Tumgik
#but content wise is like. I Am Concerned For You
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holding out for a hero
Summary: Shaun (Shang-Chi) offers you go out for drinks and who are you to refuse?
Warnings: Drinking. Talk of sex (none actually happens). No spoilers for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the the Ten Rings (but I do give away what his job is in the movie if you didn't know that pre-movie).
Pairings: Shang-Chi x reader
Word count: 2,492
A/N: I did make the female reader bisexual in this piece, but if that's not how you identify, it's only briefly mentioned in a sentence or two and you can just swap out the pronouns, or skip over it really quick, without affecting the plot :) Also, please do not think I'm using the name Shaun because I didn't want to use Shang-Chi or am being disrespectful to his true name. I'm basing this timeline wise, before he reveals his past to anyone close to him.
“Hey guys!” You waved to Shaun and Katy as you walked into the hotel to clock in. You were taking over Katy’s shift. She needed to go home early to go to the doctors, but Shaun was still there for another 3 hours with you. You were very willing to take over her shift when she asked. You loved working with both of them and any chance you got to, you gladly took it. I mean, who wouldn’t want to get paid to hang out with your best friends?
“You’re welcome.” You heard Katy say to Shaun as she was walking inside to clock out, passing you by with a cheeky wink, as you took your spot next to him.
“Well, she’s in an awful good mood for having to go to the doctors. I thought she had a fear of the doctors.” You gasped, “Is she drunk?”
He chuckled, “No. She’s not actually going to the doctors. She just wanted an excuse to leave work early to go to some concert in LA.”
“Oh, that wench! I gave up going on a date to come in for her. I thought she was dying or something.” You pouted, not actually mad at her, but you were still sad you told your date no.
“You had a date? Who’s the lucky one.” Shaun asked.
“Well, she is a lucky gal who I paid to go to dinner without me.” You huffed.
“You paid her to go out to dinner? By herself?”
“Well, we already had reservations, but I told her something came up with work and I had to go in. But she could take the reservation if she wanted, my treat. I’m sure she probably took someone else since it was a reservation for two.”
“So let me get this straight.” Shaun started to laugh, “You paid some random girl to go on your date with someone else?” He was doubled over in laughter by the end of his sentence.
You kicked his shin, “Hey, I was trying to do something nice for someone I stood up… but yeah it does seem like I probably just sent her on a date with someone else.” You started to laugh with him.
“You’re too nice for your own good sometimes.” He patted you on the shoulder. “How about this, after our shift, I’ll take you out for drinks and karaoke, my treat.”
“Well, that would make me feel better.” You grinned at him, leaving his side to help the new guest pulling up.
After the shift, the two of you took a bus to his apartment so he could change out of his uniform. You were going to stop at your house, which was between his apartment and the bar but when you got into his room, a deep blue sweater hanging in his closet pulled your attention to it. You walked into his closet and shut the mirror door over it. Pulling the sweater off the hanger, it was softer than you could ever imagine. You stripped of your uniform top and threw on the sweater. It was so comfortable and after a deep inhale, smelt exactly like Shaun. It was heavenly.
“(Y/N)?” Shaun called out to you, coming out of the bathroom after getting dressed himself. You stepped out of the closet, “Why are you wearing my sweater?” He laughed at your guilty expression as you slowly walked up to him.
“Well, it was just sitting there looking so comfy, I just wanted to try it on, but now that it’s on I’m afraid I’m never going to take it off. It’s too comfy.” You wrapped your arms around yourself, snuggling into the sweater even more.
“It looks good on you.” He smiled.
“It can be our sweater, how’s that sound?” You batted your eyelashes up at him as he threw his head back in laughter.
“Let’s go short stuff before I end up staying here and cuddling. Our sweater isvery cozy, so it’s very tempting.” Him saying he would rather stay home and cuddle with you, and him holding your hand as he pulled you out of his apartment caused you to blush. He let go of your hand to lock his door, turning to you, “Are you blushing?” He chuckled, grazing his fingers over your burning cheeks.
“No, it’s just getting a little warm in this sweater.” You rolled the sleeves up, letting your arms breathe, “There, that’s better.” You lied and turned away to the exit with determination. He just shook his head and chuckled.
You were a few shots deep into your bar night when you couldn’t help but stare at Shaun. ‘Has he always been this pretty?’ you thought to yourself.
“What are you staring at?” He laughed as he set your next drink down. You said nothing but answered him by putting your hand in his hair, “Your hair is so soft. Oh my gosh it’s softer than this sweater.”
“How many drinks have you had?” He burst out laughing, pulling your hand out of his hair and holding it on the table in his own.
“I haven’t had anything to drink.” You slurred as you take a sip of the fruity drink, he put in front of you.
“Mhmmm, and how many fingers am I holding up?” He held up 3 fingers on the hand not holding yours.
“3, now how many am I holding up.” You stuck up your middle finger and stuck your tongue out as he pretended to be hurt and gasped. “I have to pee.” You got up and stumbled your way to the bathroom. It was a pretty simple trip there and back, but when you got out you couldn’t remember where your table with Shaun was. So instead of going to the table you headed up to the stage and picked the first song that stood out to you, “Holding out for a Hero” by Bonnie Tyler. As the intro music was building up you spoke into the microphone, “This one goes out to that beautiful boy right there.” You pointed vaguely in Shaun’s direction and then burst out into song.
He laughed as he made his way up to the edge of the stage. He was mostly concerned that you’d fall off the stage and land right on your face, but he was really enjoying the performance that you’d likely forget tomorrow. When you finished your song, you held your hand out to meet Shaun’s stretched out one to help you off the stage.
“Oh my gosh, thanks for helping me down. That was like a 20-foot drop. You’re the hero I was holding out for!” You exclaimed as you threw your arms around his neck.
“It’s a stage maybe 3 inches off the ground, but I’ll take the credit I guess.” He pulled back from the hug and grabbed your hand, pulling you back to your seats.
“Oh no, I’m empty.” You pouted when you found nothing in your cup at the table.
“I’ll get us refills. Stay here.” He made his way up to the bar.
You pulled out your phone and opened your texts with Katy,
“OMG KATY THIS REALLY HOT GUY IS GETTING ME A DRINK AT THE BAR. I THINK I MIGHT GET LAID 2NIGHT! 🤪”
“I thought you were at the bar with Shaun?”
“Who’s Shaun?”
Shaun came back to your table and set down your glass.
“Well, hello handsome.” You wiggled your eyebrows at him, “Do you come here often?” You leaned your head on your hand, elbow on the table. You were as Katy would describe it to you, “heart-eyeing” him.
“Okay, I’m glad I grabbed you a water.” Shaun chuckled as he took his seat across from you.
His phone lit up with Katy’s contact picture. He answered it, plugging the opposite ear.
“Hello?”
“Hey, are you still with (Y/N)?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Who else are you guys with?”
“No one, why?” his question was met with silence, then a loud laugh from Katy.
“HA! No way, she totally texted me that a hot guy was getting her a drink and she was definitely getting laid tonight. When I asked her if she was still with you she said ‘Who’s Shaun’ and proceeded to stop texting me. She thinks your hot and that you guys are hooking up, this is going better than I thought it would when I called in.”
“Shut up, you’re messing with me.”
“Well, what is she doing right now?”
“She’s staring at me and sighing contently… OH MY GOD SHE DOESN’T KNOW WHO I AM!?” Shaun whisper-yelled into the phone.
“Well of course I know who you are silly! You’re the handsome man who’s sitting across from me and I’m the lucky gal who gets to look at you.” You giggled as you continued to stare at him with a sweet, but glazed over, look.
“Oh my god she’s so far gone.” Katy laughed on the other end.
“What do I do? Have you ever seen her this drunk?” Shaun was beginning to worry that you’d had way past your limit and you were about to get really sick.
“Oh yeah, definitely. All you have to do is bring her home and put her to bed. She’ll be fine, I’ve seen her drunker than this and not get sick.”
“Okay, should I make her coffee or something?”
“She’s allergic to coffee genius.” Katy rolled her eyes.
“Right, right. I knew that. Thanks Katy.” He hung up the phone and got up to grab your stuff.
“Hey where are you going?” You pouted as he walked up to the bar to pay the bill
“I’ll be right back, just wait here for me.” You nodded your head and waited patiently for him to come back.
“We’re going to go home now, alright?” Shaun pulled you out of your seat carefully helping you land on your feet. You nodded your head and yawned, stretching your arms over your head.
“Shaun, I’m too tired to walk.”
“Oh, now you remember who I am?” He chuckled, and you gave him a questioning look,
“Of course, I remember you, why wouldn’t I?”
“Well about 5 minutes ago you didn’t, I brought you a water and I guess it cleared your head enough. Come here.” He bent over enough for you to hop onto his back so he could give you a piggyback ride.
“My hero.” You mumbled into his back, closing your eyes as he started walking out of the building.
“Hey, (Y/N).” Shaun shook his shoulders to wake you up.
“Mhmm?” You moaned.
“Where are your keys?”
You sighed and climbed off his back, reaching into your purse, you handed the keys to him. He grabbed your hand and led you up to your porch, unlocking the front door and bringing you inside. He locked the door behind him and picked you up bridal style. Your head lolled into his chest as he carried you to your bedroom. He put you down on the bed, pulling the covers up and over you.
“Shaun…” You let your hand reach up to pull his arm back to you.
“What’s up?” He looked at you with concern.
“Can you help me take my pants off?” You laughed, and he blushed.
“Uh… yeah, sure.” Once he pulled back the covers, he realized why you asked. He hadn’t realized you were still in your dress pants from work. He went to unhook the buttons and slowly pulled them down your legs, tossing them into your hamper across the room. He pulled the covers back up to your chin and laughed as you happily took them and snuggled farther into the bed. He went to leave again but you stopped him yet again, “Shaun…”
“Yes?”
“Will you stay with me?”
“I was going to crash on the couch. I’ll be right outside, holler if you need something okay?”
“No… will you stay in here with me?” You opened your eyes for the first time since you got into your house. You gave him a puppy dog pout that made him melt.
“I can set up some couch cushions on the floor I guess…” he began looking around the floor to find a big enough space for him.
“No… Shaun… just come here.” You pulled him onto the bed and scooted over, pulling the covers over him. He hesitated for a second, body freezing, but when you snuggled your body into his side, he quickly melted under your touch. Not strong enough to fight off sleep any longer.
Shaun sighed as he woke up, he forgot to set his alarm last night. He probably was going to be late for work. He opened his eyes to see an unfamiliar bedding surrounding him. It then hit him that he was not alone. He was holding onto someone. Looking down, he saw your peaceful face resting into his chest. Your breath fanning over him, tickling him. ‘When did I take my shirt off?’ He thought as he quickly realized why it tickled. He looked under the covers slowly, trying not to wake you, ‘When did I take my pants off?!’ He questioned himself in alarm as he realized he was snuggled up to you in just underwear. He slowly leaned up on his elbow to look around them. Your pants and bra were thrown haphazardly towards your hamper and his shirt, pants, and socks laid at the end of the bed. He laid back on his side and looked down at his current position with you. He had his hand resting on your back underneath his sweater. Your legs tangled with his, and your hands cupping under your face that was cuddled up into his chest still. He couldn’t help the giant grin that plastered his face. He’s wanted to be with you like this for years. He’s wanted to be able to hold you close when he wakes up, to be able to kiss your forehead as you wake up, smiling up at him. He’s wanted to feel how soft your skin is, how gentle your lips rest against his skin. He’s got goose bumps all over his body as he realizes just how warm you are. He started rubbing circles on your back, trying to wake you up.
“Mhmm. That feels nice.” You smiled into his skin. You slowly opened your eyes and looked up at him, “See, isn’t this so much better than sleeping on the couch?”
“This is way better.” He kissed your hairline.
“I hope you know when I said this is our sweater, I meant I’m never giving it back.”
“You look better in it anyway.” He shrugged, tucking a strand of your hair behind your ear, getting a good look at you, ‘Oh yeah, way better in it.’ He thought to himself as he blushed thinking about beautiful you were and how lucky he is right now in this moment.
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➳ obliged ♡
in which y/n reconsiders her acquaintanceship with fred weasley and in which george cannot seem to let it go. one of fred's fangirls goes mad.
fred weasley x fem!reader
word count: ±2.6k
tw: bullying, blood
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obliged
george was giving her no mercy. ever since y/n had decided to tell george he looked quite good with a certain someone, george had made it his one living wish to pair her up with anyone and everyone. well, not exactly everyone, just his twin brother.
now, y/n didn't have a problem with it. she didn't mind, nor really care. she was just afraid that fred would think that she liked him. that would be disastrous, really.
"oooh, fred and y/n-"
"oh hush george, that's disgusting."
"i'm telling you, you guys have the spark!!" george cried out.
"george! what the hell, don't! just because i shipped you with a cute girl does not mean you need to feel obliged to do the same!!"
"if it helps, fred identifies as a male."
"stop!" y/n covered her ears.
"if it also helps, he's ugly."
"okay now i'd like to focus on legitimate things, like you and angie!!"
"c'mon, that's old news. i've got a thing for her, yeah, whatever, just don't tell her. but you and fred? i saw you two sitting together at the same table in potions-"
"i was saving the spot for hannah!"
"that may be true, but your vibes are so nice. the way you two are so wrapped in your own world and when you got coughs he looked at you so concernedly."
"i was coughing rather loudly, george! i myself was concerned!"
"mhm keep telling yourself that, l/n."
"i do not need to brainwash myself, george, i'm telling you-"
"do you think fred is cute?"
"in what way?"
"there are many?"
"physically cute, yeah, you are too, it's like seeing a pretty person and going 'hey they're adorable!'. substance wise, no. he's silly."
"silly?"
"yes! i barely know him!"
"well okay, you can get to know him?"
"no!! that's not necessary!"
"afraid you'll fall?"
"yes, trip over the stupid grin he always carries."
"so you do notice him!"
"i'm not blind! he's always causing ruckus too."
george laughs, picking up the gadget he was fiddling with.
he adds ominously after a couple of silent seconds, "good morrow."
"george, what the hell?"
he just smirks evilly. the next day y/n finds herself talking to many girls about fred...?
"hi marissa!" prudence waves at her.
"uh, it's y/n?"
"oh, lol, nice name, y/n."
"how are you?" y/n's brows are furrowed.
"well i heard there's a new ship around town, you and fred."
"there is?"
"there is. don't act dumb, you created it."
"what? no, no, you must be mistaken, prudence, i barely know the guy!"
"there's still rumours going 'round. and i know it isn't true, he would never go for a girl like you."
"meaning?"
"y'know, ugly, boring."
"what type of girl would he go for then?"
"someone pretty and fun."
y/n nods slowly, "and it never occurred to you that both ugliness and boringness are completely subjective things? don't listen to what people say, pru, it's built up on a throne of lies. i wish you the best with fred and all the boys who are so obviously head over heels for you."
prudence is speechless, "i-"
"close your mouth before you really start to sound stupid," y/n grits her teeth, clutching her bag closer to her as she travels to the potions classroom.
hannah's sitting with zacharias. y/n waves to her, sighing, before setting her stuff down on a different table.
a bang soon entered the classroom. snape sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose before coldly glaring at the two ginger twins who were grinning.
"mr weasley and mr weasley, take a seat," he drawls.
they immediately sit at a desk.
"at different desks."
y/n hears the careless noise of a chair dragging against the floor and sighs.
"how do you like the rumours?" fred asks carefully, twirling his quill between his fingers with a casual expression.
"absolutely brilliant, they are so splendid that i am thinking of writing a biography about it all," y/n dryly says.
"that's brilliant!"
"does it not trouble you?"
"nope, everyone wants me anyway."
y/n rolls her eyes, "of course they do. george didn't even think about how this would affect me! i've gotten death threats over this silly little thing."
"death threats? from who?" fred's expression is worried.
"i don't kiss and tell."
"..."
"it's an expression! i don't receive death threats and tell. your fanbase is too pretty and too deathly," she shudders.
"jealous?"
"of stupidity? never."
"if it helps, i'm kinda annoyed by them too."
"c'mon, imagine having a billion girls pine over you. that's almost enviable. at least you won't have to worry about getting a date to a party or an event."
"you have?"
"oh no, i'm some mindnumbingly beau-tiful that all the boys are falling to my feet with bouquets of roses," sarcasm drips from her tone.
"you could be a writer, y'know," fred suggests.
"nup, i switch hobbies too easily. i would write a book, give up, then pick up broomstick handling or some crap."
"i think your hobby should be loving me," fred winks and y/n scoffs.
"and get a lifetime of delinquency and disgusting ginger? no thank you <3," she retorts.
"no seriously."
"no thank you. it sounds absolutely terrible."
"quiet now, class," snape shoots a pointed look at fred and y/n.
every now and then as snape has his eyes on a potion, fred tucks little notes into y/n's pockets. she's too busy scribbling to notice.
at the end of the lesson, he's tucked at least 15 little love letters in.
she quickly picks up her things to join hannah and zacharias, not noticing anything.
a tap on her shoulder startles her. it's prudence.
"stay away from my fred."
"k."
"no, he's been sending you letters."
"now you're just being silly, prudence-"
true enough, there's a billion little parchment pieces in fred's illegible cursive.
"these are clearly meant for me," prudence sneers.
"take 'em, then."
"not until you stay away."
"the rumours aren't tru-"
prudence has already slapped her, before kicking her repeatedly in the stomach.
"stop! stop!" y/n pushes prudence away, tasting blood in her mouth.
"that'll teach you. filthy homewrecker."
prudence struts away.
y/n can't move. the pain is too much.
she ends up passing out by a pillar. when she's awake, she's still there. she hurls herself up, stumbling into the hospital wing, where madam pomfrey bustles around, tutting random things.
the first person to visit is hannah.
"y/n! what happened??"
"uh, i- don't wanna tell," she mumbles.
"why not?"
"t-this will happen again if i-i do."
"well we'll try stop it then!"
"no point, 'm weak."
tears well up in her eyes as she subtly tries to hide them, turning to the other side of the bed.
"what happened?" hannah's voice was scary.
"i-i bumped into prudence and fred had written me silly little joke love letters and prudence saw them- the rest, they say, is history," she jokes in attempt to lighten the mood.
hannah fumes. she makes for the door, but y/n stops her.
"hannah, it's not worth it."
"no, y/n, she hurt you badly."
"i'm still alive, right?"
"fine. i'll find fred."
"no! hannah please- he doesn't need to know!"
"he'll want to know."
"he'll think i'm weak."
"y/n, we're all a little weak sometimes. but in your heart, you're as strong as the wind."
y/n lets out a smile, "okay then."
she anxiously anticipates the arrival of fred. he strides in, a worried expression etched on his face as he makes a beeline for her.
"lovely, i'm so so sorry, i didn't know it would cause such a thing."
"it's fine, it was all a good laugh anyway. clearly prudence just got jealous, that's normal," y/n hates making people apologise, it's always awkward and weird.
"she hurt you and it's normal?"
"well she's a tad extreme but yeah, whatever."
"and a good laugh?"
"yeah, y'know, cute little prank. shame it ended badly, i wanted to fathom my own reaction to it," y/n didn't even take notice to the words tumbling out of her mouth, just trying to ease the tension that had crept in slowly.
"this is all my fault," fred groaned, burying his head in his hands.
"no, no, it isn't. i can't blame you. don't worry about it at all, just keep on living life."
y/n knows that fred probably feels obliged to check up on her, but it's not necessary at all.
"nonsense. i made this happen. i'll be checking up on you every few lessons."
"it's not needed, i get you feel almost responsible for it, but you're not, you don't need to do that, it's a hassle which i wouldn't want you to go through."
"if anything, you're the one going through something, love," fred says, looking down at y/n with concern.
"yeah, but you don't need to, it just puts more inconvenience on different people, fred."
"well i want to, okay?"
"okay."
he sticks to his word. every so often, he'll pop in after class and give y/n a full recount of the class. his commentary is fast and fleeting, and when he's excited, y/n can tell.
"we're making our own potions for potions," fred says, trying to be as subtle about his excitement about it as he can.
"wowwww, that's so exciting!!"
fred gapes at y/n, "you think it's exciting?"
"of course, who doesn't wanna play with snape's bezoars from ireland?"
fred laughs, "it is exciting!"
"then why did you ask me that?"
"i thought you wouldn't be into potions."
"pfft, i look like a good for nothing princess who can't get her hands dirty? naw. potions is awesome."
"even snape?"
"even snape. he gave me a lilyfield bezoar once!"
"those are so rare!"
"i know right! lilyfield barely sells any of them anymore!"
"what did you use it in?"
"just the simple polyjuice. i would've made the teleportation potion but i couldn't find spider eyes!"
"you could've asked me for them!!"
"yeah, maybe i'll borrow some from you, snape's doing a little giveaway! what potion are you gonna brew?"
"ginger."
"what?"
"it makes everything ginger."
y/n laughs. it makes her wounds on her stomach hurt, but it's the first time she's really laughed in days.
"imma give it to mum," fred says childishly.
"pfft i'm sure your mum isn't that stupid," y/n giggles, and fred finds himself wanting to hear it over and over again.
"well, that's true, love, she did have me."
y/n frowns, "meaning?"
"she's got to be smart coz i'm smart."
y/n giggles again and fred can feel the heat creeping up his neck because he made her giggle like that.
"that's not how it works, fred, i think that she must be a very smart woman who got stuck with a sad little ginger boy. i think ginny's the only smart one in your family. i saw her bat bogey hex the other day and wow! she's talented for sure!!"
"gets it from her brother," fred says arrogantly.
"percy is a smart one too," y/n tilts her head slightly, an amused look appearing on her face.
"i was meaning me!"
"who?"
"me!!!"
"who's me?" y/n feigns innocence, batting her eyelashes.
"ME!!!!" fred bursts out, "fred weasley!!"
"oh, never heard of him."
fred seems to get the joke, and laughs heartily.
"very funny, love."
y/n shakes her head, "who says it was a joke? i truly believe it."
a smirk appears on fred's face, "at least you need to say that i'm cute."
an embarrassed look appears on y/n's face, "i'm cute," she says.
"you are. now say, 'fred weasley is cute.'"
"fred weasley is cute," y/n smiles, "c'mon, gimme another lie?"
"i'm offended."
"that's good."
the playful bickering continues, and hannah abbott smiles tenderly to herself, carefully taking her ear off of the hole in the door.
a few days later, y/n's been discharged from the ward, and boy is she excited about it all.
but it's harder adjusting to normal life than she thinks. for the first few days, she stumbles as she walks, having been on bed rest for ages, trying dearly to avoid prudence. to her surprise, prudence is not seen.
fred watches in amusement and in adoration as her expression contorts into one of concentration, her eyes scanning the crowd, before widening in relief as she sees no trace of prudence. she makes her way to hannah, who sits with zacharias, happily chatting about the hogsmeade trip which awaits.
"oh it's like i've been dead!! i'm so glad!" she erupts with excitement, scoffing down her breakfast and wrapping her coat neatly around her self, the checkered pattern nearly drowning her body in its oversized glory.
fred goes on with his day at hogsmeade with george, laughing and chatting together, forgetting (almost) about y/n.
she awkwardly approaches him with a bar of milk chocolate that's wrapped in a red bow, trying to catch his attention.
george notices from over fred's shoulder, beckoning to her and telling fred, before sneakily slipping away.
"uh, i just wanted to thank you for being a good friend during all this," y/n starts, "and so i remembered you like milk chocolate and this is a muggle bar. it's really good, but if you have any allergies-"
"not at all," fred admires the heavy bar of chocolate, which sits in between his fingers, "thank you for this. walk with me."
"okay," y/n anxiously interprets the serious tone of his voice.
"when you said i was a good friend to you, i heavily disliked it."
"why?" y/n furrows her brows.
"because i always thought we had something more, lovely," he flirts, winking at her.
she folds her arms, "funny," she jokes, "because i didn't."
"no, sweetheart, i'm being serious."
"hi being serious, i'm y/n," she jokes again, returning the 'jokes' he makes.
"i really like you, okay?" fred sighs, running a hand through his hair, "i just want to kiss you every time i see you."
"wow. really?"
"yeah."
"oh my goodness this is a confession!!" she squeals, "i've never gotten a confession before!!"
fred chuckles, a little worried, "i would like a proper response."
"just let me have a moment," y/n sighs absentmindedly, "a guy i've been crushing on for ages likes me back!"
when she processes her words, her mouth drops open and she slaps a hand to her lips.
"i really said that, didn't i?" she mumbles.
"yeah. yeah, you did," fred smiles.
"it isn't creepy, is it?"
"why would it be creepy?"
"good, just checking."
"you okay? you seem out of it," fred worriedly scans her face, "if you don't like me, that's gonna be hard, but i do understand, please don't feel obliged to say that you love me back or anything, i'd hate to-"
he's cut off as y/n tiptoes and nervously presses her lips to his.
he gasps in surprise, but pulls a hand around her waist and continues the kiss.
"was that too much?" y/n asks, lips curved into a sheepish smile.
"nope, in fact, i think you need to give me more kisses," fred smirks at y/n whose face tints a shade of red.
"in fact," he continues when he hears no objection, "so many that you should be my girlfriend."
"only if you'll be my boyfriend," y/n smiles.
"that's silly. no," fred jokes and y/n giggles.
"then i must go on with my day, i guess," she shrugs, turning to walk away.
she feels an arm pull her back.
"i was just joking, princess."
"i know."
he chuckles, pulling her to his side as they walk down diagon alley.
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nyehilismwriting · 3 years
Text
sentinel - going forward
hiiii everyone. I know things have been quiet for a long time on the sentinel front, and I wanted to make a (long-overdue) post explaining where I’m at & what I’m thinking.
for some background, I started writing sentinel two years ago (and damn does that give me heart palpitations) during the summer I graduated, with no plan but a handful of vague ideas and concepts. I was unemployed, hadn’t written anything longer than a couple of thousand words in years, and i had no real idea where I was going with it.
i’ve learned a lot since then,  about coding & writing, about this community, and about myself. I originally planned to use the twine port as an opportunity to rewrite parts, maybe fix up one or two things, and generally polish the content that’s currently available, but the further I got into it, the more it seemed like so much was broken, pointless, or just plain bad it hardly seemed worth it.
I still love this story; I still love these characters. I still want to write this game, but in order to make it into what I think it needs to be, I need to go right back to the beginning. I’ve mentioned various times on this blog that I’m doing rewrites, messing with code and so on; all of that is true, but I don’t think I’ve ever emphasised the extent to which I’m overhauling it.
twine gives me a lot more creative freedom, and has encouraged me to think outside the usual formula when it comes to my writing. one of the biggest aspects of sentinel that I struggle with, as it stands, is the urban fantasy aspect - I’m a fantasy author by nature, and I think I rooted too much of sentinel in the real world, where I’d much prefer to lean into the surrealist/horror elements. plot-wise, it was never intended to be a monster of a game, but I got too caught up in sideplots and twists that I lost sight of the overall premise, which in turn had me losing interest in the game as a whole.
I’m reluctant to call this a hiatus, since functionally there is no difference to you guys: there hasn’t been any new content for a long time, but rest assured I am still working on and thinking about this story. I just need time to dig out the aspects that made me passionate about it in the first place, and to find a way to bring them into the light. it will be a long time before there’s any new content to speak of - I’ll keep posting snippets & prompts every now and then, and drop notes and excerpts as I feel like it, but I hope this has eased some concerns about this project being abandoned. it isn’t - it’s just gone insane so i’ve locked it in the attic and married a pretty new wip. don’t worry about it.
in summary: sentinel isn’t abandoned, but in order to create the game I really think it could be, and deserves to be, I have to go back to the drawing board and readjust my paradigm and all kinds of other fun words for, essentially, starting again. the choicescript demo will remain as is, and I’m too far off to give a timeline on what happens next: whether I drop a demo of the rewrite, or just try to get the game complete before release, I don’t know yet.
thank you all for your patience and support. I know it’s been a long time, and it’ll be even longer still, but I hope it will be worth it. ❤❤❤
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ray-ray-writings · 3 years
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Uhm, hi
Soo, I don't want to stress you out or make you do something, but I have a request.
Again, you don't have to do it if you are uncomfortable with it, don't like the idea, have no time, or just don't want to do it
But, could you please maybe do a technoblade x reader where the reader gets really bad period cramps and techno's reaction to it.
Or like, maybe he doesn't know what a period is bc he grew up around all guys or something and he freaks out?
Again, you don't have to do this if you don't want to.
Thanks for your time tho
So I totally thought I posted this a while ago... I did not, I saved it to my drafts and didn't realize until now.
So, from the bottom of my heart,
My bad.
But periods are the absolute worst and I hate them so much. That is all. Thank you for the request anon!
Techno would know what a period is, but he wouldn’t know much about them. He knew what they were, why they occurred, what happened during them, but because he grew up with his father and two brothers, he never was around anyone that had them.
I’d like to imagine the first time you had your period, Techno waltzed into your house and immediately was able to smell the blood, which he could tell was yours, and he began to freak out. He follows the scent and finds you curled up in the bed, clutching your stomach. He rushes over to you and runs his hands over your stomach. “It’s going to be okay Y/N. I’m going to help you,” he babbles out. You let out a sigh of contentment at the warmth of his hands seeping through your skin and easing the ache ever so slightly.
Techno begins to worry even more and his eyes scan your stomach, looking for the injury that had caused you to bleed and clutch your stomach. “Where are you hurt?” Techno asks, when he can’t find the wound. The question causes you to furrow your eyebrows in confusion.
“Hurt? I'm not hurt,” you slur out, pressing Techno’s hands further down on your stomach, trying to make the warmth go deeper.
“Not hurt? You’re bleeding Y/N! You wouldn’t be bleeding if you weren’t hurt.” It takes you a moment to digest the words and understand the meaning but as soon as you do, you begin to laugh. “What? What is so funny?” Techno questions, really confused as to why you just went from looking like you're in pain to laughing.
“I am Tech. I am bleeding. I’m on my period Techno. That’s where the blood is.” Techno’s face flushes and he lets out a soft ‘oh.’ He’s not sure what to say, a little embarrassed at confusing your period for you being injured and freaking out as much as he had.
Techno clears his throat and looks back at you, looking at your face, but avoiding your eyes. “Is there anything I can do?” he asks, wanting to know how best to help. You think for just a moment before holding your arms out to him and making grabby hands at him.
“Cuddles?”
Without another word, Techno moves his hands from your stomach and carefully lays down next to you. He wraps his arms around you and pulls you close to his chest, letting your head rest on him and his head on top of your head as his hands move up and down your back in a soothing pattern.
A content sigh escapes your lips as his overly warm body transfers heat to yours and relaxes the muscles that cramp up during this time. It wasn’t much, but it was enough.
Techno is a bit clueless at times and you have to explain things to him. He was so concerned the first time he witnessed you have a cramp. One moment you were talking perfectly fine, the next you were hunched over yourself, struggling to breathe. After the cramp releases, Techno is all over you, asking what happened, if you were okay, why you had keeled over, his whole mind and mouth moving a mile a minute as he tries to figure out what happened. Once you catch your breath, you explain cramps to Techno and why they happen and Techno listens. He asks questions and makes sure that he knows what to do.
After that, he always has cramp medicine on hand. He also has heated blankets, and is also always willing to drop everything to cuddle and rub your back or stomach to make you feel better. He hates to see you in pain and so he is willing to do anything he can to lessen that pain. He’s definitely punched Tommy when he was being too pushy and too loud around you while you were struggling with the pain.
Techno also loves cuddling with you when you’re on your period. He’s so warm and it makes you feel so relaxed and comfortable against him. He loves being able to take care of you like that and he feels so honored that you feel safe enough to curl up into him and relax like that. It makes you feel good and in turn it makes him feel good too.
He will also make you anything that you want food wise. I don’t know if it’s just a me thing, but I get intense cravings when I’m on my period and when I realize I can’t have/don’t have that food, it makes me want to cry. So if this applies to you, he will absolutely make you whatever you want, and he would even bring it to you wherever you were. Again, Techno just wants to make sure you’re taken care of and given the things that you want.
… That’s all I got haha. I’m sorry it was so short, but I hope you enjoyed either way!
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concerningmadness · 2 years
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Deimos x reader with #3 fluff prompts here??
I don’t think I’ve read any of your works yet lmao
(BRO ALL UR PROMPTS LOOK SO GOOD! And unlikely you've seen anything lol I'm pretty much new here writing community wise.)
Fluff Dialogue Prompt:
#3: “I don’t care, to me you’re perfect!”
Just Right:
Content Warnings:
Cw: food
.
.
Waking up to Sanford cooking for everyone is what will get you and Deimos out of bed no matter what. Which means Doc doesn't need to come in there with a blank today, thank Jebus. The clatter of a pan against the stove, the small chatter between close mates, the smell of eggs and bacon sizzling against the pan's searing heat is always the most welcoming to you. Deimos hops in one chair as it slid over to the table with minimal difficulty, crossing his clad boots on the table. Prompting Doc to swat them down. He quickly spots you and pats the open chair beside him eagerly in which you comply with a soft giggle. 2BDamned sat across from you both with his face glued to his work laptop, clacking away at the keys to no end. Hank's definitely attempted to make the man relax for once in his life but so far that seems pretty unlikely.
Speak of the devil.
The hulking killer slinks by the crowd and leans on the counter behind Doc to watch the man work. Sanford glanced behind to see you both practically rough housing with each other. Doc could only roll his eyes while Hank lets out an amused huff. 
"Hey you two bozos! How 'bout you guys come help me make this." Sanford offered as he waved the spatula towards the side that had a more opening. He's probably going to regret having Deimos help but at least you and he can leave Doc work in peace for now. The burly man shoves a cartridge of eggs to Deimos. "Here Dei, just whisk a few and try not to somehow light the kitchen on fire in the process." Deimos threw out his arms. "What? It was just that one time!" You came up next to him, nudging his shoulders playfully.
"Yeah, like the time you set fire to the running sink? Or the freezer? Maybe that one time you burnt the salad." You said, all while giving the man a teasing smirk. He could only pout in response in which it only made your smirk wider.
The next thing he knew was you slapping an eggshell on his head, calling him an "egghead" in the process. Oh yeah, that's it. Deimos grabs a whole thing of bacon and chases you with it like it were a dagger. You bump into the dining table on your way out but Doc managed to lift his coffee before contact was made. Years of being around you both have taught him well. The two of you leave a disgruntled Sanford behind to complain about the mess. Of course, neither of you paid any mind. Especially you considering you got a man chasing you around the place with meat. 
You run the corner to the warehouse makeshift living room and dive to the couch. Grabbing the nearest pillow you take a swing behind you. Fwump - Hitting Deimos with the plushie cushion square in the face, he stumbled back a little to catch his bearings. Although it was over for you once his eyes were locked on you. He grabs the nearest couch pillow and retaliates with you following suit again. Feathers go fluttering around the room, some tickling against your skin as it sofly hits ground.
-
Exhaustion gets to the both of you at some point, leaving you both to lie on the couch together. 
Though the moment didn't last as a thought that you're all too familiar with, it strides its way into the back of your head. You look at Deimos and think for a bit but eventually give in and spoke up.
"Hey, Deimos?"
"Yes, toots?
"Am I.. Too much?"
He glanced a concerned look at you but hesitates a moment to speak.
"..Huh.? What do you mean?"
You began to fumble your words 
"I-I mean like, is my personality sometimes… a bit much.?"
It took Deimos a fraction of a second to process those last words before he carefully held you by your face. His brows knit together at your questions, a face quite literally laced with worry. He pulls you close and holds you in for a tight hug. "Aw sweetcheeks, no! Nothing about you is 'too much'. Why would you say that?" He brushed a rouge strand of hair from your face, all while forcing you to keep your focus on him. "Did someone say something to you?" His voice quickly became stern by the last bit. You simply glanced down and shook your head. "No. Just me, I just.. I feel like I-" You were choking on words, you were unsure on just how to say it out loud. But he already got a good idea of what you mean. You didn't think it was possible for his frown to pull any closer together. He didn't even allow you to finish that sentence.
"Mi amor listen to me very closely. There's nothing about you that's annoying and there's absolutely nothing about you that is 'too much' at all." He hasn't even taken his eyes off of you as he examined every feature on your face. One thumb carefully strokes over a scar that lays across your face. "Doesn't matter how wild or sassy you are to me. That's the very same wildness I've come to know and love. To me it's always the personality of a true warrior that will sweep me away." Face completely flushed, you pulled your face away shyly only to have the bastard chuckle a little in response. You felt a few quick pecks on your cheek. You glanced back at him to see a soft reassuring smile across his face. "Just know that I don't care, because to me.. You're absolutely perfect and I couldn't ask for anyone better!" And finally he gets a little smile out of you, something that he was waiting for in this moment. It always warms him inside to see you happy.
"C'mon toots. Let's go eat, everyone is waiting."
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junowritings · 3 years
Note
HELLO, DARLING 💕💕 I'm here to bust in and ask for some sweet, sweet Twst fluff! May I have some Ruggie, Azul, and Deuce reacting to thier fem!s/o protecting them in a fight?? Maybe some dude trying to swing at them and their gf gets in the way and protects them! Pls give me the good, much love and you're amazing 💕💕💕💖💖💖
First request! Thank you so much honey I am always happy to provide some peak content~! I had way too much fun with this and it shows lmao but I hope you enjoy~! 💖 💖 💖
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Ruggie
♡ Ruggie’s used to stepping on a few toes and tails with his antics - he’s a little trickster at heart but it’s all in good fun, he swears! It’s just unfortunate circumstances that perhaps one or two people sometimes get caught in the crossfire of his schemes, never anything too serious, but enough to leave more than a few people grumbling about it by the time things actually get sorted back out. Rarely do things ever actually spiral out of Ruggie’s control, and even if they do, chances are no one stays too mad at him for too long...most of the time. The times they do? They tend to get a bit out of hand.
♡ When a group of students attempt to corner him on the way back to the Savanaclaw dorm, he isn’t even sure what’s got them so heated - they start cussing him out, ranting about how he must think he’s such a wise guy, getting so cocky and not knowing his place. He’s not phased by what they say at all, if anything he’s not fussed in the slightest and would probably make a comment about them coming up with something more original if he could get a word in their bickering. It gets tiring real fast, and Ruggie’s looking for an out before these guys have even finished talking.  
♡ Sure, he could use his unique magic in this situation, but given that it would only affect one of them and more than likely piss them off even more in the process, it wouldn’t do much to save his hide right now. Three against one hardly seems like a hard fight, but if Ruggie is even remotely concerned about the odds it doesn’t show for a second, instead - chances are, they’re just gonna yell it out of their system and then storm off so he can go back to what he was doing. Arguably, that just makes them angrier, and soon enough their heated bickering becomes thinly veiled threats, as though they’re trying to rile him up into instigating something - they want a reaction, an excuse to justify starting a fight, but Ruggie’s not naive enough to fall for that trick. 
♡ When he doesn’t, one of the students finally snaps, lunging forward and snagging the collar of Ruggie’s uniform, bunching it up until he can feel knuckles pressed against his throat and he has to tilt his head up to avoid the fist curling underneath his chin. As the other hand rears back, the laid-back smile on his face becomes strained, and Ruggie squares the guy with a pointed stare as though waiting to call their bluff on actually taking a swing. He doesn’t get the chance to find out, as in the next moment the hand’s gone from his collar and Ruggie finds himself looking at the back of a blazer as a new voice joins the scene - one that he recognizes.
♡ He can’t see your face from this angle, but he can hear the hostility in your voice as you square up to the three boys, standing to your full height as you curse them out and order them to back up, asking what the hell they thought they were doing to your boyfriend. And just like that, those three hotheads dissolve into cowering pups right before his eyes, all bumbling words and awkward shifting as they try to talk their way out of the situation they’d been caught red handed in. They’re doing a poor job of it, and you’re clearly not buying it as you fold your arms and fix them with a scowl, taking a step forward as you move to completely shield Ruggie from their view. 
 ♡ Ruggie can count the amount of times someone has actively gone out of their way to protect him on one hand, so the situation is as bizarre as it is entertaining. He feels a smug kind of pride at hearing you declare the word ‘boyfriend’, and hearing the anger in your voice is enough to convince him that it’s for the best to let you handle this whole thing. Still, Ruggie just can’t help but peek over your shoulder as you tear those guys a new one, shooting them a shit eating grin and enjoying the way that their expressions twist into grimaces, pissed but unable to do anything less they risk even more of your rage.
♡ All you have to hear is one of them mention ‘putting him in his place’ for your expression to visibly darken, and all three of them know that they’ve messed up at the sight of your face. You barely even have to feign lunging at them to get all three of them to bolt, just about toppling over each other as they flee down the corridor and round the corner, effectively vanishing from your sight. Even then you wait a beat, listening out for their footsteps until you can’t hear them anymore before you allow the tension to fall from your shoulders. Ruggie thinks that’s the perfect time to chime in, resting his head on the shoulder he was peeking over as he snickers.
♡ “Shishishi~! Did you see the way they ran? Talk about spooked!”
♡ You find yourself chuckling along with him as you look at him out of the corner of your eye, watching his expression carefully before you shift around to fully face him. The first words out of your mouth are words of concern, asking him if he’s okay and if they hurt him in any way. He’s quick to brush off any of your worries, giving you a non-committal shrug and assuring you that he’s fine - he’s dealt with way worse confrontations before, so it’s not skin off his hide now that they’ve scampered off. 
♡ You’re not entirely convinced, he can see it in your face as you regard him - you seem to want to press the question on those ‘worse confrontations’, but after a moment you seem to drop it. Instead, you reach out and attempt to straighten out his collar and tie, though both are still a wrinkled mess by the time you’re finished; even so, Ruggie seems to appreciate the sentiment, and that lax grin from before is back as he slides out of your grip. He’s still gotta get back to the dorm, but it wouldn’t hurt to have company on the way back, if his new ‘bodyguard’ wants to tag along~
Azul
♡ Azul’s no stranger to people’s ire - he’s gained more than a few enemies over time, having his fair share of scorned patrons cursing his name before he’d even enrolled at Night Raven college. He’s learned quickly to gauge whether someone’s just blowing off steam or if they’re a serious threat, and he learned even quicker how to deal with those situations accordingly; after all, it’s bad business if you’re busy being hounded by clients looking for a bone to pick. He’s got countermeasures in play, and a few backup plans if things become too dicey for his liking, but he’s fortunately rarely had to use them barring one or two troublesome incidents thanks to the Leech twins.
♡ Floyd and Jade have, of course, been a big help in handling these little confrontations whenever they arise, having nipped most of them in the bud before they’ve even had the chance to darken the doors of the Monstro Lounge, so there’s been a relative peace in the place when people are there to have a good time rather than try and start fights.
♡ Things come to a head when someone actually manages to slip through into the Monstro Lounge, and Azul comes out of his office to the sound of someone shouting his name in a tone that sets the precedent that this is not going to be a peaceful interaction. He sees their face before they even turn to face him - expression twisted up in anger and hands balled at their side as they glare daggers at the other patrons, as if trying to discern if the dorm leader is sitting amongst them. Azul recognizes them immediately, and, upon realizing that the twins aren’t present in the lounge, rationalizes that it’s up to him to smooth things over before they end up disturbing the other patrons and causing too much of a disturbance. And so he plasters on his most neutral, unassuming smile, and greets the new ‘client’, watching them whip around to face him as he steps forward to talk to them.
♡ Azul already knows what they want to talk about - of course he does - he’s learned to keep track of every face that passes through those doors and his interactions with them. And yet he allows them to talk, and get what they want off of their chest; talking to them like this isn’t going to get them anywhere, and it appears they’re more in the mood for yelling than they are for actually talking. So he allows them to rant, if only to calm them down enough until he deems them rational enough to listen to what he has to say; and after a moment this seems to actually have done the trick, as the yelling soon quiets down in frustrated grumbling, and the eyes once drawn to the scene from nearby tables begin to return back to what had previously caught their attention. That’s when Azul finally speaks, extending an offer to finish this conversation back inside his office - after all, he’s sure they didn’t come here simply to make a scene when there’s a peaceful resolution to be reached, right? 
♡ It’s with that thought in mind that leads Azul to a momentary slip in judgement - turning his back on the troublesome patron and begins to walk back towards his office, expecting them to follow him. Which they do, with a raised fist. He doesn’t hear them storm after him, but what he does hear is the gasps from onlookers as they watch the person in question rear back their hand, fist aiming right for the back of his head. It should have connected - afterall, they were close enough to have landed the hit, but it never comes.
♡ Instead, a sharp shove at his back has Azul’s stumbling, and not a moment later, he’s spinning around to see what’s going on and finds an unexpected sight. The patron’s sprawled out on the floor, cradling their face in both hands and swearing up a storm as they rock back and forth, nursing what looks like a solid hit to the nose. And towering over them is none other than you, blazer discarded and sleeves rolled up to the elbows as you shake off the hit from your hands, winding up your shoulders as you stare daggers down at his would-be attacker. It doesn’t take a genius to discern what’s just happened in the span of just a few moments, but Azul’s suspicions are all but confirmed when you snap at them to just try and punch him again - watch what happens, you dare them.
♡ Anger flashes across the patron’s face, and for a second Azul truly believes that he’s about to watch a brawl break out between this troublemaker and his girlfriend as both make a move to jump the other. Thankfully for all involved, they don’t get the chance to see that show, as not a moment too soon the twins are there to intervene and split it up before any real fight begins. Jade’s hands are on your shoulder, guiding you back gently but firm enough to ensure that he can pull you away from this fight if you try to push the issue; you reluctantly follow him as he backtracks over to where Azul is standing, still grumbling about it under your breath. Floyd, on the other hand, is all too eager to take care of the one still cradling their face, sporting the beginnings of a bloody nose as they’re hoisted up onto their feet and promptly directed to the nearest exit.
♡ Azul makes a note to deal with that person later - though he’s got a sneaking suspicion that the twins are already well on their way to taking care of that in his stead as Jade leaves to rejoin his brother once you’re standing face to face with their dorm leader. For now, he turns his attention to you, watching you huff and rub idly at the hand you’d punched with as the beginnings of an apology tumble from your lips. 
♡ You didn’t mean to get involved and cause so much of a scene, but when he’d turned away and you saw the person rearing back to sock him, you were up from your table and swinging without a second thought. You couldn’t just sit there and let him get hurt, what kind of girlfriend would that make you if you did! You’d never let him get hurt as long as you were around - that was okay...right?
♡ The passion behind your voice is enough to convince him that you mean every word, and you can see his expression soften a little as he takes your hand into his own, thumb brushing over the scuffed skin of your knuckles, red marks becoming visible as a testament to the force behind your punch. Your expression twitches with a flash of discomfort - looks like you’d underestimated the force on your hand; Azul’s not surprised, going above and beyond was a penchant of yours that had gotten you this far, and perhaps what had led to you worming your way into his heart in the first place.
♡ At your expression, Azul gives your hand a pat before taking a step back, using the hold to guide you. He certainly doesn’t mind the protective streak - in fact it’s a rather endearing trait, one that deserves proper compensation in return. But the first order of business is getting that hand tended to, and Azul makes that his priority as he leads them to follow him to his office, pleased when you fall into step with him and follow his lead. 
Deuce
♡ Honestly, with how much of a protector can be over his friends, Deuce is in desperate need of someone just as willing to square up for him. He takes their safety seriously, even though part of him knows that realistically they can all take care of themselves just fine if anything actually happened. That still doesn’t stop him from wanting to step in whenever things get dicey, especially whenever it comes to you or your friends, and that either becomes a sweet sentiment, or the bane of your existence depending on how many altercations this ends up dragging him into.
♡ Maybe it's because of this that a fight was bound to break out sooner or later, but for what it’s worth, this one wasn’t actually caused because of him - it was because of Grim. That feline had a habit of breaching people’s boundaries, and sure enough it was just a matter of time before things escalated into a fight before anyone even had a chance to figure out what had even happened. Deuce wasn’t around when it happened, but the sound of yelling had caught his attention and led to him looking into the passing hallway trying to figure out what was going on. He recognized some of the voices, he swears it, and sure enough he finds the owner of those voices right in the center of the hallway, a small circle of people getting into each other's faces.
♡ Both sides are yelling, and at the sight of Ace and Grim smack-dab in the middle of the bickering, Deuce finds himself getting in-between them if only to get the one guy waving his hands around away from his friends before someone got slapped. Almost immediately there’s a hand in his face, an accusatory finger jabbed in his direction as all that anger at his friends is now squared directly on him. Deuce feels himself getting angry the more this guy screams into his face, cutting him off every time Deuce tries to get a word in; it’s clear that he’s not going to get any answers from this guy any time soon, so he calls to his friends behind him, ignoring the shout of ‘Hey, don’t ignore me!’ directed at him as he does so.
♡ Deuce looks away for a second, talking to Ace over his shoulder to try and find out what started this whole thing in the first place, when he feels someone grab a fistful of hair and yanks. Pain blossoms through his scalp and he hisses, a hand flying up to snag the wrist of the guy and wrenching it forward, digging his fingers in to force him to let go only for the hand to grip tighter. There’s another sharp tug, and Deuce can see Ace and Grim diving forward to help him from the corner of his eye, their shouts of protest only seeming to anger the guy more as they round in on him.
♡ But someone else gets there first, and just like that the hand is being wrenched from Deuce’s hair and he hears something go sliding across the floor. Turns out it’s the guy, whose expression is a mix of anger and bafflement as he tries desperately to reach for something behind him - no, someone. There’s a hand wound into the back of the guy’s blazer, hoisted up enough that he has to arch to go along with the item of clothing. The guy tries to reach behind him, but every time another hand peeks out from behind him to swat it away with ease, eliciting frustrated whines when the guy realizes he’s stuck.
♡ Deuce’s face must be priceless as he takes in the scene, watching a familiar head duck out from around the guys shoulder and flash him a grin, giving him a thumbs up. He hadn’t even seen you in the crowd, did you jump in when you saw him getting hurt? A part of him feels bad that you’d seen it happen in the first place, but that’s soon quashed when you turn your focus back to the guy who’d swung, who by this point had lost the gumption to keep swinging and was now just waiting for you to release your grip.
♡ You give it a few more seconds for good measure, before you allow your hold to loosen and you step away, still giving the guy a cautious glance as you move to stand in front of Deuce, Ace and Grim in a protective stance. There’s a beat of tenseness, waiting to see if the fight is going to start back up again, but when the group starts backtracking, retreating to who knows where else, it’s clear that at least for now things have been resolved. And with that out of the way, you turn your attention back to the boys, sticking Grim a pointed stare as you huff out that you’re talking to him about this later. 
♡ Then you turn your focus over to Deuce, and he immediately straightens up under your attention waiting for some kind of comment about the confrontation, or maybe a warning for him to be more careful. You take his face into your hands, and though confused, he follows along with your movements as you urge him to look down; he doesn’t know what you’re doing until he feels a hand smooth through his hair, easing the tousled hair back into place as you ask him if it still stings. Your tone is soft, and Deuce finds himself flushing as he hurriedly reassures you that it doesn’t hurt - it’s fine, really! You’re not entirely swayed, but the moment is broken when you hear Grim make a gagging noise telling you to stop being so weird. And just like that your attention is back onto Grim again, fully prepared to choke him with that damn bow as Deuce straightens back up, carding a hand through his hair and trying to will away the pink flush beginning to rise to his cheeks.
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yunahosk · 3 years
Text
limerence | yan zhongli x reader
ai ai ai, i’ve never tried writing before so this is a first (and ofc i picked zhongli to seduce him to come home), if all goes well possibly i’ll do another!
apologies for poor english and grammar, i speak dutch, im trying hehe.
warnings: blood, violence, mentions of public death/ exec*tion, mentions of death, stabbing (in leg and arm), obsessive tendencies, forced relationship, yandere content
please let me know if i missed anything!
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limerence: the state of being infatuated or obsessed with another person
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“Thank you for providing me your kindness, Mr. Zhongli.” You smiled, letting your hands slowly wrap around the porcelain cup adorned with designs of gold. It seemed to fit the man’s mysterious aura: truly lavish.
After an encounter, more so a dilemma with a small village in Liyue which left you seconds away from your inevitable fate of hanging by a rope. To be fair, sure, possibly you shouldn’t have accidentally set fire to half the village. But having a pyro vision has its downsides too, no?
Although it left you questioning why it seemed he had such an impact on the small village, all the mattered is that you still sat in flesh and bone and not six feet under.
Truly, he was a kind man, even inviting you into his abode for a cup of tea and a residence for the meantime. You were an adventurer from Fontaine, traveling to all the seven nations in search of, well nothing. Armed with only a pyro vision and a spear you were determined to travel the world. Liyue Harbor was just one of your many stops, and to your delight it was truly a fascinating and astonishingly beautiful place.
“Ah, there’s no need for formalities. I do think we are well acquainted by now.” He hummed, observing how you lifted the cup to your lips, your eyes widening as the scorching substance hit your tongue. You quickly placed the porcelain cup down, a light laugh emerging from your lips as a smile soon followed.
“Really, I don’t know how I could ever repay you.” Resting your finger tips upon the cup and frowning as you stared at the liquid in deep thought.
“I’d give you my life if I could.” You laughed, furrowing your eyebrows with a sigh.
“We could arrange for that.” Your eyes widened, staring down at the cup of tea with a dumbfounded expression. Quickly composing yourself, a laugh quickly arose from your mouth, though sounding more panicked than natural.
“Ah, I didn’t imagine you’d be a man of comedy.” You chuckled, cocking your head to the side and letting your hand fall from the cup down to your waist, toying with the pyro vision by your side. Sure, you weren’t in danger, just force of habit.
“I’m afraid I do not understand.” There go the wide eyes once again.
“Oh- your comment, before?” You looked up, now gripping the red orb by your side as more of a safety precaution than anything, worry seeping through your bones but that stupid voice in your head told you Mr. Zhongli couldn’t hurt a fly. Tension rose in your throat, watching as his amber orbs slowly gaze over your expression.
“Ah, I see.” A wave of relief washed over your body. Social cues truly aren’t just his thing. We all have our quirks though, no?
“You don't take my word?” He hummed, furrowing his eyebrows. The 10 seconds of relief now came crashing down, setting you back to your state of panic.
“I do believe it is a fair trade. On my part, saving your life from harm and death and as for your part, giving me yourself in return.” He wasn’t joking.
“I’m sorry, but you’ve got to be mistaken. We had no such agreement before this!” You raised your voice, listening as a hum of what seemed to be displeasure released from his mouth. He lifted his hand, bringing it to his chin as if in thought. “I do value fairness greatly.”
“You’re out of your mind, no part of this is fair! There was no mention of such a thing?” He seemed to be confused, taking in your words.
“Ah, you seem to misunderstand. I simply intend to establish a marriage. To bind you to my side, for eternity that is.” Well, now it was your turn to be confused. “Marriage? Goodness gracious, we met, what? Two days ago? My apologies Mr. Zhongli, but in no way do I intend to marry you. I haven’t a clue what you speak about.” You stated, rising from your seat and preparing for your departure.
“That does not seem like a wise choice, Y/N.” Your body tensed, was this a threat? No. You are fine. A huff of breath released from your mouth as you readied yourself once again, walking towards the door and making your departure with no more exchanged words.
“What a shame.” Zhongli hummed with a frown, staring at the door you’d made your sudden leave from.
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Putting the events of a few days ago behind, it truly was difficult to leave Liyue Harbor. Residents of the city were welcoming and kind, helping a foreigner with open hands. Though all good things must come to an end at some point.
As you traveled your way through Liyue, passing by ruin after ruin the thought of your soon adventures in Mondstadt seemed more intriguing by the second. Maybe you do get excited too easily, but you can't help the way your daydreams take over reality. It does make time fly by faster though.
After days of travel through a variety of terrain, soon you find yourself at Wangshu Inn, looking for a night's rest. It does seem as though everything in Liyue is elegant, and this place is most certainly no different. To say the least you were excited to stay in such a place.
With your bag in hand, you slowly make your way across the balcony of the building towards your room, letting your eyes gaze upon the stars in the sky. A sigh releases from you as you stop your short walk and make your way towards the edge of the balcony, staring up at the stars in all their glory.
In sight is Celestia itself. Perhaps one day you could visit. After all, this is only the beginning of your adventures. With so many more to come maybe you could ascend there one day.
“Pathetic.” The words catch you off guard as your eyes widen, quickly turning to meet the raspy voice only to find yourself knocked to the ground, your belongings and spear shoved to the side. An excruciating pain made its presence upon your leg and as you let out a loud groan, you open your eyes and are met with a black and teal-haired man staring down at you with a malicious glare.
Your eyes widen in horror as you look down to the source of the pain: a large spear present in your calf leaving you to watch as blood seeped out. The agonizingly slow speed as to which he pulls the spear from your skin makes tears surface upon your eyes. And soon after you find the tip of the same spear pointed at your neck.
“Who are you?” You muttered through gritted teeth, glaring at him with watery eyes. It hurt so bad, more pain than you’d ever felt before.
“It doesn’t concern you as to who I am, you are only a mere mortal.” Your breath hitches as you scan over his body and take sight of the mask on his side.
“Y- you’re an adepti?” You whispered, your voice shaky. “Aren’t you supposed to be protecting hum-”
A cry of pain releases from your mouth as the spear once pointed in your neck now finds itself sunken into your thigh.
“Did I say you could speak?” His voice is raspy, it sounds as though it’s strained from screaming, but you’re the one screaming. Tears fall from your eyes as you wait for your fate to be sealed. Beside you you can hear footsteps upon the wooden balcony, a surge of hope rushes through you only to come back down to horror as quickly as it lasted.
The same deep hum you’d despised now evident once again.
“It seems you are in trouble?” It was as if he was asking a question more than making a statement as if you weren’t sitting in a pool of your own blood with a spear pointed at your throat. You reach your arm out in a desperate attempt to grasp your spear, biting your lips to stop the sobs from spilling once again.
“Zhongli, please-” In your arm this time the spear plunges down on.
“Do not speak to Rex Lapis in such a disrespectful manner.” The adepti snaps, glaring down at you. Silence surfaces as your sobs grow louder, and soon you find yourself coming to realization.
Rex Lapis? No no, there has to be a mistake. But it all makes sense? The same man who took you in so humbly now kneels beside you watching you suffer. Is this who Rex Lapis, the god of contracts and war truly is?
As he kneels by your side, his gloved hand delicately makes its way down your cheek, wiping the tears from your face.  
“Please help me.” You whisper, you sound truly pathetic. But you’d rather look pathetic than give up on life so easily.
“I’ll do anything.” You ever so quietly whisper out. You knew you didn’t want what would come next, but you couldn’t give up. Not yet.
“Anything?” He hums as if he found the scene before him amusing. The eye contact made between his amber eyes and your e/c orbs sends shivers down your spine.
He truly wants this. He’s crazy.
You find yourself nodding your head in hesitance, you don’t want this.
“Y/n, do you agree to stay bound to my side in marriage for eternity?” Your breath hitches, eyes widening in horror, there’s no going back on this. There truly isn’t.
Is this worth your life?
“Yes.”
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Whump Lists Questions and Concerns:
STREAMING SERVICES
With my whumplists, there are multiple different streaming services and sites that you can find these dramas and movies on.
There are unfortunately often changes when you go across platforms especially when episodes are different lengths or there are less episodes on a certain platform.
For example: A drama with 50 30-minute long episodes on one platform may be condensed to 25 1-hour long episodes. Sometimes that can also screw up any time stamps.
I try to make sure I list every change across platforms but I do miss it sometimes.
When I make whump lists and say they are on a certain platform, (Netflix, Viki, Amazon Prime, etc.) that means they are on the American version of that platform. I know Netflix has this issue with certain things only being available in certain countries so I don’t want to misinform anyone.
—-
TITLES
If you’ve been watching dramas out of Asia for any amount of time you may know this already but for those who might not or are new to Asian dramas: dramas will often have multiple names. Sometimes this is because they are not directly translated from Korean to English (or any other language for that matter) or they really do just have multiple names.
Like Angel’s Last Mission: Love is not the directly translated title. The title in Korean is 단, 하나의 사랑 (Dan, Only Love). English speaking streaming services use Angel’s Last Mission: Love as the title so that is what I list, myself, so it’s easier to find.
I have made an effort to list all names it is known by (as well as listing them in their original language) but sometimes I don’t know all the names.
ASKS AND DMS
Asks and DMs post (LINK)
If you still have questions or concerns about my whump lists please feel free to send an ask or DM and I’ll do my best to answer them in a timely and detailed way!
MY WHUMP LIST MAKING PROCESS
Post Link >>> (LINK)
WHY DO LISTS TAKE SO LONG? - WHY IS MY REQUEST NOT HAPPENING? - etc.
To be fully transparent, I have ADHD. One of the symptoms I deal with that can be pretty bad is executive dysfunction. Basically what that means is when I say I don’t have “motivation” to do something, it’s not that I don’t want to do it. I most often do. It’s the fact that my brain doesn’t produce the “motivation chemical” that allows me to turn my thoughts/wants into actions. I promise I want to make more lists and do it faster. I just don’t have the motivation chemicals to make it happen. In other words: I don’t always get to decide what/when things get done. (However sometimes we all get lucky and I get so hyper focused that I upload multiple lists within a day or two lol) - If you have further questions, I am very happy to answer all of them! —- On top of that I work over 40 hours a week, have a family I try to spend time with, have friends I try to spend time with and am a K-pop stan that is fortunately well-fed content wise so there’s a lot going on for me lol. But every day I do my best to give y’all more and more lists and as fast as I possibly can!!! (Update: I am in no way saying lists are a chore or an inconvenience to me. I hope it doesn’t come off that way. If they were, I wouldn’t make them. Please don’t be discouraged from recommending/requesting!!!)
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Happy whumping!!!
~Emrys
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somebody loves you for yourself
A/N: I have had this nicomas fic in my head and have been working on it basically since fwsa came out, and it’s finally done!! it’s like 7k of pure fluff and nico meeting the sides, enjoy! (title is from Wake Up, Sunshine by All Time Low)
Summary: On a relaxing date night with Thomas, Nico stumbles upon someone on the kitchen- someone who looked eerily like his boyfriend. Then he ends up meeting five more "Thomases," as well as finding out that there is so much of his boyfriend to love.
Warnings: flirting, kissing, hugging, cuddling, remus being remus, janus being all “we live in a society,” mentions of amazon being a not great company (lmk if anything should be added, otherwise this is pure fluff!)
-
Things had been going spectacularly well with the cute disaster gay Nico had met at the mall. Since that fateful meeting, the two had exchanged numbers, gone on more dates… and well, it had been a few months now and Nico was pretty sure that Thomas was it for him. He really couldn’t picture his future without Thomas somewhere in it. Nico wasn’t really sure what he’d do without Thomas’s infectious enthusiasm, how he could go a day without seeing the way his eyes lit up when he talked about his passions or the way pink would dust his cheeks when Nico used any term of endearment towards him… well now Nico was just waxing poetic now, wasn’t he? Sue him, he was a poet! And Thomas had irrevocably become his muse.
“I was rambling again, wasn’t I?” Thomas asked, startling Nico from his thoughts. The two of them were in Thomas’s apartment, Nico watching Thomas playing Kingdom Hearts. Well… it was more Thomas playing for a bit, then pausing the game to ramble about the lore and storyline of Kingdom Hearts. But Nico was more than content to listen and watch as Thomas gestured emphatically as he spoke. Although Nico admittedly got caught up in how Thomas’s voice was like audible sunshine, how Thomas could start literally glowing from excitement and Nico wouldn’t bat an eye… Thomas once confessed to him that he had thought Nico was radiant the first time he saw him, but Nico was pretty sure it was the other way around. Thomas was the radiant one, like a beam of sunlight that had gotten confused and taken human form.
“No, it’s okay! I like hearing you ramble, it’s cute! Although… I will admit that I might have gotten a little distracted by said cuteness and zoned out,” Nico replied with a sheepish laugh. Thomas flushed and let out a squeak, hands flapping excitedly for a moment before he covered his mouth, as if he were trying to hold back the squeak that he had already let out.
“You know I don’t know how to respond to compliments!” Thomas protested when he dropped his hands down from his mouth.
“Think of it this way, babe- if I keep giving you compliments, you’ll have more practice at responding to them! Besides, you’re unreasonably cute when you get all blushy and stimmy like this,” Nico said with a grin. Thomas squeaked again, this time opting to bury his whole face in his hands.
“This is RUDE I’m being ATTACKED!” Thomas exclaimed, voice muffled behind his hands. Nico chuckled, shaking his head at his boyfriend’s dramatics.
“Okay, okay, I’ll show mercy. I was gonna get some water soon anyway. Need anything while I’m up?” he asked. Thomas looked up from his hands then, face still flushed but looking less like he was going to melt.
“Nah, I’m fine, thanks though,” Thomas replied.
“Be right back,” Nico said, and with a kiss to Thomas’s cheek to fix the not-melting problem, Nico stood up and walked over to the kitchen. He flicked on the light, and he was still rather lost in his thoughts about Thomas that he didn’t notice the man sitting on the counter until he looked up and locked eyes with him. He was… Thomas?! Or at least, someone who looked eerily similar to Thomas. He wore a black hoodie with plaid purple patches and for a moment, Nico thought he had sparkly purple eyeshadow underneath his eyes. But then the man locked eyes with Nico and the eyeshadow was black. Nico let out a surprised yelp, the man sitting on the counter yelped back, and soon enough both of them were screaming.
“Uh… everything okay in here?” Thomas asked, frowning with concern as he walked into the kitchen. He didn’t seem perturbed by the man on the counter, and Nico looked between them incredulously.
“So… were you going to tell me you had a twin, or was I just supposed to get scared half to death by finding him sitting on the counter?!” Nico demanded, unable to keep his voice from rising with mild panic. Thomas’s mouth dropped open, and he looked at the man, then back to Nico.
“You can see him?!” Thomas gasped. Nico’s expression twisted with confusion.
“Uh… kinda hard to miss an emo version of you sitting on the counter. Thomas, who is this and why are you so shocked that I can see him?” Nico asked, glancing to the man again, who looked like he wanted nothing more than to cease to exist at that present moment. But surprisingly, the man spoke up.
“He’s surprised because I’m part of him,” he said, and he even sounded like Thomas, but his voice was rougher and deeper.
“What do you mean, ‘part of him?’” Nico asked slowly.
“This is Virgil, he’s my anxiety. And up until now… I thought I was the only one who could see him,” Thomas explained. And frankly, this clarification just left Nico even more confused.
“So… your anxiety is somehow… personified? And is a real, actual person?” Nico asked.
“He’s not… ‘real,’ in that sort of sense, I thought he was more like… a figment of my imagination, or a projection of how I was feeling, anxiety-wise? Although he and the others are able to interact with the real world sometimes…” Thomas trailed off thoughtfully.
“Wait wait wait. Back up. Others?!” Nico exclaimed. Thomas instantly looked a little sheepish, rubbing the back of his neck.
“I- um, well…”
“We’re his ‘sides.’ Parts of his personality, basically. There’s Logan, Patton, Roman… and a few more,” Virgil explained, fidgeting with his hoodie sleeves and eyes glued to the floor.
“Oh. Okay then… so are all of you just in his head the rest of the time? How come I haven’t seen any of you before?” Nico asked.
“We usually are in his head, yeah. But I don’t know why you haven’t seen any of us until now. Heck, me and Roman were with Thomas when he met you!” Virgil exclaimed, biting his thumb nervously after his rather panicked outburst.
“Wait, you were?” Nico asked, looking to Thomas for confirmation. Thomas smiled sheepishly, dropping his hand from the back of his neck.
“Yeah. In fact, Virgil was the one who pushed me to talk to you. And uh- I mean the ‘pushed’ part literally,” Thomas explained.
“Wait really? I just thought you were clumsy- not that being clumsy is a bad thing! Kinda endearing, actually,” Nico said, expecting the inevitable blush to travel over Thomas’s face- but what he wasn’t expecting was a squeak from Virgil and his eyeshadow turning sparkly and purple.
“I mean, to be fair I am a little clumsy sometimes,” Thomas said with a nervous laugh. Nico glanced between Virgil and Thomas, a bit of a playful smirk quirking on his lips.
“Well, whether your clumsiness is just you or your sides- I think you’re all around endearing,” Nico said, voice nearly a purr. Thomas let out a delighted little sound and flapped his hands with excitement, and Virgil outright giggled. If Nico hadn’t thought Thomas was everything to him before, he definitely thought so now with meeting one of his sides.
“Your eyeshadow turns purple and sparkly when Thomas is excited, that is adorable,” Nico cooed. Virgil let out a sound that was half giggle and half yelp, hiding his flushed face in his hands. After a few deep breaths to calm himself down, he peeked up at Nico, looking timid and insecure.
“You really think so?” Virgil asked quietly, tensing up as if he were afraid of the answer.
“I do think so. It makes sense after all… Thomas is adorable, therefore his sides are adorable too,” Nico replied with a shrug. Virgil let out an elated giggle, hands flapping excitedly- and in that moment, Nico knew that he was more than okay with Thomas having sides. It just meant there was more of him to love and appreciate.
-
Since meeting Virgil, Nico was determined to meet the rest of the sides. Thomas had explained that he could summon them whenever he wanted, but Nico insisted that they could just come to him on their own. He had felt a little bad about his first meeting with Virgil being so panic-inducing for all of them, and didn’t really want a repeat of that situation. But luckily, Nico didn’t have to wait that long to meet another one of Thomas’s sides.
Nico had been sitting at the table, idly chatting with Thomas while he was in the kitchen making dinner for the two of them. Nico had offered to help, but being the sweetheart he was, Thomas insisted that he was more than happy to handle dinner. As they were talking, one of Thomas’s sides rose up into existence. This side wore glasses, a black polo, and a tie… Nico made a mental note to tell Thomas that he looked very good dressed a bit more formally.
“Thomas, please be sure to preheat the oven for the garlic bread this time,” the formally dressed side said. Then he looked over and seemed to notice Nico, and though his expression seemed carefully maintained and neutral, Nico could see his eyes lighting up with excitement.
“Hi there!” Nico said, giving a small wave. A smile crept over the side’s face for half a second, but his expression quickly turned neutral again, and he adjusted his tie nervously.
“Hello. I am Logan, Thomas’s-”
“Wait! Don’t tell me which side you are, I wanna guess! It’s kind of like a puzzle… although I guess that’s kind of weird to say about part of your boyfriend’s personality…” Nico trailed off sheepishly. Logan’s face lit up, and this time it was purely unrestrained. If Nico could get heart eyes like a cartoon character, he certainly would have in this situation. Something about seeing this serious side of Thomas so excited… it made Nico’s heart flutter.
“Do you like puzzles?” Logan asked, sounding like he was trying not to seem too hopeful.
“I love puzzles!” Nico exclaimed. A grin took over Logan’s face, and with a wave of his hand, a puzzle appeared on the kitchen table. It was a Nightmare Before Christmas one of Jack Skellington’s face being made up of various scenes and characters from the movie.
“Oh- wait, I’m not sure if you’re going to be able to-” Logan’s sentence cut off abruptly when Nico reached out and took the lid off the top of the box.
“What were you saying?” Nico asked, setting the lid down and looking up to Logan. Nico could only describe his expression as calculating, but in a warm and endearing way.
“Fascinating,” Logan murmured, gazing at Nico. He felt his face heat up slightly at the attention, but was mostly feeling a little lost.
“Logan? What’s going on, buddy?” Thomas asked, observing the two of them from the other side of the kitchen counter. Logan blinked, shaking his head and looking a little sheepish.
“Apologies. I was rather fascinated that Nico was able to touch the puzzle box. I had momentarily forgotten that I am technically imaginary, and therefore anything I would summon would be imaginary as well. However, Nico seems to be able to interact with the puzzle,” Logan explained, and frankly Nico felt like he could listen to Logan talk for ages. He was so precise and professional with the way he spoke, but there was still an undercurrent of excitement and fascination.
“Maybe you guys are becoming more real, somehow?” Nico suggested.
“Perhaps, but you seem to be the only one who can see us. There have been some close calls with Joan and some of Thomas’s other close friends, but you have been the only one who has outright interacted with us,” Logan explained. Nico hummed thoughtfully as he began sorting out the puzzle pieces. Logan sat down with him and helped sort the pieces as well, flushing slightly as their hands brushed whenever they reached for the same pieces.
“Maybe it has to do with how close to Thomas someone is?” Nico asked. A contemplative expression came over Logan’s face.
“I am not responsible for Thomas’s emotions, so I would have no way of knowing. But that is a plausible theory,” Logan replied. Nico nodded, and went back to the puzzle for a few moments, sneaking a few glances at Logan every now and then.
“Well, you confirmed that you aren’t Thomas’s emotional side, and I know you aren’t his anxiety because I already met Virgil. And you seem to like Nightmare Before Christmas, but I’m not sure if that really contributes to which side you are,” Nico said, and was surprised to see Logan flush with mild embarrassment.
“I- while your skills of deduction are admirable, my reasonings for summoning a Nightmare Before Christmas puzzle was not because I enjoy the movie, but because you seem to. If the sticker on your laptop is any evidence to go by,” Logan admitted a tad sheepishly. This time it was Nico’s turn to blush, and he placed his hand over Logan’s with a grin.
“Logan, that’s so sweet! So tell me, what do you like?” Nico asked, squeezing Logan’s hand before removing it to continue the puzzle. Logan stared at his hand for a moment or two, then blinked and shook his head.
“I- erm, I do have an- an appreciation for mysteries and detective stories,” Logan replied, stumbling over his words slightly. Nico glanced up from the puzzle to see that Logan looked a little flustered, and a small smile came to his face at the sight.
“So let’s see… not emotional, seems very factual and is on the more serious side, likes puzzles, mysteries, and detectives… my guess is that you’re Thomas’s intellectual side,” Nico said. Logan’s face broke out into a grin and his expression lit up with pride, sending butterflies fluttering through Nico’s stomach.
“Correct! Although technically speaking, my official ‘title’ of sorts is that I am Thomas’s Logic,” Logan said, voice surprisingly warm and fond.
“Well then, Mr. Logic, shall we finish this puzzle?” Nico asked with a grin. A small smile slipped onto Logan’s face.
“I think we shall, Mr. Flores.”
-
Nico and Thomas had been having what they liked to call “joint creativity days.” The two of them would hang out in Thomas’s apartment while Thomas would work on a script for a video, while Nico would work on his songs or poetry. And it was on one of these joint creativity days that Nico met another one of Thomas’s sides.
“By the prophecies of Apollo, are you writing a sonnet?!” a hushed, yet excited voice piped up beside Nico. He looked over to see one of Thomas’s sides nestled rather close to him on the couch, eyes lit up with awe as he looked at Nico’s screen. The side in question was dressed like a stereotypical prince: white tunic with gold detailing, a bright red sash- but oddly enough, no crown.
“Well… I’m trying to. My songs aren’t really going anywhere, so I decided I’d try to do some poetry. But I’m getting tripped up on the syllables,” Nico said with a sigh.
“Why restrict your wondrous writing to the syllables of a sonnet? Although I do appreciate the Bard’s work,” the princely side asked.
“I thought giving myself some guidelines would help, otherwise I’ll feel like I have too many options and I don’t end up writing anything at all,” Nico said with a sigh.
“It doesn’t seem like you’re writing much with those guidelines- but this certainly is a good start!” the side said, eyes scanning over the words again. A thoughtful expression came over the side’s face, and Nico could practically see the creative gears turning in his mind. Wait… creative? Could he be- well, Nico should probably ask the side’s name before making any guesses.
“Oh gosh, what am I doing? I didn’t even ask for your name or anything!” Nico said with a sheepish laugh. The side blinked, startling slightly as he was torn from the partially written sonnet. His face broke out into a charming grin as he sprung to his feet, got down on one knee in front of the couch and took Nico’s hand in his. Nico thought he was flustered at the side’s actions- but then he spoke and Nico was fairly sure his face was burning.
“Prince Roman at your service, my fair poet,” he murmured with a kiss to the back of Nico’s hand. Nico let out a sound he absolutely refused to call a squeak.
“Where is this suave-ness when I’m trying to flirt with Nico?!” Thomas demanded indignantly. Roman stood up with a huff.
“Virgil can be very convincing when it comes to not flirting versus flirting!” Roman squawked indignantly.
“Good point,” Thomas replied with a sigh.
“Well, whenever you are comfortable enough to do it, the suave-ness is much appreciated by me,” Nico said, only sounding slightly strangled. Roman’s face lit up, and he clapped his hands together excitedly as he bounced on the balls of his feet (the lack of crown now made sense to Nico, with how much the prince seemed to move).
“Really?!” Roman squealed.
“Of course, Prince Roman- or should I say, Thomas’s creativity and passion?” Nico guessed with a grin. Nico thought Roman looked rather joyous before, but Roman’s expression turned positively ecstatic. Nico half-expected Roman to start glowing with how enthused he looked. He all but bounded forward to sit next to Nico again and hug him tightly- and then he pressed a kiss to Nico’s cheek. Nico’s face heated up once more… and okay, fine, he squeaked. Roman drew back from him quickly, looking completely mortified.
“I have never thought about a single decision I have ever made,” Roman said, voice coming out quiet and mildly strained. Nico gave Roman a comforting smile, and took the prince’s hand and squeezed it gently. Roman’s tensed form instantly relaxed, but he still looked a little distraught.
“I don’t mind a little spontaneity, your highness,” Nico murmured, thumb rubbing soothing circles over the back of Roman’s hand. A sound between a gasp and an exclamation left Roman’s lips and a delightful pink flush grew over his cheeks.
“I- Nico, you- I…” Roman rambled, seeming at a loss for words. Nico smiled warmly and leaned over to kiss Roman’s temple… and well, it looked like Roman wasn’t going to be formulating words any time soon.
“Nico! Now I’m really not going to get any work on this script done!” Thomas said with a laugh, setting his laptop aside.
“I can’t help that my boyfriend and his sides are so handsome and lovely! It makes complimenting you so easy,” Nico said, flashing Thomas a grin. Thomas squeaked, blushing just as brightly as Roman.
“This is DISTINCTLY not fair!” Roman pouted, which was frankly adorable in Nico’s humble opinion.
“You started it, dear Prince,” Nico hummed with a shrug, turning back to his sonnet. Nothing like a little mutual flirting and flustering to get the writing motivation flowing.
-
Halloween was approaching, which meant that pumpkin patches started opening up. So Nico came up with the date idea of going to a pumpkin patch and carving pumpkins afterwards. And was the main purpose of this date to wear cute fall clothes and take pictures with Thomas? Maybe. But Nico also really loved Halloween and carving pumpkins, so really it was a win-win.
Nico took pumpkin carving very seriously, so he was meticulous when it came to choosing a pumpkin. Thomas had already chosen his, and was watching on fondly while Nico pondered over the pumpkins. Nico had narrowed down his choices to two pumpkins when a voice piped up beside him.
“Having trouble picking there, pumpkin?” the voice asked, and Nico glanced over to see one of Thomas’s sides crouched beside him. Nico couldn’t think of any other way to describe this side other than a dad with an affinity for cats. He wore glasses, a blue polo, khakis, and a cat hoodie tied around his shoulders. Nico blinked at the side with mild confusion.
“Was that… a pun?” Nico asked. The side let out a sheepish laugh, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Yeahhh… not my best one. Oh hey! Can I just say that you look gord-eous today?” he said with a grin. Against his will, Nico’s face flushed and a giggle escaped his lips.
“You have a dad side?” Nico said, standing and turning towards Thomas with a laugh of disbelief. Thomas let out a sheepish laugh.
“Well, he’s technically more than that… but pretty much yeah,” Thomas replied.
“I didn’t think you or your sides could get any more adorable,” Nico said with a grin. Thomas flushed slightly, and a squeal came from the side beside Nico.
“Oh kiddo! You’re so sweet!” he cooed. Nico turned to the dad side with a slightly mischievous grin.
“Am I sweet as… pumpkin pie?” he asked. Thomas’s side giggled, while Thomas groaned at the pun.
“I’d say you’re even sweeter! My name’s Patton, by the way,” he said, holding out a hand to Nico. He looked at the offered hand, then to Patton’s face.
“Sorry Patton, but I don’t think a handshake is gonna do. Could I have a hug instead?” Nico asked. Patton’s face lit up like a child’s did on Christmas, and he pulled Nico into his arms with an elated sound. Thomas was a good hugger, Nico always felt safe and loved in his arms- but hugging Patton was that feeling times a thousand. Patton just radiated care and comfort, and Nico hadn’t really thought he needed a hug earlier, but part of him felt absolutely relieved to be hugged. One of Patton’s hands came up to gently card through Nico’s hair, and he all but purred at the touch.
“I’m not getting Patton back anytime soon, am I?” Thomas joked.
“No,” Nico replied with a slight pout, hugging Patton tighter.
“No complaints here!” Patton said, and Nico could hear his smile in his voice.
“I mean, to everyone else it probably looks like you’re hugging the air,” Thomas pointed out with a chuckle. Nico sighed, and regretfully drew away from Patton.
“That’s okay, I can always hug you later when there aren’t people around!” Patton chirped with a sunny grin. Okay, so Patton was definitely the side responsible for Thomas being like a ray of sunshine that came to life. But Nico had no clue as to what part of Thomas that made Patton. His kindness, maybe? But Nico had a feeling that Patton was more than that, that there was something more than the puns and cheerful attitude.
“I’ve gotta say Patton, you’ve got me a little stumped. Puns, sunny disposition, kindness… but I feel like there’s something more to you than that, something more specific that I can’t quite put my finger on,” Nico hummed thoughtfully.
“Do you want a hint?” Patton offered. Nico pondered this for a moment or two, then nodded.
“Sure, just don’t give it to me too easily,” he replied. Patton grinned, clapping his hands together excitedly.
“Yay! Well Nico, I just wanted to say that I am morally obligated to tell you that I heartily look forward to our next hug!” Patton exclaimed. Nico blinked in mild confusion, getting the feeling that Patton had used two puns in his hint. He pondered Patton’s sentence for a moment or two, regarding the side with a contemplative look.
“Are you… his morals? Or his heart?” Nico asked, more thinking out loud rather than settling on an answer.
“Both! Well, ‘officially’ I’m Thomas’s morality, his sense of right and wrong- but I’m his heart too!” Patton chirped.
“I knew there was something more to you than really good hugs and dad jokes,” Nico replied with a grin. Patton giggled, face flushing ever so slightly as he fiddled with the sleeves of his cat hoodie.
“Well, to be fair… I am mostly that sort of stuff,” he said, sounding a little sheepish. Nico regarded Patton with a concerned expression. Something about Patton’s demeanor… it struck Nico that perhaps the side didn’t think of himself all that highly. Maybe it was a bit of a stretch to assume, considering he had just met him, but there was insecurity in every fiber of his stance.
“Maybe, but it takes a lot of wisdom to deal with moral issues. You can be smart and silly, it’s not a dichotomy,” Nico said with a soft smile. Patton’s eyes grew wide behind his glasses, and Nico was vaguely startled to see that it looked like he was going to cry.
“Oh- I- well… well Logan’s the smart one, not me,” Patton protested, though his voice was soft and hopeful.
“Sure, Logan is logic and facts, and ‘traditional’ intelligence… but there’s a lot of different types of intelligence. You seem to lean towards emotional intelligence, which does make you smart and caring- plus you must be pretty witty to come up with puns,” Nico said, still smiling softly.
“Oh,” Patton said softly, eyes still wide and the beginnings of a smile on his face. Patton stood still for half a moment, then rushed forward to hug Nico. This hug felt completely different than the one Nico had received earlier. This time, Patton felt so small in his arms, instead of being all-encompassing comfort. Patton was the one who needed the comfort here, to know that just because he was sweet and silly, it didn’t mean he wasn’t important. Nico hugged him back tightly, reaching a hand up to run through his hair, mirroring what Patton had done with him earlier. Nico looked to Thomas over Patton’s shoulder- and was shocked to see an expression that had been eerily similar to Patton’s- disbelieving yet hopeful. Then it hit Nico- the sides’ insecurities were Thomas’s too, at least on some level. He squeezed Patton tighter and smiled at Thomas comfortingly. There was so much of Thomas to love- and Nico was determined to show Thomas that he loved every part of him.
-
Thomas and Nico were curled up on the couch, Thomas’s arm around him with his head resting on top of Nico’s. They were having a rather relaxed evening by watching The Lion King, arguably one of Nico’s favorite Disney movies (other than Nightmare Before Christmas, of course). What made this particular viewing of The Lion King so enjoyable was Thomas softly singing along to the songs and his laughter at various parts of the movie. They had gotten to “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” in the movie when Nico heard some snickering from off to the side. Nico looked over to see a mustached side with a white streak through his hair hiding behind the couch. Out of all the sides Nico had met so far, he looked the most different from Thomas. Yet something about him reminded Nico of Roman- they definitely seemed to have a similar style, as something about the side seemed regal with the elaborate black tunic and electric green sash.
“What are you giggling about?” Nico asked. The side merely cackled, wiggling excitedly behind the couch.
“You’ll seeeeeee,” he crooned. Thomas looked over to the side with an apprehensive look and sighed.
“Remus-” Thomas started, but the side (Remus?) quickly shushed him. Thomas huffed out a sigh and rolled his eyes, snuggling back into Nico. They continued watching the scene for a little while longer until Remus broke down into giggles, causing Thomas to sigh again.
“What’s so funny?” Nico asked, glancing between the television and Remus. They had gotten to the part of the song where Simba and Nala had rolled down the hill together, and Nico couldn’t quite figure out what was so amusing about that.
“Oh come on, Nala was totally asking Simba to hakuna her tatas with those bedroom eyes she was giving him,” Remus cackled. Thomas’s expression was twisted with a mixture of disgust and disappointment, while Nico couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Both Thomas and Remus looked surprised at his reaction, but Nico was too busy laughing to really wonder why.
“Hakuna her- oh my goodness how did I never think of that-” Nico said between laughs.
“And you said it would be a bad idea if I talked to Nico!” Remus scoffed with a grin.
“Cause I thought you would traumatize him, not- not whatever is happening here!” Thomas protested.
“What is happening here is that I am hilarious,” Remus shot back, his grin turning more smug than chaotic. Nico finally managed to stop laughing and catch his breath, looking to Remus with an inquisitive look.
“So you’re- what, pure chaos and humor? You also remind me of Roman in a weird way… I can’t quite puzzle you out,” Nico pondered. Remus opened his mouth to say something else, but was cut off by an indignant voice from the end of the couch.
“I resent that, I am NOTHING like him!” Roman exclaimed, crossing his arms and pouting slightly.
“Hey! I’m talking to Nico now, you got to meet him a few days ago!” Remus shouted back. Roman and Remus quickly devolved into childish bickering, sounding more like a pair of kids than two sides of a grown man.
“This is the first time I’ve seen your sides interact with each other, do they always bicker like this?” Nico whispered to Thomas, gaze darting between Roman and Remus as they continued to argue.
“More or less, but these two are a… special case,” Thomas muttered.
“I am quite special and spectacular, thank you,” Roman said, abandoning his argument with Remus to turn to Thomas and Nico.
“Pretty sure ‘special’ was not a compliment there, Ro-Bro,” Remus huffed. Roman let out a dramatic groan, looking to Remus his nose wrinkled in distaste.
“Why did you call me ‘Ro-Bro’, I know you have the capability to be cleverer than that,” Roman huffed.
“Well it’s true! Your name is Ro, and you’re my bro! And Thomas told me I couldn’t traumatize Nico,” Remus pouted.
“Wait, ‘bro?’ Like you guys are actually brothers?” Nico blurted, interrupting the argument before it could really begin.
“Unfortunately,” Roman huffed.
“Well I think I am an absolute delight to have as a brother,” Remus shot back, sticking out his tongue.
“More like an absolute fright!” Roman fired back.
“Awww, you called me a fright! That’s gotta be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me!” Remus chirped, seeming genuinely pleased. Roman let out a long sigh.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Please don’t scare off Thomas’s boyfriend?” Roman huffed. To Nico’s surprise, Remus flushed slightly.
“I won’t,” he muttered. Seeming satisfied, Roman sunk out, leaving Thomas and Nico with Remus. Nico turned to look at Remus who seemed… uncharacteristically sheepish. Nico hadn’t really known Remus for all that long, but something told him that he wasn’t the type of side to be particularly bashful.
“So… Remus. Roman’s your brother? Does that mean you guys have similar functions?” Nico asked with a contemplative expression. Remus squirmed semi-uncomfortably for a moment or two before huffing out a sigh.
“I guess so. Technically,” he said with a slight pout. Nico regarded him with a concerned eye. Remus seemed just as unwilling to admit that he had any similarities to Roman as Roman was unwilling to admit that he had any similarities to Remus.
“So you’re creativity too? But Thomas and Roman both said something about scaring or traumatizing me… so you’re Thomas’s darker creative thoughts?” Nico asked.
“Yup. But I’m his intrusive thoughts too. Y’know, those random little thoughts you get about how easy it would be to stab somebody while they’re helping you do the dishes and you happen to be drying a knife,” Remus replied, his strange melancholy demeanor shifting to something more malicious and chaotic as he spoke. Nico was suddenly reminded of the other day when he was helping Thomas do the dishes after dinner, and how Thomas had dropped a knife like it had burned him while he was drying it. Nico had fussed over him and asked if he was okay, and Thomas just blamed it on clumsiness. But now Nico could see that there was a bit more to Thomas lurking beneath the surface. Nico knew that Thomas would never hurt him- if the immense guilt and shame currently written over his face was anything to go by- but it did hurt Nico’s heart a bit to know that Thomas struggled with such thoughts and felt ashamed to talk about it.
“Well… just because you think such things doesn’t mean you’d ever do them, and thinking those sorts of things doesn’t make you an irredeemably bad person either. Plus it’s not a bad thing to have a darker imagination! Stories can’t be all sunshine and rainbows, sometimes you’ve gotta have a little darkness to even things out,” Nico explained in a soothing tone, relieved when both Thomas and Remus perked up.
“Really?” Remus asked in a disbelieving tone.
“Really! Trust me, I’m a poet. And poets love writing about dark stuff, just look at Edgar Allan Poe! He’s one of my inspirations, did you know that?” Nico asked, grinning when Remus’s face lit up.
“Me too! The Tell-Tale Heart is one of my favorites of his!” Remus exclaimed, beginning to chatter away about hearts beneath floorboards and birds that foretold death. Thomas muttered something about Nico providing Remus more nightmare fuel to torment him with, to which Nico happily placated him with a peck on the cheek and the promise to defend him from any nightmares.
-
On more than one occasion, some of Nico’s friends had enthusiastically recommended the show Good Omens to him. As it turned out, Thomas’s friends were also recommending the show to him. So they both figured it could be something they could experience together. Watching Good Omens had become a bit of a weekend tradition, and they were now halfway through the show. Nico was getting popcorn ready in the kitchen, while Thomas fussed over the television setup. For whatever reason, Thomas seemed to be struggling with pulling it up… no, that wasn’t quite it. Thomas seemed strangely hesitant about pulling up Amazon Prime onto his television.
“Something up, babe?” Nico asked as he carried the popcorn into the living room.
“No! No, I’m fine,” Thomas replied, a little too quickly as he queued up the show and sat down on the couch. For a brief moment, Nico could have sworn he heard a chilling laugh and a flash of yellow out of the corner of his eye, but when he turned to follow it, there was nothing there. Shaking his head, Nico sat down beside Thomas and instantly cuddled into his side, popcorn still in hand.
“Sure doesn’t sound like you’re fine,” Nico said, raising an eyebrow and tilting his head up to meet Thomas’s eyes. He fidgeted for a moment or two before replying.
“Just saw an article the other day about Amazon, that’s all,” Thomas said with a sigh.
“Yeah, Jeff Bezos is a crummy guy, and unfortunately we live in a capitalist world where there is no such thing as ethical consumption,” Nico said, tone grim and melancholy.
“He’s right, Thomas. After all- what’s the phrase? Ah yes… ‘we live in a society,’” a voice crooned. Nico jumped, nearly spilling the popcorn in the process, and looked over to see one of Thomas’s sides seated on the far end of the couch. The side’s appearance absolutely radiated “stereotypical villain” with the bowler hat, capelet, and yellow gloves- but Nico couldn’t help but be reminded of Crowley due to the scales on half his face and the piercing yellow snake eye. And he wasn’t sure why, but something in the way the side regarded Nico made him flush ever so slightly.
“Janus…” Thomas trailed off, pinching the bridge of his nose as if he felt a headache coming on.
“Now Thomas, we could be avoiding this guilt if we had just pirated the show like I insisted. But instead, we’re kissing up to-” the side- Janus- started, but was cut off by Thomas.
“There are… good points to what each of you are saying. But like I said before, there is no ethical consumption under capitalism. If we spent our time trying to debate the moral standards of each and every piece of media we consume- well, we wouldn’t really have anything to consume. And that doesn’t mean we should outright ignore things like a company treating their workers terribly, but we shouldn’t beat ourselves up over something that isn’t in the realm of our immediate control either. Instead, what we can do is sign petitions and look into how else we can support underpaid and overworked workers. Besides, Good Omens is arguably queer, Neil Gaiman himself has made that pretty clear. We don’t get much of that,” Nico pointed out. Thomas and Janus seemed to ponder this for a moment or two, until Janus’s face broke into a sly grin that definitely had Nico blushing.
“Yeah, yeah, I know. But pirating makes Virgil freak out cause what if I end up getting a virus when I download the show from a sketchy website and then all my data gets stolen, and then-” Thomas rambled, before Janus butted in.
“And Patton prattles on about how pirating is stealing, and stealing is wrong- but tell me, stealing from a corrupt company makes a right, don’t you think?” Janus said, gaze flicking to Nico for confirmation.
“I think I underestimated you, Mr. Flores,” Janus purred, and Nico’s face was absolutely burning at this point.
“And I thought Roman was handsome and charming,” Nico said in a strangled whisper, not really meaning to say what he was thinking out loud, but was glad he did when the human side of Janus’s face turned a bright red.
“I- erm. That’s- whatever,” Janus scoffed, examining his gloves in an excuse to not meet Nico’s gaze.
“Y’know, that’s impressive. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him speechless,” Thomas commented dryly. Janus merely hissed at Thomas in reply, and Nico couldn’t help but giggle.
“Well what I think is impressive is that you have a snakey crime side,” Nico said between laughs.
“Flatterer,” Janus accused, although he was absolutely preening at Nico’s comment.
“Maybe I just think my boyfriend and his sides deserve to be flattered,” Nico replied with a shrug. Thomas let out a flustered giggle, and Janus’s human side of his face was quickly turning red again.
“Well, obviously he does. I knew that,” Janus said, trying (and failing) to seem aloof.
“The flattering also includes you here, Janus,” Nico said with a chuckle.
“Really? Oh, I’m not sure about that,” he replied, smiling coyly. Nico grinned wickedly, and Thomas glanced between Nico and Janus in a mix of mild confusion and intrigue.
“Then I’m sure you’d absolutely hate to hear that I find you incredibly stunning,” Nico purred.
“Careful there, angel- lest you fall prey to the snake in the garden,” Janus replied with a grin, flashing fangs that Nico was pretty sure weren’t there before. His brain was a little too busy re-playing the way Janus had purred “angel” on loop to actually remember.
“Speaking of snakes in gardens and angels- are we ever going to get around to watching Good Omens today or not?” Thomas asked with a chuckle.
“In a minute! I haven’t figured out which one of your sides Janus is yet,” Nico protested, shaking off his flusteredness to regard Janus with a curious eye.
“Oh please, as if you could ever unravel the marvelous mystery that is-”
“Let’s see, sneaky, snarky, dramatic, cunning, wants to encourage Thomas to commit minor crimes… anything else I’m missing?” Nico asked, cutting Janus off.
“... you forgot s-s-snakey,” Janus pouted. Nico broke into giggles at the sudden shift in Janus’s demeanor.
“Right, you’re right, sorry. So… you’re his… trickery and cunning side?” Nico tried. Janus pondered his answer for a moment or two, before he broke into a pleased grin.
“Well, I do encompass those things as well, I suppose. So I’ll give it to you- but formally, I am Thomas’s Deceit,” he said, tipping his hat to Nico.
“Pleasure to meet you, Deceit. Well, with that settled, we can watch Good Omens now!” Nico said, patting the spot on the couch next to him. Janus looked surprised for a moment or two before he shook it off and his expression was back to smug indifference.
“Well, I suppose I can be tempted to stay,” Janus said, sinking out for a moment before reappearing next to Nico. After setting the popcorn on the coffee table first, Nico grabbed one of Janus’s hands to pull him into the cuddling he and Thomas were currently engaged in.
“Hey, you’re just letting him stay cause you want double the cuddles!” Thomas teased.
“What makes you say that?” Nico asked as he wrapped an arm around Janus- while more arms than were normal for a human being wrapped themselves around Nico.
“Don’t lie to a liar, darling,” Janus crooned as he snuggled himself into Nico’s chest. Thomas rolled his eyes fondly, and with his lingering guilt about Amazon aside, the three of them settled in to watch Good Omens.
-
Thomas and Nico were on a walk in a park nearby Thomas’s place, holding hands and swinging them idly between them every once and a while. Every now and then Nico would catch Thomas giving him an incredibly sappy look- but really, Nico couldn’t blame him. After all, he was sure his own expression was as equally lovestruck.
“So, have I met all of your sides yet?” Nico asked, the question meant to be casual, but he was surprised when Thomas’s face twisted with concern and mild guilt.
“Well… you’ve met all the ones I’ve met. There’s still other parts of me that I have yet to confront,” Thomas said with a sigh.
“That’s okay! Learning about yourself is an ongoing process! And to put you at ease, there isn’t a part of you that I’ve met that I don’t love,” Nico said with an unabashedly adoring smile. This admission halted Thomas in his tracks, and he looked to Nico with wide eyes.
“Really?” he asked softly.
“Really,” Nico murmured, pulling Thomas into a kiss. Thomas made an elated sound against his mouth, holding Nico close as they kissed. When the kiss broke, he didn’t go very far, leaning his forehead against Nico’s.
“I love you too, you know,” Thomas said sheepishly.
“I know,” Nico replied with a grin, then gave Thomas another quick kiss before pulling away. He grabbed Thomas’s hand again, and the two of them continued their walk, hopelessly in love with every single part of the other.
-
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extasiswings · 2 years
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hi ok listen i am not proud of myself but im having a high anxiety day? month? year? and weewoo got me through the last month but for *reasons* aka *my mental health sucks* i am fucking terrified that i will watch faithfully unto the end and then buddie won't happen and I will not be able to handle that. do you have any wise words
also pls enjoy this gif which is me being fragile about tv characters being allowed to discover their queer selves after the age of 21
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Well, first of all, I'm sorry you're having a difficult time. I definitely know how that feels.
As to everything else...the thing is, we can't know a timeframe. We don't have a blueprint for this. I can say that I'm fairly confident that by the end of this season we'll have some form of confirmed queer Eddie with feelings for Buck because this whole season (and stretching back to Suspicion and "make sure you're following your heart") has been dealing with the theme of hearts + Eddie and what he really wants for his life, but if we didn't get that I would still be confident in Buddie happening eventually. The writers have crafted this story so beautifully, so thoughtfully up to this point. It's not an accident. They are very good at their jobs and they love these characters at least as much if not more than we do.
The other thing is, we also don't know how long the show will last or how much else needs to happen before they can get together. Right now, I don't think Buck is ready. And I don't think he's going to be ready until he has some time after breaking up with Taylor to sit with his ideas of what love and relationships are supposed to look like after all, he misunderstood the assignment, and realize that what he's been trying to find, he's actually been building with Eddie the whole time. This season was Eddie's journey. If I had to guess, I would say next season is more of Buck's. And it would be amazing if they were fully together by the end of S6, but we genuinely cannot know. All we can do is be patient, trust the process, and enjoy the epic love story playing out on our screens.
As far as advice goes, I think the best thing I can say (and not just to you, but to anyone with this concern) is this: a comfort show is a comfort show, it can be a wonderful thing to have. But I think you have to ask yourself whether the anxiety you feel about the potential of not getting your preferred outcome (which could be years away by the time it happens) outweighs the other benefits to your mental health. Because if the stress of worrying about whether a fictional ship will go canon is really detrimental to you, and especially if that anxiety is interfering with your enjoyment of the story or life in general, it may be that the best thing is to take a step back and find a comfort show that isn't going to cause that level of stress. And there's no shame in doing that -- I have absolutely taken a break from shows I enjoyed for any number of reasons, including the fact that I was frustrated with the pace of a will-they-won't-they slow burn ship. There's no law that says you can't come back and bingewatch to your heart's content when the arc you most want to see finally happens.
For myself, all I have to say is that I have hope, I have faith, I have trust. I get frustrated sometimes. I get impatient. I whine and complain. But I have faith. And sure, there's a chance that the show will end in however many years and I will be proven wrong and all the people who insisted I and others were stupid for having that faith will be vindicated. And if that happened, I would likely be sad, I would be disappointed, I might be angry, but it's still...fiction. I've made my peace with the possibility of that happening. But if I may be a little arrogant for a moment, I am also...a very smart woman and a good writer in my own right and I'm not wrong very often. So...there's that.
Ultimately, the most important thing you can do is take care of yourself. Whatever that looks like is up to you.
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thatfanficstuff · 3 years
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Impossible - 23
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Pairing Grouping: Eric x Reader x Godric
Warnings: discussion of unwanted pregnancy, killing people, and Nan Flanagan
A/N: The moment has come to discover your origins. Finally.
***
You were behind the bar at Fangtasiataking inventory while Godric sat on a stool keeping you company. Pam and Eric were in the office going over payroll. Both were tasks normally left to others but after the issue with Longshadow, Eric was taking a more hands on approach. You wondered how long it would last.
You were crouched behind the bar counting glasses when the front door opened and shut.
“Sorry, we’re closed,” Godric said.
“I’m actually looking for someone,” a familiar voice answered.
In an instant, you were on your feet. Your father’s attention turned to you and he smiled. You couldn’t help the little squeal that left you as you hopped the counter and threw yourself into his waiting arms. It had been months since you’d seen him last, and you hadn’t parted on the best of terms. And, while you’d made amends since then, it wasn’t the same as one of his hugs. “I missed you,” you said into the shoulder you had your face pressed into.
“I’ve missed you too, angel.”
When you finally released him, you stepped back and looked him over. Not that he would look any different. He was a vampire, after all. “You’re early.” He wasn’t due to arrive until the next day.
He grinned. “Like I said, I missed you.”
You took his hand and turned to find Godric, Pam, and Eric all standing behind you. “Dad, this is Godric, Pam and Eric. Everyone, this is my dad, Roman.”
Eric stepped forward and offered his hand. “It’s an honor to meet you, sir.”
Roman shook his hand but simply hummed in acknowledgment instead of saying anything in return. You nudged him in the ribs with your elbow. “It’s nice to finally meet you,” he said, amusement in his tone. He’d stayed silent just to irritate you. Jerk.
“Do you have an entourage with you?” you asked.
He looked down at you with a lifted brow.
“If you do, you’re staying at the hotel. Otherwise, you can stay with us,” you explained.
“We also have a loft that you can use as well,” Eric was quick to offer.
“We can discuss my lodgings later. But first, dinner. My treat.”
***
When you arrived at the overpriced restaurant, you’d been shown to a private room so any conversation wouldn’t be overheard. You left Pam at the club but brought Godric with you. Your father kept shooting glances in his direction but had yet to ask outright who he was to you. Idle conversation filled the first half of the meal. As expected, it was your father who turned the focus to more serious topics.
“Nan is displeased over the incident in Dallas. She believes that we set her up,” he said with a glance at you.
“Nan is displeased because she got called out on her shit,” you countered.
Roman frowned. He had tried to make you a proper lady and he so hated be reminded that you were not. Unless he was using it to his advantage, of course. “I’ve explained to you before that she is a necessary evil.”
You sighed and leaned back in your chair. “No. She’s a bitch. I get the PR stuff, but she does you no favors amongst the vampire community. She’s not asserting your authority, she’s giving people another reason to dislike you.”
His eyes shifted to look at the other two men at the table who both nodded in agreement with your words. “I’ll take it under consideration. In the meantime, she has been assured that she doesn’t have to be in your vicinity for the foreseeable future.”
“Thanks, daddy,” you said with a grin.
He smiled as he shook his head. “I am entirely too indulgent where you are concerned. It is pointed out to me frequently.”
You hummed in agreement. “I assume these are the same people that are the first to recommend hiring me when needed.”
“That they are,” he said with a chuckle. His attention turned to Godric. “And who is he exactly?”
“That’s Godric. I already introduced him. Pay attention, Pop.” You were being deliberately obtuse. That wasn’t what he’d meant at all.
“Who is he to you?”
A slow smile slid onto your face. “He’s my boyfriend.”
His gaze flicked to Eric. “And you are okay with your mate claiming another?”
Your mate’s smile mirrored your own as he gave a little shrug. “He is my boyfriend as well, so I fail to see the problem.”
Roman leaned against the back of his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Eric and your daughter were made for each other. It was evident from their first meeting. I would never dream of coming between them. But if they wish to make room for me in their relationship, who am I to refuse them? I am no fool.” They were the first words Godric had spoken all evening. You didn’t know if they made any sort of impact with your father, but they had you grinning from ear to ear.
“You are aware that I am a vampire and you can’t actually give me a heart attack, correct?” Roman asked you.
“I can keep trying.”
He took a deep breath. “I don’t know why I would expect anything else.”
“Since we’re covering all the heavy topics, why exactly is it that you can still feel me as strongly as if we’d exchanged blood yesterday when it’s been months? Especially since I’ve fed from both of them?” you asked.
Your father went very still. “I’m not sure what you’re getting at.”
Eric crossed his arms over his chest and you knew he was dying to say something. Wisely, he was leaving the interrogation of your father up to you.
“Oh, I think you do. I also think you know the answer,” you said.
He pressed the button on the table that called a waiter. “Fine. But not here. Your place would be best. Somewhere there is no chance of being overheard.”
Well…that was unsettling.
***
Once you arrived home, Eric poured drinks for all of you. You settled in the living room and watched your father as he stood. His fingers nervously tapped the glass in his hand.
“There was a woman. An informant before the Great Revelation. An ally. She proved invaluable. When she was discovered and her usefulness exhausted, I offered to change her rather than kill her. She’d earned it.” He drained his glass. Eric was quick to get to his feet and refill it. “She accepted provided we proceed immediately.”
“You didn’t find that odd?” Godric asked.
“Not really. I figured she must have feared losing her nerve. It happens.” Roman shrugged. “Truth be told, I had a soft spot for the woman. She was beautiful and sweet. Compassionate. I changed her myself.”
You shifted uneasily. You had never met this woman, nor had she been mentioned before tonight. Something told you that you weren’t going to like where this story was headed.
“As I worked with her, taught her how to be a vampire, I noticed a change in her appearance. Her stomach was growing.” He licked his lips. “Upon questioning, I discovered that she wished be turned quickly to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. It should have worked, but miraculously she was still pregnant. The baby was still growing.”
“That is impossible,” Eric breathed.
“Improbable,” Godric corrected with a glance in your direction.
“I was fascinated. I told no one and kept her locked away, afraid she would find a way to end the pregnancy as she’d wished in the first place. When the baby was born, there was an immediate connection between us. Almost like the bond between a sire and his progeny, but different somehow.”
Roman stood with his feet wide and his arms crossed over his chest as he looked down at you. Your heart raced in anticipation of his next words. “I killed the doctor and nurse that delivered the child. And when your mother insisted you were a monster that needed to die, I killed her as well.”
The casual way he told you that you were indeed the child in question and that he’d killed your mother in the same sentence rocked through you. Sent you off kilter. And, while you supposed you should be furious with him for doing it, you weren’t. After all, according to him, she wanted you dead so why should you be angry that it was her instead of you.
“For all intents and purposes, I amyour father. My blood runs through your veins.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” you finally found your voice to ask.
“At first, I feared you’d trust the wrong person. Your origins can never be discovered. There are too many that would fall to the temptation to experiment.”
“And later?” you prompted when he didn’t continue on his own.
“I was terrified I would lose you when you discovered the truth.” He ran a hand down his face and took a deep breath. “But I swore that I would tell you everything if you asked. So, I am.”
You stood then and hugged him. He gripped you tightly and sighed in contentment. “You’re not going to lose me, daddy. You saved me.”
When you pulled away, you frowned in irritation. “Though this does mean that we technically still don’t know what I am.”
“Of course we do, my love,” Godric said with a smirk. “You are what you have always been. An impossible thing.”
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vicesandspices · 2 years
Text
Nobody asked for this, but I have a lot of thoughts on last night’s Chicago Fire episode, and I need to put them somewhere.
Generally speaking, I didn’t really like the episode (10x14). I had really high hopes for Stella’s story and her embracing a lieutenantship somewhere else, and I was really excited to see her prove her leadership by pulling an “I’ll Make a Man Out of You,” Mulan-type thing with 72. And, frankly, I liked Pelham and wanted to see more of him.
So this work-around to keep Stella at 51 and effectively write out Brett Dalton really frustrates me. It’s just another example of Fire silo-ing the show. I want them to get dynamic and expand beyond the house, and they just keep telling me over and over that it won’t happen. Not to mention, this resolution essentially negates the entire arc both Stella and Pelham had in the early season. Stella willingly gave up the 81 spot, and she should’ve done more to earn that back, especially after everything Pelham did to earn it in the first place. I wanted her to earn it by whipping those guys at 72 into shape, but she instead just got it handed to her. And Pelham loses his family, just to keep the main cast under the same roof and avoiding expanding the world. And I don’t find that fair.
And then there’s the Hawkami of it all. I think it’s incredibly clear that we love them, but with the show constantly demonstrating that they refuse to go outside the walls of 51, I am not hopeful for their future. We said it from the beginning that we were clowning ourselves into thinking Hawkami was anything other than a plot device to get Violet and Gallo back together, and while I thought maybe for a second that wouldn’t be true, with every new episode, all our Hawkami content is laced with Gallo’s opinions on it. Whether he be against it or repenting for his previous comments, he’s always there, and the fact that the writers won’t let us forget that makes me think that they will once again forego a relationship with massive potential in favor of one within the house.
Even Sylvie’s reactions to the situation are putting me off. Of all the times Violet has come to her about Evan, I’ve never once thought that Sylvie sounded genuinely happy for her. I’m remembering that season 1 moment when Gabby tells Shay that she was sleeping with Mills and Shay literally shouts, “I KNEW IT” and then they start gabbing about how “generous” the sex is. That’s the kind of girl friendship I want between Sylvie and Violet, and we keep getting Sylvie just saying, “Well, he’s likeable” and “Not going to see Evan?” in a flat tone. Violet gave Sylvie the speech that pushed her towards Matt, and Sylvie responds with what feels like judgment about Violet dating a superior. We went from Violet proudly saying “who gives a damn what people think” last week to lying to her partner about it being only a one night thing, and I think it’s because she can tell Sylvie is not supportive. And that’s out of character because Sylvie’s entire deal is being supportive. So we’ve got Gallo always butting in and Sylvie literally acting out of character just to drive out a non-51 based love interest.
And I get that there are production concerns with expanding the geographical scope of the show, and it makes more sense to stay on one set piece both fiscally and COVID-wise, but building a smaller house, a partial set for Lieutenant Stella to exist in is feasible, in my opinion. And they’ve already got sets for Hawkins’ office and house. This show could be bigger than it is, but they just keep going in circles.
Even Severide’s arc this episode is something we’ve seen before. Yes, it’s always nice to see him mentoring a young firefighter onto squad, but we first saw him do this a decade ago with Mills, and - other than his relationship with Stella - he’s basically in the same spot he was then: lieutenant of Squad 3. His entire development has been going from ladies man to monogamous, but I want to know how he’s progressing professionally. I want Kelly to get promoted, and I honestly want him to think about leaving Squad. It’s been shown so many times that he is excellent at OFI and even teaching academy courses. I want him to find a successor, train them, and then finally move on from the stagnancy of Squad 3. He’s one of the only house members to never move up. Cruz moved to Squad, Hermann got promoted, even Mouch became union president. I want more for Kelly Severide. Hell, I want more for the whole show.
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sylvie-writes · 3 years
Text
Chain of Events
word count: 2500
pairing: andy barber x female reader
warnings: cheating, age gap, some profanity.
request: can i request a andy barber x fem!reader where the reader is his asisstant and his secret mistress (in mid 20s) which she always stick by his side and help him through jacob's trail. after the trail he divorced w laurie and they got marry and have a baby girl please!! thank you!!
a/n: sorry for the wait! i hope you enjoy lovely! ngl this really fueled my love for andy. 
please excuse any mistakes!
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It wasn’t something you were proud of. Something that had started off as a night with a few innocent drinks paved the way for a never ending cycle. At times you felt dirty and awful, yet that didn’t stop you from going to see him every other night. Even when you had the slightest feeling that Laurie had a hunch, it didn’t stop you. Especially when things got dark for Andy, you were the one to hold him close and not his wife. It felt so right although extremely wrong all at the same time. 
༻﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡༺
Currently, you were sitting in your apartment bed, spending your Friday night a bit differently than most. Rain gushed from the sky and rhythmically hit your bedroom window which you were spaced out on, many thoughts running through your mind and a glass of wine occasionally hitting your lips. Using your free hand you softly ran your fingers through the mop of hair that belonged to Andy who was passed out in your lap. His breathing was even and it did your heart good to see him so peaceful for once. Just two hours ago, he called you, sounding so broken and vulnerable which was out of the ordinary for Andy. The minute you answered the door, he flung himself at you and held you tight, whispering repeatedly “don’t leave me, please.” 
It absolutely tore you to pieces to hear him say that and you were quick to reassure him that it wasn’t even possible. You then lead him to the bedroom to ask what had happened. 
“Is everything alright? Talk to me, Andy.” You placed a set of his pajamas into his hands but not without a pleading look in your eyes when meeting his own sullen ones.
“Laurie’s adamant it’s him, but (y/n)-” Placing a finger on his lips, you hushed him. 
“I know, I know. You just have to ignore it okay? Laurie is just,” Pausing, you chose your next words wisely, “having a hard time with it all. Everyone copes differently.” 
He sadly nodded before standing to kiss your forehead and make his way to the bathroom to get changed and cleaned up a bit. 
The two of you continued to chat about Jacob’s trial once Andy returned from the bathroom, and he confided in you in many ways more than one. You’d never seen Andy so open, even with yourself, and clearly it helped him quite a bit as he was now relaxed. 
Time had flown and amongst your thoughts, one stood out to you in particular. When would Laurie start to question where he was? Andy always had some bullshit excuse ready to give her and would then tell you that it would be alright. Normally, before you had time to truly convince yourself, Andy’s lips would be on yours or his hands would caress you gently and you’d melt into him as did your cares. Except for now. 
The two had just gotten into a huge fight and you were sure Andy hadn’t even thought twice about telling her where he was going. Even if he did, Laurie would surely be on the lookout for his return. 
Carefully reaching over to your nightstand, you grabbed your phone to check the time and noticed that it was getting late. 
“Andy? My love, when do you have to go home?” You leaned down to whisper to the sleeping man who groaned in return. 
You repeated his name once more, this time slightly shaking his shoulder to which he rolled onto his back, a goofy grin on his lips as he looked up at you. “Well hello, honey.” 
From Andy’s point of view, you peered down at him like a disappointed mother but with a faint smile upon her lips at her child’s goofiness. 
“Nice of you to join me, sleeping beauty. I was wondering what time you had to get home. It’s starting to rain more heavily and Laurie-”
Andy sat up and turned himself so he’d be sitting shoulder to shoulder with you. Silently, he took your empty wine glass from your hand, leaning to place it on your nightstand. As he did so, he didn’t let go of your wrist, which he brought to his lips when he returned to face you. 
Murmuring against your wrist, he started to place soft and delicate kisses to the smooth skin there. “Don’t worry about it. I told her I’d be back tomorrow morning.” 
“But Andy, she knows you don’t have anywhere to stay.” You didn’t want to exactly say “Hey! Andy, you have no friends and your wife knows that!” but it was implied in a kinder way. Andy picked up on this, clearly deflecting when he just nodded in response and started to place more kisses up your forearm. 
Letting out a frustrated “hmph,” you let Andy carry on before he victoriously smiled at you.
༻﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡༺
The vicious cycle went on throughout the course of Jacob’s trial as things between Andy and his wife got worse. Even though they both lived under the same roof, slept in the same bed, and put on a facade for Jacob, they were practically separated. One night Andy drunkenly showed up on your doorstep, confessing how he had come home to find Laurie with another man. In a fit of rage he let the cat out of the bag that he had been seeing you. Funny how things work. 
You knew they were both wrong, so instead of shaming either one of them, you just let Andy cling to you for comfort. When Andy was drunk, he was like a big child and if the circumstances were different, you’d been laughing, but rather you soothingly rubbed his back and listened as that’s all he needed. Someone who would just listen.
At three in the morning, he most definitely needed you as well when you found his head in the bowl of the toilet and not sleepily nestled in your neck. (Which was ironic as the two of you would be switching places very soon.)
Christmas came quick and along with it, many miracles, one being that Jacob was not convicted.
Just as Andy was in a rush to tell you the news, Laurie was even faster to serve the divorce papers to him. In a relationship, you and your partner are supposed to be able to push through tough times without breaking. With that being said, Andy and Laurie mutually agreed that they had failed and it was time they both quit lying to themselves. It was time for real happiness. 
༻﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡༺
“(y/n) meet me at our favorite restaurant in thirty minutes.”
You were working on some case files for Neil, despite your hatred for him, and tried to tell Andy that you were busy at the moment. He didn’t listen but continued to insist that you meet him there. His tone wasn’t demanding, but it was...excited? Surely, Andy had been excited over things in his life, but you’d never actually heard the usually emotionless man speak with such ardor. 
Setting down the case files, you rushed to put on some real pants and a blouse, but nothing too fancy or flashy as you had no idea what was about to happen. 
When you arrived at the restaurant, Andy happily flagged you over. He wore the biggest smile ever and you were borderline concerned. What could have him this happy? Was he getting back with Laurie? As much as you wanted them to be a functioning family, you weren’t sure if you could deal with such heartbreak because Andy really did feel like the one. 
Ever the gentleman, Andy pulled out your chair and handed you a small bouquet as you sat in the wooden seat. Before he walked away, the man planted a smack of a kiss on your lips and hurried back to his seat since he saw the waiter out of the corner of his eye. As the waiter approached, you were just sitting there, the most shocked expression on your face as it settled within you what Andy had just done. Long ago when this whole fiasco began, you and Andy always kept it professional when out in public because so many people knew him and word could get out easily that he was cheating. 
The minute the waiter left, you were quick to chastise Andy who just laughed as if it were the funniest thing in the world which left you a bit angered. 
Since the restaurant was quiet, you extended yourself across the table so Andy could hear your harsh muttering. 
“Do you realize what you just did, Barber?!” Andy shook his head in a content manner and at this point steam was about to emerge from your ears. Before all hell could break loose and you go ballistic, Andy cut in to explain. 
“Jacob, he’s a free man!” Andy looked at you with an awaiting smile and your face immediately softened, but for only a second as that didn’t explain why he was parading your relationship out like this. Didn’t he know what he was risking, not only for himself, but you.
Your counterpart noticed the sudden change of expression on your face and continued, “But among other things, I meant to tell you that Laurie and I got divorced recently.” 
“Oh hon, I am so sorry.” Reaching across the table, you comfortingly ran your thumb over the back of his hand, but he just shook his head in detest.
“No no, it’s not a bad thing because it just opened the gateway for this,” Andy pulled his hand away and went to dig in his coat pocket. You thought to yourself, no he couldn’t be-
“(y/n), I’m gonna make this short, but sweet. You mean the world to me and I could spend all night listing off why I love you, but that will never do justice, so instead, I ask that you make me the happiest man alive, and marry me?” 
His cliche, yet utterly adorable speech could make a person’s heart melt and instantly say yes, but you’ve always been a thinker, and maybe Andy had accounted for that a bit in his proposal. 
“Andrew! You just got divorced!” In a semi-whisper slash hiss, you bent over so only he could hear, hiding your words from the prying onlookers as if you had top secret info spilling from your lips. 
“I know, but, (y/n), you are the one.” He looked a bit awkward being on his knee for so long and the ring box still patiently in hand as you processed his question. Nonetheless, Andy continued to hopefully smile at you, ignoring all of the whispers, until you excitedly replied “yes” just a mere second later, though it felt like ages for him. 
This proposal was definitely gonna be a story for generations. 
༻﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡༺
You and Andy settled for a simple courthouse wedding with just your parents in attendance as witnesses. The two of you were never really used to flaunting your relationship, and even though you could now, it just wasn’t ideal. Besides, you had bigger things to worry about.
For example, when just a few weeks after your short-lived honeymoon, you noticed some changes and came to the conclusion that you were pregnant. 
One night, you casually brought up the idea of more kids to Andy to test the waters. 
“Hey love, you awake?”
Andy lifted his eyes from his book, no longer looking as if he was asleep. He nodded his head and set the book aside giving you his full attention. 
“What’s up, gorgeous?”
“I was thinking… what if we were to have a kid. Would you be opposed to that?”
The reaction on Andy’s face was most definitely not the one in mind and he looked as if you had asked him the most appalling question on earth. 
“(y/n), I love kids,” He chuckled a bit, “I thought I made that clear, you know, by being a dad and all.” 
His lame attempt at making a “joke” eased your nerves and you just came straightforward with the gold. 
“Andy, I think I am pregnant.” 
And faster than a predator can pounce, Andy was on you in seconds, his arms hugging you close as he whispered words of excitement. 
༻﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡༺
Nine months later and that statement was very true as you held a bundle of joy in your arms. Your hours numb in pain couldn't even be compared to the gift that was before you. Andy could hardly keep his hands off your stomach for the past few months and he never failed to speak to your daughter as if she was actually there. Now that her presence was finally in the world, Andy was yet to look away from her small figure and his smile hadn’t withered the slightest. 
The nurse had stepped out a few minutes ago, giving both you and Andy some time and privacy with your newborn. Even though drowsiness overcame your body, you visibly forced yourself awake just to absorb all the time you could with her. Little ones grow up in a flash and you weren't going to miss a second if it was up to you.
Andy joined you in the hospital bed when you silently invited him in with a soft pat to the crinkly sheets. Once he snuggled up against your side, you carefully passed the little baby who was about to have her first contact with her father. 
As Andy played with her mini hands, you sleepily rested your head on his broad shoulder, watching the two and already figuring out that they’d be lifelong friends. 
“They always say with age comes wiseness, but darlin’, your momma gives that phrase a run for its money.”
You giggled at your husband’s words and propped up the little darling the smallest bit so she could “see” you and her dad. 
“Don’t listen to Daddy, munchkin. The grey in his beard says otherwise.” 
“Hey! I’m not that old, I was still able to knock-” Backhanding Andy’s leg caused him to dramatically cut his sentence short. There were plenty of years for him to taint your daughter’s innocence.
 As you observed the two, you noticed Andy gazed at her as if she hung the moon and stars for him, a familiar look he often gave you. Possibly from the lack of energy or just being enamored with the interaction, a sweet tear slipped from your own eye. Upon closer inspection, one could see that a subtle tear fell from the man beside you.
If Andrew Stephen Barber had known all those years ago he’d be here with a second chance at life, he would’ve never even waited another second to be with you. It’s funny how life can send you down the most twisted paths, yet have you come out with the most precious of gifts. 
 taglist: @memissbee @tricereads @buckybarnesthehotshot @bval-1 @tonystankschild @just-one-ordinary-fangirl @turtoix @kelbabyblue @jakiki94 @aubreeskailynn @calirindo @lady-elena-adeline @siriuslyslyslytherin @sushiinmidnight @patzammit @iwik3it​
a/n: what did you guys think? it feels like ages since i’ve written anything, and I am sure you can tell haha
if you are new here, check out my masterlist at the top of my blog for more Andy Barber (and Chris Evans characters) writing. I’d link it but tumblr always tag blocks me :( 
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thefanficmonster · 3 years
Text
Much Cooler
Corpse Husband & Emma Langevin 
Warnings: Swearing
Genre: Platonic Fluff, RPF (Real Person Fic)
Summary: There’s always a certain level of uncertainty when meeting someone you’ve only known online. There’s that sense of insecurity that your relationship with them will never be the same or - even worse - that their view of you might change for the worse. But there’s nothing more thrilling than seeing the person you’ve been talking to constantly for the past however long standing across from you. 
Requested by Anon. Hi dear! Thank you so much for your request and I’m so terribly sorry for how late it’s coming out but I hope the fic makes it worth the wait! Lots of love, Vy ❤
“CORPSE! Wake up you famous dumbass!“ is the first thing the poor man heard over the phone at 9 AM on this fine Saturday morning.
It’s more than enough to make him contemplate why he even decided to pick it up in the first place considering he wouldn’t have been very able to participate in the conversation due to his sleepiness. He also, of course, made the mistake of not checking the caller ID which apparently wasn’t necessary considering how recognizable that voice and accent are.
“It’s 9 AM, Emma.“ He states as a tired parent would to a child, “I’m concerned as to why you’re up so early. More so as to why you’re calling me of all people.“
He can practically hear her roll her eyes but he still smirks to himself, knowing she can’t contradict him or argue since he’s completely right with his claims. “Whatever. Remind me to never call you to congratulate you on a milestone again.“
Now that pokes at his attention with a stick. Lately, said attention has proven to be a hibernating bear, leaving Corpse with a lack of interest or motivation for anything but damn if that sentence wasn’t enough to roll him out of bed and hop on PC. “What? What milestone? Subscribers?“
“Nope! You got two million likes on ‘E-girls are ruining my life’! I can’t believe I have to tell you this! Didn’t you notice the numbers climbing?!“ Emma, as annoyed and sarcastic as she’s trying to sound, she’s obviously overjoyed on his behalf and is super proud of him and of the project she luckily agreed to take a small part in.
As his PC boots up, Corpse can’t help but roll his eyes at Emma’s comment, “Well unlike you I have better things to do than refresh a page over and over aga-” His sentence is quickly cut off when he sees the number of likes under the song for himself.
Knowing that he’d find it there didn’t change the feeling of seeing it for the first time at all. It’s so surreal and so hard for his mind to comprehend. Seeing as how little he thinks of himself, his content and his art, this is like his success coming to slap him across the face as if to punctuate to him how wrong that mindset is.
“You know, it wouldn’t hurt if you offered to take me out for at least a coffee to celebrate, bro.“ Emma comments sarcastically, joking only halfway from what he can sense.
He smirks, “Trying to even the playing field, I see.” He replies, referring to the fact that he’s still a faceless mystery to her while her face is literally the cover art for one of his songs.
She laughs but is quick to dismiss his claim, “Nah, I might be a curious and nosey little shit on other occasions, but other people’s privacy is not something I dig my nose into. However, if I were to even the playing field between us it wouldn’t be appearance-wise. More personality-wise. For my sake and yours I choose to believe you are way cooler in person than you are through messages or on a call.”
This withdraws a genuine fit of laughter from Corpse who throws his head back, a few strands of hair moving aside to reveal his shiny eyes, “Well then, instead of giving me the benefit of the doubt, how about we settle it once and for all? Tomorrow? I’ll text you the location.”
Emma’s eyebrows shoot upwards as soon as she comprehends his words and the tone that leaves no room for her to assume he’s joking, “Wait what? How come you’re agreeing to this? And so easily? Nah, this a trap if I’ve ever seen it.”
Corpse laughs yet again, “No trap, Em. I just can’t have you doubting my coolness.”
                                                             *  *  *
The main reason as to why Corpse requested for this meeting to be today is because he feared that if he had more than twenty four hours to dwell on it he’d chicken out. Little did he know it was the same for Emma. Their friendship has only ever existed with the bridge of social media connecting them and they both can’t help but fear the other might not like who they are IRL. They fear they unintentionally become a different person or change things about themselves subconsciously when communicating with people online. Bottom line, they’re scared of letting the other person down with who they really are, unaware that their personalities are most likely the exact same because, as the people who know them can confirm, neither Corpse nor Emma are the type to put on a show in order to be liked. They would rather have no friends because of who they are than have friends and fans of their persona instead of the real them.
And so, while slightly afraid and anxious about this meeting, both of them see it as a relief test to see if the friendship is in fact as real as it’s seemed these past months.
Corpse was the one to choose the location of their meet-up, a location Emma didn’t even think twice about agreeing on, and ever since, they’ve both been counting the hours until their scheduled meeting time.  It’s not about impressing each other, at least that’s what they’re both telling themselves, but rather proving to the other that they’re worthy of their friendship. They might throw snarky and sarcastic comments at one another that others would give a side-eye glance to and question if their friendship is real, but they know the dynamic best and they sure as hell don’t wanna lose it or each other.
Best friends are the ones who roast each other after all - you can’t tell me I’m wrong.
The nervous Corpse fidgets with the insides of his hoodie pockets as he waits outside the café, having arrived ten minutes early because he couldn’t stand being alone with his thoughts in his apartment, judging every fragment of himself twice as harshly as usual. Emma, on the other hand, could barely bring herself to leave her home. She kept retouching her appearance, despite knowing Corpse wouldn’t judge her even if she showed up in pjs. To be fair she contemplated doing just that several times because her hair pissed her off enough to get her discouraged on her outfit altogether but she did eventually talk herself into pulling it together. She already knew she’d be at least five minutes late, but once again, she knew Corpse wouldn’t care.
He’d wait, cause that’s the kind of friend he was. Cause that’s the kind of friend she was for him too.
And boy did it take her less than a second to recognize him. She wasn’t even out of the car when she saw him and knew it was exactly who she was looking for. He too, as if with a sixth sense that registered her presence, shoots his head up from his phone to look up at her, their gazes meeting. There’s a brief moment of close-to-shocked silence, their eyes a bit widened as their brains comprehend that they’re within arm’s reach of one another.
That’s when Emma’s the first to break the bubble of awe as a wide grin spreads across her face and she runs to Corpse, wrapping him in a hug before he’s even realized the distance between the two’s been closed.
“Hey.“ She mumbles, her face hidden in his hoodie due to the height difference.
“H-hey.“ He replies, hesitantly wrapping his arms around her too.
“I was right.“ She says once she pulls away, “You are much cooler face-to-face.“ She pauses for a second, narrowing her eyes, “You’d be even cooler if you bought me coffee though.“
Earning a laugh from him, she’s guided into the café by the arm Corpse wraps around her shoulders, telling her he’s get her a milkshake cause he doesn’t want to see her high on caffeine. Needless to say, they both are, indeed, much cooler to one another IRL.
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interact-if · 3 years
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Day 2 of Pride Month interviews! You know them, you love them…. give it up for Ames!
Ames, author of Attollo and Metamorphosis
Pride Month Featured Authors
“…and it was a singular, terrible thought, which burrowed itself into your mind like an engorged maggot. This was not a man nor a monster. This was a concept, an ideology, a terrible myth, which had personified itself to stand before you now.You were, to put it simply, screwed.”
After several years of radio silence, you receive a message from your younger sibling that carries a strange sense of urgency to it. Either out of familial concern or boredom, you embark on a journey from your residence to your sibling’s apartment in New Hampshire to see what’s going on and, hopefully, be home before the weekend.
Too bad it’s never so simple.
Demo: Attollo, Metamorphosis (TBA)
Tags: cybernoir, thriller
(INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT UNDER THE CUT!)
Q1: Tell us a little bit about your project(s)!
Attollo is a cyber-noir horror set in a walled city off the coast of the Atlantic that’s been a victim of a nuclear disaster. After several years of radio silence, you receive a message from your younger sibling that carries a strange sense of urgency to it. Either out of familial concern or boredom, you embark on a journey from your residence to your sibling’s apartment in New Hampshire to see what’s going on and, hopefully, be home before the weekend. Too bad it’s never so simple. Attollo is a 17+ game that deals with heavy topics and a lot of moral questioning; from cults to corrupt government, it has no shortage of monsters in the dark—both metaphorical and literal.
Metamorphosis is a crime/horror story based in the world of crime scene cleanup, where there are three simple steps: Get the call, clean the scene, and don’t ask too many questions. These are the rules that you live by under the employment of Noctua’s Crime Scene Services, and you credit them for keeping you alive.
However, after a routine house call brings forth nightmares of memories that are not your own, you find yourself pulled deeper into Noctua—a city of both monster and man—in a bid to find out the truth behind the murder of Deirdre Callow, and better yet, how her memories came to be yours. Your job mandates that you don’t dig too deep—but could this finally be the exception?
Metamorphosis is 18+ and will have explicit content; follow the last moments of a stranger to find out not only who took her life, but how this connects to the underbelly that Noctua works so hard to hide.
Q2: Why interactive fiction? What drew you to the medium?
Lmaoo, oh man. I think it really all began last summer when I first found examples of interactive fiction. I don’t even remember how I came across it, it might’ve been that I saw it mentioned in a post or I saw it as a tag on Itch.io, but at some point, last summer I began to investigate it more. I think what really drew me in was the ability for the player to control the narrative; it was like playing an old RPG, but modernized, and the fact that I could see a story unfold that was influenced by my decisions was so fascinating to me. Not to mention that IF allows so much more character depth than regular novels, in my opinion.
I’m 99% sure my first exposure to interactive fiction was through the game Crème de la Crème (a fantastic game, by the way) and I just enjoyed it so much that I went haywire for the genre. Then Temple of the Endless Night came out (another fantastic game that I’m looking forward to!), and that was really the turning point for inspiring me to give it a go. Now, almost a year later, here I am working on my own two games!
Q3: Are your characters influenced by your identity? How?
My bisexuality doesn’t have much of a major influence on the game, but I do think it contributed to the way that I view and write relationships. I figured out my sexuality around high school (I kissed a girl in high school and found out I liked it just as much as when I kissed a boy) and since then I’ve been very involved in the LGBTQ+ community of both my hometown and uni town.
I think this involvement, like being able to hear about other people’s experiences and share my own, has made me feel a lot more comfortable writing some of the characters in the game. Although Attollo and Metamorphosis both don’t focus heavily on relationships (both have murder in them, which I feel is a bit more pressing), I do keep the option for any RO’s to be romanced by anyone, regardless of gender or preference, because that’s simply what I’ve become so attuned to. In terms of side characters relationships as well, I think my involvement and my own experiences have allowed me to write far more diverse relationships than I might have, and I think that this has also allowed a more fulfilling experience for players when reading through.
I also have incorporated some struggles that I’ve faced before because of my identity into the games. For example, I and a few others have faced issues with religion due to who we are, and I incorporate this into both games. Dreamwalker, Pariah, and Sysba from Attollo all have shadows of this experience in their character origins, and Ilali and Ariston from Metamorphosis has a major point involving identity and beliefs. Both games also have undertows of ostracization and division between groups, which is also something I’ve experienced in the past. Being able to grapple these moments and control them via a narrative has been eye opening for both myself and others involved, and I’m hoping it can be a learning experience for the readers as well.
Q4: What would you like to see more of in LGBT+ fiction?
I think, now, the amount of progress in LGBTQ+ fiction is expanding at a wonderful rate. There are so many interactive fictions with options to select sexuality, select gender, select beliefs, etc. However, despite this expansion, there’s still a good deal of backlash against some aspects of LGBTQ+ fiction.
For example, as a bisexual woman who has dated men, I know there are some individuals who may not consider me a part of the LGBTQ+ because of this aspect. Not only is this incredibly disheartening, but it’s a viewpoint that I think should be educated against, and fiction is a fantastic pathway to do this. Another example I can think of is a friend of mine who identifies as asexual but is sex-neutral rather than sex-repulsed. Most people can’t believe her when she says this, and she often faces backlash for this declaration as well. This is another thing that I think that, with exposure through a medium such as fiction, can be worked on.
What I’m trying to say here is that I think LGBTQ+ fiction can be a brilliantly educational platform—if used right. Although it already teaches so much with what it has, I think having that representation of different subgroups of sexuality, of their experiences and beliefs, so people can become aware and knowledgeable of these options, is something I’d like to see more of.
Q5: What or who are some of your biggest inspirations?
Oh man, I struggled to list off inspirations because I know I have some, but as soon as someone asks me who they are my brain just goes ‘brrrrrr’ LMAO.
In terms of the games that I write and the worlds that I build, I think David Lynch and Robert Chambers are probably the two that I somehow incorporate. Attollo and Metamorphosis both have a lot of surrealist horror, which are what these two really specialized in. Shirley Jackson is also another person who inspired me a lot when it came to the writing and creation of Attollo, especially the intrapersonal relationships between the characters.
In terms of life, this is something else I really struggle to answer. I don’t really have celebrity inspirations or anything like that, but I do get inspired by my close friends and sister a lot. Seeing them go through the struggles that they face and absolutely thrive really drives me to push through my own struggles. They’re the strongest, most brilliant group of people that I know, and I consider myself incredibly fortunate that I can be a part of their lives. Not only that, but we also all collectively encourage each other to push further and to chase our dreams (as cheesy as that is LMAO) and that’s something that I think is another stroke of good fortune. I struck gold when I met them, and they’re some of the biggest inspirations in my life.
Q6: What’s a super vague spoiler for your current project?
For Attollo, I’d say ‘Home is where the heart is.’ For Metamorphosis, to quote John Berendt, ‘Always stick around for one more drink.’
Q7: Lastly, what advice would you give to your readers?
What advice would I give to you all? Oh my, I’m not exactly a wise woman here, but I’ll do my best to give you something lmaooo. I think what I really want you to walk away with, from both my stories and this interview, is that if you’re passionate about something, then share it with the world. Don’t let anyone deter your passion.
I remember listening to this painter once who commented to his friend how he ‘really liked painting’, and his friend’s first response was ‘but are you good at it?’. He then compared this to the scenario of walking; would you say, ‘but are you good at it?’ to someone who said, ‘I really like walking’? No, because it simply wouldn’t make sense, and it doesn’t make sense to say that to anyone who’s doing something out of passion.
To put it simply—if you love something, then don’t let anyone take that passion from you. I began writing these stories because I’m passionate about Attollo and Metamorphosis; I love each character, each bit of lore, and I share it with you because I want you all to enjoy it as well. Am I the best writer? God, no. Does everyone like what I write? Definitely not. But will I let this stop me from writing, from enjoying what I’m doing? Never, and I want you to do the same.
Explore your passions, embrace your passions, and let what makes you happy continue to do so
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honeyju · 3 years
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home run; lee minho
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The four times you try to ask Lee Minho to the winter formal, and the one time he asks you. 
genres: fluff, friends to lovers au, high school au, sports au (baseball player minho!!)
word count: 3.8k
a/n: merry christmas!! this is a christmas collab that i’m doing with my friend alice @jjacob​ in which we write for each other’s ult biases! (mine is juyeon, so if you’re interested in the boyz, i recommend reading her story here, especially since our storylines are a bit connected!) i had a lot of fun learning more about minho during the writing process, and i hope this story represents him well <333
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TRY ONE: KEEP IT SIMPLE. 
If there’s anyone in the world who knows Lee Minho better than you do, it’s Lee Juyeon. 
The two of them have been joined by the hip for as long as you can remember, and if Minho is the relentless tease, spirited and carefree, Juyeon is the gentle thinker, all sweet smiles and wise words. So that’s how you end up frantically dialing his number at nearly one in the morning, too panicked to consider the possibility of him being asleep. You wait with bated breath as the phone rings once, twice, three times before Juyeon picks up the phone, his breathy laugh greeting you instantly. 
“I was waiting for this.”
Juyeon’s words cause you to let out a small noise of surprise, and his chuckle sounds in your ear, a little choppy and distant-sounding due to the poor connection, but bright nevertheless.
“What do you mean you were waiting for this?”
“Silly girl,” Juyeon says, and you can tell he’s grinning despite not being able to see him. “Don’t think I didn’t see you look at him when they announced the dance this morning.”
Your face turns red as you recall the mention of the winter formal during the school announcements and the way your head had immediately turned to Minho’s. You were certain that no one else had noticed the longing upon your face when you looked towards your close friend, but hearing Juyeon now leaves you unsure. 
“Was I that obvious?” You groan, burying your face in your hands out of embarrassment. 
“I wouldn’t worry that much, it wasn’t too apparent,” Juyeon assures you, and yet the spark of doubt in your mind still lingers. 
“You think he knows?” You question as you run your fingers through your hair. 
“That you like him? I don’t think he’d get that from just one glance.” Perhaps he’s right, for you know that Juyeon is just naturally more perceptive than others, and the things he picks up on don’t tend to be the same as what others notice. 
“I hope you’re right. This isn’t how I wanted him to know,” you groan.
“Oh? So you’re planning on telling him? That’s why you called, right?” You know Juyeon’s teasing you by the tone of his voice, and you resist the temptation to whine at him. 
“Help me ask Minho to the dance, Juyeon,” you plead, trying to let every ounce of your desperation show in your tone, praying that his response will be yes. There’s a pause, and you find yourself holding your breath in anticipation as you await his next words.  
“Well, I can’t exactly ask him for you,” he starts, “but I’ll try to give you some advice.”
“Thank you, Juyeon,” you breathe in relief, switching the call to speaker mode so you can peel it away from your cheek.
“Don’t mention it. First things first, though . . .”
Juyeon trails off without an explanation, and you understand why a few moments later when you catch a flicker of light erupting from your phone out of the corner of your eye. When you lift it up a little higher in your hands, you see that Juyeon has turned his camera on, his face just slightly too close to the camera and his smile filling the screen. You rush to turn yours on as well, switching on a lamp so your face can be seen in the near darkness of the room. After an exchange of waves, Juyeon clears his throat, and even through the blurry quality you catch the blaze in his eyes that suggests he’s gotten idea.
“Y/N, Minho’s at your place right now, isn’t he?” Juyeon asks, and there’s something about his tone that strikes you as a bit too bold for your liking. 
“Well, yeah,” you answer hesitantly, “but I think he’s asleep right now.”
“How about you just ask him whenever he’s awake?” Juyeon suggests, and you raise your eyebrows incredulously as you watch him shrug his shoulders like he’s just told you to do the easiest thing in the world.
“Are you insane?” You shriek, immediately slapping a hand over your mouth when you realize how loud you’ve gotten. Juyeon only laughs, his eyes morphing into crescents and his bunny-like smile widening. “You think I should just ask him like that, no preparations or anything?”
“Trust me, Y/N. It’s nice to make things special, but I think that Minho will appreciate your honest confession more than anything else.” Juyeon’s advice is laced with sincerity, and you don’t need to look at his face in the camera to know that he wants the best for you. 
“I’m blaming you if things go wrong, Lee Juyeon,” you sigh reluctantly. “But I suppose there’s not really any other way to do it.”
“Give it a try,” he encourages. “I think he’ll like it.”
“Thanks, Juyeon. For picking up so late and for the advice,” you tell him genuinely, and he smiles. 
“Anytime, Y/N.”
With that, the two of you hang up, and your head automatically drops to the table to rest in between your arms.
“Just ask him whenever he’s awake,” you mutter to yourself, “How am I supposed to do that? Oh, good morning Minho, breakfast is over there, and by the way, I was wondering if you wanted to go to the winter formal with me?” 
The words sound stupid no matter how you say them, and you can’t stop yourself from the feeling of hopelessness that strikes you as you trudge back to the bed where you find Minho laying peacefully on his side. You smile, tilting your head as you watch him for a moment until he suddenly turns over so he’s lying on his back, blinking repeatedly until his eyes focus on you.
“You’re back?” His words are hoarse and followed by a yawn, which you laugh at softly. 
“Sorry, Minho, did I keep you up?” 
Minho says nothing and instead pats the space beside him on the bed, to which you oblige, instantly climbing in to lay next to him. He inches closer to you, resting his head next to your shoulder and quietly snuggling into your side. Trying to ignore the way your heart has sped up in response to his figure latching onto yours, you recall Juyeon’s words from before, realizing that he’s awake right now, and perhaps you have a chance. 
“Minho?” Your voice comes out in a whisper, and you don’t dare to look at him out of fear for your heart. 
“Hmm?” Minho’s response is sleepy, slightly muffled from your shoulder but unbelievably soft. 
“Are you by any chance going with someone to the winter formal?” You ask hesitantly, squeezing your eyes shut out of embarrassment. Minho makes a small noise of disagreement, and you can feel his head shaking against your side as if in extra confirmation.
A relieved sigh falls from your lips, but your next words get stuck in your throat when you come to the realization of just how scary it is to confess. You can’t stop the swarm of worries that hit you, overcome by the question of whether he doesn’t see you as anything more than a friend, and if asking him to the dance will jeopardize your relationship with him. You know that you can’t hold your feelings in forever, though, and you think of Juyeon’s kind motivation when you say your next words.
“D’you maybe wanna go to the formal together?”
There’s a heavy silence, your question lingering in the air unanswered, and your heart sinks in your chest at the lack of response. 
“Minho?” You try again quietly. Dread overtakes you as you guess that perhaps his silence is a form of his rejection, and you can’t help but wonder how you’re going to get yourself out of this one. When you turn on your side to face him, however, you find that he’s already fallen back asleep, light snores emitting from his parted mouth. A small smile creeps up your face as you unconsciously lift your hand to stroke his hair, mindlessly dragging your fingers through the silky strands. He leans into your touch, eyes still closed as he mumbles meaningless words out of fatigue and shifts so he’s closer to you.
Maybe tomorrow, you think to yourself, resting your head on the top of his and letting your eyes fall shut as sleep overtakes you.
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TRY TWO: MAKE IT SPECIAL.
Your heart pounds as you tug the door open to the café, peeking inside to find the area mostly empty save for a handful of students at the far end. You thank the heavens for appearing just on time, the familiar sight instantly soothing your nerves. You set the large plastic bag you’d brought along with you on one of the tables, laughing a little as you begin to empty it of its contents one by one. 
“Look at you, Y/N,” you mumble to yourself, “bringing this food and getting all dressed up for a man.” 
The last item in the bag makes you smile, despite yourself, and you pull out the small box of chocolates that you had bought in the morning, setting it down to complete the collection. You marvel at the assortment of treats you’d gotten for him, shaking your head as you sit down to try and calm yourself from the slight tension of it all. Glancing up to check the time in one of the clocks hung up on the wall, you realize with jittery anticipation that he’ll be arriving soon. 
Five minutes pass, and he’s nowhere to be seen. 
You think nothing of it until another ten minutes pass, and you begin to wonder what’s holding him up, trying not to let the feeling of unease get to you as you assure yourself that he might just be running a bit late. Your foot begins to tap quietly against the tiled floor, an anxious habit of yours you’d never managed to quite get rid of. 
Thirty minutes pass, and you pull your phone out from your side pocket, unlocking it to stare at his contact in part hesitation and part concern.
Should I call him?
You weigh out your options, wondering if you’ll sound too demanding if you call to ask if something’s wrong. However, your phone appears to solve the problem for you, the shrill sound of its ringing interrupting you from your thoughts. You jump at the sudden noise, but accept the call instantly upon seeing the caller ID. 
“I was just about to call. Is everything okay?” You ask, and your eyes widen in worry at the sound of Minho panting on the other end.
“Y/N,” he breathes, “I—I’m sorry. Coach is keeping us in an extra hour, and—”
“Slow down, Minho,” you urge, “first catch your breath.”
He hums in agreement, and your face falls when you process his words, realizing the true reason he called. Although you know he’s not the one to blame, you can’t help the feeling of disappointment that creeps up inside of you as you glance down at the chocolates and favorite foods of his sitting on the table. 
“You’re saying you can’t make it today, right?” The words come out softer than you mean for them to, and Minho sighs regretfully. 
“I’m so sorry, Y/N. You know we have that big game coming up tomorrow, and—look, if you want, I can leave practice.” His voice is gentle, apologetic, and tears sting your eyes upon hearing how willing he is to risk getting kicked from the team for you. 
“No, you can’t,” you shake your head frantically. “I’m not letting you suffer the consequences of that for something this small. Go have fun, okay? We do this regularly anyways, we can just meet up next time.”
You hear a rustle on his end, followed by the voices of his teammates calling out for him. “Are you sure?” Minho asks, a twinge of concern in his tone. 
“I’m sure! Now go, they’re calling you,” you encourage, trying to sound as cheerful as you can to convince him. 
It works, to your relief, for Minho’s next words are bright. “You’re a lifesaver, Y/N,” he says, and you can hear the smile in his voice before he ends the call. 
There’s a moment of silence as you look at the goodies once more, before your eyes land upon the box of chocolates, and you pry the lid open to find them already beginning to melt. Reminding yourself that you won’t be seeing him today anyways, and that there’s no use wasting a perfectly good box of chocolates, you pop one of them in your mouth. The corners of your lips tug upwards at the savory taste, and you let out a deep exhale as you remember that you’re not out of ideas just yet. 
“More for me, I guess,” you mutter, trying not to lose hope. “On to try three!”
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TRY THREE: GO ALL OUT. 
The sign leaning against your legs serves as a constant reminder of just how whipped you are for Minho, and at times it amazes even you just how far you’re willing to go for him. Making sure no one else can see it, you take yet another glimpse at the cardboard sign you spent the entirety of last night making, lifting it enough for it to rest in your lap. You stare at the bolded words drawn on the surface in capital letters, surrounded by small designs and stickers in a variety of colors. 
I might strike out asking, but will you go to the winter formal with me?
An embarrassed laugh bubbles out of your throat and you find yourself yet again bewildered by the sheer cheesiness of it all. You can’t bring yourself to raise it, however, telling yourself that tensions are too high right now and that you’ll show him later when there’s no potential of the sign distracting him. You set it back down at your feet, and you look past the sea of people to search for Minho in the group of players on the baseball field. 
Murmurs of “the score is so close,” “we need a home run to win,” and “we’re gonna lose, aren’t we?” echo around you in the stadium, and your mind immediately flashes back to Minho’s words from before the game. 
“If I win, you have to do any one thing that I want for me.” 
You had teased him and asked him what he’d do if he lost, but Minho had only shrugged nonchalantly, telling you that he’d do anything you wanted if that was the case. 
Looking down at him on the field now, you watch as he readies himself at the batter’s box, and despite the near-impossible chance of him securing the team a win, something about the blaze in his eyes tells you that he won’t be losing today. Just before the pitcher can pitch the ball, he looks up towards the stands, his eyes scanning the crowd to find you. When he does, he doesn’t say anything, doesn’t mouth anything, but somehow through his gaze, you already know exactly what he wants to tell you: he’s going to win. 
The pitcher steps forward, raising his leg and leaning back with the ball before he throws it with a single fluid motion. The ball spirals forward towards Minho with immense speed, and you watch breathlessly as he positions himself to hit it. He swings the bat, and a gasp leaves your mouth.
What happens next is a blur, and by the time you can process what’s happening, Minho has already tossed the bat and reached base one. You squint your eyes as you search for the ball, managing to glimpse it right before it falls outside the gates of the field. You cover your mouth with your hands in shock as you look back down to Minho just in time to watch his foot touch the second base. 
“He hit it all the way out!” Shouts and exclamations of surprise reverberate around you as the audience rises to its feet eagerly. 
Base three. 
All attempts to stop him are useless at this point, you realize, for Minho’s already making his way to the final base, his features hardened by determination. Just before he reaches the end, Minho finds you in the crowd once more. His gaze remains locked on yours as he flashes you a small grin, his foot touching the home plate at the exact same moment. 
Home run. 
For an instant, there’s nothing but dead silence, and then the entire audience erupts into applause, the noise turning almost unbearable as it rings in your ears. The edge of the sign scratches against your leg as you stand up, and you’re reminded of the dance as you impulsively grab hold of the cardboard, getting on top of your seat as you prepare to raise it. When you inspect the field one last time to ensure Minho is still there, you find that he’s lost in the arms of his teammates, all shouting excitedly and clapping him on the back among cheers.
Your shoulders slump as you realize that there’s no way he’ll be able to see your sign with all the ruckus, and you dejectedly get down from your seat, making your way off the stands and exiting the stadium. 
As you trudge home, you wonder if you’ll even be able to face him without blushing, let alone ask him to the formal. 
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TRY FOUR: NO INTERRUPTIONS. 
The next time you see Minho, you’re stepping through the open door of Chan’s house, and you’re met with the sight of the entire team laughing recklessly, joking around and shoving each other playfully over a set of pizza boxes. Small decorations and streamers are hung up in colors of red and green to highlight the approach of Christmas, and something about the setting makes you feel delightfully warm. It’s somehow exactly the kind of celebration you imagined, and when you look towards the team once again, you find Minho in the center of all the chatter, just as you always do. 
When he catches you standing before them, he freezes, and his gaze morphs into something different, almost hungry, as his eyes slowly trail over your figure from top to bottom. The intensity of his stare seems to burn into you, and you watch in quiet anticipation as he separates himself from the group to walk up to you. 
There are no excuses now, you think. No interruptions, no distractions, no reasons to prevent you from asking him. 
“‘Come to the celebration party at Chan’s place, and I’ll tell you there,’” you greet, quoting his text from hours before, and Minho smiles sheepishly. “Well, I’m here now. What is it that you want?”
“You look beautiful,” is his response, and your next words are forgotten as your face goes up in flames. 
“I’m glad you think so. It took me a long time to find this dress,” you mumble, staring down at your feet to hide your blush. 
“I’m not talking about the dress,” Minho says, and your eyes widen as you look back up to search his face. He turns away before you can look too hard, rubbing the back of his neck as his cheeks turn red. “Anyways,” he mumbles, avoiding your eyes, “you told me you wanted to ask me something too, right?”
“You first,” you blurt, still too flustered from his compliment to think straight. Your words, however, are drowned out by a particularly loud screech emitting from the other end of the room, followed by the booming laughter of the rest of the team. Furrowing his brows, Minho cups his ear and leans closer to you, prompting you to repeat the words in his ear. Another series of laughs sounds from the room, and Minho takes your hands in his to bring you to a more empty section of the house. 
“Finally,” he breathes when the two of you are safe from disturbances. “I swear, they can get so loud sometimes.”
You giggle at his words. “Tell me what you want for winning,” you urge him, trying to do whatever you can to delay your turn. Minho’s face darkens, and something about the way his gaze turns intense makes your heart race.
“Look up,” he whispers, his hands tightening around yours. You obey, your eyes drifting up as you find yourself staring at what you think could be one of the most beautiful bunches of mistletoe you’ve ever seen, hanging from the ceiling and twinkling under the soft light. You gulp upon realizing its implications, your tongue swiping over your lips out of nervous habit. You look back down to face him, and you find that his expression reflects the same desire he displayed before, his eyes sparkling as the corners of his lips turn up. 
“We can’t break tradition, now can we?” He teases, leaning forward just enough for your noses to touch, his lips barely ghosting over yours so you can feel the warmth of his breath upon your face. When you close your eyes, your own lips parting, he closes the distance. 
Time seems to freeze in place as his soft lips meet yours, his hands dropping to your waist as his lips move slowly against yours. There’s a passion in his kiss that you’re reciprocating before you even know it, and a slight smile shapes his lips that you can’t help but mirror. He’s the first to pull away, resting his forehead on yours for a moment as he catches his breath. 
“You have to do any one thing that I want right?” He breathes. “Go to the winter formal with me.”
Your breath hitches in your throat, your eyes flying open in shock and immediately finding his as you soften at the sincerity in his face. 
“You mean that?” You murmur, and a smirk graces Minho’s features, one you’ve become so familiar with after countless years of him teasing you. 
“’Course I do. That’s what you were gonna ask me too, right?” He raises his eyebrows knowingly. You blink for a moment, tilting your head slightly as you process his words. Then it hits you. 
"Juyeon told me I wasn’t being obvious!” You grumble, pouting in dismay. 
“Well,” Minho laughs, “I only had a small idea that you liked me. What confirmed it was that sign you made—I might strike out asking, right? I may have gotten a peek at it when you left to get water before the game.”
“I thought you said you wouldn’t look! That’s not fair,” you whine, hitting his shoulder playfully. 
“It’s the reason I’m asking you now though, isn’t it? So tell me, Y/N. Will you go to the dance with me?” Minho smiles softly, the light in his eyes is akin to that of the mistletoe berries gleaming above you. You can’t stop your mouth from pulling into a wide grin, wrapping your arms around his neck as you pull him closer to you, letting your lips answer his question as they meet his once more. 
LEE MINHO; TRY ONE: SUCCESS!
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