Tumgik
#manager is not here rn which is great but someone said he might come in at 11 which is bad
Text
Obligatory 9am work rant
Tumblr media
6 notes · View notes
YN Bakugo: Big Sister
Tumblr media
Bakugo featuring Class 1-A and various cameos x female! Yn Bakugo (she/her pronouns)
Warnings:light swearing, 99% fluff with mild angst, Bakugo being soft 🥹
AN: This is an anon request!
Ahh good ole UA high
A wonderful place for training up the future hero’s of the world
It also happens to be the home to our resident boom boom boi, Katsuki Bakugo 🥰
Ahh how we adore this little fire ball
Katsuki might be rough around the edges, but deep down inside we all know he has a soft side
And you know who knows that better than anyone?
That’s right, his lovely sister, YN Bakugo
Now, looking at you, one would never guess that you were related to Katsuki
Why you might ask? 👀
It’s definitely because you look and act just like your father, Masaru Bakugo
Your calm, cool and collected
While your brother and your mom, Mitsuki Bakugo, are more outgoing and loud
You prefer to keep a level head, especially in high pressure situations
You got along well with your parents, unlike your brother who was more arrogant and self-centered
“Katsuki you should act more like Yn! She’s an amazing hero!” Your mother would say
“The queen of the nerds? I will absolutely NOT be like YN!” Katsuki would argue back
You and your dad simply ignored them at this point
You quirk and calm ability helped you in everyday life
Which is perfect because like Katsuki, you followed down the path of becoming a hero
While you were a few years older than Katsuki, you still made a name for yourself
However Katsuki did his part to distance himself from you
“Bakugo, how is Yn doing?” Aizawa would ask after class
“No clue who you’re referring too,” he’d say, walking out
You were essentially the nerdiest of the nerds
And while Bakugō did love you, in his own Bakugo way
He also didn’t talk about you
He liked that his family life was separate than his school life
However that was all about to change 🙃
Now Katsuki knew Sibling Day was coming up but he simply chose to ignore it
He managed to intercept all of the flyers that were going to be sent to your parents home
He made sure that there was absolutely NO WAY you could find out
The last thing he wanted was for you to show up
Thank god a certain noisy someone would never tell you 😅
Right…
RIGHT????
“Hey YN, did you hear about the sibling even at U.A. this weekend?” Hawks asked you on one of your nightly patrols
“No, I had no idea! Katsuki didn’t mention it,” you said, figuring your brother probably didn’t want you to go
“You should definitely go YN! It would be cool for all the kiddos to see your quirk and stuff. I’m going to be there because it’s open to all pros,” Hawks said as you nodded
The night came and everyone was dressed and ready to mingle
A bunch of Bakugo’s classmates siblings showed up
Some of them were hero’s, others weren’t
It was really a great opportunity to get to know everyone
“Hey Kacchan!” Midoriya said : D
“What do you want nerd!” Bakugo responded
“I figured since neither of us have siblings, we could hang out!” Midoriya : D
“Like I’d ever hang out with you Deku!” Bakugo scoffed as he turned, stopping in his tracks when he saw you
Bakugo 👉🏻😠😐😳
You 👉🏻😁👋🏻
Bakugo 👉🏻😐😠😡
You 👉🏻😌🥰
“YN what the hell are you doing here?!?” Katsuki growled as you went in to hug him 🫂
“Suki it’s so good to see you! I missed you!” You said hugging your brother as he stood there, stiff as a pole
Everyone around you started murmuring
“Hey that’s Yn! She’s a huge pro!” Mina gushed
“She’s gorgeous and super popular,” Denki added
“Is anyone wondering why she’s hugging Bakubro?” Kirishima asked
Everyone 👉🏻😐🤨
“Ahh YN! It’s good to see you again!” Aizawa came up, giving you a small hug
“Erased, great to see you! I’m so glad I get to be here!” You say 😊
“I’m surprised your here Yn, I was sure Katsuki would have tried to stop you,” Aizawa said
“Oh I’m sure he did but hawks told me!” You said
Bakugo looking at Hawks rn 👇🏻
Tumblr media
“Well I’m glad you could come!” He says as Bakugo stands there, glaring at you
“Did you ever think maybe there was a reason I didn’t want you to come?” Katsuki says as you stare at home
You 👉🏻 Nope : D
“Bakugobro whats up?” Kirishima says and him, Denki, Sero, Mina and Midoriya approach
Bakugo rn 👉🏻😐🤦🏼 why me
“Omg hi!! You must be Katsuki’s friends! I’m Yn Bakugo, his big sister!” You smile
“His… SISTER?!?!?” They all shout as you just smile and wave
Sero looks at you both, so confused, “umm I don’t get it. You two look and act nothing alike.”
“I know right? But it’s true, we are brother and sister,” you say, hugging Katsuki who is totally stiff as a board
You 👉🏻🥰🥰🥰
Katsuki 👉🏻😐🙄
“I gotta say, this is super weird,” Denki commented
“Try being related to her,” Bakugo adds
“Awe Katsuki, you know you love your big sister! Now come on, say it!” You sing
“Absolutely not,” he says
“Come on,” you say : D
“No,” Katsuki 😐
Suddenly, you hear an explosion happen right outside
The entire hall rocks with the aftermath of the loud boom
“Shit!” Katsuki yelled as everyone tried to get their footing
“YN let’s go!” Hawks yelled
“Katsuki, stay here and protect everyone! Leave it to your big sister to handle this!” You said, taking off before he even got to respond
“Alright nerds! Everyone stay put!” He screamed
“Uhh Kacchan, I don’t think calling everyone a ‘nerd’ is super reassuring,” Midoriya adds
“Well it got everyone to shut up didn’t it?” Katsuki shouted back
Midoriya 👉🏻 noted 📝
Meanwhile, you were outside, fighting off the criminals who caused the explosion
“YN look out!” Hawks shouted as suddenly your works went black
“Holy crow YN got hurt!” Someone shouted as Katsuki turned and ran towards the window
“What happened?” Mina asked
“She was fighting when someone threw a car at her!” Someone answered
Katsuki’s blood ran cold, he had to get to his sister
“Move nerds! Kirishima, make sure nobody leaves and protect everyone!” He shouted as he took off towards you
When he entered the steer, he saw you weren’t moving
He needed to get to you
“Bakugo no! We don’t need you to get hurt too!” Aizawa said as Katsuki watched hero’s race in to help
Someon grabbed you, quickly whisking you to an ambulance and taking you to the hospital
“Get out of my way!” Katsuki said before blasting off into the air and heading towards the hospital
Your parents were there, waiting when he arrived
“YN’s ok right?” He shouted
“Katsuki this is a hospital! Will you keep it down?” Your mother whisper yelled
“They are looking her over now Katsuki, but the hero that brought her in said she was conscious,” your dad said as Katsuku let out a breathe he didn’t know he was holding
Later, your parents went in to see you
You were pretty battered up but thankfully, you were able to protect yourself from any major damage
Katsuki stood by the doorway as your mother fawned over you
“Katsuki! I’m so sorry I ruined your night with your friends!” You cried
“Yeah whatever nerd, im just glade your ok,” he scoffed
You 👉🏻👁️👄👁️
“Katsuki got here as fast as he could Yn! Aizawa said he tried to get to you while uou were still knocked out!” Your mom said
“Mom will you be quiet!” Katsuki growled
You 👉🏻😐🥹
“Get over here and give me a hug?” You shouted as Katsuki looked at you like you had two heads
“I don’t do hugs nerd!” He said as you wiggled your fingers
“Come on, bring it in!” You said, still extending your arms
Katsuki 👉🏻😐🙄 fine!
He came over, giving you the worst most lack luster hug ever
But it didn’t matter, you knew your brother loved you ♥️
694 notes · View notes
Text
Tumblr media
Things that come in my head as I play through Diasomnia's chapter (chp 1- 37):
[Potential spoilers below darlings, proceed with caution!]
Tumblr media
Lilia using his hatchet, which by Sebek's reactions we can assume is basically at the same level of significance as a magical artifact used by say, one of the great Seven, to cut wood. He even justifies it by saying the hatchet might feel better being used even if for mundane things than sitting and gathering dust somewhere. Is that a metaphor for himself? Is he referring to himself and how he busied himself with raising his sons? To how from a weapon in war, one that brought devastation with every swing of his blade, he softened into a someone, who despite his doubts managed to be a father and mentor to both his sons? Does he think of himself as an object to be used, first in the war and then as a caretaker for Malleus?
Silver losing his cool and shouting that yes, Malleus needs to be there to say goodbye to Lilia. We've seen how Silver constantly wants to be useful and do something to sort of 'justify' Lilia taking him in and raising him as his own. I feel like he doesn't see himself as Lilia's son despite calling him "Father"; he sees Malleus as more deserving of that title, and so every time he's shown some resistance against Lilia going away, he puts it as if he's speaking on behalf of Malleus' feelings. Whereas Malleus believes that he must not be selfish and stop Lilia from leaving just because he doesn't want him to. He's trying to be mature about it all, even if it eats him up inside. Just... why can't these idiots realize how much they love each other?? Also, Lilia asking where Silver got his stubborn streak from like sir, have you seen yourself and Malleus? Both of yall are so stubborn that I'm surprised Silver isn't more stubborn than just this.
Malleus and Silver are so similar in so many ways that it actually hurts. Both are losing their father figure, their mentor. And they're both trying to be so incredibly brave and mature about it. Malleus' general dislike of being compared to a child (even though Lilia says that the Draconias achieve their maturity when they're 1000 years old and are still children at 200 years) and Silver saying that he'll be coming of age the next year when Malleus tells him that all children cry... Both are children, but they don't want to be seen as children. These boys are gonna make me cry istg-
Gonna take a break from the dia boys for a sec because how cute are the first years??? Oh my god I love them all so much. Also, weird freaky things happening to the Prefect... could it be a side effect of being stuck in Twisted Wonderland for so long? Or maybe even an effect of the Prefect starting to become "aware" of how the great seven are the people they see in their dreams? Hm... Also have I told you how much I love Adeuce? Because I love them. Very much. The way Ace shows concern about the Prefect feeling under the weather, and the way Deuce immediately agrees that they should leave after saying their greetings just makes me so happy (and it reminds me of my friends.... i think i just realized why im so fond of the idiots...) Okay now back to our regularly scheduled program...
Love how Lilia basically said, "If people here were well-adjusted individuals who knew how to ask for help gracefully and take the help offered to them gracefully they wouldn't have been chosen by the Dark Mirror" because he's soo right, but also, dear sir, if you recall, you were chosen to attend this very same institute yourself <3
"I haven't the slightest intention of being friendly–" shut it lightning boy we're gonna KO you with the power of friendship and life-or-death bonding situations
LILIA HOW DARE YOU TRY TO LEAVE WITHOUT SAYING GOODBYE TO YOUR KIDS ISTG IM GONNQ BITE YOU YOU STUPID OLD MAN THEY FUCKING LOVE YOU HOW DARE YOU SHSVWIDVWYDGWIDVEYWGDGEUDGDH
Oh shit the iconic Maleficent entry– I love you Malleus but Jesus christ you are scaring me rn with that smile–
First battle of the chapter.... wish me luck... Oh wait I was supposed to lose? Ah that's fine, I didn't wanna be stuck on that chapter for the next six months-
Oh god the utter pain in Lilia's voice when he yells out to Malleus.... oh this hurts more than hearing Silver cry.... why can't these idiots just fucking talk and tell each other how much they love each other?!?!?! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
HELLO?!?!! WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT–Malleus' voice is so pretty while humming the song– BUT HOLY SHIT WHAT WAS THAT?!?! THE FUCKING PROTAGNONIST OF YOUR OWN STPRY?? THE TEISTED WONDERLAND SORT OF TITLE SCREEN THINGY WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK I— WHDYEHWGDGDYW
Tumblr media
15 notes · View notes
tragcdysewn · 1 year
Text
here is my combo event plotting/starter call! like for me to dm you and if you want a starter, make sure to specify who for and from! (also i definitely owe like three starters so those are on here too)
abigail mckinnon - marlene mckinnon
abi is pretty into this, she does genuinely enjoy winter and likes shopping and exploring, so girl is having a blast with this whole thing. come ice skate with her she will try not to pull you down but i can not promise anything
ahsoka tano
is neutral, considering her whole family is falling apart. she may lurk for a bit but she probably won’t be spending a ton of time there when she has bigger issues to deal with.
allana solo - sella palpatine
allana is having a great time, spending time with their girlfriend and ignoring her problems by throwing themselves into various activities? a blast. will absolutely try the polar plunge to see if she can manage it
alphonse elric
al has never been to something like this, and will be dragging ed to hang out with him and try all the snacks and shit, man is having a great time and wants to try everything
ariana dumbledore
had said last year that she was going to be an annoying mom around the holidays this year, and she was absolutely telling the truth let her be a cringey pinterest mom who’s taking photos of everything thank you
bela dimitrescu - rachel green
hell no. absolutely not, no way bela is going anywhere near any of this, it is cold and she does not fuck with that shit
bellatrix black - narcissa malfoy
eh, might drop in for a bit but she isn’t going to come to really do anything. this is stupid muggle shit
cassie lang
she’ll probably walk around a little bit, but she isn’t a super super big fan of the cold so catch her hiding with hot chocolate and a very thick pair of gloves by the bonfire
davina claire - hope mikaelson
davina grew up loving festivals and markets and all of that, so she’s honestly thrilled about all of this and will be dragging her friends to everything she can. she’s a huge fan of art and music, so she’ll be at the nutcracker and the live shows 
elphaba thropp
it is highly unlikely elphaba is going to this, considering the one thing that usually makes her go is glinda and rn she doesn’t actually remember her beyond her weirdly perky rooommate so she’s at most passing through to grab some last minute gifts
feng xin - xie lian, lyra belacqua
will definitely be going and trying stuff out. he doesn’t know what christmas is about, exactly, but he’s always down for new experiences and there’s competitions, which feng xin absolutely adores and loves so watch out
feyre archeron
will be taking nyx and trying to get omega to come as well to get her mind off what happened to hunter a few months ago, also is running a charity art stand, but she’s not going to be there much, she’s got volunteers actually handling the stand itself
hallie parker - jester lavorre
is going, will be recording everything that happens and dragging random strangers to do fun stuff with her and challenge them to races just for vibes
howl jenkins pendragon - sophie hatter
they absolutely took morgan out of school for the day to have some fun, so he’ll be doing anything a small child would enjoy and being an absolute Dad
james potter
he’s got to do some christmas shopping because i know he left it to the last possible minute so if you’re his friend and you see him buying stuff no you don’t
james witherdale - bree tanner
he’s chilling honestly. not a huge fan, but he’ll find some enjoyment in it after a while. may have to snack on someone though, a guy’s gotta eat and unfortunately he can not consume anything sold
jin zixuan
another one who doesn’t really celebrate this holiday, but he thinks everything looks nice and he’s sure his friends are going, so why not, right?
korra
she’s going to take a picture with sexy santa, because why not, it’ll be funny as all hell. she also definitely has to christmas shop, so that’s getting done asap. also will be throwing snowballs even outside the actual competition when they inevitably get kicked out for water bending
lan wangji - wei wuxian
he’ll be going solely because he’s positive most of the people he cares about will be there, and it’s an easy place to find them and talk now that i have unfortunately made him aware
lumine
lumine has been here long enough to start understanding the customs of this world, so she gets the basic idea of the holidays, and she thinks it’s cute, so she’ll be participating and probably going with some friends
lyanna stark
she loves the winter holidays, even if they aren’t the ones she celebrated back in westeros. she will be making the stark-targaryens decorate and do gifts and all that, so she needs to get them all gifts and get them into the holiday spirit
marinette dupain-cheng
will be running a bakery stall, but will also try ice skating and all of that when she takes breaks, so come have some fun with her
mj jones - gwen blake
mj actually will be spending a ton of time ice skating, she genuinely loves it and will have a blast, and then probably sit by the bonfire and make some s’mores. could also be convinced to hop in a carriage or join the snowball fight
mo ran - antonia dreykov, sha hualing, milton greasley
i went back and forth on if he would go or not, but i decided that since he’s from the second timeline AND unaware, he’d probably go check it out, flirt with strangers, fling snowballs are strangers, etc
mobei-jun
man is THRIVING catch him living in the ice bar it is way too warm for him in dc he will be living it up in the freezing cold
nie mingjue
he doesn’t get what’s so important, but apparently people are supposed to give gifts and he unfortunately has a brother who will whine forever if he doesn’t participate so he’s gonna try
renesmee cullen - alice cullen, kaiden monsula, omega archeron
nessie has about twenty family members she needs to buy gifts for, and they have bought gifts for about zero of them, they are in crunch time rn
rose weasley - roxanne weasley, victorie weasley, albus potter
she definitely enjoys the holidays, and she’s a bit competitive, so sled races and snowball fights, the wotters will be dragged into any game she can find
sheev palpatine - anakin skywalker
he’s not going. literally not a chance unless one of the siblings really wants him to go for some reason
shen qingqiu
he’s going both because any and all modern traditions are a fun little nostalgic thing for him, and also he’s sure binghe will enjoy it and qinghua will want a gift so here he is
shi wudu
i doubt he even knows what’s going on, he may walk through out of curiosity and see what’s up but that’s really it
thanatos
they may go for a bit just to see what’s happening, but they aren’t super preoccupied with mortal traditions, so he’s just probably going to observe more than participate
wanda maximoff - daisy johnson
i don’t know if she’d go unless billy or steve really wanted her to, the whole thing with tommy and vision is way more her priority 
wen qing - jo wilson
they're definitely still getting used to stuff in this world, but she’s nothing if not eager to try new things, so she’ll be giving pretty much everything a shot
xiao lanhua - sam giddings
she's absolutely loving this, and wants to try everything she can. girl will be making gingerbread houses, going on a carriage ride, probably falling on her ass attempting to ice skate, and being as excited as a five year old the entire time
yor forger
yor is in full mom mode, doing holiday prep and figuring out gifts for her family, also making sure anya has fun. she could probably be convinced to join in some games and contests, though it’s not her priority. don’t let her throw snowballs i’m begging you the woman once threw a tennis ball so hard it broke the sound barrier and shattered the other persons racket
12 notes · View notes
aewrie · 1 year
Text
distractions aren't working so
(yelling into the void to get this out of my system but seriously tread carefully if you're sensitive to topics of abuse/ c/sa /mental health crap)
i'd be looking for a therapist but am not exactly in the headspace to do so. my old one was overall great and i'd be contacting her but she was basically useless when it came to this topic. think she was more confused and conflicted at the idea of a child being the abuser than me. which. that's not gonna help. and by the time i'd trust myself to see through that ordeal idk. i could probably use it anyway but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
could use it right now. i've been crying on and off for like 3-4 hours, while teetering on the edge of another breakdown
took me what, 10?? years before i felt ok using the word trauma in reference to being bullied for years. even after i kinda knew how fucked it all was. only after a health professional was like 'yeah, that's trauma you've got going on' after hearing the tl;dr of my life i felt i was allowed to. (she then proceeded to recommend therapy lmao). bc it wasn't so bad. boy i'm good at rationalizing all that away. other people always have it worse! and it's not like there was obvious violence, so obviously it doesn't count.
same fucking thing when i got diagnosed with depression and anxiety. i was passively suicidal & heading into worse direction and i was only willing to admit that i was sad & anxious. probably. surely not anything that would warrant treatment.
and now this thing i've filed away under 'miscellaneous shit that was not ideal probably, but surely it wasn't' That Bad, other people have it Worse':
yesterday i checked out this vr interview stream dealing with abuse right before i had to go sleep (the best idea ever. clearly) and at the point i started watching the discussion made basically no sense so i figure i go to the start and watch from there. and the interviewee describes the abuse, and i'm fine until a particular detail comes up and then it kinda unraveled from there. i had to pause just to get a breather. i watched maybe a few minutes more idk.
i've looked into child psychology and sexual development before bc ever since i bumped into the term child-on-child sa i've been stuck with the whole 'but does it count if x y z' (mostly: can someone so young even be an abuser, bc obviously if he didnt' intentionally & maliciously do it, i am not allowed to feel upset), even earlier that same damn day! but nothing unequivocally said yes or no. so of course i'm going with the safe answer of no, i'm not allowed to call it abuse.
but after that Moment i looked at some more stuff and found a couple of videos, one from a therapist knowledgeable on the topic, and one first-hand account, read some comments to boot, and then i'm having the sort of crying episode that leaves me feeling physically sick for a full day at least
at work today I was distracted the second i was not properly busy, then i managed to keep it together for a bit when i got home and now here we are. fuck i'm glad i'll have multiple days off now. on the long run this is good to process. but def not feeling it right now lol. at least i'm not stuck in a corner of fandom where loaded buzzwords get thrown around like they mean nothing, i knew that fucked with my head even back during the vl/d heyday and i was just getting around to the 'ok that Happened and maybe it was messed up, but Not abuse' stage of denial
good news i might be done crying rn so i guess that helped
i guess this was gonna be happening sooner or later bc i've been somewhat actively thinking about all that for months but rip it came out of nowhere
(and gonna throw it in here just in case; i'd rather not have 'i'm sorry' messages or similar, 9 times out of 10 i just feel awkward as shit. more neutral (not sure what's the best word?) is fine)
0 notes
phoenixyfriend · 3 years
Text
Anakin Assists the Jedi Council While On Medical Leave
AU brainstormed primarily by @atagotiak, @gelpenss, and myself.
Basically, a fix-it based in Anakin getting a peek into the daily life on the Council early, and accidentally Figuring Some Shit Out along the way, mostly because Palps Fucks Up.
So, Anakin gets injured in a way that limits him to Coruscant for a few weeks. He can still walk and talk, but he can't fight. The specific injury doesn't matter, just this:
Anakin runs errands on behalf of the council and sits in on meetings to take minutes as a "you're on medical leave but we need all hands on deck, congrats you get to be the secretary until we can send you on stabbing missions again" thing.
Also, there just aren't a whole lot of people with Anakin's clearance level. They had to send out Stass Allie to handle the mission that was originally next on Anakin's roster, and Anakin's the most convenient person to substitute into her position.
He's not super happy about this but he can more or less understand the point of it. Given that he gets antsy about needing to fight almost immediately, he can acknowledge the worth of having something useful to do, if only as the person who's writing down who says what and making sure everyone has the right file on hand.
(Besides, Obi-Wan jokes in a way that Anakin thinks might be encouraging, this is good practice if Anakin ever wants to be on the High Council himself!)
(This is a very helpful conversation.)
BASICALLY, Anakin is resigned to this but agrees because "Usually we have Master Allie handle this but we need her running that mission that was originally set for the 501st, so you get to fill in for her until you can switch back. Think of it as training for eventual mastery or admin or--listen, we're just really stretched thin."
Here's the key thing, though: Anakin isn't supposed to leave the Temple, for medical reasons, so Palpatine doesn't know Anakin is sitting in on Council meetings. They haven't met up since Anakin's last surgery, and because [muffled hand-wave reason] he didn't find out another way, like Anakin comming him or the Council giving him the heads-up about the change in attendance.
It's fine. He's just taking notes and doing preparatory research, he has the clearance, the Chancellor likes him anyway. Hell, they'd have had someone's Padawan doing this, before the war increased the necessary clearance levels. They'll toss in a quick message in the brief they send to Palps that he never reads anyway, and that's really all they need to do. Skywalker's getting some rounded experience and this way the medics won't be freaking out about him stressing his heart after getting electrocuted by trying to spar too early.
Palpatine doesn't talk directly to the Council, he just sends a recording the first time Anakin is there. It's a bit weird, but nothing goes wrong. Anakin's off-screen from whatever device they use to send a response, since he's not technically a member, just assisting for a bit on the part of Master Allie's duties that he's actually allowed to touch (and not the bits that are getting added to Mace, Plo, and Shaak's stuff).
The first four or so meetings are like that. Anakin starts having a bit of sympathy for the Council as he sees how many things they want to do that are hampered by the need for Senatorial approval, things that he would also want to do and didn't think required this much red tape.
About a week in, still mostly recordings with Anakin just sitting on the side playing paralegal, the wheel of fortune turns a few pegs.
Palpatine hands over a an order on the range of injury that a soldier should be treated for, "to ensure that republic resources aren't being wasted on clones that, while expensive, would actually be cheaper to replace than repair."
Oh, he dresses it up in prettier language than that. Anakin doesn't process it as such first.
The Chancellor manages to couch his phrasing in "prioritizing resources for taxpaying republic citizens and employees of the GAR," which... well.
The natborn commissioned officers pay taxes. The Jedi are employees. The clones are neither, because they're slaves.
Probably he frames it as the employees thing, very much the kinda language that sounds halfway ok unless you’re fluent in political bullshit.
And Anakin is really confused at first about why the council is upset by the order because, okay, he would PREFER to be able to use medical supplies on refugees when possible, but he understands prioritizing the soldiers?
He just looks up, totally lost, when someone groans and goes, "That's the third time this year, is he trying to get us all killed?"
And it vibes as such a genuine, aggrieved, sad reaction that Anakin is completely blindsided because it's not the sarcastic, petty resentment he kind of expected? It's just... desperate depression.
And someone gently has to explain that this is the third time they've had resources restricted to only GAR employees and that it's a polite way of saying "prioritize natborn officers, stop wasting resources on clones, we can replace them easier."
Or maybe he doesn't ask, because he's just there to take notes, not argue, and he can see the masters drawing up a response that amounts to "We would like to remind you that our soldiers do not fall into that classification, and to limit their access to our medical supplies is liable to cause a loss of life that we find unreasonably high. Please see the annotations attached to adjust wording so that the clones may receive the same level of care."
Anakin's internally just like "Yeah, that's phrased nice and addresses the main problem, Palpatine will obviously agree and change it!"
And then he comes in the next day and the response comes in and it's just dripping condescension about considering the clones actual people.
"This is why we can't use the bacta tanks on clones anymore, just the patches. We could use them at first, we had a few of the CCs get through fatal injuries with them, but they cut that off and said we could only use the tanks on Jedi and non-clone officers a few months ago. The Banking Clans keep tightening their belts on the army, and the Chancellor insists we put citizens first, and the clones aren't citizens. We've been arguing back as much as we can, but he keeps going on about the economy and we can't... we just can't, Skywalker. We're trying to save as many of our men as we can, but..."
Something like "Allocation of resources reiterated, the Kaminoans have assured the senate that the Jedi are far from exhausting the resources ordered."
And Anakin's like. He can't blame the council for lying about Palpatine's past or future actions. He just saw Palpatine's actions. Those actions were to order people under his control to throw away lives he saw as replaceable commodities.
These are his friends' lives.
His soldiers are being thrown away by a man in a tower that he trusted.
And then that man has the gall to suggest it's the council's fault.
Palpatine is good at what he does, especially in public, he dresses it up in flowery language and everything, but Anakin's just like "Those are my FRIENDS and also this is??? How slavers talked about their property on Tatooine???? FRIENDPATINE, WHAT THE FUCK."
Anakin can be passive aggressive sometimes as well as outright aggressive. So if he brings up the guidelines and why they make him upset in general terms, and Palpatine says something about how he’s sad the council doesn’t care about the clones...
Anakin, internally, having just watched the council scramble to save as many clones as possible within the guidelines that Palps handed down: Uh-huh.
(Anakin is just the gay horror teeth gif from queer eye.)
Tumblr media
Just. “Yeah, funny you say that, Palpatine! Because as I remember, you told the council not to waste more resources than necessary while Mace Windu was arguing to expand the treatment range!”
Palps doesn't even have time to salvage the situation or attack Anakin because Anakin just bulldoze rants for fifteen minutes and then storms out.
Anakin... maybe does a little treason and gets a copy of the orders so he can ask Padme "Hey, can you explain the politics of this?" and doesn't tell her who wrote it so she isn't biased (he tells her that this is why he's not sharing the author's/speaker's name), and just lets Padme pick apart all the 'this is a nice way of saying they don't view the clones as people' details.
Alternately, someone on the Council sees Anakin dithering and manages to get him to admit that he's not great at political language and wants to ask someone to help him understand the full implications. The person--Mace? let's go with Mace--is aware that Anakin is on good terms with Senator Amidala, if not necessarily aware of the depth of said relationship. Mace points out that he's probably going to be seeing her soon just because he usually does and, as a Senator, she can get easy access to these sessions since they're not about specific missions, just allocation of resources, etc. It's not an optimal solution, but she's got a bit more free time than anyone else Anakin knows with the clearance levels, like Order members that are actively involved in the war effort.
Anakin dithers and panics and Mace, trying to be helpful, tells him that plenty of Jedi have made friends among the Senate over the years, didn't you know Qui-Gon Jinn was a personal friend of Former Chancellor Valorum?
At any rate, Anakin goes to Padme and asks her to explain it to him, because she knows how to phrase things so he gets it.
Anakin has to have her pause and he goes outside and destroys some things halfway through.
(Anakin maybe thinks back to the times Padmé or Obi-Wan were really obviously frustrated and when he asked, they said stuff like “I can’t stand Palpatine rn, sorry Anakin I know he’s important to you and you don’t want to talk about politics, let’s just talk about something else.”)
(Obi-Wan: I don’t trust Palpatine Anakin: you just don’t like politicians in general Obi-Wan: yes that is also true)
(Obi-Wan does like Bail and Padme but he does also talk a bit about how politicians generally aren’t to be trusted.)
2K notes · View notes
chaoticevilbean · 3 years
Text
Another Star Wars AU, TBN*
*To-Be-Named
I love time travel. A lot. So here is a time-travel au, with the CW trio.
Somehow, perhaps by touching a Sith artifact, perhaps by the Force deciding they should, perhaps from some sort of weird ritual the locals were performing that the trio didn't know about, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, Anakin, Rex, and Cody travel aback in time.
[Please keep in mind that Canon Timeline has died tragically in a fire, and I am but the weeping widow with an inheritance.]
Due to whatever happened, they all also end up (technically) deaging. They still have their memories and their knowledge and skills, just stuck in smaller bodies. They can think and act like adults, but they also have to struggle a bit more to implement Older Skills in Younger Bodies.
Ahsoka is 2. She's nubby. She's emotional. She's tired and sore from her deaging.
She wakes up in someone's office. She's in a spinny chair, a big one with leather padding. It's kind-of chilly in the room.
She's not thinking, because all her brain is putting together is that she's still tired. She grabs the jacket off the back of the chair and pulls it over herself. She goes back to sleep.
Rex and Cody wake up together.
They are their actual age, which is to say they're both about eleven.
They find themselves on Mandalore. In the more wild areas.
(let me believe that there are parts of the planet that aren't covered in city)
(also, this is the Mandalore in the cartoons)
They find a teen trying to wake them both up. Rex has absolutely no clue what's going on. Cody has a vague idea, because this girl looks very similar to a picture he once saw...
Obi-Wan does not fare as well. He is 3.
He wakes up in someone's arms. He's just as tired and sore as the other three. However, he's also got more awareness because he's in someone's arms.
He looks up to see who's carrying him.
He looks around at the people walking with them.
He starts crying. He cannot help this, as he is suddenly flooded with Emotions, and he is Smol. Smol = harder to handle Emotions.
Because Qui-Gon is walking right next to him, tapping away on a holopad as they go. Dooku is on his other side, on a comm call where both parties sound very tired.
And Obi-Wan is being held... by Obi-Wan.
So, yeah, not that great for a suddenly Smol Obi.
Now, Anakin is 8, so he's better off in that perspective.
But he wakes up on some remote planet without anyone around. He just was in the middle of a group, so he ends up kinda panicking.
Then he hears something coming towards him, and he panics more.
He's Tiny! He's Smol! He's massively at a disadvantage against attacks! He can't fight off whatever is on a planet like this!
It's Mace (and Depa).
Anakin, however, doesn't realize this. He has gone Feral.
Back to the beginning
Jango Fett has been very busy w/Important Mand'alor Paperwork all day. He finally has time to go and relax a little, and he makes it all the way down to the exit before he realizes:
It is really cold outside. He is not in armor bc he was planning to only do paperwork today (though he still has many weapons). When one plans to stay in the same room for almost the entire day, one does not wear normal garb.
That said, he has no protection from the cold. He forgot his jacket upstairs. He rushes back up to his office.
He distinctly remembers that he left the jacket on the back of his chair, not on the seat.
He also is wondering what that lump is.
He arms himself, grabs some of his "emergency" armor plating, and walks over to the chair.
He lifts his jacket up, expecting a bomb or some paperwork that fell off the desk, or something logical.
He does not expect to find a tiny Togruta child clinging onto the fabric, whining as they're woken up by his yanking of the jacket.
Jango's brain stutters for a moment, then he kicks into action.
First things first, he wraps the jacket around the Togruta. They thankfully stay asleep. Then he turns up the heat, because he knows the office has gotten colder in the twenty minutes or so he's been gone, and Togruta are from warm temperate zones.
He decides to call, in this order, a guard who can help him watch the Togruta (they did break in, after all), a medic to check the Togruta’s health, and the first person he can find in his contacts that might know an adult Togruta.
Next group
Rex and Cody manage to get the teen to stop fussing over them for long enough to ask for her name.
Her, clearly lying, but that’s understandable: My name is Ine.
Cody, who knows exactly who this is now: Oh, kriff. You’re Duchess Satine, aren’t you? Kriff.
Rex: Wait, Satine? As in the General’s Satine?
Satine, now very suspicious and reaching for her stunner: I think you need proper medical attention.
Cody, looking down at their eleven-year-old selves: Yeah, I think so, too.
They agree on one thing, at least.
Next
Obi-Wan is crying. Loudly, uncontrollably, w/too many Emotions to even care that he’s supposed to be an adult rn.
Other Obi-Wan is very uncomfortable, bc he doesn’t know how to handle children too well.
They found this kid unconscious in the middle of a ruined, abandoned town.
Obi-Wan was meant to hold this kid while Qui-Gon did research and Master Dooku tried to convince the Council that it was entirely necessary to bring the kid back to Coruscant. Granted, they can still give the child to the locals at any time before they make it back to their ship, but apparently the Force is Being Loud.
The Force was Being Loud when it told Master Dooku to come along.
The Force was Being Loud when it led them to that town.
Qui-Gon and Dooku have argued fifteen and a half times on this mission, and an additional six times on the flight here. Obi-Wan is trying to mediate but also doesn’t want to overstep. The Force is Being Loud, sure, but the kid is also Force-sensitive so it might be something off that.
He didn’t argue with holding the kid bc he thought that it was better than being caught between the Masters.
Holding a crying child and trying to get two adults to stop arguing bc they can’t decide how to comfort the kid is not better.
Obi-Wan keeps walking past them to the ship with this baby. He does what he’s seen some crechemasters do to the younglings. The kid eventually calms a little, and he belatedly realizes that both Masters are still behind him, not with him.
NEXT
Anakin is panakin.
He is currently in a state of Feralness. His instincts have kicked into overdrive, full-on Survival Mode.
Depa and Mace do not know this. All they know is that there was suddenly an extremely powerful Force presence that started fading quickly (bc Anakin started shielding).
They burst into sight of Anakin and are suddenly attacked by all four feet and some of Feral Force Child.
It’s all they can do for a good minute or so to avoid losing their fingers, eyes, or untorn clothes.
Mace puts a few things together very quickly.
This planet is uninhabited by any sapient life. Therefore, this child is utterly alone. This child also is clearly strong in the Force, and knows how to hide their presence, for whatever reasons. Mace is a Jedi, and therefore is bound by certain duties.
He decides it is his Duty to get this kid back to Coruscant safely.
Back to the beginning
Ahsoka wakes up to find a familiar face looking down at her. She’s still tired, but not as much. She’s very aware of her size, and does a few quick observations.
She does not fully know who Jango Fett is. She does know that some clones run off bc they hate war and weren’t given a choice an- no. Not going down that path yet.
Ahsoka assumes, semi-incorrectly, that she was shrunk or deaged and somehow found by a rogue clone.
She knows it’s a rogue clone bc they’ve got weird armor.
So she does the logical thing and tries to comfort this clone bc he looks really worried and kinda panicked. She stands up on the spinny chair and tries to balance and he practically lunges to help her and she can’t help but giggle, but it comes out in a bunch of chirps instead.
The clone picks her up and looks really awkward so she pats his face bc that’s the best she can do bc she doesn’t want to disprove the fact she’s two yet.
For all she knows, this rogue clone has no idea she’s actually a Commander in the GAR.
He doesn’t, but for different reasons than she thinks.
NEXT
Rex and Cody go with Satine to the city. They have introduced themselves and said that they were separated from their aliit. They don't know where said aliit is.
Satine is highly suspicious by this point, bc these two kids recognized her with only part of her name, and they were alone, and they speak Basic with Mando'a thrown in.
Basically, she thinks that they're children of people like Death Watch, but she's too young to know that Death Watch isn't really into children.
Rex and Cody get checked over by a medic, but also start trying to get access to some working comms. They are refused on account of being suspicious children (which makes them a little upset bc they're not children)(Well, they are, but not those types of children)
They have not yet figured out that they are in the past, bc Cody and Rex only know that General Kenobi talks about Duchess Satine, and they know about Padme Amidala from General Skywalker, so clearly this Duchess is really young and the General simply viewed her as someone he wants to protect.
They are very very very wrong.
NEXT
Obi-Wan manages to calm himself somewhat now that it's just him and... him.
He is three, and he knows roughly what's happening, so he knows he should probably act like a 3yo.
Unfortunately, he has very little understanding of how child ages work. 3 is smart enough to go up the stairs and communicate with adults, but def. not old enough to speak sentences that are 15 words long with at least 2 5-syllable words.
Fortunately, his older (younger?) self doesn't know children either.
So when this 3yo starts telling him that he needs to leave the two Masters on the planet and head to Tatooine really fast, Obi-Wan is more concerned about the idea than the strangeness of "this is a 3yo suggesting this".
Obi-Wan is really good at convincing people. Including himself. He manages to get Padawan Kenobi to leave supplies where the ship is supposed to be and head towards Tatooine.
He says that the Masters will be fine, they know how to survive, and they need to be alone together in order to work through all the tension. Plus, it gives them plenty of time to talk to the Council.
Toddler Kenobi also tells himself that he'll take the blow and say he used a mind-trick.
Padawan Kenobi doesn't believe him yet, but Toddler Kenobi smiles like a very smug adult and says "you'll get there eventually". What he truly means is up in the air.
NEXT
Anakin, since waking up, knows much less than everyone else. Which is saying something.
He knows he's Smol. He knows he's Alone. He knows Someone has come and they are Strangers.
One thing about Anakin's instincts is that they are very much Survival Based. He was Feral when he joined the Jedi, only he had to hold those instincts back for most of his life bc of being a slave.
A slave cannot bite someone who approaches and Vibes Wrong.
By the time he felt okay with being Feral Out Loud, he also felt safe enough that he didn't need to activate his Survival Mode.
What I'm trying to say is that Anakin does not realize how strong his Feral Instincts are. He has absolutely no control over them rn.
When Mace decides to Help this child, this child is trying to Maul them.
Mace makes a small ruckus to draw Anakin's attention to him so Depa can move back. Depa pulls out her saber now that she won't hit the kid. The kid notices Purple and Bright and Lightsaber.
Lorge Jedi Mind says this is Good. Safe. Jedi.
Smol Feral Brain says this is Dangerous. Mean.
Anakin freezes on sight and just starts tracking Depa's saber. She does one of those things where a snake or something is focused and the person waves the fire or the food slowly to make sure the wolf is watching it and usually they toss the thing away so the snake follows it.
Mace instead takes this opportunity to wrap Anakin in his cloak. And Depa's cloak. And the spare ones in their bags.
Feral Child is not happy with this. Feral Child is also unable to scratch or Maul or do things other than bite and snarl.
Depa carries Feral Child while Mace comms the Temple and they walk back to their ship.
The Temple is having a field day.
First, one of their Shadows reports that a well-known bounty hunter got an emergency message from a pal of theirs that said Jango Fett needs help learning Togruta childcare.
Then they get a call from Dooku, which is not the mission report they wanted.
Yoda: Mission report, you have?
Dooku: Of a sort. We successfully spoke with the locals, then went to investigate a rather large disturbance.
Mundi: A disturbance?
Dooku: We found the source to be a Force-sensitive child.
Mundi: So you are here to ask for more time on the planet?
Dooku:...
Yoda: Bring the child back, you wish to?
Dooku, unapologetic: He is of an acceptable age to be admitted into the Temple, and no other beings were around at the time to entertain the idea of there being guardians.
The Council is sighing and muttering bc this is a Disaster Lineage (and they haven't even met the other two yet). Their call is interrupted by the sound of crying and Dooku saying the child's woken up.
Then there's another Shadow who sends a message saying a set of twins that seem like Death Watch were found by the heir of Clan Kryze.
Finally, to top everything off, they get a call from Mace Windu and Depa Billaba. Two very dignified, not-at-all chaotic Jedi from a perfectly respectable lineage.
Yeah, most of the Council and the Order itself forgets that Yoda had a hand in raising Windu. Yoda "Feral Grandpa" who throws children at every problem. Grandson isn't doing too well? Throw a child his way. Other grandchild is struggling to cope with grief? Throw another child their way. Oh, there's a war going on and newest grandchild is angry a lot? Here's a child!
The entire lineage has a soft spot for children.
Anyways...
Mace: Our mission was a success. We found the artifact and both specimens.
Koth: How long until your return?
Mace:...
Yoda: Found a child, you did?
Gallia: Master Yoda, that's a rather illogical guess. Once is unusual, twice is-
Mace: Oh, did Qui-Gon find a child as well?
Yoda, smugly: Bringing the child back, are you?
Depa, from the background, after a rather loud snarl is heard: We do not bite things, young one.
*more snarling*
Mace: We have no reason to believe he was not alone.
Tiin: *deep sighing*
Mundi: *mild confusion noises*
Koon, eagerly: Please send photos of this youngling. For the archives, of course.
Mace, nodding sagely: Of course.
*extremely loud yowl* *sounds of Mace turning*
Mace: DEPA!
Depa: He nearly bit off my finger!
Mace: That doesn’t mean you pinch him!
Depa: What else am I supposed to do?!
*sudden exclamation filled solely of Mando’a, Huttese and Twi’leki curses*
Mace: So, I don’t know if he speaks Basic, but Master Che should be able to talk him through a check-up.
Yeah, several Council members are experiencing headaches now. Normally, they would have some empathy for Mace and his own stress-induced migraines. They currently do not.
Right after that call, Dooku calls back to say that Obi-Wan has left without them.
Mundi: He left the child with you, right?
Dooku:
Mundi: He left the child with you, right?
Obi-Wan did not leave himself with the Masters. Obi-Wan has listened to Mini-Obi and is off on some wild space adventure to a criminal-run planet.
The toddler won’t stop staring at him. He asks for a name. The kid says to call him Ben.
OW: Is that your name?
“Ben”: It is a name I am called :)
OW: That isn’t what I meant.
“Ben”: I know :)
Ben also keeps staring at OW’s lightsaber. OW decides to make sure the kid doesn’t start playing with it when he isn’t looking.
MEANWHILE
Ahsoka has figured out that she was really very oh-so wrong. She’s on Mandalore. As in, the Mandalore that is under Jango Fett. Bc she’s with Jango Fett. He’s holding her hand bc she was nervous about the strange looking medic (who was just wearing armor, but not clone armor and civies don’t wear armor.)
Ahsoka knows very little about Jango Fett. Clone Buir, Mandalorian leader, tried to kill Master Kenobi. Also dead.
He asks how she got in. She shrugs. She is too small to fight back so she can’t let him know anything. Whatever everything is right now. But also, he doesn’t seem mean or evil or anything.
Oh yeah. Skyguy said that Mandos love children. That's why the clones were so protective of her, even with Skyguy on her side of the argument.
She decides to use this to her advantage. She can probably get herself a comm, and enough time to call the Temple. If she can convince them she at least knows a Jedi, then they can come get her and she'll work from there.
ELSEWHERE
Rex and Cody are getting really upset. This Duchess is really nice, but she's acting really weird and keeps insisting she's not actually called Duchess. No one will give them a comm, they keep getting weird looks for speaking Mando'a even though they're on Mandalore, and Satine's father keeps mentioning a Fett. Maybe Boba's set a bad example again.
Rex starts to fall asleep, to his chagrin. He's too bored, sitting and getting some abnormally extensive check-up. Cody is fine, but he's used to the calm that is General Kenobi. Rex usually has a Togruta teen in the vents and a Human that is never where he's supposed to be.
Rex does, in fact, fall asleep. His "twin" starts glaring when a doctor goes to wake him up. Cody makes it clear that his brother is like Cat: once asleep, you do not wake.
Satine is giggling, but trying not to let the others hear. Cody does. Cody looks at her. They have a stare-off.
Cody goes back to glaring at the doctors. He will not admit to any emotions besides Protect™.
BACK TO
Obi-Wan and Ben have made it to Tatooine.
339 notes · View notes
heartslobbf · 4 years
Text
let’s talk about perfuma. imo, she’s one of the best characters in the show despite being underdeveloped, and i wanna explain why. she could’ve been extremely average, just some lanky flower girl that doesn’t believe in violence and loves everyone, but she is so much more than that (and it pisses me off that y’all reduce her to that).
in her introductory episode, perfuma is clearly in denial about the horde almost destroying plumeria. she doesn’t want to acknowledge the problem, wants someone else to take care of it for her. she’s scared of change, and that is because change makes you vulnerable. if things always stay the same, there’s a whole lot less danger and uncertainty, and therefore you’re safe. secure. perfuma’s kingdom is dying and she can’t bear to accept it because it is unknown to her. it’s putting her in a position where she is no longer secure. this fear of vulnerability can also be seen at the beginning of 1x10 when the princess alliance falls apart and she literally says ‘being together makes us vulnerable.’
the thing is, perfuma isn’t wrong. look at her choice of words. she says that being together makes them vulnerable, not weak. here, she kind of has the words mixed up, but we see that by s5 she has come to understand the difference. that’s what’s so great about perfuma, her motivation to do better, her hunger for self-improvement. it’s why she’s such an important part of catra’s redemption, actually, because she embodies the kind person catra is or wants to be.
let me explain: perfuma is an angry, impatient, short-tempered character. we are shown this again and again with her passive aggression to others and how easily mermista can annoy her with trivial things (sitting in her seat in the war room, for example). catra is also an angry, impatient character, but perfuma works every day to manage those emotions. she knows she needs them, she uses them as a tool (calling catra out, for example, is a time they were practically pivotal for getting her point across) but she also acknowledges they can hurt the people she loves. we know she does a meditation ritual each morning and we see in 4x02 how quickly she can unravel without it. she wants to be better. she puts the work in. that is such a valuable lesson for a character like catra who has always felt she’s just not good enough, she’s always going to be this angry and unlovable and no one can do anything about it.
so, 4x02. it’s a brilliant episode for perfuma’s character, really, and the first proper development we’ve had since 1x04. we see her anger, her impatience, but we also see her self-doubt. her belief that she’s inadequate, ‘just a flower girl.’ this is also when we get introduced to her little mantra that becomes a bit of a motif later on, ‘i can do this.’ we know perfuma doesn’t wholeheartedly believe this, but she says it anyway because she wants to. perfuma wants to be better. she will do whatever she can to be her best self, whether that be actually conquering her gripes with cacti or realising there’s a loophole with the roots (love that conflict resolution by the way, another good deconstruction of hero bs by spop).
this episode is also significant because it comes back to perfuma’s fear of change, of vulnerability. she’s thrown into a situation she doesn’t want to be in, one she feels miserably unprepared for, and she hasn’t done the one thing that puts her at her best beforehand, but she pulls through in the end because she is surrounded by people that support her, that listened to her and consoled her when she was vulnerable. 4x02 teaches perfuma the power of self-worth and the power of true, mutual, unconditional love, which can only come with vulnerability.
and this is where her character gets really interesting, in my humble opinion. ngl, one of the reasons i love perfuma so much is because she’s a pisces and i am too. i’m not gonna go astrology hoe on you rn, i’m just using this to demonstrate the part of her character that teaches others. pisces, if you don’t know, love to play therapist. we like to help the people around us with whatever strifes they may have because we think we’re fucking great at it. perfuma actually is.
you know how i said perfuma learns the importance of self-belief and vulnerability? yeah, she teaches both of those lessons to other characters in s5. like i said, perfuma is a character who values self-betterment and also happens to be a pisces, so when she sees scorpia, riddled with so much self-doubt and such low self-esteem, her immediate response is just i’m gonna teach that bitch how to love herself. and she does!
i’ve seen some people say they don’t like scorfuma because it seemed as though the writers just decided to ‘fix’ all of scorpia’s problems by giving her a girlfriend. that’s very dumb, first of all because they aren’t even together by the end of the show, they’re just interested in one another. second, the whole point of she-ra is that we’re stronger together. scorpia doesn’t go through growth in s5 because a girl likes her, she goes through growth because someone is showing her support and love for the first time in her life and that empowers her. you know, the worth that scorpia finds in herself doesn’t hinge on perfuma, like it did with catra. it’s about her as an individual, and perfuma so clearly makes it about that when her big lesson revolves around singing. scorpia loves singing. perfuma tells her she should do it because she enjoys it, a sentiment you’d never hear in the horde, and when scorpia does sing, she is actively rejecting the people who did make all her self-worth hinge on them catra. she’s doing something for herself, because she enjoys it, because it makes her happy, because she can.
it’s that same mantra: i can do this, i can do this. i really love how this was brought back from 4x02, how perfuma repurposed something that taught her such a valuable lesson for someone else. perfuma and scorpia are great foil characters actually, both constantly underestimated and thought of as weak by their groups, but some of the strongest characters in the show due to their deep value of love and self. i can do this, and i know i can because you believe in me, because i believe in myself. it’s brought back again in 5x10, when the last thing perfuma says before scorpia breaks the beam is ‘i know you can [pull through]’. she tells catra she believes in scorpia. it’s that belief, that support from other people that empowers the self to believe it too. we are stronger together, you know??
anyways, onto vulnerability. return to the fright zone is in my top ten episodes of the whole fucking show and you might think that’s a bit weird but i don’t. 5x10 encompasses so many important themes of spop so well and tells them with scorfuma and spinnetossa, our two side lesbian couples. this is significant since perfuma literally draws a parallel between her and catra at the end of the episode, and catradora and spinnetossa have always been significant to one another. i’m gonna say it, perfuma is the reason catra is finally able to confess to adora in 5x13. i’ve already talked about how important perfuma is to catra’s motivation to improve, but she literally makes catra rethink everything about strength and vulnerability, two words catra has a lot of feelings about.
catra fears vulnerability. we know this. she has such a deep love for those important to her but is never able to articulate it because she worries she’ll be taken advantage of, shot down, laughed at, whatever. all of this stems from the abuse she suffered at shadow weaver’s hands and her attachment issues, and it’s also why catra pretends to hate scorpia’s very open displays of affection and love: she sees it as weak because she has been taught to, but it’s all she ever really wanted to be.
we also know perfuma used to fear vulnerability. she doesn’t any more. the entirety of the episode leading up to her and catra’s heart-to-heart is her being vulnerable, putting herself in a position where she’s in danger but believing it’s worth it. and it is. despite what everyone said to her, perfuma is right: it was worth it. she got through to scorpia, even if it was only for a moment. she literally spells it out to us and catra with one of the best lines in the whole show: it’s hard, keeping your heart open. it makes you vulnerable, but it doesn’t make you weak, and i have to believe it’s worth it.
back in 1x10, perfuma was right: being together makes you vulnerable. horde prime tries to use people’s relationships against them, that’s literally the plot of save the cat, the point of pitting catra and adora against one another. he sees them as weak, just like shadow weaver deems adora’s feelings for catra ‘confusing’, just like light hope insisted adora was a danger to her friends as long as she was around them. they were all wrong. yes, they’re vulnerable. perfuma acknowledges that vulnerability puts you in danger, that it’s difficult to do that, but she knows it doesn’t make you weak. weakness vs strength is a big conflict in 5x10 literally introduced to us with netossa’s theories on everyone’s weaknesses in the first few minutes.
like perfuma says, friendship isn’t a weakness. it’s her greatest strength. her belief in love is literally what saves her and adora’s lives, it’s what saves everyone who got chipped, glimmer, bow. belief in love, both of others and yourself, is what saves adora in her dying moments. perfuma summarises she-ra’s entire fucking message to us repeatedly in 5x10 and she tells it to catra because catra is the one who will do the most with it. that glance at adora, it’s obvious what it means. perfuma is telling catra she should be open with adora about her feelings because you have to believe it’s worth it.
you won’t get anywhere waiting for other people to make the move. she-ra couldn’t heal plumeria’s lands, so plumeria had to fight their own battle alongside her no matter how much they felt unable to. the rebellion couldn’t move mara’s ship, so perfuma had to despite thinking she wasn’t strong enough. the reason they always win in the end is because they have each other, they have love and support and people motivating them to do better. just like perfuma motivates herself to do better.
it’s the mantra. i can do this. i can be vulnerable and still win, because i have love. and it’s hard, it’s so fucking hard to be vulnerable when you’ve feared it all your life and you’re so angry, so hurt, but you have to believe it’s worth it. and it is. it is, it is, it is, love is stronger than anything and being vulnerable for the people you love is the only way you can ever get what you want from them. perfuma as a character embodies that, having learnt it herself, and teaches the lesson to one of the characters who needs it the most.
adora is dying, and catra loves her, and she knows she does, and she just has to believe. adora is dying, and she loves catra, and she knows she does, but she doesn’t believe. not until catra teaches her too, in that moment, to realise they were all wrong, light hope, shadow weaver, horde prime. adora doesn’t need to let go, she needs to hold on and believe she will be pulled back up by the girl she loves. she needs to believe she deserves it. that it’s worth it.
and it is.
960 notes · View notes
washymylifeaway · 3 years
Text
Haikyuu fanfic recs for ones I liked hehe
EDIT: I made a pt 2
Anyway, as the title suggests, I am recommending some fanfics for popular(ish) ships that I personally really enjoyed! I’m only doing one or two fics per ship (which in hindsight is KILLING me so I’m just putting the first fics I find and am like I really liked that one LOL) because I wanted to do a shorter fic rec list (tho watch this become super long LOL). I also may or may not be procrastinating finishing a couple other long posts, so there’s that hehe. For the (kinda but not really) public consensus for best fics per ship (by kudo count) check out some of my other posts. Also I’m putting some ships I don’t actually read much of (OOPS LOL) so if you think that there’s a fic that fits my type (if I even have a consistent type) better, pls tell me LOL. Otherwise, pls continue heh :)
As always, pls check WARNINGS, TAGS, and SUMMARIES for fics before reading to make sure you’re taking care of yourselves (since mental health is key!) and stay healthy!
IwaOI:
The Loyalty of a Traitor by DeathBelle (E) 76.9k // ok so does me liking this fic make me basic cause I feel basic LOL. I really love mafia fics, and the way the story line developed was SO good, like IN LOVE with this story. This is a fic where you should read WARNINGS, TAGS, and SUMMARY before diving in, but if the length scares you, don’t be. It’s so easy to fall in and get lost in the writing!
the courtship ritual of the hercules beetle by kittebasu (chanyeol) (T) 66.3k // again, basic? Probably LOL but it’s good so I have no shame ;) Again, pls don’t let the word count scare you (cause it scared me LOL), you get really into it after like 2 paragraphs, so just make sure you have enough time to finish hehe.
KuroKen:
Thicker Than Blood by kylar (M) 91.4k // are you surprised that there is another mafia one? You really shouldn’t be LOL. Anyway, I’ll just be here pushing my mafia fanfic agenda while you read this monster of a fic hehe :) Definitely read WARNINGS, TAGS, and SUMMARY because there is some very sensitive topics involved! I also adore the oibokuroo friendship headcannon, so more reasons to read, right?
Liked, Commented and Subscribed by Royal Society of Pandas (Abarcelos) (T) 45.7k // this fic is SO funny omg. I read it and I had to stop so many times just to laugh because I could not stop sometimes LOL. However, there IS angst towards the end, it gets resolved, but it’s still there... But honestly, it just adds such depth and flavor to the fic, so pls read it!
BokuAka:
bang! now we're even by Authoress (M) 11.9k // so I’ll be honest, I don’t read a lot of BokuAka (...oops?) and so I wouldn’t consider myself as the best person to be recommending fics for this ship (in general too LOL).... ANyway, I love myself some good spy AUs (was gonna put that IwaOi spy AU but the LIMIT), and Akaashi in a dress? Like the tags might state, what more do you need? The characters are done beautifully, and the story development is SO good, so I give you all my humble BokuAka rec.
Crisis Converted by valiantarmor (M) 60k // man do I really love fighting in my fics LOL. This was super good and the plot itself kept me really engaged (what a twist omg). It does talk a bit about mental health issues, but it’s done so well, and they really did this AU justice!
DaiSuga:
How to Manage by SuggestiveScribe (E) 39.3k // ok so yea yea we established, I’m basic, BUT can you blame me? This might’ve been one of the first DaiSuga’s I’ve read and I have no regrets. Literally, this fic series is one of my favorites, so OF COURSE I had to add it somewhere :D Honestly, I don’t even think you need to read the first one to understand what’s going on, but I would just cause it has some funny DaiSuga moments too ;) This is explicit for PWP, so proceed with caution~~
Add New Contact by booksong (G) 8.5k // this one! It’s so cute and poor Daichi LOL. He really out here doing the most,,, Anyway, we love tech Suga, and a nice dash of snarky tsukki (LOL is he salt, yes yes he is). It’s very fluff and pine, so if you want to read Daichi having gay panic like 24/7, go right ahead LOL. 
SakuAtsu:
Burden of Blame by DeathBelle (E) 91.2k // ummmm, haha what, another mafia AU? Me, predictable? Noooo, never..... Anyway, this one was so freakin’ good like, love it so much! It’s one of my favorite mafia AU fics, and I love the story line progression. Poor Atsumu being dragged into this mess, but it’s okay because THEY are IN LOVE. Honestly, this fic is Atsumu best boy like he is the best boy. BEST BOY.
Notte Stellata by awkwardedgeworth (T) 20.9k // I ignored all of the other fics I LOVE in this ship (like the pain I’m in rn), but I love this fic with my whole heart. Like I have reread this fic multiple multiple times because I love it so much (tho I might’ve skipped the angst a couple of times cause I didn’t want the pain okay?). I keep coming back, and the second fic in this series is SO funny and cute and I love it here. Please read it, it’s so FREAKING good, angst and ALL.
KyouHaba:
Team Mom by All_My_Characters_Are_Dead (T) 2.7k // so as I was going through this tag (because that’s what I do LOL), I remembered this fic and I love it. Like yes Yahaba is the fear factor and yes Kyoutani is the DAD. I really like the team dynamics in this one, and the first years make me laugh pls.
Camellias by kiyala (T) 1.9k // IK you’re all like, you’re missing such great fics, like no I’m not I just made myself hate myself by limiting fics to two per,,, I love this fic and when I starting looking for this ship, it was the first one I thought of hehe. I really love magic and their interactions are so cute and the PLANTS ARE DOING THE MOST. Pls read both in the series, cause domestic KyouHaba is best KyouHaba ngl LOL. I love the plants, and if you read the second one, someone tell the trees to stop bullying Yahaba.
MatsuHana:
This gets annoying fast, Makki by Ink_stained_quills (G) 2.3k // IM IN LOVE WITH THIS FIC PLS I COULD NOT STOP CRYING TEARS OF LAUGHTER. This AU needs more fics PLEASE. It was SO freakin’ funny and the other teams KILLED ME. Like how they all approached the problem differently and how some of them (KUROO) asked for help LOL. Please this is so freaking funny go read it.
boiled frogs by reginagalaxia (E) 91.5k // I told myself I was gonna put my most angsty fics on another post (which I will for my other favorite MatsuHana angst fic which I love), but this fic. Omg I saw it and I was like I have to. Literally I have to. I hate angst, but read it. It, the, plot, omg, I jjfnsfknalkjdnf ljksan. Like I’m not sure you understand. This fic. asjfjfsadnldjb. I never thought I could hate a character SO MUCH,,,, like SO MUCH. READ TAGS, WARNINGS, AND SUMMARIES because some serious stuff really goes down. Bless Iwa-chan.
SunaOsa:
Accidentally in Love by pancake_surprise (T) 19.6k // JOSE CUERVO strikes. I love this fic and all the chaos in it. The way they were supposed to be the responsible couple (of friends LOL),,, sike. This one is only a slight angst and it’s mostly love and fun :) Also technically this is no longer the first fic in the series, but I’m still putting this one cause the other one is SakuAtsu orientated hehe :)
Spring Secrets by DeathBelle (T) 3.8k // Seasons might be one of my favorite (as all things also seem to be) series of all times. I don’t like rerecommending fics I’ve already said to read, which is why I’m not yelling at you to go read a certain other fic (which is my life and blood). Anyway, this fic series is all fluff barely angst (maybe that’s why I like it) but it’s so freakin good pls read it all ahhhhhh.
Komori/Suna (what is their ship name):
I wish to live in a world by hatsuna (T) 24.8k // ok ngl this fic was so sad and relatable? Like I was like wtf why are you making me cry rn even though like I shouldn’t be? My heart? Pain. (Hotel? Trivago.) Technically, this is END GAME but the main pairing is kinda SakuAtsu???? Something of the sort, but also their relationship (Komori and Sakusa) is written so well and idk guys I think you need to read this fic rn.
Ah the two fic limit hurt me, but fear not I am making ship specific rec posts (LOL I’m so dramatic), so if you wanted more of a ship,,,, its a coming hehe. And yes I did say I’m making an angsty fic rec post, but we’ll see if it gets finished before I side-track with posts like these LOL.
155 notes · View notes
woozi · 3 years
Note
Um this might be annoying but your descriptions on that mutuals as svt members was so wholesome! So I thought if you could name your mutuals and say what you like abt them? Your favorite thing about them kinda? Idk I thought it was cute but you don't have to do it if you don't want to ! 💚💚💚
i went through my following list and i think these are all of my carat mutuals/friends <3 i only included those who i'm mutuals with here on this blog, but with that in mind i hope i included the right people/and all of you! if not, i may have gotten confused with your main and sideblogs. :/ i divided this into 4 sections (because that's how i think of them in my head, lol). so, without further ado, here they are in the order of my following list (from the most recent):
caratblr
@leechaerok (mirelle) - mi!! i love how you are always striving to be positive and that this is something you share and extend to other people! you literally remind me of sunshine and i hope that only good things are coming ur way. ily!!
@ohoshi (cora) - cora my naughty (IN A PLAYFUL WAY) friend <3 cora's really fun to talk to and she keeps you on your toes. idk why i didn't follow her earlier (i didnt know i wasn't following her jsdjkdsjsdk). extremely talented!! also love the upbeat vibe.
@soonyoungs (cara) - same with cora, i've been seeing cara around but never got to interact with her until recently! i love how versatile cara is and how she always always always appreciates even the little things. 10/10 would let her visit my home again <3
@wrongnanab (aya) - i get mom/older sister friend vibes from aya and i think it suits her a lot. she’s also not afraid of reaching out and i love that sm about her!! i relate to her a lot and i love how she’s always there.
@junhaoshua (e) - something interesting always comes up every time i speak to e! i also love her initiative and how well she manages her time. she’s really passionate about the things she likes and i love how she can get people to be interested in them too!
@choibeomgyus (kale) - kale has excellent taste! i love her aes so much. <3 her work is particularly right up my alley and i just love how clean looking they are. kale’s also such a sweet friend, and she’s not shy about showing affection. i love her sm!!
@dokyom (izy) - izy’s one of the first carats i first followed when i got into caratblr and i’m so glad to have made that decision! her work always wows me and although we haven’t talked much, she’s one of the people i always look out for in here.
@seohoshi (nele) - nele, my mutual at heart. <3 the way we became mutuals is so funny and memorable to me, and i can’t say that about most people! i really like the way nele presents herself as well. she can have fun while still being collected, which i find really interesting. i think she’s someone who brings stability, but i can’t really explain why i get that from her. <3
@art-hao (carrie) - goddess on earth. so elegant. a literal virgo. i love how carrie doesn’t want to be too invested in one single thing. that being said, she’s multitalented, yet is skilled in each of the fields she’s venturing in. she also speaks what’s on her mind, and i admire that a lot. what can’t this woman do :/  
@svtreasure (kate) - kate is one of the first people i got to talk to here on caratblr! and although she’s not on here that much, i always look forward to seeing her. i feel like i have to protect her like a younger sibling <3
@uriboogyu (lee) - lee definitely has feisty younger sibling vibes which i think is so cute! like carrie and e, she’s not afraid of saying what’s on her mind. lee is also such a go-getter! the future is very bright for this one <3
@smallkore (kore) - i remember first talking to kore after she tagged all 3 of my active blogs in one post, and i thought it was kind of funny <3 kore is super talented and entertaining! i also think she’s super interesting, and i love her strange picture collection. <3
@rq-s (katrina) - katrina is also one of the first few people who i interacted with here on caratblr! she is so supportive and always has a nice word for everyone. even though she isn’t here much, i always like seeing her around <3
@boosbin (isa) - iconic. legend. will kick your ass. my beloved <3 isa is SUPER talented and she never fails to amaze me. she’s also very relatable and is super fun to talk to! idk i’m just really fond of isa lol
@dk-s (zay) - i love zay’s sense of style and her overall aesthetic! she also is really smart and gets really invested in her interests. i love her dedication and initiative!
@scoupsy (dreamy) - dreamy and i haven’t really talked much aside from interactions here and there, but she’s someone i really admire. i love how she doesn’t take anyone’s shit and knows what she wants. she’s really skilled in her areas of interest and takes pride in her excellent work. love that about her!! 
@julyprince (madison) - i was really shocked when madison followed me back because i love her work so much! i love how she is so consistent and dedicated (honestly, the constant 9 sets say it all <3). she’s intimidating at first, but she is actually so nice and likes reaching out!
@xuseokgyu (belle) - one of my treasured moots. belle is literally the seok to my soon. <3 she doesn’t know it, but i was kind of shy during my earlier days in caratblr, and she encouraged me to be myself just because she was always reaching out to me. i see belle as someone who really nurtures and is just a reliable older sister for me!
@haniehae (anna) - also one of my favorites <3 anna doesn’t really need too much words but u can always feel the love from her by her little tags here and there. she’s also super supportive and very appreciative of the little things! anna is such a cute person to have around. i lalso love how much work she puts into caratblr. also an amazing dancer oh my god???????
@jaemtens (kevin) - like dreamy, kevin and i haven’t really talked much, but i always love seeing him on the dash! one of the people i admire. it absolutely blows my mind how he has a phd (about to have one? :D) and that he’s still somehow able to make gifs (BEAUTIFULLY!) consistently. love that dedication, wish that were me!!
@tearsofsyrup (vi) - vi thinking of me and tagging me on cute stuff really just makes me feel so :’>. i love how easygoing vi is and i just feel light whenever we interact!!
@soonhoonsol (chey) - everyone’s bestie!! chey literally is the go-to person on caratblr. idk how she manages to do it but she’s always so nice to everyone and really does go out of her way to make everyone feel comfortable! chey has a special place in my heart, and my stay in caratblr wouldn’t be the same without her. <3
@iiasha (emily) - you all don’t understand how much i LOVE emily. i can’t even explain why i love her i just do. she’s also one of the first people i followed when i came on caratblr and i’m so glad to have met her here on our own personal hellsite. emily’s the perfect balance of smart, cool, and funny (this sentence sounds lame as fuck but idk how else to put it)! i appreciate how much she likes her job and that’s something i hope to also imitate! i’ve said it before but i also really love how generous she is. emily also made my stay here on caratblr very enjoyable and i always love reading her text posts <3 i think tumblr junation would nearly die without her so go thank her rn. (she also spotted me turning full dinonara without me even noticing that i am one so. <3 /mwah/)
@coupsnim (izzie) - izzie gives me calm artsy vibes.  her work is always stunning omg. queen of red lips (and i think it’s so fitting bc it suits cheol the best imo???). ALSO love how much she loves cheol!! izzie’s just a sweetheart. <3 would also support ur 0 note posts, lol.
@kyeomshine (lyns) - lyns coloring queen <3 i looove how clean and cohesive her work always is! she’s also one of the people who encouraged me to stay here on caratblr (although she doesn’t know it!!). and though we don’t see lyns as much nowadays, i still think of her as the resident dk fan <3 one of the memorable people for me.
@heartgyus (rhys) - my sister (dISGUSTANG!!). my enemy. THE mutual to have homoerotic subtext with. rhys is actually my closest friend on caratblr. she’s multitalented, almost all-knowing, and has prettie vibes. i’m not elaborating anymore from here on out because i just know she’s gonna be a little devil about it on the dms. 🙄
@hanwooz (kellie & christine) - one of my absolute favorite blogs! i think of them as one of the constants of caratblr. i absolutely love their posts sm and just enjoy when they’re around!! (and how do ur gifs always look good omg tell me ur secrets pls <3)
@7ww​ (yasmin) - one of my favorite (if not my favorite) gfx maker!! i love how you can immediately tell something is from her because of their trademark look. we haven’t talked yet, but she’s one of my favorite carats!
@mngys​ (sofi) - coolest person in the world. idk why we’re even mutuals i don’t deserve this <3 sofi always has the coolest ideas and i look up to her sm!! i’ve also seen her from the birdie community before i got into caratblr so i’ve been following her for quite some time now, but we became mutuals here!
aes carats
@vixenjun​ (kaya) - another one of my beloveds <3 i always say kaya is funnie and sexie but she really is, and those are always the first words i think of when i’m reminded of her. one of my absolute favorites. a bestie that's close to my heart. <3
@tiddie​ (deniz) - i don’t see deniz posting much about svt anymore, but deniz is one of my first carat moots (i followed aes carats first). this one really witnessed my jeonghan downfall. :/ so funny. is a great friend!!
@bwaldorf (ramasha) - A SWEETHEART!! ramasha and i don’t talk much anymore but when i think of her i only am reminded of good things. i rmb how much she supported my weird posts back then <3 also iconic aes hello???? 
@vernons (oona) - oona and i are literally just vibing here <3 i actually met her from the aes side of tumblr before i got into caratblr (like deniz) and discovered that she’s also a carat! i really like oona’s presence and i just feel like she’s someone i want to protect. <3 also makes amazing pastries. she’s also so pretty!!!!! (i really like ur hair sm i think i’ve said this before lol) a cute friend. would send u things saying ‘this reminded me of u’, and i’d get heart attacks from it jsdjdjksd
@oldbooks (fawn) - my frog friend. i think it’s so cute that fawn shares this agenda with hao <3 also unexpectedly tags you on things and leaves cute little notes/tags that makes me want to :’). sophisticated taste!! also really friendly. ily!!
@scoups (hani) - hani is so friendly and takes really good care of her friends!! i was intimidated of her at first, but learnt that she’s an absolute sweetheart. i love how she’s also giving us sm svt content when she’s around! hani’s a supportive friend that you’ll always find yourself looking for. 
@snwo (joy) - refined taste. funny text post advocate. i love joy’s vibe sm!! i first got to know her when she had a hao url and i was super intimidated of her. now she’s one of my absolute besties! aside from her impeccable taste, she’s also such a great friend. this one always has ur back. ily ms joy <3
@sataemism (sof) - sof literally the funniest person in the world!! i’m always happy to see her and she brings me so much joy. very lowkey chaotic vibe (the taemin and hoshi urls speak a lot abt this lol), and just a very fun person overall!!
birdie carats
@flowerbeom (kat) - kat, like the rest of those in this category, is someone i’ve been following for a while now as i came back to tumblr because of got7. kat and i haven’t really talked much but always interact with rb/s and likes and i love that JSDJSDKJDSJ that being said kat’s tags are always so enjoyable to read. + it’s so funny as well that when we actually got to talking we didn’t realize we had a lot in common! a very generous friend. gave me a yugyeom pc even though i’m literally from another continent. 😭
@tuanzie (joanna) - content queen. i looove how joanna’s work has a trademark look to them! they’re always so gorgeous and smooth-looking. i love how joanna’s able to speak her mind and would not take shit from people. i see her as someone brave, but not too out there! also someone you can rely on to put reposters on hit lists mwah<3
@gotseventeens (belle) - my name twin <3 belle is actually one of the people/reasons why i got into svt and i’m eternally grateful to her for that!! we’ve been talking since i first became a birdie but somehow we both have 0 recollections of our conversations JSDJDKSJKSDJ tumblr wouldn’t be as fun for me if belle weren’t around ngl. i love how she seems to be mature yet you’re also up for a wild ride with her!! she’s my own personal wonu <3
@secndlife (karoline) - i’ve also been following karoline since i was a birdie, but we only became mutuals here! i love her writing so much and i enjoy seeing her lose her mind over hoshi (mood <3)
@defgyus (val) - i often associate belle with val and i think they have a lot of similarities!! val also gives me the mature yet fun vibe. i think val’s so successful and i admire her a lot!! i love her work sm and just love how she interacts with people. very warm and homey!!
more carat moots i haven't really talked to but enjoy seeing on the dash
@emailclub (emily), @kyeomblr (maddie), @joshuahong (bea), @delicatecy (deli), @mintyseoks, @syuperseventeen (nat), @haol (mali), @svtclub (hannah), @cutiejoshi (siri), @chanswu (mandy), @jeonghannie (myrena), @squishy-woozi (kris), @wonwooo (hiba), @rameniji (rain), @cafevernon (ish), @hoshluv, @minghyu (nicole), @mingyiu (katya), @yeol (tat), @dearkyeom (kristy), @seokgyus (kai), @bbaksu (akemi), @1adyluck (sushi), @shineesbag (gen)
81 notes · View notes
juniorfics · 3 years
Text
Savior
I'm not sure when this was supposed to be set but let's say it's 2 years after Tamaki graduated from UA (so Deku and the others are third-years rn) and ur the same age as him so like 21/22
By: J
Tamaki Amajiki x Fem!Reader
Wordcount: 1.6k
Quirk: Toxic (Adding any of your cells to water makes it very poisonous.)
Warnings: Kidnapping
Sometimes you wished you had a different quirk, or even no quirk at all. Your quirk was dangerous, but since it was pretty easily controlled, you weren't bullied as much as some people you knew. Of course, there were always people who seemed to be angry at you for simply existing, but they never bothered you too much because you knew that you would never hurt someone on purpose. You'd always admired heroes, but you knew there was no way you could be one with your quirk. It might have worked if you could control the toxicity of the poison created from your cells, but you couldn't. It was immediately fatal, and there was no cure.
Your mom was quirkless and you had the same quirk as your dad. Growing up, you and your dad had to be incredibly careful not to touch water, and clean it up as quickly as possible. The poison you made wasn't toxic to either of you but it would be to your mom. Thankfully, you had never killed anyone with your quirk. Your grandma on the other hand- she was the first one to be born with the quirk, then your dad, then you. Your grandma accidentally killed her dad when her quirk first manifested. She had to figure out how to keep everyone safe from her quirk on her own.
You were older now and you lived on your own. You were single and ready for a relationship, the only problem was that you were in love. 'How is that a problem if you want to be in a relationship with them?' you ask? Well, you were in love with the pro hero, Suneater. He had saved you when your workplace burned down, and ever since then you'd followed all his cases. Not in a stalker kind of way, but simply to learn about him. As soon as you first saw his face through the smoke, you knew you wouldn't be able to forget him. You knew you should move on because, 'Hey, he's a pro hero. He's famous. He probably doesn't even remember me anymore,' but you just could not get him out of your head.
                                                         ~
Little did you know, Tamaki couldn't get you out of his head either. Why? It wasn't like he knew you well or anything. You had only talked briefly that day. Why couldn't he stop thinking about you? 'Should I try to find her somehow?' he asked himself. Even if he did manage to find you, would you think it was weird? Would you even remember him? He didn't know what to do.
                                                        ~
You were walking home from work. It was dark outside, but you didn't live far. You passed by the same shops and the same houses as every other day. The same dark alleyways. However, one thing was different today. The person who'd been patiently watching and waiting was ready to make their move. You felt a hand on your shoulder and tried to cry out in surprise only to have your mouth covered by a cloth. You tried to hold your breath, but quickly failed and sucked in. Your vision was fading. Everything was going dark.
                                                        ~
Tamaki flopped down on his bed still fully clothed in his hero costume. He'd just gotten off patrol. He rubbed his face, 'Ugh, I probably smell terrible. I should shower.' He lay there with his eyes closed for a moment. All of a sudden, his keen ears picked up what sounded like a woman's scream. His eyes flung open and he ran out the door. He reached the alley just in time to see a long, leather coat whip out of sight. He followed. It was a white-haired man carrying an unconscious, (h/c) woman. He followed close enough to keep sight of the man, but not so close that the man would be able to sense him. The man looked left and right, and Tamaki recognized him. It was Dabi from the League of Villains! 'What does the League want with that woman?' He asked himself. 'Whatever it is, it can't be good. I should let someone know where I'm going in case things go south.' He quickly texted Mirio the situation. Dabi stopped and entered a building. Tamaki pressed his ear to the door, it would be dangerous to barge in without knowing who or what was in there, so he waited, listening.
                                                         ~
You started waking up. In your groggy and disoriented state you could feel cold metal around your arms and legs.
"What's happening? Where- where am I?" you asked.
"Ah, y/n! Finally awake are we?" you couldn't see anyone and you didn't recognize the voice. Who could've brought you here?
"Who are you? How do you know my name? Where am I?" you asked franticly. Dabi stepped out of the shadows, "Don't you know me? I think my group and I have become quite well known," you gasped. You did recognize him now. He was-
"Dabi?! From the League of Villains?!" He bowed, "The very one," you didn't know what to do. You were completely in shock.
"But- what does the League of Villains want with me? I don't have money or power or anything..."
"Oh, but you do have power, y/n. We've been watching you and we think you could be very useful to us. We could use your poison in many different ways, if you'll join us, of course?" This left you more shocked. The League of Villains wanted you to join them? What?
"I would never join you. I decided a long time ago to never use my quirk. It's too dangerous," you said.
"Too bad," he sighed, "We're going to have to keep you here until you change your mind," now you really didn't know what to do. Should you say you'll join them and then escape? Should you wait for help? You chose the latter. You stared determinedly into Dabi's blue eyes.
"I won't change my mind, you know,"
"I wouldn't be so sure. You might after you get to know us better," at that moment the door was blown in. A hero! You were saved! Then you saw which hero had come. Your heart started pounding until you could feel it in your fingertips. Suneater. He looked you in the face and you saw his eyes widen. Did he remember you? He shook his head and turned toward Dabi. "Let her go," came Tamaki's quiet voice. "You really think I'm gonna let her go just because you asked?" Dabi rolled his eyes,
"Get ready to fight, hero!" Dabi's hand lit up with his fire and Tamaki's fingers turned into tentacles. They started fighting fiercely. You knew that you should or be paying attention to the fight happening in front of you, but your thoughts were on Tamaki. How did he find me? Did he follow Dabi here? Was that look because he remembers me? What kind of look was that? Oh, no! What if it was bad! What if the look was because he does remember me but doesn't like me! Why would he not like me?! We only talked for a minute! Was my first impression really that bad? Thoughts like these swirled around in your head, making you dizzy. Or maybe that was the smoke and chloroform, you weren't sure. Eventually you felt a soft hand on your cheek.
"Hey. Hey! Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" Suneater was talking to you!
"You- you're here! I- I'm okay. He didn't hurt me just knocked me out with chloroform and brought me here," you said, rather breathlessly. "Where's Dabi?"
"He ran."
"O-oh,"
"Can I h-help you out of those chains?"
"Yes, please," he cut the chains with a crab claw, you tried to stand but your legs gave out. He caught you.
"W-woah, hey, take it easy. You're shaking,"
'That's because you're so close to me!' You thought. He was so close. He was holding you in his arms. You had dreamed about this. Even if this isn't exactly how you planned, you were so happy and excited to see him again.
"We should stop meeting like this," you heard him say.
"Huh?"
"Oh, I guess you don't remember. I saved you from a burning building before. About a year ago. I've been hoping to see you again but I didn't know-"
"Wait you remember me?"
"W-well yeah. If I'm being honest, I haven't been able to get you out of my head,"
"Really? I... well I haven't been able to stop thinking about you either," you were both blushing like crazy.
"Can I take you out?" He asked.
"YES! Uh-um I mean yes, I would like that very much," you beamed at him. He beamed right back. He was feeling very good. You both couldn't wait.
                                                 ~Le time skip~
You and Tamaki have been married for a year now. You had never been happier. Everything was going great. You lived your life worrying about your husband but you were confident that he'd always come back to you. Everything was perfect. That's how it seemed anyway. Dabi was back. The League still wanted to use your quirk. Be careful.
I FINALLY FINISHED THIS I'M SO SORRY I kept forgetting about it and I finally finally finished it! I probably won't write a part 2 to this cause I'm lazy but I might. Thanks so much for the request :) (also I would've said u and Tamaki were gonna have kids but personally I want to adopt so I just didn't put it in there at all) I hope y'all like it! The end is maybe a little rushed but (as I've mentioned before) I'm too lazy to do anything about it.
25 notes · View notes
kanerallels · 3 years
Note
Donicus Crossover ATLA (PLEASE ADD TOPH PLZ PLZ PLZ) Thank you!!!
It would be my honor-- here goes nothing lol!!!
Pairing: Marcus Lanum/Idony St. Claire
Word count: ??? I'm on mobile rn, I'll update this later. Somewhere in the 1000s
Tags/Warning: G rating (for glaring, at Marcus, from Noah). One minor injury and a little blood
Getting lost in Republic City was no joke. The place was absolutely huge, with a lot of streets and different buildings. It was also decidedly unhelpful when some people in your group (Berlyne, Apen and Noah) wanted to go watch pro-bending, while others (Marcus, Enel and Idony) wanted to find the library. (Chara and Joe were undecided.)
“I could have sworn we should have turned left back there,” Marcus muttered, studying the map he was holding. The whole group had paused on a street corner, and he and Apen were studying the map, trying to figure out where they were. Berlyne and Noah were nearby, mostly making unhelpful comments as Enel and Chara ignored the whole proceedings while excitedly pointing out parts of the city to each other.
As for Idony, she had her arm tucked around Marcus’s, her head tilted up towards the sunlight as she listened to the city. Marcus paused a moment to look away from the map at her, seeing the way the sun glinted off her golden curls and a soft smile turned up the corners of her mouth.
Then he saw Noah shoot him a glare, and hastily redirected his attention to the map, just as Apen shook his head. “No, we were supposed to go straight-- if that’s even where we are. I think we’re on this street.” He jabbed a finger at a different spot on the map.
“Impossible,” Marcus protested. “We passed the candy store on Main Street-- that was where we got off track in the first place because Enel was trying to drag us in there.”
“Yeah, and we went east instead of north.”
“No, we--”
Berlyne let out an exasperated sigh. “You guys have been arguing about this for the past ten minutes. Why don’t we just ask for directions again?”
“We don’t need them!” Marcus said, lifting the map. “I can figure out where we’re going. Now, where did we turn past the police station again?”
“I’m with Berlyne,” Irony said to Marcus’s dismay. “We should just ask how to get there. Enel!”
The copper-haired boy turned from the fire hydrant he and Chara were admiring. “Yeah?”
“Would you and Chara find someone who can give us directions, please?”
“On it!” Enel promptly darted out into the street with Chara on his heels. He’d barely made it two steps when Marcus heard someone shout, “STOP!!”
Chara froze, and Enel, who did not stop, slammed straight into the source, a tan-skinned young man around Marcus’s age. He had a ponytail, although his hair was shaved at the sides, and wore a blue tunic and pants and blue fingerless gloves. At his side he wore a long sword that Marcus recognized from his reading as a jian, and on his back was a strangely triangular-shaped sheath of some kind.
He squinted at Enel. “Oh. Good news, guys, he’s not actually on fire. That’s just his hair.”
“Which is exactly what we told you,” pointed out one of his other two companions. They were both girls around his own age-- one in green robes and armor, her face painted completely white, with red above the eyes and along her lips. The other girl was younger and a little shorter, clad in what looked to be a green jumpsuit of some kind, with a pale yellow overtunic. She was shoeless for some reason, and her bangs hung loose over her eyes, which-- Marcus did a double take-- were filmed over in a similar manner to Idony. Was this girl blind, too?
Shrugging, Berlyne said, “Well, it’s an understandable mistake when it comes to Enel.”
Enel shot her a wounded look as Apen blurted out, “Wait-- are you a Kyoshi warrior?” He was staring at the girl in white makeup, who looked surprised.
“I am,” she said.
“I’ve read about those,” Marcus said, his eyes widening. “Named for the mythical Avatar Kyoshi, who supposedly founded them. You’re made up entirely of women and wield weaponized fans.”
“I heard stories about you growing up,” Apen said, his eyes going glassy as he clearly slipped back to the past. “My si-- uh, people I knew hero worshipped you guys.”
“We’re honored, in that case,” the girl said with a smile. “I’m Suki. This is Sokka of the Water Tribe, and Toph Beifong.”
“Beifong? As in Lao Beifong, the business man?” Apen asked.
Folding her arms, Toph said, “No, as in Toph Beifong, greatest earthbender in the world. Get that in your head, short stuff.”
“Hey!” Apen looked offended as Toph whipped out an arm, pointing directly at Marcus.
“As for you, yes, I’m blind. Stop staring or I’ll throw you in the ocean. I have pretty great range as an earthbender, you know.”
“I wasn’t staring,” Marcus protested, and Sokka chuckled.
“First mistake-- Toph can sense when you’re lying.” Leaning over to Apen, he said, “She really is the best earthbender ever. Don’t tell her I said it, though, it would only go to her head.”
“I can hear you, bozo,” Toph said flatly.
“Oops.”
Swatting Marcus’s shoulder, Idony said, “Marcus! That’s rude! But-- you’re blind, too?”
“‘Too?’” Toph echoed.
“Oh, yeah-- Idony’s blind,” Enel said helpfully. “She’s with Marcus.” He punctuated the “with Marcus” by wiggling his eyebrows aggressively.
Choosing to ignore him, Marcus said, “I didn’t mean to be rude, I was just surprised--”
“Don’t care,” Toph said, waving a hand dismissively, and Noah snorted.
“I might actually be starting to like this earthbender. Here’s a question-- can you actually launch someone into the harbor, and do I have to choose between Enel and Marcus?”
“Noah!” Idony said, irritation flashing across her face. “You’re not launching them anywhere.”
Noah grumbled something under his breath, and Berlyne snickered.
“Better luck next time. You’ll just have to do it yourself.”
“You two are my kind of people,” Toph said with a grin. “Okay-- wanna see something cool?”
“Sure,” Berlyne said, looking intrigued.
Taking a wide, firm stance, Toph took a long deep breath. Then, lifting one of her feet up, she slammed it back down into the pavement at the same time as she jerked her hands upwards. A spire of rock shot up out of the ground at Sokka’s feet, catapulting him into the air. He let out a yelp of horror. “TOPH! NOT AGAIN!!!”
Gasps of shock flew around the ground, but Suki and Toph seemed unbothered. With another earthbending move, Toph brought another spire of rock out of the ground, catching Sokka a few feet from the ground. He let out a grunt. “Ow…”
“You’re fine,” Toph said, waving a hand dismissively. “Nothing’s even broken.”
“True. Maybe warn me next time you shoot me into the air, though?” Sokka suggested, sliding off of the rock formation and onto the ground. “And also please put our city’s streets back the way they were.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” Toph grumbled, bringing the rock towers back into the ground. They disappeared seamlessly, and she shrugged. “Well, it wasn’t the Earth Rumble, but still fun.”
“Wait-- did you compete in the Earth Rumble?” Berlyne demanded, and Toph smirked.
“Please, I owned the Earth Rumble. All those pansies went crying home once I was done.”
“Technically also true,” Sokka agreed. “I was there.”
“Tell me everything,” Berlyne demanded, and Marcus released a long suffering sigh.
Looking at Suki, he said, “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to give us directions? We’re trying to get to the library.”
“Pro-bending,” Apen corrected.
Grinning, Suki said, “I’ll see what I can do.”
The three of them moved to the side as Sokka began to give a play-by-play of the Earth Rumble, with Toph occasionally re-enacting moves. Finally, they were fairly certain they had a route mapped out.
“Okay,” Marcus was saying, “so we turn right here--”
He was cut off halfway through as Toph’s latest earth bending move sent rocks flying in their direction. One cracked into Marcus’s temple, and he crashed to the ground with a yelp of pain.
He heard a shout of concern that was probably Enel’s, a snort of amusement that was definitely Noah, and then Idony called his name.
“Marcus!”
She was by his side seconds later, kneeling next to him. “Are you okay?” she asked, a gentle hand touching the side of his face.
His eyes lingering on her face, Marcus felt his heart rate pick up slightly. “I’m, uh, better now,” he managed. “Much better.”
A smile crossed Idony’s face. “You must have been hit hard to be flirting in front of my brother.” Leaning down, she planted a kiss on his forehead, and if Marcus hadn’t been seeing stars before, he was now. “That always makes it better,” she told him.
“Definitely,” Marcus agreed.
He heard a strangled noise from above them, and glanced up to see Apen pointedly looking away from him. “Uh, you okay?” he asked, a slight grin crossing his face.
“You’re way too entertained by this, aren’t you?” Marcus said with exasperation.
“Maybe a little.”
As Apen and Idony helped Marcus to his feet, Sokka came hurrying over. “Ooh, that looks like a nasty cut,” he said, and Marcus lifted a hand to his temple, feeling blood. “Tell ya what, we’ll have my sister Katara look at it. She’s an expert healer with her water bending-- DEFINITELY don’t tell her I said that.”
“Wait,” Apen said, his eyes growing even wider. “Your sister is KATARA???”
"The famous healer?" Marcus said, impressed.
Letting out a groan, Toph said, "If they start swooning over someone every five minutes, it's gonna be a long day."
"And they don't even know that Katara's boyfriend is the Avatar," Sokka observed.
"He's WHAT???" Apen gaped at them.
"Yup. Swooning," Toph said with a sigh. Shooting Marcus and Idony-- who was still standing very close to him-- a look, she added, "And that's not even the only kind of swooning around her."
Noah looked like he wanted to gag, and Marcus almost protested. But then Idony slipped her hand into his, and. Well. Toph wasn't exactly far off. And he definitely didn't mind.
12 notes · View notes
Text
Clear as Day
 Part One?
Tumblr media
AN: Here’s some friends with benefits with Vince that I came up with in between cases at work. Vince if you’re reading this I’m so sorry please stop right here but also hmu I swear I just wanna be friends. I don’t know much about being a pediatric nurse (financial law anyone?) but I did volunteer at a hospital for a while so I hope it’s not super far off. I have plans and some stuff written for a part two that could be the same length so let me know you want one but it could be complete like this. (First person narrative but again no names or descriptions for the mc)
Warnings: language, definitely (also English isn’t my first language so perhaps some mistakes) and smut, also definitely (yes you read that right I did it again)
Word Count: 13.3k
I loved my job. I really did. I found it rewarding to be able to make tiny faces light up but I was currently on my second day of 12 hour back to back shifts, with yesterday closer to 14 hours, and I just really wanted to spend the entire day in bed.
It wasn’t even 7 a.m. yet and the streets of Toronto were already bustling, everybody preparing for a busy day. The sound of the ice cubes sloshing around in my coffee had become a staple background noise for the walk from the employee parking lot to the front entrance of the hospital, it soothed me.
As soon as I stepped into the building I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face, despite being sleep-deprived and basically needing a break already. There was a new drawing pinned to the wall by the nurses’ station and if the image of my smiling face wasn’t a dead giveaway already, it was hard to miss my name written on top of it in big bold letters.
It had started out as a joke really, a half-hearted complaint about me not getting as many drawings as others because most of my patients didn’t stay long in the ICU. From that moment on Lucas, my only long-term patient right now and all-time favorite teenager, had made sure that there was always a new one waiting for me every week. He was really good at drawing as well and I had an entire stack of amazing portraits, landscapes and lots of other random things at my apartment that I cherished dearly.
“He wanted to give it to you himself but then we had to give him something and he asked me to put it up so you’d see it as soon as you got in.” I turned around to see Mariah standing behind me, her face showing the same look of fondness as mine. Most of the nurses were pretty convinced that he had a crush on me and while I had to face lots of playful jabs because of that, she never gave me shit about it. She was probably about to head out and I knew that she only stayed behind to tell me this so I made sure to thank her.
“Is he up yet?”
“Surprisingly not, although he should be soon. He’s had a rough night and he stayed up way too long to draw but I doubt that anything could ruin this day for him, two dreams coming true and all.”
As soon as her words registered with me I mentally facepalmed, I’d completely forgotten that we’d get a visitor in a couple of hours. Because of Lucas’ surgery he hadn’t talked about hockey all that much lately, so I’d kind of forgotten that today he would get to meet one of his idols. I was about to respond something when I spotted Sydney waving me over.
Sydney was in charge of all of the pediatric nurses during the day shift, meaning that I had approximately three seconds to make my way over before she’d get impatient because she was always so busy. I waved goodbye to Mariah and speed walked over to Sydney, curious to see as to what she needed of me. She never beat around the bush, always coming straight to the core of things so I didn’t expect the conversation to last long and today was no different. She probably held the world record for fastest talker.
“So you know we’re getting a visitor today which means that I need someone to run a tight ship for me. You’re young and perky and I asked around and people love you. I know you helped with some of the Leafs the last time so you should already be familiar with the protocol. This is a big hospital and I want all of the kids on the list to get a chance to talk to Mr Dunn and that won’t happen if he gets lost so I want you to stay with him at all times, got it? I’ll get one of the on-calls to take over for you during everything.”
I couldn’t even get a word in before her pager went off and she jogged off after practically thrusting a file into my hands, unable to respond anything as she said something over her shoulder about this being a gift. I stared after her with my mouth hanging wide open, not really comprehending what had just gone down yet.
Being ‘young and perky’ had apparently just managed to get me demoted from a RN to a babysitter for yet another over-confident celebrity which didn’t really feel like a gift at all.
Lucas had told me all about how great this Vince apparently was but I had seen my fair share of famous people walking around these halls with camera teams following them, it was kind of a part of working with sick kids. There were exceptions of course, some of them were really nice but those were usually the ones that didn’t visit the kids for some good PR. While I was glad that it would make Lucas happy it didn’t really impress me anymore.
Besides I hadn’t really paid attention to hockey ever before, although it was hard to escape the hype right now with me being a St. Louis native. Some of my friends had sent me pictures of the parade from about a month ago but I hadn’t really paid much attention because I’d been slammed with work, not recognizing any of the players either way.
The file Sydney had given me consisted of a schedule for the day and a list of the kids that wanted to meet Vince, which was surprisingly long for this being a hospital in Toronto and him playing for the Blues. Even with my limited, read non-existent, hockey knowledge I was pretty sure that the team wasn’t liked very much in the league but I blamed it on them winning. Sydney was right, we would have to make good time to get through everybody.
I couldn’t exactly spend forever going through the file because I had mostly new admissions assigned to me and that meant lots of charting and running tests. I did spend my break reading through everything and trying to come up with a plan while shoveling food to my mouth at record speed however. Even if I wasn’t exactly thrilled with this assignment there was absolutely no way I wouldn’t be prepared. I would leave this hospital with the best possible impression of me, all things be damned.
It was kind of hard to focus on what was written in front of me though when I had three other nurses standing close by and ranting about how hot Vince apparently was. Lucas had shown me his hockey card a few times but I didn’t really know what he looked like because I was usually busy putting in a new IV line at the time, something he’d come to hate so talking about hockey was the perfect distraction. I was tempted to google him but before I got the chance my pager went off, signaling that the incoming convoy was about to arrive.
Unable to stop myself I checked my reflection quickly in one of the mirrors on my way out of the restroom. Call me vain but I didn’t want to end up in any pictures or videos looking like a total slob, even if it was just in the background. I’d taken the time to shower this morning but I definitely would’ve added more than the layer of concealer if I’d known about this earlier. At least I’d gotten my brows done and my lash extensions refilled a couple of days ago. Deciding that it was too late to do anything else about it I walked towards the front entrance with the file in my hands, making sure one last time that I knew where to take this Vince first.
It wasn’t hard to spot him in the group that arrived, the big shiny trophy he was lugging around kind of a dead giveaway.
He was good-looking, I had to give him that. Not in the rugged handsome way however, it was more of a defined features and beautiful way. The kind of look that got you dubbed as a pretty boy during high school, the polo shirt he was spotting only reinforcing that image.
I couldn’t really imagine him playing ice hockey. He was fit of course, but he wasn’t as big and bulky as I’d thought and if I had to guess I’d peg him as a baseball or lacrosse player, perhaps soccer even. If all hockey players looked like him however, I might have to catch a game or two after all.
I walked over with my big work smile plastered on my face, hand outstretched and he set the cup down to shake it as I introduced myself first. I caught him looking me up and down quickly but I wasn’t really one to talk because I’d done the same exact thing just seconds earlier.
“Hi I’m Vince, nice to meet you. Love the scrubs by the way”, he responded with a dazzling smile, gesturing at my outfit. Compliments weren’t a bad start, especially since I was wearing one of my favorites with an adorable blue and pink dinosaurs print.  
“Thanks, one of my friends paints them for me.” Not willing to dwell too long on awkward small talk I continued: “Do you want me to get like a wheelchair for the cup or are you gonna carry it the entire time?”
“I think I’d get a lot of shit for not carrying it so thanks but no thanks.”
I quickly introduced myself to the rest of the team before herding everyone towards the elevators because he had to be upstairs in a couple of minutes. The camera team was more intimidating than I’d thought and I tried my best to distract myself from it as I pointed out different things around the hospital, only hoping that I wasn’t rambling without making any sense.
I was pretty sure that Vince could tell that I was uncomfortable because he kept our conversation going the whole time, obviously trying to make me laugh. His own laugh was hard to ignore and by the time we walked into the room where a livestream would take place the smile on my face was real. At least he wasn’t just easy on the eyes but he seemed fairly entertaining so far as well.
I watched him do the stream with Owen, who I’d spent some time in post-op with after his surgery a couple of weeks ago, and then stood close by as he talked to the long line of patients and people who were able to come up here. Sometimes when he saw a special needs kid getting closer he’d turn to me to ask for advice and tips and even all that ruckus didn’t stop him from keeping up a normal conversation with me.
He’d pick up right where we left off whenever there was a small break in between people and I wasn’t only amazed at his multitasking, but also at how amazing he was with the kids. He made me show him how to hold a baby and I think I’ll never be able to forget the image of a cute little baby boy in the cup.
“I ate cereal out of there this morning”, he whispered conspiratorially to me after the mother was finally done thanking him and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Of course you did. I hope you put it in the sink afterwards at least.” He gave me a wounded look, as if me insinuating he was not a clean person was hurting his ego and I laughed even more. I couldn’t really tell if he was trying to flirt with me or if he was like this with everyone but the mixed signals he’d sent me all afternoon were starting to get confusing.
“You think so lowly of me, I thought you’d know better by now.” With anyone else the wink he sent me as he delivered his line would have probably been overkill but somehow it worked for him.
The fact was that I did know better by now, even if it had only been just under two hours. I probably hadn’t been this wrong about something since I absolutely botched a math test in tenth grade thinking I aced it and he had turned out to be nothing like I had imagined him to be. Perhaps the early morning sleep-deprived me lacked the sense of being able to assess character that I usually had.
When I told him that it was time to leave he looked at me with a puppy eyes, pleading with me to let him stay a little longer. Working in pediatrics I got this a lot but somehow it had a whole different effect on me coming from a 6 feet tall hockey player with lips that were practically made for pouting.
“But there’s still some people left that I haven’t gotten to.”
“There’s also some kids that couldn’t come up here because they are too sick waiting for you in the ICU and you won’t be able to see all of them in time if we don’t go over there now. There’s a tight schedule for a reason you know.”
“Fuck the schedule, I’ll just stay longer,” he said with a cheeky grin but not before covering the ears of the little girl in front of him with his hands so she wouldn’t hear him curse. At this point I felt like it was way too easy for him to make me laugh but at the same time I didn’t really want to do anything against it. These halls had seen worse things than people laughing after all.
“You fit right in with all of my patients, you know that? And don’t you have plans with the cup for this evening?”
I didn’t get an answer straight away because Vince took his time to talk to the last five families left in line before we made our way back to the elevators. I had kind of forgotten about the camera crew that was there to document it all until all of us were crammed back inside the tight space, my shoulder brushing against Vince’s arm so I wouldn’t bump into any of the expensive equipment.
“I promised to make an appearance at this club but they’ll wait for me. By the way, you should come as well.” At first I thought he was joking, surely he had to be as we’d only met, but his try at a winning smile told me he was anything but. Again, was this him flirting or was I losing my mind?
“Shooting your shot while you’re in my good graces because of the kids, I see. I’m gonna have to disappoint though, I’m stuck here till seven and then I have another 12 hour shift coming up tomorrow so I can have a four day weekend.” I had already kind of accepted that we would never see each other again, especially with me turning him down now, and I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t a bit sad about it.
“That sounds brutal. I’m throwing another party at my condo on Saturday if you’re free then.”
“I’m actually driving up to a lake house with some friends for the weekend, sorry.” By now I really was interested because he seemed fun and I wanted that for my last few weeks up here but his timing was truly the worst.
“Wow, you’re really making me work for it,” he let out a teasing chuckle then, running his hand up and down his neck in a very distracting move as he contemplated his next words “I’m assuming you have a busy week next week as well so perhaps next Saturday?”
“Ummm.. I already agreed to meet some friends at a bar on that Saturday,” his face fell at that so I couldn’t help but add “but you’re welcome to meet us there if you want to see how the working class parties. Bring some of your friends as well if you want.”
The smile he gave me at that was equivalent to that of a five year old patient when they get told that they could have a slice of the chocolate cake and it made me glad that there was no one monitoring my heart rate at the moment.
-
The next day was just another regular day at work and while I had lots of fun yesterday, I was glad to be back in my comfort zone. Working days was anything but boring and I had been so busy that my watch told me I’d already reached my step goal for the day halfway through my shift.
I finally had some time to update the charts while sitting down at the nurses’ station, desperately hoping for some down time soon so I could perhaps even grab another cup of coffee to stop me from climbing into a free bed and taking a nap right there.
I’d seen many people pray in this building and not all of them got what they wished for but somehow today must have been my lucky day because just as I’d finished that thought someone cleared their throat in front of me. I was ready to answer some questions from worried parents but what I totally didn’t expect was Vince standing there with two coffee cups.
“I thought I’d drop this off as a thank you for babysitting me yesterday and I had a feeling that you’d need it”, he said before giving me one of his dazzling smiles. He looked good in a black t shirt and some jeans, his perfectly styled hair in contrast to the messy bun currently on top of my head. That is if the rat’s nest could even still be called a bun.
“Vince Dunn you just keep on surprising me”, I responded with a breathless laugh, not really knowing what else to say at the sweet gesture. What do you say to a good-looking hockey player that not only asks you to spend time with him three times but also takes the time out of his day for this?
Well, besides thanks, obviously.
Vince handed me one of the cups and I took a sip before looking up at him in surprise.
“How do you know the way I like my coffee?”
Instead of answering, he pointed at something behind me and I turned around to see the coffee order list I’d started a while ago in case someone decided to grab some for everyone, my name on top of the sheet.
“I noticed it yesterday in passing, I swear I’m not a stalker or anything.” He blushed at this and it was so cute and unlike his otherwise smooth self that I couldn’t just let him off the hook.
“You know, that’s exactly what a stalker would say”, I responded with a sly smile and while his face turned even more red he burst out laughing. By now we had the attention of every nurse close by and I was pretty sure that all of them were eavesdropping but who could blame them, I’d do the exact same thing. People here lived for the drama, kind of a given with how much time we spent in here because it didn’t really leave much space for a life outside of these halls. Especially if said drama involved a very hot hockey player.
“I’m changing the topic now before I embarrass myself in front of you even further just so you know. I did actually come here for one more thing,” he trailed off before bending down to pick up a bag that I hadn’t noticed before, too distracted by the guy in front of me. “I brought this for Lucas so he has something to show his friends once he gets back on the ice.” He pulled out a Blues’ jersey and turned it around so I could see that it was one of his, complete with a signature and a small message.
Lucas had been an avid hockey player himself up until his kidneys basically decided that they didn’t want to work anymore a while ago. Things had gotten so bad that he had to permanently stay in intensive care with us until after months of dragging people in here to get tested they finally found a donor in a family friend last week. At least his surgery had gone well and while I’d miss having him around, I was glad that he’d finally get discharged to recover at home later today.
I took another sip of the coffee before getting up and walking next to Vince to Lucas’ room. Lucas greeted me with a smile, which only grew after he saw who was following me into the room. Despite having struggled for so long he had always been in a good mood, even when he had to celebrate his fifteenth birthday in the hospital a few weeks ago.
“Look at you, it’s your last day in here and things just keep on getting better.” Vince and Lucas did the handshake they’d come up with yesterday, something that was absolutely necessary as a hockey player or so I’d been told.
Lucas had grown up in Chicago and he’d seen Vince play for the team there but had only really started paying attention after the apparently best fight ever Vince had gotten into at one of the games. Obviously not my words. The connection between the two of them had been instant and all the hockey talk had my head spinning more than during the first few weeks of nursing school so I made a quick exit, leaving them to it.
“I bet every nurse wishes they could trade spots with you right now, me included by the way”, Rachel, my partner in crime since day one of our college classes together, said as soon as I returned to my spot at the station.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about”, I responded, acting clueless. With a raised brow she reached for my coffee cup, spinning it around to reveal a small note written on the side of it that I hadn’t even noticed before.
“You sure about that? This fine specimen of a hockey player just gave you his number and you still act like there’s nothing going on? Besides, everyone saw you two getting all chummy yesterday.”
I snatched the cup out of her hands, quickly checking if the coast was clear before pulling out my phone to add his number to my contacts while keeping my head down so I wouldn’t have to look her in the eyes.
“Oh wipe that shit-eating grin off your face. All I get is annoying parents and you get hot dads and famous athletes hitting on you out left and right. Like leave some for the rest of us girl, it’s not fair.”
-
Even though I’d shot Vince a quick text so he could have my number as well, I never really expected anything more than his response that he’d saved it.
To say I was surprised when he texted me the following week was definitely an understatement. It wasn’t a booty call either, no, he’d texted me in the middle of the day asking if I was working days or nights this week.
Me: days as usual but I’m actually on-call today, got luckyy
Dunner: so you’re home right now?
Okay so perhaps this was a booty call after all. Not that I particularly minded.
While his first response had been pretty fast he took a little longer to answer after I told him that I was home indeed. Laying on the couch in an oversized shirt and yoga pants rewatching some Grey’s Anatomy on to be exactly. Almost the same as working. The rainy weather set the perfect mood for a lazy day in though so I hadn’t moved from my spot ever since returning from the gym this morning.
Dunner: this Chinese place near me has a special two for one offer today and I wanted to bring you some to work
I still wasn’t sure if this was him flirting but I’d also never had somebody I’d only met a week ago offer to bring me food to the hospital so he had to be, right? I sent a screenshot of the message to Rachel but I knew that I couldn’t count on her responding to it anytime soon, seeing as she was actually at work right now. I decided to be forward, telling him that I wouldn’t complain about some good food either way.
Inviting someone who was basically a stranger over to your apartment generally wasn’t exactly the best idea, but I counted on the impression I had of him so far and the reputation he surely had to uphold as a NHL player. Besides, we had lots of medical equipment scattered around the apartment so surely I’d find a syringe or something to defend myself if needed.
Dunner: I’ll be over in 30 so try not to get called in before then  
True to his word the bell didn’t ring much later. I’d debated making an effort and changing but I wasn’t about to wear jeans or a skirt to hang out so that didn’t leave many options. Brushing your hair wasn’t nothing either so that counted in my opinion.
Vince had gone through the same train of thought as well apparently because he looked super cozy in some sweatpants and a hoodie that had gotten slightly wet, presumably from his walk from his car to the building as our parking situation was really shitty. He stepped inside and reached up to run his hand through his damp hair before shaking his head, making little droplets of water fly in every direction.
“This is why they don’t allow dogs in here”, I laughed, gesturing to my shirt that now looked like an abstract splash painting.
“Let me make it up to you with some of the best food you’ve ever had because I brought lots” was his response as he lifted the bag of take out while slipping off his shoes by the door, hair now sticking in all directions.
“Alright Dunner, show me what you got”, I said with a wink over my shoulder as I made my way into the kitchen, continuing my bold streak from earlier. I had also learned by now that nicknames were even more important than handshakes as a hockey player. I was pretty sure I’d heard him mumble something along the line of ‘Gladly’ but I was already too far ahead of him to be absolutely certain.
“You’re watching Grey’s Anatomy? Isn’t it like crazy inaccurate?”, he asked with a look at the TV in the living room as I hadn’t bothered to pause the episode.
“Yeah of course it is but I still like it somehow. It’s like the hospital equivalent of bad trash TV shows so it’s kind of my guilty pleasure.”
“Okay give me a quick summary of what I need to know for this episode so we can watch it while we eat.”
I looked at him like he was crazy but he urged me on, looking up at me expectantly from where he’d sat down on the couch. Eventually I gave in, trying to keep explanations as short as possible but even then it took me quite a while to get through, yet Vince never once looked like he was bored. He didn’t lose his interest in it after that either, only looking away from the screen to decide what he was going to eat next, all of the choices delicious just like he promised.
Stuffed like a turkey on Thanksgiving the both of us stayed unmoved on the couch watching episode after episode. Somehow my legs had ended up on his lap and his hands were resting on my knees, drawing slow circles as we made eye contact from time to time. Every few minutes his hand would inch up a little and with him biting his lip as he did it there was no way I would stop him, any doubts about his intentions long gone by now. I couldn’t stop the smile spreading on my lips as his hand finally reached the top of my thigh, softly kneading the sensitive part on the inside. If I was into hand porn, I would have orgasmed already at the sight of his hands wrapped around my thigh.
“What are you grinning about?”, Vince asked with an easy smile himself, looking at me in a way that told me that Meredith had long lost his attention.
“Just waiting for you to finally make a move.”
“I was trying to be somewhat of a gentlemen but I really can’t help myself with you wearing those pants..”
“Well you seem to be awful at it so don’t be one then”, I teased back feeling confident yet again.
In a flash he had somehow - I’ll probably keep wondering about the details for the rest of my life - managed to lift me up enough to shift me so I was straddling his lap, now turned on by his manhandling and the way he was currently looking up at me. For a second both of us stared at each other, trying to figure out if this was really going to happen. Vince lifted his hand from my hip to my face, slowly pulling me down towards him.
Our lips didn’t even get the chance to connect before my phone started ringing.
I jumped up from his lap, immediately recognizing the ringtone I had set for all work calls and almost kneeing him in the crown jewels in the process. One look at my screen told me that it was an emergency which prompted me to run into my room cursing. I quickly pulled on the pair of scrubs I’d laid out in the morning, one hand still pulling the top down while the other was trying to attach my badge properly by the time I made it back into the living room. Vince hadn’t even moved from the couch yet, eyes wide and legs still comfortably spread apart, a sight that made me want to climb back on top of him but unfortunately I couldn’t do that.
“I’m so sorry but I gotta go, you don’t need to rush though. Feel free to keep on watching if you want but please don’t rob us and make sure the door is closed if you decide to leave after all, it locks automatically. The food was delicious thank you very much and bye!”
I barely heard him saying bye as well before I was already through the door, not really looking forward to spending the next few hours in the chaos that usually came with emergency calls. Especially after how much I’d enjoyed spending time with Vince and how much I wished that we would’ve just skipped all of the testing-the-waters stuff and would’ve just went at it like madmen.
-
The weekend couldn’t arrive fast enough and by the time it was Saturday I was ready to abandon all of my plans so I could sleep the rest of the day. I’d gotten in late last night after working overtime and I probably would have stayed in bed till noon if it wasn’t for Rachel and Mariah bursting into my room at nine in the morning. At least they didn’t wake me at the crack of dawn and the cake they were carrying to my bed looked pretty delicious as well.
“Look at you, another year older and yet still sexy as fuck”, Rachel exclaimed as she hopped onto the bed beside me after they’d finished their horrible rendition of Happy Birthday. Mariah settled on the other side of me and I guess my friends knew me well enough because we didn’t move from that position except to grab some more food and booze until it was time to get ready for tonight. Best roommates ever.
“You need to look extra hot tonight, I want Vince to lose his shit when he sees you.”
Ever since I’d sent the screenshot to Rachel and told her about the couch situation, she had been on my back about the thing. Something about me needing to bag rich hot athletes for her sake. I didn’t even argue with her anymore, only rolling my eyes in sync with Mariah whenever she brought it up.
To my surprise Vince hadn’t been deterred by my hasty exit a few days ago, something that had definitely surprised me. It wasn’t the first time that my job had cockblocked me and it definitely won’t be the last and I’d met more than my fair share of guys who were absolutely not into that at all. The fascination with nurses died really fast once people realized how much time we spent on the job.
Vince and I had texted constantly since he spent the day with me and he had somehow managed to make casual conversation with a flirty undertone the entire time. We’d already established that neither of us was looking for anything serious right now but I had decided that I would definitely not say no to some fun with him.
Some birthday sex would be great for starters. I let Rachel curl my hair while I focused on perfecting my make up because I wanted to look good tonight, not just for Vince but also because by next weekend I’d already be packed so this was really my last big hurrah before moving back home.
The thing about spending most of my days make up free in sports bras, comfortable panties and running shoes was that if I did bother to go out, I put in a lot of effort. I was determined to turn heads tonight so I pulled on a black lace bodysuit that practically presented my boobs on a silver tray, a pair of jeans that made my ass look spectacular and some black stilettos that I hoped wouldn’t kill my feet in a few hours. I had to go braless under the bodysuit, the mesh part on the back making that very obvious and I had a feeling that Vince wouldn’t exactly mind either.
“Girl I’d totally bang you because you look so hot but that outfit shows off everything that’s wrong with you”, Rachel said as we all examined ourselves one last time in front of the full-length mirror in my room and took pictures. I shot her a confused look.
“Wait what’s wrong with me?”
“Well for one your ass looks bangin and so do your boobs and I’m pretty sure that I could tell if you had a dick wearing that and people with dicks are my type soooo..”, she trailed off and both Mariah and I turned towards her with an incredulous look before bursting out laughing, all the day drinking taking its toll already. It wasn’t exactly new for Rachel to stop making any sense once she had some alcohol in her but it was still just as entertaining every single time.
“I can’t believe you’re complaining about her not having a dick right now”, Mariah sighed and I couldn’t stop giggling at my idiotic friends.
“I’m not complaining! I’m just saying that I need a dick to-“
“Don’t you dare finish that sentence. Just – just for once in your life be at least somewhat normal please”, Mariah interrupted her exasperated and the both of them continuing to bicker still had me laughing by the time we climbed into the back of our Uber.
We were the last to arrive of course, because Rachel had insisted on us being fashionably late so by the time we made it inside the bar I could already spot my friends sitting in the back. She had also insisted on me wearing a stupid Birthday Girl sash, reminding me how many free drinks it would get me, but I drew the line at the tiara she had pulled out of her purse as well. I was too old for the full 21st birthday look after all.
After I was hugged by everyone and had received all of the birthday wishes and presents I realized that Vince wasn’t among the group, which was weird because we’d been texting all day and he had asked to confirm the time and place again just this morning.
It was as if my thought made him appear because soon I felt two hands gently grab my waist while his cologne infiltrated my senses. He spun me around and the force of the move had me reach out to rest my hands on his shoulders so I wouldn’t fall over. I knew he had done that on purpose.
We were standing so close that we would have definitely gotten in trouble if this were a middle school dance and the way he looked down at me right now made me curse everything that came to my mind because I just wanted to drag him to the nearest bathroom so he could bend me over the counter but of course that wouldn’t be acceptable in front of all my friends.
“Why didn’t you tell me that today is your birthday? Now I’m going to have to make up for the fact that I didn’t get you a present.”
I had a feeling that I wouldn’t mind whatever this making up entailed, if the way he tightened his grip while looking at me as if he was thinking about bathroom counters as well was any indicator.
“Because you don’t just tell people that it’s your birthday, that’s weird.” He pulled me even tighter then, wrapping his arms around me and wishing me a happy birthday after giving me a kiss on the cheek that gave me goosebumps. Before he had the chance to pull away however, I leaned up on my tippy toes because even with heels he was still taller than me and whispered “I can’t wait for the making up for it part though” in his ear.
He groaned in response and he dropped his hands to give my hips a squeeze before reluctantly letting go of me. Only now did I spot the two guys behind him that were all watching us with amused expressions, which had to be the friends he said he’d bring. Introductions were quick and I didn’t even bother to introduce everyone to Vince and his gang because the group was so big that the three of them wouldn’t be able to remember many names either way.
We settled into one of the booths and Rachel practically pushed me into the seat next to Vince, not that I minded of course. Conversation flowed easily, as did the drinks, and soon I found myself climbing out of the booth because I had just about consumed my body weight in liquid and desperately needed to go to the bathroom for something that unfortunately wasn’t sex. Walking over I could feel a slight buzz already but not to the extent that would make me stumble in my heels, perfect for a night out.
By the time Mariah and I returned I could tell that another one of Rachel’s plans was in action because now there was one more person sitting at our table, meaning there wasn’t enough space left for both Mariah and I. I was about to move to sit with some other friends in the booth next to ours when Vince, who was conveniently seated at the edge of our booth, told me to sit on his lap and that was an offer I would never turn down.
He grabbed my hips to pull me closer and onto his lap as he said: “Don’t worry I won’t bite.”
I couldn’t resist messing with him though, so I purposefully shifted closer to his crotch and leaned towards him so only he could hear me as I whispered: “What if I want you to though?” I could tell he was trying to suppress a groan and he gripped me even tighter, pulling me back into him.
Poor Vince, his balls were going to be the same color as a Blues jersey soon enough.
Unfortunately I couldn’t elaborate to make the situation even worse for him because I was being pulled into the conversation at the table. I could feel him growing hard underneath my ass though and the fact that I was able to rile him up so easily really did wonders for my self-confidence..
After I could tell that he had calmed down again I decided to put him out of his misery. Well, kind of. Me leaning across one of the pool tables as I took my shot gave him a perfect view of my cleavage or of me bending over after all, depending on where he stood.
“Are you always this bad?”, I asked after he missed yet another shot.
“No, usually I’m average at least but I guess I’m a little bit distracted right now.” He didn’t even try to hide him staring at my boobs as I took my turn. We’d both long dropped any pretense about where this was headed. After I made my shot I walked around the table to get a better angle for the next one, accidentally brushing up against Vince who now had a perfect view of my ass.
“I hope you’re only average at pool and not at anything else”, I teased him with a look over my shoulder after watching the ball roll into the hole the way I’d planned before straightening up again.
“Let me take you home so my neighbors can confirm me being anything but average”, he responded, his voice deep as he moved next to me, one of his big hands resting on my lower back to play with the fabric there, the heat of his hands practically burning my skin as I looked up at him.
Our intense eye contact was interrupted by one of the waitresses who walked up to the pool table sheepishly with a drink on her tray.
“Hey, that guy over there sent you this and I’m supposed to tell you to come over to him so you don’t have to, uh, keep playing with a - um - loser. His words not mine, sorry.” She pointed to a guy a few tables over who was decently good looking but radiated Asshole Energy off of him, his incredibly rude move not really helping either. Even if it wasn’t for Vince standing next to me I wouldn’t have touched him with a ten foot pole.
Vince had tensed up at the words and I watched him ball his hands into his fists, every muscle in his body tightening with anger. I had no doubt that because of his hockey experience he could hold his own in a fight but it wasn’t something I needed tonight. I thanked the waitress before setting the drink down and making a show of turning towards Vince, one hand trailing up from his biceps to the back of his head so I could interrupt the stare off he was currently having with the other guy.
“Don’t worry, I’m flattered that I seem to be able to distract you so much. To be honest I can’t really concentrate either because now I really want you to make me scream so loud that your neighbors file noise complaints.” Vince choked slightly and then reached for the drink that was sitting next to me, taking three big gulps while looking at me, his eyes dark.
He then grabbed my hand and I didn’t miss the smug look he threw at the other guy over my shoulder before pulling me towards the backdoor of the bar, the pool game abandoned without a second thought. The air outside had cooled down a bit by now but I didn’t even get the chance to acknowledge that because Vince had me pushed against the wall in a second, one hand resting next to my head while the other reached up to cup my face, dropping his head for a kiss.
All this teasing had finally led to this.
It was rough and yet sensual at the same time, his lips demanding and it didn’t take long until his tongue licked along my bottom lip, asking for entrance. He then deepened the kiss even further and I reached up to bury my hands in his stupidly perfect and soft hair, eliciting a throaty groan. When he pushed one of his legs in between mine I couldn’t help the moan that escaped me in turn at the delicious friction, followed by yet another one as he dropped his head to suck along my neck. I could feel how hard he was and it turned me on beyond imagination.
The thought that I would probably let him fuck me in this alley right now brought me back down to earth because this was not how I envisioned my night going.
“Vince, hold up”, I murmured and as soon as my words registered with him he pulled away, both of us panting.
“What’s wrong?”
I laughed at his expression, he looked at me as if he was truly worried that he’d overstepped a boundary. As if I hadn’t thrown hints left and right for the last couple of days. His swollen lips made it hard to concentrate because I just wanted to sink my teeth into them until he groaned again the way he had only seconds ago and I silently cursed his stupid perfect lips. I wondered what damage they could do.
“Nothing’s wrong, nothing at all. I just wanted to say let’s go back inside for like another hour or so and then we can take off.” The smile that quickly spread on his face made it obvious that he was going to say something not-PG-13 before he opened his mouth again to ask:
“Do you think your friends would mind if I dragged you home right this second?”
I had to laugh at that but it quickly died in my throat as he moved his hands to my hips to pull me close again before crashing his lips back onto mine. The going back to the others part would apparently be slightly delayed but with the way his lips and body moved against mine right now I would probably agree to anything if it meant getting to stay right in this position a bit longer.
This time it was less rushed and frantic and instead he took his time to explore every inch of my mouth while his hands wandered my body. Mine were roaming as well, from the neck down his muscular shoulders around to the front before finally creeping up his back below his shirt. I enjoyed the way I could feel his muscles tense under my touch but eventually we had to pull away from each other. We’d spent way too much time out here as it is.
“Let’s go back inside, the faster we get back the sooner we can leave and besides they’re probably wondering what we’re doing out here so long.”
The smug looks we received once we made our way back to the tables after I fixed my hair and make up and Vince did whatever he had to do to conceal his massive hard on made it clear that everyone had a good idea of what had gone on outside though. I’m pretty sure Rachel would have high fived me if it weren’t for the people sitting between us.
I sat on Vince’s lap again and this time it was torture for the both of us to wait until it was finally an acceptable time to make a getaway. I let Rachel take all the presents for me and she made Vince give her his address and phone number before she let him pull me into the back of an Uber.
I was pressed against him for the entire ride, his hand resting way higher on my leg than technically publicly acceptable. With every turn or bump in the road he accidentally brushed my core and at more than one point I had to hide my face in his broad chest so the driver wouldn’t hear the soft moans that couldn’t be stopped. I could tell that he was trying his best not to get too handsy as not to cause a scene but once we were alone in the elevator of his building all bets were off.
He walked me back against the doors, pushing one of his legs in between my own again and kissed me with a force that made me glad that I had tons of metal behind me as leverage to push back. He only pulled away once the little ‘ding’ could be heard and even then he only held off until he had me inside his apartment, barely waiting a second before he shrugged off his jacket, quickly moving onto mine.
Somehow we managed to make it onto the couch without breaking apart our kiss and I barely had time to admire his floor to ceiling windows before he pulled me close until I was straddling his lap. His lips were working on my neck again and I reminded him to not leave any marks there because I had to work on Monday morning, which only prompted him to move down lower, sucking at the skin right above the lace of my bodysuit.
“No one will see those then”, he murmured against my breasts and I moaned as he reached up to palm them through the material. By the time he was done I had several purple marks littering my cleavage and I really needed to see more of him so I motioned for him to take his shirt off, watching in awe as he reached back to pull it over his head in the perfect way only guys managed to.
His body could only be described as a work of art and I could tell that he worked really hard for it as I traced the outline of his abs, muscles contracting and goosebumps rising at my touch. The city lights made for the perfect lighting and the way his skin glowed in their reflection belonged in a museum if ever captured.
Vince reached for the button of my jeans and looked at me as if to ask if I was okay with that. I nodded before standing up, trying to get out of my jeans and heels in a quick but still somewhat sexy motion but I probably succeeded only halfway. He didn’t seem deterred by my struggle at all, the hungry look in his eyes never once vanishing.
As soon as I stood upright again Vince reached up to trace the lace embellishments, slowly moving his hands down lower towards where I really wanted them. Considering the fact that the bodysuit had already been pretty revealing in itself there wasn’t really much ‘new’ skin to see so far but he still looked at me with an intensity that almost made me shiver.
He reached to pull me down on him again but instead I surprised him by sinking down to my knees in front of him, his breath audibly hitching in his throat. For a second he was silent but as soon as I poked my tongue out to trace the ‘V’ on his lower stomach he let out a low moan, throwing his head back.
“Impatient much?”, I teased him, pleasantly surprised at my ability to make him almost lose his shit without even really doing anything.
“You have no idea. I’ve thought about this for days”, he admitted and I only smiled in return, moving to pull his jeans down along with his boxers without revealing that I had done the same. He got up to step out of both while I was focused on watching his dick bounce with the movement, amazed at the size of it.
As soon as he made himself comfortable again I grabbed the base with one hand while resting the other one on his thigh as I moved to lick the drops of precum that adorned the tip. When my tongue made contact he moved one of his hands into my hair, holding it back so he could get a better view.
“Fuck, you look so good like this”, he cursed when I finally wrapped my lips around him, taking the head into my mouth while swirling my tongue around him and taking him a bit further. I removed my lips and I could tell he was about to protest but any words died in his mouth when I started sucking his balls, reaching up to pump his length that was already slick from my spit with my hand.
He seemed to find his voice again once I licked up the underside of his dick but it was only a string of curses that turned into moans when I took him into my mouth as far as I could, my nose touching his pelvic bone. I relaxed my throat and swallowed around him, my name falling from his lips again and again as I reached up to massage his balls at the same time. I looked up to see him watching me with his pupils blown, hair sticking in all directions from running his hands through it so many times and his mouth slightly open. His arms were spread out beside him on the back of the couch and I wanted to take a picture to commemorate the moment, wanting to remember this forever. He had definitely never looked better and no one could convince me otherwise.
The hand in my hair helped me set a rhythm as I bobbed my head while licking around him and Vince was a moaning and cursing mess above me. It didn’t take long before he quite literally pulled me off him, running his hand across his face and taking a few calming breaths.
“You’re incredible but I don’t want to cum yet”, he finally murmured when he helped me back up and I wasn’t sure if he was only complimenting my blowjob-skills or more but the way he was looking at me right now made any thought besides wanting him inside me disappear.
“Vince I need you”, I practically begged and he quickly nodded before standing up with me still in his lap, reaching out to grab the back of my thighs to prevent me from slipping down. He somehow managed to walk up the stairs with me still wrapped around him while I trailed kisses along his collar bones and it was probably the hottest non-sexual thing I’d ever experienced with a guy.
He turned on a soft light once inside his room and while I would have loved to have a look around I was pretty distracted by the way he literally threw me on the bed before crawling on top of me, my legs falling apart to make space for him as if it was the most natural thing on earth.
Vince kissed down my breasts before suddenly stopping somewhere above my belly button.
“Okay I have to admit I’m a bit lost here, as hot as you look in it how the fuck do I get this thing off?” I probably shouldn’t laugh in such a somewhat serious situation but his helpless expression did nothing to stop the giggles that escaped my mouth. He was smiling as well and I was glad that we could laugh about the slight hiccup without it turning awkward.
I quickly reached down to snap open the buttons before sitting up and pulling the piece of lace over my head, discarding it in some corner of his room now completely naked.
“Much better”, he murmured, one of his hands reaching out to grab a hold of my boobs while the other one wrapped around my back, lowering us back onto the mattress. Eventually he trailed his kisses over the part of my skin that was marked up by him until he sucked one of my nipples into his mouth, his hand taking care of the other one.
Slowly but surely he kissed his way down my body, skipping over the part where I needed him most to suck along the inside of my thighs. The sensation rushed through me, my core already throbbing from days of built up expectations and I let out a whine. I was tempted to try and close my legs so I could at least get some kind of friction but his shoulders between them made that impossible.
“Patience baby, don’t you know that good things come to those who wait?”, he murmured and I shuddered at the feeling of his breath fanning across my heat. I didn’t even have the time to think about the fact that he had just called me baby or that I was actually a firm believer in good things happening to those who worked for them because he reached down to drag one of his fingers through my folds and all thoughts left my body.
“Shit, you’re so wet already”, he said softly but I was unable to give him any response besides a frantic nod and another desperate whine.
I’d fantasized about this for the last couple of days of course but nothing came close to the reality of one of his thick fingers dipping into my core. He teased my entrance for a bit, only pushing inside to his first knuckle but then I whined again and he pushed it in as far as he could. I was so lost in the feeling that I hadn’t even noticed him moving back up my body until he littered the valley between my breasts with heated kisses.
“So tight. I can’t wait to feel you around my cock.”
As if the words he’d moaned into my ear weren’t already enough to make any coherent thoughts disappear, he added a second finger and I arched my back into him, the change of angle just right in a way that had me gripping the sheets so tightly that my knuckles turned white. He reached dropped down to tease my nipples, sucking and licking them expertly while his hand thrust up into me.
My moans were already filling the room but then he started circling my clit with his thumb and I knew that I wouldn’t last much longer, the anticipation and desperation definitely helping to speed things along. He looked up at me to watch my reactions and the sight of him with his mouth latched onto my breast was almost enough to send me over the edge by itself.
“I’m so close Vince, please don’t stop”, I begged and this seemed to spur him on further, his movements turning even more eager as he continued to place sloppy kisses along my skin. It was the combination of everything he was doing to me that finally brought me over the edge, the release so sweet after needing it for so long.
He made sure to extend my orgasm as long as possible, only pulling his hand away after I whimpered slightly, the stimulation a bit much now. His softly kissed his way back down and along my thighs now and I could tell that he wasn’t quite done with me yet.
“How’s the birthday girl feeling right now?”, he asked with a teasing smile and normally I probably would have smacked him for this but right now I would tolerate it because I was still in my blissful post-orgasmic state.
“Amazing so far, could do better though.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Mhm, I’m pretty sure I was promised some making up for the lack of a present and I don’t think we’ve reached that point yet.”
“Well excuse me then while I go back to work.” And with that he flattened his tongue and boldly licked one long stripe across my slit.
He started out slowly and I was glad because I was still a bit sensitive from my last orgasm, lapping at my entrance and pushing his tongue inside of me, making me gasp. It didn’t take long however until he grabbed my hips to pull me closer and onto his mouth, pushing my legs up to expose me even further to him and ultimately giving him better access.
When he sucked my clit into his mouth I couldn’t help but arch my back off the mattress again, burying my hands in his hair as he reached up to hold me still. This guy’s lips weren’t just pretty, they were apparently amazingly talented as well.
He replaced his tongue with one of his thick fingers, slowly pushing in and soon his name fell off my lips in a religious chant as he added yet another one, curling them upwards for maximum pleasure. I could feel my high coming from a mile away and Vince apparently must have too by the way I was grinding myself against his face because he quite literally dove back in, determined to shatter my word.
And shatter my world he did.
I was pretty sure I would have floated away as I reached my high if it wasn’t for Vince’s hand across my stomach keeping me grounded. My legs were still shaking with the aftershocks of one of the arguably - no hands down - best orgasms I’d had while getting head in my life. By the time I was finally able to open my eyes again he was wiping his face before grinning down at me.
“You look so fucked out already and we haven’t even gotten to that part yet”, he teased and I let out a chuckle before pushing at his chest. Leave it to him to make fun of me after he was the one who put me in this situation. Not that I was complaining of course.
“Don’t worry, it’s a good look on you. One that I’d definitely like to see more often.” He leaned down to nip at my neck then, his cock prodding at my thigh.
“If you keep doing that you definitely will”, I responded with an airy laugh, still kind of breathless. All talk died down after that however when he captured my lips with his again as he crawled on top of me, settling between my legs. Kissing him was definitely addicting and the fact that I could taste myself while doing so only made it ten times more hot.
Vince rolled his hips against mine, groaning into my mouth when his cock dragged against my skin while I couldn’t stop the moan escaping my lips either. Breaking the kiss he pulled back in a way that had him in a push-up position above me, giving me a moment to enjoy the view. His hair was sticking in all kinds of directions, his pupils so blown that they almost seemed black instead of the usual beautiful green and his muscles were flexing from holding the position.
“Still want to keep going?”, he asked and in my daze it took me a second to realize that this was him asking for consent. I had no doubt that he wouldn’t do anything I didn’t want him to but this, him offering to stop when he had done so much for me already while not getting off yet in return, was sweet. Especially since I had made it more than obvious that stopping was definitely not on my mind.
I moved to flip us over then, straddling his thighs and wrapping my hand around his dick, pumping him a few times and in case that wasn’t confirmation enough for him I leaned down to whisper a “definitely” in his ear.
“Condoms?”
“Top drawer on your right.”
Only because we weren’t in the middle of his huge bed was I able to reach said drawer, grabbing one of the foil packets out of the box and ripping it open with my teeth before rolling it down on him. I scooted up enough to line his cock with my entrance and while I tried to watch Vince as I sunk down on him the way my eyes fluttered shut at the sensation was out of my control.
While there had definitely been enough foreplay to make the sliding in part easy it was still quite a stretch, one so amazing however that it had the both of us moaning at the same time.
“Shit you feel incredible”, he breathed and I nodded my head in agreement, too lost in the pleasure to form any coherent sentences. Rolling my hips against him created some amazing friction that had my head spinning as I clenched my muscles, eliciting throaty groans from him.
Vince reached for my hips, gripping them tightly as he helped guide me along, my clit catching on his pelvic bone with every backward movement. “You got one more in you babe?”, he asked and to my surprise I could tell that I did. The fact that I could already feel it bubbling inside of me spoke volumes of our chemistry in bed together. This was a friends with benefits arrangement I could definitely get behind.
He sat up then, changing the angle at which his cock dragged against my walls and also making it possible for him to take one of my nipples into his mouth, gently grazing his teeth against it while tightening his grip on my hip as he thrust up into me. At this point I was a moaning mess on top of him but I honestly didn’t care. I hadn’t had sex this good in a while and the way he looked up at me in awe made it impossible to feel anything but sexy.
I didn’t even need any extra help to reach my third orgasm of the night with his name falling off my lips, the feeling so strong that my mind was absolutely blank and I saw stars dancing across the back of my eyelids as I arched into him with my eyes shut. He made sure to let me ride it out, groaning as he felt my walls tighten around him but as soon as I slumped against him he turned us around so he was on top of me, never once pulling out.
The pace at which he was chasing his own high now was relentless and hard and I would have held on for dear life if he hadn’t raised my arms to keep them above my head. One of his hands easily encased both of my wrists while he used his other to keep at least some of his weight off of me. I knew that a fourth orgasm was off the table, I was way too exhausted for that by now but he still felt amazing inside of me. I wrapped my legs around him to allow him deeper, the smack of our skin and our moans so loud that I was glad that we didn’t have any nosy roommates right next door. Those noise complaints from the neighbors I’d mentioned earlier might still roll in though.
With this pace it didn’t take long for his thrusts to lose all rhythm and I could tell that he wouldn’t last much longer. I clenched around him to bring him even closer and he groaned into the crook of my neck where he had buried his face, my name and some colorful curses falling off his lips. He readjusted his position so he could lean up enough to look at me while still holding my wrists above my head and I watched him throw his head back in pleasure as he slammed deep inside of me one last time, face contorting in pleasure as he reached his high. I could feel him pulsing inside of me and a pleasant shudder ran through me, making me sigh at the feeling. Perhaps this was my body’s way of saying girl if I could have, I would have.
He let go of my wrists then and I wrapped my arms around him as he dropped down on top of me. We both caught our breath for a few seconds which honestly wasn’t easy with the extra weight on my chest but it was a nice feeling. He had to carefully pull out and roll off of me eventually, throwing the condom next to the bed to dispose of later. For now it was nice to lay beside each other, covered in a sheen of sweat and still panting.
After finally landing back on planet earth I looked to my right at the alarm clock waiting on the nightstand, only now realizing how late it had gotten. Vince lifted his head enough to check the time as well and let out a light groan at the sight.
“You can spend the night if you want but we should definitely shower before that. Even if it wasn’t your birthday – well technically it’s not anymore – I’m not some dick that would kick you out in the middle of the night.”
I was surprised at his offer, I’d been with guys who were those dicks but I was even more surprised when he told me to pick something to sleep in from his closet before pulling on a pair of boxers and getting up to grab waters for the both of us.
I decided to postpone this until after showering, quickly making my way to his ensuite to use the toilet. I saw enough UTIs at work, I didn’t need them following me home. I was trying to wipe my make up off as best as I could with a washcloth and the face wash from his counter when he returned to his bathroom, a new toothbrush triumphantly in his hand.
“Found this in my junk drawer in the kitchen but I’ll be honest, I have no idea how it got there. The wrapping is unopened tho”, he admitted sheepishly and I laughed.
“Doesn’t matter, I’ll take it.”
Our shower was quick, both of us too exhausted for any more funny business but if my gaze had dropped from time to time appreciatively no one would ever know. He had an amazing body and I would have to be a nun not to acknowledge that.
Especially while he was naked in the shower.
I definitely wasn’t a nun.
Looking for clothes to sleep in turned out to be more difficult than I’d originally thought because of his affinity to clothes that were at least one size too big. Most of them would reach my knees in a really unflattering way and I knew that I wouldn’t be able to sleep while drowning in fabric. I tried on three, neatly putting them back afterwards and actually contemplating sleeping in only a pair of his boxers before finally finding one that didn’t make me look like a kid.
I could tell that it was an old shirt, perhaps from a previous team, worn down over time with a slightly faded print but it was comfortable and it smelled like him, even if I doubted that he had worn it anytime recently.
Vince was already tucked into bed by the time I stepped back into his bedroom, scrolling through his phone but putting it down on the nightstand once I got closer. I could see that he’d searched for a second charger so I could plug my phone in overnight as well and it was such a little gesture but yet it made me smile.
“I prefer to sleep on the right side, I hope you don’t mind”, he said as I climbed under the cover beside him. I shook my head no before responding:
“Nah, I actually like the left side better.”
“See, we’re meant to be fuck buddies.”
“I could already tell from the three orgasms but hey, if that’s what it takes for you to realize that.”
“You have a point there.”
Any other time and I certainly would’ve stayed up for a while longer so we could talk but right now I knew I wouldn’t last long. For a second I wasn’t sure how to do this, would it be weird to cuddle?
Vince made my decision easy however when he pulled me close until my back was flush against him, wrapping his arm around my waist. After our exhausting shenanigans earlier it took neither of us long to fall asleep.
The next morning I woke super early, my inner clock not allowing me to sleep past seven despite staying up late. I’d turned around in my sleep to lay on my stomach but Vince had somehow managed to keep his arm around me and get even closer.
I was slightly worried for my safety because of the fact that I had managed to sleep through a 200 pound guy basically laying on top of me but I’d slept like a baby. I could tell that Vince was still asleep by the even breaths that fanned across my neck but one part of him definitely wasn’t, poking my side. Bless the male population for their sleepy boners.
I was trying to let him sleep as long as I could, I really did, but with him so close to me and the images of last night combined with the very interesting dream I’d just woken up from burned into my memory I couldn’t help myself. I slowly turned in his arms so we were back to the position we’d fell asleep in, on our sides and pressed together spooning.
Even through my shirt I could feel his body radiating heat and if the night had been warmer it definitely would’ve been too much but right now I just wished for all barriers between our bodies to disappear.
My shifting had apparently woken Vince up successfully because he let out a throaty groan before, consciously or not, rocking against my ass and burying his face in my neck.
“Morning”, he said and I’m not gonna lie his husky morning voice did things to me that didn’t exactly help my situation.
“Morning, how’d you sleep?”, I asked, turning my head slightly so I wasn’t having this conversation with his incredibly comfortable pillow.
“Could’ve been longer but I don’t mind. Now that I’m up however..”, he trailed off, lightly biting my neck and moving his hand from my waist to grab my boob, rocking into me again, this time definitely on purpose.
This was definitely a friends with benefits situation I could get behind.
-
Somehow Vince managed to weasel his way into my life after that. He’d come over after I finished a shift at the hospital, spend the night and leave me incredibly satisfied the next morning when both of us went our separate ways again. Our time with each other was pretty short, only a week, but somehow I’d had more sex in that one week than in the last few months combined.
My last shift at the hospital on Saturday was, for a lack of better words, sad as fuck. So many people came up to me, telling me how much they would miss me and what a great addition I had been over the past year. When they brought a cake into the break room with a sweet message written on top of it I couldn’t help the tears that welled up. I could see Rachel subtly wipe at her eyes as well and I hugged her tightly.
“Remember our first day of classes? Oh how things have changed since then”, she muttered against me and I nodded. One thing that hadn’t changed however was our friendship. She was the reason I had come to Toronto, where she had grown up but it had been five years since I left my home to go to college and I knew that it was time to go back to my family and childhood friends.
“Don’t think you’ll be getting rid of me this soon, I’ll call you all the time and with there only being a one hour time difference between Toronto and St. Louis you have no excuse to avoid me.”
“As if I could ever avoid you, you little shit. But if your hometown insists on having you back I’ll allow it, I guess.” Her insulting me told me that she was okay again so I let go of her, the both of us still sniffling a bit as we each grabbed a piece of the cake.
When I finally made my ay back home that night Vince was already there. Mariah had probably let him in. There’s been some raised eyebrows at first but after seeing him here every day neither of my roommates was surprised when he knocked at our apartment door. Somehow he seemed to sense that I wasn’t in a talking mood right now, especially about having to say goodbye to the place that had been my home for the past year.
I was excited to see my family and friends in St. Louis again, don’t get me wrong, but goodbyes were never easy.
He greeted me with one of his comforting hugs that I’d already grown accustomed to before dropping his head to press a soft kiss on the top of my head before pulling me to the bathroom.
My shampoo and other toiletries were some of the last few things that hadn’t been stuffed in boxes and duffel bags yet and the sight made tears well up in my eyes.
“It’s okay, you know. I don’t like leaving here either”, he murmured in my ear as he wrapped his arms around me from behind, moving us so we both got hit by the stream of hot water. I wanted to forget everything but the feel of his naked body pressed against me but right now I knew I was too in my head to actually be able to enjoy it. Later maybe.
“But you get to come back every summer for a couple of months. I don’t know how long it’ll take until I can visit everyone again and even then it’ll probably only be for a few days.”
“That’s true. But your friends can also visit you. And in a few weeks I’ll be down as well and then you’ll be so annoyed by me constantly bugging you that you won’t be able to miss your friends here anymore.” My sniffle turned into a laugh at his words and I almost swallowed a big gulp of water in that moment, making both of us break into fits of laughter.
I was glad I’d have him with me again in a few weeks. Hopefully at least. We’d talked about our situation and I told Vince to hit me up again once he’d made it to St. Louis too in a few weeks and while he said he would, I knew that there was the possibility that he might not. I didn’t have the opportunity to dwell on the thought too long though because he’d managed to distract me yet again when he placed searing hot kisses along my shoulder.
If he hadn’t managed to get me out of my shell back in the hospital I never would’ve ended up with him in the shower right now. Or bent over the mattress a few minutes later.
Vince Dunn, the arrogant professional athlete, had turned out to be nothing like I’d expected and I had never been more happy to be wrong.
328 notes · View notes
backtothestart02 · 3 years
Text
Just Best Friends - 3/? | westallen fanfiction
A/N: It’s so good. So, so good. I can’t wait to hear what y’all think!
...
Chapter 3 -
Barry got lucky after his meeting with Iris. Linda hadn’t been answering his calls, so he assumed she’d gone home. Maybe she was in traffic and didn’t take calls while she was driving. He winced when he realized that was kind of weak. He decided to check CCPN, just in case she had decided to work late. He found her gathering her things at her desk and heaving her purse over her shoulder. She was one of the only employees left.
He waited until she looked up and spotted him by the doorway. She came to an immediate halt. Her shoulders slumped – her first reaction – but she quickly straightened them again and approached him head-on.
“Barry,” she said, and he could tell she was forcing the cheerfulness in her voice.
“You’ve been avoiding me,” he said, deciding to get right to the point.
She sighed. “I was working.”
“That’s never stopped you from taking my calls before.”
Her lips thinned.
“I assume you talked with Iris.”
The bitterness in her voice was now clear as day, but still, Barry’s eyebrows furrowed.
“What makes you think that? I mean, I have, but how did y-?”
“She left early,” she said, knowingly. “And when I passed her and asked why, she said she was going to see a source.”
“And…that immediately going to see me?” he asked, dumbfounded.
“She couldn’t look me in the eye, Barry. I’ve been a reporter long enough to know when someone is dodging a question because they’re not sure how the answer will be received.”
She suppressed an eye roll just barely and moved past him.
“Wait, Linda-”
She spun around.
“I know she’s in denial about how she feels about you. It’s obvious to me and to Eddie probably. But what I don’t know is why you continue to date me when it’s clear your heart is someplace else.”
He exhaled, trying to get his bearings.
“You’re not a rebound, Linda.”
She raised her eyebrows, doubtful.
“You’re not,” he insisted. “How can you be when Iris has never shown any interest in me romantically?”
She folded her arms.
“Well, she’s showing interest now. Does that change things?”
“She’s not-” He pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose. “Okay, look, you want to know what Iris and I talked about just a little while ago?”
“Not particularly but go ahead.”
“She wanted advice on how to make it up to Eddie. Not to tell me she’s got feelings for me, but how to fix her relationship.”
She thought about that for a beat.
“And what did you tell her?”
“I…suggested she do the same thing I planned on doing with you.”
“Oh, yeah? And what’s that?”
“A romantic night to make up for last night.”
“Oh, you mean to make me forget about you sucking her finger as she wiped ketchup from your face?”
He held his breath.
“Or maybe when I went to get drinks, how she sat on your lap, and you groped her?”
He blanched.
“I did not grope her. I held onto her so she wouldn’t fall off. I-” He held his tongue, afraid of what might come spilling out next.
“I think I’ll pass on the ‘romantic night’, thanks,” she spat bitterly, moving past him again.
“Linda,” he called out, desperate to fix things before she walked out the door.
“I just…have a hard time thinking you won’t be imagining I’m someone else.”
“I won’t!” He hurried over to her. “Linda, I really, really like you.”
“And I like you too,” she said. “And when it’s just us, it’s great. But the way you and Iris act when it’s just the two of you…there’s something else there, Barry. Whether you want to admit it or not.”
He huffed.
“So, what? You’re breaking up with me?”
“Think of it as a break, Ross-and-Rachel style. Except maybe don’t pull a Ross and sleep with her, if you think you can handle that. It wouldn’t be fair to Eddie after all.”
“Linda.”
“I’ll see you around, Barry.”
Shell-shocked, he watched as she walked out the door, not another glance or another word in his direction. CCPN was completely empty now, other than himself and the janitor starting to sneak in from the back entrance.
This had not gone the way he hoped, not by a long shot. Maybe it was his conversation with Joe, but in the short time he’d known Linda, she’d somehow been able to see right through him. He did like Linda for Linda, but after last night… Maybe he would’ve been imagining her as Iris throughout their romantic evening. He guessed he couldn’t blame her for wanting to put things on hold.
Damn, though. It wasn’t supposed to be this hard. How was he ever going to get over Iris if the first girl he dated wouldn’t even give him a chance?
She had, now that he thought about it. Given him two chances at that. Maybe three was one too many.
Dragging his feet, he exited CCPN and started walking down the street. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and sent a quick text to Iris, updating her on his progress or lack thereof.
He just hoped she had more luck than he had.
Even if he really didn’t.
He could kick himself for how conflicting his feelings were.
If only there had never been Eddie. Maybe then Iris wouldn’t be in denial, if she was in denial like Linda said. Maybe Linda would’ve found someone she really liked who only liked her then too.
It was just all so complicated.
His phone vibrated, and he looked down at the message he’d received from Iris. There was no response to his recent demise, but he supposed she was nervous for her own possible failure.
I’m about to talk to Eddie rn. Wish me luck!
And he did wish her luck.
One of them should win tonight.
Well, it wasn’t imminent that Eddie walked through the door. It was a whole two hours later at 7:30pm. The food was cold by then. Yes, she, Iris West, had actually cooked. She wasn’t the best cook around, but she did know how to make a mean lasagna, which was Eddie’s favorite. She had learned it in her sole cooking class with Barry the summer between high school and college. She supposed that knowledge would irritate Eddie further, but she had no intention of telling him, and up until now she’d been able to keep that.
When Eddie finally did walk through the door, he reeked of alcohol, making her decision to pour red wine to both of them hours ago moot. The wax on the candles had melted almost halfway down too, making the flame look somewhat pathetic as it licked at the sides of each stick.
Eddie didn’t notice her sexy outfit either. She’d actually stopped on the way home to pick one up. It wasn’t lingerie, but it was the next best thing, the perfect little black dress and heels to match. Plus a pair of beautiful crystal earrings Eddie had gotten her for Christmas in addition to the key to his apartment.
It was supposed to be the perfect night. She had planned everything out to the tee. All it had been missing was the man of the hour, and she had a feeling that as bad as things were, they were about to get worse.
“Hey!” he cheered, stumbling towards the table. “Food! Unfortunately…” He put his hand over his stomach. “I’m already full.” He looked apologetic, but only for a second. Then he burst out laughing as drool seeped from his lips.
She stood up angrily, even though she knew deep down it wouldn’t hit home. Still, she couldn’t help herself.
“Of what? Booze?”
“Yep!” he said. “And it tasted great!”
She wrinkled her nose. Eddie wasn’t the biggest fan of beer. She actually liked that about him.
“But let’s see, what have we here…” He managed to get into the chair, and hesitantly, Iris sat back down again. “It’s lasagna,” she explained, as level-headed as she could. “Your favorite.”
He scooped up a bite before she could stop him and stuck it in his mouth.
“Ohh, it’s cold!” He scowled before spitting it out on the plate. “Iris!” he scowled.
She stared down in shock, grossed out and mortified. Then she ground her teeth and looked up at him.
“It wasn’t two hours ago.”
“Well, how was I supposed to know you were making dinner?” He slouched back in the chair. “You didn’t call, didn’t text…”
“It was supposed to be a surprise,” she said through her teeth.
“Well, you can’t blame me for not knowing.”
“And what about me?” she asked, angrily gathering the plates and scraping his portion into the trash while she put hers, along with what was left into the fridge.
“What about you?” He glared, disappointed by the lack of warm food in front of him, despite his claim that he was full. He reached for the glass of wine before she snatched it away, and he actually huffed. “Oh, come on, Iris! I didn’t know!”
She spun around, full of rage now.
“And what, I was supposed to know you were going to go out to the bar for hours? You never do that.”
“That you know of,” he said, holding up his pointer finger.
She scoffed and folded her arms.
“Well, you never come home drunk.”
His eyes narrowed.
“Well, maybe I had reason to get drunk.”
“Oh, yeah? Like, what?” she demanded, putting one hand on her hip.
He stumbled to his feet.
“I don’t know, Iris. Maybe I couldn’t get the image of you and Barry out of my head!” he spat.
“Oh, for crying out loud. What did we do that was so horrible?”
“You stuck your finger in his mouth!” he accused.
“To get the ketchup off his face!”
“And you couldn’t just hand him a napkin?” he actually growled.
She huffed. “You’re being unreasonable.”
“Am I? How was your relationship with Linda today at work? Pleasant or not so much?”
She folded her arms again.
“That’s none of your business.”
“Ah.” He nodded knowingly. “Not so much then.”
“I didn’t say that,” she said, warningly.
“Even if for some God-forsaken reason, I didn’t find issue with him sucking your finger like some love-struck lover-”
“That’s enough!”
“I definitely would’ve not been okay with you sitting on his lap, and him touching your leg.” His face twisted in disgust.
“He was holding me in place! And sometimes, I sit on his lap. We’re just best friends. We do that sometimes.”
“Uh huh.” He nodded, unconvinced. “Well, something tells me you and I have different definitions what best friends do and do not do when they’re in a relationship with other people.”
She held her temper in check for just a moment longer before bursting.
“What do you want me to say, Eddie? That I’m sorry that you feel so threatened by a platonic relationship?”
“Oh, you did not-”
“Because that’s what it is. Platonic.”
“Get out.”
Her eyes widened.
“Excuse me?”
“I said get out!” he yelled, which had her falling back a few steps from the force of the sound. “I can’t stand the sight of you.”
He turned then, headed for the bedroom and slammed the door closed behind him.
Iris stood in shock, unable to move for several moments. Then, before she burst into tears, she grabbed her purse and her jacket and swung open the front door, closing it tightly behind her. She left her key to the apartment on the kitchen table. If he wanted her to use it again, he would have to hand deliver it.
Barry sat in the living room staring at a blank TV, wondering if Iris’ night was going better than his was. Joe wasn’t home yet. He’d texted a little while ago saying he was working late and that he was responsible for his own dinner. There were leftovers in the fridge, but Barry had ordered pizza. He’d selected to pick it up, given he could get it faster than a delivery guy could bring it. And he’d ordered several pizzas. He’d been ravenous, and to be honest, he was eating his feelings too, which meant double what he normally got. They were out of beer, so he’d grabbed a soda to wash it down. The empty boxes sat on the kitchen table. He’d yet to dispose of them.
Just then there was a knock at the door. Barry frowned. Joe had a key, so it couldn’t be him. He wondered who else it would be. The knob started to move, and he realized that whoever it was had expected the door to be unlocked. Barry had a habit of not locking the door, but he had this time for whatever reason, maybe just to find something to do.
“Barry?”
He gasped. It was Iris’ voice.
He supersped to the door and opened it in a heartbeat.
“Iris!” He tried to control his instinctual enthusiasm. He focused instead on the defeated look on her face and knew that her attempts at a romantic night had gone as wrong as his had, and that he should not be happy about it.
“What happened?” he asked next, figuring that was the best way to go.
Iris huffed and pushed past him into the house, kicking her high heels off and shedding her jacket. She then turned to Barry and gestured to her ensemble for the night.
“I dressed like this, cooked him dinner, lit some candles, and he came home two hours late, drunk, we fought again, and he kicked me out.”
Barry tried to process everything that she’d said in a heartbeat. It was easier said than done.
Finally, he said, “You cooked him dinner?” And then immediately regretted it at the look of desperation that followed on her face. “I mean…”
“The lasagna, Barry! The one that I’m unspeakably good at?”
“Ah.”
He shook the revelation off and approached her.
“I’m so sorry, Iris. If you had done all that for me…”
She looked up at him hopefully.
“Well, I wouldn’t have kicked you out. For starters, you look incredible. And your lasagna is to die for.”
Her bottom lip trembled.
“Thank you.”
He wrapped his arms around her and held her close.
“And hey, we can commiserate together. My night didn’t go so well either. I’ve been staring at a blank TV eating my feelings.”
Iris managed to laugh at that. She wiped away the tears that had started to fall down her face and were staining his t-shirt.
“That bad, huh?”
“Linda said we’re on a ‘break’. I’m not allowed to sleep with you though,” he informed her matter-of-factly.
She scoffed. “I didn’t know she was a fan of Friends.”
“Learn something new every day, I guess.”
He set his chin on top of her head, until she eventually tipped her head back to address him.
“I think I’d like to stay here tonight, if that’s okay.”
“Of course,” he said immediately. “You’re always welcome here, Iris.”
She smiled tremulously.
“Thanks. I’d like to get out of these clothes too.”
His first thought was her in the nude, and he fought not to get aroused by the image.
“Uh…”
“I don’t know if any of my stuff is still here. Could I borrow one of your shirts?”
Oh. Duh.
“Of course,” he answered. “Anything you find, you can wear. Mi clothes, su clothes.”
She rolled her eyes at his attempt at a foreign language.
“Thanks, Bear.”
She untangled herself slowly and headed for the stairs. She stopped right as she reached the first step and looked over her shoulder.
“Hey, you wouldn’t mind putting a movie in, would you? Something light? I could use a distraction to get my mind off…everything.”
“Of course,” he said with a smile. “I’ll find a comedy on Netflix. It’ll be ready when you get down.”
She smiled timidly and nodded, then headed up the stairs.
While she was gone, Barry easily found a movie he thought she’d like and then started some microwave popcorn in the kitchen. He pulled out a couple sodas from the fridge and was all ready to go well before she arrived.
Now he sat, staring at the TV with the freezeframe of the movie on it, doing his best not to inhale all of the popcorn before Iris returned. It wasn’t easy. He got up to make a second bowlful just in case he ate the first bowl without realizing it the way he’d gone through seven boxes of pizza.
Upstairs, Iris had first checked her room for any remaining clothes, but as she’d guessed, the entire room was empty. She sighed and headed down the hall to Barry’s room. It was surprisingly clean, except for one pile of dirty clothes in the corner of the room. She went straight to his dresser, smiling briefly at a picture of the two of them as kids that he had sitting on top of it.
Then she opened his middle drawer and found an array of t-shirts, both long-sleeved and short. She grabbed a short-sleeved one, because she knew she’d drown in it anyway and quickly stripped out of the sexy dress she’d put on earlier that evening, putting the t-shirt on over her head.
The sleeves fell past her elbows and the hem almost reached her knees. Feeling comfortable and satisfied though, she gathered her previous outfit in her arms and carried it with her down the stairs.
The aroma of butter popcorn hit her when she was halfway down the stairs.
“Mmm.” She licked her lips. “You didn’t tell me you were going to make popcorn.” Her eyes widened when he turned his head and saw that there were two bowls on the coffee table.
“Uh…” He blinked, having not considered how sexy she would look in just his t-shirt. He swallowed. “One bowl each?” he suggested.
She laughed.
“Well, I technically haven’t eaten dinner, so I guess that’ll do.”
“Oh. We have leftovers in the fridge I can heat up. Or I can order another pizza.”
“Another?” She raised an eyebrow, then followed his shifty eyes to the pile of pizza boxes on the kitchen table. “Oh, my. You really were eating your feelings, weren’t you?”
He avoided her gaze.
“You really like this Linda, huh?”
She covered her hand over one of his own and squeezed gently. All he could bring himself to do was nod. He did like Linda, but what Iris was doing to him now…he could barely breathe.
Iris sighed and released him.
“She’s overreacting, Barry. So is Eddie for that matter. I mean, we’re clearly just friends.”
“Right.”
“We’re just…touchy-feely. It comes natural to us. We don’t know any other way.”
“Exactly. That’s how I feel too.”
He couldn’t imagine a world in which Iris wasn’t all over him, even if it was just as a friend.
She shook her head.
“They’ll just have to adjust eventually. And if they want us in their life, they will. I’m certain of it.”
“…and if they don’t?”
Her hand covered his knee and squeezed.
“Let’s just not think about that right now.”
“Okay.”
“Let’s just watch a funny movie, eat some popcorn, and sleep down the hall from each other like the good ‘ol days.”
He cracked a grin and nodded.
“Sounds like a plan.”
Iris got up, walked to the other side of him and snuggled into his side. Barry easily wrapped his arm around her, intertwining their fingers and kissing the top of her head before grabbing the remote and hitting play.
“Where’s my dad by the way?” she asked. “I noticed he wasn’t here. Is he sleeping?”
“Uh, no. Working late. I would think he’d be home soon though.”
“Let’s save some popcorn for him. Just in case he wants some.”
Barry made a mental note of that.
“Good idea.”
The opening credits of the movie started to show on the screen.
“Ooo, shh, it’s starting.”
Iris pursed her lips, looked up at him with a smile and then focused on the movie. Her knees brushed his, but he tried not to think about it and watched the movie as well. She was such a distraction to his senses, but tonight was about her. He wanted to focus entirely on her happiness and not what she was doing to him without even realizing it.
Like the good ‘ol days, she’d said, and he intended to make it that way.
About halfway through the movie, Barry reached for the remote again and hit pause. Frowning, Iris looked up at him in question.
“Why’d you stop it?”
“I was thinking…” he began, with a devious smile. “Ice cream?”
Her jaw dropped. “You have some?”
“I may have been always adding it to Joe’s grocery list since I moved in again.”
She laughed, and the sound was music to his ears.
“Alright, Allen, nicely done.”
He grinned. “Thank you, thank you,” he mock-bowed, then got up and headed for the kitchen.
“Hey, I’ll come with you!” she called out, and he froze momentarily.
“You don’t have to, Iris. I think I can handle a couple scoops.”
“Ha, ha, very funny.”
He looked at her curiously as she passed him into the kitchen.
“I want to. Let’s make some memories.”
He smiled softly and lifted her clear off her feet so he could get to the freezer first.
She gasped and wiggled her feet until he set her back down.
“Oh, my God!” she stared at him, then took notice of the biceps that peeked out of his sleeves. They looked considerably bigger than what he’d had before, which was none at all.
“What?” he asked, when he caught her staring.
“I just…when did you get so strong?” she found herself saying, meeting his eyes now. “It can’t all be from ‘jogging’.” She rolled her eyes, reminding him of his excuse on a previous outing they’d had.
He chuckled, and she found it…sexy? The thought unnerved her, so she swallowed and did her best to shake the thought free of her. Barry wasn’t sexy. He was cute and deserved to be with someone equally cute. But he wasn’t sexy, at least not to her. He was Barry. And Barry was…
“I may have been working out at the gym a little bit.”
Her jaw dropped, and she found she had to catch her breath when he leaned in.
“But I think you overestimate just how heavy you are.”
She blinked and swallowed.
“You’re light as a feather to me.”
She smiled slowly, then cleared her throat.
“Clearly.”
She moved past him and fetched the ice cream scoop from one of the drawers.
“Here you go.”
She handed it to him.
His smile twitched, but he took it. Their fingers brushed, and Iris felt her heart start to race.
What was the matter with her? They’d been cuddling on the couch for an hour, and she hadn’t had any issue. But now…
“Whipped cream?”
“Uh, yeah, sure.”
She smiled serenely, not expecting in the least what came next.
Barry dropped a dot of the whipped cream on her nose. Her mouth fell open, and her eyes widened. All nerves vanished. This was war.
“Ohh, you’re going to regret that.”
He grinned, holding the tub of whipped cream in his hand.
“Am I?” he teased, holding it above her head now.
She grabbed the gallon of ice cream and shoved it onto his face. He stumbled back a few steps as the whipped cream landed on the island table.
He gasped. “Cold, cold.”
“Vindication is mind,” she gleamed.
“Not so fast.” He shoved his hand into the whipped cream and started to come at her with it.
“Oh, no you don’t!”
She started to run from him, and he fought not to use his super speed to catch up with her. He chased her around the kitchen until finally he caught a hold of her waist with his other hand and pulled her close. She planted her hands on his chest and giggled.
“I surrender, I surrender!”
She looked up into his eyes, felt her heart thudding away again, and realized they were very, very close. Her breath caught in her throat, even as the ice cream dripped down onto her shirt from his face. To break the tension, she grabbed a hold of his other hand and shoved it on his face, so it was now a mix of whipped cream and ice cream.
The action caught him off guard and he released her. She scrambled away and ran into the living room, expecting him to follow her.
“Barry?” she called out to him.
“What?” he asked, sounding a little grouchy as he wiped his face clean with a towel.
“You’re not mad, are you? I thought we were…”
“Making memories?” he asked, as she stepped back into the kitchen. There was a grin on his face, and she felt butterflies inside her at the sight of him. She’d assumed he’d been using a towel to wipe his face free of cream, and maybe he had, but now he’d taken off his t-shirt and was using that.
Her eyes fell to his defined abs and the v-line just above his sweats, and she could hardly catch her breath.
“I’ll be in the living room,” she said, knowing she had to get away from him pronto. She didn’t know how to explain everything she was feeling, but she knew it was dangerous to be this close to him while he was half-undressed, and while she was…
Well, all she was wearing under his giant shirt was a pair of lace panties.
She braced her hands on the top of the couch, trying to get her heart rate under control. From Barry’s suddenly sexy voice to his clear biceps and visible abs on his stomach, he was attractive as hell to her. And he was her best friend too, which made him even more desirable.
“What are you doing?” she whispered to herself.
“Everything okay?” he asked, peeking his head out of the kitchen.
She lifted her head and took one look at him and knew there was no going back. She crossed the distance between them, hooked her hands on either side of his face and yanked him down to her as she went up on her tiptoes.
Their lips met, and it was like electricity crackling between them. All she could feel was him, and all she could hear was their heavy breathing and the pounding away of her heartbeat.
She pulled back slightly to look into his eyes, remembering suddenly that he’d told her he didn’t feel that way about her anymore.
She didn’t have to wait long though to realize that he’d lied straight to her face.
His lips came down on hers again, this time of his own volition, and they were hungry, sloppy, a mess. She loved it. She stuck her tongue into his mouth and thrilled with the sound of his groan and the feel of his hands as they explored her back and gripped her curves.
Iris, for her part, spread her hands over his chest, then yanked him closer by his shoulders. As the kissing grew more heated, Barry started to walk her back into the living room, and in no time at all, Iris was helping him take her shirt off – his shirt off – and revealing her bare breasts and torso to him.
He stilled, then reverently cupped one breast in each hand before dipping his head down and sucking on each nipple until they were hardened pebbles beneath his lips. She held his head to her chest, seeking more, her toes curling as she fell back onto the arm of the couch. Her head hit the cushions, and Barry sat looking down at her, mesmerized by all that she was, hardly believing this was happening.
“Iris…”
And something in the way he said her name clicked.
Eddie. Linda.
“I’m not allowed to sleep with you though,” Barry had said.
She scrambled to the side of the couch, breathing heavily, her fingers covering her lips, bruised from Barry’s kisses.
“We should stop.”
Barry didn’t want to stop. He wanted to keep going, see where this would lead. But logic and common sense told him Iris would no longer cooperate with that line of thinking. After all, Linda had given him explicit instructions not to sleep with Iris. He’d never dreamed he’d be given the opportunity, but now that it was upon him…was he really going to cheat?
And Iris, well, she’d cheated. Plain and simple. Eddie had kicked her out for the night, not broken up with her. And he’d been drunk. He’d probably regret it in the morning and apologize. Meanwhile, she’d been doing…this.
But it did settle one burning question. Iris definitely had feelings for him. Or at the very least she was attracted to him physically. So where did they go from here? He knew he definitely wouldn’t find out tonight.
While he was lost in his thoughts of what this all meant and how he would approach Linda the next time he saw her, if he’d tell her the truth, Iris had scrambled the short distance to his shirt that she’d been wearing and put it back on.
She wasn’t any less sexy with it on, but it did solidify where things stood between them now. At least for the rest of the night.
“I should go.”
He frowned.
“You can still stay here, Iris. What happened now…doesn’t change that.”
“No, I can’t.” She glanced over at his topless body and knew she wouldn’t be able to resist him if they were just down the hall from each other. What if they both woke up in the middle of the night and ended up in the bathroom? In that close space, with just the two of them? Anything can happen.
“I really can’t.”
She shook her head and grabbed the outfit she’d warn to the house. Then she ducked into the first-floor bathroom and changed clothes. When she came back out, Barry had put on a new shirt, and she was grateful for that.
“I’m sorry, Barry.” She swallowed. “I’m really, really sorry for…all of this.” She gestured to the space between them, then headed for the door, leaving him speechless.
As soon as she opened the door however, in walked Joe, practically walking into her as she tried to make her way out.
“Iris.” His brows furrowed. “What are you doing here?”
“I…um…”
“She and Eddie got in a fight,” Barry said, supplying what she clearly could not.
Iris couldn’t even be mad.
“Oh, honey, I’m so sorry. You can stay the night if you want to.”
Was it just her or was her dad just a little too okay with her spending the night away from her live-in boyfriend?
“No, that’s okay,” she said assuredly. “I mean, I was going to, but uh…I think I should try to work things out.”
She almost turned and looked back at Barry, but she resisted. Even the sight of him in clothes was dangerous to her now. Instead she kissed her dad on the cheek and moved past him to outside, rushing out to her car.
She drove away before either of the men could think to question her further.
“Did something…happen here?” Joe asked Barry after the car had disappeared around the bend.
“No, nothing,” Barry said, avoiding his gaze. “Just watching a movie.”
Joe looked at the TV and saw a screensaver had come on.
“Did you finish it?”
Barry wrapped his arm around the back of his head.
“Ah…no, no we didn’t, but um…I’m kinda tired.” He attempted a yawn. “I think I’m gonna head to bed.”
Joe watched him curiously as he headed for the stairs.
“Did you eat at least?”
“Hmm? Oh, yes. Pizza. Lots and lots of…pizza. And popcorn! We saved some for you.”
Joe’s eyes landed on the empty pizza boxes and a half bowl of popcorn.
“Oh, thanks.”
But when he turned to look at Barry again, the boy was gone and upstairs in his room, his heart pounding as he closed the bedroom door behind him.
Joe didn’t bother with any further questioning. He walked into the kitchen instead and found a half-gallon of ice cream and a splattered tub of whipped cream, along with an unused ice cream scooper. No other spoons and no bowls. Some cream in spots on the floor.
“Hmm.”
But he didn’t call Barry to wipe up the mess. He did it himself, making a mental note to question Barry about it the next day, because something had definitely happened while he’d been gone, and while he didn’t necessarily need all the details, he thought he should know some of them.
In his bedroom, Barry lay in his bed, half-naked again, recalling the feel of Iris’ hands on his chest and her tongue in his mouth. It had been a dream, plain and simple. But he could have never imagined how perfect her breasts would’ve felt in his hands or how his tongue would swirl around her nipples until they were harder than rocks.
She was exquisite, and what had happened was real.
He just didn’t know what the hell he was gonna do about it.
11 notes · View notes
alpacaparkaseok · 3 years
Text
Mine
5. Draw me like one of your French girls
Tumblr media
Genre: Min Yoongi x oc
Warnings: none
Word Count: 3.3k
At this point, I’m seriously considering commissioning my own fanart.
It all started the next morning at our first press release. Somebody had the bright idea to show me some fanart that’s been rolling in the past few weeks of a certain k-pop rapper and I. Not gonna lie...we look good together.
Too good.
Then again, everything about Min Yoongi has seemed pretty good since I woke up to a couple more texts from him this morning. I passed out after his late-night/early morning apology, but he sent another text not long after.
4:32 MYG: So does this mean I’m forgiven? Bong-cha made it sound like you enjoy holding grudges.
9:02 MYG: Morning. I hope everything goes well with you today...is it alright if I keep texting you?
9:02 MYG: Just so I can keep tabs on everything. I don’t want this to get too out of hand for you.
Obviously the poor man is just as worried about all of this as I am. I couldn’t help but give a sleepy chuckle when I woke up to his messages.
So far, I’ve done a wonderful job of ignoring how nice it felt to wake up to a good morning text.
I’ve also done a great job at keeping calm and breezing past any weird questions from the current press conference I’m in. That is, until a Korean reporter (I have a hunch they’re from Dispatch) pipes up not only with a question, but with visual aids!
“Cara, do you mind if I ask you a question? Would you like a translator?”
Reminding myself to be gracious and kind, I shake my head. “Go ahead. I should be alright without a translator, thank you.”
The reporter nods, shuffling forward until they pull a paper out of their file in hand. She gives me a sickly smile, passing the paper up to our security guard who does me the honor of bringing it right to my outstretched palm.
“This is one of the newest renderings, I was just wondering how you have been feeling about this entire situation?”
I already guessed what this was going to be about, but the picture in my hand confirms it.
It’s fanart.
To be honest, it’s very well done. It’s a watercolor, the artist placed us walking along a rainy sidewalk. Hand in hand, Yoongi’s gummy smile on full display while I look down at my toes.
Sebastian whistles beside me, clearly as in awe of the artwork as I am. Before me the reporter still wears her smile, waiting for a response. I pass the paper down the line, allowing Rhea to get a chance to admire the fanart.
Maybe it’s the boost of confidence I received upon reading Yoongi’s text this morning that has me grinning back at the reporter with a saccharine smile.
“Did you draw this? It’s very well done.”
Not everyone can understand Korean in this press conference, but the few that do start chuckling. The reporter blanches for a moment, smile faltering.
“N-no, but if you could answer the question-”
I’m sure I look very disappointed as I look down at her. She definitely works for dispatch; she practically reeks of it. Maybe that’s what gives me the boldness I need as I realize that I’m not even her direct target; Yoongi is.
Yoongi’s nice. I don’t think she is.
“Oh, everything is going fine. Honestly, I should get in touch with this artist. They’re very talented.”
The reporter’s eyebrows flick up, sensing a new method of attack. “Were you thinking of commissioning your own?”
“Honestly, I might consider it. Maybe it’ll make my aunts quit hounding me every Thanksgiving about my love life.”
With that, the paper is handed back to the security guard, but the reporter motions for him to keep it. Confused, he hands it back to me. I turn it over so I don’t get caught staring at it during the conference. That’s the last thing Yoongi or I need right now.
As the reporter takes her seat again, I can’t help but feel a little triumphant. Maybe this won’t be so bad after all.
🌙
12:22 ME: I never said you were forgiven, did I?
As soon as we get out of the press conference we are ushered into a van which takes us to another interview. I figure that now is as good a time as any to text Yoongi back, seeing that this morning I woke up late and was too flustered to come up with a response.
“Who are you texting?” Sebastian asks. “Is it your friend that always calls you?”
I consider lying to him for a moment, but realize that it might actually be nice for him to know. He can keep me from being unrealistic when I start to fangirl.
He may also help me to keep that promise I silently made a while ago: to not go so easy on Yoongi. Right now, it’s proving harder than expected to dislike him.
“Nosy.”
Sebastian rolls his eyes. “You’re grinning at your phone like an idiot, that only happens when you get texts from me.”
“Ha! Right. It’s a secret...kind of. Don’t tell anyone.”
“I’ll try my best not to.”
Taking an unnecessarily big breath, I spill my secret that I’ve kept for approximately 12 hours.
“It’s Yoongi.” When there’s no immediate reaction from him, I backpedal. “Also known as Suga?”
Before Sebastian can respond the ping of my phone pulls my attention away.
12:26 MYG: Oh good, you responded. I was getting worried you were actually mad. So is it alright if I keep texting you? I don’t want to mess with your schedule.
“You’re smiling again.”
I look up to see an annoyed Sebastian Stan. He’s not very good at sharing attention, and it would appear that Yoongi is no exception.
“How strange, I didn’t realize.”
12:27 ME: That’s fine.
12:27 ME: But I am mad!!
12:28 MYG: Hahaha sure
“Cara, we’re here.” Sebastian says as he clambers out of the car. I follow after him, pocketing my phone.
There’s a few cameras outside waiting for us, but we’re able to make it inside the building without too much fuss. Once we make it into the room where we’re supposed to have one of our interviews, Sebastian pulls a paper out of his back pocket.
“What’s that?”
He smirks at me, unfolding the paper. It’s the fanart from earlier. I didn’t even realize that he’d pocketed it.
“Tell Suga I say hi, at least.” He poses with the papers just below his chin, giving the best puppy dog eyes he can muster up. It’s rather convincing, if I’m being honest.
“You weirdo,” I mumble as I snap a photo. I’m quick to send it off to Yoongi, captioning it.
12:37 ME: Sebastian says hello.
Our interviewer is just about to come into the room when I receive a response. Not having the self-restraint to put my phone away, I quickly take a look. Sebastian peers over my shoulder, curious as well.
12:40 MYG: Winter Soldier!!!
12:41 MYG: Hi. Did he draw that?
I cackle, quickly translating the message. Sebastian looks appalled. “I have better things to do than draw fanart!”
“Yeah, like write fanfiction, right?”
He grins at me. “Obviously.”
12:42 ME: No, but he says he’s writing fanfiction.
12:42 ME: We’re about to start an interview rn but I’ll tell him to send you his rough draft later. 😏
Interviews pass, and it isn’t until I’m finishing up dinner that my phone pings with another message from Yoongi. I nearly impale Sebastian with my fork as I lunge for my charging phone; he’d come into my hotel room to eat dinner with me.
“Watch it!” Sebastian grunts, shoveling food into his mouth at an alarming rate. We were promised lunch by Rhea earlier but it ended up just being a small snack as she was whisked away by a long-lost friend. The two of us managed to control our hunger for as long as possible, but Sebastian wasted no time calling up some food for us before we even got back to the hotel.
We barely beat the delivery boy here. He wasn’t all that surprised that we were American. Sebastian had tried out some very choppy Cantonese. What did end up surprising him was that he was delivering a meal to the Winter Soldier. I was able to sneak into my room undetected while the boy’s eyes were bugging out as Sebastian signed his hat.
“Sorry,” I mumble around my food.
9:12 MYG: I’m still waiting for the rough draft.
I translate the message to Sebastian, who cackles and promises to get started on it as soon as possible.
9:14 ME: Sorry, Sebastian said he’s still trying to write it. I’ll let you know when it’s ready!
9:15 MYG: That’s alright. I’ll be patient.
9:15 MYG: I saw a clip from your press conference today.
My stomach lurches as I realize what clip it was that he probably saw. Does he think I’m some crazy fangirl now? I mean, I might be. But he doesn’t need to know that.
9:18 ME: I didn’t get you in trouble, did I?
Sebastian notices my change in expression and shoots me a worried look. “Everything alright?” I shrug.
“Yeah...I just hope I didn’t get him in trouble with what I said at the press conference today. I think that reporter was trying to go against him somehow.”
“He’s a big boy. Did he say anything about it?”
I look back down at the messages even though I already know what he said. My stomach lurches again as I see the three little dots at the bottom of the screen.
“No, not really. He just said he saw a clip or something. He’s typing right now, though.”
9:20 MYG: I thought I was the worrier. No, you didn’t. How was the rest of your day?
“What’d he say?” Sebastian grabs our cartons of food, tossing them into the wastebasket.
“He’s just…”
“Are you blushing?!” My friend stares at me from across the room, eyes wide. “No way! You like him!”
“No! No I don’t!”
“Yes you do, don’t lie to me! You’re so into him!” Sebastians hurries back over grinning wide. “Wow, he must be a good texter.”
That really is helping my blush. “Nooo, he’s not. He’s just nice. That’s it. It’s just fun having someone nice to talk to, you know? He feels really bad about everything and - Sebastian quit it - and it’s just sweet of him to care. That’s it.”
Sebastian stops looking at me with his puppy dog eyes and leans back in his chair, a contemplative look overtaking his features. “I thought I was nice to talk to.”
I pause for a second, breath getting caught in my throat. “Y-you are. I didn’t mean it like that.”
He shakes his head, giving me an award-winning smile. “No, I know. Aren’t you going to respond?”
“Oh! Yeah!” I focus on my phone again. There’s an uneasy feeling rising in me at Sebastian’s comment, but I brush it off for now. He’s always been bad at sharing his friends. He’s the same with Anthony Mackey, I’ve seen it up close.
9:25 ME: True, I’ll let you worry. My day was good, just finished up dinner. How was yours?
“There, I-” I look up proudly only to find Sebastian’s chair empty and the door clicking shut. “...I did it.”
MYG: It was great. Got lots of work done.
MYG: Have you decided if you’re going to come to the festival or not? Also, Bong-cha says hi.
ME: Wow, she can’t even tell me herself. No respect. No, I honestly didn’t even think about it today...but I’m pretty sure we’re all going either way.
MYG: Haha she’s not happy with your comment.
MYG: She’s reading over my shoulder, I promise I’m not reading our conversation out loud. Is your director making you go?
I just miss the chance to respond as my phone lights up with an incoming call.
“Bong-cha, quit reading my conversations you little weirdo.”
“Hey, how’s it going with you? I’m great, thanks for asking.”
“Are you still in the room with everyone?”
“No, just left. You should see Yoongi right now, though.”
“Why?”
“He looks like a kid in a candy store every time he gets a text from you. It’s adorable.”
“Yah!”
My friend’s cackle soars through the phone, and I swat at the air as though I could somehow get her to stop.
“Please tell me you guys are coming to the festival.” Bong-cha’s sudden change in tone has me pausing, chewing on my lip.
“We are. Why?”
“Come stay with me!” Bong-cha shouts. I jump up, a grin already working its way onto my face. “It’ll be just like old times. And, I was looking at the schedule you sent me...there’s a couple of nights where you’re done relatively early. We could go do something fun!”
I sigh, rubbing my temples. My phone is buzzing with incoming texts, but I ignore them for now. “Yeah, that’ll be fun. I’m not sure if I can come stay with you-”
“C’mon,” Bong-cha whines. “I never get to see you anymore. We’ll make it work! Oh, I’ve gotta go, Tae brought Yeontan. But let me know!”
With that, Bong-cha cuts the line and leaves me on the other side caught between excitement at seeing my friend and dread at having to come face to face with Yoongi. Texting is one thing; but actually spending time with him?
“Just be his friend,” I mumble to myself. Settling down, I attack my food once more. The space where Sebastian sat before makes me furrow my brows.
What’s going on with him? I mean sure, we’re really good friends. But we still see each other constantly, why would he be so possessive?
It’s probably all just in my head. My phone light up with the texts I received a couple of minutes ago while I was still on the phone, and this time I physically cannot restrain the smile that comes through as I realize Yoongi is still texting me.
MYG: Really no pressure about the festival. I know Bong-cha really wants to see you, but please don’t feel like you have to come and hang out with us.
MYG: We’re not even that cool, anyways.
MYG: Are you just hanging out with Sebastian tonight??
I stare down at my phone for a moment, the smile being wiped from my face. Plopping down heavily on my bed, I close my eyes and power off my phone.
Yoongi is nice. So nice, apparently, that I can’t even tell now if he’s trying to get me to stay away. The fact is simple: he’s a nice man who has a reputation to uphold and is trying to keep everyone happy. That includes me.
He’s nice for texting me and trying to make sure I’m doing alright. Any decent human being would do that. But there’s also the fact that I’m new to this game in the spotlight and I know that I’m not going to be able to keep my feelings out of this.
I take a moment to breathe, forcing myself to push away the impending panic that sets in. This is no way to live, and I know that I’m only setting myself up for heartbreak when someday I don’t wake up to a good morning text from Yoongi.
It’s only been one day of communicating and I can already feel myself getting too attached.
Powering on my phone again, I flinch at the new texts.
9:17 MYG: Bong-cha just told me her evil plan. 😩 Did she tell you about it on the phone?
9:31 MYG: Sorry if you’re busy! Just text me back when you can. Let me know about your plans for the festival, too.
Even though I’m itching to text him back and waste away the rest of the night talking to him, there’s another more pressing matter I have to face. Quickly getting up and leaving my phone there in order to fight the temptation, I grab my room key and head a few rooms down. A quiet knock and a few seconds later and Sebastian is opening up his door.
He looks down at me warily, and I feel almost like we had a fight because of the way he’s looking at me. Emitting a loud sigh, he shakes it off and grins down at me in a way that makes me question if I even saw the previous expression at all.
“Hey,” I mumble out weakly. Moving past him into his room, he follows silently behind me.
“Hey…?”
Without another word I land face first onto his bed, the action pulling a laugh from him. Good. His laugh reminds me that this is real. This friendship is real, and Sebastian for all his annoying teasing, is a true friend.
Bong-cha is miles away and busy. She’s also biased. So Sebastian is the next best thing.
“I’m freaking out,” the pillow muffles my words but I know he hears me loud and clear. The mattress dips on one side as Sebastian settles onto it, and a moment later a hesitant hand begins kneading the flesh at my shoulders. I let out a satisfied sigh.
“What’s going on?” His tone is gentle, and the sound of it nearly tugs some tears out of my eyes.
“I’m pathetic, Sebastian.” I clutch his pillow and bury my face farther into it. “I’m so pathetic! I’ve literally never met the man before in my life, and I’ve spent the last 24 hours sending a few texts back and forth and I already feel like I’d jump off a cliff for him!”
Sebstian’s hands pause in their kneading for a fraction of a second before continuing on. “I told you you liked him.”
I turn to look at him, and again I catch that wary gaze before he drops it. “Really? ‘I told you so’? Rude. I need help, Sebastian. It’s never going to happen, he’s just being nice, and I just need to be cordial and get through this. Right?”
He nods, contemplating a bit. “Sure. He seems like a great guy. But at the end of the day, the two of you are just caught up in a weird media frenzy and that’s it. Is that what you want me to say?”
“I guess.” I huff, flipping onto my back as I stare up at the ceiling. “Why do I like him though? Am I just desperate?”
Sebastian stands up and laughs. “No way. If you were desperate you would be falling for me, not some inconvenient, crazy famous kpop star.”
Somehow his words make me laugh, the feeling easing the panic a bit. “You’re right, I guess.”
🌙
I end up passing out in Sebastian’s room only to wake up at 3 am and find myself a little too close for comfort to my co-star. Gently untangling myself from his mess of arms and legs, I sneak out of his room and back to my own.
Half-asleep and looking the part, I groan at my reflection in the mirror as I try to brush my teeth. Pointing at my reflection with my toothbrush, I give myself a pep talk.
“You are not pathetic,” pause to spit, “you’re not desperate,” rinse out the brush, “you’re just friendly. You’re practicing making new friends, and Yoongi as well as all of BTS are a part of that. That’s it.”
So when I finally settle down into my cold and very empty bed, I don’t feel very guilty sending Yoongi a late-night text. He never texted me again after the last one I saw, and I easily brush off the feeling of disappointment and replace it with relief.
3:13 ME: Yeah, we’re going. No, I have no idea what the evil plan is. Do we need to come up with a counter-plan? And sorry I never responded...I was busy annoying Sebastian and left my phone in my room. Good morning! This is payback for your late texts last night!
I fall asleep easily after that, double checking that my phone is on silent before snuggling deep down into my pillows.
Honestly, what do I even have to worry about? Everything is going great with promotions, the movie is finished and should be well received, and in a couple of days I’ll get to go see Bong-cha and make new friends!
Into the silence, I can’t help but laugh. I’m not dumb enough to believe that everything will go as planned.
Especially not as my dreams take over and the only thing I can dream of is a man in a black suit, turning around to greet me over and over again. I can never quite see his face, but somehow I know him.
Even in my unconscious state, I lie to myself and say that it’s not Min Yoongi.
Previous - Next
Taglist is open! Ready to head to Seoul next time?
taglist: @taylorroe3 @eusticenatalie @agustneeds @oceandeep​ @prdshobi​
131 notes · View notes
hockeytrashgoblin · 4 years
Text
Ice Cold ~Part 1
A/N: Very exciting new series! I’m pumped! Hope you guys like it! If not please be gentle with me I’m not doing great rn lmao Just kidding constructive criticism is always welcome. Enjoy!
"Alright (y/n) one more thing." the lady interviewing me said while closing my portfolio. "Welcome to the team."
"Really?" I said incredulously.
"Yes. You do amazing work and we would love to have you on our photography media team."
"Thank you so much! When do I start?"
"Well we're going to do some paperwork today, introduce you to your partner and get you cleared to go photograph the Maple Leafs game Saturday."
"Alright that sounds great!"
The day passed by in an excited blur. I did all the paperwork necessary and all the confidentiality requirements that go along with working for Roger's sports and media. I met a lot of people but the most memorable were my partner Amy and a journalist named Peter. Amy seemed like someone I would have a lot of fun with and Peter was just cute and kinda funny. I made sure to get their numbers before I started my walk to the subway to get back home. I put on my favourite podcast, Cult Liter by Spencer Henry, and started walking. I don't know if it was the podcast or just being in the middle of downtown Toronto but it felt like I was being watched. I shook it off and went into the underground to get home.
Two days later I was walking into the Scotiabank arena to meet Amy outside. I was so nervous but it was so exciting. My love of sports and my passion for photography coming together so perfectly. I found Amy pretty quickly, her green hair making her easy to spot.
"Hey!"
"Hi! You ready to go in?"
"Yes! I'm so excited! I love hockey but I've never been able to afford to go to a game so this is actually super cool."
"Yeah I'm not really into sports but I love photography. I'm excited for you though, that's gonna be so fun for you!" She said elbowing my side. "Do you like either of the teams playing?"
"I'm not a fan of Toronto to be honest. I like a lot of players though. I really like Montreal though so this should be fun!"
"Yeah that'll be cool! So just so you know, we're going to have to go through a lot of security and pat downs. It sucks but it is what it is."
We really did have to do a lot of security stuff. I was kind of surprised but at the same time not really. We were going to be going through close to the players and seeing them after the game. I kind of followed Amy's lead through everything.
We got to our place where we would take pictures and started setting up our equipment. As soon as the guys came out onto the ice I was so excited. I started snapping pictures of all the guys. I was mostly supposed to take pictures of Toronto but hey I'm not letting an opportunity to photograph the literal perfect man Max Domi go. I was taking pictures of Fredrik Andersen when he skated into frame. He was staring at me and I lowered the camera making eye contact with him. It was a weird moment, probably only a couple seconds, but it felt like forever. It was a little unsettling but I was so intrigued. I really loved him as a player and it was kinda cool that he acknowledged me. I got nervous though and looked away.
"That was weird." Amy said quietly.
"Okay good so I'm not the only one who thought that was strange?"
"No that was definitely weird. I've never seen Nylander do that before."
"Weird.." I looked back up and he was shaking his head laughing. "It's probably just because I'm new."
"Yeah that could be it."
We focused again on taking pictures throughout the game although I definitely started actually watching and cheering which Amy found hilarious. She ended up taking a picture of me when Montreal got a goal. There were a couple more awkward times where he just stared at me. One time he got a goal while never taking his eyes away from mine. I was definitely impressed but I always was with him so it wasn't exactly a surprise.
Toronto ended up winning unfortunately. 7-4. After the game was done Amy and I went to upload the pictures to a company hard drive as backup.
"We are going out drinking to celebrate your first day!"
"I'm hardly dressed for a club."
"Who cares everyone's gonna be drunk. I want to celebrate with you, get to know you better."
"Alright fine I'm down. Let's go!"
We went to a pretty lowkey bar that was close to the arena. We went up to the bar and sat down ordering two vodka cranberries. We just talked about what had brought us to where we were now. What happened in our lives. I really trusted her and I found myself thinking we were going to be best friends. 
"I don't mean to interrupt your story but uh, William is in here."
"Oh?"
"Yeah behind us, 3 o'clock." I turned slightly to look and found him already staring with a grin on his lips.
"God how long has he been looking at me?"
"Since they sat down about 5 minutes ago."
"Unbelievable." I said scoffing. "What's his problem?"
"Maybe he wants to know you?"
"Then why wouldn't he come over here and talk to me?"
"We could go talk to them?"
"Amy! As if my anxious brain would ever let me approach a group of hockey players if I'm not forced to for work."
"Well maybe you won't have to. He's coming over."
"Oh for fuck sake." I downed the rest of my drink as he sat down on my right. Amy got up and went I don't know where. I turned to look at him.
"Hello." He murmured, a glint of mischief in his eyes.
"Uh hi."
"What are you having?"
"Vodka cranberry."
"A baby drink." He turned to the bartender and signalled for two more to be brought over. 
"Yeah well." 
"I'm William."
"(Y/n)."
"You're new." It wasn't a question but I treated it like one.
"Yes today was my first day."
"How was it? I noticed you not cheering for us."
"It was good. I've never been to a game so it was fun as well as work. And yes you noticed right. Toronto is not my hockey team."
"Ouch you wound me."
"Want a bandaid?"
"Pfft no I think I'll manage." He said with a chuckle. "You're funny."
"Yes I am. Thank you for noticing." I said with a grin.
"I like your smile."
"Shut up that's not even my real smile." I laughed.
"Yeah but I got one right there and i like it too." He smiled then frowned looking behind me.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm afraid my friends don't like that I'm over here talking to you."
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to steal you from your friends."
"You didn't, it's not that, I promise. It's uh.. complicated."
"Complicated how?"
"We have this agreement."
"What kind of agreement?"
"Man you ask a lot of questions."
"I'm sorry." I said blushing immediately.
"Don't be. We have an agreement to not talk to girls when we go drinking."
"Oh how come?"
"We're the rookies. Doesn't really look good on us to be seen with women all the time."
"So they're mad that I'm talking to you?"
"They think I'm trying to sleep with you."
"Are you?"
"Not right this moment." He said with a wink making me laugh.
"Then what are you doing William?" I asked, still smiling at him, resting my head on my hand.
"Making a good first impression I hope. Starting to get to know you perhaps?"
"Why?"
"You're very interesting. Intriguing even. I want to know you."
"That's bold of you to assume. I'm pretty boring you know. Nothing special here."
"I don't agree at all." He said seriously, holding my gaze with warm eyes. "Hey do you maybe want to get out of here?"
"Nylander, I thought you weren't trying to fuck?"
"I'm not. I'm just sick of the glares." he said pointing back to his table. I looked back and locked eyes with an angry Auston Matthews.
"Brr. If looks could kill I'd probably be dead right now."
"Let's go." I must have looked unconvinced because he added, "I promise you'll leave me with your virtue intact."
"Pfft it's hardly intact. What about my friend though?"
"Check your phone, I heard it vibrate, it might've been her." I stared at him hard. "What?"
"You heard it vibrate? In my winter coat pocket?"
"Um maybe it was something else but I thought it was a phone. I have good hearing."
"Ooohkay." I said taking my phone out. "Well you were right. Amy met up with her boyfriend and is headed home."
"So will you come with me?"
"I guess so." I shrugged putting my coat back on. I jumped off the stool and waited for him. "Lead the way."
"You're smaller than I thought."
"Sorry..?"
"No no you've got nothing to apologize for. I'm just usually not off with my perceptions."
"You're a strange one William." I said as he opened the door for me and we stepped out into the frigid winter air.
"You could say that yes." He said with a smile. "Would you be alright to walk around for a little bit? I love when it snows. Something about the snow falling at night is so peaceful."
"Yeah that would be fun. I agree. I love walking in the snow at night time."
"Do you often walk around Toronto at night?"
"No not often. I'm too paranoid to do it much."
"That's probably a good idea. You never know what dangers lurk out here at night." 
"Crackheads." I said nodding solemnly, making his burst out laughing.
"That's not exactly what I meant but yes crackheads are not to be messed with."
"I'm more paranoid when no one is around. I think I hear things and I'm on red alert all the time. Sorry that's kinda weird."
"No, you're fine. I understand, although I'm much more nervous about people than I am the lack of them."
"How come?"
"People lie. People will pretend to like you. Learn your secrets and destroy you. It's very rare that I trust a person to get close to me at all."
"Do you trust me..?"
"Yes. You're different, I can tell. There's just something about you that makes me think you'd keep a secret to your dying breath."
"You're right about that. I'd never share something that wasn't mine to share unless someone was in immediate danger. Kinda like a therapist. Confidential until someone might die."
"That's a good way to be. No one likes a snitch." He said making me laugh.
"Dude aren't you cold?"
"No I'm fine."
"But you're just wearing that flimsy jacket. It can't be very warm."
"I promise you I am perfectly comfortable."
We walked around for a while longer talking about hockey mostly before we split ways to head home. As I was going down the steps to the subway I could've sworn I'd seen Auston glaring from across the road. I shook the thought, that would be crazy. I couldn't get past the feeling of being watched though so I made sure to lock up the windows and doors, even checking them twice before going to bed.
41 notes · View notes