#cause you said you were doing summer semester to catch up on your classes from the trip

[cantsaythetword]

fuuuuuck ive dug myself such a massive hole and there's no climbing out now

#he speaks #love lying to my parents about how my uni career is going #cause i know they would cut me off from EVERYTHING i care about if they find out im failing anything #so just softening the blow by being like hey im barely passing #(which was still a DIFFICULT convo) #and saying oh im struggling heaps keeping up with readings and assignment deadlines so im just doing the bare minimum cause im exhausted #cause adhd #and them wanting to be super helpful and being like oh give me a list of your assignments and their due dates and your readings #and ill read the stuff and look at your assignments #cause you said you were doing summer semester to catch up on your classes from the trip #but in reality youre not you just said that so your parents would let you go #but now youre gonna have to do assignments over the summer break (aka for the next 4 weeks) and then be stressed about getting set up #and now youre so far in that you have an elaborate plan that you've “talked to the academic advisors” about your struggles and your adhd do #and both said you should go part time #so that it looks like youre graduating “on time” #but in reality youre just catching up on the courses you failed #and still struggling and hating full time #i stg if there were ANY other way to get the qualifications i need for this job #i would have left uni after first semester #i actually fuckin hate it #sorry for the rant lmao #kinda a vent post

[ijustreallylovethem]

break up with him

i had this idea on my drive home earlier and i’m not entirely sure i like it but… it’s postable. let me know what you guys think!

luke hughes x reader

words: 2,401

masterlist

“hello?”

“hey, sorry it’s late but-“

“you know i’ll always answer your calls.” luke smiled at your reminder. very rarely had you ever missed one of his calls, because he knew your schedule almost better than his own. if he was calling during class or work, you knew it was serious. and any other time, well you would never pass up the opportunity to talk to your best friend.

“i know.”

“so what’s up? jack annoying you again and you need me to yell at him?” you honestly weren’t sure how the two had been able to live together for the past year with as much as they squabbled. in the two weeks since they had been back in michigan, you had already broken up more arguments than you could count.

“noooooo. why did i call you?” he asked the question more to himself, causing you to giggle.

“lukey, you been drinking?” you heard him scoff into the phone, as if that was a ludacris idea.

“me? drinking? absolutely not!” however, you only had to stay silent for a moment before he was telling the truth. “okay, maybe i’ve had a couple beers.”

“you know it’s a tuesday, right?” you teased.

“well, jacks the one that pulled them out of the fridge so you can take that up with him.” you rolled your eyes, picturing what luke was telling you exactly.

“anyway, you just miss me so much you had to call me? you just saw me a couple of hours ago.”

“i always miss you when you’re gone,” he said, maybe a bit to sincerely. your lips formed a pout, and you were about to open your mouth to speak but luke continued. “but no, i had a reason for calling you… what was it?”

“i don’t know, moose. i’m not in your mind.” you could hear jack yelling something faintly and luke gasped.

“oh! we were listening to music and it started playing that brad paisley song that you always refuse to listen to because it makes you cry.” jack spoke in the background again and then luke clicked his tongue. “right, two people fell in love.”

“and you called to tell me because… you want me to think about it and cry?”

“nooooooo. i called because it made me think about you and then i wanted to talk to you.”

“so you do miss me. that’s what i’m hearing.” you smile, loving how attached your best friend could be sometimes. you understood where he was coming from though. you had been attached at the hip since he moved to michigan and now you lived in two different states. now that he was back for the summer, you had been spending almost all of your time together catching up. the only reason you hadn’t stayed over there tonight was because of your boyfriend, peyton.

you and peyton had met in class at the beginning of the semester, but you had only been together for about four months. luckily, he understood how important luke was to you and had no problem with him. you had been worried at the beginning of your relationship that your friendship with luke would be seen as a problem, as you had heard many horror stories about boyfriends and guy best friends before. but the two had formally met the second day luke was back in michigan and seemed to have no problems with each other. since you had been spending so much time with luke, peyton had asked if you could both spend a night in together, and you were happy to grant his request.

“you know i’d be over there right now if i was allowed to be,” luke responded, as if it were obvious. you both knew it was though. you were always inseparable during the summer, and everyone only expected it to be worse this year since you had spent so long apart.

“don’t worry, i know.”

“speaking of which, where is he?”

“peyton? he went to go pickup food so we didn’t have to pay for delivery.” luke gasped dramatically, and you could practically picture the sarcastic hand he had brought up to his chest.

“you’re telling me he requested you all to himself and then left you?” you couldn’t help but giggle.

“he did, unfortunately. but he’ll be back soon.” luke hummed, but other than that, the line was silent for a few moments.

“hey y/n, can i ask you something?” his tone had turned serious, but you knew that didn’t automatically mean that his question would follow suit.

“always, lukey.” he didn’t ask right away, which had you believing whatever he was about to say was more serious than you originally thought. he took a deep breath and then rushed the words out.

“do you love him?” the question took you by surprise, and you weren’t sure how to answer.

“what?”

“because, you talk about him, you tell me things he does for you and such, but i feel like you don’t always sound… i don’t know, excited, i guess. like he’s there but you don’t truly care that he is.”

you’re stunned by his words. so stunned that you can only look down at your lap and pick at the little pills on your shorts. luke knows you well, and even though he can’t see you, he realizes you’re not going to answer.

“sorry, maybe i shouldn’t have asked. but i think the fact that you can’t tell me yes means that the answer is no.”

deep down, you know he’s right. you know that your relationship with peyton isn’t bad, but it isn’t amazing either. he’s a great guy, a good boyfriend, but something just wasn’t clicking for you. you had hoped that something would change as time went on, but you had heard of the three month rule and that time had come and gone. nothing.

“y/n?”

“he’s a good guy, luke.” you felt a tear run down your cheek and you were quick to wipe it away. “i hate that i don’t feel more toward him. he’s so amazing to me but-“

“but you don’t love him.” you shake your head, even though he can’t see you.

“no.” you reach up to wipe away another tear, taking a breath to steady yourself. “i don’t know why, but i don’t. no matter how much i probably should. which really sucks, because i don’t want to hurt him.”

“you’ll just hurt him worse by staying with him,”luke reasoned, and you knew he was right. you couldn’t lie to peyton about loving him and you couldn’t keep giving him false hope by hoping you somehow fell in love with him in the future.

“i know,” you whispered. you heard the door to your apartment open and close and you sighed silently. “i gotta go.”

“he’s back?”

“yeah, bye lukey.”

peyton looked at you concerned as he set the bag of take out on the coffee table in front of you. he slipped off his shoes and sat down, opening his arms to you.

“everything okay?” you just pulled your knees to your chest and wrapped your arms around yourself. peyton was quick to readjust when he realized you wouldn’t be moving closer to him. “what’s wrong?”

“um, i just… i finally am admitting some things that i didn’t want to admit for the past few weeks.” you closed your eyes and took a breath, trying to figure out how to break the news in the easiest way possible.

“you’re breaking up with me.” your eyes flew open, your jaw dropped slightly as well as you looked at him bewildered.

“how-“

“i really like you, y/n. which means i did my best to learn you. and it didn’t take me long to figure out that you like me too, but not as much. and not in the same way. but i don’t think i wanted to admit it to myself either.”

“peyton, i am so sorry-“

“don’t be sorry.” you had no clue how he was able to offer you a kind smile right now, but he was. he even reached out and gently rubbed your arm, trying to give you as much comfort as you would let him. “it’s not your fault you don’t love me. it’s okay.” the pout returned to your face as more tears welled up in your eyes.

“how are you being so sweet right now?” he pulled you into a hug now, rubbing his hand gently up and down your spine as he laughed slightly.

“to be honest with you, i’ve had about two weeks to let the information sink in.” you pulled away just enough to look up at him with glassy eyes.

“two weeks? why two weeks?” you began to wrack your brain. what had happened between the two of you two weeks ago?

“the day i met luke, and i saw the two of you together, i knew you’d never belong to me. i don’t think you’ve realized it yet, and i’m not sure if he has or not, but y/n, you can’t love me because you love him.”

his words hit you like a train. it was like you had been trying to put together a whole lego set without the base piece, and now that you had it, it was finally standing up straight and looking like it was supposed to. you were suddenly hearing what luke wasn’t saying on your phone call earlier, what he hadn’t been saying in all of your conversations for god knows how long. you were realizing why peyton felt like he was missing something even though he had been nothing but perfect to you.

“and now i think you’ve realized it,” peyton said quietly, a smile on his face.

“peyton… i am so sorry.”

“hey, don’t be sorry, remember? i want you to be happy, okay? and it sucks that that isn’t going to be with me. but i would never be selfish and keep you for myself when that’s clearly not what you want.”

you couldn’t help but surge forward, squeezing him tightly to thank him for the amount of clarity he had shown you. but just as quickly as you grabbed him, you let go and stood up.

“i need… i need to go. um, you can eat all the food and just, lock the door on your way out and-“

peyton stood and slipped on his shoes, shaking his head slightly as he laughed at you.

“need a ride?” your shoulders deflated as some of the stress left your body.

“yes please.”

“come on.” you grabbed your phone and slipped on the shoes by your door, following peyton out of the building to his car. from the moment that you buckled you were zoned out, biting at your nails as you tried to plan what to say.

how do you tell your best friend that you’re in love with him? what if he hadn’t realized he was in love with you too. what if he wasn’t in love with you? oh god what if peyton had gotten into your head and made you believe all of this as revenge for breaking up with him? no, he wouldn’t do that. would he?

it took you a moment to realize the car was parked in front of jack and quinn’s lake house. however, even after you realized, you stayed still.

“you gonna make me sit here all night?” peyton teased. you finally looked up at him, forcing a small smile through your worried state.

“thank you, peyton. for everything.” he gave a smile and a slight nod, then looked to the front door.

“go be happy.”

you were quick to unbuckle and climb out of the car, not sparing a glance behind you as you made your way up the sidewalk. you vaguely registered the sound of the car leaving and the way the night grew darker as the light from his headlights left, but your eyes stayed trained on the front door. usually you just walked right in, but that didn’t seem right for the moment. so instead you rang the doorbell.

you waited a moment, then realized the two boys probably wouldn’t be phased by someone ringing the bell. it wasn’t a common occurrence unless the person ringing it was a sales person or such. so you stepped forward and rang it again. it took a moment of waiting but finally the door opened to reveal your confused best friend.

“y/n? why did you… get in here.” but you stood in your spots taking a deep breath to steel yourself for what you were about to say.

“i don’t love peyton.” now luke looked even more confused.

“we had this conversation like half an hour ago. are you okay? come inside.”

“luke! i… i don’t love peyton because i love you.”

it was slow, the way his demeanor changed. but sure enough, his frown turned up into a smile and his eyes lit up as your words fully registered inside of his brain. his grip on the door handle fell and he ran his hand through his curls.

“god, i thought you’d never figure it out.” he was reaching for you then, cupping your cheeks in his palms and pressing his lips to yours. he kissed you like he’d never get enough, like he never wanted to let you go.

“god guys, get a room.” luke pulled away then, and you glanced around him to see jack standing there. his tone was disgusted but his expression was giddy. but before you could question it, he spoke again. “great timing though, i’m winning five grand on this. i gotta call trev.”

he walked away, and you looked up at luke, who was already smiling down at you. his eyes were bright and his cheeks were flushed, and his lips were just a little swollen. you were nearly sure you didn’t look much different.

“how about we go to my room and talk about this, yeah?” you nodded, considering the only thing you’d want more was for him to kiss you again. but seeing as you were still standing in the front doorway, maybe that could wait just a moment. well…

“kiss me one more time?” you asked, batting your lashes at him. his smile turned into a soft smirk for a moment before his lips were back on yours.

#luke hughes #luke hughes x reader #luke hughes fic #luke hughes imagine #Spotify

[weightofkiszka]

𝒮𝓅𝒶𝓇𝓇𝑜𝓌 𝑜𝒻 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒟𝒶𝓌𝓃~𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉. 1

This will be a series :D not sure how long it will be yet

word count:1,221(so far)

Warnings: None for now, TBD

Being in high school in a small town was strange and difficult. Everyone knew who each other were, even if they didn't know each other personally. That was how it always was. You knew who everyone was, even if you didn't hang out with them. Sammy was your best friend though. And you were his, aside from the curly haired boy he'd known since the first grade. You two were almost inseparable, some would even say that you both had a crush on each other. But that was no where near how it was. You and Sam were like siblings and had been since you met in kindergarten. When he started hanging out with Daniel too, you didn't mind although you rarely spoke to Daniel. Up until a week before graduation at least. The two of you had been at Sam's house, as that was the usual hangout and even sometimes the woods on the edge of town. You didn't know Daniel would be there as he had told Sam that he wasn't sure he could due to work. Yet when Daniel walked through the front door, you saw how gorgeous he was. You weren't sure how you hadn't noticed over all those years spent with him. His curls pulled back into a low bun and his sun-kissed skin made your heart race. You often found yourself staring at him after that moment, whenever you were around him and even after that at graduation. The three of you spent the summer together before leaving for college since you had been accepted into Harvard Law, your dream college and when they heard you had been accepted they made sure to have the best summer before you left. Sam and Daniel stayed behind, going to a community college since they both wanted to stay in Frankenmuth. You grew so busy in school you had almost forgotten about them.

FIVE YEARS LATER

"We'll pick you up from the airport, okay? You can stay with us honey, your room hasn't been touched since you left.", your mother told you over the phone. "Okay mama, thank you. I'll call you when we land." You hung up the call and put your phone on airplane mode. This trip will be your first time home since being a freshman in college. Actually you wouldn't be returning to Harvard law, but your family didn't know that yet. You had grown to realize it wasn't what you wanted to do so you would find work in your hometown until you knew exactly what you wanted to do. Your flight was short, only about two hours. You decided to fly instead of drive, only because you didn't have a car but also because it was cheaper than renting a car.

🕊️🕊️

After landing in Detroit and being picked up by your parents, they drove you back home. You found you had fallen asleep when you felt your phone vibrate. Checking it, you saw you had an instagram message.

samfkiszka: hey :) your mom said you would be in town today and i was wondering if you wanted to hang out and catch up?

morningbird: yes ofc omg i would love to. Tonight at 8?

samfkiszka: see you then :)

You liked the message, letting him know that you had seen it. You hadn't talked to Sam or Danny since your last day before leaving for school. It felt good knowing at least one of them was still in town and even if you hadn't heard from Danny you made a mental note to ask Sam about him. You wanted to know what they both had been up to since you hadn't been home since you were 19. You were now 24 and were due to graduate next semester. An entire year early, yet it became to stressful for you. You had been top of your class for four years, but a messy breakup sent you into a depression and cause your grades to slip below the average A+ you usually had, which hadn't been a big deal until the only class you needed to pass this semester had been failed. So you thought it was best to move back home and figure it out from there.

Once you made it back to your parents house and got all of your belongings to your room, you set up your computer to look for work around town. Finding one in particular that piqued your interest you immediately looked at the website.

New Moon Apothecary. Specializing in all your spiritual needs.

After looking over the website, you applied and hoped for the best. You had never worked in an apothecary before but was well educated in tarot, maybe hoping to give readings at the apothecary. Hearing a knock at your bedroom door, you jumped. You forgot what it was like living with other people.

"Hey Y/N. I couldn't wait any longer to see my best friend so I thought I'd stop by." You heard the familiar voice say before looking back at him. "Sammy! Oh my gosh how are you?" You jumped up and ran to Sam giving him one of the biggest hugs you'd ever given someone. "I've been good! I missed you so much Y/N. Daniel is still in town too so we'll all have to meet up this week. I never thought you'd come back if I'm being honest."

You pulled back and looked at him "Never come back? Sam I always had plans on coming back even if it was just to see you." You smiled at him and stepped away. "Let me just get dressed and we can go where ever you want, okay?" He smiled and left the room to give you privacy. "I'll be out by my car waiting."

Sam treated you to burgers and fries, a meal you both got whenever you had the chance. You both giggled at everything, almost like no time had passed at all. He filled you in on everything that had happened in his life over the years. Becoming a producer and producing his brother Jake's music for three years until Jake was signed to a label out in Nashville. Sam stayed behind and watched his brothers dream come true while finding work with smaller bands around town. After filling you in on everything he had done the last five years, he asked how school had been and when you'd be going back.

"I'm actually staying here for a while. I didn't finish school..." You looked at him nervously biting your lip, afraid he'd be disappointed. "Well thats alright, you'll find something here to do and eventually find what works for you." Relieved he wasn't disappointed, you smiled.

The both of you walked around town for a while after that. Spotting New Moon in the distance you drug him along faster, explaining you had applied there and wanted to check it out before your interview. He giggled at how excited you seemed, and opened the door for you. The both of you looking around, and pointing out different crystals to each other. You were looking at a deck of bird themed tarot cards when you heard a familiar voice behind you.

"Birdie?", you turned to see who spoke before your heart stopped and you froze completely seeing them behind the counter.

"Daniel?"

taglist:

@profitofthedune @sunflwerfangirl @gvf23

#dannywagner #greta van fic #greta van fleet #jake kiszka #josh kiszka #danny wagner x reader #greta van fluff #greta van smut #josh kiszka x reader

[asbestieos]

Nazuna Nito Idol Story - Kindness

Author: Asbestieos

Characters: Nazuna, Asta

Season: Summer

Location: Seisoukan Apartment Library

“Then again, that’s what happens when you pile too much onto your plate — you can’t eat it all, and what’s leftover goes to waste. Even if you pace yourself when eating such a large meal, being full is still being full.”

Asta: Grrrh…

Asta: Mmmnhhh…

Asta: Raaah!!!

Nazuna: …

Nazuna: Asta, maybe we should take a break…?

Asta: ! I was waiting for you to say that!

Nazuna: I’m hungry, anyway. We should go grab a snack. What do you think? Should we go out to a cafe?

Asta: Cafe break, cafe break! Let’s go to Café Cinnamon since I have an employee discount.

Asta: Yippie!!! All this mathematical work is frying my brain.

Asta: I’m totally useless at this calculus stuff. Don’t get me started on discrete math…

Asta: I feel like I’m just bothering you for answers at this point. We’ve been studying for hours, and I don’t have much to show for it.

Nazuna: Don’t be discouraged. It’s not so bad, is it? You have half of that sheet done! That’s progress.

Asta: Grrr.

Nazuna: Grrr?

Asta: Nana, y’ got all your work done, didn’t’cha? You’re just sittin’ there, typing away, pretending to be working, to spare my feelings of inadequacy.

Nazuna: Um… Yes, and no. I got my classwork covered, but right now, I’m technically doing more schoolwork.

Nazuna: Official stuff, like registering for next semester.

Asta: Ohh?

Nazuna: Actually, I’m also sending a request to drop a class for this semester.

Asta: Oooh?! Really? Which class?

Nazuna: My lab class for chemistry, eheh. Somehow, my labwork always ended up being saved for last, and on top of more important classes, I could never get it done.

Asta: Aah, I had to do that, too! As long as you contact the dean of the chemistry department, it should be fine. Make sure to CC them if you’re emailing.

Nazuna: Oh? I was just going to email the professor. I didn’t even think of the dean.

Asta: Yeah, I didn’t think that neither. But there were a bunch of classes I had to drop ‘cause I just couldn’t do ‘em, so I learned through my own errors that dropping a class is easier if you go directly to a department head.

Nazuna: I heard you had to drop most of your classes. There’s no shame in it, y’know? Post-secondary education is super hard, and you gotta take it at your own pace.

Asta: Mmyaaah. I’m not ashamed, but it’s real frustrating.

Nazuna: Mhm. It’s like, ‘I can totally do this work if it was the only thing I had to do, but as it stands, I have so many other things to worry about that this has no room in my mind!’

Nazuna: ‘There’s just no way I can catch-up with what I missed!’ and all. It’s not like I’m never taking the class again, but since it’s a general education class and we can take it later, I’ll fit it into my class schedule next semester.

Asta: What a long-winded way to put it! You’ve been thinking a lot about dropping this class, huh?

Nazuna: I guess so. Like you said, it’s frustrating. Even with all my determination, I just couldn’t keep up with this class.

Nazuna: Then again, that’s what happens when you pile too much onto your plate — you can’t eat it all, and what’s leftover goes to waste. Even if you pace yourself when eating such a large meal, being full is still being full.

Asta: What an analogy!

Asta: From one class-dropper to another, I’m not judging you, Nana. Besides, you’re juggling a lot between idol part-timing and college work. You’re amazing, y’know~

Nazuna: Well, my idol activities are extremely far and few between… But whenever Ra*bits requires a plus-one, I’m their go-to, and I try to leave my schedule open for them.

Nazuna: Don’t you have to balance work and school, too? You work as a producer, right?

Asta: Hah! Work as a producer! With what unit? Nyaaah, but it is kinda tough balancing my part-time jobs with schoolwork. Even though I now take like, two classes this semester…

Asta: Aaahhh, I dunno! After this semester, I might just take a leave of absence.

Asta: At Reimei, we had this philosophy that it’s okay to reach for your dreams, but it’s also okay to wait, you know? Like, Rome wasn’t built in a day, so if you don’t immediately get what you want, don’t sweat it.

Asta: Sooo~ It’s totally okay to take off from work and school if I plan on coming back later, right?

Nazuna: It sounds like an excuse you’re using to withdraw from everything, though—work, school…

Nazuna: Hmph, from me, too! Even getting you to study with me today was annoying. I mean, didn’t’cha basically ghost my texts?

Asta: Weh?! I’d never ghost you, Nazunyan…!! It wasn’t on purpose, I promise!

Asta: I just saw your messages when I was super depressed, and I thought ‘oh, I’ll respond when I’m feeling better’. But then I didn’t end up feeling better until way, way later…

Nazuna: (Grabs the ears of Asta’s headband)

Asta: Waaahhh?!?

Nazuna: That happens when ya overwhelm yourself, y’ fool! Ya can’t let yer frushtration an’ disappointment take control of ya!

Nazuna: Don’t take a leave o’ absence! Neither from work, nor school!

Asta: Okay, okay! Release me, fiend!

Nazuna: (He lets go) …From what I understand, you overworked yourself, right? Regardless of the classes you dropped, this life at present is the life you’ve chosen, and it looks like you’ve been coping well now that you’ve dropped the classes stressing you out. Compared to the life you had before, it’s not too much, is it?

Asta: Mmmh… It’s not too much. This math work is wayyy easier than the things I was doing before during my time at Reimei.

Nazuna: Right? Do you think giving up on what you’ve got now is okay, just ‘cause things are difficult? Is that fair to the you who fought to be here?

Nazuna: Hardship’s to be expected, so give yourself a break and don’t push everything away just because you don’t think you can handle it. If you need help, you’ve gotta ask for it, too.

Asta: Aaahhh! Raaah! Okay, meow! That’s sensible.

Asta: I gotta be kinder to myself. I’m really trying to do that. I didn’t get enough kindness from myself when I was young, so I’ve got to be nice.

Asta: Sooo…

Asta: For the sake of being kind to myself, could you teach me how to solve this matrix…?

Nazuna: Ah, this one? You know how to solve it! You’ve gotta arrange it like so first…

Asta: …Oh! Oh, I see! When you set it up like that, I just have to multiply across and then… Pop, pop, pop… (Focusing)

Nazuna: Right, then you just have to… ? Asta?

Asta: Baa, moo moo… (Focused)

Nazuna: Asta??

Nazuna: Woah, don’t write so fast, you’ll give your hand a cramp! You’re way too focused right now!

Nazuna: Can you even hear me…?

Nazuna: Aww… W-What happened to taking a Café break…

#sorry for writing self indulgent fan story you have to forgive me. #nazuna nito #we r girlfailing collegemates ^_^ #also yes i make these noises irl sorry for being a moo boy #ensona asta

[svkunaxx]

★ 𝚅𝚊𝚖𝚙𝚒𝚛𝚎 𝙴𝚍𝚍𝚒𝚎 𝙼𝚞𝚗𝚜𝚘𝚗 𝚡 𝙼𝚊𝚕𝚎 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛

★ 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜: 𝙽𝚘𝚗𝚎

Alright, chapter 1 of flawless is completed! This chapter is kinda boring so apologies for that! But I needed to get a good starting plot to this and slowly build up that tension between the two. Comments, reposts, and liked are highly appreciated <33

Comment if you want to be tagged every time I update!

»»————-　★　————-««

You shut your locker, taking some notebooks and pencils with you to your first class of the day. The hallways were buzzing with friends catching up on how their summer was, which unfortunately caused traffic in the halls. You passed by multiple different groups, taking note of how it was the typical categories: the jocks, cheerleaders, that one weird couple, the studious people, the DnD club-

Oh. Great.

Seeing a few familiar faces that you knew belonged to the DnD club meant that Eddie was definitely somewhere among the group. You averted your eyes and continued swimming through the crowded halls. The day had barely started, you didn’t need to be reminded of him.

After finding your first period, you quickly scanned the room before sitting down a row from the very back. The teacher rushed inside the classroom a few seconds before the bell rang, signaling the start of class. She greeted the class good morning, and began rambling about herself and the same old beginning of the year shit every teacher does. Finally, after what felt like centuries of monotone talking, she announced that the class would be doing some icebreakers to get to know one another. You could tell by the numerous groans, sighs, and eye rolls that pretty much no one wanted to participate, which was completely understandable. Who would want to go through randomly assigned prompts and listen to someone give dry answers back? No one would even give two shits what the other said, plus it never really worked to break the tension in the room.

“These 3 rows will turn around to face the person behind them.” The teacher pointed to every other row, including the one you were in. You lazily scooted the chair to face the person behind you only for your stomach to drop. You hadn’t even realized that you were holding in your breath until you sighed deeply. You were face to face with the one and only, Eddie fucking Munson.

‘Just my fucking luck.’ You thought to yourself.

Maybe the teacher would let you excuse yourself from class to briefly throw yourself off a building. The person who you mistakenly wasted months on just to be left behind was staring right back at you.

“Er..hey, long time no see huh?” The other chuckled nervously. You pursed your lips and continued to glare at him. Was he always this hollow-headed?

“Don’t fucking ‘hey’ me Munson.” You scowled at him, making Eddie wince slightly. Eddie was bouncing his leg anxiously as you finally looked away with a bored expression. The teacher had already given out 3 questions to talk about with your partner, but you could not give a damn about the icebreakers. Seconds passed by before Eddie, for whatever reason, began to speak again.

“So how have you been?” Could this dumbass not take a fucking hint? Not even bothering to look at him, you rolled your eyes before standing up to turn your chair back. Your body faced the front now, but you turned your head back towards him, still not looking at Eddie.

“Don’t act like everything is okay and we’re all buddy-buddy now. I fucking hate it.” You said before turning your attention to the front wall. Eddie opened his mouth wanting to say something. Anything. He knew however that whatever words that were planning to come out probably wouldn’t even reach your brain. He knew you would just ignore anything else he has to say, so he decided to keep quiet.

At the end of class, the teacher said that these seats would be your spots for this semester. You swear some god from above was out to get you. The universe was definitely not in your favor at the moment. Just fucking great.

________

From that day forward, Eddie seemed to pop up more than usual. Of course it was logical that you would see him since the two of you attended the same school, but it seemed to happen quite frequently now. That didn’t change the fact that you still refused to talk to him. It would just be better for the both of you to act like strangers, regardless of the fact that he had so much power over your emotions. Ironic enough, he was so unaware of it, it made you feel so much anger that you never realized you could feel. Damn him.

»»————-　★　————-««

If you haven’t already, read the prologue to this fic!!

@keerywh0re @riddle-er

#eddie munson #eddie munson x male reader #stranger things #st s4 #stranger things fanfiction

[twistyprefect]

MMM: (S) Care of Magical Creatures

"I think I have Care of Magical Creatures." They said, showing the timetable with the abbreviation to the table. December grined widely and fist pumoed happily, narrowly missing Cater's cheek.

"Me too! I love animals so much!" They said, cheering a bit. The prefect smiled and gave them a thumbs up before turning back to their breakfast. Jade and Jmail mentioned that they were also taking CoMC, making the prefect smile wider. The other Slytherins kept eating and chatting, preparing for the upcoming class. They glanced at Vil, who had mentioned his Ancient Runes class which earned some teasing from Lilia for being 'a nerd'. Vil rolled his eyes before ignoring him. The prefect smiled at their newfound friends, hopeful for their future in the house of the vipers.

The group headed down to the forest edge, where Professor Serephim was waiting for them. She smiled and introduced herself, telling the students to sit in groups and wait for the rest of their class. The prefect smiled as they say with their fellow Slytherins, joined shortly by their housemates' other friends as some Ravenclaws reached the groups.

"Rubio." A Ravenclaw prefect said, sitting down next to December who glared at him before schooling their expression into a bright smile.

"Rosehearts, good to see you survived the summer with Ace." They teased, causing the Slytherin prefect to snort in laughter a bit. The Ravenclaw glanced at them and then back to December.

"It...sucked." He mumbled before straightening his back, his eyes glancing at a new student nearing the slightly large group. She was fairly tall, with long hair and a pretty face, her eyes scanning over the group. She sat down between December and Jade, smilling at the rest of the group.

"Room for one more?" The student asked. December nodded and grinned back, immediately launching into an inquisition about her summer. The two students chatted eagerly, other members of the group eventually joining in. The prefect glancing around at the new students they hadn't met yet, unable to catch anyone's names yet. The professor clapped to call everyone to attention, splitting everyone into groups to meet some of the creatures they'd be working with that semester. Everyone eagerly gathered into groups, cooing over and petting the animals.

"So, now that you've all met the creatures, I have a surprise for you all! I am giving you a month long project. It will be with a partner, and you will be writing a report on your chosen creature! Multiple groups can do the same creature, but you will still be in pairs." She explained, lining the creatures up. The prefect smiled and looked over all the creatures, trying to decide which to pick.

"I think I'm gonna work with the Diriclaw!" December said. Jade nodded in agreement, looking at the bird-like creature again. Jamil expressed his interest in the Knarl, a small hedgehog-like creature. Riddle agreed with him, smacking December's head with parchment when the brunette teased him. Alice mentioned wanting to work with the Glow Bug. The prefect considered their options for a moment before deciding on their creature and partner, heading to...

[what creature and which student do you want to work with?]

...the Diriclaw with Jade.

...the Knarl with Jamil.

...the Knarl with Riddle.

[shoutout to @mentallyunstablenoodle for letting me slap Alice in here as a cameo uwu]

#twst x reader #twisted wonderland imagines #twisted wonderland x reader #twst x you #twst imagines #twst scenarios #twst reader insert #reader insert #jade x reader #jade imagines #jade leech x reader #jamil x reader #jamil viper x reader #jamil imagines #friday's hogwarts au #hogwarts au #twst hogwarts au #hogwarts slytherin track

[baroquebucky]

baguettes

when peter is forgotten, you remember the things that truly make him. // inspired by this tweet

word count: 3,400 

masterlist

a/n: hi hi friends !! here is a somewhat lengthy Peter fic ,, let me know what you guys think ! hope you’re all doing well <3 bold italics are memories !

You first met Peter while he carried four too many baguettes in his backpack and you had five too many books in hand and three too many bouquets of flowers in your tote bag. 

In a feeble attempt to stop a man from crushing your flowers you backed up too quickly and crushed every single one of Peter’s baguettes, the impact causing you to drop your books on the floor. 

“oh my god, im so sorry!” you spoke quickly, turning around to apologize to whoever you bumped into. You looked up at the other person, a boy around your age and very attractive. “I should've paid more attention, i’m sorry” you continued, your palms growing sweaty before you looked away from him and bent down to pick up your books. 

After a second he bent down next to you, grabbing the rest of your books and handing them to you with a smile, “don't worry about it” he said. The pink on your cheeks could've been blamed on the summer sun, but Peter hoped he was the cause. 

“but your bread” you frowned, Peter looked down at the now flat carbs, before looking at you and shrugging. 

“I like my sandwiches squished flat, no harm done” he assured you with a shy smile. “your books are okay right?” he asked after a second and you nodded, eyes going wide before realized your flowers were in absolute misery. 

“my flowers are fucked though” you spoke with a breathy laugh, the sound making Peters smile widen. 

“I'll buy you new ones” he replied, catching himself after the fact and blushing, “If you want of course! I don't wanna seem pushy y’know because that'd be weird and we just met and uh” he cut himself off, “yeah” he finished, clearing his throat and looking at you. 

You felt your heart contracting in your chest. How can someone so hot be this adorable? “only if its not a bother” you replied, a grin on your face as his face lit up. 

“course not!” he spoke, staring to turn on his heel and motioning for you to follow him. 

The second time you met Peter was the first day of fall semester in your Guitar heroes course. You were taking it for a cultural discussion credit and it was the highest rated professor you could find. Settling into your desk near the back you looked around, everyone had sat near the front or in the middle, it wasn't too packed and you were glad. Hopefully no one sat next to you and the semester would just smoothly sail by, for this class at least. 

A minute before class started you heard the door open, not bothering to look up from your phone as you scrolled through your instagram feed. Peter immediately recognized you, how could he not when he hadn't stopped thinking of you? 

After he'd bought you flowers he had received an alert from Karen that sam and Bucky needed his help with something and made some half assed excuse before leaving you alone with the most beautiful flowers you'd ever seen. Only after he finished did he realize he didn't get your name, let alone your number. And he’d left his baguettes at the compound. 

He didn't know what got into him as he walked up to you and sat in the seat next to you, waiting a second before speaking up. 

“flower girl?” he asked, watching as your ears perked up and you tore your vision away from your phone. 

“baguette boy?” you smiled widely, “oh my god hi!” Peters heart raced as you smiled brightly at him. “did you find your dog?” you asked, concern evident in your voice. 

what

The confusion on Peters face must've been obvious since you continued to explain, “your dog, bucky? you said you had to leave because he ran away.” 

Peter then realized how bad of a liar he was and just how sweet and caring you were. 

“oh bucky! yeah we found him he's fine now” he assured you, his gaze softening as your eyes crinkled with a smile, “I'm glad” you whispered as the professor began to talk. 

neither of you talked much during lecture, only when you had both finished packing your things in your backpacks did you speak up. 

“do you have a class after this one?” you asked and Peter shook his head, “you?” the shaking of your head made Peter grow giddy. 

“I still owe you for the baguettes” you stated after a moment of silence as you walked out of the classroom. Peter looked at you, a grin on his face as he began to protest. “I know this great sandwich place and they make them real flat! you'll love it!” you fought back. 

Peter didn’t know if it was the warm summer wind or the fact that you had remembered such an off handed comment about him that caused his chest to feel warm. He couldn’t fight the smile on his face even if he tried, so he didn’t.

For the first time in months, Peter Parker was letting himself indulge in the idea of moving forward.

It became almost routine for the two of you to grab a late lunch after your guitar heroes class, heading to whatever cafe was just off campus or the sandwich shop you had first taken him to which he absolutely loved but he was not going to tell you that. You would make small talk while walking there, light laughter filling the open air as the two of you discussed the previous day. After a couple hours the two of you would part ways, getting on different buses and texting each other when you were both home safely. Which inevitably led to texting each other all afternoon and all night until one of you fell asleep.

“oh i found this really nice cafe a couple blocks down, you wanna head there?” you asked, eyes focused on placing your folder into your backpack, zipping it up before looking up at peter who was already standing.

“how many blocks is a couple? last time you had us walk almost 40 minutes” peter grumbled, making you smile as you stood up, slinging the backpack over your shoulder and walking out of the row.

“it’s a 15 minute walk” you replied, both of you walking together down the steps and out of the lecture hall, “i know you said you had an internship thing later today so i won’t keep you for long.”

Peter’s eyes went wide, you remembered that? He had brought it up two weeks ago and hadn’t mentioned it since and you actually remembered?

“o-oh yeah, i thought you didn’t remember that” he spoke, pink dusting his cheeks as he looked at you before quickly glancing away.

“‘course i remember! and also- never mind you’ll see when we get there” you smiled, picking up your pace and urging peter to follow quickly.

“when’s your birthday by the way?” You asked, peter answered easily, “august 10th, already passed” he didn’t miss the frown that formed on your face.

“what we’re you gonna bake me a cake?” he teased and you blushed, shoving him softly. Peter noticed the way you held onto his shirt as you shoved him, careful to not let him fall over or into the street.

“no! i was gonna buy you a cake, big difference I’ll have you know” a huff leaving your nose before breaking out into a small grin. Peter couldn’t help but smile along with you, taking in every moment with you in case it was his last.

“okay here it is!” You spoke up after a couple minutes, walking in with peter in tow and telling him to grab a booth for the two of you.

Peter slid into the booth and scrolled through social media, the temptation to check his old friends feed itched at his thumbs.

No one remembered him. No cared about him anymore. The feeling of isolation loomed over peter as his thoughts began to consume him. This was a mistake, getting closer to you was a bad idea. He almost got up to leave when your voice pulled him out of his haze.

“ta-da! cherry pie!” you exclaimed brightly, smiling ear to ear as you placed the slice of warm pie infront of your now gloomy friend.

“cherry pie?” Peter looked at you quizzically, “you were excited about some cherry pie?” his comment made you roll your eyes.

“oh no, i personally hate cherry pie, apply pie is much better” you began, fighting the smile the played on your lips as you took in peters offended expression.

“however! you told me the other day you missed your aunt Mays cherry pie so i stayed up last night finding out the best place to get cherry pie near campus and here we are!”

Peter almost broke down into tears when you finished talking. You remembered such small things about him, it always made him feel so loved and cared for.

“thanks y/n, i- honestly i really needed this, you’re the best” he smiled, wether you saw his glassy eyes or not, he was glad you only smiled brightly and urged him to eat.

After the first month of classes you and Peter surpassed hanging out only after class and began to meet even on days you didn’t have class together. Meeting up with each other on campus and studying together in the library study rooms, exploring new places off campus and sometimes heading to each others apartments. It was small moments between the two of you that he cherished most. 

“right twix is just better! I don’t know how they do it” peter remarked and you scoffed. “the propaganda has gotten to you parker, didn’t think you’d fall so easily” your head shook in shame as he flicked your bicep.

The bag of Twix sat on Peter’s nightstand, in bold red letters on the packaging, ‘RIGHT TWIX ONLY BAG.’ Tears threatening to spill from his eyes.

“i think i like this flavor better, what is it again?” peter asked, savoring every gulp of the bubble tea you’d bought him before class. “taro! figured you’d like it, guess i really do know you best” you smirked, dusting your shoulders off and causing peter to roll his eyes.

It was those small moments that brought Peter to reality when he was letting out broken sobs at 3 in the morning. When memories of his past came to taunt him, when he felt as if nothing could fill the hole that had come to be the present.

The next morning you put down the cup of hot liquid in front of Peter, smiling quietly as you sat across from him in the garden area you two would frequent. It was on the west side of campus and no one ever paid much attention to it besides the agriculture students, meaning you and peter didn’t have to spend ten minutes looking for seats and you could be as loud as you wanted when either of you made a stupid joke.

“what’s this for?” he asked, voice quieter than usual.

“you seemed a bit off when you texted me this morning” was all you said, “it’s hot chocolate by the way, i asked for extra whipped cream.” Another detail he’d mentioned to you over text.

“when I’m stressed out i like to drink hot chocolate with unhealthy amounts of whip cream” Peter spoke to you over the phone, glancing at you and giving you a small smile. 

“dunno if that’ll really help me peter, I feel like im gonna drown in this work and die” you mumbled, eliciting a chuckle from the brunette on the other end of the FaceTime call. 

“chem right?” he asked, you nodded your head, “ill be over in ten minutes to help, sound good?” flashing you a charming smile, a grin spreading on your face. 

“thanks baguette boy”

“peter” you spoke, looking at him with those kind eyes he’d grown fond of. “you know I’m here for you, right? No matter what’s going on, i want you to know you can talk to me” you assured him.

He knew you were just trying to be nice, that there was no way you could truly grasp what he was going through.

“I’m fine, y/n, just exams are stressing me out is all” he replied with a tight lipped smile and you shook your head, frustration painting your features.

“but it’s not!” you groaned out, “i know you well enough to know that it isn’t! don’t try to tough things out by yourself when you have someone who cares about you” the shakiness in your voice made you even more upset. You didn’t want to cry out of anger, especially not infront of peter.

“drop it y/n” peter replied, his voice lower than your ever heard it and his muscles flexing under his black t shirt. You’d never thought of peter as intimidating until now, but you weren’t backing down.

“no!” You argued, brows pulled together and hands gesturing wildly, “I’m not gonna just drop it, you’re hurting and you won’t even let me help you!” Peter knew you meant well, but in the heat of things his anger got the best of him, making him stand quickly and grab his backpack.

“don’t walk away from me parker” you spoke, grabbing his wrist and standing toe to toe with him. Peter looked scary, his jaw clenched, biceps on full display and chest puffed out. He was only taller than you by a bit so at least he didn’t tower over you.

“You don’t know shit about me y/n” peter spoke, venom in his words as he tested you. “All we do is study together and get lunch, that’s it.”

It took a lot to piss you off, and it seemed your patience was thin today.

“you know what? fine you’re right, all we do is get lunch and study together” you replied, “but it’s not like we do it in fucking silence you moron!”

Peter rolled his eyes, shifting his weight onto one of his legs as he debated leaving you here or listening to whatever you had to say. “you don’t know what I’ve been through, you don’t know anything about me” he argued, turning on his heel and beginning to walk away.

“You think i don’t know anything about you peter parker?” You called out, voice wavering, “have these two months meant nothing to you?”

Peter stopped in his tracks. His heart shattering as the words left your mouth.

“i know you love your sandwiches flat, and your coffee so sweet no one else could possibly tolerate it. I know you fell in love with taro bubble tea after the first time i got some for you. I know you prefer vanilla cake over chocolate but prefer chocolate ice cream over vanilla.That you love cherry pie more than anything in the world because it reminds you of home. And warm hot chocolate makes your worries melt away even during the toughest nights. I know you love rainy weather and you have songs you reserve for solely those days. That you have a secret boy band collection under your bed and you collect Lego sets.” You wiped furiously at your tears.

“I know that you’re one of the most selfless people I’ve ever met and you’re too stubborn to let others help you, but you’re right maybe i don’t know anything about you.”

Without another word you picked your backpack up from the floor, swinging it over your shoulder and walking away. You weren’t expecting peter to call out for you or follow you considering the venom in his words earlier.

But maybe you really didn’t know Peter Parker, because before you could take another step you were being pulled back by your backpack and spun around , colliding into the brunettes solid chest. He wasted no time wrapping his arms around you and nuzzling his face into your neck.

You lifted your arms to shove him off you, but the hot tears landing on your neck washed away your anger and brought in a wave of concern. Peter was mumbling incoherently against your neck, your arms wrapping around him tightly. 

“it’s okay, i got you” you assured him softly, rubbing his back with one hand and with the other playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. Neither of you knew how long you’d stayed in the others embrace by the time you pulled away, your hand lingering in peters larger, more calloused one.

“I’m sorry” he whispered and you squeezed his hand.

“let’s go home for right now, yeah?” Peter nodded his head and you were thankful you had driven to campus today, neither of you wanting to get on the bus with puffy red eyes.

“do you wanna get dropped off or come over to mine?” you asked softly, scared if you raised your voice too much he’d break.

“can i go to yours?” he mumbled, receiving a nod from you as you squeezed his hand in reassurance.

The parking lot wasn't far from where you two studied, walking in silence before reaching your car and letting the music from your studying playlist fill the air. The drive was rather quick and you unlocked the door to your apartment, letting Peter in before closing the door behind you.

“I have some extra clothes if you wanna change, it should fit you” peter nodded, taking in the details of your room to calm himself down. It smelled like roses and vanilla, like you. He took the clothes from your hand and headed to the restroom to change and wash his face.

When he returned to your room, you’d changed as well, and smiled softly at peter, “hey baguette boy” a nervous laugh leaving your mouth.

“hi flower girl” he replied, a small grin on his face. It quickly faded as he spoke up, “y/n i didn’t mean it” he sighed, “everything I said, i didn’t mean it. You know me better than anyone else in the world. You know me better than i know myself sometimes and it’s scary.”

Peter looked at you before continuing, “there isn’t much i can tell you- not yet at least- but all i have is you and it’s terrifying to me” his eyes burned with tears and he frowned, “i don’t want to lose another person i love, not when I’ve lost so much already.”

When peter broke down this time, you were there to pick up the pieces and mend him together. You put him back with soft hands and mended him with glue in the form of love, comfort and all his favorite sweets. You filled him up with warmth and kindness he hadn’t known in so long and warm cherry pie you’d perfected after two months of baking mishaps.

Peter thought he didn’t give much away about himself. He thought he had hidden his true self away and that he was gone forever, forgotten along with his friends cherished memories of him. No one remembered Peter Parker.

Except you.

You who remembered the most minuscule of details he had mentioned. You who remembered his favorite off brand cereal and told him which grocery store had it in stock. You who remembered peter had wanted to try a certain cuisine and made it your mission to find a restaurant within walking distance for your lunch date the next day. You’d remembered how peter kept his ac lower than usual because he loved the comfort of wearing hoodies, so you’d turn your ac down when he came to visit. You’d remembered how he preferred blue highlighters over yellow ones so you gave him yours without question when you got a new pack.

You, who had remembered all of his likes and dislikes, his loves and hates and all of his quirks. You had remembered every detail that made him peter parker, even when no one else did.

Even when the world had forgotten peter parker, you took the time to remember him and fall in love with him. And soon enough, he had fallen for you.

After months and months of despair and pain, although the world only knew spider-man, you knew Peter Parker.

That alone was enough for him.

#peter parker #peter parker x reader #peter parker x you #Peter Parker fluff #peter parker angst #Peter Parker imagine #post nwh #Peter Parker fan fiction #Peter Parker x fem!reader

[lcandothisallday]

since jack is back home atm and you two would be catching up, like having a deep conversation with him and his whole entire focus is just on you. maybe sometime he tucks hair behind your ear when a wind blows while you’re talking UGHEJRJF those little physical contacts 😍😮‍💨

Fireworks - Jack Harlow x f!reader

You had known Jack ever since you moved to Lousville in highschool. Somehow the both of you had remained extremely close friends since then, despite you being two years younger than him.

When Jack left to Atlanta and you left for college, you managed to stay in touch the entire time but you always remained just friends. Of course part of you always wished it had turned into something more but it was never the right time.

You were lucky enough that you finished your semester before the Kentucky derby, allowing you to be back in Lousville for the festivities. Jack too had gone home especially for it which made it the perfect time to catch up with him.

You leaned against the railing of the bridge with an amused smile as you looked up at Jack who grinned down at you. “I feel like it’s been a lifetime since I last saw you,” he sighed, his arms holding onto the railing on either side of your body trapping you.

You scoff playfully, “you’re the one who’s travelling the world and playing shows,” you point out. “Speaking of-congrats on first class. It’s huge.”

Jack smiled and thanked you before his hand came up to tuck a lose strand of hair behind your ear. “I don’t wanna talk about me,” he said shaking his head. “I wanna talk about you.”

“What’s there to say? My life is so boring,” you frown. Jack shrugged, “doesn’t mean I don’t wanna hear about it,” he pointed out.

You lick your lips as you stare up at him intently. He had become so handsome, especially with the way he was looking at you, it made your cheeks heat up and your heart to flutter.

“Are you ready to graduate?” he asked you, genuinely interested in what you had to say. You shake your head almost immediately. “Not at all,” you admit. “I-I feel like I have no idea what I even want to do anymore,” you chuckle. “Not everyone can say they knew what they wanted to do since they were 12 like you.”

“You know you’ve got the rest of your life to try out anything you want,” Jack reasoned which only caused you to sigh. “With what money, Jack? I got student debt,” you groan, your head falling forward to rest against his chest. “My life just goes downhill from here.”

Jack bit his lip, “you know,” he began, his hands moving from the rails to your hips, rubbing them slowly. “This summer I’m playing shows all over…come with me?” he suggested. “I’ll pay for everything and that means you’d get to travel a bit and spend time with me before you gotta start working,” he breathed out.

Your eyes widened, “Jack I-I couldn’t,” you say, shaking your head.

“I want you to come though,” Jack said softly. You glance up at him with such loving eyes as you nod reluctantly. “Okay,” you confirm, your fingers lingering over his before he firmly grasped onto yours and intentionally intertwined your fingers together.

Jack leaned in close, smirking as he inched closer and closer to your lips before he brushed past them to whisper into your ears. “The firework show is about to start,” he mused cockily, grasping onto your waist and spinning you around to look at the water and the large bridge ahead.

Your breath gets caught in your throat as your heart rate increases and the butterflies in your stomach erupt. The front side of his body pressed firmly against your back, his chin resting on your shoulder while his arms wrap around your torso.

When the first batch of fireworks went off, it was sort of abrupt and caused you to jump. Jack laughed softly and rubbed your stomach in reassurance as the two of you continued to watch the beautiful sparks of colour in the sky.

“Oh wow-look at that one,” you hum, pointing at a particularly pretty one that went off. “It’s so pretty.”

Jack brought his lips closer to your ears once more as he spoke his next words, “I can think of something prettier,” he hummed, causing your cheeks to heat up.

Feeling a stare his way, Jack turns his head to the side and sees his mom observing the two of you with a faint smile. This only causes Jack to grin and wrap his arms tighter around you. He pressed a soft kiss to the side of your neck before he looked straight ahead again and continued to watch the show with you.

#jack harlow #jack harlow concepts #jack harlow x reader #jack harlow imagine #jack harlow blurb #jack harlow imagines #jack harlow fluff #jack harlow blurbs #jack harlow request #jackharlow

[cno-inbminor]

iterum vivere (childe/tartaglia)

a/n: wow, it’s been fucking forever. first genshin fic featuring childe/tartaglia!!! a very huge thank you to @suspensin​ for reading this over and being my rock and support, and i love her so fucking much. I couldn’t have finished this without her!

plot: reincarnation and modern/uni!au ft. afab reader!traveler with she/they pronouns x childe/tartaglia 

-- in which meeting childe is a bit of a dangerous game of push and pull

wc: 12.1k; angst + fluff

warnings:  DOES CONTAIN IN-GAME SPOILERS (1.5? 1.6? + story quest and idek) and NSFW MENTIONS (mdni to be safe). there’s no explicit smut but thoughts do run a bit wild here and there

EDIT: Altered ChiLumi version now posted on AO3 here!

“Haven’t we met before?”

The shine in your eyes does nothing to hide your curiosity, head even tilting a little in observation. He watches them scan his face for any recognizable features, but attempts to focus on the strange, taut string of déjà vu that pulls him toward you. In a moment of absentmindedness, he had heard a faint voice call out his name from your direction. Confusion overtook him as you weren’t looking at him, but something inside his brain said that it had to be from you. And so his feet redirected his path towards your figure in the student union building, as if on a mission.

“A fucking whale, Childe?”

Oh.

“I don’t think so…?” You trail off, curiosity now replaced by perplexed feelings. “Do we have a class together?”

I think I would’ve noticed you by now if you were.

“Ah, what’s your major?” Childe asks quickly to avoid listening to the little voice in his head.

“History and anthropology, you?”

“Economics, but I’ve taken a history course for core credits. Maybe it was then?”

“With Dr. Zhong?”

“Yes!” He snaps his fingers. Part of his brain decides to usefully function and scan his memories to see if he remembers your face or head of hair in the lecture hall then. “Last year? Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 to 11:20?”

“Actually, yeah,” you affirm in surprise. You think you would remember the relatively attractive ginger in your class, but honestly, it had all been such a blur and you were often pretty sleepy during class. Dr. Zhong didn’t quite appreciate it, but you made up for it with your exam and essay grades, as well as paying better attention in some of his other courses.

“Did you need me for anything?”

“I’d like for you to come visit and meet my family.”

He’s really not appreciating this extra voice speaking for him.

“Well…uh…” Childe stammers and looks away sheepishly, hand rubbing the back of his neck. He honestly had no reason for approaching you, and now, he just looks like a desperate idiot. Think quick, he tells himself, floundering for some shitty excuse.

“I wanted to, uh, take another history course as an elective and um, wanted to know if you had any recommendations?”

“Oh,” you blink. That’s a first. When he meets your gaze, the swirling shades of sapphire strike something deep within you. Flashes of events you can’t make out go by in the blink of an eye, but then you realize you’ve been staring for too long. Blood rushes to your cheeks because you don’t exactly want this guy to get the wrong idea from you, because how are you supposed to explain, “I’m sorry, but I think we have met before, but just a really, really long time ago, and we might’ve been more than just acquaintances because that’s what it feels like?”

“I think you’d like Teyvat Mythology,” your voice wavers on the verge of cracking. “Dr. Zhong might have a TA this time around, but Xiao’s a great teacher. Doesn’t have long, rambling anecdotes, but explains things well and gets straight to the point.”

“C-cool, I’ll look into it,” Childe replies and smiles brightly. “I’ll head out then,” jabbing a thumb over his shoulder, where he just realized he left a grouchy Scaramouche waiting by a vending machine, newly purchased Starbucks Tripleshot drink in hand. “Nice seeing you, (y/n).”

He scurries off before you both realize that you never told him your name.

“Who’s that?” Scaramouche asks, jutting his chin in your vague direction.

“Someone from my Intro to Liyuean History course last year,” Childe waves off. “Come on, let’s go before the line at the pasta bar gets too long.”

-

The next time you see Childe is by accident, traversing across an open field of grass that many students like to sit out on to relax with friends, sunbathe, hold events, or play casual team sports if room permits.

You had your earbuds in and were scrolling through social media when laughter rang above all other sound, causing your head to snap up and swivel around to find the source. And while it might’ve been strange to an outsider, your steps immediately slowed as you watched the man of your tiring, vivid dreams sprint in your direction, eyes pinned on a frisbee heading towards him.

He’s wearing a grey sports tank and basketball shorts, headband holding back his bangs as he makes a slight jump in the air to catch the plastic disc between his palms. His feet plant into the grass as he looks for someone to pass it to, and you watch (with embarrassment) the muscles in his throwing arm relax and tighten with practice, frisbee steadily soaring through the air in a beautiful arc towards a teammate. He then lightly jogs to get closer to his group, but then his back stiffens.

Before your instincts kick in for you to turn and bail, he looks over his shoulder and stares straight at your now stunned self.

The sole ruby earring that glints in the sunlight catches your attention, and you recall your dreams of terrifyingly dark, violet electric power, blades of water rushing toward you, and then the stomach-churning sensation of falling from great heights pours concrete into your veins—

Childe looks a little amused for having your sole focus, hand lifting up for a quick wave. And as you numbly return the greeting, your heart beats out, “Run from him.”

And so with the flight response pulsing and firing from your synapses, you abruptly speed walk away, almost breaking out into a sprint towards your dorm. You ignore his pointed, confused look, and pretend you don’t feel the two holes of imaginary fire searing into your back. It isn’t until you’re laying back in bed that you release a huge sigh of relief and pray to a deity you don’t believe in that those eyes of mirth will not haunt you tonight.

But of course, with a deity that doesn’t exist, the prayers go unanswered.

-

“Do you believe in any of the mythology you teach?” You ask Xiao about a few days later when you stop by his cubicle. Luckily, no one else is around for this conversation, and Xiao has always been kind enough to humor your thoughts. Granted, he might feel obligated because you had asked Dr. Zhong to be your advisor for your undergraduate Honors thesis, and Xiao was directed to be your receiver of some general questions and source of information if he wasn’t around.

A quick scan of your complexion tells Xiao everything he needs to know. Your eyes are overtaken with rumination and exhaustion, haziness clouding them as you seem to ponder over your own question. It’s not often that you ask him anything not related to your thesis or coursework.

“Perhaps there’s some sense and truth to the tales passed down,” he softly muses. “What makes you ask?”

You lift yourself to sit on the clean area next to his computer, legs slowly swaying back and forth. “It might sound crazy but...I’ve been having dreams lately. They feel too real, too natural to be anything that my mind would make up. I’ve never had the most creative imagination by any means, which is why there’s some comfort to me being a history major, but I can’t shake these.”

“So why ask me about the mythology?”

“...the Archons are there. I even dreamt that I met the Geo and Anemo Archons. And they controlled various elements, just like we were taught.”

You don’t notice that Xiao has ceased his rapid typing, fingers hovering over the keyboard before one hand removes his glasses from his face. He uses the other to rub his eyes and softly pinch the bridge of his nose before sliding the frames back on. Dark, golden amber eyes survey you as you grapple with the unfathomable possibilities of your nightly visions, at least until you shake your head in disbelief at yourself and lightly scoff.

“Who am I kidding?” You ask no one in particular. “Maybe I’ve been doing too much research and everything’s mixing together.”

“You’re ahead of schedule, if that provides any consolation.”

“Some.”

-

It takes Childe a grand total of one minutes and 53 seconds to sign up for Teyvat Mythology for the spring semester.

-

WInter in Liyue is only slightly miserable, being so close to the ocean. It’s chillier than usual on this dreary day, yet something compelled you to exit your dorm and shakily make your way to the campus coffee shop for a warm drink. Coffee, hot chocolate, you haven’t quite decided yet, but just as you let yourself bask in the warm building, familiar ginger hair and blue eyes wash away the comfort.

Or do they douse you in security?

They remind you of your recent dreams that now have shifted away from stress and violence to easygoing summer days by the oceanside, running barefoot in the sand while collecting beautifully patterned azure starconches. Sometimes, you thrust a hand towards an oversized four-leaf clover on a wooden stake with the power of wind and catch yourself in the air, soaring and looking around to find more of the little shells. Other nights, they consist of climbing steep cliffs, only to sit at the edge in the clouds with fatigue wracking through your system and marvel at the view before you.

Someone’s always with you though, ruby earring and maroon mask and cobalt blue gem hanging from the waist, sprinting with you, playfully tackling you down, pulling you up towards mountain peaks, laying their head on your shoulders, brushing their lips against your cheek--

You welcome the change of peace in those dreams, but only because they don’t leave you quite as tired the next day, as if you’d been avoiding an inescapable dark force.

Part of you wants the burning question of why this person, this man, in all his glory and brightness, affects you so fucking much when you barely even know the guy -- why looking at him sends your heart to lodge itself in your esophagus, why your lungs feel like they’re so close to being completely collapsed under the weight of his stare, why feeling like you’re trapped and  caught between wanting to run towards yet away from him.  It makes no sense, and you’re tired of trying to make sense of anything you don’t exactly want to remember from your dreams for some, once again, inexplicable reason.

But there’s no time to think as he quickly ambles towards you, your own feet shuffling forward to meet him in a warped reference of a distance that constitutes to “the middle” before you can stop yourself. Your shivering hasn’t quite stopped yet, and Childe seems to take notice of it.

“Pretty cold out there,”  he softly states. It’s cute, the way you’re curling in on yourself to retain some warmth.

“Y-yeah, not sure why I decided I really needed something warm to drink right now,” you reply and avoid his gaze. He watches you peer over his shoulder to squint at the menu display hanging from the ceiling, seemingly contemplating on what you should get.

“How about I get yours today? My treat for your class recommendation last time.” Anything to keep you here longer. Childe doesn’t realize how much he’s missed you, which confuses him, and chooses to ignore the fact that he’d been camping himself at the study tables in the building where the history department is located in hopes of even just catching a quick glimpse of you.

“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” you immediately attempt to subvert his generous offer, hands shooting out from your jacket pockets and waving in rejection. “It was nothing.”

“Please?” Childe puts on his best puppy eyes before reaching for one of your wrists, gently tugging you to the register. “Just this once?”

You want so badly to squash the tiny flare of disappointment that erupts in your chest from the newly acquired knowledge that this was just a one time thing. Do econ majors hate to feel in debt? That they must be even with everyone, or would rather have people indebted to them than the other way around?

There’s no time to think when Childe gives the cashier his order before turning to you, and without wanting to waste anyone’s time, you rattle off your usual beverage. He’s quick in fishing out his student ID to spend some of his campus currency, shooting you a boyish grin when you pout at your half-opened wallet.

“Go take that table over there,” he says, pointing to one in the corner by some windows. “I’m gonna tell my friends to go on without me.”

“I didn’t mean to intrude or pull you away from them,” you slightly panic. The sooner you can leave, the better. Right? “You don’t need to sit with me, I was just gonna head back to my dorm.”

“I insist. Go ahead, I’ll be right there.”

Why your brain takes his orders over your own is a mystery in and of itself, because before you know it, you’re plopped down in one of the lounge seats and staring off into space, mind reeling over the last two minutes. You pretend you can’t hear the way Childe’s friends nudge his arm playfully with their shoulders, wiggling their eyebrows suggestively as Childe tries to get them to stop being nonsensical.

“You’re gonna scare them off,” he hisses at them, hands pushing at their backs so they could finally leave him to his devices.

“Not before you do!” One of them laughs and Childe groans at their antics. “All right, all right, we’ll go. They’re cute though, might steal them if you don’t make a move.”

The darkening of the aura surrounding Childe is too quick for them to fully process, not before he dampens any of their fleeting hopes with a, “Don’t even fucking think about it.”

But it disappears just as fast when his and your drinks are called out, and he gives them one last shove before retrieving your to-go cups. Childe directs all his focus towards the seat diagonally from yours as opposed to the one that’s straight across, and you’re sharply ripped away from whatever reverie you let yourself slip into.

“Thank you,” you murmur, hands cupping the drink and feeling the heat seep into your fingertips. “You really didn’t have to, it was nothing big.”

“Can you blame me for just trying to find an excuse to finally talk to you?” He asks without a skip and you can’t tell if the quickening of your heartbeat is from a looming sense of doom or excitement. Those eyes, the tiny swirls of the ocean, blue like those shells buried in the sand--

It takes three seconds too long for you to understand where he was going with in his words, and part of you feels unamused at his smooth talking. You’ve always guarded yourself against guys like Childe, devilishly handsome who know their way around language semantics, ready to pull you in and just as ready to push you away. That (possibly unfair) bias, coupled with everything else you’ve been feeling for him, sounded the alarms and set the walls up around your heart. Perhaps you need to stop wearing your heart on your sleeve, because Childe immediately retracts his forwardness.

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I promise I’m not looking for anything in return and you don’t owe me anything, but I really did just...want to sit and talk and...get to know you?” Childe trails off a little towards the end. Your body loosens up and relaxes just a tiny bit, feeling bad for your snap judgment. Let the guy do something nice, don’t look into it too much, you tell yourself. It’s a coffee, not a five-course dinner.

You reach out a hand towards him, small smile across your lips, ready for his to join yours in a quick handshake. “I’m (y/n), senior history and anthropology double major. It’s nice to meet you.”

The pounding of your heart against your ribcage has nothing to do with the shimmering of his eyes, nothing to do with the fact that his hand fits with yours just right, and nothing to do with the fact that an eerily similar voice from your dreams whispers, “I love you.”

You learn a number of things about Tartaglia in the four hours, like his family members and their respective interests, which classes he did and didn’t enjoy taking, certain takes on Schnezhnayan politics, his own various hobbies, crazy accidents from the occasional college parties, and more. He’s a bit of an open book, probably telling you way more than any regular person would, and definitely more than anything you revealed during all this time. Everything you tell him seems surface level, nothing too deep. The walls are still there to protect you from the unexplainable, profound feelings his presence seems to elicit, and luckily, he doesn’t prod any further. Childe feels the resistance and respects it, which just adds more brownie points in your book, and you almost feel bad for having given so little in return.

“I wish we were taking Teyvat Myth together,” he sighs when walking you back to your dorm, hands stuffed in his pockets. His ruby earring catches the light from the sunset, the shade almost complimentary to the golden amber rays that streak across the sky. “Would’ve helped having a history major in there.”

“Is that all I am to you, an answer bank?” You jokingly ask, but he watches concerningly as you shoot your gaze to the ground, mindfully stepping over the cracks between concrete slabs.

“Of course not,” a gentle sincerity reaches you, giving you the confidence to make eye contact with him. “I’m sorry for making it sound like that, it wasn’t my intention. I really just meant it as a way of saying if the professor or TA ended up being a total bore, then well, having you would make it more fun.”

“I’m sure I’d bore you even more,” chuckling, speeding up to get away. You’re growing too comfortable in whatever atmosphere Childe has created, like an enclosed air bubble bobbing gently in the depths of the sea and letting the waves carry you both to whichever ends of the earth.

“Hey,” he interjects, hand reaching out to stop you with a soft yank of your wrist. There is no resisting force from you, feet stepping backward until he meets you eye to eye. It’s unfair in the way that he can render you motionless by standing just an inch from you, arms brushing with his head tilted closer to your own. “Seriously, I’m glad we did this today. Are you?”

No, because now I don’t know what to think, I don’t know who you are, I’m not any closer to figuring out why you terrify yet leave me so enamoured with you, I’m torn between punching and kissing you and--

“Yes,” you subconsciously answer, brain immediately short-circuiting to scold yourself. “I had fun.”

His grin, charming, devilish, is so so bright, bright enough to rival the Liyue sun that sits on the pier, on the edge of the ocean, bright enough to rival the love that your fraternal twin showers you with on a daily basis. You want time to stop right here because you’re almost sick of the voice settled deep within your heart that screams, “Don’t get comfortable, you must run from him!”

“Good. Let’s do this again?” And you nod, of course you do. Foolish you. “Don’t be a stranger!” He calls out as he turns on his heel and waves over his shoulder, hand raised in the air, and you’re suddenly transported to another scene, a less refined version of the Liyue Harbor, watching as the head of ginger hair with a red mask in a flashier attire of grey and maroon walks away from you and onto a roaring, magnificent ship; big, ivory sails only seen in books and museums. It’s the same gesture of “see you later”, and just before he turns, you blink, and you’re back to seeing your campus again.

But Childe does look back once, warm and content that you’re still standing there, watching over him, and he can’t help but think about when he can spend time with you again, because suddenly, it truly feels like there’s not enough of it anymore.

-

“Excuse me, what’s a Red Bull?”

The last thing, or person rather, you expect to see on the last day of finals for the fall semester, is a small boy who looks way too young to be here, tugging on the sleeve of your windbreaker. He’s at most eleven, ten maybe, but he has eerily similar characteristics, as well as an accent that doesn’t quite belong to most Liyue natives. Still gathering your bearings from your own perusing of the fridges that hold all the possible beverages a college student could consume, you kneel down until you’re at eye level with the child.

“Repeat that for me? Are you looking for a Red Bull, you say?”

“Yes!” He beams and holds out a student ID that most definitely doesn’t belong to him. “My brother asked me to grab him one because he was busy with something.”

Your eyes flit over to the top shelves where the aforementioned cans of caffeine are located, and definitely too high for someone of his height to reach. “I’ll grab one for you. Did he ask for a specific flavor?”

“Nope, he said regular. Thanks, you’re really nice! Do you know my brother?” He asks, waving the ID at you so you can get a better look at the name. That’s definitely a face you recognize, but the name leaves you confused.

“Yeah, um,” glance over again, “I know...Ajax…”

“He’s the best toy seller in the whole world!”

Somehow, it suits him much better than Childe or Tartaglia, and you’re not quite sure what toys have anything to do with the matter at hand. Speaking of hands, the little boy grabs yours in sheer delight. “Can you take me back to his room? I kinda forgot the directions he told me, and everything’s so big around here.”

“Sure, just let me buy something, too, and I’ll take you.”

“Okay!”

The cashier isn’t the least bit fazed by the little brunette at your side -- it’s always common for family members to come in around the end of semesters to pick up kids or visit, and being an open building with snacks and drinks and a stopping point of most tours, they’ve seen it all. You even let him pick out a bag of chips and a candy bar for himself for being so polite and not a complete menace, paying with your own campus currency.

Teucer, as you’ve learned in the last two minutes, likes to point out things and ask you questions. Luckily, you have answers to most of them and do your best to pad the time, enjoying the feeling of a tiny hand wrapped around three of your fingers. It’s sweet to any normal passerby, believing they’re witnessing an older sister doting on their little brother around the holidays, but to Childe, seeing the tender sweetness on your face as you nod along to whatever Teucer is rambling about to you, sets his heart aflame. He’s already constantly on the verge of wanting to hug and kiss you and never let go, but you haven’t made any indication that you could potentially like him back, and this is just torture.

“Look what they bought me!” Teucer shoves his rewards in Childe’s face as if he had extremely poor eyesight, and you can’t help but laugh a little as you set his Red Bull down on his desk, clutching your own preferred beverage while looking around his room. Finals must have gotten to him with the unusual lack of tidiness in the small space, some laundry strewn here and there, a couple boxes of eaten microwave dinners in the metal wire trash can, some textbooks left open and marked with more sticky notes than you’ve ever seen. You’d only been here once before to drop off some food that he desperately messaged you about, stuck doing a project that he just couldn’t step away from.

“Pretend you don’t see the mess,” Childe pleads, handing a kid tablet to his brother but holding on before Teucer can take it. “What do you say to our nice friend here for buying you these snacks?”

“Thank you!”

“It was nothing,” you shyly smile, ruffling his hair. “I enjoyed meeting you.”

“Wait, what’s your name again?”

“It’s (Y/n).”

“Okay, (y/n)! Wait…(y/n)..as in…”

Teucer trails off and gives a look to his brother, one that spells curiosity and trouble, before he grabs your hand and pulls you into a corner. Any movement Childe makes to leave his desk chair is immediately squashed by Teucer’s disapproval, and the older man is left to helplessly worry when you’re told to squat down so secrets can be whispered into your ear.

“He talks about you a lot whenever he calls home,” and you want to laugh at Tecuer’s attempt to sound as scandalous as possible. “All the time! I think he likes you, like, like like.”

Oh. Oh dear.

“What makes you say that?” You whisper back, indulging both yourself and him, yet also internally snickering at how troubled Childe looks.

“Sometimes, he video calls mama, but we’ll all sit around and talk, and whenever he’s talking about how he saw you or something, he just looks...happy. Really happy.”

The surprise on your face does nothing to settle Childe’s nerves and he’s about to start wringing his hands together. Whatever Teucer was telling you couldn’t be good, probably embarrassing, like the one time he unceremoniously fell on his ass while ice skating over a frozen lake, or when he tried fitting fifteen marshmallows in his mouth and nearly choked on them when their mother caught them in the act, or--

“I think he just thinks of me as a good friend,” you try to inform Teucer, not letting yourself get any semblance of hope. “Nothing more, nothing less.”

“If you say so,” Teucer pouts. But then he stops whispering and bounds over back to his brother, grabbing the tablet before plopping down on the half-made bed.

“Look, I was overconfident and thought I could execute a perfect single loop on the ice, but there was a rock and I lost balance and--”

“I wasn’t being told any stories about you falling on ice, but do tell me more,” you chuckle and take some joy in watching the blush spread across his cheeks. It’s easy to tell that he’s mentally berating himself for jumping to conclusions.

“Well, first off, thanks for buying him all that, and my drink, too,” he sighs. “I spoil him enough as it is.”

“I can see why it’s hard not to,” you smile knowingly. “So is it just him here? Where’s the rest of your family?”

“Funny story, he somehow managed to convince my parents to let him come here on his own as his first ever plane flight, so I had to pick him up yesterday from the airport. He’s flying back with me tomorrow.”

“And the RA?” You ask with an eyebrow raised.

“Ah...well...what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him? Speaking of, what was Teucer whispering to you about?”

There’s a pensiveness that overtakes you when you look at Teucer again, who’s happily playing some sort of game and completely oblivious to the rest of his surroundings. You won’t, can’t, take his words to heart, and will take them with a grain of salt at most.

“Nothing important. Although I did learn something new...Ajax?”

“Say my name -- fuck, say it, please--”

“I guess cat’s out of the bag,” he chuckles and looks away, absolutely unaware of the flare of heat that swirls in your stomach from the fleeting vision just now. “I came up with other nicknames as a kid to seem cooler, and they just stuck with me. Plus, the business world is full of people who just want something from you, or just a transactional relationship. I’d rather not give my real name to them, if you know what I mean.”

“That’s fair,” you nod and lean to sit on the edge of his desk. A thought pops into your head and you turn the words over in your head like a washing machine on the spin setting, teeth gnawing on the flesh of your bottom lip. If Teucer hadn’t been in the room, he would’ve been this close to kissing you.

“But if it’s worth anything,” your voice slowly, softly starts, cautious and wary of your thoughts. “I think...Ajax suits you best.”

Curse fate. Curse the legendary Archons. Curse karma and deities and spirits because all he wants to do right now is stand and tower over you, trap you between himself and his desk so you can’t escape, take those pretty lips between his until they’re bruised and swollen because of him, hear you call out his name in the throes of pleasure so he can finally replace his fantasies with tangible memories. The unnatural, magnetic pull that draws him to you is unbearable now -- he feels like he’ll lose the last tendrils of his sanity if he doesn’t do something.

You can’t stop him from slowly reaching out to grab one of your hands, lifting it towards him until he’s close enough for you to feel his breath ghost over your knuckles. It sends a shiver down your spine and blood is pounding in your ears because you can’t begin to fathom what he’s thinking about while doing this, even more so when his lips make contact with your skin and your breath hitches, stuck in your throat as he languidly peeks at you beneath his eyelashes with a heated gaze, then lowly confessing, “My name sounds best when you say it.”

Good heavens.

It’s difficult to swallow and keep your composure, especially when Teucer yells out in glee over, what you can assume, beating something in his game, and Childe drops your hand. But his dilated pupils don’t retract in the slightest, refusing to let you look away so that maybe, you can understand what he’s trying to convey to you. He’s taking the first step because he’s terrible and can’t contain his self-control anymore, pushing the ball into your court, ready for you to either play or exit into the sidelines.

When you do blink, there’s a vision of your naked body wrapped around another, limbs clinging desperately to a sturdy and panting frame. Lips, much like the ones that have seared themselves onto your knuckles, are at your neck and sucking, biting, before moving to your ear and laying filthy words into them that drive you closer to the edge. It all happens so fast that you feel you’ve just experienced whiplash, yet also feeling secondhand embarrassment at how lewd some of these thoughts have been.

You can’t stay here any longer.

“I-I have to go,” spills off your tongue before you can really think about it. The way the haze shatters in his eyes is heartbreaking in its own way, but there’s no time for you to explain. Your brain is in overdrive and eager to run, run, run. It detects danger on all fronts, but you muster out a, “H-have a good break, come find me next semester, mmk?”

And you’re out the door with inhuman speed. When the door clicks shut, only then does Teucer look up from his screen and frown at the lack of your presence. “Where’d they go?”

Chlide doesn’t seem to hear him, and Teucer has never seen his big brother look so sad and confused before.

-

He holds on to that last tendril of hope, because mark his words, he will find you come January.

-

After about a week at home, enjoying the festive time with his family and mildly unconcerned about next year’s courses because that was a problem for another day, Childe has his first, crazy, nonsensical dream.

At least, that’s what he tells himself when he snaps awake and his body aches with exhaustion. Not only are his joints in agony, he also feels like he’s sporting unforeseen bruises, which makes absolutely no sense because he hasn’t done anything that would warrant them, no matter how much he and his brothers do some rough-housing. His night of sleep was all consumed by flashes and scenes of weapon fighting, lucid enough to remember feeling his arms flex and wield bows and double-headed polearms and being cognizant of all the enemies??? surrounding him. They ranged from deranged looking monsters, floating beings with soulless masks, and large humans in electricity-padded armor, to behemoth machines in the sky that could leave you within an inch of your life thanks to a drill for a hand?!

But what’s even worse is that you seem to have managed a deal with Morpheus himself and infiltrated his dreams. You were there, too, sometimes fighting with him, sometimes against him, much to his dismay, and while it was nice, he just didn’t get it. Why the friendliness and hostility? Why was there an anger that overtook him when looking directly at you, parrying your blade and sending harmful arcs of water toward your figure?

Why did he relish the fear in your eyes when he darted towards you with electricity cracking through the air?

There’s an overwhelming sensation now to grab his phone to text you and apologize -- for what, he can’t fathom and there are no words to accurately convey what he’s thinking. “Hey, sorry for wanting to kill you in my dream :( “? Or “Sorry for being a friend but then stabbing you in the back, but then being nice to you again”?

And the only thing that really made sense was the serenity and contentment that would course through his veins as the two of you danced around on ivory sandy beaches, picking up shiny blue starconches and taking down more weird creatures; the breathlessness when you would fall back into the water and re-emerge to reconfirm his beliefs that you were one of the most beautiful humans he’d ever laid his eyes on; the love--

Hold the fuck up.

He doesn’t love you. He likes you a whole lot and he’s severely and deathly attracted to you, but he doesn’t love you. Your existence has only been made known to him for about two months, and he didn’t really start talking to you until three weeks in. So no matter how comfortable he feels with you, no matter how much he wishes that you were sleeping peacefully next to him so his nights wouldn’t feel so lonely, it was too early, too hasty, to say that he loves you.

“I’ve been wondering, why didn’t you bring them home?” His mother asks him out of nowhere during breakfast, all to add to this extremely tumultuous roller-coaster morning he’s been having. All he wants to do is eat his bowl of milk and cereal, then potentially go back to sleep before fulfilling his promise to go with his siblings to the nearby skating rink. It takes everything in him to not choke on his spoon of grains.

“Agreed, didn’t you mention they didn’t really have any family to go back to and that the move to Liyue was semi-permanent?” His father chimes in, laying a quick peck on his wife’s temple. “It’s never fun to spend the holidays alone.”

“They would’ve felt like they were intruding,” Childe replies quietly, stabbing his bowl a few times before scooping up another spoonful of cereal to his mouth. “I know we’re friends, but we haven’t known each other for that long, and maybe they’d be uncomfortable because that’s a lot honestly…”

“You don’t know until you try,” his mother sings and pats him on the shoulder. “We do have a guest room after all.”

“For them and their twin?”

“And quite a comfortable futon with enough blankets.”

Childe smiles fondly at his parents’ kindness. He can only imagine what this winter break would’ve been like now -- you and your twin floating around, trying to help out with certain chores, sitting by the fireplace and watching TV, huddled up with mugs of hot chocolate, playing board games with everyone and engaging in all the shenanigans…

Laughing. Loving. Grinning. Basking.

Handing over one of his hoodies to you as a sick way of torturing yet blessing himself for seeing how lovely you look in his clothes, standing silently in the doorway as you attempt to help out with mealtimes next to his mother, watching you run around in the backyard and dodging his siblings’ snowballs while lodging a few of your own -- how wonderful it all would be.

But he squashes it down as quickly as possible, because you escaped his grasp. You ran away from his advances temporarily and even though you gave him permission to seek you out come the spring semester, he worries that you might take it back. Something will wake up inside of you to keep him out of your heart and your life, and he’s not confident enough at this point to believe there’s a good chance you will come spend the holidays with him and his family next year.

“Maybe next year, ma,” he sends her a hesitant, yet somewhat broken purse of his lips that’s just the least bit curved. It tells her everything he’s thinking, and the quick patting of his cheek lets him know she understands.

Half an hour later, Childe finds himself curled up on his side under the sheets, phone in hand as he stares at a blinking cursor. It shouldn’t be so hard to send a text to convey his holiday greetings, because that’s all it is -- part of him is becoming desperate and aching for some interaction with you, even if it’s just a text sent back for conventional social pleasantries. He’ll take it for now, right?

Before he can totally chicken out, his thumbs quickly type a, “Happy Holidays, (y/n) :)”, and it’s a little embarrassing how quickly after he hits the ‘send’ button that he tosses it over his shoulder so he’s not directly looking at it anymore. His heartbeat is too quick and he prays for no phantom vibrations or phantom sound notifications to avoid any disappointment of thinking he got a reply. It was a harmless text, yet he’s treating it like he just got assigned on a mission to go and murder someone for the first time. What will he do if you never text him back? Does that mean you really don’t want to talk to him? Are you dead in a ditch somewhere? Did you change numbers and not tell him? Did your twin get all the details and make the executive decision to block his number? Will he never get a chance to talk to you again, even if it’s about something in the Teyvat Mythology class next semester? Will you--

His shoulder screams in protest when he quickly flips himself over at the text notification sound, hands shakily unlocking his phone and opening up your conversation again. His heart rate significantly decreases, reaching back to its normal pace, especially as he reads the little words on his screen.

“Happy Holidays, Ajax ^^”

There is hope.

-

“You’re thinking about him, aren’t you?”

You’re huddled under the comforter of your twin’s bed, phone just peeking above the edge as you stare at it with a brightness in your eyes. For the most part, you had been sulking there, apart from meals and going back to your own room to sleep, and mentally berating yourself for the way you reacted to Childe the week before.

“He just texted me to say happy holidays,” shrugging to put on a facade of indifference. It’s stupid that you’re trying to hide your feelings from your twin of all people, who could pick apart and identify your emotions in a heartbeat. A roll of his eyes lets you know that you haven’t fooled him at all.

“So you think that whatever comment he made, which was very suggestive and indicative of clearly non-platonic feelings, was just something...friendly? Remind me again how you came to that conclusion?”

“I don’t know what I was thinking!” You whine, looking around to see if there was anything you could toss at him. “It’s just, with everything, all the dreams and stupid gut feelings, I just -- I don’t know, okay?? I can’t tell you enough how much I wish I had just kissed his stupid face and see where it goes from there.”

“Okay, gross, but don’t beat yourself up. Though...I do have a good idea on how to maybe get a good reaction out of him. You wanna go to the New Years’ celebration at Xiangling’s?”

“I think she’d threaten me with a knife if I didn’t. She wanted to go shopping at some point, too.”

“I’ll drop the overprotective brother act for one night, okay? One night, just to let this happen, and for your peace of mind.”

He does a fair amount of conspiring with Xiangling, a friend they met one time at a restaurant a couple years ago, even tagging along on the shopping trip. Together, the three of you find yourself a dress that Xiangling swears would make any person drool over you, including Childe, because at the end of the day, he was a person with the possibility of being attracted to you.

You think it’s a bit silly, but honestly, what do you have to lose at this point?

-

At 11:57PM on New Years’ Eve, Childe is standing outside in the freezing cold with his family, arms lifting up bags of sparklers and fireworks. They’ve driven out closer to the wild like they do every year, and everybody excitedly gets lighters ready, making sure someone’s got a clock out there that tells the seconds. As the younger kids open up the packaging and argue over which one to set off first, Childe’s phone vibrates in his coat pocket.

It’s 11:58PM when he manages to fish the device out and thank himself for buying gloves that are touch-screen friendly, excited to see that there are two texts from you, the latter reading, “Happy New Year!”. It doesn’t matter that you’re a little early, but he’s mainly intrigued by the fact a photo came before it. In his mind, you’re probably curled up with your twin brother, hopefully a selfie because wow, he misses your face.

He gets something else instead, and he is so glad that it’s dark outside and the electric lamp they have is too far away from him to draw any attention.

You have your arm around your brother’s waist and another girl’s that he doesn’t recognize, but it’s a full frontal view of your outfit, one that hugs your curves beautifully and shows more cleavage than he’s ever seen from you, sophisticated and elegant, yet fun and leaving enough to the imagination. There’s a bright smile coming from all of you, and you look like you’re at someone’s house or apartment with plenty of other people milling around in the back, but they don’t matter, not when all he can focus on is you.

Gorgeous, breathtaking, arousing, mind blowing, and gods, he wishes he could teleport to Liyue at this moment, find you, and kiss you right at midnight. Fuck the fact that he doesn’t exactly believe in superstitions like, “Kissing your significant other at midnight means you’ll last forever!” but he’s willing to take the chance with it on this night and the ones after, if he’s allowed. He tries not to think too much about pinning you against the wall and letting the world dissolve -- wants to be the one with the privilege to drag down that zipper and feel his bare skin on yours, and --

As Teucer starts yelling there’s only a minute left, he instinctively locks his phone and shoves it away out of anyone’s view. The last thing he needs is his family teasing him about ogling at your photo for a straight 50 seconds, wide-eyed and pupils on the verge of dilating, the visible breath leaving his mouth just a smudge more dense and prominent than usual.

The only thing he can do to distract himself from popping a boner in front of his parents is to join in on the countdown, making sure all the fireworks are set up correctly and grabbing a sparkler for himself. He waves it around with Tonia and promises to fulfill her wishes of taking one of those pictures right as she draws a pattern in the air. Their excitement is palpable and addicting, and even though the larger fireworks set off a few seconds after midnight hits, the nostalgia fills his lungs with fond memories and future wishes that they only continue this tradition for as long as possible, and hopefully, with you at his side.

-

When it’s 12:04AM, you get a picture message back of Childe bundled up in a black paletot coat, matching beanie and all, a gloved hand holding a sparkler and lips curved upwards, with a caption that says, “Happy New Year’s! See you soon :)”. You show it to Xiangling and your brother, both taking it as a win in their books, although the former does tipsily protest that there should be a better indicator of Childe’s brain breaking at how amazing you look right now. Maybe she’s prophetic, because another text chimes in and the words set you aflame, as well as suggestive whoops into your ears.

It’s a simple, “You look incredible btw”.

If you didn’t want to properly savor this moment, you would’ve found the nearest shot of the strongest liquor and tossed it back with abandon. But you want to remember the warmth in your veins that wasn’t from the alcohol or the heating, the fluttering of your heartbeat, the teeth-baring grin that you couldn’t fight off, the constant re-reading of those four words -- because they’re so different from everything you had been feeling before with him, the need for protection, the need to escape. Instead, you’d like to be in his arms right now and see for yourself how he’d look at you in this moment, and if he would take any action.

You want him to. So, so bad.

-

Childe spends his last week at home hating the fact that you’re just sitting around somewhere in Liyue, doing whatever you’re doing, probably doing some light preparation for your last semester of classes, and he’s not there to take advantage of all this free time and hang out with you. When classes start, it’ll be busy and hectic. You still have your thesis to finish and revise, and while that won’t eat up all your time, it’s still some that he’d want to fill in with his presence if he could. He debates whether or not he should ask for your schedule and compare it with his, maybe set up meetings every other day or propose that they all eat one meal together every day. Childe’s not quite sure of what you plan to do after graduation, as it hasn’t come up in conversation yet, but either way, he’s determined to stay in contact and make things work out. Long distance isn’t ideal, but with technology now, he’ll take it.

He feels a little bad for how excited he probably looked to be leaving home, uncharacteristic for the most part. His older siblings have already gone back to their respective homes, and it’s mainly Teucer and Tonia that worry and tear up when he starts packing his belongings. Tonia finds it unfair that Teucer got to meet you first and the latter makes sure to rub it into everyone’s faces. It’s hard for Childe to sleep on the plane because he’s thrumming with excitement, yet somehow even more nervous than usual when the plane hits small bouts of turbulence, and he doesn’t seem to relax until he sets foot back on campus.

He’s here. It’s January, and you’re physically closer to him than ever in the last two weeks.

-

“Found you.”

On the first day of classes, you’re sitting alone with some salad greens in a bowl, poking your fork at some scraps while you watch something on your phone, earbuds in and back towards the entrance of the canteen. It would explain the unannounced entrance of the very person who’s been at the forefront of nearly every thought in the last 96 hours, his fingers gingerly removing an earbud to surprise you as best as possible, and you startle in your seat.

Your heart kicks into overdrive when he hands you back your earbud and pulls out the seat next to you, setting his own plate of food down as he plops down in his chair. But then he says nothing afterwards, instead choosing to send you a cheeky grin before digging in. You’re left to slowly phase out of your state of shock, stuck between either running away or frantically texting your twin to come and save you even though he was off on a date with Keqing.

It’s not that you weren’t elated at the fact that Childe had done exactly as you told him last month, you just weren’t...prepared? It’s a shitty excuse and a cop out -- you’re mainly just having trouble with racking your brain to find the right words. What are you supposed to say? What should you do? Is it socially acceptable to lean over and kiss him on the cheek because that’s what you’d like to impulsively do at this very second??

“So you did,” you settle and steal a roasted potato wedge from his plate. It’s his turn to be taken by surprise, but he gets over it much quicker than you do. In fact, he spears two wedges and drops them in your bowl, smiling at you as best as he can with a mouth full of food. You give them your thanks before the silence settles in again.

“Did you have a good break?” He asks before his next bite.

“I did. You?”

“It was nice. My parents said I should’ve brought you and your twin home to spend the holidays with us. Can’t say it didn’t cross my mind before finals.”

Holy shit, what? “We couldn’t intrude like that, but that’s really nice of you guys.”

“That’s okay, there’s plenty of chances to visit later.”

You tilt your head and furrow your eyebrows. “But we graduate this semester?”

Childe challenges you with one of his own eyebrows raised. “And? Are we never gonna see each other again?”

Honestly, the possibility had occurred to you. You aren’t entirely sure of Childe’s plans after graduation, and if that meant he was staying in Liyue or going back to Snezhnaya or even moving to Inazuma or Mondstat. While people preach on and on about how lasting friendships and relationships are often formed during college, you believe it’s more common to slowly drift apart as life gets busier. And if Childe moved away, or if you did, it’d be hard to consistently keep in touch with 10 hour workdays.

The thought saddens you, regardless. You like him so much and you’re glad that he was even in your life to begin with, because as unbelievable as it sounds, seeing him was almost akin to the feeling of coming home. Amidst all your nerves, your confusion, your spiraling thoughts, something deeply sated in your heart was a comfort that you found with very few people in your life whenever in his presence.

The thought of leaving and never looking back somehow doesn’t feel new -- it’s bittersweet, but the air in your lungs feels like it’s surrendered to something, like it was to be expected.

“You can’t just leave without telling me--”

“It was last minute! I had no choice!”

“You could’ve written up a message, anything--”

“Can you imagine the position you’d be in if the message got intercepted? I wouldn’t have been safe, she’d make you come after me--”

“As if you’d be any safer in Inazuma of all places! That’s the one place I can’t easily get to!”

“I can take care of myself, Childe, I don’t need you to protect me.”

“This isn’t about me protecting you, (y/n) and -- stop walking, will you?!”

“Then what is this about?” You spin on your wheel with eyes aflame. “Why are you so angry with me? It’s normal for me to disappear for weeks at a time, why was this any different?”

“Because you could’ve died!” He yells back in despair, chest heaving. Your silence is his cue to continue. “You could’ve died and I wouldn’t have known until much later. You could’ve died and all I’d ever think about were the things I never got to say to you, and how I wish I had treated every day with you like it was our last.”

It isn’t hard to tell that you’re stunned and at a complete loss for words. Childe often hides behind facades of charm and wit, and only when he is truly weak does he choose to be this vulnerable, baring his heart for you to see.

“I only have two nightmares in this world. One, my family being harmed in any way. Two, reading in a report or hearing from an agent that you’ve been captured and killed.”

“I like to think that we will.”

His hand reaches out to lay on top of yours, giving it a quick squeeze. “Well, let’s make the most of it this semester.”

Conversation afterwards is easy, filling each other in on holiday activities. Childe speaks extensively about several family traditions and you listen with rapt attention, basking in how fond he is of all of them. Even as you both bring your dishes to the return belt and leave, he immediately offers to drive you both somewhere to get boba, noticing your reluctance to part ways. But boba shops have to close, and you both have class tomorrow morning, and you’re both finding any excuse to keep talking, even if that means sitting outside your dorm building on a nearby bench.

You eventually bid each other good night’s and see you later’s, him refusing to walk away until the heavy door locks shut behind you after you swipe your student ID, and you looking over your shoulder to watch his figure disappear into the night.

-

True to his intentions, Childe makes great efforts to meet you at least once a day, and he can’t get enough. Each parting from you tugs and tugs at his heart, as if there’s a high possibility you’ll never want to see him again the next day, and he wouldn’t know what to do with himself. Your twin and Childe get along well for the most part, and he even meets Xiangling on one of her shifts at her regular restaurant, who sends you a salacious wink and an eyebrow wiggle over his shoulder that nearly causes you to burst from embarrassment.

February rolls over without a hitch, even if you’re a little disappointed that Childe didn’t make a move for Valentine’s Day. Granted, you two still spent time with each other and he’s so darn physically affectionate and he bought you a carnation from the event his dorm held, but you wish you had the guts to fess up and just kiss the man.

It’ll happen some day, you tell yourself. You have time before graduation.

Two days before the end of the Friday that would signal the start of Spring Break, you wake up in a cold sweat, mind reeling and head splitting, heart so so heavy, as a connection is made between your present and your dreams. Not long after, there are tears streaming silently down your face and into your open palms placed in your lap, and you sit in shock as everything comes back to you. Memories are such treasured burdens, you realize.

For the most part, you had gotten used to the dreams, choosing to take charge of what you know and feel now with Childe over succumbing to some strange neurological premonitions. Especially in your dreams when many people’s faces were blurred over and hazy, and the only things you could rely on were voices, touch, and other physical features. You thought that maybe your mind was just playing tricks by transposing Childe’s hair onto a body that was also strikingly similar to his, but for the first time last night, you could see each defining feature on his face as clear as day.

The sight of his figure arching gracefully over yours, the water arrows that appeared out of thin air, the back that protected you from some military men, the voice that said, “Hey girlie, hold still.”

And that was when you had snapped awake to your current state.

Past the initial shock and uncontrollable tears, you soon bent over as sobs wracked your chest, overwhelmed by all the emotions and the pain the memories brought you; losing your twin, finding him to only be left with even more questions after roaming for decades and decades, meeting all your loved ones throughout Mondstat and Liyue, fighting yet falling so hard for Childe, feeling the fear when facing his Foul Legacy form, hating him for Osial, loving him, breathing heavily as the tip of your blade was pointed at his neck and his own just centimeters from yours, tendrils of water inching closer and closer--

Everything makes sense now.

When you meet your twin for lunch at the cafeteria, you pay no mind to the fact that you’re in public and hug him harder than you ever have in years. He’s already a little alarmed that your eyes seem swollen and you look like finals came two months early, but when he asks what’s wrong, all he gets is a shake of your head and nothing more than, “Just a bad nightmare. I love you, y’know that?”

“I love you too?”

“Don’t sound so unsure, now let’s go and get in line before they run out of Jueyun Chili Chicken.”

Even when you meet Xiao later in the early evening to talk about your thesis, you find yourself holding back more tears just two minutes in, reminded of his past and his own life, and he’s moderately concerned, hesitantly handing you a tissue from the corner of his desk when a stray tear escapes. “Is everything okay?” He hesitantly asks, really hoping that he didn’t do anything to make you cry.

“No,” you almost wail and sniffle while dabbing at your eyes. “Sorry, it’s just been a really long day.”

Xiao’s inquisitive gaze softens, remembering how hard undergraduate life could be sometimes. Graduate school was a whole other level, but that shouldn’t discount your own personal difficulties. Plus, in all of the year and a half that he’s known you, you’ve never broken down like this before in front of him.

“You work really hard, Xiao,” you continue, and he’s not sure where this is coming from. “You’re always so helpful and willing to work with me and answer my stupid questions and like-- you practice self-care, right?”

Xiao nods as a white lie, but it seems to comfort you. Maybe too much because you pull him in for a quick and unexpected hug, and you both decide to reschedule this meeting for tomorrow.

As per usual, you wait for Childe to join you for dinner since you finished up earlier than expected. It gives you more time to think about everyone from Mondstat -- Kaeya, Diluc, Lisa, Jean, Amber...funny to think that some things never changed as you compared their past version to the ones you know now.

“Mora for your thoughts?”

There’s a peace that warms your heart when you hear Childe’s voice, one that forces you to smile at him as he sits down next to you. “Just thinking about old friends.”

“I have to admit, I’ll be a little jealous if it’s another guy taking up more space than me in that pretty brain of yours.”

What a flirt. This man isn’t good for your heart. “Who said you had any to begin with?”

He dramatically places a hand over his heart. “You wound me, (y/n). How will I ever recover?”

“You’re ridiculous,” you snicker. Childe reaches over to pinch your cheek and you bat at him in protest. Easily, he grabs one of your hands and simply pulls you towards the food lines, knowing that you’ll stop fighting back soon.

Part of it feels strange now to feel and see his hands with no leather gloves on.

“Childe,” you start halfway through your meal, continuing after he hums back in reply. “Do you believe in reincarnation?”

He freezes briefly, but recovers so quickly that if you hadn’t been watching so closely, you wouldn’t have noticed. “I think it’s neat, the idea of having past lives. Why do you ask?”

What he really wants to ask is if you’ve been having those dreams, too; if he’s starring in your nights like you have been in his.

“Just a thought, especially since you’re taking Teyvat Myth now, too.”

“Do you...do you think if there was a past life, that we knew each other?”

There’s something about the look of content on your face before you meet his gaze -- he thinks that you know more than you’re letting on but you’re holding back for some reason. He wants to know what’s going through your brain right now, why the fondness in your eyes sends a jolt through him like he’s been searching for it all his life, if you know anything about this magnetic pull between you two.

“I like to think that we knew each other well.”

-

Even though the first day of your returned memories was somewhat eventful, you couldn’t help but feel yourself wanting to pull back from Childe -- at least, until you can successfully compartmentalize which emotions belonged to you past self and which ones belonged to your current mindset. You didn’t quite agree with his duties and his affiliation with the Fatui back then, even if he had his reasons that did make sense, to some degree.

The killing, the threatening, so intent on stealing Rex Lapis’s Gnosis in the name of the Tsaritsa, summoning Osial as a mean to an end -- and you definitely can’t forget how stubborn he was in not listening to your protests, so caught up in his brain that you had betrayed him and sent you plummeting to a near-death experience despite his earlier promise of no intention of killing you specifically.

Everything had been toeing a faint, thin line with Childe then. Undeniable chemistry and tension, guarding yourself for yours and Paimon’s safety, slashing at Fatui agents, whispering out pleas and affirmations of “I’m yours” while riding him, sometimes having to sneak out in the mornings…

The only thing you don’t remember is how everything ends -- maybe it’ll come back to you eventually, but for now, you think you’re okay not knowing.

If Childe still doesn’t remember anything from back then, you think it’d be unfair to spend time with him in all your conflicting emotions, even when it’s spring break, where you have so much more hours in the day to be with each other than normal. Fun plans around Liyue had been made, like a two-day one-night trip to Yaoguang Shoal, and you’re this close to cancelling on him.

But he had been looking forward to it so much, even made most of the preparations for it. Who are you to rob that joy from him when it was you who couldn’t figure out your own shit? Are you self-destructing?

Perhaps.

Before you know it, you’re sitting in the passenger seat of his car, staring out the window at the scenery. Somehow, it pleased you to see that the nature of Liyue had been carefully preserved over the many centuries despite its development into the modern age. You get lost in picking apart the differences between then and now that you don’t notice how quiet you’ve fallen and Childe looks over worriedly when you show no reaction to your favorite songs playing on the stereo.

Even when he calls your name once, twice, nothing gives as you clearly have tuned everything out. So he leaves you be until there’s about half an hour left on the drive, unable to hold back and succumbing to reach over for your hand. You startle so strongly that he almost feels bad for having done it unannounced. But what’s even more disturbing is that this isn’t really the first time.

You’ve been talking to him less, often sitting quietly and staring off into another world that he can’t seem to reach. His texts are answered less frequently and with less wit and enthusiasm, so much so that he just appreciates you still show up to see him. Each time he asks if you’re okay, you always affirm that you are. He’s had a hard time believing you, but Childe believes you’ll tell him when you’re ready, surely.

It’s a little ironic yet fateful that Childe planned to bring you here, of all places. In the past, you had spent many days and nights running around in the sand with him, fighting slimes and hilichurls and collecting starconches for him. You remember laying on a large towel next to him as you both looked up into the sky, pointing out stars and constellations while sharing endless kisses away from prying, spying eyes.

“I’m sorry, I must’ve zoned out,” you sincerely apologize.

“It’s okay, I just wanna make sure you relax while we’re here. This is supposed to be a vacation.”

“You’re right,” you agree and squeeze his hand. “Let’s make the most of it before we become adults who are too busy to have fun like this again.”

And you do. Childe rented a small beach cabin (rich boys) closer to one end of the shoreline, just big enough with two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a small kitchen with a dining table. You help him bring in your bags and some groceries bought the night before, setting them down quickly so you can peer out the window again to take in the view. Childe picked a good time, too. Although it’d be a little chilly at night, the day was still warm and mainly overcast with clouds.

“What do you say we change into our swimsuits and head down to the water?”

“Sure.”

Childe hadn’t really been expecting for you to step out in a large, casual tee and gym shorts, one shoulder exposed. He might have been hoping to see a little more skin, but his mother didn’t raise a chauvinistic pervert for a son.

The light in your eyes as you both approach the water is everything he had been missing the last few days, your excitement and joy contagious. As soon as you place everything down on the sand, you kick off your flip flops and leave him behind to step into the water, giggling at feeling the waves crash over your ankles and bring sand between your toes. Childe approaches you from behind and starts smearing sunblock on the back of your neck, to which you just grin beautifully at him in thanks and he has to fight off the desire to kiss you right then and there.

You’re too caught up in embracing the ocean afterwards to feel the shrinking distance between you two, mistaking his warmth for the general spring air. It isn’t until he’s done with your shoulders that he hands you the bottle to leave you to do the rest of your body, and when you turn to thank him, he’s much closer than you remember. His eyes are gentle, holding your gaze and almost daring you to look away first.

But if there’s one thing you can place without a shred of doubt, it is the unmistakable look of love, because you had seen it many, many times before without knowing until later what it meant.

How so incredibly lucky you were to have Childe back in your life now, loving you all the same, and with no life-threatening barriers. Fate or the Archons have given you a second chance, and you’d be damned to take it for granted.

Childe welcomes your lips against his, wasting no time to bring you into his arms so you’re pressed against him as much as possible. He can’t care for the overt public display of affection because this is everything he’s wanted for months now, waiting patiently for you to give him permission to make you his. Your lips are incredibly soft and pliant against his as you first kiss him patiently, then applying more force and desperation to taste more of him. He mirrors you, one hand cradling the back of your head and the other on your neck with a thumb extended to your jawline, teeth moving to nip at your bottom lip. It’s dangerous, the way you smile against his lips, and when he sinks his teeth in deeper before pulling back, your quiet mewl nearly drives him over the edge.

But you’re in public, and this was an amazing first kiss. You two have a beach to enjoy and a fun night planned, and now that he doesn’t have to hold back on his affections, it’ll be even better.

His lips part from yours regretfully, his eyes languidly opening to meet yours. Out of the corner of his eye, he spots a blue starconch in the sand and freezes.

It’s not that he’s never seen one before, but something clicks. You. The shore. Starconches. Starry nights. His dreams. Monsters. Gods. Fighting. So much fighting. Training. His family. Dragons. You. Falling. You falling. You fighting him. Yelling. Kissing. Loving. Chasing. Him chasing you before you disappear at a teleport waypoint that somehow you only can operate. The abyss. Your twin.

Oh, Archons.

“ -ou okay, Ajax? Ajax?”

He snaps to look at you again. How does he go about this? How does he ask?

“(Y/n)...have you ever heard of the Fatui Harbingers?”

He has to admit that it’s a bit amazing to be able to identify all the emotions that cross your complexion, from curiosity to realization to conflicted. You’re actively trying to piece everything together without revealing too much on the off-chance that you’re wrong, that Childe hasn’t regained his memories and is just asking about something from class randomly and completely out of the blue.

Wait.

“You haven’t reached that material yet in class,” you whisper, heart in your throat at the realization. Could it really be…

“I was once Tartaglia, eleventh Harbinger of the Fatui, who possessed a Delusion and used my Foul Legacy Transformation with you several times,” he murmurs back, tucking a stray tendril behind your ear. “Is it too late to apologize again for summoning an ancient god and letting you fall about five floors with no warning?”

He should’ve been prepared for you wrapping your arms around his neck, pulling him in for a tight embrace. “No, never, but I spent weeks after kicking your ass so you’ve been long forgiven.”

Childe burrows his face into your neck, breathing in your scent and basking in this moment. There was so much to talk about, but you two arguably had more time in the world than ever with nothing holding you back. There was no impending war looming over, no one on the run, no opposing forces. His silent wish for a different life with you seems to have been answered finally. If running into you had been the event to set everything in motion, he only wishes he’d done so earlier.

All that matters now is you’re here together in this plane of existence, given a chance to love again, and experience everything you couldn't before.

As written in the stars, take my soul for it is forever yours.

fin

#childe x reader #tartaglia x reader #genshin impact x reader #genshin scenarios #genshin impact scenarios #genshin imagines #childe #tartaglia #childe angst #genshin impact #genshin angst #genshin impact angst #this fic maybe took two years off my life

[xmint-conditionx]

tongue tied | myg

pairing: yoongi x reader, f2l

w/c: 3.5k

summary: you've been best friends with yoongi for almost a decade, and you're hopelessly in love with him. he's the most important person in your life, and you don't want to mess that up, so you can never be anything more... right?

written as a response to a request from the old blog -- the requestor was @yoongi--enthusiast; thanks again for your request, i loved doing it!!! "I had an idea... something based off of the song “tongue tied” with yoongi. I feel like it would be super soft with soft smut... I just think it would be nice to read so can you please wright it 🥺👉👈"

tags/cw: 18+ please, smut, outdoor sex, overall a little angsty but super cute too

a/n: i did not know that there was a song called tongue tied by marshmello before i wrote this so... i hope the person who requested this didn’t mean that song because I wrote this drabble over the grouplove song lmaooo but anyway, here goes! thanks luv, enjoy! also reposted from the old blog!!

Yoongi’s laugh is so beautiful. It’s rare, so when you see it, you soak up everything you can about it. The way his eyes crinkle up into crescent moons, the way his lips curl back putting his gummy smile on bright display. You can swear you see his eyes sparkle.

You are in love with him. You are in love with your best friend.

He makes loving him such an easy thing to do; bringing you into his inner world, showing you the sweet and warm center he conceals from everyone else. The way he looks at you, the way he says your name, the way he pouts when he wants a back scratch, all of those little things that make him who he is only deepen your infatuation with him.

You’re with him again this Friday night, making the drive to Bom’s house. It’s been a long week for the both of you; he’s been wrapped up in producing a track and you’ve been nose deep in college textbooks. His track is completed, and your exams are over. It’s safe to say that you both could use a good break.

It’s the end of the spring semester and the weather is going to be gorgeous tonight. The racing summer breeze coming through the open car windows is exhilarating. The sun is setting, and the warm evening light on Yoongi’s dewy skin makes him appear absolutely radiant as he navigates the highway.

You’re just listening to fun little summer jams as you speed off toward the city’s suburbs. Ones with funky little basslines that are easy to groove and sing along to. Ones that make you shout and laugh into the rushing wind. Ones that make you drink in the moment you’re having with Yoongi; ones that make you soak up all of his joy.

And when he steals a sly look your way, one hand still on the top of the steering wheel, you can swear your heart stops.

You’ve loved him as long as you can remember really knowing him. Since you were both 12, bonding over games of tag and basketball and the spilling of secrets to each other. You’d sit beneath the big tree in his backyard and share the snacks you’d bought at the corner store. He’d always let you have the last chocolate.

The only secret you’ve ever kept from Yoongi is the matter of your infatuation, and you are pretty resolute in keeping it that way.

He is the single most important person in your life. He had been there with you through it all; when your parents split up at 13, when your dad got you your first car at 15, when your long time boyfriend cheated on you at 16, when your dream college denied you at 17, when you got a full ride scholarship to a smaller university outside of the city right after that, when you were drugged at a house party at 20, when you were diagnosed with depression at 21, and when you were accepted into your masters program at 22.

You needed him, and because of that, you could never tell him.

You pull into the gates that surround Bom’s neighborhood. Her parents are pretty wealthy, so they live on a golf course. As you pull up into the driveway, you see some other students milling about, catching Frisbee. There’s Eunha, Ireum, Ji-Ah, and Miyeun that you recognize from some of your classes, but there are a few more that you’ve never met.

After a few rounds of drinks and a few lost games of flip cup, you all head outside to the back patio with all of your schoolwork from the year. Bom turns on the bluetooth speaker and sets it on the railing. You take in the night air and gaze up at the sky, wishing there was a shooting star to wish upon.

“Alright, everyone,” Bom begins, “essays and lab reports first, then tests, then miscellaneous homework.” Yoongi helps you dig through your stack to fish out the cursed papers. You all toss the stapled packages into the fire pit, one by one, each hitting with a soft thud. Once everyone has thrown their woes into the pit, Bom tops it with actual firewood and unceremoniously sets the whole lot of it on fire. You gaze into the center of the flame, watching your entire year catch fire. All the hours you spent doing that research project, all the disappointment when your group members wouldn’t follow through. Gone, like it never existed.

Yoongi’s holding your hand in his, and he’s busy drawing little circles with his thumb on your palm. Your head rests soundly on his shoulder, and you sigh into him, comfortable in where you are. The whole group piles in more papers, as you lament about the shitty professors and the shitty group projects and the shitty caf’ food and the shitty grades. Yoongi turns into you and nuzzles gently on your forehead. You feel his soft lips graze your temple, breath warm on your skin, tingles rising through your body, and you’re right where you want to be. Under the moon’s gaze with the person you love.

Before long, the breeze sends a chill through you that even the fire won’t remedy. Yoongi feels your shiver and unceremoniously removes his hoodie and puts it on over you, pulling up the hood and kissing your forehead. You always love when you wear his jackets; they surround you in his warmth, his smell. A smile plays across your lips until you notice Yoongi’s goosebumps.

“Hey,” you pout, “I don't wanna wear this if you’re gonna be cold.”

“I don’t wanna wear it if you’re gonna be cold,” he snaps back, smiling.

“Here,” you say, standing up from your deck chair. You take the step to get you to Yoongi’s chair, and sit in his lap. “This way we can both be warm, yeah?”

It takes him a second, but he wraps his arms firmly around you again, mumbling a “yeah, that’s fine” when you glance at him over your shoulder.

Your attention is called back to the group with Bom asks if you’re going to the Summer Romance Festival by the river next weekend. She’s been pushing you to get yourself out there more. The last time you were in a real relationship was high school, after all.

“I’d love to go; I hear they have the most beautiful fireworks display,” you start, “but I don’t think I will this year.”

“Well,” Bom says, “Why not?!”

“Because I don’t have a date, Bom!” you say, covering your face in the sweater paws you’ve made from Yoongi’s hoodie. “I don’t think I could find one in enough time.”

“Ya, just get Yoongi to go with you! You already do everything together anyway,” Eunha quips.

You notice that the steady rise and fall of Yoongi’s chest has stopped.

“Hey, you know we’re just friends, right Yoongi?” you look to him for backup.

The man nods, looking down and to the left.

“Okay,” Ireum speaks up, “In that case, do you want to go with me?”

“Wait, what?” you say.

“Do you want to go to the Summer Romance Festival with me? As a date?”

Yoongi tenses beneath you.

“Oh, I don’t know…” you breathe, “Are you sure?”

“One hundred percent. We can even get dinner before we go. Not too much, though. I’ll want to get us a treat from one of the dessert stalls.” Ireum says with a soft smile.

“Yeah,” you say, smiling back at him, “Okay. We’ll go together.”

Yoongi stirs beneath you. “Hey, can you get off of me?”

“What, why?” you pout.

“I said get off.”

“Yoongi, wh--”

He doesn’t wait for you to finish before he abruptly stands up, forcing you to catch yourself. When you look back at him, he’s walking toward the French doors that lead back into the house.

“Ya! What was that about?”

He keeps walking. You storm after him and slam the door, trapping you both inside.

“Yoongi, I’m talking to you! What’s your fucking problem?”

He whirs around.

“Oh, I have a problem?”

“Well, it sure seems like it.” you spit back, hands on your hips.

“Why don’t you go talk about it with your date, huh?” he says, gesturing out the window to Ireum. “Don’t you have some details to work out? He gonna pick you up? You gonna let him hold your hand? On your nice little extra special romantic date? I guess I’ll just fuck right off and leave you two alone, yeah? That’s what you want, cause we’re just friends and all.”

“Yoongi, we… are friends! You’re my best friend!”

“Did you ever for a second think that I could want more?”

“What?!”

“I fucking love you, Y/N! Isn’t it obvious?! I’ve loved you since the 7th grade. You remember when we played spin the bottle at Ha-joon’s house? Do you remember when you kissed me?”

“Yoongi…”

“No, let me finish. Do you remember the frat party we crashed junior year? Remember when we got up onto the roof and made out until we fell asleep? And then you weren't there when I woke up so I walked back to my dorm and then we just pretended it never happened? What the fuck was that, Y/N?!”

You reach for his arm, but he backs up, flinching away from you.

“I am so in love with you it hurts!”

“Yoongi.”

“But I guess if that guy can make you happy, then whatever,” he sighs.

“Yoongi.”

“Go on your little date and have fun and I’ll just go write some more goddamn songs about you--”

“Yoongi!”

He stills, pain flashing through his eyes.

“Yoongi,” you say quietly, easing toward him, “I had no idea. I left the roof to go inside and get you some water. When I came back, you were gone. You had been drinking a lot that night… and I felt really bad because… I thought I had taken advantage of you… Ever since I first kissed you at Ha-joon’s house, I wanted to do it again. And again. And, you looked so good that night and up on the roof when you were laughing about the quarterback I just… I couldn't hold myself back anymore. I thought surely you didn’t want to actually be kissing me.”

“Why the fuck would I have kissed you back, then?”

“You were drunk, and I--” you’re cut off when he grabs your wrist.“I have wanted to kiss you every time I’ve seen you since you first kissed me,” he says, glancing down at your lips. ”I want to kiss you right now.”

You take no time in closing the distance between the two of you, your lips crashing desperately. You’ve tasted his kiss before, but this time feels different. His hands are winding through your hair, pulling you deeper into his kiss. You moan against his mouth, and he responds with his tongue teasing your lips, asking for entry. You grant it, and he explores. One of his hands holds your jaw, the other still intertwined with your hair. His tongue runs along your bottom lip before he sucks it in, drawing out a small whimper from you. Taking his hand from your jaw, he runs it down your neck and décolleté and then down over your stomach and latches it on your hip, sinking his fingers into your skin. He gives your hair a small tug, just enough to break the kiss and expose your neck. He breaks off and trails kisses up your jawline and then onto your neck, speaking in between kisses.

“You have… no idea how… much I’ve… wanted to tell… you everything,” he breathes onto your neck, and you feel a heat pooling in your panties.

“Please, Yoongi…” you say as you begin to run one hand under his shirt. He stops kissing and looks up at you with the softest expression.

“What is it?” he asks as he grabs both of your hands in his, bringing one of them up to his mouth to sprinkle kisses along your fingers.

“You…” you begin and sigh, “you have no idea how much I want you.”

He stills.

“Are you sure? We don’t have to, I’m sorry, I just…” he trails off, eyes getting lost in the way his jacket is draped on your figure.

Him eyeing you up doesn’t make it any better.

“I’ve wanted you for so long,” you say, eyes pleading up at him. “I’m tired of waiting.”

After a beat, he sighs.

“Neither of us are waiting another minute,” he says, landing a quick peck on your lips and going across the room to the couch, grabbing the throw blanket that rests on the arm.

“Come on, I have an idea,” he says, grabbing your arm and leading you out of the front door, across the street, through someone’s back yard until you reach the top of a hill on the side of a fairway. You watch as he scans the area, holding the blanket tight. His gaze lingers on two hills near the green of whatever hole this is, where there are a few more trees and hills to block you from the sightline of those second story windows. He looks at you, eyes asking the question. You smile and nod, and that’s all he needs.

He tugs your hand and you both go running down the fairway, laughing along the way. Once you reach your spot, he quickly puts down the blanket and lays on it. You’re still standing at his feet, hands fiddling with the ends of the jacket sleeves.

He smiles up at you and holds his arms up in your direction and says, “come here, beautiful,” while doing little grabby hands.

You slowly walk up to where he’s laying and sit on top of his hips, feeling how hard he already is. His hand rests on your hip underneath the fabric of his jacket, the other holding the side of your face.

“Let me see you,” he says with a tinge of whine in his voice, and that gives you an idea.

You reach under the still zipped jacket and fiddle around. Yoongi looks up at you befuddled, the corners of his lips turning down slightly as he tries to figure out what’s going on. When your hands emerge, one is holding your strapless bra and the other is holding the halter top you had been wearing. You can’t believe you managed to unzip the back by yourself.

You throw the garments to the side, and watch as understanding hits his face. His eyes glaze over and he licks his lips, clearly shaken up by your little trick.

He carefully dips his fingers below the waistband of your shorts and eases them down. You put your weight on him and give him a few kisses as he continues to move them down your legs. Once they too have been tossed to the side, you sit back up, lips red and swollen from the kiss.

He gently reaches up to the zipper of the jacket and begins to slowly pull it down, letting the cool night air in. You feel your nipples harden at the exposure to both the night air and Yoongi’s hungry eyes. He swallows and licks his lips as he runs his eyes over every new inch of you that is revealed. Memorizing your form, your perked nipples, the way your chest rises with each anxious breath.

He reaches back up to the collar and eases one shoulder of fabric off. You move to take the rest off despite the cold, but he stills your hand with his.

“Keep it on, please. I love seeing you wear my clothes,” Yoongi says, intertwining his fingers with yours.

You bring his hand up to your lips, pressing them against his knuckles as you slowly grind your still covered core on his length. He groans in frustration, his pants getting tighter. You let go of his hand and run your fingers up beneath his white cotton v-neck, his ab muscles flinching under your touch. You help him remove his shirt, taking in the way his pale skin shines under the moonlight.

Seeing you look at him makes his cock twitch in his pants, and you think it’s time to provide him some relief.

You scoot back and start to undo his belt, getting low and staring up at him through your lashes. His breath hitches when you make eye contact with him, and then it starts to pick up as you undo the button and zipper. You shimmy down the denim, but leave his black boxer-briefs where they are.

You come back up to the waistband after releasing his jeans, and you take the elastic in between your teeth. You tug them down with your teeth while your hands pull them on the sides. His erection springs free, and he sucks in a fast breath when his cock meets the cool air. You take the opportunity to let your warm breath ghost over his throbbing cock, coaxing a deep groan from Yoongi. He puts his hand to your cheek, and you look up to meet his gaze.

“I don’t think I can last if you put me in your mouth, baby girl. We can do head next time,” Yoongi says, and your heart soars at the pet name. You ease back up so that you’re straddling him once more, and reflexively start to grind on him again.

“Please let me take care of you. Look how wet you are,” he says, running his fingers over your clothed slit, dipping one finger in to collect a bit of slick. He tastes his finger and says. “Yeah, we’re definitely going to need to do head next time.”

You blush at the thought of him buried between your thighs, vulgarly slurping up everything you have to give him. You clench just thinking about it, and Yoongi notices. He pulls your panties to the side, takes the head of his cock and presses it to your clit, teasing your entrance. His precum mixes with your wetness, and you can’t resist him any more. You’ve resisted him for years, and you’re done.

You slowly ease yourself down on his cock, only making it halfway down before you have to wait for you to adjust. You both look at each other; Yoongi’s jaw is set and his eyebrows are furrowed together. Your mouth drops open as you raise and lower yourself again, feeling the delicious stretch that accompanies it. You bottom out and begin setting a slow and gentle pace.

Your body is rolling steadily, moonlight creating beautiful shadows on your body as you take him in over and over. As many times as you’ve dreamed of this, you still didn’t fathom it being this good or it feeling this right.

Yoongi is everything you had imagined he would be and then some. The way he is looking up at you, the way his soft little moans escape every time you bottom out, the way his eyebrows furrow together at the sight of your dripping heat enveloping him. Perfection.

He takes his hands and trails them up the curve of your waist, stopping just below your breasts. He runs his thumbs over your nipples, making you shudder and arch your back, pushing your chest into his hands. He palms them, kneading little circles around your areolas.

You lean forward, putting your weight on him again, and he meets you eagerly with another kiss. He wraps his arms around your back, keeping himself under the jacket, and you pick up the rhythm. Yoongi scratches his nails all the way down your back. Once he gets to your ass, he cups it, squeezing gently. You place your forehead against his, and your eyes meet.

“Y/N,” he whispers, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear, “you look so beautiful on top of me like this. Please let me see this sight for the rest of my life.” You whimper at the praise, and pick up the pace.

“Please,” he continues, small grunts mixing in with his words, “Don’t wake up tomorrow and pretend like this never happened. Please... don’t break my heart,” he pleads.

“Not a chance, Yoon. I can never let you go. You’re everything to me. You’ve always been.”

“Baby, I am so close. Can I--”

“Come with me, Yoongi. Let’s do it together,” you say. Yoongi’s hands are on your hips and he’s thrusting up into you with an unrelenting pace. At this angle, you can feel his head graze against your cervix with each thrust, sending white spots in your vision.

You both reach your end at the same time, breaths mingling as you come down from your highs. You lay your head on his chest and listen to his heartbeat gradually slow. He presses a soft, lingering kiss to the top of your head and sighs into your hair.

“So…” he begins, “do you wanna go to the festival with me?” Yoongi asks.

“Are you gonna pick me up? Let me hold your hand? Have a nice little special romantic date?” you fire back, trying your best to sound like him. You sit up on your arm, letting your hair hang over to one side, and watch the light dance in his eyes as he laughs.

“Yeah,” he laughs, “I might even get us a little snack from one of the desert vendors.”

#bts smut #bts smut reactions #bts smut one shot #bts fanfiction #yoongi smut #yoongi x reader #min yoongi #yoongi x you #yoongi smut one shot #soft!yoongi #yoongi--enthusiast #send me requests

[moldisgoodforyou]

the screenplay

hello i am splitting these up tried to put them together but wasn't working

one scene wonder !!

wordcount: 2k short n sweet

________

Sophie had been begging for months now to see the project Rafe had been working on for one of his classes, especially with how often he added to it. He was constantly jotting down notes in his phone when he thought of something to add - at dinner, when they were hanging out, or the second he’d wake up. He’d always shift to the side whenever she tried to peer over and see the screen, nudging her aside.

All she knew was that it was for his screenwriting class in his minor that he took in the spring, and she swore she’d never seen him so invested in school before. He kept editing it after the class finished, working on it a little throughout the summer, but finished it before he went out to see Sophie in Spain.

When they were back to school in mid-August, she’d mainly forgotten about it - until the end of the month, when he strolled into her room and dropped a bound stack of papers on her desk.

She glanced up from her planner, confused. “Hello to you too, Rafe Cameron. Did I know you were coming over?”

“No, I invited myself. It’s done.”

“It?” She picked up the papers and read the first page. It read “UNTITLED,” BY RAFE CAMERON. Once she realized, she lit up, grinning at him. “Is this what I think it is?”

He flopped onto her bed and locked his fingers behind his head, glancing over with a grin. “Dunno, what do you think it is?”

“Your screenplay? Can I read it?”

“Yeah. Go ahead. It’s only twenty minutes or so, just a short film, so don’t expect too much, but.” He shrugged. “You can read it.”

She beamed and moved to the bed to read, facing the opposite of him. As she read, he was buzzing with nervous anticipation, trying to look over when she laughed or grinned at the page, or when she bit her lip - she’d just nudge him away to finish it. When she finished, setting the papers down, she raised her eyebrows at him.

“Do you like it? Is it okay?” He asked eagerly.

Sophie beamed, nodding slowly. “It’s familiar.”

He rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed at being caught. “Is it?”

“I mean -” She laughed, running her finger over the main girl’s name, Sloane. “If you were trying to be more subtle, you probably wouldn’t have used my middle name here. Where’d the guy’s name come from?” She cocked her head curiously, hoping to make him blush yet again.

“Uh.” He scratched his head, giving her a sheepish smile. “My middle name’s Asher, actually.”

A grin spread across her face, slowly. “You told me you had no middle name.”

“No, you asked if I had a middle name, and I said no. I have two. Asher and Clifford. Clifford’s my mom’s maiden name.” He corrected, fishing out his driver’s license and handing it to her, with Rafe A. C. Cameron on it.

She glanced it over, then glanced back at him with a teasing smirk. “Rafe Asher Clifford Cameron. That is the most pretentious name I’ve ever heard -”

“Hey!” He nudged her shoulder. “Watch it, that’s your boyfriend you’re talking to.”

“My boyfriend, who wrote our love story into a screenplay.” She beamed as he blushed even harder. His character had confessed his crush on the girl to his friends much sooner than she began to give way, something she’d always suspected for a while, but never confronted him about it.

He tapped the bound pages again. “Did you make it to the end? You missed my favorite part.”

“Yeah, I finished reading…” She furrowed her brow and flipped back through to what she thought was the end, then one page further. There was a dedication inscribed to her in the middle of the page: “inspired by a true story. for my favorite.” She bit her bottom lip hard, tearing up a little.

“Oh. Rafe.”

“Is that okay?” He took the screenplay out of her hands, gently setting it aside, and rolled on top of her to kiss her, slow. “I know it’s kind of cheesy, and you don’t really do cheesy. But I figured you played a part in this just as much as I did, so I wanted to give you some credit.”

“It’s perfect.” She reached up and threaded her fingers through his hair, smiling as she kissed him back. “My sweet boy.”

“Keep your voice down, you’ll ruin my rep.” He joked, laughing when she scowled and bit his lip gently in retaliation. “Hey! Hey, play nice.”

“Did you get an A?” She asked, kissing him again with a little more heat behind it. “Can I keep it?”

“Not sure yet. Yeah, I bound that copy for you, it’s all yours.”

“It’s really good, Rafe. I’m serious. I know I don’t know about movies like you do, but the writing, the directions - I’m really impressed.” She complimented, loving the way he looked away out of embarrassment and blushed red. “You only started this in April or something, right?”

“Uh...yeah.” He lied, rolling off of her to look up at the ceiling when she narrowed her eyes to catch him. “Okay, fine. Um, you know that navy journal I carry around? I’ve been writing notes in there.”

“But I’ve seen you with that since last December.” She furrowed her brow, confused. “We didn’t say I love you for months after that.”

He shrugged, casting her a grin as she climbed onto him and pressed her head to his chest, snuggling close. He wrapped his arms tight around her, tracing patterns on her back lightly. “When you know, you know, I guess.”

“You sap.” She accused, poking her finger against her chest. “My character’s a bitch for the whole first quarter of the screenplay, I can’t believe you wrote that in.”

He laughed, tugging gently on the ends of her hair. “Asher argues right back, I guess it’s how you look at it. The character growth is important, though, they can’t just fall in love like that without conflict. Rule number one of storytelling.”

“Are you gonna produce it?”

“The screenplay? Nah. Well, I don’t know, my professor picks two out of the ten and then we produce them in the spring semester. He did, um, encourage me to enter it in some contest for students, so I submitted it recently, but yeah. Doubt he’ll pick it though.” He dismissed himself easily.

“Hey.” She flicked his chest. “Be more confident. I want someone really hot to play me. Like Megan Fox-caliber.”

He snorted, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, okay. I’m sure she’s in the film department’s tiny budget.”

“You have money.” She pointed out, smirking, and leaned up to kiss him.

“Not hire-Megan-Fox money. Besides, you’re hotter.” He met her lips first, shifting so his leg fell in between hers.

“We both know that’s not true, baby.” She raised her eyebrows, skeptical.

“It is true. You’re fucking gorgeous.” He kissed her again, hard, smiling against her lips. “Prettiest girl I’ve ever seen. 10/10, would bang.”

“Thanks for the Yelp review.” She giggled and rolled her eyes simultaneously. “For the record, I always thought you were hot, even if you were arrogant and annoying when we were growing up.”

“I’m glad we waited, both of us.” He threaded his fingers through hers and kissed the tip of her nose. “If we had just one hate fuck and then you got over me I think I’d be so sad.”

“You wouldn’t get over me?”

“I haven’t been over you since junior year of high school, sweetheart.” He pointed out, making her blush bright red.

“What happened with Brooklyn then?” She asked point-blank, feeling bold.

He scowled, pressing his hips against hers. “Do we have to talk about her? Because I have other ideas for topics of conversation. Literally anything else.”

“We don’t have to, no. I’m just curious.”

“I dunno. Good timing, I guess. It kind of started out of convenience, knowing both our families would get along, then turned into a little more.” He shrugged, teasing his thumbs over her hip bones and along the hem of her shirt. “Longest mistake of my life.”

“Hey. You didn’t know she was going to end up that way.” Sophie frowned, then her frown gave way to a smug smirk. “It’s fine, I was sleeping around back then anyways -”

“You’ve slept with one other person, Sophie -” He started with an exasperated sigh, laughing when her jaw dropped in indignation. “Technically, your body count is just two.”

“So’s yours!” She retorted, sitting up on top of him and crossing her arms.

“No. Still four.” He corrected. “And I’d like both of ours to stay that way.”

“So that’s a no to a threesome?” She teased, punctuating her question with a roll of her hips.

“If you think I’m letting another person touch you like I get to, you’re delusional.” He scowled, gripping her hips a little tighter to keep her firmly in place. “I don’t even like other guys looking at you at the bar.”

“You’re too jealous.” She chastised with a flip of her hair. “People are gonna look at me. I’m hot. Bangable, in your words.”

“First off, I was joking, and I’m pretty sure I did not say bangable -”

“You absolutely did! Might as well have called me a slut -”

He raised his eyebrows at her teasing tone, unamused. “Why, do you want that? ‘Cause if you do you can just ask.”

“No.” She pouted, moving off of him.

“Where are you going?” He reached out for her, tugging at the hem of her shirt. “C’mere, I want to snuggle.”

She smiled, endeared by the 6’3” boy in her bed asking to cuddle. “Okay. Just that though, we have that dinner reservation soon, the one downtown.”

He grinned when she crawled back into bed. She looped her arm around his waist, spooning him, and he sighed contentedly. “I’m so excited for those fancy drinks.”

“We can make fancy drinks at home, y’know. Just buy the alcohol and we can try it.” She nudged her nose against his neck, making him flinch and wiggle away for a moment.

“Not the same. $18 cocktails in the fancy glasses just hit different.” He flipped over so he was face to face with her and rested his arm over her waist, scratching little circles on her back.

“Mm.” She closed her eyes but gave him a nod. “Are you gonna order a dumb whiskey drink again then drink half my fruity drink?”

“You like whiskey.” He protested. “We were sharing.”

“Free alcohol is free alcohol.” She replied, her voice taking on a sleepy tone. “How fancy do I have to be for this place?”

“You can just throw on a dress.” He continued to scratch her back, loving her little hums of contentment. “We can take a nap before we go. Twenty minutes. You can do eyeliner and lipstick and whatever in the car.”

“Ideal.” She murmured. “Rafe?”

“Yeah, angel?”

“I really love that screenplay. You’re very talented. I mean it.” She squinted one eye open just so she could see his blush and shy smile.

“Yeah, well. I had good inspiration. Thank you, Soph, that means a lot.” He reached out and stroked his thumb over her cheek as he reminded himself how lucky he was to be with her.

“Always my favorite.” She whispered, leaning forward to peck his lips and cuddle closer into him. “I’m gonna sleep.”

“I love you too.” He murmured back. “Sweet dreams.”

taglist: @drewstarkey @lemur46 @jjmaybanksbaby @edgeofgr8 @quxxnxfhxll @obxtess @hoodpankow @vtgirl802 @outerbankies @messagesinthesky @nicolecarsley @svechnikolan @ilovejjmaybank @obxtess @abbyj1822 @oopsiedoopsie23 @g4bster @jjmaybankzz @freddymaybank @dontjinx-it @illbesafeforyou @moniamaybank @tovvaa @jailcalledlife @sunshineitsfine44 @randomficsandshit @outerbankspreferences @outerbanksbro @karsinner @kkmaybank @whoeveniskendall @lemur46

#rafe cameron #rafe cameron fanfic #outer banks #outer banks fanfic #obx #obx fanfic #rafe x sophie #mine #gif

[nahoyagf]

pottery { gojo x fem! reader }

summary: you despise your pottery teacher with all of your being. so it only makes sense that the universe would play a little prank on you by making you have to stay after school in his class.

tw: all characters are 18+, teacher/student vibes, gojo is a perv, normal! au

You first had Gojo in junior year. He was funny and easy to be around. You didn’t really make much of a presence in that class, most girls just tried to get his attention and most boys competed with him for the attention of the girls. So you typically came into class, sat down, did your work, and then left. You assumed that Gojo probably didn’t even know your name.

But one day you found out that Gojo did in fact know your name and knew more about you than you would’ve liked.

It all started when one of the boys in your class tried to get extra time on the project. Him and Gojo went back and forth on the topic before Gojo finally asked why he needed the extra time.

“Sensei, I had to play at the football game and go to my cousin’s birthday party,” the boy whined.

There was no cousin’s birthday party, just a house party which lead to him being hungover the entire next day.

“Not good enough reasoning,” Gojo chuckled.

“Please! I know you understand my struggle.”

“I know that we can’t all be stay at home nerds like (name) over there,” Gojo raised a hand towards you, “but at least make an effort to get my assignments done.”

Your face burned red with embarrassment. The class’ eyes shifted towards you, being silent for a moment before a few let out chuckles and giggles at your expense. Getting made fun of by fellow classmates was one thing but getting made fun of by your teacher was a new level of embarrassment. Your mind searched for what you could’ve done to deserve this until finally it clicked.

There was no reason. Satorou Gojo was just an asshole.

Luckily for you that occurred during the last week of the second semester. So you didn’t have to see the faces of your class for the whole summer. Unfortunately, your plans of never seeing Gojo again got ruined when you entered your senior year.

Out of all the few credits you needed, of course art had to be one of them. Your eyes burnt holes into the schedule in your hands.

Ceramics 2: Satorou Gojo.

You begged with your counselor to change the class. All you needed was a different teacher. But all classes were full.

For the first few weeks, the class actually went fine. Gojo made occasional attempts to talk to you, usually it was just “how are you?” or “good morning” but there were a few times where he’d tell you a joke about last year’s class as if he was trying to be friends. But you simply ignored him and left class as quickly as you could.

Your friends always listened to your anger fueled rants about your ceramics teacher. Despite the easiness of the class, it still was the one to stress you out the most. So after having a tiring day, your friends decided that maybe this once you should just skip his class. You were never really the class skipping type. No not “really”, you were never the class skipping type. But it felt so liberating to do it. It was like a little fuck you towards your teacher.

You faked being your mother and called yourself out of the class and then went on your merry way, doing whatever you pleased. However, you awoke the next morning with the grim reminder that Gojo had a policy that if you missed his class, you would have to come after school to catch up on your work.

Gojo looked happy to see you. You walked in with your head down low and thought that maybe if he didn’t see you, he would forget about his policy and that you happened to miss class. But of course, Gojo walked up to you with a michevious smile.

“Y/n! I didn’t see you yesterday!” he said, “I was pretty bummed, you know? You are one of my favorite students.”

His voice dropped an octave when he said the second part, you shuddered and finally turned to face him. Only to touch the tip of his nose with yours, he had this smile on his face. It looked fairly normal but the way it twisted slightly showed some kind of malicious intent. He closed his eyes and giggled at your proximity, but before you could pull your head away, he lightly bopped his nose against yours and stood up to his full, towering height.

“Oh! I almost forgot. See me after class, sweetheart.” he chimed, winking and turning away.

That asshole! What’s with his weird behavior?

Eventually it came time to meet with him. For some reason, you felt extra nervous. Your palms were sweaty and your stomach felt tight and twisted.

“What did I miss yesterday?” your voice called out to your teacher, who was currently leaning up against a desk.

“We made vases on the pottery wheel” he said with a smirk.

You walked to your station to grab some clay and and water. As you began trying to make the vase, you realized that it wasn’t going very well. Even after all of your time in his class, this was never your strong suit.

“Wow, you’re doing really bad”, he chuckled as your face scrunched up in anger, “let me help you.”

He came up behind you. His tall frame made you feel like a mouse compared to a cat. He started to wrap his arms around you and then put his large hands around yours. You squirmed in his touch.

“Calm down, I’m just helping you”

His voice wasn’t doing anything to help you calm down. It was deeper and his lips were right by your ear. Although you hated him, the closeness and intimacy of his actions gave you butterflies. His hands began to apply pressure to the clay. Your eyes looked to his, seeing that he was focused in on his actions.

“Here,” his hands moved yours, “ push up and down on it.”

The clay began to start to take a shape. But you lost a little steadiness as you got more nervous. They stuttered and shook lightly. The action didn’t go unnoticed by your teacher.

“Don’t be nervous. I’m right here to guide you. Just press down a little more”

You did as told and Gojo let out a low, satisfied chuckle. Then his hands gripped yours tighter and moved them up the clay.

“Now we have to make it a real vase,” he began to push your middle and pointer finger with his own.

“Push your fingers in and curl them slightly.”

He mimicked the action with his own hand while his other reached for a spray bottle.

“You have to make sure it’s wet or else you won’t go in easy.”

The words brought a blush to your face but Gojo seemed unbothered. He began to guide your fingers upwards while you pinched the clay causing the vase’s neck to get longer.

“Circle your fingers a little bit. And then,” he turned to face you, “you’re finished.”

He removed himself from you, taking a step back to look at the work.

“You did good.” he said as you began to get your stuff and walk out, “but y/n, next time you decide to skip again I’ll make you stay...longer”

You quickly nodded and hurried out the door, only staying long enough to catch the wink Gojo gave you.

#jjk x reader #jjk #gojo sensei #gojo saturo x reader #gojo x reader #tl: gojo #📁:general

[atlafan]

Office Neighbors - Part Five

a/n: another long one! this won’t be the last part, there will definitely be a part six. There’s some puberty talk towards the end with Andy...

warnings: slight angst, fluff, smut (use of toys)

words: 20K

masterpost

The first faculty meeting of the semester. You officially had been at the university for a year, and it felt incredible. You think back to the morning you got ready last year, waking up in your cozy blanket burrito. This time around you woke up with your new favorite kind of burrito: Harry. You didn’t think you’d like having one of his arms under your neck with the other one wrapped around you, or having his heavy leg over your hip, but it was wonderful. Harry had sent Andy over to Paige’s for his Wednesday with her so Harry spent the night at your place.

Andy had apologized to his mother, who was more than forgiving. He didn’t fully explain himself, but Harry told her just to go with it, and she listened. Andy made her a congratulations card, and it’s been up on the fridge ever since.

You had dinner with them a couple of times, and you were amazed at how talkative Andy was with you. He asked you a ton of questions about anything and everything, and you answered things to the best of your ability. You hadn’t spent the night at Harry’s though. You had never spent the night there. You might have, but since Andy came back early both you and Harry agreed sleepovers would be better at your place for now. Once Andy gets back into the regular rhythm of going to Paige’s every other weekend, then you said you’d consider spending the night at Harry’s.

Your alarm goes off, and you turn it off. Harry peppers kisses to the back of your neck and it makes you giggle.

“Why are we getting up so early? Meeting’s not until two.” He yawns and then kisses your cheek, pulling you closer.

“Shower, breakfast, then office decorating.”

“What’s for breakfast?”

“Pesto toast and fried eggs.” Harry groans happily into you and you giggle.

“That sounds so fucking good.”

“And I bought the bread you really like to make it with too.”

He shifts, and forces you onto your back. He kisses on your neck, down your chest, your stomach, and then dangerously lower.

“Harry, wait!” You yank his head up by his hair and he pouts at you. “Can we shower first? That’s a little…gross first thing in the morning, isn’t it?”

“I don’t particularly think so, but we can shower first if you’re more comfortable with that.”

“I would.” You blush slightly.

“Okay.” He kisses your cheek and gets off of you.

If there was one thing you could look at forever, it would be Harry’s bare ass. It was just so…plump! Who knew doing yoga could help with the booty?

“Are you coming, or are you gonna keep staring?” He smirks.

“Oh, shut up.” You say, frazzled, and get out of bed to join him in your bathroom.

You turn the water on and you both brush your teeth before you get in. You sigh as the warm water hits your skin. You and Harry still fumbled around while taking showers together, not really having learned the full morning routine of one another yet, but it was okay. It caused for some laughs.

“Har?” You say as you lather up your body.

“Yeah?”

“What, um, what are we telling people at work?”

“About what?” He says as he steps aside to let you stand in the water.

“About us.”

“Oh! Well…what do you wanna tell people? We should probably let Lisa know…I’m sure everyone will figure it out the second we walk in together.” He watches as the soap falls down your body.

“So, like, are we just saying we’re together, we’re seeing each other?”

“That’s what we’re doing, so yeah, makes sense to say that.” He shrugs and wraps his arms around your waist. “Can I have now?” He pouts.

You giggle at him and nod. His lips press to yours as your arms wrap around his neck. You don’t stay like that for long though because Harry is kissing down your body until he reaches his knees. He gets one of your legs over his shoulder and you nearly lose your balance.

“Couldn’t we do this on dry land?!” You squeal as you clutch at the walls.

“You’re making things very difficult for me this morning.” He says as he looks up at you. “Would you relax?”

You couldn’t relax. Your period was just around the corner and you were worried about it springing up on you while he was down there.

“Sorry.” You mutter and take a deep breath. “Go ahead.”

Your back arches when you feel his tongue on you. you bite your bottom lip as you feel him lap away at you, and suck on your clit. He sucks harshly, and it has you tugging hard at his hair. He stands up and your mouth falls open to protest, but you’re shut up when you feel two fingers slip inside you.

“Sorry, my knees were starting to hurt.” He grunts as he kisses on your neck.

“S’okay.” You gasp when he curls his fingers up. You reach between the two of you to rub and tug at his hard dick.

His lips find your again, and he sucks your bottom between his teeth. You moan out for him and squeeze around his fingers. His thumb rubs at your puffy clit and you pump him faster.

“Fuck.” He groans. “M’not gonna last much longer.” His other hand come up to knead one of your breasts, and he pumps his fingers in and out of you faster.

“H-Harry!” You cry out as you release around him. You’re in such a daze you barely register his come splashing on your stomach and hand. He kisses your temple and grabs the shower head to clean you off. “Thanks.” You breathe.

He smiles at you as he wipes his mess away and puts the shower head back. You turn the water off, and get a towel wrapped around yourself. Harry follows you out to the bedroom, and goes through his overnight bag to find his boxers. He slips them on as you look through your own dresser.

“Do you know how hot it’s going to be today?” You ask him.

“Let me check my phone.” He says and looks through his weather app. “Um, mid-eighties, babe.”

“Humid?”

“A wee bit.”

“Alright.” You sigh.

You brush out your hair and run your blow dryer through it before putting it up in a messy bun. Harry was just getting his jeans and t-shirt on when you come out. It was a loose pair of jeans with rips at the knees.

“I think you wore those when we first met.” You chuckle.

“I wear them every year, sort of like a good luck for the semester. It’s weird, but it helps me.”

“Not weird at all, we all have our own traditions.” You shrug. “God, I have no idea what I wanna wear.” You groan. “I hate being all sweaty, you know?”

“Why not one of your pretty sundresses?”

“No, I’ll just be uncomfortable in a dress. I wish I could just wear workout clothes, but I think that would be a bit too dressed down.”

You settle on a pair of shorts and a top to tuck into them. You both go into the kitchen, and Harry sits down at your island while you start getting breakfast ready. He was better at cooking dinner, and you were better at breakfast, so you both just took turns making meals for the other. Once it’s all done, his mouth is watering. He takes a big bite and moans.

“Mm, best pesto toast I’ve ever had.”

“Thanks.” You reach forward to snag the bit of yolk that that’s dribbling down his chin. “It’s a bit messy, sorry.” He grabs your thumb before you can wipe it on your napkin, and sucks it into his mouth, letting it go with a pop.

“No worries, I’ve told you, I like it messy.” He winks at you.

“You’re too much.” Your face had to be red. A guy had never made you feel so flustered before.

“So, what exactly does office decorating entail? Aren’t you keeping the same furniture?”

“Oh, sure, but I wanna dust and wipe things down. I have some new things I wanna hang up. Might be night to air it out too. Don’t you wanna get your office in order?”

“I guess that would be the smart thing to do. I’m just feeling lazy today.”

“It’ll be the perfect thing to perk you up before our meeting. Are we getting new faculty?”

“Not this year, just the usual random TL’s that teach the online classes. Why? Hoping to meet someone new?”

“Stop.” You nudge him. “Couldn’t replace you even if I wanted to. I’m really excited to see everyone. I’ve missed Janette.”

“That’s why I’m glad we all usually go to the pub after the meeting so we can all really catch up.”

“And the game nights will start back up.”

“They’ll probably separate us now that we’re together. Not fair to have a couple who wins all the time on the same team.”

“Please, they should keep us together, I’d hate to see what you look like when you lose.”

“Aw.” He says as he gets up to clean the plates. “That’s so cute you think I’d lose a game to you.” He turns to you. “Lose to anyone, really.”

“I can’t wait to see how you are at Andy’s basketball games this season, you must be a backseat coach.”

“I’m actually not too bad, thank you very much. I would never try to embarrass my kid.” He puts his hands on your hips as you stand up. “Are you saying you wanna come to a few games this winter?”

“That’s what I’m saying.” You smile. “I think it would be good for him to know I’m there supporting him, don’t you?”

“Yeah.” He kisses you. “That means a lot to me that you care.”

“Of course I care.” You kiss again before he lets you go. “Come on, let’s go.”

//

Harry doesn’t do as deep of a clean to his office as you do to yours. You had barely been there this summer, opting to go to the library like he had suggested because of the A/C. You open up your window and you hear him curse from his office.

“What is it?”

“My cactus died…” He sighs and shows you the pot. “I don’t know how, I came in to water all of these. Fuck, now I’m gonna have to go get a new one.”

“So…you love plants, but you hate shopping for them?”

“No, I just prefer to go to Lowe’s and the drive is annoying.”

“It’s…twenty minutes south on the highway.”

“Yeah, twenty fucking minutes to get some decent plants, and then it’ll take me god knows how long to find ones I like, then I need to find pots for Andy to paint. He likes painting for me so it adds more decoration.”

“Just when I thought he couldn’t get cuter.” You pout. “Maybe we could have a painting party. We could all decorate some pots, I could do some for my own office.”

“You’d be into something like that?”

“Yeah! I like getting crafty, obviously.”

“I bet he’d paint you something nice for your office. He’ll love it. I have to take him back to school shopping this weekend anyways, so I can go to Lowe’s then.”

“Sounds good to me.” You smile, and just as you lean in to kiss him…

“Oh my god!” Janette squeals, and you both turn towards her. “Look at this! You’re a full on couple, how cute.” She pouts and pinches Harry’s cheek before giving him and you a hug. “I’ve missed you both so much.”  

“Same here.” You say. “How were your travels with Sadie?”

‘Incredible! She gets to go to the coolest places. I always feel well rounded after traveling with her. H, I watched you lecture too since it was recorded, amazing job.”

“Oh, thanks.” He blushes.

“So, this is a thing now?” She grins. “Should have placed bets within the department. I saw this from a mile away, although, I thought it would have happened sooner.” She shrugs. “Oh well.”

“Do we have to make some type of formal announcement?” You ask.

“Please.” She scoffs. “The second you two walk into that meeting everyone will know. It’s written all of your faces.”

“Okay, okay.” Harry says. “Shall we head up then?” He shuffles the both of them out of his office.

You and Janette walk ahead of him, giggling about something. Harry was happy you made such good friends with her, he knew you were lonely when you first moved here. Janette was also someone you could hang out with while he was with Andy.

Lisa was already in the conference room with Mateo when you three walk in. Andre and Sandra come in next. You all find seats and wait for Lisa to get started. She smiles at everyone and squints at you and Harry.

“Well, well, well, how long has this been going on for?”

“Ha! I told you!” Janette laughs, and so does everyone else.

“Did everyone know we liked each other before we did? Is that it?” You also laugh.

“Are you kidding?!” Andre says. “Harry is the least subtle person when he has a crush! I swear I started keeping a tally of every time he popped into your office while I was in mine. Was pretty cute actually.”

“Alright, thank you everyone.” Harry says, chuckling. “It’s still new, it’s only been a month and a half or so.”

“Well, congrats to you both.” Lisa says warmly. “What a great way to start our meeting off. Now, let’s get to the fun stuff like budgets and course design.” She jokes.

After the meeting, just like last year, everyone walks down to the pub for dinner and drinks. Harry sits next to you, and even puts his arm around your shoulders, it’s loose, but it’s there. You get your chicken-less nachos, and a couple of drinks. It’s a lot of fun to reconnect with your colleagues. It’s also a reminder that you really need to get some work done on your doctoral thesis this semester. You had been doing so much research and reading that you felt like you could start writing your actual paper. Well, you felt like you could really start putting a solid outline together.

You and Harry walk back to your car, since you drove together in it this morning.

“That was fun, it was so good to see everyone. School really starts next week, I can’t believe it!” You say.

“I know, it’s wild.”

“I volunteered to help out with the movie on the green during welcome week. Seemed like the easiest thing to get involved in.”

“I signed up for that too. They’re showing Wonder Woman and I wanted to bring Andy since we didn’t get a chance to see it in theaters when it came out. Maybe we could all go together…”

“I’d like that.” You smile. “Am I just dropping you off at yours?”

“Yeah, Paige’ll be bringing him home in an hour or so.”

“Alrighty.” You turn left so you can get on the route to Harry’s house. You pull into his driveway. “So, painting this weekend?”

“Most likely, yeah. I’ll text you.”

“Sounds good.” You both lean over the console to kiss goodbye. You smile into it, just loving his lips on yours.

“What are you so happy about, hm?” He says, also with a big smile on his face.

“Just like you a lot.”

“Like you a lot too.” He gives you one more peck on the lips before getting out and waving goodbye.

That was something the two of had gotten into the habit of saying: I like you a lot. It was less serious than saying I love you, but it also gave that reassurance that the both of you were still happy in the budding relationship.

//

“Dad! I’m home!” Andy says as he comes into the house, bringing his things to his room. Harry was just getting some comfy clothes on.

“Hey, how was Mum’s?” He asks as he leans against the door frame.

“Good.” He shrugs. “She said I was too old to be the ring bearer.” He scoffs.

“You are.” Harry chuckles. “Did she say you could do something else?”

“Well, Noah said I could be in his wedding party, but I told Mum I’d rather be in hers, and they said that was fine. Rachel got all excited because she’s going to walk Noah up to the alter. I don’t really know why this being talked about now. They’re not getting married for another year.”

“Weddings take a lot of planning.”

“But why? It’s all a big hullaballoo for no reason.”

“Hullaballoo?” Harry laughs.

“Yeah! Like, they’re just having a small thing in the backyard, what’s the big deal?”

“You know how Mum’s family is, they like things a certain way. I think it’ll be nice, and you’ll look great in her wedding party, get you fitted for a nice suit.”

“Are you gonna be there.” He says, sitting on his bed.

“I don’t know if I’m in invited yet.”

“Why wouldn’t you be?”

“I don’t know.” He shrugs. “Kind of weird to invite your ex to your wedding, but if Mum wants me there I’ll go.”

“You could bring Y/N.” Andy grins.

“Speaking of her, you and I are gonna go back to school shopping this weekend, and while we’re out we’re gonna pick up some paint and pots, thought she could join us for that.”

“Yeah! That sounds like fun, Dad.”

“Good.” Harry smiles. “Did you want to invite Brandon over too? He had fun with us last year.”

“Sure, I can text him…on my dinosaur phone.” He mumbles.

“Andy.” Harry sighs. “Two more years, I just need you to wait two more years, and then you can have a smart phone, okay? You’re lucky you have a phone at all.”

“Fine.” He rolls his eyes. “Does everyone at school know you’re dating now?”

“Pretty much.”

“When are you going to ask her to be your girlfriend?”

“I don’t know.” He runs a hand through his hair.

“Why not?”

“I just don’t, it’s complicated. Things are good right now, I don’t wanna rock the boat.”

“But…in like every movie we watch it’s always so clear that the girl just wants things to be official, so why not just do that? I bet it would make her happy.”

“This isn’t a movie. Dating someone for a month and a half, I feel, is too soon to really put a label on. It’s a very serious thing to call someone your girlfriend or boyfriend.”

“Ugh.” Andy flops back onto his bed.

“What?” Harry steps into his room more.

“Molly is Brandon’s girlfriend, does that mean things are super serious?”

“Andy…at your age…it really doesn’t mean much, I promise. I thought they just kissed, now they’re boyfriend and girlfriend?” He sits down on his desk chair and Andy rolls onto his side to look at Harry.

“Yeah, he told me the other day.” He sighs. “I don’t really get the appeal, Molly’s nice and pretty, but…” He chews his inner cheek. “I…I think I still think kissing is gross, is that weird?”

“It’s not weird at all. You all are going through different phases right now. You might think kissing isn’t weird this time next year, or even a couple of months from now. You’re only going into sixth grade, it’s okay to not be into girls or…whatever yet.”

“What’s so great about kissing, anyways?”

“Do you want the super high level answer?”

“Yes.”

“Alright, scientifically speaking, when you kiss someone on the lips, especially someone you really like, there’s a chemical reaction in your brain that releases the hormone oxytocin. Sometimes it’s called the love hormone.” Andy blinks at him. “Basically, it just makes you feel really good, and it makes you feel all lovey and attached to the person that makes you feel that way.”

“Do you feel that way with Y/N?”

“Um…well…yeah, I like kissing her.”

“I guess I just won’t understand until it happens to me.”

“Promise me something?” Andy nods at him. “Don’t just kiss someone to get it over with to see what it feels like because then it won’t mean anything. Your first kiss is something you’ll never get back, you know? So…don’t give it away to just anyone, alright?”

“Alright.”

Harry smiles and comes over to give Andy a kiss on the forehead.

“Go wash up and get into bed, it’s getting late.”

//

Harry absolutely detested back to school shopping. Every year he and Paige would take Andy to Staples and let him run wild. Buying new binders and notebooks really got him excited. The thing Harry couldn’t stand was the inevitable argument that Andy would have with Paige, and it was happening now.

“Mum, I’ll look like an idiot! I need a separate notebook for each class.”

“But this is like five notebooks in one! What’s the big deal?!”

“We all decorate each cover differently! No one gets these anymore, ugh, you just don’t get it!” Andy huffs.

“Just let him get the notebooks, Paige, it’s not worth it.”

“I guess I really don’t get it.” She sighs. “Go on, pick out what you want. We’re looking at planners next.”

Andy nods and goes down the aisle with the planners. He furrows his brows as he looks over his options.

“Jesus, these are so expensive.” Paige says.

“I know, it’s a rip-off.” Harry agrees. “You’re just writing your assignments down, it doesn’t need to be fancy, Andy.”

“I can’t decide.” His eyes widen when he sees a planner with blue flowers on it, and he reaches to grab it, but he stops himself and sighs.

“What’s wrong?” Paige asks.

“I’ll get made fun of I pick that one.”

“What? Why?” Harry asks.

“Because…flowers are girly.” Andy says quietly.

“No they’re not, I love flowers! We have like three different gardens in the back. You should get the one you want.” Harry says.

“And if anyone makes fun of you, just…well…fuck ‘em.” Paige whispers and it makes harry and Andy laugh.

Paige and Harry get Andy settled, and she leaves them so they can head to Lowe’s to pick everything out for the plants. Once they’re home, Harry gets everything set up in the garage. He lays some newspapers down so the paint won’t make a mess. Brandon’s mom drops him off, and he runs up the driveway, giving Andy a hug when he gets there.

“Thanks for the invite, my mom loved what I made her last year.”

“Yeah…of course.” Andy says, blushing slightly.

“Right, so, everything’s here that you need. Y/N should be here…oh! There’s her car now.” Harry smiles.

You get out of your car in a cute pair of overall shorts and a t-shirt. You grab some of your own pots out of your back seat and walk up.

“Hi boys.” You smile and kiss Harry’s cheek. “I had some extra potters, so I brought some of my own to decorate.”

“Sounds good, got all the paint we could need here.” Harry says, sitting down and gesturing for you to do the same.

“How was back to school shopping, Andy?”

“Good.” He shrugs.

“What kind of planner did you get?” Brandon asks. “Mine’s got these, like, cars on them, it looks so cool.”

“Oh…it’s got this…um…garden or whatever on it. I just grabbed a random one.” He mutters.

“I used to love getting all of that stuff, I still do.” You say. “Nothing like some new notebooks to get you excited for school.”

“I like the pens, my mom let pick out this pack that had all these different colors, highlighters too.” Brandon says.

It was fun painting the pots with everyone, seeing the different designs. Andy was really talented, you were surprised since he was so young. The detail he was able to get on such a small space was incredible. It was starting to get around dinner time.

“Dad, can Brandon stay for dinner?”

“Sure, but he has to call his parents first to ask.”

“Okay!” Brandon says, taking out his smart phone. He gets up to call his parents.

“Would you like to stay for dinner?” Harry asks you.

“I’d love to.” You smile.

“They said it’s okay, I just have to be home by eight.” Brandon smiles. “My said he’d come get me so you don’t have to drive Mr. Styles.”

“Alright, that sounds good. You boys work on cleaning this up, and I’ll get the grill started. Make sure you wash your hands before coming out to the deck.”

You help the boys make sure their paint doesn’t get smudged as they put the pots up on the shelves to dry. You wash your hands as well before going out to the deck.

“Where are they?”

“Oh, um, Andy asked if they could play video games until dinner…and I said it was okay…”

“Oh, alright.” He says with a shrug.

“Is that okay? I should have asked you first.”

“He’s been out all day, I say he’s earned some screen time. It’s perfectly fine.” Harry smiles. “I’m making those impossible burgers, they both really like them. Want cheese on yours?”

“Yes, please. Do need help with anything?”

“Nope.” He kisses your cheek. “Just sit, babe.”

Once the food is done, and on the table outside, Harry calls for the boys, and the come right out. The burger tastes amazing, not that you’re surprised. You started to really enjoy watching Harry interact with the boys. He could really carry on a conversation with them, and relate to them. The boys themselves were really interesting. Brandon was animated as he spoke, and Andy was a bit more reserved but he was hilarious. Andy loved having you over for dinner too. You came once in a while, and he liked seeing you interact with his dad. You made Harry happy in a way that he didn’t, and he sort of understood it.

“Can we play more video games until Brandon’s dad comes, please?”

“Sure, we’re gonna stay out here for a bit I think.”

“Thanks, Mr. Styles!” The boys both race inside to go back to their game.

“At least they ask first, right?” Harry chuckles.

“Exactly.” You smile and rub your arms.

“Are you getting cold? I can get you a sweatshirt.”

“That’d be great, thank you.”

Harry brings the plates inside and grabs you a sweatshirt of his to put on. This was the first time you’d be wearing something of his. It was a university pullover and it was huge on you, but it smelled like him so you didn’t care. It made you feel cozy.

“I hope you weren’t too attached this, it’s mine now.”

“That so?”

“Mhm.” You smile.

Harry lights the citronella candle and you both sit in the other chairs on the deck. You both hold hands and sit in a comfortable silence until Brandon’s dad comes to pick him up.

“Well, I guess I should get going.” You say.

“Yeah.” Harry’s hands were in his pockets. He looks back at Andy who was now watching TV. “I’ll walk you to your car.”

“Thanks.”

Harry keeps his hand on the small of your back as you both walk outside. Before you can open up your car door he presses you against it, crashing his mouth to yours. You tug at the collar of his shirt as his tongue enters your mouth. He bites your bottom lip before pressing his forehead to yours.

“It was such a nice day.” You breathe.

“I’m really glad you came over.”

“Me too.”

“See you Monday?”

“Mhm.” He swallows and steps back. “Andy will be with me…school doesn’t start until Wednesday.”

“Maybe we can all have lunch together or something.”

He kisses you again, not really wanting you to leave, but he knows you have to. Even if Andy wasn’t there you probably wouldn’t stay over since you had your period.

“I have to go.” You whisper.

“I know.” One last, good kiss and he lets go of you. “Have a good night.”

“You too.” You stroke his cheek, and then get into your car.

Harry sighs when he gets inside and flops onto the couch.

“What?” Andy giggles.

“Ugh, I just really like her.” He groans into the couch which makes Andy laugh harder.

//

The first few days of classes were going well. Your period ended which was helpful so you weren’t too snippy while meeting with some of your new advisees who needed help switching classes.

“I’d like something Tuesdays and Thursdays, preferably after one.”

“Yeah…I was sort of hoping to not have Friday classes…”

“That doesn’t sound interesting, isn’t there anything else to take?”

“I’d rather just keep pushing off my math class.”

It went on like that and you wanted to scream, but you couldn’t. You couldn’t wait for the add/drop period to be over.

“Y/N?” You look up and see a shy Andy in your doorway. “I know you’re busy, but…can I hang out in here? Dad’s teaching and I’m bored.”

“Sure! Hi, yeah, come on in. I don’t have any more appointments today, and my next class won’t start for another hour.” You smile and he comes in to sit on your couch. “School starts tomorrow, huh?”

“Yup, we have two half days and a full day Friday.”

“That’s good, gets you back into a routine.”

“Mhm.”

“Are you and Brandon in the same class, did you end up on the four teacher team?”

“Yeah!” He beams. “And his girlfriend Molly is on the two teacher team, which he was sad about, but I’m happy about it. Now I don’t have to watch them flirt.” He rolls his eyes.

“You don’t like Molly much, do you?”

“It’s not that I don’t…he just…ugh, we were on the phone last night and you know what he said?”

“What did he say?” Your full attention was on him now.

“He asked if I wanted to go on a double date with him, Molly, and her best friend Alexis at the playground after school Friday.”

“Oh! What did you tell him?”

“I said I couldn’t because I have to go to my mum’s, which isn’t a lie…”

“But if you didn’t need to go to your mum’s…”

“Still wouldn’t have wanted to. Alexis is nice, but I don’t wanna go on a date with her. I don’t wanna date anyone.” He looks away from you for a moment and then back. “How…how did you know you liked my dad?”

“Oh gosh…um…well…I always liked him, we were friends for a while.”

“Yeah, but when did like turn into like like?”

“Gotcha, well, it was a couple of things. I just starting noticing different things about him that I liked more than usual, and then on the camping trip…well…he just made me feel really safe, you know? He helped me sleep better, and I hadn’t even realized it. I started feeling butterflies around him, and…when we first kissed I just sort knew it was supposed to happen.”

“I can’t believe kissing has so much power. He said he likes kissing you. He told me kissing makes your brain explode with this stuff that makes you feel good.”

“Andy?” Harry asks. “What the hell are you talking about in here?”

“Dad, get out! We’re talking!” Andy gets up and slams the door in Harry’s face. You suck your lips into your mouth to keep from laughing. “He’s so nosey.” Andy huffs as he looks at you.

“Perhaps he has a right to be.” You get up. “Would you open the door please?”

Andy sighs and opens the door. Harry was glaring at him.

“Go to my office, now.” Andy does as he says, and Harry looks at you. “I’m so sorry, I know you’re busy, and-“

“It was no problem, we were having a really nice chat until you barged in. You should really learn to knock first, Dad.” You cross your arms and smirk.

“Very funny.”

“Hey, come here.” You whisper and Harry comes closer. “I think he’s really confused about things. He was telling me how Brandon wanted to go on a double date, which, like, wow, kids are growing up way too fast these days, but, anyways, he said he didn’t wanna date anyone. Then he asked me how I knew I liked you as more than a friend.”

“I think he may have a thing for Brandon.” Harry whispers very quietly. “But I don’t he really knows that, or understands what he’s feeling right now, so I’m trying not to push it on him.” You nod your head. “Thank you for telling me what he said, though, definitely helps piece things together.”

“Dad, Brandon just texted asking if I wanna play basketball at the park, can I go?”

“Sure! I just finished my last class, so let me get my things together and we can go.”

“Awesome! Thanks.” He smiles. “Bye, Y/N.”

“Bye, have a nice afternoon.”

“Will you come over for dinner tonight?”

“Andy.” Harry sighs.

“I’d love to, but only if Dad says it’s okay.”

“You…really wanna come over tonight? You won’t be too tired?”

“It’ll help me get out of here at a reasonable hour. As long as I’m not imposing…”

“You wouldn’t be. Come by around six, yeah?”

“Works for me.” You smile.

Harry grabs Andy by the back of his shirt to push him back to his office and it makes you giggle.

//

“I’m so glad they’re in the same class again, Brandon was freaking out about it.” Brandon’s dad says to Harry at the park.

“Glad to know the feeling is mutual.”

“I’ve never seen Brandon with such a good friend before, it’s great. My wife and I adore Andy.”

“That means a lot, thank you. I love having Brandon over, they play really nicely together, and he’s so polite.” He watches as the two of them have fun playing basketball. “So…Brandon has a girlfriend now, huh?”

“Girlfriend.” Ed scoffs. “We’ll see how long that lasts, she’s already getting on his nerves.”

“Really?!”

“Yeah, I guess she’s mad because she wanted Andy and Brandon to hang out with her and her friend Alexis Friday, but Brandon said they couldn’t because Andy has to go to his mom’s, and it turned into this whole thing. He’s not talking to her at the moment.”

“Wow, does Andy know that?”

“No, I think B wanted to keep it to himself so Andy wouldn’t feel bad about them fighting.” He rolls his eyes. “I knew he’d start dating at some point, but I didn’t think it would be this early. I should have told him no dating until high school or something.” Ed steps closer to Harry. “You don’t think…I mean…if they did I wouldn’t care, but you don’t think….” He nods towards the two of them.

“I don’t know.” Harry sighs. “I wouldn’t care either. I think Andy’s confused if anything. He’s not quite ready to date or anything, it still grosses him out.”

“See, that seems normal for their age to me.”

“They’re all going through things at different speeds, think we just need to give it time.”

//

You show up to Harry’s around 6:15, you were in the middle of some good work and you just wanted to finish it up. You ring the bell and Andy answers.

“Hi, Y/N.” He beams.

“Hi, Andy, did you have fun playing basketball?”

“Yeah!” He tugs you inside. “We’re having taco salad tonight.”

“Sounds yummy.” You smile and walk into the kitchen with him.

“Hey.” Harry smiles and kisses you on the cheek. “Just getting everything onto the table, have a seat.”

“Thank you, sorry I’m late.”

“You barely are, it’s fine.” Harry and Andy sit down. “Andy, here’s your taco meat.” He passes him the small bowl. “I just made black beans for us, Y/N.”

You nod as Harry uses the salad tongs to put some on your plate. You all add your different fixings and dig in.

“So, how do the half days work? Will you have really short classes and go to all of them, or will you have your first few classes one day and the rest the next?” You ask Andy.

“We have homeroom, and then some big assembly, and then we have our first three classes. Thursday we have our last four classes, and then Friday is normal.”

“What’s your favorite subject?”

“Art.” He says, mouth full. “But I won’t have it until the second half of the school year, I have gym the first half.”

“All kids with last names A through M get art the first half, and then they switch. It helps mix up everyone on the different teacher teams.” Harry explains. “You and Brandon should still be together since his last name is Stewart.”

“Thank god, he and I are the only ones that actually know how to play volleyball.”

“What would that matter?” You ask.

“Every fall the gym classes have a volleyball tournament and the winning teams get to have this big event and the entire class comes, it’s so cool.”

“Oh! We did something similar to that at my middle school when I was kid.” You say.

“I like having gym in the fall, it gets me ready for the winter program.”

“What’s that?”

“Oh, it’s so cool, Y/N.” Harry says. “It’s completely funded by the school, every Friday pretty much once the mountains open up for skiing, they take the kids up for a day of skiing and snowboarding. All the parents have to do is provide snow pants and jackets, we don’t even have to worry about the other gear. Although, if you have your own you can bring it. Sometimes I volunteer to chaperone, it’s a hoot.”

“That is really cool, wow.”

“I had so much fun last year, I was way better on the slopes for our trip last February, right, Dad?”

“You definitely could see the improvement.” Harry smiles and takes a sip of his water.

“So, you ski, you like volleyball, and you play basketball. You’re a pretty active kid, Andy.”

“I love basketball, I don’t know what it is.”

“You sort of had to love it, it’s the only sport Mum and I felt comfortable with you playing.” Harry shakes his head. “He wanted play hockey and football, but we said no.”

“Why?” You ask.

“We were afraid of concussions. I know they can happen with basketball, but they’re less common.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t have him out there playing soccer.”

“I used to play when I was in elementary school, but I didn’t like it as much as basketball.” Andy shrugs.

“So, what makes art your favorite subject?”

“It’s the only time of day you can just do whatever you want. The teacher tells you about what it is they wanna see you make, and whatever tech, um….” He looks at Harry.

“Techniques.” Harry smiles.

“Yeah! Techniques, they show you those, and then they just let you do your thing. And whatever you make is right no matter what. I like painting the best, I think, but I also really liked when we did stuff with clay last year, I hope we do it again.”

“What’s your least favorite subject?” You ask.

“IMEC.” He groans.

“What the heck is that?”

“The Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre funds it.” Harry says. “It’s just for fifth and sixth graders. Andy had to make a birdhouse last year, they learn how architecture works, they learn about robotics.”

“I hated it, it was so boring until they let us build stuff. I also have a typing class this term which is gonna be boring. I already know how to type.” He rolls his eyes.

“Yes, but you still look down at the keyboard.” Harry says. “Gotta learn to not do that so you can type faster.”

“Right, because whatever job I end up applying for someday isn’t going to hire me because of how I type.” He scoffs. “I’m pretty good at math, although I don’t really like it, same for science, but this year we get to dissect squids!”

“Oh, that’s very exciting! I did the same thing in sixth grade, and our school at this science center that was run by this other teacher, and he had all these reptiles and chickens and other animals like that in there, so he came to the class and helped our science teacher with us, and then he made us fresh calamari. And I already liked calamari so I was one of the few kids that actually tried it.”

“That’s so cool!”

“Yeah, I wish the school here had a science center.” Harry says.

“The guy was so nice, and he used to go to all of the elementary schools in the area to bring frogs and snakes, so he knew us well by the time we were in middle school, and we all knew his pets well by then so there was nothing to be scared of. One day, this was also in six grade, we had class in the science center, and we were passing the different pets around, like the frogs and stuff, and I wasn’t afraid of the little garden snake or anything, but it wasn’t the snake we were used to, and the girls next to me got scared, so I was asked to bring the snake back up to the teacher, and the girl next to me accidentally thwacked the snake’s head, and the snake bit me! Right here.” You hold your forearm out and show the spot, not that there was a scar. The boys both gasp. “So, I went up, still holding the snake, and I was like it bit me. And the teacher said no it didn’t, but my arm started spurting out blood so I was like no it did, so it was this whole thing, right? He took the snake and put it away, and he got me something for my arm, and my actual science teacher had to walk me down to the nurse, but before I left he gave me a fresh snake skin to take home with me as a consolation or something.” You take a sip of your water. “It was really funny when I was down at the nurse because while one was wrapping my arm up, the other had to call home, and my mom was in Florida with my grandparents, so my dad answered and I remember the nurse says, ‘I want to preface that Y/N is fine, but she was bit by a snake in the science center’, and I heard my dad yell, so they gave the phone to me and I told him I really was fine and I didn’t need to come home.”

“That’s so wild, are you afraid of snakes now?” Harry asks.

“Not at all, actually. The bite didn’t really hurt, if anything I respect them.”

“Did your mom ever find out?” Andy was fully invested in this story.

“Yes.” You giggle. “I went with my dad to pick her up from the airport, Phil, my brother, was there too. My dad claims he asked me not to tell my mom just because it would add to her nerves, but the second she got in the car I guess I told her all about it, and my dad was not happy.” You laugh. “I’ll never forget that.”

“You always tell the best stories, Y/N.” Andy chuckles and finishes up his dinner.

You help clean up, even though Harry told you that you were a guest and didn’t need to. You fix Andy up with a bowl of ice cream before he plops down in front of the TV.

“Hey, bud, you still need to shower…” Harry says.

“Ugh, fine.” He shovels the rest of his ice cream in his mouth and puts the bowl in the sink.

You and Harry sit down on the couch together.

“Smooth.” You say.

“What?”

“Got me all alone now.”

“He genuinely needed to shower! Played basketball all afternoon, after all.” He puts his arm around you. “But I definitely mind being alone with you right now, even if it’s just a few minutes. We have a fifteen minute shower rule.”

“Smart.” You look up at him and smile.

“He’ll be at his mum’s this weekend.”

“So I’ve heard.”

“Would you like to go out Friday night?”

“Um, well, Jan and I were hoping to go out for drinks, but you could come! Or I could come over after.”

“No, I don’t wanna ruin your girl’s night.”

“You wouldn’t! You’ve come so many times before, I’m sure she won’t mind. I can ask her tomorrow if she’s okay with it.”

“Alright, but only if she doesn’t mind.” He kisses your temple.

“I should get going before things get a little too kissy between us.” You sigh. “Might not be able to peel myself away.” You say, ghosting your lips over his and pulling away with a smirk.

“Tease.”

“Sorry, babe.” You pout at him and stand up. “Tell Andy I say goodnight.”

“I will.” He stands up and walks you to the door.

“Thanks for dinner, I had fun as usual.”

“Anytime.” He pecks your lips before you head out and he sighs.

“How come she always leaves?” Andy asks coming out with his hair brush and mouse, sitting on the floor so Harry can sit in the chair behind him to do his hair.

“What do you mean?” Harry asks, taking the brush and mouse from him, sitting down.

“How come she doesn’t just stay over?”

“Um…it’s a little complicated.” He says as he runs the mouse through Andy’s curls.

“Because of me?”

“Not necessarily…it’s a little soon for her to be staying here while you’re here, though. I’m sure she will eventually. Alright, all set.” Andy stands up and plops down on the couch.

“A little TV before bed?”

“I’d rather you go read, you know that. I want you to sleep well before your first day of school.”

“Fine…can we pick out an outfit then?”

“Yeah, let’s go raid your closet.”

//

The next couple of days goes by with you barely seeing Harry. He was in and out because Andy had half days and he needed to pick him up. It gave you a chance to go up to Janette’s office to see if she minded him joining on Friday night.

“Of course I don’t mind! I mean, I was hoping for you to spill some of the juicy details, but that can wait.” She shrugs.

“Jan, there’s nothing juicy to spill.” You chuckle.

“Have you boned?”

“Well…yeah…”

“So there’s plenty to spill.”

“It doesn’t happen that often. It’s been over a week, actually. He’s been busy with Andy.”

“Single dads, they’re hot until the kid gets in the way.”

“It’s alright, we have all weekend to hang out.”

“So why even bother having drinks with me? Just go to his place and get it on.”

“No! I wanna hang out with you, get back into our routine. I just didn’t wanna leave him out.”

“I like hanging out with the both of you, it was a lot of fun last year the few times he joined us. It’s really no problem.”

“Great, thanks for being so cool about it.”

“Oh, please.” She scoffs. “We’re not in high school, I don’t care if you bring your boyfriend with you.”

“He’s…I don’t think he’s my boyfriend yet.” You sit down in one of her chairs and she quickly closes her door.

“What do you mean?”

“We haven’t had a chat about it. We know we’re together, but we haven’t had a talk about what it all means. It’s only been a couple of months.”

“Just like a man, he wants you, but won’t fully commit.”

“To be fair…I’d probably take it slow too if I had a kid.”

“Don’t make excuses Y/N, you two do so many things together, Andy adores you, Harry needs to just tell you he wants you to be his girlfriend.”

“It doesn’t exactly bother me, like, I’m not itching for the label. I’ve liked just going with the flow. It’s not like we’re seeing other people.”

“But you could if you wanted to, and he should know that. He can’t just string you along, Y/N.”

“He’s not…he wants to be with me.”

“Then he should really want to be with you.”

Janette made some good points, that had you wracking your brain around things. It was pretty clear that neither of you were seeing anyone else, but you easily could if you really want to. You would never do that, of course. You never really liked the idea of juggling multiple people at the same time. It was easier to focus your attention on one person.

“Hey!” Harry smiles. “Feel like I haven’t seen you all day. I dropped Andy off at Brandon’s, so he’ll be there until I’m done for the day here.”

“Alright.” You give him a small smile.

“How’s syllabus week been treating you so far?”

“It’s been alright, I’ve been busy with my advisees getting them the correct classes.”

“Oh, right, you got a few of the sophomores this year. Still can’t quite get it together I’m afraid.” You hum your response and nod. “Well, I’m free for a bit if you-“

“Har, I’m kind of busy. I need to prep for my next class and then I need to hunker down on my thesis. I’ll just text you later or something.”

“Oh…um, alright.”

“Jan said you’re more than welcome to join on Friday night, by the way.”

“Okay, I’ll plan for that then.”

“Could you close my door on your way out?”

“Sure.” He does so and you sigh as he leaves.

You didn’t mean to be so cold, but now you were feeling sort of pissed. If he liked you as much as he said, what was the big deal about him calling you his girlfriend? You wanted to be able to refer to him as your boyfriend. He was more than a friend, you were dating, hell, everyone knows you’re dating, so what the fuck was the hold up?

//

Friday after work you go home to change. You had barely spoken to Harry, but to be fair, you were really busy. You had a check in with Lisa that put a lot of your work into perspective. She was such a huge help, and now you two have bi-weekly meetings set up to keep you on track, which you greatly appreciated.

You wanted to look so strikingly good that Harry would get whiplash when he saw you. So, you rummage through your closet and dresser to find something, anything! You end up going with a tight pair of dark blue skinny jeans. You pair it with a black, lace bodysuit and black booties. You certainly weren’t fucking around. After fluffing up your hair, and redoing your makeup, you grab your leather jacket, and head down to your uber.

“Damn, chica, you look good.” Janette says, giving you a kiss on the cheek.

“Thanks, I feel good.” You smile and sit. “I’m exhausted, it was a long week.”

“I know, everyone thinks syllabus week is easy, but it’s not. Sometimes I’ve had to redo my entire class structure depending on the caliber in class.”

“It was the advisees for me. I could never not have my schedule together like some of these kids. I’d have too much anxiety.”

“Many of them just haven’t had the lightbulb go off yet, unfortunately, but they well. You could always ask Harry for some pointers, he’s exceptional with his advisees.”

“Of course he is.” You scoff. “He’s exceptional at everything.”

You both get through one drink before Harry shows up. He kisses your cheek and Janette’s, and then sits down next to you.

“Sorry, Andy really wanted Paige to stay for dinner because he didn’t want to have to go through how his first few days of school were twice.”

“No worries, H, glad you’re here now.” Janette says. The waiter comes over to take Harry’s drink order, and then he puts his arm around you.

“You look nice.” He smiles.

“Thanks.” You smile back.

“Feel like I haven’t seen anyone all week, it’s been madness.” Harry says just as his drink comes to the table, and he thanks the waiter. “At least our hiking retreat is coming up soon.”

“I can’t wait! Broke in a new pair of boots over the summer.” Janette says. “And you’re a pro now, right, Y/N?”

“You bet.” You sip your drink, and Harry notices the red lipstick mark left behind. You rarely wore lipstick, and if you did it was more of a nude color. Harry had a weakness for red lipstick, for whatever reason, and with you wearing it, well, he felt especially weak. You look up at him innocently. “What?”

“Nothing.” He swallows and takes a sip of his own drink.

“So, how was Andy’s first couple of days of school?” Janette asks.

“They were good.” Harry shrugs. “Normal first week stuff, learning everyone’s names, getting the schedules together, overview of what they’ll be learning, and I got the usual pink and yellow cards for emergency contact info. Guess it was good Paige was over so we could just fill them out in one sitting.”

During the night, Harry’s hand drifts down to your thigh, and it stays there, squeezing it once in a while. You knew he probably just wanted to take you home, but you were enjoying Janette’s company too much to wanna leave yet. You all were laughing and having a great time, that was until the waiter had slipped you his number under the napkin of your last drink order and winked at you.

“Wow, he’s got some balls on him.” You say as you look at the number.

“I’ll say, I’m sitting right here.” Harry says.

“Well…the three of us have come here plenty of times, he obviously didn’t think anything of you sitting together.” Janette points out.

“I should go set him straight, I’d feel terrible if he was expecting me to call.” You say and look over at him, he was standing behind the bar now. You start to get up, but Harry squeezes your thigh especially hard.

“You can’t be serious, just let it go.” He says.

“Harry, relax.” You slide out of the booth and go up to the bar.

“You don’t own her, you know?” Janette says, sipping her drink.

“I’m well aware, thanks.” He rolls his eyes.

“Perhaps if you were her boyfriend she’d feel less inclined to go let that boy down.”

“We haven’t been dating that long, Jan.”

“So? When you know you know, and I think you know you wanna be serious with her. Don’t let her slip away because you’re scared. I’ve seen it happen one too many times. Usually whatever woman you’re seeing gets fed up with being put second to Andy, but she hasn’t. She completely gets it, so stop being such a baby, and just…define the relationship.”

He huffs at that and they both look over at you and the waiter.

“Hi.” You say shyly. “Did you mean to slip me this?” You show him the napkin with his number on it.

“I did.” He smirks. “You come here a lot, you’re cute, figured I’d shoot my shot.”

“That’s very nice of you, but...” You slide the napkin back to him. “See that guy I’m sitting next to you?” You use your thumb to point behind you. “I’m dating him, and I really like him, so…I’m sorry. I just wanted you to know why I wouldn’t be calling.”

“Oh…well…alright then. Thought you two were just friends, my bad.”

“We were friends, but now we’re more.” You smile. “Hope you have a good night.”

“You too.” He smiles back and you turn around to come back to your booth.

“What?” You ask as they both look at you.

“What did you say to him?” Harry asks.

“Nothing, just…that basically I’m not single, so, no big deal.” You sip your drink and look at him. “That’s the truth isn’t it? I’m not single?”

“Definitely not.” He puts his arm around your shoulders and kisses your temple.

Once you’re all done with your drinks, you each say goodnight, and head to your ubers.

“Did you want to come back to mine?” He asks.

“I don’t have my stuff, come to mine?”

“You know, I have makeup remover wipes and face wash you can use.”

“Harry, I don’t really wanna have to put all of this back on in the morning when I go home.”

“I could give you something to wear, please? You’ve never slept at my place, I really want you to.”

“Spare toothbrush?”

“Yup.”

“Alright.” You sigh. “We can go to yours.”

He perks up, and orders the car to go to his place. You both sit in the back and he holds you close. When you get inside his house he gets you a glass of water. You felt like you were going to boil over, and the alcohol in your system makes you blurt your thoughts out.

“Harry, I know it seems childish, but are you my boyfriend, or what?” You say in one breath and he nearly chokes on his water. “We both really like each other and we’re having fun, and I’d…I’d like to be able to refer to you as such and not just the person I’m seeing.”

“Oh, babe, it’s not childish.” He cups one of your cheeks and rubs his thumb over your cheekbone. You lean into his touch.

“I just wanna know you’re all mine, Harry.”

“I am, I so am.” He wraps his arms around you and pulls you to his chest. “And you’re all mine?”

“Yes.” You say, muffled by his chest. “All yours.” You look up at him and he looks down at you. “Just say it, please?”

“I’m your boyfriend, Y/N.”

You smile at him and pucker your lips so he’ll kiss you. His hands move to cup your jaw, and he sucks on your bottom lip, causing your eyes to flutter closed. He backs you up to one of the kitchen counters, and hoists you up for you to sit on it. Your fingers tug at his hair, but he pulls them away to get your jacket off.

“Look at this.” He says, playing with one of the straps on the bodysuit. “You wore this sexy thing, and you put on such a nice lipstick.”

“Probably all messed up now.” You say giggling at his now red lips.

“Don’t care.” He kisses you again as his hands travel to your breasts. He kisses down your chest, and swirls his tongue around the lace material covering your nipple.

“You tease too much.”

“It’s what you get being such a tease all night to me, making me wait. Wanted to kill you when you got another drink.”

“Aw, I made you wait? That must really suck.” You say sarcastically.

“I didn’t make you wait that long.” You roll your eyes at that. “Are you telling me you would have fucked me on our first date?”

“Maybe not the first, but the night you came to my place to watch that movie I certainly would have been up for it.” You bite your bottom lip. “Sort of missed you since we last got frisky in my shower.”

“I know.” He sighs and presses his forehead to yours. “I’m sorry we can’t just run off whenever.”

“It’s okay, I understand.” You peck at his lips. “But…we’re alone now, so…”

“Right.” He gets his hands under your ass and you wrap your legs around his waist and kiss on his neck as he brings you to his room.

You pull him down with you, but he stops.

“Shoes, babe.” He chuckles, kicking his boots and socks off.

“Oh, right.” You laugh and do the same, then he comes back to hover over you.

“I like how eager you get, makes me feel good.” He mumbles as he undoes your jeans. You lifts your hips to help him tug them down yours legs. “This is really all you were wearing tonight?”

“Not much I can wear under a bodysuit.” You smirk.

“It’s so sexy.” He runs his hand down your body and your covered center. “What are these, snaps?”

“Yeah, it’s so I don’t have to take the whole thing off to go to the bathroom.” You blush.

“How functional.” He smirks and works to take his own shirt and pants off, leaving him in his boxers.

“There’s also a zipper on the back, see.” You roll over and arch your back to give him the perfect view of your ass, and give him a playful smile.

“I literally can’t decide if I want it to stay on or off.” His hands rub over your ass and squeeze. “Off, definitely off.” He reaches for the zipper and drags it down. “Need to see all of you.”

You roll back over and get it the rest of the way off. You cup his cheeks and pull him down on top of you to kiss. He grinds his hard dick against your center and you groan.

“Get these stupid things off.” You grunt and toe at his boxers. They come off and his cock slides between your wet folds. “Fuck, that feels good.”

He kisses down your body and you smile as he works his way to get his head between your legs. His fingers dig into your thighs and he has you put them over his shoulders. He licks a flat stripe up your center before lapping around your folds. Then he swirls his tongue around your clit as his middle finger enters you.

“Fuck, Harry.” You breathe.

He moans against you as he sucks on your clit, and gets a second finger inside you. He pumps them in and out slowly, another way of teasing. Each time he pulls them out you squeeze around him. The tip of his tongue flicks against your clit and you start panting. You clutch at the blankets around you and grit your teeth. He goes back to sucking on your clit, and that’s when you lose it. Your back arches off the bed, and your vision goes hazy.

“Oh my god.” You moan. You watch as he sucks his fingers into his mouth. “Please tell me you have condoms.”

“Course I do.” He smirks and reaches into his side table for them. “And I keep them in a nice, convenient place, unlike you.”

“I told you, I keep other things in my side tables.”

“Yeah?” He says as he gets the foil packet open. “Like what?”

“You’ll find out at some point.” You wink, and pull him down so he’s on his back.

“Got some toys or something?” He grunts as you sink down on him.

“Maybe.” You grin and move your hips in a circle on him. His hands move your ass to hold onto.

“Like what?” He groans when you start to raise and lower yourself on him.

“Maybe I would have shown you tonight if you weren’t so insistent on coming here.”

“Oh, so it’s like that, huh?”

“Yup.”

He grips your hips and thrusts up into you, causing you to make a surprised noise. You let him continue and you scratch down his chest as you bounce up and down on him. He pulls you down to him so he can keep one arm wrapped around you, and the other is snaked between the two of you so he can rub your clit. You bite down on his collar bone.

“Harry.” You whine.

“Gonna come?”

“Y-yeah.” You squeeze at one of his biceps as you gasp from the pleasure. “Christ.” You breathe.

He rolls you both over so he’s on top, and puts both of your legs over his shoulders, going in hard and fast. Your head rolls back into the pillows. He didn’t care that you were sensitive, and neither did you because his tip was hitting your g-spot perfectly from this angle.

“I’ve-I’ve never had sex like this before.” You blurt out.

“Like what?” He grunts as he continues to slam into you.

“Where it just always feel good. I feel…shit, I feel so taken care of.”

His eyes widen as he looks down at you.

“Oh, Y/N.”

He drops your legs and comes down to you, crashing his mouth to yours. He rocks in and out of you as you wrap your legs around his waist. You tug at his hair and mold your tongue to his. You were tightening around him. He knew you were close. He moves to kiss on your neck and nibble son your earlobe.

“Give me another one, babe, know you can do it.”

“H-Harry!” His voice in your ear was just too powerful. Your nails scratch down his back as you come to another release.

He gives you another few hard thrusts before he spills into the condom. He rests his head on your chest for a few moments before pulling out of you and discarding the condom. He pecks at your lips and helps you up, guiding you to his bathroom.

“Let’s see….” He rummages through the cabinets. He grabs a spare toothbrush, the makeup remover wipes, a wash cloth, and his facewash. “Here you go, take your time.” He kisses your cheek and leaves you to do your thing.

You use the toilet first, and then furrow your brows looking for something to tie your hair back. You find one of his scrunchies and use that. You wonder for a moment why he might have makeup remover wipes, but you don’t worry about it for the moment. You wash your face and brush your teeth, and put everything back. You shake your hair out, and come back to the bed.

“All set?” He asks. He had put on a new pair of boxers.

“Mhm.” You slide into the bed as he goes to use the bathroom next. When he’s done he comes right in to spoon you. “Why do you have makeup wipes?”

“Because I wear makeup sometimes if I have a nasty zit or something.” He says honestly.

“Oh.”

“Is that weird?”

“Not at all.” You turn slightly look up at him and smile. “I was just curious if they were…leftover from someone else, but that’s probably a silly thing to think.”

“Would be sort of scummy of me to leave something like that lying around for someone else to use.” He kisses your nose and you settle back down. “I’m really glad you’re spending the night here.”

“Me too, your bed is really comfy.” You sigh.

“Mm.” He hums as he nestles into you.

This was the first time in a long time you actually felt comfortable sleeping over at a guy’s place, and it felt really good.

//

Harry wakes up incredibly hard against you. He couldn’t help it. You slept naked, quite a bit, and he was pressed against you all night. You were still sound asleep, and he didn’t want to wake you, but he just couldn’t settle himself. He slowly detaches from you to lay on his back. You feel a shiver go through you from a lack of warmth. You reach behind you.

“Mm, Harry?” You mumble.

“M’right here.” He chuckles and reaches to squeeze your hip.

You roll onto your other side to rest your head on his chest. Your leg goes over his and your eyes snap open.

“Um, good morning.” You giggle.

“Don’t laugh, it hurts.” He groans, putting his forearm over his eyes.

“I didn’t think morning wood still happened like this the only you got.”

“Nope it does, and it’s just as annoying as when you’re a teenager.”

“Well…” You yawn. “Maybe I can help you out.”

“You’re still tired, it’s fine.”

“No, I wanna take care of you, let’s have sex.”

“I didn’t think you liked it in the morning.”

“Just because I don’t want you tonguing my puss first thing in the morning doesn’t I don’t like morning sex. I love morning sex, actually.”

“Yeah?”

“Mhm.” You start kissing on his chest.

“Get on your stomach.”

You grin up at him and does as he says. He gets a condom situated on him, and gets behind you. He slides in slowly, gripping onto your hips.

“God, you feel so fucking good.” He says once he’s all the way in. “Is it okay I didn’t finger you first, it doesn’t hurt?”

“Yeah, I’m fine, go ahead and move, Harry.”

He was so considerate, and you appreciated it so much. You were on all fours in front of him while he made slow, deep thrusts into you. He’d pull almost all the way out and then slam back in. Harry hadn’t realized just how much he missed being in a relationship. Being able to wake up and fuck the person you cared a lot about was so utterly convenient, and yet so incredibly hard to find. He wasn’t sure who to thank for brining you to the White Mountains, but he felt like someone deserved a fruit basket.

With Harry, you felt just as grateful. A year ago, you were thankful for a blossoming friendship, now you were thankful that he was your boyfriend. The guy really knew how to make run down, no other guy had ever made you so wet before, you were almost embarrassed, but he didn’t seem to care. He was probably flattered, if anything.

You feel his hand slide up your back and grip the back of your neck. His other hand slides from your hip to your clit. God, he’s so attentive. He really cares about how good you feel and isn’t concerned with getting his.

“Harry.” You moan as your head falls to your chest.

“S-say it again.” He groans.

“Harry.” You moan louder. He was hitting so deep inside you, and rubbing your clit perfectly. “Harry!” You cry out when you feel your orgasm consume you. You squeeze impossibly tight around him and he moans out your name and spills into the condom.

He pulls out slowly to not hurt you, and then throws the condom into the trash. He comes back over to your quickly and smooches your cheeks rapidly, causing you to giggle. You pull him close to you and he giggles too.

“I could really get used to this.” He says.

“Me too.”

//

You spent most of that day in and out of Harry’s bed. You had sex again in the shower, or, well, he fingered you in the shower, and then he made you breakfast, an egg frittata, and while it was baking he bent you over the kitchen table. You made some joke about it being a family space, so he just smacked your ass and told you to be quiet, and that was that on that. You were going to take a break and watch a movie, but things escalated, and he just brought you back to his bedroom. After scarfing down a pizza for dinner, you thought it might be time to go home.

“I’ve been here all day.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing, you can stay another night if you want.”

“That’s sweet of you, but…”

“And you look so cute in my clothes.” He pouts at you. It was true, you looked very cute in his joggers and long-sleeve shirt. “You really wanna go?”

“I just…I mean, what time is Andy coming back?”

“I pick him up on Sundays, so it’s not like they’d just walk in on us. I usually get him around six.”

“Oh…you….you really want me to stick around another night? You’re not sick of me yet?”

“Sick of you?” He chuckles. “Haven’t had enough of you.”

“Okay.” You smile. “I’m too tired to drive anyways.” You press your forehead to his chest.

“Aw, did I wear my baby out?” He asks as he wraps his arms around you.

“Mhm.” You nod and smile bigger. You were his baby.

“What do you say we go get cozy in bed, I’ll turn the TV on, and you can sit in front of me, and I’ll rub your shoulders?”

“You have a TV in there?”

“Yeah, I keep it in the armoire.”

“Oh! That sounds perfect then.”

Harry puts on The Office, and you both get under the blankets, and you sit in front of him between his legs and he massages your neck and shoulders. About ten minutes in, your eyelids starts to droop, and your body fully relaxes into Harry’s. He kisses your temple and holds you tight.

“It’s okay if you fall asleep.”

“No, I feel bad.” You mumble.

“Shh, babe, it’s alright.” He coos.

“Mm’okay.” You could feel yourself really slipping into sleep. “Love you, g’night.” You mumble, and fully pass out in his arms.

His entire body stiffens and he looks down at you. His heart starts beating rapidly. Did you just say you loved him?! He just agreed to be your boyfriend, and now you’re in love with him?! TOO MUCH TOO SOON! He almost wants to wake you to ask, but clearly you said it by accident, in a haze. Would you even remember saying it? He sinks down in the bed, careful to not move you too much. He wasn’t sure how he felt about all this. How could you already love him? You still barely knew him. What was there to love?

//

Harry wakes up with bloodshot eyes on Sunday morning as he’s wrapped around you, his dick much less hard than it was the morning before. You slept peacefully all night, blissfully unaware of what you said, and his inner turmoil. You adjust into him and he holds you tighter, almost out of fear. You roll over to face him and you peck at his lips.

“Morning.” You say, nuzzling into his chest.

“Morning.” He rubs your back.

“I slept so good, I’m glad I stayed again.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“I don’t even remember falling asleep. Your hands in every way are magic.” You chuckle into him.

“Yeah? You liked the little massage?”

“Mhm, loved it.” You smile up at him and give him a squeeze before getting out of bed.

You definitely forgot saying what you said. There wasn’t even any recollection on your face. You said it yourself, you didn’t remember falling asleep.

“Hey, do you mind if I wear this home?” You say, coming out of the bathroom, putting the clothes back on that he loaned you yesterday. “Jeans and a bodysuit don’t sound like fun.”

“No, yeah, that’s fine.”

“Thanks.” You smile and crawl back on the bed, straddling him. “You’re too good to me.” You sigh, moving to lay your chest on his, hugging him.

“What can I say…I just…like you a lot.”

“I like you a lot too.” You kiss his cheek. “I’m gonna go home now. I have to go grocery shopping and get ready for the week.”

“Alright.” He puckers his lips and you kiss him again before getting off him.

“Andy won’t have any half days this week?”

“Nope, those are all done.” He says, getting out of bed to walk you to the door.

“Okay.”

“Why?”

“No reason.” You say coyly. “Just…if both are free at the same time, we could…sneak away for a bit.” You bite your bottom lip and look up at him. “Just a thought.”

“I like the way you think.” He kisses you again, and lets you leave. “God, I’m so fucked.” He says to himself and flops onto the couch, grabbing one of the pillows to clutch to his chest. He felt like he was going to collapse in on himself.

//

“You had a dream you said what to him?!” Janette screamed through your phone on Sunday night.

At some point during the day between doing the laundry and doing some meal prep, you had this weird feeling come over you, and you needed to talk about it with someone.

“It felt so real, I can’t exactly remember what was going on in the dream, but I told him I loved him…”

“Do you?!”

“I don’t know! We just really made things official! God, we did have a really nice weekend together too. No work, just hanging out and enjoying each other’s company. It’s so weird, I don’t even remember falling asleep. We were cuddling while watching TV, and then I think I just passed out.”

“Why?”

“I was exhausted…we…really enjoyed each other’s company on Saturday.”

“Damn.”

“At least it was just a dream. I’d be mortified if I had said it out loud. I wouldn’t want to scare him off.”

“So, you’re not in love with him?”

“I really don’t know, Jan. I’m falling really hard for him, I feel like I could be in love, but I really don’t know. I think it’s too soon to tell.”  

//

Harry thought about you all day. While doing his own laundry, doing his own grocery shopping, and other chores. Andy could tell right away that something was off.

“Are you alright? You were quiet when you got to the house.” Andy asks from the backseat.

“Huh? Oh yeah, I’m fine. Just a little distracted is all, sorry.”

“Did you get to hang out with Y/N this weekend?”

“Yeah, for most of the weekend, actually. It was nice. She’s, um, officially my girlfriend.”

“Took you long enough! That’s great, Dad.” Andy smiles and leans forward to nudge Harry’s shoulder.

“I’m glad you like her so much.”

“She’s been nice to me since day one, she’s cool. She’s easy to talk to, too.”

“Yeah, she is. Feel like I could chat with her for hours and never get bored.”

“I like when she comes over for dinner, she always tells a funny story. I told Mum and Noah about her snake bite story.”

“What a roller coaster that was, huh?”

“Yeah! Can we go hiking this weekend? Brandon was wondering if we could go again soon, and maybe Y/N could come too…”

“Sure, um, I’ll see how the weather’s looking next Sunday.”

“Awesome! So, guess what?”

“What?”

“Brandon and Molly broke up!”

“You’re kidding?! When did that happen?” Harry wasn’t all that shocked. Middle school relationships never lasted, but he was playing it up for Andy’s sake.

“Over the weekend. He said she was getting too clingy or whatever. He called to tell me right away. I made sure to ask if he was okay, and he said he was fine. He said he didn’t feel sad about it, is that weird?”

“Not really…maybe he didn’t like her as much as he thought, you know? It might have been exciting at camp because it feels good when someone tells you they like you, but maybe he realized he wasn’t that into her.”

“That’s basically what he said, that he just wasn’t that into her. He said even kissing wasn’t that exciting anymore.”

“There you go then.”

“Does it make me a bad person that I’m happy he’s not seeing her anymore?”

“No…but just keep in mind, if you two stay good friends for a long time, you’ll have to get used to you each dating people.”

“I guess.” Andy shrugs. “It feels like I’ll never like a girl enough to wanna date one.”

“You’ve got time to figure all that out…you…may not want to date girls in general, and that’s fine too.”

“I’m not gay, Dad.” Andy scoffs.

“I’m not saying you are, not that it would be a bad thing, I’m just saying you may find as you get older that…ugh…how do I explain this…like, for me? I just like people. I’m attracted to who I’m attracted to, and I don’t read into it more than that.”

“Ew, are you going to tell me that you’ve been with guys?”

“Well…I never have been, but I don’t think it would be gross if I did. I’m attracted to women, but I wouldn’t say I have a type. Y/N looks a lot different than Mum does, you know?”

“Yeah.” Andy ponders for a moment. “How…ow do you know you’re attracted to women?”

“Just do.” Harry shrugs. “I’m sure they’ll start talking to you about all this in health class this year, but when you really start to go through puberty, and your voice starts to crack, and stuff like that, you just sort of start figuring out what you like and don’t like. I’m not sure how else to explain it, but just know you’ve got a ton of time to figure it all out. There are people my age still figuring it out, so don’t put too much pressure on yourself, and no matter what, know that Mum and I love you.”

“You’re so cheesy.” Andy rolls his eyes. “But…thanks.”

//

The second week of classes was less stressful than the first, as far as classes went. You were stressed about your doctoral work. You wished you had done more over the summer, but you had a certain distraction to thank for not doing as much as you should have. This weekend you needed to stay in and hunker down. And you didn’t even need to feel bad about it because you knew Harry would be busy with Andy.

“Hey.” Harry taps on your door Wednesday afternoon before he heads out. He had been sort of distant this week, but you weren’t reading into it. You knew he was still working on a manuscript.

“What’s up?” You say without looking up from your computer.

“Going for a hike Sunday with the boys…would you like to join?”

“Um….” You stop typing and look at him. “I know I should say yes to get outside while it’s still nice out, but I was hoping to get some work done this weekend, so I think I’ll pass, sorry.”

“That’s fine, I get.” He clears his throat. “So…I won’t see you at all this weekend, is that what you’re saying?”

“I’m afraid so, I’m sorry.”

This whole ‘love you’ thing kept ringing in Harry’s ears. He was trying so hard to read you, but you weren’t letting on about any hidden feelings, and it wasn’t like you had said it again. Maybe you had just been so utterly exhausted that you saying ‘love you, g’night’ just felt natural, like you would have said it to anyone. That thought didn’t make him feel better either.

“Um…it’s Wednesday.” He says.

“Yes.” You chuckle.

“Sorry, I just meant, on Wednesdays I pick Andy up from school and shoot him over to his Mum’s for dinner, and then she brings him back around eight, right before bed.”

“Okay…”

“Would you like to have dinner tonight? I could come to your place if that’s more convenient, I could pick up take out.”

“I’ll take you up on the take out, but I’ll come to your place, that way you’ll be home in case he’s back early.”

“Alright.” He perks up. “Anything in particular you’d like?”

“Thai?”

“I’m on it, I’ll see you later.”

You giggle to yourself as he leaves. He was so sweet. You need to make sure you go out of your office at a reasonable time so you’d have a good chunk of time with him.

You did well, you got to Harry’s around six, and he had a sushi platter waiting for the two of you on his kitchen table.

“How much do I owe you?” You ask, sitting down.

“Don’t be silly.” He scoffs.

“Come on, let me give you some money for this.”

“It was pocket change, relax.”

You smile at him and pop a piece of sushi into your mouth.

“Mm, this is so good.”

“I’ve literally never had a bad meal at that Thai place, I feel lucky to have it here.”

“Same here, it’s a hidden treasure.” You take a sip of water and put your hand over his. “Sorry again that I can’t be there for the hike Sunday.”

“I completely understand, really, don’t worry about it.”

He wanted to just bring it up, he wanted to tell you what you said, but he knew bringing it up would open up an entire can of worms. He felt strongly about you, he cared about you, and was definitely falling for you, but he wasn’t entirely sure if he was in love with you yet.

“I love the pots that Andy painted for me, he’s really got a gift.”

“Yeah, he’s really talented.” Harry smiles.

“I…I know you haven’t let a ton of people into this little world of yours, but I’m…happy I’m becoming a part of it. We didn’t have a lot family dinners growing up, so I love how much you’ve been including me in yours.”

Alright, so not only did you adore his son as much as his son adored you, but you were expressing your feelings about becoming part of his world. Fuck, maybe he was in love you.

“You…you make me feel really special, Harry. I’ve never…really felt like this in a relationship before.” You were blushing. You weren’t sure why, over sushi, you felt like telling him all of this, but reassuring someone in a relationship was important.

“You’re so special to me, Y/N, you have no idea. I…I haven’t been this happy in a long time.” He chews his inner cheek and then takes a deep breath. “You…you said something right before you fell asleep the other night.”

“I did? What did I say?”

“You…said something sort of serious to me, and it doesn’t seem like you remember, so I haven’t wanted to bring it up, but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.”

You try to think of what you might have said, and then it hits you and your eyes widen. What you said wasn’t just a dream, you had really told Harry you loved him. It was in a daze, but maybe you actually meant it.

“I think I remember now…I…shit, I thought I just dreamt that because I’ve had other dreams about you, you know?”

“So…it was an accident?”

“I don’t know.” You groan. “I was so sleepy, and you were making me feel so cozy and cared for, and…I guess it just slipped out.” You look away from him for a moment, and then back to meet his gaze. “Did it freak you out?”

“Um…a little at first, but that’s only because-“

“it’s too soon, right? It’s only been a couple of months.”

“That doesn’t matter to me. Sometimes you just know, it’s more…of an internal thing. I…to me, like, I don’t know, what’s there to love about me?”

“Harry…” You get up from your seat and have him skootch out so you can sit in his lap. You take him in for a hug, and press your head into the crook of your neck. He holds you just as close and then you lift your head to look at him. “Baby, it would take me forever to go through a list of things to love about you.” His eyes were intense as they looked into yours. It’s as if he thought you were lying.

“What are you saying, you…”

“I do.” You nod. “I…I’ve fallen in love with you.”

You had only been in love once before, and that love wasn’t even real, it was with your high school sweetheart. You had never been with someone you liked as much as you liked Harry, and it felt scary to feel so strongly about someone, but you felt it.

“Y/N.” He tucks some hair behind your ear, and that’s how you know it’s all okay. His fingers slide to the back of your neck so he can kiss you. It’s tender, and you feel a wetness on your cheeks. When you pull away you see a few tears sliding down his cheeks.

“Don’t cry, Harry.” You say just above a whisper, wiping the tears away with your thumbs.

“I can’ help it, I’m…scared.”

“About what?” You feel his hands grip at your back harder, like he was holding onto you for dear life.

“That…you’ll leave me.”

Your eyebrows raise. Paige had walked out on him, that much you were able to piece together from everything he’s told you. That mixed with the fact he hasn’t really gotten serious with anyone in a while. He clearly trusted you more than others, but you understood his fear.

“I’m not going anywhere. I’m not…I’m not going to hurt you.”

“You can’t guarantee that.”

“Maybe not, but I’m not the type to just quit on something. I know I walked away when we had that argument last month, but I feel like we’ve been doing well with checking in about our feelings since then. Don’t you agree?” He nods yes. “I want this with you, and everything that comes with it. If I didn’t then I would have never kissed you that night.”

“Well, technically I kissed you.” He jokes through his few tears, and it makes you laugh. “I want this with you too…I…”

“I only want you to say it back if you really mean it. It’s okay if you’re not there with me yet.” You run a hand through his hair to soothe him.

“I’ve fallen in love with you too.”

You smile at him and lean back in to kiss him. It’s soft at first, but he pulls you as close as possible, making it become needy. You both still tasted like dinner, but neither of you cared. He bites harshly on your bottom lip and you moan into him, tugging at his hair. He reaches around you to move the plates to the other side of the table and then lifts you on top of it, pressing your back flat to it, and keep your legs around his waist. He bites down on your neck while his fingers work to undo your pants.

“Is this okay?” he breathes against your neck.

“Yes, fuck, please, Harry.” You were panting with anticipation.

“Dad, I’m home!”

“Jesus!” Harry yelps and jumps back from you, rushing over to the door, checking himself first to make sure the strain in his pants wasn’t too noticeable. You quickly work to get off the table and button your pants back up. “What, uh, what, oh, hi, Paige.” He rambles as Paige comes into the house with Andy.

“Sorry we’re early, Harry, smart guy here left all of his homework here, so…” She blushes when she sees you, frazzled and flushed. “Hi, Y/N.”

“Hi, Paige, Andy.” You clear your throat. “We were just finishing dinner, um, I can get going.” You snatch your bag, and walk towards the door.

“You don’t have to go, Y/N.” Andy says.

“Um.” You heart was racing. You look at Harry.

“I’ll walk you to your car.” He says and puts a hand on your back to lead you out, leaving Andy and Paige confused. “I’m so sorry.” He scream-whispers.

“It’s okay.” You say, and clear your throat. “Um…maybe call me later when he goes to bed?”

“Yeah, definitely.” He kisses you quickly and then goes back into the house. “Where’s Andy?” Harry asks Paige.

“He went to his room to get started on his homework. I hope she didn’t leave because of me…”

“No! It wasn’t that…you both just sort of walked in on us.” Harry blushes and rubs the back of his neck.

“Oh!” She looks over the kitchen table. “In such a public spot?” She laughs. “How old are you?”

“It just sort of…escalated. We had a rather serious talk about our feelings, and…I got excited.”

“I know how that goes.” She chuckles and shakes her head. “So, what are these feelings?”

“We’re…in love.” He mumbles.

“Oh, Harry.” Paige nearly squeals. “That’s so exciting!”

“Shh!” He swats his hands at her. “Do you want nose-bag in there to hear?” He whispers.

“Right, sorry.” She giggles. “Maybe she and I should get lunch sometime since things are getting so serious between the two of you.”

“Paige.” Harry groans.

“Come on, you did the same with Noah. I like her, but I don’t really know her. Just run it by her.”

“Alright.”

She looks him up and down.

“You were really going to fuck her on your kitchen table?”

“None of your business, now is it?” He smirks and she rolls her eyes.

“Have a good night.” She says before leaving and he wishes her the same.

Harry cleans up the kitchen and then goes down to Andy’s room, clearing his throat.

“I swear if you had told me she’d be here, I-“

“Wouldn’t have purposefully left your homework here so Mum would have to bring you back early?”

“Was it that obvious?”

“Little bit. I thought you were feeling a little better about being over there, why would you do that?”

“Because after dinner it’s always wedding talk and I could honestly care less. I just want her to tell me what I’m wearing, and what I need to do, and that’s it. It’s so boring to talk about.”

“That’s fair.” Harry chuckles. “Do you need help with anything?”

“Yeah, actually, this geometry is already tripping me up…”

“Alright.” He cracks his knuckles. “Let’s take a crack at it together.”

Around 9PM, after Harry makes sure Andy’s in bed, and mostly asleep, he tip toes to his own room, and gets ready for bed. Once he’s comfortable, he sits up a bit and calls you. You answer on the second ring.

“Hey.” You say chuckling.

“A bit awkward earlier, yeah? Sure you still want all this?” He chuckles himself.

“Oh stop, that was a complete accident. Course I still want all of it.”

“Good.”

“I feel bad we didn’t get to finish…”

“I’d zip over there in a heartbeat if I could.”

“I know.” You sigh.

“Are you still…riled up?”

“No, I took care of it in the shower.” You say bluntly. “Why, are you?”

“Well, excuse me.” He scoffs. “Not all of us have the luxury of living alone, so no, I was helping a certain sixth grader with his geometry homework.”

“You can still do geometry?”

“I can.”

“Hot.”

“How is that hot?”

“I don’t know, I just find it sexy I guess.”

“Yeah? Using a protractor is sexy to you?”

“God yeah, did you find an irregular angle?” You were giggling now and so was he.

“Mhm, it was obtuse.”

“Fuck.” You moan, over doing it to be playful, and it makes him burst out laughing, clapping a hand over his mouth to wake Andy.

“You’re so fucking funny.”

“Think you bring it out in me, I’m usually not so hilarious.”

“I really can’t see you this weekend?” he nearly whines.

“Please don’t make me feel bad for needing to work. If you promise not to interrupt me all day Saturday, I could potentially take a break for you.”

“Deal.”

//

The weather ended up not being so great by the time the weekend came around. It was supposed to rain all day Saturday, which would make for muddy trails Sunday, and Harry wasn’t going to deal with that, so he tells Andy he’ll take him and Brandon another time. Instead, Saturday turned into a day for Harry to work on his manuscript, only, he had writer’s block. Not to mention Andy’s video games were distracting.

“Andy, can you turn that down, please!” He yells from up in the loft. A moment passes, and he can barely hear it. He wasn’t sure why he couldn’t think of much. It was perfect writing conditions.

“Hey, Dad?” Andy says as he creeps up the stairs.

“What’s up?”

“Brandon just texted, he wanted to know if I could sleepover tonight since we’re not hiking tomorrow…”

Harry’s eyes light up. Not that he didn’t want Andy around, but now he could go over to your place without feeling guilty.

“Of course! Yeah, what time does he want you over?”

“He said around 3:30…his mum said she could take us to a movie and stuff for dinner.”

“What a nice way to spend a rainy evening. Here, let me give you some money for the theater.” He takes his wallet out of his pocket and gives Andy thirty dollars.

“Thanks! I’m gonna go get my things together. Will you be able to drop me off there in a bit?”

“You bet.” Harry smiles as Andy races back down the stairs. He knew you didn’t want to be bothered, but he couldn’t help but share the news with you.

Harry: Andy’s been invited to sleep over at Brandon’s tonight

Harry: 😈

At 3:15, Harry zips Andy over to Brandon’s. He still hadn’t heard from you, but he knew you probably put your phone on do not disturb. He gives Andy a hug goodbye, and tells him to call if he needs anything, and off he goes back home. He’s able to get some work done to his manuscript, but not much, he was still too distracted from the prospect of seeing you, and getting his head between your-

You: that’s awfully convenient, sure you didn’t ask B’s parents to take Andy?

It was 6:45, and you finally texted him back.

Harry: I swear, it’s all just a coincidence. Maybe I was manifesting lol

You: come by around 8? I’m almost done with this amazing article I’ve found and I’m just taking notes from what I’ve highlighted

Harry: sounds good, babe. Can I bring anything? Have you eaten today?

You: I’ve eaten plenty, Daddy, thank you

He smirks at the thought of you most likely rolling your eyes at his caring nature.

You: if you happen to have any chocolate though…

Harry: think I can make that happen

You: amazing, see you soon!

Harry felt…giddy! He was so excited to see you, even though he had lunch with you yesterday at school. But this was different. He knew he was most likely going to get laid tonight, and he needed it terribly. He had some pent up energy from Wednesday night, and it was killing him. His own hand just didn’t do you justice. So, he saves what he was working on, and goes downstairs to go take a shower. Once he’s all clean and dried off, he puts on the cologne he knows you really like, and puts on a pair of jeans and a polo. He grabs his keys, and out he goes to the nearest bakery to grab something chocolatey.

“Two whoopee pies please.” Harry says brightly to the woman behind the counter, and she boxes them up for him. Then he’s off to your place.

You unlock your door when you hear the buzzer. You…did not look cute. Well, he probably thought you would look cute, but you didn’t feel cute. Your hair was up in a messy bun, and you were in an oversized t-shirt that had stains on it and a pair of panties and socks. You had wanted to get yourself together, but you lost track of time.

“Babe?” Harry says as he comes in to your place.

“I’m just cleaning my things up, meet you on the couch!” You yell from your office.

He sits down with the box of whoopee pies and waits patiently for you. You run walk quickly down the hall and nearly slide into the couch.

“Hi, sorry, I’m gross, and…oh my god what did you bring?!” You nearly lunge for the box on the coffee table, but he snatches it.

“Now, you told me you ate, which is why you’re getting dessert. Did you lie?” He raises an eyebrow at you.

“It wasn’t a lie! I had some French toast sticks for breakfast, and then I had a smoothie for lunch, one of those green ones that you showed me how to make.” You pout and sit down next to him. “Please, what did you bring?”

“Whoopee pies.” He grins and opens the box.

Your eyes grow wide and you grab one of them stuffing your face and moaning. He eats his a little less aggressively, but he can’t deny that it does taste really good.

“Mm, this is so good, thank you.” You say with a full mouth.

“You’re welcome.” He says, mouth equally as full, and you both laugh. “Come here.” He says after swallowing.”

“Let me go shower really quick, I wanna be fresh for you.”

“You’re killing me, Y/N.” He groans.

“Five minutes, then I’m all yours.” You stand up. “We have all night, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay then.” You wink and go into your room to shower. “Come into the bedroom and wait for me!” You yell before going into the bathroom.

He kicks his shoes off and gets comfortable on your bed. Your things were sort of all over the place, but he didn’t mind.

“Okay!” You say, coming in wrapped in a towel. “So much better. I literally was wearing the same shit all day, it wouldn’t have been fun, Har.”

“I’ll take your word for it, can I have you now?”

You nod and drop your towel. He reaches his arms out and makes grabby motions with his hand. You come over to him, and he lays you on your back, getting on top of you. His lips are on yours and his hand is trailing down your body.

“Needed this, needed you.” He says into your ear as he plants kisses on your neck, his fingers running up and down your slit.

Two of his fingers dip inside you, and at first he pumps in and out slowly. You look up at him as he looks down at you. Your mouth falling open, and moans escaping you every time something feels really good. You reach for his glasses and toss them to the other side of the bed, and run a hand through his hair. He pumps in and out of you faster, and has you panting, and then he slows it down again. You rock your hips with the motion of his fingers.

“H-Harry.” You moan as you look at him. “Take your clothes off.”

“I will, baby, I will.” He could feel you getting closer. “It’s like you said, we have all night.” He grins.

You gasp when you come to your release. His fingers rubbing against your g-spot slowly help you ride it out longer than usual. He pulls his fingers from you and gets further down the bed, opening your legs for him. He licks a few stripes up your center before diving in. Your fingers tangle in his hair as he fucks you with his tongue. His hands grip the backs of your thighs as he groans into you. This is what he wanted all day long, to just get lost between your legs.

“Taste so fucking good.” He mumbles against you and the vibrations rip right through you.

“Feels so good, don’t stop.” You bite your bottom lip as you look down at him. He looks up at you at the same moment and it all becomes too much. “I’m, oh god!” You throw your head back into the pillows as you feel him lap up your second release. “Please, fuck me now.”

“But I wanna keep doing this.” He nips at your inner thigh. “Just a little longer.”

“If I say yes, can we try something afterwards?”

“Like what?”

“Wanna show you what I have in my side table.”

“Let’s just do that now.”

“Nope.” You shake your head and smirk. “You wanna stay there, you go right ahead.”

He bites a little harder on you, but goes along with it. After making you come for two more times, he comes up for air and licks his lips. He looked like a happy puppy or something, it was sweet.

“Okay.” You breathe. “Get naked.” You place his glasses on the night table so they don’t get broken. “Get in the middle of the bed.”

“Why?”

“Because it’ll make it easier.”

“Make what easier.”

“You sure are asking a lot of questions.” You say as you rummage through your night table. “Ah-ha!” You toss a pair of handcuffs on the bed. “See, they’re plush so they won’t hurt your wrists.”

“You…you want to use these on me?”

“I certainly don’t like being restrained.” You scoff. “I have some scarves for your ankles too, but if we can just do your wrists if you feel comfortable with that.”

“I didn’t think you were into this sort of thing.”

“I mean…I don’t wanna whip you or anything like that…I just thought this could be fun, but if you’re not into it we don’t have to.”

“No! I’ll, uh, give it a try. Just the wrists though…”

You smile and grab the handcuffs as you knee onto the bed, inching closer to him. You put them on his wrists and lock them up.

“I thought you’d clip me to the headboard?”

“No, I feel like we should just try it like this first. I think you’d break my bed, you’re so strong.” You grab a condom and rip it open, and slide it onto his hard dick.

“So, is this like a I can’t touch you kind of thing, or…what are the rules?”

“You can touch me all you want, you’re just going to have a little trouble since your wrists are together. You won’t be able to reach around and grab me like you do.”

“So I can’t move you then?”

“Nope, gotta let me do it.” You grin. “Are you okay with that?”

“Yeah.” He nods, and lays on his back.

“Great.” You lean down to kiss him, and then swing a leg over him, but you’re reverse.

“You’re gonna do this like this and not let me touch you?”

“I didn’t say you couldn’t touch me.” You line him up with your center and look over your shoulder at him.

“But I won’t be able to rub your clit or-“

“No, I guess I’ll have to do it. It’s called giving up a little control, Har.”

“Alright, I can do that.”

“Okay.”

You face forward and sink all the way down on him. You both moan out. He wasn’t sure what to do with his hands. He could still reach forward to grab at your ass and hips if he really wanted to, but he knew with the cuffs on he wouldn’t be able to grab at you the way he really wanted, so he just decides to let them rest above his head on the pillows.

You switch from making circles with your hips to raising and lowering on him. His dick felt so good in you like this, and it thrilled you knowing he had just had to let you be in charge. You had a long day focusing your energy on your work, and now you got to focus your energy on him. You had very little control over the requirements for your dissertation. It had to be a certain amount of pages, you had to have a certain amount of resources, and you had little control over who would be on your committee. But this, this you had control over. You could make your boyfriend, who you loved very much, feel amazing. And Harry, poor Harry had to make big decisions all day every day to basically keep his kid alive, like all parents do. You thought maybe breaking out the handcuffs could be a nice way for him to not have to make any decisions.

“Doing okay?” You ask, looking over your shoulder at him.

“Y-yeah.” He looks up at you. “Feels good.”

You smile and bounce up and down on him faster. You had him moaning and groaning every time you’d purposefully tighten around him. You rub your clit as you grind on him.

“Miss your face.” You hear him say. You pout from how cute he is and decide to throw him a bone.

You get off to turn around, and then you sink back down on him.

“Better?”

“Much.” He grins.

In a swift motion, he lifts his arms and gets them around your back, yanking you to his chest. You let out a surprised squeal. His hands cups your ass and he moves you on him.

“Sorry, that just wasn’t working for me.” He grunts. You bury your face in the crook of his neck. “You good?”

“Mhm.” He was able to thrust into you this way anyways, so it did feel better feeling him deeper. “Do you want me to take them off?”

“No, this is actually kinda hot. Sort of a happy medium, yeah?”

“Yeah.” You kiss him as he continues to move you faster on him. “Fuck.”

“Getting close?”

“Shit, yeah.” You were starting to breathe faster. “Harry.” You moan. “Oh my god.”

He feels you pulse and vibrate around him as you release around him, and he slows himself down, giving you deep thrusts.

“Okay, now I want them off.”

You nod and get rid of the handcuffs. He pins you down on your back and smirks at you.

“What else do you have in those drawers, hm?”

“Nothing special.” You blush. “Lube, a couple of vibrators, normal things women would keep in their bedside tables.”

“Can I use one on you?”

“A vibrator?”

“Yeah.”

“But…I already have you inside me, so…don’t really need it.”

“Alright.” He pulls out. “Now you don’t. Let me use one on you for a bit, and then I’ll really give it to you.”

Your face lights up and you nod. He opens the top drawer and his eyes widen.

“Which one do you like best, baby?”

“The purple one.”

He grabs the purple, silicone dildo out of your drawer and closes it. He looks it over, almost confused of how it works.

“You put it in, and then turn it on.”

“Yeah, I get that, but what does this thing do?”

“That’s for my clit, it does everything at once.”

“Oh!” He laughs. “Duh.” He shakes his head. “Should I put some lube on it, or do you wanna-“

“Lube, I’m not deep throating my dildo.” You laugh.

He laughs too and grabs the lube out of the drawer. This was nice, just exploring, taking your time. He gets the lube on the dildo, and slowly inserts it into you. It wasn’t as big as Harry, so you were annoyed that he wanted to tease you like this.

“How often do you use this?”

“Not often, only when I’m really going through a dry spell. It gets the-oh!” He had turned it on its first level.

“How high do you usually turn it up?”

“Five.”

“But it goes up to ten.”

“I know, that’s too much.”

“Can I move it while it’s inside you?”

“Yes.” You grunt as he turns it up higher. “Would rather just feel you again, though.”

“You got to play with me, now I’m playing with you.”

“But you barely even let me do what I really wanted.”

“I know, it’ll take me some time to get used to all that.”

“Next time I’m just gonna tie you to each bed post.” He squints at you and just turns the vibrator up to seven as he moves it in and out of you. “Harry.” You grit your teeth.

“I want to make it so you think about me when you use these things alone.”

The attachment on your clit was going extremely fast, and you knew you had to be soaked from the way he was moving it around inside you.

“I would anyways, you don’t have to worry about that.” Your breath hitches when he turns it all the way up to ten.

“It’s for my own peace of mind, really. Remember, I get jealous easily.”

“Over an obje-oh my god!” Your head thrashes back against your pillows.

“An object that makes you feel like this? Yeah.”

“H-Harry, I can’t-“

“How come you never turn it up this high, doesn’t it feel good?”

“It-it does, but…” You have to swallow to keep yourself from drooling. You can’t even finish your sentence. It’s all too much. You scream as you come around the object.

Harry turns it off and slowly takes it out of you, and places it on top of the side table so could clean it later.

“Now then-“ He was cut off by your hand on his throat. He looks down at you, surprised.

“Not nice.” You breathe.

“You came didn’t you?” He smirks.

“Wanted you.” You furrow your brows at him.

“Can have me now.” He reaches forward to smooth some of your hair away from your face and you release your grip on his neck. “How do you want it?”

“Slow.”

“Alright, baby.”

He slides back inside you, finally, and he gives it to you just the way you want it. Nice and slow. You were too sensitive for him to ram in and out of you, and he knew it. It wasn’t a problem though because it was like…oh…now it was like you were making love. You wrap your legs around his waist, and his arms around his back. He places gentle kisses on your neck.

“I love you.” You whisper.

“I love you too.” He moves to look at you and then he kisses you. His tongue licks into your mouth, and you meet it with yours.

“Come for me, Harry.” You whimper, and you swear you see his eyes darken.

“Fuck, oh my god.” His motions become sloppy and then he’s coming into the condom. You weren’t expecting him to lose it so easily, but all in all you were happy. “Jesus, that was sexy.” He chuckles and pecks your lips before pulling out.

Once you both get cleaned up, you get cozy in your bed together. You both lay facing each other, legs tangled up, soft giggles between the two of you.

“I’m really surprised by you.” He says.

“I told you when we first did it. I’m open to most things. And handcuffs aren’t the weirdest things to keep around.”

“Not at all, and for the record, I didn’t think any of it was weird. I’ve used handcuffs before…just on someone else.”

“Yeah, I don’t like being restrained, like, I’ll never put those on.”

“But you like when other people are?”

“I…I don’t know, I just thought it would be nice for you to not have to make any decision for a little bit. I see you, Harry. You’re a mellow guy, but I see the little crinkles of worry on your face. Sometimes it’s nice to let someone else take over.” You cup his cheek and rub your thumb back and forth. “But if you weren’t into it, that’s totally fine.”

“So…in a way you were trying to take care of me?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s kinda…sweet.” He smiles and squishes his nose to yours. He hooks his arm around your waist and pulls you into his chest.

“I don’t like doing it like that all the time, either, I just thought it might be fun since we had a little more time.”

“I definitely had a good time, no worries about that.” He kisses your forehead. “I really like having sex with you.”

“Gee, thanks.” You chuckle.

“I just mean…I feel like we…fit well together.”

“I agree.” You nuzzle into his chest.

“I like what we have.”

“Me too.” You kiss on his chest. “I’m really happy. I know it must be annoying when I have to work all day, and I appreciate you giving me the space to do so.”

“I remember how it was for me. It’s not easy what you’re doing. I wouldn’t try to do something that would make it more difficult.”

“The whoopee pies you brought earlier were so good too, and it was exactly what I want. It was like you read my mind.” You look up at him. “Always giving me exactly what I need.”

“I love you, Y/N.”

“I love you too.” You kiss him and turn over so her can really wrap himself around you.

Most people may not be able to sleep comfortably with a guy’s heavy leg over their hip, and an arm wrapped over their chest, but you sleep so much better when Harry’s there to be your burrito.

//

The next morning you wake up and decide to make breakfast in bed for Harry. You slide away from him carefully, and put the shirt he was wearing last night on, and do your thing in the bathroom. You crack some eggs into a pan, and whip up some hash browns. You get your coffee pot going as well, and get everything on a tray. You come back into your room and smile at him.

“There you are.” He yawns and sits up. “What’s all this?”

“Made us brekkie.” You get back into bed and balance the tray over his lap.

“Thank you, babe.” He kisses your cheek and takes a sip of the coffee.

“What time do you need to pick up Andy?”

“Like eleven.” He shrugs. “So I’ve got some time.”

“Good.” You take a bite of the hash browns and he digs into one of the eggs.

Harry takes a shower with you after breakfast, and lounges with you for a bit on the couch. You show him part of your outline for your thesis, and he gives you some pretty helpful tips.

“I better get going, I’ll text you later.”

“Alright, I’m really glad you came over last night.”

“Me too, love you.” He pecks your lips.

“Love you too.”

//

Harry was on cloud nine. It had been so long since he felt like this with someone, and he felt so lucky to be with you. He pulls up to Brandon’s house, and Andy comes out right away. He gets into the back with his things, and doesn’t say a word.

“Hey, buddy, did you have a good time?” Harry asks as he pulls onto the street.

“Yeah.” He mutters.

“What did you guys do, did you enjoy your movie?”

“Yup, movie was good, we played video games, stayed up late, you know how it goes.”

Harry helps Andy bring his things into the house when they get home, and he goes right to his room.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m just tired.”

“Okay, take a nap if you want. I’m gonna prep some of your lunches for the week. Turkey and cheese rollups sound good?”

“Yeah, Dad, thanks.”

Andy closes his door and leaves Harry in the hallway. He was a little worries, but he decides to give Andy his space. He makes Andy’s lunches, and some things for himself for the week, and goes up to his office to get some work done. His writers block was definitely gone now.

“Dad?” Andy says, coming up the stairs.

“Yeah?”

“Can I talk to you about something?”

“Of course!” He turns around and gestures to have Andy sit down on the loveseat he keeps up in the loft. “What’s up?”

“I think I sleep like you do.”

“What do you mean?”

“Like…you know how you have that body pillow to hold onto?”

“Yeah.”

“I think I need one for myself.”

“Okay, we can go to WalMart to get you one, that’s no problem.” He studies Andy for a moment. “How did you realize you sleep like me?”

“Well…whenever Brandon and I have sleepovers at his house we just share his bed because his is full sized and not a twin like mine…and…god, it was so embarrassing, I woke up holding onto him…and I moved away before he noticed, but he didn’t seem bothered either, like, wouldn’t he have woken up when I grabbed onto him? It’s really confusing, and then…my…” He hides his face in his hands. “I got up and went to the bathroom right away, let’s just say that.”

“Oh…oh!” Harry was trying to think back to when he was Andy’s age. Was eleven when these things started happening to him. “Did you have to, um…”

“No, it went away, but it was really embarrassing! Why does that happen?”

“Um…well…scientific answer?” Andy nods. “Your bladder fills up at night, right? And it ends up…well, it pushes against this thing you have called a prostate, and, uh…your prostate likes it when things push against it, so…it makes other parts of you…happy while you’re sleeping.” He runs a hand through his hair. “Plus, if you were pressed up against Brandon, you may have been-“

“And there’s no way to control it?”

“Not really…”

“I’ll just bring my sleeping bag next time. I was so embarrassed! I’m lucky he didn’t notice, or maybe he did and didn’t say anything?”

“You know, it’s not just happening to you. It happens to all boys around your age. You start going through a lot of changes in middle school. Seems like you’re just starting to…”

“But I don’t wanna go through changes! It’s awkward.” He whines. “What if it happens during class?!”

“Then you put a book or a binder over your lap, and you think about something really gross.”

“What?”

“Yeah, just think of, like, moldy food, or something sad like a dog dying.”

“Dad!” Andy groans. “That doesn’t help while I’m sleeping.”

“Like you said, maybe just start bringing your sleeping bag.”

“He acted completely normal this morning, so maybe he didn’t notice. Like, he was joking around and we played basketball before you came to get me.”

“Should be fine then.”

“And this happens to all guys?”

“Yes.”

“Even you?”

“Even me.” He can tell Andy’s trying to wrap his head around everything. “When does health start up for you?”

“Not until second term, why?”

“I’m gonna get you a book…that has all the information you could need on this…subject, and then if you have questions you can ask me, but if it’s too embarrassing you can consult the book. Just promise me one thing.”

“What?”

“Don’t Google anything. There’s…a lot of weird and wrong information out there.”

“Okay.” He stands up. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” He watches as Andy goes down the stairs and sighs to himself.

This was the part of Andy’s life that Harry was dreading, this awkward pre-teen phase. Soon his hormones are gonna start to go crazy, and they may not be pals like they are now. They’ll get into arguments that won’t end in hugs and apologies. At least Andy was still willing to talk to Harry about these things. Harry immediately goes to Amazon, and orders a few books on puberty for Andy. This was going to be a rough ride.

#office neighbors #harry styles #harry styles imagine #harry styles fic #harry styles series #harry styles fanfic #harry styles x reader #harry styles x y/n #harry styles y/n #harry styles fluff #harry styles smut #harry styles angst #singledad!harry #professor!harry

[ppangjae]

Minor Inconvenience • 01 | Jaehyun

this is based off a post I made. it wasn’t supposed to happen but I caved in and decided to just write it! behold, lab professor!jaehyun!

note. this will be on-going but the updates will be quite slow because i have a ton of other WIPs to finish 😔 just like my barista!jaehyun and enemies to lovers!au drabbles, this too, will sort of compile into a short drabble collection. i hope that made sense? hope you like it, though!

SERIES MASTERLIST — next

Students do double-takes on him all the time. It’s been his new normal ever since he started working for the university. His existence throws people off and he’s not surprised. He wouldn’t even dare to blame them for it either.

To say that Jung Jaehyun is the smartest alumni in his year would be an understatement. He picked up sports, volunteered at two different hospitals, topped all of his undergrad classes, worked with two professors, and even graduated Summa Cum Laude. His fellow peers weren’t surprised that he had already landed a job at the university as a lab professor even before graduation.

And so Jung Jaehyun finds himself back in university not as an undergrad but as a lab professor.

He decides to start his first day by stopping by the cafe to pick up his morning coffee on-the-go. There are students everywhere. They are scrambling to get to their 8 am lecture. Some are reuniting with their friends whom they haven’t seen for a whole summer.

And then there are students like you, who are taking their time, second by second, minute by minute. You glance at your wristwatch for the time. There’s about an hour and a half to spare before your first chemistry lab session of the semester. You’re not much of an early bird, but these days, you’ve been up before the sun. It may be because of the excitement you have pumping through your veins, reminding you that this is your last year of undergrad.

Your last year of undergrad, you smile. You promise to make it worth the while because this is an opportunity to change your life for the better.

“I’ll take a medium vanilla latte, please and thank you.”

You’re making your way towards the pick-up station. The cafe is extremely busy at this time with students coming in for their caffeine boost and running out to get to their lectures on time. But amidst the hustle and bustle of the cafe, there’s a man that catches your eye.

“Vanilla latte for Y/N?”

You tear your gaze from the man to take your drink and thank the lovely barista. Just as you’re turning around, you find the man already standing next to you. He’s waiting for his drink, you assume. He looks young and handsome. You could tell from his hair that’s dyed a blue black and his sense of style. He’s sporting a white, long-sleeved button up with the sleeves rolled up to show his forearms. He’s wearing a nice pair of black skinny jeans. Is he a graduate student? Is he doing a Masters degree? How come you’ve never seen him before?

You don’t ponder on it for long because when you turn around to leave, someone accidentally bumps into your back, causing you to fall forward. Your vanilla latte slips from your hands and you watch your drink spill all over the handsome man’s white button-up.

Shit.

A gasp is the first thing that leaves your lips.

“I’m so sorry!” You exclaim in complete shock and embarrassment. You wince when he groans and looks at you with annoyance.

“Couldn’t you have been a bit more careful?” The man grimaces as he looks down at his coffee-stained shirt.

Out of sheer panic, you’re grabbing some napkins and dabbing at the stain on his shirt. He thinks it’s a bit excessive and unnecessary. He sighs.

“Do you really think wiping it off with a napkin will work?” He asks and you look up at him. “Unbelievable.”

You retreat your hands away from him with a frown etched on your face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I’m just trying to help—”

“And it’s clearly not working.” He folds his arms.

“At least I’m making an effort to help, sir.” You argue back. “It was clearly an accident and I’ll do anything for this minor inconvenience.”

“Just forget it.” He mutters. “It’s not like you’re going to buy me a new shirt.”

You scoff. “Excuse me?”

He quirks an eyebrow. “I said, forget it.”

“Fine. Again, I’m sorry.” You apologize. “If that isn’t enough, then I apologize. That’s all I can do for you.”

And with a huff, you leave him standing there, completely astonished.

Jaehyun looks at his reflection in the mirror. The huge coffee stain bugs the shit out of him. Sure, it’s a minor inconvenience, but this is Jaehyun. Even the slightest inconveniences are enough to ruin his day. He grumbles a few curses under his breath before buttoning up his lab coat to cover the stain.

“We have a couple of minutes left before the doors open for the first class.”

“Is there anything I should know?” Jaehyun asks his fellow professor, Kim Doyoung.

Doyoung shakes his head. “It’s a pretty competitive group. But there’s this one undergrad that has been pretty consistent with her grades since freshman year.”

“I’m assuming she’ll want to pursue lab work after graduating.” He says.

“Like us?” Doyoung grins.

“Like us.” Jaehyun smiles.

“She’ll be in your group.” Doyoung adds. “Y/N is her name, I think.”

“I’ll keep an eye on her,” he reassures him.

Doyoung looks at the wall clock and clasps his hands together. The two of them put on their lab goggles before heading towards the doors to let the undergrads in. Just as they are about to open the doors, Doyoung glances at Jaehyun.

“It’s nice to have you back, Jaehyun.”

Jaehyun chuckles. “I never thought I’d be back.”

“As a lab professor?”

Jaehyun nods his head.

“As a lab professor.”

Chemistry has always been one of your biggest passions. Your father was a chemist and you took interest in it when your father brought you along to work to watch him do what he loves. It wasn’t much of a surprise to him when you told him that you were going to pursue chemistry in university. It was more so a feeling of pride because his passion had been passed down to you.

“I heard our lab professor is a newly-graduated student. Apparently he graduated two years ago but he was called back to be a lab professor.”

You quirk an eyebrow. “And where did you get that from, Wendy?”

She bites her lip. “You don’t remember Jung Jaehyun?”

“Who’s that?”

She gasps. “How do you not know Jung Jaehyun? He’s a living legend. He graduated from the Faculty of Chemistry and because he’s really smart, the Faculty hired him as a lab professor.”

“Impressive.” You purse your lips into a tight line. “So, from what you’ve heard, he’s going to be our lab professor?”

“Yeah,” she taps her foot nervously. “If it’s true, I think I might have a heart attack.”

“I think you’re overexaggerating—”

“I’m not! Imagine working at your station and having a handsome god watching you work.” She panics. “I’ll definitely screw up in front of him. I just know it.”

“Just do your best and everything will be fine—”

The doors to the lab open and Wendy lets out a yelp. She clings onto you and you laugh. Standing at the door is someone very familiar to you. It’s Kim Doyoung, a famous alumni who’s in his last year of his Masters. He’s been a lab professor for most of his Masters degree and he was your lab professor for the previous school year. You’re not surprised to see him again.

“Before you enter the lab, please place your things into the lockers on this side of the door. I’m sure you all brought your lab gear, so please put them on as well.”

You and Wendy share a look.

The small group enters the lab. It takes a bit of time to get to your lab stations. You make your way towards your lab station. It’s been a while since you’ve last worked at your station and knowing that this is the last time you’ll be working at it feels a bit bittersweet. Wendy arrives at her work station that’s right next to yours and turns on the light of the fume hood that you both share.

“Get settled because we’ll be starting in three minutes!” You hear Doyoung announce.

“Why is Doyoung standing over there?” Wendy whispers.

You turn around to see him standing in front of the other group on the other side of the lab room. “Oh yeah, you’re right.”

“He’s not going to teach us this semester?” She asks in a hushed tone. “Oh no, I don’t have a good feeling about this.”

You bite your lip nervously.

Three minutes pass as if it was one second and soon enough, your new lab professor stands at the front. Wendy covers her mouth to suppress a gasp. You raise an eyebrow, standing on your tiptoes to get a better look at your lab professor for the semester.

You feel your blood run cold and your face grow pale.

Your lab professor is sporting a long lab coat but it would be impossible for the familiar coffee-stain seen on his white button-up shirt to be left unnoticed.

“Welcome back. I hope you all had a great summer vacation. My name is Jung Jaehyun, and I’ll be your lab professor for the semester. I hope to make great memories with each one of you.”

You wish you could disappear into thin air.

tag list: @markdorklee @hoeneyhoeney

#jaehyun scenarios #jaehyun scenario #jaehyun #jaehyun blurbs #jaehyun fluff #jung jaehyun scenarios #jung jaehyun scenario #jung jaehyun #jung jaehyun blurbs #jung jaehyun fluff #nct #nct 127 #nct scenarios #nct 127 scenarios

[tiredb0igivemesugars]

Remus Lupin is good

Summary: y/n is a student at Hogwarts and is now returning for the new semester. A lot has changed during the summer, including but not limited to: the school uniform and name. You were pleased to find that your friends Harry, Ron and Hermione were more than understanding and supportive. Not everyone would be supportive, but you didn’t expect for it to hit you so hard, but luckily the new professor Remus Lupin is there to help you.

Paring: none💚 (platonic/friends Remus Lupin and trans!male reader)

⚠️Warnings⚠️: transphobia, homophobia, slurs, mild swearing and some angst

words: 2.1K

note: I know that the timeline doesn’t add up but just roll with it... also no proof read 

Happy holidays if I don’t post again before the new year <3

The second to last year of your journey at Hogwarts was about to begin, you had gone to Diagon Alley accompanied by the Weasleys and Harry, of course. A lot had changed that summer, the name you had gone by before had been replaced by a masculine name, it was in the process of being changed legally, you had gotten the boys uniform delivered to your doorstep that morning and you were more than excited for the new year. You had gotten enormous support from the Weasleys and all of your friends, but it didn’t stop that small voice in the back of your head kept talking about how hard everything was going to be once you got into Hogwarts, the constant deadnaming until corrected. You didn’t look forward to that. You knew that it was normal, of course, people will question but it didn’t stop you from feeling bad about it. There was even a voice that said ”Why did you have to do this to everyone around you? You’re complicating everyone’s lives. Why can’t you just be normal?” That voice was mean and the loudest. 

”Y/n! Y/n come on we need to get moving?” Molly yelled, everyone had already entered the platform 9¾ and you had fallen behind, gotten lost in your thoughts. You quickly shook yourself awake and gathered the strength to push the big trolley through the brick wall. Molly followed suit. ”It’s going to be alright, you have Harry and Ron with you, Hermione will take it very well I’m sure,” Molly whispered to you as she patted your back as a sign of support. You nodded determinedly. You hadn’t told Hermione yet, hell, you hadn’t even seen her all summer. You knew she’d take the news well, it was Hermione after all. 

Your hand got grabbed by Harry, he was leading you towards the train, the platform was packed with people and it was hard to move in any direction. There was a lot of whistling, yelling and things falling over, you felt relieved when the door to your carriage was closed. Hermione was already there, she loved to be on time. ”Harry! Ron! -” she greeted excitedly, but didn’t say your name. She stared you up and down. ”I’m sorry I don’t recognise you,” she said, somewhat embarrassed. ”This is our new, old friend y/n,” Ron said as he threw his arm on your shoulders, although he struggled a bit due to the height difference. Hermione sat back down on the seat. ”Of course, I should’ve known it was y/n,” she said and smiled. ”Want to sit next to me?” She continued with a question, patting the seat next to her. ”I’d love to,” you said and sat down next to her, only now noticing the man on the side opposite of you, sleeping against the window. Harry and Ron only now seemed to notice the same strange man, too. The two boys sat down. ”That’s Professor Lupin, our new defence against the dark arts professor,” Hermione informed. You sighed as you leaned back on your seat. ”I’ve missed you knowing the answer to everything. These two boys, I swear to Merlin they and I included would be so lost without you,” you said as you pointed at Harry and Ron who were tying professor Lupin’s shoelaces together. Hermione giggled. 

The train let out a loud sound to signal the departure. You had now time to go through all of the latest happenings with your friends. You loved Hogwarts. It was your home, of course, the aspect of learning was sometimes hard and stress-inducing, but it was home, most of the professors were people you knew you could count on. The people there, although they could be annoying, they still were close to you and you liked almost everyone. Well, tolerated anyways. It was getting dark, you should be arriving any minute now. ”How’s your place?” Hermione asked, causing you to tense up. Harry and Ron glanced at Hermione. You didn’t say anything. There was nothing to say, the same old, yet so much more worse. ”Not good I take,” Hermione finally said, placing a hand on your shoulder. You sighed. It wasn’t great, it was a long way of the horrors Harry had to face, but it was still bad. ”They’re angry, so angry with me for trying to be me, on top of the usual disappointment. But that’s nothing new,” you said, offering Hermione a smile, even if it was far from genuine. 

You saw how the lights of your home, came closer into view, soon you’d be home, away from the craziness of ”reality”. Hagrid greeted you all welcome and gave you a thumbs up, you smiled. The night went by, as usual, the 1st years got sorted into their houses, professor Dumbledore kept his speech and introduced the adding in the faculty. Professor Remus Lupin, the new teacher of the defence against the dark arts. He seemed very kind and like a good teacher. It took a couple days for things to start rolling like usual in Hogwarts, Harry was away at Quidditch after school, Hermione in the library along with Ron. You weren’t on the team and didn’t want to be on it, you weren’t that confident with the broom and preferred both of your feet on the ground. ”Not one to trust a broom, are you?” The now-familiar voice of professor Lupin asked you, startling you. You had zoned out while watching the Quidditch practise from the comforts of a bench in the courtyard, not noticing how the professor crept up behind you. ”Professor Lupin, I didn’t hear you coming,” you said, trying to sound apologetic. Remus smiled, ”It’s alright. I’m quite the trickster when others aren’t looking.” You laughed a little, the laugh warmed up your chest. ”But to answer your question, I do prefer soil to air,” you said, now a little more serious. 

”I know I seem like a bad teacher but I have to ask, what was your name again?” Remus asked, quite embarrassed. ”I haven’t been around this many people in a while so catching up with the new names is quite difficult,” he went on to explain as he sat down next to you.

”Y/n,” you answered, a little thrilled to be able to introduce yourself with your name, but also a little anxious. ”That’s a fine name for a young gentleman like you,” he said, enthusiastic. You giggled, feeling happy due to the compliments and overall acceptance. ”What has it been like to come back to Hogwarts after so many years?” You asked, wanting to continue the conversation with Remus. He seemed to be extremely kind and accepting and you needed that in your life. ”It has been nice so far, it feels odd to be here without my friends though. But I’m adjusting just well. I love teaching the new students, fills me with excitement, you know.” he went on, almost rambling. ”Where are your friends?” You continued to ask, knowing that you were about to overstep a boundary. ”They’re kind of all over the place, some have gone on the other side,” he said, more quietly as if others weren’t allowed to hear him. You weren’t sure if ”going on the other side” meant joining the dark lord or dying, but you didn’t ask. 

The conversation slowly died down, leaving you both to just bask in the evening sun as it settled behind the mountains. 

The following weeks and months went by as normally as they possibly could. Some students still gave you snarky looks and shot mean words at you, but your friends were luckily there to stand up for you. When you walked into your defence against the dark arts lecture, you were surprised to find their places empty. Where had they gone? You looked around you, trying to not look as scared as you in reality were. You heard the familiar thudding of professor Lupin’s shoes hit the rock floor, it was best to sit down and just try to get through the lecture. As Lupin greeted the class, you heard snickering from behind you, Draco and his friends, they had moved to sit behind you. 

”Look the weirdo is all alone now. Her friends left her, couldn’t stand her freakiness,” Draco laughed to his friends, just quietly enough for you and his friends to hear. This was going to be one hell of an hour. Lupin went on to talk about some spell and you swore that you were trying to concentrate on the teaching, but Draco and his friends kept throwing paper balls at you. Distracting you very badly. You made the mistake of opening the first ball that hit you, it had landed on your table. The terrible slur was scribbled all over it. You assumed they all had the same word on it, one wasn’t nearly as crumpled up like the others, so you were able to read it without touching it ”poof”.

You were holding back tears, sweating, your breathing as irregular as they come. ”Draco Malfoy,” Professor Lupin said, tone slightly raised. You didn’t dare to look up, the tears would’ve fallen if you did that. ”What did I do professor?” Draco asked, clearly pleased with himself since he knew that the teachers never actually punished him, only gave a bad word. ”Detention, Hagrid will have some tasks for you for at least a week with the seasons changing and all,” the professor said, voice stern but calm. You heard Draco scoff. ”Do you not know who I am?” He asked, clearly in disbelief. ”Yes, I just said it. Were you not paying attention?” Lupin said, drawing out a laugh from the other pupils. The bell rang before Draco had the chance to shoot something back, not that he had anything to say, maybe just the usual ”wait until my father hears about this.”

”Y/n, stay after class would you?” Lupin requested as you began gathering your stuff, still not lifting your gaze. You plopped back on your seat as a sign of protest. You just wanted to run into a bathroom stall and cry. The two of you waited until the classroom had been drained of the noisy students. ”I saw what he was doing to you,” Lupin said as he pulled a chair to sit in front of you. You didn’t answer, you tried to distract yourself with your cuticles. ”It’s okay if you’re upset. You’re allowed to cry,” he said, and that was it. One tear after another ran down your cheeks, falling on your desk. Your body slightly shook as you cried there. Remus handed you a napkin after you began crying, he waited there as you cried, not once telling you to stop crying. Only once your cries died down did he speak. ”Do you wish to talk about it?” He asked.

”It usually doesn’t get to me. My friends are usually here, but they weren’t today and Draco just took an advantage of that. It just proves that I can’t stand up for myself. I shouldn’t have come to class today,” you stated, so so incredibly upset. Remus sighed, you saw how his hands moved to grab yours but they quickly retreated. ”You shouldn’t think that. You can stand for yourself, you wouldn’t have gotten this far if you weren’t able to stand up for yourself. No one carried you here, you walked here. You are such a strong young man and you shouldn’t let kids like Draco bring you down,” Remus said. You lifted your head to look at your Professor. He was encouragingly smiling at you, his legs crossed, hands rested on his lap.

”Kids like him have a silver spoon so far up their arse even the dentist can see it,” he added, whispering with a smile on his face. His speech left you without words, you knew he was right and you were heavily entertained by the silver spoon thing. 

"Believe it or not, I know what I'm talking about. I too was very different from others my age," Lupin added. You saw how his eyes changed as he said it, you knew he wasn't different in the same way as you, but you knew his struggle was just as real as yours. 

"How did you get past it?" you sniffled, voice still raw from the crying. He smiled at you, "there's no "moving past" a thing as big as yours or mine. You need to embrace it, accept that part more or less," he said, voice now melancholy. "It's good that you have Harry, Hermione and Ron as your friends, they're great friends. I too had a friend who helped me, rely on them and trust them. Be honest," Remus instructed. 

You smiled at his words, you knew that Remus Lupin was good.

#harry potter #remus lupin #remus x reader #oneshot #trans male reader #harry potter fluff #hurt #comfort

[twistyprefect]

MMM: (G) Care of Magical Creatures

"I think I have Care of Magical Creatures." They said, showing the timetable with the abbreviation to the table. Ace and Deuce grinned, with Jack nodding happily.

"Us too! Cool." Deuce said, grinning and giving the prefect a thumbs up. They smiled and gave him a thumbs up back before turning back to their breakfast. The other Gryffindors kept eating and chatting, preparing for the upcoming class. Jack seemed the most excited for it, though it was a bit hard to tell. They glanced at Epel, who had mentioned his Divination class which earned some teasing from Ace. The prefect smiled at their newfound friends, hopeful for their future in the house of the lions.

The group headed down to the forest edge, where Professor Serephim was waiting for them. She smiled and introduced herself, telling the students to sit in groups and wait for the rest of their class. The prefect smiled as they say with their fellow Gryffindors, joined shortly by Sebek as some Hufflepuffs reached the groups. Another Hufflepuff joined the group, grinning predatorily at the younger students.

"Ruggie! Didn't see you all summer!" Ace said, tossing an extra quill at the newcomer. The Hufflepuff, Ruggie, rolles his eyes and snatched up the quill.

"None of your business." He said, grinning at the ginger. Before Ace could retort, another student plopped down nearby. Ace paled and scooted away from the shorter student with bright red hair, who was glaring at the Gryffindor.

"You better be behaving. I won't hesitate to take off points." the Ravenclaw said. Ace groaned and rolled his eyes, sticking his tongue out.

"Calm down Rosehearts, we're just having fun. That's not against the rules, as much as you wish it was." He retorted, causing the Gryffindor prefect to snort in laughter a bit. The Ravenclaw glanced at them and then back to Ace.

"Whatever." He mummbled before straightening his back, his eyes glancing at three new students nearing the slightly large group. All three were wearing the trademark green and silver uniform of Slytherin. One was freakily tall, with teal hair and a single black streak through it. He looked weirdly similar to Floyd, reminding the prefect that Floyd had mentioned a twin. The second student was a bit shorter, but still seemed kind of tall, his long black hair half braided and pulled back behind his head, his sharp eyes calculating. The student in between them was grinning and looking around excitedly, their two-toned ponytail bobbing as they waved to the professor. They definitely didn't fit in with the other two Slytherins, but it didn't seem to matter to them, or to the students the prefect was sitting with. Jack and Ruggie seemed to be more alert, glancing at the trio of vipers as they approached.

"Room for three more?" The middle student asked, grinning. Ace nodded and grinned back, immediately launching into an inquisition about their summer. The two students chatted eagerly, other members of the group eventually joining in. The prefect glancing around at the new students they hadn't met yet, unable to catch anyone's names yet. The professor clapped to call everyone to attention, splitting everyone into groups to meet some of the creatures they'd be working with that semester. Everyone eagerly gathered into groups, cooing over and petting the animals.

"So, now that you've all met the creatures, I have a surprise for you all! I am giving you a month long project. It will be with a partner, and you will be writing a report on your chosen creature! Multiple groups can do the same creature, but you will still be in pairs." She explained, lining the creatures up. The prefect smiled and looked over all the creatures, trying to decide which to pick.

"I think I'm gonna work with the Diriclaw!" The odd Slytherin (who had eventually introduced themself as December Rubio) said. The tall Slytherin, Jade, nodded in agreement, looking at the bird-like creature again. Jamil, the other Slytherin, expressed his interest in the Knarl, a small hedgehog-like creature. Riddle agreed with him, smacking Ace's head with parchment when the ginger teased him. Ace and Deuce both wanted to work with the Fire Crab, while Jack and Ruggie seemed to be vying for the Hippogriff. Sebek seemed interested in the Glow Bug. The prefect was surprised to see so few students looking at the Bowtrickle, only one small Hufflepuff student with wild blue hair seemed to be interested in it. The prefect considered their options for a moment before deciding on their creature and partner, heading to...

[what creature and which student do you want to work with?]

...the Diriclaw with Jade.

...the Knarl with Jamil.

...the Knarl with Riddle.

...the Fire Crab with Ace.

...the Fire Crab with Deuce.

...the Hippogriff with Jack.

...the Hippogriff with Ruggie.

...the Glow Bug with Sebek.

...the Bowtrickle with the Hufflepuff.

#twst x reader #twisted wonderland headcanons #twisted wonderland imagines #twisted wonderland x reader #twst x you #twst scenarios #twst imagines #twst #hogwarts gryffindor track #friday's hogwarts au #twst hogwarts au #hogwarts au #jack x reader #jack howl x reader #jack imagines #ace trappola x reader #ace x reader #ace imagines #deuce spade x reader #deuce x reader #deuce imagines #twst reader insert #reader insert