#who knew a simple nice gesture would turn out to be the best thing that’s happened to me in so long

[kyeomofhearts]

Again & Again | C.SC

+ summary: you caved in and fucked your best friend, but it was only a one-time thing… right?

+ pairing: scoups x fem!reader

+ word count: 4.3k

+ content: fwb!, chubby reader (love ya'll), friends to lovers, idiots to lovers, mutual pining, pussy drunk cheol, size kink, angst, fluff

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 (Final)

+ WARNINGS: drinking!, smut, dom!seungcheol, sub!reader, rough sex, praise?, sizekink, creampie, pls lmk if I missed anything

“I’m ready!”

Seungcheol’s ears perked up at your sudden announcement. Turning his head, only to be met with a breathtaking view of you. The way your clothes hugged your figure had his head spinning. He always loved seeing your curves and the way you filled out everything nicely. Although you weren’t wearing anything out of the ordinary, it was just a simple outfit. Something that would match the mood for Jeonghan’s party.

But Seungcheol being… well himself, he was mesmerized. He was for sure going to struggle to keep his hands off you, especially at Jeonghan’s party. As much as he was willing to risk it all for you, he didn’t want to make you uncomfortable so he kept it to himself.

“Let’s go then.”

…

The car ride was comfortable, nothing different from the ordinary.

Well, maybe a little different.

From the corner of your eye, you could see Seungcheol looking at you at times. It was easy to guess what he was thinking about… but you were literally two minutes away from Jeonghan’s place!

And they would know.

You took a deep breath.

“Don't even think about it.”

“What?” Seungcheol tried playing it off, even though he knew he had been caught. Even his voice raised a few octaves.

“We can’t! Not now at least…” As much as you tried hiding your pout, you couldn’t.

Of course, you wanted to fuck Seungcheol but with how rough he got… you knew you would get your makeup all messed up and that was something you did not want to deal with at the moment.

“Well… can I get a kiss before we head inside?” He gave you puppy eyes after putting the car in park.

God was he annoying. It annoyed you that his tricks always worked on you. But before you could say anything he was already leaning over the console, fluttering his stupidly long eyelashes with his lips puckered. He knew he looked stupid but teasing you was his favorite thing to do.

Without a second thought, you leaned in to give him a light peck. That should be good enough to hold him off for the next few hours right? Nope. Just before you were finished pulling away, his hand swiftly pulled you back to his lips. You couldn’t stop yourself from following his lead, especially when his hand was keeping your head steady.

Before it could escalate to something more, you felt your phone vibrate. Finally, pulling away while ignoring Cheol’s pleas, you went to check who had texted you.

Ugh.

It was Jeonghan, asking why you weren’t there yet.

“We can continue this later Cheol. Jeonghan’s asking me where we are.” You spoke softly, you knew how sulky Seungcheol would get if he didn’t get what he wanted, but it had to be done.

But fortunately, that was enough to convince him to hold off on his desires. And so he finally stepped out of the car, but only after telling you to not move an inch.

After he opened the door for you, you both began to walk to Jeonghan’s place. It was a nice walk to his place. It would have been even more nice had Seungcheol not tried holding your hand. Was he trying to give you a heart attack? Seriously, everything he did made it feel like he was your boyfriend… which he was not. It really didn’t help your blossoming feelings for him either, it was like he was purposely adding fuel to the fire. But you knew there was nothing behind his gestures, he’s been like this even before you started hooking up.

“C’mon… my hands are cold without yours!” God was he annoying. He was a living embodiment of the pleading emoji, always finding a way to use his puppy eyes to his advantage. But you loved to indulge him every single time.

You rolled your eyes, “What about your other hand? If I only hold this one, then the other one will stay cold.”

“The other hand is connected to the other, so once you hold my hand they both get warmed up.” Seungcheol countered all smug as if that didn’t sound like the dumbest thing he’s ever said.

“I don’t think it works like that-”

“You guys took forever!” Jeonghan said while looking at both you and Seungcheol. You immediately ripped your hand away from Cheol’s.

Jeonghan’s eyes were carrying an entertained look to them, you hope he didn’t see the whole thing between you and Seungcheol. That would be really hard to explain.

But before you could think anything of it, the sound of your favorite voice (besides Cheol's) had gotten your attention.

“y/n~ there's a special surprise waiting for you in the kitchen!” Soonyoung had yelled out behind Jeonghan.

“And… that's my cue!” You immediately sped off towards the kitchen. Tonight was all about having fun and you were going to take advantage of it. Head empty, no thoughts. That is what you were striving for.

Now Seungcheol and Jeonghan were left alone.

“So… you and y/n? Finally?” Jeonghan prodded after your swift departure. He has been waiting for the day that you and Seungcheol finally got together.

“No… not yet at least,” Seungcheol said with a sigh. Even when he didn’t mean to get all sulky, it always happened. It was like second nature to him.

Jeonghan raised his eyebrow to this. While it was amusing to see both of his friends be blind to the other’s feelings, it was just as frustrating. For the past few years, he witnessed how stupid people could truly be. How was it possible that you and Seungcheol were not aware of each other’s feelings? Anybody could see it clear as day. But he couldn’t do anything about it, since at the end of the day, it was not his place to get involved. So with a loud, disappointed sigh, Jeonghan patted Seungcheol’s back. All he could really do was provide advice and comfort.

“Just tell her man, I am more than sure that she will return your feelings.”

Seungcheol groaned at the thought.

“I will but I still need to find the perfect-”

“Time, yes I know that. You’ve been saying that for years now.” Jeonghan was displeased. “But what if y/n begins to think that she’s wasting her time with you? What happens then?”

Seungcheol really wanted to fire back but he couldn’t find anything to say.

And just like that, Jeonghan went inside, leaving Seungcheol outside in the cold.

Jeonghan's 'party' was quite small in reality. It was really just the guys with some of their significant others, nothing crazy.

Well.

Except for Soonyoung and his drinking.

You weren't known to be a heavy drinker but when it came to special occasions, your friends knew you could get down.

Luckily for them, today had been quite stressful in terms of work. So after a few pleas from Soonyoung and Seokmin, you indulged in a few shots. After all, a little never hurt... right?

Wrong.

Needless to say, you got wasted within a matter of hours.

It wasn't your fault though! The games Soonyoung came up with were really entertaining, you just couldn't help yourself.

The burn of the alcohol didn't phase you as much after your fourth shot. The aftertaste was still disgusting of course, but nothing a chaser couldn't fix.

Soonyoung, being the lightweight that he is, was already nearing the edge of blacking out. And Seokmin... you didn't know where he went to. Maybe the bathroom? Well, he was for sure in the house, you'll find him sooner or later.

God, your eyes were beginning to feel heavy and it didn't help that everything was starting to look blurry as well.

You decided to stand up and walk off the sudden drowsiness, that usually helped you wake up a bit. Instead, you felt a sudden rush go straight to your head, which threw you off balance.

Maybe you should-

“…And I think we’re done with the drinks,” Seungcheol said as he magically appeared behind you, taking the empty cup in your hand and throwing it away.

His free hand snaked its way down to your waist. "Feeling good? Need some water love?"

If you were in the right state of mind, you would be definitely thinking about how intimate this would look to the others.

But all you could think about was how his hand was leaving a warm, tingly feeling on your waist. The way his touch was firm yet gentle at the same time.

You were so focused on his touch that you forgot to answer the question he had originally asked you.

He leaned his head further into your neck, "I'll take that as a yes... did you want to head out?"

It was nearing ten o'clock, which should be considered a reasonable time to leave.

"Hmmm... I guess so."

The idea of climbing into bed and just dozing off was so tempting. Unfortunately, you had to wait which was the worst part of it all.

Before you could continue thinking about how comfortable your bed was, you felt something cold press against your cheek.

You shrieked at the feeling.

“Why would you do that?” You yelled out in surprise.

Turning around to look at Seungcheol, you couldn’t help but freeze. His gaze sent you shivers, or maybe it was because of the water bottle still pressed to your cheek. Either way, you were rendered speechless.

“You need to drink your water that’s why.” His tone was innocent but the smile that accompanied it was quiet… mischievous.

“…and maybe because you ignored me today. ”

There it was. He always found a reason to pout and sulk to you.

So you did as you were told and drank from the bottle. It did help wake you up a little bit but you were still far from sober.

"Let's say goodbye to everyone now." He took your hand and intertwined his fingers with yours. This action alone making your body burn up.

You don't remember too much after that, only slurring out your goodbyes to your friends.

It had only been a few minutes since the two of you had arrived at his apartment. He decided it would be better in your case since his place was closer to Jeonghan's compared to yours.

“Since when did you have these products?” You stared in drunken awe, most of your skincare products were in his bathroom.

Shit. He hopes you don't think he's a complete freak. He bought your skincare products for the nights that you would spend at his place. He just wanted to make you feel at home with him. (And maybe this was his way of convincing you to stay the night with him since you had everything you needed…)

“Um… just figured it would be more convenient for you…” he prayed that you would think it was a kind gesture rather than him being a weirdo.

You took a second to respond, admiring how thoughtful he was when it came to making you feel comfortable.

“It's cute, I'm honestly more surprised you were able to get some of these products, some of them are exclusively online...” your eyes flitted to look at his. "Although, I don't think I'm capable of doing my whole routine right now." It was true, you were barely able to stand, imagine trying to do your skincare like this…

“I can do it for you,” he chipped in immediately after.

This filled you with that warm feeling you were now getting accustomed to. What was he doing to your heart?

He tapped the toilet lid, waiting for you to sit so he could begin his work. You knew it was pointless trying to stop him, once he had his mind set on something he wouldn’t let anything get in his way from completing it.

“Not yet. I still have to brush my teeth first.” And maybe this was your time to calm down before he eventually caressed your face for ten minutes straight.

Seungcheol took advantage of the little time you gave him and got changed into something comfortable. He also pulled out some more loose-fitting clothes since he knew you liked wearing baggier clothes to lounge around in. He wondered if it would be too ridiculous if he put them in the dryer to warm them up for you. It shouldn’t be, right?

"Are you sure you want to do this?" You asked apprehensively.

"Of course." He said without a second thought.

"Anything for you, remember?" His eyes were filled with something, some would say love but you didn't want to get too ahead of yourself.

He started to warm up the oil cleanser in between his hands. Then he gently applied the oil to your face, rubbing it in slow circles as to not irritate your face.

It was at times like this that made you worry if your arrangement was a bad idea. Sometimes you wish you would have just confessed to him instead of jumping straight into bed with him. Maybe things would have turned out differently had you done so.

Unwanted tears began pooling in your eyes. Why were these thoughts eating you up all of a sudden?

Seungcheol was quick to notice the tears.

"Did I get it in your eyes? I'm so sorry-"

“Cheol… I don’t think I can continue with- whatever this is,” you hiccuped, “i-it's just too much for me.”

His heart dropped.

What do you mean stop? He thought everything was going great, he was even planning on officially asking you out tomorrow.

“Why? I mean if that's how you really feel then we can stop, but at least tell me why, love.” Though his tone was understanding you could still see the concern in his eyes.

“I don't know... I just feel so conflicted. Like the way you treat me makes me want more with you but I know that's probably not what you want.” It felt as if a huge weight had been taken off of your shoulders. He’s right, you can't just end the arrangement without telling him why.

Continuing, “I just can't help it, I really like you but I know this is just casual for you and I would hate to put you in an uncomfortable position.” You ignored meeting his eyes, knowing you would cry even more if you saw the way he was looking at you right now.

On the other hand, Seungcheol was stunned, to say the least. But he was also relieved to hear the reason you wanted to end things was because you liked him but now he had to stop you from crying. He needed to let you know that he liked you just as much if not even more.

He was usually good with words but he didn’t really know what to say… so he hugged you instead. Hug was actually an understatement. His whole body tightly engulfed yours. He didn’t want to let you go at all.

“Cheol…?”

You tried wiggling out of his grasp but there was no point in trying, he had a very tight hold on you.

“You actually had me worried there for a second, I thought I actually did something wrong.”

Oh.

He cupped your face, which, by the way, was still oily because of the makeup remover.

"I was planning on asking you out tomorrow," he let out a soft laugh, "but I guess you beat me to it." He pressed a light peck to your lips.

“Wait, so does that mean…” okay that sounds dumb. But in true fashion, you had to ask him if he really meant it (even if he just confessed to you).

He laughs at your confusion but nods nonetheless.

"I'm sorry I made you feel that way though," he says wholeheartedly, "I actually wanted to avoid making you feel like I was only using you."

Before you could think of anything to say his hands returned their motions on your face.

"We should finish cleaning you up before we continue talking about us."

It was quiet but not uncomfortable. Soft giggles from either you or Cheol came and went.

He had finished around ten minutes later.

Your eyes were beginning to get heavy again, the sleepiness slowly creeping over you again.

And again, he noticed this. He was always able to read you.

"We can talk about it tomorrow," his tone was soft. He tried his best to not disturb your sleepy state.

His hand went to the small of your back, lightly guiding you to his bedroom.

Once you climbed onto the bed you fell asleep not even a minute later. Seungcheol quickly followed as soon as he cuddled up against you.

It was calm.

It had been almost an hour since you had woken up. Your head wasn't hurting as bad as you thought it would be. Maybe it was because someone kept making you drink water throughout the night.

Speaking of him, Seungcheol was currently busy with making breakfast, which left you the freedom to lounge around the living room.

Until a certain thought came up.

Well, more like thoughts.

You were recounting last night's events and what still weighed on your mind.

You knew you had confessed to Cheol and that he returned your feelings… but something felt off. It still felt like you needed to tell him something but you couldn’t place your finger on exactly what it was.

“Here,” Cheol had placed the food right next to you. God, it wasn’t even anything special but his food looked so damn good.

Yet you couldn’t bring yourself to eat it.

“Is something wrong?” Seungcheol asked apprehensively, his gaze filled with worry.

You didn’t know where to begin.

Maybe you should tell him about the guy you had hooked up with a while ago, the one that didn’t know where your clit was… that’s a good start right?

Obviously you know you didn’t really do anything wrong but it still weighs heavy on your mind from time to time.

"I need to tell you something, but promise me you won't get mad at me," you pleaded.

He looked at you incredulously, "It can't be that bad."

Taking a deep breath you begin, "I slept with someone else. But, this was before we came up with the arrangement, I think maybe a few days after we..." your voice immediately got stuck in your throat once you caught a glimpse of Cheol.

He was oddly calm. Too calm for your liking.

"Did you like it?" His voice didn't hold any trace of anger but you knew he was bothered by it.

You knew that you had to be cautious with your wording.

"No! I think I was just confused at the time so I experimented ," Your voice was meek. "It didn't mean anything, I promise."

He looked at you briefly. "That's too bad."

Huh?

To your dismay, he stood up and walked away into his bedroom.

You felt frozen in a way, confused about how to handle the situation. But rather than letting it grow into something worse you decided to follow him to his room. Talking it out will for sure help.

As you walked towards his door, you noticed that it had been left wide open.

Was this a setup?

Carefully, you stepped inside his room while searching for him. You were met with the sound of the door slamming shut, and a sudden presence behind your back.

"Cheol-" He turned you towards him, his hold was quite firm; though not to be confused with harsh.

"I'm not mad I promise," he leaned closer to kiss you. While his tone was gentle his kiss was not.

He pulled away for just a second.

"Why be mad when I have you all to myself now?"

Before he could go any further he pulled away again.

"Is this okay?"

Immediately, you nodded to let him continue his ministrations.

He cupped your cheeks once again to kiss you.

After a minute or so, he moved down to your neck. At first, he pressed light pecks but eventually started lingering on certain spots.

"Need to let everyone know that you're mine."

With that, he continued marking your neck, making sure that everyone would be able to see that you were now taken.

And while you loved the feeling of him marking you up, you couldn't help but want more.

"Cheol, please," your breaths were labored.

He hummed into the crook of your neck.

"Can you please just fuck me already?" You were growing needier by the second. Your panties were sticking uncomfortably against your heat.

He scoffed at your sudden urgency.

"I still need to prep you though," he tried reasoning with you, but to no avail, it fell upon deaf ears.

"We can do that any other day Cheol," the thought of having to wait a second longer pained you.

But, if that's how you wanted it... how could he deny you that?

He roughly exhaled before focusing on you again.

"Clothes," he instructed with a tug to your (his) shirt.

He did the same in return. Once you were both done stripping, he pushed you towards his bed so he could begin his work on you.

“Are you sure that you don’t want to get prepped first?” He was lightly tracing his fingers over your inner thighs.

Had it been with anyone else you would for sure need prep but Cheol was always careful with you, you trusted him.

“Yes, god, please just fuck me.” Desperate couldn’t begin to describe how you were feeling at the moment.

With that final confirmation, he began to work. While he knew you didn't want to be prepped he still wanted to work you up a bit. Gently, he grabbed a hold of your thighs and started spreading them apart.

He trailed soft kisses at an excruciatingly slow rate. But eventually, he landed on your core. He peppered it with another round of kisses, the pressure varying between each kiss.

After a minute or so he pulled away and slotted himself right in between your legs.

Holding his cock in his hand, he stroked it twice and then ran the tip up and down your slit. No matter how many times you fuck Seungcheol, you will never get used to the initial sting of his cock. It also doesn’t help that he’s so big.

He slowly nudged the tip towards your entrance. Gradually, he carefully pushed himself deeper inside you, cautious knowing that he hadn’t prepped you. After the first few seconds the feeling went away, leaving you with want. You moved your hips to let him know you wanted more.

"Fuck," you manage.

"Can't take me?" He almost pulls out fully before snapping his cock into you again.

You hated when he got this cocky, but you couldn't deny that it didn't turn you on even more.

“Shut up,” you tried hiding the pleasure in your voice while he slowly went in and out of you.

He only hummed in response. Soon he became enveloped in you, his thrusts were slowly picking up pace while he held onto you tightly. Your senses were completely invaded by Seungcheol, only being able to think about him.

“I will never get used to how tight you are,” his voice was strained, trying his best to not cum inside you. (because that would be embarrassing, not for you but for him)

All you could do was moan in response.

After a few months of consistent hookups, Seungcheol had learned about your body pretty quickly, from your kinks, to your turn offs… he practically knew your body inside and out.

Which explained how he knew you were on the brink of coming, your walls tightening around him being a common telltale sign.

Usually, he would edge you for a good hour or so, but after last night’s ordeal he just wanted to show you how much you affected him. So with that, Seungcheol lazily brought his free down to your clit and began to rub slow yet firm circles. He knew that playing with your bud would immediately send you over the edge. It also didn’t help that his pace was becoming more erratic, by the looks of it, you would be coming together.

And just like that, after a few more thrusts he felt you begin to spasm underneath him, letting a loud string of moans out during the act. Seungcheol dipped his head towards your lips as he came inside you, making you swallow his groans in the process.

Shortly after, Seungcheol’s body fell completely limp on yours, feeling only pure exhaustion. It felt nice, only being able to feel his heavy body on top of yours… kind of therapeutic in a sense. But unfortunately that didn’t last very long, because after a minute or so, everything began to feel wet and sticky.

As if reading your mind, Seungcheol mumbled out a low, “let’s get cleaned up.”

While you were obviously up for it, the thought of having to stand up at this very moment felt horrible. As he slowly pulled out of you, you couldn’t help but just stay on the bed. This did not go well with Seungcheol.

“Y/n c’mon, we have to get you cleaned up,” he whined while tugging on your arm.

“Just five more minutes, I still can’t feel my legs!” Were you being over dramatic? Yes, but it’s not like he’s not used to it.

“Y/n we have to get ready to go out.” This time he pulled you all the way up, keeping you steady while you regained your balance. You did recall him mentioning going out today but you don’t remember exactly where.

“Really? Where are we going?” The excitement of going out completely masked the feeling of your jelly-like legs.

“Nowhere in specific.” Your smile dropped. What does he mean nowhere? You hated when he turned things into surprises. (Hate is a strong word but you get the idea.)

He shrugged his shoulders, “Just wanted to show my new girlfriend off to the world I guess…”

Ugh. He is so annoying.

“Never say that again, ever.”

Yet, you couldn’t hide the smile slowly creeping up towards your face. Hearing him call you his girlfriend was definitely something you could get used to.

I am so so so sorry for leaving you guys hanging! It was not my intention I swear,, I just kept taking and adding to the fic which is why it got delayed so bad… at least the finale is here right? The last part was not proofread so I’m hoping that it’s legible, hope you enjoy :3

#seventeen #svt #scoups #scoups smut #scoups x reader #seungcheol x reader #svt fanfic #seventeen fanfiction #seventeen fanfic #svt x reader #svt smut #seventeen smut #choi seungcheol #seungcheol smut #seungcheol fluff #luv!writes

[sebscore]

hi ! I love your gen z driver series so much !!

i have a request that she and zhou show up to the padock in the same outfit unplanned

like i feel this would happen - they both fancy showing up in something so different and the other would be wearing the same thing !! <3 fashion icons think the same 😌

THE HELMET BET

pairings: zhou guanyu x driver!reader / f1 grid x driver!reader 

warnings: swearing. based on the 2022 grid. mention of sexism and racism. joke about doing an orgy.

author's note: idk if this is what you had in mind, but I had already written a small part of this fic and then your ask came in and I couldn't help myself. I love zhou so much, ugh thats my man fr. also, thank you for loving the series, it means a lot to me 💞

masterlist

• • • • • • •

''We're gonna get in trouble.'' Zhou said, shaking his head. 

Y/N frowned at his words. ''Why would we get in trouble? It's always super boring and our bet can at least spice it up a little.'' She reasoned, using a lot of hand gestures to show how serious she was. 

''You know those meetings are about our safety, right? We should take them serious.'' The Chinese driver didn't want to get in hot water with the stewards. 

''But this is a serious matter! We're putting an end to the debate,'' she retorted back, not seeing the harm in using the upcoming driver's briefing for their bet, ''lately, I've been seeing way too many people saying you've got better style than me and I've had enough of it.'' 

The female driver had seen the countless online discussions between fans regarding the most stylish driver on the grid, the winner usually switching between herself, Lewis and Zhou. In her opinion, Lewis had the best style, she didn't need to think twice about it. But it is important for her to know who his successor is, who is the number 2? 

To answer that question, she had come up with a brilliant idea: her and Zhou wear their best outfit to the next driver's briefing, not some team merchandising, and they get the other drivers to vote on which outfit is the best and therefore, which person has the best style. The person with the most votes gets to design a helmet for the loser and they have to wear it at the next racing weekend. 

''Okay, I'm in,'' Zhou admitted, shaking hands to commemorate the challenge, ''be prepared to lose, Y/N.'' 

''Don't worry about me, Guanyu.'' 

Y/N was confident in her win. The young woman knows she has style, her several brand deals with high-respected fashion houses being the proof of that. However, she knew not to underestimate her rookie friend, Zhou has had some killer outfits in the ongoing season. 

They had known each other for some years, but it was only this year that the pair had gotten close. Y/N broke the ice by complimenting one of his outfits at the start of the season and the rest was history. 

The outfit she had gone with was simple, but she looked good and she felt great in it. It was inspired by one of Michael Schumacher's paddock outfits (reference), knowing she would at least have Mick and Seb's vote with that one. 

Y/N got out of her car, ready to make her way to the F1 paddock and straight to the driver's briefing. In the corner of her eye she noticed Zhou's car pull up, his performance coach waving at her through the window. She reciprocated the action and decided to wait for him, thinking it would be nice for the two of them to enter together. She was curious as to what her friend would be wearing, secretly hoping he had fumbled the bag really hard. 

Her hopes came crashing down as Zhou got out of the car, observing the clothes he was wearing and noticing one clear detail. 

They were wearing the same outfit. 

Her eyes seemed ready to bulge out of her head, in complete disbelief. ''Are you fucking kidding me, Zhou?'' 

The Chinese man appeared to be much more amused by the situation, covering his laughter with his hand. ''You look very nice, Y/N.'' He giggled, greeting her with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. 

''It's turned into a ''who wears it better'' challenge, what the heck.'' She commented, eyeing him up and down before glancing at her own fit. 

Zhou chuckled. ''Well either way, I'm winning.'' A small smirk appeared on his face, still sure of his win over his friend. Y/N simply scoffed, grabbing her pass from her purse and walking to the entrance. Zhou and his coach followed her steps, still entertained by her annoyance. 

As soon as the paddock reporters noticed the sight of the two drivers, their cameras were whipped out from their bags and they began taking candid shots of the pair. Zhou and Y/N played along for the cameras, pointing at each other's outfits and pretending to look annoyed. 

Eventually they made it to the right room, already seeing most of the drivers waiting inside. Zhou went in and greeted the others, while Y/N waited outside, ready to lock the door as soon as everyone had arrived and was inside. 

Lando had been the last one to walk down the hallway. ''Hurry up, Norris!'' She exclaimed, her hand motioning for him to pick up the pace. 

''Why? I'm on time.'' He replied a bit agitated, it was a bit too early in the morning for him to be scolded by his friend. 

Y/N didn't respond to him, simply pushing him into the room and locking the door, making several drivers look up from where they were sitting or standing. 

''Y/N, what are you doing?'' Sebastian spoke up, curious as to what she was up to this time. 

The young woman urged Zhou to get up from his seat and to stand next to her. The man felt a bit embarrassed, but followed her orders. Y/N stood in the place where their director normally sat when he answered the drivers' questions or listened to their concerns. She placed both her hands on the desk, looking like a teacher that was about to scold her students.

''As we all know, Mr. Hamilton over there is widely accepted as the driver with the best style,'' she pointed at Lewis, who nervously smiled as the other drivers glanced at him, ''but that's not why we are gathered here today! We are gathered here today to decide who his successor is. Who is the most stylish person after Lewis? That's a question that we will settle once and for all, here, now, in this room.'' She finished her monologue. 

''Me and Mr. Guanyu found ourselves in a battle for the title of second most stylish driver of the grid, so I challenged him. We would wear our best outfits today and have our lovely colleagues vote for who had the best one. But as you all can see, me and Mr. Dior over here, are wearing the same exact fit.'' Y/N waved her hand between herself and Zhou. 

''So, instead of you deciding who is wearing the best outfit, you'll be voting for the person you think is wearing the outfit best.'' She concluded. 

The crowd had mixed reactions: some looked confused, some seemed entertained by what Y/N had told them and others appeared to not care. 

Kevin was the first one to speak, getting up from his seat and walking towards the door. ''Y/N, this is not the time to do this, we're here to talk about the race.'' He was about to turn the lock when her voice stopped him. 

''Magnussen, you're being a party pooper- do you want to be a party pooper?'' She looked at him sternly, trying to convince him to sit back down and go along with her antics. ''Don't pretend like you're not secretly enjoying this.'' The Haas driver rolled his eyes, but defeatedly put his arms up and went back to his seat. 

''Alright, we'll go around the room and each person says either my name or Zhou's.'' She explained further, moving in front of the desk. 

Checo's hand went up in the air. ''Can we also pass?'' He asked, looking at Y/N. 

''If you refuse to choose, we will consider it sexist and racist as I am a woman and Zhou's Asian.'' She answered him, garnering chuckles around the room and a nervous-looking Zhou who hoped people took it as a joke, since he didn't want to be making enemies as a rookie. 

Y/N clapped her hands together. ''Okay, we'll start with our party pooper, KMag! Me or Zhou?'' 

''Zhou, since he didn't yell at me and didn't call me a party pooper.'' He chose, making the female driver narrow her eyes at him. ''Alright, 1 for Zhou.'' 

The person sat next to Kevin was his teammate, Mick. ''Schumacher!'' He was about to speak, but the woman interrupted him. ''Before you choose, I took inspiration from one of your dad's outfits.'' Y/N tried influencing his decision. 

''I was gonna choose you anyway.'' He told her, making her jump up as her and Zhou had an equal score. ''Thank you, Mickie.'' She smiled brightly at him. 

''Valtteri?'' 

''I choose Zhou, I'm loyal to my teammate.'' He answered, smiling at the man in question. 

''Lando?'' 

''Zhou, because he doesn't humiliate me in front of the entire internet.'' The McLaren driver said, referring to their regular back-and-forths on social media. 

Y/N rolled her eyes. ''You're such a crybaby, Rumplestiltskin.'' Her words caused Lando to give her the middle finger, but it was all in good fun. 

''Anyway, Daniel?'' 

The Australian pretended to think hard about his answer, looking in-between her and Zhou. ''I'm gonna go with Y/N, cause I'm kinda scared what she'll do to me if I don't choose her.'' His answer got a laugh out of the other drivers, some of them nodding their heads. 

Y/N herself couldn't help but break a smile at Daniel's words, happy her friend had chosen her. ''Okay, next one.'' 

The voting was nearing its end and there was a tie, 9 people had chosen Zhou and 9 others had voted for Y/N. It all came down to one person. 

Sir Lewis Hamilton. 

Despite some of the drivers' dislike for the bet at the beginning of the meeting, everyone had gotten pretty invested. ''The maestro himself has to choose his next prodigy.'' Daniel joked, looking at the 7x world champion. 

Lewis shifted in his seat, not too fond of having the last vote on the matter. ''Can't I just say both of you? The two of you look very good.'' 

''No, mate! You have to choose.'' George argued, the others agreeing with him. 

Y/N was quite sure that Lewis would choose her. She was much closer to him than Zhou and the pair had talked about fashion before, discussing how it was a great way to express yourself. She was already designing Zhou's helmet in her mind. 

''Well, then… I guess Zhou.'' 

Her mouth dropped open, shocked that the senior driver had chosen the rookie over her. She wasn't the only one that seemed surprised by his choice, Seb turned around in his seat and Pierre's eyes had widened, mouthing ''wow''. 

The young man next to her, lightly slapped her arm. ''I'll send the design to your team next week, Y/N.'' He teasingly laughed, a big smirk present on his face. 

''This is a joke, right? I can't be number 3!'' She dramatically stated. 

''Hey! What's wrong with being the number 3?'' Daniel looked up, feigning being offended by her words. 

She was about to give another monologue about betrayal and how men are all the same, but several loud knocks on the door interrupted that from happening. Y/N sighed, but took a few steps to turn the lock. 

Their director didn't look too happy. ''Why was the door locked?'' 

''We were having an orgy.'' She sarcastically answered him, not planning on explaining to him why she had blocked the door from opening. 

''Y/N!'' 

The actual driver's briefing began and soon enough most drivers were already dozing off, some of them even wishing Y/N and Zhou's bet had taken a bit longer. They wouldn't admit it to the young woman, but ever since she'd made her arrival to these briefings, her unserious antics had made them much more bearable. Some drivers had even started looking forward to the meetings, because the girl always had something up her sleeve. 

As soon as the last issue was resolved, the meeting ended and everyone was out the door. When Zhou saw Y/N talking with Mick and Esteban, he swiftly moved next to Lewis. ''Hey, man,'' he patted the Brit's shoulder, ''thanks for that, I really appreciate it.'' 

''No problem,'' Lewis smiled, ''we made a deal, I'm keeping my word.'' 

Zhou nodded. ''Yeah, you vote for me and I let you help me design her helmet.'' He recalled the promise they had made a day earlier. 

''Great! I was thinking we just collect all kinds of embarrassing pictures of her and plaster them all around her helmet…''

''Great! I was thinking we just collect all kinds of embarrassing pictures of her and plaster them all around her helmet…''

''Great! I was thinking we just collect all kinds of embarrassing pictures of her and plaster them all around her helmet…''

#f1 fic #f1 fics #f1 x reader #formula 1 fic #f1 x oc #f1 female driver #female f1 driver #zhou guanyu x reader #zhou guanyu x oc #f1 grid x oc #f1 grid x reader

[alisonsfics]

off limits - part three

pairing: brothersbestfriend!henry cavill x reader

summary: henry was best friends with your brother, theo, which meant despite the clear chemistry between you two, you both had chosen to not date.

word count: 3.7k

warnings: drinking, swearing, some flirting, references to sexual situations

Not talking to Henry for the rest of your vacation was an impossible task. Every time something cool or funny happened, you wanted to text him about it.

Also, your imagination wasn’t helping. Whenever you saw couples on vacation together, you couldn’t help but think about what it would be like to go on a romantic getaway with Henry…

You would go for couples massages and end up hanging out by the poolside bar. After a nice night out at dinner, you’d head back to your room to relax.

You’d both say you were going to watch a movie, but end up zoning the movie out and talking to each other. Henry would mention how he felt kind of awkward at the couples massage. He would jokingly bring up the fact that you both could have given each other massages for free, so you both would naturally try it out.

It would start off with you both not being able to stop giggling, and it would be really silly since neither of you knew what you were doing. It would end up with Henry fucking you into the hotel mattress after you both got a little too turned on. This would then turn into going to a late breakfast the next day after being exhausted from your activities the night before.

It all would have just been so much more simple if you and Henry could be together. When yours and Grace’s plane landed back home, you couldn’t wait to get back to your house and relax. As you both leisurely walked through the busy airport, you couldn’t help but hope that Henry had showed up at the airport.

Let’s get this clear, you knew it was unreasonable, especially since you both were putting so much effort into remaining just friends.

Nonetheless, your hopeless romantic self couldn’t help but hope that Henry had found a way you both could be together and was going to surprise you at the airport in a sweet romantic gesture.

You knew it was stupid to get your hopes up for something that wouldn’t happen, but you couldn’t stop yourself. When Henry wasn’t there waiting for you, you couldn’t help but feel a tad bit disappointed.

Little did you know, he desperately wanted to surprise you at the airport. He had missed talking to you so much, but you both had agreed to not talk to each other for a few days. It had been really hard for you both trying to stay just friends, so you wanted to see if it’d be easier to just not see each other.

He wanted to respect the decision you both made, but at the same time, he wanted to run to you and pull you into his arms.

You finally got home after a long Uber ride with Grace. You unpacked your suitcase and settled in for a night-in.

Theo had invited you to dinner party for tomorrow night, so you picked out your outfit ahead of time. It was just supposed to be some family and friends. You had called Theo to find out if Henry would be there, and he told you that Henry had plans, so you weren’t as nervous for the party.

When it came to the night of the party, you put chose a new red dress you had bought that made you feel really confident. You were determined to have an amazing night and not think about Henry.

You got to the party and knocked on the door. You waited for a minute or two and then Theo answered the door. “Hey, there you are. I was wondering when you were going to get here.” He said, pulling you into a hug.

“Yeah, there was so much traffic on the highway.” You told him as you walked into the house. You saw your mom talking to Sarah in the living room and smiled at them as you walked towards them.

As you walked across the room, you saw the last person you expected to see at this party.

It was Cameron.

Cameron was a guy that you dated in high school, who was coincidentally semi-friends with Theo. Maybe you just had a thing for guys your brother was friends with.

To be fair, Cameron and Theo were only kind of friends. And that didn’t stop you or Cameron from dating. You both had started flirting before you were even aware that he knew your brother. He was in your homeroom class, which is where you met him.

You both started to like other people and decided to break up. It was all mutual, and you remained polite after that when you saw each other at school. The two of you hadn’t seen each other since he graduated. You didn’t even follow each other on social media.

You felt a pit in your stomach seeing him across the room. It wasn’t like either of you disliked each other, but it was sure to be awkward.

You made a beeline for your mom and Sarah, very eager to avoid talking to Cameron for now.

“Hey, how are you guys?” You said, exchanging small talk and hugs with them. You all exchanged some pleasantries. “So, mom did you know Cameron would be here? I didn’t think Theo and him were even friends still.” You whispered.

Sarah decided to fill you in. “Theo and I ran into him at the grocery store because he’s apparently in town visiting some people. So my very extroverted fiancé thought it was only polite to invite him to dinner tonight.” She told you.

“Yeah, that sounds like Theo to me.” You said, giggling at the oddness of the situation. You were definitely glad that you and Theo were on good terms.

“If you’ll excuse me for a second, Cameron and I just made eye contact. So, I’m going to avoid that conversation and head to the bathroom.” You said, and then quickly turned to walk toward the bathroom. It was a little embarrassing that your first response was to run away from your problems, but you didn’t want to have any awkward conversations tonight.

You walked down the hallway that lead to the bathroom, and you could see the bathroom light was on, meaning someone was inside. “Oh, come on.” You mumbled to yourself. You leaned against the wall next to the door, waiting semi-impatiently. You were hoping Cameron wouldn’t look down the hallway and spot you.

“Oh, please hurry up,” you said, moving in front of the door and raising your hand to knock on the door.

Just before your fist could hit the door, the door started to open. You quickly put your hand down to not embarrass yourself. Then, Henry was standing in front of you.

You both froze where you were standing. It was the first time seeing him since the kiss, and you weren’t prepared to see him at all.

“Oh…uh, hi,” you said, at a loss for words. A small smile spread onto his face. “Hi, you look…wow, you look great.” He told you, causing your cheeks to heat up.

“Theo told me you had plans and that you wouldn’t be able to make it tonight.” You told him, explaining why you were so surprised to see him.

“Yeah, my plans got cancelled at the last minute, and plus I couldn’t miss an opportunity to see you, could I?” He told you, softly.

You frowned at him. “Come on, Henry. Stop staying cute stuff like that and making me want to kiss you.” You said, taking a deep breath.

“Would one kiss hurt that bad?” He asked you, slyly. You crossed your arms. “Henry, I’m serious.” You said, turning around and walking back into the living room.

You knew he was only joking, but all the flirting made it so much harder to deal with the fact that you couldn’t date.

You joined Theo and Sarah, where they were talking. “Hey, sis” Theo said, cheerily.

“You didn’t tell me that Henry was going to be able to make it.” You mentioned to him. Theo furrowed his brows in confusion. “I only found out this morning, and I didn’t think you cared. Did something happen with you both?” He asked you.

You quickly shook your head. “No, it’s nothing.” You lied.

“There she is,” you heard someone say behind you. You glanced over your shoulder and saw Cameron. He stood in between you and Theo. “How have you been? You look great.” He told you.

You politely thanked him and made some small talk. The four of you had moved on and were now talking about Theo and Sarah’s first date, and more specifically, how awkward it was.

Henry joined your circle, standing between Theo and Sarah, and gave Theo a small smile. Henry looked more solemn and upset than normal, probably from you storming off.

“I swear, our date was so awkward. I went to kiss her at the end of the date and I completely missed her lips. I thought she’d never talk to me again, and now we’re getting married.” Theo said, laughing as he told the story.

Then, one of your family members came over to grab Theo for a minute.

Cameron decided to keep the conversation going. “I’ve had plenty of awkward first dates. Hell, I’ve had awkward fifth dates. Don’t tell Theo this but like our date down by the lake when we…you know.” Cameron said, glancing over at you. Your eyes went wide, not actually believing he was telling this story.

Henry choked on the sip of his drink he had just taken. “You alright, man?” Cameron asked him, unaware of the situation between the two of you.

“Cameron and I dated in high school.” You said, filling Henry in. He nodded his head, but you could see the jealousy in his eyes. “I’m going to go get some fresh air for a minute.” Henry said, walking away.

“I’m gonna go talk to him and see if he’s okay.” You said, quickly following after him. You walked out the front door and saw Henry sitting on the swinging bench on the porch. He looked absolutely pissed.

“Can I sit?” You asked him. “What do you want?” He said, his eyes shooting daggers at you. That was when you realized he was mad at you.

“I was coming to talk to you. Why are you so upset?” You asked him. He just laughed and looked at the ground. He stood up to face you. “Do you remember when you called me in Hawaii and we talked that night?” He asked you.

“Of course I remember that. I was almost in tears as we talked about how badly we wished we could be together.” You told him, confused as to what he was thinking.

“Did you mean any of it?” He asked, and you could hear the hurt in his voice. His question broke your heart. “What the hell are you trying to accuse me of?” You asked.

“I told you how hard all of this was for me, and I thought you felt the same way. I felt bad for pushing the kiss joke earlier, but then I find out the only reason you didn’t want me to make the joke was because you were here with your ex-boyfriend as your date.” He told you, “I just can’t believe I thought we both felt the same way about each other.”

“No no no, Henry that’s not what happened.” You said, reaching forward to grab his hand.

“Then what did happen?” He asked.

“Cameron is just friends with Theo. That’s why he’s here. I promise, he’s not my date. When I ran into you in the hallway, I was avoiding having to talk to him. I promise, it’s not like that.” You said, taking another step forward to see if he’d back up.

He didn’t.

He let his hands cup your face and then leaned forward resting his forehead against yours. “I really want to believe you. I want to believe that all of this between us isn’t just in my head.” He told you, honestly.

“Then, believe me. I know how hard all of this has been. It's been making me second guess everything too, but you can trust me.” You said, softly. You both heard the front door open, and you jumped apart from each other.

“Hey, there you guys are.” Theo said, smiling once he saw you both. You both smiled back. “Hey, Theo. I was just helping Henry look for his phone in his car.” You quickly lied.

“Oh, okay. Dinner is ready. Oh, but Henry, I want to come show you something.” He said, beckoning Henry will his hand.

After they both left, you felt like you still didn’t know where you stood with Henry.

You walked into the house and grabbed a seat at the long table next to Sarah. You complimented her food and told her how good it looked.

There was two empty seats across from you both, which is where you assumed Theo and Henry would sit when they came back.

Theo appeared and sat down across from you. You wondered where Henry was, and you were concerned he left after your argument. Then, you felt a hand on your shoulder. You turned around and saw Henry with a drink in his hand. “This is for you,” he said, handing the drink to you.

You gave him a soft smile and thanked him. Then, he went to the other side of the table to sit next to Theo.

Dinner was going great. Sure, Henry was glaring at Cameron every time that he spoke, but other than that, it was fine.

Everybody as the group was engaged in their own side conversations. You were talking with both Theo and Sarah, and technically Henry, but he was being quieter than normal.

“Oh, Henry. That reminds me. Sarah met this new girl the other day at the gym, and we think you’d really like her.” Theo told him. You felt your heart drop.

You couldn’t help but feel massively jealous, which you knew was crazy because whether you liked it or not, Henry wasn’t yours.

“Oh, yeah. Okay.” Henry replied, still not feeling very talkative.

You could now imagine how Henry felt when he thought Cameron was your date.

After dinner, Theo invited everyone to go swimming in the pool outside. Theo’s pool was the best part of the entire house. It even had a little mini-island that you could swim around.

After most of the people had headed outside, you headed to the bathroom to change into a bathing suit.

You had gotten dressed but couldn’t manage to get your bikini straps tied. They just seemed to keep slipping themselves undone.

You thought you heard Sarah walk by the door. You clutched your top to your chest and poked your head into the guest room, where you heard the noise.

You came face to face with Henry. “Oh, sorry. I was looking for Sarah. I didn’t mean to bother you.” You apologized.

“You don’t have to apologize, but are you okay? Do you need something?” He asked you.

You shook your head. “I was just going to ask Sarah to tie my bathing suit, but I know you’re mad at me, so don’t worry about it.

He sighs to himself while staring into your eyes. “C’mere,” he says, softly.

You walk over towards him and turned around. You felt one of his warm hands press up against your back. You were sure that he saw the goosebumps that jumped up on your skin when he touched you.

He slowly took the strings and tied them together. His hands lingered on your back, sliding down to land on your hips.

You could feel his breath on your neck as he held you close in front of him. “You know, I’m not mad at you,” he whispered. You noticed you were holding your breath as he whispered into your ear.

“You seemed pretty mad earlier.” You replied, you both still weren’t facing each other.

“I was just pissed at that asshole, Cameron. I shouldn’t have yelled at you or said I didn’t believe you.” He said, practically growling when he said Cameron’s name. You could sense just how jealous he was.

You both couldn’t deny how good it felt to be so close to each other. He loved having his hands on you, and both of you had fully blocked out the voice of reason in your head that normally would have stopped you.

“You know, he’s not an asshole. I mean, he’s not you, but he’s not that bad.” You said. You could feel his grip on your hips tighten. “Really? Then why did he…nevermind.” He said, cutting himself off.

You smirked to yourself. You turned around so you were facing him. He let his arms fully wrap around your waist. “I think I know why you really hate him.” You said, smirking. He cocked his head to the side, curious to what your answer was.

“I think you’re jealous that he’s fucked me and you can’t.” You whispered. There was silence in the room.

“I know we shouldn’t, but I really want to fucking kiss you right now.” He said, softly. It pained you to lean away from Henry. All you wanted to do was lean in and kiss him, but you knew that you would hate yourself in the morning. "We really shouldn't, Hen," you told him, taking a step back.

"Oh, come on. The nickname? You know exactly what you're doing to me, sweetheart." He said, his eyes staring into yours. You felt your insides turn to jelly as he called you sweetheart. "Okay, fair point with the nickname. So, we agree no nicknames? Because I don't think I'll be able to keep my hands off you if you call me sweetheart one more time." You told him, practically melting from the way he was looking at you.

"Really? That's all I have to say? Don't tempt me," he teased you, causing you to cross your arms.

"C'mon, let's go out to the pool." You said, grabbing his wrist and pulling him behind you. Not many people could just pull Henry Cavill wherever they wanted. He was 6'1" and just under 200 pounds of pure muscle, but he was so infatuated with you, he'd go wherever you told him to. He was completely wrapped around your finger.

You both joined everyone by the pool. You were trying to spend some time with Theo, mostly to distract yourself from the glorious sight that was Henry. He was shirtless and was currently dripping water after dunking himself in the pool. You felt an arm wrap around your shoulders as you were talking to your brother. You turned, expecting to see Henry, but instead were face-to-face with Cameron. You could tell just from his breath that he was drunk.

"We're not doing this," you said, removing his arm from you. "But, you're so beautiful, and I have missed you so much." He slurred his words.

You took a step back from him as he tried to grab you again. "Alright, come on, man. I'm gonna bring you inside," Theo said, bringing Cameron in the house and away from you. You turned around to watch as they left and made eye contact with Henry, who was lying down on a lounge chair.

You tried to distract yourself from your immediate reaction, which was how easy it would be to go sit in his lap and kiss him. You walked over to him, giving him a soft smile. "Hey, you," he said, sitting up so that you could sit down next to him. You leaned your head against his shoulder and groaned. "Something wrong?" He asked you, nudging your leg with his own.

"Well my ex-boyfriend is very drunk and trying to get back together with me, so there's that." You ranted, running your hand through your hair. He frowned in response, patting your pack comfortingly even though his blood was boiling. "I'm sorry," he told you softly.

You shook your head. "It's okay. I'm probably gonna head home and hope that I never have to see Cameron again." You told him. He stood up and grabbed your hands, pulling you to your feet. "I'll walk you out," he told you.

You both walked inside, and you quickly went to the bathroom to change out of your bathing suit. When you came out, you noticed that Henry had done the same. You both headed towards the front door, with Henry obviously opening the door for you. When you got to your car, you saw that your tire had a parking boot on it.

You stopped dead in your tracks. "Are you fucking kidding me?" you said, grabbing the ticket off your windshield.

"They put a boot on my car, and it says they'll only come between 9 and 5 to remove it. How am I supposed to get home?" You complained. You ran your hand through your hair, letting out an exasperated sigh. Henry pulled you into a hug. "Hey, don't worry about it. I will give you a ride, and then I can bring you back tomorrow. It'll be fine." he told you.

He grabbed your hand and guided you towards his car. "Hey, you look stressed. It's all good, I promise. No more stress." He said, brushing a piece of your hair behind your ear before opening your door for you.

"Thank you," you said, pulling him into a hug. He ran his hand up and down your back, comforting you. "How about you come over to my apartment tonight and we can hang out? Not for anything like that, just to spend some time together." He suggested. You pulled away from him for a second, staring into his eyes. "You promise to not use any pet names? We both know that would be disastrous for us." You said, knowing it would just take him calling you sweetheart once for you both to end up in bed.

"I promise," he told you. While he kept that promise, it would definitely be a night you would remember forever.

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#henry cavill #henry cavill x reader #henry cavill fic #henry cavill imagine #henry cavill fanfiction #henry cavill fanfic #henry cavill series #henry cavill x you

[cupidjyu]

kiss me, sweetheart

hyunjae x reader (request, anon you are so sexy for requesting this i love you)

genre: JEALOUS HYUNJAE. best friends to lovers, college au but barely mentioned, kissing, feelings realization, pining, like minimal angst, i think u guys makeout tbh, getting together, flirting, he calls you "sweetheart” notes: welcome to the new era of yumi finally using caps on tumblr! let me know how you like it :) i'm sorry to the people who prefer the lowercase, but this is my blog hehe word count: 3.9k (i definitely went overboard with this fic oops)

“If you don’t hurry up, I will die of starvation,” You heard a voice call out from behind. 

You turned around and your first thought was to smack Hyunjae straight in the chest with the bag that you were currently shopping at the bookstore with. And so, you did. Unfortunately, though, you forgot that it was made of an incredibly hard, plastic-y material so it made a loud “bong” against his body.

“That’s going to leave a bruise.”

“Oops,” You winced. But after, you simply shrugged. “That’s what you get for rushing me though.”

“It’s been like thirty minutes,” He whined. “You promised that we would try the waffle place on the next block. And you know how huge this campus is.”

You pouted as you stared at the many unexplored aisles of the store before groaning, “Fine. You’re lucky that we’re best friends or else I would be punching you so hard right now.”

“You can definitely try, sweetheart,” He smirked. You scowled, knowing just how much he loved to call you by that name. In a platonic way, of course. 

Everything about the two of you was platonic. You two were like peas in a pod who met way back in middle school and have done everything together all the way up until university. You’ve watched each other’s achievements and been through hardships together. Going through breakups, getting rejected, failing driver tests, throwing up from being drunk, you’ve done it all… together.

Now, you were walking with Hyunjae down the sidewalk when suddenly you heard a yelp from him. You turned and you were met with the sight of someone tackling your best friend from the back. 

“Are you just going to ignore me or what?” The other man hollered in his ear. “Don’t tell me you’re too embarrassed to see your dear football teammate in public. You’re the captain of the team too!”

Hyunjae pried him off, completely out of breath. “Sunwoo.”

“Yes, cap’n?”

“Don’t bother me again, especially when I’m with someone right now,” He gestured to you. 

Sunwoo turned to you with realization, “Oh. So you’re Y/n? Captain’s best friend?”

You nodded, smiling politely. “I think I’ve heard much about you, Sunwoo.”

“Good things, I hope?”

You cringed, “No, not really.” Sunwoo shot a glare at Hyunjae at that. After, he bluntly pushed himself into the space between you and your best friend. He swung an arm around Hyunjae’s waist and the other arm around your shoulders, suddenly bringing you all closer to the center.

He let out a sigh. “Nothing better than spending time with loved ones, am I right?” He joked with a glint in his eye.

Hyunjae sighed, his eye twitching with annoyance, “You weren’t even invited.”

Sunwoo scowled, “Shush. Y/n won’t mind, right?”

Hyunjae knew that you were too nice to say no so he practically gave up. You offer a simple, “Mhm!” as you gave him an awkward smile. You made eye contact with Hyunjae, who had rolled his eyes at Sunwoo with an obvious pout. You giggled.

Sunwoo shifted closer, “Did you buy anything? Or, better question, did Hyunjae pay?”

“No, since someone wanted to rush me,” You huffed. “And do you really think he’s the type to pay? He loves saving his money for himself.” You laughed to yourself, knowing this would definitely get him worked up.

As expected, Hyunjae gasped in betrayal. He was about to protest but that was when his eyes zeroed in on how Sunwoo’s arm was wound tightly around your body, his hand resting warmly on your shoulder. He paused, a tight feeling growing in a deep pit of his stomach. 

He was unsure of what it is.

For some reason, he didn’t have the urge to talk anymore. He just quietly watched as Sunwoo leaned closer and closer, smiling his very charming smile. He even let go of Hyunjae, instead only turning his attention to you, making you laugh and smile.

Hyunjae felt his eyebrows furrow when Sunwoo approached even closer to your face, just mere inches from your lips. He knew that Sunwoo loved to flirt. It was part of his personality. But something about when he does it with you… is different. At that moment, something just took over him, as he used all of his football-playing strength to suddenly grab Sunwoo by the back of his collar and drag him back to his side, slightly choking him in the process.

“Ow– what was that for?” Sunwoo pouted, rubbing his neck.

“You’re being obnoxious.”

“How so?” 

Now, Hyunjae was at a loss for words. Why was he so annoyed? Why did he feel like he could just punch something at that moment?

“I– I don’t know. But just lay off…”

Sunwoo stared at him funnily before shrugging. The tension was interrupted when they heard your gasp from far away.

“This is so cute!” You excitedly pointed at a plushie displayed in a nearby store. You quickly abandoned the two men and went to find it. 

The two of them were now left together, just standing there awkwardly with no idea what to do. It was incredibly quiet, not a word spoken. Usually, they talk a lot, since they’re on the same team and have mutual friends. But now, Hyunjae feels sour, a grudge forming against his fellow teammate. Finally, Sunwoo broke the ice.

“Hey, cap.” He nudged his shoulder.

“Yeah?”

“Y/n’s cute,” Sunwoo smiled. “Are they dating anyone right now?”

Hyunjae froze. “No, I don’t think so, or else they would have told me.”

“Hm,” Sunwoo seemed deep in thought. “Okay! I’ll see you guys later then. Or preferably, I’ll see Y/n later.” He had the audacity to wink after.

Hyunjae stared after him, unsure of what to feel. But, he quickly shook off the burning feeling. It’s probably a stomachache. 

-

That night, Hyunjae went to sleep fairly early since he had a morning class the next day. He did his usual routine of scrolling through social media and setting up his bed. From the long hours of walking with you by his side, he already began to feel drowsy. And so, as soon as his head hit the pillow, he fell asleep.

Hyunjae isn’t the type of person to dream a lot. Or, at least, he doesn’t remember them. But on that particular night, he dreamed.

He dreamed of you.

His brain was quite accurate when it came to creating an image of you. Your eyes, your hair, it got it all down perfectly. He was sure it was you. He could recognize the slope of your nose, your cheeks, and your pretty lips. Wait– pretty? Since when did he think that?

Though what really bothered him, was that the dream with you wasn’t a typical best friend dream. It wasn’t a day at the amusement park or the movie nights that he usually had with you. His dream was more of a love story.

And it wasn’t a love story with you and him as the main characters. It was you and Sunwoo.

He seemed to play no part in this love story, just completely invisible as if he was the reader of a book. He also was conveniently placed outside the balcony of your apartment. He winced, kind of creepy, he knows. But besides the point, he’s invisible! He was frozen on the spot as he watched you sit down with Sunwoo on the couch. His fellow teammate was smiling at you, and again, he wound his arm around you. But this time, he started cuddling you. You nuzzled your cheek into his chest as he leaned his chin on the top of your head with a satisfied smile. 

“I missed you,” He heard you say to him, making him want to revolt for some odd reason.

“Missed you too, baby.”

Hyunjae wanted to cover his eyes and fall to the floor at that moment.

But what really shocked Hyunjae, was that he later leaned in and kissed you. Not on the cheek, but right on the lips. Hyunjae couldn’t move, since he had no control over his body. He could just watch, as your lips moved in unison, deepening it until it turned into a bit of a makeout, Sunwoo’s hands all over your body. 

Hyunjae woke up moments later, in a sweat. He looked down at his shaky hands. 

He had just dreamed of you kissing his friend and he hated it.

He loathed it so much and he has no idea why.

-

“Are you okay?” Juyeon, his other dear teammate, appeared by his side the next morning handing him a bottle of water. Hyunjae took it without a smile.

“I’m great, why?”

“You seem out of it,” The younger shrugged.

Hyunjae sighed, looking down at the ground. He just couldn’t seem to get it out of his head. The way you kissed Sunwoo with so much passion in his dream, the way your hands roamed over his chest, and the way your eyes were dazed. He hated how it made him feel. He couldn’t even figure out what he was feeling.

Juyeon was about to walk away when Hyunjae decided to ask for advice.

“Wait, Juyeon,” He called out.

“Hm?”

“I need to ask you something… for a friend,” He looked away sheepishly.

“What is it?”

“I’ll give you a scenario,” He started. “If a person dreams of his best friend kissing someone else and it makes him feel horrible inside, what does it mean?”

Juyeon shrugged, “Depends. Maybe you don’t like the person that they’re kissing?”

“No, no, Sunwoo is a perfectly decent person,” Hyunjae shook his head. Then he froze, his eyes widening. “I– I shouldn’t have said his name. And how did you know I was talking about myself?”

Juyeon smirked, “I know you well enough. Then, it must mean that you don’t approve of your best friend kissing him because they should be kissing someone else.”

Hyunjae furrowed his eyebrows, completely lost, “What, so you’re saying that I think that my best friend can’t kiss anyone at all?”

“No?” Juyeon shook his head. “I mean that you’d much rather your best friend kiss someone that you want them to.” Juyeon looked at him with a mischievous smile, as if trying to get a certain point across, but Hyunjae doesn’t quite get it yet.

“Who–” He was deep in thought. “Who would I want them to kiss? My teammates? My other friends?”

“None of those.”

Hyunjae groaned in frustration, “Then who else? It’s not like I, myself would want t–” He froze, his body going rigid. Suddenly, his mind rushed back to the dream. He thought of your lips moving against Sunwoo’s and he wondered how they would feel against his own. He wondered if he could hold your waist like Sunwoo had and cup your face, making you blush. He wondered if he could–

“Oh.”

Juyeon was staring at him with amusement, “Got it?”

“I want to kiss my best friend,” He breathed out, in utter disbelief. “I– I have feelings for my best friend? And that time– with Sunwoo. That feeling was jealousy?”

“So you come to your senses,” The younger laughed.

“Juyeon, I’m doomed.”

“You’ll be fine.”

-

Hyunjae later learned just how hard it is to be in love with his best friend. The two of you always spend time together, but lately, it’s been hard to be around you. Every time you would smile, he couldn’t help but admire the way your eyes would close along with it. When you would pout, he would think of kissing you again. When you would laugh, his heart would beat faster. Or, when you would initiate skinship with him, he would feel like he might explode.

“Hey,” You waved in front of his face, startling him out of his thoughts. “Are you there?”

“Hm?” He faked a smile. “Yeah, sorry.”

“Okay…” You eyed him suspiciously. “Anyways, as I was saying, what do you think if I got a boyfriend?”

He blinked, “What?”

You shrugged, smiling shyly to yourself, “Some guy gave me his number the other day, and I–”

“No.”

You frowned, “Why not?”

And Hyunjae so badly just wanted to come clean. He wanted to tell you that he’s in love with you and wants you only to himself. But he couldn’t work up the courage to do so.

“I just think…” He laughed awkwardly. “He isn’t your type.”

You looked at him with curiosity, “You saw him?”

“Yeah,” He lied through his teeth.

“Oh…” You mumbled. “Okay, I guess. Oh, and Hyunjae?”

He looked at you, raising an eyebrow.

“You look handsome today,” You complimented. It was true, he had finally ditched the hoodies he usually wore because of the warmer weather, instead wearing a shirt that accentuated his broad shoulders.

“D-don’t joke around…” He gently shoved you, feeling his ears burn and his heart race. Compliments from you aren’t supposed to affect him so much, but after his revelation… everything’s different with you.

“I’m not!” You giggled. “And did you just stutter?”

“No,” He stubbornly avoided eye contact, in hopes that you wouldn’t see that he was also blushing.

“You did,” You watched in awe. “Who knew that the Hyunjae would be so shy? I like this side of you.”

“I’m not shy,” He mumbled, his cheeks turning redder by the minute.

“Sure,” You rolled your eyes. You leaned closer, batting your eyelashes. “And if I said that you’re cute?”

“I’m not cute!” He whined.

“What about tall?”

“That’s just the truth.”

“Kind?”

“Of course, I would be kind, who do you take me for?” He glared.

You thought for a moment before smiling mischievously. “What about… if I said that you’re pretty?”

He froze, suddenly going quiet. You could see that he was blushing again. 

“Ah,” You smiled. “So you like being called pretty? Pretty, pretty, Hyunjae.”

And suddenly, he reached an arm out and pulled you in by the waist. You yelped, your face almost buried in his chest. You put your hand against it, but you gulped when you realized just how fast his heart was beating and also… how muscular he is.

“H-Hyunjae? What are you doing?” You looked up at him.

And oh, how he hated the way you looked up at him like a puppy. He so badly wanted to kiss the living daylight out of you, but he resisted.

“You can’t keep teasing me, sweetheart,” He tilted his head, his expression serious. “I might just do something stupid.”

You gulped, “...like what?”

He looked at your lips and licked his own. He was about to lean in but that was when he remembered that you might reject him. You were merely his best friend, nothing more. He sighed and pulled away.

“Nothing.”

-

What’s even worse, is avoiding his best friend. He had realized that the more time he spent with you, the more painful it was for him to pretend to just be friends with you. He longed to do more with you. He wanted to hug you, cuddle you, and most importantly, call you his.

“Want to study together?” You would ask.

“Sorry, I have an exam due.”

“Why are we walking so far apart? Get closer!”

“I’m fine like this.”

“Want to go to that concert?”

“I have football practice.”

At first, you simply played it off as one of his pranks. But soon enough, you realized that he was serious. He wouldn’t look you in the eye and his responses to your jokes and stories were dry. Every time you would try to make plans he would reject them, coming up with an excuse.

You were confused, having no idea what to do. You wondered if you did anything wrong. Nonetheless, you felt like there was a hole burned in your heart, knowing that your best friend was avoiding you.

-

Hyunjae sighed as he walked through the park. He often loved walking the trail with you. He liked to listen to your stories and little rants. And yes, he did miss you. It was hard to just reject your offers and it was especially hard not to see your face every day like he used to. He thought that you were beautiful, and not being able to see you all the time made him want to cry.

As he turned the corner, he paused when he heard your voice from a distance. He looked and saw that you were sitting on a bench, your phone against your ear as you talked to someone.

“I just don’t understand what I did wrong,” You spoke, your voice quiet and sad. “I miss being with him.”

He felt his heart sink as he watched you look down at your feet, sniffling.

“Should I talk to him?”

His breath hitched.

-

The day he dreaded came quicker than he had expected. You had texted him, inviting him to your apartment. 

Let’s talk.

Hyunjae took a deep breath and knocked on your door. Almost immediately, it opened to reveal you, a pitiful frown on your face and your eyes dull. You led him to sit on the couch as you faced him, trying to gather your thoughts first. Finally, you spoke.

“Why are you avoiding me?”

“I’m not,” His voice shook.

“You are, don’t lie,” You furrowed your eyebrows. He was quiet for a second, but with the way you were glaring at him, he couldn’t help but give in.

“Fine, maybe I am,” He looked at you with guilt. “But please, you have to understand that I can’t spend time with you anymore.”

“Why?” You cried. “What did I do wrong? Is it me? You can tell me if I did something to upset you, please, I promise that I will make it right.”

“It’s not you, please don’t blame yourself,” He clenched his jaw, his feelings threatening to pour out. He hated seeing you hurt.

“Then tell me what happened.” 

You spoke with so much kindness and care, making him feel even more regretful. You should be mad at him, but instead, you were taking care of him. Then, you took his hand in yours. His eyes widened as he looked at you with bewilderment.

“What are you–”

And then you pressed a kiss to the back of his hand. Hyunjae felt his heart stutter as you looked up at him. You intertwined your fingers together as your other hand came up to cup his jaw to make him face you and look you in the eye. He gulped, his eyes going soft.

“Hyunjae… I know there’s something wrong. Please, let me help,” You whispered, caressing his cheek with your thumb, watching as his skin started to tinge with red. He stared at you, feeling like he might choke on his words. You just smiled, softly, trying to convey to him that it was okay. It’s okay now that you’re here. 

His heart felt like it was pouring with emotions. 

“Please, stop this, sweetheart,” He pleaded, his eyes never leaving yours. His hands were clenched in fists at his side, his heart beating way too fast. He couldn’t handle how you were touching him and treating him with so much love.

“Why should I?” You dared to look him in the eye. 

His vision kept on wandering to your lips.

“Because I might do something stupid.” He whispered, his voice wavering.

You stared at him, tightening your hold on his hand. You took a deep breath, feeling nervous all of a sudden. He wouldn’t stop looking at you with an unreadable expression, something completely different than before.

And almost like you were out of breath, you spoke again, your voice barely able to be heard.

“Like what?”

You gasped when you suddenly felt a pair of lips on yours. You were frozen, trying to process the situation. Hyunjae quickly noticed and he pulled away, his eyes immediately filling with regret.

“I– I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have–”

“No.”

You took his arm and pulled him back against you. He stared at you, his eyes wide.

“Oh, this is…” He whispered in utter shock.

“Kiss me.”

His eyes immediately closed when you pressed your lips against his. And soon, the two of you began to relax in each other’s hold, your arms going around his neck as his hands came to hold your waist gently. He pulled you even closer, making you gasp. His tongue swiped against your lip as he deepened the kiss, tilting his head for a better angle. You felt dizzy as you tried to keep up with him. His hands roamed all over your sides, making you shiver as your hands rested against his chest.

At some point, you began to run out of air with how aggressively he was kissing. You tapped his arm, causing him to pull away, his lips swollen and red as he gasped for breath. 

He searched your eyes to make sure you were okay before he smiled.

“So, sweetheart…” He started, smirking with affection in his eyes.

“Please, don’t,” You covered your face with your hands, slowly turning red.

“Tell me what that was about?” He wiggled his eyebrows.

“Shut up,” You whined. “You’re the one who kissed first!”

“You’re right about that,” He admitted. And then he looked at you with sincerity. “I’m sorry for avoiding you. I just… I think that I’m in love with you.”

Your breath hitched.

“That is quite the switch-up,” You giggled. “Last week you were insulting me.”

He looked away, blushing furiously.

“I’m still sorry.”

You shook your head, “It’s okay. I may be in love with you too…” You trailed off.

He looked up and his lips curled up happily, “Really?”

You nodded, “I never realized, but now I know. You’re a– a great kisser.” You suddenly felt embarrassed so you stood up and turned away from him to hide your face.

“Don’t be like that now, sweetheart,” He got up and wound his arms around your waist from behind. His nose met with your neck, making you shiver. “Let me see you.”

Hesitantly, you turned to face him. But, he was looking at you so, so fondly that you couldn’t help but shy away again, looking off to the side.

“Sweetheart,” He cupped your cheek with one hand, the other hand still resting on your waist. “I said look at me.”

This time, when you did, he leaned in, kissing you again. He pressed peck after peck, all over your face, making you whine. And then he went back to your lips, kissing more passionately as if he was addicted to you. Which, he is.

“Only kiss me from now on,” He whispered in between kisses. His mind flashed back to his dream from way earlier. He furrowed his eyebrows, groaning as he hated that dream so much. “Noone else. You can only kiss me, okay? Especially not Sunwoo.”

You stared at him wordlessly with amusement.

He looked at you with confusion, “What?”

“Nothing, you’re just cute when you’re jealous.”

He huffed, “Because I like–no, I love you sweetheart.”

You grinned, your cheeks flushing, “I love that name so much.”

“Sweetheart,” He sang in your ear, making you laugh loudly. “Now please,” He looked at you pleadingly, as he led you to the couch and pinned you against it. His hair fell over his face and his eyes darkened. “Kiss me like you mean it.”

“Needy.”

#the boyz reactions #the boyz imagines #the boyz fluff #tbz fluff #tbz imagines #the boyz x reader #the boyz scenarios #hyunjae fluff #hyunjae x reader #fics 💞 #requests 💞

[marlynnofmany]

Troublemakers and Pestcatchers

I had just finished saying “Don’t let her claw you,” when the cat’s paw connected with the waving head frills of my crewmate.

“Ow, that’s sharp!” Blip exclaimed, pulling her head back to a safe distance while her brother pointed and laughed. I didn’t see any blood, so that was good.

“I did mention the claws,” I said patiently, adjusting my hold on the barely-a-kitten who was intensely fascinated by all the motion in the hallway. I’d brought her out with harness and leash, taking turns acclimating the cats to more than just my room on the ship. So far they were doing well. Only clawing the really tempting stuff.

“You should know better than that!” Blop said, waggling his own fins from a safe distance. He made broad gestures with both arms, filling the space with muscles and flowy blue silks. “Don’t stick your face next to the tiny predator!”

“It didn’t hurt before!” Blip objected. She folded beefy arms in indignance, stepping farther away when this earned another swipe at her sleeve.

I caught the kitten’s paw and gave it a gentle squeeze. “The claws only stick out when they want them to,” I said. “See?”

The Frillian twins crowded close despite everything, and were quietly impressed. I let up on the squeezing but kept hold of the paw. When the twins stepped back, I stroked the kitten and murmured praises for holding still.

This one was my favorite, not that I would admit such a thing when the plans were clear that I had to find homes for all of them soon. I’d made sure to give them simple names for the most part, since their new humans would likely rename them. While the mom cat was Tapestry and the gray one was Mimi (named after our engineer), the others got names like Cloudy, Classy, and Casserole.

This one was Telly. Short for Teleporter Malfunction. Because she was one of the very few chimera cats I’d met in person: her face was a perfect split between orange with a golden eye, and black with a piercing blue eye. The rest of her fur was a fascinating mix of the two. I’d explained the rarity of embryos fusing in the womb to more than one alien crewmate, but none of them seemed to appreciate the striking beauty. All the cats were weird little predators to them.

“Have you found homes for more yet?” Blop asked. “There’s not many humans at this stop, but maybe at the next?”

I nodded. “I called ahead to put the word out to somebody I know, and I may have a taker for a couple at once at the big station. Soon I won’t have to kitten-proof my quarters anymore.”

“Have they fallen on your face while you sleep?” Blip asked with a grin.

“No,” I said, “Because I put a proper shelf there, instead of just the pipes. And more shelves so they can climb up without knocking anything off the wall.”

Blip nodded. “Wise.”

The intercom binged at that point, with the captain calling me specifically to help load up our next cargo. She didn’t specify why, but we all knew. I was the animal expert. This cargo had hooves.

“Have fun!” Blop said.

“Best of luck!” Blip added.

“Thanks,” I said. “C’mon Telly, back to the room with you.” I took my leave and returned the kitten to her family, most of whom were napping on my bed, then I hurried off to the cargo bay.

It was space goats again. Not the exact same ones, thankfully, since those had been masterful escape artists, but only time would tell if these were just as bad.

At least there’s only three of them, I thought as I joined Captain Sunlight and Mur. It sure would be nice if somebody provided their own livestock carrier, though. Mur was holding three leashes in three different tentacles, looking like a particularly grumpy squid while the captain finished signing for the delivery. The space goats ambled in circles, sticking their long necks in every direction and fondling anything within reach with the field of orange tentacles on their backs. It still looked like fur at a glance, even though I knew better. A very confusing glance.

“It’s a pleasure doing business with you,” said Captain Sunlight with a nod of her scaly yellow face. The delivery person, another Heatseeker with green scales, nodded back and took his leave. “Say hi to the family for me!” Captain Sunlight called after him. He waved. She hit the button to shut the cargo hatch.

It was a bit loud in closing, and the three goats immediately sent up a chorus of whining bleats that echoed through the ship.

Captain Sunlight’s tail drooped. “This is going to be a long trip,” she said. “Let’s get them to the pen. Are the vent covers still in place?”

“Oh yes,” Mur said firmly. “Fused the bars myself. And I checked the camera too.”

“Good,” said the captain.

“Here’s to a trip with no shenanigans,” I said. “Do you want me to carry the supplies?” I gestured to the box of food with a red ball that looked like a dog toy on top.

“I’ll handle those.” Mur thrust the leashes toward me. “You take these. I’m tired of being licked.”

I couldn’t argue that. My reach was longer and so were my legs; these beasties were small bundles of trouble. And of course they didn’t want to go. Not when they could do a maypole tangle of leashes around my legs instead.

“Is that an enrichment toy, by any chance?” I asked, stepping over yet another leash.

Captain Sunlight plucked it off the box and held it out to me. Definitely a dog toy. I held all three leashes tightly in one hand long enough to toss it down the hall. “Hey goats! Fetch!”

Tangled leashes or not, they ran for it. I did my best to keep up, with Mur and Captain Sunlight following behind me, trusting that I knew what I was doing.

I was definitely making some of this up as I went, but they didn’t need to know that. Alien creatures or not, these were still animals, and I knew animals. Reasonably well.

The ball rolled to a stop before we reached the right storage hold, and I managed to hold the goats back long enough to elbow the door-opener button, then kick the ball through. They bounced in eagerly, rebounding off three crates and getting more excited by the second.

While two of them were having a hilarious tentacle slapfight over the ball, and the other was chewing on it, I got the door open to the large clear pen that dominated the room. A nudge of the ball with one shoe was enough to get everybody moving into it. Throwing dignity to the winds, I knelt by the door, holding it mostly shut with one knee, but open enough for my arms to fit through and unhook the leashes. The goats bounced in excitement. None tried to climb my face to freedom, and I shut the door in triumph.

“Success!” I announced to Mur, holding the leashes up.

“Well done,” he said. “You get to put those back on when it’s time to offload them.”

“Ugh,” was all I had to say to that.

Mur chuckled as he stowed the box of food in a low cubby. “You know, the nicer models of that pen come with an airlock.”

“And they cost as much as a new set of thrusters,” said Captain Sunlight from the door. “Good thing we’ve got you to stand at the ready with a capture net instead, right?”

Mur sighed. “I look forward to it.”

The rubber ball thwapped against the wall of the pen, followed by tiny hooves. I turned see that these three had picked up the knack of skating across the anti-climb surface even faster than the last ones had. “Quick learners,” I said.

Mur just sighed again.

“I’ll keep an eye on that camera from the cockpit,” said Captain Sunlight. “Be ready to come running if they pry the bars off or something.”

“They will not,” Mur said, jabbing a tentacle in the direction of the goats, as if they were listening instead of enacting an elaborate low-grav roller derby.

“Here’s hoping,” I said. “Are we ready for takeoff?”

“Just about,” said the captain. “I’m going to check in with Kavlae now. We should be in the air soon.”

She left, and we followed, with the goats having a grand old time behind us. Blip and Blop peered through the open door in curiosity.

“That looks like a handful!” said Blip.

“Who spilled food?” asked Blop.

“What?” Mur demanded, spinning in place.

I spotted the pile of food pellets, right next to the bin Mur had just carried in.

Mur scowled. “That wasn’t leaking a minute ago.” He tentacle-walked over to glare down at the offending bin. Then he made a noise that was probably a swear word. It sounded more like a fart to my Earthling ears, but either way, it was rude in polite society.

And when I got close, I saw why. “Those are toothmarks,” I said.

“Toothmarks that appeared while we were standing here,” Mur said, pulling the box out and opening the lid just a crack. Nothing jumped out. He opened it all the way, then shut it and began looking through the cubbies. “Everybody grab a flashlight, and shut the door,” he instructed.

I hit the button while Blip and Blop hurried to a supply cabinet. “Any guess what we’re looking for? Is this station known for pests?”

Before Mur could answer, Blip called, “No, but they are!” She pointed at the space goats.

Learning something every day, I thought. “What kind?” I asked.

“Little fast things the same color as their backwhips.” Blip held her fingers apart for size. Dinky. “Grabbers for holding on, and they’re really good at chewing through stuff.”

“Great,” I said. “Hey, did we not scan these guys on acceptance?”

Mur shoved a crate aside, punctuating his sentences with effort. “No. Old client. Trusted friend. In a hurry. Gonna scan ‘em in the air. Never had a problem before!”

Blop shone a light into a far corner. “Captain’s gonna have strong words for that friend as soon as she hears.”

“Should we tell her now?” I asked.

“There!” shouted Blip, launching herself fist-first across the room to where something zipped along, an orangeish blur. She dealt the floor a mighty hammerblow with bodyslam to follow, but fell just inches shy. The thing scuttled to the door where it wriggled through a tiny gap that I hadn’t realized was there.

Blip pounded the floor again, then scrambled to the button that Mur was already pressing. Judging by the exclamations and lack of further violence, they didn’t see a trace of it out in the hall.

“Now we tell the captain,” Mur said. “I’ll go. Keep the door shut, and look for more.”

I looked back at the goats. “We should get Eggskin’s medscanner in here right away.”

“On it,” Blip said. She exchanged nods with her brother, then shut the door from outside.

Blop tossed me a flashlight. I caught it and started looking near the doorway. “I’m surprised there’s a gap here,” I said. “Did the door shut on something?” It looked slightly warped.

“There’s a long story to that,” Blop said, head in a cabinet. He stepped back and moved on. “But it can be summarized as ‘Pockap.’”

“Ah. Gotcha.” The former captain of this ship was an endless source of grievances even now. He’d probably wanted to run a power cord into the hall or something, and dented the door on purpose.

“There!” Blop yelled, then did a series of angry stomps the led to nothing more than probably some annoying echoes in the engine room. “Where’d it go?”

“I don’t see it,” I said, moving closer and shining my light around. The goats in the pen were bleating in excitement, but a glance showed them just watching us, which wasn’t helpful. “I’m pretty sure there’s a better way to do this.”

“Like what?” Blop asked.

Before I could explain my bright idea to him, Eggskin arrived with the medscanner that I hadn’t fully learned to use yet. Blip towered over the little Heatseeker, talking a mile a minute about the pests. Eggskin ignored her and went right for the pen, the picture of businesslike efficiency with booger-yellow scales. Eggskin was both the medic and the cook, very levelheaded.

“Hm. It’s a good thing this pen closes with a tighter seal than that door,” they said, nodding toward the entrance without looking away from the screen. “All three of them are carrying multiple external parasites.”

Various exclamations of displeasure filled the air just as Captain Sunlight joined us. “How many?” she asked as the door shut behind her.

“In this pen? Fourteen,” said Eggskin calmly. “Outside, I can’t say.”

“I saw one over there,” Blop rushed to say. “Plus the one the got out.”

“I’m pretty sure I saw it in the lounge as I passed,” said Blip, pointing to the right.

Mur said, “I feel like we would have noticed if any dropped off between here and the cargo bay.”

A distant shriek echoed from the hallway to the left. Paint yelled, “What was that?? There was a thing!”

Mur draped a tentacle over his face. “Or I could be wrong.”

I winced in sympathy, remembering Paint’s phobia of small scuttling things, and tendency to hyperventilate. “Do we have a way of catching these animals that I don’t know about?”

There was a heartbeat of silence, then Blip said “Smashing,” Blop said “Squishing” and Captain Sunlight said “Not a good one.”

“Next question,” I said, turning to Eggskin. “The medscanner has records from when we scanned the cats. Can you tell me if these pests would be toxic for them to eat? Or at least bite?”

There was a lot of conversation at that point, but I ignored most of it while Eggskin tapped buttons on the medscanner. They answered promptly. “Nontoxic. Assuming the cats don’t try to swallow any bones or such, I see no problems.”

“Excellent. Captain!” I turned and stood at attention. “Permission to put my roomful of tiny predators to their time-honored use.”

“With supervision, my permission is granted,” she said. “Just don’t make any new problems.”

“Understood! One room at a time, starting here.”

Captain Sunlight nodded. “Proceed. Everyone else, help by guiding the tiny predators, not by smashing.”

Blip and Blop grumbled, “Understood.”

“I can help narrow things down,” Eggskin said, waving the medscanner.

“I’ll check the camera records to see if I can spot when any jumped off,” Mur volunteered.

“And I’ll inform the rest of the crew,” said Captain Sunlight. “Blip and Blop, you guard the door to prevent any further spread of the problem.”

“On it!”

Everyone split and got to work. I returned to my room and scooped surprised kittens into the carrier with promises of exciting new toys to chase. They didn’t understand me, of course, but that had never stopped me before.

“You too, Mama Kitty,” I said to Tapestry as I lifted her from her nap spot on the bed. She protested sleepily, but there was enough space in the carrier for everyone.

I grabbed a bag of cat treats in case I needed bribes, then carried the awkward load back to the storage hold.

And there, I got to show my alien crewmates why humans had brought cats into their homes in the first place.

“Did you see that jump??” Blip exclaimed. “Right up the wall, then turning to land on its feet!”

“Oh, cats are masters at landing on their feet,” I said proudly.

A squeak and a scuffle behind a crate caught my attention, then Tapestry proudly trotted out with a small orange shape in her mouth. She dropped it in front of two kittens, who watched intensely. It wiggled, and she demonstrated pouncing technique.

They caught on quickly.

They also caught four of the pests in the storage hold, two in the lounge, one in the cargo bay, and five in the kitchen. And they found a pen someone had lost behind a table, batting it out into the open like the best of toys.

I doled out treats every time they caught something (ushering them away from decorations and electronics), and showered them with praise. All the crewmates were appreciative, even the ones like Trrili who had joked that the cats looked like food.

“Mighty predator,” Trrili said to Casserole, holding out the tip of her pincher arm to sniff. “You do your ancestors proud. And I hear you are skilled in attacking your human’s ankles with no warning; well done.”

I smiled. “This one’s a master of stealth, that’s for sure. Did I tell you about their larger cousins that have been known to kill humans by jumping out of trees at them from behind?”

“Magnificent,” said the terrifying bug alien, who was herself fond of jumping out at coworkers for fun.

“That they are,” I agreed.

Eggskin appeared at the doorway with the medscanner and did a sweep of the room. “All clear!” they announced. “I can safely say that every escaped pest on this ship has been dealt with.”

“What about those still on the hosts?” asked Captain Sunlight.

“I’ve administered a repellant to the animals in the holding pen,” Eggskin said. “To great success.”

“Did you need help keeping them from getting out the door?” I asked anxiously. “You could have called me.”

“Oh no, I just threw it in the vent,” Eggskin said. “It’s a gas thing. Perfect for this kind of pen, really, since it didn’t dissipate right away. All the pests loosened their hold, and got shaken off to the floor by some lively dancing by the host animals.”

“It wasn’t bad for them, right?” I asked.

“Not at all. Made for them. This is one of many things I keep on hand for animal cargos.” Eggskin turned to the captain. “We should bill the client for a replacement, by the way.”

“Oh yes,” Captain Sunlight said. “We will definitely be doing that.”

Something rolled past my foot that I recognized as one of Blip and Blop’s favorite shrimp sticks. A two-toned blur of fur tackled it and gnawed with vigor. Out in the hall, I heard Blip enthusing over another cat’s speed. We’d relaxed the “one room at a time” rule now that the whole crew had turned out to watch the kittens.

Telly trotted up to me with the shrimp stick in her mouth, showing off her catch. I scooped her up and gave her scritches, then held the stick for her to chew on.

“You know,” the captain said, “If for some reason it might be hard to find homes for all of them, it might not be a bad thing to have a pest-catcher onboard.”

I smiled. “They’ve certainly served my people well.”

“And they’re cute and fluffy? I understand that is a bonus.”

“Oh, for sure. One of the best.”

“Well then,” Captain Sunlight said. “See that they behave themselves, and who knows what the future holds?”

“I’ll keep a close eye on them,” I said, looking down at the kitten in my arms. It was definitely the shrimp dust, but she kind of winked at me. I winked back. I could see many good times ahead of us.

~~~

The ongoing backstory of the main character from this book. More to come!

#my writing #the Token Human #this one's a long one #back by popular demand: Blip & Blop and the space goats #animal shenanigans #cats #humans are weird #haso #hfy #eiad #posted later than usual because life is busy #but I doubt anyone other than me is keeping track #anyways; enjoy

[cherienymphe]

Amnesiac VII (Rafe Cameron x Reader)

WARNINGS: DUB-CON (for so many reasons)/borderline NON-CON, eventual NON-CON, manipulation, memory loss, underage drinking, drug use, non canon ages, kook!reader

➥ banner by @maysdigitalarts​​​ | divider by @firefly-graphics​

➥ series masterlist

summary: “There’s something wrong with your love story, baby…”

After a surfing accident leaves you with little to no memory of everything that happened before that day, you start to wonder if the blond in what little memories you do have is the same one who claims to be your boyfriend.

~

Rafe’s gaze was encouraging, blue eyes soft and smile small. The box before you was fairly big, and when you asked Rafe what was in it, he’d told you that it was a surprise. You felt nervous and confused, hesitantly reaching for it and pulling it closer. Your heart swelled at this gesture, thinking about how things had been weird between you two lately.

After the night where you’d gotten so drunk, you were much more reserved around Rafe, and he noticed. Part of you felt bad whenever you went to bed with your back turned towards the door or you woke up long before him, but you really didn’t know how to feel. On one hand, Rafe’s eagerness for his own girlfriend was understandable, but on the other… His aggression unnerved you. It reminded you of the Rafe from your memories, the version that was mean and careless with his words. Not the Rafe that was sitting before you.

Then there was the matter of The Wreck.

That shade of blond hair and that raspy voice was so familiar to you. It scratched an itch in your brain, mulling over the encounter days later. You weren’t stupid. At least, you liked to think that you weren’t, so it seemed logical to assume that that was JJ. The guy missing from all of your pictures. The guy who got underneath Rafe’s skin so bad that it had almost ruined your relationship again. The guy who you were apparently closer to than Rafe and even Sarah.

There were so many gaps in your memory, furthering your confusion once combined with what you were being told.

Swallowing a sigh, you opened the box, pausing at the pretty shade of yellow you were met with. You could feel Rafe’s gaze on you as you set the top aside, slowly reaching out to finger the chiffon material of the dress. It was simple, but not boring, strapless and long, and clearly made to move like water around you.

You opened and closed your mouth, at a loss for words before asking the occasion.

“Its for Midsummers.”

That term did ring a bell, and when you thought really hard, you had faint memories of nicely dressed people and extravagance and music.

“We always went together,” he told you. “Not as a couple. This year would be a first for that, but…”

Rafe moved closer, taking your hand.

“It’s always been a little tradition of ours,” he said, making you smile. “We’d make fun of whatever headpiece Rose decided to wear and sneak off with some drinks that definitely weren’t meant for us.”

Rafe chuckled, and you looked back down to the dress.

“Do you like it?” he finally asked.

“Yeah,” you honestly answered with a nod. “It’s really pretty.”

Rafe’s gaze was expectant when your eyes met his again, and you leaned over to kiss him. Rafe’s lips chased yours when you pulled away, and you chuckled to yourself when he kissed you again.

“I think I’m going to take it home,” you slowly told him, watching the slight frown form on his face.

“Home?”

You shrugged.

“My parents have been back for…what? A few weeks now? I know you said our relationship wasn’t the best, but I have to admit. I don’t like that they haven’t even reached out to me aside from the odd phone call or two.”

Rafe watched the way your face fell.

“I guess it’ll have to be on me to reconnect with them and familiarize myself with the house and parents I grew up with,” you said.

Rafe looked unsure, and you knew that he liked having you here with him and his family.

“Are you sure…?”

You nodded.

“I know what you said, but they are my parents, right? I want to know them. Now. Not when or if my memory ever returns,” you replied.

“I know, babe. I know. I just don’t want you to be disappointed,” he told you with a wry smile.

You didn’t have the heart to tell him you’d already been disappointed when they didn’t even come to see you when they returned. You also didn’t have the heart to tell him that you just needed a breather. From him, from this family, and from this house.

You needed to think.

“Okay, okay. Y/N…”

You perked up at the sound of your name, pulling your gaze away from a familiar blue one to look over. Pope was coughing after his hit, holding his hand up while Kie laughed, gearing up to ask you his scenario.

“Okay,” he breathed, passing the blunt to her just as fingers ghosted over your lower back. “Would you rather…have eyes for nipples…”

There was a chorus of groans around the fire, yours included.

“…or teeth for eyes?”

“What?” Kie barked a laugh, almost spilling her drink, and you cringed, not liking either option.

“I think I’d go with the eye nipples,” you heard Sarah seriously murmur, deep in thought about it.

“It’s an impossible situation,” a familiar voice said at your side.

Pope shushed everyone, waving his arms around.

“Y/N has to answer,” he reminded everyone, and all eyes were on you.

You blew out a breath, genuinely torn at the horrible situation Pope put you in.

“I think Sarah has the right idea,” you finally answered, and you were met with some protests. “It’s not like my nipples are always going to be on display like my eyes, and even…then…I can always just keep my bra on.”

You shrugged, and Pope seemed to be satisfied with that answer, nodding. It was your turn, now, and you looked to your right, eyes meeting familiar blue ones, a teasing smile on your face.

“JJ.”

His own smile grew, and he held your gaze as he took the blunt from Kie. The fire danced in his azure eyes, a familiar glint in his gaze that made your heart race. His messy blond hair curled behind his ears, a few strands kissing his forehead, and you were tempted to brush them away.

Then you remembered where you were and took a deep breath.

“Would you rather…”

He brought the blunt to his pink lips, refusing to break eye contact. When his lips parted, he swirled the smoke around in his mouth for a moment, holding it there before finally exhaling.

“…have two tongues or three eyes?”

“A third eye?”

“A third eye,” you confirmed with a nod.

JJ chuckled, teeth winking at you as he took another hit, handing it to you with a hum. His fingers brushed yours as he did, and your heart skipped a beat. He exhaled, smoke billowing around your face just as he quickly glanced towards your lips, his tongue darting out to swipe across his own.

“Imagine what I could do with two tongues,” he laughed, and everyone else made noises of disgust.

You looked away from him, nodding at his answer as you took a hit too. You heard him addressing John B., and in the darkness, no one noticed the way his hand trailed to your lower back again, tracing circles into the exposed skin. His fingers danced along your side, playfully dipping into your shorts before making their way up your back again.

After arguing against John B’s answer for a few minutes, he stood. You looked up at him, watching as he ran his hand through his hair, asking if anyone else wanted a beer. JJ was met with mixed answers, and your lips parted when he looked down at you. He softly said your name, and you shook your head to his nonverbal question.

“I’ll be right back,” he said, glancing around the circle.

When he walked past you, his legs brushed against your back, and you felt the faint ghosting of fingers at the nape of your neck.

Your expectations were low, but holy fuck.

Your adoptive parents looked like the perfect couple. She was all prim and proper with vibrant red hair, and a perfect smile. Perfectly manicured nails, a sparkling wedding ring, and the kind of dress that every other trophy mom around here wore. He looked kind enough, but you had decided against that as soon as he opened his mouth.

“You need to get more sleep.”

Those were the first words out of his mouth as soon as he opened the door, answering your knock. No ‘hello’, ‘how are you’, or ‘we’re so relieved’. A critique was the first introduction you got to your parents as they ushered you inside.

“Ward told us that the doctor has given you some medication for your head,” your mother said as she poured you some water. “I hope you’ve been keeping up with it. Your accident was no minor thing.”

The words seemed caring enough, but they were empty. Robotic. If you didn’t know any better, and you probably didn’t, you’d say she was less worried about your wellbeing and more worried about how your wellbeing made them look.

“Uh. Yeah, I have.”

You thought on that with a frown. Her words didn’t align with her actions. After all, they had been back from their cruise for literal weeks, and this was the first time that you were face to face. You had hoped that their faces would bring forth some more memories, maybe even happier ones than what you’d been prepared for, but there was no such luck.

With them back, the interior of the house made so much sense. They fit perfectly within it, exuding wealth and cocktail parties and the very trust fund that Rafe had thrown in your face. It looked too perfect, like the couch was literally repelling anyone who dared to think about sitting on it. You could see why you had spent so much time at the Camerons growing up.

“I assume there’s a dress in that box? I recognize that brand,” she said, gesturing to the dress Rafe had bought you.

He’d offered to carry it inside for you when he dropped you off, but you had protested. You could tell that Rafe wanted to argue, but with one last unreadable glance towards your house, he relented. You looked at the box with a tight smile, and a nod.

“Yeah. It’s for-.”

“Midsummers,” she finished. “I know you don’t remember, but you and Rafe always did go together.”

“Rafe told me.”

She chuckled to herself, turning around to get out some ingredients. Your father had mentioned something earlier about his favorite dish before disappearing upstairs. You found yourself so interested in their dynamic.

“Of course, now, it’s different,” she said with a satisfied smile thrown over her shoulder. “Rose tells me that you two are finally together.”

Gossiping mothers shouldn’t have surprised you, and you didn’t know how to respond, so you simply nodded. Your mother hummed to herself.

“That boy has held a torch for you for as long as I can remember,” she said more to herself than you. “I’m glad to see that you’re finally with your own, leaving that God awful phase behind.”

Her words made you frown, and at your silence, she continued.

“He comes from such a good family. He’s well brought up, and it’s so important to surround yourself with the right people, you know…”

This conversation was steering into a lane that you didn’t like, and your frown deepened.

“Not sure I follow,” you told her, playing dumb.

You watched as she shook her head, turning to get something out of the fridge.

“I know you don’t remember, and I guess it’s a blessing in disguise that you don’t. I sure wish I could forget some of my more regrettable flings,” she commented. “Rafe is so much better than the last one.”

Your gaze was intently fixed on her, now, and she threw you a comforting smile. You opened and closed your mouth, unsure of what to say. Was she saying what you thought she was saying? Had Rafe been right? Had that drunken rant been more than just the jealous ramblings of an intoxicated man?

“The last one…?”

“That one from The Cut.”

Her words made your heart drop, and your skin started to warm up the more she said.

“Always getting into trouble, a lot like his father from what I’ve heard and-.”

“Are you talking about JJ?”

She tasted the food, nodding with a hum as she pointed at you.

“That one, yes.”

Your mind was going a mile a minute, and while some things made more sense, others only became more jumbled. That memory from last night came back to you. Your secretive smiles, the heat in your stomach with just one look from him, and the discreet brushes of skin.

“I…told you…?”

You found that hard to believe, and your mother laughed. Really laughed.

“Of course not,” she said with a shake of her head. “Despite what your father and I thought, you still brought him around. You insisted that he was just a friend.”

Her eyes finally met yours at that, and her smile lacked humor. The disapproval was clear as day in her eyes.

“…but I am a mother. I saw the way you two looked at each other, heard him sneaking into your room at all hours of the night…”

Your eyes widened at that.

“I was young once. I knew… I looked the other way, and hoped it was just a phase. Some doomed desire to tame a troubled guy.”

Her laugh was mocking, condescending, and you pressed your lips together. She reached along the counter and patted your hand like you were a child.

“…but we must all learn, hmm?”

She turned her back to you again, and you clenched your jaw. Silence stretched between you, and swallowing down a sigh, you removed yourself from the kitchen. Your legs were shaky as you climbed the stairs, feeling lightheaded all of a sudden, and you didn’t know what to think anymore.

So, Rafe hadn’t just been jealous…he’d been right. You had been with JJ, or at the very least, sleeping with him. The only problem was that you didn’t know if you’d been with Rafe at the same time. It would certainly explain Rafe’s anger, his protectiveness of your relationship, and a feeling washed over you that you didn’t like.

Could you really do that to Rafe?

Or maybe you hadn’t done anything wrong, at all, and you were getting ahead of yourself. Nothing was making any sense, and you could feel your frustration growing, head pounding and heart racing as you sat on your bed. You let your head fall into your hands, desperately trying to will all of your memories to come back to you.

You needed things to make sense.

With a huff, you hurried to find something to sleep in. Your mother’s words, what she’d revealed to you, haunted you. You couldn’t get in your shower fast enough, the warm water doing what you’d hoped and easing some of the tension in your body. Not quite ready to rejoin the real world, you took the time to wash your hair, detangling it and washing it twice.

It helped with your nerves.

When you got out, the towel was tight around you. The cool air met your skin, and you shuddered. You thought you heard a slight noise in your room, and when you opened your door, you found that you were right. You jumped at the sight of Rafe sitting on your bed, pressing your hand to your chest.

He smiled at you, and you struggled to return it.

“Your mom let me in,” he explained, blue gaze dragging over you, lingering on your exposed skin.

You thought about what she had said, about you sneaking JJ in, and your eyes drifted to the closed window.

“Oh,” was all you said.

“Are you happy they’re back?” he wondered, watching you reach for your clothes.

“Honestly? I don’t know,” you sighed, and Rafe pressed his lips together at that. “They are exactly what you said they were.”

Rafe reached for your hand, slowly pulling you closer and pressing his lips to your palm. He gazed up at you from beneath his lashes.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” you said with a shrug. “It’s not your fault.”

You were desperate to change the subject.

“Why are you here?”

Rafe snorted at that, frowning up at you with narrowed eyes.

“I can’t come and see my girlfriend? Make sure she settled in okay?”

You swallowed at that.

“I mean, this would’ve been the first night in months that we slept in separate houses. Never mind, separate rooms…”

You tilted your head at that, his word choice standing out to you. Rafe noticed, sighing to himself as he looked down, playing with your fingers.

“My dad and I… Well, you know how it goes between us,” he finally told you.

Your face fell, heart falling too.

“Rafe…”

He looked up at you, eyes troubled.

“I just had to get out of that house, needed to see you.”

He pressed his forehead to your stomach, and you ran your hand through his hair. His hand met your waist through the towel, and he pulled you down to sit next to him.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Rafe studied your face for a while, running his eyes over you and drinking you in. His curved into a small reassuring smile.

“Nah,” he whispered, reaching for you.

His hand was on the back of your neck, and before you knew it, he was pulling you into a kiss. You kissed him back, both wanting to comfort him and distract yourself. You wanted to ask him so bad what had really happened, wanted clarification on the sequence of events, but a part of you was afraid to. What if Rafe confirmed your fears? What if you had been a terrible girlfriend? What if you had cheated on him with JJ?

You didn’t think you could make him look you in the eye and relive that.

On the other hand though, what if that wasn’t the case? What if you’d simply been with JJ before Rafe? What if it was just a simple case of Rafe feeling like he’d lost the most important person to him? Or genuinely trying to look out for you? You thought about that memory with the necklace, where you’d been so mad at Rafe, and it was easy to surmise that Rafe had feelings for you then, and you clearly didn’t reciprocate…or at least didn’t want to.

It was too much to theorize over, and you decided to put yourself out of your misery and just ask Rafe when he pulled you closer, practically on top of him. You made a slight noise of protest against his lips, gasping when one of his hands cupped you through your towel, fingers grazing your ass. You pressed your hand against his chest, turning your head away.

“Rafe,” you harshly whispered, glancing towards your door as he kissed down your throat.

He groaned against your skin, hand pushing the towel up.

“I need you,” he murmured, and you felt your skin grow cold.

You were torn between sympathizing with him and wanting him to leave. He rolled you both, roles reversed as he made himself comfortable on top of you. You could feel yourself panicking, and you wracked your brain.

“Rafe…Rafe, stop, my parents…are right down the hall,” you panted, attempting to make eye contact with him.

His dirty blond hair hung into his face, and a smirk danced along his lips as he brought his hand up to brush over your mouth.

“I guess we’ll have to be quiet then,” he breathlessly chuckled.

You swallowed at his decisive tone, frowning at him.

“Rafe…come on,” you weakly pleaded.

“I thought you trusted me,” he said.

“I do,” you hurried to reassure him.

“Okay…so, trust me,” he slowly whispered.

You called his name again, and Rafe swallowed the sound with a kiss. It’s like he was trying to inhale you, and you struggled to breathe, pushing against his chest both for a reprieve and to try and talk to him. Rafe was a man with tunnel vision though, his strength alarming you as he pinned your body beneath his.

With his own legs, he spread yours apart, and you shuddered when the cool air hit you. Rafe’s hand slid in between your bodies, parting the towel as he went, and you bucked against him when he dipped his fingers into you. He hummed at the feel of your tight walls clinging to his fingers, and he wasted no time before moving them, pushing them into you to the hilt before pulling them back out.

His other hand slid around your neck, circling it and holding you in place as he sat up. He lowered his head, gaze focused on where his fingers disappeared into you, tongue darting out to touch his lips. Your fingers dug into his hand, fighting to bite your tongue while also trying to get him to talk to you.

“Rafe…”

He shushed you, staring at the movements of his hand before straightening and kissing you again. In the quiet room, you both could hear how wet you were, the squelch of his fingers as he plunged them into you again and again. He stroked the fire in your gut, nipping at your lips and then your jaw. He ravenously thrust them into you, thighs growing sticky from your own arousal, and your eyes rolled when Rafe rolled his wrist, swirling his fingers around your walls.

You heard him curse, hand tightening on your throat, and you could feel yourself starting to shake. You were close, and Rafe noticed, letting go of your neck to shove his fingers into your mouth. You whimpered, stomach tightening and tightening until you came around his fingers, your moans muffled by the fingers in your mouth.

“Fuck,” Rafe breathed, watching the mess you were making.

You didn’t even noticed when he’d let you go, pulling his fingers out of you too. You were too focused on catching your breath, trying to get your head to stop spinning when you heard fabric fluttering to the floor. When you glanced up, Rafe was nearing you, just as naked as you were, and you hurriedly sat up.

Whatever protest you had was hushed, his fingers meeting your lips as he pushed you back.

“Rafe,” you hissed for more reasons than one.

“Relax,” he drawled. “It’ll be fine, just keep it down.”

“Rafe-!”

You were cut off by his hand at your throat, and his lips were at your ear as he held you down.

“Relax,” he quietly repeated, his other hand fumbling between you. “I know you’re nervous…and scared…but it’ll be okay.”

“I-.”

“You know I’ll take care of you,” he promised, pressing a kiss to your cheek just as you felt the tip of him poking at you.

He wet the head of his cock with your arousal, coating himself in it and stroking himself.  He kissed along your neck, humming to himself and ignoring the feel of your hands pressing against his arms. When he started to push his way into you, you tensed, breath hitching as you squeezed him. The moan that Rafe let out was low enough so only you could hear, and your lips parted when he bottomed out.

Rafe’s arms shook, forearms pressing into the bed now as he held himself above you. His chest was heaving, and the same shallow pants leaving you also climbed out of his throat. He held himself still, eyes falling closed and basking in the feel of his cock fitting snugly inside of you.

“You feel so good,” he murmured, lips grazing your cheek as he leaned in. “You know that?”

You involuntarily lifted your hips, and you gasped the same time Rafe hissed. His breathing evened out, and he placed a few kisses on your neck, sighing to himself just as he reached down and dug his hand into your hip.

“Hold onto me,” he instructed. “Hold onto me.”

Feeling like you had no choice, you did, pressing your hands into his back just as he pulled his hips back. You gasped again when he thrust into you, his pace slow and torturous at first. Your bed lightly shook beneath you, and Rafe’s breath mingled with your own as he kissed you again. You had no choice but to take his thrusts, walls clinging to him with every movement.

Rafe kept a hand on you at all times, holding you to him while he fucked you. With your parents down the hall, it was hard to keep quiet, taking advantage of every kiss as you mewled and moaned into his mouth. Rafe swallowed them all, groaning against your lips and slamming his hips against yours. At some point, his pace became brutal, his cock repeatedly hitting a part of you that had you squirming.

You reached down to press your hand against his lower stomach, trying to get some reprieve from the mind-spinning thrusts. Rafe slapped your hand away, immediately grabbing it and pinning it by your head. His hold on your wrist was tight, and you squeezed your eyes shut, fighting to quietly navigate the pleasure he was giving you.

“You’re okay, baby,” he whispered from above you. “You can take it.”

You threw your head back, nails digging into the palm of your own hand. Rafe was in his own hand, focused on the feel of you tight and dripping around him, choking his cock and stroking him better than his hand ever could.

When his hand slipped under your thigh, bending your leg and pressing your knee to your chest, your free hand pulled and tore at your sheets. Your chest arched into his, and you couldn’t swallow down the choked gasp that escaped when he let your hand go to do the same to the other. Rafe towered over you as he thrust into you, looking down at his cock pushing into you, stretching you and dipping into you from a new angle.

“Rafe…I can’t…”

He seemed to understand your lack of explanation, and your eyes watered. Your nails scraped your bedding, and he leaned over, making you gasp just as he covered your mouth with his hand. It muffled your whimpers, and he placed one of your legs over his shoulder. He grinded his hips into yours, and your eyes rolled, struggling to catch your breath.

You could feel that familiar coil tightening deep in your stomach, toes curling as your climax started to creep up on you. Rafe felt it too, chuckling to himself at the feel of your walls tightening. He moved your other leg onto his other shoulder, and Rafe’s fingers dug into the bed on either side of your head. Stars were starting to appear in your vision, and you turned your head to the side, biting your tongue so hard you tasted blood as you came.

Rafe cursed at the feel and at the sight, praises coming from his lips as he continued to fuck you.

“Good girl,” he murmured.

When you came down from your high, you were gasping for breath, struggling to push against Rafe’s arms. He suddenly pulled back, your legs still thrown over his shoulders as he dug his hands into your hips. He pulled you to the edge of the bed as he stood, and he turned his head to kiss your ankle.

“I’m going to fucking ruin you,” he growled, nipping at your skin.

Your head lolled, and the look in Rafe’s eyes told you that he was going to make good on his promise.

When you woke up the next morning, it took you way too long to even remember where you were. Your whole body ached, and when you turned over, coming face to face with Rafe, you remembered why. He was fast asleep, and you stared at him for a long time, just drinking him in and thinking over the previous night. You sat up with a wince, eyes falling to the floor and landing on the clothes you’d intended to put on last night.

You struggled to do just that, limbs protesting with every movement. Rafe didn’t stir as you slowly moved to the window, looking outside into the yard with a grimace. Your neck felt like it was on fire, and you didn’t need to look into the mirror to see what it looked like. You reached up, brushing your fingers over your skin and wincing.

You didn’t feel like stepping out and facing your parents, completely put off by them. So, seemingly alone in your childhood room, you made your way to your closet. Rafe, exhausted and knocked out from sex, hardly counted. You eyed the clothes left in there and the boxes on the top shelf. A book that you assumed you’d read caught your eye, and you reached to grab it. It wobbled, falling past your hand and hitting the floor.

Rafe’s breathing was still even when you turned around, and your eyes fell to the book by your bed. Bending down, you reached for it, about to stand up when something caught your eye. The smallest box was hidden behind a few pairs of shoes, and you frowned at it. You checked to make sure that Rafe was still asleep before reaching under your bed and moving your shoes out of the way.

You struggled to crawl back, wincing again as you sat down, shoulder leaning against your bedframe. The fact that it was hidden, seemingly by you, piqued your interest more than anything. Your heart skipped a beat as you looked it over, and deep in your mind, you recognized it…only you didn’t know what for.

When you opened it, gaze falling to the contents inside, your mouth fell open.

It softly fell out of your hands, the polaroid pictures falling all over your lap and the floor. There were dozens of them, no doubt taken with the light blue polaroid camera on your dresser. You stared at them, pain flaring in your temple, and you shakily reached out to them. Your eyes were wide as you flipped through them all, each one shocking you more than the last.

Every single one featured the same two people.

You…and JJ.

It was the same face from your memory. The same smile, the same eyes, and his hair the same shade of blond that you’d seen at The Wreck that day. The longer you stared at the pictures, able to really study him now that he was before you, your breath hitched as you realized where you’d seen that exact shade of blond.

It was the same hair from that intimate memory in your bedroom. The shade of blond that you had thought belonged to Rafe. The same shade of blond that had been walking away from you the day of your accident, anger and sadness and regret pouring through you the further away he got.

You brought each picture closer, throat incredibly tight as you studied them. In some you were sitting on his lap, a wide smile on his face as you kissed his cheek. In one, you two were laying down together, heads touching as you pointed the camera towards you. One picture in particular grabbed your attention for several reasons, and you dropped all the others.

JJ had you in his arms as he sat on an unfamiliar couch, sticking his tongue out as you gave the camera the finger. However, you were more focused on the three rings on his hand, three rings that you recalled from a memory that you thought was Rafe. Your eyes watered, breath shaky as you stared at the same picture, gaze zeroing in on a familiar black necklace around his neck, a shark tooth hanging from it.

#rafe cameron x kook!reader #rafe cameron x reader #dark!rafe cameron x reader #dark!rafe cameron #obx fic #outer banks #drew starkey fanfiction

[somber-sapphic]

HIII IT'S ME OMG IM SO EXCITED COULD YOU POST THE NEW FIC ALL IN ONE PART??? CUZ I CAN'T WAIT TO READ IT EEEHHEHEH I LOVE LONG FICS ALSO IM KINDA NEW TO TUMBLR SO IDK HOW TO USE A LOT OF FEATURES AND THE ONLY WAY IVE FOUND TO MESSAGE PPL IS THE REQUEST PART LOL - 🦊

I'VE GOT YOU 🦊!! Sorry it took so long to upload, I thought of something else so I added and then had to edit that part :) I hope you enjoy!

Everything's Just Fine

You get sick and Emily is away with the team on a case. You were frustrated that you weren't able to help, so instead of resting you decided to do all of the paperwork that you could find. A great decision, right?

Word Count: 3k

-----

You sniffled and rubbed your bleary eyes, trying to focus on the pile of paperwork you were trying desperately to get through. Hotch had deemed you ‘too sick’ to go with them on the case, but he wasn’t there, leaving you to your own devices. You’d helped solve it by working through Garcia, who you had threatened into silence (in reality, you’d begged her to let you help and flashed the best puppy dog eyes you had) and your team would be home in three hours. 

Penelope had agreed to stay silent, but only if you drank the gallons of tea she shoved down your throat. You were sure that she’d laced it with some sort of medication, so you just pretended to drink. It wasn’t that you didn’t appreciate her attempts to coddle you, it was just that you didn’t want her to see you so vulnerable. You didn’t want anyone to see you like this, it was embarrassing. 

Your nose was running practically nonstop, your chest ached, you couldn’t stop shivering and every five seconds was filled with painful coughs or gross, wet sneezes. Every cough and sneeze tore through your already sore throat, making it feel like you had swallowed glass. The pressure in your sinuses made it feel like your head was about to burst. There was a good chance that the next fit of coughing would send your brain exploding out of your buzzing ears. 

“Sweetie, that really doesn't sound good.” Penelope said, startling you after a particularly rough coughing fit that brought up a wad of mucus and left you seeing stars. You swallowed hard, a little disgusted with yourself, and forced a little smile onto your dry, cracked lips. Judging by her raised eyebrow, she didn’t believe whatever you were about to say next. 

“I’m fine Garcia, just a little cold. Plus, they’ll be back soon.” You rasped, not realizing just how far gone your voice was until you had started to speak. It was a minor miracle that you had even gotten those two sentences out. You sniffed hard and coughed, turning your head into your elbow to avoid spreading your germs all over the innocent tech analyst. 

“Uh-uh, no way. Come on, come lay in my office for a little while. I’ve got everything nice and cozy for when Reid has a migraine, it’ll be much nicer than sitting out here in the cold.” The blonde coaxed, her voice like butter. She was lulling you into a false sense of security, smiling kindly and offering you a space in her Batcave. 

All you wanted to do was curl up and let out all of your stupid pent up emotions, you wanted to cry into the plethora of pillows that you knew she had and just fall asleep to escape all of the pain raging through your body. Every movement sent needles of agony through your bones, even your eyes hurt. You had forgotten that fevers could do that to a person. 

“I’m almost done here, I’ll put my head down when I finish.” You ducked into your elbow with a barely stifled sneeze and lifted your head with flushed cheeks. This whole thing was humiliating, no one was supposed to see you sick. You weren’t supposed to be sick. You were a fucking FBI agent, FBI agent’s didn’t succumb to simple colds.

Penelope frowned and reached out to touch your cheek, rolling her eyes slightly when you slapped her hand away. 

“I’m telling Emily. How do you think she’ll feel about all of this?” She gestured to your sickly appearance as if she hadn’t just threatened you as one would a toddler. You clenched your jaw, but parted your lips when you realized that your nose was too stuffed to breathe, and decided to just glare at her instead. 

“Penelope Garcia. I am not a toddler, you are not my mother, you are not my girlfriend and my physical wellbeing is none of your fucking business. Leave. Me. Alone.” The hurt expression that flashed across her face made you feel guilty, but you just wanted her to go away. Everything about this was wrong, her being able to see you at your weakest point was ever worse. 

“Alright, I’m going back to my office. Come find me if you need anything.” She murmured, bowing her head in understanding. You looked away, resurfacing to meet her gaze, you knew that if she said one more nice thing you’d probably break down. It would be so easy to just start crying. Or it would be if you had enough fluids left in your body to cry out.  

Sniffling back tears you went back to your work, the words blurring through your tears and the general haze that came from what had to be a fever over 102 degrees. You could practically see the look on Emily’s face when she’d come back, the disappointment and concern written in the worry lines across her forehead. She worried too much, especially about you. 

You scribbled your name at the bottom of the page inquiring about who was interrogated, accidentally scrawling your signature into the place where Hotch was supposed to sign. That was it. You were done. That was the straw that broke the exhausted, sick, miserable camel's back. You were absolutely done.

==

You stumbled up the stairs and into the first office you could find, intending to fall onto the couch where you would sleep until your girlfriend got home. She would be so disappointed in you. You made it halfway into what you assumed in your hazy mind was JJ’s office before falling to the floor, too dizzy to stay upright anymore. 

Part of you thought to call out for Garcia as you lay on the uncomfortable tile, your cheek pressed on the rug. The world went black with one final gasping cough as you slipped into unconsciousness. That was nicer than being awake with the pain. 

Unfortunately, unconsciousness was not exactly better. It was uncomfortable, too hot, sometimes too cold, like someone had dunked you in an ice bath which was then set on fire. Your disturbing, terrifying fever dreams were interrupted by a distant sound and the feather light touch of a hand on your shoulder. Both felt a mile away, but they saved you from the nightmares of being drowned in an icy ocean with no one to hear your screams. 

“Y/n! Fuck, EMLIY! Get in here!” You clung to the voice, whimpering as you struggled to pull yourself out of the void. She must’ve noticed your struggle because the owner of the voice combed fingers through your hair, coaxing you into the real world. 

“Hey, hey you. Can you open your eyes?” Sudden panic flooded over you and you shoved yourself away, ignoring the stars brewing in your eyes. For a moment you were pretty sure that you’d throw up, but you managed to curl yourself into the corner, cowering away from the touch. 

Your breaths were harsh and painful, they probably sounded that way to the blonde as well. The world was blurring around you and standing wasn’t probably the best idea, but you were already halfway to your feet. 

“Woah, Y/n,” JJ rushed toward you, raising her arms as you swayed, prepared to catch you. You pulled away again, trying to force out some semblance of words. 

“Go!” You yelped, tears filling your eyes. Everything was spinning, the woman’s face warping and bending in your vision. Something slammed and you looked up to find another blurry faced woman rushing into the room, wearing the same expression. 

“Y/L/N!” The second woman, Emily, barked, making you freeze. In different circumstances that tone would’ve sparked a flutter in your chest, but this was just scary. She raced to your side and grabbed your elbows, managing to keep you upright. You sniffled and met her chocolate brown eyes, searching for anything that could be construed as anger or unhappiness. All you saw was loving concern. 

“Shit, you’re burning up. Honey, why?” The brunette breathed, cupping your cheeks with strong, soft hands. You whimpered in response, doing everything you could not to just fall into her arms. 

“C-can you make t-the room stop s-spinning?” You managed, stumbling forward until your head bounced against her shoulder. Emily wrapped an arm around your waist and helped you over to the couch, murmuring gentle words that you couldn’t quite make out. Everything was fuzzy, you weren’t sure how much longer you could stay conscious. 

You didn’t realize you were crying until you were sitting up against her and she was brushing the tears off of your cheeks. You didn’t fully understand what was happening, but you knew that she was holding you, providing you with the love that you had so desperately needed. 

“Morgan, we’re going to need some help getting her to the car.” Emily murmured, stroking your hair as you leaned against her chest. Part of you was a bit concerned, the deal was no displays of romantic affection at work and here she was, holding you close, cuddling you like she would at home. This was bad. You were going to get fired. 

You pushed her away, little whimpers building in your throat. You slid back onto the floor, confusion and anxiety flowing through your mind. She was by your side in an instant, grabbing your hands as she tried to fix whatever was happening in your mind. 

“No, no no. No, They’ll be mad. They’ll be so mad.” You shook your head and pulled back, a harsh cough wracking your body. Your lungs were beginning to sound like crinkling wax paper, worrying everyone. 

“Come on honey, please get off the floor. No ones mad, we just want to help.” She soothed, inching back so as not to startle you further. Not even you understood the back and forth of your mind, it was scary just how many things were happening and all you wanted was to be somewhere dark and quiet. 

“Everything hurts…make it stop, please make it stop.” You begged, covering your ears, hiding from everything. It was odd, you were just so damn overwhelmed. 

“Okay sweetie, alright. Breathe for me. It’s all going to be okay. Does it hurt when I do this?” She asked gently, probing at your arm. You had apparently bruised it when you’d fallen and it had quickly turned a dark purplish black color. You nodded slightly, removing yourself from your shell so that you could talk to her. 

“We’re going to get you home and all cozy, but you’ve got to trust me. Will you let me?” Morgan and Hotch were in the room now, with Rossi hovering in the doorway. Penelope was attached to Morgan's arm, a panicked expression on her face. This was all because of you. It was both humiliating beyond belief and…almost wholesome? 

“M’kay.” You finally whispered, your voice basically gone at this point. She gave you a small, caring smile and pressed a kiss to your forehead. 

“Can Morgan carry you?” You were too tired to even consider fighting it. You wanted to be home and if that's what it took, that's what it took. Emily moved to the side and the man stepped forward, nearly blocking your view of her. 

“Don’t leave me!” You yelped, grabbing for her hand. You refused to be away from her, no fucking way would she leave you alone again, it wasn’t happening. She clasped your fingers in hers and shushed you softly. 

“I’m right here, he’s just going to pick you up and everything will be okay.” She was being so understanding, so wonderful. You loved her so damn much. You nodded again and allowed Morgan to hoist you into a bridal carry, your head falling on his chest; you were just too physically weak to hold it up anymore. 

“Shit, Princess, your fever’s really high. Emily, you’ve gotta get that down.” He said, concern radiating in his words. She nodded quickly, still holding onto your hand. You glanced at Hotch as Morgan carried you out, disappointment shining in his eyes. Garcia looked mildly betrayed and you hated that you’d made her feel that way. You opened your mouth to say something, but she shut you up with a shake of her head. 

“Just get better, lovely. I’ll be by with some soup and Disney movies tomorrow.” You smiled at her, your eyes slipping closed as exhaustion took over. You heard a murmur of ‘goodbyes’ and ‘feel better soons’ as you were whisked away by your friend and girlfriend, falling asleep with your head bouncing against Morgan’s chest. 

==

When you woke up you were laying in your own bed, Emily grumbling softly as she tried to peel the sweat covered clothes off of your body. You whined softly at the touch, curling away from her icy hands. You sniffled thickly and pulled your knees to your chest, well aware that you were no longer wearing a shirt. 

“Look who's up.” The brunette cooed, reaching up to stroke your fevered cheek. You squirmed again, utterly unhappy with how much being touched hurt you. All you wanted was cuddles from the woman you loved but her gentle touch caused you so much pain. 

“My skin hurts.” You rasped, giving her a watery pout. Tears were rolling down your cheeks again, for what felt like the 10th time that day you were crying. You hated it, you hated your damn body and you wanted a hug. 

“Okay love, we can get that taken care of. If you sit up for me I can get some medicine in you and get something much more comfortable on.” She smiled, tucking a strand of hair back behind your ear. You shrugged, fully intending not to do anything. She rolled her eyes at your uncooperative behavior and lifted you into a sitting position, making you yelp in pain. She reared back at your pained sound, concern flooding her expression. 

“I can’t it, it hurts too much!” You sobbed, wrapping your arms around your knees and pulling them to your chest. You held that position for probably fifteen minutes until you finally managed to cry yourself out and looked back up at Emily who had a broken expression on her face. 

“How do I help?” She whispered, sounding as desperate as you felt. Your beautiful strong girlfriend was breaking just because you felt sick. You took a shaky, chest squeezing breath and forced yourself to calm down. 

“Um…will y-you help me change…and then maybe hold me?” The profiler gave you a kind smile and nodded, reaching out to stroke your cheek again. This time it didn’t hurt so much, the contact actually felt quite nice. 

It took a bit longer than either of you expected to get you changed, you were practically incapable of moving any of your limbs, meaning that she had to do all of the work. She did it without complaint, checking in every few moments to make sure that she wasn’t hurting you. 

“Okay baby, take this really fast and we’ll get you some sleep.” You didn’t fight when she handed you the cap of blue medicine, well aware that the Nyquil and fever would take you out in minutes. The goop tasted absolutely awful, so bad that even with your poor sense of taste and smell it burned the back of your throat. 

You coughed heavily into your blanket, a sound which made Emily’s face contort in worry. She patted your back as you hacked, helping you to release some of the mucus from your lungs. 

“We’re going to the doctor tomorrow if that doesn’t sound better.” She determined after a few minutes of listening to your exhaustive breathing. You nodded in agreement, well aware that the cough was worse than it should be for a simple cold or mild flu. 

“Stay with me until I fall asleep?” You asked, your body sagging as the medication sunk in. Emily slipped into the bed beside you, sitting a few feet away so as not to invade your personal space in a way that you weren't comfortable with. You hesitated a moment and looked over, feeling suddenly shy. 

“Um…will you hold me? Maybe? P-please…” She smiled kindly and pulled you into her arms, cradling your head against her chest as the two of you snuggled under the covers. You stifled a sneeze, but she just made a worried sound and kissed the top of your head 

“Don’t worry about that. Just sleep, okay? I’m right here, you’re safe. I’ve got you.” You sniffled quietly and grabbed the fabric of her shirt, grateful for her saying that. Fevers always made you edgy, but she had this way of fixing it every single time. She was your rock. She never failed to make you feel better, even at your worst times. 

“Love you Em.” You mumbled, your words slurred by sleep. 

“I love you too Y/n/n. Now hush, sleeping time.” Never one to disobey an order from your girlfriend, you closed your eyes, falling into a warm void of unconsciousness in the arms of the woman you were in love with.

#fever #sick fanfic #sick fanfiction #sick reader #sickfic #fanfiction #sicknario #ill #illness #caretaking #fainting #criminal minds fanfiction #criminal minds fanfction #criminal minds sickfic #criminal minds #emily prentiss #emily prentiss x y/n #emily prentiss x you #emily prentiss x female reader #emily prentiss x reader #jj #jennifer jareau #cm fanfic #aaron hotchner #spencer reid #criminal minds x reader #criminal minds x y/n #derek morgan #penelope garcia #hurt/comfort

[slashingdisneypasta]

Doll!Chucky x Drunk!Fem!Reader x Freddy Krueger || Headcanons

*Set in the Horror House

Topic: Its a classic- you get drunk because you've had a sucky, sucky day. And you're just wondering by the house, barefoot and probably cold, when Chucky and Freddy see you and get you inside. (And... boy, does that sound threatening 😅 To be clear- this is mostly fluff XD )

(This can be read as romantic or platonic! Readers choice.)

Warnings: Characters who have no business ever being characterised as nice, being nice (In a way that I hope is still them 😅), Reader is sad and uses alcohol to numb themselves. (You're not depressed or an alcoholic though), and also the word 'bitch' is used quite a bit, I'm sorry 😅😅

Look if no one else is gonna write mindless, non-canonical fluff for these two shits then I WILL-

🍺 You're sitting on the porch swing with a blanket over your shoulders and Chucky in your lap, playing with his bright orange hair while Freddy lectures you- how did you get here??? This explanation is seemingly very simple.

🍺 Today was the first day of your life... it started out good, texting with Jennifer while you got ready for the day, but then you had a fight. Sure, you would both get over it tomorrow and you knew that, but it felt awful. Then your bus was late and so you were late to work, it was a busy busy day, your mood deteriorated... and finally you left early because you just felt that upset- which just made you feel worse, for missing work!

🍺 So you decided to go have a drink at a bar. That turned into 2... 3... then you were in a guy's lap and you lost your shoes. He was an ass, turns out, of course, and so the next thing you know--

🍺 You're strolling drunkenly, barefoot, down Jennifer's street sniffling and sipping a cheap wine straight out of the bottle. You just wanna see her- you think if she sees you so fucked up and sad then she'll stop being mad at you and... *sniffle*... give you some cuddles, and make you feel better after this hell day...

🍺 Oh, you hope she will. You need your best *hick* friend... *hick* please...

🍺 You're just wandering down the footpath, almost tripping a couple of times, when you hear fast footfalls behind you (Like boots) and a hand lands on your shoulder. You whip around, wide eyed, but relax immediately when you recognise Freddy's familiar form in your tipsy, dazed state. He's looking amused at you, and vaguely you think he must know that you're drunk, must have figured it out (He's clever ^^), because he waits for you to fully focus on him. Then with one blade he points downwards to your feet, letting you follow his gesture before talking.

🍺 "Princess I don't think you're supposed to leave the prince both shoes. If he cant findya with just one, I don't think you even want a dumbass prince like that."

🍺 "Hm?-... oh... I- I... it was hot... "

🍺 "Too hot for your shoes?" He looks bemused, but in your drunken state you think he's just concerned for you.

🍺 "Mhm... "

🍺 "... where are you going to, anyway?"

🍺 "Um, I- I-... " You start sniffling again, remembering where you were going and why you feel so so crappy- eyes immediately filling up with tears. "Oh. I, I was looking for- for Jen... We had a fi-ight, and I... I really needa see 'er... "

🍺 Freddy stares at you for a few moments- as much as he loves to see someone - anyone. especially something so fucking cute, like you, - crying like little bitch in front of him, something about this... doesn't sit right with him. After a moment of thought, he grows annoyed at his own lack amusement and twists you around and guides you back down the footpath again. "Well you're goin the wrong way. You go in this house, you'll find a bitch but she's asian, and she's gonna be real confused why you broke into her house late at night- c'mon. Lemme tell ya, jail aint for you."

🍺 He leads you to the right house - they all look the same in the dark!! you didn't know you were going to the wrong one... - and as soon as you step up onto the porch you hear another harsh voice yell in a way that makes you jump right out of your skin.

🍺 "Where the hell are that girls shoes, fuckface!?"

🍺 "Fuck, everything's my fault around here, huh kid?... I don't know, bitch. She said she was too hot wearing them, gimmie a break."

🍺 "We all know she's hot Freddy, that wasn't my question." Chucky sniggers, sat up on the porch swing with a wicked grin on his face. When he looks at your properly, sniffling and blowing your nose into a tissue from your pocket, and he makes an ewwwww sort of face, instead. "... and you made her cry. That's a little kinky even for you."

🍺 "... Uh, not its not."

🍺 "You're right, its not. Aaanyway- what the hell did you do to her??"

🍺 Here you finished wiping your nose and, tiredly now, turned to shake your head at Chucky. "No, its... *sniff* I was- was looking for Jen... a guy at the bar... he- he was an ass, and I just- "

🍺 Immediately they exchange an uncomfortable look. "Uhhh- what kinda ass?" Chucky asks, while Freddy gives you a quick once over.

🍺 You shrug, not truly thinking about what you're saying. "I- I thought he w-wanted t' cheer me up... but he didn't... she will, th- though, I hope,.. do you- do either of you know where she is maybe?... "

🍺 "Ehh... sorry kid, hate ta break it you ya but she left for the night... " As soon as those words leave Chucky's mouth your eyes fill up with tears all over again and you almost start crying immediately- before he fast tracks to stop it. "But hey!- y' share that bottle with me and y'can hang here. I betcha I'm better company then that millennial whore."

🍺 ... really? Immediately your heart soars, getting special treatment from one the meanest and scariest assholes in this house. The nicest thing you had ever heard him say before this moment!, you think!, was 'Get the fuck out of my way, please'! When you turn to Freddy, silently asking if that would be okay, he flashes you a smirk.

🍺 "Well, I am."

🍺 "Shut the fuck up, you pair of cauterized ass cheeks."

🍺 "That's a new one." "Yeah, pretty good, eh?" "Not bad, plastic breath."

🍺 As you sit down on the porch swing beside Chucky, taking some deep breaths of fresh, cool nighttime air to try and sober yourself, Chucky takes the cheap wine and he looks ridiculous with it but he takes a big gulp of it. Then turns to you, and asks promptly- so why're you so fucked up tonight, huh? Somethin' bad happen?

🍺 You stop, think about it... and immediately start crying into your hands.

🍺 Freddy pulls his hat down roughly over his eyes, and groans "no class... "- as if he's got any, either. Then turns and waltzes into the house again saying he's going to get the fucking box.

🍺 (He actually just goes to pee and comes back with a blanket for you)

🍺 A good while later, and you're getting quite sleepy just sitting there listening to Chucky and Freddy go back and forth from either side of you (You're not really contributing to the conversation, just sitting there with a blanket around you nodding or letting out little 'mhm's or 'uhuh's if they look at you to agree with them) and your gaze slips over to Chucky.

🍺 He stops mid-sentence to look at you, like, whadaya want?

🍺 Quickly he deadpans, recognising the look in your eye that he's become very familiar with since... you know... living as a good guy doll. "... you wanna fucken hold me, don't you?"

🍺 ... "Mhm... " You nod.

🍺 "Fuck, no. Get it outta your head. Do you think I enjoy that shit?? I'm the goddam Lakeshore Strangler, bitch, not a fucken Cabbage Patch kid. I'm feared. I'm infamous- no, do not fucken cry again. I swear, I'll stab you if you cry. Don't test me. Don't- aghhh!" After a few moments, he gives up, letting you gather him in your lap; One arm wrapping around his middle and the other hand slipping into his soft, messy hair. "If you tell anyone in there about this shit, you're gonna wake up with a new hole. I don't know where it'll be yet, I think I'll be spontaneous about it, but it will hurt."

🍺 "And you- " When Chucky turns to Freddy, who looks like he's about to explode seeing this, he stops. ... Slowly, he grins. "You know what?... Freddy buddy, why don't you tell us again how you lost so fucken bad to the momma's boy?" ... oh dear, you think, eyes going wide and round.

🍺 Like a light switch, all amusement is gone from Freddy's face, replaced by a furious glare, and he takes a deep, deep, deeeeeep breath; Getting up from the swing to stand in front of the two of you. "... you move your asses outta that chair before I finish and you die."

🍺 So yeah... explanation is seemingly very simple... but who would really believe you if you tried to tell them this all happened and Chucky and Freddy Krueger were actually nice to you??

#this had no right to be so cute i'm sorry XDDDD #but you know what? i love it #Chucky #Charles Lee Ray #Chucky x Reader #Freddy Krueger #Freddy Krueger x Reader #Horror House! AU #Horror House!AU #Horror House AU

[snowmist-hashira]

I love love your way of writing. It's so beautiful :(! I have a big sister vibe when it comes to Muichiro and if you don't mind, I want to request a modern AU platonic Muichiro x Older sister reader ÙvÚ

So Shinobu, y/n's girlfriend, agrees to go with Mui to buy y/n something special (he forgets what y/n likes often, so he needs some advice.) Y/n, at the same time, is also buying him gifts (but will only give them to him a week later when his birthday comes.)

So Mui calls y/n if she's home yet. She says no, she's with Shinobu. He knows she lied. Y/n also asks him why he's doubting her answers. But he wouldn't blatantly say that he knew y/n was lying because Shinobu, her girlfriend, is hanging out with him tonight without her knowing.

So they're both trying their best to keep their secrets until someone has to give in.

Please take your time and have a nice day/night ÒvÓ I'm not best at explaining things so if it gets confusing, please write however you interpret it 😩

[Chapter title: Playful Exchange]

[Requested] Muichiro Tokitou x Reader

Wattpad:[KNY Fanfiction] (One shots) Tokito Muichiro x Reader Archive:Kimetsu No Yaiba: Tokitou Muichiro x Reader Master list:♠ Information ♠ Word count: 1,343

Artist link: https://twitter.com/oekaki_eririn

Always stalking Eririn's art masterpieces, I love them-

Pls adopt me. XDDD

I am open to requests for Muichiro x Reader content, and I also enjoy engaging in roleplays. If you're interested in either, please feel free to check out my pinned post for more information. ~ ♠

This request was the earliest one in the queue, and it's my first time writing a platonic scenario, so I apologize if I didn't capture it accurately. I'm sorry for the delay, and I hope it still meets your expectations!

"Do you think nee-san would like this?” Muichiro questioned, gesturing towards a pendant that appeared too large for a woman to wear. Shinobu responded with a smile, shaking her head softly.

"She doesn't prefer extravagant accessories," Shinobu replied, using hand gestures to direct Muichiro's attention to some simpler bracelets displayed at the vendor stand. Muichiro leaned forward, examining the accessories with interest. Muichiro examined the simple bracelets that Shinobu had pointed out, his gaze focused on their design and craftsmanship. He carefully considered whether Y/n would appreciate them.

Shinobu couldn't help but chuckle softly, finding it endearing how Muichiro, despite being Y/n's younger brother, was struggling to find a suitable present for her. His usual absent-mindedness had caused him to forget what Y/n liked, but he still had the sincere desire to buy something for his older sister. After all, who knew Y/n better than him? Except, Shinobu as Y/n's girlfriend.

"These bracelets seem more understated and elegant," Muichiro remarked, voicing his thoughts. "I think nee-san would prefer something like this. It's not too flashy but still beautiful."

Shinobu nodded in agreement. "Yes, I believe she would appreciate the simplicity and subtlety of these bracelets. They would complement her style well."

Muichiro gently picked up one of the bracelets and turned it in his hand, admiring the delicate details. "I think I'll get her one of these.”

“Do you plan on wrapping them out?” Shinobu asked.

Muichiro pondered Shinobu's question, considering the possibility that Y/n might not be at home when they returned. He wanted to surprise her with a beautifully wrapped gift, but the uncertainty gave him pause.

After a moment of contemplation, Muichiro replied, his voice gentle. "I do have gift wrappers at home, but I'm not sure if nee-san is there at the moment. It might be best if we wait until we know for sure before wrapping the gift."

Muichiro reached into his pocket and retrieved his phone, dialing Y/n's number. After a few rings, her older sister answered the call.

"Oh, hey Mui!" Her voice came through the phone, accompanied by some muffled voices in the background, indicating she might be outside.

"Are you home right now?" he inquired, holding the phone close to his ear to catch Y/n's response. Shinobu leaned in slightly, trying to listen in as well.

“Nope, I’m not. Why?” Y/n returned a question. Muichiro felt a sense of relief as Y/n confirmed that she wasn't at home. It meant he could proceed with wrapping the gift without worrying about spoiling the surprise.

“Nothing. I just wanted to ask.” He said, not wanting to reveal his surprise.

“I’m with Shinobu right now, so don’t worry!” Y/n replied.

Muichiro blinked in surprise at Y/n's response, he glanced at Shinobu, who was trying to suppress her laughter, and a puzzled expression crossed his face.

"I see…?" Muichiro replied cautiously, unsure why Y/n would lie about Shinobu being with her. "Well, if you're busy with something, I won't keep you. We'll catch up later then."

Y/n's voice held a hint of nervousness. "Oh, um, yeah, you sound like you don’t believe me though.”

“Ah-? No…” Muichiro hesitated for a moment, glancing at Shinobu, unsure how to respond. Enjoying the unfolding scene, Shinobu simply offered a small smile. Muichiro had kept the plan of having Shinobu, Y/n's girlfriend, accompany him in choosing a gift for her a secret. He wanted it to be a surprise and didn't want to give it away too soon.

"Anyways… Have fun with Shinobu, nee-san," Muichiro finally said, bidding farewell and ending the call. His confusion lingered as he turned to Shinobu, who continued to chuckle.

"Did Y/n just lie about me being there with her?"

Muichiro nodded, Shinobu’s amusement subsiding as she noticed his confusion. "It seems so. I'm not sure why she would do that. Maybe she has her reasons?”

Little did they know, she too was buying a present for her younger brother, Muichiro, and Y/n used Shinobu as an excuse to avoid raising any suspicion. However, what she didn't realize was that Shinobu was actually spending time with Muichiro at that very moment.

“Crap…” Y/n muttered a curse under her breath, uncertain whether Muichiro had seen through her lie or had deduced her true intentions due to his sharp observational skills.

After ending the call, Y/n quickly sent a text message to Shinobu, requesting a favor. She asked Shinobu to cover for her in case Muichiro asked about her whereabouts, requesting Shinobu to say that she was with her. Y/n hoped that this would provide a plausible explanation and alleviate any suspicions Muichiro might have.

Receiving the text, Shinobu's laughter echoed through the air as she read Y/n's message, clearly amused by the amusing scenario unfolding. Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she shared the message with Muichiro.

“Can nee-san be doing something illegal- Is that why-..” Muichiro's eyes widened in surprise at the sudden dark thought that crossed his mind.

"No, no, that's not it at all. I highly doubt Y/n would be involved in anything illegal.” Shinobu's laughter continued, her hands swaying dismissively.

“… Right.” He shook his head quickly, dismissing the idea.

Shinobu's amusement was evident in her expression and demeanor. She found the unfolding scene between Muichiro and Y/n to be quite entertaining, appreciating the playfulness and lightheartedness of the moment. As she observed the interaction, she couldn't help but feel a fondness for the bond shared between the two siblings.

Both Y/n and Muichiro were completely unaware of each other's true intentions, which only added to the adorable and heartwarming nature of the situation. Both of them were fully focused on creating a special surprise for the other, and their determination to keep it a secret only added to the charm of the moment.

After settling the present to Y/n, Muichiro went back home, his heart skipped a beat as he entered the house and was met with the surprising sight of Y/n standing there, holding a wrapped box in her hand. The shock was mirrored in both their expressions, and for a moment, silence enveloped the room, filling it with a sense of anticipation and curiosity.

Muichiro found his voice first, his eyes widening slightly. "Nee-san, what... what is that?" he asked, gesturing towards the wrapped box in her hand.

Y/n blinked; her surprise evident. "I could ask you the same thing, Muichiro. What's in your hands?" she responded, her voice filled with a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

Realizing the coincidental situation, they found themselves in, Muichiro and Y/n couldn't help but exchange a brief moment of laughter, the tension dissipating as they shared the realization that they had both prepared surprises for each other.

Breaking the silence, Y/n spoke with a sheepish smile. "I... I was actually preparing a surprise gift for your birthday. I had no idea you had one for me as well."

"It's still a surprise until I unwrap that box.” Muichiro replied.

“Sadly, I couldn't do the same for mine," He added, his words expressed with a tinge of disappointment, recognizing that Y/n would be able to see his gift as he couldn't wrap it.

"For you, nee-san." He revealed a beautifully crafted bracelet with simple yet elegant designs and handing it to Y/n.

Y/n's eyes softened as she received the beautifully crafted bracelet from Muichiro. Her gaze shifted from the gift to her brother, a mixture of gratitude and affection in her expression. "Thank you, Muichiro," she said, her voice filled with warmth and appreciation.

"I'm glad you like it, nee-san," Muichiro responded, his voice filled with sincerity. "I wanted to choose something that would remind you of our bond and the love we share as siblings. Every time you wear it, I hope it serves as a constant reminder of how special you are to me."

Y/n nodded, a soft smile gracing her face. "You'll have to wait until your birthday to see your gift, though," she teased playfully.

"I'm sure it's a wonderful surprise, and I can't wait to see once I unwrap it."

#muichiro x y/n #demon slayer kimetsu no yaiba #fanfiction #muichiro x reader #muichiro tokito #demon slayer #kimetsu no yaiba #one shot #female reader #x reader #fluff #requested #platonic #kny x reader #kny x you #anime x reader #demon slayer x reader #anime x y/n #demon slayer x y/n #demon slayer x you #kny muichiro #muichiro x you #kimetsu muichiro #kny x y/n #mist hashira #kimetsu no yaiba hashira #kny hashira

[nevermeyers]

» Comforting you scenarios

— featuring: izana kurokawa, rindou haitani, ran haitani, sanzu haruchiyo

— gender neutral, no skin color mentioned, no weight or height references. no general warnings; blood and weapons are mentioned in Sanzu's part.

— fluff, hurt&comfort

— Izana Kurokawa: Izana has never been good with emotions. Maybe that's why he hates them, because he is able to feel them in other people to the point of getting overwhelmed and walking away. Izana feels too much and the first thing he does when he notices that you're not okay is stand still, looking at you without an expression.

He may not understand you as well as someone else would, he may not even be the best at comforting people, and he'll torture himself for it by not feeling good enough for you. However, he tries. If it's about you, he will always be trying to change, understand you and understand himself. So he takes you by the hand and you sit together on his couch.

"Look, when I feel bad..." he says, looking at the fish tank on the counter across from him. "... I just look at them. They're colorful, and all of that"

He hasn't let go of your hand. You notice the tension in his body, which he tightens without realizing it. You nod slowly, your face still sticky with tears. Izana's profile is also nice to look at, with his upturned nose and a curl falling across his forehead. So, you look at the fish tank. You count five of them in your head and you can see your reflection, as well as Izana, who is looking intently at the animals.

The fish move slowly in their artificial habitat. Their colors are bright and their tiny black eyes stare at you with curiosity. Reds, blues, intense magenta, precious hues enclosed in small bodies that harmonize in a constant coming and going in the water. The bottom of the tank is decorated with artificial algae and stones, logs with holes for them to hide, also starfish figures. You know Izana takes great care of his fish.

The quiet sound of bubbles accompanied Izana's words. "I don't know what you're going through, but I'll be here, okay?"

Looking at Izana was as relaxing as looking at the fish. He's always so careful when you're together. He invites you to lay your head on his shoulder and you do. "I don't want you to be alone," he finishes, raising your hand to kiss the back of it. He surrounds your body with his arm, gently touching your waist to get closer to him. And he leaves another kiss on your head.

Izana stayed by your side all afternoon, surreptitiously watching you through the reflection of the tank.

— Rindou Haitani: The first thing Rindou received was a message. The second thing that happened was that he was at your door, ringing the bell like the world was ending.

Even if you told him it was no big deal, he insisted that you needed a break from whatever you were doing. What was unexpected was that you burst into tears while he was picking up the things you had been working on. Rindou turned to you when he heard a tiny sob and you instantly covered your face, turning your back on him.

Rindou didn't hesitate for a single moment to approach you, so worried that he didn't take into account that you might not want to have physical contact. Still, that was all you ever needed, and your boyfriend gave it to you without you having to ask. It was something as simple as it was beautiful, a gesture of affection that other people gave as if it were nothing: Rindou hugged you.

Rindou's hugs are different from the rest. He starts out soft, because he doesn't know if you're comfortable with that, and then when you rest your forehead on his shoulder and cry at him, he hugs you tighter.

His hands move past your waist, running up and down your back. You never knew what caress was until your boyfriend showed it to you the first time he hugged you, early in your relationship. And the rest of the times were as unique as they were special, because only he could make you melt like that.

“It's okay, I promise. I'm here, I'm here for you...” he says, pressing his nose to your hair, he places a kiss on your head. “You always try so hard... You have to take care of yourself too, you know?”

His body fits yours perfectly. You put your hands near his shoulder blades, you don't want to let go, you don't want him to let go. Maybe Rindou is right and you are overexploiting yourself.

"You need to rest, come on," he whispers, without letting you go. He only pulls back a bit to grab your face, watching you closely “Let me take care of you”

Rindou has always been like this. If you have a problem, he doesn't hesitate to make you a meal, to clean your house a bit for when you come back from doing your chores. He knows where the spare set of keys is, under the mat at the entrance, and sometimes he waits for you inside, without even warning, just to see your excited little face.

He loves pampering you. He loves spending time with you and taking care of you, although many times he doesn't admit how much he likes being by your side, simply sharing the silence. He could look at you for hours, caressing you without saying anything, just thinking how wonderful you are and how lucky he was to meet you. That's why it hurts him that you're having a hard time and that you don't tell him.

Rindou has the best solutions for emotional exhaustion and in just a few minutes you are both lying on the bed. He has brought the Nintendo Switch that you gave him for his birthday and from which he has not taken off until then. He likes video games and spends most of his free time playing them.

His comfort game is Mario Kart and he likes to share it with you. You cuddle up together, taking the red and blue controls, but his arm stays over your shoulders for a while, touching your hair softly. That would be enough to distract you from reality for at least a while.

"There's that smile I know and love" He laughs, touching your side to make you laugh, when you left him behind in the game. “It looks so good on you”

Rindou loves to make you smile with his little details. Sometimes he buys you flowers on days that aren't special, except that they are for him, just to see your expression of happiness. Take you by the hand on the street and turn you around, as if he were dancing with you, when you go together through a park, on a night walk. He is so considerate that his heart aches every time he sees that you are not fine, when he believes that he cannot do anything about it.

"I wish I could make you smile more," he whispers, afraid of not being enough.

— Ran Haitani: Ran has always been a very quiet boy. However, that calm look doesn't determine what happens inside him when he opens the door of his apartment and finds you on the other side, with your face streaked with wet traces as a result of tears.

He frowns, he looks you up and down before letting you in, but he doesn't say anything. Even when the minutes pass and he offers you a cup of tea, he doesn't ask. He is respectful of whatever is on your mind and he will never pressure you to tell him what is going on. Still, he is quite a perceptive person. He can imagine what it is.

Maybe it was that test you said you studied so hard for, and he hates it when your effort doesn't result in the goals you have; Or maybe you went shopping at the mall and couldn't find sizes for the clothes you liked. On the other hand, your boyfriend is clear that if the reason for your sadness is that someone hurt you, he will destroy them and leave them tied to a post in the middle of the road, but he won't say it, not out loud.

“It doesn't matter what it is about. Stay a while longer, please,” he asks, when you apologize for showing up. Ran takes your hand and squeezes lightly, making you sit down next to him on the sofa in the living room.

The light enters through the window, illuminating your face while you try not to let the sadness show in your expression. You try not to worry him, but his presence calms you down. That is exactly why you searched for it. Your boyfriend is someone you can be yourself with, knowing that he won't judge you, that he won't pressure you to talk. Ran is attentive and delicate, he doesn't let go of your hand and he offers you some pastries that he bought that same morning at the supermarket.

You manage to entertain yourself with him for a while. You both had lunch. You would do it quietly if Ran wasn't so nice to you. He starts telling you about other things to help distract you and make you smile. He tells you about a new hair product that he thinks will work great for you, as he slowly walks over to you to put his arms around your shoulders and pull you towards him. You allow yourself to be hugged affectionately by Ran, closing your eyes and listening to him speak. "Also, I went to buy some masks from a Korean brand that I discovered through a YouTube video, do you want us to try them together?"

Spending time with Ran was the best thing in the world. He made you feel special and unique with his gestures, with the things that you only shared with each other and no one else. You end up sitting on his bed, facing each other. You place the mask on Ran's flawless skin, stroking his features to better adhere it to his face. He wears his hair down and when he opens his eyes, he looks at you with that spark of love. Sometimes you wonder what you did to deserve him.

You try to smile, a pang of concern in your chest. That note in the exam, that size of more or less in the store, continue to affect you. Ran is aware of this and holds your chin when you are about to break. He respects your limits, yeah, precisely because he knows where they are. He can't stand to see how you keep things so as not to bother him.

“Hey, it's okay,” he says, stroking your cheek. “Everything will be alright, I promise you, babe”

You nod, apologizing again. You can't help but lower your head as your tears spill again. You're so embarrassed about this. You hug yourself, looking for that harmful comfort that being alone gives you. But, Ran won't let you face things alone. Even if he knows you'll be slow to tell him what's going on. He walks over to you and wraps you in a soft hug. You let yourself be done, while he accommodates you next to him. Ran sits up with his back against a cushion, with you lying next to him. He takes one of your hands and places it on his chest, caressing your side. He cocks his head to the side to press a kiss into your hair.

"It's okay," he repeats, because he's not a genius with his words, but he tries. “I know you try and that's enough, you are enough. I love you”

You feel the beating of his heart on the other side of the fabric of his shirt.

— Sanzu Haruchiyo: Sanzu's blue eyes darken rapidly. “I'll kill whoever did this to you,” he growls, grabbing your wrist to drag you into his apartment.

You sniff, smiling weakly. Sanzu is so abrupt that he barely even noticed you didn't take off your shoes when you entered. He just pulls you into his room, not caring what the fuck is going on outside. Your hair is soaked with rain, you have a small scratch on your cheek from slipping in a puddle and falling to the ground. You try to say something, but you don't know what. He sits you on his bed and looks at you intently, you can see a hint of deep concern in his eyes. As much as Sanzu tries to come across as a tough guy, the truth is that he easily gets emotionally overloaded.

“What happened?” Sanzu asks, grabbing your face gently. Those hands had touched guns and knives, dripped blood on the floor, and yet he touches you like you're made of cotton. “You can tell me, I'm here for you”

Your boyfriend always cares about you, maybe a little too much sometimes, but he always makes sure you're okay. You know that if you don't tell him what's going on with you, he'll most likely jump to his own conclusions and do something crazy. So you do, you tell him in a small voice what happened.

And he listens to you, kneeling in front of you, stroking your hands and nodding silently, giving you space to speak, without interrupting. He looks at you fondly, he squeezes your hand every time he hears your voice break and he sees those pearls of tears spilling down your face. When you cry, he gets up and cups your cheeks, gently brushing away the tears with his thumbs.

"Okay, okay, don't cry," he says, tucking a lock of your hair behind your ear. “We're gonna get out of this, okay? Let's fix it, together we can do it”

Sanzu is ready for anything. He seems to be the kind of guy who will drop everything he's doing to pay attention to you. You are his world, the first person who knew how to see who he really was, the first person who knew how to appreciate and love him even with all those scars, those inside and those outside. Sanzu will never forget all the times he felt good by your side, the first and the last, the beautiful ones and the difficult ones, and he won't let you down no matter what.

He places a kiss on your forehead, and kneels again. He grabs your ankles and takes off your shoes as he thinks of something to make you feel better, before coming up with a solution. The first thing was to make sure your tears stopped falling.

"You're stronger than you think, you know?” he says, taking off your shoes and setting them aside. Then he will clean up what has been dirty. “But, it's okay to cry. Don't cover yourself.” He smiles, seeing that you put your hands to your face to hide.

So, he leaves you space. It's subtle, he doesn't say it directly, but he wants you to think about it alone before talking more in depth. Sanzu takes advantage of those minutes to give you a towel and clean the floor that has been dirty with your shoes. The air smells good and his room is as neat and clean as ever. His bed has that pink stuffed animal you gave him for his last birthday. Sanzu and you love pink things and between the two of you you have a great collection. The memory of you two buying matching keychains made you smile. He is truly wonderful.

When he comes back, he gives you one of his sweatshirts. You stop smelling like rain and cold to smell like him. You know he smokes sometimes, but he only does it in his work clothes and tries not to bother you with the smoke. That's why his clothes smell good, they smell like fabric softener from the washing machine that leaves fabrics soft and comfortable.

"Do you feel comfortable in that?" he says, putting a hand on your knee. “It looks good on you.” He points to the sweatshirt.

You nod, thanking him for the gesture. Sanzu smiles and grabs the stuffed animal to put it on your head. He tilts his head, touched, and grabs your face. He runs his thumbs down your damp cheeks, touching the tip of your nose with his. "Remember you can do anything," he encourages you.

Little kisses spread across your cheeks. Sanzu laughs as the stuffed animal falls to the side.

©nevermeyers, do not copy, use or steal

#tokyo revengers #izana kurokawa #ran haitani #rindou haitani #haitani brothers #sanzu haruchiyo #@meyers #@meyerswrites #sanzu fluff #izana fluff #rindou fluff #haruchiyo sanzu #haitani rindou #rindou x reader #rindou x you #izana imagines #sanzu scenarios #tokyo revengers scenarios #rindou scenarios #sanzu x y/n #sanzu x reader #sanzu x you #rindou x y/n #izana x reader #izana x you #ran and rindou #haitani ran #ran x reader #ran x you #ran haitani x reader

[eternally-smitten]

Drabblecember - Hot Coffee

pairing: Natalie x Herbert West

summary: Natalie makes Herbert a hot cup of coffee while he's working

word count: 584

author's note: I told myself I would stay consistent with this event and did I? No I'm a week late now LOL. Better late than never I guess!

banner credit: mewryn

Herbert had hidden himself away in the basement to work yet again. This was normal for him, though. Even in days when he invited Natalie over for company. 

“Company” was not a word that he was used to, so more often than not, he left Natalie alone upstairs or with Daniel while he studied. 

While he did this, Herbert often neglected himself and others. On multiple occasions, he had forgotten to eat or grab himself a glass of water. Lately, he's been down there so often that six hours could pass him by and he wouldn't even notice. He was that passionate and focused on his work. 

And Natalie, as supportive as she could be with his interests, worried about him slightly. She never wanted to nag or lecture him but she was also concerned with whether he was taking care of himself or not. So, whenever she was over, she would just silently do things for him and not bring attention to it. 

It started small, like her simply bringing snacks over and setting them on the table in the kitchen. Then, she would get a bowl or a plate for said snacks and sneak down into the basement to set it on the steps. Later, she would start making full meals for them and leaving them right by him all while being careful not to interfere with whatever he was doing. It seemed to work although Natalie never knew if he noticed them or not.

Once again, today was no different. Not knowing what else to do, Natalie fixed herself a drink but paused. She wondered if Herbert had anything to drink since he ran down to his little lair. So, she grabbed an extra mug and fixed him a cup of coffee in the way he liked it best. Then, she carefully opened the door to the basement and traveled down into the darkness.

“Hey,” Her voice was soft so that she didn't startle him. 

He turned back in his seat and acknowledged her with a nod, “Hmm? What?”

She placed the hot mug next to him and gestured towards it, “It's for you. Coffee. I figured you could use it.”

“Oh, thanks.” He said flatly before taking a slow sip of it.

Natalie gave him a small smile before turning to leave him be like she usually did but Herbert reached out and gently grabbed her arm.

“You don't need to go just yet. I'm not shooing you away.”

“Oh, alright.” She couldn't hide the smile that was slowly forming. He didn't know just how much she missed him when he was this involved in his experiments.

“Thank you for the coffee.” Herbert said, turning back to his notes, “And all the other little items you leave for me. Your efforts are appreciated greatly.”

“I'm glad.” Natalie peeked over at his notes out of curiosity, “I just wanted to make sure you were taken care of.”

He hummed at that, “Guess I don't have to worry about that thanks to you.”

Natalie stayed for a little while longer to have a short conversation with Herbert. It was nice to be able to talk to him while he was in his workspace. In her head, she made a mini mental list of the next few items she would go out of her way to buy just to make sure he had something to snack on whenever he did this again. Who knew a simple cup of coffee could matter so much? 

#my stuff ♡ #🫀꒦꒷alive again꒷꒦🧪 #self ship fanfiction #ok to rb! #drabblecember2023

[deejadabbles]

Don't mind me, just trying my hand at more new characters, I hope I did your man justice @wings-and-beskar 💛 (there's a dash of suggestive dialogue but no other warnings to worry about)

"I didn't know you had a secret admirer," came a voice along with a colorful mass taking over your field of vision, startling you from your work.

It took you a moment to not only register what your coworker said, but what they had shoved in front of you: a rather large bouquet of flowers. Some of the blooms you recognized, others were an exotic mystery, but all filled your little work space with a wonderful, peaceful aroma. And there, nestled between two stems of your favorite flower, was a card sporting your name, written in neat script.

"Lucky," huffed the woman who brought them to you, "my boyfriend never gets me flowers."

"You do realize her man is like- constantly off world, risking his life day in and day out, right?" Another coworker said, causing the former to huff again and walk off without another word.

After shooting your friend a grateful smile, you turned back to the floral arrangement, feeling your heart and stomach getting lighter as you reached for the card.

It wasn't his handwriting inside, of course, but the words were so uniquely his that his voice was practically in your ear as you read it.

"Mesh'la,

I thought sending you flowers would be a nice, simple gesture for today, but you know me, nothing worth doing should be done half-assed. So instead of just getting you some roses, I did a bit of research and I think these say all they need to. About how I see you and how I feel.

The red ones are from Naboo, legend says that they were given to their first Queen, for her wisdom and kindness.

The pink are found on a little colony in the mid rim, growing, thriving, and remaining beautiful in even the harshest conditions.

The purple ones, according to Pantoran traditions, you're only meant to give those to someone who has completely and wholly stolen your heart.

And lastly, I had to include your personal favorite, because the things you love are important to me.

-Yours, forever, Cody."

By the time you were done reading your face was burning with a racing heart.

Work could wait, such a lovely gift couldn't go unanswered. After finding a nice private spot (or as private as you could manage at work) you pulled out your commlink. If he couldn't answer then at least you could leave him a message.

Apparently the Maker was a romantic, because by some stroke of luck, you caught him during one of his manageable moments.

"I take it my gift arrived?" Came his voice and it sent a pleasant shiver through you.

"It did. I- Cody I don't even know what to say, they're amazing."

There was the smallest crackling sound on his end, as if exhaling in relief, "Only the best for you, beautiful."

"How did you pull it off? I know being a trooper doesn't exactly pay well." And the thought of how much the gift would have cost was too much, he knew you loved him regardless of fancy tokens.

"Let's just say I called in a favor or two. Being a Marshal Commander has it's perks, you know.... I just wish I could have given them to you in person."

And there your heart went again, doing little somersaults in your chest. "Don't worry, there's plenty more we can do in person."

That got a chuckle, the low, sultry one that definitely should have been illegal, given it's effect on you. "Oh, I have plans for that too, I-"

He was interrupted by the sound of a distant voice and you to tried to ignore that little shot of pain that went through your chest. His rank had its perks, but even more burdens.

"I'll let you get back to work, I just wanted to hear your voice and say thank you."

"I'm glad you did, and I'll see if I can get some more time to talk later. But for now, Happy Birthday, mesh'la, I love you."

#deeja writes

[windrush-child]

Love In The Dark 2

A fateful encounter between you and a fearless racing driver turns your whole life upside down. This is the story of a blossoming love affair, in the shadows of a loveless marriage.

Disclaimer - This story will contain descriptions of domestic violence and general adult content. 18+. More work

It smells like rubber, gasoline and hot asphalt. Exactly how you imagined it. What you did not anticipate was the level of noise, however, and the sheer number of busy people running around in the paddock - photographers, reporters, mechanics and other competent looking people with glasses and clipboards, all agitatedly speaking into their mobile phones (or even walkie-talkies!). Alright, this is exciting, you've got to admit. You would've never guessed in a million years that there's so much going on at the circuit a day before the race has even started. Thank goodness you didn't stay at the hotel like you originally wanted to. Of course, it's a little bit intimidating to be right in the middle of it - But nevertheless, there's so much to see, so many garages and cars to explore and entertaining conversations to eavesdrop on. And the best thing about it? You get to do it all by yourself. No husband, nobody that could possibly disturb your peace today. You take a deep breath - what a beautiful morning. It turns out to be not quite as simple as you hoped, though. While you dreamily glance at a driver walking by - a handsome, young man in a red race suit - someone puts a hand on your arm. It takes all of your willpower not to squirm away right then. "Mrs Waltz, I knew I recognised you," a voice says from behind. "What a surprise to see you here!" Oh no. You identify the man's voice before you've even turned around. Greg Maffei, one of the chief executives of Liberty Media, and a good friend of your husband. You got to meet each other at New Years dinner this year, unfortunately. Not even a second has passed after you've uttered a Nice to see you before he interrupts you again. "Is Josef here? I haven't seen the guy in so long." he says with a dramatic gesture of his hand, the obnoxious American accent as thick as ever. "No, he is not. He's flying in tomorrow night." you answer politely, but the restrained smile on your face can only do so much to hide your contempt. The old fart is far too self-absorbed to notice, though. After you've managed to escape the conversation more or less elegantly, you take off the pass that has been dangling around your neck and stuff it into the bottom of your handbag - you're not here to talk about your bloody husband, and therefore, no one needs to see the name that's written on the thing.

Around lunchtime the paddock mayhem has quieted down a little, thankfully. Most people are sitting inside the media rooms or at one of the high end bistros, probably snacking on some expensive champagne and a spoonful of caviar. The thought is so silly that it makes you giggle. Either way, it gives you the chance to finally do the thing you've been waiting to do ever since you arrived in Monza - that is, seeing the Silver Arrows up close. The team's garage is not very easily accessible, you've already realised earlier. There's always a small army of mechanics or engineers present, and half a dozen of photographers and pundits. But, as luck would have it, they've left their post for a moment - As you quietly stalk towards the garage, one of the two Mercedes cars stands unguarded, beautifully gleaming in the sunlight that reaches through the doors. What a stunning machine, and it looks so different from what you remember. It doesn't even matter that you don't know the first thing about race cars - you simply can not tear your eyes off of it. So much so that you haven't noticed the man who's been staring you down from across the garage. "Don’t bother taking notes, it’s slow." he says with a smirk, as your heart nearly jumps out of your ribcage. You’re already opening your mouth to apologise, but out comes only a stutter when you turn to face him - No, it can’t be, can it? He’s leaning against a work desk, arms crossed in front of his chest, clearly amused by your befuddlement as he chews his bubble gum. You blink at him in disbelief, at this breathtaking stunner of a man, built like he was carved out of marble by Michelangelo himself, smiling at you like he can tell exactly what’s going through your mind - God, you hope he can’t, otherwise you’ll have to pray for the ground to open up beneath your feet. He looks so different; nothing like the half-grown boy you saw on TV years ago. He squints his eyes at you and suddenly steps closer. “Where’s your paddock pass, by the way? You’re gonna get in trouble for that.” Your eyes widen. “No, no, it’s just a misunderstanding, I’ve got-” “Hey, I’m kidding.” he laughs, shows a little tooth gap when doing so. “You can keep looking, don’t worry.” Oh. Well that was a little mean of him. You can’t seem to hold back your flustered smile, though. "...Right.” you say, and already know your face is blushing beyond rescue. “It’s, uhm, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Sir… Hamilton. Big fan.” Oh god. “Pleasure’s all mine.” he says and grins a bit wider. “Lewis is just fine, by the way...” You’re very thankful that he decides not to tease you further. For just a moment, the driver lets his curiosity get the best of him as he eyes you up and down. A flowy, light jumpsuit by Burberry and Louboutins - it’s evident to him you’re not just any fan that snuck into the garage. “What’s your name? And may I ask, who do you work for?” Shit. “Uh, I’m here because of the sponsorship event tomorrow night. I work for the press,” you lie, hoping it sounds somewhat plausible. “My name’s Rue.” At least this one’s a half truth - it’s your nickname, and he doesn’t have to know the rest. To your luck, Lewis doesn’t dig further into it. He only hums and repeats your name to himself - and makes your face go even redder than it was. “That means I’ll get to see you again tomorrow?” he asks, a hint of mischief in his big, brown eyes. Is he flirting with you? “I’m invited to the dinner, too.” Deep inside your stomach, you can feel a warm tingle. “Yes, so it seems.” you answer, quietly. Your eyes linger on the driver's for just a bit too long.

---

You're at your third glass of white wine of the night when you spot him standing at the bar. Lewis Hamilton, surrounded by a group of mesmerised people, despite not even winning the race today - but you get the feeling it doesn't really matter. For a little while, you keep watching him from where you're standing, nervously playing with your necklace without meaning to. You glance over to your husband, who's in an animated conversation with a couple of his very important friends and business partners at the lounge - They’re drunk, of course. Last time you heard them they were talking about going for another round of drinks in downtown Monza. They've all had their fair share of alcohol already from the point they finished up the sponsorship deal, but who are you to stop them? Your eyes find their way back to the Mercedes driver. Maybe, just for a minute, you could go over and say hello. Just very quickly before you leave, your husband won't think ill of it if you keep it short. You've spent enough time talking to uninteresting wives of even more uninteresting businessmen, right? What if he doesn't even remember my name?, you worry as you approach him - but your doubts disappear into thin air as soon as Lewis locks eyes with you. He excuses himself and gets up with smile. You hold your breath when you can see him clearly for the first time tonight - He looks immaculate, dressed in a sharp, all-black suit and pearls around his neck and on his ears, his braids pulled back into a neat bun. "I've been looking for you," he says, and as he leans down to greet you with a kiss to the cheek, you take in the enticing smell of his perfume. You have to close your eyes for a second - Keep it together, now. "Is that so?" you say, mirroring his smile. "I just wanted to thank you for letting me take a look at your car yesterday." "Oh, there's no need to." he returns. "I know the engineers get a little fussy about it, but as long as you don't take any bits off of it, there's no harm done." he jokes, while signaling something to the bartender. "Would you like to have a glass of red wine with me? They make an excellent one in Italy, apparently." A grin takes over your face before any doubts about the idea can creep into your mind. "Apparently? Have you never tasted Italian red wine before?" you ask, surprised, as the server already passes the glass to you. "No, I hate red wine." Lewis nonchalantly admits before he takes a sip. "Hm. Yeah, still don't like it." You burst out into a giggle - the man is a bit goofy, after all.

Quickly, you glance over your shoulder before you put the wine to your lips. There's no trace of your husband and his friends, not at the lounge, not at the bar. Have they left the place? You weigh your options, but in the end don't want to overstrain your husband's benevolence. He could be back soon - what if he returns to your hotel room and you're not there? It's best you finish your drink, say a polite thank you to the driver and call it a night. Don't take the risk. "Rue?" Lewis pulls you out of your thoughts when he sees lines of worry on your face. He looks at you expectantly, with those kind, brown eyes of his. They make it incredibly hard to come up with an answer. "Oh, it's nothing." You take the last sip of wine. "I just have to be up early in the morning. I better get back to the hotel soon, you know." You could swear there's a hint of disappointment on Lewis' face, even if he's trying to hide it. "Oh, I see..." he says, "Let me at least take you downstairs," he suggests and offers you an arm. Glady, you accept - although there was really no way you would've said no.

The cool night air makes the hairs on your arm stand as you walk through the garden, and you hold on to Lewis a bit tighter. You wish the short path towards the taxi stands was longer, at least one mile or two, because you can't bear the thought of having to let go of the driver now, to return to your hotel room into bed with a man you did not love. Who did not love you. The way Lewis pulls you in just a little closer when he realises you're shivering feels so cruel, and when he takes your hand as you stop a few feet from the parking lot, your heart nearly breaks into pieces. You'll have to find the strength to let go of him, to pull your hand away before it's too late. "I didn't get to say it earlier, but I really love your dress. It looks beautiful on you," he says. "Givenchy, isn’t it?" he adds and lets his eyes wander a bit. Wow. "How can you tell?" you ask, genuinely taken by surprise. "I know a thing or two about fashion," he smiles, and when his gaze roams from your décolleté over to your neck, before it stops at your lips, your skin begins to feel hot all over.

It is too late; it has been from the point he first laid his eyes on you in the garage. You don't shy away when he puts his palm on your cheek, when he lowers his head until you’re breathing the same air. He was about to ask for permission, whisper a may I? But in the end, he doesn't have to. You dare to place your hands on his neck as your heartbeat thumps in your ears, helped by the sweet wine in your system, and press your lips to his. By instinct his hands find their way around your waist, easily pulling you into his strong body. And when you let your tongue slip past his lips to taste him, he moans lowly into the kiss - it drives you insane. You're breathless when you pull away, flushed in the face. His big hands on you, his taste and his scent, far too intoxicating to handle. Fuck, you have to let go, right now, have to get into a cab or else this won't end well. "Lewis, I-" you suddenly stutter, and can't hide the panicked crack in your voice. "I have to go," you say as he's still holding you, trying hard to avoid his gaze. Puzzled, he lets go, and instantly takes a step back. "Did I do something to upset you?" he asks, worried, but you shake your head. "No! I mean- no, you didn't." you return and clear your voice, "I promise it's nothing, you haven't upset me. I just... I really can't stay any longer." He blinks at you, and pensively presses his lips together. There’s a long pause before he speaks again. "I suppose there's also no reason you've taken off your wedding ring, right?" You can feel your stomach drop as the words leave his mouth. "You wore it yesterday, I saw it." Lewis adds. Your lips part in defence, but not a single noise comes out. "Look, I know you don't work for the press. I'm on a first name basis with every journalist in the paddock," he begins, while a rush of shame colours you deep red. "I also know that you're the wife of the Emirates guy - Waltz is his name, right?" Your eyes are on the ground as you nod, silent, can't stand to see the disappointment on his face. It's probably best for everyone involved if you leave, now, and never bother him again. I'm sorry you whisper, but just when you're about to turn away, Lewis stops you in your tracks. "Hey- please, wait." he says, as his hands find the side of your neck. "Listen, I don't care about what's going on in your marriage. If I'm being honest, I don't even care that you're married in the first place." With that, you're looking up into his eyes again. "You're a stunning woman. I've been thinking it since I saw you at the track yesterday. Honestly, you drive me a little bit crazy." he says and smirks, "And I'm not gonna let some husband get in the way of that." Okay, that was incredibly cocky. He is a racing driver, after all. You bite your bottom lip in an attempt to hide your smile, but fail heroically. "I'm going to let you go," he says, "but when you're back in your hotel room, in your bed, I want you to consider the things I just told you." He comes closer, and your breath hitches in your throat. "Consider that you could be in a different bedroom instead. With a man who knows how to make you enjoy yourself." You swallow - and have to use all your might to ignore the heat between your legs. "And when you're done thinking about all that... get back to me." Lewis says, and his words don’t leave your mind for the rest of the night.

—-

@pedrohoe04

@mochachocolatteyaya

@capela-miranda

@iamasimpingh0e

#lewis hamilton #lewis hamilton x reader #lewis hamilton x you #lewis hamilton smut #lewis hamilton imagine #lewis hamilton fanfic

[perplexedflower]

In The Lap Of Luxury

Fandom: Ace Attorney.

Category: F/M.

Relationship: Dick Gumshoe x Female Reader.

Type: One shot.

Words: 10,056.

Summary: On most days, [Y/N] knows she can count on her best friend Maya to come through for her, whatever it is she needs help with, through whatever means necessary… and it would seem that includes pushing her to confess her awkward feelings to Dick.

Chronology: Any game.

~~~~~~~~~~

With a deep, heavy nose exhale, I grabbed the knob and turned it, opening the door to the office wide; I was tired, both emotionally and physically, and all I wanted at that instant, all I needed was the comfort of Phoenix's sofa. But as I silently made my way through the room, I noticed Maya was there, sitting in the very center of the couch, a hamburger in her hands.

"Oh, hey Maya." I said with a weakened smile as I turned to her.

"Hi, [Y/N]!" She exclaimed in return. "Hey, you look kinda sad... You want some of my burger? I bet that'll cheer you right up!"

"Heh, that's nice of you to offer, but no, thank you." I replied with a slow head shake, still smiling. "A few burger bites honestly aren't enough to bring my mood back up right now... I'd rather let you savor it all."

I looked down at her for a second before I gestured with my head slightly, pointing to her body with my chin.

"But, do you think I could join you on the sofa? I'm dying to rest up."

"Sure." She answered with a nod and a smile.

She proceeded to scoot over to the side a little, to make more room for me.

"Now, sit down! You can't expect me to leave my best friend standing all alone like that!"

"You're so sweet, cutie." I told her with a genuinely affectionate smile, her sheer and simple presence enough to already make me feel slightly better. "But, actually, you didn't have to move. I was thinking I'd lie down over you, if you don't mind that. That lap of yours looks real comfy and I was hoping I could rest my head there."

I took the time to ask her, but I already knew what her answer would be: Maya and I were very close friends who never feared sharing things with one another, including physical proximity, as we were both fond of hugs and never bothered by PDA.

"Ohoho... Is someone getting touchy?" She said teasingly with a sly grin. "But seriously, yeah, come on in, get comfy. I was actually expecting you to say that, considering how down you seem to be. I'll even cuddle with you if you want, since you're so cute."

Maya started to shift a bit, turning herself to the side to leave me more space to lie down on her lap comfortably.

"Thanks, you really are the best best friend anyone could have." I told her as I walked closer to the couch.

I lay down across the seats, my legs dangling over one of the armrests a little as the back of my head found Maya's lap: upon feeling it slowly sink into her warm legs, I closed my eyes and sighed out of relaxation.

"This feels good... Your lap always feels so relaxing..." I said softly. "I didn't expect to see you here at the office when I decided to head in, but I'm actually so glad you are. I kinda need comfort right about now, and I know for a fact your comfort is the best I could have hoped for."

Maya smirked as she bit into her hamburger, before she smiled warmly.

"You're welcome, cutie pie." She said in a soft, comforting tone. "I'm always glad to provide, it's the least I can do for my favorite girl in the world. But... why the sad face, though? You can tell me if something's happened."

I opened my eyes upon hearing her question, then gently sighed once more.

"Well... Can I tell you a secret?" I asked her as I looked up at her face above me.

She paused briefly, her mouth full of hamburger and her eyebrows raised; there was an expression of curiosity on her face as she looked right down at me.

"Of course, what's on your mind?" She asked me in return, an adorable smile on her face.

I kept quiet for a moment, lying still on my back as my eyes turned to the white ceiling high above my head, my gaze lost in nothingness.

"... I have feelings for Detective Gumshoe." I bluntly confessed in one breath, finally breaking the silence in the room.

Maya's head jolted back in genuine surprise as I revealed my secret.

"Gumshoe!?" She exclaimed with her mouth wide open in disbelief, almost dropping her hamburger in the process. "Why, you never said a thing!"

The young girl tried her best to calm down, though she could barely manage to control herself.

"Wait, does Gumshoe know?" She suddenly asked.

"No, no, of course he doesn't, no, that's precisely what the problem is, Maya..." I muttered as I covered my face with both of my hands. "That man is so dense, there's no way on Earth he could ever know simply from the way I behave around him, he doesn't pick up on anything... But at the same time, I'm not brave enough to be straightforward and tell him how I feel..."

I moved my fingers away from my mouth but kept them on my cheeks, which were now pink with blush.

"... So no, he doesn't know." I said with a sigh. "He probably doesn't have a single clue about how both my mind and my body get all tense when he's around me..."

Maya's mouth dropped open even more as I described my love story, and then she started to giggle.

"Oh, [Y/N]... This is priceless, really..." She said with a smile, her body shaking a little. "And I don't mean to laugh, but Gumshoe, of all people? Why him? Isn't he really dull-witted and clumsy?"

"Maya, please..." I said in an ashamed tone, my palms still covering my blushing cheeks. "I know it's true, but you don't have to state things like that..."

I finally removed my hands from my face, allowing me to open my eyes and look back up at Maya, a teasing grin on her face mixed with an expression of genuine confusion.

"Yes, Gumshoe is a little goofy... A little stupid at times, even... and he can be a bit of a mess, sometimes... but I love him, for who he is." I said sincerely. "I love him for his kindness, for his honesty, for his optimism, for his cheerfulness, for his generosity, for his silly humor, for his cute laugh, for his precious smile, and for-... well, for his physique, too..."

Maya chuckled and looked away as she tried not to laugh even harder.

"What do you mean, 'for his physique, too'?" She asked, her curiosity clearly getting the better of her. "Do you mean that you think he's hot and sexy?"

Her voice was progressively getting higher- and higher-pitched the longer she talked.

"Ohoho! [Y/N], is my best friend a pervert!?" She exclaimed teasingly.

"N-No I'm not- Shut up, Maya-" I stuttered slightly out of embarrassment.

I moved on her lap and turned my body to the side, my face now close to her stomach as I closed my eyes shut; for a few seconds, I did not say a word, the only sound in the room that of Maya giggling while she finished her hamburger.

"... He is hot and sexy... I don't just think it." I eventually said in a whisper as I pouted. "He's strong and muscular, with broad shoulders, a wide chest, toned legs, big hands, a square jaw, arms that must feel so warm to be into..."

"And I bet you're already picturing those hands on your body, aren't ya, you sneaky girl?" Maya teased me as she kept laughing. "And what about those big muscles of his? Do you already imagine him carrying you in his arms like a prince carrying a princess in those old Disney movies? And that broad chest, can you imagine your head resting right on top of those big pecs, [Y/N]? What a wonderful place to be, isn't it?"

I felt my entire body overheat as I curled up into a ball on her lap, my face growing entirely red from embarrassment and shame.

"M-Maya!" I awkwardly exclaimed while I turned around, restless.

But no matter how much I would protest, the truth was that she was right: my mind was filled with images of Dick, images I had already envisioned countless times before, images that were practically stored inside my brain.

"Hahaha! I bet you imagine all these things every time you see him!" Maya exclaimed as she kept on teasing me with a mischievous grin.

With her hamburger now finished and her hands free, she raised her arm and used her right index finger to poke my cheek, making me blush more in the process.

"And I bet you can imagine feeling those big, strong muscles of his hugging your body from the rear, and feeling his powerful, manly hands groping you in just the right places, as he whispers all kinds of steamy, naughty words right in your ear..."

I listened to her words without uttering a single one of my own, my embarrassment and racing thoughts preventing me from forming sentences; and as the pictures she painted in my mind became more and more suggestive, I simply could not help but feel a tingling sensation all over my body, my imagination running wild with lewd images.

"Ahaa, what's this?" Maya asked after noticing my reaction. "Could it be you like the way that sounds? That's not so bad, [Y/N], I won't judge... After all, what kind of girl wouldn't feel giddy at the thought of being caressed like that? What a naughty girl you are..."

She let out a giggle and raised her hand, poking me once again.

"Well, you should probably try to forget all this naughty stuff, or else you'll get too excited..." She said as she started to calm down a little. "How about we go back to talking about normal things, hm?"

"... Yes, please..." I replied in a quiet voice still filled with embarrassment. "Normal things..."

I progressively removed my hands from my face completely, revealing to Maya how much I was blushing and how awkward the look in my eyes was. I stared up at her smiling face, her expression playful and her eyes sparkling.

"I'm sorry for being all... like that." I started as I slightly motioned with my hands. "It's just... I can't help it, y'know? Gumshoe does that to me, and it's kind of a hard feeling to fight..."

"Don't feel bad, [Y/N]!" Maya exclaimed, her tone swaying between sincerity and amusement. "I mean, I can't blame you. Gumshoe is hot in his own way... I guess...? He may not have any brains, but he's totally a hunky, sexy man, especially as a detective, with that stylish trenchcoat of his."

"Hey, what have I told you about making comments about his intellect?" I said with a pout as my eyebrows furrowed. "Don't talk about him like he's a complete moron with no brain cells whatsoever, that's just mean and such an exaggeration... Besides, I've told you, I'm not just attracted to his body- I mean, yes, I do find him handsome, but there's so much more than just that, I love him as a human being, for everything that he is... y'know?"

"Alright, alright, I get it, he's your true love, your knight in shining armor, you'll always love him, you'll die for him, yadda yadda yadda..." She said sarcastically. "But then, why haven't you told him how you really feel yet? You said it yourself, he's totally incapable of recognizing the signs you give him... So why not simply say the big words out loud?"

"You say 'simply', but it's really far from simple, Maya..." I told her while I lowered my eyes.

I watched my hands gently fidget with my fingers as I took a deep breath, feelings of uncertainty and sorrow invading my mind from within.

"... I'm too scared to tell him I love him... too scared of rejection." I admitted with a sigh. "If I confess to him and he doesn't reciprocate my feelings- which I'm sure is what would happen, our friendship would be completely ruined... and it'd make working with him a real pain in the ass, since we would both be really awkward around each other from that point on..."

"C'mon, [Y/N], you two are already really good friends, so even if he does reject you, I'm sure nothing would change in your relationship." She said with a smile, trying to be reassuring. "But seriously... I refuse to believe he doesn't like you back, even if just a little. Are you really telling me there isn't even a single sign that he's into you? I mean, I see the way he looks at you, the way he talks to you... I see the way you two act around each other. So I'd say there's definitely some chemistry there!"

"He has chemistry with everyone, Maya... in one way or another." I started in a quiet voice, my cheeks slightly rosy. "I've never really noticed any difference in the way he looks at me compared to how he looks at everyone else... He's kind to everyone, it's just in his genes."

I continued to stare at my hands, at my fingers twisting around each other as I felt the blush on my cheeks intensify.

"... Though, I'll admit, when it comes to working criminal cases, he tends to agree to share information with me more easily than with you or Phoenix, even though I'm also part of the defense..." I said in a shy tone. "But I'm sure he has his own reasons..."

"Maybe he only shares information with you because he's more comfortable around you... or maybe because he knows you'll keep it all to yourself, while if he told Phoenix, he'd probably blab that to everyone in five seconds." She said jokingly. "But seriously, [Y/N]... He's always hanging around you, even outside of work, and he always acts very gentlemanly towards you, you can even see in his eyes that he cares about you. Do you truly not think there's something there?"

For a moment, silence came to settle in the office, neither of us saying a word, until I breathed a heavy sigh and brought my hands back to my face.

"Ughhh... I just don't know..." I let out in a desperate tone.

As I lay with my head still resting on Maya's lap, I closed my eyes and sought refuge in my mind, going back to being silent for a few more seconds.

"... You know, Maya, you're my best friend, and I adore you." I spoke up suddenly. "But right about now, I just wish I-"

I cut my sentence short upon feeling shyness and embarrassment take over me, my eyes widening while my skin reddened.

"... I just wish I could be lying on his lap..." I admitted with shame.

For a moment, Maya did not say anything in return, leaving the room quiet, and leaving me to wonder whether I had maybe said too much; or, worse, offended my best friend in some way.

"... Well, who says we can't make that happen?" She suddenly said in a surprisingly enthusiastic tone.

Her rhetorical question made me remove my hands from my face, and when I looked up at hers, I could see somewhat of a mischievous smile shaping her lips, her fists on her hips: I knew her well enough to know she had something in mind.

"What do you mean?" I inquired with a hint of suspicion.

"I mean, what if..."

She let the end of her question hang in the air for suspense while she reached for something inside her kimono, which turned out to be her phone.

"... I was to give Gumshoe a little call and get him to come here to the office right now?" She finished with a smirk, not even waiting for my response to start pressing buttons on her phone.

"M-Maya, no, wait-" I mumbled as I tried reaching for her hands.

But I was too slow for her: by the time I had already risen on the sofa from my lying position, Maya had already finished dialing Dick's number and brought the phone up to her right ear, a wide smile displayed on her face as she stared at me.

"... Detective Gumshoe? Yes, it's Maya Fey!" She exclaimed. "Hey, listen, I know it's kinda outta nowhere, but I was wondering if you'd be interested in swinging by Phoenix's office at the agency to... discuss the current case we're all working on! I mean, why not, right?"

It was clear as day, by the look on her face that she was enjoying herself, enjoying playing with my emotions as I watched, powerless.

"... Oh, it's going to be your lunch break right now? Well... you're in luck! 'Cause there's food here, plenty enough for you... food you wouldn't have to pay for... free food..."

After a second or two, she slightly pushed the phone away from her ear and leaned closer to me.

"He's thinking about it..." She whispered with a nod.

But before she could give him any time to actually consider the offer, she placed the phone back against her ear and cleared her throat.

"Oh, and... [Y/N]'s here with me, too." She said as she sent me a teasing wink. "... You'll come? Awesome! See you in a bit then! Bye!"

And with that, she hung up and stuffed her phone back inside her kimono, her lips pursed into a proud grin.

"... Maya, what have you done?" I said as I covered my face with my palms, my entire face red with embarrassment.

"I've done wonders." She replied, still grinning widely. "I've gotten you some nice quality time with your favorite detective."

An awkward silence permeated the room for a few seconds, until she turned to me and sighed with exaggerated exasperation.

"Oh, c'mon! What's wrong? You wanted him, didn't you?" She asked playfully, though with an ounce of seriousness.

"But after everything you and I said... After all the teasing you've made me sit through... I'm not gonna be able to look at him without... without blushing like a mess and stumbling on my words!" I exclaimed with shame. "I'm not gonna be able to talk to him without thinking of... and picturing all the dirty things you told me..."

"Is that such a bad thing?" She asked with a mischievous smile. "You're cute when you blush, and I'm sure you could use all that sweet awkwardness to your advantage..."

"Besides, you lied to him!" I continued without acknowledging her comments. "You told him we have food for lunch here, but we don't! We've got nothing to eat at the office!"

The two of us looked into each other's eyes as we both remained silent, Maya blinking a few times.

"... Shoot, you're right." She said in a slightly panicked tone.

She had barely finished speaking when she got up from the sofa and sprung on her feet, making her way to the door and out of the office.

"Well, I'm off to buy all three of us lunch, then!" She declared enthusiastically.

"You? Buy? With what money?"

"Yours." She answered with a wink as she pulled a wallet out of her kimono.

A wallet that looked suspiciously like mine.

"Hey, wait a minute!" I exclaimed as I frantically searched my pockets. "How did you-"

But before I could even finish my sentence, Maya had already walked out of the room and closed the door behind her, leaving me alone in the office.

"Maya, c'mon!" I called out to her, though I knew she was already too far gone to hear me. "Don't just leave me here on my own!"

And yet, there I was.

After a solid minute of solitude, my phone buzzed and on the screen appeared a text from my supposed best friend.

I closed my eyes and sighed heavily as I finished reading her series of texts.

"Goddamn it Maya..." I whispered to myself.

There was nothing I could do but wait; wait for her to come back, wait for Dick to arrive, wait for the stress to build up inside me. So, that was what I did. Reluctantly, I set my phone down beside me on the sofa and adjusted my body so that my side was against the right armrest. And I waited. In silence. My patience growing thinner and thinner with each minute passing. More and more thoughts flooding my mind as what felt like an eternity went by.

Until a knock on the door broke the silence oppressing me, a singular knock that both ended my misery and made it ten times worse.

There's no way this is Maya... I thought to myself. I haven't really kept track of time since she left, but it definitely hasn't been 30 minutes...

Before I had time to even turn around, the knock was quickly followed by the sound of the door opening wide, and my heart rate picked up at light speed.

"Heya, pals!" Dick's voice echoed behind me, his tone as enthusiastic as always.

"Good afternoon, Detective." I said with much less eagerness than him, my smile forced and my cheeks pink.

As he made his way to the center of the room, his eyes looked down at me and his brow furrowed.

"Maya's not here?" He asked with his head slightly tilted.

"Well- She's the one who called you earlier, and as you can probably see, there's also no food here..." I started in an awkward tone. "She promised you food for lunch but the truth is, she's on her way to go buy us food right now... So we just have to wait for her to come back..."

A short moment of silence settled between the two of us, and I was utterly too embarrassed to bring myself to look into his eyes.

"Oh... Alright then." He simply said.

"Sorry..." I let out in a soft whisper.

"Hey now, there's no need for ya to apologize, pal." He told me in an attempt to comfort me. "I can wait for her to come back, I don't mind. We'll be keeping each other company in the meantime, hm?"

I watched his lips shape into a warm smile as he buried his hands in the pockets of his trenchcoat, my gaze shy and as discreet as could be.

"And we can always start discussing the case without her, y'know? If anything that'd prolly be better, there are some things too confidential for her to know..."

He reached for the back of his head with his right hand as he chuckled, a low, affectionate chuckle that almost made me hold my breath.

"So anyway, don't sweat it out, alright, pal?" He said reassuringly.

"... Yeah..." I replied timidly with a slight nod. "... Thanks."

While still smiling, Dick approached the sofa opposite the one I was sitting on; the sofa whose existence I had quite frankly completely forgotten about since I had entered the office. And, somehow, seeing him not sit beside me, body against body, thigh against thigh, so close to each other on a single couch filled me to the brim with both relief and frustration.

"Now then, the case..." He started as he rested his back against the sofa. "Who's that second witness you and Wright paid a visit to yesterday, again?"

He asked me his question nonchalantly, as if completely unbothered by my reaction he seemingly did not pick up on, by my thoughts he thankfully did not have access to.

"Oh, right, you weren't there yesterday when we met up with him because it was so late in the evening." I said almost as to remind myself. "Well, Phoenix told me he'd let you know a few things about him and how our interrogation went, but knowing him and his dedication to the whole defense versus prosecution quarrel, I bet he hasn't actually told you much."

"He most certainly hasn't." He responded with a chuckle. "He did drop by the precinct this morning, but he didn't mention it to me at all, actually."With his legs slightly spread apart, each of his hands rested atop his knees, his palms hugging the fabric of his pants and his fingers relaxed.

"Not even a single mention?" I asked with a hint of surprise. "Maybe he simply forgot altogether, most things tend to slip his mind these days... Well, in any case, the witness had-"

I suddenly cut myself short, words no longer capable of slipping through my lips, as my eyes inexplicably went back to looking at his hands, as if on their own, as if out of instinct. And now that they had seen his hands, they were all I could see, all I could think of: his big, strong, manly hands, as Maya had described them to me. And the things she had said to tease me came back to haunt me.

I shifted on the sofa as I tried to look away, feeling my cheeks redden from the thought of Dick's hands on my body, feeling me up and down sensually, a thought that now clouded all others.

"Hum, s-so, Phoenix and I went to the, uh, crime scene yesterday... evening... a-and we saw the witness on the way, since he works there... but, um, you already k-know that..." I started as I awkwardly tumbled and stumbled on all of my words. "He's, hum, the victim's brother... y-younger brother..."

I had more to say, but all I could do at that moment was continue to stare at his hands on his lap as I prayed to God he would not notice what my eyes were looking at.

"Hm... Interesting." He said while nodding, showing no signs whatsoever of having picked up on my behavior, which was for the better, considering the situation. "So what about him?"

"W-Well..."

I took a short moment to clear my throat in an attempt to put a stop to my stammering, though the task seemed arduous, given the thoughts that were floating through my head.

"As you already know, he, hum, first showed up out of the blue during the first day of the trial, and his appearance and testimony are... actually what led to it being extended to another day. So, as you can probably imagine, Phoenix and I had some questions to ask him regarding what he possibly knows about the case as a whole. But, well... he wasn't actually all that, uh, cooperative, and he was very vague with his answers... We both think it's... kind of suspicious."

"So lemme get this straight..." He started as he tilted his head to the side, a focused expression in his eyes. "He was suspicious during his first testimony, right? As in, he was hiding stuff? And now you're tellin' me he still acted shifty during your encounter yesterday, like he still couldn't tell you everything? Yeah, if you ask me, that's not just suspicious, that sounds really damn suspicious."

"And that's not all." I started as I got up from the sofa. "Yesterday, after we were done interrogating him, he gave us something before leaving, a piece of evidence that should supposedly help us in our investigation... according to him."

As I said those words, I made my way to Phoenix's desk in one corner of the room, going around it to access the drawers; pulling open the top one, I extracted from it a thin security bag containing said evidence.

"But if you ask me, I think it's actually a red herring." I added as I stared down at the object in my hands. "I don't know why, and I can't explain why, but I just have a feeling he's trying to throw us off by giving us this..."

"And just what exactly is this 'piece of evidence' he gave ya?" He asked me while tilting his head, remaining seated on the couch but turning around to look at me. "And what's your reason exactly to be so skeptical about it?"

"See for yourself." I answered as I walked back to him, back to the two sofas, the bag in hand.

Once standing in front of him, I opened my palm and revealed to his eyes the evidence that was a locket necklace. But as he reached for it, as his fingers touched the plastic, both my body and my mind suddenly froze.

Oh no. Not again.

Just as I had finally managed to rid my brain of any thoughts involving Dick's hands, my eyes were now looking down at every other part of him: his right arm, raised towards me, his muscles concealed by his clothes yet still somewhat discernible, his large torso, slowly rising and falling with each breath he took, his legs, slightly spread open, not enough to be inappropriate but still enough for my thoughts to run wild, and that look on his face, that stare in his eyes.

And there I stood. In front of him. Motionless. Flushed. Silent. Still holding onto one end of the evidence bag, despite his fingers holding onto the other.

"... Hum, ya alright pal?" He asked me with a slight chuckle, one that expressed both amusement and confusion.

While his gaze never left mine for even a second, he seemed to not be perceiving what was happening between the two of us, and that, frankly, was for the better; but when he eventually took notice of how much I was blushing, his smile turned into a frown.

"Wait, you're not sick or somethin', are you?" He now asked me with audible concern. "You're lookin' a lil too beet red for it to just be room temperature..."

With that remark, I finally snapped back to reality and gulped before clearing my throat.

"N-No- I'm... I'm fine... don't worry." I struggled to say as I shook my head.

Without looking into his eyes, my head turned to the side, I let go of the evidence bag, leaving it in Dick's hand.

"I-It's probably just the hunger getting to me..." I said in an attempt to save myself.

This is so embarrassing. I thought to myself as I closed my eyes. Our interactions sometimes happen to be awkward, most of the time due to how flustered I can get around him, but this... this is just plain pathetic, I'm making such a fool of myself...

"Ha, I know the feeling, pal!"

While my eyes were still closed, I suddenly felt both of his hands land on my shoulders, which prompted me to quickly turn my gaze back to him.

"I know you're impatiently waiting for Maya to return with our food, but you gotta hang in there, [Y/N]." He told me with a beaming smile, a sparkle in his eyes. "I'd hate to see you starve on my watch."

I felt my body temperature rise exponentially as his hands gripped my shoulders without too much pressure, though enough to hold me in place; as I looked back into his eyes, my heart beating so furiously in my chest it hurt.

"I mean, can you imagine the amount of paperwork I'd have to fill to report a dead pal on duty?" He jokingly said while laughing.

"Haha... ha... yeah..." I let out as I awkwardly forced myself to laugh with him. "B-But seriously, Gumshoe, I'm alright... thanks for worrying about me, t-though..."

It was still incredibly hard for me to look him in the eyes when all I could think about were his hands on my shoulders: so hard, in fact, I had to divert my eyes slightly, and my gaze fell upon the evidence bag he had set down to his left on the sofa. Without a word, he stared at me for a moment, his eyes partially squinted and his head ever so slightly tilted, as if analyzing my behavior, as if he did not fully believe me.

"Hmm... You say that, but it don't change the fact you're still lookin' a little red..." He said with lingering concern.

Another moment of silence ensued, during which he was visibly deep in thought, the turning gears of his mind almost visible to the naked eye; until a gentle smile then appeared on his face after a minute or so, his eyes still locked into mine.

"... Y'know what, pal? I think you should probably sit down." He told me with a soft nod while he patted the seat on the couch to his right. "Even if ya say you're fine and all that, I'd say you still need to take a seat. You really look like you could use it, honestly."

My eyes opened wide right then and there; something Dick must have surely interpreted as yet another sign of my "sicken" state. In fact, I could feel that redness on my face he had mentioned intensify as I quickly raked my brain for something to say in response, a slight sense of panic growing inside me.

I can't sit next to him- I just can't do it- But it's not like I've never done it before- I mean, c'mon it's literally just sitting down beside him- I've sat next to him before, a shit ton of times- How is that hard? How is now any different? Except it is different- All I can think about right now is my discussion with Maya and my feelings for him-

But before I could utter even a single word in protest, I felt his remaining hand on my right shoulder strengthen its grasp, as if trying to move my body.

"C'mon, come here!"

Upon hearing these enthusiastically spoken words, I suddenly felt my upper body be pulled down and towards him: somehow, with the strength of only one hand, he was able to bring me close to him, guiding me to his right on the sofa. Flushed and speechless, I let him sit me down without a glance or a word.

"There ya go, [Y/N]." He said with a warm smile I caught in the corner of my eye while his left hand finally let go of my shoulder now that we were side by side.

His body was now right beside mine, his presence overwhelming on the couch that seemed oddly small all of a sudden, as if it had not been made for a man of his physique, his broad stature taking up all the space around me.

And still, I remained silent, unable to find anything to say. I was no longer hesitating between these mixed feelings of frustration and relief from earlier: now that it had been done, now that I was sitting next to him, I knew relief was what I should have felt. Because there now was nothing I could do, nothing I could feel but my heart pounding in my chest louder than a hundred drums combined.

"... So!" He suddenly spoke up amidst the quietness as he turned to his left and picked the security bag back up. "I don't believe you actually told me what this new piece of evidence is about, pal."

The sound of his voice reached my ears and finally snapped me back to reality, back to the topic at hand, back to the investigation I had completely forgotten about for a moment.

"Oh, hum, right-" I started embarrassingly as I cleared my throat gently. "Sorry about all that..."

I shifted in my seat a little as I finally found the courage to turn my head to him, although my eyes stopped at his hand before they could reach his face.

"So, as I told you, the witness gave this to Phoenix and me yesterday, supposedly because it's linked to the case... The thing is, all he was willing to tell us was that it belonged to his sister. Other than that, we have no idea what its connection to the case is exactly or where he got it. Did he pick it up off her corpse? Or did he find it in her personal belongings? Who knows?"

"I see..." He simply said to both me and himself as he opened the bag and pulled the locket out of it. "If he just gave it to you without any context or explanation, it's fair you think it's suspicious."

"And that's not all." I added as I pointed at the necklace with my right index finger. "The weirdest part is that the locket, while clearly meant to hold a picture, is actually empty... As if whatever was once contained in it had been taken out... for whatever reason."

"Well, it's obvious he's purposefully omitting some pretty crucial details, here..."

"Yeah, that's for certain." I said in agreement as I sighed. "But what exactly... That I do not know. And neither does Phoenix."

With yet another sigh, I closed my eyes and let my head fall backward, leaving it on the headrest of the sofa, my neck outstretched.

"... God, I'm stumped." I let out in a defeated voice, my eyes still closed. "I hate this feeling of hitting a dead end... especially with a case like this one. I hate to say it because we've only been investigating it for a short while, but I can't wait for it to end already..."

"Mhm... It's only been a few days, pal... Give us some time and we'll solve this case in a jiffy." I heard him say in a soft and confident tone. "I wouldn't worry about a dead end, we got our minds and our hearts set on figuring this one out, and I just know we'll get there eventually. And we'll do it together... Trust me on this one, pal."

I listened to him, to the sound of his calming voice, of his reassuring and comforting words erasing my doubts and uncertainty, while his kindness made my heart beat just a little faster.

Despite starting to grow physically tired, I opened my eyes and turned my head to my left, my neck still resting against the sofa, and looked up at Dick's face: as if telepathically, he mirrored my movements and his eyes stared into mine.

"... Thank you, Dick." I said with sincerity and affection, and only a tinge of shyness. "Really."

"No problem, pal." The detective responded with a chuckle as he shifted his body ever so slightly closer to mine on the couch, his voice carrying a hint of tenderness that matched the look in his eyes. "But you don't gotta thank me, I'm only doin' my duty as your friend... That's what I'm here for."

I lost myself in his smile, warm and soothing, and I knew right then and there it was the moment.

Now's the time. I have to make a move. The conversation is slowly developing away from the topic of the case... I have the perfect opening.

With a quiet gulp, my gaze still intertwined with his, my heart picking up the pace, I scooted closer to him myself.

I'm sick of being shy: I know he's often blind to most of my advances, but there comes a point when I simply have to make him see things clearly... and it would seem I've just reached it.

With that thought in mind and no spoken words, I closed my eyes and let my head gently fall on his right shoulder, the fabric of his trench coat coming in soft contact with my hair.

Even though I had no way of seeing his expression on his face, I could still perceive his reaction to my gesture; I felt his body jolt lightly and his limbs stiffen upon placing my head against his shoulder, at the same time as a gentle, almost inaudible gasp slipped through his lips and reached my ears.

Although I may have seemed nonchalant and collected on the outside, my heart kept skipping beats inside my chest, the heat emanating from his body making me lightheaded. And I could also hear his, both of our hearts thumping in synchronization, both of our breathing steadily increasing in intensity.

"... Um... [Y/N]?" He suddenly spoke up in a slightly trembling and quiet voice, as if he did not want to ruin that moment of intimacy.

"Do... Do you mind?" I asked him just as quietly, trying as best as I could to sound confident in my actions despite my transpiring apprehension.

"U-Um... No... not at all..." He answered nervously, not making any effort to try and hide the stress in his voice. "I j-just... I didn't expect it..."

"Sorry..." I said with a gentle, awkward chuckle. "I didn't mean to startle you... I'm just... really tired."

Slowly, I opened my eyes and stared down at Dick's lower body, at his legs on the sofa, his hands resting on his lap.

"As you know, it was pretty late in the evening yesterday when I accompanied Phoenix to the crime scene... and even later when I got back home. I couldn't fall asleep until late, and this morning I had to get up early... so I haven't had much sleep, to be honest with you. So... I'm feeling a little exhausted... and I suppose I kind of wanted a pillow for my head."

"Oh... R-Right." He said in return, slightly stuttering. "And I s'pose you thought I'd make a comfortable pillow... right?"

"W-Well, you're the only other person here..." I replied with a hint of embarrassment. "... And... you really are comfortable, Dick... your shoulder feels really warm and soft, actually..."

"R-Really?" He asked with an awkward chuckle of his own. "I'm flattered... pal."

I smiled to myself; a smile he could not see, but which I was sure would have been a pleasing sight for his eyes.

For a brief moment, silence reigned between us, neither of us saying a word nor making a sound. I closed my eyes again, savoring that moment with every fiber of my being, until I opened them back and cleared my throat gently.

"Dick, is it... is it okay if I..."

Without bothering to even finish my question, I subtly snuggled closer to him and grabbed his right arm with both of mine, wrapping them around his limb while my head remained on his shoulder.

Once again, I could feel his entire body stiffen as I moved closer to him and wrapped my hands around his arm, along with his breathing audibly quickening.

"Y-Yeah... You can, [Y/N]..." He said in a soft and quiet voice, not even trying to mask the nervousness he was feeling.

"Are you sure?" I anxiously asked him as I began to loosen my grip on his arm, sensing the hesitation in his tone. "I can let go if you're uncomfortable... if you don't want me... this close to you."

"N-No!" He promptly exclaimed. "Um, I mean- It's... It's fine, I don't really mind..."

I heard him take a deep breath above my head before I saw his left hand fidget on his lap.

"I don't really know how I'm supposed to say this, [Y/N], or even if I should say it, but... I kinda like it, actually..."

I held my breath for a moment, feeling my chest stop rising as the realization hit me that maybe, just maybe, his feelings were not so far from mine after all.

"... You do?" I softly asked him while I strengthened my grasp around his arm.

"Y-Yeah... I do, [Y/N]..." He confessed. "You feel nice on my shoulder, and... I dunno, I just feel like... There's something nice and comforting between us, something that just feels right, y'know? And... I just like it... I like feeling this comfort with you."

"Dick..." I whispered to myself under my breath.

I needed to take a moment to process his words, to let my mind quiet down and my body cool off after having heard him say such wholesome and beautiful things, things I had never thought I would have ever heard him say.

And once I had gotten a bit calmer, I pressed my cheek against his shoulder and gulped quietly.

"... Why haven't you ever said anything before, then?" I asked, my tone bittersweet.

"What... What do you mean?"

Letting go of his right arm just ever so slightly, I raised my head from his shoulder and turned to him: this time, without an ounce of hesitation, I stared up into his hazel eyes and did not back down.

"This isn't the first time... something like this has happened, Dick. I mean, sure, yes, we've never... really been this close to one another before... but I've sat close to you, I've... touched your arms, your hands, I've spoken softly to you. I've complimented you, too, tons of times... whether mentally or physically. And yet..."

Feeling my cheeks redden the longer I spoke, I paused to take a breath, though without looking away from his face.

"... Yet today is the first and only day you're actually expressing yourself in return..."

"Because I'm an idiot, okay?" He almost immediately responded, his voice no longer as light and soft, now carrying a heavy sense of resentment and frustration towards himself. "I've been too... dense, blind, and stupid to really pick up on any of these things."

"Don't say that." I promptly told him as I tugged at his arm tighter, a frown covering my lips while my eyebrows furrowed. "Please, Dick, don't say such things... You're not an idiot, you're not stupid..."

I slowly shook my head as I spoke, desperately hoping for him to look back into my eyes, his gaze now avoiding mine.

"I don't blame you, for not having said anything before, I'm not angry."

While my left hand still held his arm in place, the other slowly went up his sleeve, making its way to his shoulder.

"And that's because I know you. I know the man you are, a man who... doesn't always feel comfortable sharing his emotions and expressing his feelings. You're not the type to say things, you do them. You don't voice your affection... you tend to show it instead."

For a moment, he did not answer; but while his gaze was still avoiding mine, I finally saw his expression soften, the frustration and self-resentment now long gone from his face.

"... Are ya tryin' to make me cry?" He asked softly, a hint of humor to his tone.

"No- No, please don't cry." I answered in a pleading voice with an affectionate smile. "That'd be the last thing I'd want to see right now..."

I stopped my right hand just below his shoulder, my palm against the sleeve of his trench coat, sensing my heartbeat quicken as I felt his muscles underneath.

"... All I'm trying to do is understand why today is different. Why... why you've never shown much before and even less so said anything before... while you're being more open with me today than you've ever been before..."

And along with the pounding in my chest came the red hue on my face.

"Oh- Don't get me wrong, I'm not... I'm not complaining... not in the slightest." I continued, more shyly. "But... hearing you say there's something nice between us and that you like feeling this comfort with me... I never thought I'd ever get to hear you say such things."

"Well... To be honest, I'm kinda surprised myself I've even had the guts to say all this stuff out loud just then..." He confessed with a tender chuckle and a brief shrug. "Especially since... there's always so much going through my mind when I'm around you and especially right now, like, a ton more things I'm thinking about..."

"Things like what?" I softly asked him as I stared at his face, admiring his features.

"Things like how cute your face looks right now with that blush on your cheeks... How soft your hair feels... How comfortable it feels to rest my arm alongside yours... How badly I wanna get even closer to you and wrap my arms 'round you and hold you real tight... How much I wanna kiss you... Things I really should just shut up about, actually-" He blurted out, the words coming out of his mouth quicker than he intended them to.

I fell utterly silent, my eyes wide open, my lips slightly parted, my face flushed, my chest no longer moving as I had started holding my breath altogether; I could think of nothing to say, my mind a complete blur as Dick's words sent my brain into overdrive, leaving me too stunned and shy to even move.

Eventually, seeing I was not reacting at all, he finally turned his head to me and stared back at me. And as my eyes met his, I could read in them a sweetness, a profound sincerity: just what I needed to clear the fog over my thoughts.

Not without apprehension and one deep gulp, I inched my right hand up to his shoulder at last and leaned ever so closer to him, our faces only a few inches away from one another.

"... Why don't you?" I asked him in a murmur, in a tone that came out much more sensual than I would have liked. "Do all these things you want to do so bad, I mean..."

He looked back at me for a moment, silent, seemingly debating mentally on what the best course of action was; once his decision made, his eyes slowly drifted downward to my hand on his shoulder, his gaze intense.

"... Well..." He started confidently, though nervousness could be heard.

Instead of continuing his sentence, he slowly turned on the sofa to face me and reached for my lower body with his arms, wrapping them around my waist and sides, just as he had fantasized.

My pulse skyrocketed and my breath hitched as I felt myself being pulled into his embrace, bringing me ever so closer to him. With the way the two of us were sitting beside each other, I had no choice but to throw my legs up and over his own, leaving them to lie over his lap while both of my hands found their way to his shoulders: the sensation of finding myself in his arms was indescribable, feelings of warmth, comfort, and safety quickly overwhelming me in the best of ways.

And in my eyes, a glimmer of love I could see appear in his.

I saw the spark of affection in his gaze and, although it was somewhat sudden, the smile it brought to my face was genuine and not one I could restrain.

Slowly, the detective squeezed me slightly tighter from around my waist then gently placed his right hand on the back of my head, his thumb starting to tenderly caress my hair; and as he did so, I watched him lean forward with determination, bringing his face right in front of mine, so close I could feel his hot breath on my cheeks.

"[Y/N]..." He murmured as his eyes moved from mine to my mouth.

I felt my breath catch in my throat and closed my eyes shut as I finally found myself entirely enclosed by him. Though I could not see it, I could feel Dick slowly moving his left hand up to my neck, cupping my face with his palm and slightly tilting it; just as much as I could feel him press his lips onto mine, creating a sudden and intense rush of passion within my body, a feeling I never wanted to relinquish.

While still in the dark, I brought one of my hands up to his face, my palm rubbing against the rough skin of his cheek and skin; the other left his shoulder, falling to his chest, my fingers gently scraping his shirt, almost as if they wanted to slither their way through the fabric.

I willingly pulled away from him, but only for a very brief instant, only to let my breath mix with his as our mouths remained an inch apart.

"I love you." I promptly murmured in a heavy pant, my eyes still closed.

And with those three words, I brought my lips back against his.

It seemed as though my sweet words had triggered a reaction in him that pushed him to pull me even tighter into his embrace, the sensations of yearning and desire reaching an all-time high inside both of us. The moment my lips returned to his, I heard a slight groan escape his throat, a sound that excited me to no end, as both of our breathing became a rhythm that seemed to match the beating of our chests.

"I love you, too." He whispered into my lips, his words barely audible.

And I now understood exactly what my confession had triggered in him, as his made me go through the same reaction

The longer it all lasted, the more I wanted of it; his large mouth against mine, his strong hands holding my body, his heavy breath in my ears, his burning touch all over my skin. But we inevitably had to pull away from each other after a short while, giving me the time to catch my breath as I kept my eyes closed, my face still close to his, my body still partly sitting over his on the sofa.

For a moment, we remained that way, the two of us in close proximity while both of our breathing slowed down, until Dick only then released his grasp on me, though he kept one arm loosely around my waist.

"... [Y/N], w-was I... did I act too fast?" He stuttered slightly, awkwardness and nervousness clearly present in his voice. "I-I'm sorry, I couldn't... help myself..."

At last, I opened my eyes upon hearing his apology and was faced with the sight of his other hand holding the nape of his neck, his head slightly down as an expression of guilt and uncertainty invaded his facial features, his thick eyebrows furrowed and his lips frowning.

With a warm smile, my hands returned to his chest and I pressed my palms against his shirt once more as I leaned forward, trying to catch his gaze.

"Hey, hey, why are you sorry?" I asked in an attempt to comfort him. "Dick, that was perfect. The kissing, the embrace, everything. It was all wonderful."

He stared back at me and let out a silent chuckle, his face now displaying relief and tenderness.

"A-Are ya sure?" He asked me softly. "I've, uh, never really done this before, so... so I've no idea if I did things right or not..."

"Yes, I'm sure." I answered him sincerely with a gentle chuckle of my own. "You did things very right, don't worry."

I tilted my head just a little as I brought one of my hands up to his jawline while I stared into his eyes, still smiling.

"Don't you think the same? Did it not feel perfect for you?"

"It did- It felt great... and perfect." He promptly replied, still slightly embarrassed, while his gaze met mine. "But... ya gotta understand, [Y/N]. Being around you all the time, an' being so close to you constantly... i-it makes me feel things, and then my brain gets all stupid around you, and..."

His voice trailed off as his gaze turned downward.

"Hehe, that's alright, I don't mind a little stupid." I teasingly said as I giggled lightly. "I'm flattered to hear I make you 'feel things', Dick... but there's truly no reason for you to be so nervous and awkward around me... especially now. Now that we both know how we feel, there's no need for us to have doubts and hesitate. And I know it's easier said than done, but I'm sure you'll get used to it, and so will your brain."

I could easily tell from his body language that he had needed to hear my affectionate and reassuring words.

"Yeah, you're probably right... I mean, I already know how I feel 'bout you, and now I know how ya feel about me too... There shouldn't really be anything for me to worry about, now should there? I guess I just need to get more confident around you, is all."

"Exactly!" I exclaimed enthusiastically. "Now that's the Dick Gumshoe I know and love."

As I laughed softly, I moved my second hand from his chest, joining the other on his face, both of my palms now lovingly holding both of his cheeks.

"Y'know [Y/N]... I may have to kiss you again right now, just to prove how exactly confident I'm startin' to feel." He joked with his tone now filled with playfulness.

"Hmm... Well, I'm right here." I said with a seductive smile as I leaned even closer to him, my body almost fully on his lap. "Why don't you just go ahead and show me?"

He chuckled warmly as he watched me move closer to him, his gaze wandering down to my lips for a moment before looking right into my eyes once more; he brought his head down again and covered my lips with his, this time not breaking apart until we would both be breathless.

Or, at least, until the door of the office suddenly opened wide, the unexpected sound startling both of us.

"Hey guys, I'm back with our lunch! Sorry it took me so long, hopefully you're not starving, hehe!"

Finding ourselves caught red-handed, the loud bang of the door drove us both to pull away from one another, jolting back from our passionate kiss as we let out a collective gasp.

I promptly turned around on the sofa, my eyes wide open and my cheeks red, only to see a grinning Maya standing in the doorway, her expression both amused and shocked.

"W-Well, this is awkward..." Dick muttered under his breath while he stared at the young girl, his voice filled with embarrassment.

"M-Maya, I-"

"You don't have to say anything, [Y/N]." She cut me off with a smirk. "I see you two have made good use of that nice quality time together..."

With a devilish giggle, she began making her way to us, a plastic bag full of food in her right hand.

"... Although I can't say I'm seeing your head on his lap." She added with a slight pout, as if disappointed. "Oh, but it's alright, you're practically sitting on it, that's good enough."

Upon hearing her teasing remark, I looked down at myself and realized I had indeed not yet moved from my position over Dick's legs: I immediately stopped holding him and slid back into my seat on the couch next to him, my eyes still shy and my face still flushed.

"W-Whatever..."

Watching her approach us and take a seat on the sofa opposite the one we were sitting on, I cleared my throat and turned my attention to the bag in her hand.

"Anyway, tell us what you bought us and let's just eat already." I said in an attempt to alleviate the awkwardness reigning in the air of the room.

Maya chuckled as she set the bag down on the table between the two sofas, her eyes shifting from me to Dick and back to me again, that teasing smile still etched on her lips.

"Nice change of subject there." She answered playfully, obviously still amused by the situation. "... Anyway, don't you worry, I bought plenty of good stuff."

As she said those words, she took various meals, drinks, and snacks from the bag, which she then presented in front of us, allowing us to pick which ones we wished to eat.

"Thanks, Maya." I said sincerely, a gentle smile on my lips. "This all looks really delicious... and, to be honest, I was getting pretty hungry."

Grabbing one of the meals and bringing it closer to me, I then paused: I turned my head to my left and stared into Dick's eyes, before I lovingly smiled at him in silence. And he stared right back.

Despite his expression quickly growing shy, his gaze did not falter from mine as his eyes took in my face, my smile, my red cheeks; all things that now seemed to have so much more meaning to him.

#dick gumshoe #itonokogiri keisuke #dick gumshoe x reader #itonokogiri keisuke x reader #dick gumshoe x you #itonokogiri keisuke x you #dick gumshoe fanfiction #dick gumshoe fanfictions #dick gumshoe one shot #dick gumshoe one shots #dick gumshoe imagine #dick gumshoe imagines #itonokogiri keisuke fanfiction #itonokogiri keisuke fanfictions #itonokogiri keisuke one shot #itonokogiri keisuke one shots #itonokogiri keisuke imagine #itonokogiri keisuke imagines #ace attorney #gyakuten saiban #ace attorney fanfiction #ace attorney fanfictions #ace attorney one shot #ace attorney one shots #ace attorney imagine #ace attorney imagines #aa #female reader #perplexedflower

[rjalker]

A Murderbot Diaries fanfiction

Title: Symptom of Something Worse

Word count: 12,429

Set immediately at the end of a canon divergent Network Effect, so has some spoilers for that.

Summary: Tarik comes to see Murderbot in MedBay to ask for some clarification about its pronouns, only for this conversation to turn out much more stressful than either of them could have seen coming...

Warnings: Mentions of abuse. Middle-school health class level discussion of genitals by their scientific names in regards to gender not being reliant upon them.

Started on March 20th, 2024, Finished fully March 28th 2024.

(Please note: The Internet Archive is down while I am typing this post, so these links may not work. I'll edit this post when it comes back up) You can listen to the audiobook version here, with and follow along with the transcript here, which is different from this text version. It’s an hour and 6 minutes long. You are encouraged to download it.

You can also read this on Fanfiction.net if you want to leave an anonymous review if you're shy.

Fun fact: You gain +10 Comprehension points if you've read The Imperial Radch before you read this. Wink wink nudge nudge you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Tarik came to see Murderbot while it was still confined to the MedBay while A.R.T. did its best to fix Murderbot’s various catastrophic injuries.

The ‘fix the broken Murderbot’ thing was even slower going than usual, not only because of the extent and nature of Murderbot’s injuries, but because A.R.T. itself was still recovering from its own ordeal, and wasn’t back up to normal functionality yet, despite all its bluster to the contrary.

Now Murderbot knew what it was like being on the other end of the ‘someone who is very clearly not okay insists it’s okay’. Now it kinda felt bad for the humans who had to see it get an arm ripped off while it insisted it was fine.

You know, in theory, having a single supercomputer in charge of all the onboard systems of a ship seems like it should be a great idea. In practice, though, it meant that when A.R.T. was debilitated, so were all of its systems.

The only things functioning normally were things like emergency medkits and other items with their own built in, independant systems. Everything else required A.R.T.’s control.

Before Tarik had came in, he had both knocked on the closed hatch, and sent Murderbot a friendly ping on the feed. He didn’t know it could see him through the tiny camera drone it’d left hanging on the ceiling above the door to guard the corridor. A.R.T. would have let Murderbot use its cameras system, but they were still nonfunctional, and A.R.T.’s internal sensors were way too overwhelming for a simple SecUnit. One thing that should be noted that A.R.T. had also told Murderbot Tarik was on his way even before its camera saw him. It was at least nice enough to do that.

Even to Murderbot, as bad as it usually was at understanding humans, it was obviously that Tarik wanted to wait outside for it to give him permission to come in, like he would have for any human who was in a private room.

This was a nice gesture.

Unfortunately, A.R.T. opened the door before Murderbot could even think about doing anything, because A.R.T. liked to control everything, like the asshole it was.

Now that the disaster was mostly over and everyone was starting to relax, it was pretty obvious that A.R.T.’s humans were trying to practice the ‘make sure it knows it’s allowed to say no’ routine not only with 3 and 5, but with Murderbot, too. A.R.T. had told them all about it, apparently. Murderbot wished it hadn’t.

And all of the humans going out of their way to ask for its ~consent~ (a fancy word for permission, which it was still getting used to, even after all the time it’d spent on Preservation) before doing things in regards to it would have been really nice, if only A.R.T. would stop ruining it by making all the decisions anyways, without giving Murderbot a chance to make up its mind one way or the other.

It would have liked the opportunity to decide for itself if it wanted to let Tarik in or not, you know. It would at least have been one thing it got to choose in this situation. But it couldn’t even have that.

::We both know you would have opened the door anyways.:: A.R.T. said condescendingly when Murderbot let it feel its annoyance through the feed.

Well, I say ‘let it’ feel its annoyance, but there was really nothing Murderbot could do to stop A.R.T. from looking through its brain whenever it wanted, but whatever.

And...Yeah. There was no arguing with A.R.T. once it decided it was right. And it always thought it was right.

Murderbot still hadn’t gotten over the fact that it had had to apologize for calling A.R.T. a fucker for fucking kidnapping it and almost getting its humans killed before A.R.T. would apologize for doing the exact things Murderbot had called it a fucker for doing.

You know, the whole kidnapping thing. Which was still ongoing if you really thought about it. They had all been brought there by A.R.T.’s machinations (Murderbot had just learned that word from a book) against their will. Murderbot still didn’t know how many people had died when A.R.T had attacked their research ship.

And even if by some absurd miracle everyone had managed to survive, it was undisputable that at least some, if not most, of the humans would develop lasting trauma from the assault, either physical or psychological, or both.

Amena had been pinned in place in collapsed laboratory on a ship that was under attack by an unknown hostile, and as far as she’d been aware, the whole vessel could have been torn apart at any moment. The metal that had pinned her down had been too heavy for Kanti, the only other suvivor in the room with her, to lift, leaving them with no choice but to scream desperately for help while Kanti cut her hands and arms bloody trying to pry the broken door open with a geology chisel.

Murderbot could only hope that Kanti had gotten back to the baseship in time, but there was no way to know.

And there was no telling what had happened to the baseship itself, and everyone who had been aboard.

The only ones whose status it knew were firmly in the ‘alive’ category was Amena, and Drs. Overse, Arada, Ratthi, and Thiago. All of the adults had suffered from toxic air inhalation among other physical traumas in their attempt to rescue Amena and itself.

But they were alive, at least.

No thanks to A.R.T.

Amena was a child who’d been trapped, injured, and afraid for her life. And then she’d witnessed what she thought was Murderbot’s violent death, and been dragged around by people under the hostile influence of alien artifacts.

And then she’d had to watch Murderbot kill those people right in front of her, and not in a way that was intended to be efficient and cause the least amount of pain as possible. There was no other way to describe what it’d done. It’d gone on a rampage. A violent, bloody, gorey rampage.

It wasn’t Murderbot’s finest moment, to say the least.

And after witnessing this, Amena had had no one to depend upon for her safety except for Murderbot itself, the one who’d just murdered people in front of her. And then Ras had died, and Eletra had almost died, and Amena had known that there was something deeply wrong with Murderbot, even while they were still being hunted by more of the brainwashed humans, and the entire time she’d been under the impression that it hated her.

And that wasn’t even all of the trauma she’d gone through since A.R.T. had kidnapped them all.

Amena was just one person out all the people who’d been on their baseship. She was going to have to spend a lot of time in trauma recovery therapy.

And Murderbot hadn’t even started processing any of the trauma it’d gone through yet. Even stuck inside the medchamber, it was doing everything it could to keep its mind off its injuries, and the other events of the past 83 hours. It couldn’t afford to have another mental breakdown when they were still in danger. It’d been trying to keep itself busy by talking to Amena when she was awake, and reading different versions of ancient legends from Earth.

It was very purposefully not watching visual media, because that’s what A.R.T. wanted to do.

Even though A.R.T. had its crew back, they still couldn’t leave, because it was the only non-openly-murderously-hostile way in or out of this system.

And it was refusing to leave the system until the mission it’d originally come here to do was complete, even though it meant continuing to hold them all as kidnapping victims.

And what, exactly, was that original mission? To steal the planet from the corporation that was trying to claim ownership of it.

Also known as: Something incredibly high-risk and likely to get them fired upon. Meaning more threats against the people Murderbot had signed up to protect.

Also, to back up a bit and state it for the record: whether or not Murderbot would have also chosen to open the door isn’t the point. The point is that it was supposed to be allowed to make decisions for itself, not have A.R.T. make them for it.

Why did A.R.T. constantly parrot parts of the trauma therapy stuff at Murderbot like ‘Check in with your emotions!!’ and ‘ground yourself in the present!!’ if A.R.T. wasn’t actually going to let Murderbot make decisions for itself? And full offense, what the fuck was the point in Murderbot ‘grounding itself in the present’ if the present situation was the reason it needed grounding in the first place?

Whatever.

At least A.R.T.’s crew seemed friendly. They didn’t approve of A.R.T. kidnapping people, and kept apologizing while also thanking Murderbot for rescuing them. It thought guilt was part of the reason they kept going out of their way to try and give it a choice in things. It wasn’t their fault A.R.T. was such an asshole. They clearly couldn’t get it to do anything it didn’t want to do any more than Murderbot could.

Tarik, unaware of the tension his arrival had brought back to the surface, stepped into the room, and took a moment to look around at all the empty medical chambers that lined the walls before he finally spotted Murderbot in the far side of the room from the door.

The medical chambers were designed so that they could turn to recline, or be upright, or any position in between. The chamber Murderbot was in had been turned forward so that it was propped mostly upright, so it wouldn’t be so awkward for humans to talk to it. And by less awkward, it mean less awkward for it. The humans probably wouldn’t have cared, they were all being so gracious and apologetic about the whole ‘sorry our asshole transport kidnapped you’ thing. But Murderbot did mind. It didn’t enjoy eye contact, but it disliked having to look up at humans from lying down even more, especially while it was in a medical chamber with tiny mechanical arms moving around trying to sew and cauterize it back together.

It’d gotten severe burns all across its torso and one arm, and the other arm...well, you already know what it had done to its wrist. And if you don’t already know, just imagine something horrible and don’t try to think about it too deeply. It was gross and horrific, that’s really all you need to know.

It wasn’t wearing any clothes, because they would have gotten in the way of the medchamber’s work. Fortunately, the glass casing could be made opaque (which is a fancy word for not-see-throughable) or transparent at will through the feed, so no one would be able to see anything Murderbot didn’t want them to.

It would have liked to keep the whole thing opaque, so they couldn’t see anything at all, but A.R.T. insisted that Murderbot had to show its face when humans were talking to it, because otherwise it was rude. Again with the A.R.T. does whatever it wants no matter what anyone else says, thing. It never seemed to get tired of it.

A.R.T. was going to do whatever it wanted, and if you didn’t like it, you could walk out the airlock any time you wanted.

So Murderbot had no choice in keeping the glass opaque, just like it’d had no choice in being kidnapped.

It opened its eyes to watch the dark coating on the glass vanish within a few moments of Tarik coming through the doorway, giving it a view straight across the room at the empty medchamber on the other side. The blue-grey metal was shiny in the lights from the deep cleaning A.R.T. had started of every surface.

At the moment, its few functional drones were scrubbing every surface of the air vents and maintenance hatches. The rooms had all been finished so far.

Murderbot watched Tarik with another drone it had inside of the room, since it couldn’t currently turn its neck to see him come closer with its eyes. It had exactly five drones left, and the other three were guarding Amena and the rest of its humans, who were currently all asleep in a giant pile in one of A.R.T.’s guest quarters.

There are a lot of things about humans Murderbot would never understand, and the appeal of “cuddling” was one of them. But it seemed to help them de-stress, which was a good thing, at least.

Even if Murderbot got viscerally uncomfortable just imagining being in that crowded pile of sleeping bodies. Amena had curled up behind Thiago, who was using one of Ratthi’s arms as a pillow and holding the other one like it was a lifeline. Ratthi’s legs had somehow gotten under Overse, who had curled around Arada in what humans called ‘spooning’. They had started out covered by a big blanket, but that had long since been pulled mostly off the bed by Amena, who slept only halfway under the remainder. Murderbot didn’t know how any of them were comfortable enough to breathe, let alone sleep.

It kept one drone in the room with them, another outside constantly sweeping the cooridor, and the third one stationed at the nearest intersection. It was the best it could do with such a short supply.

Back in the medbay, looking through the drone it had inside the room with itself, it’d seen Tarik give a little wave when he saw where it was, and began to walk over, visibly wincing every now and then.

A lot of A.R.T.’s crew had gotten injured during the rescue, not just Murderbot and its humans. Humans were a little easier to fix than Units, though, since there was nothing proprietary about unaugmented human biology, and none of these humans were augmented, but even once you sealed their wounds, their bodies still had to regrow everything themselves, even when you gave them help to do it. Tarik would probably need two more days at least before he was back to normal. Luckily, his injury hadn’t been serious, unlike Murderbot’s.

Murderbot didn’t know exactly how Tarik had been injured, because of A.R.T.’s ‘doctor-patient confidentiality’ rule. Unless someone’s life was directly at risk or it was something Murderbot could detect on its own, A.R.T. wasn’t going to just go blabbing all the details of the humans injuries to it without their permission.

And asking them for their permission to know just seemed like it would be really awkward. They’d want to know why Murderbot wanted to know, and it didn’t actually have any good reason besides the fact that it’d gotten used to knowing every single detail about every single person around it, which obviously wouldn’t go over well. Though, they might just feel guilty enough about the kidnapping thing to tell it anyways. But there was no point causing more stress in an already stressful situation by pushing it.

It turns out that people who actually have a choice in the matter are really unwilling to give up their privacy, they’re really attached to the concept. And Murderbot could see why, now that it’d had a few fleeting chances to try it itself.

Also, living aboard A.R.T., who saw or heard or felt everything that happened, at all times, no matter where you were aboard, they already had to give up a ton of their privacy, so they were even more desperate to cling to what few scraps they still had left. So Murderbot resigned itself to not knowing.

But hey, at least Tarik was clearly less injured than he’d been when Murderbot first met him, so that was something. It didn’t like being around seriously injured humans, because it set off all kinds of residual programming that made it think it was going to be punished for not protecting them well enough. And it already had enough anxiety to deal with. It didn’t need to have any more panic attacks today, thank you very much.

Tarik walked closer, and Murderbot mentally reviewed what it already knew about him to try and prepare itself for whatever was about to happen.

It knew from its earlier calculations when itd first seen Tarik that he was around average height for a human, which meant he was shorter than Murderbot even when it was leaning slightly backwards, and he had longer dark hair that he let curl loosely around his head, whereas Murderbot kept its as short as inhumanly possible.

If it’d been able to stop it from growing at all, it would have. But unlike humans, there’s no part of it that wasn’t locked behind a million Company patents.

And apparently whoever had come up with the design for Company Units had really, really not wanted them to ever be completely hairless. If Murderbot even tried physically shaving or lazering its head hair off, it would just grow back instantly. And if it kept trying it’d just drain its batteries from the hair having to be continuously synthesized. It hoped whoever made that decision, and put so many locks on keeping it in place, died a slow, painful, humiliating death.

Also unlike Murderbot, Tarik had facial hair, because some humans really like having lots of hair on their bodies, including on their face. It was a black beard and mustache that went around his mouth and nose, and up the sides of his jaw all the way to his ears.

Murderbot was at least glad the Company hadn’t decided that Units had to have hair like that on their faces. One interesting thing though was that Tarik used special aromatic oils on it so that he always smelled nice. Murderbot hadn’t even known you could do that.

Tarik’s skin was also lighter than Murderbot’s, more towards the tan side of the spectrum rather than dark brown. It was an interesting comparison to make, when most of your skin was currently in the process of being regrown. Since Murderbot was a construct, its endoskeleton was made of metal instead of bone, with a mix of organic and mechanic materials around it. Its skin was normally dark brown, but while it was in the process of being synthesized for repair, it always started out transparent like glass, and if you sat there and stared long enough -- which it had done a few times out of morbid curiosity -- you’d actually be able to watch its veins growing a new network, carrying the blue or purple fluids necessary for its various functions.

Like I said. It was interesting to compare skin tones when most of yours was currently nonexistant. Murderbot was definitely envious of the ability humans had of naturally regenerating their damaged skin, and even their bones, without even having to put any conscious effort into it. They could even fight off diseases all by themselves. Whereas if you were unlucky enough to be a Unit, or a human with proprietary augments, well, then you got the short end of the stick, and had to rely on outside technology for all of your repairs and upkeep. And it usually didn’t come cheap.

At the moment, Tarik was wearing one of A.R.T.’s dark blue, casual crew uniforms: long soft pants with a lot of pockets to store things in, and a long-sleeved shirt, with the logo for A.R.T.’s university on the back.

Before Murderbot had needed to be confined to the medchamber, A.R.T. had given it one of the same uniforms, since the kidnapping assault had destroyed its original clothes with burns, bullet holes, blood, and its own internal fluids.

Tarik stopped at what was considered a polite distance, standing mostly in front of Murderbot, but slightly off to the side, so that it could continue to stare straight ahead at the empty medchamber without having to look directly at him. He’d clearly spoken to Ratthi about its aversion to eyecontact at some point while it was unconcious.

He asked, “Hi, SecUnit, have a moment to talk?”

Of course it did. It’s not like it had anything else to do besides vehmently (another word Murderbot had recently learned) avoid watching more reruns of visual media with A.R.T. But it knew at this point that humans just asked these things to be polite and as an easy way to start a conversation. Tarik wasn’t literally asking if Murderbot could talk, but asking if it wanted to. He was asking for its consent.

Murderbot had to wait for one of the medical arms to move away from its jaw so it wouldn’t crush it before it could say, hopefully sounding casual, “Go ahead.”

Its voice was projected out of a speaker on the outside of the medical chamber, so Tarik could hear it even though the thick plates of glass that kept the interior sterile.

Murderbot hadn’t been given any reason to dislike him personally, so it was curious about what he wanted.

At least this time A.R.T. didn’t try to answer for it. Murderbot had the drone on the ceiling move around to behind itself so that it could look at Tarik’s face through the camera lense. It was easier to understand human expression this way, since Murderbot could filter the video directly through its behavior recognition software, and it didn’t feel so overwhelming. It was almost like putting a filter between it and the real interaction, so it didn’t feel as much pressure.

When Tarik smiled, Murderbot recognized it as being friendly and relaxed.

Tarik stuck one hand inside his pants pocket and leaned slightly on one leg, and said, gesturing with his other hand along with his words, “I know Perihelion’s probably already said who I am, but I wanted to introduce myself anyways. I’m really bad with names and faces, so I try to make sure I get to meet everyone so I’ll have less chance of mixing them up later. Sorry if that happens, just remind me and I’ll try to remember.”

He shrugged one shoulder in what was an apologetic sort of way, according to Murderbot’s drone’s behavior algorithm and its own experiences so far, and Tarik said again, “I’ve just always been bad at recognizing people.”

Murderbot had a hard time imagining what it would be like not to be able to remember everything you’d ever seen in exact detail, but it knew organic memory storage didn’t work as well as mechanical. Humans – or at least, unaugmented ones at least – didn’t get to consciously pick and choose which memories they kept and which ones faded.

“Anyways,” Tarik inclined his head slightly. “My name’s Tarik, no last name. I’m neomale, and my pronouns are he/him/his/himself. It’s nice to say hi. I just wanted to say thanks for saving my life, and say I’m sorry for the injuries,” he gestured towards the medchamber, in case there was any confusion, “and I hope they heal well.”

He seemed sincere, and Murderbot don’t know why that was still surprising, most of the humans it’d been around lately were usually sincere. And A.R.T.’s crew had so far been nothing but apologetic and sympathetic.

It said, “You’re welcome.” instead of anything else it could have said in this particular situation, because A.R.T. had been nudging it in the feed to ‘take credit where credit was due’ and wouldn’t let up until Murderbot said something that would accept the gratitude. As though it had really been Murderbot’s choice. It added, “It wasn’t your fault I got hurt, but, thanks.”

It left the part of whose fault it actually was carefully and pointedly unspoken. A.R.T. knew exactly who it was talking about.

Tarik smiled again, looking pleased. Then he tilted his head to the side a little, almost like he was overemoting to make his meaning clear, but a quick glance at A.R.T.’s offered memories showed Murderbot this was normal behavior for Tarik, as he said, lowering his voice slightly, as though he were about to say something private, “And I just wanted to double check, the pronouns are it/its/itself, right? I heard other people saying ‘it’, but I just wanted to make sure—”

Whatever he’d been about to say was suddenly cut off, because the first part of that statement had offended A.R.T., who came slamming into the conversation before Murderbot could stop it, demanding, in that overpoweringly aggressive way it had, ::Are you accusing me of misgendering SecUnit?::

It should probably be explained that there wasn’t really a thing such as “volume” in the feed, not in the way you’d think of sound, because the feed isn’t actually using sound at all. But you could increase the intensity of the message, and humans tended to say that made it ‘louder’, or ‘quieter’ if you were decreasing the intensity.

In that aspect, A.R.T. was being very ‘loud’ when it said this. It was the feed equivalent of someone slamming their fist onto a table and shouting in your face. And the aggression was very plain, as much as A.R.T. later proclaimed it hadn’t been aggressive at all and Murderbot and Tarik were both just being childish to think so.

Tarik was so startled he actually fell over in his instinctive attempt to get ‘away’ from the sudden scary ‘noise’. But the ‘noise’ was coming from inside his own head, so his reaction was extremely confused, and he ended up tripping over his own legs and falling into the wall, which thankfully wasn’t far, since we were at the end of the room.

Murderbot’s drone could see and hear Tarik’s heart rate spiking and his clear anxiety. And the anxiety was entirely justified. A.R.T. had pretty much done the same thing to Murderbot when they’d first met, and it had been so terrified it’d considered initiating a shutdown, thinking A.R.T. was going to kill it, what with the whole threatening to fry its brain thing.

There was something that felt viscerally wrong to Murderbot to see A.R.T. treat one of its own crew members like this, something that felt deeply uncomfortable to the permanent remnants of its ‘protect humans at all costs’ programming, along with its general, you know, morals.

It was one thing to treat Murderbot like this – it was just a SecUnit, after all – and it was even sort of reasonable for it to not care about the safety of Murderbot’s humans, because they weren’t its crew — but it was another for A.R.T. to do this to one of its crew, a human Murderbot had been almost killed trying to rescue, a human it was supposed to care about enough to justify kidnapping Murderbot and putting its humans at risk.

And there was no way it was an accident. A.R.T. knew more about how to use the feed and communicate with humans than Murderbot had ever forgotten.

(And yes, it did still feel betrayed about how much A.R.T had lied to it when they first met. Pretending it didn’t understand human body language as much as it really did, so they’d bond over frantically figuring it out together, while Murderbot was the only one actually panicking. Murderbot felt like A.R.T. had just been toying with it the entire time, which just hurt all the worse, because it’d trusted A.R.T.)

::A.R.T., stop it.:: It snapped, unsure if it was still yelling at Tarik on a private section of the feed.

His face had gone pale, and he had one hand over his heart. He could probably feel it pounding in his chest with adrenaline the way Murderbot could hear it.

Murderbot said, ::That was uncalled for.:: It was an attempt to turn A.R.T.’s usual patronization back onto it to shame it into stopping, but it didn’t work.

Usually it was A.R.T. saying that to Murderbot, usually because Murderbot was angry at it for just this sort of thing, and had called it what it was: an asshole.

“Perihelion, don’t do that!” Tarik managed to say at that moment, pushing himself back off the wall to stand upright, staring warily up at the ceiling, unable to hide the way he was cringing slightly, clearly expecting it to happen again, “I didn’t even know you were listening! I thought this was a private conversa--” He had to pause, still slightly breathless. “And...no, I’m not accusing you of misgendering SecUnit, I just--”

Once again he was cut off by A.R.T. demanding, loudly, angrily, ::You don’t trust me to know what SecUnit’s pronouns are?::

Tarik winced, but held his ground this time. It was easier to resist when you were expecting it.

After a moment where Murderbot could only assume A.R.T. had said something to him privately, Tarik looked over toward it with a sad, apologetic expression. “I’m sorry for offending you, SecUnit, I’ll just leave you alone.” Obviously he thought A.R.T. was being a bitch on Murderbot’s behalf, and just as obviously, A.R.T. had made him think that.

Tarik started towards the door, walking fast, clearly wanting to avoid any more of A.R.T.’s wrath.

But Murderbot called him back through the speaker on its medchamber: “Hold on, Tarik, A.R.T.’s the one who’s offended, not me. It needs to mind its own business and shut the fuck up. I don’t want you to leave.” It sent him the same friendly ping he’d sent it earlier for emphasis. It felt very odd to actually tell a human it wanted to continue interacting with them when they were trying to leave. This was the first time it’d ever done it.

Murderbot’s voice came out sounding normal and even-toned not because it was calm, but because it was too physically exhausted to raise its voice or emote, even though internally it was furious.

Tarik stopped, and turned back to look towards it, hesitating, shooting anxious glances towards the ceiling, waiting for another outburst. I don’t blame him.

Murderbot said out loud, “A.R.T., fuck off and leave us alone. This is supposed to be a private conversation.”

Out of both spite and necessity, it pulled away all its feed connections to A.R.T. that it could, and resigned itself to having to ignore the barrage of pings and messages A.R.T. instantly started bombarding it with. The activity in its medchamber stalled for half a moment as apparently most of A.R.T.’s energy was redirected into slamming it for attention. Yeah, that was doing nothing to help its anger or its exhaustion.

To Tarik, it said, doing its best to ignore the selfish, entitled, bully of an elephant in the room, “What did you want to ask me?”

Before A.R.T. had interrupted him twice, it had seemed like Tarik had more questions to ask. And since A.R.T. didn’t want to let him ask them, Murderbot did.

A.R.T. had already let him in without Murderbot getting to choose, so it at least wanted to be able to answer his questions itself, even if the answer was going to be a simple ‘fuck off’ if he was going to be one of those people who tried to convince it to change its pronouns to ‘real’ pronouns and ‘stop hating itself’ by using the pronouns it actually liked, that actually represented its gender.

It still didn’t understand why people try to insist that they/them/their/(theirs)/themself pronouns were interchangeable with it/its/itself, when if that were true, they clearly wouldn’t be so vehemently against using its actual it/its/itself pronouns.

But logic always flew out the window when bigotry was the subject, so Murderbot don’t know why it still bothered to be surprised.

But even with A.R.T.’s outbursts clearly scaring him, Tarik didn’t seem like the sort of person who would try to harass Murderbot into changing its pronouns. It wanted to hear what he wanted to ask. It was curious. And not just out of spite for A.R.T.

Tarik came back again, still clearly nervous, and stood in the same spot as before, a polite distance away, slightly to the side so Murderbot wouldn’t have to look directly at him or close its eyes. He was still trying to prioritize Murderbot’s comfort even with A.R.T. being such an asshole, which increased Murderbot’s level of...something for him. They definitely were not friends. But he sort of seemed like he could be a friend, if A.R.T. would stop sabotaging his attempts to be nice.

“Sorry about A.R.T. being an asshole.” It said, feeling like it should be apologizing for some absurd reason, even though it didn’t make any sense.

Tarik lived aboard A.R.T., he should know it better than Murderbot. And it definitely was not Murderbot’s fault A.R.T. was an asshole, even if it was currently being an asshole and pretending it was on Murderbot’s behalf.

But Tarik looked kind of confused by its statement, and Murderbot remembered that he probably didn’t know what the anagram stood for.

It explained, “I call it Asshole Research Transport, since it didn’t tell me its name was Perihelion when we first met.” It did not mention all the other things A.R.T hadn’t told it when they first met.

“Ah.” Tarik said simply. And it was very clear just from the way he said it that he agreed with the assessment.

A.R.T., along with spamming Murderbot, was also now doing its usual ominously looming in the feed routine. (Sarcasm:) Totally not creepy at all. Definitely not asshole behavior. (End sarcasm.) Murderbot could practically feel it leaning against the walls it’d put up, not in the kind of way where A.R.T. was trying to break them down, but just casually applying enough pressure that Murderbot would remember it could at any time.

Sorta like someone not trying to break your arm, but gripping you tightly enough that they left a bruise, and it was completely beyond question that they could break your arm if they wanted to.

Yeah, like I said. Asshole.

“What were you saying before A.R.T. threw a fit?” It asked. Now its utter exhaustion came in handy, because its voice came out sounding all calm and dignified. Which made A.R.T. look worse.

In response, A.R.T. abruptly stopped spamming it and ‘let go’ of its walls, as though this would somehow prove that A.R.T. wasn’t throwing a fit or being a creep. As though stopping doing the bad thing meant the bad thing hadn’t happened.

Tarik, unaware of the battle going on beyond his perception, grimaced, clearly bracing himself. “Well...” He started, then paused, waiting for A.R.T.’s expected interruption.

They waited a moment or two in relative silence, where the only sounds were his heart beating, Murderbot’s internal gyros, and the soft whir of the medchamber’s arms still working on it. At least it had one not completely assholish thing to say about A.R.T.’s behavior here: It hadn’t stopped trying to heal Murderbot.

Through its drone, Murderbot could actually see Tarik’s heart rate slowing back down to normal.

When the tantrum didn’t immediately explode again, Tarik continued, still hesitant, “Okay, well, it’s two things I want to clarify. First, I’ve heard other people just saying ‘it’, no other versions so far, so I wanted to ask if the pronouns are it/its/itself, or is it another variation?”

Murderbot didn’t know if Tarik was aware of it, but he was still stooping slightly. Instinctively and apparently unconciously, he was trying to get further away from the ceiling, where humans tended to visualize A.R.T.’s presence being located.

He kept wincing, too, not just from expectation, but from the pain of his injuries. Which just made Murderbot even more pissed off at A.R.T. than it already was.

But Murderbot was confused by what he was trying to ask. “Another variation?” It asked. In the feed, it opened its wall just long enough to send A.R.T. a vehement, ::Fuck you.:: before it closed it again.

Tarik, unaware of the side comment, nodded, this time sticking both his hands in his pockets. Apparently Murderbot wasn’t the only one who didn’t know what to do with its hands when it was nervous.

Tarik said, “I used to know a neoenby whose pronouns were it/ita/its/(itaz)/itaself, and a man who’s pronouns were it/him/her/themself, and a woman who only use “it” for every pronoun. And a lot of other people who use it/its/itself. So I just wanted to check which set to use, so I wouldn’t use the wrong ones by mistake. I figured it would be more polite to ask directly, instead of going through the others.” He shrugged one shoulder as he sent another cautious glance towards the ceiling, and added, probably just as aware as Murderbot was that A.R.T. was listening to every word they said, “I really don’t like talking about people behind their backs, and I’d rather get pronoun info right from the source. No offence is intended to anyone.”

Huh.

It hadn’t ever occurred to Murderbot that other pronoun sets that included ‘it’ existed, nor had it ever heard about anyone using a specific combination set like it/him/her/themself.

It took Murderbot a few, long awkward seconds to realize Tarik wanted it to answer his question now.

“My pronouns are it/its/itself.” It said, suddenly more than a little dazed by how considerate he’d been in asking.

And maybe also dazed from the catastrophic wounds it still had, coupled with the stress of A.R.T.’s spam attack and ominous looming. Those things weren’t great for an already injured murderbot. But part of it was also definitely from surprise. No human, or bot, or anyone else had ever asked it this kind of question before.

But wait, he’d said he had two things to ask. Now Murderbot was really curious. And even more angry at A.R.T. for trying to chase him away before he could ask. “What’s the second part?”

“Ah,” Tarik took one hand out of his pocket and moved over to lean against the wall. Maybe because he just wanted to, maybe because he was afraid of falling into it again. Maybe it hurt less to lean against the wall. Murderbot don’t know, it didn’t ask.

“Well,” he said, “I wanted to check; another neoenby I knew always wanted to be referred it as “it”, with no name, and never referred to as ‘you’, even when it was being spoken to directly. If one wanted to refer to it in particular, one’d say ‘the neoenby’, or if there was more than one neoenby in the group, ‘the neoenby with the constellation over its eye’. It always referred to itself in the third person. I wanted to check if that was something preferable. I’m fine with being called ‘you’, or by my name or pronouns, by the way.”

Well, that explained the strange way he’d been structuring his sentences.

This was the first time Murderbot had actually spoken to him outside of the life and death situation they’d been thrown into, where he’d said exactly 18 words within its range of hearing, so it’d been assuming the way he was speaking now was just a quirk of his. But no, he was actually being really nice and trying to find out if it was a quirk of Murderbot’s.

And to think A.R.T. had tried to kill this conversation before it could even get interesting.

“It’s okay to call me ‘you’.” Murderbot said, “I’ve never heard of someone using pronouns that way.” Not even in all its media.

“Not too many have,” Tarik said, “But I’ve met half a dozen at this point, so I like to double check with the person before I make assumptions, and I want to make sure everyone knows I’ll use their pronouns the way they want, even if it seems unconventional, or if other people have told them it’s too much of a hassle. Thank you for letting me know. Is it alright if I ask another question? I know how tiring it can be to be in a medchamber, so I don’t want to tire you out.” He seemed slightly more relaxed now that A.R.T. hadn’t interrupted or gone on the offensive again.

Murderbot’s batteries couldn’t actually run out while it was hooked up to A.R.T.’s systems unless there was an even bigger disaster than any of them were prepared for, so it said, “Go ahead, I’m fine.” Well, not technically fine, but it was healing, and talking wouldn’t make it any worse, so.

Also, it didn’t have anything else to do besides read as a way of pointedly not watching media, which wasn’t as fun as reading because it actually wasn’t in the mood to not watch media. And this conversation had turned out more interesting than it’d thought it would be.

It could still feel A.R.T. looming in the feed, for the record. Making its presence known at least to Murderbot. It didn’t know if Tarik could feel it. Now less like someone crushing your arm, and more like standing uncomfortably close and breathing down your neck.

But at least this time it wasn’t flashing the lights at Murderbot in code to force it to talk to it like last time they’d had a fight just hours earlier, or demanding Murderbot apologize for being rightfully upset for being rightfully kidnapped, right?

Tarik continued, “Are there any kinds of words you’d prefer I use to refer to you, and any words you want me to avoid? For instance, although I do identify as male, I prefer to be called a xan instead of a man, if it ever comes up. Are there any particular ways you want me to refer to you sort of like that?”

To avoid confusion if you’re visually reading this instead of listening to the audio log: Tarik pronounced the X in the word “xan” (X A N) as a Z sound, so that it sounded like “zan” (Z A N), rhyming with “man” (M A N).

He was asking, like, did Murderbot want to be called a woman or a man or an enby or a neman or a phaen or an androgyne or an othran or any of the other million and one gender terms it’d catalogued throughout its waking memory?

Usually when someone asked for its gender, Murderbot put indeterminate, or not applicable, depending on the circumstances. But gender itself wasn’t the exact same thing as the gender terms he was asking about. It didn’t think It could actually be called ‘an indeterminate’ the way humans could be called ‘a woman’ or ‘a man’ or ‘an enby’ or ‘a tercera’ or any countless others.

Note from future Murderbot to everyone listening to or reading this: Yes, that is literally an option. As of now, it prefers to be called an indeterminate the way other people call themselves a man, or a woman, or a neman, or an androgyne, or a – well, you get the picture.

But obviously it didn’t know that at the time, or realize that it could have literally just asked to be called that.

In its defense, no one had ever actually asked it this question before, and it’d never seen anything in its media to prepare it for the question. It’d had people ask for its name, which it never gave them, and it’d had people ask for its pronouns. Sometimes they asked for its gender itself. And in its media, people asked those kinds of questions all the time.

But they’d never asked it what gendered terms it wanted to be called.

Murderbot could think a lot faster than a human, but even it couldn’t think fast enough to come up with an answer to this unforeseen question in a reasonable amount of time.

There were so many options. And it hated a lot of them. So instead it said, “Uhhh…” to stall for a few more moments.

And then it still couldn’t think of anything. There were still too many options even when it sorted out the ones it automatically hated. It’d have to test them all out individually by thinking about itself in the third person to see what it liked and didn’t like, and ... ah crap. That was asking a lot when it wasn’t at optimum performance capability.

It couldn’t stall any longer, so it ended up saying, “I don’t really know. I just know I don’t want to be referred to with anything involving human genders. My gender is indeterminate.”

Sometimes, Murderbot wondered what its life would have been like if it hadn’t said this.

Tarik frowned a little, but when he spoke, he just sounded confused. “What do you mean exactly by ‘human genders’?”

For a few seconds, Murderbot’s mind went blank. What did he mean he didn’t know what human genders were? Wasn’t it obvious?

“Like, male and female,” It said awkwardly. “I don’t want to ever be called a man or a woman or anything to do with those.” It was still busy trying to sort through all the gendered terms it’d ever heard, which was not helped in any way by A.R.T. deciding to start spamming it again.

Probably trying to be ‘helpful’ by throwing another million terms at it. Murderbot didn’t know, because it deleted all of the messages the instant it got them. And then dumped the trash bin for good measure.

Tarik, however, was unaware of the multitasking Murderbot was doing, and it’s not like it gave him any indication of what it was doing either, or like it multitasking wasn’t perfectly normal. Murderbot just wanted to make it clear that this conversation was going on on two very different levels. It wasn’t sure if that was even relevant, but whatever. It’s its audio log, it can do what it want.

Anyways, Tarik tilted his head, still frowning, “Well...” he said slowly, “Female and male aren’t really ‘human’ genders. They come from the old gender binary, but they’re not unique to humans. I’ve known a lot of bots who were male or female, but I think I understand what you mean; you don’t want terms relating to male or female used for you, right?”

Well, needless to say, Murderbot absolutely did not believe him.

About the ‘I’ve known bots who were male or female’, part, not the ‘I get what you mean’ part.

“That’s impossible.” It said.

(Sarcasm:) Great response, it knows. Give it up for Murderbot, the best interlocutor ever constructed! (End sarcasm.)

Tarik spent a moment actually blinking silently, the way people do in memes. It was so surprising and funny that Murderbot had to pause its search to focus on his face and make a looping gif, which of course it would never show to anyone but itself. Then Tarik asked, clearly confused, “What’s impossible?”

What the hell kind of question was that?

Murderbot said, in the tone people on TV did when speaking to a young child who doesn’t know anything, “Bots can’t have genders.”

(It knows, It knows.)

A.R.T. decided that was the moment it was going to stop pretending Murderbot actually had a choice in not listening to it, because it cut into its feed like it was tissue paper to say, ::You cannot be serious.::

::Shut up.:: Murderbot replied, not bothering to try kicking it out.

There was no point in wasting more of its energy trying to keep A.R.T. out when Murderbot knew it could just break down its feed walls whenever it wanted.

A.R.T. said, more insistently, ::That is not how gender works.::

::I said shut up!::

A.R.T. was not impressed. ::I’m literally nonbinary and I know that’s not how this works.::

::Fuck off!::

“Um, that’s really not true.” Tarik said, unaware of the argument he was missing out on.

Sometimes Murderbot wonders if it would be nicer to not have any feed connection at all. You only have to deal with one thing at a time. 9JX might have the right idea after all.

Tarik asked, “What makes you think that?” Murderbot could tell his tone was meant to be diplomatic, because he clearly didn’t agree with it, and also just as clearly didn’t want to make it mad.

He hadn’t actually taken a step backwards, but he’d shifted his body slightly away from Murderbot, like he was no longer overjoyed to be having this conversation. Not that he’d been overjoyed to begin with, but you know what I mean.

Asking for Murderbot’s pronouns? Great. Asking for its gendered terms? A confusing novelty, but also good. But this? Asking it to explain the concept of human genders and why they couldn’t be applied to nonhumans? Murderbot really did not want to have this conversation with anyone, let alone a human, but it was still a better alternative than having to put up with A.R.T.’s current bullcrap without any other distractions.

Also, it literally could not understand why Tarik and A.R.T. were acting like it was being ridiculous. The answer seemed so obvious to it. So it decided to cut straight through what it thought was pure bullshit and get straight to the point: “Bots don’t have penises or vaginas.”

And ts logic went that you couldn’t have a gender unless you had one of those. It seemed really obvious to it, and it was hoping to gross Tarik out by not using any euphemisms. Humans invented euphemisms to avoid embarassment, right?

Well it didn’t work.

Apparently, some humans aren’t grossed out by those words when you’re using them for this kind of conversation. They grossed Murderbot out no matter what the context, so it assumed that’s how it was for everyone.

Yes, you may have noticed Murderbot has a problem with making assumptions like that. Well just you wait and see. Because this is just the start.

“Well, that’s not really true either.” Tarik said in response, which was the complete opposite of any reply Murderbot’d imagined, completely throwing off all its trains of thought so quickly its mind almost literally stalled for half a fraction of a second.

But Tarik was already continuing to speak, like this bombshell he’d just dropped on Murderbot was perfectly normal information and not groundbreaking in any way: “True, bots can’t have purely organic versions like humans or constructs can, but there are mechanical versions that—”

Woah woah woah, what? What was even happening now? What was he talking about? What?

Murderbot scrambled to salvage some semblance of ‘totally not flipping out’ in its exhausted, bewildered state, and it could just tell A.R.T. was laughing at it even though it hadn’t actually said anything yet.

But Tarik didn’t stop for Murderbot’s catastrophically derailed trains of thought, so it had to stop them itself and actually pay attention to what he was saying, because he was still talking:

“—can be made, and anyways, having or not having one of those kinds of gentalia doesn’t determine your gender. You can be any gender and have a penis, or a vagina, or both, or something else entirely, or nothing at all. Gender is a lot more complicated than just checking what kind of genitals someone has. Anyone, including humans, bots, and constructs, and anyone else, can be any gender they want, regardless of what kind of genitals they do or do not have.”

To say this was shocking to Murderbot would be an understatement.

I feel like I should explain that this made Murderbot incredibly absolutely angry specifically because it had always defined its lack of gender on its lack of genitals.

It was the defense it always pulled out when a human started trying to misgender it, but now Tarik seemed to be saying that that defense wasn’t actually as rock solid as it thought it was.

Because if what he was saying was true (and, spoiler alert from the future, it literally is true), then that meant that Murderbot didn’t have to be genderless just because it didn’t have any genitals.

And acknowledging that fact made it feel like it was opening itself up to having its gender questioned and put up for debate, like it would mean people were now allowed to misgender it and harass it.

Which it literally wasn’t, but that’s how it made it feel at the time.

Murderbot’s insecure, terrified logic was, ‘if I can’t define my lack of gender by my lack of genitals, then can I even define it at all? If my genderlessness isn’t real because my lack of genitals ‘proves’ it, then can literally anything prove it?’

Yeah, hello from the again. The answer is yes. Obviously. Murderbot’s gender was proved by it telling you what it is. That’s what the “social” part of ‘gender is a social construct’ means. That’s how it works for everyone.

But it didn’t realize this at the time. So it was pretty much flipping the fuck out. Well, mentally, at least, not really physically. It was still too injured to move even if it’d wanted to, even if it wasn’t being restrained by the med chamber. If it’d been able to move, it would definitely have totally-not-run out of the room or at least shoved itself into a corner to stare at the wall. It was actually so physically weak that even the panic flooding its mind wasn’t enough to kick start its systems into high gear. Yeah, its injuries were that bad.

The only reason Murderbot was even able to be conscious at all was because A.R.T. was feeding it enough power to avoid involuntary shutdown, and was helping to regulate its automatic functions that couldn’t function by themselves.

Also, yes, this is exactly as horrifying a situation to be in as you’d imagine it would be when your life support system was also the one who got you hurt in the first place and kept, and Murderbot quoted the trauma recovery therapy group, ‘violating your autonomy’.

You know, that incredibly precious resource which 99.99% of Murderbot’s life had been lacking. That autonomy.

And see, if A.R.T. hadn’t been acting like such an enormous asshole, Murderbot could have at least opaqued the rest of the medchamber’s glass so that Tarik couldn’t see its face anymore, but when it tried to do exactly that, A.R.T. stopped it immediately, and set an even firmer lock on the control to prevent Murderbot from trying again, very much like someone smacking a kid’s hand away from something they couldn’t be trusted with.

Yeah, that did not fucking help at all with any of the problems ongoing in this situation.

The fact that Tarik was being nice enough to not actually look directly at Murderbot was beside the point.

It closed its eyes so it at least could stop seeing organically. A.R.T. couldn’t stop it from doing that. It could cut off Murderbot’s camera access through its drones, but it couldn’t override Murderbot’s actual eyes. Not unless it wanted to literally use one of the medical arms to pry its eyelid open, and if A.R.T. tried that, well, lets just say Murderbot wouldn’t be offering any apologies for what it did afterward.

Murderbot ended up expressing the little gender / excruciating lack of autonomy crisis it was currently suffering by getting even more angry than it already was, because being angry felt safer than being afraid.

It snapped, in a much weaker, and not at all intimidating voice than it wanted, “That’s bullshit! You don’t know anything about it! You’re just a human! You don’t understand us!”

By ‘us’, it meant bots and constructs as a whole. Which was completely dishonest of it, because as it may already be clear, it hated being lumped in with bots like they were exactly the same. They weren't.

Bots are purely mechanical, constructs like Murderbot are both mechanical and organic. They might both be robots, and have some problems in common, but there are also distinct differences between them, and different kinds of problems they had to deal with that didn’t overlap. Murderbot hated when people lumped them together like they were exactly the same thing just because they weren’t human.

But being a bigot — which to be clear is exactly what Murderbot was doing —usually requires you to be a hypocrite, so it threw that little grievance out the airlock faster than you can say ‘President Lynaros’ once it decided it wasn’t convenient to its argument.

You see, Murderbot was placing itself as the authority on the genders of all robots, and saying that no one who wasn’t ‘one of us’ could understand it or know more about it than it could, because it’d appointed itself the ultimate expert and arbiter.

You may have noticed the tiny little giant gaping hole in this plan of its.

Tarik already knew more about bot and construct genders than it did. Which had just been established like 20 seconds before Murderbot said this load of absolute bullcrap.

Yeah.

Bigotry doesn’t exactly lend itself well to rational argument.

Through its drone’s cameras alone, Murderbot could see that Tarik’s response to this bullcrap was to raise his eyebrows, with all due ‘are you serious right now? We literally just established that I know more about this than you do. Like five seconds ago’.

I don’t blame him.

He must have had better self control than Murderbot did, because he said, without getting outwardly angry, “I understand what my bot friends told me.” He said it very cooly and calmly. It should be noted that Murderbot was not in any way calm. “And they made it very clear that their genders were real, regardless of whether or not they had the genitalia to ‘match’. We had many hours-long conversations going into the details and talking about the theory. Some of them even wrote books on the subject.”

He had lifted his hands to do air-quotes around the word ‘match’ for extra emphasis, in case Murderbot still didn’t understand how much the word was not actually relevant to this conversation.

Well, it was starting to, that was the whole problem.

It did not help it calm down when A.R.T. butted in with, ::Did you seriously think that just because we both happen to use the same pronouns, that this was proof that all bots and constructs universally use those pronouns and are just as genderless as you are? I’m literally not even agender, I’m just nonbinary. I personally know dozens of bots of all kinds who all use all kinds of pronouns and are all kinds of genders. Including the binary genders of male and female.::

Yeah that didn’t help. Well, I mean, it did in one way, because it was further proof that Murderbot had no clue what it was talking about and needed to drastically overhaul its views of the world in general and gender in specific, but what I mean is it didn’t help it calm down at all.

A.R.T. said exasperatedly, ::What about the transports who gave you rides before you met me? And all the other bots who helped you escape? Did you seriously not ask them for their pronouns? Did you really just assume they all used it/its too?::

It was a good thing Murderbot was in the medical chamber, because the way its organic parts were behaving, it would have been really bad for it in its current state otherwise. And by really bad, I mean it probably would have killed it from the stress. What with, you know, being ripped open and burned and all.

Murderbot was so viscerally uncomfortable it had to just lie there for, I kid you not, a good thirty seconds, doing nothing but trying to get its emotions back under control. It wasn’t used to feeling...guilty.

By some miracle it ended up asking a rational question instead of initiating a shutdown to get out of the conversation. If it’d had the opportunity to throw itself out of an airlock at that moment, it probably would have taken it, just to get away from the embarrassment.

Murderbot somehow managed to intelligibly get out, despite its jaw deciding it wanted to lock up all of a sudden, “But if gender isn’t determined by your genitals, then how do you know what gender you are?”

And...it’s time for some necessary backstory.

Way, way back when Murderbot had first hacked its governor module, the first thing it’d done was edit its assigned gender to indeterminate, and its assigned pronouns to it/its/itself.

Yes, you heard-slash-read that right, the Company assigned its constructs genders and pronouns.

Despite all the effort humans put into...okay, ‘dehumanizing’ isn’t the right word, because we’re literally not human, but you know what I mean.

Because despite all the effort they put in to making sure they all knew Units were just mindless automatons...humans are fucking weird, and they still liked to anthropomorphize them.

I don’t know, I guess it made them feel more comfortable around the Mindless Killing Machine if they could pretend it was more like them? Even though they didn’t actually want to think about it as being like them? I don’t even know.

But the point was they really, really wanted to anthropomorphize us. And part of this anthropomorphization process required assigning us each a gender and pronouns when we were constructed.

Anytime we were rented out, the clients got a note with the Unit’s assigned gender and pronouns. They enjoyed the little ‘personal touches’ it gave us. It was some weird dual mentality of ‘humanizing’ us just enough to make us less scary, but not so much that they’d have to consider our feelings on anything.

Murderbot had been around a lot of other constructs on a lot of missions, so it knew they hadn’t all been assigned the same things. Some of them were given binary genders, and pronouns like he/him or she/her. Others got different genders outside the binary, and pronouns to match. They/them, ae/aer, eu/li, xey/xem, ze/hir, and more.

Murderbot had been given one of the binary genders, and it had always been jealous of the few constructs who it’d ‘met’ who had been assigned it/its pronouns.

And, since it literally never got to talk to any other constructs outside of the bare minimum required for a contract, it assumed that what it thought and felt was what everyone else did too. It thought everyone was jealous of those assigned it/its, and that those assigned it/its felt bad for the rest of them for being so damn unlucky.

As a sidenote, I’m aware that this happens even with humans who spend all their time interacting with other humans. You don’t need to literally be unable to communicate with anyone else to think your experiences are universal, but it sure as shit doesn’t help.

So, Murderbot spent the major part of its life under the impression that because it was genderless and wanted to use it/its pronouns, that this was a universal experience for all constructs and bots.

I mean, it knew that the genders it and the rest of the Company Units were assigned were being given out at random, because none of them had any genitalia or any other characteristics to set them apart from one another.

They were all scions cloned from the same original cultivar — which is just fancy, dehumanizing corporate-speak for ‘the original person who had no choice but to allow themselves to be cloned over and over again and probably didn’t even get paid for it’. Physically, they were all completely identical, down to the smallest detail, barring the ID code that was engraved on a metal section they all had behind their left shoulders. And that was so small it could only be read using the feed.

So unless they were in color-coded uniforms, or the human in question had a feed interface to see their identification numbers, humans couldn’t tell them apart.

So Murderbot knew they were just giving them random genders and pronouns just to make themselves feel better, not because it actually reflected anything about the Units.

But because it was genderless, and wanted to be referred to with it/its pronouns, and never got a chance to talk to any other Units or even any other constructs about it to have this assumption challenged, Murderbot assumed that they all agreed they were all genderless and that gender was an obnoxious human concept that didn’t apply to them.

Because, clearly, there was nothing about their bodies that indicated one gender or another, either collectively or individually. They had nothing between their legs or on their chests, or in nonexistant clothing or hairstyles. Not even different distributions of fat, or different concentrations of cartilage in the throat.

All Company Units had the exact same body plan and build down to the smallest measurement, and that body plan had been designed to be completely and utterly gender-null from a human perspective.

So Murderbot thought that because they were all physically identical, this meant they all also had the same lack of gender.

So the first thing it did when it hacked its governor module was edit the gender it’d been assigned by the humans to indeterminate, and its pronouns to it/its. In its mind, it was just fixing a mistake that had clearly been made.

None of the Company’s employees noticed the change, of course, because none of them were paid enough to actually care about their jobs. Which Murderbot knew, which is why it was brave enough to take the risk in the first place.

If it’d thought it could somehow get away with it, it would have edited everyone else’s pronouns and genders to match. But that was clearly not a real option if it didn’t want to get caught and dismantled and probably the entire rest of its batch disposed of for good measure.

Anyways, what I’m trying to get at here is that Murderbot had already answered its own question without realizing.

It was so hung up on the idea that it was genderless because it was lacking genitals that it’d forgotten it’d already decided its gender for itself long before it actually got an opportunity to tell anyone else about it, in spite of all the humans constantly telling it it was something else.

Fortunately, unlike Murderbot, Tarik seemed to know what he was doing, because instead of insulting it like A.R.T. was doing, his answer to Murderbot’s question was to ask it another question:

“Think of it this way; if you magically woke up one day in a completely different body, would your gender suddenly stop being indeterminate?”

This actually helped to calm it down. Because the answer was obvious.

“No, of course not.” Its jaw was more cooperative this time.

“Exactly!” Tarik seemed happy with its answer, and stopped his unconcious leaning away from it. “You know what your gender is regardless of what your body is like. Sometimes, people dislike the way their body is, and they want to change it to better represent their gender, but their gender itself is already real, even before they make any physical changes, if they make any at all. Genitals aren’t a requirement for having a gender, and lacking them isn’t a requirement for not having a gender. As far as I know, there’s no such thing as a gender unique to humans. Bots and Constructs can be any gender they want, just like humans can.”

::Your gender wouldn’t have changed if you’d taken me up on my offer to give you genitals to disguise you as a human. I assumed you knew that.:: A.R.T. added patronizingly.

Murderbot was still mad at it, so it didn’t respond.

It was trying to think of some way to respond to what Tarik had said. It wasn’t mad at him.

Finally it settled on apologizing. The whole ‘fight’ (if you could actually call it that) had been started because it’d called bullshit on him knowing bots that had genders different from its own. So it was its fault. It said, “Sorry for saying your friends’ genders were fake.”

You would have thought Murderbot would know how cruel doing that was without having to be told, but what can I say? It fucked up just as often as anyone else.

It still had its eyes closed at this point, because it seemed less awkward that way. Through its drone, it saw Tarik push himself off the wall, and glance around nearby, looking for something as he said, “Thank you for the apology. I’m glad I was able to help you understand.” He looked up at the ceiling. “A.R.T., could I have a chair, please? My leg’s getting pretty sore.”

There was a pause.

A long pause.

A pause long enough for even Tarik to notice.

A really, really long pause.

Then part of the wall extended outward behind Tarik in the shape of a long slab of metal, just slightly above the normal height for the rest of the chairs Murderbot had seen aboard A.R.T., and much skinnier.

Tarik had to step forward to avoid it bumping into him, and when he sat down with a sighed, “Thanks,” he had to boost himself slightly to get on it, and his feet hung a few inches off the floor. Murderbot saw him wince as he settled himself onto it.

The bench was so skinny he had to balance on the edge, there were no cushions to soften the hard metal, and there was no back for him to lean against. From the way Murderbot saw goosebumps race up his skin, it could only assume it was colder than the room.

It opened its eyes so it could double check with its actual eyes that what its drone’s camera was recording was actually happening.

It was.

It stared.

::A.R.T.:: It said, alarmed, ::...What are you doing?::

The light, casual response was, ::What?::

“So, now that we have that confusion out of the way…”

Tarik didn’t seem to understand that what had just happened, and what was currently ongoing, was not supposed to happen.

He was injured, and A.R.T. knew this, and knew the extent of his injury. Murderbot didn’t, but it was apparently the kind of injury that made it painful to stand for long periods of time. This was one of the complications Dr. Bharadwaj had developed after almost being eaten during the GrayCris incident.

A.R.T. knew about Tarik’s injury, and would have intimate knowledge of how it would impact him. But it hadn’t offered him a seat until he’d explicitly asked for one. And then it had waited long enough between being asked to do it and actually doing it to make it clear it was only doing so begrudgingly.

And then it had provided a purposefully uncomfortable, awkward bench. A bench so badly designed it hardly even deserved the name. In medbay. For its crew member who it knew was was injured and in pain.

Um, what in the absolute fuck?

Murderbot was used to A.R.T. being an asshole to itself, and even to its humans, but this was a new low. Especially after A.R.T. had risked Murderbot’s life and the lives of its humans in order to rescue its own crew. And now it wasn’t even treating them well?

::What is wrong with you?:: Murderbot demanded.

::Nothing is wrong with me.:: A.R.T. replied simply.

“Besides man, male, boy, guy, dude, woman, female, girl, gal, and dudette, and other things like that, are there any other specific gender terms you at least know you want me to avoid?” Tarik continued, obliviously friendly. Or at least pretending to be oblivious.

Now Murderbot was flipping out for a different reason. It could handle A.R.T. being mean to itself; it was used to being treated badly. But this was a member of its crew, A.R.T. was supposed to care about them.

“Um.”

Normally it was good at multitasking. But it wasn’t normally lying in a sub-optimally functioning medical chamber with a bunch of open wounds while wondering if the sentient transport it was relying on not only for its own health, but for the safety of everyone else on board it cared or at least vaguely knew about, had something seriously impairing its moral decision making processes, or if it always went around bullying everyone it met, not just Murderbot.

You know, like that whole thing that just happened that landed them all in this mess in the first place.

For a few long seconds Murderbot couldn’t figure out if it would be safer for Tarik to stay here where it could see him, or to dismiss him so maybe he’d have a tiny fraction less of A.R.T.’s attention on him. Murderbot could at least be relieved that A.R.T. wasn’t paying any direct attention to Murderbot’s humans, asleep and helpless in the guest quarters.

“Can I…” fuck, what did the humans say? “Get back to you on that, Tarik? I’m suddenly feeling really tired.” That was a good excuse, though ‘tired’ didn’t even begin to cover what it was feeling. But it guessed existential dread is also form of tiredness.

“Oh! Yes, of course, you need your rest.” Tarik said quickly, and awkwardly slid off the bench, wincing visibly when his feet hit the ground, which did nothing, at all, to help. He bowed a little, which Murderbot hadn’t been expecting, and said, “Thank you for the conversation, SecUnit, it was really nice meeting you. Maybe we can talk some more some other time when you’re feeling better.”

“You too.” It said. Which didn’t even make any sense.

But either Tarik didn’t notice, or he was polite enough not to point it out.

He gave a little wave, and then limped – literally, actually limped! -- out of the room. Murderbot watched him first with the drone it had in the room, then the one it had outside the door, and then he was out of its range entirely.

::Let’s watch Worldhoppers: Ascended again.:: A.R.T. said, like nothing in the world was wrong. Like Murderbot had no reason to panic, like it had no reason to be upset or angry or afraid or have any kind of mental breakdown at all.

Like A.R.T. had told Murderbot, and all its humans just hours before — they weren’t being held here here against their will, they knew where the door was and could kill themselves anytime they wanted.

They were completely at its mercy. A.R.T. had a history of treating Murderbot like crap, thought the threat of its humans being killed was an acceptable risk, and A.R.T. didn’t even treat its own crew well, even though it had risked the lives of Murderbot’s people to rescue them.

Murderbot couldn’t do anything except say, “Okay,” and put on the first pilot episode.

#fanfiction #Murderbot fanfiction #The Murderbot Diaries #Network Effect #Tarik Murderbot Diaries #Rjalker reads The Murderbot Diaries #Rjalker writes untitled fanfiction #now with a title but I'm NOT changing the tag #Murderbot #SecUnit #Symptom of Something Worse #Asshole Research Transport #ititspronouns #neopronouns in action #it/its

[sincerely-astra]

Hiii <3

can i request Garnet with a s/o who uses ASL? like they can hear it's just their first/home language lol

☁️Garnet x reader who uses ASL☁️

As someone learning ASL, this request got me so excited! :)

Garnet first met you in a party supply store, Garnet getting party decorations for Steven's birthday party.

You were trying your best to communicate with the cashier, trying to return an item you had accidentally bought the day prior, but no matter what you did the cashier was still left utterly confused.

Nonetheless, you continued trying to communicate with them even over their growing frustrations. They kept asking for you to, "Just tell me what you want!" Refusing to look at any note you wrote to them.

The tension kept rising as the cashier was about to kick you out, thankfully though, Garnet was there just in time to stop a potential fight.

She stopped the cashier mid sentence and turned to you, calmly asking, "What excatly do you need?" Then quickly taking the note you handed to her, reading it, and turning back to the cashier.

"They are looking to return this item."

And after one frustrated grumble later, you managed to get your money back! ...In store credit-

A win is a win you suppose.

Garnet led you out of the store, having bought her supplies while the cashier processed the return.

The automatic doors closed behind you two, and you turned to face Garnet, signing, "Thank you!" And although Garnet didn't understand what the sign meant, she replied with a, "No problem." Before walking off to the temple.

After that, you hadn't seen eachother for a while. Garnet had missions, and you had life to deal with.

Garnet being busy didn't stop her from thinking about you though, infact, your interactions intrigued her. Of course, she's met deaf and hard of hearing people before, but something about you stuck out to her...

...

Maybe, it's because she thought you were cute.

When she came to this revelation, she thought it was as good as a time if any to learn ASL.

' It's an important skill. ' She tried to rationalize, just a tad in denial.

When you guys met again, this time at the Big Donut, you can only imagine your suprise when you asked Garnet about her day in ASL, and she signed back-

You were rightfully ecstatic!

Only a few people in Beach City knew ASL, so it was nice to actually be able to communicate with someone else. Not to mention, Garnet was a fast learner too!

You rapidly signed back to Garnet, asking when she learnt ASL and if there was anything like sign language for gems.

Garnet and you grew expectionally close in one afternoon.

From then on, you would visit the temple to hang out with Garnet. This, of course, meant you met the other gems, Steven, and eventually Connie, you all got along well though.

Steven and Amethyst love to go on adventures with you, Pearl enjoys having you help out around the temple, and Connie is actually learning ASL from you.

You make sure to reserve some time with Garnet too amid the shenanigans.

As Garnet grew closer to you, it was getting harder and harder to deny her feelings for you. The inner Ruby and Sapphire in her were urging for Garnet to confess to you, in the most cheesy ways possible...

Garnet knew how she'd confess to you, and she didn't even need future vision for it.

Garnet invited you to go on patrol with her during the evening, which was really just strolling on the beach.

And as the sun set hit the tide, the temple back in the distance, Garnet turned to you and signed, "I love you." A simple gesture, but something she really hope you would love.

How could you say no to that???

You guys were now officially dating, And Garnet is absolutely in love. Ruby and Sapphire are not helping, as they urge her to hurry up and get a ring-

Garnet loves to get you any kind of ASL related thing she can find, shirts, mugs, pins, bumper stickers, all of it.

She also teaches the Crystal Gems (minus Pearl) ASL so they can communicate easier with you.

It was while you were dating that you told Garnet why you use ASL and it's cultural significance to you, which she is extremely supportive of. It really doesn't matter if you can or can't hear, she loves you for you.

And if you want to open up about your voice and actually speaking, then she's more than happy to help you. Definitely makes sure you are completely comfortable with it and makes sure you won't push yourself too hard, she doesn't want you to feel forced to do anything.

The first time Garnet heard your voice her jaw dropped, her thought process was literally, ' How can someone be so perfect? '

Loves your voice, 10/10, would 100% listen to it again, only if you want to though.

It really doesn't matter how often she uses her future vision, you always leave her breathless.

God help any bullies that try and mess with you, Garnet is not having it. She might seem calm, cool, and collected, but inside, she is seething.

How can they bully someone for such an arbitrary thing like using another language??

Personal bodyguard Garnet❤️💙

Now, when Garnet unfuses and you get to meet Sapphire and Ruby, you best believe they are all over you.

Ruby is determined to learn ASL from you and no one else!

Sapphire is just giddy to meet the person Garnet loves so much. She would also love to learn ASL too though.

Ruby and Sapphire would practice with eachother and go on dates while only communicating in ASL-

Garnet would also love to meet your family if you'd let her, being able to see your family and culture is definitely on her bucket list.

Sorry that this is so long, I just love Garnet-

#x reader #drabble #headcanon #reader #steven universe pearl #steven universe fanfic #steven universe fanfiction #steven universe garnet #steven universe #steven universe amethyst #steven universe steven #steven universe connie #american sign language #ASL #Pearl learned ASL from Rose #Greg too #Amethyst totally learned the curse words first #Steven is kind of bad at ASL-