The sensation of flying and falling and drowning are all too similar in the somatic memory. Jay cannot tell if the chill that’s becoming a part of the marrow in her bones is a product of wind whipping against her skin, or if it is the frigid depths of the ocean. Perhaps the product of a near-death hysteria, her brain supplies her with the fact that there are four potential oceans that may be her tomb. She cannot recall the names of any. She cannot recall why she knows what flying feels like, why she knows how the sun feels on her skin when it sings in tandem with the late summer breeze over the sea when the sky is clear and beautiful, why she feels the echo of a laugh in her chest as she extends her arms. There's a longing building somewhere in the back of her mind for the concept of freedom.
Mumbo works in a cafe and the Sunday is just miserable and busy and they're understaffed and by the time they lock the door behind them they're 50 minutes after closing - close down is never supposed to take any more than 30.
Anyway its almost 4pm on a Sunday and he missed his first bus to get home so has to wait another 40 minutes to get the next one.
He's prepared to just sit in the bus shelter and feel a little sorry for himself when he hears a familiar voice.
"Hey, handsome, can I give you a ride somewhere?"
And he looks up and low and behold there's Scott, spinning the keys to his little blue car around his fingers and Mumbo's shoulders go limp with relief.
"I thought you were meeting up with Lizzie today," he says to Scott.
Scott smiles. "I rain checked."
"What, why?"
"Because I got your texts at lunch and you seemed pretty upset with life, so I thought I could take you home, make you a cup of tea and then fetch us some dinner."
Mumbo could sob.
"What do you say, baby?"
"Are you real?"
Scott laughs and steps up to Mumbo, puts his hands on his thighs and leans in. He smiles and then kisses his lips softly and briefly.
"You tell me."
Mumbo slips his arms around Scott and sighs into his shoulder. He just needs to be held for a second and then they can get going. Just a second.
And then Scott takes his hand and leads him to his car and they head home.
Tea, dinner, and an evening on the sofa is fetched.
Pairing: Shinsou Hitoshi/Bakugou Katsuki, ShinBaku
Fandom: My Hero Academia, Boku no Hero Academia
Rating: Teen & Up Audiences
Word Count: 2.3K
Tags: past KiriBaku, Kirishima and Bakugou break up, Foster Kid Shinsou Hitoshi, Shinsou and Bakugou are good friends, Ambiguous canon compliance, they could be heroes or this could be a High School AU, Getting together, ShinBaku, angst, fluff
Link to AO3
Summary: Christmas was a difficult time for Hitoshi. Year after year, he wished for a better life, and a way to combat loneliness. Only to be sorely disappointed. Will the holidays in his third year be any better? Or will it be another disappointment in the books?
Written for my dear friend Foxy for the holidays <3
The holidays were hard for Hitoshi—they always were when one grew up in the system. He almost loathed Christmas at this point. Too many bad memories attached. Year after year, he would find himself hoping that he would get adopted, only to be severely disappointed when the day would pass, and he would still be at the orphanage.
By the time he was in High School, he had all but given up hope that anything good would come. So imagine his surprise when one of the teachers took an interest in him. One that wasn’t even a part of his homeroom. It made him feel special, but he refused to get his hopes up—that would just be setting himself up for heartbreak. And he had enough stress to deal with, what with trying to keep up with his courses. Luckily, he had met someone who was just as passionate as he was about his schooling—maybe even more so than he was.
Bakugou Katsuki was an enigma to him; a man that seemed out of his reach. And boy, would he love to reach more for him. They met during his first year in High School, and immediately they butted heads. Bakugou was brash and arrogant; all things Hitoshi was not. At least, that’s how he seemed on the outside.
As second year approached, with Hitoshi transferring courses and being fostered by Aizawa-sensei, he got to know Bakugou as he was roped into his friend group by Kaminari. He saw how protective and caring he was, and how he showed his love for his friends through acts of service. It made him more enamored with the man, but alas he was a forbidden fruit—already claimed by Kirishima.
And to his credit, Hitoshi tried not to let it get him down in the dumps too much, even if it was his luck to develop feelings for someone who was already in a relationship. He tried his own hand at dating, but it just wasn’t the right shade of blond he would dream about at night. Which always made him feel guilty and would end with the relationships fizzling out early.
So, one night, when a knock on his dorm room came, he was extremely surprised to see a puffy-eyed Bakugou standing on the other side. They were in their third year at this point, and the two had grown quite close as friends. Their snark rivaled one another’s, and the rest of the group just couldn’t wrap their heads around how someone so loud and explosive could be friends with someone so quiet and calculative. Though the same could be said for how Bakugou could be with someone so ‘sunshine incarnate’ as Kirishima (Kaminari’s words, not his), not that Hitoshi wanted to think about Kirishima right now. Or ever.
Seeing Bakugou wasn’t the surprise—it was the raw display of downtrodden emotion on his face that gave him a pause. And damn Hitoshi for his heart starting to race as he ushered his friend into the room. This probably wasn’t even what he thought it was, so no need to get his hopes up.
“Sorry for intruding.” It was weird hearing him sound so soft, so meek. Where was the Bakugou that was confident to a fault? The Bakugou that wasn’t afraid to be the loudest in the room.
“It’s okay, really. What’s got you up and about this late?” The ‘and here with me instead of Kirishima’ was implied. The clock was flashing 2am—well past Bakugou’s bed time, and well into Hitoshi’s prime hours.
The silence stretched on after the question, the hope that was growing in his gut threatening to overtake him. A deep exhale came from Bakugou, who walked past Hitoshi to sit on his bed.
“We broke up.” The three words were short, the bitterness and sadness rolling off the blond in waves. So much so that Hitoshi felt bad for being grateful. Only slightly though. Silently, Hitoshi joined Bakugou on the bed, mulling over his words and trying to tamper down the sordid excitement that was coursing through his veins.
“That’s unfortunate to hear. I am sorry, Katsuki.” It wasn’t a lie—Hitoshi was sorry that his friend was hurting like he was. Bakugou looked over at him, eyes narrowing slightly.
“Don’t bullshit me, Hitoshi.” He blinked in surprise; even though they were close friends, Bakugou normally called him by some crazy nickname.
“What do you mean?” Best for him to feign ignorance in this moment rather than to piss his friend off even more.
“I know you were never a fan of Ei-Kirishima,” he corrected himself, “so you don’t have to pretend to feel sorry for me.” Bakugou looked away from Hitoshi, who was gaping at the blond. He didn’t realize he had been so overt about his feelings toward the redhead. But he had no idea how to rectify the situation.
“Maybe it was a mistake coming here,” Bakugou sighed, standing up. In a panic, Hitoshi reached out and grabbed his wrist, pinning the other man in place.
“Don’t go.” His voice cracked as he begged. Bakugou looked over his shoulder at him, eyes roving over his face before silently making the decision to stay, sitting back down next to Hitoshi. What surprised him, however, was that Bakugou did not pull away from him, letting his wrist sit loosely in Hitoshi’s grip. Once again, the silence stretched on, not uncomfortable, but not wholly pleasant either.
“While it’s true that I never was a fan of you and Kirishima together,” Hitoshi started, focusing on the calming pulse beneath his fingertips, “I would never go as low as to pretend to feel sorrow for you.” He felt a spike in the pulse, but it could have been his imagination, his own heartbeat doing erratic acrobatics in his chest. “My feelings are as authentic as yours are—while I cannot deny that I am happy to hear that you are no longer with him, I can also empathize with you and can imagine the pain you must be feeling.”
“You like me or somethin’, Eyebags?” Bakugou asked, a smidge of humor in his voice, which was a godsend to hear. If only it wasn’t that question being asked. A humorless chuckle left Hitoshi, and Bakugou turned his scrutinizing gaze on the other man. The silence was deafening and all the answer that Hitoshi needed to give the blond. “You’re kidding me, right?” Hitoshi wished the floor would open up and swallow him whole at this point. The man literally just got out of a two-and-a-half year relationship, and here he is confessing his feelings to him.
“I’m sorry, Katsuki.” It was the only thing that Hitoshi felt was right to say at that moment. What else could he possibly say? ‘I’m sorry—please give me a chance?’ Yeah, that would go over well.
“Why are you apologizing?”
“Because it’s not fair to you. You loved Kirishima, and I fell for you anyway.” Here it came—the word vomit that’s been lying dormant for years. “I watched from a distance, hoping that there would be a chance that we could be, but knowing deep in my heart that there would never be any way for us to work out. Not now, at least. And then I am a bastard for being ecstatic that you are now single. I should be helping you mourn the loss, not sitting here rejoicing that there may finally, finally be a chance that we could be together.” He trailed off awkwardly, not wanting to put his foot in his mouth any further.
Bakugou, to his credit, just stared at Hitoshi unblinking. He didn’t threaten the man, nor did he get up and leave. Just sat there, gaping at him like he had told him what was inside Pandora’s box. What confused Hitoshi the most was that instead of pulling away, Bakugou twisted his hand so their fingers intertwined. Hitoshi blinked owlishly at him, this time him frozen in place while Bakugou thawed enough to speak.
“You’re an idiot, you know that?” The words, normally an insult, were said with such fondness that small tears sprouted in Hitoshi’s eyes. “Would you like to hear why we broke up?” The question seemed both out of place, yet pertinent to the building tension that was bubbling up between the two of them.
“Sure,” Hitoshi rasped out.
“We realized we were growing apart, rather than stronger together.” That seemed simple enough—but Hitoshi was wary. Bakugou was an all-or-nothing kind of guy; for him to give up so easily went against the very fiber of his being. “We also realized we were starting to harbor feelings for someone else.” The words were said with a pointed look, one that made Hitoshi’s face flush.
Oh…
“We decided that it would be best to end the relationship rather than continue to string one another along. We owed that to each other. And yeah, we will still be friends after the sting passes, but it’s what’s best for us.” Hitoshi could only nod along to what Bakugou was saying, his mind reeling from the possibilities that were trying to play out before him.
“You make it sound so easy, but I know that you’re hurting too.” Bakugou squinted at him, like Hitoshi just wasn’t getting something, but Hitoshi would be damned if he let himself get his hopes up like that. Bakugou said “someone else,” but he didn't specify that it was him. And Hitoshi would be damned if he let himself be some sort of weird rebound for Bakugou.
“Of course I’m hurting. Kirishima was my everything. But things change—feelings change. And that’s okay. Because, like I said, my feelings for someone else started to develop into more than feelings of friendship.” This time the words were accompanied by a squeeze of their entwined hands, and Hitoshi finally let the small spark of hope fester.
“How long?’ He had to know, had to make sure that this wasn’t something fleeting that would fizzle out in a month’s time, leaving Hitoshi as broken as Bakugou was the moment he entered his room at 2am.
“I can’t pinpoint exactly when it started, but probably at least a month by now. For me at least.” Bakugou shifted closer to him on the bed, which caused Hitoshi’s face to heat up.
“A month?” Hitoshi couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Bakugou had been harboring feelings for him for a month, and he had been blind to it. True, he was probably repressing said feelings since he was otherwise taken at the time, but still. To know that the object of his affections felt the same way about him was empowering.
“A month.” The confirmation was followed by a quick glance to Hitoshi’s lips, which made his head spin. The gravitational pull between the two men was impossible to deny or to resist. They were inches apart when Bakugou stopped and looked Hitoshi in the eyes.
“Is this okay?” The question felt loaded, but in a good way. All the years of pining coming to fruition made Hitoshi see stars. Briefly, he thought about Kirishima, and how they literally just broke up thirty minutes ago, but he pushed the thoughts of the redhead to the side. Sure, maybe they should be going slower than this, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care. Especially with how passionately Bakugou was looking at him—a moth being drawn into the glowing embers of a pyre.
“More than okay.” That was all the reassurance that Bakugou needed before bridging the gap between the two of them, their lips pressing together softly. Kissing Bakugou Katsuki was like taking a first breath of fresh air after being submerged in water. It filled Hitoshi with hope. Hope that maybe, for once in his life, the holidays were something that could be worth looking forward to. As they pulled apart, Hitoshi felt himself leaning forward for more, which earned him a chuckle from Bakugou.
“Easy there, ‘Toshi. Don’t want to get too carried away too soon.” Which made sense to him, but the nickname got him right in the heart. Damn Bakugou for being so desirable. And desirable he was, sitting on his bed in his black sweats and t-shirt, a cocky yet soft grin on his face.
“Can’t help it when there’s someone as great as you in my bed with me.” The teasing words made Bakugou blush, which was a far better look on the man compared to the tear-stained cheeks he sported not more than thirty minutes prior.
“Oi! Shuddup!” Hitoshi could only laugh at Bakugou, which earned him a non-heated glare before he yawned loudly. “I know this is pretty bold of me, but do you mind if I sleep here?” he asked, rubbing his eyes.
“Kissing me AND trying to get into my bed? How scandalous. You haven’t even taken me out on a date yet.” He expertly dodged the Snorlax plush that was thrown at him. “But to answer your question, of course you can stay here.” It wouldn’t be the first time that Bakugou had crashed in his room, and as it now stood, it probably wouldn’t be the last.
“Thanks Hitoshi. For everything.” Another brief kiss was pressed against his lips before Bakugou curled himself up under the covers, the weight of the day seeming to disappear as his breathing evened out. Sure, they had a lot to talk about tomorrow, when they both woke up, but Hitoshi was about 99 percent sure he was going to be spending this holiday with his new boyfriend at his parents’ house. Which filled Hitoshi with a hope that he realized he had been missing out on for years. For the first time in his life, he actually was looking forward to Christmas.
summary: homecoming doesn't go the way it was supposed. or does it?
warnings: allusions to sex
word count: 5.7k
series masterlist | main masterlist | also on ao3
Homecoming night was not something you were looking forward to anymore. The whole week leading up to the dance, you kept being reminded of the fact that despite having planned the perfect homecoming proposal for Wanda, it meant nothing now that your arrangement was over. There was nothing special about this night anymore. You would just go to the stupid dance with Yelena and then go home when you eventually got bored.
“That suit looks good on you,” Pietro commented with a half-smile.
Right, this was a new thing now.
The last thing you expected coming to school on Monday was to have Pietro approach you to talk. You hadn’t spoken in years, so why would that change? Originally, you thought your sleep deprivation had gotten so bad that you had started hallucinating hearing Pietro call your name. But he jogged through the crowd to get to you in time. There was a small part of you that thought maybe Wanda had told him everything after all, but that was silly.
The last thing you expected coming to school on Monday was to have Pietro approach you to talk. You hadn’t spoken in years, so why would that change? Originally, you thought your sleep deprivation had gotten so bad that you had started hallucinating hearing Pietro call your name. But he jogged through the crowd to get to you in time. There was a small part of you that thought maybe Wanda had told him everything after all, but that was silly.
When he started apologizing for all the shit he’d put you through, then you became certain you were hallucinating. It took a few tries for him to convince you that this wasn’t some sort of sick joke and he was genuinely sorry for badly he’d treated you.
“I understand if I’m saying all of this too late and that you don’t want to be friends anymore. I was a horrible friend and I let unimportant things get in the way of our friendship. I do hope though that you can find a way to forgive me, and that we can be friends again though… Not necessarily now, but somewhere down the line?” he had said, nervously scratching her back of his neck before getting interrupted by his phone ringing.
During his hushed phone call, you got to think over his apology. You definitely weren’t ready to resume your friendship at the same place it was when you were freshmen, and you weren’t sure you would get back to that place any time soon. However, you also didn’t see a reason to completely shut him out of your life after his apology. It would take some time for him to regain your trust and even more time to rebuild your friendship, but if the older Maximoff twin meant what he said and put in some effort into making it up to you, then who were you to stop him?
That didn’t mean it was an easy thing to do.
It had only been a few days since you “became friends” again. He’d greeted you at school every morning since then, which was weird even though you knew it was good progress. He even offered you a ride home after school Wednesday, but you declined since you had an art club meeting.
You went back on your suspicion that this was all Wanda’s doing, but Pietro had yet to mention his sister and you knew he would’ve by now if she was behind this; Pietro wasn’t one for subtlety.
“Did you choose this color on purpose?” he suddenly asked after eyeing your suit for a moment.
“I, uh, yeah? I thought it looked nice at the store,” you replied, unsure what exactly he meant by that.
“I meant…” he started, but then shook his head. “Never mind. Anyways, you look good, T.” From the surprised look on his face, you could tell the use of your old nickname was a complete accident, but you didn’t mind.
“Thanks, Pietro. You look good as well,” you said, nodding towards his light blue suit.
“Thank you, oh, this is my date, Monica by the way,” he said, gesturing to the girl who gave you a warm familiar smile and a small wave.
“I know, we have a few classes together,” you explained with a chuckle. You two didn’t really count as friends, but she was one of the few people who was actually friendly with you. Whenever you had team assignments to do in history class, she would often pair up with you and you’d both get the job done pretty quickly.
“Are you two…” Pietro trailed off, gesturing to you and Natasha sitting to your left.
“Oh, no.” You shook your head. Yelena had been the one to drag you to homecoming again even though you didn’t really feel like after what had happened last week. She said it would help lift your spirits or whatever, but the moment she spotted a dark-haired sophomore in a dark purple jumpsuit, she had left your side. You were glad Natasha decided to stick by your side. Though you were pretty sure that had Maria not gone to her model UN conference, the pair would’ve spent the night at Natasha’s or Maria’s place.
“Are you and Carol together then?” he asked. He must’ve seen Carol approaching you a few minutes earlier, asking you for a dance. You had accepted mainly because you were waiting for Yelena to come back to your table, but she was still talking to Kate and Natasha hadn’t arrived yet. You only stayed with her for one dance during which she kept telling you how beautiful you looked and how she would love to take you home later. You politely declined her offer, she acquiesed and wished you a good night, then went to on to her next conquest.
“Definitely not,” you replied with a chuckle.
Pietro hummed. “M’baku is hosting a party after homecoming. If you’d like, you could come?” he offered.
“They’re much less stuffy than the ones the football team throws,” Monica added as if to convince you.
“I appreciate the invite, but I think I’ll pass. Not really a party person. Nat can attest to that,” you replied, smiling at the senior who just nodded in agreement. Monica and Pietro voiced their understanding and left you two soon after.
“He definitely asked that to let his sister know,” Natasha said as soon as the pair was gone. At your quizzical stare, she nodded to your right and when you turned to look, you found Wanda sitting at a table with some cheerleaders and their boyfriends, looking downright miserable. Pepper was sat to her left, chatting away with Tony, and to her right was an empty chair. You wondered if it was saved for Bucky or maybe it was for Vision.
You’d heard some people talking about Bucky asking Wanda to homecoming a few days ago only for Vision to barge in and ruin the proposal and start fighting him… or was it that he fought Sam? You don’t quite remember. To be honest, there were various versions of the story, you didn’t know which one was the real one.
“Why would he tell her?” you asked, suddenly panicking a little. It didn’t matter that you and Wanda were now on bad terms, you wouldn’t risk having others know about your… “relationship.”
“Relax,” Natasha said, sensing your nervousness, and placed her hand on your thigh before removing it. “Oops, wrong move. I don’t think Red liked that.” You frowned and when you turned back to Wanda, her lips formed a thin line and even from where you sat, you could see her chest rising and falling as she tried to take calming breaths.
“We’re not together,” you quickly said, regretting it as soon as those words left your mouth. Way to not sound suspicious.
“Again, relax,” Natasha chuckled. “I’m not trying to expose you. Or her. I was just saying because she’s been staring at you the whole night… Also, my room is right next to Yelena and our walls aren’t soundproof. Do you… want to talk about it?”
“There’s not much to talk about.” You looked around and noted all of your peers were relatively far enough from you to the point that no one could really eavesdrop on your conversation, especially not with the thumping music. “I like her and I think she likes me too, but she likes popularity more.”
“She told you that?”
“I don’t need her to tell me that. It’s pretty obvious.”
Natasha nodded and looked over your shoulder, eyes landing on Wanda again. “Assuming things rarely ever get you where you want, especially when it involves feelings.”
“Well, I’m not sure what exactly I’m supposed to do if every time I’ve given her a chance to explain herself, she hasn’t given me anything back… I’m tired of being the only one trying.”
At your confession, Natasha’s face softened. She placed her hand on your forearm and gave you a sympathetic smile. “I’m not saying you need to go talk to her again or be the one making all the effort to save whatever is between you two. However, as someone who used to be part of Pepper’s group, don’t give up on her. The girl you used to know is still in there somewhere. She just needs some time and confidence to come back out.”
“You’re making Pepper seem like she’s some sort of evil genius that has control over Wanda’s being.”
“I know, I know,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I don’t mean it that way, but you can’t deny that Pepper is influential, especially in her group. When you’re accepted into a group, it’s easier to follow and do what others expect from you than deviate from the norm. And with the cheerleaders, those norms are established by Pepper.”
“What? You telling me you used to just do whatever to please Pepper?” you snorted, but dropped your smile the moment you realized you weren’t far from the truth based on the lack of amusement on Natasha’s face.
“Pepper and I used to be friends, not as close as you and Wanda, but she was one of my first friends at SHIELD. When she became captain, I was so happy for her, I didn’t notice the small changes that started to happen. She slowly started to become more demanding of everyone, she expected things to be done her way or the highway, she started caring more about how people perceived her in the sense that she had curated this image of her and the team in her head. And if there was even a bit of discrepancy between that and reality… well, she would flip.”
“Is that why you left?” You had always assumed that the rumors about Natasha leaving because she clashed with Pepper were true. You had no reason to believe otherwise. Just like how Thena was rumored to be leaving the team a while back due to her and Pepper butting heads, Natasha was equally as stubborn as the other girls and there was no place for co-captaincy.
“Partly. Pepper was no longer the friend I knew in freshman year, but she wasn’t the only one who had changed. I was only on the team a couple months, counting from when tryouts happened my freshman year and then the few months up until Christmas of my sophomore year. But during that time, I became someone I didn’t recognize. Honestly, looking back, I acted like such a bitch. I was an asshole to people for no reason… I fought so much more with my parents, and they called me out on it, but I refused to listen.”
“What made you realize that you’d change then?”
“Yelena,” she responded with a short laugh, but bit her lip as a sorrowful look washed over her face. “We were fighting about something. I don’t even remember what it was about, but our mom told us to stop fighting because we’re sisters, and I yelled back that she isn’t really my sister.”
“Oh…”
It was no secret that Natasha and Yelena weren’t blood-related, but that never mattered. They were sisters and everyone knew that. Even though neither ever really showed it, they both prided themselves on being the other girl’s sister. Yelena would deny it until the day she died, but she looked up to Natasha. Hearing the older girl tell her she wasn’t her real sister… you couldn’t begin to imagine how much that must’ve hurt Yelena.
“Yeah, look, I don’t think you should be the one who should be the only one trying. It’s just, as someone who has messed up just because I felt accepted in that same group, I was grateful I had people from my old life who were willing me to take me back despite everything I’d done,” Natasha sighed. “With that being said, don’t forget you also have your own limits. If you think you need a break from her, then that’s fine too.”
“Thanks for the big sister talk,” you said, nudging the older girl’s elbow with your own. You’d never really gotten the chance to truly talk to Natasha despite how many times you’d been at her house. Most of your conversations were pretty surface level, but you were glad to have gottent to know a bit more about your best friend’s older sister.
“If you ever tell people I was soft with you, I’ll have your head,” she threatened, but you had a hard time taking seriously with the playful smirk that tugged at her lips.
You didn’t get the chance to get another word in as you winced hearing the feedback from the microphone. Principal Fury briefly apologized for disruption before going into a small speech about how he hoped everyone was having a good time. He ended his speech by announcing that it was time to reveal this year’s homecoming king and queen. Coach Fontaine accepted the mic from Principal Fury and opened the golden envelope.
“Can I get a drumroll, please?” she asked the crowd. Those sitting down rapping against the table they sat at as they patiently waited for the big reveal of the night.
“Stark Harkness Institute for the Exceptional, Lettered & Distinguished, please welcoming this year’s homecoming king, Jarvis Stark.”
The crowd went wild, cheering for the younger Stark brother who made his way to the makeshift stage where Coach Fontaine stood. Some people patted his shoulder as he walked towards the stage with an arrogant smile. Honestly, you didn’t remember seeing any posters of him campaigning to become homecoming king, but it wasn’t like you really cared about these kinds of things anyways.
What really took you by surprise was when Coach Fontaine announced, “And please give an equally warm welcome for your homecoming queen, Wanda Maximoff.”
Vision’s face, you wouldn’t have noticed unless you were specifically looking for him, but Wanda? Even when you tried to avoid her, you saw her. There was no way you would’ve missed a poster with her face campaigning for homecoming queen. Surely, she would’ve also told you about it, no? You’d only just stopped seeing each other last week, and campaigning for this sort of thing would’ve overlapped with the time you were seeing each other.
From the way Wanda’s hand kept tucking her hair behind her ear as she walked towards Coach and Vision, you could tell she wasn’t exactly planning this either. After all this time, she still had the same nervous tic. You watched her attempt to keep her arms still beside her body, but they eventually drifted back to the front. After having the tiara placed on her head and the sache draped across her torso, her fingers subtly reached for her rings and started twisting them.
“And now, it’s time for the homecoming king and queen’s first dance!”
Vision, in his unoriginal black suit, took a step down the stage and held out his hand for Wanda to help her down. She bunched up the bottom of her long dress and reluctantly took Vision’s hand as she stepped down. Although she seemed beyond nervous, Wanda still looked stunning in her light yellow gown. The slit of her dress was borderline inappropriate inappropriate for the school’s dress code, but it started a few inches above her knee and it was only visible when she took long strides. Add onto that her half-up, half-down hairdo, she could pass off as a real-life Belle.
Unconsciously, you had tightened your jaw at the sight of Wanda approaching Vision’s open arms. She slowly placed one hand on his shoulder while the other grabbed his hand that wasn’t on the small of her waist. A slow song that you couldn’t bother to recognize started playing and you were nearly ready to call it a night. You went to turn to Natasha and tell her that you were going to the bathroom before leaving until she placed one hand up and nodded her head towards Wanda and Vision.
When you turned to look back, the couple was no longer dancing. No, Vision was standing in the middle of the dancefloor, looking absolutely confused, but you could barely see him behind Wanda as she walked towards… you? She had this determined look in her eyes that you didn’t think you had ever seen as she took confident steps towards your table.
Once in front of you, Wanda held her hand out and asked, “May I have this dance?”
You could feel all of your peers’ stare on you and Wanda. Even the damn lighting people had decided to have a spotlight follow Wanda all the way to you, assuring that everyone’s attention would be on you two. It felt like a scene from a movie, but you weren’t sure it was one you wanted to be part of. Your eyes searched for Yelena, whom you found in a record time on the other side of the room with Kate Bishop, as if asking for guidance. She gave you an unsure smile, brows slightly knitted together. Just a few tables away, Pietro had a hopeful smile that matched the one Wanda was giving you. Finally, your eyes drifted back to Natasha next to you, who just shrugged, as if saying “this is your call.”
You were so focused on trying to get any sort of guidance for what you should do next, the only thing that pulled you out of your head was Wanda’s whispered “Please?”
With a thumping heart in your chest, you stood up and stared your old best friend in the eye. Although Wanda wore heels, the platform from your oxfords allowed you to be at about the same height as her. “This won’t change anything,” you said.
“I understand,” she said with a nod, smiling when you accepted her hand that guided you to the dancefloor.
Wanda ignored a baffled Vision who was pulled aside by someone in the crowd so you could take your place in the middle of the dancefloor. She placed her arms loosely around your neck while your hands found purchase on her waist. The whole time, Wanda kept her eyes on you, completely ignoring the prodding stares burning into your dancing bodies.
“Relax,” she commanded gently, which was funny really because you could feel the nervousness radiating off her.
“Easier said than done,” you mumbled. At that, Wanda frowned, her eyes leaving you for the first time. She pulled you closer, giving you no choice but to wrap your arms a little tighter around her waist to not look awkward.
She buried her face in the crook of your neck and signed. “Relax,” she repeated. “Just focus on me.” So, you did, or at least you tried.
You focused on her now steady breathing, the warm air softly hitting your neck, which did nothing to help your racing heart. You focused on the smell of her strawberry and mint shampoo and… the lack of her overpowering perfume. You focused on the warmth eminating from her body that was now nearly melded into yours. You could stay like this forever…
The sound of clapping brought you back to reality. The song was over and you tried to push yourself away from Wanda, but she kept a tight grip on you.
“Stay?” she asked, only letting go slightly so she could look you in the eye.
“I’m a little tired,” you said, trying to make yourself believe your lie so that Wanda wouldn’t see right through you. The air inside the gym was suffocating you and you needed to leave. Sure, you were somewhat used to a few people giving you dirty looks as you walked past them in the hallway, but having all those eyes on you now was unsettling to say the least.
Her shoulders slumped as she nodded. She let you detangle yourself from her this time and you gave her one last glance over your shoulder, not missing everyone else watching you leave her in the middle of the dancefloor. You quickly texted Yelena that you were leaving and that she didn’t have to tell Natasha because you’d be taking the bus home.
You made it exactly four steps down the stairs at the main entrance of the school when you heard the metal doors behind you open and someone yell, “Wait!”
You turned back around and saw Wanda slightly out of breath. “What are you doing?”
“Can I come with you?”
“You don’t even know where I’m going,” you said, a bit amused.
“I don’t care. I want to go where you go.”
─── ᗢ ───── 💔 ───── ᗢ ───
Taking the bus from Manhattan to Westview all dressed up on a random Friday night would also probably classify as a scene from a coming of age movie. This, however, was much nicer than the situation you were in earlier.
Wanda must’ve been seriously sleep deprived because she had fallen asleep on your shoulder barely 10 minutes after you got on the bus. One stop before yours, you nudged the girl awake. Wanda sleepily groaned and tried to bury her face in the crook of your neck again, but you gently pushed her up as you whispered, “Wanda, wake up. We’re almost at the diner.”
That did the job and she slowly sat back up. You helped her off the bus since she was wearing heels and you started to make your way to the diner in comfortable silence. When you noticed Wanda attempt to hide her shivers, you shrugged off your blazer to drape it over her shoulders.
“It’s fine,” she said, but didn’t try to give your blazer back.
“I don’t mind,” you replied, helping her slip her arms through the sleeves to wear it more comfortably.
Inside the diner, you got your vanilla milkshake to go while Wanda ordered her strawberry one. You also ordered fries and carefully placed the container filled with fries in one of the front pockets of your pants so you could pick up your fries to dip them in your milkshake while walking down the quiet streets of Westview. By your side, Wanda just sipped on her milkshake as she occasionally tugged your blazer closer to her body.
“I need to tell you something,” Wanda said, after walking for nearly 5 minutes in complete silence. Seeing you nod your head as a sign to continue, she took a deep breath, “I think I owe you an explanation… a lot of explanations actually.”
“You think?” you refrained yourself from scoffing. Even though you shared a nice moment back in the gymnasium, you were still upset about everything that had happened between you two. Being with her now just reminded you of all the times she’d betrayed you.
Empathizing with your frustration, Wanda tried her best not to let your tone affect her. You had every reason to be mad at her. She wasn’t even sure why you agreed to have her follow you or even listen to you, but she was glad you hadn’t completely pushed her away.
“Where should I start?” she asked, more to herself than anything.
“How about summer of freshman year? You know, when you just went AWOL,” you suggested with a bit of a bite.
She nodded, taking a deep breath before starting.
It took her nearly an hour to go through everything. It took her another hour to answer all the questions you had for her, like why she never told you any of this before, if you’d ever made her feel like she couldn’t open up to you like that. By the end of your conversation, you had walked around your block maybe a dozen times and you’d ended up sitting on your porch. Although her fears might’ve seem a bit irrational, at the end of the day, Wanda was just a teenager who wanted to fit in, like most of teenagers.
You still couldn’t completely forgive her for hurting you the way she did, but you understood her a bit better.
“I’m not sure what you want from me now,” you admitted.
“I know this is a long shot, but I just–I miss you… as a friend,” she said, and if you were anyone else, maybe you’d buy it. But you were you and you could tell her words weren’t totally truthful. “I mean I also miss you in other ways,” she admitted after a beat of silence, “but we were friends first. I get it if you don’t want anything to do with me, but I would regret it for the rest of my life if I didn’t at least try to get you back as my friend.”
“I still don’t really trust you, Wanda. You have a lot to making up to do, and I won’t go easy on you,” you warned, but she simply nodded her head vigrously.
“I know. I’ll do whatever it takes to gain your trust back.”
You thought back about the beginning of the week when Pietro asked for your forgiveness and how you’d given him a chance. Wanda was asking for the same thing, except you had already technically given her a second chance at the start of your junior year. Yet, she messed up again. Perhaps it was because you jumped into a relationship too quickly instead of working through your issues to rebuild a solid foundation. You took a deep breath to think about whether you could potentially go through all this heartbreak again.
You wanted to believe Wanda, you really did. You liked to see the good in people and after what she did tonight, maybe Natasha was right. There was still a piece of the Wanda you knew and loved.
“You’ll do anything?” you asked after a while.
“Anything,” she confirmed, and if she regretted saying that so quickly, she didn’t let it show.
You hummed and pondered for a bit. “Then, I want you to run barefoot through the Proctors’ lawn,” you said. Your other neighbors, Sarah and Harol Proctor were notorious for being especially careful with all things related to their property. They (mostly Mrs. Proctor) loved to maintain this picture-perfect image of the Proctor family and their home. Running through their lawn was surely going to get you in trouble.
You thought it was pretty obvious you were just messing with Wanda, but the other girl just took off her heels, letting them fall by your side before she sprinted across your neighbors’ lawn. “Wanda! Oh my god, get back here!” you whisper-yelled as to not disturb the neighborhood and ran towards her with her heels hooked to your index finger.
The sound of Wanda’s giggles filled your ears as you finally caught her, picking up in your arms so you could bring her back to your side of the driveway. “Why would you do that?” you asked.
“I told you I’d do anything,” she shrugged, a shy grin on her face. “I meant what I said. I’ll never stop trying to do anything to have you back in my life in any possible.”
“In that case, I don’t want anymore secrecy,” you demanded. “I’m not asking to be best–”
“You got it,” she said.
“You didn’t let me finish.”
“Well, whatever you say, I’ll do it.”
“Okay, Wanda, see that’s not gonna work,” you sighed. “We rushed things the first time and it blew up in our faces. I don’t want that to happen again if I’m giving you another chance. I need you to thinking about this more seriously this time around. This isn’t just something you’ll be able to change overnight.”
“I get that,” she asserted, slightly frustrated. “I know I’m coming off as impulsive, but I’ve thought about this. All week, I’ve thought about how I could make it up to you, how I could make you believe that I want this to work.”
“Alright, well, I have one more request. What are you doing next Tuesday after school?”
“Not sure, but probably homework.”
“How about you drive me to my internship interview then?”
“I could do that,” Wanda responded with a grin.
You weren’t sure how things would work out at school with the stunt she pulled tonight, but as she sipped on her milkshake, walking down the street with one hand holding yours, she didn’t seem to care. All that mattered to her was that you had given her a chance to redeem herself.
You, however, were apprehensive about how much Wanda would try.
─── ᗢ ───── 💔 ───── ᗢ ───
When Monday came around, you were certain that whatever bubble she had created for you two over the weekend would burst. You had mentally prepared yourself for the same silent treatment you’d received for the past year and a half.
“Casanova!” you heard the forsaken voice of Tony Stark call from the other somewhere in the hallway.
“Fuck me,” you muttered into your locker while Yelena who was leaning againt the locker next to yours looked up to the intruders. As you closed your locker door shut, you were met with both Stark brothers, Pepper and their posse.
“Do you not have a voice? Or do you only speak when it’s to steal other people’s girlfriends?”
“I didn’t steal anyone’s girlfriend. Wanda is her own person,” you said, rolling your eyes. God, how did Wanda ever tolerate them? How did Pepper still tolerate them?
“You don’t have to defend her now. She’s not here, it won’t give you brownie points to get into her panties,” Tony sneered.
“I’m not trying to get into her panties. Unlike you, I have something called basic human decency.”
“You sure you’re not just trying to add her to your list of girls you’ve tongued?” Vision was the one to talk this time.
“At least she knows how to make a girl feel good,” Yelena retorted, which made you pinch your nose in frustration. You loved your best friend, you really did. She was your number one defender, always, but sometimes, you wished she would cool it a little. This was one of those times. You really didn’t think it was necessary to bring up a silly rumor about Vision not knowing the female anatomy despite having one of the highest marks in biology.
Right as you pulled Yelena back from lunging forward, you felt someone brush against your arm and step forward. “Leave them alone,” Wanda said firmly.
“Wanda,” Pepper started with a warning voice, “you better watch it.”
“I don’t care what you have to say. I don’t care if you kick me off the team. I’m sick of how you treat people, especially when they haven’t done anything wrong. So, like I said, leave her alone.”
Pepper and Wanda stared at each other, neither speaking a word until Pepper stiffly nodded and turned on her heels. Tony followed her, albeit reluctantly, which led to everyone else following them away. The only one left was Vision.
“Don’t come crawling back when you finally realize–”
“Please, as if I would go back to someone who was never able to get me off,” she scoffed, rendering him speechless.
Beside you, you heard Yelena mutter, “Guess the rumors were true,” which earned her a nudge to the arm from you.
After Vision stormed away, a visible blush on his face, you turned to Wanda. “You didn’t have to do that,” you said, painfully aware of the obvious whispers that had started around you.
“I wanted to,” she asserted with a shaky voice, but put on a smile masking her nerves. “They have no right to be harassing you like that. I’m sorry I just stood by before, but I swear I’ll–”
You cut her off with a hug, arms tightening around her body. “I really missed you,” you mumbled.
“I missed you too,” she said, her arms wrapping you as she relaxed against your grasp.
“Do I also get a hug or what?” Yelena asked. You giggled and pulled her into you, holding both girls close to you.
When Tuesday came and you heard her honk her horn in her and Pietro’s cherry red car, you were a little less surprised to see that she’d kept her promise. You were a little taken aback to see that Pietro was in the passenger seat, but you welcomed the unexpected guest.
“A little birdy told me you got a fancy internship. I had to tag along,” he explained as you buckled you and Yelena got in the backseat.
“I didn’t get the internship,” you said.
“Yet!” Wanda retorted. “You’re gonna kill that interview. There’s no way Frigga won’t take you.”
“Exactly,” Yelena chimed in, “I wouldn’t be surprised if she gave you the position on the spot.”
You shook your head in amusement, but appreciated them hyping you up to ease your nerves. It took a bit of convincing for Yelena to not be so defensive around the twins. You assured her that the moment they even thought of hurting you… well, let’s just say, they wouldn’t get the chance to hurt you with Yelena by your side. After that, she easily got along with the twins. You could tell she was still a bit on the fence about them, but it was hard to deny that the four of you had chemistry. Sitting in the back of the twins’ cherry red car, you watched the three of them sing along to Adele.
You could get used to this.
Wanda still had a lot of making up to do. There was a long road ahead to fix your friendship. Things would never be the same as they were before, but Wanda looked forward to rebuilding her friendship with you. Admittedly, you were also excited for this new chapter of your life with familiar characters returning, albeit with a hint of change.
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a/n: and that was the final part of ma&thp! thank you to everyone who stuck around! this was my first ever reader-insert as well as my first wanda fic so it will always hold a special place in my heart. with that in mind, i have to admit, this isn't really the ending i originally had in mind. the original ending was going to take place about a decade later, but i felt like the time jump was a bit too much since there was nothing in between. so, for now i will leave it at a hopeful ending and honestly still pretty happy considering everything that happened. if however, there are people interested in the original ending, i already have a bit written so i might release it a little later as a bonus? or i might even write more for sunshine and wanda during their college days if i see y'all want more lol. anyways, for now, this is goodbye to miss americana & the heartbreak princess.
edit: i also noticed this blog reached 300 followers recently omg tysm for following along my shenanigans lmao. i wanted to do some sort of 300 writing celebration, but i've got so much on my plate rn i don't think i'd be able to manage:( still, i'm super grateful for y'all! and i will definitely plan something like that in the future
Summary: Kenma smells something good while streaming
A/N: Here's something short to celebrate Kenma's birthday! This is my first time writing for him, so I hope you enjoy!
“Something smells good.”
You feel two arms wrap around your waist. Turning your head, you see your pudding-head boyfriend. Kenma was streaming for his birthday just a few minutes ago, so why is he down here in the kitchen with you? He nuzzled his face into your neck and you smiled at the sensation.
“Hello, birthday boy,” you said. “I thought you were streaming.”
“Yeah, I was,” he responded. “But I smelled something good from here and paused so I could find out what it was.” You hummed in acknowledgement.
Kenma stared down at the counter. They held three trays with freshly made apple turnovers. Before he came down, you were working on some frosting for them.
“Kuroo wanted me to make him some apple turnovers, and he did say he was gonna pay me,” you said.
“How much?”
“I don’t remember.” You took one of the now cooled pastry off the tray and held it up to Kenma, moving your other hand below to catch any crumbs. “You wanna try?”
He took a bite out of the turnover, letting the sweetness of the pastry fill his mouth.
“It’s really good,” he said, taking it from your hand and taking another bite. “Can I bring some to eat while I finish my stream?”
“Go ahead!” you respond with a smile, going back to making the frosting.
Kenma grabbed a plate from the cupboard and placed at least 4 turnovers on the plate. He kissed your cheek with a “thank you” before heading back to his office.
i wrote a v small thing because nosleep just loginceand roman in a skirt (also iswear ill put in a cut later, tumblr mobile is just a little bitchbaby) also this is.v stupid and bad but also if i start my 2021 writing off shitty i can only get better so 👉👈
smile for the camera (and me)
"Okay, a little to the left."
Roman cursed as his skirt got tangled in a branch, unhooking it gently and sighing in relief when he saw it was still untarnished.
"I know you wanted to get a photo in the tree but please don't fall out of the tree." Logan's hands tightened around the camera when a branch cracked under the other's foot.
The creative side smirked down at him, "What, you scared for me?"
"Of course not." He straightened his glasses, trying to will the flush off his face at the image of Roman looking down at him with that insufferable look on his face, "Just... concerned, I suppose."
Deftly, Roman slipped down from the tree, landing next to Logan with a grin, "Aren't you supposed to be all about Logic, teach? Because I'm pretty sure those are the same things."
Instead of rising to the bait, his eyes lit up with a familiar excitement, "Actually, concern implies that I am worried for you, whereas scared would imply that I feel fear, which is unrealistic. You are correct though, they do have very similar meanings. I suppose it's the context that would matter though, because-" He cut himself off, "Apologies, I seem to be rambling."
Looking up, he met Roman's gaze, noting the way his eyes seemed to be far away and yet there at the same time. Suddenly, the eyes looked back at him, and he swore he caught a slight tint to his cheeks before he cleared his throat and looked away.
"Don't worry, it's very endearing." He said softly, smiling and unhooking Logan's camera from his neck, positioning it to face them both.
"Smile for the camera!"
And Logan couldn't help it- the absurdity of the situation got to him and he let out a small laugh, one that was shy and quiet and kind of highschool-girl giggly but genuinely happy for once.
The camera stilled and Logan turned to Roman in worry, only to find him frozen in place, red just a few shades lighter than his skirt having risen to his face. "Please never stop laughing." He whispered, slightly breathless as the cold and wind caught up to him. Of course, that was the only reason why. Obviously.
Logan squeezed his hand, pressing a quick kiss to Roman's forehead. He had a feeling he would be doing a lot more smiling now, for cameras or not.
Hey so I wrote this chapter of a shitty story I might be continuing? idk how much I will update this, just remind me of it. Anyway. I’m putting the first chapter under the cut (hopefully, I don't really know how this works). I’ll start writing the second chapter now. Enjoy I guess? Oh yeah, this chapter is for 69 followers but the next one more so. Haven’t really edited this either, so if there are any mistakes then feel free to point them out!
The Five Fingers
Chapter One: I Can See a Man With a Baseball Bat
It was a late night on the 6th of September, or rather, an early morning, and Hubert Cumberdale was curled up in his bed, lying awake and waiting for just the right time. As the seconds ticked by, Hubert felt himself fill with more and more anticipation. His hands were shaking as he leaned over to grab his phone resting on his bedside table. He carefully unlocked it and opened his Instagram app. He checked the time and went into the group chat he had with his friends Marjory Stewart-Baxter, Jeremy Fisher and Milford Cubicle.
“420 blaze it lmao”, Hubert carefully typed into the chat.
“Go to sleep Hubert you’ve got to have energy for the movie release tomorrow”, quickly replied Marjory.
“You’re no fun, goodnight MUM!”
“Goodnight Hubert.”
After reading Marjory’s reply, Hubert made sure his alarm was set for 10 and put his phone back down and fell asleep.
As sleep took over Hubert’s tired body, his mind was filled with a bright light, and then coming out of the smoke was Morgan Freeman. Morgan invited Hubert to sit and he did so. Morgan stared into his eyes and said with utmost certainty “You know I had to do it to em’”
Hubert spun around and saw him. Glowing. He spun back around to find Morgan gone. He woke up to his alarm.
He grumbled and turned off his alarm when he remembered. Today is the day. After quickly showering, he walked over to his closet to pick up the outfit that he had laid out the previous day. It was a simple white shirt with blue sleeves that went up to his elbows, and brightly coloured blue jeans. He walked over to his mirror and began to style his hair. He took two pieces at the front and make them stick up and then fall down, much like dog’s ears.
Hubert still had an hour and a half until he had to leave, so he decided to watch Bill Wurtz’s latest video. Before it, a 30 second ad started playing. Hubert decided to pay attention to the ad to see if it could give him any life changing advice for the day.
“Has you really been far, even as decided to use, even go want to look more like? Call 985-655-2500 inside the details for. Go further and even more decided to use! You can really be far as decided twice as much to use and go wish for it. When you decide far even once to use and even go want then get really far, even as decided to use and look more like and go after. It’s just common sense! Apply today.”
These few words held so much meaning to Hubert, but he just couldn’t wrap his head around as to why. He simply shrugged and went into the group chat and sent a message to see what his friends were doing now. Milford was still on his shift at Bunnings, Marjory was at the shops getting snacks and Jeremy had just woken up and was very annoyed.
Hubert decided this was the best time to go to the museum. They just had this new exhibit in that he was very excited to see.
After grabbing his coat, Hubert set off for the museum. It took 12 minutes and 250 seconds to get there, so if he stayed in there for 5 minutes he should be able to make it to the movie just in time.
When Hubert inside the lobby of the museum, he realised he needed a gummy snake to enter the museum. He didn’t bring one, so he walked outside and saw a kitchen table sitting on the road. He figured it would work just as well and walked over and picked it up. He walked back into the museum and gave the table to the receptionist.
“Funny looking gummy worm,” said the receptionist. Hubert merely grunted and took note that he had a nametag which read “Harry”. “Eh, whatever, it’ll do I guess step right in.”
Hubert stepped into the museum and started to make his way over to the new exhibit. He was in a rush, as consulting with the receptionist had taken 10 seconds of his precious time. It was lucky that the theatre was right next to the museum, so he didn’t have to waste time doing such mundane things like walking.
When Hubert neared the new exhibit, he started to smell a strange scent. It smelt of rotting meat. But something about it was different, almost foreign. When it came into sight, Hubert was in shock. It was one of the best things he had ever seen in his life. It was a meat dragon. Something seemed different about this meat dragon in particular. it was different to all the meat dragons he’s seen. What was different became apparent as he neared it. The sign said was entirely made of orphan meat. Truly original.
Then, out of the blue, he saw Harry advancing towards him. Oh god. This couldn’t be good. Then Harry started talking to him. It seemed like gibberish. Then Hubert started paying attention to what he was actually saying, and started to make sense of the nonsensicals.
He looked at his watch and it said he had been here for 2 minutes! Great Scott! He threw a pillow at Harry who ate it up gratefully, and Hubert began quickly running towards the exit, cursing under his breath about how Harry had kept him for 2 minutes. Two minutes too long I’d say! Doesn’t anyone know that no one cares if your pet tardigrade has a child?
He ran out of the museum and bolted into the cinema, coughing up red water. One of the staff members came up to him and offered a candle to help the coughing, but Hubert declined as he was going to be late for his movie. He made it in to his seat with only an hour, 5 minutes, 7 seconds and 32 milliseconds left to spare. He let out a big sigh and wondered where his all his friends were. He was sure they were going to be late!
20 minutes and 4 seconds later, Marjory entered with a 666-kilogram wheel of cheese. Ah, good old Marjory, you could tell she was from Wisconsin just by looking at her.
Hubert was getting worried, there were only 10 minutes until the movie started and Milford and Jeremy still hadn’t arrived. Then, in the blink of an eye, they came bursting in through the cinema doors, panting like doggos.
“Sorry we’re late, there was a lot of traffic so it took an extra 4 seconds,” breathed Jeremy
“You should’ve accounted for that, hurry up and take your seat the movie is about to start”, replied Hubert.
They took their seats as they eagerly waited for the movie to begin.
