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darkficsyouneveraskedfor · 1 year

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Drawn Together 1

Warnings: non/dubcon, obsession, intimidation, and other dark elements.

Character: Steve Rogers

Summary: You get a tattoo on an impulse to break your routine, but you walk away with something else as permanent as the ink.

I saw this and had to

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging.

You are not a rebel. You are clean cut. You live within very precise boundaries. Minimizing every part of yourself to evade notice. Rules are not meant to be broken, despite that old cliche.

That is until that day. It's foolish, you know it. That voice in the back of your head repeats your foreboding. You know you can't go back. There isn't a magic eraser for this one.

Shut up.

You're over it. Over yourself. Over your boring life. You've never done one fun thing for just yourself. It's always been what has to be done. What must be done. You're thirty years old and you don't even know if you understand the concept of 'fun'.

You sit on the leather bench. Nervous and shaky as hell. There's still time to change your mind. You can take your deposit and go, with clean untainted skin.

No! You're not going to chicken out this time. You want one memory that doesn't end in you tucking tail and running.

"Do you like the sketch?" Sam, your assigned artist asks.

You glance over at him as he pulls on a pair of black gloves, his gun laid out and sterilised. You peek at the open sketchbook, the drawing of a simple red poppy outlined in black with a thick spiraled green stem. Nothing too big or extravagant, easy to hide. If your mother or father ever saw that, you would be excommunicated.

"I love it," your voice quavers and you clear your throat, "I'm sorry, I'm just a little anxious."

"That's fine. First time, right?"

"Uh, yeah, I don't even have piercings," you give a brittle chuckle, "I'm not really the adventurous type."

"I'm sure you are in your own way," he grins, a look that calms you. "So, we still set on ankle?"

"Um, yeah, I think that's good."

"As good a starting place as any. Glad I talked you off the ribs. Those are tender."

"Just an idea," you breathe, "I don't know much about these things."

"Not to worry, you're in good hands," he winks, "you can just relax," he rolls his stool to the foot of the bench, "and pop your leg up here."

"Right," you gulp down another chest full of air and follow his direction, "that's it?"

"And keep still. Tell me if you need a break. The pains a bit much at times so don't be afraid to speak up."

"Okay, sounds good," you try to settle in but your blood feels thick and your vision speckles with silver. Oh god, you're really going to do this.

"Don't hold your breath," he says, "really, I don't like my canvases passing out."

"Sorry."

"It's okay, you want something to drink before we start?"

"No, I'm good."

"Awesome," he says and grabs his gun, double checking the tip before moving back to your ankle. "Alright, I'll count down so you're not too surprised."

"Thanks," you fold your hands over your stomach as he positions your leg and bends forward.

He counts from three and you focus on not moving at the first stab of pain. Don't be a weak bitch. You grit your teeth and let out your breath as the gun buzzes loudly. The pain keeps a steady sear in your skin but you slowly get used to the sensation.

As he works, your eyes wander along the dark red walls and the artwork hanging all around. Tattoos in colour and black and white. The schematics of a tattoo gun. A falcon crest wrought in brass.

You hear the door open and the smoky voice of the other artist, Nat greets the newcomer you can't see past the pillar. The response is a deep, rocky timbre. You can only imagine the inked up brute behind it.

"Always with the notes," you hear a paper crinkle, "I'm the artist here, Rogers."

"Hey, I'm an artist too," the man counters lightly.

You peek over as the redhead woman appears on the other side of the pillar and guides her client through to her open workspace. An open curtain drapes against the wall at the other end of the shop. She sets down the page and tuts as she looks it over.

The man slides off a pair of dark sunglasses, black lenses with golden frames. He slips them into the pocket of his denim jacket and tugs at the sleeves. Their actions seem to be routine and you can see why. His arms are covered from wrist to shoulder in ink, a few smaller tattoos on his knuckles. Now you really feel out of place.

"Sam, what's up?" The other client calls over as he hangs the denim on the coat rack.

"What's it look like, Steve?" Sam says, his eyes not leaving your ankle.

You take in the interaction silently. You're a stranger among the usuals. The poser getting their taste of artificial danger. Your ankle tweaks and you smother a grunt between your teeth. The noise catches the blue eyes of the man, Steve.

You quickly avert your eyes back to Sam and knot your fingers together. Steve's shadow moves away. The artist at your bench hardly seems bothered but gives a shake of his head.

"You want the curtain?" Natasha asks as she approaches the black drapes.

"Nah, you know I don't care."

Your eyes flick up as the man peels off his tank top. Wow. You blink rapidly and make yourself act normal.

He lowers himself onto the leather seat as Natasha takes out her tools and starts sterilising. You once more force your attention back to Sam's careful work. It's going to take a while.

"You good?" He asks as he glances over, lifting the gun from your skin.

"Great," you murmur in an airy voice.

"Still nervous?"

"No, actually, kinda excited," you try not to speak too loud, overly mindful of the other client in the shop.

"Good," he hunches again and you suck in as he put the needle back to your skin. "So, what do you do? When you're not getting sick tats, that is?"

"Um, I, er, I teach. Music lessons."

"Music, huh? You seem like… the drummer type."

"Piano," you correct him, "I can carry a beat–" you pause to check the pain in your voice, "but I mostly teach piano."

"Classy," he remarks, "so, a poppy, any particular meaning to that?"

"Er, no, uh," you rub your neck nervously but make yourself quit moving, "it's my favourite flower."

"Pretty sombre fave but I get it," he remarks.

"Yeah, I guess…"

Your attention is drawn at the soft slap of skin and the rattle of metal. You look up as Steve retracts his hand and Natasha points at him with a sharp nail, "this is a sterile workspace."

He chuckles at her irritation and shows his palms before he sits back. He rolls his shoulders as he leans casually and twiddle his fingers against his jeans. Once more, your eyes meet and his mouth slants slightly. You gulp and look down again.

"So, any ideas for a second piece?" Sam asks.

"I think I'm gonna stick with one."

"Not gonna get a full bouquet?" He wonders.

"Not yet."

"Better get cozy, Rogers," Natasha says.

You look up as she sprays shaving foam onto his chest.

"You know this is my second home," he teases as he relaxes and she spreads the cream.

"Don't remind me," she grumbles as she takes a razor.

You tear away from your distraction once more. Gosh, it is painful. You don't know how people end up like him. Your tiny little flower will be more than enough for you.

You close your eyes and groan. Sam rests his hand on your calf. He squeezes as he pauses again.

"Need a break."

"No, keep going," you puff out.

You grip the side of the leather bench and bite down. You've always been a big baby. You bat away the gloss of tears threatening to confirm that and take another breath.

The subtle creak of leather pulls your gaze back across the room. Steve leans slightly around to see you past Nat as she shaves one side of his chest. You grimace and hide beneath your lashes.

Why is he looking at you like that? It must be amusing, someone like you in a place like that. Now you know this is definitely a mistake.

#steve rogers #dark steve rogers #dark!steve rogers #steve rogers x reader #drabble #dark drabble #dark!drabble #drabble series #mcu #marvel #captain america #sam wilson #natasha romanov #au #tattoo au

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kozachenko · 7 months

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ok so this was originally going to be a small sketch that I just so happened to colour in to practice my new style which I just so happened to do the lighting for which I so happened to try out some collage stuff and-oops my hand slipped

{Artists Note}:

I was thinking about Eiki and then I realized that I still haven't drawn her in my style yet so here we are. For some reason, Eiki has always reminded me of Kurapika from HxH for some reason, so I guess some of that inspo slipped into how I drew her face. If I get a better idea for how I want to draw it in the future I'll redraw her face like I did with Zanmu and kind of Keiki (I need to draw her again because I miss drawing her and I still need to figure out how to draw her design).

I also wanted to play around with some collage elements in this piece, (also I am just realizing now that the flowers on the picture frame didn't align themselves properly but you know what who cares I'm too tired to fix it now) so I mashed together two different picture frames I found on google, found some 1800s botanical drawings and the rest is history. I went with a flower theme because PoFV had a whole thing with flowers going on, so why not.

The whole idea I had with the portrait frames came from when I drew in her little ribbons on her hat and they formed a nice little compositional thingy so yeah there ya go. Also, her hat ribbons were a nightmare to figure out, again, if I redraw Eiki in the future I'll have to figure that out.

So yeah that's basically all I have to say about this one, don't know how to end this off so uhhh.... If there were a manga about Hell in Touhou and it was a political drama I'd read it, not because I like political dramas but because the concept of it is so fucking cool to me oki byeeeeeee

#art #touhou project #fanart #touhou fanart #touhou #touhou 9 #eiki shiki #eiki shiki yamaxanadu #phantasmagoria of flower view

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nerves-nebula · 1 month

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finally decided to try my hand at digital art 🙌 what better way to relearn how to draw basic shapes than drawing the most shaped things i know

me, using all of their signature colours in each of their sketches: oh yeah. these mfs are a lot more similar to each other than any of them are comfortable acknowledging

ooogughghh !! good job!! i know their faces are hella wonky lmao, i dont even always put in the effort to get it to look good, so kudos to you!! this is dope as hell thank you :D

#nnstuff #ask #teenage mutant neglected turtles #neglected art

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searchingforakeythatdoesntexist · 4 months

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DAY 15- «On Thin Ice» Good Omens AU - Triptych Tribute, last part.

To @blairamok. Thanks for everything...!

Please, listen to this?

"Our love is..."

I, I can't get these memories out of my mind And some kind of madness has started to evolve And I, I tried so hard to let you go But some kind of madness is swallowing me whole

I have finally seen the light And I have finally realized What you mean...

And now, I need to know, is this real love Or is it just madness keeping us afloat?

And when I look back at all the crazy fights we had It's like some kind of madness was taking control

And now I have finally seen the light And I have finally realized What you need

But now I have finally seen the end And I'm not expecting you to care, no That I have finally seen the light And I have finally realized

I need to love...!

...I need to love.

Come to me just in a dream Come on and rescue me Yes, I know, I can't be wrong

And baby, you're too headstrong Our love is

...Our Love is Madness, yeah.

[Previous] [Next Day] [First Day]

Don't forget to 💕/ reblog ;-)

↓Important message below, please check the behind-the-scenes!↓

Aaaand... cut!

Hello, dear Good Omens fam ^_^

I hope you enjoyed this last fantasie of mine as much as I did. Thanks so much for reading until here. It means a lot to me. Thanks to @blairamok for blessing us with his wonderful AU! I wish you the best, dear!

I have some family duties for a few days and I'll have to travel, so I don't know if I will be able to draw/publish any Daily Challenges for a while. Maybe this is just the sign that I HAVE to go back to simple things, simple challenges, simple ideas, just like at the beginning.

That was one Hell of a journey until now. Thank you all for following me in this challenge. I am learning so much while having fun. Aaand a little bit of pressure too - because HEY ANXIOUS PERSON, that's what I am - but it's almost always a good kind of pressure.

I have drawn more in two weeks that I have ever had in 10 years. This is such a relief to be able to do it, and such a wonderful thing to share my art with you and have your feed-back. Please, please, never stop telling me what you like and what you want me to draw! l would love to read any Challenge Ideas in the tags/comments section.

As for me, I'll try to never stop drawing, ever again.

Have a wonderful day/evening, my dear GO fam.

Elenthya

Personal challenge: a simple sketch each day

Goal: forcing me to keep things simple - inking, shading, just a few sashes of colour

Improvement pursued: to get the movement, the emotion, finding how to add depth, learning how to leave things barely finished

Max time allowed: 2 hours, as usual for my Daily Challenges. or 3-4 hours because it a Tribute to - 8 hours. EIGHT. HOURS. One-shot. Yeah, I know. Time to think about my own rules. Or, no Tribute works for a while. Plus, I love their figure but Crowley face drove me mad. Ugh.

Today's theme chosen by me:

Well, the song speaks for itself, doesn't it? :-) I previously wanted to use "Glorious" because this one is my favourite above all MUSE songs - the instrumental, the voices, everything in this song transports me. But the more I was trying to use the lyrics for this artwork, the more it feels inaccurate. So... Sorry, dear "Glorious". Another time. ;-)

[Previous] [Next Day] [First Day]

Don't forget to 💕/ reblog ;-)

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xxladyballadxx · 11 months

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An Alien Robot In Love With A Human Girl (Pt 2)

TF ROTB Mirage x Reader

Mirage couldn’t get his head straight while on patrol because he was thinking about (Y/n), the girl he met a week ago. Arcee, one of his comrades, scowled at him for spacing out on patrol. Even Optimus had a little go at Mirage too.

The upbeat Autobot wondered perpetually if he would ever see (Y/n) again.

~~~~~

(Y/n) hadn’t been very focused on her studies for Uni and that’s because someone she met not long ago was on her mind. An Autobot named Mirage. The girl appears to be fond of that funny robot, she finds him quite hilarious and optimistic. The day she got saved by one of the Autobots, (Y/n) got to know him more while Mirage was driving her home. (Y/n) drew a mini image of him on her notebook and her heart went pumping up in beats when she did that. A red faded colour glowing on her cheeks, blushing hysterically as she thinks about him more.

The sweet warm-hearted girl held up a mini sketch of Mirage towards the sunlight that was radiantly beaming through the glass window by her studying desk, wondering if she would ever bump into Mirage once again.

~~~~~

Mirage got ambushed by one of the Decepticons while getting easily distracted by a girl he couldn’t stop thinking about. (Y/n) has been crawling through his mind 24/7. The citizens were roaming down the road screaming in terror when a deception appeared. However, Mirage managed to take down the enemy and blasted their brains out.

Suddenly…

“Mirage?” The Autobot recognised the voice of a girl whom he never thought was nearby. He turned his head and looked down at the girl standing by the broken streetlights, “(Y/n)?” Mirage walked closer to her, bending down to her level so he could face her properly.

(Y/n) shone a smile across her soft lips, tucking in her (h/c) hair behind her ear, “Hello Mirage.” she had never thought she would randomly run into him. “Glad that I’ve bumped into you today.” Mirage’s eyes widened after hearing what he just said out of the blue, he held his hand and face-slapped himself, thinking that it was the most ridiculous first thing to say. (Y/n) chuckled at her awkwardness, “I was actually going to say the same thing. I watched you take down that Decepticon while I was hiding behind the wall nearby. That was impressive.”

Obviously she wasn’t stalking him or anything, (Y/n) just happened to be nearby and somehow spotted Mirage beating the hell out of a Decepticon. Mirage never thought someone beautiful like her was watching the whole fight between the Autobot and Decepticon.

“You could have gotten hurt, (Y/n)! You shouldn’t be too close!” Mirage spoke in a worrying manner.

“I wasn’t that close to the scene, I was watching from a safe distance so I’m fine! Don’t worry!” (Y/n) reassured him, smiling so calmly.

An utter silence floated in between them, the two gazed upon each other with a smile glimmering on her faces. (Y/n) looked away shyly, Mirage noticed her face was colouring fadingly with a light of red. He found that quite adorable.

“Are you free at the moment?” Mirage asked in a wonder.

“Yeah I am.” (Y/n) answered very quickly which shocked Mirage.

“Awesome! Great! Wanna go to the drive-in theater or..?” He suggested, couldn’t think of any places to go and chill. “I would love to, Mirage…” She paused and took a glimpse around the chaotic mess when Mirage brawled against the Decepticon, “Aren't you going to clean up the mess?” she giggled with her hand to her lips.

Mirage hadn’t forgotten the damage he caused on the street, “I will let the humans handle that, haha…” he transformed into the Porsche 964 car and actively opened the car door for her, “You coming in?”

(Y/n) clutched her study books to her chest and smiled shyly, heading inside the Porsche. Mirage carefully closed the car door front and drove off to the drive-in theater.

An Autobot and the little lady began to spend more time together every week, getting to know each other one and another. Mirage loves her laughs, her smile, her everything. His heart gets very high with such warm fuzzy feelings. It’s the same with (Y/n).

The girl loves everything about him. His goofiness, his silliness, his jokes, everything. A human girl and an Autobot fell for each other and eventually they officially became a couple.

(Y/n) talks about her goofball Mirage to her friends, some find it hard to believe that one of the Autobots was actually her boyfriend. She would think about Mirage everyday nonstop.

On the other side, Mirage never shuts his mouth about (Y/N) to his comrades. Bumblebee grew exhausted hearing his friend talking about (Y/n). Although he does seem interested to meet the girl one day. Arcee appeared to be a little annoyed by Mirage rambling on about his human girlfriend. She, too, was interested to meet (Y/n). Other Autobots had a similar reaction. Optimus was visibly happy for him having someone special in his life, human or not. As long as Mirage treats (Y/n) right of course.

It appeared that the human girl (Y/n) and the Autobot Mirage grew very fond of each other…

Mirage found his sparkmate whom he wants to spend the rest of his life with and (Y/n) found hers whom she truly adores very much.

(A/N) - THE END! The last part of this fanfiction is finally completed! I hope you all enjoyed it!

UNTIL NEXT TIME..^^

#transformers x reader #transformers fanfiction #transformers rise of the beasts #tf rotb #tf rotb mirage #tf x reader #tf rotb mirage x reader #rotb mirage x reader #transformers headcanon #tf mirage #rise of the beasts #rotb x reader #rise of the beasts x reader #tf headcanon

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hyperfixatedfandomer · 10 months

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Do you have any Spider hc for your modern au? And could you describe his room in more detail? - I can only imagine a cupboard under the stairs of Harry Potter 💀

(The ask refers to my modern au Spider-centric fanfic. Chapter 5 is on the way so make sure to check it out!)

I’m glad you asked! Let’s dive right in with this diagram.😌

This is something I did months ago. Spider’s room looks much different now but this sketch should give you the basic idea of what Socorro’s living quarters look like.

Okay, the most prominent feature of the room? Crystals, crystals everywhere. Kiri is a crystal girlie and, as the closest person to her, Spider couldn’t escape her influence. He has a bowl with crystal pebbles on his work desk, and amethyst stones under his pillow. (Amethyst symbolises protection, so Spider puts it there to ward off bad dreams.)

Plastic plant vine decorations, since he can’t have real ones in an environment with no windows, but he makes it work, taping it to the roof of the room and making it look like his own little forest.

Has a mushroom table lamp. Not much light from it but hey, at least is looks aesthetic ✨

His desk is messy as fuck, since Spider is trying to fit both notebooks, trinkets and sketchbooks on it. Bestie barely has space to do homework and often prefers libraries or parks for that reason. (Plus it’s a good excuse to be connecting to ✨Eywa✨)

There is a ukulele shoved in the tiny free space in front of the bed. He barely plays it because he’s so busy with school and friends and doesn’t want to annoy anyone with his singing, but lemme tell you a secret: he’s really good at it.🥹

Polaroid photos litter a wall opposite of the doorway, fairy lights hanged around them to remind Spider of the happy moments he had with his siblings, and sometimes even the parents (he has an image of a smiling Neytiri, but it’s tucked away far enough so no one looking in would notice it.)

He also has pages with sketches hanged up on it, be it works he’s proud of, or shading/colour/anatomy studies he’s recently done and wants to keep in mind.

And yeah! The room is tiny as hell, but Socorro makes it work!

#atwow #atwow fanfiction #atwow modern au #atwow spider #spider atwow #avatar spider #spider avatar #spider socorro #avatar 2 #avatar way of water #avatar #avatar headcanons #atwow kiri #Kiri atwow #Kiri sully

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unlimitedgolden · 11 months

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@heropartnerweek - Day Seven: Free Day

With hero + partner week coming to a close I wanted to just share the stuff that I had made in preparation for most of the posts!! So here’s the original reference sheet I had sketched up featuring the Shinx, Iferous (Riolu) and Aegis (Eevee), the day prior to its start! I used this mostly for colours, though. Now, onto the sketches!

And that last one is actually a scrapped thing! Yes, originally the Shinx (who I still havent named) was gonna run a lil shop. Now if you’ve made it this far you might be wondering: Golden, what the hell is the story behind all this? And I might as well spill the beans in a big heartfelt post.

Last year, hero + partner week was just. Amazing. I loved it so much and it brought me such joy to be fixating on PMD years. I was introduced to an amazing community, amazing people. and seeing peoples comments on my work really would bring a tear to my eye. seriously. I was so emotional.

And thought I’m not fixated on it much as now, I still love the characters I made. Anyway, I wanted to make a story sorta based on an old myth about you having the face of your previous lover. Or at least the face of the person you loved most. This brought me to the idea of “What if Golding (My Shinx from last year) was just,, forever stuck in a loop of saving the world. But their partners never remembered”

and that’s how we got here. Golding reincarnated into Iferous, a riolu just like their partner before them. And no doubt it’ll happen again, but then they’ll be an Eevee. And so on, and so forth. BUT YEAH!! THATS EVERYTHING !! THANK YOU FOR AN AMAZING WEEK !!

#goldenart #pokemon mystery dungeon #pmd #pokemon #heropartnerweek #pmd explorers #PMD OC #riolu #shinx #eevee

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spoilmesweetieforficssake · 1 year

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Age gap Melissa Schemmenti/Reader fic where reader recently moved in with Mel a few months ago but her parents don’t know so when they ask to visit she has to tell them about their relationship and introduce them

First of all, apologies - this ask has been in my inbox for longer than I'd like but between work and trying to answer the elusive question of 'how much sleep do I actually need to feel human?' Hint, the answer remains unknown.

Anyways, this has strayed so far from the plan I had originally sketched out I don't even recognise it but I've poked and prodded and pleaded with it to get it to this stage, so here we are! I hope you enjoy!

~*~ Happy To Be Home (With You)

“I need to talk to you,” you say as stick your head around the breakroom door and catch Melissa’s gaze. Expecting her to follow, you retreat back into the hallway, missing the way her face falls at your words.

Barb places a gentle hand on her friend’s arm. “It’ll be okay,” she says quietly. “Don’t worry.”

Melissa nods. You and her are in a good place. Or at least she thought you were. When she makes in out into the hallway you’re pacing.

You turn to face her, frowning when you see her. “What is your face doing that for?”

“What?” she snaps defensively.

“That,” you say, gesturing vaguely at her face. “You look terrified.”

She shrugs, looking suddenly small. “You said we needed to talk.”

It’s only then that you realise. “Shit! Sorry! I didn’t mean it to sound like that,” you quickly try to reassure her. “We’re great, you’re beautiful and I love you,” you tell her, watching as her face goes through a whole rollercoaster of emotions before settling on a frown.

“Then what? Because now you look nervous,” she says.

“I just got off the phone to my parents,” you tell her. “They want to visit.”

And there it is. Now she understands your nerves. “And they usually stay with you?”

“Yeah,” you nod. “Only now I stay with you.”

She reaches out, taking hold of your fidgeting hands, grounding you. “So you wanna tell them?”

You smile shyly. “I never didn’t want to tell them. It just sort of hit me today when they asked that I hadn’t.” You feel a blush colour your cheeks. “I got a bit carried away at the time.”

She smiles back at you, a fond chuckle leaving her lips. “Yeah, I remember. You had me lugging stuff over that same day.”

“Well I didn’t want you to change your mind!” you say in your defence. “And I was excited.” You squeeze the fingers laced with your own, growing serious again. “I wanted to speak to you before I spoke to them again,” you tell her.

At her confused expression you sigh. “I sort of the told them I had to go cover lunch duty and I would call them later. I wanted to make sure you were comfortable with me telling them. They know we’re together but this is different.”

Melissa offers you a soft smile. “When you moved in, my place also became your place.”

“I know,” you smile in reply, unable not to at her words. “But this isn’t me buying a throw cushion, ‘Lissa. This is my parents visiting and sharing that space and that’s not something I’m going to say yes to unless it’s something you’re comfortable with.”

Her smile remains soft, touched you think enough to ask. And while it makes her nervous as hell, she’s not about to say no. “Of course your parents can visit and stay in the house you live in.”

“That’s not what I asked,” you’re quick to counter. You know she’ll sacrifice herself on her own sword and not breathe a word about how much it hurts. “Whatever you say, I’m telling them I moved in, but I’m not going to extend the invitation for them to stay unless you’re okay with it.”

She huffs, irked at you bring able to see through her answering around your question as easily as you are. “I’m okay with it as long as you’re okay with it.”

Figuring it’s as close to a yes as you’re going to get, you step forward, cupping her face in your hands. “I love you.”

“Love you too,” she smiles, leaning in to press her lips to your own.

“How about we call them tonight?” you ask. “Together?”

She nods, her nerves still bubbling under the surface, but pride winning out. Regardless of what her answer was, you were telling your parents about your move. You weren’t hiding the fact you were with her. No, you were going to tell them no matter what she said. What they said. “Together. Now can we eat? I’m starving!”

“Sorry I had to run earlier,” you say as your parent’s answer your video call. Choosing not to dive in at the deep end, you let the conversation drift naturally towards the subject of their visit. There’s the important topic of the cat who visits and your dad’s latest random Gumtree acquisitions to cover first.

“There’s actually something I have to tell you,” you start when the topic finally comes up. “When you visit, it won’t be my old apartment. I moved.” You watch as they wait, almost as if they know you’re not quite finished your sentence. “I moved in with Melissa.”

As expected, your dad is the one who is quick to congratulate you, your mother quiet and watchful on the screen. At least she’s smiling though.

“We can book somewhere else to stay,” she offers when she finally speaks.

“Nonsense!” comes the reply of a certain red head in the background, making you grin. You turn around, grabbing her arm and pulling her into view of the screen. She leans her head on yours, her arms loosely around your shoulders. “There’s more than enough room here.”

You reach up to squeeze one of the arms looped around you in silent thanks. Standing behind you, you know she’s trying hard to hide her nerves. Her posture isn’t as loose as you’re used to, her voice laced with anxiety. “I can’t wait for you to come and meet Melissa properly,” you smile.

“We’d love that too,” your mum smiles, your dad nodding along enthusiastically.

“Great! Well, send dates and we’ll sort things out.”

Melissa is quiet that night. You let it go, knowing it’s been a big day for both of you. It’s one thing for her to know your parents exist and know of her existence, but tonight was the first time she’s actually been involved in one of your video chats with them, not to mention there are now solid plans in place for her to actually meet them in person.

It’s not until you realise that she’s been sitting starting at the same page of her book for over half an hour that you finally feel you have to say something. “You okay?”

She’s quick to snap out of her daze, forcing a smile in your direction. “Course.”

You don’t say anything for a moment, just taking time to really look at her. A small frown creases her features, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. “What’s going on in that pretty head of your?”

At your words, she sighs, dropping her gaze. She fidgets with the book in her hands. “I know I’ve seen pictures of your parents, but tonight is the longest I’ve really looked at their faces.” She looks up, taking a deep breath. “I think I need to ask the question I told you I didn’t want the answer to.”

You nod. You know exactly the question she doesn’t want to ask. The same question she told you she never wanted to ask when she had her wobble on your last birthday. Up until then, she’d always know you were younger than her, but it hadn’t really hit home for her how much younger you were. She had made you cry then, not quite comprehending what you’d done wrong. She had been cold and standoffish and not at all like the girlfriend you loved.

All in all, it had been a terrible birthday. Up until the point she appeared at your door late that same night, tears in her own brilliant green eyes and an apology on her lips. She had scared herself at how terrified the thought of losing you made her. How much it hurt her to make you cry.

“My dad is three years older and my mum is two years younger.”

She takes a moment to take in your answer. As you watch, you see the internal breakdown happening. Her eyes widen before she begins to blink almost frantically as her breath comes in short, shallow bursts.

“Hey,” you say, crawling along the couch towards her. “Don’t shut me out.”

Taking a deep breath, she meets your eyes. “I’m a cradle snatcher!”

You can’t help it as a burst of laughter leaves your lips. “No you’re not. I’m a grown ass woman who can make her own choices. And I choose you,” you tell her, booping her playfully on the nose. Removing her book from her hands, you take care to mark her page before putting it on the table.

“What if they don’t like me when they meet me?” she asks in a small voice. “When they realise what age I am?”

You take her hands in your own, stilling them and bringing her attention back to your face. “They’re my parents and I love them but they also need to respect my life choices,” you say, your words chosen slowly and deliberately. “And that I choose you, for life.”

Tears gather in her eyes at your words.

“And if they say anything to upset you while they’re here they’ll be getting driven to the nearest hotel and I’ll speak to them later about it.”

“You wouldn’t,” she says, her voice wobbling.

“I would,” you tell her honestly. “This, here, with you. This is my happy place and if they can’t see that…” You trail off with a shrug. You hope your parents will like Melissa. Can’t see any reason why they wouldn’t. But if by some chance they don’t, that won’t change the fact that you love her.

She lifts her hands to stroke her fingers over your cheeks, tracing the contours of your face. Your conviction in your relationship with her never fails to make her heart soar. “Please don’t throw your parents out while they’re here.”

“They better be on their best behaviour, then,” you smirk, leaning in to press a kiss to her lips.

“You know their flight doesn’t land for three hours, right?” you ask as you see Melissa tossing things into her handbag, looking ready to leave.

“Course I do,” she snaps. “I just don’t wanna be late and make a bad impression.”

You nod. She’s been getting increasingly snippy with you all morning. You’ve been as patient as you can, knowing it’s nothing you’ve done, only her nerves. “Okay. Give me five minutes to get my things together and I’ll be good to go.”

Even with a little light traffic and a less than ideal parking, you arrive at the airport with almost two hours to spare. Still, you don’t say anything. It’s only when Melissa’s incessant pacing has her barging into someone that you finally have to intervene. You apologise to the poor guy before dragging her to the nearest coffee shop in the airport and all but force her into a chair. Dropping your coat and bag in her lap you tell her to sit.

She looks about to protest but snaps her mouth shut when you raise an eyebrow at her. You rummage through your bag, taking out your purse and telling her you won’t be long. Heading to join the queue for coffee, you watch as she studiously straightens out your coat before laying it over the back of her chair. She then turns her attention to your handbag, adjusting the buckles that fasten the leather until everything sits neatly. She’s trying everything to occupy her attention and distract herself, and your heart breaks a little.

You hate to see her so nervous, but you know there’s nothing you can say that’s going to make this any easier for her. You are simply being as patient as you can and trying your best to avoid an unnecessary argument.

Returning with your coffees and a newspaper, you place the cups on the table before opening the paper to the crossword page and laying it in front of her. You meanwhile, adopt your usual crossword solving position behind her chair, looping your arms around her neck and leaning your head against hers. She brings a hand up to squeeze your arm, turning her head to press a kiss to your cheek.

“Thank you.”

“No, thank you,” you smile back at her. “I know today is scary, but I love you. All the more for being here.” You had offered to come and collect your parents on your own and let her meet them on home turf, so to speak, but she had quickly dismissed the idea, saying she didn’t want them to think she was a coward.

Your phone buzzes where it lays on the table, and a second later your watch does too. Melissa glances at the screen and tenses. Your parents’ flight has landed.

“Do you want to go and bring the car round?”

For a moment, she says nothing, does nothing. Eventually, however, she turns to look at you. “Why do you keep giving me an out?”

“Because I know how nervous I was the first time I came to family dinner,” you reply. “And you were better to me than I deserved.”

She had come to collect you that night only to find you half dressed having a meltdown over what to wear and whether the wine you had picked up was good enough to take. She had taken in your near panic attack state and swiftly wrapped you in a bone crushing hug until all you could feel and focus on was her.

Finally when you had been able to breathe she had told you with a soft smile that you could see was more than a little sad that if it was too much too soon there was more than one family dinner. The invite was an open one.

It was that sad smile that had you pulling yourself together. You asked her to pick something for you to wear from the contents of your wardrobe that currently littered your bed. Then while you got dressed you asked her to check the wine you had bought. The most expensive wine you’d ever purchased.

She told you the wine could wait and had gently and carefully dressed you in your favourite jeans and a soft knit sweater that is one of her favourites on you. She brushes out your hair and applies some light make-up before stepping back to take in her work.

“Beautiful.”

Dinner had gone better than you could ever have anticipated. You even got Nonna’s seal of approval.

Melissa rolls up the newspaper and tucks it into her bag for the two of you to finish later. She hates an unfinished crossword. “Arrivals it is,” she declares with a decisive nod as she hoists her bag onto her shoulder. If you see the death grip she has on it, you say nothing.

She’s shifting from foot to foot as the first passengers from your parents flight begin to trickle through. Telling her to calm down is pointless. Instead, you lean in and press a kiss to her cheek. “I love you.”

She offers you a tight smile in return. You don’t mind when she doesn’t say it back. She’s here, that tells you all you need to know. Turning back to the now steady stream of people from the flight, you catch sight of you dad, you mum a step behind rootling around in her handbag. You’d guess she’s probably looking for her cigarettes.

“Ready?”

Melissa nods, following a few steps behind you as you approach your parents, first wrapped up in an engulfing hug from your dad, you mum abandoning her search for her cigarettes as she sees you, giving you a hug of her own. “So good to see you both,” you smile, the familiarity of their presence comforting.

Their presence isn’t as comforting for Melissa, who hangs back until you turn to look for her, extending a hand in her direction. You watch as she takes a deep breath, forces a smile and joins you. You immediately wrap an arm around her waist, hoping to help ground her.

“Mum, dad, this is Melissa,” you grin, gazing at the red head adoringly.

The ride home is predictably filled with your dad’s chatter. You swear he could talk to anyone, but you know he’s making a special effort with Melissa when he starts to ask about her truck. A mechanic to trade it’s his go to topic of choice.

Your mum sits in the back with you, quietly catching up with all that’s happened since she last seen you properly. She quick to tell you that you’re looking well, though you can’t quite help but feel there’s a ‘but’ she’s leaving unsaid while you have company.

Back at the house, your mum warms up a little, making the easy dig that when you lived alone the place was never as spotless. You roll your eyes as you show her and your dad to the guest room, letting them get settled in and as is normal following their morning arrival, head for a lie down after their long flight.

Coming back to the kitchen, you find Melissa already making a start on lunch. “You okay?” you ask, wrapping your arms around her waist and nuzzling the back of her neck.

“Yeah,” she answers after a beat, turning in your arms.

“Yeah?” you repeat, your tone making the word a question.

“Yeah,” she says once more, leaning in to press a kiss to your lips. “I’m good.”

You lean in, capturing her lips once more, letting the moment linger. “So, what are we making?”

It’s easy to fall into step with her in the kitchen now. You’re familiar with her favourite dishes and recipes these days, so much so that you have your own little part in them. Without either of you having to say a word, it’s a given that while Melissa does this, you chop that. You move around each other in the small space with ease, contact between you never an accident, but rather an intended caress here, a kiss to a shoulder there as you pass by each other or Melissa keeps an eye on the sauce over your shoulder.

It's easy and familiar and brings the red head back to herself, almost making her forget about the two people currently taking up residence in your guest room. Even you forget for a while. That is until you glance up and see you mum hovering in the doorway.

“Didn’t mean to interrupt. It wouldn’t be too much to ask for a cup of coffee, would it?”

Melissa is quick to jump to it, the arm that was around your waist falling away after a brief squeeze.

“I can get it if you show me where everything is” your mum offers.

“Nonsense,” replies Melissa, waving her off. “You’re a guest.”

“Her kitchen is her happy place. Best leave her to it,” you inform your mum, pulling out one of the stools for her to sit at. You busy yourself fetching the milk and keeping an eye on the cooker, only to be batted away a few minutes later as Melissa takes control of the meal. You say nothing, knowing she’s clutching her wooden spoon like a lifeline and instead move to set the table.

You keep an eye on the two of them through the open door, smiling to yourself as you watch your mum takes a sip of her coffee and sigh in contentment. She tentatively starts to ask about what Melissa is cooking. It’s safe territory and the red head eagerly replies, and soon, they’re discussing favourite recipes and your girlfriend is happy to give your mum tips.

You’re so caught up watching the exchange that you miss your dad coming in, surprising you with a hug from behind, his arms around your shoulders. “Coffee?” you ask, heading off to pour a cup from the pot Melissa had brewed, making it just how he likes it.

“Going well,” he comments as you bring the mug back, nodding to where your mum is now standing next to Melissa at the cooker as the pair of you taking a seat at the table.

“Seems to be,” you smile, your eyes lingering on the red head.

“Were you worried it wouldn’t?”

You turn to look at your dad, who takes a sip of his coffee as you consider your reply. “I don’t want to fall out with you guys.”

He nods. “Duly warned to be on my best behaviour.”

Lunch goes well. Your parents can’t compliment the food highly enough and you can’t help it but find Melissa’s proud little smile adorable. The only other time you’ve ever seen her so nervous over her cooking was when she first cooked for you.

“You should head out, see some of the city,” she suggests as you’re clearing up. “Give me a chance to get dinner going.”

You’re adept enough at reading her to read between the lines. You should head out with your parents to give her a chance to collect herself. “Sure you don’t want to come?”

“I want to make something special tonight,” she tells you. “Something they’ll remember.”

You take the dish out of her hands, drying them on a dish towel before taking them in your own. “You realise they’re not exactly going to forget lunch in a hurry, right?”

“That was nothing and you know it,” she says. Her original plan had been to go out to lunch, but her nerves had gotten the better of her and the safety of her kitchen had called. She needed to be busy, and standing at her stove was the best way she knew how. “Let me make tonight special.”

You know she’s pulling out all the stops tonight. The refrigerator is packed with fresh ingredients and you already know she was up early this morning making a start on her prep, leaving you to wake up to a cold and empty bed. “You know you don’t have to, right?”

“It’s what I do,” she shrugs. “I cook.”

“You do so much more than cook, Schemmenti,” you say softly, leaning in to press a kiss to her lips. “You doing okay?”

She nods, leaning her forehead against yours. “Getting there.”

“Want me to bring anything back?” You know she’s unlikely to have missed anything in her planning of the meal, but you don’t want her having a panic over a missing ingredient.

“What about stopping off at the liquor store? Pick up your parents’ poison?”

“Getting them drunk isn’t going to make them like you more. You know that, right?”

She smirks. “Yeah, but at least if they’re drinking too it doesn’t look so bad when I do it.”

You laugh, shaking your head. “They’re hardly going to think you’re an alcoholic for having a few drinks with dinner.”

“What if I’ve already started on the wine by the time you get back?”

It’s not the first time your parents have visited you in the city, so they’re happy for a lazy afternoon stroll, taking advantage of the good weather.

“You should just say what you want to say,” you tell your mum as you both walk along.

“You looked at home with her in that kitchen,” finally comes the reply.

You frown. “I was home. I live there, remember?”

Your mum shakes her head, turning to look at you. “That’s not what I meant. You looked happy, content, there.”

Ducking your head, you find yourself blushing. “I am happy there. It feels right with her,” you shrug. You’re waiting for the barb, the cutting comment, but it never comes. “What? That’s it, no quips about her age, moving too fast? You’ve never been shy with my previous girlfriends.”

She nods. “True, but you’ve always ended up agreeing with me about them.”

You have to concede that one to her. Before Melissa, you’ve found you have a habit of being more in love with being in a relationship than with the person you’re in it with. A certain Schemmenti changed that, however. You’re well aware just how ridiculously smitten you are with her, but you can’t seem to find that a fault. She’s glorious and ridiculous and sexy and sweet all at once and you love every part of her.

“I think this time I’m agreeing with you,” your mum adds as you walk. “She seems lovely. And you look relaxed, yourself with her.”

If lunch was a success, dinner is a triumph.

To say Melissa has gone all out with the food is an understatement. There is enough food to feed fourteen, never mind four. Though if you’re being honest, that suits your dad who you’re sure has eaten enough for a small family on his own.

Conversation flows without you needing to prompt or guide it, and you find yourself content to lean back in your chair, glass of wine in hand, a smile on your lips. You feel Melissa’s arm along the back of your chair, fingers playing with your hair, realising that she’s finally relaxed as she puts up with some good natured teasing from your parents.

You hadn’t been sure what to expect when your parents finally met Melissa in the flesh. The red head had been so nervous you had devoted your attention to taking care of her rather than really focusing on your own emotions. All you really knew was that you wanted to show your parents how much you loved the woman currently laughing at one of your dad’s bad jokes.

You wanted them to see her as you see her. To understand why for you, it’s her. Looking at them across the table, you think they just might be.

#melissa schemmenti x reader #melissa schemmenti

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fastlikealambo · 10 months

Note

I saw your barbie’s dream girl thing and i’m so fucking excited dude! Hell yeah🤭

Honestly I hope R likes other colours and tolerates pink but then ends up loving pink bc of Barbie😌🏳️‍🌈

Gloria should even give Mattel the idea for a bi or lesbian barbie for a pride collection! Imagine🤭

She bases the sketch off of R and names it close to R’s name (or a completely different name is R is gonna be like y/n or something)

Pride Barbie…She’s everything! She’s out and proud!”

“y/n, she’s barbie’s everything!”

I’m crying imagining this…anyway

Oh reader definitely loves pink now because of Barbie, it's just slowly but surely creeping into her whole life lol

I'm crying right along with you because I'm just imagining Reader and Barbie going to Mattel to support Gloria's new doll design pitch and it's the first time Reader has seen it since the first sketch and she's just in awe of not only a beautiful doll that looks like her but the fact that the doll loves who she loves.

And like Mattel is like " yeah, we're gonna pass on that, have you seen everyone's else pride collections get met with pitchforks? Barbie is Barbie, no agenda."

And then Barbie stands up and says something like:

"But Barbie is love? She's the love she puts into her sister Skipper, her dog, any of her careers, why can't this Barbie be the love that scares us, the love we'd never give up fighting for?"

And then she looks back at Reader with a teary smile

"This new Barbie, she is the hope that exists inside everyone of us, the hope that when we feel safe enough to love someone with everything we have that we never, ever, have to let them go. She's Barbie's hope, she's enough for herself, for Barbie, and for girls out there who need her more than this world deserves her. How can this company create dolls for the future when you're too scared of the present?"

and then Barbie and Reader kiss and perform planned choreography to Silk Chiffon by Muna ft Phoebe Bridgers

#barbie x reader #barbie x black!reader #barbie x fem reader

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pityroadart · 3 months

Text

just a wee quick sketch as usual, but driver of the day hell yeah, my guy Carlos did well today

pentel brush sign pens + digital colour

#carlos Sainz #bahrain gp 2024 #f1 fanart #formula 1 art #my f1 art #sketch #pentel sign pen

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redriotinggg · 6 months

Text

When Sanji is bitten by a spider that has eaten the Cupid-Cupid Fruit, the Straw Hats learn there is only one way to cure his illness.

A genuine love confession.

There’s only one crewmate capable of the job.

(read on ao3!!)

—

The Straw Hats have stopped at a small summer island to gather supplies, stock up on necessities, and do any repairs to the Sunny.

When the bulk of the hard work has been done, their captain insists on a bonfire, having found a perfect clearing in the forest.

Sanji’s by the grill, cooking up plenty of burgers, hotdogs, kebabs, and other barbecued treats to fill his crew’s voracious appetites.

He happily watches his crew enjoy their afternoon—Brook’s violin emitting a joyful tune, Nami and Robin engaged in an intense game of cards, Franky enthusiastically sketching something onto a large page, Zoro fast asleep on the grass, and Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp running around as they play their own variation of tag.

Perhaps Sanji’s gaze is drawn to one of his crewmates in particular, following the flow of his curly hair, smiling at the sound of his laughter.

Perhaps. Sanji won’t tell.

“Woah! Look at that!”

The rowdy trio’s game of tag comes to a halt at Chopper’s cry. Luffy and Usopp look to where the reindeer is pointing, their eyes lighting up when they spot the thing that caught his attention.

“Cool!” Luffy begins to race over, but he’s stopped by Usopp.

“Wait! Don’t run, you’ll scare it!”

The trio carefully make their way over to a nearby tree, their attention grabbed by a fairly large spider.

Sanji shudders when he sees the creature. He looks away, focusing on the food. He is not interested in the further details of their exploration.

Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp fawn over the spider, speculating on its species and origins.

“It’s markings kinda look like hearts,” Usopp observes. “They’re even a pinkish-red colour.”

“Aw, so cute!” Chopper squeals.

“I’m gonna name it Cupid!” Luffy declares. “That guy’s in charge of hearts ‘n stuff, right? This lil' girl could be his pet or something,” he laughs.

A bit later, Sanji calls out to them. “Oi, get your asses over here, the food’s ready! And wash your hands if you’ve been touching bugs!”

Saying their goodbyes to Cupid, the boys rush over to claim their dinner.

The crew happily enjoys their meal, thanking Sanji with wide grins that only get wider when he presents them with dessert.

As the evening turns to night, the crew wind down, packing away their belongings and making their way back to the Sunny.

“Are you sure we can’t stay and camp?” Luffy whines. “It’s like, the perfect night for it! We've got the perfect spot!”

“No,” Nami denies flatly. “We didn’t bring the stuff for it and it’s already getting late. Plus, I want to sleep in my own bed. Now hurry up and get going! Franky! Turn on your flashlights, I can’t see!”

“One set of nipple lights, comin’ up! Ow!”

Usopp and Sanji take up the rear, picking up the last of Sanji’s portable kitchen gear. The chef is happily listening to the sniper’s latest tale when he feels a pinch on his ankle.

“Ow! What the hell?”

“Sanji! Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I think something just bit me.”

Usopp looks in the grass, trying to find the culprit. When he does, he gasps. “It’s the spider from before! Cupid, why’d you go and bite Sanji? That’s not nice!”

“‘Cause it’s a good for nothing insect,” Sanji grumbles.

“Actually, it’s an arachnid—”

“You better not have poisoned me, you stupid bug,” Sanji yells at the spider, which scurries away.

“It’d be venom, not poison.”

“You are not helping!” Sanji snaps. “What is this, a Robin impression? Stop with the unnecessary bug facts, this shit hurts!”

“Does it really? You should get Chopper to look at it as soon as we get back to the ship. Here, gimme your stuff, I’ll carry if for you.”

“I can carry it myself, asshole. I’m not that weak.”

“Really? ‘Cause if you’re in pain, the Great Usopp would be more than happy to carry you back to the Sunny.” Usopp smirks and flexes his muscular arms, sending Sanji a wink.

Sanji pretends like his heart isn’t trying to escape his chest and throw itself at Usopp’s feet.

Internally, Sanji is a mess. Externally, he rolls his eyes and hefts his baggage further in his arms.

“You do two push-ups and think you’re a strong guy now, huh? C’mon, let’s go before any other bugs try to make a meal outta me.”

When they make it back to the Sunny, all of their things put away, Usopp continues to hover by Sanji, his concern rising with each passing moment.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Usopp asks. “You’re all red. You shouldn’t be sweating this much.”

“‘M fine,” Sanji mumbles. The way he sways on the spot doesn’t do much to help his case.

Usopp holds him steady, in full crisis mode as he watches the usually stable chef falter. He hoists Sanji in his arms, dashing to the infirmary. “CHOPPER!”

“What happened?” the doctor asks. Usopp puts Sanji on the bed and recounts the tale.

By now, the rest of the crew has come to investigate the cause of the commotion. They all stand in the doorway, shocked to see their crewmate suddenly so ill.

“It’s only been like 20 minutes! Why does he look bad already? Sanji, don’t die!”

Usopp’s dramatic cry unfortunately has some merit. Sanji doesn’t look well. He is the complete opposite of the perfect picture of health he was less than an hour ago. In just a few minutes, Sanji seems to have lost all of his energy. He’s flushed and sweating, breathing heavily and brows furrowed as he fights some type of pain. Even his usually shiny hair is limp and brittle-looking.

Usopp’s heart positively breaks at the sight.

“I can’t make him a proper anti-venom without knowing exactly what type of spider that was,” Chopper states. He clicks his tongue as he looks at the inflamed, red bite mark on Sanji’s ankle.

“Brook, you help me get Sanji out of this suit. Everyone else, get out so I can treat him. Now!”

The rest of the crew gather on the deck, concern on all of their faces.

“Usopp,” Robin says, pulling the sniper from his worsening spiral of anxiety. “You said Sanji was bit by the same spider that you saw in the forest, right? Draw me a picture. We can use it to get information from the locals.”

Usopp nods. He runs off to the galley and grabs a sketchpad nestled between Sanji’s collection of recipes and cookbooks. Before long, he’s got multiple drawings of the spider, complete with colours and accurate depictions of its heart-shaped markings.

Franky and Nami go to the hospital to ask about an anti-venom while Luffy, Zoro, and Robin go ask around town.

On the Sunny, Usopp paces back and forth, biting his nails and their beds away to nothing as worry engulfs him. He peeks into the infirmary, heart breaking a little more every time he catches a glimpse of Sanji’s pained face.

“Sanji will be alright,” Brook assures him when he exits the room. “He’s stable for now. Our cook is strong. He’s got the best doctor caring for him and crewmates desperately seeking out information. He’ll pull through.”

Usopp tries his very best to believe him.

The rest of the crew returns to the Sunny in less than an hour. Everyone, except Sanji, who’s resting in the infirmary, gathers at the kitchen table.

“Turns out that our little spider has eaten a Devil Fruit,” Robin tells them. “Everyone in the area is familiar with the spider that has eaten the Cupid-Cupid fruit.”

“Wait, the spider is actually related to Cupid? That’s hilarious! I’m like a fortune teller! Hahahaha! Ow!” Luffy rubs his sore head, pouting at Nami.

“A bite from the Cupid Spider can do multiple things, depending on who is bitten," Robin continues. "However, it only causes illness in someone who has a requited love but has not actually expressed their love. To save Sanji, whoever is in love with him must tell him the breadth of their true feelings, lest he remain bedridden forever. Or worse.”

The crew sits in silence for a moment, reflecting on the information.

“Alright, who’s in love with Sanji?” Luffy demands.

All eyes go to Usopp.

He is so red in the face Chopper is concerned he'll pass out. His eyes are so wide Zoro wonders if they'll pop out of his head.

"What are you waiting for?" Nami cries. "Get in there and confess your love so Sanji gets better!"

"I-I-I-I-I-I'm not—"

"Oh, please, this is not the time for your anxious, denial bullshit! Go fix Sanji!"

"Can't we just kill the spider instead?" he suggests meekly.

Luffy and Chopper gasp in betrayal.

"That would be a bad idea," Robin warns. "That spider is very well-respected on this island. Causing it harm would no doubt incur the wrath of all the locals. There is nothing you can do but speak from the heart."

"You got this, Usopp-bro! Just tell Sanji how you feel! It'll turn out super!"

On stiff legs and with wobbly knees, Usopp leaves the galley and makes his way back to the infirmary, deaf to the sounds of his crew's encouragements.

Despite his desperate pleas to the universe, Sanji is awake when Usopp steps inside. He looks even worse than before. His skin is pale, covered in a sheen of sweat. His eyes are lidded and he's got bags under them like he hasn't slept in days. But even still, a smile lights up his face when he sees the sniper.

"Usopp," he says, voice quiet and raspier than usual. His smile is no less bright.

"Sanji," Usopp returns, taking a seat next to the bed. "I've got news. So, turns out that the spider that bit you has a Devil Fruit power."

Sanji scoffs. "Of course it does. Just my fucking luck. So, what? It ate the Sick-Sick fruit and now I'll feel like shit forever?"

Usopp chuckles drily. "No, nothing like that. We can actually help you pretty easily. Or, I can, anyway. I just... I have to... to..."

The sniper closes his eyes as a fresh wave of anxiety washes over him. He can't do this! It's too scary! But he has to.

How many times has he been in this position? Forced to watch someone he loves suffer from an illness, unable to do anything but try and distract them from their pain.

This time is different. Usopp can stop this. He can stop Sanji's suffering. All he has to do is be honest.

Well, best to rip off the band-aid.

Taking a deep breath, Usopp grabs Sanji's clammy hand in both of his. "I love you!"

"I-I've loved you for a long time, Sanji," Usopp admits, and the words start flowing, unable to stop. "I don't know when exactly it started, but I know that I do because I think you're so amazing! You're so cool, and strong, and talented. I love that you act all grumpy but you're actually extremely kind and considerate. I love spending time with you! I love it when you tell me stories about Zeff and the Baratie. I love that you always ask me questions when I'm telling you about something because you make me feel heard. I love that you always wrap your arms around me when we party. I love it when you smile at me and dance with me.

"I love how you look in the early morning and when the sun is setting. Well, I love how you look all the time because you're so gorgeous it isn't fair! All handsome and pretty at the same time. You dress nice, and you smell nice, and you make me food and protect me—! Sanji, I love you!

"I'm sorry it took a stupid spider to force me to say it but I lov-"

Usopp's speech is cut off as desperate lips meet his own. He melts into Sanji's embrace, returning the kiss with all he's got. His heart is beating so fast he thinks it might pop right out of his chest, but nothing could possibly take him away from this moment.

When they pull apart, foreheads resting against one another, Usopp is taken aback by Sanji's appearance. He looks as healthy as ever, save for his very intense blush. But his eyes are shining and his smile is hopeful and adoring.

"Do you mean it, Usopp? Do you really feel that way about me?"

"I do. A-And you? D-do you feel...?"

"The same," Sanji promises. "Everything that you said, I feel the same way. Usopp, I love you! I—did you really just cure me with a love confession?"

Usopp blinks, and then he bursts out into laughter. Sanji joins him, the two holding one another as they laugh at the absurdity of the situation, their hearts full to bursting.

"Anything is possible on the Grand Line," Usopp reminds him. "Especially for the number one lover on the seas, the great Captain Usopp!"

"Number one lover, huh? I don't know if I believe that." Sanji pulls Usopp in close, whispering into his ear. "I think you'll have to show me."

"T-that can be arranged."

Usopp leans in and Sanji goes to meet him, lips pressing together again, and again, and again.

#btw robin was 100% lying about the islanders caring about the spiders they do not give af #but she had to make sure her crewmates got together!! what a good friend #poor chopper couldn't go back into the infirmary all night #believe it or not this was supposed to be a drabble or fic outline...... idk what happened #i just wanted an excuse to write sanuso and the strawhats. sue me.#this was so fun i love these two!!! sanji HATES that a bug can be accredited to his relationship btw. usopp loves it.#'she was our guardian angel!! our cupid!!' 'NO!!!!!'#i couldn't figure out how to include this but the more in love u are the worse ur symptoms. which is why sanji was so sick so fast.#he was too gay and too in love WOW that's hilarious. i love them.#sanuso #usosan #sanji #usopp.#black leg sanji #god usopp #one piece #strawhats #red's fic

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