#these weren’t her words but she did say those years were her best and um. bro this was when i was 7-11 and my brother was 3-7 and like umm

[soaringeag1e]

Time

Jensen x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Language, Sadness, Heartache, injuries, Blood, Sweet Caring Jensen {I know, doesn't seem really Christmasy haha, sorry, not sorry.}

Words: 2,252

Main Masterlist - Patreon

She spent the day putting up her tree and decorating her apartment, keeping busy and trying to keep her mind off other things. She desperately wanted to feel the spirit of Christmas, feel excited and cheerful, but those moments didn’t last long unfortunately. Even with lights hanging throughout the space, her tree bright green and sparkling with twinkling white bulbs, she just wasn’t feeling it.

She was sucked in by the lights on the tree as they took turns lighting up, a few knocks going unnoticed as she was spacing out, lost in her thoughts. It takes a few more attempts from her visitor before she finally gets pulled out of her trance and hears the thuds against her door.

Glancing down at the glass in her hand, the melted ice tells her that she’s been spacing out for a lot longer than she thought, but that doesn’t surprise her honestly. Setting her holiday drink on the table, she moves towards her door where a few more knocks come through. Peeking through the peephole, she grows a bit confused when she sees who it is and quickly pulls on the locks to reveal her friend on the other side. He gets startled after the long dragged out silence but smiles when they lock eyes nonetheless.

“Hey! I was beginning to think you weren’t home.”

“No, I just um…” she pauses, looking back into her apartment to where she was glued just seconds ago. “I’m sorry.” she apologizes in a quiet breath, hesitating to look her visitor in the eye before changing the subject. “What are you doing here? I thought that you were in New Mexico working on…” When she can’t continue her sentence he raises his brow, a smartass smirk growing on his face.

“Big Sky?”

“Yes! That.” She looked embarrassed as she couldn’t remember the name of the show he was currently involved with.

“Well, it’s nice to know that you’re so into it.” he tells her, the sarcasm not going unnoticed. 

“Hey, I’ve been busy.” she counters, letting him in the apartment. “And I’m halfway through season two now, so…”

“So…you haven’t even made it to my episode. Good to know.”

“Did you just come here to give me a hard time? Because I’ve had enough of that this year.” Her tone changes as she closes the door. “Best friend or not, I’m just not in the mood.” As she roughly rubs at her eyes, his heart sinks. The relationship he has with her has always been playful. It was his job to mess with her and it always made her smile, but sadly he has underestimated the pain she has taken on in the last year and hasn’t adjusted his teasing accordingly.

Her body flinches just a tad when he slides his arms around her, but she quickly melts into him, dropping her arms into his chest and letting him squeeze her tight.

“I’m sorry.” he whispers faintly, kissing her temple sweetly but never loosens his grip. He feels her relax more in his arms, the tension he could feel in her entire body slowly slipping away the longer he holds her. Minutes pass and he doesn’t know how many, but honestly doesn’t care. But what she says next fills his heart with pride.

“I needed one of your hugs today.” He can hear the emotion in her voice but knowing that he was able to bring something good to her keeps his happiness up. “How do you do it?”

“Do what?”

“You always seem to know when I need you the most and I don’t get it.” Jensen smirks, his pride only being fueled more.

“Magic.” he tells her as he pulls away, locking eyes with her. “If I told you my secret, I’d have to kill you.”

“Please, do.” She comes back with a not so sarcastic response and Jensen just has to remind himself that pain and anger makes people say that kind of stuff. It wasn’t long ago that he felt the same way.

“Can’t do that. Sorry.”

“Why?” she whines, dropping her head to his chest.

“Because you mean too much to me.” he says simply, but the feelings behind it are anything but. Which in turn makes the next few moments painful even for him.

She scoffs and pulls away from him, moving towards the table where her drink waits, the ice practically gone now.

“With the group of friends you have? Trust me, you won’t be missing me long.” He swallows back his initial reaction, pushing the sting his heart took way down and attempts to forget about it.

“You’re wrong.” There’s no joking in his gaze now, not that she expected it. But she doesn’t see that look often and it was definitely one that hit her hard. “Listen,” he starts before taking a few steps closer to her. “I know what you’re going through is hard and I know you’re hurting, but I promise that it will get better.” Honestly, he expected an eye roll or something, but it seemed that she understood he was being serious. “He may not know what he lost but we do, and we won’t make that same mistake.” Her eyes dropped to her drink, emotions coming to the surface again. He’s not sure what to say now because he’s finally let go of some of the things he’s been holding in. At least the more appropriate things. But as he scans the apartment and sees the tree all dressed up in the corner, he smiles, grateful that you were able to at least decorate for the holiday.

“It looks great.” he points out, stepping around her to get closer to the holiday staple. “I was afraid you weren’t going to decorate at all.” he admits, not taking his eyes off the twinkling lights.

“I almost didn’t.” she confesses, not moving from her spot. “But, I was hoping that it would help pull me out of this a little bit.”

“I think it will.” he nods softly as he turns back to face her.

“I don’t know about that.” she tells him, emotion heavy in her voice. “It hasn’t done anything so far.”

“Just give it time.”

“Ugh.” she grunts heavily, spinning around to make her way into the kitchen. “Time. It’s always about time, right!?” She raises her voice a bit as she makes it to the counter and pours more alcohol into her glass. “After being torn away from your family as a kid, give it time. You lose someone you love, give it time. Your husband cheats on you and throws away sixteen years of your life, give it time!” she cries, tears slipping from her eyes as Jensen makes his way towards her. Her body trembles from anger but she tosses back the liquid she just added to the glass, not really bothered by the strength of the drink. “You know what they all have in common, Jay!? No matter how much time you give them, they never go away! Ever!” she screams, slamming her glass down onto the counter as the anger she was feeling made her lose all control over her actions. Seeing this, Jensen surges forward but it all happens way too fast.

The second the glass touches the counter top, it shatters. Chunks of the glistening pieces fly across the counter in all directions, falling to the floor and sliding with their momentum. But it was the painful cry that Jensen was focused on. Glass crunched under his boots as he rushed to her side, blood dripping onto the counter and the fallen shards of glass as she raised her hand to see what she just did to herself.

“Let me see.” Fully concerned, he reaches for her hand, gentle so as not to hurt her more than she already was. She quietly huffs and moans in pain as he inspects it. It takes him a moment to see how bad it is and he becomes grateful when it doesn’t look like she needs stitches, but he does see a piece of glass sticking out from her wound. He glances up briefly, seeing that she’s only focusing on the cut. “Hold still.” he tells her before carefully removing the shard from her hand. She hisses in pain but it needed to be done. “Here, come here.” Keeping her hand elevated, he swipes the towel from the counter and then escorts her into the living room, helping her onto the couch. “Keep it up, I’ll be right back.”

Careful not to slip on the glass near the kitchen, Jensen rushes down the hall and into her room. He’s gone maybe thirty seconds, if that. He’s been in her house before, he knows where everything is. Especially the first aid kit. This wasn’t the first time he had to patch her up after hurting herself, but this definitely was the worst injury he’s had to help her with.

“Alright, let me see.” he says as he re-enters the room. Grabbing onto your coffee table, he pulls it closer to the couch and then takes a seat, situating himself so that he could fix you up without having you stretch your arm out too far.

“I’m sorry.” you whimper softly and he glances up through his lashes before focusing back on your hand.

“You don’t have to be sorry.” It falls silent after that for a bit. She flinches a few times as he cleans up the wound and checks to see if any more glass was hiding inside, but otherwise he gets it as clean as he can and then starts to bandage it up.

“You’re right.” he finally breaks the silence, not looking up from his task as he continues. “It never does go away.” he admits and then falls quiet again. But only for a minute or two. “But, eventually you will get to a place where you won’t think about it as much. And if you do, it won’t hurt as bad as it does now.” Silent sobs shake her body a bit as she listens to him, the pain of what she’s been through tearing through her more than that glass did to her hand. “Listen,” he says as he tapes off the bandage, making sure it’s secure and then he looks up at her. “Your scumbag husband lost his fucking mind.” The anger is visible in his gaze, but she knows it’s not meant for her. “To have one of the most amazing women on this planet choose him and love him and do anything for him just to turn around and…” his jaw locks as he reminds himself to keep calm. But that’s just something he can’t do fully.

“Fuck him. Okay? You deserve a million times better than him. You deserve someone who cares about you and takes care of you just as much as you do for them. No more of this eighty, twenty shit, you hear me?” Tears continue to slip from her eyes and though he knows they won’t stop, he reaches up and wipes a few away anyway. “So, yeah, it’s going to take time and it’s going to hurt like hell, but I swear to you, somewhere down the road you are going to look back at this and see how much of a blessing this was. You’re going to be able to wake up every morning and not feel like death when you roll out of bed. You’ll be able to drive home, take showers and fall asleep without crying every time. Right now, it doesn’t seem possible, I know, but it will happen. I promise you.” 

Silence fills the apartment after that. The two of them soaking in the speech and just letting the moment be for a minute. Then Jensen reaches up and wipes away her tears again, this time clearing her face as no more were falling at the moment.

“Ready to get some sleep?” Unable to speak, she just nods softly. “Alright.” pushing himself up from the table, he helps her up and escorts her to the edge of the kitchen. “Why don’t you go and climb in bed, I’m gonna…” he pauses, looking over all the glass everywhere. “I’m gonna clean this up.” When he looks back at her, he gives her his best grin. She takes it and slowly turns and starts walking down the hall, but she stops a few feet away, looking back at the man in the kitchen, setting the dustpan on the counter and beginning to sweep the floor.

“Jensen?” Hearing his name, he stops. “Thank you.” A smile grows on his face and he sends her a nod. But when she doesn’t move, he pushes her a bit. 

“Go on. I’ll be there in a few minutes.” This time, he watches her walk down the hall and disappear into her room.

The feelings he’s harbored for her for so long now have a chance to come out, but he has to hold them back for a while longer. Yes, she may be single now, but with the healing that she has to go through, he can’t be jumping in the deep end right away. The last thing he wants is to become the rebound or end up hurting her even more because he gave into his desires too soon.

He loves that woman, more than he realizes to be honest. So the only way to keep her is to wait. To give it time. 

#Time #Christmas #jensen ackles #jensen fanfic #jensen fanfiction #jensen x reader #jensen x female reader #jensen ackles x reader #jensen ackles x female reader #jensen fic #jensen ackles fic #jensen ackles fanfic #jensen ackles fanfiction #supernatural #supernatural fanfiction #supernatural fic #supernatural fanfic #supernatural rpf

[rhoorl]

Weathered In

Pairing: Frankie x OFC

Word Count: 5.4k | AO3 | Main Masterlist

Summary: After a couple of weeks of trying out this long-distance thing, Frankie decides to travel from Tampa to Atlanta to spend the weekend with Jo. Despite having a whole itinerary planned, they have to pivot because of the weather. It’s ok though, it allows Frankie to share an important part of himself with her. How will she react? Is this thing over before it started?

Warnings: Alternating POVs. There’s some angst but fluff too. Frankie is a year sober, and there’s some discussion of his journey, including past drug use, the death of his mother, and a past toxic relationship. There are allusions to smut but it’s all pretty PG. Frankie’s curls come with their own warning. Also, Frankie’s been training with Benny so our boy is looking good. 

If you have questions, please feel free to reach out!

A/N: This is a follow-up to the Turbulence series but could be read as a standalone. This relationship is featured in Delta Landscaping as well. 

Walking up to the airport bar, Frankie immediately spotted Mack and his friendly smile. The older man came over and took care of Frankie right away, giving him a drink on the house on the promise that he’d say hi to Jo for him. They weren’t able to chat for long – with several conventions in town a crowd of those departing and arriving was starting to form, so Frankie decided to head to his gate to wait. As he walked, he tuned out the constant murmur of the overhead announcements, the squeaky wheels of passing suitcases, and the occasional fussy toddler who must have missed their nap. Instead, he was deep in thought, he was good at that. 

As he sat at the gate, fingers tapping on the armrest he looked outside. The typical Florida summer storms were looking to roll in and he was thankful he was the one flying and not Jo, given the inevitable turbulence he was bound to experience. Looking at his phone, he cycled through who he could call to help pass the time. Jo was at work, Benny took Connor to the gym to train, and Santiago and Will were wrapping up a landscaping project. Not wanting to sit alone with his thoughts any longer he decided to try and see if his sister Valeria was around.

“Hey, can you talk?” he chewed on his thumb. He was lucky to catch her at a good time as she and Tim just wrapped up at a crime scene.

“Yeah…espérate…sorry, I'm back, left Tim with the paperwork so he’s going to be in a great mood when we’re done,” she chuckled, pausing when she heard the hustle and bustle of what sounded like an airport on the other end of the phone. “Qué pasa Paco? Where are you?”

Frankie smirked, there was never getting anything past his sister. There's a reason why she was one of the best detectives in Dallas. “I’m…uh…at the airport.”

“Airport? Where you going?” She popped a piece of gum in her mouth.

“Atlanta.”

“Atlanta? You boys doing a trip or something before Benny’s big fight?”

“Um…no…I’m kinda going to see someone,” he swallowed hard, waiting for her response.

She paused for a moment, countless questions swirling in her mind. Her brother was usually pretty reserved when it came to his love life, but he slipped up a couple of times in the past week or so – sharing something funny that Jo said or reminding himself of something he wanted to share later when they talked. Naturally, Valeria wanted all of the details about this person but didn't want to overwhelm Frankie by prying. So, she did what she always did, let him tell her his news at his own pace. 

“Oh, that's fun. Is this someone's name Jo by chance?” She asked as casually as she could manage despite wanting to squeal and kick her feet excitedly. If she were right, this would be a big step for Frankie. It would show his willingness to open himself back again to love, which made her heart burst.

“I…um…” Frankie shook his head with a lopsided grin. He proceeded to tell Valeria about how he met Jo and their weekend together, skirting over some of the details – this was his baby sister he was talking to after all. He mentioned how over the past two weeks they stayed in touch via phone calls, FaceTime, and texts.

Valeria could hear the smile in her brother’s voice. She’d never heard him talk like this before about any of his partners. He sounded…happy. And on a day like today, a momentous day, it was like icing on the cake.  

She could hear the announcement for his flight in the background, which prompted them to wrap up their call. But before they hung up, she paused, took a deep breath, and told Frankie how proud of him she was. It was exactly what he needed and gave him that extra boost of confidence to board the flight, ready to tear down the remaining walls around his heart and let the light in.

___________________________

Jo nervously tapped her thumbs on the steering wheel as she sat in the cell phone lot, waiting to hear from Frankie. Thanks to her boss, she only worked a half day today, a small token of appreciation for all the long hours she’d pulled the past few days. The only sounds she heard were the windshield wipers going back and forth and the soft pitter-patter of the rain hitting her windshield. The forecast called for a gloomy and stormy night, the perfect recipe for some quality couch time curled up with Frankie. But first, they had plans to go to the grocery store and pick up some ingredients for dinner. 

She had the whole weekend planned out. This evening: a chill night at home. After two weeks apart, she just wanted him all to herself. Tomorrow's plans included a hike in the morning and then a stroll through the Botanical Gardens in the afternoon with a picnic at Centennial Park to wrap up the day. And Sunday, she left it up to him to decide. She half thought about recommending brunch and then the aquarium, but she also wouldn’t mind another day at home since he'd be going back to Tampa early Monday morning. 

Her mind drifted off to thoughts of feeling him again, running her fingers through his curls, feeling his weight on top of her, hearing his laugh, and seeing the glimmer in his eye and mischievous smirk when he was being playful. The buzz of her phone brought her back to reality. He was off the plane and walking to baggage claim. She put her car in reverse and braced herself as she returned to the congestion of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.  

As her car inched its way through the bumper-to-bumper traffic of arrivals, she scanned the crowd looking for Frankie. She let out a little squeal when she saw that trusty blue baseball cap and curls peeking from beneath it from above the crowd. He looked so handsome and so broad. The workouts with Benny had picked up and wow did it look like it was paying off. She sat up a little straighter in her seat, appreciating how his gray t-shirt stretched across his chest.

Once he spotted her, his face broke out in the largest grin. All she wanted to do was throw the car in park and run to him, but alas she navigated her way closer, butterflies filling her stomach as she finally parked and got out. 

Frankie dropped his duffle and backpack on the curb and rounded the front of her car, wrapping her in a tight hug. This was what he’d been craving for the last two weeks – the chance to feel her, to be reminded that she was very much real and he wasn’t making all of this up. A faint hint of citrus wafted through his nostrils as he buried his nose in her hair. She nestled her face into his chest, slotting perfectly into his arms like they were tailor-made for her. 

Neither spoke for what felt like minutes, just basking in the moment, in that feeling of home. That feeling when you’re with someone who makes you feel utterly and completely safe and comfortable. 

Frankie was the first to pull away, kissing her forehead and looking at her with a soft smile, while rubbing up and down her arms. “Hey, mi cielo. I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” she softly placed her lips on his, giggling when he quickly deepened the kiss.

The whistle of the guard directing traffic pulled them away from each other. “How about we get out of here, yeah?” Frankie smirked.

Frankie kept his hand on her thigh while she drove them to the grocery store. He needed the physical reminder to ground him; he was finally here with her. Walking around the grocery store, Frankie navigated the cart through the aisles, stealthily checking Jo out as she walked in front of him. All of this felt so natural like it was just another Friday night for the two of them.

Despite it all, there was still a little part of Frankie that wasn’t fully present. A little nagging voice wouldn’t shut up. He wanted to tell Jo about what this day meant – the culmination of a yearlong journey to getting back to himself. He owed it to her, he wanted, no he needed her to know everything. But knowing everything may spell the end. What if she thought he was a loser or a fuck up? He tried to push the thoughts away, tried to smile through it as she picked out a bottle of wine, asking if he preferred a cabernet or a malbec. He pointed to a bottle, not caring which one, too preoccupied with his thoughts. He knew the conversation he wanted to have needed time and doing it in a Publix or even in the car on the drive home wasn't the right place.

___________________________

When they finally arrived at her apartment building, Frankie carried the groceries and his duffle upstairs, refusing to have her take anything else other than the wine. Walking in, he took a quick scan of her place. She had a few picture frames on the wall, a record player in the corner, and a basket overflowing with blankets of varying colors and textures. The kitchen was a nice size with a large island and a lot of counter space. This place was very much her. It felt cozy and like…home.

Jo flitted about, lighting a candle and helping Frankie settle in as she unpacked the groceries and started making dinner. Somewhere between chopping up the vegetables for their salad and tossing the pasta in the boiling water, she stopped to look over at him, noticing how cute he looked as he concentrated on trying not to burn the sauce. She smiled seeing that little line forming between his brows, the one that popped up when he was really focusing on something. 

The conversation flowed as they made dinner and then ate. Jo talked about how work was going for her, while Frankie filled her in on this girl Benny was head over heels for, despite being too shy to actually make a move. She laughed as he shared the latest news from around Will and Benny’s neighborhood, wishing she could put a face to some of these names – especially the guy who basically stopped the whole barbecue when Frankie mentioned he was going to cut his hair, a trim he reassured her. The visual of it all made her crack up, tears streaming down her face. Frankie was so good at making her laugh. Like, really laugh. You know when you're gasping for breath and your stomach starts to hurt.  

With the dishes put away, they poured the last of the wine into their glasses and settled on the couch to attempt to watch a movie. Jo nestled into Frankie's arms under a fluffy blanket, curling into him and feeling the warmth coming from his body. When an especially loud crack of thunder startled her, he pulled her in even closer. 

As the rain pelted the window, Frankie chuckled to himself at the irony – the weather mirrored his mood. There was a storm brewing inside him as he grappled with when to share the deepest and darkest parts of his past with her. This final bit felt like a make-or-break. Putting it all out there was going to make him feel raw, exposed…vulnerable. But, he couldn’t go through the weekend without addressing it. It would feel like he was putting on a facade and he was done doing that. He was so consumed in his thoughts that he didn't hear Jo ask him a question until he glaced over and saw her eyes searching his face.

“Is everything ok?” She looked concerned as she toyed with the frayed ends of the blanket.

Frankie chastised himself for being so wrapped up in himself that he didn't realize how he was affecting her. She was probably stressed and nervous about their reunion too and all he wanted to do was reassure her.

“Yeah I…I want to tell you something, but I'm not sure how you'll take it,” he winced. 

She turned, sitting cross-legged on the couch facing him. “You can tell me anything.”

He took a deep breath, bending his knee to turn his body square to face her. He reached for her hand, rubbing circles on the back of her palm with his thumb. “Today is kind of a big day for me…it's an…anniversary of sorts.”

His big brown eyes searched hers, expecting confusion but instead met with curiosity. She leaned her elbow onto the back of the couch and scooted a little closer to him, giving him time to share when he felt comfortable. 

He proceeded to tell her everything, well almost everything. She already knew about his mother and the way his father descended into a numb shell of himself in the aftermath. She already knew he'd served for 20 years, moving up to join the elite Delta Force ranks with his friends. She already knew that he had to endure some pretty horrific things which caused him immense guilt and anxiety. She already knew that he wasn't there when his father died. And, she already knew his ex cheated and made Frankie believe the baby she was carrying was his. 

What she learned was how over the years, Frankie tried increasingly dangerous and self-destructive ways to calm down his mind and forget everything. She learned about how dark his thoughts got and how poorly he thought of himself. 

He shared some ways he tried to cope with his return to civilian life; he tried to borrow techniques from his friends, but it never worked.

For Santiago, it was sex. The thrill of finding someone new and losing himself in them was the closest thing he felt to a high. It made him feel wanted, desired, and powerful. But to Frankie, waking up to a different person every morning didn't quell the voices; it only made him feel empty and used. 

For Benny, it was fighting. He channeled his frustrations and rage onto his opponents but also relished the feeling of taking the punishment himself. Each blow was a physical reminder, a penance of sorts, for all of the people who died because of his rifle. But to Frankie, getting the shit beat out of him didn't quell the voices. 

When it came to Will, he was much like Frankie. He internalized everything, analyzing every last detail and keeping meticulous mental notes which meant his mind never stopped. Running through numbers calmed him down. There was an order to it. But Frankie didn't want to spend any more time alone with his thoughts than he needed to. 

So, eventually, he started down a path to numb it all. His drinking increased, but when that didn't solve things he tried different drugs. It wasn’t until he took his first bump, that he finally found what he'd been searching for. Peace. Quiet. Escape. 

At first, he thought he could control it. And he did for a while. But eventually, that need to feel nothing consumed him and pushed everything and everyone who ever mattered to him away. He got sloppy and failed a drug test, which resulted in his license getting suspended. 

He skimmed over the details of the trip to Colombia, just telling her that the mission went south and they ended up losing Tom. In the aftermath of it all, he spiraled even more before he finally looked at himself in the mirror one day. He wanted more out of his life. He wanted to feel joy again. So, he decided to flush his stash down the toilet and finally go to that meeting he had been putting off for months.

“And that was 365 days ago,” he exhaled, looking down at his hands. Throughout the entire time he recounted his story, Jo’s hand never left his. Occasionally she would give him a reassuring squeeze when she sensed he was having some difficulty. 

They sat in silence for a while, Frankie too nervous to look at her for fear he'd see disappointment etched across her beautiful face. That would break him and he wasn't ready for that. He felt her squeeze his hand again and move closer, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders. This quiet show of acceptance and compassion made tears well up in his eyes. When she started stroking the back of his head, he finally broke down. 

He cried for all of the pain he put everyone through over the years. He cried for all of the time lost, time he could have spent being there for his friends or family. He cried for still feeling unworthy of all of the compassion and love he had received. First, with Lucille, and now with Jo. She squeezed him tight, murmuring quiet praise and thanking him for being so open and willing to share. It felt like a weight had been extracted from his shoulders. 

Once the tears stopped, he pulled back, wiping the tears from his eyes and noticing Jo’s red-rimmed eyes looking back at him. “I'm sorry, I…I just wanted you to know me…everything. I understand if you want me to lea-”

“Frankie stop,” she cut him off, cupping his face between her hands. “Thank you for sharing that with me…for feeling comfortable to do that. It means a lot. I…I don't know what the right things are to say, but I'm proud of you. You're a good man Frankie and…I'm glad you're here.” 

He pulled her in for a kiss, one that showed how much he missed her and how grateful he was for her. She threw her leg over his lap, straddling him as their kiss grew more frenzied and passionate. Soon it was a dizzying mix of mouths chasing each other, hands roaming, and soft moans and whimpers.

“Take me to bed Frankie,” she whispered against his lips, giggling as he lightly swatted her ass to get up.

As she led him down the hallway to her bedroom, Frankie couldn't help the grin on his face. He couldn't believe the situation he found himself in, one where compassion and acceptance won.

___________________________

When Frankie’s eyes fluttered open, he was greeted to a dark room; it was overcast outside, raindrops still on the windows from an early morning storm. It took him a second to register where he was. Last night felt like a blur. Sharing his past, the good, bad, and the ugly, followed by one of the most passionate nights he'd ever experienced in his life. It all felt like a dream, like an alternate reality, almost too good to be true. But his arm around Jo's waist and the soft sounds of her breathing grounded him into this moment.

She stirred, stretching a bit before turning around to face him. “Hi,” she smiled, tucking one of his curls behind his ear. 

“Hi, preciosa,” he smiled back, kissing the tip of her nose. 

They basked in their little cocoon, sharing giggles and cuddles and stealing kisses. It didn't take long before Frankie's mouth traveled down her body, finding its home between her legs like it did last night. He wanted to show her his gratitude for listening with an open heart, being receptive, and not judging him. 

___________________________

Frankie got out of the shower, quickly toweled off, threw on a pair of gym shorts, and padded down the hallway to the kitchen to find Jo preparing coffee.

She turned and gave him an appreciative up and down. Training Benny for his fight had yielded very positive results – his chest and shoulders seemed broader somehow and his stomach was the perfect mix of toned but still soft. 

“Looking good, Morales,” she winked, handing him a cup. 

Frankie blushed. Walking around with his shirt off felt a bit foreign to him, but seeing how much she was turned on by it made his chest puff out a bit. 

“Do we need to change plans for today?” He raised an eyebrow as he brought the cup to his lips. 

“Why? Wanna stay in,” she wrapped her arms around his waist as he leaned against the counter.

“Well, yes. I could think of a few…indoor activities,” he bent down to kiss her. “But no, I was talking about the weather. It looks like it may rain today.”

“Nah, it will be fine. C'mon get dressed, we have a full day of playing tourist.”

___________________________

Their hike unfortunately was over before it got started. As they started down the path, the sky opened up, causing them to race back to her car where they sat soaked to the bone but all smiles. Since the rain was so heavy, Jo decided to stay parked for a bit until the worst of it passed. Plus, it gave them a prime opportunity to have a little make-out session. Frankie kept joking that he felt like he was back in high school going to the lookout to make out with a pretty girl. 

Eventually, they managed to pull away from each other long enough to make it to lunch, having to dodge some sprinkles as they went into the restaurant. But, the rain grew into a full-on downpour as they finished lunch, causing them to rethink their plans for the rest of the day.

“There's a bunch of indoor things we could do. The aquarium, we could go to the movies, I dunno walk around the mall,” Jo laughed as Frankie shook his head.

“I think this is a sign,” his mouth twitched.

“Oh, you into signs now?” She raised a skeptical eyebrow at him.

He shrugged, “I'm just saying. It's an ugly day outside. I think the universe is telling us to stay in.” He leaned in closer, whispering in her ear, “Besides, just because we're staying inside doesn't mean you still won't get wet.”

She swatted his arm, giggling at his insinuation, but also trying her best to not melt into a puddle. 

___________________________

Frankie’s fingertips traced up and down her bare back as she lay on his chest, in a complete state of bliss. He was trying to not think about the fact that tomorrow morning he'd be heading back to Tampa.

“I feel bad,” Jo finally said, lifting herself on an elbow to look at Frankie who furrowed his brow. “You came all of this way and the weather has been shit. We couldn't go do anything fun.”

“Baby, I'm having a lot of fun just staying here with you. All of the plans you had in mind were great and all, but honestly, this is all I wanted from this weekend,” he smiled, kissing her forehead. 

“Oh I see, you just came all this way for some sex huh?” She teased.

“Last I checked, you were the one who couldn't keep your hands to yourself, mi cielo” he flipped her around so she was on her back, giggling as he crawled on top of her. 

“What can I say, I'm really liking this trainer era you're in.” Her hands gripped his curls as he started to kiss up her neck. “Ooo speaking of,” he pulled back to look at her. “I was thinking … I have some miles I need to use before they expire. What if I came down for Benny's fight? You can say no it's totally ok, if you need to concentrate on him or if it's too early to meet your friends and -”

“Hey, hey, shhh,” he stroked her cheek with his thumb. “You can come visit literally whenever you want. Everyone wants to meet you and I want you to meet them.”

“Oh yeah? Even Lulu?” She smirked. Benny and Will's elderly neighbor Lucille, or Lulu as Frankie called her, had quite a soft spot for Frankie.

“Especially Lulu. She wants to see who keeps making me smile when I look at my phone. Besides, I think the one you really have to impress is David,” he winked.

Jo wrapped her legs around Frankie's waist, pulling him flush against her body. “Then it's decided, I'll be there for fight night and I’ll stay the weekend.”

___________________________

The rain did not let up that evening and parts of the metro area were experiencing localized flooding. Warm and cozy on the couch, neither of them wanted to move, so they decided to stay in for the night, playing games, cuddling, and just talking before making their way to the bedroom. 

As Jo laid on her side, Frankie enveloping her in warmth, her mind started to battle competing emotions. She was replaying her favorite parts of the weekend, sad that it was already coming to an end. It wasn't what she had originally planned, but it ended up being perfect. Being with Frankie made her want to slow down, really enjoy things, and be in the moment.

The past couple of weeks were intense. Up until this point in her life, she’d been on her own, relishing her independence. But seeing Frankie’s name pop up on her phone gave her instant butterflies; she felt like a school girl. Her whole mood depended on when she’d hear from him and what they’d talk about. She was hyperaware of not wanting to come across as clingy or needy, but when they would go long stretches without talking her stomach would be in knots. She immediately feared the worst – that he’d gotten annoyed by her or worse, met someone else, someone who could be there for him physically. Having all of this be long-distance brought forth anxiety as she wondered how they would make this work.

What even was this? Is he her boyfriend? Are they just “talking” or whatever people say these days? Where was this going? Would it just be stolen weekends here and there? Banking up enough PTO to sneak in a few extra days or maybe take a week off to escape somewhere together. How long would that be enough for him? For her?

A little voice reminded her of how busy these next few months would be at work. Between conferences and events, she already felt exhausted by it all. How would Frankie fit into all of that? Would he get tired of her being so busy during the day that she’d just crash at night? Would he grow resentful? He had his own life too, it's not fair to assume he'd always come up here to visit her. How long would they go between visits? She was falling so hard and fast for Frankie that she feared it would crash and burn as quickly as it started. And if it did, she wouldn't be able to come back from it.

Meanwhile, Frankie lay on his side, arm wrapped around her waist, and deep in his thoughts too. He had never felt this close to another person so quickly. It's like she just…fit. Giving his heart over to someone else like this was terrifying but also thrilling. This was all so fast and so intense, but it felt…right. And for once, his mind felt quiet.

___________________________

Jo stirred, and the crack of thunder woke her up. She reached over and felt a cold spot next to her on the bed where Frankie should have been sleeping. Sounds coming from the kitchen made her reach for his flannel. She paused for a moment before putting it on, taking a deep breath, and inhaling the scent of him that lingered in the fabric. She buttoned a couple of buttons as she tiptoed down the hallway to see what he was doing.

What greeted her was quite a vision. Frankie's back was to her, giving her ample time to check him out. His hair was sticking up in all directions, partly from sleep and partly from the fact that she couldn't keep her hands to herself last night. The muscles in his back flexed as he flipped the skillet, one of her kitchen towels slung over his shoulder. Her eyes took note of every freckle and every scar as trailed down his body to his waist, finally landing on his cute little butt in his boxers. 

Sensing a shift in the room he tensed up and slowly turned around and let out a breath when he realized it was Jo. 

“Oh shit, sorry, didn't mean to sneak up on you,” she winced.

“No, no it's ok, good morning mi cielo,” he closed the distance between them and wrapped her in a kiss, the taste of coffee on his tongue. “I wanted to make you some breakfast before we had to leave.”

“Chef Morales, I could get used to this,” she peered around him to see an omelet cooking and some toast laid on a plate.

He pulled her close, taking an appreciative look down the opening of his shirt, “Well, I could say the same thing.” 

“You like seeing me in your shirt?” She wiggled her hips.

“Looks a hell of a lot better on you than me…you should keep it.”

“Keep it?” She narrowed her eyes.

“Yeah,” he gave her a lopsided grin as he turned around to flip the omelet. “I have some more at home anyway.”

“Hmm…leaving clothes at my place…seems like this is getting kind of serious don’t you think?” She tried to sound casual and flirty, but inside she was freaking out, hoping it wasn’t too presumptuous. 

Frankie stopped, swallowing hard and trying to steady his breath. “Would that be a bad thing?” He turned the stove off and faced her, seeing her fiddling with one of the sleeves.

“I don’t think so…I’d…I’d like that.” Her eyes lifted, finding his as she held her breath. 

He knitted his brows, closing the distance between them and rubbing his hands up and down her arms. “I’d like that too.”

They smiled, relief washing over them before leaning forward and crashing into a kiss. He was thankful for the ample counter space in her kitchen, which provided the perfect place to enjoy his favorite meal. 

She giggled as he helped her get up, unbuttoning the few buttons she had hastily fastened. “Babe, we’re going to be late,” she murmured against his lips, gasping a bit as his fingers teased her folds. 

“Shh, we'll be ok…I got you,” he winked. 

___________________________

The drive to the airport was quiet as they were deep in their thoughts. Frankie’s hand never left Jo’s thigh as he tried to take mental notes of how she felt, how she sounded, and how she smelled. He was thankful they already had their next time planned, that there was a date he could immediately circle on his calendar when he got home. It was a struggle to not think beyond that, to think of the what ifs or when he'd see her after that. For now, for once, he didn't want to think about logistics or plans, he just wanted to be in the moment. 

As she pulled up to the curb, she took a deep breath in through her nose, resolved to not break down in front of him. The rain was picking up again like the sky was crying because they were parting from each other. 

Sensing her nerves, Frankie squeezed her hand, “Don’t get out and get all wet. We’ll just say…I’ll see you soon, yeah?”

“Yeah,” she smiled, quickly wiping a tear that rolled down her cheek. “We aren't saying goodbye ok? You're going to land and then head to the gym and see Benny and get him all ready for his fight. And we’ll FaceTime tonight, it's your turn to choose a movie.”

Frankie chuckled, comforted that this was as hard for her as it was for him. “Ok, mi cielo,” he kissed her. “I'll miss you.”

“I'll miss you more. I'll see you in 11 days,” she smiled into his kiss.

“The countdown is on,” he winked.

___________________________

A/N: The inspiration for the title of this comes from an aviation term which means “forced to stay grounded due to bad weather.” I thought it was fitting given how their plans kept getting thwarted by the weather. I'm entering this is in @undercoverpena’s April Showers Challenge! I always planned for this little one-shot and the timing was perfect.

Hope you enjoy!

#undercoveraprilshowerschallenge #frankie friday #frankie morales #frankie morales x ofc #turbulence #delta landscaping

[juyeonszn]

THERE’S NO ESCAPE (YOU’VE TAKEN TENURE IN MY HEART)

PAIRING jacob bae x f!reader

WORD COUNT 3.38k

GENRES fluff ﹒angst ﹒smut

WARNINGS 18+ MINORS DO NOT INTERACT, mature language, mentions of toxic relationships. mentions of cheating, mentions of psycho girlfriends 💀, cobie being the most caring loving individual in the world, semi-public sex, car sex, little bit of manhandling, lots of desperation, little bit of nipple play, some dry humping tbh, no foreplay bc we ball like steph curry, unprotected sex (BE SAFE1!!11!!), marking 😹😹😹, um i lied… there is More than a Little manhandling, overstimulation, multiple orgasms, creampie lol, jacob is kind of insatiable, the end is cute

SUMMARY only jacob would tell you he’d just broken up with his girlfriend and comfort you rather than seek comfort for himself. only jacob could know exactly what you wanted and needed, more than you knew yourself.

MORE HELLAURRRR finally getting this bad boy out!! she’s the (not so) calm before the storm aka the fic before fawntober starts LOLLL anyway! this was requested by my lovely dearest moni <3 i hope it was everything u hoped it’d be!! prompts used are: 14, 20 💪

PERM TAGLIST @winterchimez @maessseongs @itsbeeble

When people say you’ll know when you’ve met The One, they’re lying. They’re lying straight through their teeth because they don’t know what else to tell you. Maybe they feel sorry for you. Maybe that’s what they were told when they were growing up. Whatever the reason may be, you knew it wasn’t true.

How could it be true?

You thought your boyfriend was The One when you first started dating. He did everything right. He held open doors for you. He walked on the side of the sidewalk closest to the street. He held your hand so you wouldn’t get lost in crowds. He learned what your favorite dishes were and brought them to you whenever you were stressed and needed comfort. He bought you flowers every time you went on a date, and sometimes even just because he felt like it. He was the perfect boyfriend.

Until he wasn’t.

You’d been together for three years now, and this past year had been a living hell. You’re not sure what went wrong, but eventually all those doting behaviors came to an end. He stopped opening doors for you. He stopped walking on the side of the sidewalk closest to the street. He stopped holding your hand so you wouldn’t get lost in the crowd. He stopped caring about your favorite dishes or when you needed comfort. He stopped buying you flowers because you stopped going on dates. He was no longer the perfect boyfriend.

You used to think he was The One because you’d been told that you would just know when you met him. And how could you not think he was The One after he did the textbook boyfriend things? But now you weren’t so sure. After all, if he was truly The One, he wouldn’t be treating you like you were a second option.

All of his attention seemed to be on work and going out with friends every weekend. It felt like he couldn’t give two shits about you, or if you stayed up to wait for him when he didn’t call. And perhaps it was your own fault. You let things get to this point and never spoke up. You bit your tongue when he mentioned he’d be working late, even if you knew there was no way his work required so much overtime.

The only reason you still stuck around was because you were complacent. You were scared of change. Despite everything about your relationship having changed since the beginning, it was still your relationship and leaving it would be a greater change. You couldn’t help that you were a creature of habit.

It was kind of funny though, considering the fact that your best friend was going through the same exact thing.

Jacob and his girlfriend got together similarly around the time as you and your boyfriend. She was sweet when you first met her, everything Jacob wanted in a partner. He would occasionally boast to you about how caring and compassionate she was. He even swore he would marry her one day. He was also the textbook definition of a boyfriend, but he never stopped his actions. And yet somehow, she too switched up.

She became controlling and possessive, like any girl who breathed the same air as Jacob was trying to steal him away from her. She read his text messages, she knew his passwords, she knew his work and school schedule. She even knew nearly as much about you as he did.

You found this out after the two of you went out for lunch one day. He was so frustrated over the situation, but couldn’t escape just like you. He was also afraid of the disruption to his life. Because she was pretty much stalking his phone activity, you planned a weekly hangout where you’d complain to each other about your respective relationships.

Tonight was one of those hangouts.

You’d met up at a cute little family owned Italian restaurant for dinner, both of you worn out from your deteriorating relationships. But the sight of one another was almost enough to ease the weight on your shoulders, to fix every problem single-handedly.

The lighting inside the restaurant is dim, every table adorned with candles and slim vases with a daisy. You hadn’t been here in years, the last time being when you and your boyfriend first started dating. It used to be one of your favorite spots to visit with Jacob, but you stopped coming together once you’d gotten into your own relationships. Being here with your boyfriend felt… off. So you never came back.

Sitting across the table from Jacob had your heart fluttering in your chest, a weird sensation you’d long forgotten. Despite the reoccurring thought about how attractive he looked tonight, you couldn’t help but notice how dejected he looks. He hadn’t said much, which was completely out of the ordinary. He always had something to say, always had a little quip prepared.

He pushes around the pasta on his plate, lips pursed as he does so. You let out a sigh, taking a sip of your wine and setting your fork down with a clack against the ceramic plate. “Are you okay?”

“Hmm?” He glances up from his food, like he’d been checked out this whole time. “Oh, yeah. I’m fine.”

“No you’re not, Cobie. You’ve been quiet since we got here and you’ve hardly eaten,” you say pointedly, crossing your arms over your chest. “Now, what’s up? Don’t forget that I know you like the back of my hand.”

He lets out a small chuckle, leaning back in his seat. (You ignore the way the action has that previous fluttering travel down into your stomach.) “Well, I didn’t really know how to bring this up, so I guess I was kinda in my head about that,” he turns his head away from you momentarily, wetting his lips before looking back at you. “I broke up with Kyunmi last night.”

You know your eyes are comically wide upon hearing this revelation, especially when Jacob has to bite his lip to prevent laughter. You definitely weren’t expecting him to say *that*. He’d shared with you numerous times that he didn’t think he could break up with her, too afraid to risk her having a meltdown over it. You could only wonder what made him change his mind.

“I’m glad you’re… out of that situation now?” You form it more as a question, not sure if he considered this a good thing or not.

“Thanks, N/N. I appreciate that,” he appears lighter now that he’s gotten it off his chest, indulging himself in his pasta finally. “It was a difficult decision to make, but it’s for the better. I felt suffocated, you know?”

All you can do is nod, too familiar with that feeling yourself. Jacob Bae was a brave man for being able to find his way out of such a toxic relationship. You wished one day, you could gather the courage to do the same.

As the thought resonates with you, your phone rings, as if reading your mind. Your eyebrows furrow at the caller ID, confused why he’d be calling you right now. You mutter an apology to Jacob, excusing yourself from the table to talk outside. With a roll of your eyes, you answer the call.

“Hello?”

“Where the fuck are you?”

His harsh tone and loud voice directly in your ear has you flinching instinctively, wincing at how pissed off he sounds. “I’m— um— out.”

“Obviously I fucking know that. I’m asking where. Why aren’t you home?” Okay, maybe you were just adding fuel to the fire.

“I’m having dinner with a friend,” you frown, kicking a pebble near your foot. “Why do you care?”

“Because I’m home and I wanted to have dinner with my fucking girlfriend. Is that too much to ask for now?” His voice just keeps rising in volume. “Are you with that guy you’re friends with? Jacob, is it? Can’t keep your goddamn legs closed for once?”

You feel like crying. You’re humiliated. How could he think so lowly of you? After all the nights you’ve spent staying awake until early hours of the morning, waiting for him to come home just to smell another girl’s perfume all over his collar. And he had the audacity to slut shame you? You feel the bile threatening to push from the back of your throat.

“Fuck you,” you bark, wiping your runny nose with the heel of your palm. “I’ve never once cheated on you, you fucking prick.”

“Likely story,” he scoffs. “You better get your ass home before you make me angry, Y/N.”

“Don’t talk to me that way. I’m not your property. And I’m sick and tired of being at your beck and call.” You think Jacob‘s newfound freedom rubbed off on you, encouraging you to speak your mind. You couldn’t keep holding in all the qualms you held with him. You couldn’t keep quiet anymore.

You can hear him gasp slightly, as if he’s appalled by your sudden ability to speak up for yourself. But before he can get anything else out, you hang up and set your phone to Do Not Disturb, tossing it haphazardly into your purse.

Your hands are shaking and you feel the dampness on your cheeks. You didn’t deserve to put up with this anymore, you deserved better. You wanted better. Being complacent was no longer sufficient for you. You attempt to make yourself look a bit more presentable, going back into the restaurant where you’re met with a concerned Jacob.

His brows are knitted together, forming an adorable crease in the center of his forehead. You almost reach across the table to smooth it out. The expression doesn’t go away, in fact it stays put as you down the rest of the wine in your glass.

“What happened?”

The server comes back and refills your drink, which was probably not a very good idea, but you digress. You shake your head, nearly finishing what had just been poured for you. The influx of alcohol in your system makes your head feel a little fuzzy, but it feels so much better than the dull ache from earlier.

“Eunho and I just had a fight. I’m so done, Jacob. I can't do this anymore.” You run a hand through your hair, resting your elbows on the table and cradling your head in your hands.

His lips curl downward. He pulls out a few bills from his wallet, tucking them under his plate before he stands, outstretching his hand to you. “C’mon, let’s go.”

You’re puzzled by his actions, but don’t question him, lacing your fingers together and following him to his car. He plays music from your favorite artists and drives to nowhere in particular, doing his best to get the situation off your mind. You nearly burst into tears again, because only Jacob could be this kind to you. Only Jacob could take care of you this well.

Only Jacob would have a playlist of all your favorite music prepared on his phone specifically for the times you rode in his car. Only Jacob would tell you he’d just broken up with his girlfriend and comfort you rather than seek comfort for himself. Only Jacob could know exactly what you wanted and needed, more than you knew yourself.

And you feel stupid. Stupid for not seeing it sooner, for not realizing sooner. For not realizing that it should’ve been Jacob all along. That it should’ve been Jacob who you’d given the key for your heart to. It should’ve been Jacob who laid in bed next to your every night, arms wrapped around your waist and breathing into the crook of your neck as you slept.

Because he’s always been this way. He’s always put you first, doted on your every need. Before either of you got into relationships, when it was just the two of you, he treated you as his number one. He did everything right. He held open doors for you. He walked on the side of the sidewalk closest to the street. He held your hand so you wouldn’t get lost in crowds. He learned what your favorite dishes were and brought them to you whenever you were stressed and needed comfort. He bought you flowers every time you hung out and sometimes even just because he felt like it.

Then you had to go and get a fucking boyfriend. And look where that got you.

“Hey, hey,” Jacob’s voice cuts through your inner monologue, causing you to blink and snap back into reality. “Why are you crying, sweetheart?”

Just great. You didn’t even know you were fucking crying. Or that Jacob pulled the car over. You were parked in the furthest, emptiest corner of a parking lot, the closest light post meters away.

“I… don’t know,” you answer, because truthfully, you don’t. “I just feel like an idiot.”

“You’re not an idiot, Y/N. You’re one of the smartest people I’ve ever known. How could you ever think that about yourself?” He leans over the center console to swipe away some of your tears with his thumb.

“It should’ve been you all along, Cobie. I should’ve picked you.” You blurt, again, because you’re an idiot. You never know when to open your mouth and apparently you never know when to shut it either.

It’s silent for a few moments. You can hear your heart in your ears, pounding along with your pulse. You might’ve just royally screwed up your friendship too. But then you hear Jacob’s seat belt unbuckling and his upper half is folded over the center console completely, his lips finding yours.

It’s a sweet kiss, desperate in a way that you’ve never known Jacob to be, but you aren’t complaining. You free yourself from your own seat belt, hand coming up to cup the side of his face. Of all outcomes you could’ve predicted for tonight, this was nowhere near that list. Your mouths move together in perfect synchrony, like they were meant to do this. It was as if you and Jacob had kissed a hundred times in the past and you were moving on pure instinct.

When you part to gasp for air, he grasps your hips roughly, pulling you into his lap. Part of you is surprised you didn’t honk the horn with your ass, too preoccupied placing your lips on his again as he slides the seat all the way back. He bites and sucks on your bottom lip, tongue tangling with yours so messily you can feel the drool slipping down the side of your chin.

He grinds into you, fingers digging into your waist and bunching up your sundress. He trails his lips to your ear, nibbling the lobe as he whispers, “I could treat you so much better, baby. Let me treat you better.”

You can’t halt the whine that pushes past your throat, knee hiking up slightly to feel how hard he is, pressed into the heat of your cunt only covered by the thin material of your panties. You wanted that so badly. You wanted Jacob to treat you like his pretty little princess, to spoil you and shower you with his love and affection.

“Your dress got a little dirty, how about we take it off?” He suggests, though the sight of you in the flowy piece of cloth is enough to have him orgasming on the spot. Instead of removing it completely, you help him pull the straps off your shoulders, exposing your bare chest. His thumb circles your sensitive nipples, tweaking them until you’re shivering and squirming above him.

“Need you so bad, Cobie,” you whimper in the space between his collarbone and his neck. “Want you in me already, I can’t wait.”

“So impatient,” he chuckles, the sound rumbling underneath you as you claw at his pants to free him from its confines. “You want me to fuck you? Want me to mark you up as mine so you know just how much better I am? I’ll ruin you for anyone else, baby. You won’t want anyone but me after this.”

“Is that a threat or a promise?” You raise an eyebrow, hovering your mouth over his and evening your voice as best you can. Jacob pokes his cheek with his tongue, his grip on your waist tightening. You groan at how attractive it is, rolling your hips experimentally in hopes it spurs him to get on with it.

“You’re so fucking lucky I want you just as much, sweetheart,” he speaks against your lips, aiding you in your nth attempt to push down his pants. “But just so you know, I’m not holding myself back.”

“Wouldn’t dream of anything else.” You reach down to pull your underwear to the side.

Jacob doesn’t even let you admire his cock before he’s thrusting up into you, lost in the pleasure as soon as it’s begun. You moan loudly, the noise reverberating around the car while he sheaths himself completely, your pelvises kissing like your mouths. He momentarily allows you to adjust to him, and then he’s driving in and out of your pussy as if it was a knife and butter.

Your cunt is so warm and wet, sucking him in so deliciously it clouds his judgment. His hold on your waist is bruising and he pounds into you unforgivingly, like he’s been waiting for this for years upon years. “Fuck, you feel so good around me.”

“Mmmmm,” you gasp when one of his hands tugs at your hair, baring your neck and chest to him. “Jacob, you’re so— God— you’re so deep.”

He starts to leave marks along the skin that shows, ensuring he stakes his claim in case your fuckass ex(?) tries to get you back. Jacob was far from insecure, he knew from the moment you followed him to his car that you’d choose him. But he wanted you to know he was serious, and if acting like your body was a canvas he was painting and copyrighting was the only way to prove that, then so be it.

“Yeah?” he separates himself from your jugular with a pop, rubbing his nose against your own. “You close yet?”

“Mhm,” you whimper, nails dragging under his shirt and scratching up his abdomen. “Need you to fuck me harder.”

“Your wish is my command,” his hands come under your thighs, bending his knees so he can plunge into you faster and deeper, the tip of his cock consistently nudging that sensitive spot inside of you.

He punctuates each thrust with a kiss to your lips, swallowing your pretty sounds. You feel the band in your stomach grow thinner and thinner, before it eventually just snaps. Your release coats Jacob’s dick, making it easier for him to slide in and out as he inches towards his own orgasm. You don’t have the energy to move, your body spasming with overstimulation.

Jacob’s middle finger circles your clit, causing your walls to clench around him and finally trigger his ejaculation, the sensation provoking another one out of you. You wail as you cream on his cock, feeling your sticky cum trickling down your thighs. He slowly continues his thrusts until he’s brought you back down from your high, both of you wincing when he pulls out fully.

You both notice how fogged up the windows of his car are, eyes meeting instantaneously and the two of you bursting out into laughter, still half naked. He brushes your hair out of your face with a dreamy sigh. “I meant what I said, by the way.”

“Hmm?” Your mouth forms a confused pout.

“About treating you better,” he clarifies. “You deserve the world, my Y/N. I wanna be the one to give it to you.”

You sniffle, full on ugly crying when the weight of his words sink in. Jacob was all you ever needed and more. How could you say no?

“You already have.” You say, no louder than a whisper, as if someone else could hear your confessions. He brings you closer to him, resting his chin on top of your head.

“Good,” he kisses your forehead. “‘Cause I don’t plan on letting go.”

© juyeonszn. do not steal, claim, or repost.

#the boyz #the boyz x reader #the boyz smut #tbz #tbz x reader #tbz smut #the boyz jacob #tbz jacob #jacob bae x reader #jacob bae smut #jacob x reader #jacob smut #juyeonszn #juyeonszn.100🪩

[cissyenthusiast010155]

Can you do Lady Lesso with prompt 34.

Hiiiii @principal-weems09 !! Thanks so much for another request 💕 I went with a soft Lesso for this one. I hope you enjoy it! 😊

Softening Her Heart ~Soft!Leonora Lesso xFem Student!Reader

Mommy…Master List

Requests & Prompt-List

#34. “Is this what’s been bothering you? Oh my, well I’m sure we can fix that.”

Warnings: NSFW, 18+!!, smut, medium slow burn, fingering, kissing, praise kink, mommy kink, age gap (all legal), etc.

Enjoy (;

You were one of the oldest students at the school, top of your class, spotless record (especially for a Never), and skilled sorceress.

Staff members always told you how elegantly and maturely you spoke and acted.

You had few friends your age, as you found you bonded better with the Professors than your actual peers.

But all of that was thrown out the window every time you set foot in Professor Lesso’s classroom…

In there, you were a mess… to say the least…

Sure, you did well academically, but you found yourself being pushed to be better at the thought of some sort of recognition from the red head.

And her class was difficult.

She pushed all of her students.

Plus, you had a knack of getting lost in her clothing choices for the day or her sultry, deadly tone…

So you tried extra hard.

But you were never the best.

Never the favorite.

Or so you thought…

There was something about Lesso that you couldn’t get to like you.

You knew what it was: You weren’t evil.

Or at least her standard of evil.

All those lingering glances she gave were reserved for others…

All those snide comments for others…

All those physical aberrations for others…

To you, she seemed to pay no mind.

She seemed to…

~~~

Today was no different.

You walked into class and right on cue, your stomache tensed just as it always did when you had class with Lady Lesso.

You sighed, sitting in your chair in the back as always.

You noted the new and stylish Trenchcoat that Lesso was wearing today.

The lesson droned on as usual, and you paid attention like you were supposed to. And every time she called on her favorite student, the back of your hairs pricked up…

The class eventually ended, and Lesso dismissed the students to lunch.

Even through all the agony, you didn’t give up.

You couldn’t really.

As your peers filed out, you made it to be the last one to leave, but before doing so you caught Lesso’s attention.

“Professor?” you meekly asked, so different from your usual matter of fact tone.

“Hmmm, what is it?” Lesso stated, not even taking the time to even look up at you.

Your words froze. Of course they did… They always froze around Lesso.

When you didn’t respond, Lesso did look up at you, seemingly staring straight into your soul.

This made everyone 100% worse.

“Um… I… I just wanted to say that I really like your Trenchcoat It’s stylish and trendy but also very fitting to your vibe!” You blurted out, cheeks flushing with more red.

“Your an odd one aren’t you?” Lesso quipped.

“What?” You responded, confused and embarrassed by your massive blunder in speech.

“You’re Special.”

“Oh. Thank you…”

You honestly didn’t know what to say… What did “Special” mean??

“Ok, Have a good day…!” you said as you practically ran out of the room.

~~~

The school year has ended and the student body had left for the summer.

Well, most of the student body…

There were a few students who stayed through some if not all of the summer. You were one of those, who didn’t really have anywhere else to go so you stayed.

You spent most of your time in your room and the library.

Every so often, you’d run into the evil dean who’d send you an evil smirk accompanied by a wink.

This was the first time that she had started giving you any attention…

Well except that one time after school with her calling you “Special”…

You still hadn’t figured that out…

Regardless, you headed down to the library on this early morning. You found your nook and plopped yourself there.

Hours flew by. Before you realized it, it was dark outside.

You heard the library door creak open and peaked to see who it was.

Your eyes widened as your gaze was met with the one and only Leonora Lesso’s.

And then she began gliding over to you, precariously leaning herself against the bookcase across from you.

You sat there, blush creeping up your cheeks, and said nothing.

Lesso chuckled, looking down to the floor and then staring right back into your soul.

“Didn’t see you at breakfast, lunch, or dinner…” she noted.

“Oh. Yea… I didn’t realize how much time had passed…” you sheepishly admitted, having trouble meeting her gaze and looking for anything else to look at.

Lesso hummed in response, and silence assumed once again.

“What did you mean “Special”?” You blurted, breaking the silence.

“Excuse me?” Lesso asked with her usual bite.

“Oh well… Last semester you called me… special…” your voice had been reduced to a stuttering whimper, “I was wondering what you meant…”

Lesso tilted her head back in acknowledgement of your words.

“I suppose… I meant that you are different than my other students. You do things differently. You want things differently. It’s distinctive.”

You were actually quite surprised that you had gotten such an answer from the dean.

For one, it was in depth. But secondly, she didn’t even truly know why??

“Ah, I see…”

“What do you want?” Lesso purred, now her attention intent on you.

“Eh… umm, I suppose I want connection… I tend to…” you whispered.

“Tend to what?”

“Tend to connect to my instructors rather than my peers…” you finished your though with embarrassment and almost shame.

Plus the presence and closeness of Lesso was not helping. That tension in your stomache had immediately arrived when she did and it was only growing….

And then she came even closer, crouching down to meet your eye level…

“How about you come work for me in the mornings from now until the semester starts? Starting tomorrow at 9.”

“Ok.”

There Lesso left you, a flustered mess.

And you had had only one thought when she had come that close to you…

Kiss me…

~~~

After that interaction, you were extremely split. You ran back to your dorm, your chest heaving.

You had feelings for the dean of evil…?

How had you not seen it before??

Your whole world was spinning, your legs were still weak from the prior interaction.

And now, you were expected meet and work with her every morning for the rest of the summer…!

Specifically, tomorrow morning!!

You didn’t know how you were going to face her…

~~~

You woke up with next morning with a knot of tension in your stomache from the get go.

But today, you understood what that knot was and your accompanied damp knickers…

You had had a very vivid dream of Lesso doing some explicitly sinful things to you…

And you desperately tried to shake it off of your mind.

For gods sake, now she was fucking with your sleep now too??

You sighed and made your way to her office. Your hand shaked and legs wobbled as you knocked on her door.

“Come in!” You heard the red head call.

You entered and shuddered as the you saw the tall specimen sitting at her desk.

“Sit. I have set some papers aside for you to complete.” Lesso instructed you.

You did as you were told and sat with shortened breath, a heightened heart rate, shaky movements, and flushed cheeks.

You two worked in silence for hours.

But your different behavior didn’t go unnoticed by Lesso…

Your fidgeting with your feet and hands…

Your lingering stares at the red head…

Your gasps when her gaze met yours and she caught you staring…

You thighs inadvertently clenching together…

When she had caught the twenty hundredth lip bite from you, Lesso couldn’t help herself.

“What is the matter with you today? Is there something bothering you?” Lesso bit, annoyance clear in her tone

You were stunned that Lesso would ask such a thing, and a bit stung from how annoyed she sounded.

“Um… no… I’m fine…” you stuttered.

“You are most definitely not.” Lesso seethed, “All your behavior today has been inexcusably irritating. I asked you because I thought you’d just follow the rules in silence, not annoy me to death.”

Now that really stung.

And tightened your coil even more…

A tear threatened to fall from your eyes.

“I’m… I’m sorry I’ll leave…” you said with a crack in your voice.

And before Lesso could stop you, you had run out of the classroom.

~~~

Lesso knew she had done something terrible when you didn’t show up for dinner…

She hated to admit it, but you were something she didn’t understand.

She didn’t know you’d react that way this morning, she hadn’t meant to make you upset.

So Lesso settled to go check on you in your dorm.

Because as much as she hated to admit, you being different and mystery drew her to you…

She climbed up the stairs to you dorm and walked down the corridor. She paused at your door for a moment, reconsidering all of this.

But her thoughts were interrupted by a sound coming from your room.

She couldn’t make it out at first, but it pricked her ears enough to lean by the door and try to get a better hear.

“Oh Fuck, Leo…—!”

Lesso eyes widened at the sound of your moan.

Everything clicked for her now.

And it led her to make the obvious next decision…

Lesso swiftly swung the door open to find you sprawled across your bed, clothes still on and your hand slid under your skirt…

At the door opening and Lesso barging in, you immediately freaked.

You retracted your hand at lighting and scurried to the farthest part of the bed by the headboard.

Your chest was heaving and your breathing was erratic. Your heart beat was thumping in your ears like a fucking race horse.

You didn’t know what to say. You had been caught. What were you supposed to say??

“Is this what’s been bothering you?” Lesso managed to choke out, at the desperate sight in front of her.

You couldn’t met her eyes as you embarrassingly nodded slightly.

“Oh my, well I’m sure we can fix that.”

She closed the door and you heard the click of the lock.

What?

Your head swiveled to Lesso at that. You met her blown out pupils and her licking licking her lips.

“What?” You stuttered.

“Strip.”

You had so many questions but they didn’t matter right now.

What mattered was that Lesso had told you to do something and you were going to do it.

You got up from the bed and began removing all your clothes.

As you got to your undergarments, you became more and more self-conscious and immediately tried to hide yourself.

“No no…” Lesso chuckled, “I want to see all of you.” coming over to you and removing your hands.

You thought you were gonna melt on the spot when her hands met your body.

Your back arched into her touch, “please…” you whimpered.

“Already begging…?” Lesso purred, “Good. That means I won’t have to teach you manners, isn’t that right?”

“Yes mommy…” you whimpered, head rolling back slightly as Lesso had started rolling and pinching your nipple with her fingers.

“Oh would you look at that, she even knows who she belongs to…” Lesso purred, finally crashing her lips into yours.

You moaned and bucked your hips into the red head at her dominating the kiss.

Lesso used this as opportunity to fall onto your bed, successfully pining you below her.

She moved away from your lips earning a whimper from your lips.

“Oh hush...” Lesso teased, before attaching her lips onto your other nipple.

You back arched yet again to her touch, whimpers and whines escaping your lips at Lesso’s teasing.

“Please… please mommy need you…” you pled to the red head, attaching one hand to her luscious red locks and the other gripped the bed sheets.

“Need me? What do you need from mommy? Use your words…” Lesso purred.

“Want you to… to fuck me please mommy…!” You mewled, grinding yourself against Lesso’s clothed heat.

Lesso hummed in delight as she slipped a finger into your soaked cunt.

She began thrusting her finger into your hole, eliciting a wave of moans and cries of pleasure from your lips.

You continued to jerk your hips up to meet the pace in which Lesso was fucking you.

“More… More please mommy need more…!” You mewled breathlessly.

Lesso chuckled at your desperation, slipping a second finger into your aching heat.

“Fuuuuck yessss…” you hissed as her fingers stretched you out.

Lesso began expertly curling her fingers inside you, making you see fucking stars and scream bloody murder.

You were approaching your climax, and Lesso knew it.

She added a final third finger and went even deeper into your throbbing cunt, you screamed in pleasure as she stretched you out even more…

“Oh Fuck Mommy ‘Mmm gonna cum…!!” you cried out.

“Cum on Mommy’s fingers, good girl…” Lesso purred, drinking in the sight of you with her lust-filled, dark eyes.

“Fuuuuck Mommyyyy!!!” You screamed as your walls clenched around Lesso’s fingers and your orgasm crashed into you.

Lesso helped you down from your earth shattering high and carefully removed her fingers before ghosting her lips over the shell of your ear,

“If that’s how you sound with my fingers inside that pretty cunt of yours…”

You gulped.

“I wonder what sounds you’ll make on mommy’s dick…”

#lady leonora lesso x reader #lady lesso smut #lady leonora #lady leonora lesso smut #professor lesso #professor lesso smut #lesso smut #leonora lesso smut #lady lesso #lady leonora lesso #lesso x reader #leonora lesso x female reader #leonora lesso #leonora lesso x reader #lady lesso x reader #professor lesso x reader #dean of evil x reader #dean of evil smut #dean of evil #school for good and evil fanfic #school for good and evil smut #school for good and evil x reader #the school for good and evil smut #the school for good and evil #school for good and evil #charlize theron #charlize theron x reader #charlize theron character #mommy? sorry. mommy? sorry. mommy? #mommy k!nk

[ronwestbreeze]

TO YOU , WORLDS AWAY : PART ONE : CHAPTER FIVE

pairing: jake sully x human!fem!reader

summary: in which you and grace make your return to hometree

warnings: none!

word count: 2.6k

author's note: another chapter! yay!

AO3 | prev | next

It wasn’t until Norm started setting up your link bed did you realize what was happening.

Grace was shrugging off her lab coat and Jake was already linked up by the time you entered. A part of you was relieved. You didn’t have to talk to him yet. You weren’t really sure yet what to think of what happened between you two the other night. So right now, not talking to him first thing in the morning was probably the best idea. Especially, when you were already so discombobulated about what you were about to do.

“Are you sure you want me there?” You asked, standing awkwardly next to your link bed. “The kids probably remember you the most anyway—I was just your assistant after all.”

“I could take her place.” Norm tried suggesting even though you all knew the answer to his request.

Grace hoisted herself onto her link bed, “Mo’at wouldn’t have asked for both of us if she thought those kids were only impacted by me, Tinkers.”

“Yeah, but—”

“You’re too humble, kiddo. Those kids loved you then and they will love you now.” Grace gave you a meaningful look before saying slowly, “But if you don’t think you’re ready, I understand. I won’t force you.”

For a moment, you really considered saying no. For a moment, the word was already at the tip of your tongue.

But you stopped yourself. You stopped because you knew he’d win. You knew this fear would keep you from being in a place you loved. All this time, all you ever did was hide.

You had made a promise to yourself. And Project Pandora was an indication of said promise. This would be a part of it too.

After a short pause, you shrugged off your flannel jacket, “Norm, I’m going in.”

Said man looked surprised as you hopped into your link bed while Grace grinned.

Minutes later, Norm appeared next to your bed after setting up Grace’s, “How long has it been since you’ve been in one of these?”

You sighed. There he goes with the questions. “Two years.” You lied down, heart practically hammering within your chest. “I almost feel like I’m a newbie all over again.”

Norm chuckled, “I’m sure you’ll be fine. Probably better at it than me—actually come to think of it, how long have you been on Pandora?”

“Um, since I was sixteen… So four years now?”

He looked surprised, “Huh, I didn’t know they allowed teenagers to travel to Pandora.”

“Quaritch was my legal guardian at the time. Where he went I went.” You glanced at the computer next to your bed, wanting your conversation to be over. “Is it ready?”

Norm nodded and began closing your lid. Not without saying, “Welcome back, Doc.”

And then there was darkness.

Two years passing had made you forget what it felt like to be home.

Even though you had been in your avatar before, it all felt so new again. A thrilling feeling of being free from your human body and being in something new. A fresh start.

The world was a lot brighter now because of it. You could breathe in the air without needing a mask. You didn’t have to look up at other Na’vi people just because you were several inches shorter than them.

When you first woke up in your avatar, you were surprised to find that you were under a log bridge, it was large enough to hide your body so that no one would stumble upon it and accidently mistake it for a dead Na’vi. Well, then again, a Na’vi would be able to tell that it wasn’t one of their own because of your five fingers instead of four and the clothes you left on the body.

It almost felt like you had risen from a grave. Quite a bit morbid if you thought about it.

In a tree nearby, if you remembered correctly, your handmade spear was still there where you left it. Tsu’tey had taught you to carve it yourself and since then you’ve kept it ever since, despite not being in your avatar body for a long while. You made sure to keep it well hidden so that no animals or other Na’vi would take it.

When you found it, it was a bit splintery but still well intact. Could use a bit more carving, you were sure Tsu’tey would say the same if he saw it. Might even force you to make a new one.

A smile tugged at your lips.

“Hey, Tinkers!” You look up to find Grace’s avatar jogging toward you with a large grin on her lips. “Long time no see.”

You grin, “I’ve always been here you know. It’s not like you haven’t seen me.”

Grace smiled at you and gestured toward your avatars, “Not like this. It’s been too long.” She then gestured toward the opposite direction, “Come on, the village’s this way.”

You had forgotten what it felt like running in your avatar form. You were a lot faster than you would be in your human form, your long legs stretching forward as you went. Plus, without the mask, there was no fog covering the glass around your face, temporarily blurring your vision with how much breathing you were doing with it on.

Instead your face was barren and the breath felt amazing against your new skin.

During the time when the school was open, you had only been to the Omatikaya village only once. And that one time was when Sylwanin begged you to come and hunt with her and Tsu’tey, his original betrothal before it fell to her younger sister. You didn’t know how to hunt at the time so Tsu’tey, begrudgingly, decided to teach you the basics so at least you’d be able to keep up with them. Really, if it were up to him back then, you probably wouldn’t have been invited.

But he would’ve done anything to please Sylwanin. And that included playing nice with her new friend which happened to be you. Even reluctantly learn the handshake you taught them. Tapping your hearts three times. Three hearts. One beat. 

Now it was: Two hearts. One beat.

“Sa’nok! Sa’nok!” Was the first thing you heard upon entering the Omatikaya village. It was the same as you remembered it. Hometree stood tall and proud in the sky, blue dots of Na’vi jumping about in the high branches. You didn’t really expect to see children so soon, but then again it made sense considering around this time they would either be training or following the adult Na’vi around.

Seeing them run toward Grace and you made your heart elated immediately. Some of them you recognized having known them since they were little, now they were taller and almost reached your shoulders. They surrounded the two of you excitedly.

“Look at you all.” Grace smiled as she kneeled down to be at their level. “You’ve grown so much!”

“Sa’nok, look what I made!” One of the children said excitedly, holding up a handmade knife. Seeing Grace smiling and happy with the children surrounding her felt so right. It felt like there had been a missing piece to a puzzle that you could not solve for the longest time. And now, watching Grace be happy as if they were back at the school again, you believed that void had slowly begun to fill itself back up. All the nerves you had felt before were slipping away when some of the kids approached you.

There was a small tug at the hem of your shirt. You looked down to find one girl looking up at you curiously, “Tsmuke, do you remember me? My name is Osa, you gave me a doll. It was—how do Sky People call it? Sheep?”

Your heart melted as you knelt down in front of her, “Osa? Yes, I do remember you! You’re such a big girl now!”

“I know how to shoot an arrow now! Do you want to see?” Osa grinned excitedly, grabbing your hand.

You grinned, “Sure, I would love to see.”

“Let me go get my bow!”

Osa ran off and a few other children took her place. They asked the both of you and Grace where you had been and why they hadn’t seen you in a while. Grace explained it to them the best way she could until Osa came back seconds later with her bow and arrows.

She tugged at your hand, “Come on, come on! Let’s go!”

You allowed the girl to drag you off, followed by a few more kids. You all didn’t wander too far from the village, especially when one of the adult Na’vi said to stay in view so they could watch them. Or rather watch you closely. You didn’t mind it really nor did you blame them. Right now you were just thankful to even be allowed back into the village.

There was a small pond of fish that you all arrived at. Osa readied her bow and arrow, rambling on about how her father taught her to aim and load the arrow. You listened closely and knelt down next to her as she began to aim her arrow at the pond.

“Don’t miss this time, Osa!” One of the older boys, Maw’i, teased.

“Yeah or you’ll scare the food away!” Another boy said.

You hushed them, sending them a stern look, “If you keep at that, you’ll distract her. Then she’ll actually miss and scare them away. We wouldn’t want that would we?”

“No, tsmuke.” They both say with small pouts.

Osa nudged you to gain your attention again. You nod to her, giving her the go ahead. Osa aimed her arrow and waited a few seconds, then she let go of the arrow and missed.

There were snickers behind you, “Ssh!” You say to them before turning back to Osa. “It’s okay, just try again. Those fish can be really fast.”

Osa nodded and retrieved her arrow. She aimed at the pond again. You motioned for the older kids to be quiet and gently patted Osa’s arm, silently encouraging her.

After a few more seconds of her pausing, she let the arrow go. And this time it hit one of the fishes.

“Well done, Osa!” You cheered, clapping your hands happily. When you stood, she hugged your waist tightly and you patted her head. “Go one and get your fish, okay? Then we can head back to the village and show the others.”

Osa nodded and skipped toward the pond to retrieve the fish and her arrow. Just as you gathered up the children, especially the older ones that got distracted by playing amongst each other, all of you started your way back to the village.

“Tsmuke!”

At first, you thought it was more kids coming your way but when you glanced over your shoulder, you instead saw Tsu’tey on a direhorse riding toward you. Osa hugged your leg as he stopped in front of you, brows raised curiously at you being surrounded by children.

“Tsamsiyu!” You nod with a grin.

Tsu’tey got off his direhorse, sizing you up and down as he walked paced around you. “I did not expect to see you here or in this form of yours ever again.” He tapped his heart twice.

“Don’t even think about it, Tsu’tey.” You said, doing the same with your heart. You already knew what he was thinking with the way he was examining your physique and spear that was strapped over your shoulder. “I’m not even ready! It’s been years, it wouldn’t be a fair fight!”

“Are you challenging her again?” Maw’i questioned. He was one of the kids you remembered taking care of when the school was open. And there was no doubt that he remembered you and Tsu’tey’s earlier relationship. Had to since the boy practically followed you around when he was younger, especially when Tsu’tey stopped by the school.

“Huh? What of it, little man?” Tsu’tey smirked before looking at you challengingly. “Sounds to me like you’re scared, dreamwalker.”

You rolled your eyes and playfully shoved him away, “That’s enough strong warrior. You know I can’t beat you.”

Tsu’tey smirked but backed off. He fell into step with you as you and the children walked back to the village. As you got closer to the village you saw that Grace was deep in conversation with a few Na’vi women, children still clinging to her as much as they clung to you.

“When are you going to try and become Omatikaya?” Tsu’tey asked you, eyes watching Grace curiously. “Like your demon friend.”

You tried not to snort at the latter bit. Really, you were surprised at his question. It was the last thing you expected from him considering he was so against the Sky People invading his home. But it was sweet in a way. But also the question dampened your smile, just a bit.

“No matter what I do, I do not think I will really belong here.” You say truthfully as some of the kids at your side rushed over toward Grace. “And that is something I’ve come to terms with a long time ago.”

“Hmph.” Was all he said.

You scoffed, “Really? That’s it? No words of comfort?”

Tsu’tey rolled his eyes but patted your head. It was the only comfort he knew how to give. He did it when the two of you were younger as well. Seems like things hadn’t changed that much.

He looked past you and his eyes suddenly narrowed, “Your demon friend is here.”

It was kind of pathetically hilarious at how quickly you turned toward the direction Tsu’tey was looking.

Next to Neytiri was, who you assumed, was Jake in his avatar form. This was the first time you’ve seen it and you were pleasantly surprised at how similar his face was compared to human form. The only difference now was that he was blue and standing instead of being in a wheelchair.

You heard Tsu’tey grumble next to you as Jake’s eyes met yours.

It wasn’t until you saw Jake’s stunned face did you realize that he hasn’t seen your avatar before now. You realized Tsu’tey had left your side, especially when Jake approached you with Neytiri trailing behind.

“Oel ngati kameie.” You nod to Neytiri.

A look of recognition crosses her face as she was sizing you up. After a pause, she nodded in return, “Oel ngati kameie, tsmuke.”

Jake was still looking at you in slight awe, Neytiri noticed this and rolled her eyes. She smacked your arm and mumbled, “He’s still big baby.”

You giggled as Neytiri walked away. Jake looked at you in confusion, glancing from Neytiri to you, “What? What did she say about me?”

“You still have a lot to learn, Puppet.” You patted his arm but then frowned when you noticed small cuts on his chest and the side of his head. “Really? Not even a few hours here and you’ve already bled?”

He caught your hand when you went to check one of the cuts on his chest, “I’m fine, Doc.” He smirked, hand still grasped around your wrist. It grew when you tried hiding your flustered state. “Neytiri’s just throwing me around a bit.”

“Sounds kinky.” You quipped, playfully shoving him away until he let you go.

“Funny, I said the same thing and got a bow smacked in my face.”

“You probably deserved it.”

Jake grasped both of your arms and started pulling you in a random direction, “Come on, I wanna show you something.”

You frown but let him pull you along, “Shouldn’t you be training?”

“Not when the teacher is distracted.” Jake grinned back at you. “Come on before she catches us.”

The mischief in his eyes wasn’t missed by you as he continued dragging you through the forest.

You were definitely going to regret this somehow.

taglist: @luvvfromme @sully-stick-together @dazedshoon @jakesullylvr @s-u-t @ssc7514 @cheari@tojigirl @nyotamalfoy @perfectprofessorloverapricot @erenjaegerwifee @naityelen @dumb-fawkin-bitch @raggedyoldwitch

#to you worlds away #avatar way of water #avatar jake sully x reader #avatar jake #avatar jake sully #jake sully #jake sully x reader #avatar the way of water #black!reader #sam worthington #tsu'tey

[ofstoriesandstardust]

what was i made for?

note: i wrote this piece after seeing the Barbie movie in july and got so enraged by what happened at the golden globes that i just had to finish this. i don't know if anyone will read this but i just wanted to post it. Rebel is my most special girl. (@cottagecori unknowingly came up the ending to this fic)

same mistakes

word count: 1.5k

You squeeze Liam’s shoulder, passing him the ticket. “And what do you say if anyone asks why you’re in there without an adult?” 

“Your stomach was bothering you, so you went to the bathroom.” 

“And?” 

“Then I text you to come back to the theater.” 

“Correct. And?”

“Um…” 

“Not a word of this to your dads, do you understand me?” 

He nods eagerly. 

You hum, letting him go. “Have fun, kid.” 

Liam’s grin is wide as he bounds into the theater across the hall as you sigh. 

Liam had only been with Jake and Javy for about four months now, and already knew exactly how to play you to get what he wanted. 

You weren’t exactly sure who had put their foot down about Liam seeing Oppenheimer, but regardless, Liam’s dads had said no, leaving the boy disappointed. Apparently, his best friend Carter had an older sister who had snuck their whole friend group into Oppenheimer the week before while Liam had been in Savannah with his dads. 

So, when you had suggested seeing a movie today to keep Liam occupied, he’d had a look on his face you just knew you wouldn’t be able to say no to. 

You turn, walking into the theater with your popcorn, sitting down in your chair. 

You glance around the theater as the previews roll, the costumes and bright pink of the people in the room standing out as you snack. 

You’re a little underdressed, it seems. 

-

“The Barbie movie did more for me in two hours than two years of therapy.”

April’s words played in your head as you watched the movie, seemingly doubtful this movie could needle you so much. 

You doubted you’d even cry.

-

Take my hands, close your eyes, now feel. 

The first tear startled you as it slide down your face, not even realizing it was going to happen until your throat closed in on you. 

You got up from the theater as the tears came in succession, warm against your face as you pushed out the doors, out past the concessions stand and into the fresh air of Grossmont Shopping Center, sitting down next to the fountain across from the Cold Stone. 

A little boy stared at you as you broke down in tears, not even really sure why you were crying. 

April had gotten it all right when she said that the movie dually captured the reality of what it was like to be a woman while also the beauty of it too - and you hadn’t anticipated it cutting so deep. 

It was so hard to sit there and watch that montage, to feel the love that emanated from those clips. The way America Ferrieria looked at her character’s daughter with so much love it made your chest physically ache. 

It wasn’t often your Mom’s absence popped up like this, when you had wished so badly to know what it was like to experience a mother’s love. 

Your Dad’s love was enough for you and that was all that mattered to you. 

But sometimes you craved having someone to teach you how to do your make-up, someone to gossip with over a glass of wine, someone to guide you when you didn’t know where else to go. 

The closest you’d ever gotten to a strong maternal figure was Carole, and she was long gone by now. 

God, all you wanted right now was to say to give her one last hug. 

To say thank you for all the unconditional love she had offered you so freely when it came at a cost from everyone else. 

-

Bradley snickers as he rolls over in bed. “Now that it’s just the two of us: did you sneak Liam into Oppenheimer today? Your secret’s safe with me.” 

You glance up at him from where you’re looking at the photo album. “What?” 

He pauses, clearly seeing something on your face as he begins to frown. “Everything okay? You’ve been kind of quiet this evening.” 

You shrug, looking down at the photo album in your hands. He moves, shifting to sit next to you. 

“I miss her.” You say quietly. “I miss her so much B.” You say with a shake of your head, as you feel your throat close up again. “God, I- I wish so badly she was here to tell me what I’m supposed to do now, to help me figure out who I’m supposed to be.” You snap the album shut, sliding it away from you as you tilt your head back, trying to blink away the tears. “God- and I’m- I’m always fucking crying and I never ever mean to and I-” 

Bradley’s hand glides up your thigh to sit on your waist, tugging you towards him. “Honey, what- where is this even- what are you talking about?” 

You sniff, wiping at your eyes with the back of your hand. “I went to go see the Barbie movie today while Liam saw Oppenheimer – don’t give me that look, he was not hiding it well at all – and it just made me- it just made me miss your Mom.” You admit quietly. 

Bradley’s next breath is heavy and shaky as he tightens his grip on you. “I miss her too, you know. Every day.” 

“I wish she was here to tell me what to do now that I don’t know who I am.” The words come out soft as you shrug, looking down at where your fingers intertwine with Bradley’s. “Your Mom - she always had the best advice. And she always knew just what to do next, even when I never saw a way forward. She was so kind- and- and witty and clever. And I- I don’t feel like I am even half of that.” 

“Baby-” 

“And I thought I had my whole life and my identity. I was a Navy pilot, following in the footsteps of the people who raised her and I thought I knew who I was supposed to be and what I was meant to do and even if I wasn’t happy, it was- I don’t know- I’m just- I’m so lost Bradley.” Another tear trickles down your face. “I thought I was Rebel but maybe I’m not her anymore. But without her, I don’t know if I know who I am.” 

It’s silent for a minute, the tears drying out on your face as Bradley sits there with you. 

“I will never be as good as my Mom.” Bradley whispers. “Probably- never half of what she was. But I- I know what she would say if she were here.” 

“Yeah?” You sniffle. 

“You are the most incredible woman I have ever known. You may not see it, but Rebel is only a small part of you. You are the most badass, confident, funny, caring, intelligent woman I've ever known. You are selfless and you care so deeply about all of your friends that they become your family. What you do for work - that isn’t who you are. You’re so much more than that.” 

“But she was who I was for so long - can I ever be anything more?”

“You already are.” He whispers. The tears start again as he looks at you with an almost proud smile. “I’ve been meaning to bring it up to you for a while, thinking about what you might like to do next. You know, one of the reasons I fell in love with you was because of how much you care for others. And I know- I know what the Navy did to you is never going to go away and I am glad you left it behind, especially because those things- they’re ingrained into the culture of that place. But what if- what if there was a way for you to help others? You always say how there wasn’t anybody to help you, but what if you were there to help the girls still in it?”

-

“I’m literally a Ken doll and you didn't even ask me to match with you!” 

Liam’s hiding his giggles behind his fist as Jake stares in horror at Javy’s Halloween costume. 

“Jake-” You say, unable to stop the giggle that escaped at your friend’s reaction to the Halloween costumes you and Javy had picked out after seeing the Barbie movie together back in August. 

The blond turns on you. “I am literally Ryan Gosling Ken and yet you guys are going as Ncuti Ken and Emma Barbie?!” 

“Don’t even bother, Bagman. I already tried and she said that if I dared to bleach my hair like Ryan’s, she’d divorce me.” Bradley pauses next to Jake. “And I kind of think she’s serious. I’m not sure. I’m not in the business of, what did Liam call it? Fucking around and finding out? So couple costumes are out.” 

You give a playful half-shrug. “I mean, the two of you could go as your own pair of Kens. It doesn’t have to be Barbie and Ken. It can just be- the Kens.”

“Bob can be Alan.” Javy supplies, nudging you. “We could do a whole group costume. You can still be Kenough, Jake.” 

Bradley lets out a barking laugh that he ends up coughing down at the glare Jake sends his way. Liam ambles over to you, clinging on to the side of your arm. “I’m sensing a this is my mojo dojo casa house! moment is about to come out.”

#bradley rooster bradshaw #bradley rooster bradshaw x reader #top gun: maverick #same mistakes

[fastandtheformula1]

Ummmmm well, maybe this time will be angst. Y/n can't take any more of the hate that Ollie's fans give her. They always say that Y/n is jinxing Ollie bcs he has been getting bad race results lately. There was even someone who said it directly in front of her face when she came to watch Ollie's race at Monza and Ollie also accidentally heard it and maybe started to get a little angry and protective bcs Y/n doesn't deserve any kind of hatred at all.

Then she finally decided to ask Ollie to break up bcs she started to believe that she is bringing bad luck to Ollie and she doesn't want that to happen to him as she knows how passionate Ollie about racing. But of course that's impossible to happen.

Ollie had already fallen too deep for Y/n. Y/n was his childhood friend who knew almost everything about him, she's so lowkey which makes him love her even more, the one who cheered him since he went karting, the one who always understood him, who always believed in him no matter what. She was everything to Ollie and mean more than racing or championship.

Maybe you can make him a little desperate (Idk why but I'd like to see him crying😭dramatic ass) when Y/n asks him for a break up like he was probably once having a thought about how his life without racing but never imagined his life without Y/n. And maybe he's lil furious that Y/n believed in those nonsenses and even now thinking of leaving him. And the rest are yours, Queen🧚🏼‍♀️

Some proooompts:

— "I just don't love you anymore."

"What?" .... "Look me in the eyes and say you don't love me anymore."

— "You need to focus on racing, not me."

— "I need you more than a fucking championship! I will call Rene right now and tell him that I quit."

— "You don't understand, you are performing less because of m-"

"No. You are the one who don't understand. Don't you dare to say you are the cause of my bad performances."

Ollie Bearman- Choices

a/n: OH MY GOD I LOVE THIS PROMPT  ANON!!!!! I made ollie such a simp for y/n oh my lord… anyway this is somewhat of a continuation of this post… also i kinda got lazy at the end my bad 

pairing: oliver bearman x childhoodfriend!reader

summary: you and ollie have a talk about your relationship that leads your relationship downhill. 

warnings: cursing, tears, stressed y/n and stressed ollie 

word count: 1,781

not my gif!

~

“Hey, can we talk?” You both knew you needed to have this conversation, but both of you avoided it like the plague. 

When you accidentally went public with Ollie, everyone liked you. They thought you were a little on the quiet side but still sweet, and thought you and Ollie were a good match. You appeared in some of Ollie’s streams, adding funny commentary here and there and just hanging out with him. For the past year or so though, you’ve been getting more hateful comments and people have been ruder towards you.

You were never one to back down and stop what you were doing because someone was hating on you. You weren’t raised that way. If you were passionate about something, you did it all the way, not letting anything stop you. This time though, it was getting harder to ignore the bad stuff. People were constantly finding things to nitpick you for, saying how you “loved” Ollie and how you were just in it for the exposure and benefits, which was absolutely not the case. Though you expected interviewers asking about your private life, you never thought it would be this intrusive. Ollie had noticed the more hateful comments were getting to you and even put out a statement, but nothing worked. He’d been too busy racing and traveling to alleviate some of the anxiety you were feeling, so you thought this to be the best option:

Ending your relationship. 

“Um, sure.” He said, hesitantly. The outcome of this conversation was not one he’d like. He couldn’t risk losing you. You were the one person that truly understood everything he did. He truly fell harder for you than you could ever possibly fathom, and even he himself couldn’t explain into words how special you were to him. 

“I think we need to take a break.” The words came out slow and shaky, fear crawling its way through your words. 

“W- what?”

“I just, I- I don’t have feelings for you anymore.” You cringed to yourself. You were completely lying to his face. And he could see it. 

“Bullshit. Is this about what that article said the other day? I swear to God, I’ll find whoever wrote it and-”

“Ollie, stop.” Your voice was stern, scaring him a little bit. 

It was about the article, but you didn’t want to cause any drama or bad press around him, having the media calling him a hothead and other terrible names they could come up with. So you opted to tell him that you didn’t love him anymore. That you “lost feelings” when you felt the complete opposite. You wanted nothing less than waking up next to him and his unruly hair, softly waking him up as you combed through his curls.

Which was exactly how Ollie was feeling, too. He never understood how much your daily checkups and silent support really meant to him, you asking him if he was alright when he was at his darkest, and being there for him during the height of his career. You were always there, a constant in his ever changing life. 

“Don’t make this harder than it already is. Please. I just don’t love you anymore.” You fidgeted with your hands as you went to find your phone. You wanted this conversation to be cut and dry, but it wouldn’t turn out that way. He rushed in front of you and lifted your chin with his finger. You kept your gaze anywhere else but him. 

“Look me in the eyes and say that again.”

The room was quiet, so tense that you could hear both of your shallow breaths. His eyes never left yours as you contemplated your answer. 

“Ollie, your fans hate me. So does your team. It seems like you’re the only one that doesn’t.” You remembered one conversation where some woman came up to you and told it to your face.

“Hi. You’re Y/N, Ollie’s girlfriend, right?” Some lady asked when you were watching a few drivers qualify on the TV screens in Ollie’s garage. “I am, yeah.” “Let’s hope you leave before he starts qualifying.” She laughed lightly.  “Excuse me?” “You’ve seen his quali position versus his starting one when you’re here, right? Oliver’s place always goes down a few positions.” “Oh, well I don’t-”  “I think then I’m the problem, ma’am. My girlfriend’s not the one driving the car.” Ollie came up from behind you, putting his arm around you.  “Oh well. My apologies, then. Have a good one, Ollie.” The woman turned around and walked away. “The hell was that about?” “Dunno. She just came up to me and started talking.” “If someone else says something like that to you, tell me and I’ll-” “Ollie. Just focus on racing right now, okay?”

He threw his hands in the air. “Love, what are you-”

“Think about it. Ever since we got together, you’ve had bad race results. Your car’s been breaking down more often. For fuck’s sake, you almost died, Ollie! When we were just friends that never happened! And now,” You took a breath. “I’m just a distraction, okay? I-”

“How dare you fucking say that. You are not the cause of my bad performances, Y/N! I am!” 

Tears started to form in his eyes. How could you say that about yourself? How could you ever think that? Not for a second did he think you were a distraction. All you ever did for him was make sure he was at his best. Sure, he was getting bad results recently, but you certainly weren’t the cause of it. Hell, you were keeping him focused on not crashing if anything.

“You need to focus on your championship and I need to focus on school.” You shoved past him, grabbing your keys from the counter. 

“That’s what you’re worried about? A fucking championship, Y/N?!” 

“Ollie, that’s your dream! You’ve wanted that since you were a kid! Why are you letting me get in the way of it?” 

“I need you more than I want that stupid championship.”

Shaky breaths erupted from both of you. You knew he was right. He had told you that his priorities had changed. Then it hit you. Was that the reason he was performing so badly at races? Was he racing badly so he’d lose his contract and he’d finally be able to spend time with you? 

After a few minutes you decided to leave. There was no way in hell that you were going to be the reason he lost his contract. Walking towards the door, you mentally checked if you had everything to stay the night elsewhere. 

Ollie caught onto you, following after you. “No. No. Don’t leave. Please.” He grabbed onto your wrist, his eyes pleading you to stay. You’d never left after a fight, always wanting to work it out before you guys went to do something else. This time though, you felt like you had to.

“Just trust me, okay? I’ll be back.” Honestly, you weren’t sure if you were going to. You turned around, reaching for the doorknob, but Ollie was quick enough to slide in front of it.

“I will… I will call Rene right now and tell him that I quit, okay?” He pulled out his phone, hands shaking, and started to search for Rene’s number. “Just don’t…please stay.” Desperation was clear in his voice. As he found it, you scooted past him and slipped out the front door, speed-walking to your car. 

“Baby, no. Please. Where are you going?” You heard him shout as you got into your car. You had left and he was unsure, for the first time, that you might not come back.

~

4 missed calls from ollie 🐻 💗

2 voicemails from ollie🐻 💗

Hi Y/N. Look, I need to… Just, just please call me back please. I want to work this out, okay? I love you. 

Babe, please call me back. I’m getting worried. Just let me know you’re okay. Please. I love you. 

You shut off your phone and sighed, laying back down on the bed, groaning. 

“Still haven’t told him where you are?” Arthur’s voice made you jump, reminding you that you weren’t alone. 

You shook your head. “No.” Arthur laid down next to you on your -his- bed. You had crashed at his house for the night, telling him what happened through broken sobs and tears.

“I know you don’t want to hear this right now, but I think you should tell Ollie where you are. Or just text him. The guy’s been worried sick, Y/N. He can’t sleep, eat. Even Jak can’t get him out of bed,” Arthur said.

Fuck, you thought. 

~

You unlocked you and Ollie’s door for the first time in what felt like months. As you shut the door close, your eyes met Ollie’s brown ones. He was standing a few feet away from the door, his eyes wide open as he tried to figure out if you were actually standing in front of him. Tension in the room was off the charts. 

Arthur was right, he looked terrible. Nothing in the apartment had changed since you left, with the exception of a few blankets strewn around the floor. Ollie rushed towards you, dropping whatever he was holding, it clattering to the floor as his arms snaked around your waist tightly. He was afraid if he let go of you a second time, you wouldn’t come back for certain. You felt his entire body relax against yours, as yours did the same. He burrowed his head into your neck, softly placing kisses on your skin. 

“You came back.” His voice was deep and relieved. 

“Momentarily.”

“What?”

“I’m gonna move out, Ollie.”

“What? No, you- you can’t.”

You got out of his grasp and hurried towards your room, and started to pack your things through your blurred vision. 

“What’re you doing? Just stop.” He started to unpack the things you started to.

“This isn’t your decision to make, Ollie. Okay?!” 

The room went quiet, the silence so deafening you swore you were alone. You pinched the bridge of your nose; you knew he didn’t deserve this. He was the one you always saw yourself with in the end. What happened? 

Ollie walked over to you; he towered over you like he always did. “You’re really going then?” 

You nodded. “I’ll have Arthur pick up the rest of my stuff.” You scratched the back of your neck. You didn’t know what else to say. You saw a tear drip to the floor as he nodded. 

You picked up your stuff and led yourself out, Ollie following closely behind. 

“Goodbye, Y/N.”

“Bye, Ollie.”

#ollie bearman #formula 2 #f2 #oliverbearman #arthurleclerc #ferarri #ferrari academy #8

[sparklytravelmoviepersona]

Strange love part 1

Warnings: Mentions of kidnapping

It had been almost 10 years since you got a life in New York. But things have been hard. You tried your best to at least make friends with anyone, but you just feel like a complete stranger or weirdo. One night, you decided to go clear your head. Take a look and observe how people were doing with their lives. Went to a park but still felt left out. Picked out a book from a local library and started reading it. Watching the clouds was a fun thing to do too. But things weren’t just the same being alone all the time. Now your walking around town from Central Park to midtown Manhattan. You kept walking every street in the city to find someone to hang around with. That is… until you see a new girl sitting on a bench.

“Um… hello.”

The girl gets startled by your words

“Woah, sorry! Didn’t mean to scare you. You okay?”

“Uh… yeah, i’m fine. You wanna sit down?”

“Uh… sure.”

You both started talking and asking questions about things you knew and things she knew or liked. It was kind of nice to have some things in common.

“You new here? Cause I don’t think i’ve ever seen you here before.”

“Yeah. Just trying to find some people to hang out with. I haven’t been able to do that in, like 10 years now.”

The girl was surprised to hear that.

“Well if you like, you already got one friend.”

The girl hands you a piece of paper and a number. You got her number.

“There’s my number. If you wanna call or text me and we can hang out some time.”

“Wow. Thank you.”

And she walks away.

“Hey wait! I never got your name.”

“Oh! Oh yeah, I forgot about that. I’m April. April O’Neil.”

“I’m y/n.”

And you both smiled at each other and walked separate ways.

You get dressed and get ready to go meet april again. You walk down the street but it was kind of during the night time. Probably at 8:30 pm or something. But suddenly, you stopped and heard noises coming from behind you. You turn around and no one was even there. You continue to walk away a bit more, but the noises kept coming. You turn around and still nothing was there. And you started running as fast as your legs could take you. You continued to run away from the strange sounds that were coming for you but they kept on taunting you. And then mysterious fog comes out of nowhere and it made you black out and you dropped into someone’s arms and they carried you into a van. You began to open your eyes a little bit and you see a blurry version of april seeing that you had been kidnapped.

It had been almost about 4 to 7 hours since you were passed out. You find yourself in an old warehouse with a bunch of huge containers. And you hear a raspy voice coming your way and see a two guys and a lot of strange looking soldiers.

“Well, well, well. Look at what we got here.”

The strange general was coming towards you but you were afraid to even say anything. But you immediately got upset and asked a question as if you were insulted by something.

“What the heck is going on?! Who brought me here?!”

“Everyone stepped back as if they were afraid of you.

“It spoke.”

“Answer the question!”

“Easy, easy. We’ll let you go, alright. If you answer mine first.”

“What do you want?”

“How do you know that girl?”

You looked at him confused as if you were talking to your own reflection.

“I won’t tell you anything about her. You can do whatever you want but i’ll never talk.”

“Oh really?”

Then the bigger one came closer to you, picked you up and tossed you around the place. You back away scared and they hold a weapon in their hands ready to attack.

“Somebody please help me.”

Then a soldier came falling down on the ground and everyone looked confused as you did.

“Oooooooh. That had to hurt.”

“Tell that to them.”

The foot soldier said. And you all looked up.

“Huh?”

You see 4 or 5 figures coming down the roof and into the warehouse, staring right back at you.

“Hey, what the…”

Every soldier of those guys was getting beaten by the figures and one of them came to you and you started to see a familiar face.

“April?”

“Yeah, i know this is what it looks like, but i’m gonna explain everything once we get you outta here.”

“Hey, watch out!”

Then the general came running towards you and suddenly, you were saved by what looked like a turtle man in a blue mask.

Then soon after, they grab you and get out of there.

“Okay, i just haven’t told you everything about me. The truth is, I have friends who are mutants and they never hurt me. This is raph, donnie, mikey, and leo. Oh, and this is casey. I actually have a lot of other friends.”

“They saved my life.”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t we?”

“I-i just can’t believe you would do that for a human.”

“Oh come on. Human, mutant, turtles. What’s the difference?”

You started at them mesmerized by what mikey said.

“Huh. I never thought of it that way.”

“Well now you know.”

“Hey guys, i hate to break up the moment, but we gotta get back before pops wonders where we are .”

They all jumped up and down ninja style. Expect for leo, who turned back and smiled at you.

“Believe it or not, i’m glad we got to meet you in person.”

You look at him shocked

“She’s told you about me?”

And then he gave you a smirk

“I’ll see you around again sometime?”

And he portals himself away, leaving you in your apartment bedroom, staring outside the window and still thinking about what mikey said and then you lied in bed still thinking about Leo. There was just something about him that made you feel better and safe.

#rottmnt leo x reader #rottmnt #rottmnt x reader #fanfiction

[ejzah]

A/N: Hey everyone, I’m working on a couple longer stories right now, but they’re not quite together at the moment. So, here’s a little Deeks family fic instead.

***

The Story of Love

“How did you and Marty meet?” Rosa asked, one Saturday, as they worked in the garden together. Deeks was just out of earshot, hoeing a new patch of dirt.

“Uh, we met during a case,” Kensi answered. “Why?”

“I just wondered.” Rosa shrugged, gently patting dirt around a baby pepper plant. “My mother and father met at school when they were children. They always told how they were friends all those years and then started dating once they had graduated. Papá took my mother to a dance the day he proposed. For as long as I remember, he always took her dancing on their anniversary.”

Kensi pressed her lips together, touched by Rosa’s story, but also saddened that now it was merely a memory.

“It sounds like they loved each other very much,” Kensi observed, watching Rosa carefully.

She nodded, running a few pieces of dirt through her fingers. “They did.”

Raising arm in the air, Kensi waved until she got Deeks’ attention, and gestured for him to come over. He set the hoe to the side, using the bottom of his shirt to wipe his weary forehead as he wandered over.

“What’s up? Is it time for lunch? Because I could totally go some sushi right now.”

“No, Rosa wants to know how we met,” Kensi told him.

“And how you started dating,” Rosa added.

“Oh, well, that is a very interesting,” he paused to grimace as he took a seat next to Kensi. “That is an interesting, and long, story. Kensi and I met when I was still with LAPD. I was undercover at this MMA gym when Kensi came in posing as a victim’s girlfriend. She thought I was a criminal, but she liked me anyway.”

“That is so not true,” Kensi protested. She lightly smacked Deeks’ shoulder. “I thought there was something super sketchy about you. And I was right, thank you very much.”

“She couldn’t keep her eyes off me,” Deeks continued in an undertone to Rosa, who giggled.

“Uh-huh, this from the guy who took every opportunity he could to pretend we were a couple during cases.”

“Hey, I fully admit that I had a thing for you pretty soon after we were partnered together.

“Not that you said anything,” Kensi said, rolling her eyes. “You and your metaphors.”

“Says the woman who gave me a knife. And a box.” Despite her words, she smiled fondly at Deeks. It was amazing how easy it was to talk about those years now that they were behind them.

“So how long was it before you got together?” Rosa asked, looking thoroughly confused.

“Mm, about six years,” Kensi said.

“It was around Christmas and we were ice skating,” Deeks continued.

“Deeks was ice skating, I was trying not to fall down.”

“Kensi stopped me, told me that she wanted to be brave, and basically stop pretending that we weren’t completely in love with each other. And then she kissed me.” Deeks grinned at Kensi, his expression soft.

“Um, we kissed each other,” Kensi corrected him. “But that was one of the best decision I ever made.”

“Definitely.” Leaning towards her, Deeks gave her a light kiss. “Oh sorry, Rosa.”

Rosa shook her head, apparently unbothered by their slight PDA. “I think that’s beautiful,” she murmured. “Thank you for telling me.”

“Of course. You can ask us anything you want, anytime,” Deeks assured her.

“Oh, then what happened at your wedding? Callen mentioned something about a Russian man trying to kidnap you.”

“Anything but that,” Deeks amended as Kensi quietly snickered into his shoulder.

#ncis la fanfiction #densi #marty deeks #kensi blye #Rosa #Densi family #fluff #ejzah fanfiction

[ratsoh-writes]

Emerald is noticeably taken aback by Ram's words and how casually he said them. He and his brother 'get to' stay in a house? As in, its a privilege to have an actual roof over their heads?? Almost like it's something they have to 'earn' instead of a common right for all sentient life???

Something deeply uncomfortable twinges inside her chest. A feeling that there's something not quite right, but without enough experience or information to pinpoint what it is. Like a shadow you see out of the corner of your eye.

Emerald is suddenly very conscious of her increased height astride the black horse. She dismounts slowly, taking the time to try to think through what she says next. She barely knows this monster : asking anything too personal would drive an immediate wedge between them. And hey, maybe she's getting conerned over nothing. Maybe this is just another one of those monster customs she's still so new to?

"Um," she says, fidgeting with the reins in her hand as she speaks, "Wh-where were you staying before, if that's not a rude question..?"

Ram shrugs again.

Ram: here n’ there. When t’ crash happened, pitch n’ I only had t’ clothes on our back. No skills or nothin’. T’ royals put monsters like us in a’ big building complex thing for t’ first year to get back on our feet, but with no schoolin’ we didn’t really qualify for anythin’

Ram doesn’t seem to have any shame when he tells how he and his brother were homeless for a few months, then did various couch surfing with roommates looking for a job. Eventually they landed the shepherd gig, and saved up enough to get a little rig attached to a truck to stay in. The only degree ram has is a drivers license, but pitch, a “real genius” according to ram already passed his literacy exam and has a high school diploma. The two monsters that they’re moving in with were friends made when one of the sheep Ram was caring for beat the other monsters cow in best of show.

There were shelters for every one who appeared without a home for the first two years of the crash, but if you were still unemployed after that you weren’t allowed to stay. And no one wanted to hire two illiterate monsters with no skills beyond basic thievery. Ram and pitch are tough though so after living at the docks for a few months, a sheep rancher picked them up as farmhands and they’ve been saving money ever since. Rams apartment fund is going into an education fund for pitch instead since peaches and rancher are letting them stay rent free in the cabin

[thesaurus-lover]

Love Languages ~ dcst

i think i almost exclusively worked on this at times past 1 am but maybe that efficient consistency is what makes me like it a lot haha.. ha... ANYWAYS enjoy! it's also up on AO3 in chapters if u prefer that formatting

a mini anthology-ish thing inspired by this post here !!

synopsis: i love you, je t'aime, 大好きだよ; different ways to say the exact same thing. the Kingdom of Science is a big family, isn’t it? that just means there’s a lot more ways for these people to convey that same meaning.

cw: long post, manga spoilers until maybe the ship building arc?? though this was written with future arcs in mind too, definitely manga character spoilers past that arc, canon-compliant, like... super cheesy, but that's pretty much it this is mostly fluffy slice of life shenanigans

word count: 8.0k (haha that is a LOT longer than i first expected)

what he knew

At the end of every day, Taiju could conclude with certainty that he was loved.

A lot of people could, actually, but it was often easy to forget—especially if you weren’t good at remembering the little things that mattered. And while Taiju wasn’t exactly the brightest in the room, he sure didn’t allow himself to forget those little things.

Like, for example, ah…

Oh, right!

Starting with the obvious, not once in his life has he known of Yuzuriha giving a gift that wasn't handmade herself. Quite literally ever—it didn’t matter for whom or for what occasion. If you didn’t trust him on that, you could even ask Senku and his immaculate memory, and he’d tell you the same thing. And, well, even Taiju had figured that that kind of thing was a crazy standard to set for yourself, but at the same time, Yuzuriha was thoroughly dedicated to her craft and the love that came with it; she put her mind to that goal and always delivered.

As a result, even back when they were younger, it made him think about how he, Mr. Simpleton, could possibly make beyond-incredible, oh-so-amazing Yuzuriha feel at least a fraction of what her gifts made him feel. His go-to for Senku was a good ol' hug, sure, but he had always doubted that it was the most suitable strategy when it came to her. For one… 

She was a girl.

Second, she was the girl that he was madly, hopelessly, irrevocably in love with. He couldn’t just come onto her so strongly, that’d be putting her on the spot!

So, for years, Taiju did his best to search for every opening and take every opportunity to convey his appreciation and admiration in other ways. (And he hasn’t realized this, but taking that effort was also quite the act of love in itself!) Looking back, he liked to think that doing so got him to improve quite a lot with using his words; the previously lame, impersonal, “You—um, you did great! Thank you for your hard work!” would now sound something more like, “You’re so, so cool, Yuzuriha! I’ve seen you do it a million times, but it doesn’t get old!”

And, yeah, he was more comfortable with hugging her now, but it was nice to have other means of expression in his arsenal.

Taiju was certainly proud of himself for that, but it was safe to say that he was even prouder of his best friend for his development of receiving their love over the years. 

Yuzuriha herself wasn’t as averse to open affection as Senku was—far from it, really, but she understood that the best way to crack his shell and really get through to him was through rather unique methods. Particularly, the overlap of their respective passions.

Everyone knew about Senku’s tendency to make horrifyingly specific infodumps in response to even a remotely curious question, but the majority haven’t even seen the worst of it. If it was Taiju or Yuzuriha listening—and they truly would be listening—the sheer length of that monologue would put any Please Meet the Word Count essay to shame. Back then, there was only one person, excluding Senku’s own father, who dared keep that kind of conversation going and emerged successful: Yuzuriha.

It was kind of scary sight, honestly.

Taiju has tried to do it, he really has, but the words just wouldn’t—couldn’t—get through his skull. Not just Senku’s words either; anything Yuzuriha replied that went past “Ooh, and then?” or “What else?” would get into technical details that Taiju didn’t want to fathom. 

“I see… a polymer, huh?” Yuzuriha had tilted her head, fully immersed in the impromptu Textile Science class. “I always knew polyester was the most durable, but I never learned why.”

With a chuckle, Senku leaned back into his seat, propping his hands behind his head. “It’s the ethylene glycol. Y’know, from petroleum? Its chemical reaction with terephthalic acid is the secret behind it. Eh, not really a secret, but yeah.”

“Cool!” Taiju said, enthusiastically nodding along, but his mind was thinking anything but “cool.”

I… it… what? Weren’t clothes made from plants? Those chemicals did not sound like plants.

Though, in spite of having to sit through all that with an increasingly dizzy head, never has this made him feel left out. Honestly, he was always just happy to see that look in Senku’s eyes when he was ten billion percent at ease with going crazy.

In fact, he could still remember seeing that look for the first time. After moving in with his grandparents and having to switch schools, making new friends had been difficult, even for someone like Taiju. A few trials and errors later, it was this child prodigy who stuck out the most to him as the best candidate for First Friend.

Eventually Best Friend, too! But that was still a bit later.

Now, while Senku definitely had been the smartest at school, he wasn’t the singular smart kid that existed. Yet somehow, he was also the one who had been least condescending to little Taiju, entertaining questions that the other smart kids had brushed off as dumb. Taiju had followed that head of green hair to the school cafeteria everyday; and while Senku’s sarcastic, snarky remarks weren’t the easiest to deal with at first, it was the sparkle in his eyes when talking about science that served as Taiju’s green flag.

It was the kind of spark that said, Thank you for being here. Thank you for tolerating me. Thank you for being someone with an interest in my passion.

Er, well, that was the gut feeling, at least. He could have very well been wrong.

Good thing he wasn't!

But those questions Taiju used to always ask? They had been dumb. At least, objectively speaking. However, it’s that exact thing that has lead him to his favorite lesson learned from his best friend: he shouldn’t ever feel inferior because there were things he couldn’t do and things he didn’t know.

Obviously, he wasn’t ever told this point-blank—it did take a lot of brain power to read between the lines. But he’d seen Senku recognize, even praise, seemingly small things all the time. 

Taiju had even asked about it once, while they were on the way home from school. In response, Senku only raised an eyebrow, pointing to a giant flatscreen TV mounted to the tall building across the street, displaying a flashing ad for a new curry product.

“You think that thing would work if one itty bitty wire was connected wrong?” he deadpanned. “Small components look small in the bigger picture, but if it wasn’t there in the first place, there wouldn’t be a bigger picture.”

“You’re…” Taiju said, eyes going wide as he gasped. “Woah, you’re right, Senku!”

The conclusion in his head: working together yielded better results and bigger accomplishments. And working together? That was something they did a lot of.

Even though he befriended the biggest nerd he had ever met in his life (affectionate), nothing could have ever prepared Taiju for the kinds of things he’d be pulled into. Granted, they were interesting and exciting and unheard of anywhere else, and they made Senku happy. If you asked him, Taiju would call science Senku’s kind of love. His proof: the kinds of conversations they had after a long day.

Just… trust him on this one.

“Senku, do you ever feel bad after having to throw out a failed experiment?” he had once asked randomly, frowning at the bin of scraps in his arms. “It just… kinda feels like a waste.”

Senku glanced over his shoulder. “Huh? Oh, well, a bit, I guess.” He sat up straight, momentarily putting a pause on their clean-up. “It’s not like I don’t know from the start that those things have an expiry date to ‘em. Even if they do work, there’s always a better version of a prototype to be made. You just gotta move on to the next project. It’s only natural.

“Though, you do have a point, Big Oaf,” he continued with a smirk. “Experiments on the level that we do them are both expensive and time-consuming. Not just on my part, but on whoever’s getting the equipment in the first place.”

“So, Byakuya-san?”

“In this case, yeah. Even if he does work at JAXA and everything, acquiring all this stuff is far from easy. Why do you think I’m extra careful when we handle the tools? Gotta put off the inevitable for as long as possible.”

Taiju stayed silent, not exactly sure of how to add to that, but it seemingly prompted Senku to keep talking.

“Y’know, if someone else had adopted me,” he said, voice suddenly quiet, “I doubt I would’ve been able to pursue science. Not to this degree, at the very least. And if that were the case, I… I don’t know what I would’ve...“

A pained, choked sound came from him, along with a sudden shake of the shoulders that absolutely shattered Taiju’s heart.

In remedy, he slapped his best friend hard on the back, forcing out a strangled cough from his lanky frame.

“Well, it’s a good thing you do have your dad, right?” Taiju hoped his grin was wide enough to make Senku think that his reddened, scrunched up face was completely unnoticeable. “I’ll be sure to text him a big thank you as soon as possible!”

“Okay, yeah, no. Don’t do that,” Senku managed out with a strained chuckle. “He’ll ask a bunch of questions and be super weird about it. Ugly sight.”

So yes, while Taiju could listen and show interest all he tried, he knew Byakuya was the best at using science to make Senku’s heart happy. The other awesome thing? He wasn’t just good at Senku’s kind of love, but he was good at his and Yuzuriha’s kinds of love too!

The amount of times Yuzuriha had come home with a shiny new sewing kit or expensive roll of fabric was… well, endearing, to say the least. To her parents, though, it was almost embarrassing to have their daughter be so spoiled by her best friend’s single father.

Additionally, Taiju didn’t really like ranking moments, with Byakuya or with anybody, but one memory during a sleepover at their house always stuck with him. Especially since it was one of the few times he was home, too.

“Can’t sleep?”

Twelve year-old Taiju had stopped mid-reach for the milk carton in the fridge, turning to the voice’s owner with a sheepish smile. “Kinda… but mostly hungry,” he admitted. Then pouted. “What are you doing awake at one in the morning, Byakuya-san?”

The older man only laughed heartily. “I’ve got some work left to cram. But hey, if you need something, I’m at your service.”

Extremely tempting offer.

“Uhh… cup noodles?” Taiju suggested eventually, mostly as a question. “If that’s—“

“More than fine!” Byakuya grinned, already weaving past him to get the the cupboard where their kettle was tucked in. “I’ll start boiling water, yeah? You can pick from the flavors we have in the pantry.”

“Really? That’s awesome, thank you, Byakuya-san! Thank you!”

It had really hurt when Senku first told him what must have happened after the petrification.

But Taiju was thankful every single day to know that, despite their loss, the three of them weren’t alone in the new world. They had all these new friends—and they had each other. He found it kind of difficult to admit, surprisingly, since saying it like that made it sound too obvious. Taiju’s style was more… unfiltered, raw, and required less thinking. So sometimes, just sometimes, it made him wonder if he should be trying harder.

Then he had heard his best friends talking from outside Senku’s workshop one day. And oh, he truly, from the bottom of his heart, didn’t want to invade their privacy, but he heard his name and just—

“Taiju-kun… he gives the best hugs, don’t you think, Senku-kun?”

“Sure, if you consider soul and bone crushing to be the criteria of a good hug.”

For a moment, they were silent. Taiju was about to consider the conversation over, but Senku spoke again:

“Ugh, don’t give me that face. Yes, I consider it a damn good hug.”

Oh, how hard it had been to hold in the tears.

He couldn’t craft meaningful, detailed gifts out of nothing like Yuzuriha, nor think ten billion and a half steps ahead to ensure his loved ones’ happiness like Senku, but Taiju could be himself. He was free to love the way he knew how to, and that “little” thing was more than enough.

So yes, Taiju knew very well that he was loved—but he also knew that he would never get tired of loving in return.

what he didn’t know

Every week, Chrome walked into a progress meeting with the other renowned leaders of the Kingdom of Science at their makeshift headquarters; and every time, he’d get imposter syndrome because of it.

Four experts in their own respective fields, equipped with the knowledge and experience of the old world that he’d simply never have—it was terribly difficult for Chrome to be confident in his knowledge when he knew it was lacking.

But while that was true, it wasn’t in the way he thought.

See, Chrome had noticed a lot of things across the course of these meetings. For instance, on days that Senku would be questioned for being so blatantly in a rush, his offhanded responses were surprisingly telling: “Yuzuriha’s fabrics need to be replenished before tomorrow. Nobody else knows how she likes them made or which ones she uses the most of.”

Another example, clear in intent as ever, despite it having been said with a scowl: “The quality of old man Kaseki’s tools starts going to hell after a certain amount of time. I gotta pay him a visit.”

What Chrome had discovered? Senku was even worse at hiding his feelings than he thought. 

So much so that he’d turn it into an argument, actually. Not that he was mad at Ukyo that one time, but he, um... surely could’ve phrased it better.

“We’ll get somebody else to take over the classes. It’s that simple.”

“What? No,” Ukyo had insisted that day, eyes wide. “Senku, it’s okay, I want to do this. We don’t need to trouble someone else with managing the school. I’ll balance the new assignment and the kids’ classes.”

“And compromise your health in the process?” Senku immediately shot back. “We don’t need you and your efficiency going down the drain, dumbass.”

“Now, Senku-chan—“ Gen began, but Senku held up a hand.

“Ukyo, there are things I’d rather only trust you with. I don’t need you losing sleep over grading papers. You think that Lioness Kohaku could mark out every important part of a map by herself?”

“She wouldn’t be happy to hear that," Chrome murmured, getting a chuckle out of Ryusui.

Eventually, Senku sighed, picking at his ear with a pinky. “Though… it would be a big hassle for those kids to adjust to someone completely new. ‘Specially if that person won’t spoil them as much as you do.”

“A compromise, then,” Ukyo said, allowing himself a small smile. “What do you suggest?”

“We assign Ruri to half the classes, she’s already well-taught. You have more time for the new job and still get to keep playing Sensei. We’re all happy. Deal?”

A beat.

“Deal.”

What Chrome had discovered? Two people could both be acting unselfishly and still not see eye-to-eye on the little details.

Ah, yes, the little details. Things like the heaviness in Chrome’s eyes that he always tried to hide in the mornings following a late night. But he supposed some people were just gifted at noticing those things.

Sometimes one look was all it took to cue Ukyo into serving up a glass of water without so much as a word. The first few times caught Chrome off guard—he was only a second or two through the door, and bam, there it was. Interestingly enough, Ukyo did it in a way that was near automatic, like he’d already tended to someone burnt by exhaustion a million times before. Chrome had even caught him humming a quiet tune to himself as he poured out drinks for those who hadn’t arrived yet. And if things had been particularly bad lately, the water would be replaced by a hand on his shoulder.

“Hey, if you want to talk about anything…”

And while Ukyo rarely finished that sentence, his face said it all: I’m here to listen.

What Chrome had discovered? It might’ve been nice to grow up with an older brother figure. He’d definitely have to ask Ginro about that.

Not everyone quite had that unique breed of sixth sense-like caring instinct, after all. Even fewer would be willing to listen to rants of other people’s problems in general—kinda like what Gen does for a living. But at the same time, he wasn't the only person who knew how to do that.

“Can you believe she actually did that?”

Chrome was a weak and simple man, he had realized that day, because eavesdropping on what was surely gossip had been an alarmingly easy decision.

Peaking through the windows had revealed Gen, the voice's owner, sitting at the meeting room’s center table, head propped up on his fist.

“Really, even I wouldn’t go that far just to be petty,” he lamented, the slice of bread in his free hand flopping unceremoniously. “The disputes only get stupider by the day.”

A ring of laughter lead Chrome to find Ukyo digging through the ice box in the corner. 

“Well, what he said did breach a touchy subject,” he said, fetching out two fresh bottles of cola. “You can’t completely blame her, y’know? People don’t think straight when they’re in that kind of headspace.”

“I know, I know. But come on, who just does something so… immature?”

Unfortunately, the sound of Senku’s footsteps cut that spying session short, but it did comfort Chrome to finally see Gen on the ranting side of that kind of situation. 

Speaking of, another thing Chrome noticed: the mentalist was never first to arrive, but almost always second. For what possible reason? He could never guess. But the fact had held true.

Moreover, the select few times that Chrome came early gave way to some of the most baffling (yet also most therapeutic, somehow) interactions he’d ever had with Gen. For starters, sitting quietly with someone usually so chatty usually meant something was wrong. However, getting slices of a side of him that was so relaxed and not all over the place was… well, really reassuring. A few times, he even humored Chrome with a couple “cutesy, harmless” magic tricks, as he called them, like making pencils disappear or chairs float for a whole five seconds.

Somehow, Chrome could tell that doing them made him really happy.

Once, Gen had asked, “How’s the day been treating you so far, Chrome-chan?”

“Is this a trick question?” Chrome asked back with a dubious pout. “Are you gonna like… ask a favor?”

At this, an awfully authentic laugh tumbled past Gen’s lips—a near snort that melted into a soft chuckle, and the grin that followed lacked the underlying malice Chrome was so used to. “I mean it. No ulterior motive this time, promise. Can’t I make meaningless small talk for once in my life?”

“I—no—I mean, of course you can,” Chrome said, sitting up straighter in his seat. “My morning was, uh… not bad, actually, thanks. You?”

“That’s good to hear.” Gen nodded to himself, mindlessly folding the scrap of paper he found on the table. “Mine was kinda slow, honestly… Oh! But I did catch Taiju-chan out on the farm. It’s endearing to see him work.”

Unconsciously, Chrome smiled. Huh. Cool.

What he had discovered? He actually quite liked this utterly natural, normal Gen. Maybe almost as much as dramatic, multi-faceted Gen.

Granted, the latter Gen still often made jokes about how Chrome and Senku were to join him in hell someday.

“Okay." Senku had nodded approvingly. "You two can go ahead. I’ll only need Gen and Chrome for this last one.”

“Best we be careful, Senku-chan,” Gen said in complete mock-seriousness. “Who knows what demon we might summon when left unsupervised?”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Senku smirked, waving a hand. “Even if we do, I’m sure we could handle it. I’d bet ten billion points that even yokai aren’t immune to sodium hydroxide, given the right dosage.”

Chrome made a face. “And here I was thinking we didn’t want to summon one.”

“There’s a story behind that,” Rysui said, eyes narrowed as they headed for the door. “At this point I’m certain. Definitely want to know what the hell it is.”

“Maybe another time,” Ukyo chuckled. “Anyway, you said you wanted me to come taste Francois’ new recipes?”

“Yeah! Come on, I’m sure they’re already waiting.”

That was something Ryusui did a lot—no, not ask for the details of their dreadful inside joke—invite someone to join him to do something after the meeting. And by something, it really was anything.

If it wasn’t stuffing fresh bread onto Ukyo’s plate, it was stringing Gen along to help him get on the good side of the other Ishigami villagers. Honestly, Chrome himself couldn’t even count how many times he’d come along to take the hot air balloon for another spin, just so Ryusui could “commit the terrain to memory.”

And really, when Chrome’s pride and reputation as “the explorer who knew the native lands best” was on the line, he simply couldn’t turn down invitations like that.

What he had discovered from all that? It was quite easy for Ryusui to get carried away.

Exhibit A: Once, he and Senku had been left alone to talk ship-building logistics; except when the others came back from a break, the two were suddenly debating who had the better childhood Pokémon game. Go figure.

Exhibit B: Chrome could vividly remember this one very specific day when Ryusui had been going around making arm wrestling bets—again, go figure. As expected, he hadn't let them leave the meeting room without taking him on. Now, while String Bean Senku’s loss surprised absolutely nobody, it was revealed that Ryusui was pretty good.

Until they found out that Ukyo was better.

And then suddenly Ryusui was dragging him outside so he could bet on his games, and then suddenly a bunch of people were making a commotion, and then suddenly the cash started racking up, and then the next thing they knew, Magma had lost to Ukyo.

And, well, everybody lost their shit.

Clicking his tongue, Senku had grinned appraisingly at the aftermath. “Maybe we shouldn’t be so surprised,” he mused, watching Yo point and laugh at Magma. “That bow of yours is heavy, after all. Draw weight isn’t less than eighteen kilos, yeah?”

“Give or take.” Ukyo smiled sheepishly, wriggling his fingers experimentally. “Guess I just forget most of the time. Anyway, it’s not like my seniors in the military didn’t used to drag me into stuff like this all the time.”

Chrome blinked. “Dude, if I could beat Magma head-on, I wouldn’t let the whole village forget.”

“Though, results aside,” Gen said, his scrutinizing gaze fixed on the wad of Dragos in Ryusui’s distant hand, “maybe we should try holding our own… fundraiser.”

“Something just as simple yet effective,” Senku said. “You can rig a coin flip, right?”

“…Frankly, Senku-chan, I wouldn’t count on people trusting a fair flip with me involved. And in any other case, have you forgotten that your luck is literal trash?”

“Fair point.”

Those were just instances from the top of Chrome’s head. 

Though, in no way whatsoever did these events, nor the discoveries drawn from them, leave a bad taste in his mouth. In all honesty, looking back served to remind him of when Nikki had told him about the concept of friendship bracelets.

He had seriously considered it—even sat in his room with extra materials, tried conceptualizing designs. But it dawned on him that maybe it was… just a bit too cheesy. Senku didn’t seem like a jewelry person anyway, and Ryusui was sure to already have a bunch of bracelets for whatever reason…

Yeah, maybe not as good of an idea as he initially thought.

Anyhow, Chrome was sure that the sentiment itself of these shared experiences was more than enough of a gift. And since he had the eye and memory for every one of these things, who was he to complain about not feeling smart enough when piecing them together forged such a home-like feeling? 

Then again, his knowledge was lacking—not necessarily in the sense of facts, but about the situation; in the old world, a room full of people labeled "coworkers" would rarely be bonded by a sense of home, of all things—this was something only the other generals knew.

But was it a crime that that wasn’t their case? Was it so bad that instead of civil handshakes and nods, each meeting ended with some wildly fond new memory together?

Not at all.

So maybe it was for the best, the other four had already decided in unspoken agreement, that Chrome didn’t know. Especially since when it came to this, somebody like him deserved far better than what the old world had offered.

what she had

Ruri had spent a lot of her time grieving what she had lost to her many years bedridden. 

She knew it would be awful to dwell on it too much, but… well, it truly was her biggest regret. Everything she had done as priestess of her village—the people who she considered extended family—would have amounted to nothing if she simply didn’t get to spend enough time alongside them, as selfish as it may sound. Of course, that wasn’t a problem anymore, and thankfully so.

Still, who wouldn’t be tempted to contemplate what could have been—what she could've lived through in those years lost?

But that kind of thinking had begun to change at a certain point.

Ruri wasn’t sure what was so special about that day, if it was even so special at all. That was the beauty if it, she supposed; nothing else had stood out, so she herself was able to pick out what seemed special.

“Woah, you’re manning the food stalls yourself, Suika? That’s so responsible of you!”

That voice had been Titan’s, who had been about to buy ramen. Meanwhile, Ruri just happened to be close enough to notice the way Suika bristled in surprise, trying to stand a bit straighter.

“I—well,” she had stammered, “Mirai actually helps me, she’s just taking a break right now. Do you, uh… really think so?”

Before Titan could answer, Namari chimed in, peeping out from behind him. “Oh, totally! You’re super cool for helping out so much, Suika.”

Suddenly, everyone within a ten-meter radius was pitching in their own pieces of praise; from underneath her helmet, Suika only seemed to beam brighter and brighter with each one.

“Time flies so fast! Wasn’t she a little girl just yesterday?”

“So proud of that kid.”

“Really wish I could be as much of a help as her.”

“I taught her how to use the cotton candy machine, she’s a total pro!”

“The pride of our village, isn’t she?”

Ruri giggled quietly, finding herself agreeing with everyone’s sentiments. While Suika was certainly a diligent worker, Ruri knew just how sweet she was generally.

Once, while weaving baskets together, the former had decided to pass time by playing a game where they listed off things they loved about each other. It had warmed Ruri’s heart to hear her thoughts, and the reactions to the compliments aimed at her in return had been absolutely adorable.

Even so, Ruri knew her closeness with Suika was rivaled by that of Kohaku, who was fiercely protective of the girl—and had been from the very beginning. With so many of Suika's relatives having been taken by the previous famine, it hadn't at all been a difficult choice to take her as part of their family.

And that lead Ruri to her sister. 

Her irreplaceable, dearest little sister; though she could hardly call her little anymore. Ruri took every chance she could to hug her tight, to warmly wrap her up in ways words couldn’t. All for the girl who has never, not once, not ever, even thought of giving up on her older sister, and who never failed to let go of that embrace without first uttering a most honest “I love you.” 

The same girl who went about their community with the kind of familiarity and deep-rooted devotion only the empowered daughters of the chief had. (Well, previous chief.) Kohaku also spent lots of time with the village children, often teaching them how to protect themselves or watching over them when they played in the fields or by the river. And if not with them, she was almost definitely checking up on the village’s defenses.

Once, Ruri had overheard her suddenly ask Kinro about how his vision was doing, as well as how adjusting to glasses had been like and a bunch of other related things. Someone with her 20/20 sight wouldn’t have any idea, after all. That conversation had ended with them agreeing that it was stupid he had to struggle with his fuzzy sickness for so long at all, yet both extremely grateful that the glasses were here now. Ruri had to admit that it was pretty funny.

And, really, that did lead her to Kinro.

Steadfast, persistent Kinro, who not only accomplished everything he was assigned to, but had so much initiative as to pick up on the kinds of chores and tasks anybody else was either too tired or too lazy to do. If it was a requirement to making things easier for everyone else, he’d deliver. No further questions asked. And that was on top of having to keep his brother out of trouble.

Mostly, Ruri just hoped he’d catch a well-deserved break. What would they do without him?

Inevitably, that lead her to Ginro, who was seen with his brother almost two-thirds of the time.

She knew just how close they were. A lot of times, the situation truly did make it feel like siblings only had each other to rely on. It was evident in Ginro’s restless eyes whenever he had reason to panic, or when something truly disheartened him—they’d always go searching for Kinro, flicking back and forth among the crowd before landing on that brunet head of hair.

However, whenever Ginro was in the spirits to goof off, there were notably few people who could actually make him pick up slack. That is, which didn’t involve blunt guilt-tripping—e.g. Kohaku—or forcibly leaving him with no choice—e.g. Senku.

Grandpa Kaseki was one of them.

Because while Gen was his favorite to drag into impromptu projects, Ginro was close in second. And what was most interesting? Ruri had noticed that he didn’t slither out of those situations as often as expected.

“So, you don’t mind all too much when he does that?” she had teasingly asked him once.

“Eh, well.” Ginro didn’t meet her eyes, fiddling with his fingers. “The stuff he asks me to do isn't that bad. Usually. It’s… sometimes, it’s kinda fun, plus…”

Ruri smiled, already knowing where this was going. “Plus?”

His next words were mumbled out almost begrudgingly: “I actually like spending time with him.”

Which lead Ruri to everyone’s favorite ojii-chan in question.

Even though he did take every chance to fawn over Yuzuriha’s contemporary craftsmanship or pester Senku for something new to try and build, he was still a senior Ishigami villager through and through. The indication that he hadn’t forgotten? Ruri would catch him going door-to-door in his free time, asking the other elderly if they’d like him to make anything for them while he still could.

“Maybe something new and cool, like what the kids like,” she even distinctly remembered him say at one point.

It made her wonder what it must be like to still have so much love to give at that age. Like say, enough so that Kaseki would go out of his way to invite Chrome to eat with him whenever they took a break from a project of theirs.

Ah, right. And that lead Ruri to Chrome.

Their humble, starry-eyed Chrome was far busier now than before—and with quite heavy tasks that had a lot of people counting on him, too. But she knew it was everything he’d ever dreamed of—getting far with his own knowledge and the work of his own hands, standing alongside others who were just as capable.

“He’s grown so much,” Ruri had said once, as they watched him coordinate with an officer at the mines for materials to be shipped back to base. “I’m really just… so happy for him.”

Kohaku smirked, crossing her arms. “I could say the exact same thing and still not capture the same awestruck reverence that you—ow.”

Her sister deserved that hit in the shoulder, a blushing Ruri quickly concluded.

Chrome was busier than before, yes, but not so busy that he had forgotten those closest to him from childhood. After all, Ruri would still find an array of intricately-shaped leaves, delicate flowers, or glittery polished rocks at her window sill every once in a while. What was new, however, were the small pieces of paper attached to them; if she hadn’t been taught to read, she would’ve missed the innocently sweet “Reminded me of you!!” notes that always came written on it.

See, he’d even grown so much that Garnet even caught him and Magma coming back together from a personal mining trip. Peacefully. No bickering, just normal chatter. Not even a Senku to mediate. A part of Ruri still didn’t believe it ever happened.

But really. Recent developments have helped reveal a side to all her loved ones that hadn’t quite fully bloomed before.

There was even a prime example in Ruri’s own experience: even when Turquoise and Jasper didn’t need to be at her side 24/7 anymore, she still enjoyed going through the mundane parts of her day with them nearby. It had taken some time for them to adjust to not being on-edge at her every step, but it easily became apparent just how much they also loved seeing their charge sprightly and well. 

In fact, everybody from the village now knew how to work at least one machine or create at least one helpful substance. Ruri often saw them giving each other discounts at food stalls and cracking jokes when asked to make something as a favor. Besides the obvious way science had improved their lives as individuals, it had somehow brought the village even closer together.

Though, what truly sealed it for her were the photos.

Helping Minami collate and arrange them, even just for a while, it had become strikingly apparent that everybody was happier than ever, helping each other and trying new things everyday. Every captured smile or laugh was shared; if not with a fellow villager, then with a non-primitive Kingdom of Science member. Even if Ruri tried to think of only a single person, she ended up remembering all of them and the pleasant memories tied to each.

Upon seeing the way her eyes flowed from one picture to the next on the collage board, Minami had giggled. “Cool, isn’t it? Visual composition naturally leads you from one person to the next. Then the next, then the next, and so on.”

“It’s us,” Ruri responded in a delicate whisper. “Our time together. It… connects us all.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

So when Ruri looked around her today, she could rest easy knowing what she knew—what she had lost was nothing compared to what she had now, and for that, she’d continue to be eternally grateful.

what he didn't have

If Ryusui could buy all the time in the world, he already would have a long time ago. But he couldn't—he learned so early on.

However, that wasn’t the issue; it was already ingrained into his system that if he wanted something, he’d stop at nothing to get it. So if Ryusui wanted someone’s time, you’d be a fool to think that he wouldn’t be ready to work for it.

No, the real issue was that sometimes, certain people simply didn’t want to share their time.

And for a painfully long amount of time, Ryusui had wondered if it was a “him” problem. He swore he wouldn’t ever feel the need change himself for anybody, but, well… his big brother wasn’t just anybody. 

Then there was also Francois, who was living proof that the problem wasn’t Ryusui’s. Not entirely, at least.

Francois, who had patched up cuts and scratches on such an energetic, curious kid so often that they just knew carrying a first aid kit around was a necessity. Francois, who had always tucked a handful of hair ties in their pocket after a certain junior high schooler decided it’d be cool to grow out his hair. Francois, who had gotten so used to shopping with this big spender that “I desire that you get something for yourself!” didn’t faze them anymore, and in fact, would be quickly met with “As you wish, Master Ryusui.”

With only this one person who he could always turn to, young Ryusui had made sure that Francois only got the grandest gifts. Whether it was their birthday, New Year’s, Christmas, even an ordinary day—it had to be lush and flashy and expensive. A diamond-encrusted stopwatch from America. A 162 by 130 centimeter painting from an artist he forgot the name of. A handbag from a luxury brand with Francois' name sewn in with gold thread.

But as Ryusui grew older, those gifts had begun to feel hollow.

So over the years, they got less expensive. And it wasn’t like he was actively trying to save money when gift shopping, either; the ones that felt more heartfelt simply happened to be less flashy, instead more practical and thoughtful. A foreign cuisine cookbook. Scented candles for their room. A new pair of gloves.

One year, the gifts had completely stopped coming.

This hadn't disheartened Francois in the slightest—really, it had made their heart swell to see just how far their little boy had matured. Because instead of the gifts, Ryusui simply dedicated his time. They spent entire days together on a normal basis, sure, but how much of that was actual quality time?

Francois was aware that the term had multiple definitions to different people, but they could definitively tell when Ryusui was consciously, actively making sure that their time together was of the utmost quality. And it gave them such a priceless kind of joy.

Needless to say, Ryusui was happy. They were both more than happy with where their relationship stood; by today, most of it quite literally boiled down to numerous silent understandings.

So it just couldn’t be a “him” problem, right? Not when the effort he put into forging that familial bond with Francois became something he was so proud of.

If Sai would just let him in, Ryusui would often think, he’d definitely be able to win over his affection.

At one point, it had troubled him so much that he straight-up asked Francois about it.

“To my understanding,” they had said, gently setting the cup of fresh tea on the table in front of him, “your desire is not to force him into anything. As is expected, of course. I know well that you would hate to serve to harm anyone, Master Ryusui. Especially since, in this case, this is someone you admire and respect so deeply.”

Elbows propped against his knees, Ryusui stared solemnly at the floor as he mumbled in agreement.

“If I may be so bold as to suggest," Francois added, "perhaps it is best to respect Master Sai’s wishes. By all means, there is no harm in continuing to try, but I believe it would make him comfortable to step back once he is firm to say no.”

With a sigh, Ryusui leaned back into the couch. “Right. I understand.” He then flashed Francois a playful grin. “And here I was thinking you’d be completely on my side, eh, Francois?”

They smiled. “I must admit, both you brothers not only have my loyalty, but also my heart’s affection.”

Ryusui stood suddenly.

“Ah, I deeply apologize if I overstepped any bounda—“

“Thank you,” is all he said, silently squeezing them in a tight embrace.

And indeed, Ryusui wasn’t the only brother they had always looked out for.

Part of Francois’ dynamic skillset as a professional chef was having variations to every single dish they knew how to prepare. Typically, there was the one most liked by the general public, as well as “Ryusui’s version,” but they had also gone out of their way to mentally establish a “Sai’s version.”

They had always known that he was far too timid to ever speak up about how he’d like a certain food to be prepared—especially when the entire family hierarchy existed to tell him that his opinion was void. Instead, it had involved a lot of carefully reading his expressions during multi-course meals with a variety of dishes. After a while, it got easier; and nothing had made Francois happier than to see another satisfied customer at their hands.

So naturally, Ryusui hadn't been the only disheartened one when Sai moved to India.

Distance, however, was not something Francois considered consequential enough to hinder a butler’s duties. After getting in touch with his university, they had been able to check up on him via text. Francois had figured it would be good to remind him that he was still cared for back home, but not overdo it to the point of being overbearing. Judging by his friendly replies, thankfully, they appeared to have done a good job.

Though, as much of a success that was, it had still been sad to see their charge have to grow up without an older brother.

The ideal, reliable, present older brother—a lot of people dreamed of that, right?

Because really, for someone who seemed so full of himself—and to an extent, actually was—Ryusui truly enjoyed having somebody to look up to. And it wasn’t even primarily about Sai’s breadth of knowledge or finesse of talent; no, that was a mere bonus, even in his greedy eyes. Ryusui was far too fixated on simply having someone of his own blood to lean on.

But that was something Sai had only realized years down the line, thanks to a bit of help.

He told himself it was because their situation had already framed it badly enough. That Ryusui’s unapologetic personality hadn't helped either of them. That it was just some horrible coincidence that him being disgustingly efficient at mental math overlapped with Ryusui wanting him to do math for his passion projects. That—

Ugh, who was he kidding?

The truth clear to Sai now was that his little brother didn’t care what the hell they were doing, as long as they were doing it with each other.

It was so damn obvious in hindsight. Sai hated himself for being the cause of such a pitiful truth to come to fruition—if his brother was so desperately starved of any and all interaction, whose fault was that?  

“Sai!” The voice’s owner had stepped into his room after knocking only once. “You free? There’s something awesome I want you to see!”

Perhaps what made it worse was that Ryusui didn’t seem to hold any grudge at all.

Sai had gone rigid from his spot at the desk. “Ryusui—“

Next time, wait for me to answer before coming in, were the words at the tip of his tongue, but he forcefully swallowed them down upon looking up. Somehow, even just a little bit, the stupidly wide grin smeared across his brother’s features made the effort worth it.

Instead, Sai rubbed at his eyes, sighing. “Uh, maybe later? I’m actually pretty tired.”

“That’s totally fine! I’ll come back later, then, yeah?”

“Oh, but I—uh, actually—“ he blurted, making Ryusui halt with one foot out the door. “You can, um…” Sai avoided his eyes, overwhelmed by the mental gymnastics it took to reach for the right words. “You should—you should stay. Let’s talk over some curry? I… I’ve got some spare in the fridge.”

And talk over curry they did.

It had been lightly reminiscent for the most part, both of them trying not to run out of things to say. (You could imagine that was much easier for one than it was for the other.) From the weird, exotic pet that their uncle used to keep in the back garden, to how much faster Ryusui could have leveled up in Mario Brothers if Sai had just taught him, to how they admittedly should’ve played more chess together.

Eventually, it got quiet. Both of them staring at their bowls, the floor, anything but each other. It was the kind of quiet Sai absolutely loathed—unfinished, begging for somebody to just say something. Anything. 

So to fill that silence, Sai apologized.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered, barely audible. He stuffed another spoonful of rice into his mouth, hoping it’d stuff any remnants of his shame with it as he continued. “I was never a good brother. I know a bunch of things made me unhappy back then, but I shouldn’t have acted like you were part of the problem.

“Sorry that I’m… I should’ve said goodbye, but I—well, I didn’t.” He chuckled bitterly. “Guess it, like… I dunno, got that bad? I just… I was so scared of what they would’ve done with me, with my life. I’m not like you, Ryu. I never could’ve slithered into the ranks the way y—“

“The Nanami name is my own brand now,” Ryusui said, a-matter-of-factly. “Maybe thousands of years ago, it wasn’t completely mine, but without all the complicated stuff in the way anymore, it sure is now!” he laughed, and for a moment, the devilish little brother was back, but it quickly faded.

“Sai,” he continued, hard gaze locked onto his brother, “I want you to be able to do the same. To make your own name for yourself. It doesn’t even have to be with our last name—hell, Sai sounds cool enough to use for a video game name. Or whatever it is that sounds fun to you. As long as you want it, ‘kay? I know it’s tough to have someone want something from you if it’s all people have ever done, but I want what you want.”

Ryusui couldn’t pretend that he hadn’t been hurt. That was okay. He didn’t need to.

“Regardless of what happened in the past,” he said, “what I want is you to be happy.”

Blinking rapidly, Sai vainly wished that his pricking tears had been from the spice instead.

“I… I’ll try.”

To his whole heart’s relief, his brother didn’t comment, despite the fact that he surely noticed.

Instead, Ryusui licked his lips, back to contemplating the dish at hand. “Man. I still think Francois’ cooking is always above perfect,” he started, “but for some reason, my food has always tasted better than yours. They’re cooked differently, am I wrong?”

“Really?” Sai snorted, swiping at his cheek with the back of his hand. “Well, good. You always liked your flavors way too strong anyway.”

“Wouldn’t change a thing!”

And it was true—not about his taste palette, nor about his brother.

Because for years, Ryusui didn't have Sai’s time, but who would he be if he thought that it was ever too late to make up for it?

#this was so unsolicitedly fluffy i kinda hate myself #also there's no way i'm tagging Everybody in this #that's ten too many people #dcst #dcst fanfic #dr stone #dr. stone #dr stone manga #dcst fluff #dr stone characters #dr. stone fanfic #🍃.scribbles #💫.fnfcs

[bloody-crowleyy]

Chapter 3

“And here we have our latest invention: The Instant Clayer!” Arseli grunts, “name in editorial stages, of course!” He pulls the lever and put a bunch of clay under the machines arms. The arms work fast and precise, carving and and shaping the piece of clay into an exact copy of my face. “And…” He presses a button and it cooks the clay fast, then paints it. I stare through Arseli’s eyes, his nervous smile appearing again.

“What is our country known for, Aresli, other than the plague!” I begin to smoke a cigarette.

“Um… our weapons?”

“Yes. So my question now stands: why did you make something for art?”

“Well, uhm, sir, it’s for weapon creation. I uh… well… I um… I made this to see how it would, uhm, work? And it works splendidly so I’m going to work out the uh… what’s the word? Oh, the kinks— or quirks— of it. I forgot that blasted word, uh, so, I’m going to change it, and make it able to make weapons, King Borelius, sir.”

“Nervous?” I cough up blood and take the cigarette out to cough a bit more, then I put it back it.

“No sir.”

“Good. Now go.”

“Yes sir.” He takes his machine and frolics out, his wings surrounding him as a sort of protection.

I grab my mirror and start doing my hair, sweeping it to the left, keeping it straight, and pulling it back into a small ponytail for Denian to see. She’s going to think I look better than last time f hopefully. It’s been a year, she can’t know how much worse I’ve gotten. I stare at the photos on the walls of me and Corifael, me and Denian, me and the both of them. None of my parents, but that’s probably for the best. Corifael misses them, somehow. He was always mothers favorite, though.

“That sure looks great, sir, what’s it used for?” Denians voice echoes through the hall. I stand and walk swiftly down the hall. “Oh, bore, hi!” She smiles sweetly.

“Oh!” Arseli jumps at the sight of me, obviously fearful.

“He was just leaving, weren’t you, Arseli?” I stare him dead in the eyes.

“Mhm, yep, yes ma’am and uh, sir, I uhm, I was. I’ll go now. Goodbye.” He walks off faster than usual, leaving the castle.

“Oh, Bore, you look as handsome as ever! How long is it been?”

I cough hard, holding my hand up for her to wait a moment, “A year. It’s been a year, Denian.”

“A long year it’s been, hasn’t it? You’re pale, what’s happened to you?”

“That… plague… really messed me up. Messed up my parents worse as you could’ve guessed. I’ve… missed this. I’ve missed you, Denian. I hope your visit is longer than the last, and at least it’s for better reasons.”

“Yes, well,” she cups my face with her hands, “I’ve missed you, too,” she leans in close to my face, as if about to kiss me.

Corifael runs through the hall, ramming into paintings, tables, and finally, Denian. A guard pulls him off of her, but he doesn’t stop embracing her.

“Deni! How long it’s been! You look beautiful, did you get a haircut? New hairdresser? New seamstress or seamster? Corifael let’s go of her, crossing his arms, “You’re so short now! Did you lose… height…?”

“You’re taller, Corifael. And yes to all of those, how’ve you been?”

“Pretty good, been a bit sad since mom and dad died. Bor hasn’t been that well since you left, this is the first time he’s done his hair! Where’s Jerry?”

“I’m sorry, Cori. What’s been wrong Bor? And I left him at home, he’s being taken care of. I think he’s gonna she’d soon.”

I stare at Cori for a moment, that brat didn’t need to say anything about me. “I’m fine, Denian. My lungs just haven’t been the same since I was ill, you know?”

“Sure. So, who was that guy? He seemed sweet.”

“Arseli. He’s an inventor, makes stuff for me. Good kid, he’s about Cori’s age. He’s just anxious way too much.”

“Reminds me of you when you were younger, Bor.”

“I wasn’t that bad. You should go to your room, put your suitcase and everything in there. Your guards can sleep in the room next to you, it has multitudes of beds.” I wave her off, and she quickly walks up the stairs. I walk over to my throne again and sit down. Corifael follows her and continues speaking to her. He’s twenty and still acts like a child. Since Deni said something of it, I do now see how pale I’ve gotten. When was the last time I went outside?

A sound interrupts my thoughts as a pop goes across the castle. An explosion? A gunshot? Corifael playing around. I get up, but standing in front of me is a tall, thin, smiling man. He shoves me back onto my throne and sits on the armrest. His feathered coat hits the side of my face, and he ruffles my hair.

“Now, now, no need to be jumpy, King. We have much to discuss!” He jumps up off the chair and disappears into a shadow, the shadow moves and his glowing smile appears on the top of the throne. He then appears, dropping his hat on my head. “You seem to have quite the visitor! Princess still, isn’t she? Denian? Aren’t her parents dead though? Odd that she’s still a ‘princess’ but, hey, she likes to be called that, doesn’t she? Makes her think there’s actually someone else ‘round!” He chuckles slightly, his bright green eyes shining in the dark above me.

“What is it, Jœnjér?” I stand and turn around to look at him. He’s gone. I spin around and he’s directly behind me, now inches from my face.

“Calm down, Bor. I’m here for our… deal. Denians people haven’t stopped. And now Ruby and Damion have met Therion. Do you know how much trouble we could be in?”

“Well, it’s not us who did anything, so why would we have any trouble?”

“Oh… you know… they could find out about our deal. Maybe find out about, oh, I don’t know, what I am. And we can’t have that, now, can we?”

“No. We can’t.”

“Then keep Denian from leaving. I will deal with them. Don’t let her find o ur about anything with them. If they come here, you kill them. Alright?”

“Yes.” He disappears the moment I say it, his glowing smile disappearing with him. I sit back down and lean back on my thrown. Marcelina, a maid, walks past the room. She’s holding a bottle of wine and a glass. “Marcelina, come.” She walks over to me sheepishly.

“Yes, sire?”

“Hand me that bottle and go get another one for Denian or Corifael or whoever wants it. And bring me a cigarette, alright?”

“Yes sir.” She hands me the wine bottle and glass, I push the glass away and take the bottle. She looks down and walks away. I pop the cap off of the bottle and drink to my hearts content.

#oc story #chapter 3 #original story #writing

[ultravioletlesbian]

my mom: the best years of my life were when you were little and i was always out partying :)

#(and you were taking care of your brother) #these weren’t her words but she did say those years were her best and um. bro this was when i was 7-11 and my brother was 3-7 and like umm #yeah you were always partying. hello. #talk talk talking #mothers tw #telling me stuff i had no idea about like um alright #remember when you would take my money that my grandparents would give to me and use it to go out and party🥴 #less upset about the money and more upset this woman went up to her 7 year old and said i need your money to go out like😭

[strangerquinns]

Always My Girl

Part One - Could You?

warnings: typical Euphoria triggers/warnings

words:1.6k+

It’s been a few days since New Years and everything between you and Fezco seem to go back to normal. But the thought you might feel the same continues to weigh heavily on his mind. 

The possibility that you could be in love with him seemed to now always be in the forefront of Fezco's mind. It was like hearing Ash acknowledge it changed everything for him. Fezco always tried to push away how he truly felt about you. Never think that someone like you, someone so good and pure in his mind, could be with someone like him. Fezco didn't live in a fantasy land where his life was normal. But he did what he had to do in order to provide for his family.

That also meant he wasn't able to have the girl - not the girl he wanted.  So instead of acting on how he truly felt, he let his heart yearn for you...no matter how much it hurt.

Fezco tried to tell himself that having you as a best friend was better than not having you in his life at all.

He cherished the moments when you'd come to the store just to sit with him. Or the long drives you take around town just to have the music fill the silence between you. Just sitting there side by side was enough for him. Even if he ached to reach across the counsel and hold your hand.

"Fez...Fez...Fezco!"

The sound of your voice drew his attention back to you. You were sitting on top of the counter with your legs swinging over the edge. Fezco blinked a few times before speaking;

"Sorry, ma...what were you sayin'?"

You looked down and shook your head, a shy smile spreading across your lips, "N-Nothin...um..."

"Nah come on, I'm payin' attention...promise."

You opened your mouth to speak again but heard the sound of the door opening to the store. Both your eyes moved towards the noise and you watched as Rue and Lexi walked through the door. The confidence you had slipped away as you watched the two of them walk into the store.

"Hey Rue Rue," You smiled towards her as the girl walked into the store.

"Hey," Rue spoke before her eyes moved towards Fezco. You knew what she was here. She slipped through the cooler door to where Ashtray was sitting.

The sound of your phone ringing drew your attention away from those in front of you, hopping off the counter and muttering something about your mom calling. Fezco rested back against his seat and watched you walk out the door before shaking his head and looking away.

"You talk to her yet?" Lexi whispered as she looked down towards Fez.

He sucked through his teeth and shook his head, "Nah...I-I...cain't."

Over the last few days, Fez had reached out to Lexi wanting advice on everything. He couldn't ask Rue knowing that she would either not be coherent enough to give sound advice. Or she would tell you forgetting that Fezco told her not to.

But of course, you didn't know that as you walked back into the store, well, looked through the doorway. You'd slipped your phone back into your pocket to head back into the store when you saw them. Fezco was laughing at something Lexi had said, her face split with a wide smile. You knew flirting when you saw it, or so you thought.

You felt your heart sink into your gut. All the confidence Maddy had helped you with finally saying something to Fezco faded away.

So instead of heading back into the store, you turned on your heels and walked to your car.

Days passed before Fezco heard from you again. Not that he didn't try. He text you soon after you left the store wondering where you'd been and every day since then. You would come up with stupid and lame excuses on why you weren't coming around - Fezco knew that you were lying too. Even through text messages, he was able to read you.

So he replayed that day in his mind to see where he could've gone wrong so bad that you would leave. He thought maybe seeing that Rue was no longer clean set you off? Nah that wasn't it. Maybe it was cause he zoned out and wasn't listening to her? Shit, nope that's not it either.

It was driving Fezco insane.

So the last thing he expected to see after closing up the store and doing a few deals was you standing in the kitchen. The house smelled of the food you were cooking and it made his stomach growl. It was then that Fezco realized he hadn't eaten since the morning.

Ashtray was sitting in the living room watching a movie as you moved through the kitchen. Fezco moved to stand in the doorway of the kitchen, leaning against the door frame, thinking for a moment he was hallucinating. That you weren't really in there.

"What are you doin' here?" Fezco asked

You jumped slightly at the sound of his deep and slow voice. When you turned away from the stove, you couldn't help but give him a small smile. It was a shy one like in the store the last time he saw you.

"It's Friday night...I always come over and make dinner on Fridays." You spoke.

Fezco moved from the doorway and walked closer to you "Yeah...but, I didn't think that you'd come over. Been avoidin' me,"

"I'm sorry." You turned down the heat on the stove and placed the top onto the pot.

"Thought you were mad at me or somethin..." Fezco looked down towards his feet for a moment before looking up towards you again.

He could see the panic in your eyes for a second before speaking quickly, "No. I-...I'm not mad at you Fez...I was just...um..."

A silence fell between you two as you swallowed down the other words you were going to say. Deep down you didn't know what explanation you were going to give him. That you were heartbroken that he was happy with Lexi? That would make you a selfish friend.

Ashtray looked through the small opening that looked into the kitchen and could see the two of you talking. He saw how the past week Fezco seemed to be going out of his mind since you weren't talking to his brother. Fez was chill about a lot of things and didn't really let his emotions show - but that didn't apply when it came to you.

"So you and Lexi?" You spoke breaking through the heavy silence the two of you seemed to fall into. "When did the two of you start dating?"

Fezco's brows pulled together tightly in confusion, "What?"

You shrugged, "You don't have to hide it. I saw the two of you at the store...looked...happy."

"Happy?" His voice seemed slower than usual as he tried to process what you were saying.

You plastered a fake smile on your face, moving towards the cabinets beside him and pulling down plates. "Come on, you don't have to hide it. We're best friends, we're supposed to tell each other this stuff."

You walked away from Fezco and went to set the table for the three of you. Fezco was stunned into silence as he watched you.

Where the fuck did he go wrong?

The three of you ate dinner, you and Ash mostly talked and laughed while you ate. Because Fez was trying to figure out how you thought he liked Lexi.

When dinner was done and over with, Ashtray headed down the hallway towards his room after everything was cleaned up. You walked out towards the living room with Fez, sitting down on the couch beside him as he lit a blunt.

"You never answered my question," You spoke, "When did you and Lexi start dating?"

Fezco laughed "You crazy you know that,"

You couldn't help but smile towards him as you watched him sink deeper into the couch beside you.

"Ma...Lexi and I aren' datin'...I don' know where ya got that from."

Now you were confused, "You guys looked all...cute at the store."

Fezco took a long drag from his blunt before slowly releasing the smoke into the air between you both. His eyes lulled to the side with his eyes slightly hooded. It was amazing to you even in the slightly dimmed room you were able to see how blue his eyes were. His long lashes dushing across his freckled cheeks.

"We was just talkin'....actually we was talkin' about you."

"Huh? Why?"

Fezco didn't know if it was cause he was high or not, but the words just slipped out.

"Cause she was tryin' to convince me to finally tell you how I feel..." His eyes stayed with you the entire time he talked. "Apparently it be obvious that I'm in love wit you, ma."

"What?" You whispered in shock.

"Ash told me too...real ain' good at hiddin' that shit." Fezco paused for a second. "You really didn't know?"

You suddenly felt hot and shook your head, sure that your face had to be enflamed at the moment. Fezco laughed lightly through his nose as he reached over and grabbed your hand, lacing his fingers through yours.

"Come 'ere." He spoke softly and pulled you closer against his side.

Your eyes looked down towards your joined hands and couldn't stop the smile that spread across your face.

"You're not messing with me right now are you?" You whispered

"Why you think I mess with you?" Fezco asked, leaning forward placing the rest of his blunt in the tray on the coffee table.

You shrugged your shoulders, "Never thought you'd like me back."

Fezco reached up and gently caressed your face softly. You couldn't help but lean into his touch.

"You have always been my girl," Fezco spoke,

Slowly you felt the smile spread across your face. You moved forward quickly and pulled him down into you more before pressing your lips against his. Fezco's lips felt soft against yours as they slowly moved in sync.

You slowly pulled away and whispered against his lips, "I love you too, Fezco."

hmmm....not sure how I feel about this one. Hopefully you all liked it? Thank you for the support on my first Fezco imagine. I literally didn’t think it would be liked that much.

send requests if you have any ideas!

@igotmajordaddyissues​

@wrcn9fvlcver​

@jamesbuckybarneswify​

#fezco x reader #fezco x female reader #fezco x y/n #fezco x you #fezco blurb #fezco concept #fezco imagine #fezco fanfic #fezco fanfiction #fez x reader #fez x female reader #fez x y/n #fez x you

[banditcoyote]

Wrangled and Tangled

Sasuga stood by the sink washing the last of the dishes from tonights meal. She smiled softly to herself as her tail flicked behind her, happy about the sets of cups and plates she had picked out, feeling domesticated and settled looking over the two sets of dishes her and her lover had shared, something about them in the drying rack felt almost romantic to her. But maybe it was just the way the sunset was showing so pink and purple over the water that was making her feel that way, the cool summer breeze blowing in from the open Lanai. She hummed to herself a little as she dried her hand and reached for the first plate, ready to dry them herself, when the dish cloth was plucked out of her hands swiftly.

“Let me take care of that.” Simon said perching himself onto the counter and starting to dry one of their plates.

“All the left overs put away?” she asked leaning against the counters and bringing her wine to her lips.

“Most of them.” he said with a nod. “Except for the second helping I couldn’t resist, which is now residing in my stomach.”  

She laughed lightly, brushing her hair back behind her ear “Well I’m glad you enjoyed it.” She said with a nod, moving to cozy up to him just a little bit, her eyes full of warmth, and maybe a bit of mischief. “Maybe we can enjoy some other things when you’re done putting those dishes away.” She said with a curl to her lips.

Simon returned the smile and took a moment to lean down to kiss her easily, drawing back with a little hum. “I can think of some things for sure.” He added. “But before we get too distracted.” He placed the clean plate down on the counter and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small ring box and placing it on the counter next to her hand. “Happy Anniversary.”

Sasuga froze at the sight of the small velvet box and her large eyes went wide, slowly looking up into Simon’s face, searching for the meaning.

Simon at once realizing what she might have thought smiled and blushed. “I know we’ve talked about it, but this is just a promise ring.”  Sasuga let go of the breath she was holding with some relief. He picked the box up and opened it. “See?” inside was a thing gold band with a small rose quartz crystal cut into the shape of a heart that side horizontal to the finger. He reached for her left hand and slid it on to her ring finger kissing it into place. “I love you Sasuga, I know that this might not be perfect, but I wanted you to know how much you mean to me.” Sasuga looked to the ring on her finger, feeling tears pull at the corner of her eyes. He hopped down from the counter “Oh no….is it too much? I know we said we weren’t going to do anything, that dinner was enough but-“

She shook her head “Don’t be stupid.” She said choking back her emotions. “I love it. I love you….Thank you.” She looked at the ring again before reaching up to tug on one of his horns pulling him down into a kiss. “Forget the dishes….come on.” She said, her tail already snaking up around his waist to guide him toward their bedroom.

Coyote woke up with a start, staring up into the dark ceiling above him. He contemplated for a moment what that dream could have meant, and his jaw tightened in his face. Did Sasuga sleep with Simon while he was away, it was the only rule he had given. Or maybe that had made the whole thing more enticing for the two of them. Still, why would Sasuga end up with Simon, he had the feeling he was absent, that house not looking familiar to him in the slightest. He closed his eyes again, almost willing it to come back to him, but some of the finer details were already fading from his memory, and all he remembered was the way the pair looked longingly at each other before they kissed. He gave a little growl and pushed himself up quickly to throw on some jeans and a shirt.

“Coyote?” Shishi asked lifting his head from where he was curled up on one of the pillows. “Where are you going?” he asked rubbing one of his eyes sleepily.

“I’m heading back to the Makai” he told Shishi as he pulled his shirt down over his torso.

The imp eyed the view appreciatively before his senses snapped back to him. “Should I be worried?” he asked knowing of Coyote’s sometimes prophetic dreams, and he wondered if he had some type of vision of Sasuga’s fights. “Do you want me to come with you?”

Coyote shook his head. “No. No. It’s nothing like that it’s….” only he wasn’t entirely sure he could begin to really understand it himself. He shook his head “Sasuga’s fine. I just need to see her. I only had that one other show at the end of the week anyway, stay here, I’ll go tell Russell to pack everything up and head on home. You’ll be fine finding a flight right? I mean, stay the night, don’t leave on my account.”

Shishi laughed “Oh it was that kind of dream was it?” he grinned. “Okay, Well, tell her I said hello and get back safely.” He said as he yawned and laid back down to sleep. “I’m sure Kurama and Gatlin will be happy to have me home, if they haven’t torn each other apart yet…”

Coyote slapped on his cowboy hat and grabbed a jacket though he felt his skin burning. “And you remember what we said about this right?” he asked as he headed toward the door.

“My lips are sealed.” Shishi murmured. “Not a word to anyone”

“Especially to Sasuga.” He confirmed hand on the door.

“Especially Sasuga.” Shishi promised “She’d probably be more upset with me than you anyway” and waved him off.

Coyote found himself easily at his ring manager’s trailer, pounding on the door. He felt bad to be waking Russell up like this but he knew he couldn’t just disappear in the middle of the night and leave Shishi to explain for  him, things looked weird enough having him around. Russell answered the door, looking as if he was still blinking back sleep. “Coyote, everything alright?” he asked looking around.

“No…Um no, there was a fire back at the ranch.” He said lying on his feet. Thinking easily of the fire at Thom’s he could use as a cover even if the time line wouldn’t match up. He figured it would never get back to Russell anyways. The manager looked concerned. “It’s nothing big, a small one thank god, no one hurt, but I really should get out there, I know we only have the exhibit at the end of the week so I was just going to head home now. Would that be too much of a pain for ya’ll to handle?”

Russell cleared the sleep from his eyes with his hand “Yeah, yeah I can handle it no problem. Take care, hope it’s as small as you say.” He said and headed back to his bed.

Coyote made one more stop, saying farewell to Poncho in his trailer, before he headed towards the nearest portal in the woods, which was still pretty far, and Coyote had to be careful no one saw him as he slipped into the woods and transformed, having to sprint as fast as he could to reach the portal before daylight. He was glad he had the foresight to try and keep his motorcycle as close to him as possible, as the only other way he could have gotten there was to fly back home and then race to her, and he wasn’t sure he could stand being on a plane the way he was feeling.  All cooped up without being able to run or move, or do anything. It would have been torture, not like the past few weeks hadn’t been. The time away from Sasuga had been harder than he’d like to admit, and he already knew he would never plan on being away from her like this again. All the time away from her he had felt like pulling his skin off. He had helped Thom around her house before he left, and at the rodeo he did more of the manual work than anyone really wanted him to. He ran Poncho as often as he felt he could without causing the poor animal too much strain, and then would run laps as fast as he could as long as he could well into the night. But it was never enough, the women that tried to greet him as soon as he stepped out of the rodeo corral still enticed him to the point he had to nearly run back to his RV. All that hair, perfume, and how the hell where they making such good bras now adays? Though he was sure that some of breasts out there weren’t only held up by a bra but maybe some type of surgery, that didn’t sway him away any. Then the fact that in some of the more populous areas there were actual demon women in the crowds, and those he really had to avoid. He was sure they’d sense something about him, and he was doing his best to be incognito. Luckily his prior years of fooling around with plenty of the women at these things rarely had any of his crew spotting him being social, so now that he was hiding out on his own it went unnoticed. Coyote tried to run himself ragged, exercise, the rodeo, his variety of plants and a few sex toys paired unironically with the body pillow he had snuck on board, none of it had done the exact trick. Which had then led him to call Shishi. It had been a long shot, but it didn’t take much convincing getting him to come out to see him in secret, even if he was a bit miffed at having to mostly stay hidden at the events. Coyote let him have the pass into where the wives or girlfriend’s normally sat, and he posed in his refinery during the events when it fancied him. It had helped tire him out, but he still hadn’t been getting enoug

He thought he could remain out here for the full month, and they had gotten so close, it was almost silly to run now. But after the dream with her and Simon he just couldn’t deny the ache he felt for his mate any longer and he had to find his way back to her. Dawn was just about to break as he reached the portal and he wasted no time heading through it and heading towards where he had hidden his bike. He felt like a dog that had gotten a scent, and he wasn’t going to rest until he got to her. **** Four days later still hours from dawn, Coyote stashed the bike behind the hotel, barely taking care to hide it, and stumbled into the lobby. He had all the faith in the world that Sasuga was still in the tournament, and held the most hope that meant she was still in the hotel room that he had the key stashed for. He limped into the lobby where the clerk paled at the site of him. “Sir….” He said rushing around the desk and towards him. “Do you need a medic?” he asked looking him over.

Coyote didn’t waste the energy to speak to him and only shook his head as he stumbled forward before catching his balance again. He knew what he looked like, but wasn’t stopped as it was clear the clerk in his pristine uniform was afraid to touch him at all.

“Is there someone I can call?” he said walking along side him as Coyote shuffled to the elevator, bracing himself against the lobby wall and causing a smear of blood to press into the wall paper.

Coyote considered it for a moment, but shook his head again. If Sasuga was still in the tournament this late in the game there was a chance she was injured as well, and he wanted her to save her strength for fighting. He’d be okay. He just needed a shower, some stitches, and her.

The clerk did not follow him into the elevator, being the main hotel for the tournament he was surely not the only injured guest they received, and he retreated back to their desk, probably to call for maintenance to clean up whatever other mess Coyote had left behind him. He leaned against the wall as it started it’s ascension toward the upper floors, again leaving a smear of dirt and blood where his shoulder braced himself. A few droplets of blood dripping from somewhere onto the floor. It seemed to take forever for the elevator to reach it’s destination, the doors pausing once as a couple was about to get on, but after seeing him let him go on without a question. Coyote almost passed out, unsure if it was from blood loss or exhaustion, but the dinging and wooshing of the doors riled him, and he staggered out into the hallway. Knowing he was so close to Sasuga spurred him on, and he was relieved to find that the card key still worked. He let himself into the hotel room, finding it dark and quiet and he did his best to move with stealth into the bathroom. He passed the bed and spotted Sasuga sleeping peacefully by herself, he was grateful for this because with the rage that was still somewhat in his veins if he had found Simon with her he might have taken a regrettable action. In that moment iat took everything in him to not simply cover her with himself, though with how dirty he was he knew it would only concern her more. There was blood in his mouth and under his fingernails, matting his hair down and sticking to his hat. Better to clean himself up first, and he shut the bathroom door behind him before turning on the light.

He did his best not to look at himself in the mirror, but finding it a necessity to assess some of the damage. If he had made it this far like this it couldn’t have been too bad. Still he was in rough shape. Not only was his face cut, bruised, and swollen, but he had also lost enough weight that he appeared gaunt under the torn and dirty clothes he wore. He slowly undressed, assessing each wound, fresh bruises forming on top of old ones, some cuts that were still bleeding every time he moved, gashes that would no doubt need to be closed up. He hissed as some of the clothing stuck to him where blood had dried, let his effects fall to the floor, his gun empty and tucked back in his holster, and stepped into the shower letting the water strike at his feet until it was warm enough to step into. He braced himself against the wall, letting it flow over his hair and down his back, feeling the sense of relief start to fill him as well. He had made it, he was close to resting, and he was close to his mate, that was all he could ask for right now.

#cut for length and posting

[messers-moony]

One in the Same | R.B

Paring: Regulus Black X Wife!Reader

Summary: Reader notices Draco going through the same pain as her ex lover and desperately wants fix her faults.

“Mr.Malfoy, can you stay after class, please?” 

“‘Course, Professor Black.”

An average day in second year. Professor Black - Y/n - taught History of Magic after Professor Binns decided his time was up. Too long of teaching sleeping students who could care less about his lessons. However, once Y/n took over the position, kid's grades improved and people were no longer sleeping. She made things fun and inventive.

After class time was up, everyone filed out of the classroom aside from the blond Slytherin boy. Draco has always been on the good side of Professor Black. She was always extremely kind to him despite his rather sour attitude at times. But Draco was always hesitant to initiate a conversation to really speak his feelings to her. But this was the first time she had him stay after class. 

Y/n pulled out the chair in front of her desk as he sat down. His white-blond hair and gleaming blue eyes. His young face, not yet defined. Y/n with her h/c hair and curious glinted e/c eyes. 

“Draco, I want to start this by saying I don’t know what your home life is like.” Y/n began, “I went to Hogwarts with your parents, though, and he wasn’t always kind. Your mother was cordial with me, though.”

“If you don’t find me intruding, what’s your home life like?” 

“I- Um- It’s good.” Stammered Draco, “Father and Mother are always kind.”

Y/n’s eyes glinted with curiosity, “Lucius tolerated me.”

“Tolerated you?”

“I married one of his best friends.” Y/n chuckled, “He didn’t have a choice.”

Draco tilted his head, “Sirius?”

“Oh heavens no!” Y/n exclaimed, “Regulus. Sirius Black's brother.” 

“My- My dead cousin?” He queried. 

She nodded, “Yes. I married Regulus right after graduation. His parents weren’t thrilled, but he loved me so, here we are.”

“May I ask a question?”

“Shoot.”

“What were his parents like?”

“Horrible. The worst.” Y/n spat, “Sirius got the worst of it, but Regulus did occasionally too.”

“Walburga and Orion were awful. Using the crucio curse is not a great punishment for kids.” Draco’s eyes widened, “Both of them had scars from the curse. Sirius ran away at sixteen, and Regulus was used as their puppet. So used that at the age of eighteen, he felt like he had to prove himself. Which inevitably got him killed.”

“How did you deal with it?”

“Well, would you like my honest answer or my Professor answer?”

“Honest, please.”

“Between you and I, I still haven’t gotten over it.” Y/n shrugged, “I see something that reminds me of him, and I’m back at the start all over again. It takes time, and it’s taken plenty of time, but here I am, doing what I love. Teaching kids.”

“Anyways.” Y/n smiled, “You’re dismissed. I’m sorry I took up your time. However, if you ever feel the need to speak with me, let me know. Okay?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Draco picked up his bag, rustling as he stood up. The blond boy was still digesting all the information he gained. He couldn’t believe that his cousins got the crucio curse for a punishment. He thought his parents were bad. Theirs was way worse. Draco was about to walk out of the classroom but turned last minute to look at his Professor. 

“Professor?” 

“Yes, Draco?”

“There’s-“ He swallowed, “There’s a Quidditch match this Saturday. Slytherin versus Ravenclaw. If you have the time, I’d like you to come.”

“Of course. I’ll be there.” Y/n smiled. 

He walked out of the room without a second stop. He felt better about himself now. He had someone who genuinely seemed to care about him. Draco didn’t trust her just yet, but he wouldn’t be opposed to speaking with her as he had just now in the future. Professor Black had always been open and honest with her students. Perhaps that’s why kids liked her so much. 

Saturday arrived quicker than Y/n would’ve hoped for one reason. She, herself, didn’t own any Slytherin-colored merchandise anymore. But there was a box in her quarters that she brought with her to Hogwarts every year. Regulus’s old clothes meaning all his scarfs, ties, button-ups, pants, hats, etc. Y/n couldn’t seem to get rid of them. Frankly, she didn’t want to get rid of them either. 

Carefully she pulled the cardboard box from the top of her closet. Taking a pair of scissors and breaking the tape seal she had put on it multiple years ago. Inside laid many pieces of the evergreen and silver cloth. Y/n’s hands gravitated to the green and silver scarf. Bringing it to her nose, she was shocked. It still smelt like him. Godric, this was going to be more challenging than she initially thought. 

Nonetheless, she put it around her neck along with her button-up and tight-fit pants. Y/n put on the green gloves, much too big for her but had fit Regulus perfectly, the tie, and the scarf. It brought her a sense of nostalgia. It made Y/n feel like she was a fifth-year going out with Regulus on a date to Hogsmeade. But she wasn’t fifteen or in fifth year. Y/n was a Professor and a full-grown adult. And Regulus was dead. 

The game was going well for Slytherin at the beginning. But like most Quidditch games, things can change rather quickly. Ravenclaw was studious. That was for sure. They played skillfully. Y/n sat in the Professor stands with the rest of her colleagues. She sat between McGonagall and Flitwick. But white-blond hair caught her attention in front of her. Lucius Malfoy was here spectating his son. 

McGonagall nudged her, “Where’d you get the Slytherin gear?”

“Regulus.”

“How have you been, dear?” McGonagall questioned softly, “It’s been a whirlwind, but nothing I can do will bring him back, so ‘m still here for him. It’s what he would’ve wanted.” Y/n replied. 

Minerva placed a hand on the girl's knee, “If you need anything, let me know.”

“‘Course, Professor.”

The game ended tragically. Slytherin had just tied the game when Cho Chang had caught sight of the snitch. Sadly, she was able to grasp it before Draco. Leaving Slytherin with two-hundred and thirty points while Ravenclaw ended with three-hundred and eighty points. Lucius seemed furious with this conclusion and stormed off the stands. Y/n knew something was up, so she followed him. 

She came up in a deserted hallway in Hogwarts. Draco stood - now changed into the usual Hogwarts robes - and his father stood before him. From the view she had, Draco’s back was to her, and his father was towering over the boy. 

Lucius had a cold and icy voice, “You are insufferable!”

“You had one job, Draco! One! Catch the damn snitch.” He scolded, “Perhaps you were too daft to figure that out?”

“‘M sorry, father. I didn’t mean to. Honest.” Draco was pleading and begging for mercy; it made Y/n’s heartache at the familiar words. 

“Mum, Dad, I seriously didn’t mean to!” Regulus had cried after breaking a vase, “Excuses, excuses, they won’t get you anywhere in life, boy!” Orion shouted. 

Tears collected in his silver eyes, “‘M sorry! ‘M so sorry!”

Walburga pointed her wand at him, “Crucio.”

Lucius scoffed, “Malfoy’s don’t cry, wipe those tears.”

“Should‘ve sent you to Durmstrang. You come to Hogwarts and forget everything I’ve ever taught you.”

“Father, I really didn’t mean to! She just got there faster than me.” Draco begged. 

Y/n saw it before Draco did. Lucius raised his palm slowly, and Draco flinched. Y/n saw the pale hand rise into the air, and without a second thought, she ran in front of the young boy, taking the blow that was meant for Lucius’ son. Draco heard the sound but never felt the impact. Carefully he opened his eyes to see Professor Black standing in front of him, a hand on her cheek. 

“How dare you get in the way!” Lucius yelled, “How dare I? How dare you for trying to leave a hand on your son!” Y/n retorted her bright cheek red from impact. 

Draco was appalled, “Draco is your son! Not a toy or a puppet, and I will not stand for this!”

“You don’t have to, half breed.” Lucius seethed, “As you said, he’s my son. Not yours.”

“I could give less fucks!” Y/n exclaimed, “Draco is my student. I will not be having you lay your hands on my students.”

Lucius scoffed, “Where’s your child, mm?”

“Right, you don’t have one.” Lucius answered, “Because your blood-traitor of a husband decided to get himself killed!”

“Regulus was not a blood-traitor for trying to right his wrongs!”

“Regulus and Sirius were no different from each other.”

“Leave them out of this!”

“Oh, so it’s still a soft spot for you?”

“So help me, I’ll-“

“Petrificus Totalus.” Draco stated while holding his wand, causing his father to fall to the ground, paralyzed. 

Y/n stared at the body in shock, “Draco.”

She didn’t even have time to reprimand him before he burst into tears. Y/n turned quickly and embraced him into a much-needed hug while the boy sobbed on her shoulder. Y/n’s hands went through Draco’s white-blond hair gently while he let every emotion out. She pulled away and wiped the tears on his cheeks. 

“You’re going to be okay, I promise.” Y/n informed, and Draco nodded, “Th- Thank you, Professor.”

Y/n smiled and sent him off to the Slytherin common room, leaving her to deal with Lucius. The Professor dragged him to Madam Pomfrey to deal with. Later that night, in her quarters, while brushing her teeth, she noticed the considerable bruise covering her left cheek: Blue and purple hues mixed to create a dark blue-violet looking color, almost grey. 

Sixth year was now here. Y/n’s fourth year of teaching at Hogwarts, and she couldn’t have asked for a better job. On September 1st, she went through the floo-network to arrive in her teacher's quarters. Looking at the time, it seemed that students were just about reaching onto the grounds when a knock sounded at her door. 

“Come in!”

A blond boy, much taller, defined face, and grey eyes had just walked into her teacher's quarters, “Good evening, Professor.”

“Good evening, Draco.” Y/n greeted smiling brightly, “What's on your mind, sweetheart?”

Draco didn’t know where to begin as water collected on his lower lash line, and gently he pulled up his left sleeve. Godric, it felt like deva Vu all over again. 

“Y- Y/n.” Regulus called through his tears, “What’s wrong, baby?” Y/n asked, sitting beside him on the four-poster bed. 

Regulus couldn’t help the tears that helplessly fell down his cheeks. His eyes were silver and blurred. Cheeks flushed and hair knotted. This past summer had been a shit show for him with Sirius running away and just everything that had gone on. Regulus had never felt this hopeless before. 

“I- I need your help.”

“Of course, anything, baby.”

He swallowed, “Just know that I’ll love you forever. Okay?”

“‘Course.”

Gently, he released a breath of air and pulled up his left sleeve. The combined snake and skull only meaning one thing. Regulus was now a death eater to the Dark Lord. Tears sprung in Y/n’s eyes but not because of disappointment but because of worry. She didn’t know what she would do if Regulus were to be gone. 

“They forced me!” Regulus pleaded, “Please, please don’t leave me.” 

Regulus was weeping, and Y/n took him into her arms, “Shh, shh, I’m not disappointed. I’m just worried about you.”

“I don’t wanna- I don’t wanna do this.” Regulus whimpered, “Please help me.”

“I’m gonna help you ‘m love. Don’t worry.” 

“What happened this summer?” Y/n asked as Draco pulled back down his sleeve.

“Auntie Bella.”

Draco was trying so hard to swallow his tears as his Professor was now face to face with him, “Draco.”

How was her voice so sweet and calm, almost like she had done this before, “It’s okay to show emotion. It’s being human. Let it go, darling.”

Just like that, the dam broke, and Draco was a sobbing mess again. How was it that Professor Black had always managed to feel more like home than his actual parents? What had his mum done for him while Bellatrix was giving him the mark? She had just stood there watching pain contort on his face. Y/n felt more like a mother to him, more like family to him. 

“Shh. Shh. You’re safe here, Draco.”

“They- They want me-“ He was choking on his words, and Y/n placed her hands on his shoulders, “Take deep breaths and then explain. Okay?”

He began to inhale and exhale air at a slow pace, “They want me to-“ Draco swallowed, “They want me to kill Dumbledore.”

“Okay.” Y/n stated, letting out a breath of air, “You and I will get through this.” 

“You- You promise?” 

“I promise.”

Perhaps it was instinct now for Draco to stay after in her classroom. After every lesson, Draco would visit her in her classroom just to be in her company or to talk. What was it about Y/n that drew these people close to her? Ones with broken souls who believed that couldn’t be helped. Was it her kindness? Perhaps it was her caring nature—too many variables to pinpoint. 

The moment Y/n heard crying in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, she knew something was wrong. Approaching cautiously, she saw Harry Potter doing the same behind Draco, who stood facing the basin, dried tears on his cheeks. Everything happened too fast for Y/n to understand. But when Harry spoke an incantation that left Draco bleeding out on the floor, everything changed. 

She was jumping into action hastily, falling to her knees beside the blond-haired boy while Harry was almost in tears at his mistake. Y/n took her wand out and began muttering spells to heal the boy's chest. Harry was now in a heap on the floor, tears filling his glorious emerald eyes while the Professor took care of his harm. It took ten minutes before the bleeding stopped, and Y/n turned to face Harry. 

“Harry.” 

“‘M sorry. I- I didn’t know…”

“It’s okay. I’m just glad I was here.” Y/n replied, and Harry looked like a mess, “I need you to go to the Gryffindor tower and not speak of this to anyone, okay?”

He nodded and stood up sluggishly. Harry left the bathroom, leaving Y/n with an unconscious Draco. Sighing heavily, she picked up the boy and lugged him to the hospital wing, where he was taken care of. The following day an owl was pecking at Y/n’s window, leading her to wake up and take the note from the owl’s foot. 

“Draco won’t stop calling for you.”

Y/n freshened up, brushing her teeth, hair, and a change of clothes before making her way to the Hospital Wing. It was quite a ways away from. Her section of the school, but if Draco needed her, she needed to be there even if it was six o’clock in the morning. Her shoes made a light tap along with the wood as she walked and hesitantly opened the big door to the infirmary. 

“Oh, thank Merlin!” Madam Pomfrey said with her hand over her heart, “Draco has been asking for you, my dear.”

She gave a tiny smile as Pomfrey pointed to where Draco was lying. Carefully she stripped back some of the white curtain and pulled a chair beside his bed. Y/n took his hand in his. It was cold and pale. If she closed her eyes, she could imagine holding Regulus’ hand in the same exact way after a horrible Bludger accident. 

An hour later, Draco finally woke up, “Mornin’ sweetheart.”

“Professor, you- you came.”

She smiled, “You called for me, of course, I’d come.”

Draco pushed himself up into a sitting position, his grey eyes locked on her warm e/c ones, “Sorry, I just, didn’t expect you to come.”

“How are you feeling?” 

“I feel okay. Little sore but nothing I haven’t been through.” 

Y/n smiled sadly, “I knew a boy just like you, you know?”

“You did?” Draco asked, and she nodded, “I did.”

“Could you tell me about him?”

“Well, he was strong, smart, and closed off. His home life wasn’t too great either and was forced into being what his parents were too.” Draco looked eager for more, “Eventually, he realized that this wasn’t the life he wanted. He no longer cared about his parent's approval. He just wanted to be him, but by then, it was too late.”

“Too late?”

She nodded, “He was already in too late, so he did the only thing he thought of. Betraying his parents, his family. He was so caught up in what he was doing he didn’t realize what he was doing, and now, because of that, he’s no longer with us.”

“But you aren’t too late, Draco.” Y/n stressed, tightening her grip on his hand, “Let me save you. Let me help you.”

Tears ebbed at the corners of his eyes, “Please.”

Y/n took him in her arms and rubbed his back soothingly, “You aren’t alone. I’m here for you.”

It took months, but everything was over. It felt like time had stopped. Y/n could remember the terror standing outside of Hogwarts as the death eaters stood on the other side. Narcissa was calling for him - the boy who had no choice - and Draco was panicking as Lucius began calling his name. 

Draco swallowed and shook his head. 

It was the feeling of relief that brought Y/n solace. Draco took the step that Regulus took, and she would make sure he didn’t pay for it. The relief felt like a breath of fresh air now that the war was over. Y/n had stepped into the Great Hall panicking, hoping, praying that he was okay. At that moment she saw it. 

He was crouched in the corner. People were glaring at him all around. Draco saw. He saw the Weasleys crying over Fred. He saw Harry look empty, staring at Remus Lupin and Nymphadora. The way Lavender Brown’s parents sobbed over her dead body. He saw the way Dennis Creevey was yelling and screaming in pain at seeing his deceased older brother. Draco could remember how close they were. 

Nonetheless, he stood up and ran into her arms: his solace, home, and safe place. Draco couldn’t remember what it felt like to be held this tight. He dug his nose into her neck and just remembered to breathe. She pulled away to see a small smile playing on his lips. Y/n cupped his cheeks gently. 

“I’m so, so proud of you.” Y/n smiled, “I can't explain how proud I am of you. You did it.”

Draco smiled and leaned into her hands, “Thanks, mum.”

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