#i kind of ran out steam towards the end sorry;;;;

[anlian-aishang]

Tags: levi ackerman x reader, mutual pining [coworkers] to smut, only one bed, non-sexual spitting, alcohol mention, reader wears levi’s shirt, cunnilingus, penetration, modern AU, fem!reader Word count: 10,000 A/N: thank you to @lostinwildflowers for betaing this! Birch is one my writing idols, so I am truly honored. I hope you enjoy <3

This can’t be happening.

Unknowingly, the two of you shared a silent sentiment. After a late taxi, long lines of airport security, and racing to the terminal only to be delayed for several hours, the cherry on the shit sundae - as he would put it - was the midnight arrival to a hotel with only one bed.

“You’re sure?”

The look on the nervous teenager’s face conveyed the answer before he even uttered the question. Still, Levi knew he had to ask, audibly enough for you to hear - just so you would know that he did. In the face of liability, you had to acknowledge that he had tried his best.  

“I’m really sorry, sir.” Their eyes were darting in panic between you and Levi as if you were the antidote to this angry customer. But he wasn’t angry, at least, not at them. Wasn’t the brat’s fault that Erwin booked the wrong room. “I have that in the afternoon of September the 15th, E. Smith booked a single king bed for one adult guest.”

“Two adult guests.”

They shared a lengthy eye contact. From the background, you watched their miscommunication unfold and cringed with secondhand embarrassment. You nearly burst into nervous laughter when they shrugged, “I can provide you with extra complimentary toiletries.”

At his sides, Levi unclenched his fists in defeat, “...We’ll manage.”

The plastic key cards made a satisfying sound as the receptionist slid them across the marble countertop - equal and opposite to the dissatisfaction on Levi’s face. In one smooth motion, he handed you your copy while simultaneously whipping out his cell phone. Two clicks - speed dial and call. Two rings - Erwin answered.

You couldn’t hear the other end, but you had your guesses.

Hello?

“You fucked up.”

Sorry?

“As you should be.”

For what? 

“Stuffing two adults in one bed, what made you think we’d appreciate that accommodation?”

Given the looks you’ve been giving each other at the office, I thought you might. 

Levi violently snapped his phone closed in hopes you couldn’t hear that. Thrusting his phone in his pocket, he used his free hand to snatch luggage from yours. “Give me that.” 

A kind gesture, but irritation in his voice made it confusing. You thought to grab it back and insist that you could handle it, but instead, held your tongue. Clearly, he was steaming. Any objection, even a well-intended one, you doubted it would better his mood. Walking towards the lift, you concluded that nothing you had to say would supply ice to his ire. Though, the walk, time, and your calming presence, seemed to be working, you thought as you watched him delicately pad the UP button. 

In the intimacy of the elevator, Levi allowed himself one venting word, “Idiot.” He sighed, placed his thumb and pointer finger on each of his temples, and rubbed wrinkles into his skin. “As if we haven’t already been through enough.”

Today and long before, the two of you had been through plenty together. Tonight was the first time you would pin it on Erwin. All other times, it had been your own selves and each other to blame. 

He loved the way you looked in those small pencil skirts and see-through tights, but he hated what it did to him. Meetings in which he could only stare, absorbing nothing. In the middle of a phone call, when you walked by, he would forget its purpose and stammer aimlessly. Nights kept awake, staring at his ceiling, a blank canvas for projecting his wandering thoughts: how you would look with the skirt yanked up and the tights pulled down, how you took your outfit off after work, and if you wanted his help with that. 

Countless times, you had cursed the man you crushed on. The way he ran his fingers through his hair when overworked made you want to try it yourself, to take his stressors away - or better yet - serve as the relief to them. On hot days, he loosened his top button. On lucky days, the top two. On his way out the door, he would tug his tie out from under his collar, creating a loop wide enough for you to slip your hand through and use it to pull his lips to yours - or so you imagined. Each day, Levi had fed you tastes. Over time, your craving for him had grown unbearable. 

Ultimately, this out-of-town assignment was a test, and a final exam at that. Years of studying one another were culminating in one night, on one bed. The chime of the elevator interrupted your thoughts as if it was a warning: ground yourself. The plain of Levi’s expression and calm in his pace on the way to room 845 echoed its sense: he was unriled, uninterested. 

Your read was wrong. Levi was thankful that you trailed him: with his back to you, you could not see his rouge tint, the bite of his lip, or the twitch of his cheek. As he pressed his key to the reader, held the heavy hotel door, and slugged both of your belongings atop the desk and dresser, you admired the way he moved so suavely - when actually, he considered his motions stiff, careful, and calculated. 

Neither of you bothered to turn on the light. Taxed bodies, tired eyes, and tempted temperaments shared a desire to finally climb in bed. No need to delay things any longer. Levi unzipped his suitcase, the sound garnered your attention. Immediately, you noticed now neatly he had packed, admired his organization and pristine folds, then planned that when it came your time to unpack, you would aim to shield your messy methods from the clean freak’s vision.

A gray cotton tee - matching his eyes, black sweatpants - same shade as his hair. A navy canvas travel bag topped the pile. Levi leaned effortlessly against the white bathroom door and stated, “I’ll change in here.”

You nodded vehemently, as if he had ordered you on an important mission, “I’ll be out here.” 

Cute. And at that intrusive thought, he silently ducked away. 

Unbuckling his belt, tugging his zipper, freeing his legs from his slacks, Levi tipped his head back against the wall and sighed. Every muscle in his body finally untensed, he was set free from one cage of many. His business-casual confines had been done away with. Now, he just had professionalism, work relationships, and his fucking hormones to maintain. 

His boxer briefs were agitatingly taut, struggling to constrain years’ worth of tension in their cotton threads. Levi looked down to his lap and cursed himself. Hovering around thirty, yet all the composure of a fresh young bachelor. Gradually, Levi hooked his thumb beneath the elastic waistband and loosened just a little, allowing him room to breathe. Too much room maybe as the chill thermostat air contrasted harshly with his warmed passion and drew a loud hiss. Levi clenched his teeth hard in an attempt to bar his vocals, praying to whatever power that you wouldn’t knock on the door and call Levi, you alright? It was just the kind of person you were, and Levi had come to know you well. 

That anxiety turned out to be false, for your ears were ringing: ignorant of his desires, overwhelmed by your own. Gingerly, you unzipped your luggage and fret at the sight: a little black nightgown with lace on the hems. Its sight hit you like a load of bricks, lightning to the thunderous memory of your midnight, sleep-deprived, frantic packing. That woman was giddy for the business trip with her office crush and, in that frenzy, picked her sexiest pajamas for the special occasion. Goddammit! If only you knew that he wouldn’t be seeing it from across the room as a tease, he would be sleeping next to it, maybe even feeling it if one of you crossed your half of the mattress. Cursing yourself, you dug frantically in search of something - anything - else to wear to bed, but were rudely met with only pantsuits and blouses. You bunched your nightgown in your trembling fists, but its thinness and shortness allowed it to fit wholly in your hands - foiling your coping strategy. All you could do was tip your head back and sigh to the ceiling, Fuck me.

That feeling echoed when you draped it over yourself and saw your reflection in the hotel window. Your hair was disheveled from the long day. Makeup smeared and ran down your face, eyeliner to eyeshadow. Wrinkles in your silk dress. Looks like you were already fucked. 

On the other side of the door, Levi was thinking the same thing: he was absolutely fucked. His erection stood high after minutes of waiting. Cold water splashed on his face, but his fever seemed to evaporate it. Trying to think about humbling topics, but he couldn’t get you off his mind. To make his arousal vanish, there was one thing he could do, but there wasn’t enough time for that. Even if the shower were running, Levi doubted that the downpour of water would be able to suppress the noises of slapping skin or his embarrassingly heightened vocals. Fuck. Levi clutched the bathroom countertop and sighed at his reflection. His exhale fogged the mirror just before he hung his head down and conceded. God, help me. 

His prayers ignored, you ended up knocking on the bathroom door eventually: “Levi?”

Every nerve in his body froze. He stammered more times than he would have liked before managing a stern “What?”

“Sorry! I just -” humiliated heat seemed to radiate off of you, “- take your time, I just -”

Half listening, half panicking, Levi seemed not to pay mind to your take your time - stepping into his joggers and throwing on his shirt as fast as he could.

“- can I brush my teeth?”

You were startled when his response was a quick and loud turn of the handle, wordlessly letting you in. Levi was surprised to see you the way you were: temptress dress with a toothbrush and toothpaste innocently perched in each hand. The eye contact lasted for three seconds, but you could have sworn that it was that many years long. 

The twitch of your hands and your heart’s lofty goals placed a dollop of toothpaste twice as big as you normally would. Had to have perfect breath, just in case. Not even just in case, you were going to lay beside him - mere inches away - for the next several hours. In those seconds of pondering, gravity began to spill your toothpaste off the bristles and towards the pristine marble vanity. With haste, you jammed the toothbrush into your mouth, causing you to gag on your device. 

Levi felt his erection press against his waistband and rolled his eyes at his own stupid urges. You assumed that eye roll was for you and offered an innocent grin. Not so innocent, however, was your curiosity. His t-shirt was tight, leaving little to the imagination. One arm’s reach from an array of muscles, you kept your eyes deliberately on the mirror ahead. However, your doppelganger had a mind of her own apparently, gaze falling from eye contact and onto his chest, waist, abdomen. Without even having to turn his head, Levi could see your staring, obviously more obvious than you thought it would be. With your attention on his lower half, Levi allowed himself a smirk. 

Such a silly thing, but was this the first time you brushed your teeth next to someone? This handful of minutes was inexplicably romantic, oddly domestic. Pajamas, double sinks, and the end of a long day. You had been coworkers, acquaintances, and unknowingly requited lovers, but for this one moment, you were husband and wife. 

White toothpaste lined the gap between his top and bottom lip, and for some reason, you felt your knees buckle. Levi ducked down to spit, a polite attempt to hide it. Your eyes rejected his offer, instead widening as your pupils honed in on the sight. Leaning forward ever so slightly, you savored yet loathed the way his rejection ran down the pipe. What a waste. 

Levi sheathed his toothbrush back in its protective case, a neat freak through and through, and slid it back into his tote. Sifting through, he stumbled upon a mini bottle of mouthwash, making him freeze with indecision: added freshness at the cost of spitting in front of you again? He felt that once had already been rude enough. Levi shot you a side-eye and made an unexpected eye contact: he was trying to read you, you were already staring. Mutually miscommunicated guilt, both of you felt you had been caught and snapped back to aversion. 

It came your turn to rinse your mouth, and he couldn’t help it. Levi could have blamed his peripheral vision, could have blamed the bright lights that lined the mirror, but hard-pressed, he could not come up with an excuse for why he watched you then. The streak of white that shot out of your mouth, its wake dribbling down your lips. Goddammit, you cursed your clumsiness and hastily wiped your mess with a washcloth. He knew it as well as you did: he should have been grossed out. Only Levi realized, though, how much he liked it, he was just too ashamed to admit it. 

Though his arousal screamed, his lips stayed silent. There was a time and place.

Was there? You’ve worked together for how long? All those years, they never had a time or place?

A long inhale, a slow exhale, his fingers curled underneath the cold countertop, hoping its chill would thwart the flush of his chest. Fuck how badly he wanted to kiss you then, to thumb that white stain off your chin and into his mouth, to clutch the backs of your thighs and hoist you onto that vanity. Your waist in his hands, your sex in line with his -

“Levi?”

“Yeah?”

His rapid response, you mistook it as anger. While the voice on his shoulder was lust, yours was insecurity. Surely, you’re the last straw. Having to share a bed with a dork like you? He’s had a tough day. Don’t make him endure this.

“Do you want me to take the floor?”

A dumbbell dropped to the pit of his stomach. Of course not, but for you to bring it up, he must have been hasty to assume that you would share the bed. Levi grit his teeth, annoyed with his lofty goals. Two slow blinks, “I can.”

That was the last thing you wanted. “N-No… I don’t - I don’t mean…” Your lips parted in stammer. Eyes darted as if the tile walls would whisper you the answer. For a moment, you cursed the beautiful neutrality of his face: impossible not to love, but impossible to read. His stillness was contagious, though, and brought you to settle on an answer, “I’ll meet you under the sheets.”

Ears burned red as they checked: was that selective hearing or was that what you really said? Before his eyes could study you, you turned on your heel and closed the door shut.

Once again, on opposite sides of the door, your sentiment was shared: Phew. 

He took a few minutes after that. When he finally walked out, he found that you had been lotioning your legs over that time. Dim glow of the bedside lamp reflected on your smooth skin. If not for the way he had come to know you, to respect and appreciate you, this sight could have been the cover of some sketchy magazine. Eagerness glazed your eyes. Your hands had been massaging your inner thighs, now a perfect shield for the gem between your legs. Levi gave the slightest shake of his head, not disapproval, but disbelief. How did you manage such effortless perfection?

Was that not everything about you, though? The most minute smile in meetings. Biting your lip when you were bored. A laugh so beautiful that it served as its own positive reinforcement, beckoning others to amuse you again. Were you the one? 

Or was it the eyes of your beholder? Maybe you weren’t perfect, maybe that’s why you were in his eyes. Despite all the signs of your singlehood - never in a rush to get home, never a mention of a date - he never truly believed it. It was a war of his flawless intuition and steep infatuation. Either you were the one for him, or he had been wrong all these years. 

Get in the bed, idiot. 

His stride was steady, captivating, as he made his way to the side of the bed. In habit, Levi crossed his arms across his torso, prepared to lift up, but caught himself halfway. No, he would not be sleeping shirtless tonight. Neither would he sleep in his loose and breathable boxer shorts, but instead, stifling fleece. Already, for one reason or another, he was sweating. Upon approach, the layers upon layers of sheets, blanket, and comforter looked even more suffocating. He caught a glimpse of the thermostat, but then of you, and found your skin laden with goosebumps. Lips rolled beneath his teeth, bargaining, but he could not bring himself to turn the AC up while your body temperature was down. Just as strongly, he refused to do anything that might make you uncomfortable, like taking off his clothes, no matter how badly he wanted to. More words would have served you both well, tearing down the artificial barrier your doubts were constructing. 

Can I take this off? 

I would love nothing more.

But you were both stupid to imagine that dialogue.

Levi slowly reclined back, sighing as he sunk into the sheets. Already, his skin was burning. He combed his fingers back through his bangs and released a heavy sigh. A heavenly trial, you read it as a hellish endurance, and instinctually apologized, “...I’m sorry about this.”

You have nothing to be sorry for, Levi pondered the response, but deemed it too much. Instead, he feigned a disinterested mumble, “It’s Erwin’s fault.”

You, on the other hand, indulged your gut feeling, “He’s done worse.”

Levi huffed a single exhale, his version of a chuckle.

You turned on your side. He loved that you chose to face him rather than the wall. He hated that he even thought of that. You were so close, he could feel the mattress dip between you, could feel your breath cool against his skin. Eyes fluttering shut, your voice was either sultry or exhausted, a glass-half-full kind of thing. “Good night, Levi.”

Fuck, what a fight, battling the urge to kiss you then and there. Your eyes sparkling, noses nearly touching, he had sworn that this was how all the shitty romcoms went, but he failed to find anything lackluster about this scene. His lips yearned to close that distance, arms ached to perch themselves at your sides. Levi redirected that energy to his hands, fisting the comforter hard as he draped it gently over your shoulders, “Night, (Y/N).”

But how were you going to sleep like this? Although you were running off a 20-hour day, you felt that sleep would be a waste. Queueing for tickets to see your favorite artist, only to close the window the moment your turn came. Styling your hair just to go and get it cut straight after. Champagne dumped down the drain. Mentally, it was an unbearable thought. Physically, your body was even more resistant to the idea. Your middle was fucking throbbing. Nipples stood tall against their skimpy silk covering as if reaching for more contact, his contact. Legs squirmed against one another, trying to smother the burn between them, but you willed them frozen: don’t wake him up. 

In your best state of mind, you would have recalled the symptoms of his insomnia: always a tall thermos of caffeine on his desk, perpetual circles under his eyes, especially the times you both worked late. On your way out, you would peek through the pane of glass on his door to wave good-bye. Now and then, he would be hunched over his desk, imprints of the keyboard on his cheek - a makeshift pillow for his crash naps. With a shred of thought, you would have realized he was likely already awake, but you were incapable of even that. It was midnight when you crawled into the king bed. Red digits at your side now read 1:40 AM, yet you knew that not one of those one-hundred minutes had been spent in sleep. Coffee in the morning, nerves on the plane, hormones now, you had left composure back at your apartment and you weren’t sure you’d get it back at any point of this business trip. I mean shit, you swore, this was only the first night.

Only the first night. One of many sure to come, right? How many nights had he gone to bed alone, kept awake with longing of having you by his side? How many mornings had he woken himself up with a sleepy mumble of your name, only to find one half of his bed empty? It couldn’t all be for nothing. Now that he was sharing the bed with you, it was all he ever wanted, yet you were still out of reach. Uncharacteristic, the most reliable man you knew was spiraling in thought. 

But to you, it would make sense: the only one who could bring Levi Ackerman down was none other than himself. He saw it a different way: you were the only one who could dismantle him like this.

You could feel his heat emanating, could see his sweat reflecting. Before you could stop yourself, your affection had boiled over, “Levi…” your voice was hoarse, having gone hours without as much as a whisper, and unexpectedly loud. His silver gaze drifted to you, depleting the last of your reserves, you mused, “...you’re hot.”

A statement, not a question. In near pitch blackness, he allowed himself a rare smirk. Levi waited until it faded to turn towards you. 

You pinched the hem of his shirt in your fingertips, nails accidentally scraped his abdomen on the way. “Want this off?” You tugged lightly, “I don’t mind.”

At the same time, you shivered, and Levi filled in the blanks to ground his wandering mind. “Cold?” His hands brushed yours on the way to the bottom of the garment. Levi bunched fists in his fabric and lifted it effortlessly up, over, off his head - as he wanted to do all those hours ago. Pent-up relief, he thrust his shirt to you and offered, “Could’ve just asked.”

You were right all along. All along, those loose button-up shirts had covered a chiseled body. He must have been curling with arms like that. A pull-up bar on the back of his bedroom door, how many repetitions did it take to get these muscles? Your eyes scanned every inch of him but could find not one flaw. Your lips were moving, but words failed to emerge. There were a million things you wanted to say to him, to tell him, but only one came through. You received his gift gingerly and muttered, “Thanks.”

This was a moment you had distantly fantasized over for years. Turns out, this was even better than you dreamed. His shirt carried a garden of mint, lavender, and tea leaves in its scent. In putting it on, you felt that you gained a glimpse into Eden. The fabric was satin soft and sheer thin. In watching you wear it, Levi felt in the presence of an angel. It highlighted the curves he loved and introduced him to ones he had never noticed before. Brows narrowed, pupils dilated in his gaze - concerned and deviant. The straight cut forced your waist and hips to confine. The small-pattern chest was clearly never meant to accommodate a body like yours. Threads were spread taut by your cleavage, nearly torn apart as they strained to cover you. In his eyes, he thought it fit you perfectly. 

Arms finally through the sleeves. Beneath them, your hairs stood on end. Again, you shivered, but could not pinpoint why. It did not take the shiver, though, to convey your state. Your erect points stood above all. Levi looked to you with both pity and admiration, his voice their lovechild: “Look at you.”

You simmered, embarrassed yet teasing, “Looking isn't helping.” You crossed your arms before your chest and bundled yourself together, “If you really care -”

He did.

“- then do something about it.”

Unfolding the quilt from the foot of the bed, turning up the room’s temperature - those were the most straightforward solutions. But Levi was not thinking straight, and he had a feeling that was what you wanted. Slowly, Levi sifted his arm behind your shoulders, when you snuggled in, he sealed his wrap with a hand at your side. 

“Better?”

“Yeah.”

His gaze descended to meet yours. Likewise, you raised your gaze to meet. Painfully aware that this was a first for the both of you - neither his passion nor your arousal would shut up about it. At the same time, watching you shiver reminded him of all the times he had silently substituted your needs. Behind on work, you never asked for assistance, but would hurriedly throw things his way if Levi offered his help. When your car wouldn’t start that one winter day, who knows how long you would’ve paced in the parking lot had he not pulled his sedan beside yours and given you a jump? A sharp pang seized his heart in realization: he thought you were close, and now you were physically there, yet you still were not comfortable enough to ask him for anything - even though you both wanted it.

“Y’know,” his thumb rubbed your shoulder, “you should learn to just ask for what you want.” 

Indeed, 2 AM haze was shrouding his awareness, too - particularly his self-awareness. Was it not him who steeped your tea in the mornings and tidied your desk before he left each night? He could have - should have - just asked you out all those times. How much sooner would this night have come if he had? Levi swore to live without regrets, but that did not stop him from acknowledging the opportunities he had missed thus far. He tossed you the takeaway he wished he had learned long ago: “Makes things a lot easier.”

At first, you thought he was chastising you. The stern monotone of his voice could chill you to the bone at times, but when you took in his expression, you felt warm all over. His brows were not knit, but perched in a tender lift. His breaths were not terse, like when he got annoyed, but slow and calm. At the same time, though, you could feel his heart pounding hard, could hear it when you placed your ear over his chest. Clouded moonlight softened those hardlined features, and again, you wondered if this was your first night together or actually your honeymoon: wasn’t this kind of pillow talk reserved for spouses alone?

A deep swallow, and the last time you checked yourself. Could he have looked any more genuine? Any more readable? Transparent? You didn’t think so. For the man of few words, this was all but an admission of his feelings for you, and it was the best look you had ever seen on him. His advice, his command, invited you to try that outfit on.

“Practice with me?”

One slight nod, so slight - you knew no one would have noticed it but you. In that, you felt your confidence soar, pulling the words from your heart to the air between you both, “Hold me tighter?”

He did.

“Pull me closer?”

He did.

“And kiss me already.”

Levi could not describe it, the feeling that overcame him when he heard your demand. Proud of you. Relieved. At peace yet exhilarated. The serenity that all was right in the world, yet the anticipation of what he had wanted all along. The nature of the kiss aligned with the latter. For two agonizing seconds, he examined you. Assured by the sight of your smile, he longed to taste it for himself. Thumb pressed to the curve of your chin, index finger perched under it, slowly yet with unwavering passion - that was the way Levi brought your lips together. 

Soft, as he expected. Expert, as you had. Initial contact was delicate, the warmup slow. Levi always went so hard at everything he did, held such a sharp tongue, which was why the way he brushed against you made your heart stop. You knew strength to be his greatest, most innate feature, and therefore you deciphered that this tenderness was a display of exertion. Levi showed no signs of struggle, though. Touch-starved for you, yet his lips chose to waltz rather than tango. His hand on your chin drifted to the back of your neck. Nape cupped in his palm, he used that leverage to drift you here and there, allowing him to taste all of you - encouraging you to do the same with him. 

Levi tasted like peppermint, the brand so sharp that it made you sneeze now and then, he had learned after enough lunch breaks. You tasted like cinnamon, the stick that baristas stuck in his chai come the colder months. When your tongues met, they created a new taste. After minutes of exchange, they became addicted to it. Their craving demanded all efforts in that search: Levi’s grip pulled you closer, you threw an arm over his back. Breaths turned to gasps, a wordless understanding of all you would do for the other: grab his mail on the way in, walk you to your car at night, and kiss until you were out of breath.

The thought had never crossed your mind, but his actions disintegrated it - the possibility that this was some selfish, opportunistic spell. Levi was nearly shaking with anticipation, his erection pained with neglect, but that did not influence his pace. Each time you thought the makeout might end, he would catch his breath with “pretty girl…” before joining you once again. His kiss was lovely, as was the spark at your middle, but his ardor was gas to your flame, and before you knew it, you were ablaze. You found your body rise against his, pushing off the mattress, and rolling to grind against the friction of his rigid figure. Levi was everything you ever wanted, and maybe you were just that desperate or just that greedy - the fact that you needed more. He wouldn’t have you any other way.

You thought twice before breaking from the kiss, one last deep plunge of your tongue to his throat before pulling away, conscious to savor the taste. “Levi…” you sighed.

A string of saliva hung between you, the clean freak calmly closed his fist over it, and you felt yourself shudder again, “can we keep practicing?”

His lips were one degree north of flat, about as big of a smile as anyone would see on Ackerman. Tonight, just the two of you here, it felt inexplicably, particularly special. “Make love to me.”

An advanced learner, you always went the extra mile. Back then, Levi had no doubt, it was the reason you had been promoted so quickly. Now, it was that you had aced the first lesson and jumped to the next: no longer asking, demanding already. Sentimental was not a feeling he knew, but proof that you were this comfortable with him was indeed something. 

His praise reflected that feeling back onto you, “That’s right, good girl.” The back of his hand brushed unruly strands from your face. A kiss on your forehead rewarded, “like that.”

Once more, he pressed his lips to yours, but it was not even a second that he stayed - just a starting point to the journey that was exploring your body. Lips slid to the corner of your mouth, down your jawline, neck, then chest. A trail of hickeys and teeth grazes was left - tomorrow’s meetings and your professionalism having vanished from his mind. His hands joined the excursion: one gentle yet relishing in its caress of your neck, the other crawled up your - his - shirt. The familiar texture of his old garment contrasted with the novel feel of your skin. Muscles twitched with satisfaction, disrupting the fluidity of his motions, but you found beauty in the unpredictability of his touch. Rose-colored lenses were blind to the signs of his weakness, instead chalking those movements up to Levi’s expertise. As you tipped your head back and sighed, Levi figured it was the first misunderstanding that had done you two any good tonight. 

On his descent, he could not help but take a stop at your breasts. Turns out, it was never just his imagination, but given your curvature, of course your buttons would have been stretched to contain you. Those blouses had been his guilty favorite for that very reason, but his tight t-shirt was taking a close second. No, that slip you wore when you joined him in the bathroom, that must’ve been the best, right? Blood rushed, pupils dilated, his body anxious for a visual refresher.

You were going faster than he could have hoped. Already, he was proud of you for having graduated to demands. Now, you had learned to act on your own - either having read his mind or listening to your own desires. Levi could not decide which possibility he preferred, but when you lifted your top and perched it at your clavicle, he was ashamed to admit that his mind had discarded all other affairs. 

Levi nestled his cheek in your cleavage, and though you were over a thousand miles away, he felt he was at home. Warm pillows cupped him, and both of you felt that the space was made for him to fill. Levi’s breath was hot on your skin, yet your nipples appeared as though you were in a winter wilderness. Of course, he took notice in all your details, and sighed in mutual enamor, “Fuck, baby…” 

It was a tone you had never heard in his voice before. Desperation and desire in a man so ever assured and disinterested, you felt your panties drip from damped to soaked. “You’re beautiful, you know that?”

You, too, was what you thought to say, but somehow, the word seemed inadequate. His body was artwork: a symmetric abdomen, muscular forearms, veins that stood against his skin, you longed to trace him as such. Bangs that fell perfectly imperfectly over his face, begging that you run your fingers through them: mess with them now, gel them straight in the morning. You could slice paper on that jawline, could get lost in his eyes. No matter how long you stared, and stared you had, Levi was like the sunset: even after a hard day, always breathtakingly gorgeous.

Especially with the perspective you had now. One hand cupped your waist, the other your breast, perching you into his mouth, eye contact deliberately maintained throughout his movements.

“Feels good, doesn’t it?” Levi’s tongue swirled your nipple before his lips audibly slurped. “To get what you want…” 

Again, the fog of the nameless hours between night and day had blinded him to the relevance his words had to himself. How long had he wanted this? How good did it feel? He had no verbal answer for it, only the fervor of his actions: sprightly tongue and rocks of his hips. As you always had, you filled his gaps: while he could not fathom the words, yours overflowed. 

“Oh, Levi… Fuck, Levi…!” your desperate cries of his name made him leak onto the hotel sheets, no longer pristine. Your harsh exhales ran currents through his hair, and suddenly, it seemed you two had traded temperatures. Now, he was the one shivering while you sweat through the shirt. For his fever, he craved one antidote. Crawling down your body, his approach to the medicine cabinet. He prepared to ask for his dosage.

“My turn.”

Huh? 

You propped yourself up on your elbows and took a good look. A good look: Levi had wedged himself between your legs. Fingers caressed your thighs with a precise pressure, a touch that tickled in a way that made you want more, yet was strong enough that he could push your hips to the mattress and pry your legs apart. You had to bunch your fists and rub your eyes to check, maybe 3 AM was just fucking with you. 

Levi read your search for reassurance and inserted conviction into his tone. His stare and voice unwavering, “Can I taste you?”

Yeah, 3 AM was definitely fucking with you, for this was too good to be true. His sharp chin dwindled above the soft of your sex. His gaze set on your soul. Both of you agreed: his hands had never felt so calloused until they met your smooth thighs. It was a dream you would have woken up thankful to have had bestowed on you, but the grip he had on you was so perpetually undeniable: this was real. Head spinning, mind raced to catch up, yet Levi’s wait was so astonishingly still. Levi knew he would make you feel good. Based on your state, it seemed he was already doing that. Now, you just had to say yes, but he would not push you towards any one answer, nor would he do anything more until you arrived at it. If you wanted it, you had to ask for it, sweetheart.

A flood of thoughts swirled in your mind, each one screaming over the other, you felt you were drowning. In your search for stability, you relied on your sense of sight: Levi Ackerman between your legs. What the fuck are you waiting for? 

“Y’Yes, Levi.” You reached down and held his forehead. As you brushed his bangs from his face, he offered another half-smile, but it was brief, for he was past the point of eager. Still, the calm in his pace remained. Slowly, his hands snaked from the backs of your thighs to the sides of your hips. Thumbs hooked between the straps of your panties and your skin. His fingers clenched over them, bringing the garment past your knees, down your shins, and off your ankles. From chest to toes, you were now entirely exposed. At first, you wrangled with embarrassment, but his infatuation was your comfort. Hunger seized his vision, thirst drove his actions. You had nothing to be afraid of. 

His earlier route, lips to neck, neck to chest, chest to torso, was now mirrored. Levi cupped your heels in his hand and lifted your feet, allowing him to plant kisses up and up your legs, drags of his tongue followed to connect the dots. Minutes gone by, and even after having pocketed your consent, he still had yet to put his mouth there. Spending time to appreciate your thighs, he wanted you to know how long he had been anticipating this, and now that he had finally landed his spot, he would be damn sure to save the best bite for last. 

Left arm wrapped around your thigh, Levi nestled his head against it, allowing his perspective to stay sound on your sex. His right hand trailed from your knee to your middle, and at last, you knew he was getting started. At first, it was his fingertips, and at that mere first touch came your sudden awakening as to how dire your desire had grown. Your hands flew back and clutched your pillow, Levi admired the tendons that rose in your wrist, and your voice, “A’Ahh!!” 

He shot one glance up to check on you, but the look on your face ensured you were more than okay. With that, he decided to repeat the pattern of his rubs. Index and middle finger paired as they rode the sliver between your lips, your arousal slickened his knuckles. Once wet enough, he would split his digits into a V, each one taking responsibility for one of your folds. When that friction ran dry, he would return to your core, a seemingly never-ending source of lubrication, to run the process back again. You should not have been surprised, for everything with him was purposed - in the office or in the bedroom. With your interior and exterior in a coat of your own clear, he would have the freedom to run his mouth, no need to lick his lips or garner more saliva. Years of anticipation, now that the moment had arrived, he was going to spend the extra seconds to make sure this went according to plan.

Your glisten was so thorough, looking at you, Levi swore he could see his own weak reflection, the blush on his cheeks, the sweat on his forehead. In that way, his plunge was accelerated: preferring to trade the sight of his unruly state for the taste of you. Lips circled to match your curves, and you quickly identified this as a familiar feeling in an unfamiliar place. Levi was kissing you with the same tenderness he had displayed in your makeout, only now, he was between your legs. His jaw stretched wide to ensure he could reach every inch, from the top of your cleft, along your crescent sides, and to the spot where they rejoined. With his mouth in control, he let his hands indulge in your body, adorned upon your delectable waist, light squeezes of your ass, and massaging the divots of your inner thighs. His lips practiced that motion with a goal of perfection. Meanwhile, his tongue distracted you from any signs of his learning. Slow, purposed drags from bottom to top made your love pool on the tip of his tongue - each accumulation swallowed with a satisfied groan. Levi’s oral was pristine, only an occasional slurp and smack, allowing both of your vocals to take the stage. Your sky-high gasps, his low and satiated moans. He lived for the moments you would syllabize his name “Le-vi…” His “there you go” always followed, implicitly begging for more.

His neck began to bob in support of his movements. With that came a whole new level of pressure and slate of angles. His sharp nose slanted against your curves, lovely opposite to your soft. Your scent and your taste moved mountains within him, and in that, he noticed: his emotional pull was just as strong as his physical. All his life, he had grown to love bitter tastes, perhaps because they had been force fed to him. You were the first cube of sugar to have landed in his drink. Now, he had honey straight from the source. Levi felt his erection press hard against the mattress, “Fuck…” he whined, “you taste so good.”

Breath caught in your throat, all you could manage was a light sigh. As your lips twitched, he generously helped, taking the words right out of your mouth. “You have no idea…no idea -” Levi moaned, “how fucking long I’ve been waiting for this.”

At those words alone, you felt you might climax right then. Had he been eavesdropping on your dreams? How did he know that you had been fantasizing over that exact sentence for an unspeakable amount of time? “Me - Me too, Levi…” 

Your admission was even sweeter, lifting his feelings from indulgence to fulfillment. All the nights he had spent awake, wondering if you were thinking of him the way he was of you, your confession was confirmation that this had been requited all that time. Levi found it both gratifying and maddening: gratifying to have discovered that your feelings were mutual, maddening how many years had gone by until that discovery. Levi grew determined to make up for all that time, revenge reflected in the acceleration of his actions.

Levi shoved his arms beneath your thighs, lifting you into a shameless, unhideable angle. Good thing, he mused, no more hiding. Shoulders propped at your midthigh, keeping you perched apart. Fingers wrapped around your skin, he pulled you down the bed and crashed you onto his face. Your gasp was exhausted as you tried to keep up. Both of you knew, though: you were no match. As his tongue thrust to unfathomable depths, you likewise could not conjure any idea of how to withstand this. Nose rubbed against your swollen bud, brows narrowed in determination, he looked nearly angry. Working hard for your climax, harder than he had for anything else, even his own. 

Shit…!

If this keeps up…

A telltale tide turned in your tummy, spasms sparkled along your legs. Fingernails pierced the pillowcase, fighting off your impending loss of control. You could not delay it, not unless he - You fisted your hand in his hair, and he thought this was it. Instead, you pushed him away. “L’Le-vi…” a series of rapid pants, “hah, hah, ho’ld… on!” 

His tongue flattened still. Between the vertex of your legs, his steel attention rose to you. Not anxious, but concerned, You alright? 

“I, I want -”

At those words, he once again simmered with pride, thankful you had taken his ask for what you want to heart. After a few more breaths, you managed the minimum composure to plead, “I wanna cum with you.” 

Levi’s first thought was one of generosity, you know you can have - I can give you - more than one, right? But he knew you better, and he knew what you meant. You wanted your first to be with him, and though he was parched with thirst, desperate for the taste of your cum in his mouth, your wants were foremost his. With a deep, patient breath, he watched your twitches slow to still. When the threat of your orgasm vanished, he calmly laid one final kiss to your core, etching your taste into his memory. His silver stare swallowed you down, a mental polaroid of your pose. His palm massaged your sex in physical praise, promising that he would never make you wait again, and that he’d definitely make you cum next time.

He started to ascend back up your body, but you flung yourself forward and met him halfway. Brows arched in shock, his eyes widened briefly, you closed them with another kiss. Mint flavor of before had been washed away by the taste of you. Further evidence of his devotion, you desired to prove that you were just as committed to him. You hooked your elbow to his nape and threaded fingers through his undercut - your turn to pull him here and there, granting yourself the freedom to explore the parts of him that you had always wanted to. Most of all, the length growing harder and harder to ignore. 

Still, you were conscious to withhold your rush. You endeavored to slow your pace so that you could match the one he had performed on you. How good it felt - he deserved to feel it, too. You ran your hands down his chest the way rain slid down a windshield. Levi felt his boxers turn wet when your palms pressed upon his pecs, the buds of your hands kneading his tender patches. His exhales turned crackly, his inhales uneven. Laying kisses on each of his abs, down and down his torso, your contact held the compliments you were too shy to say. He heard them and reciprocated them: arm wrapped around your waist, bruises where his fingertips pressed - he hoped they would stay till morning, and that when you saw them, you would remember the love he had shown you tonight 

Finally, you dipped your fingertips below his waistband. Sweat glazed his hips, allowing you to slide your hands in, but at this point, there was not much room for you. His erection had taken all his threads had to offer. You spared him the begging, sliding his cotton down his outstretched legs and finally releasing him from their confinement. Soaked in his own anticipation, veins visible, his arc steep. The shade of his member matched the one of his cheeks: the pink of a vulnerable blush, the crimson of ardent lust. As he watched you watch him, another dribble of clear dripped down his length. Levi grit his teeth and cursed. From stifling heat to cool air, that drench turned from comforting to exhilarating. In the wake of his tried swears, you gently cupped your hand around his girth and cleaned him as best as you could, spreading the leakage of his tip down to his base - his shaft your path. Contrast to his stress, you soothed him as you always had, just a different context this time. 

It was his turn to cling to the sheets. Hands clawed into the comforter, you watched without shame, enchanted by the way his forearms flexed. Heels ground to the mattress, toes curled in sheets. Each motion was accompanied by either a sharp inhale or short exhale. Was it sadistic or considerate of you to keep pumping him despite that? 

Levi loathed the way he stuttered through your name, on the other hand, you adored it. Levi cupped the back of your head in his hand and tugged your ear to his lips. His breath was hot on your cusp, yet somehow, it sent chills through you. Your sex had landed atop his lap, his cock nestled between your folds, still wet from his prior excursion. Pleasure had him growling, the look in his eyes both commanding and desperate, “Let me take you.”

Obliging and insisting: as one, you leaned back and he pressed forward. Your head landed atop the plump pillow, his hand beside it. Before you could blink, he had plummeted onto your lips again. This kiss was so opposite of all prior: his tongue demanding entrance, grazes of his teeth, and bites of your lip, loud and messy. You had cut Levi Ackerman to his last thread of composure, that was where you had always wanted him.

And this was how he had always wanted you: your most unabashed, honest, purest and filthiest self. He always found it so painfully obvious, how much you strained to stay prim and proper, polite and professional at work. It was why he lived for the times you slipped up: an eye roll in meetings, the long sigh after a conference call. Levi knew that the real you was there, and now you were here: in this shared bed with his shadow cast over your skin. 

There was just one thing, though, that differed from his expectations. Desire was painted on each of your features, but they were glossed in nerves. Twitches in your lip, rattle in your lungs, eyes glistening, he feared they were tears. You cinched your hand around his wrist, and he recognized that smile. It was the kind you donned when you spilled your coffee or showed up late. Adorable, but unassured, and that would not do in this context.

“You’re nervous.” Levi did not ask you, for he knew his intuition was accurate. “Wanna stop?”

You shook your head and insisted vehemently, “No.” With a tilt of your chin and arch of your back, your lips brushed his with each word you spoke. Seeped down his throat, understanding swallowed: “I want to start.”

Levi returned your characteristic smile with one of his own. Tipping your foreheads together, “You’ll let me know if you change your mind.”

An order or a question? Either way, your heart scoffed at the idea. You know how long I’ve been waiting for this? There was no chance in hell you would change your mind.

“Or if it gets too much.”

That, there was a chance of. It had taken him mere minutes between your legs to bring you to the point of screaming and to the brink of climax, but that was what you wanted. His consideration fed you calm, you fed him reassurance. The flicker in your gaze settled, meeting his of solid steel. You tucked his bangs behind his ear and affirmed, “I’m ready, Levi.”

Fronts pressed, heartbeats matching, there was only one connection left to make. By the grips of his hands on the backs of your shoulders, Levi pulled himself those last crucial inches, and closed that final gap. His tip slick with precum, your slit dripping with anticipation, yet accommodating him was no easy fit. He had spent all that time down there with the goal of making it easy on you, but watching your face scrunch and hearing your voice whine was not half bad, either. 

In fact, he had not even made it halfway in yet, and you were already writhing. Levi bit the inside of his cheek and knit his brows, careful not to push you too hard, conscious for signs of your apprehension. You sensed his wavering and clawed his back, pulling yourself further down his length.

Looking up, his expression was strained. Reaching new depths, pushing past your initial walls, his voice poured exertion. Still, he did not stop pushing. Toes arched into the mattress, calves flexed with each labored drive. Each fuck brought the two of you closer. For him, one more inch of his length. For you, one more stretch of pleasure. For the couple, a proximity you had always wanted. Each of you felt a tremendous responsibility to be the one to close that distance.

Repetition after repetition, his muted grunts melted to audible groans. The air between you was no longer saturated by your gasps alone, but his as well. His strain was the only thing that could ground you from nirvana and back down to earth. Despite his squint, he caught that transition: from the throes of sensation to the snap back to reality, all because you were concerned for his well-being. More than any sense of pleasure, your affection was what made his heart pound in his chest. Doe eyes gazed upon him, You okay?

After a series of hahs and ahs, Levi managed just a couple words, “It feels - It feels…”

Good? Bad? Your heart tensed in anticipation. Pleading and ordering, “Tell me, Levi.” 

Knuckles tight, fingers trembling, “...good!” Levi clenched his teeth and pulled himself forward with an aim of backing his words with his actions. After struggling to past your entrance, the force of this fuck brought his tip to your end, drawing shrieks from you and shock from him. Strength of his magnitude had pros and cons, he supposed. His flaws, you deemed them his perfections.

The damp of your cunt was audible, resounding throughout the room. You found yourself at an impossible choice: which was more embarrassing, your voice or your sex? Levi’s thought was similar and opposite, the same choices, just which was better? Levi decided that their symphony was best, and realized he could turn up its volume if he accelerated his pace. 

“Levi, Levi…!” To say his name came naturally, practically a swear word: the satisfaction of cursing after injury or mistake, so wrong yet so right to scream it out loud. 

Pleasurable pain when he hit your weakest points, a delightful exercise as your walls stretched to accommodate him. His eyes remained set on your face, ears tuned to your voice, translating your body language into instructions. Rapid thrusts to make you pant, but only until you started to choke on your own gasps. Then, he would decelerate, replacing speed with strength. When he filled you up, you would sigh and roll your eyes back. To Levi, that was the sign to dial it back up and get you there. 

Since this started, his read on you had been perfectly accurate. You were almost there. Simultaneously yet unknowingly, your inner voices warned: you won’t last much longer. The thing was, you didn’t want to, for you had endured so much already. The heat in your middle was unbearable now. Each nerve had been fried to its last end. This sex had gone on for hours, but your yearning had been years long. In your haze, you were blind towards any reason to deny yourself any longer. You wrapped your legs around his waist and relied on your calves to pull him closer. Bringing him to your end made Levi approach his. “Fuck…!” His voice was a low singsong, an adult lullaby. “(Y/N), (Y/N)...!” No longer a choice between deep or fast, Levi somehow managed both. Physiology threatened to overrule now. No, already…!

“(Y/N), I…I’m - ! ” His mind was racing now. Should he ask to cum or tell you he was? Should he withdraw so that you could get there first? Levi labored to open his eyes, looking to you for an answer. His senses of sight and touch told him: you were already there.

The pulsation around his cock, the steep arch of your spine, your parted lips and blissed-out face. The scrape of your nails down his back, ignorant to the possibility of hurting him. This was how Levi had always wanted it: to be the one you clung to, to offer himself when you were overwhelmed. Count on me. The orgasm that overwhelmed you now, that had been his doing, right?

Once again, it was as if you had read his mind. Without him having to ask, you answered: “Levi, Levi!!” Your hands squeezed him tight, white patches beneath your fingertips. Clinging to him, the life raft through each of your waves. “Y’Yours… I’m yours…” 

He had gifted you tissues for your crying spells at work, had picked up your lunch on the way back from break, but this provision was far preferable, much more fulfilling. Even as you turned his skin red, even as your legs clenched him and squeezed air from his lungs - no, even better - those were precisely the motions that pushed him over the edge. 

One hand clutched the top of the headboard, tight enough that you heard the wood wince. The other caressed your face with feathered tenderness. In that difference, you were once again reminded of his duality: on one hand, a hardass, but for you, a soft spot. Those dimensions were reflected in his voice, too: swears that made your ears burn and groans that turned the air heavy, yet arid gasps that lifted your soul and praise fit for a princess. While your cunt had run raw and slippery from his fucking, his warm cum filled you and soothed your stings. 

As you both came to, Levi lingered inside, patiently waiting until each of your waves crashed - savoring them. With a deep swallow and a delicate nod, he ensured he would handle your aftercare. Kleenex from the nightstand folded and padded against your sex. You sat up in panic, worried about the clean freak’s reaction, but he seemed particularly satisfied. Maybe it wasn’t that he hated filth, but that he loved clean-up. You bit your lip and bit back a smile, believing that the sex tonight had evidenced that.

Though his aftercare was doing much for your affection, it did pathetically little when it came to cleanliness. Both of you realized, not even the entire box would be enough. Levi looked at the wad of tissues in his hand, shook his head, and scowled, nearly laughing at the ineffectiveness. “We’re filthy.” 

Slowly, you made your way to his side. Carefully, you reached your arms around his back. Wrapped within your grasp, you leaned him back against your chest and whispered into his ear, “Good thing there’s a shower.”

Levi spun just enough to meet your eye contact, once again checking to see if he had heard you right. Three hours ago, he would have defaulted towards the no, always having believed one could not be let down if they did not get their hopes up. Over the years and especially tonight, your optimism was swaying that opinion. Your sound smile and unafraid stare confirmed: after all that mess, you were also keen for cleanliness. In post-coital clarity, he saw how stupid he had been to wait this long, and Levi almost said those three sacred words right then and there. 

But this was only the first night of the trip.

And the first day of the rest of your lives.

// masterlist //

#levi x reader #levi ackerman x reader #levi #levi ackerman #levi x you #levi ackerman x you #levi x y/n #levi ackerman x y/n #aot x reader #snk x reader #aot x you #snk x you #anlian writes #my writing #alias's #oneshot #2023 #smut #salt and pepper

[kairiscorner]

happy birthday — miles 42 x reader (birthday special)

↳ summary: miles has been really busy a lot lately, training hard under his uncle to better his tactics at fighting and balancing school and chores on top of everything, he just kind of forgets today was even special. but luckily, you don't forget your boyfriend's birthday that easily. ↳ word count: 1,916

↳ a/n: i did not realize it was my son's birthday on the third, i'm so sorry it's late SJEBCBFIVBRFVBRBVVRBO BUT I HOPE THIS IS GOOD ENOUGH TO MAKE UP FOR IT, HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY MY BOYYYY AND I HOPE YOU GUYS LOVE THIS <333

"got any idea what's up today, miles?" you asked miles with a big grin on your face as you caught miles in the halls before class began. he raised an eyebrow up at you as he glanced up at you after collecting all his books and everything else he needed for his first class of today before heading off. "um... no. is it movie night tonight? because sorry, i... i can't make it tonight, cielo." he muttered as he looked at you with eyes filled with hints of sadness and shame at not being able to hang out with you, despite really wanting to. his responsibilities as being the prowler, a student, and a son have got him really occupied lately. he can't really quit either of these full-time jobs he's got going on right now, and you couldn't blame him. you wished he went easier on himself, though, and took more breaks, took it a little easier on himself, maybe would blow off some steam from time to time and tell you at least how he feels so it doesn't bottle up inside him over time.

you held his hand and shook your head. "nah, silly, it's something more important!" you exclaimed with a grin. miles tilted his head to the side and raised his eyebrow as he looked at you with a look of confusion. "um... hmm, is it a study night? i know it's not our anniversary yet, it's not your birthday, uh..." he mumbled as he closed his eyes and rubbed the back of his head, frustrated with himself because nothing came up in his mind. he didn't think there was anything worth such importance today, though if he was being honest, he wasn't sure what date it was today; he just got by the month by remembering what tests were when, if tonight had prowler activities, or if tonight was going to be laundry night with his mom. he was honestly drawing a blank here, he needed you to give him more obvious clues to help him find out what exactly was so important about today.

you sighed as you let go of his hand and folded your arms in front of your chest. miles' eyes widened as he felt you let go of his hand, he reached out for your hand again as he stepped forward towards you. "cielo, wait! please, i... i'm sorry." he apologized first as he stepped back and took in a breath. "can you just, um, tell me what's up today? i'm sorry, i've just been so swamped recently, and i know that's not the best excuse, but i'm not--" he went on and on, but was interrupted by the first bell. "ay, gotta go, cielo, we can talk about this later!" miles said as he scrambled for his stuff and ran off.

you waited for miles outside of his classroom once your class ended, though he had to stay behind and ask the teachers a couple of questions and clarifications over his homework since he was having a lot of backlog due to his duties as the prowler. miles caught a glimpse of you outside, though before he could call out to you or walk over to you, the next bell rang, and you had to attend to your next class. miles couldn't focus properly, he was overthinking about whether or not he upset you, or if you were already disappointed with him forgetting what day it was today. he wasn't able to check his phone or ask for the date today since he was busy catching up with schoolwork. eventually, miles caught you at lunch, but... you were with ganke. you were huddled over with him at his table, the two of you smiling and chuckling at each other as you showed him stuff on your phone.

miles trusted ganke, and ganke expressed how he didn't have any interest in butting in between you two, but the mere sight of you with ganke–all smiles with him and laughing together, after he hadn't been able to spend much time with you recently due to his responsibilities and all–it hurt him deeply, thinking he failed you and were seeking comfort with ganke. miles walked away, hurt and sad, but angry towards himself for the most part. he ate lunch alone, just like he did before befriending ganke and meeting you, but he felt like he deserved it for pushing you aside, even if he didn't mean to and wanted nothing more than to be by your side.

as miles headed home after school, not seeing you in the halls or at the school yard as he scanned his surroundings for you, he felt super dejected and disappointed in himself. he wanted to stop thinking about his responsibilities for once and just put all his time, effort, and focus on you and only you–but he knew that would be a mere twinkle in his eye, a dream that will only remain as that, a dream. but as he entered the front door of his home, he was greeted to the voices of all the important people he had in his life, with yours ringing distinctly in his ears.

"happy birthday, miles!"

miles stiffened as he heard those two words with his name following the greeting not long after. he blinked for a few times and looked around–his mom and uncle aaron were there, so were ganke and... you. wait, could this be the super important thing you hinted about today? oh, man, did he feel like an idiot–he never thought of his own birthday as something of importance, but you... you kept thinking about him, all day. miles was speechless as you approached him, all smiles, and pecked his cheek. "happiest birthday to you, miles." you said as you pulled away and presented to him the gift you had for him. miles looked at you with a puzzled look. "cielo... for-for me?" he asked you as you chuckled and nodded. "for who else, dummy?" you asked him as miles slowly took the gift and stammered. "i... but, cielo, i don't deserve this. i've missed out on countless dates and meet-ups with you, i keep pushing you aside even though i don't wanna, i--" miles rambled on and on, beating himself up for feeling inadequate at making you happy due to his repeated absences.

before he could continue, you hugged him tightly. "and it's okay, babe. you're good. you try, and even if it doesn't work out, it's the thought that counts. i'm already happy you think of me all the time and want to spend time with me, even if you can't. i love you, miles." you tell him in a gentle voice as miles hugs you back, bringing you closer to him as he kisses your cheek. "i really love you, too, mi cielo..." he mutters as you pull away from him and lead him to the couch for him to open his gift from you.

you handed him a thick box, it was wrapped in purple wrapping paper with green accents, with a green and black ribbon to tie it up. you encouraged miles to open it as ganke filmed it, with his uncle aaron and his mom watching intently. miles was gentle in unwrapping the gift, he didn't rip it open, he wanted to feel the suspense of opening the gift you got him. soon, when he saw what was inside, he gasped loudly as his eyes went wide. he kept repeating 'wait, no...' in a breathless, excited way as he realized you bought him the sneakers he had been wanting for the longest time. he could never ask his mom to buy it for him, and he was saving up to buy them himself, but to get them from you... oh, he felt like he had ascended.

"mi cielo, no freaking way...!" he exclaimed in an overjoyed manner with slight chuckles in his voice as his smile widened as the fact you gifted him the very sneakers he had wanted for a long time sunk in and made him momentarily forget the sadness he was feeling just earlier. his uncle teased you as he wished you didn't gift him those sneakers, he'd have a new obsession for a little while and keep his eyes out for him. "that boy's gonna be wary about me, asking me if i touched them. he's gonna be real overprotective of those, especially since they came from you." his uncle aaron quipped as miles told him that wasn't true. just a little true.

miles kept thanking you and kissed you on the cheek, and as ganke was filming, he encouraged you two to share a kiss. "c'mon, you dorks! for the camera! kiss! kiss! kiss!" he chanted, with uncle aaron chanting along with him. his mother chided the two, saying you two weren't going to be doing anything of the sort in front of them, but you decided you didn't care anymore and pulled miles in for a gentle kiss. miles' eyes widened even more as you kissed him, and though his mother cried out in surprise, with his uncle clapping and chuckling as ganke cheered for you two, he found himself not wanting to pull away and kissed you back.

miles pulled away and gazed at you, a smirk growing on his face as he kissed your cheek. "oh, how did i get so lucky? how could i have you, mi cielo? you know, i'll stop being too serious, you're the only lucky break i have from all the chaos in my life. i promise you, though, i'll make up for all the time that should've been just ours together. i swear, i'll make this place safer for you, i promise." he said as he interlocked his hand with yours, clutching the shoe box in his other hand. he kissed your lips and pulled away, causing you to giggle and get flustered. "i'll hold you to that, miles. but please... don't hesitate to come to me, talk to me, or do anything with me. i love you, babe, i don't mind if you miss a few dates or meet-ups, just be safe out there..." you whispered to him with a smile.

his mother retreated to grab a glass of wine as his uncle called out to her to save him a glass, with ganke chuckling as he saved the footage and teased you two lovebirds. "this... has got to be the best birthday ever." miles gushed as he ran a hand through your hair. you chuckled as you fidgeted with the end of his left braid in your hand. "even with your uncle and mom watching us kiss, with ganke filming all of it, probably never gonna let us live it down...?" you asked as you leaned closer to kiss him again and pulling away. miles smiled sweetly at you as he answered, "really." he kissed you again, with you reciprocating his kiss. that truly was going to be a birthday he'll remember, and he's gonna make sure he keeps his promises to you and work hard to earn your love and pay you back for the gift you gave him. though if you were to ask him, the only gift he really wanted was just to... hold you close, hear your voice, and just be with you on his birthday and for all the birthdays there were to come in the future with you, his sweetheart.

tags !! @k4tsu3 @fiannee @luvstarrstruck @toneystank-3000 @ii01vq @maxoloqy @pixqlsin @solecitoszn @q2ie @zalayni @anikaluv

#earth 42 miles morales #earth 42 miles #earth 42 miles x reader #earth 42 miles x you #earth 42 miles x y/n #earth 42 miles morales x reader #earth 42 miles morales x you #earth 42 miles morales x y/n #e42 miles #miles morales x reader #atsv #atsv fluff #atsv imagines #atsv x reader #atsv x you #atsv x y/n #spiderman across the spiderverse #spiderman across the spiderverse fluff #spiderman across the spiderverse x reader

[vanteguccir]

Petals of death | Matt Sturniolo | Part 2

Matt Sturniolo x reader

Summary: The Hanahaki Disease is a rare illness where the patient throws up and coughs flower petals when they suffer from one-sided love. In order to fully recover from the disease, it's necessary that the one they're in love with fall in love with them too. Or to fall in love with somebody else.

Warning: Stomachaches, lung aches, nauseas, mentions of one-sided love. ANGST, with a happy ending.

Author's note: That is my work, I DON'T authorize any plagiarism! | English isn't my first language, so I'm sorry if there's any grammar error.

Part 1

༻✦༺ 　༻✧༺　༻✦༺

Y/N woke up the next day with a ray of sunlight filtering through the small slit in the black-out curtain that was left open, bathing the room in a soft, comforting light. For a moment, she felt disoriented, but soon, the familiarity of her surroundings enveloped her mind, reminding herself of where she was and the events of the previous night. A shiver ran through her body due to the vivid memories of the attack.

The girl sighed, closing her eyes and lazily stretching out on the mattress, feeling genuinely rested for the first time in what seemed like months, a sense of peace and security enveloping her body.

Deciding to face the day in a different way, Y/N got out of bed carefully. She swept her eyes around the room, noticing that Matt was no longer there, the muffled sound of cutlery echoing from the kitchen alerting her to his presence there.

The girl walked slowly towards the kitchen, where the tempting aroma of freshly brewed coffee greeted her, her eyes finding Matt, who had his back turned to her, fiddling with some items on the counter between the sink and the stove, probably preparing breakfast.

"Good morning." Her voice came out in a shy whisper, her arms crossing around her torso and a small smile forming on her lips.

"Oh my God, you scared me." Matt brought his hand to his chest, just above his heart, as his body quickly turned to face her.

"Sorry." A nasal laugh escaped Y/N's, her palms momentarily rubbing the sides of her thighs, wiping her sweaty palms on her pajamas pants.

"Come, sit down." The brunette pointed to one of the chairs around the central table with his chin, turning back to his initial task.

Y/N slowly walked towards the table, her eyes traveling through the kitchen and living room quickly, thanking mentally that Chris and his girlfriend weren't there, probably in his own room. A feeling of nausea rose from the pit of her stomach at the possibility, making her shake her head quickly, shaking off the haunting thoughts.

Matt brought the girl a steaming mug of coffee, accompanied by a small plate with two slices of toast and butter, placing them gently in front of her seat.

"Here's your breakfast." He smiled childish, a gleam of amusement in his eyes as his hands made jazzy gestures towards the itens.

"Thank you, kind sir." Y/N let out a low laugh, taking a small bite of her toast. "Wow, what are you, Auguste Gusteau?"

Matt smiled at her joke, a red blush coloring his cheeks.

"Oh, I try." He shrugged, pretending to throw his fake long hair back, eliciting a new laugh from the girl.

As they enjoyed breakfast in comfortable silence, Y/N couldn't help but remember the heartfelt confession Matt had made the night before when he thought she was asleep. Her mind flashed back to the soft words he had murmured, expressing his true feelings.

Her eyes stared at the bottom of her plate as her mouth chewed on the small pieces of toast, weighing the possibilities.

"Matt." She called in a whisper, watching the boy, who looked up from his bowl, chewing the milk and cereal mixture slowly, a small "hm?" escaping from his throat. "Would you like to go out today? With me?"

Matt's eyes widened slightly in surprise, his jaw stopping its movements instantly, swallowing abruptly the entire contents.

"Sure!" His voice sounded high-pitched. "I mean, sure." He nodded using a more casual tone, smiling sheepishly. "What do you want to do?"

"Can we go to that amusement park we passed in front last week?" The girl proposed, looking at him with expectation written in her eyes.

"Of course! Let's go then." Matt nodded quickly, rising from his chair and taking the empty plate in front of her along with his bowl of cereal, putting them in the sink.

"Wait! Now?" She widened her eyes in surprise, placing her coffee mug on the wooden surface again, her mouth opening slightly.

"Uh, yeah... I mean, only if you want." The brunette added, turning on the sink tap and starting to wash the dirty dishes, avoiding looking at the girl behind him, feeling the skin of his face burn with embarrassment.

"Okay."

༻﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡༺

Y/N knocked twice lightly on Nick's bedroom door with her closed fist before slowly opening it. Her eyes traveled around the room, finding Nick sitting at his computer desk, probably still editing the podcast or writing a new script for the next video.

"Hey Nick." She smiled, closing the door behind her back.

"Look who decided to show up." Nick replied in an amused tone, looking up from his computer screen to take a look at her. "Did you get any rest?"

"Yeah, I had a little attack earlier in the night, but Matt helped me." She walked slowly to the boy's closet, opening it and running her hands through the ones she left there.

"Do you want to stay here with me today? I still need to finish this." The boy asked, turning his eyes back to the screen in front of him as his hands lightly adjusted the headphone around his neck.

"Well, Matt and I are going out today." She confessed, trying to sound casual, keeping her eyes fixed on the clothes.

Nick froze momentarily, his hands hovering above the keyboard as his mind seemed to work fast. It wasn't at all unusual for Matt and Y/N to hang out - even though Nick was almost always with them - but at that moment, he could feel a hint of something different behind her sentence.

"Is that so?" He asked suggestively, with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Where are you guys going?"

She blushed slightly, feeling shyness at the situation, an air of confusion and excitement surrounding her mind.

"To the amusement park." The girl shrugged, selecting the pieces she would wear and finally turning to Nick.

"Hey, that's great! Have fun." The brunette smiled genuinely at her, the meaning behind his words echoing through the walls of the room.

"I will, Nick... I will."

༻﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡༺

The sun shone in the blue sky as Y/N and Matt walked from the parking lot towards the amusement park, their hands almost touching from their proximity. Y/N's heart beating wildly in her chest, a mixture of nervousness and hope filling her heart.

The sound of laughter and lively music echoed in the air, creating an atmosphere of excitement and joy around them, along with the delicious smell of food and the sight of colorful lights flashing everywhere.

Y/N felt enveloped by the magical atmosphere automatically, trying to push away the intrusive thoughts about Chris that persisted in haunting her mind.

Matt noticed her momentary hesitation, even if it was almost disguised, his right hand landing gently on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" He asked, worried about her distant look. "If you want, we can leave-"

"No! No, it's okay." She smiled small, shaking her head, trying to dispel his worries. "I'm fine. Just a little nervous, that's all..."

Matt smiled, his expression softening with understanding.

"Don't worry, nothing will happen... I'm here with you." His voice sounded calm and comforting.

Their eyes met momentarily, pupils fixed on each other, and the world seemed to pause its rotation. All the fear and nausea that Y/N felt seemed to dissipate. A small smile grew on her face when she saw Matt move his eyebrows slightly, with an amused glow that tried to convey some kind of reassurance to the girl.

Y/N looked away seconds later, finally able to observe every detail around them carefully.

"Wow." She opened her lips slightly, her eyes moving quickly without knowing exactly where to look at. It had been so long since she had done something like that.

Matt smiled, watching her delighted expression for a few more seconds before finally taking his eyes off her, feeling his heart speed up.

"Where do you want to start?"

The two decided to start with a roller coaster, and while they waited in line, Matt kept a light and relaxed conversation, helping Y/N to relax little by little, her anxiety slowly decreasing as they shared laughs and hidden glances.

When it was finally their turn, they boarded the cart, a mixture of fear and excitement coursing through Matt's veins as Y/N felt more than ready, the adrenaline would serve her well at that moment.

Screams were shared as Matt raised his arms like a child, and Y/N let out loud laughter, their hair mixing against the wind.

The rides were complete, and soon, they disembarked. Y/N felt euphoric, a rush of adrenaline coursing through her body as she bounced with each step, quick words escaping her lips, explaining every sensation she felt.

Matt observed her with a wide smile, his eyes shining with his excitement and his heart warming immensely. He felt his hands tingling, silently begging him to pull her into a kiss.

As the day progressed, they continued exploring the park, enjoying all the attractions it had to offer while eating sweets and, on Matt's side, gaining teddy bears on the little games, giving them all to the girl.

Despite the doubts and fears that still hovered in her mind, Y/N was able to relax and forget about her illness for a few hours.

༻﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡༺

In the days following their "date" at the amusement park, Y/N and Matt continued to get closer in a different way more and more. Matt showed his affection in many ways, through small gestures and acts of service that did not go unnoticed by the girl.

In one morning that she had slept at the triplets' house again, after a significantly difficult night of meltdowns, Y/N woke up on Nick's bedroom with a mug of hot cappuccino on the bedside table next to her side, prepared by Matt before she even woke up, along with a small pink post-it containing a heart and a small "good morning" written by a glittery pen.

During other days, they shared laughs and lively conversations, Matt always there to listen and support the girl through Hanahaki's ups and downs.

Y/N lost count of how many times he accompanied her back to her own home, and there he would help her with simple tasks, such as folding clothes or making dinner for her, demonstrating his care and attention in every small gesture.

At night, before bed, when she decided to spend the night with Matt, the boy would tuck her into his arms, offering comfort and security while she drifted off to sleep. His touches were soft and comforting, conveying a sense of peace that made her feel loved and protected, something she never thought she would feel.

Over time, Y/N began to notice these subtle signs of affection, recognizing Matt's love and dedication in a new and profound way that slowly cut the thorns from the roses in her lungs, showering them with a secret passion.

At first, the girl resisted, fearing that the love she knew was growing in her own heart for the boy would only fuel her illness, but as Matt enveloped her in his warmth, she began to blossom in a different way.

Her heart, once a devastated field of withered petals, now opened like a flower blooming in the sun. Hanahaki's flowers began to slowly wither, replaced by a new type of flowering: that of required love.

Every moment shared between the two was a blessing, a relief from the pain that had consumed Y/N for so many weeks. Matt's soft touches and gentle words healed the wounds that Chris had caused, even if unconsciously.

It was just another peaceful night that the two spent together at the triplets' house. Matt and Y/N enjoyed their favorite food delivered by a delivery service while watching a movie that had recently been released on Netflix.

The proximity of their bodies on the soft couch made the girl's heart beat fast in her chest, the tension increasing with each passing second as her mind created millions of scenarios of how she could even open up to him.

Matt gave her a worried look, noticing her stillness.

"Are you okay?" He asked after swallowing the bite he was chewing of the fast food, his voice soft and full of concern.

Y/N turned her head to him quickly, frowning before nodding, feeling nervous.

"Yes, I'm fine... Actually, there's something I need to tell you." She admitted slowly, her voice shaking with anticipation.

Matt stopped his movements, resting the burger in his hands on the box it came in, focusing all his attention on the girl, his blue eyes brimming with curiosity.

"I actually need to tell you something, too." The boy muttered with a playful smile on his face.

"You can... you can go first." She asked, raising her right hand and pointing towards his chest momentarily, clearing her throat awkwardly.

Matt took a deep breath, pressing his lips into a thin line as he gathered the courage to finally express his feelings while looking into her open eyes.

"You know, we've known each other for so long, right? And from the first moment, my heart hasn't stopped beating faster than normal whenever I'm with you." Matt said cautiously, watching her reactions carefully. "And then I found out that you were hurt badly because of my brother... I swear my heart broke into a thousand pieces, and I realized how much you really meant to me. I remember the exact moment it happened. You were so pretty-" He interrupted his sentence, widening his eyes. "Not that you don't look pretty now, you definitely do, you always look pretty, stunning even-"

"Matt, you're rambling." Y/N interrupted him in a whisper, feeling her face burn with shyness.

"I'm sorry! What I'm trying to say is..." He hesitated, taking a deep breath and reaching out his right hand, taking Y/N's one, tracing her knuckles gently with his thumb.

Y/N's breathing seemed to catch, her heart beating so hard she felt like she could hear it in her ears, goosebumps traveling up her arms as her eyes focused on their intertwined hands.

“I love you, Y/N.”

Y/N's chest bloomed in a good way. She felt as if all the roots and branches within her lungs retracted until they became dust, finally feeling as if she could breathe again.

"Matt, I... I love you too."

"You do?" The boy's voice came out at a higher volume than previously used, his posture straightening up and his fingers squeezing Y/N's hand in an involuntary act of nervousness.

"I do. You know, I've been thinking a lot about us lately, and..." She began with a deep breath, her eyes meeting his, her heart warming almost automatically upon seeing his dilated pupils holding so much love. "I thought I would never be happy again... that I would be doomed to suffocate on the petals of my own disaster forever."

She paused, catching her bottom lip between her teeth.

"But then you started helping me along with Nick, and every gesture of care, every word of affirmation and every comforting touch made me feel loved in a way I never even imagined I would feel one day." She continued, her eyes shining with the intensity of words. "This is so cliché, but you showed me that I could be loved by someone."

"How did you...?"

"I heard you talking about how you felt about me in that night that I slept in your room and had that crisis in the bathroom." The girl said, watching Matt's eyes widen momentarily as a reddish hue took over his milky skin, an embarrassed smile spreading across his cheeks.

"I didn't know you were awake." He let out a breathy laugh, scratching the back of his neck with his free hand.

"I know you didn't." Y/N smiled teasingly. "Why don't you give me that kiss now, huh?"

Matt rolled his eyes at her advance, bringing his upper body closer to hers slowly, resting his weight on the back of the couch with his free hand.

Their gaze met momentarily while their breaths intertwined in a synchronized rhythm. The soft touch of hands still together sending a pulsing electricity through their bodies, while their hearts beat in unison.

A shy smile plays on Matt's lips, a mix of nervousness and anticipation hanging in the air. Then, without wasting time, the boy moves forward, touching her lips in a soft and passionate kiss.

A wave of heat and ecstasy washes over them, every cell in their bodies vibrating with the intensity of the moment. They lose themselves in each other's sweet taste. Their once joined hands now travel through their bodies freely, exploring waists, hips, and shoulders.

The world around seems to disappear, leaving only the feeling of their closeness to each other, as if they were the only two beings in the universe.

The sound of the house's front door opening and closing seconds later seems to wake them up, their tongues separating from the addictive dance as their bodies snuggle against the couch upholstery again.

Y/N's cheeks burned with love and shyness while she felt like her heart wanted to jump out of her chests and probably intertwine itself with his. Matt took a deep breath, a completely goofy smile resting on his face as his blue eyes carried a dazed look.

They felt like teenagers again.

The figure of Chris climbing the last few steps of the stairs with his girlfriend behind him appeared in their vision. Matt swallowed hard, ready to help the girl next to him if a crisis came. Despite her earlier confession, he couldn't help but feel insecure that there was still some remnant of love for his brother within her heart.

But the crisis never came.

Y/N briefly greeted the couple, smiling truthful at the sight of them crossing the room towards the stairs that led to Chris bedroom, before looking at Matt again. Her left hand reached for his one, intertwining their fingers before lightly squeezing them three times.

I love you.

༻✦༺ 　༻✧༺　༻✦༺

My asks are always open. My requests are closed at the moment since I have many to work in, but you can always send questions or simply talk to me 🩷💋

And remember to treat people with kindness always!

~ taglist:

@lustfulslxt @ladybunny44 @worldlxvlys @earth2starkey @remussbitch @freshloveforthefit @il0vebeingdelulu @sturniolowhore @mimi-luvzyu @alorsxsturn @urfavgirllyyyyy @domizzzsstuff @sturnizd @hearts4chris @cupidzsq @dracoflaco @leah-loves-lilies @tylerthecreatorsrealwife @rootbeerworshiper @junnniiieee07 @elliesturniolo1 @sstvrnioloo @lightsgore @gidgett11037 @sturniolho @ksskianshd @ccolleenn @sturniolo-lover1317 @soimightlikeoldmen69 @hrtyjy @ldr-sl0t @breeloveschris @bellasfavbisexual @its-jennarose @sainzzsturns @ecliphttlunar @iammattswife @prettydollie @imwetforyourmom @sturnzsblog @h3arts4harry @thebottledwatersupplier @bellasfavbisexual @soso-scarlettolivia

(If you want to be added to the taglist, please comment here)

#chris sturniolo #matt sturniolo #nick sturniolo #sturniolo x reader #x reader #sturniolo triplets #sturniolo #matt sturniolo x reader #fanfic #fanfiction #imagine #oneshot #matt sturniolo fic #matt sturniolo x you #matt sturniolo fluff #matthew bernard sturniolo #matthew sturniolo x reader #matthew sturniolo #matt x reader #matt au #matt fanfic #matt #matt sturniolo angst #fluff #angst #hanahaki #chris sturniolo x reader #unrequited love #required love #matt sturniolo x reader fluff

[echoingalaxies]

Content: self-punishment/injury, conditioned whumpee, trauma

Whumpee got up before dawn to prepare breakfast. For so long now, it had been their routine, something they'd gotten used to doing no matter their condition, no matter the amount of pain or exhaustion weighing them down. Coffee with two sugars, and three fried eggs, would have to be ready to be served precisely at 6, and Whumpee would carry them to Whumper's room where he would still be sleeping, wake him up, and stand there, head bowed, wait until he finished his meal and then take the dirty dishes to the sink.

The few times Whumpee had missed the 6 am mark, even by a couple of minutes, hadn't ended well. Whumpee ran their fingers over the scars they'd received for those mistakes, wide and raised under their shirt, as they waited for the food to cook. They kept glancing at the clock, anxiously, shivering at the thought of being late, but they also couldn't hurry too much because the punishment for undercooked eggs would be just as cruel.

At 5:58, Whumpee had everything set up, and taking the plate and the large mug of coffee in their hands, they started to head toward the stairs, moving slowly for their aching body. Whumpee had become really good at counting in their head, so they knew they were right on time, as they balanced the mug on the plate for a second to knock on Whumper's door.

They pushed the door open, flicked on the lights - so much brighter than Whumpee remembered... He hadn't changed the lightbulb, so had Whumper had to do it himself? How come hadn't he told Whumpee to do it? - and went next to his bed.

"Your breakfast, sir," they said, trying to sound chipper but gentle, humble and happy to be there. "Good morning, sir," they added quickly after, almost having forgotten the proper way of greeting. What has wrong with them today?

Whumper, usually waking up to their voice and demanding to have the food immediately, just pulled the duvet to his chin, face deep buried into pillows. He grunted something inaudible, and Whumpee was left standing there, unsure what to do.

"S-sir? It's morning, sir, time to rise. Are you feeling ill?"

"Shut up," Whumper growled, and his voice was odd, but Whumpee pressed their lips together tightly, afraid to make a sound. "What the fuck are you doing, it's so damn early..."

The plate and the mug were shaking in Whumpee's hands as they began to breathe heavily, panicking. They'd been on time, but they'd made a mistake. They'd made some kind of mistake. Whumper was upset, and oh, when he'd wake up, hell was awaiting for them...

"Please," Whumpee whispered. "I- I'm so sorry. So sorry, sir..."

After a few mess-ups, Whumper had introduced Whumpee to an alternative option when it came to punishments of slipping off schedule or not completing their tasks just as Whumper had told them to. Quicker, easier, and for Whumper, even more fun than getting to carve marks on Whumpee's skin.

He'd love to watch Whumpee be humiliated.

"I don't want to waste my time on you when I have better things to do," Whumper had once said. "Make it simpler for the both of us. You know when you mess up. Why not get the consequenses out of the way? Use whatever's available, as long as you clean up the blood."

Whumper was still under the covers, perhaps falling back to sleep. Whumpee was still confused by the situation, but it seemed like he should've somehow known to not bother him this morning, oh no, they'd done gravely wrong, and there was only two ways out...

And they'd made their choice which route to take.

Whumpee set the plate on the nightstand, and closed their eyes, when with trembling hands, they took the mug of still steaming coffee above their head and spilled it all over themselves. Even as cried out in agony, they kept reminding themselves whatever Whumper would have done to them would've been worse, and with any luck, this would be enough.

Whumper was once again woken up by Whumpee's cries, and bolted up from the bed like he'd been electrocuted. Whumpee felt a sting in their heart. Of course they'd want to watch. Why would they miss the show? Maybe they'd be unsatisfied with their pain and make Whumpee throw themselves down the stairs for good measure.

Whumper cursed loudly and grabbed Whumpee's arm, pulling them out of the room and to the nearest bathroom. He shoved Whumpee under the shower and turned it on, turning the temperature cold. He squeezed Whumpee's arms, shaking them lightly.

"Oh god, Whumpee, why would you do that? What were you thinking?"

Whumpee coughed, the water getting into their mouth. They shivered, from cold and from fear.

Another mistake.

Nothing made sense.

Why was whumper helping him? What was all of this?

Whumpee tried to pry themselves away from Whumper's grip and out of the shower, but Whumper held them still.

"I'm sorry, sir, I'm sorry -"

"Wait," he said, sounding concerned rather than angry now. "Oh shit, Whumpee, no, stop that. Look at me. I'm not him."

Whumpee did as they were told and raised their gaze to meet the eyes they expected to be gray and cruel, and was shocked to see hazel, and nothing but kindness.

"I'm not him," he repeated, and Whumpee blinked a few times, letting their eyes take in the rest of the person's face. "Everything is okay. You're home, remember? Safe."

The person had dark circles under their eyes. They had a friendly face, although right now, they wore a worried expression. Whumpee wiped water from their face to see better... their eyes must've been lying to them...

"I..." Whumpee begun, stammering. "S-sorry... I should've let you sleep... I didn't know... I'm sorry..."

"Whumpee, shh." The person reached to turn off the shower and then let go of them to grab a large, thick towel they spread on Whumpee's shoulders. "Don't, I'm sorry, okay? I didn't realise it was you. You shouldn't even be walking! I thought it was Teammate just annoying me, I was barely awake, I didn't mean to be harsh towards you."

Whumpee pulled the towel around them, turning their head to look around. They knew this bathroom. They'd been patched up here many times before, years earlier. It was Caretaker's.

They looked at the person in front of them. They knew them. It was coming to them slowly, but they knew them better than anyone.

"Caretaker?"

They smiled. "Yeah. It's me. It's okay. You've been home for a few days now, remember?"

"I... guess."

Caretaker helped Whumpee out of their wet clothes and let them shower privately, washing the coffee off their hair and ease the pain in the burns on their scalp, their face, their shoulders.

When whumpee was ready, they opened the door to let Caretaker in once again. Caretaker sat them down on a little stool and started to treat their injuries, talking in a calming matter throughout the process. Whumpee was still feeling lost, his brain struggling to understand what was real and what was not.

"I'm still so sorry, Whumpee," Caretaker said, spreading something soothing over his burns. "I never should've allowed things to go so far that you'd do this to yourself."

"I didn't want you to hurt me," Whumpee said quietly. Caretaker stilled for a second, then continued rubbing the lotion on Whumpee's skin. Whumpee bit their cheeks. Caretaker, and everybody else, didn't know much about what he'd been through with Whumper. They hadn't had many opportunities to talk that much yet.

"I would never do that." Caretaker leaned in and pressed an unexpected kiss on Whumpee's forehead. Whumpee blushed, though they were grateful it probably was hidden by their already reddened face. No one had done that for... Whumpee didn't even know how long. "No one will ever hurt you here. And you never have to hurt yourself, okay?"

Whumpee wished they could keep that promise. But who was to say what happened this morning wouldn't happen again?

"Yeah," they said. Caretaker's touch was gentle and comforting, and Whumpee remembered them as a trustworthy person.

Only it all wasn't up to Caretaker.

And it wasn't up to Whumpee. They didn't decide to forget they were not living in that nightmare anymore.

But if things were to be like this, would they ever truly get out?

#only quickly proofread #self punishment #implied torture #past torture #trauma #conditioned whumpee #aftermath #obedient whumpee #deconditioning #accidental bad caretaker? #whump #whump writing #caretaker x whumpee #protective caretaker #post rescue #caretaking #whump scenario #physical whump #writing #whump prompts #writing prompts #whumpee #whumper #caretaker #whumpblr #writeblr #whump fic

[hunnylagoon]

hey! I want to request a fluffy one shot about ellie being a parent with the reader. The rest is in your hands, write what comes to ur mind!

Small Hands

Summary: People say that the magic disappears when you have children, that never applied to you and Ellie, you are just as hopelessly in love as the day you were married. You celebrate Christmas with your friends and family despite a few bumps in the road.

A/N: I usually don’t fuck with kids but this concept actually seemed really cute to me. This chapter is a bit shorter, sorry if it’s rushed, I wrote this while studying for my exams. Thank you for requesting! If anyone else has requests, feel free to leave them and I will get around to them! There is the smallest teensiest weensiest smidgen of a angst in the middle but it comes from a third party. Warning for mentions of postpartum depression

-

The air was infused with the spicy aroma of gingerbread and the warm glow of twinkling lights as a group of friends gathered for their annual Christmas party. The cozy living room, adorned with tinsel and stockings, echoed with laughter and the jingling of bells. The adults, each holding a mug of steaming cocoa (with a splash of Bailey's), exchanged stories of the year gone by while the children, eyes wide with wonder, eagerly awaited the arrival of Santa Claus.

The living room sparkled with the joy of reunion, as friends who had become family over the years shared in the holiday spirit. You being the hostess of the party, had a flair for festive decorations, you had turned your home into a winter wonderland, complete with a towering Christmas tree and a crackling fireplace. "Levi, get away from there!" Your eyes went wide and you slammed your mug onto the coffee table before you ran to retrieve your son who was wearing an elf onesie and had been attempting to pull out bottles from the wine rack. Your friends and family laughed at the scene "Geez," You grabbed him from beneath his arms and scooped him up, quickly bringing him close to your chest. He had just turned four and was rapidly getting too big for you to carry him. You put him on the ground and ushered him toward the game room telling him to go play with his sister while all of the children were playing some kind of board game or watching the Polar Express. "Where is your mother?" You mutter under your breath, gaze suddenly focusing on the sink full of dishes, you sigh and walk towards them, figuring it easier to get them done now as opposed to when the part has ended and you're too exhausted to do so.

In the tranquil kitchen, the rhythmic cadence of water splashing and the clink of porcelain against stainless steel create a melodic backdrop as you diligently tend to the post-dinner ritual of washing dishes, humming along to the song 'Last Christmas' which you could hear ever so faintly rise above the busy chatter of the living room. your hands, adorned with soap bubbles, move with a graceful choreography, navigating each plate, glass, and utensil with practiced efficiency. The moonlight streaming through the window illuminates the dance of water droplets, casting a prism of reflections on the gleaming surfaces. The scent of citrus-scented dish soap permeates the air, as you, lost in thought, scrub away at remnants of roast chicken and mashed potatoes.

"There's my girl," You feel a pair of arms snake around your waist, you didn't need to turn around to tell who it was; it had of course been your wife, you looked down at where her hands rested on your midriff, her silver wedding ring glistened beneath the warm overhead lighting in the kitchen.

"Are you aware your son is trying to get into the wine rack again?" You turn around to face her, her hands changed from their spot on your waist to the edge of the kitchen sink, leaving you stuck between her and the counter, faces inches apart.

"What can I say? He's got drinking problems," She teased, gaze flickering to your lips for a minute.

"That's all you," You said, your faces were so close that you could've sworn that you could count every single freckle on her face. Without warning, Ellie puts her hands back onto your waist to pull you close, she plants little kisses on your neck, earning a giggle from you "Really?" You laugh "Is me washing dishes really that attractive?"

"Oh, absolutely," She thought you were so incredibly stunning, even in something as simple as a red cable-knit sweater with faded mom jeans and hair tied up sloppy in a claw clip. You had only bought the claw clip in the first place because your daughter told you they were trendy.

"Okay, seriously, there are kids here," You laugh, gently pushing Ellie away from you "We can save that for later."

"You just look so beautiful," Ellie wears a goofy smile on her face.

"In mom jeans?"

She shrugs "As beautiful as the day I met you, if not more."

You can't help the huge smile that consumes your face. You and Ellie had met in college, she was a bartender and you went to her bar every single Friday just to see her, all of your friends sat in a booth but you would always push for them to sit at the bar when they refused, you sat alone just to talk to the pretty girl behind the bar. "Do you remember how we were spending Christmas in College?"

"One bottle of peppermint schnapps and a bag of chocolate-covered pretzels."

"You're forgetting a game of strip poker," You add.

"That's probably because I was hammered off my ass," She says bluntly and it makes you laugh. Back in college, the pair of you made plans to fly home to see your families but a snowstorm had other plans, with arrangements cancelled you went back to each other, cozying up on Ellie's beat-up couch and dumping schnapps into eggnog, god it tasted awful but the sound of Ellie laughing, her cheeks and nose pink from cold air almost made it taste better.

"You know..." You say, drawing Ellie's attention "I think it might be time to start the gingerbread house contest."

Ellie is way ahead of you, she leaves the kitchen and enters the game room, you can tell the exact moment she announced it by the kid's reactions all you heard was cheering before a dozen kids stormed out of the game room and gathered around the dining table where you had meticulously placed a gingerbread house decorating kit at each chair as well as little bowls full of several colours of frosting and miscellaneous candies lined down the center.

Parents sat next to their children or stood behind them, either rooting for them or guiding their small hands along the gingerbread, aiding the decorating process. Ellie sat between both of your children "Levi, you can eat it after you build it," She chuckled, gingerly moving the plastic butter knife of icing to the edge of a wall for the gingerbread house, "See? You put icing along the edges and then you stick it together and then when it dries, you have a house!" She explained in simple terms to your youngest, turning her head to look at your daughter who was too busy conversing with her friend to decorate "You should be listening to this too, Kenna, useful tips," She teased. Kenna rolled her eyes, she was ten years old and at that stage where she was starting to get embarrassed by her parents. Ellie laughed at your daughter's reaction, locking eyes with you from your spot by the doorway where the two of you share a look of understanding.

"Uh oh, looks like Papa's intervening," Dina said, she stood next to Jesse, cradling her baby, JJ, in her arms, watching the scene unfold.

"Alright, kiddo, here's what we're gonna do." Joel shooed Kenna's friend away, replacing her. Under hushed whispers he explained a plan to Kenna, the two were discussing a layout to win the gingerbread contest.

"Oh, it's getting heated now," Ellie said, now moving her focus onto Levi's sloppy gingerbread house.

Everyone was in the festive dining room, laughing and talking, truly in the Christmas spirit, all except for one; you heard what sounded like faint sobs coming from the kitchen. With furrowed eyebrows, you followed the sound and found none other than your friend, Catherine crying into her hands.

"What happened?" You break the silence, catching her attention.

Catherine begins to wipe away tears, shaking her head "It's nothing, it's so stupid-

"Well, it's not nothing if you're crying." You cross your arms. Catherine can't seem to get the words out, she just shakes her head and squeezes her eyes shut in her best attempt to push back tears, her blue eyes red and puffy "Whatever it is, I'm not going to judge you."

"It's just-" She takes a deep, shaky breath" Sometimes I wish I wasn't a mom, I just wish I could pack up my bags and leave in the middle of the night and never come back." Catherine was an English teacher at a middle school, you had met her not long after you met Ellie. She was also a new mother, she had only had her baby girl, Clementine for six months; you saw how tired she was, she always for dark bags under her eyes, she used to intricately braid her dirty blond hair every day but now she only had the energy in her to tie it up into a loose bun. "I'm sorry," She laughed "I don't know why I'm crying."

"Because it hurts." You answer, eyebrows furrowing with concern.

Your daughter ran into the kitchen with a huge smile on her little face "Mom, you need to see my house, Papa Joel is helping me and it looks really cool so far-" Her smile faded in the slightest when she saw you with Catherine, "Is Cathy okay?"

"She's fine, sweetheart," You kneel to eye level with Kenna "Her tummy just hurts from too much hot chocolate so I'm gonna take care of her for a bit." You brush one of Kenna's lose hair behind her ear and plant a kiss onto her freckled forehead "Just go back to making your house, I'm sure it looks awesome, I promise I'll come see it when it's done but I think your auntie Sarah would love to see it." Kenna nods casting one last look at Catherine who turned around to hide her tear-stained face from your daughter and hurried out of the kitchen. "Cath, let's talk outside." You move towards the sliding door on the other side of the kitchen, you hold it open for Catherine who follows you outside, immediately hugging herself in an attempt to fight off the cold. "So, where is this coming from?"

Catherine looks around the snow-covered yard, she sees the snowman that your children made with Ellie the day before and it only adds to the unbearable weight on her shoulders "I'm not good at this, I'm a bad mom-

"No, you're not-

She lets out another sob "Like just now, you are so patient with Kenna and Levi, you and Ellie have this incredible house and an amazing family, you guys never fight and I just feel like I'm falling behind."

"You're crazy if you think Ellie and I don't fight, we argue all the time about the stupidest things, like earlier we fought about who would pop that champagne cork. We fight, but that doesn't mean that we don't love each other, I'm sure you feel the same way about Emmet."

"I love Emmet," She says "I really do and I love Clementine so so much I just wish I had a minute to breathe." Catherine can hardly look you in the eyes "I work with kids all day and take care of them and then I get home and it's just more of the same but there's cooking and cleaning and it's endless."

The silence stretches between you two. Catherine's face is scrunched up, her pale turning red from the cold. With each unsteady breath, she heaves, a cloud of carbon dioxide emerges. The sleet covering every inch of ground acts as soundproofing over the neighbourhood, the only thing you can hear are birds flapping their wings and Catherine's heavy cries.

"Do you remember when I wanted to be a writer?" She asks "When I used to have dreams, I would hole myself up in that one corner booth of that coffee shop every Sunday and I would write for hours on end."

"And every time someone mentioned a book or movie that they like, you would ask what they liked about it so you could use bits of it in your writing." You say, your lips stretching into a thin melancholic smile at the memory.

"Well, it's all gone out the window." She was shaking by that point, not from the frigid air or her now wet socks but from misery "Two years ago I was hosting wine-tasting parties and Emmet was taking me out to these beautiful high-end restaurants. I could fit into sleek back dresses and wear high heels for hours without getting blisters, now all I eat is Kraft dinner and takeout. Every nice blouse I own has gotten baby vomit on it."

The way Catherine is speaking, she sounds bitter with despair hanging in her tone. You at a loss for words, postpartum depression was common but you hadn't realized just how much Catherine was suffering. She had spent six months feeling this way with no one to talk to. When you first adopted Kenna you were terrified, you thought that you wouldn't have a mother's instinct and that you were going to screw her up in some way or that she would resent you because you aren't her biological mother.

"I haven't got a full night of sleep in six months, all I hear is that fucking screeching cry. That's all she does is scream, she screams when she's happy, when she's sad, when she's upset and angry, it's all I hear and I'm so fucking sick of it." She buried her face into her hands "Emmet just loves her so much, he does everything with her without complaint and I can't help but hold the slightest bit of resent for her, I probably sound evil right now."

"You don't," You pulled Catherine in for a hug. Embracing her and all of her sadness, if it belonged to her then it belonged to you as well. "I'll tell you this right now, it's going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better." Her head was tucked into the crook of your neck.

"That isn't helping-

You pushed her away, holding onto her shoulders, forcing her to face you. "Remember when you adopted that dog?"

"Toothless," She smiled at the thought of her old Labrador.

"He was a puppy when you adopted him, he had way too much energy, barked at every sound, and pissed and shat on the floor of your apartment a lot," You say, face dead serious despite the subject matter "That night before exams when you were exhausted and all you wanted was to sleep, you tucked yourself into bed and Toothless was right beside you and then he pissed all over your white duvet. You called me and you just cried and cried because you were so stressed and that was the tipping point. How about that time he dragged your period-stained underwear out of your laundry basket when you had a date over-

"Okay, I get it," Catherine laughed.

"My point is, when that puppy stage passed, you were in love with that dog, you blew off plans just to take him on walks downtown. If you had a bad day, you would curl up on the couch with him. Not that I'm comparing your child to a dog but when this postpartum leaves, that child is going to be the light of your life. Fridays at the bar won't sound appealing when you can make popcorn and watch Disney with your daughter, nothing else is going to matter as much as that girl. When Clementine gets older you'll find that every eye-roll means you're doing something right."

"Is that true?" She asks "About the eyerolls?"

"No," You laugh "It's just something I say to make Ellie feel better."

Catherine chuckles, wiping away what remains of her tears. "Thank you."

"I know it feels like it's the end of the road but it's not. It gets easier every single day but that's the hard part, you need to get up and face it every single day." Your words calm Catherine down. Her tears dissipate and with a deep breath she is no longer shaking "We should go back inside now, I wanna see who won the gingerbread building contest." You sling an arm around her and guide her back inside through the sliding door.

"But my socks are wet." She says, hesitant to step back inside.

"I'm sorry for making you stand in the snow but that conversation needed to happen," You urge her inside anyway, not caring if your freshly cleaned kitchen floors get wet "I'll lend you a pair of slippers."

You and Catherine return to the dining room where the contest is just wrapping up, both in fuzzy slippers; the pair Catherine wore had little black spotted cows on them while yours were teal and made to look like Perry the Platypus, a gift you received from Ellie out of the blue because she thought they were hilarious and wanted both of you to have a matching pair. "Just in time," Dina says, she's wearing a white turtle neck and blue skinny jeans, leaning against the wall, watching her husband with a smile "They're about to announce the winner."

Ellie is speaking in a hushed voice with Jesse who is holding JJ in one arm, she's acting as serious as ever and even pretending to ask JJ for his opinion, the baby just babbles in return "Interesting, thank you, JJ," She says. Ellie turns to the crowd, everyone goes silent waiting for her words "The consensus is... You are all winners!"

Many of the older kids groaned in annoyance, all of the adults knew this was coming that didn't stop Tommy from saying that it was outrageous.

As the night unfolded, the kids, bundled up in cozy sweaters, gathered around a table filled with art supplies to craft their ornaments. Laughter filled the room as little hands carefully adorned paper snowflakes and painted wooden stars. The parents, caught in the infectious energy of the children, joined in the crafting, reminiscing about their childhood holiday traditions.

With bellies full and hearts warmer than ever, the group of friends settled into a circle around the fireplace. The children, tucked in cozy blankets, many of the kids fell asleep in the game room while 'Home Alone' played on the TV.

As the night drew to a close, the guests exchanged hugs and well wishes. The flickering lights of the Christmas tree cast a soft glow on the scene as the friends, with their children in tow, bid farewell, knowing that the memories forged on this magical night would linger in their hearts long after the last snowflake had fallen. Parent hauled their sleeping children away into their cars, putting a close on the night.

Ellie took Kenna, hand in hand, to the bathroom, making sure that she thoroughly brushed her teeth. She tucked her daughter in, giving her a kiss on the forehead. Kenna tried to argue that she wasn't tired but the second her head hit the pillow her eyes shuttered closed and any chatter she had in her was replaced by soft breaths emerging from the sleeping girl.

You had taken Levi straight to bed, he was already passed out when you found him curled in a ball on a blanket in the game room. He gently put him down on his bed and pulled a Spider-Man blanket over the top of him to keep his little body warm. You made sure that his night light was plugged in before stepping away and closing the door, but not all the way, you left it open a crack, just the way he liked it.

And so, the echoes of laughter, the warmth of shared moments, and the spirit of togetherness lingered in the air, a reminder that the company of cherished friends and family had just left, leaving you and your little family to sit in the static quiet of the fireplace crackling.

The air is still tinged with the scent of cinnamon and pine, and a soft glow emanates from the myriad of twinkling lights that adorn every corner. The Christmas tree, a majestic centrepiece, stands tall and proud, its branches adorned with an array of ornaments that glisten in hues of red, gold, and silver. A cozy fireplace crackles merrily, casting a warm embrace upon the room. Festive stockings, embroidered with care, hang in anticipation of surprises. Plush blankets drape over sofas, inviting you to sink into their warmth. Every surface seems to gleam with the holiday spirit, from the gleaming silverware on the dining table to the festive wreaths that adorn doorways. The ambiance is a symphony of holiday joy, where every decoration tells a story of cherished traditions and the magic of Christmas despite the displaced blankets and dishes, as well as random craft supplies that were somehow everywhere.

"We should probably clean this up before bed," You say, bending down to grab a throw blanket off the floor.

Ellie grabs your wrist to stop you "That's what tomorrow is for," You turn to face her "Right now I just want to be with my wife."

You grin "I don't think I'll ever get sick of you saying that."

"I don't think I'll ever get sick of saying it."

You kiss Ellie, she has one hand pulling you in from the small of your back. "I think I have a crush on you." You giggle.

"A crush on your wife?" Ellie raises an eyebrow "Who could imagine that."

"No I mean, I obviously love you but there's a difference between being in love and having a crush, we've been married for fourteen years and I still get excited when you call me pretty. I can't help but stare at you in a room full of people and when you look back I get butterflies because I just can't help but be thankful that I got lucky enough to have you." Your lips curve up into a smile "I don't think that was corny enough," You say sarcastically.

Ellie kisses you again, it is simple and sweet, like the taste of sugar resting on the tip of your tongue "I guess I have a crush on you too," She looked so pretty in her jeans and red flannel, sporting the haircut you gave her with pride; whenever someone mentioned her haircut she would get all giddy and say 'My wife did it!'. An idea snaps into your mind, and you swiftly break away from Ellie and kick off your Perry the Platypus slippers, jetting to the kitchen to the sliding door and running outside. Ellie calls after you, with no response, she follows your trail of teal slippers. She pokes her head outside "Honey?" She calls into the night, and instead of your voice answering her she is decked in the face by a snowball. "Ow!"

With rosy cheeks and twinkling eyes, your breath forming clouds in the cold, launched the first snowball, its trajectory guided by both precision and mischief. Ellie, undeterred, retaliated with a well-aimed throw which truthfully fucking hurt when it crashed into you as she used to play softball and didn't know how to gently throw anything. The world around you transformed into a playground, each snowball being thrown with more power.

As the not-so-friendly competition unfolded, your movements became a dance—a graceful ballet of dodges and throws. The landscape bore witness to their camaraderie, marked by the hushed giggles (trying your best to stay quiet enough that you didn't wake the kids) and the occasional shrieks of delight. Frost-kissed eyelashes framed your beaming faces, capturing the essence of a moment suspended in the magic of winter.

The cold air filled with the warmth of your connection. You both paused, momentarily breathless, her laughter echoing in the serene stillness of the snow-covered landscape. Amidst the snow-laden trees and glistening ground, you and Ellie shared a quiet gaze—a fleeting, unspoken acknowledgment of the bond that stayed unbroken with each tossed snowball.

Your cheeks flushed with both the chill of the air and the thrill of the game, finally forfeited, coming out from your shielding spot behind the shed, you laughed as you approached Ellie, moving your delicate hands to shake snow out of her hair. The memory of the evening lingered, a cherished chapter in the story of your enduring love.

#ellie williams #ellie williams fluff #ellie williams x female reader #ellie williams x you #the last of us #the last of us ellie #tlou #ellie williams x reader #ellie the last of us #Ellie is down bad #christmas #you have kids with Ellie #Ellie Williams X reader fluff

[lushaletta]

hide with me / james potter

pairing: james potter x fem!reader

warnings: mild swearing, mentions of mental health/anxiety, reader has a panic attack

summary: poorly written drabble in which you have awful anxiety and a lovely james.

a/n: i feel like this feels unfinished i’m so sorry… i clearly lost steam by the end but i hope you all like it! i am such a sucker for some james

⋆ ࣪.  ⁺⑅ ⋰˚ *.ﾟ .˳⁺⁎˚ ˚⁎⁺˳ . ༺ ˖࣪ ˖࣪ ∗

It feels like the world is caving in on you. The ceiling is about to fall down and crush you under its weight.

The voices of those around have all mixed and faded into each other into a jumble of noise. You don’t quite know what Lily is saying, not even sure what Marlene is doing; you can hardly see anything.

A laughable attempt at taking a breath has you panicking more and you stumble out of Alice’s living room and onto her front patio as hot, salty tears sting your face.

The reason as to why you’re suddenly in this state has you confused. One moment, you’re fine and the next, you’re in full breakdown mode.

Fresh air. That’s usually all you need. You let the scent of pine fill your lungs, grounding yourself on the railing. You’re fine, you try to repeat to yourself. You’re fine.

“Hey,” a voice calls out. You whip around and spot a head of dark curls and pretty hazel eyes.

Him. You don’t know whether you’re happy or sad about his presence. There’s a cigarette hanging out of his mouth and he looks gorgeous as ever.

You’ve liked James a long time. Much too long. He’s liked Lily for longer.

You’re sure he knows about your feelings, you’d done a poor job at keeping them secret, and you’d be surprised if at this point he was unaware.

Remus knows because you’d confided in him first. He was sweet about it, stroking your hair and whispering kind words in your ear. Sirius knows from the “powers of deduction”, as he likes to call it.

“Hi,” he says, putting the cig between his fingers, flicking the ash off.

“Hi,” you reply, a little breathless.

He walks over to you, assessing your state. “Are you alright?”

He’s always been awfully caring. It’s half the reason you like him more than what’s healthy.

James knows your ins and outs. Your family history, all your favourite movies, how many freckles you have. He’s committed every part of you to memory.

He treats you like you’re fragile, like a porcelain doll. As if you’d break when dropped.

Maybe it’s self-righteousness. Maybe he’s doing it out of pity. Though, in this moment, it feels anything but.

“Just fine,” you whisper, staring at him so deeply it’s embarrassing.

“You ran off.”

You laugh a humourless laugh. “Did I?”

James nods, looking like he’s inspecting you. It makes you feel a little self-conscious.

A smile creeps across your face. It’s really only to conceal the awkwardness. “What?”

“I think we’re past the point of pretending everything is alright when it isn’t,” he says, matter-of-factly. “Will you tell me what happened?”

The bluntness of his words makes you nervous. He’s not typically so forward.

“I was overwhelmed.”

His arms lace around your shoulders. “Okay,” he whispers. “Okay, let’s go, then,” he says, decidedly.

It’s a tempting offer. Being dragged away from all the noise and instead spending the night with James, but you don’t want to disrupt his evening with your feelings. He likes these people. He’s comfortable with them. He’s not like you, you say to yourself.

“No. I’m fine, James, really. Please don’t worry yourself.”

“I was kind of getting tired anyway. We can grab food and you can sleep at my place for the night, hm?” he insists, putting out his cig.

He’s doing it again. That thing where he’s just being so considerate and kind to the point that it bothers you.

“I..” you trail off, looking at the stars instead of his eyes. They’re both really beautiful.

“I’d like for you to come with me, sweetheart. Let’s get away. Just for a bit,” he tries again, gently tilting your face towards his.

You’re going to come with him. You were going to the first time he asked, no matter what, but you need to hear that he wants it.

You crack a smile. “Okay.”

Before midnight, you’re in his car. It’s a bit beaten up and the engine takes a couple of tries before it starts, but it’s a charming vehicle. He’s ordering fries for you, doing all the talking you’re so hesitant to.

There are muffled voices over the speaker. “Just a moment.” James turns to you. “Want a coke, baby?”

You nod, tapping your fingers on the window and fumbling with the button of your seatbelt.

He hands you a paper bag.

“Thank you, James. I’m sorry you’re stuck with me instead of with Lily at the gathering.”

His face contorts into a look of slight confusion as he grabs a fry from your hand. “Why would I want to be with Lily?” It’s not that he doesn’t want to hang out with Lily, it’s just that you could’ve asked about Sirius or Remus or even Frank.

“I mean, you like her, don’t you?” you say, voice quivering. Afraid of the answer.

“She’s a nice girl.” It’s not a no. You’re crushed. You nod your head like you’re unsurprised.

A forced smile makes its way onto your lips. “You two would look good together,” you say, hushed.

His brow quirks. “What? No.” It comes out a little sharp, and he immediately softens. “No, it’s not like that. Sorry.”

“Oh.” You hate yourself for it, but you feel your body immediately relax in relief.

Now he’s the uneasy one. His fingers are tapping on the steering wheel and he’s clearly purposely avoiding your gaze.

“Listen—“

“—I’m sorry,” you cut him off. “Sorry, you first.”

The car comes to a stop at some dark parking lot. James turns to face you. “What are you apologising for?”

Even you’re not too sure. It’s a mix of a few things; Lily, forcing him to stay with you, your anxiety, interrupting him, even. A general apology for your.. you-ness.

“All this. I just want you to be happy, James. I’m really sorry for always making you do this. Comfort me whenever I’m overwhelmed like that.”

He blinks. “I’m happy when I’m with you, sweetheart. Why don’t you understand that I enjoy doing this? I love when we escape from those dumb gatherings and do shit like this. I love it. I love you, damn it.”

Your heart drops. No, it stops. He had to be drunk. He was driving under the influence, surely. A crime. That’s a felony. Your head was absolutely spinning.

You don’t know what to do but stare blankly at him as his face asks you to just say something.

“What?”

“I love you! I don’t even know where you got that whole Lily thing. I love you! It’s always been you!”

Well, shit.

You lower your voice to a whisper. “So do something about it, Potter.”

And he does.

#🎞 by.ivy #harry potter fanfiction #harry potter imagine #hp imagine #harry potter oneshot #james potter x y/n #james potter x you #james potter fluff #james potter x reader #james potter oneshot #james potter fanfiction #james potter #marauders oneshot #marauders fanfiction #the maraunders map

[kunigmis]

let’s hold each other in our sleep

miya atsumu x female!reader

synopsis: miya atsumu can’t sleep at night unless it’s after a slow, love-felt fuck that ends with you cozied up in his arms.

content warnings: minors do not interact! atsumu and reader are in their 20s, passionate sex, use of the petnames baby and doll, unprotected sex, dry humping, he sucks your tongue like it’s candy, it’s kind of messy…

WHEN ATSUMU GETS HOME that night, he’s tired and walking with lazy legs. they feel like led and are about ready to give out at any moment. practice had gone on for a while and been much harder than usual, maybe due to the fact nationals were coming up—but, he’s not one to complain about that. whatever he can do to win, he’ll do it.

the door opens without a pair of arms to greet him and atsumu pouts as if a child expecting candy, only to be gifted with steamed vegetables instead. his brows meet as he eases the door shut behind him and lets his volleyball bag drop to the floor beside your coat rack. he has half a mind to call out, but then he worries you may be asleep; and, he wouldn’t want to wake you.

so, atsumu slides his shoes off and slips on his slippers, walking as slowly as he can as to not create a loud rhythm along the hardwood floor. but, there’s an apparent eagerness in his movements.

the lights in the house are all dimmed aside from the kitchen, leaving a ball of light for him to follow. but, when he expects to see you standing there, possibly cooking up a late-night dinner for two, he’s met with an empty room and still no open arms.

it wasn’t too late, about 22:30 or so, and he just can’t quite get as to why you didn’t turn the lights off if you were to be asleep. atsumu knows your tendency to keep things neat and proper; turning the lights off before heading to bed was always your job too. when he’d be in your shared bathroom, brushing and flossing his teeth, you’d be downstairs turning the lights off before heading up. aren’t ya afraid monsters’ll get ya?! his silly little childish antics still evident within his 26-year-old mind.

but, you loved him for that.

he’d wait for you to come up and sit on the toilet seat as you did your own brushing and flossing of your teeth, chatting your ear off about something hinata did at practice that day or about a new dish his brother had cooking up. all the while, you’d nod your head along to what he was saying, showing your attention without needing to verbalize such. and, when you’d finish, atsumu would swoop in and kiss you slowly. nothing sensual about said kiss, but his love for you was shown in the force it had behind it.

it was only when atsumu had scoured the rest of downstairs, and ran upstairs after turning the lights off, did he finally make it to your shared bedroom. and, his eyes about bulged at the sight.

you sat on your bed, dolled up in a sheer red lingerie set. it was lace, bralette cupping the fat of your breasts nicely, and the matching underwear hiding one of his favorite treats in a very teasing manner. you wore a shaw to match as well, and he bet it was almost as smooth as your skin.

“took you long enough, ‘tsumu.” the teasing lilt to your voice was alluring and had atsumu’s cock stirring in his pants. he hadn’t even gotten his hands on you and you already had him leaking pre. God, the things you were capable of.

“sorry doll, someone left the lights on,” he’s making his way toward you quicker than anticipated, not bothering to take notice of the red petals you had scattered along the bed and floor. or maybe he was just too focused on the treat that was you. “coming home to you like this is just what i needed.”

his words hum against the skin of your neck as he teethes at the flesh. he nips and laps, like a dog gone hungry, and runs his calloused hands up and down your sides beneath the shaw. his fingers dance along the hem of your bralette, almost like he’s teetering between the idea of leaving it on or ripping it off. honestly, you hoped he went with the latter.

“missed you,” your voice hitches when atsumu begins to suck at your pulse, the noises coming from his mouth on your neck downright embarrassing. he’s sucking hard and wantonly, hands now sliding the shaw from your shoulders slowly. his actions response enough to your words.

with your shaw now off and thrown to the side, atsumu eases you on to your back, moving to the opposite side of your neck to leave the same treatment as the one prior. your legs move to fit his thick frame between them and the stretch is delicious. his body is so big and firm, years of volleyball having given him a meaty physique. you eat him up, with your eyes and mouth.

“yer so hot, baby,” atsumu pants into your neck and begins a slow grind. his hands remove your bralette in seconds and fling it over his shoulder, big hands cupping and groping your breasts in a haughty manner. index fingers flicking your nipples to feel them harden, smirking into your skin and goes down slowly, mouth hot and leaving dark marks along your skin. he’s blatantly claiming you, but God is it hot.

you moan sharply when atsumu takes a nipple into his mouth. his tongue is hot and circling the bud with feverish intent, teeth coming to join the party as he tugs lightly. with your back arching, his right hand comes to give your other nipple company, pinching and rolling it between his index and thumb—just how you like.

“o-oh! ‘tsumu, please,” you plead for more—something more, anything more. his teasing is enough to have you soaking the new set, but not enough to feel that sense of release. his hardened cock forms a prominent tent in his pants as it rubs between the outline of your folds, jeans catching your swollen clit and you jump at the feeling. “please! more!”

atsumu is about ready to go crazy when you start to buck against him, but he’s having too much fun decorating the span of your breasts with mark after mark. you’re his canvas, bare but with faded paint littering your form. now, atsumu gets to create a new masterpiece.

“but baby, ya get so cute when i play with ya like this,” he emphasizes his words with a particularly harsh ground into your clothed cunt, hips hiccuping at the friction his jeans add. there’s a sloppy kiss to your navel and a roll of your nipple between his fingers, tongue hot against your skin as it moves up the valley of your breasts and to your cheek. “just want to tease ya.”

you’re huffing in a flustered manner at his words, hands moving from their fisted position along your comforter to fisting at atsumu’s shirt, “‘tsumu, baby, please, please. i’ve been waiting all day…!”

your whine is enough to have atsumu lean in and slot his mouth against yours. it’s hot and lewd and fuck, his tongue slides against yours like you taste of honey and vanilla. his tongue runs along your teeth and everything, overpowering you with his lust. but, it’s when he starts to suck your tongue that has you wetting his pants through your panties.

atsumu is intent in his actions and sucks like he sucks on a piece of candy, hands all over you and leaving no room for air. yours find purchase on his shoulders, kneading and pressing against them to find a sort of reassurance. being with atsumu felt so surreal. you felt like a cloud and if you were to let go, you’d be swept away by the wind. and, atsumu was like a mountain, strong and tall, meeting you in the sky to allow you to wrap around him.

by the time he pulls away, you’re both out of breath and continuously losing rhythm in your hips. even through the clothing blocking you from sweet release, atsumu brings his hell to your heaven. but, you wanted more.

“‘s’not enough, ‘tsumu,” you pant out in a whiney heap, and atsumu kisses at your cheeks softly but never ceases his erratic movement. “f-fuck me already.”

“‘m gonna do that ‘n much more, baby,” he speaks into your cheek, moving away to only allow you to remove his shirt before he’s back on you. now skin to skin, atsumu moans at your breasts flushed against his chest. they’re so soft, the best pillow he’s ever had. “‘m gonna ruin ya.”

his hands work at removing his pants and boxers, cock springing free with a slap to his abdomen. you shamelessly stare, mouth falling open in subconscious awe. you’ve seen it many, many times, yet with each one, he got more pretty. you have the mind to mumble so pretty, but bite your lip and round your fingers around the tip instead.

“shit, want my cock, baby?” atsumu’s index and middle finger work tight circles on your clothed clit, falling into a rhythm with your hand as it twists and cups at his cock’s tip. you nod lamely and lose all thought, focusing on the sight of atsumu’s abs flexing with each jerk of your hand. “use yer words.”

your lip wobbles when atsumu dips his hand into your panties and slides them down, your hand losing its motion when a thick finger comes to get slicked between your folds and glide down to your entrance, “yes—ahh,” your tongue is heavy in your mouth when two fingers enter you, curling and slotting in and out with precise knowledge of how to make you feel good.

“yes…?” what a bastard atsumu was, teeth on display with his wicked grin as he picks up his movements. his hand comes to rest on your clit, the heel of his palm grinding into you as his fingers keep their quickening pace. they curl just when you go to speak and you’re left to squeal and jerk your back from the bed.

“yes! w-want your cock, ‘tsumu! f-fuck me, please,” your begging is so pretty that atsumu pities you, fingers quick to remove themselves from your cunt and guide the head of his cock to your entrance. he lets a thick glob of spit drop down to meet your pussy, and you flinch at the cool feeling.

“i’ll give ya whatever ya want, baby,” atsumu presses into you and bottoms out quickly, too eager to nestle his cock into the warmth of your pussy. he loves how you eat him up, sucking him in with each gasp you let out. “f-fuck, yer so warm baby. i love ya.”

nodding is the response you give when he moves, hips leaving and meeting yours in a slow dance. he has a hand at your breast and the other by your head, coming down to suck your tongue once again before setting a slow, steady pace. he’s going to take his time with you, savor the moment, and replay it over and over again.

the moment is so intimate. atsumu eats your words as he does your tongue, your hands digging at his back to hold yourself down, while your legs feel like jelly along the globes of his ass once you wrap them around him. there’s hardly any room between the two of you; your chests press together as do your pelvises, your pussy molding around his dick to fit like a glove. in this moment, you truly felt like there was no such thing as air, and only atsumu.

“i-i love you, i love you,” you cry into atsumu’s mouth, tears formed at the crease of your eyes with his precise thrusts. his cock twitches at your words as if speaking it’s own response; i love you too, me too. atsumu is nodding to your words and mouthing such, too. both his hands come to circle your form and hug you into his own, breaths mingled.

“me too, me too, i love ya baby.” your hips are bruising together at this point, not wishing to move an inch apart yet keeping the flow of pleasure strong and overwhelming. his cock rubs your gummy insides just right, and your tongue is heavy in your mouth as you let it open in a silent prayer. you’re so close, in body and release, that you hardly register atsumu babbling how close he was.

“‘m gonna cum, ‘tsumu! p-please!” with watery eyes, you blink them open to watch atsumu’s face twist in pleasure. you’re sure your own mirrors such expressions, and you feel your heart swell knowing you’re the one doing that to him. “cumming, cumming…!”

atsumu whines as you clench around him, creating a ricochet effect as he topples over the edge, too. his cum is hot and burning, mixing with yours to spill around his cock. you’re seeing stars by the time his thrusts come to a stop, twitching at the overstimulation and gasping when atsumu doesn’t dare remove himself.

“i love ya so much,” atsumu’s words slur with a drowsiness to them, as do your own when you mumble a reply.

but, you’re sure he heard you by the way he smiles into your hair and eases the two of you into slumber.

#ੈ✩‧₊˚ ── nine #miya atsumu #miya atsumu x reader #atsumu x female reader #x reader #smut #atsumu smut #haikyu smut #miya atsumu smut #haikyu x reader #haikyu imagines #hq #oneshot #imagenes

[casdeans-pie]

Part 3 of Flustered Castiel Accidentally Explodes Lightbulbs And Causes Power Outages Especially When Dean's Fingers Are In His Hair

Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4. Thanks to everyone for their enthusiasm for more parts of this silly lil thing I wrote, I really appreciate it sooo much and you all keep me writing!

This accidentally gained a part 4 I'm sorry ! So the next chapter will actually be the final

Tags for: @dreampencil (thanks again for the initial idea I can't believe how this keeps growing aaa), @mymisfitsbabe , @fivefeetfangirl , @kerryweaverlesbian , @give-bucky-his-boyfriend-back , @mooshroomister as always let me know if you want a tag for the final part!

-----Read on AO3-----

---------

It had happened twice already, and Dean felt confident he knew why: both times Cas had jumped in surprise. He looked like a weird little guy in a trench coat, who frowned too much and hadn’t slept properly in a week, but he had all that powerful Angel mojo stuffed inside, so it made sense that startling him could set it off.

Sometimes if you shook a bottle too hard the cork would fly out, that’s all.

Of course, now Dean absolutely had to shake the bottle on purpose to see what happened.

------

The piles of papers scattered across the long table looked random, but Dean knew from experience that they were organised by a system that only Cas understood. Books were opened onto pages with complicated diagrams and words in languages Dean didn’t know, while more books and papers were piled high in boxes by his feet.

Sam sat on the opposite side of the table with a similar setup – both reading in silence except for the rustle of pages.

Dean placed a bowl of steaming, freshly popped popcorn onto the table between them with a flourish and sat on the edge of the table. “You know what goes great with research?” He grabbed a handful and threw them into his mouth. “Snacks,” he said, slightly garbled from all the popcorn, as he grinned at them both.

“Do you know what goes even better with research?” Cas asked drily, without even looking up from his papers. “An extra pair of hands.”

Dean nearly choked with the force of his laughter, and in response Cas finally looked up at him from over the top of the paper he was currently reading. The corners of his lips curled up into a fond smile.

“Cas,” Dean managed, as he got his laughter under control and swallowed forcefully. “You wound me. Here I am, providing sustenance for you both-”

“I don’t eat.”

“-and you’re giving me the cold shoulder?”

Cas opened his mouth to say something, but Dean jabbed a finger towards him before he could speak. “Do not tell me your shoulder is ‘perfectly room temperature’ or whatever. I can see it in your eyes.”

Cas’s smile grew a fraction wider before he hid it behind a pile of papers in his hands. “Okay,” he said, “I won’t tell you.”

Dean rolled his eyes affectionately and reached over for another helping of popcorn. He paused when he noticed Sam looking between them both with his eyebrows hiked up to his hairline.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Sam said with a soft smile, returning to his book.

So, Sam knew that he was flirting. So what. It wasn’t his best flirting, even he’d admit, but it’s not like it mattered when Cas didn’t even see it like that anyway. Did that make it worse? It’s not like he meant to flirt with him (badly) so much anyway, it always just kinda happened.

Dean ran a frustrated hand through his hair as his gaze flicked back to Cas before he could stop himself.

Cas had his eyes narrowed at the stack of papers in his hands, as if he could absorb the information through intensity alone, and Dean felt a wave of warmth in his chest. Okay, maybe the flirting was happening more than ever recently, and maybe he did mean to do it.

He turned away and picked at a loose thread on his jeans, trying to hide his small secret smile.

When they first met, he’d been on the receiving end of those kinds of stares, like Cas was trying to look inside of him, and see right to his core. Back then he probably could.

Thinking about Cas’s Angel powers reminded Dean of what he’d brought the popcorn in for in the first place. He shook himself out of his thoughts and cleared his throat quietly, making sure his back was to Cas.

Sam immediately looked back up.

Dean pointed over at Cas and then the lights. Sam frowned and shook his head. Dean wiggled his eyebrows and nodded. Sam's frown intensified.

The brothers’ silent argument continued while Cas researched obliviously, until Dean rolled his eyes, and in one fluid motion picked out some popcorn, turned around, and flicked it.

Cas jumped so hard that the current collection of papers in his hands slipped out of his grip and his elbow knocked over a whole stack beside him.

Even through the sound of the pages scattering across the table and the floor, Dean could hear Sam’s disappointed sigh as he made his way over to Cas to help, and plucked some popcorn out from where it had got caught on his spiky hair.

Cas apologised for the mess and thanked him, while Dean waited expectantly and with a growing sense of disappointment.

The lights stayed perfectly normal. Not even a flicker.

But that didn’t make any sense…

Cas had definitely been surprised – he’d jumped like he’d been hit with a taser – so Dean couldn’t think of what had gone wrong. The whole place should have been flashing like a nightclub.

Dean eventually jumped off the table and stooped down to pick up some pages that had slid across the floor, but when he placed them back on the table next to Cas, he turned to see two sets of glares directed at him. He pushed his tongue between his teeth and grinned. “I slipped,” he said with a shrug.

“You slipped?” Cas repeated, his eyes narrowing.

“Yeah, and then the popcorn just flew clear out my hands.” Dean’s grin widened. His experiment had failed, but at least he’d been able to see the Squint Of Disapproval. “Speaking of – Sam missed a bit.” Dean reached over to flick out a rogue piece, but Cas immediately ducked away out of his reach.

It was so unexpected that Dean froze mid-action.

“I’ve got it.” Cas’s voice had a strange, strained quality to it as he fluffed both hands through his hair, far away from Dean.

Something painful twisted in Dean’s chest at how quickly Cas had moved away from him. His hand was still suspended stupidly in the air, so he lowered it down to his side and tried to ignore the hurt – Cas could be weird about stuff, and he had just thrown popcorn at the guy. He shouldn’t read too much into it.

Dean forced out a little laugh at the bits of yellow popcorn still trapped in Cas’s hair. “It’s still there, just let me-” He took a step closer.

Cas flinched back. “No, I’m fine, I’ll use a mirror. Excuse me.”

He left the room so quickly it reminded Dean of when he used to be able to fly away and disappear.

“Maybe we should all take a break from research anyway?” Sam suggested, looking at Dean with a deep, concerned crease between his eyebrows.

Dean stared after Cas, a mixture of hurt and confusion and guilt swirling in his gut.

Sam sighed. “I told you messing around with his powers on purpose was a bad idea.”

“Yeah, well. Give me stick and I’m gonna poke the hornets’ nest. ‘Cause apparently that’s just what I do.”

------

And then it kept happening.

For weeks.

They were never in a room alone together anymore because Cas would leave if Sam wasn’t there. He would stand up if Dean sat too close to him, muttering something about somewhere he needed to be, or that he suddenly had something to do that he’d forgotten about. He wouldn’t even take anything directly out of Dean’s hands if he handed something over, making some kind of excuse for Dean to put it down first before he took it. It got so bad that if Cas spotted him walking down the corridor in the bunker, he would turn around and walk the opposite way.

It was getting ridiculous. And it was driving Dean insane.

He’d only wanted to know what triggered Cas’s powers to go all screwy with the electrics like an Angel sneeze or something. It was supposed to be funny.

He wasn’t supposed to lose his best friend over it.

After the disaster of the first experiment, Sam told him that he wouldn’t help him with anything else, so Dean was on his own, and rapidly figuring out that maybe Sam was right, and it had all been a bad idea.

A couple of times Dean had even considered talking to Cas about it… but then he’d have to admit to trying to mess with his powers on purpose and acknowledge how badly their lack of interaction affected him. He also wasn’t sure how he could talk about how much he wanted them to go back to how they were, without also admitting that he’d kinda like them to be more than how they were.

So, he stewed in silence and hated the rift growing between them. Dean had never really been touchy-feely – the few times they’d hugged could probably fit on one hand – but God it was like… he missed Cas. And he was right there.

He had to get him back.

#I am having sooo much fun writing this even though I'm always nervous everyone is going to stop enjoying it after every update lmaooo #hope you enjoy the lead up to the final chapter!! sorry I had to split them but it was getting Large #please as always let me know what you think!! #destiel #destiel ficlet #destiel fanfiction #deancas #castiel's angel powers #castiel headcanon #pie's projects #my fanfiction #flustered!castiel

[fanfic-lover-girl]

Most Horrible DBZ Fight?

Whenever I watch the Videl vs Spopovich fight, I see all these comments about how it is the most brutal fight in DBZ. I think people only say that because Videl is a girl. Because this fight

Can't be compared to this fight

As much as I feel sorry for Videl and as much as Vegeta was still a selfish jerk in the namek/frieza saga, the comparison is not even close.

Let me explain!

History between combatants

Videl has no history with Spopovich. He is almost a nobody to her. The dude hates her dad because Mr. Satan beat him in a fight. He hurt her to get sick revenge on her dad. Nothing deeper than that.

Frieza and Vegeta have a rich and terrible history. Frieza is the monster who destroyed Vegeta's planet when he was 5. Still a kid. He worked in Frieza's planet trade organization, believing the lie that his home was destroyed by a meteor or asteroid or something like that. While Frieza humiliated him, he also had a kind of sick fondness for Vegeta. You can interpret this fight as Vegeta's attempt to overcome his abuser, in addition to proving himself as the super saiyan of legend. This gives the fight way more emotion and meaning compared to the Videl fight which basically just had shock value going for it.

Power Imbalance

Vegeta was doomed from the start, even with his Zenkai boost. Frieza toyed with him from beginning to end. Towards the end of the fight, Frieza drops all pretence of a battle and just wails on Vegeta like a punching bag.

With Videl, Spopovich was the underdog in the fight at the start. She was holding her own and she even landed a killing blow. She began to lose due to stamina. If Videl had fought smarter and tried to end the fight with a ring out, she would have won. If it was not for his Majin powers, he would be dead. But as the fight continued, she lost steam and Spopvich gained the upper hand and began pummelling her.

Stakes

Pretty obvious. The fight with Frieza had galactic consequences. Kami, King Kai and Guru were involved. Planet Namek was destroyed. The fight with Frieza was life and death. Most people in the battle died or nearly died.

Videl's fight was an inconsequential tournament fight. Not even the semi-finals or finals. You can say that's why Spopovich's brutality is so horrible because the context has lower stakes. Which leads me to my final and most important point!

Escaping the Fight

There was no escaping Frieza unless you died or he died. Once Vegeta confronted Frieza, he had no avenue of escape. You can't simply tap out of this fight. Even if he ran away using a space pod before the enraged Frieza showed up, he would be on the run for the rest of his life. Piccolo, Gohan and Krillin literally watched Frieza play with Vegeta because they were totally powerless. All they could do was watch Vegeta's humiliation.

Ultimately, it is Videl's fault that she was beaten so badly. Yeah, I said it! All she had to do was say "I give up" and the fight would be over! But because of her stubbornness and pride, she willingly stayed in a losing fight. Even when Spopovich is literally crushing her skull, she won't give up.

I can admire her resolve but this reason alone is enough for me to say that Videl should not be pitied. And why this fight is NOT the most brutal DBZ fight. It only feels that way because Videl is a human girl and people naturally hate seeing men abuse women. But there are DBZ fights that outclass this one in brutality any day of the week (most Kid Gohan fights should top Videl vs Spopovich just on the basis that Gohan is a literal child!).

The Vegeta vs Frieza fight played a major role in Vegeta's arc. It helped Vegeta respect Goku and motivated him to achieve super saiyan. It also gave Vegeta emotional depth.

Can't say the same for Videl. Her personality did a total 180 after her fight. Almost like Spopovich beat the tomboy out of her. We also never see her confront her dad about all his lies, which partly influenced her somewhat unmerited pride as a fighter which led to her attitude in her fight. What a total waste of potential character development.

#vegeta #videl satan #videl dbz #spopovich #frieza #dbz #dragon ball z #frieza saga #buu saga #vegeta vs frieza fight #videl vs spopovich fight #dbz battles #frieza dbz #vegeta dbz #dbz fights #25th world martial arts tournament #videl is crushed #videl deserved better writing #vegeta's redemption arc #videl's arc crashed and burned #wasted potential #videl satan critical #dbz girls deserved better #dbz human fighters deserved better #dbz became the super saiyan show :( #prince vegeta

[cocrante]

I Start Over With You

[SOLANGELO FANFIC]

summary: After the great battle against the forces of Gaea, Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter had formed a long-lasting alliance. Everything had gone well, and everyone was ready to start anew. This included Nico, who, after confessing his feelings to Percy, was prepared to open a new chapter in his life—perhaps the happiest one the Fates had ever written.

note: the chapters will be updated every Wednesday. If you want to read upcoming chapters of the fanfiction in advance, I invite you to follow me on Patreon. Subscribing is not necessary, these chapters will be added for free on the platform on Mondays and Fridays. Following me there is just a kind and free gesture to support my work c:

Reblogs are highly appreciated c:

[CHAPTER 6]

THEY HAD ALMOST REACHED THE MIDDLE OF THE LAKE when they found themselves capsized in the water.

Nico had been telling him that his arm muscles were sore and he felt like his legs were jelly. Will insisted that he just had to tough it out, that they wanted to reach the other side of the lake. The movements of their arms slowly began to become more and more uncoordinated, and instead of using his legs to push himself forward, Nico thought of using only his shoulders, leaning towards the edge of the boat and inevitably tilting it over completely.

Both ended up soaking wet, followed by the laughter of the nymphs who had seen the scene from afar, then disappearing underwater.

The two boys resurfaced, gasping for breath, with their wet hair falling over their eyes. Neither of them said anything, they just stared at each other in silence before bursting into a lively and contagious laughter. Will ran a hand over his forehead, pushing back his no longer perfect curls that were falling over his eyes. Nico did the same, tucking his hair behind his ears. "Can you swim?" asked Will. Nico nodded, his muscles still hurting quite a bit, but he felt he could still swim a few meters freestyle. "But what about the boat?" he asked, pointing to the capsized boat. Will looked at it, shrugging his shoulders a second later. "A Nymph will take care of it" he said, looking towards an unspecified point in the lake.

The boys swam stroke after stroke until they reached the point where they could touch the bottom and walk the rest of the way, with curious eyes watching them. "By the way, di Angelo, I took a shower this morning" Will said, squeezing the water out of his hair, which was wet all the way down his back. "I already said I'm sorry!" exclaimed Nico dramatically, wringing water from the edges of his shirt. "You actually didn't" Will said seriously, smiling the next moment. "Well, pretend I did" Nico said, looking at Will with a stern expression, wiping droplets from his face and masking a laugh behind his hand. Will rolled his eyes, huffing as if he were really annoyed.

They then made their way back to camp together, with everyone's eyes on them, pointing and chuckling as they passed by. "I'll try to come to the infirmary later" Nico promised. "I'll be waiting you" Will said, breaking into a radiant smile. "See you later!" he exclaimed, heading in the opposite direction to his cabin, with Will following behind, waving as he went to his own cabin to take another shower and change.

In his cabin, Will took a part of the morning that he was supposed to spend with Nico to get himself together. He wiped his face with a towel after finishing his shower, carefully patting down his hair, which was starting to curl up from the steam. He spent a few minutes in front of the mirror, looking at his reflection, thinking about the brief morning he had spent with Nico and the delicate compliment he had received. He quickly got dressed, using the towel to dry his hair. He left the bathroom ready to face a whole day at the infirmary, organizing the inventory in preparation for the end of another year at camp and preparing new infusions. Just as he was closing the bathroom door behind him, a cheerful and sunny Austin entered the cabin. "Was the water warm?" he asked, unable to contain his laughter, dragging Will along with him. "I see the news has already spread" commented Will, looking for his orange flip-flops. "Of course!" confirmed his brother, lying down on his own bed, taking out his iPod to find a song by Bo Diddley. "So, you and di Angelo…" he said suggestively. "Me and Nico what?" asked Will, not understanding where the boy was going with this. "Come on, Will, you're always glued to him" continued Austin, finding the song he was looking for. "So what?" he asked, laughing. Austin huffed, rolling his eyes. "There's nothing going on" he said. "We're just friends" he added quickly. "If you say so—" smiled Austin, putting an earphone in his ear. "That's it" confirmed quickly Will, unable to suppress a slight grimace. "I have to go, don't make a mess" he said, leaving the cabin with Austin waving goodbye.

In cabin 13, Nico had just finished resting after a long shower. He had spent the time under the warm shower head reflecting on the morning spent with Will, the empty feeling in his stomach that didn't leave him even for a moment when he was alone in the boat with him, the easy laughter he caused, and above all that strange feeling of just feeling like a normal boy in his presence. In his room, he started polishing his sword, which he had once again left in the cabin. He hadn't really touched it for a long time, except for the training sessions in the arena. He didn't miss fighting against monsters, he wasn't really excited about it, and maybe because he knew where all those souls that would be reborn were headed. At the thought, a cold shiver ran down his back, he hated going back to that horrible place in his mind. He desperately wanted to forget it, just like he had forgotten everything that had happened before. He sighed, focusing on the weapon in his hand, pulling it up by the hilt and holding it up to the light. He tied it to his belt, leaving the cabin and heading straight to the arena.

Noticing that Jason hadn't arrived yet, Nico was quite surprised. There were still some guys struggling with their training, many of whom were freshmen who had arrived during the year. Some were around Nico's age when he first came to the camp, while others seemed to be slightly older. They fought brilliantly, considering there hadn't been much time to train the new demigods. The boy stepped aside, sitting on a parapet to watch the groups practicing hitting the dummies or dueling in pairs. He wasn't staring at any particular group, but rather watching them all, fascinated and curious about the techniques and strategies they had in mind. He remembered that he too would have loved to learn those techniques instead of learning how to survive on his own in the company of a talkative ghost who recalled the glorious moments of his life at night. "What are you thinking about?" asked a boy who had just sat down next to Nico. The boy shrugged, coming out of his bitter memories. "Nothing in particular" he replied. Jason nodded, pretending to believe it. Nico had always been a great mystery, impenetrable, as if his feelings were locked inside a safe and no one had a way to get in. "I heard about the lake" Jason changed the subject. "Nice dive, by the way" he added, not masking his irony. Nico nodded at the joke, avoiding replying. "Do you want to go?" he asked, pointing to the slowly emptying field. "I'll follow you!" exclaimed Jason, following Nico into the semi-deserted arena. "No aerial acrobatics" Nico said, laying down some rules. "No skeletons" Jason hurriedly added. "Everything else is fair game" Nico concluded with a sinister smile, shaking Jason's hand as if they had just signed a contract.

Both drew their swords, leaving a bit of space between them, waiting for someone to make the first move. They looked at each other in the eyes, studying each other's faces, trying to understand what was going through their opponent's mind. In Nico's opinion, his challenger was not easy to read at all. He had received a different kind of training, made up of rules and strategies. However, Nico could also say that he had a good set of strategies that had saved him more than once in hand-to-hand combat when he wandered alone in the outside world. They moved slowly, Jason was tense, hoping that Nico would make the first move, yet he was still there, impassive. He tried to study him to understand his tactics, but it was like reading a blank sheet of paper. He decided to launch himself against Nico, who blocked the blow with his blade. He responded to the attack by turning in the opposite direction from where he had defended himself, intending to hit him sideways, making him step back. The two blades clashed fiercely, one blow being parried after another. Nico dodged another attack, hitting Jason's blade with the flat part of his own, forcing it down. It all seemed too simple; it would take just one elbow strike to put Jason on the ground. Jason, who had understood Nico's plan, slid his sword to the side, making him step back. "Nice move, Grace" he complimented his friend, who had caught him off guard with that move so fast that he hadn't even realized it. "You haven't seen anything yet" Nico replied, going towards him and forcing him to defend himself. He parried every blow he received, but had to step back with each attack. Nico tried to think of multiple solutions simultaneously, knowing that he couldn't sidestep because Jason would have anticipated him, and he couldn't keep retreating either. He clenched his jaw, finding no other alternative than to reciprocate with a new attack. He struck a low blow, which Jason quickly parried, exposing himself. Nico took advantage of this to hit him on the side, at arm height. Jason parried, stepping back in turn. Nico had him in his grasp by now. The boy approached, and Jason could only defend himself. Nico attacked a few more times before using the last of his strength to strike from the opposite side, making the sword fly out of Jason's hands. "I think I won" said Nico, pointing the tip of his sword at Jason's throat. "I declare myself defeated" he said with a smile, raising his hands in surrender.

Nico sheathed his sword and wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. "Nice duel" Jason said, picking up the sword and transforming it into a coin. "But you were slow to intercept that strike. If it were a real fight, you would have had a serious hemorrhage" he commented, twirling the coin between his fingers. "I know, I thought you were going to aim for my hand with the sword" Nico explained, grabbing a water bottle. "That's what I wanted you to think" Jason explained, catching the bottle Nico had thrown at him. "But you were outstanding. I didn't even see the sword when you made that fake move!" he exclaimed sincerely surprised. Nico smiled, that move had saved him more than once when he wasn't safe in the field. They continued to talk for a long time about combat techniques, and between breaths, they also learned new moves to use in the next fight. Jason showed him a typical Roman move in slow motion, which he was really proud of. Nico copied the movements, finding it too graceful to be Roman. Then they took turns practicing on a dummy, with Jason and then Nico shouting out what they had to do, to see if they remembered the moves they had just learned. Then the two said goodbye, agreeing to meet at the cafeteria as usual. Both headed to their cabins. Nico took his third shower, changing his clothes once again. Now in the cabin, there were only dirty clothes and only a couple of clean shirts, one of which was from the camp. He put on the other shirt, tidied up the cabin, and piled the dirty laundry in a corner so the harpies could take care of it in the afternoon while he was with Will. From afar, he heard the conch shell sound. Nico was finishing folding the last shirt and putting it in the closet when it sounded. He left the cabin, not realizing how hungry he was until the call sounded. All the demigods headed towards the cafeteria, taking the seats they wanted. To Nico's surprise, Percy was also at his table, and it seemed like he was telling something funny to Jason.

Nico sighed as he walked towards his table. It had been a while since he had seen the darling of the gods, always too busy spending time with the freshmen, telling stories of their exploits, he thought. "Hey! Is the water hot?" the boy asked as soon as he saw him. He always seemed so cheerful, even though he had literally suffered the pains of hell like few others. Nico ran a hand through his hair, the story of the lake was becoming ridiculous. "Boiling" he replied flatly, wanting to end the conversation there. It wasn't the first time someone had flipped over, and it wouldn't be the last. Percy, however, continued to laugh to himself, dragging Jason into the laughter. "Gods! How did it happen?" he asked, genuinely interested in knowing the facts. "Simple, I lost my balance" he replied, fork in hand. The two nodded, understanding the mistake.

"Textbook error" Jason said. "Yeah, you should have kept leveraging with your legs" Percy said, taking a sip of that blue drink. "That's what I did until I stopped feeling them" Nico explained, unable to suppress the smile. "It happens" Percy replied, knowing that Nico had never set foot in the lake before, except when he first arrived at camp; even in that case, he ended up completely inside with a school bus. "Why rowing?" Percy asked after a while. Nico remained silent for a moment, he didn't really know why. "They asked me, I accepted, end of the story" he simply replied, hiding his face behind the goblet. "Will proposed it" Jason intervened, indicating —with a imperceptible nod of his head— the Apollo table. Percy stretched his neck a bit to see the boy. He didn't know him very well, he knew he had become the head of the seventh house after the war against the Titans, a title that had been offered to him by seniority. That sudden memory saddened him a bit, it seemed like yesterday when he had read the prophecy in the attic, going down to the field against the enemies. They had lost so many friends that day, some of whom were not even found. "He's a nice guy" Percy remarked, in short, the classic son of Apollo with tanned skin, blond hair, and blue eyes. Nico, however, didn't understand where he was going with this. "Yes, I guess" he replied, not really sure what kind of turn the conversation was taking. "But we're just friends" he rushed to say, not understanding why people had suddenly gotten strange ideas in their heads. Jason nodded, as if to say—yeah right, as if we believe you "It's true!" Nico exclaimed, hitting him on the arm. "You hurt me!" the boy complained, rubbing the spot where he had been hit. "But stop it" muttered Nico. "I don't know what you've got in your head, since when a boy can't go out with another boy?" that strange and ambiguous situation was bothering him. "You're always together" Jason ventured. "You seem really happy when he's close to you" he said, unable to avoid bending his lips into a smile. Nico simply shrugged, it wasn't false what he was saying, he really liked Will's company, maybe he even liked something else besides the same company. "Yes, so what? It's not the first time I've smiled, it seems like a rare event from the way you talk about it" Nico commented, finding that speech ridiculous. After Nico's sentence, none of the three spoke anymore. Nico was grateful for that silence at his table, yet he felt bitter. He couldn't even explain to himself what absurd emotions he felt for Will, let alone explain them to someone else, but one thing was certain: he felt happy again next to Will.

[CONTENTS]

1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16

#🖇️ : fanfiction #i start over with you ☀️☠️ #solangelo #will solace #nico di angelo #camp halfblood #camp jupiter #fluff fic #percy jackson #pjo #pjo fanfic #riordanverse #writer on patreon #queue

[laxmiree]

[CN] MLQC Season 2 Chapter 54 Translation (Lucien's Route - Part 1)

⚠️  SPOILER ALERT  ⚠️

This post contains a VERY HEAVY SPOILER for the chapter that has not been released in EN yet! Feel free to notify me if there are any mistakes in the translation~

"Speaking of which, if there's a beautiful dream, would you like to stay in it with me?"

"A beautiful dream? Is it the kind where I don't have to go to work every day?"

"More beautiful than that—it's a dream where we can always be by each other's side."

Translation under the cut!

Previous Lucien’s chapter -> [Here]

[Background Info]

Please read Lucien's previous chapter first before this chapter jnsnjsdjd. Lucien might feel OOC if you don't.

Long story short, although the world already diverted from its original path of heading toward destruction caused by a comet, now the world is ascending to the fourth dimension and the rifts are the manifestation of it. The boys' each route is basically how they deal with it.

About me dividing it into parts- the S2 Chapter 54 is FULLY translated and released at once. Just for fun, I divided it like this so you can also choose and get bad endings just like in-game~

[Chapter 54-1]

In the office, I occasionally hear birds chirping outside as if they are singing in celebration of the arrival of a new day.

I type the last Enter key in the document, click the save button in the top left corner, and take a deep breath.

A client I've been pursuing for a long time finally showed interest in collaboration yesterday. However, they also presented additional requirements, requesting a draft proposal by noon today.

I'm working overtime with my colleagues, and we've finally put together a decent draft.

I asked Anna to send the document to the client's contact person and I massaged my sore shoulder.

Beside me, Kiki suddenly leans over and shakes her phone.

Kiki: Boss, I just discovered a hidden gem of a beverage shop! I heard their best-selling hot chocolate is especially delicious. Do you want to order takeout together?

MC: Sure, send me the link to check it out~

I open the store page, and the cover features promotional image of their best-selling drink. However, the packaging looks a bit familiar.

=Flashback Start=

Lucien: On the way to your company just now, I happened to come across a newly opened beverage shop.

Lucien: The staff recommended this "Orange Hot Chocolate", and I thought it might be to your liking. Do you want to give it a try?

He hands a steaming paper cup into my hand and passes on his warm scent with it.

MC: Wow- it's delicious! It has the refreshing fragrance of oranges and is quite sweet. But I can't keep something this good all to myself~

I raise the paper cup and bring it to him, Lucien bends his eyes to a smile and lowers his head. His hair gently falls amidst the dense steam and----

=Flashback Ends=

The sweet warmth from the memory gradually surfaces at the corner of my lips, and I shake my phone at Kiki.

MC: I'll pass for now; I suddenly remembered I have something to do and need to step out for a bit. Go ahead and order; it's on me!

As I speak, I walk towards the exit and pick up my phone to send a message to that person in my heart.

MC: "Professor Lucien, are you still in? I'll come over now to see you~"

Lucien quickly replied with two voice messages, accompanied by a sticker of a little fox looking dizzy while doing experiments.

Lucien: I just finished a task, now I'm pondering on how to capture a photo of the scenery outside the window that hints I miss you a bit.

Lucien: But I'm happy because you'll get to see it in person soon.

I reply to him with a smile while briskly walking in the direction of the beverage shop. I can't help but feel that this year's winter isn't as cold as it seems.

MC: Hello, give me two cups of "Orange Hot Chocolate," please.

Clerk: I'm sorry, but we just ran out of the ingredients for that beverage this morning. Can I offer you a different flavor instead?

MC: ...Oh, okay.

Feeling a bit disappointed, I point to the "Rich Winter Hot Chocolate" on the side of the menu.

MC: I'll go with this one.

The clerk starts preparing the drinks and hands me the two cups after a moment.

Clerk: Please be mindful of the cup's rim, it's hot.

MC: Okay, thank you.

I instinctively reach out, my gaze still fixed on the phone screen. With a muffled sound and liquid splashing in my peripheral vision, I abruptly snap back to reality.

MC: ...Oops!

I frantically try to catch the fallen cups, but it's too late.

The newly changed shirt takes the brunt of it, and the little mochi* beside me isn't spared either, now adorned with unsightly brown stains.

[T/N: The little mochi is a keychain that Lucien gave to MC in the last chapter]

MC: …..

Frustration and speechlessness well up within me. I impatiently grab tissues to wipe it, but the effect is minimal.

So, I quickly ran to the restroom, wetting the stained areas with water. Despite my persistent efforts, hot water successfully turned a few drops of chocolate stains into a large light brown patch.

Looking at my disheveled reflection in the mirror, I take a deep breath.

Forget it, who cares! Lucien won't mind anyway. Thinking so, I hastily walk out, only to be tripped suddenly—

I manage to grab onto the wall, preventing the third mishap of the day.

MC: ….

Why does it feel like I've been a bit unlucky since leaving the office...

Suppressing my dismay, I push open the shop door, and the cold wind hits me as the wet clothes turn stiff.

Without thinking, I quicken my pace. Let's just walk faster, get there a bit sooner, and see the person who can soothe all my irritations.

Fortunately, the way to the Bioscience Research Institute is smooth.

The elevator carries me up, and when the door opens, a somewhat familiar voice reaches my ears.

??: ...So, you want to activate it again.

It's Cyril's voice... How could he be here? I freeze when I see Lucien standing in the corridor not far away from Cyril.

Lucien: This is a necessary step to obtain the results.

Cyril: May we both achieve the worlds we each desire.

Cyril says this as he walks past Lucien towards the direction of the elevator. When our eyes meet, his cold gaze blinks, seemingly surprised.

Cyril: Didn't expect to see you here.

MC: ...Shouldn't I be saying that?

I can't help but make a sarcastic remark, but Cyril doesn't answer my question. Instead, he takes another step in my direction and speaks calmly.

Cyril: Have you made a decision about the matter I asked you last time?

Our conversation in the jewelry store flashes through my mind. I look into his clear eyes and shake my head.

MC: I still need time to consider.

MC: After all, the world in the dream is false. If there's another solution, I don't want to choose this method.

Cyril nods, his expression as calm as ever.

Cyril: I understand.

Cyril: But if you delay further, you might fall behind.

Fall behind... what does he mean?

I'm slightly taken aback. Before I can ask, Cyril has naturally walked past me.

His slender figure, accompanied by unhurried footsteps, quickly disappears into the elevator.

MC: Why does he never make things clear...

I glance back from Cyril's departing figure, and when I look up, I see Lucien walking towards me.

His gaze inevitably falls on the large stain on my clothes, then slowly moves to my face.

I thought he might ask what happened or say something comforting, but he just smiles lightly and speaks.

Lucien: I smell the scent of hot chocolate, but it's different from the previous one.

I blink in surprise. It’s as if the earlier worries have suddenly dissipated and I take a step closer to him.

MC: It's the Rich Winter Hot Chocolate~ from the same shop as the "Orange Hot Chocolate" you brought last time.

I open the bag, watching as Lucien takes out one cup and uses his other hand to push open the office door.

Meanwhile, a researcher comes out from behind the door. As they pass each other, Lucien's hand holding the cup inadvertently shakes a little.

The cup tilts ever so slightly, and a few drops of hot chocolate splash onto his cuff.

Lucien: Hmm... This is troublesome.

He walks into the office and fixes the glasses on the bridge of his nose in a slightly distressed manner.

Lucien: I'm not very good at dealing with these stains. Can you help me think of a solution?

He says it quite seriously as if facing a challenging problem. I can't help but laugh, feeling a softness in my heart.

The little thoughts I keep to myself never need to be explicitly stated; this person always understands them.

MC: Of course. But I just learned from personal experience that you shouldn't use hot water.

MC: Unexpectedly, both Professor Lucien and I are getting a bit of chocolate "favor" today.

Lucien: Hearing MC say that makes this small trouble seem kind of cute.

We exchange smiles, and he raises the cup, gently tapping it against the one in my hand.

Lucien: So, before dealing with it, let's toast to these cute little troubles today.

-

[Chapter 54-3]

Following Lucien's footsteps, we enter the laboratory deep in the corridor. Unlike the usual laboratories filled with the smell of disinfectant, the air here is surprisingly fresh.

Lucien skillfully takes several bottles of reagents from the shelf and places them on the table.

Lucien: If you want to deal with stubborn hot chocolate stains, there are actually many methods.

Lucien: The reagents in front of us can all address our current predicament at a molecular level.

MC: But using them to clean up little chocolate spills, wouldn't that be a bit wasteful?

Lucien: How about considering it as conducting a fun little chemistry experiment?

His words create a cascade of ripples in my heart, and I can't help but laugh, pretending to roll up my sleeves and stand up straight.

MC: Well then, Professor, please give me instructions~

The transparent bottles and jars in the laboratory reflect the cold light from the overhead lamp.

Under Lucien's guidance, I pour the reagents into the beaker, submerging the little mochi treated as the "experimental subject".

Its originally dull fluff becomes damp, and soon, a faint color begins to emerge.

MC: It works quickly!

Lucien: After all, it hasn't been stained for a long time. As long as we target the lipid-soluble pigments appropriately, solving it is not difficult.

After confirming the results, we also took care of the clothes stained with the hot chocolate spills.

I inadvertently turn my head and see a few scattered experiment documents on the nearby table.

MC: "The possibility of transferring perception through neural links"... Is this your recent research direction?

Lucien's gaze sweeps over the proposal, placing the stirring rod on the dark rubber tabletop.

Lucien: It's... a kind of unexpected gain.

Lucien: In a recent neuroscience experiment, we discovered a similar phenomenon, but it has been temporarily set aside for now.

My gaze lingers on the obscure experiment documents for a moment, then turns to Lucien's composed face.

Thinking about my recent overwhelming matters, I can't help but let out a "sob".

MC: Darn it, how come I don't have a brain that can multitask problems like yours...

I mutter wearily, and Lucien immediately strokes my head.

Lucien: (chuckle) It seems there is indeed a challenging problem troubling our Great Producer.

MC: Absolutely, a super-sized problem!

MC: I need to absorb some of Professor Lucien's intelligence energy to make my thoughts clearer too.

I rest my head on his shoulder, rubbing against it, and hear a soft laugh by my ear.

Lucien turns towards me, pulling me into his embrace.

Lucien: If that's the case, then you can absorb a bit more.

I "hmm" in agreement, and after a moment, I lift my head, looking at Lucien with a feigned look of grievance.

MC: Professor Lucien is so cooperative; he doesn't think I'm silly, does he?

Lucien is slightly surprised. He places a hand on his lips, his voice carrying a clear sense of amusement.

Lucien: Miss Producer, if you think like that, you're unfairly judging me.

Lucien: What I meant is, there's still a troublesome future waiting for us.

I lock eyes with Lucien for a moment, only then realizing he's referring to the troubles we faced in the rift before.

Being captured in the glass chamber in NW, the chaotic escape during the pursuit... scenes after scenes flash before my eyes.

After a moment of silence, I let out a deep sigh.

MC: Oh no, let's just not talk about this for now. Let me be an ostrich a little longer...

MC: Dealing with the troubles at hand is already more than enough for me to handle.

I suddenly pause in my words, realizing something.

MC: Lucien, what if there are other troubles in the world at that time point? Would NW not have the time to deal with me?

Lucien: For example?

MC: For example... I recently saw a terrifying vision.

MC: Our world will face countless disasters in the future, and everyone's lives will be in ruins.

Thinking about those devastating scenes, my voice unintentionally carries a hint of gravity.

Lucien: Is this what has been troubling you these days?

I nod with a hint of distress.

MC: I really want to find a solution, but I have no clue where to start.

MC: How could these disasters suddenly happen out of nowhere? I always feel like there's a missing key link in the middle.

The steady breath falls by my ears, Lucien seems to be thinking seriously, and after a moment, he speaks.

Lucien: Perhaps I can help you find that link.

I instinctively look up, inquiring with a hint of surprise.

MC: Do you already have an idea so quickly?

Lucien: Because the question you mentioned aligns perfectly with my previous hypothesis.

Lucien: Let's go, I'll take you to the laboratory.

The quiet corridor echoes with our footsteps. After turning several corners, we arrive at the entrance of a hidden laboratory.

Lucien raises his hand and enters something on the keyboard on the wall. Accompanied by a series of beeps, the massive door slowly opens before us.

After passing through several rows of intricate instruments, a wall of glass comes into view, enclosing a white, sealed space.

A rift silently stretches across a corner, its edges faintly shimmering. I observe for a moment, then hesitantly speak.

MC: Why do I feel like the shape of this rift is somewhat familiar?

Lucien: Because a few months ago*, we used it to enter NW.

[T/N: refer to what happened in the previous chapter]

MC: It's been so long, and it hasn't closed yet?

I murmur in surprise, but thinking about the recent influx of submissions regarding the prolonged duration of the rift, I decide not to inquire further.

Just out of curiosity, I turn my head and look at Lucien beside me.

MC: Is there a specific reason it was deliberately moved here?

Lucien: No, it just has an unusually long duration, no different from other regular rifts.

MC: So, do I need to do anything? Should I use CORE to close it like before?

With my previous experience, this doesn't seem like a challenging issue for me. However, Lucien shakes his head.

He then picks up a small glass orb-shaped device from the lab bench.

Lucien: This time, our goal is not elimination but addition.

MC: Addition? It can't be as simple as figuring out 1 + 1 equals 2 to find the crucial link, can it?

I blink with a bit of confusion, but Lucien doesn't seem inclined to provide further explanation, a mysterious smile playing on his lips.

Seeing him deliberately keeping me in suspense, I clear my throat and pout, then take the device from his palm.

MC: Alright, I'll listen to your explanation later~

I exhale deeply, invoking that familiar power within me once again.

The device in my hand trembles slightly. I lift my head seemingly in response. I look expectantly at the rift behind the glass.

The next moment, it suddenly enlarges before my eyes.

-

[Chapter 54-5]

The rift expands without any warning, like a wound suddenly torn open, stretching out before me and Lucien.

I pause for a moment, unable to help but softly exclaim, "Wow," swiftly turning my head to look at Lucien.

MC: Lucien, its area expanded so much in just an instant!

Lucien: Well, it seems our "addition" has worked.

Lucien: With this, perhaps the link you're looking for will soon appear.

As Lucien speaks, his inky eyes slightly narrow, there's a hint of cunning in his voice.

I lock eyes with him for a moment, unrelentingly leaning closer to him.

MC: No more teasing! What's the connection between this experiment and the "critical link"?

Lucien takes the instrument from my hand and places it back on the lab table, looking at me with an unhurried look.

Lucien: This experiment shows that the impact of CORE on the rift is actually bidirectional.

Lucien: Apart from closing, it can also trigger the expansion of the rift.

I contemplate his words for a moment, then ask with a hint of confusion.

MC: But what happens after the rift expands?

Lucien: The change in area is just the most apparent manifestation. In reality, the energy within the rift is also expanding.

Lucien: Once it surpasses a certain critical point, it spontaneously seeks a more suitable "outlet", no longer manifesting catastrophically.

Lucien: This way, the situation you're concerned about won't occur.

[T/N: Not gonna lie, I'm not sure how to explain this one except that it's similar to how the stars turn into a supergiant and then white dwarf once it runs out of fuel lol. Or once the rift is big enough it'll let go of the energy less chaotically. Anyway, it's just sci-fi don't think about it too deeply]

The question that had troubled me for a long time was resolved so casually. I blink my eyes, feeling a bit surreal.

MC: ...Is it really that simple?

Lucien: The essence of this issue is not as complicated as it may seem.

Lucien: But if the lady wishes for a more convoluted approach, I can certainly give it a try.

MC: No need! I trust Professor Lucien's discovery, of course~

The heavy gloom that shrouded my heart finally reveals a glimmer of hope. My tone lightens involuntarily, and with a touch of anticipation, I speak.

MC: What do we need to do next? I'll do everything I can to help~

Lucien's gaze shifts to the window, seemingly lost in thought for a moment. He changes out of his research attire and opens his mouth with a light smile.

Lucien: I do have an invitation.

Lucien: Next, let's go and see the snow.

After a simple drying process, I hold the small mochi keychain that has regained its fluffiness and whiteness. I follow Lucien down the stairs with light steps. As we step out of the Bioscience Research Institute, I blink in surprise.

Countless delicate snowflakes silently dance in the air—this year's first snow has arrived so quietly.

The snowflakes gently blanket everything around in pristine white.

I can't help but raise my hand, catching a few falling snowflakes. Lucien looks at me, and his eyes seem to soften a bit.

Lucien: You look particularly happy.

MC: Of course~ I've been looking forward to a scene like this for a very long time.

MC: This time last year, I was running around in a time loop, searching for dark matter...

MC: There was never enough time, and I never had the mood to stop and appreciate this scenery.

MC: Until spring arrived, we never had the chance to quietly watch the snow together.

He tightens his grip on my hand. Lucien seems to follow my lead, tilting his head upward, quietly gazing in the direction of the falling snow.

A few delicate snowflakes land on his eyelashes, softly melting away without a sound.

Through the warm night, I hear his gentle voice.

Lucien: (softly) Perhaps… this belated snowfall is a gift for us now.

The fine snowflakes soften the features of the person before my eyes.

As the snow gradually intensifies, pure white flakes float down from the distant sky, quietly tinting the boundless night in serenity.

Reluctant to part with such fervent snowfall, we return to the car.

Lucien casually turns on the radio, and light music immediately fills the car. Accompanied by the swirling snow outside, it feels like a scene from a crystal ball.

I rest my head on Lucien's shoulder, gently rubbing against it, unable to help but murmur with emotion.

MC: So beautiful... it's like a dream.

The sounds of the evening breeze wafting in through the window crack resembled a delicate and subtle white noise. The fatigue from staying up all night last night gradually surfaces.

The phone screen lights up for a moment, and the digital clock shows eight in the evening. I let out a gentle yawn.

MC: I can't believe I'm tired at this hour... blame it on the recent excessive overtime.

Lucien shifted, allowing me to lean more securely on him, and he spoke in a gentle tone.

Lucien: (in a very, very gentle tone) Have you been tired lately?

I nod and lazily begin counting with the fingers resting on my knee.

MC: I'm exhausted... there's a ton of tasks at work to push through, and I also need to figure out how to save the world.

MC: It either keeps me tossing and turning in insomnia or gives me a night full of nightmares.

Lucien: (gently) What kind of nightmares are you having?

I vaguely recall for a moment and make an exaggerated gesture.

MC: I've been snatched away by a dinosaur this big—

MC: And I've been flattened by this many project proposals—

MC: But you know~ After waking up, as long as I see the messages you send me, all those dinosaurs, all those project proposals, seems like nothing!

Lucien: (chuckle) Mm... I've had that kind of dream too. I wonder if the dinosaur that snatched us is the same one.

Lucien gently squeezes my hand, a hint of uncontrollable laughter in his voice.

I imagine the scene and can't help but burst into laughter as well.

Lucien: (laughs softly) Silly, next time, come knock on my door before you get snatched away by a dinosaur.

The snow outside falls gently, and Lucien speaks amidst the delicate melody.

Lucien: (murmur softly) Speaking of which, if there's a beautiful dream, would you like to stay in it with me?

MC: A beautiful dream? Is it the kind where I don't have to go to work every day?

Lucien: More beautiful than that—it's a dream where we can always be by each other's side.

MC: If there's such a thing I'm willing to dream it for eight lifetimes!

A low chuckle comes from above my head. His voice quietly melts into the night breeze, sounding like a casual sigh.

Lucien: What if I say, I hope never to wake up from this dream with you?

MC: That sounds good too. As long as I'm with you, anywhere is fine…

I blink my heavy eyelids and hear a soft laugh beside my ear. A warmth covers my eyes that I find a bit hard to open.

Lucien: (whispers gently) Get some sleep.

Lucien: I'll make sure to wake you up.

—--------------------------------------------------------

Winter seems to have truly arrived after that night's first snowfall.

With the dropping temperatures, a layer of frost forms on the branches along the river and roadsides. The news on the streets gradually shifts to reports about snow and cold prevention.

I pull my gaze away from the lengthy red light outside the car window and engage the handbrake.

The rift continues to quietly spread, casting shadows of various sizes throughout the city.

However, for some reason, the popularity of news related to the rift is steadily decreasing, and the submissions on this topic are dwindling.

Perhaps people have become completely accustomed to these rifts. Despite some lingering confusion, I do feel a sense of relief.

The green light in the middle of the road lights up, and I put away my phone. After turning a few corners, a spacious bridge suddenly appears before me.

...Strange, there were so many cars just a moment ago. How did it suddenly become so empty?

A hint of confusion creeps in as I carefully survey the surroundings, finding nothing unusual.

As I drive onto the bridge, I suddenly feel the wheels slipping. I instinctively hit the brakes, but the road in the rearview mirror shows no signs of anomalies.

Just as I fall into bewilderment, the throttle gauge on the dashboard spins violently.

The tires emit a harsh, squeaking sound as they uncontrollably move forward.

MC: What's happening...?

Before I can grasp the situation, there's a distinctly audible sound of shattering beneath the car. The next second, the car suddenly plummets.

MC: ....!

I struggle to push open the car door, but the resistance of the water turns my efforts into futility.

No matter how hard I pound and shove, the door remains steadfast. Only the icy water keeps pouring in through the window crack.

The air inside the car diminishes, and I strain to tilt my head upward, closing my eyes in a somewhat desperate attempt.

The world before me gradually fades into darkness.

Next Part-> [Here]

#mlqc lucien #mr love queen's choice #mlqc cn #mlqc spoiler #mlqc translation #mlqc #mr. love queen's choice #mr love lucien #mlqc xu mo #mlqc spoilers

[asmotheavatarofhorny]

hello i saw your requests are open. can we have some simeon/mc fluff? simeon: "why are you staring at me?” mc: “you’re pretty...”

"Because You're Pretty"

🔔

This is adorable!! Thank you so much for requesting!~ I tried my best with this so I hope you enjoy :)

------------Warnings------------

-Romantic

-Simeon x MC

-MC is Gender Neutral

-Slightly suggestive at the very end~ (I had to haha)

-Luke being a precious chihuahua

-Maybe slightly ooc (sorry!)

Today wasn't the best. You didn't really have much of a reason as to why that was, but it was a bad day nonetheless. The day was tainted from the beginning, you supposed. You sighed as you practically tossed your things into your bag, ready to go home and crash-

Well, then again... If you go back to the HoL one of the brothers are sure to come and harass you or disturb your much needed rest. Maybe you could just stay at RAD and nap in the library? No.. Satan is sure to be there among plenty of lesser demons that might try to eat you or something. Staying at RAD is a bust... so..

"MC!" Exclaimed an unmistakable voice that surely belonged to your favorite little angel. Luke ran towards you waving before hugging you tight, almost knocking you down.

"Hey, Luke." You greeted him, already feeling a bit better from the hug.

"Wanna come to Purgatory Hall with me? I'm going to make cookies and I want you to try them when they're done!" He smiled widely. Perfect! Purgatory Hall is sure to be quiet, and no one will bother you there! (Unlike the brothers, the angels are considerate of humans)

"Sure, I'd love that." You replied, with the first semi-genuine smile of the whole day adorning your face.

You watched as the young angel's face practically lit up with excitement at your answer "Good, come on!" He grabbed your hand and dragged you along, almost ripping your arm in two in the process.

You soon arrived at Purgatory Hall (after sprinting the whole way there). He opened the door and let go of your hand, letting you catch your breath before happily skipping over to the kitchen to start baking the cookies.

You smelled the lingering scent of baked goods and let the warmth of Purgatory Hall consume you. You made your way over to the couch in the common room and set your stuff down and listened to the soft sound of a baking show Luke was watching in the other room as you drifted off to sleep.

You opened your eyes groggily a while later to realize your head was on... Someone's lap? You turned your head slightly to investigate and was met with your favorite (adult) angel's warm smile. You could feel your face heating up a little at the sight. "H-Hi," you stammered out.

"Hi." Said the angel almost in a whisper, "If I had known you were coming I would've greeted you sooner."

"Sorry," You apologized, only half serious, before the smell of freshly baked cookies assaulted your senses.

"They're done!" Luke smiled brightly after seemingly appearing out of thin air, carrying a tray of steaming hot cookies.

"Those are-"

"Chocolate chip. Barbatos had the ingredients imported so Luke could make them for you," Simeon assured you. You felt your face flush again at his voice, realizing how close you were to him.

"Try some," Luke encouraged you. They were amazing, just as you had expected. They were warm and chewy-but not too much.. Like the melt in your mouth kind of chewy. The chocolate was still gooey too. You felt like you had died and gone to the Celestial Realm.

With his baking abilities it was hard to believe he was really 10 years old, though you guessed it did make sense considering that he was being taught by the best pastry chef in all three realms.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" And with that, the little angel disappeared as quickly as he had appeared to grab something he had left behind. Leaving you with Simeon (who's lap you were still laying on by the way)

You looked up at the angelic figure who was eating one of the cookies Luke had given him. It was almost like he radiated light and goodness.. Which you supposed made sense considering he was an angel. You carefully studied his face, taking in his deep complexion.

"W-Why are you staring at me?" He stuttered nervously, a light blush dusting his soft taupe skin.

You were a bit shocked by his question, not realizing you were staring. "You're pretty..." You replied bashfully, staring deep into his aquamarine eyes. You watched as his eyes widened, the blush that was previously there noticeably deepening.

"You shouldn't say such things... You may make me do something I'll regret."

#simeon x mc #simeon x reader #obey me simeon #obey me #purgatory hall boys #answered asks #anon ask #nonnies #request #AsmoTheAvatarOfHornyTM

[cosmica-galaxy]

THIS IS SO LATE!! I’M SORRY!! I ran out of steam after Christmas... Have this late holiday special as an apology! Words: 4,100 --

🌿 🎉 The SQ grunts react to New Years and Mistletoe 🎉🌿

It has been a full year ever since you made contact with Nevada and its inhabitants. You had invited them all over on numerous occasions to celebrate holidays with you and every single one was better when they were there with you. But now it was time for the finisher. It was New Year’s Eve and the new year was ready to be born. You had prepared a large party in preparation for the New Years celebration. You had a place in your backyard set up for the fireworks and a pleasant meal in preparation for your guests, who were told to arrive that night. So far, everything was in order and you were simply waiting for them to arrive. Then suddenly, you feel a familiar electric charge fill your home and you stand there smiling wide, they’re here! You happily welcome them into your home upon their arrival, offering drinks and explaining that it was New Year’s Eve. A time for the new birth of a new year. The crew can only happily return your greetings and take a few drinks from you in response. You go into a brief explanation that you were excited to share drinks, party, eat, and launch fireworks into the sky to celebrate. To which the crew responded in kind, seemingly catching your sense of excitement. You let them wander around as you get everything gathered and finished. ~ HANK ~ Hank was the first to pop into your home, the same as all of the other times the SQ crew came to visit. He was expecting something similar to what you had last time, but he was surprised to still see some lingering holiday decorations strewn about and the TV on with an announcer talking about the year coming to an end. He listened to your explanation about what was going to go on tonight and Hank merely nodded in understanding, nuzzling you a bit as you waved him off with a chuckle and told him that you were going to the kitchen to get some snacks. It didn’t take long for Hank to slowly grow bored as he watched the TV and listened to his comrades and the announcer chat idly on the screen about the event taking place. He eventually stands up, stretches, and begins to head towards the kitchen to check up on you. But upon reaching the doorway, he feels you impact his chest and let out a little ‘oof’ in response. “Oh! Excuse me, Hank! I was just heading back into the living room!” You smile up at the large mercenary, which was undeniably cute to him. Then, he gets annoyed. Not from you, but something was tickling the top of his head and he reels back to look at what was hanging on the doorframe above him. Only to find a strange plant hanging over the door frame that was dangling from a string. It appeared that the red ribbon that was attached to the plant was the cause of the ticklish sensation. “O-Oh…that…” The sudden shift in his Player’s tone made the merc look down at them to see them surprisingly flustered. He tilts his head in confusion. “That’s mistletoe, Hank. Humans have a tradition around the holidays that says that those who stand under the mistletoe have to…kiss.” The Player explains meekly, still holding the tray of goodies close to them. Hank’s goggles almost seem to sparkle at the explanation, to which the Player laughs nervously. “B-But it’s not enforced! I just hung it up because it was festive, we don’t really have to–” Hank gently grabs your jaw in one of his large hands, making you blush and stutter. “H-Hank?” You squeak out. Wordlessly, Hank pulls down his mask with his other hand and leans down. Then, you feel his metal jaw pressing on your lips, along with the upper part of his teeth. Your eyes widened in surprise before you slowly blink and close them, leaning into the towering grunt in front of you. The tray of snacks is completely forgotten as you and Hank kiss under the mistletoe. He had a similar taste to metal and a heavy mix of ketchup and blood. It took a moment for you to get over it, but once you slowly grew numb to it, you deepened the kiss. Causing the large grunt to let out a series of deep rumbling purrs. Hank opens his mouth wider to allow his tongue to slip out and intertwine with the Player’s who hums in response and takes his appendage into their mouth and allows him to explore their maw. You both happily relish in the kissing and you even let out a muffled moan in response. “AYO WHAT THE FUCK?!” Both of you are suddenly disturbed from your tender moment as you break away from Hank who tries to envelop you in another kiss, but you lean away from him to look around his body. Hank lets out a growl as he turns around to see the rest of the crew staring in shock at you both. You pretty much drop the snack tray in response to being caught kissing Hank and you fidget with your hands in response. “O-OH! Um, don’t worry! It was just because we were under the mistletoe! It’s tradition to kiss under it!” You rush to explain. You might not have noticed the gears in the other members' heads turning, but Hank did. As quick as he could, he reaches up to the top of the door frame, rips off the mistletoe, and tosses it into his mouth. Shocking everyone in the room, including you. A second ticks by before the chaos erupts. “Hank!! No!! Those are poisonous!! Spit it out!!” “Yeah, spit it out you fucker! I want a kiss too!!” Deimos angrily shouts. “I’ll get him!” Sanford suddenly pipes up. “I’ll help!” “Please do not fight! Hank, spit it out!! Don’t swallow that!! Hank! Spit it out! Now!!” “You are all ruining this party.” Doc mutters as he shakes his head from side to side and takes another swig from his drink. Watching all of you wrestle Hank in an effort to get him to spit out the poisonous mistletoe. ~ SANFORD AND DEIMOS ~ Upon both of the men arriving into your home, they were also expecting the home to be decorated with lots of unique items and colorful lights like before. But much to their own surprise, the house looked actually a little bit more sparser than it was at Christmas. The only thing that looked different was that the TV was displaying a formal announcer that was talking in front of a large crowd of cheering people. Announcing that the year was officially coming to an end and that the new year was going to arrive shortly. Both men were confused by the image of the displayed illuminated ball that was slowly climbing down a large pole on a tall building. With crowds upon crowds of people seemingly standing out in the streets to “watch it drop”. Sanford’s attention is quickly snatched away from the TV upon you peeking into the room and welcoming all of them into your home again. “It’s New Years Eve! Tonight is just fireworks, drinking, and celebration!” You quickly explain. “I’m even making a meal for all of you to enjoy! It’ll just be a little bit longer, so make yourself at home!” You finish as you return to the kitchen. Sanford was always helpful when it came to your dinner parties, so he wastes no time trying to hurry to the kitchen while the others settled in. With the exception of Deimos, who watched his companion head towards the kitchen. However, he wasn’t watching where he was going. As soon as he rounded the corner and entered the kitchen, his chest got collided into by the resident human. The Player lets out an ‘oof’ as the cookie tray they were carrying clatters to the floor and all the cookies spill out onto the ground. “Ah shit! Sorry, Player!” Sanford hurriedly apologizes as he leans over and tries to help pick up the hot cookies. “Oh! Sanford!Be careful, they’re still hot!” You warn as you move the heated tray away and try your best to pick up the cookies as well. Sanford felt so embarrassed and even more so when the noise had drawn in his companion, Deimos. “What the hell happened?? We heard a crash from the living room.” Deimos questions for a moment before taking in the sight of the spilled cookies on the ground. “Ooooh. Damn it, I was looking forward to those…” Deimos then pops his head out of the kitchen and back into the living room. “They just dropped a cookie tray. Me and Sanford got this covered!” Deimos called out into the other room before kneeling down and grabbing the hot tray with his bare hands. “Deimos! That tray just came out of the oven!!” You worriedly shriek. Deimos merely blinks at you before snickering. “I handle hot stuff all of the time, Player. This hot tray ain’t got nothing on me~” Deimos purrs. “O-Oh! Well…thank you both! For helping me with the spill…sadly, I don’t think I want to serve you guys cookies that have been on the floor. I’ll just make a new batch!” You sigh. “Aw, don’t worry about it! We’ve had worse than simple ‘floor cookies’! Your floor is clean enough to eat off of anyway.” Deimos says as the last of the toppled treats were picked up by him and Sanford. “Yeah. You don’t have to stress about making more. It was my fault, I should’ve watched where I was going.” Sanford grunts as he stands up. Then, he feels something peculiar tickling his head, it takes a few moments of watching you and Deimos get off the floor before Sanford grows tired of the tickling and looks up. Finding a strange plant hanging by a string above him, the ribbon tickling the top of his head as it dangles down. “Hey, Player…what’s this for?” Sanford can’t help but ask as the Player turns and sees the plant that Sanford was standing under. Then, both mercenaries are suddenly interested when the Player seems to grow flustered and set the cookies down on the counter. “Oh…that’s Mistletoe. It’s a decoration that a lot of humans hang up in their homes around this time of year. Tradition says that whoever is caught standing together under the mistletoe has to…kiss.” The Player shyly explains while the lightbulb in both of the mercenaries slowly blinked on and Sanford began to grin widely. “So…I’m standing under it, eh? Care to join me, Player?” Sanford flirts, to which the Player begins to blush. “I mean! I would! I could? If it’s not too invasive of your personal space! We don’t have to if–” “Aw! Come on! Get on with it!” Deimos cackles as he gets behind the Player and pushes them gently into Sanford’s arms. “I’m next after you’re done with them, Sanford!” Deimos snickers eagerly. You gasp as Sanford holds you close to his chest as he leans down a bit. He gently takes your chin into his fingers as he guides your head upwards. Sanford looks just as nervous as you do as you give him the go ahead to give you a kiss with a brief nod. You both lean in and your lips meet in a subtle electrifying way. You lean on Sanford as you both deepen the kiss. Sanford had a subtle taste of alcohol on his lips and a slight feel of roughness around his mouth. It wasn’t entirely unpleasant as he turns his head and you both feel the relief and tension in the room ease away as you both take in one another in such an intimate fashion. You even let out a brief hum as Sanford nips your lip gently with his teeth and you open your mouth a bit to nip his protruding lip back in return. Enticing a grunt out of the man as he sighs in bliss before you both finally pull away. You both were a flustered and blushing mess as you two separate. “You…you’re a great kisser, Sanford…” You mutter shyly as Sanford couldn’t help but rub the back of his neck meekly in response. “ME NEXT! ME NEXT!” Deimos suddenly cuts in, making you both jump as he eagerly worms his way in between you two. “See! I’m under the mistletoe too!That means I need a kiss!” You can only laugh at the grunt’s enthusiasm. “Okay, okay! Come here, Dei…” You snicker a bit as Sanford moves to the side to allow you both space under the mistletoe. Deimos was much more eager as he pulled you in close by the small of your back and plants his lips onto yours eagerly. You can only roll your eyes and return the kiss to the impulsive mercenary. Your lips mingle as Deimos sighs against your mouth as he deepens the kiss, making you moan at the action. His mouth carried the taste of nicotine and smoke and it wasn’t entirely unpleasant, but it did muddle the true taste of Deimos. You wrapped your arms around him in kind as you both kissed under the mistletoe and his sharp teeth nip at your lips, begging for entry. You part your jaw slightly and are surprised to feel his tongue slide into your jaw and tangle with yours. You can’t help the soft whimper and the redding of your face as Deimos’s tongue intertwines with yours and explores the entirety of your maw greedily. Eventually, you both finally break apart. Panting harshly to get your oxygen back. “Damn, Dei! Lips AND tongue?? Don’t you think that was a bit much??” Sanford arches his brow and seems flustered from watching you both kiss so passionately. “Hell no!” Deimos grins impishly as he sticks his tongue out at Sanford before releasing you from his arm. Then, in a surprising turn of events, Deimos POUNCES on Sanford after letting you go and plants his lips onto Sanford’s. Surprising you and Sanford both, but Sanford merely shakes his head from side to side before returning the kiss. You could only blink in shock before laughing lightly and hurrying to clean up the cookies while the two have their moment. They even seem to be much more forceful and eager than they were with you, which probably means that this wasn’t the first time the two kissed one another. You can only freshen up the cookies, plate the sweets, and hurry from the kitchen with a bright red and flustered expression. Making the other two mercenaries that were sitting in your living room wonder what the hell went on in the kitchen that caused such a reaction from you. ~ DOC ~ Like all the times before, this seemed to be the last event that was celebrated by humans during the end of the yearly cycle. Well, judging by the information from what Doc was managing to read on his new tablet he got for ‘christmas’ while the other mercenaries explored your home that was decorated with what remained of the previous holiday. The announcer on the TV was simply talking about a ‘ball dropping’ and how various things have happened over the years. Both good and bad. Confetti and sparklers and cheering crowds could be seen on the TV getting ready for the big event. Thankfully, Doc wasn’t around such large crowds. He was much more serious and kind of a loner…and he liked it that way, primarily. He just needed his men and the missions…and his Player. Speaking of his Player, he silently found himself wondering what they were doing in the kitchen for such a long time. Usually you came out to greet them after they arrived in your abode. A silent feeling of nagging worry curled up inside of him and Doc quickly finds himself putting his tablet aside. He gets up from the couch and begins to head into the kitchen to investigate. Upon peering into the kitchen, he finds you painting a pair of cookies carefully. Each one shaped like weapons, grunts, and even yourself. Doc begins to walk into the kitchen, completely unaware of the decoration that was hanging above the doorway getting snagged on his mohawk, before he approaches you. “Player? What are you doing?” He inquires as you jump from his appearance, but you don’t take your eyes off the cookies on the tray. “Oh! Hello, Doc! I’m just finishing touching up these cookies! They’ve been cooling for a while and now they’re ready for the icing!” You explain, showing Doc the cookies in question. “I see…” Doc mutters. “Do…Do you want to help? I still have a few cookies to put icing on. An extra pair of hands would be beneficial for the sake of time, don’t you think?” You ask, offering Doc a small icing tube while you keep focusing on the cookie you were working on. “I suppose so. I’ll do what I can.” You can only snicker a bit. “You can do complex surgeries, I think you can handle painting a couple of cookies~” You tease as he shakes his head and chuckles in response. Both of you work in tandem with one another as the cookies are painted carefully. One by one, each cookie is completed and put to the side to dry. It certainly saved you about 30 minutes of labor with Doc giving you a helping hand. Just as you predicted, his steady hands made the cookies look surprisingly elegant in their designs. You even find yourself kinda envious of his technique. Regardless of the designs, the last cookie was then completed and placed to the side with a successful sigh from you both. Finally, you look up to Doc. “Thank you so much for your help, Doc! I really–?” You tilt your head and then you begin to snicker, enticing a look of confusion to be thrown your way. “What? Is something wrong? Do I have icing on my face…?” “Hehe! No Doc…just…lean down a bit. You have something stuck in your hair…” Doc does as you request and he feels you gently pluck something from his mohawk. Upon looking at it, he feels more confusion grow as he takes in the appearance of the strange plant. A small green plant with red berries and a red ribbon were tied to it. “What’s that?” “Oh, this? This was just the mistletoe that was hanging in the kitchen doorway. It must’ve got stuck in your hair when you came through.” You explain, still holding the plant in your hand. “Does it have any significance to this human holiday?” “Well…yes and no? It’s more of a traditional thing. Mistletoe is for the winter holidays and the tradition is that if two humans stand under it…they have to…kiss.” You explain. Doc tilts his head in response. “Kiss…?” You nod. “It’s just a silly human tradition! We don’t really have to do anything. It’s just a festival kinda thing…” You hurriedly explain. Doc pauses for a moment before he mutters out “But…what if the humans WANT to…?” You blink in surprise before saying “Well…I guess…they can…if YOU want to…”. A moment of silence passes as you still hold the mistletoe before Doc looks around briefly and then begins to reach for the clasp of his mask. You watch in eagerness as Doc pops the clasps of his Masks and begins to slip it off. Revealing his scarred mouth and face to you. You didn’t utter a sound as he set it to the side and looked back to you. His goggles are filled with apprehension as he turns to face you. “Player…we…don’t HAVE to do this you know. We can just be–” You silence the grunt by placing the mistletoe down and gently reaching up to clasp his jaw into your hands. “But…what if I want to?” You inquire as Doc stands there for a moment. Then, he allows you to bring him closer to you as you initiate the kiss. Your lips pressed together as Doc slowly wraps his arms around you and presses you against his chest. In which, you return the favor by wrapping your arms around his neck to keep yourself from slipping away. Doc’s lips held a slightly salty taste and a sterile aroma as he pressed his lips into yours tightly. You let out a little moan in response to his fangs digging into your lips as you twist your head a bit to deepen the kiss. Doc even found himself sighing in bliss as he politely asks for further entry, to which you allow him to do so. His tongue slowly snakes into your maw and wraps around your own. He has secretly longed for this moment. The moment he got to FEEL you…to TOUCH you…to TASTE you…and you were everything he imagined and more. Such an intimate moment that was shared by you both as the two of you finally break away for a breath. You pant against him as he does the same, both of you silently looking into one another’s eyes. “WOO!! GET SOME, DOC!!” Both of you jump high out of your skins as you both look towards the exit to the kitchen. Finding Deimos, Sanford, and even HANK standing in the doorway. The Player could only say an ‘oh my’ and laugh lightly in response as Doc glares at the gawking mercenaries. “Dei! You ruined their moment!” Sanford chides. “Good.” Hank growls out. “Aww, come on! They were totally into it! Do it again, Doc!” “All of you go back to the living room. Now.” Doc firmly orders as Sanford nods and begins to drag Dei out of the kitchen, while Hank stays behind for a moment before leaving. Doc then looks back towards you before shaking his head from side to side. “Can’t have anything nice with them around.” “That’s okay, Doc.” You joyously snicker before grabbing up the tray of cookies from the counter. “Next time, we’ll make sure we have more privacy.” “Yes we’ll…wait. ‘Next time’?” Doc suddenly says in a flabbergasted manner as he watches the Player head to the door, look over their shoulder, and give him a promising wink before disappearing off into the living room. Doc can only blink in surprise and look down at the mistletoe that was sitting idly on the counter. He then grabs the little plant and stuffs it into his pocket while he slips his mask back on. He’ll be needing the mistletoe for ‘next time’. A time he can’t wait to experience again…and hopefully they’ll have more privacy next time. ~~ The night went on and snacks, drinks, and fireworks were brought outside as you all watched the news and the closer midnight came, the more your festivities picked up. Your distant neighbors could even be heard popping off their own fireworks as you all gathered around the TV for the big moment. “10! 9! 8! 7! 6! 5! 4! 3! 2! 1!” You all let off numerous party poppers as the screen began to flash as the ball dropped and loud applause could be heard coming from the TV with the thunderous applause “HAPPY NEW YEAR” the crowd can be heard cheering. “HAPPY NEW YEAR, GUYS!” You cheer loudly as more party poppers explode and you all hurry outside. You cover your yard with confetti, sparklers, and Deimos lights the larger fireworks off. Each of you celebrate in your own manner as the night sky is illuminated with multiple colors of fireworks. Each of your boys eating and snacking as well as taking turns with the fireworks you managed to buy. Popping them all off to hoots and hollers as you enjoy their enthusiasm in “blowing shit up”. Not only did you get to spend the end of the year with your precious otherworldly friends, but you also got a kiss from the one you adored this New Years. What a great start to the new year! Hopefully you all will experience the rest of the new year together and you couldn’t wait to show them other places and holidays! But for now…you party until the early hours of the morning with all your boys. THIS WAS THE BEST NEW YEARS PARTY EVER!!

#human!reader x madcom #madcom x reader #madcom tag #y/n x madness combat #madness combat x reader #madness combat imagines #self aware au #madness combat self aware au #self aware m:pn au #holiday special #Haxorus Imp #hax speaks #cosmica galaxy

[thevoyageurmoteplass-writing]

Evangeline was done with keys. Another had turned up in her room and instantly she had taken it to the others. Teddy had suggested throwing it in the lake; Dexter had insisted that they kept it safe, that they took it in turns so she wasn’t left with that responsibility hanging over her all over again.

Yet still she couldn’t stop playing with it, couldn’t keep it off her mind.

She sighed, stopped fiddling with the cold metal and looked out across the lake.

‘You suck at sneaking,’ she said evenly. She’d know that the stranger was there, knew that they had been trying to find a good time to step forwards. Always just on the periphery.

‘I was just checking,’ a male voice said, wavering slightly uncertainly. The branches creaked as he stepped forwards, as he moved and she finally turned to face who had been following her.

The boy looked a little older than her, but there was something much older about his eyes. For a moment she almost looked away, but she refused. She levelled her gaze on him.

‘Checking what?’

‘That you got the key,’ he admitted, pausing a little way from the back of the bench. He heaved a deep sigh, ran a hand through his hair. ‘I don’t mean to be all secretive –’

‘But you’ve got to be?’ Eva asked, raising a sceptical eyebrow.

He scoffed, and there was an odd kind of agreement behind his expression. ‘Nope. But this is just harder than I thought. But you’re no stranger to magic doors, are you?’

A ripple of unease shivered down her back.

‘Sorry,’ he apologised quickly, ‘way too cryptic. I’m Isaac. That key goes to a café place and I’ve been asked to take you there so the owner can give an explanation.’

It took a moment for the words to sink in, and even then Evangeline wasn’t sure it made much more sense. ‘An explanation?’

Isaac chuckled carefully, inclined his head a little behind him. ‘Yeah, weird someone’s offering one then. Any door’ll do though.’

Evangeline only briefly contemplated not following him. But she was up before the thought could properly take hold. She followed him, only once nudging him another way as it was a closer door, and her brain screamed for answers, no matter how she got them.

‘You sure about this?’ Isaac asked as she put the key quickly into the lock. This was her world, no matter what he might have thought.

Evangeline shot him a withering look before pushing the door open.

The noise level hit her first, the din of food and drinks being made and chatter mingling with it all. But, as she stepped through the door, the uncanniness of the whole thing hit her. There weren’t just people there, all looking at varying degrees of weariness, but also a mixture of creatures she only recognised from stories. Giants and elves. A unicorn outside steamed up the window alongside an old looking car. A fairy and a tall figure she could have sworn only had one eye.

‘Yeah, it’s something,’ Isaac murmured. ‘Darius!’ he called, snapping Evangeline’s attention to him. He shot her an apologetic smile before motioning to a booth. ‘Darius’ll fill you in while I go get Lukas. Anything I should know?’

Despite everything, Evangeline contemplated telling him he had to bow, or he needed to speak in rhyme. But a tall man lopped towards them and the thought faded ever so slightly.

‘Evangeline, welcome. I’m Darius,’ he explained and she felt rather than saw Isaac leaving. She just hoped that he was really going to get Luck because at least then there was someone familiar there with her.

Lukas couldn’t believe that it was over. Or, at least that it was almost over. He hadn’t expected to feel at such a loose end, but he did and it was horrible. He itched to do something, to prank someone even if he weren’t going to get a punishment like before.

A cough forced his attention away from the piano and towards a young bespectacled man standing in the doorway. He looked a little awkward, as if he wasn’t really meant to be there. In fact, his clothes alone marked him easily as someone not of Fortuna House, or this area at all.

‘Who are you?’ Lukas asked carefully, and bad habits he had picked up from The group gone in an instant.

The man sighed, shifted his glasses carefully up his nose. ‘My name’s Isaac. I’ve come to explain where that key came from.’

For a second Lukas merely stared at him. The key had randomly appeared in his pocket not long after returning to the Spirit World. He had assumed one of the poltergeists had put it there, a kind of goodbye to his time with the Human World. He remained silent, waiting to hear more.

Isaac didn’t appear to falter though, he merely glanced around the room, as if scouting out any possible danger.

Reluctantly, Lukas shifted around on the stool. ‘Where did it come from?’

‘The Voyageurs Möteplass. A café in another… world to the rest.’

Lukas chuckled. ‘Nobody needs another world.’

‘Daruis, guy who owns it, would disagree,’ reasoned Isaac, carefully closing the door behind him. ‘Evangeline’s letting him explain.’

Lukas’s chest tightened at the mention of his friend. He knew it was meant to calm him but it didn’t. He was instantly on the alert, hands raised and ready for a fight.

He was surprised by how quickly Isaac’s stance went to mirror his own. A flicker of uncertainty behind the eyes but an assurance of an attack being met.

‘Try the key in the lock,’ Isaac said, worry betraying him in a waver to the voice. He carefully stepped aside but didn’t lower his guard.

Without thinking Lukas stepped forwards, craving something to do. He took the key from his pocket, where he had left it, and put it easily into the lock. One turn and he was pushing the door open, looking in on another world entirely.

It reminded him of a bustling coffee house, with some of the more modern appearances that he had seen a little of in Torna. The people there all looked like they came from different times; worlds that went far beyond the three he now knew existed.

‘Luck!’

Evangeline’s voice forced his attention to a nearby table. She was sat with an imposing figure of a man, smiling brightly nonetheless; he recognised the inquisitive look behind her eyes. The spark of figuring out the answers.

He stepped forwards, eager to join her, but paused. ‘Thank…’ he said, turning to find that Isaac was gone. ‘You,’ he finished lamely.

‘Isaac went to grab Veronica,’ the large man explained as Lukas turned back, Eva motioning him over. ‘Darius, by the way.’ The man extended a well calloused hand.

‘Lukas, Sir,’ he introduced, shaking the proffered hand and sharing a questioning look with Evangeline.

She offered him a half-dismissive shrug. ‘I wonder how he plans to persuade Ronnie,’ she admitted, the familiar mischief obvious behind her words.

Luck couldn’t help but smirk. That would be quite the sight to see. Yet he was just glad to see her, and hopefully Ronnie, again. For a moment, nothing else mattered because they could face anything as long as they were together.

The key had baffled Ronnie. She had found it on her vanity table, as if it had always been there. She hadn’t needed to ask her family, she knew that it was new, that it had just somehow turned up. Even trying spells on it she’d come up with a blank. Nothing garnered any results, gave her any clues as to what it was for, let alone who had left it there.

A tentative knock on the door barely pulled her attention away from the cool silver as she turned it over with her magic, spinning it as if even mild magic might answer something.

Another knock, slightly more insistent this time.

Ronnie groaned, hit the crown of her head against the back of her chair.

‘Veronica?’

Instantly she was sitting bolt upright; the key all but slammed into a drawer and her hackles raised.

‘My… my name’s Isaac. I know Evangeline and Lukas… kind of,’ the voice said.

Everything inside Ronnie told her to distrust, told her to use her powers to protect herself. But also she wanted to investigate. The names of her friends from worlds that nobody knew.

‘It’s about the key.’

Ronnie had flung the door open as soon as the final word was out of his mouth.

The boy that stood there looked momentarily startled. It shifted to awe quickly; fast enough to assure her that he wasn’t from here.

‘You know what I can do, obviously,’ she said calmly, twirling her hands in an almost threatening manner, ‘so explain.’

‘I’m just the messenger,’ Isaac told her, but there was a waver of uncertainty.

‘So?’

‘The key leads to The Voyageurs Möteplass. Probably means noth –’

‘The travellers’ way place,’ she breathed. It was a myth her mother had once told them. A place for heroes to rest before the next big adventure.

‘Yeah,’ he said uncertainly, and she felt his eyes on her as she gathered the key up and moved to the door. He stepped aside, allowing her to close it. She put the key in the lock, turned it and forced open the door.

Her attention found Eva and Luck before anything else. They stood slightly and she started towards them, gaze straying around the place. It was filled with different kinds of people; the kinds she read stories about, wanted to be a part of.

‘Ah, Veronica,’ said the large jovial looking man sitting with them. ‘Welcome.’

Ronnie’s thoughts scrambled for the name, for who he was.

‘Darius,’ he said kindly, moving to let her sit with them

Ronnie nodded her greeting and took the space with her friends. She watched as Isaac moved to the other seat.

‘Everyone’s got a story,’ said Darius, nodding to a passing server for drinks, ‘but here’s a place to relax, to try and settle between adventures.’

‘Adventures?’ asked Eva excitedly.

‘Between?’ questioned Lukas warily.

But Ronnie was leaning forwards keenly, eager to learn everything that she could about this place brought to life; but then again, she was beginning to get used to stories coming to life around her.

#ocappreciation #Across Stories Story #Drabble #Made By Me #Evangeline #Isaac #Darius Kilvert #Lukas #Veronica #Ronnie

[punypcrker]

heard, not seen

Peter and Gwen meet when he bumps into her on their first day in their summer internship at Oscorp only to see (pun intended) that she’s blind!

It didn’t help that he had slept through his alarm. Peter had purposely picked a song he hated to blast at full volume a full two hours before he was due to arrive at his internship. He had no intention of being late or unprofessional in any way at Oscorp, especially not on his first day.

“Shit,” Peter winced when he checked his watch again, as he sprinted up the seven flights of stairs he needed to ascend to make it to the meeting room for the new interns.

After sleeping in, he accidentally spilled coffee all over his pristine dress shirt that he had steamed and ready to go since the night before and had to change into his back-up inferior dress shirt. Then, the bus had a delay that resulted in him running the last couple dozen blocks toward the large skyscraper in the middle of Midtown.

So despite his best efforts, Peter was late. Very very late. Luckily, it didn’t take him too long to make it to the floor. He burst through the stairway door and onto the greater floor, following the signs at a brisk pace now that there were bustling employees and interns of all varying levels of security clearance and seniority all around him. His eyes were flicking from one sign to the next as they guided him toward the meeting room he was expected to be at soon. Even after everything that’s stood in his way that morning, that was what finally sealed his fate.

Peter was practically flying down the hallways, following the arrows on the signs toward the room. Given his luck, it only took two rooms and three turns before he felt his body slam into someone standing and heard them squeak in surprise. He swore under his breath and instinctively grabbed the person by the lapel of their long peacoat to keep them from falling backward onto the floor.

“Oh, my god I’m-“ Peter began to apologize as he finally looked at the person he ran into and saw her captivatingly icy blue eyes and long blonde hair, making his heart race, “So sorry…”

“No, I’m sorry!” The young woman cried out, her face pinched in distress as her free hand toyed with the ends of her hair nervously, “This is my first day and I don’t know if I’m standing in the way yet. I haven’t really gotten the floorplan memorized yet so I’m a little-“

It was then that Peter finally noticed the large Rottweiler dog sniffing at him curiously, the leash attached to its vest clutched in her hand alongside a long white cane, and the clear patch that read ‘GUIDE DOG - DO NOT PET.’ Oh, for the love of Christ. Peter just ran into a pretty blind woman… on his first day.

“No, please,” Peter insisted, his heart now practically sitting on the floor since it’s fallen out his ass, “I wasn’t paying attention, I shouldn’t have been going so fast without looking at where I’m going. I am so so so sorry.”

“How about a truce?” The mystery woman offered with a kind smile, making her curious dog sit beside her obediently, “Let me extend an olive branch. I’m Gwen, I’m one of the new interns.”

“Peter,” He replied, taking her extended hand, “I’m Peter. I’m a new intern too. I was running late so I was rushing. I really am sorry, Gwen. Really…”

“I know, Peter,” Gwen smiled and his mouth went dry, she’s so pretty, “It’s okay, I have an idea.”

“What do you mean?” Peter asked, his brain screaming at him to check his watch again but he ignored it.

“No one walks up to the blind girl with a big Rottie for a guide dog, so Daisy and I are pretty lost,” She explained, and Peter waved at the dog knowing Gwen can’t see him, “How about you walk with us into the meeting room and we tell them you were helping us get around? If that doesn’t excuse your tardiness, I don’t know what will.”

“You don’t have to do that!” Peter insisted, shaking his head, “No, no, no. I’ll happily help you ladies to the meeting room, but you don’t have to save me. It’s my own fault for being late.”

“It’ll be fine!” Gwen insisted with a breathtaking smile, flipping some hair off her shoulder and folding up her collapsible cane to holster it before holding out a hand, “Just give me your elbow, and let me do the talking once we’re in there! This will work, I’ve done it before.”

“Lots of guys physically run into you because they’re late?” He asked, giving her his elbow.

“No,” She giggled, gripping onto his elbow and following as he guided her and Daisy to the interns meeting room, “I’ve just used my disability to get people out of trouble before. It’s concerningly easy.”

“You shouldn’t exploit yourself for my benefit,” He insisted as he pointedly tried not to stare at her pretty pouty pink and glossy lips considering he had no clue how much of her vision she still had, “Really, you don’t have to do this.”

“You worry too much!” Gwen practically groaned, her hand curling around his bicep as she got a little closer to him when she felt Daisy move in toward her to guide her out of someone’s way, “You gotta learn to live a little, Peter.”

“You might be right,” Peter chuckled nervously, “I’m just trying not to mess this opportunity up.”

“With me or the internship?” She asked with a smirk and a wicked look in her eyes, which were so pale they were nearly white, “Because I have no idea what you look like so the ball is totally in your court.”

“Oh,” He choked, almost stopping dead in his tracks before remembering that he was guiding her and her dog, “No, I mean. You’re very beautiful, I-I mean. Of course, I think you're super pretty but not in, like, a creepy way. But I meant-“

“I’m just playing with you, Pete,” Gwen giggled and Peter’s heart continued to pound in his chest, “I know what you meant. But I also meant what I said.”

“What do you mean?” He asked with a furrowed brow as they approached the door marked for their internship meeting. All he could do was pray she didn’t hear how nervous she made him. Especially when she didn’t let go of his elbow and looked at him with a sweet smile.

“Ball’s in your court,” She replied as she grabbed and unfolded her cane, her wrist flicking expertly to feel around the immediate area, “You seem sweet. And you sound cute. So, yeah, the blind girl is shooting her shot but in a backwards kind of way by encouraging you to shoot yours.”

“Well, then, I definitely have to shoot mine,” Peter blew out a breath, “You’re very inspirational.”

“If I only had a nickel…” She shook her head, making him chuckle earnestly, “Shoot it later, though. We’re already late enough, I suppose.”

“I suppose you’re right,” He nodded, reaching for the knob.

“You’ll have to get used to that, I often am,” She told him cheekily, “Otherwise, you have no chance.”

“Oh, I am very used to being wrong,” Peter admitted, “I’m even more used to ladies being right. Especially the pretty ones.”

“I said later,” Gwen playfully scolded, trying to play off the blush burning on her cheeks, “Don’t get me all flustered on the first day.”

“But it’s cute,” He smiled, “I like playing with you too. You’re very cute.”

“Stop,” She drew out with a pout, the blush burning bright pink and pulling more chuckles from him as she tried covering her face with her free hand.

“I’m not shooting my shot,” He defended with a smirk, “I’m just telling the truth. You didn’t see the look on my face when I saw you for the first time, you’re quite literally stunning.”

“You’ll have to get used to that too,” She reminded him with a small smile, almost sad, “I can hardly see shadows. I definitely can’t see your face.”

“Nothing wrong with that,” Peter said nonchalantly with a half shrug, “I happen to have a great vocabulary and can describe things in great detail.”

”Then maybe you do have a fighting chance,” Gwen chuckled shyly, her eyes returning to her guide dog, “Plus, Daisy seems to tolerate you enough. That’s definitely a good sign.”

”That’s a relief,” He chuckled in return, finally opening the door and gesturing with his free hand, “Ladies first.”

”Thank you, sir,” She said with a single nod, her cane skimming the floor in front of her as she took each step with Daisy dutifully keeping her from running into anything.

Peter followed quickly behind to catch up, walking with her on the opposite side of Daisy toward the large crowd of interns gathered in the center of the room. He wasn’t wasting this opportunity. Not with her.

#gwen stacy #peter parker #fanfic

[sunspray-peak]

Ch. 57: The Things We Deserve

CW: Mentions of a Suicide Attempt

TUESDAY - WINTER 9

Lewis’ curses from the Festival of Ice had not gone entirely unanswered. Though a day late, the temperature had plummeted overnight, and the townsfolk of Stardew Valley woke to a frigid, ice-encrusted wonderland. 

Poor news for Achilles, who despised anything under 20 degrees. That being said, he was anxious to get out of the house, which he feared would seduce him back into the dregs of depression from which he was still struggling to break free. Unwilling to break anymore bones in his body jogging on the slippery sidewalks, he opted for a second day at the spa. 

*****

It was slow going—he wasn’t the world’s greatest swimmer, and never would be, but that was… fine. Just something to keep his body moving, his mind occupied. One stroke, two strokes, red strokes, blue strokes… 

“Achilles?” 

He emerged from the waters to see Alex standing at the opposite end of the pool, 25 meters away, backlit by the pale blue fluorescent lights glowing softly through the steam. 

“Hey! There you are, I was looking for you.” 

A prickle danced down Achilles’ spine—but perhaps it was merely a draft blowing through cracks in the walls, cooling his damp, warmed skin. He raked his fingers through his hair, buying himself a second before paddling back towards the shallow end where Alex was waiting. “Hey yourself.” 

“I stopped by the farm. You weren’t, um, answering your phone. But I ran into Maru, she told me you might be here.” 

“Oh yeah? She tell you that before or after you broke into my house again?” 

“I didn’t break into your—I promise I’m not a stalker, man, I only did that because you were MIA for a week.” 

“I’m joking, Al.” Achilles had reached the edge. He rested his arms along the wall, a few inches away from a pair of well-worn blue sneakers, and looked up at the man standing above. “I just left my phone in the locker. What’s up?” 

“I, uh. Well. I got the job.” With an uncharacteristically shy smile, Alex extended his arms to the sides and performed a little squeaky spin across the wet tiles (“That’s so dangerous, what kind of lifeguard are you?”). “Thought you should be the first to know. Or, I guess, third, technically, but my grandparents don’t really count…” 

“A thing like that! Congratulations, I do believe this calls for a celebration.” In his excitement, Achilles half-lifted himself out of the water before thinking better of it and dropping back down with a small splash that splattered the fleece of Alex’s grey joggers. “Ah, sorry. I’d give you a hug if I wasn’t all wet.”

“A hug? An actual hug? From the Achilles Robinson? Wow!” Alex chuckled and squatted down to better meet Achilles’ eye level and return the offered the fist bump. “Nah, it’s ok.” 

“Well, I’m not surprised. I knew you’d get it.” 

“Did you, though? Did you—” 

“Yes. Yes I did.” 

They exchanged grins, and with another laugh, Alex shifted to a more comfortable position, taking a seat on the tiles and leaning back on his arms as Achilles continued to wade in the water. 

“I’m excited. Even without the overtime, I’ll be making more money, so my grandparents are also excited… but I’m excited to really swim again. With all the extra time and an actual schedule now, I’ll be able to really get back into the routine of it all. Really try to take it seriously, ya know?”  

“Yeah! Artemics XXXX, here we come, baby—” 

“Yeah, yeah, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I’m old for a swimmer…” 

“You’ll be 26 going on 27 when it rolls around, you won’t be that old. If Peter Lee can win gold at the age of 35, why can’t you?” 

“When did you become an expert in Artemic gold medalists?”   

“When you decided you were going to make a run at it again. Or should I say a swim at it?” 

Alex smiled at the rather lame joke and scooted criss cross applesauce closer to the edge. 

The lights were buzzing. Achilles hadn’t minded it while swimming, but in the silence that sat between them now, the noise felt obtrusive, suppressing the unspoken words and unsaid wants that otherwise may have found their way to a home well received. 

“I wouldn’t have done it, you know. Without you.”

Achilles sent a light splash over the wall. “What’d we say about kissing my ass? You would’ve handled it fine. It was an interview, it’s just talking, you’d have figured it out.” 

“That’s not what I meant.” Alex wrapped his finger around his shoelace. Gave it a little tug and watched it unwind before repeating the process again. “I don’t think I would’ve even gone for it without you. Any of it. The promotion, swimming… I mean, I always knew there was more out there. I just… never realized I could actually go for it until you came along. Never realized I could try again. Just needed a kick in the pants, I guess.” 

Ah… 

That was enough sentimentality for today. Already, the words were grating his conscience, the remains of his own sense of self. Achilles dove back in the water, reemerging in the middle of the pool. 

“Come. Join me. Alex’s Return to ProSports Training Session #1—” 

“I didn’t bring a change of clothes.” 

“So?” 

“I don’t want to walk back home in wet underwear, it’s cold.” 

“Okay, then don’t? Go commando, bitch.” 

Alex laughed and stood to kick off his shoes and socks. Achilles was denied a full striptease though (for which he was slightly disappointed, though he would never admit it to himself), for Alex only rolled up his sweatpants to his knees before returning to the edge of the pool to soak his feet. 

“How have you been feeling lately, though?” 

“Oh.” Me again, huh? Always me… “Fine. It… comes and goes.”

“Yeah? You want to talk about it? Are we coming or going right now?” 

Achilles had to bite the inside of his cheek. “Coming. Kind of. That’s why I came out here, actually, was feeling a little… well, I thought perhaps a little change in scenery would be… nice. Something warm, some peace and quiet…” 

“Oh, do you want me to leave? 

“It’s a public place, Al, I can’t tell you to leave.” 

“But do you want me to?” 

“No, stay. Please.” 

 There was another beat of silence that only the lights filled. And when Alex’s curious gaze became too much, Achilles dove back into the water and continued his swim. 

*****

He should’ve felt happy for Alex. 

And he did—really, he did. Happy, excited, vindicated, proud—he was all of it. It’s what Alex deserved. 

But why couldn’t he be only it?  

Why did he also feel like shit? 

Well, it shouldn’t have been too much of a surprise, this gut wrenching twist that always accompanied someone else’s good news… This was how it’d always been for him, even though, as he reminded himself as he had countless times over the past season, he knew his friends’ success had no bearing on his own.

The paths you tread are parallel, not shared. One person’s accomplishments shouldn’t get in the way of your own growth. 

Wise words from his father, once upon a time. But logic never did manage to trump the clinging stench of jealousy. 

Aye, just get over yourself, my dude… 

Easier said than done of course, but nevertheless done easier when he finished his final lap. Twenty or so minutes after Alex’s arrival, Achilles slowly made his way back to the shallow end of the pool, now ready to return to the real world, away from the voices bristling inside his head. 

And seeing Alex at the edge of the pool, his nose slightly scrunched as he held his e-reader an inch from his face, his lips parting slightly as he muttered the words, further dulled the edge of Achilles’ bitterness. 

You deserve everything you want, he thought, as he treaded slowly forward. 

“Bit of a role reversal, wouldn’t you say?” 

“Huh?” Startled, Alex looked up from the tablet. 

“Me swimming. You reading.” 

“Oh. Haha, yeah… more like trying to read, I guess. My brain is woozy. I’m just trying to finish before the new season drops. 700 pages! Books shouldn’t be allowed to be over 300, man…” Alex set the tablet aside. “Slow progress, but hey, it’s progress. Look at you, though! The rate you’re going, you’ll be competing against me soon enough. Who’d have thought you were scared of swimming just earlier this year?” 

“Oh, I was never scared of swimming specifically…” 

Was it something in his tone that gave it away?

He watched as Alex tilted his head every so slightly to the right. It wasn’t confusion, nor necessarily concern, that lined his face… no, it was something more akin to a… reserved sort of anticipation, Achilles decided. Atop a thinly veiled curiosity. Like a judge waiting for a confession to only confirm what he perhaps already knew. 

Would it be too much to say what he wanted to? Too heavy? The words were on the tip of his tongue for the first time ever, demanding to be spoken aloud, and tasted of longing and desperation. 

Would it ruin the mood?

Would it ruin what they had? 

Achilles steadied himself against the wall, choosing to sit perpendicular to Alex’s line of sight. No, it was never swimming that he feared. He remembered the frigid waters, the dull buzz of a motorboat, the flash of sirens…

He took a shallow breath, and said, as nonchalantly as he could, “They say I tried to kill myself that night.” 

Alex, to his credit—it was not unlikely he had already put it together on Spirit’s Eve—didn’t flinch. “Were you?” 

“Eh. Depends on who you ask.” 

“Mmm, and if I ask you?” 

“I don’t know. No, really, I don’t know—I mean, you saw on Spirit’s Eve. I put a life jacket on. I feel like that piece of evidence does point to one version of the story. My therapist always insisted it was an ‘unconscious cry for help.’” Achilles tone was casual, his shrug and dry chuckle unforced.

He thought back to what the Shadow King had said to him. It had offered, if not the total truth, at least clarity. “Personally… I don’t think I cared much one way or the other.

“Apparition had come out. It was, as you know, received somewhere between panned to lukewarm by the literary community.” Here, Achilles gave a mocking little bow alongside a twitching, self-aware little smirk. “Finally had an Eddie Bloomsbury review in Gilliterate—what I had always wanted—and it was 2 stars. I felt like shit. 

“I just thought it was so funny, what you said earlier about learning not to give up because of me, because like, come on. I’m a huge fucking hypocrite, man. Swore off my whole career—one that I really loved—over one badly reviewed book. 

“I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to write anymore, I felt like I didn’t deserve to want to write anymore. Leave it to the professionals, Achilles. The people who actually had the talent and the skill. People who weren’t coasting on their family name. Of course, not being able to write just pissed me off even more. I was angry. I was aimless. And then I was depressed. 

“I didn’t know what to do anymore. I thought I had my whole life, my whole career, figured out, and then almost overnight learned I wasn’t actually cut out for what it was I wanted, and, well, you’ve see me when I have nothing to do. It drove me crazy. 

“So my friends took me out one night. Took me to a club, tried to distract me, cheer me up. They were a good group of people. I got drunk, managed to slip away. You can’t blame them. It was dark out, it wasn’t hard. Scurried away to the pier…

“I don’t know why I went for the water. Maybe because it was quiet. Maybe because I was just drunk and tired and wanted to nap and the boat was the closest thing to a bed. Maybe because I thought that being out there, away from the lights and the music, you know, just me and the ocean and the stars in the sky, I would… find something. A sign? From the universe? Clarity? I don’t know. You know how it is. That feeling, when you’re so desperate for answers. The hope that maybe if you just… connect with nature, connect with the universe, some… thing will lead you to answers… 

“But next thing I knew, I was waking up in a hospital with zero answers and my mum and dad crying by my bed. That hurt like a bitch, having to see that, let me tell you… They sent me to the nicest fucking clinic money could buy for a month. It was great. I was high on meds half the time and I didn’t have to cook! Ever!” 

A moment of only somewhat manufactured levity. Achilles waved his arms gleefully in the air until Alex managed a snort. 

“Well, maybe not great. But not… baaad. I got out, and I did feel somewhat better—like logically, I knew I was in a better place. Or ought to be. I had a therapist, still. Eva was great. But there was this… constant bottomless pit in my stomach, and I felt that if I just stopped for long enough, I’d… I don’t know. Fold into myself? Or collapse into myself, maybe, and I’d just get lost and fall and drown in it all. I mean, clearly I needed something to do. I’d take anything. 

“Well. You know what happened next. Went to BRLO. Lived my best life until I could finally admit to myself that it wasn’t really my best life. And then I came here. Gotta say, it hasn’t really been my best life either, but for a bit I think it was still a pretty good one… the end of Spring admittedly blowed, but Summer got better, and Fall ever more so. Until the mines. 

“Maybe it was inevitable. Everything crashing back down. After all, I had never quite solved the problem that had sent me allegedly jumping off a boat in the middle of the ocean in the first place. I still have no idea what I should be wanting to do in life. But for a bit, the Valley seemed to trick me into forgetting that it mattered. 

“But down there, in the mines… and Spirit’s Eve, too… the things I saw…” Achilles voice grew flatter as he remembered the terror of the mines, the screaming spirits pounding against his skull, and the Shadow King. He didn’t want to dwell on it. Not now, not even with Alex. Perhaps he never would. “The things they said… They brought it all back…

“And even now, it’s just… everyone else is doing so… well. Abigail’s living her best life, Elliott’s got his book, Leah’s art is taking off, you’re…” He tossed Alex a small, sad smile. “You’re doing great. And I just feel like I’m falling behind—which I know is illogical, and I’m really happy for all of you, I swear that I am, Alex, I’m so, so proud of you, and you deserve it. But…” 

He clasped his palms together, entwined his fingers as he leaned against the wall of the pool. 

“Everyone is doing what they want to do. What they’re meant to do. And they’re all happy, and I’m not. I’m not doing anything. And I know it’s petty and it’s not right, and I know it’s selfish and stupid, it’s like I’m six fucking years old, but I can’t help it.” 

Achilles, his face now glum as he stared into the waters below, gave his feet a halfhearted little kick. 

Alex’s tone, however, sounded oddly cheery given the conversation at hand. “You considered getting back into advertising, didn’t you? You said you had some offers. You said maybe you would try again, that you thought it could be better this time. That’s definitely something!” 

“Ahhh…” Achilles glanced over to see Alex mirroring his kicks in the water. If he was honest, Alex’s support for his Hyacinthian corporate career was just a bit disheartening, even if it was clear the words were being wielded only to support. “I turned them down. All of them. Yesterday.” 

Oh. 

The sharp jerk of his head was almost imperceptible, the raise of his eyebrows only but the tiniest inch—but even so, these minuscule motions that signaled Alex’s apparent enthusiasm at Achilles’ reveal were not missed. And each was an arrow through Achilles’ racing heart. 

“Yes, despite the alarming pile of evidence to the contrary,” Achilles drawled, continuing off of Alex’s wide-eyed blinks, “I do still think the Valley’s been… good to me. I don’t think it’s time to go just yet… But I’m just… scared, Al.”

Achilles shook his head in an attempt to stave off any unwelcome emotion. “I don’t have any regrets, I think, turning it all down. At least, not yet. But I’m scared that I’m wrong. I was good at it, Alex, shouldn’t I want to go back? I just… I don’t understand why I’m so caught up with wanting what I know I shouldn’t want, why I insist on living off of daydreams I can’t even bring myself to fully commit to. I can’t even finish writing a goddamn outline.” 

He forced himself to laugh. “It’s just… you saying what you did earlier? About how I pushed you, or whatever you said? I just thought it was so funny. Because I’m such a hypocrite. Right? Like seriously, how pathetic I am, how easily I give up on everything when it doesn’t go my way. I know I’ve got my farm and my arrangement or whatever with Shane—that sounded strange, disregard— and Penny mentioned possibly doing some substitute teaching, but I just… none of that is a life, right? None of that’s living for me, it’s just… something to do. 

“I miss having a… mission of sorts. Goals. Direction. A larger purpose. I want to be… I want to be important. And I know that’s stupid, and I know the whole fame and glory is ridiculous and stupid, but I mean, I don’t know how to stop wanting that. I mean, that’s the whole reason I wanted to go down the mines even though I knew it was a stupid fucking decision—” 

“No you didn’t.” 

“What?” 

Alex gave a little matter of fact shrug. He was still kicking his feet in the water like a kid, sending droplets careening back into his own face. “You just said you wanted to go down the mines, but you didn’t. I remember you telling me that morning, you didn’t want to go. And you weren’t lying, I could tell. It wasn’t glory at all, you only did it because you had to.” 

“But the Shadow King—” Achilles stopped himself short. 

What had the Shadow King said? That Achilles had wanted to go down—wasn’t that right? 

A tiny piece of glory peaked its head and you had to jump on it. 

Yes. And he’d allowed himself to believe it.

But Alex was right. That wasn’t quite true, was it? In fact, if he were honest with himself, he had never truly wanted to go down at all. It’s not like he had been that busy during the Fall, Yoba knew there was nothing preventing him from joining Abigail if he had truly wanted to. If he had wanted to, actually wanted to, he would have dived right into training alongside her—but no, he had always found excuses. Up until the last minute when it became clear he no longer had a choice. 

He should’ve wanted to go down—he remembered the conversation he’d had with Alex at Abigail’s birthday. It was, mortal danger aside, on paper, right up his alley. And clearly the Shadow King had chosen to latch onto the thought. But the truth of it all? The price for the promised glory in this instance was never one he had wanted to pay. 

So what did that mean? 

“Maybe…” Achilles spoke slowly as the thoughts came to him. “Maybe I need to stop waiting around for something to want. Maybe that’s the lesson here. It doesn’t matter what I fucking want. It never did. Maybe that’s the way to finally start a new life—” 

But Alex quickly interrupted. “I mean… I don’t know. I don’t think so, Ash. I don’t know… sometimes you just have to do things you don’t want to do. For you, that was the mines. But that’s… that’s like, different. You didn’t have a choice then. But you do now, in… what did you say? Starting your new life? You have a choice now.”

Hmm. Achilles gave his head a little shake. “I guess I just wish I had a thing again, you know? You know. Like the rest of you. Specialization of labor, that’s what led our ancestors to like, ditch hunting and gathering or something, right…” 

“You’re asking the wrong person, man.” 

“I wanted to be a scholar of sorts, but I suppose I was destined for agrarian society all along…” 

“Achilles, you’ve lost me.” 

“You never took a world history class?” 

“How many times do I have to tell you, Ash, I’m stupid—although, yeah, I did, actually now that I think about it… but really, you expect me to remember anything from it?” 

They both chortled. It was nice, Achilles thought, as he watched and counted the seconds it took for the ripples from Alex’s flutter kicks to reach his chest. How casual this was. He didn’t need an intervention, or overly concerned gazes and hinted, indirect questions that only served to close him off even further. He just wanted an ear and a friend. 

“You miss writing, don’t you? You miss that being your ‘thing?’” 

“I don’t know. I’d like to think so, but I mean, I just wanted to be fucking famous, didn’t I? So is it really the writing I miss, or the book signings?” 

“I think you miss it.”

“I shouldn’t.” Achilles sighed. “Every time I picked up a pen this past year, I just couldn’t stop thinking about the last time I tried. And what happened. The humiliation. How it ended. The fact that it did end… That’s a sign in and of itself, isn’t it? Where my priorities lay? All my talk, but I can’t commit. I just want to let go. Let go of the… wanting of it all.”

Alex withdrew his feet from the pool and stood, making his way to the little cart of towels nearby. “For what it’s worth, Ash… I don’t think you’re a hypocrite. And by your own standards, I don’t think you should think that either… I mean, you know you better than I know you of course, I don’t mean to speak for you…”

“No, by all means, Alex.” 

“I just noticed you keep saying “should,” Ash—  ‘should want,’ ‘should miss,’ ‘should do…’ and I just… I don’t know. I don’t think you’re really… listening to yourself. Or something.

“I think you just have… never felt like you really deserved to write again. I mean, you just said it yourself. You feel like you ‘shouldn’t’ want to do it because the universe sent you a sign in the form of Eddie Bloomsbury six years ago that this path supposedly wasn’t for you. 

“I think that’s why you never let yourself commit to it this past year, in the way that you always encouraged me and Elliott and Leah to go after what we wanted. Because in your eyes, the things we want are the things we should want—things we’re good at, things we like. Things that other people appreciate. That’s what you told me once, right?

“I think your… problem… was just that you were… I don’t know, so focused on finding what you thought you were supposed to want, instead of what you actually wanted. I don’t think it’s ever been a question regarding your commitment, Ash. The past six years… I think it’s always been a question regarding what it is you think you deserve.”

Achilles clambered out of the pool—was it his imagination, or was Alex following the line of his bare body as he padded across the tiled floors? 

“How did you make peace with your past, Alex? The shit your dad said to you, how did you learn to move on?”  

Perhaps he shouldn’t have brought up his dad. Although, then again, Alex himself had never shied much from the topic, had never spoken of it with shame or embarrassment. Even now, Achilles studied the faint smile of Alex’s lips, the gentle curve of his neck as he gazed pensively up at the ceiling, taking a minute to gather his thoughts. 

“Time.” Alex gave what looked to be almost an apologetic shrug. “I wish I had a better answer, but honestly, that’s most of it. I mean, I still struggle with it sometimes. Feeling worthless. And stupid. But, you know, I haven’t seen him in like 13 years, and I’ve been lucky enough to surround myself with better people since then. 

“To be honest, I think I’ve actually made a lot of progress just this past year, even. With… you around. Going back to what I was saying earlier, how you’ve… helped me this year. Pushed me. 

“I don’t know, I forget when it was, but there was just one day I was feeling kinda blah. Maybe we were going for a run or swimming or something, but you were just… saying things, and I don’t know. It was kind of eye-opening. Just thought to myself, well if someone I admired so much, whose opinion I really respected, found it worth their time to help me and believe in me and care about me, then why couldn’t I do the same for myself?”

“Do you believe in me?” The words slipped out by accident. A pathetic ask. One bound in longing and a need for affirmation, and in that moment, Achilles wondered if he had truly always yearned for fame and glory or whether it’d just been this right here all along. 

Alex smiled in response, a soft twinkle in his eyes as he tied the laces on his left sneaker, then his right.  “We all do, Ash. Hey, think about Elliott—he’s in your line of work, you always said he was a good writer. He clearly respects you. Admires you. Trusts you to read his stuff. Don’t you think that means something?” 

But Achilles didn’t want to think about Elliott right now. 

I want to hear it from you.

Perhaps there was something in his eyes—a childlike yearning for approval, an obvious desperation for confirmation, for acceptance, for acknowledgment—for Alex’s gaze softened to something more tender as Achilles neared. 

“I believe in you more than anyone, man. And not just because you’re my best friend. But if we’re real, it doesn’t matter what I believe if you don’t listen to me when I say it.” 

The words—or was it the steady way Alex was watching him?— seemed to flood his body with a warmth far surpassing that of the spa’s heated waters. For a moment, his anxieties grew silent, his dissatisfaction dissolved, and he felt at peace. 

This he wasn’t imagining. Alex unrolled a towel from the cart near him, ignored Achilles’ outstretched hands to sweep it over his shoulders himself, clutched him closer, raked his fingers through his wet hair, brushed it out of his eyes —

“Oh thank Yoba you two are still here.”

The charge between them splintered like ice. 

Maru had suddenly arrived, huffing and puffing, her red braids bouncing as she skidded into the spa breathless. “I came to warn you—there’s a storm blowing in. Folks are stocking up, I’d get to Joja asap. They say it’s coming in really fast, and it’s coming in bad.” 

*****

Aware that his ability to handle the cold was significantly worse than the rest of the town’s, an alarmed Achilles quickly changed, ready to race for supplies and beat the storm. 

Alex, on the other hand, was unperturbed as he half-tackled the front doors, tumbling out first to face the fierce winds already beginning to blow. The clouds overhead were thick and dark, thundering between shades of grey and pale gold, but the snowless grounds indicated they had not yet unleashed their fury upon the Valley. 

“Some storm,” he called, rubbing his gloved hands together. He gave an anxious Achilles, who was waiting on the other side of the glass still in the lobby, an encouraging nod, even though Achilles could clearly see the branches of the surrounding pines violently swaying back and forth. “This is nothing, we’ll be fine, come on—you didn’t see this coming, though, weather boy?” 

With a huff, Alex wrenched the door open again, allowing a sweeping wind to blow Achilles near off his feet as he stumbled out into the biting air. 

“Oh fuck me—‘this is nothing,’ my ass—”

“Ah heck, I forgot you’re from, like, desert country—” 

Alex removed his scarf and tied it tightly around a violently shivering Achilles’ still-damp hair. “Why didn’t you bring a hat?” 

“Sorry, m-mom. I’ll do b-b-better next time—” 

“You need a thicker coat, dude.” Only Achilles’ rapidly numbing limbs prevented him from shoving Alex off as the man proceeded to also remove his own puffer jacket and gloves. “No one told you the Winters are a lot colder here than they are in both Monstera and Hyancinthia, huh? Figured you would’ve researched the climate before moving… Now don’t you freeze on me, you weenie, I’ll race you to Joja.” 

*****

Alex, naturally, sped ahead, but an unlucky tumble sent Achilles slipping across the first falls of sludgy snow and careening twenty feet down the mountain. 

“You know, fuck this shit, maybe I really am better off moving back to Hyacinthia,” he grumbled, seizing Alex’s offered hand and clambering up from the icy mud.

“No, it’s too late. You already said no, I’m afraid you’re stuck here for forever, bud.” Alex swiped at the clumps of snow sticking to Achilles’ leg—rather dangerously close to my ass, Achilles thought, somewhat torn between waving him away and letting those hands continue to reach for his pants. What a shame the motion was accompanied by Alex’s high-pitched attempt at a Muppet impression. “Please don’t leave me, Ser Achilles, I couldn’t bare it for even a second.” 

Achilles twisted to both avoid Alex’s artificially wide-eyed plea and to better examine the damage. A clammy, wet streak of mud was now smeared along the back of his thigh. “Fantastic. I look like I just shit myself.” 

With a click of his tongue, Alex straightened back up rather abruptly. “Pretty picture.”

“Almost as pretty as you.” And with an exaggerated wink, Achilles hurtled down the trail back to Pelican Town. 

*****

“You sure you don’t want to stay here the next few days?” Alex yelled over the winds as they heaved bottles of water and canned vegetables into the Mullner household. 

They had had to battle their way through JojaMart. The tourists trapped at Sunspray Peak who had been unable to book a room at the saloon had made the drive down to stockpile for the upcoming days. Shelves were bare and lines were long, but through it all Alex and Achilles had bickered and bantered to pass the time.  

It wasn’t a totally unwelcome offer, hunkering down with the Mullners—the snow was falling thick now, swirling through the open front door as they returned back out to the porch, and Achilles didn’t much fancy the trek home. 

But he shook his head. Never mind the prospect of being snowed in with George—he wasn’t sure how well he’d be able to resist snowbound temptation, anyway, not in his fragile headspace and Alex looking the way he did in that stupid ass old letterman of his. “I couldn’t leave poor Voltaire all alone, no, the poor cat has already suffered enough this season.”

“You sure? You can bring him back here, maybe there’s still time. Dusty won’t mind. I just don’t know if I trust you not to freeze to death.” 

“I’ve got a fireplace.”

“Sure, you’ve got wood?”

“You got me there. Okay. I’ve got a heater. I’ve got two tubs of arugula. What more can a boy need? But thanks for the offer.” 

Achilles knelt to grab the aforementioned two tubs of arugula, along with additional groceries and cat food. Already, visibility was frighteningly low, the snowflakes large and wet as they clumped quickly along the cobblestone paths. 

As he bent down, the tail of Alex’s puffer coat slipped up at the exact moment a speck of snow decided to drift its way down across the exposed strip of his back. The chill was electrifying, and he instinctively jerked up, only to slam his head into something hard—

“Ow! Achilles—”

“Fuck! What the—” 

He stepped dizzyingly backwards to see Alex bent at the waist, cradling his nose. 

“I’m sorry—shit. I’m sorry! Yoba, why’d you bend down—”

“I was trying to help you—”

“I can manage two bags of groceries, Alex—”

“Man, now you’ve done it. I think you’ve broken it.” Alex straightened to dab his nose with the back of his pointer finger and check for blood.

“It’s not broken, it’s not even bleeding—”

“You don’t know that. I could be bleeding internally, that’s even more dangerous they say—”

Achilles couldn’t help but laugh—he leaned against the door frame, doubled over as Alex continued to milk his pain. God, he felt good, but oh, he really ought to head back…

“—and it’s the best part of my face—”

“That’s a joke right? How many women have I had to witness fawn over those green bean eyes of yours—”

“—and in the middle of a snowstorm. Gonna have to walk a whole two minutes to Dr. Harvey now—” 

“Good luck getting that guy to answer his door during off-hours—”

“—why’s your head gotta be so dang hard, huh—”

“If I kiss it will it make you feel better?” 

A beat of silence, then Alex dropped his hand. Shot him a narrow-eyed, rueful look. 

“Maybe.” 

Achilles hadn’t expected an affirmative. Well, semi-affirmative. Then again, he wasn’t sure what he had expected at all. Whatever it was, he’d been prepared to laugh it off and head home, but in that moment, Elliott’s words from the day before crept into his head. 

Can you meet him halfway? 

He leaned forward, arms stiffly at his sides as they each clung to a Joja bag, and for the barest fraction of a second, brushed his lips against Alex’s nose before taking an abrupt step back. 

“That’s all you’ll get from me right now, you can send the hospital bill to my secretary. You stay warm now.” And, refusing to wait around a second longer for Alex’s reaction, Achilles tore down the ramp and sprinted home.  

*****

Oh. 

Oh? 

Alex stood frozen on the porch, watching Achilles hurtle through the already four-inch thick spread of snow. He should’ve let him go sooner—what were you thinking?—the storm was growing worse with every second and it was nearly two miles to Strawberry Farms. Thank goodness for Maru! Without her warning, they’d have really been in trouble… 

Heck, he should’ve offered to help him carry back his groceries, it was already starting to get dark. 

Man, what’s the matter with you? For shame! 

Even after Achilles’ tracks were the only trace of him that remained in sight, Alex continued staring across Pelican Town, a small furrow in his brow, his fingers tracing the bridge of his nose. 

“Shut the door, boy, what are you doing? It’s freezing. Come now, help your grandma set the table…”

With a jump, Alex bolted inside to the kitchen. 

Dinner was a quiet affair. Evelyn had cooked his favorite meal, honey garlic salmon, to celebrate his promotion, but he found he hadn’t much of an appetite. Even George had noticed his lack of chatter, had asked if everything was all right. 

But Alex had only shrugged, smiled wanly. 

“I’m ok! Big day, you know. I’m just tired.” 

As if.

He felt like champagne. 

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