#like girl feeling delighted after finding out your bestie has a crush on you is not very straight no matter how you justify it

[rabarbarzcukrem]

The eternal opposing relationship between the two sides of a mirror

or: In defense of Shiori

I feel like Shiori is one of the most controversial characters in Utena. Some love her, others despise her. And I don't have a problem with people having strong opinions on her character. What bothers me is the tendency to exaggerate her most negative traits, focus on her most harmful actions, completely ignore any redeeming qualities she might have and then paint her as a one dimensional villainous caricature, a mean straight girl who plays with the lesbian's feelings for the sake of it, without anything deeper going on.

I'm aware of the fact that some people refer to her like that in endearment or in a satirical fashion, and I'm not saying that you can't consider her your favorite problematic evil girl representation. I'm only trying to make people realize that it's her complexity that actually makes her such a compelling character.

I've seen people call Shiori all sorts of names, some of which were baffling enough to make me wonder if they even remembered what happens in the show, and weren't just judging a version of the character that they made up in their head.

So, let's look at the things Shiori actually does, throughout the course of the story.

Disclaimer: I'm only going to take the series into the account here, because I think we can all agree that everyone's characterization and personality differs at least slightly in the movie. Background characters also get a lot less screen time to explain their motivations in order to fully focus on Anthy's journey and struggles, which is understandable.

1. She "steals" the boy from Juri.

This is her biggest crime, which seems to define her from the very beginning. Even though Juri didn't actually have any romantic feelings for him, this action is detrimental to their relationship - it breaks the trio apart, isolates Juri from the pair, is an act of betrayal against her and proves it was done with full awareness that it would hurt Juri emotionally.

Shiori is a deeply insecure person, who constantly feels inadequate and beneath other people. The only reason why Juri seemed to actually like her that Shiori could think of was pity, and even when she found out she was the object of her romantic affection all along, she still struggled to comprehend it. Her self loathing and constant perceived inferiority make her desperate to gain any sort of control over her life and relationships, but they're also the exact reason she feels that the only way she could ever do that is by hurting others. She's always one step below and incapable of crossing that distance, therefore the only way to become equal to people is to bring them down to her level, by humiliation.

When she "steals" the boy from Juri, she achieves that. For a moment, she feels good about herself and leaves Ohtori thinking that she has found the answer, the solution. But she's wrong. From that moment on, it becomes more and more apparent to her that what she did was never out of love for the boy, even though she doesn't let herself acknowledge it fully. Because the truth is, Shiori actually regrets hurting Juri, which she admits herself during her elevator confession.

When the guilt starts getting to her, her confidence high wears off, and she ends up feeling ever worse.

That's why she breaks up with him and comes back. She's not ready to leave yet, not ready to progress. There's still something binding her to Ohtori - Juri, and Shiori's unresolved feelings for her.

2. She tries to set things right with Juri and to fix their relationship.

Even though at this point Shiori still thinks that Juri only ever associated herself with her out of pity, she still makes several attempts to get closer to Juri, who understandably (albeit coldly) turns her down ever time. This is a very clear sign of conflicting feelings Shiori has for Juri - jealousy and admiration, resentment and longing, hate and love. After all, Shiori admits that the two practically grew up together. Their friendship may have always felt fake to Shiori, but she clearly cherished it deeply.

3. The Black Rose Arc.

First of all, we should establish what is the purpose of this arc and how it functions. It explores the motivations of background characters and shows their worst side to the audience. The characters that end up in the elevator are the most unstable, vulnerable ones, with the least power in the system, in unequal and/or exploitive relationships with the duelists and their agency under threat. Mikage offers them a way to gain that power by making them follow their most toxic, negative emotions. And despite all other characters doing exactly that, from what I've seen Shiori is the one that gets the most hate for it. I don't think she should be judged any harsher for what she did under the influence of the black rose than, let's say, Wakaba or Kozue. Especially because the reason all of them ended up in that elevator is because they recognized that these urges were harmful and were seeking help and counseling.

What this arc does do is reveal how Shiori's inferiority complex drives her to act against her own desires. Even though she longs for things to be different, even though she is not happy at all with how her relationship with Juri looks like, she is unable to fix it, because that would require her to consider her own affection for Juri. And she can't do that, because it would mean admitting that she's not stronger than Juri, that she hasn't beaten her, that she's doesn't have control and an advantage over her. Although she tries to keep up this smug, self-assured facade, the reality shines through.

They key to understanding Shiori is noticing that she specifically doesn't want to acknowledge that Juri's feelings are reciprocated, and the obsession is mutual. If you paint their relationship as one sided, you're actually falling for her act.

4. She enters a relationship with Ruka.

Ruka is a handsome (arguable), respected boy who appears out of nowhere and starts showing interest in Shiori. It's obvious that for an insecure girl, who in addition struggles with confusing repressed feelings, this would be something unthinkably wonderful. The affection and praise she gets from him is exactly what her low self-esteem craves. You might be wondering why she didn't perceive Juri's feelings for her in the same way. And a part of the answer might be that, post nameless-boy-incident, Juri was nothing but cold to her. She might have been pining after Shiori from afar, but in the end she's distant and untouchable, and they're divided by their messy past. Meanwhile Ruka is a clean slate, seems openly affectionate, engaged in their relationship and he pays attention to her. But I think the main thing that makes Ruka so different from Juri is the fact that...he's a boy. Because, as Revolutionary Girl Utena establishes, gender plays a crucial role in interpersonal dynamics. Attention from a boy is fundamentally coded as romantic, desirable, necessary and most importantly: increases the girl's worth in society's eyes. It makes one a princess. Meanwhile Juri's advances could only be seen as an invitation to friendship, at best. But Juri's status and beauty make her special, while Shiori is not. Therefore, it can only be pity and mockery.

Of course, Ruka only uses Shiori to influence Juri and dumps her as soon as he achieves his goals. It's true that Shiori could have listened to Juri's warnings, but then again... why should she? From her perspective, Juri's her ex-friend that doesn't want anything to do with her, who only suddenly comes to Shiori when she's finally happy and fulfilled, and encourages her to end it. She doesn't know the wider context of the situation, nor does she remember the Black Rose arc. Juri's warnings don't sound sincere to her.

And so, Ruka gets rid of her in the coldest, most indifferent way, not explaining anything or showing even the slightest sign of compassion. Before that though, he makes an interesting remark, about Shiori putting on an act and polishing somebody else's sword.

Honestly, I don't really know how to interpret it in any other way than Shiori actually having feelings for someone else, despite trying her hardest to conceal it. Are my shipping lenses not allowing me to see any different possibilities? Am I going crazy? I don't know.

Nevertheless, Shiori begs him to stay, devastated. Her life got turned around so suddenly, she found appreciation, status, comfort and stability, and now all that's been taken away from her as abruptly as it was given. It's a public humiliation.

I once heard someone say that this would be the perfect moment for Juri to step in and defend her. And to be honest, although it may be true, I'm not completely sure. It may have been the one display of open care that Shiori needed from her, but it might as well have been interpreted by Shiori as Juri affirming her superiority over her and feeling sorry for her again. We will never know. In my opinion, so much of their relationship is going on in their own heads that the only thing that could ever cause positive progress is communication (which neither of them seem to be a fan of).

Instead, Juri only tries to console her after the fact, when Shiori's at her absolute lowest. In the context of all the assumptions Shiori holds and Juri's previous indifference, it quite understandably comes off as a sneering attempt to gloat.

That's about it. You may have noticed that I've summarized all Shiori's appearances into 4 points, and only one of them includes an instance of Shiori hurting Juri voluntarily, out of her own free will, not influenced by anyone. I'm not saying that she was forced to taunt Juri during the Black Rose Arc, I'm not trying to diminish the suffering she's caused or trying to paint her as a perfectly good person. I am trying to make it clear that she is not some cunning plotter, dedicating every minute of her life to finding ways to make Juri suffer that some people seem to take her for. I am trying to humanize people's perception of her a little bit. Especially considering the fact that last scenes of her include those when she waits for Juri and follows her so that they can go home together, and then joins the fencing club. If this doesn't show that she's capable of change, I don't know what does.

She's not an innocent princess, that's true, but she's not just an egoistical, manipulative liar either. She's a bit of both. After all, if Revolutionary Girl Utena is supposed to teach you anything, then I think it's that we're all just people, and the complexities of human experience make it impossible to fit anyone into a box, assigning them definite labels like "princess" or "witch".

And if you look at a teenage girl who, like all people in Ohtori, struggle under the system of patriarchy and heterosexuality, and all you see is a wicked, sinister witch, then you may have just fallen into the trap that the narrative had set for you.

#Shiori: I may be pathetic but you're the one who fell for me lol #no fr you don't need to make up reasons to hate shiori there's plenty enough right there in the text #rgu #revolutionary girl utena #shiori takatsuki #juriori #I guess #she's so fucked up I love her #like girl feeling delighted after finding out your bestie has a crush on you is not very straight no matter how you justify it #moje

[atsumuahh]

“ SECRET LOVER ” dreamwastaken

characters !

dreamwastaken, wilbur’s twin!reader, technoblade, philza, tommyinnit, wilbur soot, karl, sapnap, georgenotfound, drista, tubbo.

summary !

when reader chooses the dsmp high everything seems to be great, but things gets complicated when her brand new crush turns out to be her oldest brother’s rival. it gets even more complicated when he asks her out.

warnings !

swear words, usage of dream’s real name

notes !

dream as a football team captain rent free in my head... and i’m also sorry that it took me so long to write… its almost 3k words and not proofread!

taglist !

@wilczachannn

it was easy to assume that you had been in your brothers’ shadows. techno, wilbur and tommy were talented, football players with great, great achievements. the only thing you wanted was a big change in your life, so when you graduated from the middle school and it came up to making a big decision on choosing high school, you chose the dsmp high – school located an hour away from your house.

you remember your first day at school. the day started awfully. tommy woke you up with a loud yell at – as you rightly guessed – wilbur, who stole his phone and texted to his crush. it turned out that you had twenty minutes left to get ready and leave for bus and not be late. well... you were late on the bus, but thankfully your dad promised he’ll drop you off at school.

phil couldn’t be more proud of you. for real, he knew how hard it was for you to choose different school from techno, wilbur and tommy (everyone know he’ll go after his brothers). you were miserable through your whole middle school, because no one ever noticed you as your own person, only as wilbur’s twin sister, techno’s younger sibling or the only sister of tommy. it cause you to slowly losing yourself and becoming a female version of your brothers. so when you spoke to him about the idea of the dsmp high, he couldn’t get happier.

fortunately, dad dropped you off fifteen minutes before your first period started. wandering around the new school, looking for people you had classes with. you looked at your phone and accidentally bumped into a tall, dirty blonde guy with painted nails and purple sweater.

“oh no- i’m so sorry!” he spoke kind of afraid he might hurt you. “you alright?” a worried ask left his mouth as he put a hand on your shoulder.

it turned out that his name is karl and you took same classes as him. well in fact the boy seemed to be pretty nice, chill and funny. you two were on your way to the biology class and jokes were in the air. you felt so delightful that you messaged wilbur and techno a small text saying you just made your first friend. as no one responded you hid your phone.

“don’t worry, bestie.” he beamed at you. “i’ll meet you with my other friends, if that’s okay. they’ll love you and you won’t have to worry about making ones!” karl whispered into your ear and you couldn’t hide a soft smile that formed on your face.

as he said, he did. it was your lunch pause so he led you to the cafeteria. the idea of sitting at the table with people you didn’t know was.. terrifying but at the same time, so exiting. you felt like your heart skipped a beat when a guy called dream showed up with his best friends george and sapnp.

he was so handsome that you couldn’t take your eyes off him. looking at him was just so pleasing that you were kinda mad that he was karl’s friend so you couldn’t really sigh over him. surprisingly, he turned out to be a nice guy as well. you expected dream to be a completely jerk and an arsehole, but well you started to feel like you’d fall for him.

well… you were right. you fell for clay so deeply that just being around him was… stressing you out. he always cared about you, through your whole freshman year he was so cute and it was hard not to fall.

sophomore year started in a very… unexpected way. you hadn’t seen your friends in weeks, because you have lived so far away, but it didn’t make your brand new friends group to fall apart. you wouldn’t be so surprised if they organized a meet after classes but… well it was a meet, but only with clay. in a shortcut – he took you on a date.

“i missed you so much, y/n/n” he smiled as he shyly took your hand and intertwined your fingers with his. a small, timid smile formed on your blushed face. “fuck… i like you, i have a huge ass crush on you, okay? i-i just don’t wanna mess up our friendship… so please tell me if you don’t feel same” clay spoke with shaking voice, not giving you a sight.

maybe it was the adrenaline that boosted you up, or your inner self just wanted to do it, but as his confession ended, your lips gentlt pressed his. clay was… well shocked is a good word, clay was shocked, but he pulled you in even closer and that’s how you ended up making out in the park.

you were thrilled to the gills and you almost told your brothers about clay. almost, because you heard techno’s talking about a match against the dsmp high. well it wouldn’t be such a big thing if you hadn’t heard dream, and well oh well. words weren’t too nice.

“hi… are you free?” you said softly, sitting on your bed. you were frightened – what if they don’t like each other? what if… wilbur and tommy also don’t like him? “you know techno, right? technoblade minecraft?” a quiet ask left your mouth as you sat under the tree in your yard.

“yes, unfortunately.” his response made you thought that you had annoyed him. “wait, why you’re asking? did he hurt you or something?” dream didn’t let you answer as he added i’m gon’ kill him under his breathe.

“noo, don’t worry” you clutched your head and sighed. “he’s… my brother, older brother, actually”. silence between you two were clearly killing you, but you couldn’t be one to break it. he had to say something.

“oh my fuck” you heard his shocked voice and chuckled in response. “it doesn’t matter. you’re the one i fell in love with, not he. i know you’re worried, but everything will be alright.”.

“i hope so” his laughter calmed you. “i’ll call you later so we can fall asleep on call okay? dinner’s ready”.

”it’s kinda forbidden love, isn’t it?” george laughed as he wrapped his arm around you with a cute smile. brown haired boy was waiting along with you at your whole friends’ group. “y’know… techno is your brother and also a rival of your boyfriend… it’s exciting”.

you almost gasped at his words. it felt so silly and people would probably find it meaningless, but you couldn’t hide a smile that appeared on your face. he didn’t say techno’s sister like everyone from the middle school would say, george said that he’s your brother.

“as long as i love her, nothing else really matters to me” clay’s voice was so sweet that you almost melted under it. he was right, there’s no reason to overthink – you love him and it’s the only thing that matters.

“yeah, you should definitely tell him that at the match on saturday.” oh my fucking god, a match. the elimination match between the dsmp high and the lmanburg high. you were completely between a rock and a hard place.

“fuck, i forgot about it.” wrapping his arms around your body, dream felt how stressed you began to get. he also felt when your body unwittingly started to shake. “he’ll hate me, so will wilbur and tommy.”

“aren’t they already hating you? like- you barely talk to them at home, so… what’s the problem?” sapnap asked shrugging. well, he was right – techno lost his interest in talking to you and unfortunately wilbur and tommy took their cue from him, and the only person you had talked to was your dad.

“you’re coming to our match, right?” karl asked with a nervous smile forming on his face. it was his first match ever on the team – you couldn’t not be there. “it doesn’t who will you cheer for, just be there, okay?”

“karl, of course i will be there” you smiled at him, trying to hide your increasing stress that almost made you pass out. “please win this, okay? it’d be too hard to look at your miserable faces.”

tommy had always been your favorite of them all. as a child he wouldn’t let you go and sometimes it was obviously burdensome, but you loved it. you loved how he cared and now you missed it. he wanted, but he couldn’t talk to you, techno and wilbur would be pissed if he did.

he wondered about telling you how well he made friends in high school along with tubbo. about all of the funny jokes he made. he just wanted to be a teenager that shares cool memories with his older sister, but for now his brothers were too proud to apologize.

“wil, are you sure we should do that?” he asked, uneasiness appearing on his pale face. he genuinely missed his big sister that always helped him with his homework, with choosing cool outfits to impress girls, helped him, when he argued with tubbo. “she looks so miserable. even dad is worried!”

“we have nothing to do with her miserableness. she left us first. now, she can go and fuck herself” wilbur had never acted lke that before, so surprised tommy just frowned at him and shook his head in hopelessness. something was off and he would like to know what. to repair it.

his stomach rambled and it was time for a snack. tommy was about to came in, but he heard a bit of a conversation between philza and his only daughter.

“yeah, they do kinda hate me” she shrugged, not letting her tears fall. “uhm… clay proposed that i could stay at his. you know, dad. until… they start talking to me again.” long sigh left her mouth as she clutched her head in hands, right before he noticed tears. tommy couldn’t do more, so he got back to his room not letting anyone in later that evening.

it’d be a lie if someone said that tommy wasn’t stressed out. his first game was in a few minutes and his sister was nowhere to be found. “she has better things to do, i disappointed her - i shouldn’t be so shocked.”

when he saw her, he felt relieved. she was there to support him in his first game in high school ever, but as he watched her, slowly drifting away, looking for someone different in the crowd of people, he was hurt.

“i can’t believe you really choose to avoid the affection from dream for today, because your brothers are here. you should fuck them three” sapnap laughed, looking over your shoulder at tommy. “two. he looks hurt as well as you.” you know he was, but he didn’t do anything because the pressure techno and wilbur put on him, was killing him inside.

“y/n you came!” karl cried out, running towards you and sapnap. he hugged you tight and smiled softly, giggling noiselessly. “did y/n’s brothers saw it? i was literally her ride.”

“excuse me, you did that on purpose?” george laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. you joined him, but you stopped when you saw tommy’s upset, frightened face. it wasn’t only karl’s first game – it was tommy’s as well.

“i gotta talk to him” you sighed exhausted of the whole drama around you and your brothers. or just around you, wilbur and techno. your little brother had nothing to do with it. “tommy, hi” you started a bit nervous, feeling the tension betweet you two. and firstly, you thought he will just go away, but you gasped as he hugged you tight.

“i missed you so much” he whispered so anyone could hear but you. soft smile showed up on his face, making it way more brighter. “thanks for coming here, i know it’s rought between you and wil. he’s kinda mad but everything will be fine, i know that.” you wrapped arms around his torso and smiled widely.

“you’ve got this, okay tommy?” you brushed his hair. in response you got a growl and loud laugh after. “if you win or if you lose, it doesn’t matter, because i will still love you, but i’ve gotta go back to my friends.” you beamed and left tommy as soon as you saw wilbur storming towards you.

me: can’t wait to see you on the field :)

you felt like melting, when dream looked at you with his happy, excited face. you were so proud of him – he was the captain of the school football team and it was known that he has a sport scholarship. despite your brothers’ presence, you planned to show clay some support and you painted a medium #21 on your black, denim jacket.

clay: can’t wait to see you on my bed, right next to the trophy i’ll get as a captain.

he hadn’t lie. you sat on his messy bed, in his messy bedroom, talking to his younger sister drista. she was adorably bewitching. she was a bit younger than tommy, but thankfully she wasn’t as loud as him. you laughed after hearing her awful joke.

“so… you’re living here by now?” she asked curiously, frowning. her eyes scanning your, now, blushed face, waiting on the answer. “please, i cannot stand his my-girlfriend-lives-so-far-and-i-can’t-sneak-into-her-room-and-kiss.” she rolled her eyes, but smile widely.

“oh, yeah.” you blushed even harder as she laughed at your already blushed face. “i’m just worried if he’s okay with us hiding, you know? i mean– he could be with someone else, someone… someone better.”

drista didn’t know what to say and you knew she didn’t have to. you were scared – because of your situation that had place in middle school – he will just leave your for someone better, someone prettier, smarter, cuter.

unfortunately for you, clay had heard your every single word. he coughed, letting drista know that she should go. girl smiled at you before leaving you two alone. him, standing in front of you with only his sweatpants on. “y/n” he started as he got closer.

“i- i- can not tell i know how you feel or how you should feel. and-and i genuinely do not care about anyone else but you. i love you, okay dumbass?” he sat as close as possible and beamed softly.

“you won’t replace me?” the whole thing between you and clay was terrifying you so much. is he lying about his feelings? is he really in love with you? or maybe you’re just a bet? you almost shook your head as the thoughts began to overwhelm you.

he wouldn’t do that. and if he would, some of his friends (yours as well) would kill him. you couldn’t be more happier at the moment. your boyfriend had just told you that he loves you for the very first time, you made amazing friends that would kill for you and vice versa, but there was one thing you had to fix. the relationship with techno and wilbur.

“i could never replace you, love”.

“you sure you wanna do it?” clay asked, gently rubbing your thigh with his thumb, sitting in the front seat of his car. you were about to tell your whole family that clay dream is your boyfriend. the guy your older brother claimed to hate. lots of fun, right?

you nodded unsure, getting out of the car. it was your first time seeing your brothers in over a month and – boy, oh boy – you were terrified. did they miss you? did they even notice you were gone? you wished they did. you weren’t even able to ring the doorbell, because tommy opened the door with a huge grin.

“i’ve been waiting for you.” he confessed, closing you in a tight hug. he let you off as soon as he noticed smiled dream standing right behind you. “and who are you, mister?” suspicious question left tommy’s mouth.

“i’m y/n’s boyfriend, clay” dream beamed at tommy as he let you in. shock finding their way onto his face was… quite hilarious. he mumbled something under his breathe, but you couldn’t catch it.

as soon as you got onto the dining room, you saw wilbur, techno and dad setting the table. tommy coughed, couldn’t hide his happiness. his sister is back and he can’t let her go ever again.

“hi…” you started, your voice getting shaky. “i wanted to explain some things and it’d be a pleasure if you would accept my new boyfriend, especially technoblade.” dream took your sweaty with nervousness hand to calm you. he knew it was tough for you, knowing that him and techno are rivals. “this is clay and i know you know him, and you’re not on the good terms, but please just… finally talk to me, because i miss both of you and i’d love to have either my brothers and boyfriend close as possible.” you finished glancing at techno and wilbur.

“y/n, i’m just sad you didn’t want to go to same school with me. you had never told me why, we were inseparable and everything changed within days.” wilbur was first to answer you. his dejected voice made you crying. you missed him, his voice, his advices, his presence around you. “everytime i woke up, you were already running on the bus and we didn’t have a chance to talk.”

“i- you- you’re right. i should’ve told you why did i choose the dsmp high. i did, because i began to lose myself, everyone saw me only as your sister and i started to think that i do not matter anymore. i had to change it and i had to show everyone that i’m not just yours and techno’s sister, but i’m my own persona.” wil stood up and got closer to you. your tears convinced him that you weren’t lying and he felt bad that he didn’t realize it sooner. “i’m so sorry”.

“no- no, i’m also sorry. i’m the one that should apologizing. you were just choosing your own path and i was mad at you, because of that. ‘m sorry y/n/n.” you smiled through tears and hugged him as tight as you only could.

“there’s no much drama between us” techno chuckled quietly, watching you and wilbur cuddling. “i already knew what’s going on between you two at the match. i just took wil’s side.” he shrugged and you laughed, shaking your head in disbelief. “well, it doesn’t mean i like you” he claimed glaring at your boyfriend. “i can tolerate you as long as you’ll treat y/n the best you can, otherwise i’ll kill you”.

“i agree and so does tommy” your twin added, looking dream dead in the eyes.

“maybe we’ll stop the death threats here and start eating?” your dad proposed with a cheerful smile. his kids were finally getting along again, he couldn’t be more proud or happier than at the moment.

“it went so well” you whispered delighted. you were snuggling with dream on your bed, some time after the dinner ended. phil suggested that he could stay for the night, so they can get to know him better.

tommy was thrilled to the bones about the fact that now, he has a new friend, older than him, and also a captain of the football team, so he could teach him how to play better. wil was… well wil. he made sure that dream didn’t have any wrong intentions and techno just couldn’t care less if you were happy with him. he even suggested that they should bury the hatchet and move on.

“i haven’t said that to anyone yet, but i love you” you said, almost skipping a bit when he held your head and gently kissed you.

“well, you already know that i’m head over heels in love with you. and it won’t ever change” he said and kissed you one more time.

#maks’ collection #mcyt imagine #mcyt x reader #mcyt x you #dream smp x reader #mcyt fluff #romantic mcyt #dream x reader #dreamwastaken #dreamwastaken x reader #dsmp #dsmp x reader #georgenotfound #dnf #dream #dteam fanfic #dream x fem!reader #fem!reader #dream smp #dream mcyt #mcyt x fem!reader #sapnap #karl jacobs #karl jacobs x platonic reader #tommyinnit #sleepy bois family #sleepy bois inc #crimeboys duo #wilbur soot x reader #wilbur soot x platonic reader

[watchyourbluesturngolden]

all this time

omg so i have not written in forever but then the bestie @goldensonlyangel did a writing challenge (CONGRATS ON 800!!!!!!!!!) and i got inspired so here we are :) I know it's not super long but i like how it turned out!!!

as always, if you don't like the dress i linked, just imagine something else! that's just the visual I had in mind :)

warnings: none

word count: 1.8k

"Macy, I don't have anything to wear," you sighed, holding the phone between your ear and shoulder as you poured a bowl of cereal. "You can borrow one of mine! Or i will literally buy you one. I'll do whatever it takes, you have to come!" "Why?" You whined. "I always feel so awkward. You know I love you, but everyone couples off and it's just weird." "But Harry's going to be there," she crooned, and you had never been more grateful that she couldn't see your face. Your face that was currently flaming hot at just the mention of him.

"I don't care," you lied. "He clearly doesn't like me, so I don't even want to try anymore." "You're wrong," she insisted. "We can all tell he has the biggest crush on you." "I don't think so," you said, even though your heart was fluttering at the idea. "Okay, I'll come. But you have to go shopping with me." "Of course!" She exclaimed. "Can we go right now?" "Give me an hour, and then I'll come pick you up."

-----

"How about this?" Macy asked, holding up the shortest dress you had ever seen. "That's basically just a shirt," you rolled your eyes. "Harry would love it," she grinned. "Harry won't care, because he doesn't like me," you said, trying to keep your voice level. You told yourself a long time ago that there was no point in getting your hopes up about him. You could never have him, so why hurt your own feelings? She shook her head, but seemed to get the hint that she should drop it for now. She pulled another dress off the rack, this time one that was much more your style. Your eyes lit up at her selection. "I like that one," you nodded. "I think it would look really good."

-----

"You look amazing!" She beamed, pulling you out of the changing room to stand in front of the full length mirrors. You couldn't help the smile that grew on your lips as you examined yourself in the mirror. "I do," you agreed. "Harry- I mean, everyone's going to love it," she said, blushing slightly at her slip up. You had to give her credit: she didn't give up easily.

-----

"You're here!!!" Macy screamed, rushing to the door and pulling you into a hug. "Of course I'm here!" you said, trying to match her energy. It wasn't an easy task; she had clearly had quite a few drinks tonight. She pulled away, holding you at arm's length to inspect your dress. "And you look amazing," she grinned. "Who helped you pick out that dress???" You smiled, shaking your head lightly. "I need a drink," you said, pulling back a bit more. "Of course!" she chirped. "Everything's set up in the kitchen. If you need anything else just find me!" Then she was off, pushing through the small crowd of people and right into the middle of the living room turned dance floor. You made your way to the kitchen, deciding you were much too sober to join her. You pushed open the door, hoping you would maybe see Bella, or Charlie, or any of the other girls you hadn't had the chance to catch up with lately. Instead, you ran directly into a broad chest belonging to none other than Harry, the man you'd had an unrequited crush on for years. "Oh- I'm so sorry!" you rushed out, grasping at the front of his shirt to steady yourself. He gasped slightly, reflexively gripping onto your arms to keep you from toppling over. "You alright?" he asked with a small smile. "I'm fine," you said, keeping your eyes on his chest as your face heated up to an almost painful degree. "Sure?" He asked one more time, ducking his head to meet your eyes. "I'm good," you said with a nervous laugh. "You can, um-" you glanced down to where his hands were still on your arms. "Oh!" He exclaimed, eyes going wide as he realized he was still holding onto you. "Sorry," he said, a faint blush tingeing his cheeks as he stepped back. "No, it's okay," you said quickly, not wanting him to feel bad. "I'm just- I'm gonna get a drink." He laughed, running a ringed hand through his hair. "Good idea. I think I need one too." He moved to stand next to you as you browsed the large selection of alcohol on Macy's table. "I think she might have a problem," you joked. "We might need to stage an intervention," he nodded very seriously before his face broke into a smile. "But," you said, reaching for a bottle of tequila, "She keeps us stocked for parties, so I can't bring myself to care too much." "Agreed," he grinned, reaching for the vodka. There were a few moments of silence as the two of you poured your drinks, and then Harry spoke again. "You look lovely tonight." His voice was soft, and he sounded almost nervous. "Thank you," you smiled. "I'll be honest, I didn't really want to come. Macy said I had to." "For once, I'm glad she's so pushy," he laughed lightly. "If she wasn't, I wouldn't have gotten to see you." Your heart sped up at his words, and it took you a second to fully process what he had just said. "I'm glad too," you said softly. "Why, um..." He cleared his throat before speaking again. "Why didn't you want to come?" "It's always just a little weird, you know?" you said, keeping your eyes on the drink in your hand. "Everyone pairs off by the end of the night and I kind of feel like a... seventeenth wheel." "I know what you mean," he nodded. "Like, I'm happy all our friends have found love, or whatever, but I also hate them juuuust a little bit." He pinched his fingers close together, squinting at you through the tiny gap. "Just this much." "Well, I'm glad it's only that much," you laughed. "But wait, since when are you not part of a couple? I thought you were with Ellie?" "No, we were never really together," he said, looking down at his drink as you had earlier. "I mean, I liked her, but apparently she didn't feel the same. She went off with Paul." "Oh," you said quietly, not sure how to respond to that. "Paul. What a skank." "Such a skank," he agreed, breaking into a laugh again. The warm feeling in your chest was probably partly from the alcohol, but you knew it was mostly Harry. Seeing him so happy, being the one who made him laugh... there was no better feeling. The two of you lapsed into a comfortable silence again,

sipping on your drinks every so often. By the time you finished, the music from the other room had quieted considerably. It was now a slow song, and you had no doubt that when you left the safety of the kitchen, you would find couples wrapped up in each other, too in love to care about anyone else. Just the idea of it was enough to kill your slight buzz, and you sighed involuntarily. Harry didn't appear to notice. He seemed to be deep in his own head, thinking about something. Before you got the courage to ask him what was on his mind, he stood up straighter and cleared his throat. "Y/N... can I have this dance?" He held out one hand to you, the other sweeping behind his back in a formal gesture. You giggled at his attempt to act prim and proper, when you both knew that was the furthest thing from his real personality. "I would be delighted," you said, copying his tone as you put your hand in his. He led you out of the kitchen and onto the makeshift dance floor. Just as you had imagined, most of your friends were with their significant others, swaying slowly to the soft music. Harry pulled you close, resting his free hand on your waist, his fingertips brushing the skin of your back. You shivered at the feeling, reaching your other hand up to rest on his shoulder. "You know... I had a dream about you last night," he said, continuing to sway the two of you in a slow circle. "Oh yeah? What about?" He hesitated for a minute, looking into your eyes. "It was just like this," he said quietly. "Only better." "How was it better?" Your voice was quiet, almost a whisper. "Because you were mine," he breathed. "I finally got my head out of my ass and asked you to be mine." You could barely breathe at this point. Your heart was pounding out of your chest, and you were sure harry could feel it from where his hand rested on your side. He didn't say anything though, he just keep his eyes on yours. "You want... you want me to be yours?" You asked, voice shaking slightly. "Would you?" He seemed just as nervous as you were. "I- yeah," you nodded, still staring at him. "I would." He breathed a sigh of relief. "I really like you," he admitted. "I have for a long time." "You have?" you asked in disbelief. "I've liked you for a long time." "Really?" He seemed just as surprised as you were. "We're really stupid, aren't we?" You laughed, dropping your head against his chest as you nodded. "We are." You felt him inhale deeply, and then his fingers were brushing your jaw, tilting your face back up to look at him. "Can I kiss you?" he asked softly, gaze flitting down to your lips before he met your eyes again. "Yes, you can," you said breathlessly. "Please?" He smiled, leaning closer and pressing his lips against your cheek. You nearly melted at the contact, brain short circuiting at the realization that Harry, the man you had loved for so long, felt the same way about you, and was standing here in your arms, about to kiss you. His lips lingered against your skin for a few seconds before he pulled away slightly. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do this," he sighed, giving you no more time to think about it before his lips were on yours. Your eyes slipped closed as his hand moved to your back, pulling you closer to him. He was gentle, his lips moving softly against yours as you pressed your fingers into his shoulder. He pulled back after a few seconds, resting his forehead against yours with a breathless laugh. "Can't believe i waited so long to do that," he sighed. "Neither can I," you said softly, turning your head slightly to kiss his cheek. "I'm glad you finally went for it." "Me too."

#harry styles #harry styles x reader #harry styles x reader fanfiction #harry styles/reader fanfiction #harrystylesxyou #harry styles x you fanfiction #harrystylesxreader #harry styles/reader #harry styles/you #harry styles x you #harry fanfiction #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles x y/n #harry styles/you fanfiction #goldens800fics

[liaarchived]

Hi fellow Taurus bestie…I’m a long time reader and first time anon 🙈 so I got this idea and I had to share incase you wanna write about it 👀 anyways…I was listening to Slow Down by Chase Atlantic and this time the lyric “she said fuck me like I’m famous, I said oh-kay” stuck out to me and I was like wait a min 🤔✋🏼 what if there was a fic where the guy (I thought of Bakugo/Kuroo/Iwaizumi 🙈🙈🙈) was a singer and the reader is his crush/new gf…?? Anyways!! They’re getting ‘into it’ after a show/concert and she’s like… “if you can fuck as good as you sing, show me.” And he’s like bet and he wrecks her, breaks her back and all that

Anyways lemme know whatcha think bestie…🙈 I was kinda nervous to send this but I was like fuck it lemme do it before I forget and yeah…

A/N: Taurus Bestie🥺 You’re brain is immaculate please. Don’t ever hesitate to send me asks! I love interacting with y’all, I’m just not very good at initiating :(( I love this idea so much and I really thought it fit Iwaizumi well so I hope you enjoy!

Prompt: “If you can fuck as good as you can sing, show me.”

Genre: Smut

Pairing: Iwaizumi x fem!reader

Warnings: spit, oral (reader receiving), daddy kink, impact play, degradation, praising, swearing, hair pulling, choking, creampie, breeding if you squint, heavily unedited bc I hate editing my own smut😔✊🏼

Word count: 2.43k

You and Iwaizumi had been friends since high school, but even so, you had never been to one of his band’s shows before. Sure you had heard him sing many times and you knew he was talented, but this experience, getting to watch him from a VIP box while hundreds of thousands of people were cheering for him and singing along to his music? It was absolutely surreal. You admired how Iwaizumi seemed to belong on that stage.

However, the scene of Iwaizumi singing his heart out was doing things to you. Tonight was the last show of his tour, after that he was planning to go on hiatus for a few months before going back to the studio with his band. This was it. You had backstage privileges, courtesy of the singer himself, and you planned on making your move tonight. When Iwa left for his tour at the beginning of the year you were faced with some surprising feelings.

You realized you missed him more than just a friend should…

The set ended and the crowd was still going wild. You make your way backstage as the band plays a final encore song. When Iwaizumi emerges from the stage, sweat gleaming off of his ink littered muscles you practically salvate at the image. The lead singer immediately sets his eyes on you and makes a beeline towards you.

Iwaizumi doesn’t give you a chance to say anything. It had been over a year since he had last seen you in person and his adrenaline was running high. It was now or never. So he scooped you into his arms and crashed his lips to yours. As soon as the shock passes, you reciprocate his extremely passionate kiss.

Iwaizumi hums in approval at your quick submission and bites your lower lip before pulling away, letting a string of saliva form keep the two of you connected before it snaps.

“Shit, Yn. You know how long I’ve wanted to do that. I missed you so much it was maddening.” He lays his sweaty forehead on yours, pupils blown wide with adrenaline and lust.

You giggle at his declaration. “Missed you too, Haji. Where are you staying?”

A deep chuckle escapes his swollen lips. “At a hotel, Princess. Why?”

“Want you to show me if you can fuck me as good as you can sing.” You grin devilishly and Iwa returns the expression.

The musician opens his mouth to say something but is cut off by one of his band members who has already been eyeing you. “Hey, Iwa! Ya coming to the after party or what?”

Iwaizumi slings his arm over you. “Nah, man. Go on ahead without me. I got a different party to attend.”

The band member chuckles and shakes his head before waving and taking his exit.

You two lead by example and take your own exit.

The second the two of you make it to Iwa’s room, he has you pressed against the wall with his lips attached to yours. His tongue has already made it past your lips, exploring the cavern of your mouth, occasionally dancing with yours. You moan into his mouth, and as much as you don’t want to, you have to pull away for air.

Iwaizumi takes this opportunity to trail kisses along your jaw and down your neck. His hands, which were previously holding onto your hips in a bruising grip, move up your torso under your shirt. He makes a delighted chuckle when he notices that you're not wearing a bra.

“Hmm not wearing anything underneath your shirt to my show? Is that why your tits looked absolutely delectable bouncing around while you danced during the concert, huh?”

You whine as his hands grope at your chest and tweak your nipples. “Hah-fuck- wanted you to have something to look at, Haji-“

Iwaizumi cuts you off with a low growl and a particularly pleasing pinch of the nipples. “No. I’m not Haji right now, Princess. Say it.”

You let out a moan at the singer’s insinuation. “Wanted you t-to have something to look at, Daddy.”

“Mmm well you certainly didn’t disappoint, Princess. Had a hard time keeping my eyes off of you.” Iwa chuckles while he lowers himself down to his knees. “Between how cute your ass looks in this short little skirt of yours and your tits I almost lost my damn mind. Messed up a few lyrics thanks to you, Princess.”

You whimper as the singer nips and sucks on your inner thighs. “Fuck- Daddy… Wanted your attention. Didn’t mean to distract you.”

Iwaizumi’s lips are everywhere but where you need him most. He continues to kiss your thighs and lick them and give the occasional bite and suck combo. Your hands find their way to his sweat damp hair and tug, earning a groan and particularly harsh bite from the man below you. You whimper at the singer’s rough ministrations. Your head is thrown back on the wall behind you as Iwaizumi inches closer to where you want him.

“Daddy, please~” You tug on his hair eliciting another groan.

Iwa looks up at you in amusement. “Hmm what do you want, Princess? Gotta use your words, Pretty Baby.”

You huff in frustration but indulge him anyway. “Need your mouth and tongue, please~”

A chuckle can be heard but you’re no longer looking at Iwaizumi. “I’m giving you my mouth and tongue aren’t I. Princess? Is it that you need them somewhere specifically?” Iwa kisses your lower pelvis, just above your clothed clit.

“I- hah- Fuck, Daddy need your mouth and tongue and fingers in my pussy and on my clit. Please, please, please~ Need you s’ ba- ngh~”

Iwa cuts you off by the sting of him ripping your panties apart and diving his tongue into your drooling cunt. The slurping noises he’s making are obscene but you don’t have time to be embarrassed because at that very moment the singer replaced his tongue with two fingers and reattached his mouth to your clit. You moan and tug harshly on his hair, Iwa lets out his own moan that reverberates throughout your entire being.

“Mmh- Fuck~ feels so good, Daddy. S’ much better than my own fingers- Oh my- fu- fuck right there please keep touching me right there, Daddy…”

You're lost in your own pleasure and you don’t even notice the way Iwaizumi is watching you. His eyes gleaming with pride and lust at the thought of you feeling so good because of him. He can feel himself growing uncomfortably hard but ignores the nagging heat pooling in his lower abdomen. His focus solely on making you cum at least once before he lets himself fuck you senseless.

Judging from your increasingly desperate pleas, you were close to giving Iwa what he wanted. Your fists in the man’s hair are clenched so fiercely that your knuckles have turned a lighter shade than the rest of your skin. Your breathing has increased in both speed and volume, moans and whimpers constantly spilling from your lips, keeping you from forming any coherent sentences.

Iwa chuckles and you nearly screech at the sensation that shoots through your body from his amusement. “You gonna cum, Princess? You sound so damn desperate. Sounds like you’re gonna cum all over my mouth, hm?”

It takes everything you have to respond, knowing if you don’t it may not end well for you. “Hah— F-fuck— mmmm gon’ cum— wan’ cum— Daddy~”

“Do it, Princess. I want to drink up all that you got.” Iwa starts curling his fingers inside of you and that’s what does you in. Your back arches and you nearly scream from the sudden burst of white hot pleasure. Iwa doesn’t slow down his ministrations either. His fingers curling incessantly and tongue lapping up everything you have to offer him. Your mind becomes fuzzy and you don’t even register Hajime picking you up and tossing you onto the king sized bed.

In your dazed state you hardly recognize that Iwaizumi is speaking to you until his hand is cradling your cheek. “Hey. Princess. You with me? I need you to tell me you’re good before I move further, okay?”

“Daddy… ‘m good, want you to fuck me now, please~” You sigh at the thought of Iwa filling you up and begin to grow impatient.

Hajime chuckles. “That’s my pretty baby. Can you strip and get on your hands and knees for me, Princess?”

You nod and quickly remove your remaining clothing. You make a show of turning around and arching your back just to wiggle your ass up at Iwaizumi. A low groan can be heard as a result of you teasing the man behind you. Then suddenly your body is jolted forward as you mewl at the impact of Hajime’s palm connecting roughly with your ass.

“Such a fuckin’ tease, Princess. Havin’ your tits out on display, wearin’ that cute lil’ skirt, and now shakin’ your plump ass at me. Hmm,” Iwa caresses the cheek he had just previously assaulted. “ I would punish you if I didn’t wanna stuff this pretty lil’ cunny of yours with my fat cock. Maybe next time, hm? Bet you would like that wouldn’t you, Princess?”

You take in a shuddering breath before responding desperately. “N-no not doin’ it on purpose, daddy. Promise~ Wanna be your good girl please~”

“I think you’re body is betrayin’ you, Princess, the way you just gushed from a single smack to the ass tells me otherwise. I think you like being a naughty little cockslut, hmm, like being punished. But I guess for now we can pretend you’re my good girl, hm?” With that Iwa rubs the tip of his cock up and down through your folds lamenting his previous words of stating just how wet you were for the musician. “You ready for me, Princess?”

Instead of answering you push back into Iwa’s touch and sink the tip of Iwa’s length into your dripping entrance with ease. Large fingers dig into your plush ass to stop you from going further and lull a whimper to pass through your lips. Iwa leans down and growls into your ear. “Such a fuckin’ impatient and bratty little slut, hm? Couldn’t wait for me to put it in. Had to take it upon yourself?”

As Iwa growls into your ear about how much of a brat you are as he’s sinking himself deeper into your pussy. Your eyes roll back into your head. His sheer size alone brings you close to your second orgasm. You can hear breathy curses fall from Iwa’s lips. His fingers dig deeper into your ass as you dig into the pillow you’re whimpering into.

“F-fuck, Princess, you’re so fucking tight. This pretty little cunny is already squeezing me so tight. You that close, pretty baby? Just from me putting my cock in you, fuck that’s so fuckin’ cute.” Hajime releases one of his grips on your cheeks to tangle his fingers in your hair and experiments with a gentle tug. He’s more than pleased with your reaction as your back arches further and multiple whimpers stumble out of you.

The coil that’s been building in your stomach is snapped by Iwaizumi bottoming out with his tip prodding your cervix. You wail and violently clench around the musician as your vision blurs. You’re babbling nonsense while Iwaizumi throws his head back.

“Oh fuck, Princess. You really came from me just bottoming out. Fuck, your such a desperate little cockslut. Feel so good, sucking me in like this-- shit think you got one more in ya my pretty little cockslut?”

You whimper and plead. “D-daddy, please~ Want you to move-- need you to fuck me so good~ Please~”

Iwa amusedly chuckles at your babbling but grants your wish anyway. His hips draw back slowly, allowing you to feel every single throbbing vein on his dick and once he’s pulled out to just the tip he lands a harsh smack to your ass and snaps his hips into you. His rough pace doesn’t let up after that. He’s ramming into you as you cover your screams with the pillows underneath you. Iwa clearly has other ideas, though, as he tugs on your hair to pull you off the slobber stained pillow.

“Shit-- Wanna hear those pretty screams, Princess. Let everyone know that ‘m making you feel good okay?” After no reply Hajime tugs on your hair again,

“Y-yes daddy! You’re making me feel so f-fuckin’ goo’! Gonna make me cum ‘gain- mmmm fuck~” Your eyes roll to the back of your head as Iwa brings you up to his chest and changes the angle.

He’s reaching further into you and if it weren’t for his arms securely holding you-- one wrapped around your waist, the other crossed your chest and his hand gripping your neck-- You probably would be thrashing in pleasure. Iwa leans down to place his mouth right next to your ear and growls.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck pretty baby. ‘M so fuckin’ close. You gonna cum with me, Princess? Gonna cream all over me while I fill you up with my cum? Bet you'd like that hm? Your slutty little cunt filled to the brim with my cum?” Iwa moves his hold around your waist to play with your clit.

Your head falls back onto his shoulder and let out a silent scream. “Shi- oh my- Fuck, daddy, gon’ cum, want you to cum with me. Cum in me, please! Fuck! Daddy ‘m cumming- shit~ “

You’re seeing stars and screaming incoherently as you vaguely register Iwa’s grunts and sloppy thrusts. His hot seed spurting into you as he rides out both your orgasms. Your vision comes back to you and you feel yourself slump into the musician's hold. You hum contentedly as you feel Iwa begin to soften inside of you.

He peppers you with kisses and nuzzles himself into your neck, causing you to giggle. “Fuck, Princess. You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to hold ya like this.”

“Hmm what a couple of idiots huh?” Iwa looks up at you and chuckles.

“I guess so,” you squeal as Iwa flips the two of you so you’re on your back with him hovering you, expertly keeping himself inside of you, “we’ve got some catching up to do now don’t we, Princess?”

Your eyes widen in surprise. “W-what do you mean? We’re not done?”

Iwa chuckles as he slowly begins to pump himself into you. You whine from sensitivity. “Princess, we’re just getting started.”

Hq!! Permanent Taglist: @katsulovee

#📬. tam gets mail #{. 👻} #{. toorusangel} #{. written request} #hq #hq!! #haikyuu #haikyuu!! #iwaizumi #hajime #hajime iwaizumi #iwachan #hq smut #hq fic #iwaizumi x female reader #iwaizumi smut #iwaizumi fic

[chatonne-rousse]

Through a Different Lens

This incredible work of art by @lilianmorganart crossed my dash last week and has lived rent-free in my head since then. I made it my phone's wallpaper and found myself getting emotional every time I picked up the phone to use it (If that doesn't confirm my stratospheric level of unrepentant Adrienette trash, I don't know what does).

I told @tsuki-chibi about it and we discussed how Adrien would totally swoon over it, too, if it was the lock screen on his phone. And that's how this fic was born.

I hope you enjoy this little relationship study through Alya's eyes as she and Nino share life and love alongside their best friends.

Read it on Ao3 here.

*****

"Last set of the night, dudes and dudettes. We're about to be upstaged big time." Nino points out the bank of windows toward the already-glittering Eiffel Tower before needle meets vinyl and the music starts, soft and undeniably romantic. "Let's wind it down by slowing it down."

A blue balloon flutters to the floor beside Nino's feet as he hops from the DJ platform and winds through a sea of his classmates to his waiting girlfriend. Alya wastes no time wrapping him in her arms and pressing a kiss to his lips, turning the greeting into dancing with the sway of her hips that he matches after a few beats.

"How many songs did you line up?" she murmurs when they finally part.

He smiles and winks at her. "Four. It's about fifteen minutes till fireworks."

"Mmm. Nice."

The back of his shirt is sweaty under Alya's hands, but she doesn't care. The lovely chignon Marinette had pulled her hair into before the party has come a bit undone and she can feel the damp curls at the back of her neck. That's July in Paris for you; even the air conditioning in Le Grand Paris doesn't make much of a difference. Thank goodness for the ceiling fans that make the white and blue and red streamers rustle above their heads.

She hears Nino snort softly near her ear. "Are they magical or something? How do they still look perfect?"

Alya doesn't need to turn to know he's talking about their best friends, but she twists anyway, pressing the opposite cheek to Nino's shoulder instead.

And of course he's right.

She's spent the evening drinking punch and giggling with Marinette, shimmying and whooping with her in a happy little clump with Nino and Adrien, making the rounds of friends and food and fun over the past few hours. Marinette and Adrien have, too, but somehow the only sign that it's the end of the evening is that Adrien has loosened his tie.

Marinette's hair falls across her shoulders in the same soft cascade Alya styled it into hours ago. Her gauzy white dress drapes better on her figure than it did on the mannequin in her bedroom. Even the corsage Adrien had presented to her when the girls descended the stairs into Marinette's living room, a stunning red rose in full bloom, sits perfectly on her slim wrist, not a petal out of place. Her best friend really does look like she's limned in magic.

But perhaps that's because of the strong hand splayed at Marinette's waist, pressing her ever closer to her dance partner, or Adrien's cheek at her temple, his blond halo a perfect contrast to her deep raven hair. Maybe it's whatever he's just whispered in her ear that makes her smile up at him, a wide grin of exasperated fondness lighting her face before gentling after a moment into an expression of softest serenity.

Alya's first thought is that it's like the bright and beautiful partnership of the full moon reflecting the sun. But that isn't quite right, because her best friend glows from within, providing her own light to meet Adrien's, radiant and returned in equal measure.

Just how they got to this point remains as baffling to Alya now as it was a year ago when her friends finally put themselves and everyone around them out of their misery and started dating. The blushes continued and the occasional shy stammers never quite disappeared, but she'd watched them blossom together like a spring garden before her eyes, though what she'd been sure would be daffodils had bloomed into beautiful irises instead.

Suddenly Mr. Sunshine had gleamed brighter than ever, his giddy joy nearly uncontainable. So many puns. So much laughter. The former would be unbearable were it not for the latter, which always seemed to brighten Nino's eyes as well, a welcome side effect.

And oh, her best friend had come alive. It was more than having someone to love and love her in return. Alya knew from the day they met that love was second nature to Marinette. It practically shone from her pores.

But this was different - a touch more boldness, a blaze of fierce protectiveness in her eyes, an ability to read and respond to Adrien's emotions in just the way he needed, just when he needed it. How did she know to do that? How had this easy familiarity grown between them so quickly, not a tender new sapling but already an unshakeable oak?

She knows the truth is deeper than what she's been able to wrangle from Marinette, but Alya learned long ago that her best friend held those cards too close to ever let her get a peek. But she sure had tried at the beginning.

"You can tell me, girl! I'm so happy for you, but I don't get it! What happened?"

Alya wheedled, needled, begged.

Marinette just smiled and finished watering her roses before leaning against the railing of her terrace.

"I did tell you! Adrien and I talked. We were honest with each other. That's it." She shrugged one shoulder before her smile turned sly and she bumped her hip into her best friend's. "You know, we can't all find love by getting trapped in a panther cage by a superhero. Not every relationship has an epic origin story."

"Damn right! Seriously, though, I can tell there's more to this. There are deets you're not sharing, and your bestie needs those deets!"

"I don't know what to tell you, Als. I just...saw him. All of him."

Alya just barely resisted the urge to make the obvious joke.

"Mari. My love. My best friend in the world. What could you possibly see now that you haven't seen in the past two years of crushing, staring, memorizing, obsessing, and finally just getting over your fears and becoming real, actual friends with him?" She ticked off each point on her fingers, ending with a grip on her pinky and an imploring look she hoped would coax a detail or two from her all-too-cagey best friend. "If you can't throw a bone to your BFF, think of me as the coordinator of Operation Secret Garden and its many, many, many side missions. At least tell me one thing about Sunshine that I don't know, something you didn't know before, either."

Silence fell over them like a blanket. Just when it started to feel stifling and itchy, Marinette spoke.

"He's the bravest person I know," she said quietly, gaze straying across the rooftop horizon.

Alya thought of the myriad times she'd watched Adrien run away in the direction of his house as she herself had run toward danger in the name of journalism and morbid curiosity. He was sweet and exceedingly kind, but she'd never considered him a bastion of courage. Though of course there had to be lots of things she didn't know, details of life at home beyond the isolated loneliness they were all aware of, things that hadn't occurred to her that her best friend now saw through a lens of love and not just friendly compassion. If the reason they were already so close was because Adrien was able to share the difficult parts of his life that he didn't even share with Nino? Well, Alya could understand and respect that.

She reached out and covered Marinette's hand in hers. "His dad is kind of the worst, isn't he?"

"Oh my gosh, you have no idea. The absolute worst. The other day..."

Listening to Marinette that day, Alya had decided that if her friends were happy, she'd be happy right along with them. The details would come in time.

They'd taken silly selfies in Marinette's mirror as they got ready earlier this evening. They'd posed for portraits in the Dupain-Chengs' doorway as though this was a gala event and not a Quatorze Juillet party that Chloé insisted was fancy dress, and snapped shots of their BFF squad together all evening. So without thinking, Alya reaches for her phone - her dress is a Marinette original, of course it has pockets - to document exactly how besotted their preternaturally beautiful best friends are. She grabs three photos in quick succession, thankful for her state-of-the-art camera as she smiles at how it captures the play of light and shadow across their matching white.

"Paparazzi," Nino fake coughs in her hair.

Alya grabs his butt with her free hand in retaliation, and they both laugh.

Marinette and Adrien sway together in a loose approximation of a dance, eyes closed, just barely turning in place, lost in each other. When Adrien reaches for Marinette's hand on his shoulder, Alya has to let go of her boyfriend completely to set her camera to burst mode, but laid-back, ever-patient Nino just huffs a laugh and holds her waist tighter. It's all worth it when she's able to capture the moment Adrien brings Marinette's hand to his lips and presses a series of slow, reverent kisses to her knuckles. She snaps one more photo after he's tucked their clasped hands beneath his chin and settled her against his shoulder.

Alya turns in the circle of Nino's arms and gleefully scrolls through the vast number of pictures she's just taken, pausing near the center of the burst shots and cooing with delight at the treasure she finds. "Oh my god, Nino, look." She shoves the phone under his nose and his eyes cross trying to focus on it.

"Damn. They're too pretty to be real."

She snorts. "Truth. Seriously, though. Have you ever seen two people more in love? I'd say it's gross, but I could also cry just looking at them."

Still smiling, Nino pulls their hips together again and sets them in a slow spin, punctuating the beat with his fingers at the small of her back. Alya pockets her phone and cuddles up to him, grinning into his chest when he speaks quietly for her ears only.

"You know I love you just as much, right? I'm not a model, and um, I'm not as...gooey. But—"

He's cut off when Alya presses her lips to his to stop him.

"You're just the right amount of gooey, mister, and I don't need a model when I've already snagged the hottest guy I've ever met." She delights in his blushing cheeks as she kisses him again. "And yes, I know you do...I love you, too. Thank god it's not a competition, or we'd be losing."

"Naaah," Nino drawls softly, hugging her close. "I've already won."

Alya just closes her eyes and hides her grin in his shoulder, letting him spin them again as the music swells.

*****

Packed on the balcony and ready for the fireworks to start, she and Marinette are giggling over the photos on her camera roll from the course of the evening.

"I don't want to think about how much you pay for cloud storage, Als. You know you have a problem, right?"

Nino can't help his surprised laugh, but has the good sense to bite his lip and look away. Alya nudges him in the side and rolls her eyes good-naturedly. Scrolling through toward the latest photos, she stops on one in particular and flips the screen toward her best friend.

"Bet you're glad I got this one, eh, Mademoiselle Judgy Pants?"

Alya knows she's scored a direct hit when Marinette's eyes widen and her cheeks pinken visibly even in the ambient light of the city. In the same moment, Adrien breathes an "ooooh" in reverent awe from over her shoulder as he stares at the glowing phone screen. Impossibly, the look on his face as he takes in the image is even more tender than it is in the photo itself.

Marinette turns to press her burning cheeks to his chest and he wraps her in his arms, props his chin on her head and mouths, "Send me that, please," to Alya, gesturing vaguely from her phone to his pocket.

Request received loud and clear, she grins and gives him a quick salute.

When fireworks finally fill the Parisian sky, Alya attempts a few action shots, though she's well aware that fireworks photos rarely turn out. Next, she grabs a great picture of Nino with the lights reflected in his glasses that immediately gets posted on Instagram.

And when Marinette stands on her tiptoes, wraps her arms around Adrien's shoulders, and kisses him breathless, well, Alya can't resist snapping one last photo of her friends. Adrien's hair positively gleams in the ephemeral glow of the bright red firework that bathes flushed cheeks and white fabric in a dreamy, perfect pink. This one is sent straight to her best friend; she looks forward to the keysmash text of embarrassed delight she'll receive from Marinette later.

Nino's hand slides around her waist to pull her close and she snuggles into his side, stowing her phone in her pocket and simply enjoying the moment.

*****

"Babe," Nino whispers under his breath, accompanied by a nudge of his knee against Alya's under the cafe table, "he's doing it again."

Sure enough, Adrien is gazing down at his phone. It's not even unlocked yet - he's just looking at his lock screen, waking it up each time it fades back to sleep.

"I know. That's why I'm looking up the movie time. We'd miss it completely if we left it to Sunshine."

"This is technically your fault. You do know that, right?"

Alya shrugs. "No regrets."

Marinette returns to the table, picking her purse off the back of her chair and lifting the strap over her head to settle in its perennial position across her torso. Instead of sitting down, she wraps her arms around Adrien's chest from behind and leans down to kiss his cheek. "Did you figure out if we can make it to the movie?"

The question is clearly directed at Adrien, who was supposed to be looking up the cinema schedule, but he's already pocketed his phone and turned his head to nuzzle into her hair.

Okay, Alya may have some regrets.

It's been months since she took the now-famous photo and sent it to him. To no one's surprise, it became his lock screen wallpaper immediately. It also became a distraction.

Because Adrien melts every time he looks at his phone.

No one can truly decide if it's exasperating or endearing, but there are classmates and friends in both camps.

Nino begged him to change it back to the picture of the two of them together, if only to shorten the time between sending his best friend a text and receiving one in return. Alya is nearly at her limit for heart eyes, but she's still the captain of Team Endearing. She did take the picture, after all.

Max programmed Markov to recognize each time Adrien reached for his phone and the time it took for him to unlock it and use it. Markov has perfected the algorithm over time and now has a saved log of each occurrence down to the millisecond. There's no real reason to track this data besides curiosity, but it does help Markov refine his processes, so Max has kept it up. It is vaguely fascinating, though he does feel that it's a terrible use of Adrien's limited free time.

Nathaniel illustrated a cartoon rendition of Adrien, phone in his hand and literal hearts in his eyes. Alya offered him €10 for it, but Adrien himself came in at €20 and now it sits on his desk at home.

Once, Adrien spent so much time gazing at the lock screen that he never did answer his ringing phone. Of course it was Nathalie calling, and of course his father grounded him when he got home.

(Neither Marinette nor Adrien seemed as bothered by those two weeks as everyone had anticipated. That mystery remains unsolved.)

When she thinks about it, Alya decides there are worse things than Adrien loving Marinette so much that he has an emotional reaction to seeing the evidence through a different lens.

Alya just slips her phone in her purse and corrals her boyfriend and their best friends. They have a movie to get to and they only have twenty-five minutes.

*****

In time, the picture has found a place on the wall in Marinette and Adrien's apartment - printed on premium photo paper, lovingly matted and framed. No one would have expected any less.

And it has always made Adrien smile, sometimes when nearly nothing else could.

*****

Several years, several revelations, and enough trauma to last a lifetime have led them all to this moment, on this day that shines with as much joy and light and love as they can muster. It's what a day like this deserves, after all.

With too much behind them to call it a beginning and too much hope for the future ahead to call it an ending, Alya decides she's just watched her best friends walk through a door they'd unlocked years ago and finally found the right time to step through together. The path hasn't changed, paved in hurt and heartache and the kind of helpless hope a person chooses when an abyss yawns below and there are no other ropes to grab. But it has always been lit by the glow of an almost unfathomable love, and that's where healing begins, grows, and flourishes.

So here they sit, surrounded by friends and family, in the same room where the four of them had danced all those years ago on a hot July evening. A towering croquembouche waits in the corner and a table full of photos and memories is on display along one wall; that heart-melting photo of the happy couple as lovestruck teenagers has pride of place in the center.

Clad again in radiant white, Marinette is the perfect picture of a blushing bride, and her groom has been unsurprisingly entranced all day. Alya isn't sure Adrien has stopped smiling since they first saw him this morning, and she and Nino are enjoying every moment of it.

Part of the brilliance shining in his grin is natural, springing from a heart so innately kind that it has countered evil and wielded destruction, yet still beats with compassion. But she and Nino know, better than anyone else, that the Adrien in front of them is a previously-shattered vase mended in gold, stronger and more beautiful in the broken places, and some of his gleam is reflected from those gilded seams.

When it's Alya's turn to toast, Nino helps her to her feet with a smile and hands her the mic before sitting back down beside her. She starts with a story only a best friend could get away with telling, bolstered by the laughter of the guests around her and the grins of the bride and groom. She has a toast carefully planned and memorized, but for all her preparedness, Alya also knows how to improvise. When her gaze sweeps across the picture gallery on the table and the faces of two of the people she loves most, she veers off course but finds her words with confidence.

"I've taken a lot of photos in my life - silly, scary, funny, serious, everything in between. Many of those photos have featured many of you here today. I know I caused my saint of a best friend here a lot of undeserved stress by taking a vast majority of my life's photos in places where I shouldn't have been."

She pauses when a laugh ripples through the room and Marinette shakes her head even as her watery eyes beam back at her. "But I was in just the right place when I took that one." She gestures toward the framed picture on the table, sparkling cider sloshing gently in her champagne flute. "Because the right place for both of us—" she reaches a hand back toward Nino blindly, finding and squeezing his shoulder, "has always been next to you, the most ludicrously attractive, kindest, bravest, best people we know."

Alya takes a deep breath that only shakes a little bit on the exhale. "I'm so—" she blinks and swallows around the lump in her throat. Damn hormones! "I'm so lucky to know you, to love you, and to have been part of your lives and your love story all these years. That's why I wish you nothing less than a lifetime of that kind of love," she inclines her head toward the photo on the table again, "that kind of tenderness and devotion. No one deserves it more than you two, and no one will be happier than Nino and I will to be right there beside you on the journey. So...cheers to the prettiest lovebirds I know, Marinette and Adrien!"

Champagne flutes clink amidst applause and hugs and sniffles.

Her best friends grin at her before turning the same soft gaze toward each other again, just like the picture she took all those years ago that turned Adrien to goo each time he looked at it.

Alya knows now, of course, what she didn't understand back then - that in the same way their wedding today was more than just a beginning, so were those early days of soft looks and fierce devotion that seemed to transcend the blush of new romance. Unbeknownst to their friends, they'd had an ironclad partnership and years of trust in place already. Open eyes and honesty allowed the confluence of several different kinds of love, and it only made sense that the resulting alloy stood stalwart and shone dazzling-bright.

Well, it didn't make sense then, but it certainly does now, even if the luster sparkles through a patina of nicks and dents. After all, even the strongest steel and the brightest gold are refined by fire.

Nino hands her a tissue and presses his palm to her back as she settles in her seat again.

When ever-romantic Adrien reaches for his bride's hand to press gentle kisses across the back of her fingers, Alya can't resist grabbing her phone from the table beside her bread plate. They're a little older but just as beautiful and even more in love, and the photo she snaps captures that perfectly. She smiles down at her phone, pleased, before locking the screen and twisting a little in her seat to place it back on the table, face down.

Alya gets comfortable, rests her head on her husband's shoulder, and simply enjoys the moment.

#adrienette through alya's eyes #alya loves her bff #dj wifi #adrienette #snapshot #miraculous ladybug #ml fanfiction #my writing #relationship study #this is so self indulgent #alya cesaire #nino lahiffe #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste

[the-omni-princess]

Frozen Heart [Chapter 3]

Author: @the-omni-princess  

Summary:  After the war against Hydra, King Bucky comes home to take what has been promised to him since he was young, you. But he is not the same person as the young boy that you grew up with. Can she break through his tough shell and bring back the young man she once fell in love with? Or will she be forced to marry the monster everyone thinks he’s become?

Word Count: 3.3K

Pairing: King!Bucky x Fem!Reader (Royalty Au!)

Warnings: Soft!Bucky, slight angst at the beginning, fluff!!, we got some progress y’all!

A/N:

Next chapter! Tell me what you think!!!

[Series Masterlist]    [Masterlist]

----

As dinner progressed, you stayed silent, observing your parents and Steve, but more importantly, observing Bucky. Well more like staring. You couldn’t quite help yourself. He was by no means the same looking man as who he used to be, but he certainly was handsome, with a dark edge to his very soul. Was he as dangerous as they said he was? The same Bucky that would go on picnics with you and Steve and talk for hours about his latest science lesson was supposedly the same quiet man in front of you that looked like he could kill the entire room without breaking a sweat? What had they done to him to truly and utterly break him?

You averted your gaze, holding back the sniffles that would alert anyone that you were near to tears as you stood, announcing you were retiring for the evening. You rushed to the door, not looking back, and once your parents could no longer see you, you sprinted to your chambers, barely closing the doors before tears started to blur your vision. Why am I so emotional over this?All the rush of emotions, confused at the change, trying to understand, the frustration of the entire situation, the feelings you had for him (both positive and negative). It was all suddenly too much. You fell onto your bed, not bothering with changing out of your clothes as you cried, frustrated at how easily you were breaking.

A knock on the door made you jump, quickly, trying to wipe your tears away. “Y/N” A gruff voice said almost gently on the other side of the wooden doors. Your heart practically stopped, it had to be Bucky. You knew every other voice that would forgo tradition and formality of titles to just use your name, and this voice didn’t match any of them. His voice was different, deeper, but much more pleasant. “May I come in?” He sounded anxious, but you thought that just might be some trick, or the fact he was on the other side of the thick doors.

Sighing softly, you sat up, wiping your eyes again before calling out, “Come in.” He didn’t waste any time, opening the ornate wooden doors, stepping inside, and promptly closing the doors behind him. He was stiff, standing pressed against the door, as if afraid to step too close. He could clearly see your puffy red eyes from crying, nose pink as you sniffled. You quickly curtsied, eyes averting from his dominating glare. “Yes, your majesty?” you kept your voice low, afraid you would start crying again, or your voice would break.

He hesitated, unsure of what to say or do. He wanted to comfort you, to pull you close like when you were younger and just hold you. But he felt unable to do that, because of fear. Fearful of what he became, fearful of your potential hate, fearful of your words, fearful of himself, fearful of his failures. So, he stayed perfectly still against the door as he spoke. “Y/N, I wanted to make sure you were alright after you left in such a hurry from dinner.” He didn’t mention how he saw you crying as you ran off, nor how he could clearly tell you were still sniffling from your tears.

You sighed softly, nodding, still not meeting his eyes. “I’m fine James, I just… I missed you is all, I was overwhelmed by everything becoming real again.” He felt his heartbreak at your words, but he was stuck, unable to move closer to you as you continued. “I understand that you need time, truly I will try to understand, but we now are to be wed by the end of the year. Please, please, try to let me understand you. Let me understand the man you have become from the boy I knew. I don’t want to marry a stranger, and the man that showed up at my front gate to whisk me away to his castle is a stranger.” That was both of you and Bucky’s fears. His was that you would fear what he has become, and yours that you would be some play toy to a stranger.

He nodded hesitantly, gulping faintly as he took a small step forward towards you. Baby steps, even literally, was good. You thought, finally meeting his eyes. The warmth was starting to flicker in them, casting out the coldness you had witnessed earlier. “I cannot promise you that you will like what you find.” You practically laugh at that, he feels his entire chest shift at the sound, with a sudden need to hear it again, to see your smile again. “But I can promise to try.” He looked nearly shyly at you, a small piece of the boy you knew present before he wiped the look away. “Tomorrow, Lady Y/n, how would you like to meet in the garden after breakfast?”

You smile faintly up at him, noticing he was still only a foot off the side of the door, “I would be delighted.” He nods, quickly leaving the room as fast as he had arrived. You smiled faintly to yourself, falling back onto your bed. Baby steps will have to do for now.

----

The next day you sat on your bed, Natasha behind you adding braids into your hair. “So, I heard from a little Birdie that a certain King visited you last night,” she starts, making you groan.

“Is it too late to kill Clint?” You tease, knowing Natasha’s affinity for the sharpshooter of the royal guard. She rolled her eyes, ignoring your comment as she continued braiding. You bite your lip, gently tugging on the hem of your sleeveless dress. “I’m meeting him in the gardens soon, that’s why I wanted to dress up Nat.” She finishes off the last braid, placing a small tiara made of crystals, and diamonds onto your head. “I need him to not see me as the girl that was left behind, but the future Queen of the Northern Kingdom, of his kingdom. A woman who can rule beside him, and understand him, and lo-“ you cut yourself off before sighing softly. “I just want him to put an effort, as I will, no matter how small.”

Nat gave you a sad smile, “Y/n/n, I used to see the way he looked at you before the war, and I saw how concerned he looked for you as you ran off yesterday from supper. I believe the man you had the biggest crush on is still there. You have been patient in the past, no matter how many “one-time things” with maids he had, no matter how he teased you along with Steve, no matter how long it had been since he wrote or visited, you were patient, confident in him. So be confident now y/n, you needn’t worry about if  he will come around, merely when he will.” She was holding your hands, making sure you heard her every word.

Smiling warmly up at your friend you replied, “How do you always know what to say, Nat?”

She shrugged playfully, “It’s a gift. Now,” she gently tugged you to your feet before dropping your hands. “You should run off to the gardens before he is found by Steve and whisked away for some bestie talk.” You laughed at that, smiling at your friend. “And tonight, Wanda is finally back at court, meaning you can tell us everything over tea and scones.” Wanda was practically a miracle, which made many people believe she was a sorcerer, but she was merely gifted in her talents of healing, which is why she was the main healer of the royals, and one of your closest friends.

“Why of course! I’ll see you soon Nat, tell Wanda I say hello!” You quickly walked out the door, heading down the halls to the outside gardens, barley noticing Sam walking a few strides behind you.

The gardens were practically one big maze, one that you had spent your entire childhood running through, so you knew every nook and cranny of it. You were almost surprised to find Bucky at the small pergola you two and Steve had spent countless summers under as children, pointing at the stars. This season was one of your favorites, as the lilac bushes and cherry blossom trees surrounding the pergola were in full bloom. “Lovely view isn’t it My Lord?” Bucky turned, noticing you as you curtsied in greeting. The view in question was of the sea, just beyond the fort that protected the castle. It was always a lovely sight, as you could feel the sea breeze, smell the salt in the air, and could hear the cries of the seabirds as well as the waves crashing into the rocks below you.

He had a hint of a smile on his face as he took in your words. “I would have to agree, though I would say you look far lovelier.” He quickly looked away from you, still not having enough courage to be close to you or look at you for too long when he knew you were watching him.

“Flattery will get you everywhere My Lord,” you teased, now standing beside him.

“That is good to hear My Lady, as I have much to make up for, and plenty of flattery to give.” That cocky little smirk you used to see when you were teens was playing on his face, though you were sure he didn’t even realize he had it on his face as he stared into the ocean. “Y/n?” He asked timidly, looking towards you. “I am truly sorry for never writing. Maybe during the height of the war, it may have been an excuse but afterward and even for the last few months since the treaty, I have no excuses to give, merely my apologies and feebly excuses.”

You practically scoffed, “My Lord, it was war, besides, you are here now, aren’t you? I had almost thought you would be gone forever.”

He sighed softly, “It practically felt like forever. And Y/n? Stop with such formalities as titles, we are to be wed, and even without that, I had hoped we could still be friends again as we used to be.” You softened at his words, smiling faintly. “We are both very different people then, when this entire game had started, and I want to learn more about this y/n. The woman to be My Queen.” He was entirely serious, and you couldn’t help how stupidly happy you looked at the words ‘My Queen.’

You pulled yourself together, you were a princess for gods’ sake, so you nodded politely. “I would like that Bucky.” His nickname, that nowadays he only heard from Steve, made him turn to you.

“Then let us start relearning now y/n/n,” he smiled warmly, gaining a bit more courage.

He was still a bit distant as the two of you talked, apprehensive as he spoke, though the cold man you had seen the previous day was nowhere to be seen; a small voice in your head told you he was acting as if he was afraid. That would be ridiculous, right? You took in his body language, as Natasha had taught you how to read people and how to use it to your own advantage, though in this case, you were merely curious as to the reasons for his behavior.

There was no doubt in your mind that what had happened to him was haunting him, but you noticed the different personalities he was and who he had been adapting to one another. Around other royals he was dominating, commanding the room with simple looks. With Steve, he was warmer, more like a brother than when this had all started. And with you, it was the weirdest thing. He was reserved, refusing to talk about what had happened, opting to let you speak or only tell you happier stories from the war, mostly about Steve being an idiot behind enemy lines, something you didn’t doubt for a second. He would tell you about “His Howlies,” the Howling Commandoes. With every story he had divulged, you felt that small twinge in your heart grows. Every soft smile, almost nervous to show too much emotion, and making sure to keep enough distance between you. You in exchange told him about every new friend, about new alliances, new books, new favorites, stories of Nat, Sam, Wanda even. A mutual understanding between the two of you that what was currently going on could quite easily slip back into the peaceful and fun friendship it once was.

Now, as another week went by, you found yourself on the castle rooftop, sitting beside Bucky as you gazed towards the stars late at night. While he was starting to open up more, he still wouldn’t touch you in any way. You figured it might be a more extreme version of Steve’s pulling away to your touch. That it still frightened him. Though at the least, Bucky had been starting to give you more smiles. Though they were small, fleeting ones, they were at least present, and he tended to stand closer to you again.

“What do you think aliens look like?” You asked, currently searching the stars for your favorite constellations.

“I really want to say aliens look like little green men.” He joked, looking towards you as you giggled at his response. His entire body lit up, his heart on a mission to make you continue laughing. “But perhaps aliens are here among us, hiding in plain sight.” That earned him another giggle, making his heart soar. Here was this girl he had cared for since he was a child, and yet he couldn’t push past the mental hurdle in his brain to even hold her hand, and yet, she waited.

“Maybe they are in the sea, in the form of mermaids.” She smiled over at him, blushing and looking away as she realized he was already smiling faintly towards her.

“You believe in mermaids still? Really y/n/n? Thought you were too old to believe in fairytales.” He poked your side playfully, making you grin at him. Baby steps now included small touches, you were getting somewhere.

“Yes, I do! We have yet to truly explore the deep sea, what’s to say mermaids don’t exist somewhere far below to surface? Besides, I love fairytales!” He chuckled faintly, making your own heart soar at the sound.

“Why is your head always in the clouds y/n?”

“What’s that’s supposed to mean?” You asked in mock anger.

“Mermaids now, when we were younger it used to be dragons.” He teased, smiling as he looked back towards the stars.

“Well, my kingdom’s sacred animal is a real animal-based off of one from our mythologies, what’s to say that dragons did exist once, and we hunted them to extinction, keeping them only in legends?” Your kingdom’s sacred animal was the eagle, and your seal had a proud eagle and a fiery phoenix within it.

“Logic, for one, and secondly, we would have noticed evidence left by dragons by now y/n/n.” He smiled fondly towards you, but you were now smiling towards the stars.

“Easy for you to say Buck, your animal and seal is a wolf. Both real and included in your mythologies.”

He nodded, conceding the point, “That is true. However, as riveting as this discussion is, it reminds me. I know we used to speak about our respective customs when we were younger, making jokes about parts of them, but there is one custom I would like to still do, with your permission of course.” That caught your attention, noticing the faint tone shift towards a serious discussion.

“Which custom Bucky, we both have many.” You reminded lightly, still looking towards the stars.

He took a deep breath, “When a royal is coronated, it is custom for their predecessor to give them a wolf cub. As a new responsibility, as well as a ‘you got this, here’s a sacred animal, go be in charge’ sorta thing. I, with your permission, wanted to gift you a wolf cub as the Kings before me had gifted their Queens.” You couldn’t help the smile that crept onto your face, you knew he used to hate all the customs and rules he had, but now they were a way to tie the two of you together, and give you a direct tie to him, and his kingdom.

“I would be honored to uphold that tradition Bucky,” you smiled at him, now curious you continued. “Steve mentioned you had a wolf, if your predecessor gifts it to you, who gave you yours? Tell me everything!” you practically gushed, now excited to hear about this baby wolf.

He, for the first time since he arrived, gave you a full real smile, “Aurora, that’s her name. Steve and I found her abandoned in the woods on our way back home and we thought it would be perfect. Steve named her, said a name like ‘new beginnings’ would fit the newest white wolf.” He said it as if it was some inside joke, making you tilt your head questioningly, he caught on. “My code name of the field was White Wolf. One of the Howlies coined that one. Steve found it absolutely perfect, as here was a literal white wolf found in the woods. Shuri nicknamed her you know.” You nodded, knowing the princess had an affinity to nicknaming people and animals. “Aura. It means wind. Said she ran as fast of the wind. I found it cheesy, but it stuck.” He shrugged before turning towards you. “I even have the perfect name for the wolf I will give you.”

You lit up, “Well tell me Bucky!” you said quickly, grinning happily towards him.

“No can do, doll. It’s a surprise.” He beamed, your cheeks turning red at the pet name you hadn’t heard in years. Surprise, surprise, you still loved hearing it. “Well, its late, I ought to get you to your chambers, otherwise what sorta king am I?” He teased faintly, standing and offering his right hand towards you to help you up.

You gaped at him, he was offeringtouch? You quickly got over yourself, taking his hand and standing. You noticed he was still holding your hand, as gently as possible, but still present as you walked. He led you back towards your chambers as both of you laughed softly, exchanging jokes. He smiled warmly as he let go of your hand, and you found yourself missing his warmth almost instantly. “I had a wonderful time again tonight, doll.”

“As did I Bucky, thank you.” You smiled brightly, overjoyed at the small progress you were making to becoming close again.

“I will see you tomorrow, My Queen,” he took your hand once more, gently kissing your knuckles before letting your hand go. You knew he could see how badly you were blushing, but you still hoped he wouldn’t notice.

“I do hope so, My King,” you smiled back, before heading inside, the guards posted outside closing it behind you. You couldn’t wipe the huge smile on your face. Lingering touches, the small kisses, the pet name coming back, the jokes and the charming smile. He might be different, and still needed time, and to take things at his own pace, but he was still Bucky. Your inherently kind and affectionate Bucky. Though you suppose it would be a little while longer before he got comfortable truly holding your hand, or doing so when more than one guard happened to be present, yet still. Something was better than nothing. Baby stepswas better than standing still.

----

Tags:

Frozen Heart Tags:

@jsmith509  

@lumar014  

@littlemissporter  

@kaylaphantomhive  

@damnbuckyishot  

-

Bucky Tags:

@cassandras-musings  

For a tag, just reply/comment, if I don’t see it, just message me. Tell me what you think! Literally, any comment makes me happy! Like, comment, reblog, interact <3

#bucky x reader #bucky barnes #royalty au #arranged marriage au #frozen heart #King!Bucky #King!steve

[jandjsalmon]

So let’s talk Banana Split. 

I did this mini review thing with Dylan’s last film (if you’re into crazy hot crazy boys - check out my review here) - and I’m not going to get super detailed into Banana Split as I did with that one - but needless to say, this will be a video and picture heavy review - because look at him. *looks down*

Before I get into the nitty gritty - I just have to say - THIS FILM WAS ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTFUL. I adored it - and probably not for the reason you think I would ... it’s true that the very very best time to be a Dylan fangirl was late 2017 and that December was when Dylan packed up Magnus and headed up to Syracuse to film with Hanna and Liana- but it’s not just about his pretty hair and his pretty face and his pretty hands. It’s not. I promise. 

Let’s talk about the good of Nick and April’s relationship. They were sweet high school sweethearts. They were each other’s firsts. They had literally nothing in common - save a friendship with Ben (who is absolutely hilarious) - and that built up common ground of growing up together, same town, same school, same life. It’s actually addressed in the first real scene in the movie - other than those things - they really don’t have anything in common. 

But they’re happy - for two years. 

Sharing baths with your high school boyfriend - but talking about Dumbledore and horcruxes? This is the epitome of hilariousness. It was part of a montage meant to show us their tender moments. I mean, they dated for two years. Nothing Nick has with Clara could compare to two years of this kind of build-up, right? 

Continuing with that montage - I will never look and lemurs and pandas the same way. Honestly - while Nick is rutting away - telling her she’s his lemur? I nearly DIED of laughter. But I mean, get it. Kink same not kink shame. 

And let’s take a brief segue to talk about April’s sister Agnes. SHE has a crush on Nick too (of course she does) - and she is HILARIOUS. Whether she’s telling her sister to suck my dick/kiss my ass (their poor mother eventually has to lay down the law about keeping their mouths away from their respective genitals) - or she’s feeling up Nick under the table (making him give her mother and his girlfriend THIS expression) - Agnes was a HIGHLIGHT. SO funny. She’s like 11 years old. Poor Nick.

But then they broke up. And it was painful. You see - they were graduating from high school and April got accepted to Boston College. Nick got accepted to UCSB. They didn’t talk about it - and then they both cried and broke up. It was hard to watch. When they discussed it later - it was even harder to watch.

It was HYPOTHETICAL, APRIL! *cough*

Anyway - after the breakup, Nick moved on. Clara was SO clearly a rebound - and he certainly had a good time with her - sex on the beach - sex in a birthday party hat (aside: notice how the women in the sex scenes in this film are covered up? I LOVE that they went that direction. This is not a misogynistic film in ANY way. But I digress.) - They really do seem like they have a good time together - but it was definitely MORE for Clara that it was for Nick. Definitely.

AND we were talking about SprouseHands here on tumblr the other day - I offer this picture as evidence that it obviously runs in the family. YAY genetics. You know what they say about big hands! (... big gloves ha ha ha).

ANYWAY - unfortunately - April and Clara kinda accidentally meet at a party - and find out that they actually have a TON in common and instead of hating each other, they become best friends - on the sly without telling Nick.

And without letting mutual friend Ben tell Nick either. Which is actually kind of a big thing - because Ben is Nick’s bestie - and he hates lying to his friend. But it’s also hilarious - so roll with it. (in the below scene right after this, the girls take their birth control pills together... because they both have alarms to remind them and they are completely bonkers. lol).

They even have secret code names on their phone (George Clooney and Brad Pitt respectively) and it ALL comes to a head when Nick realizes that he misses April - thinks about her all the time - and breaks up with Clara when he thinks that April is going home from a party with Ben (she does and there is weird bushes kissing but they both agree it was weird and agree to never do it again). 

ANYWAY - then the crap hits the fan and Clara goes all #friendsoff with April - throwing a slushee at her head that misses and hits her boobs - and they’re both miserable - and they both want their best friend back. 

It’s funny because neither is really that miserable about Nick. 

His storyline concludes with him telling off April for being the bad guy in this whole thing (she was) - and him making up with his best friend (after sucker punching him). Nick was the sexy lamp in this story - and there is no way around that. It’s a delicious departure from most films like this. 

ANYWAY - the crux of the film is that April and Clara are best friends. And they eventually make up - and it’s adorable and sweet and I LOVED it. The scene below is literally me and MotherMaple btw - I love her but I don’t want to bang her. Ha ha ha.

So yes. Was this a great movie? It TOTALLY was. I will watch it again and again. It was delightful and funny and heartwarming (as heartwarming as you can get when the mains continually make poor decisions, get drunk a lot, get high a lot, and make more poor decisions. 

But I love it for not being a typical romancey movie. Like I said - no one gets Nick at the end (except for Ben - who is an awesome and funny friend) which is a good thing because he deserves to meet a great girl at UCSB who also loves Carly Rae Jepson (unironically) - and the girls are happy to have their long-distance best friendship and that’s awesome too.

I definitely recommend. 

#banana split movie #jandy reviews a movie #that is more than just it's norse god sexy lamp #dylan sprouse #is perfectly delightfully hot #but the movie is more about the girls #and I love that for them #hannah marks #liana liberato

[birth-fic-lover]

Jade and Claire Part 1 - The one that got away

Everyone has the one that got away and that was no different for Jade, hers was 14 years ago. Well her crush on her best friend had developed when she was only 10 and she kept it close to her chest until she was 16. 

Her best friend was called Claire and they did everything together, from doing homework to going to the movies. This to Jade’s delight included sleepovers where they would share a double bed and whisper until Claire feel asleep. Then Jade would watch her while trying to think of a way to tell her best friend how she really felt. She would secretly hope that Claire felt the say way and was a lesbian too. She knew that Claire had been with boys with the past but she had never been with them for long, and she never seemed that interested in them. 

One sleepover she decided it was time to tell Claire how she felt, but too her surprise Claire said she had something she needed to tell Jade. Maybe she was gonna say the same thing, have they both been waiting all this time? Jade listened to Claire. “Oh Jade what I need to tell you is life changing stuff girl. But you look like you need to say yours first, plus I think mine might take over our evenings chat so it’s probably best you go first”.

Jade’s heart was in her mouth she was so nervous, she had been building to this moment for 6 years. She just hoped it went well. She thought it was best to tell her that she was gay then tell her that she was in love with her. “Claire there’s a reason I haven’t ever dated a guy, I know that you will always accept me so I think you should know that I’m into girls.” 

Before Jade could continue Claire was squealing and hugging her best friend. “I knew it!” she shouted, “I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! Oh Jade of course I accept you and you will always accept me right. That’s why I know you won’t judge when I tell you my news, I’m pregnant! Me and Danny are having a baby.”

Jade was in shock and pulled away a little so she could look at Claire. Danny? Who was Danny? She had never payed attention to Claire’s boyfriends there relationships were so short it wasn’t worth it and Claire had only dated a couple of guys. That’s why Jade thought she might be into her, because they spent so much time together. But her getting pregnant changed everything, but she still loved her so she would be there no matter what. “I better be the gay godmother” Jade said putting on her most convincing smile.

“You bet” Claire said as she smoothed her Pj’s out, “You better help me get through this pregnancy, at least with me gross and preggo we don’t have to worry about you getting a lesbian crush on me” she said laughing. But Jade didn’t laugh in time and Claire noticed, she then looked in Jade’s eyes. It was like she wanted to say something but couldn’t. So instead she squeezed her best friends hand and give her a kiss on the cheek. “I hope I didn’t offend you” she whispers.  

“You didn’t” Jade whisper back “Your right through, soon you’ll be so pregnant I couldn’t find you attractive if I tried”.

But they was wrong, the more pregnant she got the sexier she was. Suddenly it wasn’t just a school girl first love, as her bosoms blossomed so did this new lust Jade never knew existed. If it was difficult to hide how she felt before, now it was hell. Claire’s boobs were bigger and Jade couldn’t stop watching her stroke her belly. She wanted to be the one to stroke it, she wanted to touch every part of her. 

One time they were watching a movie together and the baby kicked, so Claire grabbed Jade’s hand to feel. Jade just left it there on her orb of a stomach, she couldn’t believe how big Claire was. She was quite short, especially compared to Jade. But Danny was tall so the baby must take after him she supposed. Jade did meet Danny but he didn’t seem that interested talking to his partner’s best friend. That suited Jade just fine, she was jealous that Danny got to have Claire. She would imagine all the things she would do to Claire if she was hers. She would spend hours playing with her swollen breast and wrap her lips round her sore nipples till her breast were uneven, then would happy oblige balancing her breast out with a long gulp. She wanted to then keep moving her lips down all over the giant belly and then feast on her nether reigns savouring every last bit of Claire’s pussy. 

But Jade still invited Claire over for sleepovers and would watch her sleep wrapped around her pregnancy pillow wishing Claire was wrapped around her. Once again at one of these sleepovers was where Jade decided she would tell Claire how she felt. They were in bed together watching TV, but to be honest Claire didn’t seem to be watching it. Probably because she had to go to the bathroom every 15 minutes. After her latest trip she got back on the bed and leaned against Jade. Cuddling up to her while soothing her heavily swollen stomach, her baby seemed to be kicking a storm and making Claire unconformable.

“You know” Claire said “this will be the last time we do this for a while, I’m due next week and Danny wants me to stay at home with him till the baby comes”. Jade wraps her arm round her best friend “That’s a real shame, but I can always come and visit especially once the baby comes. I wanna be there for my godchild”. 

“I have something to tell you” Claire said softly while reaching for Jades hand “it’s why I’ve been a bit clingy tonight”. 

Was this it? The thing that Jade had suspected all along, that Claire was into Jade. She still had her suspicions and knew that if this was the case she would support Claire and this baby the best she could. She didn’t care what Danny said, he never seemed that interested in Claire anyway now she was pregnant. “I have something to tell you too, but I think it’s linked to what your gonna say.”

“Really” Claire said shocked looking up at her bestie, “you knew this was coming all along?”

“Just say it and we can deal with the consequences together” Jade says soothingly. 

“Okay, Danny wants us to move as soon as they baby is born. He wants a fresh start and really give this relationship a go and be a family for the baby’s sake”. Claire squeezes Jades hand really tight. “To be honest I have been having Braxton-Hicks all week so I know labour is going to happen any day now. Oh god this one is really bad”. Her face contorts.

“Wait you’ve been having pain on and off all this time? What if it’s labour?” Jade says panicking.  

“It’s not and even if it is, this is the last time I’ll see you for a long time. I promise if it gets too much I’ll say” Claire promises. 

Jade didn’t know what to do, she had dreamed of being there for the women she loved though labour but she knew Claire should go to a hospital or something. But for the next hour they snuggled and watched TV with Claire tensing once and a while. She even starts doing low moans and jade turns to her and turns off the telly. Jade strokes the usually soft belly but it’s as hard as a rock and Claire releases a long moan. 

Jade wanted to tell Claire she is being ridiculous because she’s obviously in labour, but seeing Claire like this stirs something deep within her she can’t look away. Plus Claire obviously wants to be here with her best friend. Jade gets on her knees and wraps Claire’s arms around her neck. Claire is now on her knees too head against her tall best friend’s breasts as she sways slightly. The tingling continues as she feels Claire’s breath on her breasts.

“Good thing my parents are out tonight. You wanna end up giving birth in my bed?” Jade says teasing softly as they sway.

“Mmmmmmm naaaaaagggg yes, no naaaaaaaaaaa I don’t know ask me affffffffter this contraction” Claire moans into Jades breasts. 

Jade laughs softly “so you admit they’re contractions”

Claire relaxes and the contraction ends, “okay okay I’m in labour. I’m just so glad your boob are so big and soft”. 

“There nothing compared to yours these days” Jade said “how about you get in the bath I heard that’s good for the pain”. Jade can’t believe she just said that, if Claire agrees she will be more likely to give birth at Jades parents’ house instead of the hospital. Plus she will then see her sexy best friend naked and in labour. 

“That’s a great idea” Claire said as she crawls off the bed towards the on suite bathroom. As she hobbles with Jades help she stops with a contraction. “naaaaaaaaaaaa go on without meeeeeeeee”.

“You need to come along that the point” Jade says.

“Geeeeeet the bath reeeeeeeday for meee naaaaaaaaa, oh my god naaaaaaa” Claire says moaning.

Jade starts filling the bath and runs back into the room to see her best friend squatting. “Get these clothes off meeee” Claire moans and Jade doesn’t even think twice and get the dress and bra off her and her contraction seems to of stopped. “It’s all happening too quick, I thought births were meant to take hours”.

“Want me to call an ambulance or Danny?” Jade offers and she shakily helps her friend to the bathroom.

“No I just want you, only you. Is that okay?” Claire says as she sits on the edge of the toilet. Those were the words that Jade had been waiting for, but she knew the context was different. Claire slipped off her panties and turned to her friend. “Can you check how many centimetres I am, I know that usually they check with fingers. But you don’t have to do that. Jade dreamed of sticking her fingers there but again not in this context. But before Jade could say anything Claire let out a guttural moan and her waters broke. “Jade” Claire moaned “Naaaaaaaaaaggggggg I think I’ll be having my baaaaaaaaaby heeeeereeeeee”. Jade helped Claire into the bath. “Fuck how many centimetres I neeeeeeed to push noow”. Claire moaned as she started to push.  

Jade started talking “won’t you tear if….”

“Are you a midwife now? Just get your ass in this bath and naaaaaagaaaaaaa help me” Claire exploded. Jade pulled off her clothes and got in behind Claire, she put Jades hands on her breasts and then she rubbed her own tummy doing long moans. Eventually could feel the head. “It’s right there” Claire said before riding another contraction. 

Jade got up and went to in front of Claire. “You are doing so amazing” Jade said as the head came out, “a few more pushes and your baby will be here”. “Naaaaaagggggaaaagggg I love you ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh” Claire moaned and her baby popped out of her. 

“I love you too” Jade said as the door burst open. Her parent, Claire’s parents and Danny flooded into the room. It seemed Danny got worried when her tried to call and got no response, we must have put our phones on silent. 

Jade’s parents were disappointed that she didn’t call anyone, and weren’t very sympathetic that Claire was moving away. Jade wondered if Claire ever worked out how Jade felt about her and if she felt the same. But Jade didn’t see Claire again after that night, until now 14 years later….

To be continued..

(This was my first time writing one of these hope you enjoyed)

#fpreg #labour #birth fiction