#sorry for being away so long things are exhausting en

[bettsfic]

today is my birthday! i’m 33 today and i have done an ungodly amount of stupid shit in my life that honestly probably should have gotten me killed. so here are 33 hard-won things i’ve learned that i wish someone had told me sooner.

whenever you buy an object, you are going to own that object for your entire life unless you make the conscious decision to throw it away or give it a new home. maybe other people don’t struggle with this as much as i do, but i’ve grown to become a little exhausted by finding a thing and realizing i don’t want it anymore, but i don’t have the energy or motivation to do anything with it. signed, a woman with a packed 10x10 storage unit who is now extremely hesitant to buy new things.

food, and by that i mean good food (and by that i don’t necessarily mean healthy food, but food of good quality that you love), is necessary to live, and buying it, preparing it, and eating it is not a chore. the sooner you accept this and make food a priority in your life, the healthier you’ll be. 

speaking of food, not everything you buy should be the cheapest version of it. personally i’ve found it’s always worth it to splurge on good olive oil, butter, and canned tomatoes. for years i thought i was an awful cook because i was cooking with cheap, disgusting olive oil that made my food taste like shit.

speaking of food part 2, i can’t BELIEVE how long this took me to figure out, but mise en place is the real real. get your shit out and organized and prepped *before* you start cooking, even if it makes things take longer. and yes, it is always worth it to do the dishes as you go, which pisses me off.

when i was teaching myself how to cook and feeling daunted about it, the best advice i ever got was to aim to learn 15 recipes and then put them in rotation.

this is the most horrific and awful truth i have forced myself to accept: there may come a day you can no longer digest your favorite foods, and you will either have to stop eating them, or remain very close to a toilet. i’m sorry.

other people are always going to misperceive you and misunderstand you, sometimes willfully. other people’s opinions of you don’t actually have anything to do with you. they’re not your business, and you don’t have to worry about it or change yourself.

when innocuous or neutral things make you irrationally angry or upset, step back, realize you’re having a big reaction, and then when you’re ready, pay very close attention to the thing that upset you, because you’re about to learn something important about yourself.

a pill sorter can save your life. i don’t know how i managed my meds without one.

sometimes college is about learning stuff, and not about becoming something.

no matter how many perfectionist tendencies you have, it’s worth it to remind yourself that no matter how much of a mess you actually are, you deserve to be loved.

if you’re always forgetting to do important but tedious things, set an alarm and set aside one hour of each week, not to do the important tedious things, but to assess what needs to be done, and *schedule* the important tedious things for the following week. this literally changed my life.

during that hour, make a meal plan too. the point of doing this is condense the time in which you’re making decisions (what to do, what to eat, etc) so you don’t have to burden yourself with them throughout the week. decision fatigue is real. any way you can alleviate that is a good thing.

learn the difference between aggressive, passive, passive-aggressive, and assertive behavior. recognize when you’re being one of the first three, re-assess and aim for being assertive, even if it’s hard.

you can tell you’ve processed trauma, not when the traumatic thing stops upsetting you to think about, but when the traumatic thing takes up the same size in your brain as all your other memories.

if you’re one of those people who never seems to finish projects or follow through with things, there’s a chance you may just grow out of it naturally. until then, follow your interests and don’t feel bad about putting down a hobby to pick up another.

if you love stickers but have sticker anxiety, buy vinyl stickers. you can re-stick them.

there are only a few careers i can think of that you have to commit to early in life because getting the undergraduate credentials is a pain in the ass (teachers, doctors, and engineers, from my research). nearly everything else you can switch to later, which takes a LOT of pressure off having to figure out what you want to do with your life.

people say there’s no money in becoming an artist, writer, musician, etc. actually there’s a ton of money in all of those things, it’s just in the stuff other people want you to make and never what you want to make. it’s still worth it to develop the creative skill and not force yourself into business school because it’s more “practical” or whatever. 

sleep when you’re tired. SLEEP WHEN YOU’RE TIRED. don’t beat yourself up about it, don’t tell yourself you shouldn’t be tired or that you’ve already slept too much, just take a fucking nap. you would never say “hm i’ve already had enough water today, therefore i should not be thirsty” so don’t treat sleep the same way.

when you build a piece of furniture from target or ikea or whatever, the first thing you should do is count all the little screws and things to make sure everything’s there that should be. it sucks to get halfway into putting something together only to find there’s a piece missing and you have to go buy it.

learn to travel by yourself, go out to eat by yourself, see a movie by yourself. in my early 20s i was scared to do these things, but i do them so often now i don’t even think about it. it’s the most fulfilling skill i’ve ever learned.

adding to the above, if you’re a people-pleaser, being alone is especially important, because you’ve probably developed the habit of making the people you’re with more comfortable and happy than yourself, and you’re missing a lot of the beautiful and interesting things around you. when you’re by yourself, you can focus on what *you* want without guilt. 

sometimes you’ll want to break things off with a friend for reasons that are no one’s fault, and you don’t want it to be volatile or make a big thing of it, in which case the goal is to simply fade out of their life. it is okay to let people go.

shame is useless. get rid of it.

no matter how much of yourself you put into your art (or writing, or music, or whatever), when people criticize it, they are not criticizing you. they are having a reaction colored by their own tastes and perspectives. their opinion of your work has nothing to do with you. you don’t have to take everyone’s feedback. in fact you don’t have to take anyone’s feedback. the other side to this coin unfortunately is that compliments don’t have anything to do with you either. it’s good to accept this because it means you’ll stop seeking validation from other people and won’t let anyone else’s perspectives impact your work. anything nice anyone says about your work is merely a bonus to an already good thing.

if you’re an artist of any kind, take one day a year to look up opportunities like grants, funding, residencies, workshops, whatever. put the due dates of all of them on a calendar for the year following and get into the habit of applying for stuff. getting rejected sucks, application fees suck, but in all the years i’ve been doing this, it has always, always been worth it. these things give you a chance not only to help fund and support what you’re passionate about, but they force you to take your own work seriously, and that is something that’s absolutely necessary in order to be successful.

you must become your own greatest advocate. in all respects--in health, in love, in happiness, in freedom, you must. no one will ever fight as hard for you as you will. this in turn will give you the strength and motivation to help others fight for themselves too. the only way the world will ever get better is if every person on this planet learns to see themselves as equals to everyone around them.

brag about yourself as often as you can. for one, people develop their perceptions of you based on how you treat yourself and speak about yourself. but for two, it’s the fastest way to figure out which people to keep in your life, because they’re the ones who are going “oh hell yeah, you’re awesome.” 

be the person other people want to brag to.

at some point in your life, someone is going to hurt you, and it’s going to be willful and intentional. it is not worth it to waste brain space figuring out why they did it or why you think you deserved it. all you have to do is let yourself feel that pain, acknowledge it, and try to move on.

no matter how bad off you think you are, recovery is possible. the first and hardest step is to learn you’re worth the time and effort it takes to recover from the awful things that have happened to you.

developing an expertise does not mean you’re getting objectively better at something. becoming an expert is only the process of seeing your mistakes and having the patience to sit in the discomfort of not knowing how to fix them.    

#writing advice

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Made For Him X

Warnings: this fic includes dark content including rape/noncon, blood and gore, violence, death, grief, and other potential triggering elements. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: Peter finds himself alone after the loss of those around him, so he decides to find a cure to his grief.

Characters: Peter Parker

Note: I'm sorry it's been so long.

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. Thanks to everyone who reads this one and thank you for all your energy.

Love you all like Garfield loves lasagna. Take care. 💖

The Creation

The night swathed you in moonlight. The silver gleam held your eye through the open window, the noise of the ocean crashing in from the shore. Behind you, he snored. Deep snorts and long exhales. A rhythm that unsettled you. A peace he stole from you.

He kept telling you it would feel better. That you could enjoy it too. But you didn’t. Not when he tried again. And again. And again.

It still hurt. Your insides ached and your thighs were raw from the friction. Your eyes were still wet and would not dry, no matter how much you wiped them. You could not sleep. You found that task as difficult as ever.

You rose and looked at Peter. His naked torso was pale above the tangled blanket. You remembered his strength, him pinning you to the bed even as you writhed and told him how much it hurt. Did he not hear you? Did he not believe you?

You touched between your legs. It was still slimy there. An odd sensation you disliked. You went into the bathroom and washed yourself. That only made the pain worse.

You put on a nightgown and left Peter to sleep alone. He was your friend, your best friend. You loved him, but you felt something else. Something you couldn’t name.

The tablet was where he left it. You picked it up and exited the video he made you watch. It was worse than in the movie. That woman seemed happy, you didn’t fell happy.

You sat and winced as your own weight sent a pang up through your body. You eased yourself against the armrest, letting the pressure off your bottom, and curled up as you cradled the tablet and looked for a movie to watch. You stopped at Casablanca but before you could click, you saw another movie above.

You focused as you sounded out the words; the other movies you know mostly by the pictures. ‘The Br-ide…of… Frank-en-steen.’ You tilted your head. You’d never heard of that before. The cover was black and white and a scared looking woman with tall hair looked out at you. 

A bride? Would you marry Peter now? He said he loved you and you loved him. He kissed you and did other things with you. You would ask him tomorrow.

You hit play, curious to know who Frankenstein was and why his bride seemed so frightened. You leaned the tablet in its case on the table and nestled down with a pillow. Your body was heavy from what he did. From what you did. 

The movie was confusing. There was a dead man who turned out to be alive and a monster with a squared head. Men take a woman’s body from a grave and tell the monster she will be his mate. You watched, unnerved but bound by the storm raging. The Doctor worked to put together a woman from the dead.

You sat up. You could not look away. The woman in her bandages was slowly unveiled. You felt the scars around your body; the stitched at shoulder and wrist, around your neck. As the bride is revealed, your world was bared fully before you. You knocked over the tablet as your chest knotted tightly.

You lumbered around the room and turned on the light. You looked at the square mirror hung by the door. You examined your face and the scarring all over you. How your scalp didn’t match the rest of your head. It could not be true. You were being foolish.

You pulled away your hands and looked at them. These were always your hands. They were always this big. Never small like a child’s. You were never a child. You don’t remember being small. You only remember being like that. 

A crack of thunder rolled through the sky and shook you. You pulled your hands down to your sides and watched the windows light up. You were never a child. You were not a woman. You were not like Peter. You were what he made you.

He made you.

He made you. 

You backed up as the eerie music plucked from the tablet, distant from the front room. You spun, afraid, of yourself, of this world. Who were you? What were you? A monster! A monster!

Why would he do that? Why would he curse you? Why would he make you this hideous thing? Why would he make you only to cause you pain? 

You turned to the door and ripped it open. You did not think before you dashed out into the darkness. You did not stop or even try to. You ran and ran and ran. Away from Peter and his lies.

🌙

You chased the sunlight. The morning came bright and yellow as you stumbled upon the outskirts of pale buildings with square tops and long windows. You’d never seen anywhere like that yourself. You’d only seen towns and cities on the screen. There was only the house on the shore. That was all you’d ever known. All that Peter ever let you know.

You walked along a street and took in the sights. A man emerged from a door and didn’t seem to notice you passing. A dog ran around in a fenced yard and you watched him pick up a stick. You went closer and reached your hand out to offer a pet. The animal sniffed and retreated as if struck. You recoiled and carried on.

A woman and a stroller passed. You noticed how she looked at you. You must have looked odd. No shoes and all.

You heard voices trailing you and turned to see a group of three following you. They stared and spoke in low tones. You kept going, turning your head to see all that you could. You didn’t know where to go next. You didn’t have anywhere to go. You only knew Peter and he would be mad to find you gone. And you are mad at him too. Yes, that is how you felt; mad.

You got further and heard more voices. A wall that seemed to surround you. The street opened up and you found rows of booths, vendors selling fruit and trinkets, as people mill about. It was just like a film!

You rushed forward to look at a shiny display. Rings set on cushions and long golden chains sparkling in the sunlight. A shadow shifted above you and you looked up at the man. He spoke in a language you don’t understand. As he saw your face, he stepped back and his mouth fell open.

You frowned and he just gaped. You looked to the other man behind the same table and he made a motion with his hand, muttering low on his breath. You turned and saw the three strangers who followed you there.

You shook your head and continued to the next booth. There you received a similar reaction. A woman cried out and a child blubbered. You touched your face then tore your hands away to examine your skin.

Hideous creature! 

You spun and looked around you at the faces, at the bodies closing in, words you couldn’t understand. Coming towards you, circling you, like in that movie. You remembered how they shot the monster after he saved that girl. No, no, no.

A woman touched your arm and you howled. You shoved her away, shrieking as you batted away another hand. They talked to you in their twisted words, their strange language. You backed up until you hit the booth. Cornered, you searched frantically for an exit.

You grabbed the edge of the table and pushed back. It scraped on the ground and moved as you stepped back on your heels. Your terror mounted and all at once, you turned and threw the table away from you. It flew over the heads of the vendors and landed against a car.

The crowd went silent. They stared, terrified. Of you!

You shielded yourself with one arm and fell into step. You ran and ran without looking back, ashamed, scalded by their rejection. You didn’t want to hurt anyone. You just wanted to look.

The Creator

He stretched his arm out, disappointed to find an empty bed. His eyes opened slowly, staring at the yellow plaster above. He spent months on the solution, on making sure he never woke up alone, and here was.

He planted his hands and pushed himself up. The curtains stirred with the morning breeze, the scent of the sea drifting in. Naked still, he rose and covered himself with a pair of linen boxers. 

He paused as memories of the night before came to him. He gripped the doorframe before he could pass through as his pelvis squeezed at the thought of her around him. She felt amazing. The perfect fit for him. Maybe she could make it up to him. After all, she did leave him all alone.

As Peter reached the top of the stairs, he heard an odd shrill music. Instrumentals that make the soul uneasy. He descended to the first floor expecting to see her through the open archway, watching one of her films. He followed the melody and found the tablet on the floor.

He bent to pick it up and read the title card above the button, ‘watch again’. The Bride of Frankenstein. His heart plummeted. He flipped the case closed, locking the tablet and muting the music. No, even if she watched it, she wouldn’t figure it out. She couldn’t.

He dropped the tablet on the sofa as he went back into the hallway. The door is ajar, just an inch or so, letting in a slat of sunlight that shines blindingly against the mirror. He stumbles forward and rips the door back all the way. He sees the remnants of footsteps in the dirt. No, no! Where could she go? She couldn’t have gotten far.

He retreated inside. He would have to go find her. He was faster, he knew this world better, she couldn’t get far. He sprinted up the stairs and dressed. He tidied his hair and sat to tie his shoes. He grabbed the phone he hid in the safe. It flashed with an alert. The ones he always swept away and ignored.

‘Attention Avengers. Anomaly in Lerici. Call to investigate.’

Shit. How long had she been gone? It didn’t matter, it was long enough to draw attention. He unlocked the phone and tapped the notification. It brought up a case file and a video. He could tell by the angle it was taken on a cellphone.

Fuck! His creation, his precious, was there, panicked and terrified. She pushed through a table and stormed away, her movement clumsy but overpowered. People screamed and swore. They thought she was a monster. She wasn’t. Not to him.

He took a breath. There at the bottom of the alert, a checkmark stood beside the words; responder deployed. That meant Peter was on the clock. He had to find her before whoever they sent did. Well, he was here and they had to get there.

Besides, Spidey was always good at finding where the trouble was.

#peter parker #dark peter parker #dark!peter parker #peter parker x reader #fic #dark fic #dark!fic #series #au #horro au #frankenstein #made for him #spider-man #avengers #mcu #marvel

[oh-surprise-its-me]

Roy/Jamie prompt: Pirate AU. Jamie is being shipped to a loveless arranged marriage to Rupert or some other awful jerk. En route his ship is attacked by the dreaded pirate Captain Roy Kent and his crew. Roy's expecting a whiny, arrogant little rich kid to hold for ransom. Instead Jamie is fearless and doesn't give Roy an inch no matter what Roy threatens him with. At one point, Roy bluffs that he's whip Jamie proper, only for Jamie to tear his shirt off and reveal that his father's already left plenty of marks. Jamie eventually earns his place as part of Roy's crew, and more importantly, as husband to the dread Captain Kent himself.

If there’s something I love more then vampires it’s pirates. I absolutely can do this.

*Jamie’s mom is dead in this au because there’s no way she would ever let her baby be sold*

Jamie is furious. He’s worth so much more then just 500 gold pieces. At the very least 2000, he’s hot. He knows it.

He slams his fists on the locked door. It still doesn’t give. Jamie collapses back onto the cot they tossed at him. He figures he’ll catch a few more hours of sleep.

Jamie is just about to drift off when there’s screaming. He hears a new voice. A deep voice.

Jamie can hear it through the wood of the door so he must be close. “Unlock this now.”

The door swings open. Jamie stares up.

The man is gorgeous. The captain of their ship is standing behind him. A cruel laugh escapes the caption’s lips, “you’re in for it now Tartt.”

Jamie glares at him. The dark haired man gestures and he is dragged away. Jamie blinks. Oh. The man bends down to look at Jamie. He glances around the small room and sees all the clothing Rupert had sent.

“Pretty rich boy here should get us a nice ransom. Take him. I’m your new owner for the time being.” The man stands and gives a fake bow, “Roy Kent. At your service.”

Jamie shrieks. He’s heard stories. He knows who this is. He’ll not move unless he wants to thank you. Two men come toward him. They try to grab him but he bites them. He gets smacked by Roy. He’s been hit harder many times but it was unexpected. “Stop it boy. Be good. Let them carry you or I will.”

Jamie lightly struggles once again but let’s the two men carry him this time. As they leave the ship he looks at the bodies. Jamie can’t honestly say he feels bad for them, they all said horrid things they wanted to do to him. What Rupert would allow them to do.

He shudders without meaning to. The man on his right laughs, “cold princess?” Jamie slams his head into the man’s nose. Blood starts pouring out.

“Oi!” Jamie freezes. Fuck.

“Sink their ship then we need to teach princess here a lesson in manners.”

Jamie sighs. He looks at the man he head butted, his nose is probably broken. He feels a bit bad because the man was just following orders. But oh well.

They toss him into a cell. It’s going to be a long trip.

-

They’ve yell at him, dump cold water on him. Roy has threatened to take away his clothing. To shave his head. Jamie refuses to break.

He won’t do it.

He thinks the captain is slowing getting a bit of respect for Jamie.

Until that night.

It’s just the two of them again, Roy has a whip in his hand, he taps it against the bars. “I’ll make you talk with this. Final chance Tartt.”

Jamie laughs. He can’t help it.

He strips off his shirt and turns around. There’s an inhale of air. “You can’t do worse then what my old man did. Go ahead and try if you can find space.”

Theres utter silence from Roy.

Jamie spins around. He knows the front isn’t as bad but there’s still marks. Mostly from cigar burns.

“I’m sorry.”

Jamie thinks maybe he hit his head. “You’re what?”

Roy tosses the whip across the ship. “Sorry. I shouldn’t of made assumptions. They never get people places. Never got me anywhere.”

Jamie nods. He can understand that. Roy reaches forward and unlocks the cage. “Let’s talk. Come to my cabin. You can have clean clothes.”

Now Jamie knows it might be dumb but he’s exhausted, wet, and starving. He shrugs and picks up his shirt. He doesn’t care who sees his scars.

As they make their way up to the cabin they pass people, Colin, the man who’s nose Jamie broke, gasps when he sees his back.

It makes Jamie smile. He’s always loved shocking people.

Roy gestures for him to go into the cabin. It’s warmer. Jamie picks up a loaf of bread and bites into it.

Roy stares at him for a second before getting clothing. He passes it over. “It’ll be big it’s mine. We’ll try and find some in your size.” Jamie nods. Seems like the captain might like him. Interesting.

Jamie could start to like the captain.

10 months later it’s not just Roy who is feared, the blond who is now constantly seen at his side is always spoke of along with Roy’s name.

They say his name is Jamie Kent. He rescues people in trouble or from abusive marriages. They say he gutted his owner once Roy freed him. Those are just rumors though. The man who was supposed to marry Jamie actually went missing months before.

What no one really knows though is Rupert’s head made a lovely proposal gift. How could Jamie ever say no to that.

#ted lasso #jamie tartt #roy kent #jamie x roy #royjamie #jamie tartt x roy kent #pirate au #thanks for the ask !! #I hope you like it!

[crissiebaby]

The Padded Palace Act IV: Chapter 5

DISCLAIMER: This story contains diaper usage, crossdressing, inappropriate language, humiliation, masturbation/diaper sex, and other ABDL themes. I hope you enjoy!

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“H-How am I feeling?” said Connor in a hushed tone, repeating Riri’s question back to her dumbfounded. However, it wasn’t long before his befuddlement soon gave way to annoyance, “You called me over here…in the middle of the night…to ask how I’m feeling? Tired, sore, and a little hungry to answer your question.” His eyes glazed over near the tail end of his sentence; a product of his exhaustion. Sliding his butt back, he leaned against the bars of the crib and sighed to quill his accelerated heart rate.

Lowering her head, Riri wasn’t off to the greatest of starts. “Sorry, I thought you might wanna talk about stuff. It was a lot to throw at you in a single night. And while Miss Big upstairs would love to think of herself as a capable caregiver, she doesn’t know the first thing about genuine aftercare,” she said, dropping all pretense of being Little despite their attire and surroundings.

As Riri’s words sank in, Connor could feel the pressure radiating off her inquisitive stare, compelling him to take another stab at her inaugural question, “Okay…okay, how am I feeling?” Resting his head between a pair of crib bars, he could practically feel the blood pooling in his cheeks as his brain relentlessly cycled through the event of his first AB slumber party. “It’s kinda hard to put into words. I want to say I feel…ridiculous? No, that doesn’t feel quite right. Um…what about you? How are you feeling?”

“Nuh-uh, no shifting subjects,” said Riri, scrunching her lips into a judgmental pout as she shook her head, “Answer the question, or I’ll see to it Ellie wakes up. Then you’ll be in real trouble.”

Connor peered over his shoulder at Ellie in response to Riri’s ultimatum. Narrowing his eyes playfully, he knew his hands were tied. “Fine, fine. I’ll talk. Just let me think for a second,” he said, buying himself some time to come up with an answer that would please Riri. He wasn’t sure what she was fishing for but it was clear as day that she had something on her mind. Was she gauging his interest in ABDL for future play sessions? The answer to that should be pretty apparent by this point. Although, he supposed making him blush as he owned up to his newfound interests was probably the point, “Okay, I don’t suppose I can deny it anymore…”

Riri’s diaper crinkled as she leaned forward, excited to hear what Connor was about to say. As much as she wanted to keep a lid on her reaction, she couldn’t help that her anticipation was growing too rapidly to control. She sank her teeth into her bottom lip, desperate to suppress herself for Connor’s sake. He didn’t need any more craziness on this night.

“...Okay, here it is…” said Connor, sucking in air sharply through his nose, “...I think I have a diaper fetish.”

*SLAP!*

Riri’s palm immediately made contact with her forehead, her self-flagellation filling Connor with concern and confusion. Perhaps she had expected too much without any sort of prompting, though it wasn’t as if she could just ask him outright. That was a big no-no that often led to impulsive answers. Her hand slowly descended her face, stretching her skin as she snickered in awe, “Oh, wow? Really? I NEVER would’ve guessed. Tell me, did you figure that one out on your own or was it sometime during the ten or so orgasms you had?” She knew sarcasm probably wasn’t putting the best foot forward but she just couldn’t resist.

No surprise, Connor’s redness increased twofold. “S-Shush it! You’re the one who asked me-MMMM!” he shouted, his defense halted by a pair of soft hands pressing into his mouth and cheeks. He briefly wanted to shove her hands away on instinct but quickly realized her reasoning as Ellie’s snoring took auditory prominence within the nursery. He had forgotten himself entirely. Nodding to Riri as he relaxed, his mouth was slowly uncovered, “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it,” said Riri sympathetically, backing off now that Connor had been calmed. Maybe trying to hash this out in the middle of the night wasn’t her brightest idea. That being said, she’d already come this far. Plus, Connor would be undoubtedly annoyed to be sent back to his crib at this point, “Sorry for the teasing. I wasn’t trying to make you defensive. I just…I dunno. I guess I didn’t expect your answer to be so…vanilla. You really are, like, new-new to all of this, aren’t you?”

Averting his gaze, Connor could tell his internal shame meter was steadily on the rise. He supposed it was funny. Most adults wouldn’t lament over not being ABDL enough. In a way, that small asterisk hanging over his diaper kink was more isolating than the idea of becoming the horniest diaper lover alive. He laughed through the pain as he replied with a question of his own, “How it is that, even amongst diaper lovers, I can’t stop feeling like there’s something wrong with me? You all make it look so effortless. Meanwhile, I needed my brain to pretty much break for me to get out of my own head. Why is it so hard to say what I want?” Memories of his seemingly simple yet dangerously open-ended response to Latasha’s big question from his first week at the Palace resurfaced. In a way, asking her to take away his right to choose was the biggest cop-out of an answer he could’ve given. It spared him from the difficulty of owning up to specific wants and desires. Unable to cope with all the intrusive thoughts bearing down on him, he curled his leg into his chest and buried his head between his knees.

“Shhhhhh. I promise, it’s going to be okay,” said Riri, hiding her concern as well as she could as she gingerly approached Connor and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. So much about what he was going through was obvious to her. The needless self-repression, the internalized shame, the lack of confidence; there was no doubt in her mind that Connor was dealing with a boatload of unresolved traumatic experiences. For his sake, she decided to set aside her curiosity pertaining to his “Con-con-nie” comment. Someone with the inability to self-actualize this badly wasn’t ready for that can of worms, at least not yet.

Initially resistant to Riri’s reassuring touch, Connor cautiously allowed more of himself to be soothed by her until he fully collapsed into her arms. However, while he did gradually come to accept her kindness, the one thing he couldn’t do was allow himself to cry in front of Riri, or any of the girls for that matter. Whatever respect he carried within the Padded Palace had already been demolished enough for one night. He snaked his arms around Riri’s torso, letting his mind drift away from troubling thoughts as his fingers traced the smooth fabric of Riri’s nightie.

The diaper-clad pair held their embrace for several minutes. It got to the point where Riri believed he might fall asleep in her lap, something Stacy would be almost certain to give her an earful for. Mercifully, he did eventually break from the hug, appearing far more at ease than he had been when he first arrived at her crib. With her limbs now free, she knew exactly what she needed to do. Connor was in desperate need of an outlet for his new kink, and she had a decade and a half of diaper perving experience to educate him with. “Wait here for me, okay? I’ll be right back,” she said, hopping out of the open crib and sneaking to the wardrobe on the opposite end of the nursery.

Left to watch as Riri searched through the free-standing closet as quietly as possible, Connor wasn’t sure what she was up to. That didn’t stop his brain from running wild with huffy ideas. Was she going to put him in something else to wear, or send him to bed with a vibrator stuffed down his diaper? With all their crazy antics, he wouldn’t put anything past these three ever again. Those assumptions proved they couldn’t be further from the truth as Riri retreated from the wardrobe with Connor’s male clothes bundled up in her arms.

“Sorry, it took me a second to find where Stacy stashed them,” said Riri, sitting down and laying the shirt and pants combo atop the crib mattress. She then dug her fingers into his pants pockets, retrieving his cell phone before tossing it into his lap, “Open your browser and pull up DeviantArt. It’s high time someone gave you a crash course.”

-------------------------------------------------------------

“But you said you loved me!”

“I never loved you! I only loved the idea of you!”

Laying across Latasha’s bed on her tummy with her eyes fixed upon the television, Stacy couldn’t recall feeling more bored than she was right now. There weren’t even any good cartoons on right now. Nothing but annoying animated shows for boys that were 80% toilet humor. After scanning through all of Latasha’s channels twice over, she ended up stuck watching poorly acted porn on Skinemax. She fidgeted with the back of the TV remote, wishing her body would feel tired already. All this Big excitement had her restless.

Thankfully, it looked like things were finally heating up in this crappy porno. She observed as the six-pack-wielding man lifted the girl who was playing his former lover into the air. Within seconds, he had slipped his phallus inside her while remaining standing. Even Stacy had to admit it was quite an impressive feat. She could feel her lower lips moistening as she watched the busty blonde girl on screen be split by the monster between her partner’s legs.

*CRACK!*

All of a sudden, Stacy’s eyes abandoned the screen as a loud, snapping noise drew her eyes downward. “Fuuuuuuuuck,” she said, holding the broken tab of the remote’s battery hatch in her hand. Given that every remote in her home looked like this, she realized too late that she probably should’ve avoided playing with the remote in the first place. Hoping to avoid getting caught for breaking something that wasn’t hers, she quickly pieced the remote back together and placed it in the top drawer of Latasha’s end table. This was just perfect. Now she was both horny and anxious.

Lightbulb!

Leaning over the end table, Stacy causally prodded around the small, wooden box, curious if she could sus out where Latasha had stashed her adult toys. There was no doubt in her mind Latasha owned at least one for personal use. So long as she washed it before and after, who would know or care? Sadly, the top drawer proved fruitless, causing her to move her search to the next drawer down.

Lo and behold, what Stacy found inside the bottom drawer of Latasha’s nightstand left her frozen in place. Zapped of all tiredness, she blinked her eyes rapidly as if expecting what she saw to disappear. To her shock and utter amusement, the half-used package of Megamax diapers refused to vanish.

TO BE CONTINUED…

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Edited by AllySmolShork

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[and-claudia]

His Heir pt.13 (Darth Maul x fem! reader)

Taglist Here

Masterlist Here

Wordcount: 2771

Warnings: Mentions of being sick, medical procedures

Three weeks turned into five weeks. Five long weeks without seeing Maul. Three weeks without speaking to him. Someone had tracked one of our calls and my location was almost discovered so we had to cut communication until I was finished. And to make matters worst, during the last week I picked up some type of stomach bug from this planet. It wasn’t uncommon for this to happen to me. I didn’t travel to other planets as a child so I was never exposed to other illnesses. 

Currently, I was sitting in the back of the ship waiting for us to land on Dathomir. Waiting until I could see Maul again. We had already been en route for nearly 47 hours… it shouldn’t be too much longer. 

“Lady Yn?” One of the guards called, snapping me out of my thoughts. 

“Sorry, yes? Is everything alright?” 

“Yes ma’am, just want to inform you that we would be landing soon.” He said. 

I nodded, “Good. It’s nighttime right? Or did we miscalculate?” 

“We calculated correctly, it is quite late there already.” 

“Okay… inform the others that upon arrival you are all dismissed. I’ll get droids to unload everything, and we will have a mission debrief tomorrow morning.” 

It was a spur-of-the-moment decision but I could not find it in me to care. I was exhausted and felt like I got hit by a speeder bike, I wanted nothing more than to go sleep in either my own bed or in Maul’s. 

“I will… Lady Yn, do you feel alright, you don’t look too well?” 

“No, I believe I caught something during the mission, but I will be fine.” I reassured him before he was dismissed. 

I stood from the desk and went to collect the few things I’d need for the night. I felt the ship shake slightly as we entered the atmosphere and my stomach did a flip. I tried to take deep breaths but it was no use. I dashed to the refresher and threw up. Once I was done I sat back and caught my breath. 

After a mental debate, I decided to get up and just brush my teeth to get the taste out of my mouth and then just sit down and wait until we landed. It didn’t take long, luckily. I slowly stood, testing to see if I’d get nauseous again… We were clear. I collected what I needed and went to make my way down and out of the ship. 

Usually, there would be a welcoming party but since it was so late, only Maul was there waiting for our arrival. I forced the way I was feeling down and put on a smile when I saw him. 

The moment I was within his reach, he had his hands on me. He pulled me close for a hug, his lips going to my neck on instinct. Everyone else had already exited the ship and gone their own ways so the risk of being caught was low. 

As much as I missed him, with my head pounding I wasn't in the mood. Despite myself, a small groan left my lips making him pull away quickly. 

"What's wrong, dear?" He asked, scanning my body for any physical injuries. 

"My head." I mumbled. "I’m still not used to going to different planets and being exposed to their illnesses. I think I caught a bug or something during the last week while I was there." I explained. 

"Oh, Yn, I’m so sorry. We by no means have to do anything tonight. Let's just get you to bed, alright?" 

I nodded as he began to lead me inside. 

"Can we just go to my quarters? They're closer." I requested, ducking my head slightly in the light. 

"You really feel that poorly?" Maul thought out loud to himself as he began leading us in the direction of my quarters. 

I only managed a hum in response. 

Once we got to my quarters, I changed quickly and wasted no time crawling into bed. As I settled in I heard him shuffling about in the room. When I picked my head up I saw him settling down on the couch. 

"Maul?" I called out. 

"I'm right here, dear. I’m not going to leave you alone if you're sick." He called back. 

"Then why are you way over there?” I asked pitifully. 

"What?" 

"Come here." Was all I said before laying back down. 

He got up and came over. 

"Yes?" He asked gently. 

I said nothing, just lifted the covers for him. He hesitated. 

"Please?" 

My weak voice was all it took for him to melt and get in with me. He held me close, running a hand over my back to help lull me to sleep. 

I woke up slowly the next morning, feeling groggy and even sicker. My head was already hurting and I could already feel some nausea working its way up. Maul was still there next to me. He was awake already and had stayed to hold me in his arms. 

“How do you feel?” He asked gently. 

“Like shit.” I replied, trying to lay completely still to try and will away the nausea. 

“Maybe we should get you down to the medical unit? This could be serious.” He suggested. 

I shook my head but stopped short when it made me feel even worse. 

“No, I am fine, I promise. It’s just some stomach bug. I always get them when I travel, it’ll pass in a couple of days. They never last longer than three days.” I tried to convince both him and myself. 

“Yn, you said you caught this ‘bug’ a week ago. By your logic, you should be fine by now. It’s not a bug… could it be that your cycle is about to start, I know since getting your implant removed it's started again, could it just be affecting you much more this time? I know some people have more severe symptoms than others may.” 

His question wasn’t too far-fetched. I had occasionally had some rough periods that took me down for a few days before it actually started. Despite the headache, I laid there and mentally counted the weeks. Ever since we started actually trying for his heir, I began to keep perfect track of my cycles. My eyes shot open I realized… I was late. 

“Maul… what is today?” 

He told me and my heart skipped a few beats. 

“I’m late.” I mumbled. 

“Are you sure?” 

I was surprised he even heard me. 

“Positive. I’ve been tracking it like a madman ever since we started trying… it should have come the first week of the mission. I guess I was so caught up in it, I didn’t even realize it… but this doesn’t mean that I…” my words faltered, I didn’t want to say the word yet. It had hurt so much every time I saw a negative test, just the thought of the slight possibility of getting another one scared me. I knew Maul knew what I was trying to say so I just skipped over it and picked up where my thoughts were originally trying to go. 

“The stress of the mission could have delayed it and now it’s catching up to me.” I said as if I was trying to convince myself. 

I couldn’t be pregnant. It just wasn’t possible. Right? I was beginning to panic. 

“Yn?” 

“Yeah?” I asked, still lost in my own thoughts slightly. 

“I asked if maybe you wanted to take a test… you don’t have to if you don’t want to. I am just thinking that maybe the combination of being nearly 5 weeks late and the nausea and headaches might be because you’re pregnant… So, do you want to try one?” He was asking so gently knowing that the last time I took one I had a bit of a breakdown. 

“Yeah… I should do it now. It’s best to do it right after waking up… I have some in the bathroom.” I said as my brain switched into autopilot and I got out of bed. 

I went into the bathroom and got out one of my tests. My hands were shaking. I took the test and then sat down and waited. About halfway through the time, there was a knock on the door. 

“Are you okay, Yn?” Maul’s voice was muffled through the door. 

“Yeah, just waiting…” I said quietly. 

“May I come in and wait with you? I am getting quite lonely out here.” He slipped in the small joke to lighten the mood that had set in on us. 

“Yeah, come in.” 

The door slid open and in two short strides, he was standing beside me before sitting down. He pulled me over into his lap and held me. Neither of us spoke. We just held each other and waited. The timer went off and I stood with Maul following closely behind me. 

“Can you please not watch as I look at it, it stresses me out.” I requested. 

He nodded and turned around. With shaky hands, I picked up the test and saw…+.

I sighed and threw it into the bin like I had time and time before. But then it hit me.

Maul had turned around when he heard me sigh and was just able to catch a glimpse of it as it went into the trash bin. I stood frozen staring at the bin. 

“Maul…” 

“It’s okay.” He began, assuming it had been negative. 

“No… I think it was positive. I don’t think it registered and I just tossed it into the bin out of habit…” I waited to see his reaction. 

“I’ll check it.” He said without hesitation. 

“Maul, no that has my pee on it. I’ll check it.” I said but he was already stepping over to the bin to get the test. 

“You’re cute. Do you really think that would bother me considering everything we’ve done together?” He asked. 

“That’s different.” I sighed. 

Regardless, he kneeled down and reached into the bin to get the test. Luckily from being gone for so long, there was no other trash in the bin beside the test. I watched with bated breath as he brought it up to look at it. His face was unreadable. He set the test face down on the counter and then came over to me. His arms wrapped around me and held me close. 

I assumed I read it wrong and got my hopes up for nothing. Just as the tears were about to fall I heard a muffled voice speaking. 

“Thank you, Yn, thank you so much.” Maul said. 

“Wait… I’m…it’s positive?” 

“Yes, it is.” He said. 

I smiled and put a hand on my stomach. We finally did it. I was pregnant. Maul was getting his heir. I was getting my family. I smiled up at Maul only to find him already doing the same. I watched as his gaze shifted from my eyes to my hand on my stomach and then to my lips. Then, we both leaned in and kissed. It was the softest kiss Maul and I had ever shared. His hands came up to cup my cheeks and when we pulled away he held my face close to his as his forehead rested against mine. 

“Yn…” 

“What if it’s a false positive?” I asked. 

I hadn’t meant to cut him off. The moment the thought crossed my mind, my mouth was already saying it aloud. We had tried so hard to get here and it had taken so long. I would be crushed if it was a false positive. 

“Would you like to go to the medical unit and get an ultrasound to confirm it wasn’t one?” Maul offered gently. 

I thought for a moment. 

“I mean yes, but what about the debriefing meeting?” 

“I had them hold it themselves, they’re more than capable. They were told to send you their information and then you can review it and fill me in later.” 

“Okay… let me get dressed.” I said as I went over to my wardrobe. 

“I have the day off right?” I asked over my shoulder. 

“Yes, of course.” He said. 

With that confirmation, I opted to grab a pair of leggings rather than one of my nicer outfits. Without much thought, I began changing out of my clothes. 

“Comfortable aren’t we?” Maul said, causing me to realize that he had just seen my bare ass. 

I was so quick to turn around and apologize I forgot I now didn’t have anything covering me up my top half. 

“Very comfortable, indeed.” He teased, seeing my flustered state. 

I was about to apologize but then decided against it. It had been too long since I had been able to have our playful banter, and teasing. I wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity. 

“You said it earlier, after everything we’ve done together, this shouldn’t bother you.” I shot back. 

“It doesn’t. Not one bit.” He shot back. 

I put on the shirt and then we were off to the medical unit. I was nervous that someone might see us and wonder why he was going with me but luckily no one was there. If I was nervous taking the test, then I had no idea what to call what I was feeling now. My leg wouldn’t stop bouncing, Maul even tried to put his hand on it to ease it but it was no use. 

Then a droid was leading us back to a small room. The stark white walls were such a contrast to the dark grey walls in the rest of the compound. They did all the basic checks they were required to do then we were ready for the ultrasound. 

“Please undress from the waist down, then cover up with the privacy sheet. I will leave now, to give you privacy.” 

My head cocked to the side in confusion. 

“Undress… why do I need to undress?” I asked. 

“This will be an internal ultrasound, it must be inserted vaginally.” The droid picked up the device and showed me the device. 

My eyes went wide for a slight moment before I nodded and the droid exited the room. I silently undressed from the waist down as I was told then got situated on the table. Maul stepped closer once I was sat down and covered by the sheet. 

“I saw that reaction to the probe…” He teased quietly.

“Yeah?” I hummed. 

“Mhm, you have no reason to be scared, darling. If you can take me, you take that scrawny little thing easily.” He said. 

Despite the crudeness of his statement, his voice was nothing but reassuring. 

The droid came in and walked us through what they were doing before they did it. They had a holoscreen in front of them and we could somewhat see what they were seeing but I had no idea what I was looking for. 

“If you look here, at this little black blob, that is your baby.” 

In that moment, everything around me stopped. I couldn’t even register Maul holding my hand. All I could see was that little blob… my baby. When I finally came back around to what was happening, the ultrasound was done. A copy of the image was being sent to my datapad. The droid stepped out and I was getting dressed again. This was real. I was having a baby. I was having Maul’s baby. 

“Maul…” I said, tears welling up in my eyes. 

I stood on my toes and threw my arms around him, burying my face into the side of his neck. 

“I know darling, I know.” He said. 

We stayed like that for a few moments just basking in the fact that our dream was becoming a reality. I finally pulled away and looked up into his eyes. 

Maul’s PoV

This was the perfect chance. 

“Yn, I-” 

The door opened and the droid returned and began to speak to Yn about scheduling her next appointment and a few other various details. Once they were finished we were free to go. 

Yn’s hand was still in mine as we walked out. But before we made it to the main hall she let go abruptly. 

“Sorry, I forgot we were still holding hands. Don’t want any rumors to spread.” She said, with a small smile. 

I waved her off telling her that I didn’t mind. Which was true, I don’t mind her holding my hand, and I wouldn’t mind if they made rumors. Maybe that would give me the courage to tell her how I felt. 

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[lizzypotter14]

I Will Stand By You - Part II

Sorry that this took so long but as it is my second baby, and a long one to top it all, I was going back and for in many aspects.  Hope you enjoy it!  Thanks @chelseagirl98 for your support

Warnings:  Angst, fluffy

The car ride to the airport was filled with a comfortable silence.  I can feel DeeDee’s eyes on me but no words coming forward.  Dropping me at the departure gate, she rolled the window down… “Just take care of him…and yourself.  Let me know when you arrive and take the time to be with Chris.  But if you need anything, and I mean anything, I’m a call away”,

“I will.  Love you, D”.

“Love you too”, the car moves forward leaving behind to take my flight.  

The waiting was not long but at the same time, long enough for me to browse the social media accounts. The comments towards the Club, the manager and some  specific players were awful and  hurtful. The ones directed at Chris were just spiteful.   My only hope at this point is that he has stopped looking at them; that all the boys are done looking at them.

Finally, I closed all accounts and just waited for the boarding announcement, which came 30 minutes later.   I thanked my lucky stars that DeeDee and I booked my ticket for first class so I could try and sleep throughout the flight, but my mind had other ideas, and after a little more than two hours of tossing and turning, I gave up completely on it.   Instead, I just stared outside the window looking at the endless night in front of me, playing different scenarios on how things could go once Chris and I have an opportunity to talk.

To say that I was exhausted upon arriving will be putting it mildly. Once the plane landed, I turned my phone on and shot a quick text to Andrea, who responded immediately to say that they were waiting for  me at baggage claim.  As I walked in, I got a pleasant surprise.  Waiting for me were Andrea and Kepa, both with identical smiles on their faces.

Andrea was the first one to reach for me and greet me, as Kepa went to retrieve my luggage, after asking which one was mine.  “Hola y/n, como estas?  Me alegra mucho que estes de vuelta con nosotros, aunque detesto las circunstancias en las cuales estas en Londres. (Y/n, hi.  How are you? I’m so glad to have you back with us, even if the reasons for being back in London are not the best), said Andrea giving me one of her trademark hugs.

Suddenly I feel a hug from behind in the form of my favorite goalkeeper.  “Mi turno para saludarla, mi amor.  ¿Como estas, mi niña?  Dormisteis algo en el avión.   Te ves cansada.  Andrea, mi amor, no crees que y/n se ve agotada? (Love, it is my turn to say hi. My little girl, how are you?  Did you take a nap on the plane?  You look tired.  Andrea, love, don’t you think that y/n looks tired?)

But before Andrea could answer him, I just said.  “La verdad? No he podido dormir.   Yo estoy preocupada” (¿“Do you want the truth?  I had not been able to sleep.  I am so worried”)

“Yo sé que estas preocupada, y lo entendemos perfectamente. Pero nosotros estamos preocupados por ti”.  (We understand perfectly well that you are worried.  But we are worried about you too”), said Andrea holding hands with me and guiding me towards the car park with Kepa closed behind.

“Los amo muchísimo.  Gracias a Chris, tengo a los mejores amigos que una chica puede desear.  No importa la distancia, ustedes han sido parte de nuestras vidas desde que empezamos nuestro noviazgo, y todo este tiempo han sido los mejores porristas.  No sé qué haríamos sin ustedes” (“I love you, both, so much.  I gained, thanks to Chris, the best Friends that a girl could ever wish for.   You had been our biggest cheerleaders and had been part of our journey from the start.  No matter the distance”).

“Tú eres especial para nosotros también. Es por esa razón, que te llevaremos a la casa de Chris más tarde. Primero, queremos que descanses, tomes el desayuno con nosotros.  Kai y Sophia se reunirán con nosotros más tarde y después de conversar con ellos, en lo que nos puedes preguntar lo que quieras, te llevaremos a casa de Chris” (“To us, you are special.  And that is why we will take you later to Chris’ house.  First, you will rest, and then eat breakfast with us.  Later, we will meet and talk with Kai and Sophia, during this time you can ask us any questions. After, will drop at Chris”).

“Pero yo quiero ir a verle inmediatamente” (I want to see him now”).

“Lo se.  Pero debes descansar” (“I know, but you need to rest”).

“Kepa, estas ocultando algo?” (“Are you hiding something, Kepa?”)

“Hablaremos en cuanto estemos con Kai y Sophia.  Te lo prometo” (“I promised that we will talk with Kai and Sophia”)

Should I be concerned about it.  Maybe.  But I trust my friends.

“Está bien. Vamos” (“Okay. Let’s go”)

During the drive to Kepa and Andrea’s home, I took the opportunity to send a message to DeeDee and let her know that I arrived fine.  To my surprise, she responded immediately and asked if I was on my way to see Chris for which I responded in the negative.

“What do you mean no?” was the quick reply.

“I looked and felt exhausted due to lack of sleep, so Kepa and Andrea had suggested for me to take some rest at their home before heading to Chris.  That it’s all”.

The dots that appeared on my phone just too quickly disappeared.  When I was about to give the conversation up the dots reappeared and a message followed.

“Y/m…”

“DeeDee…”

“Just rest”.

“Nothing more to say?”

“No.  I promised to butt out and that’s what I am doing.  Just relax, sunshine.  Need you to be in your ‘A’ game”.

“Stop, DeeDee.  You know I value your opinion”.

“And I love you for it, but a promise is a promise.  By the way, do not forget to send a message to your future mother-in-law, and let her know that you are okay”.

“Stop teasing me, and I will.  Also, why are you still awake?”

“Couldn’t sleep either.  But now, that I know you are in safe hands, I will take advantage of this room, and will sleep for a while before heading home”.

“Please sleep well, DeeDee.  Do not drive if you are too tired and send me a message once you get home”.

“Stop worrying about me”.

“Never.  I have to say goodbye for now as we just arrived and need to spend some time with my hosts”.

“Okay but y/n…”                  

“Yes?”

“Nothing.  Just love you”.

“Love you too”.

When I lifted my eyes from the phone, two sets of eyes were staring at me. “Solamente estaba enviándole un mensaje a la hermana de Chris para dejarle saber que llegue bien” (“Just sending Chris’ sister a quick message to let her know of my arrival in one piece”).

“No hay problema.  Vamos a cocinar el desayuno.  Andrea te preparo la recamara de huéspedes.  Toma un baño y ven a buscarnos cuando estes lista” (“No worries. The spare bedroom is set for you so just go ahead and take a shower.  Once you are ready, come and find us as Andrea and I will be getting breakfast ready”).

“Gracias” (Thank you”).

Fifteen minutes later, I was heading to the kitchen.  I arrived quietly and took my time just observing the interactions between the couple.  They were so comfortable with one another and seemed to work in the kitchen like a well-oiled machine.  Andreas’ engagement ring sparkled with the sun streaming through the kitchen window. I always felt drawn to it; daydreaming a little bit about the moment in which will be my hand showing a ring.  A girl can dream.  As they were flipping pancakes and setting some places  on the kitchen island, Andrea noticed my presence at the door.

“Y/n, está lista para desayunar?”  (“Are you ready for breakfast, y/n?”)

“Si, gracias” (“Yes, thank you”), and with that I just sat down next to Andrea as Kepa started dishing the pancakes.

Our conversation flowed as easily as ever. Love that, no matter the distance or the lack of seen each other daily, our friendship was solid.  I normally face time or talk with them once a week.  Christian always finds it so funny that his teammates and partners get a weekly run of my life and that sometimes that cuts his time with him which I simply remind him that isn’t true as our time is more valuable than anything else.

As we were done, I offered to help clean up and do the dishes but was quickly dismissed.

“No.  Solamente ve a descansar.  Te despertaremos en dos horas.  ¿Está bien?” (“Np.  Simply go and rest.  Will wake you in two hours,  Okay?”)

I nodded but before heading to the bedroom, I got on my tippy toes and kissed both Kepa and Andrea.  I knew rest was need it, so it wasn’t a surprise that as soon as my head touched the pillow, I was out.  Next thing I’m aware of is a hand shaking me slightly from my slumber.  I just groaned, “Not now. I just went to sleep. I’m so tired”.

“Mi niña. Es hora de que te despiertes. Sophia, Kai y Andrea están en la sala esperándote’ (“It is time for you to wake up, my little girl. Waiting for us in the living room are Sophia, Kai, and Andrea”)

Stretching, I opened my eyes and simply nodded.  “Dame 10 minutos y allí estaré” (“Just give me 10 minutes and I be right there”).

Kepa just left the room, closing the door behind him.  I took my time and freshened up before heading to see my friends. As I got closer, their conversation seemed to stop altogether.  Sophia and Kai got up from their spots and engulfed me in a heartfelt hug.

“How was your flight?”, ask Sophia.

“It was okay.  My anxiety got the better part of me, and I just want to see Chris.  I’m glad that I had time to rest but I’m ready to go and be with him”.

Kepa and Kai exchanged a quick look between each other, but not quick enough for me not to intercept it.

“Okay boys, what’s with the look?”

“What look? There was no look”, said Kai.

“Kai Lukas Havertz, you are insulting y/n and our intelligence.  We saw the look between Kepa and you.  What going on?”,  said Sophia hitting Kai’s head.

“Ouch, love!  Okay, just hear us out.  Y/n, after your conversation with Kepa, we started observing Chris more closely.  He was extremely quiet and chose to sit down with Hakim on the way back.  At one point, we saw him texting which we assumed was with you, but instead of being his happy self, as he is normally after your calls, he retrieved more into himself. So, we decided to confront  him after we got home”.

“And how it turns out?”

“Well, we went to Chris’ house and talked for a while.  We know he asked you to give him space and…”

“What do you mean Chris asked y/n for space” said Andrea looking between Kai, Kepa and I.

“Mi amor, let Kai finished” said Kepa still looking towards me.

My eyes were down and the hands on my laps kept playing with the hem of my t-shirt .

“Y/n, what are the boys talking about?”, said Andrea sitting next to me and ignoring Kepa.

“H-he said that he doesn’t want to drag anybody with him, especially not me, and that maybe, he needed some space”.

“Are you giving him the space that he is asking for?  Because Kepa and I don’t think that this is what  he really wants or needs”, said Kai kneeling in front of me.

“Well, I just asked him to let me talk with him.  I love him so much and waited so long to be with him to let others dictate things for us.  I know what he is doing and I’m not okay with it”,

“We cannot tell you what to do but we will support you both.  Things are far from great at club level, and I know that the lack of playing time, and the uncertainty of his future at Chelsea is breaking havoc with Chris’ self-esteem.  You don’t have to be a genius to see this.  He is our friend and, if for any reason, he leaves this club, you and he will always be part of us”, said Kai.

“We are not the only ones feeling this way.  Ben, Mason, and Reece are worried and want to be here for you and him. We don’t think that he wants to leave you, he’s just confused and hurt and thinks that he is not good enough, but he is.  He needs you, and you both need to talk, alone, about all this.  Your future, together, depends on it”.

Finally lifting my eyes, I asked to my friends, “can you, please, take me to him?”

“Do you have your key? We don’t have practice today, so you will have all day to talk with him without any interruptions.  We will make sure of it”.

“I do”.                                                                                                                     “Then let’s get your luggage and take you home”.

And with it, my friends took me home.  The girls tried talking with me and offering a distraction but after a while, they gave up completely and just took hold of my hands.  I was scared, nervous , and my anxiety levels were sky high. But above all, I am certain of what needs to be done.  Fighting for us is something that I can do.  We had come a long way, jumped lots of hurdles to be together.  No room for mistakes here.

“Y/n, y/n.  We are here”.

Sure enough, I looked outside, and we parked outside Chris’ house.  Andrea opened her door and we both exited the car. Kai took my luggage from the car’s trunk and handed it to me.

“Do you want any of us to go in with you? I am not 100% sure but he should stills  be asleep”.

“No, Kai.  Thank you. I am okay.  I-I need to do this on my own. Thanks for everything, and just know that that I love you so much.  All of you”

.“Please call us if you need anything or if you need the boys to come and get you” said Sophia holding me tight.

“I will.  I promise, but I am confident that it will not be necessary”.

I waited by the door, luggage in hand, until their car disappeared down the street.  With a deep sigh  I turned the key in and got into the house turning the alarm off in the process.  Leaving my shoes and luggage by the door, I made my way to Chris’ bedroom.

When I opened the door, my  eyes took some time adjusting to the darkness in the bedroom, even if it was noon. During my last  ,  before international break, we installed these new blinds and curtains to block the sunlight. He wanted to get more rest, and these were ideal for him.  Chris was completely wrapped under the blankets, his face the only thing visible. I loved watching Chris sleep because it is the only time in which he is relaxed and at  peace.

Carefully, I made my way into the bedroom, closing the door as quietly as possible.  I laid down facing him and just kept staring at my handsome boyfriend.  Temptation to touch him won over my desire to let him sleep more.  Gently, I move some curls out of his forehead and with featherlike touches, trace the contour of his cheek’s bones, freckles, and lips.  He started twitching and finally his eyes opened, blinking rapidly to adjust.

“I smelled your perfume.  I thought that it was just my mind playing tricks on me, but  you are here”

His voice was raspy, and it was music to my ears.  I love Chris’ voice in the mornings as it is quieter than normal and possesses a hint of sexiness that’s just so him and awakens the butterflies inside me. I continued the exploration of his face before I could find my voice.

“Hi baby”.

“Hi princess”. His right-hand comes from under the duvet and starts tracing my face with his fingers, just like I am doing to him.

“You are not good at following directions, love”

“When it comes to us, I followed my heart, Chris.  You should know that by now”.

He removed his fingers from my face and with both hands rubbed his instead. “What is the time?”

“12:30”

“When did you arrive? Who picked you up from the airport?” asked Chris while fixing the pillows under him, without losing contact with me.

“I took the red eye from La Guardia, and Andrea and Kepa picked me up this morning.  And before you asked, I stayed with them for a few hours to rest prior to coming here”.

“Y/n…”

“Christian…”

Still trying to chase the sleep away from him, Chris sat in bed, back against me.  Slowly he turns and stares at me for a few minutes.  “Why are you here?  I need time to deal with all that is going on and I don’t want you to be a distraction or to be a target for the fans.  Things are out of control at club level, and I don’t need to add more with your presence here”.

Sitting with my legs crossed, I took a deep breath to calm myself before addressing him. I  need to keep myself balanced and my emotions under control.  He is aware of the pain caused by his words, but his demeanor shows no signs of backing away from this.

“Can you listen to me before taking decisions that will affect us deeply, and our possibilities of a future together?”

“Y/n…”

“Can you just listen?  Please”

“Let me take a shower and we can talk in the living room”.

I stared at him and without any further words, removed myself from the bed, opened the bedroom door and exited quietly.  Three steps away from the closed door, I lean against the wall to steady my shaky legs.  I must be stronger than the situation; Chris’ stubbornness is legendary, and I should prepare myself for what is to come.

I headed to the kitchen, and prepared my favorite tea, which was still in the pantry from before.  I lost track of time, simply gazing at the basketball hoop in the backyard, a cup of tea in one hand. But the moment Chris came to the kitchen, I was aware of it. My entire body tingles, it has been like this for a long time, so I just simply turned around and face a showered and cleaned face Christian, leaning slightly against the door frame looking at me like a starve man.

It has been almost two months since we last saw each other face to face. The person in front of me is a shell of the one that was so happy and carefree during the USA matched against El Salvador.  Chris was happy, relaxed, and enjoying the company of teammates, friends, and family. I can’t believe how good he was at covering and hiding things from me.

“Would you like tea or coffee”.

“No, thanks.  I will just get some water”, he said getting into the kitchen and going around me to grab a glass from the cabinet next to me.

“Chris, please talk to me”.

Slowly, he turned around, getting so close to me.  Instead of the warm feeling that I normally associate with it, a coldness took hold of me.

“I don’t want to hurt you or say something that will cause more problems, y/n but I need you to go home.  I need to do this on my own”.

“Let me help you, Chris”.

“How? Do you know how to fix this? Or how can I get more play time on the field? Or to silence the haters?  This club, my childhood dream, is suffocating me.  I don’t need you or my family to help me.  I just need space and time to fix it.  Be worthy again”, and with that he stormed out of the kitchen towards the living room.

My heart shattered.  I gave him a little breathing room before following him.  He was on the couch, head in his hands.  I sat down next to him, trying to put my thoughts in order.

“Christian, I want you to listen.  If, after I talk with you, you still want me gone, I will respect your wishes and give you the space to deal with this situation on your own terms”

.He turns his head around.  I can sense his defenses building up.

“When you asked me to be your girlfriend, a little before the World Cup, our lives were going in opposite directions.  I was worried about the distance, and how things were going to affect us.  I was worried about being hurt by your fans.  But you had an answer for every single one of my fears and concerns.   You told me that together we could do anything, and I believe in that simply because  I believe in you.  I had been in love with Christian, the man, for quite some time, but I am wary of Christian, the footballer”.

“You broke every single one of my walls, and piece by piece made my life a little better, a little brighter.  The night before leaving for your dream of representing your country on the world stage, you took me aside and asked me to trust you, one more time, to give my heart to you with the promise of never break it or cause me pain. You told me that there will be days in which things will get  hard but that together, we could go through them”.

“We had many obstacles, Chris, but that night I made a promise to you. I told you that I will always be there for you, that I will stand by your side, and that together we will navigate the storms that surely will come our way”.

“The more that I am around you, even as we find ourselves separated by distance and our current activities, the more that I love, and the more that my heart is flooded by love for you.  You had made it impossible to live without you”.

Tears started rolling from his and my eyes. I couldn’t continue.  I had laid it all out, and it was his move. I tried to get off the couch, but his hand  was wrapped around my wrist.

“I am so sorry, princess.  I love you so much  and you are right.  We made all those promises, in what feels like a lifetime ago.  I am not a perfect person, but something that I’m sure of is that I have no right to hold you by my side with all the uncertainty that’s surrounding me at this moment.  I will never forgive myself if anything happens to you; that will made the already existing hole inside me, even bigger”.

“Chris, we were friends with no secrets before we started dating. I should not be telling you how important you are, and always will be in my life”.

“As you are mine. In case you didn’t know, you are the reason to keep fighting.  I just feel lost, babe.  I’m falling without a safety net”.

That caused me to catch my breath.  “You are not alone.  But before we can do something about it, I need to ask you an important question.  I will understand and even support, reluctantly, your decision.  What would you like us to do, together, to fix this?  The football part can be revised but your mental health needs to be addressed. I can step away from you if that will help as I want was best for you.

Immediately, Chris shakes his head now.  “I don’t deserve to be with you.  I’m just a complete failure and…

”Kneeling in front of him. I hold his hand, “stop please.  You are not a failure.  Far from it.  Things will get better, and you will silence all your haters. That I know for sure because it is what you do best”.

“And this is one of the many reasons why I love you.  Thank you for believing in me; for being by my side even when I push you away”.

“And that is all that I ask, Chris.  Don’t cast me away. That will destroy me completely.  That will be the fastest way to hurt me”.

Taking me in his arms, he just whispered in my ear “I’m sorry that I hurt you and I making you a solemn promise to be truthful to myself and you for now on.  The best decision I had ever made was the day I listened to my heart and asked you to be mine.  You are my everything, love”.

After a couple of hours talking with one another, we started healing and preparing to tackle the next set of hurdles coming our way.  Chris finally called his parents, assuring them that everything was okay, that I was with him, which his mom already suspected, and that his girlfriend, me, would catch up with them before heading to camp in June for the Nation’s League semi-finals and finals.

Things were not perfect, and his future at Chelsea was still up in the air, but we knew with certainty that working together and talking things out with one another was the key to our success.   

@neverinadream @chelseagirl98 @lovelynikol16 @notsoattractivearenti @thoseboysinblue @swimmingismywholelife @bracedes @pulisicsgirl @mortirolo @masonsrem @masonspulisic

#christian pulisic fic rec

[middleearthpixie]

Seven Days ~ Chapter Thirteen

Seven Days -  Modern Tolkien AU

Firefighter Frerin Durin died in a fire set deliberately. But after he helps his brother, Thorin find happiness, Frerin is offered a second chance. He has to prove himself worthy by righting the one major wrong in his life. Otherwise, history will repeat and he will die for good this time. The catch? He has seven days in which to do this and isn’t even certain what his major wrong is.

At least, he doesn’t know for long. 

Syd Prescott has known Frerin since high school. She spent one night with him and then he vanished from her life. Now, he claims he wants to make it up to her, to right was he realizes was his major wrong. But can she trust him? And can he prove to her that she can before it’s too late? 

A/N - This story is the sequel to Miss Fortune, but is a stand alone story. 

I used google translate for the Spanish, so I apologize for any mistranslations...

Spanish Translations:

“No, no… déjame en paz!” ~ No, please leave me alone.

For favor, no me lleves!” ~ Please don’t take me

esta bién ~ It’s okay

No entiendo. No hablas ingles ~ I don’t understand. I don’t speak English

Por favor déjalo ir! No tengo papeles! ~ Please let go, I have no papers

Cómo te llamos, hombrecito? ~ what’s your name, little man?

Lo seinto ~ I’m sorry.

Qué dijo ella? - What did she say?

Summary: Frerin’s house responds to a warehouse fire and later, a false alarm…

Pairing: Modern!Frerin x OFC Syd Prescott

Characters: Frerin, Syd, Nico Zarelli, Dave Brewer, Holly Cassidy, Tori

Warnings: None

Rating: T

Word Count: 5,462 

Tag List : @tschrist1 @i-did-not-mean-to @lathalea @linasofia @fizzyxcustard @legolasbadass @kibleedibleedoo @xxbyimm @arrthurpendragon @exhausted-humxn-being @rachel1959 @laurfilijames @sketch-and-write-lover @sherala007 @enchantzz @knittastically @notlostgnome @myselfandfantasy @medusas-hairband @guardianofrivendell @jotink78 @frosticenow @quiall321 @dianakc

Normally, the sight and sound of a fire engine racing down Main Street didn’t really draw all that much attention at Miss Fortune’s Crystal, but this time, Syd looked up at the wail of the siren and her heart leaped into her throat as an engine bearing the words Cranford Falls Fire Department and the number two in gold on its side went roaring by. Engine Two/Ladder Two. Frerin’s house. 

It was the first time she really thought about what firefighters did. What Frerin did. She remembered a conversation she’d had with her sister Alex, as Alex and Thorin were in the beginning stages of their relationship and she’d been hesitant about getting involved with him. 

“Well,” Alex chewed on her popcorn,“he’s a cop, for one thing.”

That amused Syd, as Cranford Falls was hardly a hotbed of criminal activity.“So what? We live in a pretty safe town.”

“Yeah, but things happen.”

It was a good thing Alex wasn’t there to see Syd now fighting the urge to pace, the urge to dig out her cell phone and call Frerin to make sure he was all right. How did Alex do it? Cranford Falls was safe, but she knew Thorin had had a few close calls over the years. And Syd knew for herself that Frerin had as well. 

“Like I said,” he replied, carrying her toward the stairs, “I’m a fireman. I haven’t dropped anyone since I was a probie. You’re in good hands.”

“Wait, you dropped someone?”

“It was an accident.” He carried her out of the living room and toward the stairs. “She was trying to get away from me because she didn't want to leave her purse in the room. I told her to hold still, but she wriggled and squirmed and I dropped her and we both went through the floor.”

She’d seen for herself the faded, but still raised surgical scars on Frerin’s right knee, from when he’d torn his ACL his rookie year. 

Don’t think about that.

“Frerin, you’re a big guy. You have a beautiful, soothing voice and a calm air about you. I’ll bet none of those people in that house last night were afraid once they saw you.” 

She sighed, unable to get the thoughts to leave her in peace. Sometimes her brain was her own worst enemy.

“Syd? Are you okay?” Charlie came up to the counter. “You’re white as anything.”

“A fire truck just went by.”

“Yeah, I heard it.” Charlie’s expression grew concerned. “Frerin’s house?”

“Yeah.”

“Syd, you spent one night with the guy.”

“Two nights, actually. And I don’t know, he keeps saying he’s going to prove to me he’s not playing with me.”

“Syd.”

“I know, I know. I can’t be sure he isn’t. But, Charlie, I want to believe him.”

“Yeah, I know, but when someone shows you their true self, sometimes you have to just cut your losses because they are not changing.”

“But what if that isn’t his true self?” The siren’s scream faded into the distance and she sighed as she rested her elbow on the glass and her chin on her fist. “What if he does mean it?”

“Well, how hurt will you be if he vanishes again?”

Syd sighed. Sometimes, Charlie was so flighty, but other times? She was as astute as Gram and that was saying something. “I don’t know I will because part of me kind of expects he’ll do just that.”

“Then I guess you’re good. I don’t know, Syd. You know my track record with guys. I’m probably the last one to give anyone dating advice.”

Syd looked over at her sister. Charlie and Teddy were the ones guys always seemed to chase and it never really bothered Syd before. But now, she tapped her fingernails lightly against the glass counter. “Hey, Charlie? Can I ask you something?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“Did you sleep with him?”

“Frerin?”

“Yeah.”

To her surprise, Charlie shook her head. “I did not, Syd. I wanted to, before we went out. All I could think about was bagging him, to be honest. But, then he showed up at the house and was the perfect gentleman and we went to go see the original Halloween at the Roark and it was just… I don’t know… it wasn’t there, you know? I mean, he’s hot and he’s nice and all, but I just didn't feel the spark I thought I’d feel. He brought me home and kissed me at the door and there was just nothing there, you know? And the man is a good kisser, although,” she smiled at Syd, “you don’t need me to tell you that, I guess.”

“No, you certainly don’t.” Syd stilled her fingers. “He’s a fantastic kisser. And the rest of it was pretty great, too.”

Charlie’s green eyes glinted with mischief. “Tell me all about it, Syd. I’m curious as anything.”

“Charlie!”

“What? I’m not attracted to him but he’s hot as fuck and I know the rumor mill has been very generous where Firefighter Durin is concerned. I can’t wait til Lex comes home and the two of you can compare notes.”

“Charlie!”

“What?” Charlie laughed, tucking a long lock of golden hair behind her ear. “Come on, don’t you wonder what it’d be like to be with both of them?”

“A threesome? No,” Syd shook her head, “I haven’t.”

“Well, I have. I’d love to be the filling in that sandwich.”

“Charlie! Thorin is practically our brother-in-law!”

“Yeah, I know. I actually kind of weirded myself out with that. It was much nicer to imagine before he and Alex became a couple. Same with you and Frerin.”

“We aren’t a couple, Charlie. We’ve gone out twice.”

“Yeah, but you said you were going out again tomorrow.”

“I know, but it’s… so early.”

“It’s a start.” Charlie smiled. “And I want to see you happy, Syd, so I guess I’m saying you should totally take the chance with him.”

“I don’t think I have a choice, Char,” Syd replied softly, trying hard to not think about the fact that Frerin was probably on his way to a fire on that engine that went screaming by, “because I do like him. I’m scared, but I like him.”

“Good. Everything has to—oh, no…” Charlie’s smile faded as the bell above the door jangled. “Fuck.”

Syd swore beneath her breath as Estella Urlino came into the shop. “Where’s Teddy when you need her?”

“She’s smart and took the day off,” Charlie replied. Then, she pasted a bright smile on her face. “Hi there, Mrs. Urlino. What can I do for you today?”

“I want to speak to my Marco, dear. Is Teddy here?”

“She is not, but I can help you.” 

Syd held her breath at Charlie’s offer, watching as Mrs. Urlino’s eyes widened and her smile faded, but only briefly before she nodded and said, “That would be wonderful, dear.”

“Go with the goddesses and gods, Charlie,” Syd muttered under her breath.

“Thanks. Do me a favor though, be ready to call for help, okay?”

The fire was in a warehouse down on Clark Street, just off of Park, where an entire industrial park stretched out for god only knew how many acres. Thick, black smoke poured through the roof and as he tugged his hood over his head, Frerin said, “Jesus… look at that.”

Nico pushed open the door and climbed down and Frerin followed, along with the others. They moved to the rear of the rig, taking down their face masks and air tanks. Other units had already responded, and as they were ready to go, the chief came over. “There’s reports of a couple of workers trapped in Building Two,” he gestured to the left of the building before them,,. “Durin, you and Zarelli do a sweep.”

Frerin looked over at Nico and they headed toward the second building, as more trucks rolled up. The smoke pouring from the other building was thicker now. Thicker, darker gray and now the flames were visible along the roof and as the roofing material went up and the breeze caught the embers to carry them over, something sparked on that roof. He heard Chief Pratt tell Holly and Dave to forget what they’d just been told and to get water on the second building now as well. 

“Let’s go!” Nico nudged him hard in the side and they moved faster, toward the office door. 

Inside, the air was just beginning to cloud, and the heat grew thicker. Frerin looked over at Nico. “I’ll go up, you check down here.”

Nico nodded. “I’ll meet you up there as soon as I clear out down here.”

Frerin gave him a thumbs up and both of them switched on their emergency locators, which flashed light at intervals and could emit a high pitched signal if either one of them ran into trouble. As the fire continued to grow, the air went from hazy to smoke-choked and Frerin moved more slowly as he made his way up the steel staircase to where the offices were located. There were four cars in the lot, but no manifest of who was in which building, so they had to sweep all four of them in the hopes of accounting for everyone.

The heat thickened around him as he moved down the wide corridor, checking each office as he got to it, calling out, “Fire department! Anyone here?” as he did, only to be met with an odd silence.

Finally, at the last room, a copy room from what he could see as the smoke thickened to almost obliterate any view, he called, “Fire department! Anyone here?” 

He thought he could see a shape, and then something crashed somewhere in front of him. He grabbed his radio. “Durin in Building Two, second floor. I’ve got a least one in here. Any information on how many people there might be? Over.”

The figure ahead of him vanished and he heard what sounded like a woman say, “Por favor, no me lleves!”

“Durin, Garretson here in Building One. At least four unaccounted for. Locations unknown. Over.”

Frerin swore softly as he moved further into the room. “Durin in Building Two. I’m at what looks like a copy room on the second floor. Rear. At least one woman, from the sounds of it in here. Over.”

“Hey,” he called into the smoke, “stop moving and let me get to you! I’m a fireman and I’m here to get you out.”

“No, no… déjame en paz!”

The woman coughed as the air grew hotter and smokier and Frerin finally caught sight of her behind a large multi-deck copier, but when he reached for her, she shrank back behind it. “No, no… déjame en paz!”

“It’s all right! I’m here to help you. Uh… ayudar!” He shoved the copier out of his way, toppling it with a loud crash and crouched before the woman cowering behind it. “It’s all right… I don’t speak much Spanish but… uh.. esta bién.” 

He reached for her, grabbing her one arm with both hands. She looked beyond terrified, but then, relief washed the fear from her eyes and she launched herself at him, coughing and crying at the same time. 

“It’s all right,” he told her, backing out of the corner. “I’ve got you. You’re okay now. Is anyone else with you?”

She stared at him. “No entiendo. No hablas ingles!”

“Ok. It’s fine. Come on.” He looped his arm about her waist and grabbed his radio with his free hand. “Durin in Building Two. I’ve got a woman from the second floor. Smoke inhalation, but conscious and coherent and doesn’t speak English. I’m coming out with her. Over.”

Nico appeared in the doorway. “Did you check the room across?”

Frerin shook his head. “No. I found her behind a copier.”

“I’ll go look. Get her out.”

“Be careful!”

“Always.”

They parted ways then and as they neared the staircase, the woman stopped suddenly as the flashing lights of rescue vehicles reflected off the walls. “No,” she said, trying to pull free. “Por favor déjalo ir! No tengo papeles!”

“No, don’t… it’s okay. I don’t care if you’re legal or not! It doesn’t matter! Let’s go!” He grabbed her just as he’d grabbed Syd last night at his house, and tossed the woman over his shoulder to carry her down as she began coughing even harder now. Visibility was almost zero now and he just wanted to get her outside, where the EMTs were waiting.

It was already growing dark out as he carried the woman out into the frigid December air and she tensed against him, shivering as she whispered words that sounded to him like a prayer. He shifted her slightly higher up on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, miss. No one cares about your status. We just want to make sure you’re okay.”

Her praying only grew louder and as he brought her over to the waiting rig and set her down, he got his first good look at her. She couldn't have been more than fifteen or sixteen, her face smudged with soot, her eyes red and weepy as she covered her face with both hands in a coughing fit. 

“Zarelli in Building Two. I’ve got two in the last room on the second floor. One’s a kid. Over.”

The girl bolted from the EMT, screaming, “Mijo!” as she tried to run toward the building, only to have another coughing fit overtake her.

Frerin grabbed her and brought her back as Cassidy and Brewer started toward the second building. “You wait here,” he told her, indicating to the rig and Paramedic Richards. “Stay here. We’ll get your mijo, I promise.”

“I’ll keep her here, Durin,” Richards told him. “Go.”

Frerin turned and hurried back into the building, which was now ablaze. Trucks and firefighters from nearby towns were still rolling up as the fire spread to the third building as well.   He heard the shouts and boots of other firefighters coming in as well, but he ignored them as he all but ran up the stairs to find Nico. 

“Zarelli! Where are you?”

“End of the hall on your left!”

Frerin found his way back and into the room, where he found Nico, a man and a boy who looked to be about five or six. “Just the two? What’s a kid doing here?”

“Got me. Probably had no one to watch him. You grab him, I’ll get dad.”

Frerin scooped the kid up, who was conscious, but only barely. “Hang in there, buddy,” Frerin told him, giving him a gentle shake. “I’ll have you out of here in a minute.”

“Mamá…”

“She’s outside waiting for you, buddy. I promise. Stay with me, okay?” He gave the kid another gentle shake as he made his way back toward the staircase. “Uh… Cómo te llamos, hombrecito?”

“Antonio.”

“Hi, Antonio. I’m Frerin.”

Antonio clung to him, and babbled on in Spanish, to which Frerin said, “Lo seinto, I speak only a tiny bit of Español. What you just heard is about the extent of it.”

Antonio went quiet against him, his eyes closing, and Frerin gave him another shake. “Antonio? Open your eyes, amigo.”

The boy remained still and Frerin hurried out into the cold dusk and over to the paramedics. “I’ve got a kid here!”

“Bring him here.” 

He carried Antonio over to a rig from Tanner’s Peak, one of the towns just north of Cranford Falls, and the paramedic took him to set on a stretcher. “What’s his name?”

Frerin tugged off his helmet, mask and hood and almost sighed at the cold air against his overheated skin as he said, “Antonio. I think his mother is over there,” he pointed at Richards, who was doing his best to keep the woman still for assessment. 

The paramedic looked up at him and smiled. “Are you okay?”

He nodded. “I’m fine. Concentrate on the kid.”

She turned back to the little boy, who began coughing and then started to cry. Frerin set his helmet and mask on the rig’s tailgate and crouched beside Antonio to take the boy’s hand in his. “Hey, Antonio, it’s okay. It’s okay, buddy, your mamá is right over there,” he twisted slightly to gesture to the woman staring over at them, her oxygen mask steaming over with each breath, “see?” 

“Hi, Antonio,” the paramedic said, “I’m Brooke and I’m going to make you feel all better, okay?”

Antonio stared up at her for a moment, then turned his head to look at Frerin, his eyes wide and shiny. “Qué dijo ella?”

Frerin smoothed the boy’s thick black hair away from his face. “I don’t know what you said, buddy, but it’s going to be okay.” He looked over at Brooke. “He doesn’t speak English and I don’t think his mother does, either. They’re probably both undocumented.”

“That’s okay.” She smiled down at Antonio. “You’ll be just fine. Uh… Vas a estar bien, Antonio. Prometo.”

Antonio looked up at him and Frerin nodded. “What she said.”

Brooke laughed. “I promised him he’d be okay.”

Nico and his charge came out then, and Frerin smiled down at Antonio as his mother came over to them. “See, buddy? Here’s your mamá.”

“Mamá!” Antonio began crying, as did his mother as she engulfed him in her arms, crooning to him in Spanish. 

Frerin straightened up and grabbed his gear. “My work here is done.”

“You did pretty well for a man who doesn’t speak Spanish,” Brooke told him with a smile.

“I have my moments.” He turned to go back to his company’s truck. The fires were mostly under control now, and he leaned back against the rig as Nico came over, yanking his hood over his head. He looked every bit as hot and sweaty as Frerin felt. 

“Hey, I think the EMT is checking you out,” Nico said, leaning up against the truck alongside him.

“Let her. I’m not interested.” He raked his fingers through his damp hair. He just wanted to go back to the station and shower. 

Little by little, things wound down. The fires were finally extinguished, the injured—both civilian and first responders—were treated and either taken to hospitals or released and as he climbed up into his seat, Frerin looked over at Nico, who was driving. “Can we make a stop?”

Nico only barely bit back his grin as he arched at brow. “Do I need to guess where?”

“Funny. I’ll buy you a smudge stick to make up for it.”

“How could I say no to that?”

Frerin grinned, sitting back as they left the industrial park behind them and made their way back into town. “We gotta make a stop, guys. Anyone need witching shit?”

Holly looked up. “Actually, yeah. I need some incense. Do you mind if I tag along, Frer?”

“No, feel free.” Frerin shoved open his door and climbed out. It wasn't quite five yet, but it was dark and the evening rush was underway as he waited for a break in traffic to jog across the street to Miss Fortune’s Crystal.

The bell above the door announced his arrival and when she looked up, Syd’s expression—to his surprise—mirrored the relief he’d seen in Antonio’s mother’s eyes when he’d found her behind the copier. “Frerin?”

“Yeah.” He thumped over to her, taking care not to knock anything over with his coat, which was open. “I—uh—we were just on our way back and I—uh—I just wanted to see you.”

She came around the corner. “Was it really bad? Are you okay? I heard like two more trucks after yours went by.”

“Three buildings. Warehouses. We got it out and as far as I know, no fatalities. And I’m fine. Just tired. And sweaty.”

“He got a kid and his mom out,” Holly chimed in from where she stood by the incense. “And I think a paramedic was giving him the eye.”

“Thanks, Holly.” He rolled his eyes as he turned back to Syd. “Anyway, I just wanted to see you. And Holly needed incense, so I let her tag along.”

Syd smiled up at him, reaching up to brush his hair away from his forehead. “You look a little grimy, Firefighter Durin.”

“I know. I’m going to shower when I get back to the station. And I’m sorry if I smell on top of everything.”

“You’re fine.” She moved closer and almost hesitantly, eased her arms beneath his coat, about his waist. “And I’m glad you’re okay.”

“I’m fine. It was a good run.” He gazed down at her. Christ, she was just fucking beautiful. “We still on for tomorrow?”

“If you’re up to it?”

“I’ll be up to it.” He draped his arms about her shoulders. “Have you picked a place to go?”

“Not yet.”

“I’ll surprise you, if you don’t mind.”

“I don’t.”

“Good.” He smiled and bent to press his lips to hers. Hers were soft and warm and moved sensually against his to send his blood smoking through his veins. He broke the kiss reluctantly, sweeping his lips along her cheek, over her ear, where he whispered, “Make sure you bring an overnight bag, honey. I plan on keeping you.”

“I’m okay with that,” she whispered back, which made his entire body tighten even as he smiled. 

He drew back, catching her face in his hands. He had to touch her, had to feel her soft hair against his skin, to lose himself in her beautiful eyes if only for a moment. And when she looked up at him, he could do nothing more than bend and press a soft kiss into her lips once more. At least, he’d meant it to be soft, but the moment his lips touched hers, it became a slow, deep kiss and when he pulled back, she was somewhat breathless as she murmured, “Wow…”

“It’s been a long day,” he murmured back, “and I really should get back, so, I’ll see you tomorrow, Syd.”

“Be careful and stay safe,” she told him as he stepped back.

He couldn’t remember the last time a woman not related to him told him to be careful. It was a nice feeling to hear those words come from her. “I will. Promise.”

She smiled, then looked over at Holly. “Did you find everything you need?”

Holly nodded, moving around him to set the box on sandalwood incense on the counter. “I think so. Do you guys do special orders?”

Syd nodded. “Sure. Was there something you wanted to order?”

“Not now, but I will.” 

“Okay. That’ll be ten seventy.”

Holly handed her a debit card and when the transaction was complete, she smiled up at him. “I’ll be in the rig. Don’t be too long.”

“I’ll be right there. Tell Nico to just cool his jets.” He waited for her to leave, then turned back to Syd. “For tomorrow night, just dress casually, okay? Nothing too fancy, but not quite Darcy’s.”

“What do you have up your sleeve, Firefighter Durin?”

“You’ll see.” He grinned. “Or, you know, if you’d rather stay in, I can cook.”

“You?”

“Yeah, me. My mother made sure Thorin, Dís, and I all learned how.”

Her smile faded and he had the distinct feeling he’d said something wrong. “What?”

“Well… I was looking forward to going out.”

“Okay, the surprise it is then. I’ll pick you up at six.” He winked. “I’d better go. I need to shower.”

“I didn't want to say anything, but you are a little… fragrant.”

“Yeah. Warehouse fire. Christ only knows what was in that smoke.” He kissed her once more and then said, “I really do have to go. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See you, Frerin. Go, before you get in trouble.”

Back at the station, after the rig was cleaned and restocked with fresh air canisters, the men and woman of Engine Two/Ladder Two trudged up to shower. By virtue of being a woman, Holly had her own shower, but for Nico, Brewer, Frerin, and the others, it meant a communal shower.

There was nothing like a hot shower to scrub off the grime, ease any and all sore muscles, and just to let his head clear and as Frerin stood under the steaming spray, all he could think about was Syd and the steamy shower they’d shared. If he had his choice between showering with his fellow firefighters or his girl? It was no contest, really.

He turned toward the spray, closing his eyes as it needled into his skin. He shampooed, soaped, rinsed, and then shut off his shower head and reached for his towel. He rubbed his hair, his face, chest, shoulders, and arms, then wrapped it about his waist before moving into the locker room. 

“Do you all shower together?”

“Jesus!” He jumped, but fortunately caught himself before he slammed into the row of lockers. “Damn it, Tori, will you stop doing that?”

Her eyes widened as she looked directly at him and for the first time in as long as he could remember, discomfort shot through him. “Tori?”

“Sorry.” To his surprise, she blushed as she met his gaze. “I’ve never seen you this way and… well… you’re really very handsome, you know.”

His discomfort swelled. “Tori, the others will be out any minute.”

“Sorry.” She cleared her throat. “Uh, the Big Guy wanted me to remind you that you only have until Friday.”

“Yeah, I swear to you, I am painfully aware of that.”

“I know,” she winced, “but when He tells me to tell you, you can bet I’m going to tell you.” Her eyes flicked downward very briefly and the color in her normally pale cheeks deepened. “But there’s something else.”

His gut kinked as another set of taps squeaked. “What? And make it quick. Someone’s on their way out.”

“You have to tell Syd.”

“What?”

She nodded. “He said you have to tell her. All of it.”

“Tori, she’s going to think I’m either completely insane or that I’m using her to get out of dying. She’s not going to believe me.”

“I know.” She winced again. “But, He said that’s part of proving yourself to her. Or proving it to Him. Either way, it’s a show of faith and you know how big He is on faith.”

“Tori, I can’t tell her. How does that look? She’ll—”

“She might surprise you.” More taps squeaked and her eyes darted in the direction of the showers.

“Tori. The Big Guy isn’t going to be happy if he thinks you’re trying to sneak peeks at naked men.”

Her eyes went round. “They’re naked?”

“Nico has no shame. He doesn’t care who sees his dick.”

“Frerin!”

He grinned. “What?”

“Ugh!” She rolled her eyes and scowled. “You need to tell Syd the whole truth. And before Friday. Or else…”

His stomach curdled as she faded from sight. “Wonderful.”

“What’s that, Frerin?”

 He looked over as Nico and Brewer came into the locker room, each one with a towel snug about his waist. Looked like he’d warned Tori for nothing. 

Still, how the hell did he not only tell Syd the truth, but prove to her that he wasn’t just using her to get out of being dead? Or that he wasn't completely fucking insane? 

“Hello?” Nico waved a hand in front of him. “You in there?”

“Wait… what?” Frerin jerked away from him. “Knock it off.”

“Sorry, man, I—”

The alarm went off then, echoing through the station, and Frerin swore under his breath as he and the others rushed to get into their turnout gear once more. 

They rolled up to the private residence out on Greenfield Street, about a block or so away from the Prescott house, only to find no sign of any fire. Frerin and Nico both climbed down and Nico sighed. “Wanna bet it’s a cooking mishap?”

“Looks like it. Come on.” 

They walked up to the door, which was opened before either of them could knock by a very flustered middle-aged woman who greeted them with a, “I am so sorry! My husband insisted on this stupid alarm system that goes right to the police and fire departments and all it was is a little olive oil that got spilled on the inside of the oven.”

Nico smiled. “Well, since we’re already here, why don’t you let us take a look and just make sure, okay?”

She nodded, waving her red and white checked dishcloth at the hazy air in the living room. “Sure. Come on in. But it’s really nothing and I am going to kill him when he gets home.”

Frerin followed Nico into the house. A light hazy of gray smoke hung in the air, every window and the sliding glass door were wide open, the ceiling fan in the sitting area just off the kitchen was going full tilt.

“I told him this would happen,” she said, following them into the kitchen. “But, he insisted and it was easier to give in than to keep arguing with him. See?” 

She gestured to the oven, which was open, with a pile of what looked like wet paper towels resting on the inside of the door. “I’ve been trying to clean it up so we can have dinner some time tonight.”

The smoke was only slightly thicker in the kitchen and there was no hint of gas or of anything else burning in the air. Frerin crouched to peer into the oven and saw for himself the splotch of blackened oil remnant on the oven floor. “I think we can give it the all clear, Zarelli.”

“Yeah. I’ll go let Pratt know.”

“Okay.” Frerin turned to the woman. “Make sure you get that all cleaned up or we’ll be back here the next time you light it as well.”

“I feel so stupid, you all rushed over here for burned olive oil.” She tucked a dark blonde curl behind her ear. “I’m so sorry you were all bothered for nothing.”

He shook his head. “Don’t apologize. It happens more often than you’d think. And I’ll take an oven spill over a kid pulling an alarm to get out of phys ed any day of the week.”

“Still. I am sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it.” He smiled. “You have a good night.”

She rolled her eyes. “Donny will hear about this when he gets home, the jackass.”

Frerin chuckled as he followed Nico out of the house and back to the truck. “From the sounds of it, she just might kill him when he gets home.”

Nico swept his helmet off. “Yeah. Hey, remember that cute little blonde who’d set her oven on fire on a weekly basis?”

Frerin rolled his eyes. “Yeah. I remember her. She was a pain in the ass.”

“That’s because she wanted to get into my pants and not yours for once.”

Frerin whisked his helmet off as well. “And if I recall, it worked, didn't it?”

“It did.” Nico’s smile faded. “And she was all style and no substance. I didn't think it was possible for a girl that hot to be so lousy in bed… Damn shame, really.”

Brewer nudged him with an elbow. “Why don’t I believe you?”

“Why would I lie about that?” Nico asked with a shrug. “She was a dead fish. A quiet, still, cold, dead fish. Longest night of my life.”

Frerin tugged open the engine’s passenger door. “Tell me you’ve gotten some since then at least?”

“No, man. I’ve been in the mother of all dry spells.” Nico shook his head. “Let me live vicariously through you, Frer. Tell me how your girl is.”

Frerin grinned. “She’s not a dead fish and that’s all I’m telling.”

“Damn, that’s no fair. You’re supposed to be regaling us with all kinds of stories. It’s a new relationship and she’s hot as fuck and I know you two are having sex all over the place right now. So, take some pity on a brother and give him some details.”

“No.” Frerin climbed up into the truck. “I’m not sharing this, Nic. I like this girl and I just don’t really feel like bragging about the great sex, okay?”

“Damn. I knew it’d be great. Just give me one detail.”

“Okay. One and that’s it.” He grinned. “She’s got an IUD.”

“Oh, fuck me…” Nico groaned softly. “No rubber?”

“No rubber.”

“Oh, you know I wish I was you right now.”

“Man, some guys just have all the luck…”

Frerin smiled as he settled back in his seat. Hopefully, he’d be one of those guys. 

#Gerard Butler #Frerin Durin #Richard Armitage #The Hobbit #Thorin Oakenshield #Hobbit Fic #Hobbit Fanfic #Fan fiction #The Hobbit fan fiction #Frerin x OC #AU #Frerin Fic #Is it hot in here? #Romance #Modern AU

[missizzy]

New Fic: Although We Lie Close Together(Vaxleth)

(Warning for Kith and Kin spoilers)

Vax is asleep already.  Keyleth doesn't get it.  Yes, they had an exhausting day, and yes, he came back from the dead at the beginning of it, which yes, does typically leave one feeling done for.  She's now been brought back herself and found herself feeling completely done in, and that was by a simple Revivify.

But laying next to him right now, all Keyleth can think about if all the time they're losing right now.  It seems wrong, when he has limited time, to have to lose some of it by being unconscious.  Or for her to have to.

It's not really rational, but the fact that he did just fall asleep is further fueling her miserable anger with him.

How could he have done this?  He should've realized they would've done what they'd needed to in order to bring him back, and then he would've stayed.  Why did he have to just charge recklessly in one last time and actually make the sacrifice?

The still insecure part of her mind has already latched on the obviously explanation, the one that would preclude any getting him out of the deal he's made: that he wants to go.

She hasn't believed that for more time than not.  She can't when she's seen him looking at her, with all the pain and regret in his eyes.  Were she less angry, Keyleth would want to tell him to at least not regret being with her, because she's afraid he currently does, and that's the one thing in all of this she doesn't want him to feel sorry for.  She's become aware that were they in this situation with them having missed their chance to share love, she would feel even worse.

But now, when he's faced away from her, not touching but close enough the lack of heat from him leaves her feeling cold, all she can think about is how much she wants to shake him awake and beg him to fix this, to take it back, and exactly how she knows he would react.

Never mind that he should know exactly how she feels right now, because he's even been in this same damn position himself.  He's told her about those past lovers he's had who were important to him, so he's told her all about Thorn, and how they lay together on a pair of nights when he was dead certain he was about to meet his death.  Keyleth doesn't know how he was able to bear that, honestly, and he should know she's never been as strong as him, not when it comes to that kind of thing.

Of course he got to live in the end, which meant they'd had to deliberately part ways.  Vax told her once his sister came before everything, and so Keyleth's been aware she's never come first for him. That was okay, at the time, if only because her people had to come before everything for her, so fair had been fair, she supposed.   Besides, he left Vex happy in Whitestone and spent the last year of his life with her in Zepyrah, and during all of it, of course that was enough for her.

Maybe it wouldn't have been, if she'd ever faced what he'd implied, that the Raven Queen and devotion he'd found to her might come before her as well.  That inevitably this exact sort of thing was going to happen, and it was always more likely to be sooner than later.

The ground's trembling a little beneath them.  Of course it is; they're currently in Terrah, where that happens.  The first time she came here, still only newly departed from home and in the thick of her excitement at seeing the outside world for the first time, she stayed up for an hour just listening to it.  Nothing felt scary or ominous back then.  Not the way everything has she since she hastily shifted everyone into the Feywild...well, not even everyone, of course, because it had already been too late to save Vax.

Which, maybe, it had long been.

But Keyleth is suddenly angry at losing even this silly little tremoring to that, something she thought would always bring her joy and comfort, because it's part of the Ashari, and therefore part of her.   The rage winds itself up inside her and bursst out in an involuntary sound of frustration and grief; it takes all she has to not make it a yell loud enough to wake everybody.

As it is, she can't keep it suppressed enough to not wake up Vax.  A moment later she's looking back into those beautiful, pained, doomed eyes, and she can't stand seeing them that way.

Keyleth knows what he's going to say, and she can't stand that either, not now.  "Don't," she mouths, and clothes her eyes.  She tries to stop herself from rolling over for a moment, but only a moment.

She feels his arm on her, oh so careful to not touch her skin, and she would want to argue with him over that, but the truth is she's grateful for it.  It feels both better and worse to have it there, to feel his presence behind her, still there, but soon to be gone forever, and she does think she'd rather have it there tonight than not.  It might even increase her chances of falling asleep, which she knows she has to do, if not how she'll do it.

"I love you, Kiki," Vax whispers behind her, and that she lets him say.

#critical role #vaxleth #vox machina #keyleth #vax'ildan #vax x keyleth

[finelinevogue]

you come home drunk and both your siblings Harry and Gemma are home watching a movie

Ur mom Anne is asleep and you snuckrf out to a party and got drunk maybe, and you come and when Harry is like “YN? What r u doing?” And the first thing u say is “I’m not drunk” and just start rambling stuff

sibling!harry isn’t talked about often enough so here we go;

(this turned sad pretty quickly fyi….)

You were flat out drunk.

Pissed. Wankered. Plastered. Hammered. The whole combination of all of them together.

If someone were to ask you to spell your name you would reply with a bunch of letters that didn’t even exist in yours and you knew this because it had just happened.

“You’re so drunk.” Your best friend Hannah giggled, but their was a tone of concern behind her voice. She knew that you were a lightweight, but didn’t keep tabs on you the whole night to keep track of how many drinks you’d had. Turns out, too late, too many.

“No, i’m Y/N dummy!” Your words slurred as you stumbled over on the grass outside of the party you’d just been at.

It had been your good friends Will’s birthday party and it was all very exciting because it was the first big house party for people your age - in your school. Will’s house was massive, too, and it was the talk of the town. Unfortunately your stupid, annoying, over-protective older brother had told you no when you’d asked him if you could go. You’d gone to your mum first, the lovely Anne, and she’d said maybe, but once Harry had twisted his way into her head to describe everything the party wouldn’t be she’d said no.

Luckily for you, your bedroom window was right next to a huge tree - one that you could easily climb onto, up and down. So that’s what you’d done.

As soon as you’d arrived at Will’s you had a drink in your hand. Then another, and another and so on until the point you were at now - wasted. You had originally drunk so much out of spite of Harry, but you ended up trying to the point where you honestly didn’t even notice you were drinking alcohol.

“Y/N get up, c’mon. I need to get you home.” Hannah sighed, looking around to see if anyone was around to help.

“Noooo! Harry will be there and he’ll shout at me.”

“Why? Harry’s nothing but lovely.” Hannah had a not-so-secret secret crush on your brother - as did the whole of your town. And the country. And the world. It was hard living in the shadow of Harry Styles, but you did love him just not when he sucked the fun from the universe.

“That’s what everyone thinks.” You rolled your eyes and kept them shut, just wanting to go to sleep now and the grass seemed comfortable enough.

“You should be so lucky Y/N.” Hannah argued back.

“Sure doesn’t feel like it sometimes.”

“You’re so ungrateful, do you know that?” Hannah scoffed, clearly pissed off with your whining antics, “You know what? You can walk yourself home.”

And with that you were left to the front grass, confused as to what you’d done wrong to make her so pissed off so quickly. You thought you were just sharing feelings and having a heart-to-heart, but clearly Hannah found offence to your words. No doubt she was pissed off at you for being a bitch about Harry, but that’s just the way it was. He was your brother. Your famous older brother who adorned the hearts of billions. Sometimes that’s all you ever feel like - ‘the sister of Harry Styles’ - to the point where you just wanted freedom and release. Sure, this was not the healthiest way for release but it did make you forget who you were just for the day. You often felt misunderstood and it was times like this when you could feel a little better.

“Fuck.” You sighed, knowing you’d just pissed off someone else in your life. Now, you’d have to get yourself home and confront your even more pissed off brother, sister and potentially mother. That’s if they were even up. Or if they cared enough.

You’d always felt left behind.

It was no doubt unintentional, but you felt like you were the least cared about in the family. Harry was the golden angel and could do no wrong and Gemma was just a responsible queen, according to mum. You, well… You were the “irresponsible and reckless” one of the bunch according to most media outlets and even your family. Maybe it was true? You never saw yourself as those things, but you could see how the sneaking out and drinking - and at a young age - could be seen as.

You picked yourself up off the floor, stumbling as your head started spinning fast. You felt sick, tired and cold and you hadn’t noticed your nose runny and eyes teary until now. You tugged the sleeves of your long t-shirt down, silently wishing you’d brought a jacket, and pulled your phone out of your pocket.

No charge. Great.

The walk home didn’t take too long, but completely wasted did not make it easy. You bumped into people and got cat-called by hideous and vile men. You felt unsafe, but you kept yourself together and attempted to get home as quickly as possible.

“Fucking pull yourself together.” You talked to yourself as you stood at the bottom of the tree, climbing it the best you could with a cloudy mind. The branches scratched your arms and your legs felt so fatigued, but you were honestly too exhausted to care anymore.

As you clambered through your window the last thing you expected was to see Harry laying on your bed.

“What the fuck!” You screamed from shock at him being there, stumbling over your own legs and falling onto the floor. Harry sat up immediately.

“What do you mean what the fuck? Y/N? What the fuck?” He threw the question back in your face, throwing his arms up in despair.

“Oh please, save your judgement Harry. I don’t need it today.” You gathered yourself from the floor and walked into your en suite bathroom, after switching on the light.

“Where were you huh?” He didn’t cut his questions.

“Out.” You mumbled, throwing cold water over your red and puffy face. Your hands were freezing and your head pounding, so the last thing you needed was Harry yelling at you at how much of a disappointment you were.

“Are you drunk?” He walked into the bathroom, clearly not understanding the meaning of personal space. “Are yo- are you crying?”

“Doesn’t matter.” Tears started welling up in your eyes again.

“What doesn’t matter? Being drunk, you crying, getting home late, sneaking out?”

“None of it!” You snapped, looking at him with so much sadness. “None of it matters. I- I don’t matter.” You sank down on the cold tiled floor, resting your back against the wall opposite the bath. The tears fell and stung you eyes. You embraced your legs with your arms after pulling your knees up to your chest.

Your whole body language screamed to Harry that you were not okay and he was upset for you.

“Y/N..” Your name came out soft and fragile from Harry’s mouth.

“I’m fine.”

“No you’re not.” Harry sunk down against the wall next to you, not touching you but close enough for you to know he was there for you. He let you cry until you decided you were alone enough to let him comfort you. You brought your head up and let it rest on Harry’s shoulder, to which he responded by putting his head on top of yours.

“I’m just really tired Harry.” You whimpered, using your long sleeve to wipe your nose dry.

“Of what Y/N/N?”

“Being a nobody.”

“You’re not a nobo—”

“Harry I am—”

“No you’re not.” Harry ended the argument quickly, before continuing. “You’re not a nobody Y/N. You’re my sister and bestest friend in the whole world. I care and worry for you more than anyone. I love you more than anyone, just don’t tell Gem or mum that! I’ve never thought of you as anything but my favourite person and someone I can rely on for my happiness, and I apologise if i’ve taken that for granted recently.”

“It’s okay, thank you.”

“You’re my most important person and i’m sorry you’ve been feeling this way, but trust me, Y/N, when I say that drinking away your problems, and even rebelling, is not the way to make things better. It always makes it worse.” Harry spoke from personal experience.

“I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, I am too.” Harry sighed, kissing the side of your head. “Just worry about you too much to see that sometimes i’m holding you back.”

“I like that you worry about me, it makes me feel important.”

“That’s because you are. Most important person in my life.”

#harry styles #harry styles x reader #harry styles fanfic #harry styles x y/n #harry styles fanfiction #finelinevogue #finelinevogue harry styles #harry blurb #harry oneshot #harry styles concept #harry styles sister #gemma styles #harry styles sister concept #ask finelinevogue #ask harry styles #kissmyaxe140 #harry styles angst #harry styles x sister!reader

[hansolmates]

one more time (m)

pairing; (former) popular!jk x (former) normie!reader summary; it’s been two years since you’ve seen your former tryst jeon jungkook. you didn’t expect him to be applying for the internship you’re currently running, along with the rate your heart is running at the sight of him in a black suit. genre/warnings; self-deprecating language, your typical (future) co-workers!au, jungkook is a piner and so is oc, a lil bit of sneaking around, adulting, a mutual understanding of feelings (finally!!) smut in the form of—soft n’ dirty baybee, unprotected, cockwarming, overstimulation, minor praise and possession kink, cumplay, &you know that they gon have heart eyes the entire time w.c; 7.3k a/n; darn why am i so... emotional over this??? it started out as a meaningless drabble series but with all my lovely readers and moots it’s grown into such a fun, introspective series. thank u for loving this and joining me on this journey. for those of u who are new to this series feel free to read popular-ish first or as a standalone! [popular-ish masterlist]

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“A mess, I’m a mess,” you sing-song to yourself, organizing the manuals on the clear glass by subject and size. The applications of all your new interns are alphabetized, not a form out of place. Everything’s perfect. “Alright Jessica, all twenty of the interns are accounted for.” 

“Actually, there’s twenty-three,” Jessica quips, and you let your shoulders slump. Being part of the recruiting team of your company has been simultaneously exciting and stressful. Stressful because of the constant travel, but otherwise exciting because you loved your internship at your current company. You remember how nervous you were two years ago, and how much support and help you got from your recruiters. Applying to this team was a natural turn of events. 

“A-are you sure, Jess?” you look through all the applications, count the amount of nametags, triple check the chairs. You’re sweating through your blazer, wondering where you went wrong. 

The head of your recruiting team glues one hand to her hip, while the other hand is holding her iPad, scrolling with her thumb. You swallow, intimidated by Jessica’s golden wavy locks and her black-trimmed white Chanel pantsuit. 

“Yep, but don’t be too hard on yourself. I just added three more recruits last night. I’ll get the chairs and the apps are being printed. No worries,” Jessica assures, gesturing for you to hurry up and get outside, “Call the babies in!” your team leader waves her finger around like a magic wand, commanding you to the front lines. 

Krystal puts a hand on her shoulder, as always looking impeccable. She has virtually nothing to worry about. She’s a woman who has connections, courtesy of her team leader. “Let’s go, newbie,” she teases, pulling you through the door. 

The recruits in the lobby are wide-eyed and vibrant, and you feel a little nostalgic as you watch them line up in front of you and Krystal as you sign them in. You would dwell on the feeling more if it wasn’t for your exhaustion, so you decide you’ll get a chance to take a road down memory lane when you get to the hotel. 

“Name?” 

“Xu Minghao.” 

“Congrats Minghao, here’s your nametag and I’ll see you inside,” with a firm handshake, one recruiter is free to go. 

“Name?” 

“Chou Tzuyu.” 

“Congrats Tzuyu, here’s your name tag and I’ll see you inside,” she doesn’t go in straight away, and moves to the side of the door. “Actually,” you pause mid-handshake with another recruit, staring at the woman in curiosity, “my boyfriend just got a call last night that he was accepted in this year’s batch. Do you have his name?” 

“Yes, three more recruits were added,” you chirp, as if you totally did not hear that bit of information five minutes ago, “What’s his name—Jungkook?” 

The both of you blink at each other. One hand on Tzuyu’s shoulder, eyes wide and mirroring yours. Your heart falls straight to your stomach, wanting to be eaten by acids and bacteria so you can stop any possibility of feeling any lingering affection for the boy you fooled around with in undergrad. Everything about him screams professional. He’s clean cut, a pinstripe black suit you never thought he’d own, and his hair is neatly trimmed and pulled behind his ears. His shoulders look tall and broad under the slight padding, his biceps comfortably stretching against the dark fabric. The golden complexion remains the same however, from the honest brown eyes to the coral pink lips that would always smile at you. 

“Oh, so you do have his name!” Tzuyu clasps her hands together, delighted. He has a girlfriend, too. It’s then you realize you’ll be stuck with not just him, but her for the week. “You guys are so efficient. C’mon Kookie, let’s find some seats!” 

“I still gotta get my nametag,” he replies goodnaturedly, gesturing to you, “save us some seats in the front?” 

Tzuyu thinks nothing of it, squeezing his bicep before skipping off to the front row. Your eyes linger on her form, and it’s only then you realize how tall and intimidatingly pretty she looks in that plaid teddy bear brown skirt suit. You did not look that good when you were a budding undergrad. 

By this time, Krystal has taken all your other recruits from your line, regarding you with a raised brow. She’s fast with her attendance, so you know you don’t have much time. 

“I applied last minute,” Jungkook says, scratching his head, “was running out of options before graduation. I didn’t know you’d be one of my recruiters, though. Lucky me.” 

Jungkook and you never ended up keeping in contact, at least as of recent. A check-in message a few months in, a happy birthday or holiday greeting late at night. But two years later and those messages are automatic, with no feeling or personality. You never thought you’d see him again, no less in the city. 

“You just graduated with your masters, congrats,” you smile at Jungkook, although you’re sure the feigned emotion fails to reach your eyes, “IT Management, right?” 

“You remembered,” Jungkook brightens, reaching over to squeeze your shoulder, “you look good.” 

“Oh please—”  you laugh to yourself, shaking your head, “I just got off a flight and I ran over in a two-day old suit, I don’t even have makeup on,” you didn’t feel this way in the morning, you just rushed to do the bare minimum to be enough and ran over to the convention hall. But now in the presence of Jungkook who looks so handsome and clean-cut, you can’t help but feel a little slighted at the sudden reunion. 

“You’re always beautiful,” Jungkook exhales, and you clutch your clipboard closer to your chest. 

You cough, an excuse for him to stop touching your shoulder, “You should go inside, it’s gonna start soon. We can catch up later.”

“Wait—” you make a scrunched up face that Jungkook can’t catch, but right in Krystal’s view. You can tell she’s laughing at you internally with her devious grin. “I just wanted to say, Tzuyu isn’t my girlfriend. We’re just…” 

“Fooling around?” you didn’t mean for it to sound so sharp, but you wanted this conversation over. You have a job to do and Jungkook is your emotional barrier. 

You and Jungkook used to fool around. 

Jungkook winces, looking younger in his monkey suit. “I mean if you give me a chance to explain later—”  

“Nametag, let’s go newbie.” Krystal slaps on the sticker herself, a little too hard if she asked. She doesn’t even bother to write his full name, just a bright green Jeon JK, IT Management tacked on his breast pocket, clashing with the gold pocket square. 

“Sorry,” Jungkook tucks his tail in for now, bowing at you and Krystal as he scurries inside. 

You let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding in. Krystal doesn’t bother to comfort you or ask what’s up—not that you want her to, even though you do want a breather before you have to go up on that stage and explain the itinerary for a week. The only thing you can do is smooth out your skirt, brush away the flyaways on your hairstyle and plaster a company-paid smile on your face.

The autopilot switch is on throughout the rest of the morning. Not just because Jungkook’s around, but the new position has got you on livewire. You’re glad that you’re not wearing base makeup because you are absolutely melting with all the high beam lights all up in your face as you talk through the week’s activities. 

You could swear Jungkook clapped a little harder than most once you stopped talking, but maybe it’s because you’re not used to seeing Jungkook in the very front of a lecture. In fact, he was a very hard middle person, preferring not to show off his intelligence and let other people lead the discussion. Then again, it’s been two years, you don’t know how much he’s changed. 

Jessica caps off the seminar with a great kick-off, the happy hour. The recruitment team picks a four star restaurant under their hotel so the recruits can enjoy themselves before going off to the training facility for a week. 

And by training facility, you also mean yet another four-star hotel. You knew you made the right decision by joining this company because the benefits are impeccable, and value personal enjoyment just as much as they value work ethic. In the morning you and the recruits will be driving uptown to a private resort where there would be classes in the morning, and recoup in the evening. You’re very much looking forward to the infinity pool on the roof. 

The recruits are ushered out as soon as you’re done, and that’s when you step out of the shadows to clean up the chairs and the brochures left behind. Thankfully Jungkook is probably following the norm and going back to the hotel to freshen up before dinner. Once the room is completely empty, you rip off your blazer and let yourself relax. 

It’s going to be a long week. 

Jeon: where u @?

You: hotel room

Jeon: why? Thought we were all gonna have dinner together

You: nahhh, this night is for the recruits! You’ll be tired of our faces by the end of the week, enjoy it while you can 😉  have a good night

You sigh in contentment, relaxing further into the silk sheets. You just finished your skincare routine, letting some mindless drama play as the essences and serums sink into your skin. All you want is one Jungkook-free night. Tomorrow you’ll be stuck training him and Tzuyu for the week and you want to take tonight to emotionally prepare yourself. 

Your phone rings once more. 

Big Baddie Jessica Jung: krystal and i ordered takeout in the restaurant downstairs. Can u bring it to our  room? Plsssssss 

Little Baddie Krystal Jung: it’ll be faster if you do it, we even got u a lil somethin🍰🍰🍰

Taking in your outfit, you grimace. You’re dressed for bed, a large nightie with your hair pulled back and a little pink bunny tie headband on top. Can’t they get room service to send it up? You admire your boss but you don’t understand why she needs to display her power over and over, she already knows you’ll follow her to the ends of the earth. 

Quickly slipping into a pair of sneakers you run down the expanse of the hotel. It’s easy to spot where the recruits are, livin’ it up in the large restaurant that takes up half the space of the ground floor. Most of them are pretty drunk, hoping to sleep off the hangover on the four-hour bus ride. You have absolutely no judgement, two years ago you were in the same position. 

Thankfully you don’t have to go far into the restaurant, as the hostess immediately knows Jessica’s order. While you wait for her to go into the kitchen and get it you drum your fingers against the counter, hoping no one notices you. It’s akin to when you’re a teacher in a mall, hoping none of your students gawk at you in the middle of Victoria’s Secret. 

“Ah, well Jungkook and I aren’t official yet—but very soon.” 

Your ears perk up at the sweet voice. Tzuyu is leaning across the open bar next to the counter, sipping on a mango mojito. She’s dumped the blazer for the night, showing off her soft skin and slender arms with a sleeveless cream blouse. 

“Then where is he?” another recruiter asks, gesturing to the expanse of the lobby. 

“He’s not much of a party person,” Tzuyu shrugs, tipping back her drink. 

You scoff, plastering on a smile to the hostess as you grab your bags and walk as fast as you can out of the lobby. You’ve never felt more like an old hag until now. Sure, most of the recruits are younger than you, but seeing Tzuyu talk so freely about her relationship with Jungkook has you in a bit of a spiral. The day of graduation, you told Jungkook not to wait for you. Heck, you’re only interested in the idea of what you could’ve had with Jungkook. 

These thoughts only cloud you further as you jab the elevator buttons all the way up to the suites where you and the Jungs reside. You relax a little when you see a strawberry cheesecake sitting prettily on the top of their order, your name written on the label with a little heart. Hanging their bag on the door handle of their room, you make your way back to your suite. 

You freeze when you see a floppy-haired Jungkook roaming the hallway, looking like a clueless child hobbling around in slippers and wide eyes at any sparkly item that decorates the area. It doesn’t even look like he tried attending the happy hour tonight, dressed in an impossibly big heather grey sweatsuit that swallows his form. 

“Are you lost?” you ask tentatively, as if you’re talking to a toddler lost at the mall. 

Jungkook relaxes considerably at the sound of your voice, and he replies, “Was tryna find your room since you didn’t reply to my texts.”

“So… you decided to check all the rooms?” 

“Yep,” he pops the p with a smack of his lips, “I figured the recruiters would be far away from the party so I started at the top. Thankfully I got to Jessica’s room first. Didn’t have to knock on too many doors. Only one old man got annoyed at me.” 

“You’re crazy,” you chuckle, slipping in your keycard to let Jungkook in. 

“Fuck, this room all to yourself?” 

Jungkook doesn’t hesitate to kick his slides to a corner of the wall, flopping atop your bed and clutching your baby blue koala plush in his arms. The king sized bed is enough for his legs to stretch comfortably without falling off the edge, and he eagerly pads his feet against the soft fabric. 

It warms you to think that Jungkook is comfy enough to lay on your bed and hug your stuffed animals, a semblance of friends that you’ve missed for such a long time. Last year the team you worked for was great, you loved the people and even now you consider some of them friends. This year the team is a little smaller, and since your two other co-workers are sisters, it’s a little harder to nudge yourself in the direction of friendship. 

As soon as you sit down against the headboard, Jungkook’s eyes soften. Everything feels so different and the same. The threadbare pajamas that either of you haven’t had the heart to throw away since they’re so damn comfy, yet  your bodies are a little more worn and your eyes a little more droopier than usual. 

“So,” Jungkook bites his lip, not in the sexy way, but the nervous way, “about Tzuyu—”

“Jungkook, you don’t have to explain yourself,” you slump on your corner of the bed, regarding Jungkook with guilty eyes. “I really shouldn’t be feeling the way I’m feeling. It isn’t fair and I don’t want to jeopardize your internship.”

“And… what are you feeling?” 

“Dumb things.” 

“Your feelings aren’t dumb.”

“This time they are.”

“I’ve always shared my feelings, it’s unfair that you never want to share yours,” Jungkook sits up, criss-cross applesauce, pensive. “Maybe it’s my fault for not making you feel comfortable enough to share, but I feel like the reason why we never worked out was because we never tried hard enough to have a proper conversation.” 

How could you have missed all the indicators, all the good words, all the kindness Jungkook has given you that last semester? “You’re absolutely right,” you let your insecurities, your apprehensiveness, get in the way. You think in two years you’d do better to eradicate this kind of behavior, but lately you haven’t had many friends to express your feelings to. “Tell you what, I’ll work harder to express how I feel. No exchanges, no nothings. I owe you this.” 

“You owe me nothing,” Jungkook smiles, “I just think it would be nice to y’know, talk. As friends.” 

“Right, friends.”

“So, will you hear me out about Tzuyu?” 

“Let me open my cake,” you pull out your bag with the cheesecake, which thankfully has two spoons, “it seems like we’ll be having that kind of conversation.” 

Everyone is more amicable because of food. According to Jungkook, Tzuyu has a hardcore, ten-year plan for her twenties. After a couple of dates with Jungkook, Tzuyu whips him into the plan. Mentions that she’s well-bred and has a family reputation to uphold. Says IT Management is something completely desirable in a partner, that he’s sensible and wonderful and would like to be committed full-time. 

“And she talked to her parents about me and said that I’m a good prospect for marriage. Like I’m another pillar in her plan!” Jungkook cries, taking a monstrously sized bite of your cheesecake, wallowing away.

This is akin to sleepovers you’ve always wanted to have in high school, down to the food gorging. You can’t help but be fascinated, “So are you wrapped up in an engagement? Is this a scary rendition of Crazy Rich Asians?” 

“You just can’t turn a one-eighty like that on a fifth date,” Jungkook shakes his head, reeling at the emotional whiplash, “she’s really nice. Really organized, really perfect. It really intimidates me.”

“Is she what you reaaaally want?” you can’t help but ask, rolling your eyes at the excessive use of the word, and tamp down the pain in your stomach by eating a forkful of creamy cheesecake. 

“I don’t know!” Jungkook replies exasperatedly, “Obviously I’m worried since she wants to put a ring on it. I told her she needs to back off. Right after the seminar I said she had no right telling other people we’re boyfriend and girlfriend. She didn’t say much, just frowned and walked away.” 

You roll your eyes, scraping the leftover graham cracker crust from the edge of the plastic plate. “According to her, I heard you two are planning to make it official very soon.” 

His eyes widen, “I really bring girl trouble wherever I go, don’t I?” 

“Since I’ve known you,” you half-joke, putting away the plastic cutlery on the nightstand. 

You two sit in silence for a few moments, letting the television fill the room with mindless static about some sappy Hallmark movie. Tentatively, you land a hand on Jungkook’s knee. He looks down at your tiny fingers, giving his skin an experimental squeeze of comfort. 

“I don’t want her,” he finally says. 

“Okay,” you reply, “you won’t even have to talk to her if you don’t want to. I can arrange the groups this week so you don’t have to be around—”

“Give me one week,” his eyes flash to yours, dark and sharp.

“Jungkook. You have your determined face on,” it makes you sweat.  

“Because I’m determined to win you over, once and for all,” you eyes widen, and Jungkook visibly freezes, “was that too much? I’m kind of on an emotional high today. I didn’t expect to see you today and it kind of threw me into a loop. I thought I might be running into you once I started my internship but I didn’t think you’d be my recruiter. And then you went on that stage all bad-ass talking about work and you looked so gorgeous in your suit and I was so proud knowing you made it and IrealizedhowmuchImissedyou—” 

“Jungkook, slower,” you’re feeling a little woozy as well, equally overwhelmed. “You’re just saying this because you didn’t expect to see me—” 

“You’re deflecting, again.” 

“I’m scared, okay?” you blurt, throwing your hands in the air. “You’re right, this is all so sudden. So can’t we just start being friends and see if it takes us somewhere? You don’t have to win me over, just support me like I’ll support you.” 

“I’m sorry,” Jungkook moves up the bed, so he’s leaning against the headboard as well. His long legs stretch farther than yours, and it feels oddly domestic as you talk it out and stare at the television screen. “I’m just, worried I’m running out of time.” 

“I'm not going anywhere this time.” 

“I know,” Jungkook shakes his head, ridding himself of his torrid thoughts. Conceding, he gestures to the television, pulling out the remote under your pillow, “wanna watch television, or catch up?” 

You last about an hour until you knock out. However, Jungkook keeps you entertained up until that moment, as you exchange your lives and stresses. Everything meshes together, you’re not sure if it’s the charm that comes with late night talks, but you feel like you can talk to Jungkook about anything if given the time. You melt when he strokes your hair till the last minute, wishing you a goodnight and a promise of more. 

“Okay, I’ve gone over most of the work ethics in the manual,” you smile nervously when you see your glazed over recruits, nearly falling off their chairs. Even Krystal is bored out of her mind, discreetly playing with her phone in the back under her manual. Of course you’d get stuck with teaching the boring classes. “Any last minute questions before we head off for dinner?” 

Tzuyu shoots her hand up, “Are romantic relationships allowed in the workplace?” 

Jungkook promptly chokes on his water bottle. He looks up at you, panicked. Ignoring his terror, you paint on a thin smile towards the young woman, “Like I mentioned earlier, romantic relationships between employees are not frowned upon, so long as you’re not working under or over someone in the same department.” 

“Right, just wanted to make sure,” Tzuyu is all chipper smiles as she thanks you.  

If you were still twenty-one, you’d gag at the pointed look she sends Jungkook. They’re sitting diagonal from each other, and Jungkook makes a point to pretend to be interested in your lecture until the very end. 

You’re halfway done with recruitment week, and while you’re not shocked at how fast the week has gone by, you’re fairly disappointed that Jungkook and you haven’t had time to meet up in private. So far it’s been easy enough to keep your friendship (and past sexual relationship) a secret, but something dark and eager tells you how much you want more. The recruiters are eager to leave, all twenty-three of them grouping off and talking about what they want to eat for dinner. Everyone except a certain dark-haired fellow, who’s hair is currently bouncing off it’s styled coiff, wanting to return to it’s normal non-gelled self. 

“Kookie,” you raise a brow at the interaction, Tzuyu leaning over her chair to Jungkook’s, “wanna get dinner tonight?” 

Jungkook’s taking an excruciatingly long time to pack his things, raising a brow at her, “I’ve told you already, I don’t want to be involved in whatever plans you have.” 

“Oh-kay,” Tzuyu rocks back and forth on her oxford heels, pursing her magenta pink lips, “then why don’t we at least walk back to the hotel together? I really want to talk about some things that might change your mind.”

“Nothing will change my mind,” Jungkook’s determined face has been staying strong for the week, from the way he makes sure he’s first in your class to the simple “good morning” and “good night” texts you exchange. “Besides, I have a date tonight. And I really want to talk to the recruiters about a personal work matter, so can you please leave?”  

You try not to snort at how blatant Jungkook was being. You pretend to organize your folders, throwing whatever random notes you have in your bag for later. 

“A date,” she twitches,  “with who?” 

“Someone that doesn’t treat me like a stepping stone in her career path,” Jungkook deadpans, and that’s all it takes for Tzuyu to huff and walk away from the hall. 

You think Tzuyu is like a bug, relatively harmless, but someone who gets on your nerves. 

“A date, huh?” Krystal quotes, finally looking up from her phone. Her sharp, cat-eyes linger at the door, wondering if Tzuyu is going to pop out and try to drag Jungkook by the reins. Finally, she plants her stare between you and Jungkook. “So, you two fucking?” 

“Former fucking,” Jungkook supplies helpfully, and you jump off your podium to elbow him in the ribs, “ow—what?” 

“You just don’t tell Krystal we’re fucking!” 

“Former fucking,” he chastises, but the eyes he sends you are a little sultry, and you wonder if he’s thinking of fucking in the future. You reel yourself back, focusing on the third party.

But you anticipate that Krystal couldn’t care less, and you’re grateful for that. While a smaller work team means a smaller possibility of close work relationships, you do like the drama-free environment. “Like you said,” Krystal shrugs, slinging her briefcase over her shoulder, “romantic relationships in the workplace are not frowned upon.” 

You wring your hands between your bag when Krystal finally makes her getaway, and you look up at Jungkook. “So,” you smile wryly, “you have a date tonight, huh?” 

“With a pretty working woman,” he sighs dramatically, putting a hand over his chest, “that is, if she’ll have me.” 

“Consider yourself taken.”  

Jungkook and you sneak away to your suite once again. To your surprise, the suite is decorated in rose petals and a bottle of champagne sits in an ice bath on your bedside. A large pizza pie sits beautifully on your coffee table, and the television is playing lo-fi hip-hop. 

You feed Jungkook champagne-dipped strawberries as you gorge on the joy that is baked bread and cheese. 

And when he kisses you, it’s slow and sweet, like you have all the time in the world. 

It’s the last day of recruitment week, and all classes ended at noon so the interns can use all the resort’s amenities to the fullest. Many of the interns, including yourself, Jessica and Krystal, are on the rooftop celebrating a successful workweek. Staff and interns alike are buzzing around, eager to top off their weekend with some relaxation and sun. 

Jungkook is with his new team, conversing with other IT employees. You try not to stare too hard at your reignited flame, tipping back a cutely decorated glass of fruit. His arms ripple as he tips back the liquid. He’s wearing a tank top and you could swear his biceps have gotten meatier. Unfortunately you hold yourself back, after all the internship isn’t quite over and you still are a professional. 

At the end of the weekend you really have nothing to worry about, you know that. 

But Tzuyu? She irritating. 

“I just don’t understand,” Tzuyu suspects nothing of your budding relationship with Jungkook. You’re thankful for that because towards the end of the week, it was getting harder and harder to be subtle when you two send each other heart eyes from three meters away. 

Tzuyu sounds like she’s talking to herself, the way she stares into the infinity pool, despite the fact that her friends are surrounding her with rapt attention. You’re a cabana away from her, sipping languidly at your drink while Jessica and Krystal nap next to you. Even though you can’t see Tzuyu, you can practically feel her pout emanating through the fabric that separates you two. Despite the fact that she’s been offered a great intern position given her degree and experience, she’s still upset. For her, is that not the most important part of this whole week? 

“Jungkook’s really not that great if he’s going to turn me down like that,” Tzuyu seethes. You should write up her nonsense in a book and publish it, really. “Why waste time when he has the whole package right in front of him?” 

It’s then you realize why you’ve been so torn, so strung up and wound tight all these years. Just like college, all shy and hesitant to take a step forward while Jungkook was ten steps ahead, you were worried. You let other people’s thoughts stop you from making the leap, girls like Tzuyu that never meant to intimidate you, but you let their presence get up in your head and control the nonexistent hierarchy. 

But two years later, and that doesn’t matter. It never mattered. Jungkook is no longer the all-star lacrosse player, but what remains is his heart, full and willing. 

Everything Tzuyu just said was… wrong. Irrevocably, inexplicably messed up. But the idea of “wasting time” does strike a chord within you. Are you wasting time? At this point, your feelings of each other are pretty clear. What are you two waiting for, again? 

You thought Krystal was sleeping, considering her sunhat sitting atop her face, but once she hears you packing away your bag she whistles, “Go get ‘em, tiger.” 

Sending a quick text to Jungkook, you make a beeline for your destination. You don’t even bother looking for him in the crowd. 

You: meet me by the elevator at the very end of the lobby. 

Not a minute passes by when Jungkook joins you at said elevator. He has two glasses of champagne in his hands, and offers one to you, “tired of the party?” he asks.  

You clink drinks, easily tipping yours back. “It’s not our thing,” you declare with a small smile. Jungkook's eyes soften, glancing back and forth between your face and the soft pleats of your marigold sundress. His hair is pushed back, sticky from sweat and chlorine, dark bangs hanging over the shaved sides of his head. You turn your head slightly as you wait for the elevator, biting your lip as you're sorely reminded of how sexy Jungkook looked at the dive pool half an hour ago. 

The elevator dings, and it’s wide enough for you to slip in at the same time. You put your champagne glass in the corner of the elevator for now, hoping you don’t accidentally step on it. In closed quarters, you can smell the slight tang of chlorine coming from Jungkook, combined with his own brand of musk. 

Jungkook looks younger tonight, happier. Having just finished graduate school and working towards a full-time gig, another chapter in his life has started. His hair is no longer in that tight-whipped coiff he struggled all week to maintain, loosened in its natural wave due to the pool water and heat. His cheeks are a little ruddied and plump, a sign he’s been enjoying the food this week. 

The door barely closes when you get it out, pulling at his hand to face you.

“Jungkook, I like you,” you blurt, and his eyes bug out considerably. Out of reflex, his hand sharply squeezes yours. “You don’t have to say anything, because you’ve been saying everything for the majority of our relationship. I really like you, I really liked you back then too. You’re still so sweet, and loving, and smart and I’ve just been too dumb and insecure to—” 

Jungkook seals your confession away with a desperate kiss, and you turn into a pile of mush at the contact. Relief seeps into your bones, sings into your system. When he pulls away, he looks serious. He doesn’t let you get far, and clutches your face between his two hands so you can’t turn your head. Your soft cheeks fill between his fingers, warm and cradled. 

“Never call yourself that,” Jungkook exhales, regarding you with firm eyes, “you’re beautiful, and intelligent, and the person I want.” 

“I don’t wanna take it slow anymore,” you mumble against his lips, leaning in so that you can barely nip at the pink skin. “Want you now, need you now.” 

“You have me now,” Jungkook agrees, and as soon as the elevator dings open to your floor, he scoops you up into his arms. 

By all means it’s not graceful, he’s clutching you like a baby with his hands over your butt as he jiggles you all the way to your front door. Clinging onto him like a koala, you press kisses to his cheeks as he leads you to your room. You laugh and giggle like teenagers, as he fumbles between your breast to grab the card key that’s nestled between your bra. It’s warm in his hand as he swipes it through the reader, pushing you inside. 

“Is it bad that I’m kinda turned on by the fact you got my key out of my boob?” you joke, although the contact of his rough fingers against your breast is a feeling well missed. 

“Is it bad that I’m always turned on when you lecture in seminars?” Jungkook retorts, kicking the door closed with his slipper-clad foot as he walks you to the bed. “Fuck, I can hear you talk about insurance benefits all day.” 

“Didn’t know my sex appeal extended that way—oh fuck—” 

Your vibrant marigold sundresses provides easy access to Jungkook as he throws you onto the mattress, your skirt billowing over your waist as he makes quick work to expose more of your skin. 

“No more talking, more loving,” he’s crazed, doesn’t hesitate to move your bikini bottoms to the side as he rubs lovingly at your long-lost bud, “need to fuck you, now. It’s been so fucking long.” 

“Kook,” his breath is warm against your already sopping cunt, and you lift your hand to run through the strands of his messy hair. It only takes one firm tug and you’re able to pull him up by the root of his hair, cranberry juice tinted lips with a faint sheen because he couldn’t help himself to have a little taste of you. “Baby, let me touch you. Let me show you how much I want you," you coo with a pout, hands trailing over the drawstrings of his trunks.

You can see how much Jungkook wants to say yes. His eyes glow with the possibility, bright and wanting in the afternoon sunlight. The image of him shoving his cock deep into your throat, so far that you can taste it in every crevice of your mouth. Your nails gripping into his ass as you go deeper, tears pricking your eyes as cum seeps out of your pretty lips. 

But he firmly shakes his head, fingers doing the devil’s work as he eases a digit in you. A little noise of protest bubbles in your throat, but it soon dies out as soon as he finds the right spot to reduce you to mush. 

“Next time,” he exhales against the juncture between your thigh and pelvis, picking up the pace and adding another finger, “if you touch me, I’ll cum right then n’there. This is enough for me, you’re enough.” 

So you let him have what he wants. You’ll make it up to him in the morning, and the day after, and the day after. You shed your clothes, the sundress extra forgiving as it slides off your body, revealing a swimsuit that hasn’t even touched the pool. You feel a little self-conscious as he drinks you in after so long, but he quickly shucks off his clothes to match your state of nakedness. 

You remember how you tiptoed around your first night with Jungkook, taking great care to make sure it was fleeting, how dark the room was as you let your pleasure take over your senses. Two years later and the sun is setting, gold bleeding through your sheets and illuminating the room. There's no need to hide.

“I must say, we’ve both kept it tight,” Jungkook teases with a wink, squeezing your hips so he can change positions. 

You silently agree, your fingers slipping across the washboard of his waist. 

“Mm, and still so fuckin’ cute,” Jungkook marvels as he pulls you up on his lap. Your whole body is flushed with want, one hand squeezing your breasts while the other plays with the curls of hair that lead to your sopping wetness. You glide your core over Jungkook’s stomach, sighing as you take note of the abs that clench under your heat and his hot member that rubs between your ass. 

It’s a tight fit when you finally sink down on him, but the burn only fuels your desire as he stretches you wide. His grip is helpful as he guides you through the motions. It’s been awhile since you’ve been this physical with someone, and it’s almost comical when you both sigh in contentment at the contact. 

“I’ve missed this,” you mumble, biting into his shoulder as he thrusts up. 

“Mm, it feels different, right?” Jungkook hums, keeping a slow pace. The drag is wonderful, and you know that he’s trying to prolong the moment. He reaches for your head, presses his forehead to yours as he speaks, “you’re mine now, right? For real.” 

“I’m all yours, Jungkook,” you press kisses everywhere. No need to hide anymore. You bleed love into every kiss, to his jawline, the little freckles across his chin, his lips. “This is romantic and all, but I really want you to dick me down. Which is why you need to go a little faster, you sap.” 

Jungkook scoffs, “A pillow princess is what you are.” 

He stops moving, and you two sink further into the mattress without its springs bringing you back up. The both of you are acutely aware of how wet you both are, your combined arousals seeping between your seams and dripping onto Jungkook’s thighs. But the young man simply relaxes against the headboard, baiting you. 

“Kook,” you whine, clenching against his member. Your hot walls have a mind of their own, unable to stifle their desire. Sweat lines Jungkook’s brow as he tries his hardest not to move, just simply be. 

“Tell me how much you want me, princess,” the pet name has you clenching harder, and you pout. 

“Baby,” you whine, leaning forward to whisper in his ear. There’s no one in the room, and you’re sure no one is on this floor because everyone’s on the rooftop, but the words you’re about to say are for Jungkook and Jungkook only, “please, I want you to pound me into this mattress until I can’t walk anymore. I want to cry out your name so everyone can hear I’m yours. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” you nip at his lobe, and let your thumb nick at the simple silver rings that adorn his ear. You hear a click of his teeth, indicating the clench of his jaw as his muscles flex around your body, "I want you to fill me with your cum until I’m eating it, and—and—oh Kook!” 

Your words aren’t enough to distract you from his large dick sitting prettily between your folds, and you’re suddenly cumming, all by the mere thought of what’s to happen. You’re shuddering in his arms, and Jungkook soothes you by running his fingers over the spine of your back, distracting you from the utter mess you’re making on the sheets. 

“Such a good girl,” Jungkook coddles you, stroking your hair, “can my good girl take it?” 

“Y-yes, Kook,” you nod eagerly, fighting the overstimulation as he nudges you off his lap. You’re pliable, as Jungkook sets up the pillows for you to rest comfortably as you get on your elbows and knees, “your good girl.” 

You shudder as your bare pussy starts to feel cold, immediately missing the warmth Jungkook can provide. You can practically feel his hot gaze burning in your back, his large palm squeezing your ass as he marvels at how ready and eager you are for him. 

“It’s so easy to slip inside,” Jungkook rubs your nectar across the head of his cock, swirling around your engorged skin as he slips right inside. You both moan at the stretch, “Finally, my adorable baby, you like this? You like getting pounded like the dirty girl you really are?” 

“Mm, yes!” you squeal, clutching onto the feather down pillows for dear life as Jungkook displays his strength, one hand gripping your hips as the other weaves itself into your hair. It’s a delicious mix of pleasure and pain, and the lewd sounds of each other’s juices and his balls against your ass echoing in the room. 

“Y-yeah,” despite his power, his thrusts are sloppy, and you know he’s almost at the edge, “and I like you, so so much. I want to make you cum everyday, make you happy and—mph—” he gives up on talking, focusing entirely on his destination. 

“Cum, baby,” you urge, melting when his one hand comes to thread with your own, “fill me up with you.” 

He flips you on your back, and you finally see how desperate Jungkook is to cum. His eyes are glassy, filled with emotion as he strokes himself to completion. Your hand reaches up to cup his damp face, and that’s when you feel him loosen. Hot, pearly strings cling to your pussy, decorating your skin in his essence. Your fingers immediately reach down to swirl the cum between your folds, and Jungkook groans at the picture, immediately throwing your hands to the side to kiss you senseless. 

There’s so much pouring between the two of you, affection, the feeling of being cherished, so much that you can feel the whole world reducing to the two of you. 

“All mine,” he whispers to himself, as if he still can’t believe it. And then, he puts up a poker face as he leans into you, resting his head gently on your breasts, “I knew I only needed a week.”

You narrow your eyes, flicking lightly at his forehead. You’re sticky, sweaty, and covered in cum and while you’re exhausted, the built in jacuzzi in your washroom looks very enticing right now. “Jungkook, this happened naturally. I said we would try as friends first and we did. We just so happened to escalate pretty fast.” 

“I don’t think it was that fast,” Jungkook nuzzles his face into your skin, “it’s been two years since college. Being popular did do a number on our relationship, but we caught up." 

“You were popular-ish,” you roll your eyes, teasing him. His face falls, and you can’t help yourself. Your hands reach over to cup his cheeks, and you happily squish the supple, pouty flesh. He’s adorable. “Kim Taehyung though? Park Jimin? Absolute heartthrobs I couldn’t stand to be near them—ah!” 

Jungkook seems to read your mind, lifting you bridal style to drag you over to the bathroom where the marble jacuzzi sits tauntingly. The stone is ice cold as he brings you both inside, immediately turning on the nozzles to fill it with steaming hot water. You find the tiny bottle of lavender suds, spilling the soap in an arc. His legs slip over yours, cradling you so that your back is pressed against Jungkook’s chest. 

“Being popular never mattered,” Jungkook shakes his head, pressing a kiss to your jaw, “I realized the only person who I really needed to notice me was you.” 

bonus. 

You wake Jungkook up the next morning with your lips wrapped around his cock, fresh cherry balm rubbing down the thick veins until he's cumming down your throat. 

"Wow," Jungkook whistles, licking his lips at the sight of you sucking the arousal from your thumb. He huffs against the pillow, eyes darting to the open organza window, letting in the early morning light. The rooftop of a multi-star hotel, white Egyptian cotton seats, a full time job on the way and waking up in the most blissful way possible. 

"I have a proposal," you crawl on top of him like a koala, hooking your thighs between his blanket clad body. 

"I do," he replies instantly, looking straight at you with droopy puppy eyes.

"Not that kind," you slap his chest, "where are you living once orientation is over?" 

"Mm, there's a boarding house near a local translation. It's probably an hour commute? Not too bad." 

"So, I just leased a townhouse last month," you bite your lip, tucking your head between his neck to hide your embarrassment, "I was gonna rent out the spare room and put an advert in the paper but…"

"I do."

"I said it isn't a marriage proposal."

"Asking you to live with me is basically a marriage proposal."

"There will be no benefits," you sit up, wagging a finger in his face, "you'll be paying rent and half the utilities. And you will be doing all the laundry." 

"Sure," Jungkook replies loftily, squeezing your ass, "you're benefit enough." 

#jungkook smut #jungkook x reader #btswritingcafe #btsghostie #kwritersworldnet #goldenclosetnet #jungkook fic #jungkook scenario #bts fic

[makeste]

BnHA Chapter 318: On Your Left

Previously on BnHA: The Hawksquad+Lurkers were all “well this sucks” and sat around a bit talking about how maybe they should actually come up with a new plan that is actually good, but then in the end they were like “nah.” Deku was all, “THERE’S SOMETHING INSIDE ME THAT PULLS BENEATH THE SURFACE!! CONSUMING, CONFUSING!! THIS LACK OF SELF CONTROL I FEAR IS NEVERENDING. IT’S HAUNTING HOW I CANT SEEM TO FIND MYSELF AGAIN. MY WALLS ARE CLOSING IN.” Just, literally that whole entire song. All Might was all “Deku you should take care of yourself, try eating a thing,” and Deku was all “BYE, ALL MIGHT,” and just LEFT. He left!!! What the fuck!!!

Today on BnHA: Endeavor is all, “maybe if Deku didn’t listen to All Might he’ll listen to me instead.” Deku is all, “[doesn’t listen to Endeavor]” because, well, yeah. The Vestiges are all, “surprisingly, even we are a little concerned -- maybe you should get some rest, kid.” Deku is all, “((Ò ‸ Ó)).” The Vestiges are all, “holy shit.” Deku is all, “[wanders the ruined city streets terrifying the populace on account of him looking like Shelob had a baby with one of the Nazgul].” Some shriveled-up puppeteer villain asshole is all, “HORIKOSHI SAID IT’S MY TURN TO ATTACK DEKU TODAY SO I AM GOING TO SUMMON MY FRIGHTENED HELPLESS ATTACK MOB!!” Kacchan is all “WHADDYA MEAN THEY FOUND THE NERD!!! -- oh wait, that’s me, I found him. I found the nerd, you guys.” And just in time, too. I was about to owe a whole lot of people a whole lot of dollars.

so I have been super good about spoilers this week as always, but let me tell you guys, for the past 36 hours my dash filters have basically been nonstop “manga spoilers” this and “bnha 318” that, and so I’m coming in with a fair amount of hype here. your move, Horikoshi

oh, good! they got Endeavor to call Deku to try to talk him out of it. what a great and wonderful plan

“listen up kid, you haven’t slept since March and you are basically a walking biohazard right now, I’m just telling it like it is. didn’t you get shot like three times?? and there was a whole thing about how you urgently needed medical attention?? and supposedly we gave it to you, but I mean you haven’t even changed your clothes and don’t seem to have any fresh bandages or anything, so did we?? did we, really?? and also we all got blown up yesterday, so yeah.” hmm he’s making some reasonable points here you guys, but you sure do go on and on, Endeavor

oh he says foreign aid is finally on its way! I’m sure they’ll be very helpful. I mean in fairness they can hardly be worse than the home-grown heroes at this point

hey Enji, could you maybe try appealing to Deku the sixteen-year-old human boy, as opposed to Deku The World’s Last Hope? he does have value beyond his quirk. I know that’s always been an incredibly difficult concept for you to grasp, but could you maybe TRY, jesus

and also we’re worried about you as a person?? you’re just a kid and you’re pushing yourself way too hard?? you were going to say that part next, right. why the hell didn’t Hawks make this call instead

“don’t worry about me... I’m completely fine” Deku you do understand that saying it over and over again doesn’t actually make it true

and again with the rush!! all the rush rush rush!! we’re running out of time, we can’t let AFO and Tomura keep getting stronger, I have to end this now, there’s no time to rest, etc. etc. etc. just the constant pressure of this whole big countdown on top of everything else

holy shit, you KNOW it’s bad when even the Vestiges are telling him to chill

these guys are basically the walking talking embodiments of self-sacrifice; if even they’re telling him he needs to take five, then he must seriously be like half a step away from death’s door

OH SHIT LMAO

DIDN’T EVEN LET HIM FINISH HIS SENTENCE BEFORE HE SENT HIM INTO THE FUCKING SHADOW REALM WITH THAT FUCKING LOOK. HOLY FUCK. DIDN’T EVEN KNOW IT WAS POSSIBLE TO DIE TWICE. SHIT

(ETA: so I’m pretty sure this was just Danger Sense activating and so he cut them off to go do more hero stuff, but I’m gonna go ahead and stick to my original interpretation anyway lol.)

anyway so how’s everybody doing. we all good? En, you good? Banjou? Shino? I’m imagining you guys all curled up in a little ball on the floor right now lol. can’t say I blame you though, no shame

lmaoooooooooooo

“SHEESH.” sheesh indeed, lmao. “what in the FUCK was that”

see, this is why y’all need Kacchan. you need someone who’s not going to back down from him no matter what. if it’s a matter of out-stubborning Midoriya fucking Izuku, then there’s only one other person on the planet capable of that, and we all know it. don’t pretend like you don’t. I am not going to shut up about this! we’ve had our hurt so now what about SOME COMFORT, DAMMIT

“I’m afraid that he’s becoming influenced by my conscience” nah are you kidding Nana this is all 100% made-in-Japan pure original Deku right here

see, Banjou gets it. “that kid, he’s totally going on his own.” exactly. this was so inevitable it was basically scientific law

“well I for one don’t see the problem with Deku being so obsessed with saving everyone else that he pushes himself until his body and soul literally fall apart” okay, whose speech bubbles are these?? we’re about to have words

lol of course

well you always did prefer the direct route didn’t you. but even you can’t possibly think this is okay lol

dark AU!Kacchan please tell us more about your badass doomed timeline in which everything went to shit and you apparently had the same character arc that Deku is having right now except it somehow made you sexier instead of turning you into a rabid t-rex. I have so many questions

oh so now you want to help??? well -- good, actually. sorry if that sounded offended just now lol

(ETA: so at first when I got to the end of this chapter I was wondering if Katsuki B. had somehow summoned his alternate-universe counterpart through trippy OFA space telepathy lol. but in the original Japanese there’s no reference to “we”, so this appears to be a mistranslation. this line should probably read more like “if there’s something/someone out there that would be able to complement/complete the current Midoriya Izuku [it would be]…” which, oh hello, is that Horikoshi once again reaffirming that Deku and Bakugou complete each other lol. “guess what guys, the Vestiges ship it too" heck yeah. they know what’s up!)

look how admiring his boyfriends are. HORIKOSHI GIVE US THE REST OF THIS BACKSTORY ALREADY GODDAMMIT

“meanwhile somewhere in the depths of the ruined city, Deku was having a dance-off with the villains”

I like how the villains all have this “AHH WHAT THE FUCK” kind of body language to them lol. I mean if it were me, and an eldritch horror suddenly clawed its way from the shadows with its writhing glowy tentacles and pants-shitting nuclear death stare, I would probably just die on the spot. no need to stick around. only pain awaits

lol for a minute I thought this was Can’t Ya See-kun and I was like “WHAT A FASCINATING CROSSING OF PATHS” but it’s just some random girl

he seems genuinely confused lol

Deku it’s because you look like something that crawled out of a sewer drain, sweetheart

lol they just took his word for it?

so trusting. even though they’re immediately hauling ass anyway just to be safe lmao

“my appearance is frightening to others” no shit Deku it’s because you look like a fucking alien exorcism. you look like a Lich that got caught up in an oil spill my dude

NO NOT THE CHOSEN ONE ANGST AGAIN

I RAN OUT OF ESSAY JUICE FOR THIS ALREADY HORIKOSHI!! I’VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT FOR MONTHS NOW WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG!! BUT ANYWAYS, GOOD!! I MEAN, BAD, THOUGH, OBVIOUSLY. BUT YES

“ENJOY THIS MONTAGE OF DEKU BATTLING A RANDOM KAIJU AND WANDERING THE WOODS LIKE A DERANGED GREEN BABA YAGA” okay yes but sir, exactly how much longer is this going to go on. if it’s a matter of you wanting to make sure we get it, let me assure you that aside from a few stray chuunis who think that Deku embracing the Darkness is the coolest thing he’s ever done, all of us here in fandom fully comprehend that this is Not Good

-- OH SO IT’S LIKE THAT

really. with the flashbacks to his loved ones’ smiling faces and everything. not even gonna try to aim above the belt, huh

AND NO KACCHAN??! NO CLASSMATES?!?! IS HE PURPOSELY NOT THINKING OF THEM??? OR ARE THEY BEING SAVED FOR THE NEXT PAGE??? SO HELP ME, IF THE NEXT PART OF THIS SENTENCE IS “CAN PROTECT THEM”, OR EVEN WORSE, “CAN SEE THEIR SMILING FACES AGAIN”, I...

WHAT DID I JUST SAY

(ETA: my man did Sero and Kaminari fucking dirty lmao. I miss their smiling faces too omg.)

the sheer, unparalleled irony of him saying this while he stands there looking like the gargoyle demon from Fantasia got crossed with an umbrella that got struck by lightning. Deku :(

oi who the fuck is this clown

is he controlling this mob with his evil hair. “what if I made an exhausted, running-on-fumes Deku battle a brainwashed mob at Ground Zero.” Horikoshi do you just have like a checklist of horrible things you want to do to your protagonist

easy there Sasori

well joke’s on you buddy because he’s apparently “completely fine”, so

“here’s to hoping that you know more about AFO’s location than the others” jesus christ Deku you really have hung your mercy out to dry huh

now he’s forcing his mob of terrified prisoners to attack Deku ahhhh. sucks to be them. at least they’re not being controlled by bees

so Deku is saying that Sasori’s control can be broken with “physical trauma.” similar to Shinsou’s quirk I guess. but so does that mean he’s gonna have to hurt them? ( •﹏•)

NO NOT MORE SAD EYES

“DEATH BY EMPATHY!!!” HORIKOSHI NO

fuck. he looks like he’s on the verge of passing out

this is what happens when you nerf a character’s self-preservation stats in favor of spamming their bone-breaking stats instead. NOW ACCEPTING BRAIN CELL DONATIONS FOR A BOY IN NEED!! with your loving generosity we can hopefully help him live to the ripe old age of seventeen

OMGFGGG

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

[grabs your hands] ლ(*꒪ヮ꒪*)ლ [swings you in a circle] へ(ﾟ◇ﾟへ)

THASSSSSSSS WHATSSSSSSS UPPPPPPPPPP

HORIKOSHI REALLY SAID FUCK THAT MASK (ノ°ο°)ノ YOU FINALLY LEARNED!! IT’S CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!!!!

JUST FOR YOU KACCHAN, HORIKOSHI LEFT THIS ONE BAD GUY WHO’S STILL WEAK TO FIRE. GOD BLESS

IT’S YOUR COUNTERPART, KATSUKI B!!!! HOW WE DOIN OVER THERE IN THE TRIPPY COSMIC OFA SPACE REALM LOL. DO WE BELIEVE YET, FANDOM???

LIGHTS!!!!

INSTANT RESULTS!!! IT’S SUPER EFFECTIVE!!!

(ETA: imagine what this must look like to Deku though. he’s been caught up in this dark cloud of despair and exhaustion that’s been building up over... I’m gonna go ahead and say “weeks”, because yeah. and now he finds himself here, in the place where All Might’s legacy ended and the torch was passed to him. and the world is in ruins, and he’s surrounded by frightened people who are all trying to hurt him -- because who isn’t trying to hurt him, these days -- and he’s scrambling to figure this all out, but meanwhile the weariness is finally starting to catch up to him, and so he’s basically just standing there in a fog of complete and utter misery.

and then all of a sudden through that haze, he hears the one voice that’s more familiar than any other that he knows. like, I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if he thought he was just imagining it at first. Kacchan showing up to save him right when he’s at his most desperate and feeling the most alone. Kacchan, showing up to save him.

this is the person he always looked up to as a child (to be fair he was quite a strange child lmao). the person who was even closer to him than All Might. the person he always thought was amazing. and bam, here he is now. appearing in the sky out of nowhere to one-shot the bad guy with a single blast (which, btw, that was his armor-piercing attack too lmao dslkjlk take it easy there kiddo). like, that must have felt absolutely surreal to him, especially coming at a time when he’s already half-delirious and barely hanging on to reality. he must have really thought that he was losing it there for a second.

but he’s really there. it really is him. and for this brief moment -- before the rest of the situation catches up to him, and he remembers about all of the fucked-up AFO stuff, and remembers why he was so afraid and why he was pushing everyone away -- for just this one brief moment, he’s too exhausted and stunned to do anything except to just react. just stands there, looking up at him in awe.

and you know, it almost reminds me of...

just. you guys. the character development. the freaking character development. someone who brings reassurance. someone who shows up and makes you think, “oh, it’s all going to be okay now, because [person] is here.” the role reversals. the growth. the payoff!! because who is the one person who always had faith that Kacchan would one day grow up to become an amazing hero like that. WHO IS IT. YOU ALREADY KNOW.

omg. anyways, bless you Horikoshi, my feels which have been on backorder since fucking September have finally arrived lmao. yes, good, thank you. worth the wait. it is always, always worth the wait. fuck yeah.)

“LOWFRIES” SO YOU’RE TELLING ME THE WHOLE GANG IS HERE, AHHHHHHHH (º̩̩́⌣º̩̩̀ )

BEAUTIFUL. WONDERFUL. SENSATIONAL. I DON’T EVEN CARE THAT JUMP IS ON BREAK NEXT WEEK. THIS RIGHT HERE WILL SUSTAIN ME

#bnha 318 #midoriya izuku #BAKUGOU KATSUKI #!!!! #twowy mctwoface #bnha #boku no hero academia #bnha meta #bakudeku #bnha spoilers #mha spoilers #bnha manga spoilers #makeste reads bnha

[arcadejohn127-9]

I read the Diavolos ball and angsty stuff, can I please please please get a happy ending to go with it?

This has been a highly requested and I must give my poor followers comfort after this straight up angst

So everyone, let's get into it! Some hurt and comfort to soothe your hearts

Warning: angst, long

I'll be putting this under readmore as it is long and I have had someone before say they wanted me to add it on long posts, I never really got any feedback about what I could do better and how this will help with people's viewing but I understand why, long posts can be annoying

If you guys think I should do this with all my long posts please comment or dm me or even state it in asks/requests - I wanna do what I can to make things enjoyable for people

Part 1 - beginning

Diavolo's ball aftermath

It's been a few days since they've seen you; they expected to find you in the dorm. Some fear you went back to the human world; there was no messages, no note - there was nothing. You were completely gone.

Everyone was losing it. The brothers got more aggressively with each other, no longer able to have you come between them. Your presence was so soothing to all of them but now you were gone. As soon as they realized you were gone the whole air of the dorm shifted. It wasn't right.

Mammon got desperate to know where you were. He handed one of his crows a necklace he got you, you promised to never take it off. His heart shattered when he saw it was on your desk. He wasn't sure what he did wrong - why did you take it off? What happened to you?

It wasn't long before the crow came back to the devildom; reporting that you were in fact in the human world. The brothers were devastated. They had to tell the others and they had to watch the hopeful shine in their eyes die.

They could all feel thankful you were unharmed but you were so far. You did this to get away from them. You didn't even leave a damn note!

Diavolo ordered everyone to go to the human world. They all split up into different parties to get you, whoever could get you first had to interrogate you. It didn't take a genius to understand that the Noble told you something horrible - why else would you have such a reaction? Barbatos was tasked to 'calmly discuss' that night with said noble but regardless of how rough and merciless he was; he refused to talk.

It was wasting time and energy. If he wasn't going to talk then they had to get the answer from you. A few were able to gather the gist of what he told you from your conversation before you disappeared; you were convinced you were being used and just a replacement, a pawn to them.

They wanted the full story. The whole reason. Anything! Just to understand why you would push them away and disappear like this. What have they done to make the nobles words feel so real to you? They needed to fix it.

The demon brother's split into a team of two; eldest and youngest, the royals stayed together and the elder exchange students were a double team aswell.

The crows lead the teams their way, splitting up to different routes to see if they could circle you so they could talk to you even if you decided to run.

In the end they found you, you were across the pavement, a train coming. The pedestrian stop dinged as it commanded people to stop but the men couldn't help themselves.

"(Y/N)!!!"

You whipped around, shocked. You thought your ears were playing tricks on you but there was the boys. Your boys. Tears bubbled in your eyes. You couldn't believe it. They followed you to the human world.

The world slowed down; the wind blowing against you as your eyes widened at the sight of them. They looked exhausted, some even with tear streaked cheeks. The more impulsive bunch being held back so they don't go running towards you. The street lights illuminated all of you; their appearance looked just as broken as their hearts.

The train rammed itself between you all. Disturbing the moment with its blaring horn, the screeching wheels ringing in your ears. It was the second you had to decide; do you run? Or do you stay?

To let them get you and finally face your emotions or run away, avoid everything and keep letting despair consume you.

You stayed. You couldn't move at all. It was if you were glued to the spot. But you knew it was just your heart aching for them; desperate to hold them and cry out your pain.

As soon as they could, they all rushed to your side. Hugging you, grabbing at your arms and head to pull you close to them. You choked on your tears as you let the 11 men hug you and check your face and clothes. All just wanting to make sure you were really there and unharmed.

You missed them all dearly and you were so happy they missed you too.

But then the big question was asked.

"what happened that night?"

"he said he was happy to meet me...asked for a dance and I said yes, I never should of, he kept telling me I was just Diavolo's pawn, Lilith's replacement and convinced me none of actually cared for me....I believed him.....I felt so unsure and he knew so much about us I just couldn't stop the doubts in my head....I'm so sorry-!"

Lucifer:

He couldn't believe that noble said that to you

He hastily grabbed your face, wiping away your tears

"You will never be and never have been her replacement, you are your own person, your connection to our sister means nothing other than comfort that she was able to be happy and that's it - I apologize if we have made you feel like you are a replacement and have compared you to her.... please understand we just miss her very dearly but we all want you in our life more than anything."

You buried your face into his shoulder

Sobbing your heart out as you kept chanting apologies and gratitude in a broken voice

He silenced you, holding you close

The prideful demon hid his face as best as he could and let tears drip down his cheeks

He was so relived to have you back

It seemed that noble wasn't only going to be visited by barbatos

Lucifer was not known for being merciful

Mammon:

He grabbed your arm and hastily tugged you towards him

His other hand cradled the back of your head

"Don't ever run away again, you understand?! I'm supposed to be the one protecting ya and how am I supposed to do that if you're off running in different realms without telling anyone??!! That noble doesn't know anything! I don't know how he knew about Lilith but you ain't her, you're (Y/N) And that's it! You are your own person - you gotta call out my dumbass-ary if I compare or make you feel that way, I would never do it on purpose! I like you and only you! I can't lose you again!"

He pushed his forhead against yours

A shaky exhale leaving him

You tried to apologize but he cut you right off, hugging you closer

He was going to make that Noble pay for ever making you doubt yourself like this

To doubt how much he loves you

Levithan:

He was already crying

He was crying before you even considered crying

He rushed to you and grabbed your hands

"I got so scared I did something, Don't listen to that normie! Normies are losers for a reason! There's no one else I would want as my best friend - no one will ever be a better game partner than you! You always make me feel happy and proud to be me-! I couldn't ask for anything more from you! I miss Lilith but I miss you even more! You're my favourite person, you're not some replacement, you're you! You're my player 2-! I'm sorry if I made you feel like you're not as amazing as you are, please don't leave again!"

It wasn't long after his speech he hugged you

Squeezing you tightly as he relished in having you back in real life 3D

since you were gone he kept playing as your game avatars

Using ai set ups to feel like he was with you again in VR

That noble will not stand a chance against his fury

Satan:

He wasn't sure if he was mad at you or himself

It was most likely both - mad you left and let someone just destory so much work and progression in one meeting

But mad at himself for not making you feel secure

He couldn't bring himself to hug you but that was because he was scared he wouldn't let go

"I knew that Noble was nothing but a menace-! You can't listen to people like him, he's just trying to get to you and tear us apart - I don't know why he would do that but he isn't right, he will never EVER be right! You are yourself and never will be Lilith, I didn't get to me her or really know who she was but I do know you will never be her and never were her! I care so much about you and I will make sure to keep my stupid brothers to never make you feel that way again, I've missed you so much (Y/N)."

In the end, he fell into your arms

Holding you tight as he let out his tears of frustration go

You apologized but he just told you to shut up, he didn't want you to be sorry for being the victim

He already had plans on what he's going to do to that noble, trying to push those thoughts away

Focusing on how wonderful it is to have you close

Asmodeus:

As soon as he could reach you, he pulled you into an embrace

Shaking his head as tears streamed down

His makeup already starting to to drip along work his tears

"No! No! No! Noooo!! Don't listen to that horrible noble! He isn't right at all, he doesn't know anything about us or you! He obviously doesn't know how much we care about you and like you as your own person, I never meant to make you feel as if you were some sort of replacement! Lilith was her own being and so are you, your connection means nothing! I i will always be happy knowing my sister got to live the life she wanted but you aren't apart of that, your life is your own and you are nothing like her! I love you because you're you! I couldn't imagine ever loving someone as much as I love you, please come back to the devildom!"

He nuzzled his cheek against yours

Thankful to have you back in his arms again

He didn't like getting his hands messy but no one was going to make you feel that way ever again

He didn't care about that demons status

Beezlebub:

His hand landed on the top of your head

You flinched not expecting such a gentle pat but it only broke his heart more

"That noble knows nothing about you or any of us, he's turned my sister into an enemy to our relationship and I will not let that go on for any longer! You are not her and not her replacement, how dare he make you feel that way! you're apart of my family and I'll have it no other way, I really love you and missed you everyday you were gone - I was scared I'd never feel full again, you make me feel complete and when you disappeared I knew I wouldn't be able to protect you, I would of never forgiven myself if you got hurt! I want to always be able to protect you and have you by my side and make you feel happy - I promise I won't fail you again."

He almost fell to his knees once he was done

He was ready to swear to you on one knee, like a true knight

But instead hugged you

Mindful not to squeeze too hard but let himself be selfish and hold you tighter than he would normally dare to

He was one prone to be violent unless it was in sports or he was starved - the Noble starved him of your touch and kindness

He'll break more than just rooms once he gets his hands on that Noble

Belphegor:

He spun you to face him

Demanding

Needing your attention on him

It was only a few days but it felt like forever since he's had your eyes on him

"You're no pawn and no replacement, you are you and that's all I want, I don't want any one else, I know I've made you feel like a replacement - i did something horrible to you and then tried to make it seem like it was all okay after, I'm always trying to make up for that day but I know that is something that will always effect us! I missed you so much....you are your own person and you've helped me be a better person, come back home and let me make this right......you're all I want and need."

He broke down crying

Hanging his head low and it dropped onto your shoulder

He loosely held your waist whilst you gripped onto him tight

If everyone thought choking you was bad, just wait until they see what he plans to do with that noble

He couldn't stand seeing you so upset anymore

UNDATEABLES↓

Diavolo:

He gently held your arm

Giving it a small squeeze as tears built up

"He said all that? I'm sorry he made you feel like that, to feel such confliction and dread, You are never will be or were my pawn, you're a fantastic student and wonderful person who's did more than I've ever imagined Someone could do, if I could have asked you myself properly to be apart of the exchange program I would of but the world is not yet ready to merge and be aware of our existence.... please you have my deepest apologies and regrets that you felt this way and I've allowed such a person in my court, I will do whatever I can to make this right."

The tears finally fell and he became selfish

Hugging you tight against him, his fingers brushing against any skin he could touch

He couldn't dare to think how he'll be when you finally do leave the program

But until that time comes he needed to make it a good experience for you

If what barbatos did to him wasn't enough to convince him then he will not go back on his word

He'll fix this and do whatever he can to make all the pain stop

Barbatos:

He sighed in relief seeing you in the flesh

Knees buckling as he stood before you

His knuckles bloodied and bruised under his gloves

"I should of been more comforting when I found you, if I had known that was what he said I would of never let him be apart of the lord's court or be at that party, believe me when I say you are not a pawn or someone's replacement - you are so much more than that, you are you and someone that's made me feel closer to the present, to act quicker and stop using endless time as a excuse, I will fix this and make him regret ever uttering a word to you, I promise you."

Your touch was as gentle as ever

He caved, leaning against you

Happy to be able to make amends and fix the situation

The nobles dealt with him once and no matter what he did it wasn't enough

But he was merely holding back to be a gentleman, even if that noble now looks like a beaten raisin

It seemed he will have to do much worse to send everyone's message across

Solomon:

His face was gentle yet scolding

He gently brushed your cheek, wiping away a stray tear

"don't run off next time something like this happens, your life is so short and I hate to think would could happen if I lost you because you felt isolated even from me, you though you could find solace as both of us are humans but I was slow to understand your needs - you are deeply loved by everyone, I envy how much love you get and that's why I can't stand to see you run! I also love you and your presence, you have been so kind to me and I still have so much to teach you- please believe me when I say you're no one's pawn or replacement, you're important because you're you."

You crumbled completely

He hugged you as you apologized, calling yourself an idioit

But it only made him tsk, rubbing your back as he filled your ears with praises

He was sure the demons were going to rip that Noble to shreds but he couldn't help but desire his own revenge

Seeing you like this hurt him so much

Simeon:

He was so quick and gentle you could of mistaken him as a feather

He embraced you, cradling your head and rubbed soothing circles between your shoulder blades

"I was worried about you, I took you home and then I learn you've completely disappeared! No warning or note behind, you ran away - your feelings are extremely valid and I understand why you did this, It must of been so conflicting and you needed space to think and reflect, you're so strong (Y/N)! but you are also smarter than this, I feel ashamed knowing I haven't showed you how much I appreciate you being in my life and make sure you feel secure in the Devildom, I want to look over you but I've failed you already, that Noble does not know what he's talking about regardless of the information he has! I would never let anyone use you or let anyone treat you as some replacement, we all care so much about you."

He slightly swayed with you in his arms

Overwhelmed by his fears and the emotions that were rushing through him

He promised to never harm an innocent soul

That noble did not have one

He will leave the more physically destructive rage to the others

Wanting to merely talk and show the noble the error of his ways

Bonus:

You were back in the Devildom, Everyone was making sure to spend extra time with you. So happy to have you back and wanting to work on making you feel more secure. You couldn't stop how fast your heart was beating from all the overwhelming joy you felt.

It felt so good to be back. But you nagging worry remained in your head; what was going to happen to the Noble? you wished you could go up to him and yell at him. Prove him wrong and make him regret ever making you spiral like that.

When you brought up the idea, the men all looked at each other. A knowing look in their eye.

"I'm sorry, (Y/N) but I think it's best you don't see him but rest assured, we've dealt with him on your behalf and understand your wishes - let us know how we can help you feel resolved from that situation if this is unsatisfactory."

Diavolo answered. If it weren't the state the noble was in they'd happily let you chew him out but your heart and mind have been through enough already. No need to add on to the hurt with seeing what was left of him. They couldn't stand to see you upset again.

But you agreed, thanking them for their support and handling the situation. Unaware of their true actions. They all wished you a great day before going back to their own private meeting.

#obey me #obey me shall we date #gamingclubpresident #aracadejohn217 9 #obey me mammon #obey me mc #obey me asmodeus #obey me satan #obey me belphegor #obey me barbatos #obey me beezlebub #obey me levithan #obey me luficer #obey me simeon #obey me solomon #obey me demon brothers #obey me diavolo #obey me imagine #obey me x you #obey me x mc #obey me x reader #obey me headcanon #angst #obey me angst #cw: angst

[stuckyxren]

Back at it again…….

Just imagine..

You are over worked and exhausted.

You are going through a breakup, are working 40+ hours a week, and you are taking 4 college classes on top of trying to have any life at all.

Sleep doesn’t come easy and you are stressed to the point of breaking out into hives. You just want to stop and let your best guy friends snuggle you in between them, but you don’t have time to stop. There is so much to do and so little time. The emotional and mental toll it’s all taking is making you even more tired than ever before.

Steve and Bucky arrive on your floor one evening. After realizing they hadn’t heard from you in a few hours, and knowing you are home since you got off of work hours prior, they felt the need to come check on you. They see through the charade you’ve been fronting for them. Hell, Bucky is an ex assassin. He knew as soon as it started, but Steve wanted to give you some space to get used to the routine of things before trying to fix it all for you. Steve knows you want to be independent, but they both know you are getting near, if you haven’t already passed, your breaking point.

You are sitting in your bed, music ridiculously loud, typing quickly on your laptop. A cup of coffee sits on your nightstand, even though it is pretty late into the evening, as you attempt to get as much done as you can. Exhaustion crept up on you before you even got home, but you had too many assignments due in one week, so you just keep the music up to keep yourself awake and drink a cup or two of coffee. Your getting the jitters as you haven’t eaten anything since lunch time and this is your 3rd cup of coffee today.

Steve and Bucky walk right into your open bedroom door, but you don’t even notice them. From afar, the boys see the tremors in our hands, the way your legs bounce even as you sit. They know that look. You are over caffeinated and exhausted, on the brink of a panic attack, and you don’t even realize it. Your face is flushed and sweat is starting to bead on your forehead as the boys witness your anxiety build when you obviously make a mistake.

Steve walks straight into your en-suite as Bucky calls to you.

“Hey doll. You okay?” Bucky practically yells over the music. You jump and quickly scramble into a fighting position, swaying dangerously on your feet. Bucky steps forward to steady you. “I’ll take that as a no.”

Just as Steve comes in, you collapses into Bucky, no longer able to hold yourself up. Your breaths are coming in short and fast as you claw to get ahold of Bucky. Your weakness and sudden dizziness scaring you.

“I’ve gotcha.” Bucky murmurs as he catches you, hoisting you into his arms. Bucky begins walking toward the living room as Steve follows suit, grabbing your trash bin on the way out. This has happened before. Your nerves, plus your exhaustion, plus not eating, plus the caffeine, plus the anxiety attack normally makes you sick to your stomach. Sometimes nothing happens, but Steve knows to be prepared.

“Hey. Hey. Hey. Look at me beautiful.” Steve said as Bucky sat down with you in his lap, your back to his chest. Steve sits beside y’all, grabbing your face gently in his hands, attempting to make eye contact. “I need you to slow down for us. Can you do that?”

You shake your head, reaching up to grip Steve’s wrists. You squeeze your eyes and your mouth shut as the nausea climbs and you squirm in Bucky’s lap.

Bucky rubs your stomach above your shirt and leans his head on your shoulder, quietly shushing you in between saying sweet nothings. Both boys are trying their hardest to calm you down, but they are having no luck.

“Excuse me, I have requested for Agent Romanoff to come assist.” Friday breaks in.

Just as the AI informs y’all, Natasha walks in with a glass of water and a few pills. “Banner asked me to run these up for you guys. Friday informed him of her vitals while we were doing some paper work in the lab.”

“Thanks Tasha.” Bucky replies, reaching out his free hand to grab the items from the assassin. “We got it from here. Don’t wanna crowd her too much.”

“Of course.” Natasha replies, gently running a hand through your hair. “Feel better немного любви (little love).” Then she’s gone.

Steve has a sharp eye on you and is preparing to lunge for the trash can that he has as he watches your face turn a grayish color as your breathing picks up even more. Steve watches as Bucky puts the wash cloth on the back of your neck and resumes rubbing your stomach. Steve keeps his hands on your face even as you tilt your head back to rest on Bucky’s shoulder. The temperature of your face rises as the panic and nausea rises.

Just as the nausea hits its brink, your face suddenly goes a bit colder. Steve feels the change and lunges to shove the trash can under your chin. Bucky pulls your hair away from your face as you heave into the trash bin Steve provides.

You attempt to hold back the wave of coffee that threats to come up. “Ste- uuurk” You attempt to cry out, but that sends the coffee up and out.

“Shhhhh Hunny. I know. You’re okay.” Steve shushes you. At this point, all they can do is let it happen and take care of you. Steve and Bucky exchange sympathetic glances over your shoulder as they each attempt to soothe you.

You get sick multiple times. Occasionally, Bucky gives your back a few thumps when you sputter. The boys shush you and try to soothe your shaking and jarring form as they wait it out with you.

After a few minutes, you sit back, finally finished. You pant as Bucky pulls you further into him and Steve backs off slightly. The trash can is placed a bit away, but still within reach. Steve takes off his shirts, using the white tank top to clean off your mouth before handing you the water. Steve has you rinse and spit before allowing you to drink any water.

The room is silent as you all wait to make sure the water will stay down. After a few minutes with nothing happening, but the sound of you panting between sips, they get to work.

“Here Buck. I’ll take her. Can you go clean that out and make her something light?” Steve asks his boyfriend, reaching for you.

You allow Steve to take you as Bucky gets up with a nod in Steve’s direction. You snuggle down as Steve takes the glass and sets it on the coffee table. Your head rests on his chest as you listen to his heart beat and Bucky working in the kitchen. You finally begin calming down as Steve sits with you in silence, letting you match your breathing to his own as he holds you close, rubbing your back gently.

When Bucky comes back, he gives you some soup and crackers, telling you to eat some so that you can take your medicine. You comply, exhausted and knowing that he is right.

“You gotta quit doing this to yourself doll.” Bucky says as he hands the medication to you after you finish up.

Steve still has you in his lap. You are reclined back into his chest and he rests his chin on your shoulder. “He’s right. You gotta quit overworking yourself. You just literally made yourself sick.”

“I know.” You reply, tilting your head down. You feel ashamed that they had to come to your rescue because you couldn’t have better time management. “I just have a lot on my plate. I’m sorry.” Then the tears start falling.

“Hey. Hey. Hey. None of that.” Bucky says, gently tilting your face up and wiping at the tears as they fall. “We know you do, but you gotta take care of yourself.”

“Like stopping for meals, drinking more water, sleeping.” Steve says, rubbing your arms.

“I know. Sometimes I get so stuck in what I’m doing. I forget.” You sigh.

“We know. That’s why we came up.” Steve replied. “We hadn’t heard from you in a while. You’ve been like this since the breakup and we were starting to get worried.”

“Well, I’ve been worried, but we wanted to let you have some time to readjust. Half a year is a long time to be dating someone. Some people might think otherwise, but by then, you have routines and you’ve been with someone romantically and it can be hard to get used to being alone again.” Bucky says, fighting to be that vulnerable, but knowing you need to hear it.

“It’s been so hard.” You answer quietly. “I got used to always having someone to talk to, someone to cuddle, someone to watch movies with and eat junk food. Someone who I loved and thought I would spend the rest of my life with. *sniff* I feel so alone and working or doing homework makes me forget sometimes.” You cry, leaning further into Steve, curling up in his lap as you talk.

Bucky continues to wipe your tears. He pulls the blanket off the back of the couch and covers you with it as he sees the look of exhaustion on your face. The battle for sleep has begun now that your body has been fed and properly hydrated.

“We know sweetheart. We know.” Steve murmurs, tightening his hold on you. “We’ve got you now though. We will help you in any way that we can.”

“Yeah.” Bucky agrees, snuggling into you and Steve. “We can snuggle. We can watch movies and eat junk. We can even talk to you all the time.”

“It may not be the same.” Steve says, turning to kiss you on the crown of your head. “But we love you.”

“I love you guys too.” You say as you drift to sleep.

Later on, once they are sure you are asleep, the boys carry you to bed and lay down with you. Bucky clears the bed off and goes around your floor to make sure everything is off for the night before returning to you and Steve. Once Steve gets his good night kiss from Bucky, they both place a kiss on your forehead before laying down beside you to sleep.

#bucky x reader #mcu #steve rogers x reader #stucky #james bucky barnes #emeto #emeto tw #emetophilia #anxitey #steve rogers fluff #stucky fluff #bucky fluff

[let-them-read-fics]

Rivalries Of The High Seas

Requested By Anon: "Pirate AU, enemies to lovers."

AU: Pirate

Pairing: Captain!Rosé x Fem!Captain!Reader

Word Count: ~ 7,375

Warnings / Misc. -- Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Major Injury (Inflicted On Reader), Dangerous Situations, Fluff

Disclaimer: This writing is a work of fiction, and no disrespect is meant for those mentioned herein.

A/N: Anon, thank you for this one! I've never seen the movie you mentioned in your request, but you did well in explaining what you wanted to see here. I had a lot of fun with this one, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

PS ~ Captain Rosé could step on me and I'd say thank you

♡ Happy Reading ♡

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Death isn't a new thing to you. It isn't some far-off, enigmatic fear capable of tearing down your psyche anytime the topic is brought up. In fact, you're faced with the harsh realities of it almost everyday, given your ranking. Even still, when you woke up this morning, you hadn't expected for the day to consist of you meeting your end. 

Your hands remain clasped together tightly, bound to the rickety wooden chair you've been securely strapped into by layers of rope and chains. Your wrists burn as the rough material pulls against your skin, surely leaving dark marks by now, but that's the least of your worries as you eye the bandits standing before you. Their faces hold smug grins, cheeks pulling back in eerie smiles to reveal crooked teeth. "I won't give you the pleasure of seeing me beg for my life. I accept my fate." You say bravely, holding your head high. 

"How noble, Captain." They sneer, leaning far too close for comfort. You fight the gag that works its way up your throat at the smell of them, the wicked stench burning your nostrils as it invades them. 

"Even if you escape now, the rest of my crew will come for you." Rosé finally speaks from behind you, sitting in the same state as you as she glares at the surrounding men. Her fingers futilely pull at your shared restraints for the millionth time, brushing along your wrist in the process. 

"It's cute that you think that matters. We'll be long gone by then."

Her head lightly pushes against yours as she leans back in her chair, seeking to evade the man when he enters her personal space. For some reason unbeknownst to you, your blood boils at his actions -- though Rosé is your enemy of sorts, seeing that she's a rival captain herself, you can't help but want to keep him away from her. 

The vile creature parts her legs with an evil smirk on his lips, his filthy hand groping her thigh as he runs his fingers along her beautiful skin. She whimpers in protest, growing afraid of what he'll do to her in her captive state. Had she been unrestricted right now, she would've most definitely cut his hand off, forever reminding the world of his misdeeds. 

"Just get it over with!" You shout angrily, voice hoarse from all the screaming you've done today. You've grown tired of the game they've been playing for over an hour, flipping between beating and ridiculing you relentlessly. 

"Alright, alright," their leader chuckles, putting his hands up as he approaches you. He instructs his men to be on standby, ready to gather around the two of you and hoist you into the air. They wait for the all-clear to throw you overboard and into the chilly sea below, full of creatures you've seen during your fateful adventures over the years. There are certainly worse ways to go, and you attempt to come to terms with what's about to happen. Perhaps this is a poetic end for you -- being laid to rest in the place that you've spent most of your life and made countless memories.

"Keep those eyes on me as you fall. I want to remember what it looked like to take down the infamous Y/N L/N." You narrow your eyes at their leader, grimacing as they scan over his greasy, jet black hair and tattered overcoat. Aren't the "bad guys" supposed to at least be stylish? He's a sorry excuse for one if so. 

"Kiss my ass." You utter, spitting at him. He lunges forward, just like you expected -- seriously, why are men so predictable? -- and takes the collar of your shirt between his fingers. He delivers a swift blow to your left cheek, only allowing you a second to recover before pulling your head back up to give the same treatment to the other side. 

You can feel Rosé tense behind you, doing all she can to reach for you and offer comfort. 

With a pained groan, you spit out a mouthful of fresh blood and raise your head to look at him again. "You know, you're not nearly as observant as you think you are." You smile, ignoring the pain that shoots through your busted lip. Before he has time to react, you raise your foot in one motion, swiftly connecting it with his crotch.  How could they neglect to tie your feet? That's practically Pirate 101.

He doubles over in an instant, lungs void of the air necessary to speak another insult in retaliation to your act and body incapable of any further movement. His men make the decision for him, taking this moment as a sign to follow through with their plan and throw you over. Shouts and cheers pierce through the air above you as you make your quick descent, not even having time to say a goodbye to Rosé or offer a final word to the universe. 

Cold water immediately rushes over your heated skin as you plunge into the waves below, its frigid temperature almost taking what little breath you managed to store away in your lungs. Aided by the water's altered state of gravity, you're able to work your hips past a few of the loosely tied ropes that rested against them. 

One thing you admire about Rosé is her quick thinking. She's smart -- while you distracted the leader, she took the opportunity to pry off some of the restraints that required more time and effort, just like you hoped she would. Her slender fingers inconspicuously wiggled their way out of the ropes before freeing you from them as well, and the bandits were none the wiser. Her previous actions make this part all the more easy, and after spending a while on the final ties, the two of you kick off of your chairs and head for the surface. It's a struggle, no doubt, with the way you have to fight to bring the chains up with you and keep them from pulling you further under. But eventually you reach the surface, once again filling your lungs with that miraculously fresh air that they so desperately craved. 

The saltwater stings as it flows over your face, getting in your eyes and rushing over all the wounds you've accumulated. Rosie sputters from beside you, struggling a bit to keep her head up, so you extend an arm for her to use to push herself up. You tell yourself you're only doing it -- that is, making sure she doesn't drown -- because she'll be useful in helping you survive. Deep down, though, your intentions extend further than that. 

Once you find a steady rhythm with the waves and the fear of drowning subsides for the time being, you scan the horizon line. "I see land -- over there." You say, using your head to point to what looks to be an island in the distance. "We'll swim when we have the energy and float when we need rest, okay?" She nods in response, and the two of you get set on your way. 

-----

Huffing from the pure exhaustion coursing through your bodies, you manage to drag yourselves onto shore before collapsing. The sand serves as a good place to lay, almost cradling you the longer you lay there. Tiny, rippling waves -- the aftershocks of much bigger ones -- lull into shore, fluttering past your ankles before being pulled back in by the tide. They lap against your skin, remedying your racing mind with their rhythm. Minutes pass in this cycle, setting you in a state of comfort before you remember everything you'll have to do before nightfall.

Once gaining enough strength, you raise your head and peek over at your rival.

She's sleeping. Of course. You can't blame her, but the sun -- once blazingly hot, perched high up in the sky -- is now setting, giving you a preview of the darkness that the night sky will hold. She turns, rolling her head towards you in her sleep, and you almost smile -- a light dusting of sand sticks to her puffed-out cheeks, and the bridge of her nose holds a small sunburn, making her look sunkissed and blushy. Y/N, stop that, you command yourself, shaking your head at your thoughts. She's your enemy, and she's the reason you're even in this mess in the first place. 

"Wake up," you nudge her, reverting back to your previously tense demeanor. The anger you possess for the situation you're in is returning en masse, wiping the pleasant thoughts of Rosé from your mind. 

She groans, keeping her eyes tightly shut as she attempts to ignore you. "Roseanne, we have to get up." Your voice is strong, commanding her just like your crew. Your crew, you think to yourself. Some of them were killed by the bandits while others were thrown into the prison chambers of your ship, left at the mercy of your enemies until they decide what they want to do with them. Your people are inventive and strong -- they'll likely find a way out of the sticky situation and reclaim victory. For now, though, you're left to worry about their fates as you attempt to survive on this island. If the elements and animals don't kill you first, the gorgeous woman beside you most definitely will. 

"I'm up!" She all but shouts, following another prodding from you. Her eyes flutter open and she instinctively raises her hand to wipe her face -- you catch the chains before they can make contact and harm her, and she sends you an appreciative look. "Guess I forgot about these…" she shakes her arms, jiggling your restraints in the process, "Oopsie."

"Come on." You say, standing up and pulling her along with you. Her dilly dallying is making you impatient, and it only increases your levels of irritation. You don't have time to waste. 

"We have to break these," she states the obvious, searching the shore for a decently sized rock.

A sarcastic gasp slips past your lips as you look at her. "You don't say! I was thinking we'd just leave them on." She turns to glare at you, narrowing her eyes as she stops walking. Dear god, there's no time for this. With a mumbled "here we go", you allow her to continue. 

"You know, we wouldn't be in this mess if it wasn't for you." 

"Me?!" You shout, completely taken aback. "Quite the contrary, Rosé. You're the one who led them to us!"

"If you would've accepted my offer, none of this would've happened. But you refuse to team up with anyone else. Look at where that got us now." She motions around herself to the island, expression settling back into an annoyed scowl as her eyes settle on you again. 

"It's not my fault that my crew is more trained than yours; I had no reason to merge our teams."

"An agreement would've solidified our strength!" She yells, stomping her foot into the sand. Her boots managed to survive the long trip here, but their material is completely soaked.

"I'm responsible for my crew, and my crew only. I had no decent reason to bring yours in with mine. It's just a liability and more mouths to feed." You say evenly, clenching and releasing your jaw a few times. 

She begins to fire off her rebuttal, but you tune her out for the most part and start walking further inland. She has no choice but to follow, and she does so while adamantly complaining. You throw occasional jabs to her arguments in order to keep her moving, and your plan works well. She's too busy bickering with you to notice that she's doing exactly what you want her to.

"...and you're so arrogant, Y/N! I mean, really. God, you're infuriating." 

"Are you done yet?" You ask, cocking your head to the side while you simply blink at her. She squints at you, about to give you another piece of her mind, but you glance down at the rock you led her to and she closes her mouth. 

"You can keep screaming at me or we can break these chains. Your choice." You shrug, pursing your lips. She cuts her eyes at you, but agrees with a huff, nonetheless. 

The two of you work together to find fittingly sized rocks, taking turns dropping them on your restraints and methodically working them against them. Eventually the chains give way, allowing your hands to wiggle out of their strict hold. You're the first to free yourself; once you're done, you find Rosé struggling in silence, refusing to ask for your help. 

"Here," you offer, extending a hand to her. Doing nice things for people without gaining something for yourself isn't something you do often -- you've been raised differently; grown more independent and self-serving after your time on the sea. 

"Oh, now you want to work together?" She quirks an eyebrow.

You put your hands up with an amused grin. "I don't have to help, feel free to do it alone." You stand, dusting the sand off of your clothes as you begin to walk away and investigate the island. She calls out behind you, annoyed shouts getting further and further away as you just smile and continue your journey. 

------

"Ah, glad you could join us again." You smirk, adding some kindling to the small fire you managed to set up during her time away. 

"Shut it," she bites back, glaring at you. 

"Tough crowd," you laugh, raising your eyebrows. For once, she doesn't say anything back. She busies herself with removing her shoes and socks, setting them next to the source of heat to dry before disappearing into the tree line. She returns a few minutes later, carrying with her a few different branches. Some of them are forked at the top, and she arranges them into a sturdy structure beside the fire as well. You try not to focus on how strong she looks as she does it, her muscles glistening in the fading evening light with a sheet of sweat.

To your surprise, she begins stripping. 

First her overcoat, which she drapes across the branch acting as a beam between the forked ones, and then her vest. She wrings them out individually, and you watch as the materials drip with what water hadn't already evaporated yet. The loose linen undershirt that she wears remains on, and you're thankful for that -- had she taken it off as well, you likely would've passed out. The blush on your cheeks deepens as you feel her eyes on you, and you keep your gaze trained on the fire. 

"Well? Are you planning to stay in those clothes all night?" She asks, running a hand through her hair to fix it and get some of the sand out. 

"If I didn't know better I'd say you're trying to get me naked, Rosie." You play, smiling harder when you see her roll her eyes and look away. 

"You wish," she scoffs, though you can see her stealing glances at you as you remove your clothes. She admires the shadows that the fire casts over your body, the flames dancing as they offer their beautiful warmth. The two of you go way back, having grown up as frenemies due to your professions, but she's always had a soft spot for you. You piss her off to no end, and yet somehow she can think of plenty worse people to be stuck with.

After catching her staring, you decide to tease her. You flex your muscles, making sure to be extra and really make a show of it. She blushes, hiding behind her hands to escape the situation. 

"Awww, somebody's shy." You say, chuckling at her. 

"Am not," she protests, though her sheepish grin sells her out.

"Prove it," you challenge, a mischievous smile tugging at the corners of your lips. Teasing her is one of your favorite pastimes. 

Tired of the games, she gathers all of the courage she possesses and stands, slowly sauntering her way over to you. Your eyes take in the sight of her, and she smirks; she works hard to stay in shape, and she knows she looks good. Countless weeks spent at sea, working alongside her crew on long voyages has left her with artfully tanned skin and a physique to die for. You go to compliment her, but she stops you before you have the chance, pressing a finger to your pursed lips. She trails it lower, blazing a path across your jawline and chest, stopping at your ribs. Your breath hitches, and she definitely feels it. You curse yourself for being so easy, already knowing what's coming. 

"Who's shy now, sweetheart?" She purrs out, smiling victoriously. 

How she's capable of switching demeanors so easily baffles you, but it ensures that no interaction with her will be boring, if nothing else. 

"Yeah, yeah," you grumble, pushing her away to break the growing tension. She's looking at you with some glint in her eye that you can't quite place -- all you know is that if she keeps doing it, things might escalate to a place neither of you are prepared for.

You clear your throat and step around her to adjust your clothes on the drying rack. "You can go ahead and sleep. I'll stay awake and keep the fire going."

She nods with a slight frown on her lips, though you don't see it. "Alright. But wake me up when you get too tired, okay?" You assure her you will, though truthfully your body is aching for sleep right now. The beating you took earlier did its worst on you, leaving your skin bruised and muscles knotted. She deserves to rest, though, and you're okay with giving her the first shift of it. Besides, your mind would surely keep you awake for the better part of an hour -- at least it'll be used to its fullest with her. 

What you don't realize, however, is that when she lays down beside you, cuddling into the sorry attempt for a bedroll that you threw together, she merely pretends to fall asleep. Likewise, when she settles her head in your lap, searching for a more comfortable place to lay it, she's fully conscious. She lazily smiles when you run your hands through her hair, wrapping the locks around your fingers in mindless patterns before releasing them and starting over. It's soothing, and soon enough she calms her eager heart enough to slip away to dreamland. 

--- A Few Days Later --- 

"Wakey wakey…" Rosé sing-songs, hovering over you. The two of you have settled into this familiar rhythm over the past few days, spending the daytime searching for food and supplies and taking shifts to sleep through the night. You've almost always ended up taking the latter opportunity, though sometimes Rosé would force you to rest first if you needed it badly enough. 

"Mmm," you groan in disapproval, rolling over. The sun is far too bright, and your upgraded bed situation is much too comfortable to offer any valid reason for you to leave it. Rosé knows how difficult it is to get you up, but she's learned some very useful tactics. 

"Y/N…" she drawls, voice like honey as it releases your name with care. Her lips are next to your ear, teasing you as her warm breath fans across your neck. You audibly swallow, not prepared for that in the slightest, and slowly peek your eyes open. She raises a hand to shield your face from the unforgiving sun, and you smile at the domesticity of the act. She looks like a dream -- her hair is fanned out, swaying peacefully in the calm breeze that rolls in from the sea, and she's grinning that killer smile down at you. Her previous sunburn has turned into a tan now, making her look even more irresistible somehow. 

"What do you want to do today?" You ask, lacing your fingers together as you put them behind your head. They work as a cradle, cushioning your head from the sand.

"I saw some berry bushes on the north side of the island. They didn't look like any poisonous kind I've studied about, so maybe we could check them out?" She suggests, sitting back on her knees with a quirked brow. 

"Sounds like a plan." You smile lazily, gazing up at her. A light pattern of freckles paints her cheeks, and you can't help but grin at how adorable she is. 

"What is it?" She asks skeptically, squinting at you. 

"You're just too cute for your own good, is all." You sigh, content as you stand up and tug a blushing Rosé behind you. She closes the "door" behind herself, sealing off the entryway to your humble abode. It's a panel of leaves and sticks, built to be sturdy yet lightweight and easy to move. She built it herself, and a sweet smile works its way onto her lips as she remembers the praise you sent her way after she presented it to you. 

--------

"If you don't slow down then I'm gonna slap you," she says, peering up at the trees that loom high overhead. In her distracted state, she neglects to look where she's going.

Her rambling is cut short by your hand darting out in front of her, effectively stilling her movements and words. You glance at the ground, prompting her eyes to follow the path they made and widen upon realizing what you just saved her from. An animal -- some wretched cross between a scorpion and pincher beetle -- continues its trip across the downed log that lays in front of you, menacing in its appearance. 

"Thank you," she breathes out, leaning into your side as you hold her and direct her away from danger. 

"Do me a favor and don't die, okay?" You quirk, scrunching your face up at her humorously. She shoves you, holding up her middle finger as she walks ahead and blazes a path for the two of you. You chuckle, grinning stupidly as you follow after her. 

--- 3 Hours Later --- 

"Take cover," you shout to an imaginary army, seeking refuge behind the base of a large tree. Rosé chuckles maniacally from behind one of the berry bushes, her fingers lightly stained from the juices that are running down her palm. 

"Nice try, Y/N. But you can't escape… CAPTAIN ROSÉ!" She shouts, surprising you as she charges in your direction, pelting you with berry after berry. You squeal, evading as many of the makeshift missiles as you can by darting behind different greenery. She eventually catches up, snaking her arms around your waist and preventing you from getting away again.

"NO!" You exclaim, slumping further into her arms in defeat after your attempts to escape prove futile. She spins you around to face her, pressing your back up against the nearest tree as the two of you practically double over with laughter. She looks ethereal, with how she shines in the sunlight that sneaks its way through the canopy of tree tops above you. Her eyes are almost closed from how hard she's smiling at you. 

A sharp growl breaks the happy moment, perking your ears up and causing your heart to race for a different reason entirely. You glance around the tree, protectively stepping in front of Rosé to shield her from any new threat. An animal -- something you've never seen before -- bares its teeth, snarling aggressively as it sets its sights on you. Your blood runs cold in your veins, stopping your heart momentarily as your brain attempts to formulate a plan on the fly. With only a few precious moments left before it attacks, you glance around for anything to double as a weapon without making any sudden movements. 

Rosé is clutched onto you from behind, and you can feel her heart beating wildly. You have to protect her, no matter what. 

"On my count, I want you to climb into this tree. I'm going to try and defend us." From what little knowledge you've inferred in the past couple minutes, you doubt the animal is capable of climbing well; it doesn't have the body or feet for it. You fear it is capable of running quickly, though, so the tree is likely your best bet. 

"What? No, I'm going to--"

"Roseanne, please, for once, just do as I ask. Trust me." You plead over your shoulder, noting the slight tremble that runs through her as another roar echoes out. Your eyes remain trained on it, never backing down for a second. 

One steadying breath later, you shout, "Now!" and swoop down to pick up what helpful materials you can. You charge at the animal, taking the offensive in order to keep as much distance possible between it and Rosé. You successfully jab the sharpened stick into its side, causing it to wail in pain. In an instant it grabs your arm, wrapping it's paws around you as it lunges forwards and tumbles to the ground on top of you. A scream leaves your lips as you watch its teeth dig further into your flesh, garnering deep crimson blood to spill from your developing wounds. You protect your neck with your other arm, only breaking this rule to reach to your side and retrieve the heavy rock you brought along as well. It connects with the side of the animal's head, only making it whimper before loosening its grip the slightest bit. You weren't prepared for it to be such a tough enemy. You use your strength to roll it over and sit on top of it, keeping your arm in its grip to ensure that it stays occupied. Your fingers dig into every sensitive part of its body you can reach, performing the defense moves you've spent your life practicing to use. With a glance at Rosé, you find her safe in the tree, just like you wanted. 

"Run!" You shout, willing to keep the creature distracted in order to give her time to escape. Before you can see if she listens to you, it's nails claw into your abdomen, scratching painful designs into the previously smooth skin. It performs another death roll, and you barely have the strength to shank it in the side again. It howls, rearing back to go for your jugular before its movements are abruptly cut short. An unsettling crack rings out above you, and you open your eyes after not receiving the fatal blow you had been expecting. The animal scampers away from you, limping off further into the forest until it's out of sight. 

Rosé drops the large branch in her hand, the end of it lightly stained with blood. "Go..." you weakly mumble, eyes beginning to flutter closed as you notice how much blood you've already lost. You feel cold, and you have to fight the shiver that runs through you.

"I've got you, Y/N." She whispers, cradling your fragile frame in her arms as she picks you up and begins the journey back to camp. "You did good." She reassures, having no idea how much you needed to hear that before falling unconscious. 

---------

After gathering the medicinal plants and resources that the two of you have accumulated so far, she returns to the fireside, settling down beside you. She raises your shirt enough to have access to your wounds, but not far enough to expose you. Temperate water meets your bloodied and broken skin, rushing over the sensitive areas as she gently cleans them. Once dry, she mixes the materials into a sort of salve to rub on them before laying the plants on them in place of bandages. 

The crackling of the fire works with the crashing of distant waves to serve as background noise, making the night far more peaceful than the day had been. She allows you to continue resting, knowing you need all of it that you can get. 

About an hour or so later you wake with a start, hands reaching out as if you were right back in front of the animal. Your dreams were plagued with images of the nightmarish beast, and you're having trouble adjusting to the fact that they were all in your head. They felt so real. Rosé is by your side in an instant, brushing your hair out of your face with one hand while caressing your thigh with the other -- it's one of the only places that made it out of battle relatively unscathed. Your panicked eyes find hers, glazed over with tears as you pull her flush against your body, glad to know she's okay. Her warmth reminds you that she's here, that she's real, and that she's safe. 

Memories of your fight come flooding back, filling your mind with the terrifying things you witnessed and reigniting your fight or flight response. You remember that she didn't listen to you -- she put herself in harm's way instead of leaving you behind, like you asked -- and you grow angry. Muttered phrases of disapproval leave your lips as you push her away, stumbling slightly when you try to stand on your own. Although confused by your erratic behavior, she reaches out to assist you, only to be met with a harsh refusal from you. 

"Stop!" The word comes out as an angry shout -- louder than you originally intended -- but you can't find it in yourself to apologize right now. You find your footing after a moment, holding your side as you walk away from her. 

"What's your problem?" She shouts, marching after you. She refuses to let this go without a fight, seeing as how she has plenty more questions than answers now.

"You could've gotten hurt, Rosé, and I could've handled it on my own." You say over your shoulder, continuing on your journey away from camp. Her relentlessness is quickly getting on your nerves.

"Clearly you couldn't! You needed help; why are you denying that?" She stops now, crossing her arms angrily with her brows furrowed. The fact that you're still so set on clinging to your pride is pissing her off. 

"You should've left me there! I can't have you getting hurt because of me." You turn around now, setting your jaw. Is she really this blind? This has nothing to do with your pride. Her eyes meet yours, the pools overflowing with confusion as they scan over your face in search of clarification.

"I can handle something happening to me; I've made my peace with that. But if something ever happened to you because of my incompetence…" you shake your head at the mere thought of that, momentarily too overwhelmed to continue, "...I wouldn't know what to do with myself. I care about you, idiot." You add that last line before turning around, not bothering to wait on her reaction. Part of you is scared to, honestly, and the day has been far too eventful for you to handle a potential rejection on top of everything else. 

She says nothing, leaving the air around you void of her beautiful voice, and you don't know whether to be thankful or disheartened. 

You put more distance between the two of you, leaving a stunned Rosé in your wake as you find a place to sit along the shoreline. Your temper -- more precisely, the fear you hold that presents itself as anger -- reared its head tonight. You didn't mean to snap at her like that, but the possibility of her getting hurt because of you makes your blood boil. That would be unforgivable, and you wouldn't be able to live with yourself. You felt helpless earlier, quickly running out of the strength required to keep her safe.

Salty tears manage to break past your line of defenses, much like Rosé has managed to do with your heart. She's torn down every wall you've ever put up to protect yourself, and now that she's there you don't know how to cope. You've had people you considered close before, but none of them have mattered like she does. You've never been so afraid of losing someone. 

A soft hand on your shoulder makes you jump slightly, pulling you from your thoughts. Speak of the devil.

"Hey." She says simply, sitting down beside you. You turn your face away, not wanting to let her see you cry. "I'm sorry for fighting, okay? But I'm not sorry for helping you. I care about you, too, and I'll be damned to just leave you like that." She doesn't say anything else, doesn't try to make you look at her -- she just sits there, waiting for you to be ready to do so on your own. 

She's waited on you since you were teenagers, so she figures she's capable of waiting a bit longer now. Both of you are aware of the love you hold for one another; this is just the hardest part -- finally admitting it. 

"I can't lose you," you whisper, eyes full of tears that occasionally roll down your cheeks once gravity finds its footing. You turn to the front, still too emotional to look into her eyes. 

"Ditto. That's why I did what I did." 

Your knees are raised and pulled in close to your body for security, your arms wrapped around them to keep them in place. She reaches over to rest her hand on yours, wordlessly coaxing you into looking at her. 

"I…" You pause, voice breaking with the emotions you're still reeling from. 

"I know." She says, resting her forehead against yours. 

"I love you, too." 

She pulls you in, making sure to be gentle and not injure you any further. She raises your head to press her lips against yours, tasting the faint hint of wildberry that still rests on them from earlier. It's slow and new, giving you a break from the intensity you've been dealing with the past few days. You tilt your head to the right, letting out a whimper as her fingers graze a bruised spot on your ribs. She gives you another peck before pulling away, determined to stop herself while she still can. You're addicting, and she already can't get enough of you. 

A beat passes between you, giving you time to sort the thoughts rushing around your mind. "I've always loved you." You admit, pulling back to look at her. Tears well in her eyes, shining brightly in the brilliant moonlight as they threaten to fall. 

"Ever since we commanded our own boats for the first time. Mine was better, of course," she laughs at that, smiling despite herself, "...but I knew you were different then. I've spent all these years being too stubborn to let myself have you." 

She takes your words in, her heart pounding victoriously in her chest at your confession. "I knew when we were still training together. You always made things better for me then; I was so thankful to know you. Even if we teased the hell out of each other." 

You grin at the countless memories that come to mind. "Do you remember that night at the docks, after we graduated from our classes?" She looks up, searching her memory vault. "When you kissed me?" She asks. You nod, looking down with a bashful smile. 

"I knew we wouldn't see each other for a while, so I wanted to make it count."

"You made it really hard to say goodbye, you know?" She says, her eyes softening as she looks at you. 

"I know. But you get half of the blame." 

She tuts at you, nudging you playfully. You hiss in pain, causing her to bring a hand up to cover her growing smile. "Oops. Sorry, not sorry." 

"If I wasn't hurting so bad I'd tackle you right now." 

"Oh, I'm so scared." She laughs, mocking you. 

"That's it," you declare, ignoring the pain that shoots through your body with all the moving you're doing. Her laugh practically heals you anyway, so it's not hard to push it from your mind. You press her into the sand, rolling over to straddle her hips and pin her hands above her head. 

"Woah, tiger. Don't hurt yourself." She raises her head as much as her restrained state will allow, coming dangerously close to your face. 

"You're such a dork." You tut, leaning in to capture her lips once more. She mumbles out a, "you love it, though" against you, and your heart can't help but soar. 

- A Few Weeks Later -

A soft melody rides along the airwaves towards your ears, persuading you to wake up from your cozy slumber. You cuddle further into Rosie's tempting embrace, smiling at the way she pulls you impossibly closer. Her throat wiggles as she hums out a familiar tune from your childhood -- one of the songs you used to dance together to. 

"You big softie." You coo, resting your chin on her chest to look into her eyes with a smile. She grins, finally peeking at you through her lashes. 

"Good morning, beautiful." She says, her accent coming through adorably. She pulls you up to her lips for a kiss before rolling you onto your back. 

You sigh as she leaves open mouth kisses to your neck, dragging her lips over the skin there lazily. She takes her time, leaving marks here and there to show the world who you belong to. Her hands skim over the warm skin of your abdomen, finally free of the intense wounds you've been recovering from. Only small scars are left now, serving as a testament to what you endured.

"Mmm, I'm hungry. Let's go get something to eat." She chuckles at that, her head falling forward to rest against your shoulder as her body shakes with laughter. 

"You're thinking about food while I'm kissing you?" She grins, propping herself up on her arm to look down at you lovingly. 

"What can I say? I'm a hungry girl." You kiss her cheeks, ghosting your lips over hers. "Although," you tease the corner of her mouth, "...you're looking pretty tasty right about now. I might just eat you instead." 

She squeals as you crawl on top of her, pretending to bite her skin as you tickle her sides. 

"I surrender!" She shouts, finally giving into you. You kiss her one last time before pulling away and practically dragging her out of the structure. 

"I'll get started on cooking the fish if you grab some water." You offer, rustling through your handmade crate for the skewers you use to prepare food. 

"Alright," she nods, kissing you on the cheek before grabbing your canteens and setting off towards the freshwater spring not far from camp. 

"Be careful!" You call out after her, smiling when she turns around to face you with her hands in the form of a heart. 

---------

"Good job baby. That was delicious." She compliments, leaning back against the log you use as seating beside the fire. She almost always opts to sit in the sand and rest against it for some reason, but you're long past questioning her at this point. Rosie's… unique. 

"They don't call me Chef Y/N for nothing." You quip, holding your head higher with a sense of self-importance. 

"They don't call you that anyway." 

"Hey," you pout, slapping the back of her head with no real force. "Let a girl pretend, would you?"

"Fine, my apologies." She smiles again, and you can't help but do the same. You've lost count of how many times she's made you laugh over these past few weeks, and although you hope to be rescued sooner rather than later, the thought of being stuck here with her for a while longer doesn't seem all that bad. 

"You're doing it again," she trails off, wiggling her voice up and down to tease you. 

"What?" 

"Looking at me like a lovesick puppy." Her eyes shine in the warm, tropical sunlight, pools of rich amber that you wouldn't mind getting lost in. They match the color of whiskey almost perfectly.

"Not my fault. Have you seen yourself?." She scoffs, but blushes nonetheless. You lean over to press a kiss to the top of her head affectionately. 

Your attention is stolen away all at once as you hear the words you've been imagining ever since you arrived on the island. "Land, ho!" Multiple voices bellow out in the distance, prompting you to search for their source. Collective cheering can be heard, and you swiftly stand -- as if that simple act will miraculously enable you to see better. 

"We're coming, Captain!" Jisoo, your second in command shouts, seemingly hanging off the bow of the ship -- your ship. A squad of others follows behind, maintaining a tight formation as they make their way to shore. 

"Us too, Captain!" Someone calls from one of the neighboring boats, apparently one of Rosé's crewmembers. She waves back excitedly, and you bite back the smile that tugs at your cheeks. 

Eventually they reach land.

"Y/N!" Your scout, Lisa, shrieks like a schoolgirl, running into your arms eagerly. She was the first friend you ever made during your training years, long before you met Rosé, and you were truly worried for her.

"Ah, Lisa. Jisoo." You look between the two of them proudly, glad to see them alive and well. "What happened?" 

"We managed to defeat Captain Crusty's men--" she stops to explain when she notices your brows furrowed in amused confusion, "--that's the nickname we gave the bandit leader. Anyway, we defeated them and repaired the ship enough to make it back to shore. They did some major damage, though." 

You nod, satisfied with their story, until you remember that they didn't come alone. You subtly motion your head to the other crew, and Jisoo gets the memo. "We found the rest of these pea-brains back at the docks and they insisted on coming along."

"Hey, it's not like we wanted to be stuck with you either!" Jennie, Rosé's second, hits back, defending herself and the rest of her crew. "If your moron captain would've listened to Rosé we wouldn't be here, and we wouldn't have lost anyone in the process." 

"Quiet," Rosé warns, stepping in front of her to block the two sides from each other.

Despite knowing it isn't technically your fault, Jennie's words do hold some truth. You feel guilty for all the senseless violence you could've potentially spared your people from enduring, and the what-ifs weigh heavily on your mind and heart. 

"So long as I'm still in charge, no one will disrespect Y/N or her crew. Are we clear? I won't take kindly to any of you going against me." It's a heavy warning, and her tone makes it clear that she'll be true to her word. They know better than to test her. Her eyes scan the group of misfits, all looking bewildered by her sudden change of heart. It must be a bit jarring for them, after being such bitter enemies with the others for so long. Regardless, scattered nods and grumbles of acceptance leave them before they all scurry away to get started on their tasks, looking like scolded children. 

You send Lisa and Jisoo along with the rest of your crew to go ahead and board again, seeing that you have no real equipment to pack up this time. It feels wrong to leave the island  -- the place that brought you back to Rosie and allowed you to open your heart to her -- without something to remember it by. So, with a whispered, "Wait here," you run back to camp to snatch something. 

You return soon after, a huge smile plastered on your face. "You're bringing our door?" She laughs, tilting her head at your strange choice. 

"Duh. Good to know your eyes still work, I was getting worried." You tease, giggling as she pinches you. 

"Come on baby; let's go. Last one there has to clean the poop deck." 

"Get back here!" She yells, chasing you into the chilly water with a smile. Whether she loses or not doesn't matter much to her -- she finally has you after all these years, and she can't wait to see where the future will take the two of you. 

#rosé #roseanne park #pirate au #park chaeyoung #blackpink #blackpink x reader #rosé x fem reader #rosé x reader #blackpink fluff #blackpink angst #rosé imagine #blackpink scenarios #blackpink imagines #blackpink oneshots #kpop #kpop scenarios #kpop girl group #let-them-read-fics #kim jisoo #jennie kim #lisa manoban #enemies to lovers #blackpink fanfic #oh captain my captain

[foreverfallingforthestars]

Met Him Last Night

I literally speed wrote this in an hour so I'm sorry if this is a mess lmaooo but hopefully this will be continued, we'll see :D If anyone wants to be tagged in upcoming updates to this, please let me know! Just be warned, this first chapter does have (not very specific) details of a panic attack!

Title is from Demi Lovato's Met Him Last Night

Word Count: 2181 Read on AO3 Rowaelin Month Masterlist

Day 17 of Rowaelin Month Prompt: Bodyguard AU

~~~~~

Aelin was just about ready to murder someone, and that someone would most definitely be her cousin.

“Aelin, I’m serious, you need protection.”

She growled as she slammed her palms down on the dining table, loudly, as she stood up. “And I’m serious when I say that I need sleep. This stupid bodyguard business can wait two days for me to hibernate.”

Aedion also stood up, mirroring her stance as he leaned in closer to her. “Your life is in literal danger, Aelin. I hope you understand what that means.”

“It was one instance!” she insisted, pushing herself away from the table and moving to the kitchen to put her empty dinner plate into the sink. She was so exhausted from all the travel she’d done in the last few days that all she wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep — dishes be damned.

“One instance of the guy mailing you pictures of you from the hotel and on the sidewalk,” he responded, moving beside her. He was following her on purpose to make sure she couldn’t escape him, and Aelin was pissed off that he knew her so well to do that. “He’s been sending you those weird as hell letters for years.”

“It’s not exactly a trade secret which hotels I stay in when I’m going on book tours, Aedion. You know that.”

“If you stopped posting Instagram pictures with the hotel in the background, then it would be more of a secret considering that you are a public figure now. Besides, it’s only going to get worse now that Crescent City season 1 press shoots start soon. Your face will be more famous than just in the book world, Aelin. People will see articles of the author behind the next biggest fantasy show on television. Things are already bad, and we shouldn’t let it get past that.”

“Okay, fine, but why can’t we talk about this later? My body clock thinks it’s the middle of the freaking night, and I haven’t slept in fifteen hours. Please get out of my face so I can sleep.”

“Aelin, if you don’t take this seriously, I’m going to do it for you.”

“Oh dear cousin, owner of a security company, please do. I don’t have the mental capacity to deal with it, especially now that I’m going to be much busier.”

“You’re so annoying,” he grumbled as he stalked towards the door.

“Love you too!” she called after him, finally, finally, heading towards her bedroom. Fleetfoot trotted after her happily, and Aelin snorted as her dog’s wet snout kept bumping into her bare calves. The dog was way too excited to see her after two long months away from home with Aelin travelling all over the world for the release of her latest book. It wasn’t like she could deny the fact that she had missed her dear, sweet dog so much as well, so when Aelin flopped down onto her soft bed for the first time in months, she let Fleetfoot join her.

Fleetfoot circled the same spot three times before curling up against Aelin, her tail slowly thumping against the mattress as Aelin got comfortable as well. The feeling of warmth from her dog and the happiness from being in her own bed after so long had Aelin falling asleep faster than she normally did, and she was just about entirely asleep when she barely heard the click of her front door opening.

Figuring it was Aedion, she just tried to drown out the sound, not having the willpower nor the strength to move. He could let himself out after taking whatever he had probably forgotten at her place, and Aelin would be happily dozing for the next several hours.

Until a crash broke the haze Aelin was in, and her eyes shot open. Heart pounding in her chest, she looked at Fleetfoot who was staring at the closed door with alarm as well.

Aelin was confused. Aedion was careful to not drop ceramic or glass objects within the house, knowing how much her mother would always be on the two of them growing up to be careful with such things, and it didn’t help that she was still half asleep. Nothing made sense to her.

Slowly getting out of bed, she winced as she stood up entirely, her feet aching after days of standing in heels. Aelin walked over to the bedroom door and creaked it open, and she scanned the immediate vicinity for Aedion, trying to see if he was anywhere near the living room or corridor. When she didn’t see him, she creeped out of her room, trying to be quiet but the sluggishness had already taken over body as she stumbled into the wall a few times. Fleetfoot was at her tail, but Aelin forced her to stay before turning the corner into the living room. If there was glass on the ground, she didn’t want it getting in her dog’s paws.

Once Aelin turned the corner, she immediately stopped, finding the scene in front of her unwelcome and incredibly jarring.

There was a man standing in her room, one that didn’t have the same blond hair she did, and the broken object was a picture frame, the shards of glass littered about on the ground as he gripped a photo of her and Fleetfoot.

Aelin swallowed slowly, the saliva getting stuck in her throat as her mouth went dry, as she realized that a man had broken into her home.

As quietly as she could, she placed a hand over her mouth, trying not to breathe too loudly as she quickly made her way back into her bedroom, herding Fleetfoot with her, and she locked the door to the bedroom. Wildly glancing around, she took the chair from her vanity and jammed it under the door knob so the door wouldn’t open.

“What do I do,” she whispered, scared of her mind as she sat down on her bed. She was shaking, that much was sure as Fleetfoot tried to lick her hands and face in an attempt to calm her down. How was Aelin supposed to calm down when there was someone in her house?

Realizing that Aedion must’ve not gotten far, she lunged for her phone on the bed and dialed Aedion’s number.

“Weren’t you supposed to be asleep?” was his greeting, but all she could get out at first was a shuddering gasp.

“Aedion,” she whispered.

“Aelin? Are you okay?” he asked, his voice immediately alert.

“There’s someone in my apartment.”

“What?!”

“Hurry, please,” she cried, trying to muffle her voice to make it seem that she wasn’t at home. She didn’t know if the man had known that she was in the apartment, but she didn’t want him to find out.

“Aelin, listen to me, you’ll be fine. I’m almost there. Are you still in your room?”

“I, uh, I’m in my bedroom with Fleetfoot. I went out when there was a crash, and then ran back to my room,” she managed to get out. “I locked the door and jammed a chair underneath.”

“Go into the bathroom and lock that door too,” he urged, and she got up to move to the bathroom. “If he manages to get your room door unlocked, then at least you have some more time. I’m almost there, but you need to call 911, too.”

“Aedion, I can’t—” Aelin gasped out, leaning against the bathroom counter after locking the door behind her and her dog. Her breaths were coming in faster, and there wasn’t anything she could do to control the way her eyesight was beginning to blur. “I can’t let him know I’m in here.”

“He won’t find out,” he urged.

“But Aedion,” she cried, “the plates in the sink. He’ll see them, and he’ll know I was home. He’ll know I’m here.” The pounding in her chest had gotten louder than what Aedion was saying, and all she could do was sob into her hands. She wasn’t safe anymore outside, but now she wasn’t safe in her own room.

“Aelin! Aelin, it’s okay, I’m here.”

The next thing Aelin heard were shouts and yells before it got all quiet. She clambered up to her feet, throwing the door to the bathroom open before trying to get the chair back out, but it wouldn’t budge. It was stuck, and her limbs weren’t cooperating. There wasn’t anything she could do, and she tugged at the chair with a cry.

“Come on,” she cried, tugging at it more before it finally came free, clattering to the ground. Unlocking the door, she took a few unsteady steps before Aedion came into view, the man lying on the ground unconscious. Aelin lost all control of her body, and she fell into Aedion’s arm as he ran for her, and that was the last thing she saw before blackness encompassed her.

~~~

When Aelin awoke several hours later, it was to the commotion coming from downstairs. At first, she blinked a few times, trying to readjust to where she was because it wasn’t the drab hotel room view she’d gotten accustomed to, and once her brain was awake enough to process that she was in Aedion and Lysandra’s spare bedroom, she got out of bed and padded over to the bathroom to brush her teeth and her hair. If she was going to show her face after a major panic attack that caused her to faint for a few minutes, she should at least look decent.

Fleetfoot was, thankfully, also with her in the room, and Aelin sat on the ground for a few minutes just to hug her dog before getting up and going to the living room.

As soon as she made her entrance, everyone went silent, the only sound was Fleetfoot’s paws as she went straight for Lysandra to nose at her for treats.

“Okay,” Aelin swallowed. “I get it. I need a bodyguard, but at least that guy was arrested,” she continued, hopefully. Aedion beckoned her to sit next to him, and it was then that she realized that besides her cousin and his wife, Elide was also there and a man that she’d never met before. He was striking, to say the least. Silver hair with a sharp jawline and beautifully green eyes. His short-sleeved shirt also showed off swirls of tattoo creeping up his bicep, and Aelin had to say that she was intrigued by who this man was.

“Look,” her cousin started, directing her attention back to him. His face showed concern, and she was suddenly worried that this entire ordeal might not be over. “That man wasn’t the same one who stalked you. He was just a burglar trying to score after noticing that no one had been going in or out of the apartment for a while. It just helped that the security guard downstairs is of no use, so he broke in.”

Aelin was having a hard time processing all this information being thrown at her. “So you’re telling me that it was just...unlucky?”

“I have been telling you to move,” he unhelpfully added, and she let him know exactly that.

“Anyway, we’ve come up with a solution,” Elide butt in. “Aelin, meet Rowan Whitethorn. He works in Aedion’s company. He was working for a different client for a few years, but they switched companies, so he’s now free to protect you.”

“Hey,” she greeted without any of her previous enthusiasm.

“Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Galanthynius,” Rowan responded, and she noticed the slight accent to his words.

“Doranelle?” she asked, and he nodded.

“I will be protecting you from now on, uh, in a close manner.”

Aelin slightly jerked in her spot at his shy demeanor over his words, and the way he said it caught her attention.

“What do you mean?” No one answered her at first, peaking her anxiety again. “Aedion?” she asked, looking to him for an explanation.

“Since it’s also not safe for you to be at home alone, we’re going to have Rowan pretend to be your boyfriend.”

~~~

Aelin stepped out of the car, hand placed in Rowan’s as he led her into the paparazzi filled lot that led to the building where the final press shoots and poster shoots would be taking place for her show. It was still absolutely insane that someone she had written was actually going to be a TV show for the whole world to see, but another absolutely insane thing was the fact that she was pressed up against Rowan’s hard body, trying to pretend to be absolutely in love with him.

“Who is this man?” she heard one of the journalists ask, and she wanted to say that she didn’t exactly know either considering she had just met him last night, but this was the perfect opportunity for the world to know that she had a boyfriend.

Technically.

Smiling, she pulled Rowan to a stop as she turned to the vague direction from where she heard the voice. “This is my boyfriend.”

#bodyguard au #rowaelin #throne of glass #aelin galythinius #rowan whitethorn #rowaelinmonth #day 17

[atlabeth]

transferred part 20 - atla smau

part 19 | masterlist | epilogue

summary: trying to run from your past is hard, but falling for your brother’s roommate is even harder. little do you know that he’s falling for you as well.

a/n: me when i have to write more than 5 words in a series thats supposed to be a smau

anywho! basically the last chapter?? which is crazy?? filled with heartfelt emotions and the moment that you've all been waiting for, it's a wild ride. so strap in and enjoy. the epilogue will be posted later today so i can finally wrap this series up!! and dont worry theres a super long sappy authors note on the epilogue. LETS GET INTO IT

wc: 2.3k

warning(s): cursing, mentions of alcohol, hurt/comfort, one suggestive comment, mentions of toxic relationships, reader talking about her self sabotaging behavior and burnout, Bad Coping Methods (dont disappear kids)

-

“You haven’t seen her?” Zuko sighed as the same words he had heard on repeat for the past hour played through his ears again. “It’s alright, thank you. Have a good night.”

He shook his head at his friends, their defeated expressions mirroring his own as he leaned against the kitchen island. He ran an exhausted hand through his hair, and he couldn’t help but think of the countless times you had done it for him.

“Your sister doesn’t play when it comes to theatrics,” Aang lamented as he plopped on the couch next to Sokka.

“Tell me about it,” he muttered. “I mean, she doesn’t pull stuff like this. Sometimes she went over the top when she was younger, staying out a little too late or doing something stupid, but she never just… she never just tried to disappear like this. I.. I guess she was too worried about Katara and me to do anything like that, but still.” He knocked back the rest of the seltzer and tossed the can on the table — alcohol was tempting, but none of them wanted to be any less than completely aware tonight.

“We all knew she was hurting,” Sokka continued. “Not even she could be fine after everything that happened with Hahn, especially the day after, but I— I guess I thought that she would open up before just dropping off the radar completely!

“No news from the girls,” Aang announced, prompting a collective sigh from the other two boys. “I gotta give it to her, she’s been very thorough with this.”

“Of course she has. It’s classic Y/N — she can disappear without a trace, sure, but she can’t put enough effort into picking up some supplies for my project on her way home.” It was a lame attempt to lighten the mood, and though he got a weak chuckle out of Aang, it was radio silence on Zuko’s part.

“Hey, buddy.” It didn’t snap him out of his reverie, and Sokka seriously contemplated throwing his empty soda can at him. “You okay?”

“She didn’t even say anything to me,” he finally murmured, eyes trained on his phone screen. “She said she would tell me if she was having a hard time, but she didn’t say anything to me. Just suffered in silence until it got so bad she just up and left. She just… left. Without a single word to anyone. To me.”

Aang’s eyes softened and he let out a loose exhale. “Zuko, she didn’t mean to hurt you — I know that much. She’s just been under a lot of stress lately, and… I guess it didn’t manifest in the best way.”

“Stress...” he muttered, trying to piece it together. There was something nagging at the back of his skull, something on the tip of his tongue, but he just couldn’t get it. “And you guys are sure she hasn’t put anything anywhere? No texts that you missed, nothing?”

“Believe me,” Sokka said. “I’ve refreshed her pages a thousand times by now. It’s radio silence on her side. God, I wish I was more invasive and put like, a tracking device on her car or something! For all we know, she could be back to Kyoshi.”

Kyoshi. Stress. This whole thing, your disappearing act.

And suddenly, it clicked.

Zuko stood up abruptly, nearly knocking over the stool in the process and warranting puzzled looks from both of his friends as he grabbed his keys off the table and practically ran to the door.

“Zuko, where are you going?” Aang questioned.

He tugged the door open and shot a glance back at them, tension having noticeably dissolved from his shoulders.

“I know where she is.”

-

Zuko tapped idly against the steering wheel, once again glancing down at his phone screen but to no avail. His relationship with you had become infinitely more complicated since the kiss through fault of both of them — he supposed that was what happened when two people who didn’t know how to talk about their emotions caught feelings for each other. Zuko was very skilled at sticking his foot in his mouth whenever he tried to talk about anything like this, and

But you had accepted his offer to talk on the way home, so that meant something.

He had originally suggested just talking on the way home like he had proposed earlier, but you had a different idea. ‘Trust me,’ you had told him. ‘It has a good track record with making people feel better.’

Your proposition was a wildflower field on the outskirts of the city, just out of the way that someone would go en route to the university. Far enough from the city to emanate an aura of peace, but close enough to be a feasible trip.

“I found this place when I was missing home,” you smiled as he parked the car. “I love it here, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes I just feel homesick for Kyoshi. You passed a field like this on the way into town, and when I stumbled here, it just kinda felt like fate. So now whenever I’m stressed, or overwhelmed, or just need a break, I come out here. And I think this is the perfect place to talk about… well, whatever’s going on with us.”

“Sounds good.” He returned the sentiment then cleared his throat. “As long as we don’t go in there. I can admire it from afar, but just looking at that field is making my skin itch.”

You laughed and nodded amiably. “Deal.”

-

One hand was splayed against your chest, the other trailing lazy circles with the pads of your fingers against the metal as you gazed up at the sky. You had the best and only seat of the view, the flora drifting softly in the night breeze as the stars twinkled from above.

You didn’t know what you were thinking, being here. The past couple of weeks had just been… crushing you. It was like your heart was stuck in a vice and no matter what you did, it just got tighter and tighter.

You had been treating everyone you knew horribly, but you couldn’t stop. It felt like a game — how terribly could you act towards them until they snapped too? Until your friends, your siblings, Zuko, recognized that they had made a mistake by trying to help you?

And you didn’t know what it was about today, but… something inside of you just broke after that morning with your roommates. So you did what you were best at, and you ran. Skipped class, skipped work, just drove around aimlessly until even that was starting to feel like too much of a trap.

And then you ended up here.

It would’ve been laughable if you weren’t on the verge of breaking down.

You had been here, just laying on the hood of your car parked a few feet away from the field on an off road path, for the better part of an hour. If you were going to drown underneath the weight of your thoughts, it was better to do it alone.

But as you heard the crunching of gravel underneath car tires, your eyes instinctively shot towards the noise — so much for being alone — and you sat up. Your brows furrowed in recognition, you knew that car, and it felt like your heart was going to beat out of your chest when Zuko stepped out.

“You remembered,” you breathed after a moment of silence. “You’re here.”

“Always.” He said it so obviously, so easily — why wouldn’t he remember? Why wouldn’t he be here?

You scooted over to make space on the hood and patted the space next to you softly, pulling your knees up to your chest in a moment of shame as he walked around to the front and pushed himself up next to you. What were you going to say to him? What could you say?

“I’m sorry,” you said out of the blue, your words pouring out of you like an emotional waterfall. “I’m sorry for just— for just leaving, I know it was stupid and I know they’re all probably worried out of their minds, but I couldn’t do it, Zuko. I-it was like I was trapped, and I know it was irrational, but I had to get out of there—”

“You didn’t have to,” he said quietly, effectively stopping your rant. “If you really had to get out, you could’ve at least said something to one of us. I don’t know what things were like back at Kyoshi, but here— here, you can’t throw yourself back onto the knife every time something goes wrong, because— you just can’t do that anymore.”

“I’m not mad, believe me, I’m relieved that you’re okay. I just..” he sighed and glanced up at the night sky, the light of the moon illuminating his features as he faced you once more. “I know you’ve felt alone before, but you’re not. You have Katara, and Sokka, Suki, Toph— you have me, Y/N! And I’m not going anywhere, trust me, but— but you can’t keep doing this to yourself, because they care about you, and I care about you.”

You swallowed the lump in your throat and chose to concentrate on the hood of the car, tapping your fingers against the metal as a way to use up your nervous energy. “You’re… you’re right,” you said after a long moment of silence, the beginnings of a mirthless smile on your lips.

“After that night at the party, I just— I couldn’t stop thinking about what happened. There was a part of me that just wanted to lock myself in my room and never come out, but I— I told myself I was better than that, and I refused to let myself fall back onto any of it. So I worked. I took extra shifts, I helped out my professors, I did anything and everything I could to try and keep my mind off of Hahn. But I wasn’t helping anything, I was just… I was destroying myself. It was just like you said. I was a candle burning at both ends but still convinced that I was doing the right thing, and eventually.. I just couldn’t take it anymore. So I ran.”

“And— there’s always been this… this voice in my head that pops up after things in my life are going good, and it tells me that something is going to go wrong. A-and it tells me that if I’m the one that ruins it, then I don’t have to ask myself what I did wrong, if I could’ve stopped it from happening— if it’s inevitable, then I should be the one to ruin it. It’s how most of my relationships ended, and— well, the only thing it’s succeeded in is making me miserable.”

You don’t even notice your hands are shaking until you feel Zuko placing his own over yours — a simple gesture asking an unsaid question, one you answer by intertwining his fingers with your own.

“That same voice popped up again once I started getting close to you,” you admitted quietly. “And this whole time, I’ve been so terrified of falling that I never considered you would catch me. But I’m tired, Zuko. I’m tired of constantly looking over the edge.”

As you turned your head to meet his eyes again, your breath caught in your throat at his close proximity. You were sure that no matter how much time you spent with him, your heart would never stop beating out of your chest for Zuko.

“I will always be there to catch you,” he affirmed softly. “And I’m not going anywhere.”

And just like before, he brought his hand to the side of your face and tenderly brushed a loose strand of hair behind your ear. His hand, slightly calloused but emanating comfort all the same, lingered on your cheek for a moment before he posed the question.

“Can I kiss you?”

You nodded, and his lips captured your own immediately. You reciprocated with an almost desperate fervor and— and it just felt so right. You had grown so accustomed to the constant warmth he carried with him that it had become a part of you, he had become a part of you, and now a life without Zuko was just unimaginable.

He was right — he already was there to catch you, each and every time. Giving you endless rides when your car broke down, sitting through the world’s most boring anthro projects, letting you bare your soul to him, telling you it was all going to be okay when nothing felt okay, and managing to find you when you had gone out of your way to not be found. And all of it— it all made you realize.

You didn’t want to keep running. And you didn’t have to. Not anymore.

Zuko pulled away and pressed his forehead to yours, breathing slightly labored as the two of you sat in comfortable silence. That is, until you broke it.

“So,” you started, a nervous chuckle following. “Are we… are we a thing now?”

You could tell that caught him by surprise by the laugh that escaped him, a sound of unfiltered joy. “I’d say that we are.”

You could feel the heat rushing to your cheeks once more as he slid off of the hood of the car and held out his hand, an offering you took happily. “We should get home,” he said, somewhat reluctantly. “It’s past midnight, and—” Zuko glanced at his phone and grimaced. “They’re all still worried out of their minds.”

“Right,” you muttered. “I’m gonna get the lecture of my life from Sokka and Katara.”

“Probably,” he chuckled. “But they’re just doing their job as concerned siblings.” He pressed a chaste kiss to your forehead and glanced back at his own car. “I’ll see you back at the apartment?”

You nodded, an uncontrollable smile pulling at your lips. “Thank you, Zuko. For this, and— for everything.”

He returned the sentiment, golden eyes filled with adoration.

“Always.”

-

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perm taglist: @dv0412 @siriuslyslyslytherin

transferred: @ourbestfriend-mishacollins @lil-lex1 @xxshad0wxb1rdxx @zuko-is-the-sun @akiris @irohs-teapot @thatarthistorynerd @charlenasaxen @minninugget @marvel-ousnesss @count-thotticus @what-ye-egg @furblrwurblr @thesstuff @mariachiii @ietss @dizzy-miss-lizzieeeeee @xbarrjallenx @tommy-braccoli @dreamsluvrr @floofybread @thelovelylolly @lin-biefong-is-my-life @tiffanyy-21 @sistheselenophile @theincredibledeadlyviper @bakugouswh0r3 @loganrwebb @mikaslilworld @matsunshine @iris-suoh @aizameow @h3llbun @kozuelle

atla: @marianne1806

#zuko x reader #zuko x you #atla smau #avatar fic #atla #avatar the last airbender #a:tla #avatar the last airbender fic #atla zuko #zuko #zuko fic #reader insert #sadie writes #i stared at the screen for SO LONG #just TRYNIG TO WRITE THE KISS SCENE #I DONT KNOW HOW PEOPLE DO IT IT MAKES ME FEEL SO UNCOMFORTABLE #2 kiss scenes in the whole 20 chapters and i had to muddle through both of them #i dont know how people write smut i would literally die #anyways. no one wants to read my rants in the tags. no one is reading this #happy end of the series