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loveharlow · 1 year

Note

Hi!! Can I request Ajax x reader (gn or female whichever you prefer) where Ajax is upset with not winning the Poe cup and seeking comfort with us. Just general fluff and feel free to add and change anything!

Also I really like your work, and keep up the great work!

YOU'LL GET US NEXT TIME

PAIRING ‧₊˚ Ajax Petropolus x Fem!Reader

SYNOPSIS ‧₊˚ [1.4k] After losing to his girlfriend's team during the Poe Cup, Ajax isn't his usually oblivious, cheerful self. While the win may be a victory for Ophelia Hall, putting a smile on her boyfriends face is the only victory Y/N needs.

WARNING(S) ‧₊˚ swearing, fluff, sort of hurt/comfort, Xavier is a lil bit of a d!ck but it's all for plot I swear (we aren't Xavier haters here)

A/N ‧₊˚ I hope I did this justice and I hope you like it, anon.

˗ˏˋ ajax masterlist ˎˊ˗

THE WHOOPS AND CHEERS COULD BE HEARD FROM THE CROWD AS MY TEAM AND I HUDDLED IN EACH OTHERS ARMS, THE TROPHY IN THE MIDDLE OF US. There was a bright smile on my face as we jumped up and down, even Wednesday had a small smirk.

Basking in the afterglow of our win, my eyes scanned around for my boyfriend, wanting to playfully rub the victory in his face. We were competitive in nature, so we took no offense by the other’s gloating. I spotted him in what looked like a semi-heated exchange with Xavier from where I was standing.

I pushed my way through my team and told them I’d be right back before heading over in their direction. However, before I could make it within hearing distance of their group, Ajax was shaking his head and walking off, not before giving Xavier the finger.

A frown etched its way onto my face as I watched Ajax disappear up the hill, back to the main Nevermore grounds. “Jax!” I tried once, but he was much too far away to hear me, especially over the noise.

Instead of turning around, I made my way over to Xavier instead. Pulling on his shoulder to get him to turn around. He swiftly knocked his shoulder back, brushing off my touch with a scowl on his face.

“Woah. It’s just me-”

“What do you want?” He groaned. The hell is his problem? I thought to myself. Pinching my eyebrows together, I gave him just as much attitude as he gave me. You get what you give, right?

“I want to know why my boyfriend just left.”

“Why would I know?” He shot back.

“Because he was talking to you before he went stomping off like a child.” I retorted, growing aggravated with the boy in front of me. Xavier and I were friends., but that didn’t exclude me, nor Ajax or any of his friends, from his occasional temper tantrums. He was very…moody, for lack of better phrase.

“Because he is. And I’m not his babysitter, alright? So, you wanna know what’s wrong with Ajax? Ask him your damn self.” Was all he said, more like barked, at me before he disappeared into the crowd.

Leaving me alone, arms crossed and face scrunched in anger. I let out a puff of air and followed in Ajax’s trail up to Nevermore. “Asshole…” I mumbled.

REACHING THE BOY'S DORM, I SPOTTED EUGENE IN THE HALLS. “Eugene!” I called, the short, curly-haired boy turning to meet my eyes with a bright, kiddy smile. “Is Ajax in his dorm?”

“Um, he should be. I think I saw him come in. Can’t be too sure, though.” I nodded at him with a tight-lipped smile.

“Thanks.”

Continuing down the hall to where I remembered his room to be, I could hear music playing faintly and there were the shadows of footsteps pacing back and forth underneath the door frame. Standing directly in front of the door now, the music was much louder and I could hear the pacing, light thuds going from one side of the room to the other.

I knocked, moderately loud, waiting a few moments before knocking again — this time harder.

“I’m busy!” A voice called back. Ajax’s voice. I rolled my eyes and knocked again — longer this time, and much harder. “I said I’m busy!”

I let out a deep breath and groaned, throwing my head back. “Ajax, it’s me! Open the door!” I called as loud as I could, not worrying much to disturb the rest of the dorm considering most of them were outside still congratulating the winning team, my team.

Suddenly, the music was being turned down and the thudding footsteps were longer going side to side and instead, straight for the door. It was seconds before the knob was turning and the door was swinging open, quite aggressively might I add. No words were exchanged, just looks.

Ajax raised an impatient brow at me, a silent question of what I wanted or what I was doing here. I scoffed before rolling my eyes and dipping under his arm that was outstretched across the doorway to enter his room. I could hear him sigh behind me before the door shut.

I look around, as if I had never been in here, before turning back to face him and plopping on the bed — still adorned in my skin-tight catsuit and makeup that was still partially there.

Ajax stood in his original place by the door, the music still playing but at a reasonable volume this time. His arms were crossed as he looked at me — joker make-up long gone off of his face but he still had on the rest of his ensemble.

I simply crossed one leg over the other and smiled at him. “So…” I tried, putting on a playful tone to try and bring one out of him.

He shrugged his shoulders quickly and drew his lips into a thin line. “So?”

I sighed and let my shoulders deflate in defeat. “Ajax, what’s wrong? You didn’t even stay to congratulate me. I would have stayed for you.”

Then he was running a hand down his face in frustration. “Y/n, my team lost. Why would I stay? If you came here for a congratulations, then here — congratulations.” He snarked, throwing his hands out to the sides.

I stood up from his bed and walked over to stand in front of him, maybe a ruler of space between us now. “Okay, seriously, what is wrong with you? It’s just a game.”

He scoffed. “Yeah, to you, maybe.” He started, leaning down slightly to eye-level with me. “I was the reason my team lost. Do you know how bad that sucks?”

My neck reeled back slightly at his statement. “Ajax, what are you talking about? Your team lost because my team fucked with your boat. Simple as that. You had an advantage and we took it from you. That’s it.”

“Yeah, well, tell Xavier that.” I tilted my head in confusion. The anger was gone from his voice, replaced by regret and disappointment. “He said it was my fault we lost. That I took too long to get our flag.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. God, I love Xavier but he can be a real dick sometimes. “You know how he gets sometimes, Jax. Don’t listen to him.”

“It’s kind of hard not to when he’s fucking screaming in my ear.”

My arms went around his neck as I pecked his forehead. “You’re friends with a loveable douchebag. You should know this by now.” His arms encircled my waist, pulling me into him for comfort as he buried his face in my neck.

“I was so close to taking my hat off and stoning him.” He mumbled into my shoulder. I couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped me, walking him backwards to his bed as carefully as I could without being able to see it.

When the back of my knees hit the mattress, I let both of our bodies fall back into the cushioned surface. He was kind of heavy but it was nothing I wasn’t used to. I maneuvered us, with some of Ajax’s help, until I leaned against the headboard with him on top of me — head on my chest, arms around my hips as his legs spread around mine.

I rubbed the back of his neck and let him find comfort in my presence. “If it makes you feel any better,” I started in a low-tone, not wanting to break the moment. “Even if we hadn’t messed with your boat, Xavier would have cost you guys the win anyway. He was too focused on Wednesday to even row his paddles correctly. I looked over and he was rowing backwards.”

This elicited a laugh, vibrating from his chest and onto my lap. His embrace around me got tighter, just by a little bit. “How’d you know I was in here?” He mumbled.

I shrugged. “I saw you take off after we got the trophy. Asked Xavier where you went and he was being all pissy. I just guessed. I mean, where else would you go?”

“I was gonna come to you but I didn’t want to upset you. You looked happy. You won and you were celebrating, I didn’t want to ruin that for you.”

Moving the hand that was stroking the back of his neck to hold his chin, I lifted his gaze to meet mine. I smiled sheepishly at him, making one equally as genuine appear on his own face. “Now, you’re happy too. That’s the only win I need.”

He laughed and buried his face into my stomach, tickling me. “Cheesy…” He said, muffled into my suit.

“Truthful.”

feedback is appreciated! thanks for reading.

©loveharlow

#ajax petropolus x normie!reader #ajax petropolus x fem!reader #ajax petropolis x reader #ajax petropolus x reader #georgie farmer #georgie farmer x reader #ajax petropolus #ajax petropolus wednesday #wednesday fanfic #wednesday netflix #wednesday characters x reader #req. ♥︎

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hyuckilstan · 1 year

Text

Make it up to you -P.Sh

Pairing!— Seonghwa x afab!reader

Genre!— Angst, smut, fluff if you squint?

warnings!— cunnilingus, protected sex, a whole lot of apologizing and petnames, make-up sex but its soft, possessiveness more like over protectiveness, kinda toxic ngl.

Summary!— Your boyfriend wants to make sure you know how sorry he feels, and how could you reject him when he was being so genuine.

Wc!— 2.1+k words

a/n!— oka I’m back lol and I thought why not make my comeback with a hwa fic (also there might be some typos idk 💀)

☽·Masterlist·☾

Right now, You’re fucking done with everything.

You’re done with Seonghwa, your boyfriend, you’re done with yourself, heck you feel like you’re done with the relationship.

“I can fucking take care of myself Hwa!” you shout back, feeling frustrated, you know Seonghwa loves you, so much so that he loves to pamper you, sometimes too much that it feels like he thinks of you as a mere child he wants to protect.

Just like tonight, you had peacefully told him that you would be fine if he left you alone at the bar while he goes to chat with his friends, since they were celebrating Hongjoong’s big day as a producer after all, although you’re pretty sure you've ruined the night for him.

Seonghwa just couldn’t resist when he saw some guy hitting on you and even swung his fist at him, resulting in you both standing outside after getting kicked out, arguing.

When you told him once again that he shouldn't have been so protective he blurted out something along the lines that you said that cause you do love the attention, or something like that.

You don’t really remember.

You don’t want to remember.

“We’ve been over this Y/N, I do this because I care for you,” he still refused to admit that what he had said and done were wrong, maybe you were dramatic about him being protective, but what he had said after hurt you more than you wish it did.

“Am I like a goddamn child to you?! I am an independent person Hwa, I can make my own choices and protect myself too, I don’t need to be dependent on someone to do that for me!” You think you’re screaming, you’re not sure, your ears are still ringing because of the loud music, and you feel like your senses are numb and your tears won't stop falling.

Seonghwa hates seeing you like this, more so that he is making you feel like this, but he just wants you to understand that he does it all because he loves you, without a second thought, he says some words he immediately regrets.

“So you call allowing that fucking man to throw himself at you independent? Maybe you are a fucking child Y/N.”

You think you can hear your heart shatter into a million pieces, you don’t respond, mainly cause you are physically unable to, you just want to scream and cry, and you do.

“Stop. I- I’m heading home, and don’t you dare follow me,” you sob and Seonghwa stands stunned when he realizes what he has said and done.

You can hear him calling your name but you choose not to, still sobbing and tears flowing like a river, you open the door to Wooyoung’s car, who had told you before you and Seonghwa left that he could drive you home, almost as if he knew that you would want some distance from your boyfriend.

Wooyoung doesn’t question you, instead he drives to your home, he does tell you that it will be okay every now and then. You wonder if your relationship with Seonghwa is in a critical position, you wonder if you would ever make up.

You do know the amswer to whose questions when you do reach your home and Wooyoung gives you a tight hug, “Don’t worry Y/N, you’ll work things out, Seonghwa loves you nd you love him, arguments happen once in a while, I just know that you guys are made for each other,” he says and you nod, wiping your tears, bidding him goodbye as well as thanking him.

Once you enter your home, you feel like the place is colder, is it because of the feeling of dread you have for when Seonghwa will return home or just because of the weather? Either way, you decide to wash up and immediately head to bed.

--------------༊·˚

Its currently a little past 1 in the morning and it seems like you have cried yourself to sleep, but your ringtone wakes you up, you decide to bot pick up seeing that it was Hwa, but when he keeps on calling you finally pick up.

You don’t say anything, but you can clearly hear Seonghwa sniffing on the other side of the phone, “Y/N... Please, let me in, I’m so sorry, please, ” his pleads are pathetic and Seonghwa knows it.

You hang up without saying a word but you do get up to open the door, after mentally preparing yourself to face him of course

When you open the door, you see Seonghwa, possibly in the most hopeful yet miserable state you’ve seen. He looks stoked to see you, he starts crying, and you are about to start crying too.

He lets himself in, locking the door behind him, “Hwa-” before you can say more, Seonghwa’s soft lips are pressed against yours harshly, you both need this.

He effortlessly hoists you up so that your legs are wrapped around his hips, he doesn’t stop kissing you, instead he makes the kiss deeper, more intimate but you don’t complain.

He somehow managed to stumble into the bedroom and he gently lays you down on the bed, he pulls himself away and you almost whimper, “I’m sorry baby, are you okay with this?” he asks, his voice is full of hurt and regret, you can feel it, because that is also the same case for you when you speak out.

You cannot exaggerate how good he looks right now, his soft skin illuminated by the moonlight and his eyes that are glistening as they look up at yours.

“Hwa don’t stop, please,” you plead and he nods diving back in the kiss, his hands are all over your body now, your body is burning up, he feels so fucking good against you.

His lips leave yours but they start trailing down your neck, sucking and nibbling it, “Is this okay?” he asks for your assurance when his fingers are pulling at the waistband of your shorts, you nod, tugging at the hem of his shirt, Seonghwa nods as well, taking off his shirt in one swift movement and now you’re staring at him, observing his every next movements.

He slowly pulls your shorts down along with your underwear, your breath hitches when you feel his hot breath against your now wet core, “You don’t have to...” you say quietly but Seonghwa shakes his head in disagreement

“No baby, let me make it up to you, please?” he asks innocently, and who were you to say no to him, when you give him the green light he wastes no time in taking you in his mouth

He wets your already wet folds and starts flicking his tongue at your clit, “Fuck!” you groan, Seonghwa was always skilled with his tongue and that makes you feel intoxicated, he always looks so pretty between your legs.

Your fingers rake his hair, tugging his hair slightly to pull him closer, Seonghwa doesn’t complain, rather he loves it when yiu chase for your pleasure.

Your moans bounce off the walls of the bedroom as your boyfriend alternates between giving kitten licks to your cunt and flicking your clit with his tongue, Seonghwa softly moans when you tug his hair harsher, he was growing rock hard at this point.

He sucks at your clit making you gasp, “I’m so sorry baby, I love you I love you I love you,” he says between his sucks and licks, he continues repeating the words “I love you” and “I’m sorry” every now and then, and before you know it, tears are staring to fall again, this time not only because of hurt, but also because of pleasure.

He fucks his tongue into your wet hole while his nose brushes against your clit and Seonghwa feels contented when he hears your moans getting louder, but he wants to hear more from you.

So he wets his fingers in his mouth, fucking two digits into you, you moan out loudly when he starts curling them, the pleasure was starting to get really intense.

“That’s it baby, take it all for me, just want you to feel good,” he says and resumes on fucking you with his fingers and sucking your clit, “Hwa, I think- I’m going to cum soon-” you inform him and he hums, fucking his fingers into you even faster.

Curses leave your mouth as you buck your hips while the pleasure Seonghwa was delivering to you remained constant; you feel your climax arriving dangerously close and before you could warn him, you had came all over your boyfriend’s face.

You gasp at the sight of seonghwa’s face smeared with arousal, feeling more aroused when he licks it all up, “Fuck baby that was so hot,” he chuckles, he gets up to take off his clothes that were still on and crawling back up to the bed, staring right at you.

He gently cups your face, it feels nice and warm, “I feel so fucking stupid baby, will you forgive me?” he asks and you stare at him for a little longer before you hum, he’s still hesitant so you decide to speak up, “Hwa, I just want you to fuck the pain away,” you tell him and it causes his cock to twitch.

“Shit baby, you have no idea what you do to me,” he growls and Seonghwa, being the best boyfriend he (almost) always is obliges, he quickly grabs a condom from your nightstand and rolling it down along his erect length, he then aligns his dick to your hole after wetting it with your arousal.

He easily slides himself in, and you both moan in unison, you frantically reach out your arms to pull him closer, noticing this, Seonghwa starts kissing you again, and you wrap your arms around his neck to pull him even closer.

He starts to slowly rock his hips towards yours, fucking in and out of you deliciously, “Yes, right there Hwa,” you moan when his length hits just the right spot, Seonghwa hums and continuously abuses that spot.

He swallows your moans as your tongues danced together, his hands are back to cupping your face and right now, you feel so loved, Seonghwa was making love to you.

“You feel so tight,” he groans, fucking even deeper into you, his lips are now against your neck again, this time peppering it softly, while you moan out without a single care, all your frustration leaving as pleasure arrives.

Your second climax is arriving and you need more, “Hwa, please- harder,” you ask, Seonghwa responds obediently to your request, he was now slamming his length into you at a fast pace, to which he loudly curses.

You reach your hands down to your clit, gently rubbing then, Seonghwa smirks amused, “That’s it baby, rub that clit while I fuck you so good,” he pants and you nod frantically.

When Seonghwa notices that your moans are getting more choked and louder he speaks up again, “You’re gonna cum for me again my love?” You nod and his groans follows your response, “Me too love- fuck- let’s cum together.”

You cannot form words, or at least coherent ones, you just take the pleasure you’re receiving, you can also tell that Seonghwa is close to the edge when you feel him twitch inside of you.

He places his hands at your hips tightly and pulls your hips and fucking into you, your choked out moans, the sound of skin on skin and his pants are the only thing you can now hear.

“Shit I’m cumming” he says and you do too as he continues to fuck into you while he empties his load in the rubber, once you both reach your climax, he rests his forehead against yours, you’re both breathing heavily at this point.

He lays himself next to you, softly kissing you, he brushes a portion of your hair behind your ear and sighs, “Y/N, I’m so sorry, I promise to never do or say those things again,” he apologizes again for you don’t even remember how many times but could feel how genuine Seonghwa was being.

You smile softly at him, which further reassured him that you have indeed forgiven him, “It’s okay Hwa,” you snuggle onto him, “Arguments can break out often, we can only do so much as grow from them,” you tell him.

Seonghwa cannot describe how happy he feels as well as how proud, he does realize now that you are a grown up who is capable of handling themselves and that he had been pampering and babying you too much.

“I love you so much,” he says pulling you in tighter against his chest, “I love you too,” you reply with a faint smile.

Wooyoung was right, you would’ve come up with a solution one way or the other, as weird as this may be, you managed to work things out.

You were made for each other.

Taglist!— @yeo-hehet, @hwanchaesong, @enivivs, @alphadisaster, @zen626, @whatudowhennooneseesyou, @amangooo, @riboism (feel free to inform me if I had forgotten to add you or you wanted to be added in the taglist!)

#ateez smut #ateez angst #seonghwa smut #seonghwa fanfic #seonghwa angst #park seonghwa smut #kpop smut #ateez fanfic #ateez imagines #seonghwa imagines

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thestarrynightslover · 7 months

Text

Second Time Is the Charm

Pairing: Jay Halstead x Reader

Word count: 1,211

Warnings: None, just fluff.

Summary: Jay meets the Reader, Hailey's best friend, when she's meeting Molly's for the first time after having moved back to Chicago.

Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the One Chicago shows, or its characters, also not associated with it in any way, or know anyone involved with it.

A/N: Still not in my best writing but I hope you like it!

(y/n) = (your name) (y/l/n) = (your last name) (y/n/n) = (your nickname)

| mastelist |

"Hey, guys! This is my best friend, (y/n) (y/l/n), who I told you about! She just moved to the city a few weeks ago, so, be nice!" You heard your long-time friend, Hailey, warn her coworkers, who she always swore by to be some of the very best people in Chicago.

"Whatcha sayin', Detective Upton? I'm always nice!" a tall guy, who you recognized as being the one Hailey'd had a fling with some time ago, exclaimed, feigning offense.

They all are very sympathetic to you and you can see how they managed to get Hailey's friendship so easily. But there is one person who stands out from the rest of the group. And you just can't help yourself but to stare at the handsome guy who Hailey said is her partner. The famous Jay Halstead. You do know that it's impolite to basically ogle him like that but you. Just. Can't. Stop. He might just be the most beautiful man you've ever seen and that's saying a lot since you'd already lived in many places and had already met lots of hot guys.

Maybe you were dreaming or something but it seemed like he, too, was taking a few glances at you. But you must've been imagining 'cause he never made a single move your way — not that you were dealing any better with this sort of crush.

The hours ticked by faster than anyone there would've imagined with all the friendly chit-chat and the stories being told but, when you noticed the time, you decided it was time to go home, so you announced: "Hey, guys, thanks a lot for tonight! It was really nice meeting you all, I had a blast! But now I think I'mma head home."

"What? No! I can drive you there later," Adam started but you cut him off:

"No need for that, really. I live nearby and the walk home is gonna be good for me!"

"But going alone this time of night…" Kevin trailed off.

"Well I was thinking about heading home too and I'm also gonna walk. So maybe we can go together?" Jay asked, speaking directly to you for the first time in the whole night.

Not really knowing how to politely decline that one, you accepted: "Oh, um, okay, that'd be nice."

"It's really nice of yours to offer to walk me home, Jay. Thank you again." You said in an attempt to break the ice.

"Yeah, no problem. You know I like making myself available for the community!" He said with a wink? Was Hailey's partner seriously trying to flirt with you? "So, back at Molly's everyone explored a lot why you came back to Chicago but I wanna know what made you leave it in the first place, 'cause you went to college here, with Hailey, right?"

"Uh… yeah, we were roommates, actually. But I left for many reasons, the main one being a wish to see what the world had to offer. Which wasn't very hard since I can easily get a job pretty much anywhere I want…" You answered, leaving out the part about how your ex had humiliated you into leaving the city just to put as much distance between the two of you as possible.

"Hmmm, I see. But you said work had you moving back?"

"Yeah, well this was an exception because I was being offered a better position in case I came here." And because now you'd already gotten over what happened with your ex.

"Then which one is your favorite city so far?" There he got you, you always had a hard time picking favorites…

"Hmmm, maybe Amsterdam?" You thought that it would be a smooth way to do some flirting of your own. "It can be a very romantic city…" You started, "and I've always seen myself as a romantic, hopeless or not…"

"Oh, is that right?" The detective asked.

"Yeah, well, what can I say if everything romance just makes me happy?" You said, looking up brightly at him. Before he could muster up an answer though, you realized where you were, "Oh, that's my building right there!" You exclaimed pointing at the building across the street. But just as you said it you found yourself being sweetly and longingly kissed by Jay, which caught you completely off guard.

"So…" You started without really knowing how to continue after the kiss.

"So…" He imitated while nervously scratching the back of his neck. "I guess it was a bit awkward to just kiss you like that-"

"No! I, uh, I liked it!" Gosh, you sounded like a teenager, " I mean it wasn't bad or anything."

"Then maybe you'd be okay with giving me your number?" He asked.

"Yeah, sure!" Once again, teenager, dammit! "I, uh, what I mean is that I wouldn't mind it if you wanted to call me sometime, detective. You know, just making myself available for the community." You repeated his previous words with a wink.

"Huh! Careful with those empty promises, ma'am," Jay said playfully.

"Who said anything about empty?" You countered.

"Okay, then… Just know that you might be getting a call from me sooner rather than later." He half confessed while shaking his head.

"Looking forward to it!" You shot back and turned around to walk towards your building. Just as you were about to take the first step though, you decided to take a last glance at him, saying: "Have a good night, detective." He didn't answer, you didn't give him time to. But, as you were almost at the building's door, you heard your phone starting to ring and decided to pick up, since it wasn't very common for you to get calls at that time of night. "Hello?"

"Hi, uh, is this (y/n) (y/l/n)'s phone?" You heard Jay's amused voice on the other end of the line and instantly turned back around to see him, still standing on the other side of the street, purposely in your eyesight.

"Really?"

"You said to call at any time-"

"Hmmm…"

"And I just couldn't wait!"

"Are you making fun of me right now?"

"Not at all!" He quickly responded. "I am, actually, inviting you to grab coffee with me one of these days." At that, your heart started beating faster and you could only hope that he wasn't able to hear it through the phone. "Or, you know, lunch, dinner, whatever you prefer!"

"I, uh, I would love to, Jay." Was all you could answer, as the flirty banter suddenly seemed pointless. "I would love to grab coffee or lunch or dinner with you sometime!"

"Okay. That's, uh, that's great! So, maybe this Saturday? 9 o'clock?"

"Yeah, sure! That sounds good! Just let me know where you wanna me-"

"Nope, nuh-uh, that's not happening! Just be ready by then and prepare yourself to be surprised!"

"Jay, I-"

"Not taking no for an answer! Goodnight to you too, (y/n)." He said and hung up, waving at you as he continued his path. Meanwhile, you went upstairs thinking about Saturday and about how you'd snatched a guy like that on your third day back in the city. Maybe Chicago wasn't as bad as you remembered it anymore...

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runawrites-blog · 6 months

Text

Protection (Boba Fett x Reader)

(Gif Not Mine)

Summary: Five times the people in the palace saw how protective Boba was of you and one time you got to protect him. (5+1; Gender Neutral Reader) Word Count: 3,325 Warnings: Mild Violence, Disrespectful Language Directed at Reader, Assassination Attempt on Boba, Fire, No Y/N, Petnames (Cyar'ika, Mesh'la) Crossposted on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/35277751

---

Your place at the palace had been a topic of discussion ever since Boba had taken over Tatooine. You had been by his side from the start, arriving soon after him and Fennec. And ever since then, people have been talking. Some assumed you were his spouse, others questioned if you were a pleasure slave – and questioned why the man so against slavery was keeping you as one – and some others thought you were an advisor.

And your interactions with people at the court, diplomats on visits, and the king himself made things no clearer. You were friendly and polite to the others at court as though you were a worker like them, never seeing yourself as above them and always treating them with respect. When there were diplomats visiting, you were next to Boba, making deals and talking politics. And when there was peace and celebration at the palace, you were by his side, holding onto his arm, sitting in his lap on the throne, or affectionately talking to him.

When you weren’t around, like this time, Boba was sitting on the throne alone, Fennec next to him. She was talking to him in a low voice while he surveyed the room. Perhaps he was looking for you, some of the guests mused.

And then, you walked into the room, quickly approaching the throne. Your usual air of confidence seemed off with how fast you approached Boba to grasp his hand and sit on the arm of the throne. Boba noticed the changes in your demeanour, too, and let go of your hands to place one of his on the small of your back, pulling you a little closer until you were leaning against him.

“Are you alright?”

You nodded at Boba, a little too quickly and vehemently for it to not be suspicious. “I’m fine. I just had an unpleasant run-in with one of the guards.”

“What?” Boba hissed and let go of you to grasp at your arm and examine you. When he spotted the marks on your wrists he seemed furious and the people in the court quieted down. “Did they touch you?”

“He tried to-- tried to threaten me. He grabbed my arm and-- and held me to the wall. I managed to free myself but that other guard, she was just standing by and she didn’t help me.” You recounted, stumbling over your words. “On the contrary – she egged him on.”

“What guards?” Boba asked, grabbing your hand once again, watching your shoulders relax at the gesture. “What are their names?”

“I don’t know their names but I could point them out to you.”

“No one touches you.” He hissed. “You are my riduur and no one is allowed to treat you like that, with the intent to harm you!”

“Boba, please calm down. I’m fine.”

“Do you want them dead?”

You quieted down before slowly sliding off the arm of the throne and into his lap, arms wrapping around his arm. His protectiveness seemed to make you feel so much more at ease as you inched ever so closely.

“Cyar’ika, do you want them dead?” Boba asked one more, though his hand found its way to your hair quickly. “I will surely punish them but I want your opinion on what they deserve.”

“No.” You said softly. “I just want to be sure that I never have to see them again.”

“That can certainly be arranged.”

---

II.

You were his spouse. He had said so himself. If you two were actually married or if he just referred to you as such out of possessiveness or sentimentality was still unclear. But nevertheless, people were now sure of his romantic relationship with you. And they acted accordingly.

After the guards that had harassed you were sent away, people worried to meet the same fate and kept their distance. They could tell that it saddened you, could see the disappointment in your eyes and the way you tried to talk to the other people in the palace, but they didn’t want to risk it.

With everyone in the palace being so careful around you and trying to avoid being punished by Boba, it came to no surprise that you were delighted by the news that some sort of negotiator was coming to visit the palace. Now Boba hadn’t told you the exact reason they were coming but you knew enough about them, their plans to trade with Tatooine and their customs to entertain them during the fest that would follow the negotiations.

The people in the palace watched as you laughed away with one of the negotiators, telling her about how wonderfully Tatooine had developed since Boba had come to power. And they also watched as Boba eyed you with a fond expression, helmet on the arm of the throne and a soft smile on his face.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t long until things got out of hand. A guest stumbled and fell against one of the lights that were illuminating the throne hall, kicking loose a chain of events that would lead to the room being engulfed in flames. The light broke and the fire spread over the curtains and few wooden structures, quickly lighting them ablaze. People panicked immediately, cramming to get out of the room.

“Follow me!” You instructed the negotiator. “Keep close to the wall so you don’t get pushed around.”

“Thank you.” She said and grabbed onto your wrist, letting you lead her toward the exit. “Thank you so much.”

With a bit of difficulty, you managed to get her to the door and ushered her outside. You were about to turn back to look for Boba when a cracking sound from just above you caught your attention. And you barely had the time to look up before a large wooden beam came crashing toward you. Instinctively, you cowered, covering your head to shield it but the expected blow never came.

When you looked up, you found Boba next to you, arm angled and held up, keeping the beam from crushing you. Quickly you moved away from the wooden beam and watched Boba drop it to the floor before he turned, grasping your arms.

“You need to leave.”

“What about you?” You asked desperately, trying to find his eyes through the helmet he now had on again. “You need to get out!”

“I need to help put out the fire.” He said and pushed you toward the door. “Go, get to safety and wait for me!”

Despite your initial hesitance, you left, figuring that if you were gone he would have one less person to worry about and could concentrate on getting himself to safety. Yet, no one could deny the worry on your face or the tears in your eyes as you watched more and more people leave the palace, Boba not amongst them.

And when he eventually came outside, the people of the court all watched you sprint toward him before hurling yourself into his arms. He caught you with little difficulty and held you tightly as you took a few deep breaths until he spoke up to calm you down.

“Don’t worry, Cyar’ika. I’m here now.”

---

III.

People knew that Boba was protective. So it came to no surprise that when you came back from a diplomatic mission, bloodied up and covered in bruises, he was up in arms. You had entered the throne room, the helmet you wore when flying under your arm, your hair a mess, your face covered in bruises as you looked up at the throne.

Before Boba could say anything you spoke, voice hoarse. “The diplomatic mission went well. This is simply the result of someone ambushing my ship on the way back.”

“Cyar’ika, get up here now.”

Slowly, you made your way up and everyone in the court held their breaths. Boba grabbed you as soon as you had gotten close and pulled at your arm to get you close enough to examine the wounds.

“Where are you injured?”

“Just bruises and a few scraps mostly.”

“Mostly is not good enough, Mesh’la.” He said sternly. “Anything major?”

Gingerly, you moved your hand to gesture to your hip and Boba’s eyes wandered there before he frowned. There was an obvious stab wound at your hip but your belt had been pulled so tightly that it was stopping the bleeding. Shaking his head, Boba rose to his feet and everyone around watched in anticipation.

“Fennec, take over for me while I treat these wounds.” He said and looked back at you. “You are coming with me.”

“Love, I can take care of myself.” You said softly. “I just need a few stitches and I’m sure I can find someone else to do that. You have your duties.”

“I do have my duties. And protecting my riduur is one of them.”

---

IV.

Your screams of pain jarred everyone in the throne room and within seconds Boba was at his feet, Fennec not far behind as he hurried to help. But he didn’t get far before you came scrambling into the room and when you saw the two of them, you rounded their bodies to shield yourself, fumbling for your blaster before realising it wasn’t secured to your hip and swearing quietly. While Fennec readied her gun, aiming at the door, Boba turned around to you and took hold of your arms.

“What happened?”

“That-- that man who came to negotiate who-- you turned him down and he must have been pretty angry because he grabbed me from behind and tried to kriffing-- I don’t even know what his darn plan was and I don’t want to know!”

Boba stared at you in horror, realising that a man he had let into the palace had attempted to harm you. Quickly, he drew you close, his hand shielding the back of your neck as he held you. And then the man stumbled inside, clearly drunk and a bloodied knife in his hands. He looked beaten, as though you had gotten a few good hits in before he had gotten out his knife.

And as he took in the blood dripping from the knife, Boba froze and quickly pushed you back to examine you. There was a few cuts on your arms and chest area but nothing major. Still, the knowledge that someone had hurt you like that filled him with burning rage and he called out to Fennec to immobilise the man which she did without much trouble before turning back to Boba.

“What do you want me to do with him?” She asked, holding the man’s arms behind his back and looking up at the two of you. “Shoot him?”

“Shoot me?” The man slurred. “I can-- if you hadn’t turned down my deal, your little spouse wouldn’t have gotten it, Fett!”

Fennec eyed Boba out of the corner of her eyes, watching his body tense up as he kept a protective arm around you. “What do you want me to do with him?”

“Lock him up! I’ll deal with him later.” Boba snapped and looked back at you once Fennec had begun to drag the man off. “What did he do? Did he touch you?”

“No, he just-- he got a few cuts and hits in but I’m fine.”

Boba looked at you for a long time before sighing quietly. “The man I let inside hurt you like this. How can you look at me with love in your eyes? Aren’t you angry?”

You shook your head very quickly, taking his hands into his. “It was not your fault. He attacked me. That has nothing to do with you, no matter what he said.”

“Do you need me to call someone to treat your wounds?”

“Please.”

---

It wasn’t just that Boba was protective of you. He also valued your opinion and despised it when others talked down to you. If a diplomat didn’t respect you, writing you off as nothing more than the king’s spouse or if an advisor scoffed at your opinions, not considering them, Boba would reprimand them. He demanded respect for you just as much as he demanded it for himself.

Most of the time, a stern reprimand or a reminder of your position was enough to shut any disrespect down fairly quickly. But on this particular day, two negotiators had come from a faraway planet, planning on trading with Tatooine. They had talked to Boba in the throne room, laying out their demands and offerings. The other people of the court stood by, watching the negotiations go down as they quietly mused about what outcome to expect.

It wasn’t until you had chimed in, leaning down to Boba from where you had been sitting on the arm of the throne, to remind him that their demands were fairly high for what they were offering, that one of the negotiators spoke up.

“I am certain that the great Boba Fett would rather decide himself than listen to the advice of a simple pleasure slave.”

Everything went quiet as soon as the words had left the woman’s mouth. You raised your head, looking down on her while Boba straightened up in his seat and Fennec cocked her head to the side a little, waiting for the man’s response. But you were quicker.

“If I was merely a pleasure slave – which I am not – it would be horribly embarrassing for your unattractive trade offer to be caught by the likes of me, wouldn’t you think so?” You asked in a cold tone of voice.

“Boba Fett, we implore you to agree to this offer.”

“Why should he?” You asked in slight disdain. “To rely on the harvest of a planet whose climate is unpredictable at best and unfit for agriculture at worse?”

“I can assure you that our planet can sustain a harvest.”

“Is that so?” You raised an eyebrow. “Then how do you explain the countless people that have sought out refuge on Tatooine of all places after a drought or flood have wrecked their whole harvest? Then how do you explain that not even under the merciless regimes before Boba were your planet’s payments ever on time?”

“How dare you insinuate that we cannot pay you?”

“I am voicing my honest concern.” You said, mindful of everyone listening to you. “Your harvests are unreliable and you dare step before Boba with an offer like this?”

The woman shook her head at you. “I will not negotiate with a person who has found their way into the inner circle of the king by looks and no doubt the use of their body alone. I came to negotiate with Boba Fett.”

“Are you saying I used my body to get this position?” You questioned and stood from your place, aware of Boba’s eyes following you. “Or are you trying to deflect from the fact that you are offering a terrible deal?”

“How dare you? You are nothing but a pleasure slave, a common palace whore. And you dare speak to me like this?”

That’s when Boba stood, making everyone back up. The negotiator and her companion shut up, staring up at Boba in anticipation, frightened of what would happen next. He towered over them, his height accentuated by the fact that he stood on the pedestal the throne was placed on.

“How are you speak to my riduur in such a way?” He snapped, voice angry and loud. “And to think you did it because my spouse raised good points is just pathetic. Your planet is not fit for agriculture. You can barely feed your own people. There will be no trade for you with Tatooine!”

“But great Boba Fett--”

“Now leave my sight before I have you dragged out of the palace!”

---

+ I.

People knew that Boba was protective, that he was proud of being your spouse and that he seemed to genuinely care for you. But they also knew that you felt the same way about him. You loved the man, took pride in being his spouse and rarely left his side if you could help it.

Typically you could be found sitting on the throne’s arm, Boba’s lap or standing next to him. You were always trying to be close to him, talk to him or share your love for him. Like a shadow, you were always by his side.

And so you were also by his side when someone tried to assassinate him. It had been a normal day up until the early evening and everyone was gathered in the throne hall. You were as usual by Boba’s side, having long since migrated from the arm of the throne into his lap, idly running your fingers over his armour, head resting against his shoulder as he talked to you about upcoming plans.

The two of you paid little mind to the man that had entered sometime during the evening, assuming him to be another guest, and quickly gotten back to talking. Fennec had started to mingle with the people some time ago, leaving you and Boba to quietly enjoy each other’s company as he overlooked the people.

The stranger came closer to the throne, talking to a man there. You paid him no mind, still running your fingers over Boba’s armour, letting them run up and down his neck periodically as he recounted the meetings ahead.

Your eyes wandered across the room, looking at the man that was still coming closer. Some of the guests noticed the shift in your behaviour, watched as you sat up a little straighter, yet still keeping up your soft ministrations and listening to Boba.

Then, before anyone had even noticed anything, you sprung up from Boba’s lap and grabbed your blaster. No one even had the time to question your motives as you fired at the stranger, hitting his hand and making him drop the blaster he had reached for.

He tried to escape but you fired a shot into his foot, making him fall to his knees by the steps to the throne. Within seconds you were by his side, using your foot to keep in on the ground as the people stared in shock. Boba had risen to his feet and Fennec had come closer now.

“Let me go!”

“Tell me why you were raising your blaster at Boba.” You hissed. “Did you think I wouldn’t notice?”

“I won’t tell you anything.”

Your foot moved, resting on his shoulders now. “You are the worst assassin I have ever had the misfortune of meeting!”

The man struggled against your foot but couldn’t get up. “Let me go!”

Huffing at his request you took your foot off his back. He quickly took the chance to get up but he only got to his knees because you quickly grabbed his arm, twisting it onto his back and then doing the same with the other one. Then you turned him so he could face Boba.

“Did you or did you not come here to assassinate Boba?”

“I-- I was forced to!” The man pleaded. “Please, don’t kill me. I was just-- I was forced to or otherwise, my family would have been in danger!”

“Now there’s the information we can use.” You said and let go of him, nodding at Fennec. “I’m sure Boba would like to question the man himself. Isn’t that right, Cyar’ika?”

Boba looked at you, as surprised by the pet name as he was by your quick reflexes but nodding at Fennec nonetheless. “Bring him to the cells. I will see to him later.”

Fennec nodded and quickly took the man away, glancing back to see you walking up to Boba and taking his face into your hands. Everyone watched as you examined him for any injuries before your shoulders dropped in relief when you found he was fine.

“Thank you for your quick thinking, Mesh’la.”

“All I want is for you to be safe, my love.”

#star wars #star wars imagine #star wars reader insert #star wars x reader #boba fett #boba fett x reader #book of boba fett #the mandalorian #mandalorian #the book of boba fett #boba fett imagine #gender neutral reader #gn reader #writing #fanfiction #textpost

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heyidkyay · 5 months

Text

And I'm petrified of being alone, now |

Part Eight

Matty Healy x reader

Summary: She’s just trying to get by, really. What with being a single parent to her four year old son whilst simultaneously trying to kick start a successful career as a radio presenter. She’s got everything she’s ever wanted though, friends close by, a mum who’s merely a phone call away, and of course her baby boy. What else is there to wish for? But then, it’s not long before her relatively normal life gets upended and turned on its head, and she’s suddenly forced to deal with situations she’s never even thought to imagine.

What happens when one mention of a certain controversial singer on her show sends a flood of unexpected challenges her way?

Authors Note: Hey! Quick note, this part has a LOT going on, it jumps from pov 2 or 3 times, but there's details mentioned that will make more sense later on, I hope that leaves no one confused:) Also there are a few new characters coming in, some will stay, some won't, so keep that in mind! I was gonna end this part like halfway through and then post, but it felt a little unfinished, so here it is hope you enjoy:))) x

Warnings: A short scene revolving around body image, mentions of scars, drugs, sobriety and heavy drinking

Masterlist

Messages now Jamie O (glasses!) In the area, fancy meeting up for coffee?

It had been a good few days since I had last messaged either Jamie or Matty. Though the latter hadn't seemed to have caught onto the fact that I had suddenly distanced myself. Jamie, on the other hand, had and had surprisingly given me some space with it.

Well, up until now that was.

It was a weary sigh that escaped me when I gazed down at my phone, needless chatter of gossiping mums and squealing children having faded far into the background.

I had only just managed to drop Teddy off at nursery, dipping and diving through the crowd to deliver him right to the classroom door, and was already halfway out of the playground now. It was my first day off in weeks- like proper day off. And now, I had Jamie to deal with.

Alright, maybe that was a bit harsh, but saying that, I wasn’t so much of a twat to just ignore the first message he’d sent me in a while. Especially after I'd disregarded all of the man's previous efforts. Still I couldn't quite stop myself from huffing quietly as I shot him back a message, anxiety creeping in.

Messages now Closer to Tufnell Park than the studio at the minute

Jamie’s response came only seconds later.

Messages now Jamie O (glasses!) No worries! Meet you near The Dome?

Sidestepping a few latecomers as I exited the school gate, I chewed on my bottom lip but eventually sent a text to let Jamie know that I'd be there. I only hoped that the man didn't ask too many questions about my sudden disappearance, I wasn’t too sure I could take the heat.

Early morning rush hour was in full swing by the time I’d made my way out onto the highstreet, people bustled past me to get to work without a care, or even an apology, for anyone who got in their way, zooming on ahead like a soldier in a storm. That was one of the things that had taken me some time to get used to, in truth. How different the crowds of London were to the tiny population of my hometown.

I'd just surpassed the underground station when I caught sight of a vaguely familiar head of dishevelled hair. Jamie stood a way ahead, smiling at the passersby with his hands shoved deeply into the lining of his coat's pockets. He wore a pair of dark, fitted trousers and had a smart looking scarf thrown haphazardly over his right shoulder, something to shelter him from the exaggerated cold.

Somehow, his face seemed to brighten upon seeing me approach.

"Glad you could make it!" He said as I approached, and he clapped my upper arm in light greeting. "Thought you would have managed to beat me here though."

I made do with a small smile, before gesturing my head over towards where a quaint cafe sat up a few doors down so that we could begin walking.

"Nah, it's pretty hectic trying to escape the crowds at this time. Did you catch the tube up here then?" I conversed and saw Jamie’s brow dip for the briefest of moments before he hastily shook his head at my question.

"Oh, no. Was just leaving a meeting up in Shoreditch, you were on my route so I thought I'd ask."

I gave a low hum, unsure, but didn't comment on it when I thanked him for holding the door open for me to pass through.

"What are you in the mood for then? It's on me."

"Ah, no it's-"

I didn't even get the chance to decline the offer before Jamie was waving me off with a charming smile and a wave of his arm. "Honestly, mate. It's fine, a cup of coffee won't have me out on my arse. So what do you want?"

Blinking with a somewhat disbelieving shake of my head, I prattled off my usual order in a low murmur and told Jamie that I'd find us a table. Just wanting to be helpful, but also to get a second to think things through.

The cafe wasn't too busy. It held the expected usuals; a handful of early-rising old timers and a couple of suits headed in late. So there were a few free tables up for grabs. I picked the one by the window.

Jamie joined me a few minutes later, wearing his usual grin as he carried over a tray of goodies. I raised an eyebrow at the mountain of sweet pastries procured but the man simply shrugged.

"Looked like you'd had a long morning, figured you to be the chocolate type." He commented as he nudged a large croissant in my direction.

Just looking at the buttery roll made my stomach grumble. Teddy and I had been in a wee bit of a rush this morning to get out of the house after my alarm had failed to wake us, so I'd skipped breakfast and picked Teds up something to eat on the way into school.

Toying with the rim of the coffee's handle, I gave Jamie an appreciative smile. “Cheers.” I breathed out and carefully pulled the plate in a little closer.

After that we both simply sipped at our warm drinks for a short while, watching as the morning commuters passed by the large window. It was a calm affair and far from as awkward as I might've expected the meeting to be. In fact, it was actually the first time Jamie and I had met up since that day at the studio, and even then we hadn't had much of an opportunity to chat.

Still, Jamie’s company felt very similar to that of Adi's- perhaps even Finn's. It allowed me to relax a little.

It was only after I'd broken off the end of my croissant that I spoke up.

"So, is driving across London at nine in the morning just to buy me a drink your idea of a date, or do you do this with all your mates?"

Jamie blinked at me once, twice, before his eyes widened in alarm, which caused me to, quite literally, snort into my tea.

"I'm joking! Don't fret. Just wondering why the sudden change in pace."

Jamie gifted me a sheepish grin in response and took a quick swig of his coffee before he finally replied.

"You went quiet on us." He shrugged as he picked apart a blueberry muffin, separating the berries from the soft sponge, which amused me somewhat. "Gave you a couple days to breathe, but I reckon you've had long enough. You wanna tell me what's up?"

My eyes strayed back to the window as I withheld a sigh, knowing full well that this had been coming.

“You know how it is.” I shrugged, almost petulant, and gripped at my cup a little tighter. "Just got busy. I mean, you have to deal with Matty and the band constantly. Can’t be an easy feat."

I received a laugh in turn but my attempt at a little lighthearted humour didn't derail Jamie.

"I know we haven't known each other that long, and you really do have no reason to trust me, of all people, with your problems. But I am here if you ever need anything. Can't speak for Matty, try as I might, but I wouldn't put it past him to go completely out of his way to do whatever you asked either." He chuckled to himself then, like he knew something I didn’t. "He actually hasn't been able to stop talking about you, you know. Not since we met."

I tapped at the mug and felt my tongue prod the inside of my cheek to keep from snorting at Jamie’s words. I just shook my head.

"Doubt he's even noticed I've stopped replying." I quipped lightly, trying to shrug off the sudden emotion that admission had stirred up.

"Ah, so you have been ignoring us then."

I inhaled sharply and dropped my gaze. I couldn’t outright lie to him.

"Yeah, sorry. Just had a lot going on, you know? This is all new for me, you and Matty, you've just. I don't even know. You just turned up out of the blue and..."

"Sort of invited ourselves into your life?" Jamie filled in with a wry smile.

"No, no! That's- that's not what I meant. Honestly. It's just strange. Different from what I expected." I attempted to backtrack, but ultimately failed.

"No, I get it." Jamie assured, but didn't push the topic any further. "You're stupid, by the way, if you think Matty hasn't noticed. In all the time I've known him, the idiot’s only ever texted me when he's needed something- but the last couple days? I don't think my phone’s stopped going off."

I shovelled another piece of the chocolatey pastry into my mouth to keep myself from replying or reading too much into that.

Jamie released a breathy chuckle and shook his head, as though he could read my reaction, my thoughts. "You've been good for him so far, Mouse. No parties. No drugs. Can't say the same thing about the drink, but he's cut a lot of it out. And I'm chalking that all up to you, ‘cause I can't think of anything else that might've changed in his life to have forced his hand like this."

His words confused me, but then he paused for a moment and purposely caught my eye.

"Whatever's happened, don't let it keep you from opening up. Not just for his sake, but for yours too. Besides, you can never have too many friends, can you?"

I wiped at my mouth before dipping my head in quiet assent. "No. I ‘spose I can do friends."

Jamie all but beamed, looking pretty proud of himself as he reached across the table for a scone. "Now, tell me all the things that I've missed."

***

Matty practically jumped out of his seat when he heard the front door rattle shut.

He'd been on edge since the moment he had woken up, but had decided to try for once. He made breakfast (well, rather a late lunch), tried all that meditating malarky (his therapist would be, oh so, proud), and even ended up doing a loop of the block in a desperate attempt to keep his chaotic mind at bay. But nothing. Nothing. Had been able to keep him from wearing the soles of his feet into the fucking floorboards.

"And where’ve you been?" Matty instigated as soon as Jamie strolled into his sitting room with his usual smile, shaking off the autumn chill he’d invited in with him.

"Around." Was all the twat replied as he draped his heavy overcoat on the back of one of the upholstered armchairs. He paused to eye Matty closely. "Why, what's got your knickers in a twist?"

Matty’s scowl was infamous by this point, but Jamie was one of the fair few to have gotten used to it. A right shame, that. "Nothing! Just- I texted you, wanted an update."

Jamie quirked an amused brow his way and it took all of Matty’s nervous pent up energy not to blow up at him. He could feel his own irritation building though, it tingled in the tips of his fingers and raised goosebumps across his skin.

"That all? You know the team won't give us an answer until they’re certain that it all won't fall through."

Matty gritted his teeth together and tugged a rough hand through his dishevelled hair. "It's bollocks! It's our fucking album, why do they get a say in what happens with it?"

Jamie sighed quietly to himself as he wandered over towards the heavyset globe sat in the far corner. Matty watched on as he slid its top off and procured a pair of tumblers, pouring two fingers of murky whiskey into each of the old fashioned glasses.

"You know why, mate."

They'd had this conversation too many times before. And yet,

Matty clenched his jaw to keep from snapping, lashing out, but his knuckles whitened around the glass when Jamie pressed it into his palm. He almost wanted to laugh.

"Thought you wanted me off the drink?" He remarked coldly but swallowed the spirit down before Jamie could give him an actual answer, or take it away. He only wished that the alcohol burned brighter, these days it barely left a bitter tang on his tongue.

Jamie didn't touch his own as he made his way on over towards the chaise lounge, but his fingertips tapped a smooth rhythm against the crystal. The house didn’t make a sound.

Matty followed, as expected, restlessly flinging his feet up onto the centre table before his agitation once again began to overwhelm him. He huffed when he dropped them back to the floor again, the heavy vibrations grounding him somewhat as he moved to rest his elbows on the knobs of his knees.

"That newest story's doing wonders for you right now though." Jamie told him gently when Matty’s quick eyes met his gaze, his hands still toying with the full glass. "They want to rebuild your image. Figure it'll help with album presales, and they're not really all that wrong, mate. Since you've been out of um-”

“You can say it.”

Jamie rolled his eyes but barrelled on, “Since you've been out of rehab. Well, the public's been enjoying seeing this new side of you. Besides, I thought you liked whatever her name was."

With a scoff, Matty forced his gaze away. "It's complete shit and you know it. PR just wants control. For me to fall in line. And the public couldn't give a single fuck about what I do! All they live for is the gossip, the drama. And that's what I do best, no? Don't worry though, J, I'm sure I'll fuck up sooner or later."

"Don't talk like that." Jamie scolded as he pushed his tumbler onto the table and moved a little closer. He looked to be fighting an internal battle, his fingers twitching on the inseam of his leg to keep himself from reaching out to comfort.

"Oh, fucking come off it, Jamie! You know it's true." Matty spat back, the rage once again building. These past few days had had him fraying. "I bet they’re already sitting there at that table just waiting for the other shoe to drop. And I already know they’ll want to be the first in the know, when I finally do fuck up again. Spout about what a waste of space I am! How they should've sacked me off sooner. That it should've been me and not-"

"Don't."

Jamie’s voice cut through the room like a blaring siren, but Matty had never heard him speak so lowly.

"Don't go there. He wouldn't want you thinking that way."

Matty locked his jaw and narrowed his scrutinising eyes at Jamie. "Don't act like you know what he'd want."

Jamie glanced away for the briefest of seconds and inhaled slowly before his gaze finally returned. Matty could see his own torment reflected in Jamie’s sad eyes. "It hurt me too. You know that."

Matty forced his eyes closed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Unable to deal with the many emotions that threatened to overpower him. He swiped Jamie's drink off of the table and swallowed it down in one, then swiftly stood and strode across the room to make another.

The amber liquid warmed his chest as expected and he felt the moment it hit his empty stomach. He braced himself against the globe's golden stand, leaving his hair to fall helplessly into his face. Thankfully, it shielded his glossy eyes from Jamie’s view.

It was still so hard. Most nights it was all he could ever picture-

No. Not today, he rebuked. Not now. Not again.

It was a never ending nightmare that he just couldn't seem to wake himself up from. And how he fucking wished he could wake up.

Matty went to refill the glass again but faltered. His hand stilled, midair, fingers itching to grab at the ancient old bourbon that sat only inches away, but instead he reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out his phone.

Too many notifications cluttered the screen. But not a single one from the person he wanted to talk to most.

In a fit of dismay, he went to throw the stupid thing at the nearest wall but a hand caught his wrist before he could do any real damage.

Matty’s eyes flickered up to meet Jamie’s- he choked.

"I just-" He tried to force out but the words felt like thick bile in his throat. His lip trembled and Jamie tugged him close. Matty wondered when he'd ever allowed the man to get so close. To breach his high walls.

"I know." Jamie hushed him, allowing a steady hand to come to rest at the back of Matty’s neck. "I know, mate."

Matty wondered if he truly did.

***

Mesmerising.

I let the word play over and over on a loop in my head as my fingertips trailed along the jagged lines of my torso.

Seventeen I'd been- my first time with this boy from college and he had called the scars I was forced to bare mesmerising. As if they were something special, something to be proud of. I'd frozen back then, the word had, so suddenly, hindered my entire world, but he'd gone on exploring without even noticing the way my mind had started to spiral.

The scars had always been a difficult pill to swallow. They weren't mine. I hated how others could so easily claim their own. His scars. My scars. Hers. I didn't want them. They were just there. A myriad of haunted memories to which I'd been burdened with since the age of seven.

All these years later and still I couldn't recall the smooth expanse of skin that had once been there- untarnished, unharmed.

The bronze shadows, created by the setting sun which illuminated my bedroom walls in a burning shade of amber, crawled across the floorboards beneath my feet and caressed my skin. They dipped and curved, exaggerating sharp lines and hallowing shallow slopes.

I'd only meant to have a quick shower, in and out, before Finn inevitably ended up dropping Teddy back home. But I'd left the wardrobe door wide open in my haste to leave early this morning and had yet to shut it, exposing the slim mirror attached to the inside of the wooden door. A slip up.

So now my distorted body stared back at me mercilessly and I couldn't find it in myself to tear my eyes away. The meek girl stood within its four cutting lines just wasn't me. It was simply the reflection of a sheltered kid who'd been forced to grow up far too quickly.

Her skin, hardly what you'd pale but not far off, was flushed and pink all over from the steam of the shower. Her hair, still damp and wet, clung to the majority of her forehead and dripped water droplets down the line of her throat. Her eyes, usually a deep, warm colour, were somewhat sunken, hidden behind heavy lids and long lashes. The dark circles that sat beneath them only emphasised the muted scarlet that rimmed her waterline- a lack of sleep.

I wet my lips. They were dry, bitten from hours of relentless anxiety, but parted enough so that my front teeth could just about be seen. Her face was lined by worry. Fine wrinkles etched themselves around the corners of her eyes and mouth, then again between her furrowed brows.

The scars, faded but somehow still raw, swept up her neck and collarbone, and jumped over her right shoulder. One crept across the cut of her jaw, whilst another sliced through the bridge of her nose to meet another, smaller scar, on her cheek. Her chest, where it had been previously impaled, was now stretched and knitted. Some lines were a few shades darker than her natural complexion, maroon, and oftentimes cardinal. Others were lighter, pale and whitened. Faded.

A gruesome gash down the centre of her abdomen led to a spattering of fine hairs that lined her navel, trailing low beneath the hem of the towel she'd wrapped around her waist earlier. Her hands were now fisted at her sides though, so much so that prominent veins danced up the insides of her forearms, skirting around the few fawn freckles that painted her skin.

Mesmerising.

The sudden blare of a mobile ringing sent a sharp chill up my spine and knocked the air back into me. Shakily I inhaled, averting my eyes from the mirrored prison, then spun round on my heel to answer the call.

There was no greeting, no small talk. It was cutthroat and to the point.

"I need a drink. You coming?"

And I had never answered a question quicker.

It was a hard task, squinting down at my phone in an attempt to concentrate on the text I was trying to send to Finn, but the strobe lights and throng of people around me were making the task rather fucking difficult.

To be honest though, I couldn’t actually remember the last time I'd stepped foot inside a club. Or even spent an entire evening sat in the local pub. But I’d been all but desperate, and so, in the heat of the moment, I had practically jumped at the first offer I’d been given.

I was beginning to second guess that decision now though as I pushed my way through the rowdy crowds, the assorted smell of liquor and sweat already clinging to my clothes. I hadn't really put too much thought into those, too busy trying to escape my own head. Really, I’d just thrown on an old skirt from my uni days, a top that made my tits look great but hid the scar there, and the well-worn leather jacket Finn had gifted me at the end of my first year working on the show.

I had just sent the text off, double checking with the man himself that he was still alright to have Teddy til the following morning, when a raised voice caught my attention.

Frowning, my head snapped up but that soon faded once I caught sight of the tall ginger propped up against the bar not too far away. My lips curled up into a lopsided grin on their own command and I was quick to pocket my phone, already moving towards him.

"Mighty Mouse. You actually made it!" Ronan Kelly bellowed in that familiar Irish lilt of his, welcoming me in with a hearty squeeze to the waist as we embraced. "It's a feckin' miracle!"

I gave him an impish smile and dipped my head slightly to rub at my nose, then made the effort to catch Ronan's icy gaze. "I guess it has been a while."

"A while- Babe, I ain't seen you in months!" Ronan laughed, flashing a row of white teeth and wrinkling his bright blue eyes. I felt some of my worries ease at the sight of the man's familiar face, a warm reminder of older days. "Can't believe you actually agreed to come out with us!"

I shook my head and released an airy chuckle, "You know how it is, Ro- got Teddy to worry about now."

Ronan's face, if possible, lit up even further at the mention of the small toddler. "Ah, grand! How is the wean? At school now, right?"

It was sweet of him to ask and I smiled up at him as I went to answer, but was forced further into Ronan’s space when some prat barged past me to get to the bar. Ronan caught me by the waist with a natural ease he’d always been capable of and narrowed his eyes at the guilty party from over my shoulder.

Not wanting things to escalate, I did my best to quickly wave it off and distract. "Teddy's good!" I heard myself tell him, voice slightly raised to be heard over the pulsing music, tiptoeing almost now in his grasp. "He's with Finn at the moment."

Ronan's gaze reluctantly trailed back to me upon hearing me speak, he reluctantly smiled and nodded but had yet to drop his hands from where they were now stationed at my hips.

"I'm sure Finn is completely lovin' that."

With a light laugh, I rolled my eyes at his sarky reply and moved to press my forearm up against the edge of the bar’s countertop. "They're a proper little duo. Finn has been a saint, what with all his help and that. Don't think I'd be standing here today without him really."

"Well, let's cheers to that then, hey?" Ronan grinned, then raised a hand to gesture over towards the barman.

Within seconds two pints were being placed on the bartop, a dizzying yellow colour filled to the brim with minuscule bubbles that had my mouth watering. It had been a long while since a fresh pint of lager had wet my lips and it helped that Ronan’s presence was a comfort.

"Sláinte!" He announced brashly, already having hoisted his glass into the air between us.

"Cheers!" I laughed, clinking our glasses together before gulping down a too large swig.

"That's what I like to see!" Ronan whooped, almost proudly. He squeezed my right hip in celebration before choosing to steer us both away from the bar and over towards a wall lined with darkened booths. "Come on, Auley and everyone's waiting over here, been excited to see ya!”

I only nodded in reply, pint close to my chest as I followed after him, bobbing between an array of patrons effortlessly now. The earlier anxiety shovelled deep, deep down.

***

Withdrawal was something Matty had never thought too much about in the years before. He'd always had everything right there, on tap. A quick hit, a line just to pick him up. It always felt so easy.

But now, without the copious amount of pills, the parties, he finally realised why the fuck people were never able to stay away for too long. Because sooner or later, they always ended up crawling back.

It wasn't so much the flu-ish like sickness that had him reeling, although he really could've done without the high-fever sweats and the full body tremors. It was more that ever encompassing sorrow. The depression that never seemed to lift- but then again, depressed wasn't even the first word he would use to describe it. It was like a thick plume of murky black that fogged every exit, far beyond the gut wrenching nausea that clawed away at his insides at all hours of the day, or the constant drilling in his head that kept him from sleep.

Being without-

Being without was practically maddening. A spiral of hellish days with no escape, the only choice he had was to carry on or simply turn back. And he'd come too far now to run towards the latter, he’d already made that mistake. And if he had anything to thank his godforsaken mother for, it was the sheer stubbornness they both so clearly shared.

Matty couldn't complain though, he wouldn’t, as much as he wished he often could though, because he was still leaning heavily on the spirits. He knew. As well as the band and Jamie, who'd also been hellbent on 'helping'. In their own way.

Although the idiots hadn't made things much easier for him, the guys hadn't put up much of a fight against his drunk ramblings or the never ending mood swings. They just took it all in stride. Which Matty was mostly grateful for.

The alcohol though, he'd currently taken to using as a crutch. He'd drink a little more and more just to cope with the effects, the longing, to get him through to the next day. But he'd never felt too dependent on it before and didn't feel as though it was a massive problem now, he'd been drinking since before he'd worked out how to pick the lock on his dad’s old liquor cabinet. He’d keep drinking ‘til he was near the grave.

The drinking though, was just a baby habit in comparison to the drugs.

It was also how he'd managed to find himself out on a Thursday night.

He'd actually managed to forgo Hann's mothering this time, sending his mate off home early from the studio before he'd called up an old friend. Itching for that familiarity of older times, shaking with it really, but knowing better.

"Oi, Healy- you still with us?" Crowed a loud voice in his left ear.

Matty startled at it and turned back around to find the one and only Danny Willis hanging over his shoulder, usual open-mouthed grin on full display, a drink in hand.

He blinked up at him once before Matty’s lips turned upwards into a lazy smile, he spun around on his foot to get further in his friend's face. "Thought you'd gone off with that bird?"

"Who, blondie?" Danny questioned, smirking now. "Nah, wouldn't have left you hanging all alone, mate."

Matty snorted.

"Ah, so you do care!" He drained the dregs of his bourbon then grinned at the twat, "Always wondered whether you fancied me, Danny boy! Guess this just proves it, don’t it?"

Danny wound an arm around his shoulders and leant in to press a sloppy, wet kiss to his cheek. Matty pulled away, cackling as he tried to shrug the added weight off.

"Prick." Matty scoffed lightly, stumbling as he rubbed at his face. He grunted at the small group he'd accidentally bulldozed into in his haste and they all scowled in return, but it wasn't long before Danny jumped in to rescue and steer him away.

"Come on. Let's get out of here, hey? The next bar awaits and all that." Danny proclaimed, chucking back the remnants of his own drink. Matty chuckled when the man winced and then wiped the corners of his mouth. "Reckon we might be able to find someone decent for you to take home there!"

Matty merely hummed in reply as they pushed their way through a set of double doors and out into the night, not really listening as he propped himself up against Dan's side, ignoring the whispers that tended to follow wherever he went.

"Ah, look at that, would you!" Danny's voice came again, right by his ear, as he paused on the pavement to cock his chin outwards, forcing Matty to follow his gaze. "It's a full moon!"

Matty rolled his eyes.

***

"Come on, Mouse!" Auley tried for the umpteenth time that night. His larger than life smile, I noted, had always been much gentler than that of his brother's. "You can't stay cooped up in this booth all evenin'! You need to put yourself out there, darlin’- have some fun!"

I shook my head, chuckling up at the giant of a man standing before me. "I swear I'm fine here, Aul. You go and have enough fun for the both of us."

Auley's face scrunched up in distaste as he reluctantly pushed away from the table's edge, the dim lights of the bar illuminating his hair, almost seeming to set it alight as it added a halogen glow to the already coppery red.

Ronan chose that moment to reappear, brushing past his brother to settle back into the booth next to me. He set two more drinks down on the table. "Leave the poor lass alone, won’t you, Aul! You know how she gets."

I rolled my eyes, albeit fondly, and Auley did the same as he slowly backed away, mouth quirked upwards. "Yeah, yeah. Yer like a pair of old women, you two- peas in a pod or somethin'."

"Ah, shove off!" Ronan laughed, a deep rumbling sound that shook his whole body. "Think I can hear the dance floor callin' your name, mate."

"Too right." Auley quipped, flashing another bright grin at his brother before he turned back to face me. "Know that this isn't over just yet. You might've won this battle but you ain't won the war, darlin’. I'll soon get that dance."

I snorted, but was unable to help my grin. "One day, babe."

Auley winked at me and I watched on as he melted into the mob of people before us, leaving Ronan and I alone.

I observed the crowd for a long moment, taking note of all their dizzying smiles. For a Thursday night, the bar was oddly rampacked, but I couldn't find it in myself to complain too much, not when everyone seemed to be having a great time.

There was a large group of us out tonight. Alongside asking me to join, Ronan and Auley had brought along the entirety of their flat as well as a few others, some from uni, others from work, I reckoned. They'd all split up within the first half hour though, but they kept drifting back and forth, I could easily spot Penn and his brightly coloured shirt over by the snooker table in the very far corner, and most of the girls had crowded together out on the dance floor.

"Havin' a good night then?"

I repositioned myself upon hearing Ronan's question, he was closer now in an attempt to be heard over the music, and I sipped at the foamy top of my pint before answering. "Yeah, I am. It's, well it's been a while since I last did anything like this." I chuckled, eyes roaming the room again.

Ronan shifted closer once more, the booth’s leather seat squeaking quietly under his weight as the song on the overhead speakers faded into the next.

"I'm glad. We haven't seen you proper since yer last year at uni."

It was true but that wasn't just down to me, I felt the need to say. But instead gave him a small smile as I just shrugged, thumbing the edge of the table, "Life gets busy with a baby. Plus, it's not as though any of you lot had time to just drop by and see me, with all your classes and what not."

Ronan’s lips pursed at my words and a quiet stretched between us. I watched on as he fiddled with the bottom of his pint glass, before finally he replied. "Could've made time. Finn did. Cassie, too. Just- it felt strange, going back after that summer and you not bein' there."

To be honest, I didn't really know what to say to that.

As much as I had loved my time at university, I hadn't really had much space for it in my life after Teddy had come along. And although I’d never regretted my decision to leave, not after everything I'd gone through to get to where I am today. Because my God, had that been hard. I did sometimes miss the memories I’d made there, the people I’d met and, surprisingly, the workload too. It made me question whether I could have had it all, a degree and a baby. Although, I somehow doubted that that was what Ronan was grasping at here.

But it wouldn’t do well to continue to dwell on the past. I'd already spent a large portion of my life doing exactly that, and I’d known in the long run that I would have to have let go of some things in order to provide a better life for Teddy, better than the one that I’d had. I wanted my son to have every possible opportunity, every choice, in order to better himself. I wanted him to be a kid for as long as life would let him.

And as much as I really did love spending time with Ronan and the old gang, I also knew that come tomorrow morning I had actual commitments and responsibilities to attend to. I didn't have the opportunity anymore to skive and bunk off of lectures so that I could deal with a nasty hangover and sleep in. Teddy was always relying on me to come through. And come through I would. Every time.

But right now! I just needed to let my hair down. Enjoy an evening away, and maybe (hopefully) get rid of some of that tension that had been piling up over the previous weeks.

Thankfully though, I was saved from answering when a flushed Alice came hurrying over, clinking her cocktail on the table so hard it's fruity contents spilled out across the wooden surface. The overexcited girl, who was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet, didn't pay much mind to the mess as she threw herself into our booth and peered over her shoulder to search for something or other.

I shot Ronan a bewildered look, but the ginger merely widened his eyes at me as if to say that he had no clue what was going on either.

"Er, you alright, Al?"

Alice's head snapped back so fast that I honestly fretted a little over the whiplash she must've felt.

"No?! Do I look alright?" Alice stressed, digging her perfectly painted nails into the red cushion that lined the booth's back. "You'll never believe who Penn and I just saw walk in!"

I only hid a smile to myself whilst Ronan decided to humour Alice. "Who d’ya see, Ali-cat?"

Alice's face was nothing like I had ever seen before, her usual pretty smile had been traded in for a kilowatt grin, bunching her rosy cheeks and narrowing her soft brown eyes.

"That singer! You know- the one with the hair and the face! Ah, what's his name? From that band!"

"Matty!" Answered Indra- seemingly a friend of a friend of a friend- who had bounded up to our table in the time Alice had been freaking out, practically hyperventilating. "The. Matty Healy!"

"That's who!" Alice exclaimed and was nodding away excitedly now, whilst I simply sat frozen, drink halfway to my lips.

"Didn't you interview him?" Indra queried suddenly, her eyes as wide as saucers whilst her gaze flitted back and forth between me and the bar at an impossible pace.

Shakily, I set my glass down.

"You did?" Ronan piped up beside me. I swallowed thickly before turning my head towards him, then back towards the two girls, who were anxiously waiting on my reply.

"Uh, yeah." It felt as though I’d forced the words out of my mouth. A ball of cotton having replaced my tongue.

"Oh, Mouse! Introduce us, would you? Please!" Alice all but squealed imploringly.

My alarmed eyes flickered back to Ronan again, then Indra, and then Alice.

My mouth had never felt so dry as I tried my best to ground myself, to get over the sudden, unexpected headfuck that had sent my mind reeling.

"Ah, I don't know, Al. It's, well. I-" I really did struggle to find the right words that could possibly get me out of this entire situation, but before I even knew what was happening, Indra was already reaching for me and pulling me up out of the booth.

Alice jumped up to join her and patted my sleeve eagerly before proceeding to try and drag me away. Ronan, thank the stars, reached out to stop them just in time, tugging on the hem of my jacket and shooting the two girls a sharp look.

"Oi, you two. Behave, will yer? You didn't even give her the chance to answer."

Alice looked up and flashed me a sheepish grin, "Sorry, hun."

Feeling sheepish and rather relieved, really, to be freed from all the clawing hands, I waved her apology off, knowing Ali was only just drunk and excited. "It's fine, just- I think I'm better off heading home now in truth. You know, I've got Teddy to think about."

Both of the girls' disappointment was overwhelmingly obvious, but they didn't push it any further, simply nodded and tried to smile as best as they could.

"No worries, Mouse. You get on home, babe. Sorry again."

"Wait, you're not actually leaving, are you?" Ronan questioned suddenly, causing me to cast a glance over at him. He was frowning now, that much was obvious from the deep set line rapidly forming between his bushy brows. "It's not 'cause of that tosser, is it?"

Immediately, I felt myself shake my head, already knowing that the lie would taste bitter in my mouth.

"Ah, come off it! Stay for another round at least." Ronan goaded me, moving to stand with the girls, his hand still on my elbow though.

"Nah, I'd best head home, Ro. I don't want to be dealing with a hangover as well as a screaming toddler tomorrow morning." I insisted with a lighthearted chuckle, I gifted him an apologetic smile whilst fishing out my phone to call a cab.

It wasn't even late yet, just gone eleven, and there was an unread text from Finn demanding that I have some fun. I gave a heavy sigh.

"Don't be like that, babe. Come on, one more drink and I'll even walk you home." Ronan raised a brow just as he jutted out his jaw and smiled.

It was tempting but...

I laughed lightly and shook my head. "Honestly, Ro-"

But the man wouldn't hear it. "Come on, ladies. Help me out here!" He implored to both of the girls standing either side of him now, the way he towered them was almost funny.

Indra giggled just as Ronan wrapped his strong arms around her and Alice, shaking them a little. Alice simply rolled her eyes at him in amusement, but pulled away slightly to squeeze my hand.

"It's up to you, M. You know we love seeing you, but I can call you a cab if you really want to head off now."

I could only smile at her and silently questioned why we didn't spend more time together outside of the group. I could easily recall Finn saying something or other about a pottery class the two of them had attended the previous weekend and wondered if that would be something I might enjoy.

"I'll be fine, babe. Thank you, though." I told her kindly, before turning to face Ronan. "You enjoy the rest of your night, alright? I'll text you when I've made it back."

"Mouse..." Ronan groaned unhappily, "Just one more drink. For me?"

I shook my head and tugged my jacket further around my body as I stepped away from the trio, patting down my pockets to make sure that I did have everything I needed.

"I'll come out again, soon." I promised them, but tried to aim my words at the frowning redhead as I continued to back away. "You can hold me to it."

Ronan worked his jaw before he nodded curtly, and I sighed to myself before spinning on my heel to hastily make my exit.

Only, it didn't quite happen like that of course, because, of all the people, in all the world, I just had to bump right into none other than Matty.

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foolforharrry · 1 year

Text

Cactus Mug - Harry Styles Oneshot

Summary: After being away from each other for so long while Harry is on tour, y/n finally decides to go surprise Harry.

2.5k words

Any support is very appreciated. And if you have any requests feel free to send an ask, comment or a direct message

Also let me know if you guys want a part 2

Here's my masterlist if you want to check out more of my stuff

Harry has been on tour for months now. Waking up to a cold bed alone every day is something he’s made known he absolutely despises. As much as he loves performing in front of his fans every night, touring can get lonely. And some days are harder than others.

Today has been one of those days.

The first thing I did when I opened my eyes was to check my phone for a text message from Harry.

And like almost every single morning, there it was. The notification bubble with his contact name in.

H: Missing you extra tonight. I can’t wait to finally kiss you and have you in my arms again. This house doesn’t really feel like a home without you. So I might have tried out that new recipe you sent me the other day. The mushroom risotto. Not sure where I went wrong, but it didn’t taste very good. So you’ll have to show me how to make it when you get here. Only one more week, yeah? Goodnight, my love.

Reading it, all I could think about was the disappointed frown he must’ve had on his face when he realised that he had messed up the food. Knowing him, he would have eaten as much of it as he could stomach.

It was then I decided to call my boss and ask her if there was any chance that I could work from home. I wasn’t 100% sure if she would grant it, but she must’ve heard the desperation in my voice and decided to show me mercy.

Before Harry, I’d never seen myself as someone who would be able to be in a long-distance relationship. In the past when situations where a relationship would’ve become long distance, I was always the one to end it, not being able to stand being away from the person for that long.

But with Harry it was different. With him, it’s worth it.

That doesn’t mean I’m not counting down the days until we can be together again from the minute he leaves.

Which is why I didn’t think the flight through enough and ended up having to sprint through the airport to make it to my gate in order to not miss my flight, knowing I definitely forgot to pack something I’m going to need but it’s too late to worry about that now.

The second I’m squeezed between a teenage girl and a middle-aged man on the plane at 12:05 pm, I fish my phone out of my pocket again with hands shaky from excitement and nerves. Both over seeing Harry again and the sneaky element of flying to him without him knowing I am.

Me: Morning, Angel. I’ve got a really busy day at work today, so I’m sorry if I don’t get back to you before late. And of course, I’ll teach you how to make it (what would you do without me?). I love you higher than the sky xx

I’m hoping he won’t ask me any questions about what I’m going to be so busy with since I’m a horrible liar, especially under stress.

My prayers are answered when his reply comes almost immediately. The text message attached to a photo of his sleep-puffed face with his eyes closed, pink lips puckered and his hair wild and curly from sleep.

H: Sending all my love and kisses to you baby. Good luck with your day. If you’re not too tired when you get home, we could facetime? I miss your voice so much.

Me: It’ll be nice to see your face again. I miss it.

H: If you miss it too much you can always just look at your lock screen, you know.

Me: Yes. This solves all of my problems! Bye now, my love.

I have to bite the inside of my cheek to keep myself from smiling like a psychopath as I type out one last text message and attach a photo I know will hurt his ego a bit before I set my phone to flight mode.

There hasn’t gone a week since the photo was taken where I haven’t reminded him of its existence. If I can’t share it with anyone else, I’m gonna share it with him.

It was taken almost a year ago in the hotel room we were staying in. Harry had demanded that I take a photo of him with his new cactus mug. The mug was adorable and literally looked like a cactus. He had been posing by the sofa when he forgot that tea is hot. The sip of tea he’d just taken had been sent flying everywhere as well as all the tea that was still inside the mug.

I thank the lucky stars every day for live photos.

While he had been panicking about burning his tongue, he had ended up dropping the mug to the floor. Something he says he’s still upset over.

So last week, when I saw a mug almost identical to the one he broke, I had to buy it for him. It’s safely tucked in my bag. My favourite hoodie of Harry’s is wrapped around it to keep it from breaking. Hopefully.

“You need to put your seatbelt on, miss.”

The polite voice snaps me out of my thought, turning my head to look at the flight attendant. It takes me a second to comprehend, what she says, but when I do I thank her quickly, offering her a small smile before fastening my seatbelt.

When I’m secured, I plug my wired AirPods in, and try my best to get comfortable for the six-hour flight ahead of me

I’ve never really been a fan of flying.

The idea of being crammed in a metal box with a bunch of strangers high up in the clouds for a longer period of time just never appealed to me. Especially not with the occasional screaming baby.

But this might have been one of the least uncomfortable flights I’ve ever taken.

Sleeping for most of it might have a lot to do with it, but oh well.

I’m not gonna lie and say that it wasn’t a relief to finally exit the plane and stand in a building that doesn’t lift off the ground either.

However, that relief doesn’t even get close to the feeling when I finally lay eyes on my final destination.

When the driver finally stops the car, I’m quick to pay before I’m hauling myself and my bag out of the cab while thanking him over my shoulder. He drives off immediately, leaving me alone in front of the house I’m starting to think is empty.

The lights are all turned off and Harry’s car isn’t parked in its usual spot. He only ever parks it in the garage when he’s leaving LA.

A bit defeated, I take my keychain out of the outer pocket of my bag as I step up the few stairs leading to the front door. Finally, after fiddling with it for way too long, I find the right key.

Like I thought, the house is empty. There is no music playing anywhere. The TV is off and there is no sign of life as I drop my bag by the staircase.

Still, just the faint smell of him feels like a warm, much-needed hug.

Not wanting to spoil the surprise, but also wanting to know what he’s up to, I get my phone out of my back pocket and dial Harry’s number on my way up the stairs to the second floor.

He picks up before I’ve reached the top.

“Hi, love.”, Harry’s voice has a smile forming on my face within seconds.

I stop in my tracks, willing my heart to slow down again half convinced he’s able to hear it through the phone from how hard it’s beating. Even after all this time, just hearing his voice makes my stomach fill with butterflies. “Hi, baby. I only have a second. But i wanted to hear your voice. what are you up to?”

That’s a good lie, right?

“I’m on my way to the shop right now. I was craving grapes. Are you ok, though? You sound a little out of breath.”

“I just ran up the stairs.” Not a complete lie. “But anyways. I have to go again.”

“Already?”, he asks, his voice sounding sad.

“I’m sorry, my love.” I genuinely am. “But hey. We’ll see each other so soon, yeah? Can’t wait to see you.”

He hums, “One more week.”

After saying goodbye, I hang up, doing some quick calculations in my head that I do have time to shower the icky feeling of flying off me before he gets back home from the store if I’m fast.

Not wasting any time, I speed walk to our bedroom, making a beeline for Harry’s side of the closet so I can grab one of his hoodies. I settle on a pastel yellow one with a big kawaii drawing of a pug on the front before shuffling to grab a pair of grey sweatpants and some underwear from my own side of the closet.

Since I’m not entirely sure exactly how much time I have before Harry is going to be back home, I decide against music. I can’t let myself get carried away and take too long.

But before I strip out of my clothes and hop in the shower, I run downstairs, pull the cactus mug out of my bag and set it on top of the kitchen island next to the plain black one with a used tea bag that was already left there.

Just in case.

As much as I love our home in New York, it just hasn’t felt the same while he’s been away. The only mess in the apartment was made by me and me alone.

And I’m not gonna lie and say that I haven’t missed the way Harry always leaves a mess behind throughout the week. Whether that be a towel on the floor or a heap of clothes left slung over a chair. Or the way he would vow to get better at tidying up after himself every Sunday only to never follow through on it.

So seeing all the different products and stuff scattered all over the dark grey bathroom countertops brings me a sense of peace I didn’t know that I needed.

I make quick work of my shower, even turning the water off while washing my hair and body to force myself to be more efficient. But even with that, I wasn’t fast enough.

While in the process of pulling the soft hoodie over my head, my breath gets caught in my throat when I hear footsteps just outside the bathroom door.

They’re very quiet. Almost as if the person is trying to keep themselves from anyone hearing them. I wouldn’t even have caught them if it weren’t for the fact that I didn’t close the door all the way.

“Fuck.”, I curse, scrambling to loop my arms through the sleeves just as the door swings open fully to reveal a sight that has me torn between whether to laugh or cry from pure happiness.

Harry is holding a frying pan up in defence, clutching it with both hands as if his life depends on it. And I can’t decide whether he looks terrified or surprised.

I clear my throat, not even caring about the whole plan I had been ruined. “You just gonna stand there, Rapunzel?”

One second later and he’s dropped the frying pan, the sound of it clattering to the ground echoes around the bathroom. But I don’t get to even look at it for more than just a moment before I’m engulfed in one of the tightest hugs I’ve ever gotten.

Harry’s arms go around my waist, burying his face in my neck when I hug him back. I have to stand on my tippy toes to loop my arms around his neck, feeling my eyes start to well up with tears. It’s only now that I’m back in his arms, feeling his chest move with every breath he takes and the puffs of air fanning out over the soft skin of my neck with each exhale.

He’s so freaking warm too. Not just physically. But just the feel of being close enough to smell his cologne and the faint remnants of his body wash makes a warmth spread through my whole body. It’s like taking a sip of hot tea when you’re freezing cold. The heat slowly expanded from my heart to my fingertips.

It feels like home.

“What the fuck are you doing here?”, Harry mumbles, forcing a choked chuckle from me as I hug him tighter. “I can always go back to New York if you don’t want me here.”, I joke without meaning it one bit. You’d have to knock me out and drag me along the floor for me to leave.

Pulling back enough to look me in the eye, Harry takes my face in his hands, “If you even think about leaving me alone again, I’m going to follow you. And then when I’ve caught you. I’m gonna throw tomatoes at you.”

The more he speaks, the more he squishes my cheeks, making my words partly slurred which only makes it that much harder to keep a straight face. “What if I want you to throw tomatoes at me?”

He tilts his head to the side with a chuckle, dimples indenting his cheeks. His green eyes look like they’re sparkling from the way the light reflects in them and blush has painted his cheeks pink.

“You’re fucking impossible, you know.”, he breathes out with a laugh.

I run my fingers through his hair, getting distracted momentarily by how soft his curls are. “You still love me, right?”

Instead of answering me with words, Harry ducks down, pressing his lips against mine in a way that has me losing my breath as my eyelids fall shut.

The way he kisses me turns me into putty in his arms. Both from how gently his hands hold my face to how soft his lips are as he mumbles ‘I love you' against my lips between kisses until I’m giggling too much to kiss him back and he just starts peppering kisses all over my face.

I tug lightly on his hair to get pull his face back a bit when I hear a sniffle, frowning when I see his eyes watery with unshed tears. the tip of his nose is a bit red and his lips turned into a pout.

It’s when I ask him what’s wrong, a single tear starts rolling down his cheek quickly followed by another.

Harry blinks rapidly, looking up at the ceiling as he sniffles again but doesn’t tell me why he’s crying.

Wiping his tears away with my thumbs, I kiss his moist cheek tenderly, toying with the curls at the nape of his neck. “Tell me what’s wrong, Angel.”

“I just missed you.”, Harry sniffles. “They’re happy tears though.”

“I missed you too.”, I admit. Whispering it to him as if I haven’t told him that I miss him every day we’ve been apart.

“Now really. How are you here, baby?”, Harry asks seriously, sliding his hands from my face down my neck. “I thought you couldn’t get away from work for another week.”

“Well.”, I start, already feeling my cheeks heat up, “Asking your boss very nicely with a drop of desperation seems to work wonders.”

Harry smirks, “Desperation huh?” Even his chest puffs in pride.

“I had to give you your belated birthday present.”, I explain to him, feeling giddy as I remember the genius purchase I made.

“My birthday is in February, love.”

I roll my eyes at him, grabbing his hand before dragging him with me. Careful to step over the pan he dropped.

“Where are we going?”, Harry asks. He still laces our fingers together, giving my hand a squeeze. It might as well have been my heart he had his hand wrapped around with the jump it made at the gesture.

“To get you your present.”

#harry #harry smut #harry styles one shot #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles blurb #harry styles fluff #harry styles masterlist #harry styles imagine #harry styles x reader #harry styles smut #harry styles #one direction #fanfiction #masterlist #harry styles concept #harry love on tour #love on tour

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teaberrii · 4 months

Text

Chapter 12: Eyes Everywhere

After ending a five-year relationship, you pour all your energy into work. Your latest assignment? Staying at a popular bed-and-breakfast to gather information. It should be a piece of cake... If only the owner isn't the man you scolded on the street.

Jing Yuan/You

Notes:

Cross-posted on Ao3

Female reader

Chapter index at the end of chapter one

You’re spending the rest of the afternoon doing research in the city. You manage to score an interview with some businessmen, and the responses of one of them have you see a silver lining.

“There are a lot of great business opportunities here besides hospitality. I mean… it truly is a great place if people here can get it up and running. It may be small, but they should take advantage of the island's natural resources. That can seriously boost its economy! I already know people who want to get factories up and running… but they’ve been and still are facing a lot of obstacles.

"Take this off the record, but I think the people here are too protective of themselves. Maybe it’s because of what happened to that owner that everyone sees outside influences as a threat.”

“Owner?” you ask.

“Yeah. Caelus… I think that was his name. He owned a boutique hotel”—the man points somewhere in the distance—” somewhere in that area on the next street over. I kind of knew his old man as my wife and I stayed there when it was just getting off the ground. It’s quite a shame. Their ideas were very unique, and I heard they were doing well before the awful news…”

“Have they said anything about their business running into some sort of trouble?”

“God, it was so long ago… but I remember a fight. Don’t know the man who was arguing with them but my wife was a local here. She’d never seen him before either, so it might’ve been an irritated customer since it was pretty clear he wanted to make a scene.”

You show him a picture of Caelus’s uncle. “Was this him?”

“Yeah! Pretty sure.”

So, that meant Caelus’s uncle mainly or had always stayed in the city. Was he already trying to sabotage the hotel before the Star Rails project with Jing Yuan's ex? Did the resentment go that far?

You thank the man for his time. Then, as he walks away, you quickly turn around. Perhaps you’re paranoid, but you swear you sense someone looking at you. But all you see are people and tourists walking around. Nothing out of the ordinary.

“Well, well, if it isn’t everyone’s favourite mother.”

You recognize that voice anywhere. You turn around, and your guess is right. “Didn’t think I’d see our athlete superstar walking the streets alone.”

“Yeah, well, not everyone gets the special opportunity to spend time with the one and only,” Dan Feng says with an amused grin. “You’re lucky.” You give him a deadpan look but start walking with him nonetheless. “So, how was the date? Did Jing Yuan treat you like the queen you are?”

“Flattery will get you nowhere, son.”

“Oof. You got me.”

“But, since you asked... I had a lot of fun. It was wonderful."

“Wonderful? Really? You’re too young to be sounding so old, Mom.” You raise a fist, and Dan Feng quickly raises the bag of groceries he’s holding to protect himself. “Just kidding!” You face forward just as he asks, “So, are you two official?”

You don’t know what to tell him. The less people know, the better. However, Jing Yuan already messaged you about Yanqing's mistake. And there’s also the project. You may be digging up dirt on Star Rails, but you’re still partly responsible for this project's success. Perhaps it’s best to wait until this is all over to announce the news.

“All right, I get it,” Dan Feng says. “I think I know why you want to keep it hush-hush for now.” He winks at you. “I’ll keep your secret, Mom. Don’t worry. But… Did you know his ex is back?”

“Who did you hear that from?”

“No one. I saw her myself. If I were to take an educated guess, she was going to pick up Yanqing.”

“Have you met her before?”

“Twice. Once when she and Jing Yuan were dating. The next was on their wedding day.”

“...Ah.”

Dan Feng gently nudges you. “Hey, don’t be getting jealous. They’re done for.”

You want to say you’re not jealous. It doesn’t bother you at all. And, maybe you’d really feel that way if you’d never seen her. But now that you’ve seen and met her in person… it feels more real.

You clear your throat. “Where’s your brother?”

“He’s been worried about Jingliu, so they’re out on a little date. I wanted to go, but he insisted on going alone.”

“Someone sure sounds disappointed.”

“Just between you and me, I think he has a thing for her.”

“Don’t tell me you’re jealous.”

“Me?” Dan Feng scoffs. “Oh, please. It’s Jingliu. It’d take someone really special to sweep her off her feet.”

“You don’t think Dan Heng meets those standards?”

“Do you think he does?”

“Sir, why are you asking me?”

“Well, you and Jingliu are kind of alike… You’re both women.”

“Very well spotted, thanks.”

“Honestly, I don’t think there’s a man or woman who exists that can match Jingliu. She’s unmatched.”

You and Dan Feng are almost at the bed and breakfast when the conversation turns to his training for the Global Games next year.

“It’ll probably be my last competition.”

“...Are you thinking about retiring?”

Dan Feng smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “Yeah. I don’t think I have much of a choice.”

There’s more to the story, but you don’t get to ask when you reach the stone villa. You see March and Welt sitting on the couch inside, and Pom is anxiously looking upstairs. Knowing exactly where it leads, you glance up. You hear faint conversation but not enough to know what’s going on, but you’re sure that the voices belong to Jing Yuan and his ex.

“What’s going on?” Dan Feng asks, pushing open the door. “Why are you all just sitting here?”

March sighs. “Because there’s a war going on upstairs.”

“Where’s Yanqing?” you ask.

“Upstairs with Jing Yuan and… his ex,” Welt says.

Pom puts some glasses on the table. “Let’s calm down, everyone.”

You take out your phone and see the last text from Jing Yuan.

She found out through Yanqing.

You’re sitting next to Welt when Pom puts a glass of water in front of you. “Everything will be okay,” he reassures.

“Why is Yanqing up there?” Dan Feng asks. “Why are they up there, anyway?”

“She wanted a place ‘to talk’,” Pom says. “Neither of them wanted to go to his place."

“Wait. How do you know this?”

“I… sorta overheard a little bit of their conversation when they got back. They came in, and Jing Yuan said they’ll be using the balcony upstairs.”

March leans back. “God, why’d she have to show up?”

You don’t know if you’ll get a response, but you text Jing Yuan anyway.

I’m downstairs. Is everything okay?

Just then, everyone hears footsteps, and the first person to appear is Jing Yuan. He’s carrying Yanqing who's resting his head on Jing Yuan’s shoulder. The poor kid looks exhausted. Behind Jing Yuan is his ex.

When Yanqing sees you, he lifts his head, and Jing Yuan puts him down. You stand and meet them halfway. Yanqing hugs your knees, and you affectionately pat his head.

“Is he okay?” you ask Jing Yuan.

There's a tired but stern look in Jing Yuan’s eyes. “He’s fine."

Then, his ex walks up to you, ignoring the stares of the others. “Let’s have dinner together.” She crosses her arms. “I have the information that you want, and I’ll give it to you on one condition.” Where is she getting this confidence from? “So, since we’re both here, let’s use the time to get to know each other. Just the two—”

“Enough.” Jing Yuan’s interruption makes the room go completely silent. Then, he shoots his ex a cold look. “Yanqing gave you his answer.”

“This is between me and her.”

“No, it’s not. You’re using other ways to try to get what you want without any consideration for your son.”

“Stop.” Yanqing’s muffled voice sounds desperate. “Stop fighting… Please…”

His ex turns to you, looking a little rattled. “So, we’ll have dinner tonight. Just me and you.”

You clench your fists, but you hold your tongue for Yanqing’s sake. As soon as she walks out the door, March lets out a breath. You still have a comforting hand around Yanqing’s head when she walks over.

“Geezus, what happened up—”

Dan Feng’s nudge makes her stop. He nods at Yanqing who’s still hugging your legs.

“I wanna go home,” Yanqing says, his voice still muffled.

You crouch and put your hands on his cheeks. “Then, let’s go home.”

The car ride back to Jing Yuan’s house is a quiet one. Before you get there, Jing Yuan reaches over and gives your hand a little squeeze. You turn to him, and you can see it in his eyes. He’ll tell you what happened but not with Yanqing in the car.

A short while later, Jing Yuan is making Yanqing a snack in the kitchen. You and Yanqing are in the living room, playing a game of chess, but you can tell from the tired and sad look in his eyes that he’s focused on something else.

“...I made a mistake.” At first, you think he’s talking about the game. “When Dad was driving me to school, he told me beforehand that I shouldn’t call you Mom while she’s here. I forgot, and…”

“Hey…” You sit next to him. “Don’t tell me you’re blaming yourself.”

“Maybe if I didn’t make that mistake, they wouldn’t have fought and…”

Jing Yuan puts a plate of healthy, homemade snacks on the table, and you and Yanqing look up at him. Then, Jing Yuan crouches and puts a hand around his son’s head. “It’s not your fault, Yanqing.”

“But… She got so mad.”

Jing Yuan glances at you. “Do you think calling her Mom is something you shouldn’t do?”

Yanqing looks at you. “Well, if she doesn’t mind…”

You kiss his head. “Of course I don’t.”

Jing Yuan affectionately ruffles his son's hair. "That means it's okay, and you didn't do anything wrong." Yanqing manages a small smile and Jing Yuan affectionately ruffles his hair. “Why don’t you take your snacks and watch some TV while Mom and I have a little talk?”

Yanqing looks from Jing Yuan to you and back to Jing Yuan. Then, he picks up his plate and walks over to the couch. You and Jing Yuan end up in the kitchen where he also prepared you a little something. But food is the last thing on your mind.

“I’ve never seen him so quiet,” you say. “What in the world happened?”

Jing Yuan sighs. “She wants you to leave Yanqing alone. If you do, she'll tell you what you want to know."

It takes a moment for his words to sink in.

“Yanqing never said you were seeing anyone,” his ex said, glaring at Jing Yuan.

"It's not something he should have to tell you."

“I don’t care what kind of relationship she has with you, but she’s not taking Yanqing away from me.” Then, she crouched and put her hand on Yanqing's shoulders. He was sitting on the couch, trying to disassociate from all of this negativity. Jing Yuan never wanted him here, but his ex refused to let him leave as she also wanted to set things straight with him. “Yanqing, Mom will give you a much better life in the city. We recently moved into a bigger house, and a new private school just opened—”

“...I don’t want to go.”

“Why? You can still see your dad, and—”

“It’s not just because of Dad,” Yanqing interrupted quietly. “I like it here, and it’s not like Dad isn't letting me see you. I still visit, but I don’t want to stay there… forever.”

“Yanqing, you’re still too young to understand, but—”

“You say he’s too young," Jing Yuan interrupted, "but at least he knows what he wants." She stood upright, and Yanqing ran over to Jing Yuan. "That might change when he gets older, but stop pressuring him into doing something he doesn’t want.”

“Pressuring him? I’m not! I’m reasoning with him.” His ex scoffed and crossed her arms. “It’s also because of her, isn’t it?”

"Stop saying it's because of her." Jing Yuan glared at her. "Because it's not. You're not respecting him."

She walked up until she was close enough to lower her voice so Yanqing couldn't hear. "I know she's looking for some information. She wouldn't come to me if it was easy to get." She returned his glare with one of her down. "I want her out of Yanqing's life."

“I’m not going to let Yanqing see her anymore." Jing Yuan puts his hands on the counter behind him. "Not alone, at least.”

You scoff. “I’m also not going to give her what she wants.”

A short silence passes where both of you are mulling over your thoughts about what to do with this crazy woman until…

“...But I'll still have dinner with her.” Jing Yuan looks up and sees you leaning against the wall. “She knows that you’ll definitely tell me what happened on the balcony. And, knowing that, I’m not going to run away.”

“If you made up your mind, I have an idea.”

“I’m all ears, General.”

◆◆◆

Jing Yuan drops you off at a nearby restaurant later that evening. As soon as you enter, you see his ex already at a table near the window. Taking a small breath, you walk over. You know she sees you but she’s still looking out the window. You slip off your coat and drape it over the back of the chair. Then, you casually put your phone face down on the table. When you sit down, she finally acknowledges you.

“How long have you been seeing Jing Yuan?”

“I thought we were here to talk about your deal, not my relationship with Jing Yuan.”

She pours herself some wine. “It’s related.”

“What’s your condition?”

She scoffs. “I feel like I’m looking into a mirror.”

You force a smile. "Let's not waste time.”

“Didn’t Jing Yuan tell you? I want you out of Yanqing’s life.”

“That’s impossible.”

“Then, no deal.”

You cross one leg over the other. “Regardless of who Jing Yuan dates, that person will be part of Yanqing’s life. Are you going to refuse whoever comes into their lives? Or, is it because it’s me, someone who happens to work at Star Rails?” A pause as you pour yourself some wine. “I also have other ways of getting what I need.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“Of course not. What would I gain from doing that?” You calmly look her in the eyes. “I’m giving you a chance to clear your name. Everyone thinks Star Rails has something to do with Caelus’s death. You were part of that project. It’s natural that people suspect you.”

“A chance to clear my name? Don’t make me laugh. I don’t have anything to hide.”

“Caelus’s uncle was a stakeholder in that project. You handled everything. It’s impossible not to have met him at least once. That time, you and Jing Yuan were still together and you knew that Caelus was his friend.”

“...What are you getting at?”

"Caelus and his uncle didn't have a good relationship. He even caused a scene at his hotel before meeting you. He must have known long before that Caelus wouldn't accept the offer from Star Rails. So, to succeed, you tried convincing Jing Yuan to convince Caelus to go through with the project. But, that failed. And somehow Caelus ends up dead."

“I didn’t have anything to do with that!” The sudden outburst turns a few heads. Then, she exhales sharply. “Why would his uncle want him to partner with Star Rails in the first place?”

Do you have the right answer? You have no idea. But the one you can think of is the only one that makes the most sense.

“Money. Caelus’s uncle wasn’t happy that his brother left Caelus with everything, including the hotel. Partnering with Star Rails is one way for him to get some kind of control over the hotel. There’d also be potential money under the table.”

“And what would I gain from that, hm? Yes, I wanted the project to succeed, but why would I help him?”

“He knew a guy.”

“I was talking to one of my business partners today, and… he mentioned Caelus’s uncle,” Jing Yuan said. “Not knowing that I know him.”

“What did they say?”

“He was recommending him as a potential partner as he’s supposedly a great businessman and friend. And he also has connections.”

“Wait a minute… Don’t tell me…”

Jing Yuan nodded. “He said Caelus’s uncle has been on good terms with senior management at Star Rails for a long time.”

“Senior management, huh?”

“He could put in a good word for you and help you climb the ranks,” you say.

“That doesn't guarantee I'll get anything. You’re going to have to try harder than that, Honey.”

"Then, why didn't you file the project reports? There wasn't anything suspicious about it other than Caelus's uncle being listed as a stakeholder. If you really don't have anything to hide, why don't you give a clear explanation?"

She’s looking off to the side when she says, “I just forgot.”

You almost scoff, but you don’t hide the disappointment on your face. You thought she would’ve come up with a better excuse than that.

“I have proof that you didn’t just forget.”

You think she’d ask for it, but instead, there's a pause before she says, “...He approached me first.”

Jing Yuan’s ex walked into a restaurant that evening. A stakeholder had invited her to a business dinner, and she'd thought others involved in the project would attend. But when she arrived, there was only one person. He was still dressed in the same outfit from the meeting earlier today.

“Ah, you’re here.”

She sat across from him, thinking whether she should stay or make an excuse to leave. “I thought there would be others joining us.”

He filled his glass and then hers with wine. “Let’s get right to it, shall we?” He picked up his glass and gestured for her to pick up hers. She reluctantly did so.

Clink!

“I’ve heard a lot of great things about your performance," he said, "and this project is apparently a make or break for a big promotion.”

“...Um, yes. That’s right. Does this have anything to do with—”

“My nephew is the owner of the boutique hotel.”

It took a moment for those words to sink in. She shouldn’t be so surprised as they have the same last name, but it was so common that she didn’t think twice.

“Let me tell you now that you won’t have any luck trying to convince him. This project is just an idea… a vision of what could happen. But, it’s not going to work.”

“If you have such strong concerns about it, why didn’t you raise them during the meeting?”

He extends his arms to the side. “Because if I did, the project wouldn’t be a success.”

“What… What are you saying?”

“My nephew won’t partner with Star Rails because our vision doesn’t align with his. Regardless of what happens, he wants to remain independent, and he won’t change his mind. Unless…”

“Are we ready to order?”

You almost frown when you hear the young waiter interrupt Jing Yuan’s ex. When you look at him, his innocent smile almost makes you sigh. After the waiter leaves, you turn back and see Jing Yuan’s ex calmly sipping her wine.

“...You were saying?” you ask.

She puts her wine glass on the table. “There’s nothing else to say.”

There is. You can feel it.

“...Did he have something to do with Caelus’s death?”

“You’re asking the wrong person.”

Are you, really?

“But, I had nothing to do with it."

After a brief silence, you say, “...You asked how long I was seeing Jing Yuan. What about you and your fiancé? How did you two meet?”

She slightly narrows her eyes. “Why are you asking?”

“He told me today that I had no idea what you went through. It just made me curious is all.”

“...Why would he tell you that?”

You look her in the eyes. “You tell me. It sounded like it had something to do with Caelus.”

“Let’s not get off topic. I told you what you wanted to know. Now, it’s my turn. Stay away from Yanqing.”

“This isn’t about me. Have you considered what he wants?”

“He’s too young to understand.”

“About what? You say he’s too young, but even I don’t understand why you want him to stay away from me."

"I don't need another person to be a bad influence on him. I'm already trying to get him out of this godforsaken town." She gives you a cold look. "Convincing Jing Yuan is hard enough. I don't need another person in my way."

"Godforsaken town? Why do you hate this place so much?"

She scoffs. "You haven't noticed? They aren't exactly the friendliest people to outsiders who want to do business here. They're too narrow-minded. I only want what's best for my son."

“Having me stay away from him isn’t going to help your case. It’s a short-term solution to a long-term problem. He may be young, but you should at least respect him.”

“Sorry for the wait!”

You don’t bother looking at the waiter as he sets your food in front of you. You give a nod of thanks just before he leaves. When you turn back, Jing Yuan’s ex is looking at you with a composed expression unlike before.

She looks as if she has something to say, but her phone goes off. After a glance, she says, “So, I take you aren’t going to do it.”

Perhaps you're paranoid, but you turn around. You sense you're being watched. But nothing seems out of the ordinary.

When you turn back, Jing Yuan's ex is already standing and putting on her coat. "Then, we have nothing else to discuss." She calls the waiter over, and there's confusion on his face but he does as he's told. He walks over, glances at you, and packs away her food.

You watch as they walk away. When you glance out the window, you see her cross the street and get into a car. You pick up your phone and turn off the recording that's been going on ever since you sat down. After texting Jing Yuan and knowing he’s on his way, you go to pay for your food. You step out into the cold, scrolling through your phone as you think about what you’ve learned.

You're sure Caelus's uncle has something to do with Caelus's death, and you also have a hunch that Jing Yuan's ex knows something about it if her fiancé's words are anything to go by. Was it the guilt of knowing and not doing anything? Or was it guilt—

Your eyes widen when a hand swiftly covers your nose and mouth. Your phone drops to the ground. Your hands are in a bind behind you. Despite your struggles, your attacker drags you into an alleyway, leaving your phone with an incoming call from Jing Yuan on the cold cement.

Chapter 13

Tag list: @suoshiii @lordbugs @lxry-chxn @seirenspinel @immahuman @queencybow @nqctre @grimreapersscythe @winterpein @asakenajustexistshere

#jing yuan x reader #jing yuan x y/n #jingyuan x you #jingyuan x reader #jing yuan x you #honkai jing yuan #hsr jing yuan

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lilykatelyn-blog · 9 months

Note

hey!!! can I request a riki oneshot where yall fight and you start ignoring him and he does everything to make it up??? and its a fluffy ending cuz i love mah boi. i looooved ur bf niki hc sooo much!!!

ofc!! Tysm anon!

ෆ I love you ෆ

pairing: riki x reader

SEND IN A REQUEST

genre: fluff, angst-ish? I suck at angst sorry 😭 if you didn’t like this send me a message or send in a different request and I’ll fix it, sorry 😭.

warnings: none

summary: your boyfriend is in a bad mood after he gets home from a long day at work, and say something he shouldn’t have. what you don’t know, is that he is beating himself up and ready to beg you to talk to him.

read below the cut!

You jumped up when you heard the door jangle, greeting your boyfriend with a hug to which he just grumbled and walked away. “You okay Riki?” You ask him, eyeing him cautiously. “I’m fine.” He’s sweaty, and he looks upset. “Are you sure? Did you eat? Did-“ “I’m fine! Okay? I just need to go shower, and I don’t need you all clingy and all over me! Just leave me alone, god.” Big mistake. “Oh.” That’s all you could say, just oh. He walked away to go shower, and left you.

time skip

Maybe you shouldn’t have left.. maybe you could have talked about it.. no, you don’t want to be clingy, maybe he really meant it. I’ll just distance myself, that’ll make him happy. You thought to yourself. You put on your headphones, and left your phone on your bed. You got to working on your laptop since you had some work to do, not hearing your phone go off.

Time skip

You heard knocking on your door, so you yelled for your roommate to come in. You looked at the door and saw Riki. “Riki? What are you doing here?” “You ignored me so I wanted to see if you were okay.” Oh, did you ignore him? “I didn’t hear, I was working. My boss gave me some extra work- I’m sorry, did you need something important, I’m so sorry, I should have chec-mmph” you got cut off as he pulled you in a hug. that fucking giant had to bend half of his body down to meet yours. “did you ask anything important?” You asked him, trying to pull away to look at him, but he just pulled you in closer. “No, just wanted to make sure you were okay, I really didn’t mean what I said. I was tired and upset and- it was all just a tiring day, I’m sorry Jagiya.” He rambled, still hugging you really close. “It’s fine.” “You’re really not clingy, I’ll do anything to make it up to you! I’ll buy you whatever you want, I’ll make you food, I’ll make time in my schedule, I’ll get you backstage passes to my next show, I’ll-“ “Riki, it’s really fine.” “No I’ll give you anything-“ “it’s fine, now come, you look like you haven’t slept, so let’s cuddle hm?” He was like a little puppy, he looked so cute and sad. It broke your heart, but you guys cuddled and made up as you went to sleep for the night.

bonus

He wouldn’t let up the whole week, he bought you Prada, Chanel, he got you clothes, he stayed true to his word and gave you backstage passes, got a week off to spend time with you, tried to take you to Jamaica for a weekend, tried to buy you a car?! But you didn’t let him, and then he was back to normal, with your movie nights, date nights, everything. This is his way of silently saying I love you, and boy, do you love him too. <3

#Riki angst #riki x reader #riki fluff #Nishimura riki #niki #enhypen #enhypen angst #enhypen fluff

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alinataylorsversion · 4 months

Text

Sleepless Nights

Tom Blyth smut

Warnings: Smut,fingering,oral sex(fem receiving),choking,insomnia.

Word count: 3,342

I couldn't have asked for a better life with Tom. We met on the set of The Hunger Games, started dating shortly after that, and we've been living together for two years now. Life was perfect. Up until Tom took a job offer, that included him being on the other side of the country most of the time.

Tom has been away for work for three weeks now. This wasn't the longest you've gone without seeing him due to this job, but that doesn't make it any easier. But today is the day he comes home.

It's about noon right now and I just got out of the shower. I'm supposed to be picking up Tom from the airport at two. To say i'm excited, is an understatement. You have no idea what loneliness feels like until you have to go weeks on end without seeing the person you love. To have to sleep alone every night, in the bed that you're meant to share with the one you love.

As I stare at myself in the mirror while getting ready. I notice the dark circles under my eyes. I spend most of my time ignoring them, considering people tend to think I am inconsiderate when I clarify that the only reason I can't sleep at night is because my boyfriend isn't home. There are bigger problems I could have than missing my boyfriend. So I hide it. I know Tom will notice right away, which is why I apply extra makeup underneath my eyes.

The airport is a fair drive away, so I tidy my things, and get ready to leave, Considering I plan to stop and grab coffee for Tom and I on the way.

Being with a movie star definitely had its perks, considering I just walked out of a million dollar house and I'm about to step into a 2022 range rover. It almost makes me feel guilty having problems with him being away so much.

Driving on the freeways always scares me. Which is why when Tom is here, i'm never the one to drive on long journeys like this. I change lanes and start to exit the freeway, to the street that conveniently has a Starbucks, and leads to the airport. Once I have both my go to refresher, and Tom's favourite, an Iced oat milk latte, I drive the last five minutes to the airport.

As much as it sucks, there is no point in me leaving the car once I get there. Tom flies private, there is no luggage claim, or anything like that to wait for him at. He will simply walk off the plane and head to the parking lot, where I am waiting for him.

His plane was supposed to land ten minutes ago, so he should be coming around the corner within the next fifteen minutes.

When I see him, I kid you not, a huge weight just got lifted off my shoulders. He's walking towards the car, bags in hand, as I get out of the car and run up to him. Before I even get there, he is dropping his bags and opening his arms to wrap around me.

As soon as I enter his warm embrace, I break.

Tears flowing down my cheeks, soak into his sweatshirt. His arms wrapped around me feel like home.

"Don't cry, love," He whispers into my hair before pressing a kiss to the top of my head. I only wrap my arms tighter around him.

We stand like that for a couple minutes before he pulls away and takes my face in his hands. I bring one of my hands to rest on top of his. Just then do I notice there are also tears forming in his eyes as well. He leans down and kisses me like his life depends on it. His lips move perfectly in sync with mine. He kisses me like he has been starved for weeks and just now he is getting the relief he needs.

All I want at this moment is to be home with him. Just the two of us in our own space where I can be myself again and not put on a show for everyone else. I kiss him with just as much hunger as he does to me. His tongue enters my mouth and I almost forget where we are for a second while his tongue caresses mine.

Not only have I been so physically distanced from him, I've felt so emotionally far as well. At this moment, I have never felt closer to him. Like i'm giving him all my emotions through our kiss.

A few moments later, he attempts to pull away, but I don't let him. My hand on the back of his head pushes his lips back to mine. He laughs through our kiss and pulls away again.

"Love you have me all to yourself again, I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere." His hands slide down from my face to my hips. "Let's go home, then you can kiss me all you want," He chuckles.

I look down at my feet and smile, The blood rushed to my cheeks. He leans down to grip the handle of his suitcase, and grabs my hand as we walk back towards the car.

He places his suitcase in the back, and goes to the drivers seat without me even having to ask him to drive. I take my seat on the passenger side, and he reaches over to place his hand on my thigh, giving it a small squeeze.

I lean over the smallest bit and wrap my own arms around his that is reached over to grab my thigh. My head rests against his arm as well. He smiles at me and leans down to kiss my forehead. I can see the blood rush to his cheeks. I love the fact that all this time later, I can still make him blush.

"I love you," I whisper into his arm.

" And I love you more," He puts the car into drive and we start the trip home.

I don't let go of him the whole ride home. And his hand doesn't lift from my thigh once. Not even to drink his coffee, he would take his hand off the wheel to do so. Even though that definitely isn't safe.

Once we got home, Tom placed his suitcase in our bedroom and came back out to find me waiting patiently for him beside the kitchen island.

He comes over and wraps his arms around me, while I bury my head into his chest. "You okay?" He reaches down and pushes a piece of my hair behind my ear.

"I missed you so much," I whisper, pulling away from him to rub my eyes.

" Well I'll tell you what, Tonight we can do whatever you want. You want to stay home and cuddle, perfect. You want to go rob a bank, i'll go buy ski masks." He smiles as he tries to make me feel better.

"I just want to cuddle with you," I admit.

"Well let's both go get into some comfier clothes, and we can order takeout for dinner, and watch that Taylor Swift tour movie you love so much." He says, knowing I couldn't say no to that.

"Chinese?"

"I wouldn't expect anything else." He laughs at my sudden enthusiasm. "And then we can have a bath later, and open up a bottle of wine while we're in there"

"Okay" I look up at him, and lean in to kiss him before going to change.

An hour later we're cuddled up on the couch, my head in his lap, while he plays with my hair. It takes everything in me not to fall asleep in that moment. The next minute, the doorbell rings, alerting us that the delivery guy is here. Tom gently lifts my head from his lap to go retrieve the food.

When he comes back, I'm sitting up waiting for him. He places the bag on the coffee table in front of us, opening it to grab the food and hand me mine. I give a quiet "thanks" and begin to eat as the Taylor Swift Reputation tour film plays in the t.v.

We sit in silence as we eat. My legs bent to the side and my knees slightly on top of his thighs, trying to get as close to him as possible.

He chuckles softly, clearly seeing what i'm trying to do. He places his container down on the table, and reaches his arms around to grab me and move me into his lap. He grabs the blanket from the back of the couch and places it over our legs, and my middle. He then continues eating, and I lean the side of my body back against his chest, and continue eating as well. We stay cuddled up while we eat, and for a few minutes after we finish.

Eventually I turn my head up to bury my face into the crook of his neck, while wrapping my arms around his torso. His arms immediately tightened around me, holding me close. I gently place a kiss on his neck, and another.

Tom pulls back to take my face in one of his hands, and leans down to press a soft kiss against my lips. I'm not one to immediately want to have sex when him and I are cuddled up, or being intimate in general, but right now all I want is for him to keep kissing me. He keeps the kisses soft and gentle. I made up my mind as I brought my hand to the back of his head and deepened our kiss, my tongue brushing against his lips, as if asking for permission.

In response, his tongue slowly brushes against mine, and mine enters his mouth. I can feel him smiling through the kiss and he pulls away slowly, his hand coming to the side of my neck to gently hold me in place.

"Are you sure, baby? We can just cuddle if you want, we don't have to do anything," He says as he makes immense eye contact with me.

I don't care about my dignity at that moment, even though I never have to with Tom. I take his hand that was resting on my lower thigh, just above my knee, and bring it higher up on my inner thigh in response. The side of my head goes to rest against his shoulder as I look up at him, and his hand that was once on the side of my head now wraps around my shoulders. "I want you to touch me."

He glances down to where I moved his hand, and looks back up at me before leaning down to kiss me again. He goes to wrap his arm around my torso and moves me to straddle his lap, his hands resting on my hips, still kissing me. I move even closer to him as my hips move forward to rest on top of his growing bulge, Which causes him to tighten his grip on my hips, and inhale sharply.

My hands go to his hair, as I run my fingers through it. Both our tongues fight for dominance, but I quickly let him take the lead. My hips grind down into his, causing him to take a sharp breath in, and me to let out a small whine, which is quickly masked by his tongue making its way back into my mouth.

All of a sudden, he is picking me up, standing with my legs wrapped around his waist, and he carries us to our bedroom. I lean down and press kisses against his neck, my tongue softly brushing against the skin there.

Once we get to our bedroom, Tom slowly lays me down on our bed as he continues kissing me. He moves so that he is on top of me, and starts trailing kisses down my neck. I turn my head to give him better access as he goes lower down my body, slowly lifting my shirt and placing kisses all around my navel. He leans back to sit on his knees, one on either side of me, and slowly reaches to pull my shirt up over my head.

Before he has the chance to lean down to kiss me again, I lead up and reach for the hem of his shirt and pull it over his head, only breaking eye contact when the shirt does it for us. I toss the shirt to the right of me, off the bed, and move backwards on the bed so my head rests on the pillows.

He stays in between my legs, his hands both on my outer thighs as they're spread for him to fit in between. He reaches down to undo the string tied up on the waistband of my sweatpants. He goes to pull down my sweats and I lift my hips to help him.

Once my pants are off, he leans down and continues pressing kisses around my navel, slowly bringing those kisses lower and lower. He presses a kiss directly below the white bow sitting on the waistband on my underwear, right above my clit.

I can now feel the wetness between my legs and I know he can tell just how wet I am, even above my underwear.

All of a sudden, his tongue softly brushes against my clit above me underwear, causing me to grind my hips up against his face. "Please Tom, stop teasing me," I beg him as he looks up at me and places a kiss right on top of my clit while making direct eye contact with me. I slightly throw my head back as my jaw drops and my eyes roll back. I hear him chuckle before he moves back to grab the top of my panties and pull them down my legs.

Once they're off, he leans down to kiss me, and brings his hand down towards my core. His fingers lightly brush against my wetness.

"You're so wet for me," He says in between kisses. His fingers continue to explore my wetness before he slowly pushes one of his fingers inside me, curling it to hit my g-spot perfectly.

My lips part from his as my jaw drops and I let out a louder moan than I expected to. My hand reaches up to cover my mouth, but Tom is quick to reach up and remove my hand from my own mouth and place it around his neck. "Don't hide those sounds from me. Let me hear you, love." He adds another finger to the mix and continues curling them against my g-spot.

That makes me lose it, and I let out a loud moan as I grind up against his hand. His thumb goes to rub on my clit, and I throw my head back in pleasure. I get close to my orgasm embarrassingly fast. Tom continuing fingering me while rubbing my clit almost throws me over the edge, but I need more.

"Choke me," My voice comes out high pitched and desperate. "Please. Please choke me," I beg as he leans down and kisses me, hard. His hand comes up to wrap around my throat and he squeezes the column of my throat tightly, like he knows I like. And it pushes me over the edge as I throw my head back, and my eyes roll back, just as the pleasure takes over, and i'm no longer able to control the sounds coming out of my mouth.

My legs shake as his fingers continue their rough assault against my g-spot, riding me through the blinding pleasure he is giving me. My head fuzzy, and my lungs desperately trying to get air as he keeps his tight grip around my throat.

"There you go. You're such a good girl for me, cumming so hard around my fingers," His hand slightly loosens to let me catch my breath, his fingers slowing their movement inside me as I come down from my high.

I don't know how long I lay there before I open my eyes. But when I do, I'm dressed in one of Tom's shirts, and a clean pair of my underwear, while laying underneath the blankets. I look over to the clock on the nightstand and see that it's just past eight.

I immediately go to sit up, ignoring the slight ache in my abdomen. I head towards the kitchen to see Tom washing the dishes that were left there from breakfast and lunch today.

As soon as I enter the room, Tom drops what he's doing and makes his way over to me. "Hey, love. How are you feeling?" He looks concerned.

"Did I fall asleep?"

He reaches to push a piece of my hair behind my ear, gently cupping my cheek afterwards. "Yea you passed right out. Had me worried there for a while."

I groan as I reach up and bury my face in my hands. "I'm so sorry, that was so rude I-," He cuts me off by wrapping his arms around my torso and pulling me closer to him, still making eye contact with me.

"Shhhh. Don't do that. You were exhausted, I could tell."

"That still doesn't give me the right to leave you hanging after you did that for me, especially when you just got home," I explain, my voice distressed.

He reaches up and places both hands on each side of my face, holding it softly. "You were exhausted. It's perfectly fine, you didn't have to do anything for me in return, you know I don't expect that of you every time, my love," His eyes completely softened.

"I know that, I just feel bad," I bury my head into his chest. He wraps his arms around me and scoops me up bridal style.

"Come here, baby," He brings us over to the couch and sits down. "Listen to me. I don't want you feeling bad at all, okay. You are absolutely perfect, and you falling asleep doesn't change that at all. You think I don't see the dark circles under your eyes, Baby you haven't been sleeping. If anything, I'm glad I could finally help you get some rest."

I sniffle and cuddle my head deeper into his chest. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you." I all of a sudden start to feel ashamed.

"No baby, don't apologize, you can't control it. Tonight i'll be there with you, and i'm not going anywhere. I'll be right there to sing you to sleep like you love so much."

I look up at him through glossy eyes. "I love you so much" I whisper.

"And I love you more." He leans down to press a kiss to my forehead. "How does that bath sound now?" He asks softly.

"Amazing" I let out, sounding more like a groan than a word. But he understands me nevertheless.

He smiles and lets go of my legs to allow me to stand. "You go get ready and I'll go open a bottle of wine, okay?"

I nod with a smile and make my way to the bathroom to draw the bath. I add Tom and I's favourite vanilla essential oil to the water, along with some bubble bath. Tom comes back with two glasses of red wine and we both make our way into the bath.

We spend an hour talking about sweet nothings, washing each other's hair, and drinking the rest of the bottle of wine before making our way back into the bedroom for bed.

I put on another one of Tom's shirts and opted for a pair of his boxers instead of my underwear. We crawl under the covers and I cuddle up as close as humanly possible to him, practically on top of him, my face buried in his neck.

That was the best sleep I'd had in weeks.

#tom blyth smut #Tom blyth #Tom blyth fluff #Coriolanus snow #The hunger games

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cherr-22 · 3 months

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TNGDH 39

“Why so? It’s a long distance to the palace, making it a difficult trip for Cashew to follow.”

Kyle looked at me in surprise. Receiving that gaze, I let the words flow out of my mouth like flowing water.

“How hard could it be to take along a little chestnut…… no, a demonic beast? You could take it to the famous demonic beast specialist at the imperial palace for a checkup and feed it delicious food. Besides, I bet you’d be worried about leaving Cashew alone for days.”

“Hmm.”

“However, you absolutely cannot inject mana into it! Only a regular checkup is allowed. Besides, you were going to have Cashew checked by the specialist there at least once, right?”

Kyle pondered for a while before nodding.

After spending some time together, I could now guess what he’s thinking about just by looking at his face.

Right now, he was thinking about what kind of cage to carry Cashew in, what cushion to bring along, and what snacks he should take. Seeing the tips of his lips and his eyes subtly softening, that was probably what he was thinking.

‘You like it this much, yet you didn’t think about taking it along.’

I smiled and nodded in satisfaction.

Thus, both Cashew and Shu could ride the carriage to the palace. However, there was one problem. Going to the palace didn’t take just an hour or two.

‘System. Open the store for me.’

A blue system window flickered in response to my words.

In front of me were delicious and pretty-looking items spread out. I’ve thought about it before, but the more I used my hearts and Miracle Points, the more flashy the store became.

‘You’ve also worked hard.’

Whenever I saw the system staying up all night to update the store, it reminded me of myself when I was making the game. It made me a little sad.

Developers tend to be more familiar with the night than the day, but that kind of life is very stressful. People need light to live. At that time, I almost believed that even mold might start growing on my body.

But as it happened, I ended up possessing a nocturnal animal. It made me think life really didn’t like me.

I away my thoughts and turned the pages of the store. At first, there were only one or two pages but now there were four pages.

Let’s see. I have to refrain from using too many Miracle Points, but since the system made these for me, I’ll at least take a look at them.

‘Oh. This looks delicious. This one too.’

There were all kinds of desserts made with nuts. I lived the majority of my life eating soup and hamburgers, so I couldn’t help but keep looking at the desserts decorated so beautifully.

Don’t they say that food that looks good also tastes good? Of course, the cookies and bread Kyle prepared were great, but don’t you sometimes wish to have desserts that are pretty……

‘Wait. Is that why you made these like this?’

As I narrowed my eyes, the system responded.

[⚆_⚆]

It’s fine, whatever.

It’s not like I’m going to buy them based on their appearance anyways.

Then, an item caught my eye. It must’ve come from the update since there was a big label [NEW!] on it.

NEW! [Emergency Toffee Nut Candy x5 ｜ Miracle Points 0.5% consumption ｜ Detect approaching beings while holding the candy in your mouth.]

It was an amazing item that gave you 5 candies just for 0.5 Miracle Points. Its effect was amazing so buying it ahead of time would be useful.

I bought it without thinking twice. The small, individually wrapped candies looked like they would taste like caramel.

I wanted to try one now but I held in my urge.

“Are you done?”

“Yes?”

“You were pointing your finger in the air.”

“…….”

I kept my mouth shut.

Luckily, Kyle didn’t ask me for an explanation. Perhaps because he’s used to seeing me do a lot of strange things…… though I don’t know if this is fortunate or unfortunate.

“I will prepare your clothes in the same size as before.”

“You’re preparing my clothes too? You don’t have to.”

“Your attire will affect how people see you in the imperial palace. The ones at the North are not good enough.”

Kyle’s voice was soft, but I knew that I had to take it seriously.

I knew It. I knew it more than anyone else. This was something Kyle experienced himself in the past, and this was the attitude of the nobles of the imperial palace towards those from the North.

I’ve also been treated like that before in my previous life. I guess growing older won’t always make you mature.

I scratched the back of my head and nodded. This wasn’t a hard request from Kyle anyways. Thinking about it, this was also something that could affect Kyle’s reputation.

“Then, I’ll leave it to you.”

“Alright.”

Two weeks until Sen and Belial’s engagement ceremony.

There was plenty of time to prepare.

“Put this over there, ah, that one goes there.”

“How long has it been since we’ve went to the palace?”

“Definitely been at least a year!”

“Hold the reins well. And inspect the carriage again!”

From early in the morning, the Blake castle was like a marketplace. Even I, who rarely woke up from my sleep to most noises, had my eyes wide open.

I gazed at the sunlight seeping through the curtains. Seeing that it was still a little dark, it must’ve been around six o’clock.

―Squeak squeak. (It’s today.)

I stretched and reached for the strawberry sweater I tucked away in the corner of my hut. I then put on the sweater, regardless of my own feelings about it.

Because my limbs were short, I was only able to put it on after rolling in the sawdust a few times. But thinking about it again, Kyle got my measurements accurately.

―Squeak……. (Sigh. This is my life as a hamster.)

I pat off the sawdust stuck on the sweater and used ‘Summon’ after checking the door.

It seemed that it would be a while before Kyle comes to get me. Well, it wouldn’t take much effort to put me in the hamster cage anyways.

‘Let’s see…….’

I hid myself in a corner and used ‘Summon’.

I closed my eyes from the bright light and when I opened them, I was in a familiar room. On top of the bed were the clothes Kyle prepared for me.

I took off the sweater and stored it in the inventory before changing into the new clothes.

The high-quality silk gently wrapped around my body and flowed down elegantly. There were no extravagant accessories, but it definitely had a luxurious feel. Even the golden embroidery didn’t feel like it was made in vain.

‘The pants also fit me well.’

As I was examining my appearance in front of the mirror, I raised my eyebrows at a sudden thought.

“……How does he know my size?”

It was really mysterious. It wasn’t as if he measured me while I was asleep, nor did he ever asked me.

A knock came from the door.

I turned towards the door to open it. Outside was a familiar servant, unable to hide his excited face.

“His Highness Kyle asked me to bring the demonic beast specialist over to him.”

“Ah. Thank you for coming to get me. However, there is somewhere I want to visit first.”

“Yes?”

I led the curious servant towards into the study. I unfolded a black cloth I had prepared and covered the hamster house with it.

From now on, I must keep this hamster house with me no matter what. At least half a day, I must keep it with me.

“Let’s go.”

The servant, who had been examining my actions, tilted his head in confusion, but hurriedly moved on.

As I followed him, I checked the number of Miracle Points I had. After buying two cookies and some candies yesterday, I had exactly 20 percent left.

After complaining to the system all day long to lower the prices, I was able to save quite a few points.

[(￣へ￣)]

Hey. Do you think I’m saving money for my own benefit?

……Well technically I am.

“You can get on this carriage.”

The servant who took me outside bowed his head and walked away at a slow pace. His steps were so light that it almost seemed as if he were skipping. No, he probably was, seeing how happy he looked. He must also be taking the carriage to the palace.

Well, I did hear that it has been 1 year since they were able to go on a trip to the imperial palace. It was definitely a joyous event. It was said that the climate and atmosphere of the palace were the opposite of the North, making it feel like it was a foreign country. Of course, I heard this from Kyle.

“Shu.”

“Oh my gosh!”

I jumped in place.

Turning my head, I saw Kyle standing with a cape in his arms.

“Make some noise as you move around, please!”

“I didn’t know you could jump so high.”

“Ah! Really! Don’t scare me like that.”

As I grumbled at him, Kyle wrapped the cloak around my shoulders and chuckled.

“I did call for you, but I thought I’d have to circle around the castle a few times to find you. Were you in your room?”

“Of course. And you even prepared my clothes. Ah. I also brought Cashew with me, so there’s no need to go to the study.”

I pointed at the hamster house with my chin and held the cloth tighter. I’ll never open it. Don’t even think about removing the cloth.

“Thank you. Now, I’ll take it with me.”

Kyle held out his hand. I avoided the hand and twirled my body away from him.

“No. I could take care of it plenty well. It’s not like you’re going to play with Cashew on the way, so you can just leave it to me and focus on your work.”

“Then, let me see its face at least once…….”

“Ahem! Do you not see the time? Don’t disturb its sleep! Even demonic beasts have a routine.”

I quickly got into the carriage before Kyle could push on anymore. I sat down and held the cage in my arms as if it were the most precious thing in the world.

Kyle entered the carriage after me and said after sitting across from me.

“I won’t take it from you so loosen up.”

“Really?”

“……Have you lived your entire life being fooled?”

I certainly have. But I couldn’t say that and just relaxed my hands and shoulders.

I’ve been tense the whole time, making my shoulders feel a little stiff. As I groaned and complained about wanting to massage them, Kyle suddenly took out a bag.

“Still, we should feed it…….”

“I will feed it! I will!”

I quickly pressed myself to the window like a magnet. I glared at him with wary eyes, and he bursted into laughter.

“……Are you enjoying yourself?”

Are you enjoying playing around with me?

He had a calm smile on his face. He tilted his head and rested his chin on his hand, which was held up against the carriage wall.

“Being with you always makes me feel happy.”

Just then, the carriage started moving. A light breeze blew in through the window. I turned my head away with a sullen look on my face.

The tip of my ears felt a warm.

Even though the wind blowing felt cool.

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#tngdh

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daydream-cement · 1 year

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Hi! I wanted to make a request for a Larissa X reader one-shot where the reader slowly starts to distance themself from her (sometimes the thoughts just win, ya know) and Larissa is concerned, trying to get them to talk to her and open up about what's happening, but they shrug it off as being tired. Reader falls into some no so healthy habits and coping mechanisms, eventually going to her because they're scared of what they might do if they continue down that path.

As I type this I realise how dark it sounds but I would be so interested to see where you take it, I absolutely love all of your other stories!!

Talk To Me

Larissa Weems x Reader

Authors Note: I’m going to write what I know here. I know there are more extreme coping mechanisms, but I’m not looking to trivialize experiences that I, myself, do not fully understand.

Warning: veiled descriptions of depression and mental illness

You sat on the couch watching reruns of you-didn’t-care-what. Actually, you weren’t watching, you were scrolling on your phone. Even your scrolling through your apps was more mindless. You could have sworn that the inside of your skull was filled with a black fog that just wouldn’t go away.

“How are you doing, honey?” Larissa came over the back of the couch, her lips pressing themselves to your temple. She had just gotten home from work and you could tell she was happy to see you. You were struggling to feel much of anything lately. You hated the numbness and it was beginning to scare you.

“Mmm, good. And you?” You don’t look up from your phone or turn to kiss her.

Larissa doesn’t seem to notice as she hangs her jacket over the back of a chair and drops her back into its seat. She walks around the couch and plops down next to you, drawing you into her embrace, “Talk to me. You okay, honey? You seem a little off. Something happen at work?”

How could you explain to her the pain you felt without having any visible injuries?

“No, no, I’m okay. I’m just tired, I think.” You lied. You knew something was wrong, but the emotions felt too complex to articulate.

“Okay, baby. If you need anything, you know you can talk to me.” Larissa didn’t press, but you could tell that she didn’t believe you.

You skipped work three days in a row. Larissa typically would have never noticed, but when she came home to find you laying in the living room, there was no hiding it any longer. You hadn’t left your pajamas, didn’t have your phone, and the TV was off. You had chosen to just sit in the quiet room with your thoughts.

“Y/n… What’s going on…?” Larissa was slow in her movements. She set her things down and gingerly made her way to your side. She sat on the floor by your face so she could look at you.

Tears were already running down your face, you needed to tell her, you needed to share something with her. Larissa couldn’t take it when she saw you cry. She guided you off the couch and pulled you into her lap so she could hug and hold you.

When you finally calmed down your tears, you were able to verbalize some of your emotions, “I’m just so empty. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“There is nothing wrong with you. Many people go through this, y/n.” Larissa was quick with her reply and her serious tone made you know her words were honest and true.

“But I want it to stop…” You were able to say before you started crying again.

Larissa sat and rocked you for a moment, gently shushing you before she spoke, “Then we may need some help. Perhaps we could find someone for you to talk to. Everyone needs someone to talk to sometimes.”

You liked how she said ‘we’. You knew you weren’t in this alone. You kept talking to her, describing the emotions and how they made you feel. You truly felt a little bit better after talking about it with her. Getting the feelings out on the table made everything feel that much more bearable.

“You and me, baby. We will get through this.” Larissa held you close, like she was never going to let go. In that moment, you knew that with her support, you were going to find ways to cope and feel better.

#larissa weems #fanfic #wednesday netflix #gwendoline christie #larissa weems x reader #oneshot #larissa weems angst

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genshin-obsessed · 1 year

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If its fine, can you please do a Thoma fic, where reader tries her best to help and impress him with chores and stuff but she ends messing up and humiliating herself which causes reader to feel useless and a bother. Y/n would then distance herself from Thoma out of shame which causes Thoma to look for her and sees her trying to improve herself yet failing though he could see she was trying (ex. she has bandages in her hands due to hurting herself accidentally in cooking.)

So, I've been working on this fic for way too long. It's lengthy, it's also more of a platonic thoma x reader, but you're welcome to interpret it how you like. Your partner can become your best friend overtime. ♢ Character: Thoma ♢ Word count: 2398 ♢ Genre: kinda angst to fluff ♢ Extra: the reader is female as requested and uses she/her pronouns <3

Thoma was a very impressive man, to say the least. He did things at an inhuman level, in your opinion. You always tried hard to keep up with him, but he was just too good. He was responsible, a great cook, great advisor, good timekeeper, amazing best friend- the list was endless. You were envious of his talents- in the best ways. He was your best friend but the thing was… you felt a little inadequate sometimes. If your best friend was so impressive, you should be too! But that was easier said than done, where were you even supposed to start? After plenty of contemplation, you decided to start small! So you embarked on a mission- one to be almost as impressive as Thoma! You’d show him you could do chores just like he could!

“Hey, (n/n), whatcha doing?” Thoma asked as he walked up to you. You had been running through the estate trying to clean up and he… didn’t really see why. He actually had a hard time finding you, that’s how fast you were moving.

“Oh! Just cleaning up a bit! I’ve been doing pretty good if I say so myself!” You said with a bright smile as you stopped dusting the table and looked up at him.

“Um…” he chuckled sheepishly, giving you a sympathetic smile. “I wouldn’t say that great. You missed a few spots.” Your eyes widened and you immediately looked around, feeling your heart sink a little. Of course that look sent an instant wave of regret through Thoma. That came out way harsher than he meant it to.

“What? Where? How?” Thoma didn’t have an answer for your last question, but he was quick to point out the tea stains on the table. Not to mention, one still had something sticky on it, what you assumed to be sauce from a dish. You were quick to scrub it down before looking at Thoma.

“Minor mistakes, but I’ll make sure they don’t happen again!”

“That’s sweet, (n/n), but why are you cleaning?” He asked with a head tilt, making you sigh as you finally took a moment to breathe. You might as well give him a minor explanation to what you’d been plotting.

“Well, I always see you doing everything around the estate. I mean, you do have help but it always feels like you do a majority of things. So, I wanted to help you!” Your words brought a smile to Thoma’s face and brought warmth to his chest. This was no surprise, you were always so sweet and thoughtful, of course you were concerned about him and his work.

“That’s very kind of you, but you don’t need to. I have it handled.”

“Well everyone deserves a break! I think you do too!” Thoma was a little unsure. Not that he was underestimating you, but it was a lot of work for one person to handle. Even he didn’t work alone, he was just fast. However, you also lacked proper knowledge on what the cleaning required at the estate. Not to mention, you weren’t used to the work here and you were moving fast. He could assume- just like the tables earlier- you might’ve missed a… few spots in different rooms.

“Ok, why don’t you help me then? We’ll work together and move faster.” He offered, but deep down he knew he was really saying that to cover you. Of course, he didn’t have the heart to say it to your face, seeing as how happy it made you to help him.

“No! I got this! Trust me!” Um… he kinda didn’t, but he eventually relented. You didn’t have that much experience in cleaning this particular estate and he knew it was a lot of work. But your big eyes filled with hope and determination melted whatever barriers he had.

“Alright, if you’re sure. Just let me know if you need any help.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t disappoint!” You declared, throwing him a thumbs up. Thoma only chuckled and gave you a pat on the head before he turned and walked away.

***

So began your little attempt at cleaning the manor… by yourself. You ran through everything, making sure to scrub well to avoid any stains, making sure to spray down disinfectants, fixing up decor, wiping down seats, rearranging items- all of that.

However, after only a couple of rooms, you realized how tired you were. Thoma had checked in on you every now and then, but you were sure to plaster a smile on your face and let him know that everything was going fine. The rest of the rooms were quite difficult- physically. Little by little, you finally managed to finish all the rooms you’d assumed needed cleaning.

So, you went off to find Thoma and it didn’t take long to find him… cleaning up your messes.

“Thoma? Did I miss a spot?” You asked with a frown, making the man stand up with wide eyes.

“O-oh yeah, just a tiny one! Don’t worry, I got it though. You did a really good job, thank you so much for all your help (n/n)!.” The biggest, brightest smile graced your features making his heart light up.

“Is there anything else you need help with?” Thoma immediately shook his head, you’d done plenty and even if it wasn’t the best work, he didn’t expect it for someone on their first day.

“Nope! Now go home, you deserve a break. Besides, tomorrow is our lunch date, don’t be late.” He said with a smile, which made you chuckle a little.

“Ok!” You chirped, giving your friend one last hug before you were off to go take your break. You’d come visit him later in the evening, you just wanted to surprise him.

When you were gone, a head popped out from behind Thoma. It was another maid in the house.

“Your friend isn’t very good at cleaning.” Thoma only sighed and turned to face her.

“She’s trying.”

“Can we get started on cleaning up then?” They were talking about cleaning up your mistakes, to which Thoma nodded.

Overall, you were a big help. Sure, they did have to clean in the end anyway, but because of you, their work was finished in less than an hour since they were just fixing mistakes. However, since they had to do it anyway, there was not much of a point in you helping. Of course, Thoma only tried to see the positives as you did spend a majority of your day helping him but… you made a lot of mistakes. It was ok! He fixed them with the help of others!

***

Later that evening, you did indeed surprise Thoma at the estate, bringing him some of his favorite snacks and drinks. Thoma was more than happy to have you over and asked you to wait in his room while he finished up some work for Ayato.

On your way to Thoma’s room, you heard the other maids talking. It was about you.

“Yeah, well she tried but we still had to clean up after her.” One of them said, making the other chuckle.

“I think it’s nice of her.”

“Not if we still have to do the work.” A third one mentioned, which broke your heart. “Yeah, if she does it and it’s a day off for us, that’s great. But we had to clean up anyway.”

“Ok, but we clean every day. So what’s the difference today?” The second one argued to which the first and third shrugged their shoulders.

“Just saying, it felt like she created more work for us to do than help us.” The maids moved on to another topic, but you stood there- absolutely humiliated. Is that what you did?

Your legs slowly moved until you were in Thoma’s room but you just stood there in the middle of the room. The bag slipped from your hand and hit the ground with a thud but it barely phased you.

You… didn’t help, you just made more work for them. You thought you were helping but that’s not what they thought at all. Now, it suddenly made sense why Thoma kept saying no and why he was fixing up that one mistake.

“(n/n)?” You heard behind you, making you whip around to see Thoma. His eyes held concern and he walked to you, bending down to pick up the bag before frowning at you. “What’s wrong? Are you crying? What happened?” He immediately set the bag aside and took your shoulders. “Don’t cry, what’s wrong? Did someone say something to you? Did someone hurt you?” Thoma stood there in a moment of silence as he gave you a minute to just think.

Finally, you spoke up and the way your words came out broke his heart. Your tone was filled with sorrow and embarrassment, there was even a slight hint of pain.

“Did I make you guys clean up after me?” Thoma’s eyes widened a little and he fell silent. What was he supposed to say? He didn’t want to lie to you but he also didn’t want to hurt your feelings. Besides, it looked like you already figured it out, so lying would just hurt you further.

“Yes… we did. There were… a lot of spots you missed. So we just had to go back and fix those. It didn’t take too long if that’s what you’re worried about. Took us a fraction of the time than it usually would.” But they did end up working later than usual.

“Sorry about that. I didn’t intend to make more work for you guys.” Thoma shook his head and took your shoulders.

“It’s fine, (n/n), it’s not as serious as you think.” He said, trying to assure you. “Besides, like I said, this was your first time so you don’t hold it against yourself.”

“Right.” You replied, not really affected by his attempt to lift your spirits. It was clear you were no longer wanting to speak about the topic, so he just let it go.

You didn’t stick around for too long, finding some excuse to leave after about thirty minutes- which was fine seeing as how the entire time was super awkward. Thoma tried making conversation but you weren’t into it. So it was best you left.

For the next few days, Thoma didn’t see you around the estate at all. He barely even heard about you from the others. When he went out to the city to buy some things, he didn’t see you there either. He asked all your friends who hadn’t spoken to you in days. With every coming no, Thoma’s concern grew further and further until he could no longer contain it.

Thoma went to your home, knocking on the door and kept doing it until you eventually opened up. You seemed… tired. Your expression made Thoma frown as he leaned in and touched your face. You almost flinched and stepped back.

“Can I help you?” You asked curtly, as if you were trying to rush this interaction.

“Are you ok, (n/n)? What’s wrong? I haven’t seen you in days and I’m really worried about you.” Thoma said, his voice expressing the concern he felt. You looked away, unsure of how to reply.

“Everything’s ok, I just needed some time to myself.” You replied, placing a hand on the doorframe.

“Y-you’re hurt!” He exclaimed as he saw your bandaged hand. You immediately hid your hand behind you, taking another step back.

“Nothing, it was just an accident. Look, I gotta go- things to do.” You said as you tried to shut the door, but Thoma stopped you. It was one of the rare occasions in which he used your actual name instead of your nickname.

“(y/n). Please. What is going on with you? Did I do something? I’m sorry, tell me what it is and I’ll fix it. Please!” His eyes were wide with both desperation and fear. The more you stared, the more guilt you felt creep into your chest. Finally, with a sigh of defeat, you showed him both of your hands, which were covered in bandages.

“It’s not what you think, I just burned myself while learning how to cook.” Thoma’s warm hands took yours every so gently- as if he were worried that he’d add to the wounds.

“Wh-why are you doing that?” Not that it was a bad skill to learn, but why like this?

“Because…” you mumbled, looking up at him, “I… can’t clean well. So, I thought I might be more useful with cooking. Turns out, I suck at that too.” Thoma just stared for a moment before he pulled you in for a tight hug. He couldn’t say anything for a good few moments as he held you close to him. “Thoma?”

“I’m… sorry. I didn’t mean to make you think you couldn’t do anything.” He murmured, making you shake your head.

“It’s not your fault. I just felt bad because I was making you guys do extra work.” You replied as you hugged back, leaning into him a little.

“That’s not it at all though, (n/n), I never once thought that. Everyone messes up in the beginning but I don’t want you to hurt yourself.” He slowly pulled away, taking your hands in his again. “Did you burn yourself?”

“Burns and cuts, yeah. They don’t really hurt anymore- I’m fine.” You said, trying to pull your hands back but his grip tightened.

“You can’t say that when you’ve gotten to this point.” You frowned at his words, but didn’t move. “I… can teach you, if you want.”

“You w-wanna teach me how to cook?” You asked with a tilt of your head to which he nodded.

“Yeah, it’s an important skill. If you’re willing to learn, why don’t we do it together?” He offered, making you fall in thought. You’d done all this because you were embarrassed but he clearly wanted to help. Not to mention… you were hopeless without him.

“O-ok, sure.” You said with a nod, before sighing in defeat. Thoma only smiled and ruffled your hair.

“Come on, let’s take a look at these wounds and see if there’s anything we need to do to take care of them.” He said as he walked into your home, shutting the door behind you two.

#genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #genshin thoma x reader #genshin impact thoma #thoma x reader #female reader #🖊─ pocky’s writings

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tetsukuroos · 2 months

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k.t | Take A Chance

Part 4. Nekoma Camping Trip!

The bus screeched as it came to a stop, rattling beside me as I looked down at the clipboard in my hands. They were supposed to be leaving in thirty minutes and the team hadn’t yet shown up. I gripped the clipboard harder, knuckles turning white and hands beginning to shake as I read off the unchecked names again and again. “I wake up an hour early and no one even shows up on time,” I whispered to myself, turning to eye the bus driver who had begun slouching in his seat. He turned to me, eyebrows raised, probably wondering why a young girl had replaced the old man in the red tracksuit.

“Izumi–” “Where is everyone?” I huffed annoyingly, turning at the sound of my name. My body tensed up almost painfully when Kenma stood there, shrugging nonchalantly. “Sorry Kenma…” I muttered, dropping the clipboard to the floor and massaging the joints in my fingers. A dull ache washed over my body, starting from my hands and working its way up to my head. It only took seconds for it to turn into a soft pounding sensation at the back of my head. “I’m just stressing out.” “I’m sure they’ll be here soon,” He shrugged again, eyes glued to his phone.

I looked down at my own phone where several missed messages from Tooru had popped up in the last five minutes. I could feel an itch on the corner of my mouth where my frown was twitching into a smile, snickering as he complained about misplacing his phone charger. The quiet laughter had quickly turned into silence as I read the last few messages, a splurge of i miss you’s and class isn't the same without my best friend. The pounding only got harder and louder from there, creeping its way to my temples. I closed my eyes, afraid that they would bulge from my head, and sighed.

Being here was hard. Feeling alone was harder. Hating everything about it made it the worst.

“You okay?” Kenma asked awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck as he moved his phone away from his face. “Yeah.” I gave him a flash of a smile and turned back to the bus driver. “I’m sorry for taking so long, they’ll be here soon.” I hope.

The driver only nodded with a grunt and laid his head down on the wheel.

“They’re here now,” Kenma pointed in the distance to the crowd of boys rushing towards them, some laughing together as Yamamoto pushed past them, racing towards the bus.

I stepped to the side, afraid he would barrel into me and picked up the clipboard that I abandoned only moments ago.

“What took you guys so long?” I said, grinding my teeth, too tired to hide the annoyed bite in my tone. “Sorry Nekomata-san!” Lev said, straightening his posture. “We saw this nice restaurant on the way here and Inuoka and I got hungry.” “Sorry! The food looked so good,” Inuoka said, rubbing his stomach in satisfaction.

I looked at Kenma who shrugged once more, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his pants.

“It's.. okay, I just want to take the roll call and get everyone on the bus please. My dad helped me make a seating chart so that everyone could get some rest on the bus,” I cleared my throat. “Lev and Yaku–” “What?” Lev exclaimed, looking down at Yaku who only smiled smugly up at him. “Yamamoto and Kai,” I continued. “Fukunaga and Inuoka, Shibayama and Teshiro, and Kuroo and Kenma.”

One by one, they marched onto the bus, the driver readying himself and the buttons on the control. I was the last to step on, making sure I had my bag with me before finding my seat at the front of the bus, right behind the bus driver.

“Cheer up, we’re going camping,” Kuroo said from behind me, laughing to himself. “Stop,” Kenma muttered, pulling his friend back.

I didn’t say anything, numbed by the pain crushing my skull and the ache in my shoulders. Instead, I closed my eyes, leaned back into my seat, and tried my best to fall asleep and forget I was even here.

Masterlist | Next

ˋ°•*⁀➷ Take A Chance Synopsis

After a year in hiding, Izumi Nekomata is tasked with coaching the Nekoma High men's volleyball team after her father falls ill. Izumi reluctantly agrees despite her past with the sport and swallows her pride to fulfill her father's wishes.

Meeting the rowdy team and their charismatic captain, she is taught to love what she once lost and let go of what had been holding her back.

ˋ°•*⁀➷ Pairing

Kuroo Tetsurou x F! Reader

A/N: I just wanted to clarify that Oikawa is best friends with both Iwaizumi and Izumi. He balances both those friendships well while trying to be sensitive about it. This is made clear later on when Iwaizumi eventually makes an appearance.

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herrlindemann · 1 year

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Oor - September 2004, Interview with Richard

Three years after Mutter, Rammstein comes back with Reise, Reise with a more human sound. Guitarist Richard Kruspe explains why open laughter is allowed.

Has Rammstein gone soft with Reise, Reise? Not exactly given the criticism of first singe Mein Teil and the accompanying video clip. But the Berlin group has certainly changed. Look at those pictures. The militaristic and post-apocalyptic poses have given way to a more comical image. They have shot a few more series: at the edge of a swimming pool, on the beach, in the sauna and in a bullfighting arena. And listen to Amerika, and Amore, and Reise Reise’s title track. They are accessible and infectious tracks with a victim (see box). Self-awareness Richard Kruspe calls it. In 2004, Rammstein dares to take a step back from himself.

Los is Kruspe's favorite new song. It is also the clearest thing that Reise, Reise is a different album than Sehnsucht (1997) and Mutter (2001). Kruspe wrote it for Mutter, but it was shelved until they decided to play the riff acoustically. "It's not what you would expect from a German band, especially not from this German band. It is a simple, AC/DC-like riff, which gives a bluesy feeling when played acoustically. It's unlike anything we've done before," says Kruspe. And yet Rammstein, unmistakably.

“We decided that a few things had to be changed when making this album. For me personally, this first and foremost meant that work had to be less tense. Previously, the aggression in the music was paramount and the mutual friction in the band was also an important factor in the recording process. This time we consciously tried to leave the egos outside the door more. Give each other a little more space. And I think that's why this album sounds a bit more human than its predecessors. We used fewer machines, which was also a goal in itself. The live feeling had to be there. No more having to figure out our own songs afterwards, because we've been cutting and pasting too much.

We used to be more on each other's skin because… everyone had their hang-ups and because in a band with six people you just have clashing characters. Rammstein has no leader. All six of us are equal, which means that each of us fights for his place and there are sometimes endless discussions. That causes problems. In fact, it can lead to major crises. At the time of Mutter I had very clear ideas about how the music should and should not sound. I was pretty rigid about that, but luckily at some point I realized I had to let go of that and see the whole picture — a dynamic six-man group. It was a particularly intense period, in which I finally decided to live in New York, I literally had to distance myself.”

Kruspe was not alone in struggling with his place in the democratic whole that is Rammstein. Each band member has opted for a form of self-therapy.

"Of course it's quite a bit. Over the years you get a certain vision of your work and your music, which does not necessarily correspond to that of the five others. Just deal with that. When I once started the project — because Rammstein was a project, I didn't have a permanent band in mind — my starting point was that I wanted to work with similar musicians. Everyone has the same input. It has remained that way and gradually no one has ever allowed himself to be commanded by another. Maareh… There is always a kind of chemistry between people. Men, women, it doesn't matter. With the six of us, that chemistry is quite explosive.”

This means that Rammstein is standing at the mixing desk in the studio. "You! More bass! More guitar! More drums! That's really how it goes. That's why we also need a producer [for Reise, Reise was just like on the three previous studio albums Jacob Hellner]. He gets twenty, thirty percent more out of the songs. And the work would never get done otherwise. What we do notice, now, after ten years, is that some of us have become less fanatical. Not everyone has an opinion on every aspect of music. Can't either. But to admit that you have to turn off your ego. Well, that has now happened. For the new album we wrote more as a band. That is different from before and that is important, because when you write as a band, it is easier to discuss. »

Kruspe does not discuss the lyrics: “Till actually writes poems, not lyrics. Sometimes they fit, sometimes they don't. That is simple. Some of his poems have nothing to do with my feelings, but have such a strong story that I can go along with it completely. It helps that I've known Till for about eighteen years. I know where a text like Stein um Stein comes from. A man who bricks up his wife because he doesn't want to lose her. The biggest problem for a human being is letting go. That even plays a role in Mein Teil. To give things away, to renounce, to distance myself. Very difficult: Such a theme means that I can identify with that text. That's enough.”

A project, then, was Rammstein initially. Kruspe once shared a flat with Oliver Riedel and Christoph Schneider. Together they began to develop musical ideas, without any suspicion of worldwide success. Second guitarist Paul Landers, Till Lindemann and keyboardist Christian 'Flake' Lorenz later joined them; the latter only under the necessary pressure.

Kruspe: “With Mutter, Rammstein has made a big leap, especially in Europe. We have become a stadium band. But we never thought about any success. It started with an idea. We wanted to try everything. Success or no success, grow big or stay small, that did not occur to us. A band has its own dynamics, which you cannot plan. When we got success that was nice, but what do you do with it? A man must follow his intuition. Even if after ten years you are no longer as free as when you started, you should still try to keep working from a certain naivety. Switch back to the time when you were open-minded about your music. It was Picasso who said later in life that it would take him all his life to paint like a child again. That's it: learn everything and forget it again. We try and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Of course you can't take it too literally, because you grow as a person and you are always influenced by new things. But it is a good starting point.”

That said, Rammstein is not enough for any of the members to fully satisfy creativity. Kruspe doesn't want to limit himself, so he puts some of the music he writes aside for other projects. “New York helps me with that. When I'm there, I'm not so overpop Rammstein. And that makes it easier for me to write and play. In a sense, I've already put this album behind me and I'm working on new ideas. I'm working on now… I can't say too much about it. Not a band, but a nice project that will interest people.”

Reise Reise’s second single, is Amerika, with the irresistibly jolly chorus 'We’re all living in Amerika, Amerika ist wunderbar' (later it becomes 'We're all living in Amerika, Coca-Cola, Wonderbra').

“The claim that Germans have no humor is outdated. Germany has become self-aware in the last decade — and humor comes when one develops self-awareness. Amerika comes directly from our band humor. It's not a political statement, we don't do that.

I believe that everything in life should be in balance. You don't eat a whole cake, a piece is enough. A look at America shows us that there is a lot out of balance there. America controls the whole world and that is a bit too much. But it's not a black and white story. It is also the people themselves, in the US and abroad. I remember the first time I drank Coca-Cola. Dude, that was cool. It tasted good, it felt good, the marketing of that brand worked perfectly for me. Isn't that nice? It's just well done. Now I know how much sugar is in it, how bad it is for you. I make a choice. Anyone can do that. Coca-Cola, Hollywood… It doesn't take that much effort to look beyond that.”

Rammstein made his breakthrough in America with Sehnsucht. David Lynch used the group in his movie Lost Highway and a Lollapalooza tour did the rest. Kruspe: “I think that the theme and the visualization of Sehnsucht came at just the right time for many American young people. However, in America everything moves very quickly. You can suddenly be successful, but you can also forget it in no time. An American band therefore has to tour endlessly, visit radio shows, make a noise. As a German band that is impossible, because you already put a lot of energy into your own country and Europe. When we toured for Mutter, we found that we simply had no strength left to restart the whole story in America as well. Plus, after September 11, 2001, America took a much more restrained attitude towards foreign groups. Patriotism was rampant, even when it came to pop music. Now it could come again. Rammstein has a certain cult status. Rammstein is cool, you know. And in Germany it helps if you prove yourself in the US. They look at you differently. America remains the largest music market; if you grow up in Europe, you want to go there. Not for the music itself. Interesting trends and developments have long ceased to come from the States.”

At the time of their first album Herzeleid (1995), Rammstein was a band from 'the former East Berlin'. Today those words hardly have any value. Kruspe has seen Berlin change. West Berlin was a different world. The capital of darkness. A dark, depressive atmosphere. “When I ended up there, I didn't feel comfortable at all. [Kruspe fled east to west via Hungary and Austria shortly before the fall of the wall.] Yes, West Berlin was substantially Easier than East Berlin. Now you can also find a lot of merriment in the city. East and West have drawn together and that gloom that David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Nick Cave deliberately sought out is largely a thing of the past. I am someone who quickly feels at home somewhere. Not in the sense of family or friends, but in a general sense. In New York it is easy to get to know people, but it is very difficult to make friends. The city has so much energy, which I don't feel in Berlin. In New York, capital of the world, you want to go out and feel part of something bigger, of a whole. You feel lonely in your apartment. In Berlin, the capital of Germany, the situation is reversed. There you feel lonely when you walk on the street and it is nice to be at home. Now I still fly back and forth. A month here, a month there, so I can't say I feel completely at home in New York yet. I am someone who tries to live intuitively. I went from the countryside to the Berlin suburbs, then to Berlin itself, now to New York… I am a wanderer. After 25 years in and around Berlin, I also feel the call of other places.”

Back to Los for a moment. What sets that song apart from the rest of Rammstein's repertoire is the primal feeling that emanates from that acoustic riff. For once no associations with drinking and sea shanties, but American roots. Still, Kruspe says, "I've never been a fan of American rock culture. I liked English hard rock much more than American hard rock. Only with bands like Faith No More and 24-7 Spyz did I start listening to Americans. Metal itself bored me. The aggression of Metallica, for example, appealed to me, but I went more for the melodies of Judas Priest. What do I find nice Americans now? Queens Of The Stone Age. Dave Grohl. But I listen more to the latest Killing Joke, or the Cure.

My own guitar sound is very metal. Why? Well, why do men prefer to ride a Harley… A metal guitar wall is the best thing there is. I get rid of my inner aggression with it. But you won't see me fiddling for hours on all kinds of guitar loops, I find that boring. I once studied guitar for a year or two to get better, but don't ask me about my guitar heroes. I find Depeche Mode's Martin Gore infinitely more inspiring than any guitarist.”

#Rammstein #Richard Kruspe #Till Lindemann #Paul Landers #Flake #Christoph Schneider #Oliver Riedel #interview #translation #2004 #*scans

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