#was fun to write & hope you found it fun too!

[repulsiveliquidation]

Scars || Alexia Putellas

Summary : you finally let Alexia be intimate with you. A little detail slips your mind but she soon uncovers the truth behind your hesitation to let her love you how she wants to.

warnings : smut in the beginning but nothing too explicit. angst. mentions of self-harm and bullying.

“Mm, amor you smell so good…” Alexia moans, kissing your neck. You smile and arch your back into her, biting your lip. She leaves wet sloppy kisses along your collarbones, nipping at them slightly. You giggle and tell her to stop tickling you with her blonde brunette hair, your hands tucking the loose strands behind her ears.

You hear her take a sharp inhale of your scent and feel your core throb at the deep sigh she lets out. Your hands cradle her head as she looks up at you, eyes darting down to your lips as she licks her own.

“Used that body wash you like,” you whisper, leaning in to kiss her. She kisses back immediately and you feel her melt, large hands pulling your waist closer to her.

“So beautiful,” Alexia whispers only for you to hear, the random assortment of rings on her hands leave cold shocks on your exposed skin.

 Her hands roam your build with determination as her lips nip and nibble on your chest. She pulls the tank top off you and takes a breast into your mouth, suckling gently. You shudder and moan her name unashamedly, chasing the feeling she left on your chest as she moved to the other breast. She kneaded the other and you could feel the groan in the back of her throat, strong thighs keeping yours wide open how she wanted.

The cold air in the room kept your nipple taut and hard, her fingers rolling them around as she rushed forward to kiss you.

“May I?” she asked politely, pupils dilated and full of lust.

“Please,” you beg and you see the look in her eyes darken.

But all this fun was about to be cut short.

You forgot one tiny thing.

But you couldn’t warn her before she pulled your sweats off.

“Cariño, what is all this?”

You take a split second to understand what she meant and when you finally realize it, she had seen most of it.

“No!” you yell, pulling the sweats back over your thighs and bounding for the bathroom almost tripping over yourself.

Your teenage years were not easy. Abandoned by your father and neglected by your mother, you ran away from home at age 7 hoping for a better chance at life. Two months on the streets, you were left cold and hungry, when a kind slightly elderly couple took you in. Sharon and Thomas gave you a roof over your head, hot food, and clothes; most importantly, a home.

They were both school teachers; Thomas taught PE and Sharon taught English. They were kind and gave you free reign in life.

Thomas taught you how to play football and while you were good, English was your passion. Writing came so naturally to you, Sharon was the one who suggested you write your first book. So you did. Poems came so easily to you, the words filling pages so fast, Thomas could barely keep up with buying you new ones.

Being an accomplished writer at 15 was unheard of, which gained you some local fame.

But with fame, came a price you wished you didn’t have to pay.

A local rival publishing team that had rejected your book was vengeful of the success it gained and did a little digging. They found your parents and your past, learning about your brief stint at homelessness and how you ran away from home at 7.

The headlines the next day were the topic of bullying from a group of mean kids at school. You didn’t remember their names now, years later but their words rang fresh in your mind if you allowed yourself to spiral.

Each word was one stroke of the blade over your perfect skin.

Each bloom of blood was the pain fading away.

Or so you thought.

Somehow the next day, their fresh set of insults doubled the pain. It made your chest tight, your head pound, your grades drop and your passion for writing evaporate.

“Nothing new in your notebook, peanut?” Sharon asked so sweetly, finding you sipping on tea in the sunroom. She brushed your hair back sweetly, leaving a kiss on your forehead.

“Nothing,” you lied. There were new things. They weren’t particularly parent-friendly.

“Tom and I are heading to a school meeting, dinner’s in the oven for you, okay?” she walks away, a knowing expression on her face. She can sense the pain like she was your own mother but kept her mouth shut.

“I love you,” she added and you looked at her, close to tears. If she could tell, she made no move to let you know she did but smiled when you said it back to her with a forced one. It broke her heart but she did not know that yours broke more.

You sat in your bathroom, hands clammy and shaking. The blade glimmered back at you like it was taunting you.

“It’ll take the pain away,” you convinced yourself, pressing the cold object over your mangled skin on your thigh.

The blood washed away but more pricked to the surface with each cut. Soon the water turned a dark red, and your head dully thudded against the glass wall, the pain fading into numbing nothingness.

The beeping of the monitors around you was what roused you. There were too many lights and lots of voices at once, but your mother’s sobs were instantly recognizable.

“Where did we go wrong, Tom?” she asked your father, “how did we not know?”

“I don’t know, Shar,” he said, sounding sad, “I don’t know.”

His next words broke you more than any bully's words could.

“I’m sorry we failed you, kiddo. Dad’s sorry.”

“You didn’t fail me, Dad. You saved me,” you mumbled, tears filling your eyes as they pulled away from one another and rushed to your bedside. Mom hugged you tight and thanked her stars you were okay while your father held your hand and kissed it over and over.

“There’s my little girl,” he said, looking teary himself.

“You saved me, both of you. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you sooner,” you apologized but they were not hearing none of it.

“You are the best thing that’s ever happened to us, peanut. The best.”

You don’t know when you started to build the dam in your heart but it broke the moment your parents held you in their arms. The safety of their arms was something you didn’t know you craved. But when they gave it to you, all your pain went away.

You never felt that safety from anyone else. Until you met Alexia.

You were merely a fan in the stands, dragged to a Barcelona game by your friends at work who happened to have an extra ticket to a Liga F game. She caught your eye and you hers, shy smiles and a hastily bought jersey from the stands outside got you her signature and her number written below it.

It took two coffees and a single baked good to know you were marrying this woman. She was funny, kind, loyal, inspirational, and simply devoted to you.

But most importantly, her arms were a safe haven. For you and your thoughts that still lingered to this day.  

You explained every one of the scars on your legs after she had begged for you to let her into the bathroom. One thing about your relationship with Alexia was that you were sure she was too good to be true.

Part of you wanted her so badly, but the other part convinced you that she would leave the moment she saw the scars. the mangled skin from years of reopening wounds. The bumps and ridges that cheap blades from the corner store got you on a teenager’s allowance.

And when she didn’t leave, you hated that you felt her pity. This world-class football player felt bad for the girl she met in the stands at one of her games. But she didn’t. She sat with you and listened, eyes and mind solely focused on you.

“Show me your scars,” she asked.

“But why?” you answered, albeit through sobs.

“I want to see how many times you needed me and I wasn’t there.”

It wasn’t long before you were back in her arms again, safe and sound, ready to be fiercely loved by her for the rest of your life.  

#alexia putellas #fc barca femeni #woso x reader #woso community #woso imagines #woso #woso one shot #espwnt #woso angst #woso fanfics #woso imagine

[peachhcs]

congrats on 700 followers!!! ⭐️ for your celly, a blurb with prompt #1 with gabe perreault and any girl oc!!

long day cuddles

gabe perreault x fem!reader

after a long day, all gabe wants to do is crawl into his girlfriend's bed

0.5k words

gabeeee i love him so much. i think a gabe au is on the way at some point in the future! writing him is so much fun, i hope you like this requested blurb :)

700 celly masterlist

you were the only thing on gabe’s mind as he finished up with classes for the day. he trudged his way towards your dorm with the only thing he wanted was to crawl into your bed and fall asleep. finals drained everything out of him, especially since he had so much studying to catch up on after missing class due to being at the frozen four. he knew he needed a break though and you were the perfect pit stop before the library where he’d drown himself in his textbooks for the rest of the night. 

he typed a quick message to you to let you know he would be at your dorm in five minutes so you could let him in. you responded almost immediately saying you would head down. gabe couldn’t fight the smile creeping onto his lips knowing he got to see you in 50 steps. it was hard to find time together with your busy schedules, so the boy was grateful both of you had some free time. 

he could see you standing by the door as he got closer, your own smile painting your lips when you spotted your boyfriend coming. gabe widened his stride to cut the walk down, scooping you into his arms as soon as he was close enough. 

“hi baby,” you smiled into his shoulder. 

“hi, so good to see you,” the dark-haired boy pecked your lips before leading him inside. 

his fingers intertwined with yours while you waited for the elevator to come back down. “how was class?” your eyes found his again. 

“it was fine. just tired is all,” the boy mumbled. you squeezed his hand tighter knowing how much studying he’s been doing to make up for the days he missed last week. 

you rode up to your room in comfortable silence and as soon as you opened up the door, gabe’s backpack was on the ground, shoes off, and he climbed into your bed without much warning. he snuggled himself into the covers while you giggled as his behavior. 

“tired much?” you laughed, kicking your own shoes off to join the sleepy hockey player. 

“i told you,” gabe mumbled. he reached out for you, bringing you to lay on his chest as you got yourself comfortable beside him. 

“how’s studying?” you brushed his loose curls away from his forehead. 

“fine. feels like i missed a whole semester with how much i’m trying to teach myself,” gabe frowned. 

“i mean, you did kind of miss a lot of class for games. i can always help you too,” you grinned, always glad to help your boyfriend study (as long as he didn’t distract both of you whenever you did study together). 

“i know. i hate asking you though knowing you have a lot to study for too,” he always made sure he put you first. you rolled your eyes a bit. 

“you should know that i’m weeks ahead already. maybe we can go to the library after a bit?” you suggested. 

“sounds perfect,” gabe pulled you closer, wanting to lay in your bed for as long as he could. 

#gabe perreault #gabe perreault x reader #gabe perreault x you #gabe perreault x y/n #boston college #boston college hockey #gabe perreault fluff #gabe perreault imagines #bc eagles #bc hockey #gabe perreault x fem!reader #peachhcs 700 celly!

[bratbutcute]

A sparkle in the night

Fandom: Hazbin Hotel

Pair: Alastor and Vox. A bit platonic, a bit romantic, could be read in different ways.

Disclaimer: Nothing other than it’s a SFW tickle fic. They are also slightly ooc but tbh we don’t really know since I’m describing a moment that happened before the series takes place sooooo… who knows (but honestly, Alastor is much too sweet to be canon).

Also I had fun with some fonts I found online, I don’t know if that is a problem so if you find difficulties reading please tell me and I’ll change it!

Vox is stressed and wants to reminisce old times, old friends, old feelings.

I got the idea for this from this fic by @starlight-write. I wanted to explore Alastor and Vox’s relationship before whatever happened between them.

I hope you all enjoy it!

~~~

Hell had changed a lot since Vox first arrived. He had met many Overlords who now weren’t ‘alive’ anymore, killed by Angels or by other sinners. He had seen Hell change its geography, different shops rising and then succumbing to nefarious fate.

He had met friends along the way, and he had lost them too.

Vox had learnt that the afterlife was just as complicated and confusing as his past life: people were hard to read, it was hard to understand their needs and, honesty, he wasn’t very good at accommodating them. Of course it was easy to solve people problems work wise (most of the times he was the one creating a fake problem and giving the public a new product as a solution), but when it came to personal business he couldn’t just hypnotise everyone. Well he could but…

He was alone in his personal room, monitors all over him, phones and computers all around him. Even if he was alone he was constantly under the spotlight. He knew he had to prove he was stronger. That he wasn’t scared of anything or anyone.

That’s how he would spend the majority of his afterlife: surrounded by his constant eyes, recording every movement he himself ever made.

So that’s why he felt so excited when he turned off every single monitor except for the bigger one in front of him. He shut down every camera or microphone around him. Unrecorded. Unregistered moments.

A shiver ran down his spine.

After seeing that ghost of his past back again after seven years of absence he had to see something. Something that was his and his only.

What he was looking for was an old memory, one that he had to update digitally from his old headset.

Everything was meticulously categorised so it didn’t take long before he found what he was looking for.

The video started.

And he was almost 45 years younger, he had a different - and much heavier - headset and an ‘old pal’ next to him.

They were in the middle of an animated conversation in a remote bar in the pride ring. Everybody was keeping their distance from them and the moody bartender kept sending them drink after drink.

«Television is much more than photography you radio obsessed demon. Television is alive, it’s thrilling!» Vox exclaimed standing up and stomping his foot on the chair in front of him. Alastor looked at the action with little to no reaction, his usual smile plastered on his face.

«You, young man, are as loud as a cow at the slaughterhouse. That is in no way an Overlord behaviour.» he said squeezing his shoulder and inviting Vox to sit again.

Vox blinked in confusion - and slight worry because of the metaphor - before pouting as a scolded child. He got himself back on the high stools next to the counter dangling his feet.

Alastor poured another whiskey in his glass.

«I admire your enthusiasm, but you have to understand that Hell is different from Earth. You cannot show demons your… moving pictures and expect them to simply follow you. You need to plan. To be strategic. Logical.» he offered the drink to Vox, who looked at the goldish liquid with skepticism.

Alastor’s smile grew bigger. «A peace offer?». Vox sighed and gulped it down in one shot, much to Alastor’s disapproval.

«I think you’re complicating your life too much! I can hypnotise people!» he pointed at his eyes as the pupil changed, but Alastor was unfazed.

«It doesn’t work on me.»

«Yeah I still have to understand why…» he sighed as his head started to spin. His face became a bit foggy, just for a moment.

That made Alastor grin wider. «Is the strong and powerful aspiring Overlord feeling a bit dizzy?»

«Fuck you I am not. You’re just-» he looked down at his empty glass and grabbed the bottle to refill it. «I am an Overlord! ‘M not aspiring to be anything you pompous-» but he was cut off by Alastor cupping Vox’s hands with his and helping him pour the drink. Vox’s heart skipped a beat as his antennas sparkled.

«You were saying?» he hummed, fully aware of what he was doing.

«Fuck you.»

Alastor’s smiled softened «Charming.» and Vox smiled back, rolling his eyes.

They had these kind of conversations every time they hang out. They would go to a bar and sit far away from everyone, start bickering, try to get a deal one from the other only to call it even and repeat this cycle every few days. Vox kept convincing himself that these encounters weren’t a big deal but things like that, like that genuine smile, made him doubt that.

Vox drank his whiskey quickly, just to see Alastor’s ear flicker in dismay, a gesture Vox had learnt to recognise over the years.

He took the bottle and refilled his and Alastor’s empty glass.

«You do not understand what it means to be an Overlord just as much as you do not understand how to enjoy your drink.» Alastor said turning on his stool and leaning with his back on the counter.

«AH! Alcohol gets you drunk. That’s the big meaning behind it.»

Vox was about to chug down his whiskey when he felt something brushing over his side. As he yelped Alastor snickered, trying to camouflage it with a cough.

«AÆl- he glitched - what are you doing?»

«As you can see I am not doing anything.» he said raising his hands to prove his point. Vox straightened his back, looking at his surroundings in confusion.

His fogged brain was trying to process whether there was a threat or not. He felt electricity build up in his body.

As he raised his glass, he felt it again, something brushing his side, just lightly, but, when he turned, his eyes could only scan thin air.

«What is going on?» he mumbled putting the drink down.

Alastor didn’t answer, but he was having fun. Vox could see it by that stupid tail of his that was slightly wagging.

If it was his doing… oh no.

The tendrils came out of nowhere and wrapped around his torso, caressing his stomach and sides slowly.

Vox felt electricity between his fingers and in his antennas. He clamped his mouth shut with his hands, slightly kicking his feet.

«Is everything alright Vox?» Vox shook his head, little sparkles all around him. That fucker…

One of those tentacles circled around the center of his tummy, caressing the blue skin. He could feel the tip lightly scratching the sensitive area, making his body tremble.

It was so agonisingly slow. The gesture felt both sweet and mean, as if it were Alastor’s fingers toying with him.

Then he increased the pace.

Vox’s face started trembling, the image of his expression danced on the screen for a moment, deforming his flat features. Alastor came closer to his prey, enjoying every second.

«Maybe it would be better if you just let yourself…-» the tentacles that were around his stomach changed direction and dug in his hips «…Laugh.»

Vox giggles sparkled, as static electricity vibrated around him. He tried so hard to contain himself, but once the first chuckle was out he could not stop.

«AHAHAHAHL nohohoho.»

«No? But I’m not doing anything my dear! I think you had one too many of these.» he said sliding away the man’s drink, saving it from being destroyed.

«Yohohou knohow dæ-ámňņ well what you’re dohohoing.» Vox managed to say while trying to push his tentacles away.

«Of course I do.» he got closer, more tentacles coming from all around him. Vox felt his heart pounding in his chest, his face a mixture of fear and excitement. A stupid wobbly smile was plastered on his screen.

«And you’re enjoying every single second.» had Vox been a little less drunk he would have probably tried to retort, but all he could do was stare at Alastor’s tendrils.

Two of them wrapped around his wrists, raising his hands.

«Oh noho don’t y҉̗͚͚̯̋̏̍̑O̸͎͕̒̽͐̏U҉͓̦̰̘̌́̏̾͆ DARE ALASTOR!» the tentacles danced in front of him, circling around his underarms. Two of them were near his sides, and no matter how hard he tried to pull at his restraints he couldn’t free himself.

«Oh how I like seeing you like this.» Alastor sighed «So helpless.»

«Ahahahahahl Ihihi ha-hatehehe yohohor stupid gahames.» he protested. He was still sat on his absurdly high stool, his feet trying to touch the floor to push himself back. But there was nowhere to run.

Every demon in the place had already fled, believing that the Radio Demon had found his new victim. Well they weren’t completely wrong.

«Do not lie to me.» Alastor caressed Vox’s screen with a single finger, and fake sweat flashed on his face. «You love my games. And besides, a powerful Overlord like you should laugh at the face of danger.» that actually made Vox titter.

Anything said by Alastor made him laugh.

«Let me see your smile.»

All of the tentacles attacked at the same time, some caressing his skin, some scratching at the fabric of his clothes. They were under his arms, on his stomach, meaningly attacking his hips.

The laugh that left his throat gave Alastor goosebumps. It was loud, the loudest he had ever heard from him and it was so… carefree.

All the sense of control, the pressure of becoming a powerful Overlord, the high standards the man held on himself all crumbled down. And he was just helplessly laughing in front of his friend, eyes closed, not afraid to be hurt.

Unfortunately for him he was definitely too sensitive though and the moment a tendril flicked his antenna he started to glitch.

«NOHOHOHOHŒĦØ-»

A spark of electricity made the entire place blackout for a moment, before the lights came back on. Alastor looked at the display of power both amazed and awed.

The man was really strong.

«Be careful my friend-» Alastor’s voice came from much closer than before «We wouldn’t want you to short circuit would we?»

He decided to give him a little break.

The moment the tendrils freed him, Vox turned his back and held the counter with both of his hands, looking for stability.

He could not stop the giggles and titters leaving his body, feeling even drunken than before even though the alcohol was starting to wear off.

However, before Vox could stop laughing, a single tentacle snuck under the his shirt, through his sleeve, slowly and gently caressing his underarm with its tip. The small movement was driving Vox mad.

He collapsed on the counter, laughter now pouring out of him. His feet were kicking the air. The free arm was pounding on the surface, not lucid enough to try to free himself.

He let his head rest on the table, the screen tilted toward Alastor.

«Yohohouh bihihihitch.» he giggled before trying to pry away a new tendril that was slipping under his shirt, targeting his stomach.

His feet kicked harder and quicker as he started to hiccup. «Ihi- IHĮĦĮ- chahaæn’ț.» his voice changed and distorted.

Alastor drank another glass, closing his eyes and enjoying the flavour.

«Sooo» he stood up next to the giggling mess. «Do we wanna make a deal?» he asked making his tentacles stop their torture and back away.

Vox took a few seconds to compose himself before lifting his head and facing the other demon.

Giggles were still stuck in his throat, threatening to leave his body at every word. «A deahal?» he straightened his back and fixed his shirt, now turning his entire body towards the friend.

«I’m not selling my soul for some T̵̲̫̈́̉͗̂͆-tickles. You can’t be that stupid.»

«I am not, my friend. And for once I do not care for your soul! Oh no no no! I would like…-» he let the anticipation roll on Vox’s nerves as he approached him with twitching fingers. «-for you to never drink whiskey in such an inconsiderate way. You either taste your liquor or you don’t drink at all. You do not gobble your alcohol. You understand that young man don’t you?» and as he pronounced the last sentence, he started tracing invisible circles on Vox’s sides.

Vox closed his eyes and the giggle that escaped his lips was a mixture of ticklish agony and amusement.

«Are you finding my request funny?» his fingers danced on his sides.

«Oh c’mohohn Ahahal.» he kicked his feet again, very careful not to hit the demon in front of him. «Ihiht is fuhuhucking hilariohohohus.» he managed to say.

Alastor was not amused.

«Well if you think this is hilarious I cannot imagine what you’d think of t̷̥̲͎͇̤̒̈́̔h̵̳̪̰͋̊ȉ̵̭̦̰̊̉̒s̶͈͉͙͕̥̅̚.» as his voice distorted he drilled his thumbs in Vox’s hips, scratching slightly under his clothes.

Vox’s face became black for a few seconds, before returning to his loud self, pounding with his free hands on Alastor’s chest.

«Such a sweet sound.»

«Ḍ̷̙̙̪̏́̏̒͊e҈̫̓̓̈ͅĥ̴̤̖̪̓́͗̀a҉̤̩͙̏̿ĥ̴̤̖̪̓́͗̀a҉̤̩͙̏̿ĥ̴̤̖̪̓́͗̀a҉̤̩͙̏̿l̸̳͓͔͇̗̋͌̈ ḍ̶̣͎͍͇̐̂̉̿̎e̷͎̘͌̈a҈̫͎͆̏̇l̵͉͚͓̃̄ ḍ̶̣͎͍͇̐̂̉̿̎e̷͎̘͌̈e҈̫̓̓̈ͅĥ̴̤̖̪̓́͗̀e҈̫̓̓̈ͅĥ̴̤̖̪̓́͗̀a҈̫͎͆̏̇l̵͉͚͓̃̄.» his glitched and distorted voice came so soft to Alasto’s ear.

Alastor stopped with a chuckle.

«You enjoyed it.» he said before stepping away.

«Oh well don’t think I didn’t notice your tail wagging.» the tv demon whispered with a smile on his face.

Alastor turned himself, hiding his back and his stupid soft tail, a small blush colouring his cheeks.

Vox laughed again, a genuine laugh, and then grabbed his own glass. The older man way eyeing him, fingers ready to summon his power once more.

Vox drank slowly, feeling the warmth of the alcohol. He closed his eyes, enjoying the taste.

Alastor smiled at him, the genuine smile reserved to these late night, where the alcohol in their veins made their heads lighter and their words easier to leave their lips.

The words Alastor pronounced forty-five years ago echoed in the empty room. They sounded sincere, no filter altering them, just honesty and liquor on his tongue.

«You’re like a sparkle in the night Vox. You make this dark world brighter with your smile. Remember that»

Vox closed his eyes and let out a sight. He hugged himself for a moment and let those words sink in, burning his soul.

He allowed himself to feel this way for a few seconds, before turning everything off and straightening his jacket.

He had to go now.

He needed to find out what that pompous old prick was planning.

~~~

I feel like I’ve been working on this fics for a month, but it’s actually been a couple of weeks.

I loved exploring Vox and Alastor’s dynamic and showing Alastor being kind of a mentor for Vox.

Initially Valentino had a part in this fic, but in the end his role got cut off, but who knows! I might explore their relationship and how it affected Vox and Alastor in future fics! In this universe (yeah, the one I created pretty much for this single tickle fic) Al and Vox originally had a strong relationship, something between platonic and romantic, that got ruined when Vox met Valentino and started hanging out with him (Even though I strongly believe that in the serie Vox was the one that fell in love and Alastor was just trying to get something out of him and eventually got tired of Vox and left him)

The first scene felt really like when Hamilton and Burr go drink together at the beginning of the musical ahahahaha.

I don’t know when will I publish the new fic, it will take me a long time before I am able to write so much again.

Let me know what you think guys 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻

#tickle fic #hazbin hotel tickle #lee!vox #ticklish!vox #ler!alastor #i hope it’s well written I’m stressing so much #i started writing with no idea for a plot #but i can totally see Alastor getting mad for not drinking in tge ‘right way’ #and Vox being an impatient little shit about it #idk I love them so much #and really I need to get lee!vox out of my system

[chilschuck]

beach day headcanons please (any characters you’d like)!!! we were deprived of the typical anime fanservice imo

`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹ ohhhhhh my gosh anon i was literally SO SO HAPPY to get this ask!!! decided to stick with the usual charas you guys enjoy, plus some falin!!! hope this turned out okay and thank you so much for having me write it for you!!! <333

— DUNMESHI BEACH DAY HCS.

꒰ charas: ꒱ laios, chilchuck, falin, & mickbell.

꒰ warnings: ꒱ none! sfw + fluff with gn!reader.

꒰ wc: ꒱ 1.4k

✦ hope this turned out okay!! it was such a cute idea and so much fun that if anyone has requests for more charas, i’d be more than happy to do it!! <33

— LAIOS:

✦ We know that he doesn’t do well in hot weather, so you can imagine he’d be sporting only swimsuit trunks and flip flops for sure.

✦ Definitely enjoys being in the ocean, especially to try and cool off. You can imagine he’d be really interested in knowing more about what’s in the water around him, and probably points things out to you that he finds interesting.

✦ Be prepared for him to burn really fast, so make sure he gets plenty of sunscreen!! It’s always cute to see him walk up to you and ask for help, in which you gladly oblige. You help get those spots he can’t reach, and he does appreciate just how thorough you are.

✦ You’ll probably end up splashing him, which he’ll return in kind. Be careful what you start, because you’ll end up drenched by the end of it!

✦ A picnic on the beach with him is definitely something that happens while you’re there. Laios is so excited to share a meal with you in such a beautiful setting, and finds himself giving you that goofy grin at just how happy he is. He makes sure to pull all the stops to make this enjoyable for you, even preparing your favorite snacks.

✦ Definitely goes home with a few shells or shark teeth, if he found any. Laios thinks they’re too cool not to pick up and examine, running over to you and showing you what he found in the sand.

“You won’t believe what I found!” Laios calls out to you, jogging over to where you sat on your towel. His hands cradled something, and as he stretched his arms out to show you, a smile grew on your lips.

In his hands was an almost perfect conch shell, something he held with pride and excitement. His smile matching yours, he said your name softly. “Do you think if you put it up to your ear, you’d hear the ocean like those stories?”

You shrugged your shoulders, not able to hold back the giggle at his glee. “Only one way to find out, right? Just make sure there’s nothing still living in it.”

Laios still keeps that shell in a safe place, wanting to remember the day you spent together.

— CHILCHUCK:

✦ This man is definitely showing up in a Hawaiian dad shirt and cargo shorts. The first few buttons are undone, and he has a pair of sandals on that he insists he only saves for days like this.

✦ Chilchuck plans on staying at the spot you claimed with towels and an umbrella, a drink in hand. He’s definitely enjoying the sight of you in a swimsuit and the breeze ruffling your hair, but he’d never admit that.

✦ You try to pull him towards the water, but you only manage to get his feet wet. Chil tells you this is as far as he’ll go, but that disappointed pout on your face makes his heart race a bit. Ok, fine… Maybe he’ll go up to his knees for you…

✦ Probably spends most of his time drinking and relaxing, a hand behind his head and alcohol in the other. Very dad-like of him, you muse, which causes his face to heat up and grumbles to leave him.

✦ Ends up falling asleep, the sound of the waves and the secluded shade from the sun causing his eyes to flutter shut. You can’t help but laugh a little, returning from your time in the water to study his sleeping form. He looks so peaceful like this, and you don’t have the heart to wake him up…

✦ If you do somehow manage to get him fully in the water, be prepared for him to get targeted by the tide. Maybe you even suggest getting him a float, which he gives you that blank stare in reply.

“There, that’s not so bad, is it?” You say as he finds himself in the middle of a tube float, eyes narrowed towards you.

“This makes me feel like a kid.” Chilchuck complains, yet you see him grip onto it tighter as an incoming wave makes an appearance.

You pull it over to you, the inflatable bumping into your stomach as you give him that teasing grin. “Guess you’re stuck with me while we’re out here, huh?”

The half-foot groans, debating on whether or not he’d make it if he tried to swim back to shore right now.

— FALIN:

✦ Wears a light t-shirt and shorts, opting to be comfy! She also has a hat she wears to help keep the sun out of her eyes. If she did plan on swimming, I like to imagine she’d have a swim shirt and a one piece swimsuit!

✦ Like her brother, she was excited to see all the shells and creatures at the beach, bringing you things she found fascinating. You might even find her entranced with a sand dollar and stating how pretty it is.

✦ Walks into the water hand in hand with you, but also really enjoys walking along the sand near the shore. As the sun sets, she intertwines her fingers with yours, leading you along and watching the pinks and blues in the sky reflect on the waves.

✦ Also definitely goes on a picnic with you, the beach making her cheeks even more rosy than usual. You can’t help but tell her how cute she looks in her outfit, her hair loosely blowing in the breeze. Falin would give you a sweet smile, the same one you fell in love with.

✦ Don’t be surprised if she leads you back to the water after you make sure she’s not getting burnt, insisting that she wants to enjoy how cool the waves feel. You’re more than happy to walk out a little deeper with her, noticing how she still keeps your hand in her own.

“It’s so nice out here…” You heard her mutter, a content smile dimpling her cheeks. The sunset left a sweet gradient in her hair, something that made you unable to look away.

“It really is. Too bad it’s getting dark,” you reply, a little disappointed that the day is already over. Falin squeezed your hand, pulling you away from your thoughts.

“Maybe we should stay and watch the stars come out.” Her voice was so gentle, causing you to give her a grin of your own.

“Let’s stay a little longer.”

— MICKBELL:

✦ Like the official art we have of him swimming with Kuro, he’s definitely sporting a pair of swim trunks and flip flops, with his hair in his signature ponytail.

✦ He and Kuro are so excited to swim, and drag you along to the water as soon as you get there. Of course, Mick is either clinging to you or to Kuro when in the waves, not seeking to really swim on his own.

✦ You definitely enjoy watching them swim and play around more than you’d like to admit, especially with Mick hiding his face and complaining when Kuro decides to shake all the water out of his coat.

✦ Mick really likes finding shells he thinks look neat, and showing them off to you and Kuro proudly. Maybe you even find yourself building a sand castle, with him and his buddy watching closely and moving to help you. He’s in charge of decorating it, while you’re in charge of building it! Kuro helps dig up some of the sand to use.

✦ The three of you end up getting a sweet treat, cooling off in the shade and enjoying the time spent together. Knowing Mickbell, he’s going to lay his head in your lap as he rests after so much activity, looking up at you with that cheeky grin he usually has.

“I could get used to this!” Mickbell sighs, nuzzling into your lap as he makes himself comfortable. Kuro is watching the waves, sitting beside you as the sun begins to fade from the horizon.

“I would’ve thought you’d be ready to go home a lot sooner.” You teased him, brushing his messy bangs out of his face. Scoffing, he made sure you saw as he rolled his eyes.

“If I didn’t have you and Kuro, maybe… But this is something we’ll have to do again. Right, Kuro?” The Kobold nodded, causing a warm grin to spread on your face. He was certainly right about that.

#⟡ lilia writes! 🌿 #HOPING THIS IS OK ANON HHHHH #i’m hitting a creative roadblock with school #which is causing me to stress a bit #but i wanted to get this out for you guys!!! <333 #first time writing for falin so i hope it’s ok… #sorry if anyone’s ooc!! WAHHH #laios x reader #laios touden x reader #falin x reader #falin touden x reader #chilchuck tims x reader #chilchuck x reader #mickbell tomas x reader #mickbell x reader #delicious in dungeon x reader #dunmeshi x reader #dungeon meshi x reader

[baldval]

idk if u like writing him so if u don’t feel free to ignore!! but picture this, adam with a higher up reader with high authority that kinda acts like beelzebub?? like adam sees them for the first time and expects them to be all wholesome and kind but she’s actually just a hardcore party gal! which kinda matches his frat boy persona too🌚 and maybe she even resembles bee a bit? UP TO U! i just love ur writing and thought of this

-🎞️ anon

ALTITUDE!₊˚⊹♡

characters: adam x gn!reader

wc: 1.9k

warnings: cursing, mentions of one night stands

A/N: i'm sorry if i failed you in the whole party-fun!reader aspect i just went on a different direction and when i realised i like this a bit too much. hope you like it too anon!!!!! 🫶

You weren’t ever too sure about Adam. He just seemed a bit problematic, loud, interruptive, and he never took things seriously. Not that you were the chillest person on heaven, quite the opposite, but still, there was something about Adam that threw you off. You felt like that was all a faced. You knew that, when he wanted to, he could be kind, and was actually very enthusiastic regarding his job at heaven. Not that he would ever knowingly admit it. So when Sera partnered you two for a, quite important job, you didn’t know what to expect, or how to feel. At first you thought he might try to run the shop by not letting you contribute any of your ideas. He thought you were a tightass that would try to make everything boring (exactly what he said to Lute).

However, both of you were surprised once time went on, and you got to know each-other better. He realised you were actually quite fun, he might even say careless. He found himself in shock, and partially offended, when he realised you actually hosted parties every few weeks. You found out that he was deeply misunderstood. And actually really cute and charming. And you also promised to invite him to your next party, once you had finished the long task Sera had appointed you.

"Adam? Will you read that to me again?" You sat cross legged on the carpeted floor of Adam’s basement, chewing on the end of your click pen. Adam was too busy trying (and failing) to get basketballs on a net at the top of his wall to notice you’d called out to him. Dropping the pencil down on your notebook, you let out a frustrated sigh, standing to get his attention.

"Adam!"

Startled, he stopped short, turning towards you with his eyes wide in surprise.

"Yeah? You alright?" He asked, putting down the basketball and appearing in front of you.

"Yes Adam, I just wanted to get this part done," you explained, rolling your eyes in annoyance. “Besides, why do I have to work? I would also love to be able to play with that fucking basketball." It wasn't that Adam didn't work, he just got distracted easily.

"Ha! As if you could play." You felt deeply offended even though you knew you did NOT know how to play basketball.

"Wow. Just wow. I thought you would've known about my years in the angel's basketball team. I used to be one of the bests." You lied, trying to defend your dignity.

"As if! I was on the angel's basketball team. Never saw you there." "It must've been waaaay before you got in. I've been here for longer, you know."

"Alright then, prove it."

"Prove what?"

"Prove you can play." He handed you the ball and you held it.

"I'm a bit rusty." You smiled at him as you saw him grin. He could see right through you and your lies, what he didn't figure out was that you could also see right through him. So instead of shooting towards the net, you hit Adam with the basketball right on top of his head. Watching it bounce on it only to later hit the floor.

"Ouch! What the fuck was that for?" he ran his hand through his hair.

"Get to work or I'll hit you again."

"Hey! That's toxic workplace behaviour, I'm gonna have to report you now." You groaned in annoyance. "What will it take for you to work on this with me for an hour? Do we have to make a deal?" You joke with a light chuckle. Adam jumped at the opportunity to compromise, knowing that he could work if he really wanted to, and that the deal would then be in his favour.

"A deal hey?" He asks, resting his chin in his hands, looking up at you with sparkling eyes.

"Yes, whatever you want for 1 hour of your precious time," you scoff, picking up your pen again to work. As a higher ranking angel, you knew better than to be stubborn. You didn't mind having to sacrifice a little something. Besides, the end was in sight, meaning you wouldn’t have to deal with him for much longer - however, you struggled to admit to yourself that it would actually make you sad not hanging out with Adam as much as you were right now, worrying you would go back to the stranger treatment you had with each other before.

"I’m not gonna tell you until the hour is up," Adam teases, retrieving a book full of sinners' names for your work from the couch and opening it to a dog-eared page.

"Okay read it again for me, and this time slowly," you emphasise on the word “slowly”, watching him let out a small laugh, shifting on the floor to get comfortable.

"Okay, ready?"

"Yes, Adam."

"Okay," Adam takes a deep breath before beginning, you’re skimming over your notes, making sure all of them make sense. Adam tries to memorise some of the names before you write them, wanting rather to watch you work than have his eyes glued to the book.

Adam rests his hands in his lap, noticing the way your lips part and your tongue juts out only slightly when you concentrate. He notices you fiddling with the edge of your notebook, your fingertips grazing the spiral as it winds to bound the book. He notices how effortlessly pretty you are, and how committed you’ve been to this assignment. He thought it was so funny that you were so oblivious to his blatant staring. He suddenly lets out the breath he didn’t notice he was holding in.

"Adam?" You ask, the same annoyance bubbling inside you from when he didn’t pay attention before.

"Right," Adam shakes his head from his thoughts and returns to reciting the book.

You hadn’t noticed you’d leaned slightly into Adam, your shoulders brushing. Adam suddenly feels warm, his shoulder tingling where you were touching him. His heartbeat hammered in his ears as he licked his lips, readying himself to read the next part.

He thought of how cunning his side of the deal was, and how much more tempting it got the longer you touched him. It was a gamble, but it was one he was willing to take.

Adam rested his hand on his thigh, inching his fingers closer to your joined knees.

You look up at him, finally noticing how close the two of you had gotten, but doing nothing about the close proximity. Something felt different, the air was harder to breathe, and your stomach felt like it was housed by a million butterflies. His eyes shun as they looked into yours, your faces inching closer and closer.

Adam finished reading and silence filled the room, accompanied by the small pants of your breathing, you pulled your body away, sitting up straighter and looking more alert.

"Good reading Adam," you let out a small cough to cover the awkwardness that had just washed over you. Fuck, you were so close to kissing him, and you didn’t know why. You scowled at yourself for being so cliche, and put down your notebook. Adam bit his lip in a smile as your cheeks blushed red because he knew you’d felt that too.

"Okay, deal time?"

You know you asked for an hour, but a break right now didn’t seem so bad.

"Okay," you say, as he scoots his bottom across the floor to face you.

"One kiss," he says finally, your jaw swinging open in shock. A kiss? Was he serious? Did you hear that right?

"A kiss?" You repeat, chuckling. At first you thought it was a prank - classic Adam. However, his face was dead serious, as serious as you had ever seen him. You hadn’t read that Adam felt anything for you, the same way you hid having a big fat crush on him by being sort of mean.

"Come on, you know you want to." He teases suddenly changing his behaviour and body language as he realised he had been perhaps a bit too vulnerable for his liking. But you has already seen him. You knew his true intentions when he asked that and you knew they matched what you wantes, so why weren't you kissing him?

Your lips form a tight straight line as you contemplate your choices. Give up the tough guy act now and cave to your feelings, or don’t. It was like Adam was giving you the perfect opportunity to do what you always thought of doing.

"Okay, only one," you narrow your eyes at him as he gives you a curt nod.

“Of course, whatever the lady wants,” he sends a wink on your direction and you can't help blushing as you try to hide the redness with a laugh.

You lean forward, securing a small kiss on his cheek, almost too close to the corner of his mouth as it curled into a small smile. Your lips linger there for a moment, before you pull away, just slightly, your face still so close to Adam’s. You contemplate whether you should just go for it. But before you could decide what you wanted to do, Adam does it for you, connecting your lips in a soft, passionate kiss.

It takes you aback, but you compose yourself quickly, cupping his cheeks in your hands, as his secure to your hips. He pulls you closer, until you’re practically in his lap, straddling his hips with your thighs. His tongue prods at your lower lip, and without another thought, you open your mouth, letting his tongue explore where no one else has. The feeling was magical, and after all those nights you lay awake thinking of this moment, it finally came in full force.

You had to pull away with a gasp when Adam’s hand started to cup your bare ass under your shorts, your hands resting comfortably on his shoulders as you stared at each other.

"Fuck I’m sorry- I shouldn’t have-"

"No! It’s fine, I just, I... I kinda like you? Adam... And I mean, I don't care if you want to just fuck or whatever. But... I guess I just don't want that." you let out a nervous laugh, wanting so badly to crawl into a hole and die from your confession. "It's not you! Well, I guess it is you? I don't mind one-night stands, I just..." Adam interrupts you by letting a small laugh, the back of his hand coming up to caress your cheek.

"I get why you assumed that. I mean, I am THE Adam, THE original dick, why would I settle down?" You roll your eyes at his cockiness and his expression softens. "But I do like you. I like you just in the way that you said it, truly."

"Really?" You ask him, your voice only just louder than a whisper.

"Yeah! I mean- you’re so smart and pretty, and we’ve spent a lot of time together, I’ve enjoyed getting to know you, wouldn't mind getting to know you better. The whole of you" he moves his hand towards your waist.

“I’ve felt the same way,” you reply, pulling Adam in for a hug, resting your head in the crook of his neck. He holds you close, before you sit back down on the floor across from him.

“So… you think I’m pretty?” He asks, shooting you a cheeky wink. You roll your eyes again, letting out a small laugh.

#hazbin hotel x reader #hazbin hotel imagine #hazbin hotel headcanon #hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel adam #adam x reader #adam x you #cursed cat alastor #adam hazbin hotel #adam hazbin hotel headcanons #hazbin adam

[lowkeyrobin]

hiii! could you write an mcyt x reader that's like, going outside at night? idrk how to explain it lol, like going to the woods at night or somethin? tyyyy!!! :3

yeah sure!! hopefully I understood this correctly ; thanks for requesting, hope you enjoy!

MCYT ; walk in the dark

includes ; tommyinnit, ranboo, tubbo, badlinu, nihachu & quackity

warnings ; language, mentions of drunk tubbo

masterlist

TOMMYINNIT

he's halfway scared of the dark, mostly because he doesn't know what's in it

he'll happily go on walks with you

"to protect you" though (we know that's a lie, he's the one who needs protecting)

he finds the chilly air and the gust against the trees kinda therapeutic

he understands why you go out so late lol

he'll often share an airpod with you so you can listen to some nice music as well

all fun and games til sabrina carpenter starts playing and you start singing along to feather and espresso

TUBBO

nah he's gotta be drunk to go out in the woods that late at night

scared of bears and/or people because it's a public space

he just doesn't wanna get eaten today, he has a tubbothon to stream man

he streams those walks with you when it's during those streams though ofc

the whole chats trying to gaslight him into thinking there's a bear 💀

you often shittily sing some corny 2000s songs and throw around sticks and rocks

RANBOO

didn't get the hype at first but will happily jump up from whatever they're doing to go with you

so therapeutic, they like the quietness and having a flashlight to guide their path like a horror game where probably nothing will happen

you often take flash selfies and post them when you're out as well

sometimes you edit them before posting and add something to the background, super subtle but noticeable to make the commenters freak out lol

they started believing it too much so you drew a ghost behind you to taunt them lol

loves the internet break though, he loves breathing the fresh air and feeling nature at his fingers

FREDDIE BADLINU

bros got a tent and everything just in case /j

also enjoys the internet break and spending quiet time with you as you walk

he collects rocks that he thinks look cool?

he finds a giant stick every time and uses it like a walking stick

30yo dad core

you also share airpods to listen to music

no judging if there's any crying, get those emotions out dude

counts all the squirrels he sees roaming around lol

"that's like the eighth one I've seen in the past five minutes!"

NIKI NIHACHU

finds it super therapeutic

straight up leaves her phone at her desk

flashlight and granola bar only

she always finds some cute little critter to look at before it runs away

plucks literally any flower and hands you a bouquet of them on the way home

"Oh my God, feel this rock!"

"my tryphobia is aching right now"

ALEX QUACKITY

fake hates it

he likes the music but he doesn't like fearing what's in the dark

"what if there's a bear??? or a raccoon!?"

"what's a raccoon gonna do to you?"

"eat me!"

likes touching everything he can get his hands on

also finds it nice and kinda thereupitic

opens up about his day and everything

peak hugging time

lots of selfies

he found a dead possum once and almost threw up

#lowkeyrobin #mcyt x reader #mcyt preferences #mcyt oneshot #tommyinnit x reader #tubbo x reader #ranboo x reader #freddie badlinu x reader #badlinu x reader #niki nihachu x reader #nihachu x reader #alex quackity x reader #quackity x reader #gender neutral reader #gn reader #they/them reader #gn! reader

[angelslittlewritingcorner]

I have a Adam x lute x Reader idea

What if they played a card game (like uno) or just a game in general but whenever someone loses they have to take off a piece of their clothes but then lute and Adam team up to make the reader lose almost every round then they play with the prize 🤭🫣

I thought the idea was really cool and had to write it straight away. Hope you like it

Warnings: Language and Smut a lot of it , MDNI

Masterlist

Dating Adam and Lute

PLAYING GAMES

‘Snacks?’ ‘Yes’ ‘Pillows?’ ‘Yes’ ‘Drinks?’ ‘Yes’ ‘Games?’ ‘Yes’ ‘Adam?’ ‘Should be here in a minute’ Lute nodded in satisfaction and turned to Y/N. She had coerced the arms into helping her set up the game night. Y/N didn't complain though, at least she got to spend more time with her friend. At last Adam and she had more than just a few hours a day to spend with her. Sera was always hogging her and forcing her to do chores. Sometimes she felt really neglected.

The door of the three's flat was flung open and Adam stomped in with a pizza box in his hand. ‘I've got the goods ladies,’ he said and winked at Y/N. She giggled slightly and held out her hands. ‘Nah, you'll eat it by yourself later’ he said and kicked his shoes into a corner. He took the pizza and put it on the table where everything was already ready. ‘So can we get started?’ ‘Yes we can, we were just waiting for you Adam’ Lute said and sat down opposite him. Y/N grabbed one of the cushions and sat down at the table too. ‘What do we start with?’ ‘Strippoker’ Adam said and Lute rolled her eyes. ‘No’ ‘Mano then something else with cards. I want to play cards!’ They discussed for a short while and then decided on a game. They played a few rounds, ate, drank and talked about their day. Y/N couldn't imagine anything better at that moment. Quiet moments like this were far too rare with the two of them

‘The game's getting boring, let's make it a bit more interesting,’ said Adam, stuffing a few crisps into his mouth. ‘Let me guess, you want to do your usual stupid things again?’ asked Lute, grinning slightly. She too found such moments with her lovers relaxing. ‘Fine,’ said Y/N. After all, it was always fun when the situation got spicy.

Lute lost the first round. She took her socks off and Adam just rolled his eyes. Adam lost the next two rounds and was sitting in front of them in just socks and boxers. Y/N soon followed his example and was also only wearing underwear. ‘Damn Lute how do you always do that?’ ‘Well, I'd say it's easy to do’ She brushed her hair back slightly and scrutinised Y/N intently. That could only mean something good, Y/N thought, and she sat up straight to show off her bust. Maybe she could make Lute lose today.

Y/N stared at her cards in disbelief - she had lost again. She only had one piece of clothing left. Her tactics had not worked. She sighed and stood up. Slowly, she pulled down her panties and bared herself to her two lovers. ‘I don't want to play anymore,’ she said and pulled a pout. ‘Tough luck but me,’ Adam said and stood up as well. ‘Still, I must say the prize looks pretty hot, doesn't it Dangertits?’ Lute nodded. ‘We really deserve it’ ‘WE?! Have you been playing together again?’ Lute smiled innocently at her. ‘Yes, at least it's fun to have you whimpering among us’

The two of them had tricked her again. She rolled her eyes and Adam put a hand to her cheek. ‘Kitten you have to be able to lose’ before Y/N could say anything back, he put his lips on hers and massaged her mouth. That idiot, why is he so good at it? How could she be mad at him? He put a hand on her waist and pulled her closer to him. She didn't even hear Lute walk away to get something. Adam's hand wandered down to her bum and massaged it lightly while their tongues engaged in a battle she was only too willing to lose.

Adam only broke away from her when they both heard a low growl. Lute apparently wanted to have fun too. She immediately took Adam's place and kissed Y/N. She held her close to her and stroked her spine. Goosebumps spread across Y/N's skin and a familiar heat spread through her belly. If Adam kissed her like a man, then Lute kissed her like a god. She could go on like this for hours.

While she was busy with Lute, she felt Adam spreading a little lubricant on her. At least they weren't going to hurt her today. That was good, because she was still a little sore from the last time. Adam pushed a finger inside her and she moaned into Lute's mouth. She pushed against his fingers and the heat in her belly continued to spread and seemed to take over her. He slipped another finger inside her and stretched her a little. Y/N reached for Lute's trousers. She needed more physical contact and the light-haired girl still had far too much on.

She briefly detached herself from her and got rid of her clothes before Y/N would tear them. Adam pulled his fingers out of her and slowly began to push his dick into her. She hissed slightly. The stretch he created inside her was heavenly. Lute pulled her back against him and Adam took this as an opportunity to push himself deeper into her. She was trapped between her lovers and yet felt freer than ever. She let her hand wander to Lute's breasts and began to play with them while Adam thrust himself into her. ‘Fuck,’ he grunted, digging his fingers into her hips. ‘Do you always have to be this tight?’ She nodded and kissed Lute's neck. Lute kept stroking her head and mumbling something about ‘good girl’ Y/N let her other hand wander between Lute's legs and began to play with her. She was so wet for her. She always seemed so hard on the outside but she could be different. She slipped a finger inside Lute and gasped as Adam increased his pace. ‘More’ Lute demanded and Y/N had difficulty obeying her command. However, she slipped another finger inside her and matched Adam's pace. Soon the three of them were a ball of body parts and moans. Y/n climaxed a few times, clawing at one of them in the process. How did they manage to get her to give herself to them every time? A few hours later, Y/n slumped down and pressed herself against Adam's chest, who laughed lightly.

‘Fuck that was good’ Adam said and Lute nodded. ‘Another round of cards’ ‘Yeah’ This was going to be a long night.

#hazbin alastor #hazbin angel dust #hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel headcanon #hazbin hotel husk #hazbin hotel lucifer #hazbin vaggie #charlie morningstar #hazbin hotel charlie #adam #lute #adam x lute x reader #adam x lute #hazbin hotel lute #hazbin lute #lute x reader #hazbin hotel exorcists #guitarspear

[mishapen-dear]

genuine question but is there any fandom where a character is well written by the majority. im thinking about fandom culture and the spread of frustration when people dont write characters well but. honestly in all the fandoms ive been in there's only like, a Select number of authors who i trust to write Well, let alone write Well AND In Character. character analysis and writing and getting inside characters' heads are all separate skills (all of which are trained by roleplaying fyi can CONFIRM playing pretend with your friends is good for you). there's been more than once where I've disagreed with an interpretation that others agreed with, and then I turned out wrong. or i turned out right. like it doesnt matter WHO is right it just matters that differences in character analysis exist, so even if you DO write well AND write in character, your in character is still going to be someone else's out of character

there's this sort of. vibe. that to play in the sandbox you Need to be able to make a castle, and if you can't make a castle then you shouldn't bother, and it completely dismisses the idea that youre in that sandbox to PLAY in the first place. there's this Weight of disappointing someone if you can't build something that they like, but that forgets that you aren't there to build them a castle. like, be KIND. if you disagree with someone then please make an effort to do so kindly. i dont give a shit about fandom discourse but there is a reason kids get removed from sandboxes if they keep throwing sand in people's eyes. but if they don't like your misshapen sand pile, then youre not obligated to change it. even if you yourself end up hating that same sand pile later- youre not building a legacy. youre playing. and sometimes the result of that play is out of character drivel. theres a reason there are so many authors and so few who i like to consistently read and thats because everyone is Fucking Around in their hobby space. hash tag brag or whatever but i can build castles. ive built several that im v proud of. ive also dug holes in the sand for fun and then tripped on them when trying to get up. I often dug a hole and then got up and fucking- whoops, its a castle now, and i didn't realize i'd made something to be proud of until after the fact. the whole time while creating shit i was Convinced it was bullshit that didn't make sense. and then other times i was Convinced it was bullshit and then i was Right and i can look back and go. huh. ew. but it doesn't matter what the end result was, because i had fun playing in the sandbox

this wasn't meant to turn into a ramble but i have Feelings about bad art and art that's badly perceived and how public perception can screw with your head and how making art youre proud of is fucking. it's so difficult!!! it's hard!! it's really fun, which is why i try to make it, but i promise you it is Okay to not tryhard creativity. even if you CAN, it's okay not to do it all the time. or ever, even. fuck around find out have fun etc

#NOT a discourse post i am musing out loud #there's discourse goign around the dash rn or i wouldnt mention it #but the past few weeks ive seen a lot of “DONT fucking mischaracterize my guy my fuckign god” #which is one of the most frustrating pet peeve there is #but i think a lot too about little baby me #fresh on her writing journey #and how discouraged i would be if someone pointed out the mistakes id made #i made a Lot of fuckups #and i also think about this one fic where one of the characters was INCREDIBLY out of character #me today would not be able to stomach reading it #but baby me was so ENCHANTED #and it introduced to me the concept that you dont always know the reason someone does something #and it made me read even more #and because of that i eventually found Expert Skill level fics #which introduced me to MANY little tricks and fidgets ive tried to implement #there were so so many reviews on that fic that called it shit or complained about the bad characterization #but a decade later i still think about it #there were several very corny mine/craft horror fics i read #which back in the day would be called cringe #and those were what inspired me to write my first horror fic and now im Enchanted by the whole genre #theres a lot of stuff i dont like to read but i like that other people are enjoying themselves #i dont know how to be succinct i hope my point is coming across well #this ties into my thing where fiction is for you first others later #here are my credentials: bb/h fan since before the elections (hi i was the guy who noticed his lack of armour post elections) #and a cross-fandom comment trend of people going 'woa i can see this happening in canon' #im not talking out my ass i genuinely think its more important to have fun than to write accurate characterization #which. is a more 'duh' and clarifying thing than everything else ive written #but ah well c'est la vie #also also just realized this could be interpreted like that- NOT an attack on people who complain about mischaracterization either lmao #i do that too w friends. this is to reassure people who put pressure on themselves to create things Well all the time

[nyoomfruits]

WHAT IS THE NEW FIC ABOUT BESTIE!??!

(sorry im just really excited, i have a new lease of life now thanks to you🧡)

THATS OKAY I’M REALLY EXCITED TOO SO I’M GLAD YOU ASKED

i’m still in the planning stages right now BUT the tldr is charles had a one night stand somewhere at the end of the 2022 season, and its just about sex, doesn’t really mean anything, they amicably go their seperate ways the next morning EXCEPT. at the start of the 2024 season a six month old baby gets dropped on charles with a note that says something along the lines of ‘i really thought i could do this alone but i can’t so its your turn now’ so now charles just... has a daughter. which is fine!!! except he has no idea how to handle babies. like no clue whatsoever. enter max who 1) loves babies and 2) is actually REALLY REALLY good with them

anyway, charles still hasn’t won a wdc at this point (max takes the wdc in 2023 as well) so there’s a lot of resentment from his side but max is like ??? dont be an idiot you clearly need help the rest of the fic is just max helping charles take care of his baby daughter while charles slowly realizes that hey! max isn’t actually all that bad! and then they slowly fall in love with each other (surprise) 

#trying to summarize the 3k of notes i have on this was surprisingly hard aldskjas #there's a lot of really fun scenes already planned #most of the beginning and the end as well #now i just have to finalize the middle #and then i can start writing!! #me and eby found out today theres ferrari STROLLERS so you can imagine we had a field day with that one #idk im excited about this so i hope y'all are too!!! #lestappen

[peach-pot]

ANON WHO SENT ME THAT ASK WTF. WTF.

#LIGHTHEARTED BUT. WHAT THE FUCK. #YEAH WE WERE IN THAT WRITING CLUB TOGETHER #that story is mostly just bouncing around my brain because I lost a lot of my work on it :-: #had a punch of plot stuff outlined in a notebook I straight up lost #and it was too frustrating trying to continue it based only on memory so #sad day #but anyways. what the fuck. #you can message me if you want I’m curious about how you found me #I assume you stumbled upon my account and then realized it was me #I HOPE you weren’t able to find this account just based in a few months in a club together #if so my internet safety must be abysmal #anyways. fun club! loved my time in that club! #hannah talks sometimes

[purpledisastertwin900]

Shoutout to Bella who worked at in in out who asked me to slow dance at *mormon* prom 2 years ago. I had a gay panic, and you were probably the one that turned me bisexual, and you were rly pretty and made me very nervous but it ended up being really fun. Props to you, and if ur out there ily-maybe in another life, we’re girlfriends.

#im jk ab her turning me bi #but am I #you will never know #radio rambles #random drabbles #shitpost #this been in my drafts forever #my molly Mormon life flashed before my eyes when she asked me #and I said yes #it was like butterflies #but alas I feared myself so I did not ask for your number #which was a mistake #i can only hope you’ve found love and that whoever your partner is #that they too wear converse with their dress bc that’s the kind of person I feel like you would safe #*date #wtf am I on #I feel like I’m writing fanfiction at 1am #which I’ve never done #oh well #this was fun #anyways love you bella

[chilschuck]

I love your writings so much!! I was thinking if you could do some scenarios of tall-man chilchuck and reader

`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹ thank you so so much anon WAHHHH!!! i hope these are okay!! it’s currently almost midnight where i’m at but i wanted to get these out for you!!! us tall-man chil fans gotta have something to eat fr!!! <333

— TALL-MAN!CHILCHUCK: x gn!reader hcs.

꒰ warnings: ꒱ none, sfw + fluffy!!!

꒰ wc: ꒱ 585

✦ hope these are what you were wanting!! if not, feel free to submit another request for more tall-man chil and i will happily oblige!! :D <333

✦ Even though he wasn’t a tall-man for very long, you still found yourself enamored with him in this form. You were already smitten with Chilchuck anyways, but this was something very different to the both of you.

✦ The fact he towered over you like this made your heart beat a little faster, and once he found out his effect on you in that way, you were doomed.

✦ It started with him instead resting his head on top of yours, using his height to his advantage now. Sometimes he’d even pull you to his chest, your back to him, and laugh at the reaction you gave him. You didn’t find his teasing very amusing at first.

✦ Even so, you couldn’t help but wrap your arms around his waist occasionally, nuzzling your head into his own back and causing him to jump slightly. You weren’t going to let any time you had him in this form go to waste, so you spent it giving him even more affection.

✦ Your hand sought his out any chance it could, your fingers intertwining and causing him to look up at you. All you gave him was that cheeky smile and a wink, causing him to grumble. The effect you had on him…

✦ If there was ever a time you took a moment to rest, you’d sit between his legs and just admire him. Holding his hand in yours and comparing the size, studying how broad his chest was, noticing little details like the shape of his chin… Chilchuck’s cheeks were always rosy when you gave him that kind of attention, embarrassed to be doted on like that in front of everyone. (Not that they cared all too much; Marcille was definitely squealing at the moment.)

✦ Chil was always so fun to mess with, especially with him being like this. You couldn’t help but pull him down to your height and place tender and sweet kisses to his cheek, before letting go and walking off like nothing happened. (Oh, that’d get him all flustered for sure.)

“Chil…” You’d whisper, hands behind your back in that innocent way you always did when you were scheming something. Raising a brow at you, he walked over to the sound of his name, waiting for you to continue.

Instead of giving him what he expected, you reached up for his neckwarmer, pulling him down until he was level to you. Before he could pull away, you pressed soft, fleeting kisses to his stubbled cheek. Letting your lips trail along his skin until you reached the corner of his mouth, you abruptly let go of him and walked off. Chilchuck scrambled for something to say, anything at all, but instead watched as you caught up to the others.

You knew just how much you drove him insane.

✦ You were used to protecting him before, but now he still couldn’t do much in this state. More than happy to assist, you’d make sure he stayed safe, while also appreciating just how handsome he was. (You’d give him another wink and he’d yell out for you to stay focused!)

✦ Noticing just how skinny he was, especially like this, you’d try and convince him to eat a little more than usual. All this affection and doting wasn’t unusual in the slightest, but he could tell you were enjoying yourself a little too much like this. Not that he’d ever catch himself saying anything about how he secretly revels in it…

— dividers by @/cafekitsune! <3

#⟡ lilia writes! 🌿 #hope these turned out okay!!! #going to go sleep now jzhldhdkdjksj #barely keeping my eyes open fr #but i always love writing for him!!!!!!! #lots of love to you!!!! #chilchuck x reader #chilchuck tims x reader #delicious in dungeon x reader #dungeon meshi x reader #dunmeshi x reader

[the-oletus-parlor]

Theater of Darkness♪

"What is it you're trying to see? You have no place in the outside world... not anymore... Gaze into my mirror and see yourselves anew. As one of them, an army under my command. If you'd like to fight back, go ahead. Throw the dice and see where it lands. Investigate this place to your hearts' content, and you'll find it's all the same. Complete darkness. There is no warmth here. Go on, be sure to put on a good show once you realize there's no escape." - Agents of Darkness

Opening Cast:

S Tier: Haunted Pink Disk♪

S Tier: Agents of Darkness

A Tier: Heart of the Night -> Midnight Phantom

A Tier: Hacker -> Sweet Dreams

A Tier: Spectral Viewer♪ -> Broadcaster

A Tier: Neon Lights -> Shooting Stars

B Tier: Musical Beats -> Song of Fate

B Tier: Broken Sign -> Party of the Dawn

---

Welcome back to lore! [part 2]

This time, we'll be talking about The Theater of Darkness, which is the second part of the Neon Essence's lore and the finale!

Our settings here are in the Theater of Darkness and The Neonized... 7 years after the events of the Neon Essence. Buckle up folks, you're in for a long one </3 /j/lh

I tried to stay less away from explaining every little thing and tried to put more focus on small story segments to help tell the narrative,,, I'll still try to explain some things though </3 I'll title the segments "Act X: Y" just cause I think it's neat. Hopefully, it also helps you guys get a better feel for the world of ToD and the characters stuck inside it. I may or may not get carried away in some parts,,, hehe,,,

---

Content Warning for descriptions of injury and death (especially in Act 4!), so please read at your own risk!

---

Act One: The Stage is Set... for its final story.

Darkness.

A total, all-consuming darkness, which swallowed any and all light greedily. Like a hungry beast consumes its prey, feasting upon their flesh.

Darkness as far as the eye could see, stretching far beyond what the four people could see.

Darkness.

"Where... where the fuck are we?" Heart of the Night, although severely injured, still glowed the brightest of the four people. He had lost all but the purple and teal glow in his hair and cracked, round sunglasses, as well as the dim light emitted by the brittle staff laying by his side.

"You think I know? Ugh... my watch's map is all messed up, it just keeps saying DATA NOT FOUND." Hacker, on the other hand, had lost all but the light that glowed within her gloves, which was nothing more than a dim, flickering mess. And even that was struggling to stay alive.

"This place... is dark. Very..." Spectral Viewer turned once. "...very..." And then, a second time. "...very..." And finally, she had turned a third time. "...dark." She whispered quietly. From her headphones, a weak, weak orange light fought for its right to be seen.

"Darkness as far as the eye can see..." Neon Lights placed his foot down, looking around. "The ground is flat... but hollow underneath our feet? Are we on top of some sort of structure?" He noted. Though his light had completely faded, his intellect stayed strong and intact.

"And now... now that the stage is set... it is time for your final acts... in this story." A voice echoed from the darkness, soft and alluring. It gripped their attention, demanding to be acknowledged. And from the darkness, she arose. To them, she looked to be nothing more than white scribbles floating around in the darkness, as if she were crudely scribbled in crayon by a small child. Her movements were graceful and fluid, however, as if she were floating across the floor. Behind her, existed three scales, with chains that spiraled up into the neverending darkness. both seemingly anchored to a ceiling of some kind, but also detached to the void around them, following the strange woman wherever she went. And in her hand, she held a small mirror. It, however, didn't seem to reflect light... but show neverending darkness instead. Heart of the Night could not even see a hint of himself in the mirror's surface, even though he knew they still shone bright enough to leave some evidence in the reflection of their presence. She reached up, slowly tapping on the mirror's surface, however it did not make a sound. Where the sound of her nail tapping against the glass's surface should have been... stood silence instead. "Oh... cue the lights, it's been a long time since I've had visitors this far down in the darkness..." Her voice echoed across the space, even though she never moved her mouth, still wearing that same, creepy closed-lip grin. "You're all fading... but you are all still intact... good. You will all make good vessels for the darkness." It spoke again, but its words left the four of them... rather perplexed.

"Vessels..? What the fuck are you on about?" Heart of the Night was the one who spoken up first, seemingly both confused and upset. "Yeah, what are you talking about? Are... are you the darkness?" Hacker added with a confused look. "If that thing is the Darkness... then we can't afford to stay here! If the Darkness gets us, there's no telling what will happen!" Neon Lights had interjected. Spectral Viewer simply looked on in horror at the creature, standing tall just feet in front of them. "Ahh, come on, answer us, bitch!" Heart of the Night snapped, seemingly irrate by the now silent, smiling figure.

And then... it happened. One by one, 4 doors appeared, guarded by 4 heavy locks. In front of the 4 doors, laid a blank television and a table with four bright, glowing keys. One red and blue, one orange and pink, one purple and teal, and one yellow and green. "Choose whichever door you'd like. You are free to explore as you see fit, for you will soon see that... there is no escape for you. And there is no tomorrow. Not anymore..." The figure spoke again, but this time, she held up her finger. "But only one door can be entered by one person at a time. The rest must stay... and watch. You may stand here..." The figure shifted to the side before gesturing back behind her. "Or you may take a seat in the audience, if you so wish." Behind her, from the darkness arose several hundred seats, similar to one you'd find in a theater. Almost every seat had been filled with decaying mechanical dolls with ribbons tied over their eyes and smiles plastered on their faces, strung to the chairs with a simple white string. Only two seats remained open and unoccupied.

"It's... it's like a theater. They're making a show out of us." Spectral Viewer whispered as she covered her mouth. "What do we do?" Hacked mumbled, nervousness edging her voice. "What else can we do? I doubt running from her is gonna do us any good..." Heart of the Night mumbled. "Besides... the battle against the darkness in The Neonized has me fuckin' beat... I'd love to sit down if I'm bein' honest." His knee connected with the ground with a soft click as he felt his legs give out underneath him. "But we can't just, comply with that... that thing! What if it's a trap?" Neon Lights grumbled angrily. "But what else can we do? I mean... we're not in our world anymore..." Spectral Viewer spoke softly. "We're... we're going to have to go into those doors, you guys." Hacker held her hands out nervously, moving them as she spoke. "Whether we want to or not... I don't think we have a choice..."

The strange figure only smiled in response. Unmoving. Only... smiling.

---

In the first "act" of the Theater of Darkness, the group of 4 is introduced to the Agents of Darkness! She's the big bad of the essence, of course. Here, she introduced them to four doors, four sets of locks, four keys [each key with one of the four's signature colors] and a set of seats, with all but two filled with horrifying displays. The two open seats are important, remember that. Also, the fist bump from the "Coming Soon" post is important too, so remember that too! Of course, I tried not to get too much into the details for the dolls themselves </3 those dolls in the audience are all of Yidhra's followers, her leech followers, to be exact.

---

Act Two: And then there were 3 left...

There was silence for a long while. Any type of conversation was useless for the four of them. Silence ruled the dark land...

And then, she spoke. "I'll open a door first." Spectral Viewer's voice was laced with hesitance and uncertainty. "Spect, you don't have to if you don't want to. I'll go-" Heart of the Night had started to protest, but it was too late. "No, it's... fine. You said you were tired, and that you wanted to sit down. So... please. Sit down, and let me go first. You don't always have to sacrifice yourself for the group, you know..." Spectral Viewer placed her hands on the shoulders of the taller, injured party member. "Maybe from my experience... you'll all be able to learn something useful." Spectral Viewer placed her hand over her quick-beating heart. "Maybe... with this... sacrifice, you'll all be able to taste the sweet feeling of victory." She smiled warmly, like a freshly baked good straight out of the oven. "Don't say that Spectral... we're all gonna make it out of this together, you hear me?" Hacker clasped her hands together tightly. "You're still gambling on a better end? Huh... typical of you, boss." Neon Lights mumbled in response. Spectral Viewer laughed slowly. "You guys are funny... I wish I could have gotten to know you all sooner..." Spectral Viewer smiled sadly. "If we do make it out of here... I'll bake you some nice pastries for us all to share, okay?" Spectral Viewer spoke softly as she made the offer. "You better!" Hacker said sternly. "We're all gonna make it out together, and then we're going to snack like kings, queens, and godDAMN royalty." She huffed energetically. Spectral Viewer giggled once more with a soft nod, while Neon Lights chuckled with a quick nod. And yet... Heart of the Night had made no effort to make a response.

And then... she had turned and gently scooped the yellow and pink key into her hands. It glowed softly, but it felt warm in her hands, as if she were holding a freshly baked cupcake in her hands. She then observed the four different doors, each with different colored chains. She hesitantly walked up to the third door, grabbing the lock with her right hand and holding the key with her left hand. She looked back once, seeing Heart of the Night and Hacker sitting in the audience, with Neon Lights standing by their side. She smiled, turned, then placed the key inside the lock, turning it until she hear a small click. The lock and key then dissolved in her hands, leaving a glowing yellow door in front of her. She took a deep breath, feeling as the doorknob turned in her hands. She pushed the door open... and suddenly, the world had shifted.

She stood inside an empty building, alone. In front of her was a table, with a tape rack with 10 slots, a tape player, and a monitor on it. "Hmm? 10 empty slots?" Spectral Viewer reached out, gently running her fingers along the empty rack. "Perhaps... I have to find those tapes..." Her eyes wandered to the tape player. "And play them on here..." Spectral Viewer mumbled something quietly to herself as she observed the room. To her right laid a glowing orange tape. She gently scooped the tape into her hands before hesitantly placing it into the tape player. However, the monitor remained off, and sound came... from somewhere else. Despite not being connected to anything, a soft voice emerged from her headphones, speaking in a low and hushed tone, as if trying to avoid alerting something...

And this went on for 8 more tapes. Spectral Viewer would look around for the tape, she would place it into the tape player, and then she would listen to the person through her headphones. The stories they told were... discombobulated and choppy, as if parts of it were missing. But... upon gaining the 10th tape, something was different. For the first time during her stay in the strange room, when she placed the tape inside the tape player, the monitor had finally turned on. "H-Huh?" Spectral Viewer had stepped closer to the monitor, carefully looking at what it was displaying. It was showing an aerial view of the room, as she could see herself looking at the monitor. And then, one final recording began to play.

"I tried to stop it... I really did... but now it's hungry... very hungry... it's looking for something to eat... something to feast... And I think... it's found something. I can hear it... crawling. Circling. I can hear it right above me... I think it's coming... and I think... that I am going to taste... delicious."

---

While the tape players, Spectral Viewer can hear something crawling above her, but it's too dark for her to see anything. But it begins to get louder... and louder... and louder. And then, it swings down, grabbing Spectral Viewer and dragging her up and into the darkness. There's a moment of silence before a loud crunch is heard and something falls to the floor from the darkness and the television in the theater shuts off.

So what happened is after Spectral Viewer listened to the first 9 tapes, which told the sad tale of a woman who had her work stolen by a big TV station and was refused to be given the credit she deserves, the 10th tape played the haunting last words of the woman, right before her death. And then, the thing that killed the woman swoops down and grabs Spectral Viewer. The "thing" that falls to the floor is actually her body... without her head attached. [That's why in her upgraded skin, Broadcaster, Beth's head is replaced by a TV! Don't ask me how that works it just does, okay :(]

---

Act Three: And then, there were two.

"Next person... please." The strange woman spoke again, but couldn't hear her. An eerie dreadfulness hung in the air at the conclusion of Spectral's door. But a painful conclusion soon arose. Spectral Viewer... was no more. Going through those doors... spelled out certain death. There was no doubt about it... not anymore. "Oh... oh my god... Spectral..." Hacker covered her mouth as tears rolled down her face. "N-No way that just happened... that can't be fuckin' real-" Even though he had been sitting down, Heart of the Night felt like he had all the breath knocked out of him as he gripped onto the armrest. Neon Lights was quiet, however, as he stared at the now blank TV screen. "Next person... please~." She spoke again with eerie enthusiasm. "I told you, didn't I? There's no way out, there is no escape... and there is no tomorrow. Not anymore..." She giggled for a moment, high in pitch. Her words rang through their ears. "Someone must go... or else someone will be forced to go." She spoke softly, words crashing over the remaining three like ocean waves crashing over a person inside of the sea. They were all silent for a long, long while... And then, she made her move.

"You've all taken too long to decide." She had announced. "So now... my followers shall choose someone for you all." She kept the same eerie smile as she spoke. "Fo...llow...ers?" Heart of the Night's voice was quiet as he spoke first, as if the words were stuck in his throat. She turned to look at the young man sitting down in the audience. "They are all around you... followers, it's time... to arise." She reached up, tapping her fingers against the glass mirror once, then twice, and finally, a third time. And then, one by one, the sound of thread snapping could be heard, which brought along a horrific scene. The dolls, which were previously sewn down to the chairs, had begun to move. Their movements were sharp and jerky, like that of an unoiled puppet. Some of them were tall and lanky while others were shorter and stubbier because they were all creepy and unnerving nonetheless. "Wha..." Hacker seemed to be taken aback by the sudden, overwhelming presence now in the dimly lit theater with them. They moved forward jerkily, pushing their way forward towards the three remaining doors. "H-Hey! No pushing!" "Get your fucking hands off me, you creepy pieces of shit!" "Let go!" But the dolls did not listen, nor do they pay the three protesters any mind, for though their movements were choppy, they still trudged forwards.

"Shittt man..." Heart of the Night groaned as he laid flat on his back. Hacker whimpered as she clung to the floor. "Did they really have to throw mee... I never want to let go of the floor again." Hacker sobbed. "Hey... where's Lights?" Heart of the Night winced as he held his head. "You don't think..." Hacker turned around slowly as she faced the three doors. The last door was unlocked. "No... Neon! NEON!" Hacker screamed out to her informant desperately, but it was far... far too late for that. "Hacker. Hacker stop! HACKER-"

"What the hell..?" Neon Lights grit his teeth as he stumbled to his feet. The setting was no longer that of the Theater, but rather... the streets of the Neonized? There was not a single light around, and the location reminded him a lot of his meeting spots when he would pass information onto Hacker.

...

Hacker. Where was she?

He turned once, then twice, looking around. Then he paused. "She's not here... and neither is that man, Heart. I... suppose that is a good thing. But... where am I then?" Neon Lights glanced around with a confused expression. "I shouldn't stay here long... this isn't really the Neonized, there's no telling what's lurking around the corners here." He mumbled to himself. He carefully made his way around the corner, with much caution. Any enemy waiting around the corner was no match for him, for he was too cautious with his movements and approaches. But no matter how hard he fought, they keep coming and coming, as if they came from an endless horde.

At the end of the long stretch of land laid a mirror, hung on the brick wall. His body ached from the fighting and continuous running, so the enemy-free stretch of land was suspicious... yet very relieving. The mirror looked similar to the one of the strange woman. However, a mirror in an open alleyway such as this was... suspicious. But the only other way he could go was back towards the hordes, so where else can he go? He was quiet as he approached the mirror slowly. He reached out, able to see himself in the reflection of the mirror. He gently reached toward the mirror, however, before he could touch it, he could see enemies approaching in the distance. He turned to face the hordes, however... nothing was there.

He turned back towards the mirror...

...but his reflection was not the same as him, holding the very same gun he had been using to protect himself the entire time against his chest with a sewn smile.

"Trust no one... not even yourself."

Even if the TV turned off before the ending could be revealed... what happened was clear.

---

Okay okay so. Basically, Neon Lights was shot by his reflection! Trust no one, not even yourself, as the reflection said. Who would have guessed your own reflection could be your enemy?

As for the mess earlier, what the followers did was basically they picked up the three remaining survivors, grabbed one of the keys, unlocked the door, and then threw the person associated with the door, inside of it! They then dropped the other two on the stage floor... or more, they dropped Hacker on the stage floor and threw HotN at the theater stairs. lol.

---

Act Four: Make me a promise, Hacker.

And with that, another one had been lost. Another life had been taken, right before their eyes. Another friend... claimed by the darkness they all had banded together to try and defeat.

"Why... why does this keep happening..." Hacker's voice was shaky as she choked back sobs. "Hacker... Hacker please, calm down..." But Hacker was inconsolable. "Why...? P-Please... Heart... why?" She had gripped the other remaining boy's shoulders as she struggled to choke back sobs. "...I don't know why. Things like this... they don't always have a reason why..." Heart of the Night reached over, placing his hand on the broken girl's shoulder. "Sometimes... terrible things happen to good people. Like Spectral. Like Neon. Sometimes... people get terribly sick... and they become weak... and they die because someone took advantage of their general unwellness. And people like us... there's nothing we can do to stop it." He frowned a bit as he quietly pushed Hacker's hair back. "But they're gone now. No amount of feeling sorry and feeling regret is going to change that." Hacker sniffled. "It's okay to cry... but if you linger on it too long... it'll consume you." Heart mumbled. "...Did you have someone... that you've lost to the darkness too?" Her voice was quiet, barely above a whisper, as if she was treading on forbidden territory. "...You're just now asking me this? Really? In the like, 4 months we've known each other-" Heart groaned in response, rubbing his forehead. "...yeah. I did. My daughters. They both died right in front of my eyes, with the younger mumbling 'papa... I don't wanna die... papa... papa please...' ... I couldn't protect either of them." He mumbled quietly, the remark leaving a stinging pain in Hacker's heart. "That... I..." Hacker squeezed her eyes tightly, sniffling. "I still see that scene every time I close my eyes. Although..." Heart's eyes shifted to the strange woman, who was always standing there, holding the mirror and smiling. "...I don't think I'll be seeing it much longer." He frowned. "... you're going through the door?" Hacker's voice was shaky as she asked her most dreaded question. "...Of course. Someone has to. Oh, come on, don't look at me like that." Heart noticed the growing frown forming on Hacker's face. "You can't! You're not in any shape to-" "Neither are you. Just look at yourself." "No! You CAN'T go! Please! You'll die... and I can't handle seeing another person I care about die... Heart, please..." "Hacker... I'm sorry, but if it's not me... it would have to be you. And if we take too long, what happened to Neon is going to happen to us." He tried to reason with the distraught girl, but his words went in one ear and out the other. "No! Can't we figure something out first?" She clasped her hands together with a pleading in her voice. "...I don't think we can. And I don't think... that you could stop me, even if you tried. Face it, Hacker. You can't help me. You can't even help yourself. Just give. it. up." His words felt like a slap to the face for the young coder, who refused to face defeat. Not like that. "At least... at least let me see the odds, you asshole. Even if it's a one-in-a-million chance I can stop you... at least let me take it..." Hacker sniffled. "You really do like pushing your luck, don't you? Do you realize that one day, the odds won't be in your favor? Whatever, try your luck with me if that's what you want..." He crossed his arms as he held his staff in his hands. "Come at with all you've got."

Even though he was injured, the fight was too easy, for a victor decided before it had truly begun. "You're too slow!" The remark was followed up by a twirl and strike of the sharp-pointed staff, tearing through the rabbit-themed hood, sending the young girl flying backward. "Ugh!" Hacker flew across the stage, colliding with the stage floor for the nth time, slamming into the ground and rolling from the sheer power and impact. Watching Hacker lay on the floor, Heart of the Night allowed his staff to quietly fall out of his hand and gently onto the ground. He let out strained breaths as he observed Hacker, on the floor, unmoving. "Shit... did I overdo it?" He stumbled to where Hacker lay, using the cupped handle of the staff to push Hacker's face up off the floor. Hacker sniffled softly. "O-Ow..." "Oh, good, you're still fine. Hate to say I told you so but..." Hacker tried to get up, but anything she still had going into the fight had been thoroughly beaten out of. "How the hell did you... even..." Hacker winced, whining. "You learn a lot working at a bar, you know. People get into fights all the time, drunk out of their minds... I just picked up on some of the more interesting beatdown techniques." He held his hand out, waiting for Hacker to take it. She had taken it after a moment, now kneeling on the stage floor. "Hey. Make me a promise, Hacker." Heart smiled sadly. "W-What kind of promise..?" Hacker looked up nervously at the older boy. "Oh, you know, the kind you try and keep." He joked. "...Promise me you'll take care of yourself. No more stupid in the heat of the moment decisions." He reached over, gently patting her on the head. "...I'll try. And you know... try to be careful in there yourself."

And, just like that, another door had been opened... and another person had been lost to the darkness. But even then... this time... something was... different.

Heart of the Night found himself in a rather familiar environment, facing the frozen-over lake that was located just 5 minutes away from his bar. "Wait a second... I know this place..." He turned, looking around before mumbling. "Killing me on my own home turf... that's kind of fucked up." In contrast to the other two doors, there were people all around, constantly walking past Heart and talking as if nothing was wrong. And yet... everything felt terribly off. It felt normal... too normal for Heart's taste. He found himself torn between going in the direction of his bar and going down towards the frozen-over lake. But, before he could decide for himself, a young girl with white and purple hair had bumped into him, knocking him off balance and sending him tumbling down the cold, snow-covered hill. "!"

...

It felt like he was falling forever, and the cold hard crash landing on the frozen-over lake made everything even worse. He grit his teeth as he tried to stand up, but the slippery ice had even that a much, much harder task. "! Shit-" Heart winced as he slipped and fell backward, slamming his head against the ground in the process. His vision blurred from the number of times he had fallen and hit his head on something. "...clumsy old man on the icy lake... you don't see those every day, especially sober. clumsy old men. Are you okay?" Although he couldn't see the person clearly, he could hear the sound of ice skates getting ever closer. Through blurred vision, Heart of the Night could make out two main colors. Black... and silver. Not a single color in sight, other than their pale blue hair, which looked more white than blue in color. Someone who lost their light? That's the only explanation Heart of the Night could think of. "Hellllooo? Hit your head too many times on the way down?" The voice almost seemed to be circling him. "Are you dead?" "No... just dizzy."

---

Here, Heart of the Night is [once again] pushed by Yidhra and ends up falling down the hill and completely wiping out on the frozen-over lake lol, where he runs into a teenage girl [who's about 14 to 15yrs old] on ice skates, who happened to see HotN fall down the hill, going as far as to calling him a "clumsy old man" and wondering if he might have died on the fall down. Alas, it was not that easy as HotN [finally] responds to the strange girl.

What comes after is a rather long and lengthy interaction between the two [as well as a more detailed description of the girl] where halfway through a conversation of theirs, the ice suddenly cracks underneath HotN's feet and he falls into the freezing cold water.

---

It was so nice to talk to someone new that he momentarily forgot about the danger he was in.

"!" But nothing lasts forever. The water was so, so cold. His entire body went numb, he couldn't stop gasping. What was this feeling? He hated it. He had begun to hyperventilate, desperately grasping for anything to keep him afloat. "Huh? What are you gasping for- OH MY GOD-" The strange girl previously had skating with her back turned to Heart of the Night, but upon stopping, turning, and noticing Heart's situation, began to panic herself. "Wait, wait, don't panic, it's only going to make things harder if you panic." She had begun to softly coach the submerged Heart. Had she not known what to do... he may have drowned in the icy... icy cold water. With the coaching of the girl, Heart managed to get out of the water, but he still felt the worse was to come. "Okay okay, let's go... get you somewhere... warm?" "Y-Yeah..."

And then, once again, Heart of the Night ended up in a familiar place. "Hey... sit down on the stool... I'll go get you something dry to change into... I'm pretty sure Heart still has some clothes lying around in the back somewhere..." The strange girl then disappeared around the bar counter and into a backroom. One where he usually kept a spare work uniform or two for those days where drunk customers were... a little less than pleasant. Strange. He didn't remember having any employees with pale blue hair. Or ones who knew how to ice skate for that matter.

He could feel the room temperature dropping by the second, it was getting colder... why was it getting colder? Heart closed his eyes, coughing weakly. "W...why... is it... so... cold in..." He had begun to slur his words, gripping onto his wet clothes tightly. He stumbled as he shifted in the chair, bumping against the counter and stumbling onto the floor. "... why is..." his entire body felt heavy, he couldn't move it anymore. "...it so..." his vision began to fade to black. "cold..." the room had begun to freeze over. Heart then came to the sudden realization that he had been tricked by the darkness. Falling into the cold water at the lake and then being placed in a room that quickly got colder and colder, leading to his body temperature falling faster...

...

what a dirty trick to play.

But it didn't matter. Not anymore.

The cold had already taken over... and soon after, the darkness had too.

---

So, what happened is that Heart of the Night was initially thrown into the real world by Yidhra, and pushed towards the lake, where he was supposed to have fallen into the water and either a.) drown from the initial cold shock or b.) get impaled by a falling icicle. But, the one thing the Darkness wasn't expecting was someone to be ice skating at the lake and being able to help him. So, once the girl left to get the spare clothes, she swapped the realm, isolating Heart and accelerating the rate at which he'd suffer from hypothermia [until he eventually died from it]. For the girl, once she exited the backroom with the spare clothes and saw Heart of the Night was no longer there... she went out in a panic, looking for him.

Yidhra kind of fucked up but she managed to get things back on course later on. lol.

---

Act Five: "Who are you?"

Hacker was quiet as she sat in front of the now blank monitor. "What... was that?" She had gotten no answer from the grinning figure. But that did not matter to her, not anymore. It didn't change the fact that another one of her friends was gone. She was all alone, again. She stared at the key. The lone, glowing red and blue key, stared right back at her. "I guess... it's my turn to go in now?" She turned again to look at the grinning woman. "You would be right. Aren't you curious to see what kind of fate lies, just for you behind that door?" For the first time in a while, the woman had spoken. "...no... not really," Hacker mumbled as she picked up the key. "Do you not wonder about a single thing you've seen? Aside from the question 'why did this happen to them?'" Hacker paused as she fiddled with the key. "I mean..." "You've watched three fools in a row all meet their mortal ends, do you really not yearn for some kind of answer?" Hacker gripped her fist with bubbling anger. "They were all good people with families that loved them... they weren't fools." "Ah... but only fools will pick a fight they know they can't win. Though I suppose if anyone here is a fool... it would be you. Your childish display with the recently departed has shown me as much." The strange woman had moved her position by the stage's edge to directly next to the lone survivor. "It was fun to observe, seeing the way you moved around like a chicken with its head cut off. A delightfully pathetic display of powerlessness." Her words stung like a slap to the face as Hacker relived her last experience with Heart of the Night. She had promised him to no longer be so reckless and to take more care of herself... but she couldn't let her talk down about her friends that way. Not after all the shit she had done to them.

Her body moved without her realizing it. The momentarily silent theater was suddenly filled with a sharp and echoing sound, and the surface of her hand stung as she stared at the red mark on the face of the strange woman. But she had doubled down. "Shut up." Hacker huffed. "You don't know anything about them or anything about me." Hacker then turned towards the last locked door, quietly swallowing back her fear and unlocking the door to her doom. "Oh... perhaps you're braver than you act... But we'll see which of us will have the last laugh..."

The room was... dark. Dark and empty. Void of anything and everything. "What... is this?" Hacker turned in a 360 motion, but everywhere was the same. Total darkness. "HELLO?" Hacker screamed out, but her voice did not echo back. And only silence answered her back. She aimlessly wandered the darkness, but it made no difference. Everything looked and felt the same. Cold. Dark. Lonely. She had lost count of time, not as if she had any way to tell time before. How long had she been in there? How long had she been walking? She became lost in the darkness.

...

She sat in the darkness for a long, long time. So long, she thought she could see something, creeping along in the distance. A neon green fog-like substance, slowly moving across the floor.

"..?" Hacker narrowed her eyes as she stared at the incoming fog. As she looked further back, the fog became taller and thicker, to where she struggled to see anything within the fog. She had stood up, and approached the strange fog. It had soon enveloped her, shining in colors of teal, green, purple, yellow, orange, and pink. Colors so warm and familiar to her, yet sad and bitter at the same time. She had twirled and whirled around in the colorful fog, all while trying to observe the area. By doing so... she had missed the sight of the glowing purple and teal blade swinging her way, colliding with her back and slicing it open. The sheer force of the attack was enough to send Hacker crashing down to the cold, dark floor.

"Sweet Dreams... Hacker."

"AH- W-wait... what... wh..."

"Who... are... y...ou...?"

"That doesn't matter anymore... does it? It's okay..."

"You'll be one of us soon."

---

Hacker [after bitchslapping Yidhra] finally enters her door... only to find the area is completely empty... or, so she thought. But after a while of wandering, Hacker comes across a slowly creeping but brightly-colored fog, harboring the same colors as her recently departed friends. But within that fog, it had concealed something even more dangerous than Hacker could ever imagine... but she was too slow to see it coming.

talk about betrayal, sheesh-

"Are you lost, little girl? After all... bars are no place for kids like you, you know. Or... could it be, that we've finally, finally, found you at last? Just in the one place, that we hadn't expected you to be?" - Midnight Phantom

Act Six: "How should I start this conversation?"

"Long time no see? Or... Nice to meet you?"

...

For Party of the Dawn, weekends were far busier than weekdays were. Running a bar, especially at her age with her limited knowledge of general bar etiquette, was very difficult. Weekends were when the worst of the worst would crawl out from whatever opening of hell they could find, and they'd all flock to the one scenic bar in town and drink till they were purple. Dawn always found closing times to be the worst, drunk people would make it a hassle to close, and some would even become violent with the small owner. They would yell and scream, or start breaking things, and sometimes even try and get physical with her. And it became tiring, having that being her normal every day to day life.

Being the owner of the small, scenic bar, however, did have one small good thing about it. If there was one thing Dawn could count on hearing while mixing up drinks for people, it would be the town gossip. Dawn would hear all about what went down in the town, and while it was mostly silly things like who cheated on who or what stupid thing so-and-so had done, some things would prove to be rather useful for the teenager.

"Have you guys seen that strange teal fog? People say that those who enter the fog don't come out the same..." "I heard that some people don't come out of the fog at all, as if a phantom had whisked them away and made off into the night..." "I hear it's not just one person who appears in the fog, but four people. Each all acting in strange and unique ways..."

"Strange and unique ways? How?" Dawn couldn't help but ask as she served the gossipers their ordered drinks. "You really haven't heard? Their victims say that they're all very strange and weird looking. One of them has a TV for a head and no neck... while one of them was as pale as ghost... no, it's more like a phantom. And one has a hole where their heart is, but they're still alive... really scary stuff, kid. You should be careful out there once everything closes down for the night... or else this Midnight Phantom and his friends may get you next." Dawn chuckled as she served the drinks, listening to the claims. "That seems rather silly. A Midnight Phantom? Or a girl with a TV for a head, but no neck for the TV to balance on? Are you sure you're all not just trying to scare me?" Dawn placed her hand on her hip with a pout and a shake of her head. "No, no little bartender, people swear that they've really seen them in that fog, lurking around in the dead of night. And so many people have described them in detail too... can't be the figment of a drunkard's mind, no no." "So, you think they're real?" "If several people are saying the same things about it with similar details and the facts all seem to line up... who's to say they aren't real?" She had paused before nodding. "Well, I'll keep this in mind after I close up the bar. Thank you. Enjoy your drinks."

The idea had struck Dawn as odd. Teal fog that seemed to conceal some otherworldly identity, with the main topic of conversation being that of a "Midnight Phantom"? While it sounded like just the babbles of a drunkard who had too much to drink one night, Dawn couldn't help but think about how it may be... something else. She had gone around and collected more rumors on the fog and the beings associated with it, and more and more did it sound like the darkness that took everything away from her as a child. Her mother. Her father. Her best friend. Mister Heart and Miss Hacker and Sir Neon and Miss Viewer. Even Miss Mayor seemed... emptier inside after everything had gone down.

"So... if I understand this right... right after dusk to right before dawn, a thick, teal and purple fog rolls into the city and covers the ground and much of the open space, four strange individuals wander the city, attacking poor strangers who happen to be out at that time. Of the four individuals, the one that sticks out to most people is a tall, pale, and lanky man who they've dubbed the "Midnight Phantom". They claim of the four, he's the most dangerous and while many have supposedly run into this group, only a few of them actually make it out alive... And those who have survived claim the only way to survive is to outrun them until dawn, which is hard because the one with the TV for a head and someone who can hack into electronics and other objects powered by coding will try to stop you, as well as by broadcasting your location to the other two. The first one is someone who travels via mirrors or reflective surfaces armed with a gun and has a gunshot wound on his chest. The second one is the infamous Midnight Phantom, who usually is the one that takes chase, and it is armed with a staff that functions similar to that of a polearm... and you expect me to think that this isn't a drunkard's tale? Or a story meant to keep people inside during the nighttime?" The Mayor, similar to Dawn, could not believe the story. "I know, it sounds weird, very much like a drunkard's tale. But... I'd like to test it." Dawn had decided. "If these people are a part of the darkness like you think, then you'd be putting yourself in danger, sweetie... I made a promise to take care of you." Song of Fate had seemed worried at the very notion of Dawn investigating the matter, shaking her head with disapproval. "What if something happens to you? You know how disappointed Hacker and Heart would be for letting you get hurt...?" Dawn frowned at the mention of the two older adults. "They can't be disappointed in you. They're gone." Dawn shook her head disappointedly before looking at Fate. "If you're worried for me, why don't you come with me? We don't get to spend much time together like you promised me when I was younger..." She huffed a little as she spoke. "Come on... dusk is almost done..." Dawn clasped her hands together with a pleading look in her eyes. "...If we don't see anything within the first 15 minutes, then we're going inside and we'll... I dunno, maybe watch a movie together? No horror movies or slasher films, though!" "Sounds fair."

Dawn was aware that this... wasn't exactly her brightest idea from the moment she and her caretaker had stepped outside of the large estate and into the dense, teal and purple mist. Dawn could barely see her own hand in front of her, much least the taller mother figure standing next to her. "Woahhh, that's some intense fog... and look, it IS teal and purple in color..." Dawn gently ran her hands over the thick fog, laughing softly in amusement. "Dawn, sweetheart, please, take my hand so we don't get separated." "Okay, Miss Mayor." Dawn had reached her hand back without bothering to look for Fate's hand, knowing she wouldn't be able to see it, however, something about Fate's hand felt weird. Since when did Fate wear gloves? She looked back with a bewildered expression, following her eyes down her arm to look at the hand out of curiosity, but another sight awaited her instead. A tall, lanky, pale man with thick and truly black and white hair with teal and purple highlights had stood in front of her, wearing a mask, obscuring most of his face, other than his black eyes. And... on his hands, he wore black, leather gloves. And in those black leather gloves... was the right hand Dawn had extended trying to find Fate's hand. He had almost looked like a ghost. No... it was something more akin to a phantom. He had made a "shh" motion with his free hand, and while the mask made his expression unreadable... Dawn could sense a sort of mania coming from the man. She had made one sharp tug of her arm, and yet, neither she nor the man would be moved. She had then made a second tug, but it only resolved in a standstill between the two. "Dawn? Dawn, where are you?" Dawn wanted to yell, to scream, to make a scene, and yet in the presence of the strange man, she was frozen still. She wanted to make a sound but yet... all ability to had left her body.

So, why?

Why was she hearing her own voice?

"I'm over here, Miss Mayor!" That wasn't her speaking. No, her words were stuck in her throat. "Why are you so far over there?" No, they weren't that far apart.

Dawn could hear footsteps growing more distant. No, please, please don't go. Silent pleading made no difference. No matter what she tried to do to get away, it made no difference. The only thing that came out of her attempts was silent, unsuccessful struggles. And then... he had spoken, for the first time since he had appeared.

"How should I start this conversation?" He had finally let go of her, and yet the familiarity of his voice was now what had her paralyzed in fear. He walked around her, and suddenly, the entire scene had changed, and he had too. "Long time no see?" Why... why did he look like that? She recognized those purple and teal shades and stoic blue eyes, accompanied by messy black hair with bright purple and teal highlights and asymmetrical shirt, with one long sleeve, colored with golden stars and teal clouds, with one plain colored purple short sleeve. Around her was the frozen-over lake she had always loved skating on, the one where she had met that strange dull-colored man who had fallen into the ice and then disappeared without a trace as if he had never existed at all.

"Or..."

And just as quickly as he had changed, he had shifted back to the strange, masked man, back within the fog-devoured environment. "Nice to meet you?"

---

Act Seven: A new piece of information unveiled.

By the time Fate had reached the voice she thought was Dawn, she had come to the conclusion that she had made a grave... grave mistake. "You- You're not Dawn!" Fate had pointed at the strange woman with the TV for a head accusatorily before pausing. "...Where is she? What did you do to her?" The woman stood there for a moment, the static avatar staring back at Fate. And then, something appeared on the monitor of the screen. '...it's too late for her now... the Phantom has already found her. I'm afraid finding her may be impossible now. But... it is not too late for you to escape him too, Musical Beats.' Fate could not help but read that last line over and over again. "...What do you mean it's too late for Dawn? She's just a kid! And... how do you know that name... no one calls me that. Not anymore." Fate asked her questions in a calm and collected manner, but the shakiness of her body gave her fears away. '...There is no saving her, is what I mean. Not from him. Going after her now would be the equivalent of knowingly going towards your death... and... that is who you are to me. You are my old friend, Musical Beats... or do you go by something different now? I'll have to update my database if that's the case...' The little avatar initially displayed a look of sorry, but as the text went on, it displayed a look of confusion, and then deep thought. “…Who are you?” “That is a good question. Who do you think I am?” For the first time since their meeting in the fog, the person had spoken, and her voice was very familiar to Fate’s ears. So much so, that Fate couldn’t believe it. “Viewer? Is that… is that really you? But- But you went missing seven years ago… you and everyone else…” Viewer paused before mumbling. ‘So it’s been seven years since we were all taken by the darkness…? It feels like an eternity… has seven years really gone by?’ The little avatar displayed a look of sadness and confusion. And suddenly, a second avatar had appeared, made in Fate’s appearance. The first avatar grabbed the second avatar’s hands as if pleading for something with her. “…oh that’s so cute. Our little avatars are holding hands!” Fate clasped her hands together, giggling. “But… yeah, it’s been seven years. Well, at this point, it’s closer to eight years now… but why are you back now? What’s happening? And- And who is this Phantom you keep talking about?!” Fate seemed to be distraught by everything happening at once, which was reflected in her little avatar on the TV screen. The original avatar reached over, patting the new avatar on the head as if trying to comfort her. ‘It’s a long story… but one short answer I can give you is… that the Phantom is Heart of the Night… or at least, he was… before the cold and the darkness took over.’ The text appeared on the screen in the form of a text bubble from the orange avatar. “The cold and the darkness? You… you’re not making any sense, Viewer…” Fate placed her hand on her head in confusion. "And, Heart is the Phantom? This isn't making any sense, Viewer!" Viewer paused, then began to form another sentence. 'It's a long story... Heart is the Phantom... but the Phantom isn't Heart... I have an information file in my database that may help... if you wish to see it.' The text formed on the screen as Fate paused. "You have a database????"

---

Broadcaster Data Base ["So, they call you Broadcaster now? Ohh, because you can 'broadcast' people's locations if you know where they are- That's clever."]

…

Loading "Darkness Afflicted" Files… Please enter file passcode.

…

"Midnight Phantom"

Of the three alters, he seems the most hyperaware and most intuned with the world around him, and therefore the most manipulative and controlling of the three alter personalities. The people of the Neonized call him the Midnight Phantom due to his pale appearance (due to the hypothermia Heart experienced during his death) and his dark-colored appearance. He is able to manipulate things within the fog, ranging from manipulating his appearance and surroundings to creating false scenarios and phantom characters to incite panic and fear within those he targets.

Heart of the Night status: It's hard to pinpoint where exactly Heart is located within Phantom's heart, as it's always shifting and changing, that in case if someone somehow had found their way in, they'd be unable to find their way out or their way to anything specific within the space. Heart's specific status is labeled as dormant, unlikely to wake up and challenge Phantom for control… and even if he could, in his current frosted state, he would be unable to do much. Not without some kind of push...

"Sweet Dreams"

Of the three alters, she seems very quiet and reserved, and therefore the most easygoing and enjoyable to talk to. The people of the Neonized don't seem to have a name for her, but I've heard some refer to her as The Hacker due to her familiarity with electronics. Her main skills lie within opening access to locked things, such as locked doors, locked interfaces, and even locked hearts. But she doesn't help anyone for free.

Hacker status: Dreams has a weak hold on Hacker, and I often see Hacker drift in and out of control, even if it is subtle. Hacker's specific status is… weak, I suppose. Not strong enough to completely take back control but not weak enough to lose it completely.

"Shooting Stars"

Of the three alters, he gets into the most conflicts and acts the most competitive and disagreeable. He often gets into fights with Midnight and Dreams over the strangest things… The people of the Neonized call him the Sharpshooter for his incredible aim. He enjoys taking his shots and always makes the riskiest moves. I almost envy his carefree "I do what I want attitude"… His main strength lies in close-quarters chases, such as chases indoors or inside funhouses with many mirrors or reflective surfaces. He, however, isn't the best at noticing his surroundings and can often miss details. Not to mention he is very aggressive at all times which can mess up certain interactions and plans… this is the main power difference between him and Midnight, and why Midnight is considered more dangerous. If you can get your target to stay by your side… it makes the Darkness that much more dangerous.

Neon Lights status: If I had to say something about Neon's status, I'd say that he too was in a dormant state, unlikely to wake up and fight for control…

---

"...interesting. But this implies that they CAN be woken up... right?" Fate was silent for a while after asking the question. Viewer... no, Broadcaster, had then begun to type. 'It's still a working theory of mine but... I do believe that they are... still somewhere deep inside the darkness... and if they can challenge it and overcome it... they can stop the tragedies.' "... if it means we can see our old friends and save Dawn, then how would we do it?"

---

Act Eight: Follow the Plan.

"I... I don't wanna die... please... I'm scared... I'm so scared... I don't wanna die, Heart..." "It's okay... it's gonna be okay... you're not going to die, I promise..."

This is going to be mostly me explaining what goes down in this act instead of my awful writing/j because a lot happens at the same time and it can get confusing if I'm stupid about it and it would also happen to be a very VERY long act so you get ghost the plot knower instead/lh

So, basically in the first half of Act Eight (Follow the Plan), two main things happen at the same time. The first thing is a long showdown between Dawn and Phantom that consists of Dawn trying to get away from Phantom and back to Fate [with Phantom pulling out every trick in his book to make sure she stays lost, it's a lot of mind games and him taking advantage of her having to grow up too fast, always catching her on her more "childish" desires, like wanting to eat ice cream for breakfast or wanting to buy a doll to play with, a lot of things Dawn herself never got to do :( his main goal is to make her stay just long enough for him to be able to capture her.. and it almost works too- but what is it that almost gets her? Apple juice 😣] and eventually ends with a fight between Dawn and Phantom, where Phantom wins and takes her prisoner :( it leaves Dawn with a very nasty cut on her side and pretty bad injuries,,, poor girl, she isn't used to fighting and the baby can only run for so long </3 The other thing that happens during the first act is Fate and Broadcaster working together to free Shooting Stars and Sweet Dreams from the darkness by awakening their dormant friends within, with a little help from a certain Pink Disk who is revealed to have freed Broadcaster from the darkness, and had been watching ever since.

The second half of Act Eight involves finding Dawn and awakening Heart which is much harder than you'd think- it's a lot of heartbreaking scenes [including a reunion between Heart and Dawn that results in Dawn's near death but you know. you get to see Heart whoop ass which is. fun. Her near death is very similar to the way Heart's younger daughter died...] but also a lot of action [like Heart and Pink fighting Phantom together or Fate, Broadcaster, Stars, and Dreams absolutely whooping the ass of the followers who try to interfere... woooo] and funny moments where everyone gets to live a day in Heart's life [aka someone pushes them down a flight of stairs or down a hill or something stupid, lol] and more avatars. Broadcaster showing her plan through tiny avatar action, it's the cutest thing I promise.

---

Act Nine: Darkness's Finale

"We take the fight to her. She's taken things way too far this time." "Aww, it's nice to see you so energetic and empowered again after being so dead, Heart♪. Ahh, Heart? Phantom? You don't quite have a functioning heart anymore♪" "How have seven years supposedly passed and you still somehow manage to be as fucking annoying? And are you calling me heartless?!" "Being annoying is an art, I suppose♪" "There's nothing quite like old friends bickering, is there?"

Another me explaining rather than going storytelling style! Woo! This chapter would be real long otherwise, I'm sorry 🙇‍♀️ It's basically a rematch with the Agents of Darkness! Hacker and pals vs Agents of Darkness, whoop their asses!!! That's it that's the whole act. It's just aggressive violence. It's fun! Vengeance!!! They also defeat the darkness which is cool too

---

Act Ten: The many forms of love

Even after everything was said and done, and the real threat had been fully dealt with, some things in the Neonized remained unclear and uncertain. And yet, the young girl didn't seem to care as she holed herself up inside her new bedroom of her new home. It didn't really feel like home to her... but she was willing to wait and see if it ever would.

"What are you doing?" The young child looked up as she saw the bartender leaning against the doorway to her room. "I'm working on a school project... I don't really understand what I'm doing though..." She looked down at the many papers underneath her on the floor with a frustrated look. In recent months, Dawn had to deal with the concept of school and classes. She had never gone to school as a young kid, and being thrown in suddenly caused her many problems. She struggled with reading aloud and writing things down and often got frustrated due to her incapabilities. So it came as no surprise to Phantom to hear that she was struggling with yet another school-related item. "Well? What's it about? Come on, we can talk through this and solve it together." He had offered. "But, don't you have work today?" He paused at the question, then shook his head. "Na, Hacker's got it covered tonight. Come on, tell me what's up." Dawn was quiet as she scooped up the many papers on the floor. "The project is on the many forms of love, specifically storge, philia, eros, and agape... and then to draw examples of them in your real life..." Dawn whined as she placed her hand against her head. "But I don't... really understand it." Phantom paused as he thought for a moment. "Well... let's start with one at a time, okay?"

---

Storge - Love of family

"It's also known as familial love. When your parents and siblings love you, that's storge love. The love between a family, whether it's a found one or the one you're born in. The love I have for my found family is exactly that."

Philia - Love between friends

"Oh, this one's easy♪ it's the love between friends, and it's sort of like a very close friendship, where you bond and care for one another, no?"

Eros - Love of partner/Romantic love

"Oh, this one... when people think of love, this is what they usually think of. Romantic love, or the love you have for your significant other..."

Agape - Unconditional love

"Uhm... I guess you can say this is a timeless love that will never change. No matter what happens, no matter what goes down, this love is unconditional and can never be changed. It's eternal."

---

"And that's the 4 different forms of love. Easy, right?"

"... I still don't get it."

"Man, I thought I explained that really well. No matter, I'll try to explain it a different way. We'll take our time. You've got this."

---

END finally

#mod ghost #long post #lore post #theater of darkness #violence cw #death cw #murder cw #help #5 consecutive days of writing and now it's here folks. sobs. #fun fact. the 4 types of love could be 4 different sets of matching skins #although they represent the different dynamics found within the ToD [well maybe not eros? Unless you wanna count HotN's dead wife lol] #they could make fun matching skins as well #idv ocs #WAIT WAIT I GOTTA DO. the dreaded word count check #anyways. sobs. here it is it's finally here and I'm glad it is because it took WAYYY too long #i hope you enjoy the art dividers attached to it. drew them just for this. #some details and backstories i didn't go that much into but. everyone's got something lol/lh #FINAL WORD COUNT: 10.400 words #HELP LMAO IT'S 10k+ WORDS. screaming rn

[dilfkuza]

staring at my google docs as if itll make me actually pick something to work on faster lmao. at this rate ill be posting Sagawa content before im even finished editing my kazumaji fics

#that being said. i hope youll all still respect me when those Sagawa fics go up bc its very obvious im down bad for him. #down horrenous even. its honestly impressive tbh like i hate him but also he says some shit and im just 🥴💕 whatever you say handsome #like. ive got one centered on the development of his and Majima's dynamic at day 1 of being out of the hole; #ive got a Goromi origins fic that hes found his way as a main character in; #and today i started kicking my feet and thinking about a 20s-30s aged Sagawa/Nishitani fic #what can i say. hes horrible but it makes him so interesting to throw into the mix. #all that aside idk if ill post the og Goromi fic I wrote. i wrote it then immediately started making a 2nd version of it bc i was like #its not often i get self conscious about my writing but i felt like the 1st version was a little *too* self-indulgent yknow what i mean? #idkidk i still love it dearly but i need to overcome that personal hurdle first i guess lmao #uhhh Sagawa rambling aside. i have alot of kazumaji content in varying stages of being complete including a longer chaptered fic #and some y6y0 content going both ways. its been alot of fun coming up with time travel mechanics/plot details #OH AND A Y0 GOROMI FIC BC I LOVE HER with Kiryu going mush over her <3 #man i talk way more in the tags than i do in an actual post lmao oops? #bulletin board

[espinosaurusrexex]

Bad Boys Don't Buy Flowers

CEO!BuckyBarnes x Female!Florist!Reader AU

read Steve's story here

summary: Bucky would have never thought, he’d be chasing after a girl. Not when all of them usually fell at his feet. But when he finds himself entangled in a deal born out of a desperate argument with his assistant, he realizes there is nothing he wouldn't do for you: The independent florist who is adamantly dragging him to the homeless shelter every chance she gets. There is just one problem: Bucky doesn't know how to tell you. And the teasing from his friends is certainly not making things easier for him...

a/n: I should be working instead of writing long ass billionaire love stores, but here we are: you and me both... happy it happened and already regretting the tasks we neglected because of it (please enjoy this wholesome piece of imagination - I know it's long, but I hope you’ll give it a try nonetheless)

word count: 16.4k 😬

warnings: play boy behavior/talk, a reader that knows what she wants, Bucky falls first (and hard 🤭), mentions of war, injuries, and death (all not applying to Bucky for once), just so much fluff, questioning life choices (angst with happy ending!), smut (this is freaking love making okay?!?!? praise and confessions, dry humping, fingering, multiple orgasms, squirting, touch starved Bucky - in a way…, sensual and beautiful, protected p in v, cock warming, and aftercare) !MINORS DNI!

ﾟ✫* 𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕 ｡✭･ﾟ✶ 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐎𝟑 ✧*･ﾟ

"Did you place the order?" Bucky leaned back in Steve's office chair and watched as his friend paced the space with a hand in his pocket. 

Steve was grinning like an idiot when the answer on the other side satisfied him and Bucky felt a tiny little spark in his chest at the sight. He'd watched his best friend go through life with a default tension in his shoulders for what seemed like forever. All until he found Bambi - a sweet and incredibly clumsy woman who was formerly his maid. But they found each other and Steve had been a happier man ever since.

Bucky was happy for him, too. He was a lot more fun to be around ever since, but it did remind him that Bucky himself had yet to find the one that would make his heart beat faster. 

It was a ridiculous idea, of course. Bucky was never the one for relationships or long-term commitment in the romantic department. To be honest, he wasn't even sure he was capable of love - not that he needed it, anyway. He had no problem with having a new plaything every other night. It was fun and kept him on his toes. 

"Perfect. Okay. Thanks, Sharon." Bucky sat up straighter in the chair. "Yeah, next Friday. See you later."

Steve sighed as he slumped on the sofa across the room. He watched the ceiling, looking like a love-drunk schoolboy, even though he tried so hard to conceal it. Bucky knew him too well.

"Dinner is booked.”

“You’re really doing it huh?"

“Yup." There was no doubt in Steve’s answer, but rather a special kind of excitement Bucky rarely felt.

The brunette just nodded as he looked to the ground, the chair swaying as he pushed his knees from one side to the other. 

Steve just grinned in response. "So when are you gonna let me help you find the one?"

Bucky perked up, amusement seeping through his gaze when he answered his best friend. ”Me? No no. I’m fine."

Steve shrugged. ”You know, that’s exactly what I said about a year ago."

"No offense, Stevie, but you and I were in vastly different sex universes back then. I’m getting laid - I’m aaaaall good." He leaned back with a smug grin and Steve just frowned in response. "You can be as happy as you want but don’t start trying to get everyone on the girlfriend train. That’s a Rogers and Wilson thing. I don’t need that type of commitment."

Steve remained silent as he watched Bucky stand up and head for the door, a thoughtful look on his face when his friend passed him. 

“Look, I’m happy for you, truly. I just don’t see myself in that type of life.” Bucky’s hand squeezed Steve’s shoulder just as the blonde cocked his head to the side. 

“Never?”

Bucky winked at him. “You know I like to live in the present. But speaking of the future... You’re still up for tomorrow night, right?”

“Tomorrow night?"

"Ironbar."

Steve’s eyes widened. ”Shit. No, I promised Bambi we'd-" Steve stopped when he saw Bucky's eyebrows raise in amusement. “...next time."

Bucky sighed in defeat. "Tell her to leave some Steve time for the rest of us, will ya?" And with a laugh of Steve’s, he shut the office door, walked past Sharon’s desk, then Natasha’s, and then into his own office.

❁ ❁ ❁

The clock hand barely struck 8am when another set of files hit Bucky’s desk. 

Bucky huffed as he watched Natasha stand before him with an amused smile, her hands on her hips that were hugged by a tight pencil skirt. “Looking for something, Boss?”

“No...”

“Something like... the invitation to that business dinner on Thursday?” She mused and carefully pulled a piece of paper from the stack between them. 

Bucky snatched it with a glare. “It would be much more helpful if you sorted this chaos rather than stand here and be a smartass.” He looked at the invite, the familiar company logo printed in the top right corner. “And why are people even sending paper invites anymore? We’re a security firm,” he sat the paper down and tapped on it with his index finger, “just shows how desperately they need consulting.” 

“Don’t blame me for it.” Nat threw her hands in the air. “And stop complaining. I know you’re the cyber guy but a couple papers shouldn’t faze you. I’ve got more important things to do that don’t particularly fall in your area of expertise.” She turned to leave but Bucky stopped her before her heels could reach the threshold. 

“Are you saying your job is harder than mine?” Bucky watched the mess on his desk, then the computer screen with his calendar and the impending meeting with those jackasses from Hydra Enterprises. There was no way sorting a couple of papers could be worse than Alexander Pierce and his nephew Brock Rumlow. One of them barely knew how to send an E-mail and the other kept subtly asking if it was legal to install cameras in the lady’s room. 

“If you’re referring to your inability to sort a couple files, then yes, I assume you wouldn’t last a day with my tasks.” 

“Now that’s bullshit.”

“Is it now?” She raised her left eyebrow with a half-smirk. “I want to see you deal with idiots when scheduling appointments and keeping everyone’s day structured while also organizing the annual fundraiser.”

Bucky huffed, leaning back and crossing his arms before his chest. He averted his eyes from his assistant and the stupid pile of paperwork in front of him. He really did not want to sort through all of that. 

“Call me old fashioned but I believe assistants should sort files.” He shrugged, knowing Natasha wouldn’t let him off that easily. They had been working together for years, he respected her as much as his other friends. And presenting the fierce redhead with a challenge to get out of some annoying tasks was something he would gladly do. 

“I’ll tell you what. I will sort your papers in my assistant duties.” She made a mockery curtsy - as much as her skirt allowed - and then lifted her finger before the smile could spread on Bucky’s face. “If... you plan the charity event.”

Bucky was shocked. He didn’t expect her to play dirty - well to be fair, it wouldn’t be Nat if she weren’t teasing a little bit - but still. “You think you can handle that, boss?” 

Bucky closed his mouth and eyed her suspiciously. It couldn’t be that hard to do. And certainly would be a nice distraction from the impending meeting of doom as well as the following consulting sessions. He let his head fall back and stared at the ceiling. 

Was he really going to trade some papers for a whole Gala? That paperwork really sucked. He loved how easily he could wash through files on his computer. Sadly, his programs didn’t help much in the analog part of the job. 

“Are you backing down, Barnes?” Nat’s teasing voice rang through to him and he snapped back into his attitude. 

“Never.” He stood up, fixed his suit, and then reached his hand toward her. Natasha shook it with an evil smirk. “Always a pleasure doing business with you, Ms. Romanoff.”

And with that, she took the papers from Bucky’s desk and carried them out of his office with a triumphant smile. 

❁ ❁ ❁

It wasn’t long before Bucky regretted his decision. 

What had he been thinking? A Fundraiser... a fucking fundraiser. Bucky couldn’t care less about them. 

Okay, that wasn’t true. He deemed charity to be a very important part of society... and economy. There were times in his life when he was close to needing their help as well. And Bucky swore he’d never let that aspect of his story slip from his mind ever. Still, it didn’t prevent him from living lavishly and making use of the things he had access to now. 

Usually, the organization of the charity gala was stuck on Nat and Sharon. Mainly because they had always done an amazing job. The tabloids had only positive things to write about it and always pushed the number before Christmas even higher. Which urged Bucky even more to do just as good of a job this year. 

There was just one problem. 

He had no idea how to organize events this size. Bucky could program a software from scratch, hack into classified state files on a bad day. Hell, he could track every person’s phone in New York in his sleep. But he never expected to be overwhelmed by a couple invites and color palettes. 

Though as little as he knew about his new task, he liked a challenge, and he would most certainly not give Natasha the satisfaction of asking her for a checklist. 

So, the internet had to do for now. He’d found a blog by a highly motivated suburban mom, that led with step-by-step instructions on how to plan the perfect event. It might not have been on the scale of what Bucky had to do, but considering his lack of knowledge on the topic, he figured this would do until Natasha snatched the task away from him again. 

The first thing on the list was to find a date and venue. But since the gala of Shield Protection Services was always held at the same venue, Bucky figured they had booked it indefinitely for the event. 

Next was to find the perfect florist that ‘is able to put your vision into extravagant floral arrangements’. Yeah... that was another problem. 

Bucky didn’t buy flowers. The only women he deemed important enough in his life to get them were his sister and his mother. And well, both of them had passed away. So, picking the right flowers hadn’t been a problem until now. His mother and sister were always enchanted by the bouquets they received when Bucky was younger. He’d steal them from their neighbor‘s garden. But since he could grow a beard, Bucky hadn’t even touched flowers anymore.

Well, that had to change now. 

Bucky stepped into the elevator just to be greeted by big round eyes and an even wider smile. “Paying Steve a visit?” Bucky teased with a half smile as he hugged Bambi and then faced the doors. 

“I’m actually meeting Natasha for lunch,” she shifted from one foot to the other, “I didn’t realize she was already at the restaurant... so that’s where I’m headed now.”

Bucky chuckled at her slight awkwardness. But it wouldn’t be Bambi if she wouldn’t miss such a detail. 

“Do you need a ride? My driver’s waiting for me anyway.”

“Tha- yes that would be nice, thank you.”

Bucky just nodded and gestured for her to lead the way when they reached the ground floor. 

“Where are you going?” Bambi asked as he stared out the window of the car. They had told the driver where they needed to go. And Since Bucky had no particular destination in mind, it worked out well. 

“I’m on the hunt for the perfect flower shop to cater to my vision of our charity event.” He chuckled and shook his head at his own words. He’s never thought he’d say this.  

Her eyes peered at him with intrigue, a glimmer washing over them when she asked: “Are you taking suggestions?”

Bucky sat up straighter now. “Uh, yes. Gladly.” This was easier than he thought. 

“There is this wonderful shop in Brooklyn. It’s called AsGarden on 18th Avenue. You can’t miss it, it’s like a breath of fresh air between all those ugly beige buildings. The woman owning it has great taste, she managed to make the perfect bouquet for me without ever seeing me.” She turned forward, a little flustered, “Steve gets me flowers from there sometimes, they’re my favorite.”

“Did you hear that, Stan?” A victorious smile spread on Bucky’s face as he squeezed Bambi’s shoulder. “Next stop is Brooklyn.”

“Alright, Sir.”

“You don’t know how much easier you just made my life.” Bucky leaned forward and kissed her cheek before the car came to a stop and he bid her goodbye. 

“I’m glad I could help.” She waved back and then headed into the restaurant. 

Maybe the event wasn’t so difficult after all, Bucky thought as he leaned back in his seat, his legs spreading in satisfaction.

❁ ❁ ❁

The cool air snook through your shop when the familiar bell of a customer chimed above the door. You’d seen many people frequent your shop daily. Women, men, teenagers, elderly. All came from different backgrounds and varying stories in their repertoire. Your store was in the heart of Brooklyn - a bunch of people mixed in this town. And you’d made it your mission to find the perfect flower arrangement for each and every one of them. 

The man who had set off your little bell this afternoon was different though. A perfectly tailored coat adorned his broad shoulders. The way his hands were tucked in his pockets revealed the expensive-looking suit beneath as well as the toned chest that hid beneath the button-up in vain. His presence oozed money as he sashayed through your shop, carefully grazing delicate pedals with the aura he brought in. 

He seemed to own the world, but something about him just didn’t fit between the colorful flowers surrounding him. If you didn’t know any better, he looked a little lost, eyes glassy as they swayed through the sea of colors and shapes soaking in fresh water. 

“Good afternoon, sir. Can I help you?”

He ripped around, fixed his posture, and approached the cash desk. When his eyes landed on you, he froze. Just for a second, however, and then his jaw snapped into a handsome smile as he leaned forward. 

“I sure hope so.” His white teeth flashed between his lips before his tongue stroked over them. It was capturing. “This flower shop has been recommended to me. You wouldn’t happen to be the owner?”

“Well actually, I am,” you smiled hiding the pride swelling in your chest from the comment.

“Great. What is your capacity when it comes to event arrangements?”

“That depends...” You smiled as the handsome stranger raised his eyebrows in intrigue. “I reckon we have vastly different understandings of what is small and... big.” Your eyes wandered over his expensive coat again. The innuendo was accidental, really, but he seemed to be amused nevertheless. 

“My company is hosting its annual charity event in November... at The Glasshouse.”

“So just as I suspected...” You nodded and strode past him towards the fall flowers.

“Pardon me?”

You turned your head towards him and winked. “Bigger than I thought.”

“So?” He approached you with his hands still in his coat pockets and peeked over your shoulder. “Can you do it?”

“Totally.” Then you gestured to the flowers. “Do you have any preferences? I don’t have all the flowers in yet, but I recommend going with some soft orange and sage tones... to cater to the season.”

“Forgive me, sweetheart, but I am useless when it comes to this kind of stuff. My qualities lie more in the technical aspect of things.” A hand ran through his thick dark hair and the gesture made him look boyish.

“Alright let me rephrase my question then: Do you trust me?” A sly smile sneaked on his face, matching yours. 

He tipped his head. “My life is in your hands.” 

“Good. Then please write down your details here.” You pushed a form over the counter once you reached it again, and the man just followed you around like a lost dog. You watched as his hand swiftly filled out the free spaces on the paper, curious which company he had been referring to. 

“Wait you’re working for SPS?” 

“I own it, sweetheart.” The man adjusted his coat as you tried to look unimpressed. “My name is James Barnes, but you can call me Bucky.” His hand extended over the shiny countertop until it encased your smaller fingers and his warmth seeped through your body. 

Bucky’s smile brightened when you revealed your name to him, telling you how beautiful it was, and you began to struggle not to show the effects it had on you. Then he resumed filling out the order and slid it over to you again. 

“What cause are you raising money for this year?” You asked as you sorted the paper into your books, only to be surprised when Bucky seemed a little nervous all of a sudden. 

You knew Shield Protection Services was a pristine company with reach to people whose powers you could barely comprehend. Whatever they were choosing, it would have a big impact on the change their chosen organization was advocating. 

“Well, to be honest... we haven’t decided yet.” A silly idea hushed through your head at that, but you dismissed it. A company such as Bucky’s would raise sums only big fish could handle. There wasn’t space for the things you had in mind. 

“I hope you’ll do so soon, then.” You nodded thoughtfully and ended with a tight-lipped smile. 

Bucky nodded and smiled, then turned around and headed for the door. But before he could open it, he came back again. You looked up to see a black card held before you. 

“I’d be happy for suggestions... if you have any in mind.” He shrugged with that cheeky look of his and then left. And you just stood there, dumbfounded, and toying with the ridiculous idea that Bucky Barnes might actually be able to read minds. 

❁ ❁ ❁

“Rogers really couldn’t make it?” Tony asked as he leaned back in the leather booth of his very own establishment. He tipped his emptied whiskey glass towards the slender redhead at the bar and smiled as she rushed to get his refill ready. 

“He promised Bambi to be home...” Bucky trailed off as he watched a customer hit on the waitress - Tiffany he remembered - A pretty thing, but unfortunately incredibly hollow when it came to conversation... not that Bucky looked for anything like it.  

Tony huffed. “That woman has him wrapped around her finger!” He liked Bambi, everyone did, he just missed hanging out with his guys. 

“Just wait until you find the one, Tony,” Sam chimed in with a sly smirk on his face - a hopeful, yet cautious hint as Sam secretly loved the idea of all his friends finally finding the one. He was a romantic, Bucky knew it, even if Sam never actually said it. 

“Me? I would never give up my glorious bachelor life for one woman. There are way too many things to explore...”

“Mark my words, Stark. We’ll look back to this day and laugh about this incredibly jackassy statement. You, too will be finding the one. I just know it.”

Bucky chuckled and tipped his glass on the Table as the bickering of his friends faded into background noise. For some reason, he didn’t feel like adding to the conversation. He blamed it on the banality of a conversation both he and Tony had long decided on, but perhaps, it was because for once in his life, he considered taking Sam’s side on the topic. 

It was ridiculous, really, how fast you’d occupied his mind when it came to Sam’s comment about finding ‘the one’. He didn’t even know you aside from the ‘background check’ he conducted after his visit to your shop. That might have covered your personal details, but he still didn’t know if you were a dog person or preferred cats, or if you were vegan or vegetarian, or if you considered kids in your future. 

Bucky cleared his throat and sat up straighter when he felt the fluster creep up his neck. What the hell was happening to him? He wasn’t like this at all. Women occupied his mind for about as long as it took for him to make them come undone in his hands. When he was with them, his full attention was on them - he loved them - but he’d never let them control his life. James “Bucky” Barnes never even considered seeing them twice, let alone thinking about a future with them. 

Though, to Bucky’s displeasure - or pleasure (he hadn’t decided yet) - the thought of seeing you again wasn’t uncomfortable to him. On the contrary, he got a weird tingly feeling in his stomach when he remembered the smell of the flowers in your shop and how your delicate fingers carefully picked out the prettiest ones. Bucky sat his drink down with a clink. Maybe he’d had enough alcohol for tonight.

“Barnes, how come you’re not defending me here? Have you grown soft or something? Do you have a girl we don’t know about?” Tony’s nagging broke through to Bucky and the whole bar reached back into his consciousness.

“Sorry, what?” He stuttered, shaking his thought and trying to find a good answer to his friend’s remark. “I was distracted by Betty.” Bucky smiled sheepishly as he received a clap on his shoulder. 

“That’s my man.” Tony grinned and Sam huffed into his whiskey. And Bucky? He just sunk into his seat, feeling somehow shameful for the white lie he had made up.

❁ ❁ ❁

The SPS office was impressive. Amongst the old New York brick building surrounding it, it reached up into the sky with its glass front everything. But you wouldn’t be fooled by its fragile looks. This was one of the most secure buildings in the city. You’d read about it in an article some time back - the whole hype about the company was their way of making fragile-looking things indestructible. You couldn’t see through the “windows” from the outside. And you wouldn’t be able to launch a rocket through it either. SPS had patented their stronger-than-steel-glass years ago, making them the leading security company in the world. 

To say you had been a little surprised to see the very owner of said company on your side of town would be an understatement. But besides his incredibly adamant way of flirting, he was quite normal to talk to. He’d even asked you for advice on the cause they should donate to this year. And after having thought about it for the better part of what should have been your sleep time, you had decided to just try and pitch your idea. 

“Do you have an appointment Ms.?” A stunning redhead peered up at you from her desk, her nails clicked on the keyboard of her computer as she waited for your answer. You didn’t really know why you thought getting to Bucky was going to be easy. The security guard had already eyed you suspiciously at the front desk in the lobby. After you’d smiled at him as charmingly as you could, he’d decided to let you be someone else’s problem today - or maybe he just didn’t see you as a threat - whatever it was, it had gotten you this far. But what were you gonna say now?

Actually, I don’t have an appointment, but Mr Barnes met me yesterday and after thinking about him all night, I decided to pay him a visit today.

Yeah, that wouldn’t cut it. Not in this office. The redhead - N. Romanoff - was what her sign said, made that fairly clear with the way her lips pursed at the opened calendar on the screen. 

“You don’t happen to have to discuss something not suited for work with Mr. Barnes, do you? I know he tends to leave some of his meetings... open-ended.” 

Your eyes got wide. “God, no. I’m not-“ Your hands made a swishing motion between you two and then you took a breath. “I’m here to discuss business. Purely business. Mr. Barnes has made an order at my shop for the company fundraiser and I just want to discuss some details.” 

Her eyes glimmered when her lips pulled into a smile. “Did he now?” She peered over to catch the look of the blonde assistant a few feet next to her and then back to you. “Well if that is the case, please have a seat, I’ll tell him you’re here.” And with that, she got up, winked, and wrapped at the large wooden door presumably leading to Bucky’s office. 

She came back a minute later and gestured for you to enter. “Lucky for you, his meeting just got canceled, so you should have enough time.”

“Thank you.” And then Ms. Romanoff went back to her desk and started whispering to the blonde assistant. 

Bucky sat behind his desk, a sleek glass surface lightly cluttered with papers. Other than that, the room felt cool, the large rug by the seating area did little to cover the marbled floors. You stepped inside just as Bucky called out your name. You almost didn't see the wide smile on his face as the rising sun hung low on the horizon behind him, casting a halo-like glow around his silhouette. What a freaking entrance. Though Bucky surely couldn’t control the sun, you thought with a small smile, you really had to stop imagining this man was extraordinary. 

“You’re here.” He got up and walked towards you, his sleek back shoes echoing on the ground. And then he was next to you, leading you to the seat in front of his desk with his hand on the small of your back. “What brings me the honor of your visit, darling.”

He leaned on his desk with his arms crossed, a pleasant smile on his lips. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice that you came by, but you do have my number, don’t you?”

“I do.” You cleared your throat, trying to sound as convincing as possible. “I was hoping you had some time to spare, actually. I find the phone to be a little... impersonal.”

Bucky’s eyes shined with intrigue as he leaned forward, pinning you to the chair with his gaze. He licked his lips. “Show me what exactly?”

“You’ll see.” You smirked. “I happen to know that your next meeting just got canceled.”

Bucky got even closer, his breath hitting your neck with every word he spoke. “And I’ll gladly cancel the rest, too.” A shiver shot over your arms, his cologne seemingly intoxicating you. But before you could respond, he backed up, grabbing his coat and gesturing towards the door. “Lead the way.” 

And so you did. 

❁ ❁ ❁

Bucky was suspicious when you pulled him into the subway, but he decided against saying something. He had told you he trusted you after all, and though Bucky considered himself a lot of things, a flake was not one of them. So he let it happen. 

It wasn’t half bad, either. Somewhere between his office door and the train, you had taken his hand in yours to pull him along faster. Bucky had noticed his lips spreading into a smile. It didn't last long, unfortunately. Because as he had made eye contact with an elderly lady who had then proceeded to tell you what a beautiful couple you were, you had pulled your hand away with an awkward laugh. 

‘Oh, God, no, we’re not together, ma’am.’ 

Admittedly, Bucky felt a little sting in his chest ever since. In fact, he was rubbing his hand over his shirt at this very moment. You were walking along a street in Brooklyn, not too far from your shop. The neighborhood was a little more run-down than he was used to, certainly nothing like the part of town he lived in. But he kept quiet still. Maybe he was a little butthurt from your earlier aversion about the couple comment, but to be fair, Bucky wasn’t used to women denying him - except Nat. 

You suddenly stopped, making Bucky almost run into you and then stare at you in question. But when you gestured towards the sign above the two-story building, his gaze softened. 

There, above the blue-painted metal doors, hung a faded sign. Bucky could make out the orange and yellow stripes on the board, a big Sunflower painted in the middle of it all. ‘Sunflower -Shelter & Food’.

“Hey, are you coming or are you glued to the ground?” Your voice rang from the entrance, he hadn’t even noticed that you already moved inside. 

Bucky gulped when his eyes swayed back to you and then down his own body. If he was going to step in there in the outfit he was currently wearing, he would look like the biggest asshole on the planet. 

“I can’t go in there.”

“Why not?”

He just gestured towards his clothes, his Rolex glinting in the sunlight for good measure. But there was no reaction from you. You stood in the doorway, pursing your lips seemingly in thought, and then shrugged your shoulders nonchalantly. “I guess you’ll just have to deal with it then.”

“What?” He called your name. But when he realized you weren’t joking, he caught up to you as fast as possible. Because the only thing worse than showing up there looking like he did was doing it alone, he decided swiftly. 

“‘Think now might be a good time to mention that this is not a very good place for a date,” Bucky mumbled next to you before closing his coat, trying to hide the even more expensive suit beneath. 

“How would you know?” You turned to him. “This isn’t a date, is it?”

Bucky just smirked and then he watched you greet a young boy with a warm hug, and man he imagined what it would be like to have you hug him like that. 

“Peter this is Bucky, Bucky, Peter.” You pulled him towards you by his hand again. “I brought him along to help today, thought we always need an extra pair of hands around here.”

“Pleasure to meet you, sir.” Peter reached his hand out, slightly frowning when he took in his appearance but did not say anything. “Any help is always welcome here. Come, I’ll show you what we’re doing today.” 

Within ten minutes, Bucky had an apron and gloves on and was ordered to cut the biggest stack of potatoes he’d ever seen. You were happily chatting away with the other helpers and Bucky, for the first time in a long time, felt ...normal. 

Nobody was recognizing him in the crowd, there was no talk about business and investments, and there were no fucking cameras. Here, people recognized him for what he came to do, help. And it felt weird. Bucky wasn’t quiet about his lavish lifestyle around his crowds. He knew the privilege he had, and he had worked for it enough to be proud of it. But it was like he had entered a different universe in this part of town. All the things he deemed normal, were things so far from imagination here, they were left out of conversations entirely. So, he tried to remember this whenever he was offered a conversation. 

“You do this every day?” He asked into the kitchen while struggling to peel his 5th potato. 

“Whenever we can.” An older woman answered with a smile. She was the one who had shown him how to use the peeler faster. “They are people just like you and me. They have to eat every day, too, Bucky.”

Bucky just nodded in silence at the humbling answer, his cheeks felt hot with embarrassment at how naive he had been. 

Two hours later, he was standing by your side at the serving station, plating mashed potatoes and the accommodating ‘you’re welcome’ every once in a while. He rarely was out of his comfort zone, like today. But he also knew that, whenever he felt unsure, he’d look at you and you’d gift him an encouraging gesture that kept him going a little while longer. 

After everyone had their food, you gave Bucky a tour of the premises. 

There was a small courtyard, a couple rooms with telephones and a computer, some sofas and pillows. Nothing fancy but functional nonetheless. You led him through every room, explaining curtly what it was for and then you led him up the stairs.

On your way up, you passed Peter, who was helping a child find its toy and Bucky felt a lump form in his throat at all the new impressions he was fed today.

He cleared his throat. “Peter... is he?”

You shook your head. “Not exactly. His parents died when he was quite young. Lucky for him, though, he has always been a bright kid. He got a scholarship for every school he ever went to. But he spends most of his free time here. He has this urge to help wherever he can. Took me a couple months to keep him from skipping his lectures.” You chuckled and led him through the next door. 

Bucky nodded with adoration. Not many people dedicated their time to something that would not benefit them directly. And while Bucky knew what a dedicated mind was capable of, he had to admit that his efforts were always motivated by personal gain. 

“He’s very admirable for that.” 

You just hummed in response. “I don’t think he chose it himself. Not that I think he wouldn’t. But this shelter belonged to his uncle and aunt. They died when he was in high school. He’s working hard to keep this place alive. As do we all.”

The next room you entered was resembling a classroom. “What happens here?”

“Most of the children are registered for the public school of this district. But they don’t always make it there. This room gives them the opportunity to catch up on missed work. We also have adult classes here, preparing for job interviews and such.”

The next hallway presented doors, all leading to bedrooms, as you explained to Bucky when you walked through the corridor. The last door was larger than the others - a double swing leading to a big sanitary area. Showers, toilets, and sinks lined the walls - all run down but functional. 

“This place could use some serious renovating,” Bucky mumbled, but he was sure you had heard him. Because you looked up at him now, a sad smile decorating your beautiful face. 

“We try to make it as clean and cozy as possible here, but we just don’t have the necessary financial means for it. It works for now. The people coming here need very little. But it’s only a matter of time until the roof needs redoing or the pipes or the windows, or the-“

“Yeah...” Bucky trailed off, making you stop and giving him a break to breathe. He usually wasn’t surrounded by people unable to get out of unfortunate situations. The clients he spent his time with ordered his services to protect the material things they’d bought for status and fun. It was something entirely different when you were robbed of your place to sleep. 

“Well, this completes my humble tour.” You clasped your hands together and proceeded to look at your watch. “I think it’s time to go home.”

You descended the stairs in silence, Peter hugged Bucky goodbye and when he stepped foot back on the sidewalk, Bucky turned around to the sign once more. You stood beneath it, leaning against the doorframe and smiling at him. It was dark out now. 

“Are you not coming?” He asked watching as you shook your head. 

“Peter has an exam tomorrow. I offered to stay the night.”

“Here? Alone?”

“Yes.” 

Bucky stepped towards you again. “Then I’m go-“

“Stop.” Your hand reached for his shoulder, the touch sending him straight back to a haze. “Don’t do this. I know how you feel. There’s this sadness inside you now. You saw this for the first time. It feels awful - I know.” You retracted your hand and pushed yourself off the doorframe. “But until you don’t see anything other than pity for these people, you can’t be here without breaking.”

“Doll...”

“Bucky, I'm serious. Go home. Sleep on it. Try to understand the situation.” 

Bucky couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this helpless. He just stared at you, unable to move or say anything. He didn’t like the idea of you staying here alone at night. And though the feeling of caring for someone he’d only known for two days so much scared him, he pushed it aside. 

You leaned forward and hugged him goodbye and then the cold night surrounded him again. “Thank you for trusting me today.” And then you turned around and left him standing outside alone. 

❁ ❁ ❁

Your purple-inked pen marked the date in your calendar. 

“That’s an unusually big order, Steve...” You looked up at the blonde frequenting your shop every so often. He’d always get the pink carnations for his girlfriend. Apparently, she loved them after you bound them in the first bouquet you ever sold to Steve. He was a simple man, you could tell, so his usual orders were just as such. But not today. “Are you planning anything special?”

The handsome customer blushed with an innocent smile. “Actually...” He scratched the back of his neck. “I’m planning to propose.” He looked so sheepish when you clasped your hands in excitement.

“Oh, that’s amazing. Congratulations!”

“Well not yet.” He cleared his throat, visibly trying to compose himself. But this giant pretty man in front of you was adorably nervous. 

“I just know she’ll say yes,” you mused and made a note to reserve some more carnations for his order - a couple simple arrangements that held so much meaning.

“How do you know?”

You watched Steve peer over to you with hopeful eyes. “It’s not every day a man puts so much effort and thought into what bouquet to get his girlfriend on a casual Monday evening each week.” You winked and Steve nodded lost in thought. 

“To be honest, I haven’t even thought about her saying no. I wouldn’t know what to do with myself.”

“You shouldn’t worry too much. You are a good man, everyone can see that. And just to be sure, I’ll make the most perfect flowers ever. Paired with your charming ways, there will be no other option but to say yes.”

He relaxed a little. “Great. Thank you.” And then he turned to leave your shop. 

“I’ll have them ready by Friday.” You smiled. 

“Thank you... so much.” Steve smiled and you knew there was so much more hidden in his gesture.

❁ ❁ ❁

It had become a habit that Bucky visited the shelter with you once a week. Admittedly, you were surprised he even cared enough to free his schedule so religiously. But as of the past four weeks, he had shown up at your shop, walked with you to Sunflower shelters, mingled with the people, and then even walked you home. 

It was actually kind of refreshing, seeing him so invested and kind of protective. There weren’t many guys in the city that cared enough to get you home safely. Peter offered more times than often, but you rather knew him safe at the shelter than try to fight a gangster double his size out of the kindness of his heart and the deep wish to somehow become a superhero one day.

So Bucky had to do it for now. Not that you were complaining. He was handsome and charming and interesting to converse with given the vastly different lives you lived. But he tried to adapt. Ever since the incident on the first day, he had even tried to wear less wealth-telling clothing, though he seemed to not always hit the mark just right. 

In a way, bucky was a little fashion icon. You’d noticed it in his colorful waistcoats, the intricate details on his shoes, or the fancy cufflinks adorning his oxford-cotton shirts. He tried to dress down. But to your surprise, the color remained. Instead of waistcoats and dress shirts, he wore regular t-shirts. His confidence never wavered.  

A little smile hushed across your face every time you looked at him. The pink shirt he wore combined with the green apron he had been given, made him look like a lollipop. A Beautiful one, that was. With a dashing smile and an adorable frown as he tried to separate the peas from the pod. 

“So... how is the gala coming along?” You teased him a little having noticed how unusual this task was for him. Throughout your few meetings, you had gotten to know Bucky quite well. And apart from his statement the very day he stepped foot into your shop, he revealed to you more and more how difficult the project was for him.

“Let’s just say I’m glad I can count on the flower arrangements,” he grumbles as a pea slipped from his fingers and across the table. 

“That bad, huh?”

His hands stopped working. “The Band canceled on me again and I seem to run after every other arrangement I have made so far. If I had known how much work-“ he huffed and then shook his head with an even deeper frown. 

“Hey, it’s okay to not be good at everything.” You encouraged him, your elbow nudging his side as you smiled lightly. “There has got to be something humbling you. Makes you seem more human.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“I meant to ask you...” You picked up your task to avoid his eyes that were suddenly on you again. “How come you’re the one organizing the gala?”

Bucky chuckled, his head shaking for what seemed like the hundredth time today. “I made a deal with my assistant.” 

“What was in it for you?” You threw a couple peas in the strainer and Bucky did the same.

He shrugged. “I got to hand off some paperwork.”

Wow. “Seriously? A bit of paperwork seems like a poor trade for months of organizing something so important.”

Bucky laughed, the sound warming your stomach from the inside out and finally making you look at him again. It was little moments like this in which he felt so careless and relaxed. You liked to believe the shelter did it to him, or maybe even you. But primarily, you were glad he laid off his work self just then. “Yeah it might have not been my smartest move... but I don’t mind it really.”

“Why’s that?” Your eyes locked and you suddenly became very aware of how close the two of you were standing. 

“If it weren’t for the deal, I would have never met you.” There was something so honest and pure about the way he had stated this so plainly. And for a moment, you liked to forget that he might have just meant your suggestion to donate to Sunflower. That maybe, the funny fluttery feeling in your stomach wasn’t one-sided, and that you too meant something greater to him than the coincidences that led him into your shop that day. 

A wide smile spread on Bucky’s face and then he winked. He freaking winked at you. And while you turned back to your peas, desperate to hide the fluster on your face, you had to remind yourself that this was Bucky fucking Barnes and that he knew what he was doing.

About two hours later, you sat amongst the people currently living at the shelter, sharing the meal you had prepared for them with the hopes of getting them through another day. You and Bucky were sitting with Gabe Jones, a veteran whose post-traumatic stress disorder had cost him everything after the Vietnam War. He was always telling stories of his time on the front - a way to cope with his horrible past. By now, you and Peter had probably heard every single one of his stories twice. But Bucky was on the edge of his seat. Listening with intrigue as the food on his plate remained untouched. 

“It was ’68 when I was sent out. There were soldiers who done already survived a year or so at the front. And, son, I am sayin’ survived ‘cause you couldn’t call that livin’.” Gabe shook his head before pointing his fork to his shoulder. “Caught a grenade in ’69 and on our way to camp, they shot at the helicopter. Lost my right arm and comrade that day. The damn arm’s gone but I’m gon’ have the memory forever.”

The words didn’t seem to affect the veteran anymore, but they never failed to leave their recipients shocked and wondering. It was always the same question: How can someone fight for a country, leave their life for a country, and end up here?

And honestly? You didn’t know. 

“I’m so sorry, sir.” Bucky swallowed as his eyes fled over to yours. “Thank you for your service.”

“Notin’ to be sorry ‘bout.” Gabe waved his hand and then pointed at Bucky’s plate. “You eatin’ that?” 

Bucky just shook his head and pushed his plate towards Gabe, a somber state overtaking his body. You did feel a little bad. But you also knew that Gabe wasn’t affected by sympathies and that he was happy at Sunflower - though he preferred the street over the beds here. While he had spent just another day existing, he had simultaneously opened Bucky’s eyes to the severity of making stories like his more known. 

By now you were pretty confident, Bucky would choose the homeless as recipients for his company’s fundraiser sum. But he surprised you by getting involved with the people here over and over again, willing to learn and to understand. 

The walk to your apartment building that evening was awfully quiet. Bucky had insisted he walk on the street side of the sidewalk, buried his hands in his coat pockets, and shut up ever since.

You knew he was contemplating, letting the day play on repeat in his mind. He probably had a lot of questions, a lot of frustration, and worry. Nothing unfamiliar to you, but something you’d learned to deal with ever since helping out at Sunflower. 

“Don’t feel bad,” you said when you stopped in front of the familiar brick building you called home. 

“How?”

“Feeling bad isn’t helping them. You have the power to change things.” It was an awfully dry response, but the truth hurt sometimes. 

Bucky just looked at you through hooded eyes, a knowing nod shaking his features as he watched slowly take a step back toward your front door. 

“Thank you,” he suddenly released - steady and calm. “For taking me. For helping me see...” 

You couldn’t help yourself. The confession overwhelmed you. Knowing you had succeeded in showing him what was so important to you overwhelmed you. You leaped forward and slung your arms around him, pressing tightly into his chest. 

Bucky’s arms found their way around you in an instant, the hug conveying so much more than just a goodbye. It was a ‘thank you’ a ‘this means the world to me’.

After about a minute, you leaned up to him and placed a kiss to his cheek. “I’m also glad you took the deal, Bucky.” You whispered into his ear, feeling the smile on his face on your cheek. 

When he finally released you, it seemed like the spell was gone. Bucky was back to burying his hands in his pockets, only the faint remnants of a smile hinting towards your earlier interaction. You hadn’t realized how much this would affect him. You had forgotten how long you fought with yourself until you could act normal around the people at Sunflower yourself. 

“Do you want to come up?” You threw your thumb over your shoulder at the entrance of the building with a lopsided smile. “Don’t want that cheap bottle of merlot to go bad.”

Bucky’s eyes brightened underneath the street lights and the wide boyish grin returned to his face. “We can’t have that, can we?”

❁ ❁ ❁

To say Bucky’s heart had skipped a beat at your invitation would have been an understatement. It did somersaults and ended with an impressive backflip. He’d not expected a move from your side. Especially, since the last time he had picked you up, the universe had flipped him the bird by sending two of his former one-night-stands your way. He had been able to shake them off before they were able to yell at him or reveal more of what their connection to him was. But that marked the first time he was a little embarrassed by his late endeavors. You had acted like nothing happened, but since that night, Bucky hadn’t stopped wondering what you thought of him. 

You lead him up the narrow staircase to a red wooden door, the color chipping by the floor as an indicator of having to kick it to open sometimes. Beyond the door, it was cozy and warm. Every corner of your place had a memory placed in it - a self-made quilt or a photograph. When you walked through it, Bucky could feel the love and time this place had seen. 

It was nothing like his own apartment: a penthouse standing high above the city, with sleek black surfaces and cold marble wherever you reached. Here, he felt the need to take his shoes off, to feel the fuzzy carpets on the scratched-up wooden floors. Your place wasn’t sterile like his, it felt... like a good hug. 

Bucky snorted as the result of a breath he released. Never before had he cared about what his place lacked. It was expensive and pristine, clean and big. And even though your apartment was about the size of his living room, it had so much more to offer. 

“The living room is right through there, you can choose a movie if you like.” Your voice called out from somewhere Bucky assumed to be the kitchen as he kicked off his shoes and made himself comfortable on the rust-colored sofa that had more pillows than necessary. It was super comfortable, though. And the lack of space due to the pillows forced you to sit a little closer to him, so he wasn’t complaining.

“Your place is... cute.” He stated as you handed him a glass of wine and laughed. 

“It’s a shoebox but I do love it very much. Probably nothing compared to what you’re used to.”

Bucky shook his head and took a sip. The wine did taste cheap, but he did not care. “Bigger isn’t always better.” His arm was spread on the backrest but your whole body was turned to him. “It has a lot of character.”

“Oh god, please stop, you’re just making it sound worse.” Your hand came up to hide your face but your smile peeked through the gesture. 

Bucky laughed. “I didn’t mean it condescendingly. I really do like it. Reminds me of my childhood home.”

“Are you close with your family?” Bucky was surprised by the question. Maybe it was because his friends never talked about his family, or because the peers he hung out with tended to discuss business rather than sentimental. But he realized that nobody had asked him about it for a long time.

And so he began talking. Bucky talked about his parents and how both of them died early in his life. He told you how close he was with his sister until she got adopted into another family. He spoke about his childhood with Steve and how they’d met Sam and Tony in college, about the night they had the idea for Shield Protective Services, and finally the day he was told his sister had passed away. 

Throughout his story, you had leaned into him closer, hanging onto his every word until your hand had to support your body on his thigh and Bucky suddenly stopped talking. 

Your glasses were emptied, the bottle as well, and Bucky gulped when he felt the heat from your hand travel throughout his entire body. 

“So... that’s my story.” He had to clear his throat to gain his usual timber back, his hands becoming sweaty when you blinked next to him. “What about you, dove?”

“Dove?” You smiled, yet intrigued by the name that had slipped past his lips in the trance of the moment. He’d only ever called you that in his thoughts. Attributed the nickname to you the second he realized it was the most fitting one of them all. 

“You don’t like it?” He asked, his arm slipping towards your shoulder ever so slightly. 

“I like it.” You smiled. “I just want to know... why this one?”

A hush of giddiness crawled up his throat when he thought about his answer. It was the way you had welcomed him so easily into this world of yours. How you were willing to show him the things precious to you. That you trusted him with this very opportunity to help. Every day he spent with you he felt it, found that between coding his new security program and meeting with Hydra enterprises, its somber reality sent him into a feeling of breathing fresh air. You created a button that turned off the noise in his head. “Because you bring me peace.”

Your eyes stared at him in wonder when he tilted your chin with his thumb and index finger. There was appreciation and happiness, he could see it, feel it. 

Bucky was entranced by your stare when your voice whispered a response to him: “That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever been told.”

You leaned forward and Bucky’s heart threatened to jump out of his chest, and then your face fell into his chest, your arms encasing him in the warmest hug he’d ever received. He willed his pulse to slow and wrapped his arms around you tightly. A little humbled and a little confused, but appreciative of the situation nonetheless. 

You stayed like this when you chose a movie to watch. Even after an hour, Bucky’s grip didn’t loosen. He peered down at you on his chest and watched as you fell asleep. And when he was sure you were far away in your slumber, he pressed a warm kiss to your head, lingering in the scent of your shampoo.  

❁ ❁ ❁

Bucky stared at his computer screen as the pen in his hand clicked on his glass desk in perfect rhythm. The Shelter website displayed on the surface, portraying a brighter version of the sign you had dragged him to that very first day. 

But it wasn’t the heartfelt story behind the building or the way his pen clicked slightly more hollow every other tap because he turned it too much that had him zoned out at work. It was - as unbelievable as it sounded - a woman. Not just any, no. You. 

“Hey, I need a signature from you for this design draft.” Steve dropped his notepad on the desk, then rounded it and settled behind Bucky who had yet to recognize his presence. 

“This your charity suggestion?” He questioned with his hands on his friend’s office chair. 

Bucky nodded absentmindedly. Perhaps it was because he had decided to support your suggestion the second you had taken his hand on his way to the subway. Or maybe he was just letting his mind roam freely again. Mainly because it was a safe bet to call you into memory and he liked the feeling it provided. 

A pale hand waved in front of his face. “Earth to Bucky.” Steve snapped his fingers, making the brunette jump. “You seem oddly distracted.”

He had been thinking about you. Of course, he had. There seemed to be nothing else he could do lately. Every time Bucky read through his reports, he imagined what your voice would sound like reading them to him. Whenever he went down to IT, he envisioned the room decorated with your flowers and how much happier they would make the place. When he sat in a meeting with HR and watched their burnt-out faces stare back at him through their coffee haze, he wondered if you could make them as lively as you made him. 

Bucky could - so he realized after weeks of denial - not escape you. 

That was one thing. But the more chilling revelation was that he did not mind. He enjoyed the little admonitions his mind set out in his environment. He appreciated the quickening thumb in his chest, whenever he saw his calendar entries stating another meeting with you - so much so that he almost forgot how unusual it was for him. 

It was crazy. A month ago, if someone had dared to tell him he’d be finding something more than his regular flings, he would have laughed in their face. In fact, he actually did a few days before he met you. 

Bucky didn’t know what kind of magical spell you’d put on him, but within a few weeks, he’d started to become a different man. A better version of his thought-to-be-marvelous self. Now he realized what he was missing: a counterpart, someone who made life seem dull without them by his side. He wasn’t going to admit it to Sam or Steve immediately, but the idea of you being that very someone became more attractive each day. 

“Just a lot to do with the gala and all...” Bucky trailed off and spun around to Steve. 

“You know, I never took you for an event manager...” The blonde grinned and his eyes lit up in the office light. “Don’t take this the wrong way, I like seeing you try something new, but this feels very... out of place.”

“But you also know I never back down from a challenge. And I’ll be damned if Nat has something to hold against me for life.”

Steve’s head tipped forward. “We both know that woman has blackmail material for two lifetimes on us. 

“She really does.” Bucky sighed and then slumped back in his chair, the little issue he had been hiding from his best friend gnawing on his mind. 

He thought about Steve and Bambi and how he had just asked her to marry him. She’d said yes, of course, nobody expected otherwise. Steve - of all people - was living a magical fairytale life with the woman of his dreams. And here Bucky was, thinking he had figured it all out with women and relationships - or rather that he never wanted one - yet he found himself wondering why that decision bugged him so much when you came into the picture. 

“Can I ask you something?” Bucky squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath, not believing he was really going to ask Steve for dating advice.

“Always.”

“How did you know that Bambi was the one?” A stupid question, really. Bucky already knew there was nobody like you. But it was best to start this conversation off lightly.

Steve smiled widely again, his cheeks tinted pink. “Well, I couldn’t stop thinking about her. And not in an I haven’t touched a woman in years kind of way... I couldn’t stop. Every second of every day, I imagined her with me. The thought of her made me happier even before she knew how I felt about her. And, well, it also hurt like hell when I thought she didn’t return my feelings... when she refused to talk to me for a day...” He cleared his throat and then eyed Bucky again. “Why do you want to know?”

“Nothing in particular. I was just wondering and I needed material for my best man speech.” But the blonde didn’t buy it. He caught Bucky’s chair when he attempted to turn away, pulling him right back in front of him. “Are you dating someone? Is it that woman from the flower shop?”

How did he know about you? “No??” Bucky squinted at Steve. 

“You know if you wanted advice, I do consider myself an expert to some extent now.” Bucky wanted to wipe the smug grin right off his friend’s face. 

“You’re an idiot.” He stood up and paced to the window.

“Oh come on, Buck.” Steve followed suit, the playful grin ever present. “You teased me for years about my love life, can’t be mad now.”

“I’m not mad.” He was annoyed. 

They stood by the glass front for a while, watching the busy city unfold beneath them in the glow of the rising sun. Bucky could feel his friend’s eyes stare at him though. And after another moment of silence, the blonde finally spoke. “You should ask her out.”

“What?” He faced him again. 

“You like her. I can tell. And you’ve never acted like this about a woman, let alone put so much effort into a relationship. I know it’s not your style, but I think it would do you good to at least try.”

“The effort is for the gala.” Bucky corrected. 

“Right. Because that’s your thing... charity galas.” Steve squeezed Bucky’s shoulder and then tapped it and then he made his way to the door. “I’m not going to tell you what to do, but I really wish you would listen to your heart and not be a stubborn dickhead for once. This could be something life-changing - something great. And it’s your choice whether you welcome it or not.”

Life changing. Bucky didn’t like the sound of that. He liked to be in control of the situation and rule over his own life. However that aspect seemed to have left the building when you entered. 

He huffed. There you were back on his mind again, and he felt the tingle creep up his throat. There was no denying it. What Steve had described with Bambi was what Bucky had with you. 

With a shake of his head, he grabbed his coat, told Nat he’d be back in an hour, and then pressed the button for the elevator. He would deny it if Steve ever dared to take pride in convincing him to do so, but he’d also be damned if he didn’t at least try to find out if you felt the same. 

❁ ❁ ❁

There was a burly-looking stranger standing at the counter when Bucky entered your shop. He had willed the traitorous voice in his head to silence all the way here. But now that he saw the handsome older man taking all your attention to the point you hadn’t even noticed him stepping in over the customer's broad shoulders, the heat began to bubble up again. 

Bucky wanted to tell himself you wouldn’t prefer the salt-and-pepper-bearded man over him. But to be honest, he didn’t even know what your type was. Yes, you had cuddled on your sofa just the other night, but since Bucky wouldn’t consider himself an expert in anything other than one-night stands, it could have been a friendly gesture for all he knew. 

“Would that be all for you?” You asked the man and handed him his chance. Bucky watched as his thumb grazed over your hand, feeling a tinge of anger starting to consume him.  

“That’s all. Thank you, sweetheart.”

“I hope to see you again soon, sir.”

“Oh, you can bet on it.” He winked then turned, nodded to Bucky in a brief greeting, and then exited the shop. Bucky’s eyes lingered on the door for a while longer. He took deep breaths as his jaw clenched and the bell above the entrance fell silent. 

“Hey.” A warm hand touched his arm, pulling him right back to your eyes. And just like that, the anger washed away a little. There were just you and him in your tiny oasis amid Brooklyn. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” He forced a smile, but the frown on his face probably betrayed him. “Just thought that man was a little inappropriate.” 

“He’s just a sweet man buying flowers for his wife.” Your eyes glimmered with mischief when you bit your lip. “Bucky... are you jealous?”

Oh, hell no.

“Jealous?” Bucky wasn’t jealous. He couldn’t be. There was nothing to be jealous of. He had no claim to you. Even if he really wished he did. And yet that man had angered him with only the touch of his hand. That was the only thing he’d ever get. Bucky knew what it felt like to have you in his arms, how your body lotion settled in his nose, how your head fit perfectly in the crook of his neck. “No.”

“But you should not be so naïve, dove. Married men are also flirting... and cheating.”

A short laugh escaped your throat before you caught yourself again and Bucky’s heart began doing that funny somersault thing. “Not to burst your bubble or anything, but I do know how the real world works.” You crossed your arms before your chest. “Besides, what do you care if he did ask me out? Maybe it has been a lifelong dream of mine to be a mistress.”

“It’s not. And I don’t. I just think you deserve someone better than a cheater.”

“Oh, like who? The percentage of good guys in this city is disappointingly low.”

Bucky snorted, guided by the excitement in his chest he opened his arms. “Please, I could name at least five guys off the top of my head who are better than whatever that was.” His left hand flailed in the direction of the door, referring to the previous customer. 

“Name one.”

“Me.”

The surprise sprung onto your features faster than Bucky realized what he had said. “What?” 

Well, this was certainly not the way he had planned to ask you out today. Damn jealousy. The only way for this to not be embarrassing was to own up to it now. It was what he had come here for after all, right?

Bucky looked directly into your eyes, his expression sincere and determined. "Yes, me. I may not have everything figured out, but I do know one thing: I care about you. I've seen the way you light up a room, the kindness you show to everyone around you. You deserve someone who sees that, who appreciates it.”

Your eyes softened when you shook your head, averting your gaze to the ground. “I don’t know, Bucky.”

He bit the insides of his cheeks, instantly hoping you’d say something else. Anything that would show him there was a chance you would change your mind. The silence was all-consuming, but he kept his mouth shut, careful not to fuck it up once again. 

“Bucky, I appreciate your honesty, I really do. But I don't think it's a good idea.”

Bucky's brows furrowed, his confidence wavering as your soft refusal hit him. "What do you mean, you don't know?" he asked, his tone tinged with a hint of frustration. He struggled to keep his composure, the unfamiliar feeling of rejection gnawing at him. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he searched for the right thing to say. His jaw tensed, betraying the hurt he felt deep down. "Forget it," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. With a curt nod, he turned on his heel, his disappointment palpable in the air as he made his exit, leaving you to contemplate his unexpected confession.

❁ ❁ ❁

“Why, don’t you just look precious!” You bent down and picked up Sam’s daughter, Darla, who had eagerly stormed through the door as soon as he’d opened it because she wasn’t quite tall enough to reach the handle yet. 

“You... I’ve missed you soooo much.” You nuzzled her into your chest and pretended to squeeze real tight. 

“Come play dragons with me!” The little one squirmed and then hopped off in her tiny knight costume.

“Nothing I would rather do,” you singsonged and then mouthed a ‘she’s grown so much’ to Sam before he closed the door with a shake of his head. 

“I know... she just does it without my permission. Unbelievable.”

About ten minutes later, you sat on the living room floor with a bunch of stuffed dragons, you had been instructed to play. Sam’s daughter was happily fighting the stuffies with her wooden sword and his husband handed you a cup of coffee with a smile. 

“So how have things been?” Matt sat down on the sofa and Sam instantly wrapped his arm around him. Your eyes lingered on the interaction for a second before your gaze wandered back to Darla. 

“Oh, you know, business as usual. The shop is doing very well... the shelters are holding up.” You smiled at her and then made a dragon fall backward in defeat. 

“Hm...” He frowned. “That’s weird... I had a feeling it was getting better soon.”

You smiled tight-lipped and wondered if you had butchered it all with your stubbornness. Matt wasn’t clairvoyant or anything crazy like it. But the joke of his other senses being heightened due to his impaired vision had carried on forever. And even though you never believed in supernatural magical things, you couldn’t help but wonder if maybe, there was a hunch of truth to it nonetheless. He had been right about many other things after all. 

“I don’t know,” you sighed and Darla excused herself to her room to ‘get more toys’. “Except for the shop, everything else seems to go a little downhill right now.”

“But you have been seeing someone, no?” Matt tilted his head and Sam squeezed his shoulder in an attempt to make him stop. 

“Babe, do we need to talk about appropriate prying again?” 

“Sorry,” Matt blushed, “Occupational hazard.”

You laughed and then turned serious again. “I have... but to be honest, I doubt it will have a future. It’s - I don’t know - it just seems a little too good to be true.”

“It’s been Bucky you’ve been seeing, hasn’t it?” Sam chimed in with a calm deep voice, making your attention snap to him. Your heart began to race at the mention of Bucky’s name. 

“How did you know?”

His fingers lifted in air quotes “A gorgeous girl with a flower shop in Brooklyn that somehow tries to convince him to donate to Sunflower shelters? You did not make it hard, honey.”

“He... he talks to you about me?” Well, that changes things, you thought as you watched Sam reassure you with a small smile. 

"More like a little birdy told me...." Sam shrugged. “What happened?” He leaned forward slightly, his eyes holding concern.

“Isn’t it obvious? I don’t want to be one of his many trophies. And I’m scared, I just made the chase attractive by not putting out immediately.” Your eyes turned glassy. “What if he will lose interest when I do.” Your voice broke, making you almost whisper the last part into the living room. “Because I really really want to...”

Matt cleared his throat. “If it helps anything... I have a feeling you are not going to be just another one-night stand.”

“And why is that?”

“I’ve never seen him like this.” Sam chimed in. “So butthurt about a girl or even put effort in a relationship that would only become a one night stand - which it is not - he wants more, he needs more. He sees a future with you. And as much as his bad-boy demeanor has made that pretty unbelievable in the past, he is changing. I just know, and it’s about time that he aims for peace and quiet and love and comfort.”

Turning your head with a suspicious grin, you answered: “Is Matt contagious? Because that sounded one hell of a lot like a prediction to me.”

Sam just shook his head with a smile, scooted forward on the sofa, and then took your hands in his. “Believe me when I say this: You are so amazing. And not even a douchebag like Bucky could deny it. Yes, he has had his fair share of women in the past, and he can be the most stubborn dickhead in all of New York City, but he’s not stupid. He knows something valuable when he sees it. And you, love, have given him the most precious thing he’s ever had.”

You held eye contact for a short moment, letting your friend’s words sink in and warm you from the inside until the butterflies in your stomach began to tingle. As much as you wanted to refuse, you had shown him love and acceptance every step of the way. And Bucky? Bucky had tried so hard to impress you. He had done so many things just for you, to spend time with you.

You just wrote it off as a means to get you to sleep with him. But at this point, that argument was farfetched. Because throughout the time you spent together, his presence was pleasant, casual, and... wanted. 

“So what do I do now?” You said with determination, making a smile spark on both Sam’s and Matt’s faces.

❁ ❁ ❁

“So, Barnes is unusually grumpy tonight.” Bucky heard Tony say when he came back from the bathroom, jamming his glas on the table to announce he was listening. “Did you get cockblocked or what?”

“Shut it, Stark, or I’ll personally demonstrate your very own cockblock.” Bucky pressed through his teeth. 

“Damn, Buck. What the hell could possibly throw you off this much?” Tony signaled for two more drinks to the bar as Bucky took a seat again. 

Sam looked at him with a raised brow - the fucker knew what was going on. But Bucky refused to get dragged into talking about his feelings. 

“I thought it was going good?” Steve chimed in, a question in his features. Steve, you punk. Shut up!

Bucky knew he was referring to the bouquets of flowers that subtly decorated the office now. First his own desk, then the kitchen. And when Nat had grown suspicious, he proceeded to place them on her desk to have her stop asking questions. 

It wasn’t his doing - not this time. You had just given him a bouquet of the flowers you couldn’t sell anymore every time you met. And Bucky couldn’t bring himself to throw them out. They also reminded him of you and were a nice little distraction from work. ...Not that it mattered anymore.

“Going good? What is going on? What are you talking about, Rogers?”

“Bucky met a- ouch goddamnit!” A kick was heard from beneath the table. And when Steve’s eyes snapped over to Sam, the man just tipped his head with a warning stare. “What the hell, man?”

“Okay, that’s it. I feel like you guys don’t tell me anything. I need details. Now.”

“No.”

Bucky didn’t need Tony to know. In fact, Bucky didn’t need anyone to know he had trouble talking to a woman. He, of all people, who never had any difficulties getting even the married ones - yeah he wasn’t too proud of that... But Tony would just make everything worse. And with his patience hanging by a thread right about now, he was not willing to play with fire. 

“Buck, we- they’re your friends. They deserve to know, especially if things are as serious as you told me.” Bucky just stared at Steve in silence, his gaze trained on the crystal class in front of him with the amber liquid untouched. Steve always had a need to calm the storm. And maybe, Bucky would let him do it this time. 

Truthfully, Bucky couldn’t imagine a life without you anymore. His friends would sooner or later hear about you - if he had not fucked it up entirely. So, it was better to rip the band-aid off now than peel it back painfully slow in the future. 

He crossed his arms and exchanged a brief glance with the blonde, and Steve understood that he was allowed to proceed. 

“Bucky met someone. He’s organizing the charity gala this year and she’s the florist doing the flower arrangements.” He had never noticed it before, but ever since Bambi had entered Steve’s life, his best friend’s fable for romance became more and more apparent to Bucky. 

“She’s also helped him find a cause to donate to. She’s been taking him to the Shelter she has worked at for years,” Sam chimed in and Bucky didn’t even question where he got his information from anymore. Steve and he had always been close, and though Bucky didn’t believe Steve would tell Sam his most private conversations, Sam always had a way of finding out. 

“Event planning? Florist? Who are you and what have you done to Bucky?” Tony looked seriously stunned, But Bucky didn’t expect anything less than incomprehension. He had always been the only one in the group Tony could relate to and talk to when it came to women and lifestyles. Now, that very thing was slipping away. 

Bucky just shrugged, uncertain how to answer. It was true: He had changed quite a bit ever since meeting you. But they weren't bad changes. He actually liked them. 

Steve cleared his throat. “I thought things were going great, just the other day he talked about asking her out. And there were all these flowers in the office, I just assumed...”

“Yeah well, they weren’t.” Bucky interrupted as he felt the frustration creep back up. There were so many new feelings mixing within him that he didn’t know what to do with them. 

“Well it’s good to have you back, I guess. Can’t imagine how that would’ve turned out.” Tony’s hand landed on Bucky’s shoulder, who immediately brushed it off. 

“What do you mean ‘turned out’?”

His head swayed from left to right and his hands turned outward. “Well, we all agree it would have never worked out right? You’re not the one for relationships and she was clearly using you for that charity money.”

What the actual fuck?

“You don’t know her. So don’t you dare assume anything about her.” Bucky sprung up, his hands hitting the table with a thump. “Dove has the kindest, most beautiful soul on this earth.” He wouldn’t let Tony, of all people, insult you. Not you. Not his dove. And, yes, maybe it also hurt a little that his friend did not believe Bucky could change for something truly important. And maybe it scratched his ego that this might have been the reason for your rejection the other day. But all of that seemed unimportant now. 

“Look at you growing all protective.”

“Tony.” Steve’s condescending tone rumbled over the booth. 

A look at Tony and Bucky wanted to smack the smirk off his face. Another look at Sam, whose eyes had grown soft with empathy. And one last look at Steve, who’d only wanted him to be as happy as him. Damn it. 

“You wouldn’t fucking know what I’m talking about, Stark.”

And then he stormed out of the Ironbar and into the night, head fuming, heart racing, and only one thing on his mind. 

❁ ❁ ❁

You were pretty sure Bucky would have kicked your door down had you not opened it the second time he wrapped his fist against it. Now he was standing in front of you, cheeks reddened from the cool night air, chest rising with deep breaths, but still devilishly handsome. 

“Hey, Bucky!” You smiled until you noticed the irritated look in his eyes. “What are you doing here?”

He seemingly ignored you, stepping into your home and then turning once you closed the door. “Do you think I can change?”

“What?”

“Do you believe I could change? That I could become the person you would date?” His eyes were pleasing, his head cocked to the side - fidgedy.

“Is... is this about the other day?”

Bucky looked nervous, vulnerable even. “Just answer my question, please.”

“I believe everyone has the ability to change. But I also know not everyone wants to.” You looked at your hands, suddenly feeling a bit awkward.

“Then why... why do you think I haven’t. Through all the times we’ve gone to the shelter, through all the conversations. I’ve never had that with someone before... what I have with you.”

There it was. You knew you had to talk to him about it sooner or later. Sam and Matt had suggested as much. You just didn't know it would be this soon.

“Bucky, I just don’t want to end up as one of the women passing you on the street, throwing side eyes at the newest one you’re having on your arm.” Yeah... that encounter had been a rather awkard one. Not to mention how nervous you were that night, hopig Bucky had only played it cool in order to protect you.

“See, but that wouldn’t happen to you, dove. It wouldn’t. Because I realized that you are the reason that makes me want to change.” Bucky's gaze softened as he spoke, his tone gentle yet resolute he stepped closer. “I'm not perfect, but I promise you this: I'll always try my best for you. So, yeah, maybe it's a long shot, but I think I could be good for you. And if you'd give me the chance, I'd love to show you.” He took your hands in his, then closed his eyes and came even closer. “I know I'd treat you right.”

Throughout his confession, your gaze never faltered from his face. You could feel the desperate honesty in his tone, in the way his hands lightly trembled. He was scared, and he lay that emotion in your hands - for you to do whatever you needed with it. 

Your voice was shaky when you answered, a light hue of shame fogging the question on the tip of your tongue. “But how do I know...?” That this is not what you’re telling every woman in this godforsaken city? 

But Bucky understood. Because apparently that pull you'd had toward him had been there for a reason. “Because the things you make me feel scare me.” His face was mere inches from yours now, you could see every speck of color in his irises. “They scare me because I’ve never felt them before. Every time I’m not with you, I think of you. In every situation I am in alone, I imagine how much more exciting it would be with you in it. I’m going crazy. I’m lost without you, dove.”

A single tear ran down your face at his confession. This moment felt so raw, his words so sincere. But most importantly, it made your heart pound with excitement. 

“Will you be mine?” His forehead leaned against yours, his hands moving up your arms and to your neck. “Please say yes,” he whispered and his breath tickled your nose. 

He just felt so right. Bucky felt right in your home, in your arms, in your life. “Yes.” You finally answered and as soon as the syllable left your mouth, his lips came crashing onto yours. 

Within seconds, Bucky had you pressed against the door. His hands held your face lovingly, his hands warm and big on your skin. The kiss was deep and so unbelievably pure, it punched the breath from your lunges the second your lips connected. And suddenly you knew that Bucky’s words held far less emptiness than you had feared. Nobody could kiss like this and not be sincere. At least you hoped it to be true because once you’d gotten a taste, you knew you would never want to try anything else. You could get drunk off him. Forever.

Your hands wandered beneath Bucky’s coat, settling in the warmth of his back beneath the thick wool and feeling the muscles ripple when he pulled you even closer. 

You sighed into him because the moment felt so right, so perfect, so tailored to the two of you and Bucky brushed his tongue over your bottom lip. The tingle from the gesture traveled down your spine. Before you could hold yourself back, you let his touch swallow you whole. 

❁ ❁ ❁

Bucky moaned, a feeling so warm and enjoyable taking over his body with every breath you stole from him. He had wanted for this to happen for weeks. And the real thing did not disappoint. 

Your hands roamed his back until they hooked onto his shoulders and began shrugging off his coat. He tried hard to keep your lips on his during the action, not wanting to miss a single moment without them anymore. You were here, you were his, and it was perfect. 

“Bucky,” you whimpered when his thigh made its way between your legs. A move so instinctually feeling for him. But all the other women he’d been with before only seemed like practice now. Preparation to be the best lover you’ve ever had and ever will have. Because you were the real thing, the grand prize, the best person to ever happen to him. 

You ground down on his legs in rhythmic motions, Bucky could feel the heat seeping through his expensive dress pants and it made him feel even hotter. He pushed his leg higher, reveling in the sounds that came from your lips and the very knowledge he was the one providing this pleasure. There was nothing more exhilarating. 

But still, it wasn’t enough. “There are too many layers of clothes between us, dove,” his wet breath brushed against your cheek as he pulled his thigh back for you to take off your jeans. 

“You’re so right.” You grinned and then pulled them down in one swift motion only to reveal a pink pear of panties underneath. 

In an instant, his body was pressed to yours again, his lips attaching to yours like magnets - he couldn’t get enough of the taste of you. But instead of placing his leg right back to get you that delicious friction, his hand began traveling down your front until it disappeared in your underwear. 

If you were any other woman, Bucky would’ve gone down on you. He would have dropped to his knees and eaten you out because he knew it was the fastest way he’d make you come. And he took pride in the fact that the women he was with always had at least one orgasm more than him. But he didn’t do so with you. 

Why?

Because Bucky Barnes got high off of your lips, and he couldn’t possibly imagine not seeing your face, feeling your mouth shape in a silent scream when he would make you come for the first time. 

So his hand had to do for now. His fingers slipped past the thin pink cotton and over your mound to gather your slickness. He gasped when he reached your heated core. “You’re so wet for me, love. So ready.” He pecked the corner of your lips. “So perfect.”

“Yes!” You whined and pressed your pussy into his touch. Bucky immediately started to trace circles on your clit. He took his time to find the motions with which your breath staggered, or your fists clenched in his shirt. With every whimper, every stroke of his hand, he felt his dick strain his pants a little more - the aching exciting him for when he could finally sink into you. 

“Shit, don’t stop. I’m so close.”

“I don’t plan on ever stopping.” He growled into your mouth, his hand movements becoming more frantic, the wet noises filling your apartment. Frankly, Bucky didn’t believe he could ever stop giving you pleasure and having you writhe in his arms with deep sighs. Not until he knew how you sounded cumming on his hand, on his face, on his dick, on the sofa, on the bed, and every other surface he could possibly imagine. Your body was like ecstasy.

Your walls began to clench around his fingers, every drag becoming harder as he imagined his cock being squeezed by you instead. “There you go, Baby. That’s it.”

“OH MY GOD!” You screamed as your hand pulled on his hair, your body growing rigid with pleasure and Bucky kissed every curse word from your lips. 

After a minute, he slowly pulled his hand back, the other caressing the skin on your cheek. “Are you okay?” He whispered, his eyes boring into yours in genuine concern. 

“Are you kidding? I’m more than okay. That was incredible.” Bucky couldn’t help the small chuckle from leaving his lips at your praise. 

“You look really fucking pretty when you come.”

“I’m glad. Because I want you to make me do it again.” You kissed his cheek. “And again.” And then you gently stroked his cock through his pants. “And again.”

And the second you said that Bucky pulled you onto the floor with him. He took his time removing your clothes, kissed the trial of your bra strap all the way down your shoulder, licked and bit at your hips all the way down to your ankles where he finally pulled off your underwear and pressed his lips to the soft skin of your leg. And when you were fully naked, he paused. Bucky’s eyes roamed your body, taking in every divot, every mark and curve of yours.

He sat back on his haunches, his head getting dizzy when the butterflies took over. “God, you’re so beautiful,” Bucky softly wheezed, his hand slowly stroking your leg as you lay spread out in front of him. 

“Come here.” You gestured with your arms open, welcoming him in your embrace with a wide smile. Bucky supported his weight with his arms on either side of your head and let your hands bury in his hair. He closed his eyes letting the warmth of your touch overtake him. Your thumbs stroked over his brows before you whispered: “Look at me.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry I doubted you. I feel the appreciation in the way you talk to me and touch me. It was unfair of me to assume you are your reputation.”

“No, it’s okay. It’s not like I made it easy for you to believe me.”

You chuckled and pressed a kiss to his lips. “Well, I do now.” Your eyes locked with his and a new fire lit within them. 

“Good.” He smirked and then rolled you over so that you were straddling his waist. The cool wooden floor hit his bare back as you had bunched his shirt up on the way, now pulling it over his head and revealing your satisfied stare when your hands traced over his abs.

You shook your head and released a breath. “Shame on me for refusing this for so long.” Your fingers passed his happy trail and began working on his belt. Bucky’s thumbs stroked your thighs as he watched you undress him, the tent in his pants ever so present and growing with every brush of your fingers. 

“Don’t worry, dove. We have all the time in the world to make up for it.” When his pants were off he pulled you forward again, kissing you ferociously. “‘Cause I’m not planning on leaving.”

You smirked and ground down on his cock, interrupting his speech and ripping a guttural sound from his chest. 

He had been holding back. Ever since you'd dragged him into that shelter, he had not touched a woman, because you had him hooked the second you had taken his hand on the way. And now he had to bite his tongue to keep himself from coming in his boxers like a school boy. 

“Are you getting nervous, Bucky?” You grinned and moved again to tease him a little more.

“Can you blame me?” He clenched his jaw when you rocked forward again, his hand stilling your hips with a near-bruising grip. “I’ve wanted you ever since I stepped foot in your shop.”

“You did?” Your head cocked to the side, surprise washing over your face and his dick twitched making Bucky’s cheeks heat up. 

“Yes...” He confessed only to be attacked with your kisses again. He groaned and bucked his hips up until you were a moaning mess on top of him. His hands reached around you, settling on your ass and giving it a small clap. 

“Hand me my walled, baby. It’s in my pants.”

“Why?”

“We need a condom if you don’t want to keep dry-humping me.” He smirked, knowing, feeling there was nothing dry about this anymore. Your arousal was already drenching his boxers. The slick pushing him close to losing it. 

“It’s okay. We don’t have to, I have an IUD.” 

“As much as I want to, we should be safe...” Bucky swallowed and averted his eyes in regret. “Have to get tested again.”

“Oh, ok.” You were disappointed, he could tell. And Bucky was too. It was the first time he ever regretted all his one-night stands because he would kill to fuck you raw and feel all of you. And as hazy as your body made him, he could not ignore the fact that he did have several different sex partners before. It would have to wait a few weeks. And when he would come back clean, he would keep you in the bedroom for a week straight.

You must have noticed his misery because you leaned forward and kissed his cheek. Then you scooched back and retrieved the condom from his wallet. Bucky held his breath when your fingers hooked into his waistband. And when you pulled them down, his cock stood proud and thick with precum already pearling from his tip. 

He reached for the shiny packet in your hand but you pulled your arm up, your eyes stuck on his cock. “Let me.”

“Okay,” he breathed out as he watched you rip the packet. His shaft twitched when your careful hands rolled the condom over him, another bead of precum dripping into the condom and before he could collect himself, you rubbed your pussy all over him, coating him in your arousal. 

Bucky’s hands turned into fists at your sides as he watched you finally sink down on him - inch by inch, your heat welcomed him, his body sparking with pleasure all over. You moaned in unison when he was fully seated inside you, his cock being hugged tightly in your warmth - he’d barely held it together then. 

You planted your hands on his abdomen and rocked forward, sending the both of you reeling. It took a second for Bucky to collect himself. His eyes closed and his nose huffing, he reminded himself of what he had promised you and what he wanted his first time with you to be. When he opened his eyes again, his hands moved over your body with determination. One setting over your breast, rolling your nipple between his fingers, the other began tracing tight circles on your clit. 

Your head fell back, a vision of ecstasy and pleasure unfolding before him when he sent you over the edge a second time. He slowed your hips on his and rubbed your pussy with his thumb. He needed you to come again. And then again, and he had to hold out for that long. But the way your chest heaved, the light sheen of sweat forming on your skin, made his plan more than difficult. 

It took all of Bucky’s willpower to pull you off his cock and push you to his legs. He sat up and kissed up your neck until he reached your lips. “What are you doing?”

“Giving you what you asked for.” He mumbled against your skin and then licked over your nipple, the other being caressed by his fingers. His free hand found its place right between your legs again and when you moaned lowly, he slipped two fingers inside you. 

Your pussy was squelching, the lewd sound traveling across the living room as Bucky worked you towards another release. You were already squirming in his hands again. Your fists pulled at his roots, sending a shiver straight to his cock when you leaned his head back. “You’re amazing.” Your breath was hot, fanning over his lips only to be replaced by them again. His tongue slipped inside and mimicking the movement of his fingers in your pussy. 

“Right back at ya, dove. I can't wait to be inside you again.”

“Then what are you waiting for?”

“For you to come again.” He bit your lip and sped up his fingers already feeling you squeeze him tightly. “So you’re satiated when I come deep inside you, feeling you squeeze me with that perfect pussy of yours until you see stars.”

“Shitshitshit. I’m coming!” A series of curses flew past him when you pulsed around his fingers, gushing all over his hand and lap until he finished rocking you through your third orgasm. 

“Fuck,” Bucky licked your juices off his fingers and his eyes rolled back into his head. 

“I don’t think I have another in me, Bucky.”

“Don’t worry, love. I got you.” And with that he hooked your legs around his waist, falling forward until you were with your back to the floor, Bucky hovering over you and aligning his length with your entrance. 

He couldn’t wait anymore, in one swift motion, Bucky fully bottomed out until his balls hit your ass. And when he was confident you were comfortable, he set a relentless pace. He had been on the edge this entire time. You had almost made him come just having him watch you let go. But there was nothing like the feeling of your pussy hugging him tightly, your body writhing beneath his, eyes squeezed shut in pleasure and nails raking down his back. 

“You feel so good,” he grunted and you just moaned in response.

“Look at me, please.” His hand turned your face. “I need to see you.” 

Bucky snapped his hips into yours even faster, your walls already clenching tightly around him and he threatened to burst. Your eyes opened and fell to his and Bucky couldn’t stop his orgasm from ripping through him anymore. His strokes stuttered, his balls tightened, but he held eye contact with you, searching your hand behind his back to lock your fingers with his. 

The white pleasure exploded within him, elevated by your own peak hitting with full force. He kissed you then, feeling like he was somewhere between heaven and your living room floor. His mind was consumed by you, his body tingling in aftershocks as he rocked you through your highs. 

His damp chest fell into yours when you came down. He rolled on his back, taking you with him, pressed deeply into his body, his cock still buried inside you. Bucky’s chest was heaving, the last remnants of pleasure sparkling in his nerves. He kissed your hand and cuddled you closer. 

This was what he was made for. To be with you, to be consumed by your affection and warmth. 

He smoothed over your head and felt your lashes flutter on his skin. His heart was blooming with contentment - all the fear he’d felt to commit was miles away, lost somewhere between the Ironbar and your doorstep. There was nothing he was more sure of. 

“Let me do this right. Let me take you out.” He whispered into your hair with a smile, trying to remember a time he’d ever been this happy. 

You snorted as your hand gently stroked over his chest. “Bucky, you’re literally ballsdeep inside of me right now.”

Bucky chuckled as well, his hand rubbed down your bare back in a soothing motion when he kissed your head. “Nothing like a convincing argument, huh.”

You already know your girl couldn't decide which GIF to use. So here are the extra ones:

Woooow, you've made it this far! Thank you so much 💕 If you have some time to spare, I would reaaaally appreciate some feedback from you. A comment or a reblog can help so much to reach more people and improve writing. Talk to you soon ~Meg 💞

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[iicarused]

Hi! ^^ I saw that your requests are open. Can you please do nsfw headcanons for Vox, Alastor and maybe Adam (if you’re open to write for him if not no worries!) with an S/O (separte) who is really sweet, but when they get to the bedroom for the first time she starts some kinky stuff once she’s comfortable enough. Stuff that they never knew would leave her mouth? How would they react?

I hope you have a beautiful day! ^^

##good girl

separate! vox x reader / alastor x reader / adam x reader

beware: smut, blowjob, knife play, biting, choking, cockwarming, rut, breeding kink, overstimulation, electric play, degradation, praise, mention of rope bunny, marking

a/n: thanks for being the reason why i post nsfw for the first time LMFAOO like actually i never posted it before so mb if these aren’t great<3

VOX

when you and vox started dating, the last thing he thought of was you being fun in the bedroom. now don’t get him wrong, he enjoys a little vanilla sex from time to time: but for you? a whole different story.

he thought you were more tame, to be fair, you were a whole sweetheart. but there came a time where he got a little too in his head and light electricity emitted from the palms of his hands.

he was so close to pulling away but the sound that came from you? he couldn’t stop. now, the electricity was not harsh, but instead sizzled over your skin: it’s how he often took off steam. the two words that really tied the knot is when you said “use me,” between kisses

the last thing he figured is that you were into choking, and here he is with his fingers curled around your neck. heavy breaths and degrading words being whispered to your ear.

“such a fucking whore begging for my cock like this, and here i thought i knew you.”

honestly, he gets even more ecstatic to know you’re a freak just as much as he is. his a corruption kink and your putter sona of portraying and innocent sweet heart really sparks that in him.

after figuring out this information, he enjoys calling you into his office and have you ccokwarm him. feeling you clench around him the longer you cannot move, or he will grip on your thighs to make you still.

ALASTOR

breeding link goes heavy and it was because that is how he found out about you’re kinky side. it was while he had you in a mating press when you let out those sweet words of “breed me, breed me, please alastor!” the begging and the way your fingers dug into his shoulders when he released.

“gun’na fill you right up until your dripping with my seed.”

he was quick to play into it that night, because things got more exciting after that. there was no genuine shock because to alastor? you were just so sweet and kind that you had to be hiding something. being a freak in bed was one of the last things but it was there.

the last thing he expected was stop being until knife play — it would be waaay later until he found that out, and how he did? he noticed the way you writhed under him whenever this his claws glided against your plush skin. the sounds you makes when his digs his nails into your thighs while he’s rutting into you.

breeding link mixed with overstimulation for this radio demon — only during a rut — other times, he’s fine and sex doesn’t occur often. usually to satisfy you when he isn’t in the mood, he lays you out on the bed while he reads a book and fingers you. can and will eat you out like it’s his last meal if you’re being too whiny.

ADAM

“such a slut, couldn’t wait for my cock and had to be fucked on the table in my office, huh?”

he knew you were a freak, he loved tying you up in the bedroom and using you until you were overstimulated. but when you came into his office and was more touchy, that caught him off guard. first, he thought you were joking. now he has you bent over his desk with a hand over your mouth, praying internally that the seraphim’s don’t catch this.

another part of him hopes to be caught. everyone believes that you’re some sweet angel who can do better than adam, but he’s the only one who can rail you until your legs begin to shake. (you wonder why lilith and eve left him sometimes)

goes crazy when you take his hand and place it where you wanna be touched. “i need words, sugar, what do you want me to do?” very oral with you, especially when he ties you up. leaving hickies isn’t enough, this man will bite into your skin (if you’re okay with it.) and ruin you

please be oral with him too, it will drive him fucking nuts. sharper thrusts and loves pressing you against the wall.

no because he will definitely have you bounce on his cock in the office but his wings will spread around the two of you for more privacy after he became the lead extermination angel.

#ᥫ᭡. #hazbin hotel x reader #hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel headcanon #hazbin hotel smut #vox x reader #alastor x reader #adam x reader