omg for the match-ups…i’m 20 and work at a flower shop in a beach town… i’m very blunt and loud as fuck lol. i’m definitely like..an entertainer (i like telling very embellished stories) but i’m very serious when it comes to work and school…i just want to be LOVED lol don’t feel bad if u decide to just ignore this
IF I DECIDE TO IGNORE THIS???!!! binch u read my tags and said "hold on... let me put on my glasses" and honestly... i don't even blame you.😔 my track record is at a fat zero right now jsdlkfkalsdk
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While I was initially gonna ship you w/ Deku because I feel like he really vibes with someone expressive and lovable... thinking about it made me realize that I also really like Todoroki for you...
I think a quiet guy like him would really enjoy your bright personality and listening to your stories, but also be really fond of the serious way you regard your work. I think you'd do great for opening him up and communicating with him (he needs the honesty, let's be real)... but also help him to see the exciting side of things as well.
Pairing: Ezra x reader (no bodily description, no use of Y/N)
Setting: The Prospect ‘verse (AU/canon divergent – no Cee (I do adore her, but Ezra took the wheel on this one and didn’t want to rideshare), Ezra is fully armed, sprinkles of random Earth references)
Rating: let’s go with M just to be on the safe side
Warnings/Notes/Apologies: soft!Ezra; sex pollen; sliiiight dubcon if you squint (resolved later on, I promise); bit of coarse language; writer has zero degrees in botany or biology; moderate abuse of punctuation and italics; taking liberties with the Prospect universe; gratuitous allusions to a certain Hozier song… (Hi, I’m new and overexplain a lot)
WC: 2,958
Beta: courtesy of the sweet and supportive @gemmahale.
Divider courtesy of @saradika-graphics - thank you!
Writer: slightly unhinged.
Maggie's Masterlist
“To burn with desire and keep quiet about it is the greatest punishment we can bring on ourselves.” - Federico García Lorca
“Did I hurt you?”
Laying back in the soft, tall grass, gasping breaths slowing, your heart pounding lightly in your ears. Ezra’s query barely registers while the fog begins to lift from your mind.
You and he had been harvesting in a new place, so different from The Green. The planet – official designation PV9194, its more pleasant moniker of Pa’urva - was a rather new discovery in the Galactic Frontier. Neither of you had heard or read any horror stories in the reports you found, and Ezra’s sense of adventure was contagious.
“Let’s see what wonders await us, sunlight. You and I, together navigating uncharted waters, daring to dive into the deep.”
How could you resist his lyrical entreaty? Maybe it was more how his smile seemed to light up his entire face after you agreed, starlight glimmering in those midnight eyes. Or perhaps it was the electricity you felt as he wrapped his fingers around your wrist, papers already in hand, tugging you forward as he led you both on towards your pod so you could set off straight away…
Finding a clear place to land that would serve as your basecamp, you set out to map out the new terrain. The field you found yourself in, just outside a forest where the two of you began your work, was bright, sun-filled, the air a bit warm but not uncomfortable – and, as you happily discovered, breathable. How freeing it felt to shed the confines of that claustrophobic suit –
“Sunlight….”
You shook your head slightly, trying to ground yourself back to reality. Your clothes were disheveled, some discarded, others simply pulled down, leaving you exposed to the warmth of the sun, your thoughts still scattered-
“Fuck, Ezra…there, right there-”
Synapses properly firing finally, fragments of memory falling into place-
-back at basecamp after a good morning’s haul, you had stood to stretch and looked up to the sky, shades of cerulean and lavender swirling in a mesmerizing display…a breeze had picked up, dusting the air with tiny white puffs….you felt yourself swaying gently with the breeze, feeling light, almost giddy as the particles danced around you…you felt a familiar warm presence behind you then, and you leaned back, letting everything envelop you as you closed your eyes-
“Yes-”
-You felt him everywhere, hands and mouth and skin (gods, his skin), over you inside you just right there and it wasn’t enough, you dug your fingers in, scratched, pulled, held on-
“Please, more, just..more-“
“Sunlight.”
That familiar jolt of electricity, a sweep of his fingers on your forearm. You blinked, the last bits of haze finally lifting. You turned your face to your right and tried to focus on him.
Ezra. His chest rising and falling with soft, labored breaths. Those deep, dark eyes regarding you with a mix of concern and….you weren’t quite sure. It was then you noticed the sweat dampening his brow, his parted lips swollen and pink, clothes in a similar state of disarray as yours. Including his trousers.
Oh.
Oh.
An almost pleading look in his eyes, and you suddenly remembered his question. You sat up and shook your head, assuring him that you weren’t injured. His gaze softened as you offered your hand to pull him upright. Remembering your disheveled state, you both straightened and refastened your stray clothing, slowly regaining composure.
You and he had been partners for some time, and there were few moments where neither of you had anything to say – Ezra, especially. You always enjoyed how he regaled you with tales of past prospects, quirky (former) partners, an odd random factoid or three about some aquatic animal found on Lau, or other such trivial topics. He would watch your reactions with delight, even when you rolled your eyes in feigned boredom.
This unfamiliar silence now hovered over you both, a fragile fabric threatening to rend with a simple word.
Ezra finally took the initiative. “Perhaps we should gather our belongings and make our way back to the Pug. Neither one of us seems unharmed – no physical marks to speak of, to be sure.” You nodded in agreement, offering a hand to pull each other up to stand.
You told him that you could figure things out when you both felt a bit clearer. Garner your lodgings, clean up a bit, maybe share a meal before breaking to rest for the night. He agreed, and the quiet that followed on your return journey felt slightly more comfortable.
What you didn’t tell Ezra – couldn’t bear to tell him – was that a rush of warmth and sweet, sweet ache was still coursing through you, winding its way through your veins, flowing just underneath your skin. Something held deep within that was in danger of breaking the surface.
What Ezra didn’t tell you was that same ache had ignited like a fire inside him, long before this.
A lingering feeling of discomfort stayed with you. It began to fill the space between you and Ezra in the pod as it departed Pa’urva to return to the Pug. It wedged its way between you as you sat across from each other in the dining area, each of you lost in thought as you finished your meal. The halls leading to the barracks seemed to stretch out before you. You didn’t even realize you made it to the doors of your adjacent rooms until you heard Ezra clearing his throat.
“We should each retire to the luxurious comfort of our bunks,” he said with an exaggerated grin. You chuckled at his little quip, as you have had more than one occasion to commiserate with each other about the meager accommodations between jobs. His smile softened as he continued. “Perhaps the morning will reward us with clearer minds. Allow us to ruminate on the day’s…events.”
That look of unease was back in his eyes as he offered a nod to say goodnight. You forced a smile and nodded back, turning away and stepping towards the door to your room.
It was the second time today you witnessed that look, and it unnerved you, even more so as you laid your head on your pillow. Your muscles were tense - had you been in such a state all this time? – and you silently prayed for exhaustion to take over and offer a reprieve. Sadly, the mattress underneath you felt as soft as stone, and you tossed about, trying to find a restful position. Your mind wouldn’t grant you such relief. That look in Ezra’s eyes continued to haunt you.
Even more troublesome was something just underneath the surface in that stare of his. You couldn’t place it. Something wavering between fear and…longing? You and Ezra proved to be faithful partners and companions over the years. The affection you had for him had bloomed into something else entirely, but you had never acted on any compulsion, for fear of learning it was one-sided. He had never given any indication that his feelings for you were more than platonic. Of course, you both shared a playful sense of humor, and jokes that rode a fine line on vulgarity were not uncommon, nor unwelcome on either side. Neither of you had any issue being in each other’s personal space. But there were no romantic overtures on his part.
You were still trying to stitch together the frayed edges of your memory, but it wasn’t complete. You and Ezra had shared a moment of passion, this was certain. But was it merely a physical reaction? A biological imperative, brought on by--
Something in the air. You bolted out of bed, ignoring the fact that you were barefoot, and quickly made your way towards the records room. Business was ongoing throughout each cycle, so the records room was accessible at any time. You rubbed your eyes, and began to scan for more data about your recent whereabouts. It took some time, but you came across some current reports that confirmed what you hoped you might find.
You couldn’t wait until morning – now was the time to talk.
Ezra opened the door to his room slowly, giving you a curious look as you stood before him, still barefoot, waiting. He silently pulled the door fully open and motioned with his hand, granting you permission to enter. Your nerves were beginning to get the best of you, but you steeled yourself and stepped through the doorway.
"Ezra, I need to tell you something, about what happened-"
You stopped abruptly, when you saw his pack laid by the door. His full pack, along with his jacket. The room looked practically empty. Your chest began to tighten.
"Ezra, you're rarely this prepared to head out so soon. Especially since we've just returned from a job."
"I believe I already know what you're about to say, Sunlight. I will make it easier for you. By sunrise, I will be on my way."
"You already checked for new postings? That was awful quick, but I'll be sure to be packed and ready-"
He shook his head. "I'm afraid you misheard me. -I- will be on my way."
You stared in confusion, which quickly turned to disbelief. "Alone?"
"All for the best. I am confident you will find a partner more suitable, though I am positive they will find your stellar skills difficult to match."
Your eyes widened a bit at his peculiar comments. "More suitable partner? I can't believe what I'm hearing right now. How long have we been together? You and I are more than suitable, Ezra, you've told me on countless occasions."
“Please, just…just know it will be better this way.” He continued to avoid your eyes, but his tone remained firm.
You felt a flush to your face, and your hackles were raised. “Better for whom?” The last word was sharp and pointed, aiming to sting. A rash and hasty decision, not to mention a completely one-sided one. He was your partner, your fucking -world-, and he was just willing to walk away?
Not walk. Run. Maybe not away from you, but away from something. You were not going to let him flee so easily, not without an explanation.
The exchange intensified, words firing rapidly. You were going to get an answer, even if it wasn’t one you wanted to hear.
“I have no quarrel with you, Sunlight. I merely…” He sounded exasperated – at least he was finally showing some emotion. You pressed on.
“You say you have no quarrel, yet everything I’ve heard and seen to this point, it’s pretty clear that I’ve upset you. Will you at least show me the courtesy of telling me what I’ve done, or said, before you continue with this unilateral decision to abandon me?”
He paced his side of the room, his increasing agitation obvious. “Please. Do not. Press any further…”
“Ezra, for fuck’s sake, just tell me why!”
“Because that was NOT how it should have happened!”
His final exclamation stopped you in your tracks. ‘Not how it should have happened.’ Not ‘it shouldn’t have happened’, at all.
With you.
It was then you finally understood. He couldn’t bring himself to say the words, but you knew. All this time, you thought your desires were unrequited. How wrong you were.
He sank down onto the mattress with a sigh, leaning forward and lowering his face into his hands. When he finally sat up and continued, his voice was soft, almost…timid. A quality you would never have attributed to the likes of Ezra.
“If I were to bed y- .…someone…properly…. I would very much prefer that they be a willing participant in such pleasures, and not merely acting on impulse, with me taking advantage of one’s less inhibited state in some…chemically induced frenzy.” His voice faltered slightly. “To think that I may have violated you in such a fashion…”
The anguish in his voice pained you to the brink of tears. You needed Ezra to see you, to understand that you weren’t going anywhere. And neither was he. You took a step towards him.
“Ezra. Look at me, please.”
He raised his head, meeting your gaze.
“Do I look like I feel taken advantage of? Violated? By you? You know me well enough, do you think I would even be here if such things had occurred?” Your tone was gentle, not wanting to sound judgmental or condescending.
He seemed to relax a bit. “I am quite sure that you would have parted ways not long after we returned to The Pug if that were the case. You certainly would not be wasting your energies trying to convince me that our relationship is far from ruined.”
You kept your focus on him and began to close the distance between you.
“What I wanted to tell you, before our little tête-à-tête here,” the euphemism producing a chuckle from Ezra, “was that I did a little digging. I found some interesting information about Pa’urva. Some flora samples had been collected and tested by a team of botanists not too long ago, including those tiny cloud-like particles we encountered. It turns out the chemical composition of the plant included a compound that, upon contact with human skin, enters the bloodstream and increases dopamine levels. Hitting the pleasure center of our brains.”
You paused, placing one hand on the mattress, hoping he would read your silent request. His nod and soft smile gave you permission to sit beside him. You lowered yourself to the mattress and continued.
“Other effects reported were similar to side effects of alcohol inebriation – lowered inhibitions, the tendency to be freer with one’s thoughts and feelings…”
The fog seemed to lift from Ezra’s thoughts suddenly, and moments from their encounter began to reveal themselves to him.
-You leaning back into him, the two of you among the whirling flurries…he had never made such forward gestures, but he just could not resist wrapping his arms around your waist, his body following yours as you swayed with the breeze.-
Little by little, you both pieced together what happened. Every word, every touch. Every suppressed truth, finally set free.
-Ezra’s honeyed voice in your ear as he uttered his sweet confession. “Did I ever tell you why I call you sunlight? It was born from a tale in that ancient relic of a book you shared with me. You told me your father had found it in a container buried in the earth on a faraway planet, amongst strange and unusual trinkets, once valuable to a long-gone being…delightful tales within those pages, so foreign in description and yet similar in themes…one in particular had caught my attention.”
You hummed happily, as you had pored through those stories a hundred times over, and you knew immediately to what he was referring. “Icarus.”
You could feel him smiling against your neck at your reply. He trailed kisses along your skin, each press of his lips igniting your body. The cadence and timbre of his voice was a sweet melody to accompany the slow rhythm you had instinctively fallen into. His warm breath dancing across your skin caused you to shiver in delight while he continued.
“How that impetuous rogue soared to the heavens, daring to pursue his heart’s desire…to seek the greatest exhilaration, the sweetest pleasure that his sunlight could bestow upon him…I would allow myself to fall to earth and perish, contentedly and without regret…if but for a moment to burn with you.”-
You gently placed your hand over his, letting it rest there. “We had held too tightly in our hearts our true feelings, the words we both wanted to confess, but just couldn’t seem to bring ourselves to do so.”
Ezra closed his eyes and let out a slow breath, as if he had been holding it for some time. “And there beneath that mesmerizing sky, our minds and bodies betrayed us.”
The gentle comfort of his fingers interlacing with yours as he looked upon you once more. You smiled softly and continued, “The way I see it, we didn't commit any act that we wouldn't have shared willingly and freely, had we just been honest with ourselves. And each other.”
Eyes locked, the few silent moments that passed between you felt like an eternity. Suddenly, Ezra closed the distance between you and captured your mouth with his. You whimpered against his lips, allowing him to guide your body back against the mattress. Hands wandering, each of you mapping the edges and curves of the other. Your lips felt bruised as the kisses finally slowed, and you lay facing Ezra, his mouth plush and red as yours must have looked.
The starlight returned to Ezra’s eyes as he caressed your cheek. “We have been together far too long to keep anything from one another. Most certainly something as potent as this.”
You trailed your fingers along his chest, offering up a cheeky grin. “In some territories, we would be considered legally betrothed, you know. We could have one of the solicitors onboard draw up some papers -”
Ezra’s quick reply made your breath catch in your throat. “I require neither a decree scrawled on parchment, nor a declaration from a fusty office drone, to tell me that I desire none but you. It is etched on my eternal soul.
On Pa’urva, your coming together was blurred, a cerulean and lavender haze tinting your vision and your intentions.
Here, now, as you both lay tangled in the sheets of his bed, savoring the warmth of your commingled bodies, everything was laid bare.
Your eyes, and your hearts, were clear. Wide open.
You were exposed.
And you both reveled in it.
SO MANY THANKS for everyone's patience and support while this tale found its way into being. Tagging @trulybetty @grogusmum @ legendary-pink-dot as they kindly asked. If there are any posting/format errors, missed tags or inadvertent etiquette breaches, please let me know and I'll fix.
Is there something queued up and ready I need to keep my eyes open for??? 👀
Alllllmost. NGL I'm nervous as hell but really excited too. A beta review (I have a lovely volunteer), final tweaks and then I hit the button and hide.
Last Line WIP Game ('cause I'm a fledgling and have like one last line and already posted it LOL)
Apologizing now for the long-ass post, I just had a lightning bolt hit me for my second fic and I'm kind of excited about it.
So @gemmahale tagged me (bless you!!), and I had an "oh shit" moment because if I posted any other line from my Ezra one-shot, I'd have about half of it out there 😜 And then @gnpwdrnwhiskey tagged me too (bless you too!!). And in a wonderful turn of events, I got a big ol' burst of inspiration to start fleshing out the Joel/OFC!Jersey fic I teased a while back with some chapter titles (did I mention her name was Jersey before? well, now ya know). Many thanks to the aforementioned lovelies for the much-needed boost!
I don't have a last line (hence my bending the rules just a tad). But the scene that's been in my head from the very beginning is finally FINALLY written out. Jersey meets up once in a while at the Tipsy Bison (oh yeah, it's in Jackson, didn't mention that either) with a group of friends to have a drink, shoot the shit, and occasionally play a round of "What Do I Miss This Week". During the convo, Jersey lets it slip that she misses her violin. Not going into it more because I don't want to give too much away, but she gives a little backstory and the table goes silent for a moment. Then......
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Of course, Jenelle was the one to break the silence with her own brand of charm and wit. “Not gonna lie, Jersey, I thought you were going in a WHOLE other direction when I heard ‘I miss my vi-….”
A moment’s silence, and then an eruption of laughter from the entire table.
Jersey giggled, replying “Well, that -too-, I mean….given the absolute scarcity of coppertops out there…bye bye BOB!”
Jenelle raised her glass, still trying to contain herself, “To BOB, RIP”
The ladies joined in the toast with a raucous “TO BOB” and sat back, laughing hysterically and wiping away tears. Jersey glanced around at the rowdy bunch and silently thanked whatever deity may still be out there that she found this place, these people.
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-et voila- Thanks for sticking with me till now. Leaving the keys to the WIP cabinet for anyone who wants to unlock and stock!
