#which also reminder his mc skin did used to have blue eyes i got reminded once

[beels-burger-babe]

A Pain You'll Soon Regret - Pt. 4

***Here we go! Okay. So a reminder to everyone to read SAFELY! Please make sure you check in with yourself and your mental well-being before, during and after the fic. Know your triggers, know your limits. Be careful, dears. ❤❤ Also just a HUGE thank you to everyone for supporting this series. I am so glad you've all loved it so much. It's been a process, but I'm glad you've stuck with me throughout it 😊***

Poly!MC Summary: MC and the demon lords get in a fight resulting in MC leaving. They planned on going to Purgatory Hall until things cool off, but they never quite make it there. TW: Heavy Angst, Violence, I don't know what to tag this, but there is a pretty nasty verbal fight, Gore/Injury Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Inside the Purgatory Hall was a sight that no one had seen since the end of the Great Celestial War. The seven Avatars of Sin sat defeated around a broken, bloodied body as they held on tightly to one another with tears running down their face.

They each held on to a part of you as they bowed their heads in despair for the damage done to you and regret for inadvertently causing it to happen. They sat in silence for the first twenty minutes, simply basking in the utter sorrow that filled the room, before Satan spoke up. "L-Lucifer?" He asked with a woeful tone. "How do we fix this? C-Cause I've read all the books a-and I don't know how we can make this better." If the severity of the situation wasn't already so obvious, that fact that Satan, of all people, was turning to Lucifer for advice made it glaringly so. And then it got even worse.

Lucifer, not even looking up at his brother, squeezed your hand and he pressed his forehead against it. His shoulders shook as sobs began to come from his mouth. "I-I don't know, Satan. I...I just don't know if we can." Seeing Lucifer crack was enough for the entire group. Soon they were all leaning on one another, sobbing as they mourned what their relationship with you once was and feared for what would come in the future. In the midst of the crying, Leviathan felt a small squeeze on the hand he was holding. He quickly looked over at you and tried shushing his brothers. "I think they're waking up!" Lucifer looked over at Asmodeus. "Go get Simeon and Solomon!" Knowing that now wasn't the time to argue, Asmo merely nodded before taking off. There was some movement behind your eyelids, and you squeezed Mammon's hand tighter, but still no words or opening of eyes. Belphie ran a hand through your hair from where your head was in his lap. "Come on, Angel," he whispered desperately, "open your eyes for me. Wake up." A small groan came from you as the door flew open and Solomon, Luke and Simeon rushed into the room.

"All of you out," Solomon ordered as he shoved Levi out of the way and took his place. All of the brothers instantly tensed in defence. They opened their mouths to argue, but Solomon raised a hand to silence them. "We don't have time to argue this. Considering the situation when MC last saw you, I don't want to risk stressing them more by them waking up being surrounded by the seven of you. You can wait outside. We will let you in again if, and only if, they want to see you. Now, go," his words were quick and heated, though the wizard wasn't even looking at them, too focused on you. Lucifer growled lowly, before shaking his head and turning away from the wizard. "I hate to admit, but they-" "When he said we don't have time, he meant we don't have time!" Luke snapped and pointed at the door. "Out! Now! You should be grateful we even let you see them for this long!" Satan's head snapped towards Luke at those words. All of the rage that had been lying dormant inside of him, suddenly washed over him as he went to charge at the small angel. Luke didn't so much as flinch, even as Beel restrained him and the demon began snarling and thrashing. He did, however, react as a whimper spilled from your lips and you turned you began to move restlessly. "I said out!" he picked up the closest item to him, a pillow, and threw it harshly at Lucifer. "Take your feral brothers and leave." Lucifer glared at the child but did as asked. With some not-so-mild complaints from the others, the lords left the room. Luke stomped over to the door and locked it shut behind them. Simeon replaced where Belphegore had been sitting, and placed your head in his lap gently, as he watched your eyes begin to softly flutter open.

*** Pain and shouting. That's all you could hear and feel. What was happening around you or what even happened to you, you couldn't recall. You wanted the noise to stop. You wanted the pain to go away. You tried to open your mouth to ask for as much, but all that came was a whimper. The shouting got worst, and the ringing in your head grew and grew until finally, a peaceful silence filled the room. It was now just you, the darkness, and the pain. Or so you thought until you felt someone place your head down on something soft. Mustering up what little strength you could pull from your body, you slowly blinked open your eyes. Blue eyes. At the sight of them, you instantly felt the panic that you hadn't even realized had built up, deflate within you. Blue eyes had saved you. Of that much, you were sure. You couldn't quite remember the details. But you knew that a person with blue eyes had saved you from something...something horrible. These blue eyes in particular were surrounded by warm brown skin and framed with dark hair; making you realize that this was not the person who saved you. Simeon

Your mind provided. His name is Simeon. Simeon smiled peacefully at you. "Hello, MC. It's lovely to see you with us again." You heard little footsteps rush across the room. When you looked over you found your true saviour, Luke, looking at you with a concerned, teary-eyed expression. "Are you in pain? Do you remember what happened? Simeon said that you hit your head pretty hard, but we wouldn't know the extent until you woke up. D-Do you remember me?" You chuckled, though the sound was dry and cracked from disuse and you nodded. "Of course, I remember you, Luke. You saved me," you croaked. At hearing your voice, Luke gasped and grabbed a glass of water from the side table. He handed it to you as a white-haired man, Solomon if you could recall, helped you sit up. "Th-That's good! That means you're okay! R-Right, Simeon?" Luke stuttered tearfully as glanced up at his superior. You weren't listening though. As they moved you into a seating position, you had suddenly become fully aware of something, or rather, your lack of something. "M-My...My leg," the room fell silent as you lean forward and brushed your fingers against the bandages. It all came flooding back to you. The fight. The demons. The complete and utter terror that filled your body. The excruciating pain as you believed that you were going to be eaten alive. You gasped and pulled back as though you had been burned. "Oh-Oh my god!" you choked out as you brought a trembling hand to cover your mouth as you stared at the space where your leg used to be. "Th-they- I almost- I-I think I'm going to be sick." Solomon's eyes widened as he quickly grabbed a nearby vase and placed it under your face. You gripped onto it tightly as you spilled your stomach contents inside it. Simeon whispered small words of comfort as he rubbed your back. "Let it out. You'll feel better afterwards. " You whimpered and passed the vase off to Solomon who set it aside. Your heart was racing in your chest as your thoughts travelled at a mile a minute. Your body trembled as a few cries slipped from your lips. You felt nothing and everything at once. What were you supposed to do? Simeon, Solomon and Luke were here, and you were so grateful for them. But they weren't who you wanted. They weren't who you needed. "The brothers-" You sobbed as you gripped onto the blanket that hardly maintained your modesty. "I-I want my boys. Please? A-Are they here? D-Do they know a-a-about...about-" Solomon gently squeezed your arm as you began to sob. "They know and they're here. They're a bit of a mess, but they're here," although his tone was soft, there was an edge of displeasure in it. "We know about the fight, so we thought we would give you the choice of whether or not you wanted to see them." You nodded your head weakly. "Bring them in." Luke whined and lightly pulled on your hand. "B-B-But MC! It's their fault you were out there! How could you possibly want to see them after all of that?" His eyes were wide with both desperation and confusion. He couldn't understand how you would want to see people who had caused you so much pain. He couldn't fathom why you would want to see the men who shared the same infernal species as your attackers. He didn't know why you would rather their hellish presence over his angelic comfort. But you did. You wrapped your arms around yourself as you answered. "I don't care what they did, right now. At the moment, all I care is that they're here, which means that they must have some level of concern for me. Right now all I want and need is my significant others to hold me and tell me that I'm going to be okay," you looked over at Simeon with water-lined eyes as you pleaded. "So can you please bring them to me. We'll sort the rest out later. Right now, I just want them by my side."

Simeon's lips parted in shock of your words and, for a moment, a flash of disappointment flickered across his eyes before it was quickly replaced with acceptance. The angel smiled gently at you before placing a kiss on the top of your head. "Of course, little lamb, I will fetch them right away." From your right, Solomon let out a heavy sigh as he squeezed your shoulder once more. Simeon merely had to unlock the door, before your lovers came tumbling into the room. They all rushed over to you, quickly blanketing you in hugs, kisses, and frantic apologies. While you were buried in the chaos, Simeon sadly smiled at the group before leading both Luke and Solomon out of the room. You shushed your boys and felt your heart warm at the feeling of being in their arms once more. "Apologies can come later," you began, causing Beel to whine in protest. "We have a lot to talk about, yes. B-But right now, I just want you guys to love me and hold me," your bottom lip began to tremble as you choked on your tears. "I-I know that I'm asking for your attention, once again. A-And I know that having to share me with each other is a-a-a lot but-" You were cut off by Mammon pulling you against his chest and burying his face in your hair. "I never should'a said any of that, treasure. I was wrong. S-So fuckin' wrong." Lucifer pressed a kiss to one of your inner palms before placing it on his cheek. "But, it's as you said. This is a conversation we'll have when you're ready. For now, will you allow us all to love you unconditionally, just as you deserve?" You could only nod, as sobs overtook you once more. You were held in every direction. Kissed on your wounds, as though the magic of your love could heal the damage that was done. Praised in the gentlest and most affectionate of whispered. Caressed with hands so careful and attentive, that you would think they were holding the world. And if you asked the lords, they were. Things weren't fixed, and they weren't perfect, but for the time being, you didn't need them to be. For now, you were all together. You were all loved, and you were all alive. And just for now, that was enough.

***There you have it, folks! That is A Pain You'll Soon Regret. I plan on writing an epilogue that will probably touch on the discussion they all need to have, MC getting their new leg, and potentially Diavolo? I haven't decided on him yet. The epilogue probably will be another couple of days, but in the meantime, I hope you enjoyed this sob fest. Remember to take care of yourself and to be kind to one another. Love you all -B*** TAGLIST: @obey-mes-treasure, @holygarm, @sufzku, @rivera-tickles, @angelprotectress, @theother4, @ester-is-here, @bissshitsu, @drsquishysquich, @leviathan-is-a-pretty-name, @zxlaki, @mammons-wife, @letsblazewolf, @levislui, @gallantys,

#obey me shall we date #obey me fic #obey me angst #obey me fan fic #obey me asmodeus #obey me belphegor #obey me satan #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me beelzebub #obey me solomon #obey me simeon #obey me luke #obey me dateables #obey me demon brothers #poly!mc #polyamarous relationship #hurt/comfort #angst #gore #injuries #violence #my writing #bumble 🐝 #bumble b

[cheri-translates]

[CN] Gavin’s Divination Date

🍒 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for a date, 占卜之约, which has not been released in EN! 🍒

[ Released on 16 September 2021 ]

MC: Gavin, I’ve been way too unlucky recently! I fell down while riding a bicycle, the water supply was cut halfway during a shower, and last week, three flights were delayed by more than two hours within the span of three days... Sob sob, life is so difficult...

It’s a Saturday, and Gavin has come over to my house to kill time as usual. The moment we meet, I can’t help but wail about how I painstakingly got through the week. 

As though he’s comforting a small animal, his palm gently covers the top my head.

Gavin: You’ve already told me these things.

He pulls me over to sit on the sofa, then leans over to look at my knee. Knowing his intentions and feeling afraid that he’s genuinely worried, I hurriedly wave my hands.

MC: Actually, it wasn’t a serious fall, and my skin didn’t tear. There were a few red cuts, but they're gone now.

Even after confirming the veracity of what I said, Gavin doesn’t straighten up. His fingers rub my knee, conveying his belated consolation.

After a while, he rests an arm on the sofa while turning his head towards me.

Gavin: Want to drink milk tea or eat cake? Didn’t you say that with these two things, even the worst of moods can be turned into the clearest of skies?

With this reminder, a location instantly flashes past my mind.

MC: Let’s drink coffee!

I reach for my phone on the coffee table. Tapping on my saved searches, I show Gavin a shop.

MC: This one - Witch Café. The name’s a little outdated, but it’s really popular recently. I’ve seen many people checking in on Moments. 

MC: The manager of this shop knows divination, and the reviews mentioned that she’s really accurate... 

MC: Also, if the results from the divination aren’t that great, she could help turn my fortune around. 

MC: The shop sells lots of objects used for changing one’s fortune, such as crystal rings and bracelets. 

MC: I think what I need most right now, aside from you... would be a change of fortune!

Gavin bursts into a laugh, then lifts his head to look at me.

Gavin: It’s my fault for not learning divination to change your fortune for the better. Otherwise, you’d only need me.

Gavin’s quick wit causes me to do a thumbs-up.

MC: Wow. Your logic... makes a little bit of sense.

He scrolls down my phone screen, taking a casual look at the café’s introduction.

Gavin: Mm, it looks really interesting and isn’t very far.

MC: It’s really nearby. It’s only a few kilometres away, and there definitely won’t be a traffic jam at his hour. But it’s the weekend, so I’m not sure if we’d need to queue.

Gavin takes my phone from my hand, then pushes me on the back gently.

Gavin: Get changed. I’ll give them a call to make a reservation.

I immediately get up, giving him a deliberately formal bow.

MC: Understood.

-

The internet-famous café is even more popular than I imagined. Although it isn’t time for afternoon tea yet, the shop is already fully packed.

Fortunately, we’re seated in a relatively quiet corner next to the window. However, we can still hear a few ladies from the neighbouring table fervently discussing the results of their divination.

I tug on Gavin’s sleeve from across the table.

MC: Gavin, you’ve never believed in such things, have you?

Gavin: Divination?

Gavin nods frankly, then suddenly chuckles.

Gavin: I initially wanted to say that I didn’t believe it. But I suddenly remembered that an Evolver who can predict the future is sitting right in front of me.

MC: ...that’s true?!

Realising this, I sink into a deep contemplation. Gavin reaches out to scratch the tip of my nose.

Gavin: I meant that as a joke. It’s impossible to meet a second Evolver with a precognition ability.

I glare at Gavin angrily. He shifts his gaze, looking at the manager who is currently talking to patrons.

Gavin: But she is an Evolver.

MC: Really? 

I turn my head to look. The manager is wearing a black apron, and she’s bending down as she patiently explains the divination symbol to a patron, her smile warm and amiable.

She exudes an aura which makes whatever she says very believable.

Just as my anticipation is hooked, Gavin stifles it with his words.

Gavin: But it definitely isn’t related to precognition.

MC: I see...

When Gavin sees that my anticipation has dampened, he pushes a blueberry cake in front of me.

Gavin: Don’t feel disappointed yet. Divination has never needed to rely on Evol. You’ll know if it’s accurate after giving it a try.

He digs a small piece of cake with a spoon, then brings it over to me. Munching on it, my eyes widen as I look at him.

MC: Incredibly! Delicious!

The cake exceeded my expectations. Thinking that the coffee might be pretty good too, I quickly lift the cup of coffee from the table.

In the meantime, Gavin picks up the explanatory card the manager had just brought over, and starts reading from it.

Gavin: It says that once you’ve finished drinking the coffee, you have to press the bell to call for the manager. The manager will obtain the divination results after observing the shape of the coffee sediments. 

Gavin: Before the divination, you could think of the contents of the divination first.

Gavin: If you have a ring or another token, you could prepare it beforehand. Place it at the bottom of the cup afterwards to increase the effectiveness.

After reading this, he rests his chin against his hand while chuckling softly.

Gavin: It’s almost the same as the tarot cards we tried the last time.

I take the explanatory card from him. Opening it up, I give it a sweeping glance.

MC: ...so it’s tasseography. I did research on it when we were playing with tarot cards the last time. Afterwards, I realised how complicated it is to interpret the divination results, so I gave up on learning it.

Finishing the rest of the coffee in one gulp, I press the copper bell at the corner of the table.

Upon hearing the bell, the manager looks up and shoots me a smile while washing a coffee cup. After wiping her hands, she walks over to us.

Manager: Are the both of you done with your coffee?

Seeing me nod in anticipation, she picks up the serving tray on the table, placing it next to the coffee cup.

Manager: May I know how I should address you?

MC: MC.

Manager: MC, lift the coffee cup and sway it gently while contemplating on your divination question. Once you’re done, place the cup upside down onto the tray.

I follow her instructions.

After a short while, she uncovers the cup, displaying the shape of the coffee sediments inside it.

Manager: Based on the results, you seem to have been going through a rough time lately, and your mood hasn’t been great. Is this correct?

MC: !!!

I immediately look at Gavin, thinking that this is far too accurate.

The manager seems to detect an affirmation from my expression. She sets down the coffee cup, then retrieves two wrapped chocolate cookies from her apron.

Manager: I made them this afternoon, and they’re for you. Based on the shape of the coffee sediments, although you might have experienced some rough moments recently, all the unhappy moments have already passed. Over the next few days, you’ll receive good news in succession, and you’ll be happier.

While saying this, she leans over, her slightly curled hair exuding a floral fragrance which refreshes the soul, causing me to be left in a mild daze.

Gavin suddenly speaks up.

Gavin: You’re using Evol.

The manager pauses in fright. For a moment, she’s at a loss, and has no choice but to bow slightly with her hands by her side.

Manager: I’m sorry, have I offended the both of you?

Seeing her frantic expression, I hurriedly shake my head.

MC: I-it’s fine... we don’t discriminate against Evolvers. And I’m sure you didn’t have malicious intentions.

The manager’s shoulders slump in resignation, admitting her “little magic” to us candidly.

Manager: ...I just wanted to send a flower into your memories.

MC: Send a flower?

Seeing that I didn’t understand what she meant, she explains patently.

Manager: Sorry, that’s a phrase I use in the shop.

Manager: Through tasseography, I can truly tell that you haven’t been in a good mood recently. But it’s very difficult to change your future fortune. 

Manager: In order to lift the spirits of patrons who do divinations, I use my Evol to alter their memories slightly.

Manager: However, my Evol has its limits. The only thing I can do is add something small that’s worthwhile of happiness into their unhappy memories, such as a flower. 

Manager: Are you willing to give it a try?

Considering how frank she is, I can’t find a reason to refuse. Furthermore, no incidents will occur with Gavin around.

MC: Mm...

The manager’s hand gently glides across me. Although I feel as though nothing happened, she signals that she’s done. Gavin stares at me curiously.

Gavin: Are there any changes to your memories?

I inexplicably recall the time when I fell off the bicycle, and images beginning from the moment I fell surface in my mind -

The path in front of me is tilted, and I can’t control my plummet towards my left side. 

These images are exactly the same as what actually happened, but in the very last snippet -

In an unremarkable corner of the crosswalk, a blue wild flower sways along with the breeze.

MC: A flower? There’s really a flower!

For some reason, seeing this flower enveloped in sunlight causes my emotions to become much more composed, reducing the annoyance I felt about the fall.

The manager releases a joyful sigh, then continues her soft explanation on why she does such things.

Manager: People often have a deep impression of negative things, while happy moments are fleeting. Unhappy memories linger much longer in memories.

Manager: So I thought - if I could add an element of happiness into the unhappy memories of patrons, such as a flower, or a ray of sunlight...

Manager: Their unhappy memories may become a little brighter. On a subconscious level, their mood would naturally become better.

Manager: With a good mood to lift them up, they’d focus on the positive aspect of things the next time they face something else. That’s why they’d find that their fortunes have truly turned for the better.

After saying this, the manager looks at the both of us before apologising again softly.

Manager: Even though I use Evol on patrons, I don’t have malicious intentions. Could you be magnanimous and not report me?

I toss a glance at Gavin, hoping that the Captain would close an eye this time.

After pondering for a moment, Gavin nods calmly at the manager.

Gavin: I won’t report you, but don’t use Evol on patrons in the future.

He looks at me from the side, then reaches out to grab a tissue before wiping it gently against the corner of my lips. Lowering my head, I spot blueberry coloured cream on the white tissue.

Gavin: I believe that your coffee and snacks are enough to bring patrons happiness.

The manager grabs my hand in relief, thanking me repeatedly.

Manager: Thank you both for liking my coffee and cakes. I’ll give another present to the both of you.

-

By the time we leave the café, it’s still early. Gavin and I aren’t in a hurry to go back. Holding hands, we take a stroll beneath the shade of trees.

We can’t help but bring up what happened in the café earlier.

MC: It turns out that it’s so simple to change one’s mood. Adding an element of happiness into unhappy memories is enough.

Surrounded by the chirping of cicadas, even Gavin’s voice reveals a refreshing and carefree touch of summer.

Seeing his slightly sweat-damped fringe sticking to his temples, I retrieve a tissue from my bag and wipe it for him.

Gavin: I remember that you once mentioned that the secret to maintaining a happy life is to focus on the positive side of things.

While saying this, Gavin takes the tissue in my hand and stores it into his own pocket.  

MC: Mm, that’s right! Actually, such forms of self comfort are pretty effective. 

MC: Even though I fell while riding a bike, I told myself that it was fortunate that it wasn’t anything more than a fall. 

MC: When the water supply was cut while I was showering, it only happened because I didn’t pay attention to the announcement by the property management... 

MC: I’d just learn from this experience and check the announcement board more often. 

MC: Also, the flights were delayed due to torrential rain. It was an objective reason, and nobody could have expected it.

MC: A lady from the airline company even gave me orange juice and a small gift.

Gavin chuckles leisurely, meeting my gaze from the corner of his eyes.

Gavin: Many things may not have happened according to how you wished over the short span of a week. Immersing yourself in the state of mind that everything wouldn’t go smoothly made you forget to look at the positive side of everything.

MC: Mm, but I can’t help it... Maintaining an optimistic outlook is really difficult. It’s inevitable to feel discouraged.

While saying this, I tighten my grip on his hand.

MC: But now, I know that if I face any unhappy moments in the future, I just have to search for a flower.

Gavin stops in his footsteps, lowering his eyes and giving me a smile.

Gavin: Have you thought of a new method to cheer yourself up?

I release a matter-of-fact “mm”. Pulling his collar, I give him a gentle peck on the chin.

MC: Whenever I face an unlucky incident, all I have to do is tell you immediately, and I’d immediately be comforted by you... 

MC: That way, I’d no longer be unhappy.

Gavin is taken aback momentarily. Then, he smiles faintly while looking at me.

MC: Whether it’s a fall or a delayed flight... The moment I share these things with you, the moodiness in my heart vanishes like smoke. The reason why I specially complained to you today was just to play coy.

I draw closer to him, swinging our interlaced hands.

MC: In the café earlier, I didn’t take the crystal bracelet she offered to change my fortune for the better... 

MC: I already have a bracelet which can bring me the greatest luck in the world.

I lower my head. Fragments of sunlight fall onto the ginkgo bracelet, refracting resplendent and exquisite faint light.

MC: This ginkgo leaf makes me happier than any other flower. No matter when, simply looking at it lifts my mood instantly.

Gavin doesn't release my hand. Instead, he pulls my hand to his back, bringing me into his arms gently.

The verdant trees and chirping of cicadas intertwine. The clean fragrance of shower gel from the side of his neck causes me to wrap my arms around him tightly.

Gavin: I knew that you were playing coy. Trivial matters have never influenced your mood. You’re always very good at comforting yourself and seeing the positive side of everything. But the bracelet alone isn’t enough. The next time you come looking for me, I’ll definitely do something that’d make you even happier.

After saying this, he can’t help but release a resigned chuckle.

Gavin: ...even though I haven’t thought of what I’d do.

I burst into a chuckle, then bury my head into his embrace completely.

Gavin: But there will definitely be things that I can do to add an element of happiness into your unhappy memories.

Dense green hues and shadows fall on his shoulders. Lifting my head, I see faint light riding the wind through crevices of large clouds in the faraway sky.

Leisurely and carefree ants pass by the slabstone road, winding around a fallen green leaf, and I can’t tell if they’re taking a stroll or scavenging for food.

Summer is flourishing, and this moment is incomparably tranquil.

My heart is filled to the brim with contentedness and happiness. Even my tone is relaxed and at ease.

MC: Gavin, you have to promise me one thing. If you’re unhappy about something in the future, you have to tell me about it immediately, okay? I can add many, many elements of happiness into your memories so that you wouldn’t even have half a second of unhappiness. I can guarantee that.

I lift my head to look at Gavin. With our close proximity, I can see his amber eyes reflecting large swathes of lush branches and leaves belonging exclusively to midsummer.

The gentleness flowing from these eyes aren’t stingy at all as they land on my face.

MC: We have to be the ever-fresh and blooming flowers in each of our memories, forever swaying in the wind.

Gavin releases a soft “okay”. He rests his chin on my shoulder, tightening his grip around my waist.

He murmurs at my ear.

Gavin: There’s no need for a guarantee. Your existence has always been the most brightly-coloured flower in my memories.

[ MOMENTS ]

Gavin’s Post: Different flavours of sodas seem to be really popular this summer.

MC: In order to clear the existing stock in the fridge, it’s time to have supper!

Gavin: Pick between mala crayfish and barbecue?

-

Gavin’s Post: Different flavours of sodas seem to be really popular this summer.

MC: Soda is always the best!

Gavin: Although that’s true, it’s best to drink fewer cold beverages.

-

Gavin’s Post: Different flavours of sodas seem to be really popular this summer.

MC: Pick between white peach and tangerine!

Gavin: I’ll pick the one you like less.

☕ Call: here

☕ Support the café (not the one mentioned in the date) by dropping by the tip jar!

#mlqc #mlqc cn #mlqc spoilers #mlqc gavin #AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH THE FLUFF #the disjunct between his sprite and his outfit in the karma brings me physical pain BUT ALL IS FORGIVEN

[link4eva]

Kiro’s Mind’s Quest: Infatuation Play Translation Part 2 [CN]

Hey! Here’s Part 2 of Infatuation Play. Here is Part 1 if you haven’t read it yet.

Enjoy~ 💛

*Spoilers for future content below!*

[Chapter 4]

MC: It seems I’ve put too much salt in the seasoning….

MC: If it’s salty…. add more water!

Kiro: Haha. 

Kiro was amused by what I said, and he shook off a piece of beef and tasted it.

Kiro: Good to eat!

Kiro also gave me a piece, the evening light leaked in from the window, reflecting a small layer of fluff on his face.

In the steam, the spicy and delicious smell seemed to dispel the previously unremarkable smell in the house.

I took a sip of soda and brought up the topic from before. *Changed some wording*

MC: By the way, in addition to encountering the big challenge of an actor’s career, filming NG….

MC: Is there anything else that left an impression on you?

Kiro looked down and thought about it seriously.

Kiro: Does scaring a crying kid count? 

MC: Of course!

Kiro smiled when he saw the eagerness on my face to hear the story.

Kiro: This scene is also related to entering the character state.

Kiro: In order to maintain this state, I kept myself bored in the hotel room for a long time….

Kiro: Probably because of my routine, no one reminded me.

Kiro: Later, I didn’t know the exact time anymore. When I came out, I felt that I had been in the dark for a long time.

Kiro: I realized that I was a bit too immersed, so I went to buy a bottle of soda to take a break.

Kiro: Then I met a kid in the crew…. I didn’t do anything, he just saw me and then cried. 

Kiro’s voice was very low, and the hot pot gurgled.

I think of Kiro’s immersive performance on the screen, and then I dig a little deeper into what he said just now-- *Changed some wording*

It was as if he had a bitter fruit in his heart, and he desperately wanted to hide it from me. The more bitter it was, the stronger the taste.

In the end, the fruit still found its way into my heart.

I sniffed and couldn’t help joking.

MC: From another perspective, that kid got to watch a scene for free.

Kiro raised his eyes, and I continued with a smile.

MC: I want to watch the exclusive performance of the big star Kiro too!

MC: Thinking about it this way, I feel a little jealous.

I took his hand and his fingertips quivered slightly.

Kiro: Don’t you think I’m not doing well enough? As a professional actor, I shouldn’t be in this situation. 

I shook my head.

MC: Remember, you asked me before if there was anything interesting about this business trip.

MC: In fact, in the city where I was on business, there would be lively gatherings at night on the street next to the hotel.

MC: Looking down from the balcony, there are clusters of lights, and everyone sits on the steps and chats casually.

MC: When I saw it, I was thinking, “I must bring Kiro here next time. He will love the sparkling cider here.”

I looked at Kiro brightly. He seemed to be imagining the scene I described with slight waves in his eyes.

MC: I want to share with you all the good and bad, brilliant and lonely times.

MC: You can be imperfect, you can have lonely and dark moments because I will be with you. 

MC: We share each other’s lives. No matter what life it is, as long as we experience it together, it is enough.

Those blue eyes staring at me seemed to be lit by some kind of warm light for a moment, filled with soft emotions.

I paused and asked him softly.

MC: I remember that every time you acted in a play, you would bid farewell to them at the end.

MC: You said that you were lucky to participate in a period of their lives and experienced their emotions.

MC: So in the end, you have to bid farewell to the partners you have been working with….

MC: Looking forward to another time and space, they will continue their lives.

MC: Did you say goodbye this time?

Kiro looked at me and suddenly reached out and wiped the oil stains on my lips.

The boiling of the hot pot sounded and there seemed to be some fragments of emotions in his eyes that had melted silently.

He paused, turned his head and raised the bear cup on the table. He raised it in the air, the emotions in his eyes were clear and calm.

Kiro: Americano is still too bitter, I prefer to drink soda. 

Kiro: The hot pot made by Miss Chips is delicious. As long as you are with her, even the little things like walking your dog to the supermarket are worth remembering.

His gaze flickered over the neatly coded script on the sofa, and there was a sense of relief in his voice.

Kiro: What you didn’t find, I did.

Kiro: In the time and space I don’t know, you will definitely find what you want, and come back to shine on the stage again.

Kiro: Now, it’s time to say goodbye to you.

The starry sky is gentle, and the steam from the hot pot rises, almost like a response. The wind blows the curtains and the room is full of starlight. *Changed some wording*

We are both covered.

(Cut to the living room)

MC: What’s going on with Cello lately? She seems to be more irritable.

MC: Not only did she knock over the sunflower vase in the living room, but also bit her tail….

I pet Cello who was being held in Kiro’s arms and spoke tentatively.

It is said that the mood of pets will be influenced by the owner. Is Cello….? 

Kiro looked away with a guilty conscience. 

Kiro: Maybe it’s because the season makes everyone more irritable.

Kiro: [coughs] Just leave her be, save the sunflower first.

He found a new vase in the cabinet and handed it to me. I trimmed the sunflower’s branched and leaves that had been bitten by Cello.

Kiro sat cross-legged across from me and stared at me without blinking. I was a little embarrassed to be stared at.

MC: What are you looking at?

Kiro tilted his head at me and his blond hair swayed slightly. It was obviously a naughty action, but the smile in his eyes was very gentle.

Kiro: Of course I was looking at Miss Chips. 

Kiro: Looking at your actions, expressions, the flower in your hand, and…. 

Kiro’s tone was stretched out and I followed his gaze to see the light-coloured hairband on the side of my head.

The soft end of the hairband slid down my neck and onto my skin.

MC: KI-RO! 

I blushed for a moment and when I was hurriedly trying to retie my hairband, my hand was suddenly grabbed.

I looked up and under the frivolity of the sun, I didn’t know when Kiro got so close to me that I could see the creases on his lips.

His gaze fell on the end of my hair. He tucked the hairband lightly and winked at me.

Kiro: Miss Chips, let me help you.

Without waiting for my answer, he took a strand of my hair and maneuvered his hands dexterously, rubbing my earlobes with his fingertips which caused a burst of scorching heat.

The hairband is like a streamer that can be held in his hand, and he is the creator of beauty.

The mood is changing silently at this moment as we stay so close. *Changed some wording*

No matter how difficult the moments we encounter are, they will definitely be healed in the accompanying time.

After a while, Kiro held my face and looked at it with satisfaction.

Kiro: That’s it.

I reached up to touch the hairband and couldn’t help but smile. *Changed some wording*

MC: You even tied a small bow! 

Kiro: Of course, this is the exclusive mark of Kiro.

Kiro picked up the end of the hairband and looked down at me tenderly. His blue eyes were like a vast and boundless sea and I willingly indulged in it.

(Cut to morning)

The morning light was in the room and the sound of the phone vibrating awakened me from my sleep. I picked up the phone and pressed the answer button.

MC: Kiki? What’s wrong?

Kiki: Boss, the project you flew abroad to talk about has passed!

Kiki: Anna received the letter of intent last night, and the person in charge there said that he hoped the date of the contract signing could be confirmed today.

Kiki: Where are you now? Come and visit the company!

MC: Okay, I’ll be there.

I hung up and turned my head, Kiro’s sleeping face came into view.

He seems to be having a good sleep and his lips are slightly upturned, he looks particularly meek. *Changed some wording*

MC: ….

It looks like he is still a little sick. *Changed some wording*

The lack of sleep made my brain work a little slow, so I shook my head in an attempt to wake myself up a bit.

Just as I was hesitating whether to go, Kiro woke up with a hint of sleepiness in his eyes. He was startled when he saw my neatly dressed look.

Kiro: [cute sleepy voice] Is something happening at the company? 

(If you pick “No”)

Seeing Kiro’s still pale cheeks, I shook my head and smiled at him.

MC: Nothing, I was just talking to Kiki.

But Kiro looked at me and suddenly smiled.

Kiro: Miss Chips, you should go do more important things first.

Kiro: I will wait here for you to come back.

Seeing him look at me quietly, I nodded gently.

(If you pick “yes”)

I was conflicted for a moment and then nodded honestly.

MC: There is a little situation that needs to be dealt with, but….

Before I finished speaking, I saw Kiro stretch out lazily with a slight smile in his tone.

Kiro: I will wait for your return.

He looked no different from what I was familiar with. I hesitated for a moment and finally nodded gently.

[Memory Silhouette]

MC: Hahahahahaha! This episode is so funny!

I laughed so much that my cheeks hurt and I had to lean against Kiro’s arms. He opened his arms and caged me in them.

Kiro: Is the way I eat mustard so funny? 

I lifted my head and looked at him as he asked me. 

The sun was shining on us warmly through the French windows, Kiro’s milk fragrance also wrapped around the tip of my nose. I couldn’t help but squeeze his cheek with my hand.

MC: No, but I like it.

MC: Didn’t someone say that if there is a person who can keep you smiling, then he must be an important presence in your life.

MC: You make me laugh without even thinking about it, your existence turns cloudy days into sunny ones. *Changed some wording*

As if he had accepted my theory, Kiro no longer struggled with his expression about the variety show, so he clicked the button to continue playing. 

Kiro: Okay, I agree with Miss Chips. 

This variety show has Kiro as a guest appearance. When he participated in the show, he had not yet joined the cast to make a movie. The show was as bright as a little sun.

In the space between the advertisements, I quickly glanced sideways at the person next to me.

Over the past few days, I can feel his gradual relaxation.

It’s not that I’m always vigilant, telling myself that I have to be happy in front of him, but because when I’m with him, I can relax and smile.

I liked this relaxed and soft Kiro.

MC: But speaking of it, in this variety show, I see you in a way that I don’t usually see.

MC: Planting seedlings, bargaining with the owner of a small shop, and making mosquitos nests by yourself.

MC: So Kiro turned out to be a secret master of life?

MC: So when I was making homemade cranberry cupcakes, a certain superstar asked me to teach him how to beat the egg yolks?

After being questioned, Kiro gave a cheeky “um”.

Kiro: That’s because, in the cast, I need to play the image of SuperHero. This is my job. 

Kiro: But in front of Miss Chips, I can be willful and not so perfect, can’t I? *Changed some wording*

He looked at me with a smile in his eyes, like an afternoon orange soda full of refreshing taste.

MC: You said that…. I can’t refute it. 

Although I said that, I couldn’t help but laugh.

MC: But two people mixing the egg yolk batter together is always more interesting than doing it alone.

There was constant laughter on screen. I looked at Kiro who was always smiling on the screen and couldn’t help but lean into his arms.

His chin rested on my shoulder from behind and his warm breath brushed my neck.

It’s always a good time to need each other and be together. *Changed some wording*

MC: Next time, teach me how to make a mosquito net.

MC: Maybe in the future when we go on a trip, it will be useful.

Kiro: Okay, let’s make a big and beautiful mosquito net. 

MC: Huh? Why does it have to be so big?

Kiro: It can be used as an open-air tent. If you watch the stars at night, you don’t have to worry about being bitten by bugs.

I couldn’t help being amused by Kiro’s serious tone.

MC: Okay, let’s do it together.

Time is moving slowly and quietly, walking forward with a lazy pace. The lazy rest is close to the not-so-perfect Kiro.

Put together a cupcake with a honey-flavoured centre. *Changed some wording*

[Chapter 5]

When I had walked halfway towards the company, I decided to pull out my phone and call Kiki.

MC: Kiki, there are some things on my end that I can’t get away from. You can help me with the people from the other company and change the meeting to a virtual one.

MC: The contract has been sorted out, I will send it to them later. You are responsible for monitoring the online meeting.

Kiki: Mhhm, okay. Sounds good, boss. 

After temporarily solving the company’s problems, I returned to Kiro’s house.

In order to avoid disturbing Kiro, who might still be asleep, I opened the door very quietly.

But when I entered through the door, I saw Kiro sitting cross-legged on the floor with his back facing me.

Kiro: Cello, don’t move. 

A cat’s tail came out from his side, swinging back and forth uncomfortably, but was caught by Kiro in the next second.

Kiro: A few days ago, I didn’t play with you, which made you unhappy with me.

He was talking to himself, then sighed slightly.

Kiro: From now on I will play with you every day, but you are not allowed to bite your tail.

Kiro: If you bite your tail bald again, I will confiscate your dried fish!

Hearing what he said, I couldn’t help but laugh.

Kiro turned around when he heard the sound and when I saw Cello resting in his arms, I opened my eyes wide.

MC: You made a small flower for her bald spot.

A small flower made of pink wool is tied around Cello’s tail, which was probably taken from Kiro’s clothes. It covered most of the bald spot.

Kiro: Miss Chips, why are you back so soon?

Kiro was a little taken back, but because of my presence, there was an unconcealed smile in his eyes.

As I walked to Kiro’s side, I creased my eyes and opened my mouth.

MC: Because the witty Miss Chips changed the meeting to an online one, if it is synchronized with the time abroad, it will not start until the evening.

Kiro touched his chin thoughtfully.

Kiro: In other words, before the meeting, you still have a lot of time alone with me. 

MC: You can think of it like that.

Suddenly I saw the familiar sly smile in his eyes. I was stunned for a second as I realized something and then took a step back cautiously.

Kiro smiled innocently and brilliantly.

Kiro: Miss Chips can’t run away, you came back to me by “getting caught” by my net. *Changed some wording*

In the next second, he hugged my waist and his presence hit me overwhelmingly.

Cello jumped to the ground, licked her paws, and curiously tilted her head to look at everything in front of her.

Kiro led me to the sofa where I sat in his arms, my heartbeat still a little fast.

Kiro chuckled.

Kiro: Why does Miss Chips look like as if I’m going to do something bad?

His palm touched my bare back, arousing a shudder.

He looked down at me, but there was nothing else in his eyes other than like. 

I think of his unusual moments these past few days and my heart can’t help but feel moved.

The next second, I reached out and hooked my arms around Kiro’s neck. Kiro looked at me in a daze.

MC: Kiro, all the things that happen to you, I want to be the first person to share them with you.

I paused.

MC: Just as happiness and sadness are all the flavours of life we must experience;

MC: I want to be together in those bleak moments that must be experienced.

MC: Because--friction generates heat.

MC: So next time if you feel empty, let me stay with you.

MC: Let me fill your time.

Kiro’s eyes seemed to have a small sparkle of light in them after hearing my words.

After a while, I was pulled by Kiro and fell back into his arms.

Following his movements, my bag fell to the ground and a clear sound rang out. Kiro turned his head and glanced, leaning over and picking up a lipstick.

I reached out to take the lipstick, but Kiro grabbed my wrist.

He looked at me and suddenly put some on his lips slowly.

In the small and charming space, all his movements seemed to be slow and carefully planned, which made me suddenly think of the fragments I saw in the lens. 

Kiro: While eating hot pot, Miss Chips said that she regretted not being able to see my exclusive performance. 

He paused for a moment and gave a grin.

Kiro: Well now you can.

He raised his hand and the hot red in his palm brushed my hair and then letting it fall onto my back, bringing the smell of spices.

It’s like a light kiss.

I stiffened for a moment, only to feel that the spot touched by him was burning like fire, making me want to get closer.

MC: Kiro….

I muttered Kiro’s name softly. As if receiving some kind of response, he suddenly took my hand.

Then he lowered his head slightly and pressed his warm lips to my wrist.

Kiro: I’m here.

There was a warm touch from his skin and Kiro’s lips were still pressed against my wrist, but he lifted his eyes to look at me.

I blushed suddenly and wanted to lower my head and look away. The next second, I was firmly grasped with his other hand.

He held my hand and guided my fingertips past his lips.

His look was seductive, like a fairy falling into the world, unknowingly attracting me.

But perhaps, he knew it.

Kiro: Now I am sure that you have filled the most precious time in my world.

His blue eyes are as gentle as the sea and there is only a small me inside of them.

He looked at me and got closer, hot breath fell on the side of my neck accompanied by a soft voice.

Kiro: In fact, there have always been many temptations and difficulties on the way to becoming an actor.

Kiro: It’s a small boat called “Kiro”, sailing on the waves of the world. He often encounters danger, gets injured, and breaks.

The soft touch lingers from the side of my neck to my earlobe, and the breathy whispers fall on my ears very affectionately.

Kiro: But this one person, she found the boat on the boundless sea and repaired his damages.

Kiro: She then stayed on the boat and sailed the world with him to see glaciers and lakes.

Kiro: This person is called Miss Chips, and she is-- the beacon that guides me through the world. 

His voice is like falling petals; quiet and soft with the ultimate sincerity. *Changed some wording*

Kiro: In the play, Kiro’s emotions belong to the stage.

Kiro: But Kiro outside the play, his world, everything about him belongs to you.

The scorching temperature left my neck and he looked at me earnestly with undisguised emotions in his eyes, like the surging ocean tides.

I couldn’t help but hug his neck back.

MC: Kiro, you made me the best Miss Chips in the world.

MC: Let’s go to farther places together, see glacial lakes, and sail the world together….

MC: Nothing can make me leave your side.

The sunflower grows enthusiastically and his golden hair is soft and brilliant. The world is flourishing and beautiful, just like himself.

If I were Kiro’s beacon for sailing the world, then let me be that tower that illuminates him.

Because-- he is also the most indispensable part of my world.

End

#mlqc #mlqc spoilers #mr love queens choice #mr love #mr love game #mr love dream date #mldd #mr love kiro #mlqc kiro #mldd kiro #周棋洛 #date translation #IM SO PROUD OF MC!!

[storyofmychoices]

One Day at a Time

[Ethan Ramsey x Ellie Shepherd Masterlist]

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x Ellie Shepherd (MC) Book: Open Heart (Book Two)

Word Count: <1,750​ Rating/Warnings: Teen; character with ptsd/survivor’s guilt *angst, hurt/comfort*

Summary: After learning about the depth to which Ellie is struggling with survivor’s guilt, Ethan tries to find small ways to help Ellie begin to readjust to life following her near death experience.

This takes place the morning after the events of “In Between”.

This is a companion piece to my series Love & Scotch (an Open Heart/Hollywood U crossover).

Her metal fork scraped against the ceramic plate, creating a dissonance that would typically cause her to cringe. She continued shifting her barely-touched omelette side to side, the harsh sound hardly registering. She signed softly, her glassy gaze distant.

Ethan watched her intently. His brows knitted together, concern etched across his countenance. "Ellie."

Her name called her warmly. "Mhmm?" she hummed half-heartedly without glancing up.

His fingers drifted across the kitchen island, brushing over hers, pausing her movements. "Look at me."

She wanted to pull away. It would be easier, but she knew he'd never leave her alone if she did, not after last night.

"I'm worried about you." His eyes searched hers for signs that she was still there, but her gaze was dull. "I'm right here. You're not alone."

Ellie nodded once. It wasn't that she necessarily felt alone. She felt empty, lost, drifting—like nothing mattered and nothing ever could. She had appreciated that he wanted to help, but the thought of spending the whole day with him and that look of pity on his face was the last thing she wanted. The solitude of curling up in bed seemed much preferable than this. She wished he hadn't called them out of work. At least at the hospital, she could blend in, go through the motions, and hide from herself. 

"Let's go." He took one last sip of his coffee and circled around to guide her out of her chair. 

The sudden change pulled her temporarily from her melancholy. "Wait. What?" 

She hadn't heard him mention anything about leaving, but she realized even if he had, her mind had drifted, and she hadn't been listening anyway. "Where?" 

He took her hand, guiding her forward. "We're going for a walk."

"Why?"

"You need it." His tone left little room to argue. "Would you like to change first?"

Ellie shrugged, looking down at her worn pajama bottoms and slippers. "Does it matter?"

He didn't want to pressure her unduly; although, he knew getting dressed was a small step in the right direction. "I think it would help," he replied gently. "However, if you're not up to it—"

She shook her head to the side, cutting him off. She knew he was only trying to be supportive. "Give me ten minutes."

"Ten minutes," he repeated, watching her retreat, wondering if she'd return on her own accord. 

To his surprise, she did. 

It had been a little over twenty minutes. He had planned on giving her another five before checking in. 

"You're beautiful," he offered, a smile alighting his face upon seeing her look more herself. 

She had gotten dressed to go to work daily, but that had been it for weeks, and even then, it was only ever scrubs.

"Thank you." A faint light flickered momentarily in the despair, clinging to her features, before fading away. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. 

"Shall we?" He held his hand in front of her, guiding her toward the door. Reluctantly, she dragged herself forward, hoping the outing would earn her some reprieve upon their return. 

They walked wordlessly down the road and across town toward the park. 

Ellie hugged her arms to her chest, pulling her sweater closer to her despite the warm weather. 

His gaze lingered on her every few minutes, giving her space but also looking for a way in. He had appreciated her opening up to him the previous night, but he knew the depth of her pain. Healing would take time—progress would only be accomplished through a series of small steps.

As they turned onto the picturesque path of the local park, he took advantage of her arm dropping to her side. His fingers brushed up against hers. 

His touch sent a flurry of warmth through her. Her eyes brightened as her fingers connected with his. She drew in a deep breath, letting his touch strengthen her before letting go. 

"Ellie?" His shining blue eyes rivaled the sky above them, drawing her in. He slipped his hand into hers as she turned her attention toward him. 

Her face flushed at the unexpected affection. She looked around cautiously, "Someone might see."

"Let them," he stated firmly, refusing to let go. 

"Really?" She sucked her lower lip. "Are you sure? We don't have to—"

He quieted her concern with a feathery kiss on her temple. "I told you, I'm right here." He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "I meant it."

She looked down, kicking a small stone she noticed in her path, trying desperately to push back the memories. 

The last time he had held her hand this openly was that day when they both thought she was dying. He had been there, he had refused to leave, he had held her, and then, he left. After they developed the cure and she was on the mend, he kept her at arm's length at work, insisting they must keep up appearances once more. 

She drew in a deep breath, turning away. Her eyes pooled with unshed tears that she hopelessly attempted to hold back.

"Ellie." He squeezed her hand again, his thumb brushing softly over her knuckles. "It's okay."

Her lips pressed tightly together; she was afraid if she opened them, the tears would fall, and it would be over.

"Not here," he wrapped his arm around her. "Come with me." 

He led her off the path and through a small set of trees until they spotted a bench off to the side. It was more secluded than most of the areas in the park. She wondered how he knew about it. She didn't really think of him as someone who had spent much time here before. 

He guided her down and settled in beside her. He held her hand gently again, waiting on her.

"We don't need to talk if you're not ready," he reassured her. "That's not what this is about." Ellie nodded weakly. "Try to ground yourself in the present; choose one thing to hold on to, like letting yourself feel the sun." 

For a while, they sat quietly. Her misty gaze focused on something in the distance as he kept watch. She had tried to remember the comforting sensation the golden rays of light dancing on her skin used to bring. It certainly seemed there were others around her finding pleasure in the beauty of the day. Still, she felt nothing. She played with the sleeves of her sweater, trying to quell the nerves growing at the realization. 

"I'm right here," he reminded her softly as more time passed. 

"Are you, though?" Her tone was harsher than she intended.

"You know that I am."

"Do I?" Ellie pulled her hand away, crossing her arms across her chest again. "I needed you, and you pulled away!"

His brows raised questioningly.

 "When this—us— first started, we agreed to keep it quiet at work until we were ready. That day—" She focused her breathing, trying to slow the tears that were now spilling freely. "That day, you didn't leave my side. You slept in my room in front of everyone. I thought maybe things had changed. When I came back to work, I needed you, and you weren't there." Ethan started to protest. "I know you were there at the end of the day in private, but I needed you more. I know that's unfair to put on you. I know we had an agreement. I know I didn't say anything. I know this is my fault, like everything else. I just—"

He rested his head against hers. His hands rubbed her back gently as her sobs took over. 

"I'm sorry. Nothing about this is your fault. Not what happened that day, not how anyone else reacted to it or you. I should have seen the signs before I did. I can't change the past, but whatever you need, I'm here now. Nothing is your fault," he repeated, fighting back his own frustrations on having failed her. "I'm sorry, Ellie."

She buried her head in his shoulder as he offered her himself. Her words muffled against him. "I can't even feel the sun. I'm hopeless."

"You're not hopeless." His face fell, and his brows pulled together at her words. He couldn't imagine how hard this was for her, but at the moment, he was feeling helpless. She needed more than he was. Not knowing what else to do, he simply held her in his arms. He may not have been there earlier, but he wasn't about to let go now. His fingers cascaded tenderly over her back, soothing her cries. "I've got you."

As her tears began to subside, Ethan took her hand and placed it on his chest over his heart. He rested his other hand above hers. "Ellie, you're the strongest person I know. You challenge me, inspire me, and remind me I'm not as clever as I think I am." 

A quiet chuckle slipped from her lips, and a fragment of light fractured in her darkness. 

"I feel you. I feel your heart. I don't pretend to know your pain, but I know how much stronger than it you are." Ethan's lips curled up in admiration. "But if you can't feel that, then focus on this." He tapped the top of her hand over his chest. "I love you, Ellie. Whenever you feel like nothing matters, know my heart beats for you."

Silent tears slid across her cheeks at his words. "Really?"

"Of course."

She bit the corner of her lip, trying to muster the strength. "No. Did Mr. grumpy-I-don't-believe-in-love Ethan Ramsey really use such a cheesy line?"

His eyes shut as his smile stretched across his face. His own tears fell as he laughed at the slight change in her demeanor. "I believe in you." 

Ellie wished she believed in herself, but right now, she was too far gone from who she was for that. But, she did believe in him, even now. Her eyes closed as she let the steady rhythm of his heart beneath her fingertips ground her in the moment, drowning out the memories fighting for her focus.

"One day at a time," he whispered. Ethan knew the road ahead would be long and full of unforeseen challenges. "Whatever challenges we face, we'll do it together."

"Together. One day at a time," she breathed, letting the promise those words held, bring her some peace. 

A/N: Thank you for being patient with me while I step back from the fandom. Not everyone has been supportive, but for those of you that have, I truly appreciate it. The two weeks I’ve been “off” have been really great. While I”m not 100% confident with this, I did want to write it and want to share it which is a step in the right direction. Angst and hurt/comfort are not my areas so if you made it this far, THANK YOU for reading and I hope it’s not awful. I truly don’t understand how PB didn’t give MC more time to get over their life/death experience. Or challenge how the LI were 100% available and then kinda just pretended it didn’t happen. 

These tag lists are a combination of my updated one along with people who didn’t reply but have interacted this year. If you want to stay or leave my tag list, please let me know if you haven’t already

Choices Perma: @the-soot-sprite ; @princess-geek​ ; @gardeningourmet ; @katrinegrey ; @trappedinfanfiction ; @aleynareads ; @lucy-268 ; @xjustin-ethansgirliex​ ; @maurine07 ;

Not confirmed: @lilyoffandoms ; @zeniamiii ; @whimsicallywayward15;  @tyrils-star ; @arnikki-2406 ; @schnitzelbutterfingers 

OH // Ethan Tags : @burnsoslow ; @curiouslittlefreak; @callmeellabella ; @jamespotterthefirst ; @thearianam 

Not confirmed:  @mvalentine @rookie-ramsey ; @missmiimiie  ; 

#Ethan Ramsey #Ethan Ramsey x MC #Open Heart #Open Heart 2 #playchoices #fan fiction #ethan x ellie #ellie shepherd #cw: ptsd #cw: survivor's guilt

[anntoldst0ries]

Everything else is just the weather

Book: Open Heart Pairing: Dr Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Dr Noelle Valentine) Word Count: ~5.3k (I sinned!) Summary: Ethan takes Elle out on their “first” date. Category: Fluff Warnings: None

A/N: It has literally taken me ages to finish this fic. To the point that I couldn’t look at it anymore, but here it is. I had it in mind for a really long time and now that OH is back, I feel like I’m ready to show it to the world. As always thank you for your support and I hope you like it!

This fic is part 2 of birthday present for my friend, part 1 is the fan art which you can see here. Once you read the fic, the fan art makes more sense :)

This is my submission for CFWC Silly Love Stories, Day 12: Date night.

Loud knocks resonated throughout the room. 

"Come in!"

"Good morning, Mrs. Peterson.”

“Good morning, Dr Valentine. I think you are the only doctor in this hospital with some sort of manners, everyone else just waltzes in here as if it was a damn barn!”

“Hospital or no hospital, everyone has their right to privacy.”

“Thank you, child. Once again, please call me Faye."

"Alright Faye, but only if you call me Elle.” She smiled sweetly, and the whole room seemed to be suddenly lit by a thousand suns.

“How are you feeling? Are the meds making a difference?"

"They are. I am ready to be discharged today.”

"Not so fast. I am not ready to say goodbye to you yet."

“Why would you possibly like to be lumbered with an old nuisance like me for even a second longer than necessary?”

Elle just laughed and shook her head. The ‘nuisance’, as the elderly lady so lovingly put it, was exactly what she loved about her job. She loved spending time with her patients, she loved their stories and their worldly wisdom. It made her sad to see how many of them thought they didn’t matter or considered themselves and their lives boring. To her, they were anything but. 

Many of Edenbrook’s staff members kept asking themselves: what is it about her? She was a great doctor, no two ways about it, and she was a genuinely nice person. But what was the source of power she had over people? If she woke up one day and decided to start a rebellion, patients would have most certainly followed her, even if it meant they’d be leaving the premises of the hospital with naked butts or trailing their IVs behind them. Doctors, nurses, administration, cleaners and security would follow shortly. She only had to say a word.

And how on Earth was she capable of turning Dr Ramsey, the grizzly bear of Edenbrook, into a benign teddy bear with as little as one look? It was beyond everyone’s apprehension.

Had they spent more time actually observing her, rather than gossiping in the corners, the answer would have unveiled in front of them within minutes.

It was very simple.

Noelle was truly curious about people. She genuinely liked them and was determined to get to know their story, for it helped her diagnose them faster and also satiated the young doctor’s hunger for knowledge.

Patients never felt like “curious cases” or “numbers” in her presence. They were… themselves - people with hopes, dreams, fears, pet peeves and odd habits. They were human. 

So little and yet so much.

Those never touched by serious illnesses often failed to understand that sickness strips you of your dignity and becomes your identity. Your true self becomes covered by this weird, annoying sticker that wouldn’t come off no matter how hard you tried to remove it. 

But this young woman, despite the nature of her profession, somehow managed to notice what was hiding beneath this misleading layer.

Had all these gossipers spoken to her patients, that’s exactly what they would have heard.

"What's happening today?" The older lady asked with a flick of curiosity in her wrinkle-haloed eyes.

"What do you mean, Faye?" The young doctor sounded genuinely baffled by the out-of-the-blue question.

"Well, I am no diagnostician, but I believe I am rather observant and you radiate with happiness. Something special is happening today, am I right?"

"Yeah, you are right." Elle blushed like a teenager caught in a lie. "My boyfriend is taking me on a surprise date today, but he won’t say a word about it, so I'm super excited to find out what he planned for us. He usually isn't one for romantic gestures, so the secrecy is killing me."

"Do you think he's gonna pop the big question?" Faye’s eyes lit up with excitement.

"No, we're not there...yet." Elle faked a smile, but a tone of doubt and sadness coloured her voice. They probably never will be, those things weren’t in the cards for Ethan, as he already stressed once.

But once was enough and she didn’t dare mention the subject again.

"Well, I'm pretty sure he's got some big guns in store, I would if I had a lady like you." - a male patient lying in the bed adjacent to Elle’s patient added smiling flirtatiously. 

"Jerry, you were supposed to focus on getting better, not stealing my girlfriend." They all jumped when a deep baritone echoed throughout the room, hitting present company like a wrecking ball. She must have left the door ajar or Ethan could penetrate the walls soundlessly, because no one heard him coming.

Exactly how long has he been standing there for and how much did he hear?

"Dr. Ramsey, flirting makes your blood flow faster. Isn't it the very definition of life itself?” Jerry’s tone was brisk and lively.

"Well, it definitely isn't the definition of recovery after a heart attack." Ethan used his authoritative doctor’s voice but knew this wasn't a battle he was going to win. Jerry had something he didn't: a couple more decades of life experience under his belt and even the best medical school in the country couldn’t compete with this.  

"Besides, Dr. Ramsey, I don't think that the beautiful Dr. Valentine here fancies old farts like me." 

"That's where you are wrong, Jerry, looks like this is exactly the type I fancy." The two women laughed, however Ethan was far from amused. "Dr. Ramsey is 10 years older than me."

"10 years? What is 10 years in these times? Nothing. When I was getting married 40 years ago, it was something. But today? Look at all them playboys with girls younger than my granddaughter. 10 years is actually a very healthy difference. Men are immature and slower with growing up emotionally. So I'd say you've caught up, Dr. Ramsey, and the two of you are emotional peers now.”

“Thank you for the fascinating lesson in human psychology, Jerry. To think I’ve wasted all this time and money on medical school and no one taught me this.”

“Dr. Ramsey, it’s because schools and useful knowledge are mutually exclusive.”

Elle and Faye were on the verge of bursting out in laughter, but managed to keep their composure and used the non-verbal communication of exchanging glances instead.

Once they made sure their patients had everything they need, Ethan and Elle wished them a good day and promised to stop by in 2 days, as the following day was their day off.

The moment the door closed behind them, Ethan crossed his arms on his chest.

"I lose you from my sight for one second and this happens. 5 more minutes with Jerry and I'd be single again."

"At least no one wants to poke your eyes out for being with me."

"And someone wants to poke yours?"

"Where do I start... nurses, who had a crush on you long before I even set foot in Edenbrook? Female interns? Anyone, who has a pair of functioning eyes and ever looked at you?"

She was adorable when she was doing this, her whole body overtaken by excitement and her hands waving. When she was talking about something really important to her she wasn't just conversing with her mouth, she was doing it with her whole body.

Suddenly, his pager painfully reminded Ethan that this was neither the place nor the time to lose himself in adoration.

"I need to go, I'm completely swamped today and I have my favourite cherry-on-top board meeting. In case I don't see you for the rest of your shift - I’ll pick you up at 7."

He was gone before she was able to form a response. Was it just her or was Dr Ramsey weirdly… nervous?

* * * * * * * *

At 7pm sharp, Ethan Ramsey curled his palm in a fist and gently knocked. The door opened in an instant, as if someone knew he'd been standing there for the past few minutes.

"Ethan! I mean Dr. Ramsey...please come in!" Sienna squeaked with nervous excitement as she let him in.

"Outside of Edenbrook Ethan is just fine, Sienna. If you don't mind me calling you by your first name, of course."

"Mm..mme? No, yes, I mean... Elle is on the balcony." She tried to hide her embarrassment and motioned towards the tall windows surrounding the living room. Some time ago, he would have been oddly proud to have such an intimidating effect on people - nowadays, more than anything, he was amused. Has he really changed so much?

The answer to his question was leaning against the railing, glass of wine in her hand. Gauzy, flowery dress enveloped her frame and tanned skin. 

For Ethan, it was as clear as crystal: summer had the face and scent of Noelle Valentine.

Long before she started leaving her toothbrush in his apartment and sleeping in his old JH t-shirts, Ethan noticed that whenever he laid eyes on her, his whole body started acting in a very irrational way. His doctor’s instincts prompted him to think of all types of biological causes and chemical reactions in the brain. Then, when he sort of admitted to himself it’s not just pure science, Ethan leaned towards the forbidden fruit theory - the more he couldn’t have his drug, the more he was craving it.

But the feeling never disappeared. Whenever he wouldn’t see her for a while - be that an hour, a day, or just when she went to take a shower or make a coffee - the very moment her face came into his view again, he felt his stomach somersaulting.

Every. Single. Time.

It wasn’t any different now.

"Drinking without me?"

She almost dropped the glass when his voice stopped the train of thought in her head. But then she saw his face, the way too seldom relaxed muscles and a barely-there smile.

A perfectly tailored shirt clung to his torso marvellously. If not in medicine, he surely would have made a name for himself in the fashion industry. Fortunately for her, the idea never crossed his mind. 

The warm wind blew in her face, carrying the scent of expensive cologne which overwhelmed her nostrils. She didn’t know this one, so it must have been new. But she did know that smelling it for the whole evening while staring at his handsome face will be a pure torture.

Simply put, she was a goner.

"I don't know why, but I was quite nervous. Had to summon the courage somehow.”

“As you should be. After all, it's not every day that one goes on their first date."

She looked at him as if she’d just been told that a UFO landed on the roof.

“On a what?”

"Well, I was thinking a lot lately about how we never had a first date. Nothing was ever...typical with us. I promised myself I will do my best to fix things that caused you pain or deprived you of the things you deserved. Maybe I cannot fix some immediately, but this one I can, so I will."

Her eyes, overbrimming with affection struck him like thousand lightnings. Thank god a comfortable silence fell between them - had she asked him a question, it would have been clear that right now he is nothing but a simpering moron.

With this in mind, he took his hands from behind his back, holding a small bouquet of pink gerberas.

"These are my favourites." Her face instantly illuminated at the well known sight and smell. "How did you know?”

"I had some amazing helpers."

Elle instantly turned her head left and looked inside, where grinning, Sienna was showing her the thumbs up.

"Wow, now I actually wish I'd downed the whole bottle."

"I'm glad you didn't. I want to go on a date with a woman, not her lifeless body, even though the body itself is very appealing. Shall we?”

“King of compliments…”

* * * * * * * *

"You actually look like you are having a good time, Dr Ramsey.”

"Why wouldn't I? There is alcohol, sitting under the sky definitely has its charm and the company is acceptable." She playfully swatted his arm, the gesture a quick reminder of how comfortable they felt with each other, something he constantly remembered to never take for granted.

“Although I love this, I still don’t understand why you dragged me all the way outside Boston, I’m pretty sure the rooftop bars are pretty acceptable there, too. A bit more crowded though, that’s for sure.”

“Are you complaining about the fact that we have this entire place to ourselves? I know the owner and he was indebted to me.”

“Of course he was.” Looks like the whole town is indebted to Ethan freakin’ Ramsey.

“With regards to why I brought you here… you’ll just have to wait and see.”

Gosh. She couldn’t decide whether the mysterious side of Ethan Ramsey was hot as hell or annoying as hell. But she didn’t really have time to contemplate, because her companion asked her a question.

“Why did you become a doctor?” The ocean eyes pierced her to the core and she had a feeling that even if she was the best actress in the world, there was no way she’d be able to hide something from this man.

“That’s a terrible change of subject. Also, I must have told you like a million times already.”

“No, you never told me.”

When she looked at him and really, really thought about it… she suddenly realised Ethan was right. Elle told the story so many times she sort of… assumed she told Ethan, too. 

“Are you sure you want to hear it today? It’s a pretty sad story, a mood killer I’d say.”

“It’s what makes you you, so yes, I want to hear all about it - the good, the bad and the indifferent.”

“I’ll tell you, but I need to ask something first. Why now? We’ve known each other for a while and you just… I just sort of assumed this isn’t the type of conversation you’d like to hold.”

“You’ve hit the nail on the head.” Ethan’s expression was gentle, not a hint of irony in his voice. “I’ve known you for a while now, but there are still so many things about you that I don’t know. At first, I didn’t want to ask, because asking these questions meant admitting that there is something more between us. What a fail would that be, after I’ve mastered the art of denial.” He laughed, but it wasn’t a bitter or a nervous laugh, it was a genuine banter between them, as the British half of her soul liked to call it. “But you made me want to dig deeper.”

Was it the heat that made her catch her breath, or did it have nothing to do with the temperature?

“Plus, this is sort of what first dates are for, right? I’m sorry for skipping right to the more complex questions. It’s not that I don’t want to know what you were afraid of as a child, I want to know all the details… but it feels like the atmosphere calls for something…bigger.”

So she told him all about her friend, how she fell ill, how she couldn’t be saved and how the experience wreaked havoc on her whole life, tears glistening in her eyes at the mere memory of the events that shaped who she was today.

Ethan listened, his whole body tense and eyes transfixed. She was giving him one of the most fragile parts of her and he had to make sure his hands were there to catch, carry and care for this treasure.

“And that’s when I realised that if I focused on becoming the best doctor I could be, then maybe one day, I’d be that person who has an answer, who can solve a mystery and save a relationship that means the world to someone. Sometimes, people don’t realise that when a person dies, it’s not only them that’s gone. The part of someone who stays, who has to deal with the whole ‘me after you’ - that part is gone, too. So for me, in a way, this meant saving more than one life.”

For a couple of seconds he didn’t move. Then, without saying a single word and with an unreadable expression he got up and offered her a hand, which she silently accepted. He led her to the railing, where the sun was slowly sinking into the boundless waters of Quincy Bay.

His lips found the all too well known way to her forehead, placing a loving kiss on her delicate skin.

“I am so proud of you.” There was something so mesmerising in his whisper, sending a shiver down her spine.

“As a mentor or as a boyfriend?”

“Both. I want you to know that your dedication to people who rely on you is astounding and hardly present in doctors your age. Or any age, for that matter.”

“Wow, Dr Ramsey, smooth. Trying to hit on me with a recycled pick-up line used on a national TV? No wonder you didn’t have too many girlfriends.”

“No, I didn’t. But I believe everyone has a limit of luck they can get per life. And looking at you, I got a couple of lifetimes worth of luck.”

This was enough to render her speechless. She smiled and at this very moment he knew he would do anything to make her smile like this. She wrapped him around her pinky finger and suddenly his whole existence revolved around finding ways of seeing her curve these breathtaking lips as often as possible and making sure he is the reason she smiles… not crying her eyes out.

Although the other didn’t know, because none of them said it out loud, they both thought the same thing.

This feels so right. 

There isn’t a hint of awkwardness in the fact that they can go from being serious or emotionally vulnerable to funny and teasing in seconds.

In one effortless movement, Ethan spun her and pressed her back against his chest.  Then, he started placing a series of tender kisses along her jawline and the crook of her neck, slowly moving towards her shoulder. 

Come on, just say it Ramsey. It doesn’t get any better than this.

He wrapped her palm in his and pointed them towards the sky. 

“There they are - the Little Dipper and the Big Dipper.” Their intertwined fingers were jumping from one tiny flashing point to the other, as if they were playing connect the dots. “And that’s Orion’s Belt.”

“I really don’t get why at this point I’m still surprised that you’re good at everything.”

Elle was drunk on his every word, as this annoying trait of Ethan Ramsey being the know-it-all was actually one of her favourite things about him. 

As for Ethan, he couldn’t help but think that life wasn’t perfect and was never going to be. But this - this moment - it was in fact perfect. Why take chances of ruining it, when so many things can go wrong?

What if she doesn't say it back?

What if she's just gonna laugh at him or tell him he had it all wrong.

What if he misinterpreted everything and she never thought about him this way?

He was terrified of being this exposed. The last person he loved so much left him without batting an eyelid and disappeared for 25 fucking years.

Maybe it was better to live in a perfect illusion than a reality in which there was even a 0.01% chance she doesn't love him back.

So they both drowned in the moment, drifted in the sea of rapture, lost in the illusion that it can all last forever.

It was her who broke the silence.

“I’m getting a bit cold, is it ok if we call it a night?”

“Right, of course.”

“Thank you for the first date, I loved it.”

Handing her his jacket (her favourite, the dark green leather one) Ethan was furious at himself. 

Maybe he was broken. Maybe he will remain broken forever. Maybe that’s the way it must be.

“Do you want to spend the night at mine?” The question slipped his tongue before he was able to fully reflect on it.

“At yours? Unless you have some secret place I don’t know about, just a quick reminder - I live there too.”

“Since this was our first date, I thought it was a gentlemanly thing to ask.”

“In that case… I am afraid I have the ‘after the 3rd date’ sleepover rule, Dr Ramsey.”

* * * * * * * *

The morning came all too soon and the hot, ruthless rays of the rising sun announced that Ethan is now way past his regular wake up and get up time. He barely slept, tossing and turning, replaying every second of the evening in his head.

His hand mindlessly reached for what he hoped to be the familiar curves and softness of the body he adored so much. 

But his palm hit the mattress with a loud thud. The bed was empty. 

The all-too-well known feeling of hopelessness slipped into the doctor's mind with ease. What did he expect? He was acting weird the previous day. First date, what a stupid idea. She must have realised something is wrong with him and finally left.

But before he was able to fully wallow in the mud of pity, the feeling was soon replaced by an old friend Ethan haven’t heard from for a long time.

Panic. 

Where was she? Is she ok? What if something happened to her and he was just sleeping like a log instead of being there to protect her. He couldn’t stand the thought of losing her… again. Something grabbed his chest in a tight grip and wouldn’t let go. 

Scenes flashed before his eyes, vivid and bright. Their hands touching through the glass wall. Her hand cupping his cheek through the layer of hazmat suit.

He got out of bed at the speed of sound and started running around the apartment, but she was nowhere to be seen. 

Suddenly, he noticed.

The balcony door was opened wide. 

Shit.

Heart in his mouth, Ethan crossed the distance between his kitchen island and the balcony door in the blink of an eye. 

Elle was just serving pancakes outside. The goddamn pancakes. The only thing he couldn’t cook. The one thing she kept teasing him about and he rolled his eyes every time she did.

God, he promised himself he will never learn how to make them, if it meant she would just tease him forever.

She was smiling as widely as ever, putting the sun and everything else in the world to shame. Ethan was still a bit shaken and his uneven breathing gave him away. Elle finally noticed his presence.

“Good morning, I was just about to—“

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

They both froze. 

The tension in the silence that had just set in was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

But the silence didn’t last long. As one man, with eyes full of disbelief, they both murmured simultaneously:

“What did you just say?”

This time, he felt obliged to break the silence.

"I...I...I mean, I…" 

Damn it, get it together, idiot.

"I didn't mean to…”

Great, Ramsey, keep digging an even deeper hole for yourself, then crawl in and stay there forever.

"You didn't mean to say it?”

"Yes. No. I mean, damn it, I am making things worse, aren't I?”

She didn’t set him straight.

"The thing is, I wanted to say it yesterday. I had it all planned, I took you for a first date and I wanted to say it for the first time yesterday.”

"Why did it have to be yesterday?”

“Give me a minute.”

She just rolled her eyes, but Ethan didn’t have a chance to notice before disappearing inside. A few moments later he re-emerged, his face and torso covered by a neatly wrapped, rectangle-shaped object.

"What's this?"

"Something you should have unpacked yesterday, but then... life happened."

Elle sat down on cold tiles, her hands trembling with a mix of fear and excitement. And just like he did months ago, he took her hand in his, only this time he cupped his own cheek with her palm and placed the most tender kiss on the inside of her hand.

It was her favourite medicine, a remedy for all things wrong. 

He sat beside her and nodded at the mysterious package. With impatience growing inside of her, Elle has torn the paper up.

Inside was a dark blue, framed print - the colour of it an instant reminder of her favourite set of irises.

She studied everything with intent. A circle must have been representing the earth and the irregular dots and lines must have been the stars and constellations. 

"A map of the sky? That's beautiful, Ethan."

He knew immediately that although her delight was sincere, she had absolutely no clue what she was looking at and why she was looking at it.

“It's not just any map of the sky.” Ethan explained gently, hints of pride colouring his voice. “It's a map of the Boston sky from exactly a year ago. Well, a year and a day.” He smiled faintly, now a shade of sorrow in his enchanting voice.

Silence. Was she supposed to know what that meant?

“Aren’t you full of mysteries today? Ok, you need to throw me a lifebelt here. What's so special about the sky from a year and a day ago?”

“For the world? Probably not too much. For me? Everything.”

At this stage of their relationship, she knew a lot about Ethan’s behaviours, triggers, his body language. And not just a relationship as a couple, but also everything that came before Ethan became someone she was running through life with (the life of two doctors in one of the busiest and most prestigious hospitals was certainly not a walk in the park).

But it still fascinated her how his demeanour changed whenever the subject was serious, whenever he was talking about something that truly mattered to him. It was as if he’d stripped down of all the layers and let her look into his bare soul. These rare moments of vulnerable intimacy meant more to her than any night of passion they ever shared.

Her eyes turned to him in pledge, because as much as she wanted to, Dr Valentine still couldn’t fully comprehend the scene unraveling in front of her.

“Read the description below the map.”

Dear God, did she actually hear shyness in his voice?

She skimmed through the image again, and there it was, right at the bottom. Elle was so focused on trying to decipher the meaning of the image that she didn’t notice the words below. 

The words which explained everything.

I WILL NEVER FORGET THE DAY 

THAT MADE ME REALISE

YOU ARE THE SKY

EVERYTHING ELSE IS JUST THE WEATHER

Her emerald eyes brimmed with hot tears as the meaning dawned upon her. Words were very unnecessary, but now that he summoned the courage to speak, there was still a lot he wanted to put into words. He gently took the frame from her hands and leaned it securely against the wall.

Taking her palms into his, he placed delicate kisses on her knuckles, his lips tracing the shape of these two tiny hands, which held all of him. Everything he had, everything he was and was going to be, he placed in those two fragile palms, with an unspoken hope that they will hold him and catch him if he falls. 

“Look at me.” The words were pulsing with care and affection, even though his voice coloured them in serious and desperate shades.

“One year ago… and a day from today…” He smiled and she felt the warmth spilling inside of her. The power he had over her was beyond the limits of understanding. 

Little did she know that the object of her affection was lost in the same thought.

“I was standing exactly where we stand right now. It was dark and the view wasn’t that spectacular.” He freed one of his hands, but only to make contact with her cheek to caress it slowly. In this moment, he had to touch her any way that he could. With his hands. With his eyes. With his soul.

“But I always found comfort in staring at the sky. When I was at med school, I had countless moments of doubt, I wanted to quit more times than I can count. So I used to go to a secluded place at night and stare at the sky. It made me realise how, in one respect, I am just a grain of sand in the universe and how little my problems are. Funnily enough, this thought actually brought me a sense of comfort. If I am as little as I think I am, then what is the harm in being brave and taking chances? A wise man once said… There are some things that are worth any risk.” 

She giggled through the tears, the sweet sound soothing his shattered nerves.

“I was standing right here and I never felt more miserable in my life. And I couldn’t understand why, for God’s sake. I was thriving at work. I had everything figured out and planned. I was pushing you to be the best you could be and I watched you turn into someone who would one day be far greater than me. But you looked so sad, so… broken. You already know I can’t just gloss over you feeling down. The sadder you were, the more miserable I felt. One evening, I was having a glass of scotch and I remembered some tiny exchange we’ve had earlier in the day, literally a chit chat. No idea what it was about. But I remembered your smile and your laugh. Every tiniest move of your muscles, your eyes, how your hair set around your face. It made me happy. Even if it was just for 5 minutes, knowing that you are happy in that very moment filled my chest with lightness. That’s when I realised I want to be the person who makes you feel this way.”   

She blinked the first time in a while, as if she was afraid to make the tiniest movement, afraid it will all disappear and turn out to be a dream. Giant teardrops rolled down her angelic face, trailing the path of joy.

“Noelle Sky Valentine, I love you. I have loved you for a long time but I was too stubborn to let myself give in. And that, as you already know, will always be one of my biggest regrets.” 

“Ethan, I don’t… I’m so sorry, I just don’t know what to say.” Her voice was saturated with emotions.

“I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t the reaction I was hoping for.“ 

“I love you too, Ethan Jonah Ramsey. You are by far the most complicated and stubborn person I have ever met. You are… everything I never knew I looked for in another human being.”

Once he heard her say it back, he couldn't get enough of it and a lifetime didn't feel like enough to tell her he loves her, as many times as he wished to.

“But I do have to mention this, Dr Ramsey… from the first date to a love confession in less than 24 hours? I’m sorry, I think this is moving too fast.”

“I’ll show you too fast…but I’m afraid we need to get inside, I don’t want the whole world and its wife to see how I teach you a thing or two.”

Ethan scooped her in his arms and carried her inside, despite her mock protests. He smiled and corrected himself. 

He wanted for the whole world to see.

Because the whole world was right there. 

In his arms.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

If you’ve gotten this far, I need you to know you are absolutely amazing 💗

Tag 🏷 list: @jamespotterthefirst @romewritingshop @romereadingshop @genevievemd @starrystarrytrouble @terrm9 @mrs-ramsey @maurine07 @gryffindordaughterofathena @mercury84choices @lovingramsey @qrkowna @openheartfanfics @choicesficwriterscreations @lisha1valecha​ @oldminniemcg​ @iemcpbchoices​ @tsrookie​ @fayeswiftie​ @levinsdowneyy​ @brooks-eden​ @poudredevie​ @queencarb​ @caseyvalentineramsey​ @lucy-268​ @tenaciousdeputydreamfriend​ @alwaysmychoices-sideblog​ @whippedforethanfreakingramsey​ @schnitzelbutterfingers​ @the-pale-goddess​ @lem-20​ @wingedhairstylemusicweasel​ @liaromancewriter​ @ohchoices​ @archxxronrookie​

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[starsstruck]

cloudbusting; part four.

a classic coffee shop story. harry is a painter that quickly becomes a regular at his neighbourhood cafe, and it just might have something to do with a certain barista. horoscope readings, mandarin oranges, and star-gazing strolls.

pairing: harry x reader warnings: language, mentions of anxiety words: 13k

series masterlist

art by holly warburton. (i have no vision for the mc of the fic, people in the images of paintings i use are purely because this is how i envision harry’s art to be)

a/n: thank you for being patient with me for this chapter, i hope everything turned out okay ! a big huge thank you to the amazing tina @sunflowers-styles​ for helping me out and being the best beta ily ❤️❤️ as always let me know what you think and please share if you can ! i love to hear everyone's thoughts and comments <3 happy reading !

Sat comfortably on Mae’s couch, you were taking a big bite of the hummus covered carrot that you had just grabbed.

“I have some frozen perogies!”

Mae’s voice floated from the kitchen, both of your laziness to make a proper dinner was about to be satisfied with hummus and snacks before Mae started digging through her fridge.

“That sounds perfect!” You called back, reaching over her coffee table for another carrot. You could hear her shuffling through the kitchen, reappearing by the couch with a box of herb flavoured crackers in hand.

“I’ll put them on later,” she hummed, seating herself next to you while turning down the volume of the Fiona Apple that was playing through the speaker. “Don’t feel like cooking just yet.”

“How was the weekend away?”

Mae had just come back from a two-night stay with her partner’s parents, at their place out in Rochester. “It was good – honestly it was pretty nice to completely get away from everything, even if it was for a bit, and even if it was with Robin’s parents.”

“That sounds lovely,” you nodded, unable to help yourself as you kept reaching for more crackers. “It’s good you got to relax for a bit.”

“Work has been far too stressful lately,” Mae nodded. “Aren’t you getting some time off soon as well?”

You rolled your eyes, waiting until you finished chewing your carrot until you spoke. “I guess. It’s not really going to be relaxing for me though.”

She shot you a sympathetic smile. “It’ll be okay – if things get too bad tell me, and I’ll come over with some kind of emergency.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” you laughed, not wanting to think about the reason you were going to be taking some time off work.

“Don’t think about that just yet,” Mae told you, a smile lining her lips. “How’s work going otherwise? Oh! Anything new with the painter boy?”

You bit your lips together, watching the bowl of homemade hummus as if it was the most interesting thing you’d ever seen. You knew Mae could read you well, and you knew that as soon as you averted your gaze that she’d be onto something.

“Something did happen?” She repeated the question, voice rising in excitement as you tried to hold back your little smirk.

“He ate me out on the floor of his apartment.”

“I’m sorry, he did what?” Mae sprang up, back straightening out as she turned to fully face you. “Last I heard you weren’t even sure if he was even going to make a move on you.”

“Well…” you trailed off, not knowing what else to say. “He did.”

It had been three days since you last saw Harry. You had your usual two days off, coming back to work just this Saturday morning.

After the little distraction from your painting session, you had pulled your dress back over your knees. And with starry eyes and warm cheeks, you sat up with legs pressed to his and your arms around his neck to pull him in for a sloppy kiss.

He had tugged you closer to him until you were practically sitting on his lap, muttering near nonsense against your mouth. “You’re unreal, you know that?” and “Sound so good saying my name like that, could listen to you for hours.”

Just the mere thought brought butterflies to your stomach; which was something you thought only happened to protagonists in romance novels.

You could still feel his warm breath against your skin and the sweet nothings he had kissed onto your lips.

“Was he good?”

Mae really didn’t need to ask; she could tell by the look on your face. You nodded, confirming her suspicion with a smile bit between your teeth. “Really good.”

“I love that,” she chuckled lightly. “Anything else happen? And wait, when exactly did this happen?”

“Few days ago – I went over to his to do some painting with him. I actually ran into him last weekend when I was out which was when he first kissed me.”

“What? You never told me that.” She mocked a pout, not actually upset with you.

“I haven’t seen you!” You laughed, always favouring to tell her things in person rather than on the phone or through text. 

“I suppose…” she laughed. “Have you seen him since?”

“No,” you shook your head. “I mean it was only three days ago.”

“Do you have plans to see him again?”

Again, you shook your head. “No – I don’t know. I realized I don’t even have his number or anything, I usually just see him at my work.”

“You could always DM him,” Mae nodded, reminding you of the time you both had spent scrolling through his Instagram.

“That’s true,” you bit at your bottom lip. “I don’t know. I don’t even know what he wants or anything.”

You fell quiet for a second, still gnawing at your lip. When you thought about it, you really only ever did see him at your work and other than his art practice and what kind of coffee he liked to drink, you didn’t know that much about him.

“Did anything else happen?”

“No,” you again shook your head. “He said that we didn’t have to do anything more if I didn’t want to – honestly I would’ve returned the favour but things just didn’t really go that way.”

“That’s kind of sweet.”

The wheels in your head were spinning. “Maybe he just wants something physical, I don’t know…”

Mae rolled her eyes. “Don’t jump the gun. By the sound of everything I kind of doubt that, he didn’t even get off.”

“I mean, is that weird? Maybe he does that – like in Sex and the City.”

Mae let out a loud laugh. “Life is not like Sex and the City, stop comparing yourself to that shitty show. Also, what does it have to do with anything?”

“That’s a plot,” you nodded, hating yourself for remembering all the awful plot points from the 90s TV show. “Charlotte dates this guy who’s like, notorious for going down on women and wants nothing else from a relationship.”

Mae raises an eyebrow. “And that’s a bad thing?”

“No,” shaking your head, a small furrow in your brow as you actually couldn’t remember how the episode had ended. “It wasn’t bad – but it wasn’t good. That’s all he did – he wasn’t a good guy or something, I don’t remember. He only was in the one episode.”

Mae laughed.  “Babe you’ve got to stop watching that show.”

“It’s entertaining,” you shrugged, fully knowing Mae also loved to indulge in the guilty pleasure with you.

“What does this have to do with Harry – your Harry?” Mae made the distinction, as if you would have only thought about Harry Goldenblatt, Charlotte’s second husband of the show.

“I don’t remember,” you muttered, bottom lip still between your teeth as you couldn’t for the life of you remember why it was bad that Charlotte dated a guy that only wanted to eat her out.

Snapping yourself out from the mess in your mind, you shook your head. “Anyway, sorry. Things are good, I’m just overthinking.”

Mae was quiet for a second. “Do you like him?”

You paused, already knowing your answer but being slightly afraid of it. “I think I do.”

It was two days later when you saw Harry again. With your usual Monday opening shift, the slow morning had you leaning against the counter flipping through the daily newspaper as you found yourself with not much else to do.

Playing with the paper straw that was in your third coffee of the day, you blindly brought it up to your mouth just as you heard someone walk through the door.

An older man with a red baseball cap shuffled through the propped open door, giving you a two-finger wave as he walked over to the counter.

“Morning,” he chirped, placing a ten-dollar bill on the counter as you went to grab his morning muffin. “Nice day out, isn’t it?”

One pet peeve you had about your job, was the weather talk that every patron seemed to insist on having. They all loved to chat about the bright sun outside while you were stuck working inside. “Beautiful day.”

Grabbing the bill from the counter, your eyes flitted back to the front door as you were counting out the customer’s change. A familiar silhouette of someone else walking through the door had caught your attention, eyes widening a bit when you realized it was Harry who had just come in.

He had his usual canvas bag over his shoulder, light wash blue jeans and a white shirt with some kind of graphic you couldn’t see on it.

Feeling your heart beating just a bit faster in your chest, you turned your attention back to the regular (who’s name you couldn’t remember, Bill or something) with the red cap and handed him his change.

Shooting Harry one more look, forcing the corners of your lips not to open in a wide smile while you moved to prepare a small americano.

As you watched the espresso pour into the mug, you willed your body not to flush at even being in the same room as Harry. You felt like you were thirteen, with a silly crush on a boy you’d only ever spoken to once. Except that this was much more real than a small crush.

You had never really felt this way with anyone before.

“Small americano,” you spoke not too loudly in the near empty café, your voice easily carrying over the sound of Françoise Hardy’s Voilà.

The red capped regular grabbed his coffee, pouring a generous amount of cream in it with a small thank you before he headed to his table near a window, ready for his breakfast with his book.

From the corner of your eye, you saw Harry having placed his things at his usual table and was tapping away on his phone. Cleaning out the portafilter, you wiped off the counter before deciding to head back to your coffee and newspaper.

It was not even a minute later that you felt a presence loom from the other side of the counter.

“Morning,” Harry’s voice was a quiet rasp, clearing his throat as you shot him a glance.

Your stomach fluttered.

“Hi,” you hummed, willing yourself to stop your flush at the memory of the last time you saw him. Hand reaching out for your no longer iced coffee, straw between your lips as you looked up at him again. “What’s your sign?”

Harry’s brow furrowed, a twitch of a smile at his mouth. “What?”

You motioned to the open newspaper in front of you on the counter. “Your sun sign – I’m reading horoscopes.”

“Oh,” he laughed. “I’m an Aquarius. Are you reading all of them?”

You nodded with your own little laugh. “I like to compare them, plus I’m a bit bored. So,” your eyes skimmed over the newsprint. “An Aquarius hm?”

“Is that bad?”

You only hummed, finding it on the page and pausing before reading his daily horoscope to him. “Under today’s amorous skies, sometimes less is more. Resist the urge to come on too strong to a new romantic prospect. A star-gazing stroll through nature could be the perfect way to add a dash or romance to your evening. And who knows? Your nighttime adventure could even bring artistic inspo.”

A few seconds of silence washed over the two of you. Harry had his bottom lip between his teeth, unable to help the nervous twist in his stomach. The horoscope was just a bit too accurate, especially with who was reading it to him.

“That’s – that’s something.” He said after a moment. The bright sun made the little pink blush on his cheeks obvious. He cleared his throat, looking to change the subject. “What’s yours say?”

“Mine isn’t nearly as nice, a bit of a filler horoscope if you ask me.” You sighed, searching for your sign on the page even though you’d just read it not long ago. “Today is all about adventure. Today’s thrill-seeking skies get your engines revving. Expand your horizons, whether you embark on a cross country road trip or rent a cabin in the woods. It’s all about a change in scenery and spiritual balance.”

“Sounds like you need to seek some thrill.” Harry laughed, the words you had read to him about his own horoscope still stuck in his head.

“I guess I do,” you bit back a smile, closing the paper. “Did you only come in for readings today? Or maybe a coffee too?”

“So many reasons I came in today,” he shot you a smile, almost a nervous one.

“Well then,” you hummed, pushing yourself away from the counter to go start preparing a coffee for him. “Let me grab you a drink.”

He followed you, from the other side of the counter, to the espresso machine. After tamping the grounds and waiting for the shot, you placed a hand on your shoulder as you circled your opposite arm, feeling the ever growing knot under your skin. 

“Are you alright?” 

“Yeah,” you smiled lightly. “It’s just my shoulder – I call it barista shoulder. Not everyone gets it, I think it depends on the way you tamp the espresso.” 

You saw the confusion on his face. 

“Tamping – it’s when you use this,” you reached over to grab the heavy tool used to press down grounds. “I honestly don’t know what it’s called - I think it’s just called a tamper? Anyway, you press down the grounds to form this kind of espresso puck.” 

You mimicked the motion, twisting your body. “You need to use a bit of force so I got into the habit of using my entire side to push it down. Some people press just in the wrist or their arm. My old boss had the same issue as me – after years of the repetitive motion it kind of fucks with your whole side; your arm, shoulder, ribs, everything.”

“Your ribs?” 

You quickly stopped the shot that was still pouring, having nearly forgotten about it. 

“Yeah,” you laughed lightly with a sheepish smile. “I went to see a physio for it, I have two ribs that are a bit dislocated.” 

“What?! You have dislocated ribs?!” Harry looked a bit scared. 

“Partially,” you corrected, as if it made a big difference. 

“Does it hurt?” 

“Kind of, yeah,” you nodded. “I try and stretch it out often, I even got acupuncture for it once. It’s more of a dull pain.” 

“Jesus,” he muttered, a small shake to his head. “Dangerous work you do here.” 

You only laughed, scooping out some ice from the machine and placing a few cubs into the glass cup, some espresso splashing onto your hand.

Placing the cup on the counter, you nudged it across in his direction. “For you.” 

“Thank you,” his fingers reached for it, before sliding it a few inches before stopping.

“Oh!” He disappeared for a moment, quickly walking to his table before reappearing in front of you, all in the few seconds the espresso had been pouring for. “Brought these for you.”

He had two mandarin oranges in his hand, holding them out in your direction before placing them on the counter between the two of you.

You were so endeared you wanted to throw them at his head.

“I remembered how you said you usually forget to eat in the morning – actually I don’t even know if you like oranges. You don’t have to – well anyway they’re there for you if you want them.”

“Thank you,” you spoke softly, warming at the small action. You did in fact enjoy oranges; you loved the smell of them as well. “I love mandarin oranges”

“Me too,” Harry grinned, done with his rambling. “Love the colour too – actually I like the colour tangerine even better,” he smirked lightly, apparently not done with his rambling. “But I only had mandarin oranges.”

“Any citrus fruit really is divine,” you giggled, grabbing one in each hand.

Harry saw you disappear behind the espresso machine for a brief second, only the top of your head visible between the mugs, before you turned back towards him while wiping your hands on your jeans.

He held the small glass between his fingers, mouth dropping open to speak but nothing came out when both your attentions turned to see a family waiting for you to take their order.

You only shot him a little smile, grabbing the pen from your back pocket and moved to take their order.

Harry went to go take his seat, pulling out his usual workbook that was slowly but surely filling up with page after page of colourful sketches.

He thought over the words you had read out to him about his horoscope. He never was one to take that in a serious manner, quite frankly not knowing a lot about astrology at all. But he took it as a sign since you specifically were the one reading it out to him.

Finding himself sketching small drawings of stars and the reflection of the sky on the water, unable to help but momentarily flick his eyes up to the front counter every so often, where you would often be found standing.

He watched the way you asked a man about the book he was reading, the way the customer was so excited to share it with you. You had that effect on a lot of patrons, he noticed. You made them feel comfortable and welcomed in the little café.

With his bottom lip between his teeth, he couldn’t help but feel slightly flustered even when you weren’t directly interacting with him.

Continuing with your separate tasks in the café for the next hour or so, as Harry didn’t want to bug you when a small line up never seemed to go away.

Walking up to the front after that line up finally did subside, empty glass in hand that he placed in the dirty dish bin, before he peered around the café as he couldn’t see you.

He finally did find you in the back room, one leg bent and knee resting on the stool. In one hand you had your phone held in front of you, attention drawn towards it. In your other hand you were holding a few orange slices, mindlessly chewing on them.

After watching you for a second longer, he cleared his throat.

“Hey,” he spoke quietly, not wanting to disturb any peace you had settled into.

You blinked while you turned your head, a slice of mandarin orange just placed into your mouth as you put your phone down on the table in front of you.

“Oh, hey sorry,” you placed your foot on the ground, orange on the table as you walked over to the doorframe. He could smell the orange on you as you neared him. “Just taking advantage of the lull.”

“No of course, didn’t mean to bug you –”

“– just wanted to ask,” he paused, leaning his hip against the wall next to him. He was only slightly intruding in on the space that was technically just for the workers, watching as you rested you back against the doorframe behind you with a few mandarin orange slices still in hand. “Are you doing anything Wednesday night?”

It was your turn to pause, eyes leaving his for a second as you chewed on your orange slice. “I close – otherwise I don’t think so, why?”

“There’s an opening show, my friend has a whole series in it. It’s at the same gallery that we work at sometimes, it’s just a tiny show but – well I’d love it if you came with me.”

Your eyes fell to his again. He could see a smile starting to grow on your mouth, corner of your lip between teeth. “What time is it at?”

“Starts at eight, but it goes until eleven. You don’t need to be there right at eight.”

You nodded, and although he felt like you were dragging this out a bit on purpose, he couldn’t help but feel a small pit of nerves grow in the pit of his stomach.

“Okay,” you hummed, voice quiet as your eyes darted over to the front counter to check for customers. “I’m usually done around quarter past seven – I can probably head over for eight-thirty? Give or take, depending on where it is.”

He knew he was smiling so wide that his cheeks were dimpling. “So, you can come?”

“I’d love to,” you returned his smile.

“Amazing,” the butterflies in his stomach flew away. “Do you have a pen? I’ll give you the address.”

He watched you pat your back pocket, not finding the red pen that was usually placed there. Taking a second to check the back room, reappearing with a little scrap of paper and a pen.

He scribbled down the information you need, watching you fold up the little piece of paper and place it in your back pocket along with the pen.

“I have to head over a bit earlier, moral support and all, but I can meet you there?” Harry asked.

“Sounds good,” you hummed, excitement growing at the idea of spending more time with Harry outside of the café.

“I have to head out soon,” he spoke, “but I’ll be seeing you on Wednesday, yeah?”

“Yeah,” you grinned, lips together as he bid you a little goodbye. Just as you were debating about if you should hug him, or say anything else, a group came in waiting to be served. As always, you were interrupted by other patrons. “See you Wednesday!” 

The following two days flew by. That Wednesday evening, you were giddy as you closed, rushing through all your duties.

Closing with Saya took no time at all, and soon you were walking with a fast pace in your step to head back home. You knew you actually had plenty of time to get ready, but you were taking your sweet time and wanted the process to be relaxing rather than stressful.

You didn’t really know what one wore to a gallery opening. It was a small show; that was all Harry had really said. It’d probably be casual, so you didn’t want to overdress, but you also didn’t want to look too out of place.

After washing your face, you were throwing clothes around your room as you searched for what to change into. It was then you realized that Harry had only really seen you in clothes you wore to work. It wasn’t that you dressed poorly at work, in fact you liked to think you had quite a nice,  casual style, but you still felt like dressing up just a bit.

You finally settled on a dark navy dress that had orange seams embroidered up the sides and around the hem. It was the kind of dress that would look good on anyone, that fit and clung to every dip and slope of your body.

Grabbing a nearly sheer black blouse to throw over your shoulders, slipping on your trusty white sneakers, hoping that you were walking on the line between casual and formal.

With a little beaded bag over your shoulder with everything you’d need for the night, you checked the time once more before heading out the door.

It didn’t take you as long as you thought it would to make it out the door, and finally you were double checking the address on your phone before being met with the red sign over the gallery and the glass double doors.

Smiling at the man dressed in a bright red blazer who stamped your hand,  you walked through the open doored entrance. You immediately felt a tad out of place, seeing everyone chatting and talking and drinking and laughing – all together.

You let your eyes skim over the space, taking in the gallery. It was fairly large, considering Harry had described it as “just a tiny show”. The room was big and open, and there seemed to be another room that opened up around a curved wall.

Gaze jumping from person to person, you found yourself feeling just the slightest bit out of place. Tentatively walking through the gallery, deciding to simply make your way around and hope to find Harry along the way.

It was when you were looking at a big dark painting, one that had different strokes of grays and browns across a large canvas, that a familiar voice spoke quietly to your left.

“Happy to see you made it.”

Turning around to see Harry, not realizing how close he had come up behind you. You had to take a little step back, the corner of your lips perking up as you saw his mouth already in a wide smile. He was wearing wide black trousers with a fitted simple black shirt, and orange converse sneakers.

“Sorry I’m late,” you spoke softly as he stood close to you.  “Had a bit of an outfit crisis.”

Not moving his feet, he leaned his body closer to yours until the sleeve of his shirt brushed your arm. His shoulder bumping yours, he slid a hand around your waist so that it rested on the small of your back.

With a light pressure against your dress, he drew you in closer so your side was pressed against his. Feeling a puff of air as he exhaled hit the side of your neck, his head lightly dipped down until his lips neared your ear.

“You look stunning,” he murmured. You shivered under his touch, even in his warm embrace. Eyes darting around you, feeling a bit lost just in the moment the both of you had shared. You felt a quick kiss pressed to your temple, before his face retreated from yours.

You could feel heat spread across your chest along with a little flutter in your stomach that somehow made you even warmer. Momentarily not knowing what to say, you faced him with a smile. “Thank you.”

His hand lingered over the fabric of your dress for a moment longer, before it fell to his side along with a little step away from you. Although with your shoulder still against his, you remained close to him as you both turned back to the painting that you had been observing.

“What do you think about this one?” Harry’s voice was low in your ear.

You opened your mouth, not really knowing how to tell him that you didn’t like it one bit. “It’s very… beige.”

“I agree,” he hummed. A touch of his fingertips on your arm pulled your eyes away from the art, arm jumping just the slightest at the contact. With a loose grip of his fingers around your wrist, he was soon tugging you by the arm across the floor of the gallery. “I’ll show you the good stuff,” he said, keeping his voice low.

He pulled you around the curved corner, into the second part of the gallery. You immediately noticed the lights on this side were a bit dimmer, a warmer glow to them rather than a harsher white light.

“All these in here are done by my friend, Yanis.” He hummed, stopping in front of one of the large paintings on the wall with a light drop of your arm from his hand.

“I helped out with a few, but really it's all him.”

“You helped out with some?” You turned to catch a glance at Harry.

He nodded. “Here and there – nothing that big. He just needed a hand.”

“That’s sweet,” you hummed. You liked that, them helping each other out with their paintings. It was just all so uplifting and supportive.

Just as Harry’s mouth opened to speak, his name was called by a deep and unfamiliar voice to you. You both turned, seeing a shorter man with black curly hair in a bun approach the both of you.

“We were just talking about you,” the man spoke towards Harry, his eyes pausing on you for a moment before he turned back to Harry with a raised eyebrow.

Your name left Harry’s lips – introducing you to his friend.

“I’m Yanis. So, you’re the famous barista Harry’s been telling me about?”

You smiled at his words, eyes flicking to where Harry stood next to you and watched the pink tint the tip of his ears. “Famous?”

Harry laughed, shaking his head. “Only famous one here is you, Yanis. The show looks like a big hit.”

You didn’t miss how quickly he changed the subject, but you turned back to Yanis. “It really does look incredible. I haven’t seen everything yet but I already like what I see.”

You mentally cringed, still feeling like a bit of an idiot whenever you tired to compliment art. You really needed to learn the right things to say.

Just as you were about to try and say something else, two more people joined Harry’s friend on either side of him.

“There you are!” A tall dark-haired woman spoke towards Harry. She was wearing a red shirt that matched her long skirt, with platform shoes and an array of necklaces. “I was worried you had left.”

“Just showing my friend around,” Harry spoke your name smoothly. You didn’t dwell on the way he had called you his friend, but it also didn’t go unnoticed.

“Oh,” she turned her attention to you, while Yanis and the other man seemed to begin a new conversation. “Sorry, I’m Rory.”

“Nice to meet you,” you smiled in her direction. You saw her give your appearance a quick once over, and you especially saw the way her full attention turned back to Harry.

“Everything looks so great,” she spoke towards him.

“It’s all this guy.” Harry let his hand fall onto his friend's shoulder, giving it a little pat. “We were just starting to look around actually, so I’ll catch up with you lot in a bit.”

In a quick move, Harry’s hand was brushing against your lower back, and he was guiding you towards the wall on the opposite end. You felt his fingers bunch lightly in the thin fabric of your blouse, side pressing lightly against yours.

“Sorry –” he muttered, leaning a bit closer to you as the both of you stopped in front of a painting across from where you had been previously standing. There was a sea of red and pink mountains, along with a bright blue skin and big yellow sun. “Knew we could get stuck there for a while – wanted you to see everything first.”

You only hummed in response, a small nod in your head as you kept your eyes forward. Although you did find yourself so drawn to the art on the wall, you couldn’t help but let your mind spin and spin around until the words were falling from your mouth.

“Rory,” you murmured, bottom lip between your teeth, “she has a thing for you, no?”

You could hear Harry pause from next to you, “I – yeah. Well, no – we used to date.”

Only nodding, you kept your eyes forward although you knew Harry was burning holes into the side of your face.

“We still kind of run in the same circle – it ended a long time ago I didn’t –”

He stopped rambling when you turned to face him. “It’s okay,” you forced a little laugh to your voice. “I was just wondering.”

Harry fell quiet again, as you turned back to the paintings on the wall in front of you. “I’m really happy you came with me,” he whispered, lips nearing your ear after a moment. “I’m really happy you’re here.” 

You turned your head around, glancing at him over your shoulder. He didn’t move away from you, hand on your back giving your hip a little squeeze before slipping away from your body. He hit your hand with his, letting his hand fall to his side.

The words he spoke were swimming through your head, having you bite your lips together to fight off a wide smile. Just the way he was looking at you made your knees weak.

“Okay,” you whispered, lips clamped together as you turned back around.

You spent the next few hours walking around, looking at everything, chatting with Harry’s friends. You had gotten along well with Yanis, he had talked at length about the series that was being exhibited and you were honestly in awe of everyone’s talent and creativity.

It was about half past ten and you were just heading back from a quick trip to the restroom, when your name being spoken had you looking around to see who it was.

Rory was slightly towering over you as she neared you, speaking your name again to grab your attention. “Haven’t gotten the chance to chat with you, how are you liking the show?”

Trying your best to hide the shock from your face, you sent her a smile as she stopped next to you. “I really like it – haven’t been to too many shows if I’m being honest, but this is for sure one of the best I’ve been too.”

“Yeah, Yanis really did amazing with everything – Harry too.”

You only nodded, not too sure what to respond in the moment. She kept speaking. “How long have the two of you been seeing each other?”

The question took you a bit by surprise, but at the same time didn’t shock you all that much. “Oh, we’re not –”

You cut yourself off, and she took the moment to speak again. “Sorry I don’t mean to put you on the spot, we’re all just a bit nosy about Harry’s life sometimes.”

Nodding, you couldn’t help the way your eyes narrowed slightly on her. “It’s no problem,” you shot her a small smile.

“Do you make art as well?” She changed the subject.

“No,” you caught Harry’s eye from across the floor of the gallery, “God no, I can barely take a decent picture. What about you?”

“Oh, sorry I just kind of assumed! But yes, I have my own practice. Mostly installation, plus some two-dimensional work as well as some performances here and there.”

Again, you wished you fully understood everything that was being discussed. “That’s so cool,” was all you said.

“Thank you,” she smiled down at you. “What do you do for work?”

“I uhm –” feeling somehow small for the words you were about to speak and a small pit of anxiety at the bottom of your stomach. “I work in a café.”

“She manages a café,” Harry’s voice surprised you slightly as it was suddenly heard from next to you. You turned, seeing him take a few more steps towards you and stopped when he was right next to you, facing Rory.

He was surprised to see the two of you speaking in the first place, a maybe the slightest bit worried when he saw the way you were slightly recoiling away from her.

“Oh nice!” She seemed a bit surprised from Harry’s arrival as well. “Sorry,” she paused, her eyes flitting over to somewhere behind you. “I just saw a friend I wanted to chat with before she leaves – it was nice meeting you!”

And then she was off.

You were quiet for a second, as you felt Harry’s hand brush over your middle. You barely registered the movement, bottom lip between your teeth as you felt a bit lost in your head – just the slightest offput from the conversation you had just had.

“Are you enjoying yourself?"

Harry’s voice pulled your attention away from your thoughts, shooting him a quick glance as his words registered. You nodded, a smile pulling at your lips as you saw his eyes never leave yours. “Yeah, I am.”

“Wanna get out of here?”

You fully turned to face him, standing in front of him. He saw your gaze flick between his, curious look in your eyes. “What did you have in mind?”

“Well,” he paused. Unable to help his eyes from falling down to your mouth, he watched the way the lightly shining lips were curved in a smile. “I just remembered something I read in a horoscope. And I was thinking … fancy a star-gazing stroll?”

It was your turn to pause, fully turning on your feet until you were standing directly in front of him. He could tell that you were trying to keep the smile from growing on your lips, but the gleam in your eyes immediately gave you away.

“I think I read something about that somewhere too,” was all you said, speaking quietly enough for just the two of you. The teasing tone of your voice, paired with the way your eyes seemed to glow more with every passing second sent a warmth straight through Harry’s stomach.

“Is that a yes?”

You let out what could only be called a giggle. “Yeah, it is.” 

Harry didn’t try to hide his giddiness a single bit and sent a short nod towards you before he was again leading you through the gallery. With a quick stop by Yanis to give him a hug and congratulate him, and a wave on your part before he was pulling you out of the gallery.

He was a few steps in front of you, holding the glass door open as you stepped out next to him. This time, he didn’t try and hide the way his eyes fell to eye your outfit, eyelids dropping slightly with a smirk on his lips.

“Christ,” he muttered, joining you by your side. He watched the way you obviously noticed his stare, giving him a small shove with your shoulder. “You really do look stunning.”

“You already said that,” you hummed. 

“Needed to be said again,” he couldn’t help but brush his fingertips over the raised orange embroidery that went up your side. “Also, I don’t know if you noticed sunshine, but we match.”

Sunshine.

You glanced down his outfit from the corner of your eye. The dark hues of both outfits along with a splash of orange looked like you guys had almost planned it. “I did notice, actually.”

“I think that’s quite sexy of us.”

You laughed, following Harry along the sidewalk.

The air outside had cooled down a bit, still warm enough that you were perfectly content in what you were wearing but not so hot that your skin felt sticky.

Harry led the way through the emptying streets, walking so close that it seemed every other step his hand hit yours. He really felt like he had been flirting with the idea of grabbing your hand for what, maybe a week now? He just wanted to grab you, hold you close.

Hell, he had been a lot closer to you than that before.

Walking through a darkened alleyway to take a quick short cut, you shuffled even closer to him. You kept your eyes focused on your surroundings out of habit, even if you were trusting where Harry was bringing you.

It was then that when his hand hit yours, it didn’t move away like it usually did and instead his pinky finger caught your own and soon he was lacing every last one of his fingertips with yours until your palms kissed.

Harry kept his gaze forward, but from the corner of his eye he saw you shoot your newly intertwined hands a quick look. While revelling in the way that your palm felt in his, and in the way that  every finger laced with his seemed to cause a tiny jolt to go  straight  through his body, he nearly missed the way you pulled yourself even closer into him.

By the time the water was invading your sight, after about fifteen minutes or so of walking in peaceful silence, Harry noticed the way you were walking so close to him your head was nearly resting on his shoulder.

He basked in the way you seemed to draw into him as much as he did you, and the way that you urged to be close to him and feel yourself against him just as much. The thought itself sent a new wave of butterflies straight through his stomach, clouding his mind as his pace slowed near the water. 

Clearing his throat, he turned to catch a glance at you. “I remember you telling me how you like to walk along the river, but you didn’t get to do it that often.”

Smiling softly at the memory of the conversation the two of you shared after running into each other at the grocery store; you thought of that as the first time you really felt captivated by Harry.

“Is this kind of what you meant?” He asked.

You glanced around, seeing a wooden boardwalk start not too far off. “Not quite.”

Turning around and tugging him by the hand, following the expanse of the water until your shoes were walking over wooden boards that hovered above the river.

Your pace slowed even more, your hand fell from his grip as you glanced around and took in the sights around you. It was a relatively calm night out, no harsh winds upsetting the murky waters. The lights ended by the street, only a soft hue for the two of you as the boats docked out on the water were barely in sight.

There didn’t seem to be any other people out near you – then realizing that you had no idea what time it was, something that wasn’t often the case and something that you enjoyed a great deal.

The moon was high and bright in the sky, with the few stars that could be seen dusting the sky. It was for sure a star-gazing stroll, just as Harry promised.

“Looks like a painting,” you spoke from next to him, gaze out over the moving surface of the water.

Nearing the railing, the two of you took slow steps along the wooden boards. Harry laughed softly from next to you, the sound carrying in the empty space.

“Have you always been into painting?” You asked, eyes trained on the wood in front of you.

Harry hummed next to you. “I think so, yeah. I guess you could say I was drawn to the arts since I was young, I remember my mum bought me a little painting kit when I was like seven or eight.”

You nodded as he continued to speak. “Started a bit more seriously through school, like getting into techniques and stuff. But I never thought I would ever try and make a career out of it or anything.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well…” Harry paused, hand pushing through his hair. “I actually studied marketing for a bit, thought I would go into business or something like that.”

You couldn’t help the laugh that escaped past your lips, surprised by the news. “I’m sorry but I can’t picture you as a business student.”

“Yeah,” his cheeks dimpled. “Neither can I. Left after nearly two years. Then I started taking a few painting courses at a local art store and I’ve been doing just that ever since.”

“Wow,” you breathed out. “And your family they were – I mean you made everything work out for you?”

He nodded again. “Obviously I kept a job for a while, I was actually working at that little art shop for a few years too. My family was okay with it – my mum especially was always supportive. I remember when I told her I wanted to leave school to work on art she said she couldn’t imagine me doing anything else.”

“I love that,” you hummed, biting your lips together. A small part of you wished that you had that kind of unconditional support. But you kept your lips together and pushed the thoughts from your head, not wanting to bring down the mood.

“I send her some of my paintings; take them off the frame and roll them up for her. Her and my sister flew out and came to my first show over here – even though I only had two works in it.”

Mentally giving yourself a pat on the back for having correctly assumed Harry couldn’t have been an only child with the way he acted. You really did love when your hunch about someone was proven right.

“That’s really sweet,” you smiled at him. “You must miss them.”

“I do, yeah.” He hummed, catching your eyes with his for a second. “But I am glad to have moved out here. I felt like it could be temporary – I would love to live in London someday but I’m really happy to be here.”

Only nodding, you felt yourself getting lost in your own thoughts for a brief second before Harry pulled you back out of them. “What about you, you miss home much?”

Shrugging, you didn’t know what to say. “I mean a bit, in the way that anyone gets nostalgic. But,” you took a breath.

“I know this sounds terrible but honestly I don’t. It’s… exhausting to be home. I moved further away for school for a reason.”

You didn’t know what else to say, hoping that Harry would jump in with something else. You shot him a quick look, seeing his eyes intent on yours as he listened and waited for you too keep speaking.

“That’s not terrible,” he spoke quietly, after a few more seconds in silence.

You hummed, not sure what to say. Walking in silence for a few more moments and taking another breath before you chose to speak again. “My parents live hours away from each other now anyway, so I feel like there’s not really a home to go back to, you know?”

“I’m sorry,” Harry’s voice was soft.

“You don’t need to apologize,” you smiled, small shrug in your shoulders. “Nothing to be sorry for. I’m happy to have moved away – happy to be here too.”

Harry remained quiet, giving you the chance to go on if you wanted to. Although right now you really didn’t want to – you were having such a good evening and you didn’t want to bring any of that down by discussing your family.

Quietly walking side by side, with only the moon and the stars surrounding the both of you, Harry cleared his throat once more.

“So, what was it again that you like about this place?”

“Just the mood of it,” you shot him a glance. “Something about walking along the wood – I just really like it. And I like the smell too, I know it’s probably diesel and chemicals but it’s just oddly nostalgic for me for no real reason.”

“I see that,” Harry smiled. “So other than walking out here, what other small things make you happy?”

You were confused for a second, Harry further explaining himself after you didn’t answer.

“Just like, anything that could seem insignificant that you enjoy for whatever reason at all.”

“Oh,” you hummed, a small smile tugged at your lips at the question. You didn’t know why it made your heart soar that he was asking you about this – but it just did.

“This is really dumb,” you said after a moment. “But at work, I really like it when an older customer – they’re usually regulars – when they come in with their book and they get a coffee and a little cake or a treat and just sit there for hours.”

Pausing, not sure how to explain how you felt because right now it just sounded like any other interaction with a patron. “It's a happy-sad feeling – I don’t really know why. I love that coming into my café and having a chat with me is part of their routine, but there’s also something that just makes me feel the tiniest bit sad…”

Harry remained silent, letting you explain yourself. “It’s like, sometimes you watch a movie that has a happy ending, but you can’t help but feel the slightest bit melancholic, you know?”

Your eyes darted over to him, seeing him nod. “I know the feeling, yeah.”

Harry had never really thought about that before, never paying too close attention to the other patrons when he frequented your café. “You pay close attention to a lot of regulars, huh? I thought I was special.”

You let out a laugh, shaking your head as your shoulder bumped his.

“Sorry to burst your bubble,” you teased, feeling his pace slow down, deciding to stop where you were.  You leant up against the railing that  kept you from the water.

“What about you?” You turned to him. “I know you said you didn’t want to share much about the paintings you're working on currently, but what’s something small that you like to pay attention to for your art?”

“I don’t want to bore you with every detail…” he started out, feeling like he had been speaking about his practice the entire time.

You shook your head. “I want to hear about your art – I like it.”

Harry slipped his lips between his teeth, head dipping down for a second as he felt his cheeks blush. “Well,” he started. “My current work is still very much in progress – not really ready for anyone to see or hear about it just yet.”

“But right now – or for the past year or so I’ve been really paying attention to moments between people.”

“Just … small touches or moments of intimacy, you know? Like seeing someone rest their head on someone else’s shoulder, seeing two people hug in a big crowd. Just small moments like that where you know that they’re in their own world.”

You were quiet, even after he was done speaking. Leaning your forearms against the wooden railing, feet kicking at nothing on the ground. You saw exactly what he explained – about the little touches of public, yet private, intimacy.

“I know what you mean,” you finally said, voice quiet as it carried over the space between the two of you. Harry has his back against the railing as he keeps his eyes on you.

After he realized you weren’t going to say anything else, he kept speaking. “It’s nice, you know? Seeing people wrapped up in their … love and adoration for each other like that.”

You hummed, his words swimming through your head. “Guess I never really thought about that –” cutting yourself off, before continuing even quieter, “– guess I haven’t really experienced it like that.”

Another wave of silence washed over you, before Harry turned in his place so that he could face you directly.

The reflection of the moon rippled in the water. “Have you ever been in love?”

His words caught you slightly off guard.

You had been in relationships, sure. You’d had partners tell you that they loved you, and maybe once or twice you returned the sentiment. But you didn’t really know what it meant.

“I –” you paused. “I don’t know.”

“You say that a lot.”

You could just make out Harry’s expression. The lighting was sparse, but every little dip and curve on his features were clear as day, and his eyes held that little smile they often did.

“I know,” the words were too small puffs of air past your lips.

You held your breath in, before continuing. “I’ve always thought that I’d know, but I feel like I’ve never been in it in the way that you described. Not fully. I – I don’t know.”

The way he looked at you made your heart beat just a bit faster in your chest, so loud you were sure he must be able to hear it.

“It’s okay to not know,” he spoke so softly. You didn’t even realize you were leaning in closer to him until your knee bumped his.

“Have you?” You cleared your throat, the noise breaking through the otherwise quiet surrounding. “Have you ever been in love?”

You didn’t know why you were so afraid of his answer.

“I think so, or,” Harry paused, a small furrow in his brow as his eyes were still intent on yours. “I thought so.”

This time, your heart stopped.

“Thought so?” Voice sounding a bit hoarse, you again found yourself afraid of his answer.

There was a small shrug in his shoulders. You couldn’t help but briefly think about Rory, about whether he was ever in love with her, but you shook the thought from your head.

“I guess… I guess I’ve been heartbroken before. I’ve loved, for sure. But I don’t know if I was really in love. If that makes sense.”

Maybe he really was just as confused as you were.

“I guess you don’t know until you’re really in it.” He had his bottom lip between his teeth.

“I guess you don’t,” you repeated.

What Harry wanted to tell you, was that he had never felt the way he did when he was with you.

He also didn’t know how to tell you – he really felt like he didn’t know anything at that moment either.

He was drawn to you from the first moment he had spoken to you, and found himself unable to ever get enough every time he saw you. It had been over a month and a half since he’d first walked into your café, since he’d first met you, and he couldn’t believe the way you made him swoon.

But he didn’t truly realize that, and the last thing he wanted to do was scare you off.

So instead, he reached forward so that his palm could rest under your jaw and stepped a tad closer to you. He saw you visibly leaning in to his touch, your eyelashes hitting the top of your cheeks for a brief moment with a slow blink.

“Thank you for coming tonight,” he whispered, voice low as his knuckles brushed over your jaw.

You nearly sighed at his touch, butterflies in your stomach erupting once again when he spoke so softly. He always seemed to be able to grab such a strong hold on you – both physically and metaphorically – but all while treating you with the gentlest of touches. “Of course.”

“I really,” he paused with his own sigh. Hand on your jaw sliding over your skin, grabbing a light hold at the back of your neck. “I really like spending time with you like this.”

Only able to nod, almost having to look away from his intense gaze. There was nothing else to look at though, nothing else you wanted to look at. 

“Me too.” The words were barely there, just a pass of air from the back of your throat.

You felt his other hand smooth over your spine, fingertips finding your waist as he seemed to be blindly tracing the raised orange embroidery on your dress. Further leaning into his touch, you knew your eyes were darting all around his face as you were unable to focus on just one thing.

His own eyes fell down once more to the curve of your lips, and you felt them fall parted with your tongue wetting them on instinct.

“Can I kiss you?”

Nearly wanting to giggle at the question, as he had done much more than kiss you in the past week, and since the question seemed to be just a little late, but a laugh was the last thing on your mind right then.

All you could do was nod in his grasp, your eyes never leaving his – not for one single second. After a heavy swallow and a raspy little “yes” leaving your mouth, you let your hands fall to his shoulders to embrace him closer.

He pulled you closer in a quick motion, hand on your back holding you tight. Your chest fell against his, head remaining upright with his thumb still under your jaw.

Lips pressing against yours lightly at first, like whispers of a kiss against your mouth. He pecked two, three, four kisses on your lips like that before you edged your jaw forward and let him fully capture your mouth.

Your heartbeat was loud in your ears when he fully pressed his lips against yours, with just enough pressure and desire to make your head spin. A little gasp escaped the back of your throat when he grabbed hold of your bottom lip between his, a soft nip of his teeth against the sensitive skin.

Lips parted together, never able to get enough of the way he felt against you. Harry’s tongue heatedly pushed past your lips mouth gladly opening for him. He grazed into your mouth, arm around you pulling you closer to him. Hot breath mixing together, he pushed your back against the railing behind you just a bit more so that his hips could press with yours.

His hand on your back had migrated, dancing over the curve of your bum before sliding around and giving your hip a sharp squeeze. It never rested in one place, as if he couldn’t get enough of the feeling of your body against his.

You returned his fervour, one hand smoothing over his neck until your fingertips were being pushed through his hair. Fist closing as you tugged gently on his hair, eliciting a little groan from Harry before he was licking into you once more.

Minutes passed, you had no idea how long the two of you spent like that under the stars and the moon.

He pulled away, barely, for a breath with heavy eyelids trained on you. His forehead was a millimetre away, loose curls brushing over your skin and tip of his lips brushing yours when he spoke.

“I,” he sighed, voice sounding so close to you as your eyelids just barely opened. “I – you’re unreal.”

His voice rasped slightly, as if he had just been woken up. The way he murmured  quietly against you had your head spinning, thinking about how he would sound moaning your name. 

Just as he was moving in to capture your lips with his one more time, a quiet buzzing was heard from somewhere. It took you a moment to register that it was your phone that was sitting in your purse.

“I think that’s yours,” Harry chuckled quietly, air hitting your lips as he spoke.

“Oh, fuck I’m sorry,” you pulled your arms away from him, fingers fumbling with the zipper of your bag. Pulling your phone out, you saw your brother's name flash across the screen.

You knew you should answer it, but you didn’t want to and he had already interrupted you. Declining the call with a text, telling him you couldn’t talk right now, you placed your phone back into your bag.

“Sorry about that,” you hummed, gazing back up at Harry.

“It’s not a problem,” he grinned down at you, a hand still wrapped around your waist. “It is getting late though, let me get you home, yeah?”

Waking up to a ringing phone wasn’t ideal. Especially early on your day off.

At first you thought it was your alarm, and you tried to snooze it. And then when it started ringing again, you slowly blinked yourself out of sleep to squint at the phone screen.

Realizing it was a call, realizing it was a call from your boss at seven in the morning, you sprang up.

“Hello?”

She spoke your name, seemingly relieved to hear you answering the phone. “I’m so sorry to be calling you, I know it’s your day off.”

“It’s okay,” your voice was groggy. “What’s up?”

“No one’s at the shop right now – no one’s opened.”

You jumped out of bed this time, double checking the clock on your phone to see it five minutes past seven. “What?!”

“I happened to check the cameras this morning, and no one is there. Do you think you could head over there to open?”

You let out a sigh, hearing the desperation in her voice. She was away at the moment, otherwise you knew she would do it herself. It was also lucky that she could check the security cameras from her phone, something you knew she did very rarely.

“It would just be for a bit; I can get a hold of someone else to finish off the rest of the shift.”

“Yeah I can go over,” you were already looking for your pants. “I’ll get there as soon as I can.”

“Thank you so much,” she rushed through the phone. “Noah was supposed to open today I think, right? I’ve been trying to get a hold of him but not luck so far.”

After getting off the phone with your boss, you quickly pulled on jeans and a bra, a baggy shirt over the rest of your body before jumping to the washroom.

There had been moments where you had to get ready in a rush before, of course you had, it happened to everyone to sleep past their alarm. But the magic of the opening shift is that even if you were late to the beginning of the shift, it was always possible to get there before the café actually opened.

Today you didn’t have that pleasure, you would likely be arriving after half past seven at the earliest.

Mentally cursing Noah, you tried to the best with your hair you possibly could and roughly rubbed in some moisturizer into your skin before you were running out the door.

After a not so elegant speed walk down the street, you were unlocking the café doors and unfortunately leaving the door propped open for anyone to walk in.

And to your displeasure, people did walk in. You had a grumbling regular who was mad he couldn’t come in bright and early, you had a big family grabbing an early breakfast, you just had too many people asking you for things all while trying to open the café.

It was only after an hour that things settled a bit, that you were able to catch a breather and actually grab yourself a glass of water.

You were sat on the little stool in the back room, keeping your eye on the front counter in case anyone showed up. Updating Grace, your boss and owner of the café, on how everything was fine on your end and that you still hadn’t heard a peep from Noah who was the one supposed to open today.

It was just as you sent him one more text, that your name was heard from a familiar voice. You saw Harry poking his head through the doorway, both of your expressions mirroring the others in your surprise.

“Hey,” you sighed, running a hand over your hair, knowing you looked a bit a mess. Standing from the stool, you walked the short distance to the doorway as you leant up against it with your glass in hand.

“I thought you were off today?” He grinned dimples showing on his cheeks. “Not that I’m not happy to see you, I just – didn’t expect it is all.”

“I am,” you couldn’t help the hint of bitterness in your tone. “No one came in to open this morning – I got called in.”

You saw his eyebrows fall to a small furrow. “Oh fuck. How does that happen, no one opening?”

Only shrugging your shoulders, you took another sip of your water. You couldn’t help but gently shut your eyes, feeling your exhaust slowly overcome you.

“I don’t know. Can’t get a hold of the person who was supposed to open. I mean I’m assuming that they’re just still sleeping or something.”

“That’s shitty, and on your day off too.”

“It’s okay,” you shot him a small smile. “At least I don’t have to work the full shift today, just opening and I should be off soon, someone else is coming in to finish the shift. Did you want to get a coffee?”

“Uhm – if you were taking a little break its okay, I don’t need to –”

You cut him off with a laugh. “Stop that, I’ll get you a coffee.”

“Just to go for today,” he spoke, as you were tamping the espresso grounds. Nodding as you grabbed a paper to go cup, placing it under the portafilter and pressing the button to begin the slow and steady pour of espresso.

“What do you have going on today?” You asked, keeping your eyes on the passing seconds of the espresso pour.

“I’m actually headed over to Yanis’ place – a few of us are working on a collaboration piece together.”

“That’s so cool,” you smiled, sliding the to-go cup over to him as he grabbed a lid from where they were on the counter.

“What about you?” He returned your grin. “Get some sleep after this impromptu morning shift and before another week of work?”

“Oh, I’m actually going to be off for the next week or so,” you spoke absentmindedly. “My brother is coming to stay with me.”

“That’ll be good,” Harry mused from across you, having never heard you speak about your brother.

You only sighed, his words not really registering. “I guess.”

Not wanting to think too much about the week you were going to have to spend with your brother, you cleaned out the portafilter and tried to change the subject. “What are you working on with everyone?”

Harry was quiet for a second, eyes intent on you before he cleared his throat and answered. “It's all Yanis’ idea – he wanted a big collaboration but really, he’s the brains behind everything. We’re just starting today so honestly I’m not really sure what will come of it.”

“That sounds like it’s gonna be good,” you grinned.

“I hope so –” he paused, checking his phone, “sorry I have to head out. But I hope your day gets better and I’ll see you soon!”

You waved as he left, only a few more minutes into you were able to leave the café.

You physically felt your shoulders drop when you saw Aleena walk through the door. She had been scheduled to work today already, just coming in a bit earlier to give you a big helping hand.

“Thank you so much,” was the first thing you said when you saw her. “You are the absolute best. I promise I’ll buy you a drink, or dinner.”

She laughed. “No need for that, really. Should be Noah buying both of us dinner.”

“Yeah,” you muttered, nodding your head. “He really should be.”

She clocked in, and you waited a second before speaking again. “Is it okay if I head out now? I can stay and help if you need me to but –”

She cut you off. “Go, go. I know you have to go get your brother later today, and I’m sure you don’t want to be here right now.”

You could kiss her. “Really, thank you so much.”

You were rushing out of the café after grabbing your bag. You wanted to shower as soon as you got home, hopefully having the time for a little nap before you had to go over to the airport to greet your brother.

Just as you were turning the corner away from the café, a familiar outfit across the street caught your attention. You recognized Harry, nearly amused to see him still so close to the café. Your pace slowed down slightly, you were considering catching his attention or maybe just yelling his name across the street as you didn’t really have time to stop and chat once again.

Although any idea you had fell out of your head when you saw two more people with him, getting a better view of them as you walked along your side of the street. You recognized one of those people to be Yanis, and after a small squint you realized who the other person was.

You kept walking, eyes flitting over to the group across the street a few more times before you turned another corner and away from them. You knew you had no reason to be upset, or not upset, annoyed that Harry was spending time with his ex.

He had mentioned that they both still ran in the same circles, but you didn’t imagine that meant hanging out just on the daily. Or maybe not the daily, in fact you had no idea how often they spent time together. He had never mentioned her to you before, and you tried not to feel overly annoyed because you knew you had no real right to.

This just wasn’t coming out to be a very good day for you.

Trying to push everything about Harry and Rory out of your mind, you rushed the rest of the way home as you were slightly dreading the fact that in a few hours you were going to have to head over and greet your brother at the airport.

The first day with your brother was okay.

You were never that close growing up, for no particular reason. It wasn’t until you grew older that you realized you wished you had a better relationship with him, that you wished you could be like those siblings on TV.

He tormented you, in the way that older brothers usually did, but there was never a good side to your relationship with him. It got to a point where you began to realize that you nearly resented people for how close they were with their siblings.

Ever since your parent’s divorce, the two of you somehow grew closer and further apart. Closer in the sense that now it truly was the two of you against them, but further apart because your lives were in such different places.

He always knew  what he wanted to do in life, and he was currently doing well for himself. He had gotten married already, and was living in a nice apartment that was also close to both your parents, much closer than you were.

He was going to be spending three days with you, his idea. You knew it would be bad to say no, knowing deep down that you needed to maintain a relationship with him. You loved him – he was your brother but you didn’t necessarily want to spend three days with him.

You always came out of any interaction – even a phone call with him – exhausted and anxious about the state your life was in.

Since you were going to be taking some time off anyway, you decided to give yourself an extra two days off just so you can have some time for yourself and didn’t need to jump right back into work.

“How’s Sophie?” You asked your brother about his wife, as you unpacked some groceries you got after meeting him at the airport. They had gotten married nearly two years ago.

“We’re good, she’s good,” he seemed to pause, sitting in your recently deep cleaned kitchen.

“Yeah?” You probed further, noticing his sudden hesitation.

“She’s actually – she’s pregnant.”

You nearly dropped the knife you had just grabbed. “What?”

He nodded. “She’s due next March. We’re really excited.”

“Oh my God –” you muttered, still in the headspace where when you heard when you heard the word ‘pregnant’ it was usually followed by anxiety not joy, even if some of your friends from college had kids of their own as well.

“Congratulations,” you snapped out of it. “That’s – that’s great! Congratulations, I’m sure she’s really happy.”

“Yeah, she is. We both are.”

“That’s great,” you repeated, turning back around and busying yourself with starting to prepare dinner.

He was quiet for a second. “How about you, are you seeing anyone?”

You very rarely shared details of your personal life with your brother, unless specifically asked. And even then, it was all very vague.

“Uhm,” you didn’t know why you were pausing; you knew your answer. The question was simple, the answer was just as simple – but for some reason the reality seemed much more complicated.

But you really didn’t want to talk about that now, especially not with your brother. “No, not really.”

You only heard him hum from behind you, before he spoke again. “Oh. You know I was talking with mom – you know she was younger than you when she had me.”

Christ.

“I know,” you only muttered, not giving him the satisfaction of getting upset over his words.

“All I’m saying,” he could likely sense your annoyance. “Is that I know you’re having fun out here in the city and whatever, but you’re nearly thirty.”

You spun around, unable to hide your anger. “I’m not nearly thirty. I’m in my mid-twenties – and even if I was, so what? There’s no timeline I need to be following.”

“I’m just saying” he put up his hands in defense, as if you had been attacking him unprovoked.

You had to tell yourself to not continue down this path, he wouldn’t budge in what he was saying. “How’s work going?” He said instead.

Again, something else you didn’t feel too keen on discussing with him. “Fine.”

“If you wanted to get your foot into something else, I can probably help you with something at my company.”

Your jaw clenched. “Thanks, but I’m good.”

“Seriously – even in the New York office I could help you out. You’d probably need to intern first –”

“I said it was fine,” you cut him off, feeling worn. “Thank you, but I’m okay with what I’m doing.”

Again, he only put his hands up as if he was doing nothing wrong. You willed yourself to not feel too angry over it, knowing that you were already mentally tired and if you kept speaking with him about this you might start crying – something he’d only use against you.

After a few much needed topic changes, dinner was ready and you were playing a show the both of you used to enjoy when you were in secondary school. You didn’t go to bed very late, making his bed on the couch before you headed off to sleep as well.

Only two more days, you told yourself. It would be fine – it was your brother and everything was going to be fine.

Settling yourself into bed, phone in hand as you tentatively typed in Harry’s username into Instagram. You found it quickly, seeing him having no new posts since the time you and Mae had looked over his page. Although, there was a little circle around his icon showing that he had a story.

Curiosity getting the best of you, knowing full well your own username would show up if he were to check who was looking at his story, you tapped on the icon.

Holding your thumb down on the single picture eyeing over the three accounts that were tagged in the story.

You paused when you read over a username that contained the name ‘Rory’.

So he had been spending the day with her.

You tapped on her username, watching the app take you to her account. It was a public page, with a pretty hefty following. You scrolled through rows of images, tapping on a few here and there to further inspect the posts. Most were about her art, some pictures of herself and her friends here and there but nothing out of the ordinary for a twenty-something woman.

Holy shit. You were about two years deep on her account, seeing pictures from a show she had in Berlin. You couldn’t help feel the slightest bit impressed.

Going over to her tagged photos, you scrolled a bit seeing mostly photos with friends and a few of what you figured were her art works.

The one that caught your eye, though, was a painting that seemed familiar to you for some reason.

Going over to the image, you realized why there was an air of familiarity to it. The picture was from Harry’s Instagram, a painting he had done of her back in early 2018.

His style had seemingly slightly evolved since then, but it was still very much him. The painting was of the side of her face, the setting around her not very defined so all the focus was on her profile. She was looking away, the side of her face painted in hues of gold and yellow that blended into her dark hair.

Green and yellow surrounded her, like she was outside during a sunset – it was a beautiful painting of her. The caption read “inspiration”.

You shrank back into bed.

The post was about two and a half years ago, it was in the past and you shouldn’t be overthinking it. But you felt small in comparison.

She had clearly been his muse, of some kind and the fact that he was still spending time with her just was sitting right with you.

You knew, a huge part of you knew that you shouldn’t be thinking about this. You tried to think back to all the stomach fluttering and weak-kneed kisses he had given you, the way that every touch of his skin on yours felt so right.

You thought back to the other night, the nearly romantic conversation you had shared before he kissed any anxiety or fear out of you.

But still, a smaller but louder part of you was telling you that it didn’t mean as much as you originally thought it did.

The day seemed to be one thing after another, and just as you were about to shut off your phone and try not to cry because you knew it’d make you feel silly, your phone buzzed with a text.

Again, this day was just one thing after another. It was Grace, your boss, asking you to cover Noah’s shift tomorrow. He had taken the weekend off last minute, and his 9-3 tomorrow couldn’t be covered by anyone else.

Typing back an annoyed ‘yes’, this time you couldn’t help but feel truly upset. You were exhausted from work, honestly. You knew you would still have some time off, and Grace was so kind to you, but you were just. Tired. 

#i would love to hear your thoughts and feedback ! <3 im honestly nervous abt this chap oops #thank you for reading ! <3333 #harry styles #harry styles imagine #harry styles writing #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles smut #harry styles fanfic

[schnitzelbutterfingers]

To Someone Special (Ethan Ramsey x f!MC)

notes: happy holidays! please take the time to celebrate with your family and friends. 2020 was an egregious year, but let’s thank god for letting us survive through the whole COVID pandemic. let’s pray for everyone to get through this. 

anyways, here is my christmas present to you all, wrapped with some angst and fluff! ethan’s ex-girlfriend from his med school days who cheated on him with another ‘friend’ (and no, it’s not tobias :)) makes an appearance hehe. forgive me if there are any spelling mistakes and grammar errors, and as always enjoy! (ɔ◔‿◔)ɔ ♥

(i felt like this was similar to @jamespotterthefirst ‘s fic ‘Fake Husband/Wife’, so i asked permission to write this, and she gave me it. shoutout to bree!)

summary: On Christmas, 10 years ago, he gave his heart to a girl. The very next day, she gave it away. This Christmas, to save him from tears, Ethan will give it to someone special.

pairing(s): dr. ethan ramsey x f!mc (dr. abigail ‘abby’ chacko) || mentions of past dr. ethan ramsey x dr. aubrie zavala

warning(s): angst (mentions of cheating) and fluff (mentions of proposal)

word count: 1999

** i suggest you listen to ‘last christmas’ by wham! :) **

_______________________________________________________________

‘The most wonderful time of the year.’

If it were years ago, Ethan would chuckle at the preposterousness of this statement. 

To everyone else, the Christmas season is full of jubilation, nostalgia and generosity. Giving and donating had become a peculiarity of the days neighboring the observed holiday, street-corners crowded with Santas ringing golden bells. 

Houses twinkled with multi-colored and pulsing lights, bouncing off the crystalline white snow. Inside the houses, trees glimmered with more colorful lights and various decorative ornaments. Christmas colors added sumptuousness. Classic poinsettias are tied, and candy canes add some idiosyncrasy, dangling from the mouths of exhilarated children. Joyful music and golden bells can be heard from everyone’s car.

To the senior doctor, it’s dissimilar. Christmas means more work to do at the hospital. Emergency rooms are filled with injured patients who were looking forward to blithesome moments with their friends and family. The roads are slick with shiny ice, vehicles slipping across the road to hit the one next to it or a broad tree. And the mistletoe. On one occasion, he had to escape an elderly grandmother with wrinkly skin and gray hair, who was convinced that he was Bob Dylan. Yet he wasn’t even an accurate replica and they didn’t sound the same.

Seeing other interns and derisory people kiss under the mistletoe makes him turn away with disgust. He cordially hated PDA. Well, that is, until he met her.

When Ethan met Abigail, however, he felt some sort of attraction to her, something he couldn’t escape from, no matter how hard he tried. Her compassion, her wit, her charm, her intelligence, her everything. 

It felt like some sort of grip she had, her usual chocolate aroma, big brown eyes, wavy hair, and her milky skin all holding on to him like a police officer would do to a criminal. And it’s addicting.

But now, looking at his Rookie from across their luxurious bedroom, getting ready for the Christmas Gala hosted by Bloom Edenbrook Hospital, he started to look forward to the breathless moments under the mistletoe. On second thought, why does he need to kiss Abby under the mistletoe when he can kiss her anywhere? They are officially dating, after all.

He wanted to satisfy her and hear her singing goofily along with the carols in their cars. He wanted to see her tastefully decorate their penthouse with stockings, ornaments, a garland. He wanted to see her making sticky toffee pudding and her longtime favorite gulab jamuns, even if he claims he doesn’t like sugar. She, in return, would constantly mock him, prompting him of the day when he focused his eyes on the delicious chocolate bar in the vending machine at the hospital. He wanted it all with her.

Abby was adorning a long sleeve crimson velvet dress, strikingly showing some cleavage. She wore a generous split from her right thigh down, parading her creamy legs. She looked divine. She looked like heaven. The red gown made her look scandalous. 

She cleared her throat, smirking at him staring at her. “Are you finished?”

“You look...” The more conventional doctor was at a loss of words, looking at her up and down. He started from her soiled velvet heels, moving up to her wavy cafe hair.

“...sinful.”

Abby flashed him a sly grin. “Why, thank you, Doctor. You don’t look too bad yourself.”

Indeed he doesn’t. Ethan sported a matching outfit, a suit with a red velvet coat black shirt and a crimson bowtie.

“I can’t wait to come back after this gala. You’re making me lose my patience.”

She chortled, lovely music to his ears. “Then what are you waiting for? Let’s go!”

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

The gala invited all the hospitals in Boston, including Mass Kenmore. It was being held at The Seaport World Trade Center, one of the largest venues in the city. Ethan and Abby arrived at the front of the venue, walking towards the entrance. Inside, a waiter took them to the very front table, the one where their seats were reserved.

They were recognized as the ‘rich couple’ and the ‘power couple’ of Edenbrook. It was no surprise that some of the doctors decided to gossip about them, stating how they match and look excellent together. Some women were jealous, and Abby could feel covetous eyes burning behind her back. The male doctors were also envious of Ethan, that he got to be with the young graceful doctor. In return, Ethan winded his protecting arm tighter around her slim waist, a clear mark that she is his. Only his. 

The front table additionally included Naveen, Harper, Tanaka, and Tobias Carrick. When Ethan and Tobias faced encountered other at the front table, the Mass Kenmore doctor somehow took his hand out, waiting for the famous diagnostician to shake it. Ethan was stupefied at first, but then he remembered what Tobias did for them, saving his Rookie from the maitotoxin. After a rare moment Ethan shook it, sending the latter a faint smile, to which he returned. Abby beamed at their interaction, glad that they finally cleared the air that had been surrounding them for more than a decade.

Naveen greeted both of them with a hearty hug, and Harper sent both of them a pleasant smile. The Chacko looked around the decorated room to discover her friends, all relaxing at a table. When she spotted them, she gave them a huge wave, to which they imitated back. It relaxed her to have Ethan and her friends in the same room, forgetting about the upcoming discussions with the money-eating scumbags who only care about wealth and not for the wellbeing of their patients.

Tobias and Ethan sat between Abby, and all the seats were filled except for one.

As if interpreting her thoughts, Tobias sought a confused question. “Are we expecting someone else at our table?”

“I believe we are,” Naveen answered.

The young doctor wanted to talk to her friends for a little while. Otherwise, everyone was roaming around, mingling with people.

Ethan seemed to detect this because he leaned in to whisper to her ear. “If you want to hang out with your friends, you can go ahead. It’s understandable, if you’re bored, as am I. Besides, I’ll just talk to Tobias.”

Abby sent him a grateful smile, not only for excusing her, but because he wanted to talk to his old (former?) friend. She was genuinely happy that their relationship is getting better and better.

In return, she bestowed him a kiss on his cheek and went to the table across the room, where her colleagues are. 

Her friends said the usual. Bryce and Kyra are dating, and they adopted a puppy after moving in together. Sienna doesn’t think she will move on from Danny, and that her heart will always belong to him, but the enormous pain had subsided. Elijah and Phoebe went on another date which had gone really well. Jackie’s debt is under control, and she said that she felt at peace and tranquility. 

After she had finished socializing, she looked back to her reserved table, where she saw a woman, a rather charming one, probably in her 30s. She had raven hair and porcelain skin, and was assuming a royal blue dress with an elegant split across her left thigh, displaying her beautiful legs. Standing next to her boyfriend. Being too touchy with her man. Abby was ordinarily not the type to be jealous, but looking at the woman made herself feel ugly.

Her eyes went to Ethan, who had a horrified look on his face. They moved to Tobias who had a similar expression. Naveen and Harper both had uncomfortable looks.

The latter captured her eye and came up to her.

Abby was confused, so she decided to convey this confusion to Carrick. “Is everything alright at our table? Is that woman the last person to occupy the empty seat?”

Carrick sighed deeply. “She... is Dr. Aubrie Zavala. Another famous diagnostician... She is also Ethan’s ex-girlfriend.”

That’s when she glanced back at their table and saw both of them arguing.

Tobias must have noted this because he replied, “Ethan and Aubrie are both arguing now. Back in Hopkins, she cheated on with another med student named Dillan, I think. And it was at Christmas. Now Aubrie wants him back.”

The cacophonous racket heard in the auditorium drained away from the ears of the young doctor, and the sounds of warning bells replaced it. 

What the hell am I supposed to do to grab her butt off the table?

Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. She examined her bag and found a fake diamond ring. Her mother gave this to her; she saw this at the store and found it pretty. Abigail always kept it in her bag, a reminder that her mom loves her. It looks real, so this can work. The Chacko placed the ring on her left ring finger. Tobias, knowing what Abby was about to do, gave her a wink. She smiled back and walked over to their table.

“Babe? What’s wrong?” Abby asked innocently. Ethan’s oceanic eyes widened as he saw the mischievous gleam in her coffee eyes. 

The woman, who was now dubbed Aubrie, turned around to look at her with a grim expression. 

“Babe?” Aubrie threatened lowly, “Who the hell do you think you are, calling my Ethan ‘babe’?” Oh, this girl has it coming.

Abby offered her a fierce smile, showing off her properly ‘engagement’ ring. “Well, I’m pretty sure I called my fiancée babe, right Ethan?” 

Instantly, Ethan understood. She wanted to play as his wife-to-be now, did she? Well, that can be easily arranged, Ethan smirks, deciding to play along.

“Well, you see, Dr. Zavala, you do remember how I love hearing the opera, don’t you? I took Abby to one of my favorite operas named Carmen, and I proposed to her there. She cried happy tears and said ‘yes’.”

Aubrie’s furious face slowly drained of color, as she realized they are engaged. She now has to live with the regrets from the past. Her violent hands started to shake a little as she realized who she was arguing with the whole time.

“Wait, are you Dr. Abigail Chacko? One of the youngest doctors in America, Sister of the famous surgeon Sebastian Chacko, the youngest member of Edenbrook’s diagnostic team, and the person who cured Dr. Naveen Banerji?” Zavala asked slowly, her shrill voice starting to grow tense.

Abby, on the other hand, was having too much fun with this. “Bingo! You got it right!”

Right away, when she said that, Aubrie reluctantly left the whole table, stomping on the way like a teenager. Naveen and Harper both had amusing smiles on their faces, Tobias tried not to choke on his wine, and Ethan had the biggest smirk ever. 

Abby took off her fake ring and placed it in her bag. At once, Ethan gave her a sounding kiss on her plump lips, not minding anyone any attention. 

“How did you know I had a pretty rough time here?” Ethan asked curiously. 

She smiled triumphantly. “Well, I saw all of your uncomfortable faces at the table when Aubrie was here. Tobias saw me and gave me an explanation to what was happening. I’m so sorry you had to go through that during your med school days.”

Ramsey gently stroked her smooth and delicate cheek. “It’s fine. Besides, I got an even better woman right here.” 

Tobias cleared her throat. “I’m sorry, but can you please just continue this later at home? I’m tryna drink some good wine here.”

Everyone snorted, but Ethan’s mind went back to the actual engagement ring he bought for her at their penthouse, stored inside one of his worn-out shoes. He was actually planning to propose to her tomorrow, on Christmas Day. 

Taking her to one of my favorite operas named Carmen, proposing to her there.

Oh, he can’t wait for this chaotic day to be over.

_______________________________________________________________

notes: if you’ve made it this far, thank you!

 tags:@missmiimiie @aylamwrites @starrystarrytrouble @udishaman @caseyvalentineramsey @queencarb @choicesstan1 @newcolonies @arcticrivers @angela8756 @takemyopenheart @rookie-ramsey @ohchoices @ohvamsey @ohramsey @natureblooms24 @drariellevalentine @maurine07 @lucy-268 @thanialis @drakewalkerfantasy​ 

@openheartfanfics​

@choicesficwriterscreations​

#pixelberry choices #choices stories you play #open heart #open heart choices #pixelberry #pixelberry open heart #ethan ramsey #playchoices #ethan x mc #ethan ramsey x mc #ethan ramsey fanfiction

[honeyhan-123]

Neon Red

Summary: Feeling the failure of not being able to defeat Thanos, Steve longs to feel something else, anything else, and so he finds himself as a patron at The Golden Circle where our reader (known as Kitty by customers) is a dancer.

Warnings: Dark!Steve, Stripper!Reader, stalking, male masturbation, dubcon/noncon.

Word Count: 4.5k

AN: I’m so sorry there isn’t a Say Thank You update this weekend but please enjoy a slutty oneshot, it’s also a little spin off from the Project Legacy fic (you don’t have to read it to read this.) I would also love to thank @castedcaricatures​for betaing this fic for me and @iwantutobehapppier​ and @omega-nicole​ for giving me their opinions about an issue I had. 

My Masterlist

The neon red sign above the door reflected in Steve’s blue eyes as he stood, staring up at it, hesitating as he stood out on the street. He knew if his ma were still here that she would kill him if she ever found out he was about to enter an establishment like the ‘Golden Circle’ but that was exactly why he was doing it. She wasn’t here. No one was anymore. 

For once in his life Steve Rogers wanted to feel something, wanted to give into his more carnal instincts. And so here he was, wondering if he had gotten enough cash out of the ATM across the street, wearing a dark blue baseball cap pulled low over his brow, praying that no one would recognise him. 

Yet as he pushed open the heavy door and was greeted by the sickly sweet scent of the club, he realised his fears had been for nothing, hardly anyone spared him a glance, too enraptured with the dancer who was up on the podium. Even though it was a bit of a darker atmosphere than what he was used to, Steve liked it. He liked the dim red lighting - from where it originated he couldn’t tell - the plush brown leather booths, the mahogany bar behind which there was an alcohol cabinet that could rival Tony’s. It was modernised sure, but it reminded him of something that he might have seen back in his own time if he had dared do something so salacious and he knew that he had made the right call by coming here. 

Straying a little further from the stage, he sat in one of the lone leather high backed chairs, hands running down his thighs, a little unsure of what to do as he surveyed his surroundings, barely even glancing at the woman on the stage. A server came over, holding a tray with one hand as she lent down, practically pushing her chest into Steve’s bearded face and while he appreciated the view of her scantily clad nipples, he wasn’t all that invested.

‘What can I get you handsome?’ Her voice was wrong, it was too much, too overt in its sexuality. 

‘Just a scotch thanks.’ Even though he wasn’t interested he still slipped a twenty from his wallet, tucking it into the scrap of material that were her panties. ‘Keep the change.’ She smiled, her eyes seeming to eat him up before she turned and walked away, swaying her hips intoxicatingly. 

The dancer on the stage finished her set, a raucous applause following as she made her way around the crowd, collecting tips from greedy hands. Steve’s scotch was set down next to him and he thanked the waitress as a voice cut through the applause. 

‘Once again that was the gorgeous Glitter! Isn’t she just stunning? For those interested she does private shows too, just her and whatever lucky bugger in our lounges. Send an inquiry if interested.’ There was a pause in which Steve considered what the MC had said. Private shows, maybe that’s where he should be. But not with her, no. She wasn’t quite right. 

‘Next up, is the sensational Kitty! Gentlemen please give her a very warm welcome.’ Steve's gaze was at once pulled back to the stage as the deep red velvet curtain parted, revealing her. 

Immediately he knew. He knew she was the one. He watched enticed as she performed, her body twisting and twirling through the air with a sense of grace - of elegance - that the others just hadn’t held. For the first time since it had happened, he felt himself get hard, achingly hard. The desire to reach into his pants growing with every second that his eyes drank up her form. 

He could almost pretend that it was only him, that he was the only one in the room with her, that she was dancing just for him. He didn’t necessarily care about the other men watching her because he knew, deep down, that she was his. It didn’t matter that she didn’t even know him or that he had only just seen her, she was his for now and forever more. 

He waited until her dance was over, pulling a handful of twenties from his wallet and this time when she sashayed across the crowd for tips, his greedy hands joined the others. Swiftly tucking the money into the black silk, just above her vee. He relished in the way her eyes grew larger as she caught sight of the amount he had given, the way they had followed his deft fingers from her panties and up his arm before coming to rest on his face. 

‘Thank you.’ Just those two words had Steve ready to cum right then and there. Her voice was so soft and delicate, just what he had been looking for all this time. 

‘You’re welcome Doll.’ He fell in love with her smile, not that fake one she had worn when she was dancing, but the real one she wore now, her teeth gleaming in the dim lighting. 

‘I-’ 

She was interrupted by a portly man calling her name, taking her attention away from him as the man gestured to her to come to him. Pausing slightly, she turned back to Steve but he raised his hands, a smile on his face. 

‘Go. I need to head off anyway.’ He tried to make his voice as easygoing as he could, not wanting to let her know the dark thoughts plaguing his mind. She smiled at him once more before turning on her heel and crossing the room to who Steve could only assume was the manager of the establishment, his eyes following every sway of her hips until she led from the room and out of sight. 

Stretching out his muscles, he stood from the leather chair, leaving a twenty underneath his now empty glass before pulling his cap further down his brow and heading out of the building, his phone in his hand as he searched Stark’s database for just who this angelic Kitty really was. 

+

It really hadn’t been that hard to find her, the real Kitty. Ten minutes of searching had given him her real name, her address, her credit history, her family backstory. Camped out on the roof across from her apartment Steve chided Stark’s technology. In the wrong hands it could be quite dangerous, having such easy access to anyone’s personal details.

But it was fine, he was here to protect her now. 

He waited up on that cold roof for nearly two hours until a cab came by, stopping just outside the crummy apartment complex. Even in the dim light emanating from the streetlights, his Kitty seemed to glow, shining bright and beautiful like an angel. He watched as she let herself in, a few minutes passing before the light to her apartment flickered on. He blessed the fact that she hadn’t drawn the blinds, thinking herself safe, tucked away on the twelfth floor. She gave him an uninterrupted view of her apartment, of how she wandered from the cramped kitchen/living room into her even smaller bedroom, disappearing briefly into the bathroom before emerging in only a towel, her wet hair cascading down her back, sticking to her smooth skin. 

For the second time since the snap had happened, Steve felt his pants grow tight, the need to feel something, anything, overtaking him. He adjusted his perch on the roof, making sure he still had a good visual of the bedroom as his hand dipped down, briskly undoing his belt and pulling himself from his jeans. 

He watched as her towel dropped to the floor, the fluffy white cotton kicked aside, revealing her body to him. Despite the fact that he had practically already seen it in the club, he couldn’t hold in the groan it caused, his hand wrapping around himself and pumping furiously as the pretty girl in the window got ready for bed.

+

‘Hey Kitty, he’s back. Again.’ You tried to hold in the smile Glitter’s words caused, the jealousy barely concealed, but you couldn’t blame her. Whoever he was, he wasn’t like the other men who frequented the ‘Golden Circle’ in a lot of ways. He wasn’t sleazy like the others, his hands - while they did occasionally linger - never groped bits of flesh as they slipped twenty dollar bills into the thin straps of your outfits and although he never took off the dark blue baseball cap, making it near impossible to see his face, you could tell he was attractive, his biceps bulged and his thick thighs looked like the most comfortable seat in the world. 

While his continual presence did make you slightly uneasy, it also gave you butterflies, seeing his eyes always fixated on you, even when you weren’t the one on stage. He barely spared a glance at the other girls despite them trying their best efforts to draw his attention. He only wanted you. His presence made you not care about never booking a session in the Lounge because while the increased pay of a private show would have been nice, he was always by the mainstage, plus his tips were always far too generous. 

Your heart raced with the typical pre-show jitters, incensed by the fact you knew he was out there, waiting for you and when your music started you took a deep breath, fully transitioning into Kitty, the cheeky dancer, before stepping out on stage. Like usual, your eyes flitted around the club, searching for him and when you finally found him, sitting towards the back, you made sure to give him your cheekiest smile.

‘Let’s give it up for our resident cheeky little Kitty Cat!’ You barely heard the obnoxious voice of Mike the club’s MC, opting instead to go to your happy place. When you had first started at the ‘Golden Circle’ it had been hard to zone out from the leering and drunken men but reflecting back to your days as a ballerina had helped. Although it was now a completely different style of dance, pretending that you were on stage in your pretty pink pointe shoes performing for your family had given you the peace of mind you needed to get up on stage every night. 

Now however, your happy place had a much different setting. You were still up on stage, yet it was a smaller stage, a plush leather couch at the base of it, the walls lined with a deep red velvet, casting a sensual appearance over the room. Instead of a crowd full of strangers, you only performed for one man, a glass of whisky in his hand and a blue baseball cap pulled low over his brow as he watched you. 

You knew it was wrong, dangerous even, to fantasise about a client like that, but it was what helped get you through the grueling shifts and with the way he watched your every move, you didn’t think he would mind. 

As your dance came to an end, you did your usual rounds, sitting in a few laps, having your flesh groped as tips were slid into your red bodysuit. As always, you saved him for last, finally wandering over to his couch, your smile not as fake as it had been.

‘Well hi-ya stranger.’ You joked as you neared, and you thought that you just might’ve died when you heard his responding chuckle, one of his rare smiles gracing his lips. 

‘Doll, I don’t think we’re strangers at this point.’ You smiled as he leaned forward, his hand slipped down between your breasts to place a couple of bills there. You were surprised when his other hand crept up behind you, gingerly wrapping itself around your waist. ‘So, I was thinking… How about a dance sugar?’ Your eyebrows raised on their own accord, your surprise evident. Despite how often he came into the club, he had never asked for a dance. The only time that he had come close was when he had asked you offhandedly, if you minded being the one to serve him his drinks when you were on duty. Although you had felt guilty about keeping him to yourself you had gladly agreed, how could you not?

When you realised that he was still waiting, you snapped out of your reverie. ‘Of course Darling, anything for you.’ Despite how full your body suit was, you didn’t want to keep him waiting, so you stalked around behind him, beginning your routine as you slid your hands down his chest, your lips coming to his ear. 

Most of the time doing by-stage dances you found yourself having to grit your teeth, barely able to keep down the bile yet as you danced for your stranger the smile on your face was a hundred percent genuine. 

‘You know, I feel kind of bad. We spend all this time together, yet I don’t even know your name.’ He shuddered as you whispered into the shell of his ear, being sure to brush your lips against the soft, supple skin. 

‘I’m Steve.’ His voice was rough as he spoke, his adam’s apple bobbing, drawing your attention.Your hands danced back up his chest, smoothing out his shirt as you walked back around, being sure to keep one hand on him. 

‘Well it’s nice to have a name to put to my favourite patron.’ Your hand wrapped around his neck, gripping onto the dark blonde locks as you nudged his feet further apart with your heels, sliding into the new space between them. 

‘Your favourite patron huh?’ You loved the prideful tone that rang through his voice as you leaned down, pushing your chest towards him. 

‘Of course Sweetheart, how could you not be?’ Your hands trailed down his chest once more, dancing below his belt line, skirting the growing bulge to trace the tracks of the rough denim coating his thighs. From here your arms could squeeze your breasts together as you leaned over them, the stray hairs of his beard nearly touching the red satin cups and just as you thought he would lose control and lean into the soft skin, you whipped around. You swiveled your hips as you moved your hands up your body, raising one leg first and setting it down outside of his knee and then doing the same with the other before squatting, just above his lap. 

Your hips moved in a figure eight motion, slowly getting closer and closer to where he clearly wanted you to be. Looking back over your shoulder at him you spoke. ‘Tell me Steve, tell me how badly you want it.’ 

His groan was audible as you continued to tease, never quite touching him where he needed. ‘So badly baby girl. You have no fucking clue. I need you so badly.’ With his groaned words, you finally lowered yourself down onto him sending him a cheeky wink as you did so. 

Despite the clubs firm no touching rule, you allowed his hands to rest on your hips as you moved them, your own reaching back and hooking around his neck, giving yourself some leverage. ‘Do you like that Stevie? Does that feel good?’ 

He didn’t answer your questions verbally, but the way he thrusted his hips up against yours was a clear enough response. You continued moving against him, letting his hands force you down harder on his crotch, letting him use you as he chased his orgasm. ‘God… Fuck Doll. You make me feel so fucking good. Yes…’ His words were a jumbled mess as he came closer and closer and you felt his hands dance up your body to squeeze your tits. 

You knew you should pull away, knew it was wrong to let a customer touch you like that, but the way his groans were ringing through your ears was addictive. In that one moment, the only thing you wanted to achieve was getting this man off, whatever that meant doing. 

He rolled your pert nipples between his fingers, rubbing you through the smooth satin as he moaned. ‘Yes, that’s it Doll, I’m so fucking close. Oh god, fuck, Doll. Make me cum baby, make me fucking cum.’ You moaned with him as you moved your hips up and down his crotch and you smiled as you felt his thighs tense beneath you, a long loud moan coming from him that almost covered the sound of satin tearing. 

Your hips stopped moving as you looked down, barely registering through your shock the gaping rip down your body suit. You jumped out of his lap, trying to keep the material against your chest as you stared down at him, wanting to scream. 

‘Fuck, I’m so sorry Doll. I didn’t mean to. I was just holding it and then when I - it just ripped. I’m so sorry, here. Take my jacket back to the changing room.’ You pursed your lips, trying to refrain from showing your anger, knowing the tips would be better if you could make it back to the dressing rooms before the curses started spilling from your lips. He held out a smooth brown leather jacket and you murmured a thanks as you slipped it on, barely registering the obscene amount of money he slipped into your hand before you turned on your heel, disappearing down the corridor, and edgy feeling creeping its way inside you. 

+

Steve didn’t need to return to the club the next night to know he had messed up. There was a clear no touching policy and he had not only done that but he’d ruined your suit and your trust. He had seen it in the way you had barely smiled as he gave your jacket and then later how you had given it to one of the other girls to give back to him.

By the time he had realised you weren’t coming out for your floor shift, you had already left and when he finally got to your apartment, he was disappointed to see your blinds drawn shut. He had taken his frustrations out on a nearby trash can, cursing himself for losing your trust. You were the one thing in this fucked up world that made him actually feel something and just like with Thanos, he had fucked up and just like with Sam and Bucky, he had lost you too. 

But he hadn’t… not really. You were still here, you could still be his. He just might have to change his approach a little. It could still work. 

The next night Steve waited anxiously on the plush leather couch, admiring the velvet walls as the minutes ticked by. It hadn’t been long enough that he was worried you weren’t going to show, but he was impatient. He wanted, no, needed to see you again, to feel you rub against him as you drew him to his orgasm. Despite the terrible way the night had ended, the orgasm you had brought out had felt so good, it had been his best ever and he had cursed himself for those few seconds before he realised what had happened for not requesting a dance earlier. 

When he had first discovered your apartment and your tendency to leave your blinds open he had thought that would be enough, that sitting up on that cold and lonely roof with his fist wrapped around his cock would be enough. But it wasn’t, and now, he had a taste for more. 

He heard the click of heels through the thick mahogany door and anxiously wiped his hands along his thighs as the wood was pushed open, revealing your silhouette on the other side. He watched as you walked towards the stage, the door closing behind you, stopping just before you got to the platform. 

‘Why did you book the Lounge?’ In the silence of the room, your whisper sounded like a scream. 

‘I wanted to apologise, plus, I need to see you again. And I figured this way, we could talk.’ You scoffed at his words.

‘Talk?’ You mocked, laughing as you spoke. ‘You men never want to just talk. I thought… I don’t know what I thought but I know that I’m sick of it. So now you have two options, you can either leave or I can call security and have you escorted out. It’s your choice.’ 

Steve felt his mouth go dry, he couldn’t lose you, he wouldn’t allow it. ‘Doll please… you don’t want to do that. Please don’t do that to me.’ You ignored his warning, reeking of his desperation, but before you could open your mouth to scream, he had lunged from the couch, his arms wrapping around you, one securing your back to his chest, the other clamped over your mouth. 

‘I told you not to do that Doll.’ You writhed in his arms trying to twist away from him to no avail. The small groan that escaped his lips disgusted you as he sat down on the stage, pulling your hips against his. ‘Be a good girl for me, please Doll. You have no idea how much I need this.’ Your scathing response was made unintelligible by his hand as his other dipped into the sparkling blue skirt you had on, pushing the matching panties to the side as he swiped a finger along your slit. 

His breathing was heavy in your ear as his fingers swirled around your lips, gathering the slick that was beginning to pool. ‘See Doll, you want this too. I know you do. Fuck, I’ve seen it with my own eyes how you would dance just for me, even in that crowd of men.’ Your muffled protests turned into hesitant moans as he entered you with two fingers, his thumb pressing down on your clit. ‘That’s it, that’s a good girl. Just sit back and enjoy it, doesn’t it feel good?’

Your hands clutched at his thighs, your head resting on his shoulder as you gave in, your hips twisting against his hand, riding it on their own accord. His fingers scissored inside of you, curling themselves against your walls as his thumb rubbed your pearl frantically. You didn’t miss the growing bulge beneath you but you could barely form a coherent thought as he pulled you to the edge. 

‘That’s it Doll. Just let go for me, I know you’re close.’ You hadn’t realised when his hand had drifted down from your mouth to rest on your throat, but the gentle restriction had you seeing stars, screaming silently as you convulsed in his arms, letting go for him. 

You watched in silent horror as he lifted his hand from your mini-skirt and raised it to his lips, moaning around the thick digits. ‘You taste better than I ever could have imagined, I can’t wait to feel you.’ You shuddered against his thick chest and gasped as he flipped you around, your chest pressing against the cold hard wood of the stage. 

You yipped as he pulled down the skirt and panties, exposing your heated centre to the cool air, a moan coming from him along with the clink of a belt buckle. You tried to worm your way out of his arms even though you knew it was worthless trying, he was far stronger than you. 

Your eyes squeezed shut as you felt him, sliding along the slick that he had caused, coating himself in it before coming to your entrance and pausing for a brief moment. You barely dared to hope that he would pull away and yet when you felt him slowly sinking into your heat, you couldn't help but feel embarrassed. Of course he would just do what he wants. 

‘Oh god… Doll… Fuck.’ You felt the stretch of your walls as he eased in, pain shooting through you from just how big he was. You lay helpless on the stage’s edge as he began pushing in and out of your cunt, groaning obscenities as he did so. One of his hands dipped down, between you and the stage to swipe over your pearl teasingly. 

‘That’s it baby, you feel so fucking good, taking my cock so well.’ Your heavy breaths filled the air as you tried, and failed, to maintain your composure. Sweat was coating your skin as he thrusted, your knees rubbing themselves raw against the plush carpet. The familiar tightening ricocheted through your body you came close, your toes curling in apprehension, only to uncurl moments later when he pulled you from the stage, flipping you over and pushing your legs up, above your head. 

The carpet was rough against your bare back but the new angle was worth the pain, being able to feel him fill you so completely was worth it. His full lips covered yours, his tongue meeting yours halfway as moans tumbled from your mouth into his and vice versa. 

His hips were unforgiving as they pounded into you, filling you to the brim and hitting that special spot with every thrust. It wasn’t long before he brought you back to the edge, clearly reading the desperation for release written all over your body. 

‘Cum for me baby, cum on my cock.’ Your responding scream was lost into his hand, clasping over your mouth once more as your walls fluttered, clenching around him. His hips stuttered, his thighs tensed and he thrusted as deeply as he could as he came inside you, hot white ribbons coating your walls and groans filling the room. 

He rode out his orgasm, the obscene sounds emanating from your pussy echoing through the room as your breaths mingled with one another as they slowly calmed down. 

You lay, staring up at the man above you, his cap probably having fallen off during your struggle, and you finally recognised him. His beard was full and thick and his hair was much longer than you were used to seeing it but the amount of times your History classes at school had been forced to study him, you would never forget his face. 

The recognition must have been clear in your face as he hastily pulled out, his cum seeping down your thighs as he pulled his pants back up, handing you your skirt. 

‘St-Steve?’ You couldn’t even be sure the words had left your lips but the way he tensed at the sound told you they had. 

‘C’mon Doll, let’s have the conversation somewhere private.’ 

‘We are somewhere private.’ You argued with the man standing before you, the red light casting a strange aura around him. 

‘Yeah, but I’m nowhere near done with you.’ His hand was held out before you and you knew he wasn’t giving you much of a choice so you nodded, taking his hand and letting him lead you from ‘the lounge’, pausing to pass you his jacket as you approached the door of the club. 

The air outside was cold, unforgiving, as he led you outside, the harsh neon red light of the club slowly being swallowed by the dark night as you walked, hand in hand. To where, you weren’t sure, but you knew it would be wherever Steve needed you to be. 

+

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[drethanramslay]

A funny thing called Fate- Prologue

Pairing: Bryce X MC (Aisha Khurrana)

Word Count: 2.8K words

Series Masterlist

Main Masterlist

Warning: None really, just a little cursing

Author’s note: I had been listening to Strawberries and Cigarettes by Troye Sivan and that is actually the primary spark which led me to come up with this series. Shout out to @mvalentine and @anotherbeingsworld fo letting me bounce my crazy ideas <3

AHHH so it is finally here!! This is my first time writing Bryce so I hope I can do justice to this beautiful man. This starts with Aisha’s (MC) POV and like I said, there will be a time jump. It would be first person when I’m writing in the past and then it will shift to third person when I’m writing the present. I think i should stop my rambling and let’s go!!

Terms you need to know-

-Bhaiya: Brother in hindi

-Beta: Technically it means ‘son’ but in most Indian families its used like a term of endearment too

- AIIMS, Delhi: Stands for All India Institute of Medical Sciences. This is one of the best medical schools in the country and Only 100 people out of 200,000(or more) get in. So it is very cut throat.

10 years ago- Aisha's PoV 

(Age: 16)

I am done.

Done with all the drama, done with all the lies, done with all the manipulations and done with all the heartache.

And most of all, I was done with him- the infamous Bryce Lahela. 

The boy with the stupid long hair, the stupid signature smirk and the stupid charm. Those amber eyes which reminded you of the sand and sea and those lips on which an everlasting smile played used to be like a breath of fresh air. I always thought that he was so unique, but boy was I wrong. 

All boys are the same.

I really thought that jocks like him would be different huh? Can someone just hand me my clown shoes?

But luckily, I don't have to see his face ever again because for once, instead of making a mockery of my existence, life decided to give me something that I really wanted badly.

A chance to leave all of this in my past. A chance to start over again.

My dad had a better business opportunity back in Mumbai. I am an Indian and we lived in Delhi since the time I was born but we shifted to Mauii when I was in the ninth grade because of how demanding dad's job was getting

Bhaiya chose to stay back in Delhi because his engineering college was there and he enjoyed the hostel life way too much. And he had finally managed to get out of our toxic household so I really could not blame him.

So yeah.. that is how I ended up in Maui in the first place.

It was okay in ninth grade. I kept to myself and blended in with the shadows (because hello social anxiety!). But... Tenth grade changed everything.

It was one of the best and worst year of my life and I often wonder if I could ever get over this.

I am definitely sounding like one of those over-dramatic Indian soap operas my mom watches every night.

"Aisha? Are you ready? The car is here beta."

"Yes, Mama. I am coming!! Just packing up some stuff."

Breaking out of my reverie, I stuffed in my phone and other essentials into my carry bag. As I was zipping up my luggage, I yanked open my closet door to see if I left anything behind my eyes landed on the shoebox I had stuffed in the back of my closet.

I gulped and I felt tears well up in my eyes again. A part of me wanted to take it for it had all the trinkets of the good things in my relationship with Bryce but, another part of me knew that if I took it with me, I would never be able to move on and that would completely defeat the purpose of this fresh start I have been looking forward to.

So with a heavy heart, I looked away and shut the door of the closet, picked up my luggage and left.

As the Uber pulled out of the curb I stared out of the window, to look at the beaches I had come to love and hate.

I liked Maui, I really did but all that it was reduced was a place where I was humiliated and belittled.

And it was all his fault.

PRESENT

(Age: 27)

"Oh my god. I'm gonna late!!" Aisha screeched as she saw the time on her phone. She shoved the duvet off her and jumped out of bed. She tried running to the bathroom in her small closet-sized apartment but it just ended up with her stubbing her toe against the coffee table.

"Ow ow ow." She cursed as she hobbled into the washroom and got on with her daily chores. Her hand-eye coordination was already awful and add that she was sleep deprived just made the entire thing worse. Stumbling, tripping, cursing she managed to brush her teeth and hop into the shower. The burst of cold water managed to wake her up as she furiously washed.

Why did I have to move into a room under a busy staircase?! This is why bhaiya says- Do your research. She angrily thought to herself as she wiped herself rigorously and zipped open her suitcase, searching for her semi-formal clothes.

Grabbing a granola bar and her trusty thermos of coffee, she was on her way to Edenbrook.

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

As she entered the atrium, she was in complete awe. It looked big and majestic on the outside, with a clever mix of brick walls and the glass facade, making it look welcoming. Sunshine poured through the atrium as the various doctors and nurses worked around her, not giving mind to the clueless intern gawking.

"Hi, I'm Dr Ines Delarosa, a senior resident!! You look lost. Let me guess... the first day of residency?" A short woman in a doctor's coat walked up to her breaking Aisha from her awe, her aura full of happiness, rainbows and unicorns which made Aisha a little vary.

Is it normal to be this happy and energetic?

Aisha nodded hesitantly and the resident smiled a hundred-watt smile. "Great. You are gonna need a photo ID. Follow me, I will get you all set up." Wordlessly Aisha followed Ines, slinging her messenger bag over her shoulder, nervously playing with the strap.

It is going to be fine... Aisha breathed out as she entered a room with a white background and a camera before it. "Just step over here, in front of the camera and smile."

And waste my energy? No thanks.

She schooled her features to be as professional as she could and the flash of the camera went off. Aisha walked over the tangled wires and peeked at the screen. A serious face stared back at her, the lighting doing good to her brown skin. Her nose piercing caught light and her dark mahogany hair was tied up in a neat ponytail.

"Is it okay? Or do I need to retake the photo?"

"No, it is great! I like it. Thank you."

"Well I will just stick this on your ID.... and you are good to go!! I wish I looked that good in my ID." She said and cheerfully and once her eyes fell on the title a smile made its way on her face,

Dr Aisha Khurrana... It is real and it is true.

"My first day as a real doctor." she whistled lowly shaking her head as if she didn't believe it.

"I was in your shoes last year. Believe me, med school was nothing compared to this. Your three years of residency will be the toughest, most amazing year of your life!! But the first year as an intern will be the craziest of all."

As soon as the smile had graced her features, it slipped away and she nodded seriously. "I think I am ready for it. I have been dreaming and slogging my ass so that I could work in Edenbrook. Ever since I learnt that Ethan Ramsey worked here. His research basically pushed me to apply for med school."

Also, the fact that my parents can like shut up about me being worthless.

"That is great. I will just walk you to the locker room so that you can change into scrubs." Ines offered and Aisha gave her a small smile.

"So... Any advice?"

"Make friends..."

And I am out. She thought to herself. She always struggled with making friends and that is partly the reason why she would keep to herself all the time. Sure she did make a few gem of a friends in med school but if she had to choose between mingling with strangers and drowning, you know what she would choose.

"... with your interns, year senior residents, even your patients! Friends will get you through anything. And, uh, try to not annoy the Attendings! You do not want to get on your boss's bad side."

"Noted."

After changing she was just passing through the waiting room so that she could get to the orientation when she heard gasps from the seating area. A woman had collapsed on her seat and the people were crowding around her.

Her instincts kicked in and she ordered. "Give her space. Everybody step back! I'm a doctor."

She hurried over to the woman just as another doctor rushes in. He kneeled at her side and checked her pulse. "Pulse is weak. She's unresponsive." He looked up and his eyes landed on her.

"You Rookie. Get here."

"Right away doctor. Coming!" Aisha hurried over as the doctor lifted the fainted woman on to the nearby gurney.

"What was she coming in for? Did she fill out a form yet?"

"No, she'd just walked in."

The doctor's piercing blue eyes landed on her which made her straighten her back. "If we don't figure out what's wrong with her fast, she's going to die on this table. Rookie, check B.P."

Wrapping the blood pressure cuff around the unconscious woman's arm and she pumped the bulb, peering at the numbers.

"It's plummeting. She's hypotensive. We've gotta get fluids in her."

Aisha's eyes wandered over the woman's form, trying to search for more clues. Her eyes landed on the rapidly forming bruise on her elbow.

"Doctor... Look at this bruise. I think it's a sign that she is a haemophiliac."

The doctor replied in a gruff voice. "You think or you know?"

"I know."

"Good. Also can you see the way her fingertips are turning blue? It is a sign of low oxygen saturation in the blood. Take a closer listen to her lungs. Hurry."

She nodded assertively and slipped the resonator of the stethoscope over the ribs, straining to hear the diminishing whooshing of the lungs which made Aisha gulp in fear.

"Can't hear anything on the left side and the right side is struggling. She is going to suffocate at this rate." She spoke up , her voice struggling to stay calm but as she glanced at the older doctor, he seemed to be as cool as a cucumber.

"Nurse we have got a code blue." His authoritative voice boomed over as the nurses bustled around the gurney.

Taking the bag mask from the nurse, he secured it around the patient's mouth and gently pump air into her lungs.

"What do we do, Doctor? What's happening to her?" She asked as she noticed the reducing breath rate.

He looked up. "Consider all the clues. It's all there. You know this, Rookie."

Aisha closed her eyes and took a deep breath, realigning her focus, delving deep into her mind, analyzing the clues.

Hemophilia... low blood oxygen... no lung expansion on one side...

Her brown eyes snapped open as it struck her. "It's a haemothorax!"

A twinkle of approval flickered in the ocean eyes, which vanished as soon as it came. "Precisely. A blood vessel ruptured and is filling her pleural cavity..."

"... Blocking her lungs from expanding! That's why she can't breathe." Aisha completed the sentence.

Fuck.

"But we can't repair the blood vessel over here."

The older doctor's jaw clenched. "Then we will have to do a emergency thoracotomy to drain the cavity instead. Nurse!"

The nurse hustles around handing her a scalpel and a chest tube, her eyes widening in shock.

She gulped, her nervousness spiking as she sees the doctor lift the shirt of the patient, exposing the side of her rib cage.

"We need a local anaesthetic-"

The doctor interrupted her. "We're out of time and she is already unconscious. Do it now, or the woman's life is on you!!"

She gritted her teeth with determination. I am not loosing a patient on my first day.

She took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself. It is just like anatomy class only... this isn't a cadaver but a real person.

But that statement, instead of calming her, it just caused the scalpel to shake in her hand.

The doctor reaches and encompasses her hand. "Hey... You can do this."

Aisha nods stabilizing herself and focusing solely on the older doctor's voice, before she looked down.

"There you go... Nice and easy."

Incision at the fifth intercostal space... anterior.. to the mid axillary line...

And when she was confident enough, she made the perfect incision, a trickle of red following the path of the scalpel.

"Now the tube."

She took and pushed it into the incision and with a spurt, blood started draining out of the chest cavity resulting in the patient to take a deep breath.

Holy shit I did that. I freaking did that.

In the daze of endorphins, she heard the doctor order her surgery, the nurses wheeling the gurney and the onlookers applauding.

She turned towards the attending, excitement pouring out of her in waves. "Doctor.. that was absolutely amazing!!"

It's was as if a switch flipped and the grumpier and sarcastic facade took place. "You're right. It is pretty amazing you didn't get her killed."

Aisha's jaw dropped.

"Wait, what?"

The doctor rambled off, pointing out her mistakes. "Your examination was slow and superficial. Your scalpel technique, amateur at best."

It took all her might to not scoff. 

Excuse me I graduated from AIIMS Delhi, thank you very much.

 Swallowing the dying need to go off she spoke in a professional tone. "Amateur? I'm sorry, doctor but it is my first day."

"Well, that is not an excuse you can use because if that patient would have died, the blood would have been on your hands..." He lifted the badge attached to her breast pocket scrutinizing on the surname.

"... Khurrana."

He tossed the id back to her, turned on his heels and walked away, leaving a steaming Aisha in her place.

"What a dick." She muttered under her breath.

"Yeah and I'm totally in love with him." A nurse appeared magically out of thin air near her, causing her to jump in surprise.

The kind eyed nurse just rolled his eyes and placed a hand on her shoulder which had Aisha bristling. "Don't worry about it, Dr Ramsey is like that to everybody."

Aisha's jaw dropped for the second time. "Wait... Dr. Ramsey as in Dr. Ethan Ramsey?!"

Shooting a knowing glance, he spoke up. "I take it, you're a fan?"

"He's only my medical hero and greatest inspiration. I've read all his research!" Aisha rushed off, horror and excitement rushing through her.

Oh my god I managed to piss of my one medical hero.. I'm such a dumbass.

Noticing the horror of her expression he gave a gentle smile. "On the bright side, you'll get plenty more chances to impress him."

She sighed and looked down to see that her scrubs were stained with blood.

First impression is last impression beta, always remember that. Her father's voice resonated in her mind.

"Dammit, I'm here for five minutes and I'm already a mess. I can't show up to orientation like this!"

"Don't sweat it. There are extras in the locker room. Come I will show you the way..."

She walked into the locker room, looking for her assigned locker. There was a crowd of half naked interns and after mumbling a couple of 'excuse me's', and rubbing shoulders (literally) she made it the end of the room.

As she turned she knocked into another woman in nothing but her undergarments.

"Uh...um.. okay then." Aisha stuttered as she felt the back of her neck heating up.

Thanks to my brown skin no one can see me getting flustered.

"What? See something you like?" She asked cheekily in an Indian accent which eased Aisha up a bit.

"Ha, you wish."

"Aren't you cute?" The woman snickered as she reached for her pants.

"That's what people say, so it must be true."

She reached for her full sleeve shirt before looking Aisha's way. "Desi?"

Aisha snorted. "Obviously. And I'm guessing you too."

"Of course. And I'm guessing that you are definitely not wearing those scrubs."

"What? Didn't you hear? Bloody clothes are like the new trend around here."

There was a moment of silence before both of them started laughing.

"It's good to meet someone from home." Aisha spoke as she pulled her scrub shirt off.

"Woah, woah, woah. Don't count on that yet. I need to see if you are gonna get in my way in this competition."

Aisha smirked as she shut her locker. "Can't say I'm surprised. Can't be desi if the sense of competition isn't ingrained in your DNA."

"Oh my god never thought that I would see Jackie's twin." A familiar manly voice wafted over to them.

Wait a second...

"Shut up scalpel jockey, this is our kind of bonding."

"Oh please, don't scare the newbie aw- oh."

Oh.

She was standing right in front of him. Face to face. The playful amber eyes, with flecks of brown hadn't changed. The long shoulder length hair had been cut and styled to be short and messy.

There was no trace of the surfer boy she met in Maui. He was a man through and through but still, the youth in his eyes poured out in waves, reminding her of the sandy beaches.

But right now those amber eyes were wide with shock.

It's not everyday that you meet your ex of ten years in the locker room of your new job.

"Aisha?"

".... Bryce?!"

HEHEHEH AWKWAARRDDD

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[monaownsmyass]

From Homecoming to Coming Home

Book: My Two First Loves, Chapters 35-38

Pairing: Ava Lawrence x MC (Emma Price)

Genre: Fluff? Fluff. Yeah, fluff

Rating: G, None

Word count: 3,244 (I may have gotten carried away)

A/N: Homecoming but make it Ava’s PoV since we missed most of it and MTFL is on hiatus. Also, I’m dead tired and didn’t proofread so it might be a little messy, sorry.

This was it. Today was the day. No more running, no more hiding, no more denying. I had to break up with Chad. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as I looked at myself in the mirror, my reflection staring back at me in my homecoming dress. I couldn't help but think, 'Would she think I look pretty?'.

I shook the thought out of my head before touching up my make up, wanting it to look as flawless as possible. I couldn't lie to myself anymore, I knew who I was trying to impress.

With my heart hammering out of my chest, I walked downstairs and was greeted by my parents.

"Oh, honey! You look wonderful!"

"Thank you, I'll see you guys later, love you."

"We love you too!"

Honestly, the whole exchange with my parents was a blur, I couldn't focus with all the thoughts running through my head. My anxiety was off the charts.

Am I really doing this?

I stepped into my sedan and made my way to school, thinking about everything that has happened lately. I felt bad for stringing Chad along, he was a decent enough guy but he wasn't the one I wanted. None of the boys I've been with were the ones I wanted. I always thought it was just because I haven't found 'the one' yet. I thought every girl felt like it until I overheard a few girls from cheer talking about their boyfriends and crushes. About how great it felt from just holding hands to making out. I never understood that.

But I think I do now. I know why now.

When I started dating Mason, I thought he was going to be my Mr. Perfect. He was the school's golden boy, what more could a girl ask for? I may have been a little reluctant when I asked him out but I figured I would be all over him as things went on. It didn't turn out that way. I found myself making excuses to avoid hanging out with him and every public display of affection felt more like a chore than something I wanted to do to show that I cared for him.

It didn't take me long after that to realise that my Mr. Perfect would actually be Ms. Perfect.

Emma has been my best friend since freshman year. I've always thought she looked beautiful and had a personality to match on the inside. I knew she thought I was the one that got all the boys' attention, but if only she knew she's had mine since day one. I would always get excited by the smallest things when it came to her. Something as little as a good morning text to a smile when she spotted me in the school hallway would never fail to make my day.

At first I thought it was because I've never had a best friend before. I never had anyone have my back the way she does. But whenever I saw her with Mason, it made me jealous so I thought it was because I liked Mason which was why I even asked him out in the first place.

It didn't become apparent until I started dating boys that I had it completely wrong. I guess you can imagine my confusion when I realised the feelings I was suppose to be getting from the guy I was dating was coming from my best friend instead.

I brushed it off, not wanting to even think about the possibility that I might like girls instead of guys, coming up with all sorts of reasons to avoid the inevitable reality.

The first day back to school, when I had to pick up Emma, that was the day I started really questioning myself. She looked ethereal walking down her driveway as she made her way to my car. The sunlight caught the highlights in her hair and hit her skin in a way that made her seem as if she was glowing. An angel walking among humans. My heart dropped to my stomach, partly at the revelation but mostly at the sight.

It wasn't until tonight that I finally accepted what I've been dreading for the past few months. I finally decided to embrace who I am and stop denying my feelings because everything finally made sense. Up to that very moment, when I was in the car, driving to homecoming, I've never said it aloud, but it was time.

I stopped at the red light and looked at myself in the mirror as I whispered, "I'm a lesbian." Immediately felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulder. I left out a shaky laugh as a tear rolled down my cheek. I felt free.

The word 'lesbian' used to make me flinch. It was never directed at me but it always felt like a slap in the face. It was always thrown around as a derogatory word, an insult, it was dirty and tainted. But I now know it wasn't true because the feelings I'm experiencing, the love I felt, it was pure. It's the purest thing I've known.

I didn't even realise I arrived until I was in the school parking lot. I parked my car and met Chad outside the gym. He did a double take when he saw me.

"You look gorgeous!"

I smiled at him politely in reply as we entered the building. He wasn't the one I wanted that reaction from. He wasn't the one I wanted to hear that from.

I knew I had to breakup with him tonight, I couldn't keep dragging him along like this but I just didn't know if I could. Then, I saw Emma and every doubt I had was resolved. I couldn't do this any longer, I had to call it quits as soon as I got the chance. She looked absolutely radiant. Her blue dress had a plunging neckline and was covered in sequins that glittered despite the dim lighting of the venue. It made her stand out in the crowd in a way that was absolutely captivating.

She was absolutely captivating.

My breath hitched as she caught my eye. We held glances before her eyes traveled down to my outfit. She slowly raked her eyes back up to meet mine. It may have been my imagination, but I saw her eyes widen a little and she looked slightly flustered. I smiled at her, my heart racing as I felt the butterflies in my stomach begin to flutter.

The moment didn't last long before I noticed who was standing beside her. Right, Noah was her date tonight. I couldn't help but feel disappointed that it wasn't me on her arm.

Completely forgetting that Chad was with me, he tapped me on the shoulder as I reluctantly tore my gaze away from Emma.

"Let's dance."

I gingerly accepted his outstretched hand before he lead me to the dance floor. I placed my arms around his neck, careful to leave some space between us while her held my waist. I looked around to see where Emma went and spotted her a few feet away from us. Their arms were wrapped securely around each other as her cheek rested against his chest.

A pang of envy and forlorn hit me hard in the chest. The things I'd do just to be in Noah's place. I had to remind myself I was in no place to feel this way. This is what Emma wanted, I had to respect that no matter how much it hurt. Noah's a good guy, I know he'll take care of her. That's all a best friend could ask for.

As if she could sense me looking at her, she looked straight into my eyes. Once she saw me staring, she lifted her head off of his chest and pulled back away from him slightly. A part of me leapt in bliss but the other, bigger part of me knew not to get my hopes up.

For the rest of the dance, Emma and I stole glances at each other, careful to keep distance between our respective dates. I couldn't help but wish that she'd come up to me and ask for a dance. The intensity of our gaze only became stronger the longer it went on.

In that instance, I wanted nothing more than to walk up to her and kiss her.

I watched as Noah whispered something into Emma's ear and lead her out of the gym. That jealousy I've been suppressing rose again and I knew it was time to call it quits with Chad.

I spoke over the loud music, asking him to follow me. I brought him up to the rooftop, knowing we won't be disturbed here while everyone was at the dance.

"Chad, I have to be honest with you, I think we should break up."

"What?"

"I'm sorry, I just don't think it will work out," I elaborated.

"Why not?"

"Because... It's hard to explained. I... I've figured some things out about myself," I said cautiously.

"Is it Mason? Be honest, was he a better kisser?" He looked crestfallen.

"It's not that. Even with Mason, I've never felt... Never mind," I sighed.

Perplexed, he spoke, "I don't get it."

"Chad," This was harder than I thought it was going to be but keeping Emma's face in mind, I pushed through. "We both deserve to be someone's first choice. And I know you're not mine."

"What's that supposed to mean? If not Mason then who?"

Emma Price.

"I'm sorry, but we're done."

I turned to go back to down to the dance, leaving him alone on the rooftop.

I hung around the dance for a short while, mingling with my cheer squad and a few friends even though I was in low spirits. I was hoping to catch Emma but I haven't seen her since I saw her leave with Noah. Defeated, I decided to go back home.

As I was pulling out of the parking area, I saw her. The girl that made me question everything, the girl I could always count on, the girl that commanded the room even without realising, my best friend.

My first love.

She looked as sad as I felt. I rolled down my window and asked, "Need a ride?"

"Am I that obvious?"

"To me? Always," I joked. "Get in, loser."

We drove in silence but from the corner of my eye, I could see her trying to think of something to break it.

"Ava, I'm sorry about everything," she finally said, voice soft and slow.

Even just the tone of her voice was enough for my heartbeat to pick up.

Unsure how to respond, I replied, "Yeah... And I'm sorry about Mason and Noah. Sounds like a mess..." My voice started wavering at the end of the sentence, knowing I'm not one of her choices. I just hoped she didn't catch it.

"I know I shouldn't been leading both on, it's like I don't even know my own heart."

I exhaled loudly, "I know what that's like," I paused. "I... I think I've been lying to myself for a long time about who I am. About what I want."

I glanced at her again and she was looking at me intently. I continued, "And... and I need to be honest to you now too."

I saw her breath catch in her throat, as if she knew what I was about to confess.

"I thought once I started dating guys, I'd get what the whole fuss was about. But I realised... I realised I learnt something completely different."

We pulled up to her house and I placed my hand over hers. Heat spread from the tips of my fingers where we touched to my entire body. As I felt her soft, gentle hand under mine, my heart pounded when I looked up into her alluring brown eyes. I could stare at them forever.

This was it, I should tell her how I feel. My mind screamed, 'I like you!' but my mouth said, "I'll walk you out."I sighed.

We stepped out of the car and made our way down her driveway. I've walked this driveway countless of times over the past few years but something in the air tonight felt different. Hope. Longing. A magnetic pull between the two of us. I shot her a look and it was then I knew I wasn't making it up.

We stopped at her doorstep before facing her and for the first time, it felt like I was really looking at her. The moonlight illuminated her stunning face as I took in the heavenly sight of her standing before me. The slope of her nose, the softness of her cheeks, the way the light was reflecting off her eyes, making them shine and how her lips were slightly parted as she looked back at me. All at once, the realisation of how I've always been in love with her came crashing down on me. And I knew she was thinking the same.

I've never felt like this. It was startlingly thrilling.

I watch memories flash before her eyes as realisation dawn on her as well. I thought back to all those small memories we've shared together during the past few years. Sharing a milkshake, walking down the sidewalk with our arms linked, laughing at the dumb things we do together, dancing in her room like no one was watching, staying up to watch the sunrise together, falling asleep in each other's lap during movie nights, joking about ditching boys and dating each other instead. I thought I was joking at that time but I think a part of me deep down has always wished it was true.

It was these little moments that made me fall for Emma. It just took me some time to put it all together and understand that my feelings weren't shameful. No, it was divine.

Without realising, I whispered aloud, "I feel like, for the first time in a while... I finally get it... I see everything so clearly..."

Subconsciously, we both moved closer to each other. We were so close, I could feel her soft breath tickle my skin. Her lips were only a few inches away from mine and if my heart we're to beat any faster, I'm sure I'd pass out.

She leaned in a little more closer and I swear I was dreaming... until she pulled back a bit, leaving me a little disappointed.

"Ava... I...," she struggled to find her words. "With Mason and Noah... I just..."

I took a slow step back and raised a hand to stop her.

"It's fine," I said with a rueful smile. I could feel my heart ache. "I understand, it's overwhelming." I took a deep breath and continued. "I just think you should know I really like you. Goodbye, Emma."

I turned back to head to my car when I felt her warm hand reached out to grab mine. The way her fingers laced through mine felt familiar and comforting. It was perfect.

I glanced at our intertwined fingers and back up into her eyes, looking sure. She knew what she wanted too.

She tugged me closer to her and the whole universe slowed down for us, as if making sure this was what we wanted before we did something we would regret. The way she was watching me made me feel as if I've finally been seen and we both knew no matter what would happen, how things would turn out, we'd always have this moment.

It felt like it took forever but when she finally crashed her lips against mine, everything sped back up in time with my heartbeat. Adrenaline coursed through our bodies as we clung on to each other, afraid we'd disappear into the oblivion we've created around us.

Years of longing and passion and mutual attraction was was poured into that kiss and for the first time in months, I finally felt alive. The way she wrapped an arm around my waist with the other hand gripping my hair gently made me understand what all those girls were always talking about. I get it now, I understood why people can't seem to keep their hands off of each other in the hallways because I never wanted this to end, it was wonderfully exhilarating, euphoric. It wasn't a myth, it was magic.

It was wasn't like how any of my other kisses with guys felt either. They were all forced, something I did just for the sake of it. I never liked the way their stubble beard scratched my skin or how their rough hands gripped my hips. The way their cologne filled up my nose always made me gag.

This kiss was nothing like that.

It was everything I imagined it would be and more.

Its the feeling you get when you're at the peak of the roller coaster, seconds before it drops or when you lean too far back on a chair and you think you're gonna fall. It's when your heart stops beating for a second and then it starts again it only for it to pump rapidly as if you've ran a marathon and you feel absolutely breathless. I felt like I was on fire.

I held her smooth cheeks in my palms as I kissed her desperately. 'This is how much I want you', the kiss conveyed, 'this is how long I've waited for you'. With all the passion in my body and soul, I kissed her as I got high off the scent of her perfume.

She was the first to break the kiss but I pulled her back into me, not wanting it to be over so soon. She was utterly intoxicating and I couldn't get enough of her.

She started giggling and that's when I pulled back.

"Have I mentioned how stunning you look tonight?" she asked with a small, infectious smile.

"You look pretty damn good yourself, Ms. Price," I laughed with her.

I embraced her tightly, and she reciprocated, the both of us just holding each other under the moonlight for a few minutes, listening to our breaths become even and stable once again.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" I whispered into her hair.

"That sounds amazing," she breath out.

After one last peck on the lips, I waited for Emma to enter her house, waving her goodbye. I made my way back to my car and just sat there for a moment, taking all of it in. I smiled to myself like an idiot, just sitting there while I replayed what just happened in my head. I was trying to control my heartbeat when I heard my phone go off. My heart rate picked up again as I saw it was from Emma.

'Also, I really like you too :)'.

My heart was so full, I thought it would burst in ecstasy.

I clutched my phone to my chest, smiling bigger than I thought possible when I heard it go off again.

'I can still see you outside, go home, weirdo :P'.

I let out a small laugh as I looked out my car window and into her bedroom's. I saw her smiling at me while shaking her head.

What she didn't know was she is my home. She has been for a while. Now it's time I try to become her's.

(More fics!)

#reposting cuz tumblrs being a bitch #ava x mc #ava lawrence #mtfl: ava #ava mtfl #mtfl #my two first loves #noah harris #noah mtfl #mason jennings #mason mtfl #choices: mtfl #mtfl choices #choices #choices: stories you play #pixelberry #pb #im sorry its so long winded #might do a zoey fic later so stay tuned

[leviathans-watching]

Sticks & Stones Chapter 1

You sighed, trying to ignore the thoughts bumping around in your head and instead focus on the conversation at hand.

"So anyway, I then saw this jacket and I just had to get it!" Mammon continued, trying to explain to Lucifer why Goldie had been maxed out already. "It's actually the jacket MC is wearing right now!"

When your name was said, you looked up, finding everyone's eyes on you. "What?" You asked, and Asmo poked your cheek, an amused expression sliding across his features.

"Have you even been paying attention?"

"Sorry," You looked around the table. "I zoned out."

"What's going on in that pretty little head of yours?" Asmo asked, and you felt your stomach turn slightly. "You've been off all week."

And you had. It had been hard to get yourself together lately.

"Nothing. Just have some homework still." Not hungry anymore, you pushed you food around on your plate until Beel finally took it off of your hands.

Thinly smiling at the brothers around you, you stood up. "I'm gonna go work on my stuff. Thanks for dinner. Anyone else done?" You offered, holding your hand out for dishes. After dropping a load in the kitchen, you made your way to your room  and shut the door, sitting on your bed.

It's not like you meant to be negative, but living with seven perfect brothers in a realm full of other perfect beings, it sometimes felt like you were less than they were, and not just because you were human.

No one could deny, they were all attractive, and you had always struggled with your self image. It had gotten better, but then getting thrown down here with a bunch of seemingly flawless people with no good coping mechanism was sending reeling.

You felt like you did during puberty.

You had lied, actually finishing all of your homework earlier and all you wanted to do was go to sleep, so you kicked off your shoes and got under your covers, hoping to take a quick nap.

* * *

"MC seemed off today, right?" Satan asked, looking at his brothers.

"For sure." Belphie agreed, and it was quiet for a moment.

"I was going to ask why they were wearing your jacket, Mammon, but now I'm more worried about this," Leviathan remarked, and Mammon smirked a little, but it was overshadowed by concern for his human.

"To be honest," Asmo dabbed at his mouth daintily with a napkin. "I've been noticing it for a little while now, not just today."

"As have I." Lucifer seemed more serious than usual. "It is our duty as MC's hosts to make sure that their time in the Devildom is satisfactory, and if they're feeling down, it would be a good idea to know why."

"Because we're their hosts," Mammon mocked. "Lucifer, we're all worried about them,  so ya can admit it too."

"But anyway," Satan ignored Mammon. "What do you guys mean?"

"Well," Asmo began. "I've been seeing a shift in their behavior. They don't really seem as lively, and they don't seem to be eating as much."

Beel looked at the napkin he held that had originally belonged to MC and nodded in agreement.

"Plus," He continued. "They won't take my compliments or let me get close to them anymore! It's weird!"

"Well not everyone is comfortable with that," Mammon defended, but Asmo shook his head.

"No, it's different. And something isn't right."

Lucifer cleared his throat. "Anyway, I believe it's Belphie and Beelzebub's turn to clean up, so I'm going to excuse myself."

They separated, but their thoughts were all on MC.

* * *

You were awoken by your door being thrown open. "Hey!" You protested, rolling over to see who had so rudely interrupted your nap.

Mammon stood in your doorway, thrown for a loop. "Were ya sleepin'?"

"I was," You said, throwing your covers off. "What's up?"

Mammon looked sheepish. "Sorry for wakin' ya."

You raised an eyebrow, walking over to the full length mirror Asmo had put in for you. "It's fine." Mammon came to stand by you as you tried to fix your hair, and you were struck by your differences.

He was in his human form but still looked way better than you. His glasses were perched perfectly on his nose like always, and his black shirt was just tight enough to outline a good body but not show it all off.

You were still wearing his jacket. He had let you borrow it when you had realized you had forgotten yours earlier in the day. He had told you he was only doing it so you wouldn't have to be cold or wear one of his brothers'. Whatever the reason, you were thankful.

Compared to him, you looked average, slightly below, if you were going to be honest.

Your fingers stilled from where they were combing out your hair and he noticed.

"Hey, MC, wanna get out of here?"

You looked at him in the mirror. "Yeah, that sounds great, actually."

You Lucifer wouldn't approve so you went out the back, managing to get away without alerting any of the others.

Smiling at Mammon,  you breathed in the spring air, stretching.

"Oh, tomorrow morning I have to leave early, so feel free to walk with Beel and Belphie, okay?" Mammon told you, so you made a mental reminder.

"Is everything alright?"

"Oh yeah, fine, I just got to talk to one of the Profs." Mammon reassured you.

It was still light, but you only had an hour or so before the Devildom sun went down. Mammon led you downtown, and the two of you just chilled, finding a park bench to watch the sunset on.

As the sun started to dip below the horizon, your DDD rang. Answering it without checking caller ID, you didn't expect to hear Lucifer through the line.

"MC, where are you and Mammon?" he all but growled, and Mammon looked up, hearing him even though you didn't have speaker on.

"Lucifer, relax. I needed this. We'll be back before it gets fully dark." You hung up before he could get a word in, feeling bold. Mammon whistled.

"He's gonna skin us alive when we get back."

You chuckled, a little nervous. "Yeah, but I told the truth. I did need this. Thanks, by the way." You leaned up against him, and Mammon seemed taken aback.

"Uh, I mean, somethin' was clearly botherin' ya, and I'm not the best with words, but I hoped this would help," He put his arm around you, and you looked up at him, blue eyes meeting yours.

"It did. My emotions are all over the place today, so sorry about that."

Mammon hesitated. "Do ya, maybe like, wanna talk about it?"

"I don't want to put you in an awkward spot or overshare," You were reluctant, but Mammon really seemed like he wanted to listen.

"You can tell me anything. After all, I am your fist man!" He puffed, and you laughed.

"Alright, you do have a point there." You tried to get your thoughts in order. "I don't know, it's just hard living with perfect people all the time. I've always struggled with my self-esteem, and it's, oh God, this sounds so dumb, but it's so obvious how much lower than you guys I am."

Mammon rubbed your arm encouragingly.

You started to get a little worked up, the words coming out more freely. "And it's like wow, I'm just readily telling you this, I must be some slut for attention, but it's like I just don't know how to deal with my emotions and-"

Mammon cut you off. "MC, it's okay. I don't think ya want attention for tellin' me this or are fishin' for compliments or whatever, so get that thought out of your head. You're my friend and I'm glad you're telllin' me this."

You nodded, and he tilted your face up towards his.

"We all have our days when we feel low. We just got to push through 'em! And MC, I'm the avatar of Greed! I know how it feels to want to things, to want more, to want to be more! It's okay to want that but we can't let those thoughts control us."

You nodded again.

"Not for nothin' but ya are my favorite human," Mammon whispered like he was telling you a secret and you couldn't help but smile.

"I'm glad," You pulled him up. "Now let’s get back before Lucifer gets any more pissed off."

While you were walking back, you impulsively grabbed Mammon's hand. He blushed, but let it happen.

* * *

Mammon < The Demon Brothers (New) (7): I found out what was wrong with MC

Leviathan < The Demon Brothers (New) (7): What? Already?

Mammon < The Demon Brothers (New) (7): Talk later I'm with them right now

* * *

Figuring Lucifer would be waiting for you, you just went in the front, and sure enough, there he was, sitting in a chair by the door.

He didn't look mad, which was odd, considering you had hung up on him and disobeyed the rules, so you decided to wait for him to make the first move.

"Ah, you're back. I take it you are feeling better?" His tone was light but also careful, nothing like you were expecting.

You nodded, and he seemed almost pleased. Turning to Mammon, you expected him to be as weirded out by his brother's behavior as you were, but he seemed to be engaging in a nonverbal conversation instead.

"If that's all," You said cautiously "I'm going to take a shower."

Lucifer gave you the go-ahead and thoroughly confused you made your way to your room.

S&S Masterlist

Chapter 2

#leviswriting #sticks&stones #obey me shall we date #obey me game #mammon avatar of greed #lucifer obey me #shall we date leviathan #satan obey me #obey me asmodeus #beelzebub avatar of gluttony #belphegor obey me #low self image #fanfic #1/9

[todorokiaimee]

Dopamine Chapter 2

Previous Chapter

The next evening, Jada walked down the bustling streets of the red light district, her large black duffle bag over her shoulder. She hummed along to the music pumping in her ears from her phone as she marked a few dance moves, earning a few looks from passersby. “The fuck are you looking at?”

When they quickly made their way past, she scoffed as she adjusted her black Tshirt dress before turning to walk around the corner. Soon she came to the back entrance of her work, nodding to the bouncer patrolling the door as she entered. 

Walking into the dressing room, she waved and said hello to the various girls inside until she laid her eyes on her best friend, Ito Sakura. She was a cute and petite woman with long soft pink hair and blue eyes. Sakura was the exact opposite of the kind of person Jada would seek out, but she was also the first person to befriend her when she had no one. 

“Thanks for covering for me last night, Sakura,” Jada said as she unpacked her bag. 

“No problem, girl. You deserved a night out.” The pink-haired woman smiled as she applied her makeup. “So how was it?”

The ravenette smiled to herself as she thought about the night she had spent with Top Pro Hero: Ground Zero. Dancing with him before he took her home. Spending the night with him underneath her as they both reached epic euphoria. “It was… fun.” I doubt she’d believe me anyway.

“You’re gonna have to do better than that, girl.” She laughed, grabbing her friend’s shoulders, shaking them. “I need details!”

“Let’s just say I was able to blow off some steam,” Jada smirked coyly as she brushed her off. “You know I can’t talk about it at work anyway.” 

“Fineee…” Sakura pouted, returning back to her makeup routine. “I was just hoping to live vicariously through you. God knows I’m not going to meet anyone worth keeping here.” 

“Not true… We get a few high dollar clients.” 

“Like who?” The pink-haired woman questioned, looking pointedly at her friend.

“Mr. Sato blew 500,000 yen in one night.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot about that…. He’s kinda old though. What about Mr. Suzuki? He’s cute and drops mad dough.”

Jada scoffed, rolling her eyes as she changed into a pair of impossibly short shorts and a crop top, “Mr. Suzuki also has a problem with keeping his hands to himself.” 

“But if he makes you his Mrs. then you’ll be set for life.”

“And how many girls like us have ever married high dollar clients?” The ravenette asked, crossing her arms.

“Cardi B did it!”

“Cardi actually made her own money and then got her hubby. I’m pretty sure her net worth is much more than his.” Jada clicked her tongue as she buckled a pair of 7-inch platform heels to her feet. “God I hate these shoes. I feel like a fucking horse.”

“Yeah, but the clients can’t get enough of them. Did you know once in a private room, a client asked me to step on his junk with them? Not my thing but he tipped well so whatever.” Sakura hummed, tapping her chin before shouting, “Oh I know! Amber Rose!”

“Did she actually marry Kanye or did they just date?”

“I don’t know but she was with him long enough to tell the world that he likes a finger in the booty!” The pink-haired woman giggled as she held up her little finger.

“Don’t knock it ‘til you try it, Baby!” The two friends laughed as they playfully shoved and nudged each other until a man popped his head into the dressing room. 

“Hey, Jada! You’re up in 5!” 

“Coming!” The dark-skinned beauty called as she put the finishing touches on her lipstick. As she made her way out the door the ladies in the dressing room all cheered her on, giving her playful smacks on the ass, but none were louder than her bubbly bestie.

“Pop that pussy, Mama!” Sakura cheered with a laugh. “Make that money!”

As Jada made her way onto the stage, she took a deep centering breath. She got into her opening pose in the dark as she heard the hoots and hollers from the audience surrounding the stage. 

“Alright, alright, alright!” The MC of the club said into the microphone. “As our next act gets settled in here’s another reminder that here at The Secret Garden there is no flash photography or flashing of any kind. That’s right, keep it in your pants fellas.” He chuckled as he looked over to Jada, her giving him a nod that she was ready to begin. “Without further ado please welcome back to the main stage… the exotic beauty…  with tits, ass, and legs for days…. Nubia!”

As the lights lifted, Kelis’ “Milkshake” began to bump through the club’s speakers, Jada starting her performance. She began to twerk before making her way to the single pole in the middle of the stage. Taking it in her grasp, she gave a few body rolls before launching herself around the pole, spinning with ease as she performed various tricks. The crowd cheered and threw their money onto the stage with each pole inversion, jump split, and discarded piece of clothing until her dance finally came to an end as he panted to catch her breath. (https://youtu.be/Eu8Tyr4B_EA)

After she quickly picked up her discarded clothes and tips and took them backstage, Jada made her way back onto the strip club floor. She walked around her in lingerie until a man called out to her, patting his knee. “Hey, Sweet Cheeks! Come sit on daddy’s lap.”

“You want a dance Mr.?” She smiled sweetly, walking over to him.

“I want much more than a dance but that’s a good start.”

Gross. “It’s 3,000 yen for a dance, 10,500 yen for the VIP lounge, and 27,000 yen for the Champagne Room. Plus tip.”

“Umm…” He chuckled nervously. “Just a dance out here is cool.”

Cheapskate. With a flip of her dark locs, she turned her back to him before lowering herself onto his lap. She rolled her hips against him to the pulsating music, taking her time. As she continued her ministrations the man grew more and more excited. This became even more apparent as she began to feel the hard tent forming in his pants. She sighed, trying her best to ignore it until the strange man began to grab and rub her thighs. “I know it’s very tempting but this is a no-touch club, Honey.”

“Sure, Sure.” He breathed, removing his hands.

The ravenette continued her dance, confident that he got the message. Turning around, she straddled his hips so that she was facing him, hoping that the eye contact would deter him. Unfortunately, his hands once again found his way to her skin, gripping her waist, his fingers playing with the clasp of her bra. “Hey.” She warned in a more stern voice. “Last warning.”

“Feisty! I like it.”

Jada clicked her tongue as she pried his hands off of her. The man smiled apologetically, but it didn't reach his eyes. After another deep breath, the dark-skinned beauty returned to her lap dance, rolling her hips against his lap while giving him a full view of her breasts.  

Growing impatient, the man once again laid his hands on Jada, this time harshly grabbing her ass with both hands, pushing her further into his erection, a sick smirk on his lips. “Come on, Baby you can give me more than that.” 

“I said hands off!” Jada yelled. Getting up from his lap, she drew her arm back to land a hard slap across his face, the sound of impact heard throughout the club.

“Ow!” He bellowed, jumping to his feet with his face in his hand. With his eyes filled with rage, he raised his hand as Jada instinctively flinched away, “Fuck you, Bitch!”

Jada closed her eyes, waiting for the blow that never came; instead, she heard a familiar calm deep voice that made her stomach churn just the same. 

“What seems to be the problem here?”

The ravenette opened her eyes to see the Club Owner and her boss, Yamaguchi Eizan standing by as well as a club bouncer, holding the handsy man in a chokehold. She clicked her tongue as she crossed her arms, addressing her boss. “He grabbed my ass after 2 warnings!”

“I see,” Yamaguchi hummed, his cool expression irking her further. “Tanaka, can you see this gentleman out? After he pays for his dance with a generous tip of course.” The bouncer nodded and he wrestled the man out, ignoring the client’s shouts of protest. Once they were out of earshot, Yamaguchi turned his attention back to Jada, a frown beginning to form on his lips. “Nubia, can you follow me please?”

Jada felt a pit form deep in her stomach as she followed the man into his office, instinctively covering her scantily clad body. The loud music was almost nonexistent as the door closed behind them. He sighed as he sat down behind his desk, tapping his fingers against the mahogany wood. 

He was a physically imposing man and classically beautiful. Perfectly coiffed black hair and dark brown eyes. He dressed in an expensive suit, expertly tailored. For all extensive purposes Yamaguchi Eizan was every woman’s wet dream. Jada knew better, of course. 

“What the fuck were you thinking, Jada?” He finally seethed. 

“What was I supposed to do?! He was groping me!”

“I can’t have you striking my clients.”

“So I’m just supposed to let them touch me?” She argued, only for Yamaguchi to rise from his seat, instantly shutting her up. 

“I don’t think you understand the ramifications of your actions,” He breathed as he made his way over the beauty, his frame towering over her.  “That gentleman is going to leave this club and tell his friends about his experience. He’s going to tell his friends about how a stripper slapped him for enjoying their dance. In return, his friends will not come here to relax and now that money will not be coming into the club. I don’t get paid, which means you don’t get paid. And...” He paused, taking a single loc of her hair between his thumb and forefinger, a soft smirk forming on his lips. “I know how tight money is for you these days. Keep in mind, my offer still stands to give you some relief.”

Jada fought the urge to look away, not wanting to wilt under his gaze. He was so close that she could smell the sandalwood of his aftershave, “I’m good. Thanks.”

“That’s right. You are good.” He said lowly, letting go of her hair as he stepped back, leaning against this desk. “You’ll do good to remember how good you have it here. I only ask that you dance for clients. If you were with someone else you wouldn’t be as lucky.” 

“Okay, I get it,” Jada whispered, still holding herself.

“I’m glad we’re on the same page.”

The two were then interrupted by a knock on the office door. After an acknowledgment by Yamaguchi, the bouncer entered the room and handed him a large stack of cash. “Is this from the gentleman in question?” Yamaguchi asked. The bouncer just gave a nod and left the room without a word. 

Yamaguchi hummed as he licked his fingertips before counting out the money. “That’s 8,000 yen for me…” He paused placing the stack on his desk. “And 2,000 yen for you,” He smiled as he offered the money to Jada.

“2,000? What the hell?” She protested, unfolding her arms.

“For the future revenue you just cost me with your stunt. Or would you prefer I kept it all?” He looked at her pointedly.

“Okay…” She frowned, taking the cash as she turned to leave.

“Remember, Love,” He called out as she stepped out of the room, the pounding music almost drowning out his words.  “Things could be much worse.”

Jada sighed as she closed the door behind her, making her way back onto the club floor, “Some days I’m not so sure.”

____________________________________________________________________________

The next day, Ground Zero and Red Riot were out on their daily patrols, walking through the busy Tokyo streets. The red-haired hero smiled brightly as he waved to the citizens, Bakugou holding his usual scowl. Once he was confident no one was listening in, Kirishima nudged his friend, earning his attention, “You’re lucky Mina loves you since you ditched her on her birthday.” 

“She’ll forgive me.” The blonde shrugged.

“What happened anyway? I left you at the bar and then you were gone.”

Bakugou once again thought over the happenings of two nights before. How he had bedded a mysterious woman, which he thought they both enjoyed, only for her to leave his side without so much of a care. “Long story short, I met a woman and took her home.”

“Bakugou, you dog!” Kirishima laughed as he slapped his friend on the back. “Now it all makes sense.”

 “Yeah, sure whatever…” Bakugou grumbled before rubbing his neck nervously. “Hey… Has a girl ever bolted on you right after sex?”

The red-haired man quirked a brow, surprised by his question. “You let your love interests stay over now?”

“I don’t have any fucking love interests!” He barked before asking again. “Do they ever leave right after?”

“Right after?”

“Yeah.”

“Like right right after?”

“She literally came and went.”

“Like on her own? No coaxing?”

“She hopped off my dick and got dressed to leave.”

“Damn. I can’t say I have...” Kirishima sighed, scratching his chin. Looking over to his seemingly dejected friend, he gave him a nudge. “Look maybe she just had an early appointment in the morning or something? Girls have loads of random appointments!”

“Maybe…” The blonde breathed, avoiding eye-contact with his friend.

“Or you’re just bad in bed.”

“MAN FUCK YOU, SHITTY HAIR!”

Kirishima laughed as he dodged his friend’s explosions and hardened himself to take the hits that he couldn’t avoid. “I’m kidding! You know you do the exact same thing when you have one night stands at a girl’s place.” 

Do I? Bakugou paused for a moment before scoffing, “That’s different!”

Red Riot rolled his eyes as he brushed off the soot and ash from his skin. “You said she came right?” 

“Of course she did.” The blonde smirked proudly.

“More than once? You were, you know, generous? Foreplay and stuff?”

“Nah, believe me, she was fuckin ready to go.” Bakugou chuckled as he remembered her sprawled out on his bed with her fingers deep in her heat. 

“There’s your problem bro! The ladies are all about the foreplay! You can’t get lazy and skip it. Not manly.” His friend only grunted in response but Kirishima could see the wheels turning in Bakugou’s head. “Why are you so worried about it this time anyway? You’ve always preferred one night stands. “Love is a distraction” and all.”

“I don’t know... She’s just different.” The blonde hummed before quickly recovering “And I never said anything about love!”

“Did you guys exchange numbers? Do you think she enjoyed herself enough that she’d let you take her out on a proper date?”

“Kinda...”

“Did she give you her number or did she take yours?”

“She took mine.”

Kirishima hissed in pain while he shook his head in disappointment. 

“What?” Bakugou questioned.

“That’s not a good sign bro…” He sighed.  “Mina does that when she wants to let guys down easy. She takes their numbers and then never calls.”

Ground Zero blinked up at his friend as he took in the news before a blanket of rage started to overshadow his disappointment. “Man fuck that! She’ll call! No woman can resist me! I’m a fucking catch!”

“Whatever you say, man.” Red Riot breathed as he patted his friend’s shoulder.

“You wish you could have as many women as me!”

“Dude, I’m happily engaged!” Kirishima laughed. “One woman is all I need!”***

“Shut up, Shitty Hair!”

As the pair began to get into another squabbling match out on the street, a loud ringing came from the pants pocket of the blonde hero. 

“You gonna get that?” Kirishima laughed as he blocked another explosion.

With one last growl, Ground Zero dug into his pants pocket, taking out his phone and harshly answering the call, “What is it?!”

“Well hello to you too.”

The velvety smooth voice on the other line startled the hero as he cleared his throat, this time speaking much softer. “Who is this?”

“It’s Jada. Up for round two?”

NOTES: ***This is referring to my friend’s Black OC Marina. You can find her fic here.

Chapter 3 | Masterlist

#dopamine #bakugou katsuki #katsuki bakugou #bakugou x reader #bakugou x black reader #bakugou x black oc #black reader #black oc #black original character #bakugou x oc #bakugou x original character #katsuki x jada #jada jackson #bakugou x jackson #bakugo #bnha imagines #bnha fanfiction #bnha fanfic #bnha fluff #bnha angst #bnha drabbles #bnha oneshots #chapter 2 #ch 2 #ch2

[maries-gallery]

Hi! So I saw that your blog was open and I was like ":0 why not?" Can I have a scenario to were Sirius, fenrir, jonah and zero from ikerev has a s/o who has a skin condition like psoriasis and shes really self conscious about it? Thanks! Your blogs are amazing btw!

Ikerev guys (Sirius, Fenrir, Jonah and Zero) with a  MC who has psoriasis and is very self conscious about it 

Hey ! So before anything, just know that YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL and that a autoimmune disease won’t change that. I can understand the self consciousness due to our society who exposes a very restrained representation of us humans, but just because you don’t correlate with society’s stupid standards, it doesn’t make you any less beautiful, it makes YOU HUMAN, and just like well... YOU. This makes you unique and this is priceless. Anyone who dares tell you otherwise or shame you because of that clearly doesn’t deserve you or your time and is someone I’d gladly punch in the face. 

Now after me raging against society and its beauty standards, and a small pep talk let’s get on with the headcanon :))

Sirius 

Today you had decided to help Sirius out in the gardens. Indeed the Queen of Spades had decided to build and create a green house in the head quarters of the Black army, hoping to bring some greenery and peace to the place. 

So here you were, watering and planting colourful flowers on a hot summer day. And if you were totally honest, the heat had become quite unbearable due to your physical labour. Sweat had began to coat your skin and some fresh air would be well appreciated. Sirius’s gaze lingered on you as you caressed the petals of a daisy you just planted. He frowned, approaching you gently.

“Maybe we should take a break. “ Your boyfriend sat down on a bench, his amethyst eyes fixated on you. You nodded, joining him and letting out an audible sigh. 

“Yeah, I think this could be a good idea. I’m starting to melt.” This earned a deep chuckle from the man beside you. Sirius’s caring eyes locked on your long sleeved sweater. 

“Maybe you should take that off then. I don’t want my lady to over heat.” He gestured at your attire, which obviously wasn’t fit for the hot summers in Craddle. Of course this had caught his attention, however he had decided to let you be, maybe you were just a particularly prone to chills. 

But this assumption quickly flew from his mind as he noticed your sudden discomfort. His features darkened with worry as he observed you seemingly shrinking on yourself, hiding in the folds of your sweater. He positioned a gentle hand on your shoulder, searching your gaze.

“(Y/n), is something wrong ?” He coaxed gently. 

Your eyes began to water. You were over heating under these clothes, but you couldn’t take them off. For if you did, you knew your arms would be visible, and so would be these red marks so typical of psoriasis. What would Sirius think of you if he saw them ? Surely he’d think these are disgusting, after all isn’t that what everyone thought ? 

So you answered in a weak voice. 

“Yes, I am just exhausted.” You let out a mock chuckle, hoping this would convince your boyfriend in spite of your obvious lie. However Sirius wasn’t one to be fooled. Hey, he spent his days tending a bunch of adult children. 

“(Y/n) please don’t lie to me.”

“No seriously, it’s nothing serious. You’d find it ridiculous.” You plucked a strand of hair behind your ear, eyes casted down to avoid your boyfriend’s observant gaze.

“(Y/n), if something’s bothering you then it sure isn’t ridiculous to me. Plus I’ve heard more ridiculous things than I could count around here.” Sirius said earnestly, taking your hands in his and rubbing small circles on your palm. 

After a few seconds you let out a sight, deciding to finally open up about your insecurities. After all, if your relationship with Sirius were to last then he’ll surely see your arms at some point. You proceeded to slowly take off your sweater, awaiting your boyfriend’s reaction anxiously. You felt his eyes traveling down your arms, observing your damaged skin. 

“(Y/n), is this why you always cover your arms ?” The man asked, finally understanding what had been bothering your mind. You nodded.

“I hate these marks... And I was afraid that if you saw them you’d-” You were suddenly interrupted by Sirius’s hand on your mouth. His eyes bored into yours as he placed his forehead on yours.

“Leave you ? (Y/n), nothing in the whole of Craddle could make me leave you. And even less a skin condition you didn’t ask for.”  His fingers ran up and down the patches of damaged and reddened skin along your arms. 

“These, doesn’t make you any less of a wonderful and beautiful woman. These doesn’t change the fact that I love you. So please don’t feel say such horrible things about yourself.” 

Sirius knew this would be a long road for you to start loving your mark, but he planned on being there each moment of this journey, always there to give you a small pep talk and remind you of your worth. 

Fenrir 

When Fenrir first met you he immediately noticed your self consciousness and how you felt about the patches of red marks on your neck and bust. He also noticed the amount of concealer you had in your room in order to cover your skin in case the weather would be too hot for a scarf or turtleneck. However the male never mentioned it, he fell in love for you because you were you and so for him these marks never had been worth mentioning simply because to him they were just another part of you, another part to love.

The pink haired man had been on his way to Oliver’s when he decided to come and take you with him, an occasion for the both of you to spend some time together. However his enthusiasm died immediately when his ears caught on your muffled cries from behind the door of your room. He lost no time in knocking before entering your room, concern clear on his features as his eyes searched for you. 

You stood in front of your vanity, face hidden in your hands as another sob racked your body. He approached carefully, crouching down beside you and taking your hands in his, revealing your face. 

“Hey, babe what got you so upset ?” The Ace of Spade queried, wiping a lonely tear rolling down your cheek with the hem of his shirt. The sight of your usually cheerful features now so desperate pained him to the chore. 

“I-I feel so disgusting Fenrir...” If this statement hadn’t broken his heart the next words you uttered certainly did. “Sometimes I just wish I could be someone else, if it could save me the psoriasis.”. 

His eyes light pink eyes turned deadly serious as he cupped your cheek, raising your head to look at him. 

“(Y/n), don’t ever say that again about yourself. I won’t permit my best friend, partner in crime and lover to talk about herself with so badly.”

“B-But-”

“No. Babe, you are the most amazing and beautiful woman I know, and the only one to deal with my antics !” Fenrir placed an urgent kiss on your cheek, his lips trailing down to your exposed neck and kissing the patches of skin you felt so bad about, this earned him a few giggles from you. He knew you were ticklish there and a satisfied smile curved his lips as he delighted in the sound of your laughter. 

“Now this is better.” Then he placed a gentle kiss on your forehead, “’(Y/n), I fell in love with you as a whole. To me every part of you are beautiful, from your goofy smile to the nape of your neck and your chest. A few marks won’t change that.” 

Jonah 

You and Jonah had been shopping for dresses around the civic Centre. Everything was going well. Your boyfriend and you had eaten delicious pastries at the local tea shop you both loved and you had already visited a few shops. 

However as you stood in the changing room scanning the dress the Queen of Hearts had chosen for you you couldn’t help but feel your heart drop in your stomach at the sight of the open back. You could already feel the hot tears coming to your eyes at the thought of your boyfriend’s disgusted expression when he’d see the traces and patches on the skin of your back. He was the Queen of Heart, adept of beauty and perfection, known for his tastes. How could he accept you with these damned disease ? 

Jonah had been waiting outside of the changing room for a while now, and he was beginning to worry that something was off with the dress. He got up from his seat and walked up to the curtains of the fitting room.

“What’s taking you so long ? How bold of you to make me wait.” He remarked teasingly. 

However his confident smile turned into a deep frown at the noticeable pain in your voice.” 

“Sorry... The dress is perfect but I don’t think it’s for me...” You had replied, now sat in the cabin, the dress hanging next to you, untouched. 

The Queen of Heart let out a sigh, composing himself before gently asking you if he could enter the changing room. To which you answered positively after some thoughts. 

The blue haired man lost no time in joining you, the sight of your teary eyes and cornered form breaking his heart into so many pieces. His eyes fell on the dress he had picked for you. He had thought that such a beautiful dress couldn’t be worn by anyone else than you, and his heart had jumped at the prospect of seeing you in it. 

He caressed the fabric.

“Is the size not fitting ? If not I can pay the tailor to make adjustments. This isn’t a problem.” He explained, observing your reaction attentively. 

Your answer was far from what he had expected as you gazed at him with pained eyes.

“It’s not the dress Jonah. It’s me and these damned things in my back !” You let out, clearly upset. 

Jonah frowned, crouching down beside you and analysing your expression.

“What are you talking about (Y/n) ? You are perfect, no part of you is a problem.” He murmured, golden eyes earnest and full of affection. 

You let out a deep sigh, so scared to tell your boyfriend the truth. However after a few seconds you decided to be honest with him and just go with it.

“I have psoriasis Jonah. My back is full of red and bruised skin. I certainly can’t wear a backless dress.” 

Now the male understood what was going on, and a pang assaulted his heart at the sight off you, always so confident and cheerful, now so self conscious about something not even worth your worry. He placed a strand of your hair behind your ear, locking his eyes with yours and making sure he had your full attention. 

“(Y/n), I don’t ever want to hear you say such things about yourself. Who cares if you have some skin condition or whatever ? You are still the most unique and gorgeous woman I’ve ever known. Now I know my words alone won’t help you accept to wear that dress magically. And I could care less. But I do want you to feel good about yourself, regardless of your disease or its consequences on your skin.” Then Jonah got out a handkerchief from his breast pocket, drying your tears delicately with the white piece of fabric, a loving smile adorning his features. 

“Now if you want you can try in this dress, knowing that you’ll be beautiful or if you need more time to build confidence I’ll find you another dress for now and we’ll buy this one for later.” The man proposed, eyes full of love and consideration when fixated on you. 

In the end, as Jonah had expected, you weren’t ready to wear the dress yet. And he had found you another one for the time being. He knew self confidence was slow to come and complexes were as slow to go, however he was willing to be there with you every step of the way and to help you see yourself with his eyes. 

Zero 

(I am sorry but I haven’t read his route yet and have a very restricted knowledge concerning his personality and character, so this one won’t have a scenario but mainly a headcanon of mostly how I think he’d react)

Honestly upon discovering how self conscious you were of the marks left by your psoriasis, Zero couldn’t believe his ears. 

How could such a perfect and kind woman, the woman who saved him from his dark past and who accepted him, could feel that bad about herself ? Didn’t you see how wonderful you were ? How blessed he felt to have you as his lover ? 

He’d invite you to seat with him on his bed and he’d take off his shirt, showing you his tattoo and reminding you of how self conscious he felt about it, how he despised that part of him. He’d then slowly take off your shirt, exposing the patches of your skin which were damaged. He’d let his fingertips wander before telling you that this feature of yourself you hated, he loved and cherished. It made you special, unique and in his opinion even more of an amazing person as it made you YOU. 

And just like you made him love himself, he’d make sure to make you realise how beautiful you are and to raise your confidence. 

So I hope this was okay and that it’s what you were expecting, if not I am so so so sorry ! I tried my best but I must say it is the first time I’ve tried my hand on such a topic. And as I know self confidence and complexes can be a very sensitive subject I tried to be as delicate as possible.  

#ikemen revolution #ikerev #ikemen revolution headcanon

[joy1579]

RFA boys + saeran helping surrogate MC through pregnancy and meeting her baby

so this is the other interpretation of that request i got. i hope its okay! i wrote this one out side which was really nice for a change. please leave a comment if you enjoyed it

also master list if your into it

Jumin

During the pregnancy

-        Since he met you later in your surrogacy he only gets 2 months to help you through your pregnancy

-        But he does everything he can

-        You get one of those super fancy pregnancy body pillows

-        He declines the private nurse though reminding him that every woman ancestor he has gave birth even before private nurses were a thing

-        He picks apart the line saying that his great aunt never had children so not every

-        You cut him off with a gently kiss before saying “hush I’m pregnant and therefore right”

-        He would argue with you but you’re already walking away towards the kitchen where your latest snack craving was hidden away.

Meeting the baby in the waiting room

-        He was a tad upset that he couldn’t be with you in the delivery room

-        But he understood that your sister and her husband (the parents) took priority over him

-        At least he said he did but his grim look and constant foot tapping  said otherwise

-        “Jumin” your sister called “do you want to see your future nephew?” his heart jumped at that.

-        Your sister hadn’t been cold to him certainly but she had always referred to him as your boyfriend despite his proposal.

-        He had taken it to mean she did not approve of him but if this child was his future nephew then she must have accepted that you were his future wife

-        “yes I would” he said resolutely stepping forward to see the baby in her arms

-        He had you and your sisters eye’s (poor baby ain’t got no eyes JK) and red tinted hair from his father but what hit Jumin most was the simple peace of the child

-        He had expected fussiness and crying. He had asked around and many people warned him that newborns were fussy even on their best days

-        But like you this child had a gentle peace about him a calm and happy light in its bright young eye’s

-        “I’d like to see MC” he said abruptly and your sister chuckled stepping aside so he could visit you

-        He wrapped you in his arms and murmered low in your ear “you never cease to amaze me my love. Marry me? Not in several months not even in days. Tomorrow. The second your discharged.”

Yoosung

During the pregnancy

-        He is trying his absolute best. He knows nothing about pregnancy. So he asks his mom and after calming down her panic she agrees to help.

-        By showing up at his house to see and care for MC.

-        She insists on cleaning and worries over MC whenever MC tries to help

-        Yoosung helps dutifully but you can see a tinge of regret in his eyes when his mother nags him to stop playing lolol

-        She’s there for a week cooking and lecturing Yoosung on everything that a pregnant woman need help with (which according to her is EVERYTHING)

-        You ask her if she had a hard pregnancy by chance and she admits her pregnancy with Yoosung was very difficult (Yoosung had never known that and listens intently from his place cleaning in the kitchen

-        She had pushed herself to hard and ending up going into labor prematurely nearly loosing Yoosung in the process now your crying and Yoosung is rushing to your side his mom hugging you both

-        “you are strong MC anyone who can put up with my son must be but dont forget to take care of yourself, and you Yoosung you help her with this and make me proud” his mom semi scolds with a warm smile

Meeting the baby in the waiting room

-        Yoosung is sitting in the corner practically bouncing with anxiety

-        Zen has his hand on Yoosung’s shoulder and is looking at his watch every five minutes

-        He was missing a final for this but he had told his professor that his girlfriend was having a baby so the professor would let him retake it tomorrow

-        Technically it wasn’t a lie. It just wasn’t their baby.

-        Despite it not being their baby he was still so nervous he thought he might be sick. After hearing his mother’s story, he had researched EVERYTHING that could go wrong (there are a lot of things that could go wrong)

-        So when he heard your sister (who had become a familiar presence in his life) call him he nearly jumped out of his skin

-        He rushed over to where she stood holding a small bundle of blue blankets

-        “you’ll never guess what we named him?” she teased and her small smirked highlighted just how much you two looked alike “MC came up with it, and we thought it was perfect naming him after his uncle”

-        Yoosung looked at her confused and lost tilting his head to the side

-        “meet Yoosung our baby and maybe someday your official nephew”

-        Yoosung turned beet red at that you and he had only been dating for 3 months after all

-        And yet through all the nerves he couldn’t find it in himself to dislike the idea in fact he couldn’t stop the wide smile that grew on his face

-        “hi mini Yoosung. I’ll do my best to be someone you can look up too okay!”

Saeyoung

during pregnancy

-        Look there was A LOT going on during this moment in his life

-        Between the agency and mint eye he could barely think straight

-        And you were his rock grounding him through it all.

-        Vanderwood had never seen a woman 7 months pregnant pick a fight with a cult leader and show no hesitation when looking danger in the face before you

-        You were either incredibly brave or just plain stupid considering you were in love with Saeyoung probably a bit of both

-        He had to admit though your steadfast level headed nurturing was exactly what Saeyoung and his brother needed

-        At every wrong turn and new trouble, you were there cheering Saeyoung on and calming Saeran down (something that amazingly it seemed only you could do)

-        Saeyoung was determined to protect you and his brother and you believed in him whole heartedly

-        It was only after all the chaos was over and Saeyoung had brought you to his bunker that you finally sat down, sighed and called your sister to tell her you were home

-        Saeyoung sat next to you and as soon as you hang up you burst into tears and buried your face in his chest

-        He was surprised when you mentioned how worried for him you were

-        He pulled you back to look at you disbelievingly before kissing you hard

-        After all that nothing could come between you

Meeting the baby in the waiting room

-        He stood stock still eye’s darting between the doors to the delivery room and the hallway he led to the psychiatric ward where his brother was

-        He wanted to tell his brother that today was the day but everything had been so busy since arriving he didn’t have a chance and now his was stuck unsure of how long it would take.

-        Logically he was sure he had enough time since his brother never wanted to see him for very long. They were doing better of course but at most they could only spend 20 to 30 minutes together before Saeran would have an episode and Saeyoung would be ushered away.

-        Still he didn’t want to risk being absent when the baby was born and he could see you safe and sound again.

-        Your sister had barely stepped through the door before Saeyoung was burying her in questions

-        “is MC okay? What about the baby? Is it a boy or a girl? When can I see MC again?”

-        Your sister chuckled at that nodding down the bundle of blue blankets in her arms

-        “MC’s is okay their helping her clean up now. This is our little boy here and you can see MC as soon as you answer a question for us.” Her gentle voice reminded him so much of yours whenever you tried to soothe Saeran and he nodded urgently. He desperately wanted to see you.

-        “will you be the God father luciel?”

-        Ice ran through his veins as he froze. Godfather. He couldn’t, there was no way he could with everything he’s done everything he’s caught up in but hadn’t he thought the same about being with you, and about seeing his brother again too

-        He looked at the tiny infant, it slept soundly in its mothers arms and he tried to find a reason to dislike the small boy, any reason to say no to the question your sister had just asked. Slowly the baby opened his eyes and he marveled at how clear and innocent they were.

-        He’s tremulously nod’s and is suddenly caught up in a gentle hug from your sister and her quiet husband, before being ushered back to meet you.

Zen

During the pregnancy

-        Absolutely gives you anything and everything your craving

-        Completely quits smoking because what if it hurts the baby (still drinks beer though)

-        he lays his head on your belly and talks to the baby telling it how it has the best kindest strongest angel of a mother ever

-        surrogate mother you point out and he looks so confused because what’s the difference?

-        You explain that the baby isn’t yours in any way except for it growing in your womb. The egg was your sisters so the baby is hers not yours

-        He still looks a little confused but takes your word for it after all you would know best

-        You and he have A LOT of dinners with your sister and her husband

-        He’s still getting used to the whole family dynamic since he hasn’t had it in so long

Meeting the baby in the waiting room

-        He is pacing because he does not enjoy sitting still while anxious

-        he can’t calm down and he’s angry that they won’t let him in the delivery room with you

-        Yoosung touches his shoulder and he turns on him about to snap but stopping himself when he sees its Yoosung and not Jumin

-        Yoosung asks him if he wants some water and offers to walk with him to the hospital cafeteria

-        They are almost out the door when he hears your sister call for him

-        “zen would you like to see the baby?”

-        He sprints over to see the little boy and in that moment he vows to teach this child everything he knows

-        It may not be his son but he swears to support the kid to the ends of the earth and if the kid ever needs a place to go. Well that’s what uncles should be for.

-        The baby grabs at a stray lock of Zen’s hair and its one of the few times Zen lets anyone but you and his hairdresser touch his hair

-        Then the baby tugs just a little too much and Zen decided that the no touch rule is completely valid as your sister tuts and untangles the tiny fist

-        He still loves this kid though

-        Your sisters been talking this whole time but he hasn’t heard a word so she snaps in front of his face to get his attention

-        “do you want to see MC”

-        “yes” he nearly shouts before speed walking to your room

Saeran

During the pregnancy

-        After the chaos of mint eye and looking for his brother he is happy to settle down

-        He cooks for you, and of course you and he share so much ice-cream (midnight ice-cream runs because of craving happen almost weekly at first)

-        He brushes your hair and tries to wait on you hand and foot until you put that foot down

-        You have to give him a serious talk about making his own decisions and choosing things for himself because you don’t want to see him fall back into his mint eye habits

-        He nods and starts to give you a little space but he still brushes your hair. Saying he genuinely enjoys it

-        You encourage him in his recovery and sit outside while he gardens

-        When he gets angry you do what you can to calm him down. People are worried he might hurt you but you have faith in him. (and the self-defense training Jaehee gave you)

-        Your sister is admittedly nervous but your unwavering faith bolsters her trust in saeran as well as his trust in himself

-        He’ll be the first to admit though he does NOT like the look of discomfort on your face when the baby kicks but he’s learning to keep himself calm and to walk away from things that upset him rather than try to fight them head on

Meeting the baby in the waiting room

-        EVERYONE can feel how tense he is

-        He’s sitting straight backed with his fists clenched on his knees

-        Your sister is honestly a little afraid to take her newborn baby out their despite how sweet he seemed sometimes. It’s the times he didn’t seem sweet that she worried about. Even if you swore up and down he was more than safe

-        His head shot up at the sound of the door and he rushed to your sister the second he saw her

-        “where’s MC? is she safe? I need to see her NOW?” that last word came out harsher than he meant and Jumin put his hand on Saeran’s shoulder

-        “I’m sure MC is fine. Isn’t that right?” he said calmly

-        Your sister nodded a little before speaking “MC is fine the nurses are helping her clean up you’ll be allowed back as soon as she’s done I just thought you might want to see the baby since you helped MC through this”

-        Saeran swallowed hard, he wasn’t sure he wanted to see the baby. Wasn’t sure if he should see the baby

-        But when he locked eyes with the small infant he swore he could see so much of you in its face (or was it your sister? Did it matter? Not to him)

-        It was the first time he had actually thought of starting a family with you. later when he is farther into his recovery, when his relationship with his brother is better, when you and he are married maybe.

-        When a nurse called for your visitors and he lunged forward baby forgotten you where most important

#mystic messenger #mysme #mm #jumin #jumin han #yoosung #yoosung kim #saeyoung #luciel #seven #707 #zen #hyun ryu #saeran #ray

[ladyquietus]

Henlo~ I’m still new to the game of ‘Obey me! Shall we date?’. It’s been a long time since I’ve written stuff like this including stories so I’m a bit nervous. English isn’t my first language either so I hope you don’t mind with grammar mistakes ^^*

-I hope it’ll bring comfort-

**How the brothers’ treat a depressed MC**

Lucifer

Is always busy looking after his brothers and assisting Diavolo but always find time to spend time with you.

Never leaves your side until you get better.

If ever he gets the chance for a clear schedule, he’d spend the whole day with you rather than taking a break for himself although he doesn’t mind.

He’d let you sit on his lap and just hugs you while caressing your head.

Whispers soothing and comforting words.

He doesn’t mind that you’d cry and get his chest wet.

Loads of forehead kisses

Listens to your problems wholeheartedly

Makes you tea and wraps you up in a blanket like a burrito.

Makes a hot bath for the both of you to soak in.

Always attentive to your needs

“You’re with me MC, I won’t leave you. You’re not alone, we’ll get through this.”

Mammon

He’d try his best to set aside his selfishness and puts your health and happiness first. Except, buying things that you like for your likes and comfort.

Plans a day for both of you to go out and enjoy such as the beach.

He gets easily worried and flusters over when you’re quiet or teary-eyed.

Lots of couch cuddles while watching your favorite shows or movies

He won’t let the other brothers interrupt your time together, want to be the only one who’ll make you feel better.

Gives you space if you ask for it but stays in the same room so he’d come to you whenever you need him.

Butterfly kisses

If another person is one of the cause of your pain, he’d swore threatening curses at them.

Keeps bringing you tissues whenever you’d cry.

He’d give you foot massages

You thank Mammon for his care

His response: “Don’t misunderstand MC, I’m only doing this because I’m your first (cue blushes) I’m the great Mammon after all so only come to me whenever you’re troubled”

Leviathan

Has played a lot of games that also involves mental health so he knows what to do.

If you need stress relief- he’d let you play a violent game.

Let’s you sit between his legs with your back leaning on his chest while you play.

Plays your hair while you game

Both of you would spend most of the time holed up in his room

Back neck kisses

He’s patient with you and is understanding with your problems, some relating to his own.

Holds your hand the entire time when you talk

Searches online for convention tickets to surprise you

Orders bufo egg milk tea for the two of you.

“How you feel I know MC. Deafest this and win, We will.”

Satan

Boi he knows everything.

But he’ll try to understand your feelings more so he could perfect his ways of comforting you.

He’d take you to a cat cafe to cheer you up with cats and coffee

In his room, he’d cradle you on his lap while gently rubbing and patting your back as you cry.

He would quote comforting and loving poems

Like Mammon, if he hears another person who caused your pain- he’ll get angry and irritated but calms down for you.

Peck kisses

He’d analyze your problems and helps you in solving them or conquering them.

You’ll rest your head on his lap on the couch with a blanket before the fireplace, caressing your hair while reading a book to you.

Has always a soft spot to you that no one has seen so he’d pretty much spoil you with care.

“The best way to predict your future is to create it” He quotes Abraham Lincoln, whom is one of the humans he finds admirable.

“I want to spend my future with you MC, let’s create it together.”

Asmodeus

Doesn’t see your situation as a sign of weakness

Is really glad that you chose him to spend some time with and a shoulder to cry on

SPA DAY

Literally wants you to take a break, it ain’t good for your skin honey.

He would wear bathrobes or pajamas with moisturizing face masks with you while he listens to you talking about your problems.

Silently uses a bit of his magic on you to make you learn to love yourself but soon wears as your love to your self grows.

Cheek kisses

Touch cuddles: in which you both would lay in bed, facing each other. Asmo’s arm draped on the top of your waist, your hand on the side of his face. Both of you would be communicating deeply in each other’s eyes.

Fixes your disheveled state and would cunningly steal kisses

Always reminding you that you’re precious and you matter every time.

“You’re already beautiful inside MC, what’s wrong with recognizing that you’re beautiful on the outside too?”

Beelzebub

Becomes sweeter than dessert itself when he notices that you haven’t been yourself lately.

Lots of surprise back hugs especially whenever you cook or wash the dishes as a distraction, he’ll never get tired the scent on your hair and neck.

Sometimes get worried so he follows you secretly whenever you’re alone to make sure you’re always safe.

He’s your ideal partner for stress- eating (even when he’s not stressed, he won’t make you feel alone).

Visits your room or him inviting you to his with loads of snacks- majority of it are yours even though you can’t finish it.

Earlobe kisses

His body is big and warm, perfect to cocoon yourself in his arms during cuddle sessions, makes you feel safe and secure.

Buys or tries to cook your favorite food then he’ll deliver it to you wether your in your own bed or in his.

Spoon feeds you

Whenever you’d cry, he’ll kiss your tears. He likes the saltiness anyway.

He’ll happily workout with you if you want to distract yourself.

“Seeing you like this MC makes me feel worse than starving, you always make my heart feel full. Now, I want to do the same.”

Belphegor

He notices that you have been sleeping longer and heavier lately and not emitting the exciting energy that you used to have.

He observes you before finally asking what’s wrong.

You’d open up to him in a breakdown then he’ll hug you tightly, letting you finish.

Despite you being the big spoon all the time whenever you two would sleep, you were a bit surprise when Belphie became the big spoon.

It was very comfortable, he feels soft that it made you forget your worries and troubles.

Lots of pillow talks, he’d even lend you his favorite pillow- not minding that it got stained with your tears.

Nose kisses cause he finds you adorable

He won’t let you sleep alone anymore, not caring if you both sleep on his bed or yours.

Spends most of his time staying in with you, probably best when the weather is blue and you both have coffee or hot cocoas in hands.

He would do everything he can for you to feel better, he misses your warm energy.

He’ll give you lots of head pats while honetdlt showering you with compliments.

“I now understand why Lilith did that to someone she loved MC, I’ll do the same to you too.”

#obeyme #obeymegame #otomegame #howbrotherstreatmc #obeymelquietus #obeymeshallwedate #obeymehdc #obeymeheadcannons #obeymemc #obeymeoneshots #obeymescenarois #obeymefanart #obeymeotomegame #obeymexreader #luciferxreader #mammonxreader #levixreader #satanxreader #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #obey me fanfic #obey me luci #obey me levi #obey me beel #obey me asmo

[bittersweetmelxdy]

if you’re taking request now, can I request a victor x mc where she’s freaked out and hides behind him?

Hi, working on the backlog of my requests, hope you like this, :)

Title: A knight in a black suitPairing: Victor x MCWords: 2,047

“Hey Boss, look over there, do you know who that is?” Kiki latched onto your arm trying to hide her excitement.

“Who are we looking at Kiki?” you say looking around at the sea of faces.

“Look, there, that actor, he was in that movie we all saw last week.”

“Oh really, I surprised you noticed there were other people in the movie apart from Kiro.” You laughed as Kiki shoved you playfully.

“He looked good, okay? And I noticed him because he’s an unknown, that was his first movie. It was purely a business observation.” Kiki pouted.

“Right I’ll go talk to him and see if we can get an interview at least.” you laughed.

“You’re the best boss!”

You waved over your shoulder at Kiki to show you acknowledged her words, a wry smile painted on your lips. Walking up to the actor you started running through in your head your interview proposal, rewording it mentally so that you’d guarantee his acceptance. You ran through a list of facts in your head, his name was Trevor, age: 25, brown hair, blue eyes, and as Kiki had said, before this movie he was an unknown actor only appeared as an unnamed extra on various TV shows. As you got closer to him, you caught his eye and smiled at him, and he broke away from his previous conversation to meet you halfway.

“Hi, I’m-“

“I know who you are, I loved the last season of Miracle Finder.” Trevor said grasping your hands tightly in his, and you couldn’t help blushing at the praise.

You and he spoke for a while and although he was a little more forward then you were used to, you chalked it up to his western roots. He was pleasant and kind, and surprisingly was quite knowledgeable about the production process, and he was happy to trade opinions with you. However, his conversation, did remind you of a certain CEO, especially when Trevor spoke about investments. Trying not to seem rude, you quickly cast your eyes around the room, hoping to maybe catch sight of the imposing man. Trevor was easy to talk to, and made lighthearted conversation about his industry and the other production aspects. However, when he decided to talk to you about the topic of investments and how large corporations invest in various shows, you were reminded that you hadn’t seen Victor all evening. Usually by now he would have made his way over to you, with some backhanded comment about looking after “idiots, who run around without decorum”, (with a smirk thrown in your direction).  But as you subtly glanced around the room, you couldn’t catch a glimpse of him, which surprised you as Victor seemed to command attention from all occupants whenever he walked into the room. It seems you were too distracted, as Trevor turned around to look at whatever direction you were staring off into, confusion clear on his face.  

“Oh, I’m sorry-” you started tucking your hair behind your ear, “just thought I saw someone I knew.” you quickly apologised, hoping you didn’t offend Trevor with your inattentiveness, that would definitely not get you an interview.

Trevor flashed a smile at you, realising you were not tired of your conversation with him, when you felt a slight tap on your shoulder.

“Goldman!” you turned around startled, “I was wondering when LFG’s employees would turn up, I thought punctuality was your company’s biggest strength.” you playfully winked at Goldman and you shared a laugh.

Trevor cleared his throat and you stepped slightly to the left, allowing you to introduce Goldman to Trevor and vice versa. The three of you continued to make small talk, when the conversation quickly turned to LFG’s one and only CEO, Victor Li. Goldman obviously spoke only glowing praises concerning his boss, and you snorted rolling your eyes at his sycophantic nature. You thought you had done so quite subtly, but alas as you were Murphy’s Law’s favourite plaything, the one person you didn’t want to hear you, most definitely heard you.

“If you disagree with his statement, please do share with the rest of us.” Victor’s baritone voice caused you to freeze, and you turned slowly to face him, embarrassed flush painted on your face.  

“Oh! Hi, Victor… fancy seeing you here.”

“I told you about this party, you knew I would be here, or did you forget, dummy.” Victor teased you, smirking in enjoyment at the way your cheeks puffed out in annoyance.

“I didn’t forget, I was looking for-” you quickly stopped yourself by placing both hands over your mouth, you face hot with shame, but the damage had already been done.

Victor arched an eyebrow and leaned close to your face, causing you breath to catch in your throat. Despite your annoyance, having Victor’s attractive face inches from yours was really not helping the oxygen reaching your brain to make any coherent comeback to Victor’s snide, “Looking for? Were you perchance looking for me, little idiot?”  

After spluttering in denial, you decided to steer the conversation to take the focus off of yourself, you haltingly introduced Trevor to Victor, thinking that the two of them would get along due to shared interests. You were wrong. Trevor and Victor may have been smiling politely on the outside, the two of them were sizing each other up and as they shook hands you could feel the temperature drop in the room by several degrees, and you could swear you saw sparks flying off the two of them.  

“So, Victor Li was it? Do you often seek out small time producers at social events?” you narrowed your eyes wondering why the friendly Trevor was challenging Victor so blatantly.

“Small time? LFG prides itself on treating all its employees with respect and the attention they deserve.” Victor voice was firm and steely, all the while still keeping a composed smile upon his face.

“Respect, I guess that’s pretty subjective for you, isn’t it?” Trevor continued to challenge Victor, and at this point you could feel a prickling of your nerves as you felt the need to defend your unconventional relationship with Victor, however Victor was one step ahead of you.

“Whatever you’ve seen, is clearly between me and her.” Victor said effectively ending this line of conversation, and stepping in front of you, as if shielding you from Trevor.

A tense and charged silence stretched between the group, and you and Goldman exchanged glances, before you could feel any more anxious, you grabbed Goldman by the arm and dragged him over to the refreshments in the corner of the room. Both of you loaded a plate and moved a little off to the side, and Goldman breathed a sigh of relief as you slumped against the wall. At an exchanged sideways glance at each other, you both burst into laughter at your ridiculous escape from the situation.  

“I thought he was going to punch him.” you laughed.

“Victor’s too professional for that…” Goldman started, “but yeah, I thought they were going to fight as well.”

You closed your eyes and exhaled slowly, suddenly the spacious room felt a little too crowded for your liking. You politely excused yourself to Goldman and stepped out of the ballroom into one of the many hallways surrounding it. Taking a deep breath, and stepping in front of a large bay window, you looked out into the night sky allowing the sight to calm you, when a hand landed on your shoulder, startling you greatly. You quickly spun around and placed your hand on your heart feeling it race under your skin.

“Oh, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“Trevor?” for some reason knowing that he had followed you out of the ballroom, made your skin feel itchy and you took a subtle step backwards.

“I noticed you stepped out for a minute; I hope that Victor guy didn’t scare you off before we even got to dance.” he smiled charmingly at you but it only made you feel more uncomfortable.

Trying to be polite you tried to let him down easy, “No it wasn’t Victor, he never made me feel uncomfortable, I mean yeah he’s a little obtuse but he’s really a great guy,” You waved your hands in front of you, “I’m sure if you talk to him more you’ll see that…”

Trevor grabbed one of your hands and placed it on his chest, allowing him to close the distance between the two of you. You struggled as best you could, trying to create distance but also remain polite. It seems however that Trevor either was oblivious to your attempts or just chose to ignore them, you were hoping for the former as you knew you weren’t strong enough to fight him off by yourself.

“Come on, just one dance, Miss Producer…” Trevor moved in close so that his face was also inches from yours.

“Trevor you’re very kind but I don’t think I’m up for dancing tonight.” you disassembled.  

Having Trevor’s face so close to yours, gave a very different feeling from when Victor’s face was close to yours. The uncomfortable feeling that had been prickling at your back, crawled its way up your spine, and you became desperate, you increased your struggle and Trevor tightened his grip on your wrist causing you to wince from the pain.

“I believe she told you ‘no’.” a deep baritone voice cut through the air.

You turned to Victor, with tears of joy in your eyes, Victor wrapped his hand around your wrist and in one quick movement he pulled you away from Trevor and to his side, where he wrapped his arm around your waist.

“Whatever you’ve seen, is between me and her.” Trevor mimicked Victor’s words from earlier, taking a haughty stance.

You felt a shiver run through you at Trevor’s attitude, when Victor turned to you, “You okay?” you could clearly see the concern in his eyes as he carefully looked over your face, analysing your features when you gave a shake of your head.  

“Come on Victor, you’re not going to fight over some woman-” Trevor didn’t get to finish his sentence before Victor punched him in the face.

“How dare you!”

You gasped and covered your mouth in shock, before trying to restrain Victor, despite the level of rage that was flowing through his veins, Victor immediately placated as soon as your arms wrapped around one of his.

“Victor please, let’s just go… I can’t-” You choked on a sob at the end of the sentence, and Victor eyes widened before he wrapped his arms around your frame and gently led you away from Trevor.

Once you were a safe distance away from Trevor, Victor led you to sit in an alcove and gently rubbed his hand up and down your arms in order to stop the shaking.

“You sure you’re okay?” Victor asked gently.

Looking up at him you felt the dam inside you break, tears streamed down your face and you covered your face with your hands, sobbing profusely, whilst Victor’s hands hovered around you, with a helpless expression on his face.

“I can still feel it Victor! This ugly prickling feeling, I can’t get rid of it!” you raked your nails down your arms, causing Victor to see the bruises on your wrist caused by Trevor.

Victor wrapped his arms around you, drawing you into his warm embrace and rocked you slightly. “It’s okay I’ve got you.” he repeated softly into your ear.

You turned and threw your arms around Victor, burying your face in his neck, “I thought he was going to take me, like last time.” you whispered into his neck.

Victor knew that although your subconscious had buried the memories of the Black Swan experimentation in a place you couldn’t access them, the déjà vu had triggered a response from you. He knew better than to press you, so he just held you tightly in his arms until you calmed down, until your choking sobs became slight hiccups. Before vowing in a strong voice, that washed over you calming you completely.

“I told you before, and I’ll tell you as many times you need to hear it, I will never let them take you again.”  

#mlqc scenarios #mlqc victor #mlqc #mr love queen's choice #love and producer #mr love victor