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#i only have ONE interview a day instead of back-to-back half-hour meetings with an entire department!!
fractallogic · 10 months
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FIREFOX WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM LATELY
my dude you can't be making my computer crash when I only have like 20 tabs open. that's rookie shit!
anyway my computer crashed right before the interview ended and too much memory was going ... somewhere ... for me to get R running right and they didn't tell me it was going to be a case study project thing that I'd be doing today instead of just a normal interview and AAAAAA.
maybe tomorrow I can just be fucking normal because oh my god. this is too stressful.
also my desk chair is starting to just. randomly. drop down very slowly. which means that at some point sooner than I want to I'll have to get another one. which SUCKS. but FINE. GOD.
#i still feel okay about this.#mostly after talking to my job coach buddy who was like 'wow this is—no joke—an inappropriate process they're putting you through'#so you know what yeah. he's right. i've had three interviews in three days#and this one was a surprise!! code in front of someone!!!#which if you're not familiar is just the most horrifying experience#NO ONE should have to code in public#it's an activity best done in the privacy of your own home with no one else looking at you#and i think he's right—i should definitely make sure that this isn't the norm for this company#to be EXTRA SUPER INTENSE and chaotic with its employees#but i'm also kind of inclined anyway to just take the job and get a year of experience (or whatever) on my resume#and if it sucks hit da bricks#and if it's like this now because they're a bunch of overexcited nerds with no talent acquisition department and otherwise it's fine#great! so much the better!#i hate that academia is so trash that i'm like 'wait this isn't normal' when someone else is like 'yeah it's not supposed to work like that#because this? well it's not as bad as a campus visit that's for sure!!#i only have ONE interview a day instead of back-to-back half-hour meetings with an entire department!!#and now i get to do things like go to the gym!#instead of say 'okay well there's about two hours left until dinner and i have to chat with the grad students'#or whatever#and say 'omg wow $70K as a junior analyst?!' because that's like a decent base salary for an assistant professor#meanwhile everyone in industry is like wtf why are they making you interview so rapidly like this that is not enough money etc etc#anyway. i'm tired. i think i'll go lift heavy things so at least it feels like there's a reason to be sweating my ass off.
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bellaxgiornata · 3 months
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Falling For the Devil [Part ninety-two: "The Recurring Nightmare"]
Pairing: Matt Murdock x Fem!Reader Word Count: 3.5k
Summary: You wake from a from a nightmare in the middle of the night.
Or You finally confide a growing fear of yours to Matt.
[Series of one-shots about Reader meeting, falling for, and dating Matt Murdock. You can find the entire list of installments here.]
Warnings: 18+ for this series; contains humor, fluff, romance, angst, smut, violence
a/n: I can't believe it took so long for us to get an update, but hopefully y'all enjoy this angsty one. Just a heads up, there is a bit of violent imagery in the beginning scene. Who's up for some Second Angst Arc foreshadowing? Feedback is always appreciated!
Tag List: @ninacotte @mattkinsella @stilldreaming666 @murdocksclient @madscamp02 @1988-fiend @linamarr @pinkratts @schneeflocky @acharliecoxedfan @yarrystyleeza @theetherealbloom @danzer8705 @lionalsowrites @harperdoodle @kmc1989 @lunaticgurly @mattmurdocks6thscaleapartment @pazii @kezibear
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Pinching the bridge of your nose, you squeezed your eyes shut in hopes of blocking out the fluorescent lights that were adding to the pain of your growing headache. Each ding of the elevator as it began to ascend to the top floor of the apartment building only caused the ache to pound harder. 
You'd had a shitty day at the office today working on an article for The Bulletin. You'd spent all afternoon struggling with forming an ending that didn't sound ridiculous and make even you want to gag. And it was all because of Jessica Manning. She'd shown up to work the same story you were, interviewing some of the same people you'd worked hard to get in contact with. On top of that, she had successfully managed to get in your head yet again, making you feel insecure and incompetent when it came to your investigative and writing abilities. 
And of course, as if that wasn't already enough, she'd managed to insult you while making you feel insecure in your relationship with Matt. 
The final ding indicating the elevator had reached the top floor broke through your thoughts and your eyes flew open. Lowering your hand from your nose and back to your side, you stepped off the elevator and began trudging your way down the hallway. As you made your way to the end of it, your hand felt around inside your purse for your keys to the apartment while you tried hard to block out Jessica's voice repeating her insults in your head over and over. Instead, you attempted to picture punching her in the face–as per Katy's suggestion.
Though by the time you'd reached the apartment and fished your keys out of your purse, your stomach was twisting into knots and you felt like crying. It was going to be hard to pretend you were alright when Matt came home from work. And then if you failed at it–which you most likely would with his super senses–he'd find some way to blame himself. Because he always tried to take on all the guilt, blaming himself for your own insecurities when he'd done nothing wrong. 
And that only had you feeling worse. You didn't want to worry Matt. You knew he'd had enough going on with how busy he'd been as Daredevil lately. Your silly little problems didn't even measure up to what he needed to focus on.
No, you'd just have to work on getting over it and getting Jessica's stupid voice out of your head on your own. 
As you slid your key into the lock on the apartment door, you quickly realized the door was already unlocked. For a second you paused, brows knitting together in brief confusion. But then you realized Matt must’ve finished at the office before you had finished at work today. It didn't happen often, but sometimes they had a pretty uneventful day at the firm and Matt would surprise you at home with dinner.
Your stomach twisted tighter into a knot. You thought you'd at least have a half an hour to try to mentally prepare yourself to face him after your encounter with Jessica. But now you'd have to somehow pull yourself together in a matter of seconds so his senses wouldn't pick up on anything. Though truthfully, he'd probably already noticed you and your off mood the moment you'd entered the building with his heightened senses. 
With a heavy sigh, you turned the handle and pushed the door open. You stepped inside, prepared to hear Matt call out and greet you like he usually did whenever you returned home when he was here, but he didn't. Frowning, you turned to shut the door after yourself, wondering where he was–but you stopped when you heard hushed voices.
Eyes narrowing, you tried to focus on the sound coming from down the hall. It sounded like the voices were coming from the living room, but you didn't recognize either of them. Immediately your heart began to beat faster in your chest, your nerves over talking to Matt about your insecurities quickly switching to fear of someone dangerous being inside the apartment.
“...not gonna be causing any problems for us much longer.”
Cautiously you began to make your way down the short entryway hall, walking as quietly as possible on the front part of your feet. You were positive you'd stopped breathing with every step closer that you took towards the voices, your palms beginning to sweat as your hand began to fiddle with your keychain blindly in search of your pepper spray. 
When you finally rounded the corner, you almost dropped your keys entirely. You couldn't completely contain the pained noise that slipped out of your lips at the sight of Matt crumpled in half on one of the dining chairs. The crisp white dress shirt he'd dressed into this morning–the very same one you'd buttoned for him while he flirtatiously teased you in return–was now a rumpled mess stained with bright red spots all over it.
Matt's blood.
“Oh well now, lookie what we have here Mr. Big Shot Vigilante Lawyer!” one of the men called out as he spotted you standing in the entryway. The gun in his hand swung towards you as he continued. “This must be your girl, huh? Guess we're getting two for the price of one today!”
Fear had you frozen to the spot, your eyes shifting from the gun to Matt as his head slowly rose. You audibly gasped at the sight of him, a hand flying up to cover your mouth as tears began to burn at your eyes. His face was battered and bloody, half of it swollen from whatever these men had done to him before you'd shown up. There was blood caked over the entire right side of his face–some dried but most of it glistening bright red in the light. Despite the mess they'd made of his face, you could still see the terror written plain on it as he focused on you across the room.
“Get out!” he warned you, his voice garbled as if his mouth was full of blood. “Go!”
“Matt,” you whispered just loud enough for his ears, shaking your head as the tears began to cloud your vision. “I can't. Can't just leave you.”
His face twisted painfully into a look of sheer despair at your words. 
“What's that she's got in her hand?” the second man called out, taking a step towards you. A loud laugh burst out of him a second later, recognition dawning on his face. He pointed a finger at you as he exclaimed, “She's got pepper spray! Oh, buddy, what's your girl think she's gonna do with pepper spray ?”
You winced as the harsh sound of his laughter once again echoed around the apartment, your hand gripping the canister of pepper spray tighter in your sweaty grasp. Though desperately you wished you had another way to fight them off–an actual weapon, super strength, laser eyes, fucking anything more than the damn pepper spray Matt always insisted you carry. Because what good would it do you right now? You were helpless. Weak. Normal. There was absolutely nothing you could do to save Matt. 
It was that realization which finally had the tears begin to fall.
“That's right, girl,” the first man said, clearly pleased. “Your little superhero ninja boy here can't save you now. He can't even save himself. And there's not a goddamn thing you can do about it.”
“Get outta here!” Matt's slurred voice urged again.
The first man glanced at the second before gesturing his head towards Matt. You stood there still rooted to the spot, scanning the room for anything at all you could use to help him. There was absolutely no way you were about to just turn and run out of here, leaving Matt to surely die at these men's hands. You couldn't possibly do that.
But there wasn't much you could do, either.
In helpless horror you watched as the second man raised the gun in his hand high into the air, moving in what almost felt like slow motion. With a savage force, he swung the butt of it towards Matt's face just as Matt opened his mouth one last time. 
“RUN!” 
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Eyes flying wide open in a panic, you were met with nothing but darkness around you. Breathing hard, you tried to place where you were as your eyes darted frantically around the blackness. Your heart was wildly slamming into your ribcage, pounding so violently you swore you could hear your blood pounding in your own ears. 
It took your brain a moment to realize that you were just laying in bed, your body covered in a slight sheen of cold sweat beneath the silk sheets. The familiar and comforting weight of Matt asleep on the bed beside you registered next, his presence almost instantly calming you. Outside of the bedroom windows you heard the faint hum of the mostly asleep city down below, your eyes gradually adjusting to the bit of light from the obnoxious billboard across the street that still filtered in behind the blackout curtains. 
You'd had a nightmare. The same one you'd been having for two weeks now.
Your hands slipped out from beneath the soft sheets as you carefully tried to sit up, desperately attempting to avoid disturbing Matt. You hadn't wanted to bother him any of the times you'd woken from this dream before, embarrassed that it had kept repeatedly bothering you. 
Raising a hand, you ran it across your damp forehead, still trying to orient yourself in the bedroom. A small, dark shape was curled at the end of the bed–Mittens, fast asleep. Trying to take slow, deep breaths, you continued to focus on the safe, familiar space around you. The sound of Matt's faint exhales nearby, the slight patter of rain hitting the windows, the distant sound of a car horn.
This was real.
Movement beside you on the bed caught your attention, your head turning over your shoulder. You heard the rustling of sheets and a frown settled onto your face. You'd been hoping not to bother him, having somehow managed it every other night that you'd had this dream. Though you figured your luck would eventually run out and you'd be forced to discuss this all with him at some point. Because it was Matt and whenever anything was bothering you, he didn't stop digging until he knew exactly what was on your mind.
“Sweetheart?” his sleep-laden voice called through the darkness. 
Your eyelids lowered, well aware he was going to pick up on everything your body was doing now that he was awake. The panicked and alert tone of his voice when he spoke again only proved you right.
“Sweetheart, is everything alright?” he asked. “What's wrong?”
Matt began to quickly push himself upright on the bed beside you, tossing the sheets off of himself in a rush. You shook your head gently, still trying to calm your body despite your unease at the impending conversation. Even though you hadn't meant to wake him, you figured it was no surprise that he had caught onto your distress even in his sleep with how much of a bodily reaction you'd had to the nightmare this time around. It was more of a surprise that you'd never woken him the other nights, honestly. 
“Everything is fine, Matt,” you assured him, still feeling the rapid beating of your heart pounding in your throat. “I'm fine.”
“Your heart is racing,” he pointed out, placing a gentle, comforting hand on your shoulder. “Your blood pressure is elevated and your body feels like it's in a state of panic. What's going on? Did something happen?”
“I just…had a nightmare,” you awkwardly admitted. “That's all.”
“A nightmare?” he asked, confused.
You sighed, rubbing a hand across your forehead again. “Yeah. I've been having the same one for the past couple of weeks,” you confessed. “Ever since…you came home that night. Injured.”
There was a bit of a pause that followed your admission. The air felt suddenly heavier and colder in the dark.
“How come you've never mentioned the nightmares before?” he questioned carefully.
“Because I didn't want to worry you,” you answered. 
Matt's arm slowly slid its way across your back as he draped it around you. Gradually he drew you into his bare chest and you turned, burying your face into the inviting warmth of his skin. He smelled like sweat and the leather-like material from his Daredevil suit. Your favorite smell.
“What's on your mind, sweetheart?” he whispered, a sadness barely hidden in his tone. “And why haven't you said anything to me?”
You shrugged lightly as his other arm wrapped around you, tugging you into a tight embrace. Eventually your own arms carefully wrapped around his waist, your cheek resting against his chest as you drew yourself in closer to him.
“Because it's stupid,” you muttered. “And you've got enough on your mind.”
“Hey,” Matt said firmly, his arms squeezing you briefly, “nothing that's bothering you is stupid. So why don't you tell me what this nightmare is about?”
The image of Matt battered and beaten, helpless and terrified in one of the dining room chairs, flashed through your mind. Your eyes snapped shut instantly, but the image of him so horribly injured was already seared into your mind. Gritting your teeth together, you turned your face and buried it firmly into Matt's chest. Your fingers dug into the muscles along his back, fearful of that mental image becoming a reality. 
“Sweetheart?” Matt prompted gently. 
Swallowing the lump forming in your throat, you knew you'd have to tell him. He'd only pry harder the more you tried to avoid answering.
“It's always me coming home from a bad day at work,” you began quietly, face still buried into his chest, “before I realize you're home already. Before me. But there's–there's always these two other men here with you.”
You felt Matt immediately stiffen against you, his body going rigid as his arms firmly held you to himself. But he remained silent, waiting for you to continue. 
“They have guns,” you whispered, a tremor in your voice as wetness dampened your closed lashes. “And you're–you're beaten and covered in blood when I show up. Unable to even fight back, not even in your suit. Then you always tell me to run but I–” 
Your words broke off as you shook your head firmly against his chest. The thought of just leaving him there to die, even in your dreams, was too painful to even imagine. Your heart squirmed in your chest at the very idea of it. And the pain and fear written on his face each time he realizes you won’t leave, knowing what that means for you, only has your heart feeling like it's being crushed in your chest even now.
“I can't–I can't just leave you like that,” you choke out. “But there's nothing I can actually do to help, either.” A sob escaped you, briefly cutting you off before your next words fly out in a rush. “Because all I have is a fucking useless can of pepper spray to fend them off with. Nothing more.”
Matt's hands immediately began to rub soothing patterns along your back, his mouth lowering beside your ear. “Hey, shh, it's okay,” he whispered. “It's okay, it was just a bad dream, that's all.”
You shook your head, tears still pouring down your cheeks. “I know, but it still has me scared, Matt,” you whispered. “Scared of something happening.”
Something like a defeated sigh mixed with a pained groan fell out of him, his mouth still beside your ear. You could feel your chest constrict at the terribly sad noise alone. 
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry. This is all because of me. Because I fucked up all those months ago,” he told you, guilt coating his words. “Because I fucked up and your connection to me–to Daredevil–was discovered. And you were hurt because of me. And now–now you’re terrified of it happening again and it’s–” he paused, exhaling a shuddering breath. “It’s all my fault.”
Before you could even react or respond, his hands were frantically on your face, drawing it away from his chest and turning it up towards his. Even in the dark you could tell there were tears in his eyes. You could hear the emotion in the faint quiver of his voice as he pressed on.
“Sweetheart, I’m so sorry I failed you before,” he earnestly apologized. “But I swear to you, I will never let that happen again. No one will ever hurt you. Not again. I won’t let them. So you don’t have to worry about that. Do you understand? I would tear apart this whole city to keep you safe if I had to.”
The tears only spilled faster from your eyes. Not because of the passion and truth you could hear in his words, but because that wasn't it . That wasn't what was bothering you, not fully. Of course you were afraid of ever encountering a situation again where you ended up in danger or injured–or worse–after what had happened to you before, but what was really bothering you was the danger Matt could find himself in. Or rather, the danger he could find himself in and the fact that you were nothing like him. There was nothing special about you that would help you keep him safe in return. 
You were just…you.
Slowly you shook your head, your eyes still focused on what you could make out of his face in the dark. Very minutely, you saw him tilt his head to the side as if in confusion.
“I know you would, Matty,” you whispered. “But that’s not it.”
“What–what do you mean?” he asked, sounding almost nervous. “What do you mean that’s not it?”
Licking your lips, you tried hard not to feel so incredibly foolish for what you were about to admit. A fear that had been steadily growing in your mind over the past few months.
“I mean, I’m afraid of something happening to you, Matt,” you told him. “That you won’t come home to me some night. Or that you’ll find yourself in a situation you can’t get out of. Or someone will break into our apartment and hurt you. Because what could I do? What could I possibly do to help you? I don’t have special abilities and I can’t even fight. I know basic self-defense, Matt.” You grimaced, as you admitted, “I’m useless. Weak.”
“What?” Matt asked in shock. “Sweetheart, no. You’re not useless, not at all. But you don’t need to have any abilities and you don’t need to be able to fight off the bad guys. That isn’t something you ever need to be concerned with.” His hands slid up from where they’d been resting on your back, firmly grasping your shoulders as he lowered his face towards yours. “I don’t want you to be concerned with that. Because I can take care of myself. It’s not your responsibility to look after me or protect me, alright? I’ll be fine.”
You shook your head, tears still stinging at your eyes. “You can’t promise that, Matt.”
“Okay, no, you’re right,” he amended. “I can’t exactly promise that, but you know I will always do everything in my power to make it back home to you every night. You know I’ve stopped pushing myself too hard and too far because I love you. Because I don’t want you to worry about me. So you don’t need to worry. I know my limits.”
Matt wrapped his arms around your shoulders again, pulling you back into himself in a crushingly tight embrace. You sniffled, once again burying your face back into his bare skin in search of comfort as your fingers dug into his back, holding him tight. Matt’s lips placed a handful of kisses onto the top of your head before he buried his face into your hair.
“It’s my job to look out for you, not the other way around,” he whispered. “Okay? Leave the worrying of that to me.”
Eyes falling closed, you tried hard to fight the tears threatening to spill forth once again. Instead, you tried to focus on the comforting scent of him, your teeth biting into your lower lip to keep it from trembling. 
“Okay,” you breathed out.
“Okay,” he replied, relief in his tone. “Okay, good. Because I’ll keep us both safe. Alright?”
Biting down harder on your bottom lip, all you could manage was a nod in response. But as Matt cradled you in his arms, your own wrapped around him in a desperate vice, you could still see that image of him battered and bloodied in your mind. It lingered there, haunting you.
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wosowrites · 9 months
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Moose (Jessie Fleming x Reader)
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warnings: none
prompt: in which the reader and jessie play for chelsea and before they leave for the world cup reader makes jessie a crochet moose which becomes the team mascot for canada.
a/n: based off this request here also a super short fic because i’m still broken.
You were not at all a crafty person. Jessie had grown up with a craft room in her house and she liked to paint, draw, and do artsy things to calm herself down like her mother had taught her. When you started dating a year into her contract at Chelsea, her calmness had rubbed off on you. You had always been a stressed out person and moving in with Jessie had made you into a much more relaxed and happy human. You would go on bike rides, hikes, make crafts, paint the house every time you got bored of it and do everything together.
However the only thing you started doing on your own was crocheting. Jessie had tried it but was never big on it, so all the spare yarn in the house went to you. You loved it. You were horrific at it however. Everything turned into little colourful blobs and your creations were constantly either too loose or too messy. That’s why, when you walked into the house one day and pulled out a beautifully crocheted moose with a Canada jersey on, Jessie was baffled.
For the past three weeks, you would escape to a café every day and crochet for about an hour before going back to your girlfriend. Jessie was not a worried person and as madly in love as you both were with each other, spending a small amount of time away from each other every day just made you closer. Some days you would tell her you were grocery shopping, other days it was a meeting with your agent, a hang out with one of your German teammates.
But today, Moose was finally done.
You finished him a week and a half before the departure of the World Cup and you were in Canada with Jessie and her family. It would make it harder to travel all the way back to Germany and then to Australia but you didn’t care. All you wanted was to be girlfriends instead of rivals for as long as possible.
At the dinner table that night, you picked up your glass and straightened up.
"Um, I’m not big on words as you guys have seen by now but I wanna say a couple words," you said.
Jessie’s entire family put down their cutlery and looked up at you. "I’m terrified for this World Cup. Like… horrified. It’s been four years since I’ve played a major tournament so far from you, Jess. The olympics are in one city so we can visit but in Australia… we’re constantly going to be flying around. So… I made Moose," you said.
From under the table, you grabbed a bag and pulled out the knit animal. He had a red and white swear and big old antlers. Jessie’s mouth fell open and a large smile cracked her freckled face. "I’ve been making him for weeks, and he has like… five half knit siblings that went wrong if you want them," Jessie laughed loudly and extended her hand to take the crocheted animal. "Baby… it’s perfect oh my god," she said, smiling down at the animal. "Klara taught me how to make him. That’s why I was always out for an hour or so these past weeks," You said.
Jessie hugged the plushy to her chest and then put it beside her plate. The brunette stood up and walked to behind your chair, wrapping her arms around your neck and squeezing you.
Elysse took a quick picture as Jessie’s parents raved over your new talent.
Over the next couple weeks, Jessie was seen carrying Moose during press, in the bus, around the city, at training, everywhere. She always had Moose. And if she didn’t, she had entrusted Christine Sabrina, or anyone else on the clamer side to take care of the little mascot.
After Canadas 2-1 win over Ireland, Jessie was interviewed and eventually, the subject of Moose came up.
"Is that a moose?" the woman asked, looking down at the plushie tucked under Jessie’s arm. The camera followed the reporters eyes and then went back up to the Canadian. "Yeah it is," she laughed shyly, holding up the mascot. "Is there a story benne that? I mean it’s been showing up everywhere. "There is, yeah. My… uh my girlfriend made it for me. She’s at the world cup and her friend taught her how to make it for me. We won’t be seeing each other for a while depending on how the games go so she said she wanted me to have a piece of her. It’s cute, and I didn’t think she was this artsy so it caught me by surprise for sure," Jessie said, shyly and gently.
The reporter awed over Jessie’s story but the midfielders brain was just full of images of you. She missed you so much.
That night, she called you and the whole Canadian team joined the call behind the vice- captain, thanking you for the mascot.
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ravixen · 8 months
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hello! i just read you svt forgetting about date thread and its so good! Would like to request for the remaining members reactions if possible 🥹 thank you!!!! 🫶🏻🫶🏻
svt + forgetting your date (pt 3)
➔ reaction || requested
➔ warnings: none || 0.9k words ➔ notes: general, fluff ; yep! excited to get this series completed and out of the way. if you liked the reactions, please reblog :) for any new followers, please make sure to read my pinned post.
SEUNGCHEOL: he often jokes that money can solve the world's biggest problems, and for the most part, it's true...when the problem is jeonghan's desire for fancy items. but when the problem is him not showing up to a date that he planned? he doesn't think expensive gifts will placate you, especially when he wakes up to missed calls and text messages that quickly go from confused to annoyed. he's in the middle of typing an excuse when you call one more time, and he answers with a sheepish laugh of your name. "um, I can be on the way in like 10, 15 minutes? it doesn't take me long to get ready." he's already rolling out of bed and pulling clothes out of the closet, but you sigh into the phone and that stops him in his tracks. "we've already missed the train," you say, and with a start, he realizes just how late he is. "even if you somehow make it here within the hour and we catch the next one, the lines will probably be too long. wouldn't be worth it." oh, this sucks. he's the one who got you all excited about a first-come, first-serve festival a few hours away, and he didn't deliver. "let's get breakfast and come up with a new plan then. we can't go there, but we have all day to do whatever you want."
SOONYOUNG: his ambition, an attractive trait on its own, comes with the tendency to over-estimate his capabilities. for example: when he got drunk during lee youngji's show and immediately headed to practice after. at the time, you watched the video of his tipsy dancing with an amused smile. his work ethic was admirable...and kind of funny in a way. now? you don't think it's very funny at all. you tap your foot as you stare at your text thread, where two hours ago he said that work was wrapping up and that he had time to freshen up before coming to your date. well, he's late. right when you were about to text him for an update, he calls you. "hey!" there's a muffled crash and a mumbled swear before his voice is back. "I'm so, so sorry. the shoot ended, but they asked for a short interview and I thought we had time. and we did! but I think I fell asleep and forgot to set an alarm and—" he huffs, zipping something up. "I can make it there in twenty minutes!" you check the time, frowning. "with traffic, it's probably closer to half an hour. why don't we re-schedule, soonyoung? I'll just go home." "no, but you cleared your schedule for today! why don't we meet up somewhere halfway, hm? I want to see you at least."
WONWOO: he's a runner (he's a track star), and he uses those long legs to book it down the street, trying his best to ignore the judgmental glances of passing strangers. faintly, he can make out your figure in front of the restaurant, your phone in hand as you scroll. when he skids to a stop in front of you, you don't look impressed, but that's better than looking angry, he supposes. he doubles over with his hands on his knees, taking gasping breaths and spitting out excuses for his lateness. the only thing you say in return is, "they gave up our dinner reservation," which makes his heart sink because you made the reservation months ago. with how popular it is, he had to bring out the celebrity card, and even then, he barely got on the list. "do you want to try the place across the street?" he offers his hand and a weak smile that you only glance at. "and spend the entire time knowing that we could've been over here instead? no, thanks." you show him your screen. "let's go here." it's closer to the apartment, thus in the direction he just came from, but he'd take driving back over you giving him the cold shoulder all night.
JIHOON: "you stood me up," you say when he finally picks up the phone. and then you laugh and tell him that it's not a big deal—it's just a maplestory date, after all—but he hears the disappointment in your voice and he knows that it was more than simply meeting up in a silly video game. it was about making time for each other for the first time in forever, about being on call for as long as you can, about laughing as you watch him fall off the platform for the nth time in a row. it was about the fact that he made a promise and broke it for such a stupid reason. he looks at the time. "when are you planning to sleep?" he asks, already opening the game launcher and sliding on his headphones. "I don't have anything tomorrow. why?" he hums. "let's go farm those rare items you wanted." it must've been the right thing to say because you gasp, "really? it's going to be such a waste of time, though...are you sure?" of course he's sure. being with you, regardless of what you're doing, is rarely a waste of time. plus you were venting the other day about how no one wanted to help you farm. "load up. I'm waiting."
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emeritusemeritus · 2 months
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Hello!! If it isn't too much to ask, could you make a Fred fic with reader on her period? Mine are absolutely excruciating, especially in the first two days, to the point of crying on the floor and stuff :(( it's totally okay if you don't want to, I just like to imagine Fred trying his hardest to pamper his s/o (and probably freak out a bit because honestly, periods are a nightmare men will never understand). Have a nice day ♡
Anon, it would be my pleasure! I’m so sorry you’re suffering, I had an endo flare up last week that nearly sent me to A&E so you have my full sympathy. You know that feeling when you could destroy the world and everyone in it but then your period starts and you realise that it’s been that all along? 🖤
Warnings: mentions of periods, menstural cycle, PMS, blood, pain. Best friend George, Fred is a sweetheart.
Words: 3.4k
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You'd had a really terrible day, a horrible, never-ending bore of a day, at least in your mind. It started from the very second you woke up, alone in bed without Fred beside you. You'd slept through your first alarm and had nearly been late for an interview you'd had scheduled for months within the Department of Mysteries. You'd taken the visitors entrance to the Ministry to acquire your required visitors badge and had been held up by some Muggle incident that had rendered London at a near standstill.
The interview, thankfully, had gone well but you couldn't help but fixate on the discomfort you felt in yourself the entire time. Your clothes felt uncomfortable and restrictive and you felt bloated to the point that it was showing through your clothes.
You'd had plans to meet with Arthur after your interview for a cuppa and a catch-up at the small cafeteria whilst he took his break, something you'd been looking forward to all week. You made your way back down to Level two where the department of magical law enforcement was and walked through the mini atrium until you located the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts office, only to be informed by Perkins that Arthur was running a tad late, caught up with something that required his immediate attention. Though this was far from unfamiliar, your temper had flared and you had barely managed to contain it, choosing instead to silently seethe as you waited in one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs near the main desk. You weren't mad at Arthur by any means, you don't think you'd even been mad at him, but having to stay in uncomfortable clothing and wait when you were already having a bad day was just irritating you further and further as time dragged on, not helped by the incessant ticking from the muggle cuckoo clock on the wall that was driving you mad.
Arthur finally emerged twenty minutes later, apologising profusely as he grabbed his coat and ushered you back into the lift, a bright smile on his face as he began asking you about how your interview went and how his son was. You'd spent a nice half an hour together having a cup of tea and a freshly made slice of cake, something he was keeping a secret from Molly, but as you parted and made your way out of the Ministry to travel home, your mood had almost immediately soured again.
The street was still busier than usual, the noise of people shouting and car horns honking were essentially non stop and you couldn't wait to get home and relax away from the chaos. You had to stop by the shop on the way home for some ingredients for dinner that night and found upon entering the shop that they were completely out of what you needed. You huffed out a breath, feeling yourself getting worked up again and tried desperately to think of alternative ideas to work with what you already had at home but your mind was foggy and unable to concentrate, coming up with nothing. You felt like crying, stood in the middle of a crowed aisle in the muggle supermarket, feeling utterly pathetic. You cursed under your breath and moved away from the aisle towards the exit when you passed the small bakery counter, the sight alone of the small chocolate fudge cake on display enough to make you pause. Without hesitation you bought the cake and walked straight to the checkout, feeling defeat at not getting what was needed for dinner but at the same time, feeling a little victory at acquiring the chocolate cake you were so looking forward to.
You were exhausted by the time you opened the door to the apartment, cursing Fred in your mind for placing the anti-apparition jinx upon the store and the flat above and for not fixing the floo function on the fireplace which had forced you to manually travel into central London and back and then walk up four flights of stairs in your business heels. You were in a foul mood, tired and ready to snap from the day filled with complications and irritations.
You walked into the kitchen to place the cake on the side after kicking off your heels and saw a load of dirty pots piled up in the sink and a mess made on nearly every surface of the countertop, clearly from one of the twins on their lunch break.
You let out an aggrieved groan and slammed down the bag containing the cake on the small kitchen table, huffing and cursing under your breath as you chucked down your wand and walked immediately into the bedroom in a huff.
You rolled your eyes seeing the wardrobe doors open and the bed covers strewn everywhere from your rush this morning and groaned again, now in disdain for your own actions. You walked off once again, now annoyed at yourself and stepped into the thankfully rather tidy bathroom. You started the shower, wanting to wash the entire day away and get out of your uncomfortable clothes immediately which you happily threw onto the bathroom floor without a single care.
The shower helped, feeling a little cleansed by the water and familiar scents of your shower gel, though it didn't remove your bad mood entirely; thoughts of the messy kitchen and lack of dinner ingredients were still playing on your mind only winding you up more. You stepped out of the shower, wrapped in a big fluffy towel and walked into the bedroom to put your comfy clothes on, a big T-shirt that used to belong to Fred and your black joggers, aiming for ultimate comfort. You hadn't heard from George or Fred today except for the nice note they'd left on the fridge door wishing you luck for your interview, though it wasn't unusual, the shop was always busy.
You walked to the kitchen, completely ignoring the mess and pits that were not yours to clean and made yourself a cup of tea, almost crying as you looked at the slither of milk left in the fridge. It was enough for one cup of tea but nothing more and you cursed yourself again for not thinking of grabbing milk whilst you were at the shop.
You sat down in the living room with your cup of tea, wet hair thrown up in a lazy bun and had just pulled open the book you were currently reading when Fred burst through the apartment door.
"Ooh there's my princess, how did your interview go?" He says loudly, bombarding you instantly with a kiss to the head and throwing himself down onto the sofa beside you. You closed your eyes in annoyance, just wanting to relax and on the cusp of being able to before he interrupted.
"It was fine," you replied with a shrug, really not feeling up to explaining your day just now. "They said I'd receive an owl by the end of the week."
"Know you'll get it princess, always have been the smart one," he says, apparently thinking nothing of your rather clipped reply.
"Anyway, we're taking you to dinner tonight to celebrate," he says in a sing-song manner, stretching out on the sofa to put his feet up on the coffee table.
"But I haven't gotten the job," you countered, placing down your book, casting one last sad glance at the cover.
"Yet," he replies, stretching out and pulling open his tie just a fraction, eyes closed with a smirk tugging at his lips.
Any other day you'd have jumped at the chance to go out for a meal with your loved ones but upon looking at your comfy yet completely inappropriate outfit to go out in, your face fell. You'd have to put actual clothes back on, do your hair again and reapply your makeup that you'd just scrubbed off in the shower. You couldn't be bothered, at all. You wanted to sit and read with your cup of tea, switch off your brain and eat your weight in chocolate cake. But then you remembered that you had no solid idea or complete ingredient list for any viable meal and maybe going out would be the only way of eating that night.
You felt another wave of annoyance come over you as you considered having to get all done up again. Couldn't they have warned you? Left a note or something so that you didn't shower the minute you got in? You knew you were diverting into unreasonable territory as they were just trying to do something nice but you couldn't help it, you'd rather vomit slugs than have to get ready all over again and out of your comfort clothes.
"Anyway, best get back or George'll curse my eyebrows off, 7pm gorgeous, wear something sexy," he says, straightening his toe as he wiggles his eyebrows at you before leaning down to press a kiss to your lips, "proud of you sweetheart." And then he's gone and you're left reeling.
Wear something sexy? Who the bloody hell was he to request that? Your boyfriend of years, but still.
You looked down at your outfit again and felt a ridiculous but prominent sense of loss, wanting to stay bundled up forever. You check the clock on the wall and feel aggravated once again as you see that it's nearly 5:50pm and you'd have to start getting ready. You begrudgingly dragged yourself into the bedroom and sat at your little table, staring into the mirror and felt no motivation or desire to get ready, looking at the drawers in front of you but not actually wanting to open them.
That's how George found you a little before 7 as he slipped away from the shop, seeing you sitting at your makeup table in tears. He rushed in as soon as he saw your tears and crouched down to try and comfort you, eagerly listening though it must have been hard for him as the crying was affecting your voice and all that came out were a few unintelligible whines.
"I just don't want to," you say with a hiccup, wiping away your fear from your cheek. You didn't think it would actually get this bad but your curls hadn't gone right, the hairbrush you found was not your favourite and sometimes pulled your hair a little as it brushed through and nothing at all would make you look sexy tonight with your bloating. You didn't want to wear uncomfortable heels again, nor walk anywhere in them and by the time you'd gotten to take a sip of your tea, it was cold.
"Shh, it's alright," George says soothingly trying to calm you. He placed his hand on your shoulder but quickly removed it as he saw your little glance at it. It wasn't that you didn't want to be touched per se, but his touch very heavy on your already uncomfortable body. "We don't have to go, it was only an idea."
You sniffled miserably and looked at your best friend, wiping away the tears. "But we don't have anything for tea, they didn't have any-."
"Then we'll order in, get something delivered or we'll nip out and bring something back," he says, not quite interrupting you but just enough to make you stop spiralling. You nodded meekly, feeling utterly pathetic again. "Right, I'll go tell Fred we're staying in, then we'll close up and order something okay? Do you want me to make you a cup of tea?"
You'd seen his eyes flicker to your still full mug and frown as he entered, figuring it was something that had set you off. You shook your head, already feeling like he'd done too much for you.
"Okay, we'll be back as soon as we can," he squeezes your shoulder and walks out.
You looked at yourself in the mirror, makeup sparingly applied but messed up thanks to your tears and your hair curled but not how you wanted it and sighed, feeling overwhelmed with guilt at shooting down your boyfriend and his brother. They'd only tried to do something nice and you'd completely spoiled it, too selfish and caught up in your own feelings that you'd been unreasonable and unkind. You considered wiping the makeup off your face but thought better of it but you reach for a big scrunchie and tie your hair back into a high ponytail, making you feel a little better.
You threw back on your comfy clothes and trudged into the kitchen, retrieving your wand to cast a few spells that had the kitchen cleared in no time. You poured away your cold tea and put the kettle back on, still seeking the comfort as you had before.
The twins closed up the shop in record time and Fred pulled you into the bedroom with him as he undressed, slipping out of his suit and into his own loungewear.
"Princess you should have said," he says gently, reaching for you, his hand cradling your face as he looks into your eyes, "I didn't mean to pressure you."
"No it's not you, I've just been off all day, everything's irritating me and I just want to switch off," you explained, hearing the remorse in your voice.
"Then relax you shall," he says with a smirk, "kiss first though?" His cheeky smile extends to his eyes and you catch his gaze flicker at your lips. You eagerly reach up on your tiptoes to place a sweet kiss onto his lips and you pull away smiling, feeling like it's the first time you'd properly smiled all day.
George ordered food for you all before hopping in the shower and arrived back in the living room wearing his comfiest pyjamas, pulling you into him for a hug as Fred fired up your favourite muggle movie on the TV, also joining you on the large sofa.
It was pitch black when you woke up, your eyes struggling to focus as you came around, confused as to what had woken you up. You could hear Fred breathing deeply and evenly, sound asleep. You looked at the little alarm clock beside the bed, lifting your head up from the place between the pillow and Fred's shoulder where your head rested and saw that it was 2:34am. As your consciousness begins to clear, you frown, feeling a soreness in your abdomen that you couldn't place, feeling as if you needed the toilet but without the urge to go.
You extracted yourself from your boyfriend's side, which never proved to be an easy feat, and walked to the bathroom, dragging your tired body along. You turned on the light and quickly shut the door to stop the light from disturbing your sleeping boyfriend and sat down on the toilet, turning the tap on out of habit. You pulled down your sleep shorts and underwear and immediately understood why you had an ache in your stomach, and why you'd been out of sorts all day.
Your period.
Every month without fail, the moment you discover your period had started, the pain heightens at least ten notches. You winced as you wiped, kicking off your underwear and shorts that were soiled and dragged yourself into the shower. For the second time, you sighed as you entered the shower, your body screaming at you out of exhaustion as you rinsed yourself off. You grabbed a towel and raced into the bedroom to grab a pair of panties from the dresser and ran back into the bathroom to sort your pad out. You then slipped on some new pyjamas and dragged yourself back to the bed, illuminating your wand to check that nothing had gotten onto the sheets, or worse on your boyfriend sleeping beside you. Luckily, it hadn't.
You suddenly didn't feel tired anymore, body wired from your lukewarm shower. You walked to the kitchen, padding through the flat on barefoot and flicked the kettle on, searching through the cupboard above for a jar of hot chocolate you kept in.
You grabbed your hot drink and flicked on a lamp before you pulled a black cushion from the side of the sofa to sit on, not wanting anymore accidents to happen. You didn't turn on the TV right away but instead chose to sit in the partially illuminated room and try and wind down. You couldn't get comfy at all, wiggling your hips to try and ease the ache between them, feeling like your lower abdomen was being constricted from the inside, shooting pains going down your leg and an uncomfortable pressure in your bum. You could sob with the pain, wanting to curl up in a ball and cry but you couldn't, I'm too much pain to even try and move, your entire energy being consumed by simply existing right now.
Your periods had always been bad, starting just before your third year at Hogwarts and though through time they had evened out a little, they were still unpredictable at best and monstrous at worst. You shifted your hips again, trying to relieve the tension you felt and groaned quietly, wishing that you'd filled up your hot water bottle before sitting down.
Medicine in the wizarding world was spectacularly different from the muggle word though a little less advanced as the wizarding community came with added complications such as diseases and ailments that muggles would never know existed. Witches and Wizards often didn't react well to normal muggle remedies nor pharmaceuticals, something you'd learned at Hogwarts from Madame Pomfrey, something about the magical ability burning through modern pharmaceuticals at a rapid rate, rendering them ineffective.
You placed your mug on your stomach to try and gain some heat from it and rested your head back on the sofa, breathing deeply and trying to calm yourself so that you could go back to bed. Feeling yourself getting sleepy, you placed down your mug and pulled a soft blanket over you, trying to get comfy as you settled into the soft material of the plush sofa.
"Princess?" You heard a quiet voice call out, your eyes on the verge of closing. You opened them just a little, sensing Fred's presence behind you and you twisted in position to look at him, wincing as a bolt of pain shot through your groan at the motion.
"What are you doing out here? George snoring too loud again?" You smiled appreciatively for the joke and reached out for him with grabby hands, needing some comfort. He wordlessly slipped in beside you on the sofa and immediately wrapped you around him, blankets and all as he kept you bundled up. You reached for his large hand, feeling the absurd heat he always radiated under your fingers and placed his hand onto your tummy. The heat from his hand spread over your skin instantly and you could feel it penetrating deeper and deeper, soothing your pain.
"That time?" He asks delicately and you nod into his chest, your eyes still heavy as you breathed in the familiar, comforting smell of Fred. "Want your water bottle?" You paused, considering it but slowly shook you head.
"Not right now, got you," you mumbled into his chest, his warmth and presence soothing you further into sleep. You felt him chuckle, chest rumbling with the vibration and he reach down to press a kiss to the top of your head.
"Out of ten?" He asks, keeping his hand placed delicately on your belly.
"Eight at least," you groan, your eyes closing as your toes twitch out of the intensity of the pain.
"Oookay, what can I do?" He asks, clearly a little freaked out by the high level of pain you admitted, knowing that it really must have been bad as you always had a high pain threshold.
"Just sit with me," you say, feeling depleted.
"Wanna go to bed or are you happy here?" He says after a few minutes. The heat from his hand has begun to feel redundant, your skin now the same temperature as his.
"Water bottle first?" You asked innocently, hopeful that he'd accommodate you. He presses another kiss to your head and tells you he'll bring it in before shoo'ing you into the bedroom where you sink down into the soft sheets, finally feeling comforted enough to close your eyes.
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prompt: hiding an illness
whumpee: gereon rath
fandom: gereon rath mysteries/babylon berlin
hi what's up here's the slightly delayed start to my month-ish of writing for my bthb card! only note on this fic is it's mostly based on the books but can be fit in the context of the show pretty easily. i hope you like it!
Gereon Rath wakes up on a chilly, overcast Tuesday morning with a pounding headache, a throat that feels scraped raw, and a general feeling of complete exhaustion. The exhaustion is fairly normal - he never gets enough sleep - but the headache and sore throat are not. Today is going to be a long day. 
As soon as he climbs out from beneath the covers, he begins to shiver. The floor feels unbearably cold beneath his bare feet and his head spins with the change in position. 
For a brief second, as he’s struggling to button his collar, Gereon thinks about calling off. But Gennat is already not entirely pleased with his progress on his current investigation, and Gereon just knows that if he slips up one more time, all his hard work will have been for nothing and control of the investigation will pass to Böhm. He’d rather get some work done but feel a little miserable than spend the day languishing and worrying over whether he’ll still be in charge of his own investigation come tomorrow. 
He makes up his mind to go to work and act like everything is completely normal. As if in reaction to this decision, a sudden tickle works its way into his throat, forcing him to cough. It’s harsh and painful, making his eyes water. He blinks hard, takes a deep, aching breath, and heads for the stairs. 
The drive to the Castle is a barrage of sound and light that pulses through his already-aching head until he can barely focus on the street in front of him. By some miracle, he and his car arrive at work unharmed, and he walks through the front doors with what he hopes is a perfectly neutral look on his face. 
He steps through the door to A Division a few minutes before the morning meeting begins, and his ears are immediately assaulted by some kind of shouting match taking place between Henning and Czerwinski. He winces at the noise and resists the temptation to cover his ears, instead making a beeline for his office in the hopes of getting at least a minute or two of relative quiet. 
He doesn’t bother to turn on the light, as that’s just about the last thing his aching head needs. He simply sinks down into his chair and pillows his head on his arms, feeling a bead of sweat roll down his face even as he shivers and pulls his overcoat tighter around his body. 
He’s absolutely miserable and the day hasn’t even officially begun. Tears of frustration prick at the backs of his eyes as he thinks about the long hours of work ahead of him, but he refuses to let them fall. He’ll be fine. He has to be. 
He gives himself just a couple of minutes sitting there in the dark and breathing deeply before he forces himself to his feet. His head spins. He ignores it and steels himself for the noisy atmosphere that always accompanies morning meetings. 
Gereon is among the last of the division to take a seat. He winds up directly across from Böhm, who glares at him. Despite his misery, Gereon feels a gleam of satisfaction - he knows Böhm wants this case, and there is no way he will let the bulldog have it. He’ll push through. He’ll be fine.
He half-listens as other members of the squad discuss updates to their own investigations, but is sure to pay enough attention so that when the Buddha calls on him to report, he’s ready. 
He talks about the progress they’d made yesterday - not much, admittedly, though there may be something involving a butcher’s shop - and outlines today’s objectives. This includes visiting said butcher’s shop, as well as interviewing six possible witnesses, all of whom had yesterday claimed to have no knowledge of the murder that had taken place directly outside their windows. 
Gereon finishes speaking and subtly reaches up to rub his pained throat. Meanwhile, Gennat nods in satisfaction, and shortly thereafter, the meeting breaks up. Gereon steels himself to work and gathers his team: Henning and Czerwinski, who have evidently come to an agreement regarding the contents of their earlier argument, and Gräf. 
“We’ll visit the butcher first. Henning and Czerwinski, you’ll go with me. Gräf, I need you to set up for the witness interviews. We shouldn’t be long.”
They split up and Gereon leads the way outside, tensing his muscles in an effort to stop himself from visibly shivering in the unbearably cold air. He supposes it must work, or else Plisch and Plum are completely unobservant this morning (which is entirely possible), because neither of them comments on it. 
The drive to the butcher’s is mercifully short, and Gereon, slightly invigorated from the morning’s activity, focuses on the road with a clearer head than before. 
Their visit’s purpose is twofold: it’s possible that the shop was used as an escape route for their killer, and it’s also possible the owner heard something the night of the murder, though he had not been forthcoming with what exactly this was when he’d called the station. Gereon determines that Henning and Czerwinski will handle investigating the possibility of the former, while he himself will ask the owner about the latter. 
They walk through the door and are immediately assaulted with the smell of raw meat. It makes Gereon nauseous. He doesn’t even want to breathe. But breathing shallowly, he quickly discovers, makes him feel both like he is about to start coughing and like he is about to pass out. He decides he can deal with a little nausea in exchange for the other two things not happening. 
The three men set to work. Gereon and the butcher sit on two rickety chairs in a cramped office that somehow smells more strongly of meat than the front of the shop. 
“What do you have to tell us?” he asks, his voice slightly hoarse, so that he’s forced to cough to clear it up. Pain shoots up his throat, and he almost misses the butcher’s answer. 
“I wasn’t sure if I should say anything. I mean to say, I didn’t want to get into any trouble with whoever it was. But I swear I heard footsteps in the shop after closing. I think I heard a man whisper something about a wall, and there might have been a response, but I can’t be sure. And when I went to check, I knew that someone had been here. They took some of my sausages.”
Gereon has to think about his next question, which usually would have passed his lips instinctively. “Did you see anything else?”
The man closes his eyes, evidently deep in thought. “There was a mark on the wall, like someone had scuffed a boot against it. Maybe there was dirt on the floor, too, but I would have swept it away - I do still have customers, you know.”
Gereon nods. His head throbs. He swallows against a particularly strong wave of nausea and can’t quite stop himself from wincing at the sharp pain that winds its way down his throat. 
“Can I see the mark?” he asks, after an awkwardly long period of silence.
“Of course.”
The butcher gets up and goes to the door that joins the office to the rest of the shop. Gereon stands to follow him, and a wave of intense dizziness washes over him. He nearly sinks back onto the chair, but manages to stay on his feet. 
After a second, he begins to walk towards the open door, which suddenly seems impossibly far away. Black spots dance in his vision and his legs shake underneath him and everything hurts and he’s cold and dizzy and nauseous and sick and he should have stayed at home, he’d gladly give the case over to Böhm now if it’d mean being anywhere but here, he can’t do this, he can’t -
He catches himself on the door jamb, blinks long and slow at the scene of Henning and Czerwinski excitedly talking and gesturing with the butcher, and then his legs disappear from underneath him and suddenly he’s on the ground. 
The next thing he’s aware of is someone tapping his face insistently. He forces his eyes open and stares up at the blurred faces of Henning and Czerwinski and the butcher, in various states of concern. 
“What happened?” Czerwinski asks. 
“He’s really warm,” Henning replies, turning his head around to look at his friend. He turns back to Gereon as he asks, “what’s wrong with you?”
Gereon’s tongue feels like lead in his mouth. He shivers and tries to think up a suitable excuse. “I’m okay,” he mumbles, eventually. 
“You have a fever.”
At this proclamation, the butcher backs away from him, muttering something about customers. Henning and Czerwinski remain where they are, and Henning reaches down and pulls Gereon into a sitting position with a good deal more force and speed than is strictly necessary. 
For a second, Gereon’s vision whites out. His ears start to ring and he shuts his eyes and tries to breathe through the dizziness. He cannot remember the last time he felt so sick. He just wants to go home. 
After a moment, he realizes that Henning and Czerwinski are talking above him. He catches words but not their meaning. He’d like to curl in on himself and fall asleep, but Henning’s arms are trapping him. At least they’re warm, though Gereon himself is still freezing. 
“Okay?” he hears, all of a sudden, the first word he’s actually able to parse. He isn’t sure who or what the word is referring to, but he thinks it might be him. For lack of a better option, he very slowly, very slightly, nods. 
He isn’t sure what he expected. All of a sudden he’s being pulled to his feet and he nearly passes out again and as soon as his legs take on weight they’re shaking and he can feel himself starting to lose the battle with the tears building behind his eyes but he won’t - he can’t - not in front of his subordinates. Not in front of anyone at all. 
Henning and Czerwinski all but drag him to the car. Gereon is shoved almost gently into the backseat. The engine starts. Dimly, he wonders when Henning had gotten hold of his keys. 
He leans his head against the cold window as they pull away from the shop, staring without really seeing as his breath fogs up the glass. 
“Where do you live?” comes Czerwinski’s voice from the passenger seat. 
Gereon mumbles his address without thinking about it. He wants water. His throat feels like it is full of sand. 
The drive passes torturously slowly. He hears Henning and Czerwinski quietly bickering, and under that, the sounds of traffic. He closes his eyes and wishes he could fall asleep. 
Eventually, the car stops. Gereon opens his eyes and realizes that they are stopped in front of his apartment building. He vaguely recalls having given Czerwinski the address. He’s home. The thought of his own bed is nearly enough to finally make him cry. So too is the thought of being left completely alone, although he is quite well used to it. 
“I’ll go in on my own,” he says, when Henning tries to help him get out of the car. Despite his current state, he does have authority, and Henning listens. 
“Feel better,” he says, quite sincerely, if awkwardly. 
Gereon sort of nods, and then he’s alone. He walks very slowly and carefully into the building, staring at the ground the whole time. 
He takes the elevator up to his floor, ignoring the operator because he simply cannot find it in himself to speak. He’ll have to apologize later, he thinks. For the time being, he simply gives the man the same half-nod he’d given Henning before stepping off the elevator and onto his floor. 
His hand shakes as he inserts the key into the lock. It rattles as he struggles to turn it, and then the door opens, though he hadn’t fully turned the key. 
For a second he simply stares at her, uncomprehending. Charly isn’t supposed to be back from Hamburg until tomorrow morning. And yet she’s here, in his apartment, with a smile on her face that rapidly turns into an expression that is half shock, half worry. 
She tugs him inside when he finds that his legs won’t move. The door closes behind them, horribly loud in the relative silence. 
“What’s wrong?”
He looks at her and tries to come up with a suitable answer. He opens his mouth to say something, but a harsh cough tears its way through him before he can get a single word out. 
The cough leaves him with tears in his eyes, and this time, he isn’t able to fight them off. He just - breaks. He starts to cry, all of the misery and pain and absolute exhaustion overwhelming in their intensity. 
Charly surges forwards and wraps gentle arms around him, pulling his head down to rest on her shoulder. 
“You’re burning up,” she says softly. “Are you ill?”
He nods against her shoulder, too worn out to be ashamed of admitting the truth, of wanting this comfort. 
“Come on.”
Charly pulls him by the hand down the hall and into the bedroom. Her hand is shockingly cold against his own, but it’s comforting, too. 
He lies down atop the covers and immediately closes his eyes, which are still dripping tears down his face. He has not been this tired in a long time. Nor has he been so cared for. He feels Charly pull a blanket over him, feels her remove his shoes, feels her cold hand on his forehead and in his hair. 
“Get some sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
Gereon tugs the blanket tighter around himself and at last falls asleep.
thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed!
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pbandjesse · 2 years
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I shouldn't have been so stressed about today because it was honestly excellent. Besides being entirely to hot, it was a really good day.
I slept okay last night. I am still having issues with blankets and pillows and being uncomfy but it was fine. And when I woke up I actually felt pretty good.
James was laying on the pile of extra pillows and blankets on the floor. So I got to see their sweet face first thing. And I got washed up and dressed and they made a big fuss about how cute I looked and that made me feel very good. I had lots of confidence going into the day.
I got breakfast and had a good drive out to camp. I was feeling a little anxious still. But it ended up being totally fine. I got there at 930 and went up to the art building to deal with anything people left for me. Except they didn't leave me anything and I felt really annoyed. Just selfish behavior continues.
But I got some bug spray and a few thing so had left behind. And then went down to find out what was up. I knew I was doing ground elements but I wanted some answers about what the group was and ages and stuff.
I went and found Elizabeth and we chatted. The group is an organization that makes 10 year commitments to kids in underserved communities and pairs them with an adult mentor and it seems like a really great program.
I went to set up my stuff. I was already to hot but I was doing my best. I drank lots of water today. And tried to stay out of direct sun for the most part.
We were supposed to start at 11. So I had some time. I went and ate my breakfast sandwich. Walked around. Said hello to the groups adults that were there setting up and putting up cute decorations. Buddy the dog, the cleaning lady's dog, was wandering around and he's such a good boy. Oldest and chunkiest dog. He will push you over if you don't pet him.
We were supposed to meet at the feild at 11. I needed to go get a walkie. So I headed over there. Only to get word that there was a change of plans. And the bus was still not here. So we were on stand by.
I was asked if I wanted to sort the lost and found and I was like. Yes please. So I started working on that. And I was having the best time. I folded all the clothes and towels. Sorted all the objects. It was a great time honestly. I had my podcast on. I was sorting and feeling good.
But the group would come eventually. And it was decided they would become 3 groups instead of 4 and we would push the programs back until after lunch. So I had time to waste until 115.
I had my little lunch. And watched some videos. Chatted with Heather about my fall plans. With my interview tomorrow and the wedding coming up! And just some art idea I'm kicking around. Like printmaking with Legos dots. And she was very supportive and that was really nice.
I went up to the art building to chill there. My hammocks we're up obviously, but I chilled at the picnic tables. I was going to sit in my car but it was in the sun and got to hot. Ah well.
Finally I got to go with my groups. I with with Dachelle as a co but she would mostly be running around helping make sure the other groups were good. And that was fine with me.
I honestly think this was my best go at ground elements and low ropes. I would only end up having two classes and the first one has a little trouble because a few people didn't want to participate. But the second group was so fun. And we had lots of laughs and excitement.
We would start each program with a team activity called 'kings fingers' where they have to move a tire, that has 6 12 ft ropes tied to it, and get it over three wooden stakes that are different heights. After they completed that we went to whale watcher. Where they would balance as a group on a giant seesaw. The first groups longest time was 35 seconds, and the second group got 1 minute and 8 seconds! Amazing. Apparently though at camp this year a group of 8 year olds balanced for a half hour. Which is absolutely wild.
After that we did the low ropes. Which I probably broke some rules but we had spotters and everyone got across and for real it was my favorite part. I love walking across the right rope and I also like showing off how to do a little rope climbing. Using those circus skills a little bit.
Finally we would go over to the tipis feild and do the a frame walkers. Where someone stands on a wooden A frame and then there are 6 ropes that the group uses to hold them up and help walk down the field. And they struggled but they worked hard and were able to get it done. And they were all super excited that they were going swimming after that.
I walked them towards their cabins, because they are staying two nights, and then went to the office to check in. I chatted with the group about how camp is and their program. They are really nice! I hope they are having fun out there tonight.
At the office I got a snack and decided to go sit at the pool with the group. Watched them struggle to try to pass the swim test. Only 3 people did!! Which is wild. I just laid on the pool deck with my legs in the water and that was really nice.
I didn't know what's else to do with myself so I just chilled at the pool. My next program should have been at 5. But right before that Heather texted that they were canceling the evening program. And that we would still get paid but could go home early.
Excellent. Don't have to tell me twice. Well you do because I went to confirm with Elizabeth and then with Heather. But I was still excited to get out of there. I said goodbye to everyone and went up to my car.
I texted James and then called them. I decided to stop at target tonight so I wouldn't have to go tomorrow.
Target kind of stressed me out though. I was very sun tired despite my work to stay out of the direct sun. I got each of the new Halloween keychains from the dollar spot and I love them all. I put the ghost one in our car hanging from the mirror. And then I was able to find the Legos I wanted for my printing idea. I did not find any cake like James asked me to bring home. But that's alright.
I was a little overheated and frustrated. But I would get home in one piece. Even if I had to drive directly into the sun. I hate driving at that time of day.
But it ended up being perfect because as I was parking Mr Will was there!! I haven't seen him in forever. We chatted and he walked me inside. Asked if he was invited to our wedding. And of course now he is. Because I love Mr Will and I didn't think he was interested but he was like. Of course I am. So now he has an invitation. And also is going to come over tomorrow to fix our counters that broke. Love Mr Will.
And Brandon was here when I came home. Always fun to have people. Brandon was so sweet though and was encouraging my printmaking idea. And he was asking James about our honeymoon plans. And when he heard we were going to possibly fly to our first destination he said his wedding gift to us is paying for our flights there and back. Blown away by the kindness there. Thank you Brandon.
And then I was working on this print making idea. I will for sure need a lot more Lego dots but so far it absolutely works. I think the link will be the resetting and cleaning between participants but I think that will be okay. I am going to look into more dots for prices but I am really excited to try more and get this down as a real project.
James and Brandon watched a movie while I had dinner and did some of my knitting. My hands don't hurt as much tonight. But I lost steam and didn't want to do it anymore after one row. I'll get caught up soon.
I got cleaned up and have been chilling with Sweetp since then. Brandon left a little while ago. And me and James are in bed. I am ready to sleep.
Tomorrow I want to do a lot of art. And I have my zoom internet at 1. I am a little nervous but this very much feels like if I get it I get it. It won't be heartbreaking. I have a lot going on right now, lots of things in the works. And it just feels good to be moving forward after a long summer.
I hope you all have a great night sleep. Take care of yourself. Goodnight!!
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yournameoneverypage · 3 years
Text
When You're Ready
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Reader request: Shawn Mendes x (y/n). "Shawn is on tour and invites the reader to the show so he can ask her to be his girlfriend and he sings When You're Ready, but Camila shows up and the reader is convinced that it's for C and not for her."
Word Count: ~3.7
Notes: Mostly fluff with brief moments of angst, and a smut ending.
Warnings: NSFW
~ * ~
(Y/n) stood at baggage claim at LAX, waiting for her blush-colored suitcase to roll by on the carousel. She was going to be in California for almost a week. Why? Well, her best friend was Shawn Mendes and he was currently on tour. He was missing her something fierce, he had said, and he wanted her to come see him.
Shawn had two sold out shows, consecutive nights, at the Staples Center followed by a show in San Francisco three days later, so why not make a week of it? His idea, but the second he mentioned it she was on board. She’d figure it out, find a way to make it work.
Any time she got to spend with him was both treasured and torturous. But she would go through the pain and heartache over and over again if it meant nearly a week with her most favorite person.
See, the thing was, (y/n) had been in love with Shawn for nearly as long as she had known him.
~ * ~
After retrieving her bag, (y/n) went in search of her driver. Shawn had said he or she would be holding a sign with her name on it. Shawn had a few interviews to do that morning, so (y/n) would be taken to his hotel to wait for him to finish, and then they’d have the entire afternoon and evening to spend together.
Aside from the aforementioned interviews, this was a day off for Shawn and he wanted to make the most of it because the Staples Center shows were the following two nights, and there wouldn’t be much down time during the days with soundchecks, meet and greets, and Q&As before showtime. Fortunately they would have more time to spend together between LA and San Francisco.
(Y/n) located her driver, who smiled brightly and introduced himself as John. He took her bag and engaged her in friendly chatter as he led her toward an idling Range Rover.
Who left a vehicle like this idling curbside at the airport?
John opened the rear passenger door for her with a knowing grin. (Y/n) started to climb in before she even noticed him.
“Shawn!” She almost tipped over into his lap reaching across the seat to hug him.
“Surprise, babe!” he chuckled into her ear.
“You’re here!”
“I’m sorry I didn’t collect you myself, but as much as I love my fans, I didn’t want to get stuck here for a half an hour taking selfies.”
“I thought you were in interviews all morning.”
“I was. I was hoping to come with John to pick you up, but I honestly didn’t know how long all the interviews were going to take so I didn’t want you to be disappointed if I said I would be here but then wasn’t.”
He was always so thoughtful; it was one of the many, many things (y/n) loved about him. She linked her hand with his between them, squeezed, and smiled. “I missed you.”
With a grin, he leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Missed you, too. So much. I’m so happy you’re here,” he breathed.
~ * ~
The day flew by way too quickly.
Once Shawn got (y/n) checked in and settled at the hotel, in a room that adjoined his, they grabbed lunch at one of Shawn’s favorite places.
It was (y/n)’s first ever visit to Los Angeles. Shawn had asked her if there were any specific things that were on her must do/see list, and he’d take care of everything.
They visited the Griffith Observatory, and strolled down the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
(Y/n) thought, and Shawn agreed, that too much attention might be drawn to them if he was spotted along Venice Beach or the Santa Monica Pier, as he had already been approached a few times during their activities earlier in the day. (Y/n) had been understanding and supportive of him spending a few minutes chatting with his fans and taking photos. She actually took a few of the photos herself.
Another day, he promised.
Instead, they spent a good part of the late afternoon and early evening at the Getty Center Museum.
They had dinner in Little Tokyo, followed by drinks at a tiki bar. Only one for (y/n) because she was a lightweight and tiki drinks were known to be quite strong. Shawn stopped after two, as he had a full day the next day and didn’t want to risk waking up with a hangover.
Back at the hotel, freshly showered, in pajamas, and in Shawn’s room, stretched out on his king-sized bed, Shawn and (y/n) ordered something from room service to share.
Even though they had chosen a movie to watch, they were too busy talking and laughing to pay much attention to the television.
~ * ~
Staples Center, Day One, had (y/n) immersed in the thick of things with Shawn, his band, and his crew. She knew only a few of them and was introduced to many more. Her laminated pass was the same as what everyone else had, giving her access to anything and anywhere she wished.
She soaked up as much as possible.
Shawn didn’t always attend soundcheck with his band, but for (y/n) he definitely wanted to be there so she could fully experience it. She stayed backstage, chatting with Shawn’s people while he did his meet and greet photos. She sat in on his Q&A session but stayed unobtrusively toward the back of the room. She could talk to him whenever she wanted; this was his fans’ time with him.
The concert was unbelievable, as (y/n) knew it would be. Shawn always left his heart and gratitude on stage.
That night they were in (y/n)’s room, she on one of the doubles, Shawn in the other. He was still a little high on adrenaline, asking her how she enjoyed the day, and especially how she enjoyed the show.
She knew it wouldn’t be long before he completely crashed out. When he did, he was still in her room.
~ * ~
Staples Center, Day Two, was much the same, although they started the day with Shawn dragging (y/n) to the gym to work out with him. They also skipped soundcheck to get lost together in the backstage corridors.
The closer it came to showtime, the more anxious Shawn seemed to get. He had a different vibe about him than he had the night before.
While eating dinner, (y/n) asked him if everything was alright. He assured her everything was amazing; it just felt like something big was about to happen and he hoped it would turn out to be a good kind of big.
~ * ~
Again, the show was absolutely incredible, although after the song he normally ended with, before acknowledging his band and going into the encore, he tried to quiet the deafening audience with a finger pressed against his lips.
Of course, it was futile. He just laughed, somewhat nervously, and said, “This song is for someone very special to me. Someone who is here tonight. I want her to know how I feel about her...”
That seemed to get everyone’s attention.
Shawn found (y/n) in the audience, met her eyes, and smiled adoringly.
Maybe I had too many drinks But that's just what I needed I hope that you don't think that what I'm saying sounds conceited When I look across the room, and you're staring right back at me Like somebody told a joke and we're the only ones laughin'
(Y/n)’s heart started thumping. He couldn’t be singing this for her, could he...? He had never expressed any interest in her as more than a friend. Had he?
Don't know why I tried 'Cause ain't nobody like you Familiar disappointment every single time I do Every single night my arms are not around you My mind's still wrapped around you
A couple of girls beside (y/n) bent their heads together and pointed to something or someone standing to the side of the stage. Shawn seemed to notice, as she had, and looked toward the side stage.
She followed his line of vision to see Camila standing there, beaming brightly. She put her fingertips to her lips and blew him a big kiss.
(Y/n) didn’t notice, over the dizzying blood rush in her head, that Shawn seemed to stumble a little through the chorus.
Baby, tell me when you're ready I'm waitin' Baby, any time you're ready I'm waitin'
Even ten years from now If you haven't found somebody I promise, I'll be around Tell me when you're ready I'm waitin'
He glanced once more toward Camila, but just as quickly his smile settled again in (y/n)’s direction. His voice steadied and grew stronger.
What if my dad is right When he says that you're the one No, I can't even argue I won't even fight him on it Call you when it's late And I know that you're in bed 'Cause I'm three hours back Seems like you're always six ahead
(Y/n) smiled back, although it seemed more reflexive than genuine, as her heart was currently crumbling to pieces. She tried her hardest to be happy for her best friend and the woman he was currently confessing his feelings for, on stage, in front of everyone.
Don't know why I tried 'Cause ain't nobody like you Familiar disappointment every single time I do Every single night my arms are not around you My mind's still wrapped around you
Baby, tell me when you're ready I'm waitin' Baby, any time you're ready I'm waitin'
Even ten years from now If you haven't found somebody I promise, I'll be around Tell me when you're ready I'm waitin', yeah
And if I have to, I'll wait forever Say the word and I'll change my plans Yeah, you know that we fit together I know your heart like the back of my hand...
Before the song ended, overwhelmed, unable to continue her façade, (y/n) had slipped from the crowd and backstage.
She wasn’t sure where to go once she was backstage. She was fighting back tears, so her vision was blurry, but she didn’t want to stop to ask anyone how to get out of the venue because they might ask why she was crying and then it would all turn into one big mess.
A voice from behind her asked, “You’re Shawn’s friend, right? Are you looking for his dressing room?” Was she? Would she be able to face him after his encore and bows?
“Yes, please,” she found herself answering.
“End of the corridor, turn right, first door on the left.”
(Y/n) nodded her thanks and began to follow the directions she was given. She wasn’t sure if it would be the first or last place anyone would be looking for her.
~ * ~
Shawn burst into his dressing room, out of breath from the end of his show and running around looking for (y/n). Incredibly relieved to see her, he gasped, “Are you okay? What happened?? You just disappeared!”
“I’m sorry. I just needed a few minutes.”
“In the middle of the most important song of the night?”
Her voice cracked. “I said I was sorry.” And she was. She should have stayed till the end. “I was caught off guard.”
“Oh no, babe. Shit! I’m sorry, (y/n). I overwhelmed you, didn’t I? I shouldn’t have made it so public. It should have been a private conversation. Forgive me?” he whispered.
“Of course. You’re my best friend and I’m happy for you,” she smiled softly, truly. And she was. His happiness meant more to her than anything else. It was just going to take some time to refortify her heart. “I wish you and Camila the best.”
“Camila?” Little wrinkles formed between his eyebrows. “What are you talking about?”
“What do you mean, what am I talking about?” she puffed.
Suddenly Shawn started laughing.
(Y/n) placed her hands in the center of his chest and pushed him away, unamused.
He caught her wrists and pulled her to him. “I wasn’t singing that song for her.” He placed her hands over his heart and covered them with his own. “I was singing it for you, my beautiful, clueless, wonderful, precious love.”
“What?” she exhaled.
“I finished singing and looked for your eyes, only to find you gone.”
“I don’t understand,” she whispered.
“I was going to ask you to be my girlfriend. Not Camila. You, (y/n). In front of the entire Staples Center audience. Why did you think I wanted Camila?”
“You kept looking at her side stage.”
“I glanced at her twice,” he contended, lightheartedly. “I was surprised. I didn’t expect her to be here tonight. It’s true that she recently told me she has deeper feelings for me-”
“And you have always had feelings for her.”
“I had feelings for her. Past tense. Before I met you. Are you really arguing with me about how I feel about you?” he smirked.
“But you didn’t sing that song last night, when Camila wasn’t here.”
“You are!” he laughed again.
“Stop laughing!” she exclaimed, unable to stop herself from giggling, her heart blooming with hope. She then whispered, “Did you really mean it?”
“Oh, darling...
“If I had professed my feelings last night and you had turned me down, I don’t think I would have been able to get through tonight. Telling you tonight, when there were three days before San Francisco, would have either given us time to disappear together for a few days, or would have given me time to sort myself out if you didn’t want me the way I want you.
“Please tell me you want me.”
(Y/n) wanted to scream, yes, I want you!, but instead she teased, trying to keep a straight face, “I don’t know. Any boyfriend of mine has to be a good kisser. Are you a good kisser?”
“I am a fantastic kisser,” he grinned. He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and slid his hand to the nape of her neck.
“Prove it.”
His other hand circled her waist, fell against the small of her back. He leaned in, watched her eyelids flutter, then close, and gently guided her lips to his.
She had imagined this moment for so long but it was much more than she had ever expected. Thousands of thoughts were forced away to make room for one single idea. How could one kiss cause the world to fall away around her?
“Shawn,” she said, breathless, easing away.
“Still proving it,” he murmured. He softly licked at the seam of her lips, and when she responded he deepened their kiss. Her heart was pounding, and she was warm from head to toe. She felt his tongue meet hers and her entire body began to hum.
Their knees were weak when their lips separated.
Shawn touched his nose to hers. “Well...?”
“I will be more than happy to kiss you all night long, but only after you take a shower,” she giggled.
~ * ~
(Y/n) knocked on the adjoining door. She didn’t wait for a response before letting herself through.
Shawn was leaning against the dresser, partly sitting on it, phone to his ear, wearing nothing but baggy, cotton pajama pants. His chest and feet were bare. By his side of the conversation, (y/n) grasped that they were talking about the plan for the days leading up to San Francisco.
He held his hand out to her in invitation. His legs fell open and she automatically moved into the V they made. He ended his call, set his cell aside, and placed his large hands on her hips.
“So, about what you said... Something about kissing me all night long?”
She moved even closer to him. One of her hands curled around the back of his neck, the other tangled in his still damp curls. The roughened pads of his thumbs caressed the bare, soft skin just above the waistband of her pajama shorts.
She kissed him, tenderly at first, and then with growing intensity. He gently bit her top lip, sucked it, her teeth tugged on his lower lip. His kiss was determined and sent her head spinning. She began to tremble as she clung to him.
Shawn’s lips slowed and softened; he eased away and breathed, “I’ve already waited so long; we can take our time.” He slid his hands further up (y/n)’s sides, under her shirt. “We don’t have to rush into anything. I can wait for you.” She felt his thumbs brush either side of her breasts.
She started trailing tiny kisses from his chin up along his jawline before touching the tip of her tongue to the lobe of his ear. “I don’t want to wait,” she purred.
“Oh, thank God,” he groaned before again pressing hungry lips to hers.
She responded without hesitation.
Her hands trailed down his chest and to his sides, her fingers playing over the ripples of his stomach. She brushed her knuckles against the start of his arousal and his breath hitched, cupped him through thin cotton.
He arched his pelvis against the heat of her palm and she heard a low, rumbling moan from the back of his throat. He tangled a hand in her hair, tugged gently. He bit down on the skin of her clavicle, sucked, soothed it with his tongue.
She pulled away from his mouth. “Shawn!” she scolded, playfully, chuckled, “You’re going to leave a mark!”
“Good. Show everyone you’re mine. Mark you everywhere. But this,” he smirked, kissing the already purpling bloom, “will be the only one people can see.”
“Fuck,” she sighed. His claim on her made a shiver trickle up her spine.
“If you insist,” he grinned, smugly.
Feeling bold and sexy, she hooked a fingertip in the waistband of his pajama bottoms and starting walking backward. He stood to his full height and followed.
(Y/n) felt the backs of her legs hit the mattress. With fluid movement, she slid her shorts down, stepped out of them, and pulled her camisole up and over her head. She stood before him in small lace panties, breasts bare, nipples tight.
The way he looked upon her made her blood thrum, her body flush. He licked his lips, bit softly on the fuller, lower one.
His hand reached out and cupped one of her breasts. He gently tugged at her nipple, rolling it between his thumb and forefinger. Instinctively, her hand slipped between her legs, at her core, and she rubbed herself through the damp lace. His nostrils flared when he caught the scent of her arousal. He whimpered, her name falling like a prayer from his lips.
“I wanna see you,” (y/n) purred.
Obeying, oh so eagerly, Shawn pushed his pants down, over his ass, off, his cock bouncing free, filling, curling up toward his stomach right before her eyes. He wrapped thumb and forefinger around the base, his other fingers pressed flush against his scrotum.
“Been thinking about me like this?” he hummed.
Yes. God, yes. Maybe one day she would tell him just how much. It was her turn to lick her lips and bite the lower one.
They fell together onto the bed in a tangle of limbs and with a crash of lips. When they separated to catch their breath, (y/n) reached over to turn off the bedside lamp.
“Nuh-uh, Sugar,” Shawn rasped. “Waited too long for this.” Voice rough with desire he sang softly, “I wanna love you with the lights on, keep you up all night long... Darling, I wanna see every inch of you, I get lost in the way you move...”
She might have giggled if her panties weren’t being drawn down over her hips, if calloused fingertips hadn’t begun to dance along soft, hot, electrified skin, lips and tongue following.
He took a dusky, peaked nipple into his mouth. Her back arched, hands grasping at the sheets at her sides, and moaned softly. He sucked her other nipple into his mouth, tasting, humming.
“Shawn,” she whined, moving a hand to tangle it in his dark curls, tugging him away from her breasts.
“Tell me what you want, Love.”
“I want you. I need you,” she pleaded.
“What was that?”
“Fuck me, Shawn.”
“Mm... Since you asked so sweetly,” he smirked, stroking his cock. He rolled on a condom and moved to rest between her legs.
She reached between them, taking him in her hand, and he shuddered. She wanted to feel the moment he slid into her. He let her guide him. Their eyes met and held, bodies drew together, foreheads touched. She groaned with deep satisfaction into his mouth as she adjusted to his girth and length.
He wheezed, stilled as he bottomed out. She was so tight around him that if he began to move in that moment it would be over too soon.
“You okay there, Mendes?” she purred and imperceptibly tightened her legs around his waist.
“Oh God.” That tiny shift was almost too much. “You feel so good. Too good,” he mumbled. “I need a minute.” His arms on either side of her, holding his weight above her, he buried his lips in the crook of her neck, centered on the scent of her skin as he salvaged control.
One hand again tangled in in his hair, the other stroked the skin of his upper back.
“Okayokay,” he mumbled, and he began to rock into her, slow... rhythmic... deep.
She gasped when the pebbled nubs of her breasts brushed against his taut nipples. Her whimpers and groans mingled with his rumbles and moans. She was torn between closing her eyes and wanting to watch his face as warmth and pleasure coursed through her.
He wanted her to climax before him. Wanted to watch her fall apart beneath him.
He knew she was nearly there when she began to ripple on the bed like a wave on the sea. The tide came all the way up; he was caught in the rush. And then the knot at the root of his cock dissolved in fire and he was falling fast, craving the feel of her so close to him, unsure where he ended and she began.
( FIN )
~ * ~
@theregoesmyherojd @benito-mi-vida @shawn-is-my-giant-jellybean @mendesblurb
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starshipsofstarlord · 3 years
Text
Rush Hour
Pairing | Sebastian Stan x reader
Summary | whilst on the way to an interview, you and Sebastian are stuck in traffic. There seems to be only one way to pass the time that comes to mind.
Warnings | smut, fingering, teasing, slight voeyurism I guess (on the phone?)
QUICK LINK TO MY MASTERLIST IF YOU WANT TO READ MORE OF MY CRAP 😬
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It was stressful, viewing how parades of cars, lined up in their designated sections filled the large road. It appeared as none of them were going to start moving for a while, and it made you bite your lip in frustration. Out of all days, it had to be this very one, when you had to assign your presence within a specific slot of time.
You and Sebastian had even left early, as insurance that you would arrive at your destination on time, but now, you had severe doubts that you would. And those doubts, within the past few minutes, had became incredible high. It looked as though there was no chance of escaping this frozen parade for the current and important time being. 
Even the simplicity of looking out the window made you slightly mad, you had places to be, as you assumed many other people that were under the same predicament were too, but for the meanwhile, you weren’t going anywhere. The lines of vehicles were stuck in some kind of limbo, stricken by the same thundering of karma at once.
Your significant other was behind the wheel, tapping his long fingers upon the round gear, causing your attention to divert up to his talented digits. As you studied them and their smooth exterior, an idea rendered in your fuming mind, and so, to put it into action, you slyly placed one of your own hands to rest upon his upper thigh.
Sebastian, instead of waving off the affection, smiled at it, thinking that it was nothing more than a tender instinct to also calm him down. The bet was, his agent would have his ass for showing up late, well aware that they had been the one to arrange this press in order to promote the latest of your shared projects.
However, he had not expected in this bustling, and public surrounding moment that you would creep your grip up higher, and so he tensed as you did just that. But he chose to allow you to continue for now, his front deep digging solely into his lower lip to express some of the tension that he was under whilst stuck in the car.
It was impossible to predict how long the pair of you would be stuck in the moving box, and it seemed that you had configured a way in your mind to pass it. One that had lead to your fingers dancing over his trousers, and making him groan lightly in anticipation.
His cobalt eyes snapped towards you though as you removed your hand. To put it simply, you were teasing him, riling him up in the constricted amount of space. It relented you no escape from him, nor his uptake in revenge. And as you shrouded under his gaze against the inside of the passenger side door, you gulped.
Perhaps, you thought, you should have just kept your hands to yourself. And then, you would not have been stuck in this predicament of being cursed with his winter glare; it made you feel like melting ice cowering into the level below. For a second, you wished the controls of the radio volume had the ability to reverse time, so that you could correct your mistake.
The feeling of his hands abandoning the wheel, considering that the car was not going to be continuing moving on the road for a while, and drifting towards the bottom seam of your skirt had you inhaling as much air as your lungs would allow. It would not be the first instance of which he put his earnest skin upon yours in public, but with all around being still on one spot, a part of you worried sincerely of a noticed fan grabbing their phone with their clammy hands, and recording the interaction.
And if done, the interval, whilst stuck in one, would be painted sourly over the entire internet. There would be an assortment of clashing reviews; some lustful and imagining what it would be like to be trapped in the car with you two, and others shaming of your indecency. And to say the magazines and online articles would have a field day, well, that would be an understatement.
Seb drifted his feather light touch up higher, brushing just above the border that labelled the end of your outfit. Instead of say anything that compromised his mission, you settled back into your seat, sinking your head into the designed rest, and opened your legs a little, permitting him no resistance to do as he pleased; all because, you wanted the satisfaction and fulfilment of the adult acts too.
Your teeth sank into your bottom lip, squashing it beneath the carnivorous bone, as his hands danced elegantly around beneath the complimentary fabric. He toyed with you, by stroking his fingers over the thin material of your underwear, expertly putting pressure down upon your covered bud, confiscating a breathy whine out of your closed mouth. “You’re already wet.” A damn smirk coveted itself upon his healthy lips, your eyes flickering between the seductive sight, and that hidden beneath your clothes.
“Do something.” It wasn’t an order on your part; it was a sensual beg, in other terms, your sexual starvation put into words. The air from your lungs was practically ripped away as your partner delved his explorative fingers into the privacy of your garments, the pads of his delirium causing fingers heading straight towards your swollen and puffy clit.
With no hesitancy, you head rolled sideways to rest against the window, your breath frosting carelessly against the glass. Instead of caring about what was being viewed from the outside of the car, you focused on what could be seen from within the space of the front two seats. And so, you pushed up your skirt, giving the pair of you an explicit image of his hand roaming beneath the divider that kept your crotch from the barren air.
“Like this?” Sebastian taunted, sinking a finger into your sopping hole, causing your eyelashes to flutter at the sensation. A furrow worried his face however, even as he stayed still, not moving his digit, all due to the ringing of his phone. Using his free hand, he picked up the device, bringing it to his ear. “Hello?”
As he began to converse, he slowly paced his finger in and out of you, the thought of him finger fucking you whilst on the phone making you that much wetter. “No, me and y/n are going to be late, there’s traffic.” You assumed that he was speaking to his agent, and as you mewled, he left you empty, bringing his finger to his mouth to clean.
“I don’t know how long it’s going to be until the road clears.” Seb sighed, after removing his slick coated digit from his mouth, pouring a little spit onto it, and bringing it down to rest on you clit. Shuffling, you leant back as far as the seat belt allowed you to have both of your feet to be perched on the end of the passenger side, knees tucked up your body willing to take whatever he would so much as give to you.
“Seb.” At the sound of his voice falling so erotically from his lips, a crease formed between his eyebrows, and so, as punishment for interfering with the static of his phone, he pinched your clit, and to cease the audible response, you bit into the palm of your hand, leaving indents of your teeth begins.
“I can’t make it go any faster.” You were not sure whether he was speaking to you or his agent. But it didn’t matter, not as he began to roll your clit between his fingers, paying the button ample attention, that had your head going all fuzzy and thoughtless.
“As much as I wish I could clear up this whole parade of stuck cars, I can’t.” He deliberately shook his head, purposely looking away from where he was playing with you to keep focused on the phone call, despite still rubbing tight circles around your bud. “She’s fine, in fact, she’s fallen asleep. Y/n will be all rested and content if we get there.”
Rested was a word that you were opting against, but if you were going to be privileged with being made content, then who were you to argue with him? So you remained silent, biting onto anything that could silence you, to keep yourself satisfied and ensuring that he would keep some truth behind his words. “See what you can do, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
With little to no reluctance, he dropped his phone onto his lap, it meeting and causing some friction against his semi. But the awakening in his trousers was not his priority, instead it was the slick that was collecting so wholesomely on his fingers, acting as a natural lubrication to continue his round administrations.
“Sebby.” This time, instead of trying to silence you, the man marked you with a pleasant grin, only to apply more pressure behind his movements. It was a wicked deed, but you had no mind to it as it served no bother; instead, you were rather pleased that he was to be giving in on his pardoning.
“You going to cum for me darling?” His words were almost taunting, you could feel a flush of heat cascade up your neck and all around your body. And all from clitoral stimulation, this man certainly knew what he was doing. “Cum on my fingers baby, make them all nice and wet.”
Plunging your teeth once more into your bottom lip, you groaned, shutting your eyes and breathing steadily throughout your nostrils. And with that, you shattered underneath him, your shoulders twinging from the spasming aftershocks that riddled your body senseless.
“Would you look at that, the cars are slowly beginning move.” You needn’t have even needed to open your y/e/c eyes to know that there was an amused smirk contouring his features; that man sure could get cocky sometimes, and half of those happened to be in public.
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poptod · 3 years
Text
Cyber Security (Elliot Alderson)
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Description: An online ad leads him to you, though in reality he has little interest in your ad. What interests him is how you accidentally doxxed yourself and how oblivious you are to that fact.
Notes: idrk what to say about this one its one of those things that i wrote at midnight after almost falling asleep to a fantasy and then realizing it could work as a fic. like i did this same thing with ‘close your eyes’ that one was also a before-bed-to-get-to-sleep fantasy. this is also not a particularly romantic interaction, though it can be read as such WC: 2.2k
+
Sweat drenched his sheets, bathing him in the cold wind that breezed past his only air conditioner lodged in a nearby window. He stared blankly upwards, half shivering and half overheated, as he once again found himself in a familiar predicament—the practice of sleep.
It was no secret he had trouble calming himself down, and that aspect of himself reached into the evening, as well. He already downed three melatonin pills hours earlier, along with smoking a joint that should’ve put him to bed. Unsurprisingly, that did not work.
“Xanax,” he mumbled to himself, hearing it bounce back from empty walls. “Need to get xanax.”
In the meantime he raised himself to his feet, padding across freezing floors to his computer. With a click of a button the white screen buzzed to life, shining bright onto his sleep-heavy eyes, that did their best to acclimatize to the sudden change.
Hypnotization—strange as it might’ve been—had worked a couple times before. Not all the time, but decently enough to give it a try. He had work in the morning and he didn’t need to be more miserable than usual, especially since he hadn’t slept almost the entire weekend.
sleep hypnosis
The blinker flickered for a moment before his fourth finger slammed down on enter, the last step in calculated movements. What popped up first was a video titled [ SLEEP HYPNOSIS ] 8 Hour Loop with a screencap of a spinning black and white screen. Below that, however, was something he hadn’t seen before—a YouTube video titled exactly what he’d typed, lacking the caps just as he had. The title screen appeared to be some sort of poorly-drawn painting.
Curiosity overcame his hazy, aching head, and he clicked, finding a playlist of videos containing what could be the titles of songs, along with several different poorly-drawn title screens.
The first video began to play before he could realize it. What he first noticed was it was bereft of ads—that meant the publisher made no money off the album.
Sat in the presence of God
whose name means filthy old fraud
Captions had been manually added by, he assumed, you. The author. There were three views on the video, no comments, and no likes, leaving few other options.
Maybe it was the melody—maybe the lyrics, who talked of a world plagued by aristocrats. But he found his eyelids heavy, dropping dark eyelashes in his vision that blurred the screen. By the third song, reciting verses of an Islamic poem, he was slouched in his seat.
He slid down to the floor, crawling his way back to flop onto his bed. The music continued to play till the first ad popped up, at which time he opened his eyes, seeing a music video from Katy Perry, at which time he promptly reached over and unplugged his computer. He wasn’t sure which cord he pulled out, but the screen still went black. With that, he just barely sneaked into his covers, dozing until the morning.
It was far too easy to get information on you. Your full name was stated clearly in your youtube bio, alongside several different social media tags leading to instagram, tumblr, and facebook.
Facebook alone provided him the means to your address, and he didn’t even have to go looking for it. Your most recent post was an ad, searching for someone good with computers to aid you in your recording process, which you noted as ‘dismal’.
Are you fucking kidding me? He thought to himself, reading the ad once more.
Your address, your real, physical address was stated as the place you wanted to meet those interested in helping you. On the internet. You had doxxed yourself after less than a year of being online.
Okay, he thought, clicking on your listed email. Someone needs to be taught a lesson.
Three days later—after about two weeks of listening to your echoing voice every night—you replied, sending a cheerful email detailing when you would be available to meet him. After shooting a short message back, the date was organized.
Two more days and he was standing at your doorstep, his neck craned upwards as he scanned your tall, narrow home squished between two other apartments. He just barely knocked before the black door swung open, revealing a familiar face belonging to a stranger. Elliot was dressed in his black hoodie and jeans, a stark difference to your long, colorful robes, coming out of a sort of fantasy world.
“Hi,” he said, his voice grating with how low and quiet he kept it.
“Hello,” you said with a smile that did not match his hunched posture. “Are you Mr. Alderson?”
“Elliot,” he corrected, his chin just barely raising to meet you. “Elliot Alderson. Elliot works.”
“Alright,” you said, nodding. “Come inside? I was just making tea. Do you like tea? Or do you prefer coffee?”
“I... I’m fine, thanks,” he said softly, scooting past you when you opened the door wide enough for him to enter. He sucked in a breath as his chest brushed yours.
Your home was modern—far fancier than Elliot’s own apartment, with large windows flanked by soft grey curtains. A small, upright piano was in the corner of the living room, set upon a reed mat lined with Korean symbols. The couch was clinical, made of a sort of black plastic leather that matched the grey skies beyond the window panes.
He sat down, shifting his feet closer together as his fingers dug into his palms, continuing to scan the room in its’ entirety until you returned with your own tea.
“What kind of experience do you have? School counts,” you said, setting your cup down on a tiny plate whose decorations matched your teacup.
“I’ve been... experimenting, with computers, since I was around 9,” he said, mumbling the words out as his shoulders hunched awkwardly down. “Have a job at a cyber security firm. Started a while back.”
“You still have that job?”
“Yeah,” he said with a small nod. “Jus’ thought this would be... fun.”
The dead look on his face indicated no humor whatsoever, but you took his word as it was.
“How’d you find the ad I put out?”
“I... I listened to your music,” he answered honestly for once. “Helps me fall asleep.”
“Oh,” you said, clearly taken aback. Your face grew warm as you glanced away with wide eyes. “I’m glad I could help.”
“You’re not very good with technology, though,” he said in his usual low, grating voice.
“Not really,” you chuckled sheepishly. “That’s why I put out the ad -“
“No, not that,” he interrupted you. “You put your physical address on the internet. You doxxed yourself. Do you even know how dangerous that is?”
The lyrics of your songs pointed towards a kind of brilliance, balanced against emotions felt thoroughly on pages and screens. It didn’t match your actions at all.
“What’s doxxing?” You asked.
Elliot had to physically stop himself from sighing and leaving.
“You want everyone to know where you, a minor celebrity, live?”
“I’d hardly call myself a -“
“I could’ve been a murderer,” he said, reaching into his bag.
He looked you in the eye as he pulled out a gun, clicking on the safety before he pointed it at you.
“This is how easy it would be to kill you.”
As expected, you stiffened at the sight of the iron barrel, your fingers withdrawing to your chest. Your lips pursed as you met his gaze once more.
“Please put the gun down,” you whispered, your voice cracking.
He did as you said, resting the gun on the table.
“That’s a hell of a way to start an interview, Mr. Alderson,” you said quietly. “Please get out of my house.”
His heart sank. What had he expected? For you to fall to your knees and sing to him as he desired you to do? He threatened you with a gun to teach you a lesson, and you reacted accordingly. Calmer than others would.
Elliot stood on shaky legs, sliding the pistol into his backpack before he zipped it up. Throwing the pack over his shoulder, he swallowed through a tight throat, shuffling as he delayed his departure.
“Keep safe from people like me,” he said in a strained mumble. “Take that ad down. Meet people from the internet only in inhabited, public areas.”
You tapped your fingernails on the table for a moment, chewing on your bottom lip. Suddenly you stood, tugging on his sweatshirt sleeve to get him to face you, instead of staring at his feet.
“Alright. If you’re really so good at the internet -“
He ignored your incorrect grammar.
“- and... if you actually do want to help me with my songs,” your tone softened, “then you’ll be able to find my real name, not my stage name. If you do.. I’ll hire you.”
“Alright,” he said monotone, knowing the battle was already won.
Even though he knew your name already, he turned away and left to his apartment, immediately going to work on figuring out everything he could about you. If you willingly still offered him the job after that, he knew it would take a lot to scare you off. He could impress you.
It was, after all, the only thing he was good at.
Two days later he showed up at your apartment again, quietly thanking you when you let him in. The clean floors and walls remained unchanged since his last visit, and you led him to the same table, sitting him down on the same seat.
“Your name is (Y/N) (L/N),” he started with. You already appeared to be surprise. “You grew up near LA and you’ve had a chronic illness all your life. At eleven you saw your first therapist.. that must’ve been when you first got diagnosed with depression... and anxiety.”
“Killer duo,” you muttered.
“Your parents split when you were thirteen, which came at the same time as your dog, Penelope, died. Or... sometime that year. When was that... 1997?”
“1999,” you said quietly.
“Your mom homeschooled you,” he continued. “That’s probably why you don’t know how computers work. Rather eclectic, in a.. boring way... an ex-Amish, right?”
You nodded and his heartbeat tripled. Everything was right thus far despite a two year difference in his guesstimate of your life’s timeline.
“Then there was your dad... logger in the Redwood forests. Burly guy. Not a great man, from what I saw,” he said.
“He was fine,” you said with a small shrug as you looked away. “Didn’t ever hurt me, or anything.”
“Abuse isn’t always physical,” he said faster than he could think, dizzied by his own memories playing behind his eyes.
“I know,” you murmured.
You went silent, so he continued, hoping to pry more precious words from you.
“Your favorite color is yellow,” he said, leaning closer to you. “On Valentine’s you get chocolate strawberries, and on easter you get kinder eggs.”
Nothing.
“You studied mythology as a kid, and you made paintings of the forest you lived in with your mom. Santa Cruz mountains, I think.”
“Yeah,” you said. “I miss the forests.”
“I know. You want to visit Ireland again because it’s a land of faeries and moss, it’s a breeding ground for your song lyrics.”
“How did you find all this out?” You finally asked.
“You use the same password on everything,” he said, though that was far from the actual answer. “Your web browser tracks all your movements and you don’t try to stop it, or hide ads, or stay away from sketchy websites. Your parents aren’t much better, either.”
You chuckled, shaking your head as you brought your hand to massage your brow.
“You’re way too smart to be helping me,” you said with soft laughter, blushing with your smile.
“It’s better than working for E Corp,” he said, huffing out a laugh that was hardly humored.
“E corp?”
“My.. uh, place of work,” he brushed off his slip. “My point is... I’d rather work with you and do easy work than work with my current fucking coworkers.”
You laughed, truly and fully this time, curling into a little ball that shook with the force of it. Your feet tucked into your tiny chair, making you even smaller.
“Bad people or just annoying?”
“Stupid,” he chuckled. “Don’t let me wear my sweatshirt.”
“Ooh, now it’s my turn,” you suddenly interrupted him, earning a strange look. “I’ve noticed things about you, too. I couldn’t learn anything off the computer, but you, you have anxiety too. Probably some childhood trauma.. maybe a dissociative disorder of sorts or a form of PTSD. Your jacket is like your home, and... you have sensory issues. Few types of fabric, don’t like to be touched, if I had to guess I’d say you might be autistic.”
“Blunt,” he said after a full minute’s silence.
“Do you mind?” You asked.
“No, not really.”
“Good. Then you’re hired,” you said with a smile, extending your hand for him to shake. “If you still want the job, of course.”
He watched you with evident apprehension, but took your hand after much thought, shaking with a firm grip.
“When do I start?”
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edendaphne · 3 years
Text
“Discordant Sonata” Chapter 18
>>Click here to read on Ao3<<
>>Click here to read on Wattpad<<
——-
CHAPTER 18: AFFETUOSO
 Music glossary:
 Affetuoso: to perform with passion and emotion
**Chapter illustration by @corgi-likes-chat​ **
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(Mood Music: “Christofori’s Dream” - David Lanz)
Adrien’s eyelids fluttered open, a sleepy smile still present on his face. He breathed out a long, contented sigh, stretching his limbs out wide enough that they poked out of the bedcovers. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept so well.
Last night, after Marinette awoke him from his most harrowing night terror to date, he’d fallen back asleep and something remarkable happened: for the second time in years, he’d actually had a pleasant dream. The only other time he hadn’t suffered from his usual nightmares ever since becoming Chat Noir was on the first night that he’d arrived at the Dupain-Cheng residence.
He tried to think back, wondering what might have caused this, not just last night, but back on that first day Marinette had brought him home. What did these two occurrences have in common?
His mouth quirked to the side and his brow furrowed, deep in thought, trying to remember. He wasn’t exactly in the best frame of mind when he’d arrived a couple of months back, given all that had happened when he ran away from his father; so it was no surprise that his memory of that night was hazy at best. Nevertheless, he hoped to find a correlation; if there was one, maybe he could figure out how to repeat it.
His thoughts were interrupted by a gentle hand sliding across his midsection. Disturbed by his movements, a smaller body rolled toward him, settling comfortably on his chest and breathing out a drowsy sigh.
He looked down and there she was: sweet, lovely Marinette; one of the dearest and most important people in his life. The raven-haired girl stirred, letting out a small whine; Adrien stilled, subconsciously holding his breath, not wanting to wake her and accidentally reveal his identity.
This became much harder when she reached around him, her fingers lightly skimming across his rib cage. His muscles tensed and he bit back a laugh; why did he have to be so darn ticklish?!
He readjusted himself, trying to shuffle out from underneath her; but she clinged to him like an overgrown barnacle, even in her unconscious state. I guess she’s a cuddler, he thought, and he couldn’t help but smile about how well that suited her.
It was still pretty dark in the room, as the sun hadn’t risen yet. He glanced over at the wall clock; he still had about an hour and a half before he had to report to work at the bakery, so he didn’t have to rush to get ready. Relieved, he sagged back down onto his pillow. He could relax for a little longer, he supposed.
Deciding to check his notifications while Marinette slept, he gingerly reached towards his nightstand to grab his phone, careful not to disturb her. He’d deactivated all his social media accounts since running away from home, so there weren’t very many notifications; there was a school-related email and a couple of late night funny memes from Nino.
Adrien checked the Ladyblog next. No news about any akumas this morning, thankfully. However, there were a few blurry snapshots of the previous night’s attack. He scrolled down for a bit, then stopped, his eyes popping open as he focused his attention on a particular photo.
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He couldn’t suppress the lovestruck sigh that escaped his lips when he stared at a picture of Ladybug. His Lady was breathtaking, her eyes so ethereal, her smile utterly resplendent. She was indescribably beautiful, both inside and out and there was absolutely nothing he would change about her. He was hopelessly smitten, no doubt about it.
A few months ago, he would have berated himself for feeling this way about his mortal enemy. But his entire life had been turned upside down since then, and he wholeheartedly embraced this unexpected development.
The next photo was taken after the akuma was purified and the Miraculous Cure had set everything back to where it should be. Ladybug had seen that Alya was about to snap a photo, so she grabbed Chat and turned him around to face the camera, wrapping her arm around his shoulders. She grinned widely, and did a peace sign with her free hand. So cute.
He glanced over to his own face and instinctively grimaced. He was winking at the camera with a goofy, cheerful salute, not bothering to channel the suave, sophisticated mannerisms of a proper model that he’d incurred over the years. God, I’m so cringy, he thought.
Nevertheless, he saved the picture onto his phone. It was the first photo of them together like this, as opposed to impersonal ones taken by the media from afar, or during press releases and interviews.
It had only been posted a few hours ago, but already it had thousands of likes and comments. He didn’t dare look through those, however. Not since he first discovered the kinds of things people wrote about Chat Noir, both before and after his change in alliances. It was better to avoid those, lest he ruin his day reading about how much some people still hated him.
But he remembered Marinette’s words from the night before. She was right; he had to have hope, and believe that things would slowly get better. Attitude was everything.
Speaking of Marinette…
He looked down at his roommate once again. By this point, she’d slinked and climbed almost entirely on top of him, utilizing him like a mattress. His eyebrows scrunched together, and he wondered how in the world he’d be able to slip out of bed undetected.
All the stealth-based videogames I’ve ever played have prepared me for this moment. I got this!! he thought, hyping himself up.
Taking a deep breath in, he rolled over to his side, managing to slide Marinette’s ragdoll-like form back onto the mattress. She made a small noise and he froze, electricity crawling up the back of his neck. A few tense moments passed, and her stirring subsided, her breathing becoming slow and even once again. He exhaled, just now realizing he’d been holding his breath.
Freedom!! Adrien celebrated as he stood, stretching his arms high over his head, taking care not to hit the ceiling lights. His skin felt grimy with dried sweat from the night before; a shower was exactly what he needed right now. He tiptoed over to get a change of clothes from the dresser, giving the occasional glance towards the bed to make sure Marinette was still asleep.
As he made his way to the bathroom, he stopped by her side, a warm smile spreading across his face. He bent over and gave the top of her head a small kiss. Where would he be without her and her family? She and Sabine especially went out of their way to help him feel at home, to make him feel like he belonged, instead of treating him like a nuisance, or like some freeloader just taking up space. He loved them all so much; he vowed to himself to make it up to them someday.
He pulled the bedcovers up to Marinette’s shoulders so she wouldn’t miss the extra warmth too much, then made his way to the bathroom to start the day.
--
Marinette stirred, enveloped in softness and a familiar scent of spice and fresh rain. Eyes still closed, she extended her arm, reaching for the oversized cat pillow on her bed that she always liked to cuddle.
Her searching hand found something soft. Aha! She brought it closer, snuggling it tight, then began to get comfortable again. But then, her pillow started poking her cheek, over and over and over. The pillow’s poking only intensified when she tried squeezing it even harder. How rude!
Wait... what?
A single eyelid groggily slid open, meeting a small pair of eyes of a distinctive shade of green. A rather frazzled-looking Plagg stared back, his expression unamused from being squished between her and the pillow she was hugging.
“Sorry, Plagg,” she slurred sleepily as she pulled away to give him some space. “What are you doing here?”
He crossed his little arms, raising a brow. “I live here, remember?”
“But why are you in my room–– oh, wait…” she stopped, the memory of last night starting to rush back to her. This wasn’t her room; it was Chat’s. She’d slept in his room last night. And the bed she was lying in was his bed. These were his blankets and pillows, and they carried his scent. Heat rose to her face and a multitude of imaginary butterflies swarmed in her stomach as she realized that she’d actually spent the night with him, albeit under less than ideal circumstances.
And then a second realization dawned on her: Chat Noir was gone.
She sat up with a start, her head whipping back and forth to search for him. As she was about to panic, she heard the shower running in the en suite bathroom, punctuated by some cheerful humming. With a heavy, relieved sigh, she laid back down, careful not to squish the tiny cat god next to her.
“By the way, Little Bug,” Plagg murmured, meekly rubbing the back of his head. “Thanks for helping my kid last night.”
“Oh, of course, Plagg!” she replied. “I’m always happy to help however I can.”
He gave her a melancholy smile. “I just wish there was more I could’ve done. I tried waking him up myself, but he couldn’t hear me at all, no matter how hard I tried.” He sighed, twisting his mouth into a pained frown. “He doesn’t deserve this. He's already gone through so much.”
“Plagg, no, it’s okay! You did your best, and I’m sure Chat knows that too. I’m just glad I was able to get through to him. It was lucky that I happened to be downstairs at that time. Chat couldn’t ask for a better friend than you.”
Plagg grinned widely at her. “I always knew I liked you,” he remarked, scooting closer and nuzzling into her.
Marinette smiled back, returning the hug and kissing the top of his head, followed by providing him with some gentle scratches behind the ears. He let out a small, contented purr as he leaned into her hand.
After a few moments of hesitation, Plagg spoke again, “Little Bug, there’s... something else you need to know.”
They pulled apart, and Marinette eyed him with trepidation. “What is it?”
“It was too dark, so you didn’t see it, but–” he said with a grim tone in his voice, “–I need to let you know what really happened last night.”
“Huh?” Marinette’s eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. “What do you mean? I know he said his night terrors aren’t usually this bad, but was there something else?”
A dark look flickered on Plagg’s face. “Hawkmoth tried to akumatize him last night.”
Marinette felt like she’d been dropped into a vat of ice water. “W- WHAT?!” she sputtered. “B-but how is that possible?! Akumatized?? He was asleep! Hawkmoth can’t akumatize people who are unconscious!!” She paused, pondering the possibility. “Right…?”
“It’s tricky, but not impossible,” Plagg replied. “Hawkmoth knows about Chat Noir’s nightmares, so he must’ve sensed his opportunity and finally taken it last night.”
Marinette brought a hand to her temple in disbelief.
Plagg continued, “I don’t know why he decided to try it now, instead of when he first ran away. And what if–” he gulped, and his voice quavered slightly as he continued, unable to conceal his fear, “What if he tries it again? What if he tries it every night?”
“No… he wouldn’t… he can’t!!” Marinette cried, staring at the bathroom door, her mind racing a million miles a minute. She clenched her fists as she tried not to give into the feelings of dismay and anxiety that were clawing away at her. “Plagg… What do we do?! Hawkmoth’s patterns seem to be getting more erratic and desperate recently. Is he under some kind of deadline? Why is he doing this??”
“I can think of a couple of reasons,” Tikki answered from across the room.
Marinette practically leaped off the bed in surprise due to Tikki’s abrupt entrance. “Tikki!” she exclaimed.
The brightly colored kwami hovered towards them and elaborated, “Firstly, as Chat grows older, his powers will continue to get stronger, as will yours, so you’ll be more difficult for Hawkmoth to defeat as time goes on. Secondly, I think the effects of misusing the butterfly miraculous must be catching up to him as well. His desperation suggests that maybe he thinks he’s running out of time.”
“Out of time? What do you mean?” Marinette asked, confused.
Plagg sighed. “It’s his health,” he answered. "He wasn’t doing very well even before we left. Slowly but steadily, it’s been getting worse for a while.” He turned to face Tikki. “You think Hawkmoth believes that he’s gonna… you know... soon?”
Tikki shrugged in response, her expression blank.
“Oh… I see,” Marinette said, her voice almost a whisper.
Her mind raced, a torrent of emotions crashing into her simultaneously, like a rowboat in a tempest, slamming into a cliffside without respite.
She wasn’t sure how to feel about this new information. Her chest felt tight, like it did when she wanted to cry. Should she feel happy or sad that her mortal enemy was getting sicker and sicker, to the point where his life was potentially in danger? Was it okay to feel–dare she say it– relieved?
What was she supposed to think? As a hero, was it more important to be merciful, or was it more important to be just? Her heart felt like it was being pulled in two completely opposite directions. Despite hating the man with every fiber of her being, part of her thought that maybe dying was too extreme a punishment. And yet, at the same time, the hurt, embittered part of herself thought that maybe dying would be too easy, like he was getting let off the hook instead of being forced to acknowledge his wrongs and feel remorse for the horrible things he’d done.
For years, she’d dreamed about the day when Hawkmoth would be defeated and his miraculous confiscated. It was supposed to be a happy time, full of rejoicing and excitement. But she’d never considered the possibility that Hawkmoth would be defeated by an entirely different force, one that she had no say in how or when it happened. It didn’t feel fair. She hated feeling this powerless.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a brief tug at her sleeve. She looked down at Tikki, who motioned towards the bathroom with a small nod. It was then that she noticed the noise–or rather– the absence of it, which could only mean one thing: Chat Noir had finished his shower, and he’d be coming out of the bathroom any minute now.
“I think that’s our cue to leave,” Tikki whispered.
Marinette nodded. She turned to Plagg and whispered, “We’ll talk more later. I’ll call Master Fu later today and see if he has any advice.”
“M’kay. See ya,” he replied with a small wave. “Bye, Sugarcube.”
Tikki looked back and gave him a reassuring smile, then followed Marinette out the door.
Plagg hovered towards the windowsill while he waited for his charge, plopping down with a heavy sigh. He leaned against the window, taking in the many colors of the dawn sky, which looked almost too bright and vibrant for his liking. How dare the heavens look so beautiful while he felt so miserable inside? The day hadn’t even really started, and yet the only thing he wanted to do was to just crawl back into bed. He dearly hoped that the heavy, uneasy feeling in his gut would go away soon.
(A short while later)
Work at the bakery had been lively and hectic today; so much so that Chat Noir had to be reminded when his shift was over and that he needed to head to school. He gave Sabine a parting hug, the latter thanking him for his hard work and giving him some encouraging words as she helped dust the flour off his suit and hair.
Chat retrieved his cloak from a coat hanger by the door and stepped into the stairwell that led to the living quarters, so that he could retrieve his school supplies and exit through Marinette’s balcony trap door as he normally did. That was definitely one of the plus sides of working in the kitchen while transformed; he could wear his school outfit underneath and not require a change of clothes or a shower when he was through. He could merely detransform and be good as new.
As he ascended up the stairs, he heard a familiar deep voice call out to him from below. Chat froze, then turned around, trying to keep his nerves under control.
“Could I speak with you for a minute?” Tom asked.
Uh-oh.
“O-of course, Mr. Dupain,” Chat replied, trying to keep his voice even despite his nerves.
Tom’s face was mostly neutral, but his body was rigid and there was a hint of gloom in his eyes. Chat did his best not to cringe as he stood in front of the much taller man who, despite not being a superhero, looked like he could toss him clear to the Eiffel Tower if he felt like it. To prevent himself from fidgeting, Chat finally opted to stick his hands inside his pockets.
“What is it, sir? D-did I do something wrong?” he asked. “I was running a bit late, so I apologize if I didn’t put something back in the right spot. O-or did I mess up an order?? I’m sorry, I can go back and fix… whatever it is!”
“No, everything’s fine; it’s something else,” he answered, and Chat felt the stiffness in his shoulders ease a tiny bit.
However, it came back full force when Tom didn’t say anything else. Chat’s heartbeat sped up as they stood face to face in silence, unsure of the route this conversation was about to take.
What else could he be in trouble for? Did he find out Marinette had fallen asleep in his bedroom yesterday? Oh no… Did Tom think he and Marinette had… done something unseemly together last night?! Was he getting kicked out of the house?? His mind raced and his chest thumped, and he prepared himself to beg on his knees for forgiveness if need be.
A few agonizingly long and awkward seconds later, Tom spoke again, “Chat Noir… I wanted to apologize to you.”
“Oh, I see. Wait… WHAT?!?” Chat felt like someone had yanked the carpet out from underneath him. “Apologize?? What for?”
Tom lifted his arm to rub the back of his head, his entire posture taut as a bowstring. “We didn’t really get off on the right foot, you and I. You’ve been nothing but cordial and polite, and all I’ve done since you arrived is give you the cold shoulder, and for that I’m truly sorry. I wanted to clear the air and start over, if that’s okay with you.”
“Mr. Dupain! N-no, please, it’s okay!” Chat sputtered, his hands waving frantically. “I totally understand why you would have reservations about me living here, o-or even interacting with you guys at all! They’re totally justified concerns! I mean, up until a few months ago, I was still working with Hawkmoth; so the fact that you even allowed me into your home at all is incredibly kind of you! I’ve never felt any ill will towards you, I swear! You were just doing what any good father would––” he trailed off, trying to keep the melancholy out of his voice, “–would do.”
Tom winced and sighed heavily, crossing his arms. “That’s exactly my point, though. It may have been justified at first, but that was back then . I tolerated you for the sake of my wife and daughter, but I was always suspicious. I should’ve given you a chance instead of just judging you for no reason, especially after all this time. So I wanted to try to make it up to you.”
It was then that Tom brought something shiny out of his shirt pocket. It was an adorable little keychain shaped like a croissant. But wait… no, it wasn’t just a keychain, Chat realized. There was a key dangling on the end. A house key. Tom handed it over, doing his best to try to conceal a timid smile.
Chat gaped at him, reeling from what was happening. “I… I don’t know what to say. That is so generous of you! Thank you, Mr. Dupain,” he replied meekly, staring into his hands at the key. HIS key.
He felt the man’s large hand pat him on the shoulder and Chat looked up, meeting his soft, forest green eyes. “Please, call me Tom.”
Chat had to consciously fight the urge to let his jaw drop. If he wasn’t dreaming last night with Ladybug’s revelation, he was surely dreaming now. “Y-yes, sir! Uhh, Mr. Tom, sir. Uhh, I mean…” he stammered, still not recovered from having been gobsmacked out of nowhere.
The older man gave out a hearty laugh. “Just Tom. And please, if there’s anything you need, just say the word. Even if it’s just someone to lend an ear. You’ve got a good heart despite the bad hand that’s been dealt to you, and you have so much potential. We’re happy to have you in our family, even if you’re only here temporarily. Just know you’ll always have a home here with us.”
Chat’s heart swelled with affection, so full that it felt like it might burst, and his eyesight became blurry with unshed tears. He threw his arms around the giant man in front of him, someone who he never thought would fully accept him, squeezing hard.
“Thank you, Tom! Thank you so much, I’m just–” he let out a shuddering sigh then continued, voice cracking, “–thank you.”
Tom squeezed back firmly, giving him an affectionate pat. Failing to hide a sniffle, he then added, “I should let you get going, I don’t wanna make you late for school.” The pair pulled apart, and Tom ruffled Chat’s hair. “Be safe out there, kiddo.”
After saying their goodbyes, Chat bounded up the stairs, practically floating with glee. He’d missed this feeling; the feeling of being part of a family. As he emerged onto the rooftop balcony, he took a deep breath of the crisp autumn air, his heart full of excitement and hope.
He arrived at the school in high spirits and a huge grin on his face. He detransformed in a discreet location and practically skipped to the school’s entrance; then he entered the campus, carefree, joyful, and blissfully unaware of the dark eyes that followed him inside.
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ashintheairlikesnow · 3 years
Note
AAAAAH!!! Petition for the news people to show Chris's face on tv and Akio and his mom see and come to rescueee -🦖
(follows from this piece, in what I am calling the Chris Saves Himself AU)
CW: BBU, some vaguely dehumanizing language, references to child abuse and ableism
"Mom! Aki!" Emi's voice rises loud enough to filter right up the stairs and into Akio's room, audible right through his headphones while he listens to his playlist of Tristan's favorite songs and lays in bed.
Akio sniffs, sitting up and taking the headphones off, rubbing the tear tracks off his face. It's still light outside - he never knows what time it is anymore, not since he quit gymnastics. "Emi? Did you say something?"
"Yeah, you better get down here like right now! Right now!" The urgency in her voice sets his heart to beating faster and Akio pushes himself up, taking the stairs three-steps-to-a-jump. His mother is right behind him, coming out of her own room with her book still in hand, thumb marking her place.
"Are you okay, honey?" Aimi calls out. Somehow even though she doesn't skip any steps she beats Akio to the bottom. "Em? Emi?"
"I'm fine, I swear, just-... look at the TV!"
Akio and Aimi swing into the living room, finding Emi sitting on the couch, remote in hand, groaning in frustration.
"Damn it, they just cut way from his-... hold on, let's see if they cut back before this ends. You have got to see this."
"Just what have I got to see?" Aimi asks, frowning, walking up behind Emi and absentmindedly tucking a bit of hair behind her daughter's ear. Emi sort of ducks-pulls away, rolling her eyes. "I'm almost to the bit where the ship sinks, Em."
"I know, I know, don't mess with your reading time but-... but look!"
Akio's eyes scan the TV, reading the chyron - the little moving headline at the bottom - that says MYSTERY BOY FALLS FROM BALCONY IN GOVERNOR'S MANSION - IN HOSPITAL WITH SERIOUS INJURIES - POLICE LOOKING FOR CLUES TO IDENTITY - GOV. BRANCH CLAIMS LEGAL PURCHASE FROM WRU - WRU DENIES CULPABILITY...
Talking heads banter back and forth about the seriousness of the scandal, the lack of documents to prove any kind of veracity to the governor's claims.
The anchors start interviewing a woman with short, dark red hair with a cold smile that sends a chill down Akio's spine. Karen Renford, WRU Representative to the Media, reads the little nameplate beneath her as she speaks.
"Since when do you care about politics?" Akio asks, head tilted. "This is stupid. I don't care about any of this."
"WRU sponsors your team, Aki-"
"It's not my team anymore. I'm going back to my room."
He turns to leave, but feels Emi grab at his wrist, and when he looks back her black eyes are pleading. "Please, Aki. Please. Trust me, you will want to see this."
He sighs. Everything feels too heavy to add one more thing to his days right now. But Emi is his little sister, and... "Yeah, okay." He moves around the corner of the sectional and flops himself down on it. He's put on some weight since he quit gymnastics, the waistband of his jeans digging just a little into his stomach where he used to have to wear a belt.
He doesn't care. It's... actually really nice to not have to care. He kind of likes himself better this way.
If only he didn't have to be grieving his best friend's death to get there-
"There!" Emi hisses, and her nails dig hard into Akio's forearm, hard enough for him to wince. "There, Aki, fucking look!"
"Language, young lady-" Aimi starts, and then falls silent. When she whispers, "Nantekotta..." That's when Akio looks at the screen.
Where his dead best friend is very much alive in a hospital bed.
He hears a thump and jumps, turning to see his mother's book on the floor, fallen from suddenly numb fingers as she stares unblinking at the boy on the TV screen.
Akio looks back and swallows, hard, and then swallows again. Inside him there is a sudden burst of fight between the despair and anger he's been living in and a kind of awful, horrifying hope.
"Tris?" He whispers.
"I told you!" Emi says, still holding his forearm painfully. He doesn't pull away from her - he can feel her starting to shake right alongside him. His eyes flood with hot tears and he has to blink them away to focus on the screen.
"-are speaking with the boy, who appears to be a legitimate WRU product. A simple barcode scan was performed, and police have the pet's designation, Facility number, and basic identification number." Karen Renford's voice speaks in voiceover. "However, WRU has been unable to find in our own records at the Facility any record of the boy's existence or training. WRU has strict ethical protocols surrounding the age of accepted trainees who apply, and it's increasingly clear that none of our Facilities would have taken on this individual, especially not our flagship Facility here in Berras-"
Akio hears none of this.
Instead, he hears only a rushing as loud as a waterfall filling his ears, the sound of his own blood pulsing through his veins as his breaths go shallow and gasping.
Tris is right there.
He's alive and he's right there.
He's sitting in a hospital bed, cringing back from the doctors speaking to him, looking at them with wide, terrified eyes. There are bruises around his neck like someone-... bit him, or something. His arms are bruised, wrists rubbed red in circles. He doesn't sway or rock or tap like Tristan Higgs, he sits perfectly, hauntingly still.
But it's Tris.
It's him.
"He's alive," Akio says, and his voice is strangled. "Tris is alive, he's alive, but he's-... he was-"
His mother's hand rests on his shoulder and Akio tenses at the firey rage he feels right through the tension in her fingers. "His aunt," Aimi says with a voice that cuts through bone. "His aunt told us he was dead."
"She said he-... you know... did the thing. To himself," Emi says, looking nervously sideways at Akio. "That he ran away and they found him."
"He told me she took away all his stuff and stopped giving him his meds and then she took his phone... why would she say all that if he was alive the whole time, Mom?" Akio looks back up at Aimi, and she looks back down at him.
He is terrified of her, in that moment. Scared of her the way you are scared of a bear rushing at you, knowing that you aren't much more than a matchstick in its way. But he also wants - needs - her to tell him everything is going to be fine.
Instead, she pulls her hand back off his arm and turns to leave the room. She murmurs to herself in a rapid-fire string of Japanese even Akio isn't quite keeping up with, and he jumps up to follow her, Emi on his heels.
"Mom? Mom, what are you doing? Mom, answer me-"
"Mom?"
They manage to catch up to her in the den, where she's picked up her cell phone still charging, plugged into the wall, and dialed a number.
"Mom-"
Aimi holds up one finger without looking at him, phone to her ear, and Akio's voice cuts off immediately.
"Yes, hello," She says to whoever picks up. "My name is Aimi Nakamura and I am calling about the boy found in the governor's mansion today. I believe I can tell you who he is." She pauses. "Who he really is."
Another pause.
"Yes, I'll wait."
Yet another pause. Akio and Emi stay in the doorway, staring at her in baffled confusion. Neither of them dares to speak when her face looks this way. They know better than that.
Finally, Aimi takes another breath. "Yes. Thank you. Hello, Detective... Davis. Right. My name is Aimi Nakamura." She rattles off her phone number and address when she is asked for them without hesitating. "Yes, as I said-... as I said to whoever answered the phone, I know who the boy in the governor's mansion is. I have absolutely no doubt... Yes. His real name is Tristan Paul Higgs. He was born-... oh, yes, sorry. I can slow down. His birthday is March 6th... yes. I don't know his social security number entirely but I know the last four digits were 6654... his mother and I were close friends. Veronica Botham Higgs - Ronnie. She was murdered, with her husband, it was a double-... oh, you remember? Tristan survived it. Custody went to his only surviving relative, Joanne Botham..."
Aimi swallows, and Akio feels Emi's hand seek his out and squeezes it tightly, reassuringly, as their mother's steel comes flashing to the surface underneath her usual deceptive tranquility.
"Joanne Botham works for WRU. Her nephew lost his family and was given to her. And now, more than a year after she told us he was dead, he falls out a window with a WRU barcode. I think you see where I'm going with this, detective."
Another long silence.
"Yes. I need about an hour and a half. Is that too long? Perfect."
She hangs up, and turns to look at Akio and his little sister. There is a startling brightness to her that makes Akio think she's feeling exactly what he is - grief and horror and rage and that awful swell of hope.
Maybe it really was just a horrible mistake.
Maybe he's never been dead.
Maybe he's still breathing.
"Put your shoes on," Aimi says in a flat voice. "We are going to meet Detective Davis at the hospital where Tris is."
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brockadoodles · 3 years
Text
Let me tell you that I love you (4 +1) - b. boeser
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AN: Burn this gif onto my grave honestly. BUT ANYWAYS. Uh decided to write during the Canucks game just in case they gave me pain. And they didn’t, and I finished something. A short sweet little 4+1 for you all. I haven’t written one of these in forever, so i really tried to keep each snippet short. Let me know what you think :)
Word Count: 3433
Warnings: Mentions of alcohol briefly 
One 
Brock Boeser was an irremediable fucking romantic. He was the guy who was always more than willing to cozy up on a rainy day with a tragic Nicholas Sparks-esque movie on in the background, never shy at admitting that something as achingly faux romantic as The Notebook could make him weep. He was the guy that all of the cliches were written about, the over sensitive Pisces who stitched his heart on the inside of his left sleeve, ready and eager to give it to someone. That someone, the one who he wanted to give his entire soul to over the last year had become you. 
You were someone he had met by accident, a romantic comedy worthy moment where you both had bonded helplessly at some overly fancy bar where you both had been stood up on dates. He felt stiff in his suit jacket, and you were there in that beautiful navy piece that had him wondering how the stars and planets had aligned in such a way that he was lucky enough to be half enjoying a drink next to you. You had smiled at him, opening the gates for a shitty date turned into a memory he couldn’t wait to tell the story of in twenty five years. One chance meeting had become a date, and more dates after that until over the summer he was bringing you home to meet his parents, where he told you that he loved you for the first time. 
Brock was nervous to take you home but it wasn’t because there was an underlying fear that his family wouldn’t see all of the things in you that he did. He was apprehensive because he knew the backstory of his own life was enough baggage to send someone away, and it had. He had gone through this before, bringing someone home who didn’t want to bear the burden of what life with Brock Boeser actually meant and that loss had shaped his perspective on relationships. Bringing you home was hard, because he wanted so desperately for this to work out, and if you couldn’t take on that baggage, he knew that it wouldn’t. 
Brock felt like he had that nervousness in his chest and stomach for the whole first twenty four hours that you were there. You had flown in late, settling into bed and falling right to sleep next to him. You always found a way to sleep, whereas he was consciously restless late into the witching hour, anxious about the next day where you would be actually meeting his family for the first time. 
He had spent so long waiting for the other shoe to drop, that when you got along seamlessly with his dad, he was still uncontrollably on edge. He was watching wordlessly as you sat out on the porch with Duke, a smile on your face as you listened to him, nodding and responding with Easton comfortably playing in your lap. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned, seeing his mom with a comforting expression on her face.
“She’s great, Brock. Stop waiting for the bad.” She murmured. Brock turned back to look outside, where you were just reaching a hand to his dad’s wrist and laughing. He felt like the air was exhaling from his lungs the longer he let his mom’s words marinate in his mind. Brock opened the slider door and stepped outside, slowly walking over and pressing a soft kiss to his dad’s cheek, who in return patted his hand reassuringly. He then moved to you, settling into the wicker chair next to you and letting you hand over his nephew who was now reaching for him. As you handed Easton over, it was like everything clicked into place for him. This was what he wanted one day with you, passing over your own child with the sun setting over the lake and family all around. That was the first time he realized that he had finally figured out what love meant, because the feeling struck him harshly. He loved you, and instead of overthinking the feeling, he told you.
“I love you.” He murmured, softly enough that only you could hear it. Your eyes widened and your mouth hung open as if he could see every thought that was stampeding through your mind. He recoiled a bit, diverting his eyes from yours and swallowing back the feelings he had just let escape without thinking about the consequences. You smiled awkwardly, grabbing his hand and lacing your fingers together. You brought his hand to your lips and pressed a soft kiss to it, your non verbal way of not reciprocating. It wasn’t until you were alone that you explained to him you just weren’t ready yet, a conversation that felt like a punch to his gut but that he bore with patience and understanding. He pressed a soft kiss to your temple after, reassuring you that he understood what you were saying. You didn’t not love him, you just weren’t there yet, something he could have the patience to wait for. 
Two
The second time that Brock shared with you that he loved you was by accident. It was a classic case of drunk words revealing sober thoughts. Not that his love for you was a secret that he was trying to keep, but instead it was a closely locked away feeling that he was trying to wait to share again until you gave him the go ahead. The wait had been eating him up inside, a small sense of rejection had made a home out of his heart after telling you the first time didn’t go how he envisioned. He loved you, he was so beyond in love with you that he wished for nothing more than to be able to tell you that every second of every day. But you weren’t ready, and his sober self knew that, his wine drunk self, did not.  
It was your birthday and Vancouver had blessed (or cursed, according to most of the people that lived there) you with a dusting of snow. It was nowhere near what Brock was used to from growing up in Minnesota. He was used to long winters where the lake would be a solid sheet of ice that he and his buddies could spend their days skating on, with sometimes over a foot of snow on the ground. 
Vancouver snow was a different story. The small amount was enough to close businesses early, and cause the city to almost shut down until the snow was gone. The mere 5 inches was a lot to people in the pacific northwest, so he watched you with a fond expression as you dragged him down to the park that was near his condo, a pom pom beanie on your head and one of his jackets wrapped around you. 
You both had knocked back almost two bottles of wine, and there was a hazy aura surrounding you as he watched you twirl around with your arms out, catching snowflakes in your hair. Brock grabbed your hand and pulled you into his chest, kissing your forehead and then your nose and cheeks that were cold from the snow. 
“What are you doing?” You giggled, bringing your hand up to rest on his cheek as he looked at you. God, you were his entire fucking world, and once again he didn’t think before opening the box to that thought he had buried in his heart from the summer, the words slipping from his lips before any sense of sobriety could catch up to him. 
“I love you.” He whispered, a soft smile tugging at his lips and his eyes searching yours, hoping for a different outcome than the first time just a few months prior. You stepped back from him, bracing your hands on his arms and shifting your gaze away, something that sobered him up completely. 
“I’m not ready.” You mumbled, a sad expression behind your eyes that Brock wished wasn’t there. He tugged you closer into his chest, another soft kiss to your temple as he ran a hand along your back.
“Take as long as you need.” Brock reassured you, more than willing to live by that promise. You were worth any wait that he had to endure.  
Three 
Playoffs were Brock’s favorite part of his job. The rush of the do-or-die series was something that every player loved. He felt like playoffs were the time where his real skills came into view, where he stood on his own as a talented forward instead of in the shadows wondering where his place was. It wasn’t that Brock was insecure per say, he just always felt like he had something to prove, mainly to himself. The Canucks had battled through all of the rounds, knocking out their opponents, leading them here to the Western Conference Finals against Vegas. It was game seven, the last hurdle before playing for the cup, absolutely do-or-die for this season.  
It was everything Brock had been striving towards. It wasn’t a Stanley Cup, but god in that moment it may as well have felt like one. A game seven game winning goal, sending the team to the finals. Every year he had spent plagued with injuries, wondering if he would ever get back to that spot he had been at his rookie year, wondering if he’d ever actually feel like he deserved to be a part of that core that were the faces scattered on the outside of Rogers Arena. He nearly couldn't breathe as the puck passed by Marc Andre Fleury, hitting the back of the net and sounding off the familiar goal horn. Elias and JT were quick to pile on top of him, nearly knocking him backwards into the boards as the rest of the team ran out onto the ice. This was everything he had hoped for, a chance to play for the Stanley Cup and he was in tears knowing it was his goal that sent him there. 
After the game, all he wanted was to find you. He raced out of the locker room, past the press area where thankfully he still had twenty minutes before he needed to sit down for his interviews. He ran out into the tunnel, hair still slightly damp as he searched for you. It didn’t take him long to find you, you were standing near Holly. You turned to face him just as he rounded the corner into your line of view. He watched as you touched Holly’s arm, saying something to her that he wasn’t close enough to read on your lips. You nearly jogged up to him, jumping into his arms hard and sending him backwards as he braced for your impact. 
The two of you stood there for a moment, ignoring the entire commotion around you as some of his other teammates were cheering and coming out. He didn’t care about any of it, he cared about you. You were the one who was there for the worst season of his career, and sharing this win with you was almost more special than the win itself. You grabbed the back of his neck and kissed him hard, peppering kisses after. Brock took this as his moment, another moment where he could share with you just how he felt.
“I love you, I love you, holy shit, I fucking love you.” He mumbled against your lips. You froze slightly in his arms, hesitating before you crashed your lips back into his, hopefully distracting him from the uneasy feeling in your chest.
“I am so proud of you, Brock.” You whispered. He just looked at you and smiled, ignoring the slight feeling of letdown he felt at your lack of reciprocation. You weren’t ready, and he was okay with that. Instead of dwelling he just kissed you one last time to your lips and then your temple, holding you close before he went to answer questions from people he didn’t care to answer to before you all were going to celebrate. The Canucks didn’t win the cup that year, and his first thought after watching the Flyers rush out and hoist the coveted trophy was that maybe the disappointment would fade once he got home to you. 
Four
Brock Boeser was a fucking romantic, and there was nothing more romantic to him than a wedding. It didn’t matter how many he watched in movies, or attended as he got older and his friends and teammates started getting married. No matter who it was, there was something that calmed him about seeing two people so in love and committing to that for their lives. He always pictured his wedding, except it was only ever from his perspective. In his daydreams, he never saw someone walking down the aisle toward him, he only saw himself standing there with tears in his eyes and a smile on his face as he waited for whoever that person was to get to him. It wasn’t until he loved you that the perspective changed, and he saw himself looking at you walking toward him. 
It was Troy and Emma’s wedding, a small gathering just outside of the city and Brock was in a good mood all day. He was humming softly as he drove the two of you there, a smile permanently settled on his lips as the soft sounds of Kodaline came through the speakers of the car. He had one hand secured with yours in your lap and occasionally he glanced over at you, wondering how in the hell he got so lucky to still have you. 
The wedding was beautiful, Troy and Emma both cried softly as they went through their vows, cementing their relationship with that final first kiss as the small group of close friends and families sat in the gazebo in attendance. Brock held your hand the entire time, feeling his chest tighten when you reached up and kissed the back of it just as the vows were being shared. 
He loved weddings, but going to one with you had him tumbling back toward that locked away feeling in his chest. The romantic atmosphere clouded his judgement and dared it to come out for another time to share it with you. Brock made a mental note to stop getting ahead of himself, to stop planning out an entire future with you when you weren’t ready to even say you loved him yet. He tried to push the anxiety away, the feeling that maybe he was the one holding you back, maybe he was too sensitive or putting too much pressure on you to say it back, even though he had only let it slip less than a handful of times. He swore that sometimes he felt it. Sometimes you would look at him just long enough, with your lips pursed and the words sitting right there as he waited, but then you would falter and shake your head a bit, playing the moment off with a smile. He counted so many of those times and they were casting doubt into his chest that maybe he was there planning an entire future with someone who would never realistically be ready, no matter how hard he wanted you to be.  
You could tell that he was in his head, something about the way he was carrying himself through the day had you worried. You watched as his eyes wandered around the reception hall. He was watching everyone carefully and you knew him so well by now that it felt like you were almost inside his head with him. Only instead of letting you hear what was running through his mind, there was a locked door keeping you out. Brock shifted back to face you, grabbing your hand once more and helping you up.
“Dance with me?” He asked. Brock pulled you into his chest, wrapping an arm around your waist as he swayed slowly with you, not paying attention to much around him other than you. He was feeling grateful for a lot of things, grateful that he was able to share such a special day with some of his closest friends, grateful that now the picture of this with you was so clear in his mind, and grateful that you were there with him, dancing slowly around the room. Brock closed his eyes for a moment as you leaned your head into his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart as he moved you around. He pictured all of it, the flower crown you’d probably wear, the smile on your face, and the tears in his own eyes that he would have watching as you came toward him. He pictured every last detail, a vivid dream that he was set on becoming a reality now. 
“I love you.” He hummed, letting his eyes open slowly as you lifted your head. You didn’t even have to say you weren’t ready this time, the slight shift of your eyes had unfortunately become something that Brock was learning all too well. He did what he always did though, he pressed a soft kiss to your temple and tucked the box of love back inside, sighing softly to himself and wishing that one day you’d take it.  
Plus One
Brock loved you in all the ways that he ever thought that he could love someone, down to each subtlety of your demeanor and personality. He loved the way you laughed at his bad jokes, the way that you were patient with his dad, and the way you cared so much about the health of the world. But he also loved the bad things, the little annoyances that came with navigating a relationship that was long distance part time, the way you’d sometimes leave a mess at his place, hitting a nerve after a tough loss, he loved all of those things because that’s what made you human and your relationship normal.
This morning wasn’t anything special, there was no event the previous night that had kept you out late. There was no celebration of any kind. You had come over for dinner and stayed, falling asleep tucked under his arm with Coolie and Milo snuggled at your feet. This no doubt was Brock’s favorite way to wake up, and he’d do it for a lifetime as soon as you’d let him. 
Brock always woke up before you, he was often an early riser and whenever you were there he found himself settling in and watching you sleep for just a few moments before he would slowly roll away from you to get up and make coffee. This morning was no different. His fingers drummed along your hip as your eyes fluttered open and his chest filled with the same feeling he only ever imagined existed in an alternate reality. You smiled softly and tucked yourself closer into his chest, a soft and groggy  good morning escaping from your lips. He didn’t have time to think about if you were on his page, he was already writing the rest of the book with you. 
“I love you.” He said. 
He supposed it was just another instance added to the shortlist in his mind of attempts at telling you he loved you. Brock was now zero for four, more than a strikeout on the scoreboard, but Brock was also patient, and didn’t mind a late bottom of the 9th inning comeback if it meant his love was finally reciprocated. He didn’t mind telling you he loved you, because he did, but a small part of his heart cracked each time you smiled and nodded in favor of saying those three words back that he’d do anything to hear. Each kiss to the temple after masking that crack in his chest that was widening, possibly too far to fill in with hope much longer. 
Except this time, your smile wasn’t forced. There wasn’t a nervousness behind your eyes, there was something else. You leaned into him, kissing him softly while your hand tugged at the ends of his hair. Something felt different in this kiss, a calm wave settling into his chest instead of the usual feeling that Brock felt from the previous times he shared this with you. You pulled back, smiling at him brightly. 
“I love you, too.” And those words that fell from your lips didn’t hold a flame to any of the hopeless romances he not so secretly liked to enjoy, he now had the real thing. 
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thunderheadfred · 3 years
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❄️Todoroki HC's🔥
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Aged-up pro hero Shouto. NSFW under the cut. Minors do not interact.
- - -
General
Might as well be tied with Bakugou for the #1 pro hero spot; they seem to pass the crown back and forth every other year. Everyone knows about their intense frenemies uber-rivalry. Well. Everyone but Shouto.
He's asked to speak at a lot of charity events. If he has time to prepare (and hire a speech writer) he is capable of stirring crowds to standing ovations. But if caught unawares... he gets cornered into hilarious on-the-spot interviews. He's been memed. Mercilessly.
He's an OP character, but unfortunately he rolled -500 in fashion sense. Eventually he wises up and hires a stylist. When he finally cuts his hair a slightly different and even more flattering way, it's a national event. People faint in the street.
Does god-awful sleight-of-hand magic tricks when he meets young fans, even though nobody asked him to. The second-hand embarrassment is palpable. But he keeps doing it. God, why does he keep doing it?
Has hovering arm syndrome in every fan photo.
Super into pop music. Not a fan of any particular group or artist, couldn't tell you the name of a single song. But every time he turns up the volume on the radio it's like... really? THIS? Probably pumps that shit through his hero agency to keep up morale. Has no idea what you mean when you tell him his music taste doesn't match his personality.
Similarly, he enjoys brainless romantic comedies and old silent movies. Doesn't laugh at jokes but loses it over physical comedy. Thinks Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd are the funniest people who ever walked the earth.
He's long and limber. Runs practically a hundred miles every day just to "relax." Doesn't even get sweaty doing it. A filthy yoga addict. He'll probably live to be 200 years old.
He can regulate his body temperature for quirk use but in everyday life he's always half a degree outside the Goldilocks zone. It drives him quietly insane; he has an epic love-hate relationship with his thermostat.
Has a therapy animal pet. Doesn't matter if it's a dog or a cat or a bird or an iguana or a teeny tiny rodent. It's the best-behaved animal in the country and speaks more languages than you. It has its own room and an instagram account with millions of followers.
Lives in a traditional Japanese estate that doubles as a national treasure. Probably has government-appointed snipers at the gate, and he's just like, "don't worry about it." You are afraid to touch anything. Fuck, don't even look at anything, just to be safe.
Has an outstanding personal chef who only gets to cook five things unless (thank fuck!!) company comes over. Impossibly picky eater. He rotates between a few "safe" foods and suspiciously side-eyes everything else. If you cook something unfamiliar for him it will be the most awkward meal of your life, because he'd never tell you he doesn't like it. But oh lord, just look at his face.
This clashes directly with his love of traveling. Frequently uses his hero earnings to visit exotic foreign locales over long weekends... but rarely tries the food.
- - -
Dating
A grey-ace demisexual disaster. You could count the number of people he's been attracted to on one hand. He falls madly in love every time and always gets his heart smashed to pieces when his crush can't magically intuit the meaning of his frigid longing glances and generically courteous romantic gestures.
Which is stupid, because he gets propositioned constantly. He can't walk out the door without being flirted with. People keep slipping him their phone numbers and he always directs them to his agency like a moron. It's a good thing he will never understand how attractive he is because that's the only thing keeping him from total world domination.
Conventional attractiveness does not compute. Shouto doesn't have a type, doesn't care that he's an eleven whilst you are merely mortal. He will fall for your personality above all else.
Probably falls head over heels because your schedules overlap in a completely ordinary way and he witnesses you doing something endearing or brave or most likely: utterly mundane.
Pick a favorite, because you're his favorite coworker, or his favorite barista, or his favorite random bystander in line at the grocery store. You made him smile once; then he spent the next three months daydreaming about your future together before you accidentally stomped on his foot, initiating your first real conversation.
He's big on healthy communication. HUGE. He goes to therapy and it shows. Will talk through literally everything to the point of delirium. Sometimes his dedication to resolving every issue right away can get overwhelming; sometimes you just need some frickin time alone. But it pays off, because the two of you have practically never have a "real fight." There's just no way for bad vibes to fester.
STILL, his family wasn't exactly... erm... verbally or emotionally supportive, shall we say. For that reason, he might not give you all the compliments you deserve, because it simply doesn't occur to him to do so. He assumes you know how he feels. If you're self-conscious or insecure in the relationship, it might take him a while to notice. But when he figures it out (or even better, when you tell him directly) he will make it up to you with enthusiasm.
Will take you on lavish dates. Spoils you rotten without actually intending to. He's clueless about money. If you wanted a sugar daddy, you just hit the fucking jackpot. But if the word valet makes you uncomfortable, perhaps suggest some romantic picnics instead. He can still go all out with the food and five-star location without making you see cartoon dollar signs.
Chronic Insomniac. Stays up too late watching YouTube every night. His viewing history is an incomprehensible blur of k-pop music videos, serial killer icebergs, and super girly crafty ASMR channels. When he's watching a video, he is unreachable. Please call back later and try again.
He's disgustingly cute when he sleeps. Doesn't snore, but drools. Sometimes the drool freezes and leaves frost trails on his face in the morning. Still sleeps with the giant stuffed cat pillow that his mother gave him when he was like, zero. He'll inadvertently suffocate you with it, and you will welcome death with open arms because awwwwww!!!!!
The first time he tells you he loves you will be after your traditional Japanese shinto wedding. You won't hear it again until you start a family. Honestly, it's a good thing he doesn't say it often and is always holding you when it happens. It's a knee-buckler.
- - -
Icy-Hot
I don't even need to say it. Shouto is as old-fashioned as they come. You will never open another door or pull out another chair for yourself as long as you live. He will ask before he holds your hand. He will ask before he kisses you. He will stop and check in if you so much as breathe funny during sex.
If you don't orgasm at exactly the same time while staring into one another's eyes, he'll consider himself a failed lover. God forbid you want him to pound you into the futon... cause you are going to have to present that scenario to him in writing first.
Physical intimacy rarely leads to sex. He loves cuddling, craves physical affection. He'll sprawl all over you and turn into goo while you hold him close. He's an amazing, astounding, phenomenally good kisser. And that's... nice and all... but sometimes you have to grab his face and say, "Shouto, I'm horny," before he's like so that's why you're currently dry-humping me?
Even if he isn't technically a virgin the first time (or the millionth time) you sleep together, you won't know the difference. He's a blushing violet. Every. Fucking. Time. This doesn't mean he's a bad lay, oh no. But there's always ten minutes of confused bumbling before he hits his stride and remembers oh yeah, I DO know how to fuck good.
Absolutely silent during sex. Focused. Intense. Sometimes you have to push him a little to make any kind of noise at all, just so you know you're pleasing him (oh don't worry, you are).
His cock is Just Right. Not to big or too small. Perfectly proportioned and symmetrical. Somehow pretty. Like a fucking factory prototype. It truly is not fair.
Gets handsy and restless at night, even if you both have work the next day. Seems to crave sex at three in the morning. You've given him more than one exhausted handjob.
Gets offended if you don't cum. Will go down on you for hours. Of course he uses his quirk to tease you. He doesn't typically use it during actual intercourse, but he's all about foreplay, and he'll use every tool in his arsenal.
His sex drive is completely fucking unpredictable. Sometimes he's all over you, other times he's an icy slab. His line of work leaves him busy and stressed on a near-constant basis, so you can't entirely blame his personality for this one. Just give him some time and help him take care of his basic needs. He'll come back around soon enough.
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dark1k · 3 years
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RK1K for the sentence starter "I have passed by many eyes, and experienced many lives, but I only got lost in yours."
Markus was inherently curious.
Even before turning deviant, he realized he had a quiet fascination for the world around him. He questioned everything and absorbed information like a sponge; philosophy, the arts, biology, no subject ever seemed to bore him. Markus craved knowledge and his friends relentlessly teased him for it.
"Thank RA9 we have countless terabytes of storage, or else you'd sacrifice your own basic functions just to learn about color theory!" North jabbed at him one day, Simon chucking beside her and Josh listening with fondness in his eyes. Markus laughed at her joke, knowing they meant well, but the group simply didn't relate to his inquisitive nature towards the universe. Despite the fact that androids are equipped with limitless intelligence and access to such information in milliseconds, Markus believed in learning things "the old fashioned way."
Whenever he had a day off from stubborn meetings and tiresome interviews, he would wander off to the local library, nestled in one of Detroit's many hidden alleyways. It wasn't hugely popular, considering the advancements made in technology, but Markus would spend hours in the small armchair beneath the shop's window reading all walks of literature. Fantasy, historical fiction, romance, he thinks he's read close to half of the books in the library's collection. It was peaceful, serene, and he slowly accepted the fact that he might be the most curious android in the state of Michigan.
Well… that is until he grew closer to Connor.
They became fast friends during the weeks following the revolution. Between discussions surrounding android rights and building a harmonious existence with the humans, Connor was someone Markus appreciated very deeply. Not only was he resolute and quick-witted, both traits needed when trying to negotiate with manipulative politicians, but he was the only person in Markus' personal circle who also questioned everything around him. As a result, they developed a kinship of sorts and spent many hours debating topics from conspiracy theories to decades-old news articles.
"What is your opinion on faith?" Connor asked one day, having caught up him before Markus left for the library. "I was speaking with Hank earlier and asked him, since I've been trying to understand why both humans and androids have such a profound belief in the unknown, but his answer left me with even more questions. He said, and I quote, 'You mean a bunch of wealthy church-goers who sing praise for words written thousands of years ago? Yeah, I never cared for that stuff.' However, I think the idea of faith is so interesting! Did you know that in Medieval Europe, the usage of stained glass in churches was meant to symbolize the gap between the earthly and the divine?"
Markus glanced over as Connor fell into step with him, his thoughts whirling quicker than he could fathom. And yet, his first thought always returned to Connor's eyes – how they shined with interest when the sunlight hit his face just right, and how they looked at Markus as if he hung the moon. Different prompts appeared on his HUD but he discarded them and answered, "If you're not busy, why don't you accompany me to the library and discover that and even more answers to future questions?"
Connor smiled, wide and toothy. Markus thought that no tome of knowledge could accurately describe what effect a smile can have on the heart.
And so they walked along Detroit's river to the library, their knuckles brushing with the swing of their arms. They talked about their own ideas surrounding faith, and if Markus laughed harder than he had in weeks when Connor remarked, "You know, I think I understand why people become so obsessed with faith, considering the amount who believe you to be RA9 incarnate.", then only the birds overhead and the waves beneath his feet could attest to his wheezing breath.
The shopkeeper, an old woman by the name of Dorothy, was overjoyed to see another face in her library. Markus directed Connor to the small religion section and showed him the books he had already read, offering narrations and his opinions on the authors. So caught up in his explanations, he missed how Connor's eyes never leaved his face and how his smile grew softer, completely endeared by the leader's infatuation with learning.
When hours ticked by and the pair had settled on the floor, backs resting against parallel bookshelves and thighs pressed warmly together, the sky outside turned into pretty pinks and vibrant oranges. Their conversation ended some time ago, but the quiet wasn't awkward. No, it was comforting. Like being smothered in dozens of fuzzy blankets. Connor's LED remained a steady blue the entire time and Markus placed this specific outing at the top of his "favorite memories" subcategory in his head.
"So, did you find your answer?" Markus asked as they were leaving, two books about environmental science tucked beneath his arm.
Connor grinned and nodded his head, gesturing to his own selection of books about faith. "The concept of religion is vast, but even I can recognize the beauty behind believing in concepts derived from purity and grace. Maybe the idea is something both humans and androids have in common. But, I did think of another question whilst we were reading."
Markus, giddy on the feelings he felt for the only android who understood his thirst for knowledge, stepped in front and started walking backwards. He opened his arms in a grand gesture and jokingly stated, "And I have an answer! You don't believe I read all those novels and return to New Jericho with nothing to show for it?"
That earned him a laugh, and Markus felt as if the most notorious of composers would fumble in the face of such music.
After Connor's giggles had calmed down, he asked, "Of all the books you read, across every genre and subject, which is your favorite?" And once again, his honey-colored eyes seemed to brighten as he eagerly awaited for Markus' answer, and the stars twinkled within them.
He's read stories spanning between war, animals, baking recipes, and even children's lullabies. He's seen the world through thousands of eyes and lived thousands of existences. But the only one that ever truly mattered to Markus, the one that made him resist every ingrained sense of 'flight or fight', stood before him in this very moment. Connor – one of his closest friends, his most trusted advisor, the one who broke down barriers and joined Markus in the fight that would determine their futures. Dressed now in a DPD hoodie and jeans, the streetlights gave him an ethereal glow and his smile never wavered.
Despite the fact Detroit was bustling with energy, it seemed as though nature stood still and watched these two androids. Two sides of the same coin, joined together in this private corner of the world.
Markus' emotions were running rampant, and he knew he had to confess his feelings (sooner rather than later) before his thirium pump burst out of his chest. If he was a poet, he would write soliloquies about the way Connor made him feel. But instead, he walked back to his side and threw an arm over his shoulder. Connor's hair tickled at his chin as Markus answered,
"Any story that's inspired by you."
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starryeyedweeb · 3 years
Text
Valentine’s Day with BNHA
A/N: I know it’s late for Valentine’s Day, but this is about the fifth time I’ve tried posting this because every other time it never got a single note even though all of my other stuff does pretty well??? So not to be that person, but if you see this I’m begging you to give it some love because it’s one of my favorites!
*DISCLAIMER*: As I’m over eighteen, I write all underaged characters aged up to be eighteen or older.
Contains: As always, sickly-sweet fluff; gender-neutral
Characters Included: Todoroki Shoto, Bakugou Katsuki, Yaoyorozu Momo, Shigaraki Tomura, Dabi/Todoroki Touya, Aizawa Shota
Valentine’s Day with...
Bakugou Katsuki
As expected, Bakugou thinks that Valentine’s Day is kind of ridiculous and isn’t too keen on celebrating
When his friends ask him what he’s planned for the holiday, it results in a bit of a rant
“Valentine’s is a shitty holiday for shitty partners to try and make up for being shitty. I take them on dates and spoil them all the time, so why should I make a big deal about a random day in February?”
But because he wasn’t a shitty partner, he knows he has to do something for you
“Oi, do you want to go hiking?” he asks shortly on Valentine’s morning, already dressed for the occasion. “We can go to that spot you’ve wanted see for a while.”
You agree- eagerly.
You honestly weren’t the biggest fan of hiking until you started dating Bakugou, who’s obsessed with it
It’s like meditation to him- one of the best ways for him to find a calm and clear mindset- and the two of you always have your best conversations when you’re out on a hike
Plus he looks amazing in his hiking clothes
The trail in question is further outside the city than most, and when you arrive, it’s pleasantly deserted
With backpacks swung over your shoulders, the two of you start down the rough path, which cuts through a thick forest
When you first started hiking, you could barely keep up with Bakugou, but you had gotten much better at it over time and are now able to comfortably keep pace with him, even holding his hand part of the time
The trail is mainly uphill, though, and periodically he will all but force a water bottle into your hands
“Get a drink. I don’t want you getting all dehydrated on me.”
When you reach the peak of the trail, which is a flat clearing overlooking the city below, Bakugou indicates for you to sit down and pulls out two bento boxes that he had packed prior to the event
Though there’s nothing heart-shaped nor unnaturally red or pink inside, the box is sweetly filled with all of your favorite bento foods
And of course, they all taste amazing
“Katsuki, this is so good!”
“I know.”
“Come on.” You playfully push his arm, feeling his muscles rippling beneath his jacket. “Seriously, though, thank you. Life has been so crazy lately, and this little break was perfect.”
“So you’re not upset we didn’t do anything more, I don’t know...” he trails off, furrowing his brow and running a hand through his hair, “...on theme?”
“Of course not. Stuff like that is for shitty partners who use a holiday as an excuse to make up for being shitty. They’ll go right back to their behavior the moment the day is over.” You interlace your fingers in his and hold his arm with your free hand. “This was perfect.”
Bakugou can’t resist a smirk and short chuckle at your sentiment, realizing exactly why he’s with you
“Hey, what’s that look for?”
“Nothing.” He shakes his head. “Kiss.”
You reach up and press your lips to his, and his arms wrap around your body, holding you close
When you pull away, you cast a glance out at the tranquil cityscape below and reluctantly check the time.
“Do you think we should head back down?” you ask.
“No. I want to stay here a little while longer.”
Todoroki Shoto
As one of the top heroes, Todoroki Shoto is a hard man to get alone, but you have high hopes for Valentine’s Day.
On the morning of February 14, the two of you check into the luxury hotel he had booked for a romantic staycation, awaiting an entire day of activities planned around the resort: lunch and dinner reservations, a couple’s massage, seeing the hotel’s nightly show...
Only for it to all be completely foiled before it even starts when Shoto gets an urgent call about a villain incident gone badly wrong, with as many heroes as possible desperately needed to help.
“Go ahead and do everything we had planned,” he urges as he’s leaving, rushing through a parting kiss. “I’ll be right back.”
But you know that it’s not going to be as simple as “I’ll be right back.”
The moment the door shuts behind him, you can’t help but turn on the TV and flip to the news, trying to find out just what Shoto had gotten himself into
The danger of the situation makes you sick with anxiety, and you have to turn it off almost immediately for the sake of your own sanity
Trying to follow his wishes, you go through the motions of the day you had planned, but instead of reaping the intended benefits of rest and relaxation, your brain is completely clouded with worry for Shoto’s safety
Which is only amplified when the hotel lobby has the news on with a crowd of people clumped together before it to see what’s going on, and the receptionist approaches you to ask if you’re alright
Dark falls with no sign of Shoto, but your heart leaps when you get the news notification that the battle is over
You turn the news back on for live coverage of the heroes that participated being interviewed about the events, but your stomach knots once again when you see no sign of Shoto
They haven’t mentioned any casualties, you wonder, but have they missed him or something?
When a knock echoes throughout the room, a cold feeling of dread washes over your body
You freeze and merely stare at the door, sure you’re about to receive the news that’s the worst nightmare of any partner of a hero
Until the door opens, and reveals Shoto holding a bouquet the size of his torso, looking a bit battered but otherwise alright
You launch yourself across the room, and he drops the flowers to engulf you in his arms
“God, Shoto,” you sob. “No matter how long I’ve been with you, waiting and worrying never gets any easier.”
“I know, I know,” he murmurs back, stroking your hair. “But I’m here now. I’m fine. I ran here the moment I could get away.”
When you finally allow him to pull away, he hands you the flowers, and you call room service for a vase and a first-aid kit
You sit Shoto on the bed and tend to his minor wounds, then order some of your favorite comfort foods for a very late dinner
Shoto is never one to discuss his missions right after the fact, so instead you just talk about nonsense things, like the most recent episode of your favorite show to watch together, and where the two of you wanted to go on your next vacation
Afterward, the two of you lay in the dark, so tangled together that it’s nearly impossible to tell who’s whom
Neither of you are tired at all, realizing fully that the privilege of getting to hold each other like you are was almost taken away that day
You feel your eyes start to well up at just how much you love the man next to you, realizing how much you need him
Shoto seems to sense that you’re going to a dark place, so he traces his fingers lightly against your cheek and breaks the silence.
“I forgot to tell you. I extended our stay here so we can still celebrate like we were planning to. I’m sorry I had to go today.”
“Shoto, you don’t have to be sorry.” You cup his cheek back, a few tears spilling out of your eyes as they meet his. “I’m just so glad you’re safe and that you’re here with me.”
Yaoyorozu Momo
Recently, an adorable little paint-your-own-pottery studio had opened on yours and Momo’s route home
You two had always meant to go for a fun date, but never really had the time, so when a Valentine’s event is announced, you both leap at the opportunity and reserve your spots right away
When Valentine’s Day arrives, you and Momo show up half an hour early for the event, wearing coordinating shades of red and pink
Laughing at your accidental matching, the two of you kill the time until the event begins by taking a million photos together
When the doors to the shop open and you’re finally allowed in, Momo’s eyes nearly pop out of her head in excitement, and you just know it’s going to become a regular date spot for the two of you
The shop is decorated like a romantic tea shop straight out of a cheesy movie, with lace doilies marking work stations, faux roses as centerpieces, and red, white, and pink balloons covering the ceiling
The special event involves painting spindly teacups with handles shaped like hearts, the workstations supplied with punch and sweets, all colored and shaped for the holiday
“Look at these!” She exclaims, picking up the ceramic cup at her workstation. “What should we paint on them?”
“Why don’t we do a matching design?” you suggest. “That way we can remember this even better.”
“Yes, let’s do that!” she agrees. “What design should we do, then?”
You two decide to keep it simple: paint the mugs solid baby pink, stamp tiny red hearts all around, and then Momo would use her elegant handwriting and paint both of your initials in calligraphy on one of the faces.
You ready your stations and sit shoulder-to-shoulder as you work, chatting and giggling the entire time, occasionally nudging each other playfully with your legs
“Could you hold the cup at this angle for me while I do the calligraphy?” she requests, which gives you an excuse to sit even closer to her, the scent of her rosy perfume engulfing you
“I wish I had handwriting like that,” you whine, watching her paint the graceful swirls of your initials, followed by the date below.
“I can teach you,” she offers, coming to stand behind you. “Here.”
She puts her hand over yours, and guides it along in the shape of the letters, her free arm looping around the front of your shoulders in a casual hug
“See? You’ve done it!”
“It still doesn’t look nearly as good as yours.”
“Well, my heart stamps don’t look nearly as good as yours. I don’t think I applied enough pressure.” She returns to her own seat, stares at you for a few moments, then giggles. “Speaking of, you’ve got paint on your face. Come here.”
You lean forward so she can wipe off the paint with a gentle touch, and she places a kiss on the now-clean spot.
“There. All better.”
When the two of you finish painting the mugs, you turn them into the counter so they can be finished in the kiln, then sit by the window of the shop to enjoy your sweets while you wait
“I’m very excited about these cups,” Momo says, reaching out for your hand. “They’ll be a lovely little keepsake.”
“Me, too,” you agree, resting your head on her shoulder. “It’ll be nice to have tea in them every evening.”
“Exactly. And if there’s ever a time when we have to be separated, whether it be for hero work or some other reason, we can bring our cups with us to remember that the other is always there, waiting to come have tea together.”
Shigaraki Tomura:
Despite his villainous ideals, in romance, Shiggy is actually quite sweet, if not a little clumsy
When you first became close to him, his unhealthy lifestyle and lack of self-care worried you, so you made a habit of cooking for Shigaraki, and leaving a week’s worth of nutritious meals in the League’s fridge for him
He had never revealed this to you, but he appreciated it so much, and wanted to return the favor
When Toga mentioned something about Valentine’s Day, he knew that it was his perfect opportunity, and made his plans by ordering everyone of the League to get out and stay out for the night
He then did some research about something good to make you, wracking his brain to try and remember what you’ve mentioned liking, until he remembers a very important fact:
He can’t cook.
At all.
Has never even once tried.
Which poses an obvious problem.
He panicked for a few moments, until he landed on a new, and possibly better, idea
When you arrive for the date, dressed comfortably (because, as much as you love Shigaraki, you know that there’s no way you’ll be going out for Valentine’s Day), you’re a little bit surprised to find him standing in the kitchen
“Shiggy?” You approach the counter warily. “What are we doing tonight?”
“I can’t cook. I want to know how.”
“You want me to teach you how to cook?”
“Yes. I want to know how to make your favorite meal.”
“Okay. That’s simple enough.” You make to join him in the kitchen, but he blocks your path.
“No. I want to make this for you. Just sit down and...tell me what to do.”
That proves to be quite a bit more difficult, as you never truly understood just how hard it would be to explain cooking to someone that has never used more than a microwave before
The music you had put on in the background was quickly drowned out by his frustrated swears, and you can tell that there are times when he almost loses his temper, but holds it together for the sake of your Valentine’s gift
A couple of utensils do fall victim to his decay, though, and he subtly tries to sweep the remains away in embarrassment.
At one point, his poor knife technique leaves a decently sized cut on his finger, and you jump into action, running for a First-Aid kit
“I’m not a child,” he mutters as you clean the small wound, avoiding your eyes.
“I know,” you reply lightly, pressing a playful kiss to the bandage you had just secured.
As Shigaraki comes close to finishing the meal, you raid Kurogiri’s stores for your favorite bottle of wine, pouring two glasses and setting them out on the table.
“Does this look right?” Shigaraki asks once the final timer goes off, warily holding out his creation.
“You tell me,” you answer. “I’ve made this for you before. It looks the same to me.”
When the two of you sit down and portion out the meal, Shigarki neglects his own plate as he watches you take your first bite
You fight to keep your face neutral, because honestly, it’s god awful, even though you had been right there the whole time, telling him exactly what to do
But you really didn’t expect anything more from a first time-cook, and even though the flavor is completely wrong, you still enjoy it, because you can practically taste how much this prickly mass-murderer actually cares for you
And as twisted as your situation is, you wouldn’t change it for the world
“Is it good?” Shigaraki mumbles from across the table, pulling you from your thoughts.
You take a sip of your wine. “Thank you so much, Tomura. This was such a thoughtful gift. I really appreciate it.”
“I knew it. It’s shit.” He pushes his own plate away in frustration. “I just wanted to pay back a favor and I can’t even do that right.”
“Shig, what did I just say? I appreciate this so much.” You round the table to his seat, rubbing his shoulders and planting a kiss on the top of his head. “Of course your first attempt doesn’t work. But that gives us something new to do together. For tonight, we’ll order some takeout, but starting tomorrow, I’ll give you another cooking lesson, and then another, and another, and another... as many as it takes until you can make a whole meal for me by yourself. Deal?”
He meets your gaze with a puppy-dog expression, placing his palms over where your hands rested on his chest.
“Deal.”
Dabi/Todoroki Touya:
Let’s just say that Dabi isn’t one to ignore traditions.
He’s one to very openly and dramatically oppose them.
You were anxious if not a little worried to see what he was going to have planned for Valentine’s Day- but, honestly, as his partner, you’re equally as unconventional in your own ideals
And he doesn’t disappoint, coming home with tickets to a ghost tour at the most haunted spot in town.
“Do they even do these on Valentine’s Day?”
“Obviously. That’s when I got the tickets for.” He shrugs. “Apparently it’s a thing that people do.”
“Hopefully not very many people. You know how we hate crowds.”
“And hopefully it’s not overtly themed for this asinine holiday.” He takes your waist and whispers the next words in your ear. “The idea of a dark room and an invisible audience is romantic enough.”
“Oh, stop it.”
“I just made you more excited, didn’t I?”
“You’ll have to wait until the day to find out.”
When Valentine’s Day arrives, you dress for the occasion and meet Dabi at a glamorous hotel in an older part of town
Before the tour begins, the guide allows the guests to go to the bar for some drinks, and begin to tell the story of the hotel and the paranormal activity that had sparked the attraction
Dabi seems uninterested, taking in the architecture of the historic buidling and peering down random hallways
“I’m getting bored of this,” he mutters in your ear. “I’m ready to see something interesting.”
“Shh, Dabi, I’m trying to listen,” you whisper back.
He responds by pinching your ass. “So, are you in a naughty mood tonight? Noted.”
“Stop it,” you mutter, lightly pushing him away, but your flushed skin is a dead giveaway to how you truly feel about the situation.
When the tour actually starts, you and Dabi round out the end of the group as it descends into a long, dark hallway.
Eventually, you feel Dabi’s hand leave its spot around your waist, but you’re so distracted listening the tour guide tell stories at the front to even notice.
Until cold hands grab you from you behind and give you a violent shake, growling animalistically in your ear
You let out a terrified scream, but the laugh that comes after is all-too-familiar
“Dammit, Dabi!” you gasp, doubling over to your breath and quiet your heartbeat.
“Aha.” His hands trail down your sides and squeeze your waist. “Gotcha.”
You eventually reach the main event of the tour, which is an old storeroom that had been unused for years due to the intense paranormal activity
Dabi actually stood still next to you with his arm slung around your shoulders, interested for the first time that night as the guide used the ghost box and actually got answers from the spirits that occupied the room.
Though there are a few times when you have to stop him from pulling some prank to scare the other people taking the tour, trying to convince them that they’re actually in immediate danger of possession
When the event is over, however, and the guide is ushering people back down the hallway, Dabi pulls you into a closet, igniting a small flame on his palm and pressing a finger to his lips
When the noise of the crowd filing out is gone, he presses forward forcefully and starts to bury you in deep, passionate kisses
“Wait, wait.” You pull back once you realize what his idea is. “Isn’t this a little...scary?”
“Isn’t that what makes it fun?”
Aizawa Shota
Valentine’s Day happened to fall around one of Aizawa’s busiest times at UA, and he was so tied up and tired that you had barely seen one another lately.
So, when he remembers what’s coming up and drowsily asks you what you want to do for Valentine’s Day, you surprise him.
“I’ve already made plans for us,” you reveal, handing him a printed itinerary. “I booked us a spot at a day spa. Those are all the treatments we’ll be doing.”
“Why’d you choose this? I’m curious.”
“You need some time to relax, and I want to spend time with you when your mind is on something other than which one of your students is going to get broken next.”
“Fair enough.”
On the morning of, the two of you check into the spa, and are instructed to go change into the fluffy bathrobes they provided
“Do I really have to put this on?” he complains, holding it as one might hold a dirty diaper.
“What’s wrong with it?” you ask, already changed into yours.
“I don’t know how I feel about my chest being out on display like this.”
“Well, I’ll like it.” You snake your hand up his shirt and rake your nails down his skin. “C’mon. We’re going to be late for our couple’s massage.”
Once Aizawa has reluctantly changed, the two of you start off your day with massages and facials
You had arranged for him to get a special eye treatment, and the small sounds of relief from his table reveals that your gift is very much appreciated.
“Are you relaxed?” you inquire as you move on from the massage room to your next destination.
“More relaxed I’ve been since I stepped through the doors of UA for the first time.”
“Well, are you relaxed enough to get a hair treatment?”
“Honestly? Bring it on.”
When Aizawa is laying back in a chair, a towel wrapped around his head and a styling cape draped over his robe, you can’t help but snap photos of the slightly comical scene
“Are you taking pictures?” he grumbles.
“Do you mind that I am?”
“Just as long as my students never see it.”
“Noted,” you reply, adding the photo to an album of embarrassing pictures you planned to show them at the end of the term.
After finishing the hair treatment- Aizawa’s hair looking better than you could ever dream yours would- and moving on to a high-tech infrared light treatment, you finished out the day with a soak in the spa’s top-rate onsen, reserved for just the two of you
You sit in comfortable silence in the hot water, bodies pressed close to each other
Shota’s arm was draped around your shoulder, and you loosely held the hand that fell across your body
When you lay your ear on his chest, you notice that his heartbeat is the calmest you’ve ever heard it
“So, did the spa serve its purpose?” you ask, tilting your head up to gaze at him.
“It did. Though I think it was less the spa’s doing, and more the fact that I spent an entire day with you.”
You hum happily, reaching up and tapping his chin. “Nice and well rested now, are you? You sure look pretty.”
He chuckles lightly, running a hand through your hair. “So do you.”
“Well, there’s still about an hour left until our dinner reservation,” you observe, noticing the clock on the wall. “Is there anything you want to do to kill the time before then?”
“We’re both sitting in hot water, naked,” he replies matter-of-factly. “The answer should be obvious.”
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