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ginnsbaker · 1 month

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fic: if i bleed (you'll be the last to know) (5/?)

Part summary: With Leigh, it feels like for every step forward, you end up taking two steps back.

Pairing: Leigh Shaw x Fem!Reader | Word count for this part: 5.600+ | Warnings Some angst, het stuff | A/N: Texts in italic indicate they happened in the past. We get an insight about R's past with Matt and a little surprise at the end.

Masterlist | Part I Part II | Part III | Part IV | Next part

You'd hardly expect to meet a decent guy on the street nowadays.

Though, to be fair, it's less about meeting him and more about running straight into him. At the moment, you don't give it much thought. You distinctly remember wincing from the impact, feeling solid muscle and jutting bones, and a surge of irritation bubbles up inside you because you're not exactly having the best day. But then, the man you ran into looks up, and his face is all apologies.

He looks like he might cry if you don't forgive him, so you do. As you stand there, trying to process the situation, he notices the coffee spilled all over the floor—your coffee, which has now created a sad, dark puddle around your feet.

“Can I buy you another coffee?”

Despite the kind gesture, you find yourself shaking your head, more keen on changing out of your coffee-stained coat than sticking around any longer.

From a few steps away, his impatient friend calls out, “Are you coming, Matt?”

“Yeah, just wait a sec,” Matt responds, his attention still on you. You usually don’t trust men running into you without an agenda, but there’s something about him that tells you he didn’t mean to, and that he’s more than willing to make up for it.

“No, thanks. I got it…”

He looks unnecessarily worried as he leans in a bit closer. “You sure about that?” he asks.

His brown eyes are the friendliest pair you’ve seen in a while. And being essentially alone in this new town, they pull you in like gravity.

“Y-Yes. Just watch where you’re going next time,” you stammer, attempting to stabilize your shaky legs.

“Matt!”

Matt nods hesitantly, then mumbles, “Sorry, I have to go. Again, I'm really sorry,” before his gaze releases you, and you feel its force that held you in a vice-like grip easing away.

As you're walking away, you keep having to tell yourself not to look over your shoulder, even though every part of you kind of wants to.

You guess you must be really lonely, to cling onto the first bit of kindness someone throws your way.

Your deliberate attempts to bump into Leigh finally pay off one brisk Friday morning. But it’s not in the way you’ve imagined it would go.

The town is just waking up, the chill in the air biting at your cheeks as you take your routine jog through the quiet streets. You've discovered that running suits you better than yoga, mainly because it's something you can do solo, and you've always leaned towards activities where you can be by yourself. You’re tired, but you try to lift your knees higher with every stride, keeping your cadence in check.

Turning a corner, a sudden commotion catches your attention. A group of rowdy teenagers barrel down the sidewalk, loud and oblivious to anything but their own world. One of them, a bit too caught up in the fun, nearly crashes into you, forcing you to swerve unexpectedly.

In your effort to dodge, you step right into the path of Leigh Shaw.

It all happens too fast; there's no chance for either of you to do anything else. You crash into each other, the impact sending a jolt through your bodies. You tumble sideways, your arm shooting out instinctively, breaking your fall and softening the impact as you land. Leigh lets out a sharp yelp as she staggers forward from the force of the collision, a look of shock quickly spreading across her face. As she falls, her knee scrapes against the rough concrete, and when she finally sits up, there's a noticeable gash, bleeding freely.

“Oh my god, I am so, so sorry,” you blurt out, horrified at the sight. “Are you okay? Can you stand?”

She grimaces, glancing at her knee, then back at you. “Well, I've definitely been better,” she says, trying to keep her voice light despite the pain. You give her a hand up, and as she leans on you for support, you can't help but notice she's dressed in denim shorts, a blue parka, and flip-flops—not exactly the attire for a morning jog. The sun's just starting to show its face, and you're left wondering where she's headed so early, if she's not out for a run or something.

Looking around, you notice the roll-up shutters of nearby establishments are still down, indicating they won't be opening anytime soon. It’s apparent that there's nowhere immediate to find help or a first-aid kit. You scratch the back of your neck, an awkward idea coming to you.

“I don’t think there’s nowhere we can ask for help,” you start, trying not to sound too anxious about what you’re about to suggest. “I've got a first-aid kit at my place, though. It's not far. We could fix you up there, if you're okay with it?”

Leigh takes a beat, and then gives you a nod. “I guess that's my best option right now. Lead the way.”

As you start walking, Leigh instinctively grabs your arm for support. Your foot have barely hit the pavement when she suddenly grips tighter, fingers clawing into your arm as she lets out a hiss of pain. The wound must have stretched as she bent her knee to take a step, and with the way she's limping, you realize making her walk is a bad call.

“Shit, I'm really sorry,” you apologize again, the situation dawning on you. This isn't at all how you wanted to run into Leigh again, especially after trying to find a way to reconnect since the dinner in her car. “Let me get an Uber.”

Leigh starts to object, but you're already pulling out your phone. The last thing you wanted was for your attempt to help to end up hurting her more.

“So, where were you headed earlier?” you ask casually, hoping not to pry too much. “Doesn't seem like you were out for a run like I was.”

Leigh’s injury is more severe than you first thought; after hitting a rough patch on the pavement, her knee took the brunt of the fall. The skin is scraped away in several places, revealing angry, reddened flesh beneath.

“Grocery, or something,” Leigh mumbles, distracted and wincing a bit as you ready another dab of antiseptic for her knee. The moment the cotton touches the wound, she can't help but jerk away slightly.

“Sorry, sorry,” you murmur, soothingly, noticing she's struggling to stay still. To help steady her, you gently hold onto her calf, and that's when you feel your cheeks start to warm up. “I'll be as quick as I can,” you promise, trying to sound more confident than you feel.

“I’m okay. You're doing...fine,” Leigh sighs between clenched teeth, obviously trying to downplay her discomfort.

You know you're not fine, certainly not in the way Leigh means. All you can hear is yours and Leigh’s breathing, and your heart stuttering in your chest, because despite barely seeing Leigh in recent weeks, this annoying little crush won’t go away. It’s weird enough that she’s Matt’s wife, and you can't shake the feeling that you’re probably the last person she’d ever look at that way. Not to mention, you're not even sure if she's into women.

Once you’re done cleaning her wound, you carefully wrap a bandage around her knee. Then, you head to the fridge to grab some ice, noticing Leigh's puzzled look when you return.

“What’s that for?” she asks, tilting her head slightly.

“I have a feeling you're going to have a bone bruise after that fall,” you explain, handing her the ice wrapped in a cloth. “This should help with the pain and keep the swelling down.”

She accepts it, a small smile of gratitude on her face as she says, “Thanks.”

“No problem, it's my fault anyway.”

“It was an accident,” Leigh points out.

An accident that, if I'm being honest with myself, I was somewhat hoping for, you reflect with regret.

Leigh looks relieved as she presses the ice against her knee, eyes closing for a moment. With the immediate pain taken care of, you can't help but wonder again where she was headed earlier as you start pulling ingredients out of the fridge to whip up some breakfast.

“Hope you're hungry,” you say, flashing a smile as you fire up the stove.

“I'm fine, really,” she says, but the moment the bacon starts sizzling, she caves. “Actually, I could eat.”

With your back to her, you could smirk all you want at her change of heart. After frying up the bacon and eggs, you pull out some leftover rice and begin chopping garlic.

“What are you making?” Leigh asks suddenly from behind you.

“This is something I picked up on my travels through Southeast Asia,” you share as you cook. “Can't do bacon and eggs without it anymore. But I'll get some toast going for you.”

Leigh's face lights up, almost childlike. “Toast sounds great.”

You and Leigh settle into your meal, you with your plate of garlic rice, bacon, and eggs, and Leigh with her toast done just right alongside her bacon and eggs. She surprises you by complimenting how you cooked the eggs, noticing they're slightly burnt to a crisp around the edges.

“I've never had my eggs quite like this before,” she says.

“Oh, that?” you chuckle. “Learned the technique by accident some time ago. Got distracted and ended up leaving them on the heat a bit too long.”

She laughs too, and soon enough, you're both just talking like old friends, the conversation breezy and effortless. You begin to get a real sense of Leigh's sense of humor and it complements yours in the best way. Leigh loops back to when you mentioned visiting Southeast Asia, and you're more than happy to share your experiences, considering she's never left the country.

“...I’m pretty sure Hawaii counts, right? With the weather and everything, plus it’s really far—”

You’re still cracking up over some joke she made moments ago, and now you’re wondering if you’ll ever stop.

“No way, Leigh, it doesn’t work like that!” you get out between laughs, holding onto your stomach as you shake with laughter.

The more you talk, the more Leigh hangs on every word, making you feel surprisingly at ease. Sharing stories about places you've been and things you've seen becomes less about bragging and more about just sharing your adventures with someone who’s really listening. It's kind of refreshing, actually, feeling this free to dive into your memories with someone so interested.

That is until the topic eventually shifts to your fitness routine. It's then that Leigh offhandedly mentions, “You'll probably see more progress with the new instructor next week. I heard she’s got a certificate and all.”

You pause, fork paused mid-air. “New instructor? You’re not leading the class next week?”

Leigh simply shakes her head no.

“Then, when are you coming back?”

Leigh takes a breath before saying, “I actually quit.”

Hearing her say she’s left the studio nearly makes you spit out your breakfast. You're halfway through a bite, trying to wrap your head around the news, when suddenly, Leigh checks her phone. Before you can even dive into a million questions about why she quit, she's saying she needs to head home.

Your thoughts are spinning, but you don’t miss the opportunity to offer her a ride.

“You drive?” Leigh looks surprised.

“Yeah, just got the car this weekend,” you manage to say, still reeling from the shock that Leigh won't be at Beautiful Beast anymore.

“Are you sure? I can just call a cab,” Leigh mutters, probably noticing you're a bit out of it.

“No, really, I insist,” you say. Making her walk on that knee seems like the last thing you should do.

Leigh tries to brush it off once more, “Again, an accident.”

You ignore her, grabbing your keys from a dusty fishbowl. “Doesn't mean I won't be kicking myself over it.”

She lets out a sigh, and you can't quite tell if she's resigned or just annoyed.

As you pull up in front of Leigh's house for the first time, you're immediately taken in by its typical three-bedroom layout. The lawn, however, looks like it hasn't seen a mower in quite some time, giving the place a lived-in, somewhat neglected feel. You quickly get out of the car to help Leigh to the front step.

Then, out of nowhere, Leigh curses, patting down her pockets in a panic. “Fuck, I forgot my keys.”

“But someone should be home, right?” you ask.

Leigh rings the doorbell, her expression turning sour. “Yeah, my sister,” she mutters, clearly not thrilled at the prospect.

You're taken aback when, a few seconds later, it's Jules from the studio who opens the door. The sharp look they exchange isn't lost on you; it's clear there's more to the story than just Leigh coming home without her keys. You're gearing up to say goodbye, assuming Leigh will head inside, but instead, she turns to you and says, “Wait right here.”

You do as she says, glancing at the ground, shuffling your feet back and forth.

“Hi, I'm Jules, Leigh's sister. I've seen you around at Beautiful Beast. You're one of Leigh's clients?” Jules smiles at you, politely offering a hand for you to shake. You accept it and introduce yourself in return. Watching her face, you see the moment she puts it all together.

“Oh, you're the vet who Matt had—I'm sorry. It's just, I wasn't expecting to see you here, helping Leigh home.”

You knew where that first sentence was going, but you're silently thankful Jules decided to pull back and not finish it. You force a smile as you explain how you got here. “She was out for groceries, and I kind of ran into her, leading to a bit of a fall, and now—”

“No, she wasn’t,” Jules cuts in sharply.

“Sorry?”

“Leigh didn't come home last night,” she says. But before you have a chance to process this new information, Leigh returns, clutching a fifty-dollar bill.

“For the trouble,” she tells you, getting in front of Jules.

You attempt to wave it off. “Hey, you don't have to do that—”

But Leigh isn't taking no for an answer, she presses the bill into your hand. You never see it coming what happens next: she plants a quick peck on your cheek, effectively shutting down any further protests. The spot where her lips brushed against your skin tingles, and it’s all you can think about for a moment. Without waiting for you to react properly, Leigh starts herding Jules back inside the house, throwing over her shoulder a quick, “Thanks again, Y/N. Bye.”

You're left there, holding the bill in one hand, touching your cheek with the other, and staring at the closed door, suddenly very aware of how little you actually know about what's going on in Leigh's life.

Suzie shoots you that knowing look again as you head out of the clinic decked out in your active gear.

This time, a blush creeps up on your cheeks, memories of your chat with her about someone “making those sweat sessions worth it” floating back, and you try your best not to let your thoughts drift to Leigh. But then it hits you that she won't be there. Despite your dedication, the sheer excitement of going to the studio isn't quite what it used to be without her as your instructor.

Just as Suzie is about to lock up, the door bursts open. A man rushes in, cradling a small dog in his arms, panic written all over his face. He explains, breathless, that his pet is struggling with labor.

Suzie looks back at you. “I could call Foreman for this,” she says, already reaching for her phone. You stand there for a second, deliberating. Leigh won't be at the class; she's no longer at the Beautiful Beast.

Then, making up your mind, you hold out a hand to stop Suzie. “No, there’s no need. I've got this.”

It feels like you've just walked into one of those old-timey romantic movies, where chivalry isn’t dead and everything turns out way better than you could've ever hoped. In hindsight, it’s better. Because it’s real, and you're right in the middle of it, living a dream you didn't even know you had, with the kind of guy you thought only existed in those movies.

The night air is cool and light, brushing against your skin as the car slows to a stop in front of your apartment. To say the least, it's been an unexpected evening for a first date, and easily one of the best.

As Matt pulls up to your building, he turns to you, a sheepish grin lighting up his face. “Well, here we are,” he says, as if surprised you've arrived so soon.

You don’t want to say goodbye. Not yet. So you stay put in the passenger seat, doing your best to draw out the last strands of the evening.

“So, Nick was the mastermind behind all this?” you tease, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between you two.

Matt chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, about that... I had no clue he asked for your number until he handed it to me and said, ‘You owe me one’.”

“He’s the perfect wingman, then?”

“I guess you could say that,” Matt agrees, smiling. “I didn't tell him about my interest in you, but Nick knew anyway. He's good at reading people, always has been.”

“I see,” you say, your gaze following the contours of his cheeks, which carry a soft pink blush. It could be from the red wine you both enjoyed at dinner, or, you find yourself hoping, it might be because of you. “Well, he has my thanks. I really thought he was the one interested in me though.”

Matt laughs, a sound that rumbles deep in his chest. “No, it was always me. Since the moment I, uh, ran into you.”

There’s a moment where you both just stare at each other, tacitly acknowledging the serendipity of it all—the accidental meeting that could've ended with a simple apology and nothing more.

Yet here you are.

“You know, I'm glad it was you,” you profess, feeling a boldness that usually isn't there.

Matt breaks into a huge grin, but it's really in his eyes where you can see just how happy your remark has made him.

“Would you... maybe want to do this again? Without the running into each other part, I mean,” he says softly.

You laugh, nodding. “I'd like that. Just maybe start with coffee next time. And no spilling.”

“Deal,” he says, his grin infectious.

As you step out of the car, a proposition forms in your mind and you backtrack.

“Would you like to get that coffee now?”

Sometimes, you find yourself dreaming about your memories with Matt, particularly the part Leigh interrogated you about. Even though you stuck to the facts, you couldn't shake off the feeling that you were somehow deceiving her.

You wonder if this is why you haven't been able to sleep for days. That, coupled with the fact that you've been handling emergencies yourself instead of calling Foreman as you used to. Suzie has mentioned that since you're taking on all the emergency cases, you might be overcompensating your intern. You don’t tell Suzie though that your work has become a welcome distraction from the realization that your new hobby no longer holds your interest, leaving you with extra hours to fill before returning to the solitude of your apartment.

And without seeing Leigh, there’s only your own head to get your fill of her. You find yourself thinking about her now and then, about what she's been doing, wondering if she's found a new job after leaving her yoga instructor position. She crosses your mind at the most random hours of the day, take right now, for example—staring at this little 8-day-old Shih Tzu puppy in the incubator, its fur somehow has you thinking of Leigh's hair color.

The puppy was part of a litter brought in for a C-section. Tragically, its mother didn't survive, and the owner, possibly overwhelmed by the situation and the impending bills, abandoned them. Out of four puppies, this one, the runt of the litter, was the sole survivor.

“What are we going to do with you, huh?” you muse aloud, the puppy blinking back with innocent eyes. “I can't take you for myself; you'd just end up living here in the clinic with me. And let's be honest, living in a hospital can't be much fun, right? It’s not safe either, exposes you to diseases.”

You sigh, brushing its length with your forefinger. “The other choice is to send you to a shelter. I'm sure someone would fall head over heels for you and adopt you in no time. But,” you sigh, your heart heavy, “I can't guarantee that'll happen quickly, as much as we both might want it to.”

“Finding where you fit in this big world isn't easy, you know? It's like searching for that one place, or that one person, where you could simply just… belong to. But I guess when you finally find it, it feels like winning the lottery, right?”

The puppy makes a noise, automatically bringing a smile to your lips. You wonder if Leigh has ever thought of the same thing—about searching for where she belongs after losing her home and everything familiar when Matt passed away. Perhaps it's even scarier for her. The thought of finding that one thing that's uniquely ours, only to lose it forever. What if we're only given one thing that's truly meant for us?

And once it's gone, what does that leave us with?

One sleepless night, after deciding to bring the puppy home for a more personal touch in its care, a thought crosses your mind. What if you could restore some of what was inadvertently taken from Leigh? Maybe bring back a piece of home and purpose that seemed to have slipped through her fingers when her world turned upside down?

It’s true, the puppy's late-night energy partly nudged the thought your way, but deep down, you believe Leigh will be perfect for him. You're sure she'll adore him, and he's bound to love her just as much.

Just as you're settling back to attempt sleep again, your phone starts ringing. You blink at the screen, disbelief washing over you as you see it's Leigh calling—the same woman you've recently realized you have feelings for, and who's been on your mind just moments ago. A part of you wonders if she dialed the wrong number by mistake, but it keeps ringing, compelling you to answer.

“Leigh?” you answer, the name almost a question in itself.

On the other end, you hear her take a deep breath—an ironic move given how the call exudes a vibe of urgency. Then, she speaks, her voice clear yet carrying an undercurrent of something you can't quite place.

“Y/N Are you available to talk right now?”

“Yeah, I am. What's going on—”

“No, not on the phone. Can you meet me right now?”

You glance down at yourself, noting your sleep shorts and tee. You're so comfortable and cozy in bed, and the puppy had just gotten to sleep. It's tempting to reschedule this some other time. But the thought of Leigh Shaw on the other end of the line, coupled with the worrying nature of her request, tilts the balance. The idea of saying no, only to find out something bad happened to her, is something you know you wouldn’t forgive yourself for.

“Yes, I can meet you,” you say, hurrying your movements and snatching your jacket from the cabinet. “Where?”

The date doesn't end with just late-night coffee.

Matt's hand is on your ass, fingers digging in like he owns the place. You’re gripping his tie, pulling him in, again and again. Both of you are still wearing all your clothes, but they're starting to feel like barriers as you both lean into each other, striving to get as close as humanly possible.

The invitation for a nightcap, decaffeinated per his request, had both of you sitting a bit too close on the couch, sharing silly smiles over steaming cups as if you were already lost in love. When the cups were drained, conversation drifted dangerously towards the topic of sex, and that's when you caught yourself staring at Matt's lips. Before he had a chance to react, you were going for it, giving into weeks of pent-up sexual tension.

Matt's lips find their way to your neck, sending a shiver down your spine. Encouraged by the heat of the moment, your fingers start to work on the buttons of Matt's shirt, eager to explore further.

But then his hands caught yours.

“W-Wait…”

You’re stunned, pulling back almost reflexively, feeling a bit embarrassed as you tried to figure out if you crossed a line.

“Did I... do something wrong?” you ask.

Matt shakes his head and then kisses you on the forehead. He further reassures you by saying, “No, no, it's not you. I just think we might be rushing things a bit. I really like you, and I want us to be sure about this, you know?”

Inside, you’re a mess of wants and needs, but as much as you want him tonight, you realize you want him even more tomorrow, and the day after. You won't rush this, especially if he's not ready. So, you nod, squashing down the throbbing between your legs as you try to concentrate on anything but his half-open shirt.

“I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable or anything,” he adds, wearing that apologetic look on his face that got you the first time.

In response, you hold Matt's face gently, giving him a quick, soft kiss on the lips. “I really like you too,” you say, despite feeling like those words pale in comparison to what you truly feel for him.

Standing up, you figure he'll say his goodbyes and head out. But instead, Matt looks up at you, a sheepish grin spreading across his face.

“I don't want to rush things,” he repeats. “But, I also don't really want to leave just yet. Would it be okay if I stayed the night?”

The request takes you by surprise, a warm fluttering sensation bubbling up inside you at the thought of him wanting to stay. “Of course, you can stay,” you whisper, a smile tugging at your lips. “But I hope you're okay with the couch.”

Matt laughs and starts pulling off his socks. “There's nowhere else I'd rather be.”

Ever since Leigh asked to meet at a gas station on the sketchier side of town, your anxiety hasn't settled. It's a part of town known for trouble, somewhere you'd rather not be, especially in the dead of night. It doesn’t matter, because you’re hopelessly driven by concern and an unspoken affection that won't let you say no to her, no matter the time or place.

You walk up to the convenience store next to the gas station, its fluorescent lights flickering ominously, almost like you've just stepped into the opening scene of a horror movie. It's dead silent, aside from a radio playing inside the store, turned up by the person manning it in a feeble attempt to fill the silence or maybe to keep company. Leigh is inside, visible through the large, pane-glass window, nursing a coffee, alone. The way she's standing, something's off.

You make your way towards her, hands buried deep in the comfort of your hoodie's pockets.

“Hey—”

She's like a coiled spring at the sound of your voice. That should’ve been your first clue.

“Why did you lie?” Leigh asks point-blank.

“Leigh, I—What do you mean?”

Leigh's face twists into a grimace that chills you to the bone, a clear sign that tonight's going down one of two paths: either you both find a way through this mess, or she cuts you out for good. But you're lost, genuinely clueless about any lie she's accusing you of. You've been straight with her, at least you think you have.

Her nostrils flare, her eyes burning holes into you as she waits for some sort of confession. But all you can give her is a dumbfounded look.

After a while, Leigh's patience wears thin. “We're not doing this here,” she growls, glaring at the lone store clerk, who seems amused and makes no attempt to hide his interest in eavesdropping on the conversation.

“Leigh, I seriously don't know what you're talking about.”

“Just come with me,” she snaps, ushering you back outside, pulling at your arm with a grip that leaves no room for argument. It's painful, the way her nails dig into your skin, but you suppose you deserve it, whatever it might be. If it helps her release her anger, you're willing to bear it.

Leigh stops, plants her hands on her hips, and just looks at you, like she's waiting for something to click in your head. “Leigh, please—” you start, but you're cut off not by her anger this time, but by the sight of her eyes glistening, fighting back tears.

“You're really going to make me say it?” she manages to choke out, before giving a humorless laugh and running a frustrated hand over her face. Before you can protest again, she thrusts a phone into your hand. It's lit up, a text conversation open and waiting. As you scroll through the messages, your mouth opens in shock. They're from Matt.

Skimming through the texts, your jaw nearly hits the ground. He's recounting your first date, detailing how the night ended with him at your place. He admits nothing happened, but not for a lack of desire. Instead, he confesses he held back because he's still wrestling with the fact that he's married to Leigh. He mentions wanting to make sure when he jumps in with you, he's not dragging any “chains” along.

He goes on, saying he felt you were on the same page, ready to go further, and implies the only reason things didn't heat up was because he had self-control. Reading this, you can't decide if Matt's just showing off or if he's trying to justify his half-steps to whoever's reading this on the other end.

“Whose phone is this?” you blurt out, the only question that registers in your brain. It turns out to be the wrong thing to say, though, as it’s precisely the spark that ignites Leigh's fury, sending it cascading over the edge.

“Don’t fucking change the subject!”

You press your lips into a thin line, your own frustration simmering. “I didn't lie to you, Leigh.” You wave the phone with Matt’s messages like some kind of proof, arguing, “He even says here nothing happened!”

“It's not just about what did or didn't happen!” she fires back, her eyes blazing. “You wanted it to happen. You were ready to go there with him. You wanted more, and you're still not owning up to it.”

At this point, keeping your emotions under wraps isn't an option anymore.

“Yes! Of course, I wanted to go there with him,” you explode, your hands coming up in the air in surrender. “I found him attractive, thought he was a great guy, and—single, Leigh! I thought he was single when I was falling for him, okay? Are you happy now?”

Leigh's response is to laugh, but it's not a happy sound. It's bitter, mocking, and it just keeps going.

You're standing there, breathing hard, your breath visible in the chilly air, when it hits you why she’s so upset: When you were telling her the details of your affair, you made it sound as if what happened—or almost happened—was just a casual fling. And Leigh, she just soaked up that version. In doing so, she somehow managed to forgive Matt, forgive you for your role in it, and even toy with the idea of being friends with you.

You made her believe it didn’t mean anything more than what she meant to him. It ripped off the bandage and thrust a knife back into her wound.

After Leigh's laughter fizzles out, the cold seems to bite a little harder, and you notice her shivering—whether from the cold or the tumult of emotions, you can't tell. She's just in shorts and a thin shirt, unprepared for the temperature drop.

Seeing her like this, vulnerable and cold, you feel the urge to just hug her and make her feel a fraction of how badly you regret deceiving her all along. Because saying “I'm sorry” feels way too small for the giant mess of feelings you're dealing with, especially the ones about her that you didn't even realize were piling up until now.

“Leigh,” you whisper, bargaining for something you don’t know.

She meets your gaze, a bit more peace in her eyes now, but that doesn't stop the tears from finally rolling down her cheeks. She's about to speak when suddenly a car pulls up in front of you, its headlights flashing across your faces, momentarily blinding you both.

A man steps out of the car, and Leigh recognizes him immediately. You do too, although it takes you a second longer to realize. Before either of you could react, he's already launching into a tirade. “Leigh, what the hell? Leaving in the middle of the night, stealing my phone—”

“Not now, Danny.”

You freeze, every fiber of your being locking onto the newcomer—because you're almost certain Leigh misspoke.

His name is not Danny.

It’s Nick.

#unbetad #my writing #my fic #elizabeth olsen x reader #elizabeth olsen #leigh shaw x reader #leigh shaw x female reader #leigh shaw #sorry for your loss au #leigh shaw x you #wanda maximoff x reader #wanda maximoff x you #sorry i had to tag wanda x reader for visibility

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anzulvr · 5 months

Note

Hii!! Can you do karma with a s/o that's rly quiet but ends up being good with kids??

Karma x Reader whose Good with kids // fluff GN! Reader

This all begins when E class gets themselves into deep trouble. Attempting to train on rooftops while studying for midterms, what they thought was a genius idea doesn't go as planned. Okajima and Kimura jump down and fall on top of an elderly man riding his bike. The old man is hospitalized for a broken foot. He ends up being the caretaker of multiple kids at a daycare he runs, Karasuma goes to talk to the man on behalf of his students-apologizing with flowers and all.

Korosensei orders the entire class to volunteer at the daycare and take the elderly man's place while he rests his leg to teach everyone about helping those who are weaker and those they’ve wronged.

Okay yeah, Korosensei was pissed- Karasuma just spent 20 minutes bargaining and apologizing to the rightfully angered old man and the class was filled with regret, shame and dread for the hard work that was coming. You on the other hand were secretly hyped! You loved taking care of kids, their cute little faces never failed to give you baby fever.

Even though you and Karma werent personally involved in the training scheme you still had to participate as it was a class effort.

The days of volunteering roll around and each day progress is made.

Everyone has a job to do, Some of your classmates are helping the kids study others are in charge of nap time and many are cleaning the space and fixing the building up.

You look over to a group of kids entranced with a theater show Karma, Terasaka and Okuda are putting on for them.

You catch yourself staring at Karma for too long, and bring your focus back towards your job;

You’re in charge of looking after the kids when they’re doing activities, (everything is in rotations for smaller groups)

Your current group is painting and drawing to their hearts content.

You notice one of the kids, Jiro, seems really upset, His eyes are getting watery. You crouch down to his level and ask him what’s wrong.

“My drawing— looks bad, I can’t draw good!” He speaks through the hiccups that slice his sentences up, now the tears are flowing down his cheeks completely.

“Don’t say that… You’re so talented Jiro, I want one of your drawings for myself!”

You ruffle his hair and he starts laughing through his tears, “You’re not lying?”

“Of course not, you’re drawings are my favorite thing ever!”

“Really?! I can draw one for you to take home!”

“The great artist Jiro will make me a drawing? Thank you Jiro you’re the best!”

Jiro rushes back to his seat with a smile on his face ready to start a new drawing as a present for you.

Michi raises her hand, "[Name] look!! I drew you!"

"Awe! I love it thank you Michi, you’re so sweet!"

She nods as she points to the second stick figure on her paper, "Look! I drew Karma because he's your best friend right?"

"Yeah he is-" You're cut off, startled by someone’s voice you turn to look and there he is.

"I'm just your best friend?" He feigns disappointment, you laugh and shove his shoulder gently.

You point at her drawing and back at him as a show of comparison "That looks just like him- you're so attentive to detail Michi!"

"I don't know what that means but thanks!" She skips back to her seat overjoyed with the praise.

Karma turns back to face you,

"Who knew you were this good with kids, it hasn't even been a full week and you're already their favorite- after me, they love me more."

You smile "You wish! Honestly I'm not surprised you're good with them, you have a fun personality, but anyway how'd the play go?"

"It went great, they're Kayanos problem now. I’ve been wanting to come over to you- just couldn’t.”

“I know, I can’t believe we’re on opposite sides of the room!”

“Can’t believe you’re still alive, clingy.”

“Shut up I caught you glancing at me every few minutes. You should focus more on your performance.”

“Hey my point still stands, if you caught me it means you were looking too!”

“I wanted to see how the story played out.”

“Righttt, rate my acting on a scale from 1 to Karma.”

“I’d give you a 9, just cause the outfit was cute.”

“Not bad, where’d the last point go?”

“You’re acting sucked-” you pressed your lip in an attempt to hide the smile threatening to come out.

He scoffed putting his arm around you, “You should do it with me! Tomorrow were doing sleeping beauty, all you have to do is sleep while I smack Terasaka with a plastic sword.”

“Sounds like fun, but I wanna see Terasaka getting hit— can’t do that with my eyes closed.”

“If you do it I’ll ask someone to film it so you can watch later, and more importantly I get to wake you up with a forehead kiss.”

“Alright then, the video convinced me.”

“You sure it wasn’t the kiss?”

“Maybe a little.”

A child’s shout brings your attention back onto your job “[NAMEE]! Michi spilled paint on me!”

Michi stands up “IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!!”

Restful moments with Karma couldn’t last forever but even the noisy ones you appreciated wholeheartedly, now you’d clean up the colorful mess together.

note: sorry for any errors in the writing pls correct me if you catch any <3! sorry this is late still have many rq to go through!

#akabane x reader #assasination classroom #karma x reader #akabane karma #ansatsu kyoushitsu x reader #korosensei #ansatsu kyoushitsu #assassination classroom x reader #reader x karma #karma akabane #karma akabane x reader #karmaakabanexreader #eclass #endclass

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yjhariani · 1 year

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Strict Rules

Simon 'Ghost' Riley X F!Reader

Word count: 2300± Warning: Profanity. Summary: Soldiers are not allowed to engage in a relationship, especially if they are assigned the same mission and having different ranks. However, this is about the journey of getting to that point.

A/N: This is an alternative, simplified, one shot version of this thing I'm working on of Ghost and a BSAA sergeant.

The first time you worked together would be on a BOW outbreak in Manchester. It was one of the worst outbreaks in your experience, it was another time you returned without any of your squad members alive. That included a squad of local military led by Lieutenant Simon 'Ghost' Riley, who was also the only one alive in his squad.

You fought your ass off trying to stick to the mission of eliminating as many infected as possible. At the time, Ghost was all survival mode. There was a lot of arguing in between the two of you. You had just been ranked up to sergeant and, of course, he played ranks. Too bad you kept insisting that you did not answer to him. Yet he never left you alone.

You fought well together. It was as if the two of you had been fighting on the field together for years. You backed each other up well enough. Too well.

By the end of it, you had a newly found a whole other level of respect for him and the other way around. Too bad, you could not stop thinking about him after that. The way he pulled you back from an upcoming danger, the way he shoved you behind his back, the way he said thank you when you shared your canteen with him, the way you fought together like you were the same person.

The second time you met him was at a friendly event between the British military forces and the BSAA. There were a lot of friendly competitions going on and it just so happened that he was there and, though he was not participating in any of the activities, he was watching. Watching you, to be exact. Watching the way people were looking at you, the way your comrades treated you.

Once, he caught someone talking of you in such an unbecoming manner, he kicked them in the back of their knee and made sure that they were reminded that the BSAA was their guests whom they should treat with respect. Oblivious of this incident, you were out and about being friendly, hoping to find him at some point because you had not and it had been a day.

You ended up finding him at the end of one of the activities. He was taking his leave from the field and you simply cocked your chin at him from across the field, which he responded with a light nod. Without realising what you two were doing, the two of you were walking away from the field, but somewhat getting closer to one another. Eventually, you were walking side by side.

"You're not having fun," you pointed out.

"Says who?" Ghost replied.

"You're not participating," you said.

"Too many people," Ghost stated.

"You're here anyway," you shrugged.

"Yeah, I'm haunting in the audience," Ghost casually said.

"Brother, tug of war is next, if you're there, the British Army is definitely going to beat the shit out of the Royal Air Force," you said.

"I don't give two shits about this fucking event," Ghost sighed.

"You're here anyway," you opened your hands.

"I'm here to see you, little twat, face plant in the muck," Ghost said. "So far, you're disappointing."

"Because I do really fucking well?" you questioned.

"Too well for my liking," Ghost nodded. "Mess up next time, it will entertain me."

"Oh, come on, Ghost, I know you're better than some guy who just see me as a piece of entertainment," you replied.

"When you're knocked out and ripped apart, maybe you'll be two pieces of entertainment," Ghost said.

"You're funnier in full uniform," you stated.

"So are you," Ghost said.

You laughed at that anyway.

After that interaction, Ghost was not seen for the rest of the event. He was gone. At least to your knowledge.

The next time you saw each other was in a way, way casual way to put it simply. It was a few days after that friendly event between British military forces and the BSAA. It was late. You were on your way back from picking up a cake for someone's birthday in the BSAA headquarters in England. It was after sundown, quite late, and you were by yourself.

You almost arrived at your car when you were stopped by a group of people who came out as quite hostile. Four of them, one of them seemed to be drunk. Another one of them was flashing you that they had a knife. You were not really in the mood to deal with this right now, especially while protecting a carefully decorated cake.

After insulting you and delivering a bunch of demeaning words, one of the people in that group started approaching you. You stood still until he was close enough and was reaching his hand towards your face. Reacting to that, with your free hand, you smacked his hand away, elbowing him on the chin, and kicking him back until he fell on his ass.

Surprised, the remaining three started taking position, translating the situation as an invitation for a fist fight.

"You better run, mate," an uncanny voice said from behind you. "Because it looks like she's going real bloody easy on your friend there."

It was quite embarrassing how you recognised who the voice belonged to so quickly. Maybe it was how you keep replaying whatever conversation you had with him.

"She'll cut through all of you as easily as she's going to cut through that cake," the voice continued.

"Or else what?" the one with the knife asked.

"Or else I'll stand beside her and increase your chances of getting into the hospital," the person behind you said.

With a lot of shame in their faces, the group moved on. The man behind you now stood next to you.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

You were starting to turn to face him when you noticed that he was not wearing his mask. That itself startled you and you ended up stepping away from him.

"You don't have your mask on, Ghost," you pointed out.

"You mistook me for someone, lass?" he replied.

Scrunching your eyebrows in confusion, you dared looking at the man. He was looking at you, calm and cautious. You were almost convinced that he was not who you think he was, but you recognised those eyes anywhere. Then, you were stuck looking at all that was around his eyes.

It was hard not to look at his face. Handsome, a little bit of concern was painted on his eyebrows. Stoic. Lazy eyes. The kind of face that made you blush just by looking at it.

"Now, you've made me look at your face," you disappointedly said.

"I don't think—"

"Simon," you sighed.

He did not respond to that.

"Don't tell me you're not yourself," you said.

"Fine," he replied.

"Thank you. For that and for telling those guys off," you said. "And why are you not wearing your mask?"

"I'm on vacation," Simon said.

"I thought you'd still be wearing it anyway," you said.

"Attracts too much attention," he replied.

"And that is not attracting too much attention?" you gestured at his face.

"Something on my face?" Simon asked.

You were actively looking for something on his face. Then, he raised an eyebrow at you.

"Just… a lot of charm," you answered finally.

Exhaling, the man looked around the area. He ended up looking back at you.

"Well, go on, then," he said.

"Do you want a ride?" you offered.

"No," Simon said.

"Seriously, it's alright," you continued.

"I'm good," Simon insisted. "Though, it's a surprise to see you here."

"Same," you nodded.

A moment passed when you were only looking at him and he was looking back at you.

"How long you'll be staying here?" Simon asked.

"Just until the weekend," you answered.

"Until the weekend," Simon repeated.

There was a pause.

"You're free tomorrow?" Simon asked.

"Yeah," you answered. "Why?"

"What say you we meet here again? Same time?" Simon suggested.

"You're taking me somewhere?" you asked.

"Maybe," Simon answered.

"Alright," you agreed.

"Get a cab tomorrow. I'm driving," Simon added. "Don't eat beforehand."

"Alright," you said, lightly chuckling.

With that, you walked on to your car. Simon was still close. He opened the door for you, making sure that you were wearing your seat belt before sending you off.

So, the following night, you did as requested. Quite excited for it, actually. Dressed up for it even. Nothing much, just something casual.

When you arrived at the agreed spot, Simon was leaning on a parked motorbike, a cigarette in between his lips. When he saw you, he moved the cigarette from between his lips to between his fingers. A cloud of smoke bubbled out of his mouth. Without saying anything, he tossed you a helmet.

Neither of you were communicating with each other verbally for the first half an hour or so. After disposing of his cigarette, Simon gestured at you to get onto the bike. You waited until he was on it properly with helmet on before getting on it behind him and putting the helmet on.

Soon enough, Simon started driving. He was driving very carefully. You ended up in a twenty four hour restaurant. Once inside, Simon sat you down.

You had dinner. You spent quite a few hours there. Sometimes you did not talk for a few moments at once. When you did, mostly you ended the brief conversation laughing together. Well, you were laughing, he was not showing more than just an amused smile every now and again. There was not a change in his eyes, though.

Was that how he always was behind the mask? If so, it was nice to see him without it. How many people had seen that face? Few. Even fewer who had seen the polite, shy smile.

It was clear that by the end of the night, you were enjoying each other's company so much that you did not return to the barracks. Instead, you went with him to his place. A humble flat that was meant to be resided by one person.

Who knew someone of such stature could be so light handed if needed? Also for someone with a certain horrifying reputation, he was gentle and careful. He was making sure that you were comfortable and comforted on your stay.

The next morning, before leaving his flat to deliver you back to the HQ, Simon handed you his phone with numberpads displayed on his screen. Without saying anything, you did the same to him before inputting your number into his phone. Since then, you were staying in contact. To put it lightly.

Mostly, every now and again, Simon would text you a city and a country. London, UK. Manchester, UK. Verdansk, Kastovia. You would reply similarly and would text him the same thing should you get moved from one place to another for BSAA business. Lanshiang, China. Bali, Indonesia. Louisiana, USA. Eastern Slav Republic. Et cetera, et cetera.

If it so happened that you were within driving distance, you would meet in the middle and spend the night together. It was hard to say that it was fortunate that you had not been sharing objectives. At this rate, you were not sure if you were to be put in the same mission that the two of you could be acting professionally.

Then, today, you received a message from him.

Al Mazrah, Adal.

Instead of excitement, you texted him back the exact same thing with a heavy heart.

Before there was any further discussion between the two of you, you were presented a case by your supervisor. It was of a terrorist organisation leader who happened to be responsible for the latest outbreaks happening all over the US. There was also a brief file about a task force called 141. That would be where you see his name.

That was what you needed to conclude the thing you worried about. Before you could proceed, you heard someone addressed you by Sergeant L/N.

Again, you recognised the voice in a snap of a finger. So, turning to him, you gave him a flat smile. He was in full uniform, a brand new skull mask.

"Are you the officer in this mission?" you asked.

"Excuse me?" Simon replied.

"I saw two sergeants, a lieutenant, and a captain here. Seeing that the captain isn't the one addressing me right now, I'm guessing you're in charge?" you explained.

He took a moment before answering, "Tonight, yes."

"Then, I should not be in this case," you said.

"Why?" Simon asked.

"Because this," you gestured at the two of you, but realising immediately that the two of you never really discussed anything about your relationship.

Embarrassed, you looked down, stepping back from him. You really should not have said that last thing.

"You're saying we're against the rule, love?" Simon concluded.

He had only addressed you as such a handful of times and it was unfair the way he made you feel. It might be the voice and the accent, but also the tone and how he said it.

"Yeah," you said, looking back at him.

For a moment, he was only looking at you.

"Right," Simon said.

That was surprising.

"Yeah," now you said that disappointedly. "I mean, I could—I could argue that we're in different forces and that won't be a problem, but I have to answer to you in this mission and that's against the rule."

"So, what, you want to get transferred?" Simon proceeded. "I'll be this honest, Y/N, you're one of the best SOU in the BSAA and we could use your talent. Would be a shame to lose a soldier as good as you over several stupid strict rules. This is a matter of international security after all."

"You're the superior officer, what do you say?" you asked,

"You stay. We keep things professional. Make sure that no one knows that you're my girlfriend," Simon answered.

Your smile just bloomed out of nowhere.

"I'm your girlfriend?" you asked.

"You are. If I'm out of the uniform," Simon nodded.

"Fair," you nodded.

"We have a deal, then," Simon concluded, stretching out a hand.

"Yes, sir," you confirmed, shaking his hand.

"Alright. Let's do it over," Simon sighed before announcing, "Welcome to the task force, Sergeant L/N!"

"Thank you, sir. The helo stopped whirring some time ago, you don't need to yell," you replied.

#simon riley #simon ghost riley #simon riley x reader #simon ghost riley x reader #ghost x reader #ghost #mind dump #cod x re

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hisui555 · 3 months

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Hazbin Hotel thoughts bonus

"Reacting to a drawing of them"

Hazbin Hotel thoughts (Hell cast + babysitting kids) here

Hazbin Hotel Bonus 2 (Heaven cast + kids and drawings) here

Masterpost here.

(Because sleeping on it after writing the main thing gives me more ideas apparently. Funny how that works.)

So yeah, my two braincells rubbed together during my bout of nightly unconsciousness (one of the times it can happen without any danger) and coughed up this bit : how would the cast react to a kid giving them a drawing of themselves ? (Quality notwithstanding)

Starting with the obvious, Charlie would be overjoyed. Tears in her shiny puppy-dog eyes, thousand-watts smile, might start hyperventilating in happiness, squeezing the drawing to her chest and fanning herself, and the second she has her breath back it's all VAGGIE !! Look at that ! Look at that everyone !!! running a marathon all over the Hotel. This one is going with the portraits on the walls, so that everyone can see, or on the fridge, whatever, as long as the masterpiece is in everyone's sights at almost all times. Bear-hugs the child at least once, shower of kisses optional. Before you know it she breaks out the crayons and paper and engages in co-drawing activity, oversharing and just being happy - and maybe dragging everyone into it, whether they're willing or not. At the end of the day, no-one knows if those are kiddie drawings or actual Hotel Activities Plans, there might be a script about how to counter bullying with rainbows lost somewhere in the middle.

Vaggie wouldn't really know what to do, but still be touched, even if skeptical about the actual product ("Oh, oh, that's... me ? Uh... why is a triangle planted into my head ?" "It's your hairbow !" "Ah... and that hook in the middle of my face ?" "It's your nose !" "...Yyyyeah... and that stick going through Alastor ?" "Your spear, because you're always mad at him !" "Y'know what, that's the least objectionable part of this whole thing.") but will decide to keep it, and softly smile at it once she gets used to the stick-figure that's supposed to represent her, keeping it in her common room with Charlie (who will squeal with happiness seeing it, and insist it should be on their bedroom wall, them's the rules). Might deliver her thanks later (either skeptically or heartfelt), but knows the intention isn't malicious.

Angel is just plain happy : he loves it. He knows it's bad quality, the way his legs bend is questionable at best, that gold tooth takes half of his face and the eyes are looking in opposite directions, but it's a gift and even Fat Nuggets is drawn on it and he loves it. Might crack a light innuendo or two that he knows will go over the kid's head (How come I'm not on a bed ? It's my natural element, ya know) until someone (probably Husk, more often than not Vaggie) bops him on the head to make him stop. He'll keep it in his room, either around his mirror or on his door like the other photos, so anytime he goes in there or at his desk to prep up he'll see it. Helps his bad days become more bearable, and makes his good days even better.

Husk is very much used to an explanation of why a bunch of two potatoes with spiky claw-ended sticks poking out of 'em, two triangles on his head and flappery estimations of wings sticking out of his back is supposed to be him, so he won't comment on it at all : when an ankle-biter tells you that those two potatoes, sticks for limbs and hay for hair is supposed to be you, you become immune after a while why yes I have siblings, why do you ask. Kid also didn't forgot his perpetual frown, though those eyebrows fill half the page on their own alone. But he'll thank them, and pack the drawing away under his counter. Everyone wants to see it (Alastor mainly to rib on him), searching where Husk could have pinned it, but it mysteriously disappeared. What nobody knows is that he actually put it in the (perpetually empty and useless) cash drawer, will open it from time to time and smile at it.

Alastor, ever the gentleman, will politely accept the offering, making a whole show out of it - and backhandedly praising it with subtle mockery that he knows will fly over the kid's head (A fan submitted your host quite the original interpretation of his likeness ! Why, I've never seen something this adventurously abstract since Cubism* ! Good thing we all know how THAT one ended, ha ha !), but keep it nonetheless, because it's about him. And as we all know, modesty is the mark of great gentlemen like him. He'll pin it somewhere he doesn't go often, but that will still fall into his sight from time to time, pat the artistic fellow on the head for good measure and be on his way. If offered many pics, he'd jokingly make a rating out of it, entertaining himself with seeing the efforts put into it and the kid always coming back to show their latest production. Curiously, the primitive art-style reminds him of something similar he saw once, on TV, when some nobody tried to assess himself and ended up failing spectacularly. Hm. Must've been déjà vu. (*Cubism is from the 1910-1920s at its beginning by the way - more precisely 1907 - so Alastor might have caught wind of it and decided someone made a huge mistake, before he died in the 30s)

Niffty would take it, smile, blink, look, blink some more, then offer critique that her head is not that big, the arms too short, her hair doesn't stick out that way, prattle off everything about it that she finds could be better without point or comma, then conclude with a chirpy but thanks anyway ! and goes to frame it and hang it in the main hall, zips back, gives a pat on the head, and is off chasing bugs or cleaning. She isn't particularly moved or touched by the picture but will make sure no spec of dust can be found on the frame.

Sir Pentious would absolutely treasure it. In secret. Nobody can know how moved and teary-eyed this makes him (everyone already knows anyway). It looks more like a multi-eyed slug with a top hat and a strange case of bed hair, but even the Egg Bois are drawn on it (and more accurately - can't exactly fail that part, right ?) and it's just the sweetest thing to him. Even better if he's drawn activating what approximately looks like machinery and with complete explanation that he's a general with an awesome blimp (nevermind kids being easily impressed anyway). That one goes into the secret HQ room right away. Kid might be promoted second-in-command the next hour.

The Vees :

Vox would have a second or two of mental what am I supposed to do with this, before clocking in that it's him (the square TV head gives it away. The blitzing electricity around his hands too. At least it gives the whole thing a sense of up and down). And the fact that the scrawly handwronging reads "mR. B0x" all over the page. He would give an incredulous chuckling thanks, smile keeping in place in frozen confusion, before setting it aside and give an uncertain pat on the head by automatism. This might encourage the kid to explain their drawings, identifying the blue rakes at the end of his arms as your super sharp claws, the circled red splotch on his face as your super power-eye, the even more ridiculously small top hat and out-of-control antennas as well, what they are, the striped suit (with the stripes outside the suit), the unpractically pointy shoes, and you can do lightning and it's super-cool, and Vox tries to not internally cringe at how close it is to his popsicle design overall (he'll need to redo that one), but the second he hears the word 'cool', here comes the dopamine. The kid finds him cool. After an inner jubilation of take that Alastor ! he decides to keep it, but not in public. More like in his personal appartment, sticking it somewhere on the fridge or in a corner of the room that's not too visible, but he knows it's there. Can't let anyone know about it and point out that his own drawing skills are even lower than that : one time he grabbed one of the kid's drawing by accident and people thought he actually improved. But one of his first orders of business after deciding the ego-boost felt good is correcting the spelling, making the kid practice it (Vox. Vvvvox. Like Voom, Vloops, Vrive, Vatch, Voxtek -) to the voint ov instauving a vpeech imvediment.

For Velvette, well, that kid might as well have a double-death wish. The pic hurts her eyes. That's supposed to be her ?! This ?! This mishappened creature - not even a homunculi - that crawled out of whatever wretched womb after it had already be pushed back once ? Even the man-apes from the dawns of time scribbling on cave walls were better. She's about to launch into a more virulent tirade when she notices the tears starting, and two ideas cross her mind, strutting in and linked by the hand : one, she doesn't want to deal with kiddie tears, you can't fire the brat you're babysitting. Two, this is prime shaming material for her employees - check that out : see what that kid can do ? Your cloth design is even worse, stupid, and you don't even have the excuse of not knowing how to color inside the lines yet ! So she'll plaster a smile on and ask for more, keeping them around and pulling a spot the differences - right, there's none between her employees' work and the pics. Funnily enough, this indirectly helps the kid improve (in realistic measure) and Velvette will find herself accidentally inspired by a detail or two, doing a double-take on the pic, before discreetly incorporating it into her work. She'll never admit it. That, and actually taking the 'design' as-is to knit the ugliest pair of sweaters she can and offer them to Vox and Valentino as a joke on a day they particularly aggravated her. Alongside a "hat of shame" for her worst worker, like a substitude donkey cap. Mocking the whole thing on social media becomes her outlet, and she looks forward to the next crayon abomination the oblivious kid will produce.

Valentino would faux-praise anything to high heavens, then forget it on a table and not miss it if the cleaners threw it away in the meantime. Oh, where did your drawing go ? Ah, don't worry cutie, uncle Val keeps it in a special place ! (the trashbin). However, anything that's about him, he'll keep, more or less, for some moments (before again forgetting about it), but the extra-cool ones deserve some mention : that one when his majestic wings are outspanned in all their glory, even if his body is a weird asymetrical patchwork with his head too small for his hat, yeah, that one he'll at least put in a drawer. Then forget about it and be surprised next time he opens that drawer and finds it again, remember, smile, and close it once more. When enough drawings have disappeared by mysterious circumstances, he'll avoid making the kid upset and instead go hey, I have an idea, cariño/cariña, why don't you keep them for me, hm ? Y'see, uncle Val is incredibly busy, and can't think for everyone, so how about you do that for me ? and the kid will mostly agree, but still wants to show them to him. So he gets the idea of signing them, as a stamp of approval. Then it turns into a game of him signing every drawing, because he loves putting his name on it, and encourages doing more pics of him, and did I mention how he likes when it's about him ? I thought it was too subtle.

The other Overlords :

Rosie will kindly sit next to the child while they draw, chitchatting with them and playing along (Oh ? So is that my hat ? I see you pay attention to detail, sweetie. The color you chose for my dress is lovely, but have you considered that shade of red ? I think it'll fit better), though mainly trying to instaure a better sense of colors than the clashing red/green disaster that's currently happening. She'll like everything that's presented to her, gently guide through and nitpick a bit on the details (Draw inside the lines, darling, you're an artist after all !) for improvement. While she might not hang them around her house (least of all her workplace) because crayon is forever divorced from her general aesthetic, she'll keep an album of them.

Zestial would be quite surprised : a kid offering him a drawing ? Hasn't happened since last century. And it's him to boot ? Well, the gesture is nice. He'll keep it, or ask Carmilla to keep it for him. Might provide commentary and be needed to remember that five to eight years old don't have the same fine motor control and sense of perspective as Renaissance artists.

Carmilla would be perfectly normal about it, she's used to that, just like Husk. A drawing of her is met with a smile, she looks proud of it, and she'll probably keep it on her private desk at home (not at work, she's a weapons dealer and that might distract a bit from the seriousness of trade), in a frame, or like Rosie in an album. She might give points and tips to improve, otherwise she's just content letting the kid do whatever they want on that front.

The one I forgot :

LUCIFER, for hell's sake ! The guy's a dad. As a babysitter, he'll be the goofiest around, hyper and joyful and sometimes maybe a bit too much in wanting to constantly awe them, expect a rollercoaster ride of doing awesome things and napping like there's no tomorrow from all the exhaustion. He'll play with the kid nonstop, always being around, and when not agreeing to something will find a way to break out the "no" in a non confrontative and absolutely silly way ("Nnnnuhuhuhuuuu !" - top quote of 2024 for me, people). Really acts out the stories he's telling, he's a theater dad, dangit - to the point that anyone entering in the room can't tell who's the child and who's the adult. Will often talk about oh, you know, when Charlie was younger she did that just like you ! It was adorable. Best for bedtime stories, and general roleplaying - he'll 'faint' for 6 minutes and a half straight, and blame gravity afterwards. Great at distracting from dangerous stuff, to the point the kid doesn't know there even was danger. He'll just forget which rubber duck can spit fire and which doesn't, but once he realizes his mistake, whopee ! it's gone. Dealing with tantrums ? He'll just let the kid tire themselves out, until he can get his point across and make sure they'll listen. Might even add lalalaaa, can't hear you, talk to me once you're done~ and just be around doing his own things while keeping an eye on them. He'll always be around, but will let the kiddo have time for themselves and play on their own if they wish to.

A drawing of him ? The guy smiles so bright it lights up the whole room. He'll praise it to sky highs, even overpraising, like it's the second coming of Leonardo Da Vinci. Being someone creative himself, he'll be fully on board with drawings - sometimes accidentally one upping the kid in his enthusiasm and unwillingly creating an inferiority complex in the process. This is quickly resolved by offering to work together, and he likes nothing better than the patchwork of ideas and raw imagination. He'll keep whole albums, plural, of the stuff the kid does, and indefinitely gush about it (but a bit less than with Charlie - she's his daughter afterall).

Dunno if I'll do the heavenly side (Sera, Lute, Adam, Emily - boy, Adam's gonna be a disaster. Lute even worse, maybe), but if you're interested (or if, again, my brain says yeah let's do it), why not.

Welp, I seem physically incapable of writing a short post.

Again, Masterpost here.

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riacte · 5 months

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i never really paid attention to it but wow false and ren. they really do hover around each other huh. they r like bugs

Hiii anon thanks for the ask <3 I'll use this to talk about them and them in fanon because I have thoughts woooo (and I'm vibrating with excitement because I'm listening to the HC Grand Prix at the same time)

You said it exactly— like we all know they're buddies and stick together, but most of the times, we don't really notice it because it's just natural. Nondescript even. Like of course their pixels are next to each other in the background. Of course they're hanging out. It's not flashy or anything, they're just there.

[long and winding analysis that goes off in a Direction, will definitely not be maintagged, mentions of shipping and the fandom's worst enemy (comphet / heteronormativity)]

Pairing up

They're like those anime characters who are fully fleshed out individually, but for some reason, their screentime is tied together and they're always shown next to each other. That was actually my first impression of them back when I only watched Grian in HC6 lmao, every time Grian flew over the fantasy district he would casually go "that's False and Ren's bases" and my brain was like "hmm new names :) idk who they are but they stick together :)". Like you know when you're new to an unknown cast of people so you try to comprehend and memorise them as efficiently as possible? And so you start sorting the cast into duos / groups so it's easier to remember them? That was me trying to compartmentalize the hermits in HC6. Grian + Mumbo. Iskall + Stress. Scar + Cub. Joe + Cleo. ZIT. False + Ren.

It did not help that from Grian's POV, there was a part in the civil war arc when he collabed with False to prank Ren because they thought he'd pranked her and so my brain was like "weeewoooo I still don't know who False and Ren are but they continue stick together, and that's convenient for my internal sorting :)))". And that mutual association genuinely never stopped lmao (it only got worse).

Shared audiences?

I've talked about this on privtwt: False+Ren as a fanon duo (like duo Duo as in desert duo) is strangely niche even though they do stuff together all the time and they're both fairly popular on their own. And there is so much intermingling between their audiences— I know this is the case for all hermits' audiences, but it seems especially obvious between their audiences. I know in a stream Ren said he met up with False and they had a discussion like years ago about the two of them hosting a meet and greet with fans in a restaurant (that didn't happen) and internally I was like "yeah, that'll only work if they have a solidly integrated fanbase so no one feels left out in the restaurant WAIT. That's literally what's going on here".

Funny how when I was writing this, an anon sent an ask about Ren's chat basically being full of False emotes LOL. Integrated audience kinda real <3 like, even if you only watch one of them and don't actively watch the other, you still know and think of the other fondly.

Different styles? And sticking together

Actually outside of yayyy fun minigames, to me at least they have quite different styles + ways of presentation? Which feels slightly different from the above duos I mentioned? So I totally understand why people only main one of them and don’t watch the other (but still aware of the other obviously). In terms of taste and personal preference, I’ve been here long enough to know what loyal False mains generally like and what loyal Ren mains generally like. (Like, very verrrry generally.) Ren’s the dramatic roleplay storyteller and False is like, sneaky and shifty and has a wry sense of humour. They’re both funny and charming in different ways. I would say Iskall and Stress have similar presentations (“aha? AHA?”) even though they excel at different things. Cub and False are also similar to me— competent and cool people who are nonchalantly chaotic. And we all know Ren and Martyn’s instant chemistry and their similarities. It’s why a lot of Ren fans gravitated to Renchanting and Rendoc for their dramatics and flirting in the way some False fans gravitate to Fress and Falseren for the fun/mildly hysterical/teasing/sweet/pranking moments.

BUT

False and Ren bounce off each other well— it’s the playful tension and the sudden mutual whiny energy like “noooo don’t leave me🥺” but they start hitting each other 0.5 seconds later. And of course the mutual clinginess. I know people have made jokes about how they’re both smart and competent people individually but when they get together they suddenly become the silliest sillies and share one braincell <3 and I know people (read: mutuals in my DMs) have joked about Ren’s currently extremely obvious bias for her (it's as big as the BRR sign I swear 😭) and the usual “orbiting around each other group recordings”. Compared to other duos, they don’t get paired together bc of similar presentations / style. They get paired together because of the chemistry and they share so many moments lol.

Tldr: they make for entertaining on-screen interactions. It’s fun watching them rotate around each other and punch each other off things. And they do this so much that 1) everyone’s aware of it 2) everyone’s used to it.

Branding? (Or the lack of it)

Last I checked, their tag has 46 fics on Ao3 and 16 of those fics are from me (I love being spiders georg). As with every pair that's not the juggernaut pair, realistically the actual number of fics that actually focus on them is less than what we see. And you know how sometimes for the "niche" pairs, there's more ship fic than platonic fic? (Actually I think for most pairs, there's more ship fic than platonic fic.) That's also not it, they don't even have 20 ship fics. Like clearly, the current fanon interest in them is not ship motivated versus *gestures to whatever is happening in the general shipping chaos post 2021*.

What I concluded is that they lack the kind of branding that for example Convex possesses. I think it's kind of because... they're an ubiquitous constant throughout the years. They don't need a storyline or a named group to tie themselves together. No matter what they're doing, no matter what characters they're playing, no matter which servers they're on— they just kind of stay in each other's orbits. But they don't play it up or anything like hashtag SHIPrendoc or Renskall or whatever. They don't even have a proper fanon name ffs (outside of fairy pirate grotto or whatever in HC6).

(Although imo this is likely to avoid comphet irl shipping because God forbid a man and a woman are friends :))))) heteronormative irl shipping / truthing was an annoyance for years (pre the HC6 boom). But strangely enough, modern anti hermitshippers on Twitter rarely bring up the real problem of truthing in public comments and instead target people making Scarian fanart in a small corner or whatever. When many cases of Compulsory Heterosexuality literally exist in YouTube comments. But I digress.)

Ren and False are just there, pranking each other and basing together and playing five million minigames and being casually supportive of each other. Like, their biggest shared "storyline" that left a strong impression on fans / converted fans was probably MCC9. We all still talk about it today the way Ren and Martyn still talk about 3L Renchanting. And MCC9 was in 2020 when they'd already done a lot of stuff together prior to that (eg. literally being neighbours in HC6).

And the thing is, they do collab semi-frequently. In like every Hermitcraft season. In recent memory, we've got the Blue River Raceway of course, but we also get those pranks and minigames and random silly interactions like Ren breaking into False's eagle and False pranking him at her elytra race. It doesn't need to be big and theatrical in classic Ren fashion (I remember the Renbob / Falsewell storyline in HC6; her nonchalance and confusion was so funny in contrast to Renbob's hippie demeanor).

And I kind of like the way they've kind of (?? or not???) escaped from the intense duo-ification from the fandom. Okay, to be fair, I know I am the worst offender of the duo-ification of them (with my desperate do not separate agenda), and maybe I've had a negative effect on the fandom, so feel free to throw me off my soap box. I remember how hermitblr as a collective suddenly lost it when they split in MCC17. We took them for granted, we all got to used to them being together, we got used to seeing them in the background, and then suddenly they’re not??

So we’re all kind of aware of them. But it’s not a terribly big thing…. until it is.

It's the same on the M/CC Reddit. Everyone knows they're iconic. But nobody makes a post about how we need more False and Ren duo interactions because they already interact a lot. It's just a natural constant. They don't really need a spotlight because they're just... here doing funky cute friendship stuff.

But if they ever, for some reason, become a mainstream duo on twt in its mainstream duo way with some [insert random noun] duo name, I will be so 🫠😒🔥💥🔥💥. But I literally cannot see this happening unless they team with Grian / Grian adjacent people in Life series. But even then I think they’re kinda exempt because everyone’s so used to them lol. It’s not like a shiny new uwu duo. It’s like how Stresskall is just Stresskall. Or Jleo.

(Actually, speaking of Stresskall, the entire Stress-Iskall-Ren-False group would make for an interesting fanon discussion bc it’s essentially made out of very solid and fan favourite duos. But not now. Team FRIS my absolute beloved though.)

Also, thinking about the ensemble HC fics I've read and how they're just casually kind of chilling in the background. Ren is usually paired with Doc (both platonic / romantic) but False is usually somehow mentioned in a passing comment. Same with False who's usually with the Hermitgals in ensemble fics, but there's also passing comments about her hanging out with Ren. Again, it's just a natural part of the background. Trivia that's sprinkled in between.

And that's why I think I'm so 🥺🥺🥺🥺 because it doesn't need to be big and grand... it's all the little moments <3 they have such a fun and playful dynamic and all the love for minigames <3

I don’t know if this is comprehensible or I’m just going crazy and overthinking things no one thinks about. But writing this was fun at least <3 If at least one person gets maybe 30% of this post (whatever it is), I'll be happy haha.

Post sponsored by the three people who liked my tweet from months ago 🥹

#ask box #answered #meta #i guess???????#this has subheadings bc i got uni coursework back and that was the feedback #ria.txt #this is 1.8k words long... could've written a oneshot lmfao #save me falseren save me #pogsupremacy

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sublimecatgalaxy · 2 years

Note

Alright, I've been going through Fezco fever and brain rot lately. I am so thankful to have found your blog and be able to read your amazing fics, they feed my soul in the best ways possible!! I simply can not get this idea out of my head, what if Fez has a gf who usually wears pants and hoodies but one day is in a tank top and shorts, revealing almost her entire body is covered in bright and colorful tattoos.

OKAY WAIT I love this.

The weather is unforgiving, the sun beating down hard on California today, leaving zero room for any baggy, comfortable clothes. The weather is strip-worthy, every piece of clothing that I put on just sticks uncomfortably to my body, a cringed smile on my lips as I tear through my closet.

Ending up in a comfortable pair of breathable shorts and a tight tank top, no bra (thank god), my hands rest on my hips as I stare at myself in the reflection, biting anxiously at my lip. The colorful drawings that litter my skin are not something I'm actively hiding from Fez but I never know with new men in my life. I had been dumped in the past just for having this many tattoos, other men complaining and worrying that it might be 'too much' for me to meet their mothers.

Fez isn't like that though.

Right?

I mean, the only person in his life that I needed to impress is Ashtray and it's safe to say that I'm one of his best friends. He adores me so what else do I have to worry about?

By the time I make it to Fez's house, I see that their door is firmly shut, probably trapping the cold air inside as they light up all day. There was a heat stroke warning put out this morning so Fez made the ultimate decision to close shop today, spending it at home with Ash and inviting me over to join in the fun.

Stepping into the apartment, I call out Fezco's name timidly, hearing the TV in the living room in the background. Ash sits with his back to me, typing away at his computer as guns fire on his screen. He tilts his head back, sending me a nod of acknowledgement and I quickly sneak by him without confrontation or questions.

"Aye babe, I-" My head cranes to see Fez coming down the hallway to my left, my stomach dropping as his brows pull together eagerly, eyes raking over my exposed skin. I've never seen him this awake and aware, most of the time being too consumed with marijuana and overall calmness. "Wow." He mumbles, reaching up to rub at the back of his neck with red, freckled cheeks and I sway back and forth.

"Sorry I didn't tell you, I just get insecure sometimes-"

"Nah, hey, don't apologize. Don't got nothing to apologize for." He breathes out a laugh, stepping up to me to take my hands in his, urging me to spin around so he can get a better look. "Looks hot- real good. Badass even." I giggle, my head tipping back as my shoulders relax a bit at his comforting words.

"Yeah?" I ask breathlessly, eyes flickering back and forth between his as he smirks, tugging me back down the hall where he came from.

"Yeah. I think I gotta get a closer look."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- Taglist: @bubblebuttwade @rafelover2405 @leslienjazzy @sorceresss @grxnde-dwt @alex–awesome–22 @bunnietoof @niyamar1e @serialghost @plantlungs @geniusohn @akaliltimmytim @lilaalouuxx @xshariex @elliotsbeigeguitar @elle4404 @lelieja @srhxpci @joselyn001 @taysirene @spinkspanther @thedivineuphoria @peter-maximoffs @tsukishimawhore @poohkie90 @szlaco @distantsighs @nstyles4299 @wolflover384 @givemefoodandlovesstuff @vane28282 @yeswhatever33 @amirrahfranson @vvaalleennttiinna @f-mu @yaspillz @jeyramarie @skylievin@abbybarnes17 @jointherebellion215 @visiondaddy @steezysimfinds @its-ya-gay-boi-luigi @crunchytoenailsyum@glizzymcguirex @beth123lg @melovesmut @rafecameronswhore @ariianelle @write-from-the-heart @vampviolets@haylee-e@popehaywardssecretgf @honee-chai-tea @lokiandbuckywife @smoke-and-fire @officiallyunofficialperson@heyaitsklaudia@rosepetalsparks @bluetreecloud20 @scenesofobx @double-shot-of-tequila @1dluver13xx @colbysbrocks @iamasimpingh0e @smoke-and-fire386 @loveshineslikethesky @id-3-kbro @diorsitgirl @errorfound101-allideasburnedout @neverwillknowme18 @ellyskey @taylors-folk @loversjoy @myaloveee @thyris-is @lagataprrr

#fezco #euphoria #euphoria series #fezco x reader #fez #fez x reader #fezco fanfic #ashtray #fezco euphoria #fezco icons #fezco supremacy #fezco fic #fezco blurb

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aveegrex · 2 years

Text

DUDE, SHE'S JUST NOT INTO YOU

When his captain's brother becomes his bi-awakening

genre: fluff, kinda friends to lovers but the story doesn't go much past the kiss pairing: Portgas D. Ace x Sanji Vinsmoke word count: 2,1k cw: explicit smoking, swearing, veeeery vague mentions of sexual activity (although there isn't even that word, just a tiny hint on it), btw kissing is kinda public but everyone's asleep at the moment

author's note: my first public characther x character fic here, woohoo!! hope you like it, please comment i'm in desperate need of feedback like PLEASE

Also available on AO3

“Dude, she’s just not into you”

A soft voice startles Sanji, yanking him out of his thoughts, and he looks around to see Ace settling on the sand beside him.

“I’d note that it is not yet confirmed nor denied, please and thank you” - the cook retorts, hissing when the heat from a bud reaches his lips. “Yeah, sure, - Ace scoffs, leaning back on a rock. - Look at ‘em and tell me you see two friends, I dare you”

Sanji’s sight is back on Vivi and Nami, nuzzling against each other in search of warmth under a blooming desert sunset . Their whispers are a little too far to make out the words, but the soft gazes the two share speak volumes, leaving only a total fool unsuspecting.

“Bet if you weren’t staring so hard these two would already be making out. - Luffy’s brother is getting a tad hard to ignore. - You lucky you look too love-struck to come off as a cree-”

“Oi shut it! - Sanji hisses, rolling another cigarette. - Does the D stand for dick?”

“Oh absolutely. - Ace grins. - I’m wanted for a reason, kitchen boy”

Sanji fears his eyes could roll out of skull. It would have its perks though, not seeing this smug face serving as a relief. “What do you even care? Is it your family motto to be insufferable?”

The Fire fist choses to stay silent for once, instead reaching his hand for the cigarette and pulling it out of Sanji’s mouth, no please and thank you’s. Sanji’s about to smack him only to halt his movements when he sees Ace puckering his lips to blow a line of smoke rings. “How.. Could you teach me?”

Ace lets out a few more rings and turns to face Sanji, holding a cigarette to his mouth. “Take a drag. - he nods, noticing Sanji’s hesitation.. - Don’t go shy on me now”

The cook reluctantly wraps his mouth around the filter, lips just slightly touching Ace’s fingers, and takes his usual drag, looking up expectantly. “Now roll your tongue into O. - the brunette pokes his own out, showing the goal shape. - Blow a little and push the tongue forward”

Sanji follows, but it ends up a usual exhale, making him cough out the rest of the smoke. “Sh-KHH-shit, it’s not working!”

“Just practice it more, man, that’s how I was taught”

The cook hums and fails again, hissing out the smoke. “Didn’t peg you as a smoker, actually” - brow quirked up, he wonders.

“I’m not. Well, usually. - Ace’s lazy eyes focused on Sanji’s mouth, pointy tongue flicking his bottom lip for moisture. - It’s more of a pick up tool, you know?”

Sanji’s eyes blow wide, a silent question met with Ace’s laughter. “It works!”

“Yeah, right. That’s why you keep showing off in front of Nami-chwan?”

“Oh, nah. - Ace’s face softens, hazy sight now cat-like. - I know better than to stand between a lady and her princess”. His eyes trained on Sanji, he snatches the cigarette out of his mouth again, only this time no revolts follow. “Besides, yours truly prefers blondes”.

Sanji feels a slight shiver running down his spine. The desert is still warm, welcoming even, the scorching sun giving way to a comfortable breeze. He finally notices how the sand sticks to his palm, and how his spine aches against the stone. He hears the same sand swishing, moving around to trick them all tomorrow into a new landscape.

“Anyway, time to hit the hay. Oh-, - Ace laughs childishly, getting up and brushing off the sand off his legs. - Report to me when you succeed”.

A tiny wink and he’s off to settle a little away from the fire, covering his face with the hat. Sanji just sits there though, palms still sweating against the dust, face a little flush.

What…

What the hell was that?

Did Luffy’s brother just flirt with him?

Did Portgas D. goddamn Ace just flirt with a guy?

…

Next day Ace is back to Luffy and his little antics, disguising his care with playfulness. They laugh, running around like there isn’t a water and food shortage on their trip. Everyone else is back on track, slowly dragging their feet through sand.

“You look worse than usual” - Sanji looks aside to see Marimo’s eyes trained on the road ahead, little exasperated breaths coming from Chopper behind him.

“Look who’s talking, snot hair”.

“You lucky I can’t let go of Chopper”.

“Yeah right. - Sanji stretches. - What did you want anyway?”

Zoro sighs, swords clanging rhythmically against his hip. “Dunno. Nevermind”

It’s the heat, probably. Yeah, most certainly. That’s why everything is a little off. That’s why Nami and Vivi are all lovey-dovey on that pervy camel. That’s why Zoro is suddenly initiating a talk with him.

That’s why White Beard’s kin hit on him under the most beautiful sunset Sanji’s ever seen.

It’s just the heat.

“Guys, midday’s near! - Vivi’s concern having everyone perk their ears. - We’re crashing in that cave for a few hours, don’t get lost!”.

All the eyes are trained on a little cavity in the distance, almost arousing with promises of coolness and shade. The desert is once more cut with a cry, this time Luffy’s happy one, the goofy captain taking off immediately to save himself the best spot.

…

“Daaaaamn! - Usopp’s musing echoing through walls. - So big!”.

Sanji leans back against a cold wall and pours his body to the floor, long limbs stretched out star-like. He can hear relaxed gasps and strained groans as everyone else finds themselves a spot, fried up bodies bathing in fresh air. Three minutes in and half the crew is already snoring away.

Sanji props up, the lighter clicks echoing through the cave. He barely had a chance to practice the new trick, and given how annoying D brothers are, Ace will be sure to ask about his success.

One try, two tries, three tries, hell… It takes about five rollups to master one flimsy ring. Sanji sighs, both annoyed and a little proud, starting to roll another one.

“I see my guidance bearing fruit” - fuck, can Ace NOT startle him every single time?

“Ye-yeah. - the cook glances up, meeting an expected smug grin. - Practice makes perfect though”.

Ace plops down next to him, a whiff of musk splitting the tobacco smell. “Don’t go too hard on yourself, you only have two lungs”.

“And exactly zero girls, man. - Sanji’s lighting up his recent doing. - Gotta balance it out”.

A soft airy laugh, much like yesterday's one. The cook registers a slight commotion, bringing his eyes up only to come face to face with the brunette. “Care to make me one too?”.

Sanji shrugs, the kit tin out again. “Thought you said it’s just a pick up tool”.

“It is”.

Oh fuck this guy.

Not like “oh yeah, imma fuck this guy”.

Sanji’s not gay.

Sanji’s as straight as a mast.

Well, not Mary’s mast, but a regular mast, a normal mast.

A straight mast.

Just like Sanji.

FUCK this guy. What the fuck is he thinking?

Sanji starts to reconsider his earlier judgment of the D family. At least Luffy’s not speaking in riddles. Not by choice, of course, but still.

“What are you saying?” - yeah, a straight question for a straight guy. About right.

Ace chuckles, lidded eyes sparkling in darkness. “What does it sound like?”

“Dude, I’m not gay. - Sanji’s patience is flat-lining. - Thought it was obvious”

“Me neither” - Ace gives up on waiting for his own rollup, stealing Sanji’s.

“Then what are you saying?”

A hum for an answer again. “Don’t have to be gay to chase a cutie. - blowing smoke into Sanji’s face, Ace grins, the sparks in his eyes interchanged for little flames. - Cuties come in all shapes, you know?”

Sanji’s fuming. Not literally, sadly, his cigarette still snug between Ace’s brownish lips, but visibly. “So you are hitting on me?”

“Have been for the past week. - the brunette blows a ring, this time aiming for the ceiling. - What, you’re telling me you’ve never… y’know… with a dude?”

“NO!” - Sanji’s shriek comes off a little louder and he sinks into the stone, glancing around.

“They’re all asleep. Temperature difference does that to peo-”

“I know what.it.does!!!” - Sanji’s hissing, snatching the bud from Ace and taking the longest drag of his life. His usual, straight, exhale winding up to the Ace’s cloud, he trains his eyes on the guy, suddenly noticing his heightened heart-beat and a weird knot tightening in his stomach. “I’ve just told you, I’m into girls”

“Yeah, I know. - Ace is somehow unphased by everything, his nonchalance bringing the cook to a boiling point. - Doesn’t mean you’re not into boys either”

The climax is ruined, anger giving way to confusion. “What you mean?”

“Both, man. You might like both”

“You like both?”

“Oh yes. - Ace smiles again, a whispered suppressed chuckle somehow soothing. - I don’t discriminate”

“That’s not how discrimination wor-... How did you understand that?” - Sanji feels his cheeks flushing, thankful for the convenient darkness.

Ace tilts his head to the side, eyes unfocused, long bony fingers toying with cold sand. “I ran a test with one guy”. He continues, noticing Sanji’s confusion. “He kissed me and I liked it”.

“And then you two… y’know?”

“Oh, haha, no! - brunette’s loose curls jiggle as he shakes his head. - No, we were like thirteen, I guess. It was back home” He glides his hands up and down his thighs, eyes unfocused. “Went fishing at night and cooked it on a bonfire”

“You kissed after eating fish?” - Sanji’s snicker rolling off his tongue with all the tension.

“Hey, it was sweet! Not the fish, the other thing, I mean. But, yeah. - Ace’s sight falls to Sanji’s lips and he licks his own, pink tongue poking out for just a second. - He turned out straight though, so we just went swimming after”

“Could have been a nice date” - the cook muses, finally back to rolling Ace his own cigarette.

The silence is comfortable now, and Sanji’s thankful for Ace coming up to him, watching the sleepy crew nuzzling deeper into their covers in search of warmth. “Hey, um-..., - he clears his throat, failing to shake off the tremble in his hands. - You think… you think you could test me? I mean, I’m sure it will lead to nothing, like me coming out straight and all, but like… I just wanna make sure, y’know?”

Ace hums, cigarette bud pressed tight between his fingers. He turns his whole body to face Sanji, eyes trained on the cook’s, the warm hand brushing the smoking kit out of shivering hands. “Close your eyes”

Sanji’s own blow wide, and Ace smiles softly. “It’s easier like that. Go on”

The cook lets out a sharp exhale and obliges, long lashes fluttering close. He feels calloused fingers tilting his head up slowly, feels a smoke-stained breath against his cheek. His heart is thumping inside his head, the sound threatening to wake everyone up any second. “Open your mouth a bit” - a thumb brushing over his lower lip, and Sanji obeys once again. “Good boy”.

And another mouth, a warmer one, presses against his own, wet tongue just slightly poking through his lips. Ace’s hand is in his hair now, buried into the soft locks. It’s soft, surprisingly soft, and not that wet, probably because they’ve been low on water for a few days.

Ace is gentle, polite almost with how slowly he’s going at it, pulling Sanji closer so it feels natural. His mind goes blank, all thoughts and concerns flicked away with that tender tongue and those kind chapped lips. There’s no teeth, no vigor or intensity, just exploration. He feels like he’s the receiver for once in this whole affection game, and Sanji melts a little, hands finding purchase in Ace’s salty curls.

He leans closer, switching the position slowly to not break the kiss. A tiniest moan escapes his chest when Ace pushes his tongue a little deeper, his warm hand sliding to Sanji’s heated cheek.

“W-wow. - Sanji whispers, lips a bit swollen and glistening in the dark. - H-hell”

Ace’s hand is still on his cheek, rubbing small circles into the soft flesh. He’s watching Sanji, fully focused on the cook’s ragged breath. “We still have time. - he cards a stray strand behind Sanji’s ear. - Don’t have to wake them all up just yet”

“Ye-yeah. - Sanji’s sight is on Ace’s lips, he’s scooting a little closer, mouth still agape. - Yeah, they should rest a bit more”

…

Listening to the tiny wet echoes, Usopp shifts in his place, careful not to make a sound. “Knew I should have gone for a piss sooner”.

NDNI, reblogs and comments are needed and welcome, never pass a chance to kiss Ace

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exhuastedpigeon · 3 months

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WAIT NO ONE ASKED YOU QUESTIONS!?

Okay. Every single odd number on that list.

I reblogged that post last night and fell asleep almost immediately after 😂😂! Thanks for asking Tanis!!

1. Share a song that makes you think of [fic title] Afraid of Heights by boygenius always makes me think about it hurts to hope for more. I listened to that song on repeat while writing it that no whenever I heart it I think about that fic.

3. What’s your favorite fic that you’ve written? That's like asking me for my favourite child (not that I have kids). I'm sticking with buddie fics here since I have almost 150 fics on Ao3 and that's way too many to think about.

Honestly, there ain't no turning back might be my favourite even though it isn't fully published!

Or I really love gold when you see me too.

5. What’s a fic idea you’ve had that you will never write? Answered here :)

7. How many ideas for fics do you have right now? Uhhh too many?? I have 5 'active' wips (meaning I'm actually working on them a little bit) and like 20 other ideas. I tend to get an idea, work on it like my hair is on fire, and then when I lose the beans half the time the wip goes to collect dust.

9. Do you write every day? If you wrote today, share a sentence of what you’ve written! I try to write every day, even if it's just one sentence! Here's something I updated from the NHL AU today!

Buck’s much less self destructive now, thank you team mandated therapy and a bit of heartbreak, but he still has a big personality. He’s got the kind of personality that used to land him on Don Cherry’s shit list before he was finally kicked off Hockey Night in Canada for being a racist old fuck. But, that personality of his means he’s the kind of guy who the Kings marketing team loves because he’s down for basically anything they throw at him.

11. Do you have specific playlists for writing fics? I tend to find a couple of songs that match the vibe I'm going for or that really inspire me and then listen to those on repeat.

13. How much planning do you do before writing? Answered here

15. How do you come up with titles for your fics/chapters? Usually song lyrics! Sometimes a title comes into my head out of nowhere, but usually I end up searching for a lyric that feels right.

17. What’s something you’ve learned about while doing research for a fic? I learned all about the best sunrise views at the southern rim of the Grand Canyon for there ain't no turning back! It made me really want to go to see the sunrise there, even more than I already wanted to before!

19. Give us a small teaser from one of your WIPs. This is from my NHL AU! In the fic Buck is Canadian and when they go to Canada on a road trip Buck has to scope out a Tim Hortons immediately.

It would be a lie to say that as soon as they landed in Ottawa Buck went to Tim Hortons, because they landed at 11:45, only a couple of hours after a win in Buffalo. It’s been a long and cold east coast trip - they’re on the road for almost 10 days for this one and Ottawa is the third to last stop. It wouldn’t be a lie to say that the first thing Buck did when he woke up in their hotel was to jump out of bed, wake Eddie up in the bed next to him, and drag him to the Tim Hortons next to the hotel. And listen, Buck knows that objectively Timmies is just fine. It isn’t bad, it’s just not actually good either. But he’s a Canadian boy, he grew up on Timbits after practice with Maddie and hanging out in the Tim Hortons parking lots during high school, at least for the couple years he was around before moving to Kitchner to play juniors. Tim Hortons will always have a special place in his heart.

21. Have you ever deleted an entire scene after spending hours laboring over it? If so, why? Yeah, it was a scene that I wrote really early in the writing process and by the time I finished the fic the scene just didn't fit the vibe. I ended up using bits of it in another fic though, so it wasn't all a waste!

23. How do you choose where to end a chapter (if you have multi-chapter works)? I try to find a natural stopping point, but typically I don't write chaptered fics. I think of my 149 on Ao3 only like 15 of them are chaptered, maybe less.

25. Have you ever upset yourself with your own writing? I've made myself WEEP while writing and weep again while rereading later.

27. Is there a fic you were nervous to post/share? Why? I was a little nervous to share it hurts to hope for more because it was a really important fic to me (and really personal to me in some ways). I didn't want people to hate it because it felt so close to my heart.

29. Share a bit from a fic you’ll never post OR from a scene that was cut from an already posted fic. (If you don’t have either, just share a random fic idea you have that you don’t plan on getting to.) I don't think I'll ever finish this fic so I'll share a bit here. When I saw on the fandom wiki that Eddie and Buck were actually probably the same age (1991/1992) I started a fic that's a snippet of each of their lives at the same time period. This is from the Eddie - 18 section.

There was a little plus sign on three separate pregnancy tests. Eddie rests his head on the bathroom counter, hunching over from where he’s sitting on the edge of the bathtub in Shannon’s bathroom. To her credit, Shannon looks like she’s holding it together more than he is. He was leaving for basic in a month and a half, she was supposed to be moving out of state for college in two. Eddie took a deep breath, then another, before looking up at Shannon again. Her eyes were red rimmed, but otherwise she looked composed. He pushed down the fear that was threatening to crawl out of his chest, up his throat, and out of his mouth and instead said, “Whatever you want to do, I’ve got your back.” “I want to keep it,” Shannon said after a beat. “Okay, then we keep it,” Eddie reached out and took her hand, squeezing it gently. “What do we do now?” “I have no fucking idea,” Shannon half laughed, half sobbed. Eddie stood up and wrapped her in a hug, holding her to his chest.

Fan Fic Writer Asks

#Fan Fic Writer Asks #asked and answered

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therhythmafterthesummer · 1 year

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Rhythm, how would couples react to a pregnancy scare?

Thanks, hope you'll have a good day😘

ohhh, this was sooo fun to think about.

my Thoughts™ under the cut.

Listen, Chris is down to have children. the mere thought of his girl being pregnant makes him feel all warm and fuzzy inside, he's just Ready, and when Pretty tells him she's late, he's honestly kinda hopeful... that is, until he realises how distressed she looks. "it'll be fine, pretty. with either scenario, it'll be fine", he'll tell her. to which she'll simply reply, in the quietest voice you can imagine, "i don't think i'm ready right now, though..." and even though it saddens him a bit, he understands. after all, it'll be her doing all the heavy lifting (meaning, growing the baby--or babies?), so he simply offers his support. when she gets her period the very next day, before she could even take a test, she's immensely relieved, and Chris is just happy that his girl is happy, regardless of how much he wants to be a dad. there'll be time for that, he doesn't want to if she doesn't want to, you know?

Minho has a few minutes of panic when Kitten tells him her period's late. two weeks she said. "you're two weeks late and you didn't say anything?!" to which she'll just reply "i thought it'd come! i'm telling you now!" they both panic for a bit. there'll be a few minutes of silence while Minho paces around the room and she just sits on the sofa, nervously chewing on her lip. after a while, he'll just take a deep breath, ruffle his hair, go crouch in front of his dearest kitten to hold her hands and look up at her. "if you were pregnant... would you like to keep it, or...?" and after a few moments of consideration, she'd just be like "...yeah. yeah, i'd like to keep it. but only if you want to, too", and Minho realises then that even if it scares him a bit, he does want to. so when the test came back negative, they both had mixed feelings. "at least we have more time to prepare now... we need to figure out how we'd want to raise our children first", he'll say, and she'll just wholeheartedly agree.

"i think i might be pregnant", Ginger tells Changbin, while he was brushing his teeth. he chokes on his spit. "holy shit, are you serious right now?" and she'll just nod. Changbin will practically start vibrating with excitement, meanwhile she already is vibrating with excitement. they weren't trying to get pregnant, but they both are happy with the idea, which is why, they're both bummed out when she takes a test and is negative. they'll stare at the stick on the sink, arms crossed over their chests, silent, thinking... until Spicy Gingerbread says "i can't believe we're both moping about a negative pregnancy test..." and Changbin just laughs and hugs her and mumbles a "maybe we should start planning..."

The chances of Hyunlix's partner (let's call them.... Moss) being pregnant are very slim, but never zero. They've got a uterus, and having a uterus when you're being sexually active with two people with penises will always pose a risk, no matter how careful you are. The three of them will just sit in complete silence on the sofa while they wait for the test results. Hyunjin would be ready to take care of pups if it came to it, and Felix, although isn't beaming with excitement, he supposes he can be a good dad, but after the silence stretches out for too long Moss just drops a "hope you guys know that if this test is positive i'm going full on Fetus Deletus" which will make both Felix and Hyunjin snort, and the three of them will just enter a fit of laughs. when the timer goes off and they check the test to see it's negative, the three of them heave a sigh of relief, and they'll reach a compromise to be more careful moving forward, since honestly neither of them actively want children.

#leedunno #ask #wereroomies ask #wereroomies headcanons #i just realised you never even mentioned this was for wereroomies... i just assumed it was... if it wasn't i'm sorry lol

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littleladymab · 2 months

Text

OC Kiss Week - "War's Over"

Requested by @qt-kt, these are my Star Wars OCs 🥰 I'm in love with them a normal amount. Kaedmon is a Jedi (extremely former) who survived Order 66, and Uriah is an ISB agent (former). And yes I have like 2300 words of a rough timeline plotted for them.

Uriah will be up on the 21st for U and I've decided to replace one of my bonus characters at the end of the month with Kaedmon so you'll see her on the 27th for FebruarOC.

This is also the FIRST of the Kiss Week drabbles I wrote, and it is the longest. I decided to stick it at the end because it's just a good ending to the event! Thank you again so much to @ockissweek for organizing, best of luck with queuing everything, and I'm looking forward to next year!!

+++

Kaedmon pushes her way through the crowds, the death grip on her lightsaber hilt the only thing keeping her focused. It’s using all her concentration to keep the pain at bay, and if she lets that slip then she’ll lose the grip on it and with it any sense of composure she’s maintaining.

“Riley!” Someone grabs her by the shoulder and whirls her to face them, and it’s only because her hand is so numb that she doesn’t ignite the blade and run the Rodian through on instinct. “Woah, girl, breathe.”

She is breathing, her gasping inhales stymied by the respirator. She doesn’t feel like she’s breathing enough. “Vleewa,” she says as her brain catches up. Her heart rate doesn’t seem to be slowing down.

“I didn’t know you were here,” Vleewa says conversationally, pulling the lightsaber free. “When did you arrive on Jakku?”

“Where are the prisoners?” Stop, try again. “I got here yesterday.” Stop, try again. What was she looking for? “Observatory.” No. Stop. Try again. “Please.”

Starburst black eyes study her, and Kaedmon is helpless against the gentle movements her friend makes to put the lightsaber away in the holster. “You need to go to medical,” she says instead of whatever else she wants to say.

Kaedmon’s entire right arm aches at the thought. Is her shoulder dislocated? It might be dislocated, her wrist is definitely sprained, and now that she doesn’t have a deathgrip on something the numbness is turning to a violent tingling pain. There’s worse things that could have happened to it. Clamp it down, center her mind, pain is a backdrop. “I need to find—”

“Yeah, yeah. I know.” Still, Vleewa doesn’t seem too keen on hurrying up as she begins to scroll through something on her data pad.

Kaedmon tries to breathe. Didn’t Vleewa tell her to breathe? She’s trying. She inhales. She inhales. She inhales, because it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, and she knows the respirator is working because she can feel it struggling to give her oxygen. This is how I’m going to die, she thinks deliriously as her vision swims and Vleewa’s tan coveralls blend into the tan sand. Having a panic induced asthma attack in the desert after the war is finally over.

There’s a beep on her vambrace that draws her out of her spiral and she looks down at it as Vleewa gives a self-satisfied smirk. “Second recon group, northern forward camp. Though promise me you’ll go to medical after?”

“Yeah. Sure,” she answers for the sake of answering.

“Ugh, Jedi,” Vleewa grumbles with a roll of her eyes but there’s a twitch of a smile on the Rodian’s face. “Go on then.”

Kaedmon slips back into the crowds before she’s even completely dismissed, occasionally glancing down at the map on her vambrace. Nearly four klicks north by north east. If she runs she can make it in half an hour. Except that her shoulder sends bolts of pain down her entire arm if it is jostled, and like any military base she’s been on there are people by the dozens milling around in some state of activity.

Small fighters are taking off and landing with little regard to available landing fields, commanders barking out orders, and pilots and infantry cheering and celebrating.

Over every comm, Mon Mothma’s announcement rings on a repeat. A few holos loop the signing of the treaty.

The war is over.

Wrapping her pain in a tight little bundle in the back of her mind, Kaedmon begins to run.

The northern forward camp is eerily calm, pinched faced officers moving with determination and soldiers standing guard around the orderly ranks of tents for political prisoners.

In a makeshift square, three uniformed commanders stand fanned out around someone in piecemeal trooper armor. He stands at attention, hands folded behind his back, fingers of one hand clenching and unclenching. They don’t seem to be interrogating him — more like they are engaged in an exchange of information.

The man in the middle, a major according to the insignia, frowns at her approach. “Master Riley,” he starts and she winces; now all Command knows her as is the rank she never took. “Captain Askoaro said to expect you—”

But the man with his back to her tenses at the first sound of her name and spins to face her.

It’s him, she realizes with a jolt, as the shape of his profile comes into view. His hair is shaved to grey-black stubble and his cheeks are gaunt. But even without the Force to carry his signature to her, she’d recognize him.

“Kae,” Uriah says, completing his about-face just as she throws her good arm around his shoulder and yanks him down to her. He folds one arm around her waist and the other hand in her hair and crushes her to him. He tucks his face against her neck, pressing the edge of her mask into her cheek but she doesn’t care.

“You’re alive,” she gasps and his fingers tighten their grasp. “I couldn’t get through. No one could tell me—”

“Full planet communications are still spotty, Master Riley,” the major says, clearing his throat and the two of them jerk back upright to attention. He doesn’t seem overly bothered by their break in protocol or Kaedmon’s belated left-handed salute. “It has been hard to disseminate information unless it is vital to the New Republic.”

Kaedmon is still having a hard time regaining her breath, and it sounds loud in her ears as she tries to get herself back under control. She never was very good at that even as a Padawan. “Yes, sir. Sorry, sir. I didn’t mean to imply that I should automatically have been made aware of things.”

He waves her off, then says, “Agent Marcos, we’ll continue this discussion later. Take a few minutes. You’re dismissed.”

Uriah salutes, and a second behind, Kaedmon does as well. “Thank you, Major Wadan. I’ll report back to you shortly.” He waits until the three officers have departed before turning back to Kaedmon. That’s when the full extent of the damage is finally revealed in the shape of an angry red wound where his right eye should be.

She inhales sharply and reaches up to him with her hand, pressing it to his cheek and studying the still-healing scar.

He allows for the inspection, holding her gaze steady with the remaining eye before covering her hand with his own and pressing his lips to her palm. “What did you do to your arm?”

“I don’t know,” she says and means to shrug but she doesn’t want to jostle the hand on his face and the other is a dull, constant ache. “Dislocated I think. Maybe broke something. Worst part was, it was my own fault.” She lets the tips of her fingers ghost over his cheekbone. “That was my favorite eye.”

His huff of laughter ghosts over her skin and she shivers despite the heat. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

Kaedmon frowns though he can’t see the twitch of her lips.

Uriah presses the pad of his thumb to the furrow between her brows. “I didn’t know you were stationed on Jakku.”

“I wasn’t. Jedi business in the Observatory with all that Sith shit. Happened to find a pocket of leftovers.”

“That’s when you caught your fall on your arm?”

She clicks her tongue, though it sounds mechanical and emotionless through the vocoder. “And your eye?”

He doesn’t respond right away, sliding his hand back through her hair despite the fact that it’s coated in sweat and sand. “Shrapnel. My own fault. I panicked.”

They move together, his forehead pressing to hers as her fingers scrape uselessly for purchase on his pauldron before curling around his neck. “My Commander finally caught on when we fled Coruscant. I thought he was going to kill me. He fully intended to, blaster to the eye. Bam.”

His fingers press to the ridges of her spine, grounding both of them in the moment. “I managed to use something as a shield, but it shattered. Still lost the eye, but I kept the back of my head so I guess that’s a win.”

This time her shiver is far from pleasant as she reaches out into the Force to take his fear in her hands and lift it from his shoulders. “What a pair we make.”

“I think we deserve a nice vacation somewhere that won’t try to kill us, and the worst thing we fall into is a soft bed,” he agrees.

“And a pillow to the face.”

Uriah considers this before nodding in agreement. “Honestly, it sounds awful and incredibly unsafe.”

“We’ll never unlearn how to turn anything into a weapon,” Kaedmon warns and Uriah lets out a soft sigh before pressing a kiss to her forehead. She makes an answering strained sound of frustration before pulling back to yank her respirator down. The dust feels like it immediately clings to the inside of her nose and mouth but she doesn’t care.

She misses his hair as she cups the back of his head and pulls him down to kiss her.

“Take me home, Kae,” he says, lips against hers. “When we get clearance to get off this fucking rock.”

Her respirator wheezes out of time to their ragged breathing. “I will,” she promises. “Maybe even before then.”

His smile is weary and his face hasn’t learned how to take the missing eye into account when forming expressions, but it’s still everything she knows and recognizes and the sight of it is instantly comforting. “Maybe.”

Home, she thinks as he kisses her again. They’ll figure that out together.

#oc kiss week #ockiss24 #star wars oc #jedi oc #oh no i don't know how to tag this for my own records #i will need to think of one eventually #a lil miss original #lil miss writings #yes i have been rotating 'take me home kae' in my head nonSTOP

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theclearblue · 3 months

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Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks...

I have, but luckily I enjoy gushing about some of my favorite characters aksjdklkgl so I'm happy to answer again! Last time I just listed some but this time I'll 1. Do a limit of one per series and 2. Give an actual description of why I love them. Also I'm so sorry this will be mostly animanga characters just because these characters stick in my head easier for some reason? My memory is truly awwwwful. (Also also this is by no means a definitive list or order, just some that I really really like).

Zoro (One Piece)

I feel like I've talked a fair length about Sanji and Robin and why I love them so much, but I have a little bit of a difficult time with Zoro. Fun fact before I started watching one of the few things I knew was that he was a fan favorite an was determined that I wouldn't like him that much, he's the "cool and badass and broody" one and I thought he was gonna be the kind of character similar to Megumi (JJK) or maybe Bakugou (MHA) both who I like but it's not favorite archetype. But then I realized. He's just a Guy. a Silly Guy. My man is stupid in such interesting and unique ways ajfdklsl. But what I REALLY love about his character is , yeah, he is kind of broody and reserved, but it seems more like a burden he puts on himself in order to protect the people he loves rather than a true reflection of himself. He cares SO much about the people that he loves and it's clear to me that his greatest fear is not being strong enough to protect them. His "I need to get stronger" attitude honestly seems to stem a looot from his anxieties and maybe even trauma around losing Kuina at such a young age. Ok I could talk forever about him and it's actually not difficult to pin down why I love him but I'll end it there.

2. Kenjaku (JJK)

I've kind of built a bubble within my online presence where I don't really see the vitriol, but I know this is REALLY not a popular opinion, and a lot of people are confused as to why I really like them (biggest offender is my sister who gives me shit for this constantly lmao). And I get it! Kenjaku is genuinely vile in what they have done (particularly as Kamo Noritoshi) and what they're trying to do with the merger. By all means he shouldn't (isn't) supposed to be likeable. But they REALLY captured my attention when I caught up to JJK back in August and read the Culling Games arc in full. For starters, silly guy, and I love silly guys (see above example). They're pretty unique where they fall into this "mad yet cold scientist" trope but...they're playful? They're genuinely excited about sorcery and will be kind of annoying where, for the life of them, they CANNOT read the room that everyone just doesn't care or actively hates them (which makes me a little sad honestly lol)? Little bits of information were just constantly intriguing (their relationship to Tengen, being a foil to Yuki, and not to even start on them being Yuji's mom). What really cemented it for me was the Takaba vs. Kenjaku fight though. Kenjaku before this seems driven to keep going for scientific curiosity, but it's clear to me that they're bored, disappointed, and even seem depressed a little bit ("And yet...there must be more to human potential"). But then Takaba comes along. And they honestly have an instant connection while also pushing each other in ways nobody has before. Isn't that insane on Kenjaku's part? They've been alive for over 1000 years!! They find someone who understands them, they might be enemies but they are a duo. Gahhh I could talk about Kenjaku forever they have so many layers and they just fascinate me SO much.

3. Yona (Yona of the Dawn)

One of my favorite protagonists of all time, without a doubt. And I didn't even like her in the beginning (you're not supposed to really). At the beginning of the series, she's honest to god, a spoiled brat. She whines, she complains, she's incredibly weak and takes people for granted. But good god, this is one of the best character arcs I have ever seen in my life. When her entire world is thrown upside down and she's betrayed by her childhood best friend, and has to go on the run with Hak, she just matures and grows into herself so beautifully. She travels around her kingdom for the first time and sees the complexity of the situation where, yeah, she lost her father because of Soo-Won, and that hurts still, but she understands why because it becomes kind of clear that her father was pretty incompetent as a ruler. If I picked one character on this list that just has the best character development, Yona sweeps I'm sorry.

4. Killua (HxH)

Ugh this really should be both Gon and Killua but if I had to choose one it's Killua. Another great example of amazing character development. At the beginning he's already a fun character to watch, he's easygoing and quippy and just cool honestly. But with his upbringing as an assassin he's clearly not very...well adjusted to what a normal life looks like. He's raised to be a cold and ruthless killer and nothing more, and that's reflected in the Hunter exam arc when he swipes a guy's heart from his chest without a second thought. But then he meets Gon, and for the first time in his life he gets to just be a normal 12 year old boy? And as he goes on this adventure you can just see him become more human to the point he can't ever return to how he was at the beginning of the series. And to have that parallel with Gon (particularly in the Chimera Ant arc) where Gon is losing his humanity while Killua gains it?? UGH I want to give this kid a hug so bad I love him.

5. Riza Hawkeye (FMA)

On this list because she sent me into my first gay panic (at least, the first one I was consciously aware of LMAO). God, what a woman. She is incredibly hot but I do love her character as well. It's hard to talk about her without also talking about Roy (and vice versa) because they are just SO intertwined, but god if there were ever soulmates, it's maybe them. Just the level of respect and trust they have in each other is unlike anything I've ever seen, where they both are so haunted by their pasts but they keep each other going and are able to so easily rely on each other? Ugh they're just so amazing, and with Riza seeing how strong she is where her own father uses her to protect flame alchemy, and her just 100% trust in Roy to burn the tattoo?? Wowowowowow she just. She changed me.

6. Anatole (The Great Comet of 1812/War and Peace)

Ok so um. My big secret is that I'm a Musical person. I really don't talk about it much here lmao, but when I tell you I was like. Obsessed with the musical The Great Comet of 1812 for a solid two years that's no joke. Which is just. If you don't know a musical that adapts about 90 pages from the novel War and Peace (stick with me here). And my even bigger secret is that I'm obsessed with Anatole, who is the villain/antagonist. Um he's not even particularly deep I don't think, he just sucks. But he captured my heart by being a silly guy. This man is an arrogant piece of shit man but also kind of a coward, and him singing the line "Just as a duck is made to swim in water, God has made me as I am" to justify him cheating, I-...it changed something in me. Never before or after have I wanted to dissect a character's brain so much in my life. He's maybe the first silly villain that I just really loved lmao, maybe there's a Anatole -> Kenjaku pipeline (this pipeline only exists for me and no one else in this world).

7. Toph (Avatar the Last Airbender)

God choosing between Zuko and Toph was difficult for this entry, but I want to talk about Toph lmao. Just. What a unique and refreshing female character where I still think her writing is ahead of it's time. Just on the surface she's so fucking cool right. What an introduction where she's soloing all these musclehead earthbenders and putting grown men into the dirt. And such good representation of a disabled character where she's clearly not incapable and the things she can do well, she does really really well! But she is faced with the reality of needing help sometimes and she's not ashamed to ask for it, and I think there's this really good balance struck with her character between these two factors. I think she also just blends into the gaang seamlessly while also challenging them in new ways, and vice versa, and they really don't seem complete without her.

8. Eurydice (Hadestown)

Ok oooonnnnneee more musical character and this is definitely more justified lmao. Another big secret is that I love Greek mythology, was obsessed with it as a kid and still am. And Hadestown twisting the Orpheus and Eurydice story into this grim early 20th century industrialist/capitalist setting with jazz elements?? I'm a history major I'm such a BIG nerd for shit like this, and this is the best iteration of Eurydice to me. In the original myth, she gets sent to the underworld because a snake bites her, there isn't any agency to it, it's just bad luck essentially. In the musical, she CHOOSES to go down with Hades to the underworld, and that small thing does wonders for her character. She obviously loves Orpheus, but the fact is, she's going hungry and growing cold, and where before she would run away, she stayed for her love of Orpheus. And then Hades slips in to offer her food and shelter for the exchange of labor, and she leaves to the underworld, not realizing the colossal mistake she just made. She's such a flawed character but you understand why she makes the mistakes she does, and her character is just so incredibly human.

9. Mob (Mob Psycho 100)

This kiiiiiiid. God I love him. Apologies to Gojo but this is just the best instance of an "OP" character. This kid has busted ass psychic powers, powers that people literally worship. Unfortunately this doesn't save him from any of the horrors that middle school presents. He can't talk to his crush, he kinda sucks at sports, and he has little to no social skills. And on top of that he feels the need to suppress his emotions due to the consequences of his powers? GAHHH I just think Mob is maybe one of the relatable characters ever, you can be the best at something but that doesn't save you from the growing pains that being a teenager presents! And just his journey of self acceptance and kindness and love is so heartwarming to see, the way he resolves his insecurities throughout the series just healed something in me too.

10. Sophie Hatter (Howl's Moving Castle)

HMC isn't even my all time favorite Ghibli movie (top 3 though), but it's certainly the one I've gone back to the most and that's in large part due to Sophie. At the beginning of the movie, she certainly isn't in a bad place in life but there is this...melancholy? sadness? to her where it seems life is more happening to her and she has zero self esteem. When the curse is placed on her and then we can literally see her character journey and the ups and downs being reflected in her appearance, it's just so unique and realistic. It's so satisfying to see her start to actually live her life, to gain confidence in all of her various states, and how she helps both her new found family and how they help her as well. Another character where her development is just unmatched.

Thank you for sending this ask, I had a lot of fun rambling here <3

#asks

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irisviel101 · 9 months

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Thank you for still answering!

So, if you were to rank the teams from Metal Masters, who are your favorite to least favorites and why?

Sorry for the late response. I'm having exams these days so I haven't been all that active on Tumblr recently.

Gan Gan Galaxy: I mean, is this even a surprise? This is the team we see the most and spend the most time with; they're the most fleshed out and most of them have really good character arcs — Masamune and Tsubasa especially so. I also like how goofy each member of the team is and the way they interact with each other. It's endearing.

Wang Hu Zhong: I love this team so much. They're friendly rivals done right. This team has good characters and a good dynamic with Gan Gan Galaxy. Whenever the main cast needs help or even just some cheering up, Wang Hu Zhong is there. They show up for the Gan Gan Galaxy, unprompted, on no less than three occasions in just one season. First on Greece where they teach the gang how to work together better, than in America when the team needs an extra member and then after the tournament to celebrate Gan Gan Galaxy's victory. Not to mention, I also love how Gan Gan Galaxy makes sure to stick around and watch their match with Excalibur and support them even if they can't be there in person. And when they call to ask after Tsubasa after his fight with Demure and Benkei is also very sweet.

Excalibur: I love this team. Everything from their introduction to development was really well done in my opinion. Julian's character arc in particular is a delight to revisit every time I decide to rewatch Metal Masters, but even just Wales and Sophie slowly and subtly losing their pride and warming up to others and Klaus's honest respect for Masamune and his team is endearing enough.

Wild Fang: This team is the perfect blend of aloof and friendly, pretty much what you would expect from Kyoya's gang. Still, I love the dynamic amongst them, especially between Kyoya and Nile, and Nile and Demure. The only downside is that Benkei, while supportive as ever, was treated as a joke in this season.

Star Breaker: Thematically, Team Star Breaker is the perfect final antagonist for the tournament. Their introduction and the way the team is slowly built up — Zeo's complicated relationship with Masamune, Damian being slowly built up as a threat, Ziggurat's involvement with Ryuuga — is really cool, and it helps that they are crucial to the Hades Inc. arc that follows after the tournament. So, yeah, story wise, they're almost perfect. It's just that the only character we see get any development is Zeo. Damian is forgotten after his battle with Kyoya — his mental breakdown is as intriguing as it is disturbing to watch, but there is nothing to follow up on that. Jack has it slightly better since he actually returns in Metal Fury, but that appearance doesn't do much for him either. Zeo's character arc is awesome though, one of the best in the season I'd say.

Garcia: Team Garcia is, in theory, a great idea. Cheaters who had to learn throughout their lives that the only way they can get what they want and need is by playing dirty, going against the protagonists who see it as a disrespect to everything. I love how the members of Team Garcia use their lives to hand wave all of their horrible and unjust actions. On one hand, it's easy to see where they come from and you can hardly fault them for not wanting to starve on the streets. On the other, some of the things they do go beyond mere cheating. They beat up Yuu and leave him on the streets just to increase their chances of winning. They agree to work for Ziggurat of all people, though you can consider that Ziggurat is a master at manipulating people and these are children. Even Argo can barely be considered 18. That said, my only gripe is that the show treats them as unsympathetic villains throughout the season without anyone considering that hey, maybe they wouldn't do this stuff if they had any kind of financial security.

Lovushka: As much as I love Lera and Aleksei, this team doesn't really have much of a presence. Even in their own arc, while all the pieces are there for us to care about them, the writing treats their situation so flippantly and just brushes off the problem even after they lost the match that, really, it's kind of hard to form any deep connection to them. They're also the only ones to not return in the final arc, which goes to show how little importance they have in the gran scheme of things. They do return in Metal Fury, but while it's nice to see, it's a bit oddly placed.

I'm not counting Desert Blaze since, while I like the characters, we only see them for one episode where they get demolished by Julian.

#mfb #beyblade metal fight #metal fight beyblade #ask

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craske · 15 days

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I don't want to sound pretentious when i say all this (and this ended up being really long??), but i really do think you don't need to uphold your online presence so consciously, or even at all. There's nothing wrong with being "inactive" because trying to show up for everything is some sick standard social media made up. Maybe it might be difficult to uphold an idgaf personality, but i can say from my experience it could be better to try a little bit at a time. I can say that they really do mean it when you can have quiet admirers, from my experience all the more. Maybe they're too shy to put silly tags when they reblog or just put a like on your post. And I don't think you have to worry too much about sticking to one piece of media and be afraid the people following you won't like you anymore for posting different content. At most, I just believe they won't really care enough to unfollow you or stop engaging entirely. The most important thing to me is that you stick around doing the things you actually want to do, even if you're just showing up every month or so, or black out for a year or more. Because the people who do care will be overjoyed to see you whatever you post or share, especially when you come back after a long time. It really is discouraging when you don't see that actively, maybe because we're so used to seeing numbers that relate to our worth. But i like to imagine we're waving at each other from a distance or smiling through a window, as horrid as online landscapes can be nowadays. I know i'm running my mouth here but i just wanted to share my experience because i um. 🙋 also think youre really cool and awesome and i love whatever work you do and the fact you share it is an amazing thing enough i feel privelaged and youre humor is funny and whatever new stuff you post is just introducing me to things i'll also think is cool down the line and i really do wish i can share my appericiation more and evolve from being a quiet admirer /inhales/ 👍 i would say this is a sort of love letter from the gas station but i also mean it as kai 👋 i hope you're doing well in uni or that it gets better soon or in whatever it is youre doing now. and whether or not youre online, i hope youre doing the things you enjoy 🫶

okay i needed some time to figure out how to respond to this ask because theres a lot (in a /pos way dont worry) so ill start off with saying that i really really and i do mean it Really appreciate what you said here. Especially lately, ive been struggling with being active online outside of small spaces where there are just me and a few other people. might be me feeling overwhelmed when i say something into the void with a high chance of no response, though i wont fault anyone for that. i myself know interaction is scary so i do get it. ever since i started using the internet ive stuck to my small online bubbles so yeah interaction kind of intimidating online

and though i agree it does feel discouraging to sometimes see no feedback or much of a reaction, i try not to be bummed out about it myself because im also a silent admirer of many artists online. so like ive said before i do understand that sometimes people are shy and dont interact directly and theres no pressure really to change that. just the idea that there are people that like what i make is really nice, even though i suffer from the same issue that maaany other artists have and i need to actively remind myself of that.

about sticking to one fandom its a very recent but big issue to me because ive been DEEP in the persona pit for like 4 years, and i certainly built an audience around that. i know there will always be people that stick around no matter what but despite that theres always that nagging feeling that maaybe things will crumble. obviously thats not true but human mind fucking SUCKS

as the final note ill say it again that your message means a lot to me and i thank you a lot for it <333 im soo flattered by your words and they made my past two days, thank you soo much

#as for uni im almost done with it!!#wowzers masters degree i will kill myself tho bc idk what to do after it #but thats an issue for the future me i guess!!!#anyway again thank you so much your message was really sweet and meant a lot to me #im sorry i dont reach out much like i said interaction online is soo scary and also insanely difficult lately?? it sucks #as the twitter users say thank you oomfie <3 #ask #k4ik4yk04 #long post

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yorshie · 2 months

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🌸🐝🏜️☁️🐚🧸?

Hello Nonnie! I'm sorry these sat for a few days, but thank you for sending in an ask!

do you have any pets? If you do, post some pictures of them!

I do not have any pets currently, so sorry! While I will confess I should probably get one to help with anxiety and missing snuggles, I just haven't met a dog or cat that was right for my family yet.

Tag your biggest supporters and say one nice thing about them

My biggest supporters are the Turtle Fam, both my moots and the gremlins in the trash pile. Really, I never thought I'd have people to cheer my writing and tmnt art on, and I'm so thankful (still a little baffled too to be honest) that you guys like my writing this much. I'm not gonna tag all my moots but even if I don't speak directly to them, they're part of the reason (a very big part) I have so much fun creating.

what's your favorite type of comment to receive on your work?

Really any comment, I know different people are comfortable with different things. The fact that there are comments at all fills me with such joy, whether they're in my ask box or on the fic itself

what made you choose your username?

Oh! My username came from a book called The Last Dragon! It's the name of the main character and is one of my favorite books! I still double take when someone calls me Yorsh or Yorshi though lol, because I'm so used to thinking of it in regards to the character Yorshkrunsquarklejolnerstrink (which. fun fact, was my name for like two weeks on here before I switched to the shortened version lol)

do you like or dislike surprises?

Hm irl surprises, no, because I find they are hardly ever good surprises. Surprises in fanfic/stories/games/etc I love them as long as they're carefully thought out and make sense! Doesn't matter if they're good or "bad" surprises lol

whats the fastest way to become your mutual?

Have an active TMNT blog (artist or writer, doesn't matter) lol. I'm a bit slow and I like to let ppl stick around for a little bit before I follow them because I get shy, but yea that's the main type of blog I follow. I have no idea how I got so many mutuals so fast (that is a blatant lie. Thank you Sam) but yeah, I don't usually check out tags but if I see fanfic or art that's how I usually find new people. And I look at everyone that follows me. If I see something cool or just see someone having fun, chances are I'll follow.

thank you for asking!

#ask away!

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barkspawn · 1 year

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A shy farmer that hates eye contact and flirtatious Sam telling them to look at him and tilting their chin😍

Why did I have so much fun with this one lmao

Best supporting role goes to Abigail.

Amelia and Sam were inseparable. Since the first week in town, they clicked immediately. Even Abigail and Sebastian had started to open up around her recently. They'd all play Solarian Chronicles once a week and go to the saloon every Friday where Sebastian always kicked Sam's ass at pool.

Sam had tried recently to show her how to play. It was early and Sebastian and Abigail hadn't shown up yet. Amelia had gotten flustered and changed the subject away from pool though; Sam had stood behind her, his hands on hers on the stick, his body right against hers, and his face was just next to hers. She could smell the ale he had taken a sip of mixed with the hint of sandalwood and sea water from his cologne. She had to step away before she turned into a human tomato. She was certain she was already blushing. And that was the problem. Sure, they'd hug or he'd give her piggy back rides. Hell, they even danced together at the flower dance.

She realized she had feelings for Sam.

He'd always been a little flirty, little quips here and there, eyebrow wiggles, winks, you name it. At least she thinks he always had. She never complained.

Tonight as she got ready to go to the saloon, she found herself actively trying to look cute. She settled on a dark red sundress and some black flats. She had at least 2 hours before she had to be there so she did what she never, ever did: she flat ironed her hair. Her hair was very wavy and not only was it thick, but she had a lot of it. It took nearly the entire two hours. Her hair looked to be a good 4 inches longer. She parted half of it, separating the upper half into a messy bun. It was a style she often used, but she had to admit: it was cute with straight hair.

Hurriedly, she applied some eyeliner and mascara before running out of the door. She'd definitely make it on time but nevertheless she worried.

What the fuck am I doing dressing up? They're gonna know its something. She huffed, running her fingers through the straight part of her hair over her shoulder. Maybe I just wanted to look nice. For me.

She slowed as she approached the saloon, Abigail coming out of her dad's store and practically sneaking up behind her.

"Well look at you! What's the occasion?" Abigail prodded, a knowing smirk playing at her lips. Pretending not to notice, Amelia opened the door for her, gesturing to head in.

"No occasion. It's just been a long time since I wore… well not farm clothes. I wanted to be cute, that's all," she over-explained, Abigail's smirk undeniable now.

As she passed Amelia at the door, she whispered, "wanted to look cute for Sam, hmm?" She laughed as she walked into the saloon and straight back to the arcade. Amelia's face was on fire with a blush, her expression absolutely shocked. She snapped out of it and chased Abigail. "What? Why would you think that I'm trying to look cute for S-"

"Sam, hey!" Abigail waved, making Amelia turn, thankful for the save. Sam had walked in, followed by Sebastian shortly after. He waved at Abigail before his eyes fell on Amelia. He raised an eyebrow and let out a low whistle.

"Damn, Ames," he started, looking her up and down. He had caught up, Sebastian still at the bar counter to order everyone a drink, "look at you! I must say, red is definitely your color."

Well, good, because my face has been red all night so far.

"Shut up," she laughed, pushing his arm playfully. She caught Abigails eye, who was still smirking subtly and raised an eyebrow. Sebastian was walking up, handing out the drinks. Amelia took her glass, one of the Stardop's signature cocktails, The Big Bang. It was certainly strong and given the first few minutes, she would need it. She raised the glass a bit to thank Sebastian, who gave a nod in turn.

"Yeah.. I'm gonna go win Junimo Kart now," Abigail took her drink and walked over to the machine. Sebastian had started to set up the game while Sam stood by Amelia. She swore she saw him stealing glances at her.

"You wanna give it a shot tonight? I'd say your form was pretty good last week," he teased, an air of cautiousness hinting in his tone. It was like he didn't know if she was upset by it. She nearly choked on her drink as Abigail laughed aloud, pretending it was the game. Even Sebastian had the shadow of a smile.

Is there some joke I'm missing…? Did Sam tell everyone how I stopped practicing once he got too close?

"I think I'm good. We've already got you to get your ass handed to you."

Sebastian actually laughed at that, Sam pretending to stumble off to the other side of the pool table, hand over his heart, "you wound me!" To which she smiled and rolled her eyes dramatically.

The night went on as usual. She was almost certain that Sam was stealing glances at her. Her hair had begun to wave a bit in the warmth inside. Abigail resigned to sitting on the couch and Amelia stood against the wall by the pool table watching the boys. Amelia was pleasantly buzzed and she noticed Sam was too. Neither of them were drunk per se. Sebastian had one drink and resigned to water. Abigail was definitely tipsy, playing some game on her phone.

"I'm gonna go smoke," Sebastian sighed after Sam was a little too close to being not-horrible for this game. Sam came over and leaned against the wall beside her, much closer than normal.

He went to make some joke, but was cut off by a drunk Shane yelling across the room, "lookin' good, farmer. Should wear dresses more often!"

There was an awkward silence as some people tried to see what she was wearing and others were grossed out by the outburst, "Thanks Shane."

She called back, glancing up at Sam who had no trace of his usual smile. She finished off her drink and set it on the table to the side before giving Sam a bump with her hip, snapping him out of whatever thought he was having. He looked down at her before bumping her back, "what's that all about?" He asked as he did so.

"You seemed to be in quiet contemplation. You alright?" She kept her voice just low enough that only the two of them could hear.

He rolled one of his shoulders in a shrug before glancing back over at Shane, "just kind of awkward, I guess. I feel like I'd know if you two were a thing."

Her cheeks grew red once more. Damn it. She wanted to throw back some flirty comeback, but she wasn't sure if she could.

But why not? He did all of the time.

"It sounds like you'd be jealous if we were, Samson," she spoke, the courage she had waning as she realized how not only Abigail heard her, but Sebastian had as well. He had just returned, one eyebrow raised at the out of character remark. She couldn't even fathom looking at Sam right now. She heard him give a small laugh, but took the two empty glasses on the table and turned for the bar, hopefully keeping up her chill facade.

Literally everyone in the group heard you insinuate Sam wants you. Idiot. He's gonna be freaked.

She set the glasses on the bar, smiling in return to a compliment from Leah about her hair, "hey Gus. Another round, but I'll be back in a few, so no rush," she started, gesturing to the door that led to the private suites, "mind if I use the private room to make a call?"

"Of course! No ones back there tonight."

She smiled but turned, walking through the door and stopped at the doorway to the room.

Locked.

He'd probably forgotten that he locked it.

The hallway is secluded at least.

She leaned back against the wall around the corner, facing away from the bar door. She took a deep breath.

Relax. It's Sam. He jokingly flirts all of the time. He was just surprised you did too.

She took another deep breath as she heard the door from the pub open, "Ames? You back here?" Sam called, stopping when he saw her, though he smiled, "hey, saw you come back here. Are you feeling alright?"

She couldn't quite look at him, her eyes falling on the pattern of the carpet, "yeah, I'm fine. Just felt a little dizzy. Too much to drink I guess," she shrugged, eyes unmoving. He walked over to stand in front of hee, his hands coming to rest on her arms.

"You don't get drunk off of two drinks," he started, her eyes now falling on the pattern of his shirt. Her face was still warm, but whether it be from the blushing or the alcohol, she had no idea. He continued, his voice low, "is it about your joke?"

She bit her lower lip, a tell-tale sign that she was reluctant to respond. She flinched as he chuckled, "Ames, it's fine. I'm just surprised because I've never heard you joke like that. It's usually my thing."

She laughed, though her smile still didn't meet her eyes, "I guess I just get into my own head.. but you know me. I tend to be a little over dramatic."

"Well, you're not wrong," he said, carefully though humor laced his tone. He took a breath, for the first time she noticed seeming a bit nervous. She looked up at his face as he thought. After a long moment, he moved one of his hands to the back of his neck, something he often did. With a quiet chuckle, he continued, "you weren't wrong, you know. I probably would have been a bit jealous," he paused, "okay, a lot jealous."

She stared up at him, unsure if she heard him right. Once again, her cheeks burned. She looked down, not able to formulate a proper thought, "oh, I uh, well.." she rambled nervously.

He took a second before he spoke, "hey, look at me.." his voice quiet as he moved his finger under her chin, guiding her gaze back to his. His face was red too. She really did love his eyes, how vivid they are. The simple action of tilting her head upward had released a circus of butterflies through her body.

It took her a second, but she became very aware of how close he was. Before she could respond, he started again, his voice barely a whisper and his eyes locked on hers, "I'm pretty sure I love you, Ames."

If her mind was scattered before, it was rioting now. She lifted her hand to run the pad of her thumb over his jawline, which he leaned in to. Her other hand coming to rest over his collarbone.

Say it, you dummy. You feel it too.

She opened her mouth to talk but was silenced by the look on his face. His eyes flicked down to her lips in a silent request for permission. She barely finished nodding before he pressed his lips to hers in a very gentle kiss. His hand had moved to hold her cheek, the other resting on her waist.

It wasn't like any first kiss she'd shared. He was kissing her almost as if she'd shatter if he pressed too hard. He moved slowly, as if every time their lips met as important as the last.

She had to stand on her toes to reach him, so inevitably, when her legs ached, she pulled back, her hands moving to rest on his chest, absently toying with the pocket of his shirt before she spoke, breathless, "I'm pretty sure I love you too, Sam."

The resulting smile was enough to start the butterflies up again. She couldn't stop herself from smiling in return. He stepped back after a second, "while I would love nothing more than to stay here and continue this, they're gonna lose their minds if we don't go back.

Playfully, she pouted before it faded to a smile. She moved, kissing his cheek once more before heading toward the door.

"Wait, Ames," he started, catching her attention just before she opened the door for them to return, "you really do look beautiful."

She smiled, her blush less because of nervousness and more because of the compliment.

She thanked him before they went to gather the drinks and head back to Sebastian and Abigail, taking their places against the wall.

Abigail rolled her eyes as they came into earshot, "you guys done making out? Sam has to lose so I can play."

It was clear she was joking but, while they weren't making out per se, they didn't respond. Abigail and Sebastian shared a look before noting the close proximity between Sam and Amelia.

"Oh, yeah," he looked down at Amelia for a moment, "did I not mention that Ames and I are dating?" She laughed and moved to rest her head on his shoulder, "yeah. I knew there was something between us, so," he gestured between them, "dating."

Abigail laughed out loud after a long moment before looking at Amelia and shaking her head, "I fuckin' called it!"

#shut up tori #barkspawn #sdv #stardew valley #fanfic #sdv sam #stardew valley sam #sam sdv #sam stardew valley #samson #oh look a one-shot #barkspawn oneshot

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