your eyes.”

“What?” You felt your brows pinch together.

“I’m serious. Close them. You’ll thank me later.” He winked, his grin all teeth.

“Uh huh. Sure… fine.” You pivoted toward him with a bounce, settling into your new position. You tucked your hair behind both ears. “Whatever you’ve got- impress me.” You waved your fingers in the air mystically.

He chuckled. “Calm down, Scarlet witch. Just enjoy.”

In the silence, you heard him shuffle and felt the couch dip. He was right in front of you now. Carefully, you stretched your fingers out only to retract them immediately when they brushed the denim on his shin. “Oof, Sorry.”

“Can’t keep your hands to yourself all ready. I didn’t even start the verse yet.” The smile in his voice was so endearing despite his cocky words. You twisted your face into a mocking smile and stuck your tongue out at him. He could be such a smug little- Wait. Oh… was he gonna? Suddenly, a digital beat started to play from his phone. It was intricate and layered-the bass in it was addictive and rhythmic. The production was impeccable. You wondered if he’d made it.

The couch shifted again and yoongi leaned in toward your ear. You could feel his breath tickling your skin and it made you shiver. After a few seconds of an intro, you heard him inhale to begin and as promised, his verse began with a velvet smooth “Suga”- a breathy whisper that tumbled out of his lips and fell tingling down your spine. Oh god.

He began to rap fluidly over the beat in a mixture of Korean and english, his voice gravelly and deep as he played with melodies and timing. You’d never heard anyone sound like that. He played with the textures of the noises he made, sometimes sounding so aggressive it almost came across as a snarl but other times sounding so smooth and gentle that his throaty voice felt altogether too intimate. He got to a point in the flow of it where the melody was delivered like a spoken word- not quite singing but not quite talking- his voice dipping into an octave that rivaled taehyung’s. It was potent and sticky like dark honey. His voice was delicious .

At one point, he was so close to you that you felt the tip of his nose drag against your cheekbone, his breath ghosting in puffs over your neck between his lyrics. And His voice then- God, it was the sexiest thing you’d ever heard. The intensity of it, even at a whisper was overwhelming.

Two verses later, you could tell from the waning dynamics in the music that the song was coming to a close. Just before it ended, he held on until the very last beat before whispering a final “Suga” against your skin to close it out, the music dropping out completely. You felt him trying to catch his breath as he pulled back from your ear. You weren’t sure if you were ready to look at him again just yet.

You swallowed thickly, hands crumpling the skirt fabric in your lap. Slowly, your eyes fluttered open to see the tip of yoongi’s nose dangerously close to yours. His smile was positively wicked but there was laughter in his eyes. He was exhilarated to see how you were going to respond to him. There was a dazzling light radiating off of him as he took in your dazed reaction.

“That was… um, wow.” was all you could manage to get out. “Are all your shows like that?”

“Oh absolutely. I just weave through an entire crowd of strangers whispering in their ears for the entire night. Real abstract. Only one person hears me at a time.” He squinted dubiously at you, his smile never wavering.

“I mean you never know, it’s an odd school. Lots of artistic weirdos around here.” You felt the dissonance between your words and your own face. Your eyes were probably soft and dreamy right now- and you could feel your mouth parting open without your permission. You were trying to keep up the witty repartee but your body felt a little like it was short circuiting.

“You’re not wrong. There’s this one weirdo who’s been hanging around my house the whole day. She even ransacked my kitchen and took all the good snacks-But between you and me, she’s kind of adorable. I’d kinda like to see more of her.” His eyes sparkled with a sincerity that caught you off guard.

“Oh? Maybe if she knew why a grumpy boy calls himself Suga, she’d be inclined to stop by more often.” What were you doing? What were you even saying? It was hard to get any oxygen to your brain when he was looking at you like that.

His laugh was soft, his cheeks pinching the edges of his beautiful eyes as he smiled. “I used to love to play basketball in high school.”

“Aren’t you a little um, short for that?” You giggled at the mental picture.

“Not too short to love it. Jerk.” He scrunched his nose at you in defiance, but his crooked smile never wavered. “I was actually a really good shooter. One of the best in my school. I had just started messing around with music back then and Namjoon was pressing me to come up with a name for myself. Basketball was what I knew best so I thought it should come from there. He made a joke about the position I played, shooting guard, but mumbled it in Korean. The first part of it sounded like Sugar and he gave me crap about how ironic it was that someone as sarcastic as me should be called that. And It just kind of stuck. Over time it dropped to just Suga, and it was stupid but i kind of liked it. It was different from everyone else, that was for sure.” His smile was a little goofy- you liked it. He was proud of his names story even if he acted like he wasn’t.

“So,….Suga. I get it now. I like it.” You looked at him sweetly.

“Yeah?” That playful spark was back.

“Yeah. Suga… suga… Suga…” You tried it out in different ways, letting it tumble out of your mouth honeyed and soft. His bottom lip snagged under his teeth, something a little darker rolling over his eyes.

“Careful, Princess. I’m not beetlejuice.” Oh. You liked it when he called you that. He was moving closer somehow. Not that he had much further to go anyway, you already felt like you were practically in his lap at this point. Your reflection was clear in his dark eyes until his gaze flicked down to your lips.

“You were when I found you on the couch.” You countered, feeling unsteady. His laugh in response was so sweet. His teeth lit up his grin as he shook his head at you.

“Touché. But I told you- not my choice.” Something in his gaze shifted, his voice getting deeper, more coarse, like he didn’t want to say the next words too loud.

“Hey…. I know.. we just met but, you- I like this. A lot. You really should come around more often. But… for me this time.” He was smiling, but there was no part of him that made this feel like a joke. There was a solidness to his words, a pleasant gravity to his expression. He was looking at you like he wanted to give you the whole world. His eyes were on your lips again, and you wet them as best you could considering how dry your mouth had suddenly become. This wasn’t a game anymore.

“And… why should I do that?” The question came out more breathy than you planned.

“So we can do this again,” and just like that Yoongi’s head dipped down, his lips pressed soft as a cloud against yours. You felt yourself gasp at his boldness, before completely dissolving into the sweetness of his kiss. It was slow and gentle, like he was in no hurry at all. His breath was sweet, his lips languid as he took his time with you. He kept his hands to himself, as if that was too much to do all at once and he could only handle so much of you. The kiss became still, crawling to a smooth stop, his lips tender as you both caught your breath with each other.

When he pulled away, his smile was impossibly wide, his nose nuzzling against yours as if he needed to find a way to prolong touching you even with the kiss ended. If this was another game of his, he was incredibly proud of the play he’d just made. He searched your doe eyes with wonder,

waiting for your counter move. The excitement was killing him and he loved it.

Something like this had never happened to you before. You’d shared awkward first kisses before with boys you’d grown up with. Clunky, nervous things exchanged on your front porch or the front seat of their car when it seemed like the logical thing to do at the end of the night that swiftly went nowhere. They’d been strange and inorganic and nothing had ever come of them.

But this- this was entirely different. Yoongi’s kiss was magnificent. Falling into his touch felt like watching a flower unfurl it’s petals in the brightness of the sun- warm and fantastic and the way it was always supposed to be. You felt your fingertips reach up to brush over where his lips had been. A crackle of electricity tingled as you replayed it in your mind. How was any of this possible? How did this happen?

“Yoongi….”

“Yes, Princess?”’ he licked his lips, happily awaiting your response.

“I barely know you. I- I don’t do this.” Your wide eyes searched his.

“That’s okay. No rush. I can tell.” He smirked.

“What ? How? Oh- god, was it bad?” A panicked line creased between your brows.

“Oh god no. That was fantastic.” He brushed his nose against yours. Laughter spilling from his lips. “Ten out of ten first kiss. I’m ready to find out how the second one goes whenever you are.” He winked. “No, I can tell because you have been the cutest shade of pink ever since I let you go. You look like a strawberry.”

Embarrassed, You quickly reached up to cover the blush on your cheeks that had given you away as Yoongi’s kind laughter floated around you.

“Hey, it’s okay. Don’t hide it. Its sweet.” He softly pulled your hands back and leaned in to plant a kiss to the apple of each of your glowing cheeks. He playfully pretended to bite one of them. “You are so cute. Not gonna lie, this is the first time I’ve ever been glad Tae can’t be on time to save his life. Something good finally came out of it.”

You felt your cheeks get warmer. You actually felt a tingle of heat brush across them under Yoongi’s impossibly happy eyes. “Hey yoongi?”

“Yeah, ___?” He answered, his smile a riot of stars and sunlight.

“I think I’m ready for that second kiss now.” Your breathing was a tangled mess but you managed to get your sentence out before Yoongi’s broad hands cradled your cheeks and pulled you in again.

“Don’t have to tell me twice.”

This kiss was brighter than the first. Yoongi held back just a little less, thumbs caressing your face, fingers slipping into your hair. You swore you could feel him smiling as he kissed you, his teeth coming to nip at your bottom lip every now and then. It caused a flurry of giggles to spill out of you that only encouraged him.

“God, you have the best laugh.” Yoongi whispered into your mouth. You felt the weight of him begin to press against your chest as you leaned back against the arm of the couch. He slipped between you and the couch to lay beside you, his hand caught on your waist, thumb brushing into your stomach. His warm tongue found its way into your mouth, causing a soft sigh to melt out of you. Your arms came to wrap around his neck, hands buried in his luscious crimson hair. You both became so tangled with each other that you didn’t hear the lock on the front door until-

“_____ ? and yoongi?” It was Jimin’s crystal clear voice floating through the house. And that meant- Taehyung was finally home.

“Shut up, you’re kidding!” Came Tae’s booming baritone. Startled, you sat bolt upright on the couch, pulling away from Yoongi. You snatched a pillow into your lap as you fussed with your disheveled hair. Yoongi couldn’t stop laughing as Tae rounded the corner, wide eyed and a bit stunned.

“What is this? How did this happen?” He pressed his palm flat to his chest in shock

“You left her alone all day! Someone had to keep her company.” Yoongi’s eyes never left you. His gaze was a little wild then, triumphant as he took in the state of you- beautiful and rattled. Once again, he found your wide eyed innocence enchantingly adorable. He looked a mess-his hair was sticking up in crazy directions, his lips puffy from where you tugged on them- and he didn’t mind one bit. He loved it.

“Tae, why didn’t you text me that you were on your way?” You couldn’t bring yourself to look at him, a fact that only made Yoongi giggle.

“I did! But you didn’t respond. I thought you were mad at me so I tried to get here sooner. But it seems I could have taken my time.” He wiggled his eyebrows playfully. “I can leave again, let you get back to what I interrupted.” He offered teasingly.

“Would you? We were having the best time before you ruined it.” Yoongi muttered, completely straight faced up at Taehyung. You were mortified as Taehyung cane behind you to scoop you up into a hug. He placed a smacking kiss into the top of your hair.

“Stop it. I don’t want to hear a single word about this, Tae.” You buried your face in your hands.

“Why? I love this! You two are so cute together! I honestly have no idea why I didn’t set you guys up sooner!” He rolled his eyes at himself.

“What?” You twisted to look up at him.

“Oh, I’ve wanted to find you a nice guy for ages. I thought about trying to play matchmaker with you and Jimin but then he got stuck on that girl in economics. Who he WILL ASK OUT NOW THAT WE SPENT AN ENTIRE DAY MAKING HIM LOOK LIKE A DISNEY PRINCE!!!” Taehyung shouted toward the kitchen.

“Ya! I will ask her out when I’m good and ready! Back off!!!” Jimin shot back. He sounded like his mouth was full. He was probably depleting the stash of Oreo cookies.

“You better! I’ll kill you myself if you let my hard work go to waste!… anyway. Yeah, I could tell you had a little thing for me. But I’m married to my career right now. I needed to find you a sweet boy to take care of you. But maybe I was looking at this wrong. Perhaps, you’re the sunshine our Oscar the Grouch needs around here.” Taehyung prattled off, reaching a long arm to muss with Yoongi’s wild hair. Your eyes went wide at his casual profession about the feelings you’d had for him. He knew? That brat knew? God, how embarrassing.

“Hey!” Yoongi swatted at him, pulling you back from Tae’s embrace. “Are you crazy? You can’t just say things like that, you idiot. You’re gonna hurt her feelings.” Yoongi scowled at his friend as he held you protectively.

“Woah, woah woah, wait- you knew too?” You pressed yourself away from Yoongi to look in his eyes, trying to decide how you felt about all of this.

“Not explicitly. No. I’d heard that Tae had a really cute friend he brought around all the time and it seemed like he was too clueless to do anything about it. I didn’t know he was enough of an idiot to friend zone you.” He defended.

“Then why did you keep asking me about Namjoon?” Your brows furrowed.

“ Because at first, I genuinely had no clue who were. Once I figured it out, i didn’t want to make you uncomfortable. Plus, I kept trying to figure out why Tae was being such an idiot by not pursuing you.” He answered honestly.

“Hey! I’m literally right here.” Taehyung pouted.

“And that’s where you’ll stay if you ever realize how stupid you were for missing out on her.” Yoongi stated matter of factly.

“I am aware of what a catch she is, Yoongi. She is my best friend. Which is why I’ll dump all your recording equipment in the bathtub if you ever hurt her.” Taehyung crossed his arms, sticking his tongue out petulantly at Yoongi.

At some point, Jimin had silently entered the room, cheeks sure enough stuffed full with cookies as he watched the drama unfold. As promised, his hair really was a delicately coiffed silver now. The icy locks were side parted and swept off his face, making him look impossibly regal even with his mouth full of sweets. Perhaps Taehyung was in the wrong line of work altogether.

“Don’t you dare. Do you have any idea how much that equipment cost?” Yoongi’s scowl was a bit terrifying.

“It isn’t worth near as much as my best friend’s heart.” Taehyung insisted nobly.

“I thought I was your best friend?” Jimin piped up from across the room, his cheeks a bit pouty at the realization that he may have been one upped.

“And will be again once you grow a pair and talk to Sandy.” Taehyung quipped.

“Sasha.” Jimin deepened his pout.

“Whatever. Maybe I’ll remember once ive actually met her and she’s finally your girlfriend instead of just figment that you whine about all the time. Chop, chop, kid. You’ll graduate before you even take her to coffee at this point. Besides, I can have two best friends, Jiminie. There are no rules against it. But anyway! The point is that ____ and Yoongi are a great match and I ship it even if I didn’t start it.” He lifted his chin proudly.

“Thank you? I think?” You were still a bit baffled st the way this whole day had panned out. You glanced over at Yoongi again who at some point had taken your hand in his, busily brushing circles over your knuckles. His touch was grounding, and strangely pleasant on this bizarre day.

“Of course, darling. You have my blessing. Both of you.” Tae kissed you both on the forehead, an action that had Yoongi swinging at him again which only made Tae hug him tighter against his will. “You know you love it! We’ll spend even more time around each other now that you’re dating the best person I know.”

“You know me.” Jimin muttered defeatedly, popping an entire cookie in his mouth.

“It’s not the same thing, Jiminie! You know this. Insecurity is a very unattractive trait. Stella won’t give you the time of day if you keep this up,you know.” Taehyung said exasperatedly.

“Sasha. Her name is Sasha. And she likes me just fine. She said she likes sweet quiet guys.” Jimin smiled bashfully to himself. It was absolutely adorable.

“Well hey! We can work with that! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Taehyung practically leapt off the couch to congratulate his friend. “Come on, lets go regroup then. Figure out where to take it from here. ______, we still on for chipotle and rehearsal later?” He called back over his shoulder as he herded Jimin back to the kitchen, snatching the pack of cookies away from him, claiming they’d only make Jimin’s baby face more puffy.

“Of course! 4 o clock sharp this time?” You answered.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world, darling.” Tae beamed back.

“Oh, but don’t worry about ice cream. Yoongi’s gonna take me to get that.” You smiled over at the boy beside you, who seemed pleasantly surprised at your words.

“Oh am I now? That’s news to me.” Yoongi’s eyes sparkled with mischief again.

“Absolutely. You owe me for saving you from that clown makeup. And for letting you survive after embarrassing me like that.” You smacked his shoulder, and he pretended to crumple into the sofa.

“God dang, woman. That upper body strength. Chill out.” He laughed warmly at you. “Fine. I’ll comply. One one condition.”

“This again?” You arched an eyebrow at him.

“Yes, this again.” He mimicked, a little too accurately. It had you biting down on your lip to keep from completely cutting him off with your laughter.

“I will take you on a proper ice cream date today- unlimited toppings, whipped cream, extra cherries, the whole nine yards- if you promise to to come to my show this Friday night.” He was poised on the couch like a cat ready to pounce, eyes meticulous as they studied your reaction.

“I don’t know if you’re prepared for how hard I go on ice cream toppings, sir. Your whole chunk of the rent is gone -pfft- that fast.” You poked him in the chest lightly.

“That’s a risk I’m willing to take….as long as you leave the show with me and not Namjoon.” His eyebrows wiggled suggestively and you smacked him again.

“OH MY GOSH! Are you serious?” You fell into a fit of giggles as a bright, smiling Yoongi pulled you close again.

“Yeah, Im absolutely serious. I’m playing from behind. Everyone else here knows you better.” The edges of his eyes crinkled as he smiled so wide they almost disappeared. He kissed the tip of your nose, leaning his forehead against yours. “Hey. Honestly though, I have a really good feeling about this.” He whispered, that sincerity flashing brilliant in his eyes again.

“You know what’s crazy?”

“What?”

“ I do too.”

This time it was you to initiate the kiss. It was little, just something quick and sweet, but Yoongi loved it.

“Aaaaawwww! SO CUTE! I could die!” Taehyung shouted from around the corner.

“Oh my god, not again.” You pulled away from Yoongi’s embrace.

“Wanna go get that ice cream now?” Yoongi stood, offering his hand to you.

“Abso-freaking-lutely.” Your eyes were wide with annoyance at Taehyung as Yoongi pulled you up from the sofa and you both headed toward the door.

“Don’t do anything too crazy, Kids!” Taehyung shouted.

“I’m going to kill you!” Yoongi deadpanned.

“But not until after you bring ____ back for rehearsal. 4 o clock sharp! Remember!” Tae tutted at him.

Smiling warmly at the two boys, you hopped over to Tae to kiss him on the cheek. “Yes, mom. We’ll be back in little while.”

“You better. I don’t know how I feel about you liking another boy better than me.I’m not used to having to share you.” He muttered, but there was a smile in his eyes.

“Hey, you’re my best friend. That’s not changing. You know that.” You bumped his hip with yours.

“I know. ____, I meant what I said about the bathtub. If he gets too handsy or becomes a total bore and ruins all your fun, just let me know and I’ve got you. Splash, splash- just like that, okay? Gotta take care of my best girl.” He whispered, winking at you.

“I know, Tae. Thank you. I’ll see you later, okay?” You squeezed his arm lovingly as he nodded kindly at you before you bounced back to Yoongi’s side, slipping your fingers between his. His entire face lit up at the contact.

“What was that about?” Yoongi asked as you both made your way through the front door.

“Nothing. Just getting Tae’s proper blessing.” You beamed at him.

“Well in that case,” Yoongi bent down and picked you up. You squealed wildly as he carried you down the sidewalk to his car, joggers and pedestrians giving you both the most unbearable side eye as they passed by.

“Yoongi! Put me down!” You giggled.

“On one condition….”

Oh dating him was going to be fun.

~fin~

#min yoongi #bangtanfancampfics #bts writing #bts scenarios #bts imagines #bts fanfics #min yoongi fanfic #suga fanfic #suga x reader #yoongi x reader #bts kim taehyung #kim taehyung x reader #jimin x reader #namjoon x reader #rapper!yoongi

275 notes · View notes

sunriserose1023 · 5 years

Text

Unexpected (5)

WORD COUNT: 4845 WARNINGS FOR THE SERIES: THIS IS AN AU; unplanned pregnancy, pregnancy symptoms, language, angst, fluff, sexual content, flashbacks, medical descriptions/procedures, emotional crap; more warnings may arise as the series progresses.

Masterlist Read this series on Ao3 HERE.

The One With A Little Bit of Background

You walked into Pepper and Tony’s apartment, smiling when you noticed all your crew there. You walked to where Steve was sitting and placed a jar on the table in front of him.

“Help.”

Steve smiled, grabbing the jar and easily opening it. You reached in and pulled out one of the green olives, putting it in your palm and holding your hand out. Pepper raised an eyebrow and you rolled your eyes, but smiled.

“This is how big the baby is this week. Week nine.” “Aw!”

Tony rolled his eyes, but still smiled. You popped the olive in your mouth, closing your eyes.

“God, those are so good.” “Yeah, in a martini. Not straight out the jar.”

Christine made a face at you as you pulled another olive out of the jar. You shrugged your shoulders, and Bucky stood up, giving you his chair as he walked past Christine to the coffee pot.

“We are not complaining, because at least she’s keeping these down. Unlike the—“

You narrowed your eyes at him and he shook his head.

“Never mind.”

He turned away from you and filled up his mug and you sat back, smiling when Steve’s foot slid over and bumped yours. Tony walked to the table and tapped his hands on it.

“Tonight’s the big night, do not forget.”

You looked to Steve, who furrowed his eyebrows. He glanced to Christine, who pursed her lips as she looked to Bucky. Bucky shrugged his shoulders, taking a sip from his mug before looking to Tony.

“We already forgot. What’s big about tonight?”

Tony hung his head and Pepper walked up behind him, gently rubbing a hand over his back.

“The dinner at—“ “Oh, the nice place! That’s tonight?”

Pepper nodded to you and you winced.

“I’m sorry, Tony.”

He shrugged, and you blinked as your eyes started stinging. Steve sat up in his chair, reaching to lay a hand on your arm. You shook your head, sniffling as Tony glanced your way.

“Oh, hey. No. No, it’s fine.” “No, we … we all forgot and you were so excited.”

You looked down as tears leaked from your eyes and Tony sighed.

“Honey, hey.”

You sniffled again, and Tony smiled as he knelt beside your chair.

“It’s okay. I’m glad I reminded you now, instead of tonight when I was the only one at the restaurant.”

The tears came harder at the thought that brought and Bucky slapped Tony’s shoulder.

“Okay, bad choice of words. Y/N, look.”

You lifted your teary eyes to his and he smiled at you.

“You’ll be there, right?”

You nodded, and he tapped your nose.

“Then that’s all I care about. Forget these clowns.”

You laughed, standing up as Tony did, wrapping him in a hug. He rubbed your back, kissing your temple before he let you go. You sniffled again as you sat back down, taking the napkin Christine handed you and wiping your eyes. Tony turned to grab his briefcase and kiss Pepper, and you stood up, walking to the kitchen sink and staring out the window over it. You couldn’t stop the tears from welling up in your eyes again, and you gave a shaky sigh before you felt a warm hand on your back.

“You okay?”

You shook your head, keeping your eyes out the window instead of looking at Steve.

“I just … I’m all over the place. I’m exhausted, my boobs are killing me, and everything—yes everything—makes me want to burst into tears. Or makes me actually burst into tears, like a dumbass.” “You’re not a dumbass. You’re pregnant.” “Oh, really? I hadn’t realized. Thanks for informing me.”

You huffed out a breath, then put your face in your hands.

“And now I’m being mean to you for no reason!”

Steve gave a soft laugh, stepping closer to you and rubbing a hand up and down your arm.

“First of all, I grew up with Bucky. I’ve got a thick skin. You want to be mean to me, go ahead. I can take it. But you’re growing my baby, Y/N. You’re allowed to be all over the place. Take a nap. You deserve it.” “I have to work, Steve.” “Do you really?”

You rolled your eyes, but smiled. He leaned closer to you, whispering in your ear.

“And anytime you want me to help with your sore boobs, just let me know. I’ll gladly do whatever you need me to.”

You slapped his arm and he laughed, leaning in to kiss your cheek.

“Any time, buddy. I mean it.”

You shook your head, a smile on your lips and warmth in your cheeks.

“Thanks, buddy.”

Steve threw an arm over your shoulders and you leaned into him, taking in a deep breath. The two of you walked back to the table and you sat down with him standing behind your chair. He leaned over you, close enough that you could smell the cologne he’d spritzed that morning, dragging the jar of olives over the table and stopping in front of you. You reached up and laid a hand on his arm, gently rubbing it before taking an olive from the jar and eating it.

“Ooh, Olive is cute.”

You looked to Christine and raised an eyebrow. She nodded to you, taking a sip from her coffee mug.

“Baby name.”

Steve snorted.

“Olive?” “It’s cute!”

He looked down at you and you shrugged your shoulders.

“It is cute, but I’d really like to steer clear of food-type names. I mean, yeah, I like olives now, but what if they take the same route as the pretzels did?”

Bucky nodded.

“Plus, we all know they’re gonna name it after me anyway.”

Christine barked a laugh and you couldn’t help but laugh with her. Bucky lifted a hand to his chest, then pointed to Steve.

“Stevie, baby, you know it’s true. Who wouldn’t want to name a kid after the greatness that is James Buchanan Barnes?” “I don’t know, if it takes after you, we may need to buy another apartment just to fit both egos in here.”

You laughed at your sister as Pepper rolled her eyes. Christine took another sip from her mug.

“You could do the ‘giving the baby mom's maiden name’ thing. Potter.” “Potter Rogers? Kid’s gonna get his ass kicked.”

Steve laid a hand on your shoulder, reaching into the jar and pulling out two olives.

“Guys, guys.”

Christine and Bucky turned to look at him, and he tossed the olives at each of them.

“The baby’s that big. We haven’t even started talking about names.”

He gave your shoulder a squeeze, leaning to whisper in your ear.

“But I’m not letting you name him Potter.”

You laughed as he kissed your cheek again before gathering his briefcase. You glanced over to Christine.

“What if Potter’s a girl?” “Hey, James is a cute girl’s name these days.”

You rolled your eyes at Bucky’s interruption, laughing to yourself when Christine threw the olive Steve had thrown at her at Bucky.

You shook your head as Christine and Bucky started nagging at each other, lifting your eyes to Steve as he shook his head and walked to the door. He turned back and met your eyes, giving you a smile and a wink before he walked out.

You bit your lip, looking down at the table. You took in a deep breath, missing the way Pepper was watching you intensely.

You stood outside the nice restaurant, wearing a dress and heels, your hair fixed in an updo that showed off the dangly earrings you borrowed from Pepper. Bucky was with you, but he was facing one of the restaurant’s windows, brushing his fingers through his artfully styled hair.

“You look fine. Stop nitpicking.” “I’m not—“

Bucky sighed, straightening and rolling his hands down the lapels of his suit jacket.

“I’m bored. Why isn’t anyone else here?” “They’re coming. We’re early.” “Well, they better hurry. I’m starving.” “Join the club. I don’t think I’ve had anything since breakfast.” “And did you keep it down?”

You shrugged and Bucky rolled his eyes, moving a hand to fix his tie. You picked your phone out of your bag and checked the time, looking up when a sharp whistle pierced the air. You smiled when you saw Christine crossing the street, and you took in a breath when you saw Steve beside her. He had on a dark blue suit with a white shirt, a striped tie, sunglasses on his nose.

“Oh, crap.” “What?”

Your body felt heavy all of a sudden, black spots dancing in front of your eyes. Bucky had a worried look on his face and you blinked before you felt his hands take hold of your hips.

“Hey, hey. Easy.”

You closed your eyes and shook your head, giving a soft groan before you were enveloped in a warm embrace.

“Y/N? Hey, open your eyes.”

You gave another groan, turning your face towards Steve’s shoulder. You felt yourself being lowered until you were sitting on a bench. You felt Steve’s hand against your face and you leaned into the touch.

“Y/N? Honey, look at me.”

You heard Christine’s soft voice and you slowly blinked your eyes open, seeing her crouched down in front of you. She gave you a smile and you frowned and closed your eyes, lifting a hand to your head.

“You okay?”

You leaned your head against Steve’s and took a deep breath.

“You smell good.”

He gave a quiet laugh at your soft statement and Christine gave your knee a squeeze. You blinked your eyes open again and looked to her.

“I just … dizzy.” “What did you eat today?”

You blinked as you looked to Bucky. He blew out a breath.

“I don’t think she’s eaten anything. And what little she ate this morning, she probably threw right back up.”

Christine sighed, standing to her feet. She took hold of one of your hands, moving her fingers to your wrist to count the throb of your pulse. She dropped your hand, then met your eyes.

“You can’t do this. You can’t go all day without eating. The baby is a parasite. It will take from you what it needs, whether that be from your bones or teeth or the food you give it. Even if you throw up, you retain a little something. So you have to eat.”

You nodded, keeping your head on Steve’s shoulder. Bucky disappeared into the restaurant, coming out a few moments later with a dinner roll in one hand and a glass of ice water in the other. He handed both of them to you, and Steve held the glass while you took bites of the roll.

You finally started to feel better when the roll was gone, and you drank half of the glass of water. You looked at the three pairs of eyes watching you intently and you sighed.

“I’m sorry I worried you. I’ll try and do better.”

“Don’t just try. Do it. Take snacks in your purse if you have to.”

“I totally thought that’s what the purse was for anyway.”

You laughed at Bucky, nodding to them when a limo pulled up and Tony and Pepper stepped out of it. Bucky shook his head, smoothing a hand down his jacket lapel.

“Always got to outdo us.” “We rode on the subway, Buck.” “Yeah, but … still.”

You laughed, waving to Tony and Pepper as they stepped over.

“Ready?”

You all nodded, and you waited until everyone had walked past you before you tried to stand up. Steve was right beside you, giving you support when your legs tried to shake.

“You sure you’re okay? We can get a cab and go home. They’ll understand.”

You shook your head, clutching onto him as you took a step.

“I’m okay. I just need to eat something and I’ve been looking forward to this place for weeks.” “I’m right here, okay? If you need anything, just make a motion and I’m there.” “Thank you, buddy.”

Steve smiled, keeping hold of your hand as he led you into the restaurant, sitting beside you at the big circular table.

You sipped your ginger ale as everyone at the table went through a few bottles of wine. Steve’s cheeks and nose were red by the second bottle, and he kept a hand on you at all times, something you didn’t mind one bit. You thought you kept seeing Christine with a knowing smile, but she’d turn and talk to Pepper before you could say anything.

“Okay, you know what? I’m just going to do it. I’m gonna go for it.”

You lifted an eyebrow and Tony moved a hand to point two fingers at you and Steve.

“How did this happen?”

You shook your head and Tony went on.

“We’re all friends, yeah. But how did you two go from friends to … having a baby?”

You blushed as you looked to Steve, and he shrugged his thick shoulders, a smile on his face. You shook your head, taking another sip of your ginger ale.

“You guys need to lay off the wine.” “Oh, come on, Y/N. You knew one of us was going to ask eventually.”

You narrowed your eyes at your sister and Bucky nodded.

“We’re all dying to know.”

Christine tilted her wine glass at you.

“Spare no juicy detail, please. Some of us are in a dry spell.” “And whose fault is—ow, Pepper. That was my foot.” “I know it was.”

You laughed at the way Bucky was glaring at your sister and you shook your head.

“There are some things even friends don’t need to know.”

Christine let out a laugh.

“Trust me, honey bunny. We all need to know this.”

You looked to Steve, who shrugged his shoulders again, that amused look still on his face. He leaned in and whispered in your ear, his warm breath tickling and causing goosebumps to rise up and down your spine.

“Tell them as much or as little as you want. We both know what really happened.”

You met his eyes again and he winked at you before he settled back in his chair. You took in a breath, letting it out slowly.

“Could we get some more wine? I don’t know if I want you all remembering this.” “Oh, come on!”

You laughed at Christine’s whine and laid your hands on the table.

“This does not leave this table.”

Eager heads nodded as you looked from seat to seat, and you sighed.

“You remember the Pepperony Party?”

Bucky smiled.

“Best pizza party I’ve ever been to.” “Yeah, I didn’t know we could have that much fun at a pizza party as adults.”

Christine smiled at Pepper and Tony, and Steve lifted his glass to his lips.

“That was a fun night.”

You waited for Steve’s words to sink in, and you knew it had happened when Christine and Pepper looked to you.

“Seriously?!”

You laughed, then nodded. Christine shook her head.

“Wha … how?!” “You see Chrissy, sometimes when two people—“ “Oh, shut up, Barnes.”

You laughed again, turning your head to look at Steve, your mind drifting back.

“I don’t think Buck will be waking up any time soon.” “Yeah, I just poured Christine into a cab. Tony and Pep went to bed a while ago.”

Steve nodded, tilting his head as he looked at you.

“How drunk are you?”

You smiled.

“I feel good, but not like I’ll regret it tomorrow. You?” “About the same. I know my face is red, but I can still walk a straight line.”

He demonstrated, wobbling only a little bit, and you giggled.

“Very good.”

You grabbed a few empty pizza boxes and stacked them on top of each other. You carried them over to the counter and set them down, turning to look for a garbage bag. Steve handed one to you and you nodded your thanks. He walked around and picked up more empty boxes, stacking them before flattening them with one hand.

He looked to you and you gave an exaggerated shiver.

“My hero. So strong.”

Steve chuckled, rolling his eyes.

“Can we recycle these boxes?” “Big, strong, handsome, and worried about the environment? You really are my hero.” “Stop it.”

You giggled, then nodded.

“I think so. But we couldn’t put them in a trash bag, could we?”

He shrugged his shoulders, then nodded at you.

“If we put them in the bag, we can carry it down to the recycling easier.” “I knew there was a reason I kept you around.”

You pushed boxes down, stuffing them into the bag.

“That’s not the … only reason you keep me around, is it?”

You glanced over your shoulder, seeing him leaning against the counter, elbow propped up on a stack of boxes.

“What do you mean?”

He shrugged, turning his back to you as he opened one of the boxes and inspected its contents.

“Hey, there’s still some supreme left over. I thought for sure that guy from Pepper’s office had eaten it all.” “Steve.”

He looked your way.

“What is it?”

He sighed, closing the box.

“I just … I don’t know.” “Hey.”

He looked to you and you set the bag in one of the chairs in the kitchen. You crossed your arms over your chest and walked to him.

“It’s me, buddy. You can talk to me.”

Steve nodded, looking down at his hands.

“I’ve been questioning everything here lately.” “What do you mean?”

He met your eyes.

“Ever since Peggy left, I … I don’t know.”

You didn’t say anything, and he blew out a breath.

“Why, you know? Why did she leave? Why now? Why all of a sudden wasn’t I good enough for her? And if she can just up and leave the way she did, what’s stopping everyone else from doing that?”

You blinked and he shook his head.

“Just forget I said anything. Maybe I’m drunker than I thought.” “Steve.” “Come on, I’ll take the bags down and get a cab home.”

He stopped, hanging his head. You swallowed as you lifted a hand to your mouth. Months back, Steve had to move out of the apartment he and Peggy had shared for years, because he could no longer afford it on his own. With you and the rest of your group well ensconced in your living situations, Steve had no choice but to give up his lease. Thankfully, Christine had a spare bedroom since her cousin had taken a job out of state, and she readily offered it to Steve.

He lifted a hand to rub his eyes and shook his head.

“When did things get so fucked up?”

You walked to him, getting right up in his space and wrapping your arms around him. His arms encircled you, holding tightly enough that tears came to your eyes.

“I’m here, Steve. I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.” “Promise?”

His soft question broke your heart and you nodded and you held him tighter.

“I promise.”

He leaned back enough to look in your eyes and you blinked as you looked up at him. You moved a hand to his stubbled cheek and he closed his eyes, leaning into your touch. You leaned in closer as he did the same, and your hand fell from his cheek to his shoulder. You went up on your tiptoes …

And both of you looked to the window as a horn suddenly blared on the streets below. You stepped back at the same time that Steve did, lifting your hands to your cheeks to feel them burning. Steve pushed a hand through his hair, stammering as he spoke.

“I, uh … I’ll take these bags down and toss them in the um … the … recycling on my way out.”

You nodded, turning away from him and beginning to pack up the remaining slices of pizza.

“Do you want to take some pizza with you?”

You glanced over your shoulder and Steve met your gaze, cheeks flushed and eyes sparkling. He nodded.

“Sure, that … that sounds good.”

You nodded, packing up a box with what you knew were his favorites. He gathered the rest of the empty boxes and smashed them down, packing the bags and then walking out the door. When it closed behind him, you sank into a chair, covering your face with your hands.

What was that? What had you almost done?

And why couldn’t you stop thinking that it might not have been the worst thing?

You groaned, shaking your head and pushing yourself up again. You placed the rest of the leftover pizza into Tony and Pepper’s fridge, knowing that if nothing else, Bucky would come and mooch off of them tomorrow.

You stared at the box you’d packed for Steve, pressing your lips together. You shook your head, cleaning up the last little bit before taking the pizza box and carrying it across the hall. You slid your jacket from your shoulders, shivering at the temperature in your apartment on your tank top covered shoulders, the unseasonably cool almost-June night finally reaching you. You opened the fridge to get … something, stopping when a quiet knock sounded at the door. You swallowed, opening it and seeing Steve standing there.

“I forgot my pizza.”

You smiled at him, opening the door wider and stepping aside to let him in, walking to the fridge and opening it again.

“Do you want a beer or something?” “Y/N.”

You let out a shaky breath, closing the fridge. You turned back to face him, hands in the pockets of his dark jeans, wearing a thin red sweater. You shivered, lifting your hands to rub at your bare arms.

“Has it been this cool all night?” “I don’t want to talk about the weather.”

You nodded.

“What do you want to talk about?”

You met his stare, keeping your eyes on his for two heartbeats before you both moved at the same time, you wrapping your arms around his neck as his hands came around your waist. Your lips met his and you could swear electricity shot through your whole body. His hands moved under your thighs and you jumped, wrapping your legs around his waist as he carried you into your bedroom, shutting and locking the door behind him.

“So?”

You blinked as you looked to Christine, the expectant look on her face bringing you out of your memories.

“So what?”

She rolled her eyes.

“So who came onto who? Was it a one-time thing? Did you lay out ground rules? Come to a mutual agreement?”

You looked to Steve, saw him release his bottom lip from between his teeth. You swallowed, knowing that he was remembering as well as you did, despite the drinks you’d both consumed that night. His eyes held a dark sparkle to them and you blinked as you looked back to Christine. You moved your lips, no sound coming from your mouth, going still when Steve’s voice, deeper than usual, sounded from beside you.

“It was a mutual agreement. Sort of like how the details will be something you all never find out.” “What?! Oh, come on!”

Steve shook his head, leaning forward, laying one arm around your shoulders as he gripped the other side of your chair.

“Y/N was right. Some things even friends don’t need to know.”

You closed your eyes as he pressed his lips against your bare shoulder, then stood up, walking away from the table. You blinked your eyes back open, staring at the tabletop, unable to miss the wide-eyed stares from all around you.

“Just shut up.”

Pepper pointed towards Steve.

“What was that all about?” “Shut up.”

You swallowed, lifting your glass of ginger ale and draining it.

“Can I ask you something?”

You set your purse on the counter and set about taking off your earrings.

“Sure.”

Bucky unbuttoned his suit jacket, slipping it off his shoulders.

“You and Steve … it’s still on the table, isn’t it?” “What do you mean?”

Bucky smiled as he started to unbutton the cuffs of his shirt.

“You guys are way more than just two friends having a baby. You want more, don’t you?” “That doesn’t matter.” “You mean to tell me if he walked in right now all caveman and tossed you over his shoulder, you wouldn’t go for it?”

You sighed.

“Bucky ... If my standards were just a little lower, I’d ‘go for it’ with you.”

He blinked wide blue eyes and you smiled, leaving the earrings on the counter.

“Good night.”

You left him in the middle of the living room, shutting and locking the door behind you before you sank onto your bed. You ran a hand over your face, then set about taking your shoes off. You glanced back at your phone, biting your lip when you thought of how easy it would be to give Steve a call, get him to come over so the two of you end up in the bed where all of this began.

You laid a hand low on your stomach and sighed, lying down on your back and staring up at the ceiling. Your eyes were suddenly heavy, and you closed them, letting out a deep exhale.

“Tell me you want this.”

You gave a soft laugh, meeting Steve’s stormy blue eyes when he pulled back to look at you. You nodded, looping your arms around his neck.

“I want this, Steve. I want you.”

He gave what you could imagine to be a relieved exhale, ducking his head to press his lips to yours. You moaned, letting your head fall back as he laid you on the bed, his lips attacking your neck as your hands went to rest at his ridiculously tiny waist.

He pulled your tank top down, moaning as he saw your lacy black bra. He lowered his head to your breasts, and you gasped, moving your hands to cup his face as his freshly trimmed beard scritched at your skin.

“Steve.” “Shh, babe. I got you.”

He lifted his head to kiss you again, and you sighed into the kiss as his body settled atop yours. You ran your hands down his back, feeling the muscles bunch and ripple under your touch. You’d always thought Steve had a great body, and now that you had the chance, you were determined to show him your appreciation. You pushed your hands under his sweater and he leaned back, grabbing the sweater at the neck and pulling it over his head.

“Wow.”

Steve smiled as you stared at his bare chest, letting his head fall back with a low moan as you slowly ran your hands from his collarbones down to the waistband of his jeans. You unbuttoned them before he took hold of your wrists and pushed you back against the bed, and you stared up at him, your wrists still encased in his hands.

Your breath came heavier, and Steve lifted an eyebrow as he smiled. You shook your head and he gave a soft laugh before he leaned down, fixing his lips to yours. He let go of your wrists and moved to grip your waist, rolling the two of you until you were straddling his hips.

You stared down at him and he moved his hands to lace his fingers with yours.

“You okay?”

You nodded, giving him a little smile.

“I’m good, I just …” “What, babe?”

You bit your bottom lip.

“There’s no going back from this. We’re crossing a line here, Steve.” “You okay with that?”

You let your eyes travel over his face, down to where his chest was rising and falling, his abs clenching with every breath he took. You took your time bringing your eyes back to his, smiling at the knowing look on his face. You reached back and unclasped your bra, sliding it down your arms and dropping it off the side of the bed.

Steve pursed his lips as he blew out a long, slow breath, his eyes on your chest before he looked back up to your eyes. He shook his head, sitting up and putting his face between your breasts, making you moan as your hands moved to hold him where he was.

Steve lifted his head, looking up at you as you pushed a hand through his hair.

“Do you have a condom?” “Check the drawer. If not, I know Bucky has some in the bathroom.”

Steve wrapped an arm around you, keeping you close, giving you access to kiss and nibble at his neck as he leaned over and pulled open your bedside drawer. He came back with a foil packet between two fingers and you smiled as you pushed him back to the bed, tossing your hair back before you leaned over him, kissing him deeply as his hands danced down to push your leggings off.

TAGS: @star-spangled-man-with-a-plan, @captain-rogers-beard, @captain-s-rogers, @alexfayer, @rhiisnotawitch, @janeyboo, @zlixlle, @aurorasinger, @katielu-blog, @sandlee44, @iamwarrenspeace, @sebbystanlover-vk, @sofipatey, @poemfreak306, @teainaukgarden, @godhateskyleigh, @kaylaphantomhive, @vivalaplutonium, @katecupcakekate, @thatgirl-xx-thatgirl, @renalilo, @astrid345, @theonelittleone, @sebbytrash, @bionic-buckyb, @dudahmautner, @allyp1023, @nerdgirljen, @ashrod98, @rednamrahc, @ghostly-balloon-collector, @theplaidshirtmadness, @pagan-geek-girl-4-life, @itzmegaaaaaaan, @tumariposaroja, @thefanficfaerie, @wintersoldierswhore, @nerdy-bookworm-1998, @nuvoleincielo, @unapologeticallymimi, @shhhs3cret

#unexpected series #marvel au #marvel fanfiction #marvel reader insert #marvel crossover #marvel x friends crossover #friends #friends to lovers #female reader #Steve Rogers #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers x you #bucky barnes #pepper potts #tony stark #christine palmer #pregnancy #unplanned pregnancy

334 notes · View notes

scarletroseofrwby · 5 years

Text

TCSE AU Chapter 21:

Weiss’s heart sank the next morning. She had awoken happily with Ruby on her shoulder, both their arms wrapped around each other, Ruby’s ringed hand exposed. She smiled as she admired it, but then saw the blonde brute staring deeply into her soul.

“You and I got some talking to do, Schnee.” Whenever Yang used her last name, it was never a good sign.

I’m in for it now, she thought as she carefully lifted Ruby up, carrying the young girl to her bed. She tucked Ruby in gently, cautious not to wake her.

After Ruby was in bed, still sound asleep, Yang hastily stepped outside the dorm, Weiss following reluctantly.

“What the hell is on her finger?”

“A ring.”

Yang’s eyes flashed red, and Weiss knew she couldn’t play that card right now. “Don’t play smart-ass with me, Schnee. Testing my patience won’t do you any good. What the fuck is on my sister’s finger?”

“I’m sure you’re smart enough to figure that out.”

“She’s too young to be engaged--oh my god, Weiss,” Yang ran her fingers through her hair, her face unreadable. “Weiss, a promise? You two weren’t even a thing, don’t you think you’re jumping the gun?”

“That’s not true, we’ve been a couple since Christmas Eve.”

“That doesn’t help your case, Weiss. That’s only two days. Okay,” the blonde let out a hefty breath, “not that I don’t support you, but are you a hundred percent sure about this? Can I really trust you to make this much of a commitment?”

“Yang, the card--”

“I know what I said on the card, but this is my sister. I really care about her and want nothing more than for her to be happy and well.”

“I understand and I believe we can make this work. I know we can.”

“You know, Weiss, the word believe has the word lie in it. How do I know you’re not just lying to yourself? You’ve hurt her before, I don’t want to see you lay a damn finger on her if it means her harm.”

Weiss could feel her heart breaking over what she had done. “Yang, that was different! I--Neptune tricked me!”

“How do you know you’re not tricking yourself?”

The heiress stopped and took a moment to stare Yang down. She didn’t need to think. Her answer would never change because this is what she truly wanted.

“I haven’t known her as long as you do, and I haven’t dated her very long either, but she’s already done so much for me. She’s saved me more times than I can count, she’s been so patient with me when everybody else absolutely abhorred me. And I’ve even wanted her to leave my life and let me be alone! But she stuck with me anyway.” Weiss looked earnestly into Yang’s lilac yes. “There are so many reasons I want to be with her, so many things I see that other people might not. Ruby is more special than anyone gives her credit for, she’s so talented and amazing and I can’t describe how she makes me feel.

“And that’s why I have to be with her. I want to make her feel the way she makes me feel. I want to be with her when she’s had the worst day ever, I want to be with her when she’s had her best days, and I want to be the best huntress I can be so that in turn, I can save her one day. I have to love her and make her happy. I have to promise her that I’ll be patient. I have to promise that I’ll be there for her and save her. I have to promise to be the best partner I can be because...”

Yang smiled, for she knew where Weiss was going with this.

“Because I really love her. I genuinely love her more than anything.”

The blonde brute gently placed a hand on the smaller girl’s shoulder, a bright smile stretching from ear to ear. “I don’t know if you realized, but my gift to you had a meaning behind it.”

“How so?”

“The ice represented your heart. You were cold, ruthless, and pretty petty at the beginning. I used the rose to symbolize--”

“Ruby,” Weiss finished.

“Exactly. I was wondering if it was actually going to work or not. But the rose melted the ice faster than I thought. And because of that, your heart softened. You let her in, and I give you my blessing.”

Weiss nodded and hugged the taller girl tightly. “I won’t let you down.”

“Alright, alright now. Let’s get some coffee since Ruby won’t be awake ‘til eight, then we’ll come back and let Ruby tell me all about your relationship.” Yang patted the smaller girl’s back as they pulled apart. They went back into the dorm room to change their clothes, Yang quietly murmuring to Blake after doing so.

The heiress prompted to writing Ruby a little note in case she woke up before they returned. In her usual cursive handwriting, she wrote:

Good morning, Ruby. Yang and I went out to get some coffee, we plan to bring you and Blake coffee as well. Don’t worry, I’ll get your usual: cream and five sugars. Get dressed for the day, we’re all going out when Yang and I get back.

I love you, Ruby. See you later.

To end her letter, she drew a couple of hearts and smiled as she left the note on her desk.

“Hey Snowcone, you done over there? The sun’s gonna come up soon, we can’t miss it!” Yang whispered, standing at the door with her biker jacket in hand.

Weiss nodded, taking her white parka with her. Yang handed her Ruby’s helmet, saying, “You’re gonna need this as well.”

She followed Yang outside to the yellow bike she dubbed Bumblebee. Upon putting on the red helmet, she smelled the same scent of shampoo she used. It was technically her partner’s, but what Ruby doesn’t know can’t hurt her, right?

Besides, roses and vanilla smelled better than lavender with too many essential oils and crap. She didn’t enjoy how her own shampoo felt in her hair anyway.

“Snowcone, can you hear me? Are the headsets working fine?” The blonde’s voice was slightly muffled, but clear enough to be distinguishable.

“They’re working just fine, Yang.”

“Great. Are you ready to go?”

“Yes,” Weiss replied, sitting on the rear seat of the bike. “What do you want to do today? I want to treat the team--”

“As if you don’t already, Weiss. We can cover our own expenses. Whatever it is you guys want to do today, I’ll pay for it.”

Yang revved up the bike the same way Ruby does, driving off into the city of Vale. They had gone straight to Vale’s Finest, returning swiftly with four hot coffees. Ruby had awoken within that amount of time, and as they sat at the dining table in the kitchen, Ruby decided it was time to reveal their relationship--oblivious to the fact that Yang already knew.

“Hey Yang, can I tell you something? It’s about me and Weiss,” the young girl looked to her girlfriend who nodded in response.

“What’s up?” Yang asked, trying to act clueless.

“Weiss and I are girlfriends. Since Christmas Eve. And we made a promise.” Ruby showed off her ring, Blake looking at the siblings with a surprised face.

“Well congrats Rubes! You two better take care of each other!” The blonde smiled, and Weiss noted the genuineness in it.

“When did you two make a promise?” Blake asked.

“Last night while you two were asleep,” Weiss responded.

“Damn, I always miss everything good,” Yang mumbled. “Anyway, what’s the plan today?”

“You mean you two don’t have one?” Ruby asked, tilting her head slightly as she sipped her coffee.

The heiress shook her head. “Not particularly, no.”

“I don’t know about you guys,” Blake started, “but I’m kinda in the training mood. Maybe we could check out the training hall and spar there?”

“Ooh, that sounds fun! And then we can watch a movie after that!” Ruby added.

Yang smiled. “I’ll buy the tickets then.”

“Then it’s a plan?” Weiss asked.

Ruby nodded, and the team finished their coffees and prepared their weapons.

The snow outside continued to fall, and Ruby was absolutely happy.

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

The week had gone by quickly, and now it was New Year’s Eve. This morning, Ruby and Yang were playing video games with Jaune in their dorm. Blake and Weiss had gone out with the rest of JNPR to train in Emerald Forest. Ruby was currently beating both the blondes, winning her fourth game in a row.

“You guys really suck with this map.” Ruby said bluntly.

“Gee, thanks Ruby.” Jaune gave a pout. He gazed at Ruby’s hand and noticed the ring. “What’s the ring for?” he asked before taking a sip of his soda.

“Didn’t Ruby tell you? She’s engaged,” was Yang’s deadpan response.

Upon hearing those words, Jaune’s drink sputtered out of his mouth, spraying onto the holographic screen in front of them. He burst into a coughing fit, trying to clear his throat of the liquid that ran down the wrong pipe.

“Yeah, my dad sold me off to Ren yesterday.” Ruby said, staring down at her feet.

“What?!” Jaune’s shrill voice caused Yang’s laughter to burst out, Ruby as well.

“We’re just joking, Jaune. It’s a promise ring from Weiss.” The brunette said as she calmed down.

“So you two finally got together?”

Ruby nodded and smiled. Jaune smiled back and patted his friend’s shoulder, no words were needed to be said as the action had spoken for itself.

“Have you two gone on a date yet?” the older leader asked.

“No,” Ruby responded, “not yet. I was actually planning to ask her once she got back.”

“Ooh, where do you plan to go, Rubes?”

“To the aquarium. I don’t think she’s ever been before,” the youngest replied.

The three started another round of their game, and in the middle of it, Yang had suddenly remembered she was asked to help with the student council’s business again.

“Shoot, I nearly forgot something,” Yang mumbled.

“What’d you forget?” Jaune inquired.

Yang’s character died, and she dropped her control and flopped onto her back. “I’m supposed to help out with the New Year’s party tonight.”

“Jeez, you’re doing everything for them, aren’t you?” Ruby let out a hefty breath. “You aren’t even in the council anyway, why do they keep coming to you?”

“I’m the only one who can lift the equipment when Glynda’s busy.” The brute flexed her biceps, Jaune pouting with his arms crossed. “Awe c’mon, don’t feel that way, Jaune. They can’t be that bad, so let’s see ‘em!”

Jaune rolled up his sleeves and flexed his biceps, the two sisters trying their hardest not to laugh. But they failed miserably, and held up their own guns.

“How on Remnant are yours bigger than mine, Ruby?”

Ruby smirked. “You have no idea how much Crescent Rose truly weighs. Those blades are made out of the best and strongest metals on the planet. Of course they’re heavy.”

“Yup! My sister’s even got a six pack!” The siblings stood back-to-back and flexed their muscles in a manly manner. In their humorous man voices, they declared, “Sister stud attack!”

“What is that? You both look stupid,” Jaune whined, only speaking in jealousy.

“You look stupid,” Yang shot back, her pose unwavering. “This is how Ruby and I are gonna flirt with our girls.”

Feeling a rumble in her pocket, Ruby took out the source--her scroll--and saw Weiss’s contact light up on the screen. She had sent her a message, and Ruby opened the scroll to read it.

We’re on our way back, Ruby. I’ll be home within ten minutes or so.

Ruby smiled at that.

Sounds great! I love you, Weiss!

Three dots blinked repeatedly as she waited for her girlfriend to type her message. It finally came, and a group of five words came in response.

I love you too, Ruby.

The young girl could feel her heart flutter in her chest, excitement and ecstasy overcoming her. She was going to ask Weiss out on their first date. Weiss was going to love the aquarium without a doubt. Vale’s Marine Reservoir was one of the best architecturally designed buildings in the city. Weiss loved fancy stuff like that.

After one more round of video games and claiming another victory, Ruby went back to the dorm to wait for Weiss. She’d be back within two to three minutes at this point, and then she’d be able to ask her out. Yang decided to wait at the landing pads with Jaune.

Ruby looked out the window and saw her partner walking through the white snow on the ground. She looked absolutely beautiful, and the red scarf she wore made her stand out in the snow. The brunette then sat in her chair at her desk and waited for her partner like a puppy.

Then she heard the lock click, the doorknob turning. As soon as the door opened, Ruby rushed in a flurry of rose petals to squeeze the older girl like it had been decades since they last met.

“Welcome home, Weiss!”

“Ruby--I need--to breath!” the heiress gasped as she was currently being constricted by her dolt of a partner.

“Oops, sorry.” Ruby released her girlfriend and gace an apologetic smile.

“Dolt,” Weiss sighed, her small grin unwavering. “You haven’t changed yet?”

“Nah, these pajamas are too comfy.” Ruby helped Weiss unravel her scarf, removing it and setting it on the desk beside her. “How was training?”

Weiss let out a breath of exasperation. “It was...interesting.”

“Yeah?” The two sat down on the heiress’ bed, Ruby letting Weiss continue with her story.

“We came across a pack of albino Beowolves, which made it difficult to distinguish from everything else--”

“Because of the snow,” Ruby added.

The silverette nodded. “Exactly. I honestly felt bad for Ren. He used his semblance the whole time and never got to fight.”

“Oh, to mask your emotions? That’s his semblance, right?”

“Mm-hmm, that is correct. Though I suppose it’s good practice to condition your aura by extending your use of semblance.”

The brunette leaned against Weiss, both girls wrapping their arms around each other gently. “Anything else happen?”

“Nora set fire to Pyrrha. She seemed fine with it, I don’t think she was even phased by it at all.”

“Huh,” Ruby grinned. “I guess that girl was on fire.”

“You should stop listening to your sister. I don’t want to have to think I’m dating Yang. I’d much rather date you.”

Ruby smiled. Weiss had set it up perfectly for her. “Speaking of dating, we haven’t actually gone on a real one, and it’s been a week. Do you want to go out with me?”

Icy eyes stared into silver eyes, and the white-clad girl arched an eyebrow. “Today?”

“Yeah, it’ll be fun! Though, I was kinda thinking now? Is that alright?”

A smile curled onto Weiss’s lips, and she nodded at her partner’s question. “I’d be delighted to go with you, Ruby, but where do you plan to go at a time like this where every place would be busy or closed?”

“I was thinking we could go to Vale’s Marine Reservoir. It’s a really awesome aquarium, but it’s on the other side of the city.”

“That sounds fine, but what about tickets? Will there not be a long line?”

Ruby produced two tickets from her biker jacket sitting on her bed. She waved them in front of Weiss with a grin. “My uncle sent these to me from Patch, asking me to go with Yang. Yang said to save them for someone else--specifically you.”

“Alright then. Give me a few minutes to get ready.” Weiss untangled herself from their embrace and stood from her bed, proceeding towards the bathroom. Ruby took the moment to change out of her pajamas and into something more casual. But practically anything she wore felt casual.

“Ripped jeans and biker jacket it is,” she mumbled while pulling out the two articles from her drawer. She decided to take the newer jacket Weiss had bought her not too long ago. A pair of black ripped jeans and her new coat was the outfit of the day. “Maybe I’ll wear a hat too.”

She grabbed a red beanie from the top of her drawer and put it on her head. Putting on a red pair of Converse shoes, she sat down on Weiss’s bed, awaiting her to finish.

Suddenly, she heard the bathroom door unlock, the doorknob twisting open. As the door opened up, Weiss stood in all of her beauty. She wore a white and red plaid coat and denim shorts that stopped at the middle of her thigh, fishnets covering the rest of her legs. Her black army boots (most likely Ruby’s) came up to her calves, and a beige beret sat snugly on her head. She wore her hair down, which Ruby absolutely adored.

Ruby didn’t know when it happened, but her face started heating up and she couldn’t look away. “Y-You look r-really beautiful, Weiss.”

Weiss blushed in turn, trying to come up with a reply. “Th-Thank you, Ruby. You look charming y-yourself.”

This brought a smile to Ruby, as if she wasn’t this whole time. “Nervous much?”

“It’s not like you can say anything, dolt! You’re stuttering too!”

The young leader looked down at Weiss’s fishnets. “Are you sure your legs will be warm enough? It’s really cold out today. I have pants if you need some.”

“Ruby, where do you think I’ve lived for the majority of my life?”

“I know, Solitas, but still,” Ruby crossed her arms and gave her girlfriend a look of concern.

“I appreciate your concern, Ruby, but I assure you,” Weiss placed a kiss on Ruby’s nose, “I’ll be just fine.”

“Okay, well, I’m bringing my backpack anyway. I’ll pack extra pants if you need them.” With that said, the brunette grabbed her black backpack and grabbed a pair of her cargo pants, stuffing it inside of her bag. She grabbed her helmet as well as Yang’s, linking arms with her girlfriend as they left. Ruby handed Weiss her own helmet, red and black being the main colors. The helmet Ruby held for herself was Yang’s, a yellow helmet covered with fire and bee decals.

“Ooh, hold on, we should wear our scarves and match!” Ruby dragged Weiss back to the dorm, which was only a few steps away.

“You have a red scarf?”

“Yeah, Velvet got me one for Secret Santa. You should wear yours!” The young girl grabbed both red scarves and gave her partner her scarf while wrapping her own. Weiss took the scarf and wrapped it around her neck, and both girls glanced at each other while walking down the halls.

“The trip’s a little far, so let me know if you need anything.” Weiss nodded in response, and Ruby smiled once more.

Ruby put her red and black helmet on as soon as she got on her bike, waiting for Weiss to do the same. After slipping on some leather gloves, she rested her hands on her thighs. Weiss put on the red helmet, breathing in Ruby’s rosy scent. She got on the bike and wrapped her arms around Ruby’s waist to ensure her safety.

“Are you ready?” Ruby asked, looking over her shoulder to meet Weiss’s gaze.

Weiss nodded, loving how Ruby’s voice sounded in the headset. Ever so slightly muffled, but sweet and innocent. “Ready when you are, fearless leader.”

Of course this would make Ruby titter. “Alright then. Off we go!”

Revving the bike up like before, the two were off. It was very cold outside, and the winds from the speeds made it colder. But it was nothing Weiss wasn’t familiar with. She’d worn only skirts and thin cardigans outside in freezing weather whenever her father had business parties. Of course she’d never really done anything other than follow her father around and occasionally wander off to solitude.

“Ruby, when did you learn to drive a motorcycle? And how could you drive before your sixteenth birthday?” Weiss asked suddenly.

“In Patch, they license drivers and motorcycle riders at fifteen. Yang taught me when I was around thirteen or fourteen. I had my permit not long after my fourteenth birthday. Then I tested on my fifteenth birthday, which means I’ve been licensed for over a year now.” Ruby stopped, the traffic light above turning red. “My dad bought me this motorbike for Christmas after I got my permit.”

“Impressive. Everywhere else in the world licenses at sixteen, why does Patch license at fifteen?”

“I honestly have no clue. Patch is a small town, and I don’t think its actually under control of Vale’s government. I’m pretty sure they have their own government system thing, so their laws are a little different. I don’t remember a whole lot about the system, but I ain’t complaining. I’m allowed to drive, so it doesn’t matter to me.”

The heiress tittered, leaning closer to her partner. “Why do you want to be a huntress, Ruby?”

“That’s a long story, and one that would take some time for me to explain.”

“Oh, I see,” Weiss rubbed her partner’s stomach gently. “I understand. Take as much time as you need.”

Moments of silence followed as they sped down the snowy lanes of the city. With the new year coming in, the city was decorated in classy street lights, ornaments and mistletoe taken down for next year’s use.

“We’re going to merge onto the highway, so I’d recommend holding tight to me.”

Doing as she was told, Weiss held Ruby’s waist tighter. “This isn’t just a ploy to get me to hug you tighter, is it?”

“No. Well, I mean it could be, but I didn’t intend that. You’d hug me tighter anyway.” Ruby proceeded to turn onto the freeway, speeding up immensely.

Weiss didn’t deny it. She most likely would’ve done so anyway, and how could she not? Ruby was the warmest and kindest dolt she knew. There was no one else like her, no other Ruby Rose in Remnant.

Looking down at the ground, the silverette noticed it was iced over with patches of white covering some spots. “

The roads are slick; please be careful, Ruby.”

“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing,” the brunette reassured, moving to the next lane. “I’m your fully-capable leader aaaaaaaand girlfriend!”

“Yes you are, you dolt.”

After about thirty minutes of driving, Ruby headed towards the freeway exit. Within that amount of time, Weiss took the chance to lean into Ruby’s warmth, enjoying the smell of roses inside the helmet. They had also discussed plans for the next semester as well as which teammate had the best weapon. Ruby argued that her scythe was the best, Weiss not denying it since hers was not made herself.

Ruby merged onto the exit, entering back into the city streets. “Almost there, Weiss. You don’t need to hug so tightly now.”

“But I want to hug you tightly.”

“Hmm. I told you you’d do it anyway.”

Weiss rolled her eyes, and Ruby knew she did. “Whatever.”

A truck drove beside Ruby, their windows rolling down. Two young men were smiling at them, more specifically Weiss.

“Hey girl, you got some nice legs there,” one of the men said. His voice was disturbing, it sounded similar to Neptune’s in a way.

The other man smirked. “With a pair of nice legs like that, I bet she’s got a real nice a--”

Ruby lifted the pro shield on her helmet and glared at the two. “Back off pervs, she’s got a girlfriend.”

“A girlfriend, huh? Who might that be? We might have to talk to her.” the driver said, his smirk disgusting Ruby to no end.

“You’re talking to her already, dumbasses. Now step off before I make you.” Ruby revved her bike up again and drove off, continuing their trip to the aquarium.

Weiss sighed, dissatisfaction evident in her voice. “I’m sorry, Ruby.”

“For what?”

“You always protect me like that, and I just feel that I’m burdening you. It’s dangerous for you to be with me, especially if my father finds out. I don’t want to drag you into that kind of trouble.”

Ruby shook her head and stopped again, the traffic light turning red. She grasped the hands that held her stomach with her right hand, the cold leather surprising Weiss momentarily. “It’s my job to protect you, Weiss. You’re my girlfriend and partner, and I’m your leader. I take my duty very seriously because I love you and I care about you. And if your father finds out, then we’ll face him together. I’ll be with you every step of the way because nobody shoulders these problems alone.”

The traffic light turned green, the vehicles in line proceeding. Ruby made one final turn before reaching the aquarium. Finding a parking spot, she stopped the bike and pulled out her keys. Both girls got off and removed their helmets, Ruby removed her gloves as well.

The enormous building was very extravagant, the architectural design was quite impressive. There were grand marble arches and waterfalls that added to the modern look of the reservoir. The glass panes were so clean and shiny, Weiss hadn’t seen any since she left Solitas.

“Weiss, are you sure you aren’t cold? You’re kinda shivering right now.” Ruby patted the bag on her back. “I still got the pants if you want.”

“I’m fine, Ruby, I’m not shivering. I’m used to these temperatures, and besides, I’ve worn thinner than this in lower temps. I’ll be alright, but I appreciate your concern.”

“Alright then, but let me know if you need it.”

The inside of the aquarium was even more majestic than the outside. Everything was spacious and well-arranged. Giant models of sea creatures hung from the ceiling, arranged in such as way that they were underwater. The lighting made it quite the spectacle.

She was so mesmerized by the scenery of the lobby that she hadn’t realized Ruby was at the front desk, making her way back to Weiss with two wristbands.

“This place is pretty, huh?” Ruby said, taking Weiss’s wrist and wrapping the wristband around it.

Weiss nodded, taking her turn to help Ruby put on hers. “I can see why you wanted to come here. This place is beautiful.”

“It’s only about to get better from here, Weiss.” The young girl grinned, leading Weiss on to the first exhibit.

The first exhibit was a gargantuan cylindrical tank filled with beautiful fish of many kinds. There were large sunfish and angel fish, starfish and anemones, and one of Ruby’s favorites--the clown fish. The beautiful creatures came in many colors, and the coral scenery made for a fantastic viewing.

“It’s really something, isn’t it?” Silver eyes met icy blues, and they both smiled.

Nodding back, Weiss leaned closer to Ruby. “It truly is.”

“My dad told me there’s a bigger one somewhere in this aquarium. We should go find it. He said there were sharks in there too!” Ruby’s excitement was contagious, and Weiss tried her hardest to contain herself.

“We’ll get to it eventually, but let’s take our time. We’re in no rush, are we?”

Ruby’s eyes widened slightly, realizing the context she had given. “Oh, no, not at all. I’m just really excited to be here with you. Like seriously, I’m having so much fun just being with you like this. Are you having fun?”

Weiss gently took Ruby’s hand, holding it tightly with love and kindness. “I am having fun, Ruby.” She could feel the warmth beneath Ruby’s rough, callused hands; she wished to hold onto this forever. Ruby glanced down at their hands and back to Weiss, smiling gently like she hadn’t been before.

“Shall we continue?” The brunette turned her body to face the path that continued through the aquarium.

A nod of confirmation was the response given before Weiss spoke. “I’d very much appreciate that.”

Continuing on with hand in hand, the two watched each different tank in awe and wonder. As they roamed around, Weiss grew more and more fascinated to Ruby’s reactions to each creature. They were adorable and the complete definition of innocence. Although Ruby has proven to be far more mature than most 18-year-olds Weiss knew, she still had a childish side to her that Weiss hoped would never leave. It was one of the many things that made Ruby...Ruby.

“Hey Weiss, you good? You’re kinda staring at...me.” Weiss felt her hand being squeezed softly by her girlfriend.

“Sorry, I was just thinking. I’m fine.”

“What were you thinking about?”

Weiss mentally cursed her pale skin for revealing her blush, and Ruby’s smile did not go unnoticed. “You...”

Ruby’s smile shaped into a smirk, which only further increased Weiss’s embarrassment. “Awwwwwww, Weiss!”

“Keep it down!” Weiss sighed and started walking off, Ruby quickly following. “I was also thinking about lunch. I’m kinda hungry.”

“Oh yeah, now that you mention it--”

The young girl’s stomach interrupted by growling louder than a Beowolf. Weiss rolled her eyes, her smile remaining.

“There’s a cafe after the shark tanks,” Ruby pointed in a certain direction, Weiss nodding as she followed her partner.

The two continued to the shark tanks, and Ruby had the face of a happy, exuberant puppy. She watched each shark in awe and wonder, and once the whale shark came into view, Ruby was completely dumbfounded. She stood in front of the tank with mouth agape and eyes widened. And Weiss had decided her partner looked absolutely beautiful.

After the sharks, they ate lunch at the cafe and finished viewing the last few exhibits. With everything visited and nothing more to be discovered, they had decided it was time to return to Beacon. They had to prepare for the New Year’s Eve party anyway.

As they were about to leave, Ruby felt a tug to her jacket sleeve. She looked to her partner who was looking away, her cheeks dusted with pink. “Ruby...”

“What’s up, Weiss?”

“Can I...borrow the pants?”

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

“Holy Schneet, I never thought I’d see the day where Weiss wears cargo pants.” The blonde oaf was chortling like a pig, much to Weiss’s annoyance. “Rubes, are those yours?”

Ruby nodded and smiled. “Yeah, Weiss barely has any pairs of pants, and those were the smallest I had.”

“They’re so baggy!” Once Yang started, she could never stop.

“Alright, Yang, that’s enough teasing for one day. Weiss seriously looks like she’s about to strangle you.” Blake interfered, Weiss sending her a grateful smile.

“Okay, fine, fine. I need to talk to you, Rubes.”

“What about?”

Yang dragged her sister to the kitchen, winking at Blake. Blake nodded back, and Ruby thought something suspicious was up.

“Weiss and I will be discussing matters of tonight’s outfits.” Blake said, taking Weiss’s arm.

“We will?” Weiss questioned, a white brow arching in suspicion.

“Yes, we will.” The Faunus started leading her teammate out of the dorm, the heiress question fading as the dorm door closed.

“What’s going on, Yang?”

“Sit down,” Yang said as she sat at the dining table. Ruby followed and sat across from her sister, her arms crossing as she was overcome with a sense of nervousness.

“You’re not in trouble or anything. I just gotta ask you: who’s the dominant one in your relationship?”

“What do you mean?”

“Like, who initiates stuff more than the other? Who steps up and defends? Who’s the alpha?”

“Oh, um, I guess I am? We’ve only dated for a week now, and we’re both kinda equal on that kind of thing. But I guess I defend her more since a lot of people are out for her...”

“Rubes, quit rambling. If you really think you’re the alpha, you gotta act like it! Tonight is the last night of the year. You gotta make a statement going into the next year, and you gotta show Weiss who Ruby Rose is! Assert yourself!” The blonde slammed her fist on the table and grinned.

“But I’m small and younger, and I have no idea where to begin with relationships.”

“Ruby, you’re taller than Weiss. You’re sixteen. You have survived a rapist, beat up a rapist, practically become an advocate against rapists, and relationships are just something you figure out yourself.”

“I’m not an advocate for anything,” Ruby mumbled.

“That doesn’t matter. Tonight is the New Year’s Eve party. Every student is going. You’re going to dance with her, you’re going to hold her, and then you’re going to make out with her at midnight. And then you’re gonna make me an aunt.”

“Yang, stop that! I am not going to make you an aunt anytime soon!”

“Tell yourself that, go ahead. It’ll happen one day. You’re getting to the age where you’ll never be able to rip your eyes away from her, especially her a--”

Ruby stood from her chair, the seat scraping against the wood floors with a sudden shriek. “Okay, I’m going to join Weiss and Blake! Don’t you have to help the council?”

“Yeah, but I don’t wanna.”

“Yang, don’t be a lazy butt.” The younger sibling sighed as she dragged the blonde idiot out of the kitchen and into the hallway, dropping her and walking off.

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

The hour had come. It was seven in the evening, and the team was preparing for the party.

“We have to dress our nicest tonight. Blake and I were told the dress code had to be formal.” Weiss said, pulling out a sparkling, white cocktail dress from her drawer.

Blake patted Ruby on the shoulder. “Do you still have that cross necklace? You should wear it again.”

Ruby nodded and smiled before entering the bathroom with her clothes. While Ruby was in the bathroom changing, Yang took it upon herself to change right where she stood. In the middle of the room. Weiss averted her eyes as a bright yellow shirt came off, a pair of black sweatpants following.

“Have you no decency, you blonde oaf?”

“Nope!” The brute sounded the ‘p’ with a loud pop, only causing Weiss to groan.

All of her annoyance had faded as soon as Ruby had exited the bathroom. She stood there in all her beauty. It was the same as the dance; the red button down with sleeves rolled up to the elbows, the black waistcoat, the black tie, and the silver cross. Her hair had been done in a different matter, a slicked back hairstyle (otherwise known as the ducktail), Weiss knew.

“Just as charming as when you asked me to dance,” Weiss spoke, moving closer to her partner. “You look absolutely beautiful, though I think you should put on a bit of makeup. Your bangs are up, and your acne won’t cover itself.”

“What? But I don’t know how to put on makeup. Why do I have to wear makeup?”

Weiss tittered. “I’m going as your date, and no date of mine will leave this room without looking presentable. Blake can help you while I change and get ready.”

Blake nodded and smiled, and Ruby moved so that Weiss could have her turn in the bathroom. The Faunus then applied foundation and concealer to Ruby’s face, adding a small amount of blush afterwards. She then did Ruby’s eyeliner and mascara, and finally some red lipstick.

When Weiss came out, Ruby had the same face Weiss had given her before. Awestruck, dumbfounded, however you could describe her, she was amazed. Weiss’s cocktail dress hugged her figure nicely, the outlines of her abdomen could be seen, and her curves were pretty much the highlights. Her hair was put up in a messy bun, and Ruby thought she looked gorgeous.

“Wow, Weiss,” Ruby didn’t know what to say. “You look...incredible.”

“Thank you, Ruby. I wouldn’t tell you to wear makeup more often, but you do look very nice with it on.” Weiss smiled and took Ruby’s blazer, handing it to the younger girl.

“Yang, are you done yet? Blake dressed faster than you can put on a shirt!” the young leader teased.

“That’s because these jugs are a hassle! You wouldn’t understand!” Yang smirked. “Just you wait until Blake and I get our own house. I won’t be wearing anything all day, every day.”

Ruby grimaced, and Weiss face palmed. Blake had no reaction, though the red and white duo could tell she was beginning to question her life choices.

“Just hurry up!”

About ten minutes later, the team was ready and dressed in their suits and cocktail dresses. The monochrome duo were the ones with the dresses while the dorky sisters wore their suits and ties. Both couples walked to the dance with arms linked, following the mass of the crowd that moved onward to the ballroom.

The students there were already dancing and drinking and conversing with each other. Everybody was dressed in their finest garments, ranging from tuxedos to fancy jumpsuits. Ruby immediately went over to the long table of food. Weiss rolled her eyes and smiled as she watched her ridiculous dolt stuff food into her mouth. She could swear that Ruby’s stomach is a black hole.

Over the next couple of hours, toasts were said, cheers were shouted, and the last 20 minutes of the year were to be filled with dances and the final kiss at midnight. From what Ruby had heard, everybody rushes outside for the last song to watch the fireworks as they danced. That was going to be exciting.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to dance with your dates! Grab your partner and get to the dance floor, we’re going out with a bang!” the MC announced, every student scrambling around to find their dance partner. Lucky for Ruby, her dance partner had been beside her the entire time.

Yang snickered, drawing the attention of her raven-haired girlfriend. “Go out with a bang? I always like to go out with a Y--”

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence, Yang Xiao Long, or so help me I will dump you right here and now.”

“What? Blaaaaaaaake, you can’t dump me!”

The Faunus smirked. “Oh yeah? Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t.”

“Because you looove me?”

Nothing more was said as the bumblebee duo made their way onto the dance floor. Yang had won her over with ease.

Ruby held her partner’s hand and smiled smugly. “May I have this dance?”

Weiss smirked in response and followed her partner. “I’d be honored.”

Tonight was different than before. It was not them who had the spotlight, but Jaune and Pyrrha. Ruby was thankful, thinking that she and Weiss had had enough of the attention for one month. Besides, Jaune and Pyrrha had not yet confessed, and everybody was waiting for Jaune to stop being so oblivious.

The songs went on, and Ruby and Weiss had danced like never before. Their skills combined, their smiles never ceased, and their gazes were locked on each other. Hands were intertwined, foreheads were pressed against each other, and before they knew it, they found themselves on the balcony outside of the ballroom. The shattered moon created a spotlight for them, and the two slow danced to the music inside.

Suddenly, this dance was no longer a dance. They had stopped and stood still, silver eyes staring longingly into icy ones. And just in the distance, they heard the faint countdown of the students outside.

“Thirty seconds left. Any last words of the year, Weiss Schnee?” Ruby asked, a smile curling onto her lips.

“I have only to thank you, Ruby. For everything. For saving me and for teaching me how to love. For being the best partner I could ever have. And I love you.”

Ruby giggled, pulling Weiss closer with her arms. “My turn, huh? I just want to tell you that you are beautiful and perfect. You’re not perfect, maybe not for your family or anyone else, but you’re perfect for me. And I love you too.”

Ten.

Fingers clasped tightly, and Weiss’s thumb brushed over the ring she had given to Ruby.

Nine.

Hands started to roam, finding their ways to cup each other’s faces gently.

Eight.

Eyes gazed into each other one last time before closing tightly as the last seconds came.

Seven.

Foreheads pressed and soft murmurs of kindness were spoken between the two.

Six.

Their hearts connected, and Ruby’s red string glowed brighter than ever.

Five.

There was nothing more to say, and Ruby knew this was her chance.

Four.

The cheers started getting louder, and anticipation rose even higher.

Three.

Ruby could already feel Weiss’s breath over her lips, seconds feeling like decades as they waited.

Two.

“You’re mine, Weiss. I love you.”

One.

In an instant, time had slowed as the two girls pressed their lips against one another’s. They were fierce, the force and fervor being enough to ignite sparks inside. The cold could do nothing to bother them, their heat being enough to be too hot. One kiss became two, two becoming six, and they were stuck in an endless cycle. Moans were released into each other’s mouths as tongues begged for entrance, and in that moment everything was perfect.

Ruby felt the peace in everyone right now, each string tied to her fingers glowing brightly with the sense of warmth and comfort. Everybody she knew was happy, and that made her happy.

The fireworks exploded with bright colors, and Ruby was reminded of the night it all started.

The night her red string appeared. Those coincidental fireworks that she shared with Weiss.

She sometimes wondered if her curse was even a curse at all if she was this happy.

And in the distance, she heard the cheerful cries of the students of Beacon. Perhaps the whole city’s as well.

A Happy New Year indeed, Vale.

~~~~~~

New Year in June. Totally. Also happy pride month! Whiterose pride art will be coming soon to dashboards near you!

I hope you all are enjoying TCSE AU as much as I enjoy writing it!

Until next chapter!

-Scarlet

#tcse au chapter 21 #tcse au #rwby #rwby au #my fanfics

31 notes · View notes

emt2000 · 5 years

Text

The Right Moment

This is my first time doing the event but I'm glad I got to share my favorite Fairy Tail couple into this story with @doginshoe and art with @Silhouette

NALU/GRUVIA Big Bang Event

@nalugruviaevents

Characters: Natsu Dragneel and Lucy Heartfillia

Genre: Romance/Fluff

Word Count: 2K

Summary: Natsu and Lucy enjoying one of their dates around the world and they enjoy their last trip to Paris whereas Natsu tries to find the right moment to tie the knot. Modern AU

The Right Moment

“To the world, you may be one person but to one person, you are the world.” ~ Bill Wilson

“Ladies and Gentlemen, we are now arriving in Paris, France. We hope you enjoy the rest of the trip with us.” announced the pilot on the speaker as a particular couple spotted the Eiffel Tower and the glamorous lights of Paris. Natsu Dragneel and Lucy Heartfillia are currently on a plane that is leading them to enjoy their date in the city of love. Just before going to Paris, they had their dates at New York City, Rio de Janeiro, Sydney, Cairo, and Hong Kong and now they are heading to their last destination which is Paris.

“I can’t believe we’re actually here Natsu. Huh? Natsu are you ok?” Lucy turned her head to her right to see Natsu feeling motion sickness and is trying to find the barf bag on his plane seat.

“Lucy…...are we almost on land? I’m not feeling so good. Blergh” Natsu puked on the barf bag.

“Hang in there Natsu. We’re almost there,” replied Lucy as she uses her right hand to massage his back as he continues puking into the barf bag.

After a few minutes on the plane landed and the couple grabbed their bags and called for a taxi, they started sightseeing the city while the taxi took them to their hotel for the trip. But unknown to Lucy, Natsu uses this opportunity to pop the question to Lucy. He tried to ask her several times at their previous dates but every time he tried to, it always ends up in a disaster or a failure.

In New York City, they went to Central Park to enjoy the view of the city. And while he tried to bring up the ring, a group of dogs in which were run loose by their owners ran towards him causing Natsu to trip over and bumped his head.

In Rio, while visiting the lagoons for relaxation time, once again he tried to bring up the perfect moment but instead, he forgot to bring the ring with him in which he almost left it at the restaurant they ate earlier.

In Cairo, they went to visit the three pyramids of Giza. In the meantime, while Natsu brings up the topic, a local official announced the couple that a sandstorm is coming and they had sought shelter immediately causing him to glare at the officer and almost causing a ruckus.

In Sydney, after visiting the Sydney Opera House for a concert and going to Bondi Beach, they were at the zoo seeing amazing animals until a kangaroo went loose and ended up knocking Natsu unconscious while getting the ring out from his pocket.

In Hong Kong, while seeing the view of the city and the sea as they were at a restaurant eating chicken and spring roll. For Natsu, it was the right moment to ask her but when he was about to take action, a female customer bumped into a waitress, who was carrying a bowl of egg drop soup, causing her to drop the soup on Natsu's head.

Now, for him, it was the right setting, time and moment to ask Lucy the question. Or so what he thought it would be.

“atsu...Hey Natsu are you listening to me?” asked Lucy

“Huh? Oh no I didn’t. Sorry, Luce, I was just thinking about our day today.”

“Oh ok….well what I said earlier was that since our 5 year anniversary is coming tomorrow, I was thinking since such an important day is coming up, I was thinking of going to the Eiffel Tower to enjoy the Paris sky view of the city. Or do you have another plan for tomorrow?” said Lucy.

‘Looks like she had a plan ready for tomorrow but I have a schedule which I planned that months ago but I don’t want to make sad for our anniversary. I want to make this a moment she won’t ever forget for the rest of her life.’ thought Natsu. “You know what Lucy? Why don’t we do the things you have planned today and for tomorrow, we do the stuff that I have planned instead. What do you think?”

“Oh, you had something planned for tomorrow as well?”

“Yeah I was going to tell you at the plane but you were sleeping so peacefully that I didn’t want to disturb you sleeping.”

“Aw, that’s so sweet of you Natsu. But I guess we can to today’s activities and then tomorrow we can do your plan for the day.”

“Alright then. It’s settled then. Now let’s take a quick nap cause I’m exhausted after that plane ride.”

“Right now?!”

“Yep just a quick nap...Zzzzzzz”

“Asleep already?!”

Natsu was already sleeping and snoring with drool already coming out of his mouth soaking the pillow a little, in the king-sized bed, fast asleep already from the exhaustion from the plane route they took. Lucy rolls her eyes and decides to join her boyfriend as well. Soon, they started to take in a peaceful slumber.

Later, after almost 2 hours of sleeping, the couple headed out to start their routine in Paris. They started off their routine by going to the Louvre for art sightseeing, taking pictures of incredible paintings and doing silly faces while discussing the Mona Lisa painting, after that they headed off to see the Notre Dame, admiring its beauty in sculpture and building designs. Later, Lucy suggested to eat somewhere so that they can have enough energy to last the entire day together. So they went to a small restaurant where Natsu had trouble getting his French right to tell the waitress what they wanted so Lucy had to fill in the waitress for them luckily.

"Once again, I'm being saved by my girlfriend."

"•giggling• That's because I did take more than one language back in high school and college."

"Yeah yeah I know. I know. I even didn't know you took those classes and yet I went to learn my French as well but still I didn't know a thing about it."

"Oh you. Sometimes you're so adorable when you pouted in a cute way Natsu."

"•blushes• Shut up you're making me red here all of a sudden."

After finishing their meals, the sun was setting down and Lucy checked her wristwatch and it was around 7 PM.

"Well would you look at that it's already 7 o'clock. I guess one more fun activity would do. I guess. What do you think Natsu?"

"Hmm, I suppose we should go on small boat ride they have here."

"Oh that sounds like fun. Let's go then"

"Lucy wait for me!!!"

"Sorry about that Natsu. I just get so excited that I can't help it but just go along with it."

"No no it's cool. Just don't run off like that. I was kind of worried that you might get hurt back there."

Natsu and Lucy are on a riverboat that allows them to enjoy the city's beautiful light streets reflecting in the water in all sorts of colors.

"My bad."

"Well as long as we're both having fun then it's good then."

"Yeah I'm glad we're both enjoying this vacation together."

"I feel the same way Luce."

They both continued to watch the city's lights. But at the same time, Natsu checked his pants pockets to see that the small box hidden there was safe and sound. He decided that this was the right moment so he decided to go for it.

"You know Lucy, I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Yeah what is it Natsu?"

"We've been going out together for almost 5 years and since we graduated from college this past month, I decided that I want to spend my life with you not now but for eternity."

"Natsu what are you trying to say?"

"The thing that I am trying to say is...that...would you...would you give the honor in becoming my w-"

"Hey you, watch out!!!"

The boat bumped against a small boulder along the riverside causing the boat to shake a little before the conductor blamed the boulder for crossing the way. And this also caused Natsu to trip and bumped his head with a pole that was in the way as well and passed out after a few seconds.

"Oh my, that was close. Natsu? Natsu where are you...Oh my gosh Natsu wake up! Wake up!"

Natsu opened his eyes afterwards and realized that he was back in their hotel room with the window signaling them that it's night already. Lucy came in with a cup of tea and some snacks when she saw Natsu up and awake.

"Natsu you're awake." Lucy sets down the tea and snacks and went to check up on her boyfriend.

"Hey Luce. Ugh my head hurts. What happened?"

"Well you see…"

She started to explain that after she saw him unconscious she called for the conductor to stop at the finished course spot of the route. The conductor insisted on telling her to take Natsu to the hospital but she told him that she handle a guy like Natsu and told the taxi driver to take them back to their room to spend the night. And Natsu was unconscious for an hour or less.

'Man every time I bring in the right and exact moment to ask her, something always has to happen.'

"So that was it?"

"Yeah but I'm glad that you're not hurt or anything. By the way, what were you going to tell me back there?"

'Crap she is asking me this already but I have the box in my pockets which is here right now but I want to bring it up for the right time and this is not the right time.'

"Well you see Lucy, I was going to ask if you can tell if you...um...if you enjoyed today so far? There yep."

Lucy looks at him with a curious look and tells him

"Oh I had a great time. It was a fun and amazing day so far. Thank you Natsu." She gives him a warm hug

"•nervous chuckle• Yeah anytime Luce." He returns the hug while mentally sighed in relief as he thinks about what would become of tomorrow if he brings out the question.

'Glad she didn't notice, oh well tomorrow would be the exact moment to do so.'

The next day, the two woke up with seeing each other spending the night cuddling with one another. As they realize this, they simply smile and shared a morning but tender kiss.

After eating breakfast, they decided to spend the day with Natsu's plans of the day including the trip to the Eiffel Tower in which Lucy has no idea what surprise will hit her when Natsu brings up the moment to ask her.

"So Natsu, what plans do you have in mind for today?"

"You'll see what I have planned for today."

Natsu said as he pulled Lucy outside to start his planned day for her.

They went to the park to enjoy a few shows and musical performances France had to offer, they went to see a movie in French which luckily has English subtitles, and they even went to a local bakery to enjoy some delicious cakes, bread and blueberry pies. And finally their last activity of the day was the sky viewing Eiffel Tower. And according to Natsu, he heard that a fireworks spectacular display show would be showing to the public around 9 PM. And for him, he found this opportunity perfect for the right moment for Lucy.

"Hey Lucy, to end our day of fun, how about we go to the Eiffel Tower, I heard there's going to be a fireworks show around 9 PM would you like to go with me?"

"Fireworks while watching it from the tower? Sounds like fun. I would love to go."

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go Luce."

He and Lucy arrived to the base of the tower around 7 PM and after they got their tickets, Natsu asked if they can go the tallest floor of the tower and which he asked perfectly in French, the man answered with a yes and they headed to their destination. By the time they got at the top, there were a few people mostly couples or small families but it was a perfect opportunity for Natsu. It was 8:30 pm.

After enjoying the view of the city skyline from the top of the tower, Natsu finally checked around his surroundings and checked if he still has the box with the ring in it, luckily it's safe once again.

'Alright Natsu this is it. This is IT. This is your moment to ask her. No distractions. No interruptions. No nothing. Just me and her. And with the fireworks in less than 10 minutes, things would go great. Ok here goes nothing.'

Natsu grabs both of Lucy's hands and faces her towards him.

"Natsu what's wrong?"

"Lucy Heartfilia. From the moment I met you, my heart was beating like crazy and somehow my heart was saying that you are the one for me. And I need you in my life. Surprisingly you fell in love with me too. And I'm grateful for that. And 5 years of dating was the best moment of my entire life. And I decided to make the next step in our lives."

Lucy looks at him with a surprised look and tries to hold her tears from falling from her chocolate eyes.

"So Luce, what I am trying to say and I finally got the chance to say but I just want you to know…(takes out the box from his jeans pockets and opens it to reveal a beautiful golden ring with a pink heart shaped gem in the center with orange swirls on the sides that looked like flames) will you marry me Lucy Heartfilia?"

Lucy fails to hold her tears and lets them fall down from her eyes and covers her mouth with both of her hands and smiles at the same time.

"Oh my gosh, Natsu. *sniffs* You're really the sweetest guy I've ever met and my answer is obvious. Why yes Natsu. Of course I would love to marry you."

"Really?! You accept?"

"Is that a stupid question? Why yes I would marry you, you big dummy."

"Well then, hold still so I can put the ring on your finger."

Natsu grabs Lucy's left hand and slips the ring in her ring finger. Once he was finished, the fireworks come up in the sky as the two of them just looked at each other and leaned to share a romantic kiss. Not as boyfriend and girlfriend but now as fiance and fiancee.

"By the way Natsu…" asked Lucy after they shared a kiss.

"I knew you were going to propose to me."

"What?! How?!"

"Every time you try to find the right moment to ask me during our trips, a distraction comes to you. Am I correct?"

Natsu blushes and looks away.

"Was it that obvious?"

"Not really but I'm glad there is nothing to distract or interrupt us now."

"Yeah and finally you're mine Lucy Dragneel."

"Looking forward to our wedding day you big dummy."

After that they shared a hug and enjoyed the rest of their day with the fireworks in the sky.

♡ End

Epilogue

"Hey Gray?"

"Yeah what's up?"

"I finally asked her. And guess what no interruptions."

"Congrats flamebrain. You actually did it."

"Thanks ice freak. Oh by the way, when are you going to stop being a coward and ask Juvia out on a date."

"T-thats none of your business you idiot!!!"

'Gray you moron. You've been the coward for 5 years. Just go and ask her you dumbass.'

"Was that Gray, Natsu?" asked Lucy

"Yeah it was."

"He hasn't asked Juvia out on a date?"

"Nope the ice freak is being a sissy when it comes to love."

"Oh Gray. I hope he doesn't mess things up with her."

"Don't worry Luce, I'm sure he'll make it through. As long as he confess, then I'm going to be able to brag to Gajeel and Jellal when we get back on how Gray is a sissy when love is in his way." (Starts to laugh)

"Oh Natsu. (Starts to laugh with him as well)

#nalugruviaevents #nalu #natsu dragneel #lucy heartfilia #modern au

14 notes · View notes

goodnightkisseu · 6 years

Text

Bae Jinyoung - Luck

Genre: Fluff

“When We Met” Series: [Minhyun][Jihoon][Jaehwan][Guanlin][Daehwi][Jinyoung][Jisung][Woojin][Seongwu][Sungwoon][Daniel]

Note: Hi everyone! I’m back with another series and this time, it’s a particularly special one because it’s a series that will be counting down to Wanna One’s 1st Anniversary! I’m calling it “When We Met” because it’ll be a series of scenarios, using Wanna One’s individual debut teasers as starting points for how you meet!

This is also a series in collaboration with @nothingwithoutwannaone! She will be writing her own versions of how you meet and I will link them in each post ^^

It’s Baejinnie’s turn! I actually really enjoyed writing this one. It’s been one of my favorites so far. I hope that everyone else enjoys it as well! :D

nothingwithoutwannaone‘s version —> [x]

- goodnightkisseu’s admin <3

“Jisook-ah, what’s taking so long? We have so much that we need to get done today,” you said, your tone rather exasperated. This was the second time you had to call your best friend as you waited for her on the street just outside of her sorority house. This area was not one that you were comfortable in, the campus and the surrounding parts being completely new to your fresh out of high school self. You felt uneasy, even though it was the middle of the day and there were students everywhere. This just wasn’t your type of place, you decided.

“Ah, I’m really sorry! Some of the girls saw me as I was heading out and now they want to go and get something to eat before they show me around. I’ve been trying to get away, but I haven’t been able to yet…” your friend said apologetically. Having just been accepted into the sorority, you understood why Jisook was hesitant to just book it out of there. They didn’t know her yet, and honestly, it was still in their right to kick her out if they didn’t think she fit their sisterhood and values. God, you would have felt terrible if she got kicked out because of you, mostly since becoming part of this sorority was all she talked about for the last year of high school. You couldn’t ruin that for her.

You let out a long sigh. “You know what, just go with them,” you finally said, gently biting your lip.

“What? But we had plans –”

“We did, but right now, your sorority sisters are more important. I think getting to know them would be really beneficial to you. I can go check out the campus on my own, and we can hang out some other time. Just make sure you stop by the bookstore and get your textbooks, okay? I don’t want to have to go and wrestle the last one away from someone for you, you got that?” you warned her, hearing Jisook giggling on the other end. She thanked you, promised she would make up for it, and then ultimately hung up. With a heavy sigh, you supposed that your plans for the day were kind of a bust. It wasn’t the best way to start off your first year at university, but in theory it could only go up from here, right?

As you walked away from Jisook’s sorority and towards campus, you figured that you could still go and explore the campus on your own. There were a lot of students that were out and about today as the quarter officially started tomorrow. It wouldn’t hurt to get a feel for the campus and find your classes now so that you wouldn’t be lost tomorrow, right? Plus you might meet one of the students from orientation and be able to tag along with them too.

Deciding on your course of action, you continued your way onto campus, still rather in awe of how big and vast this university was. When you and Jisook had stopped by for orientation last month, you had entered in through this same northern entrance, but the campus went pretty far south as well, coming just up to the water’s edge, which was pretty neat. You pulled out your phone and instantly went to the school’s app, knowing that a map of the campus existed on their somewhere. You moved your way down one of the many different paths that wound their way around the buildings, realizing that it was going to be a pain in the butt to get from writing to psychology in only ten minutes.

The only building you couldn’t seem to find however, was the mathematics building that housed your Intro to Calculus course. You wandered around following the map to try and find it. This led you down a couple of smaller paths, until, all of a sudden, your internet just kind of crapped out. The GPS wasn’t pinging your position as accurately as it had earlier and that was all sorts of frustrating. You thought of backtracking, but that didn’t seem necessary. Most universities were just giant circles, so if you just kept on a path, you’d eventually get to where you were going, right? Or at least to a place with more reliable cell service?

So, you continued down a couple more paths, eventually finding yourself going down a steeper hill. This seemed pretty promising. Not the hill that you might have to trek back up for another class, but rather that things were getting more open, and you were no longer just trapped in a sea of buildings. Maybe you could find that building after all!

But you didn’t.

Instead, as you reached flat ground again, you found yourself face to face with metal fencing. The metal fencing enclosed a massive outdoor pool that was used by all of the water sports teams. But uh… just how did you find yourself down by the university’s recreations center? You weren’t even headed in that direction. Maybe… maybe you should have backtracked after all…

Granted, now that you were here, it wouldn’t hurt to have a look around. You figured you would eventually come down this way to use the gym and the indoor pool so why not see what else the campus had to offer in terms of facilities for student use? Realizing that you had come in on the side of the pool, you walked around the perimeter to try and get yourself to the main path. As you were walking through and taking in everything around you, your eyes caught sight of something, or rather, someone. He was lying by the edge of the pool with some headphones on. Interesting.

This was when a thought crossed your mind. Maybe he knew his way around? He could probably help you find that building you were looking for! Like a person on a mission, you quickly made your way around the fenced perimeter, looking for the entrance. When you found the unlocked gate, you quickly entered and made your way over to the individual.

You called out to him at first, but no answer. Maybe he didn’t hear you? So you approached and called out again, still no answer. You were only a couple feet from him as you called out to him again, louder this time, but still no answer. Okay, either this guy was ignoring you or his music was really, really loud. Not having any other options, you got closer and knelt down next to him, lightly shaking his shoulder, and this was what finally got you a response, but not without a bit of pain.

The male’s eyes opened when he realized that there was someone else there and he quickly shot up from his position. However, not knowing that you had been so close to him, his head bumped against yours in his hasty motion, leaving the both of you writhing in pain. “Ah, that hurt…” he mumbled as he held onto his head in his newly seated position. He was about to reprimand you for sneaking up on him like that, thinking that you were one of his swim team friends. But when he realized you weren’t, and you were seated on the group, holding onto your head, his eyes widen. Who did he just injure?

“Hey, are you alright?” he asked as he stumbled over to check on you. His hands gently grasped onto yours as he moved them away from your face. “Here, let me take a look at it. We can go into the athletics center and get some ice if it looks really bad,” he explained, feeling pretty terrible that he just headbutted a random stranger. One of his teammates… they probably deserved it, but you did not. When you finally let him move your hands away from your face, he caught a glimpse of you for the first time and kind of froze on the spot. He was not expecting to run into someone this cute only two weeks into being on campus. And he just headbutted you. Great. Just great.

“Ah, I’m alright. I was just really caught off guard. You’re... okay… right…?” you asked, your words trailing off a bit when you saw the male in front of you. You were a bit shocked, but likely not as shocked as he was. “I really should have tried to get your attention in a different way. Sorry about that…”

“I-it’s fine. I’m okay,” he replied quickly as he pushed some of your hair aside. “I think it looks okay. You should be fine, but maybe we should get some ice on that anyway…” he suggested, and you gave a small nod. He then stood and helped you up, leading you over to the athletics center where the both of you swiped your school badges before heading towards one of the sitting areas. The male disappeared momentarily and came back with an icepack in hand, holding it out to you.

You took it and thanked him, holding it up to your forehead as he took a seat next to you. “I’m Jinyoung, by the way,” he said and you quickly introduced yourself as well. “Why were you out by the pool earlier? Usually only the swim team members are there…”

Oh yeah… in all of the commotion you forgot that you were actually there to ask a question. “Um, well, you see, I kind of got lost,” you admitted sheepishly as you made eye contact with Jinyoung, a smile threatening to form on his features. “I was looking for the mathematics building since that’s where my Intro to Calculus course is being held, but I somehow ended up down here…”

“I see,” he said slowly. Did he know where that building was? He was pretty sure he did. They had passed it when the swim team was showing him around and making sure that he knew where all of his classes were. “I can show you where it is, if you want. I think we’re safe to leave now. I doubt that it’ll swell up anymore…”

“I really appreciate it,” you replied before handing the icepack back to Jinyoung and following him out of the building…

========

“Oh, you totally wandered into the campus deadzone,” Jinyoung told you as the two of you started to walk up a different path than the one that you had gone down earlier. As you walked, Jinyoung told you a bit more about himself. That he was just starting here as well, but had been here for almost two weeks because of swim team practice. He said that it took him a bit to figure out the campus, but that it was all becoming a bit easier, even though he hadn’t been there very long. You then told him about your little walk earlier that led you into that part of campus without signal and he nodded knowingly. “A lot of people tend to avoid it because of that reason. Like unless you have a class in that building, the others told me that people don’t usually walk that way unless they’re really late and need to take a shortcut.”

“Anyway, this should be it,” Jinyoung declared as a building came up to your right that had a sign labeling it as the mathematics building. “I think if you’re coming from your psychology course… instead of going straight down, kind of go around a bit? That’ll lead you out here and it’s a straight shot down,” he explained.

“Thanks Jinyoung,” you said gratefully. “That’s really helpful. Hopefully I don’t get lost tomorrow…”

“You’ll be fine, and even if you do, just ask someone. Everyone starts tomorrow so there will be a bunch of lost people. You won’t be alone,” he said reassuringly.

“So, now that you found all of your classes, what’s the plan?” Jinyoung asked as the pair of you walked back up to a busier road, thinking that it would prevent you from getting lost in a maze of smaller paths again.

“Well, I was thinking of going to get my textbooks and then maybe some food?”

Jinyoung quirked a brow at you. “Those words sound suggestive. Are you asking me on a date right now?” he teased, earning a giggle from you.

“I mean… it wasn’t my intent, and I don’t know if I’d call it a date…but if you want to tag along, you’re more than welcome to…” you said slowly, trailing off. Luckily for you, Jinyoung caught on fast.

“That works for me, let’s go!” With that the two of you made your way through campus and back out to the main street where the university’s bookstore was located, chatting the entire way there. You were glad that you got to meet Jinyoung. It seemed you had some luck after all…

#wanna one #bae jinyoung #wanna one imagines #wanna one scenarios #kpop scenarios #whenwemetseries

33 notes · View notes

tearsofwinter · 6 years

Text

Behind Closed Doors

Rating: G Summary: Varric is a storyteller, and sometimes that mean making up lies to protect the ones you care about. So what did really happen between Fenris and Anders during their time in Kirkwall? A Fenders story told from Varric’s POV

Varric looked up when he heard a hard knock on his door. "Your Inquisitoralness! What a surprise. Did you need something, or are you here to admire the dwarf?" Smiling, he pulled up a chair for the Inquisitor to sit. "I'll say it now, if you're here for Cassandra, tell her the newest 'Swords and Shields' will be done when it's done. You can't rush masterpiece."

"If your revenge on Cassandra is making her wait for the next installment... it's working. Promise not to make her wait too long. The last I saw her, it looked like her head was about to explode." Trevelyan sat where Varric pointed. He placed his elbows on his knees and leaned forward, closer to the dwarf. There was a gleam in his eyes, one that Varric recognized from rabid fans. "About 'The Tale of the Champion', I've got a few questions."

"Oh boy, here we go." Varric folded his arms and sighed. "Look, kid, the thing about Orsino, it was added for extra excitement. In hindsight, I would edit that part out. Now, if it's about Hawke, I hear she's out by the ramparts. You can ask any questions you have about the Champions yourself."

Trevelyan scoffed. He scooted his chair closer until their knees bumped. Varric leaned away- only a tad- for breathing room, but Trevelyan took it as a sign to invade the other's space even more. "I just came back from talking to Hawke...and I can't believe you lied! You kept it a secret from me! How could you?”

"Of course I lied. It's a occupational hazard." Varric placed a hand on the young man's chest, and gently pushed him back into his seat. In the middle of his spiel, Trevelyan stood up and inched closer and closer until their nose touched. "What I'd lie about this time?"

"ANDERS IS ALIVE!"

Varric slapped a hand over the boy's mouth. "Shhhhh!!! You want the entire Inquisition to know?!" Nervously, he glanced around to check if anyone heard, but the door was closed and the room was empty. Still, it paid to be careful. Varric removed his hand. "Where'd you hear that from?"

"Hawke! We were talking, and I asked about Anders, how could she do that to him when they've been friends for over a decade. He protested peacefully for years, but no one listened. He was pushed to a corner, and did what he had to do!" Cheeks red from a lack of air, words spilled out of Trevelyan's mouth as fast as his mind spun. Varric felt the lack of oxygen himself as he watched the Inquisitor try not to trip over his own tongue. Trevelyan sucked in a much needed breath, and continued. "And so Hawke asked me what was my opinion on the Chantry explosion, and I said, good riddance!"

Realizing his own outburst, Trevelyan clapped a hand over his own mouth. Sheepishly, he looked at Varric, ready to be ridiculed or scolded, but he saw no judgment in the dwarf's eyes. Instead, there was understanding. His shoulders slumped in relief, and he sighed.

"So Hawke told you the truth then?" Varric guessed. "She told you she didn't kill Anders?"

"Yes! So what's the truth? What really happened?" Trevelyan was trembling with excitement. "Please tell me!"

"Alright, alright." Varric held his hands up in surrender. "But first, I need to know something. What's your opinion on Anders? Why the..." He gestured at the young man's jittery state, "interest?"

"He's an idol," Trevelyan said without hesitation. "At least he's my idol. I've heard stories about him, about how he escaped Kinloch hold seven times, how he joined the Grey Wardens and fought darkspawns. I know what they say about him, that he's a terrorist, a murderer, but I don't think so. He did what needed to be done, even if it branded him a villain. So I have a question for you, two questions actually, regarding Anders."

"You can ask, but I can't promise I'll answer," Varric said, crossing his arms. "Give me your best shot."

Finally, the chance to get the answers to his burning questions was here. Trevelyan's bluster attitude vanished in a snap, and what was left behind was a bundle of nerves. A blush formed on his cheeks as he fidgeted in his seat. "Well...my first question is where is Anders? And my second one is..." He looked away, unable to meet Varric's gaze. "...is he single? He's not seeing anyone is he?"

Varric burst out laughing, stunned by the unexpected question.

"This...this isn't funny!" Trevelyan shouted, indignant and hurt by his friend's reaction. "I'm being serious!

Varric wiped away the tears at the corner of his eyes. "Sorry," he said, a few chuckles still escaping, "You caught me by surprise. I'm not laughing at you. But I have some bad news for you." He laid a consoling hand on Trevelyan's shoulder, and shook his head. "Anders is seeing someone, and the two of them are such lovebirds, it makes you want to puke."

"But...but it's only been a year since Kirkwall! He found someone in that short amount of time?"

"I might've omitted some things, fudged up some details in my book. Hazard of the trade and all that, you know how it is."

"You're saying Anders had a lover while he was in Kirkwall? Since before the explosion? Impossible." Trevelyan couldn't wrap his head around it. Ignoring Varric's novel, none of the reports or heresy about Anders mentioned a lover. If he had one, someone should've noticed. Everything he knew about Anders said he acted alone; his sole companion was the spirit in inside him. It wasn't any Trevelyan's business, but he was curious. "Who is it? Is it someone I know?"

Varric scratched his chin, contemplating how much he should tell the Inquisitor. "You...could say you know him."

"So it's a man!" Trevelyan paused, then took in a scandalized breath. "Maker, Varric is it you?"

"No! No, no, no. Shit, I like Blondie, but not like that."

"Aw, you called him Blondie. After I heard you talking with Vivienne about Kirkwall, I thought you hated him."

Varric sighed. "I did for a while. It took some thinking, but I realized I was more disappointed in myself. I failed him like I failed Batrand...But enough about me." Varric waved it aside. He was never good at dealing with feelings, and he wasn't going to start now. "You wanted to know who Anders' mysterious lover is? I can tell you, but you have to keep it a secret. It's a matter of life or death here."

"Cross my heart and hope to die. You know you can trust me, Varric. I'm the most trustworthy guy there is. I even pardoned Anders, except Josie said that could be bad publicity. Said we should wait until Celene's ball to make the announcement. I don't see what's all the fuss is about. I'm a mage. It's not like they're going to li-"

Varric slapped another hand on Trevelyan's mouth. He forgot that once Trevelyan got going about something he felt passionate about, he couldn't shut up. Just like another mage Varric knew. "Alright, alright. I got it, sheesh."

Removing his hand, Varric stepped away from the Inquisitor and began pacing. Where to begin, he wondered. The subject was harder for him to talk about than he thought. Sure, he wrote a novel about Hawke's life that included some of her sexual and romantic exploits, but Anders' relationship was different. It was much harder to grasp and put into words.

"Fenris," Varric blurted it out. Best to just get it out there. Grab the bull by its' horn and all that crap.

Trevelyan blinked, sure that he'd heard wrong. "Excuse me?"

"I said, Anders' lover is Fenris. They have been together for years now. Closing in on a decade now if I recall."

"..."

"...You're shitting me," Trevelyan finally whispered, then a little louder. "You have got to be shitting me. No. You're telling me Anders and Fenris are together? They're lovers? But in your 'Tale of the Champion', they hate each other! They could barely be in the same room!"

"That was done deliberately. It's easy for Anders to blend into a crowd. Grow a beard, dye his hair- anything. It's harder for Fenris to blend in. His marking makes him stand out. Since everyone assumes Fenris hates Anders, he's the last person they suspect. No one is going to think the tall blond next to Fenris is Anders."

In absolute awe, Trevelyan’s jaw dropped. “Maker, Varric, you’re a genius.”

“I try my best.” Varric took the compliment and bowed.

"How'd they end up together? I thought Fenris hated mages? Did you lie about that too?"

"No, that part is true. I definitely didn't lie about that"

"So what happened? Out of everyone, why did Anders end up with Fenris, the mage hating elf?"

Varric shrugged helplessly at the question

Compared to Hawke and Isabela, heck, even compared to Aveline with Donnic, Fenris and Anders were less outwardly affectionate. What they had was...quiet. Subtle. They didn't hold hands or kiss in public; at gatherings, it was rare for them to be seen sitting next to each other. For a long time, Varric doubted the validity of their relationship.

"To tell the truth, I don't know when they started. How they met, and how much they hated each others' guts, that part in the book was true. Day in and day out, they fought all the damn time. But then one day, it all stopped. Poof, no more fighting. When we noticed and asked what happened, why were they suddenly civil to each other, they told us they were in love. Ha, in love, can you believe it? Because we certainly didn't. We thought it was a joke they were trying to pull on us."

"Anders and Fenris didn't say anything. They didn't try to correct us or prove a point." Varric walked off and poured himself a drink. He realized he couldn't do this sober. Not that their story was difficult to tell, but if you ever read "Swords and Shield", you'd know love stories weren't his strong suit. He knocked back a shot of whiskey, shuddering as the alcohol burned a trail down his throat.

"I consider myself an observant man- have to be in my line of work- but when it came to Anders and Fenris, I was blind. I doubted them for a while. I made bets with Hawke and the others about if they were real or fake; how long they'll keep up the act. You know, those sort of asshole shit. It went on for months."

"But then one day, Hawke asked a few of us to go with her to Sundermount for some 'bandit looting' as she calls it. The group included Rivani, me... and the two angry glow sticks." Varric poured himself another glass of whisky. He thought about drinking it, but then decided against it. He pushed the glass aside, and turned back to face the Inquisitor. "See, the thing was, after seeing how much Fenris and Anders fought whenever they were together, Hawke made it a rule to separate the two. If Fenris was there, Anders wasn't, and vice versa. That worked out for the most part. Kept the peace in the group. So when Hawke changed it up, Isabela and I raised our eyebrows at the combination, but we guessed she had her reasons. Maybe it was a test, or maybe she forgot, but Fenris and Anders were brought along together this time."

"I thought they'd begin fighting as soon as we left Kirkwall. The jig was up. But to our surprise, Anders didn't bring up mage rights, and Fenris didn't say a word about blood magic. He could've too. We fought some maleficars at the bandit camp. It would've been easy for him to score some points against Anders, and if this was the old Fenris, he would've rub it in Anders' face, telling him this was the reason mages deserved to be imprisoned in Circles. None of that happened though. After the fight, and as Hawke was looting the bodies, I saw Fenris walk up to Anders. They didn't say a word. Instead, Fenris brushed the back of his hand against Anders', and in return Anders offered him back a reassuring smile."

"And that was when you knew they were serious about each other?" Trevelyan asked.

Varric sat back down next to the Inquisitor. He groaned as his knees creaked from old age. "I wish I could say that, kid. I only realized the importance of what they did in hindsight," he said, "It was on our way back to Kirkwall when it dawned on me, on all of us, that they were serious and wasn't faking their relationship at all."

"It was getting dark in Sundermount. No way we could get back to Kirkwall in time, so we decided to set up camp. The tents were up, the bed rolls were out, and Anders was knocked out like a bronto. He was drained of mana and needed to recuperate. The rest of us- Hawke, Isabela, Fenris, and I- sat by the fire, enjoying our meager meals and exchanging juicy gossip. Isabela was in the middle of telling us how she swindled a man out of his trousers when we heard a loud thundering noise. For a heartbeat, we thought it might've been a wyvern, or even a dragon. But no, it turned out to be just Anders. He snored while he slept. And boy was it loud. It's not an exaggeration to say the trees shook and the ground rumbled when he snored. Okay, okay, I might be exaggerating. I'm a storyteller, it's my job to exaggerate. " Varric lifted his hands up in surrender when Trevelyan gave him a skeptical look.

"My point is, Anders made a ruckus. Isabela suggested we stuff a cloth inside Anders' mouth, but Hawke decided to go with a more diplomatic route. She wanted to wake Anders. When she got up to shake Anders' awake, Fenris grabbed her by the wrist and stopped her. 'Don't wake him. He rarely falls into deep sleep because the nightmares. He needs the rest,' he said. Hawke asked what were they going to do then? The noise was bound to attract something nasty."

"To our surprise, Fenris tiptoed to where Anders slept, and placed a gentle hand on his cheek. Slowly, he turned Anders' head until his airway aligned, and immediately, the snoring stopped. We were stunned. The one act alone, showed us how close they were to one another." Remembering the way Fenris tenderly stared at Anders' sleeping face, Varric scratched his cheek out of awkwardness. "I was struck by the difference I saw in Fenris. He looked younger and happier than I'd ever seen him. Carefree, in fact, with a relaxed smile on his lips. When Anders stirred, disturbed by the sound of our voices, Fenris bent his head to soothe him with a soft murmur of his voice."

"I've seen some shit. Bartrand wasn't a saint, and I've walked in on Hawke and Isabela plenty of times. But for some reason seeing Fenris unguarded, his expression tender and vulnerable...it was unspeakably intimate. Hawke, Isabela, and I- we all blushed. We turned our gaze and gave them their privacy. I realized something that day..."

"What?" Trevelyan asked when Varric didn't continue. "What did you realize?"

"I realized, even though Anders' and Fenris' love was less demonstrative than those of Hawke's and Isabela's, a mysterious and passionate intensity existed between them. Once I knew where to look, it was obvious. So when I decided to write the 'The Tale of the Champion', I wanted to respect their privacy. It was the least I could do."

"Where are they now?" Trevelyan asked. "Are they still together? Are they happy?"

Varric shrugged. "The last I heard, they were together near the Tevinter border, hunting and killing slavers. The letter I last received was from Fenris by the way. His letter was short and succinct, but yes, they sounded happy."

Trevelyan smiled. He threw his arms around Varric and gave him a tight hug. "Thank you for telling me, Varric. I feel like I got a whole new perspective of my hero. Yeah, I'm sad he's taken, but at least it sounds like he's with a great guy that loves him."

Varric laughed, tapping at the Inquisitor's arms to let go. "Anytime kid. You want to hear more about Anders, I've got you covered."

"Actually...I do have another question."

"What is it?"

"So about Orsino, did he really turn into a 5 armed blob monster?"

"Alright, that's it." Varric stood from his chair and shoved the laughing Trevelyan towards the door. "Enough questions for the day. Goodnight, Your Inquisitoralness."

A/n: This is based off a prompt I wrote back in Feb 2017. Finally got a chance to write it out. Like I said.......it takes me a long time to get to prompts/requests....

#fenders #myfic

25 notes · View notes