#she in return gave me a pastry :) orange flavored uh. what are they called. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mbavholidayexchange · 3 years

Text

to @rowsha from @pixiepaintt

title: pumpkin pasties and unspoken promises

rating: teen and up audiences

summary:

Benny wasn’t the biggest fan of pumpkin pasties. They were too sweet and too savory and the flavors all mashed into one nasty confection he could hardly call a treat. He'd avoided them ever since his first year.

But when a blonde-headed vampire asks him to try one, he can't bring himself to say no...

ao3 link: link

content:

Benny wasn’t the biggest fan of pumpkin pasties.

They were savory, filled with rich sage and toasted garlic, yet also sweetly crusted with browned sugar and butter. He wasn’t typically a picky eater; he would scarf down most of the Great Hall if it weren’t for those stingy elves (once, he’d snuck into the kitchen at night for pudding and woke up all of the teachers with his screams). But something about the pumpkin pasties made him wince. He wished they would just pick a flavor category and stick to it.

Rory loved them. Every Saturday morning, as the three boys walked to breakfast together, he’d ramble about how long the weekdays had been and how he would give anything for the pumpkin pasties to be available every morning. He usually raced to the hall to gather up all of the pasties from the Gryffindor table for himself; then he’d eventually feel bad and return a couple. Of course, he kept the majority for himself, but it was the thought that counted.

Benny, despite his disdain for the fickle pastries, would never outwardly show it because he was a good friend. His way of showing affection often coincided with insults, but he didn’t want to seriously hurt his friends. Even if Rory liked the grossest food known to warlock, he deserved at least some happiness.

Right now, he wasn’t happy. The two Gryffindor boys were stood outside Ethan’s dorm room at ten minutes past eight. By now, they should be in the Great Hall loading their plates full of the weekend delicacies but a certain someone was too concerned about his likability.

“Guys, do you think Sarah likes straight hair or gelled hair?” Ethan called from across the door.

“Dude, who cares, the pumpkin pasties are probably all gone by now,” Rory wailed, “I’m doomed to eat sticky pancakes and oily hashbrowns for life!”

Benny slung an arm around his shoulder, trying to suppress his laugh.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you get some,” Benny promised, grinning.

Rory let out a pleased squeal– seriously, what kind of teenage boy squealed?– and turned to crush Benny in a hug. He was definitely the most physically affectionate of the group and Benny didn’t mind one bit. Except for the fact that he valued his life.

“Watch the bones,” Benny grimaced, “some of us are mortal.”

He was immediately released and prodded at, a bashful Rory checking for any damage. It wasn’t his fault; vampire strength was hard to control, especially as a newborn. He got excited easily and wanted to share his happiness with his friends, but it unfortunately sometimes ended in a broken bone or two. Fortunately, Benny was good at crafting excuses to get Madam Pomfrey to heal them.

“Sorry, Benny,” Rory softly amended with a pout when he was satisfied with his inspection. Something tender filled Benny’s chest, easy and comforting. It made him want to pull Rory back into a hug even if it meant broken ribs. It made him feel like he was safe. It made him feel like his smile would last forever.

“Yeah, uh, no problem,” he replied, trying to not let his giddiness show.

And, just like that, the moment was over. Rory gave him a big smile and turned back to the door, rapping on its poor creaky wood.

“Ethan, Benny said he’s going to get me pumpkin pasties! He’s my bestest best friend now!” Rory yelled.

A few of the Ravenclaws in the boys’ commons glanced over and frowned at the commotion, sighing when they saw Benny and Rory. They technically weren’t allowed in other houses’ dormitories, but they snuck in so much that no one cared to confront them anymore. Benny smiled weakly and half-heartedly waved.

“Not my fault I’m the only one with any chance with a girl!” Ethan yelled back, then paused, “Sorry! I’m just freaking out. Do you think Sarah would prefer a more floral or woodsy cologne? I was thinking about an earthy scent but that might be overwhelming for her vampire senses. Do you think Jesse wears expensive cologne? He probably does. Hey, Benny, do you have any more of that pheromone stuff?”

By the time they reached the Great Hall, most of the students were finishing breakfast. As soon as the doors opened, Rory was rushing to the Gryffindor table, oblivious to all of the students he knocked over to get there. Benny winced.

Ethan was still frozen in the entrance, staring at Sarah not-so-subtly. Benny nudged him and waved a hand in front of his flushed face. He was fairly sure that Ethan had pencilled in his eyebrows.

“Hello, earth to E,” he joked. Ethan blanched and frantically turned to Benny, eyes wide.

“Oh Merlin, I should have gone with the floral cologne!”

“Yeah, guess you’ve ruined your chance forever,” Benny dryly responded before laughing at Ethan’s petrified expression, “I’m kidding. Go get ‘em, tiger.” He winked and pushed Ethan toward the Ravenclaw table. He would go with him, as a wingman, but he’d rather not leave food-crazed Rory alone with the first-years.

So as much as he wanted to valiantly shield Rory from all of the nasty looks and middle fingers being thrown his direction, he knew that Rory didn’t want conflict. He wanted comfort.

As soon as Benny turned his attention back to the young vampire, he sighed. Rory was plucking all of the pasties from the table– even the ones on plates– and curling around them protectively. He had garnered more than a few glares from the rest of the house members. Rory spotted Benny and waved giddily, his mouth full and spirits high. Benny always admired him for that: he never seemed to care what strangers thought about him. He would wear the most outlandish clothes and talk about the most obscure things and just… deflected any mockery that came his way. At first, Benny had thought he was just oblivious to the sniggering and badgering, but when he tried to confront the bullies, Rory stopped him and told him that it didn’t matter. No one else’s opinion mattered– only his friends’.

Benny walked over to the table and sat next to him, giving him a warm smile.

“You know, it’s not very swagalicious to steal food,” Benny chuckled, bumping shoulders with Rory as he sat down. Rory gasped, quickly swallowing his food.

“R-Dawg has more swag than you’ll ever know,” Rory adamantly defended, scowling, “R-Dawg invented swag. Check it!” He then began making various noises and swinging his hands in what Benny assumed to be beatboxing. This earned him even more glares.

Benny rolled his eyes and started piling his plate up with food: cinnamon-buttered toast, black pudding, bacon, and a large heaping of sugar donuts. He was quite famished from his late-night DND campaign (and his subsequent adventure of sneaking Ethan back into the Ravenclaw dorms afterward).

“We need to bring the Muse-A-Tronics back!” Rory whisper-yelled to him, eyes sparkling.

“And lose the tiny bit of dignity I have left?” Benny whisper-yelled back.

“Maybe it would make Erica finally notice you,” Rory quipped, looking back down at his plate in something akin to nervosity.

“It would make all the primo babes notice me,” Benny boasted, puffing out his chest dramatically. Truthfully, he valued Erica more as a friend (and was pretty sure she wasn’t into men) but he didn’t want to admit it. His friends had teased him about it long enough that it felt wrong to confess– it felt wrong to even acknowledge himself. When he started thinking about romance, he started thinking about Rory, and then he started feeling guilt and– he preferred to not think about it.

“Girls love that macho piano playing,” Rory affirmed, something pensive in his tone, almost hesitant. He picked at the crust of his toast.

Benny frowned at his arbitrary dejection and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, bringing him in for a quick side-hug. There was a strong need arising in him to console Rory, a mixture of guilt and sympathy. He patted his shoulder and broke apart the contact, feeling foolish for something he didn’t know how to describe.

“Don’t worry, MC MonsterBat will be a lady-killer for sure,” Benny said.

“Who are we killing?” Ethan asked, sitting across from Benny and grabbing an orange.

“Just women,” Benny shrugged, “Speaking of, how’d it go with Sarah?” He wiggled his eyebrows.

Ethan facepalmed and shook his head.

“You don’t want to know,” he groaned.

“Aw c’mon, I’m great at love advice!”

“B, last time you tried to hit on a girl, you had your eyebrows singed off,” Ethan deadpanned.

“That fireworks spell was trickier than I thought!”

“The time before that, you almost drowned.”

“In my defense, the textbooks make mermaids seem really sweet.”

Ethan just laughed and started peeling apart his orange. He found Benny’s outlandish flirting style amusing, but he had learned to keep a distance whenever it involved magic.

Rory had been developing a frown throughout the conversation, glaring at his orange juice. He seemed to suddenly decide something and looked up, tugging on Benny’s shirt.

“Benny, do you want to try one?” He asked hopefully.

“One what?” Benny hesitantly responded.

“A pumpkin pastie! AKA the most delicious thing in the world,” Rory cheerfully coaxed, picking up the biggest one he had and offering it reverently. He was so heartened and upbeat that Benny couldn’t bring himself to tell him no.

The smile on Rory’s face was infectious, and soon Benny was grinning widely too. Rory could probably ask him to eat an earwax jelly bean and he’d agree to it– just because it was Rory.

“Uhh, sure, I’ll try a bite,” he said, not missing how Rory’s face lit up adorably or how he pulled him infinitesimally closer. He gently took the pumpkin pastie from Rory’s hands and bit into it without any hesitance.

To be fair, he still didn’t like it. It had too many clashing flavors and the nutmeg was overpowering. But, when he saw the blush growing on Rory’s face and the way his eyes crinkled with joy, he found himself taking another bite, and another…

“Do you like it?” Rory excitedly asked, biting into his own pastie and beaming.

Benny nodded and finished it off, licking his fingers off (and if Rory’s eyes were caught on his lips, neither of them acknowledged it).

“Yeah, it’s a very unique flavor,” he said. He didn’t want to lie; he was just stretching the truth.

“You can admit it, it’s the best food in the world,” Rory stuck out his tongue. Benny just laughed and shook his head.

“Oh, B, you should try the fruitcake next! You always refuse even though it’s my favorite,” Ethan interjected, glancing around the table and grabbing a slice to hold out.

“No offense, but that is probably the nastiest thing I’ve ever seen. I’d rather face Moldy Voldy than dried figs and prunes trying to disguise themselves as a cake.” Benny fake gagged and scrunched his nose up. He had a rich sweet tooth and could say for certain that fruitcake was not included in that. It barely even counted as sweet.

“But you just ate the pumpki– Oh. Oh, of course,” Ethan grinned and flickered his eyes between Benny and Rory, “I’m bloody dumb.”

Rory quizzically looked up from his food and managed a “Hmhuh?” through a full mouth. Benny raised his eyebrows. He usually shared a brain cell with Ethan and could tell what the other was thinking, but he had no clue what was making Ethan laugh so much. He had long since made his hatred for dried fruit known.

Ethan shook his head and smiled at both of them.

“Nothing to be worried about. Did you guys want to head to the Quidditch field later?”

The next Saturday, Benny was the first one up.

“Rory, get up! It’s breakfast time!” He yelled, untangling himself from his sheets.

From the bed over, Rory groaned and hid his face in his pillow. He had spent the entire night getting “food” in the Forbidden Forest. Benny didn’t want to know any more than that.

There was an odd spike of excitement running through him; he just knew that he had to get to the Great Hall as soon as possible. He’d been looking forward to it the entire week, constantly thinking about the darned pumpkin pasties. Whenever he mentioned it, Ethan just gave him a wink.

“If you get up now, I’ll eat another pastie with you,” Benny added.

At that, Rory was standing up, fully awake.

“Really? You’d do that?”

Benny laughed and shrugged.

“Anything for you,” he said, immediately regretting it. That wasn’t a very bro-like thing to say. Rory didn’t seem to mind, though, brightly smiling at Benny and moving to get his robes out.

Benny opened his trunk as well, absentmindedly picking out his finest robes. It seemed like it was going to be a great morning.

The warm feeling in Benny’s chest didn’t dissipate. Truly, he knew what was causing it, but he wasn’t ready to face it yet; he wasn’t ready to face him. He felt like it could end any minute, and he couldn’t risk that.

He was a bit relieved when Ethan said he had to study for his midterms rather than go on the Hogsmeade trip. He didn’t want to leave his best friend alone on the weekend, but the prospect of going out with Rory was too exciting.

Hogwarts had just had its first snow, thinly carpeting the winter grass and stone paths in a soft reminder that winter was near. Hogsmeade was decorated in shiny red ribbons and glimmering icicles, sprinklings of mistletoe hanging from every signpost. The restaurants were particularly busy, drawing in onlookers with their warm stews and hot chocolates filling the chilly air with hearty aromas.

They had, as tradition, stopped by Honeydukes first to satisfy their cravings. Benny was sure to grab enough peppermint creams and sugar quills for Christmas; when in doubt, candy was the best gift option. Who would turn down Honeydukes?

They eventually ended up in the Three Broomsticks, properly cold and yearning for fish and chips. Benny had jumped right into his butterbeer, not caring at all how the froth gave him a mustache.

“I’ve died, I’ve died and reached heaven,” Benny bewailed, clinging onto his mug like it was the most precious thing in the world. Which it was.

Rory had the audacity to look offended. He had barely touched his drink, uncharacteristically distraught.

“You can’t die yet, dude, we haven’t beaten the Feudal Wars IV boss yet.”

Benny considered that for a second and then nodded approvingly.

“You’re right, yeah, I guess I have to hold on until then.”

“Can’t leave the Rorster hanging!”

“Of course not,” Benny chuckled, “You’d never be able to finish that round on your own.”

Rory flicked one of his chips at him, pouting. Benny sighed and gave him back a chip to equalize the transaction, squeezing Rory’s hand briefly as an apology.

“You have to admit though, I’m a god at the Feudal Wars series. I think I’m ranked twenty in the nation. Which, to be fair, there are only about a hundred players in Great Britain, but rankings in a multiplayer RPG are skewed anyway. I can’t wait until I’m back home so I can get back to–

“Benny.”

“What’s up?” He replied, taking a swig of his butterbeer and silently pretending that it was real alcohol to feel cooler. Rory hesitated and drummed his fingers on the wooden table.

“I… I know you don’t like pumpkin pasties.”

Benny froze, nearly choking on his drink.

“Dude, what? We’ve been eating them together every week,” he weakly rebutted. Rory rolled his eyes and smiled.

“I’m not a complete idiot,” Rory laughed, “I know you’ve hated them since first year.”

“But you–”

“I wanted to see if you would. Try one for me,” Rory said, leaning forward and resting his head on his palms. His fangs were ever-so-subtly peeking out.

“Oh.”6

Godric Gryffindor, he must have not been as smooth as he thought. What would Rory think of him now, lying about something so simple as a pastry? Normal friends don’t do that.

Benny lifted his head, mouth agape and ready to rush out an excuse, but– he was met with a blushing, embarrassed Rory. Who didn’t seem upset in the slightest.

“It’s cute,” he promised, reaching out for Benny’s hand and rubbing small circles on the back.

“I just– I didn’t want to make you sad, I’m sorry–” Benny stuttered, feeling exposed.

“Don’t apologize, B,” Rory insisted, “You know, to make it even, I’ll eat fruitcake for you.”

Benny furrowed his brows. It sounded almost like a confession– a reciprocation. Maybe they had both been hiding their attachment. Merlin, Ethan had probably stayed back at Hogwarts to make this happen. Well, not that Benny was complaining.

He squeezed Rory’s hand and smiled.

“That’s a bet.”

“Okay, tomorrow morning! I’ll prove it!” Rory asserted, biting his lip, “R-Money will prove his heart’s desire!”

“Moment ruined,” Benny teased fondly.

“Oh, do you prefer R-Dawg? Rorster? Ror-inator? R-Money? Batman? Ror–”

Benny pressed his thumb gently on his lips to quiet him.

“I just like Rory.”

By the time they left, the snow was sticking to the ground and the sun was peeking out. If they squinted, they could see Ethan cheering them on from his dorm window with two thumbs up. Damn seer abilities.

With Rory’s hand in his, cheeks red from more than just the cold, Benny took a moment to reconsider. Maybe he had liked the pumpkin pasties all along. He just hadn’t been able to appreciate their ambivalence– he hadn’t realized that if he had just let the flavors meld together, there didn’t need to be a schism.

He turned to Rory, giving him a chaste kiss on the forehead and running through the snow.

“Last one to the castle has to help Ethan get ready for his date tomorrow!”

#my babysitter's a vampire #mbav #rory keaner #benny weir #ethan morgan #submission

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miraculousstorytelling · 5 years

Text

Ladybug’s Kitchen

Happy belated holidays, @noblechaton! I hope you had a wonderful start to your new year, and I hope you enjoy this gift for the @mlsecretsanta exchange!

This assignment was a joke. Alya knew it, and the utterly ridiculous editor who assigned it to her knew it, too. She grumbled the entire walk to her desk and half-slammed a notebook onto her desk for good measure.

"Whoa. Is everything okay?"

She rolled her eyes. "Chloe just told me my next assignment is finding out who this stupid food blogger is. Just because her dad practically owns the school, doesn't mean-"

"Doesn't mean she should be able to run the paper like some kind of dictator," Nino finished for her. "I know."

"It's a fluff piece!" Alya hissed, glaring in the direction of Chloe's small office, built just for her when she decided to take over the school newspaper. "She doesn't even care about this. She just wants to be in charge something!"

"Then, let her." He shrugged. "Do your own stuff on the side if you want. She won't care."

"I care! And so should you! This is why journalism is dying!"

"Really?" he didn't need to give her more than a look to point out just how ridiculous she sounded.

"Okay, so it's not the only reason," she said, still annoyed but at least now she'd let out some of her frustration. Finally, she slumped back into her chair and pulled out her phone. "Have you ever even heard of Ladybug's Kitchen?"

"Now, you have to be careful when you pipe in the filling. If you overfill it, you're going to have some messy macarons. And it's harder than you think to clean chocolate filling out of the carpet. Not that I've done that..." She laughed a bit at her own joke, which was oddly endearing in Alya's opinion. "Just a little swirl like this, and you'll have the perfect treat for your family or your friends or even just yourself if you've had a long week."

"Are you still watching that?" Nino peeked over Alya's shoulder. "It's been hours."

"I'm doing research," she answered, despite the blank notebook beside her. "She doesn't ever show her face."

"Yeah, that's kind of her thing."

"I noticed." She paused the video. "You can see her apron, and sometimes, you can see her hair, but that's as close as I can get. I'm just looking for clues."

Nino reached over to scroll down the page. "How many videos does she have anyway?"

She swatted his hand away. "Hey, don't make me lose my place. She's been doing this for years, and I'm watching all of them. She had to leave a clue somewhere."

"Seriously?" he chuckled. "What happened to this just being a fluff piece?"

She blushed. "I'm a serious journalist, okay? I take every assignment seriously."

"Half of your last fluff piece was filler text. You just put your questions in and all of the mayor's answers were just lorem ipsum whatever."

"What, you don't think our mayor speaks Latin?" she smirked.

"Okay, Mademoiselle Serious Journalist. Have fun with your crepes." He stuffed his laptop into his bag and waved. "I'm off to fail a chemistry test."

"Good luck!" she called after him. "And they're macarons, not crepes! Maybe if you don't fail, I'll buy you some so you can learn the difference."

"Seriously, one point away from failing really shouldn't earn you anything, especially not the best macarons in Paris," Alya grumbled as they waited in line.

"Hey, you said if I didn't fail, you'd buy me some."

"I also said maybe."

"Next!" the woman behind the counter called with a smile brighter than sunshine.

Alya paused for a moment, just staring at her until Nino pushed her forward, and she nearly stumbled into the counter. "Uh, hey!" Alya straightened and smiled back. "A dozen macarons and um..." she scanned over the available pastries. "Do you have any crepes?"

She smiled. "Sure! What flavor did you want for the macarons?"

"What flavors do you have? Like vanilla or chocolate...?"

She produced a list from behind the counter and handed it to Alya. "We definitely have a lot more than those. You can pick up to six different flavors when you buy a dozen. Why don't you take a minute to decide, and I'll get your crepes started, okay?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Dude, you're blushing," Nino murmured once she'd stepped out of earshot. "And you're staring."

"Shut up!" Alya glared at him and shoved the list into his chest. "One more word, and I'm getting nothing but apricot."

"Rude, using a man's allergies against him," Nino said under his breath as he scanned the list that spanned both the front and back of the page. "She wasn't kidding. There's tons of flavors here. I didn't even know some of these existed."

"Let me see." Alya held up the list so she could read the back. "Wow, I've never even heard of pomegranate macarons."

"Do you still need a minute?" Alya hadn't even noticed the woman had returned from the back. "I know there's a lot to choose from."

"Uh, maybe," Alya said, glancing over and trying not to stare this time.

"I can recommend a few." She stepped out from behind the counter to stand beside them, and Alya could feel soft heat spreading over her cheeks. "The cheesecake and the strawberry are really popular, but my favorites are the green tea and the honey and lavender."

"Those sound great," Alya answered quickly, releasing the list so Nino could look it over some more and Alya could look anywhere else. "I'll get those two, and he can decide the rest." How was it possible for someone to actually smell this good? Was it just because she worked in a bakery? Maybe it was just the bakery.

"Perfect! And what about the crepes?"

Alya wasn't exactly new to the idea of flirting with women she found attractive. Some would even say she was good at it, but right now, she couldn't even speak. This wasn't like her. Sure, she'd felt flustered and tongue-tied before, but that was back when she was a teenager and still new at all of this. She shouldn't have trouble answering a simple question just because this woman was exceptionally pretty.

"Chocolate sounds good," Nino said from behind Alya, handing over the list as he did, "And we'll get cheesecake, strawberry, cappuccino, and orange."

"Coming right up." She looked back at Alya. "And could I get your name? For, um, for the order?"

And maybe it was Alya's imagination, but did she just trip over her words? "Alya. And you?"

"Marinette," she darted back behind the counter. "It'll be ready in just a minute."

"Huh," Nino said, watching her leave. "Was she blushing?"

"God, I hope so," Alya murmured.

"You know..." Nino spoke between bites. "If you buy these every time I don't fail a test, I might pass chemistry."

"Yeah, I so didn't sign up for that." Alya reached for another one while the latest video from Ladybug's Kitchen loaded. "If you want to pass, buy them yourself."

"But, if you do, you get to see Marinette again."

Alya hated how quickly her cheeks reddened at just the mention of her name. She'd nearly dropped the bag twice when their order had come out, and Marinette had been painfully sweet about it. "Who says I need to buy anything for you to see her again? My mom's been asking me to pick up some better bread. Apparently, she works at the best place in Paris."

"If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't even know she existed." He snatched one of the macarons from her pile. "You owe me."

She slapped his hand away. "Nice try. If we get married, maybe I'll send you a box from our honeymoon."

He shrugged. "I'll take what I can get." He looked over at her screen. "Any clues yet?"

"Nope." She sighed and clicked play. "And I've gone through all of them twice."

"Twice?" His brows raised. "But, you said she has tons of videos."

"I take my job seriously, okay?"

"Maybe you just have a thing for bakers," he teased.

"Yeah, like you've got a thing for models?" she smirked. "Or did you think I missed that perfume ad you've been staring at?"

It was nice to see Nino blush for a change. "That's research. Chloe needs a model for the front page."

"Sure..." she chuckled, grabbing one of his cheesecake macarons. "You keep telling yourself that."

As annoying as it was to admit Nino was right, maybe she really did have a thing for bakers. She'd been watching for hours now, and Alya was beginning to suspect she had a crush on a voice that she couldn't identify. Ladybug was cheerful and encouraging, and she had the worst sense of humor, but Alya chuckled at it anyway. She was humble, too, showing her failures right along with her successes.

"Everyone burns cookies every once in a while. And that's okay. It's not a great feeling, I know. The first time I burnt my cookies, I cried. I mean, I was seven, so of course I cried," Ladybug chuckled at the memory, holding up a blackened cookie. "My dad found me, and he told me that mistakes just means you're trying something new. Or, in my case, it means I got too invested in a tea party with my stuffed animals.

"So, just keep trying. And make sure you set a timer!" Ladybug waved at the camera. "Hopefully, I'll have something a bit more appetizing for you tomorrow! Thanks for watching, and I hope you all had better luck than I did making this!"

"Are you still going through her videos?" Nino dropped down beside her. "I thought you saw all of them like a million times."

"Yeah, I did." Alya took the coffee from his hand and drained it. "I'm not getting anything. And everyone says the same thing. They know she's in Paris, but that's about as close as they can get."

"They?" Nino took the cup back and frowned down at it once he realized it was empty. "Now you owe me coffee and macarons."

"In your dreams. And, yes, they. I'm not the only one looking for her." She smirked. "There's boards and websites trying to figure it out, and she visits sometimes to say hello."

"Nice." He nudged her side. "So, if everyone's trying to figure this out, maybe it's more than just a fluff piece, huh?"

He actually flinched at the look she sent his way. "Just because Chloe got lucky, and this is actually interesting doesn't mean she gave me a good assignment. She thought this was fluff, and she wants to waste my time."

"Whoa, hey, I'm not arguing with you. Just saying. It's a good piece."

"It will be if I can figure out who she is," Alya mumbled, scrolling through the notes she'd made for any sort of connection she might have missed.

She might never have figured it out at all if not for one little mistake.

Ladybug had just posted up a video, and Alya had started watching the second it was available.

"It took me a little while to come up with an idea for this video. I feel like I've kind of shared everything I know how to make with you guys, so you'll need to send in some new recipes for me to try." She shuffled through some pages beside her as she spoke. "But, then, I was inspired by a customer that came in the other day. They were looking at macarons and couldn't pick a flavor.

"I mean, I can't blame them. All the flavors are amazing. So, I offered some suggestions, and they went with my two favorite flavors. And that got me thinking, maybe I could try out a new recipe based on their order. You can find the full recipe under the video, but I'll go ahead and walk you through it. Hopefully it's better than my cookies from last week!"

Alya scanned every frame while Ladybug spoke, looking for even the hint of a reflection or some sort of personal item that might give her a clue.

"So, first, we'll gather our ingredients. Some of them are a little unusual, so feel free to come back and bake with me later on if you need to go get anything."

Nothing. Even when it looked like she might catch a glimpse, the image was blurred or distorted, or even in one case, replaced with a tiny stock photo of a ladybug. Whoever edited her videos was thorough.

"So, some of you might be wondering why I'm making a recipe based on a customer. It's not something I do every day, you know." She measured out flour as she spoke. "But, well, I have to be honest with you guys, this customer was just really, really gorgeous. And I really wanted to ask for their number or try and flirt or anything, but I just kept chickening out. I'm sure at least one of you knows that feeling."

Alya frowned. She knew it a bit too well. She'd tried to work up the nerve to ask Marinette for coffee or lunch or anything, but she hadn't even walked by the bakery since the day she and Nino went. She could use the excuse that she was busy working, but it really was just that. An excuse.

"And, anyway, they came in with someone, so maybe it's a good thing I didn't. But, I just wanted to try my luck. And if they ever come back, maybe I will. I know I always tell all of you to take chances, but I have to admit, sometimes I'm scared to try something new. You've all been brave enough to bake with me, so let's all try to take chances outside the kitchen, too! Even if it means embarrassing ourselves in front of someone we like."

Alya rolled her eyes. She had to, since it really was a bit on the cheesy side, but it was just like Ladybug to say something like that, and it hit a bit too close to home for Alya's liking.

"So, here we are! Honey and lavender crepes! Let's see how they taste." She pulled out a fork and cut off a piece to eat. "Oh, that's even better than I thought! I hope yours all turned out great, too! Tune in on Thursday for part two! We'll be making green tea crepes with our own handmade whipped cream on top!"

"Wait..." Alya frowned. "No way..."

It had to be a coincidence. Just because that happened to be her order and she happened to be with someone when she made the order and she also happened to go there a few days ago... It didn't mean anything.

Alya started the video over again, this time scrutinizing each frame. Her heart was racing, but she was still trying to convince herself that it was all in her head. It was just too convenient. Like something out of Hollywood or a cheesy made-for-TV holiday movie.

But then she saw it.

There, in the middle of the papers Ladybug looked through was the recipe she'd written down. Anyone else might not have recognized the significance, and Alya might not have even seen if it if she wasn't so desperate for evidence.

There it was. The title, clear as day: "Crepes for Alya". The recipe was for her.

And that meant Ladybug was actually Marinette.

And that meant Marinette was interested.

Alya arrived at the bakery moments before it was time to close, a little out of breath and hoping she wasn't somehow wrong.

"Welcome!" Marinette greeted her when she walked through the door. "What can I get y-"

Oh, that was definitely a blush. Alya grinned, all confidence now that Marinette was the one visibly flustered. "Hey, Marinette! I actually had a question for you."

"Sure!" Marinette relaxed a little. "It's, um, good to see you again, Alya!"

Great, now she was blushing, too. "Yeah, you, too." But, she had the upper hand here, and she had to find out the truth. "Do you do any special orders? You know, stuff that's off the menu?" she asked, her smile just a bit playful.

"Maybe." Marinette leaned in a little, her voice dropping just enough that Alya could tell she was starting to realize Alya was flirting. "What did you have in mind?"

Alya approached the counter, close enough that anyone else wouldn't overhear. "Well, I was thinking of some honey and lavender crepes. Maybe green tea, too, but I don't know. Do I have to wait till Thursday for those?"

The color drained from Marinette's face. "What? I mean... I don't think I've heard of anything like that, but I um, I could look that up or..."

Alya grinned. "Really? And here I thought you made the recipe for a really, really gorgeous customer just like me."

"What? No!" Marinette realized her mistake in an instant. "I mean, not no. You are really, really gorgeous, but I didn't make a recipe for you. I don't know what you're talking about."

Alya pulled out her phone to show the video, paused right at the moment where the recipe's title showed on the screen. "You know, if you wanted my number, all you had to do was ask."

Marinette stared at it, clearly stuggling to think up some explanation. Finally, she looked back at Alya. "You're not going to... tell everyone, are you?"

Even if she wanted to, Alya knew she never would. "Not a chance. I'm way more interested in dating you than making you famous."

"Thank you." Marinette grinned, and Alya couldn't help but smile back. "I really-" Then, her eyes widened. "Wait, did you say you want a date?"

Alya laughed. "Yeah. Is that a yes?"

"Hold on." She ran over to the back. "I need to leave early! Mom, can you take over?"

"Sure!" A voice answered from the back. "Is everything okay?"

"Yep, just gotta go! Bye!" Marinette tore off the apron. "I'll be five minutes. I just need to freshen up."

She was gone before Alya could clarify that exactly meant tonight, but maybe it was better that way. Who was she to argue? The more time with Marinette, the better. She pulled out her phone while she waited, a slow smirk spreading over her lips. Besides, her deadline was tonight, and the only thing that could make a date with Marinette even sweeter was turning her phone on silent and ignoring irate calls from Chloe during said date.

"Ready to go?" Marinette asked, somewhat out of breath.

Alya looked up, briefly mesmerized by Marinette's quick transformation. She'd somehow managed to pull her hair up into a perfect updo, put on a hint of makeup, and change into a gorgeous pink dress in just moments, which left Alya was simultaneously jealous, impressed, and completely smitten. "Absolutely."

#mlsecretsanta 2k18 #miraculous ladybug #alyanette #au #food blogger au #sort of college au since that's where I imagine Alya and Nino are?#my writing

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peachy-scenarios-blog · 6 years

Text

[F] For the Prince

REQUESTED: a fluffy scenario where Jackson is a prince and you’re the village/town girl

Reader (you) x Jackson

Warnings: fluff???

Word Count: 2K

HI EVERYONE! I AM NOT DEAD AND I ACTUALLY HAVE THE TIME TO WRITE NOW YAY! THANK YOU ALL FOR WAITING SO PATIENTLY I’M ASHDASJL. Also, I hope you enjoy this scenario to whomever requested this haha! lots of love - Admin Rose

The high-street bakery was quintessentially English. The sign above the window was peeling somewhat; gold lettering was generously curled on a midnight blue background. In the bakery, the air was more delicious than any flavor. Somehow the aroma captured everything good: the filter coffee, the various cakes, the danish pastries. The blend was perfection. Just the smell of freshly baked cookies put a smile on your face as you looked outside the window, the morning sun glaring back at you.

It was peaceful and quiet as the village slept for another few minutes. You knew, as the clock started to ring its bell, that this store would be crowded with villagers, demanding for bread in the morning. Tying the apron around you waist, you sighed to yourself as you started to make your way into the kitchen, where you knew you were going to spend the rest of the day in.

As you stepped into the room, the aromatic fragrance of freshly baked cookies overpowered every other scent that lingered in the room. Its delectable aroma pervaded the air- an mélange of honeydew, orange preserves and dabs of cracking nuts. It was very tempting to grab and simply indulge in this decadent pleasure. Perhaps, that was a good idea.

Looking around, you decided to take the first bite. A delightful flavor flooded your mouth, and your senses basked in its luscious taste. There was a friable crunch and tangs of zest to which all coalesce to form a truly delicious dish-orange honey baked cookies.

“(Y/N)!” Your mother yelled from behind, ruining the moment with the pastry as well as freighting you to bits. “Put that cookie down!”

“Sorry, mother.” You mumbled as you shoved the rest of the crumbs in your mouth. “It was too hard to resist. I had to take one.”

“Those cookies are not for you,” Your mother stated as she grabbed a cardboard box from the side of the kitchen and placed it on the counter, “They’re for the royal family.”

“The king requested another batch of pastry?” You raised your eyebrows in disbelief, considering how much backing you’ve done this week for the royal family.

You watched as your mother started stacking the cookies in the box. Bits of hair were covering her face as you watch her quick small hands organize the cookies. “That’s right, my dear. The king is having a ball this week.”

“The one where the prince is suppose to choose his wife?” You asked as you started to help your mother pack the pastry.

“Yes.” Your mother nodded her head. “Princesses from different kingdoms are expected to arrive tomorrow morning for the ball. The poor boy has to choose one of those snobby maidens for the sake of his father.”

“Ma! I bet they are not all snobby.” You exclaimed as you closed the box.

“I highly doubt that. The princesses are there to marry for money, not for love. As well, this royal marriage will be beneficial for both kingdoms as it enhances military status.” Your mother explained as she started to wrap the box in light pink paper

“What about love?” You wondered, giving the box a white lovely bow on the top.

“My dear, there is no such thing as love for the royal family.” You mother sadly smiled as she handed you the box. “Now, before the village wakes up, I want you to take this box up to the palace and come back immediately. You know how busy this place gets in the morning.”

“Yes mother.” You sighed as you took the box into you hands. “I’ll be back soon.”

Quickly running out of the store, you untied the knots that kept your horse down before climbing up onto the saddle. With a minor struggle with your dress, you managed climb onto the horse with the box in one hand as the other grabbed the reins of your horse. Looking into the far distance, you spotted the castle upon the horizon with the sun started to rise behind the huge building. With on tug on the reins, your horse started to stride towards the castle with the cool morning air in your face.

The leaves scud over the ground and take small flights into the air as your horse passed by the. As you tossed your head back and raise your eyes to the sky, a smile spread from cheek to cheek. The branches sway like the arms in the cool breeze of the morning and it their chaotic dances were hypnotically beautiful. Your mind began to relax and you felt the happiness. This wind carried the fragrance of the woodland, the essence of the beauty of nature.

As you got closer to the palace gates, you saw a few guards walk over to you with their weapons in hand. Coming to a stop in front of the gates, you hopped off your horse with the box of cookies in hand.

“I’m here to deliver the pastry the king has requested.” You simply stated as the tall guards began to walk around you and your horse.

“The backdoor.” The guard replied back. You nodded your head, understanding what he meant by the backdoor. As a villager, you weren’t allowed in the palace unless you were a staff. The backdoor was the place where commoners like you entered through the palace.

“It won’t take long.” You said as you watched the gates open. You waited for the guard to nod his head in approval before you started to run around the castle, looking for the backdoor that everyone knew of. Spotting the wooden door near the garden, you immediately ran inside hoping someone would be there to take the package. However, to your surprise, it was empty.

“Hello?” You called out as your feet started to take little steps. The walls were built out of grey bricks with different entrances into the palace. You were afraid to go in any of the entrance because of the fear of getting scolded. You knew you didn’t belong here so the feeling of uncertainty and anxiousness consumed your stomach.

“Hello?” You repeated again as you raised your voice. “Is anybody here?”

“Yes!” You heard a rather deep and masculine voice call out from the left entrance. “I’m coming!”

Planting your feet on the ground, you straighten your dress and fixed your hair as you held the box close to your body. After a few moments of silence, a man appeared from the left entrance with a beaming smile on his face. As your eyes flickered up to his face, you widen your eyes in shock. He was strikingly handsome. His brown hair was slightly brushed to the side, his lips as red as cherry. He wore a white shirt with the top three buttons undone matched with black pants.

Since when did the palace hire handsome men?

“I-I’m here to deliver cookies for the king.” You stuttered, quickly snapping out of a dreamy trace the man has put you in.

“Perfect! I’ll take that.” The man smiled as he grabbed the box from your hands, his skin slightly brushing against yours. A blush crept up onto your face as you found yourself unable to control your emotions.

“How about you come in?” The man asked as he motioned you to follow him. “I need to give you something in return for this kind gift.”

“I really shouldn’t. I need to get going.” You refused, avoiding eye contact with him.

“It’ll just be a moment, I promise.” He insisted as he grabbed your arm and pulled you in. You really couldn’t resist at this point since he had a tight grip on you. A man who you barely even met for more than a minute was already touching your arm unexpectedly. Oddly enough, you weren’t complaining.

“I assume you’re from that family owned bakery the king always orders from?” The brunette asked as lead you towards a small counter and started opening the box of cookies.

“Yes.” You shyly replied back, observing him from the side.

A moment of silence passed between the two of you before he spoke up again, “Can I take a bite of one?”

“Well they are for the prince. I’m not sure if there will be enough for everyone if you take a bite.” You pointed out as you started to feel guilty about eating one piece of cookie beforehand.

“You don’t know who I am?” The man gasped, suddenly changing the mood of the room and catching you completely off-guard.

“I-I, uh, no.” You stammered.

“Well, that’s a first.” The man smiled as he grabbed one cookie from the pile and placed it in his mouth. Devouring the delicious piece of pastry, he took long strides towards you, staring deeply into your eyes. You quietly cursed to yourself and questioned why you followed this odd man into this room. Were you supposed to know this man who was making weird gestures towards you?

“Jackson.” He introduced himself, holding out his hand.

Hesitantly, you took it and shook his hand, “(Y/N).”

“Now tell me (Y/N), what do I look like to you?” Jackson asked, walking back to the counter to take another piece of cookie.

“You look like a man?” You raised your eyebrows, unsure how you should answer the question.

Jackson chuckled under his breath, “A handsome man if you want to be somewhat correct.”

“Look,” You breathed out, suddenly regretting you followed this man into this place, “As much as I would like to stay here and converse with you, I need to go home.”

“Sure,” Jackson smiled, popping another cookie into his mouth, “But first, please tell me if you know me or not.”

“Oh for god’s sake,” You muttered under your breath, “No.”

“Okay, goodbye.” Jackson suddenly stated in a sarcastic manner. You gave him a glare, not clearly understanding what kind of situation you were in. Sure he was handsome, but there was something about him that put you on the edge. He acted different than most men in the village and there was some kind of mysterious aura that surrounded him. Who was he?

Giving him one last look, you turned your heels and exited the palace. Walking around the building once again, you found yourself back at the palace gates. The bells of the clock tower started ringing and you knew you were needed back home immediately. Climbing onto your horse, you grabbed onto the reins as you steadied yourself on the saddle. With one light tug, your horse started to walk away from the castle and back into the village.

“Wait!” You heard a familiar voice yell. “(Y/N)!”

You turned your head to look behind you and saw Jackson running towards the closing gate. A piece inside of you wanted to stop your horse and meet him again. You wanted to get to know this mysterious man and why he asked you so many questions. There was something about him that was intriguing other than his good looks. Something… charming. Yet you couldn’t stop another small chat because, you knew you were needed back in the village.

“Goddamnit! Open up the gates!” Jackson yelled, watching the gate close on him.

“Yes, your majesty!” All the guards simultaneously said, loud enough for you to hear. But it was too late for Jackson to catch up to you because, you were too far from his reach.

At that moment, the conversation you had moments ago with Jackson finally clicked. It was like the parts of a machine, finally working together in perfect harmony after receiving an oil change. In this case, the oil change represented those two words;

Your majesty

“Oh my god,” You gasped under your breath as the wind blew in your face, “He’s the prince…”

part two

#jackson wang #jackson wang scenarios #got7hyungnet #g7hyungnet #g7hyungline #got7 #got7 au #got7 scenarios #got7 imagines #got7 reactions #got7 request #got7 smut #kpop #kpop scenarios #kpop imagines #kpop smut

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