• English is NOT my first language, so sorry for any mistakes.
• Read this before requesting anything pls
• Warnings: fem!reader, fluff, maybe ooc, sorry..
• A/n: I'm sorry again this took me so long to reply, been busy lately, and I'm sorry this is short T^T".. anyways, I'll tag u bc I used a screenshot.. @danmeicloak, enjoy pookie :3 and i also decided to add Miss J bc she's cool and funny :D, couldn't add Bowa because idk how to write for her, especially that she wasn't really good after all..
• A/n: I REALLY need more Ms. Blazing Fire info I wanna write for her too..
• Dividers by @/saradika-graphics, @/honeyluvsw, @/pxrce-lain, @/strangergraphics
Enjoy 🎃👍
Queen/Liu Yuwei
-Starting a relationship with Queen may sound a little impossible, due to her work, and her important role as a Hero.
-Deep feelings for you had always been there, but they weren't romantic at first. You fell first, she fell harder.
-Learning how much you feel for her would affect her, it would literally turn on the romantic side of her.
-Probably L. Johnny is the one who started the topic with "Don't you feel like [Name] is kind of.. in love with you?" She'd probably be surprised at first. But she didn't immediately start feeling things when he mentioned that.
-It's something you did, that made her feel your care, and made her heart beat faster.
-She'd probably make it clear that she loves you, she would also start hugging you too much when you're alone.
-Probably would confess when you're hugging each other after she came back from a tiring mission.
-She won't ask you to start dating immediately. No kisses either. She'd just caress your cheek with one hand, while looking into your eyes with a soft smile, telling you that she loves you, that she just wants you to know. Maybe would give you a kiss on your forehead.
-You'd be sharing bed for your first time, but nothing intimate, you just fall asleep holding each other closely.
-You would start dating the next day.
-Her love language would be acts of service and physical touch, and maybe also gift giving. In return, she likes receiving words of affirmation and acts of service.
-You're one of the very few people she shows her "weaker" side to.
-Since she's usually busy, you won't have much time together, but she'll definitely make up for it.
-Once she's at home, she'll probably start giving you hugs and kisses, a lot of kisses actually, but if she's too tired, she'd just lay down on the couch with you in her arms, and watch some movies maybe.
-Probably would come back home with a lot of flowers.
-She also has a habit calling you when she's in her way back to you, and ask you if you need anything from any store she's passing by, groceries or just something that has been on your mind for a while.
-Actually, if the store you want stuff from isn't close, she'd walk miles for you. Even if you tell her something like "ONLY if the store is close enough", she won't listen.
-She's actually so sweet, no matter what others say, no matter how strong she is in front of others.
-You can feel it in her kisses, the way she holds your hand so gently, as if she's afraid to break you, the way her lips softly brush on yours, her hands holding your cheeks with tender eyes..
-She WILL NOT sleep without you, and she ALWAYS finishes her work early or on time, just to come back to you.
-She'd like to introduce you to her closest and only friends, she feels happy when you you guys have fun together.
-You're too important to her, and she wants to make it clear to you that you're a part of her life now, and that she won't let anything bad happen to you, never.
Miss J
-She asks you out the moment she realizes you're her angel.
-Can actually be clingy.
-Would scold you "gently" if you're being hard on yourself.
-Loves you with all her heart, she'd tell her people to protect you or they're dead.. [those guys in black suits who always try to save her from doing something stupid].
-Imagine sitting on a luxurious couch, with two guys offering you drinks and fruits, other two are waving feather fans to create a breeze for you, and others work as guards.
-Her love language is probably words of affirmation, and maybe physical touch. In return, she likes physical touch and quality time.
-Spending her free time with you may be the best thing in her life. She also works hard to make it good for you.
-She may try to make it "too perfect" and then end up making things worse..
-You gotta tell her "I just like you the way you are you don't have to be perfect".
-She would end up crying on your lap, and clinging to you.
Lucky Cyan/Cyan
-You two meet at a cafe, accidentally bumping into each other and spilling your coffee on her clothes.
-She doesn't know how you two ended up being friends, but she regrets nothing.
-You'd hang out together often, maybe at some point she'd also introduce you to Queen and L. Johnny.
-Probably would realize quickly that she has a crush on you, but keeps telling herself that it's just a small crush and it'll pass quickly.
-But that doesn't happen. Mostly would try keep things in "friendship" zone and would wait. I don't think she'd confess first, at least not soon, and not until she's sure you feel the same. Because if you don't, she'll keep her feelings to herself.
-Probably would confess in tears after she realized how much you love her, and hugs you.
-Awkward when it comes to intimate stuff like kissing or making out. She's super inexperienced. Not shy, maybe a bit, but she can get used to it gradually.
-Would ask you if it's okay to kiss you before everything.
-If you two share hobbies, she'd be extremely excited. Maybe would try to start a small band with you and Lou.
-Speaking of Lou.. he'd tease her constantly, he was the one who planned your "confession scene" in the first place, bc he knew Cyan wasn't going to confess, thinking you don't feel the same.
-He love languages are mostly quality time and physical touch.
-When she comes home tired, she usually wouldn't "bother" you. You'll have to check on her yourself. But she's gonna start being more confident with time, you'll have to help her with it.
Loli/Lou Li
-Childhood friends. Would take time to realize she actually loves you more than a friend.
-She's also inexperienced, it wouldn't be easy for her at first.
-Too much tension. It's too obvious.
-She wouldn't confess if you don't just pin her to the wall and ask her what's going on and why does she act strange sometimes.
-She'd admit that she has this strange feeling in her chest and her heart feels like it's being squeezed when you're close, while blushing like a tomato.
-No dating. Not now. And not this quickly.
-You two would need to figure things out and take it slowly without rushing, making sure if these feelings are serious or just a passing crush.
-She needs to be comfortable, tension is delicious.. sure, but when it feels like there's no rules or expectations, it feels even better.
-Laying down on the bed or on the floor at her workshop, chatting about different stuff while staring at the ceiling might be one of her favorite moments, where she feels more relaxed around you.
-Your first kiss would be unplanned. Not unexpected, but when you were cuddling normally and she started giving you small kiss all over your face, neither of you were planning to kiss on the lips.
-As it's mentioned above, she's more relaxed and comfortable when there are no pressures or high expectations. Just let the kiss happen, not because you should reach this level one day, but just because you two care about each other enough to share this soft kiss.
-She'd pull away quickly, like after 2 or 3 seconds, making sure she didn't mess it up. If there are no signs of discomfort, she'd gladly start kissing you again after asking you.
-Her love languages would be physical touch, gift giving, and quality time.
-You'd start dating quickly after that kissing session, like a day or two days later.
-She'd like to take you out to have a lot of fun. If your energy is low, she doesn't mind choosing more quieter places. "ANYTHING FOR YOU!!" She says with thumbs up.
-Might not say it out loud, at least not so fast, but she's already thinking of marrying you. Like.. "why not? We love each other, anyway.."
Moon/Xiao Yuenqing
-You two met at night when both of you were watching the stars, thinking of how fcked up are your lives, both of you.
-Two heroes just casually talking about their problems, forced relationships, freedom and all..
-And the next day you two shared coffee in the morning, after meeting each other again accidentally.
-There were no feelings or crush at first, you two were really friends. Not after what happened to her relationship with Nice, even if she liked you, she'd hide it.
-It'd probably take a year or two, maybe three, until she starts feeling something for you, and that's because you've always been there to listen to her.
-While trying to hide that she loves you, she'll also give some hints, just because sometimes she can't help it..
-Would drag you somewhere quieter, no people around, no cameras or anything, just you two, telling you that she has smth important to tell you.
-"Look, you know what happened to me and Nice, so I'm just saying this because I want you to know. I love you. We can't start a relationship, it'd hurt both of us. This stupid job, and ass commission and ass rules, idk.. I just love you, okay?"
-Nothing romantic actually.. just rushed words.
-You couldn't tell if you should be happy about hearing that, or sad about not being able to be together..
-You decide to stay "friends", but only when others are around.
-Kind of difficult actually, but you two can still spend some time with each other somehow..
-Due to being distant from each other physically, when you two are alone she becomes clingy. You still hug when others are around, like friends, but it's not enough for both of you.
-So, her love languages are physical touch and quality time.
-A lot of kisses and hugs, you make out alsmot every time you get a quiet moment together.
-If Nice finds out, they'd probably make a deal. Nice will "protect" your relationship with Moon, keeping it secret and sometimes even helping you two, in return, Moon will not tell Miss J or anyone else when he leaves the tower to have some peaceful space, and maybe will also help him "escaping" if she can, and cover him when he's "almost" caught.
-Let's imagine that nothing bad happened and Moon didn't die. A universe where Rock and Shang De never existed. Miss J would help Nice and Moon "break up" and somehow protect your relationship with Moon too.
-You'd be always welcome in their short parties where Wreck and Nice are singing karaoke, Miss J and her assistants are drunk, and you two sitting with them for a while before going out on the balcony to have some fresh air and calm moment.
If you're taking requests, could I request X doting upon his s/o pre-dating? Like, the guy is trying so hard to flirt and appear charming but s/o just thinks he's a really nice and friendly guy. They're not intentionally trying to friendzone him, they're just dense.
Being X is suffering.
𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬
Work was something X didn't really seem to care for as much. the only reason why he mostly goes was because atleast he'd be given the opportunity to see you. Nearly every morning he'd come in with a bag of sweets to give you and today was no different. The elevator hummed softly as he waited for it to arrive at his designated office.
With a soft chime the doors open as the entire floor bustled with busy workers running from room to room, the sound of keyboards clicking while others talk about current projects and assignments that needed to be done.
The office would normally be more tame and quiet on the usual days but unfortunately today was obviously different. People were so focused and busy working, occaisonally tripping over themselves and rushing to get paperwork done as soon as possible.
There was work for everyone, that included you. Typing along the keyboard, you carefully examined the files. Ensuring there were no errors and such before making final revisions and cleaning up any messes before finally submitting the files to your Co worker. You yawned and stretched your arms to lessen the tensions on your body, feeling cramped from being cooped up siting nearly all morning.
It didn't help that you weren't given the opportunity to eat breakfast when you'd left for work, rushing against time the moment you realized you were late to not receive a scolding from your superiors. Thank the heavens you made it on time.
Lunchtime came quickly as you heard and felt your stomach grumble in hunger. You sighed deciding to head in the office kitchen to see what they had available in the pantry and unfortunately finding nothing you could snack on.
Walking back to your office you felt a wave of disappointment flow through you as frustration crept up. You felt a rather throbbing headache while your stomach rumbled once more in hunger. That's when you noticed a brown paperbag on your desk attached with a note.
Sitting down you felt your butt cramp again, the results of Sitting in a rather soft yet firm and hard seat. You took the note, inspecting it carefully. “午饭来了，好好吃吧." A feeling of confusion overcame the sense of hunger you felt as you pondered on who could've gotten you food.
On further inspection you noticed the handwriting looked oddly familiar, realizing it must've been your good friend. Oh how sweet!. Speaking of friend, X approached, coffee in hand with a rather cheeky grin. "Hey, I noticed you were rushing in this morning. And uh—" he rubbed the back of his neck, a warm feeling spread through his body as his face seemed dusted with pink.
"I figured you weren't able to eat breakfast so I got you this." He then offered a freshly brewed coffee which you assumed was take out. You felt a strange bubbly feeling in your chest as a smile graced your lips. Grateful for his thoughtfulness. "Awww! Thank you! You're so sweet."
He simply gave a relaxed smile and went back to work as usual. Later on at lunch he offered to accompany you to the routine spot where you'd enjoy your lunch and seeing as you had nothing else to do it didn't seem like a bad idea.
Unexpectedly he offered to pay for your lunch, to which you adamantly refused but ever the gentle man, X insisted. Always acting extra sweet when it came to you but it seems you never thought of it as more than thoughtfulness from a friend. friend. God how he hated that word, to be nothing more than a mere acquaintance when his poor heart yearned so much already.
You're really gonna be the end of him.
Even as weeks passed, you remained so painfully oblivious to his flirtations and gestures. But every so often, he'd see a dust of Pink on your face as you struggled to convey a response to his teasing. That's what made it worth it, what made him keep going until he'd finally be the only one who could fluster you to such an intimate degree.
He's never giving up, not until he was yours and you were his. Until he could finally carve his name in your heart, just as you have him
Credits to: @skylessstatic , do not repost or translate without permission
where's the x fics. I wanna write for him too but Idk idk what to write 😭
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not only were you bai xizhuang's next door neighbour, but the pretty colleague next to his desk. sometimes when he opens the door for smile to leave, you could be seen, coming back from who knows where.
on a good day, he might even allow himself to walk with you back to the apartments, sharing small conversations on the current work or any gossip you managed to snag from the other workers.
today was one of the good days, he was walking home with you, he can't help but get fidgety with the coin in his pocket. why were you so quiet? not even sparing a glance at the road ahead. he had to pull you aside, cool fingers grabbing your wrist. you blush but he quickly retracts his hand, apologising as you both continue your journey.
the next surprise was when you both were now face to face with your respective doors, he waits for you to go inside. as you open your door, you were greeted by an energetic kid.
he runs and tackles you to the ground with one tight hug. laughing as he tells you how much he misses you. he wasn't expecting another male to appear behind. he pulls you from the ground and ushered the younger boy back in.
did you always have a family of your own? you didn't share any stories of you getting married or even having a child.
" welcome home, " the man from your door, greets you.
awkward tension filling the air. bai xizhuang has always been attracted to you, he can't help the faint blush appearing on his sharp features. clearing his throat hard, you had a husband and child...
" thanks for walking me back, " you wave, entering your home.
it's been a week since the encounter, he doesn't know how to ask or act around you. using his hero form to watch you from afar. he hasn't seen the man but the kid, seemed to be glued to your side.
you don't even know why but watching your sister start growing her own little family, filled you with warmth and want. your brother in law often drops off his son aka your nephew for you to babysit as they go on date nights. you don't mind the noisy two year old but you can't help but stare off the distance sometimes at work. there wasn't many males you would want to fall for nor marry besides the weird nerdy looking guy as they call.
it was one of the days, you managed to catch him. forcing him to meet you at the back of the company as the moon glows. he doesn't know why he stayed for overtime, it was rare but he's glad he's finally one on one with you again.
he was caught off guard when you caged him between your arms and the wall. looking away before meeting his gaze.
" bai xizhuang. " you called, making him shudder at the way you say his name.
" marry me, " his ears burn, what?
his legs felt like jelly, sliding down the wall as he finally sits. you squat next to him, tilting your head as you await for his answer.
" d-dont you have a kid and a husband already? surely he's not treating you badly, is he!? " he grabs your hands, inspecting your face, searching for any discomfort when he mentions the assumed family.
you can't help but laugh, what was he on about? tears welled up in the corner of your eyes. when you finally calmed down, you stare at him, he swears he could've seen stars and glitter in them.
" they're my sister's, dummy... " oh how the gears start to turn.
when he saw them for the first time, he couldn't help but dial smile's number, complaining and crying over how you had someone and a kid while playing around with his heart. his friend tried to help him get over you, calling you a phase and a cheat. oh how he couldn't wait to call his friend over and give him a good beating for feeding his delusions the wrong food.
" ahem... I would love to marry you, I promise to take care and be the best man for you, " be prepared for the best wedding and life. he spoils you rotten and takes great care of you.
---
I want a man like him. where's the civilian x of my life 😭
tags: gn!reader x hero x, obssesive!x, reader and x are coworkers !
-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈
you've found yourself dazed.
lately, it feels like you've been daydreaming far too much, although those dreams contain nothing at all.
maybe, it's simple dissociation. it never lasts that much. maybe two minutes as maximum, and sometimes, it's just a few seconds before you snap yourself back into reality.
your computer screen stares at you in silence, waiting for you to move your mouse and get back to focus.
strange.
you tried to fix it. sleep would help, wouldn't it? maybe you're just overworking yourself.
so you sleep, the full eight hours, except...that didn't work either.
alright, so the sleep wasn't the problem. what else, then?
you quit the caffeine, less take-outs.
sure, you've found yourself being more energetic and productive for work, but those out of the world moments still happen.
it's almost as if you accidentally conditioned yourself into making better health choices.
whatever, it's not like you used the coffee maker at work anyways. the sugar and creamer always run out too quick.
"hey, what's your favorite show out of all these?" a coworker slips a folder next to you.
"what?"
"fomo's doing a survey."
you look down, you haven't been watching anything at all lately, wanting to get to the root cause of your problem.
"can you give it to bai xizhuang once you're done? you two are the only ones in this department who haven't finished it yet."
you give bai xizhuang a glance. he always seemed busy. unlike you.
a sigh leaves your mouth before you even knew it.
"sorry! but he's like, kind of..." your coworker reasons with you, hands flailing around trying to explain themselves.
"yeah, i got it."
it's not until the end of the day when you actually give the survey.
when you near his table, there's a slight frown on his face as if he was expecting someone else. but his features soften as he looks at you.
"uh, here." you hand him the folder.
"...i don't do overtime."
good for you, you wanted to say. "it's just a survey."
"they couldn't have emailed it?"
"they definitely could have." you agreed.
his hand eventually reach for the folder, hand touching yours...ten seconds..one minute..two...
isn't that too long of a time for him to take the folder?
you blink, and there's a slight smile on his face as he looks at you. "is there something wrong? you look...dazed."
"oh." you must have been doing it again.
you can't believe you were almost suspecting him for being a creep. god, you really needed to get a hold of yourself–
"here." he hands you an energy drink. you haven't had caffeine in so long.
you spin the can around, expecting to find loli or maybe even ahu who's often printed on the vending machine drinks.
"it's x...ah, i mean. thanks."
he nodded, still softly smiling at you.
you walk to your desk and sit down, staring at the computer screen.
you double check the work you've done, making sure you haven't missed anything–
then it happens again, like you're floating in space. like you're halfway between being awake and asleep.
you blink.
...and then the computer is off.
he really shouldn't be doing this on company hours.
but it's not bai xizhuang's fault that you're just so lovely and fascinating to watch.
he smiles, moving your body to his screen like you're a cute desktop pet, clicking on your face as you make those cute faces you do in real life.
he doesn't know how many times he's done this. sometimes, he keeps you on his phone for a while when he's headed to the break room.
you always looked so adorably confused, he just can't help it. he hums, feeling his energy replenished from having his fun with you.
and then he sets your body back on your chair. it's getting late after all, and you needed the rest.
Summary: You were heading home after a long day of work, returning to your apartment to find the smell of beer and skewers in the air. There, X had been drinking beer and eating skewers to de-stress.
You could tell that he was drunk…and you knew that you had to take care of him now.
—
You returned from your shift, working a bit overtime. It had been a long day, having to take a bunch of things. It was all exhausting…but you made it through. Now…you were heading back to your apartment, the one where you shared with the top hero: X. You were taking the subway to head home.
Honestly…you never expected to share an apartment with the same guy who managed to defeat everyone in just a few seconds. It was honestly amazing…seeing how capable he was. Even when X was just an ordinary office worker at FOMO, he was so extraordinary…hardworking. Sometimes…you couldn’t help but admire his capabilities as a hero and office worker. It was nice to live with X.
You had left the subway and made it all the way to the apartments. You made it inside the building, making your way to the floor where you lived. Your hands fumbled through your pockets, grabbing the key you had. Putting it inside the door knob, you opened your apartment door. Entering inside, you could already smell beer and roasted skewers through the air. In the living room, you saw X at the living room. Legs spread on the couch, wearing his blue star-stripped pajamas, drinking beer. Although he was a capable man, he surely drank—if not every other night too.
“I’m home.” You spoke out, closing the door and taking off your shoes and putting on your slippers.
He doesn’t respond to you, which you were quite used to. Usually, he fell asleep while drinking. You didn’t want to wake him up while he slept, knowing that he’d probably get grouchy if he woke up. You walked forward to where X sat, checking up on his condition. Already…he fell asleep fast. When he drank, he usually fell asleep being drunk. You let out a sigh, taking the empty beer can and skewer sticks to the trash can. You also grabbed the paper-towel and cleaned the dirtied table. While you cleaned, you could hear his faint snore—a few murmurs along the drifting snores.
After cleaning up the mess, you looked back at the couch where X slept. Although you had to clean up after him and take care of him multiple times…the hardest part was trying to pull X into his bed. You couldn’t carry a guy like him…so you usually dragged him to the bedroom. Yet he’d wake up sometimes when you accidentally bump him onto an object of wall. Which then…he’d walk himself to his bed. But you always try to never wake him up, even when you struggled a lot. Luckily, his room was just in the next room over. So you didn’t have to pull him really far just to get him to sleep there.
First off though, you needed to get rid of the smell of beer in the room. You had opened the balcony door, letting the fresh air inside. You then moved over to X, deciding on how you should get him off the couch. You knew that he couldn’t plop onto the ground harshly, it’d definitely wake him up instantly. You also didn’t want to accidentally cause a bruise to happen if he plopped onto the ground. You gently moved X’s legs, pulling him onto the ground. Your arms then wrap around his chest, his arm over yours. You begin to start pulling him up, dragging him into the next room over. Even though you somewhat got used to carrying him, it was still a struggle.
After what felt like forever, you finally pulled him into his bedroom. You now just needed to put him onto the bed. You went on the bed, grabbing X from the ground and pulling his upper body onto the bed. When you did pull him up on the bed, you grabbed his lower body and got him up. So now…you just needed to take off his glasses and put on his sleeping mask. Your hands moved towards his face, making sure to not wake him up. Fingers brushed against temples—seconds too long—you pulled off his glasses. You just needed to grab his face mask really quick and tuck him into bed.
“(Name)…?” X suddenly spoke, surprising you for a moment. His eyes were slightly opened, you must’ve woken him up while you took off his glasses.
“Oh…hi…X, I’m just gonna get the trash can for you really quick…” you quickly respond, placing the glasses aside on the bedside table.
You turn around to leave, needing to grab the trash can for X when he ends up puking later. When you leave though, you heard the bedsheets shuffle behind you. Suddenly stopping in your tracks, you felt his hand grasp onto yours. This wasn’t usual…as he would leave you alone to go back to sleep. You turned back to look at him, seeing him sitting up on the bed. You could tell that he was still quite drunk…the evident pink color on his face still being there underneath the yellow light from the doorway.
“Why’d you stop me?” You ask confusingly, wondering why he’d abruptly stop you from leaving.
“…thank you, for taking care of me all the time…while I was drunk.” X spoke, expressing his gratitude to you. “It must be a hassle to do this all the time…”
“It’s no problem—really! It’s fine…” you shook your head, believing that it really was no big deal at all.
It really wasn’t a big deal at all. After all, X was your roommate, someone who lived with you for years. He would strain his neck if he slept sitting up, so you frequently put him back to his bed. You didn’t want him to end up getting hurt while he slept on the couch.
“Can you come closer…please?” He promptly asked you, wanting you to lean in.
“Sure—what did you want?” You replied, leaning closer to his face.
You were wondering what he was going to do…what he wanted to say to you. Why would he want you to lean closer to him after all? Suddenly—X kissed you on the cheek, almost close to your lips! He was drunk—doing it without even realizing it! What was X even thinking?! You were shocked—processing what he actually had done.
“I—X…why did you…do that…?” You curiously asked, face flushed from…embarrassment—possibly?
“(Name), I really love you, a lot.” X suddenly confessed, his lips curling into a smile.
He really was admitting this to you…saying that he loved you right here. He was just saying random things out of his head…right? There wasn’t no way he could be actually admitting to you that he loved you! You were just roommates with him…that was it. You were trying to deny it…yet it was obvious. X already had confessed his feelings to you, being quite drunk too. There was no denial to it.
“…you can tell me more about it when you’re sober, X…” you awkwardly said, pushing him back onto the bed, running out of the room to grab him a trash bag.
Your heart was pacing—overwhelmed with what had happened! You didn’t know what to say to him at all…! Why would you even say that to him?! Your chest felt weird—a rise of heat that kept running all over the place. It felt nice to hear that he loves you, but you weren’t sure how to even go on about it!
" Which hero is your favorite? " A- regular, normal question uttered by your co-worker, looking to break the ice as they twirled their office chair towards your direction, fingers slowly stopping as you digested the question. One.. two.. then ten- and " Uh... Earth to [ L/N ]? " They tilted their head waving a hand in your direction, snapping out of your daze. You answered, " I don't.. Uh, X.. ? Er, Ghostblade.. ? " Hastily muttering out any name you could think of at the top of your head,
Silence, before your co-worker responded- " Oh, well I like Ahu, because he- " And everything else was tuned out, like static replacing their words- blanking out as you watched their mouth bob up- and down, clearly relaying words- but you couldn't- just couldn't comprehend any, as if something is interfering with your understanding.
-Your vision blurred in cyan- and red, nodding- almost comically at their words just so they don't think you weren't listening. Suddenly you hear your superior yell in the distance, " Everyone focus on your work! Stay sharp, we can't dissapoint the higher ups. " She yelled, words echoing back- blinking, you shook your head at your co-worker before returning your office chair back to face the desk.
But.. At the corner of your eye you watch as your Co-worker.. Bai Xizhuang was it? Lay his head down on his forearms,lucky- he must be done with his work you thought. Before bringing your hands back unto the keyboard, orange sunlight seeping in from the windows casting your office in a warm- orange hue.
Bai Xizhuang.. Labeled a lone-wolf, and an odd-ball by the rest of your co-workers. Always kept to himself, never talked to others from his own volition. Never attended company parties, immediately skedaddled home the moment the moment his watch ticked 5:30 P.M.
You're superior assigned you to sit next to him- apparently to promote company teamwork- it was awkward. Like really awkward, but you went on- quiet and continuing your work. Until one day you were at the company breakroom, clocking in just a bit earlier hoping to catch at least a stick of sugar at your office's coffee machine ( Lord knows you can't take anymore of this bitter drink. ) and you realize, you were the only one there. As your eyes scanned the machines- zeroing on the cup filled to the brim with sugar packets.
Ding! Entering the desolate room- as you walked closer to the coffee bar- you stopped, wait, wait- wait! Wobbly as you try your best to maintain your balance- aberrations? Dots- glitches-- fill your vision What is this? Akin to motion sickness, you felt sick to the core- as you tried to get your grip on reality. " Woah, easy there. " A hand supporting your lower back just as you were about to fall, and just like magic- everything was back to normal.
" Ah- shit, m'sorry- I uh.. Didn't eat breakfast, " You muttered out hastily as you created distance between both you and your unknown savior, turning around you looked up to only realize- That's your deskmate, stupid! Feeling yourself grow hot inside you tilted your head downwards to apologize to him a second time, hurrying back to what you originally were doing,
Getting your cup of caffeine, you quickly snatched two packets of sugar before hurrying back outside of the break room. As you walked through the long halls, a question in your mind rang out- 'Why didn't the door ring when he entered?' Normally, maybe you'd shrug it off as your head being in the clouds, but- you were much more.. Aware? Y'know, what past is past..
--
Bai Xizhuang felt his nerves tighten as he eavesdropped on the conversation, " -Er, Ghostblade.. ? " Wrong answer, he thought. Irked at what you went with- the seconds ticked on the screen of his watch- his eyes swayed to the left and to the right before swinging one of his arms down to the side, SNAP. The sound echoed throughout, yet no one- no one took notice of it. Was it childish of him to alter your senses? So- so childish, maybe even Smile poke fun at his unusual behavior.
What's so good about Ghostblade anyway? The image of the No. 4th hero flashed through his mind like an invasive species- white hair, tall- oh hey guess who's also like that? Him, so therefore he should be your favorite instead. Fuck, this is one of the very few times he'd wish Smile would visit for a drink or two, his innate desire to rant- to anyone but himself grows with each second.
Looking at you through the very corner of his eye, observing your expression as you spaced-out ( literally ) humming to himself a small tune, You're so much cuter up close.. Bai Xizhuang mused- before bringing his arm back up, going back to watching the seconds on his watch tick.
---
A faint ringing in his ear woke him up much earlier- earlier than he liked, and normally Bai Xizhuang would've shrugged it off as a false alarm- and go back to sleep until his actual alarm rang. But then that nagging voice that is his intuition screamed at him to go to work earlier- Something he very much did not want to do- although he would do it, only at the cost of the world ending.
Going through the usual commute to his workplace- though noticeably less busy, soft golden rays of the early morning softly kissed at his features ( maybe, someone else can kiss his features? )- painting him gently with bands of light. Sitting on the metro, he pondered.
And before he knew it, he was already inside the company building- so lost in thought he forgot about his surroundings completely ( unusual, but not exactly uncommon- he reasons. ), getting his ID scanned- He entered the elevator, finger hovering over the columns of buttons before pressing the button at his designated floor.
Cool, blue light washed over him- contrasting the rays of dawn, blinking to look up to the camera- it felt like instinct to just alter the footage even if there was no inherent need for him to do so, thoughts drifting- to someone, someone- like you. Face flushing at the countless scenarios he dreamt of with you and his hero form.
The world is his oyster- and as much as he loathed his secondary job, he wouldn't particularly mind doing overtime as long as it had you in the picture. The doors slid open, opening his eyes to the usual scene- rows of desks lined and the city view as the main sight to behold. Groaning inwardly, Bai Xizhuang walked towards his own desk- setting down his briefcase and sitting down on his chair.
Doing his daily routine with a content smile- half frown on his face, he then got up with his mug in hand, ready to get his third- fourth.. tenth dose of sugar today? Cut him some slack he doesn't exactly keep track of his intake, looking around he noticed a very few number of his co-workers.
And so, SNAP! colors shifting in psychedelic hues- he appeared inside the break room, only to realize that he wasn't alone-How odd, I didn't expect you here. His eyes widened, and his eyebrows rose- surprised, while pleasant.. He was a bit unprepared, staring at you he watched as your figure wobbled- almost about to fall before-
" Woah, easy there. " Bai Xizhuang spoke, trying his hardest to not express his excitement- although barely even containing it as his hand landed on your lower back, gently helping you balance as you snapped out of your dazed reverie- He watched as you turned around, almost also- just as surprised as him-
" Ah- shit, m'sorry- I uh.. Didn't eat breakfast, " You blurted out, averting your gaze as you bowed down. And his thoughts became known as silent yet unheard of responses- I wouldn't have minded if you fell into my arms inste- or even, You can eat with me later lunch... But he shut them down as he watched you carry on with what you were going to do-
As you snagged two sugar packets- you swiftly went past him, leaving him all alone in the break room.
He observed quietly as your figure exited the break room- door ringing behind you, he couldn't help but almost yearn to be near you more, oh is he kidding himself? He always wanted to be near you. Almost- thankful for his abilities, Bai Xizhuang's thoughts started to take a more twisted turn.. Opportunities where he could use his powers.. Fate had always been fickle but altering it just a bit wouldn't hurt- It really, really wouldn't. Oh, he should get the rest of the sugar packets.
note : I will change my theme later because X content is rich and juicy.
So you want to archive your work but you don’t want all of it visible to everyone else. What you need to do is make a collection!
Collections have lots of uses, but this post is going to focus on using a collection to make some (or all!) of your works private so that only you can see them.
1. If you’ve never made a collection before, start by going to your Dashboard and then choosing Collections from the sidebar (on desktop) or the top of the page (on mobile). Then click on the New Collection button and fill in the information.
2. In the Header Section you only need to worry about giving it a name and a display title. This is because you’re just making this collection for yourself. The other infoboxes are there for you to fill out if you’re creating a collection for a fandom event.
The name is what you’ll use to add works to your collection. Choose something unique so that you don’t accidentally try to add your work to someone else’s collection.
The display title is the name that people will see if they go to your Works page. You can use any name you’d like here, but remember that it will be visible to others.
3. In the Preferences Section, you’ll want to set your collection as moderated and unrevealed.
Moderating your collection means that the owner (you) gets to choose which works get added. If anyone else tries to add works to your collection, you can refuse. Keeping it unrevealed means that no one can see the works that are inside of it. They can see the collection, but it will look like it’s empty.
You can leave the rest of the sections empty. Those are all for fandom events and informing other people of rules and other information. None of that is necessary in this case.
4. After you have created your collection, you can edit your existing works to hide them. Edit the work and scroll down the posting form until you get to the section called Associations. The first text box in that section is Post to Collections/Challenges. Type the name of your collection into this box and press enter. Don’t worry if it doesn’t show up in the dropdown. As long as you provide the name (and not the display title!), you’ll be fine.
5. Save your edit and congrats! You’ve successfully made that work private so that only you can see it.
When another user visits your profile, they’ll be able to see you have a collection. They’ll see the display name, and they’ll see the total number of fandoms and works that are in your collection. By clicking the number next to the word Fandom, they’ll be able to see the list of all of the fandoms you’ve written for in that collection. However, if they click the number next to the word Works, they’ll just see a message that says, “This is part of an ongoing challenge and will be revealed soon!”
If you want to see for yourself what it looks like to other users, visit my AO3 profile and see for yourself.
Oh, and I’ve tested it out and it seems that if you post a new work and add it into the collection immediately (while posting), subscribers won’t get notified about it! So that’s a bonus too :)
girl dad robert who lets his sweet little girl clip pink bows into his hair all the time and even shows up to sdn to start his shift with them in... half the time robert forgets they've been put in his hair and other times, he just doesn't care because his masculinity isn't that fragile and it's his daughter's work of art. you've probably got a lifetime stock of photos of him decorated by your daughter's accessories. from pink bows to big beady, colorful necklaces, and unicorn stickers adorning his stubbled face.
i can imagine flambae trying to make fun of robert but failing to actually be mean about it because flambae is an uncle with a niece who has probably done similar things.
"yeah, yeah, you wish you had a daughter like mine to make you beautiful. i feel sorry for you too." he'd say before anyone even gets a word out about his appearance.
-> inspo is satorustar's ask that had a robert with a pink bow photo attached !
You were in the middle of a mission when you received a call from your little girl's school. She has gotten sick and needed to be picked up at that moment. You didn't give any explanations to Robert, you just heard him in your ear warning you that leaving a mission would bring you problems. You didn't care, you had a 6 year old girl waiting for her mother.
Robert would be lying if he said that caught him all of a sudden. You were... probably the best one of the Z Team. The only one who didn't insult him every few minutes, who brought cookies once and matched his sense of humor. He didn't understand why would you risk your place on the team by leaving a mission.
Until next day, when you appeared in the elevator door, suit neat and hair tied up. And a little girl grabbing your hand and hiding behind your legs. You hear a few whispers around the office but try to ignore them while walking straight to Blonde Blazer's office.
Robert lifts his head from his cubicle after hearing the murmurs and sees you wearing your signature armor and the little girl... wearing a Mecha Man's t-shirt?
You knocked once in Blazer's office and forgot to close the door behind you and your daughter. The blonde blinks twice at your daughter and then at you.
"What is happening right now?"
You cleared your throat. “Sorry for the… unconventional arrival. My nanny canceled last minute and the school needs proof she’s recovered. I’ll keep her out of everyone’s way.”
"I don't think this is the right place for a kid, Y/N. This isn't daycare—" Blazer said, keeping it as professional as she could, even though she didn't like telling you that. She knows the struggles.
Robert appeared behind you before she could build momentum. The man moved like someone who had spent his life punching asteroids but was trying very hard not to look like he had spent his life punching asteroids.
“It’s fine! he said, with this easy shrug. “I can keep an eye on her. Chase owes me a favor, he’ll help. No disruption.”
You spun toward him, incredulous. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I want to.” His smile had a softness you had never seen during briefings or combat drills. “Besides, Chase loves kids. And your kid seems pretty awesome already.”
Your daughter peeked out at him at that exact moment, big eyes blinking slowly and not breaking eye contact. Robert drew a kind smile and was already holding the door for you to get out of the office with your daughter.
"Robert, you really don't have to. I don't want to put more pressure on you, and I'm pretty sure Chase doesn't love kids."
“You’re not putting pressure on me,” he said. “You’re being a parent. That’s it. Nothing heroic about it, nothing villainous either. Just human.”
Your daughter clung to your hand like a tiny barnacle, watching him with this shy suspicion that children reserve for adults who seem too cool to be real. The Mecha Man painted across her shirt practically glowed under the office lights, and Robert kept sneaking glances at it like it was a ghost from a past life waving at him.
“She’ll be fine,” he continued. “She’s already got half the office wrapped around her finger. Chase included. He pretends he hates kids, but he cries every time Beefs licks his shoe.”
You snorted once, then sighed. “Still… it feels like a lot.”
“It’s not,” he said. “Let us help.”
His certainty hit you harder than it should have. You crouched down to your daughter’s level, brushing a few rebellious hairs off her forehead.
“Sweetheart,” you murmured, “can you introduce yourself?”
She blinked up at you, then very slowly rotated toward Robert, as if turning to face a giant robot. “My name is Faye,” she whispered into her own collar.
Robert crouched down too, hands resting on his knees, smile wide and warm. “Hi, Faye. That’s a cool name. I'm Robert.”
Faye fidgeted, twisting her fingers in the hem of her shirt. Robert pointed gently at her chest.
“That is a fantastic Mecha Man shirt.”
It was like someone flipped a switch inside her. Her entire face brightened, all shyness melting instantly. “Do you know who he is?!”
“I might’ve heard of him once or twice,” he replied with an innocent shrug.
She beamed, absolutely radiant, and Robert looked like he’d just been handed a secret he didn’t know he missed.
You pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Alright, my brave girl. Listen to Robert. Behave. Be polite. And don’t touch anything that glows or hums.”
She nodded solemnly, the vow of a small warrior.
You straightened and exhaled. “Robert… thank you. Seriously. Thank you. I owe you, like, a thousand thank-yous.”
“You don’t owe me anything,” he said. “Just go do your job. We’ve got this.”
Faye slipped her hand into his without hesitation. The image of her tiny fingers curled around his large ones tugged at something deep in your chest.
You turned to head toward the mission floor, feeling lighter than you expected. Behind you, Faye’s excited chatter drifted through the hallway. Robert had pull a chair by his side for her to sit.
“Do you think Mecha Man likes apple juice?” Faye said dangling her legs.
Robert’s gentle laugh followed. “I have a feeling he does.”
Faye kept swinging her legs, tapping her heels lightly against the chair as if powering some invisible engine. Robert pulled his own chair a little closer to hers so she wouldn’t feel swallowed by the giant desk, and the two of them settled into this strangely natural orbit like they’d always been meant to share a corner of an office together.
“What else do you know about Mecha Man?” Robert asked, leaning his elbows on his knees. “You seem like an expert.”
Faye straightened her spine with a smirk. “He saved a whole city once. And he fought a giant flame guy. And he did it with only one booster fist because the other one was broken.”
Robert huffed a quiet laugh through his nose. “That was a rough day.”
She blinked. “You sound like you were there.”
“I… watch a lot of TV.”
That satisfied her completely.
She swung her legs again. “My mommy says he was the coolest hero ever. But I think he’s also the nicest.” Then she paused, thinking hard. “And I like how he doesn’t yell at anyone even when he’s mad.”
Robert couldn't hide his smile
“Well,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck, “I think he’d be very happy to hear that.”
Before she could reply, claws clicked against the polished floor. A snuffling sound. A sneeze. A thud.
Then a tiny but somehow wide dog barreled around the corner like a furry meteor.
“Beef!” Robert said, though his tone was more delighted than scolding.
Faye gasped so dramatically her entire torso lifted. “Dog!”
Beef trotted straight toward her, tail whipping so hard his whole back end wiggled. Faye dropped from the chair, landing on her knees, arms wide open.
Beef didn’t hesitate. He nudged his head right into her chest and licked her chin after deciding that she was perfect.
Faye squealed with joy and grabbed his face gently between her little hands. “Hi, Beef! You’re so fluffy!”
Chase arrived two seconds later, out of breath and annoyed in a very theatrical way.
“For the record,” he said, pointing at Beef, “he is supposed to stay in the lounge. He is not supposed to escape because he smelled ‘a new small human.’ His words. Not mine.”
Robert grinned. “Chase, meet Faye.”
Chase raised both eyebrows, then crouched down to her level. “So you’re the tiny chaos agent causing all this disruption.”
Faye blinked once.
Then narrowed her eyes.
Then delivered her judgment, very calmly: “You look like someone who takes naps at work.”
Robert choked.
Beef wagged harder, apparently approving of the burn.
Chase sputtered, hand over his chest. “I—what? Excuse me—”
Faye nodded, sealing the deal. “It’s okay. Old people get tired.”
Robert burst out laughing, loud enough that a few heads peeked over cubicles. Chase stood up, muttering something your daughter didn't catch while Beef sat proudly beside Faye like her loyal knight.
Faye hugged Beef again, burying her face in his fur. Robert watched the scene unfold, arms crossed loosely over his chest, eyes gentler than you had ever seen.
“You two are going to get along,” he murmured.
Faye popped her head up. “Robert? Can Beef sit next to me?”
“He already decided he’s your bodyguard,” Robert said. “You might as well make it official.”
Faye giggled, grabbed Beef’s ear, and began explaining (very seriously) the entire Mecha Man lore to both of them.
Robert listened too. Because hearing a child passionately recount his own adventures without knowing who he was? That was magic for him.
In the break, he took Faye to the vending machine and had to pick her up to let her choose whatever candy she preferred after promising that she wouldn't tell her mom. The bag with her lunch perfectly prepared was long forgotten.
"I want the twinkies!" She said with a bright smile, tapping the glass, then she added: "Please!"
"That's the best decision you could ever make, kiddo." Robert said, sitting Faye in the table while he pressed the buttons to take two packs of twinkies and a cup of coffee for him.
Then all of a sudden, Faye says: "My mommy called you a twink once."
She opened the plastic without any problems, staring at the letter of it. Faye didn’t say it with mischief. She said it with the same open sincerity she used to declare the sky blue or Beef fluffy.
Robert froze like someone had unplugged him.
“Uh,” he managed. “She… what now?”
“A twink.” Faye nodded gravely and shoved half a Twinkie into her mouth. “But she said it very nicely.”
Robert had faced down plasma cannons with more composure. His brain performed several regrettable somersaults. “Ha. Did she? Funny word to use... What else does she say about me?”
Faye swung her legs and examined the second Twinkie. “Mommy says you have twink energy. And that she likes your voice. And your arms.”
Robert’s soul left his body, filed for leave, and never returned.
“She—your mom? She said that? About my arms?” His voice cracked like a teenager bumping into their crush at a mall.
Faye nodded so hard her ponytail slapped her cheek. “She says you’re very polite. And she says you don’t talk too much but when you do, it makes her tummy feel funny.” Faye tapped her own belly like she was solving a medical mystery. “I think that means she likes you.”
Robert blinked slowly. “Does she. Huh. That’s… information.”
He sipped his coffee. Burned his tongue. Tried to pretend he hadn’t burned his tongue.
Faye continued, blessedly oblivious to the concept of emotional privacy: “Sometimes when she comes home from work she says, ‘Robert said the funniest thing today,’ and then she laughs and laughs even though I don’t know the joke because it’s about weird stuff.”
Robert set his coffee down a little too fast. “She laughs? I make her laugh?”
“Yep.” Faye took a dainty bite of Twinkie and spoke around the crumbs. “She smiles when she says your name.”
Robert attempted to gather his dignity and ended up gathering Beef instead, who had waddled over and pressed his snout into Robert’s knee like you okay, buddy? you need grounding? you spiraling?
Robert scratched Beef’s ears, eyes darting anywhere but Faye’s tiny truth-bomb face.
“Well… your mom’s pretty cool too,” he said, trying for casual. “She’s… brave. And kind. And she does this thing where she makes jokes under her breath that nobody else hears, but I hear. And she’s nice to me for some reason.”
“That’s ‘cause she likes you,” Faye said, as if it was the most obvious thing ever. She leaned forward. “Do you like her?”
Robert inhaled his coffee steam like that might help. “Uhh. I think your mom is… neat.”
Faye squinted like an old wise hermit. “Neat is a word mommy uses for socks.”
Robert winced. “Okay. Stronger than neat.”
Beef barked once, as if urging him on.
“Your mom is… great.” Robert rubbed the back of his neck. “She’s hilarious. And terrifying. And she’s smarter than everyone on the team. And she makes good cookies. And she leaves missions for you, which is kind of beautiful, actually.”
Faye tilted her head. “So you do like her.”
He exhaled in defeat. “Yeah, kiddo. I do.”
She grinned “I’m telling her.”
Robert nearly levitated off the break-room floor. “PLEASE do not tell her.”
Faye hopped off the table, hands on her hips. “You can’t stop me. I’m fast.”
Robert held up both hands, laughing helplessly. “Kid, listen. There’s a very complicated adult dance happening here, and your mom scares me in, like, a deeply attractive way.”
Faye gasped dramatically. “Mommy likes your arms and you like her scary!” She clapped. “You should get married.”
Robert paled. “We’re not getting married yet. Wow, Faye, that’s—ambitious.”
She shrugged. “Beef agrees.”
Beef barked again, absolutely supporting the union.
Robert buried his face in his hands. “I’m so fucked.”
"Fucked?" Faye tilts her head to the side, narrowing her eyes. The fear on Robert's face is instant.
"Oh, no. No, no, no. We don't say that word, Faye."
"You just said it."
"But that's because I'm dumb. People who are dumb say that word. You aren't dumb, right?"
"Nope!"
"Then don't say that word ever again."
Thank God, that was enough for her to not think about it anymore. Robert felt his chest smaller after the talk with the girl, or maybe it was just his heart getting bigger. He tried to not pay much attention to it, knowing that you kinda have a crush on him took him out a little.
Robert tried very hard to focus on anything except the emotional supernova blooming in his ribcage. He wiped a crumb off Faye’s cheek tenderly, then let her scamper back toward Beef, who immediately flopped over so she could rub his belly.
He watched her for a second. Kids are startling creatures, tiny engines of sincerity who toss truth around like confetti. And she had tossed a whole bucket at him.
He leaned back in the break-room chair and told himself to get it together. You liked him? That wasn’t supposed to be real. You were… well, you. The one who took disasters as lightly as he took paper cuts. The one who made terrible puns under your breath because you knew he’d hear. The one who had a daughter who loved Mecha Man without knowing she was sharing snacks with him.
He looked down at his hands and they were trembling. Just a little. Just enough.
The next hours of the shift were more relaxed, Faye was starting to get sleepy, dropping her head in Robert's shoulder with her little fists curling in Robert's shirt. He scooped her without any trouble, letting her sit comfortably on his lap and falling asleep almost instantly.
Robert sat very still, like if he breathed wrong, the spell would break.
And then the shift ended.
The elevator chimed.
You stepped out.
You froze.
Because there they were. Your daughter asleep in Robert’s lap, her cheek pressed directly against the broadest part of his chest, his hand resting gently on her back.
Robert looked up at the sound of your boots.
And for one heartbeat, the world went oddly quiet.
Something warm and ridiculous and enormous unfurled inside your chest, blooming like those butterflies people always talk about. But butterflies were too polite. This felt more like a whole migrating colony of cosmic moths slamming around in your ribs.
Robert opened his mouth, closed it, then spoke in a voice barely above a whisper, instinctively soft so she wouldn’t wake.
“She got tired,” he said quietly. “Didn’t want to say she was tired, obviously, because that would imply she’s mortal.”
You stepped closer, mindful of the moment’s fragile gentleness. “Yeah,” you whispered. “She does that. Fights sleep like it insulted her.”
He smiled, eyes flicking back to Faye asleep on him. “She’s… a really good kid.”
“She likes you,” you murmured.
The words slipped out without your usual protective quips. And you felt the heat crawl up your neck as soon as you’d said it.
Robert swallowed. Hard. His fingers twitched once against Faye’s shirt but didn’t move.
For a moment you just stood there. Close but not touching, both speaking softly.
“I should take her,” you whispered, stepping forward.
But Robert didn’t move, not out of reluctance, more like uncertainty. As though passing her over might feel like waking up from some strange dream he wasn’t ready to leave.
You reached out, gently lifting your daughter into your arms. She murmured and nestled into your neck, arms dangling loose with exhaustion.
Robert watched you with an intensity that almost ignited the air between you.
You adjusted Faye’s weight, then looked up at him. “Thank you… for all of this. I mean it.”
He leaned close enough you felt the heat of him, close enough the whisper brushed your ear.
“You don’t have to thank me.”
A pause.
Breathless honesty slipped into his tone. “I liked being around her. And I… like being around you.”
Your heart stuttered so violently you wondered if he could hear it.
You whispered back, “Did she told you anything?”
He huffed out a helpless laugh. “She told me just enough.”
Another pause. A charged one.
He looked down at his hands, then back at you.
Robert’s throat worked like he was swallowing gravel. Words hovered behind his eyes, trying to form, trying to gather the courage to jump the fence of his teeth. He wasn’t usually this skittish, you were a different kind of danger. The kind that could say no. The kind that could change everything.
His fingers flexed once, curling back into his palms. “There’s… something I should—”
Whatever he meant to say tangled itself into silence.
Your daughter’s sleepy weight in your arms, the faint warmth of her breath on your collarbone and the quiet hum of the building settling for the night. It all made the hallway feel like a snow globe of too-soft feelings.
You tilted your head just slightly. “Robert?”
The sound of his name seemed to shove him toward honesty. You watched him gather himself like someone preparing to leap across a very long, very uncertain gap.
“I was thinking,” he said, voice low and careful, “that maybe… sometime… maybe you and I could—”
He stopped again. Not because he changed his mind. Because fear punched him directly in the courage.
He cleared his throat. It didn’t help. “I mean, if you ever wanted to go somewhere. Not for work. Just… you know.”
You waited. Letting him work it out.
He squeezed his eyes shut once, like rebooting a very overwhelmed system, then tried again with a shaky exhale.
“I’d like to take you out.”
A beat.
“But if that makes you uncomfortable, or if it complicates things with Faye, or if you think it’s a terrible idea—”
“Robert.”
His mouth snapped shut.
Your eyes held his, steady in that dim hallway glow. He looked like a man braced for an explosion that might tear him in two.
You spoke gently. “You’re asking me out?”
He nodded with the smallest motion imaginable, as if anything bigger might spook his own resolve. “Yeah. I am.”
“I didn’t think you were capable of being this nervous,” you murmured.
He huffed something like a laugh, but it was shaky. “I’m terrible at this. Apparently asking you to dinner turns me into a malfunctioning vending machine.”
Your smile softened. “You didn’t malfunction.”
He gave a disbelieving snort. “I absolutely malfunctioned.”
“You tried,” you said. “You asked. That counts.”
A long breath left him, like he’d been holding it for twenty minutes.
“So… is that a yes?” he whispered, barely audible.
You shifted Faye in your arms and you stepped just one inch closer, letting the air between you warm.
“It’s a yes,” you said softly. “But we’re taking it slow. For her and for us.”
Relief hit him so visibly it softened the line of his shoulders, loosened something taut in his expression. A smile broke through the nerves.
“Slow is fine,” he murmured. “I’m not going anywhere.”
The elevator chimed again behind you, a polite reminder that the world still existed outside this moment.
You backed toward it, eyes still on his. “Goodnight, Robert.”
His voice followed you in a rough whisper that held far more than the words themselves.
“Goodnight.”
The doors slid closed and you had the dizzying sense that something had just begun like the first quiet click of a lock sliding open.
robert robertson masterlist
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