#flirting gone wrong?

[shy-blue-blossom]

Flirting gone wrong?

Pietro Maximoff

It was a peaceful day in the avenger’s command. Apart from the shouting from Wanda telling her brother, Pietro, to stop running, Natasha and Steve were sparing, teasing comments being thrown at them by Sam. Vision was in the kitchen waiting for Wanda, so they could start cooking lunch. Pietro ran in and sat at one of the stools by the counter.

“What are you cooking?” He asked, not noticing Wanda walk into the kitchen.

“You will have to wait and see,” She told him, making her way over to the stove. “We are waiting on y/n to get back with her guest.”

“Guest?” Pietro sat up straight.

“Yes, did she not tell you?”

“You forget she only knew herself today?” Vision commented before Pietro said anything.

Nothing else was said on the subject. Pietro sat there coming up with a plan in his head to get rid of this guest if they were a guy. Wanda and Vision didn't pay him any attention, thinking he just wanted to be quiet. Wanda should have known better.

One hour later.

Lunch was almost made when y/n came walking into the kitchen with her guest. Much to Pietro’s annoyance, her guest was male. Pietro zoomed up to y/n and began to flirt and comment on how beautiful she was, more than he usually would. Y/n was confused about why he was acting differently. Wanda and Vision watched as Pietro made a fool out of himself. However, Wanda forgot to give some vital information to him when she was talking about the guest before, and if she did, he obviously did not hear her.

“Shell we sit down for food?” Wanda asked placing plates on the table.

“Yes, let’s,” Y/n agreed while walking over to the table with Pietro zooming over to sit in the seat next to her making her guest sit opposite her.

They enjoyed themselves and Pietro kept flirting with y/n whenever she tried to talk with the guest. Y/n was enjoying herself a little more than she should be, but she could not help herself. They all had a laugh and finished their lunch while getting to know each other. Steve and Natasha joined them as y/n was about to walk her guest out.

“Ryan, how are you?” Steve asked as he shook his hand. “Here to see y/n?”

“Yeah, but I’ve not had much chance to speak to her yet,” He answered as her looked at the table where Pietro was keeping y/n in a conversation. Steve chuckled as he watched. Natasha was sitting next to Wanda and they were trying not to laugh.

“I’ll be back in five, I’m going to walk Ryan out,” Y/n said as she grabbed his hand and walked out. Everyone turned to Pietro.

“What?’ They all began to laugh.

“So, what do you think of Ryan?” Natasha asked, grinning at him. He shrugged his shoulders at her.

“Who is he to her?”

“Her brother,” Pietro froze when Steve answered him.

He stayed like that until y/n came back into the room, but he did not know. The team were talking and enjoying the break. She grabbed his hand and pulled to take him outside. He kept stuttering, with his cheeks going pink as he looked around and not at her. She watched him with a soft smile. Placing her hands on his cheeks to pull him down to kiss him. Pietro went stiff before he kissed her back while placing his hands on her cheeks.

“What was that for?”

“I like you too,” She smiled at him. “There’s no need to be jealous of my brother,”

“No one told me he was your brother until after he left,” He grumbled. Y/n let a giggle out as she hugged him.

Pietro asked y/n to be his girlfriend. The team was told in the coming week, with Wanda being told first. He made it up to Ryan, who he got on with well. They often tag team to keep guys away from y/n on nights out.

The end.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Masterlist

#x reader #reader #avengers #pietro maximoff x reader #pietro maximoff #flirting gone wrong?

[ghafahey]

I want to stand with you in front of all the Daturma Ox things to come.

JESPER FAHEY and WYLAN HENDRICKS in Shadow and Bone ( 2021- )

#shadowandboneedit #sabedit #sixofcrowsedit #shadowandbonesource #shadow and bone #sab spoilers // #bare chest // #wesper #my edits #*mysoc #delivered! #still not sure what theyre gonna do with them in upcoming seasons but u know what having them as an established couple #while the rest of the crows dance around their romantic dramas is not the worst possible scenario #and kind of funny to consider if this is how things would have gone in an alternate universe without weeks of annoyingly flirting #and first kisses gone wrong etc etc #also their scenes are cute and all but the best is kit&jack delivering whenever theyre just in the background adding little moments #lets ignore how you cannot make cohesive sets of this show at all bc the colorings are horrendous #*6k

[hisbucky]

Eddie: If I'm extra sarcastic with someone, it means I'm really annoyed with them, or I'm flirting. Buck: Wait, but you're always sarcastic with me? Eddie, smirks: Exactly. Buck, hurt: You get annoyed with me? Eddie: ...You know what, this was on me.

#911 show #911 on abc #buddie #incorrect 911 quotes #incorrect quotes #evan buckley #eddie diaz #flirting gone wrong

[mielplante]

they're waiting for shoko

#my art #this is so stupid AHAH #jujutsu kaisen #jjk #gojo satoru #geto suguru #fanart #trying to flirt with your bestfriend gone wrong poor them #comic

[ragityazzclown]

Jax: So~ when are ya gonna go out with me~

Ragatha: *Smirks* Hmm, I don't know, when are you gonna ask me out?

Jax: 0.0

Time Skip

Pomni: so you just...ran away?!

Jax: I dont know! I didn't expect her to flirt back!!!

#ragityassclown #funnybunnydoll #bunnydoll #ragatha x jax #jax x ragatha #tadc ragatha #tadc jax #tadc pomni #incorrect quotes #the amazing digital circus #flirting gone wrong

[yowyowyaoi]

Tobi: Senpai? Can Tobi pick you up? Deidara: ... why? Tobi: Because Tobi always wanted to hold something really beautiful in his arms, and Senpai is the most beautiful thing that Tobi can think of. Please? Deidara, blushing fiercely: If you insist ... Tobi: *bends over and picks him up* Oooooh, this is the best day of Tobi's entire life! Kisame, watching: *later* Kisame: Itachi-san, is it alright if ... if I pick you up? Itachi: Why would you want to do that? Kisame, blushing and panicking: B-because ... because t-there's a spider on the ground! Itachi: Itachi: *leaps into Kisame's arms* *five hours later* Kisame, sweating: Itachi please ... can I put you down now? Itachi, squinting at the ground: No.

#tobidei #tobi x deidara #tobi #deidara #kisaita #kisame x itachi #kisame hoshigaki #itachi uchiha #flirting gone wrong #RIP Kisame's arms #Itachi doesn't *look* heavy but he's carrying about a thousand pounds of emotional weight so #love at it's finest

[f-smutt-fitzgerald]

Jamil: Who the hell do you even think you are?

Azul: The name's Azul Ashengrotto darling, but you...💕 You can call me ✨️Daddy✨️. 💖

Jamil: *visibly disgusted and trying to back away*

Azul: *wraps arm around Jamil and pulls him close* Unless, of course, you'd prefer to be called ✨️Daddy✨️... 💖

Jamil: *pulling out a knife to stab Azul*

Azul: *grabs Jamil's wrist and whispers in his ear* In which case you can call me... *gives him a kiss on the cheek* 💕Anytime💕.😘

Jamil: *stabs Azul*🩸🗡

Art by @tonkatsu_765 on Twitter

#disney twst #twisted wonderland #twst azul #twst jamil #azul ashengrotto #twisted wonderland azul #azul x jamil #jamil viper #jamil x azul #azul ashengrotto x jamil viper #twisted wonderland incorrect quotes #twst incorrect quotes #incorrect quotes #twst comic #twst funny #twisted wonderland funny #azul ashengrotto flirting #flirting gone wrong #jamil viper angst

[criminalmindsgonewrong]

hotch: Hey, are you free?

emily: No, I’m expensive.

#criminal minds #criminal minds gone wrong #incorrect criminal minds quotes #aaron hotchner #emily prentiss #this is how she flirts #hotchniss #ba-queue

[lilacwriter07]

Angel smirks: So how was the honeymoon ?

Adam: terrible I kicked him out and slept on the couch

Angel: damn .. Why what happend ?

Adam: Everything was good you know, hot and intense .. He ate me out like a buffet

Angel: fucking wild

Adam: then mf said 'Adam you are the apple and this is the pie, bc you taste like an apple pie'

Angel: ..... He deserve worse then sleeping on the couch

Charlie pushing her cereal away slowly

#adamsapple #honeymoon gone wrong #lucifer practice your flirting skills and dirty talk !

[constantcrisis19]

Loose Lips Sink Ships - Part 1

Dean Winchester x GN S/O

AN: Hey guys! I know that I disappeared for a bit, but I promise that I'm still alive and kicking! I've just been really consumed by the SoapGhost fics that I've been writing/planning for ao3 and that made it hard for me to find time to write for Tumblr in between irl things when all of my free time seemed to be dedicated to COD. But I finally decided to just sit down and work on one of my numerous WIP's which led to me cranking this bad boy out! Hope you like it!

Word Count: 2,118

You moved your hands out of your jacket pocket, revealing your well-loved wallet that you’d had for years, and pulled the card with your current alias printed onto it out of its assigned slot in a practiced motion. 

You tapped the chip against the screen of the card reader in order to pay for the obscenely greasy food that you’d ordered for yourself and Dean –who you had left fast asleep in your shared motel room– watching with a keen eye as the payment processed and then was accepted with a little innocuous green check mark, the receipt printing with a soft whir.

You startled a little as a phone suddenly began to ring, the tune echoing loudly in the store, and it took you an embarrassing amount of time to realize that it was actually your cell that was going off, your free hand –which wasn’t currently juggling both your card and wallet– darted down to the back pocket of your jeans in order to collect the device with a sheepish smile.

You swiped your thumb across the screen and answered the phone without looking at the caller ID, quickly wedging the device between your ear and shoulder in order to take the receipt that the bored looking cashier was impatiently holding out toward you with your newly freed hand.

“Hey, where the hell did you run off to?” Dean was already talking before you could even manage to get a greeting out, his voice rough in a way that it only was immediately after waking up, which told you that he most likely called after rousing from sleep and noticing that you were no longer in the motel with him.

“Just figured that I’d treat your lazy ass to some breakfast since you didn’t look like you were getting up anytime soon.” You said as you took the long strip of paper from the cashier with a small nod of thanks before stepping off to the side in order to make way for the next customer to step forward and be assisted, folding up the receipt and carelessly cramming it into your wallet before shoving it back into your jeans.

You had wanted to let Dean sleep in for once since it was technically your fault that you were both up so late last night, the two of you having been all wound up after running around all day asking anyone and everyone about the suspicious deaths that had been happening around town only to come up with fuck all, so you and Dean had decided to dispel all that pent up energy and frustration by testing Dean’s so-called ‘endless stamina’ that he constantly bragged about.

Needless to say, you had put him through the wringer and managed to come out the other side a little less worse for wear than Dean had.

You settled in with your phone now comfortably resting against the side of your head as you waited for your order to be called, and you bit your lip in an attempt to repress the love-sick smile that wanted to overtake your neutral expression when you heard the telltale shift of blankets over the line. 

You could see Dean carelessly sprawl his limbs out across the bed in your mind's eye, your fingers twitching with the urge to brush your fingers through his –no doubt– adorable bedhead, the impulse always bubbling up without fail when you saw his hair sticking up at all sorts of odd angles.

“Rough night?” You asked, your voice practically dripping with faux-concern as you idly watched the people milling about the pop fountain, and Dean let loose a distinctly unattractive snort that had a smug grin spreading across your lips, your salacious smile earning you a dirty look from a woman who had just finished filling a large cup with cola that you unfortunately just so happened to make eye contact with.

“You’d know.” Dean groused, the sound of him moving about restlessly nearly drowning out his petulant response as he heaved himself upright with a groan that had him sounding like he was an old man rather than a spry twenty-six year old, and you winced in sympathy.

As hunters, your line of work was unforgiving and you yourself were subject to the various aches and pains that came from such a physically demanding job on more than one occasion.

“You order yet?” Dean asked suddenly and you blinked rapidly, his voice abruptly pulling you from the aimless staring that you’d been unknowingly doing as you recalled how stiff and sore you were when you woke up this morning. Though, if you were being honest with yourself, that was definitely a byproduct of last night's rigorous activities rather than having to fight for your life against some bloodthirsty creature or another for once, which was admittedly a nice change of pace.

“Yup. Got you a bacon breakfast burrito, hash browns, and a slice of cherry pie.” You replied with a wide grin, a bark of laughter erupting from your chest and startling the few people standing near you when Dean let out a truly sinful moan of appreciation.

“I love you so fucking much.” Dean declared, the mattress springs creaking as he pushed to his feet and walked across the small room before clicking on a lightswitch, his voice taking on a distinct echo as he entered the borderline claustrophobic motel bathroom.

“I know.” You said smugly before suddenly remembering the woman that you had run into on your way to the restaurant, causing you to be out longer than you’d originally intended, which was the whole reason why you were back with breakfast before Dean woke up. 

“Also, while I was out, I happened to run into a friend of the ex-wife of the last victim and I may have found a lead on this case.” You stated after briefly glancing around and taking a couple of steps back in order to make sure that no one would be overhearing your conversation.

The most that you’d been able to get out of the shell-shocked woman when you and Dean had went to interrogate her the previous day was that her ex-husband had broken into the house while she was home alone and, after saying some shit that made no sense at all whatsoever, had dropped dead right there in the dining room before she could even process what had happened.

And that wasn’t even the weirdest thing that had happened, the person before that had slumped over dead in a church confessional booth after saying about three words to the priest and the one before that had just randomly collapsed to the ground in the middle of a crosswalk after angrily yelling at a reckless driver that had almost ran her over.

“Alright, hit me.” Dean said, sounding much more awake now but, before you could say a word, one of the employees called out your order number over the general chatter of the restaurant. You snapped to attention, muttering a quick warning to Dean that the food was done and you were gonna go grab it, before moving forward and maneuvering your way through the small crowd that had accumulated between you and the front desk.

You took the grease-stained brown paper bag with a grateful smile and a polite nod before turning on your heel in order to make your way over to the exit. You shamelessly used your foot to bully the door open –since your hands were full– before stepping outside and squinting when the sun made your eyes ache, unused to the intense brightness after having spent so much time under the fluorescent lights that they had installed indoors.

“As I was saying, apparently there’s an old legend–” You began as you trotted over to the nearby sidewalk in order to begin the long walk back to the motel, only to be almost immediately interrupted by Dean.

“There always is.” Dean muttered to himself through a muffled yawn, but you expertly ignored him –a talent that had been born from being around the older Winchester for several years– and continued on as if he had never even uttered a word.

“–that a witch used to terrorize the area way back when this place used to be just a tiny trading town and, considering that there is definitely some kind of curse involved here, I figured that a witch –if not the very same witch from the story– is most likely our culprit rather than a cursed object, like we initially suspected.” You continued explaining your findings, lifting a hand to wave at the driver of a pick up that had slowed to a stop and motioned to the street in front of them, allowing you to quickly jog across the crosswalk.

“Fucking witches man.” Dean growled, the deep sound sending the wrong kind of signals to your brain and making your core heat up in anticipation as images of last night came to the forefront of your mind, an overwhelming sense of smug satisfaction blooming in your chest when you recalled the plethora of possessive marks that you’d shamelessly left all over his body.

The deafening blare of a car horn unceremoniously yanked you from your internal musings and you gave Dean a noncommital hum as your gaze scanned over the street in an effort to find the origin of the noise, pausing your search and freezing mid step when you noticed a man and a woman standing stock still on the other side of the busy road, both of them just staring at you as passersby gave them a wide berth.

“Hello? You still there?” You heard Dean’s voice as he called out over the phone, but your attention was firmly locked onto the pair on the opposite sidewalk who were very openly watching you with an intensity that made your gut churn, your eyes widening when you made the mistake of making eye contact with the woman and she shot you a mean grin.

“Uh, yeah. It’s just– There’s a man and a woman staring at me… and I have a feeling that they’re not coming over here for a friendly chat.” You relayed warily as the two finally moved, the woman taking the lead as they stepped off the curb and began making their way across the road toward you. 

And, no sooner than the words had left your mouth, you heard the telltale sound of Dean grabbing his keys and jacket before the rhythmic thump of rapid footsteps and the heavy slam of a door signaled his rushed exit from the motel room, the relative silence of the room being replaced by the whistle of the wind and general bustle of the city as Dean climbed into the Impala.

“Don’t hang up and don’t move, I’m coming to you.” Dean snapped furiously –though you didn’t take his harsh tone to heart since you knew that he was just worried– and you winced when you heard the deafening squeal of tires on asphalt from Dean’s end of the line, the commotion promptly being followed by a flurry of irritated honking as he drove like a mad man.

“The not moving thing probably won’t be an option, but you can access my location from your own phone and use that to track my movements. I’ll keep the call connected if I can.” You said quickly before acting as if you dropped the call and stashing your cell into the right pocket of your jacket moments before the woman came to a halt about a foot away from you, her companion not too far behind.

“Hello. You’ll have to forgive my rudeness, it’s been awhile since I’ve come across a hunter. Especially one who is brave or stupid enough to travel with someone as infamous and recognizable as a Winchester.” The woman –who you assumed was in charge– greeted with faux-remorse, and you swallowed nervously as her red lips stretched into a wide smile that showed off too many teeth to be strictly friendly.

You scrambled for something to focus on as you began to panic at the realization that the mystery woman –who you strongly suspected was the very witch that you’d been looking for– not only knew who you were but also why you were there, your brain stupidly choosing to latch onto the fact that the pair were going to cause you to be delayed even longer, which meant that it was becoming more than likely that your food was going to be stone cold by the time you made it back to the motel.

If you managed to come out of the confrontation alive, that is.

#supernatural #spn #pre series #pre season one #dean winchester #dean winchester x reader #dean x reader #protective dean #hunter reader #established relationship #shameless flirting #banter #case fic #hunt gone wrong #witches #curses

[arrowsperpetualcringe]

Thanks for answering. But wait. They put queer people in straight jackets? Sorry for the pun but I couldn't help myself

Sorry anon, but that sounds like such a Kazui thing to say

#cringefail old man tries to flirt (gone wrong) #Kazui can never out right say he's gay or ask out a man #but he CAN flirt in the most corny way possible and hope for the best #unfortunately this goes right over Shidou's head. every. time. #Shidou is the type of person to be surprised that people like him #despite him being handsome and quite kind he doesn't see himseld as anything special #so he goes into denial over people having feelings for him #istg this man's wife was probably the one who confessed to him and he was like 'huh??? you like me back???' #mans really proposed and pulled a surprised pikachu faced when she said yes #and now that she's gone he doesn't think he'll find anyone else who likes him again l #tragic #anyways— #kazui mukuhara #shidou kirisaki #milgram kazui #milgram shidou #0507 #kazui x shidou #milgram 0507 #milgram #milgram project #my art #sketch #ask #anon

[biskysposts]

I like to think that when someone gives Seth a flirting advice (which will never happen) he’d use it in a wrong way

@lovely-lauren-arts

#drawing references #lovely lauren #obscured eyes #lovelylaurenarts #fan art #Seth #and flirting advices gone horribly wrong.. #but funny

[coldshrugs]

see you in the morning

pairing: io laithe / estinien varlineau word count: 2k note: endwalker spoilers. io is not handling things well :') you'll never guess who goes to comfort her :o)

Old Sharlayan holds its breath.

Most nights, the chilly island city continues its quiet bustling straight through to morning. Scholars drift from early-evening lectures to late-night research clubs or public laboratories, babbling excitedly about the latest research, innovation, or gossip. Those with less rigid schedules wander to the nearest patch of grass or unused table at the Last Stand with a pile of books in tow. Structured or lax, their perpetual search for knowledge is the very heartbeat of the city. But tonight, the pulse has all but stopped.

The lack of bubbling chatter and foot traffic casts an eerie pall over the city. It reaches all the way down to Scholars’ Harbour, where Io sits alone, on one of the long stone piers reaching out into the sea.

Thousands of people huddle in their homes with friends and loved ones as they wait for daylight, and for the Ragnarok’s first–and only–flight.

The weight of their expectation is suffocating.

Waves murmur against the stone below, the only sound save the few foreign sailors on the next pier over, bound to their work regardless of the state of the world. Neither is loud enough to distract her racing mind.

Io pulls her knees to her chest, cursing the inability to become as small as she feels. Every soul on this star, whether they know it or not, is now her responsibility, an obligation that echoes back to a time beyond time. And she chose it. Before she even knew it was her burden to carry, she chose it. She chooses it, because who else would? Who else could bear it? Is it not enough that her loved ones must sacrifice so much due to proximity and circumstance? It has to be her, for she would not wish this on anyone else.

If only she could curl into herself completely. Tightly enough to blink out of existence, like a dark singularity.

She’d take everything else with her.

There’s no resolution in that line of thinking.

Somewhere out there, in the expanse, is the replication of a little girl with a very human soul–perhaps not fractured, as the souls of those on the Source and its shards, but something that was never allowed to be whole. Why wouldn’t annihilation be Meteion’s answer to dead world after dead world? It must seem like kindness to a being who has never experienced adversity. 

Tears, injury, death: Io has suffered through–and dealt–her fair share of them all. What pain has Meteion seen that Io has not lived?

Her hands ball into fists, nails digging into her palms. She feels manic, unable to rein in the oscillation between anger, guilt, and fear. There is the urge to scream, or cry, or drop into the frigid water below and swim and swim and swim.

But a figure moves at the edge of her vision, walking briskly in her direction.

Now another feeling begs to be acknowledged. Relief? Endearment? A mixture of both at being found, and by him, perhaps.

Still, against her threadbare senses, this feels like an ambush.

Estinien says nothing as he approaches. His steps slow as if trying not to scare a wounded animal. He offers an awkward smile. Io tries to mirror it, hoping he sees a shred of warmth in the tight purse of her lips.

He is handsome in this light, in his half-laced boots and untucked shirt billowing in the chilly coastal wind. The world is ending, and she can’t help noticing his beauty. It’s ludicrous.

“Who sent you?”

His short huff resembles a laugh. “I need a motive to check on you?” When she doesn’t answer, he sighs. “Y’shtola saw you down here from the Annex. She and Thancred thought to come, but I asked them to stay. Everyone’s turning in for the night. I thought you might appreciate the less intrusive option.”

“By all means, intrude. Once the solitude is broken, it hardly matters by whom.”

His brow knits as he studies the carved stones that make up the pier. He turns, shifting his weight. She can feel him wondering if this was unwise.

“I’m sorry, that was unkind. I’m just��� overwhelmed–” Io takes a deep breath, embarrassed by the confession before she makes it– “and afraid. Please don’t go.”

Estinien sways in her periphery, stepping closer before squatting beside her. He looks out into the quiet marina, carefully avoiding her half-slumped form. False privacy, but she’ll take the small mercy.

“You needed to get away. I can understand that.”

“I couldn’t breathe in there. Everyone is watching me. They look at me like I’m dying, or like I’m killing them myself.”

“For every person placing blame at your feet, ten others believe in this asinine plan. As I do.”

“You think we can do it? Truly?” she asks, looking up into the great expanse. The stars blink against the endless blue, and for once, the sight makes her feel cold instead of curious. “What if I–”

“You have to, Io.” His tone invites no debate, but there is a melancholy that matches her own. “You will figure it out no matter the cost, because you must.”

Io nods. Her eyes sting. She closes them to keep the tears at bay as long as possible. He is right, of course. Somewhere deep in her soul, the flame of her faith–in herself, in her friends, and in those who paved this way for her–burns as brightly as ever. She has to save them.

“But you will not be alone. We are with you, of course. We’ll give our all to see it through, if that’s what it takes.”

“Gambling your lives for a promise I made, for my mistakes… I can’t bear to think about losing them.” She risks a glance in Estinien’s direction, but his eyes never leave the gently rolling sea. “Or losing you.”

The barest of smiles, one of the little ones he tries to hide with a bowed head. He rubs the back of his neck, sending a cascade of loose hair over his shoulder.

Her chest clenches.

The well of affection she holds for him is muddy these days; for years, they’ve operated with platonic, amiable ease, flitting in and out of each other’s lives but always reuniting as the closest of friends. But since her time in the First, they have been nearly inseparable.

Estinien is her family, but unlike what she feels for Thancred, Urianger, or G’raha, he is not her brother. He evokes a distinct tenderness, gives life to a long-dormant, selfish hope within her heart, and he does it without trying.

“If we don’t try, all is lost.” He falls against the stone with a quiet groan and nudges her with an elbow. “This pessimism doesn’t become you. I have seen you stand against tremendous odds time and time again. I’ve heard tales of more things than I’ve seen. You may not always get it right, I may not always agree, but you do the impossible. What makes this any different?”

Io reflects on the past year (gods, has it been that long?). The burning skies, the horrible transformations, and the aether-depleted souls who will never see another lifetime on this beautiful star, all because she fell for a madman’s power play. She condemned them to this fate. 

She reaches further into her memory, to the unsure adventurer stepping foot into the Waking Sands, and her induction into the inner circle of these secretive upstarts she’s grown to call family. She’s been nothing more than a curse upon them. Thancred’s aether, Y’shtola’s sight, Urianger’s conscience, Minfilia’s life. What might they have avoided without her?

Haurchefant would be alive if she had stayed out of his life.

Since the day she left Dalmasca, death and destruction have been her shadow. As ruinous and loyal as Dalamud, a black dog she pretends she can abandon if only it would forget her scent.

She watches Estinien again, silver in the moonlight. His hands are clasped, hanging between long legs that dangle close to the water below. Like the water, he looks relaxed on the surface. Like the water, there is an undercurrent only the experienced can see.

His thumb worries a circle into the palm of his other hand. His shoulders are tense, hidden by his slightly curved posture. If anyone could understand why this is different, it’s him. For all his courage, he has seen the black dog too.

“It’s different,” Io swallows, “because it’s everything.”

Estinien looks back. His stare is hard. “And so are you.”

Once more, he leaves no room for debate. He speaks as if stating the obvious, citing a fact she should already know.

Io blinks, so awestruck by his candor, she has to look away. Her tumultuous thoughts now spin in his direction, unable to focus on more than this sudden vulnerability. What does it mean that sharing these doubts with him is the most comfortable she’s felt in days? What does it mean that she aches to reach for his hand?

His eyes dart over her face, never lingering on one feature too long. There is something overly controlled about it. Lately, she has employed the same tactic when trying not to stare at his lips…

If she leaned over and kissed him, would he push her away? Could they still be friends?

A selfish hope indeed. But a small thing in her mind whispers, “maybe after…”

If there is an “after” to be had.

She releases her bundled limbs and stands, stretching to relieve the long-ignored ache in her back.

“Come on,” she beckons. “We should at least try to rest before we travel to the edge of space and time.”

Io’s tension deflates as they walk to the annex, pressed under the weight of her exhaustion. They go in comfortable silence, half an arm’s length apart. There is something between them she longs to touch, but doesn’t dare. She has the moonlight in his hair, his half-smile, and his steadfast faith in her. That is enough.

That is more than enough.

The Baldesion Annex is dark, like the rest of the city. The lobby is empty. Not an Annex attendant, not a Scion. Estinien does not share her surprise. How persuasive must he have been to ensure no one disturbed her return? Io watches him move across the room with deliberate steps. He holds open the door that leads to the nap rooms and gestures with his head for her to go ahead of him. The little smile is back.

She returns it, and this time it’s genuine.

They pass Estinien’s door. Io’s room is around the corner and down the next corridor, and he makes the full journey.

They pause at her door.

“Thank you for keeping my head on straight.”

“Someone must. You would not hesitate to do the same for me.” He shrugs. And then his hand is on her upper arm, giving a reassuring squeeze. He pulls her into his space.

Her arms thread under his, hands pressing into his back. She rests her cheek on his shoulder, breathes him in. The sharp edge of her anxiety sloughs away, lost in the steady pressure of his arms around her.

They have never hugged like this. They have never been this close.

Io closes her eyes, squeezes him more tightly, and smiles when she can feel his erratic heartbeat through the firm press of their chests. In this moment, with his hands resting at her neck and waist, with his chin against her neck, skin to skin, she cannot imagine his denial. Perhaps it isn't a stretch to assume he feels this too.

The corridor lights grow dim around them. Io pays them no mind, content to stand in the dark until morning, held by the man she yearns for, the man she never thought she would.

But she yawns, and he steps away, hands on her shoulders. Another squeeze. Another scan of her face before his grey eyes focus on hers, like he's making a final decision.

“Tomorrow,” Estinien says. The single word is a promise. Whatever happens, whatever they find, he will make sure Io gets it done.

“Tomorrow.” She nods, slipping into the room as the memory of his touch crystallizes in her mind. Her limbs are heavy as she climbs into the too-small bed, but the weight has lifted.

She can breathe.

#azia writes #io laithe #io/estinien #this had me in a chokehold #i could not stop thinking about them having a stress hug there at the end of endwalker #a moment where things *could've* started but didn't #because they're both scared of what's to come and scared of the other not fully reciprocating #then after... io is injured and getting over everything that happened in UT. it's not the time. the moment is gone #they are so patient!!! they could've kissed right here but they want to be sure! they mean too much to each other to get it wrong! #while estinien has been 100% in it since in from the cold i think this is the moment he's like 'okay it's not just me and i'm sure of that' #like they're not flirting they're not joking. that's his girl!! and he just needs to be there for her #io is still in her 'lmao i'm unlovable and this is probably in my head' phase #maybe i'll tackle that next lmao #i'm sorry i can't write a fic and leave it without a director's commentary in the tags dslafkjsald #anyway go listen to Lost by dermot kennedy bc that's the vibe here

[doshi-sukiru]

The Generals: Just be casual. Try some light flirting.

SWK: I can do that.

[Later]

Macaque: Nice work! High five!

SWK: [intertwines their fingers]

Macaque: Wh-

SWK: I’m in love with you.

Wukong, serious: Marry me. Macaque: We already are?

That's sums up their relationship.

#ask #shadowpeach #lmk macaque #lmk wukong #generals #flirting gone wrong #or right

[trashbaget]

tell me your failed/embarrassing flirting stories to make me feel better, i’ll go first: today i said “get out of my way” forgot to say “i’m kidding” then immediately said “bye”

#it is awful having feelings for someone you know and have an established friendship with #but crushing on someone i barely know is knew to me and i legit feel like an idiot every time i do something stupid like this #i can’t just. talk to the guy #if i say hey and he says sup i say ‘sup indeed’ like what the fuck is that #i can barely even say hello to him #don’t get me wrong i’ve DONE it but most days i’m like #ah fuck there he is #okay you can do it just say hi #just say what’s up #and then he’s already gone #also. like. the setting we’re in is soooo not good for talking or flirting realt because um. it’s work he’s my coworker.. so um. do i fuckin #ask him for his number?? or to hang out??? but like. he’s kind of a stranger to me what do i want to hang out for 🧍 #but like. ​i dont want to do that until i have at least one successful interaction #or like. an actual conversation. #which is gonna be really hard to manage because he doesn’t talk much at all to anyone and i really only talk if someone talks to me first or #i’ll say something absolutely idiotic and ridiculous (and honestly i do that no matter what) #anyway so um. i guess i’m just gonna keep making a fool of myself until i get it right and hopefully i don’t screw it up 🥴 #i lost all my confidence in the last year and i cant do anything chill or smooth anymore (i was never that good in the first place but at #least i could PRETEND i knew what i was doing. like i could sell it. the whole weird and lost bit.) #anyway. i felt better for like 5 minutes when some guy at the gas station flirt failed with me on the way home. but that’s partly my fault #too oops. in his defense he probably could not see that i had headphones on bc upon mirror inspection they were well blended with my hair #but i was waiting to cross the street and this guy tried to like nod and smile and i did not know it was to me until i got to the other side #where the gas station was and and like. tried again and i awkward half smiled and saw his face get all mushy and confused like mine FELT 20 #mins before when i’d flopped so hard trying to flirt and by the time i’d processed WAIT i think he was FLIRTING WITH ME i was already gone 🤡 #but at least it ended better than the poor 14yo who very confidently asked for my number #who. i shit you not. SCREECHED for a solid 44.5 seconds and bolted the other direction when i said sorry im 21 #his friends were standing there like wtf too and one was like i am so sorry about him 🤦 #cheers to being fools universe

[calenhads]

act 2…. done?

#idk if it’s actually done or not but whatever #i’m going to sleep since i’m getting brunch with friends tomorrow at an hour earlier than i am normally awake #but yes i killed ketheric and lifted the shadow curse ig? #it’s not entirely gone yet but it’s getting there #and i met dame aylin my best friend in the whole wide world #i love the way she speaks it’s soooo good and really elevates her character #also. women. yeah. #vive la lesbians or whatever #i am having many thoughts abour jubilee as well but i will contain those to their own post. maybe. #i’m excited to actually get to baldur’s gate #also since i finally met them in game i can understand #the uncontrollable lust for enver gortash…. yeah. i like his nose so much #and orin of course i cannot forget about orin. i understand you all #she is so so so cool and has never done anything wrong ever #ketheric made me sad though. he’s just a really sad old man who did terrible things #i was fine until the note on his body from a clearly very young isobel. #the fact that he kept it all these hundred and some-odd years makes me insane #me when fathers do terrible horrible things to the world for the sake of a daughter. yeah. #ALSO by dame aylin association my shadowheart romance is going well #i did have to have The Talk with gale though because i forgot i flirted with him one too many times 😭 #he kept looking at me with his huge wet sad brown eyes #i like him so much i need to do his romance SOON #meaghan talks #meaghan plays bg3 #bg3 spoilers