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#like we’re already going out to have dinner why would we pick up something just before that is also not as good
ginax0916 · 3 hours
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₊✧ 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐧𝐤𝐥𝐞 ✧₊
Chris Sturniolo x hurt!gf!reader
Genre: Fluff
Synopsis: Chris’s gf’s ankle is broken and he helps her even when she doesn’t need help.
*I got the idea of writing this from their recent Wednesday video where Chris tried to help Matt down the stairs*
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“So what did the doctor say?” My boyfriend Chris asks as I walk back into the waiting room where he waits with his brothers.
“Well if you couldn’t already tell by the boot on my foot, my ankle is broken” I sarcastically say.
“Oh shit. What even happened?” Matt asks.
“My dumbass got on the kitchen counter to reach something from the top shelf and when I jumped down I landed on it wrong and then I heard a crack and well yall know the rest” I sigh limping to them.
“Yo you sure you’re good to walk all the way to the car love?” Chris asks holding me up by my waist.
“Oh by the way y/n it would be good to invest in crutches for the first few days! Forgot to mention that earlier” The doctor says as she walks out into the waiting room to call her next patient.
“Does that answer your question?” I laugh.
We sign the papers I needed to be discharged and both Chris and Matt help me limp back to the car since I refuse to be carried like a baby.
“I’m gonna stop at Walgreens because they sells crutches there I’m pretty sure” Matt says.
“But I don’t want crutches” I sigh for the hundredth time.
“Y/n the doctor literally walked out to tell you that you need crutches. We’re buying them” Nick retorts.
“Fine whatever” I slouch down in defeat.
“Ok we’re here. Y/n stay in the car so you don’t have to walk all the way there. Do you want anything else?” Matt questions.
“Can you get me some nerd gummy clusters please? Oooh and a bottle of raspberry Iced Tea if there is any” I smile.
“Of course kid” Matt smiles back.
“I’ll stay with her in the car” Chris says.
“Alright just don’t be making out once we get back” Nick rolls his eyes as he closes the door.
“How you feel ma? Does it hurt?” Chris asks and rubs my thigh.
“I’m okay. And no it doesn’t hurt it feels fine actually” I say.
“Alright then that’s good” I nod in agreement.
“So how am I meant to fuck you with your broken ankle”
“Chris! Why is that your first concern” I laugh.
“I literally asked if it hurt 2 seconds ago!” He lifts his hands in defense.
“Wow makes such a difference Christopher” I slap his arm.
“See! Fucking you was not my first concern initially” He points his finger at me laughing.
“Yea but it was your second which is insane” I giggle.
“Come on don’t act like it wasn’t yours” He smiles sheepishly.
“Oh shut up Chris” I laugh again.
“Oh good you’re both decent” Nick says startling us as he opens the car door.
“Come on we aren’t that immature Nick” Chris says.
“Oh trust me you are Christopher” Nick pats him on the shoulder.
“What’s with people and calling me Christopher today damn” Chris turns back around in his seat.
“Y/n I got you the ice tea you wanted and along with the candy. And unfortunately they were out of stock of crutches so they let us order them online so they should arrive in like 2-3 days” Matt comments as he gets in the car handing me my stuff.
“Thanks Matt” I say. “I can go 2-3 days without walking I’m sure” I chuckle.
“I can just carry you around” Chris speaks up.
“What a delight” I sarcastically say.
“Oh come don’t act like you don’t already ask me to carry you around because you’re too lazy” He says slightly offended by my joke.
“I’m joking baby of course I don’t mind being carried around by you” I giggle.
“I’m gonna go pick up Canes for dinner is that good with you guys?” Matt yells from the garage.
“Yes that’s perfect thanks Matt!” I yell back.
“Wait I wanna come with you and so bored and you always get my order wrong any way” Nick says while running down the stairs to join Matt.
“See ya guys!” Nick says.
“Bye Nick!” Both Chris and I say back.
“So what you wanna do mama?” Chris asks, sitting down on the couch with me.
“I’m not sure. What is there to do?” I turn my body to be facing Chris and I lay my head of the cushions behind me.
“We could watch a movie, watch YouTube, play a board game or just talk. Whatever you want baby” Chris says, grabbing both my legs and draping them over his lap careful to not hurt my ankle.
“Ummm I’m not sure. But I have to pee” I say getting up. Slightly wincing at the pain of my foot touching the ground.
“C’mere” Chris mumbles, picking me up bridal style and carrying me to the bathroom.
“Thank you Chrissy” I kiss him on the cheek.
“You’re welcome and don’t call me that again” He laughs.
“Can you take my pants off for me please?” I pout.
“Oh now you’re just being a baby. Your hands work perfectly fine” Chris rolls his eyes.
“Fine me the injured person who could die any second will pull her owns pants down god” I dramatically say.
“Oh shut up and go to the bathroom babe” Chris says walking out of the bathroom laughing.
As I finish I limp into the kitchen where Chris leans against the counter.
“Hey you’re not meant to be walking you should’ve called me” Chris says picking me up and setting me on the countertop.
“I swear I’m okay love” I smile cupping his cheeks.
“Yea well the boot on your foot says otherwise” He says and grabs my waist pulling me into a warm hug.
“I love your hugs” I say nuzzling closer into him.
“And I love hugging you” He mumbles, kissing my cheek.
“Can we go to your room and watch a movie while Nick and Matt get back?” I politely ask.
“Of course we can ma” Chris smiles helping me down from the counter.
“Alright c’mon I’ll carry you down the stairs baby” He comments as he bends down ready to pick me up.
“No wait I want to do it myself” I shake my head.
“Babe the doctor said you had to be in crutches you most definitely can’t go down the stairs by yourself” Chris sighs annoyed at my stubbornness.
“Please baby? I swear I can do it” I give him my best puppy eyes to convince him.
“No don’t look at me like that ma you know I’m gonna cave” Chris covers his face with his hands.
“I’m taking that as a yes” I giggle.
“But I will be right behind you and I’m going to pick you up the second I see you stumble understood?” Chris sternly says.
“Yes I understand” I smile.
I step one foot on the first step and then the next, grabbing tightly onto the rail I limp my way down to the 4th step. Only about 15 left oh god. I thought I could do it but it hurts really bad. There’s a stinging pain on my ankle every time I step. It’s bringing tears to my eyes. But I don’t want Chris to think that I’m weak and I can’t do it. But god does it hurt. It’s getting obvious that I can’t do it, I whimper in pain every time step, tears threatening to fall. I bring my hand up to wipe my eyes but I also stepped at the same time. I lose my balance and almost fall but Chris catches me. Oh fuck.
“Hey hey I got you, you’re ok” Chris picks me up bridal style and goes the rest of the way down to his room with me in his arms. My head resting on the crook of his next softly crying. I’m not even sure if it’s because of embarrassment or pain, maybe both.
He sets be down on the edge of the bed and kneels in front of me.
“What’s wrong baby, why’re you crying that pretty makeup away hm?” Chris sweetly asks, moving my hair out of my face.
“I just- I didn’t want you to think I was weak and couldn’t do it myself” I quietly replied with my voice cracking.
“Oh baby you’re not weak. You just have a literal broken ankle. Asking for help sometimes is never being weak ok? I will never ever judge you for anything especially not being able to go down the stairs with a broken ankle. I’m always here for you ma” Chris comforts me, rubbing my arms soothingly.
“Thank you Chris” I smile leaning it to hug him.
“I love you” He kisses my cheek, hugging me back.
“Who wants Canes!!” Matt yells from the top of the stairs.
“You gonna let me carry you now mama?” He laughs as he picks me up, my legs going around his waist carefully with my ankle.
“Took you guys long enough! I’m starving” Chris laughs.
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35 notes · View notes
utvarpcity · 1 year
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well rip
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togenabi · 7 months
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pick me up
roronoa zoro (opla) x reader
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♡—zoro never paid your jokes or pickup lines any mind. that is, until something happens that makes you stop.
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word count♡— 3.2k
genre♡— mild angst, fluff, straw hat!reader
content notes♡— opla zoro, fem!reader, reader wears a dress and tells very bad jokes, creepy dude oc, don't be creepy be cool yall, reader pulls off a heist with nami, zoro gets jealous, alcohol consumption, no use of y/n, barely proofread
also on♡— ao3
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author's note♡— this is a request from anon! I'm sorry if I tweaked a few things, I'm not the best at angst hhhh I hope you still like it!
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“Okay, okay. Wait. I got it this time.” You say, already trying to keep from laughing. 
“Why were the kids having trouble in pirate class?”
Zoro only side-eyes you with his arms crossed, vehemently unimpressed. 
“Because they were overbored!” 
Watching for his reaction intently, you keep your eyes focused on his face... Nothing changes. 
You tsk, but aren’t seriously discouraged. This is how he always reacts to your jokes, after all. “I’ll get you one of these days, Roronoa Zoro.”
The swordsman only sighs, leaning back into his seat to take a nap. “You do that.”
“Don’t listen to him, love.” Sanji says from the other side of the kitchen as he cleans the counter. “I thought that joke was good.”
“You’re lying, but I appreciate the sentiment, Sanji.” You grin at him. Focusing back on the book you were reading, you miss the amused, challenging look Sanji sends Zoro.
Everyone hears Luffy approaching the kitchen before he enters. “Guys!” He bellows. “We’ll be reaching land soon. Be ready to leave in fifteen minutes!”
The majority of the day is spent restocking supplies. You were all split up into pairs, but before you left, Luffy pointed to a restaurant with a flashy, illuminated sign on top that reads: ‘Bistro of Light’. How cringey of them.
“We should meet there for dinner! You don’t mind taking a break, right, Sanji?” Luffy asks eagerly, and you think that no one could say no to him when he’s so enthusiastic. Sanji nods, and you all go through the town until the sun starts to set.
The inside of the restaurant is just as ridiculous as the sign outside. Chandeliers of every color hang on the ceiling. Huge fish tanks and fountains lined with lights almost blind you. You laugh when looking at it all causes Zoro to wince. 
“Hey Zoro,” You call for him. “You know what’s faster than the speed of light?”
“...”
“My heartbeat when I think of you!” You wink at him, proud of the joke even when he only sighs and looks away.
Usopp walks up to a receptionist standing behind a desk. “Hey. Table for six, if you would be so kind.”
“I’m afraid we’re at full capacity at the moment.” They respond. “You’ll have to wait, is that alright?”
Everyone shares a look. Except for Luffy, who looks dead set on eating here, you all feel unsure about waiting.
“When’s the next table going to be available?” Usopp asks. “We’re actually a really big deal. It’s gonna be really embarrassing for you guys if you don’t let us in.” The person frowns, face screaming, ‘is this guy serious’?
But before they can reply, a booming voice enters the restaurant. A tall man, dressed in a pristine white suit and wearing jewels on every finger, pushes you out of the way to yell at the receptionist. You stumble, but thankfully Zoro is there to catch you.
“What on earth is going on here?! Why are there so many people crowding the entryway?!” He fumes, angrily gesturing to your group. 
“If they’re not going to eat, then I strongly suggest—” The rich man freezes suddenly, his eyes trained on you.
You keep your face as emotionless as possible, but you die laughing inside when Nami swipes a brooch from his jacket while he’s distracted with you.
“Ah,” The man says. His tone softening a considerable amount as he walks over to you. “I thought I had the best jewels in my treasury, but you're the most radiant gem I've ever laid my eyes on.” It takes everything in you to not back away. Zoro tenses beside you.
“Why haven’t these guests been guided to a table?” He asks, turning back to the receptionist.
“We’re at full capacity, Sir.” Oh. He must own the place. It makes sense that the owner is as gaudy as everything else in here.
“That won’t do.” He looks back to you, and you swear you could feel your skin crawl under his gaze. 
“I am Helios. Welcome to my establishment.” The man introduces himself with a flourish, bowing to you. His jewels and gold accessories glint in the light. “What might your name be?”
Reluctantly, you introduce yourself. Had this been a normal situation, you would have turned around and walked away from him the second he saw you. But, you could feel the crew going hungry, and you’re sure Nami will want to snag another ring or two—so you play nice.
Helios smiles, repeating your name. He was probably trying to sound romantic, but he’s not doing anything for you. Not when Zoro says your name much better.
You keep Zoro’s voice in mind, remembering how nice it sounds. It’s easier to smile at Helios that way. Time to lay on the charm, “I was really looking forward to having dinner here. I don’t suppose you could help us out?”
“Follow me, my dear. You deserve to dine upstairs. The view is simply spectacular at this hour.” Helios holds out his hand to you, but Luffy—bless his soul—grabs it to shake it zealously.
“Thanks so much for letting us eat here, Mr. Helios!” Luffy claps him on the back. Helios looks dumbfounded, and the crew does an impressive job keeping their composure. 
Helios tries to walk beside you as he guides you all upstairs, but Zoro is steadfast on your right, and Nami smartly positions herself on your left. Luffy and Usopp tug the restaurant owner along, chatting his ear off. You almost feel bad for him. 
Nami murmurs, her voice carefully silent so only you can hear. “Treasury, huh?”
You smile. “Of course you’d be curious about that.”
“Think you could get us to his mansion?” She dares you, eyes aglow at the promise of a good heist.
“I know I can.” You pause walking to check your reflection on an ornate, sun-shaped mirror. After fixing your hair, you grin at your friends. “I’m irresistible, after all.”
Maybe if you weren’t busy buttering up your host, you would have noticed that Zoro wasn’t eating properly. Normally, you would force him to eat. You would pile food on his plate, telling that joke about fake noodles being impasta that always cracks you up.
Zoro frowns at the meal in front of him. The fish seems to frown back. Sighing, he decides to just order another drink. But no matter what he consumes, a bitter taste always blooms in his mouth afterwards. 
The glass in his hand almost cracks when he hears your voice sucking up to Helios again. “So, you own this place? Do you live around here?”
Helios leans far too close towards you, but you grin and bear it. “Would you like a private tour, my gem?”
You place a hand on his arm, he may read it as affection, but you hold him so he keeps that distance. “That sounds wonderful.”
Zoro huffs under his breath. He needs another drink. 
Thankfully, Helios serves good booze at his manor. Zoro almost didn’t want to drink any of it, but he needs alcohol in his system if he has to watch you flirt with this idiot so Nami can rob him blind. Whatever she steals better be worth all this, or else he might punch something. Or someone. Preferably Helios.
You share a look with Nami and give her an imperceptible nod. With that signal, she passes by and pretends to lose her footing. Wine seeps into your clothes, staining the fabric and sticking it to your skin. Did she really have to pick red wine? You liked this shirt.
“Oh, my dear!” Helios gasps. “You should get cleaned up. I’ll have my servants draw you a bath and bring you fresh clothes.”
“I’m so sorry, I should’ve watched where I was going.” Nami loops her arm through yours. “Let me help you with that.” 
And so, with another fake smile sent Helios’ way, you rush with Nami to find the treasury.
“Be quick.” Nami says once you enter the luxurious bathroom prepared for you. 
As tempting as the bubble bath is, you only take a few wet towels to tidy up. You step into the curtained area, about to strip when Nami holds out a hand to stop you.
“Wait.” She says, her tone serious. A teddy bear holding a rose is propped up on a shelf behind you. Tapping its eyes, Nami scowls before throwing the bear into the trash bin.
“A camera?” She nods. “Seriously? What a creep.”
You and Nami inspect the room. It’s not clear if there are other hidden cameras, but she stands guard in front of the shower curtains just in case.
“Hey,” She starts. “Did you notice Zoro acting weird tonight?”
You frown as you change into the dress Helios prepared. “What do you mean?”
Nami hums in thought. “He’s just…” A dumbass, she wants to say, but doesn’t. “He seems extra grumpy.”
That causes you to laugh. “I guess I should prepare more jokes for him when we get back.”
She winces. “...I’m not that sure he likes those.”
“Hm… Maybe not, but,” You pause to think. He may not laugh loudly as Luffy does, but he never shot you down for being bubbly around him. “Zoro would have told me to shut up by now if he didn’t, right?”
“Huh.” Nami says. “You got a point.”
You push the curtains aside, grinning at her. “Come on, let’s break into that treasury.”
“Of course, my gem.”
“Oh my god, if that sticks I’m going to be so mad.”
The treasury was a vault full of everything from jewels to ornamental weapons. Nami playfully crowned you with a diamond tiara, and she put on dangling emerald earrings that looked stunning on her.
After filling your bags and pockets with the most you can carry, you and Nami head out to find the others. You run into Usopp on the way back to the lounge.
“I see you two cleaned up well.” He jokes. “Luffy and Sanji are in the kitchen. I was just on my way there.”
“Where’s Zoro?” You ask.
“With Helios. You know him, still drinking.”
“We should leave soon.” Nami insists. “We risk getting caught the longer we stay.”
“Right.” You hand Usopp your bag, his eyes widen comically when he feels how heavy it is. “I’ll just go say goodbye, I’ll catch up with you guys later.”
Before you even enter the lounge, however, you hear Zoro speak your name. Are they talking about you? You press your back against the wall, straining to hear their conversation.
You almost wish you didn’t.
“She tells the worst jokes and doesn’t know when to quit it. Thinks she’s hilarious but she’s really not.” Zoro speaks in that deep voice that would usually be comforting to you—but his words now pierce through you painfully.
“What exactly is your relationship with her?” Helios asks, and Zoro is silent. It feels like your heart crumbles for every second he doesn’t answer.
You’re friends! You’ve been dreaming of more but, you’ve always been friends.
…Aren’t you? Doesn’t he think so?
“I don’t know.” Your heart fully shatters. What does he mean he doesn’t know? “She just sticks to me a lot. It can get annoying.”
“Well. That’s unfortunate, but it’s nothing to sob over.” Helios kisses his teeth. “I don’t care about her attitude. All that doesn’t matter as long as she has that pretty face.”
You wait for Zoro to say something. Anything. You want him to cut Helios where he stands.
But he doesn’t. The silence drags on. The air feels like it’s pushing you down, crushing your lungs. You have to get out of here.
You burst into the kitchen, trying your best not to cry. Nami immediately rushes to you, holding your shoulders to steady you. “What happened?”
Letting out a shuddered breath, you whisper, “You were right.” It’s impossible to think straight right now. “I want to leave.”
You look to Luffy, still shaken up. Your captain’s expression is serious as he nods. “Go ahead, we’ll get Zoro and catch up.” Not needing to be told twice, you head out the door.
Before she follows you, Nami hisses at Sanji, “Talk some sense into that dumbass, won’t you?”
The entire walk back to the Going Merry is silent. You’re grateful Nami doesn’t immediately press you for what happened, but you know that you should answer her questions. You finally get the words out in the safety of her cabin.
You sit cross-legged on the bed, and everything comes pouring out. “He called me annoying.” 
“Zoro?” She asked, offering you a box of tissues.
“Yeah.” You sniff, taking the box.
“I’m sorry. That was fucked up of him to say.”
Unsure how to properly comfort you, Nami gets up and retrieves extra pillows from a storage compartment.
“Why don’t we have a girl’s night?” Nami asks, offering you a smile. It pulls a smile out of you too, the first one you mustered since Zoro crushed your spirit. 
“I’d like that.” 
Zoro is confused to find that you and Nami had left before them. Luffy gave Helios some lame excuse that you weren’t feeling well, but Zoro knew better. If you were really sick, the whole crew would be panicking and rushing to get to you.
He stares at Sanji and Usopp, trying to piece together what really happened. They both turn away from him, refusing to say anything.
In the next second, a maid rushes out, panting and screaming, “Mr. Helios! The treasury has been robbed!”
Fine. Answers can come later. For now, they need to run.
Once they’re back on the ship, Sanji follows Zoro into his cabin. He stares at the chef blankly, “Get out.”
“Did you do something?” Sanji leans against the doorframe, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Get out.” Zoro repeats, about to push him out of the room when Sanji speaks your name.
“She was upset. Asked to leave as soon as possible.” Sanji’s gaze is almost menacing, and his frown deepens when Zoro’s face falls. So, that’s what happened. You had heard him.
“Fuck.” Zoro groans, running a hand through his hair in frustration.
“Everyone noticed you getting bitchy over Helios.” Sanji notes “Did you confront him or something?”
Scoffing, Zoro sits on his hammock, the fabric dips under his weight. “It was something, all right.”
Wanting Zoro to explain himself unpromptedly, Sanji just watches him and lets the silence hang in the air. After a solid, suffocating minute, the swordsman caves.
“I called her annoying.” Zoro breathes out deeply. “I said her jokes aren’t funny and that she sticks to me a lot.”
“Man, that’s screwed up.” Sanji gapes. “I thought you cared about her?”
“Of course I do, but I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true.” Zoro defends. “Luffy’s the only one who laughs at her jokes, and she’s always by my side.” 
Sighing, Zoro continues, “...but I never minded any of it. I learned to care for those parts of her a long time ago. I was only trying to get that shithead off her back.”
“You’re an idiot.” Sanji concludes. “You have the emotional depth of a sink, sometimes.”
Zoro, surprisingly, doesn’t insult the chef back. He stares at the wall, slouched and looking the most empty Sanji’s ever seen him.
“What should I do?” He asks. “How should I make it up to her?”
Sanji’s eyes light up, he beams and claps his hands together in excitement. Even if Zoro hasn’t heard it yet, he already dreads the chef’s suggestion. 
“I have an idea.”
When you woke up the next morning, you had every intention of avoiding Zoro like the plague. It was still really difficult to look at him, the hurt you felt still stings your heart. 
But unfortunately for you, he had other plans. 
You’re gazing out into the sea on the forecastle deck when you hear a familiar set of heavy footsteps. You sigh. “I don’t want to talk, Zoro.”
“I’m not here to talk.” You turn to him questioningly, but you really shouldn’t give him the time of day. Wasn’t he the one who complained about you clinging to him?
You don’t say anything. Only glaring at him and hoping he sees how disappointed you feel. Zoro stands here, appearing strangely vulnerable. If you weren’t so hurt, you would have hugged him by now. 
But you are. So he has to wallow in the awkwardness of the consequences of his words. He—wait. What’s that on his face?
“I…” Is he… blushing? “I’m sorry I wasn’t around in the past.” 
You make a face and blink at him. What is he up to?
“...Can I be part of your future?”
That knocks the wind right out of you, your jaw practically falls to the floor. Did Roronoa Zoro just use a pickup line? On you? You can’t help but glance at your surroundings to check if the sky is still blue.
No—hold on. He can’t win you over just like that. He needs to explain why he said what he did. 
“You said my jokes are the worst.” You grumble.
“They are.” Zoro looks straight into your eyes as he speaks. “But you’re one of the best things to ever happen to me.”
“You said I always stick to your side.”
He doesn’t miss a beat and answers earnestly, “You do. And I wouldn’t want you to be anywhere else.”
“…You said you didn’t know what our relationship is.”
That causes Zoro to pause, searching your eyes as if he’ll find the answer in them. “…I don’t.”
Oh, this impossible sword-brain of a man. Your lips quiver, and you realize you can’t fight back your smile anymore. “I love you, Zoro.”
His expression shifts from anxiousness to shock, relief, and a bit of something else... 
“I love you, too.” Ah, of course. Love, that too.
Slowly, tentatively, he raises his arms, inviting you to an embrace. He’s adorable, looking a teensy bit nervous that you wouldn’t want to hold him. Giggling, you rush to him, wrapping your arms around his waist as he envelops your shoulders. 
“I bet Sanji taught you to apologize with that line.” You murmur into his chest. “If you tell me another one…” Zoro cringes, his frame tensing. 
“...I’ll give you a kiss.” His expression lifts, seriously considering it.
After a minute, Zoro clears his throat. You almost squeal in excitement.
“Roses are red, violets are blue…” A classic. This is going to be good.
“I’m sorry if I made you feel awkward, I just want to have dinner with you.” You gasp, squeezing him tighter. 
“Yes! That was perfect.” Laughing, you reach up and hold his face to keep your promise. 
You plant a sweet, short kiss on his lips. When you pull away, he’s looking at you like he would fight anyone for you. He probably would, if you’re being honest.
“You’re perfect.” He breathes, mouth against yours and then he’s kissing you again.
Hiding behind a pile of crates, the rest of the crew whoop and cheer. (Silently.)
“That was such a good line!” Luffy whispers.
“I still think he should have used the ‘I don’t speak angel’ one.” Usopp whispers back.
“What are you talking about?!” Sanji angrily, quietly mutters. “That was perfect because he apologized and delivered the line.”
“Shut it, you guys. I was right, he didn’t last a day with her mad at him.” Nami holds out her palm. “Pay up.” The others groan, handing her some berry. All’s well that ends well.
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loveinhawkins · 1 year
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Steve doesn’t notice the answering machine for several weeks.
His time is split between the hospital and donating food and clothes; and when he’s not doing that, he’s helping put up missing posters for people’s loved ones.
It’s only when both Max and Eddie are discharged that he has a moment to even catch his breath—when, half-dozing on his feet, waiting for a microwave ready meal to heat up, he notices the blinking red light in the hallway.
He feels like he’s still in a dream when he presses ‘play’, hears his mother’s voice. There’s people talking in the background, the echoing, constant chatter of a hotel lobby. She’s laughing at something someone must have said before the answering machine kicked in.
She sounds… happy.
“Steve? Steve?” The rustle of the receiver getting briefly pressed to her blouse, a muffled, “Just a minute, hon, he might still pick up.” Then, clearer: “No, you must be out. All right, Steve, it was just to let you know that we’ll be home a little sooner than we—yes, I’m telling him, what do you think I’m doing?”
Steve’s thoroughly grateful that he’s listening to a message, and no response is required—can only stand there, jaw slack, at just how light his mother’s voice is.
“A couple of work things fell through,” she continues with a breeziness that probably means several major ‘things’ went disastrously wrong, work related or otherwise. But it doesn’t sound like she cares all that much; if anything, she sounds excited.
“So I thought we could—well, I don’t know how late we’ll be, but if you’re not too hungry, we could just order some pizza, lazy dinner? Plain cheese for you, right?” The distant ring of a bell on a counter. “Steve, darling, I know we haven’t been—” She cuts herself off with a sigh that’s gone too quickly for Steve to parse.
He hasn’t ordered a plain cheese pizza since he was 12 years old. But she’s trying, he thinks. She’s trying.
“Oh, we’re just checking out. What? No, I thought you had that bag. Oh, well, just—sorry, Steve, see you tonight. Love y—”
The message ends.
In a daze, Steve replays it once, twice—it’s on the third re-listen that he hears the mechanical voice intone what date the message was left.
See you tonight.
He inhales sharply just as the microwave beeps, and then he’s out the door, leaving the food to congeal.
-
He knows the route they would have taken. Plays it backwards in his head as he drives. Can see them in his mind’s eye taking the exit that leads into Hawkins—his mom berating his dad for not using his turn signal.
He finds the road. Stops. Gets out and presses his hand to the tarmac. He can feel it under his palm, like a scar.
The gates spread, at the end.
There’s no proof, nothing he can point to and say there, that’s what happened to them. Not a trace.
But he knows.
He knows.
-
“Okay, what’s up?” Eddie asks him three days later.
It’s almost funny, how little things have changed. Steve keeps waiting for a knock at the door, a just kidding! There’s no harried phone calls from their work, so they must have taken extended leave or—he doesn’t know.
He’s never going to know.
“Nothing,” Steve shrugs. “Just thinking if the kids want popcorn now or later.”
Eddie’s suspicion melts away with a snort; it’s too easy. “Stupid question—the answer is always now.”
“Yeah, yeah. Second cupboard on your left, Munson, knock yourself out.”
“What am I, the maid?” But Eddie’s already reaching for the popcorn, opening the microwave door with a clunk, and then there’s an abrupt silence.
Steve realises why a second too late. “Shit, I—sorry, lemme just—”
He picks up the plastic tray full of mouldy pasta and throws it in the trash—feels a prickle of shame as he does so.
It’s stupid that this is the thing that makes his breathing catch. So fucking—senseless.
“Steve,” Eddie says haltingly, like he somehow knows this isn’t just about being absent-minded.
“Don’t,” Steve says.
He knows that’s practically a signed confession already. But Eddie nods and even cleans the damn microwave without a word of complaint. Because the popcorn still needs to be done, and the kids are waiting, and they’re pretending, Steve thinks.
They’re all just pretending.
-
He loses himself in washing up, makes the water run hot and doesn’t wear gloves, lets his skin scald. They’d all ordered pizza, and Steve had hidden every slice he’d taken, torn them all up and stuffed them into a napkin.
He stops when he comes to a large plate with a floral trim.
Would she have picked this one? he wonders. The pizza would’ve looked pretty, served up on that.
And then, as quickly as that thought came, another takes its place. How dare she? How dare she think that a fucking lazy dinner would fix everything? Did she think he’d just forgive her, forgive them both, just like that?
But she never got the chance. He’ll never get the chance to—
A sharp, stabbing pain. Steve turns off the faucet automatically, sees that the plate has smashed in the sink. A shard of china in his palm.
Eddie’s voice echoes in the hallway. “Um, I called Wheeler? Uh, Nancy. She—she took them all home.”
“Cool,” Steve says, voice tight.
He knows that Eddie has entered the kitchen when he hears a shocked hiss. “Dude, what the fuck? You’re bleeding, wait there, just—”
It’s not a deep cut, Steve thinks numbly. He doesn’t know why Eddie is worried. But he lets him fuss, lets him gently pry the remnants of the plate away, lets him wrap a bandage tightly.
“Hey,” Eddie says. His voice is soft. “Whatever it is, we’ll fix it, ‘kay?”
Steve can’t look at him. Clenches his jaw.
“We will, you hear me, Harrington? I promise.”
Steve shakes his head. “Can’t fix—” he gets out before his throat closes up, and when he glances back, Eddie’s eyes are wide and fearful.
“What?” he says sharply, and he looks almost nauseous, like he suspects he’s about to be told that the monsters are back, that they have never even left. “What the fuck do you mean? You’ve got to tell me, man, just—”
Steve makes an anguished noise that feels like it comes from somewhere in his chest, and Eddie freezes. He considers Steve for a long moment.
“Okay,” he says, a wary placation. “Can you… um. Can you show me instead?”
Steve blinks. He flexes his hand, uncaring of the cut, and jerks his head to the hallway.
Eddie stares. Frowns. Then leaves.
He figures it out, of course he does. Steve just stands there, hears the click of the answering machine. He closes his eyes.
This is all that’s left; these are his scraps. A sigh he’ll never understand. An aborted, “I love you.” It had never come easily to her, but it had left her freely then.
Why?
A hand on his shoulder. Steve opens his eyes.
Eddie looks stricken. “Steve,” he whispers, then stops like he doesn’t have the words.
Steve can’t blame him. Neither does he.
“I didn’t—I didn’t know,” Eddie says. “Steve, I didn’t—”
“They were coming home,” Steve says stupidly, feels a bit like he’s twelve years old. “They were—Eddie. They were gonna come home.”
“Oh,” Eddie says, and it leaves him all in one breath. “Oh, Steve. C’mere.”
Steve falls against him, muffles something that’s half a cry, half a scream against his shoulder—and mourns the loss of a conversation he will never have.
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conrad thanksgiving fic please!!
This has been in my drafts for a long time...sorry. I might delete later, I don't really like it. It's not giving what I wanted it to...
Request: You’ve done Conrad dating a Haley James type of character, what about a Blair Waldorf type character? Old money, fiercely strong, rich, and outspoken. She and Belly would NOT get along, at all. He takes her to Thanksgiving dinner and Susannah is still there and she loves her
my taglists are here + you can send requests here at any time
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Thanksgiving had always been a massive celebration in your family. Every year, your parents would go all out and host a dinner with their closest friends and their families. Your mother would direct the caterer team and make sure everything was perfect before the guests’ arrival. At the end the meal by having a slice of your father’s infamous pumpkin pie — which was your personal favorite part. 
This year, Thanksgiving was going to be different. Your father was in Paris for business and your mother somewhere in Europe, expanding her collection of vintage designer handbags. Had you not been in college, you would have happily joined her.
‘’Why don’t you come with me to Boston?’’ Conrad asked as you watched him pack a bag for the weekend.  ‘’My mom keeps asking me when she’ll get to meet you.’’ 
The thought of spending Thanksgiving alone had been looming over you, and Conrad's invitation was like a ray of light. 
A small smile tugged at the corners of your lips. ‘’You told your mother about me?’’
‘’Not really,’’ Conrad explained, picking another sweater and adding it into his bag. ‘’She heard your voice when she called the other day and Jeremiah told her all about you. He’s such a big mouth...’’ He shook his head, wishing his brother could hold his tongue sometimes. 
Susannah was ecstatic to have another guest for dinner. It was on very short notice and most of the preparations were already done when Conrad informed her of your addition to the table, but she would never pass up an opportunity to meet her Connie’s new girlfriend.  
When you and Conrad walked in, Susannah was all over you, complimenting your dress and how gorgeous you looked. You were quick to return her compliments, pointing out how her eyes looked exactly like Conrad's.
You met the other guests — Conrad’s father and brother, then Laurel and her kids —, and all were surprised by who Conrad had brought home. No one ever expected him to date someone born of old money. He’s dated Nicole, but she was nowhere as rich as your family. 
‘’Look at this amazing table,’’ Susannah said as she brought in the turkey, looking very proud of herself. ‘’Martha Stewart can kiss my ass!’’
Your eyes went wide for a short second, not expecting such words from her. She looked so sweet and delicate. 
Conrad shook his head at his mother, happy to see her being herself again. 
Everyone got seated, then Susannah spoke again. ‘’Before we eat, let’s go around the table and say one thing that we’re thankful for. Jere Bear, you can start.’’  
You lifted your eyes at Jeremiah across the table, who looked nothing like his brother. If you hadn’t known, you would never have guessed they were related. 
‘’I’m thankful for my mom,’’ the younger Fisher began, ‘’who reconsidered trying this new treatment for us. I don’t know what I would do without you, Mom.’’ He glanced at his mother, his eyes shiny with unshed tears. 
Susannah squeezed his hand over the table while everyone was trying to not get emotional. 
Conrad had told you about his mother’s breast cancer having come back in the spring. He tried to hide her sickness from you, but when you found him crying in his dorm on a Saturday afternoon, you knew something wasn’t okay. It was a tough subject for the entire family — especially since it was the second time she was going through this. For that, Susannah didn’t like to talk about cancer. She didn’t want her whole life to revolve around it just because a nasty tumor had returned in her body. She wanted to live her life the way it’s always been…and take a few more sitting breaks when needed.
In turn, the other guests said what they were thankful for. It went from Steven getting a car for his birthday to Belly becoming captain of her school’s volley-ball team and Laurel being a typical mom and being thankful for her children. 
‘’Connie, it’s your turn,’’ Susannah said, motioning to her eldest son.
Conrad nodded at his mom, then cleared his throat. ‘’Jeremiah took the words out of my mouth, so I’ll say something else I’m equally thankful for.’’ His lips tugged up into a little half smile and he reached over the table to take your hand in his. ‘’I’m thankful for meeting my amazing girlfriend, who came into my life at the most unexpected, yet perfect moment.’’ 
You smiled back at Conrad, giving his fingers a little squeeze. 
Seated before you, Belly snickered lightly. ‘’Can we eat now? Mom didn't want us to get snacks on the way here and I’m starving.’’ 
Laurel gave her daughter a pointed glare, wishing she would behave. 
Although the pumpkin pie didn’t come close to your father’s recipe, you made sure to tell Susannah it reminded you of home. 
‘’I hope your parents are not too sad that you came to Boston instead,’’ Susannah said, incapable of imagining spending Thanksgiving without her family — especially her boys. 
‘’Not at all, Mrs. Fisher,’’ you politely replied. ‘’My parents were both out of the country this Thanksgiving. Business related travel.’’
Susannah raised an eyebrow. ‘’Oh? What is it that they do?’’ 
You didn’t mean to brag, but she had asked. ‘’My mother is a fashion designer and my father is a lawyer at my grandfather’s firm.’’ 
You caught Belly rolling her eyes and muttering something. You didn’t care what she thought of you, you were the one who got to share Conrad’s bed at the end of the day. Ignoring her childish reactions, you continued talking to Susannah about your parents. She was very interested in your mother’s designs.
When dinner was officially over, you all vacated the table. Jeremiah and Steven went to the living room to set up a game for the five of you to play — another family tradition. You had never played cards against humanity before, but you’ll give it a try. 
Before you reached the living room, Conrad pulled you in a corner near the stairs, wanting some time alone with you. 
‘’Belly despises me,’’ you pointed to him, keeping your voice down so no one would hear.
Conrad rolled his eyes as he curled an arm around you, knowing how you had the tendency to exaggerate things. ‘’She does not. She’s just…having difficulty accepting that I moved on.’’
You made a face at him. ‘’Don’t you defend her. Have you seen all the sour looks she gave me during dinner? Your eyes might be the most beautiful shade of blue, my love, but I believe they are in need of a visual acuity test. You should schedule one when we get back to Palo Alto.’’ 
Conrad chuckled, amused by your theatrics. 
‘’Belly is going to be tougher to win with your charm. Like every ex-girlfriend, she’s gonna try to paint you as a mean girl, so you just have to show her that you’re the opposite. Compliment her. Tell her you like her sweater.’’
‘’But it looks itchy. It’s probably polyester.’’ 
The corner of Conrad’s lips turned into a smile.
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jenflirts · 5 months
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mending my broken heart
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pairing: tara carpenter x fem!reader
theme: angst :)
summary: maybe you're the one...
warning: profanities, grammar, no ghostface and cheating
a/n: based on my feelings :) | enjoy.
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Falling for someone isn’t for weak people,
Nor being attached,
Nor loving someone.
These are the feelings that will make you mentally and physically weak, just because you would do everything just to have them, just to give them all your attention, love, and hell, even your soul, but why isn’t it for the weak? Well, only emotionally controlled people can survive these challenges. These are the obstacles that we face when we’re in love and this makes us vulnerable.
We’ve always thought that if a partner loves or falls for you it means they’ve accepted your flaws, insecurities, clinginess, stupidity, good days and bad ones, but sometimes don’t you think that they accepted that because they needed too? Out of pity? Or sometimes just to play you cause they’re just bored. I’ve always thought about falling in love and being vulnerable to a person, but then my overthinking mind stops me from doing so.
Yeah, taking from my perspective—a person that’s been played and got attached too many times just because they showed affection—I’ve been hurt so much that I don’t even count how many times that they scarred my heart and still gave them another chance. I did everything I could just not to fall for someone, but I just can’t stop myself ‘cause it feels like an addiction I cannot control. I keep thinking about the past relationships I had and even thought about the times that I let my heart heal and mend it by myself and yet, I keep longing for the wrong people and their fucked up affections.
And then there’s Tara, the girl that makes me feel special, the person that let me believe that love is worth waiting for, and love really does exist. Tara is the type of person that would really make you fall in love with her and not in the bad way, but because she’s the type of girl that you’ll feel comfortable to be around with, rides with your antics, will help you in any possible way, and makes you love your true self.
Tara and I have been dating for almost 2 years and the truth is I’ve fallen deeply in love with her, she already accepted my vulnerability and I accepted hers so there’s really no turning back. I’ve thought about these feelings thoroughly ‘cause I don’t want to hurt her nor she wants to hurt me, I’ve always wanted to feel vulnerable around someone I trust and love the most ‘cause I don’t want to let people see my true facade. Tara saw something in me that people don’t and she’s been helping me to cope up with that.
Everything has been great ever since I dated Tara.
December 09
It's our finals and both of us are stressed out since both of us picked a hard course and I actually want to do something special for her since it’s our anniversary so I’ve prepared dinner, movies and gifts just to surprise her. I went home earlier than she did so I could prepare the things I wanted to give and the words that I wanted to say; Thankfully, Sam and Mindy helped me to do everything.
“Minds? Do you think Tara would like it if I gave her a promise ring on our anniversary?” I asked the girl as we strolled through the jewelry shop. She stopped her tracks and looked at me surprised “A promise ring? Really? Doesn’t that curse relationships?” She asked as she glimpsed the rings.
A promise ring breaks relationships? Now what kind of fuck-mind would believe that. “And where did you get that information? Is it one of those crazies at the uni?” I joked.
“I’m just telling you that rings don't mean forever,” she said. That’s actually true, but I’m not gonna listen to her and Tara deserves a promise that I will love her forever so I picked out the ring and necklace for our anniversary tomorrow.
I helped Tara go inside our apartment and took the blindfold off. She engulfed me into a hug and kisses all over my face. "Tara, we need to eat" I said as I put her down on the floor.
Everything went smoothly and both ended with a promise to love and hold forever.
December 14
The day that feels eerie and gut wrenching, it feels so slow and bothering. "Minds, Tara hasn't texted me for the last few weeks and it's concerning me" I said as I tossed her my phone to check Tara and I's conversation.
"She also hasn't been going home" I added and groaned loudly.
"Yeah, I noticed that. You didn't confront her about this? But I always see her at the uni tho" She said.
Is Tara avoiding me? Did I do something wrong last week? Did she do something wrong? Did something happen that I didn't know? A lot of things suddenly hits me, I thought about everything that I've done last week ago, but nothing really came into my mind.
It's already past midnight and I'm still going on about Tara. I heard the door open and keys tossed on the counter. I went outside and checked if Tara's here or just Mindy wanted to crash by.
"Tara? Baby? Where were you?" I asked as I sat beside her on the living room coach.
"Sam's and did some thinking, so can we talk?" she said.
Why does it feel so suffocating? The way she looks at me feels so different; it feels empty and drained. I nodded and sat in front of her.
"For the last few weeks I've been isolating myself to you and it felt different after what I did. It's been perfect for the last 2 years and I loved every single moment that we've done, but I think we must part our ways and fix ourselves" She cried.
What? Just like that? After 2 fucking years? She's just going to throw it all away? I was too stunned to speak, my brain was spewing out words, but my mouth can't function properly. I felt my eyes stung and tears rolled down on my cheeks.
"So? That's it? Gonna throw away our 2 year relationship out the fucking window like its nothing? Damn Tara, I don't know what to say nor to react" I said as I wiped the tears that keep continuing running down on my cheeks.
She doesn't say anything, but her eyes tells me differently like she's guilty for not telling me the reason why.
"Tara, what's the sudden break-up? what's the reason? 'cause I know for a goddamn fact that it's not about self improvement shits. Tell me so that we could fix it" I assured her
She shook her head no and keeps sobbing uncontrollably. I went to her and wiped her tears; I held her hands, "Love? what happened? tell me so we could fix it" I said as I gently squeeze her hand.
She slowly stopped crying and let me wiped her mascara tear-stains. "It was at Wes's parties and you were studying for your final lesson at that time. Amber snuck me out and helped me unwind by bring me to Wes's parties then I got drunk and I couldn't control myself and so did Chad" she explained.
I couldn't believe it.
The love of my life, cheated.
The girl that I trusted the most, cheated.
I felt my whole world fell apart. It feels like my heart just shuttered into pieces, it feels like there's a new cut to it. I feel betrayed, angry and disappointed all at the same time.
I stood up and went back to my seat and comprehend what just Tara said. I can't do this right now, my mind is all over the place.
"babe? hey? I thought we were gonna fix these" she said
does she really think there's something to be fix? I gave her my everything and this is how she repays me. cheating on me with my other best friend? damn, that's another form of betrayal.
"tara, get out. I can't right now. I just want to be alone for a moment"
She doesn't understand what pain I'm going through right now.
After Tara closed the apartment door, I tried smashing everything so that I could somewhat calm down.
I sat on the living room floor and thought about the things that I have done on why Tara have to do this. Wasn't I enough? Am I that easy to replace? Is our relationship just out of pity? There's so much unanswered questions that I have on my mind, but right now I just want to be alone and mend my broken heart.
I thought she was the one that’s going to help me mend up the open cuts that people leave on my heart, but I would never predict that she was going to leave a big one.
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(part 2 of my lovely, jenna is on-going)
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anyarose011 · 18 days
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Bah, Humbug! {Angus Tully x Reader}
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Summary: Realizing you are stuck over winter break in the school your father (with many nicknames such as: Rat Bastard, Colossal Asshole, or the most popular, Walleye) teaches at, you try to make the best of it. Or, at least the best you can make it with five other boys your age
Part 1 of ??
Warnings: Swearing, period typical sexism, feminism (abandon all hope ye who enter if this has to be a warning), sarcastic reader, Teddy Kountze, and casual racism (a subsection to Teddy Kountze)
You've heard of "Paul Hunham being a father figure" now I present to you: "Paul Hunham being a girl-dad and an academic rivals to lovers with Angus Tully". I became obsessed with this movie, and decide to add my own spin onto it. It's also my first time writing for Tumblr, so I hope you enjoy!
Word Count: 4.8k
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“You said we were going to Copenhagen this year.”
The first nine words you said to your father after he told you about the predicament the both of you were in.  He sighed, sitting on the edge of your bed.
“I know.” You haven’t heard him trying to be this understanding since…you couldn’t recall. “I don’t want to be stuck here just as much as you-.”
“-So then just say no.”
He scoffed, yet still smiled. “It’s a stupid lottery, and my name got picked.”
“Bullshit-.”
“-Hey.” He warned.
Sighing, you glanced out your window. Thin specks of snow were falling onto the already pure as white ground, cascading down the roofs of houses. At least it was snowing and would resemble somewhat of a nice Christmas.
“Can we at least do something fun?” You questioned.
“I thought you said men don’t deserve to have fun the same way they think women don’t deserve rights?”
“Do the boys you teach think the same?” You looked at him.
He shrugged. “Not really in my field of work to get to know them.”
“Wonderful.” You rolled your eyes.
Your father squeezed your shoulder. “Yes, we can have little activities that children your age would consider fun. Still, I vow to enhance their intellect and schoolwork, considering that most of them are…lackluster.”
“Does this mean that I’ll get to drag their asses in mythology trivia?”
“In colloquial terms, yes.”
That brought a smile to your face, and you got up from your bed. “I think I’ll make dinner tonight if that’s alright?” You didn’t wait for him to answer as you left the room. “Maybe pie? I know Mary taught me-.”
“-Woah, woah, woah.” He followed you out into the hallway, stopping you. “We’re not eating here.”
You blinked, the only sound forming from your throat being. “Huh?”
He sighed as if going to tell you the worst news in the world (at the time, oh boy, was it). “They’re cutting the power to the faculty housing, so we’re going to be living at the school over winter break.”
Your face drops along with your heart, shock settling in. “Say that again?”
“We’re going to be living at the school-.”
“-No I heard you.”
“Then why did you ask me to repeat myself?”
“You’re telling me,” you bring on the drama, raising your voice. “I have to lodge with teenage boys?! The cursed sex?!”
He sighed. “You won’t be sleeping in the same room as them-.”
“-I can’t even look at you right now.” You pushed past him, going back into your room and tossing yourself onto your bed.
“Countess Natalya,” he taunts tiredly, knowing you hope your melodramatic attitude would wear him down. “we don’t have a choice.”
You point at him, not bringing your face up from your pillow. “Don’t you dare bring Natasha into this, she would react the same way!”
He laughed. “You get your stubbornness from your mother.”
“I get it from my father!” That’s what made you turn and bring your head up.
There’s a silence with tenseness lacing it like icing on a cake. Paul Hunham’s sigh of frustration broke it, approaching you. “Whether we like it or not, we’re stuck here. Whether we like it or not, we’re going to have to endure the attitude of pubescent boys who, I guarantee you, even when their frontal lobes form at twenty-five, will still be inconsiderate, full of themselves, and not know what true hard work is…We don’t get to do things we want all the time, that’s the reality of the situation.”
You still wore the same, spiteful look on your face as he told you this; as if you were a little girl being told, no, you can’t stay up until midnight tonight. Then, once he was finished, the look subsided only a little.
“I hate you.” Was your reply.
He ruffled your hair. “You’re the light of my life too, Jo March.” With that, he stood up with a pleasant smile. “But no worries, I don’t expect you to deal with the inadequacy of the male testosterone.” He then left the room, and you could hear his voice echo. “Now pack your things; clothes, toiletries, your books above everything, I know.”
He still continued to ramble, but in all honestly, it wasn’t important enough to this day for you to remember. All that was going through your head, was that you were going to spend almost a month in a musty, falling apart, preparatory school, with who knew how many musty teenage boys.
It was then you started planning how exactly you’d fly to Copenhagen by yourself.
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That only lasted for about two minutes when you realized that your father had your passport locked in a safe with his, and you weren’t really in the mood to lockpick that day (or learn how to for that matter). So instead, you spent the majority of the time packing your suitcase, and your father was right; your books were the most important ones you’d pack.
You didn’t initially plan on socializing with the boys, so you nearly brought your entire library of books to entertain yourself; the only thing stopping you from bringing all of it was, besides your father, the copious amounts of clothing. You didn’t quite like planning out what outfit you’d wear for each day, so it was better to be safe and bring choices.
Your father had gone ahead of you to help the Boys Left Behind (a title you wouldn’t tell anyone for a few years), settle in. Settle in being him being your father and setting the ground rules whilst running that school like the damn Navy. So, there you were, walking through the ankle-deep snow with your backpack and suitcase that was meant for Copenhagen.
The school only had a few buildings; two dormitories for the boys, a small shack for the maintenance, the chapel, and one large building consisting of all the classrooms, dining hall, infirmary, and whatever else was needed for a rich, all American boy education system.
Perhaps you’d gotten a taste of what the American Revolutionists felt at Valley Forge when you heard a voice call.
“Hey!”
You looked up from where you stood and saw five boys near the courtyard by a pickup truck. Your blood, if not already freezing from the winter snow, ran cold at the sight. The same boy yelled again.
“Do you need help, are you lost?”
You shook your head, pitching our voice up a bit higher and shouting back.
“No, thank you!”
Trying to continue on your way, you looked up again to see one of them running towards you. Cursing to yourself, you tried to keep your head low and pick up the pace, but you got to see him one he was closer to you. His face was boyish, and you first thought he was a sophomore at first. His hair to his shoulders, something you didn’t expect to see for someone attending such a prestigious school. And…damn it all, he was attractive (for a boy your age).
“Hi,” he greeted you warmly with his hand out. “Jason Smith.”
You looked at it for a moment (still a bit blindsided how someone at this school could be so genuine) before shaking and giving him your name. He shook his head, chuckling as he tucked his hands into the pockets of his letterman jacket.
“You’re Hunham’s daughter?”
Oh…perhaps you shouldn’t have told him that. Still, you tried to let it roll off your back and played it cool, laughing along with him. “Yeah, I’m stuck over here with you guys.”
“Well, hopefully we won’t get on your nerves too badly. Do you want me to carry that for you?” He offered.
“Oh.” You looked down at your suitcase and handed it to him. “Go ahead, thank you.”
Jason took it, and the both of you began to make your trek up the small hill with the truck. He was being a gentleman, so you decided to keep the conversation going.
“So, why’re you here?”
He shrugged. “My family usually goes skiing for the holidays, but my old man won’t let me go until I cut my hair.”
“That’s really mean of him.” You stated.
Jason snorted “You should tell him that.”
“I will.”
“Oh yeah?”
“For sure.” You went ahead of him, turning around and walking backwards up the hill. “Give me his number and I’ll give him a stern talking to.”
That only made him laugh harder. “You should study to be a lawyer; you make a great case.”
“My father said the same thing once; I just personally have a theory that all parents tell their children they’d be good lawyers because they argue with them. As if it’s not a child’s right to argue.”
“You’re well-spoken too.”
“For a woman?”
You saw panic pale his face. “What?”
A smile couldn’t help but make its way to your mouth. “Only teasing.”
He let out an exasperated sigh. “Scared me for a moment.”
“Yeah?” You joked, turning back over your shoulder as you felt yourself at the top of the summit. “I usually get that a lot. That’s why my da-.”
Once your eyes drifted up to see the rest of the Boys Left Behind, your words fell silent. The youngest ones, who you assumed to be freshman, you did not recognize but knew immediately they would be kinder than the two whom you already knew.
Teddy ‘I only lost because I went easy on you’ Kountze, and Angus ‘I know more than you’ Tully.
These motherfuckers.
“You’ve got to be kidding.” Angus groaned.
Teddy merely blinked, as if he couldn’t believe it. “What’re you doing here?”
“She’s Walleye’s kid, idiot.” Angus pointed out. “Of course she’d be here.”
Jason looked between the three of you. “You know each other?”
With whatever self-control you had (and you barely had any), you kept calm. “They’re just sore losers I met months ago.”
Teddy rolled his eyes. “Hunham wasn’t proud of us after one test, so he called in her one day, and we had to basically go up against her in some bullshit trivia match.”
“Wait,” Jason looked back at you. “so it was you versus the entire class?”
You stood proudly. “Uh huh.”
“Lost to this dickwad of all people.” Teddy slapped Angus’ back. “We couldn’t believe she met her match; she tore apart almost everyone else in class.”
 “So then why are you acting like you did any better?” You tried your best to sound as if you were joking but were also dead serious.
He scoffed. “Doesn’t matter if I did; you still lost.”
Rolling your eyes, they soon fell onto the youngest pair, staring up at you as if in study. You smiled, holding out your hand, introducing yourself. “What’re your names?”
The one with glasses and black hair shook yours first. “Ye-Joon.”
Then the boy paler than a lightbulb and cheeks turning red from the cold. “Alex.”
“And what’re you two doing here?”
Ye-Joon spoke first. “My family is in Korea, and they think it’s too far for me to travel alone.”
“I figured it was because your rickshaw was broken.” Teddy snickered.
“What’s a rickshaw?”
You shrugged, despite knowing what it was. “Not sure, I am sure that he’s an idiot though.”
Teddy acted as if you were flirting with him. “Highest compliment I’ve ever gotten from you.”
“What about you?” Jason questioned. “You’re Hunham’s kid, but do you go to school in town or…?”
“Homeschooled.” You weren’t the one who responded. All eyes went to Agnus Tully, still smoking a cigarette and averting his eyes from everyone. “Which checks out.”
You tilted your head, hiding your growing nerves with a surprised smile. “Aw, look at that; Frankenstein’s Monster does have the capacity to memorize things.”
The only one who laughed was Teddy, and you almost wanted to take it back.
Angus just shook his head. “Look, I don’t know what kind of schtick it is to be the angry girl, but it doesn’t look nice on you.”
“Hey, leave the lady alone.” Jason stepped in.
“Lady?” He said the word as if it was foreign to call you that.
“Yes,” you agreed with Jason despite how much you didn’t want to, but your desire to humble Angus Tully outweighed your morals (a reoccurring theme for the Winter of 1970). “I’m a lady.”
“For how much you start fights, I wouldn’t call you one.”
“Ladies do not start fights, but they can sure as hell finish them.”
He merely rolled his eyes and went back to smoking. Fair enough…him not engaging only made him look like the bigger person. Still, it wasn’t worth it for you to continue beating a tall, dead, dumb, horse with curly hair.
“What’s your story?” Jason asked Alex.
“Oh,” he sounded shocked. “my parents are on a mission in Paraguay. We’re LDS.”
“Mormons, right?”
Teddy asked before he could respond. “Do you guys wear some kind of magic underwear?”
You turned to Jason and whispered as Alex went into an explanation. “I’m going to slap him into next semester the next time some stupid shit leaves his mouth.”
He tried to hide his smile. “I don’t think any of us would mind, to be honest.”
“Hey,” Teddy interrupted. “what’s with the townies?”
Everyone turned to the chapel and saw two men carrying the Christmas tree out. Agnus yelled. “Excuse me! What are you doing with our Christmas tree?”
“The school sold it back to us!” He responded. “Scotch pine, still fresh.”
The other one added. “Yeah, we’re gonna put it back on the lot. Do it every year.”
“This is the most bullshit ever.” Angus shook his head, then looking at you. “Did you know about this?”
You couldn’t even respond right away, the question was so ludicrous. “I had no idea about being stuck here with you idiots until about an hour ago, so I naturally knew the townies would steal your Christmas tree.”
“Unbelievable.” He muttered under his breath, putting out the cigarette and heading towards the main building.
The rest of the boys’ gaze drifted to you, and all you said was. “Do you think he’d believe me if I told him they worked for the Grinch?”
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You were more than halfway through A Christmas Carol when you were in the room you shared with your father in the infirmary. He was chatting with Mary, the head cook and the closest woman you would have to a mother figure, downstairs, leaving you by yourself.
Not exactly.
In the next room, you knew Alex, Ye-Joon, and Angus shared one, and then Teddy and Jason. They were quiet for the most part, save for Kountze tossing a tennis ball against the wall, but it stopped bothering you after a few minutes.
 You’d read the Charles Dickens’ tale a million times, but you couldn’t help and see how many similarities Angus Tully shared with Ebenezar Scrooge. It would be a lie if anyone were to ever claim you didn’t have hobbies; what would they call you assigning fictional characters to real people?
You found yourself beginning to pace around the room the more you read. Whilst voices raising in the background grew louder, you didn’t know exactly what had been happened until you wandered in on Tully and Kountze having a fight you could only summarize as it being straight out of Lord of the Flies.
You knew how that story ended, so with one look, you turned on your heel and walked away.
Finding a quiet corner outside of the infirmary, you thought you were safe when-.
Your father yelled your name. “Could you come here, please?”
Roling your eyes, you yelled back. “You told me not to deal with the inadequacy of the male testosterone, so that’s what I’m doing!”
He called for you again, and you groaned, bookmarking where you were and marching back to the infirmary. All five boys and your father stood before you, and you leaned against the doorframe, making it known you wanted to be anywhere but there.
Paul Hunham sighed. “You wouldn’t happen to know who started this ‘Not fight’ mister Ollerman described to me?”
Your eyes drifted to Tully (for reasons, you had no idea), who simply glared back at you. You could’ve done it…lied about him starting it even though you had no idea; it’s what he deserved for being an ass you to that day, and for winning months ago.
But, where you were a bitch, you were also just.
“No,” you stated. “I don’t know.”
He thinned his lips, turning back to everyone. “All right then, we’ll do it like the Roman Legions. Absent a confession, one man’s sin is every man’s suffering. For every minute the truth is withheld, you will all receive a detention.”
“And I thought all the Nazis were hiding in Argentina.” Angus mumbled.
“Stifle it, Tully.” Your father refuted.
You shrugged (this somehow being the first time you agreed with Angus Tully). “He’s got a point; you’re breaking the Geneva Convention if you do.”
“The what?” Teddy scrunched his nose.
“Well,” Your father sighed as he said your name. “if you want to have an opinion on the matter, you can join them as well.”
“I don’t even go here!”
“Well, you’re standing under the roof right now. Now in the first of said detentions, you will clean the library. Top to bottom. Scraping the underside of the desks, which are caked with snot and gum and all manner of ancient, unspeakable proteins. On your hands and knees, down in the dust, breathing in the dead skin of generations of students and desiccated cockroach assholes.”
“It was Kountze!” Little Alex pointed to him. “Kountze started it!”
While the guilty party in question’s face had dropped, you watched as your father’s brightened. “Bravo, Mister Ollerman. Bravo.”
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It must’ve off put Mary how you were smiling in the kitchen when you picked up the pitcher of water and bread as she got the platters of chicken and potatoes and asparagus.
Still, she asked. “How bad of a day was it for you to be smiling as you serve the men at the table?”
“Eh,” you began. “I would rather be on a plane to Copenhagen right now, but being stuck at this hell hole with you makes it tolerable; better, even.
Mary smiled at that. “Feeling’s mutual, Jane Bennett.”
“I’m Lizzie.” You playfully whined.
“And I can’t be bothered to finish that book.” She teased, and the two of you were beginning to make your way to the dining hall.
“Speaking of books, do you have another one I could borrow?” You asked.
“Already?” Mary sounded surprised. “I gave you that book last week.”
“And I finished it in a few days, I just haven’t had the chance to ask you.”
She shook her head as you pushed through the door out into the dining hall, holding it for her. “I’ll recommend the Bible next time to keep you occupied for longer.”
“I think I’ll stick with James Baldwin, if that’s alright.” You jested, then seeing Jason’s lips move as he asked a question, Teddy responded, and then your father spoke quite loudly.
“Consider yourselves lucky. During the third Punic campaign, 149-146 B.C., the Romans laid siege to Carthage for three entire years. By the time it ended, the Carthaginians were reduced to eating sand and drinking their own urine. Hence the term punitive.”
You and Mary set down the food, and you scrunched your nose in disgust at your father’s ‘fun fact’ while sitting beside Jason and facing Angus. It took everything in your bones not to burst out in laughter to see Teddy Kountze sitting at the edge of the table like a toddler having a silent tantrum.
“Thank you, Mary.” Your father greeted as everyone began to serve themselves. “Would you maybe care to join us?”
Oh, the look of distaste on Teddy’s face nearly made you lose it. Mary took notice immediately, and she offered a meek smile. “No, I’m alright, thank you.”
The same moment the door to the kitchen closed when she left was when Teddy turned to all of you, whispering as if it would help. “I mean…I know she’s sad about her son and everything, but still, she’s being paid to do a job. And she should be doing it well, right?”
If it weren’t for the fact you were chewing on a piece of chicken, and that your father was just two seats away from you, you would’ve given him a piece of your mind. The glare in your eyes would have to suffice.
Still, he opened his dumb mouth to continue. “But I guess, no matter how bad of a cook she is, they can never fire her.”
“Will you shut up?!” Your father hit the table so hard, silverware flew. You’d seen this rage from him before…but it still made you jump. “You have no idea what that woman has been through-!”
His gaze turned to you, and saw the look that could only belong to you in moments like that; where you stiffened yourself and hardened your eyes to look as if you did not know what fear meant. Yet, there was still an undeniable amount of terror even within those eyes you tried to have been the most fearless.
He reigned himself back in. “You know, Mr. Kountze, for most people, life is like a henhouse ladder; shitty and short. You were born lucky. Maybe someday you entitled little degenerates will appreciate that. If you don’t, I feel sorry for you, and we will not have done our jobs. Now eat.”
The boys obeyed, keeping their heads low. You felt your heart go back to itself, and as you were returning to eating, you heard an irritating voice mumble.
“Not our fault her kid was one of the poor bastards to be drafted.”
It took you three seconds to find Teddy’s foot under the table, and one for you to step on it with all your weight.
He jolted, cursing under his breath before looking at you. “The hell?!”
You feigned innocence, a potato on your fork. “Oh, was that your foot? I’m so sorry.”
Teddy’s eyes tried to burn through your skin as you continued to eat, but you barely felt them. The eyes you did feel on you were soon gone when you looked across from where you sat.
There was Angus Tully, keeping his head down as if he was a child who had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
…Interesting…
What else were you supposed to think?
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You finished A Christmas Carol by the time your father forced you to turn out the lights (and then confiscated your flashlight from under your bed…had to think of a better hiding spot). It always took you a while to go to sleep (still does, some nights).
As you laid in darkness, your mind would rush with the worlds you vowed to lose yourself in through the books you read. Frodo had Middle Earth, Emma had Highbury, and you had…Barton, Massachusetts.
Not even Concord like the March Sisters, just plain old Barton.
So, naturally, when your mind had tired itself from living these fantasies, and as you were about to drift off to sleep, your father’s snoring awoke you.
You hadn’t even noticed he came into the room, only when he started snoring to wake the dead. Sighing heavily, you tossed yourself out of bed, and used what moonlight coming in from the windows as your guide. Not long after, you saw that Angus and the freshmen boys drew the short end of the stick in their room choice; there were no curtains to the windows, causing the lamplights to bleed into the room, making it an unfavorable color of piss yellow.
That’s when your eyes drifted to where Jason and Teddy were; a little light peering in from their window facing the moon, and correspondingly, the other bedroom, but still quite dark. Closest to the door…a spare bed.
Yes, it was by Teddy, but your father’s snoring being fainter in that room was enough for you.
But again…it was by Teddy.
So, swallowing your pride, your eyes darted around for a solution, and they landed on Frankenstein’s Monster right behind you. Sighing to yourself, you turned back around into his room, and after thinking of what to say, you shook him awake.
He was somehow relaxed at first when he opened his eyes to see you; but that was just shock, he nearly fell out of bed when his vision adjusted.
“What the hell?!” He gasped, sitting up.
You shushed him, sitting on the edge of his bed. “I need a favor.”
He blinked, looking around to just double check where he was; nope, it wasn’t a bad dream, yep, he was still at Barton. “You appear like one of the fucking ghosts from A Christmas Carol, what could it possibly be?”
You rolled your eyes. “Well, Ebenezar Scrooge, my dad snores like he’s trying to be the Giant from Jack and the Beanstalk, and I can’t sleep in there. So, I’m gonna go sleep in the other room, and you gotta wake me up or I’m dead.”
Angus Tully stared at you as if your head had grown horns. “I have no idea what you just said right now because you woke me up at,” he turned and looked at his watch. “oh look, 1am.”
Sighing you bit back a response only because you needed something from him. “Look; I want to actually be able to sleep, and I know I won’t at all if I’m stuck in a room with my dad all night. I’ll sleep in the extra bed in the other room, and you wake me up so that none of us will be killed if I oversleep in a room with teenage boys.”
It’s more than obvious he understood, but he then asked. “Why not just ask one of the guys in the room you’re sleeping in?”
“I don’t trust Kountze with anything and Jason…”
Damn your exhaustion for not being able to come up with a good explanation besides-.
“You like him.” Angus’ face lit up with a teasing glee that unnerved you somehow more than Teddy’s entire existence did that day.
“No!” You immediately deny. “I mean, yes, but in a way that of course I like him because he’s the only one of you assholes who are nice to me. So, I don’t like like him.”
You liar.
Angus scoffed, yet his shit eating grin was still on his face. “What are you, twelve?”
“I was about to ask the same thing since you’re so interested.” You rolled your eyes.
“So why me?” He asked. “You like the freshmen, don’t you trust them more?”
“I like them and actually want them to sleep.”
“Gee, thanks.”
Sighing you said. “I’ll give you whatever you want; not whatever you fucking perve but-.”
“-I never even thought of it like-.”
“-Sure, you didn’t.” You interrupted. “But I got a friend in town, so I can always go and get you stuff. What do you want?”
He took his time thinking; so much time you were tempted to wake Mary up and beg her to let you sleep in her room (you knew she would've let you, but you didn't want to disturb her. You also never questioned your father why he didn't initially have you sleep in Mary's room; more than likely just to give her her own space). Finally, he answered.
“Chocolate and cigarettes.” The look you gave him would’ve made you laugh if you could see it. It only made him scrunch his eyes. “What?"
“That’s it?”
“I'm running out of both, big deal." He scoffed. "Am I allowed to change my mind after each time you pay me? Besides, when will you?”
You shrugged. “I can’t go out every day. I’ll see if he’ll let me the day after tomorrow, so I can stock up then. How about…every three days you wake me up, that’s when I give you stuff. Sound good?”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
Holding out your hand, you were surprised he shook it right away. You looked him dead in the eyes when you said. “If any of them try to do anything to me while I sleep, I’m using their own pillow to suffocate them; that goes for you too, clear?”
“Crystal.” He drew his hand away. “I won’t say anything either.”
You nodded in thanks, standing up. Before you could tiptoe to the other room, you looked back at him. “Wake me up at six-thirty; he’ll wake you all up at seven.”
When you turned your back again, he asked in an unsettled fashion. “How?”
You knew that he hated the light flooding the room for a different reason now; to see your smile of mischief before you left.
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writerscall · 4 months
Text
how can i be dead to you when we’re looking at the same moon?
part two to this. the moment of truth between you and hazel holds more than one big reveal.
author’s note/s: 1.1k words. angst, hurt and no comfort for now. i apologize in advance for the ending of this chapter.
Surprisingly, it isn’t very hard to make sure you don’t spend too much time around Hazel until you felt ready to fall back into your old closeness. You were roommates, but your schedules clashed greatly — blessing in disguise? — and the only free times you had together was late afternoon to dinner, which you usually decided to spend anywhere but your room. It was just too weird. She was so ready for a blank slate and you just… weren’t. There was still a mix of guilt and disappointment and bitterness from high school, and immature as it was to not just let it go like Hazel seemed to have done, you didn’t know what to do with it.
You didn’t know what to do with her. It wasn’t fair to her back then and it wasn’t fair to her now, but how could you tell her?
You don’t. You can’t. Not without the bigger possibility of truly ruining everything between the two of you now.
Unlike yourself, however, Hazel was on a mission to get things back to the way they were before that football game. “Oh, hey! I’m so glad I caught you before you left for the library,” she says as she closes the door behind her, smiling at you even though she looked exhausted.
You wanna ask her about how that last class on her schedule was going cause she mentioned that was gonna be a loaded one, but you stop yourself.
“I was just about to leave actually—”
“Do you wanna go get take-out for dinner?”
Both of you just stare at each other for a second after speaking at the same time. Then she shakes her head and chuckles, saying, “I found this amazing Chinese place nearby. Might even say they’re a little better than that old resto we used to go to back home. Their shrimp dumplings are to die for and I know you like those, so…”
“Um,” you start, the ache already building in your chest because you know you're about to see yet another drop in her expression at what you’re about to say. “Maybe another time. I really have to get started on this reviewer for my test. Sorry, Hazel.”
You shoot her an apologetic look as you pick up your bag, but instead of the usual resigned nod and mumbled ‘alright sure, happy studying’ response that you get, you see her hands ball into fists at her sides before hearing a frustrated, “Why do you keep blowing me off?”
She’s angry and rightfully so. “You said that whatever happened back in high school doesn’t matter but it mattered— it matters to me and I don’t even fucking know what it was that made you treat me like… like I did something to make you hate me.”
Her voice cracks as she says ‘hated,’ and you take the smallest step forward but she keeps going. “And obviously it still matters to you too because you’re not acting like it doesn’t. You don’t wanna hang out, you’re barely in our shared room, you send me the most uninterested-sounding replies with every message, I,” she sighs, tilting her head at you. “Could you at least tell me what I did wrong before you go study for that test that may or may not exist?”
Moment of truth. You knew it was gonna come sooner or later and that you would never feel prepared either way. You just hoped that whatever came after wouldn’t totally suck.
“That football game… you know, the one where you guys beat up the Huntington players?”
She nods. You can feel your throat start to close up. “You and PJ kissed,” you tell her plainly with a shrug. Your eyes flit to hers once before looking elsewhere; you can’t look right at her with your next words. “And I… I had this silly little crush on you so I took it personally as some sort of sign that I should finally get over it. Over you.”
To no avail, you add silently in your head. The silence stretches between the two of you for what seems like a whole thirty seconds that you’re almost sure she’s about to either shout at you or walk out.
Then, in a soft voice that catches you by surprise (she was supposed to be mad, wasn’t she?), Hazel says, “I’ve liked you since the day we met in fifth grade, I— it crushed me when you just shut me out halfway through senior year. How could you do that? Why didn’t you just tell me?”
Well, this wasn’t how you were expecting the conversation to go.
Feeling defensive because you could ask her that same second question, you finally look at her, but she cuts you off. “Do you even know of any of the stupid things I did to get your attention after that? Even to just get you to look at me? I tried joining the clubs you joined but of course I wasn’t qualified, I waited in the hall by your locker almost everyday to try and talk to you— god, I even went to some of those stupid baseball games to see you even if I had to watch you cheer for your stupid boyfriend. And that one really hurt to sit through.”
“Hazel—”
“I feel like I turned myself inside out liking you and trying to figure out why we suddenly weren’t in each other’s lives anymore. But all this time it was because you liked me and… and what, you didn’t think I liked you back?”
The room is silent again as you just stare at each other for a moment. There was so much to say. Of course you knew she tried out for your clubs because you had a hand in not letting her in any of them. Of course you noticed her lingering nearby whenever you had to get something from your locker during breaks. Of course you saw her at those games; having to act like you were really into the sport and your boyfriend was hard for you, too.
But all that comes out is, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I don’t know what else to say except that I’m sorry, Hazel. For all of it.”
Her face crumples and you just can’t be there, so you start walking towards the door. Hazel blocks it just as you reach for the knob.
“Please let me go.”
“I can’t,” she whispers. “I just got you back.”
She’s close, closer than you think she’s ever physically been in all your years of friendship. Close enough that you could close the gap if it was a more appropriate time.
Hazel seems to think it is, because barely a second passes after she eyes your lips that she kisses you.
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woso-fan13 · 9 months
Text
It’s Fantastic
Most of the team is hanging out in the common room, everyone doing their own thing. The silence of the room is interrupted when you look up from your phone, calling everyone’s attention. 
“Hey guys? Do we have any plans tomorrow night?” 
The question is clearly directed towards one of the older players, as you and the younger players have made it clear that you would not be memorizing schedules. 
Alex scrolls through something in her phone for a few seconds before looking up and responding. 
“Practice until 6, dinner at 7. After that, we have the rest of the night off. Why?”
“That’s literally perfect! There’s a movie theater not too far from here, can we please, please, please all go see the new Barbie movie?!?” you’re not ashamed to admit that you may be begging slightly. 
The others chuckle at your enthusiasm, but all exchange glances. There really wasn’t a good reason that they couldn’t see the move. And judging by the looks on everyone’s face, you weren’t the only one who wanted to go see it.
“Tell you what, Y/N,” Pinoe levels you with a look, “if you can convince Vlatko to let us all go, we’re in.”
“Easy,” you say with full (false) confidence. “He can’t say no to me. Plus, I already rented out a theater.”
—-
It turns out, Vlatko has no problem saying no to you. But, again, you’re not above begging. You beg and plead, until he finally gives in. Honestly, it’s probably so he doesn’t have to listen to you anymore. 
Your team was in, Coach had approved it, now you just needed to make it exciting.
—-
“It’s Lucy and Kiera, and Georgia and Le-“ you sing, skipping into the England common room. “Hmmm, I guess that song doesn’t really work anymore. And I didn’t even get to the bridge about Beth and Vivi.”
The England team is somewhat startled by the American who came singing an obnoxious theme song. You had made the song up almost four years ago, after you had signed for Arsenal. At freshly 14, in a new country and away from your family, some of the Arsenal girls had taken you in. 
When they realized that going to camp meant leaving you behind, Leah worked some magic and managed to sort it out so that you could go and practice with the team. You clicked with the team instantly, becoming the annoying little sister that they couldn’t help but love. 
“Anyway, mates,” you start. Leaning over to Georgia, you whisper to ask, “did I use that right?”
At her nod, you continue, “as I was saying, anyway, mates, I’ve come to extend an invitation for a once in a lifetime opportunity. It’s been called bigger than the World Cup. Who wants to go see the Barbie movie tomorrow night?”
You’re bouncing on your feet slightly as you speak, clearly excited. 
Lucy lets out a small chuckle, “good luck convincing Sarina to let us skip recovery to watch a movie.”
You squint slightly at Lucy, somewhat questioning, “you seem to forget who convinced Sarina to let us have a Colin cake for dinner more than once. It’s on.”
“Meet in the US lobby at 7:45, and don’t forget to wear pink,” you shout over your shoulder as you rush out the door. 
—-
Sarina agreed with very little convincing. You assured her that all of the girls were okay with starting recovery earlier so that they could go to the movie, and she couldn’t deny that team bonding is always a good idea. 
She only had one stipulation, which you easily agreed to. After helping her pick out the appropriate pink outfit for her to wear the next night, you move on to your next project. 
—-
You knock cheerily on the door a few times before swinging it open. Your face lights up as you see the two people you were looking for, and you rush towards them. 
Rue and Katie pulled you in, hugging you tight. You hadn’t seen them in a long time, and you had missed the women who had watched out for you for so many years. Rue pressed kisses all over your face as Katie ruffled your hair. You pull away from them, giggling. 
“Guys, I love you and I missed you like crazy, but that’s not why I’m here,” now, you turn to address the majority of the Ireland team that’s in the room. “I’m here to invite you all to come to a very exclusive cinema screening tomorrow evening. Meet at 7:45 in the US lobby and wear something pink. Don’t be late!”
You shout a quick bye to the two women before leaving the room, now onto your hopefully last task. 
—-
“Oh, Sammy,” you say happily, trotting into the room where you found most of the Australian team. 
You knew Sam from playing against her in London, but you had become even closer when she started dating Kristie. If she could be your possible future sister-in-law who’s not actually related to you in any way, you had to be best friends. If you asked Sam, though, she may say that she mainly tolerates you. 
“Hi Ali, hi Sammy, hi rest of the team,” you rush out, “tomorrow night, 7:45, US lobby, wear pink, please come.”
You nod once, turning and waking out the door. The team sits in confusion for a second, scanning the others’ faces to see if anyone knows what you said. 
—-
When dinner started at 7, you ate about two bites before trying to get out of your chair and clear your plate. You get about a dozen glares and a hand catches your wrist before you leave the table. 
“I’m full, promise, I just gotta go. It’s almost time,” you protest. 
The glares don’t lessen, though, so you slump back in your seat. You pout as you push the food around your plate, the others trying not to laugh as you through what is basically a temper tantrum. 
“Y/N.”
Your full first name gets you looking sheepishly up at Alex. 
“You don’t have to finish your whole dinner, but you do need to finish your vegetables. Then you can go get ready.”
You still squirm slightly, too excited to sit completely still. But you don’t make any move to bring your fork up to your mouth. 
“You know,” Kelley starts in a way that makes it clear that you don’t actually know, “I bet Pressy and Tobs would love a call to hear about how the ‘golden child’ isn’t listening. I don’t think they’ll be asleep yet, how about we give them a call now?”
You stay silent, finally managing to still your body. 
“It’s funny, I bet Tobin still has all the numbers of the Arsenal players. And I would also bet that she would not hesitate to call them and tell them the plans are off because someone couldn’t behave.”
She pulls her phone out, then hesitates, “that takes care of England and Ireland, but I’m not sure about Australia. I could have Kristie call Sam, or I could have Chris call Ali. Y/N, do you have any preference?” Kelley fixes you with a look. 
Finally, you break, showing a bite of your dinner in your mouth. After chewing and swallowing, you look up. 
“I’m sorry, please don’t cancel. I wasn’t trying to be bad, I’m just excited.”
The rest of dinner passes quickly, and soon it’s 7:30. You’re basically vibrating in the lobby, waiting for everyone to arrive. Soon enough, everyone’s arrived and the lobby is a sea of hot pink. With a giant smile on your face, you start leading everyone out of the hotel and over a couple of blocks to the movie theater. 
“Was this planned?” Sam leans over to ask Kristie, “how did she have that outfit?” 
You were wearing a fully pink outfit that would have made Barbie herself jealous. Meanwhile, the England girls were doling out their pink warm up gear after you insisted that you wouldn’t let anyone not wearing pink into the movie. 
Kristie laughs, “no, that’s just how she dresses. Pink nails, pink dresses, sparkles, the whole deal. It’s easier not to question it.”
You were at the front of the group, talking to players you used to play with, players you currently play with, players you could only dream of playing with. There weren’t different countries, there weren’t rivals, there weren’t competitors. There were simply people following a girl dressed in far too much pink. 
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lincolndjarin · 6 months
Text
my sister lives in the attic.
main masterlist
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joel miller x reader
warnings : angst, death, child loss, grieving, denial
a/n : i've never written something like this but i'm in a weird place and this idea has been following me for quite some time now so i decided to take a few minutes and write it, i'd love some feedback on it since this style is kinda new to me !!
He didn’t like to talk about his children. 
“Do you have kids?”
“Two daughters.” Was all he said.
That’s what he had told you on your first date. He was so abrupt about it that you didn’t ask about them again, instead opting to wait until he told you on his own terms. 
On your fifth date he told you that Ellie got in trouble for cursing in gym class that day. 
On your seventh date he told you Sarah was away at college, and that he missed her terribly and wished she would visit. 
On your eighth date he told you that Ellie made him a card for his birthday. He even brought it over to your house to show you. It was a drawing of the two of them floating through space. The inside said:
i love our family to the moon and back!
You didn’t ask why Sarah wasn’t included in the crayon family portrait. 
On your ninth date he showed you the photos in his wallet. A baby girl with her curly dark hair up in two little buns sitting in the sand. The one below it was a girl who looked to be about five, giving the camera a toothy grin, standing next to Joel in a courthouse, holding up her adoption papers. 
On your twelfth date he finally invited you over for dinner, you happily accepted. 
Joel introduced you to an extremely energetic seven year old. He gave you a tour of the house (only the first floor.) and you smiled at every family photo hung on the walls.
“I invited Sarah but she couldn’t make it, she’s got midterms but I’m sure you’ll meet her soon.” He tells you before leaving you with Ellie, going to pick up a pizza for the three of you. 
Ellie tells you about school, about her best friend Riley, and about playing soccer in the backyard with her father. 
And then she says the strangest thing. 
“My sister lives in the attic.”
“Excuse me?” You had given her a confused smile but she carried on as if it was the most normal thing in the world. 
“My sister, Sarah, lives in the attic.” She said it so plainly. Taking your hand and dragging you up the stairs, pointing up at a staircase on the second story that led to a singular door, pink paint peeling from it with little wooden letters spelling out SARAH, the sight of it put you on edge. 
“We shouldn’t go up there honey, let’s wait until your father gets back.” You had put up a bit of resistance but she ran ahead of you, you watched helplessly from the bottom of the stairs as Ellie pushed open the door and ran inside. 
“It’s okay, dad says I can talk to Sarah whenever I want as long as I don’t touch her stuff.” She had shouted, already inside. Despite every nerve in your body singing for you to go back downstairs and wait, you knew better than to leave a child alone so you climbed the steps and entered the room. 
Nothing strange, nothing frightening, no secret nightmare. 
When you look around all you see is a room, albeit a child's room but a room nonetheless. 
Ellie sits in a love seat, suddenly repeating everything she told you about her day to seemingly no one as she stares at Sarah’s bookshelf. You walk around, trying to recall when Joel said she left for college. Everything is covered in a thick layer of dust but strangest of all this is clearly not a teenager's room. 
This is a childs room, for a girl about Ellie’s age. Every photo on her desk doesn’t show her older than what looks to be twelve. 
“Ellie, honey, when you said your sister lived in the atti-'' She doesn’t stop talking from behind you, ignoring you entirely but her words stop you dead in your tracks. 
“Dad keeps saying you’re coming home for Christmas but he also said you’d be home for his birthday, he keeps telling me how much we’re gonna get along but I just tell him we already get along fine.” 
It sends a chill up your spine, you aren’t superstitious but in a moment of weakness when you turn a part of you almost expects to see a ghost.
Of course that isn’t the case.  
When you look Ellie remains in the loveseat, seemingly the only thing that isn’t covered in dust up here. Her eyes trained on the highest shelf, when you follow her line of sight all of it starts to make sense. The shelf is covered in books and toys and trinkets, all of which are showing signs of age and disuse but the top shelf is neat and tidy, it even looks recently dusted. 
Only two things are on the top shelf. 
A beer bottle with the label ripped off, a lilac sits within it, a few stray petals lay in a halo around the makeshift vase. 
And a dark purple urn. 
You struggle to swallow the lump in your throat, unable to tear your eyes from it. 
“One time Uncle Tommy told me she was an angel.” She whispers when you stare in silence for far too long. “Dad got so mad we didn’t see Tommy for like a month after that and when we did see him again everything went back to normal.”
“What happened to her?” You can’t stop yourself from asking, she only shrugs in response.
“It was before I lived here, I never ask, I’m worried he’ll send me to live with Uncle Tommy if I do.” 
“Oh, honey.” You crouch down beside her, she hugs her knees to her chest. “He wouldn’t do that.” 
“I’m still not gonna ask. He doesn’t talk about her that much, only when someone else brings it up or if I ask to come up here to see her.” You nod slowly before holding your arms out to her, she wraps herself around you and you carry her to the door, eager to leave the tomb you’ve stumbled upon. “Bye Sarah.” She mumbled against your shoulder as you closed the door, the sentiment sent shivers down your spine. 
When Joel returns with the food it’s as if you never were in the attic at all.
Ellie runs to him, wrapping herself around his leg as he laughs, trying to kick her loose. 
When the three of you sit down for dinner she never says a thing to him about any of it. 
She asks if she can go to her friends house after dinner, their mom is going to take them to the arcade, Joel grins at you, asking if she was good while he was gone and you put on a smile, nodding. 
“Then you can go.” He ruffled her hair before she ran off to get her backpack. When it was just the two of you he took your hand, mentioning something about catching a movie while she’s gone, you nodded absentmindedly when he gave your hand a gentle squeeze you finally looked him in the eye. 
You’d never noticed it before but there is a permanent sorrow behind the dark expanse of his irises, as if he’s never really happy, he’s sometimes just less sad. “Everything okay?” He asked. 
“Yeah, everything’s fine.” 
You don’t bring up the attic at the dinner table.
Or in the car.
Or at the movies. 
He just needs time, you tell yourself. Maybe he’ll tell you on your thirteenth date, maybe it won’t be until your hundredth date. Until then you won’t tell him that you know who lives in the attic and you’ll nod with faux disappointment when he says that his eldest won’t be home for the holidays this year. 
And you’ll take extra care of him on days when he comes home with fresh lilacs.
a/n : yeah so uhhhhhhhhhh tell me how y'all liked this haha idk if i'll write anything like this again it was just sort of something for me to vent with, hope everyones having a good day and thank y'all for reading <3
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milfjuulpod · 1 year
Text
Good Girl II.
Summary: a continuation of Good Girl, read it here! aka the dinner date
warnings: NSFW, minors DNI!
A/N: i’ve never rly written smut before which is why this took me so long to post so…if you like pls lmk!! feed back is both greatly appreciated and helps motivate me. ok love u mwah
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<3
It was nearly seven, and you waited anxiously on your couch for Melissa to arrive. She had texted you after school to tell you she would pick you up, so you sat dressed and awaited her arrival. Out of nerves, you began playing with the edge of your dress, it was casual enough but still, made you look your best for her.
Although you were happy to finally have a date with Melissa, your mind was full to the brim with thoughts. Number one, she never told you where dinner was. Melissa just sent you a text that read, I’ll pick you up at seven, wear whatever makes you feel your best 😘, keeping the dinner plans to herself. Secondly, the events that led you to this very moment. Melissa’s pet name, everybody hearing it, and the kiss. Her kiss. She kissed you with so much care and want, you could only hope you would get to feel that again tonight.
Before you could drive yourself any crazier, there was a knock at your door. Straightening yourself out one last time for good luck, you opened the door and felt speechless. “Cat got your tongue?” Melissa teased you, bringing you back down to earth. “Sorry, you look…wow. Incredible,” you sheepishly replied, giving her another look over. Her fiery hair was full of waves, falling across her bare shoulders. All of her curves were accented perfectly by her black pantsuit, practically making you drool.
Once you met her eyes again, you realized she was eyeing you just as much, if not more. You felt your face heat up at the attention, feeling a sudden warmth in your stomach. “You don’t look too bad yourself babe. You ready?” Melissa finally spoke, offering her arm to you. She walked you to her car and opened your door for you. “Feeling chivalrous, are we?” You asked her with a smile. “I know how to treat my good girl,” Melissa said to you, but instead of a smile, she had a smirk across her face. Unfortunately, (or, perhaps fortunately), for you, Melissa somehow already knew all of your buttons to push. You silently wondered how long you would last through this date before becoming a needy puddle right in front of her.
“So, where are we going exactly?” You asked once on the road. Melissa took one of her hands off the wheel and rested it on your thigh, “Don’t worry about it kid.”
Before you knew it, you pulled up to a familiar driveway. “Did you forget something?” You asked, wondering why the two of you ended up back at Melissa’s. “No hon, we’re here.” She wasn’t taking you to dinner, she was making you dinner. Of course she was, honestly you should’ve expected it.
“Now, since you’re here, anything you see stays here, alright?” Melissa asked, stopping at her front door. You realized you had seen the outside of her house a few times, but never the inside. Nonetheless, you nodded your head in agreement and were led inside.
Immediately, you noticed all of the photos on her wall, but what took your attention was the dining room. Not only was it decorated so homey, but she had put in the effort to set the table, complete with flowers and candles.
“Mel, did you do all this for me?” You asked, turning to face her. She chose not to answer, instead giving you a small smile and looking back down at her feet. For the first time since you’ve met her, you saw Melissa nervous. You took her hand in yours and pulled her close to you, giving her a quick kiss to show your appreciation.
Without letting go of your hand, she led you to her kitchen, “Come sit in the kitchen while I cook, keep me entertained.” You do as she asked, pouring each of you a glass of wine and sitting yourself on her countertop. You watched Melissa meticulously, watching her dance around the kitchen getting ready to start dinner. You could tell this was her happy place, and you felt honored to be part of it.
“Can I taste the sauce you’re making?” You asked, finishing off your glass of wine. Melissa nodded and walked over to you with her spoon, blowing on it oh so gently. You reached out to take it from her, but she pulled back. Melissa used her free hand to gently open your legs to allow herself to be as close as possible, offering to feed you. “Good girl, always let me feed you,” she said as you closed your mouth around the spoon. “You have got to stop calling me that, Mel,” you said to her quietly. Of course, both of you knew you didn’t actually want her to stop. “You sure hon? Because the way your cheeks get red and you lose your words makes me think you like being called that,” Melissa said, pulling you by the hips so her front was flesh with your core. You were positive she could feel the throbbing coming from between your legs. She was warm against you, her hands squeezing just tight enough on your hips. This close, you got lost in her beautiful green eyes, getting a shade or two darker as she met your gaze.
“Hon?” Melissa’s voice interrupted your thoughts. Her hands pushed the edge of your dress up, rubbing circles on your inner thighs with her thumbs. “I’m sorry, am I distracting you?” She asked again, giving you the biggest smirk you’ve seen yet. “You know you are, Schemmenti. You’re quite good at that, y’know,” Melissa lightly laughed at your comment, “I’m quite good at a lot of things,” she replied, inching her fingers farther and farther up your thighs. “Oh yeah? Show me,” You told her, pulling her in to a deep kiss. The feeling of her fingers finding their way closer between your legs made you moan into Melissa’s mouth.
Melissa used her middle finger to gently rub between your folds, groaning at the wetness she could already feel. “All this for me, huh baby?” She teased you. Your hips bucked towards her, begging for more. “Melissa, please,” you begged between kisses.
She trailed wet kisses from your lips down your jaw, whispering in your ear, “use your words baby.” Melissa pulled the fabric of your underwear to the side and slowly ran her fingers between you. “God Mel, fuck me. Please fuck me.” You didn’t care how pathetic you sounded, you couldn’t care when Melissa was touching you this way. “Attagirl,” She said, gently pushing a finger inside you. She was fast to add another, quickening her pace and making you come completely undone right on her kitchen counter.
“Melissa I-“ You tried to speak, “I’m so close baby.” You felt her curl her fingers harder, move them faster. “Let go hon, I’ve got you,” Her breath was hot against your neck, her lips even hotter. When she nipped at your pulse point you were done for, clenching around her fingers and arms wrapped around her for dear life. “Such a good girl you are, my good girl,” Melissa cooed, giving you gentle kisses as you caught your breath.
“We should’ve done this sooner,” you smiled at her, still panting from earlier. “Yeah, a lot sooner,” Melissa said. Her smile was even bigger than yours as she gently picked you up off the counter and pulled you back to cook with her.
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soup-spoonn · 2 months
Text
The boy at the gala pt.2
“So, you’re telling me that this kid knocked out the joker with one blow, and asked for help while getting in a car with Vlad freaking Masters? And we’re supposed to believe that?” Dick asked incredulously.
“That’s what I said, isn’t it? This kid could be in trouble and we need to figure out how to help him.”
“He knocked out the joker with one blow, how much danger could he possibly be in?”
“I don’t know, but he asked for help so we need to do whatever we can.”
Bruce was doing research on Masters and found that he adopted the boy, who’s name is Daniel James Fenton, who’s family unfortunately passed in a lab accident a few months ago. The police department suspected foul play was involved, but didn’t investigate for some unknown reason.
“This is getting interesting.” Dick said, leaning closer to the monitor.
-
“Daniel, why did you do that?!” Vlad started yelling as soon as they arrived at his mansion.
“I told you I didn’t wanna be there. And anyway, he was gonna hurt that little girl!”
“You couldn’t have left it to the city police department? It’s kind of their job!”
“They wouldn’t have arrived in time! I didn’t want anyone to get hurt!”
“Okay and what about you? What if you got hurt?!”
“That’s not gonna happen, I’m half dead, remember?!”
Vlad turned red, which is apparently something he does when he’s angry.
“That still means you’re half alive, and still in danger!”
“Oh yeah? Why’s that?!”
“I could turn you in to the GIW whenever I want to! You’re legally not sentient, not human!”
Danny tensed at the mention of the GIW. He couldn’t believe Vlad would stoop so low as to threaten him with… them.
“What does that make you?” Danny asked, leaving Vlad standing in the middle of the entryway with a shocked expression.
Danny went upstairs to his room, which he decorated with stars and planets stuck to his ceiling and lights where the stars are.
He almost sprinted to his laptop and started a video call with Sam and Tucker when he saw what time it is, 6:59.
They made it a little tradition of theirs to call exactly at 7:00 PM every night.
They picked up almost immediately.
“Danny!” They yelled in unison.
His core felt safe hearing their voices.
“Hi guys, how’re you?”
“Good, we took a test today, you would’ve totally aced it.” Sam said.
“It was on the solar system!” Tucker said, excited.
“I think we only might’ve passed because of your ranting for hours” Sam giggled, “anyway what did you do today?”
“I went to another stupid party with Vlad.”
“Where was it?” Tucker asked.
“Some weird place called Gotham City. It was super boring, and we had to take a jet to get there.” Danny paused, “something weird did happen though,”
“What happened Danny?” Sam asked, looking genuinely curious.
He smiled and continued, “some weird clown guy and his annoying goons came in and started monologing, he was gonna hurt a little girl though, so I knocked him out. Everyone was super surprised, am I supposed to know who he is?”
“Wait you said in Gotham?” Tucker asked.
“Yeah, why?”
Sam and Tucker exchanged a look.
“That was the joker, he regularly attempts to kill everyone in gotham but there’s a guy who dresses like a bat and stops him.”
“So someone who regularly attempts mass murder and a furry vigilante both live in Gotham? Weird”
Sam and Tucker started laughing when he said that.
“There are more too!” Sam said.
“What, furry vigilantes, or mass murderers?”
“Both!” Tucker choked out.
Danny felt a smile tugging at his face, the type of smile that he only has when he’s talking with Sam and Tucker.
A genuine smile.
“Daniel, dinner!” He heard from down the stairs.
Danny groaned and apparently Sam and Tucker heard too, who tensed at the sound of Vlad’s voice.
“Guys, I have to go. Vlad gets all pissy when I don’t eat dinner with him, and I just yelled at him so I’m in deep shit already.”
“Okay, bye Danny, we’ll talk to you tomorrow,” Sam said.
“Bye Danny, visit soon!” Tucker said before Danny smiled and closed his laptop.
Danny really does want to visit, he just doesn’t think Vlad would even consider letting him.
I could totally just leave…
Danny shook his head as if to get rid of the thought.
No, not again.
“Daniel! Dinner!”
Danny groaned again and stormed down the stairs to see Vlad at the table, accompanied by a man in a white business suit.
No way he actually followed through with it.
“Hello, Daniel.” The man said.
part one:
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throneofsapphics · 8 months
Note
Ok but like manorian x reader where they can’t find her and Manon is freaking out thinking something happened but they end up finding her and she’s just sleeping AHAHA (you pick wherever she fell asleep lol)
leave a note
Manorian x Reader
Summary: Reader goes ‘missing.’ 
Warnings: none i can think of!
A/N: haha I love this idea, thank you for the request!
You’d missed dinner. Not entirely unusual - sometimes you worked through it, or found a few friends to go out with. But, you would always leave a note if you left the castle. 
He pushed the doors to your rooms open, Manon shortly behind him, and expected to find you at a desk - papers strewn around you, at least three different books open, but you were nowhere to be seen. And neither was a note. 
“It’s possible she forgot.” He murmured, mostly to himself. 
“Forgot what?” Manon stalked over to his side, where he was staring at your desk. 
“To leave a note.” 
“Y/n never forgets.” He watched as the burnt-gold eyes scanned the room, her body stiffening. He didn’t need any immortal senses to feel the panic starting to come from her. “She hasn’t been here in hours.” 
“Then lets go look.” Dorian ran through the places you could be - library, one of the private offices, some of the meeting rooms - maybe you needed a bit more space. 
He strode through the doorways, walking faster than usual. 
-
Manon was on edge. Everything today went as normal - the only exception was your decision to go for a run … but she knew you had meetings after that, and had seen you around lunch. Her mind whirled through every scenario, every possibility, and each becoming worse and worse. 
Panic started to set inside her, iron nails nearly snapping out at the thought of you in danger. She managed to keep some of her cool - hopefully not to stress Dorian further, but she could see the King was already on edge. 
They went through each room, each place she could possibly be, and didn’t find her. Her panic grew stronger by the minute, iron nails snapped out. Until she caught your scent. 
Manon didn’t bother watching to see if Dorian kept pace as she followed the trail. Through rarely used parts of the castle - mostly abandoned. Dread and anger grew in equal measures. If anything had happened to you, she’d rip the throats out of anyone even remotely involved.
-
You were tired, it had been a long day. Countless meetings, exhausting courtiers that made you want to rip your hair out, and you’d decided to go for a run this morning, for the first time in months. It made dealing with everyone easier, but didn’t help your exhaustion - and you were ready for bed before dinner. 
The castle was big enough to have infrequently used passageways, and you found one of your favorites, intending to rest. The late afternoon sun beamed through the windows, warming the sun and stones of the small alcove. A rest couldn’t hurt, you propped yourself up inside it, curling against the warm wall, tucking your knees up, and decided to close your eyes for a few minutes. 
“Y/n,” a feminine voice sounded, and you groaned, stirring. Your neck ached on one side .. where were you? Your eyes blinked open, and it was dark. You’d only laid down to rest for a few minutes, it couldn’t be that late. You felt a hand on your shoulder, and twisted, one hand holding the side of your neck, to see Manon and Dorian. Both looking incredibly relieved, but a little pissed off. Manon grabbed you, roughly pulling you from the alcove. 
“Be gentle,” you protested, but she tugged you upright, scanning your entire body. Looking for injuries. 
“Why the hell would you sleep there?” Her eyes narrowed and her voice sharp. 
“I didn’t mean to.” You said carefully. “I was just supposed to rest.” 
“Stupid.” She hissed at you. Dorian pushed her out of the way with his shoulder, wrapping you in his arms instead. 
“What she means to say is we were worried when we couldn’t find you.” He ran his hand up and down your spin, gently pressing you closer to him. “And that we’re glad your okay.” 
“Don’t do that again.” Manon snapped and you hid a laugh, pressing your face into Dorian’s chest. “Napping in an abandoned hallway-”
“Or leave a note.” Dorian interrupted, his a corner of his mouth turning up. 
Manon snarled at the interruption and she lectured you the entire way back to your rooms. 
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juneknight · 6 months
Text
.Be Lost. || 2.5
Chapter 1 | Chapter 1.5 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 2.5
Next chapter is the last.
*
His grin is broad, beatific. It turns teasing almost right away. He leans down and brushes his nose against yours before releasing your wrists and rolling off of you. 
“I want to be just friends for just a while longer,” he admits in a whisper. “Throughout dinner. There’s something important I need to tell you.” 
*
‘There’s something important I need to tell you’. Have more infamous words ever been spoken, besides ‘we need to talk’? His sentence infuses you with dread and a strange calm all at once. This is it. The other shoe is about to drop. Marc deciding that he doesn’t want to dominate you will be the best-case-scenario outcome. 
Worst case scenario? He’s already done too much with you to salvage the friendship, and you both will have to part ways. Maybe that’s what he meant by wanting to stay just friends for a while longer. All these thoughts spin in your brain like a cyclone, sucking up your sanity while you pick at your entree at the (expensive) restaurant Marc insisted on bringing you to for dinner. Your hand is clammy where you are clutching your fork. You consider stabbing yourself with it to end the dinner early. 
It isn’t the worst dinner you’ve ever had together (that honor goes to the miserable time you and Marc had tried double dating, each of you bringing a lackluster date and spending the whole time—as you understood it now—fuming when the other showed any hint of affection towards their partner). But this is close. So close. 
Even Marc seems nervous. He is quiet(er). He clears his throat every now and then like he is about to say something, but then just reaches for his wine and takes another sip. When he cuts himself off after one glass and moves on to water, he drinks nearly two entire glasses thanks to this procrastination-sipping. You want to scream. Go ahead and say it! Break my heart already! Just get it over with. 
When he insists on dessert, you can’t take it anymore. Over dark chocolate cake with chocolate ganache, you sit your fork down and say: 
“What is it?”
“Have you ever seen the birds outside your window?” he blurts out. You stare. He clears his throat. Another sip of water. “At your apartment. On your balcony, you have a bird feeder. I just—do you ever stop and watch the birds?” 
“Yes,” you say, twisting your napkin in your lap. “Hence the bird feeder. Why—?” 
“You have this one bird that comes back often. It’s a house sparrow—I looked it up. House sparrows are like most birds, where the males are all beautiful and the females are more plain. Except this one bird. She had a bib, like the males do, but her’s was a downy gray instead of black. She came back every day. Multiple times a day, sometimes. Maybe she had babies that she was raiding your feeder for, I don’t know. 
“But I started talking to her about you while you were gone. Because I missed you. And I always miss you when you go away during the winter, don’t get me wrong, but this time…Well I had to talk to that fucking bird, or I would have—yes, another water would be fine, thank you—” 
You glare at the waiter’s back, irritated by the interruption. Something about this strange tangent has your attention. Maybe it’s the serious expression in Marc’s eyes, marred only by a hint of something sharper. Desperation, maybe. Maybe that’s what makes his words string together, turns him into a rambler. Still, you would have him see this through. 
“Go on,“ you coax. 
“I started talking to that fucking bird, because I couldn’t call you all day, and if I didn’t talk to something, I’d go crazy. I told her all about you. The way your skin gets lit up at night when you fall asleep while we’re watching television, colors changing blue, red, brown, white with whatever is on the screen. I told her about how you can’t let your food groups touch when they’re on your plate. I told her how you laugh so hard sometimes that you snort, and that those are always my favorite laughs.” 
“This bird knows all my secrets then,” you murmur. “I hope she doesn’t work for the government.” 
“All birds work for the government. I told her about my day. Work. Friends. Traffic. Dreams. Besides our every-other-night phonecalls, this…fucking…bird was the highlight of my day. I mean that unirionically.” 
“I’m starting to get jealous.” 
“And then one day she was gone,” says Marc. “She missed the morning rush. I sat on your bed, looking out at the balcony, waiting. And she never came. She never came back. I didn’t realize it until sunset, when she’d missed dinner, that I’d wasted my entire day off waiting. That whatever happens to birds—wherever she went when she wasn’t with me—she was gone, and she wasn’t coming back.
“That made me think of you. Going away from me, going wherever birds go. Taking all these pieces of me with you, and never coming back with them. You have those, you know. Pieces of me. So many pieces. I’d say that I have one last one to give you, but—” he snorts softly, looking down at his plate, “—you’ve had my heart already.
“And I don’t mind leaving them with you. I don’t mind you leaving. I know your work is important, and that you love it. I just want to know that you’ll always come back. I want you to have a reason to always come back—to me.”
“What are you saying?” you wonder, eyes wide as moons, mouth feeling a little numb. It almost sounds like he’s—
“I’m in love with you. I don’t want tonight to be a one-and-done, and I don’t just want the sex—yes, thank you, the check is fine—-” 
“I’m sorry,” you say to the waiter, holding up a finger. “Could you give us a moment without interruptions? Very important conversation. I apologize—thanks! You…you don’t want the sex?” 
“I don’t just want the sex. Important distinction,” says Marc. He laughs a little, but it sounds weak, punched-out. “You’re scaring me a little. Everytime I went over it in my head, you said it back straightaway. Then there was usually a spontaneous firework show, maybe some birds—” 
“Doves?”
“House sparrows.” 
“Marc—” you get shy suddenly. He’s opened himself up to you, fulfilled your wildest dreams (except the thought of Marc Spector loving you was so wild that it hadn’t even been in your dreams), but the idea of opening yourself up in return was terrifying. Couldn’t he just…tell? “Come on. You have to know…” 
Marc’s jaw gets tight. His eyes fall to his plate. “I didn’t. I thought—maybe I’ve just been seeing things. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have fucking—God, I’ve gone and fucked it all up, haven’t I?” 
“No—Marc, you aren’t getting it. The way you feel—it’s the way I feel, too,” you admit, nearly at a whisper, so quiet that he is leaning closer to you across the table straining to hear your words. “I’ve felt this way all this time. A long time before I even let myself realize it. It’s always been you. It would break my heart if all that happened tonight was amazing, kinky sex—excuse me, I just said—!”
The waiter clears his throat. He brandishes a bottle of wine from behind his back. “For new love. On the house.” 
“Is it corked?” Marc asks, his eyes on your own. There is something dark in his eyes, something that makes your mouth go dry in an instant and your hands clench into fists in your lap.
“Yes, sir.” 
“We’ll take it to go.”
*
Marc goes to open your car door for you but instead crowds you against it right there in the parking lot, one hand braced on the window beside you and the other on your hip. His body throws off warmth, and you find yourself arching away from the cool metal of the car against his body, all the breath rushing out of you in a whoosh. 
“Listen,” Marc says, leaning in to nuzzle against your temple. “You have to tell me now if you have any doubts. If you do, we’ll get in the car and I’ll drive you back to your apartment, and tomorrow night I’ll take you on another date like nice normal people do when they’re in love. But if you don’t, if you get in this car, you’ll belong to me. You know that, don’t you? Your body—”
“I want it, Marc, I want it,” you breathe. “I don’t have any doubts, I promise—”
He reaches up and grips your chin firmly, pressing your lower jaw up until your teeth clench together. His thumb rests over the seam of your lips, locking them closed. Something about the simple act makes you whine in the back of your throat. “At, At. It’s my turn to talk, yeah? Be a good girl and wait your turn. 
“If you get in this car, then for tonight you’re mine. Your body, your mind. Your words and your actions. Your sounds. Your pleasure. All of it will be mine to do with as I see fit. And I’ll treat you so fucking good honey. So goddamn good. Because I know that’s how good of a girl you’d be for me. So what’s it gonna be?” He lets go of your mouth. 
“My safeword is wine.” 
He sucks in a breath through his teeth, lips thinning. He nods, like he knew it was headed this direction. His hand drops and finds the handle of the car door, and but he doesn’t open it. Not yet. 
“One condition,” he says. “Non-negotiable.” 
Anxious, you say: “What is it?” 
“We kiss first. Here. Now. While we’re still just us.” 
“Yes,” you whisper. “Yes, do it, please—” 
He kisses you, and it’s—wow. There could be fireworks, for all you know, but they’d be coming in second. Second to the taste of wine on Marc’s tongue. Second to the soft firmness of his lips. Second to the way his broad hand cups the back of your head and tilts it just-so, so that he can deepen the kiss the way he likes. Second to the way he starts to smile against your mouth. A smile that turns into a broad grin. 
“Oh my god,” he laughs. “That was the best kiss I’ve ever had.” 
“I found your bird,” you whisper shakily against his mouth. 
He pulls back, startled by your words. “You—what?” 
“Your missing bird,” you say, reaching for his hand. You place it over your racing heart, which feels like the beating of wings beneath his touch. 
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lilac-hecox · 5 months
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Ian/Anthony - Date
--
“So, a date huh?” Anthony asks.
“Yeah,” Ian says.
Anthony looks away. He should be happy for his best friend. He should be happy that since Ian came out, he’s been much happier and now he’s got his first date with a guy all lined up and while Ian is usually typically stoic, even Anthony can see the excitement buzzing under the surface.
He should be happy…but he isn’t.
He doesn’t really understand why but something bothers him about the whole situation. It isn’t the fact that Ian has come out as pansexual that would never bother him. Anthony loudly and proudly supported his best friend’s coming out online, blocking and ignoring anyone who wanted to be nasty. It isn’t that Ian will be dating a guy…it feels like it’s more like…it’s the fact that Ian is dating at all.
Before, when Ian was only dating women, it wasn’t as bad because Anthony could always think that it wouldn’t work anyway, that it wasn’t meant for him because Ian wasn’t into guys, and Anthony isn’t – wasn’t? – into them either so there was no point in being jealous. But now, Ian is dating men, and Anthony is recently single, and some part of Anthony is bothered by all the ‘what-ifs’ and the slightest hint of a possibility of allowing himself access to something he’s maybe realized he’s sort of always wanted.
“Who’s the guy?” Anthony finally asks, because years of therapy has taught him how to be a better friend, even if he doesn’t want to know at all.
Ian looks up from where he’s checking emails at his desk, “Just a guy I met on one of the dating apps.”
“Okay, does he have a name? I’m gonna need to know what to tell the police if he goes psycho or something and tries to kidnap you.”
Ian rolls his eyes, “His name is Dom.”
“Dom?” Anthony says. A stupid name. “What is he? In Fast and the Furious?”
“Come on,” Ian says, “it’s a nickname. He said his name is Dominick.”
Anthony nods, but in his mind, he doesn’t like this Dominick guy.
“Where are you going to go?”
“Dinner, then a movie more than likely,” Ian says.
Anthony is sure he could think of a better first date than that. Didn’t this Dom guy know that Ian deserved way more than dinner and a movie? He deserved someone to pull out all the stops, to think of the best date ever, to sweep him off his feet…
Anthony’s stomach aches again.
“What? This weekend?”
“Saturday, Mom,” Ian teases.
“Hey!” Anthony says with a grin, though he feels embarrassed, “remember we’re trying to be more open here? We’re communicating now?”
“I remember. I’ll be sure to write in my diary how the date went the next day after he leaves so I can tell you all the juicy details.”
“The next day?” Anthony says, giggling, but inside he doesn’t want to imagine Ian liking this guy enough to kiss him, to invite him in, to fuck him or be fucked by him.
“Yeah, I’m not going to like, kick him out, that’s rude.”
Eventually their conversation wanes and they work in a comfortable silence, except that Anthony is haunted by the thought of Ian’s impending date in three days and he scrambles for any reason as to why Ian shouldn’t go.
It isn’t until after lunch when Anthony has a thought. He finds Ian in his office and says.
“Hey, remember we have that thing this weekend.”
“Huh?” Ian says, “what thing?”
“The Food Battle thing…we were going to stay at the Smosh house and watch all the Food Battles? Have a little boys weekend and hang out like the old days?”
“Are you sure it’s this weekend?” Ian says, picking up his phone, “I swear we calendared it for next weekend.”
They did. Anthony is hoping he can convince Ian he had the wrong date in his calendar, maybe he can convince him to call off the date. Ian raises an eyebrow.
“My phone says next weekend.”
Anthony shrugs, “You must have hit the wrong date.”
Ian frowns, “You sure, man?”
“Yeah, I’m sure.”
Anthony feels minorly guilty for lying to Ian, his heart fast in his chest, and already he knows he owes it to both of them to fess up to this in his next therapy session.
“Well, can we reschedule? I mean, I got this date with Dom now?”
“I mean, we kinda gotta get cracking on writing the new Food Battle script…”
Ian sets down his phone, “Then can we do Sunday and Monday?”
“I gotta film for Pressalike on Monday,” Anthony reminds him.
Ian frowns, “Damn…well…I guess I can see if Dom will reschedule.” Ian sounds bummed and Anthony should feel happy because it’s what he wanted, but is it really worth it if he’s making Ian sad? If the whole time Ian will be wishing he had been able to go on his date?
Ian picks up his phone to text and Anthony bites his lip.
“Stop,” Anthony says, shutting his eyes, shame running through him.
“What?” Ian asks.
“I…lied. The sleepover is next weekend not this one.”
Anthony opens his eyes and sees Ian giving him a confused look.
“What? Why would you lie?”
“I don’t know!” Anthony says, another lie, “I just…”
Ian waits and when it’s clear he’s not getting anything else from Anthony he frowns, “Anthony? You just what?”
Anthony sighs, “I don’t want you to go on the date.”
“Why? You don’t seriously think Dom is a murderer or something do you?” Ian says, rolling his eyes.
“No, that isn’t it.”
Anthony drops down in the chair in front of Ian’s desk and runs a hand through his hair.
“Then what?” Ian asks, his voice neutral, his eyes careful.
“I’m…jealous or some shit.”
“What?” Ian asks.
Anthony presses his face into his hands, “I’m jealous! I don’t want you to go on the date with Dom!”
Ian is quiet for a few moments, a heavy silence hangs between them, like something tangible.
“Jealous of what?” Ian asks softly.
“Of him getting to take you out,” Anthony says, “I don’t know, Ian. As soon as I found out you’re attracted to guys…I guess I’m wondering…how come it can’t be me?”
Now, Ian’s blue eyes are wide. Anthony worries his lip between his teeth.
“You want to go on a date…with me?” Ian asks.
“Ugh, I don’t want to fuck up our friendship all over again, but I’ve been feeling some ways about you, feeling more than just a best friend should.”
“Oh.”
Anthony can’t breathe, can’t even look at Ian. He could lose him again. He could lose everything all over again.
“Where would you take me?” Ian asks.
“What?” Anthony says, looking up in surprise.
“On our date. Where would you take me?”
“Um, somewhere scenic, beautiful, somewhere you’ve never been before because you want to get out of your comfort zone. Maybe find a new hiking trail? Then when we’re sweaty and exhausted, we can grab take out from one of your favorite places and I’ll ignore when you order meat and make sure you’re getting the best gluten free food L.A. has to offer.”
“Then what?” Ian asks.
“Then I’ll be a gentleman and drive you home, walk you to your door.”
“And?” Ian asks.
Anthony meets his eyes, seeing a warmth there, something that doesn’t feel mocking or angry or disgusted.
“Then I’d ask if I could kiss you goodnight.”
A tilted smile spreads over Ian’s face, “I’d let you.”
Anthony licks his lips, “Uh, so, then I’d lean in and kiss you soft and sweet and just enough to leave you wanting a little more next time.”
“Next time?” Ian says with a laugh.
Anthony laughs too, “Totally, you’d definitely ask me out again. We’d have a second date.”
Ian smirks, “And if I invited you in on the first date?”
Anthony’s breath catches in his throat, “I’d, uh, accept…I’d never turn you down.”
Ian watches him for a moment, the air suddenly electric between them.
“I’ll text Dom and tell him the date’s off,” Ian says quietly, “if you want me to.”
“Does that mean I have a shot?” Anthony asks.
Ian smiles, “You definitely have a shot.”
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pupkashi · 11 months
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hype
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kakashi doesn’t understand how genma can be so smitten with one person, until he meets said person
a/n: hi friends ! thank you sm for this request <3 im thinking of making this into a series if you guys would like that ? let me know what you all think :]
wordcount: 2,946
masterlist
“-and they changed their hair today! usually they wear it in this one certain style but today they-” kakashi zoned out again, Genma’s all too familiar musings become more and more similar everyday.
“genma do you even talk to them? seems like you just stalk them from afar” the silver haired jonin replies, genma stares at him in shock.
“pft! of course i do!” his chest is puffed out and he’s looking to the side with an angry pout, “i tell them good morning and goodbye” he mutters, kakashi shakes his head.
“i don’t see how one person that you barely even talk to can be so captivating” he mumbles, rolling his eyes as genma gasps, as if you’d insulted his entire bloodline.
“how dare you hatake! y/n is the most amazing person in this village! maybe even the world!” he’s defending you as if you were already married and a life together.
“it’s a silly crush genma! talk about them when you actually make a move” kakashi scoffs, leaving genma alone in the street as he turns to make his way to his apartment.
and so that’s how genma found himself in his current predicament, reciting the words in his brain he’d say to you when you flashed him that bright smile of yours. all he had to do was invite you to dinner! it’s not like it was a straightforward date, some of his other friends would be going. it was a good way to ease into this!
genma is staring much too hard at a tree when he hears your voice from behind him, “i think that one’s an oak tree if that’s why you’re so focused on it” you laugh, smiling when genma turns to face you.
“y/n!” he shrieks, eyes widening before clearing his throat, “good morning! i didn’t even hear you” he smiled nervously and you bump his shoulder.
“you should be glad i didn’t become a shinobi, I’d probably outrank you” your voice is teasing as you wink at him, causing genma to think he was gonna go into cardiac arrest anytime soon.
“pft, as if!” he smiled back, “hey, you busy this afternoon?” he asks, his palms sweating beyond belief as you ponder his question.
“what today friday?” your lips are in a small pout as you think before shaking your head ‘no.’
“do you wanna be?” there’s a glint in his eyes that makes you smile, “depends” you reply, his once faux cocky smirk falling off his face.
“on what?” his voice much weaker than he intended it to come out. genma can’t help but study your features, drinking in how breathtaking you look so early in the morning.
“will you be there?” the question catches him off guard, had you always been this coward with him? was he always too stupid to realize?
“I’ll be the one picking you up” he smiles, beyond ecstatic that you were actually gonna say yes.
“then I’d love to be busy tonight, what’s the occasion?” your eyes are sparkling with excitement when he looks at you, he can’t help but smile widely as he explains.
“we’re having a surprise dinner for Gai! we missed his birthday since he was out on a mission that ran long” he explained, you couldn’t help but smile warmly at genma.
“that’s really sweet of you guys” you reply, “never took you for such a sap genma” you tease, bumping you shoulder into him, smiling as he rolled his eyes, hating the fact that a prominent blush was already on his cheeks.
“yeah, yeah” he grumbled, watching the way your smile turned into a small frown, your brows furrowing.
“hey, what’s wrong?” you’re looking at him with wide worried eyes as you explain to him you have no clue what to get Gai. genma only smiles, shaking his head and reassuring you, “don’t worry, i got him something I’ll just say it’s from both of us.”
Genma can’t help but feel like a proud peacock that afternoon when he’s walking home with kakashi.
“guess who got y/n talking to them for almost an hour this morning” he’s boasting, kakashi ever as uninterested sighs.
“raido?” Genma smacks the silver head jonin upside the head before pointing at himself, the cockiest smile on his face as he shakes his head.
“this guy!” he cheers, practically running circles around his much calmer friend. “and guess who they’re coming to gai’s birthday dinner with?!” he doesn’t give kakashi the chance to speak before cheering once more, “this guy!”
“so I’ll finally meet this ever famous, impossibly perfect y/n?” kakashi asks, genma nodding.
“I’ll see you there! I’ve gotta make sure i look amazing so i can woo them tonight” already taking off in the direction of his apartment. leaving kakashi alone in peace and quiet.
so he was finally gonna get to meet you huh. after who knows how long (it’s only been a month) of genma gushing about your every little move and comment, he was finally gonna see what all the hype surrounding you was. kakashi would never admit he was looking forward to meeting you, especially after the countless times he’s told genma he didn’t care to ever meet you on their almost daily walks home together.
it’s 6:30 when you hear a knock on your door, you’re checking yourself out once more in the mirror before opening the door with a bright smile.
“hey! come in i just have to slip my shoes on real fast” you smile, motioning for genma to walk in.
“you uh- you look great y/n” his face is burning up, only getting hotter when you giggle, asking if you can hold onto his shoulder for support as you slip your shoe on.
“you clean up nicely yourself” you reply, grabbing your bag before turning the light off, genma offering you his arm as the two of you leave.
“I’m not too overdressed am i?” you ask, genma quickly shaking his head, “no of course not!” he assures you, trying his best to not outwardly freak out because you’re so close he can smell your perfume.
the two of you make small talk as you arrive at the restaurant, genma pulling a chair out for you, giving you a charming smile when you thank him.
it wasn’t long before the large table was filled up, only the birthday boy himself another seat left empty. as it turned out you and genma shared many mutual friends, smiling widely and hugging kurenai and asuma when they walked in and saw you. anko practically ran towards you, crushing you in a hug and smiling widely.
“i didn’t know you knew Gai!” she beamed, taking the seat next to you and you shook your head.
“i don’t! but i know genma and he invited me” you smile, “i hope I’m not intruding” you frown, kurenai and anko both replying with a firm ‘no!’
“oh Gai is gonna love you! he better not end up intruding on girls night!” anko frowned and you laughed, shaking your head.
“for all we know he could hate me” you reply, turning your head when you hear genma snicker.
“y/n i don’t think there’s anyone in the world who could hate you” he smiles, leaning a bit closer to you, your face heats up a bit at the proximity, laughing softly before taking a sip of water.
“where the fuck is hatake? surely he wouldn’t be late to the dinner he planned” asuma states, his brows furrowed as he looks around.
genma’s attitude changes as he replies, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms, “that man will be late to his own funeral” he snickers and you can’t help but smile a bit.
you’d seen the famous copy ninja around the village, but with such different lives you’d never actually spoken to him. it was a miracle you were even friends with the amount of shinobi that you were friends with, considering you were just a normal villager.
“I’ve never met him actually” you comment to genma, and he smiled at you reassuringly, “he seems mean but deep down he’s a real nice guy” he says, asuma quickly getting his attention as they talk about something they’d been discussing earlier.
it’s only a couple more minutes when a silver haired man walks in with Gai at his side, his sworn rival talking his ear off.
“surprise!” everyone cheers as Gai notices the group of people at the table, “happy late birthday Gai!” everyone taking their turns hugging the man and handing him a small gift.
“you guys! i cant believe this” he smiles, his eyes tearing up a bit, “this truly is was youth is all about” everyone laughs at his words, ordering food and making small talk.
kakashi notices you immediately, your smile just a soft and bright as genma had described, your hair falling perfectly and framing your face, his breath almost catches in your throat when you laugh and push a strand of hair behind your ear.
it’s the moment that genma introduces you to each other that he realizes he has a very big problem.
“this is y/n! y/n this is kakashi” he’s staring at kakashi with a shot eating grin, one that says ‘told you they were amazing’ and kakashi has to stop himself from smacking him then and there.
“it’s nice to meet you!” you hold out your hand, kakashi taking it and shaking it gently.
“likewise, I’ve heard a lot about you” he smiles, holding back his laughter when genma almost chokes on his own spit.
“all good things i hope!” you giggle, turning to genma with a soft smile, your face flushed.
“of- of course!” he smiles sheepishly, the two you turning back to your meals and continuing to converse with each other.
as everyone is leaving the restaurant kakashi is giving the group signals, one that you don’t understand and are looking to genma to explain.
“there’s a secret after party at gai’s place asuma and i planned” he whispers and you’re nodding along, a smile on your face, “you wanna come?” his cologne is wafting into your nose and you can’t help but nod.
“sure why not” you smile, blushing a bit when genma grabs your hand, pulling you alongside him to catch up with the group.
it didn’t take long for the party to start once you got to the apartment. you laughed as you watched asuma and kurenai sing a terrible duet, genma and raido both downing shots one after the other and anko trailing off for the fifth time about something she’d been wanting to tell you but couldn’t remember what it was.
you glance at the clock and realize how late it had gotten, eyes widening and apologizing to anko that you had to get home.
“oh but you only had a couple shots! you aren’t even buzzed” she slurred, frowning when you hugged her tightly.
“sorry sweets but i have work tomorrow!” you pout, smoothing her hair down before saying goodbye once again and going off to find your date.
you have to hold back laughter when you find genma almost passed out next to Gai and raido, shaking them all a bit to make sure they were still alive.
“genma? I’m gonna head home” you smile and he gets up, wobbling a bit before he throws his arms around you.
“oh don’t leave us y/n! you’re too perfect to leave” he whines, your face flushing at his words, “i can walk you home” he smiles, getting up from his chair and almost slipping, causing you to catch him and help him to the couch.
“i don’t even think you can walk right now” you laugh, bidding him goodbye and letting him know you’ll see him monday.
as you finish your last goodbye’s and wish a much too intoxicated Gai happy birthday once more, you’re heading out the door, a small smile on your face as you close it.
“genma not walking you home?” the deep voice startling you, causing you to shriek a bit, your heart pounding as your eyes land on kakashi.
“god you fucking scared me” you laugh, hand over your heart, “no he’s piss drunk right now” your head shaking.
“I’ll see you around kakashi, take care” you’re smiling at him brightly, waving goodbye. and before he can stop himself he pushes himself off the wall and catches up to you, walking at your pace.
“oh i don’t want to inconvenience you” looking at him with kind eyes, he’s shaking his head at your words.
“ ‘s not an inconvenience, just wanna make sure you get home safe is all” his words make your stomach flutter and you nod, a small ‘okay, thanks’ leaving your lips as you look away, hoping he doesn’t see the blush on your cheeks.
it’s a bit chilly as you continue walking, kakashi noticed the way you’re holding yourself tightly, and within seconds his jacket is resting atop your shoulders.
“oh I’m fine really!” already taking the jacket off, kakashi shakes his head, placing it back on you before speaking up.
“keep it on, i was getting a bit hot anyway” he smiles, you return him a brighter one, tugging his jacket tighter around you, letting yourself drown in his cologne.
“I think it was really nice that you planned the dinner for gai” you speak up after a couple seconds, fiddling with your fingers. kakashi shakes his head at your words.
“it was all of us really” he shrugs and you look at him, a smile on your face when he turns to face you, “what?” there’s a smile creeping onto his lips.
“asuma said you planned the whole thing, give yourself some credit” you nudge him softly, hoping to god it was alright and he wasn’t insanely uptight like how genma painted him out to be.
“or do you have some sort of appearance to uphold” you tease, laughing a bit when the jonin scoffs at you, looking in the opposite direction with his chin up.
“i don’t have any appearances” he denies, turning to face you when he no longer hears your footsteps next to his.
“oh please! the whole village has you painted as ‘the great copy ninja’ so mysterious and dark” your voice a bit lower, as you say his famous nickname, he’s rolling his eyes and chuckling a bit.
“maybe I’m just mysterious and dark” he shrugs, following you when you continue to walk to your apartment.
“are you?” your voice curious as you look at him, trying to read his features as best you could.
“maybe” he replies, watching the way you cross your arms and smile up at him. his hearts beating a bit faster, feeling insecure under the scrutiny of your eyes. why did he care so much?
“you aren’t” you reply, shrugging your shoulders as you both continue to walk. kakashi’s eyes go wide and his brows are furrowed, his mouth open at your statement.
“you don’t even know me! how would you know?” he’s a bit defensive as you brush his off easily, looking at him with a warm smile that has his stomach doing flips.
“please! you plan out birthday dinners for you best friend, you walk someone home you don’t know and give them your jacket, you have actual friends that care about you and love you” you list off, “and you’ve been talking to me this whole time, dark and mysterious people would just say something vague and look off into the moonlight” you giggle.
“you sure you’re not a shinobi?” the question makes you laugh, waving him off before turning into the street when your apartment is.
“thank you for walking me, i felt much safer with the dark and mysterious copy ninja as my personal guard” you smile, kakashi returns it gracefully, a deep chuckle leaving his mouth.
“it’s my job to protect this village” he says, his voice raspy as he looks up at the sky, searching for the moon.
“new moon tonight” you mumble, kakashi’s shoulders falling a bit, “guess you weren’t meant to be dark and mysterious” you laugh, kakashi laughing alongside you.
“I’ll uh- see you around?” he asks and you nod, starting to shrug his jacket off before he stops you, placing his hand on top of yours. he’s caught off guard by his own actions, clearing his throat and composing himself when he he looks into your eyes.
“you can hold onto it, don’t want you to get cold walking up the stairs” he winces a bit at his terrible choice of words but you don’t seem to care.
“ever the gentleman” you giggle, holding the jacket close to you, “goodnight kakashi” you smile, biting your lip as you turn around and head up the stairs, waving goodbye before you open the door to your apartment, letting out shrieks and giggles when you throw yourself on your bed.
he doesn’t leave until you’re closing the door behind you, a smile on his face as he walks back to gai’s apartment. he’s smiling widely and kicking a rock, a slight blush on his face as he replays the conversation the two of you had.
it’s not until he reaches the apartment and his eyes land on genma that his world is crumbling around him. he can’t like you, not when his friend had been pining after you for a month.
he tries his best to forget about you, he really does, but it seems fate had other plans when you quite literally run into him only two days later, his jacket hanging off your shoulders.
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