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#her determination and courage is such an inspiration for so many people out there
forzalando · 2 months
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Seeing Someone
Lando Norris x friend!reader (female reader)
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summary: Lando is finally ready to tell you how he feels when he overhears you say that you've started seeing someone - but overheard conversations aren't always what they seem. wc: 5.5k author's note: a few disclaimers: 1. let's all pretend that everyone has to spend a few weeks at MTC before the start of the season and they commute to/from London. 2. therapy and mental health help are so important - i purposefully left some things vague because people go to therapy for a variety of reasons and it should be normalized! i also didn't want things to get too heavy or potentially upset anyone by choosing to elaborate on something they relate to/hits a little too close to home. 3. this was inspired by a post i saw on my dash that said "when you said you were seeing someone i was hoping you meant a therapist". this originally started out more light-hearted, but the angst came out and i couldn't stop. feeling a little insecure about this one - thoughts and feelings in the comments/reblogs/my inbox would be so cherished and appreciated :) once again, special shoutout to @sof1shticated for being my beta reader. couldn't do this without you, Mel! warnings: mentions of reader going to therapy, mentions of reader drinking, a few curse words (i think), and angst! but there is a happy ending (even if it's a little open-ended)
Lando had searched the entirety of McLaren HQ at this point and started to worry – you were quite literally nowhere to be found. Usually, this wouldn’t phase him, since you were notorious for getting distracted or caught up in conversation with everyone you came across. You especially found ways to delay leaving MTC when you had to be there physically – the commute from HQ back to London each day was objectively the worst part of everyone coming together in the weeks leading up to each new season.
Today, however, the two of you had plans to get dinner at your favorite restaurant in London and you would never miss a chance to devour your favorite scallop risotto, cheese garlic bread, several glasses of wine, and a heaping mound of tiramisu for dessert.
He stopped speed-walking abruptly when he saw a familiar head of brown hair out of the corner of his eye.
“OSCAR,” Lando shouted, his speed-walk turning into a run. “Oscar, have you seen Y/N? She told me to meet at her office at 5:00pm but it’s 5:30pm and she is literally missing. She better have a good excuse, I hate being late.”
“Missing? Are you sure she’s not just caught up in a meeting? I saw her heading to Zak’s office around 4:45pm, did you check there?”
“Zak’s office, of course! The one place I didn’t check. Thanks, Osc, you’re the man.”
Oscar rolled his eyes – “Anytime, Lan. What are you running late for? Hot date?”
Lando didn’t miss the wiggle of Oscar’s eyebrows and slight smirk. It wasn’t a secret to the Australian that Lando had a crush on Y/N – although Lando had never confirmed or denied it, it was pretty obvious to anyone who spent more than 30 seconds around them.
“Ah, something like that,” Lando said nonchalantly, a bashful blush making its way to his cheeks.
“Good luck, mate!” Oscar threw a wave over his shoulder as he heard the retreating sound of Lando’s trainers smacking against the floor.
In truth, although you and Lando were just friends and Lando was terrified he may ruin that, he had plans to tell you about his feelings for you that night at dinner. It had been almost a year since you started working for McLaren, and almost a year of Lando pining after you in secret. He spent most days trying to convince himself he was content just being your friend, but he was determined to make 2024 his year. His first win, hopefully of many, maybe even WDC contender material, and finally plucking up the courage to be honest with you.
As Lando hurriedly approached Zak’s office, he could see that the door was slightly ajar and heard your voice trailing through the opening.
“I really appreciate you taking the time to talk to me, Zak. And a massive thank you for approving the time off on such late notice.”
“Anytime, Y/N, you know you’re like family to me and everyone here. You sure you’re ok?”
“Yes, I’m seeing someone. It’s still new so I’m not set on him yet but I have a really good feeling about it, I’m really starting to wish I had called him sooner. He actually suggested the days off, I’m seeing him on Tuesday and hopefully things continue to go well.”
Lando’s heart dropped to his stomach – all week he had been thinking about tonight. How to tell you, how you might react, how nervous he was, and each day he grew even more anxious. He was panicking – what was he supposed to do? How could he sit across from you all night knowing that he’d missed his chance?
“That’s so good to hear,” Zak said earnestly. “Keep me updated and enjoy your days off.”
Lando could hear chairs scraping and scrambled to leave the scene before you walked out of Zak’s office to find him eavesdropping. He got about 50 feet down the hallway before he heard your voice from behind.
“Lan,” you shouted. “I’m so sorry, I’m totally late but I had to meet with Zak about something and his last meeting went way over.”
You jogged a little to catch up to him – a bright smile on your face that made his heart rate skyrocket and his palms grow sweaty. He couldn’t see you feeling like this. Not tonight, not when he could barely keep himself from telling you that he would be a much better boyfriend than whoever you were dating.
“We still on for dinner? I grabbed everything I needed from my office before I met with Zak so if we leave right this second and ignore the speed limit, they may seat us,” you bumped his shoulder as you joked.
Unable to help himself, only thinking about how hurt he was even though you’d done nothing wrong, Lando blurted out an excuse. “Actually, I was trying to find you to tell you I can’t make it.”
He tried not to react when he saw your face fall a little, but he told himself it was because you were disappointed about the last-minute change in plans and not that he wasn’t going.
“You should still go though,” he offered quickly. “I’m sure you have someone you could take with you!”
Your eyes spotted Oscar across the hallway and you smiled slightly – it had been a while since you had spent time with him and you knew he was having a rough week.
“Yeah, I have someone in mind,” you mused, focusing your eyes back on Lando. “Is everything ok? Are you not feeling well?”
“No, I’m fine, I just forgot I have plans.”
“Well, we had plans. You scheduled over me?”
“It’s a last-minute thing. Date thing. Last-minute date thing.”
“Oh,” you gasped. “Oh, that’s great!” You plastered a fake smile on your face – hoping that he was just as oblivious now as he apparently is to your feelings. “I hope you have a great time, she’s a lucky girl! I’ll see you on Wednesday, I’m taking a couple days off!”
Before he had a chance to say anything else, you sped off in search of Oscar to bribe him to accompany you to dinner. While you set off across the room, Lando smacked himself in the forehead and groaned.
“Why did you tell her it was a date, you idiot,” he mumbled to himself. Now, it was his turn to speed walk through McLaren HQ, but if he had turned around just for a moment, he would have caught you stopped in your tracks staring at him longingly as he walked away.
You shook your head and sighed, continuing your quest to find the younger McLaren driver and rope him into an evening filled with good food and, if you were being honest with yourself, probably a few tears.
A few moments later, you spotted floppy brown hair bouncing as Oscar walked toward the employee parking lot.
“Oscar!” You yelled after him, increasing your pace to catch up to him.
“Hey,” he said, confusion evident on his face, “I thought you were going out with Lando?”
“He’s got a date,” you blurted. “He has a date and he canceled on me and it’s fine. I am fine. But I want my scallop risotto and tiramisu so you’re coming with me.”
“Sure, Y/N, lead the way.”
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Oscar was, to put it extremely lightly, confused. Lando was completely enamored by you – anyone with eyes could see it. Oscar was wholly convinced that Lando was going to officially ask you out at dinner tonight, especially after the brief conversation they had while you were late to meet up with him.
Yet, here he was, sat across from you in a dimly lit room as you sipped on your third glass of wine and, with all the subtlety of a neon sign, wiped a tear from your lower lash line.
“It’s not that I’m not happy for him, I’m so happy for him. But canceling last minute is a dick move, right? It’s a dick move. I know I’m just his friend, sometimes I feel like just a colleague, but I’m not being dramatic, right?”
Oscar stared at you blankly – his eyes wide and a look of pure fear on his face. He considered himself good at most things, great at quite a few, but comforting a crying woman was bottom of the list of Oscar Piastri’s skills.
“It’s totally a dick move,” he nodded his head eagerly in agreement. “I just don’t get it – when I saw him earlier he was frantic trying to find you. I think he’d scoured the entirety of MTC, he was out of breath when I found him.”
“Well, at least he had the decency to find me and tell me in person that he planned on ditching me.”
“Yeah, but that’s just it, it didn’t seem like he was trying to find you to tell you that. He complained about being late and when I asked him if he had a hot date, he blushed.”
“He is literally on a hot date.”
“Ok, well, when I asked him I meant did he have a hot date specifically with you.”
You scoffed and set your glass down – as much as you loved Oscar and you knew he’d never judge you, if you had any more wine you’d end up sobbing and not just wiping stray tears away.
“As if! Lando has never once made a move on me even though I flirt, or at least try to flirt, with him any chance I get.”
“You flirt with Lando?”
“I made him a personalized Spotify playlist, had Stroopwafels overnighted to him from The Netherlands after Vegas, bought him a sweater for his birthday with a card that said ‘to match your eyes’, and I compliment him every time I see him.”
“That’s your idea of flirting?”
“Well, yes.”
“Y/N, that’s just being nice to people. You’re nice to everyone. Lando is not going to understand that you’re a little extra nice to him and that means you’re trying to woo him.”
You huffed and slumped in your seat, crossing your arms over your chest. “Ok, well, how would you flirt with Lando?”
“Did you seriously just ask me that question?”
“Yes because apparently you know all about flirting! And by the way, Logan thought I was coming onto him when I was just being nice so some people would consider my actions flirtatious.”
“That doesn’t count, Logan thinks Uber drivers are flirting with him when they say ‘have a nice day’.”
You and Oscar shared a laugh at the mention of your mutual friend – somehow an even more hopeless case than you in the world of romance.
Your laughs turned to giggles and eventually died down completely. A sigh climbed its way out of your throat, the sudden change in your mood evident to Oscar.
“It doesn’t matter anyway – he’s seeing someone so no more trying, and according to you failing, to flirt.”
“You don’t know how serious it is, maybe this was a first date and it’ll go horribly. He definitely doesn’t have a girlfriend if that’s what you’re worried about, he was just saying the other day that Lily and I make him feel painfully single. We can ask him about it on Monday!”
You frowned a bit and tried to recover, but Oscar noticed the way your face fell slightly. “I’m actually taking a few days off, I need some personal time. I won’t be back at MTC until Wednesday.”
“Is everything ok? You don’t have to tell me but if you need anything, you know I’m there for you, right?”
You smiled at Oscar – it was a rare thing to find such great friends in the people you worked with, but you got so incredibly lucky with the McLaren team, especially Lando and Oscar. “I know that, Osc. You’re a gem.”
With a nod of understanding, Oscar changed the subject to something more pleasant, and you enjoyed the rest of your evening with your friend.
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When Wednesday morning rolled around, you felt like your stomach might explode from nerves. You had resisted texting Lando over the past few days to ask about his date, you didn’t want to seem too eager and hoped it would come up naturally in conversation during the day. You hadn’t talked to Oscar much, though he’d texted you a few times to check in, but you wondered if he had talked to Lando at all and if he had details on how well Lando’s date went.
You arrived at MTC fairly early, hoping to get a head start on your day. Winter break was nearly over, and you were swamped with finalizing everything for the start of the 2024 season. It wasn’t until lunch that you saw Lando at all and he just so happened to be waiting in your office, sitting comfortably in your chair, while you were walking back from your latest meeting.
“Lando! What are you doing here?”
“I, uh,” he scrambled. “I was just…I don’t know really. I guess I wanted to see you, we haven’t talked in a few days since you’ve been out.”
“Well, we’ve both been busy. You could’ve texted me. How was your date?”
“It was good. Great. How about yours?”
You smiled remembering your evening with Oscar, assuming he had told Lando at some point that he had accompanied you. “Honestly so fun, we had the best time. I hope we get to do it again soon.”
Lando cringed – jealousy rearing its ugly head as he looked down at his feet before answering. “Same, I’ll probably go out with her again this weekend.”
“Good for you,” you gritted. “I’m glad you had fun. I actually have a million things to do so if there’s nothing important…”
“Yeah, yeah, sorry. Just wanted to see you. I guess we’ll catch up soon? Hope you enjoyed your days off.”
Mustering up a fake smile, you told him definitely, awkwardly standing as he rose from your desk and left your office. As soon as he was far enough away that he couldn’t hear you, you groaned. The tension between you and Lando was unbearable, though you didn’t understand why it seemed to mostly be coming from him. Before you had a chance to think any further, you could hear your phone buzzing from inside your bag and begrudgingly pulled it out to see a text from Oscar.
did you go on a date over the weekend?
no? why are you asking me that?
well then why did lando just sit across from me and say ‘did Y/N tell you anything about her date?’
he was just in my office, I asked him how his date went and he asked about ‘mine’. i assumed he was talking about Friday and that you told him i brought you?
i never told him, i guess he thought you brought a real date?
You paused before responding to Oscar, confusion evident on your face and in your lack of response. Before you could type out a reply, two more texts came in.
ok something is up because i just told him that i went with you on friday and he said “i know, i saw you in her insta story in the reflection of a wine glass, i’m talking about yesterday”
insane that he looked close enough to see me in your wine glass but not the point
i literally haven’t been on a date in two years
let me figure this out
You slid your phone back into your bag and pulled out your laptop – your Lando problems would have to wait until you were at least somewhat caught up after missing two days so close to the start of the season.
Meanwhile, at a conference room table in MTC, Oscar was confused. Which, as of late, was a common occurrence when it came to you and Lando.
“Mate,” Oscar addressed Lando, “if you’re not talking about Friday, what date did you ask Y/N about? She hasn’t been on a date in forever.”
“Well then he must have canceled on her because she was supposed to have plans yesterday, it’s why she took days off.”
“I don’t know the exact reason why she took days off but she told me on Friday that she was and didn’t seem too happy about it. Said it was personal reasons.”
“Going on a date is personal.”
“Not ‘take two days off of work’ personal! Where are you even getting this information?”
Lando looked away sheepishly, afraid to admit to Oscar that he had eavesdropped on a private conversation between you and Zak. With Oscar looking at him expectantly, and a bit like a pissed-off Mum, he blurted it out.
“I heard her talking to Zak! Last week on Friday, when I was looking for her, she was in his office and the door was cracked. She had asked him for a couple days off and talked about how she recently started seeing someone and was seeing him again on Tuesday aka yesterday.”
Now Oscar was really confused. You had cried over Lando publicly on Friday, and he knew you fairly well, which meant there was no way you would be crying over Lando and going out with someone else four days later.
“I think you need to just talk to her because I promise you, she is not seeing someone. Also, what do you care? You ditched her for a date on Friday.”
Oscar had a sinking feeling in his stomach as he watched Lando’s face fall.
“Lando, tell me you didn’t.”
“I might have.”
“Jesus, Lando, you heard 30 seconds of a conversation and decided to lie to her? Because what, your ego took a blow? Some caveman instinct?”
“No, I don’t know, honestly. It just slipped out! I had planned to ask her out for real and when I heard her say ‘I’m seeing someone’, I just didn’t know how to be around her. I couldn’t be around her that night.”
“You need to go talk to her. Apologize. Preferably, immediately.”
Lando jumped up from his seat and sighed. “You’re right. She might kill me, and she has every right to, but I have to talk to her and apologize to her. Wish me luck!”
Before Oscar could do what Lando had asked, Lando raced off towards your office, barely stopping himself from tripping over his own two feet.
Across MTC, you had just settled your mind and gotten into a groove of catching up on emails and making progress on deadlines. As soon as you thought to yourself that the day was going better than expected, your office door flung open and Lando Norris was standing stiff in your doorway.
“Lan, I told you that I’m busy. What is going on?” Annoyance was evident in your voice and Lando cringed knowing that this conversation was probably not going to be very pleasant.
“Why did you take time off?”
Your body straightened in shock, of all the things he could have asked you after bombarding you in your office, you wouldn’t have guessed he would pry into your personal life.
“That’s none of your business, Lando. If you were worried about me, you could have reached out, but I haven’t heard from you since you ditched me on Friday.”
Lando could see the hurt on your face, he could see it evident in your body language. He thought back to how you had looked upset immediately when he told you on Friday that he couldn’t go with you – when he told himself it had nothing to do with you wanting to spend time with him.
“I’m sorry,” he breathed. “I’m sorry for that, it wasn’t – I mean I didn’t, I didn’t want to not go. I just didn’t know what to do.”
“Ok, I’m totally lost. You didn’t know what to do about what, Lando?”
He steeled himself for your reaction – something he had learned by being your friend for the past year was that you held trust and truth in high regard. You didn’t like being lied to, and you didn’t like people trying to dig into your life or get information you weren’t willing to share.
“I heard you in Zak’s office. I wasn’t eavesdropping on purpose, I swear, I was looking for you because you were late meeting me. Oscar told me you might be with Zak so I went there and the door was open. And I heard you. So I lied and told you that I couldn’t go to dinner, I don’t know why I said I had a date. All I could focus on was how hurt I was, I just couldn’t be around you and then I felt so stupid and terrible for lying so that’s why I didn’t text you at all.”
You were completely and utterly perplexed – you couldn’t even react with anger at the thought of Lando listening to a private conversation and outright lying to you. What could he have overheard that he was so upset about?
“Lando, I’m still confused. What did you hear? How did I hurt you?”
“No, no, you didn’t hurt me. You have no idea how I feel about you – I was going to tell you that night.” Lando was word-vomiting at this point, he never wanted you to find out this way but he couldn’t stop rambling. “I have had feelings for you for so long, and I finally decided that I was going to tell you even if I was convinced you don’t feel the same. And now I know you don’t because you’re seeing someone and – ”
You interrupted him sternly, allowing the anger you were feeling to come forth and shoving down your confusion. “I’m not dating anyone? Is that why you asked Oscar about my ‘date’? Where did you get that idea?”
“You told Zak that you’re seeing someone and that it’s new but things are going good. I heard you say you were seeing him again on Tuesday.”
Your eyes doubled in size – if you weren’t so pissed off, you might have found humor in this, but you felt heat rising to your cheeks and your stomach churned at the thought of divulging your personal struggles.
“Lando, I’m seeing a therapist,” you hissed.
He froze for a moment, then scrambled to shut your door which was still ajar from him barging in.
“A therapist? Are you okay? What’s going on, why didn’t you tell me that you’ve been struggling?”
“No, no, you don’t get to do this right now. You don’t get to make me less angry by being kind and caring.”
“I’m not doing it to make you less angry, Y/N, I genuinely – ”
“I don’t care, Lando! You eavesdropped on my private conversation, misunderstood the context of that conversation, and then you lied to me. You hurt me. And now, because you got your feelings hurt and did things you shouldn’t have done, I have to share something I wasn’t comfortable sharing with you just yet.”
Lando was speechless – you could see the remorse on his face, the tears threatening to spill from his eyes, but in that moment you wanted him to feel even worse than you were.
“And you want to know the worst part,” you cried. “I feel the same way about you. I cried to Oscar at dinner because I thought you were with someone else, that you would have rather been at dinner with a different girl.”
“Y/N, I’m so sorry. Can we please just go somewhere and talk? Really talk this out? I know I messed up, but this doesn’t have to change things or how we feel about each other.”
You wanted to, god, did you want to – you knew Lando hadn’t done any of this on purpose. You knew he didn’t have malicious intent and you knew how hurt he probably felt at the idea of you being with someone – it was exactly the way you felt when you thought the same about him.
“I think you should go, Lan”. Despite every part of you wanting to sit and talk, you knew that you needed some time to settle down.
“Ok,” he whispered. “When you’re ready,” he paused, swallowing the lump in his throat, “if you’re ever ready, you know where to find me.”
His posture made you feel sick as he left your office – Lando was always confident, shoulders back and head held high, but as you watched him through the glass walls surrounding you, he was hunched over. Dejected. You’d only ever seen him that way a few times – after he was torn apart by the media or after making a mistake during a race.
It hurt you to see him that way. But, he had also hurt you, and you needed time.
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It had been two weeks since “the incident” with Lando – that’s what Oscar started calling it and it stuck. Fight felt too strong, disagreement felt too weak, so it became something nameless. Undefined. Indeterminate. Exactly like what existed now between you and Lando.
Oscar and Lando were set to leave for Sakhir in a week and you wouldn’t see them again until you joined the team for the Australian GP. If you didn’t work things out with Lando before they left for testing, it would be well over a month without a resolution.
The thought made your eyes burn with tears – you were still upset but more than that you missed Lando. You didn’t even have to wonder if he felt the same because you’d seen him around MTC. He looked just as awful as you, if not worse, yet you couldn’t bring yourself to start a conversation.
You began packing up your things to leave the office, grateful beyond belief that it was a Friday and you’d have two days without seeing Lando’s familiar curls everywhere you turned. At least at home, you would only see them behind closed eyes and wouldn’t have to blink back tears.
A knock at your door startled you, but you assumed it was your team lead looking for your latest analytics report. At least there was one thing you could be happy about – the car data was phenomenal and all signs were pointing to an amazing season for McLaren.
You told whoever was knocking to come in, not looking up from your bag as you rifled through your files. “So sorry, Tom, I meant to bring this to you earlier but I – ”
A throat clearing cut you off, and you looked up to see Lando standing in your doorway with a bouquet of your favorite flowers and one of those cheesy “I’m sorry” balloons in his left hand. You almost giggled, but then you looked at his face and your heart dropped. Dark circles under red-rimmed eyes - he looked awful. 
“I know you said you’d reach out when you’re ready to talk, and I wanted to respect that and give you all the space you need. But, we’re both miserable. At least I think you’re miserable, I know I am. I miss you terribly. I miss my friend. And if that’s all you’ll ever be to me, I can respect that and I will cherish it because the past week has been the worst week of my life.”
“Lando, I – ”
“Please, please let me get all of this out. Please let me apologize.”
You smiled slightly, nodding your head for him to continue.
“I’m sorry for invading your privacy. It wasn’t on purpose but I should have left as soon as I heard you talking because I know how important trust is to you. I violated yours and I’m sorry. I’m sorry for lying to you. It doesn’t matter if I was hurt, I could’ve just said I wasn’t feeling well or asked you about what I overheard immediately. After apologizing for overhearing, of course. I’m sorry that it took Oscar talking sense into me for me to come to you in the first place. I’m sorry that I hurt you and I’m sorry that I behaved like a child instead of talking to you about my feelings. My actions made you feel forced to tell me something personal that you weren’t ready to share. I’m so sorry, and I hope you know that I’m here for you always.”
He let out a deep breath and you watched his shoulders relax slightly for the first time in two weeks. You knew he was sorry – you’d known how sorry he was immediately when he started explaining and apologizing the first time around, but you just weren’t ready to hear it yet.
“Thank you, Lan,” you whispered as you walked towards him and took his free hand in your own. “I know you’re sorry and I know that this was all a misunderstanding that just got out of hand.”
“I am also sorry for springing my feelings on you. I wanted to tell you properly, ask you out properly, but I couldn’t explain myself without telling you. I ruined everything, it was woefully unromantic.”
“Yeah, that was a bit shit, I didn’t get my big grand gesture or anything.”
Lando’s eyes grew wide, a hopeful gleam in them. “I mean, would you – is that something you would still want? I don’t want to pressure you and I don’t want to assume that you still feel the same.”
“I do,” you said softly. “But, I think we should work on really moving past this before we officially jump into anything more.”
“I completely agree. However, I do have a reservation for two in about forty minutes to make up for ditching you, if you’d like to join me? Otherwise, I’ll have to bring Oscar. He won’t stop talking about the cheese garlic bread.”
“No, Lando, you don’t understand. He ordered three baskets. I went home and typed an apology email to Zak for ruining his diet.”
You both erupted in giggles, leaning into each other for support and out of habit. It felt so good to laugh, the weight and stress of the past two weeks rolling off in waves as Lando’s shoulder bumped yours and you heard the unmistakable laughter that you’d come to love so much.
“Maybe we should bring him anyway,” you pondered. “He’s been an exceptionally good friend to us both the past couple of weeks.”
“He can come next time, I’d like you to myself for the evening. If that’s ok?”
“More than ok, Lan. I’ve really missed you.”
He leaned in quickly, kissing your cheek gently and then nuzzling his nose against your neck, inhaling the scent of the perfume he’d gifted you for your last birthday. “Not as much as I’ve missed you,” he objected, his eyes glimmering slightly. Wet eyelashes fluttered against your neck as he stayed tucked into your side for a few more moments.
“We’re going to be late,” you whispered, with a sincere lack of urgency.
“Can we go back to my hotel room instead? Watch a movie and order in? Jus’ wanna hold you.”
Your heart constricted – as much as you wanted to tease him and say he owed you a night out and your favorite meal, you wanted nothing more than to spend the night in Lando’s arms.
“Of course, Lan. I think I need that too.”
On the way to Lando’s car, you passed Oscar who gave you both a knowing smile and a short wave. If you asked him if he had been waiting for you guys to leave, he would deny it. He would deny being so invested in your reconciliation that he waited close to an hour after he could leave for the day to make sure you were both ok. He would also deny that he tracked both of you and when it dawned on him that you were skipping your dinner, he sped to that little Italian place and stole your reservation for an order (or two) of cheese garlic bread.
He couldn’t resist sending a poorly taken picture to the group chat with the three of you and you burst out laughing when you opened it.
“Lan, Oscar somehow stole our dinner res,” you giggled, turning your phone to show Lando an unmistakable basket of bread and a follow-up text with several heart emojis.
Lando held his phone up to snap a quick selfie of you two cuddled up in bed, him leaning in for the second time that evening to place a gentle kiss on your cheek. Almost immediately after it delivered, your phones lit up with another text from Oscar.
HOT DATE FR THIS TIME?
You and Lando looked at each other and smiled, the mutual understanding of where you stood with your feelings evident.
not quite yet, but soon :)
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think i need someone older (d.w. x fem!reader)
warnings: age gap (dean is late 30s, reader is a college student in her early 20s), inexperienced!reader, 18+ content (making out, dean cops a feel), fluff
A/N: inspired by Guys My Age by Hey Violet, older by Isabel LaRosa, and some hot tiktoks of dean lol
summary: reader has had a crush on dean since she met him but was too scared to tell him until she finally hits a breaking point with guys her age. she decides she needs someone older, someone like dean.
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you collapsed on your bed, exhausted from the snap streak some guy you had met at a party started with you, obviously only trying to get in your pants.
sighing, you rolled your eyes as you saw he had only sent a half-face picture. you wanted to be romanced, not whatever this was but it was starting to feel like you'd never find that. at least, not in someone your age.
you had only started snapping guys to bury your deep-seated crush on dean winchester. living with him in the bunker made that ten times worse and more difficult. there was more than a decade age difference between you but no matter what, you couldn't let the crush go. so, you resigned to attempting interactions with your own generation, all of which were complete and utter failures that left you feeling worthless and stupid.
after one too many breakdowns over guys, you had a moment of clarity in the midst of your cry session. eyes puffy and hair disheveled, you glanced in the mirror, an idea sparking in your mind.
you didn't belong with guys your age. they only squandered away any valuable interactions with young women for sex and self-gratification, not for love or even human decency.
you needed a real man.
that realization made your crush on dean make so much more sense, but more frustration built up at the thought of being rejected.
you'd seen dean take care of people, take care of sam, even take care of you. he also certainly seems to know his way around women, which both infuriated and encouraged you that at least he would know how to really flirt.
in the middle of the night, you meandered out of your room into the kitchen for a glass of water and maybe a snack. a few minutes later you sat at the table with a small serving of pretzels and a cup of cold water. tracing the condensation on the glass, your mind wandered to dean yet again. this time, more thoughts that got you hot under the collar began to take up residence.
how his hands looked so strong and capable. the dichotomy of how they could grip your thigh just right and engulf your hand in a comforting embrace. how his lips were the perfect shade of pink and his cupid's bow made you want to feel that shape against yours. how his eyes held so much emotion despite not vocalizing it. how he cared so much about people, loved deeper than he realized, and yet refused to allow himself to accept the reciprocation of that kind of devotion. how the light freckles dotted along his cheekbones and nose made you want to trace the path first with your fingertips and then your lips with the softest touch possible. dean had experienced too much harsh contact in his life; you wanted to give him gentleness he wasn't familiar with. lighten the burden on his shoulders a little.
it was perfect. you needed a strong man that could be gentle and he needed a soft girl that could be steady.
the only hard part would be actually telling him any of this. determination to try outweighed your fear of rejection in a rare moment of courage.
"princess?" a deep voice rasped, startling you out of your thoughts.
oh yeah. there was also the fact that dean had taken to calling you princess for some reason, but you weren't complaining.
you turned around from where you were perched at the kitchen table, letting your eyes roam over his sleepy form. dirty blonde hair slightly tousled, green eyes heavy with sleep, pouty pink lips. yeah, you were done for.
"hey, dean," you mumbled, mind still fuzzy from his presence.
he crossed the floor to sit in the seat next to you.
"what are you doing up, hmm?" he scanned your face for any sign of tears or distress. his shoulders relaxed when he didn't find any.
you shrugged your shoulders and licked your lips, looking him up and down. "just wanted a snack," you cooed in an unfamiliar sultry tone. when your eyes met his, his pupils were diliated, the usually vibrant green reduced to a thin ring.
you wanted test out teasing a little, so you stood up slowly, holding eye contact until you turned around to refill your water. you felt his eyes on you. a thrill shot through your body, spiking your adrenaline. he was actually interested in what you were doing. you kept a cool facade, pretending to drop an ice cube on the floor.
"oops," you giggled, stealing a glance at him before bending over to pick the ice cube up and toss it in the sink. your oversized t-shirt rose up your thighs, exposing your obscenely short shorts that you reserved only for sleep.
when you turned back to toss it in the sink, you heard the chair screech as he stood up.
you felt his hands cage you in when you faced the sink.
"what do you think you're doin', sweetheart?" he whispered lowly.
his breathy tone in your ear skyrocketed your heart rate.
"nothin', dean. what do you mean?" you stole a glance up at him, doe-eyes on display, turning in his hold.
"you know exactly what i mean, princess," his eyes burned into yours with an intensity you'd only read about in romance novels.
"maybe I just got tired of boys messing around with me. maybe i need a man, someone older," you placed your hands on his chest, your eyes wide with innocence and vulnerability.
your cheeks flushed with heat when you felt him against your thigh.
he groaned deeply, conflicted between pushing you away for morality's sake and kissing you until you both couldn't breathe.
dean gave in, pressing his lips to yours fiercely, stealing your breath as his own. your hands twisted in his shirt in surprise and excitement. his wrapped around your waist pulling you close to him. you did your best to respond to his kiss, but you had no idea what you were doing.
dean noticed your hesitation, pulling away and looking in your eyes.
"are you okay? what's wrong?"
"don't have a lot of experience kissing. don't wanna disappoint you," you admitted shyly, looking at the ground.
dean brought two fingers under your chin and lifted your face to look at him.
"listen to me, you could never disappoint me. guess that means i'll just have to teach you, huh?" he smirked, pressing his lips back to yours in a chaste kiss.
"relax your body, baby. i can feel you're all tense. we'll go at your pace, take our time learning each other's body. okay, sweetheart?" he kissed your cheek in a reassuring manner. you nodded, a shy smile on your lips.
you leaned in this time, confidence slowly being restored after dean's pep talk. your lips molded to his in a slow press. dean held your face in his hands, taking control of the kiss. his tongue pushed at the seam of your lips gently, slipping a hand down to your butt and giving a sensual squeeze, pushing a moan out of your mouth and allowing him to slip his tongue in.
your tongue met his in hesitant touch, letting him take the reins.
dean started to kiss down your cheek, jaw, and stayed on your neck, sucking gentle bruises into your skin and relishing in your sensitive gasps.
"dean," you sighed, pleasure buzzing your body in new ways you'd never experienced, letting your body become limp in his arms.
"good girl, princess. you sound so good for me," dean praised, kissing your lips again. this time, his hand slipped into your hair, holding you at the angle he wanted to continue kissing your neck.
you wanted to slow down a little, despite really liking what he was doing to your body and how your body reacted to him and his to you.
"dean, dean," you ran your hand through his hair, pulling a little to get his attention, but a deep growl caught you off-guard. oh, he liked that. so, you did it again; he sucked a little harder on your skin, making you whimper.
"dean, please," you begged, unsure of what you were even asking for.
he pulled back at your plea, brushing your hair out of your face.
"what do you need, princess?" he cooed, concern still present in his eyes.
"can we slow down a little? just a lot to process and all," you bit your tongue from nerves that he was going to get upset with you for wanting to stop.
dean took that as a slight rejection, his eyes dropping from yours.
"oh, yeah. no problem."
"dean, i really like you. i just don't want to rush a good thing. also, you just gave me my first kiss and first makeout session and my first hickey all in one so i gotta process that," you nervously laughed, looking at the floor.
dean felt relieved that you still wanted him. you didn't regret this.
"i really like you too, sweetheart. you'd never been kissed before? how is that possible? i mean, look at you! i thought for sure you'd find a fit 20-something and settle down," he rambled.
"dean, i don't get along with guys my age well. they only want one thing that i am not willing to give. they don't want to know me for me. and well, you already know me and i've had a crush on you since like, i met you, so," you trailed off.
"really? since we met? well, sweetheart, i've got you beat. i wanted to get to know you the second i saw you in that diner. you were so focused on studying your textbook that you didn't even notice when i walked past your table like ten times trying to get your attention," he chuckled at the memory.
"i just thought you needed to use the bathroom. i mean, those chicken fajitas from the diner can get ya good. one second you think you're fine, the next it's all you can do to sprint to the toilet in time," you laughed. "thank you, dean."
"what for?"
"as cheesy as it sounds, for just being you. you saved me from that ghost haunting my school. and you did give me one heck of a first kiss," you admitted.
"sweetheart, you're welcome. now, would you do me the honor of going out with me on a date?"
"oh, dean. the honor is all mine," you teased.
you glanced at the time. 1:37 AM
"oh, i should get to bed. i'll see you in the morning, dean," you kissed him, leaving him breathless this time.
"see you in the morning, sweetheart," he smiled, a deeper fondness growing in his heart for you.
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comradekatara · 9 months
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“the southern raiders” is such a crazy (good) episode for so many reasons but the fact that it subtly reframes katara’s entire relationship to kya’s death is incredible. throughout the course of the show, you hear katara state that the fire nation killed her mother. but at no point, until she confronts yon rha, does she tell anyone why they killed her mother.
they killed kya because of her existence. kya died for her. it wasn’t just a senseless act of brutal violence, it was a targeted and deliberate act of systematic persecution. katara doesn’t just survive her as her daughter, she survives her as the sacrifice made in her name. she doesn’t just wear kya’s necklace as a memento, an heirloom passed down across generations as a testament to the courage of the women in her family (although yes, the fact that it was originally kanna’s is of course also hugely significant). that necklace is a reminder of what her mother gave up to protect her. it is the physical reminder she wears so that she can properly honor her memory every day.
even when she messes up, loses control or makes the wrong call, she is always acting in the name of what she believes is right. injustice shaped her, and her guilt and knowledge that she survived against impossible odds out of pure love wills her to act in the name of love at all times, to reproduce that love and that heroism and that unshakeable courage to do what’s right even when it seems impossible.
katara’s determination and hope is never not sensical, and never not inspirational, but in the eleventh hour of the series, we learn something shocking yet simultaneously unsurprising about the formative trauma that defines her. another layer is added to her grief and her driving motivation. it’s not just that she’s the only one who can carry on her people’s heritage. it’s not just that she is a victim of genocide and demands justice for the perpetrators of these grievous sins. it’s not just that she wants joy, adventure, friendship, strength, and revolution. her mother died for her. katara is only alive because the person she loves most in the world is dead. and she cannot let her death have been in vain.
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November MC of the Month: Riikka Lovisa Yläkorpi
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Please welcome November 2023's MC of the month! Each month, we will highlight one MC or OC that is currently on our Meet My MC / OC List. The MC / OC is selected randomly on the Wheel of Names, and eligibility requirements can be found here. We accept MC / OC profiles on an ongoing basis. Please feel free to send yours in!
This month’s MC of the month is…
@aallotarenunelma 's Riikka Lovisa Yläkorpi!
In your own words, tell us what you like most about your MC / OC.
What I love most about Riikka is how she always finds a way to talk about Finland and share about her Finnish culture. She was born and raised there until she moved to Westchester when she was 2. Her father was born and raised in Porvoo/Borgå, Finland and her mother was born and raised in Astoria, Oregon, where there's an important Finnish community. It explains why she's so deeply connected to her Finnish roots.
Do you feel your MC / OC is like you at all? How are you alike or different?
Riikka and I share the same height (163 cm), the same main love language (quality time), and a love for raspberries and salmiakki. We also share the same romantic and sexual orientations (demigray), but that was completely accidental. It was only a few months ago that I realized I was also gray, not just demi.
Unlike her, I don't have Asian origins, I have only one culture and one native tongue, I am not an only child, I am not allergic to peanuts and spring is not my favourite season.
What is most important to your MC / OC? What is their motivation in life? Happiness is most important to her. Happiness for her and also for everyone else. She wishes for people around her to be utterly happy, especially her loved ones.
What are their biggest pet peeves/dislikes? Riikka's biggest pet peeves are cruelty and any forms of abuse. She also dislikes peanuts because of her severe allergy and rutabagas.
If your MC / OC could change one thing - anything - what would it be? That would be hanging out with Mr Red. If she could go back in time, in every timeline, she would not follow Jane and would tell her how bad that idea is. Each time, it has impacted the group and left Dan with PTSD and a high level of anxiety to manage.
What is your MC / OC’s favorite quote or song? "Voimallinen tahto vie miehen läpi harmaan kiven." ("A strong will takes a man through a gray rock.")
This quote is from the classic book Seitsemän veljestä (The Seven Brothers) by Aleksis Kivi.
Because Riikka has a silly side, she enjoys telling Dan "eteenpäin sanoi mummo lumessa", which translates into "forward, said granny in the snow". It means to keep going through difficulties with determination.
Both quotes are about sisu. It's a Finnish concept hard to translate but that could be explained as perseverance, strength of will, tenacity, courage, bravery during moments that seem hopeless.
Is there anything else you’d like to share about your MC / OC?  (It can be why you created them, how they’ve inspired you, or you could write a little blurb as if it is coming from your OC - an acceptance speech. :) )
Riikka is very special to me because she's my first ILITW MC. Unfortunately, she passed away in a violent manner during my very first playthrough, leaving me shaken. I had to grieve her before being able to replay the book and create another MC.
Because I couldn't forget her, I decided to write a series, Darker Than Night, that follows the original timeline. It's very angsty but also cathartic.
I also had the idea of an AU series telling about how the lives of the children would have changed if they hadn't had the sleepover in the woods. This AU series is titled In Joy and Sorrow and it starts when they are in junior, so a year before when the book starts. I love this series because I can talk about so many important and different topics, and there are wonderful OCs. Even my four other It Lives MCs are dropping by from time to time.
Thanks to this series, I've really gotten to know Riikka, and I keep on learning about her. And now, she can fully live a great life she should have never lost so young in the first place.
Here are some stories to learn more about Riikka:
Darker Than Night
Joy and Sorrow
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hopeyarts · 14 hours
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—WISHING STARS & FAIRY GODMOTHERS—
I’m going off from what I learned and was given about how wishing stars and fairy godmothers work in this whole Disney thing. I’m not that experienced with the older movies nor have I really been in the Disney fandom until after Wish (unfortunately), so if there is anything I missed let me know. I’m not going to repeat it this entire post that this is what *I* learned from Disney creators on these two things, because that’d just be repetitive. I’m being as literate and accurate as I can with what they gave. This post is not out of opinion; it is based on factual information from the Disney media and I’m only doing this to clarify that.
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• What is a wishing star? 🌟
A wishing star is that one big bright star in the night sky. Usually it is looked upon by people for hope, inspiration, and wishing (ex: Geppetto), or for guided journeys (ex: Moana). There are other things that may represent this type of star such as the lanterns in Rapunzel that give her the same inspiration she is looking for in hopes of seeing them out there in the real world. Or there is the wishing well in Snow White where she wishes to meet her prince.
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• What can a wishing star do? 💫
A wishing star can instill hope and inspiration into your heart. It is what many characters in Disney look up to in times of failure or loss. Do you need someone/something to hear your dreams any time of the night? Look up to the brightest star in the sky. It can give you the courage and determination to feel that you can achieve your dreams, but it won’t simply give or grant it to you.
• What is a fairy godmother? 🧚
A fairy godmother is a woman who acts as the guardian and mentor of someone else. They can also be a protector! Just to prove this point, the three good fairies from Sleeping Beauty: Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather act as Aurora’s guardians. They are the people who guide you towards your dreams and goals so long as you have goodwill, kindness, and unselfish motives in your heart. They typically help mostly the unfortunate (ex: Cinderella) but only if you are fair. And if you don’t have true kindness in your heart (ex: Pinnochio) then you are taught a valuable lesson of learning to be kind during your journey to achieve your dream. Additionally in the Pinnochio video below (keep scrolling), the Blue Fairy says this about Geppetto: “Good Geppetto, you have given so much happiness to others. You deserve to have your wish come true.” This proves my point on fairy godmothers only helping out those in need but those who are also good. I like how the title of fairy godmother has the word “fair” in it. Coincidence? Maybe, I don’t know.
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• What can a fairy godmother do? 🪄
A fairy godmother provides you the tools to make your dreams come true. An example would be that Cinderella’s wish was to attend the ball… so her fairy godmother gave her a new dress, slippers, and even a carriage. A second example are the three good fairies from Sleeping Beauty where they each give Aurora blessings. A third example is the Blue Fairy helping Geppetto and Pinnochio, but that will be for the next point below.
• Can a wishing star or fairy godmother grant wishes? 🌌
No, they cannot. Granting wishes is a genie’s job! In many of Disney’s movies, we have not seen a single wishing star grant someone’s wish. Instead, a person looks up to said wishing star and gathers hope and inspiration to pursue that wish. In Wish, Star is a (if not THE) wishing star. This is proven in this Wish scene here where that is clarified about it ‘granting wishes’.
More proof and implications that a wishing star cannot grant wishes is a scene in Princess and the Frog where young Tiana talks to her parents about the star. Her father tells her that yes, she can wish and dream as much as she wants to that star, but it can only take you a part of the way there.
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As for a fairy godmother, they cannot grant wishes either. The Blue Fairy never granted Geppetto’s wish- she only helped him achieve it. Now this one will be a little tricky, but hear me out. Geppetto wanted his son to be a real boy, not just alive in his puppet form but a REAL boy. Pinnochio could never be a real boy if he wasn’t animated and alive, so the Blue Fairy simply tapped the puppet on the head with her wand and said “wake”, gifting him life. Pinnochio asks the Blue Fairy “Am I a real boy?” where she responds with “No, Pinnochio. To make Geppetto’s wish come true, will be entirely up to you.” It could be speculated that the Blue Fairy is a/the main wishing star because of how she descended from the sky but that would additionally prove my point that wishing stars cannot grant wishes, haha.
https://youtu.be/kH2YYBtKw_4?si=ykPVhYwBAsr5zPM
(WHERE IS THAT THUMBNAIL 😭)
The same thing goes for the fairy godmother in Cinderella. She provided Cinderella with everything required in order to attend the ball AND it came with a catch. At midnight, everything the fairy godmother gave her would turn back to its original form (aside from her glass slippers because she made them out of pure magic). On Disney’s official website, there is a description for Cinderella that mentions the fairy godmother with the keyword “help”. This also proves that fairy godmothers only help those who are kind and good in heart.
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All in all, no. Wishing stars and fairy godmothers cannot grant wishes. They can inspire you (wishing stars) or help you out (fairy godmothers). They simply use their magic or words to guide good-hearted people to achieve their dreams.
Also, a small slightly unrelated note here that I’ve been seeing other people comment on… With Asha being a fairy godmother, she cannot grant wishes- she can only help people pursue their dreams. So no, she is not like King Magnifico in terms of magic. Deadass we know he’d win in a battle of magic if he weren’t influenced by the forbidden book of evil spells.
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• So how do Disney characters make their wishes come true? ✨
Well, there are many factors that are required in order to make your wish come true according to Disney media. No- I won’t be entirely following the ‘wish equation’ that the Wish producers gave us. I see what they mean, but I feel like they didn’t explain it well enough. A wish, according to Disney, can be achieved through support, faith, effort, selflessness, and love.
I will start with support, as in of course the fairy godmothers, stars, or family/friends. Without support, we are sure to have trouble achieving these dreams like with the Disney characters. This can be said in real life that I don’t really need to explain because we all know how that is. Support from people who willingly provide help when we need it most is what I mean so that we can feel heard. We can rely on them when we are at our lowest or our motivation had plummeted to the ground. They’re almost like a kick-start in our journeys to achieve our dreams, and the shoulder we can cry on.
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(Wished to attend the ball. Cinderella received support due to her kindness)
Faith would be to look up someone/something for a chance to be heard and understood. An example is the wishing star, because many of these characters look up to it. It could be in prayer, like how Geppetto did or it could simply be looking longingly up at it from where you stand below. It is the fact that the dreams and goals of these characters are out of their reach and out of their power, so they search for someone/something higher in the chance that they’ll be heard. Yes, this part was inspired by @/artist-issues (I don’t know if this person wants to be notified-mentioned so I put a slash there. Apologies if I got your post wrong, this is just what I got. ❤️ /gen).
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(Wished for a real boy. Geppetto prayed to a higher power)
Effort is a major key factor because without it then why do we have that wanting to achieve our dreams? It takes hard-work and dedication to actually make your own wish come true. But even with all the hard-work you put in, you won’t get everything you want. That’s why I think that this is not the MAIN element to granting your own wish. Yes, it can get you a long way- but it won’t get you all the way there. I suppose that can be proven by the Princess and the Frog movie alone.
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(Wished for her own restaurant. Tiana worked her whole life to achieve success)
Selflessness may be questionable to some, but it is required nonetheless. It can be both an acknowledgment to the needs of others as well as the willingness to sacrifice something of our own for a noble good. It is a generosity that is so rare in the real world, which is why it makes it so valuable and a key to both dreams and committing to good.
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(Wished for adventure. Belle sacrificed her freedom for her father’s place)
The final element in order to make your wish come true is love. This is the factor that connects every other element. It manifests our support system that inspires others to help you out, it gives us the heart to look up to a higher power through faith, additionally making us willingly admit that we are human and have limited power in what we can do even with all the effort we put in, and with love we find empathy to willingly sacrifice something of ourselves in an act of selflessness. This doesn’t mean that you have to love everyone and everything- it means that you must appreciate the values and variables you are given and to never lose sight of personal ties, your truth, and most importantly your empathy. If you have love, your heart will find what it is looking for.
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(Sorry I just love Princess and the Frog)
• Can you really achieve your dreams through this? 🤷🏽‍♀️
Ah, well I did say in the previous point that it is “Disney characters” but sure, it may work. Don’t let me tell you what can and can’t make your own dreams come true, but you can definitely apply these points to Disney. I believe it could, but it is not as simple as I put it out to be. I do think it does take goodwill and everything to make your dreams come true though it is not always a guarantee. Sometimes your wish may not be achieved in the way you were planning, or your wish may not ever be achieved. But if you look back on what you’ve succeeded in, accept your heart, and appreciate the people who support you then you will feel accomplished and satisfied in ways you never expected- even without that wish fulfilled.
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Thank you for reading this far! I love writing out my thoughts and opinions, so this was fun. Again this is only my interpretation from what I was given by Disney. I just gathered information from their movies and explained some things for them. Any thoughts or opinions, whether you agree or disagree (respectfully), are welcome! Or if you have anything additional to add into the mix, I’d love to read it. ❤️
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Soumate maybe? CEO!Sukuna x Journalist! Reader
AN: Ugh, so it's been sitting in my documents for a while, thought I would just share it finally.
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Not everyone has a soul mate, Sukuna Ryomen firmly believed that, as he lit yet another cigarette on the balcony, while staring at the vast night sky. He was the CEO of one of the most flourishing business companies in Japan, as such, the pink haired man carried a heavy burden on his shoulders.
Despite being a serious man, he let himself indulge in vain activities such as dying his hair pink, or sporting tattoos on his body which were not proper in his position, but after all looks would never determine a person’s capability.
Both in life and business Sukuna was straight to the point and courageous. He was proud of his intelligence and that he was a skilled leader. The man’s creativity and insightful thinking got them out of many hard situation, making Sukuna a well liked man in the company.
Despite not sure how to handle emotions he tried to do what he could. Sometimes he was the one who worked overtime just to let his subordinates leave earlier. He may seem nonchalant or uncaring, but he always remembers birthdays or special days and surprise his people with a pretty lavish gift bag, unsigned of course, but everyone knows it was from him.
Sukuna is a busy man. Aside from being the CEO of an important business company, he does charity work, goes to the gym almost every day and tries to balance out his social life with his work life. He fails miserably.
So here he is, smoking his third cigarette in an hour, blowing gray puffs. That’s when his scarlet eyes meet with e/c ones. A woman with h/c hair stands on her balcony, staring at him.
He swears he has seen those eyes somewhere, but before he could really look at the woman, she disappears into her apartment. Sukuna shrugs, but those eyes still bugs him.
Next day, after work, he goes to his usual charity work, where they cook for the homeless. That’s where he sees her again. She looks dishevelled, hair messy, eyes tired, makeup smeared. The woman is holding a camera, taking pictures of the people cooking and serving.
Tired eyes focus on the happenings around her, never missing a smile, a thankful glance, the determination of the ones working here. She may look drained but after taking some photos, she puts on an apron and starts to peel some vegetables.
Sukuna wondered if this woman is actually insane, she was in the verge of collapsing yet she jumped right into the work after finishing taking photos.
Looking at her camera, the man knew she must be an experienced photographer, since the object worth about six months of an average wage. Yet, her clothes were simple, nothing fancy, no brand name, just everyday clothes.
A conversation hit his ears as he was cutting the previously peeled and cleaned organic vegetables.
-Thank you for coming miss, we are so grateful for actually caring about our case, it means a lot to us and all the unfortunate people.
-Oh no, please, I am the honoured one here. Thank you for letting me take pictures, I make sure it gets into our journal. People must know about this situation and hopefully it would inspire them to help.
-Actually we have some bigger businessmen, lawyers, even actors helping around, they usually attract people to grab the spoon, which we are grateful. The more the merrier.
The silent conversation continued, but Sukuna couldn’t pay attention, because he was wanted at the serving station. It was already dark and a bit chilly, so some helper, including the pinkette gathered together to discuss the future donations.
-Excuse me, I’ve heard you are talking about donations, would you mind if I joined and take some pictures while you’re talking? –A meek voice called the attention of everyone and some people already nodded eagerly, so the woman walked around, taking photos of them. When she got to Sukuna, he stared at the camera with blank expression on his face.
-You are... –She started but the businessman shook his head mouthing a “don’t”, the woman nodded and turned her attention to the others. After half an hour she properly thanked the opportunity and left.
Not everyone has a soul mate, Sukuna wondered. Maybe his is just lost or just as busy as he is.  His mind was full of imaginary scenarios of a kind soul, when he stopped by to buy his usual business journal, he was not ready to see himself  with a bunch of volunteers on the front page.
He doesn’t look like this most of the time: his hair was messily hung in his eyes, his sharp red orbs were full of softness and mirth as he handed a bowl to a smiling old lady.
At first he was confused, then a sweet laugh escaped his lips and bought that journal as well.
The article was written by Miss Y/n, he found out she was a photographer and journalist, specializing in charity work and social issues in a mediocre journal, which is just on the corner.
He wanted to drop by and surprise the lady with the pretty eyes, but she would probably be scared, after all, the journalist recognized her and probably sees him as the big hit Ryomen Sukuna, the king of business and not the man who he really is.
Sukuna was single by choice. His job demands a lot of time, effort and energy. If he wants a relationship, he wants it perfect. With trips, romantic evenings, lots of laughter, adventures and so much fun. He wants a special someone who appreciates him and not his money.
Being a businessman, he knows that people are material, so he doesn’t even care anymore. With occasional one night stands, some messing around, he is perfectly satisfied physically.
-Yes, my article got the front page, imagine mom. –An excited sound disturbed the otherwise quite shop. Sukuna just paid for his things when his eyes met with hers.
She blushed furiously, making the man smirk. Guess, it was his luck, see he wanted to surprise the woman, but decided otherwise, yet, he still managed to do it.
-Today I’d be at another charity organization. Here is the address. –Sukuna handed Y/n a piece of paper. –Your article is not bad.
-Thanks. –She took the paper in her wallet.
-You free on Saturday evening?
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iamyoursonly · 4 months
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‘Shadows United’
EPILOGUE
hi guys hope you liked the story hehehehehe <33
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Years had passed since Nanami and Y/N had triumphed over the shadows of their past and emerged victorious. The jujutsu sorcerer headquarters had seen many changes during that time, as new generations of sorcerers rose to protect the world from curses. Nanami had become a respected mentor, imparting his wisdom and experience to aspiring sorcerers.
Nanami and Y/N's bond had only grown stronger with time. They had faced numerous trials together, their love and determination unwavering. As they stood on the rooftop of the jujutsu sorcerer headquarters, gazing out at the city skyline, they reflected on their journey and the lessons they had learned.
"I never imagined our lives would be like this," Y/N said, her voice tinged with a mix of awe and gratitude. "From the moment we met, everything changed. We've faced so much together."
Nanami smiled, his eyes filled with warmth. "Indeed, our lives have been filled with challenges and victories. But it's precisely those experiences that have shaped us into who we are today. We've grown stronger, not just as individuals, but as a couple."
They leaned against the railing, their bodies close and their fingers intertwined. The breeze rustled through their hair, carrying with it a sense of peace and contentment. They marveled at how far they had come, their love serving as a beacon of light in the darkest of times.
"Do you remember when we first met?" Nanami asked softly, his gaze fixed on the horizon. "It feels like a lifetime ago, and yet, I can still recall the way your eyes sparkled when our paths crossed."
She couldn’t help but let out a chuckle, a fondness evident in her voice. "Yes, that chance encounter in the bustling café. Little did we know that it would lead us down this incredible path. Fate really does have a funny way of bringing people together."
Nanami turned to face her, his eyes filled with affection. "I'm grateful for that twist of fate. Meeting you, falling in love with you—it's the greatest gift life has bestowed upon me."
Y/N's heart swelled with love, their gaze mirroring Nanami's. "And I feel the same, Kento. You've shown me what it means to be strong, to fight for what we believe in. Our love has given me the courage to face any challenge."
As the sun began to set, casting a warm golden glow across the city, a sense of peace washed over them. They knew that their journey was far from over, that new challenges would arise, but they were ready to face them together.
"We've come so far, but there is still much to be done," Nanami said, his voice filled with determination. "The world still needs us, and we have a responsibility to protect it."
Y/N simply nodded, with her eyes shining with resolve. "We'll continue to fight, to protect those who can't protect themselves. Our love will be our guiding light, our strength in the face of darkness."
Hand in hand, they turned their gazes toward the cityscape, their hearts filled with hope for the future. The world was still a place of danger and uncertainty, but they were prepared to face it head-on. With their love as their anchor, they would navigate the challenges ahead, supporting and inspiring one another every step of the way.
And so, Nanami and Y/N embarked on a new chapter of their lives, their love serving as a beacon of hope in a world still plagued by curses. Together, they would continue to fight, to protect, and to embrace the future with open hearts and unwavering determination.
Their love story had only just begun, and it would be written with strength, resilience, and a love that transcended time itself.
THE END
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tinyhockey · 1 year
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be my fire in the cold - winter exchange 2k23
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well this is something eh? i went into this hoping to get up the courage to write my first hockey fic and ended up writing about 9.3k words of christmas fluff. who'd have thought!
big thank you first and foremost to @antoineroussel for organizing this exchange! thanks to my beta readers @hockeytwinx @neuroweird and @thewonderzebra, and to @2manytabsopen @jostystyles and @teex for help with characterization.
and lastly, but most importantly: thank you to @lifeofpriya for giving me such wonderful inspiration and answering each and every one of my probably very annoying questions! from your magical winter exchange elf, i hope you enjoy! 💖
quick note that this is an OC fic and an AU. have fun reading!
“Santa, tell me if you're really there…”
Priya hummed to herself as she sent off another email, unconsciously nodding her head to the sound of Ariana Grande belting through her airpods. She’d had her Christmas playlist practically on loop over the past six days, as if determined to broadcast as much holiday spirit as possible directly into her ears. She didn’t think anyone could really blame her for that, though. There were only so many days out of the year where it was socially acceptable to blast Santa-themed music. It only made sense to make the most of them.
Besides, it had been a slow morning at the office. Priya had been hired as an intern (paid, thank-you-very-much) back in October, and she had quickly learned that there was no such thing as an average workday. Sometimes she found herself rushing around running errands for every person who passed her desk; thankfully, most of them were friendly, with a few exceptions she preferred not to dwell on. Other times, like today, she had to stop herself from browsing skincare websites or looking up last night’s baseball highlights. Thankfully, she’d found that her long hair typically hid her earbuds, meaning she could listen to audiobooks or k-pop albums to make the time go by faster. Unfortunately, they were sometimes too good at soundproofing.
“Don't make me fall in love again if he won't be here next year…”
“Priya!”
She jolted at the sudden call, eyes darting up, only to see her manager standing before her desk, a wry smile on his face. She quickly reached over to pause the music on her phone, tucking her hair behind her ears as she removed her airpods.
“Sorry, Dougie,” she smiled sheepishly. “I’m working, I swear.”
“Sure you are,” he teased, letting out a laugh. 
“No, seriously! I just sent off some emails. I just figured, you know…” Priya shrugged. 
“It’s fine,” Dougie shook his head fondly. “You’re fine. I’m sure you can get your work done while you listen to carols.” 
“Maybe I’ll be better with some Christmas music,” Priya responded. “Almost everything is.”
Dougie’s smile grew. “I’m actually glad you said that.”
Priya was halfway to matching his expression, only to suddenly take notice of the bright red folder in his hands. She quirked an eyebrow upwards in suspicion. “Should I be worried?”
“Oh, yeah. Extremely.” After a second, he clarified, “I’m kidding.”
“I figured.” Priya nodded towards the folder. “What’s in there?”
“Oh, right! So.” He leaned forward across her desk, as if he were entrusting her with some great mission. “Every year, we have this big company holiday party towards the end of December. There’s always music, and it gets catered with all this awesome food. One year, they even had an open bar. Now that was a fun time.”
“It sounds like it,” Priya laughed, eyes still trained on the folder. “So is this an invitation, or…”
“Oh. No. Well, kind of,” he laughed. “See, the last couple years, it’s always been planned by the same two people. But one just retired, and one’s out on maternity leave. So…”
“You entrust it to the intern,” Priya finished, tutting in fake disapproval, though her smile was clear even as she shook her head. 
“It won’t just be you. Not that I don’t think you could pull it off alone.” Dougie passed over the folder. “Tom and Linda left all the major stuff in there. Who to call if you have questions about the space, which caterers they usually hire, all that stuff.”
Priya flipped through the folder as Dougie spoke, running her finger down the pages. The photos of the ballroom showed a large but intimate space, with dim lighting and velvet curtains. It would be nice to hang some string lights over the windows, she thought. And they could set up some tables there, and maybe a photo booth if the budget allowed…
“Does that sound good?”
Priya glanced up from the folder, lips already curved into a smile. “Yeah, no, of course. Absolutely. It’ll be fun.”
“Great!” Dougie smiled back. There seemed to be something slightly more to it than just a happy sort of relief, but Priya couldn’t quite pin it down. 
He took out his phone, firing off a few emails. “You have anything going on at 4:30 today?”
“Not that I know of,” Priya shrugged. “Why?”
“I’ll book off one of the smaller conference rooms for you guys, then. You can get started on the planning. Normally we have it on the Friday before Christmas, so that gives you about two weeks or so.” Dougie smiled as he slipped his phone back into his pocket. “I look forward to it.”
He had already taken a step away when a question popped into Priya’s mind. “Dougie!” she called. “Who else am I working with?”
“Didn’t I just tell you?” he chuckled. “One of the other interns, from tech support. You might know him.”
No. No, no, no, please, no, anyone but-
“You’ve met Nico, right?”
Damnit.
“Uh, yeah, I think. Once or twice.” Priya fidgeted with the corner of the folder, hoping she’d kept her face in a neutral enough expression.
“Cool. Glad you two know each other,” Dougie smiled, that same strange tinge to his grin as before. “You guys will be great together, I’m sure.”
She smiled tightly. “Can’t wait.”
Priya waited until Dougie’s footsteps sounded far enough away, letting out a groan as she dropped her head onto her desk. Of course. Of everyone in the entire company, it had to be Nico.
She hadn’t started off disliking him. In fact, she’d almost thought he was cute. Alright, fine, she’d thought he was incredibly cute. When she’d seen him at the intern orientation, she’d been the first to come up to him and try to introduce herself. Instead, all she’d found herself met with was a dark look and a curt reply. She’d tried sitting with him at lunch, asking him about himself, even bringing in coffee for him. Every time, the same sullen stare, the same short sentences. She’d won over almost everyone else in the office. Nico was her one exception. 
Every so often, Priya still caught him staring at her. Across the cafeteria, in company meetings — she’d turn her head, and catch him just turning his away. She couldn’t figure out exactly what she’d done to irritate him so much. At this point, she wasn’t sure finding out would make the difference.
Sighing, Priya propped up the folder on her desk, studying its festive red color as she put her airpods back in. There wasn’t any going back on it now. She’d already agreed. Dougie was her manager, and she didn’t want to let him down. Maybe, she thought, starting her playlist back up, it would end up being fun. Maybe Nico wouldn’t glower at her too much, and the whole thing would go off without a hitch.
It’s Christmas, she thought, letting out a breath as she went to check her inbox. Miracles happen all the time.
⋆⁺₊⋆ ❄ ⁺₊⋆ ❄ ₊⁺ ⋆
4:30 found Priya sitting in the conference room, alternating between looking through the window of the door and her phone clock. Once or twice she considered messaging Dougie, just to ensure she hadn’t misheard him on the meeting time. To be fair, she was sure tech support was always busy, and something might have come up. With Nico, however…
It took another ten minutes for the door to finally open. Priya glanced up from the red party folder on the table, watching as Nico walked in. He barely even seemed to notice her, eyes glued to his phone screen as he typed something.
Seizing the opportunity to take a quick breath, Priya forced herself to smile in his direction. “Hey.” Nico didn’t respond even as he sat down in one of the free chairs, crossing one leg over the other. His eyes remained trained on his phone, seeming to be reading something before going back to typing. To her surprise, she thought she could almost see the hint of a smile on his face. 
Clearing her throat, Priya sat up in her chair, straightening her back. “So, um, looks like we’re working together, right?”
Nico was silent until he finished his typing, putting his phone face-up on the table. “Yes,” he responded, dark eyes seeming to study her — judge her, even. “Dougie gave you the folder.”
“Yeah. Yeah, um, he did.” She nodded, a tight smile returning to her face as she flipped it open. “I already called the venue owners, and we’re all set for the Friday night before Christmas. I didn’t want to do anything else before I asked you, but I did look up a few ideas, and I think-” Priya went to hand over some of the ideas she’d printed photos of, only to see Nico back on his phone, typing something. She frowned, voice trailing off into silence.
Nico finished typing, glancing up again. “You can keep talking. What ideas?” Priya took a breath, passing the papers across the table. “I looked up some holiday decorations, and I thought the Christmas tree made out of balloons was super cute. And then-”
“You can’t have a tree made out of balloons.”
Priya raised her eyebrows. “I’m sorry?”
“That’s silly. We could get a real tree for the same as it could cost for all of those balloons,” Nico rebutted, passing that page back across to her.
She frowned, looking back down at the photo. “I mean, maybe. But a lot of people are going to have trees at home, you know? And it’s easier to take down balloons than it is to get rid of a big tree. Plus, you’d get pine needles everywhere.”
Nico huffed out a sigh, shaking his head as he flipped through her other pages.
Priya felt her shoulders slump, softly biting down on her bottom lip. “Okay. Maybe it’s a little much for, like, just starting out.” She went back into the folder, taking out a blank sheet of notebook paper. “What about, like, a color scheme? Just so we have an idea in mind. I kind of like the traditional, like, red and green, but we could also try some sort of blue and white wintery colors. Or silver and gold, but that could look kind of dark in the ballroom, unless we got some lights. Oh, what about-”
She cut herself off as she looked up at Nico. Once again, his eyes were trained on his phone screen, as if she’d never said anything at all. Worst of all, there was a smile on his face, like the whole thing was amusing him.
Priya felt her mouth tighten into a line. Impulsively she snatched the papers from in front of him, quickly stuffing them into the folder.
“What are you doing?” 
She looked up, only to see Nico looking at her. He had the nerve to seem confused. 
“I’m going home,” she responded, gripping tightly to the folder as she stood, taking the long way around the table just so she didn’t have to step around him.
“You’re what?” Nico stood, following Priya as she left the room and began walking towards her desk. “Why? I was listening.”
“No, you weren’t!” she retorted sharply, finally turning around to face him. “I’m trying to get your opinions on this, because we’re supposed to be working together. Both of us. But instead you’re ignoring me, you just keep — texting your girlfriend, or whatever it is you’re doing.”
“I’m not texting my girlfriend,” Nico responded, his arms crossed across his chest.
“Then whoever it is! That’s not the point!” Priya groaned, running an exasperated hand through her hair. “The point is, I came here with ideas, and a checklist, and wanting to actually make this work. You show up late, which, fine, maybe you had something else to do, but then you turn down my ideas and you don’t even listen to me!”
“I told you, I was listening.”
“Were you? What was I just talking about, before I left?”
Nico opened his mouth, only for it to slowly shut. At the very least, he had the decency to look guilty over it.
“See? Exactly.” Priya sighed, beginning to walk backwards away from him. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll just… take care of everything.”
“But-”
“You won’t get in trouble. I’ll tell Dougie you had something come up.” She turned around, not wanting to hear any excuses he would somehow come up with. “It’s totally fine.”
“Priya...”
She didn’t turn back, walking back towards her desk, noting a lack of footsteps behind her. 
Well, she thought. Maybe Christmas miracles are in short supply this year.
⋆⁺₊⋆ ❄ ⁺₊⋆ ❄ ₊⁺ ⋆
The next afternoon found Priya bursting through the office doors, trying to speed-walk as fast as possible to her desk. Her class had gone on fifteen minutes longer than usual, meaning she’d had to book it to the office the moment her professor had finally dismissed them. It certainly didn’t help her bad mood. 
Not that she was in a bad mood. She was totally fine. Chipper, even. She definitely hadn’t spent yesterday evening on the phone to her best friend Jack, ranting about how immensely frustrating a certain coworker of theirs was in between mouthfuls of leftover pasta. And she surely hadn’t been awake until three in the morning, trying to brainstorm ideas on how to throw a company holiday party so unbelievably kick-ass that it made said coworker feel like a fool for not helping out. That was for someone who hadn’t put the entire situation behind them. Like Priya had.
Priya turned the corner, brushing some wayward hair out of her face, only to stop in her tracks. There, pacing in front of her desk, dark eyes trained on the floor, was Nico.
“What are you doing?” Priya asked before she could stop herself.
Nico’s head jerked up as he halted his pacing, as if he’d been so lost in thought he hadn’t sensed her approach. “Oh. Um. Priya. Hi.”
“Hi,” Priya responded, trying to keep her voice even. (Not that there was any reason for it not to be. Because she wasn’t frustrated. At least, Nico didn’t need to know that she was.) “Any reason why you’re burning a line into the carpet?”
“Why I’m… what?” Nico asked, brow furrowed.
Priya sighed, crossing her arms. “Why are you at my desk? Don’t you have, like, computers to fix or something?”
“No. I mean, yes, I do, but…” Nico huffed out a breath, squaring his shoulders. “I wanted to apologize.”
Priya blinked over at him, trying to process the other’s words. “You what?”
“For yesterday. What happened.”
Letting out another sigh, Priya shook her head slightly. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it,” she muttered, moving past Nico to begin unpacking her bag.
“No, I-“
“If Dougie put you up to this, I’ll talk to him about it. I told him it wasn’t your fault.”
“Priya-”
“Listen, it’s totally fine,” Priya continued as she took out her lunch bag. “I’ll take care of everything. You don’t have to worry-”
“Can I just talk for a second?” Nico interjected. Priya’s eyes flickered up, only to be met with a look of desperation she didn’t think she’d ever seen on the other. Her mouth shut before she could say anything else. 
Nico let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair. “Sorry. I — Dougie didn’t talk to me. I came by myself.”
Priya’s eyebrows lifted slightly, but she kept silent. 
“It wasn’t right of me to ignore you like that,” Nico continued, his deep brown eyes soft as they met hers. “You came in with all of these ideas, and I just shot yours down. And then I ignored you while you were trying to help. It was rude. You deserve better than that. So. I’m sorry.”
Priya’s face softened as Nico spoke. She’d never heard the other sound so genuine. “Oh,” she murmured. “Th-thank you for apologizing. I appreciate it. It’s, um, it’s totally fine.”
“Thank you for being understanding,” he countered, the barest hint of a smile crossing his face. 
“No, I mean, I get it,” she let out a breath, taking a seat at her desk. “Some people just don’t, like, get into the season. Not everyone likes Christmas.”
“I like Christmas,” Nico spoke up quickly, hands slipping into his pockets. “It’s just…” He sighed. “It’s hard, sometimes. To get into the, what is it called? Holiday spirit?”
Priya hummed in confirmation, keeping her lips pressed together as she studied Nico’s face. “Do you genuinely want to help?”
“What’s that?” Nico questioned.
“Do you really want to help me out with the party? Like, you don’t just want to apologize and pretend nothing happened. You actually want to plan it together.”
Nico nodded, looking deadly serious, as if the task at hand was a thesis paper and not some office holiday gathering. “Yes. I actually do.”
Ignoring the strange twinge in her chest at his expression, Priya grabbed a sticky note and pen, scrawling down her phone number. “Do you work weekends?”
“No. Sometimes I have practice on Saturdays, but always early in the morning. Otherwise, I’m not busy.”
“Fantastic. Sunday then.” She scribbled down an address, handing over the sticky note. “Meet me there at 10?”
Nico studied the note, nodding firmly. “Okay. I’ll be there.” He smiled, holding out his pinky. “Promise.”
Priya stared at his offered hand for a moment before it clicked. She reached over, linking their pinky fingers together. 
Nico gave her one last smile before walking off, still studying the note as he disappeared around the corner.
“Huh,” Priya hummed, shrugging slightly as she went to set up her laptop. It wasn’t until a few minutes had gone by that she realized she was still smiling.
⋆⁺₊⋆ ❄ ⁺₊⋆ ❄ ₊⁺ ⋆
Sunday morning came faster than Priya had expected, and she soon found herself sitting by one of the large windows in Woodland Coffee. The cafe was decked out in holiday cheer - there were stockings hung over the cozy fireplace, paper snowflakes dangling from the ceiling, and soft piano covers of Christmas songs playing over the speakers. Still, Priya’s focus kept drifting back and forth between the front door and her phone, its clock reading 9:59. 
Maybe this was all a set up, Priya thought to herself, sighing quietly as she began to scroll Instagram. Maybe he thought it would be funny to get my hopes up again, and then —
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps. She glanced up, only to see Nico rushing over to the table, cheeks pink from the cold.
“Hi,” he managed out, catching his breath as he unwound his scarf. “I hope you weren’t waiting too long. There was an accident on the main road, so I had to go around all these back streets, and I’m still not really used to the area —” 
“Hey,” Priya interrupted, holding up her hand. “It’s fine. It’s, like, 10:01. You’re not late.” 
Nico sighed in relief, smiling as he took off his hat, shaking out his hair. “This place is cute,” he commented, glancing around at all the decorations. “I don’t think I’ve been here before.”
“It’s my go-to,” Priya told him. “They’re a godsend around finals.”
“I’ll bet. What do you usually order?”
“Depends on the time of year. But their peppermint mocha is amazing.”
“Peppermint mocha, got it. Be right back.” Nico smiled, draping his jacket over the back of his chair before heading up to the counter. Priya found herself smiling back, pulling the red folder out of her bag.
Soon enough Nico returned, cautiously carrying two white mugs with red trim. “Here,” he nodded, lowering one of them in front of Priya’s seat. “Peppermint mocha, right?”
Priya’s eyes widened slightly. “I, um, yeah. You didn’t have to do that.”
“I know,” Nico shrugged, taking a seat across from her, a soft smile on his face. He took a small sip of his drink, humming to himself.
“Good?” she asked, smiling.
“Mm. Very good,” he nodded. He took another sip before he sat up straighter, going to root through his backpack. “So, um, I did look up a couple things…” Nico pulled out a manila folder, opening it on the table, only for a few dozen clippings to come spilling out. “Or, um, more than a few,” he admitted, cheeks slightly pink.
“Whoa,” Priya let out a laugh, though she met his eyes to make sure he knew it wasn’t a mocking one. “That’s… wow. This’ll be great to work off.”
Nico smiled back, gesturing towards her folder. “But I want to see yours too. I liked some of the pictures you had. The ones with the string lights over the windows?”
“Oh, uh…” Priya flipped through the pages quickly, taking out one to place on the table. “This one, you mean?”
“Yeah, that one,” Nico said. “But I was thinking, maybe we could make them white lights instead? It would look good with whatever colors we used.”
Priya looked over the photo, slowly nodding. “Yeah. I like that. Plus it’s sort of dark in there, from what I can tell, so it might be best to have the brightest ones possible.”
“Speaking of the room. I was looking over some of the photos, and I think…” Nico took out the page he was referring to, pointing to the picture. “We could put the tables downstairs, and maybe use the second floor for something else. I don’t know what, though.”
“I was thinking maybe a photo booth?” Priya suggested, her eyes suddenly lighting up. “Or, oh my god, what if we got one of the managers to dress up as Santa?”
Nico let out a laugh, dimples showing through as he threw his head back. “Yes. We have to,” he insisted, getting out a pen to scribble down the idea. “And we can get Dougie to be an elf, because he’s so tall.” 
Priya found herself laughing along with Nico. “I don’t know if there’s a pair of tights in the world that would fit him.”
“Oh, we’ll find some,” Nico grinned cheekily.
The hours flew by quickly after that. By the time the clock struck noon, the two had planned out the decorations, the entertainment, the food and drink, and everything they had to do in the next few weeks to get everything done. In truth, they probably could have wrapped up faster if they’d kept their focus entirely on the party. But Nico kept interjecting with jokes and questions about her, and, well, Priya would be rude if she didn’t respond in kind.
“So I know you like to read and listen to music,” Nico hummed with a smile, drinking from his third mocha of the day. “Do you like any sports?”
“Oh, yeah,” Priya nodded. “Baseball, football and hockey.”
“I love hockey,” Nico grinned. 
“Really?” she smiled, taking a sip of her own drink. “Do you play or just watch?”
“Oh, no, I play for my college. I used to play football too.”
“You did? You don’t seem the type,” Priya commented.
“Why — oh, you mean American football. No, um, soccer. They call it football in Switzerland.”
Priya raised her eyebrows. “I never knew you were from Switzerland.”
Nico laughed. “The accent didn’t give it away?” 
“I’m not sure I’ve ever heard a Swiss accent before yours,” Priya countered with a smile. 
“That’s fair,” he chuckled, leaning back in his seat. “But yes. Born and raised.” 
Nico’s face seemed to grow almost forlorn as he spoke, eyes growing distant. Priya’s brow furrowed.
“Do you-”
“So-”
The two of them laughed, Nico shaking his head.
“You go.”
“No, you go,” Priya prompted, taking another sip of her mocha.
“Just… you said that you like to read,” Nico murmured, fidgeting with a stray pen. “If I was… looking for a book, to get for someone. What would you think?”
Priya thought the question over, putting a hand under her chin. “That’s a hard one. It depends on what they’re interested in. Nonfiction, or the classics, or mysteries.”
“What about you?” Nico asked, draining the last of his coffee cup.
“I mean, I’ve always loved Jane Austen,” Priya told him. “Something about her writing just makes me feel… hopeful, I guess. Like love like that can really exist.” She blushed, setting down her cup. “I bet that sounds silly.”
Nico made a noise of disagreement, his dark eyes studying her. “I don’t think it does,” he told her. “I think it’s nice. To think that way.”
Priya smiled shyly, taking a final sip from her mug. “Thanks.”
“Of course,” Nico smiled back, glancing down at his phone to check the time. “Oh, wow, it’s the middle of the afternoon. I should get going. But, um —” He stood, pulling on his coat. “You work all day on Tuesday, right?”
“No, Wednesdays and Fridays,” Priya offered, going to pack up her own belongings. 
“Okay, Wednesday then. On our lunch break. We can go out and grab some supplies?” Nico offered, putting away his folder. “Ask Dougie if we can steal a company credit card?”
Priya snickered, shaking her head. “I doubt that’ll happen. But, yeah, that sounds fun.” She was surprised at how much she genuinely meant it.
“Great.” Nico tore off a scrap of paper, writing something down and handing it over to Priya. “I’ll come by your desk at noon. Promise,” Nico smiled. He held out his pinky finger. This time, Priya knew to hook it with her own. 
“See you then!” Nico called as he left. He stopped right outside, then turned around, waving through the glass doors with a goofy grin.
Priya let out a laugh, waving back at him. As he walked off, she glanced down at the paper, finding a phone number with a smiley face drawn next to it. Though she didn’t know it, her own smile grew to match it.
⋆⁺₊⋆ ❄ ⁺₊⋆ ❄ ₊⁺ ⋆
“What’s the difference between these?” Nico called, his brow furrowed in confusion.
Priya glanced up from her checklist, rolling the shopping cart over to where Nico was standing. Thankfully the aisles weren’t too full, given it was noon on a weekday. “Between what?”
“These,” he repeated, showing her two boxes of string lights. “They look the same.”
Priya studied the packaging, pointing to the one in Nico’s left hand. “I think this one is more of a warm white, like, tan almost. This one is cooler, almost blue.”
Nico looked between both packages, frowning as he did so. “I still don’t see a difference,” he admitted.
Priya giggled, taking a few boxes of the cooler lights and putting them into the cart, checking off the box on her list. “Okay, so that’s all set… I think all we need is the candy for the dessert table and we’ll be good to go.”
She’d come up with the idea when Jack had approached her, asking if he could bring something to represent Hanukkah to the holiday party. “I’m a horrible cook, but I’ve made jelly donuts a couple times and haven’t burned down the whole kitchen,” Jack had told her with a laugh. Something had clicked, and she’d quickly fired off a message to Nico, asking what he thought. Thankfully, he loved it.
Thus far, they’d had five sign-ups to bring homemade desserts — mini pies, gingerbread bars, peppermint bark fudge, snickerdoodles and Jack’s jelly donuts. Priya had already bought the ingredients for chocolate chip cookies, though she wasn’t sure if eight dozen was too few.
She snapped out of her worries when she suddenly recognized Nico humming along to the store radio, making her laugh. “You like Mariah Carey?”
“Hmm? Oh,” Nico laughed sheepishly as they strolled through the store. “Yeah. I’m not a huge fan of Christmas music, but… I like this song. I like that it’s more about wishing for someone rather than something.”
“That’s sweet,” Priya smiled at him, heart fluttering slightly (though she couldn’t quite place why).
She thought over Nico’s words as they walked down the crafts aisle, glancing around at the crayons and construction paper. Suddenly she gasped, stopping in her tracks.
“What?” Nico asked, turning around with a worried expression.
“I just had an idea,” she rushed out, going to grab a pile of forest green construction paper. “What if we made a wishing tree? Like, we made a tree out of construction paper and hung it up on the wall, and we made little paper ornaments. And people could come over and write their holiday wishes on them, and hang them up on the tree?”
Nico froze for a moment, letting out a soft laugh. “You just came up with that?”
“Yeah,” Priya nodded, shoulders lowering as she looked over at him. “I — is it -”
“It’s brilliant,” Nico reassured her, eyes sparkling. “Beyond brilliant. I’m just — I’m surprised you came up with that so fast. But, yes. Definitely. We should.” He went to grab red and white construction paper, along with some colorful markers. “You’re really good at this.”
Priya blushed, shrugging slightly. “I mean, you gave me the idea.”
“I think Mariah Carey came up with it to begin with,” Nico joked, putting their supplies into the cart. “We should send her a thank-you gift.”
Priya laughed, walking alongside Nico as he took over cart-pushing duties. “Speaking of gifts, have you bought all of yours yet? I’m still trying to figure out what to get my parents.”
Nico didn’t reply. Priya looked over, only to see his jaw tightened, the same forlorn expression on his face from when they’d talked about his home at the coffee shop.
“Oh, does — does your family not do gifts?”
“No, they… they do,” Nico told her, voice low. “Just… they’re all back home. My family, I mean. They’re all in Switzerland. So it would… it would take a while for any gifts to get to them.”
“Oh.” Priya stuffed her hands into her jacket pockets. “Well, I mean, you can give them the next time you visit, right? A late gift is still a gift.”
“I don’t know when that will be,” Nico admitted. “Plane tickets are expensive. And there’s still work, and school… it’s hard to find time to talk to anyone back home, let alone go and see them.”
“Yeah,” Priya nodded, biting her inner lip. It makes sense why he wasn’t into planning this, she thought, with everyone far away. “So, um… when you are home, for Christmas. What’s it like? In Switzerland? Is it much different from here?”
“I’ve only celebrated Christmas here once, and it was just with a few friends from the team,” Nico told her with a slight shrug. “But at home, we don’t set up the tree early like you guys do sometimes. The parents decorate it the night before Christmas Eve, and in the morning you come downstairs and see it. They used to tell us the elves did it.” He let out a laugh. “And then we usually have ham and raclette. Like, melty cheese, with potatoes. And my mom will make spitzbuben.”
“Spitzbuben,” she repeated with a slight laugh. “I like that word.”
“It’s like, um… jam cookies,” Nico told her after a moment’s thought. “They’re always so good.”
Priya’s face lit up as she nudged Nico’s arm. “You should make them for the party!”
“Me?” Nico asked, eyes widening. “Oh, no, I — I’m terrible at making food.”
“I can help you out,” she told him. “Ask your mom for the recipe. You can come over when I’m making the chocolate chip ones. Tackle them together.”
Nico’s smile slowly grew as he nodded. “Okay. If you’re sure.”
“I’m sure,” Priya smiled back, her chest hit with that same strange feeling as earlier. Shaking her head slightly to reset herself, she cleared her throat. “So, when do you give the gifts?”
“Oh, um, not… not on actual Christmas,” Nico told her, running a hand through his hair as they approached the food section. “Samichlaus — that’s what we call Santa. He comes on the 6th of December.”
“Really?” Priya asked. She was about to turn down the candy aisle when a realization hit her, making her stop in her tracks.
“Priya?” Nico asked, voice suddenly filled with concern. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” she answered after a moment. “Yeah, I… I’m really sorry.”
“Why are you sorry?” Nico questioned, hands in his jean pockets. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“No, I…” she sighed. “December 6th. That was the day we met, right? I mean… when we had our first meeting. About the party.”
Nico nodded slightly, face still reading confusion.
“You — I was so mad because you weren’t paying attention to me,” Priya sighed, guilt pooling in her stomach. “But you… you were probably texting your family, right?”
Nico was silent as she spoke, slowly nodding again. “Yeah. Yeah, my… my family was sending me messages. And some of my friends from back home.”
“God, Nico,” Priya whispered, letting out a sigh. “You could have said something. I would have understood.”
“I thought it was silly,” Nico confessed after a moment. “To be sad about missing something so… childish.”
“It’s not silly if it means something to you,” Priya told him, placing a hand on his upper arm. “I should have asked.”
Nico nodded slightly, meeting her eyes. “I should have said something. Or at least, not been so much of a jerk to you.”
“You weren’t a jerk-”
“No, I was. I didn’t — I took my feelings out on you. I didn’t want to even think about Christmas, and you had all these great ideas, and you were so happy about it… it wasn’t right of me to act how I did. I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry too,” Priya sighed, slowly lowering her arm to wrap around her waist. 
“You don’t have to be,” Nico told her, this time raising his hand to pat her shoulder. “It’s okay. You’ve done so much. And your ideas are incredible.”
Priya let out a shy laugh. “I try.”
“I’m glad you do,” Nico smiled, patting her shoulder once more before turning back to the cart. “Come on. We can get some candy for the drive home too.”
Priya smiled back. “Well, I mean, if you insist.”
“I do,” Nico grinned, the two of them making their way down the aisle.
⋆⁺₊⋆ ❄ ⁺₊⋆ ❄ ₊⁺ ⋆
Priya tightened her jacket around herself, shivering as she stepped out of the grocery store into the blustery air. When she’d gone shopping for supplies for her and Nico’s baking session, she’d thought a dozen eggs would be enough for the chocolate chip and Swiss Jam cookies. What she hadn’t counted on was burning the first batch of chocolate chip, then struggling with separating the yolk from the white for the spitzbuben, then Nico tripping and dropping two of the eggs onto the kitchen floor.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to get them?” Nico had asked, trying to mop up the splattered mess. “I feel bad sending you out into the cold.”
“It’s fine. There’s a store, like, two blocks from here. It won’t take me long,” Priya promised him, giggling internally at the kicked-puppy look of guilt he wore. “Just make sure the ones in the oven now don’t get burnt.” 
Now that Priya was thinking it over, it probably wasn’t the smartest idea to leave someone she’d only known for a few weeks alone in her apartment.  Particularly not someone who, before they’d started planning together, she’d been sure held some sort of personal vendetta against her. But things had changed. Nico was still quiet at times, but always in a way she could tell was considerate of the world around him. His eyes held the same intensity, but it no longer scared her away. There were still those instances of strange fluttering in her chest from time to time, but Priya refused to focus on those. Not while there was still so much to do before the party.
As Priya pressed the call button to cross the street, she suddenly noticed a collection of bright lights to her left. A row of booths had been set up along the sidewalk in a miniature Christmas market, with a dozen or so shoppers meandering between the string-lit tents. She could see some children stepping away from one with paper cups of hot chocolate and cider.
Priya glanced down at her phone to check the time, shrugging slightly. Though she’d gotten almost all her holiday shopping done, it couldn’t hurt to poke around. Besides, if nothing else, maybe she could bring Nico back some hot drinks to share.
She ducked her head entering the first tent, seeing it filled with fuzzy scarves and gloves. Reaching her free hand up to stroke the fabrics, mindful of her grocery bag, she walked further in, seeing a collection of multicolored, handknit beanies. They reminded her of Nico, she thought with a slight laugh. He’d worn the same black winter hat every time she’d seen him the past month. 
Maybe he could use a new one, she thought. Would he like the red, or — 
Priya paused in surprise at herself, pulling her hand back from the display. She hadn’t been planning on buying Nico a gift. They weren’t close like that — or were they now? They’d spent almost every day together since their shopping trip, sitting at the same lunch table and working on crafting the wish tree display. But that was just because of the party, wasn’t it? Once it had passed, they wouldn’t be attached to each other like they were now. Then again, more often than not their conversations had drifted away from planning, to music and sports and funny stories from each others’ pasts. She didn’t want that part to end. She — she liked Nico.
Biting her lip, head still spinning from the revelation, Priya turned away from the hat display, instead studying a glass display table of different jewelry. Her eyes scanned over the different earrings and bracelets, only to stop once they caught sight of a necklace. Hanging from black cord was a small gold-colored coin, two intertwining flowers etched into the metal.
“You like it?” 
Priya’s head jerked up, only to meet a smiling older woman in a purple headscarf. “It’s edelweiss.”
“Edelweiss?” Priya repeated, eyes returning to the necklace. 
“Yes. A flower that grows in the Alps,” the woman told her. “Very popular in those countries. Austria, Romania, Switzerland.”
Priya’s heart jolted in her chest, studying the coin, the way the flowers’ stems wrapped around one another.
“How — how much?”
A few minutes later, Priya carefully opened the front door of her apartment, two large cups of hot chocolate in hand.
“There you are,” Nico sighed, relief clear on his face as he made his way to the front door. “I was about to call you. Did you get caught up in something?”
“Just thought I’d stop for these,” Priya shrugged, handing over one of the cups to him. 
“Oh, wow. Thanks,” Nico smiled at her, his dimples clear as he took the grocery bag as well. “You’re the best.”
Priya let out a shy laugh. She glanced up towards Nico, watching as he walked back into the kitchen and ran a hand through his dark hair. He really is handsome, she thought. And sweet. And passionate. And —
“Priya?” Nico called, making her snap out of her thoughts. “You okay?”
“Yep! Yeah, sorry. Give me one second,” she smiled over at him. She turned to hang up her coat by the door, taking just a moment to reach into her pocket, running her fingers over the small crimson gift box. 
Not tonight, she thought. But soon. Probably. Maybe.
Taking a deep breath, Priya turned back towards Nico, smiling wide. “Okay. Let’s do this.”
⋆⁺₊⋆ ❄ ⁺₊⋆ ❄ ₊⁺ ⋆
The date of the Christmas party finally arrived. Priya had spent most of the day setting up the ballroom with Nico, securing the decorations and making sure the caterers had everything they needed. A few times she’d glanced over at Nico, a confession she wasn’t sure how to phrase on the top of her tongue, but she’d always swallowed it back. If she was going to completely embarrass herself in front of a cute boy, she was going to do it right. 
After a well-deserved nap, Priya had gotten to work preparing herself for the party. Instead of her usual uniform of sweatpants and a hoodie, she’d decided on one of her nicest outfits: a knee-length, deep green sparkly dress with long sleeves, paired with silver flats. She’d done her hair in a low bun, securing it with a velvet green bow, romantic tresses framing her face. She kept her makeup basic, but made sure to use her favorite red lipstick, double checking to make sure none had gotten on her teeth.
Priya did a spin in front of her bedroom mirror, smiling at herself. It wasn’t too often she got a chance to dress up — a fact she was largely grateful for — but it was still fun when the moment came.
Grabbing her handbag, her eyes drifted over to the burgundy jewelry box, still sitting atop her dresser. Was it even a good idea to give it? Would it be overstepping? What if he thought it was cheesy? What if it made him miss home even more? What if —
A knock on the door made Priya’s head jolt up, brow furrowed. She hadn’t been expecting anyone. Before she could think better of it, she grabbed the box, shoving it into her bag.
“Coming!” she called, making her way down the hallway to open the front door.
Standing there, in a deep red shirt and black tie, was Nico. “Hi,” he managed out, his voice sounding shyer than Priya could ever remember it. 
“Hi,” Priya responded, her voice soft to match his.
Nico looked Priya up and down, his cheeks pale pink. “You, um… you look beautiful.”
Priya’s own cheeks flushed. “Thank you,” she smiled shyly. “You look nice too. Very handsome.”
“Thanks.” Nico bit his lip, moving his hands from behind his back, handing out a bouquet of white and red flowers. “I… these are for you.”
Priya felt her heart leap as she took the bouquet, inhaling the sweet aroma. “Garden roses,” she whispered, meeting his eyes. “I love them. How did you know?”
“I, um, I might’ve asked Jack,” Nico admitted, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. “Just… you’ve been so great with everything, and… I wanted to thank you.”
Priya smiled, stepping forward to pull Nico into a hug. She could feel him tense in surprise for a moment, only to wrap his arms around her waist, chin resting on her shoulder. He smelled like warmth, and cinnamon, and the slightest bit of pine. She could already imagine herself getting addicted.
“Thank you,” Priya murmured into his shirt, closing her eyes for a moment. “You’re… you’re wonderful. Really.”
“I try,” Nico let out a soft laugh.
After a few seconds too long, Priya forced herself to pull away, shyly laughing. “I’ll, um, I’ll go put these in water.”
“Yeah,” Nico nodded, clearing his throat. “Yeah, no worries.”
Priya had gotten only a few steps away when a thought hit her, making her turn to face him. “What are you doing here, anyway? I thought you’d be at the party.”
“I am. I mean, I’m going. I just thought, maybe I could drive you. If you don’t have other plans.”
Priya smiled softly. “Yeah. Yeah, no, I’d love that.” She put the flowers onto the kitchen counter, making her way back to the doorway. “Jack said he’d drive me home, but I’ll just tell him to meet me there.”
“You sure?” Nico raised his eyebrows worriedly. “You don’t have to. I mean — I should have asked you first —”
“Nico. It’s fine,” Priya reassured him. “I want to go with you.”
Nico’s smile practically lit up her insides as he nodded. “Okay. If you’re sure.” He offered his arm, putting on a slightly goofy formal voice. “Shall we, my lady?”
“We shall, good sir,” she giggled, taking his arm as they made their way outside.
⋆⁺₊⋆ ❄ ⁺₊⋆ ❄ ₊⁺ ⋆
Even though she’d spent most of the day setting up for the party, Priya still found herself unprepared by how beautiful the ballroom had ended up. From her spot on the second floor balcony, she could watch the string lights glow, illuminating the smiling faces of the people below. She spied one of the tech heads, Miles, dressed up in a full Santa suit, taking photos with the marketing team. The playlist she and Nico had crafted was playing softly through the speakers, adding a pleasant hum to the whole scene. Somehow, everything had worked out.
Priya gazed over the crowd, only for her eyes to stop on a familiar face. Nico smiled at her from his place near the dessert table, motioning her down. She grinned back, nodding quickly as she made her way downstairs, carefully maneuvering around the guests.
“Hey,” she smiled, nudging Nico with her elbow. 
“Hey.” Nico let out a soft sigh, glancing around at the crowd. “We pulled it off.”
“I know,” Priya sighed with him. “Is it weird to say I’m proud of us?”
Nico glanced over, shaking his head slightly. “I don’t think it’s weird. Not at all.”
Priya’s eyes softened as she nudged him again. “Then I am. I’m proud of us. And you.”
“Me?” Nico laughed in disbelief.
“Yeah, you. I know it wasn’t the easiest thing for you, but… you really stepped up. I couldn’t have done any of this without you.”
“Well, I couldn’t have even gotten started without you,” Nico pointed out. “So. I’m proud of you, too.”
Their eyes met, the rest of the world seeming a distant blur.
“Nico-”
“Hey-”
They both laughed.
“You first,” Nico gestured towards her.
“No, no, it’s fine. You go,” she nodded.
“Just, I have to head out pretty soon,” Nico admitted, scratching the back of his head. 
Priya frowned slightly. “Oh. Do you want me to come with you?”
“No, no, stay and have fun. You’ve earned it,” Nico assured her, patting her shoulder. “I just wanted to let you know. Jack said he could drive you back, right? So you won’t be walking in the cold?”
“Yeah,” Priya nodded after a moment. “Yeah, no, I’ll just have to go find him.”
“Okay.” Nico smiled. A few seconds of silence passed between them. Priya bit her cheek, feeling her heart begin to pound in her chest.
Without warning, Nico stepped forward, pulling her into a tight hug. Priya closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around him, letting out a deep sigh. 
Eventually they pulled apart, Nico’s smile seeming to have a tinge of melancholy to it. “See you around,” he nodded.
“I — yeah. See you around,” she forced out, managing a smile. Priya let herself watch for just a moment as Nico made his way through the crowd. Then, straightening her shoulders, she turned around, beginning to search the room for Jack.
She found him not too far away, chatting with Dougie. “Hey, Prius!” Jack grinned, pulling her into a hug. “Did you have one of the donuts yet?”
“Not yet,” Priya admitted, laughing as she pulled apart. “But soon.”
“Amazing job with the party, Priya,” Dougie nodded.
Priya shrugged modestly. “It would’ve been better if we could have found you an elf costume that fit.”
“Wasn’t meant to be,” Dougie laughed, Jack chuckling along with him. “You know, I have to say, I wasn’t sure at first when Nico came to me asking to work with you. But you guys really came together.”
Priya’s eyes widened slightly. “He what?”
“Didn’t he tell you?” Dougie’s brow furrowed. “He came to me begging for me to put you on party planning with him. I knew you could handle it, but I always thought you two didn’t get along.”
“We didn’t,” Priya managed out, voice hitching. “Can you, um… will you excuse me a sec?”
Without waiting for an answer, Priya walked away, her head spinning. This whole time, she’d thought that she and Nico had been thrown together by some twist of fate, or that Dougie had wanted to minimize the tension between them. Nico had really asked for her? Why?
Priya was drawn out of her thoughts just enough to stare at the wishing tree she and Nico had assembled. It wasn’t too full yet, with only a few red and white baubles attached to the construction paper tree. Almost instantly, though, her eyes were drawn towards one particular ornament, with handwriting that felt all too familiar.
I wish I could tell her how I really feel.
Her heart stopped in her chest. Everything seemed to stop; the world became a blur. Before another thought crossed her mind, Priya found herself rushing out of the ballroom, hurrying as fast as she could towards the parking lot. Thankfully, there was still a figure standing outside of his car, wearing a familiar black winter hat.
“Nico!” Priya cried, running towards him. “Nico, wait!”
Nico turned around, brows drawn tightly together as he noticed her. “Priya? What are you doing out here? Can Jack not-”
“Be… be quiet for a second,” Priya told him, catching her breath as she finally approached the car.
“Priya, I don’t -”
“What did your wish mean?”
Nico’s brow furrowed further. “What wish?”
“The one you wrote on the tree,” Priya clarified, crossing her arms. “You said… you said you wish you could tell someone how you really feel. What does that mean?”
Nico’s eyes widened, a guilty expression taking over his face. “That — I — I didn’t think you would know that was mine.”
“I know your handwriting by now,” Priya pointed out. 
There was a beat of silence before she sighed.
“I don’t — I don’t get it. You hate me. Or you — you did hate me. Why-”
“I never hated you,” Nico murmured.
“Then why did you always stare me down? Why wouldn’t you just talk to me?”
He let out a soft sigh, staring down at the pavement. “I was scared,” he confessed. “You were so… so beautiful, and smart. And you just… you lit up the room every time you walked in. And I was just this… this boy who barely spoke English, and I was so afraid of saying the wrong thing.”
Priya’s face softened, her arms drifting down to her side. “Is that why you asked Dougie to work with me?”
Nico winced for a moment at having been found out, but slowly nodded. “I thought… it would be an excuse to get to know you better. And to spend more time with you. And I messed it up, because I was too in my own head. But you gave me a second chance, and…” He let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair as he glanced up to meet her eyes, his own dark and anxiety-filled. “I know it… it sounds foolish. But I thought…”
“Nico,” Priya whispered, stepping forward. Biting her lip, she quickly rustled through her bag, handing over the jewelry box.
Nico’s brow furrowed. “What… what is this?”
“It’s for you. For Christmas.”
Nico slowly removed the lid, carefully removing the necklace. “Edelweiss,” he whispered in awe, turning to look at her.
“I got it a few days ago,” Priya confessed, her cheeks pink. “I just… I thought of you. And I thought of… how sweet you are, and how supportive you’ve been, and how easy it is for you to make me laugh. And I-”
“Priya.”
Nico stepped forward, slowly closing the gap between them. Priya’s heart raced as he reached his hand up to cup her cheek. “Priya,” he repeated softly, before leaning in, closing the gap between their lips.
Priya felt her chest burst open, moving to wrap her arms around his neck. She’d never imagined a kiss in a freezing cold parking lot could feel so perfect.
Nico was smiling when he finally pulled away, his eyes sparkling. “Wow,” he let out a short laugh.
“Wow,” Priya repeated, a giggle rising in her throat. 
Nico leaned in once again, only to be interrupted by his phone vibrating in his pocket. “Damnit,” he cursed, quickly pulling it out. “That’ll be Jonas.”
“Jonas?” she asked, hands still on his shoulders. 
“My friend from Switzerland,” he told her. “I… after we talked about it, I went online and got a flight home. I’m leaving tonight.”
“Oh,” Priya gasped, her eyes wide. She pulled her hands away, shoving at him gently. “Oh my god, then, go, go! Don’t miss your flight!”
“Wait, wait,” Nico laughed, grabbing at her hands to hold them. “I have something for you first.”
“What?” Priya asked, a wide smile still on her face. 
“One second.” Nico quickly turned around, opening the back door of his car, pulling out a box wrapped in royal blue paper. “For you,” he offered with a smile.
“Nico,” Priya grinned. “You didn’t have to get me anything.” 
“I wanted to,” Nico countered. “Besides, you got me something.”
“But that was just something small, and you already got me flowers-”
“You’re going to make me miss my flight,” Nico teased, smirking.
Sighing, Priya carefully removed the paper, only to let out a gasp. “Is this… you got me the entire Jane Austen collection?”
“I noticed you didn’t have any on your shelves at your apartment,” he shrugged sheepishly. “And I… I got a set for myself too. Not as nice as those, but I thought… Maybe we could read them together. See what gives you, what was it… hope? For love?”
Priya’s heart fluttered as she placed the books on the hood of Nico’s car, throwing her arms around him again. “I love them. Thank you so much,” she whispered.
“Of course. And thank you. For everything,” Nico whispered back, turning his face so he could kiss her cheek.
The sound of a phone buzzing made them both groan, though they giggled as they pulled apart. 
“I really should get going,” Nico sighed, handing Priya back her book collection. “I fly back on the 2nd of January. Can we — can we talk then, maybe?”
“Yeah. Yeah, of course,” Priya smiled. “And I have your phone number, so I can FaceTime you. If you want.”
“I’ll always want to see you,” Nico admitted, smiling shyly.
Priya pulled Nico into another kiss, her hand venturing up to stroke a thumb over his cheek. “January 2nd,” she whispered as she pulled apart.
“January 2nd,” he nodded, holding out his pinky finger. She quickly looped hers with his, cheeks flushing red as he leaned down to kiss her knuckles.
“I’ll see you then,” Nico smiled. “Merry Christmas, Priya.”
“Merry Christmas, Nico.”
One more hug, one more kiss, and then he was off, car disappearing into the night.
Priya watched him go, feeling warmer than she’d ever felt. Quickly she took out her phone, moving towards her calendar app. Eleven days, she thought. I can make it that long. 
Slipping her phone back into her bag, Priya let out a blissful sigh. She glanced down at the books in her hand, stroking a finger over the spines, before she began to make her way back towards the ballroom.
I guess I was right, she thought with a smile. Miracles really do happen all the time.
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yyunari · 1 year
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﹠ 🐰﹕ꕤ﹔ animal noises ! 一 양정원 ᯭ ˓˓ a yang jungwon fic wc. 1.8k
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❝ i guess i’m getting too old for this ❞
៸៸ as time passed, y/n and jungwon’s similarities became too overbearing ៹ WARNINGS ⇢ angst, minor character death
( A/N ) it’s been a long time since i’ve written ! this fic is inspired by my current feelings on growing up, i’m turning 18 this year & it doesn’t feel like a reality :(( but pls enjoy this jungwon fic while i find more inspiration to write ! <3
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Youth is like spring— a blossoming of new beginnings and new realizations. As a new season arrives, and as we mature, changes occurs all around us. Whether or not we like them, change is inevitable and a product of the circumstances that cause it.
Youth is… fleeting. No matter how much we try to preserve it, it will never stay. We realize the good times will never last. But as the next season starts to take form, it passes by in a flash. We realize that once the good times have already passed. And once we realize that, it’s too late, and the leaves fall off from the trees.
Y/N felt pride with her current youth. She knew that it would be over sooner rather than later, and she wanted to enjoy what she could while she was still able to. It was a stark difference from how her peers acted. While there was a rush for people her age to grow up faster, Y/N preferred to relish in the serenity and comfort that her teenage years provided. It was something that made her feel happier each day, and made it easier for her to live her life stress free.
Many other people her age would disagree and say that youth was repressing and overly angsty. But to Y/N, she was lucky enough to look past all that and choose to live her life the way she wanted. Call her privileged or snobby, it wasn’t as if it was anything she would deny. However, there was someone who lived their life exactly the way Y/N did.
Yang Jungwon, a worker at the cafe near Y/N’s university.
He was the type to sit customers down when they were having a bad day and talk them through it. He was the type to spend time making cute drawings and messages on the sides of people’s cups. He was the type to live the way he wanted to live, and not by other people’s terms.
To Y/N, Jungwon was like a breath of fresh air from a world that moved faster than she wanted it to.
Perhaps it was his bright smile, his charming personality, or the fact that he had the same ideals as her. Whatever it was, Y/N constantly found her eyes drawn to the cafe worker. No matter what situation she was in, her gaze never failed to wander to him.
But she didn’t mind. Jungwon was, for a lack of better words, refreshing.
It took a while for Y/N to gain the courage to speak to Jungwon. Her roommate, Jihan, had to give her a 2 hour long pep talk before she left their apartment that day, just so she would have enough determination to walk out the door.
It was worth it, because that was the day that Y/N and Jungwon’s relationship solidified within the universe.
After their initial friendship (which was started by Y/N offering Jungwon an Aero mint), they spent time on Jungwon’s off days hanging out at various beaches and parks. Being in nature was a common middle ground between them, like many other things were. They were happy with each other, and brought out each other’s good parts. Eventually, Jungwon confessed through a packet of Aero mints. It was corny, but Y/N loved it because it reminded her of how they met.
Their relationship started off slow but passionate, with the honeymoon phase seeming to never quite end. Y/N and Jungwon spent most of their time together and didn’t falter even for a second, because they wanted everyday to be a happy one. It worked in the way that they were similar with their ideals— not wanting to rush anything and living each moment happily with their full efforts. They wanted to savor each day to its fullest and not let anything slip through the cracks. And it worked for a bit, because the two were overly in love with each other. So much so that their days were incomplete if they didn’t meet up at least once.
But the cracks were never fixed, and therefore they began to grow.
It was most apparent the day that Y/N faced her biggest tragedy, the day her mom died.
The news came rather abruptly, and her dad was very straightforward in the delivery. It was a random Tuesday when she received a call that her mom had passed in a car accident. It was as if her world had stopped turning and all the blood rushed to her feet, as she fell onto the ground in a state of intense shock.
Y/N rarely cried, but that day she cried like a baby.
Jihan couldn’t leave her roommate alone for weeks after the news came. She knew she had to be there for Y/N because no one else was willing. After all, Y/N’s dad had ghosted her after making the phone call.
Jungwon, on the other hand, was missing in action while this was all happening.
Each day, Y/N asked Jihan if Jungwon had contacted her or anything.
Each day the answer was no.
But still, Y/N wanted to stay in contact with her boyfriend so she texted him updates about how she felt each day.
The funeral was going to be held in her mom’s hometown, which was at least a 9 hour flight from where Y/N lived. And upon hearing that news, she bought a plane ticket immediately. Despite his absence, Y/N figured he still needed to know so she texted Jungwon about her flight.
And only a few hours later Jungwon was at her doorstep, shifting in place as if he hadn’t been radio silent for three weeks.
Jihan sighed when she opened the door, surprised he was there but decided to humor him for a bit. “Where have you been? Y/N’s been a mess, and her boyfriend hasn’t been doing his job.”
Jungwon pursed his lips at that. She wasn’t wrong of course, but hearing her say it out loud made him embarrassed. “I’m going to explain everything to her. Can you please just let me in?”
As much as Jihan wanted to slam the door in his face, she knew Y/N needed to talk to him so she directed him to her room.
Jungwon found his girlfriend on the floor of her room, eating Aero mints and watching Life in the Dreamhouse. He smiled sadly; because he remembered those chocolates were not only how the two of them met, but they were also her mom’s favorite.
“Y/N?”
The mourning girl paused her show the moment she heard her boyfriend’s voice, and turned around cautiously. It had been three weeks since they spoke and in that time he had been actively ignoring her. Because of that, she felt shitty. “Hi Jungwon, do you want an Aero mint?”
He smiled and sat down. “Of course. But you should stop eating so many of those, it’s unhealthy.”
Y/N handed him a chocolate and obseved his face, the one she hadn’t seen in so long. “Where have you been? I’ve missed you, and I’ve only had Jihan to lean on these days.”
“I’ve… missed you too my love.” Jungwon smiled and cupped her face. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you. I’m sorry I ran away. I just didn’t want our time together to be spent mourning. With the way we live our lives, I wanted to protect that and only have us see the good in each other. That’s why I don’t show my bad parts to you, and why I ran away.”
Y/N wanted to laugh. What he was saying sounded ridiculous, and she could barely believe what she was hearing. He ignored her for three weeks because he only wanted her to see his good sides? The thought process didn’t quite make sense. Her mother died, and the one person closest to her didn’t make an effort to be there. It felt like bullshit.
“You think that’s going to make me feel better? I needed people by my side, and you weren’t there.” Y/N cried out. “In what world would I be okay with that?!”
“I thought it’s what you would’ve wanted!” Jungwon yelled. “The only reason we haven’t seen each other angry or upset is because we hide it from each other.”
Y/N thought about what he said and looked down at her hands. He was right, they hid many things from each other. When Jungwon lost his job, he didn’t see Y/N for 3 days. And when Y/N failed one of her classes, the same thing happened. It was something they never spoke to each other about, but assumed it was for the best.
But at what point did pretending to be happy all the time just turn into misery?
That’s when Y/N realized the most heartbreaking discovery of her teenage years.
“I understand. It’s how we chose to live, isn’t it? If we can’t protect our ideals, were they ever even strong to begin with?” Y/N answered. “I mean, we can’t keep them solid if we can’t uphold them, right?”
“But… what are the chances we’ve been living our lives incorrectly? Maybe the issue isn’t that we’ve been too lax with our thinking, maybe the issue is our thinking.”
Jungwon felt a feeling of sadness creeping up on him with her words. “You’re not happy, are you?”
Of course not. Y/N knew she could never be happy, not until she’s moved on. It was blatantly obvious at that point.
Her mom’s death and both Jungwon and her dad ghosting her made Y/N realize that couldn’t hide behind the thinly veiled screen of comfort that was her youth. She was about to turn 20. And as her youth begun to slip away, life’s failures had become more apparent. Choosing to stay ignorant of her fleeting youth was never a choice she made to stay happy. It was her running away from something inevitable, and Jungwon was a victim of that as well.
The two of them couldn’t have a healthy relationship if they were both too blissfully ignorant to face their realities. They only reinforced each other’s bad behaviors by actively staying together.
“No Jungwon, I’m not happy. I can’t be happy because my mom is… dead. And this is something I can’t pretend never happened. Not like the other times.” Y/N answered, as she gave Jungwon a sad smile.
“What do you mean?” He asked, slightly nervous for her response.
Jungwon didn’t want to break up with Y/N, she was the one thing he looked forward to each day. However, he’d be lying if he didn’t see it coming.
Y/N sighed. “If we’re always trying to live each day to its fullest and preserve our youths, how can we move on? My mom’s death made me realize that life can never be the way I want it to be, and I need to handle these situations head on and not run away just because I want to be happier.”
“But can’t we try to fix it?” Jungwon asked in a moment of slight desperation.
“I don’t think it’ll work out. I love you Jungwon, I really do, but we’re not good for each other. We’re too similar and we influence each other in bad ways. I think it’ll be better for us if we try to better ourselves individually.
And maybe one day, we’ll find a way back to each other.”
With tears spilling out, Jungwon hesitated for a second before giving Y/N a final hug. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be better for you, and I’m sorry I didn’t try harder to understand your feelings. I love you Y/N, and I always will.”
Underneath the glossy mist of first loves and fated encounters, there was a dark void that was waiting to suck them in at any given time. There was always always an undertone of wonderings such as ‘what’s next?’. It was time for them to wipe away that mist and stop being ignorant of their impending future.
And with that, Y/N’s first love was over. An Aero mint was left alone on the floor, untouched by its owner and unwanted by the one who gave it to him.
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﹫ yyunari 🁢 1.29.23
🐰 ‹ permanent taglist ! 。 @muhwaa @hoori @yizhoutv @ja4hyvn @carayat @one16core @enhacolor @jangwonie @soobin-chois @en-boyz @ohmy-fandoms @yeongwonie @yjwonz @yunki4evr @strwberrydinosaur @duolingofanaccount @iichaeyj @eundiarys ꜜ (if u requested to be on my permanent taglist and u didn’t get tagged it’s bc i cant see ur acc, but pls dm me if u want to be in it !)
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elena-mayfair · 1 year
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Endless Dream - Epilogue
Paring: Morpheus x f!reader, Sandman x f!reader Warnings: none Summary: It all began with a Witch who dreamt nightmares every night. Then she met Dream of the Endless and her life changed forever. She went on a journey through horrors and fears, through doubts and pain, but also through love and devotion. This is how their story ends. Word count: 1.2k Note: Gifs are not mine, credit to the authors.
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Series Masterlist Part twenty: The Calling
***
Caroline had always wanted to be an actress. She had dreamed of it since she was a little girl. She dreamed of performing on Broadway, she dreamed of the big stage, of the spotlight. She dreamed of inspiring people through art, telling stories. She never had much support. Her parents thought it was foolish, naive. They told her she should come down to earth, stop dreaming, go to college, find a normal corporate job. She, however, never stopped dreaming. That day, for the first time, she discovered strength in herself, discovered the courage to reach for her dreams. She smiled, opened the door, and stepped confidently into the building. The sign on the door read "Audition."
*
Jacob did not like school. There were bullies in the school, they did not leave him alone. He was small, skinny and didn't talk much. Although he dreamed of standing up to them, he never found the courage to do so. After all, they were bigger than him, they were stronger than him. However, that day was the first time Jacob didn't run away when they started threatening him. For the first time, he didn't show fear when one of them lunged to strike him. He just gazed bravely, staring them straight in the eye. He did not scowl, did not show weakness. From that day on, they never bullied him again.
*
Rebecca was afraid when her husband came home drunk. She would hide in the kitchen pretending to be busy, hoping he would leave her alone. She dreamed of leaving but was afraid. She was afraid she wouldn't be able to raise two children alone. She was afraid that by leaving she would harm the kids. But she knew she couldn't live like that. That day, when she heard the sound of the opening lock, she felt determined to face him. She felt the strength to tell him she was leaving. She did not flee to the kitchen. She was not afraid. However, as soon as he stood in the doorway something changed. Her husband was sober. Her husband stood in the doorway with a bunch of full flowers and glistening tears ran down his cheek. "I don't want to be like this," he said and pulled a 24-hour beginner's token out of his pocket, "I'll fix it." From that day on, her husband never touched alcohol again.
*
John Constantine was not a man who regretted many things in life. Yes, he made mistakes, yes he was full of flaws and he was the first person ready to admit it. John, however, did not tolerate failure. Not in others, not in himself. But was it a failure that through his neglect he was possessed? Was it a failure that through his possession he led to the death of his only friend? A death that in the end led to the birth of a new force, a new being, a new power.
Inhaling slowly the thick cigarette smoke, he felt determined, not to let anything like that happen again. Failure or not, he had no intention of ever having a demon possess his body again. Cursing under the pain of the needle being driven into his skin, he watched as the antipossesion symbol appeared on his skin in black ink.
He smiled feeling that strong feeling of determination. That force to act. He knew that his friend had not abandoned him. He felt her presence in every decision he made, felt her influence in his every action. He knew she was happy. And in truth, the only failure was that of Lucifer alone.
*
All determination left David. He could feel only emptiness, consumed by despair. The strength he had felt earlier, which had guided his steps, was gone. He felt weak, powerless. Locked in a glass bottle, trapped, with no way out. Thrown to the bottom of an abyssal trunk. Left alone with emptiness. Forgotten.
*
In the Dreaming, peace reigned. Each day the sun rose high in the clear blue sky bringing warmth to the spring awakening early. Bringing new life, new dreams born of Determination and the Dream. Each night the moon and stars adorned the endless blackness of the sky. Spreading magic to the entire kingdom and all its inhabitants. How much strength Determination drew from the Dream, how strong the Dream became when Determination built him up endlessly. The Kingdom flourished, driven by the mighty power of Endless beings.
But even the stars shining in the sky were nothing compared to those that Determination saw in the eyes of the Dream as they danced amidst blooming fields of lavender under the cover of night. Like two shadows, enveloped in black. They danced so close that they shared a breath, danced as if they longed to become one. He kissed her lips red as blood, tasted the sweetness from her warm lips, relished at the delight of her scent, the closeness of her skin, the brightness of her eyes that flared with storm light every time she twirled with laughter in his arms.
"I would follow you down even through the gates of hell," Determination trembled as Morpheus drew her close, "I would save your soul, I would make you whole…" he sounded as if he sought forgiveness from her.
"I know," she replied with a kiss, "I know beloved."
"If you hadn't returned I would have declared war on Lucifer and the hosts of the armies of Hell," he continued, "I would not back down, I would shatter Death's crown I would bring you back to life."
"But I came back," she smiled, "I tied my life to yours, my fate to yours. How could I not come back to you."
The universe hummed a song for them and they whirled on amidst the purple and green. Stars danced in her hair each time he spun her around only to draw her back close to him.
"Do you love me as you loved me Dream?" Determination asked, "I am me, yet different. That girl you loved died. I don't know who I am now. Not yet."
"You are my strength, my hope, my dream," he replied and the stars in his eyes ignited with love, "I love you as you were and as you will be. I love you endlessly," he embraced her more tightly wrapping his cloak around her and the stars shone with something new, something unknown to her.
"I am all yours…" she whispered brushing her lips against his and he saw no shadow of hesitation in her. Only devotion, only love stronger than death, determination stronger than doubt. Pure strength burning with a blue glow in her eyes.
"Marry me…" came out from the depths of the night, "Marry me, my beloved. Be my wife, my queen. Be mine in dreams and in nightmares and I will be yours wherever you go."
"I desire nothing more…" the light shone in her eyes as he drowned out her laughter with a kiss, "Wherever our paths take us I wish to walk on them with you. Experiencing my new life with you. I never want to be parted from you again. I am yours in eternity."
" Endlessly?"
"To the end of time and existence."
~~The End~~
~~***~~
Author note: And this is how their story ends. I am kind of sad and happy at the same time. Sad because the story is over. Happy because the story is over! Because I finished it, wrote it, didn't lose my enthusiasm or let the worries of everyday life drive me away from writing. Because thanks to you my verve has not been extinguished. I will miss it. It has become a huge part of my life. And it has given me more than you can imagine. You, all of you, have given me so much. Your responses, your engagement, your feedback, your comments, you guys have restored my dreams. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. I hope you found this story and its ending as satisfying as I found writing it. Thank you to everyone who stuck with me to the end.
I will miss it, but as my favorite author likes to say, "There is always another secret." ;)
So for now I wish you all a very fond farewell. Until next time.
~~***~~
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skyward-floored · 1 month
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Hey peg, got a non tri force heroes related ask (woah!, shocking!, unprecedented!) whats your opinion on my favorite lil guys; ravio, yuga, and hilda. since ALBW is also my second favorite zelda game. which weirdly enough is also the ONLY other zelda game I've played (to competition) weird how that works ya know? also, hows the youse? I'm pretty good rn, on my mid winter break so I'm feelin nice and practically useless.
Oooooogggghhhh albw makes me feel so many things it's one of my favorite zelda games even though I rarely talk about it (I also haven't played it in a hot minute so if I get details wrong here that's why and I'm not proofreading so hehe this might be a disaster)
(also spoiler warning if anyone hasn't played albw)
I LOVE Ravio. So much. He's goofy and silly and a has a little pet bird and has a rabbit hood and dances when he makes money but also he's more or less a refugee trying to save his doomed home in the only way he can think of. He's a buisness man and his prices are ridiculous but he has concern for Link as well, and is actually his counterpart and their dynamic and everything makes me crazy. Also he's a coward and I relate to that so much. I feel like a coward so often, and I know a lot of people feel inspired by Link's brand of courage but honestly Ravio's is just as important to me if not more. Cause yeah he's a coward. But he has enough courage to leave his home (go to another WORLD) to find somebody who isn't cowardly and who can help fix things and stop Hilda from making a huge mistake. And it pays off. Ravio is a hero in my eyes and I love him.
Yuga I don't have a huge opinion about, but he's an interesting villain. I do like how he merged himself with Ganon, that was a gutsy move I did NOT expect the first time. Plus his whole thing about being obsessed with beauty and paintings and things, it's creepy and stuff, but makes him stick out more in my mind then some other villains. Other then that I don't have a lot to say about him lol, but his whole thing with manipulating Hilda and stuff was interesting too. I'd love to see more of his and Ravio and Hilda's background/story. also his weapon is neat.
Hilda is great <3 Her turning out to be the bad guy was REALLY unexpected (like I maybe suspected her a bit but I was so busy with her encouragment and saving the world and everything I wrote it off), and her motivations were SO interesting. She's making horrible manipulative decisions, but she's trying to save her people, her home. It's the only option that's really left to her and she's desperate to do something to help them, but Ravio helps her see that destroying another world isn't the way. And like, she just seems so scared to me. She's trying to pull together a kingdom that's literally falling apart, Yuga is whispering poison in her ear, but she's so determined to save her people, at any cost. She's an awesome character, and her face at the ending after Link and Zelda restore Lorule's triforce just about makes me cry. That's the face of somebody who lost her hope and thought she deserved nothing, and got everything. She can't believe it. I love albw.
...Also you asked how I'm doing, the answer is not bad! Swimming in too many AUs at the moment, but it happens. Trying to get reasonable amounts of sleep and failing recently lol. I've just been really tired and it's very annoying. But aside from that, pretty good.
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hc-geralt-23 · 10 months
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The Viking King and the Shieldmaiden: A Tale of Love, Courage, and Perseverance.
Once upon a time, in a land where the sea was blue and the sky was grey, there was a great Viking king named Harald. He was a fierce warrior and a just ruler, feared by his enemies and beloved by his people. However, there was one thing missing in his life: true love.
One day, during a battle against a rival tribe, Harald caught a glimpse of a fierce warrior woman fighting alongside her fellow shieldmaidens. She was a sight to behold, with long golden hair streaming behind her as she swung her sword with deadly precision. Harald was immediately smitten with her and decided to meet her after the battle was over.
However, when he finally approached her, he found out that she was not interested in love or marriage. Her name was (y/n), and she had been traumatized by a past experience that left her with trust issues and a deep fear of commitment. Nevertheless, Harald was determined to win her heart and he courted her diligently with kindness, respect, and patience.
At first, (y/n) rejected all his advances and kept him at a distance. But he persisted, visiting her after every battle, bringing her gifts, and talking to her about his dreams and ambitions. Over time, (y/n) began to open up to him and they became friends. Then, one day, they shared their first kiss, and it was magical.
However, their love story was far from easy. (Y/n) had many enemies and rivals among the shieldmaidens who envied her skills and her beauty. There were also Vikings who disapproved of a king marrying a warrior woman, especially one who was not of noble birth. Besides, (y/n)'s past eventually caught up with her, and she had to confront her demons and face her fears of intimacy and vulnerability.
Despite all the obstacles, Harald and (y/n)'s love only grew stronger with time. They fought together, laughed together, and cried together. They shared their hopes and fears, their triumphs and failures. And when the time finally came for them to get married, they did so in a grand ceremony that united their tribes and their hearts.
After the wedding, they settled down and had children, three boys and a girl. They built a farm by the sea, where they grew crops, raised livestock, and fished. They also continued to lead their people and defend their land from outside threats. And every night, they lay in bed together, holding hands, and looking at the stars, grateful for the love that had brought them together and the family that had grown out of it.
In the end, Harald and (y/n)'s love story became a legend among their people, a tale of courage, perseverance, and devotion that inspired generations to come. And even today, many years later, their descendants still tell their story with pride and joy, knowing that their family was built on a foundation of true love.
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yogurtgeek · 11 months
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Life Series Post Apoc AU Pt.1
[First AU on the blr! Welcome to this Etho-centric AU with characters from the life serices/ 3rd life/ last life/ double life/ lim life (and possibly HC). Not sure how much of this I’ll write, but hope you enjoy! :) ] 
Context: life-series characters were all in university/college/recently graduated in Canada when the apocalypse happened. Now they try to survive together.
I wouldn’t say I’m good at ice skating; just better than some people. It’s expected that you will be terrible the first time you get on the ice: you have the instinct to either step or slide, and in reality, skating is something in between. It takes courage to try, to let go of the side, to expect yourself to fall. But once you get it, once you learn how much to bend your knees, how to work with the ice instead of against it, skating is a skill you can never lose.
I remember the time my friends convinced me to take them skating. It was a Saturday, we had exhausted all our good hangout ideas, and they had convinced me to let them do something truly Canadian.
“We are in Canada, anyway,” Scar said with a grin. “I can’t believe it’s taken us this long to go!”
So I took them to a place I used to visit as a kid - a rink that still sported 80s decor and was home to the occasional elementary school match. 
It was an afternoon I remember clearly. I took a moment to lap around the rink, re-adjusting to the feel of the blades on the ice, the wind whistling in my ears. I could already hear Grian’s screech as he fell on his back, accompanied by peals of laughter and excited chatter. Cleo had some experience skating - she took lessons as a kid - so she and I tried our best to teach the others to let go of the wall. We took turns pushing around Scar, who found a special interest in using his wheelchair as a threatening battering ram to inspire the others to skate faster. Scott, a humble natural, eventually volunteered himself to keep Scar out of trouble.
I remember Grian and Mumbo keeping score on how many times they fell over. I remember Joel and Lizzy trying to recreate a routine they had watched on TV to prepare for the event. I remember Bdubs determined to race me in a lap, and me absolutely destroying him. I remember Pearl finally learning the jump Cleo had taught her, her face alight with excitement, her bangs bouncing as she landed.
Pearl’s bangs are longer now - they hide her tired eyes. She stands next to me as we stare out at the frozen lake, the snow swirling around us. 
“Do you think you still remember how to do that jump?” I ask.
I can’t hear her sigh, but I can feel it as she turns away from the lake, back toward our base. “It’s a skill you never lose, Etho. We just need to find some skates.”
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thepinklink · 5 months
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It got too long and heartfelt in the reblog, so I decided it deserved its own post XD
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BOOM. MY OLD ART FROM LIKE 2018/19???
This is my bestie's Harry Potter OC that I drew for her! I actually had some similar drawings of both our OCs, but they're not in my possession right now XD and maybe they'll never be! But it's cool to see how very far I'll e come since then.here's some of my more recent art, just so you can see them side by side XD
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For me, personally, seeing them side by side makes me giddy. They're so different, it's hard to link them together, hard to look at them and think the same person drew them. But I did. And as someone who grew up with another fabulous artist (@/rustic-space-fiddle), | was always impatient, always discouraged to look at my own art and see everything it was missing. I wanted to draw like Rusty, but I was so very unskilled. I was very eager to reach the day when I could match her skill, when I could look at my art and see in it everything that I saw in hers.
And today, I can honestly, confidently, gratefully say that I have arrived.
Obviously, if you go check out Rusty’s art, you’ll see I am by no means as good as her. But I learned awhile ago that I’ll never be, no one will—not only am I biased that she’s the best artist in the world (because she is), but Rusty draws the way only Rusty can, and the way only she will. Others may draw similarly, others may copy her, but art is like a fingerprint. Each style and piece is unique to the person who drew it. Therefore, it’s unfair for me to compare myself to Rusty when I could never possess her fingerprint in the first place. But that doesn’t change the fact that I used to compare myself to her so harshly—and the fact that to a younger me, I have achieved exactly what I wanted.
2018 was not the year I started drawing. Was it perhaps the year of my first exploration into the digital realm? Yes, but before then, I was drawing horses. I love horses, and I loved them so much they were all I ever drew. My walls were adorned with dozens of drawings of horses. I’ve since fallen out of the habit of drawing horses so regularly, but all those drawings are what started me drawing. I learned to hold a pencil and put it to paper drawing horses, and then from there, I just started drawing everything else. I only recently started drawing in seriousness, in the grand scheme of things. A year or two ago. And then I was drawing people most of the time, and the occasional dog or cat. And there were many bumps along the way—my discouragement at my own ability, as well as my inability to draw digitally, as I was quickly coming to love. The iPad I used at the time simply didn’t support Procreate after awhile, so I was using my sister’s iPad.
There are also the artists which inspired me. Obviously, rustic-space-fiddle was—and still is—my number one support and inspiration, she was my goal. But then I got instagram and I saw people’s different styles, and while I don’t know where exactly the inspiration from them comes from, it’s certainly there, perhaps in the courage with which I now draw. The second biggest inspiration in my life has been, without a doubt, Jojo. Her art style, which I adore, is something I have tried to imbue in mine—I’ve been told before that it can be seen, but I’m unsure of that. Still, even if I do not draw in her style, I think I draw in her energy. In the way that I draw Legend, that style, that goal, that love for him and her art, I think it’s there every time I draw Legend, and even in the other things that I draw too. She may never know, but she is perhaps the only other artist in the world I have ever really hoped to be like.
Anyways. I guess what I am simply trying to say is I’m happy. I’m proud. I’m content with my art, in a way I once hoped I would achieve, and while I know I have many things to learn, I approach them without that lost hopelessness I used to feel, but with passion, curiosity, and the determination to grow better.
If you’ve read this far, thank you. You didn’t really have any reason to read this—even if we have talked, even if we are mutuals, I’m still a stranger whose ramblings about her art hold almost no weight at all. But you did anyways, because you were curious, because you cared, because it was interesting, moving, inspiring. Whatever it was, thank you :)
I’ve come a very long way. And I’ll go a very long way more. I hope you’ll be here to see it all!
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walkinginland · 3 months
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For the ao3 wrap: 6, 16, 29?
HALLLOOOOOO
6. Favorite title you used
oooooo this is an interesting one! all my titles for the last few years have been song lyrics. I think I like "when my time comes around" just because it fits JC so well. The song as a whole yes, but that like specifically, the "time" of it all, the peaceful acceptance of "yes my time is going to come, but that's alright, because I have you." soulmatism etc
16. What’s your most common “Additional Tags” tag?
I think it's "Canon Compliant"! I tend to write nearly entirely canon compliant/missing moment type fics, especially in the last year or so. Also a lot of "inspired by music" tags, because of my song drabbles and the Hozier fic.
29. Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?
oh this is difficult 😬 despite the fact that I haven't posted all that much this year, full fics at least, I'm really proud of the stuff I wrote, and there's a few lines that I hold really close to my heart. this one from when my time comes around means a lot to me, and I think was a really important moment for Jamie.
It was here, in this holy place, that she showed her mettle. It was here, with tears in her eyes and hands steady and shaking, with her voice breaking and desperate and dark shadows under her eyes, that she pulled him back from that abyss with teeth bared. She had looked him in the eye and pulled down both their walls, and brought him home. He had tried to beg for her forgiveness, had tried to explain to her why she must leave, how he was not and could not be the man that she married. Claire had just looked him in the eyes, had held him and made him look back, and told him with every bit of cold determination in her voice that she would not. She would not forgive him, because there was not a single thing to forgive.
I also really really liked this one from later in the same fic. I feel like it's really important to Jamie that he faces things head on, that he's seen as having courage and strength. But at his core he does have some very very profound fears, and those come into play when he's at death's door. BUT there was something so different in that moment in Bees, and the stage that he's in in his life. He's afraid but found a different type of peace.
He had looked death in the face so many times in his life. He had told himself all those other times that he wasn’t afraid. This is the first time he is telling the truth.
also i'm gonna be selfish and post a third one. this is technically not posted yet, but I did write it in 2023, so it counts. pre-canon buck my beloved lil sad dude.
Buck doesn’t have much. A worn-down Jeep that has seen more miles than it was ever meant to, a worn-out bag of clothes in the back seat, a dry pack of pens to sign one-way postcards, and a heart that he never quite seems to put in the right place. He’s always had something in him pushing him to go, find a place a people a home. Buck climbs out of his beat-up Jeep, and hopes that this time, this time, he’s found it. He pulls his brand-new LAFD issued cap firmer on his head, and steps into the 118.
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whoiwanttoday · 1 year
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I don't know how many people have seen the costume in the middle picture here, I last saw it at some point last week I think when it was first revealed. This is Viktoria Apanasenko, the current Miss Ukraine, and that is her costume for part of the Miss Universe contest which she has called the Angel of Light to symbolize her countries fight against the darkness. And just goddamn if that isn't the most bad ass thing I have ever seen. Besides the fact that it is utterly amazing, it also is courageous and uplifting and it felt to me to be the perfect way to finish out this year because she seems to just embody the courage of the Ukrainian people that is flat out astonishing at times. A lot bad has happened in the world and the invasion of Ukraine is awful. I am not one for silver linings but this war has provided me one anyway. The way that the people of Ukraine have absolutely refused to back down in the face of swelling tide of authoritarianism is inspirational and fills me with so much hope. It has forced Western Democracies to step up and finally draw a line. Perhaps it's not ok to get in bed with dictatorships just because it makes us a little bit more comfortable. I know not everyone agrees with me but I buy plenty of useless crap and I am ok buying slightly less because it's slightly more expensive if it means not fueling oppression both abroad but also at home because let's remember, these very same regimes are doing all in their power to subvert democracy where you live as well. I know you think I might not know here you live but I don't have to because if you live in a democracy it is currently happening. And Ukraine was supposed to roll over. They were not supposed to have the will to fight for their fragile and flawed democracy. Not that long ago they had to toss out someone who was likely not fairly elected. This is a country where democracy was supposed to fade away and a strong man puppet would be installed and that would be it because that's just the way of things. Those people over there can never handle democracy and so this was inevitable. Except it wasn't and they fought and they fight and they have shown that actually things like giving people a voice isn't the weakness some try to paint it as. It's inspirational and it gives me hope than maybe the rest of us, those further from the front lines, those who live more comfortably, can actually get our shit together as well. So I love that picture. It's badass and it's beautiful and it is hopeful. And she is beautiful either way but just remarkably beautiful with a sword and wings. I will just share her words here because it's all I need to do in the end to justify why she is here today, "It is the personification of inner strength, courage, determination and will flowing in our veins. War cannot break our strength and will not discolor our hearts. Ukraine will bloom like a phoenix even in a fire. It shines with bright rays of kindness and faith. We are all true warriors of light - unbreakable, made of steel, who will definitely defeat the darkness and evil that has come to our land". Today I want to fuck Viktoria Apanasenko.
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