When shalnark gets home after chimaera ant arc he makes reader give him a massage bc he’s got sore little (big omg choke me out) arms
Relaxation session | Shalnark x GN.Reader
Summary: During the Ants arc, Shalnark arrives at your house completely exhausted and fatigued, of course, it is your duty to relieve him.
Pairing: Shalnark X GN.Reader
Warnings: Possible spoiler for the Chimera Ant Arc plot, kidnapped reader, maybe fluff?, at most a small sexual connotation, after that, all is pretty mild.
Author’s note: My goodness, how I crave with those big arms of Shalnark 🥵
I don't think this expression is used in English, but well, in Spanish, we sometimes say "He stayed dry as a log" When someone falls deeply asleep
Sites: AO3
You grumbled and complained as you watched the stain on the table refuse to come out no matter how hard you scrubbed it with the cloth. At this point in your life and after these months of forced cohabitation with Shalnark, you had learned to endure the time.
Obviously, every time he returned from a trip, you continued to beg him to buy you a television, since you sometimes got bored alone in the apartment.
You'd pass the time cleaning, tidying up, or circling things you wanted in magazines, even though you knew he stole them.
Lost in scrubbing the stain, you didn't hear the door. You only realized Shalnark was there when you felt his weight on your back, his face in your hair, and his arms around you.
Something was different. He felt heavier, and his arms were unusually gentle. His hugs were usually strong, sometimes even a little rough, but now they were soft and weak.
"Shalnark! You startled me!" You said, looking up at him with wide eyes
"I was hoping for a warmer welcome" He replied, but his voice lacked its usual enthusiasm.
You could tell he was exhausted. Setting down the cleaning supplies, you studied him closely.
"Are you alright? You look terrible" It was unusual for you to worry about him like this.
"I'm fine" He said, managing a weak smile "I'm going to take a bath”
You remained still, not knowing quite what to say or do. For the next hour, you stayed in the living room, listening to the shower and Shalnark's groans of pain.
After the shower turned off, you saw him come out limping and go into the bedroom. You sighed, rolling your eyes and walked to the kitchen, prepared a chamomile infusion, and went to the bedroom with the cup.
When you arrived, you found him in the clothes he usually wore around the apartment, sitting by the window, completely lost in thought.
"Hey" You approached him, sitting down beside him, offering him the cup of chamomile "This will help you relax"
Somewhat surprised, he smiled and began to drink the chamomile as you watched him silently. You took a deep breath and walked to the nightstand, taking out a cream.
"Could you take off your shirt?" You asked, moving on your knees on the bed until you were behind him.
Shalnark sighed and obeyed. As he took off his shirt, he let out small groans of pain, revealing his very tense body, especially his arms.
You rolled your eyes, beginning to massage his back first. You couldn't help but blush at how incredibly muscular he was, but you chose to ignore that. You listened to his groans and moans of fatigue and pain as you massaged him, but after about fifteen minutes, you saw how that part of his body thankfully relaxed.
After that, you started to massage his arms which were harder and sorer, making him gasp and close his eyes in pain. You nibble your lip, looking at his arms. They were quite muscular, they looked good... you really liked them, you couldn't help but think about the times when those arms carried you or trapped you against the wall.
They felt hot as always, hot like when they hugged your waist while you were sleeping or when they trapped your legs while he was inside you.
You spent a good amount of time massaging Shalnark's arms, until you saw him more relaxed.
"Better...?" you asked, wiping the sweat from your forehead with your arm.
"I didn't know you were good at massages too” Shalnark said mockingly.
You sighed annoyed and helped him put his shirt back on.
"You should sleep" You advised, watching him stand up.
Shalnark didn't answer, he just hugged you, nuzzling his face into your neck like a puppy seeking warmth.
"I like having someone who waits for me at home..." He whispered, kissing your neck "I can't imagine life without you..."
You couldn't help but blush at his comment, nibbling your lower lip and rubbing his back with the palm of your hand.
"Nonsense..." you murmured.
Shalnark couldn't help but smile and kiss your lips tenderly.
"You're so sweet and grumpy at the same time, don't worry, when I'm better I'll give you what you like”
You blushed, annoyed, watching him throw himself on the bed and cover himself with the sheets, looking at you with a mischievous and somewhat flirtatious smile.
"You're very bad at hiding things, do you think I didn't see those blushes while you were massaging my arms?" Shalnark said with a yawn, a few seconds he fell asleep, as dry and hard as a log, snoring softly.
"Idiot..." you murmured, arranging and stroking his blond hair carefully.
contains: shalnark x reader mutual pining, simp! shalnark, tired phantom troupe, feitan x phinks cameo
a/n: the phantom troupe has seen lots of dark stuff but shalnark simping is defo where they'd draw the line😭😭 i actually laughed at this joke when looking for lame jokes...
requested by 🥨 anon !
the base was quiet for once, which was usually the sign of a coming storm, but today it just meant everyone was bored. you were sitting on a crate next to shalnark, who was supposedly "fixing" a device, though he hadn’t moved his screwdriver in ten minutes because he was too busy leaning toward you.
"hey, shalnark" you said, a mischievous glint in your eyes. "you wanna hear a joke?"
he beamed, his phone sliding into his pocket instantly. "always. what've you got?"
feitan didn't even look up from his book, and phinks, who was busy sharpening a knife nearby, let out a heavy, warned sigh. "don't do it. their jokes are crime against humanity."
you ignored him, rolling your eyes. "okay, so... what do you call a fake noodle?"
shalnark tilted his head, looking way too invested for a setup that obvious. "i don't know, what?"
"an impasta."
the silence that followed was heavy enough to crush a man. feitan actually groaned, hiding his face further in his collar. phinks just stopped sharpening his knife, staring at the wall with a look of pure, unadulterated disgust.
then, there was shalnark.
he froze for a beat before let out a bark of laughter, way too loud for the punchline, clapping his hands together like you’d just performed a world-class comedy routine. "an impasta! that’s—that’s actually really clever! i haven’t heard that one before"
phinks slowly turned his head, looking from shalnark’s bright, flushed face back to you, then back to shalnark again. the sheer level of second-hand embarrassment was radiating off him in waves.
"eugh..." phinks muttered, his lip curling as he looked back at his blade. "simp."
from the corner, feitan just let out a low, tsk sound. "his brain... go soft. pathetic."
shalnark didn't even hear them. he was too busy asking you if you had any more, his thumb hovering near his heart as he waited for your next terrible pun. just wanting you to keep talking.
I finally think I've come up with a request for Shalnark! Actually, it was an idea for Feitan first because requesting for Shalnark feels... odd. Anyways, could I request a Shalnark x Female Reader who's doting? Like she isn't overbearing or anything, but if she's not busy in her own world, she's by his side tending to the slightest of injuries or complimenting his appearance that day. I'll probably go right back to Feitan after this hahaha... Thank you for your time and effort, take as long as you need!! <( ´▽` )>
Ahh this was so much fun to write!! I hope I was able to capture Shalnark’s personality okay here since it was my first time writing for him🥰 and I’m sorry this took as long as it did, I really hope you love the story!!🫶❤️ thanks for all your support and kind comments💕
My Love for You Shall(nark) Never Cease
Fluff
Shalnark x f!reader
Warnings: mentions of minor injury, one small mention of killing
The hideout was quiet, which makes sense since you were the only one there. Pakunoda, Uvogin, and Shalnark were sent on a mission a few days ago while the rest of the Phantom Troupe were off doing… you weren’t sure what, but you figured they were keeping busy. You decided to enjoy the rare moments of peace by indulging in your favorite hobbies while everyone was away. You often found yourself daydreaming, an activity that was easiest for you to partake in when there was nothing but silence around you. You thought of spectacular worlds and created countless scenarios in your head.
Though the topic always seemed to circle back to a specific blonde haired man.
Over the time you had known him, you’d began to harbor a crush on Shalnark. His big green eyes and contagious laugh made your heart flutter every time you were near him. You would do anything to be blessed by the sight of his radiant smile which meant you often showered him with compliments. Your train of thought wandered into the depths of your memory, your mind replaying a treasured moment with the man.
“Good morning, Shalnark!” you had greeted warmly as you ate breakfast one day before a mission.
“Good morning, y/n!” he said back, just as enthused. Even though it was early, he was bright eyed and bushy tailed as usual. He grabbed the open box of cereal from the table and poured some into one of the few chipped bowls the Troupe had lying around in the hideout. Your group had been there for a while and it was nice to have a place like that to call home for as long as possible. Shalnark took a seat next to you, ready to dig into his meal. You took the time to really admire him up close; your eyes traced over his facial features, committing them to memory (you swore that if you died, his face would be the only one you’d want to see in your final moments). The slope of his nose, the upturn of his lips—he was stunning. There was no way you couldn’t compliment him! He deserved to know he was being noticed by others for his beauty and you hoped maybe one day he would take notice of yours as well.
“Your hair looks really nice today,” you told him, a kind tone to your voice. You heard him slightly choke on his cereal.
“Who? M-me?” he asked, sputtering and coughing. You tilted your head, a bit confused by his reaction.
“We’re the only ones out here,” you remarked, a small giggle filling the awkward silence.
“Oh! You’re right.” His cheeks were a bright red and it didn’t seem like it was from his previous lack of air. He cleared his throat. “Thank you. Yours does, too. Look nice, I mean.”
Shalnark’s spoon went immediately back into his mouth, crunching away on the cereal. You couldn’t contain the smile that took up residence on your lips, your heart thumping in your chest. If there was one thing you knew about Shalnark, it was that he was brutally honest and he wouldn’t compliment you if he didn’t mean it. If there was one thing you didn’t know but just learned about him, though, it was that he gets easily flustered by compliments.
Since then, you always made sure to compliment him to no end.
You loved to dote on the man and after his initial reactions of embarrassment, he’d started to embrace it, eagerly beaming when he heard what sweet words you had for him whenever you saw him. It became a regular occurrence for you to compliment him, from physical appearance to nen ability, and, on occasion, his driving skills. It was your favorite part of the day and quickly turned into his as well.
Since he had been on this mission, though, you hadn’t had the chance to talk to him at all. You liked this alone time, sure, but you missed your interactions with your favorite blonde.
You sighed, picking up a book. Maybe this time you could read a couple more chapters without getting distracted by your heart’s desires…
All of a sudden, you heard loud noises at the hideout entrance. Before you could even worry, you heard Shalnark’s trademark laugh and you grinned from ear to ear.
They were back!
You quickly stood to welcome the trio home, but your smile faltered at the scene in front of you. Shalnark locked eyes with you and let out a pained sound, which didn’t surprise you with the way he looked extremely banged up. What had gone wrong on the mission?
“Well? Aren’t you going to say how amazing I look?” he said, laughing before grimacing, holding a hand to his ribs.
“Shalnark! Are you alright?” you asked, hurriedly racing to his side. Pakunoda and Uvogin shared knowing looks as they left the common area, most likely going to treat their own injuries or sleep for the rest of the day; whatever would lead them to not be involved in any of the lovesick antics between the two of you.
You guided Shalnark to a chair at the kitchen table.
“I’m getting the first aid kit. I’ll be right back, okay?” you told him as he nodded in understanding.
“Show me where it hurts,” you said when you came back, opening the kit.
“My ribs are bruised but they’ll be fine,” he explained. “I have a cut on the back of my arm, though.”
“I’ll clean it up, don’t worry,” you replied, sending a gentle smile to him. He returned the gesture until you cleaned the wound, causing him to hiss in pain.
“I’m sorry! It’ll be over in a second, I promise,” you consoled him. You figured it would be best to talk him through the pain. “How did you end up in such bad shape?”
“I got… distracted,” he confessed. “I got hit from behind. Not to worry, I killed them really fast!”
“That’s my boy,” you teased, applying a bandage over the cut. “There, you’re all good to go. Here’s some pain medicine for your ribs.”
He thanked you for the medicine, swallowing the pills with a gulp.
“So what causes the great Shalnark to become distracted in the first place? You’re one of the most disciplined men I know,” you wondered. You spied the tips of his ears turning red.
“I was thinking about you. It was early in the morning and I had been missing hearing you compliment me during the past few days,” he admitted. Now it was your turn to blush.
“O-oh,” you breathed out, not sure what the correct thing was to say. “I would’ve called you but… I wouldn’t have wanted to bother you.”
“See, you’re always thinking of others and I like that about you,” Shalnark remarked. You weren’t used to being on the receiving end of the compliments between you two and you kept your eyes downcast on the table until you felt a hand lightly touch your own. You glanced up to see his green eyes glittering as he smiled.
“I don’t compliment you enough and that stops today. Y/n, I think you’re caring and kind, and I love how you always take care of me. I think you’re very beautiful and it’s amazing how you brighten up any room you walk into.”
You felt your heart swell up with love and your eyes well up with happy tears. “Shalnark, I… don’t know what to say.”
He chuckled. “That’s alright, you know exactly what to say every other day.” After a few moments he stood, not yet moving his hand from yours. “How about whenever I wake up next, we grab a meal together?”
You shook your head. “I’d like that very much.”
“Cool!” Shalnark gave you a thumbs up and a wink. “I’m going to get some well needed shut eye.”
You stood too, placing a kiss on his cheek. “Sleep well, Shalnark. You worked really hard and deserve good rest.”
He brought his fingertips to where your lips previously were, wearing a stupefied grin. “I never want to go that many days without hearing you say things like that again.”
I really like your blog theme! 💞 anyways since I saw your newest post, could I please get Feitan and Shal with a fem reader who likes to play with their hands when they're bored? Like when she's scrolling through her phone her other hand is playing w their hands? Heheh thanks in advance! 🤎
fei + shal ; fem s/o who likes playing w/ their hands
thank you so much!! and omg of course this request is SOO cute I love it 😭 ENJOY !
Feitan
- At first, Feitan found this to be a little unusual since he’s never seen anyone that was so interested in something he doesn't find to be that special.
- One day you guys were on the couch together while watching t.v., when all of a sudden you reached over to place your hand over his. Even though it was a little unexpected, Feitan was pretty fine with this, but he then noticed you started to play around with his hands.
- “What are you doing,” he asked.
- “Hm? Nothing why” you responded, not realizing Feitan was referring to what you were doing right now. He honestly just stares back at you a bit as you continue doing it, and just leaves it as that.
- Feitan’s still a little confused about it though. Like, what was so special about them? To you though, you really think much of it since it was just a little endearing habit to play with his hands. Besides, even though they’re a little dry in some areas, his hands are actually very soft!!
- Even though he doesn’t say anything the whole time, Feitan secretly enjoys the feeling (theres an almost invisible blush on his face while you're doing so). He finds the small action to be very loving, and in his mind, he hopes you don’t stop.
- He occasionally likes to put his hand out justttt so that you can reach over and play with them.
Shalnark
- Like Feitan, he didn’t expect you to be so fascinated with his hands, but Shalnark honestly just loved the attention from you nonetheless!! At first, he lightheartedly teased you a bit for it, saying something along the lines of “you just love me that much, huh?” Of course, you playfully roll your eyes and let out a small laugh.
- Shalnark honestly thinks it’s super cute of how you always reach for his hand. Not only that, but even though it’s such a small gesture, it makes him feel warm inside. He thinks it’s cute of how you appreciate the little things about him.
- Whenever you stop, he’s going to look over confusedly at you and ask you why. Maybe you got tired of playing with them, but he’s going to whine a bit because he really liked the feeling!!
- Sometimes, he just randomly grabs your hand back and intertwines your fingers in his. Shalnark grips your hand kind of tight, but in a loving way, like he’s trying to say that he's always there.
- And whenever he does that, Shalnark will even grab your hand back and just kiss it 😩 It might be a little unexpected from him, but all he’s going to do is just smile innocently while you’re getting all bashful.
HEYA KADE!! i need some food rn soooo can i get shalnark and feitan (for you of course) with a s/o that loves to do their makeup? like they’ll randomly come up to them and be like ‘tie your hair back i’m gonna make you look pretty 😌)!!ANYWAYS I LOVE YOU, HAVE A GREAT DAY <33
HI KAELAA HOW HAVE YOU BEEENN!! Here is your food cutie I hope you like it lolol I LOVE YOU MORE TYSM YOU’RE SO KIND I HOPE YOU’RE DOING JUST AS WELL <33
S/o Does their Makeup
Shalnark:
Quite open to the idea at first
You literally just need to tell him ‘I have a surprise’ and that’s all the convincing necessary
HE OBVIOUSLY LOVES IT
I think Shal has had some experience with make up being put on him, but they were very brief so he didn’t really have an opinion on it
After you came into his life and introduced him to how pretty he looks with make up you have this man hooked
It’s a surprise every time you do his make up and it just makes him so happy
Bought a little head band to wear so his bangs won’t get in the way
I think he’d be quite open to wearing make up outside, but he thinks that the process of you putting it on him is more enjoyable, so he doesn’t really care about the ‘wearing the make up’ part that much
Feitan:
He used to (emphasis on the used to) HATE having make up put on him
He’s probably never really had experience with make up before, maybe like once or twice in his entire life, but other than that he’s not a big fan of make up
Make up on other’s is fine, just don’t get him involved in the whole ordeal
But then the first time you ambush him and does his make up -- he can’t lie he kinda really likes it
This man is confused after that LOLOL because he’s like ‘suddenly I really like make up?’
BUT only if you do it babes no one else can put make up on him >:((
I don’t think he’s comfortable enough to go outside after you do his make up, but he’s definitely more willing to get you do his make up out of nowhere when you two are alone
OMG I THINK he also keeps a hair tie on his wrist at all times now because whenever you do his make up you had to find a hair tie before you start and he doesn’t want that happening everytime :))
Happy (extremely late) Valentine’s Day! Hope you enjoy this Shalnark fic. I’ve been trying more second person. Please like and reblog if you did enjoy it.. Submitted by: @pastelbear12
“Phantom Troupe, huh,” said your best friend as the two of you were stopped at an intersection between your destination and her house. You’d left earlier than intended because of the recent uproar of crime in York New.
You turn to look at the same poster as your friend: a hung up, crude drawing of about 5 members of the so-called troupe. Most of the people seemed to fix a certain stereotype of villain; however, none were easily recognizable in your life.
“Should we be worried?” you question as the greenlight illuminated the darkened street. You and your friend walked across the striped pathway as you were close to your destination.
“Nah,” your friend said while trying to pull down her dress. “Do you think these people would show up at a club?” She moves to adjust the bust by pulling it up. You laugh to yourself knowing there was not enough fabric to pull both ways. “You need to be on the lookout for someone to replace your ex. Have fun. Live a little.”
Her mentioning your ex left a sour taste of bile in the back of your throat. He was a vile display of a person who refuses to grow up and choose between you and a girl from his work. “Why even mention him?” you say with a bit of the same vitriol you felt towards him.
Your friend ruffles your hair. “Sorry honey. I still want you to have a good night in spite of him.” You throw your friend a look of annoyance before hearing the nearing pounding of club music rattling the ground.
“Sounds like a fun party,” you say. Excitement rings in your ears as you get closer. A few more people were dressed in the same style of outfit as you two. You and your friend get in line behind a group of young adult girls that must be celebrating a bachelorette party. It must be the sash with “bride” written on front and how intoxicated they already were which gave it away.
A group of three guys got in behind you and your friend. She hummed a little warning while poking you in the side. One of them caught your attention. He was a bubbly, fun, and exergetic type who was too busy looking at his phone to notice anything around him.
You knew that your friend was elbowing you about the guy next to him. A tall chiseled man who looked like he could have walked in from the gym with how muscular he was. Her favorite type of man.
One look from your friend and you knew that her brazen, already partly tispy attitude was going to get you in trouble. She turned to look at the group minding their own business and said “My, my, what might bring you guys out to this bar tonight?
The taller of the three looks both of us up and down before responding, “None of your business doll.”
You sigh while placing your head in the palm of your head. You knew that his words would only egg your friend on. “Then why don’t I make it my business.” She steps closer to the man and looks him up and down the same way he did to her only moments before. “How about I’ll buy you a drink if you tell me why you’re here, love?”
You shake your head before looking up to see the same blonde watching you. You mutter a “sorry about her. She’s a little tipsy.”
His smile brightened as he placed his phone in his pocket. “Not a problem. Phinks can handle himself. He’s not as friendly as your friend wants him to be.” The blonde steps a little closer to you. His position leaves little room between you and the wall. Your foot scraping against the cold, hard surface. “Now you’re more interesting than she. Why are you here?”
Air escaped from your lungs as your heart sped up to match the quickness of the music. “Oh. I’m here to forget.”
The smile on his face became brighter. “To forget huh?”
You nod. The line before you moved which you took as the opportunity to follow. “My ex broke up with me. I’m trying to forget him.”
The whole group shifted closer to the door with you taking the lead. The blonde still dangerously trapping you in between himself and now the crowd of people. “You know the best way to forget someone. Is to find someone new.”
“Do you want that to be you?”
“I haven’t even introduced myself.” His words were drenched in a sickly sweet tone. “I’m Shalnark. And you might be?”
You give him your name even though every nerve in your body is screaming not to. He hummed a song note while repeating your name. “Sounds beautiful.” His face was dangerously close to your own. The same excitement from before pulses in the back of your throat.
“So what brought you here?” You ask.
“My boss told me to come here. Although, I wasn’t expecting to find someone like you.”
“What does that mean?”
His lip curled into a devilishly exciting smile. “How about I buy you a drink? But not from this place. There’s a much better place up the road. You may want to bring your friend too.” The glimmer in his eyes made you know that something else was happening that you didn’t know or want to know about.
“You know that you’re looking a little crazy right now.”
“That’s the point honey.” he gripped your wrist while dragging you under the rope sectioning off who wants to be in the club and not. “Trust me. You’re in for a wild night.”
It’s times like this when the world really does seem to fall in love all at once, tenderness drifting through the air along with the snowflakes after a midnight snow. People seem to want to be closer than ever, not just for the sake of warmth during the cold months but for the sake of having someone be close to you, sharing the quiet feelings of the start of something new and beautiful, the start of potential lovers and exploration of hearts. You’d met Shalnark in the summer, and originally, it’d felt more like a fling than anything else. Part of him seemed very aloof, bouncing around, willing to give you the time of day but he seemed that way with everyone. He was great company, following you around on your adventures and usually being available to hang around spontaneously, unless he mentioned that he had work to do. He was sickeningly sweet with you, with a kindness that seemed unmatched, although there would be the occasion he would say something dark, and you could only wonder what he was hiding at the time. The summer months had gone on, and everything, all the feelings you had for him only got stronger, or worse depending on how one looked at it. Everything looked like it wouldn’t work out, that he’d vanish off to work one night and wouldn’t come back, not because he wasn’t able to, but because he’d grown tired of the fling, tired of you and tired of everything you’d done together. It never happened, though. He’d come around at some point, telling you he wanted to stick around and be with you, love you, care for you. You accepted, of course, and now you were 7 months in with him, and the relationship was better than you’d expected it to be. He was sweet, upbeat and a dotting boyfriend, always finding some way to make you smile. Mistletoe by Justin Bieber
One day, Shalnark had told you that he was free from work for a while, so he had plenty of time to spend with you, and you couldn’t be happier. Before you had the chance, he was rattling off activities to you, trying to figure out ways to spend the free time together. You’d mentioned to him that there was a Christmas town, a few hours away, and you’d never really been to one before. Shalnark was absolutely ecstatic at this idea, and immediately started planning it out with you, taking note of all the little shops that would be there. You let him talk, losing yourself in his voice and how bubbly he could get about things, his bright eyes absolutely glowing just thinking of possibilities. You would find yourself staring at him and all his soft features, daydreaming about general relationship things, to the point where you never realize when he’s stopped talking and he’s quietly staring back at you, preparing to tease you about staring at him like that til the sun went down. You couldn’t help it, really. Everything about him was loveable, from how he squeezed your hand to how he knew every possible way to make you laugh. Eventually it came time to venture off to said Christmas town, much to his excitement, and he wouldn’t stop pointing things out on the way there, talking about the things you could whilst you were there and you could only watch him become silent when you two arrived there, his expectations most likely being exceeded upon walking through the gates of the town.
Walking down the main road of the Christmas town, you could feel your heart swell with wonder as you let your eyes jump from building to building, taking in the sight of the little town. Frosted window panes with garland and lights, lampposts with wreaths and bows, store fronts with window decorations and so much more. There was a light hum of conversation, mingling with the soft jingling of bells from far off, instinctively making you look to the sky, a part of you hoping to catch a glimpse of something your heart had never grown out of. Shalnark was mesmerised as well, the lights around reflecting in his eyes, although they faltered in comparison to his smile, beaming as his gaze seemed to be everywhere. He turned his look to you and you all but melted in those eyes of his, doe-eyed and full of excitement. You could only smile sheepishly at him and he laughed, a laugh that sounded like the bells far off in the town. Squeezing your hand, he pulled you along to a store, an ornament store. You glanced at him, wondering what he could possibly want in there. He pulled you along to the back of the store, where he picked up two empty and clear baubles and began looking around. Taking one from him, you examined it, wracking your brain about the appeal, if there was any.
“Uh...Shal..” you muttered, turning the bauble over in your hand.
“Yeah? What’s up?” he answered, turning to you.
“What’re you doing with these...they’re clear. There’s some pretty ones over there.” you pointed to an entire row of shelves with colorful ornaments.
“Oh we’re decorating these! That’s why they’re clear, duh.” He turned back, looking around the shop again. Seeing an employee, he walked over to them, leaving you where you stood. In a few moments he came back and got you, letting you hold the other empty ornament. He led you to a small table with glue, glitter, felt, markers and a glue gun all scattered about the table, and he motioned for you to sit as he sat beside you. For about 40 minutes, you sat with Shalnark, decorating a Christmas ornament, casually sprinkling glitter on his hands while he would put felt in your hair, making a mess the whole way through. Shalnark was creating a little snowglobe-like scene inside his bauble, making two little snowmen out of cotton balls, making glittery snow and adding bits of blue to the upper quarter of the ornament. You wouldn’t have pictured him to be creative, much less adorably creative, let alone this gleeful making it all the while. Occasionally he would gasp and smile to himself when he figured out something else to add, happily grabbing things and sticking it around, clearly invested in his creative adventure. You found yourself staring at him again, studying those big green eyes full of an indescribable soft joy. You turned yours into a snowglobe as well, this one with tiny trees on the inside, with slightly glittery walls. You hummed to yourself, falling in tune with the song softly playing from the shop speakers. You couldn’t help but dance in your seat as you glued the cap on your ornament. Turning to Shalnark you jumped a bit, coming to find that he was watching you, his eyes practically burning into you with strange intensity.
“Y..You okay?” you stuttered, scanning his concerningly happy yet blank stare.
“Yup! You’re just cute is all.” He smiled in return seeing you blush at his sudden confession.
“Look who’s talking!” you teased, giving him a once over.
His eyes got slightly bigger and he blushed too, clearly not expecting you to hit him with a compliment in return. He laughed and handed you his ornament whilst taking yours.
“Someone’s a copycat, huh.” giving you an accusatory yet playful look as you rolled your eyes.
“It was a nice idea, okay? At least I didn’t copy all the way.” You pointed out, motioning to your little trees and his snowmen. He nodded in acknowledgement as he handed your ornament back to you. You made a move to hand back his but he shook his head.
“Made it for you. Keep it!” he said, attempting to wipe glitter from his hands to no avail.
You blinked, looking down at the ornaments. Pouting, you handed yours to him, feeling guilty at him potentially having nothing to remember this by.
Gawking at you he took the offer, pressing his face to the side of the ornament, deeply studying the inside. He smiled and got up, walking towards the register. Part of you hoped he would pay for the experience, but you doubted that that was what he was doing. Not minutes later did he motion for you to follow him, to which you scurried after, squinting at him.
“Did we steal these?” you demanded, poking at his cheek.
“I can’t confirm or deny that accusation, y/n!” avoiding the answer you were hoping for and yet also dreading.
“Shal…” you sighed, stopping in your tracks.
He let out a soft ‘mhm’ and stopped as well, somewhat ignoring your apparent attitude about his stealing. You really couldn’t curb him from stealing things, since it was literally a profession of sorts to him, but there were times you really wish he just...wouldn’t.
Sighing again you shook your head and slipped your hand into his and he smiled, continuing the walk to the next store.
Supposedly you hadn’t dressed as warm as you thought you had, for after sometime of walking around looking at displays and shop windows, you found yourself shivering a little bit and you hugged yourself, burying your nose in the collar of your jacket. Feeling a tug, you looked up to meet Shalnark's gaze, gesturing over to a hot chocolate stand not too far off and you nodded at his silent suggestion. Walking over, you took the liberty to pay this time, much to Shalnark's silent brood, knowing how he felt about you spending your money. Not that he was a cheapskate, per se, but judging, again from his profession, spending money on a regular basis didn’t seem to be on his agenda. Taking your cups of hot cocoa, you sipped it carefully as to not burn yourself as you stepped a bit closer to Shalnark, who happily accepted your closeness. Looking at him, you stifled back a giggle (and a choke, since you were mid sip) at the frothy cocoa mustache he had, and he titled his head at your expression. Taking one of the napkins from under your cup, you handed it to him and he seemed to understand, except for the fact that he smiled, pocketed them and kept drinking. Huffing, you followed suit, enjoying the silent sipping, happy with being in his presence.
After finishing, you continued to make rounds, visiting more stores and talking with Shalnark, indulging in the light banter and romance that he had to offer. You two had made your way to a clearing with a row of trees just a few feet away, decorated with lights and a paved walkway, small candy canes and wrapped cookies handing off the lower branches of the trees. You didn’t even have to ask Shalnark to walk down with you, he was already captured by the whole sight. As you were walking, you finally took note of all the couples that were actually there, both young and old. Intertwined hands, soft laughter and flirtatious remarks seemed to be everywhere, and you felt lucky to be able to relate to the scene of couples and love before you, feeling as though you’d picked a perfect person to be there with. A little bit ahead of you though, was a couple, nose to nose, giggling at each other, and that feeling of luck and happiness uncomfortably melted into awkwardness. Looking around again, you also managed to notice the amount of mistletoe hanging from between each tree, between the lights, or just casually strewn about the branches. You glanced at Shalnark, seemingly oblivious to your slight discomfort. You didn’t want to push him into anything, it was unlike you, but part of you held a slight doubt within yourself. The most he’d done is place the occasional peck on your cheek, and you would do the same, and you could only do so much to avoid actually kissing him, because you wanted him to want it as much as you did. Sometimes you would find yourself staring at his lips with an almost unnerving desire, and he would catch you, always asking what you were staring at. You would never tell him though for fear of scaring him off. You figured he picked the perfect moment to do so eventually, but nevertheless you always felt he held back simply because he didn’t feel that sort of connection with you, making that self doubt fester inside of you. It was almost becoming obnoxious the amount of couples underneath buds of mistletoe, and you couldn’t keep an eyeroll from happening, huffing into your jacket, trying to avoid letting your eyes fall on one of the various couples. You looked around, only to find Shalnark staring at you as you occasionally found him doing and you blinked, his eyes seeming to read you and pick at your thoughts. You wouldn’t put it past him to read you as such, seeing as you probably looked as disgruntled as you felt. You rolled your eyes and looked back at, looking past your shoulder and then back at him, making sure it was you he was looking at. His eyes stayed on you all the same, only smiling and reaching over to pat your head. You smiled meekly back at him, trying to remove the obvious look from your face as best you could. You could tell your expression was pained, but you did your best to manipulate your aura into something else in a somewhat futile way to convince him otherwise.
Continuing your walk, you found yourself shivering again, wishing for more hot chocolate as you blew little clouds into the frosty December air.
“You’re cold again?” Shalnark asked, slightly turning towards you, looking you over.
“Yeah...Kinda compromised being warm for having a nice outfit.” you blabbered, feeling embarrassed about your outfit choice.
“I’m not giving you my jacket, though, so..” he laughed a little, pulling you to the side.
“Well I wasn’t going to ask, Shal!” you pouted, lying through your teeth feeling as though a potential chance for romance had been thwarted.
Shalnark unzipped your jacket and you began shivering harder, the air practically rattling your bones.
“There’s no way this sweater is warm, dummy.” He glanced at you, appalled by the fancy but slightly thin sweater you’d chosen to wear.
“Well I wanted to look nice!” you argued, frowning at him as you zipped your jacket back up, desperate to conserve warmth as best you could.
Shalnark shook his head and took off his scarf and began wrapping it around your neck, much to your surprise.
“Oh thank you-” you yelped, feeling yourself lurch forward as the scarf was pulled.
You caught yourself, chest to chest with Shalnark, and your brain went blank, and then full panic mode. Sure you were cold, and sure a hug would be nice but this isn’t a hug and he is mighty close to your face right now.
His face was dangerously close to your, and you could feel his heart beat against yours as his chest rose and fell slightly. You couldn’t form words or thoughts for that matter, every cohesive deduction for the sudden change in atmosphere abandoning ship. All you could do was look absolutely confused and feel just as so.
And yet, he brought his face closer, making your face burn with nerves and anticipation. His lips hovered just above yours, a faint, comforting heat radiating from them. You glanced at his almost dazed look, seemingly lost in whatever he was thinking. You fidgeted and he snickered, reveling in your nervousness. He brought your lips to yours gently, carefully. Clearly calculated but not stiff or awkward, gently bring one hand to your waist, the other to your cheek, rubbing his thumb against your face, making you melt. He tasted sweet, like the drink from earlier and you pressed into him, wanting him closer, wanting more. He smiled mid kiss and took you up on your silent offer for more, continuing with no intention of letting up. After a minute or so, you both stopped to catch a breath, stunned for a minute by the rush of events. He put his forehead to yours and you smiled, letting your arms come around his neck, playing with the ends of his hair. He snapped his fingers to the left of you, catching your attention. Pointing upwards, you looked up and groaned and Shalnark snickered. He’d brought you under mistletoe and you hadn’t even realized. You playfully swatted at his shoulder, making him laugh more.
“I wasn’t going to let you be cranky for the rest of the night, y/n, although that pout is pretty cute.” He teased, placing a kiss on your nose, causing you to scrunch it a bit, much to his pleasure.
Part of you was sure he wasn’t aware that you were cranky about all the couples, but then again, he was always quietly perceptive of things.
Smiling, you placed a quick kiss on his lips and started to back away before he pulled you back, deepening it again.
You had no intention of playing hard to get at this rate, you were perfectly happy being here, right here with him, starting off a perfect Christmas season with him.
Contains: bf! shalnark x reader, fluff... fluff... lolita/egl fashion style, self-absorbed! reader x easy going bf! shalnark
Requested by 🥨 anon !
it was supposed to be a nice afternoon, but the atmosphere in the base shifted the second you looked down at your skirt. a single, tiny drop of tea had landed right on the expensive lace of your favorite egl dress.
the world might as well have ended.
you didn't just cry; you performed. you let out a tiny, dramatic gasp, your hands flying to your cheeks as you felt the crocodile tears start to well up. you knew exactly how to look—wide-eyed, trembling lips, the perfect image of a distressed doll.
"shalnark... look," you wailed, turning toward shalnark with a pout that you'd practiced in the mirror for twenty minutes that morning. "it's ruined. my life is over. i look hideous now, don't i? tell me i'm still the cutest person you've ever seen even with this disgusting stain."
shalnark looked up from his phone, his green eyes blinking in confusion before he realized the "emergency" at hand. he walked over, tilting his head as he inspected the microscopic spot.
"ruined?" he chuckled, his usual bright smile plastered on his face. "it's literally smaller than a crumb, sweetheart."
"it's a disaster!" you stomped your buckled shoe, a single tear—entirely for effect—rolling down your cheek. "i spent three hours on my hair and my coord just for this to happen. i'm a mess. nobody is going to look at me now. apologize! tell me i'm pretty!"
he couldn't help it; he thought you were hilarious when you got like this. he reached out, ruffling your hair just enough to annoy you but not enough to ruin the styling.
"you're such a brat" he teased, though he was already grabbing a damp cloth to help you dab it out. "but yeah, yeah... you're still the cutest thing in the room. i don't think anyone even noticed the tea because they were too busy staring at all those ruffles anyway."
you sniffled, leaning into his touch while still keeping the pout firmly in place. "everyone was staring? really? were they saying i look like a princess?"
"they were definitely thinking it" he lied effortlessly, giving you a quick peck on the nose to keep the peace. "now stop the fake crying before you actually ruin your makeup. i'll buy you a new dress if this one doesn't come clean, okay?"
you instantly stopped the trembling, wiping your eyes with a smug little grin. "two dresses. and you have to tell me i'm the best-dressed person you've ever met ten more times."
shalnark just laughed, shaking his head at how easily you’d played him. "ten times? okay, okay. you're lucky you're cute."
