#it took a while for pit to come out but he did I’m so proud 🥰

[atlabeth]

weight of the world

series masterlist

pairing: luke castellan x daughter of poseidon!reader

summary: percy returns to camp after a successful quest. luke battles his guilt.

a/n: a lot of you guys seemed to like the percy pov and the pure angst of luke doing all this stuff to his first love's brother percy jackson instead of just percy jackson and first and foremost i would like to say you're all crazy but i also agree. so here you go. title from the jon bellion song

wc: 5.6k

warning(s): reader is dead (i feel like i have to tag this every time lmao). angst made angstier with fluffy flashbacks. tlt betrayal scene (pit scorpion edition). everyone is so sad

When Percy returned to camp with Annabeth and Grover, they were hailed as heroes. 

It might not have felt like it on the road, isolated with just the three of them, but they’d prevented a third World War. They certainly stopped camp from getting destroyed, if what Luke told them was true about the cabins taking sides. 

Burning their burial shrouds felt even better, especially with the Ares cabin’s expert craftsmanship. Apparently it was a tradition because demigods died so frequently on quests—Percy took pride in breaking that unsettling standard. 

It turned out all he needed to come into his own was to go on a quest everyone thought would kill him and not die. 

He excelled during his sword fighting lessons—going against a god would do that for you—he’d gotten much better at using his powers—going against a god would also do that for you—and his team always dominated on the lake during races, though that might’ve just been him cheating. 

He’d even started getting used to the Poseidon cabin in all its emptiness. It still felt too lonely, but he was working on it. The first thing he did when he got back to the cabin was pin your photo on the wall—Cabin Three belonged to you as much as it did to him.

And of course, everyone wanted to hear about how Percy saved the world. He’d told the story of his quest about a hundred times since he got back, sometimes with Annabeth piping in to set the record straight, sometimes with Grover dramatically setting the scene, always with a million different questions in between about how everything went down. 

Tonight was no different in the amphitheater—a group of Athena kids wanted to hear about his fight against Ares again—but he managed to get out of giving them the excruciating play-by-play courtesy of campfire songs. Percy didn’t really mind, though—any night with a large, golden fire was a good night in his books. 

Which was kind of how he ended up giving Luke the play-by-play of his quest. Maybe it was bragging, but he hadn’t seen who he considered his first friend at camp in a while. And yeah, sue him, but he wanted to impress Luke. He was cool and nice and good at everything, and Percy wanted to prove he’d made him proud. 

“—And I thought I didn’t stand a chance, but she taunted me and told me to jump into the water if I was really Poseidon’s kid. So I did, and it worked, and somehow I lived.” Percy shook his head with a slight laugh. “It ended up all over the news. I was a nationally wanted criminal for a couple days. We also blew a bus up, and rode with a zebra and a lion to Vegas, and went to the Underworld— gods, we did so much. It was crazy, honestly.” 

Luke chuckled. “I’m sure.” 

Percy glanced over at him, his brows creasing when he saw his distant gaze. He didn’t think Luke heard a single word. “You good, man?” 

He blinked and focused back on Percy, and though he smiled it was strained. “Yeah. Sorry—spaced out for a second. You were talking about your quest?” 

Percy nodded slowly. “Yeah. The whole criminal thing.” 

His smile turned a little more genuine. “You made front page news, too. I think you became the idol of a lotta kids here.”

“Oh, god,” he said with a frown. “You guys get news here?” 

“Couple New York papers,” he nodded. “You’re camp-famous.” 

Percy huffed a laugh and shook his head. “It feels crazy. I just got here a month ago, and everything’s already changed so much.” He looked over at Luke. “What did you do after you got home from your quest?” 

“...It takes some getting used to,” he admitted with a shrug. “I mean, getting to camp after so many years on the road was rough—coming back to camp after getting this—” he tapped his scar— “didn’t help.” 

“How did you get that?” he asked. 

“You’re always trying to get the saddest stories out of me,” Luke said wryly. “You know you can read books, right?” 

“I can’t, actually,” Percy said. "Not well."

Luke laughed and shook his head, his gaze falling back to the fire. Percy took it as him moving on. 

“I— I know I’m kind of proving your point, but… I wanted to ask you if I could have a couple more pictures” Percy cleared his throat, brushing a few dark strands of hair out of his face. “Of my sister, I mean. Obviously, you have way more of a right to them than I do, but— but Cabin Three’s a little bare. I thought adding a couple current things to the old stuff she put up would be nice.” 

His throat bobbed, and it took him a second, but he nodded. “Yeah. Yeah— sure.”

“Tomorrow after breakfast?” he asked. “I’ve got some free time before I have to go down to the forge.”

Luke nodded again. “Sure. You still have that picture I gave you?”

“Of course,” he said. “I already put it up on the wall. Do you want it back?”

His smile was bittersweet as he shook his head. “Nah. Like I said, you deserve to have a piece of her with you. And I’m sure she’d say the same.”

“I asked my dad about her, y’know,” Percy said. Luke’s eyes widened a bit as he looked back at him. “I went to Olympus on my own to return Zeus’s bolt, and the two of them were there. My dad and I got some alone time, and…” he shrugged. “I already annoyed two gods that day. Figured a third wouldn’t be that crazy.”

“What did he say?” 

“That it was one of his greatest regrets,” Percy said. “And he’d never forgive himself for letting her die, and for what it did to her mom.” He glanced at Luke. “And to you.”

Luke’s chest stilled, his gaze going out of focus for a moment as a muscle worked in his jaw. He hid it well, but Percy knew. He’d spent enough time at home with his mom and step-dad, overheard enough one-sided arguments. 

“You’re braver than me,” he finally said, and he stood up. “I’m gonna turn in—it’s been a long day.”

“I’m sorry, Luke,” he said. “And Poseidon is too, for whatever it’s worth.” 

Luke didn’t look back at him as he started towards the path. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Percy.” 

-

“Are you sure you’re allowed to put lights up?” Luke asked. 

“Okay, Chiron,” you said cloyingly. “I didn’t know you were such a stickler for the rules.” 

“I’m just worried about fire safety!” he exclaimed. “The Hephaestus kids nearly burn down their cabin at least five times a week.” 

“They’re working with actual fire. These are just Christmas lights.” You glanced down at him and he handed you the next strand. “Besides, this is the safest cabin for possible fire hazards. And they look pretty—that’s all that matters.” 

Luke chuckled as you hung them up, and he took a step back as you jumped off the chair and moved it to the other side of the room. You usually hung fairy lights, but with the holidays just around the corner, you wanted to make the place more festive. You asked Luke if he wanted to hang out with you while you decorated, and he obviously accepted. He took all the time he could get with you. 

“It’s so quiet in here,” Luke said as you got back up, taking the next strand with you. “I’m not used to an empty cabin.” 

“That’s what happens when you’re not supposed to be alive,” you mused. 

“You of all people can’t say that.” He huffed a laugh and shook his head. “Do you ever get lonely in here?” 

“‘Course not,” you said. “I’ve always got you following me around.” 

“Can you blame me?” he asked. “Your company’s the best.” 

You grinned and looked back down at him, and Luke gave you the next string of lights. “Or maybe you’re just a little crazy. You’ve gotta be to spend three years on the road with me.” 

“Being around you is what’s kept me sane,” he corrected. “Especially in the Hermes cabin of chaos.” 

You got up on your toes and lifted a leg up so you could lean to reach the last hook. “Oh, come on. Your siblings are so fun to be around!” 

“Maybe in small doses,” he said wryly. “And be careful, gods—” 

You looked down at him, your grin only growing. “Are you saying you’re worried about me?” 

“Always,” he said, still watching you, “but the last thing you need is to break your leg.” 

“It’s a five foot fall, Luke,” you said, amused as you got back on even footing. You hopped back down and tilted your head. “I’ve survived much higher falls.” 

Luke frowned. “You don’t get to joke about that.” 

“I thought you were dead too,” you defended. “That means it’s fair game.” 

His chest twisted. He’d played that day over in his head thousands of times since he first lost you, wondering if he could have done something different or if he should have searched more—he stayed in those woods for a week and a half searching for you before another monster attack forced him out of the area. It was the whole reason he came up with a designated meeting area with Thalia and Annabeth if they got separated—he never wanted to lose someone again the way he lost you. 

He shook his head with a sigh. “Sometimes I still can’t believe it, y’know? 

“Thank my dad,” you said. “I would have died if I didn’t fall into water. And he’s the reason I got to camp.” 

He’s also the reason you ended up on the streets in the first place, Luke wanted to say, but he held his tongue. You’d never shared his disdain for the gods, and he didn’t want to spoil your mood with his bitterness. 

So he doesn’t. He tilted his head and focused back on you. “Do I ever tell you how thankful I am that you're still alive?”

You smiled as you pushed the chair in front of your desk. “I could always stand to hear it more.” 

“Well, I’m thankful that you’re alive,” Luke said. He could have stared at your smile forever. “Mourning you was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.” 

“With any luck, you won’t have to do it again,” you joked. “I get it, though. Sometimes it feels like a dream. I thought I was hallucinating when you came over that hill.”  

The best and the worst day of his life—he found you again and lost Thalia in the same five-minute span. It wasn’t fair—Luke had told Thalia so many stories about you, and she was the one that brought him back from the edge your supposed death sent him to. On his worst days, Luke blamed himself for both. 

“Luke,” you said, jarring him out of his thoughts. “What do you think of the lights? Tacky, or festive, or both?” 

He blinked, then took a step back with you so you could get the full view. He nodded. “Festive, definitely. Where’d you even get them?” 

“The Big House attic,” you said. “It’s not just full of Oracles and spoils of war.” 

He chuckled. “And how did you convince Chiron to give you those?” 

You shrugged. “You know I’m persuasive.” 

Luke shook his head. “I’m jealous. No one else really gets to decorate their place like this.” 

“No siblings means full creative control,” you mused. “And Big Three dad means a big cabin all for me.” 

“And yet you still get a twin bed,” he said with a smile. “We’re all equal, really.” 

“Like you wouldn’t prefer a full.” You fluffed your pillow then set it back down. “You spend as much time in here as I do.” 

“Can you blame me?” Luke shrugged. “There’s no privacy there. We can get away with basically anything in here.” 

“And because you love me,” you said cloyingly as you rustled your hair with his hand. 

“Yeah,” he said with a smile. “I really do.” 

Your smile widened and you gestured at your box of decorations. “Wanna prove it, loverboy? Help me get the rest of this up before sword lessons.”

“Y’know, I’m leading them today,” Luke said, picking up a stack of snowflake cutouts. He was pretty sure you just took all the rejects after you were in charge of the crafts for a week. “Technically, that means we’ve got as long as we want.” 

“Oh, Luke Castellan,” you said airily, pressing a hand to your chest. “You know the way to my heart.” 

-

“Oh,” Percy said. “Wow.” 

“Yeah. And this is only one of them.” Luke set a cardboard box full of things on an empty bed and sighed. “She made this place her own while she was here.”

Percy took out a stack of baseball cards on top—Red Sox, of course, the only bad thing about you—and shuffled through them. “Everything’s a little dusty.” 

“No one really wanted to come in here after she died,” Luke said. He had a tangled mess of Christmas lights in his hands. “All this stuff stayed up for a year or two before I took it all down.” He huffed a mirthless laugh. “You’re probably the only one apart from me to be in here since she left.” 

Percy set the cards down. “Do you mind if I put some of it back up?” 

Luke glanced at him. “Why do you always ask me? This is your place.” 

“It’s not just my place,” he said. “I… I want to make sure I’m honoring her well. And I don’t wanna make it harder for you. Especially if you took it down for a reason.” 

Luke was silent for a moment as he stared at the lights. He brushed off some dust with his thumb. 

Percy felt bad for pushing the matter every time he was around Luke, but there was a tug inside of him—an innate need to know more about her, a desperation to honor her life despite never meeting her. 

“I appreciate it,” he finally said. “But go for it, man. You don’t have to get my permission.” 

Percy nodded, and he took a poster out, wedged in the side of the box. A Blondie poster, based off the huge block letters above a blonde singer stylized in pop art. It had a torn corner, and bits of tape had been folded over some parts of the edges. 

Luke chuckled. “She was a huge Blondie fan. She brought her Walkman when she ran away—I lost count of how many times we listened to Parallel Lines. Definitely put that one back up.” 

Percy nodded and set it on his bed. He looked at the lights in Luke’s hand. “Why’d she have those?” 

“She loved to light the cabin up,” he explained. “Said it made it feel more homey, and she liked to change it with the seasons. And when she enlisted the Aphrodite kids, it was like a— a HomeGoods warzone.” Luke shook his head with the most genuine smile he’d seen all day. “She really was something special.”  

Again, Percy’s heart clenched. It wasn’t fair he only got to learn about you through stories, only through the past tense. If he could get his mom back, why the hell couldn’t he get you back? Why couldn’t his dad have stepped in? 

What good was regret when you have all the power in the world to stop it? What good was being a god if you couldn’t save your family when it mattered most? 

“Y’know, I decorated this place a million times with her,” he said, and Percy was thankful for the interruption with his thoughts. “She wanted it to be a welcoming cabin, open to the whole camp if they ever got homesick.” 

“So the opposite of what it used to be,” Percy said wryly. 

“Yeah,” Luke nodded. “You two are the first Poseidon kids in a long time because of the oath—it was just here for respect. She didn’t just make it into her home, she made it into a home for anyone that needed some extra warmth.” 

Percy looked around, trying to imagine you and a younger, unscarred Luke putting all this stuff on the walls, him helping you hang Christmas lights. You sitting on a bed, maybe what he’d chosen as his bed, talking a younger camper through their fears or their homesickness. You forcing the innate coldness of Cabin Three out and replacing it with warmth of your own. 

“Did you bring any pictures?” he asked. 

Luke nodded again and took a few out of his pockets, offering them to Percy. He took the one sticking out the most and smiled a bit. 

“Very Poseidon of her,” he commented. 

“She loved the beach,” Luke said, smiling wistfully. “No matter what state we were in, she would always try to find one. We could’ve walked twenty miles that day, and the moment she stepped into the water she would be good as new. I should’ve known who her dad was a lot sooner.”

Percy’s hand lingered on the picture he’d just put up. You stood on a sandy shore with your arms spread and head tilted back, and you looked wholly in your element. 

He wondered what you would think of Montauk. 

“This was one of those times?” he asked. 

Luke nodded. “North Carolina. A year and a half in, I think. We missed the East Coast after being in the Midwest for so long, and naturally, she found a beach immediately.” His eyes softened. “She was always so happy around the water, even after she knew what it meant.”

Percy frowned. “What do you mean?”

He shrugged. “Finding out the thing you’ve always loved is the domain of the father who abandoned you is a little rough.” 

Luke always spoke with more nerve towards the gods than any other camper he knew. Funny, considering he was one of the first ones to tell him that names had power.

And he’d been acting weird since Percy got back from the quest. He thought maybe he was jealous, but Luke didn’t really seem like the jealous type—especially when he was already so cool. 

Then again, they did just come back from the brink of a possible world war. Percy should’ve been surprised more people weren’t acting weird. 

His attention drifted to the clock on the wall in the midst of his thoughts—Chiron’s last ditch effort in a camp full of time-blind kids—and his eyes widened. 

Percy muttered under his breath—Annabeth had taught him some Ancient Greek curse words on the road, and he was sure his mom would love them—and looked up at Luke. “Sorry, man. I’ve gotta go. Time really got away from me.” 

“I get it,” he nodded. “Have you gotten any better?” 

He glanced away bashfully. “Not really. But Beckendorf has the patience of a saint. Maybe someday I’ll make an actually functional sword.” 

Luke chuckled, though it was wistful. “Good luck. You mind if I stay here for a bit? I can put up some of her things.” 

“Yeah,” he nodded, “of course. Stay as long as you want.” 

Percy stopped once he got out of the door. Luke’s gaze was glued to a picture of you on the wall, his expression softer than he’d ever seen before at odds with something indistinguishable in his eyes. Again, Percy felt that all-encompassing dread, and he swallowed the lump in his throat. 

He left before it could consume him, but the haunted look in Luke’s eyes didn’t leave his head for the rest of the day. 

-

You took in a deep breath of salty air. The sea breeze blew over you as waves gently rolled into shore, and you smiled. You never felt more like yourself than when you were at the beach, and when you and Luke were constantly on the run fighting for your lives, sometimes you desperately needed to feel like yourself. 

You exhaled long and slow. It had been a particularly rough week—Luke did his best patching up your shoulder, but it would definitely scar—and this was just what you needed to wind down before you started moving again. 

You and your mom went to Cape Cod a lot when you were growing up, and though this wasn’t anywhere close to the same, it made for an alright stand-in.

The click of a polaroid camera interrupted your peace, and you opened your eyes and turned your head to see the culprit. 

“And you made fun of me for constantly taking pictures,” you said wryly. 

Luke smiled. “I made fun of you for taking up valuable space in your bag to bring your camera with you. I can’t not take pictures of you—especially when you’re so photogenic.” 

“Flatterer.” 

“Not if it’s true,” he remarked. He held out the camera to you. “Wanna get any pictures of the sea? You’ve got a better eye than me.” 

“Well, the sea’s a better subject than me,” you said. “Hold onto it.” 

He chuckled and took it back, drying out the newly printed picture. “How’re you feeling, by the way? I know it’s been a hard few days.”  

“Never better,” you said. “I needed a break from the road.”

“I get why you wanted to stop here,” he said. “It’s… calming.”

“Isn’t it?” You spread your arms out, breathing in deep once more. “I always feel better out here. More free.”

Another camera click, and your smile grew. “How do you feel?” 

“Better too, surprisingly. But that might just be because we’re walking instead of running.” You heard his footsteps and he came up next to you. You took the picture he offered and chuckled. You had your head back and your arms spread, soaking up every bit of sun and sea air you could. 

“I look like a stock photo.” 

“Does that mean I can get a job as a photographer?” he asked. “We could use some extra cash.” 

“Half of the pictures are either random parts of nature or me,” you said. “Who’d buy those?” 

“Me,” Luke said. “But I don’t think that would help with our money problems.” 

“All this flattery won’t get you anywhere,” you said. 

“It got me here,” he said. “I think it’s worked out pretty well.” 

You smiled as you looped arms with Luke, and after you gestured with your head, you started walking down the sand together. Whereas you always felt like you were blurting out the first thing that came to mind when you were around him, Luke always knew exactly what to say to make you feel better. “Do you like it here?” 

Luke nodded. “It’s nice. I get why you like the water so much.” 

“At least one beach a week going forward now that we’re on the coast again, then,” you said. “Deal?” 

“Deal,” he agreed. 

“Good,” you said with a smile. “I’ve been wanting to go back to Virginia Beach. Last time, those giant ant things ruined it for us.” 

“Gods,” Luke grumbled, and you felt him shiver. “Don’t remind me of those things. I’ll never forget what their poison smelled like—and I’ll never forgive them for ruining my favorite shirt.” 

“Don’t worry,” you said. “I’ll get you a Red Sox one someday, and it’ll become your new favorite shirt.” 

Luke shook his head. “Your Boston baseball propaganda isn’t gonna work. I was raised as a Yankee.” 

“And I’m here to undo that awful brainwashing,” you said sagely. “Next time we go through Massachusetts, I’ll have to get you one. And we can stop by Cape Cod—I think being close to the water is good for my health.” 

“And I like seeing you happy,” he mused. “So I guess it works out for both of us.” 

You laughed. “We’ll have to stop at a music store before the day ends, too. I’ve nearly worn out my Cyndi Lauper tape, and I need to get some new ones. You should pick out an album you like too.h” 

“‘Course,” he said. “I think we’ve got some extra cash saved up. And if we have to—” 

“We shouldn’t steal anything yet,” you interrupted. “I don’t wanna get the cops on our backs so soon.” 

“You say that like I would get caught,” Luke remarked. “It’s literally in my genes. I’m making my father proud, and I’m helping you. I see no reason not to do it.” 

“Cool it,” you said. “We’re not becoming Bonnie and Clyde at the ripe old age of eleven.” 

“Fine.” You couldn’t see it, but you could sense his smile. “I’ll hold off. For now.” 

That got another laugh out of you as you leaned your head against his shoulder. It felt like you’d been on the run for a week straight—this was the best break you could have asked for. Maybe the sea was good for your health, you thought. Or maybe it was just Luke. 

Either worked for you. 

-

Percy could hardly breathe as he stared down at the scorpion, slowly inching its way up his pants leg. It wasn’t every day one of your friends betrayed and tried to kill you in the woods, but this seemed like the year he started checking things off his bucket list. 

“So this was your plan all along,” he said, attention split between the pit scorpion and the traitor. “Gain my trust, send me to Tartarus, start a war for Kronos.” 

The air got colder, and Luke tilted his head. “You should be careful with names.”

“And you should do the job yourself,” he challenged. “You want to kill me? Fight me like a man.” 

“I’m not Ares,” he said tartly. “You can’t bait me.” 

“So you’re a coward too?” Red hot anger rose within him, and the words left him before he could really think about them. “Did you also lie about my sister? Got a hobby of killing Poseidon kids?”

“Zeus got her killed, Percy!” Luke yelled. There was something wild in his eyes as he gestured with his sword. “I loved her more than anything—I held her as she died, and your dad let it happen. If it weren’t for the gods, both her and Thalia would be alive!” 

Maybe it was a good thing Percy didn’t know that until now. If he knew the king of gods was responsible for his sister’s death, he would’ve gotten himself burnt to a crisp on Olympus. 

“This isn’t what my sister would have wanted,” he said. “She—”

“Don’t you dare talk about her!” His voice continued to rise. “You don’t know her— you don’t know what she would have wanted!” 

“She couldn’t have wanted this!” he exclaimed. Percy’s breath caught momentarily as the scorpion inched closer and he forced his muscles to remain as still as possible as his gaze flicked back over to Luke. “This isn’t the way to fix things, Luke. I promise.” 

He shook his head, and he could have been a son of Ares the way fire seemed to blaze in his eyes. “She died because of Zeus, Percy. She was so close to sixteen, and that meant she was a threat to his power. He sent monsters to kill her, and your dad could have saved her, but he didn’t do a damn thing about it. And y’know,” Luke huffed a laugh, cold and mirthless, “the same thing’s gonna happen to you.” 

His blood had turned to ice. “He knows the pain of losing a daughter. Why would he—” 

“Because they don’t care, Percy!” he yelled, his sword cutting through the air again. “All they care about is keeping their power and their position. Your dad would rather send you on a death quest than stop stroking his ego for one measly second. Hades sent monsters to kill Thalia, and Zeus sent monsters to kill your sister—they can’t punish each other, so they punish us, and the cycle will never stop until we make it stop.”

“And you think that this is the way to do it?” he asked desperately. “By betraying camp and all your friends? We’re in the same position as you are!” 

“And anyone that’s smart will join our cause,” Luke said. “Do you really think I’m the only one that’s upset with the gods? I’ve been here for five years—I’ve seen kids leave for the school year and never come back. I’ve seen kids die without ever being claimed. My own dad turned me away at every opportunity. Our numbers are bigger than you know, Percy.” 

“You say I don’t know my sister,” Percy said, “but I know her enough to know she wouldn’t want this. Not in her name. Not against our father.” 

“You don’t know her at all,” Luke said, voice trembling. “If she knew that Zeus killed her for nothing but paranoia over a bullshit prophecy, she would be fighting against the gods right beside me.” 

“I lost her once,” he continued, shaky but full of anger, “and then I got her back, just to lose her all over again. The gods will never know that kind of pain—if they did, they wouldn’t have let it happen in the first place.” 

The scorpion was at his knee now. Percy was running out of time, and his mind was working in overdrive on how to get more, but he found himself rendered speechless. What could he say to a boy who’d lost everything? 

Luke was the lightning thief, he’d fully intended to kill Percy with those shoes, he meant to turn the gods against each other and raise Kronos, and now he was really trying to kill him.  

And yet, he couldn’t help but feel sympathy.

Percy thought he’d lost his mother, but now she was back. He’d met his father in person. He had a sister he’d never meet, that he would never be able to fully grieve. Luke loved her and grew up with her and grieved her twice.

Percy didn’t care—anyone who his sister loved couldn’t be a bad person. Not fully.  

“Please, Luke,” he said, voice low. “I don’t know how to solve it, but this isn’t the way. You think the gods are using you? Kronos is doing the exact same thing.” 

“You’re twelve, Percy, and you’re already the chosen one,” Luke said. “Hades and Ares would have both killed you if they got their way, and it was your job to stop a war between the gods because they couldn’t see beyond their egos. How is that fair to you?”  

“There was no other choice,” Percy insisted. “If either of them backed down, they would look weak. We’re the only ones that can do quests like this.” 

“Exactly,” he said. “They start petty fights that they can’t finish and it gets taken out on us. We have to be their heroes, and we have to praise them as we die.”

Percy remembered their bus exploding. Medusa, an innocent woman favored by Poseidon and punished by Athena for it. The endless souls in the Asphodel Fields, and even more waiting in line for their chance to be judged. Luke’s quest given to him by his father permanently scarring him, Thalia Grace sacrificing herself for her friends, his sister never getting the chance to see sixteen—Percy himself being used as a pawn to enact Kronos’s plan. 

“You don’t have to be a hero,” Luke continued, almost begging at this point. “You can join our cause—you can prove you’re so much more than the prophecies want you to be. Say the word and I’ll call it off.”

Percy wasn’t exactly the pinnacle of godly respect. He tricked Hades, insulted Zeus, and actually fought Ares. But his dad loved him—or loved his mom, at least. Annabeth’s determination and Grover’s steadfastness and all the friends he’d made at camp—all innocent children like himself. He couldn’t turn his back on that. 

Percy clenched his jaw. “I will never serve Kronos.”

Pain flashed in Luke’s dark eyes, but he shut it down just as soon. “So be it.”

He slashed his sword through the air and a ripple of darkness appeared, the void bleeding into the forest. 

“I really am sorry it came to this, Percy,” Luke said quietly. “But it’ll be quick. And that’s a bigger mercy than Zeus gave your sister.”

Luke disappeared into the darkness and it vanished soon after. Percy didn’t have time to think about his words—the scorpion had reached his thigh. Sixty seconds, Luke had said, then it was over. 

Percy had about five seconds to think of a plan before it lunged at him. He batted it away with one hand and uncapped his sword with the other, cutting the scorpion in half before it could reach the ground. 

He thought he did it. Then he looked at his hand, a red welt already sweltering on his palm, oozing sticky yellow liquid. 

Percy stumbled to the creek and submerged his hand, but nothing happened. He muttered a delusional prayer to his dad, then to his mother, then to you as he stumbled his way towards camp. Nymphs emerged from their trees, and he croaked a plea for help. 

As Percy collapsed, barely caught by nymphs on either side, he swore that he saw you. Did that mean he was dying? You had kind eyes like his mother, an aura of warmth unlike the feverish heat in his body, and it made the idea of it a lot less scary. 

He wondered if he’d meet you in Elysium. 

Percy reached a leaden arm out to you, mumbling your name despite his cottonmouth, and then his vision went black. 

#the difference between luke w hurricane and luke post hurricane hurts me and im the one in charge of this whole operation #makes me feel a little crazy tbh #luke castellan x reader #luke castellan fic #luke castellan angst #percy jackson and the olympians x reader #pjo x reader #x reader #daughter of poseidon #child of poseidon #sadie writes

[blakeswritingimagines]

Everything Has Changed

Summary: Being the only one to believe in your best friend turns out to be your best decision ever.

Word count: 4.8k

A/N: Not all of it fully follows the movie but I went where it felt good!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Gran Turismo characters, nor do I claim to own them. I do not own any of the images used, nor do I claim to own them.

You stood silently as you watched Jann pack his bags, unsure of whether to be happy or sad that he was leaving for the Nissan Academy. You let your eyes fall to the ground in order to avoid his gaze. You had to admit, it hurt knowing he was leaving. You have been friends with Jann for a few years now. He was one of your only friends, maybe even more. "Jann, are you sure you want to leave? I will miss you so much." You looked at him and there was sadness in your eyes because you were worried that he was gonna forget all about you. You watched Jann finish packing his bags. You can’t help but shake the thoughts of him being gone, of finally being alone. You felt a pit in your stomach at the knowledge that the only person you felt comfortable around was now about to exit your life.

Jann slowly turned to face you, his expression somber. He slowly nodded in response to your question. "I want to leave." He told you softly, but there was a conviction in his words. He knew that this was something he had to do. "I know this may be hard for you to understand, but being at the academy is necessary for me if I'm going to achieve my dream." He paused for a moment before adding, "I promise I'll come visit you whenever I get the chance, okay?" You bit your lower lip, trying to hide the hurt you felt. "I know," you said quietly. You didn't want to hold Jann back from achieving his dreams especially since his dad often did, but you can't help feeling a pang of jealousy. "Good luck," you managed to say and forced yourself to smile at him. You knew it would've been selfish to ask him to stay, but you just couldn't. “Okay, Jann.” You took a deep breath. “I just wish you didn’t have to go.” You looked down, trying not to cry. “I’m happy for you. I know you’ve always wanted this opportunity, and you definitely deserve it. It’s just so hard to accept how different my life will be without you.” You swallowed and sniffled. “I don’t know what I’ll do without you nearby.”

Jann was silent for a moment, contemplating your words. He had thought that you would be more upset at him leaving. In fact, the fact that you seemed to accept his departure so easily made him feel guilty. "I'll miss you too," he finally said, his voice quiet and melancholy. "But I'll be fine. I promise. And like I said, I'll visit whenever I can. But until then, I think I should get going." He slowly turned back to his bags and started to pick them up. You nodded slowly. "Just promise you'll send me a text when you get there so I know you're safe." You said, trying to keep your voice steady. "And I want all the details, okay? I want every little thing you get up to while you're away. Don't keep this to yourself." You said playfully, trying to ease the situation a bit. "But please just come back as soon as you can. I'll feel pretty lost without you" You said, with a pout and puppy eyes. You sighed but nodded slowly. “Okay Jann. It’s time for you to go.” You were trying not to cry and didn’t want to beg him to stay, as you knew it was something he was determined to do. You slowly walked over to him and gave him a last hug and looked up at him, trying to hold in your tears. “I’m so proud of you, Jann. Go chase your dreams.” You said with a loving smile.

You would receive letters from Jann on a fairly regular basis when he was away, as well as the occasional picture. As time went on, you would receive other pictures, specifically of him posing with his car before races. You could see the happiness in his eyes every time even as you made it clear to his family each time. However, he made it a point to visit you when he had the chance. Months later, you would come out to see him during one of his races. Your eyes were glued to the track as you saw his car blaze past everyone else and take the lead. You couldn't help but smile and cheer. You would continue to watch the race, your eyes not leaving the car at all. But as he came into view, your stomach flipped and your heart started racing. As he crossed the finish line, you couldn't help but scream and cheer even louder, filled with excitement and happiness. You stood and started walking toward the finish line to be able to cheer him properly. You waved your hands at him happily, full of excitement and joy. You couldn't wait to get close to him and tell him how proud you were all this time.

Jann was able to hear your cheers from the track, and as he approached the finish line, he saw you standing there waiting for him. His heart skipped a beat at seeing you. He wasn't expecting you at all. As if in a trance, he drove his car off the track and over to where you were standing, waiting for him. Once he had arrived, he stepped out of the car and walked over to you. His expression was one of sheer joy and he embraced you tightly. He had been waiting for a moment like this. He gave you a warm hug and kissed you on the cheek. "You came to watch!" He said excitedly. "How am I supposed to not win with you out here cheering me on?" He was filled with joy at seeing one of his closest friends so excited to see him again. You smiled and laughed as he approached. “Of course, I came to watch,“ you exclaimed, your eyes wide with excitement at seeing him so happy. Then you quickly pulled him into a tight hug, your arms tight around his body. As you tried to contain your joy at hugging him again. "I missed you so much, Jann," you said with a bright smile, your eyes sparkling with joy. "I’m just so glad you’re doing well and that you’re happy. I'm proud of everything you have achieved."

Jann smiled back at you as you hugged him back. Your arms felt warm and comforting around him, and he let himself enjoy the hug for as long as you wanted to hold him. When you finally pulled away, Jann couldn't help but smile. You were always so supportive and encouraging, and seeing you there made him feel so much better. "Thank you. For everything." He said sincerely, meeting your gaze. "I wish we could see each other more often, I do. But I'm glad I got to see you for this race. I missed you too." He said softly, holding you close to him as he hugged you again. It felt fantastic to have you so close again. He couldn't believe it had been so long. "Thank you. I don't think I would be here if it weren't for you." He said sincerely. "You were one of the only people who was supportive of me. I appreciate that, and I hope you know that as my career continues to unfold, I'll always have a spot for you right at my side." "I'm just happy to see you do what you enjoy and be successful at it." You said, your eyes looking at him lovingly and with admiration of all his achievements thus far. "That's amazing, Jann. And yes, I will always support you. I have your back, and you're just so amazing." You laughed fondly, your eyes showing nothing but happiness at seeing your best friend doing what he loves. "Always," you said, as he held you close to him. You meant what you said too. In your mind, this wasn't just a fun little conversation you were having; these were words with promise, words with a future together. You felt so happy he appreciated the friendship just as much as you did. "I don't want you to ever forget that." You pulled back a little bit and looked into his eyes. You were so close to him, your body pressed against his, and you were starting to feel a little nervous being so close to him. "I'll always be here, Jann."

Jann smiled at you as you spoke, listening intently and remembering every word. You were so supportive and encouraging, and he appreciated that so much. He looked into your eyes as well and felt something he hadn't felt in a while. He hadn't forgotten how good it felt to be close to you and wanted to hold it for as long as he could. He put his hand on your cheek, leaned in closer, and kissed you lightly. He was surprised at what he had done, and suddenly wanted to pull away. You were surprised by the kiss but didn’t stop him. You kissed him right back, putting your hands on his cheeks. You put your whole body into it, feeling the warmth of his lips. After a couple of seconds, you both pulled apart, still smiling at each other. You looked up at him as if in a trance, not wanting to let go of him. But slowly you turned your head and looked back at the track, growing flustered about what just happened having only dreamed of this exact moment. You let out a small giggle, not quite believing that the two of you just kissed. You looked at him with those puppy eyes, as if asking him for a bigger kiss. You wanted more than that, but you were too afraid to tell him.

Jann didn't want to break the moment as well, as he was feeling the same way as you. He kept his face close to yours for a few more moments, enjoying the feeling of your lips against his. When you turned away and glanced back at him, he couldn't help but smile and lean in once more. He wanted to feel your lips again, and this time he wanted to keep them pressed against his. He leaned down to meet you, and kissed you again, this time more passionately. The feeling of your bodies pressed together was intoxicating. This time, your lips pressed closer to his, trying to feel as much from it as you could. When your bodies met, you felt your heart racing, and your hands trembling. You gave in and let it all happen, not knowing nor caring what would happen in the future. With passion and intensity, you kissed him back once again, this time not wanting it to stop. You were still holding your breath as this happened, your eyes closed and your heart racing. You pulled away, breathing heavily, your eyes slightly teary and your lips slightly swollen.

After a moment, Jann ended the kiss by pulling away slowly. He could feel his heart beating fast in his chest as well as his breath being shallow. Thinking the same feeling only came when he was driving, as you broke the kiss, he looked down at you with a smile. "That was amazing," He whispered softly, staring into your eyes before slowly caressing your face. "I think I need more of that." He said playfully, still blushing, but hoping that this meant the beginning of something even more than friendship on both sides. You looked up at him, your eyes sparkling "Yeah, it was amazing," You said with a smile. "I- I think I do too" You added, with your voice trembling slightly, trying to keep the words steady and not losing control. You were still trying to catch your breath. "So does this mean what I think it means?" You asked nervously, with a slight smile on your lips. You tilted your head sideways, your hands on his cheeks, waiting for his answer.

Jann nodded slowly, smiling back at you. He couldn't believe that you felt the same way that he did. "Yeah, it does. It definitely does." He said softly. "I want to be more than friends with you, will you be mine?" He softly caressed your face, looking at you with adoration. "Is that okay with you?" You could feel his heart beating quickly in his chest, matching your own. The question gave you a moment of panic, your body shaking. "Yes." You said, with your voice trembling. "A thousand times yes," you whispered as you got closer to him and smiled. "Oh my god, you don't know how long I have wanted to hear those words," you said with a big smile on your face. Your eyes were sparkling. You then got closer and gave him a long, passionate kiss. You pressed onto him as you kissed him, not wanting to miss a single second of this. "I love you." You whispered softly. Jann pulled you into his body, holding your head gently as he embraced you. The way you pressed your body against him made him blush, his heart beating rapidly. It felt like the beginning of something new, and he was overwhelmed with joy. He pulled you close and kissed you again, pouring into you all the love he had stored up inside of him for so long. "I love you too." He said softly as he continued to kiss you. "I've been waiting to say that to you for so long, and I don't want to waste another second."

A few months had passed since you and Jann started dating. You had become closer than you had ever been before, taking things slowly and not rushing into anything. You felt happy and content and wanted to share this feeling with Jann. Cheering him on as you watched the race as his family was there as well happily, everything around you seemed to fade out with a ringing in your ears as you stared at the screen in horror. You'd just watched Jann's vehicle violently crash into the barrier of his Nürburgring race. It looked horrific. His car flipped multiple times until the news cut out with nobody knowing anything. Feeling as if you were going to be sick while thinking it must've just been some cruel joke taking place instead. You didn’t know what to feel. You wanted to cry. You wanted to scream and yell. You wanted to break something. But most of all, you wanted to see Jann alive and well again. You looked around, as if in search of an answer to this nightmare you were living. But you knew the answer. The image in front of you was no lie, and Jann wouldn’t come marching up to you and tell you it was all just a joke. You fell on the floor crying. You didn’t need an answer you knew the answer all along.

Your heart started beating faster and faster when you heard the report of Jann's crash. Your mind went blank, and all you could do was stare at the television hoping and praying this was all a nightmare. When the news cut out, you felt yourself being pulled back to reality. A wave of emotions hit you, and you quickly burst into tears. You had known Jann for so long now, more than words could describe, and now you felt like a part of you was missing. You cried for so long, wondering what you were supposed to do now. Life just felt so cruel. You rushed to the hospital as soon as you processed what happened after the crash at the race. Inside, you searched desperately for any answers. You were still trying to process the news you had seen. You couldn’t bear the thought of losing Jann, not after everything you had been through. You looked around for someone, anyone who could give you some sort of update, some news, anything. But there was nothing. You asked one of the nurses, with a quivering voice: “Do you know anything? How is he?”

The nurses were kindhearted and were able to provide you with a bit more information on the situation. Jann was fine and had sustained no major or fatal injuries. He had only bumped and bruised himself but needed a bit of rest as they didn't want him to overexert himself. They also told you that you could visit him to make sure that he was alright. You quickly went over to his room where he was resting, and smiled as you saw him lying there, eyes closed and still breathing. "Jann?" You spoke in a soft whisper. He opened his eyes and saw you standing by the door before slowly moving closer to him. His eyes widened for a second before he nodded, trying to sit up. "Babe?" He said softly, with his voice filled with joy. "Are you okay? I'm sorry about the race. I know you were waiting for me…" He trailed off as he tried to move, only to suddenly jolt in pain. When he saw that you were looking at his various bruises, he quickly attempted to put on a brave face. "I'm fine. They're just scratches." He said, attempting to ease your concerns. "I'm so happy to see you." He said as he lifted his hand to reach out for yours. He wanted to pull you closer, to be surrounded by your comforting presence.

"It's okay, sweetheart, don't move." You rushed to his side, gently taking his hand in your own, trying not to cry as you did so. You caressed his hair and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead, trying not to feel overwhelmed. You cupped his jaw tightly, not wanting to let go of him this time. You were thankful to be there for him and didn't let go. "I thought something happened to you," you whispered softly, trying to control your tears, but failing to do so. "… I'm sorry." He mumbled, still trying to move despite your plea. He wanted to wrap his arm around you and pull you close, to show you how much he cared. He tried to get his mind off of the crash by thinking back to the last couple of months. He had spent every free moment with you, whether it was sharing dinner in the evenings, taking long walks throughout the city, or just talking late into the night. He loved how calm and peaceful of a presence you had, and felt safer than he ever had before.

You wanted to make Jann feel comfortable. You gently tried to lift his head a little and caress his face. "Don't worry, darling. I'm here. Do not apologize for something you cannot control. Rest and relax. I will stay by your side as you heal." You said softly, as your tears filled up your eyes again. As if trying to show Jann how much you cared, you reached your hand down onto his chest and kept it there. It was as if nothing mattered to you at that particular moment, other than Jann's wellbeing. Jann tried to smile back at you, despite feeling like it was hard for him to do so at the moment. However, as soon as you placed your hands on his chest, he felt a sense of peace wash over him. You were the only thing that he wanted to see in this moment, and when you put your hand on his chest, he let out a small sigh. He said softly, his voice weak and raspy. "I'm sorry I worried you. But I'm glad you're here."

When Jack and Danny walked in wanting to check up on the driver, Jann felt his heart skipping a beat when he heard that someone had passed away in the crash. His brain couldn't process the news, and he sat there in silence for a moment. Jann's eyes widened for a brief second upon hearing the news, but he had a feeling it was worse than he had originally thought. He tried to move, but he was too scared of what he might do to his injuries. His voice was soft and weak. He was still processing the news and just wanted to be with you for the moment causing him to yell at the older men to leave. "Stay with me. Please." He whispered softly. "I don't want to be alone." "I am not going to leave you, Jann," you whispered. You looked at him with love in your eyes and caressed his face. You held Jann close, trying to give him a warm embrace as if you only wanted to make him feel comfortable and safe. It seemed as if everything around you but him had disappeared, leaving only Jann and yourself in the room. You had no idea that someone had passed away yet.

Once he was able to go home all he could really do was hold onto you not wanting to let go. Late into the night as he was holding you close Jann slowly took a deep breath, trying to figure out what he wanted to say. He knew that the crash had affected him, and he wasn't sure whether or not he wanted to get behind the wheel again. "I- I don't know if I want to drive again." He said softly, taking another breath. "I know I said I would be racing until I retired, but I'm not sure if I can anymore." He looked at you with sadness in his eyes, not wanting to let you down. You held Jann, listening to his words intently. You could see the fear on his face, and your heart broke as you heard him say that he might not drive again even if it did make sense. You wanted to make him change his mind, but you also wanted to be supportive of his decision. But maybe he would change his mind if something could just convince him not to give in to the fear. “Jann, love, I understand how scary it must be right now,” you spoke to him in a soft voice. “But, I am sure that you are stronger than you think and that you will get through this, okay?”

Jann listened to your words intently and slowly nodded as he thought about what you had said. "I-I don't know." He said softly, still sounding uncertain. "I guess a part of me just wants things to go back to the way they used to be…" He looked at you, hoping that you understood where he was coming from. "I just wanted to make you proud, to make my family proud." He said. "But if I stopped racing now, would I be a failure?” You took a deep breath when Jann finished speaking. You couldn't believe he was asking this question, a question you knew the answer to. "Jann, darling, if you were to stop racing, you would absolutely not be a failure," you spoke to him, not knowing what else to say. "The only thing that matters to me right now is that you are safe and healthy." You said softly, your voice steady and reassuring. "I love you, and I would love you no matter what you do," you told him, gently placing your hand on his forearm. Jann sighed lightly as he absorbed your words. He felt better knowing that you would still love him no matter what he decided to do. He looked at you with adoring eyes. "I love you too. More than I could put into words." He was still trying to figure out what to do with himself, but knew one thing: he wanted to be with you more than anything. As he looked at you, he couldn't help but smile.

After Jack's pep talk, Jann was finally convinced to try the 24-hour race again. A few months had passed since the crash, and Jann was feeling better than ever. Jann thought about Jack's story, and although he was hesitant at first, he eventually agreed to do the 24-hour race. He felt like he owed it to himself to try one final time, and it would also help him get back into the rhythm of things. The day of the race arrived, and Jann felt a bit nervous as he got ready. However, as he sat in his car and put on his helmet, he felt a rush of adrenaline. He knew he could do this, and he wanted to show everyone and himself that he was still as good as ever. As he prepared for the race, you and he were constantly in contact. You both sent each other numerous messages, expressing your love for each other and wishing for safe travels. When the race started, Jann was finally back on track, feeling more confident than ever. His family, along with you, were there to cheer him on as he raced.

You were anxious, your heart racing as Jann sat in his car, preparing for the race. You could feel the pressure and the stress of the situation, not just for him but also for yourself. You knew how important this race was for him, but you were still scared of what might happen. What if he didn't like his racing anymore? What if he crashed again? But most importantly, what if he was going to get hurt? It was a very hard moment for you, but you had to keep a level head. You had to support Jann as best as you could. As the race continued, Jann became focused. The world around him disappeared as he focused on the race. He felt his adrenaline pumping, as he was doing everything he could to win this race. He sped past other racers, leaving them in his wake. The crowd around him grew louder as they cheered for him. Almost as if he could see you smiling at him, your eyes sparkling, as he sped by. He was more determined than ever to win this race. As the race came close to its ending, Jann was still in the lead. You got even more excited now, your heart racing at his speed.

The hours passed by quickly as Jann raced. With the wind blowing in his hair and the sun setting behind him, he felt invincible. He pushed the car to its limits and enjoyed every second of the race. As the hours passed, you got more anxious, watching the hours tick by. When Jann crossed the final line, your heart was racing fast. You stood up quickly making your way to him, waiting for him. As Jann finally stepped out of the car, he was greeted by your warm embrace and your joyful yell. "Oh, my love." You screamed as you hugged him tightly, tears in your eyes. Jann was filled with joy as he climbed out of the car, his hands raised in the air in celebration. He knew that he had done it. He had raced in the 24-hour race and survived. Jann felt like a king as he got out of the car and was greeted by the hugs and congratulations of the supporters around him. He looked at the crowd of family and friends, but his eyes were quickly drawn back to you. He saw how excited and happy you were for his victory, and it made him all the more glad that he had continued to push himself. When he felt your arms wrap around him and squeeze you tightly, his heart raced as well. He let out a long sigh as he finally had the chance to take a break and soak in what had just happened. "Hey, babe." He said softly, still breathing heavily from the race. "I did it… I'm so happy I did it…" He smiled softly, still holding onto you tightly.

“I couldn't be happier,” you said as you leaned close and kissed Jann’s cheek, tears still in your eyes. “I am so proud of you, my love.” You continued to hug him tightly, your arms around his neck, your faces so close your breaths misted against each other's cheek. “You did it. You did it,” you whispered into his ear, your voice trembling. You tried to suppress your excitement, but you just couldn't help yourself. “You really did it.” You kept repeating this as if to reassure yourself that the victory was real and that you both weren't just young dumb kids anymore. "Yeah, we did it." He said softly, smiling as he looked at you and kissed your forehead. He was still trying to catch his breath as his body was feeling the fatigue from the stressful race. He leaned his cheek on yours as he pulled himself closer. He held you tightly as well, not wanting to let go, not wanting this moment to ever end. "Thank you, baby. I couldn't have done it without you." He said softly. "You were there for me every step of the way, and I can't thank you enough for that. I love you." He whispered into your ear, and his voice trembled as he repeated these three words once again.

#jann mardenborough x reader #jann mardenborough #gran turismo #gran turismo movie #gran turismo imagine #jann mardenborough imagine #gran turismo x reader

[wooahaes]

i can't run away

pairing: non-idol!vernon x fem!reader [ft. changbin + minho skz, youngtaek golden child, among others]

genre: college au. angst. unrequited love (best friends growing apart).

word count: 13.5k~

warnings: angst. two idiots pining for each other and doing nothing about it. reader gets harassed at one point while at a party (off screen, only mentioned). food + alcohol mentions throughout. reader having a disrespectful roommate + mentions of sex (via reader getting repeatedly kicked out of her dorm room by a roommate w no heads up). loss of major friendship. slight health scare within reader's family. reader crying several times throughout. mentions of break-ups. abandonment via ditched plans (multiple times). growing up, growing apart. ask to add additional warnings.

daisy's notes: i've had this planned for a While now. sequel fic with a happy ending to come.

Your college years were meant to be this big step forward in life. Maybe that was why you were panicking so much the night before move-in day.

As you laid in bed, you mentally went back over everything. Your move-in time was early in the morning tomorrow, which meant you needed to get to sleep soon so that you wouldn’t be too much of a hassle for your parents to deal with come morning. Everything had always been packed away nice and neat and, aside from a few last minute things, was completely ready to go. You had checked everything twice before you and your family packed things up, and the bare walls and, well, everything of your room was enough proof for you. It wasn’t like you had the car packed slam full—but you took everything you would need. Some decorations for your side of the room, your clothing, school supplies… You weren’t the kind of person who hoarded things. Therefore everything you had was in that car. Your parents would be driving you to campus and helping you unpack, and then leaving you there to rely on public transportation within the city. Not that you minded: you liked not having to worry about gas prices. Despite the fact you knew everything was taken care of, all you could do was stare up at the faded glow-in-the-dark stars on your ceiling with this ugly pit of dread in your stomach.

Beside your head, your phone buzzed with a text, screen lighting up. Against the background of you and him smushed into the same frame (a selfie from your movie night a few weeks ago), Vernon was asking if you were still awake.

[baja blast 🚀] god you’re insufferable

[baja blast 🚀] what if i WAS asleep rn? huh?

[mr chwe 👽] you’ll live :)

[mr chwe 👽] i’m outside btw

[mr chwe 👽] also not to bribe you but i brought taco bell.

Shoving your blankets off of you, you made your way to your window to see that Vernon was, in fact, standing outside. He squinted up at your window before smiling proudly, holding up the bag triumphantly while not even risking the drinks in the cup holder he was carrying. He looked so, so stupidly proud of himself. Despite how your heart raced a little at the sight of your long-time best friend cheesing at you, you rolled your eyes and fought back a smile. You wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of making you happy this soon. Snagging your hoodie from your nearby chair, you made your way downstairs and out of the house. Soon enough, you were sitting next to your best friend, watching him carefully dish out your food.

“We’re still getting breakfast tomorrow, right?”

Completely unrelated to your friendship, which had been set in stone since middle school, Vernon just so happened to be going to the same college as you. While you had been excited over your own program, Vernon had caught sight of their film program and practically fell in love with it (although you couldn’t remember all the details he gushed to you about). Plus he guessed the added bonus of having you around did sweeten the deal a little bit. The two of you had decided to get breakfast tomorrow morning after you both moved into your dorms… Although you knew Vernon pretty well at this point. He’d already met two of his roommates. One of them was some education major named Boo Seungkwan, who Vernon had already said he’d introduce you to sometime. The other was Seo… something. You couldn’t recall his given name, but he was ‘chill enough’ according to Vernon. 

You tore open a sauce packet, giving a casual shrug. “If your roommates don’t steal you away first.”

“Hey, no, c’mon,” he lightly kicked you. “If they wanna come, then I’m fine with it if you are. I think you’re really gonna love Seungkwan. He’s super nice.”

Not more than I love you, you know, you had wanted to say. Instead, you shoved the thought back. The two of you had been friends for years at this point and you’d managed to hide your crush pretty damn well, so you didn’t need for it to start getting in the way now. And, sure, said crush had only developed two years ago (something about the sight of your best friend being ready to throw hands with your shitty ex-boyfriend was enough to endear you to him for life), but Vernon was always your best friend first. There was no way you were going to destroy your friendship with him by confessing. College would be different, you were sure of it. Somehow, you would find a way to move on and keep your bond safe.

But what if I want you to myself for another day? What then, Vernon?

You looked back up at him, licking sauce off of your fingers from where it spilled over your food and onto them. “You really haven’t met the other guy yet?” 

He looked up at you, one hand adjusting the band of his beaning. “Who, Chan? Nah. I mean, he emailed me a couple times. Seems pretty nice, though. Apparently he’s this super smart whiz kid who graduated early, so he’s younger than me and Seungkwan. Same age as Changbin, though.”

Changbin. You nodded along, committing the name to memory. Seo Changbin. Lee Chan. Boo Seungkwan. You chewed slowly, acutely aware of how perfectly Vernon knew your order by now. Same way you knew his. “Anything else?”

Vernon shook his head, only to stop dead in his tracks. “Oh, shit, wait—” He reached into his pockets, snagging his phone from it. “Apparently he’s this hot-shot dancer who’s set on joining the guys dance team. I found him on YouTube at some dance competition—he’s good.”

You’d already heard about the dance team. It wasn’t easy to get into, but that was due to the team being pretty damn legendary since several famous choreographers now came from there. Allegedly, the current dance captain of the guy’s team was remarkable strict when it came to performing every since he took over the role last year (something Hoseok—you’d never cared for the team because you couldn’t join, so you never committed the name to memory), but they were thriving nonetheless. Rumor said he was already being offered a job with some huge company to choreograph for idols. He was strict, but definitely not without reason if that were the case. Sure enough, Vernon was true to his word: this Chan guy was talented. 

“What about you?” Vernon asked after he set his phone down. “You’ve only got the one roommate. What’s she like?”

Ah, yes. The pre-med major you knew next to nothing about because she barely responded to your emails—which, truthfully, wasn’t a huge deal. She seemed pretty nice from what you could gather, but you only imagined she’d be busy since she offhandedly said she’d be spending most of her time in the library. Honestly, you didn’t mind it as much. Whereas you’d be staying in a smaller room with a single roommate and a communal bathroom, Vernon would have a suite with a shared bathroom between the two rooms. Maybe if you could trust the four guys to keep it clean (you’d seen Vernon’s room growing up—you just hoped at least one or two of the others were cleaner than him), you’d be fine with sleeping over once or twice for movie nights with Vernon. Something told you that Vernon’s friendship with Seungkwan was going to be different than whatever you had with your roommate. Apparently the two were talking way more than the few messages you’d exchanged with your own roommate. 

Not that you were jealous, of course. (Maybe you were a little of how easily they were getting along.)

“It doesn’t feel real yet, y’know?” You broke the comfortable silence that had grown between the two of you. “College, I mean.”

He nodded along, leaning against one of the posts on your front porch. “I get it,” he said after a long sip from his cup of soda. “It’s weird. Kinda still feels like we just met yesterday.”

Sixth grade science class, the first class you ever took in middle school. Your teacher had decided to randomly generate her seating chart, and the two of you had ended up at that same table. Call it chance or fate, you were glad either way. Vernon had liked spaceships you doodled on your notes, and quietly asked if you believed in aliens. You had looked at him, staring for a little too long and apparently scaring the shit out of him (he confessed that he’d been terrified you were about to chew him out), and confirmed that you definitely did… and the rest was pretty much history. Although you weren’t a hundred percent sure of your stance on aliens anymore (the universe was huge, you weren’t sure if you were entirely alone in it), the two of you had kept the emojis as a reminder of where the two of you began. A rocket by your name in Vernon’s phone with rotating remarks (baja blast was the most recent after you choked on it due to some stupid meme he’d shown you), and he’d always have some variation of his own name (Mr. Chwe after your karaoke night where you dragged him into singing “Mr. Chu” with you) with that little alien emoji right next to it.

“I’m glad you’re in this with me.” The words tumbled out of your mouth before you’d even fully processed them, and you suddenly looked up to figure out what you needed to do next. Apologize? Distract him? Kiss him, if this were a movie? Vernon just sat there, staring at you with slightly parted lips. 

Then he blinked, realizing you were watching him, and threw on that charmer smile he sometimes used when flirting with girls. “Yeah,” he said, a little distant as he started to pack up the trash from your late-night meal. “Same. We’re gonna destroy this campus, y’know?”

You’d just laughed at him, making some jab that you wouldn’t remember in a few weeks before you moved to help him clean up. He’d toss the garbage once he got home as he tucked the other crunchwrap he’d bought (for Sofia, no doubt—even for a meal with you, he was always thinking of her) into the front pocket of his hoodie. You stood on your front porch, watching him walk down to the end of your driveway before turning back. He waved at you, and all you could do was smile and wave back before heading back inside. 

True to his word, Vernon got breakfast with you that following morning after the two of you had moved into your dorms. He brought along Seungkwan (the only roommate who had moved in—Chan and Changbin would be moving into their room later), who seemed to get along with, well, anyone who spoke to him for more than a few seconds. You had listened as Vernon started talking about this record store off campus that he’d apply to work for so he’d have extra spending money (“Y’know, for dates and stuff?”), making your own mental list of the places you applied to work at both on and off campus. 

Weirdly enough, when you watched the animated way Seungkwan and Vernon spoke to one another, you felt this odd sinking feeling in your chest. But instead you decided to wash it down with a coke and rejoin the conversation, Seungkwan all too happy to include you in his music talk.

Freshman year, a few months in, and Vernon had already invited you to an off-campus party.

He’d meshed well with several of the sophomores in his general education courses, and that had been his “in” to this kind of thing. He’d told you a bit about them, and that some guy named Seokmin was the one who invited him along. When Vernon asked if he could invite you along, Seokmin seemed completely on board—the more the merrier, apparently—and said he’d pick the two of you up wherever Vernon told him to. Which, turns out, to be your dorm. The night of the party left Vernon lying on your bed as you looked through your wardrobe, your roommate out for the night, studying yet again. You were just trying to find something nice to wear.

You let out a sigh. “I don’t know about this, dude,” you said, pushing aside your shirts to find a decent one for a party. Whereas Vernon stood on that line between introvert and extrovert, you were a little more introverted and it seemed to show in your wardrobe in that stereotypical way. You preferred comfier clothing to the traditional “party” attire other people sometimes wore whenever they felt like (no shade to them to be fair: they rocked the look). Unfortunately for you, it left you a little out of luck for parties. One of your new friends, Minho, had even pegged you as being more of a bookish introvert from your wardrobe alone. At least it meant you were comfortable in class. “You said this party is gonna be huge.” 

“And I’ll be right there with you the entire time,” he said. “C’mon. How many parties have you gone to already?”

There was this soft, pale blue sweater sitting in front of you that Vernon had bought for your birthday last year. It wasn’t expensive or anything, but… did you want to risk it at a college party? Sure, you could get any stains out if you needed to, even if you had to stay up all night to do it. You sighed. “Zero.”

“And how many have I invited you to?”

“I dunno. Four? Most of the time you run off with your buddies and forget all about me.”

“I don’t forget,” he said, frowning. “I only invite you when I know you aren’t busy. You’re the one who signed up for an extra class during the first week—I don’t wanna bother you when I know you’re studying.”

Of course Vernon was thinking of you. Despite his thoughtfulness, you pouted as you looked over your shoulder at him. “Close your eyes so I can change or I’m gonna change my mind about going.”

Wordlessly, he turned over onto his side, and the mattress groaned underneath him as he did. He settled, and didn’t move any further, giving you the chance to strip your shirt off and drop it into the bottom of your closet, staring at your shirts again. Shit, which one…?

“It’s nothing I haven’t seen before,” he said, quiet enough that you weren’t sure whether you were supposed to hear him or not.

Maybe he had a slight point there. The two of you were close. You had changed in front of him plenty of times before without thinking about it—hell, you didn’t even care when the two of you were in your early teens. You’d go to the pool with him and strip off your cover-up before an adult scolded you for it, saying something about how it wasn’t “proper” for girls to do that kind of thing around boys. Why did Vernon get to pull his shirt off, but you had to go to a changing room? You’d always despised it, but maybe it was for the best now. If people saw you and Vernon like this, they’d ask you what the two of you were. If he was your boyfriend or not. You weren’t exactly ready to confront those feelings and feel the bitter sting of rejection quite yet. Plucking a band t-shirt from a hangar, you stared down at it before looking at Vernon… and then you tossed it at him, pulling on that baby blue sweater instead and deciding to change into a nice pair of jeans quickly. People might give you looks, but you were genuinely the kind of person who got cold easily. You didn’t need to give Vernon an excuse to push his jacket onto you, too, always insisting that you stay warm. 

His phone dinged a moment later. “Oh, shit,” he sat up, “Hao’s outside.”

You looked up from where you were stepping into a pair of black jeans. “Hao?”

“Hao’s one of the guys—” Vernon turned around without thinking, only to immediately whip back around to give you privacy. “There’s Minghao, the philosophy major. Super smart dude. Seokmin’s the theater guy who invited us to this, aaand Mingyu, who’s still stuck between a couple things but he said he’d make up his mind before the end of the semester.”

“Is anyone I know going to be there?”

“Seungkwan’s coming,” Vernon said. “Chan’s busy with a paper. You’ll be stuck in the back with me, though.”

“Gross,” you stuck your tongue out. “You sure I can’t talk Seungkwan into switching?”

He rolled his eyes, throwing your shirt back at you as he hid his smile. “You know you love me.”

You flopped onto the space next to Vernon so that you could pull on one of your boots, and he looked at you with a smile. “So you always say.”

After lacing up your boots, the two of you made your way down to the van that was awaiting the two of you. Introductions happened after you were both squared away in the back. You did notice that Seungkwan gave Mingyu a look when he asked if the two of you were really just friends. Had he been able to do it more secretly, maybe Seungkwan would have kicked him for it. But you were more focused on learning a little more about Vernon’s friends. Minghao was a dancer on that prestigious dance team alongside Chan and a few other guys that Vernon knew, and he’d met Vernon through his philosophy class (he’d once been a literature major, only to switch at the end of freshman year). Seokmin had met him in the dining hall one day, inviting him over when he was about to eat alone since you were in a lecture, and the two seemed to hit it off pretty well—which led to Vernon meeting Mingyu. Seungkwan had already known Mingyu from a class the two had shared, and he’d known Seokmin through the school choir. It made you feel a little self conscious that the only person who really knew you here was Vernon (as you only knew Seungkwan through him). But Vernon’s shoulder had bumped into your own, and it reassured you. Making friends would be easier if you just talked to them a little more. That was why you were coming with him: to meet people.

Unfortunately for you, the party was pretty fucking packed. Vernon had swore on the ride over that if he wasn’t with you, then one of his friends would be watching your back. He knew how shitty people could be to girls at parties, and he seemed intent on staying close to keep you safe. With a hand at the middle of your back, he’d introduced you to a few people he already knew. From across the crowded room, he could hear someone yelling his name (some dude named Seungcheol who he knew from work), and Vernon had excused himself from you to go say hi. Vernon would introduce him to you some other time when Seungcheol was… well, sober. He’d carried off his red solo cup of beer and felt Seungcheol throw an arm around his shoulder the moment he was close enough to, already introducing himself to a couple other seniors—Jeonghan and Joshua. 

Time slipped through his fingers like the beer in his cup, though, and it took several drinks for Vernon to realize… He couldn’t see you anywhere. Fuck. He’d gotten carried away with talking to Joshua (who had been abstaining from drinking that night—he was there to watch Jeonghan and Seungcheol) about the States that at some point, he stopped glancing back to check on you. Seungcheol had already teased him one too many times about “that girl he obviously likes” while giving some tips on how to hook up with you (out of the question: Vernon liked you too much and knew you too well to try and treat you so casually) that he’d stopped looking so often. Somewhere along the way, you’d just disappeared at some point. He excused himself from the conversation, glancing at his phone to realize just how long he’d been talking to them. He avoided the occupied bedrooms, knocking on bathrooms and calling your name, pushing through people-heavy rooms in an attempt to see that baby blue sweater.

“Oh, her?” Seokmin had said when Vernon finally found him and Minghao in the kitchen. “She left. I told you maybe half an hour ago.”

Vernon furrowed his brow. He hadn’t even seen Seokmin… hadn’t he? “What?”

Seokmin glanced around, and guided a little further into the kitchen to get away from the loud music, right next to where an open window was.. The cool night air hit his warmed skin, and Seokmin’s gaze could have sobered him up alone. “She told me she was going to get an Uber and went home,” he repeated. “Weren’t you listening?”

Vernon scrambled for his phone again. “Yeah,” he lied, “totally. Just wanted to make sure you remembered…”

[ mr headphones 👽] did you get back safe?

Seokmin glanced from Vernon’s face to the illuminated screen, not bothering to try and read it. “Right,” he said. “I’m going back inside. She’s probably fine. Mingyu’s been outside—You can ask him if he saw her leave.” 

Vernon barely responded, and Seokmin merely merged back into the conversation with Minghao. He dumped his drink into the sink, and made his way outside instead. Fuck, you’d left early? And you didn’t even tell him anything? If you weren’t having fun, he would have ditched this place to be with you. Wherever you wanted to go, he’d follow. What was the point of bringing you out if you were miserable the entire time? He stared down at his phone, tapping his foot as he waited for something—even the response bubble with those three little dots—to pop up in your texts. He should call you. But his head was still fuzzy from the alcohol in his system. He scratched the back of his neck, moving further away from the doors. Maybe he shouldn’t have drank tonight to begin with. Not when you were with him. He kicked himself for even inviting you out. Parties weren’t your thing—not big ones like this, anyway. You were fine in situations where you knew people, he’d just thrown you to the sharks and then entirely fucked off because Seungcheol called him over.

Maybe he should have just set up a movie night for the two of you like he wanted to. And… if Seungkwan or Chan had wanted to join, they could have. It could be like old times again.

[🚀] 👍

He breathed a sigh of relief as soon as the message popped up. You were fine. Most likely, you’d made it back to campus and gone up to your room, and then taken a shower. Vernon leaned back against the wall, letting his head fall back against the brick as he shut his eyes. There were other parties he could have taken you to, other parties with less people than this one. This place was too cramped, too crowded, and you were probably getting overheated in that stupid cute sweater you loved wearing so much. You were too pretty in it for him to say otherwise, though, even though he felt like it was a bad idea when drunk idiots could spill their shitty beer all over it. 

Minghao had finally found him again outside while he was rounding up the people he was responsible for. How long had he stood outside, bobbing his head to the blasting music he could still hear—albeit muffled—from where he stood? He kept staring down at his phone screen and that singular emoji from you, this nagging feeling in the back of his head. He wasn’t sure how long, but it’d been long enough for Minghao to drag him back to the car where the others were. Seungkwan was silently toying with the paper wrapper of the water bottle someone (Minghao, he’d find out barely a minute later: he carried them with him for the drunk idiots he had to get home) had pressed into his hands. Seokmin was still giggling about something, apparently having drank more since Vernon last saw him. Mingyu kept whispering things to Seokmin that’d send him into further giggles. In the back of that van, Vernon suddenly felt your absence way more. On the drive over, he’d been showing you stupid memes and cat videos he’d been compiling in a playlist for you. He’d heard your laugh, and felt the weight and warmth of your body as it pressed against his. Now all he could smell was the reek of alcohol and Seokmin’s laugh, alongside the feeling of Seungkwan staring at him every so often, lips pressed tight together.

It wasn’t until long after they were back at the dorm that Seungkwan finally spoke up. He’d been standing next to him in the bathroom, cleaning his face while Vernon was brushing his teeth. “Is she okay?”

Vernon looked up with a muffled “hmpfh?” in response. He’d sobered up more since Minghao brought him back, walking the two up to the entrance of their building and making them promise to drink more water once they got to their room. One movie later, and Vernon’s head finally felt a little clearer than it did before.

“Your friend.” Seungkwan paused, and then said your name after a moment. “Someone kept harassing her at the party. He only left her alone once I stepped in, but she left after that happened.” 

Vernon spat hard into the sink, wiping his mouth with his sleeve and whipping around to face Seungkwan. “What?”

“Ew.” Seungkwan wrinkled his nose as he glanced at Vernon’s sleeve, but let whatever he wanted to say next. He turned back to himself in the mirror, “Minghao offered to drive her home, but she turned it down in case one of us needed him. She said she’d get an Uber, and he went outside to wait until he saw her get in. I think he said he got her number and told her to text him as soon as she was home safely.” 

… Why hadn’t you said any of that to him? Fuck, why didn’t you find him when that guy was messing with you? He would have outright told him to go fuck himself and to leave you alone. He looked at the time on his phone again and scowled: it was far too late to call you. If Seungkwan had mentioned it earlier… No. It wasn’t Seungkwan’s fault. Vernon would just text you in the morning and get breakfast with you as an apology for not being there for you when you needed him (and talk to you about what happened, if you were willing).

Sure enough, you’d agreed, and the two of you agreed to meet at this quaint little place off campus. He sat across from you, watching as you tore the paper off of your straw with this content smile. You pushed it into your cup of orange juice and looked up at him with his gleeful look in your eyes, always happy to start a morning like this. Any other time, he’d find it cute and your love of the drink endearing. But now…

“Hey…” He said. “Why didn’t you find me last night?”

“Hm?” You looked up at him, lips wrapped around your straw as you took a long sip. A moment later, you set the cup back down. “I didn’t want to bother you. Did you have fun? You guys looked like you were.”

“That’s not important,” he said. “Seungkwan told me some guy kept harassing you.”

Your smile fell, and you sank back into the cushioned seat. “You… You looked really into the conversation you were having with that guy. I didn’t want to interrupt.” 

He sighed, “That doesn’t matter—” Vernon’s eyes met yours, and he frowned at you. “You’re my best friend. If some asshole is bothering you, you should tell me. We’re supposed to have each other’s backs.”

“I was fine, Vernon,” you said. “I wasn’t having fun, so that’s why I left. You fit into parties like that way better than I do. I don’t even know why you bothered inviting me.”

I asked you to come because I wanted you there, Vernon wanted to say. Deep down, he hoped to maybe show you off a little. To have someone maybe try and ask outright if you were his girlfriend (someone that wasn’t Mingyu, who he could chalk it up as Mingyu teasing him), and maybe use that to break into that conversation. The “are we just friends?” conversation he’d been wanting to have with you, yet kept shying away from because what if he misread all of it? The two of you were close. It’d taken him forever to figure out his feelings for you, and he was sure you felt… something to him. You hadn’t seen anyone else since classes started, at least. And he hadn’t seen anyone either. Maybe…

Maybe he was waiting for you to take that first step. Whether it was you telling him that he wasn’t being stupid and that you liked him back, or you straight up kissing him… He needed that sign in neon lights. He wasn’t going to gamble and fuck this up. 

“Still…” His foot nudged yours underneath the table. “I care about you a lot, y’know? If you aren’t having fun, then we’ll go do something else.” He paused, and extended his pinkie out to you. “We’re a pair.”

There was that pretty smile he loved so much. You rolled your eyes a second later, locking your pinkie around his own. “Yeah,” you said. “We’re a pair… But you’re still paying for our pancakes.”

(Fuck, he loved you too much.)

Vernon stopped inviting you to parties. 

It took you a little longer than it should have to realize it, considering it had been a few months since then. He’d go out, post pictures and status updates on his social media of and about him and his friends and whatever they were up to. That didn’t mean he stopped inviting you places altogether: he just started making different plans for you. Smaller get-togethers with his (and your) friends, things that were more comfortable for you. Seungkwan always treated you kindly whenever you came around, happy to keep you involved in the conversation whenever he noticed it was veering a little too off to one side. Sometimes Chan would join in, and Changbin—the other roommate, who you actually ended up befriending pretty easily—did, too. Sometimes you’d invite Minho along, too. Your little group would either go out on the weekends, finding something fun to do within the city. Other times, you would all curl up in their suite and watch movies together (or play games—Chan had a Switch and the extra controllers so that you could all play alongside him). You’d never forget waking up next to Vernon during finals week. The two of you had been studying for the psychology class that you shared. For a moment, you wondered if this was what your life could look like if you just told him. But you’d seen how feelings could ruin a friendship: two of your friends in high school had broken apart because one confessed their unreciprocated feelings. They’d never been the same. You wouldn’t let that be you and Vernon.

So you shoved your feelings aside again and again. Even now, as you were waiting alone in a fast food place for Vernon. He was standing toward the front, waiting for your order. This was supposed to be some kind of study session, actually: the two of you had a biology lab that you needed to work on that was due a few days from now. It was Vernon’s idea to do it over lunch. Unlike last semester, the two of you shared way more gen ed classes—save for your English one, although he was just in the other section for it.

Despite your confidence in your friendship with Vernon… You couldn’t help but wonder if maybe he pitied you a little more than he did before. You’d been fine with making friends in high school, but college? Aside from Vernon, you had to build things back up entirely. You had Lee Minho—he’d been in one of your gen ed classes last semester, and he was in your English class now—but that was the only real friend you’d made on your own. Then again, you kind-of talked to the guy in your Japanese class, Youngtaek. He’d confided with you during your first class that he could speak Japanese just fine, but the school wouldn’t let him test out of it, so he’d just take it as a boost to his GPA. He didn’t make fun of your confused pronunciations, either, always kindly correcting you before he slid you his number in case you needed his help. But… That was the extent of it. Sure, you knew Minho’s cats’ names, and you kind-of knew about Youngtaek’s other friends… That was it, though. You were still lost, trying to find your footing in this difficult time in life. Most of freshman year had slipped past you before you’d known it, and now you were just there. Still lost in who you were and what you really wanted in life. And now you knew that Vernon would cancel his plans with other people just to hang around you.

When did this all feel so complicated?

The sound of the tray hitting the table pulled you out of your thoughts, and Vernon slid into the other side of the booth. He started to dish out your respective meals, talking about the biology report that you’d honestly stopped caring about as he did so. Sitting next to the window meant you could see how pretty his eyes were when the sunlight hit them. You’d always thought Vernon had beautiful eyes, regardless of where the two of you were… But the way they looked when the sunlight hit them? That was the most beautiful thing you’d ever seen in your life. How did you manage to get a best friend who was not only handsome, but funny and sweet and—

“You good?”

Shit. You nodded. “Just thinking.”

He smiled a little, setting your drink in front of you before he put the tray aside. “Don’t worry about it. It’s just one lab report. We’ve got this.” 

Sometimes, you truly admired how confident he could be in your abilities… and the way he accidentally just gave you an out. “I guess I’m just thinking about the next lab,” you shrugged. “Dissection is…”

“Oh. Dude. We could totally ditch.”

You furrowed your brow as you looked up from where you were unwrapping your meal. “You sure? We only get one free pass in this class. Most people save it for the last lab.” 

“I mean… I don’t want to dissect shit. You don’t want to dissect shit. We’re only taking this course for the gen ed,” he shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe we could ditch and go see a movie or something.”

It reminded you of your senior year of high school together. The two of you ended up taking off in the middle of the day after Vernon found you upset, and you’d gone to an arcade instead. There was a polar bear plushie on your bed that you’d always kept from that day. And now he was willing to skip one of your biology labs for you. 

The two of you ended up braving the lab anyway. Even though neither of you were completely fine with dissecting, well, anything, the two of you managed to get through it pretty fine. Other people would have to deal with worse in the future, you were sure, but for two non-biology majors, just getting through it was fine. The two of you ended up going off to the movies afterward anyway as a tiny reward for not being cowards. In the back row of an empty theater, you rested your head on Vernon’s shoulder. A moment later, you felt his lean against yours.

At least you knew Vernon loved you in some way.

Sophomore year marked a slight change in everything. Life began to get in the way for you and Vernon. Whenever he was free, you often weren’t, and you always seemed to be free when he wasn’t. Sure, you could maybe stop by the record shop to talk to him for a few minutes whenever you wanted to see him, but it wasn’t the same as having a movie night at his and Seungkwan’s dorms (which they’d returned to again this year—although it was more communal rather than a suite). And you… You didn’t want Vernon coming to your dorms. 

The reason why? The same reason you were crying in the break room on your floor. The same fucking reason you were locked out of your dorm room for the third time in one week over the past few months. Your roommate was nice enough… when she was alone. Yet you’d heard her moaning when you came back up to get your textbooks, because you had a test coming up on Friday, and it was a major one. As nice as your roommate was, she never listened to you when you tried to set some kind of boundary like “can you give me a heads up before you start fucking your boyfriend in our dorm room?” considering she did this often. All you needed was a heads up so that you could get your shit and go somewhere else. It felt like you were never entirely alone in the dorm room for long: she or her boyfriend were always around. It wasn’t even as though she were studying in the room. They’d always fuck there, and your roommate never gave you any proper warning first despite the fact you’d always make it clear when something major was coming up and you needed to have some access to your study materials. 

Like you said: if she wanted to fuck her boyfriend, fine, but at least let you get your shit first. It wasn’t as if you had anywhere else to keep your books.

You tried to call Vernon for some kind of reassurance. Either he’d calm you down, or he’d bitch about your roommate’s rude behavior with you. He didn’t pick up, though, only texting back that he was busy at the moment. You buried your face in your hands, trying not to sob again. Even if you had your books, the library was always packed around this time. Where else could you study that was nice and quiet? Fuck, you knew your roommate, too: there was no way you’d be getting back in within the next few hours.

So you ended up texting Changbin, who’d grown closer with you over the break. He told you to just come on over to his apartment without any hesitation. You pulled yourself together, stopping in the bathrooms long enough to look yourself over and calm down before you left. Changbin’s apartment was just off campus, and you’d been enough times that you knew the way by heart. It was only a short bus ride and a walk, but it gave you plenty of time to calm down even further (even if you did end up crying again while waiting on the bus). By the time you came up, you’d seen where Changbin was making the couch up for himself. Youngtaek had been standing in the kitchen, making fried rice for himself when you came in. He’d greeted you warmly enough, yet noticed the fact that you only carried your school bag with you. What other clothing would you have? You’d all but collapsed onto the couch, and all it took was Changbin opening his arms to you for you to move into them.

Thank fuck for Changbin’s extensive workouts. Those big buff arms could crush you like a grape, but they meant Changbin was great for hugs. Involuntarily, you let out a groan into his shoulder, and felt the way they shook with a tiny chuckle.

“It’s okay,” he said, amusement lighting up his voice. “Just get it out.”

You squeezed him tight instead, face buried into his shoulder. Changbin might be one of the most huggable men you’d ever met, if you were honest. The other side of the couch dipped as Youngtaek sat down, bowl in his hands.

“Is it really that bad?”

You pulled away from Changbin’s arms to give Youngtaek a look that could kill. He didn’t seem to flinch, continuing to eat his food without much care. “I couldn’t care less if she has sex in our room,” you said. “I just care that she keeps having sex in our room in the middle of fucking week. She doesn’t even go to class some days! And I’ve straight up heard them fucking on the bed behind me when I’m trying to sleep. I called her out and she kept acting like I’m the stupid one for thinking that, and that I’m the pervert even though I woke up one night to hear her giggling about not waking me up. I told her I don’t care if she does it on the weekend or gives me a heads up so I can get my things and leave, but she never does! I always come back and the door’s locked and her boyfriend’s always moaning—”

Changbin just wordlessly pushed Gyu, his Munchlax plush, into your arms. You hugged him tight, and Changbin leaned forward to get a better look at your face. He slowly said your name, making you look back up. “Why don’t you move in with us?”

“Don’t you have another roommate?”

“He’s moving out in a few days,” Youngtaek said. “Something happened with his family. He said things are under control now, but he’s still going to transfer after this semester to somewhere closer to home. It’s not ideal circumstances, but for you… You’d be getting your own room.” He nodded toward the unlabeled door. “It’s small, like our rooms, but it’d be yours. You wouldn’t have to live on campus anymore, or share a room.” 

… Honestly, that didn’t sound bad at all. You hugged Gyu closer to your chest, thinking over it. “I’d have to talk to student housing, and return my key, and find someone who can help me move if I don’t just hire someone—”

“Wooyoung knows someone,” Changbins said. “I’ll ask him to talk to Yunho.”

Something about how quick both of them were to help you made your breath hitch, your heart swelling within your chest. All of a sudden, the frustration seemed to slip away, and you had begun to tear up. The stress had been building for weeks now of dealing with a roommate that never respected you—hell, it wouldn’t surprise you if she was just acting nice to your face. It made you miss your freshman roommate. At least she was nice to you and gave you a heads up when she was bringing friends over, since you always extended the same courtesy to her. The one time you tried to tell your current roommate that the room was yours too, she called you a prude for trying to stop her from having fun.

Hours later, Vernon called you while you were watching a movie with Youngtaek and Changbin. It wasn’t the studying you needed to be doing, but it was a nice alternative since you couldn’t. You’d stepped into Changbin’s room to answer, listening as Vernon mentioned that Seungkwan had seen you crying earlier at the bus stop. Your grip tightened a little around your phone. Shit, so Vernon knew that something was wrong, and you couldn’t dodge the subject easily.

“Roommate kicked me out again—”

“Again?!” He groaned. “Dude—You really need to talk to her. Get the RA involved.” 

“It’s fine,” you said. “I’ve already made plans.”

A pause on his end. “You wanna come over? I just got back from work, but I can maybe find a movie for us to watch—”

“It’s okay.” You leaned against the wall. “I’m at Changbin’s. He’s letting me take his room for the night.” For a moment, you hesitated. “... I think I’m going to move out of the dorms as soon as I can.”

“Wait, for real?”

Despite him being unable to see you, you nodded. “I already emailed student housing about it, so they’ll have to get back to me. I think I’m gonna at least pack a bag and bring some of my stuff over here in case I need an out. Binnie’s already texted one of his friends about helping me move out, since I think he knows someone with a big enough car for all of my stuff…” You let out a sigh. “I don’t think I’ll get my money back for this semester, but they should give me something for next semester since I won’t be living there.”

Vernon was quiet for a while. “You want some help?”

“Maybe,” you said. “I dunno how big the guy’s car is. I’ll keep you updated, alright?”

“You better.” He paused. “Is that all?”

You raised a brow. “Yeah?”

“That’s—I just wanted to know if anything else was wrong. That’s all.” 

“I’m fine, Vernon,” you said. “Thanks for calling. I’ll see you later, alright?”

It was an empty promise, you were sure. But you let him answer back with that casual, “Yeah, for sure,” before ending the call, as though it were something to hold each other to.

The next day, you confronted your roommate. No more sex until you had moved out. If she wanted to fuck her boyfriend while you were getting everything in order, then she could take it to his place. She’d been quiet for the longest time when you broke the news to her, and then apologized to you. It was… weird to see, to be honest. She said something about trying to change if it meant you wouldn’t move out, and that had raised one of the reddest flags you’d ever seen. At first, you couldn’t wrap your head around why she’d drop everything so quickly. The last time, she’d been quick to insult you for asking to have access to your own room, and this time…

Oh. She was hoping you’d break and change your mind. Well, fuck that. You’d pulled out one of your boxes and bought a roll of tape, and started getting your shit in order. Moving would suck, sure, but at least you wouldn’t be stuck in this dorm anymore. A new roommate might tell her outright to fuck off and learn how to share a room with another person instead of treating it like its her room alone. Maybe if you were a little bolder, you would have done it yourself. She was allowed to have sex if she wanted it: but it wasn’t her room alone, and it never had been. 

Within the next week, you were introduced to Wooyoung, who introduced you to Yunho in turn. Changbin hadn’t given either of them the full story past “my friend needs help moving out of her dorm because her roommate doesn’t respect her, can you help?” but that was fine with you. Changbin had been right there with you that day, too, to provide extra muscle in carrying your things. His other roommate had moved out over the weekend, which meant the room was ready for you. Although you tried to say that you didn’t need so many guys helping you move out, Changbin insisted further. That was what a good roommate did, after all: they were considerate.

(And, yes, he did say that while your roommate was curled up on her bed, watching your boxes slowly shrink in number.)

Youngtaek had been the one to suggest drafting up a roommate contract for the three of you once you got settled in. With your dorm room key turned in, and you receiving the key that Changbin and Youngtaek’s former roommate had, things felt a little more finalized. The two had a little housewarming celebration for you the night you moved in, and left you to start unpacking after you’d finished dinner with them. 

This was nice. Things were nice again.

You ended up inviting Vernon over after giving your new housemates the proper heads up, and that, too, was nice. Vernon had barely taken a look at you before he realized just how much happier you seemed to be. Between work and classes and… well, life itself, you guessed, things had finally started to feel a little more normal. Just as soon as he arrived, Seokmin was texting him about some other party that was happening tonight. You just hugged him tight and thanked him for stopping by. It was good to see his face, even for a few minutes.

It took several weeks of ditching you and canceling plans for Vernon to tell you what was going on.

“Well… There’s this girl…”

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck—How were you supposed to respond to that? You reached for your drink, taking a quick sip to hopefully buy you a little more time to think as he kept explaining. There was a really nice girl in one of his film classes, Ji-woo, and they’d been talking a lot lately. Whenever he couldn’t drag you along to a movie he needed to see for class, she invited him into her own little group… and then alone, after the first few times. From the look on his face alone, you were sure that he was crushing. There was this subtle smile that Vernon always had when he talked about people. The lovestruck look in his eyes, so fond of whoever he was talking about. 

“So you’re crushing pretty hard, huh?” was what you settled on after a while, cutting him off mid-conversation. Maybe it was selfish, but hearing him talk so highly about another person made your stomach churn.

He stared at you for a moment, and then kind of shifted into that cheesy, I-might-be-in-love smile, gaze averting from you. “Maybe. I dunno. I’m still getting to know her, and I don’t wanna do anything until I know I like her… I just…”

“Are you asking for my blessing, you dork?”

He snorted, picking up his drink. “I mean—What would you do?” 

Die, maybe, the dramatic part of your brain yelled. Don’t date her. I love you. Please let me prove it. 

“You already know the answer to that,” you said. “You’re my best friend. Of course I’d support you.” 

Vernon stopped chewing at the end of his straw, staring at you for what felt like far too long. “... Right,” he said. “Yeah, of course—What was I thinking?”

(That he’d know. That he’d take one look at you and finally know if you loved him back. Instead you’re looking at him like you always do.)

“Well… Hey. Good luck,” you nudged him with your foot. “Anyone would be lucky to have you, you know. If you want, I can give you a discount at the flower shop.” You rested your head in your hand, “I’ll just use my employee discount. Fuck the rules.” 

He laughed a little at that. “God, I love you.” 

And you loved him, too. He was your best friend, even if the word stopped fitting so well.

Barely a few weeks later, after the start of junior year, Vernon asked Ji-woo out. All you could say after a minute or two of bone-crushing silence was the weakest congratulations you’d ever given him.

(Youngtaek had been the one who held you as you refused to cry that night. He just wordlessly put his arms around you, squeezing you tight while you fought everything inside of you.)

And now, a little over a month, you were feeling the absence of Vernon in your life. It felt naive to think that it was fine at first, and that heartbreak you felt would be the end of feeling like shit. The ugly parts of grief and pain and disappointment in yourself were supposed to be over, right? Except now, you kept getting ditched for dates with Ji-woo. You knew that Vernon would focus on his relationship with her, and you told him that’d be fine. He liked her (at least, he said he thought he did—he was still figuring it out), at least enough to ask her out officially. No flowers, no fancy anything, he just asked her to be his girlfriend after that last date before he immediately told you the next day. You were his best friend, your relationship was set in stone: he was fully allowed to focus on the one that wasn’t.

Except, as you said, for the fact he kept fucking ditching you and it was starting to really hurt. At first, it had been movie nights at the theater where he promised to buy you popcorn to make up for the times before (Ji-woo had wanted to go to the arcade, and Vernon jumped at the opportunity). You had been left standing outside for almost half an hour before he finally remembered you existed. He’d called you that day, apologizing over and over before you asked if it was Ji-woo. When he said it was, you played the best friend as perfectly as you hoped you could and said you understood. Lots of people put their love life over their friendships in the beginning. That was what endless internet research told you at least. There were plenty of threads that said it would work itself out in time, that it was okay for you to take the back burner and just remind your friend you were still there before you’d boiled away to nothing. A healthy relationship involved both time with friends and time with your partner, not just one or the other. 

Yet it kept happening. Movie nights with Vernon would get dropped within seconds because Ji-woo wanted to go out. You were left waiting in a coffee shop more than once with Vernon’s iced coffee melting across from you. The museum trip he’d promised you because it was this anime-themed exhibit (for an anime you two watched together in middle school) fell through and you ditched the idea of going on your own because it was less special that way. He only ever texted you at the last minute or hours later with another apology. It felt like all he ever did was apologize to you nowadays, and it was reaching a frustrating point. You swore you saw his friends more than you ever saw him. The last time you saw Vernon, he was with his girlfriend on campus, walking to class. You saw the way he looked at her (he used to look at you like that, you thought to yourself, whenever he actually looked at you), and you felt a pit of jealousy underneath this draining sense of grief. Seungkwan was still nice to you, though, and Chan would sometimes say hi. Seokmin even greeted you warmly whenever he saw you, happy to catch up since you rarely saw him (and it almost felt like he was your friend despite that). But Vernon…

You simply couldn’t care less. You had studies you needed to focus on instead. Sometimes you would leave Seungkwan’s contact open on your phone, always wanting to ask if Vernon had blown him (or anyone else) off for Ji-woo. There was a way to check. One simple text to send. But you didn’t: you didn’t want to know the answer. Not yet.

Vernon asked you if you wanted to go on a double date with him and Ji-woo. When you asked who you would be seeing, he simply said it’d be Seungkwan. So you stupidly said yes (probably giving Vernon the wrong idea), and the next day you were sitting next to Seungkwan in a diner booth and exchanging looks as he talked endlessly to his girlfriend rather than anyone else at the table. Is this what double dates were supposed to be? One couple talking the entire time? You didn’t think so. You and Seungkwan just looked at each other way too many times in disbelief. This fucking sucked.

Ji-woo excused herself to go to the bathroom, and you debated following her just to avoid whatever Vernon was about to ask next. It was the first time you were meeting her, after all. Ji-woo was nice. Bubbly, and sweet, and pretty, and you… really couldn’t hate her, if you were honest. When Vernon asked you if you wanted to come on this double date, you were expecting to find something to hate about her. Something you could justify being upset with him picking her over and over instead of spending even ten minutes with you. You’d never been like this when you had a boyfriend. Sure, your ex-boyfriend was shitty, but you still made time for both him and your friends. But between how pretty and sweet she was and the stupid loving look in Vernon’s eyes, all you felt was more guilt for being so mad at him. 

“So… What do you guys think?” He asked quietly. “She’s great, right?”

Seungkwan had nodded along. “... I think she’s nice.” 

… Was that reluctance? Before you could answer, your phone started ringing. You tapped Seungkwan’s arm, and he let you out of the booth so you could step outside to answer Changbin.

“Are you out? Minho said he saw you on a double date or something.” 

Immediately, you started looking around for Minho. When the fuck did he see you? “Yeah,” you said after a moment, still trying to see if Minho was within view. You’d (jokingly) go kick his ass for saying something to Changbin. “Vernon wanted us to meet Ji-woo, I guess.”

The pause Changbin took before speaking again told you everything you needed to know. You probably shouldn’t have said that. “Are you okay?”

Changbin and Youngtaek, as your housemates, were the unfortunate witnesses to your disappointed returns to the apartment. Every time Vernon blew you off for his girlfriend, one (or both) of them would see you come home and already know what happened. It’d been Changbin, though, who dragged you out of the apartment after one of those instances. Fuck Vernon, he had said, we’re going out and getting ramen tonight. It was the best fucking ramen you’d had in weeks, but you were starting to think that it was moreso the company than the noodles themselves. 

With a sigh, you sat down on the bench outside. “I’m fine, Binnie.”

“I can lie about breaking the coffee maker again,” he said immediately. 

“You don’t have to—Wait. Again?” 

“Just say the word and I’ll do it,” he quickly said. “Love you!”

With a sigh, you shoved your phone back into your pocket after he hung up on you. You’d confront him and Youngtaek about the coffee maker another time. The bell of the diner door rang behind you, and you almost stood up to use it as your own timer to go back inside and tell your friends that everything was fine—Changbin just wanted to know if you were gonna be home to eat dinner with him and Youngtaek. Except when you turned, Seungkwan was standing there. 

“I’m going to sing karaoke instead. Do you want to come with me?” 

You looked back toward the window. “What about Vernon—”

“He went to the bathroom after Ji-woo came back. I told her you seemed upset so I was going to walk you home.” Seungkwan crossed his arms. “Are you coming with me or not? I’m still mad that Vernon ditched our coffee date last week.”

You furrowed your brow. “He—”

“It was only the one time, but I’m still holding a grudge,” he said, sighing. “He should have texted. I wasted money on him since he said he’d be there.”

Well. That answered one of your questions. You said yes anyway, and Seungkwan immediately smiled, taking your hand and happily guiding you away. By the end of the night, your throat was raw and aching from screaming lyrics alongside Seungkwan, but it was comforting to know you weren’t alone. When he wasn’t entertaining you by yelling alongside you, his voice was genuinely beautiful to listen to. The two of you ended up getting street food together to replace the meal you didn’t have with Vernon and Ji-woo, and Seungkwan seemed a little happy to finally bitch about a couple things. While Vernon only blew him off the one time, it was enough to piss Seungkwan off because no one treated him like that. He’d chewed him out when he came back, saying that real friends called instead of leaving their friend to throw away a melted iced coffee. He later walked you to your bus stop, telling you goodnight as he squeezed your hands. The two of you should talk more (for non-bitching reasons, too). You watched him continue on toward the apartment he now shared with Vernon and Chan, and felt a little better about all of this.

At least you weren’t entirely alone.

A few months later, your grandpa got sick. Despite the insistence that he would be fine, you were terrified. Everything around you seemed to spiral into disaster. Between late assignments and a failed test, it felt like you were going to just… break. Your family told you to finish out your semester and come see him during break, that this wasn’t serious and he’d lived through worse. All you could think about was the fact that the one person you could talk to about this just… wasn’t there for you. He was on a date with Ji-woo. You tried calling him, and he denied it on the second ring. He texted you back to ask if it was important, since he was on that date.

You told him it wasn’t and to have fun on his date. Changbin was busy, and so was Youngtaek, which meant you would turn to the only other person you often hung out with nowadays. Minho answered your text within seconds when you asked if you could come over, and then followed up that ‘yes’ with asking whether it was serious.

[ 🦀 ] it is. family stuff.

[ 🦀 ] is that okay?

[ 🐈 ] just wanted to be ready

[ 🐈 ] see you soon

You shoved your things into your hoodie pocket and made your way to Minho’s apartment. His roommate was out when you got there, and Minho made a comment about how Chris wouldn’t be back until later that night anyway—so it was just the two of you for a while. By the time you’d sat down with him, you were already breaking down crying. He listened as you cried, pushing a box of tissues your way (Minho came prepared for this) as soon as you needed it. 

“You should trust your family on this,” he told you. “If they thought you needed to come home, they would be honest with you. If things suddenly changed and it looked like you might lose him, then they would tell you. Right?”

“Right, but…” Your grandpa wasn’t the only person you felt like you were losing now.

When was the last time you and Vernon hung out, not including the double date you and Seungkwan ditched? Before the semester started? Even then, he’d been ditching you to hang out with Ji-woo. Even now, you wished you could hate her. Or him. He was the one who was ditching you, not Ji-woo. Or maybe even both of them, when you thought about it now. Seungkwan had been the one who lied to her face and told her that you were upset about something, and you never heard a word from Vernon that night. What could Ji-woo have told him…? Fuck being mad at any of them at this point: that was energy you didn’t want to expend. 

If this was how it ended, then so fucking be it. 

Except it wasn’t. That wasn’t how it would end, because Vernon broke up with Ji-woo five months later, long after you went home and saw your grandpa in better health. He posted something on his private Twitter about it, so you decided to text him.

[🚀] hey, i just saw your priv

[🚀] i’m so sorry things didn’t work out for you two. are you alright?

[vernon 👽] yeah just

[vernon 👽] idk it’s a lot to process

[vernon 👽] i don’t think i’ve figured it all out yet

[🚀] you wanna talk about it? i’m here if you need me.

[vernon 👽] idk she just kept blowing me off for stuff

[vernon 👽] i mean. she can have friends, that’s not a problem at all. i’m never gonna stop her from that.

[vernon 👽] but like… she kept canceling out dates at the last second, or she’d forget about our plans because one of her friends wanted to go do something and they got mad at her for spending all her time w me, so she figured she should spend more time w them

[vernon 👽] just started to feel like i wasn’t important to her, y’know? 

[vernon 👽] like. not important enough to say ‘hey babe, suhyun wants to go to the amusement park and i’ve kind of neglected her, won’t make dinner today’ 

Oh. All at once, you were seething. As much as you wanted to feel bad for him, your anger kept building and building toward this ugly peak. Not now, you told yourself. You could be mad at him, but he was going through a tough time. 

(Where was he during YOUR tough times, you mentally shot back.)

[🚀] oh dude… i’m sorry

[🚀] that really sucks. i’m so sorry.

[🚀] i hope you feel better soon.

You turned your phone onto silent before slamming it down onto your bed, too choked up with emotions to say anything else. You had managed to pull it together long enough to say something that was hopefully nice, and now everything was hitting you hard and suffocating you. You wanted to throw something—anything—or scream in frustration. This sucked. You knew it sucked. But, fuck, you just wanted to go and scream at him “you see how fucking bad that feels?! To have someone you care about not fucking care anymore?!” and you didn’t. You couldn’t. It made you realize that neither of you have even addressed the fact you haven’t spoken in several months now.

You stepped out of your room, leaving your phone behind to get a glass of water. Maybe if you kept pushing your feelings down, you could redirect your anger into something better. If push came to shove, then you’d just go out and walk until you felt better. Youngtaek had been standing in the kitchen, preparing snacks.

“Oh, you’re home?” He didn’t look up past the quick glance he’d given you before he went back to arranging snacks. “Yeonjun and Wooyoung are coming over for game night. You don’t have to join us, but Changbin and I know you’re kind of friends with them, so you’re welcome to join us if you—”

The moment you sniffled, he looked up and realized something was wrong. All of a sudden, you couldn’t hold it in anymore. Something about being around other people you trusted made it harder for you to keep your emotions fully under wraps. Vernon once told you that you wore your emotions on your sleeve, and maybe that was still true. Youngtaek pulled you into his arms when you broke, letting you sob into his shoulder as he held you.

“Is it Vernon again?”

Youngtaek knew. Everyone knew, didn’t they? But Youngtaek and Changbin knew the most, next to Minho.

“You can’t keep avoiding this,” he said gently, stroking your hair. “It’s not fair to you.”

“He broke up with her,” you mumbled, “because she kept canceling plans a-and ditching him and…”

Youngtaek drew back, staring at you. “He what.” 

“And–And he didn’t feel like he was important to her at all anymore, a-and she would keep doing it last second or forgetting—”

You’d rarely seen Youngtaek look genuinely angry. He got frustrated, sure, because he was human. But this pissed? You weren’t sure you could even count how many times he was this outwardly angry. He masked it well before you now, though, taking a deep breath before he cut you off.

“One of my friends wants to go on a camping trip in a few weeks,” he told you. His hands rested on your shoulders, fingers slightly digging in. “He told me that some of his friends canceled for other plans, and that I could invite a few people if they wanted to come. You’re coming with me.”

You opened your mouth to speak.

“I mean it,” he said. “If you really don’t want to go, I won’t force you, but I think you need it. I’ll take your phone if you want, and it’ll just be us and a couple friends. We’ll cook together, and hike, and—and we’ll just have fun enjoying nature.”

You shut your mouth, slowly nodding. Maybe he was right and you needed to get away from all of this. It wasn’t going to be too much—camping here wasn’t all that out there as it was in other places—but you’d met some of Youngtaek’s friends before. Maybe you could talk them into a game of mafia. They’re all so genuinely horrible at it (they recorded it once for fun and Youngtaek sent you the YouTube video), it’d probably be fun to watch. 

Seungkwan was the one who reached out to you while you were helping Youngtaek make snacks. You stepped into your room to answer your phone, and learned that it was him and Chan who were cheering Vernon up. 

“I asked if he wanted to invite you over,” Seungkwan said quietly. “He said he didn’t want to burden you.”

You weren’t sure what to say. “Oh.” 

“I don’t know what to do.” Seungkwan went quiet for a moment. “You two used to be so close, and now…”

At least someone else saw it.

“I know you’re hurting, too,” he said. “Vernon said you texted him. I almost told him off because the reason he broke up with her was the same thing he was doing toward you. DId he ever come back?”

He didn’t. Your silence said that for you.

“Ah, really…” Seungkwan sounded annoyed, too. Less pissed than Youngtaek, but Seungkwan hadn’t seen how many times you’d felt rejected by your own ‘best friend.’ “I should tell him off after he feels better—”

“Don’t.” You shut your eyes. “It’s fine, Seungkwan. Just go be there for him.” 

“I will,” he said. “But you don’t have to lie to me. It’s not fine. I would have dropped a friend over this. If you need me, just text me, okay?”

It’s funny. You never really considered Seungkwan a close friend of yours. He was always someone you saw as a person you were on good terms with. The two of you didn’t hang out or do anything more than occasionally talk. There were no coffee dates, no study dates. Not like what you did with Minho and Changbin and Youngtaek—and, sometimes, Yeonjun. You paused, staring down at your friend for a moment as you returned to Youngtaek (and the newly arrived Yeonjun and Wooyoung).

“Hey… Can I invite a friend?” You looked up from your phone to the group. “It’s Minho.” 

They all knew Minho. They told you to go ahead if he wasn’t busy. The more the merrier. Minho texted back a few minutes later, saying he’d stop by the store on his way over, so to let him know if you guys wanted any snacks. People dished out their requests, and you’d merely asked for a melona bar. A few minutes later, you realized what you were craving, and texted him asking if he would get you banana snacks instead. He said he’d already let the store, and you’d made peace with it. You’d get the snacks some other time. 

Yet when he showed up, he passed you a small bag with your ice cream and a bag of banana-flavored snacks before he settled in beside you, hiding a smile.

Vernon was checking his phone again, this gnawing feeling within him to do so. He followed… well, a lot of people on social media. Friends. Friends of friends. He wasn’t exactly sure why, if he was honest. He kind-of liked seeing what other people were up to, since sometimes it’d give him ideas for his own stuff with friends. And then he saw you, and that gnawing feeling suddenly went away.

He’d met Youngtaek before enough to recognize him immediately. You were sandwiched between him and Bae Seungmin (another guy in your year—Vernon had a few classes with him before) in the background of a photo shared by someone else. Did he even know a Jangjun? He wasn’t sure. He’d have to see if he recognized him later. Instead, he just zoomed in on the three of you among hte group.

(Turns out, though, he did recognize Jangjun. He’d met him at a couple parties. He was the loud dude who did a spot-on cicada impression at one of them… and Vernon was actually pretty damn sure that Jangjun was sober that time.)

You looked… happy. Your eyes were sparkling in every picture, so completely filled with joy at being with the people you were with. Some other guy was hugging you tight in another picture. You were laughing in another one, holding a sparkler alongside the people around you. When did you get so close with other people? It felt like just yesterday you were getting lunch with him before you worked on a biology lab report. A few nights later, you had confessed that you felt lonely outside of him and a few other people. But he could see the can of cheap beer in your hand, and he suddenly understood a little better: you were always a little touchier, a little more carefree whenever you drank. He clicked the tag on the photo with the guy hugging you tight, smiling like he was yours: Sungyoon. He didn’t know Sungyoon. Were you two…? Had you…? 

He clicked on your page to find out. There wasn’t much on there (you weren’t active on social media, to be fair) but there was more than the last time he’d checked. The pictures of him were further down your page now. You had pictures of you and Youngtaek, taken in mirrors at a store. Of you and Changbin and a few more of his friends, throwing up peace signs while in a park, street food in hand. Of Minho, crouching inside of a cat cafe, feeding a cat a treat, saying you’d leave him to be with “his kind” since there were other pictures where he was surrounded by cats. Then another picture of you and Seungkwan, dated days after that diner date he had with Ji-woo. Seungkwan had an arm around your shoulder, pulling you in as the two of you beamed at the camera.

When was the last time he saw you smile like that?

You didn’t go home as much as you wanted to. Between school and work and life, it became a little harder to make that trip to see your family often. You’d taken a week long vacation, partially to go camping, and the rest was dedicated to your family. It was nice to eat your dad’s cooking again, and to sleep in your childhood room again. You walked the neighborhood a bit, too, hands tucked into your pockets as you enjoyed being somewhere you wouldn't exactly call home anymore. But that was part of growing up. Home became different places throughout life. This was just one of them, even if you couldn’t actively call it yours anymore. It was nice, except for the part where your mom was giving you shit for being single and lonely and whatever.

“I always thought you and Vernon would have gotten together,�� she said while making you breakfast. Unbeknownst to her, that was the one thing that could have made you cry.

You later went out for another walk around the neighborhood. Tomorrow morning, you’d go back to your apartment and get ready for work later that day. The world seemed to be against you, though, because this walk was what made you realize that you weren’t the only one who’d come home to visit family. Vernon was inside, hugging his sister visibly from the window. He must have just come in as a surprise. His house was only a few down from yours. You’d move on in a moment. Instead, you just watched a moment longer, wondering if maybe you should walk up and ring the doorbell. Say hi to the second family you had. You sighed after a moment, and made a move on to get home.

Inside, Sofia was whining at him for hugging her so tight… and because it’d been years since she’d seen you. Vernon could feel his own ache of heartbreak. Sofia hadn’t liked Ji-woo when he brought her around.

She pushed his arms off of her, flopping down onto the couch, “You should just tell her.” 

Maybe one day he would, if he could stop being a coward.

Senior year came and went faster than you knew.

You didn’t talk to Vernon anymore. He didn’t text you. Finally, you think that this was it. One friendship undone and slowly dying for far too fucking long. It almost made you want to hold a funeral, if you were honest. The most you’d heard from him was a birthday text and the invitation to do something that you responded to with an apology, because you’d already made plans with other people. Minho had stayed by your side throughout your birthday, happy to spend the day with you at an amusement park. Youngtaek and Changbin had come with you, too, bringing along Yeonjun and Wooyoung and a few others. You never really liked being the center of attention, but you didn’t mind so much during this last birthday. One of Minho’s friends, Felix, had danced with you happily, fingers intertwined. You’d joked to Minho that he should bring Felix around more often: he seemed like a sweet guy.

At some point, though, you sat down to address your feelings for real. You had been friends with Vernon for years, and all of it seemed to disappear all too quickly. You had cried over it plenty of times, but you were hit with this sense of relief at long last. Not because it was over, because that would always leave this subtle ache in your chest. Relief because you had finally learned how to let go and stop fighting a losing battle. You could finally rest now, and focus on the people that loved you out loud in your life. People like Youngtaek, who laughed beside you when you had movie nights in the apartment. Sometimes it ended with popcorn in your hair, but you’d never hold it against him for too long. Changbin, who was the best gym buddy you could ever ask for. Despite how intense his workouts could be, he was always mindful of you adhering to your own limits. Minho, who gave you quiet understanding whenever you needed it most. Your outings to cat cafes always made you smile, though, especially when he used it as a springboard to talk about how he’d one day move Soonie, Doongie, and Dori into his apartment. These were the people who had found you along the way, and walked alongside you when you needed them. Even Seungkwan, who wasn’t your close friend, had reached out to you every so often to check on you because he cared. 

All good things came to an end. That was what you would tell yourself to feel better. Your friendships would come to an end one day, whether that be with an explosion or a quiet fizzle was something only time would tell. All you needed was to wait for the tide to come in and wash away the reminders of Vernon left along the sand.

Then you could run away.

taglist: @twancingyunhao @wonuziex @synthetickitsune @gyulbabie

#wooahaes.fic #seventeen x reader #seventeen x you #seventeen imagine #svt x reader #svt x you #svt angst #svt imagine #seventeen angst #seventeen imagines #chwe vernon x reader #vernon x you #vernon x reader #chwe hansol x you #chwe hansol x reader #chwe hansol angst #chwe vernon angst #vernon angst

[mamachasesmayhem]

She Ain’t Takin’ Your Call

Here’s my contribution to my incredible sister in shenanigans @hangmansgbaby What If…? Celebration Challenge! This can be read as a standalone Honeyverse nugget or as a the alternative to my Me On You story

Summary: What if Bradley didn’t cut Honey off when Mav pulled his papers? What if, after years of pining, her father’s decision to stall Bradley’s career bonded them instead of driving a wedge between them? What if she married Bradley instead of Jake?

Pairing: Bradley Bradshaw x Honey Mitchell (wife), Jake Seresin x Honey Bradshaw (best friend)

Warnings: ouchies inbound. Full range of emotions comin’ in hot. Also, this went further than I expected so there may or may not be a part two coming 🫣

Honey

18 years old

“What do you mean he pulled your papers Bradley? Please tell me that you’re not saying what I think you are?” Honey pleads with the seething man pacing in front of her.

“Did you know??” Bradley turns on her in an instant.

“Did I know my dad was gonna fuck both of our lives up? No, Bradley, I did not!” She roared back. “If I’d have known my own dad would single-handedly derail the futures we’d so carefully chosen and worked tirelessly for, you would have known the second I did!”

"Shit, Honey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to take it out on you. It's just-I wanted that naval academy ring like my dad, you know? One last ditch effort to make him proud," his voice cracks.

"Oh, Tank. We both know he's already beyond proud of you. You took care of Mama B before we lost her, you've had an incredible athletic career, one you're ending on your own free will, might I add. You're a pretty great guy, Bradley. I know I'm proud of you," Honey spoke softly.

Tank.

The nickname was affectionately given to Bradley by Honey when they were in elementary school after Honey discovered the existence of an M2 Bradley tank. They both found it hilarious given that their dads were in the navy and thought all Army guys were meatheaded tool bags.

Bradley’s arms wrapped around her small frame. “I love you, Honey. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

She sniffled. “We’ll figure this out, Bradley. Together, okay?”

“Together,” he promised.

22 years old

“We should get married.”

Natasha drops the cup she was holding, Jake chokes on the beer he was sipping and starts coughing, and Honey freezes like a deer in headlights.

Bradley was the picture of cool and collected, with determination in his eyes and a smirk on his face following the suggestion.

“Wh-what?” She stammers.

“Dude, that is the least romantic proposal I’ve ever heard in my life. And I was literally raised in a barn!” Jake laughs.

The young couple had known Natasha since they were in high school and met Jake in OCS over the summer. They became fast friends, their personalities meshing well right off the bat. Although Jake was at the Naval Academy while Nat, Bradley, and Honey were at the University of Virginia, they took advantage of their common winter break and the opportunity to spend some time together in Virginia Beach.

“Shut it, ring knocker. It’s not the real proposal, she’s a lady and I love her, I will absolutely sweep her off her feet with the real thing!” Bradley shoots Jake a dirty look.

The two boys bicker like an old couple, completely oblivious to the fact Honey still hasn’t moved a muscle.

Nat caught on and quickly pulled her aside.

“What’s wrong? Do you not want that? I know your parents were kind of a mess, so it would make sense if marriage isn’t something you’d be interested in,” Natasha supplied.

“No. It’s not that. It’s-it’s the fact that I do want that but I’m scared he was kidding or is drunk enough that he won’t remember it tomorrow,” she whispers in reply.

Honey feels warmth against her back and she turns to find Bradley smiling down at her.

“Take a walk with me?” He offers her his hand.

She happily links her fingers with his, leaving Jake and Nat sitting at the fire pit in the backyard of their rental for the weekend.

They're a good way down the beach, the chilly waves brushing against their feet as they walk the shoreline. Bradley pulls her into an alcove, the moonlight reflecting beautifully off of the dark water and illuminating the sparkle of mischief in his eyes.

Honey’s lip twitches, unable to contain her goofy comment. “What are you up to, Bradshaw? Is this where you finally give me your villain speech and admit you’ve been plotting my demise since I took the last uncrustable when we were 13?”

“Oh, my little bird, I have a punishment worse than death waiting for you over that one. But no, that’s not even close to what I have planned.”

Bradley gathers her hands in his and takes a step back before dropping to one knee.

Honey’s jaw drops in tandem at the sight of him reaching into his pocket and pulling out a dark velvet box.

“Honey Marie Mitchell, will you marry me?” Bradley beams up at her.

“OF COURSE! I’ve been planning my life with you since we were 17, it’s about damn time you make me a Bradshaw!”

Bradley slips the ring on her finger and quickly stands and tugs her into his arms, kissing her deeply and passionately.

Whoops and wolf whistles come from behind them, causing them to break apart.

“Alright, that’s enough! You’re gonna catch a public indecency charge if you keep it up any longer, you animals!” Natasha teases.

“Aw, Bradshaw you are a romantic! I thought you were all shit and no egg,” Jake ribs Bradley.

“You’re looking at soon to be two Bradshaws, Seresin! Read it and weep!” Honey smiles, flashing her left hand that now sports the modest diamond band Carole wore until her last breath.

The four of them made their way back to the fire with broad grins, celebrating the engagement until the early hours of the morning.

24 years old

“By the power vested in me by the great state of Virginia and the World Wide Web, I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Bradshaw. You may kiss the bride!”

Natasha beamed in joy for her long time friends as they sealed their union with a kiss.

In a perfect world, Honey’s dad would be giving her away. She’d be in a sparkly gown she and her future mother in law cried over when she tried it on. She’d be getting married on the beach in Miramar, where the Mitchells and the Bradshaws were blissfully happy for the last time, starting a new era where the last one ended.

This was a solid backup plan, though. They were surrounded by the handful of close friends they’d made during their college years and their first assignments after graduation. Bradley had wanted to get married beforehand, not wanting to risk being separated even at the beginning of their careers.

Honey, however, wanted to wait. She had wanted to make a name for herself first, not wanting to be known as Pete Mitchell’s daughter and Bradley Bradshaw’s wife. Not wanting to be known for her part in a tragic love story, for being another woman riding the coattails of her husband's success.

Bradley understood, he wouldn’t get in the way of her career the same way her father had done to him. It didn’t mean he was happy about it, though.

He seemed to take their time apart much harder than Honey did. He wasn’t as good at forming bonds with his teammates as she was. Where she was happy to build happy and healthy friendships everywhere she went, Bradley had trouble finding a balance between codependency and apathy. It seemed he could only find himself falling into one extreme or the other.

After a rough ejection, Honey finally understood why Bradley hated being away from her so much. There was a limited number of days they had on earth, and she decided she didn’t wanna spend more away from Bradley than absolutely necessary. It was a tough decision, knowing she essentially had to choose between her dream of being a fighter pilot and her dream of being Honey Bradshaw. In the end, she knew she could find happiness in another MOS, but she would never find another Tank.

Honey smiled against Bradley’s lips as he dipped her back in a deep kiss. The cheers of their friends surrounded them, filling the air with a palpable joy. Their ceremony was small, maybe 15 people total in attendance, but the love they felt was enough to power the entire crew of an aircraft carrier.

Jake, Nat, and Javy were the first to wrap them in hugs when they joined everyone at the bar down the road from the spot on the beach where Bradley proposed a few years back. Virginia Beach, while definitely a tourist trap, easily became a place close to their hearts. It’s where Bradley proposed, it’s where they got married, and it’s where they’ll share their first house as a married couple. They picked out an adorable little bungalow not far from where they’re both stationed in Norfolk on a stroke of good luck.

Quite a few hours later and after thoroughly consummating their marriage, Honey laid awake in bed, replaying the day in her mind with a smile. Her left hand carried extra weight now, her sweet husband had surprised her with a beautiful pear shaped solitaire that perfectly complemented the sentimental band she proudly sported. It was a little backwards to get a wedding band when you get engaged and an engagement ring on your wedding day, but she always smiled at the idea that they did things in their own way.

With her hand resting heavily on Bradley’s chest, she reached for her phone and quickly snapped a picture. Her thumbs danced across the screen and hovered over the arrow. She attached the picture and hit send before she could change her mind.

She wasn’t sure if her chest felt lighter or heavier after the short exchange, but she didn’t have much time to think about it because her new husband briefly roused from sleep.

“Get some sleep, wife,” he mumbled as he tucked her into his side. “I can hear your brain from all the way over here.”

She pressed a light kiss to his chest before she replied. “You know I always think the most before bed, being still is never a good thing for me.”

“Nervous about Monday?” He guesses correctly.

Honey lets out a breath. “A little bit. It’ll be a change moving to helos, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.”

“I’m sorry you gave up jets for me, sweetheart. I hate that you had to sacrifice that dream for me,” Bradley frowns.

“You’re the real dream, Bradshaw. It wasn’t a hard choice at all. Besides, I don’t think the navy could handle a third generation of Mitchells buzzing the tower,” Honey chuckles and Bradley flinches at the mention of her family legacy. “Anyway, you need some sleep. I plan on taking advantage of my husband and our newly wedded bliss all day tomorrow.”

27 years old

Honey couldn’t help the smile that crossed her face when she caught sight of a familiar head of blonde hair in the mess hall aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.

She sneaks up to the table where he’s sitting and drops her voice in hopes to keep him from recognizing her immediately. “How’s it hangin, man?”

Jake groans. “You get hung up in a tree after an ejection one time and you’re stuck being called Hangman for the rest of your car-” he pauses mid sentence when he finally turns around to address the newcomer giving him a hard time. “Bradshaw! As I live and breathe!”

Honey bites her lip in an attempt to contain her laughter, but it bubbles out when Jake jumps up and lifts her off the ground in a bone crushing hug.

“I heard a rumor that the best pilot in the navy was onboard! Imagine my disappointment when I saw it was the Vigilantes’ squadron,” she teases.

Jake clutches at his chest in exaggerated pain.

“You wound me!” Another voice rings from the table.

“Javy!” Honey grins as she’s passed to Jake’s wingman for his own hug.

“Boys, this here is Venom. She’s the most badass chopper pilot you’ll ever meet. She used to pilot a super hornet, but was in a horrific crash that disfigured her into the hideous creature you see in front of you today,” Jake teased.

Introductions are made around the table and Honey happily sits down and joins the group. After a while of shooting the shit, their table mates have filtered out, leaving only Honey and her longtime friends.

“Alright, now that the crowd’s thinned out…how you holding up? The nightmares any better?” She asks quietly.

Javy took that as his cue to make a silent exit knowing it was difficult for Jake to talk about his true feelings about it. Only he and Honey knew.

“Some days are harder than others. The nightmares aren’t as often anymore,” he replied softly.

Hangman may be the only active duty naval aviator with a confirmed kill, but Jake Seresin has a soft underbelly only a select few have seen. The same select few all attended her wedding.

Honey was suddenly aware of just how many people still lingered in the mess hall and decided to take the conversation elsewhere.

She tilts her head in the direction of the door. “Where’s your plane? I’ve been in charge of rotor blades for so long that I may have forgotten what it feels like to handle a throttle.”

Jake understands what she’s doing and is grateful for the change of scenery as he happily leads her down to his baby. They climb onto the wing and settle facing each other, Jake’s back against the canopy and Honey’s against where the wing is folded for storage purposes.

“You look like you’re at home over there,” Jake says, nudging her with his boot.

Honey sighs. “I feel like I’m at home. I miss Mach speeds.”

“You know, in another life, I think you might have been good enough to be my WSO,” he teases.

“Oooh, high praise, Seresin. You’d trust me enough to have your back, huh?”

“I’d trust you with my life, Vee. Definitely miss having you in the skies, my jokes don’t land with anyone else like they did with you,” Jake pouts.

“Yeah, well, apparently my sense of humor is just as shitty as yours,” she chuckles. “All jokes aside, talk to me about how you’re doing.”

Jake pours his heart out and explains how unexpectedly hard it hit him. Sure, he was trained to eliminate a threat with zero hesitation. He would do it again in a heartbeat, too. He’s a protector to his core and he finds comfort in the thought he was protecting people back home. It didn’t make the realization he took someone’s life any less painful, though. Because in that other plane was another person. Someone just like him who probably had friends and family waiting for him to return home.

“I really am doing better, I’m coming to terms with it and it haunts me a little less every day. Thanks for always checking in on me, Bradshaw,” he sends her a genuine and thankful smile.

“It’s what we do, we all made that same promise when we were floating in that god forsaken freezing water to always be here for each other. As much as I hate that Bradley’s not here too, I’m glad he’s got Nat at home to depend on during rough days. He’s not handled the last couple of deployments well,” Honey admits.

Jake hums in contemplation. “You thinkin’ about turning in your wings? Errr, blades? permanently?”

“I dunno, not yet. I told Bradley we could talk about it more when I turn 30. We’ve still got so many adventures to go on.” She smiled softly.

An alarm went off on Honey’s phone, a reminder for her scheduled video call with her husband. She and Jake make their way to the bunks and he stays long enough to say hi to his buddy before heading to his own room. He’s known the Bradshaw’s long enough to know what’s next.

“Well hello there, gorgeous. I sure am missing you,” Bradley coos through the screen.

“I miss you too, handsome. How was your day?”

They catch up on all that transpired in the few days they’ve been apart for the next half hour before a devilish grin crosses Honey’s face. She had been fiddling with the zipper of her flight suit, slowly inching it down until her breasts were visible at the neck of the tank top she wore under the olive green material. Bradley was visibly distracted, eyes locked on the newly exposed skin.

“Show me yours and I’ll show you mine,” Honey teases, trailing her fingers across her collarbone.

28 years old

“Hangman, the only place you’ll lead anyone is an early grave.”

Honey’s jaw dropped and her grip faltered on the drink she was holding.

“Bradley!” She hissed on a whisper.

He knew that was a sore spot, Jake had confided in him as well, and he used it against him.

Dick move, Bradley.

He ignored her warning and walked away, no doubt in the direction of the piano. Honey flashed Jake an apologetic smile and he just shrugged before slipping that cocky Hangman mask back into place.

Suddenly, the bell rang and the crowded bar erupted in cheers. She knew Jake, Nat, or Javy would make sure to grab the next round, knowing Honey would want to avoid Penny as much as possible. The only person with a history with Pete Mitchell that could rival the one of Honey’s was Penny Benjamin.

“Overboard!” The bar patrons chanted.

Jake and Payback gleefully made their way towards the bar, happy to be the ones who tossed out the fool in question. She doesn’t see who it is with everyone crowding the bar, so she makes her way to where she’s sure she’ll find her husband. The keys of the piano sounded as Bradley made sure it was in tune, and his better half slid in next to him, ready to sing along.

When Jake reenters the bar, Honey doesn’t miss the way he looks like he’s seen a ghost. They make eye contact and her eyebrow raises in question. Jake just replies with a slight shake of his head, a silent “we’ll talk about it later.”

Later never came, Honey had stayed glued to Bradley’s side, ready to run interference between her husband and her best friend, and Jake had slipped out with his catch of the night.

She woke to a text from Jake claiming they needed to talk later that day and she replied by inviting her to dinner at her and Bradley’s temporary barracks that evening.

Her husband was being unusually standoffish as they got ready. He normally always found a reason to have his hands on her, to shower with her, to leave kisses on her neck as they got ready for the day. But he wouldn’t even look at her in the mirror.

“Tank. What’s going on?” She asked.

“Nothing?” His reply was short.

“You haven’t even kissed me good morning,” Honey pouted.

“I gotta head out, I’ll see you later?” He offered with a kiss to her head.

The fuck?

“You don’t want me to drive you?”

It was their normal routine, riding to work together in the morning or one dropping the other off if they weren’t assigned to the same mission.

“Nah, wanna get there early today. I’ll see you for dinner,” he offered no other explanation before he left for the day.

That was the first time he ever left the house without kissing her lips first. She shrugged it off as nerves over this top secret mission that is apparently insanely dangerous and planned to help him relax when he got home that night.

Honey had taken leave for this week, wanting to be here as Bradley settled into his new routine for this mission. She hated idle time, so she made a day of grocery shopping in anticipation of what all Bradley would need while she was gone. The poor man would be living on Ramen and takeout unless she did something about it, so she planned to put crockpot kits together and freeze them so he would have home cooked meals on occasion.

The hours ticked by and it was time to start dinner before she knew it. Just as she pulled the dish out of the oven, there was a knock on the door. Honey frowned, realizing Bradley hadn’t made it home from work yet, and opened the door for Jake.

“Is Bradley with you?” She asked the blonde.

He looked genuinely confused for a moment before answering. “No, I haven’t seen him since we left the hangar. He’s not home?”

Honey felt a pit in her stomach as Jake shut the door and she led him to the kitchen. She fired off a text, asking where he was. He replied with a lackluster “out,” and she almost started crying.

“Everything okay Vee?” Jake asked.

“Yeah! Just fine, Bradley’s just spending some extra time at the gym today, said he was stressed,” she covers for him smoothly.

“Shit, I’m surprised he could even hold his phone up enough to text. I bet his arms are noodles after all the pushups he did today. Which brings me to what I need to talk to you about…” Jake trailed off.

“What, Bradley’s physique not cutting it for you anymore?” She attempted to lighten the mood.

“Your dad’s here. I threw him out last night at the bar…and he’s our instructor for the mission,” Jake explained and hung his head.

The breath punched from Honey’s lungs.

Shit.

That explains why Bradley didn’t come straight home.

“Thanks for telling me, Jake,” she said, leaning her head against his shoulder. “I’m glad you came by, too.”

Jake tilts his head to rest it atop Honey’s. “What are you gonna do? I know it’s been weighing on you.”

“Honestly? I miss him, Jake. I miss him so much. I’m almost 30 for fuck’s sake. I think it’s about time I act like a grown up. Besides, Bradley and I talked about maybe trying to start a family in the next few years. I wouldn’t want to bring a baby into dysfunction if I can avoid it,” Honey sighed.

“Aww baby Bradshaws coming soon??” Jake teased. “We’d have to call you Baby On Board instead of Bob! But hey, whatever you decide to do, I’ll be here for you.”

Jake left after dinner and Bradley stumbled home a few hours later, smelling like he drank the whole bar. He ignored all of his wife’s attempts to talk and faceplanted in the bed, falling asleep immediately.

The pattern continued over the next few days, Jake coming over for dinner and Bradley curing his liver in bottom shelf whiskey. The day before she was due to head home, she decided to reach out to her dad. They agreed to meet for dinner off base and Jake would covertly sit a few tables over in case she needed him. She wished it was Bradley there for support, but he had barely spoken to her the last few days. There’s no way he would have agreed to come with her if he wouldn’t even kiss her.

Dinner went better than she had planned, the pair were eager to put it all in the past and move forward in repairing their relationship. They laughed, they cried, and they hugged. Honey felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders and her smile was bright when Jake slipped into the empty seat Mav had just vacated.

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I gotta talk to you about your husband,” Jake started.

Honey’s heart stalled, thinking the worst. Jake’s eyes widened when he realized how it sounded.

“Shit! I didn’t mean it like that, you know I’d murder him if he stepped out on you. He’s…not been flying at peak performance. Something’s holding him back and I’m worried.”

“I need him to come home to me, Jake. Promise me you’ll do everything you can to bring them both back. I need you to push him for me. I can’t get through to him lately, but nobody gets under his skin like you do,” she pleads. “I have to go back home tomorrow, so I’m trusting you with both of them. I know it’s a big ask, but you’re up for it.”

She gives him a warm smile and he knows she meant every word she said.

“Pinky promise,” he grins back, holding his little finger out towards her before she links hers around his.

Jake kept his promise, pushing Bradley to the point of explosion. Honey was more than a little irritated Jake brought Goose into it, but it worked. Her heart about fell out of her ass when she found out she almost lost both her dad and her husband on the mission, but Jake had kept his promise once again and brought them both home in the nick of time. Things improved drastically when they returned home, Bradley and Mav had both started repairing their relationship as well and the Bradshaw couple returned to normal.

29 years old

“Happy birthday dear Honey, happy birthday to youuuuuu!”

Honey was celebrating her birthday at the Hard Deck, surrounded by the Daggers who were now permanently housed out of Miramar and led by her dad. She was still based out of Lemoore, but the short trip down the coast wasn’t terrible every other weekend.

She turned, ready to give her husband a kiss after blowing out her candles, but he wasn’t behind her. He wasn’t anywhere in her line of view, and she frowned.

Things had been rocky between them lately. Bradley had been pushing more and more for her to retire so they could start a family, but she wasn’t quite ready to hang up her helmet just yet. It’d been a source of a lot of tension, worsening every day. She couldn’t remember the last time Bradley had made the trip to Lemoore, let alone the last time they’d had sex. Honey felt like she was putting more effort into making their marriage work while her husband just sat back and demanded things from her, then punished her when he didn’t get his way.

Honey felt the hurt rising in her chest and slipped away with the excuse of needing to use the bathroom. She splashed water on her face, washing the tear steams off of her cheeks after managing to get her emotions under control. When she exited the bathroom, she ran directly into a firm chest and bounced off of it.

“Oof!” she stumbled before strong hands caught her elbows, steadying her on her feet.

When she looked up, she was only slightly disappointed to see mossy green eyes filled with concern instead of the whiskey brown ones she’d been hoping for. It wasn’t a surprise though, Bradley hadn’t paid her much attention lately. But Jake had. He’d seen the light and happiness slowly fade from her eyes over the last year and it killed him to see it happen.

“What’s going on, Vee? And don’t lie to me and tell me nothing, I’ve known you for too long.” He pleads.

She smashes her lips into a flat line, trying to think of something that didn’t paint her husband in a bad light.

“It’s Bradley, isn’t it?” Jake supplied.

Honey gasped and tears welled in her eyes again. “How did-how did you know?”

“I’m more observant than I let on, you know that. I’ve seen the effort you put in, but I haven’t seen any returned to you,” Jake says gently.

“He’s mad I’m not ready to be a stay at home mom and wife yet,” Honey’s lip wobbles.

Jake’s heart shatters. He knows how much she loves her job, how much she’s already sacrificed for his teammate. It’s unfair of him to ask her to give up more. He takes a second to tamp down the rage he’s feeling before he leaves her with something to consider.

“Honey, are the teardrops he puts on your cheeks worth the one he put on your ring finger? Before you insult me, I know it’s technically a pear shaped stone, but it doesn’t sound as clever,” he tries to make her laugh.

It works, and he revels in the small giggle that escapes her.

“Now, there’s a party to celebrate the last year of your 20s, no more crying in the corner!”

With that, he drags her back to where their friends are waiting and he’s proud of the fact she seems to be genuinely having a good time for the rest of the night.

6 months later

“I’m doing it. The papers are officially filed,” Honey exhaled heavily into the phone.

“How do you feel about it?” He asks.

“Surprisingly free. I’m kinda frustrated I waited so long to do it, I didn’t realize how unhappy I’d been until this very moment,” she breathes.

“I’m proud of you, Vee. I know leaving the only constant you’ve known your entire adult life wasn’t an easy decision to make, but you did it. And I’m so proud of you for being so brave,” he compliments, knowing she needs it at the moment.

The follow up is here! Read That Pretty Girl’s In Pretty Good Hands now 💕

Honeyverse 🏷️s:

@whatislovevavy @marvelousnightjengale @els-marvelvsp @sarahsmi13s @sweetwhispersofchaos @dempy @wkndwlff @hangmanshoney @trickphotography2 @aviatorobsessed @buckysdollforlife @horseshoegirl @callsign-magnolia @hisredheadedgoddess28 @kmc1989 @blackwidownat2814 @seresinsweetie @jynxmirage @teacupsandtopgun @withahappyrefrain @djs8891 @hardballoonlove @seresinhangmanjake @dingochef @everythingmarveltopgun @scarlettwidow19 @shanimallina87 @a-reader-and-a-writer @thewulf @penwieldingdreamer @desert-fern @thedroneranger @sebsxphia @sailor-aviator @goldenseresinretriever @roosterforme @daggerspare-standingby @littleenglishfangirl @ohtobeleah @ereardon @jupitercomet

#what if...? tgm fanfic edition #mama mayhem writes #jake seresin #bradley bradshaw imagines #into the Honeyverse #Jake x Honey #Bradley x Honey #Honey Mitchell #Honey Bradshaw #bradley bradshaw fluff #bradley bradshaw fanfiction #best friend Jake Seresin #natasha trace

[freyjhasdesiredreality]

Bambi (Sergio Checo Perez x Reader)

(Credits to GIF owner)

A/N: Hey guys! I know I’ve been a little bit late but I couldn’t kind of connect with Perez writing this story. But it’s a challenge so here it is! This one is a request from @maximeverstappen thank you so much for the request!! As a reminder English is not my first language!

WC: 700+

Warnings: Nothing really.

Checo has been your best friend since forever. When you met in the karting for the first time, you bonded really quickly. Your friendship grew stronger each day you spent together. When you left karting due to lack of funds, he was absolutely devastated. You promised him you could visit him whenever you can and he promised he would win every race when you visit.

When you visited him last year in Monaco, he did as he promised and won the race. He asked to take you to his celebration party with his team but your plane was early the next day, so you kindly said you couldn’t make it.

“How about I promise to have dinner with you, whenever you are in Mexico again?” you asked. He was sad you couldn’t join. He was planning to ask you out, maybe ask you to be his girlfriend but now obviously he couldn’t do it.

“I don’t know if I’ll be able to come to Mexico until the race, Bambi,” he pouted his mouth. “We could spend your winter break together, just like we do every year then,” you offered. He took the offer and hugged you tightly before you went back to the hotel. “Stay safe, call me when you land,” he said and kissed your forehead. You exchanged good nights and he left for the party.

Fast forward to winter break, you decided to make a football night because of the World Cup. You offered him to watch it in your house. You prepared every kind of Mexican junk food, hoping one night of no diet wouldn’t hurt him.

When the Mexico national team won that night, he caught up in the moment and all of a sudden he kissed you. Your cheeks became the darkest shade of red, he was about to apologize but you kissed him back.

-

“Hey guys,” Checo called out for the team when he entered the Red Bull garage. “This is my girlfriend, Y/N,” he introduced you to them. Everyone knew he had a girlfriend and were dying to meet you. You missed the first race due to a last minute meeting from work but now you were here. “Hello everyone, so nice to meet you,” you waved your hand, suddenly feeling anxious. He held your other hand tighter, letting you know he is here and has your back always.

Max Verstappen and Christian Horner approached you and introduced themselves. “You must be that famous Bambi he couldn’t stop talking about,” Horner teased, “We couldn’t meet last time,” You blushed and giggled, offering your hand to shake. “Well I guess that’s me,” you said looking at Checo smiling.

He kissed your forehead, “Do you remember what I told you years ago?” he softly said. “The one with races I’m attending?” you asked, smiling. He smiled, nodded his head and kissed you. “Be careful out there, come back to me,” you said. He gave you a big hug before he left.

“I’m interested in that promise,” Horner said laughing. “I’m sorry, I kind of eavesdropped,” he turned to you. “Well, years ago before I left karting, he promised me he would win every race that I attend to honor my past,” you said proudly. “Let’s hope he is right,” he said before he left for the pit wall.

-

He did as he promised. He won the Jeddah Grand Prix, the second Formula 1 race that you ever attended. You couldn’t be more proud. You were cheering and jumping, he gave you a wink when he lifted his trophy. After the ceremony you guys met in the garage, he ran to you, grabbed you and hugged you so tight when you gave him a big kiss.

“You did it again!” you said. “I promised you, didn’t I?” he said before he kissed you again. “Hello, sorry to interrupt again but I have something for Y/N,” Horner said while he’s approaching you. He gave you a big box filled with Red Bull merchandise. You looked at it in awe, “What is it for?” you asked. “Welcome to the team as Checo’s lucky charm,” he joked and winked before he left. “Thank you!” you yelled behind him. “It seems like you have another job now,” Checo said. You both laughed and left to join the celebration party.

A/N: Likes and reblogs are appreciated! If you want to be added on my F1 taglist please DM me. Please specify if you want to be tag only for F1 or F1 and Marvel both!!

Taglist: @hungryhungarian

#sergio perez x reader #sergio checo pérez #checo perez x reader #checo perez #sergio perez #f1 x reader

[why-what-no]

Fine Line

Pairing: Billy Hargrove x Reader

Warnings: Addiction, Swearing

Notes: Yes, I know I just posted this same fic, but I’m experimenting with new design formats for my fics and I’m too tired to write something new.

Summary: Relapsing after 2 month of sobriety, the first thing (Y/N) can think of doing is go directly to their boyfriend, who only wants to help them (Based on the song Fine Line by Harry Styles)

Just once, had been their thought process as they eyed the powder. It's fine, I really just need this, I need to feel it.

The guilt clawed at (Y/N) as they stumbled down the street. The euphoric joy was fading and was being replaced by a drugged haze and feelings of self-loathing and guilt. They had been clean, they had been fine.

Until hours earlier, when they couldn't take it anymore and broke open their hidden stash. It helped them for a little while, before they realized what what they had done.

Realized that they had thrown two months of sobriety down the drain. Their longest time sober yet.

It had led to (Y/N) stumbling down the streets until they arrived at their boyfriend's home. They didn't know how he would react, the darkness in their brain telling them that Billy would be furious. There was a fine line between love and hate, and they were terrified that their actions would make him cross it.

But they still wanted to see him, they needed it.

***

Billy heard a knock on the door as he was working out. His father and Susan were out for dinner, Max was out with her friends. He had called (Y/N) a few hours earlier to come over, but hadn't got a response.

But as he opened the door, his partner was there. "Hey-" he said, but they just pushed passed him, standing in the middle of the room. That worried him, worried him just as much as the jittery way they were moving.

"I called you earlier." He said, cautiously approaching them. "Are you alright?"

(Y/N) laughed nervously, further proving his hypothesis that something was wrong. "I'm fine, honest Billy. Healthy as a horse." But they weren't looking at him in the eye, and they sounded too positive.

"(Y/N)." He could hear the concern in his own voice. "Why didn't you call me?" Maybe they would answer that questions.

But... "I just wasn't there... I mean, I was there but I wasn't... there." They trailed off vaguely, sounding oddly defensive.

A realization hit Billy.

He took a deep breath, hoping that he wasn't right. "Babe, did you take something?" He knew about (Y/N)'s addiction, thought that they had gotten better.

"It was just a couple of lines and..."

"A couple?!"

They stepped back, just as a pit was forming in his stomach. "I'm sorry! Don't yell at me!" They said, even though he had barely raised his voice. "I'm fine, see?" They gestured. "I'm sorry, okay? But like..."

"(Y/N)." Billy muttered, worry in his voice. (Y/N) practically wilted at that tone. They knew that he had been so proud of them for quitting. They had done it for him, but Billy hadn't had to deal with a relapse yet. He had hoped that it wouldn't happen, and after 2 months of sobriety he had been lulled into a false sense of security.

But now they were in from of him, and he was so scared that he was about to loose them. "I'm not angry at you." He sighed, not wanting to fight with them, it wouldn't lead to anything good. Instead, he pulled them closer to him, telling himself that as long as (Y/N) was next to him, he could keep them safe. "It's not your fault. It's that goddamn fucking drug.

He loved them, he really did. But he could feel the disappointment bubbling inside of him. He tried to push down it down. It was his primary reaction after the worry and fear, but he knew it would be useless. It wouldn't help to situation and he know it wasn't really their fault.

They sniffed against him, holding onto his shirt. "It is, though. It's me. I did this."

"No, you didn't." He hoped that his voice would sooth them. "You're just sick, it's just your brain."

They shook their head against him, but was beginning to breath normally.

"You're fine." He whispered to them. "You're alright. We'll be alright."

He lowered the both of them to the floor, cradling his love in his arms. Trying to stay patient, he traced patterns over their back.

They didn't speak for a while, but after a few moments he finally heard their voice, still raspy from crying. "I don't think I can get better."

Those words broke his heart, and he tried to stifle his own tears. "You can, I'll help you. Okay, sunshine? I'm going to help you get better. I'm not going to let you do this alone."

He made that promise to them, to himself.

#stranger things #billy hargrove #my fics #billy hargrove imagine #stranger things billy #billy hargrove angst #billy hargove x reader #stranger things x reader #harry smut #fine line harry styles

[badgrrlscoven]

hi!!! i was wondering if you could do a emira x short reader! (for specifics uhhh id like reader to be im bard track so yea!!) type of fic can be whatever works best!!! thanks a lot!!!

Little Secrets - emira blight x reader

summary: you and emira have been friends for a while, but when feelings get in the way how will you both take it?

word count: 1909

warning(s): slight blood mentioning, small wound, witch duel, some sadness and tears but all quickly gets resolved! nothing too heinous

a/n: your wish is my command anon!

Today was going to be the day. You were going to tell Emira everything that went on inside your head anytime she was around or the way she made butterflies come alive inside of your stomach with just her words. You kept reassuring yourself that everything was going to be okay, everything would work out this time. Because you had been boosting your confidence for weeks but every time you tried to make plans with Emira she always either canceled last minute or said she was busy doing Titan only knows.

You were worried she may have been distancing yourself and the confidence you had been building would be for nothing because what’s the point in telling a witch you love her if she doesn’t even love you back?

Sighing, you stepped into Hexside. The red illuminating you being in the bard track, which you have been quite proud of actually. You had always worked very hard for what you wanted and now because you had worked, you were at the top of your class and won almost every witch’s duel you’d been challenged to.

Walking down the halls, you watched as Emira was standing next to her locker with a somewhat distressed Edric. You walked over to them, but the closer you got the slower your feet seemed to move because being near the mischievous had your heart in a completely melted puddle. Luckily for you though, Emira noticed you walking towards her and smiled upon seeing you. She motioned you over and that was what quickened your step. The encouragement that she still wanted you around.

The minute you got close enough for Emira to put her arms around you, she did. She leaned her elbows on your shoulders and did what she did every morning.

“Mornin’ shortstack,” she giggled and winked at you. Your cheeks reddened at the nickname because it didn’t matter how many times Emira had called you that, you still reacted the same. You eventually asked about what happened with Edric and Em looked at you before bursting out laughing.

“He sent a love poem to their mom!” You looked at the disgruntled boy and covered your mouth with your hands to silence the laughter emitting from your mouth. You rubbed his shoulder in silent comfort and he smiled at you before deflating against his locker once more.

“Don’t worry Ed, I’m sure the love note was worth it and it was amazing. Maybe next time just read who you’re sending it to,” You whispered. The boy sighed but eventually got up from the ground and bounded off to who knows where: a look of plastered determination on his face. Oh no.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine, but you and I should get heading to our respective classes, bean.” Emira took your hand in hers and trailed down the halls with you dragging behind her. You gulped down any form of embarrassment in your throat and just stared at her holding your hand. Today seemed different like it would actually go your way for once. Emira seemed closer today, actually keeping up with her normal wants for physical touch and her teasing jokes you loved to listen to. She even seemed a bit reluctant to let you go to class, but eventually, she let go of your fingers and let you get to class on time so you could avoid going to the detention pit.

You took your normal seat at the front of the classroom and watched as the teacher started the lesson on different chords for string instruments, even how to utilize them more in battle. Eventually, you blanked out until the teacher assigned some partner work. You were now working with another bard student to perfect your bow strokes against the violin you used (yeah ik, raine whispers who?). The teacher was coming around all of the pairs as they had finally started to duel. She had complimented your technique and stance, but the moment of distraction had caused the student you were dueling to take their chance to get a strike on you. They blew into their recorder and a strike went against your cheek. You grimaced upon feeling the blood bloom on your cheek, but looked at the student, anger bubbling in you.

You played the strings on your violin, a light illuminating the whole room and causing objects in the room to flow with the music you were playing. A sudden note had the student who struck you lifted into the air and before they knew it they had landed on their own desk, groaning and mumbling to themselves about ‘choosing the wrong track’ and whatnot.

The day had been passing by slowly yet quickly, your excitement was getting the better of you and all you had been fantasizing about all day was what you were going to say to Emira when you saw her next.

“Hey, bean!” You looked up at the green haired who was leaning against your shoulder and peering down at you. A smirk was etched on her face from the way you jumped upon suddenly seeing her. But you snapped yourself out of it, this was the moment you needed to speak to her and you weren’t letting yourself take any more of the excuses. You needed to do this, for yourself and for her.

“Em, I really need to talk to you-” Before you could finish your sentence she was dragging you off once again.

“We need to go to the library and help Edric find a book so he can impress his date tonight!” Your heart ached the minute she said date because that was all you had wanted to do was ask her on a proper date. Not some hang-out where her mother interrupted or she had one of her siblings around or where you had too much homework to listen but something where you could just tell her how you felt and she would be listening all the way.

“But Em-” She turned around to face you.

“No, Y/n, this is really important and Edric is counting on us!” You stared at her, your eyes were wide with disbelief. All of the weeks of being told to wait and being told later and now being told that something was more important? She didn’t realize what she had said hurt you, yes, but it did and you wouldn’t deny yourself feeling the emotions. You let your hand fall out of hurts and looked at the ground.

“I’m sorry Em, but I don’t think I have time tonight to help you, good luck though,” You mumbled, your tone sullen and you walked away from a wide-eyed Emira.

Laying in your bed, you couldn’t help when you started to swipe at your cheeks. Scowling from time to time at the random pain from the open wound you were trying to tend to. But you wouldn’t stop crying long enough for you to get a proper band-aid on and it not fall. You sighed and eventually just gave up. Walking away from the healing kit your dad gave you, you opened your window and looked at the sun which was now setting.

Obviously, today had not been the day. And maybe it never would be. Maybe fate had other plans that did not entail Emira. The thought of Emira not being in your life though made tears prick the corner of your eyes. As much as you were hurt by it all, you still loved the girl and you knew you just needed some time to breathe and come back.

You heard a tapping on your window and upon opening it, saw Batticus with a note in his mouth. When you took the note from him, he flew off.

Library, URGENT!! -em

Sighing, you called over your staff and made your way to the library in Bonebourough. As much as you didn’t want to be here, you knew that when Emira needed you, you would always be there. Opening the large doors to the building, you noticed how devoid of light it all seemed to be. Maybe they were in here without permission?

Walking through the building in search of a light, you eventually tripped over something and landed face-first into the ground. Above you, you heard shuffling and drew your staff out into a defensive position. You never knew what kind of tricks the twins played sometimes, but you weren’t in the mood and you weren’t going to let yourself be caught in one of their traps.

The lights eventually turned on, and that was when you saw it all.

The flowers. The banners. Everyone working and mainly topping it all off, Emira in the middle of the flourish.

Emira stood in the middle of the book aisles, a banner hung over her with your favorite kind of flowers holding up the banner. Little illusions of lights swarmed around you and they brought you forward to where Emira was standing. She was all dressed up, her face looked nervous, and a bashful smile on her face.

“Emira…what is all of this?” Emira took in a deep breath and let it out before looking at you. She smiled gently at you before taking your hand in hers.

“Okay bean, I know this isn’t what you’re used to from me, but I just need to start this off by saying I’m sorry. I’ve been ditching you for weeks without any explanation and I didn’t realize how bad I was hurting you til now.” She squeezed your hand before continuing. “I’m not trying to give myself an excuse, but the reason I have been leaving you behind for so long is so I could get this all around.” Emira motioned around to all of the directions and that was when you finally noticed the words taking shape on the banner. The lights illuminating it from behind.

Grom?

You were awestruckby it all. Never in your right mind would you have thought this was what she had been doing for weeks, and she had been doing it all for you. You looked back at her and noticed the worry etched in her eyes, but she continued to speak before you could get can answer out. You probably weren’t going to give a coherent one just yet, your insides were twisting and leaping for joy.

“I really like you bean, you’re always there for me when I need you. Your smarts outdo practically everyone’s in our year and everything you do somehow manages to make me feel queasy because of how much I like you. I know I’m not saying the most romantic things, I’m not exactly a poet but if I could write the world for you, I would.” You felt a sheen start to cover your eyes, but it never fell as a huge grin overtook your whole face. You grabbed Emira’s face in your own hands and placed a gentle kiss on her lips before taking your lips off of hers.

“Emira, I like you too. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you for weeks now,” You said in between small laughs. Emira’s red face turned into one of shock at your words.

“Of course I will go to Grom with you.” Emira’s smile grew bigger and she took your hands and pulled you forward so that your lips met hers once more.

Maybe your timing had finally been right.

#golden guard x reader #the owl house x reader #toh x reader #hunter toh #x reader #the owl house #emira blight #emira x reader #emira toh #toh emira #toh emira x reader #emira blight x reader #the owl house emira #toh imagines

[intheticklecloset]

Lunchtime (Dr. Stone)

Modern AU

Summary: Gen attempts to retrieve Senku for lunch, but as usual, his boyfriend is making it more difficult than it needs to be.

A/N: A fic I wrote and shared with my buddy @skribblz privately a while back. I've been in a SenGen mood lately and decided to finally share it with the rest of you. Enjoy!

Word Count: 1,054

~~~

Gen saw his feet first, kicking back and forth like a child’s. Then the khaki shorts and white t-shirt, followed by that tall, leek-style hair. Senku had his earbuds in and seemed to be silently jamming out to some music, which the mentalist found unbearably adorable. He had his notebook cracked open, scribbling away at a rapid pace, as though he couldn’t get his thoughts onto something concrete fast enough.

“Senku-chan~” Gen sang, only mildly surprised when the scientist didn’t seem to hear him. He’d often get caught up in his projects so much that even without earbuds he would become unresponsive. Add music to the equation and it was like talking to a wall.

Gen took a moment to admire him. He leaned in the doorway, eyes roaming over his boyfriend’s body – surprisingly fit for someone who sucked at exercise. He didn’t know how Senku managed that, but it made him jealous nonetheless. Jealous and also extremely proud. He smirked to himself. That man is mine, he thought. All mine.

Bare feet, bare calves, shorts and a short-sleeved shirt. Senku was in his comfy clothes – what he always wore when working, in brainstorming mode. Gen had been coming to get him for lunch, but as usual, it looked like he’d have to get his attention the hard way.

“Dear Senku, will you never learn?” he murmured, striding forward, trying to make his footfalls heavy so the man would notice. He didn’t. Of course he didn’t. Gen smiled. “It’s like you want me to do this to you every time, my dear. How cute~”

He grabbed Senku’s kicking ankles, quickly pushed them to the floor and straddled them, then – before the man had entirely processed that he was being ambushed – started scribbling his blunt nails along the scientist’s calves.

The reaction was instantaneous.

Senku sputtered, ripping his earbuds out as a snort escaped him. He barely looked over his shoulder to make eye contact before he was giggling crazily, barely able to get words out. “Gah! M-Mehehehentalist, no! Not agahahahahahain!”

Gen giggled along with him, enjoying his useless wriggling. “You have your back to the door when you know I’m coming to get you eventually? Please, Senku-chan. You make it too easy to play with you.”

Senku flushed at the words, flailing one arm back in a useless attempt to stop him, using the other to grasp at nothing on the floor, having pushed his notebook out of harm’s way. After two ripped up blueprints from past attacks, the man knew better than to let his project stay within his range when Gen came after him like this.

“Stahahahahahahap! I gehehehehet it, it’s luhuhuhuhuhunchtime! Rihihihihight? Gen!” Senku squealed when his boyfriend teasingly swirled his fingers in the pits behind his knees, another snort slipping free.

“Bingo!” Gen sang, scooting up so he was straddling the very place he’d been tickling, effectively keeping the scientist from being able to kick him or move away at all.

Senku’s eyes were wide as he darted a glance over his shoulder again, though the brightness in them along with his shaky, anticipatory giggles gave away how much fun he was having. “Mentalist!”

“Yes, my dear?” Gen slowly – excruciatingly slowly – lifted the hem of his shirt from where it had ridden up slightly above his waist, snaking one hand beneath it to graze the bare skin of his back. “Any last words?”

“P-Please…” Senku trailed off, knowing it was useless. Or perhaps he knew as well as Gen did that he didn’t hate this as much as he had claimed to in the beginning of their relationship, before the scientist realized there was no hiding anything from Gen. Especially when it came to the man he loved –and the man he loved to tickle constantly. Just for fun. Just because he could.

Gen chuckled, laying down so his body was on top of his partner’s, pinning him in place, gently kissing the shell of his ear, which drew the cutest squeak he’d ever heard in his life. “You’re adorable.”

Senku whimpered, always weak to direct compliments and teasing. “I’m not.”

“You’re really going to argue with me,” Gen challenged playfully, beginning his scribbling along his boyfriend’s hypersensitive sides, “when you’re in no position to do such a thing? Bold of you, Senku-chan~”

Senku jerked beneath him but, of course, was not going anywhere now. His fingers scrabbled at the hardwood floor as high-pitched cackles began to burst out of him, finally managing to grab onto the nearby rug and fist some of it in his hands. He pressed his forehead to the ground to try and muffle himself.

“Oh, no, no, no,” Gen said, voice turning slightly firmer. “We can’t have that.”

Then he dug into Senku’s sides for all he was worth, grinning at the scream it pulled from him, the way he frantically tried to move literally any part of his body but couldn’t, trapped beneath the mentalist as he was.

“AHAHAHAHAHAHA GEN, NOHOHOHOHOHO!! PLEHEHEHEHEHEHEASE!!” Senku begged, laughter exploding from his lungs faster than he could keep up with, tears springing to his eyes. He wrenched his head to the side to let it all out freely, pounding the ground with a fist. “NOT AGAHAHAHAHAHAIN!! NOT THEHEHEHEHEHEHERE!!”

Gen pressed a kiss to his cheek, then his neck, then his ear again, all of it making his partner so hysterical he nearly went silent laughing so hard. He cooed into his ear, “Ready to eat, Senku-chan?”

Senku cursed through his helpless cackling but quickly yelled, “YES, YEHEHEHEHEHES!! I’M REHEHEHEHEADY!! PLEASE, GEN!! GEHEHEHEHEHEHEN!!”

The mentalist slowed his tickling to a gradual stop, brushing some stray strands of hair from his partner’s face, leaning down to kiss the side of his lips. “You keep using my name,” he teased. “I know what that means.”

“Shut…shut up,” Senku muttered, heat flooding his cheeks again.

“Perhaps we should make a pit stop on the way to the kitchen?”

“Don’t need to.”

Gen climbed off him, flipped him onto his back, and loomed over him with a dangerous smirk on his lips.

Senku swallowed audibly.

“Or…perhaps right here is good enough?” Gen asked.

Senku shuddered, then grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked him down into a kiss.

Gen felt a rush of satisfaction. Who needed words when actions spoke louder anyway?

#fanfiction #tickle fic #dr stone #dcst #ishigami senku #asagiri gen #sengen #playful #cute #fluffy #boyfriends #modern au #tickling #ticklish #tickle

[abyssal-ali]

RelationShip of Theseus

Pairing: Jason Todd x Stephanie Brown

Rating: M (mdni)

WC: 4.6k

Summary:

The Ship of Theseus is a thought experiment about whether an object which has had all of its original components replaced remains the same object. --Wikipedia Jason and Steph team up to go undercover at a Halloween party. They've been friends with benefits for a while, but lately...things have been changing. Maybe this Halloween they'll finally settle some things between them. For once Bruce's Bruce-ness doesn't completely mess things up!

Written for @jaystephevents JaySteph Halloween event!

Ao3 Masterlist

A/N: Thanks to @sarcasticbambi for doing a wonderful job beta'ing and making me cry from laughter with her comments<3 and to @boldlyanxious for sending me the prompts till I wrote this<3 Yes I am proud of this title I hope y'all apprecaite my genius

Jason's costume is 1995 BBC Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy's outfit that he wears when he emerges from the lake. Steph's costume is 2021 Immortal Wonder Woman's outfit.

CW: PiV Sex, Oral Sex, Dubious Use of Accessories, FWB to Lovers, mentions of drugs and alcohol, kidnapping and interrogating a criminal, Bruce isn't a good dad but he's trying...somewhat...

~~~~~&~~~~~

“Almost done!” Steph’s voice echoed from the bathroom down the hall to Jason’s living room, where he was reading on the couch, waiting for Steph to be finished with her primping.

He turned the page in his book, knowing that ‘almost done’ could mean twenty seconds or twenty more minutes.

A shadow fell over his page and he looked up, his jaw dropping slightly as he took in the sight before his eyes.

“Whatcha think?” Steph twirled, the star-hemmed blue panels of her skirt flaring out from her hips.

Jason cleared his throat, suddenly desperate for a drink of water.  “You look amazing, Steph,” he told her seriously. “Better than the real deal.”

She scoffed, but her cheeks hinted at a pleased blush. “You don’t look too shabby yourself.” She circled him, admiring his costume. “The equivalent of a slutty dress; I approve.”

“Thanks. Gotta fit in, right?” He tore his gaze from the very well-fitting gold-and-red top to scan her head-to-toe. “You’re missing something, though.”

“Hm? Oh, right.” Steph headed back to the bathroom and returned, a gold cord rope hanging off her left hip. “Ta da!”

She crossed her arms in front of her chest in an ‘X’, copying Wonder Woman’s signature pose.

Jason coughed again.

“Are you coming down with something?” she scanned him again, worriedly this time. “I can go to the party by myself, you know. If you need to stay home…” “I’m fine. If I’m staying home, so are you,” he replied, crossing the floor in three strides and kissing her hungrily. 

~~~

He pulled away, leaving her knees weak and his lips shiny with her now-ruined lipgloss. 

“What?”

“Ready to go?” he repeated.

“Oh, uh, yeah. One sec.” Steph practically ran to the bathroom to fix her smudged lips and collect her sanity. Surely she’d left it here somewhere…or maybe it fled the apartment completely when she’d exited his bathroom and saw him sitting there in his open v-neck white shirt and brown pants, the sleeves rolled up to expose his forearms as he read. 

Swiping a fresh coat of red lipstick on and blowing herself a kiss in the mirror, she shook her head firmly and made sure her cash was tucked in between her bracelets and skin. 

Growing up in Gotham, and the Narrows at that, you never knew when you or another unfortunate soul would need an emergency Uber or bribe. 

She grabbed her coat from the tree by the door and belted it firmly against the October chill. She didn’t know how the real Wonder Woman did it…she sighed, jealous of Diana’s Amazonian blood. 

Jason grabbed his leather jacket and zipped it up halfway, ignoring Steph’s side eye. Stupid Lazarus Pit. He was also always ridiculously warm; he liked to joke it was the Pit Rage keeping him full of hot air, but she preferred to think it was from how big his heart was, so full of love for everyone. It had to be proportional to his unfairly broad chest, after all.

Jason unlocked his car and held the door for her.

“Thanks.”

He leaned in, his mouth right by her ear and his neck in front of her nose, where she could smell his smokey, spicy scent. “You’re coming back with me after this mission.”

She considered licking his neck. Down, girl. Not yet. “Was I not going to?” she batted her lashes at him and he smirked. 

“Right answer.”

He crossed in front of the car and got in. “Let’s hope this is an in-and-out mission.”

~~~

The mission tonight was to investigate a possible new drug dealer on Jason’s turf, which included Gotham U. Apparently the students were getting their drugs from this new player, not one of Jason’s men, and he didn’t like that.

One of Steph’s classmates was throwing a Hallowe’en-Eve-Eve party (because any self-respecting Gothamite knew the last couple days in October were some of the most dangerous days of the year), and she suspected the new player would be there for a prime opportunity to move their product.

The party was in full swing by the time they arrived, lights flashing, music blaring, drinks and other substances being passed around, but nothing from the newbie yet.

Jason and Steph split up to make the most of their time there.

Steph headed to a group of girls laughing. She was pretty sure she’d seen them passing something other than notes one day, and figured they were as good a place to start as any. 

“Hiiiiiii! I love your outfit!!!” she gushed, pretending to be a little tipsy already. “Daenerys, right??”

The girl nodded. “You look hot as Wonder Woman.”

“Thanks! She’s my boyfriend’s favourite hero, and let’s be real,” she lowered her voice a notch, conspiratorially, “every girl has a girl-crush on her.”

The group nodded vigorously.

“So, do you have any ideas on how to make my surprise for my guy better ?” she wiggled her eyebrows knowingly. “Maybe a li’l something to heighten the experience ?”

The girl dressed up as what Steph was pretty sure was Layla from Genshin Impact leaned a little closer, and Steph held her breath, ready for a nod to a possible dealer. “What about using your accessories?”

Steph blinked.

“Y’know,” ‘Layla’ nodded meaningfully at Steph’s lower half, and she looked down, confused. “Your lasso.”

Her wide eyes looked from the lasso to ‘Layla’ to Jason, who was across the room, disappearing into a back room. She nodded thoughtfully.

“You are a genius,” she gushed. “I gotta try this now!” she ditzed away, keeping an eye on the room Jason was in. 

A few minutes later, she heard a crash from inside the room and some muffled yelling.

Jason poked his head out a moment later and caught her eye. “Baby! He’s a bit drunk and tripped. Think you can help me get him home?”

Smirking, she slipped inside the room and locked the door, eyeing Jason’s slightly disheveled hair. She could do a better job at that…but later.

“Need something?”

He eyed her, his tongue licking his bottom lip slowly. “Yeah, found a lead. Can ya help me get him out to the rendezvous for questioning later?”

“Sure.”

Jason hauled the half-unconscious guy crumpled on the floor up and wrapped his arm behind his neck. “Taking our drunk friend home, huh?”

Steph nodded, poured her Solo cup of undrunk, warm beer down the guy’s shirt, and pulled his free arm over her neck.

“Let’s do this.”

~~~

They hauled The Guy out of the car and into the warehouse. He groaned and raised his head weakly, looking around.

When he realized what was happening, he stiffened, making carrying his weight that much more irritating, and started thrashing. “Aw hell nah!”

“Oh shut up, you’ll be fine…if you tell my boss what he wants,” Steph elbowed him gently. 

“Who’s your boss?!”

“You’ll find out soon enough,” she said cheerfully.

Jason plopped The Guy on the chair bolted to the floor. “He just has some questions for you. Answer truthfully and you’ll be fine. Answer un truthfully…” he let the unspoken threat hang heavily in the air.

With a panicked yelp, The Guy leapt up and headed for the door of the warehouse.

Steph unhooked her lasso, swung it, and watched as it floated gently over him…

And watched as it flopped on the floor. Sue her, it wasn’t like she’d ever used a lasso as a weapon before.

The Guy’s foot caught in the loop and she yanked on instinct.

He tumbled face first, bracing his hands for the fall, and she winced in sympathy. Clearly no one had taught him how to safely break a fall with minimum damage.

Jason produced a package of zip ties and dragged him back to the chair, zip tying him in place.

“If you were innocent you wouldn’t have evaded my questions earlier or tried to escape now. Want me to get my boss?”

The Guy’s frightened eyes turned to Steph, hoping her feminine sensibilities would make her more sympathetic to his plight. “Who’s his boss?” he stage whispered.

“Who runs the drugs in this city?” she shrugged, watching curiously as his face paled.

“R-red Hood?”

She nodded. “Bingo! Try continuing your streak of good luck by keeping your fingers intact and answering my colleague’s questions, huh?”

She sashayed over to her lasso, lying limply on the floor, and bent to pick it up, making sure Jason was the only one seeing her backside. She half-turned and winked, blowing him a kiss. “I’ll be waiting, handsome. The girls I talked to at the party were so helpful.”

His eyes darkened and his gaze swept over her hotly. “I won’t be long.”

He turned back to The Guy, leaning over him menacingly.

“You’re going to give me everything I want so I can get back to my girl stat, got it?”

~~~

Steph slipped out of the warehouse and drove back to Jason’s apartment, humming the snippets of the pop song from the party that had wormed into her head.

He’d called her his girl, and ‘Baby’ earlier at the party. Of course, it was probably for show, but it still made her heart warm and her panties wet.

She couldn’t wait for him to get back so they could resolve the tension that had simmered between them all evening.

~~~

Jason parked his motorbike and headed up to his apartment, his mind wandering to Steph, as it usually did when he wasn’t on a job (and even when he was on a job, sometimes). Would she still be in her costume when he arrived? Maybe naked in his bed? In the shower? 

He took the stairs two at a time and let himself in, quickly bypassing all the security.

He’d added Steph’s biometrics ages ago, when their one-night stand had become a regular, friends-with-benefits thing, which became a stay-with-me-since-it’s-late-and-this-is-Gotham, which had turned into stay-you’re-injured-and-your-mom-is-working-and-someone-needs-to-make-sure-you’re-not-concussed, which had become Steph having two drawers in his closet and bathroom each, which had become stay-when-you-have-nightmares-and-need-someone-even-if-I’m-not-here-you-can-come-and-steal-my-hoodie, which became….

He sighed, kicking off his shoes and socks and hanging his jacket up.

He wasn’t sure what they had become. A sort of ship of Theseus situation, maybe, constantly changing their relationship but never redefining it?

The glow from his bedroom lamp beckoned and he pushed all thoughts of their relationship, whatever it was, from his head, calling forth the memory of her smoking hot appearance as his favourite hero.

Steph was still in it, standing at his window and looking out at Gotham’s nightscape, though she’d taken the black wig off and was back to her natural blonde.

“Hi.” He pressed a soft kiss to the nape of her neck.

“Hi.” She turned and kissed his jawline, her hands coming up to loosen the ties at the neck of his shirt. “How’d it go?”

“Fine. He’s still alive. Just a lackey for the head guy. I got some names to check out later.” He ran his hands down her back to squeeze her butt. “You said you got some helpful info from some girls?”

He could feel her devious smirk against his neck.

“Up to try something new?”

“Always.”

Steph pushed away, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Get on the bed.”

He did so, watching her curiously. 

She crawled up to straddle him, undoing the rest of his shirt ties and opening the shirt to its fullest extent. He pulled it over his head.

She wrapped her lasso around his wrists and wrapped the loose ends around his headboard, pulling his hands above his head.

“Do you trust me?”

Of course, he did. He’d told her his actual address, not a safehouse like he gave the other Bats. He’d added her to his security. He’d told her some things no one else knew, not even Roy.

He’d never explicitly said so, though.

He met her eyes steadily. “I trust you, Steph.”

She let out a little sigh and kissed him, tugging at his lip. “Lemme know if it’s too rough.”

He raised an eyebrow at that. “You think tying me up is too rough after some of the things we did?”

She rolled her eyes. “I meant if the rope was too rough against your skin.”

“...again, too rough, after some of the situations I’ve been in?”

She gently whacked his chest. “Stop being a smartass and just let me know, okay? You’d want me to do the same, right?”

Oh, now there were some ideas to explore later…

”You have a point.”

“I often do,” she said archly, sliding down a bit to undo his pants.

With a swift, practiced yank, his pants and underwear were off in one fell swoop. She wrapped her hand around his length, the calluses from lifting weights and practicing with her escrima sliding up and down as she pumped him.

He caught his lip between his teeth as she bent to teasingly lick at the head.

“Ste-eph.”

“Ja-ay.”

She took him farther in her mouth this time, sucking just like he liked before she raised her head again.

“Why did you want to start our…arrangement?” she asked.

He blinked, nonplussed. Why did she have to ask that question now ?

“The lasso of truth knows when you’re lying,” she said warningly.

He huffed inwardly. “You’re hot, you were single, you looked like you needed a good orgasm or three.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, but returned to the blowjob.

“When did you start thinking I was hot?”

He groaned, not in pleasure, but frustration. He was right there .

“When I saw you sass B on top of the BatBurger last year and didn’t let his whole Bat-lecture faze you.”

She hummed, pleased with his answer, and he groaned (in pleasure this time). “I’m close.”

She grinned evilly. “Too bad. Why did-”

He slipped the knot ‘holding’ his wrists and wrapped his legs around her middle, flipping her under him.

“How about you have a little session with the lasso of truth, hm?”

He lifted her arms above her head, slipping them through loops in the rope and tugging firmly. Her bracelets would protect her from any rope burn.

She squirmed as he kissed his way down to the metal part of her top covering her cleavage.

“First question: how do you get this thing off?”

“Side zipper,” she nodded.

The zip sounded loud in the quiet room, the near-silent hiss from the electricity in the lamp and the slightly louder ASMR of their synchronized heartbeats and heavy breathing filling the air.

Jason peeled the top off and unclasped the belt holding the  pleated skirt up, tossing it to the foot of the bed.

~~~

Clad only in her black underwear, which were practically useless with how soaked they were by now, she could feel all the tiny air currents tickling her skin as Jason moved over her, the warmer breeze over her neck from his breath and the heat from his body warming her.

Steph really wanted to wrap her arms around his neck, but the rope prevented her from doing so. She tugged at it with a halfhearted huff as he tugged her nipple between his teeth, his large hands skimming up her bent legs to open her thighs wider.

His finger rubbed at her through her underwear, providing only the lightest touch.

She moved her hips against his hand, trying to obtain more friction.

He chuckled. “Not going to ask like a good girl?”

His hot mouth closed over her other nipple, the cool air now hitting the first one, the delicious juxtaposition making her shiver. Her panties slid down her legs to join her skirt and Jason’s thumb circled her bare clit, causing more wetness to escape her.

“More. Please.”

He moved down her torso, kissing her scars as he went until he reached her soaked slit.

“Hmm, you like being a good girl?”

“Only for my bad boy,” she sighed breathily as his tongue circled her clit expertly.

She really wished she was untied; the feeling of Jason’s curls in her fingers as he ate her out was one of the best feelings.

His shadow of stubble rubbed against her inner thighs, the tiny prickles adding to the experience. Jason’s tongue circled her dripping entrance, then slipped in as his thumb took over stimulating her clit, driving her closer and closer to the edge of climax.

He pulled away and she almost kicked him.

He licked his lips, grinning evilly. “Not so fun being on the receiving end, is it?”

Luckily for him, he replaced his tongue with his cock almost immediately, thrusting slow and hard.

~~~

Steph wrapped her legs around his waist, moving her hips to meet his. 

“You looked hot as sin tonight, Steph,” he panted in her ear, kissing down her jawline.

In retaliation, she licked up his neck like she’d wanted to do earlier, simultaneously tightening around him and causing him to groan, low and deep. “You really want to be done soon, don’t you?”

“I’d take it as a compliment, hot stuff.”

He moved faster, taking her challenge.

In retaliation, she tightened around him again.

He watched for the flush in her cheeks to spread down her chest, her breathing to quicken, and her legs to loosen around him before his final harshest thrusts.

She came with a cry of his name, her mouth dropping open and her muscles quivering, setting off his own orgasm.

Jason made sure to collapse beside her, not on her, reaching up to loosen the loops in the rope and free Steph’s hands. 

He kissed her swollen lips gently, pulling away only to softly reclaim them.

She curled closer, sliding her arms around his chest to gently run her nails up and down his back and comb through his messed-up hair.

"You're so warm," she murmured.

He kissed the top of her head her forehead, the tip of her nose. "Just for you."

~~~

Jason woke when Steph slipped put of bed, but decided to stay put for now.

He faintly heard the sounds of her showering, then drifted off again to the clangs from the kitchen as she rummaged through his cupboards for some breakfast.

He woke for a second time when he heard the door open and then shut, as if Steph was trying to sneak out.

She'd never done that before, so he immediately jumped out of bed, pulled his discarded pants on, and headed after her.

He jerked the door open and paused at the sight of Steph and Bruce at the foot of the stairs.

They didn't appear to notice him yet, so he quietly pulled the door shut and snuck closer, using the first stairs to hide.

"...here?" Said Bruce.

"None of your business," Steph crossed her arms over the shirt she was wearing–a Gotham Knights tee from his closet– and raised her chin. Between her wearing a shirt two sizes too big, her wild hair, and the marks visible on her neck and chest, he was pretty sure the so-called World's Greatest Detective could make a guess as to Steph’s reason for being outside his apartment. "Why are you here?"

"I was making sure you both were safe after the party last night."

"Oh, so now you're stalking us?"

Bruce grunted. "You two have been partnered on missions often this past while. It was unusual."

"Oh for goodness' sake, B, just come out and say you've lost whatever trust you had for me, and that you still don't trust your own son !" 

"This is not about trust, Stephanie, it's about making sure you're both still safe and not compromised."

Jason could practically hear Steph roll her eyes.

"That is trust, Bruce. Trust us to tell you if we're unsafe or in trouble. We have enough contingencies for if we're compromised in any way. Our only interactions are with you for our night shifts; you have no right and no need to snoop around our life if we don't share things with you. If we're a team, you have to trust us to do our part in informing you if anything inconveniences our job. We have to trust you to do your part, which is to trust us, and to have some work-life balance! Maybe if you actually trusted us and let us work as a functioning, non-codependent team, it would work and your protégés wouldn't die."

Steph's finger was jabbed firmly into a Bruce's designer suit at the end of her rant.

"Now, if you absolutely must know, I'm in love with your son and what we do outside of our working hours is none of your business. The mission last night went smoothly and there is nothing to report. Everything is under control. Go get your overpriced black coffee and maybe use that to down a chill pill while you're at it."

Steph turned and stomped back up the stairs, just missing Jason duck back inside his apartment.

He looked up from the kitchen counter where he was whisking eggs, pretending to be surprised to see her.

"Oh, you're back."

Steph huffed and leaned against the counter, watching him pour the eggs into a pan.

"Bruce knows something is up with us, and he found out about this apartment somehow."

Jason added some sliced sausages to the eggs.

"Okay."

She stared at him in confusion. "That's all?"

"I'm planning on visiting him later. We can hash it out then."

He flipped the omelet and poured two glasses of milk, sliding one over for Steph and taking a sip of the other.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Of course. You?"

"Yup."

Steph sipped her milk in silence, watching him cook.

He slid a plate with toast, omelet, and fruit over to her. "Bon appetit."

~~~

Jason knocked on the open door as he strolled into Bruce's office in Wayne Manor, dropping into the chair in front of his giant desk.

Compensating for something, Bruce?

"You and Stephanie?" Bruce asked.

"Steph and me."

Bruce looked him over consideringly. 

There was a long silence, finally broken by Bruce's sigh. "I hope neither of you get hurt."

Jason blinked. Was that a hint of caring?

He stood and headed for the door, pausing in the doorway.

"How'd you find the apartment?"

Bruce looked up. "Cass saw your car returning from the party last night when she was on patrol." He hesitated, then added, "She said you both looked happy and told me she'd followed you to the apartment. I wanted to see for myself, so I came by this morning and met Steph in the stairwell. She told me to trust you both more and that she loves you."

"I'm aware. Thanks, B."

~~~

"How'd it go?" Steph paused Gilmore Girls when Jason came home.

"He told me Cass saw us and said we looked happy, so he came to see for himself. He also told me the gist of what you lectured him on this morning."

"Oh?"

"He didn't need to, 'cause I heard it all myself."

" Oh ?"

Her voice was a bit higher now.

He crossed the floor and crouched in front of her, wrapping the discarded lasso of truth around her wrists and taking her hands in his.

"When did you fall in love with me?"

"The night I had that nightmare about Black Mask and came over, and I called you on my way and you immediately dropped your patrol to come comfort me. When I got here and waited for you, and the lock let me in. That was the moment I knew I was in love with you, but I'd been falling since before we slept together the first time. Probably since you got me Pentabux on our second patrol together." She sniffed and brought her hands up to wipe the tear spilling from her eyes, but Jason beat her to it, cupping her cheek in his hand and wiping the tear away with his thumb.

He unwrapped the rope and looped it around his wrists, yanking it with his teeth and placing his hand in hers. "Ask me."

She took a deep breath and sniffed again.

"Do you love me?"

He met her hopeful gaze steadily. "I love you, Stephanie Brown."

"When did you fall in love with me?" She gritted, biting her tongue to stall a new batch of tears.

"When I saw you comforting Damian in Batcow's stall last year; October 21st. But like you, I'd been falling for months before that. That was just the moment I knew I'd love you until the day I die."

His eyes were getting a little moist too, and Steph yanked the rope off his wrists and pulled his face to hers, mixing their tears as they kissed.

He lifted her into his arms, her legs instinctually wrapping around him as they moved down the hallway to his room. 

~~~

She barely felt her back hit the bed, consumed by his kisses and heat between them.

He peeled her shirt over her head, pushing her back against the mattress and leaning down to trail kisses down her neck.

Her nails hooked under his shirt and she yanked on it till he took it off. His nimble fingers headed for her bra; next, her underwear and sweats were jerked off in one fell swoop, then his followed.

He kissed his way up her legs, sending trails of heat rushing through her veins to pool at her centre.

Steph tugged at his hair till he came up to press his soft lips to hers, to work his way back down her body.

He nipped at a hickey from the night before, pressing his thigh between hers for her to grind against as his calloused fingers tugged at her nipples.

He bit her pulse point gently before moving up to her mouth, claiming it with his. "I love you, Steph."

"I love you," she gasped, feeling her climax building rapidly as she rode his thigh, still sensitive from the previous night. "I love you I love you I love you- Jason!"

He would never get tired of that view, Steph flushed and panting, relaxed and satisfied and looking at him with eyes full of so much love .

He pushed in slowly, closing his eyes at the feeling of her tight, welcoming heat. He moved slowly, lightly, pressing kisses to her face and neck.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, keeping him close enough to her that he could hear her heart beating in time with his.

He slid his hand down her curves to her clit, rubbing steadily until she reached her peak, where he followed immediately after.

“I love you.”

“I love you too. So much.” She traced the lines of his face with her index finger, her touch feather-light.

“Bruce said he hoped neither of us got hurt. I think he might like you a bit more than you think.”

Steph wiggled up to be eye-to-eye to him on the pillow. “Really?”

“Yep. That’s all he said. I expected a bit more threatening or maybe a reminder of both of our screw-ups, but I think maybe what you said to him earlier got to him. I’m proud of you for standing up to him and maybe even knocking a bit of sense into him,” he squeezed his arms tighter around her.

“Thank you,” she said quietly, hooking her leg over his and sighing contentedly. “Let’s just stay like this for a bit.”

“Sounds good to me,” Jason agreed, closing his eyes and breathing in the smell of her lime shampoo. 

Soon the only noise heard through the apartment were two soft, rhythmic snores.

~~~~~FIN~~~~~

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#jaystephhalloween2023 #jaysteph #fic #ali writes

[coloredsolos]

Hey :-) I have a request for 16. "I -did- care about you, I just had no other choice." I hope you like it, if not that's absolutely no problem at all ♥ So it's a fem!reader and Colt and they secretly like eachother since forever when suddenly he has to leave for the mid-east war without saying goodbye or even telling her (maybe he was scared, he didn't want to hurt her or he just couldn't). A few days later she meets his parents randomly and when they tell her about it, she is angry of course, disappointed he simply left, thinking he doesn't care about her - apparently not even in a friendly way. But then some time later a letter for her arrives, where he apologizes to her, confesses maybe and whatever you can think of :) Lots of love for you!

SAYING GOODBYE IS SO HARD

pairing: colt grice x fem!reader

prompt: 16. “I -did- care about you, I just had no other choice.”

content: childhood friends to lovers, mutual pining, colt is a sweetheart, character death, season 4 spoilers

wc: 0.6k

a/n: hiya!! sorry this took so long! my computer broke and it took a while to fix but i’m back now!! I hope you enjoy and lots of love ♡ not proofread

Running into the Grice family was the last thing you had planned on. In fact, you had planned on avoiding anyone in that family for a while. After Colt disappeared without a trace you swear you felt your heart break in two. He hasn’t even bothered to say goodbye. You just woke up and he was gone. However, after running into his parents, you were now at a loss for words. the air around you felt thin. You felt like you couldn’t breathe. Colt’s parents had informed you, after you mentioned how he seemed to disappear, that he had left to fight in the mid-east war. You knew what that meant. And so with a quick apology, you muttered your condolences to his family, who had now lost Colt and Falco, before excusing yourself. 

He had left. You weren’t stupid. You remember how those devils took out so many of your nation’s soldiers the night they attacked. You had been with Colt’s family that night, since you weren’t a warrior candidate, you were left to see the destruction of Liberio from the internment zone. You were stunned. The Attack Titan’s rampage in Liberio was a surprise for one, and catastrophic as well. The deaths of so many innocent people, the stench of death in the air. You were scared. But Colt came back. He always came back. 

However, weeks passed after the news of the mid-east war. There was nothing. And the day the letter arrived you swear you felt your heart sink. Colt’s mother had hand delivered it to your door, tears in her eyes.

“Thank you for being so good to my son.” She would mumble before taking her leave. 

With shaky hands you opened the crisp, white letter.

“I’m sorry.” It would start out. You felt dread enter the pit of your stomach as you continued to read.

“I’m sorry I didn’t say goodbye. I figured if I didn’t say goodbye, then maybe, by some chance, I’d get to come back and see you again. But I should have known better. 

You don’t hate me… do you? I understand if you do. But I beg you to forgive me. I need to know you forgave me for leaving. I had to rescue my brother, avenge our people. 

I had to make you proud of me.

I figured maybe, if I proved my worth to the Marleyans, I could get a better life for mom and dads And you. 

I did care about you. I know you wouldn’t believe me. But I did do care about you. I’ll die caring about you. You are and always will be my best friend of course, but please know to me, you were more than that. I could see a life with you. A happy one. I hoped you could see one with me too.

So please, I ask you one thing, know I did care about you, I just had no other choice.”

Yours forever,

Colt

You watched as a drop of water landed on the letter you held. Was it raining? No, you weren’t outside. Reaching your hand up to touch your face, you were met with a wet sensation. You were crying. He wasn’t coming back, and there was nothing you could do about it. There was so much you had left to say to him that would never come to fruition. He didn’t even know how you felt. How you cherished every minute you spent together, or how you didn’t want to live if your life didn’t have him in it. You knew that saying goodbye was hard, but not getting to say goodbye was a million times worse. 

#julia writes #aot x reader #aot x you #attack on titan #attack on titan x reader #attack on titan x you #aot #shingeki no kyojin #shingeki no kyoujin #snk x reader #snk x you #colt #colt grice #colt grice x reader #colt grice x you #colt grice angst #colt angst #aot angst #attack on titan angst #colt x reader #colt x you #snk angst #colt grice aot #colt aot

[f1]

Piastri focuses on positives of McLarens massive step forward despite Safety Car dashing his podium hopes at Silverstone

Oscar Piastri still had plenty to smile about despite the “massively unlucky” timing of the Safety Car that saw him drop out of the podium-paying positions and down to fourth in the closing stages of the British Grand Prix. Piastri and team mate Lando Norris ran second and third for the majority of Sunday’s encounter at Silverstone, having qualified in the same positions. But while the Australian pitted under green flag conditions, Norris and several other front-runners benefitted from stopping during the neutralisation. READ MORE: Verstappen heads local heroes Norris and Hamilton to claim British Grand Prix win That meant it was Norris who ended up on the podium, following the Red Bull of Max Verstappen home, while Piastri took fourth, behind the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton, for a result that still represented the best of his F1 career so far. “It’s a different feeling to be disappointed [with] fourth place!” said Piastri as he reflected on his afternoon at the wheel. “We did a great race, executed it very well, it’s just massively unlucky with the Safety Car timing unfortunately. I think we did everything we could.” Referencing the recent updates that have launched McLaren into contention, he continued: “I’m still super-proud of the team, obviously a great day points-wise. But forgetting the points, from where we started the season to where we are now, it’s quite the turnaround, I have to say. This feature is currently not available because you need to provide consent to functional cookies. Please update your cookie preferences Race Highlights: 2023 British Grand Prix “It’s a massive, massive weekend for the team, I can’t thank them enough for what they’ve been able to achieve in such a short time now. I’m excited for more and hopefully we can stay here for the rest of the season.” Piastri added that the weekend was especially encouraging due to how different the Red Bull Ring – where Norris first tried the revised MCL60 – and Silverstone are, giving him hope that there will be more podium opportunities to come. READ MORE: Norris praises ‘amazing job’ from McLaren after recent updates net Silverstone podium “I think we were maybe slightly wary that Austria could be an outlier, but I think we’ve been even stronger here this weekend,” he commented. “Hopefully we can keep it going. There’ll still be tracks that maybe don’t suit us quite as well, but I think we’ve made a massive step forward. MONDAY MORNING DEBRIEF: How Norris pulled off Silverstone podium despite ‘pretty terrible’ McLaren limitation “Also on Sundays… With the car I had last week in Austria I definitely couldn’t have managed the race pace we had today. A massive credit to the team for everything they’ve done, and hopefully there’s a few more podiums and high points finishes in the pipeline.” McLaren’s strong points haul at their home race has moved the team up from sixth to fifth position in the constructors’ standings, 12 clear of sixth-placed Alpine. via Formula 1 News https://www.formula1.com

#F1 #Piastri focuses on positives of McLaren’s ‘massive step forward’ despite Safety Car dashing his podium hopes at Silverstone #Formula 1

[mindusad]

The carpet part 1

I had finally escaped him 2 years ago, I wandered blindly with nothing to guide me until i met Jon. Jon fixed me up and gave me confidence. He showed that sex and love could be more than a brutal coring out with my face shoved into a piss stained carpet. But even still after all this time I remembered that carpet, the musty house that smelled like Him, and the utter and total devotion i had given him.

I couldn’t escape the feeling that part of me had wanted all that, “words of an abuse victim” Jon told me. But finally I felt I had to confront Him, to tell him i was better and didn’t need him. I could finally be free.

When i arrived i found the house as I had left it, somewhat rundown and surrounded by an unkempt yard. Scott had threatened once to chain me up in there and offer me as a donation to the local homeless community. The sight of me, hair shaved entirely, locked cock, with an abused “fag pussy” upward in broad daylight was a shameful and disgusting thought, only those things.

This was my last chance to turn back, to run to Jon and never face Scott again, but i got out of my car and stared the house down. The windows seemed to glare down at me, imperiously laughing at me crawling back. But I wasn’t crawling back, I was upright and proud and happy, i didn’t need him. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door forcefully, a voice came echoing out, “Oi faggot!! Get your cunt in here!!”

I froze, I hadn’t told him I was coming. That same old fear started coming back but I silenced it and opened the door confidently.

“Faggot, you better be ready for a beating. Come in here, hands and knees, and I better not see any clothes on you!!” His voice echoed past me and into my spine, but I couldn’t stop. At least no urge to OBEY kicked in like it once did. I did none of those things, I just walked briskly into view and said, “my name is chris…”

Scott looked at me in astonishment and then grinned broadly, “ah!! Not the fag I was expecting!! How have you been my boy?”

I didn’t smile back, I just said, “I’m not your faggot, I’m a person and I’m here to end this.”

“Oh?” He asked, innocently, lounging on the couch shirtless and wearing torn jeans. “Where’s the ‘it’s good to see you.’ After all we’ve been through I deserve that much right?”

I shook my head stiffly and said, “you deserve nothing Scott, I’m not coming back and you should know why.”

“Okay then,” he said, amused, and he gestured to the spot next to him, “come in close and tell me …chris…why is that?”

I shook my head and said, “I’m not doing that Scott, that won’t work.” He shrugged casually and said, “okay,” then he gestured to the couch across from him and said, “then sit, and tell me.” I hesitated for a second before doing just that, stiffly on the couch. It still smelled the same, Scott used to fuck my fag puss….my hole while making me look outside, telling me to scream so people could see who I truly was.

I crushed those thoughts and continued, “Scott, all those years you abused me and I let you….”

Scott lolled back on the couch and stretched him arms out, showing his pits in full. The smell wafted over in the room, salty bitter and masculine, my cock twitched but I ignored that. He said, “come now Chris, you can’t tell me you hated all of it. what happens to all those times on the carpet.” He nodded right, to the shitty square rug by the front door, he used to fuck me there, his favorite spot, my hands behind me back and his right toes in my mouth. My cock raised again but I suppressed that, “no I didn’t, I was scared and you used me.”

He shrugged and said, “sure, you’re a faggot. That’s the point.” I glared and he cackled, “don’t tell me that little boyfriend of yours has fixed that too?”

“Jon loves me and treats me well,” I said, “as I deser-“ Scott put his right foot up on the table between us, his toes moving slightly. The smell carried over and I was cut off. Scott continued, “when I had you poppered up and passed around, you didn’t like it?”

I, eyes locked on the toes and at war with myself, shook my head, unable to process thoughts.

“When I’d hogtie you up and use that throat of yours, that moaning was what….fake?” I was furious, I was outraged, but my cock was up, at attention.

“It’s okay chriiiiiis, you don’t have to lie to me,” he schmoozed, “Jon doesn’t know what you are, I do. You don’t need to fight me, just do it…….faggot”

I fought with everything thing I had but slowly and inevitably those years of training kicked in, my pupils dilated, I went almost blank, and I slid off the couch and onto my hands and knees. I started at the sole of his foot and felt my ho….my faggot pussy perk up.

“That’s it faggot, Your Master is here to take care of you. Just give in…….”

No thoughts in brain, only Masters words echoed in my…..no his faggots head.

“Kiss Masters foot,” his voice washed over me, “love Masters foot.” My head moved forward, that masculine sweaty smell pulling me by the nose and I kissed his foot, MASTERS foot.

“Now kiss up the sole and look at me faggot,” the faggot complied, its rebellious streak gagged and bound, and kissed deeply four times, each up until the faggots eyes saw over Masters foot.

A flash knocked me out of my revert, I was on my hands and knees, breathing in Scott’s intoxicating smell, and looking right into Scott’s phone camera. I was trapped, I had succumb and had to leave. But I couldn’t, when the word “trapped” entered my brain my cock got harder and, under some stupid faggot instinct, the faggot put its lips around Masters toes and stared into the camera.

“That’s right faggot, I’ve got you, you’re never leaving again. When I’m done with you, all that work your Ex-boyfriend did to undo your progress will be gone.” His words fucked the faggots brain, deep, hard, and raw as the faggot humiliated itself on camera.

“When I’m done with you faggot, all of these videos are going to your Ex, and you’re going to give me his number.”

The faggot was terrified, but the taste of Masters sweat kept it balanced, it was all that could keep it balanced.

“Maybe your exboyfriend can become my new faggot!!” Master said, and the faggots brain emptied even more, the stimuli forcing it to only OBEY, only OBEY, only OBEY, only OBEY

Master Fagbreaker looked the faggot in the eyes and said, “yeah that’s right, let the conditioning kick in faggot, you know who I am. I am everything to you and you are nothing to me.”

The faggot kept worshiping the feel before him, it was on autopilot at this point.

“Who am I faggot, into the camera for sweet old Jon,” Master fagbreaker said and the faggot did just what was expected, putting Master fagbreaker’s foot in its mouth and mumbling through it, eyes into camera, “Master FAGBREAKER SIR”

the faggot forgot who Jon was, he wasn’t Master FAGBREAKER and a faggot just obeyed, just OBEY, just OBEY, just OBEY, just OBEY, just OBEY.

#faggot humiliation #forced faggot #alpha master

[kiratheserphantdarling]

sexuality headcannons for the pits

Pit: homosexual(gay)

Dark pit: bisexual

#dark pit #pit #it took a while for pit to come out but he did I’m so proud 🥰 #kid icarus #ssbu #headcannons

[frogtanii]

℗ me and my husband

atsumu x fem!reader (poker face ending)

series masterlist

♡´･ᴗ･`♡

wc. 3.2k (holy shit)

warnings. NOT PROOFREAD, v v soft domestic, marriage :00, smut!! (is marked off!!), soft dom!tsumu, hair pulling (giving), unprotected sex, slight praise kink, pretty vanilla ngl

an. can be read as a one shot but u might be confused lmfao also this took SO LONG OMFG also also heavily unedited, take things w a grain of salt lmfao anyways don’t forget to feed me ahaha m rlly proud of this so i hope y’all like it <33

it was moving day and atsumu was about to lose his mind.

today was the official day of the hyper house disbandment and while most of the members were still figuring out new living arrangements and thus remaining past the deadline, you were one of the few trying to get out as soon as possible.

makki and mattsun were so excited to have you move in, they showed up early that morning to help you pack. now, it was around 1p and it was almost time for you to go. you still had a few more boxes to go but things were speeding right along.

normally, atsumu would be right by your best friends helping you out but he was currently in the middle of a breakdown.

you were leaving. leaving. he had no idea when he’d see you again (even though you promised to meet up weekly to catch up), if he would ever see you again. for all he knew, makki and mattsun would just hide you away forever, never to be seen again.

okay, so he was panicking.

it was just... atsumu was in love with you. he’d known for a while (way longer than he’d like to admit) and he selfishly thought he’d have more time with you so that he could work up the courage to confess. but now? you were like three boxes away from a distance that he didn’t know if he or your relationship could recover from.

it wasn’t that he was bad at long distance but the tragic events that the house brought, brought the two of you closer together and he didn’t want to lose that.

atsumu let out a groan and dropped his head against the wall, his mind running with scenario after scenario, all ending in failure and utter embarrassment.

“hey, you okay?” you called out, a large box cradled delicately in your arms. as atsumu turned from the plaster in front of him, he allowed himself a moment to take you in.

you were wearing short athletic shorts, worn converses, and his t shirt. a thin sheen of sweat covered your skin, the lights above reflecting off of it, giving you a warm glow.

of course you looked hot moving boxes.

you called his name again in concern and he immediately felt his heart clench in guilt. you’d already been through so so much and here he was fantasizing about you instead of being there for you like a good friend would.

atsumu let out a sigh and shot you a wide, albeit empty, smile before walking over to you and taking the box out of your hands. the furrow in your brows told him you saw through his expression but he ignored it and made a show of lifting your box above his head and carrying it to mattsun’s car.

“see, what would ya do without these guns angel?” he joked, placing the cardboard into the trunk. you rolled your eyes and poked him in the side playfully. “die, probably.”

the butterflies in his stomach kicked up at the underlying sincerity in your voice but he tried his best to overlook it. it was much harder than it seemed, especially when you looked at him with such fondness in your gaze that made him want to kiss you senseless.

gulping hard, he quickly turned away from you, busying himself with fitting your things in the truck like a game of tetris.

“atsumu.” your voice was firm but pleading and he didn’t dare look at you for fear of spilling everything right then and there. “wow, ya sure got a lot of stuff, huh? wonder how much of this was bought with ushijima’s money,” he started to ramble but thankfully he was interrupted by makki whooping as he walked out of the house.

“last box bitches!” you shot atsumu one final worried look before running over to makki and mattsun, yelling the whole way there.

atsumu was grateful your back was to him because he couldn’t hide the affectionate look that overtook his face, a soft smile spreading across his lips as he watched you hip bump your friends while cackling wildly.

god, he was so in love with you.

what was he going to do when you moved out and away? what if you found someone, someone how loved you as much as he did (not possible)? he would wish for your happiness even at the expense of his own but... what if you both could be happy?

caught up in his thoughts, atsumu didn’t register you saying your goodbyes to the remaining members until you were finally in front of him.

“i’m gonna miss living with you tsum.” you unceremoniously launched yourself at him, wrapping your arms around his waist and burying your face in his chest. his heart leapt violently at the contact and he prayed to every deity above that you didn’t hear it underneath your head.

he barely managed to hug you back before you pulled away, your eyes slightly teary and red. “um, well, makki and mattsun are waiting for me so uh,” you trailed off looking back at the van and your friends who were so (im)patiently waiting for you to join them.

atsumu’s breath quickened as you scooted a bit away from him, truly getting ready to leave. no, no, it couldn’t end like this, awkward and distant. no, he wasn’t going to let it.

“atsumu?” you asked worriedly, reaching out a hand to touch him when he didn’t respond but he couldn’t hear you. he felt hot all over, like he was going to explode or magically combust if he didn’t get the words out into the air.

“tsum, are you oka-“ “i’m in love with ya.”

you paused, shock written clearly all over your face. the fear of rejection slammed into atsumu like a brick, the feeling settling in the pit of his stomach like a rock but he still didn’t stop.

“i’m in love with ya and i have been for forever. yn, yer beautiful but yer face and body aren’t even the best part of ya, even though they’re pretty damn great. yer just-“

“tsum-“

“-yer so kind, especially when ya don’t need ta be. yer badass but ya care fer others so deeply and ya make me wanna be a better person. ya make me a better person. i know ya-“

“tsumu please-“

“-ya probably don’t feel the same and that’s alright but i needed ta tell ya, before ya leave and fall in love with some other scrub, just in case we can be happy together and-“

all of a sudden, your hands were buried in his shirt and you were pulling him close to meet your lips with his, your mouths meshing together in a soft and passionate kiss.

bliss. atsumu was in sheer bliss. your lips were as soft as he thought they would be as they moved with his, his hands coming up to grip your waist and pull you even closer to him.

sooner than he would have liked, his lungs started burning for air so he pulled back but not very far, instead resting his forehead against yours.

“i was trying to tell you i liked you too, idiot,” you muttered, your eyes still closed as you spoke. he chuckled, a wide grin overtaking his entire face as he really took in what you were saying.

you liked him back. you liked him. holy shit.

but instead of saying any of that, he decided to tease you a bit. “just like? if i recall, i just confessed my undying love for ya.”

you pulled back with a faux scoff, hitting him in the arm with a huff. “shut up you ass. of course i love you too.” you couldn’t keep your real smile off your cheeks while you confessed, your soft expression bringing another wave of desire over atsumu’s body.

“can, can i take ya inside angel?” he allowed his true intentions to be heard in his words, your eyes widening when you figured out what he meant. you nodded vigorously before shooting a look to makki and mattsun. mattsun just waved you off and got into his truck while makki yelled, “get that dick!”

you heated up horribly, grabbing atsumu’s hand and pulling him towards the house and to his room. he allowed himself to be dragged along, sending winks to the other boys as he went until the two of you were standing right in front of his door.

“i love ya,” he whispered, lifting your hand to his lips to place a gentle kiss there. you grinned. “love you too tsum.”

that must have been the final straw because the minute the words left your mouth, he was on you.

••• smut begin•••

pressing you up against the door, atsumu ravaged your mouth, his tongue tangling with yours as he walked you backwards into his room, laying you down on the bed so that he was hovering over you, his hips pressing hard against yours.

instinctively, you ground up into him, rewarding you with a loud groan and a gasp of your name. “fuck angel, yer killing me here,” he laughed breathlessly, rolling his hardness against your thigh. you let out a breathy moan and tangled your hands in his hair to bring him back down to your lips.

as you continued to kiss him, his hands scrambled at your waist, pushing his hands under it to grope at your chest. you giggled at the cold of his fingers but he didn’t pay it any mind, moving down from your mouth to your neck, sucking dark marks into the sensitive skin there.

“ah, shit tsumu,” you tilted your head to the side to give him more access, just as he reached under your bra to tease your nipples. a startled gasp left you, your back arching into his careful touch. “that feel good angel?” atsumu asked, voice low and gravelly as he pinched the delicate bud, drawing another noise from your throat.

you nodded, not trusting yourself to speak. you bit your bottom lip while he pulled your shirt and bra off, tossing them somewhere in the room. as he scanned your half naked body, he noticed you quieting yourself and he lightly shook his head. his thumb found its way to your lip, carefully pulling it from between your teeth.

“wanna hear ya angel, let me hear yer pretty noises, yeah?” without letting you respond, atsumu dove back into your chest, suckling one of your nipples into his mouth while toying with the other, a sigh of his name sending a bolt of arousal straight to his loins.

he grinded against you absentmindedly, losing himself in you, eventually switching sides to give the same treatment to your neglected bud.

while atsumu seemed to be having the time of his life attached to your tit, you were getting impatient, your arousal completely soaking through your underwear. you needed more.

tangling your fingers in his blond locks, you attempted to tug him away from your chest but his reaction was unlike anything you could’ve expected. “aahh!” he let out a strangled whine, his hips bucking against your side.

“please, tsumu, need more,” you breathed, his needy reaction not lost on you as pulled his hair a bit harder. you were not disappointed as his eyes rolled back and his mouth opened in a silent moan before dropping his head to your shoulder.

“fuck, fuck, okay angel, i got ya, i got ya.” atsumu swiftly disposed of both yours and his bottoms and underwear before lifting your leg and positioning himself at your entrance.

“tell me if i hurt ya, alright? i love ya,” he smiled down on you, your heart swelling two times at his carefulness. “i love you too,” you replied, watching as his pupils grew and a low groan broke free from his chest.

“oh angel, ‘m gonna ruin ya.” that was the last thing he said before he pushed into you, both of you letting out whimpers as he stretched you open, the blunt head of his cock just a few centimeters shy of your cervix.

your back arched in pleasure, both of your hands scrambling until they found purchase on his back, your nails digging in just when he started to thrust shallowly into you.

“f-fuck, how’re ya s-so fuckin’ tight?” atsumu growled through gritted teeth, every word punctuated with a roll of his hips. you couldn’t respond as you were too overwhelmed with pleasure, his cock rubbing against your g-spot with every slow movement.

speaking of slow, he was moving way too leisurely for your tastes. you needed him to move faster and you knew exactly how to do it.

sliding your hand up from his back, you grabbed a good chunk of hair from the back of his head and pulled. his reaction was immediate and oh-so gratifying.

an honest to god whimper poured from his lips and he instantly thrusted all the way into you, his length driving into your g-spot perfectly. you both let out twin moans as he started rocking into consistently, every movement bringing you closer and closer to your peak.

“i love ya, i love ya so fuckin’ much, angel—shit—yer so amazing, i love ya,” atsumu rambled while pounding into you, deep curses and whines of your name interspersed with his declarations of love. if you could speak, you would reciprocate but you were too busy holding on for dear life as he fucked you into oblivion.

desperate for some kind of anchor to reality, you grasped onto his locks again, gripping tightly as drawn-out cries of his name slipped from your open lips. you were close, so close and he knew it too.

“feel ya clenchin’ around me like a good girl, ya gonna cum fer me? gonna cum fer me angel?” atsumu’s hand snaked down between your bodies to rub fast circles on your clit, a shaky sob finding its way out into the open air.

“oh shit, yeah, ‘m g-gonna cum for you tsum, ‘s all for you,” you moaned, clamping down on him sporadically as you started to cum, your vision whiting out and your thighs trembling while you gushed around him.

your mind was floating off when you felt him cum with a shout, his warmth flooding you and spilling out as he collapsed onto your chest.

••• smut over •••

the two of you lied there for a while, attempting to regain your brain and feeling in your legs. you vaguely made note of the wet rag cleaning between your thighs and the following weight falling down beside you but it was only after a few more minutes that you really came back to yourself, rolling over to lay on atsumu’s bare chest.

“holy shit, tsumu,” you said in awe, your boyfriend (!!) laughing at your reaction. “i’m just that good angel, what can i say?”

you groaned and hit him in the chest but you couldn’t keep the smile off your face if you tried. “you are such a menace!”

“only fittin’ that i picked a gremlin ta be with then,” atsumu teased while playing with a piece of your hair. mock offense filled your chest as you sat up, fixing him with your ‘angriest’ glare.

“is that the kind of language you’ll be using in your vows, mister?” you were only joking but when atsumu’s eyes widened and a blush spread across his cheeks, you realized your mistake.

you opened your mouth to apologize or to make some kind of excuse but he beat you to the punch. “ya wanna marry me angel?” he asked, looking so vulnerable with hope shining in his brown irises. you couldn’t bear to lie.

“of course tsum, you’re it for me,” you reached out a hand to caress his cheek and he leaned into it, his own coming up to cup yours and hold it against his face.

“good.” and that was the end of that, that evening’s... extraneous activities having thoroughly tired to the point that you fell completely asleep with your face against one of his pecs.

if you had stayed awake a little longer, you would’ve seen atsumu pull out his phone and start a new note titled, “my angel.”

if i just said i loved you, it would be an understatement. it would be like saying the sun’s surface is just a bit warm or that the arctic is just a little chilly. it would be an injustice to you and to how i truly feel about you. love—

“-is a word that is much too soft and used far too often ta ever describe the fierce, infinite and blazing passion that i have in my heart for ya angel. ya acknowledge my strengths and ya accept my faults. ya make me wanna be a better person every day. so, today i vow ta laugh with ya and comfort ya during times of joy and times of sorrow. i promise ta always pursue ya, ta fight for ya, and love ya unconditionally and wholeheartedly for the rest of my life. ya are my best friend and i’m the luckiest person on earth ta call ya mine- wait are ya crying?"

the audience burst into laughter as you frantically tried to wipe away your tears, punching atsumu softly on the arm. “of course i am, you ass.”

the officiant cleared his throat, grabbing both of your attentions. “it is the bride’s turn to give her vows. if you may?”

you nodded and atsumu already felt like crying. again. he’d cried that morning while getting dressed and then again when you walked down the aisle in the most beautiful dress he had ever seen. now, as he watched you pull a folded piece of paper out of your bra, he knew he’d made the right decision in confessing to you, all those years ago.

he also knew he was definitely going to cry again.

“atsumu, falling for you wasn’t falling at all—it was walking into a house and knowing that you’re home. today, i want to make you promises that i will always keep. i promise to never stop holding your hand or accepting your kisses. i promise to not hit you too hard when you insult me or call me a gremlin. i promise to share my food with you, to never go to bed angry, and to try and understand your obsession with professional men’s volleyball. i promise to love, respect, protect and trust you, and give you the best of myself, for i know that together we will build a life far better than either of us could imagine alone. i choose you. i’ll choose you over and over and over, without pause, without doubt, i’ll keep choosing you.

i used to never truly enjoy moments because i was always waiting for what's next. the next thing horrible thing to happen. now that i have you, i enjoy the moment. every moment.

today seems like it's the start of a new journey, but i already belong to you. falling for you wasn't falling at all—it was walking into a house and knowing you're home. i love you.”

and at least in this lifetime

we’re sticking together

me and my husband

we’re sticking together

taglist - if your name is in bold, i cannot tag you

@boosyboo9206 • @geektastic84 • @elianetsantana • @trashy-simp • @infinitebells • @6mattsun9 • @suhkusa • @katsulovee • @kotarosbabygirl • @fucktheworlddude • @insomniacwreck • @calumsfringe • @saltylettuce • @chai-blu • @al3x1ss • @hawksyoongi • @jooleuuh • @loubells • @kissungjae • @liberhoe • @tetsurocore • @animeoverdosee • @duhsies • @saiKishaircLip • @afire24 • @premiyagi • @kit-kat428 • @doctorspencereid • @daphnxy • @kyomihann • @maer-333 • @sinoflust19 • @peteunderoos • @peachiikichu • @iidanotlida • @yongboxerrr • @kac-chowsballs • @tanakaslastbraincell • @memorableminds • @risjime • @starry-magicshop • @sugavwara • @smuttyanimeslut • @kiwibirbs-library • @haijkk • @airybnb • @crybabygumi • @iwaisa • @decaffinatedtealover • @notameera • @kawaii-angelanne • @rintarovibes • @urlocalsimp • @keiarma • @shrimpypenis

the rest of the tags will be in the replies!!

#haikyuu!! #haikyuu x reader #hq x reader #hq smau #haikyuu x reader smau #haikyuu smau #haikyuu #hq x reader smau #haikyuu angst #hq angst #haikyuu fluff #hq fluff #atsumu x reader #atsumu x you #atsumu x female reader #atsumu x y/n #atsumu miya x reader #atsumu miya x female reader #atsumu miya x y/n #atsumu miya x you #atsumu miya #miya atsumu #atsumu smut #atsumu miya smut #atsumu fluff #atsumu miya fluff #hq atsumu #haikyuu atsumu #atsumu angst #℗ poker face

[rafescoke]

Never sent a request idk if I do this right. Been to lazy and not good lately and honestly I just need a good fluff. The basic plot where he is in a bad mood like angry and then he turns to his lover etc etc. Do your thing I just need some comfort and love!

Cupcake ; Rafe Cameron

masterlist

Pairing: Rafe Cameron x reader

Summary: Maybe making cupcakes with a girl he likes won’t be a bad thing

Warnings: Slight angst on the earlier part, cursing, substance, extreme fluff, adorable Rafe Cameron

A/N: I hope you're doing good, sending all my love and hugs @ you <33 remember to rest!!! @asimpwriter

p.s; you know the drill - send any requests!

"Fuck off," Rafe sighed, shutting his eyes against the bright chandelier above the dinner table. Since when did it got so bright? The last time he checked, it was dimmed. "I swear Sarah, say one more word and I'll fucking kill you."

"Rafe," Ward sighed, placing his cutleries down onto the expensive wooden table. "It's family time. Excuse your sister."

"She's hanging around with those stupid pogues, dad!" he groaned, not wanting to believe that his dad was on her side. Not that he was ever on his, but he thought his father would have the same mindset as him towards this topic.

"Let. It. Go."

"They're my friends," she breathed, and Ward closed his eyes again, knowing the screaming that was about to occur. "I'm sorry you're stuck with Topper-"

"Didn't you cheat on him?" he laughed, and turned to look at his dad. He mouthed at him with an amused expression, "She cheated on him."

"I didn't, and we broke up 2 weeks ago. I'm sorry he couldn't move on from me," Sarah shrugged, and Rafe watched as she put aside her green beans and offered some of the mashed potatoes to Wheezie.

How could she act so normal about this?

"Oh, and-" Sarah turned to Ward, and Rafe waited impatiently for the lies that was about to slip from her mouth. "Do you know that he does drugs?"

"Sarah!" Rose yelled, furrowing her eyebrows as Rafe laughed out loud, clapping his hands loudly that the sound echoed throughout the huge house. "It's a family dinner!"

"I don't give a fuck about this family," Sarah said, removing the napkin from her lap and quickly standing up to get out of the house. Ward didn't say anything, neither did Rose, and after a few seconds, he let out a sigh.

"This is getting out of hand," he started, clasping his hands. "Rafe, I'm no longer letting you take over my business."

Rafe stopped his movements, looking at his father with widened eyes. After all those time he spent at college, trying to make his father proud and to take over the business, only for this?

"Dad, you can't. She's lying, dad, I haven't been using drugs."

"I saw the stash, Rafe," he sighed, and Rafe thought about the space under his bed. He closed his eyes, muttering a ‘fuck’ when he finally remembered the empty space. He didn't think much about it earlier, thinking about how he must have used up all of the powder.

"Until you get your life back on track, or nothing at all."

"Dad-"

"Go find your sister, and bring her home."

"Dad, please-"

"Go find Sarah."

"Okay," he sighed, standing up immediately and letting the chair scraped the polished floor. Wheezie shifted uncomfortably at the sound, and Rafe had an urge to do it again, just for the sake of riling his father's anger.

He cursed silently, walking away towards the table and to the porch, all while thinking about the joy if he could destroy the Pogues' life for making his hard.

The drive from Figure 8 to The Cut took him 30 minutes at high speed and being fully caffeinated, and when he arrived at the Chateau, all riled up from the quarrel with his father that he had before, he didn't try to see if his sister was even in there before barging into the small home.

"Yo, what the fuck?"

"Where's Sarah?" he muttered, giving Kie his side glance and continued searching for her. "Where the fuck is she?"

"Yo, bro, this land is off to the kooks," JJ stepped in, eye to eye as he leveled up to Rafe's height. He was only an inch shorter, but the difference was apparent. He continued to place his hands against his chest, whispering slowly. "Especially to crackheads like you."

Rafe laughed, tilting his head to the back to release the tension building up in his body. He was so, so close to give the blonde boy the consequences of his words, but was halted when Sarah entered the room, hand in hand with John B.

"What are you doing here?" she groaned, walking forward and standing in front of him. "God, can't you leave me alone?"

"Oh, trust me, I rather do that more than anything especially-" his eyes trailed to John B, "When you're fucking with a trash."

"JJ-" Kie stepped up, pulling JJ's shirt to stop him from doing anything. She sighed, knowing that this was bound to happen anytime soon, and she had told John B about this before, but he didn't listen. Now it was like her job to protect her friends from Rafe.

"Leave," Sarah stated, her lips pulled into a tight grimace. "Leave before I'll tell dad about this."

"I'm just trying to protect you," he ran his fingers through his hair, making it more messier than ever. Why couldn't she get that? All he was doing - it was all to protect her, so that his father could see him for what he's worth.

"You know what?" he sighed, wrapping his face with his large hands and turning towards the exit. "You wanna be one of them? Go. Don't ever come back home. You're just another trash, anyways."

He wasn't sure if he meant them, or if it came from the heat of the moment. All he could think about was to run away, to hide and to never come out and face his father or the judgement put by everyone else. He felt an uneasy feeling rising in the pit of her stomach, but he was too proud to say sorry.

“That was useless," he thought, leaning over his motorcycle and blinking his eyes against the lights by the side of the road. He couldn't go back now, not when his father had just ordered him to bring Sarah home and he had failed to do so, and he couldn't go to Barry's; his dad could find him there if he search for him the next day.

He groaned, feeling the cold air nipping at his skin until the final thought occurred to him. He laughed then, not sure as to why he hadn't been thinking of that sooner, and soon he was in front of the mini apartment.

He rapped on the door and waited patiently, his heartbeat quickening. He looked at his watch, checking if his arrival was too late. He groaned, noticing the time, but it would be embarrassing for him to turn now.

(Y/N) was trying to figure out what colour should she put into the frosting mixture, her hands on her waist when she heard the knock.

Her head instinctively looked at the clock, frowning when she read the time. It was not that late, only around 10 p.m., but she was not ready for any guests or her friends to come over.

Had she been too loud that the cranky neighbor next door who sleeps early everyday had come to tell her off?

She sighed, lowering the music coming from the radio before making her way to the door. She was in nothing but her ribbed top and a pair of sweatpants, and her hair was messier than ever.

"I'm sorry, Jerry," she sighed, opening the door to greet the old man. But standing in front of her was not the grey-haired man with furrowed eyebrows, ready to scold her, but it was the boy she had been crushing on since forever instead.

"Rafe?" she exclaimed, and she couldn't deny the shock spreading through her veins at the sight of him. He was sweaty, like he had just been in a fight, and his shirt was sticking to his body. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey, I'm sorry, can I come in?"

The smell of freshly baked cupcakes wafted into his nostrils, and he noticed the drool in his mouth. He didn't eat dinner that much, being forced to chase after his sister, and all he wanted was to enjoy some good food and get a good sleep for the night.

"I'm not. . . we can't. . . I'm not prepared for anything-"

"It's okay, I didn't come for sex," he bit his lips, trying to contain her amused laughter at her statement. "We're friends, (Y/N), aren't we?"

"Yeah," she raised a brow, not grasping at the way he was playing his words. She allowed him in, asking him to sit by the kitchen counter and checking her porch outside to see if there was any cameras in case he was trying to prank her.

Rafe Cameron never contacted her for anything if it wasn't for sex.

"What are you making?" he pointed at the mess on the kitchen, and (Y/N) tried to hide her red face as she quickly tried to put the stained bowls and cutleries into the sink.

"Uh, cupcakes."

"Yum," he chuckled, liking the way she was so nervous around him. The truth with (Y/N), she was extremely wild in bed but also very shy outside. It was like a complete two different person, but he was always intrigued by this.

The first time they had done the deed, he was shocked when she got into control, and he would lie if he said he didn't enjoy it. That night was one of Rafe’s best nights, the starting point to the many after.

"Relax, (Y/N)," he laughed, watching as she tilted a cup and placing his hand under the table to catch it before it could break. (Y/N) yelped, struck to her position, and let out the biggest relief when Rafe put it back to its previous place, safe as ever.

"Why are you so jumpy?" he whispered, sneaking beside her to help with whatever she was doing. He hadn't got a clue about this whole baking thing, only watching Cake Wars for the drama, but he wanted to help the girl beside him if it means he got to spend time with her.

"What are you doing?" she muttered, glancing at Rafe's hands as he whisked the fluffy frosting. "Rafe, you're going to get it more clumpy."

"No, I won't."

"Rafe, I swear," she groaned, reaching over to grab the whisk only for him to turn around, laughing while she struggled to get him.

"I'm just making it more fluffier," he smiled, continuing to whisk the mixture without even looking at the white colloid. He was too busy looking at her, and he wondered if she knew about the small amount of flour powder that had gotten on the top of her nose.

"Was the coke good?"

"Huh?" she tilted her head, confused, and still angry at the way he was not listening to her.

"The nose. Was the coke good?"

(Y/N) gave him a look before going to the corner to stare at herself in the mirror, letting out a yelp when she saw the powdery stain on her nose. She quickly dusted them off, stalking back to the still-whisking boy, and she wondered about the amount of energy he had in him and how he was still not tired.

"Rafe! It's all clumped!" she sighed, finally having a hold on the large bowl. She took her a finger and tipped it into the mixture, pulling out before slipping the finger into her mouth. Her face scrunched up, and she reached for the glass of water by her side.

"What? It's more prettier. More texture-ish. If we're in Cake Wars, we'll be the winner."

"That's not how it works," she groaned, pouring the failed mixture into the sink and letting the water cleansed them off. "Now my cupcake's going to be naked."

"You know what can be naked too?"

She held up her middle finger, placing the wet bowl onto the counter and using the clean cloth to wipe it dry. "And I'm not giving these to the children's home naked. You have to help me, Rafe."

Rafe felt a smile tugging on his lips at the mention of 'children’s home', and he thought about how perfect could she be. She’s the epitome of the girl everyone wants to be - she's good in school, never using anyone's money for her, good at baking, and has a big heart?

He thought about how she's good in bed too, but he tired to shake the childish thought away.

"What can I do? Should I go to the store and get any Betty Crocker's frosting?" he offered, his hands in his pocket to reach for his keys. He watched as her shoulder slumped, and he felt bad for ruining her cake. He touched her shoulder, "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't know it would actually be clumped. I thought it would get even more fluffier."

"You don't think, Rafe, that's why," she sighed, "But that's alright. Do you think you can help me make another one?"

"Are you sure? I don't want to ruin anything," he backed away, glancing at the sink and thinking about the clumped mixture making their way to the sewer.

"Yes. Can you reach for that sugar? That's flour, Rafe, god, yes, yes, okay, c'mere," she rolled her eyes, taking the container from him and dumping the content into the dried bowl. "Now, what do we do?"

"Put water?"

(Y/N) laughed, tilting her head to one side, trying to clutch her stomach from hurting. "Yeah, if you want the kids to get sick."

"Okay, Gordon, what should we do next?" he grunted, but he liked the lightness in the air. How the conversation flowed easily, and how quick he regained her trust to help her make whatever this is.

It was like she didn't care about the Rafe Cameron that gets into fights with the pogues or snorts coke when he's stressed. He felt like staying in this moment forever, wanting to help her bake whatever and watching her smile.

(Y/N) handed him the butter, muttering something along the words of 'dump them in', 'use the mixture', 'you're going to break your arms' and 'watch while it's whisking'.

He didn't care about the many orders she was giving him - he enjoyed it. He truly liked how his night was ending after a long day of bullshit, starting with his college sending him a letter for the vandalism he had caused outside of the Dean's office, Kelce and Topper going on a road trip without him and giving him the explanation of 'we asked you, and you said no'.

In truth, he didn't even remember anything about meeting them. His memory was starting to fade, and he shuddered at the thought of not knowing anyone when he reaches Ward's age.

"Okay, that's enough," she groaned, switching the button off. Rafe apologized quickly, being so caught up with his own thoughts, and waited for her next order.

"Choose the colour," she exclaimed happily, pointing out two different food dyes. "I can't choose!"

Rafe skimmed over the label that said 'blue' and 'pink', and made a face. "Are you going to give the blue ones to the boys and the pinks to the girls or something?"

"What? No?"

"Okay. . . why can't we just use both?"

"And make purple?"

"Yeah? Hey, look, I'm wearing blue and you're wearing pink!"

(Y/N) looked down to the ribbed top, noticing the colour, and her face turned into a red shade. Now everything's going to be awkward.

"Okay, purple it is," she rolled her eyes, giving him the blue bottle and taking the pink one for herself. "Three drops together. Are you ready?"

"Mhm."

"1."

Rafe licked his lips, so eager to watch the colour forming.

"2," she looked at him, and back to the frosting. "Rafe!"

"What?" he raised a brow, following her gaze and watching the blue dots on the frosting. He put his hand over his mouth, too stunned to say anything. "Oh my god, I'm so-"

(Y/N) laughed out loud, this time with her hands gripping onto the kitchen counter to stabilize herself, her mind rewinding back to his expression when he found out what he just did.

"Ha-ha, now you're just being an asshole," he rolled his eyes, but he was glad he had made her laugh. Instinctively, her laugh had made him feel better, and all of his worries dissipated into the air.

After a while, she tried to get ahold of herself to put the pink drops in, but failing to do so as his face kept appearing in her mind. Rafe groaned, having to wait for a few minutes now, and pulled her to feet. He pushed her against the counter, her back against his front as he trapped her.

"Don't laugh."

(Y/N) bit her lips, being in this position but not for what they usually do, and concentrated on dropping 3 drops of pink into the bowl. She cheered when she was done, pulling his hand away to move to the other side. The back of her neck was still hot, and she could still feel his arms around her.

"Mix it," Rafe smiled, leaning against the counter to watch as the mixer whisked the frosting, turning the pearly white colloid to a beautiful dark purple.

"It's dark!" she groaned, but she thought about how it still looked good, though it wasn't her expectation. Her job was almost finished now, and she could hear her bed calling.

"Now, the fun part," she smiled, taking her icing materials and placing them before his eyes. She watched as he laughed, being so excited as if he was a toddler seeing a playground for the first time.

"They used these in Cake Wars," he said proudly, showing her a nozzle.

"Stop with your Cake Wars," she mumbled, preparing the icing bag and giving Rafe one. "Put some frosting- not yet, Rafe, God, do you ever wait? Don't fill the bags too much, just in the middle, yes, just like that, and, wait, let me do mine."

She showed him how to do the perfect icing, practicing on a clean plate and asking him to do the same. He scoffed at her, saying how he got this, but what appeared was nothing more than a crooked line.

"That's nice," she muttered, sighing. "For a coming-out party."

Rafe groaned, trying to copy her artwork, and by the time it was 12.03 a.m., he had managed a copy of hers. Not literal, but there was a hint of hers in his.

"Okay. Now, Rafe, we'll make this quick. I do 80 cupcakes, and you do 20. Is that okay?"

"Yes, ma'am," he said, concentrating on his piping bag. He watched as she did the first cupcake, ending her icing perfectly and exclaiming happily as she put it aside. She looked at him, waiting.

"Don't look at me, you're making me nervous," he mumbled, and leaned to decorate the cupcake. It took him a total of 2 minutes, stopping at times and getting a yell from (Y/N), saying how he should not stop, and the result was impressive. At least to him.

"This will probably be in the rejected part of a bakery, you know, that they'll sell with a discount."

"Not everyone can do arts, (Y/N)," he rolled his eyes, but he truly enjoyed the joke.

It was nearing one in the morning when Rafe saw her sighing in relief, placing the last cupcake into the pastry box and safely storing them in the refrigerator. Her hair was in a bun, he had helped her put them up, and when she refused to let him help her, he gave her a poke.

"What? It's not like it's my first time putting your hair up."

"God, Rafe, you're impossible."

His eyes were almost shut, being so tired after being a cake decorator, and all he wished for was to pull her into her bed and sleep until the morning greets them. He waited until she was done cleaning all of the utensils, walking tiredly towards to him to wake him up.

"Get change, Rafe, I'm not letting you sleep in my bed with that shirt and that sweatpants."

"It's not a problem before," he mumbled, allowing himself to be pulled by her to the bedroom. He removed his shirt weakly, pulling off his sweatpants and jumping into the bed as soon as she closed the light. (Y/N) giggled lightly, noticing how adorable he was being, and she pinched his cheeks before she could stop herself.

"Take off your clothes."

"I'm not going to take off my clothes," she laughed, pulling down her shorts and getting into the bed beside him. She finally laid her back against the mattress, letting out the biggest relief ever as she tried to get comfortable.

He pulled her close towards him, breathing into her scent. She smelled like cupcakes, and he loved it.

"I'm going to the children's home with you."

"What?" she pulled a face, because she wasn't sure if she had heard him right. There was no way Rafe Cameron would ever step his foot into a children's home, what more to give out dark purple cupcakes.

"I'm going to the children's home with you. To give them cupcakes."

(Y/N) smiled and kissed his cheeks. "Okay."

"And we should do this again."

"Okay."

"Okay."

"Goodnight, Rafe," she laughed lightly, placing another peck before closing her eyes.

He placed a long kiss fully on her lips, feeling the butterflies soaring in his stomach. "Goodnight, (Y/N)."

-

taglist is close atm until i figure out wtf is up with tumblr :(

@okayshoto @joselyn001 @onceuponateenagetrash @dyingsleep @im19yearsold @iwannabeapogue @meaganjm @rafesobxs @flossy2929 @drewstarkeyluver @unfortunatekiwitrash @Mellifluouszayn @hhishho @hvrcruxes @scottybitch @asimpwriter @starxqt @amaya124 @Made212 @adriee16 @eggirl @tommy-tommo @thatshithurted8 @beyatch012 @fallincindy @marvelwhor3 @rafeswh0ree @kookap @supernaturallydc-blog @blank-velvet @alaniskauany @lumzs @kiiim8 @witchywrter @kaitlyn2907 @heyimflo @overcookedpastasause @tsukkiswifeey @spidey-d00d @anonymousobxfan @gotmeinloveagain @chicagoblackhawkslover96 @lexi-writes @Emmalvei_03 @classydragonthingknight @belongtoyou-u

#rafe cameron #rafe cameron x reader #rafe cameron imagines #drew starkey #drew starkey x reader #drew starkey imagines #rafe cameron smuts #rafe cameron fluff #outerbanks #outerbanks imagines #outerbanks x reader

[ohtobeleah]

Jimmy Fallon // Sebastian Stan

Summary: “Y/n Y/l/n, costars alongside Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie in season two of the Falcon and the Winter Solider.”

The Interviews // Masterlist

You had never done one of these talk shows before, the idea of it being this intimidating was an understatement to say the least. Your pits were like waterfalls from the constant sweating you were doing backstage—fighting the looming panic attack off like a fucking champion.

“Y/n Y/l/n, costars alongside Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie in season two of the Falcon and the Winter Solider.” It was insane—hearing those words come out of Jimmy Fallons mouth. At the applause your manager assured you it was time to walk out—‘go get em’ she said with this huge smile on her face. So proud. Sebastian and Anthony looked at you with giant smiles as they cheered you on. Sebastians eyes locking onto you as you sat between them. A gentle and subtle “you’ll be fine” leaving his mouth as the applause dyed down.

“Y/n! How are you it’s so good to finally meet you!” Jimmy smiled as he watched you fumble with your dress.

“It’s amazing to finally meet you! I feel so weird being here! I watch clips of your show on YouTube all the time and to think I’ll see myself one day is crazy.” You were honest as the audience chuckled. Like a loud synchronised hum.

“Unlike Anthony and Sebastian here, you’ve only been in the Marvel universe for this particular season?” You sat up a little straighter. Sebastian looked at your for your answer, his eyes so blue.

“I think I’m incredibly fortunate to be able to work with some of the seasoned pros—I’m coming into the with absolutely no background in acting or any sort so, so Kevin Feige really took a chance on me and I’m just hoping I did the roll justice.”

“And for you Anthony, Sebastian.” Jimmy questioned. “What’s was it like for you to working alongside Y/n?”

“She’s a really talented actress, look—I went up to Kari one day while Seb and Y/n were shooting the one of I think ten? Fight scenes they have together, and I was like “where did you find this girl, where has she been hiding, why are we just seeing her now? Blah blah blah she’s great— and when Kari told me this was Y/n’s first time acting and performing stunts to this degree I was even more intrigued.” Anthony laughed as you blushed, the audience drinking in his story. “So I asked again where they found her and she literally looks at me and goes—Kevin was scouting gyms in the area for you guys to train at and she was on the floor with a client. She’s a trainer.” You laughed when the story of how you met Kevin Feige leaked through Anthony’s own mouth. All three of you laughing.

“Woah, that crazy, imagine just being at work one day and the president of Marvel studios just approaches you.” Jimmy added as you nodded.

“Literally exactly what happened—“

“Sebastian what about you? What was it like to work with Y/n.” Sebastian made you nervous, it was the way he looked at you.

“Y/n’s great, she’s such a blessing to have on set and with our characters there’s a lot of underlying tension and—I wanna say that stereotypical enemies to friendship trope about them that can be really intense sometimes, so I think Y/n handled that well, especially when it came to fight sequences because we started work on those like three months before we actually set foot on set so we’d become pretty close before we even stepped in front of a camera.” You looked at Sebastian with the biggest heart eyes.

“Ever land any actual punches?” Jimmy pressed as you laughed and felt the heat in your cheeks rising.

“Sebastian got me a few times but I think the tally ended up being like 12-8 my way. Anthony and I didn’t really have alot of hand to hand combat even if we did fight alongside each other.”

“There’s a B-roll somewhere of Sebastian just constantly saying sorry for actually making contact with Y/n and there’s a B-roll somewhere of Y/n just holding Sebs head in her hands like ‘oh my gosh, I’m so sorry—‘ the audience laughed as you beamed. Feeling more comfortable sitting in between two of the most amazing men you’d ever been blessed to meet. You and Sebastian had become really close. It was new, but there was a budding romance definitely there. Stolen kisses on set away from cameras, flirtatious lines, intense fight scenes leading you both deeper and deeper down a rabbit hole either of you realised you were in until he had you pressed against the wall of his trailer one day, tongues desperate to get to know each other as you stripped down.

“There’s one scene in particular that’s kinda taking the internet by storm, and that’s In the trailer we can see Bucky gets a moment?” Sebastian laughed as he nodded in response.

“Yes! Bucky does finally get a moment, it’s probably the first time he’s kissed as girl since the 40’s” Sebastian teased. “But he gets that moment and I think in terms of the way Marvel just seem to pull everything off I think they did it well. I think it definitely feeds deeper into the character development of Bucky Barnes and how far he’s willing to go in order to somewhat detach himself from the Winter Solider.”

“And Y/n, for you what was that like?” Sebastian started laughing as Anthony Wheezed, clapping his hands together and into his knees. You sighed and sunk into your chair.

“That Bucky Barnes gets the kiss scene took the longest to film, you’d think it would be like a fight sequence with explosions and gun fire but no—it was the damn kiss because I just couldn’t get my head in the game. So much pressure!”

“I think the take we ended up using was a genuinely annoyed Sebastian just going in for the kiss.” Anthony raised the question to Sebastian and he agreed.

“Yeah! I think the one that made the final cut I was just like screw this it’s making Y/n uncomfortable, shes already nervous, we’ve done this over and over and over again so I kinda just improvised and said what would Bucky really wanna do after having his ass somewhat beat by this woman who’s got him so infatuated—so yeah I kinda just went with it and the way Y/n reacted to it a fed off that somewhat possessive nature of it, I think it really worked out.”

“He really tuned in the god of gymnastics for that one let me tell you—“ the whole audience erupted into hysterics, Jimmy’s team were quick to play a clip of Sebastians portrayal of Lance Tuckers god of gymnastics monologue. Sebastian blushed red. Looking as you as he shook his head. Listening to you laugh. Grabbing your hand and bringing it to his mouth for a kiss. Leaning in to whisper in your ear: “I am the fucking god of gymnastics”

“I have to say, the chemistry between the pair of you is incredible, does that extend outside of work too?”

“Well yeah I mean just like my relationship with Anthony, I think if I ever needed it I’d know Y/n would have that bail money set and ready.” You laughed as Jimmy smiled. The audience thriving.

“Any dates?” The question caught you off guard for a moment but when you looked to Sebastian he’d already answered.

“For now? Theres been only a handful but definitely—yeah for sure I’m sure they’ll be more. I’m talking about Anthony and I just so everyone’s clear.”

#bucky barnes #sebastian stan #sebastian x reader #marvel mcu #anthony mackie