Tumgik
#well. my wrists are very tiny anyway because my hands are really small. my family just has really tiny hands
tinylittlebab · 1 year
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ill be skinny and dying and ill look beautiful and people will like me it has to happen or id rather die
whats the point of being lonely and in pain all the time and then having to get a job and hate doing that if i have no friends and hate myself. the one thing that keeps me wanting to live wont be good enough once u have to work and in that case id rather just die
:(
#i just. i dont want most of my immediate family aware of this. ive spiraled a little bit i guess. i wanna be hospitalized haha. like a lot#thats the goal now i guess. 85 pounds and then if its not good enough i just keep going lower untill its worse#but i guess if im hospitalized my immediate family will HAVE to get involved. i just dont wamt my younger siblings aware of it.#i wanna make myself so sick. i want the people who always looked at me when i was little and hated how shy i was and said i was too small#tohear about giw im in the hospital and think oh thats just terrible#its like. i dont even know anyone who will look at me thinner and think its a good thing. everyone i know already knows about my ed#and they all already think u should eat more. i do wish i knew someone who would think me being skinnier was good#i want someone who will feel me get bonier and think whoah thats neat. think its cool they can wrap their hands around my wrists#well. my wrists are very tiny anyway because my hands are really small. my family just has really tiny hands#people dont notice mine much because they are proportional to my arms (they notice my siblings though bc they are bigger than me)#but whenever someone actually holds my hands or hands me something a looks they realize oh my god why are your hands so small#like. the bones themselves are small. been told i have baby hands. mine are way smaller than my siblings though bc im underweight#hmm. i always felt horrible for this but i used to be so internally proud of the fact i was slinnier than my 8yo sister#like. she is a normal sized kid. average weight and height. and it feels validating to be smaller than that. like i actually AM tiny#my only friend is fat which is obviously fine and nothing wrong with it but it means i have no comparison. she is much bigger than most#people so i cant think oh im way smaller than her im doing great bc like. that could mean im just average sized. but that i can look at my#sister who is normal sized for someone 8 years younger than me and is also i young kid and see im thinner so i must be doing well#well. one day ill move past that and look pike i could juat die right there bc im so small#so tiny that i look so frail and easy to break
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ravensilversea · 6 days
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Kitchen Knives Aren't Meant for Stabbing
Summary: Why do the Famiglias keep sending their unwanted children on suicide hits? They can't really believe that a child will be the one to kill the World's Greatest Hitman?
Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Adult Arcobaleno (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!), Child Sawada Tsunayoshi, Angst, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Attempted Murder, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Accidental Baby Acquisition
Originally posted here but it's getting a new post because I moved blogs a few years ago and it broke some things :)
Someone’s following him and has been for some time now. He turns down an alley, and his shadow follows, seemingly untired from the merry chase he’s given them around the city. He stops halfway down the alley and gently tugs at the cuffs of his sleeves. “Can I help you?” he asks.
His shadow’s breath hitches, and o mio Dio, his shadow sounds so young. Why do the Famiglias keep sending their unwanted children on suicide hits? He turns around and catches his shadow’s small wrist mid-stab. He blinks at the very normal kitchen knife in the boy’s hand before taking it from him and stowing it in on of his inner jacket pockets.
The boy’s absolutely tiny; he’s practically sitting on the filthy ground to be face-height with the child. The boy’s frantic pulls on his trapped arm have no effect. There’s so much dirt in the boy’s brown hair and almost as much hatred in narrowed brown eyes. The boy’s teeth are bared, and there’s definitely a sunkenness to the dirt-covered cheeks.
He sighs. The boy wasn’t from a Famiglia, not anymore at least. Even the Carcassa and Bovino feed all their kids. Not to mention supply them with more than a basic kitchen knife when going after the World’s Greatest Hitman. “Come ti chiami?” he asks the boy.
Ao3
The boy’s glare narrows further, and he repeats the question. This time the boy mutters something and yanks backwards. The boy takes a deep breath and yells, “Let me go, you bastard!” in Japanese.
He keeps a steady gaze on the boy’s face, and a firm hand on the thin arm. “What is your name?” he asks again, this time in Japanese.
“Don’t act like you don’t know, Vongola,” the boy spits. “Now, let me go! And give me back my knife!” Tears gather in the boy’s eyes, but the boy gallantly blinks them away.
“I do not know who you are, and I am not Vongola,” he says calmly. “I am merely affiliated with them.”
“Close enough,” the boy snarls. The boy twists his arm in his grip. “I’ll kill you either way.”
“What’s more dangerous- you, or me? Someone trained and skilled and very very stable? Or a child still learning how to handle a knife with the emotional turbulence of the Wright brothers’ aircraft?” he asks, raising an eyebrow. “You’re certainly more dangerous to yourself than me, you know.”
“I don’t care!” Tears finally roll down the boy’s cheeks. “I’m going to kill you and every other Vongola I can find. Because it’s not fair! Kaa-san’s dead because of you!”
Well, shit. Civilian children on a self-imposed revenge mission really aren’t his usual fare of stray. Street kids generally try to pick his pocket or make a good faith effort to loot his dead body. “Kid, I am sorry your mother’s dead,” he says. “But are you sure Vongola’s responsible?” The boy snarls, and he continues over him, “Because as far as I know, Vongola has not issued a hit on a single mother or a hit in Japan for that matter.”
“They had to have!” The boy’s cheeks are soaked with tears. “The men all spoke that language you were speaking, and they kept saying, ‘Vongola’ over and over again.”
Merda, he resists the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. It sounded like someone high in Vongola’s hierarchy- probably Iemitsu, he’s the only one with any recent Japanese heritage and it’s always him anyway- was too careless about the location of their not-in-the-know family. “Kid,” he lifts the boy’s chin, “I can help you find the men who killed your mother, but you have to let me.”
The boy screws up his face. He wipes away his tears with his free hand. “Seriously?”
He nods. “But I need to know who you are and where you live for starters.”
The boy stares at him, head tilted to the side, for another minute before saying, “My name is Sawada Tsunayoshi. I’m from Nammimori, Japan, and I don’t live anywhere anymore.”
Fucking Iemitsu. He really does hate being right sometimes. He smiles. “Hello, Tsunayoshi. You may call me Reborn.”
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mypoisonedvine · 3 years
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𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭-𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 || helmut zemo, bucky barnes and sam wilson x reader
𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 : your sugar daddy boyfriend is finally out of prison and he brought a few friends to show you off to.
𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 : just over 4k
𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 : smut (foursome/group sex, oral m receiving, spitroast; sliiiight dubcon???), established zemo x reader, sugar daddy relationship, ‘sir’ kink, ‘daddy’ kink, pussy spanking, one regular spank, orgasm control, overstimulation, creampie, a bit of cockwarming, exhibitionism, possessiveness (kinda? but also not at all lmao it’s hard to explain), a bit of degradation but plenty of praise as well, subtle cuckolding but without the usual power dynamics there, shitty reconstructed “sokovian” (I wrote it in the latin alphabet but the cyrillic and translations are at the end), unexpected and unnecessary fluff, very subtle angst (basically all in a flashback anyways)
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                  You were needlessly anxious as you waited for him to arrive.  It had been your own idea to wait in the jet, and yet you spent every other second glancing out the tiny window, desperate for a glance of the man you missed so dearly.
If someone had told you all those years ago, when this arrangement first began, how easily he would have you wrapped around his finger… you couldn’t have believed them.  It’s just about the money, you would’ve told them, but you would’ve been impossibly wrong.
For a lot of women in this sort of situation, it really was just about the money; likewise, for a lot of men in his situation, it was just about the sex.  But the two of you had something entirely unique, nearly indescribable in fact, that very few could ever understand.  In the beginning it became clear to you that he was more in need of a companion than a lover or girlfriend, specifically.  He was still grieving his wife, still devoted to her completely, but lonely right to his core… angry, even, at the prospect of a life without his family.  You were a shoulder to cry on, first and foremost.
You thought maybe he enjoyed spending money on you because it was his way to protect you, in a way he felt he had failed to protect his family before.
And it was you that fell for him first, for his passion and his kindness before his riches or looks.  Just when you feared that he’d only ever see you as a status symbol or dress-up doll, he returned your affections in spite of his guilt at first and the two of you were inseparable ever since.
Except, of course, when you were separated, and he was imprisoned, and you were left on your own again.  Not that spending his money wasn’t fun or anything, but his loneliness was more sympathetic with each night you spent in that massive bed by yourself, wanting just to feel the warmth of him beside you again.
So, it should be understandable why you were so on edge in anticipation of his arrival.  Your painted fingernails toyed with the hem of the dress you remembered he liked on you most— the silk one that barely covered your legs and was only held up by absurdly thin straps crossing at your back.
The night he bought it for you was clear in your mind like it was only yesterday; his voice in your ear telling you how he couldn’t resist taking such a thoughtful, intelligent woman like yourself and dressing you up like a mindless drolja… or ‘slut’ as it might be said in English.  Just remembering the way he said things like that sent a shiver down your spine as strong as really hearing it, your thighs clenching together on top of the plush leather seat.
Just as you thought you might go crazy waiting for him, you saw the car pull up— your Helmut at the wheel and his two associates in tow— and your heart soared.
Longer than all the years apart combined was the minute you spent waiting to descend the jet’s staircase, hoping to meet him on the taxiway at the exact right moment.  You made sure the jewelry around your wrists and neck was laying just right before finally making your appearance.
The way he looked up at you as you started to walk down towards him… it wasn’t so different from the way he’d looked at you through the glass for the past few years, really, but it felt different.  He certainly looked different to you, without the prisoner’s uniform and looking rather imposing with that massive coat instead.
You were careful to still walk slowly, since you were wearing stilettos and all, even when you wanted more than anything to run to him and jump into his arms.  Instead, you came face to face with him, loving that confident smirk which never seemed to leave his expression, and slipped your arms around his fur-adorned neck.
“Dobrodošla nazad, ljubavi,” you hummed, pressing your lips to his and almost letting out a squeal of surprise when he immediately slipped his tongue into your mouth, kissing you aggressively as his gloved hands gripped you at the waist.
He was rarely so bold, but then again he had been alone in prison for so long with only your words to try to satisfy him.  As much as you cherished being in his arms again, you also got the impression that this wasn’t just about making up for lost time— if that were true, he would’ve skipped the kiss entirely and taken you in the back of his car the moment he saw you.  No, this was a show of dominance, and not only for your benefit; that was clear when one of the men with him cleared his throat loudly and Helmut still didn’t stop.  
But that was very much like him: he was never finished with you until he was satisfied, and not a moment sooner.  His power over you was so effortless because you didn’t mind at all being his plaything… so much so that it was you leaning in for more when he pulled back, making him laugh softly.
“Did you miss me, lutka?” he purred, and you nodded as you bit your lip slightly.
“Always, Helmut,” you nodded, finally taking a moment to look away from him and at the visibly uncomfortable men at his side.  “I heard you freed him,” you said to the man you knew to be James Barnes, “thank you.”
“I’m still not over that,” the other— Sam, as you’d heard— added with a scoff.
“Come on, darling, let’s board the jet and we can talk there,” Helmut suggested, and you nodded as you turned to let them follow.
Of course, you couldn’t be totally sure, but you were pretty confident you could feel three pairs of eyes on your ass as you climbed the stairs.  Honestly, with how short the dress was, there was a risk of your thong being exposed as well, exactly the sort of almost-subtle teasing your Baron loved the most.
Once inside, Helmut showed James and Sam to their seats, and took his own as he instantly pulled you into his lap.  You caught the other two men glancing to the empty fourth seat, knowing there was plenty of room for you two to stay apart, but could they really blame you after how long you’d been alone?
Throughout the takeoff, one of his strong hands rested comfortably on your crossed legs as the other held his glass of champagne, and Sam’s gaze was attached to the way his thumb gently stroked your thigh while James seemed to be doing his best to look literally anywhere else.
“I noticed you haven’t introduced us to your… friend…” Sam trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Oh, yes,” Helmut chuckled as if he actually forgot, “this is the woman who has been managing my estate in my unfortunate absence.”
“You’re trying to tell us this is your accountant?” James grumbled.
“She’s also my lover,” Helmut relented.
“Obviously,” Sam replied, unamused.
“She’s beautiful, no?” Helmut prompted as he ran his fingertips higher up your thigh, only glancing at the other men as he focused mainly on nuzzling against your neck. 
“Yeah, the finest money can buy,” Sam quipped, earning a cold glare from you and your man.  
“Are you with me for my money, draga?” Helmut asked you quietly as he planted a gentle kiss to the spot right where your neck met your shoulder.  You smiled and shook your head, staring right at Sam’s nervous expression.
“No, sir,” you answered aloud, and the title clearly made both of the other men uncomfortable… if, perhaps, in different ways.
“Uncross your legs,” he demanded, though his tone was still soft, and you obeyed right away as he started to lightly move his touch between your thighs.
James began adjusting in his seat and never really stopped, tugging at his jeans in an obvious attempt to conceal the growing bulge between his legs, but you only laughed at his clear embarrassment.
“See how respectful she is?” he cooed his praise, addressing the other men but keeping his eyes on you.  “I know exactly the words to make her obey to my every whim… James, you and her share that quality.”
The man sneered as you suppressed a giggle, squirming in Helmut’s lap impatiently.
“She’s loyal, too, unendingly dedicated,” he continued.  “You know she visited me weekly in Munich, at the very least?  Always by my side… like any good pet.”
A whimper escaped your throat at that term, your gut burning with need as he balanced praise and degradation effortlessly.  You didn’t find it truly demeaning only because you loved being his plaything so much, and because you knew mutual respect was at the core of your relationship with him.  But, still, it was nice to feel small when he was there to keep you safe.
James watched with a small snarl and Helmut slipped his hand into your panties, and Sam licked his lips but shifted his stare to your face instead, just as your eyes started to roll back and your head fell weakly on Helmut’s shoulder.
“And such a precious little pussy as well,” he added darkly, giving you a spank between your legs to make you choke on a squeal.  “Sweet, delicate… much like a Turkish delight, but even more addictive.”
“Please, sir,” you whispered under your breath.
“You want more, don’t you?  Tako očajno…” he chuckled.  You nodded, already starting to soak through the lace and rock your hips.  “You want to be fucked, yes?”
“Yes,” you moaned.
“Be polite and take care of our guests first, draga,” he encouraged, kissing your neck one more time before releasing you from his embrace.
Although you were most interested in being with the man you loved, you were happy to obey whatever he wished— and, frankly, sinking to your knees on the jet’s carpeted floor to crawl towards James wasn’t exactly lacking in its own appeal.
James’ eyes narrowed as Sam’s widened, and you sat up between the spread, denim-clad thighs as you blinked up at him and licked your lips.
He tensed up slightly as your hands delicately slid up his legs, his Adam's apple bobbing with a dry swallow when you grabbed his belt buckle and began to open it.
“You… you don’t have to…” he mumbled, apparently too distracted to finish his sentence.
“Yes I do,” you denied.  “Because he told me to.”
Sam winced and looked away as you unzipped James’ fly and pulled his jeans and boxers down to expose his cock, already hard and leaking a bit from the tip.  You smiled proudly, but chose not to tease him for his eagerness and instead just get right to work; you gripped him at the base and gave a few kitten licks over his shaft, savoring the taste of his precum and looking up at his expression that was equal parts shocked and sultry.
You only spent a moment suckling on the head before skipping right ahead and deepthroating him all the way to base.
“Oh, fuck,” James choked, reaching up grab the seat behind his head as his back arched, making you want to smile though you thankfully kept it down.
“Well-trained, isn’t she?” Helmut interjected proudly.
“Y-yeah,” he answered, his other hand grabbing your shoulder tightly as you began to bob your head.
Occasionally, in your peripheral, you caught Sam looking, and it made you wiggle your hips with the desire to rub your throbbing clit against the floor.  
You got a chance to breathe whenever you pulled back to suck the head and stroke the rest with your hand, and in a few minutes you had already found all the little spots that made him moan the loudest, or made his legs quiver a bit by your sides.
“Stop,” Helmut instructed, and you were already starting to pull off when James hissed and grabbed your head to hold you down.
“N-no, please,” he blurted out.
“She’ll come back to you but Sam is looking rather lonely in the corner over there,” Helmut explained, and James hesitated but let you go.  You wiped your lips and started to move towards Sam, but he shook his head.
“I don’t roll like that, man,” Sam explained, “I don’t want her doing it just because you said so.”
“Darling, won’t you tell us how badly you want to service your new friends?” Helmut challenged, and you swallowed nervously because you were a bit embarrassed to say too much and potentially anger him.  But the sparkle in his eyes didn’t seem like he was leading you into a trap… even if the other two men were confident that was what it meant.  “You find them attractive, don’t you?”
“Um, yes, sir,” you answered hesitantly, “I… saw them, and I wanted to know what their cocks looked like.  And tasted like.”
Helmut smiled and leaned forward, giving you a spank of approval through your dress (which was riding up to show most of your butt anyways).
You looked at Sam expectantly.  “May I please suck your cock, Mr. Wilson?”
His eyes darkened and you knew you were on the right track.  “What happened to ‘sir’?” he asked coyly.
“I only call Helmut ‘sir,’” you explained, “but I could call you something else.”
His finger curled to encourage you to come closer and you crawled up to sit between his legs.
“Call me ‘daddy,’” he finally instructed, opening his belt and pants for you.
“Yes, daddy,” you nodded, keeping your mouth slack for him to push his cock into.  You hummed as the head slid over your tongue, looking up at him as he bit his lip and thrust back into your throat.
“Shit, that’s good,” he whispered, guiding your head at the speed he wanted.  “Who taught you how to suck cock so good, baby?”
Helmut raised his hand and James snorted.
Sam was a bit longer but he was still no challenge to swallow all the way down, and you heard him breathing through his teeth but let your eyes fall shut to focus on your work.
“Is this… how you treat all your guests?” Sam asked tensely between heavy breaths.
“Only those who are at the right place at the right time,” Helmut answered cryptically, but you happened to know this sort of occasion was incredibly rare.  Although it might seem counterintuitive to some, this was his way to re-stake his claim over you, and after so much time apart apparently he felt he had a lot to prove.  “Keep going, but don’t let him come,” another instruction echoed from behind you.  
You pulled back to stroke Sam’s length while you croaked: “yes, sir.”
Helmut had you go back and forth for a while, keeping both men on edge and occasionally allowing you to stroke one while you sucked the other, your own need growing so quickly as you dreamed to have something inside you, anything really.
Obviously, he knew exactly how much having a cock down your throat made you wet and desperate.  And he knew that such a taboo act of, in a certain sense, breaking fidelity with a man as he not only watched but commanded you to do it would get you right on the edge in no time.
He had gotten in your head so quickly after meeting you, memorized everything that made you tick, and not once had he forgotten.  
“I-I’m close,” James warned as you sucked his head, making you slide the tip of your tongue over his slit before you took a break to suck his swollen balls into your mouth.  “Fuck, can I come?”
“Not yet,” Helmut instructed sternly.
You felt him tug you back and into his lap suddenly, and he quickly yanked your dress down to expose your breasts to the men in front of you.
“Her tits are hard, no?” Helmut prompted them, and you watched them both nod as a warm hand reached around from behind you to tweak your hardened nipples.  “Yes, she really loves to get on her knees and choke on cock.  I’d let her do the same to me but I have greater plans for her…”
As if it weren’t obvious what those plans were, he pulled your skirt up to your waist as well, spreading your legs and pulling your flimsy panties aside.  
“Is she wet?” he asked the men and they nodded again.
“Drenched,” Sam chimed in.
Helmut gave another spank to your clit as you shuddered, then rubbing slowly as if to soothe the sting.  “I’ll teach you what happens when you get wet for another man, little girl,” Helmut growled against your ear, “not to mention two.  And they’re Americans, do you have no shame?”
“I’m sorry, sir,” you whispered.
“No, you have nothing to be sorry for,” he corrected.  “I love seeing you act like a whore all for me.”
You hadn’t even realized he’d taken his cock out of his trousers until you felt the thick tip of him prodding at your entrance.  It was already a lot just by itself, but then you had these strangers staring at you and for some reason it only turned you on more.
That ‘some’ reason of course being that you loved your Baron taking ownership over you for anyone to see.  Clearly, prison had given him much more creative ideas than just fucking on a balcony or against the glass of a window.  
“Are you ready for me?” he asked in a hushed voice against your skin which seemed to be burning hot all of a sudden.  
“Yes, sir,” you whispered.
It took a lot not to cry out as he pulled you down and filled you in one deep stroke, your nails digging into the leather of the chair’s armrests at either side.  But more than the sting of pain it felt so perfect, so fundamentally right, and just after your gasp of shock was a sigh of relief.
He sighed along with you and let his forehead fall between your shoulder blades, clearly a bit overwhelmed at being inside you again for the first time in so long.  “Draga...” he breathed, “not that I ever doubted… but you must have been faithful to me; you’re so tight, I know no one has touched you since I left.”
“Only you, sir, nobody but you,” you agreed breathlessly, eyes falling shut.  
He kissed your back as he started to move your body on top of his, the hands at your waist tightening and tugging on the remaining fabric of your dress.  “Tako dobro,” he hissed, “you feel so good, darling, you can’t imagine how long I spent dreaming of being inside you again.”
A tear rolled down your cheek, and it would be impossible to say for sure what caused it— a little bit of everything, really.  
Opening your eyes and noticing the way they were staring at you, you leaned forward and took each of the other men’s hard cocks in your hands, stroking in time with the way you bounced your hips on top of Helmut’s.
The both of them had been on the edge for a bit too long, Sam already biting his lip as James thrust himself up into your palm.
“Fuck, please,” James moaned, “I need to come in your mouth.”
“Come closer then,” you breathed, watching him stand up and bring his cock right to your lips which you eagerly gagged on, any pretense long gone as you sloppily sucked and stroked while Helmut thrust up to slam into you.
“Ohh, fuck, that’s it— gonna come,” he grunted as he reached up to press his hand against the ceiling of the jet, and it all must have hit him rather unexpectedly since the moment his musky taste began to coat your tongue, you heard a clanging sound and realized he had pushed up so hard that he bent the steel interior, his other hand tightening into a fist in your hair.
You moaned happily as you swallowed every drop, still sucking even as James’ moans became loud and higher in pitch.
“Fuck, don’t stop, oh god,” he whined, cock throbbing even after he stopped filling your throat with come.  You reached between his legs and squeezed his balls a bit and you could tell his knees nearly buckled, causing him to finally pull back and tilt your chin up to stare down at you.  “You’re somethin’ else,” he panted, taking a moment to catch his breath before falling back and slumping into his chair.
You looked over at Sam and saw his hand was still lazily guiding yours to stroke over his cock although come already painted his abs and dripped down from his swollen head over your fingers.  “Can I clean up your mess, please, daddy?” you asked, voice a bit hoarse though you couldn’t be sure if that was from the deepthroating or just how hard Helmut was fucking you now.
Pulling your hand back, Sam’s eyes followed as you lapped the thick, hot come from your hand, moaning openly at the taste.  You sucked your fingers down into your throat, not leaving a drop behind.
He leaned back in his chair and began to catch his breath, both of them now staring at you with that exhausted, glazed-over expression.  They looked satisfied, and you considered it your reward for a job well done.
"A belly full of come and a pussy full of my cock, you must be feeling ecstatic," Helmut presumed.
"Yes, sir," you agreed quickly.
All at once he began to fuck you faster, harder, deeper which you hadn't even realized was an option.  He growled a string of the filthiest curses in your ear, in Sokovian so the other men wouldn’t understand, with one hand wrapped around your neck as the other pinched your clit almost too roughly.  Even in your native language you could barely understand it: how could you when he was so deep inside you?
“Will you come, draga?” he finally asked, voice rough with his own desperation.
“Not until you let me, sir,” you moaned, and he chuckled a bit.
“Good girl.”
But wow, the way he rubbed your clit was impossible to ignore, like he was trying to make your promise impossible to keep.  You tightened your jaw, moaning through your teeth now as you fought to keep your orgasm at bay.  
“Please sir, I need to come, please— so close, I’m so close,” you mewled.
“I won’t be much longer, either,” he warned.  "Too long without you has taken its toll, I need to finish."
“Inside me, sir, please,” you begged, “come inside me.”
You felt him nod against the back of your neck.  “Come for me,” he instructed simply, and as obedient as ever, you felt your walls pulsing as pleasure overtook you.  Not even meaning to, you threw your head back, and he had to hold you tightly to keep you from shaking too violently as the waves of sensation washed over you.
The heat of him spilling inside you warmed you from the inside out, making you smile happily through the fog of your high and intentionally tighten your walls around him.  He hissed and throbbed within you, his fingers digging into your hips now as he held you down against him.
He gave a few more lazy thrusts until finally slowing to a stop, both of you catching your breath eventually.
"My... accountant will be keeping my cock warm for the remainder of the flight," Helmut informed the other men, "I hope you don't mind?
"No, no, go ahead," James approved as his head fell back against his chair.
It was still quite a ways to your final destination so it wasn't much of a surprise that you ended up falling asleep in the Baron's arms, something you used to do every night that had been only a dream for years.  Perhaps this afternoon wasn't the reunion you expected, but it was somehow even more perfect than you could've ever wished for.
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dobrodošla nazad, ljubavi = добродошла назад, љубави = “welcome home, love”
lutka = лутка = “doll”
draga = драга = “dear/beloved”
tako očajno = тако очајно = "so desperate"
tako dobro = тако добро = "so good"
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amjustagirl · 3 years
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Hogwarts AU (Haikyuu!!)
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Previously: Miya Atsumu. Miya Osamu. Kita Shinsuke. Kuroo Tetsuro. Tsukkishima Kei.  Bokuto Koutaro
Masterlist link
Wordcount: 2.5k
Warnings: Tooth-rotting fluff
Genre / Pairings: Fluff, Hogwarts AU, Sakusa / Reader
Summary: You’re invited to Kiyoko’s seventeenth birthday party, which turns out to be a ball for the glittering elite of the magical world, where you meet one very surly, very sulky Sakusa Kiyoomi.
A/N: Comments as always, are much welcomed. Feel free to shout at me anytime!
Requests closed for the time being!
Though if you toss a suggestion my way that I like, I may...reconsider ;)
Requested by Yeon baobei @moondaius​ I hope you like it, darling <3
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You feel out of place in this party filled with the glittering elite of magical society. Your sleeves do not quite reach down to your wrists, and the ruffles on the neckline of your dress robes are a little limp, but you’ve had to make do with the rejected pile of clothes from your more affluent cousins. It’s not often you get invited to formal dinner parties anyway. Your home is a tiny attic flat on the cross junction between Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley, and your mother is just a humble cleaning lady, so this soiree is just an exception - your classmate Kiyoko being exceptionally kind and inviting you to her seventeenth birthday party. 
“Look! Isn’t that Sakusa Kiyoomi? Isn’t he handsome?” You can hear the girls around you sigh dreamily to their friends as said boy enters the ballroom with his cousin Komori in tow. 
The Ravenclaw seeker elicits this sort of reaction even in school - or especially in school, but you’ve never joined his legion of fans, his overall grumpiness acting as a deterrent to you ever speaking to him despite sharing multiple classes together. Still, he is handsome, you admit to yourself. Towering over most of the party guests, Sakusa Kiyoomi has artfully tousled black curls, cheekbones sharp enough to cut glass and the most adorable pair of moles above his right eyebrow. 
“Komori!” You wave, grinning with affection as the affable Ravenclaw keeper bounds over towards you like an overgrown puppy. 
“It’s so nice to see you here!” He greets you with his usual cheer. “These parties can be a drag if you don’t know anyone.”
“It is a little overwhelming”, you admit, side-eyeing the chandeliers hanging from the arched ceiling, dripping in crystals and wrought with gold. You’re sure that if you managed to sneak just one chandelier in your pocket, it’d be enough to feed you and your mother for an entire year. 
“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you have fun tonight!” Komori promises with a chuckle. Then he snaps his head back, realising he’s left his cousin stranded in a crowd of fawning women - a fate that Sakusa Kiyoomi obviously deems worse than death judging from the way he glowers down at his shoes as if they’ve offended him in some way. 
“You better rescue him”, you add, internally amused as Yuna-san from Slytherin slides her talons up Sakusa’s arms. “Five minutes in, and he already seems like a damsel in distress.”
Komori answers you with a lopsided grin as he swims through the crowd to reach his cousin drowning in his worst nightmare. You snort to yourself, helping yourself to a generous amount of punch, watching as Komori manages to extract Sakusa while charming the ladies into not sulking too much at the loss of their prey. Sakusa promptly disappears once he’s free from the quicksand of social interaction, while Komori himself gets claimed for the first dance of the night. 
You have fun too - well, somewhat. You stand along the sides of the ballroom like an overgrown wallflower, watching as your peers in brightly coloured dresses get asked for dances while you’re passed over with a glance at your ill-fitting dress. But Komori does swing by and dances a foxtrot with you - both of you trip over the other at one point, causing a small commotion in the corner of the ballroom, but it’s all in good fun. Even Kiyoko takes the time to pop by and say hi, even though she’s swamped with well-wishers and familial obligations.  
You don’t regret coming to the party at all. 
“Omi, be social for once.” It’s only because your ears are sharp that you overhear Komori urge his cousin out from his hiding spot behind the dessert table. “You’ve been hiding from everyone the entire night, and you haven’t even danced once!” 
“I don’t like people.” Sakusa grounds out through clenched teeth. “And I don’t dance”. 
“Don’t be a grump. There are perfectly nice people here - look, I have a friend here who’d be perfect for a dance”. 
You look up, meeting his eyes as he grins apologetically at you. You’re about to mouth ‘hell no’ at the irrepressible Komori, but Sakusa beats you to it in his characteristically blunt fashion. 
“She’s tolerable enough I suppose, but I’m not inclined to be a knight in shining armour and dance with someone just because no one else will”. 
Your eyebrows shoot up to your hairline. 
Komori looks like he’s about to push Sakusa into the birthday cake, but thinks the better of it. “Omi”, he hisses in warning. 
Sakusa glances up, guilt flooding his eyes when he meets your gaze, but you don’t give him a chance to redeem himself, flouncing away in a swirl of faded satin. You brazenly seek out dance partners for yourself - Kuroo from Slytherin might seem smarmy, but he smirks at you in recognition and twirls you around in a merry square dance and Akaashi from Ravenclaw looks like he’d much rather bury his nose in a book but he’s gentlemanly enough to let you take his hand for a stately waltz. 
You’re in the middle of another waltz, this time with sunny Bokuto from Hufflepuff when you spot Sakusa squirming from the corner of your eye. Yuna (Slytherin, seventh year, pureblooded of course) has him cornered, back against the wall, and there’s no Komori in sight to save him – nor anyone really, almost everyone else is enjoying themselves on the dance floor. 
You sigh inwardly. Sakusa might be cold and cranky but even he deserves to be rescued from Yuna’s clutches, so you maneuver Bokuto towards in their direction. Bokuto, to his credit, catches on immediately, and with a spark of mischief in his eyes, he grabs a glass of punch and tips it over both Sakusa and Yuna. 
“You idiot!?!” Yuna shrieks, horrified as the bright red liquid stains the front of her robes. “These robes were specially tailored for me in Paris you know?”
You didn’t know that, and frankly – you couldn’t care less about the cost of her fancy robes, and with a murmured – I’ll help Sakusa clean up, you grab said boy by his sleeve and manhandle him out of the ballroom. Thankfully she’s so distracted that she doesn’t pick up on the fact that you’re both seventh years now, so there’s really no need for you to rush to the washroom since it’s completely legal for you to be using magic to clean Sakusa up. You leave Bokuto in your wake to deal with an irate Yuna, but he’s grinning nonetheless, telling her that his cleaning charms are awesome, does she want him to try fixing her dress? Akaashi and Kuroo join the commotion, and in the diversion they cause, no one notices your escape.
You tug him down a deserted hallway, relinquishing your grip on him only when you find an appropriate hiding place – an open air balcony, where no one is likely to stumble on you. ‘Turgeo’, you whisper, whipping out your wand, nodding in satisfaction as the charm siphons punch off Sakusa’s robes. 
“You can catch your breath here for a bit”, you tell him, hopping up to take a precarious seat on the balcony railing. His brows pinch together, and you watch, bemused as he tries to make sense of what just transpired.
“Tha-“ 
Taking pity on him, you interrupt him. “You don’t have to thank me. I came to your rescue cos you’re tolerable, even though you’re always grumpy. Plus, I’m a Gryffindor, so being a knight in shining armour comes naturally to me”. 
Your amusement grows as he splutters at having his ill mannered words quoted back at him, embarrassment burning into his cheeks. It’s fun to throw calm, collected Sakusa Kiyoomi off balance sometimes, you think – and perhaps given his privileged, pureblood background, he probably needs it every once in a while. But then you’re surprised when he gathers himself and inclines his head ever so slightly. 
“That was…inexcusable of me to speak of you that way. I apologise.” 
 “It’s fine”, you reply easily, but he doesn’t allow you to shrug his apology off. 
“It’s not. I was rude and unkind.” 
This is the most you’ve ever heard Sakusa Kiyoomi say, and you want to capitalise on it. 
“I know how you can remedy that”, you interject with a smile. 
He quirks his eyebrows in confusion, watching you warily. You’re tempted to drag out the suspense to watch him squirm, but you don’t want to torture the poor boy any further. 
“You can pay me back by giving me the dance you so cruelly refused me”, you tell him, jumping down onto your feet. Then with the most unladylike laugh, you sweep into an exaggerated bow, holding your hand out to him - 
“My good sir, if you please?” 
He stares down at your proffered hand. “Here? Now?” 
“You have another time in mind?” You ask sarcastically, back still bent in a bow. “Come on, your mother probably brought you up better than this, don’t keep a girl waiting forever.”
“Fine, fine”, he mumbles. So as the string orchestra in the ballroom strikes up another tune yet again, he takes your hand, and wrapping his arm around your waist, he leads you in a waltz. 
Step step twirl. 
One two three. 
Step step twirl. 
He’s the ideal dance partner, expertly steering you through the one-two-three of the melody, never once making a misstep – though he does wince when you tread on his toes once too many times. 
“You’re surprisingly good at dancing, for a misanthrope”, you comment.
“My mother made me learn”, he replies, ignoring the hidden barb in your remark. “It’s a waste of time, but I guess now that I keep getting invites for balls, it’s useful knowledge so I don’t make a fool of myself when I get forced to dance.”
“Like now?” You chuckle self-deprecatingly. 
He doesn’t reply for a few beats and you assume the conversation is over when he replies – 
“Not like now. It - this is nice.” 
It’s summer, and while the cool night still nips at your skin, warmth inexplicably suffuses your cheeks. You thought you were just having a laugh, it’s only now that you realise that the situation you’ve put yourself in with Sakusa is practically lifted out of a fairytale – a boy and a girl, hiding in a balcony, waltzing under the stars? The only thing missing is maybe a shooting star falling from the skies, or a lost glass slipper or two. 
Your train of thought is interrupted when the song ends, and he surprises you yet again when he does not drop your hand. 
“Would my lady wish to dance with me again”, he asks, though there’s a glimmer of playfulness in his eyes that belies his formal tone. 
You ignore every fiber of your being screaming at you that dancing with him again is going to be terrible for your heart, dropping into a low curtsy. 
“Why, I thought you’d never ask”, you simper in a poor imitation of Yuna and her toadies, and he only snorts, sweeping you into his arms, intent on dancing the night away. 
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“The two of you have been gone the entire night”, Komori comments, a faint accusatory tone colouring his words. “I was about to organise a search party.”
“I was just helping Sakusa clean up after a mishap with a glass of punch”, you reply, though your lie is punctured by the wince you give when your shoes pinch your feet – a sign that you’ve danced far, far too much on this magical night. 
“Is that so?” Komori directs his question to his stoic cousin. 
Sakusa doesn’t even bother to reply, palm warm against the small of your back as he ushers you off to his flying carriage, intent on sending you safely home. 
Your mother’s jaw drops when she wakes up to Sakusa’s carriage thunder down your street, a fleet of winged white horses dragging an enchanted golden carriage. You feel like Cinderella as he escorts you to the front door, pressing a courtly kiss to the back of your hand when he wishes you goodnight. That is, if Cinderella snagged her Prince Charming on the first night they met -  by accident, no less. 
Your jaw drops when you wake up the next morning to a delivery from an imperial looking snow owl, and when you tear open the parcel, your hands shake so much you have to sit down. That ridiculous boy sent you dress robes of pearl white tulle, along with an invitation to his seventeenth birthday party, to be held in two weeks. 
And the most staggering of all – the parcel also includes your dance card, Sakusa’s name neatly written in it to claim ayour dances for the night. 
Every single dance of the night. 
“Impertinent fellow”, you mutter to yourself, though you can’t help but fall back onto your bed, giggling like a loon. 
Sakusa Kiyoomi is an enigma, a boy shielding his true self from the world by cocooning himself in layers of unfriendliness and grumpiness. But in the short amount of time you’ve spent with him, you’ve discovered that he isn’t as cold or unfeeling as he makes himself out to be. You unearthed his sharp sense of humour when he started dropping barbs about preening party guests, telling you the dirty secrets of each pureblooded family gathered here tonight. 
“She did what?” you gasped. “No way.”
‘Believe it”, he smirked. “She later tried marrying her daughter off to me, but my parents refused”. 
And over the course of the night, you start to see shades of his softer side. He surprised you when he apologised over and over again for not dancing with you the first time, saying he hadn’t realised that you were being overlooked because almost everyone in attendance were snobs. 
“It’s the dress”, you told him cheekily, tugging at the cheap fabric. “Otherwise everyone around here would be falling for my sparkling personality”. 
He couldn’t help but snort at that. 
Then he started to tell you about himself. You learn that he wants to go pro not because he has a burning passion for Quidditch, but rather because it’s something he’s put so much effort into that he might as well continue doing it into adulthood. You learn that despite his complaints about the Ravenclaw team - seemingly sweet Suga and the troublesome beaters Makki and Mattsun in particular driving him insane with their relentless ribbing and puns and jokes, he’s grown fond of them. 
He’s funny and witty and sentimental and smart. You truly enjoyed his company last night. 
You can’t wait to see him again. 
Neither can Sakusa, so it seems. He’s on your doorstep before noon, a bouquet of roses and a bashful expression on his face. 
“A gentleman caller”, you pretend to swoon as you open the door. “Happy day!” 
“I hope I’m the only one”, he retorts, all shyness evaporating immediately, a glint of amusement in his dark eyes. 
“So far you are”, you tease, nose buried in rosebuds. “Fair warning before you sweep me off my feet though - I’m not going to be one of your typical, pureblooded heiresses who’ll titter at every word you say, just cos you’re Sakusa Kiyoomi”. 
He actually chuckles at that. “I’m counting on that”, he says, taking your hand. 
You both share a shy smile.  
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Can you make headcanon with Demons Brothers ( Obey me ) who finds out about reader was abused ? Sorry for my english, it's not my first languague.
Well, I don’t know what’s like to be physically abused by your family, but I’ve been through my fair share of abuse in a relationship, so I can understand where you come from here.
For anyone who sees this post and needs comfort after any kind of dark thing that happened to you, including abuse of any kind - Yes, even the types that happen in relationships - You get what I mean - I will write for that.
I had BNHA blogs who wrote comfort pieces for me and it helped to make me feel better, and if I can help anyone feel better with themselves after this like that, then I’m happy x
Also, I don’t write for so many characters in one post anymore, it’s honestly draining and I can’t bring myself to write like that anymore, so I will just write for Lucifer, Mammon and Satan x
- - - - -
Lucifer
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Out of everyone, Lucifer is the only one who can keep his composure, albeit barely so.
He is a demon, he knows all humans sin, but unlike demons, humans are supposed to be both good and evil, so what the hell possessed those idiots to behave so terribly with a pure angel such as yourself?
He just couldn’t comprehend why the hell humans are capable of such atrocities, when not even demons behave this way.
Ahh, the anger he’s feeling, not even Satan, in his worst phase, could understand - It was a monumental, infinite, incomprehensible kind of rage that burnt his heart so badly.
Despite everything he was feeling as you told him everything that happened, he merely bit his lip to contain himself, and hugged you tightly, letting you cry in his arms, as he stroked your hair, knowing that it can calm down a human - Or at least some sort of sense of protection and warmth.
He would tell you how you were so incredibly brave for managing to tell someone about the horrible, while also, you are so strong for being able to live with this for so long, and bear with the consequences of abuse.
But you managed to break through, somehow, and you were amazing - In his eyes, you were the strongest human alive.
Lucifer knows how horrible emotional pain is, and he would much rather feel physical one, than the other type, because he knows he won’t break that way.
But seeing you so fragile, small and broken in his arms ultimately shattered his heart, and he swore to get revenge in the worst way possible on your abusers.
He knows revenge solves nothing, but at least he’ll get some satisfaction, and somehow, knowing that the people who did bad things to you are there no more, may make you feel just a bit safer.
Despite being one of the most sensible brothers, he will still search to do more and more human psychology research, and with your help and insight, will try to help you recover, even a tiny bit, and will be there every step of the way as you are healing, never letting go of your hand.
- - -
Mammon
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Okay, lemme tell you straight -
While Mammon is the most in-touch with his emotional side, he will suffer the most hearing that you, his most beloved person alive, had to go through such terrible things in your life.
You were just a small, frail human, you barely lived, compared to him, so why did you have to go through such trauma?!
He would outright cry, like anime waterfalls, and would cling on you, rocking with you back and forth, but he wasn’t sure if he was trying to comfort you, or himself, at that point, since he was hurting so much.
His brain would stop for a little while, and he would remember all the shit he got from Maddi, and sometimes, even the bad things that he accepts from his brothers, as a way to keep them happy, but ultimately, he would manage to get to the point where he tries to find ways to ease your soul of your burdens and traumas.
He will be even clingier than before, will spoil you even more, will make sure NOBODY yells around you, does moves too abruptly to scare you off, and basically, will thread carefully every step of the way to prevent anything from being a potential trigger.
Will literally kill Asmo if he tries to hug you without consent, or if he tries to flirt or make advances towards you, and while he won’t say why, he’ll just throw Asmo away and drag you away, to a safer place - Unless you reassure him that his younger brother isn’t a trigger or a threat in your eyes.
Poor Mammon will be a bit paranoid and will go overboard with a lot of things, threating you like a frail snowdrop, and it isn’t until you tell him that you won’t break from little things like this, that he can afford to take it a bit easier than before.
But don’t forget that he will even yell and fight Lucifer if he dares get mad at you for whatever reason, or use his demon form or powers around you.
And the same goes for the Avatar of Wrath, or Gluttony, when he’s dangerously hungry.
Also, he will kill Belphie if he attempts to kill you.
- - -
Satan
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Satan.exe stopped working.
I mean, how is he supposed to react anyway?
His most precious person tells him that they have been mistreat, and he’s supposed to stay...Calm?
That’s impossible.
He will literally get up and leave without a word, will leash out his rage in a place where you couldn’t possible go, and when he’s finally done, will return to you as if nothing happened, albeit, with the necessary apologies for leaving like that, and returning with a lot of sweets, comfort food, flowers and anything that he knows you love and would bring a smile on your face.
Despite how much he reads, he only knows things in theory, and needs your guidance to apply things practically because, as he knows very well, every person is different, and different things work for different people.
With you, and around you, he will be the calmest specimen possible known to this realm, and the others, because he knows his rage could be a horrible trigger for you, and the last thing he wants is for you to be afraid of him, or, Heaven forbid, cry because of his mistakes.
Satan will make sure to check on you at all times, either f2f or via texts, and when you’re going out somewhere, or just chilling together, he will hold your wrist.
He will say he thinks you have very cute and delicate hands, but really, he subtly checks for your pulse to see if you have any anxiety spikes or anything that would be proof that something is bothering you in any way, shape or form.
As everyone knows, Satan is very attentive about literally everything, and incredibly detail-oriented, so he will over-analyse anything and come up with his own conclusions, and once he’s used to understanding your behaviour, he will automatically go and solve anything in your place, and it will shock you, ‘cause he’s so on point?? How did he even guess??
He won’t treat you any differently, considering that he’s always been sweet and polite with you, but will definitely criticise his brothers or other strangers if they behave in a way that may be triggering...Or hell, maybe annoying, ‘cause it gives him a motive to get away from nuisances who won’t stop talking.
Apart from his inferiority complex, he never received any kind of abuse, so he isn’t familiar with the feeling, nor can he claim to fully comprehend or sympathise with what you’re going through, however, he understands logically, and knowing how much it hurts you even know, and how it still affects you long-term, he is aware that he is unable to let you brave this storm alone.
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soft-angelic-kiss · 3 years
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We’re all  a little bit crazy (5)
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therapsit! Izuku x Patient! Bakugou x Patient! Todoroki x Patient! Shinsou x Patient! Reader
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Chapter 5 trigger warnings- Y/N gets into a small fight, mentions of taking pills, the use of the word psycho and mentions of suicide// lemme know if i missed anything
if that makes you uncomfy don’t read!
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chapter one here    
 chapter two here  
chapter three here 
chapter four here
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He woke up again on a plush bed after sleeping comfortably, his cheek slightly bruised and a dull pain running through it, he placed his hand on it and nothing felt swollen which was a very good sign. He let out a sigh and moved up to his elbows so he could look around. 
It was different from all the other rooms he’d been in, It had more color, drawings all the walls.. Comfort stuffed animals they sometimes give you at the hospital even bigger stuffed animals.. The room was comfortable.. 
He finally looked next to him and on the floor was Y/N, who was listening to music occasionally flinching from the headphones as she colored in a little book. He didn’t wanna disrupt the girl, so he sat up and carefully grabbed his clipboard looking for her file… 
 F I L E   4
(Patient Name) Y/N Yagi  (Patient #437)
 (Date admitted) 8-3-2009
 (Patient age) 19
 (Patient disorder)  Anxiety, Severe Depression, Sensory Overloading issues, and short temper, but never escalates, ADHD, PTSD, Anorexia, self harm and suicidal thoughts
(History/cause)  When she was 4 her family home went up in flames causing the death of her father (Okorashi) and older brother (Ekai) Which gave her an extreme fear of explosions and loud noises. From the ages of 4-7 her mother became an addict and an alcoholic. She took up abusive habits that left a few horrific scars on her body. When she was 7 her mother finally passed from an overdose that caused her uncle to have to take her in, He’s a kind man and treats her kindly, He sent them here in hopes of making her better, and more ready to come home. He visits often.
(Has patient...)
-attempted suicide?
-attempted homicide?
-attempted any act of self-harm?
-attempted violence on past employees?
-attempted escape?
 (Other). If she gets sensory overwhelmed she tends to scream, hot, kick and cry. They find comfort in the other patients, Bakugou, Todoroki, Shinsou and the boys downstairs. She tends to stick her nails into the skin of whoever grabs her, she needs to be sedated if she has a breakdown. 
(Danger level) 9/10
Izuku raised an eyebrow, the description of the person sitting down in front of him.He felt like it didn’t match her at all. He decided to take a gentle approach to greeting Y/N to make sure she didn’t have an “episode” as the paper put it. 
He gently swung his feet over the side and crouched down hoping to get into her sightline. He crawled to sit in front of her placing his hands on the floor in front of her coloring book. 
Y/N looked up, slightly startled but then took her headphones off, the change causing her head to spasm backwards before resuming her normal position. “Hi!” They smiled, placing her hands on the coloring book in front of Izuku’s. “Hi, Y/N right?” He spoke calmly, not wanting to put off the human infront of him. “Yeah! And you are...Izuku? Midoryia?” She tilted her head curiously and smiled, pumping a fist into the air when Midoryia nodded a smile being brought to his own lips. He was absolutely hooked by Y/N. Their backstory, their personality, they were such an interesting person and he couldn’t wait to learn more. 
“Yeah. You got it right, good job.” he chuckled when her cheeks turned pink with embarrassment from his praise. Izuku chuckled again and leaned forward slightly and watched as Y/N leaned back. 
Izuku shook his hands carefully and leaned back “Is this more comfortable?” Y/N nodded and smiled softly leaning forward again to resume coloring. Izuku smiled and decided to just watch her for a few moments.
The two hung out not moving position for at least half an hour, until Y/N looked towards the door and started cowering when the door opened and the men in white stood there with a medical tray full of many medical instruments he'd never seen before. 
Y/N jumped to their feet and tried to hide behind Izuku as one of them said “Y/N, Please I don’t want to have to repeat what happened yesterday.” He went to reach for her but she smacked his hand and continued standing behind Midoryia who was eyeing the men with a suspicious look. 
The blonde one who had spoke already finally went to grab them only to have his hands smacked away, but instead of a hand, he felt a clipboard against his wrist as he cried out “what THE-” the man went to hit Izuku but the greenette had blocked his second hit as well 
“She’s scared. I’m going to have to ask you to leave because you are not helping.” Izuku’s tone held dominance and authority as the man scoffed “Oh really?-” His words were cut short as Y/N lept towards him and started hitting him. 
she had gotten a few punches in before Izuku had interfered and pulled her back and away from him holding them, they cling to him. “She’s just psycho-” he started again but was cut off by Midoryia straight up shoving him out of the door 
Midoryia had shut the door and looked at the medical supplies and then at Y/N who was back on their bed. Midoryia hummed softly looking at them with a soft but concerned gazed “Are you alright?” They nodded timidly “U-um.. yeah, i think..” 
They kept eyeing the cart and rubbing their arms. Izuku was angry beyond belief but kept his cool for Y/N. “Do you know what these are?” he asked as he walked over to the cart. Y/N nodded “Those are what the use to sedate me and give me my medications..” Izuku nodded and looked at the cart, it had 4 different pills, a tiny box of apple juice and a needle filled with a liquid. He picked up the needle and watched Y/N flinch back 
Izuku shook his head “No, no.. i’m gonna dispose of it, not use it okay?” He went and wrapped it up throwing it in the hazard trash can in the bathroom coming back out looking at the cart. 
“Okay, do you have an order you need to take them in or can you just take them one at a time?” 
Y/N looked confused as they stood up walking to Izuku and the cart “I c-can just take them.. why are you helping? aren’t you supposed to..” 
Izuku shook his head “So far all of you have said that… No, i’m not supposed to be mean, i’m supposed to help you get better so can you take..” he handed Y/N two of the four pills and handed her the apple juice “these and then the other ones?” he smiled
Y/N nodded and took the two and then waited 30 seconds before taking the other two. Izuku nodded and smiled “Thank you.. Now I believe” He stopped and checked his watch “It’s almost dinner time, If you want you can go head down to the cafeteria?” He smiled at her
Y/N thought for a moment “Will you come eat with me?” She tapped her foot on the ground and looked away as Izuku chuckled
 “It’s not my dinner break,” Y/N had frowned and got ready to ask again.
“but I’ll still come sit with you?” Izuku smiled when Y/N’s face lit up 
Y/N gave a big smile and nodded “Okay!” they had opened the door and ran out with an excited yell of “KATSU! TODO! SHIN!” as she catapulted herself into the boys arms as they hugged her back. 
“Why don’t you go to the cafeteria and We’ll be right behind you okay?” Shinsou spoke caring and calmly and all three boys had a quirk of a smile as she smiled and ran off down the halls “GOT IT!” you could hear their laughter as they went down the stairs with a much kinder doctor.
As Izuku walked out of the door locking it behind him he was quickly met with the three faces he’s seen previously looking at him with glares. He gulped before speaking in a meek voice “Y-yes?” Bakugou raised an eyebrow and scoffed before nodding at him “Not a bad idiot.” and the other two nodding in agreement before the bell above them rang for dinner.
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tag list~  @buckyneedsplums @lazywriterfullofideas09 @notchittatenn @physco-101
for some reason it might not let me tag you also if I forgot you just lemme know!
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a/n: I’m so sorry for getting this out so late! I’ve been very busy recently and I’ve been preparing for BIG things in my personal life so chapters may be extremely short or non existent. I also didn’t plan to have so many supporters for this series so i didn’t really have a clue what to do with the story. I still don’t. I have one more chapter ready in my head but after that I’m not sure where this series will go. Anyways, as usual I hope you enjoyed and please feel free to reblog, like or say something in my inbox! I’m open to writing one shots if you guys are interested, I was thinking about writing one shots instead of continuing with actual chapters after chapter 6 
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mel-the-fangirl · 3 years
Text
Toss A Coin to Your Witcher
Henry Cavill x Reader
Words: 2,362
I am so so so nervous to post this because this is my first time writing a Henry fic and I know that the Henry Cavill fandom is such a tightknit family, I hope you guys have room for one more hopeless Henry stan. I know this isn’t even half as good as the other Henry fics out there but I had this idea stuck in my head for a very long time.
Please like and reblog or leave me some replies if I should do a second part! Thank you!
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The makeup brush swept precisely along your cheekbone, covering it in a subtle shimmer. Production staff milled around behind you, testing sound, testing lights. Being an actor, these things were nothing new. 
"Now remember, say it with me," 
"Don't say or do anything stupid." you recited with your long time agent and friend, Marge.
You thanked the makeup artist and made your way to the set. 
"When have I ever said or done anything stupid though?" you asked
Marge looked at you appraisingly before replying, 
"There's always a time for everything. Now go on." 
The vibe on set dialled to a hundred when you stepped on. It was really flattering how they cheered as you plonked your butt down on the wooden chair, a red tarp was set up behind you and the studio lights surrounded the area.
"Ready when you are Y/N!" the producer aka the ring leader of this whole operation flashed you a thumbs up
You nodded, feeling the nervousness bubble up your throat. 
Surprise, surprise. You still got nervous in front of the camera. It wasn't hard to handle though, you took a couple of deep breaths and you were good to go. 
"Hey guys, gals, and non-binary pals! I'm Y/N Y/L/N. I'm here with Buzzfeed and we're gonna be playing Twenty Questions." you winked at the camera with your arms wrapped around the little jar that had your questions in it
 "Let's get started, shall we?" 
Eager to begin, you stuck your hand into the jar without a second thought. 
"I freaking love Buzzfeed, really. Especially Tasty, I mean, I don't cook. But," you shrugged, wiggling your fingers, hearing the tiny bits of folded paper move around in the jar. "I love watching people cook. Then I love eating."
Scattered chuckles broke out through the crew. 
After a few minutes of rustling around, you figured you’d just come clean, "Okay. Small problem." 
You lifted your hand, the jar coming along with it. The pieces of folded paper crowding around your encased wrist as you waved your arm. 
Another round of shocked giggles started up as a couple of assistants rushed to you and tried to yank the jar off. 
"This is too good," the producer chortled, "Mind if we keep this in?"
"Fine by me!" you watched intently as Marge rolled up your sleeve so one assistant could pour oil all over it. Eagle eyed, she watched as a drop of oil landed on the bottom hem of your sweater.
"Great job, Y/N. This sweater was a gift from that designer you met last week, he said he made it just for you." she scolded, taking charge by grabbing the jar with two hands
"It was an accident, Marge. It's not like I planned on getting my hand stuck in a jar today!"
With a tug and a pop, your hand was free and slick with olive oil. Marge landed on her butt on the floor.
"Marge!" you howled with laughter, helping her up
She straightened her blouse, all business but her cheeks were stained red with embarrassment. 
"Can someone help Y/N wash the oil off her hands? Let's get this show on the road, people!" she barked marching orders at the staff, clapping her hands as she went. She wasn't in charge here but no one dared to question her. 
You chuckled, knowing that this was a cute little anecdote you’d be sharing with anyone who was willing to listen.
A few minutes later, you were back in your chair, having a laugh with everyone. The jar incident already stripped away the majority of your anxiety so you were ready to go.
"Okay! First question!" you squinted at the strip of paper, "What is the most expensive thing you’ve stolen from any set you’ve been on?" 
“Well!” you widened your eyes at the camera, “Bold of you all to assume that I’ve ever stolen anything!”
Marge scoffed rather audibly, making everyone raise their eyebrows at you.
“Okay, fine!” you held up your hand. The stunning ring you had on sparkled underneath the lights, nearly blinding anyone who looked.
“I did a period movie a while back and they had these drop dead gorgeous, and I mean gorgeous pieces of jewelry. I wore this piece,” you gazed down at the ring fondly, “for the whole of the film and I just pinched it after we wrapped, I couldn’t part with it, okay? I’m like a fricking magpie, I love shiny things.”
The crew burst into fits of laughter, making you laugh along with them.
“To clarify! This is the replica the props department had made, a very expensive replica. I can see you freaking out, Marge. And no, you don’t have to call the insurance company.”
You were a big hit, to say the least. You had them in stitches every time you opened your mouth but all good things had to come to an end, right?
It didn’t matter how carefully you dipped your hand into the question jar, this next one was going to make things very messy for you. 
"What do you like to do in your free time?" you read out loud, tapping a finger against your chin
"There hasn't been much free time lately,” you chuckled, “Let’s see… I play video games, yeah. I am so obsessed with the Witcher, it's borderline unhealthy. I’ve read all the books and played the games so many times." 
"What do you think of Henry Cavill as Geralt?" the producer asked you
Henry Cavill.
Just hearing that man's name was enough to make the blood rush to your cheeks. You brushed an imaginary hair out of your face. From behind the camera, Marge raised a knowing brow.
"Well," you cleared your throat and sat up straighter
"To be honest, at first I was really skeptical about his casting. I mean, he is way too good looking. Like way. Way. Too good looking. But…"
"But?"
Your mind drifted to the first time you saw a picture of Henry Cavill in full costume. The white hair, the golden cat eyes, the intense gaze and all that leather? It definitely made you feel… Certain things.
You cleared your throat, propping yourself on the table with your arms. To be honest, your head was still in a Henry Cavill haze so you had zero control of what came out of your mouth next.
"I'd definitely toss all my coins to that Witcher. Toss a few other things as well."
Everyone in the room ooh'ed and whistled, delighted by your saucy reply. The ruckus snapped you out of it and your hand immediately flew to your mouth.
“Please tell me I didn’t just say that out loud.”
“You did.” Marge mouthed at you, trying but failing to contain her laughter
"So you enjoyed his performance as Geralt?" the producer pressed on, hoping to get more audience-raking answers
How many times were you going to blush during this interview?
"Oh, well, about that, I haven't really gotten around to actually watching it.” you admitted sheepishly, “But I've seen photos and some clips. Very impressed by what I've seen so far."
"You will watch it though, right?" 
"Oh, absolutely. No way I’d miss out on that! Henry Cavill is an incredibly wonderful, talented actor. I think he’s also a fan of the franchise so I have no doubt that he played Geralt to perfection as with all his other roles." you nodded solemnly, putting a hand to your heart
Everyone in the room with you caught on that you were gushing over the actor, the sly looks they all exchanged with one another were a dead giveaway. Too bad you didn’t notice before you could try and play it cool.
“Alright! I think it’s time for the next question!” you declared, swiftly plucking another question out of the jar
By the time it was all over, you had convinced yourself that your little crush-related blunder wasn’t even a big deal, it would probably just be a little footnote in that video. No biggie.
But, Jesus Christ were you wrong.
The video took a couple of weeks to edit and in that time, you were busier than ever. A movie you had just done was getting a lot of attention, your performance in particular had critics singing your praises. At that point, you were definitely getting noticed a lot more when you stepped out for coffee.
So, the timing was just perfect.
The second the video went live, your phone was going off non stop. Twitter mentions, Instagram tags, and articles. A few notable entries being:
“WATCH: RISING STAR Y/N Y/L/N GUSHES ABOUT HENRY CAVILL IN CHARMING BUZZFEED VIDEO”
“@geraskier-rights: Y/N Y/L/N REALLY SAID SHE’D TOSS ALL HER COINS TO HENRY CAVILL’S GERALT AND WE ALL KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS”
“@geralt-of-vengerberg: Y/N The Fond™ is showing👀👀👀”
Marge sat on your sofa with your phone in hand, absolutely thrilled while reading tweets out loud. You scheduled a panic session with her over lunch once everything blew up.
“Oh my God.” you groaned, massaging your temples. “Marge, what do I do?”
“About what?” she didn’t even bother to look up at you
You plopped yourself down next to her, laying your head in her lap, “All that. It’s everywhere.”
“And? There’s nothing wrong with it, they all think you’re charming and funny. A true Relatable Queen.”
Was it your sanity slipping through your fingers? Or the overpowering embarrassment? You had no idea but whatever it was, it had you laughing until your stomach hurt.
Marge tugged at your hair, “Get it together, bitch. Jeez.”
“What are you so worried about anyway?” she asked, placing your phone on your stomach
You swiped through your emails absentmindedly, “I’m not worried about anything, it’s just that what if…”
You left the words hanging in the air, you might as well have been dangling from a cliff from how much colour drained from your face.
“What if what?” 
Marge shoveled some pasta into her mouth before noticing that you essentially turned into a statue right next to her.
“Y/N!” she shook your arm with a grip you were sure would leave some bruises. “What’s the matter?”
Wordlessly, you passed your phone to her, the comment from a certain verified account displayed prominently on Buzzfeed’s Instagram post of a little snippet from your video, the “I’d toss all my coins to that Witcher” part, naturally.
“@henrycavill: Dear Y/N, how many coins are we talking about here? Let’s talk about my reward.”
It was all Marge could do to not throw your phone across the room. Her eyes went wide, following your every move as you paced back and forth, a thumbnail in your mouth.
“That did not just happen, I did not just see that right now. I didn’t.” you babbled, your heart beating thunderously in your chest
There it went. Your very own ticking time bomb finally went off. Number of casualties? Just one. You.
“Okay. Just calm down, Y/N.” Marge caught you mid-pace, squeezing your arms
“Maybe it was a fan account. Tell me it was a fan account, Marge. Henry Cavill did not just hear me imply what I implied.” you grasped at her hand with your clammy one
“Well if he has a fan account that’s verified and has fourteen point five million followers?”
“Oh god.” you groaned, sinking to the floor and hugging your knees
“Oh, Christ.”
Marge hauled you to your feet and thrust your phone in your hand. She looked you hard in the eye, “Stop your whining and answer him. You’re Y/N fucking Y/L/N, one of the hottest people on the planet, start acting like it.”
You stared at her, eyes wide. Your chest rose and fell rapidly. Marge’s words started to make sense in your mind and adrenaline started surging through your veins. You nodded fervently, psyching yourself up.
“Fuck yeah.” you breathed, clicking ‘Reply’
“@yourinstagram: @henrycavill I know you take orens, crowns, and florens but maybe we should discuss further?”
Before you could even stop yourself (did you even want to?), your fingers already landed on the blue paper plane.
“I did it.” you exhaled, staring as the likes and overly enthusiastic replies started pouring in
“Fuck yeah, you did. Now, come on. Leave your phone. We’re getting drunk.”
More weeks passed and you actually ended up forgetting about that little reply you left Henry Cavill. You were busier than ever. Guestings, endorsement deals, and awards shows left and right. So, when you finally had a couple of days free, you decided you would set up camp on your sofa and finally watch Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia.
You even threw on your Superman pyjamas, “What the hell.” you shrugged
If you were going down this road, you might as well do it right. Maybe you would even watch the Man from U.N.C.L.E after or would it be Night Hunter? The decision would have to wait.
You watched, absolutely riveted as the White Wolf battled against the kikimora, his silver sword hacked at the creature with unmatched expertise. You were only a few minutes in but you already knew you’d be stuck on that sofa for hours.
When the kikimora had Geralt pinned underwater with his trusty sword just beyond arm’s reach, you found yourself on the edge of your seat, one of your cushions in a chokehold.
“Come on, come on, come on.” you muttered as Geralt reached for his sword
You wouldn’t find out if he got it or not. A knock on your door literally made you fall off the sofa.
“Fuck!” you exclaimed, your hip was already smarting from the impact
Whoever that asshole was, you swore you were going to give him a piece of your mind. You stomped to your front door just as that idiot started knocking again.
You huffed and threw the door open then your mind immediately went blank.
“I am so sorry. Are you alright? I think I heard you fall?”
Oh yeah. You were definitely falling.
----------------------------------------------------------
You can find the second part here!
1K notes · View notes
jaskiersvalley · 3 years
Text
Meet The Parents
Over on The Bog on Discord, there is a cursed Shrek channel. The idea for this fic was encouraged there and, well, 1.5k later, I have so many regrets, this is definitely what I'd call a shrekcident. All I can say is that writing Shrek and Fiona is really really difficult!
@dapandapod, @thecomfortofoldstorries and @fontegagrilledcheese I think you all asked to be tagged when this is up?
Meet The Parents
There had been several letters from back home, suggesting Jaskier return and brings his lovely travelling companion. It was, without a doubt, Jaskier’s mother writing the letters, she had always had a better grasp on courtly things than his father. Truth be told, it was no secret that the Count of Lettenhove absolutely hated ruling and would much rather spend his time out and about. There were several swamps in Lettenhove that he claimed needed his very dedicated attention. The fact Jaskier’s mother went along with him was no surprise. Despite her upbringing, she was quite fond of a swamp or two too.
“It’s another letter,” Jaskier sighed, flicking it into the fire in the inn. “I don’t understand why they are so insistent on me bringing you home. I mean, they’ve never been interested in previous love interests before. Probably because they’ve all held titles and had standards.” Geralt grunted, eyes fixed on the small alchemy set up he had going on the table. It didn’t deter Jaskier as he carried on. “Mother thinks you and father might get on well once you get past the initial shock of meeting.”
“I can’t imagine anyone being over the moon to meet a Witcher. Especially not one that their darling son is fucking.”
“Well, quite. Father had a couple of run ins with Witchers in his youth. Not all of them were pleasant. But I’m sure you can change his mind.” Jaskier hummed to himself as he thought. “Plus Mother was a cursed princess so you might find some common ground with her. And did I mention my uncle? I spent a lot of time with him growing up, he was really patient, letting me learn to walk by clinging to him. Anyway, he and his dragon-”
“Dragon?” Naturally Geralt perked up at that. “You should have started with that. We’re going to Lettenhove.”
Naturally Geralt had assumed the worst. As if anyone related to Jaskier would be able to keep a dragon against her will. His family was just too nice! But Geralt would learn that fact for himself in a few short weeks when they arrived at Jaskier’s ancestral castle. It was a castle, not a mansion, well kept, if a little more shabby than most. There were overgrown bushes around it and Geralt could have sworn the small of a sulphuric swamp drifted on the winds. They marched up the stairs, everything eerily quiet until the door burst open to reveal two menacing figures.
“Ogres!” Geralt shoved Jaskier behind himself, a snarl on his lips and ready to fight. “I believe this is the Count and Countess of Lettenhove’ residence. What are you doing here?”
“Witcher!” The male ogre spat. “Nothing good has ever come of your kind. You’re not making us move.”
From behind Geralt, Jaskier sprang forwards. “Mother! Father!” He embraced the ogres before being almost bowled over by a donkey. “Uncle!”
“You call this a greeting? This is how you say hello to your favourite uncle? What have I got to do before I get a hug from my favourite nephew?” The donkey looked to the side where the ogres were still staring and turned to see what the issue was. “That’s a Witcher. Oh, that’s your Witcher! That’s a nice Witcher.”
That seemed to pull Jaskier back into the moment and he stood up, clearing his throat. “Right, Mother, Father, Uncle, this is Geralt of Rivia. Geralt, my family.”
Vesemir would be so ashamed if he ever found out how Geralt reacted. All the years spent drilling manners into Geralt’s head were for naught.
“How?!”
“Well,” the donkey said into the stunned silence, “when one ogre loves another ogre and they’re into experimenting with potions-”
“Donkey!” Jaskier’s parents cried in unison before his mother continued. “Please excuse Donkey. I’m Fiona, this is Shrek. And to answer your question, ogres and humans had different anatomy. We got curious, had potions to change temporarily and, well, Jaskier happened during those three days.”
It was Jaskier’s turn to hiss, “Mother! Please don’t tell Geralt about your kinky sex lives.”
“Yes, Eskel told me about ogre anatomy and the differences in rather too much detail,” Geralt grumbled.
“Eskel fucked an ogre?”
“It was an orgy actually - though he insisted on calling it an ogre-y. Said he couldn’t get the mud from the swamp out of certain places for over a week.”
As far as first impressions went, Geralt didn’t think he could have done any worse. But he was being ushered in all the same, Donkey already chattering away about the inane things that had happened since Jaskier last visited. It left Geralt in the rather silent company of Shrek while Fiona led the way.
“Dinner’s at seven,” Shrek gritted out and Geralt hummed in acknowledgement which garnered a grunt in reply.
“Oh my word, you’re marrying your father,” Donkey cried at Jaskier, head snapping to look between Shrek’s retreating back and Geralt standing in the hallway as Fiona opened a door.
“Don’t mind him-” Whatever else she was saying went over Geralt’s head because he caught up with Donkey’s words. Just what was that about marrying?!
They stepped into the room and Jaskier let out a wail of anguish. “Mother! Two beds, really?”
“Just be glad Shrek let you even share a room. But I couldn’t talk him out of having Mirror on the wall.”
“Hello,” the enchanted mirror called. “Please don’t rearrange the room or do anything untoward, I really rather wouldn’t see those kinds of things.”
Geralt closed his eyes and took a few steadying breaths. This was fine, he could do this, there was a dragon somewhere around and he was duty bound to make sure she was free. He regretted such a decision by the evening. There was indeed a dragon who lived at the castle but she refused to take a human form, far too happy and, of all things, in love with Donkey, enough to have a clutch with him Dragon-Donkey babies were terrifying, Geralt had ascertained, menaces, taking their temperament from their father while their mother gifted them with wings and the ability to breathe fire. Suddenly, Geralt understood why there were never any contracts in the area. The locals befriended every creature, monster and anything in between. And any they couldn’t? Well, ogres and dragons could easily keep things in check.
Once the shock of it all had worn off, Geralt could actually focus on eating. Other than Jaskier, there seemed to be no one who cared for things like utensils.
“Please, Mother, Father, at least try to have some manners?” Jaskier looked pleadingly at his parents. His only response was Fiona letting out quite the impressive belch before high fiving Shrek.
The sound of small, pattering feet caught Geralt’s attention. He looked at Shrek and Fiona before trying to find the source of the sound. This seemed like the kind of company that would appreciate his party trick with a fork. A hand around his wrist stopped him.
“Not the Three Blind Mice. They’re friends.”
Almost disappointed, Geralt settled back to finish his surprisingly hearty meal. It wasn’t the usual fair of courts, this was more about being filling and warm rather than showing off all the money that went into making tiny portions full of expensive spices. However, it certainly helped set Geralt at ease.
“So, when’s the wedding?” The small amount of peace was shattered by Shrek asking around a mouthful. It had Jaskier shrieking while the rest of his family watched him, frozen in place but not exactly surprised. More like they were patiently waiting for him to be done. Shrek shrugged. “I thought you were bringing your Witcher home to get married. Isn’t that how it usually goes in fairytales?”
“That’s only princes and princesses,” Donkey cut in. “You have a viscount. They don’t have to get married. Unless…?”
“I’m not proposing,” Geralt blurted out. There was a collective groaning sigh from the table, some of it relief, some of it disappointment and Geralt didn’t know just how offended he should be. He didn’t expect Jaskier to loudly but delicately put his cutlery onto his plate to make in clink pointedly.
“Good. Because I wanted to be the one to propose. On my own terms. In my own time. Mother, do you still have the ring? I think I will take it with us. Might eventually use it.”
Donkey gasped. “Not the One Ring?”
“No!” Jaskier sounded exasperated. “We all know what happened to cousin Gollum with that one. I don’t have any wishes to lose my hair because of that. I meant Grandmother’s ring. I doubt Grandfather’s would be very useful.” He turned to Geralt. “Grandfather was turned into a frog. His ring is rather tiny as a result.”
Of course Jaskier had ogres for parents and a frog for a grandfather. He still took after his uncle the most by the sounds of things. Given how Donkey hadn’t stopped making noises, whether it was humming or popping his lips, it was incessant. Geralt felt he now understood Jaskier a whole lot better. And, when the time came, if Jaskier did offer him a ring, Geralt had zero reservations about the knowledge that he would say yes. But the wedding was going to be at Kaer Morhen, he was going to have to insist on that.
171 notes · View notes
charming-2d-boys · 3 years
Note
Hc for adult trio where their s/o is being seduced by a handsome strong man? Jealous adult trio please!
Nice, we have some of the most possessive men in the Hunter x Hunter universe being jealous 😂
Thanks for the request, this'll be fun! 🙇
Also, here are the headcanons about Chrollo being jealous, just so you know why it might sound a bit familiar.
Warning: a teeny tiny bit suggestive, barely there, but I thought I should put this anyway
Chrollo
eyebrow raised towards the scene
like really now?
is this guy actually hitting on you?
right in front of him?
is he stupid?
or too brave?
when the guy, who’s pretty good-looking and looks strong, glances at him before a handsome smirk plasters itself on his lips and his eyes and attention go back to you?
oh, it’s on
the guy definitely wanted to hit on you and knew exactly who you were there with
okay, so he’s too stupid
you wouldn’t flirt with him, probably only without realising it
don’t worry, Chrollo trusts you and knows you wouldn’t cheat
you’re just being your kind and polite self
the other man, though?
he won’t be so lucky when Chrollo is done with him
on your side, though
the man didn’t really seem as if he was flirting
he was just asking you about yourself, your life, hobbies, interests
he was being very polite and respectful and while you knew Chrollo was there, you didn’t feel threatened
only when the guy looked to the side with a smirk then back at you did you think that he was a bit... odd
you knew that’s where Chrollo was and you could barely feel a hint of bloodlust coming from him
so, you tried cutting the conversation short and leave, all smiles and politeness
only to feel the guy grab your wrist and keep you close
now there was a distinct feeling of discomfort and Chrollo’s bloodlust seemed to increase
still, he had an image to upkeep, so he smiled politely as he walked towards the two of you, an arm around your waist as he pulled you into his side and away from the handsome stranger
sweet words with a venomous meaning were pretty much just thrown from one to another, with the conversation seeming friendly to an outsider
until Chrollo pretty much won their little game of words and smiled ruefully
We will be leaving for tonight. Thank you for keeping my girlfriend company.
you almost felt like laughing at how Chrollo’s words made the man grind his teeth
he really wanted to piss Chrollo off and maybe win you over for the night
apparently, it didn’t work
or so you two thought
Chrollo, on the other hand, left with you by his side, keeping you close to his body
his smile was gone and his eyes were cold as he stared ahead
Chrollo? You okay?
he only glanced at you, eyes almost calculating
you were confused and a bit worried
had you upset him?
I’m fine, love. Don’t worry.
you only nodded and before you knew it, you had reached your house
you were ready to go inside and call it a night before Chrollo pulled you into his arms, eyes staring straight into yours
Chrollo?
without responding, his hands went to your cheeks and pulled your face to his, locking lips with you as your back hit the front door with a bit of force
the kiss seemed more passionate than ever and you had a feeling about the reason why
his lips then went down, leaving a trail of kisses as he bit into the skin of your neck and soothed the bites with his tongue, leaving little purple and red marks behind while your breath became laboured
one of Chrollo’s hands had gone down your side, to your hip and then your leg, lifting your thigh up and around his hip as he kept you pinned against the door with his body
soon, his lips returned to yours as his kisses were now slow and sweet, before he pressed his forehead to yours
Don’t worry. I’m yours. And you’re mine.
the corner of Chrollo’s lips lifted into a little smile before he nodded, hugging you tightly and kissing your cheek and neck
Spend the night with me?
I could never say no to you, love.
let’s just say that was one of the best nights ever for the two of you as a couple
and, somehow, you thanked the stranger in your mind
you definitely saw another side of Chrollo that night because of him
you’d never see him again, since Chrollo would tell the Spiders that they should let him know when they found the guy
he wanted to bid him farewell properly, after all
Hisoka
Hisoka watched, amused, as you were uncomfortable and probably stuttering while the handsome and seemingly strong man flirted with you
you hadn’t seen him yet and he was still hiding in the shadows, watching the scene between you and the handsome stranger unfold
your reactions were always cute and he almost remembered when you used to look at him like that in the very beginning
Hisoka wasn’t really that worried about the situation
he knew you wouldn’t go to another guy
he was your handsome, strong boyfriend after all
the one who did his best for you and your attention
he smirked at the thought of you and him in a relationship
it was one of the best things in his life
well, Hisoka’s smile disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared when he saw you laugh at something the stranger said
he moved around so he could see the guy
he was in a similar state as you, slightly uncomfortable, but he seemed really sweet and nice
you’d let your guard down pretty quickly around him
now Hisoka felt a bit upset
it took so long until you let him into your life
and you’re letting this little shrimp in after a few minutes of conversation?
he just doesn’t like it
that feeling settling itself in his heart and stomach
like a vice around them
straightening up, he walked towards the two of you, heels clicking against the floor loudly
people actually parted so he could pass, the small hint of bloodlust making them flinch
Hisoka’s smile was anything but good
even you wanted to take a step back
it had been a while since you’d felt his bloodlust up close
the man next to you stiffened, eyes wide and heart racing as Hisoka smiled at the two of you slyly
Hello, lovely~ Who is your new friend? ♣
you didn’t want to make a scene
and when you answered that He was no one, you just looked up at Hisoka with pleading eyes
he only hummed before letting himself be dragged out onto the street towards your home
Hisoka said nothing and neither did you as you both got inside
he was still smiling, but he looked... upset
you couldn’t watch him leave just like that and leave you to stew in your worries and questions
Hisoka?
he stopped walking towards the bedroom, a smile still on his face as he looked at you, waiting
I’m sorry!
what else could you say?
you knew he was jealous and also insecure, no matter how much he wanted to deny it
he was always scared that someone better, nicer, stronger would come along and sweep you off your feet
Are you now? For what exactly? ♣
Hisoka, please... I was only being polite. don’t make me regret my choice, please!
when you had allowed him to take you out, you’d officially sealed your fate
not that you could complain much
Hisoka could be sweet when he wanted to be
and you really didn’t want your relationship to end because of... what? a stupid, innocent conversation with a stranger?
Hisoka was quiet before he hummed, smile now gone
he slowly walked up to you, looking into your eyes as if searching for something
before he picked you up and took you to the bedroom, tossing you onto the bed
you looked up, not really afraid, but more puzzled than anything
I want you to know that you’re mine. No one else’s. Only mine. Right, lovely?  ♣
you nodded, hands going to his cheeks as your fingers ran over his skin
you stared at one another, a silent conversation
I’m sorry. I love you, Hisoka. Don’t forget it.
he only smiled before kissing you deeply, his arms caging you as his chest touched yours
oh, he won’t forget and he’d remind you that you’re his
even until dawn if he had to
he would take his time and show you that you two belonged together
Illumi
Illumi could only stare and wonder why some people were so stupid
what did that person even think he was doing?
why was he standing so close to you?
why were you smiling so much?
as Illumi kept getting closer with the two drinks in hand, you looked up and smiled at him before beckoning him closer
you soon took your drink and held his hand, making him relax a bit
Lumi, this is (M/N). He says we were classmates in school. I’m sorry I can’t remember well.
No worries, (Y/N). Nice to meet you, ...?
Illumi Zoldyck.
your classmate froze, smile tight-lipped and hand in between them for a handshake that never came
As in, the assassin family?
Yep.
Illumi only stared, making (M/N) uncomfortable
Well, umm, (Y/N), it was nice seeing you again. I hope we can meet again soon.
Same here.
he quickly left and before you could actually ask Illumi what his problem was, you were being dragged up the stairs, away from the party, and into one of the many empty rooms available
Illumi, what are you doing? And what was that? That was so ru-
had you not seen that it was Illumi, your boyfriend, in front of your very eyes, doing this, you’d have thought it was someone else, probably in disguise
as his kisses became more desperate, Illumi pulled you onto his lap as soon as he sat on one of the large, comfortable armchairs in the room
you had already lost interest in anything else around you but Illumi as your hands went through Illumi’s ponytail, tugging and bringing him closer, leaving his hair dishevelled
your boyfriend’s lips left yours only to settle on your neck and chest, hands already on their way to tugging your clothes off as fast as possible
as he continued leaving marks, you could hear him mumble Mine. All mine.
how he could be jealous of someone like (M/N), you didn’t know
Illumi was so much better in pretty much every department
apparently, you’d have to show him
if only he’d let you take a bit of control tonight
No one else’s. Only mine, understood?
Only yours, Lumi.
500 notes · View notes
katzkinder · 3 years
Text
Strawberry Madeleine
Tsurugi used to use Mikuni’s old uniform as pajamas. 
He’s aware of how pathetic it is. How it sounds. How it probably would have been more subtle to shout that he missed him through a megaphone, for all of Tokyo to hear.
Of course, it doesn’t smell like his old roommate anymore. It hasn’t for a long time, especially not after having been washed and given to Mahiru to run around in for a whole week, over a year ago now. Especially not after it needed to be bleached, and deep cleaned, because of all the blood and dirt and dust that had been practically ground into the white fibers. 
Frankly, it’s a miracle that old thing is still around.
He never expected to get it back, but he did, and he’s only a little ashamed to admit that he held it the same way someone would hold a cherished stuffed toy, inhaling the smell of fabric softener chosen with Kuro’s delicate skin in mind. He had called himself creepy, and Yumikage… Had flicked his forehead. Called him an idiot.
The way he had explained it, it made such perfect sense. 
Mikuni... Was a familiar pain, like a bruise that never quite faded and you press your fingers to it just to remind yourself you’ve been hurt.
Yumikage, Junichiro, Freya, Mahiru, and Kuro are a comfort he never thought he deserved, and that old uniform, one of the only few possessions of his that had survived, the new softness of it and the new smell, are proof that whether he deserves them or not… They are his.
Anyone would cherish that, wouldn’t they?
***
One day his phone lights up in the evening twilight.
“I made too much. That offer to join us for dinner is still valid ☀︎”
Attached is a picture of a simmering pot of curry that makes his mouth water so much he nearly drools all down his front. There’s something familiar about it he can’t quite place, but it’s easily ignored and Tsurugi wipes his mouth on the back of his hand, thumbs flying eagerly over the screen.
“I’ll be there in ten minutes ☆” he replies, then, after adjusting his course accordingly, practically skips off down the sidewalk.
Two minutes from his destination, his phone buzzes again.
“I left the door unlocked for you. Come right in!”
Tsurugi... Tries really hard not to cry in the middle of the street as words half remembered while his soul was tangled with Mahiru’s filter back to him.
If the window is shut, we'll just go through the door.
***
Sometimes Tsurugi goes to Mahiru’s house to play.
It’s a childish way to put it, like they’re both in elementary school and he’s showing up at the front door to ask his friend’s uncle if Mahiru is home, but it’s also the only proper way to describe it, because he is playing.
He’s free now, or about as free as he can be with those debts looming over his head, and he wants to play. Kuro, meanwhile, wants to show him lots of different games, so if he has a day off, and the both of them are available… To the Shirota apartment he goes.
It’s always a mess.
Not the apartment, no, never the apartment. He doesn’t think even C3, with its white walls and white floors and white sheets and everything, everything, white, was even half so clean as that little apartment where three people lived.
What’s always a mess is himself.
This time, though… It’s Mahiru.
***
Tsurugi knows he’s a messy person. Tsurugi knows he’s not very good at cleaning up, though he often tries. It’s overwhelming though, sometimes, looking at it all, all the trash and garbage that had accumulated, all the things he didn’t need anymore, didn’t want, and maybe part of the problem was that his mind hardly ever stayed “adult” long enough to make any real headway.
It’s not like anyone went into his room to begin with, anyway, so why bother?
Mahiru, though, is different from him. Mahiru likes to clean up as he goes, so he supposes it shouldn’t be a shock that he gets frustrated with him and with Kuro, who have their little area in front of the TV set up with snacks, and drinks, and piles and piles of games to try out, and a third controller for Mahiru because sometimes instead of watching, Mahiru will join them, tempted by their cajoling and whining and Tsurugi’s bright, high pitched yelps.
This is not one of those times.
This is a time when Mahiru got frustrated and stormed off, and… Well, Tsurugi isn’t quite sure what to do.
A single look at Kuro shows he doesn’t either, wide eyes watching the hall his Eve disappeared down and slowly the umaibo he had been munching on disappears into his mouth.
“Should we… Clean up?” Tsurugi asks, hesitant. Their characters on screen continue to idle, the timer ticking down. Kuro hits pause. Stands, stretches, cracks his back and Tsurugi can’t help but wince because that can’t be healthy…
“...Yeah,” the Servamp finally says, and bends down with a muffled groan to start gathering chip bags and drink containers. “It’ll give him time to cool down.”
“Does this happen often?” Tsurugi stands, too, and casts his eyes about for something to pick up, but there really wasn’t much. Kuro’s already got it handled. 
It makes him feel just a little useless.
He was a grown up, wasn’t he? … Wasn’t he?
***
Giving Mahiru space to calm down seems to have been the right choice, because when they find him, curled up on his bed and looking just the slightest bit ashamed of his outburst, he looks ready to apologize at any moment.
But Tsurugi doesn’t want an apology.
He wants Mahiru to come play with them.
So he speaks first, apologizes, sincerely, and promises that he and Kuro will clean up after themselves properly, but when they are done.
“You don’t need to keep everything nice and neat all the time, y’know. Part of being a grown up is knowing when it’s time to play and when it’s time to put your toys up.”
Mahiru makes a face at him, buries his chin deeper into his knees. “Tsurugi-san, no offense, but I don’t wanna hear that from you of all people.”
“Ouch, haha.” He sits, plopping down gracelessly next to the still pouting teen, making him bounce and emit a startled noise, and Kuro shuffles forward, slides down on Mahiru’s other side. “...You’re right, though. I never really learned how to clean up and put my things away all nice and neat like you do. No one ever taught me.”
Mahiru shifts, glances at him curiously. Having seen Tsurugi’s room at C3, he definitely believes it. 
“...I guess,” he starts, slow and picking his words carefully. Kuro makes an encouraging noise beside him. “Because I never really felt like the apartment was ‘mine,’ I always ended up cleaning after every little activity. Because having it be messy... Made it feel more lived in than it was.”
“... Mm. That’s exactly it. The illusion of company...” A self deprecating little chuckle. “Guess we both learned to handle that feeling in different ways. If Kuro-chan and I make a mess, we... Might need your help to clean it up properly. But... Can you trust us to clean up when we’re done?”
“... I can try.”
“Good!”
Kuro finally speaks up, because this was a conversation for them, not him. But the moment has passed, and it feels safe to say something a little stupid, a little funny. “We’re serious about the needing your help on how it’s done, thing.” 
“Ugh, I believe you. Tsurugi-san, one time I put this guy in charge of loading up the washing machine and you know what happened?”
“Wait, Mahi, no—“
“Ohh, do tell~!”
“Bubbles. Bubbles, everywhere. My downstairs neighbor had no idea where all the suds dripping onto her balcony were coming from!”
“Pfffhahaha! Kuro-chan, seriously?! There are directions on the box!”
“And I followed them. Our washer is small, though, so it was too much...”
Kamiya Tsurugi was an adult.
Shirota Mahiru was a kid.
But, if they could teach each other the things they had missed out on…
Perhaps it was all for that reason, huh...
Tsurugi wonders if Mahiru will be able to make good on that promise for a cake this year.
***
The end of August comes again, and, just like he had hoped, Mahiru bakes him a cake. Covered in glistening, sweet strawberries, with loads of white, sweet cream, it’s almost too much, especially when paired with how Freya and Iduna had come by, are each sitting in Yumikage’s living room while Freya’s subclass play some noisy game with Takuto.
Some part of him didn’t think Mahiru would really do it. But not only did he keep his promise, he’s pressing a wrapped gift into his hand, a small one that rattles when it moves, this grin on his face as Tsurugi turns it over in his hands, this perfectly wrapped gift with yellow paper and citrus themed washi tape keeping it together. Mahiru’s Servamp lingers back, a noisemaker hanging unenthusiastically from between his lips. And yet, despite his carefully practiced indifference, there’s no denying that Kuro is also eager, just as eager as his Eve.
“Go on. Open it.”
So he does. It’s... A cellphone charm. “...Cinnamoroll...?”
Mahiru beams at him and shows off his own phone. Tsurugi snorts, a smile cracking at the sight of the Pompompurin character charm that dangles merrily from it.
“How’d you know my favorite~?”
“I asked around~”
“Thank you, Mahiru-kun,” Tsurugi answers him, feeling his throat close up, just the slightest bit. His eyes sting, and he holds that little charm close to his chest. “I love it.”
It's such a small gift. A tiny one, one perfectly suited to a high schooler’s budget, but it means so much. 
Because it didn't have to be given.
Mahiru takes his wrist and leads him back to the core of the party, where they are all immediately mobbed by Tsurugi’s own homegrown family.
Vampires, magicians, humans. Adults, children, immortals.
People his own age. People who aren’t.
Tsurugi is loved.
He’s happy he was born.
52 notes · View notes
hrina · 4 years
Text
1923, Pt. II - The Week
PAIRING: Harry x Reader RATING: M WORD COUNT: 8.4k REQUESTED: perhaps? idek anymore
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hey yall, here’s PART 2 of the historical/groundskeeper!AU :) i really hope u guys like it, i spent the past two weeks trying to make it the best that i could. anywayyyy im sure everyone knows the drill by now: support content creators by reblogging their work and/or offering feedback! happy reading 💚💚💚
warning: parts of this fic will contain mature language and nsfw content. if it makes you uncomfortable, you absolutely do not have to read! take care of urselves <3
PART I: The Day
~*~
    July 7th, 1923
It’s hot.
You set your glass of water back onto the little table to your left. Excess condensation coats your fingertips; you wipe them against your forehead, hoping that it will be enough to cool you down. No such luck—the droplets provide a momentarily chill before sinking into your skin, leaving you feeling just as scorched as before.
You recline against the cushy yellow lounger, closing your eyes and tilting your face up to the sky. The sun beats down against your cheeks. The thin, cottony material of your dress is pasted to your thighs; you flex your legs slightly, hoping that the fabric will unstick.
In the distance, Apollo and Artemis—no longer confined to their pens—roam around the small, girded pasture adjacent to the stables. The fountain in the middle of the back lawn is about one hundred feet away. Skinny streams of water shoot out from the stone hands of a carved angel, spilling picturesquely into the upwelling below.
You crack one eye open slowly, letting your focus drift over to where Harry is crouched on the cobbled staircase of the porch. Sweat glistens on the nape of his neck as he furiously scrubs the steps clean.
Your thoughts retreat to the night before, when he’d kissed the back of your hand whilst standing in that very same spot. As though triggered by the memory, your knuckles begin to tingle.
Harry sits back on his haunches and drags his forearm across his face, wiping away the excess perspiration on his skin. His white shirt is soaked through with moisture. When he lifts his attention from the ground, your gazes lock for a brief moment. Immediately, your open eye snaps shut.
And you can’t be entirely sure, but you think that he may have smiled.
You lay in silence for another five minutes or so, indulging in the occasional sip of water as the heat of the summer envelopes your body. You only sit up when someone clears their throat from behind you, pulling you from your tranquil daze.
“Good afternoon,” Martin says. He’s standing a bit too close for comfort, casting a looming shadow over your torso.
“Hello,” you reply. You try to mask the disappointment that threatens to seep into your tone. A small part of you—a tiny, microscopic part—had been hoping that he was someone else.
“Thought you could use something to drink,” he says, plopping onto the recliner to your right. Your attention falls lower—two glasses are nestled comfortably in his hands. The caramel-coloured liquid inside each cup glints alluringly, sloshing over a trio of ice cubes that have already begun to melt.
“Is that…scotch?” you say, narrowing your eyes slightly.
“Yes,” he says. He extends an arm, offering you one of the glasses. “Fancy a taste?”
“I’ve had it before,” you say smoothly, shaking your head. “Truthfully, it’s not my favourite. Besides—” You gesture to the little table on your left. There’s still a bit of water residing in your cup. “—I already have a drink.”
Martin’s face falls.
“Thank you, though,” you add, not wanting to sound rude. “I appreciate your thoughtfulness.”
That seems to bolster him a bit, you think, because his shoulders straighten as he shoots you a satisfied smile.
You clear your throat, gazing pointedly up at the sky. “Where’s Andrew?”
“Hmm? Oh.” Martin taps one foot against the floor. He’s wearing a pair of shiny black loafers—they’re new, you guess, and extremely expensive. “He’s in the middle of a call. Private business pertaining to Markham Motors, I believe. It doesn’t concern me—not yet, anyway.”
“Not yet,” you echo.
He chuckles, nodding proudly. “Your brother is remarkably ambitious. Once our two companies merge, I reckon that we’ll be unstoppable.”
“How exciting,” you murmur, reaching over for your water. You raise the cup to your mouth, expelling a soft sigh. “You must be thrilled, I’d imagine.”
“All in a day’s work,” he grunts, setting one glass of scotch down onto the ground. He lifts the other to his lips, taking a delicate sip.
You sit there awkwardly, unsure of how to respond. Martin’s eyes roam the wide expanse of your backyard, jumping from the stables to the fountain and back again. He pauses, then, humming pensively when he spots Harry polishing the stairs less than fifteen feet away.
“It’s a bit…unconventional to be dining with the help, is it not?” he asks, cocking one eyebrow nonchalantly.
You stiffen and glance over your shoulder—Harry is on all fours, scowling as he scrubs a particularly stubborn stain from the bottom step. His chestnut hair tumbles onto his forehead, twisted into pretty ringlets. A spark of heat blazes up your spine.
You turn your attention back to Martin, only to find that he’s also watching the other man work. It’s different, however—his look is judgmental, austere. His thin upper lip curls in disdain and his eyebrows cinch together, radiating condescension.  
“We are…” You choose your words carefully. “…a rather unconventional family. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“I suppose so,” he acquiesces, tilting his head to the side. “But does it not distress you, somewhat? Inviting them into your home, making yourself and your possessions vulnerable?”
Something gross festers in the pit of your stomach. You bite back the sound of disgust that threatens to spill from your mouth.
“No,” you state curtly. “Not at all.”
Silence falls over the two of you, thick and poignant and tremendously uncomfortable. After a long, tense moment, you sit up, dusting off the skirt of your dress and releasing a faint groan. “I think I’ll be heading in, now.”
“As will I,” Martin replies, jumping to pursue you.
You stand, clutching your glass of water in one hand. He quickly reaches out with extended fingers, trying to take it from you. Though chivalrous, the action is weak, and you both know it.
“Here, let me—”
“No, it’s quite alright—,” you start, but he cuts you off.
“I insist—”
“Mister Russell, really, it’s fine—”
The cup, slick with condensation, slips from your grasp and shatters loudly against the floor. You gasp when a jagged shard slices against your ankle. Pain flares up your shin; abruptly, you fall back onto the lounger. You angle your leg to the side, surveying the damage with wide eyes. The cut is about an inch long; blood drips from the injury, seeping down toward the sole of your bare foot. Bile gathers on your tongue.
“Good God!” Martin exclaims unhelpfully. “You’re bleeding!”
“I can see that,” you snap, bending down and pressing your fingertips against the laceration.
Heavy footsteps approach. When you cast a glance over your shoulder, you find Harry stalking toward you, his eyebrows furrowed in bewilderment.
“What happened?” he asks, but when you hold up one hand, he freezes in his tracks.
“Be careful!” you warn, your voice strained. “There’s glass everywhere.”
“What happened?” he repeats. His gaze lands on Martin, and his nostrils flare unnervingly. “What did you do?”
“Nothing!” the other man protests, retreating a few steps away. “It just fell!”
“Go back inside,” Harry commands. “Check all the lavatories—there may be spare bandages in one of the cupboards.”
Martin frowns—you get the feeling that he’s not exactly used to being ordered around. “Now, you listen here—”
“Mister Russell!” you interrupt shrilly, fixing him with a stern glare. “Do as he says. Please.”
Martin closes his mouth and purses his lips, nodding tersely. He nearly trips over himself as he stumbles back into the house.
“He’s useless,” you mutter, bloody fingers slipping against your skin.
Harry doesn’t reply; instead, he situates himself on the opposite edge of the recliner, beckoning you closer with a quick flick of his hand.
“Face this way,” he instructs. “There’s no glass on this side.”
You obey him wordlessly. He gets you settled back into the chair, guiding your right leg over his thigh so that your foot lays comfortably in his lap. With no hesitation whatsoever, he grasps the white fabric covering the jut of his shoulder and gives a mighty tug. The sleeve rips cleanly at the seam. Your eyes nearly bulge out of your head.
“We’ll use this,” Harry says, pulling the material down to his wrist. “Just until he returns with proper bindings.”
“Alright,” you whisper. It takes every ounce of willpower in your body to avoid staring at his naked arm—golden, sweat-slicked skin stretched over smooth, corded muscle. A frighteningly large part of you wants to lean forward and sink your teeth into his bicep. You swiftly curb the urge, swallowing heavily and trying to focus your attention on something—anything­­—else.
“How did this happen?” Harry asks.
He balls the fabric up and dabs cautiously at the blood dripping from your wound.
“He was—well, I don’t even know, really,” you scoff, rolling your eyes. “He was trying to be gallant, I suppose.”
“‘Gallant’?” he parrots, gazing down at your leg. “He fancies you, then?”
“Yes.” You pause, rethinking your answer. “No.” You sigh. “Perhaps; I’m not sure.”
He smirks. Despite the pain pulsating up your leg, you wiggle your toes and nudge him with your knee.
“What’s so amusing?” you ask, puzzled.
He simply chuckles, shaking his head. “It’s just that…you’re a bit oblivious, that’s all.”
And for the second time in less than twenty-four hours, you balk and say, “I beg your pardon?”
Harry laughs. Gingerly, he wraps his torn sleeve around your ankle, applying a gentle pressure to your skin. You wince, curling your fingers into fists. His hands—though rough and calloused—are surprisingly tender with their movements. He’s slow and practiced, treating you as though you’re made of porcelain. Your heartbeat quickens; you hope that he can’t hear the way it thunders beneath your ribs.
“You’re rather clueless when it comes to gauging a man’s affections for you,” he explains. He makes it sound as though it’s a phenomenon of which you should already be aware.
You narrow your eyes and purse your lips.
“Tread carefully,” you tell him, though you can’t hide the sardonic undertone in your voice. “You’re wading through dangerous waters, here.”
“What I mean to say is—” Harry clears his throat, shrugging coolly. “—since yesterday’s arrival, that fool’s chattering hasn’t ceased. Building oneself up with words…that’s the sign of a boy aiming to impress a girl.”
“You don’t sound too keen on that method,” you note.
He rakes his fingers through his hair. “Excellent observation. I am not.”
“And why is that?” you ask, cocking one eyebrow challengingly. “How exactly would you attempt to make your affections known?”
Harry places one of his palms on the skin just below your knee. You jump at the contact, shocked by his brazen move. Having his hands on your ankle is one thing—but your knee? It’s risky, bold, nearly scandalous…and with the way he’s looking at you, it’s clear that he knows it, too.
“Building oneself up with words is a boy’s game,” he tells you. “But building oneself up with actions…that’s the sign of a man aiming to impress a woman. It may be a bit unconventional, but—” He pins you with a deliberate stare. “I work for a rather unconventional family. Wouldn’t you agree?”
You say nothing. Harry’s green eyes pierce your face, peeling you open layer by layer. You’ve stopped breathing, your chest completely still. Goosebumps erupt across your arms. Instinctively, your concentration falls to his lips: twin pink petals, sinful and alluring and so incredibly—
“I’ve got the bandages!”
And just like that, the spell is broken. You drag your gaze away from the man in front of you, turning to the side and watching as Martin jogs back over with a thick spool of gauze clutched tightly to his chest.
“Here,” he pants. He passes the roll to Harry, who clears his throat loudly and begins to unwind the bindings with swift, proficient fingers.
Martin then fixes his attention on you, raising his eyebrows quizzically.
“Are you alright?” he asks, shooting you an expectant look.
“Fine,” you croak out, though the blood roaring in your ears sincerely begs to differ.
You blink yourself out of your stupor, running your tongue over the roof of your mouth and exhaling shakily. Harry has turned back to your ankle, replacing the makeshift bandages with proper ones. You glance up at Martin and nod your head, praying that he can’t see the flustered agitation brewing in your eyes.
“Yes, Mister Russell, I’m fine. Thank you.”
      July 9th, 1923
The library is your favourite room in the house.
It’s quiet, peaceful, and is accompanied only by the rarest of disturbances. Lydia’s never really enjoyed reading—she can’t sit still long enough to do so. Andrew hasn’t stepped past the threshold in years—he’s been too busy running Markham Motors. So, that just leaves you, along with the freedom to choose from the hundreds of books lining the shelves. You’ve dabbled in fiction and non-fiction alike, soaking up the words from the page just as the ground soaks up rain from a storm.
The library has become your safe haven. You wouldn’t have it any other way.
You trod over to your favourite spot to read: a small alcove in the wall, decked out with fluffy cushions and tucked right up against a wide window. It gives you a perfect view of the driveway and the front lawn down below. You’ve spent hours in this little nook, absorbed in novels and poems and biographies. You’ve passed entire nights curled up next to the windowpane, having dozed off in the middle of a story. It’s become a tradition of sorts, despite the dull ache in your neck that always ensues when you stir the next morning.
The book in your hands is heavy as you sink into the mess of pillows. Bright, natural light streams in from the window to your left. You release a soft sigh as your fingers flip to where you’d last left off during your previous visit.
She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me—
You scoff and roll your eyes. You’ve read this story a dozen times; you already know how it ends.
For the next twenty minutes, nothing matters save for the adventures of Miss Elizabeth Bennet. You allow yourself to get lost in the world of Pride and Prejudice, eyes hungrily raking over every printed detail. You’re only pulled out of your reverie when a shrill, jubilant cry pierces through the silence.
Instinctively, your head snaps toward the direction of the noise. Through the spotless windowpane, you spy Harry and Lydia standing on the lawn. Harry is holding a brown hose, angling it downward and watering the grass beneath his feet. Your sister is next to him, babbling and gesturing animatedly with her hands. You smile at the sight.
You slip your thumb between the pages of the book to mark your place. The novel is forgotten as you study the scene playing out below.
Harry is wearing an ashen blue button-up and a pair of black trousers. A thin white undershirt peeks out from beneath his collar. He smirks at something that Lydia says, ducking his head and trying to conceal the fond expression on his face. She throws her hands up in the air and twirls around—when she staggers slightly, Harry holds out his arm. Her fingers dig into his elbow to regain balance, and the two of them dissolve into giggles. Warmth unfurls in your chest.
Harry tilts his head back, surveying the cloudless sky with squinted eyes and a wrinkled nose. His attention turns to the house, then, sweeping absentmindedly over the fair bricks and stone accents.
Suddenly, his gaze darts forward. You freeze when his green irises lock squarely on you.
Hot humiliation creeps up your neck, because of course. Staring at him and remaining undetected is a luxury that few can afford.
Your lips part with a soft gasp, and your shoulders stiffen. The corners of Harry’s mouth curl up slightly—so faint, you think it may just be a figment of your imagination. The gilded copy of Pride and Prejudice rests in your lap, abandoned. It mocks you and your preoccupation—your fascination—with the man on the ground.
Harry shoots you a small, mysterious smile, and lifts his chin. You sit up straight, processing his request.
“I shouldn’t—,” you start to say before remembering that he can’t actually hear you. You clench your jaw and shake your head, hoping that he’ll be able to register the movement through the glass.
But his teasing expression only deepens as he beckons you again. A ragged exhale falls from your lips, and a tepid swell of adrenaline floods your veins. You snap your book shut, tucking it against your chest and pushing yourself away from the window. You swear that your heart skips a beat when your feet hit the floor.
Don’t rush, don’t rush, don’t rush.
It’s hard to maintain a measured pace, especially when such a big part of you just wants to take off and sprint down the spiral staircase. You force yourself to dawdle, to smooth your fingers over the bannister and descend slowly. Your palms are clammy as you make your way across the foyer, eyes glued to the large double doors on the opposite wall.
And then you’re outside, the sun beating down against your face and the breeze blowing gently through your hair. You saunter toward the edge of the large portico, leaning against the stone railing with your novel still clutched tightly to your sternum.
“Dee!”
Lydia whips around, taken aback by the call of her name. Upon recognising you, her features morph into a mask of quizzical mockery.
“Where have you been?” she asks, jogging over.
“I was reading,” you say, shrugging indifferently. After a short moment, you add, “Beth’s looking for you.”
“Me? What for?”
In the periphery of your vision, you spy Harry approaching. Water leaks from the nozzle of the hose; he gathers a few droplets onto his knuckles before smearing them across his sweaty forehead. You bite your tongue to suppress a snort.
“Dinner, I believe,” you lie, turning back to your sister. “It’s your turn to choose, is it not?”
Lydia’s eyes light up. “You’re right! It’s Monday, isn’t it?”
Her feet smack loudly against the cobbled steps as she races toward the door. Before disappearing inside, however, she skids to a stop, spinning around and raising one arm high above her head. “Goodbye, Harry!”
Harry smiles, lifting two fingers to his temple in a lazy salute. “Goodbye, little bug.”
A moment later, she’s gone.
And a moment after that, you find yourself sincerely regretting your decision to send her away. Harry observes you with raised brows and a knowing smirk on his face. You gnaw anxiously on your bottom lip, avoiding his eyes. A long beat of silence ensues.
“Hello,” he finally says.
You exhale quietly, relieved. “Hello.”
“Beautiful day, isn’t it?”
“It is,” you agree.
You lean against the stone bannister, peering down at him. The breeze picks up, gusting through your thin skirt and blouse. A small part of you notes the theatrical romanticism of it all: his being on the ground, the butterflies flapping around in your stomach—
“Do you always spend the majority of a nice day locked away in the library?” Harry asks. His pretty irises twinkle alluringly when your gazes meet.
“I—no,” you stammer. “I was just…reading.”
“As one does in a room full of books, I’d expect.”
Embarrassment blooms in your chest.
“Yes,” you say softly. “Precisely.”
He grins.
“How is your ankle?” he asks, motioning toward the bottom of your leg.
“Oh.” You look down, flexing your foot. “It’s healing. I should be fully rehabilitated in a few days.”
Harry chuckles, nodding. You purse your lips and try for a smile, but you’re afraid that it resembles more of a grimace.
“What’ve you got, there?” He lifts his chin, gesturing to the novel tucked between your forearm and your chest. You’re grasping it so tightly that you’re surprised the skin of your knuckles hasn’t split.
You clear your throat, revealing the embroidered inscription on the front cover. “Er—Pride and Prejudice. It’s my favourite.”
Harry hums. “Mine, too.”
And though it is extremely impolite, you can’t stop the look of shock that makes its way onto your face.
“You’ve read it?”
He chuckles sheepishly, dropping his chin. “You have bewitched me, body and soul,” he suddenly says, lifting his eyes from the ground and fixing his unwavering gaze on you, “and I love, I love, I love you. I never wish to be parted from you—”
“—from this day on,” you finish, breathless.
He smiles. Zaps of electricity surge down your spine. The two of you are silent, tripping over unspoken murmurs of indulgence. You scrape your tongue over your teeth, clueless.
Harry is the first one to break.
“I should get back to work,” he announces gently. He gestures to the hose hanging limply from his hand and gives a perfunctory shrug.
“Of course.” You nod, inhaling deeply. “I should get back to…”
He smirks when you trail off. “Reading?” he supplies.
“Yes,” you blurt. “Yes. Exactly.” You hesitate, drumming your fingers against the auburn cover of your book. “Good day, Harry.”
“Good day, miss!” he calls as you begin to walk away. You pause and cast a glance over your shoulder, an admonishment dancing on the tip of your tongue.
For the hundredth time, Harry, you mustn’t feel obligated to address me in such a formal—
But then you register the mischief on his face, and the realisation sinks in.
“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” you ask.
Crinkles dig into the corners of his eyes.
“I’m afraid that I don’t understand,” he says, tilting his head to the side in faux-confusion. You wipe a clammy palm against the waistband of your skirt and bite back a small smile. Harry’s playful expression deepens, poking a cavernous dimple into his left cheek.
“Have a little compassion on my nerves,” you say, pulling another quote from the novel clasped against your body. “You tear them to pieces.”
His lips twitch, impressed and amused.
“What a shame,” he counters, snickering quietly, “for I dearly love to laugh.”
         July 13th, 1923
The past hour of your life has been spent rolling around in bed and resenting your glaring inability to fall asleep. You’re not really sure why you’re still awake after midnight, but you’ve long since given up on trying to solve the mystery that is your body’s biological clock. Smooth satin sheets tickle your bare legs. You groan into your pillow and push yourself up from the mattress, tossing your feet over the edge and shivering softly when they land on the cold hardwood floor.
You wrap yourself up in a thin silk robe; the hem falls only an inch or two above your knees. The rest of the house is silent as you quietly exit your room and pad across the hall. You tiptoe down the spiral staircase; a brief moment later (during which you slip on some comfortable footwear), you’re stepping out into the backyard, greeted by gentle zephyrs and temperate summer air.
As you hop down the porch steps and begin the familiar trek toward the stables, you note the blanket of stars dotting the clear night sky. They twinkle happily, winking at you as though they know something that you don’t.
You shake your head at the thought. They’re stars. Big, flaming balls of gas floating in space, stationed millions of miles away. They know nothing.
Your ears perk up as you approach your destination, struck by the low stream of words carried by the breeze.
“…lilies, and dahlias, too. They tend to bloom during the summer…”
You freeze, feet stalling in the dirt. Leaning in closer, you catch deep murmurs of a faceless voice. The stranger continues to list off different types of flowers; when a soft chuckle laces through the air, your eyes widen in disbelief.
Is that…?
Sure enough, when you creep into the stables, you find Harry standing in front of Artemis’ pen, running his fingers through her shiny mane. His back is to you, shoulder blades flexing beneath the dark button-up adorning his torso. The sleeves reach his biceps, stretching slightly whenever he lifts his arms.
“I’m sorry,” he’s saying as you inch closer, hopelessly engrossed in the pseudo-conversation. “Sugar cubes are a bit of a rarity in my home. I haven’t any others.”
A twig snaps beneath your foot. You wince.
Harry whips around, startled. Upon recognising you, he blows out a heavy breath. Tension leaks from his body, and twin pink spots form on his cheeks. You stare at the blush colouring his face, mesmerized—you’ve never seen him look so dumbfounded.
“Er—,” you say. You raise your hand in an awkward, half-hearted wave. “Hello.”
“Hello,” he replies.
A beat of silence ensues.
“What are you…?” you trail off, trying to keep your voice level. “Were you just—?”
“Yes,” he says quickly. A sheepish chuckle tumbles off his tongue. “I....I understand it, now. Talking to one’s horse is rather soothing.”
“She’s not yours, though.” Your response is blunt, unfeeling.
Harry’s nostrils flare, and his feet scuff against the ground. Now that he’s facing you, you’re able to get a better look at him. A white undershirt peeks out from beneath his button-up, leaving his collarbones exposed. A gold chain glints around his neck, illuminated under the dim light. He’s wearing brown trousers and those same black boots, but you think that he may have polished them, finally, because they’re considerably tidier than before.
“She’s not,” Harry agrees, swallowing nervously. “My sincerest apologies. I can see that I’ve crossed a line—”
You can’t stifle the giggle that bubbles up in your throat. Harry hesitates, fixing you with a bewildered expression. At last, you shoot him a small smile, shaking your head and waving away his regrets.
“I’m only teasing,” you say, chewing on the inside of your cheek. “Breathe, Harry.”
He exhales raggedly, ruffling the curls at the back of his head. “Jesus. You frightened me.”
“Good. Perhaps you’ve finally learned your lesson, then.”
“My lesson?” he echoes, cocking his head to the side. “And what exactly would that be?”
“To avoid sneaking up on others at night,” you say. “Especially if they’re in the midst of conversing with their horse. It’s a very private exchange, you know—endless confessions have been made under this roof.”
Harry laughs.
“I think I’ve supplied my fair share of confessions, tonight,” he says, shrugging nonchalantly. “I can leave you to do the same.”
“No,” you blurt out. “Wait.”
He pauses, shocked by your immediate refutation. You purse your lips as hot shame unfurls in your chest.
“I just meant,” you start, hastening to make amends, “you can stay, if you’d like. Besides—” You shrug. “It’s far more pleasant talking to someone who can actually talk back.”
~*~
“Harry. No.”
“Yes.”
“No. I can’t.”
“Yes, you can. And I’ll be right next to you. I won’t leave your side.”
You gnaw apprehensively on your bottom lip as he frees Artemis from her pen. She trots out and whinnies softly, tossing her head to the side. He shushes her, dragging a comforting palm over her back. You step closer, mirroring his movements and glaring at him with terse, squinted eyes.
“We’ll go slowly,” he says, fixing you with an earnest look. “A few steps at a time. That doesn’t sound too daunting, does it?”
After a long, overwrought moment, you surrender.
“Very well,” you say. You point at him accusatorily, extending your arm over Artemis’ body. “But as soon as I want to stop, we stop. Promise me.”
“I promise.”
Harry leans forward, bumping the pad of your finger with the tip of his nose. The contact makes you gasp. He pauses as well, having realised the implications of the thoughtless action. You swallow heavily; he clears his throat and averts his gaze.
“I’ll get the saddle,” he says.
His heel scrapes loudly against the dry dirt when he turns; you watch as he marches toward the pair of brown saddles hanging on the wooden wall. With a mighty groan, he heaves one from its rusted, metal hook, gathering the leather in his arms before making his way back over to you.
“Thank you,” you murmur shyly.
“You’re very welcome.”
You migrate to the side, petting Artemis’ mane as Harry slips the saddle onto her back. She huffs; you coo at her, holding her face in your hands to keep her calm. Harry spends the next several seconds strapping everything in place. After he’s finished, he gives a gentle tug, ensuring that you won’t slide and fall to the ground once you’re ready to mount.
“All set,” he says, squaring his shoulders.
You glance over at him with wide, frightened eyes. When he meets your gaze, his stoic expression melts into a pool of concern.
“Don’t be afraid,” he says, stepping closer to you.
“I—” Your throat burns. “I haven’t ridden in three years, Harry.”
“I know,” he says solemnly. He offers you his left hand. “Do you trust me?”
Your response is immediate. “I do.”
“Good.” The corners of his lips curl upward. His tone is unreservedly honest when he speaks again. “I won’t let anything happen to you, miss; I swear it.”
You slide your palm against his. A sharp tingle races up your arm, sending your heartbeat into a frenzy. You fight to keep your breathing even as Harry pulls you closer, positioning you in front of him and placing his fingers on your waist.
“Ready?” he murmurs. His breath is hot against the shell of your ear.
You nod.
He grunts as he lifts you. You kick out one leg, slinging it over Artemis’ back and pulling yourself up. Once you’ve settled into a comfortable position, you peer down at him, shoulders taut and ankles locked.
“Breathe,” Harry reminds you. He leads by example, inhaling deeply; you imitate him, trying to ignore the thin sheen of sweat gathered at the nape of your neck.
“What do I do, now?” you ask after a thin stretch of silence.
He chuckles good-naturedly, cocking one eyebrow. “You’ve forgotten?”
“No,” you say indignantly, frowning. “I just—”
You break off when he takes your hands and guides them forward. Your fingers wrap around the reins dangling from Artemis’ neck. You fist the leather firmly, swallowing down the hard lump in your throat. Harry’s nostrils flare as he retracts his arms. You’re fascinated by the way his tongue darts out of his mouth, swiping over his sunburnt lips.
“A few steps at a time,” he says, repeating his former words.
You nod, blowing out a shaky exhale. Gently, you dig your heels into Artemis’ belly and click your teeth. She snorts and takes a step forward; the air is swiftly knocked from your lungs.
“I’m right here,” Harry pipes up. He lays one palm against the back of the saddle, keeping pace. “I won’t let you fall.”
Gradually, you make it out of the stables. The distance can’t be more than fifteen or twenty feet, but it’s a start. You tug softly on the reins, and Artemis stops abruptly. The sudden pause has you lurching forward in your seat. You squeak; quicker than a lightning strike, Harry is there. His hand settles on the small of your back, keeping you steady.
You look down at him, and your gazes lock. Jade eyes gleam beneath the lustrous night sky. His attention falls lower, and only then do you realise that the hem of your robe has ridden up your leg. Most of your thigh is exposed—smooth skin on total display, mere inches from his face. You release an inaudible gasp, shifting your hips to the side so that the silk slips back down.
A muscle in Harry’s jaw twitches enticingly. He removes his touch from your back and turns away.
“Beautiful evening,” he says stiffly, peering up at the stars. “Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Yes,” you whisper. You clear your throat. “I’d like to dismount, now. Would you mind?”
He shakes his head and hums. “Not at all. Hold onto me.”
You place your hands on his shoulders, and he curls his fingertips into your waist. Wordlessly, he lifts you from Artemis’ back. You yelp when your ankle snags on one of the saddle’s leather straps. He stumbles backward, wrapping his arms tightly around your midsection and grunting in surprise. When you eventually regain your footing, your eyes widen at the compromising nature of your position.
Harry is clutching you against his torso, his face buried in your neck. Warm puffs of air leave his lips and coat the column of your throat; the sensation sends shivers down your spine. Your nails dig into his shoulder blades, chest heaving with difficult, onerous breaths.
It’s a stance that should only be shared between lovers, you think. Between a husband and his wife.
Harry is not your husband.
And you are not his wife.
The two of you break apart almost immediately, choking on hasty, half-formed sentences.
“My apologies, miss—”
“No, you needn’t—I should have been more cautious—”
“It’s late; you must be spent—”
“I’m not ready to leave.”
Harry freezes, his jaw agape. Several seconds elapse before he can find it in himself to muster a reply.
“I beg your pardon?” He’s breathless, swept away by your confession.
You shift awkwardly.
“I’m not ready to leave,” you repeat. You clasp your hands behind your back and fix him with an even stare. You hope that he can’t hear the slight quiver at the base of your declaration. “I—I wish to spend more time with you.”
He blinks. “With me?”
You nod. “With you.”
“What…?” He hesitates. “What would you like to do?”
You shrug. “Anything.”
Harry puckers his lips, lost in thought. After a prolonged moment of deliberation, his features light up. “I know a place.”
“‘A place’?” you parrot, brows knitting together.
“A place,” he confirms. “You trust me, do you not?”
“You already know the answer to that question,” you say, scoffing quietly. “I believe I’ve made myself abundantly clear.”
He chuckles. You tug on the sleeves of your robe and grate your slippers into the dirt. Harry watches you with careful eyes.
“Do it now, then,” he says, nodding encouragingly. He holds out his hand once more, beckoning you closer. “Trust me, now.”
You chew on your bottom lip, gracing him with a curt bob of your head. Artemis huffs as you wrap her reins around your wrist and slide your fingers against Harry’s palm. He pats your knuckles gently, guiding them to the crook of his elbow.
“Shall we?” he asks. It’s impossible to read the emotion in his voice.
Your response of endorsement is meek. Gone is the confident woman from a minute ago: the one who stated what she wanted without a second thought. She slips through your grasp easily, disintegrating into a pile of dust and leaving nothing behind.
“We shall,” you choke out.
Harry’s lips twitch with the ghost of a smile, and Artemis’ hooves clunk against the ground as he leads you off into the night.
~*~
“This is so…”
“Nice, isn’t it?”
“‘Nice’?” You spin on your heel slowly, taking in your surroundings. “It’s incredible.”
The water trickling through the creek is crystal clear. A few shiny rocks peek out from the shallow stream, gleaming in the moonlight. You peer up at the stars—hundreds of diamonds, perfectly visible thanks to the large gap of the clearing. Crickets chirp along the edges of the bushes, and yellow-green fireflies ride the breeze.
“How did you find this place?” you breathe.
“It may sound foolish—,” Harry begins. He holds one hand out; you transfer Artemis’ reins into his palm. “—but I can’t remember.”
“Really?” you ask, stunned. You trail after him as he leads your horse to a nearby tree. He loops her leather harnesses around a thick branch, tying a proficient knot and giving it a few experimental tugs. Your gaze remains glued to his hands: the way his fingers work deftly, the way his knuckles flex with each pull—
“Really,” he says. A soft sigh tumbles from his mouth as he steps back. “Come with me.”
You follow him to the middle of the clearing, trying to anticipate his next move. What you don’t expect, however, is for him to drop to his knees. He falls backward, spine meeting the grass with a faint thump. You gasp, staring down at him with wide eyes and parted lips.
“Don’t be afraid,” Harry hums, shooting you a playful smirk. He crosses his arms behind his head—you try to avoid staring at the prominent bulge of his biceps. “The weeds won’t bite.”
“O—Oh,” you stammer, nodding quickly. “Alright, then.”
Daintily, you lower yourself to the ground. He watches you with an amused expression on his face.
“What?” you say, pouting.
“Nothing.” He snickers quietly. You tuck your ankles beneath your thighs as he turns to the side, propping his head up with one hand. “Correct me if I’m wrong, miss, but…I presume that you don’t often make it a point to lay in the grass.”
“That would be an accurate presumption,” you say, laughing softly. Harry smiles.
“You should spend more time outside,” he says absentmindedly. “You’re always cooped up in the house.”
You cock one eyebrow teasingly. “Do you wish to see more of me, Harry?”
“Absolutely not,” he replies, humour evident in his tone. “I am simply trying to instill some sense of adventure into your life.”
The corners of your lips kink upward. In a matter of seconds, however, your delight melts away, replaced by a somberness that you can’t seem to shake.
“I was far more adventurous before the accident,” you murmur, dropping your gaze. You reach out, fiddling with a few blades of grass in an attempt to avoid Harry’s doleful eyes. “Now, I…I’m afraid of everything, it seems.”
Silence hangs in the air between you, filled only by the steady symphony of chirping crickets.
“If I may ask—,” Harry starts, shifting closer. “—what happened?”
You swallow down the lump in your throat. “Artemis shoved me off.”
“She did?”
“It wasn’t her fault!” you say quickly, holding up one hand. “She got spooked, I suppose. And I wasn’t expecting it, so…I fell.”
“What frightened her?” he asks, anxious creases digging into his forehead.
You shrug. “I don’t know. But since then, I’ve been uneasy about riding. If I’m oblivious to what alarmed her the first time, who’s to say that it won’t happen again?”
He nods. “I understand.”
You sigh, plucking a piece of grass from the dirt and twirling it between your fingers. “I wish I could be more like Drew,” you hum distantly. “Someone who throws themselves into their trauma instead of shying away from it.”
Harry’s brows knit together in confusion. “What do you mean?”
You frown. “He—he never told you?”
He shakes his head. “I haven’t a clue. What is it exactly that you’re referring—?”
“Our parents,” you say softly.
Harry’s mouth clamps shut. He inhales deeply, gracing you with a curt nod. You take his silence as an invitation to elaborate.
“They perished in a car accident,” you murmur, looking away. “My father was head of Markham Motors, at the time. He had overlooked a flaw in the latest model, and when they finally took the vehicle out for a drive, it—”
You break off, unable to continue.
Harry reaches forward, covering one of your hands with his. A puff of stale air catches in your throat. You glance down at him timidly, hoping that he can’t identify the flustered distress on your face.
“I’m so sorry,” he tells you, squeezing your fingers tenderly. “That must’ve been awful.”
You exhale shakily. “It was.”
For the next few minutes, the two of you say nothing else. Instead, you melt into your surroundings—the grass brushing your legs, the slow trickle of water in the creek, the dim buzz of fireflies drifting in the wind. At the edge of the clearing, Artemis snorts, lowers her head, and begins to graze.
At last, you decide to break through the stillness.
“Enough about my family,” you say. You recoil, subtly pulling your hand away. Harry is far too distracting. You’re afraid that if he touches you one more time, tonight, your poor heart will give out. “What about you?”
“What about me?” he replies. He settles back into his previous position: spine pressed flush against the ground, arms tucked coolly beneath his head.
“How are you?” you say. “How is your sister, in Paris?”
He peers up at you with raised eyebrows, impressed. “You remembered?”
“Is there a particular reason as to why I shouldn’t?”
Harry chuckles. “No, I suppose not.”
“Well, go on, then.” You rest your chin on your palm. “What is she like?”
“You’re a bossy little thing, aren’t you?”
You scowl. “Harry.”
“Right, right.” He sighs, smiling fondly up at the sky. “She’s…she’s lovely, really. She just got engaged, as a matter of fact. I haven’t met her fiancé, but he’s stellar, based on how she describes him in her letters.”
“That’s wonderful,” you say. Your gaze drifts longingly over the bridge of his nose. “Send her my blessings, will you?”
He glances at you out of the corner of his eye, mouth twisting in a roguish smirk. “I reckon she’d find that a bit odd—the two of you have never met.”
“Oh.” You purse your lips, bashful. “Perhaps you’re right.”
Harry laughs; you’re captivated by the dimples embossed into his cheeks.
“I’m only joking,” he tells you, waving away your concerns. “She’ll appreciate that very much. I’m sure of it.”
You don’t reply. Silence hangs in the air, thick and heavy, until his next words slice through the tension like a knife.
“She and I used to do this almost every night,” he murmurs.
“Do what?”
“Come outside,” he says, shrugging. “Lay on the ground. Stare up at the stars.” His irises glaze over with a forlorn look. “We always raced to see who could find the greatest number of constellations.”
“Really?” You don’t know why you’re so taken aback by his confession.
He nods. “Really.”
“Have you found any, tonight?”
He smiles. “Why don’t you come down here and see for yourself?”
The soil is surprisingly comfortable. You join him, resting your back against the grass and gazing up at the night sky. It’s an endless tapestry of diamonds—sparkling, infinite, beautiful. Your chest swells with a deep, relaxed breath as it all sinks in.
“Anything?” Harry asks expectantly.
You squint. After a long moment, a dejected sigh falls from your lips. “No. I’m not very good at this.”
He laughs. You watch, enthralled, as he lifts one hand and points to your left, singling out a curved cluster of stars.
“See these ones, over here? Shaped a bit like a hook? That’s Scorpius.”
“‘Scorpius’?”
“It means ‘scorpion’ in Latin,” Harry explains. “Scorpius was sent by the gods to kill Orion. He was then placed in the sky to advise mortals against the perils of vanity and pride.”
Vanity and pride.
Vanity and pride.
You bite your lip and turn to the side, tucking a palm under your cheek. The action draws Harry’s attention; he does a double take, stunned by the sudden, close proximity of your bodies. His mouth quirks up into a coy smile as he mimics your position, brows furrowed in diluted mystification.
“What is it?” he asks.
You shift, swallowing heavily.
“I’m afraid that I’ve been unfair to you,” you say softly, gazing straight into his eyes. “I—I’ve misjudged you terribly, and for that, I must apologise. I was a fool.”
“You needn’t—,” he starts, but you press on.
“You are kind,” you say, voice thick with emotion. “You are intelligent, and clever, and you have more class in a single finger than most men have in their entire bodies.”
“Miss—”
“I was wrong about you, and I regret allowing my biases to blind me in such an atrocious manner. Can you ever forgive—oomph!”
Harry’s kiss is passionate, bruising. You stiffen, muscles locking in astonishment. One of his hands rests on the ground, providing balance; the other is on your arm, calloused thumb stroking your skin through the thin silk of your robe. You’re frozen, unable to react, because his lips are on yours, and he’s touching your body, and you’re nearly certain that you’ve died and entered the afterlife.
When Harry pulls away after a few short seconds, he’s stupidly sheepish. His eyelashes flutter open, and his stare immediately floods with remorse.
“I—forgive me,” he stammers, tripping over the words. “That was deplorable. I should have asked—”
Roughly, you grab his face between your palms. His cheeks are soft and smooth, jawline dotted with the faintest hint of stubble. The two of you exchange a look—electric, charged, thrilling. A single, critical moment ensues, during which a distinct quote emerges from the deep recesses of your mind.
A girl likes to be crossed a little in love now and then. It is something to think of. 
The words echo in your head as you abandon all semblance of common sense, yanking Harry in by the collar of his shirt and kissing him again.
      July 14th, 1923
“Quickly! We haven’t got all day!”
“Patience!” you call from the top of the stairs. You guide one last strand of hair into place before hurrying down the flight.
Lydia is waiting for you on the main floor. You set your hands on your hips and fix her with a stern glare, huffing at her eagerness. She sticks her tongue out at you. When you open your mouth to admonish her, she whips around and scurries through the large double doors, disappearing into the backyard.
Upon stepping outside, you find Martin and Andrew already sat on the patio. Lydia settles into one of the chairs around the table, smiling brightly and beckoning you over.
“There you are,” Drew says as you approach. “Beth should be out with dinner any minute now.”
“Do you know what she’s prepared?” you ask, tucking yourself into your seat.
Andrew shrugs and emits a noncommittal sound, clueless.
“Very well,” you sigh, casting a shallow glance across the table. “Good evening, Mister Russell,” you say, tipping your chin in Martin’s direction.
“Good evening.” He beams, tugging on the lapels of his yellow blazer. “Haven’t seen you all day—where have you been hiding?”
You cluck your tongue, tugging nervously at the hem of your dress. “I hardly think it fair for a woman to disclose her spaces of refuge.”
“Stop being so cryptic!” Lydia laughs. She turns to Martin, declaring matter-of-factly, “She was locked up in the library. It’s her favourite room in the entire house.”
Martin hums, diverting his gaze back to you. The expression on his face is indecipherable. “You read?”
You nod. “I do.”
A subtle movement in the periphery of your vision catches your attention. You turn your head to the side, and your heart nearly stops when you spot Harry making his way across the lawn. It appears as though he’s done for the evening, hands caked in grime and shirt speckled with dirt. He steps onto the dusty trail leading into the woods, beginning his journey home.
You haven’t spoken to him since last night—since he kissed you, and then you kissed him, and then the two of you kissed each other until you ran out of air to breathe. He led Artemis to the stables and walked you back to the house just as dawn broke, lighting up the sky with faint hues of pink and blue. You remember sharing a final embrace at the base of the steps before bidding him goodbye, flashing a smile and disappearing inside without another word.
“Would you excuse me?” you say, pushing away from the table and scrambling up out of your seat. “I just—I need to ask Harry about the lilies that he planted yesterday—I’ll only be a moment.”
You scamper off without waiting for a response.
“Harry? Harry!”
He pauses at the call of his name, turning around gingerly. When he spies you hurrying over, his eyes immediately drop to the ground.
You stop in front of him, tilting your head to the side. “Hello.”
“Hello, miss.” He doesn’t lift his gaze. The realisation makes you frown.
“How—how are you?” you ask, licking your lips and clasping your hands behind your back.
“I’m well, thank you. And yourself?”
“I—” Your nostrils flare. “I’m alright. I saw you walking home, and I just wanted to—”
“Forgive me.” Harry cuts you off swiftly. He refuses to look at you, still. “I’m weary. It’s been a long day.”
You recoil slightly, stunned by his candour.
“Of course,” you splutter, nodding. “We were both up quite late last night; time evaded us, I suppose—”
“So, you understand,” he says, stepping back. “I appreciate it. Thank you.”
You open your mouth to stop him, but your voice betrays you. Your chest grows tight when he lifts two fingers to his temple, offering up a half-hearted salute.
“Harry—”
He finally meets your gaze, and something inside of you breaks. His eyes are dull and gloomy, revealing nothing. You want to rush forward, to take his face in your hands and hold him close. To run your nails through his hair and smother him in a flurry of hard, worried kisses. To ask him why he’s acting this way. He had been so happy last night—what changed?
But the others are watching from the patio, and you’re a goddamned coward, and you can’t, you can’t, you can’t.
“Enjoy your dinner, miss,” Harry says. His tone is emotionless—it makes you want to cry. “Take care.”
~*~
PART III: The Month
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leejungchans · 3 years
Text
— delicacy.
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juliet’s masterlist
note: words in bold are spoken in english
set in late april, 2021
summary: in which juliet makes lets dino try an australian delicacy for the first time.
a/n: idk where this idea came from but i’m not regretting it one bit bc i think this came out pretty cute 👉👈 also this gif 💔 god i’m not your strongest soldier
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“Wait, how many of them are home?”
Juliet’s hand, outstretched and holding the key to their dorms, pauses as she turns to look at Chan, noting how he has gotten even more nervous since they got into the elevator.
“Not all, some of them are still at the company,” she reassures. With her free hand, she reaches for one of his, though it’s not easy with the bags of takeout he’s holding. “Besides, you’re our senior! If anyone should be nervous, it’s them,” she jokes.
“Wrong,” Chan says sulkily as she turns away briefly to unlock the front door. “When we’re at work, then maybe. But now I’m your boyfriend, not their senior, so it’s different.”
“You’re right,” Juliet agrees, as they step in and remove their shoes. She looks around the common space to find it empty. “But they like you a lot already, so there’s no need to worry. See? No one’s here—”
As if on cue, they hear one of the bedroom doors open, and Yunho walks into the living room seconds later. “Oh, hi!” he says cheerfully when he sees Juliet and Chan by the front door. “Just make yourself at home!”
“Where are you going?” Juliet asks, setting the takeout bags on the kitchen counter while she watches him put on his sneakers. Next to her, Chan takes off his mask before washing his hands at the sink.
“They sent me to go get food.”
“Who’s ‘they’?”
“Yeosangie, Wooyoungie and Jongho.”
“Why not just choose the delivery option?”
Yunho smiles bashfully. “Because we’re idiots and forgot.”
This earns a small snort from Juliet. “Okay, fair enough. Be safe!” she calls out as Yunho heads out with a wave. She turns back to Chan with a grin. “See? That wasn’t so bad, right?”
“Yeah... just seven more to go. Then again, you had to meet all twelve of them at once,” he says with a small smile, referring to his own members. “So it can’t be worse than that.”
“That’s the spirit!” she cheers, beaming at him before she grabs the bags and moves them to the dining table.
Juliet is in the middle of laying out all the takeout boxes when she hears him ask, “Uh... what’s this?”
She turns around to see Chan fiddling with the iconic yellow jar as he attempts to read the English labels. “Vegemite. Have you had it before?”
“It’s the Australian spread, right?” Juliet nods. “I think I’ve seen it before when we were on tour in Australia years ago, but I didn’t try it.”
“Do you want to?”
What was Chan supposed to do? Say no to those eyes? When they’re now ten times more sparkly?
He watches adoringly as she eagerly grabs two slices of bread from the counter and practically skips over to the toaster, popping the bread in before leaning over the machine in favour of glaring at it intensely. 
“Is that gonna make them toast quicker?”
“Oh, shush,” she says, rolling her eyes at his teasing. “Come over and help me.”
“Help you... watch the toaster?” He’s already behind her despite the skepticism in his tone, arms wrapping securely around her waist and chin coming down to rest on her shoulder.
The two stand in comfortable silence for several moments as they continue to gaze at the machine. Nothing happens other than the smell of toasted bread beginning to waft through the air.
“Still think staring at it makes it work faster?”
Juliet makes a tiny humph sound. “This toaster is an exception.”
“Mhm, sure,” Chan mumbles against the fabric of her sweater, “whatever you say.”
She cranes her neck to throw him a halfhearted glare. “You can go get the butter from the fridge if you’re so impatient.”
“No, I like it here.”
“Then don’t—shit!” Juliet yelps, flinching in his hold when the toast suddenly pops up with a loud clunk. Her cheeks flush pink when Chan starts laughing, and she wriggles out of his arms to grab a butter knife. “Stop laughing at me!” she whines, throwing open the refrigerator doors in search of the butter.
“Sorry, you’re just adorable,” he says, putting the toast on a plate before following her to the dining table.
Juliet shakes her head in mock exasperation at him, spreading a thin layer of butter onto both slices before doing the same with the vegemite when at that exact moment, Yeosang and Wooyoung walk by them.
The former wrinkles his nose when he notices what she’s doing. “Your boyfriend comes over for the first time and you’re giving him... vegemite?” he teases.
“What is that supposed to mean, Kang Yeosang? Also, we’re obviously not having vegemite toast for dinner,” Juliet defends, gesturing to the food on the table. “We bought takeout. I’m just letting him try it.”
Wooyoung snorts. “Blink twice if you need help.”
Chan glances at Juliet, now slightly concerned. “Is it really that bad?”
Yeosang grabs a bottle of juice from the fridge and pours some into a cup. “It’s the only food in the house that no one other than her touches, and we literally eat everything else. Do what you will with that information.”
She gasps, scandalised. “Excuse me, Seonghwa-oppa said he likes it!”
“Trust me,” Wooyoung interjects playfully, “he wouldn’t be saying the same if any other one of us offered it to him. He only said it because it’s you.”
“Whatever, I’m not standing for this vegemite slander,” Juliet huffs, shooing the two boys away. “Enjoy having no taste.”
Wooyoung flicks her forehead lightly before pulling Yeosang along with him, nearly causing the older boy to spill his drink. “Have fun, lovebirds!” he yells over his shoulder. “But not too much fun!”
Juliet turns back to Chan with an unimpressed expression. “You see what I have to put up with?”
He grins in response. “Maknae struggles.”
“Maknae struggles,” she agrees, holding a piece of the toast to his lips. “Well, bon appétit.”
Somewhat warily, Chan takes a bite and proceeds to chew slowly, trying to make sense of the unfamiliar taste. Juliet peers at his expression in an attempt to gauge what he’s thinking.
He swallows. “It’s good.”
“Liar,” Juliet says affectionately. “You don’t like it, do you?”
He grins sheepishly. “Okay, you got me. Not that it’s disgusting, it’s just... not bad... but not good.”
“You’re so cute,” she says, pinching his cheek gently. “You don’t have to finish it, by the way, I’ll eat it later after we finish our food.” Then she remembers something. “Wait, I have something for you in my room.”
“You can just grab it after dinner.”
But she’s already out of her seat and halfway down the hall. “No, I’ll forget later! I’ll be back in a few seconds!”
A few seconds turns into minutes as she rummages through her overflowing closet whilst grumbling to herself, the fact that she left Chan defenceless in the living room completely slipping her mind. She’s not a disorganised person, especially when it comes to her clothes and closet organisation, so she blames their hectic schedule for its current state.
Eventually, she finds his lavender hoodie squished between two of her own, and heads back to the dining room when she sees—
“Choi Jongho, what are you doing?”
He turns away from Chan to smile at her innocently, wholly unaffected by her narrowed eyes. “Nothing.”
“That didn’t look like nothing.”
“Oh, would you look at the time,” Jongho says, looking down at the imaginary watch on his wrist. “I gotta go feed my pet fish. See you!” And with that, he disappears back into his room as quickly as he had appeared.
They don’t have a pet fish.
Sighing, Juliet sits back down next to Chan. “Sorry about that, is everything okay?”
“Yeah, don’t worry,” he reassures with a soft smile. “He was very sweet, though he did give me a friendly reminder to never hurt you. But I don’t mind, it just shows that he cares about you a lot.”
She returns the smile. “Yeah... he does. They all do. By the way, here’s the hoodie I borrowed from you last time,” she says, holding out the folded garment. “It’s washed and everything.”
Chan grins, setting it down on a spare chair. “Honestly, I didn’t expect to see it again when I gave it to you.”
“Excuse you, I’m not a thief! But... does this mean I can have it?”
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a/n: okay so a few years ago i went on a study tour to australia and the host family my friend and i were staying with let us try some and we both thought it was pretty good ahjshwjs 🤩
i hope you guys like the fluff in this update bc this is the calm before the storm hehehe 👉👈 anyways gn besties lemme know what you think of this 🥺💗 thank you for reading and i hope you’re doing well!!
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sisterspooky1013 · 3 years
Text
Only One Choice, Chapter 3
Read it here on AO3 / Tagging @today-in-fic
A week passes, and her interaction with Agent Mulder fades into the recesses of her memory. She files it away under “times a cute guy hit on me,” alongside overly friendly waiters and optimistic students.
She and Ethan’s anniversary is coming up next week and she’s been grappling with the best gift to get him; something practical or indulgent? He is a prolifically thoughtful gift-giver and she feels pressure on each special occasion to select the perfect thing to give him, though the pressure comes only from herself. She’s contemplating this as she finishes up an autopsy, replacing the organs in the chest cavity and suturing up the Y-incision.
“Dana,” the pathologist about to come on shift calls out to her, “someone is asking for you.”
“I’ll just be about ten minutes, Trudy. Who is it?” she returns, gently settling the young woman’s liver back into her body.
Trudy shrugs. “Tall guy in a suit, cute, dark hair.”
She feels a flutter in her belly and then immediately chastises herself.
“Tell him I’ll be right there, please.”
She apologizes internally to the decedent as she rushes through the final steps, not taking quite as much care as she typically does.
After scrubbing her hands and fixing her hair, she steps into the hallway to find Agent Mulder sitting on a bench. His back is against the wall, his long legs crossed casually as he studies the art hung opposite him. He looks so composed and confident it unnerves her.
“Agent Mulder, what can I do for you?” she asks, forcing confidence she does not feel into her own voice.
The smile that lights up his face when he turns to look at her makes her flush, and she can feel the heat in her cheeks. Being unable to hide her emotional response behind her fair complexion has always been something she resents.
“Scully, good to see you. I wanted to follow up on the Dugan case, you said you were interested in understanding the motivation behind your autopsy findings,” he says as he stands and walks towards her, his tall frame looming above her such that she has to look up at his face. He stands close enough that she can smell his aftershave and see the stubble coming in on his cheeks.
“Oh, yes, I was curious about that,” she replies, taking a deep breath to steady her nerves. Why does this man make her so nervous?
“If you’d like, you can meet with the lead behavioral analyst on the case. They can tell you how they drew parallels between the wound pattern you observed and the perpetrator profile,” he offers, a slight tilt to his head as his green eyes jump around her face as though he’s trying to commit it to memory.
“That would be great, thank you. You really didn’t have to do that,” she replies self-consciously, feeling as though she asked for something she shouldn’t have, even though she’d never requested this.
“Do you have time today?” he asks, lifting his wrist to glance at his watch. She knows it’s just past 4 pm.
“Um, yes, actually, I’m done with classes for the day and that was my last autopsy. I was just going to do paperwork for a bit, but I can defer it until tomorrow.”
A small smirk flashes on his mouth, but quickly disappears.
“Alright, why don’t you meet them at that cafe you mentioned in, say, thirty minutes?” he asks.
“Okay, that should work,” she replies, “what’s their name, so I can find them?” She should have just about enough time to change and get there by 4:30.
His eyebrows lift as though he just realized he forgot something, and he pauses before continuing.
“Uh, Fox. His name is Fox. I’ll describe you to him, he’ll find you.”
“Fox?” she asks dubiously, “is that a real name?”
He purses his lips. “Sadly, yes.”
“Alright, well, thank you, Agent Mulder. It was, um...it was good to see you again.” She extends her hand with her chin held high, trying to portray an air of professionalism and not one of a girl with a crush, which is how he makes her feel.
He takes her hand and smiles at her warmly, a little something coy behind his eyes.
“Likewise. I hope to see you again very soon,” he says confidently, and she feels her belly tumble yet again.
——————————————————————————
He stands in the hallway until Scully disappears into the staff locker room, then books it over to Cafe Adamo to get a quiet table in the corner. He’s not sure exactly what he’s after here; she has a boyfriend after all. He just hasn’t been able to get her out of his head all week. When the lead analyst on the Dugan case had a family emergency and needed to take leave, he jumped at the opportunity to take over the case, getting a little thrill from reading over her report and incorporating it into his profile. It felt as though they were creating something together.
He watches the clock, a pit in his belly as he wonders how she’ll react to learning that he tricked her into having coffee with him. He barely knows her, but gets the sense that she doesn’t take shit from anyone. That is, in fact, what draws him to her. Well, that and those plush pink lips. He hasn’t been this affected by anyone since he and Valerie split.
When the door swings open and she steps through in fitted jeans and a black T-shirt, he feels a wave of nausea. She’s even more beautiful in street clothes than she was in scrubs, her tiny waist curving up into a modest bustline. She scans the room and when her eyes fall on him, she quirks her head to the side and her eyebrows knit in confusion. His heart starts to pound and he stays glued to his seat, watching her traverse the room until she reaches him and gives him an expectant look.
He holds out his hand. “Fox Mulder,” he says with a guilty smile, and she lifts her chin before tucking it to her chest, taking his hand with a pensive expression.
“I see,” she says, her tone skeptical. It’s clear that she is unsure of his intentions.
“I am the lead behavioral analyst on this case, for the record. I am now, anyway,” he offers, and watches her doubt deepen. What the hell did he think was going to happen, catfishing an unavailable woman into a date? “Will you sit?” he asks hopefully, and she does, though he can tell by her posture that she is one wrong move away from fleeing the scene.
Someone comes by and takes their coffee order, and he sets his profile on the table, getting right to the reason he asked her here lest she think he’s completely full of shit.
“You noted that the victim was stabbed repeatedly in the exact same location, giving the appearance of one wound,” he explains, “we’ve seen something similar with the other victims, and at this time my theory is that the perp lost someone close to them in this manner, perhaps a family member or parent. I believe they’re re-creating the injury that killed their loved one, though because these crimes are so rage-fueled they feel compelled to injure the victim more extensively than just the one wound. The repeated stabbing in the same location provides an outlet for that rage while preserving the one-wound injury that is the cause of death.”
She reads over his profile with interest, nodding along as he speaks. “That’s very interesting,” she says, lifting her head to look at him, and he feels a swell of pride at her praise. “You had to trick me into getting coffee with you to tell me that?” she adds flatly, and now it’s him who is blushing.
She smiles victoriously at having made him uncomfortable, a bright, dazzling, toothy smile, and he’s overwhelmed by how attracted he is to her. He opens his mouth to speak, but closes it again and just shrugs.
Their coffee is delivered and he watches intently as she licks at the foam on her cappuccino. Her blue irises dart up to meet his and he startles at having been caught, picking up his own cup and taking a big gulp that burns the roof of his mouth.
“Your name sounds very familiar,” she begins, “why do I feel like I’ve heard it before?”
“Uh, I had a bit of a reputation at one time,” he says with a regretful tone. “Are you familiar with the X files?”
Her eyebrows lift in surprise. “Spooky Mulder,” she says with realization, “that’s where I’ve heard your name.”
He grimaces. “Not my favorite nickname, but yes, guilty as charged.”
“But you’re in the BSU now? Not on the X files anymore? I’m surprised I’ve never seen you around Quantico,” she remarks, and he can see her relaxing a bit.
“No, the X files division was shut down a couple years ago. I was in the BSU before I reopened the X files, and transferred back after I was reassigned. I’m part of a small BSU team that works out of the Hoover building, so I’m not down here all that often these days.”
“Why was the X files division shut down?” she asks before licking more foam from the rim of her mug, and he shifts in his seat.
“Well, how much time do you have?” he asks with a shy smile, “it’s a long story.”
She returns his smile. “Not that much time. So you’re into aliens and all that paranormal stuff?”
“Well, let me ask you this, Scully,” he says, leaning in, “do you believe in the existence of extraterrestrials?”
She gives him an incredulous look, but answers. “Logically, I’d have to say no.” He nods and sits back, but she continues. “Given the distances needed to travel from the far reaches of space, the energy requirements would exceed a spacecraft’s capabilities…”
“Conventional wisdom,” he interrupts, “I just happen to disagree with it.”
“On what basis?” she asks, curious but not derisive, which is what he’s used to getting in response to his theories.
“If you’d seen what I’ve seen, Scully, you’d understand why I believe in such extreme possibilities.”
She tilts her head expectantly. “Do tell, Agent Mulder. Or should I call you Fox?” she asks with a haughty tone, though a playful one, and he blushes again.
“Please, it’s just Mulder. I even make my parents call me Mulder. I’m sure you can understand why with a first name like Fox.” She makes a face that says she can’t argue with that, and he continues. “I’ve seen things, Scully, things that defy all logic and can’t be explained by the laws of science. Repeat abductees, men who can stretch their bodies and travel through the slats of a heater vent, prehistoric monsters dwelling in the woods.” She’s giving him a doubtful expression, one eyebrow cocked suspiciously. He laughs a little. “I know I sound crazy, but it’s just crazy enough to be true. When convention and science offer us no answers, might we not finally turn to the fantastic as a plausibility?”
She screws up her mouth, politely suppressing the “you are certifiably nuts” expression that wants to present on her face. He’s used to it, and takes no offense.
“What I find fantastic, Mulder, is any notion that there are answers beyond the realm of science. The answers are there, you just have to know where to look,” she says in a tone that is both playful and sincere.
He smiles at her, sure he looks like a total dope. This conversation is more intellectually stimulating than any he’s had in months.
“You should come see the X files sometime, Scully. Tell me how you make scientific sense of what you see.”
“You have them?” she asks with wide eyes.
He shrugs guiltily. “I may have acquired a few on my way out.”
Her head dips lower in disbelief. “Is that allowed?”
“No, definitely not,” he answers with a chuckle. If only she knew the extent of his flaunting of bureau policy during his time on the X files.
She smiles at him in a way that he can only interpret as openly flirtatious, an acknowledgement that she finds his insubordinate behavior a little bit enticing. As suddenly as the smile appears, it vanishes and she checks her watch.
“I’m sorry, I have to go,” she says as she stands.
“Right, you’ve got somebody waiting for you,” he says with a regretful tone.
She looks at him guiltily, then thanks him for the coffee and leaves. He sits there for a long while, staring at the door she exited through.
“Shit,” he says aloud to no one.
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Text
Movie Night, Pillow Fight [Version 2]
By: SassyShoulderAngel319
Fandom/Character(s): DC/BatFam - Jason Todd/Red Hood
Rating: PG-13/T (maybe pushing M? but there’s still nothing super explicit. this is just a lot dirtier than I usually write holy cannoli. Heavy kissing, a little bit of suggestive dialogue and narration, minor swearing?)
Original Idea: This (V1 follows this idea a lot more than this one, which I spun off of about halfway through and did my own thing)
Notes: (Masterlist)(By Character)(About Me) I didn’t think this would be as long as Version 1. I was wrong. This one is ~200 words longer, at 3,491. Version 1 here. They start the exact same but change about halfway through. I wrote both of these two over the course of 1 day by the way, and refuse to pick a favorite. @welovegroot @jason-redhood @jason-todd-squad
^^^^^
“No, Bruce,” Jason said sharply into his phone as he grabbed his motorcycle helmet. “I’ve already told you a hundred times: Tuesdays are my day off. Unless it’s a Court-of-Owls-attacking-All-Hands-On-Deck emergency, I’m not going on patrol. I’m allowed one night off per week. And I have plans. It’s weekly movie night with a friend of mine. We’ve been doing movie night since college and I refuse to disappoint her. You know why I chose Tuesdays? Because Gotham’s crime rate is lowest. You’ll be fine without me.” He hung up before Bruce could reply.
I opened the door. “You’re late,” I said.
“Yeah. I had to go to two different stores to find your popcorn because they were out at the first one,” Jason replied, letting himself in and dropping his motorcycle helmet on my couch. “Let me go change into my sweats.” He pulled his grey sweatpants out of his backpack, two microwave popcorn bags falling out.
I grabbed them. “Thanks Jay,” I said playfully.
He gave me a brief hug before stepping past me to my bathroom. “The things I do for you,” he teased with a sigh.
“Get out of those jeans. You know they aren’t allowed,” I retorted before going over to the microwave. My bathroom door shut loudly. I boosted myself onto the counter and watched the popcorn spin in the microwave.
By the time Jason emerged from the bathroom, only one bag was done. He leaned against the counter next to me, arms folded, and joined my staring.
“So what movie did you bring?” I asked. “You said in your text it was one of your favorites.”
He beamed at me. “Well, my friend, we are watching the very first ever made Frankenstein. From nineteen-thirty-one.” He fixed me with a stare as my shoulders slouched. “Don’t you start moaning in complaint. You put me through watching that awful musical last week—”
“Excuse you, Phantom of the Opera is also a classic.”
“It’s basic.”
“You’re basic.”
“Maybe so, but after going through that ordeal, you promised we could watch one of my favorites. I managed not to fall asleep last week, so it’s my turn.” He stuck his tongue out at me, then shook his head. “I really need to refine your taste in theatre. Remind me to convince Bruce to give me his season tickets to the real opera. He never uses them anyway. Doesn’t know what he’s missing out on.”
Given Bruce’s parents were shot after leaving the opera, I imagined there was some childhood trauma there. I didn’t bring it up with Jason. We didn’t talk about family besides passing comments on movie nights.
When the second bag of popcorn was finished popping and put in its own large bowl—I had quite the collection of popcorn bowls, usually given to me—we went to my room.
Ever since we’d graduated college—two years ago—we’d had movie night in my bed, rather than on the couch, like we’d done in my dorm. The bed was comfier and gave us more room to spread out. I can’t even remember who suggested it, but it was probably me one week when I was sick or something and we’d just stayed that way ever since.
I’d always hosted too. In college it was because my roommate was never there, and now Jason just liked the escape from his family. They didn’t know where I lived, so the one time he hosted and they interrupted by coming over, he and I agreed we’d just have it at my place. I liked his brothers and sister well enough, but they’d ruined that movie night. I doubted Wayne Manor movie nights ever involved any movies no one had seen before—because everyone talked and yelled at each other too much to actually pay attention to the movie.
Jason put the DVD in the player in my room. “Prepare to be wowed,” he said.
“I’m prepared, trust me,” I replied flatly.
“Heeey,” Jason’s voice said softly. “Wake up, doofus.”
I blinked my eyes open blearily. “Wha…?”
He started chuckling. “You fell asleep about halfway through.”
“Duh. It was boring. What did you expect for a casual movie fan from this century watching something from nineteen-thirty-one?”
“Well, all that means is that we get to rewatch it—from the beginning—next week!” Jason declared. I frowned. “Don’t you pout at me. Those have been the official movie night rules since our freshman year of college.”
“That’s not true,” I said, pulling out my phone. I dug deep into the Google Docs on my phone for Movie Night Rules from our freshman year of college. Six years was a long way to scroll through, but eventually I found it. I opened the doc and scanned the rules. “Oh, buzz off,” I muttered, poking Jason in the side.
“No poking!” He lurched away. Jason was selectively ticklish. Sometimes I would poke him in the side and he’d jump, other times he wouldn’t even notice I touched him. And he swapped between the two randomly.
“Why didn’t you wake me up like two minutes after I fell asleep?”
Jason pursed his lips, trying not to smile. “I thought about it. But you looked so cute—” He pinched my cheek and I was reminded of the fact that he had the personality traits of an eighty-year-old grandmother. “—with your hair all messy and your cheeks all squished that I just couldn’t.” He laughed as I batted his hand away from my face. I poked him again. “No poking!”
“Then don’t tease.”
“I have a right to tease you. Look at my shirt! You drooled all over it.”
I grabbed the hem of it and pulled it up. “Let me throw it in the wash, then.”
I expected him to smack my hand away and shove the shirt back down over his torso, but to my surprise, he helped me take it off. I’d seen him shirtless too many times to bother staring at his remarkably muscular torso. I just climbed out of my bed and went to the small closet out in the hall that held my tiny washer and dryer. I threw his shirt in the washer, dumped a bit of detergent in, and got it started before going back to my room.
“Take that off! You’ll stretch it out!” I snapped.
Jason struggled to get one of my—much smaller—T-shirts from college off. I scoffed and helped him yank it over his head before throwing one my pajama shirts at him. I wore my dad’s old T-shirts to sleep in, so it was even big on Jason. “You could have just asked for a replacement and I’d have handed you this.”
“That’s not as fun as surprising you,” he joked.
I rolled my eyes and perched back on the bed. “Fine. Next week, we rewatch Frankenstein. I won’t fall asleep. But you’re bringing snacks again.”
“Of course.”
“And don’t forget the popcorn.”
“Doofus, if I forgot the popcorn, you wouldn’t let me through the door.”
I snickered. “True enough.”
Jason leaned over to set his popcorn bowl on the bedside table closest to him. “Maybe next week we should try this on the couch. I always feel bad about getting popcorn on your sheets—and then you won’t be so comfortable that you fall asleep.”
I grabbed a pillow and whacked him in the chest. His expression turned affronted.
“Did you just initiate a pillow fight?” he demanded.
“No,” I retorted. “I got payback for you insulting me.” I whacked him again. “That was me initiating a pillow fight.” I started flinging the pillow at him again and again.
“Hey! Not fair!” Jason protested. “I’m unarmed!”
I ignored him and kept up my pillow smacking.
He laughed. “Well, if you’re going to play dirty, I will too.” He reached out as my pillow hit him again and he wrangled it from me. “A-ha! Look at that! Got your ammo. How does it feel, to be attacked by your own pillow?”
Jason started smacking me with it. I squealed and blocked him as best I could with my arms. We were both laughing as I tried to reach around him to the pillow he’d been using to brace his back against my headboard. He grabbed my wrist with one hand and hit me with the pillow using the other. “I don’t think so,” he said. “I’m not going easy on you just because you’re adorable.”
I laughed as he nearly hit me hard enough to knock me off the bed.
So, I switched tactics.
Getting inside his much longer reach was the hard part. Once I managed to duck around his arms and wrench my wrist free, I started tickling him. Tonight was a ticklish night. He squirmed away from me.
Jason yowled—and I hoped my neighbors weren’t home—in laughter. “Stop it—stop tickling!”
I didn’t. I ran my wiggling fingers up his sides and across his neck. He tried to catch my hands, but I was quick enough to evade him.
For a few moments anyway.
“No. No!” His protests didn’t work on me. “Oh you’re as bad as my brothers. Stop it—stop it.” His voice went firm, all traces of laughter gone. With one quick movement, the pillow we’d attacked each other with was discarded on the floor. He grabbed my ankles and pulled me so I was lying flat in the center of the bed.
Jason straddled my waist, trapping my lower legs with his ankles and pinning both my hands above my head on the mattress. He was breathing hard. We both were.
He smiled. “There. Not so feisty now, are you? Hands pinned above your head, lying beneath me all… helpless.” He chuckled and licked his lower lip, his smile turning both playful and wicked. “I could have… any kind of revenge I want.” He bent his elbows, lowering himself over me. My breathing grew shorter and blood roared in my ears. “I can have any…” He paused, eyes flicking from mine to where my necklace charm had fallen down one side and landed on the mattress. His eyes widened, as if he seemed to just barely realize how close we were. “This is…” His elbows straightened, pushing him higher above me. “I’m… sorry.” He started to gently pick his way off of me. “I’m gonna let you go now.”
He released his grip on my wrists. I rolled them and flexed my hands to get some feeling back into them.
He swung his leg to get off me and used it to step off the bed. “I should go,” he said breathlessly. “I’m so sorry. I’ll grab my T-shirt next week.” He strode to the door of my bedroom while I sat on the bed, dumbfounded, jaw hanging open.
As he opened the door, I bounded off the bed.
I caught him before he could reach for his stuff on my couch, grabbing his wrist. “What was that about?” I demanded. He refused to turn and look at me.
“Just… let it go,” he said, shaking his head. He tried to pull his wrist out of my hand, but I grabbed it with my other one to hold him in both.
“No! What the hell is going on with you?”
“Leave it alone,” he growled out.
“I can’t! What happened in there that made you shut down? What did I do wrong?”
He whirled. “It’s nothing to do with you. It’s me!”
“Then tell me what it is!” I shouted.
Jason grabbed me by the shoulders, wrenching out of my grip so hard my fingers ached. He spun me around and pinned me by the shoulders against my front door. A muscle worked in his jaw as he clenched it before fixing me with a crystal blue stare. “It’s just… seeing you beneath me—all flushed pink and panting, your eyes hooded and staring up at me… seeing you like that… I just felt myself fall in love with you!”
If he hadn’t pinned me against the door I probably would have fallen over from shock. My mouth definitely fell open. “Jay… I…” I breathed.
Still holding my shoulders, he spun me around so I was away from the front door and moved to shove his jeans into his backpack.
Before he could, I threw reservation to the wind.
I grabbed his shoulders, forced him to turn and face me, moved my hands to the back of his head, and pulled him down to kiss me.
Our mouths crashed together hard enough to make my front teeth ache, but I didn’t care. My heart leapt into my throat and I almost melted as his arms circled my waist, pulling me closer, so our torsos were pressed against each other. My eyelids closed as I sighed. We were both breathing hard, air from our noses warm against each other’s skin. Holding my waist in both arms, he turned and pinned my back against the door again.
“Oh, God…” Jason breathed against my lips. He kissed me again and I moaned. He reached one hand up and tangled it in my hair. He could palm the back of my skull as though it were a basketball. His fingers were warm against my scalp.
When he pulled his lips away from me, I groaned quietly in complaint.
“We—we should not be doing this,” he whispered, shaking his head. The white streak at the front of his hairline flopped back and forth with the movement. I wanted to reach my fingers up and twist that streak between them. But I didn’t.
“Why not?” I replied, just as breathless.
“We’re friends. This isn’t us.”
“You just said that you just barely fell in love with me.”
“I did. But I’m not willing to ruin the good thing we’ve had going on here for six years.” He panted, shoulders heaving up and down, as he reached up and took my hands away from his face, gently dragging them by the wrists. “You’ve been the best friend I’ve been able to keep longer than a year or two. I can’t… I can’t just… this isn’t about what I want.”
“I’m the one who kissed you,” I pointed out. “What does that say about what I want?”
“It’s not just about wants,” he said. “It’s too dangerous.”
“Us being together is dangerous? To whom?”
“To you.”
“Why would it be dangerous for me?” I pushed.
He let me go and spun away from me. He looked like he wanted to shout and rage—maybe throw something—but he just clenched his fists and panted.
When he finally turned back to face me, he’d calmed down a little. “It’s dangerous… because… I… oh, Bruce is gonna kill me…” he whispered, shaking his head again. “Because I… am… the Red Hood.”
Two big confessions in one night. I felt a little dizzy and remembered to breathe.
“Red Hood. As in… the vigilante. And… the crime boss.”
“Vigilante, yes. Crime boss days are behind me. I was newly-back-from-the-dead and not in a stable mindset when I became a crime boss.” I decided not to ask about that. He huffed and sat on my coffee table, instead of the sofa, rubbing his temples. “And I wasn’t going to tell you about it, by the way. You’re the only normal friend I have right now. But it’s too dangerous for us to be together. If any of the rogues in this city knew I had someone I cared about as much as I care about—as much as I love you… you would not survive to the end of the year.”
I crossed from the front door to the sofa and sat on the sofa cushion closest to him, setting my hand on his knee. “Jay, I… I’m willing to risk it. To be with you. We just need to be careful—”
“I’m not willing to lose you. I would have been terrified before tonight if someone worse than me caught you. Knew you were just a friend. Now, though? Now, I don’t know what I’d do if you were captured, and that scares me even more. I saw you under me in that bedroom and I saw a future that was good—for the first time in the nine years since I was resurrected—but I can’t let that be my future. For your sake.”
I bit down on my tongue to keep from shouting. But I did tighten my grip on his knee hard and snap, “Get over yourself, Todd. You’re not the only one who gets to make this decision.”
“No, but apparently I’m the only one who can see things objectively enough to make the wise decision.”
It was my turn to want to throw something. “Jason. Peter. Todd. I don’t care about the danger. And I know you do. But do you know what it’d do to me, knowing that you love me and I feel the same, but you won’t let me be yours? Do you know what it would do to you? I know what it would do to me. It would eat me up inside day in and day out. I would sit here dying for you, waiting for you to come to your senses and carry me back into that bedroom to stay in there all night. But you never would. And I would just wait. I’d never date anyone else. If I tried, all I’d be doing was wishing they were you.
“You and I are cut from the same cloth. Some people are just born to sacrifice. To give up what they want—what they need—for the sake of other people. It’s the only choice we’re ever given, so it’s the choice we make over and over and over again. Sometimes people will split others into Givers and Takers. Those of us born to sacrifice are a step beyond even Givers. We’re the ones who give up everything for others. I’ve done it with my family my entire life. Everyone else always wanted so strongly that my only option was to give up my own. You’re the same, I see it every time I see you with your brothers.
“Jason, it’s time for us to Take. It’s time to let life give us something. This is the moment to be selfish. To put aside Batman and his zealous crusade for one damn moment and let yourself be happy.” I dug my fingernails into his knee through his sweats. “Be selfish for once, Jason.”
He finally looked up at me, eyes meeting mine. “I can’t,” he said.
I clamped my mouth shut and sighed loudly through them. “Yes, you can. If you’re waiting for my consent, you’ve more than got it. I’m telling you now to give yourself consent to want. To take. Get over this hold out that a double life has on you and—mmph!”
He cut me off by slamming his lips against mine, surging off the coffee table and straddling me on the sofa. I moaned and wrapped my arms around his neck. He pulled me to one side, sitting on the sofa and guiding me to straddle himself. His hands were splayed over my shoulder blades. I twisted his white streak through my fingers. Our breath shuddered in and out of our lungs. I parted my lips slightly and ran the tip of my tongue over the seam of his lips.
They opened immediately and let me in. I sighed out my nose. “Please ruin our friendship,” I breathed into his lips. “This is so much better.”
He snickered out his nose, smiling. “Does your consent to let me want you include me carrying you back into that bedroom and neither of us leaving until dawn?” He nodded toward my room.
My body shivered. Not from cold. Excitement. Electricity.
“Definitely,” I said breathlessly.
His hands slid from my shoulder blades and down to my legs. He held them and stood up. I hooked my ankles around his back, locking my arms’ grip around his neck.
He carried me to my room, kicked the door shut, and laid me gently on the messed-up bedsheets and disarrayed pillows. On all fours above me, my legs around his waist, he kissed me. Gently, at first, but he quickly grew hungry. His hands worked their way under my shirt, callused palms scraping slightly against my skin.
“Still okay with this?” His voice was barely more than a hoarse whisper.
“Oh yeah,” I breathed, unable to even speak loud enough to be heard from inches away.
He smiled. Wicked delight flickering on his face. “Well, get ready for me to call you mine. Because I am all yours.”
I smiled. “I’m yours, Jason.”
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weasleypogues · 3 years
Text
written in the stars (f.w. au) pt. 3
thanks for supporting guys it means sosososoososos much!!!! i love this little fic sm so this is so much fun! this is the final part!!! again requests are open <3 
taglist:  @daddystevee @nojamsonmytoast @thebadassbitchqueen @hogwarts-babe
hope you enjoy!! xx :)
masterlist. part 1. part 2. 
unironically, you felt the need for a towel for a quick second because of the sweatiness of your palms. you were walking towards the gryffindor common room with malia, jada, and cedric. excitement and anxiety were bubbling inside of you the closer you got towards the party. 
“are you sure theres a party? it sounds quiet?” jada asked malia, somewhat nervously. she had her eyebrows furrowed and didn’t want to make the mistake of four random hufflepuffs walking into the gryffindor common room.
“yeah, i’m sure hermione granger put up some kind of charm to keep out the noise. plus, (y/n)’s soulmate confirmed it anyways.” malia responded, sending a playful wink your way. a smile crept onto your face and it would’ve been your wand that you grasped your hand around in excitement but instead it was the marble and slightly cold pen. 
“balderdash.” cedric spoke to the painting. the fat lady looked at him and rolled her eyes, acknowledging that he wasn’t a gryffindor but if she heard the password she would let him in. the fat lady made a mental note to change the password on her own terms. the portrait swung open and you walked through a slight haze as if someone turned on the heater and you could see it in the air. as you passed that hazy barrier, the bass of the music vibrated through your body. the lights were turned off but charmed bright red lights took it’s place and the room was crowded.
cedric and malia broke off to say hi to a couple of friends. you made your way over to ginny weasley with jada by your side and tapped her on the arm, eager to say hi to your friend. there was a time during the triwizard tournament that you got on the same boat as her to go to the second task. you watched as she scolded her two brothers for being too mean when trying to sell their pranking candy and chuckled. you hopped on the boat with jada and another roommate and she was shy but wanted to hop on as well.
“(y/n)! happy birthday!! im so happy to see you!” she exclaimed and didn’t hesitate to pull you into a hug. you returned the hug and had a small conversation with her. however, you felt somewhat bad when she started a conversation and you couldn’t help but let your eyes dart around the room, as if there would be a bright sign and an arrow pointing over someone’s head that read “(y/n)’s soulmate!”
ginny noticed your distracted eyes and caught your attention again, “looking for your soulmate?” she asked with a smirk and her eyebrows raised. you felt your cheeks get hot and nodded before letting out a deep breath.
“i think he’s in gryffindor. seems to be somewhat forgetful of the common room password.” you announced and she laughed, playfully rolling her eyes.
“i know way too many people like that in this house. you’d think people would learn by now.” ginny joked. her next sentence was cut off by the unison yelling of two redheaded boys standing on the table with two bottles of daisyroot drought. they both shook them very hard and popped off the caps, spraying the crowd below them as if it were champagne, leaving everyone soaked. most students opened their mouths or cheered along. you laughed and rolled your eyes playfully, pulling out your pen and writing on your arm.
will definitelyyyyy need a towel after the stunt the twins just pulled
you laughed to yourself and stuck the pen inside your pocket and glanced back up at the twins, ready for another shower of daisyroot drought. while george had a giant smile on his face, fred had the bottle in his right hand and was using a free pointer finger to lift up the sleeve of his shirt on his left arm.
you felt a lump in your throat and intently watched him read it. you grabbed jada’s arm next to you as you were frozen watching fred read the sentence to himself and smirking.
“jada.”
“what’s up?” she replied, a little loudly over the booming music. 
“fred weasley.” you said loud enough so she could hear but in a good enough volume that people may not look over. this, weirdly enough, didn’t include ginny.
“what about him? did he get too much drought in your eyes?” ginny joked and laughed, but her smile turned into her eyebrows furrowing as she stared at your shocked face.
your eyes were still upon fred who was deparately patting around his shirt and pants, trying to find the pen he realized he must’ve misplaced. he looked frazzled and hopped down from the table.
“is fred- you know?” jada replied, eager evident in her voice and her eyes basically sparkling for you.
“wait, fred is your soulmate?” ginny basically yelled and you covered her mouth with your hand to get her to shut up. if you were wrong, that would’ve just been embarrassing. 
“i think?” you said, chuckling and your shocked face soon came to the realizaiton of how happy you were. you couldn’t stop your fingers from tingling and bringing the hand that was once on ginny’s mouth, back to yours. ginny was beaming and wrapped her arms around you.
“ugh i hope so! my future sister in law!” she exclaimed and you laughed.
“don’t get too excited, i haven’t confirmed it yet.” you reminded her, your face feeling hot at the thought of marrying fred weasley.
“let me go ask him for you!” ginny said, basically on her way to confront her older brother. you grabbed her arms, your eyes wide and shook your head.
“don’t! because if it isn’t and you ask him about it, that would be so embarrassing.” you stated, worry filling up the tone of your voice. you saw george getting down from the table acknowleding the disappearence of his brother and spotted some fellow gryffindors to talk to. although, you couldn’t spot fred.
“no, (y/n), you don’t understand! it makes sense! he mentioned to george today that he just started talking to his soulmate!” ginny reassured you and grabbed ron’s arm as he was innocently passing by.
“bloody hell, ginny! do something about those claws of yours!” ron whined and exasperated, glaring at his little sister.
“(y/n) is fred’s soulmate!” she said, her smile emitting towards his direction and his annoyed face turned into shock.
“wait! we aren’t totally sure yet!” you said, your heart rate increasing at the fact that at this rate, ginny would tell the entire weasley lineage before you could confirm it with fred himself.
“go up to him now! i don’t know how much longer i can hear of him talking about not knowing his soulmate, five months of talking everyone’s ears off. worst case scenario, he’s not.” ron said, basically screaming over the loud music. you laughed in response but took what he said in, everything was really making sense.
“what are you guys up to?” you heard a deep and familar voice ask from beside you. you looked up and your heart dropped for a second but slowly fluttered up as you identified that the man infront of you wasn’t fred, but george. you admired the similarity in features for a second before ron’s voice snapped you out of it.
“(y/n) is fred’s soulmate!” ron exclaimed and your hands lifted to your face in stress in an instant.
“merlin’s beard, are all the weasley’s this terrible at keeping secrets?” you inquired, your face going hot, for what felt like the 100th time since coming into the common room. ron’s face looked sheepish but you felt george’s eyes on you.
“are you serious? thank god, he never stops talking about you! let me get him, he can’t find his pen!” george said but you grabbed his arm before he could go on his journey to find his frazzled twin looking for his pen. you let out a stressed breath and paused.
“wait, he talks about me?” you asked, a gleam of hope sparkled in your eye. george smiled and rolled his eyes, “yeah, i never hear the end of it.”
your nerves felt calmer and you looked around. “fuck it, i’m going to look for him.” you stated, feeling a sudden gryffindor courage. fred’s siblings all had similar happy expressions and you chuckled, realizing fred didn’t only have an identical twin but basically an identical family. you glanced at jada and she gave you a thumbs up before you took off. 
it didn’t take long to find fred, seeing as he was above six foot and had vibrant hair. you saw him rummaging in open spots of the common room and under pillows and chairs. “lost something?” you asked, trying to sound unknowing. 
he glanced up immediately at the sound of your voice and a smile formed on his face at the sight of you. “to your surprise, i actually enjoy spending my time organizing furniture and making sure it looks up to par.”
you laughed at his joke and rolled your eyes, feeling as if your heart was going to beat out of your chest. “here, take my pen since you lost yours.”
fred reached out to grab it for a second before putting it together, “how did you know i lost my pen?” 
“kind of put it together that you could be a forgetful person. first the gryffindor common room password, than your pen...you have a track record, weasley.”
a smirk formed on his face and he was putting the pieces together. the smirk soon transformed into a softer smile and a sparkle shone in his eye at the sight of you. you drew a tiny heart on your wrist to see if it would show up on his, to prove your theory right. you saw glitter light from his wrist and your eyes met.
“i guess that settles the mystery.” fred stated, a giant smile on his face as the black ink disappeared from both of your wrists. “can i?” he asked.
he walked towards you slightly learning in before you smiled and nodded. he let his hands make their way to cup your face and pulled you in for a kiss. you felt yourself slightly on your tippy-toes and let yours hands make their way to his torso, deepening the kiss. you suddenly heard cheering and the both of you pulled away, calmer than before. you glanced over at the sound and saw cedric, jada, malia, the weaselys, and most of their friends cheering and clapping, excited for the two of you. 
your face went hot and you got slightly embarrassed at all the attention before letting your head burrow into fred’s chest, laughing. you felt his body vibrating at he laughed too, wrapping his arms around your head and pulling you somehow closer to his body warmth. 
“i knew it would be you.” fred whispered into your ear before planting another kiss on the top of your head. 
“it was written in the stars.” you responded with before leaning in for another kiss.
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studioxlii · 3 years
Note
18 and Junhee pls!! Xx
"to be fully seen by somebody, then, be loved anyhow is a human offering that can border on miraculous."
proof read: kinda
warnings: none
note(s): the format might be garbage, im mobile.
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Love is a weird thing but so are the conditions that come with it; the limits that people decide need to be in place. You understood boundaries or not wanting to take too many steps before you knew the relationship would hold but some things never sat right with you. It took a few years but it wasn't until you overheard some of your project group talking that it finally hit you; most people you knew didn't want to date their best friends for two reasons.
1. It could ruin their friendship. This reason was obvious and of course you understood.
2. They'd seen way too much.
You remember hearing those words and your head lifting, confused and wondering what that could even mean. When you were in a relationship that would eventually progress, weren't they just going to see those things anyway? You never could let that thought go, not once you decided that would only make it better; it would make a relationship stronger. Well, in your eyes.
Dating was something that seemed to come easier to you before those thoughts started polluting your mind; no one seemed to understand or see you in a way you really wanted. The ideal person for you was someone who saw everything; the bad days, the good days and the maybe okay but not so great days. It was really starting to mess with you. By not wanting to date certain friends, were you restricting yourself from the relationship you really wanted?
Only one person, one friend, knew you better than you knew yourself, you were positive of that. Your best friend of nine years, Junhee, had probably been through almost every bad thing possible in life with you. You began recalling all the situations you'd been in with each other that were memorable; the things you wouldn't have faced with anyone else because you didn't want anyone else to see.
'Do you remember when you got your belly button pierced?'
And that's when it began.
The question came out of nowhere, breaking the silence of your apartment and leaving Junhee to look up from his book confused and blinking. 'Uh.. yes?' His response came out slow, hesitant like he was missing some weird in-between the lines meaning of the question.
Your head tilted, finally looking over at him. 'Do you remember the way you squeezed my hand to the point it was purple because it hurt so bad you nearly passed out?'
His features flushed at the ridiculous memory being forced back into his head. 'You mean the same day you had to cling to me, crying because your first tattoo felt like your leg was being seared off?'
You hated crying in front of people for any reason but you couldn't go alone; you'd never go alone for something like that. You just nodded in response before returning to your own book, continuing to read like you hadn't brought the subject up at all.
Your first date after you began recalling things and getting far too deep in what could only be sentimental thoughts went okay. A friend of your friend's, Sehyoon, who was an art major and knew of you but didn't know you; he'd never really integrated himself into the small friend circle on campus but Byeongkwan spoke highly of him.
He was sweet; a gentleman. Pretty much anything you could really ask for but you noticed little things; minute things that didn't even matter. You felt like you were being unreasonable or judgmental despite only picking out things that didn't match. Didn't match what, exactly?
He wasn't Junhee.
The realization had you suddenly shooting up from your seat, interrupting the poor male's answer to your question about his major and spilling out several apologies as you even fought to put money down for your own food. It took quite a few more 'I'm really sorry's before you were speeding out of the small restaurant; you'd make sure to call him later.
You found yourself in the only place that made sense: banging hard on the door of the RA for your building, hardly caring if you disturbed anyone else.
'What?' was the greeting you received from a very frustrated Donghun, wanting nothing more than to be left alone again. And yes, you called each other your friend.
'We have a really, really big problem.'
Being a mutual friend and despite not wanting to get involved in anyone's "drama", he spent two hours talking you out of it, down from it and against it, reminding you just why your newfound feelings for your best friend were a problem. He even reminded you of your comment, three years ago, about how you could never possibly like Junhee; how he remembered that and you didn't, you didn't care to ask.
You returned home a wreck, tired and wanting to burn your own emotions. Were you really uncovering some unconsciously buried feelings or did you just like the fact that he /saw/ you? He'd seen you nearly on your deathbed sick.
He'd seen you living in a depression nest for two weeks, barely able to get out a bed and eating nothing but honey buns and cereal.
He'd seen you grieve family members and pets; seen you walk into the rain and scream at the top of your lungs because of how lost in despair you'd been.
He'd seen you drunk and stupid; he'd seen you the night after a one night stand and hungover to the point you wanted to fight the sun.
He'd sat by you absolutely throwing your guts up.
He had seen every single side of you and you'd seen the same from him but it only started to stack further and further.
You knew his favorite songs because God forbid he only have one. You knew his favorite color, favorite food and his weird retirement plan that involved a tiny petting zoo of his own that he refused to just call a farm. Your pins for everything were each other's birthdates and he was the only other name on your bank account. Why?
Staring down at the menu you'd seen over a hundred times, you were sure, you couldn't decide on just what sounded good and part of you just wanted everything. Those moments staring at words that started to blur, you noticed Junhee hadn't touched his menu and kept shifting around, visibly uncomfortable for reasons you couldn't possible figure out.
'It's unlike you to not be going off about the food here.. or already having ordered your favorite drink that, I recall, you said you'd die without if you didn't have it every time you came here,' you began, closing the menu and setting it down with narrowed eyes, 'what's going on?'
'It's stupid. Just.. order and get some food, I'll probably just eat later. I'm not really hungry.'
That was a bold faced lie and you knew it, the concern growing. 'And, what's the oh-so-stupid reason, exactly?'
It took him a minute, shifting more and acting like a child who had gotten in trouble. 'I, uh.. I can't really..' he gestured around, lips pursed and growing even more upset by the second, you could tell by the way he was trying to stop himself from frowning. 'Can't really afford it.' You were college students, it wasn't the world's biggest secret if you couldn't afford something.
'Do you really think I'm just going to eat in front of you?' You snorted, avoiding any comment that would further his being upset over the situation, 'Don't worry about it and order, okay?'
Financial struggles were no quiet matter between the two of you and never had been since you started school. Junhee lived off campus in an apartment with two shitty roommates, a terrible part time job and parents that pretty much didn't care if he perished on the side of the street somewhere. You, on the other hand, which you didn't like bringing up, were doing fine but only because your parents dropped something of an 'allowance' into your account for foods and necessities.
You ignored his attempt to argue and told him if he didn't order something, you were going to do it for him; he shut up.
The next day, you took a trip to the bank.
You could feel eyes on you as you splayed across the couch, staring at the ceiling and contemplating life and all of it's annoyances. No question left you but even if you wanted to say something, you were cut off.
'So, are you going to tell me what's going on? For the past.. three weeks? You've been asking me all sorts of weird stuff,' Junhee inquired, frowning thoughtfully, 'Are you testing me or something? Trust me, yes, I remember every single second I've spent with you. I remember every word you've said, the names of every guy you've been with and the ones I'd like to fight. I remember every birthday and gift I've given you and the ones you've given me. Yes, I remember your favorite things and everything so, what's the deal?'
It sounded sentimental at first but then you noticed that all too familiar waiver in his voice and out of the corner of your eye, you noticed his hands fiddling with the chain bracelet that had adorned his wrist for five years; he wanted to cry. A crying Junhee was something no one ever wanted on your hands and you briefly recalled a phone call from a very panicked Byeongkwan because of just that but you were letting your thoughts get off topic.
'I think I'm in love with you.'
'If you don't want to be fri-'
You were both cut off as your head turned to finally look at him, soaking in the unreadable expression on his features when someone busted through the door; 'Look!'
Both of you looked towards your two friends that invited themselves into your door, one holding a new cat and the other looking just as pleased with the announcement but it gradually dropped. 'Shit, did we interrupt something?' Of course, you always knew when you finally and truly confessed to someone that it would be Byeongkwan who ruined the whole thing; you used it as an escape, though, reminding yourself of what the confession could do to your friendship.
'New minion, I see,' you chimed, sitting up and ignoring the question, both of them, as you rose to greet Donghun's new pet. You were ignorant to the looks shared between the three boys and you were happy about that.
Now, you just had to avoid it ever coming up again until it was forgotten.
Junhee, however, didn't want that to happen.
After about an hour of chitchatting and ignoring the gaze of your best friend, you excused yourself under the excuse of having a meetup for a class, despite it being your dorm, and managed to weasel your way out. There was really nowhere to go, no one to talk to and you surely didn't have any plans for the next week; you ended up at the café on campus. It was quiet and filled mostly with a few students doing work and the two members of staff behind the counter, one eventually joining you at the table. He didn't say anything, waited for you to stop your dramatic Disney scene and acknowledge him.
'Would you date me, Yu?'
Taken a bit off guard, he ended up snorting. 'I can't tell if this is a trap or you want the genuine answer,' he replied, crossing his arms atop the table, 'but, on the hand that it's serious.. probably. I mean, I definitely wouldn't turn you down. We've known each other for a few years, hang out on a regular basis.. get along and have a lot of similar interests. So, yeah.'
The answer made your lips draw into a deep frown and you tapped your fingers against the cup, soaking up every word. 'Even though we're friends? What if we broke up?'
A soft 'ah' came from him as he realized what was really going on and he shrugged, thinking it over for a minute or two. 'We're both adults and I don't believe either of us would do something so that the breakup would be something that could ruin our friendship. I understand it would be like.. friends then it being intimate then back to friends, but I think both of us are mature enough to deal with that and not let it bother us too much.' He spoke like he'd been through it several times and in reality, it had only been once, a small fling with a mutual friend but they still seemed pretty okay. 'Is this about Jun?'
'Does everyone know?' You groaned out, releasing the cup to lean back and rub your hands over your face in defeat, 'I.. I told him I think I love him then Kwan and Donghun showed up and I bailed because now I don't actually want to face him or admit to ever actually saying it. I do! I do love him! I don't.. I don't want to lose him, you know?'
You could see the way the latter looked at you, sympathetic and calculating what words wouldn't just stress you out further. 'Look.. I know you don't want to hear it from me or anyone else for that matter because you want to keep saying it'll ruin your friendship when in reality, you don't like the idea that you could hurt each other, I was the same way with Donghun, so I understand.. but, you should really see all this from an outsider's point of view. Junhee looks at you like you hung the moon and you look at him like he painted the stars; yes, it's been like that since I've met you and a reminder, it's been years. I don't know what took you so long to realize it or if you've just avoided it this whole time but anyone would have to be blind not to see it. Now,' he sighed deeply as he finished and straightened, 'I think you should probably go and talk to him about it considering you just confessed then ditched but it's your choice. I don't think you have anything to worry about.. for either of you. You're the most loyal person I know, so I have no doubt you'd ever hurt him in a way that would ruin you guys and he can barely swat at a fly or sit still through hearing thunder, you think he's going to do something? Regardless.. one of these days, soon, you'll have to face it and I really hope you don't go into it with the cliché reason of your friendship being ruined.'
The words sank in slow and you wanted nothing but to cry your eyes out because he was right; he always was and you hated it. It took a while for you to speak and he seemed okay with that, briefly leaving you to fill a couple orders before returning. 'I know you're leaving for break tomorrow.. tell him before then.' Those were his last words before he bid you good luck and a good night, heading back to his own dorm, most likely to call Donghun now that he'd projected just a little bit.
Irrationality was a word that would be in your character description box and the word stupid could very well be right next to it because when you got home, you packed your bag and decided to leave early, not bothering to let any of your friends know. You needed time and you were being selfish, so selfish to the point you thought maybe he'd just hate you when you got back.
Oh boy were you wrong.
Two days into being back home and confiding in your mother who promptly smacked you upside the back of the head, you found yourself sitting on the porch and moping, split between what to do. You suspected the boys were a bit angry with you when you noticed the ample amount of texts, voicemails, social messages and phone calls that had gone ignored; you caught a glimpse of the absolute book Yuchan took the time to send you, leaving you kind of scared to even open it. It didn't take long for the guilt to set in but you chose to wait until you were back on campus to deal with it.
Or at least, that was your plan.
'So, I know you've never been a fan of confrontation but.. you've never been the type to run away.'
The sudden voice startled you as you hadn't even noticed anyone pull up and of course, upon looking up, you were met with the face you were trying to avoid the most. Junhee stood at the end of the sidewalk looking pitiful and shifting his weight in a nervous manner. You didn't bother trying to speak, not knowing what to say but you did wait for the rant, the berating that you deserved; that wasn't who he was though.
He even stayed quiet for a minute or two, making his way closer to sit on the steps, looking up towards your figure. 'Did you mean it?'
You could have answered right away, poured your heart out and let out the tears you'd been holding in since the moment you left. Instead, you stayed quiet and pulled your knees closer to your chest, not trusting your own voice. He didn't relent though, reaching out to lightly nudge your knee.
'That's all I need to know.. did you mean it? If.. if you didn't I can just leave and we don't have to bother with it again.'
'And, if I did..?' Finally finding your voice, you looked over to him, chewing hard on your lower tier, nervous and kind of wanting to throw up.
You could see him thinking it over before a faint smile showed up. 'I'd most likely cry.. but I'm going to cry either way,' he began, shrugging his shoulders while moving up to sit next to you, 'I'd also tell you that I love you, too and I've been trying to tell you that for years now.'
The confession made your heart flutter, your skin burn and the butterflies being kept back burst in delight in your gut. 'Even.. after everything we've been through? Everything you've seen..?'
Junhee nodded. 'Mhm. I'd go through it all again and what do you mean? I've seen nothing but you.'
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