THE MATTHEO WAS SO UNHINGED. THAT SHIT HAD ME WHEEZING.
author’s note: im completely unhinged, as always. no surprise there. love me some angry snake men🥵 please enjoy.
Sees you from down the hall as he’s walking with his friends.
“You know what, guys, I’ll catch up with you after.”
Would literally ditch his friends to make his way over, collecting himself as saunters up to you and mystery man.
Would instantly grab your ass, no hesitation, grip firm enough to bruise. When you gasp, caught off guard, he’d shift his arm up and around your shoulder, pulling you against him.
“What’re we talking about?” He’d sneer.
His voice would be laced with feign interest, smirking down at you with blaring eyes before shooting daggers at the boy.
He’d simply chuckle at you when you tell him nothing, just school stuff, leaning down to place a possessive kiss on your cheek as he grabbed your hand.
“Wonderful. let’s head to class, yeah?”
He’d pull you away from that dude, shooting him another look meant to kill, a silent warning not to fuck with him.
Finally gets you alone in an empty corridor or bathroom; would waste literally no time at all before pushing you against the wall and grabbing your neck/jaw.
“Who the fuck was that, hm?”, “he was practically eye-fucking you…give me five good reasons why i shouldn’t have him expelled or hexed into bloody Azkaban.”
He’d be furious, but he’d also know that you’d never choose some other guy over him, so he’d soften once he hears the innocence in your tone.
“You’re mine, princess,” he’d loosen his grip, kissing you softly. “Say it.”
Was listening to music while walking down the hall, instantly rips out his headphones the second he sees you laughing a little too hard with some dude he doesn’t know.
He doesn’t necessarily stop walking, but he’d definitely slow his pace, kind of just watching, not wanting to interfere but also not wanting to look creepy stalking you from a distance.
When the guy doesn’t leave, he’d tired of waiting, saying “fuck it”, before marching over naturally.
This man is so fucking cool calm and collected he’d just saunter right up and join in, making himself at home.
He’d practically take over the conversation because he’s literally just that chill in every situation, seamlessly fitting right in, so fucking charming and loved by everyone.
You’d kind of just end up staring at him, smiling in silent awe, knowing that this was his way of asserting his place, letting the guy know what the fuck was up.
After the dude leaves he’d just causally look at you, smirking that charming smirk, wetting his lips as he hooked an arm around your shoulder and pulled you close, leaning down for a kiss.
“Ain’t no one getting you without getting me too, babygirl.” He’d murmur against your lips. “let that be known, right now, forever, always.”
Would literally stop everything. The second he’d see you laughing and smiling he’d be completely unable to focus on anything else and would completely zone out of any conversations with his friends.
Would get like super anxious and flustered pretty much immediately.
Wouldn’t want to intrude so he’d just kind of hang back, wait for you against the wall and try not to stare too much.
His adorable little cheeks would flush, and he’d know he seemed utterly ridiculous so he’d try to busy himself with his shoelace or something while he waits.
You’d quickly cut off the conversation and move over to him, instantly being able to tell that he’s overthinking.
He’d smile at you, though you could still see the concern on his features.
“Who was that guy, darling?”
You’d tell him he was just a friend from class, no one special at all, pulling him in for a hug and giving him a quick smoochie on the cheek.
“Don’t worry enz, no one could ever take your place.”
He’d blush, trying to play it off. “Sorry love, I know you’re my girl.”
You’d take his hand, squeezing him hard, never wanting him to doubt that for a second. “Only yours baby, forever.”
“Who the fuck-“
Would literally whip his bag at Theo, hastily shoving through the crowded hallway with blazing eyes, tunnel visioned as he tried to figure out where the fuck this dude found the audacity.
You wouldn’t even have to turn around to know he’s there, you’d be able to literally feel the anger radiating off of him.
You’d already know exactly where this was heading, but you’d also know there was no attempting to stop him because it’s pointless. Everyone in the school knows that.
Matty does what Matty wants, and right now, he wants to fuck up this guys face for even thinking about flirting with you.
You’d simply look up at him, noting his tensed jaw and his dark eyes as he glances between you and the dude, before fixing back on you, wetting his lips before he says,
“Is this fucker bothering you?”
Unable to help it, you’d smirk, shaking your head as you calmly attempted to talk him down.
“No Matty, he just asked if he could borrow my study notes-“
He’d heard more than enough.
“Study notes? Yeah, I don’t fucking think so,”
Without giving the guy a chance to react, he’d reach for his collar, shoving his back against the wall, teeth barred and face contorted in a snarl as he’d hiss:
“Bother my fucking girlfriend again and the only study notes you’ll need are the ones on how to drink out of a fucking straw, understand?”
Not interested in the response, he’d shove the guy away, eyes softening instantly as he moved back over to you, thrusting a hand through your hair as he kissed you like it’d been a hundred years, right in the middle of the hall for everyone to see.
And judging by the intensity in his grip, you’d already know, later that night, he’d be extra fucking sure to ask you who the fuck you belong to while he’s fucking you.
When he finally pulled back, he’d smirk at you. “Some bloody nerve on that guy, huh?”
You’d just shake your head and laugh, taking his hand as the two of you headed for class.
He’d spot you from down the hall, his eyes instantly narrowing, gaze darting around as though he was missing something, as though this was some sort of sick joke.
Surely, this dude is mentally unwell, right? There’s no fucking way that he’s-
Doesn’t bother to think about it for even another fucking second, instantly shoving through the crowd to make his way over.
Proceeds to wrap his arm around your waist, other hand finding your jaw and pulling your lips to his before you could even process it.
Would proceed to full-on make out with you in front of the dude, and I mean tongue and all, his grip on your jaw so tight you’d know exactly what he was trying to do.
His hand around your waist might even slip lower, grazing over your ass, and then that’s when you’d attempt to gather yourself and push him back, completely embarrassed.
He’d just shrug, smirking down at you before he’d finally acknowledge the guys’ presence with literally nothing more than a glare meant to kill.
“Move along,” he’d say to the guy while pulling you away, grip tighter than ever. “This one’s fucking taken.”
As soon as he got you alone he’d be damn sure to remind you that you’re his, and only his, making you beg and whine his name before he fucked you like you deserved the pain.
“AVADA KEDA-“
Lowkey kidding but not really.
No one would even dare because that man would make it clear as fucking day what would happen if they tried.
☆ . . . matt stares up at you with a grin as you bounce on his cock, his fingers gripping your hips tightly as he tries to control the pace, but with the way you're moving on top of him—the way your pussy swallows him whole, he's losing himself way too quickly for his liking.
his bottom lip tucks between his teeth and small grunts rumble at the back of his throat when his cock hits that spot inside you that has your gummy walls squeezing around him.
matt's trying his hardest not to cum too quickly, but with how the grin slowly fades from his lips and his eyebrows knit together, you know he can't hold back any longer.... and you feel so confident when he fills you.
matt thinks you're going to get off of him after he's done, but when he sees that you're not going anywhere—and somehow you hips move faster—those small grunts he makes turns into whines.
he's trying his hardest to speak to you; to tell you to slow down or to move off of him because he can't cum anymore, but his words fail him. he physically can't form a coherent sentence.
all he can do is let you do what you please, and his body goes slack and his head throws back against the plush pillows, teeth almost breathing through the skin of his lip as you continue bouncing on his cock.
and you're laughing.
you're fucking laughing at him.
matt manages to finally use his words, but he's a blubbering mess. his blunt fingernails dig into your hips as he rambles about how its impossible for him to cum again.. so he thinks, because with the way he's sucking in deep breathes and his stomach tightens, he realises that he is, in-fact, going to cum again if you keep squeezing around him the way you already are.
the cry he lets out is heavenly, and his mouth falls open, his eyes screwed shut and his head falls back against his pillow as he spills inside of you, and you follow close behind.
there's tears clumping his lashes together, and his cheeks are flushed. his body jerks and twitches uncontrollably as his cum leaks from between your thighs.
© sturnioz
Fitz: what are you, 12?
Keefe: yeah, on a scale from 1-10
MY SHAYLAAAAAA
pairing: vi x fem!reader word count: 12.9k summary: history might say that you and vi were only best friends, but the real story is much more complicated. (or: you and vi celebrating valentine's day warning: friends to lovers arc, lots of sapphic yearning, brief mention of homophobia and bullying....but mostly cheesy domestic fluff and sappy lesbian monologues and lots of smut [oral (r! receiving), fingering (r! receiving), thigh riding, strap usage(r! receiving), needy+possessive! vi and slightly (?) dom! reader] (18+) ! a/n: happy (belated oops) valentine's day girls and gays <33 been working on this for a while and hoped to get it out like....actually in time for love day but such is life. ANYWAYS this is set in the same universe as this x-mas themed fic (and kinda a modern au of this one?? reader has the same nickname and there's a friends to lovers arc so....). hope y'all enjoy!!!!
♪: "glue song" by beabadoobee ft. clairo (sun); "home by now" by MUNA (moon); "love is a kaleidoscope" by chappell roan (rising)
also - header image was cropped from a gifset from @arcanegifs , pls check out their beautiful work !!!
track 1: “feeling you” by cat burns
(now)
"fuck, vi," you moan as her tongue splits your folds. "we don't have time for this...."
you have to get to studio and vi has to get to work, but the combination of the hot water hitting your skin and vi’s mouth on your cunt was something you did not want to give up just yet — even if you didn't want to admit it.
"baby," vi pouts, looking up at you innocently, as if she wasn't the one who decided to push you against the tile wall and get on her knees in front of you. "it was your idea to shower together this morning.”
"well, sorry for wanting to save water," you breathe, your grip tightening on her hair when she wraps her lips around your clit. "the planet is dying."
vi pulls away from you once more, lips shining with your slick. "well, excuse me for thinking you wanted to start today with a bit of romance. if all you care about is the environment...." she gets up and reaches behind you to turn off the water. "we better get going, pretty girl."
you whine at the sudden loss of warmth and clench your thighs together at the nickname, something that does not go unnoticed by vi. she licks her lips before leaning forward to kiss you, your back pushed against the cool tile once more and the taste of yourself faint on her tongue.
hearing your alarm go off reminds you that there are other responsibilities you each have to attend to. reluctantly, the two of you dry off and make your way to your shared bedroom. you put on a fuschia boyshort / bralette combo (your favorite set because, yes, it matches your girlfriend’s hair) before slipping on some dark jeans and a heart-printed turtleneck, and moving on to your makeup. in the meantime, vi had been in the kitchen making coffee, and reemerges now with two mismatched mugs. she sets one on the desk next to you, kisses the top of your head before getting herself ready for the day.
you swipe some eyeliner on your waterline, watching in the mirror as vi searches in the closet for something to wear, still only dressed in black briefs and a sports bra. you smile as you see the stars tattooed on her upper thigh, sparkling with every movement she makes. once she picks out an outfit, her eyes catch yours.
"what?" she asks with a lazy grin, slipping on a tight black henley.
you smile, adding some pink glitter to your eyelids.
it’s only been two weeks since you’ve moved into this new place. there are still plenty of unpacked boxes, and you still get a bit lost navigating around the neighbourhood, but otherwise, it’s been a dream.
you love seeing your clothes woven together in the same closet; you love waking up with her arm around your waist, doing laundry together, and coming home to vi having tried a new recipe for dinner. you love how you sometimes wear each other’s rings because you keep them all in a pile on the nightstand, how she falls asleep with her head in your lap during movie night, how her skin smells like the rose body wash you picked out together at lush.
you love this — this home you’re starting to build. you’ve known vi for so long, but your lives are intertwined now more than ever.
"nothing," you respond, finishing with a layer of vanilla lip gloss. "want me to do your eyeliner?”
it’s a familiar position: vi sits on the edge of the bed while you straddle her hips. she leans forward and presses a kiss to your sternum before you hold her chin between your thumb and pointer finger.
“so….tomorrow’s valentines day,” vi suddenly points out, though, really, you didn’t need the reminder.
you’d spent these past few years apart and this is your first valentine’s day since the break-up.
you both agreed — no pressure — but…..there’s definitely a bit of pressure. you’d been working on your gift for her for weeks, and you’re really hoping that she likes what you’ve planned.
“i thought it would be nice to get dinner tonight at bacchus. i called earlier this morning and got us a reservation for 7:30.”
you hum in appreciation.
vi might be taking a break from the band, but she’s still the violet lanes, the pink-haired rockstar of every lesbian’s dreams who’s written award-winning songs and sold out entire football stadiums. there are new perks of being her girlfriend this time around, like a nice apartment in new york and getting a day-of-reservation at the most expensive italian restaurant in the city.
“valentine’s day is tomorrow,” you repeat, a playful lilt to your words. you swipe your thumb near the corner of vi’s eye where you’d smudged an otherwise sharp wing of eyeliner. “someone’s eager to get a head start.”
with that, you snap the tube closed, press a kiss to the tattoo on vi’s cheek, and get up to gather your things for studio. you’re tucking your sketchbook into your messenger bag when you feel vi’s strong arms wrap around your middle.
“you always said i was impatient,” she teases. you can feel her smirk against the star-shaped birthmark behind your ear before pressing a gentle kiss to your skin and whispering: “can you blame me, stargirl? for wanting to get dressed all fancy and go somewhere nice and romantic with the prettiest girl in the world?”
“of course not.” you crane your neck back until your lips practically brush against hers as you speak. “except, you’re the prettiest in the world, baby.”
a beautiful blush spreads across vi’s freckled cheeks, the way it always has whenever you comment on vi’s beauty.
she clears her throat, still a bit flustered. “agree to disagree?”
you pretend to think about it for a second, nudging your nose against hers. “agree to disagree,” you reply, teasing her by continuing to hover above her lips, just a sliver of air between you.
yeah, vi’s impatient — but, sometimes, you love it. like, right now, when she turns you around to face her so she can close the gap, deepening the kiss by sliding her tongue into your mouth without any preamble.
vi groans as another alarm goes off from your phone. "i will never get used to how many alarms you set."
you giggle, and pull away slightly to swipe the cancel button. vi takes the opportunity to move your shirt slightly and leave bites on your exposed collarbone. you check the time on your phone.
you can spare a little more time. it is valentine’s day, after all.
(age 13)
“vi, your precious stargirl is on the phone for you!”
at the mention of your nickname, vi flinches, inadvertently failing to dodge a lethal attack. green goblin crashed his glider into her spiderman avatar, and the words GAME OVER fill the screen in an angry red font.
vi groans, throwing her playstation controller on the couch before heading to the kitchen.
powder is sitting on the counter, twirling the telephone cord around her finger and yapping away before vi takes her place.
“hey.” vi clears her throat, tries to sound casual. “what’s up?”
“so, my mom promised to make something for ekko’s valentine’s class party, but she just got called in for a shift….which means i’m stuck baking 30 rainbow confetti cupcakes, and hoping i don’t give any eight year olds food poisoning. you doing anything right now?”
“oh - i’m actually, uh, busy! i have homework, and….”
and she’s busy avoiding you, ever since she heard something about you — from drea, of all people — and wondered why you wouldn’t confide in her, your supposed best friend.
“please, vi,” you coax. vi’s heart beats a bit quicker as she pictures your bottom lip jutting out into a pout. “can you come over and help me bake? it feels like forever since we’ve actually hung out. i miss you.”
vi is certainly not god’s strongest soldier when it comes to you, so of course, she caves. rainbow confetti cake is her favorite, so that’s a bonus. she and powder throw on their coats and head next door to yours; powder and ekko keep each other company in the living room while vi joins you in the kitchen.
“hey,” she greets.
“there you are!” your face lights up with the sweetest smile, causing the butterflies in her stomach to flap up a storm.
gods — do you realize the effect you have on her?
there’s already flour dusting your cheek; vi has to resist the urge to brush it away with her thumb, wanting to feel how soft your skin must be.
she snaps out of it though, as you instruct her on what needs to be done, and the two of you work in a comfortable silence, the sounds of your siblings watching cartoons in the other room filling the space between you. at one point, probably realizing that vi isn’t in the mood for talking, you switch on the radio. vi catches you smiling at her as she hums along to freddie mercury, but you’re quick to blink away and get back to work.
you’re sifting confectioner’s sugar into room temperature butter for the icing while vi slides the first batch of cupcakes in the oven, starts prepping the second, her mind starting to wander.
you and vi are playing the leads for your final english project, where you have to reenact scenes from romeo and juliet. powder caught the two of you rehearsing last week, and spent the whole night singing that stupid playground chant. now vi can’t get it out of her head: you and her, sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G —
“the rumor’s not true, by the way,”
vi looks at you as she pours batter into another cupcake liner, which accidentally overflows onto the counter.
“shit,” she groans, but you slide over to the other side of the kitchen counter to bring her a towel.
you don’t elaborate on what you’ve just brought up as you wipe up the thick batter. vi figures you’re waiting for her to say something.
“what rumor?”
it was never vi’s instinct to play pretend with you, but frankly she had no idea what else to do without letting her emotions burst into flames and inevitably burn you.
“vi,” you sigh. “i know you’ve heard it. the whole school has. it’s not true, though. i wasn’t kissing james.”
oh. the spark of envy in her gut simmers down.
“did he ask you to the sweetheart dance?”
you shake your head, and the spark extinguishes completely. “even if he did….i wouldn’t want to go with him.”
“why’s that? not your type?”
you finish wiping the counter, and vi takes the now-sticky towel from you to rinse it out in the sink. as she does this, you get back to frosting duty, stirring in some pink food colouring.
“drea saw me kissing someone with dark brown hair,” you explain. “so isabel started told her that it was james, and that’s what she’s been telling everyone. but really….it was her.”
vi blinks at you. “her?”
“yeah, her,” you smile hesitantly.
“you were kissing isabel?”
isabel was the prettiest girl in eighth grade — though, according to vi, you’d have that ranking, and it would go way beyond the scope of your middle school. you’re the prettiest girl in the world; not that vi would ever have the courage to tell you that.
you nod. “you’re not, like, weirded out that i like kissing girls, are you?”
“what? no, of course not! especially since….i, uh, i like kissing girls too.”
in theory. vi likes to imagine kissing girls, especially when they look like korra from the legend of korra, or shego from kim possible, or hayley kiyoko in lemonade mouth.
or….you.
vi watches intently as you — a very pretty, very real girl — swipe your finger through the fluffy pink frosting and taste it, flashing her a sugary smile.
“good to know.”
(age 16)
when josie asked her out, vi had completely neglected the fact that dinner on friday would mean dinner on february 14th.
which is how vi finds herself getting ready for a date with someone she met during your short-lived attempt at starting an all female fight boxing club. josie is sweet and vi felt bad cancelling on her, so like the gentleman she is, vi promised to pick her up at 7:30pm. on friday, february 14th.
it’s 6:44pm, and vi is in your room. you helped her pick out an outfit — something nice but not too formal — and you’ve moved on to makeup, carefully applying her eyeliner.
vi tries not to stare at your lips — which are slightly red from the cinnamon hearts you’ve been eating — so she keeps squirming, and you keep gently guiding her chin towards you. her eyes wander to your decorated walls, filled with posters and photos and other things you’ve collected throughout the years. she’s featured in quite a few, and she catches a glimpse of an old valentine card she’d given you in elementary school.
“it’s weird that we won’t be spending valentine’s day together,” you comment as though reading her mind.
you’d never spend the holiday as anything other than friends, but it does still feel strange, not spending it with someone she knows for sure she loves.
(again — like a friend loves a friend.)
“yeah, definitely,” vi agrees. “do you have anything planned for tonight?”
“huge plans, actually.” you pop another cinnamon heart in your mouth. “i’ve got a super romantic date with the prettiest girl in the world.”
vi tilts her head in confusion — did you mention this to her? — which causes you to shake your head with a lighthearted laugh and guide her towards you once more.
“really? with who?”
you roll your eyes. “i’m kidding!”
“oh.”
“it’s cute how gullible you are,” you whistle. by now, you’re done with her eyes and move on to dusting her cheeks with some sort of shimmery powder. “i’m probably just gonna put on a rom-com and finish — well, start — writing my english essay on romantic literature. lowercase ‘r,’ because ms. chavez was feeling festive. i’m leaning more modernist, but that’s only because i want to write about virginia woolf.”
it’s inching towards when vi should leave, but vi doesn’t care what time it is — she’d listen to you talk forever if she could.
“what’s it about?”
you pull away to examine vi’s makeup one last time.
“the movie, or my essay?” you nod once in approval and give the compact you’re holding to vi so she can take a look. “you look beautiful, by the way.”
vi watches her reflection blush, almost enhanced by the makeup you put on her.
“thanks, stargirl.” vi clears her throat and decides to get back to your original conversation. “the movie and your essay, i guess.”
you offer vi a cinnamon heart, which she accepts, the candy burning sweet on her tongue. you then reach into your backpack, for the ring pop that vi had left in your locker this morning, just before you handed her a box of rainbow confetti cupcakes. you slip the candied jewellery onto your right ring finger before answering.
“i want to analyse the letters between virginia woolf and this other writer — vita sackville-west. they’re essentially love letters, but, you know.” you give an exaggerated shrug. “history says they were only best friends. at least, according to ms. chavez’s interpretations, along with most of the class.”
vi chuckles. “thankfully, you’re here to prove them all wrong.”
“exactly.” you nudge your shoulder against vi’s, the feeling of your body familiar next to hers. “and, for the movie, i’m thinking when harry met sally, which i remember watching with you for the first time.”
vi definitely remembers watching that with you, too. the whole question of whether or not men and women can be friends without romance getting in the way brought up another, much more relevant question in vi’s mind: can two sapphic women be friends without any complicated feelings?
it’s definitely possible.
“so….you excited for this date?”
vi shrugs. “yeah.”
“wow. i totally believe that,” you say, words dripping with sarcasm.
“it’s just….it’s valentine’s day,” vi whispers. she starts fiddling with one of her rings — you’d gotten it for her last valentine’s day, a silver thumb ring with a star in the middle. “what if she wants to kiss me tonight?”
“well, you kiss her back, if that’s what you want.”
“that’s what i want,” she responds, way too quickly to be true. “it’s just — i’m not sure i’ll be any good.”
“you’ll be fine,” you assure.
“but — i mean, i’ve never…..”
“oh.” your eyes widen and your lips part in shock, the blue-raspberry of the ring pop turning them from red to purple that’s intoxicatingly close to violet. “oh.”
“what! it’s not, like the end of the world.”
“of course not! it’s just — you’ve gone out with a bunch of girls, so i just figured….”
vi shakes her head, her cheeks heating up. “guess i never found the right one. i know it’s cliche, but i kinda wanted my first kiss to be —”
“special?” you guess, and vi nods.
“and now, there’s all this pressure, i’m worried that i won’t be good.”
you clear your throat. “right. well, if it helps relieve the pressure….i could show you….how.”
“show me?”
“well — i mean, like teach you, i guess. plus, then i can let you know whether you’re, like, a good kisser or not.”
that’s how you find yourself practically in vi’s lap, slotting your lips between hers. it started off with a quick peck, but clearly, you’ve both decided that this lesson requires a bit more.
every single one of vi’s senses is heightened: the stickiness of your glossed lips, the sugar on your tongue, the giggles rumbling through you and bouncing down vi’s throat. time seems to slow down — no, freeze entirely — which is a stark contrast to the burning in her lungs.
needing air, vi pulls away.
“h-how was that?” she breathes, her words warming your mouth.
“good.” you smile, almost shy. you’re so close together that vi can feel your heart pounding against your ribcage. “maybe….a bit gentler this time.”
“gentler?”
“slower,” you suggest.
so, you kiss again. gentler, this time.
“your lips are a bit chapped,” is your next note. you reach for the tube of lip gloss in your pocket. “can i?”
“go ahead, stargirl,” vi whispers. “you’re the expert.”
you paint a layer of sticky vanilla glitter onto vi’s lips.
“there,” you sit back after swiping your thumb underneath vi’s bottom lip.
vi blinks at you. her lips feel like they’re coated in honey. “how do i look?”
“really pretty,” you reply, with a small smile. you sigh, glancing at the scooby-doo alarm clock on your nightstand, the one you’ve had since you were six years old. “you better go. have a good time with josie, okay?”
“okay.” vi gets up and grabs her jacket, tugs on her shoes. “and, thanks again for, well, you know.”
you shrug. “that’s what best friends are for. happy valentine’s, vi.”
vi hesitates just as she’s about to climb out your window. “look, stargirl, i don’t have to – i mean, i’m perfectly happy canceling my, uh, date, and just hanging out with you.”
“you’re sweet, vi, but i’ll be fine. go — have fun.” you walk closer to her so you can slip your tube of lipgloss into vi’s button down shirt pocket. you pat her chest affectionately. “and remember to be gentle, yeah?”
later, when she’s making out with josie in the backseat of her dad’s car, vi tries not to think about your soft voice guiding her through the movements, or the dizzying taste of your lips — cinnamon hearts and sour candy and sweet, sweet vanilla.
history might say that you and vi are only best friends, but the real story is much more complicated.
___
[image: a cartoon scooby-doo, holding a bouquet of hearts. the message reads: BE MY VALENTINE!]
to: stargirl <3
from: vi
___
track 2: “you’re my best friend” by queen
(age 7)
“mom?”
“yeah, kiddo?”
“can you be in love with your best friend?”
her mom, felicia, smiles knowingly, the question hanging in the air until the end of song. it’s part of an old mixtape that felicia plays sometimes, mostly glam rock like queen and david bowie. she put it on this afternoon while her and vi get ready for the valentine’s class party tomorrow. vi scribbles names on cards while her mom fills clear heart-printed bags with candy. powder’s fallen asleep on her lap.
“definitely,” felicia finally answers, reaching over to tap vi’s nose playfully. “love, violet, can be a million different things. that’s the fun part.”
felicia pinches vi’s cheek affectionately. vi frowns, thinking about this whole love thing.
love is definitely not the next classmate whose name she’s writing — drea, who always cheats during sports and teases vi for being a tomboy. she’s tempted to just leave her out, but the policy of ms. julie’s second grade class is that everyone needs to get a valentine. so, that’s not love, either.
instead, vi thinks of her family — her mom, vander, powder, and even ekko; movie nights and lively dinners and warm hugs. she thinks of her friends — mylo and claggor; laughter and skinned knees and running so fast it feels like flying.
when she thinks of you, though, her heart beats differently.
vi thinks about how you always carry around a spiderman bandaid because she always scrapes herself during recess, and the nurse only carries plain, boring bandages. she thinks about how you ‘accidentally’ spill paint on drea’s art project after she calls vi mean names.
she thinks about how you doodle on her arms during math or braid her hair as you watch cartoons and eat sugary cereal on saturday mornings.
she thinks about the star-shaped birthmark behind your ear, the perpetual marker stains on your hands, the dimple on your cheek.
you’re her best friend, and your smile alone wakes up a million butterflies in her stomach.
vi’s mom suggested spiderman valentine’s cards, but vi wanted to pick out something that you’d like; vi knows that scooby-doo is your favorite show, so that’s what she went with. she adds a ring pop to your bag of candy, because she knows they’re your favorite candy. she adds a little heart by your nickname, too.
the next day, everyone is decorating their shoeboxes, transforming them into mailboxes before exchanging valentines. vi’s hands are sticky with glitter glue when you walk over — ms. julie said that you and vi distracted each other, so she assigned you to desks on opposite sides of the room.
“happy valentine’s day, vi,” you say, sliding a card into her mailbox and smiling ear to ear before moving on to the next person. vi eagerly reaches in for the valentine.
it’s spiderman-themed, and there’s a heart next to her name.
(now)
when you walk through the door, you’re engulfed in the scent of warm garlic bread and sweet, ripe tomatoes. the restaurant is bustling with waiters delivering colourful dishes, everyone wearing crisp suits and silk dresses. someone’s playing piano, soft music dancing throughout the room, and the overhead lights are dimmed, with each table illuminated by a candle in the centre.
the maître d' greets you with a welcoming smile and settles you into a table. once they’re gone, vi reaches across the table for your hand.
“you look beautiful, stargirl.”
vi’s skin is always warm, but the cool metal of her thumb ring sends a shiver through you as she brushes over your knuckles. the flame between you flickers, darkening vi’s powder blue eyes as she gazes at you lovingly.
“you let me borrow your clothes,” you point out. “i’m wearing one of your suits.”
“what can i say….” vi winks, releasing your hand so she can open the menu in front of her. “i have good taste. looks better on you, anyways.”
“were you always this much of a flirt?” you tease.
vi smirks. “like a fine wine, i just get better with age.”
“you are so corny,” you say with a slight laugh.
“well, some people do think my love songs are cheesy.”
“even the ones written about me?”
vi looks up from her menu, one eyebrow raised. “baby, they’re all about you.”
your cheeks heat up at vi’s confession, and you take a sip from your glass, ice water trickling down your throat, in hopes of steadying your heartbeat.
a waiter comes by; you each order pasta dishes and vi orders a bottle of wine for the table. the wine arrives quickly, but given how busy the restaurant is, you anticipate the food will take longer.
you fill the time easily, catching each other up on the details of your lives since this morning. you start by telling her how hectic your art studio has been as you prepare for your big spring exhibition, but how excited everyone is. you’re especially excited since you get to explore different mediums along the way; these past few weeks, you’ve been learning how to use a pottery wheel. you went through the final step of the process today — glazing — and you’re happy at the end product.
“i don’t think i’m gonna include it in my exhibit, though,” you conclude.
“well, it’d be nice to have some of your art on display all the time.” vi smiles. “you should bring whatever you made home.”
“that’s the idea,” you muse, a twinkle in your eyes as you take a sip of wine. “how was your day?”
vi started teaching guitar at the local community centre. some adults take lessons, but it’s mostly little kids with too much energy and too little patience. still, no matter how chaotic it can be, it’s clear that vi has been loving her job.
“i swear, this one girl, marceline, is a budding rockstar. i taught her a jimi hendrix song and she picked it up —” vi snaps her fingers, smiling proudly. “like that. such a talented kid.”
“you would know, pretty girl,” you praise.
your waiter arrives to bring plates full of pasta. you and vi thank them, your stomach grumbling at the delicious smell, a reminder that you had barely eaten all day. you’re so ready to dig into some quality fettuccine alfredo.
you and vi eat in a comfortable silence, until you hear an unfortunately familiar voice grate at your ears:
“oh my god, it is you! i saw you from the other side of the restaurant and just had to come over and say hi!”
you don’t need to glance to know who it is, but you do anyways, and so does vi. your stomach drops as you watch her bite back a scoff before turning back to her food.
“hi, drea,” vi clips before taking a big gulp of wine. she continues eating, barely sparing the woman another glance.
drea continues to hover. she’s wearing dark lipstick, her black hair cut into a classic bisexual bob, and her amber eyes silently pleading at you to break the ice.
“hey, drea,” you greet with a stiff smile, and drea relaxes her shoulders at your veil of friendliness.
“nice earrings,” she winks, reaching over to tap the dangling purple gem. “thought you might have gotten rid of them after we broke up.”
vi chokes on a sip of wine. “broke up?” vi coughs, reaches for her water glass. “since when did you two date?”
you open your mouth to respond, but drea beats you to it, clearly too focused on being the centre of attention.
“maybe like a year or so ago.” drea turns to you. “right, starlight?”
vi’s jaw clenches, and she drops her fork, metal clattering against the plate.
“starlight?”
“yeah, because of the star-shaped birthmark behind her —”
“i know,” vi snaps. her eyes are locked on you, and slightly glazed over. “you never told me you dated drea.”
“i-it was only 3 months,” you stutter.
“that hurts,” drea groans, clutching her heart. she always did have a flair for the dramatic. “it was 4 months, babe.”
“you dated for 4 months, and i’m just hearing about it now?” vi seethes, trying to keep her voice low. the tables around you have already taken note that something is happening, though, their conversations hushing down to an idle whisper. “did you somehow forget how much of an asshole she was in high school?”
“um, i’m right here?” drea chides, still not taking the hint that neither of you are interested in a happy reunion.
“we need a minute,” you and vi say simultaneously. drea rolls her eyes and mutters something you don’t care to hear; you’re too concerned with explaining yourself to vi, whose cheeks are burning with a deep shade of red. whether it’s jealousy, anger, or embarrassment, you’re not quite sure.
“vi, just let me —”
you reach out for her hand, but as soon as you make contact, vi pulls away abruptly.
“i…i need….to not be here right now,” vi mutters. the last thing she wants is to make headlines tomorrow morning — violet lanes, caught having argument with girlfriend at upscale restaurant during on valentine’s eve. flip to page 6 for the full story! — so, she gets up and slips on her jacket.
“please, baby, let’s talk about this —”
“order dessert, if you want. don’t rush home.”
her voice cracks at that last word before she storms out the door, leaving you with two unfinished meals and stomach heavy with regret.
___
[image: notebook opened to a page filled with chaotic, scribbled writing]
FOR STARGIRL (FINAL DRAFT!!! COME UP WITH TITLE LATER!??!!)
i’m stuck on you, baby
you taught me what love is
sugary sweet kisses,
frosting on your lips;
first tattoos,
promises on our skin
i’m stuck on you, baby
have been since we were kids
you’re not just the sun or the moon
you’re all my stars
know that i’ll love you
wherever we are
___
track 3: “true romantic” by indigo girls
(age 18)
the auditorium is decorated with red and pink streamers, heart garlands and bouquets of roses. a red spotlight shines on the stage, painting each performer with a pink hue. there are small tables and chairs arranged to make the space feel more like a parisian cafe, instead of where drama club rehearses for the spring musical.
you’re sitting at one of the tables, inhaling all the free coffee and pastries you possibly can and chatting with viktor and jayce, like you’ve done for the past three years at your highschool’s annual valentine’s day coffeehouse.
the first time vi performed, during your freshman year, she was all nerves, her fingers fumbling at chords and voice trembling through the lyrics of a joan jett song she had played for you perfectly that morning. when her eyes landed on yours in the crowd, you gave her a thumbs-up — you’d been just friends at the time, after all — and vi seemed to warm up, finishing to enthusiastic applause.
now, vi walks on with confidence right away, electric guitar the same pink as her hair, with a constellation of stars scribbled on its body with black sharpie. she’s grown out her hair, still keeping it shorter on one side to display her growing collection of piercings. the newest addition is a silver loop in her nostril, which glints underneath the spotlight as she leans closer to the mic. she’s wearing lowrise jeans and showcasing a sliver of her hips; you can’t help but think about what’s hidden just a bit lower, the stars sparkling along her upper thigh, etched into her skin at the same time you got violets blooming between your ribs.
“hey everyone. most of you know me as the captain of our hockey team —”
beside you, jayce whistles and there’s a scattering of applause for the team, who just made it to nationals. vi landed an athletic scholarship, too, to play at university of piltover. even though you have a hard time picturing your girlfriend as an enforcer, you’re so proud of her. plus, it’s only a twenty minute drive from zaun university, where you’ve decided to go so you could be close to your family.
“but, i’ve been writing songs, too,” vi continues. “i realized that i’ve gotten up here every year to sing someone else’s love song to a girl i’ve had a crush on since before i even knew what a crush was. but this is a song i’ve been writing, for and about her, for years. and now that we’re actually dating….well, i wanted to do something special for our first valentine’s day. ” vi looks at you with a toothy grin, and you blow her a kiss. “wait, actually, can we get a spotlight on my girlfriend? right there?”
vi gestures in your general direction, and suddenly you feel the heat of the spotlight and 50 pairs of eyes on you. your cheeks flush at the attention, but you play along and wave nonetheless.
“there she is,” vi gushes. “my beautiful stargirl. i wrote this song —”
“oh my god, we came here for music, not your sappy lesbian monologue!” drea, current goalie of zaun high’s hockey team and perpetual pain in vi’s ass, groans. “hurry up and play the song already!”
one of the teachers hushes the bubbling laughter, and it dies down just as quickly as it emerged.
vi rolls her eyes. “as i was saying, i wrote this song-slash-sappy-lesbian-monologue for you, stargirl. i hope you like it. happy valentine’s day.”
you don’t know what makes your heart soar more — the sweet lyrics falling from the lips of the girl you love, or the girl herself.
later, vi is falling asleep in the middle of chemistry class when she hears a light clink against the window. she glances outside and sees you waving at her, smile as bright as a shooting star. you have paint stains on your jeans that weren’t there earlier and you’re gesturing at her to follow you. vi just shrugs and nods her chin towards the front of the class.
your bottom lip juts out into a pout, and you curve your hands into a heart before disconnecting them. vi snorts at your antics.
“ms. lanes, are my slides on organic compounds amusing to you?”
“uh, no mr. michaels. of course not.” vi clears her throat, whips her head back towards the smartboard. “may i, uh, go to the bathroom?”
vi checks her phone as soon as she closes the door behind her.
stargirl
hurry UP!!!
dyke spiderman <3
easy romeo
i’m omw
where should i meet u???
stargirl
our spot
“wait!” you call as soon as vi reaches the bottom of the staircase and starts to turn the corner. “close your eyes!”
“how’d you know it was me?” vi laughs, but does as she’s told nonetheless.
“the axe body spray is a pretty dead giveaway,” you deadpan.
“hey, i stopped using that in middle school. can i look now?”
you ask her to wait one more time. vi feels you shift behind her, wrap your arms around her waist. on instinct, vi reaches a hand down and laces her fingers through yours, your skin slick and cold.
“okay,” you whisper, your breath hot against her ear. “open your eyes.”
and when she does, vi is glad that you’re holding her, because she’s suddenly weak in the knees at what’s gracing the wall before her: a small mural reminiscent of klimt’s famous painting, ‘the kiss’. except — it’s the two of you, surrounded by stars and violets.
“happy valentine’s day, vi.”
you untangle yourself from her, but vi doesn’t let go of your hand, even when she realizes it’s wet with fresh paint.
“you….you did this?”
“yeah.”
“wow….it’s amazing. beautiful.”
vi squeezes your hand, still in awe at how you beautifully swirled together each color, the loving expressions you managed to portray with each delicate stroke of your paintbrush.
“i’m glad you like it.”
“like it? i love….” she turns to you. “i love it. you didn’t have to do all this though, it must have taken you forever.”
“you’re worth it,” you muse. “like you said — it’s our first valentine’s day. as a couple at least. i wanted to do something special. i made us a playlist, too.”
so, even though it means she’s skipping chem and you’re skipping history, the two of you curl underneath the staircase, a pair of earbuds split between you.
“i’m gonna miss seeing you every day after we graduate.”
vi hums in agreement. she gently lifts your head from her shoulder, holding your chin between her thumb and pointer finger. “you know i’ll love you wherever we are, right?”
“i know, i heard you early on stage,” you swoon, settling back against her shoulder. “seemed a bit dramatic for only being, like, 20 minutes away from each other. though, i guess that is the farthest apart we’ve ever been.”
vi takes a deep breath, as your fingers dance along the doodles decorating her skin, the ones you had drawn on in sharpie during calculus. “except…. it might be further than that, depending on how things go.”
your pointer finger pauses halfway through an outline of a heart. “what do you mean?”
“i’m, uh….i don’t want to go to university of piltover. actually, i don’t want to go to college at all. i turned down the scholarship; made the official decision two weeks ago after the big game.”
“you did what?”
“i wanna move to l.a. or london, pursue this whole music thing. i think it could really take me places.”
“right,” you clip.“and why are you just bringing this up now? have you told vander? have you talked to anyone before making a huge, life-changing decision?”
you continue shaking your head in disbelief as you gather your backpack and turn the corner, emerging from underneath the staircase; vi follows you.
“no, but it’s my life — and i know what i want.”
“and it’s always about what you want, right?” you scoff.
“what the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“it’s just — did you ever think about your family in all this? how powder might feel having her sister so far away just as she’s starting high school?”
“i’ve spent the past 13 years of my life worrying about powder, taking care of her especially after our mom died,” vi reasons, trying to keep her voice steady. “i need a break. my dreams are bigger than this town.”
“do you…” you trail off, hesitant to even speak the words aloud, but the coil in your gut tells you it’s unavoidable. “do you need a break from us?”
“stargirl.” vi whispers your nickname like a promise itching to be broken. “i thought you’d love having a rockstar girlfriend,” she teases, trying to lighten the mood.
“don’t,” you grumble, brows furrowed. “if you wanted to make things work between us, you would have at least talked to me about this.”
“i am talking to you,” vi counters. she grabs her hands in yours. you pull away.
“but, you spent these past two weeks listening to me imagine our future together, while you had already made other plans. what does that say about our actual future?”
before vi can respond, someone clears their throat from the top of the staircase. your principal, looking down on you with an expression that can only be described as disinterested, addressing you by your last names.
“pro tip,” she continues. “if you want to skip class and have a lover’s quarrel, make sure it’s not somewhere that carries sound directly to the office.”
you and vi get assigned detention that afternoon. you’re told to sit on opposite sides of the room, but that doesn’t stop vi from throwing a crumpled ball of paper your way.
glancing over at your girlfriend, you have to admit that you find yourself melting at those puppy dog eyes of hers, pleading and so full of love as she waits for you to respond to her message.
even though the future feels uncertain, you scribble something back, then toss the paper towards her desk discreetly. it lands on the floor. vi unfolds it and smiles as she reads the note, cheeks tinted a light rose.
___
[image: a crumpled ball of paper. unfold it, and it reads….]
(in hot pink gel pen)
I WANT TO MAKE THINGS WORK BETWEEN US
I LOVE YOU
(in black sharpie)
I LOVE YOU TOO
OF COURSE WE’LL MAKE IT WORK
I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A ROCK STAR GF, BTW
BUT ONLY IF SHE’S AS HOT AS YOU
___
track 4: “home by now” by MUNA
(age 21)
“wait, hold on — what does that sign say?”
violet lanes, will you be my valentine?
“i’m flattered,” vi chuckles. “but, sorry ladies — i’m a happily taken woman. i’ve got a pretty girl waiting for me in the crowd.”
“and, lemme just say, it’s a good thing we’ve all got separate hotel rooms this time,” caitlyn groans.
vi rolls her eyes. “anyways. this is a very special night because it’s the first time my girlfriend is watching us perform live! she’s over there, looking as beautiful as ever. everyone, say hi!”
the spotlight shines on you, and you giggle shyly. the necklace she’d given you this morning practically glows between your collarbones, illuminates your skin with a violet hue.
“isn’t she the cutest?” vi gushes. “the first time i performed this next song was to celebrate our first valentine’s day as a couple. and — fun little easter egg — when we released this as a single, the cover was a painting she had made for me on that same day. she’s just so talented, kicking ass at this fancy art program….she’s basically the frida kahlo to my joan jett…..and i’m just rambling, now, sorry guys. i could probably talk about my girl all day.”
“oh, and she does,” maddie grumbles.
“the fans love sappy-lesbian-monologues, don’t they?” the crowd roars, and vi flashes maddie a winning smirk. “so, yeah, i love my girlfriend every day, of course, but today it’s with roses and ring pops and those cheesy cards kids hand out to each other in elementary school. happy valentine’s day, stargirl. this one’s called — stuck on you.”
when the show’s over, and the band’s played not one, but two encores, you’re flinging your arms around vi’s neck before she even has the chance to put down her guitar. she’s all sweaty, white tank top sticking to her torso. her ears are still ringing and her throat a bit sore, but all vi cares about is the feelings of your soft lips kissing across her cheeks.
“you’re so fucking amazing,” you gush, pecking her lips delicately. “i mean, i’ve seen you play before, but never like this! vi, you’re….wow. electric, fucking radiant. you must be exhausted, though, ahh —”
vi kisses you, sweaty and breathless, until she’s practically sucked all the air from your lungs.
“not at all,” she replies with a cocky grin. “we’ve got all night and i’m not planning on getting any sleep.”
“ugh, gross. get a room,” caitlyn scoffs, playful but with a bit of an edge.
“oh, we will,” you reply coolly. maybe you’re a bit jealous with how seamlessly caitlyn fits into vi’s new life, how much she’s able to see your girlfriend much more than you’re able to. she hasn’t been particularly friendly since you’ve gotten here, and she’s been a bit too touchy with vi in the tabloids lately. “i’m guessing you don’t have any valentine’s plans?”
caitlyn narrows her eyes at you.
vi laughs, probably about to make a lighthearted comment to diffuse the tension between you and caitlyn, but she’s called aside by their manager for a quick chat before she gets the chance.
“i’ll be right back. cait, stargirl — play nice,” she advises, like you’re children fighting on the playground.
once she’s gone, caitlyn’s frown turns into a smirk.
“stargirl, huh? guess that explains her thigh tattoo. i didn’t think vi was that sentimental, though, so it must have been at your request.”
you straighten your back, trying to mirror caitlyn’s combative confidence. “i think i know her better than you.”
“maybe before, when you were kids growing up in that nothing town. things change, darling. people change — who they are and what they want. if i were you, i’d accept that sooner rather than later,” caitlyn snarks as she finally walks away, bumping your shoulder just as vi returns to the pair of you.
you don’t quite have the time to register the interaction, not with vi intertwining her fingers with yours and tugging you towards her body.
“let’s get out of here, yeah?” she brushes some hair behind your ear. “we’ve got a lot of lost time to make up for.”
and, there was so much time to make up for — the days that have turned into weeks, turned into months, turned into years since you’d last seen each other in person, sometimes only speaking to each other once every month, for only two minutes at a time.
you’d gotten so used to being apart that being together feels like a dream.
vi’s warm body presses against yours, barely making it to the bed. you just couldn’t resist pushing her against the door of the hotel room as soon as you were inside, lodging your thigh between her legs.
“i, uh, i have a surprise for you,” vi breathes, groaning as you hum and start to suck bruises down her neck.
“yeah? what is it, pretty girl?”
blushing and slightly flustered at the nickname, vi removes her shirt and sits back on the bed, gesturing at you to follow her. you hover on top of her and take in her naked form.
“you…got your nipples pierced.”
vi grins.
“can i touch them?”
she nods enthusiastically. you brush your thumb over one and she shivers, causing you to pull away.
“no, it’s okay,” she assures, guiding your hand back towards her. “feels good.”
you start kissing her again. “you’re so fucking beautiful.” until you reach her chest. “can i?”
vi blinks up at you, eyes glazed over with honeyed want. “please. f-fuck,” vi moans when you latch your mouth to her nipple, rolling the cold, silver piercing along your tongue.
“you’re so sensitive,” you coo. you release her nipple with a pop, a string of saliva still connecting it to your wet lips. your fingers slip underneath vi’s underwear, gliding through her soft curls and down into her sticky heat. “so wet. you really missed me, yeah?”
“course i did, stargirl,” vi lets out a shaky laugh. “i want to show you just how much.”
you pout, and vi has the urge to capture that beautiful bottom lip of yours between her teeth. “but i wanted to show you how much i missed you.”
“well, like i said — we have all night.”
three orgasms later, and you’re nearing the point of exhaustion, but you’re determined to keep going, if anything because of how full you feel with vi’s fingers fucking into you at a truly impressive pace. the pads of her fingers are rougher than before, calluses from playing guitar so often, but she still knows exactly how to curl and curve them in every way that makes you unravel. her lips are shining with your cum, and you still taste her sweetness on your tongue.
she grinds her bare cunt against the soft skin of your thigh as she brings you closer and closer to your peak while desperately chasing hers.
“you close, pretty girl? gonna cum for me again?”
vi whines, nods eagerly. “i’m so fucking close. fuck — i don’t know what i’d do without you.”
you groan when vi starts sucking at your pulsepoint, running her tongue over the chain of your new necklace. you reach a hand up to tug at her hair, gently coaxing her to look at you.
“don’t worry about that,” you promise. vi takes a deep breath as though inhaling your words and buries her face in the crook of your neck, butterfly lashes fluttering closed and tickling the skin behind your ear. “you’re being so good for me, so messy.”
“s-sorry,” vi sniffles, blood rushing to her cheeks. her body stills while she moves to meet your gaze, her puppy dog eyes shining with desire and desperation.
you shake your head and dig your fingers into the plush of her hips, urging her to keep going.
“i love it,” you clarify, prompting vi’s face to brighten, her smile pure sunlight and sugar.
you run your thumb over the scar on her lip that stretches with such familiarity, before crashing your lips against hers. vi welcomes your slick tongue into her mouth, swirling around every crevice until your tastes combine into one. the knot in your abdomen tightens and you, somewhat reluctantly, pull away to admire your girlfriend.
“i love how gorgeous you look on top of me, fucking me while using my body to get yourself off,” you continue, words flowing from your mouth like thick, sickly-sweet nectar. “i want you to cum with me one more time, yeah?”
vi whimpers into the crook of your neck, the vibrations intensifying the waves of pleasure crashing throughout your body. it doesn’t take long for vi to feel you clench around her fingers, and for you to feel her gush against your skin, staining the bedspread beneath your entangled bodies.
vi pulls away her fingers — you whimper this time at the sudden emptiness — but she places the softest kiss on your lips as an apology before adjusting to lay down on her side. she nestles into the curve between your neck and shoulder. her teeth graze your pulsepoint as you run your hand through her damp hair.
you should probably take a shower — the two of you drenched in each other’s sweat and saliva and cum — but all you want to do is to melt against her. maybe if you stay in bed, then time will slow down.
“i wish you could stay longer.”
“me too,” you whisper, idly tracing your fingers down her body.
“you know, the art scene in this city is amazing,” she mumbles. “lot of galleries where you could show your work. nice, big apartments where you could have your own private studio space. you could move here after graduation.”
you laugh. “maybe in another life, where i could afford a place in new york. plus, at this point, i think it’d be best for me to move home after i graduate. but, hypothetically speaking — yeah, that would be cool.”
“well, hypothetically speaking, you would share rent with the pink-haired butch of your dreams.”
“you mean the one whose cum is drying on my thigh right now?”
“the very same,” vi nods with a cheeky grin. she throw her arm around your waist, pulling you in closer.
you nudge your nose against hers. “paint me a picture — what does this dream life with my dream girl look like?”
“well, we get a place in an artsy neighbourhood, obviously, surrounded by a strong, welcoming community of queer artists, who are all quirky and colorful in their own way.”
“we’d actually be friends with our neighbours — host dinner parties and have movie nights and dance all night at gay bars. our apartment would have an open-floor plan, and we’d have big windows that give us a ton of light and a great view.”
“a beautiful kitchen, too. one that’s a little outdated, but we prefer the term charming,” vi adds. “and there are always fresh flowers on the counter, in a gorgeous vase.”
“we thrifted most of our stuff, so the furniture is all mismatched furniture and in every color of the rainbow —”
“but it works.”
“it works,” you echo, heart glowing. “we adopt a dog, too.”
“and, the dog’s name?”
you think for a second. “scooby.”
“of course,” vi agrees, her smile suddenly sad. “sounds like a nice life we’d have together.”
“yeah. it does.”
you swallow down those dreams with a bitter dose of reality. you’ll be on a plane tomorrow, heading back to your childhood home, while vi continues travelling the world, performing to sold-out stadiums.
i don’t know what i’d do without you.
the sad truth is that vi does know what to do without you, and you know what to do without her. that’s what this relationship has become: together, in theory, but growing into your adult selves and towards lives that don’t necessarily include the other.
the vi beside you, hair a mess and eyeliner smudged, looks the same, give or take a few new tattoos and piercing. but, you wonder about all the little ways she’s changed that you might not ever have the chance to appreciate, about all the details of her day that you’ll never get to hear about.
you wonder if, possibly, caitlyn is right. you know that people change — who they are, what they want. you want to believe that you and vi are the exception, that no matter how much you changed, you’d always be together. always.
you then remember something else that caitlyn had said, and abruptly stop tracing designs onto vi’s skin, your eyes lingering on the stars on her upper thigh. vi must notice how you stiffen, because she cups your cheek, prompting you to meet her gaze.
“hey — are you okay?”
“i just — don’t take this the wrong way — but….has anything ever happened between you and cait?”
vi freezes. “why….why would you ask that?”
“o-oh, it’s just….she mentioned something about your star tattoo and, i, uh, i don’t know. seems like the type of thing she’d only know if the two of you had —”
vi shuffles away from you beneath the sheets and sits up. “you think i’d cheat on you?”
“you aren’t answering the question,” you notice, watching carefully as a nervous blush blooms across her freckled cheeks. “did anything happen between you and caitlyn?”
“why does it matter? why are you asking?”
“i’m starting to think i have a good reason to.” you get out of bed in a huff and slip on her oversized graphic tee, starting to pace back and forth.
“i — look, i was going to tell you, at some point — we, uh….well, nothing actually happened.”
“well? what didn’t actually happen?”
“baby, just let me explain —” vi catches your arm to stop you. “we were both drunk and high and sharing a cigarette by the pool and….she….we….almost kissed.”
you scoff. “so that’s what this weekend was all about — you felt guilty, so you put on this heart-eyed romantic act to make yourself feel better. everything — this last minute trip, the shoutout at your concert, the fucking necklace you got me — was all because you felt guilty.”
“maybe that’s part of it,” vi admits. “but, mostly, i wanted to see you. i miss you.”
you don’t confess to missing her, too. instead, you say:
“maybe we don’t know each other as well as we used to. maybe….things are changing a bit too much.”
“what does that even — where is this going?” vi drops your arm like its a hot coal, red-hot and blistering. “do you wanna break up?”
the tension hangs in the air, a cloud of smoke and darkness between you and the girl you’ve always loved.
“do you?”
you get on a plane the next morning, bone-tired and heart-heavy with deja vu.
you kiss each other goodbye, promise that you’ll make things work.
you don’t. can’t.
a few months later, you’ll break up.
___
[image: postcard reading GREETINGS FROM PARIS! messy handwriting and misspelled words on the other side]
stargirl,
i promised powder id send her a postcard from paris but im really really drunk rn and urs is the only address i can rememer
they say this is the city of love and it’s the most romantic day of the yer but it means nothing without u. i miss u.
that mesage was 4 u not powder. just tell her i say hi.
xxx
vi
p.s. i know were not together anymore, but i still love u.
___
track 5: “i’ve loved you for so long” by the aces
(now)
“vi?”
all the lights in the apartment are off, the only sign that vi is home being her discarded doc martens strewn by the door. there’s a chill in the air, too — the window to the fire escape is open, so you head outside.
the string lights twisted around the railing flicker like fallen stars, and the city sparkles in the late winter night. vi perches over the edge, her silk shirt unbuttoned at the top, her dark lipstick faded, and a cigarette smouldering between her ringed fingers.
“i stopped at magnolia’s on my way home – got us a slice of confetti cake for dessert,” you try, keeping your voice light in hopes of avoiding a fight. you hoped that the sweet treat would be a welcomed peace offering; that maybe you could sit down in your shared kitchen and actually talk through the conflict like the well-adjusted adults you’re trying to be.
instead, time collapses into itself; you’re both teenagers again, keeping secrets from each other in hopes to ease future pain, and you have a feeling you’re about to bicker like an old married couple, fall back into familiar patterns.
“sure you wouldn’t want to share it with drea, instead starlight?”
you don’t take the bait; you know vi wants to push your buttons, and you know that she knows exactly how.
“didn’t realize you still smoked,” you say, moving to lean against the railing next to her.
“whenever i get stressed.” she takes a drag to prove her point, exhaling smoke into the ink-black sky. “guess we don’t know each other as well as we used to.”
“vi, please,” you sigh. “can we actually talk about this without you lashing out like a wounded dog?”
and, it’s true — vi’s instinct when she’s upset has always been rushing to sink her teeth into something to protect herself from more harm, or gnawing on old wounds until fresh blood emerges.
“what’s there to talk about?” she snarls, tapping her cigarette, ash falling down into the abyss below you. “how you lied about dating drea?”
“i didn’t lie,” you huff. the winter night shivers down to your bones, but you cross your arms over your chest to keep yourself steady. “i just didn’t tell you that i’d gone out with her, specifically. we each admitted to seeing other people after our break-up. you never gave me a list of every fangirl you took to bed.”
“i told you about caitlyn —”
“the tabloids told me about caitlyn,” you counter.
“you knew how much i hated drea!” vi barks, finally whipping her head to look at you. “do you not remember how much of a homophobic asshole she was? how she told the entire hockey team that i cornered her in the showers one day and tried to kiss her?”
you bite down on the inside of your cheek, hard enough to taste copper.
“vi, if you just let me explain — she meant nothing to me.”
vi laughs, cold and bitter as the winter air. “i mean, jesus christ, you still have and wear the earrings she got you. meanwhile, you never wear that necklace i’d gotten you. as soon as we broke up, you were perfectly happy getting rid of me.”
“please, vi —”
vi’s eyes shine under the starlight, and she clenches her jaw so tight that you’re worried the bone might shatter. “did you not care about me at all, even after all that time, everything we’d been through?”
you uncross your arms and reach out to her, but she flinches away.
“violet —”
“no — you stopped caring about me to the point that you dated someone who made my life a living hell.” vi takes a shaky breath, and she chokes out your name. “we were best friends first, and i thought….god, i thought that meant we’d always love each other.”
the words hang heavy in the air, your heart pierced by her icicle-sharp words. in a haste, you wipe away the cold tears burning on your skin, turn around on your heels, and storm back inside.
vi finds you a few minutes later in the living room. you’re using the swiss army knife you usually keep clipped to your belt to tear through unpacked boxes. though she’s not sure what you’re looking for, vi turns on the lamp to help your search.
“what are you —”
you finally pull something out and offer it to her without a single word.
vi’s fingers are still slightly frozen as she holds it, her eyes following the precise swirls and crisp lines, designs similar to the tattoos on her back. you must have drawn them on the worn cardboard.
“what is this?”
“open it,” is all you say before sitting cross-legged on the velvety purple couch, which the two of you had lugged up three flights of stairs from the street corner just the other day. you pick at one of the tears in the fabric as you wait.
vi stays standing while she carefully cracks open the lid, well aware that it could disintegrate in her hands like sand through an hourglass.
what looks like a forgotten, ready-to-be-recycled shoebox turns out to contain much more than old sneakers:
valentine’s cards she’d given you in elementary school; notes you passed to each other during class or detention; her first songwriting notebook she must have left at your place; a jolly rancher lollipop wrapper from the halloween party where you first…you know. little trinkets vi had given you throughout the years. receipts, movie tickets, photobooth strips of your younger selves. so carefree and full of love.
her anger, her hurt, melts away into sappy affection; knees turning to jello, she slides onto the couch next to you.
you watch through the corner of your eye as vi rustles through contents of the shoebox-turned-time capsule, teeth worrying at your bottom lip.
“you….you kept all of this?”
“i put this box together on the first valentine’s day after our break-up. i was going to set it on fire,” you timidly admit, rubbing the back of your neck.
vi snorts. “seriously?”
“some sort of stupid ritual i read about in autostraddle, to get rid of your ex. but when it got to that point…all of this — all these memories — i couldn’t bring myself to get rid of them. i didn’t want to get rid of you.”
you reach into the box and pull out a faded, drunkenly-written postcard, chipped-polish nail fiddling with the french stamp in the corner.
“what about the necklace?” vi can’t help but ask. she runs her fingers through the delicate, dried violets from your corsage, which your mom had helped vi pick out a week before prom.
“ekko wanted new sneakers for his birthday, so i did the nobel big sister thing, and sold my most expensive piece of jewellery to pay for them,” you explain. you and vi had instinctively shuffled in closer together, the shoebox balanced on one leg from each of you, your knees touching. “plus — yeah, i was mad at you. god, i hated you — which probably was the reason i started going out with drea in the first place, and i’m really, really sorry that i did. but, i need you to know — i never stopped caring about you. i never stopped loving you, violet, and i don’t think i ever will. ”
silence stretches between you. vi stares at you in the warm living room light — how your eyes are darker, your lips parted, shoulders curling in to protect your bleeding heart. vi gently takes the postcard from you and places the shoebox on the floor.
“i never stopped loving you, either,” she promises, placing her now thawed hands on your cheeks. “and i don’t think i ever will.”
you smile softly as vi leans in closer, her eyes flickering between yours and your lips. you nod; vi presses her lips to yours, a tender vow that grows into something hungrier, something with teeth.
“gentler,” you tell her as you pull away slightly. you want to take your time, inhale the dizzying nicotine in her lungs, savor the acidic red wine on her tongue.
“gentler?” vi’s already eager, though, her hand inching up your thigh.
“slower, violet.”
vi shudders as you trail your fingers over the tattoo on her neck. “have i ever told you how much i love it when you say my name?”
“drea definitely wasn’t a fan of that habit,” you confess with a guilty grin. “one of the reasons we broke up is because, well...i kept accidentally saying your name during sex.”
“really?” vi chuckles darkly, a lightning bolt of possessiveness striking through her. “fucked you so good that i ruin you for other girls, hm?”
you roll your eyes, then suck in a breath when vi dips her fingers beneath your underwear, finding you wet and waiting.
“oh, sweetheart, you’re soaking. all this, just for me?”
“hm, i don’t know. drea did look pretty good in that dress,” you tease — because you know how to push vi’s buttons, too. “i have to admit, she was a pretty decent fuck.”
“don’t,” she warns, but her eyes are burning with desire.
you smirk, slipping your hand underneath her shirt. her skin is always warm, but, right now, it’s electric. her abs are sculpted by the gods, pave way to a thick haven of curls between her legs.
“maybe you need to remind me why your name always fell from my lips whenever she’d make me cum.”
vi’s cheeks are red-hot, her heart pounding against your chest as she pushes you onto the couch, and presses her body into yours.
“it would be my genuine pleasure.”
everything else to ash, and you’re left with this: your lace underwear dangling off your ankle as vi pushes your legs over her shoulders. her slick, skilled tongue sliding through your folds and her rough fingers squelching into your hole at an expert pace.
“f-fuck, vi,” you moan, running your fingers through her messy hair. you don’t miss how eagerly she grinds down onto the butter-soft velvet once you start tugging at the strands more firmly.
“feels good, yeah?” she moans like you’re the one fucking her. “i’m the one making you feel good?”
“yes.” you exhale sharply when she sucks on your clit. “i’m close, vi.”
“i know, baby,” she drawls, smirking against your skin.
“don’t stop.” you plead as she sucks a bruise into your thigh, fingers curling into you. “don’t stop, don’t stop —”
and, she fucking stops.
“vi,” you whine.
“uh-uh, you don’t get to cum quite yet, pretty girl.”
she sucks her honey-soaked fingers into her mouth as she gets up from the couch.
you pout, licking your lips even though you wish you could lick hers. “why not?”
“i’m still mad at you,” vi states. “you really did hurt my feelings. how do you plan on making it up to me?”
vi tries to resist, play the part of the jealous, possessive girlfriend — but, god, it’s hard, with how fucked out, how beautiful you look right now: your lips the color of ripe plums, swollen and stained with vi’s lipstick; the curls between your legs twinkling with droplets of your desire; and your eyes glazed over with lust as you gaze up at her from the couch.
“that new strap we got,” you suggest, still breathless. your breasts strain against the now-wrinkled silk of the shirt you’re wearing. vi’s thankful that it’s hers, because she wants nothing more than to rip the fabric off your body. “you — you can fuck me with it.”
“is that what you want?” vi hums, fire burning in her abdomen as she watches you nod eagerly. usually, you’re the one who takes control, and that’s perfectly fine with vi, but tonight….
tonight, she has something to prove.
you’re both naked by the time you reach the bedroom, clothes thrown across the apartment floor as you take turns leaving bites and bruises on exposed areas of the other’s skin. you get down on your knees, the shag carpet shocking your skin as vi looms over you, gnawing at her scarred, kiss-swollen lips. you help her adjust the harness and attach everything accordingly, leaving a kiss on each star glittering across her thigh once you’re done. she makes you wait patiently as she coats the dildo with a healthy amount of lube.
vi offers you her hand, sticky with lube and your essence from earlier, and lifts you to your feet. she kisses you sweetly before pushing you onto the bed.
"turn around," vi instructs. "on your knees."
you comply, already feeling yourself dripping onto the comforter in anticipation. vi kneels behind you on the bed, grasping the plush of your hips between her strong hands. you gasp when she spits onto your hole and starts to fuck into you, inch by inch.
"you okay, baby?" vi asks once she’s halfway inside you.
"yes," you breathe. "keep going.”
so, vi continues gliding further into your silken heat, and once she’s nestled inside you completely, her thighs meeting your ass — that’s when she turns on the vibrations. vi moans, so loud that you’re sure the entire building can hear. she starts grinding into you, but otherwise doesn’t move.
“violet.” you snap your neck back as far as you can, appreciating how perfectly dishevelled vi looks behind you, eyes rolled up to heaven, drool trickling from the corner of her plump lips. “are you gonna keep fucking me any time soon?”
“it’s just so much,” she whines, and continues rutting against you.
it is so much — the waves of pleasure quivering from her body to yours, the subtle burn of her happy trail rubbing against your skin, the melodic timbre of her voice — but it’s not enough.
“i know, baby. but i need more. if you don’t do something now….maybe there’s someone else i can call…”
your words effectively reignite that spark of jealousy, and she growls. vi slips out slightly, only to thrust back in, over and over, until you’re a moaning mess beneath her. your body starts to shake, but before you almost collapse onto your elbows, so vi reaches one hand to your neck and lifts you up so that her pierced nipples brushed against your back.
she kisses the back of your neck, trailing her hand down to pinch one of your nipples and you hiss, dizzy with pain and pleasure. she moves her other hand below the harness, rubbing her swollen clit in tight circles and gathering as much slick as she can. she brings those same fingers, glistening in the moonlight, to your lips, and you let her shove them into your mouth so you can finally taste her.
"this enough for you, greedy girl?" she taunts.
you are greedy, when it comes to her, suckling on her digits like a lollipop while she stretches you open so deliciously, the obscene squelching of your pussy accompanying a symphony of moans and curses.
"yes, violet. f-fuck, yes!"
you feel vi groan against the crook of your neck, where her teeth had been nibbling at the sweat-soaked skin.
“fuck — i need to watch you fall apart, knowing that i'm the one who makes you feel this good."
with that, vi flips you over, so she can watch you unravel. she hisses when your nails find purchase on her shoulders, digging down her tattooed back.
“you’re so fucking hot. so gorgeous. i’m so lucky that you’re mine.” vi’s voice is still rough and coarse with lust, but she’s looking at you all wonder-filled and soft-eyed, like you’re a work of art displayed at the louvre. “you….you are mine, right?”
the question is shockingly vulnerable from the woman who’s fucking you at a truly brutal speed, deep enough that you’re sure you’ll feel the lucious ache of her for days now.
you bring your hands to gently cradle her face as you wrap your legs around her hips. vi snakes one of her hands down to rub at your throbbing clit, while the other rests lovingly on your tattooed ribs, where delicate violets bloom.
“i’m yours,” you assure, and your heart glows when she beams above you. “you’re mine too, right?”
vi nods, damp strands of her hair tickling your forehead.
“i’m yours.”
there’s a mess pooling underneath your entangled bodies by the time you’re both finished.
for a few seconds, you both lay on your backs, staring up at the glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling, until vi breaks the silence:
“did you say that you brought home a slice of cake?”
the two of you throw on some clothes, throw the sheets in the wash, and vi pulls you into her lap as you share the slice of cake at the kitchen table, chattering about everything and nothing for however long, until vi glances at the oven clock.
“shit — it’s midnight already. guess time flies when you’re having fun.” vi wraps her arms around your middle, and kisses your shoulder. “happy valentine’s day, stargirl.”
“happy valentine’s day, vi,” you smile, weaving your fingers through hers. you crane your neck back so you can feed her a bite of cake. “you’re the sweetest.”
“this cake’s pretty sweet, too,” vi jokes. she peppers kisses across your face until you’re giggling, skin sticky with frosting.
“i’m glad you like it,” you laugh. “they do wedding cakes, too, but i think we should explore our options before settling on one for ours.”
vi’s lips pause just as she starts to kiss underneath your jaw.
“do you mean for our wedding?” she smirks. “is there something you wanna ask me, stargirl?”
“damn it —” you cough, almost choking on a mouthful of cake. “i - i had this whole thing planned - wait, let me —”
you disappear into the bedroom and reemerge with an intricately painted vase. you hand it to vi and sit in the chair next to her.
“this is what i made in my pottery seminar,” you explain. “it’s supposed to be like —”
“that mural you made of us senior year,” vi finishes, looking between the vase and you with stars in her eyes.
“exactly. except we won’t have to spend saturday detention painting over it.” you chuckle at the memory as vi shakes her head with a small smile dancing across her lips knowingly. “i was gonna promise to bring my beautiful wife fresh flowers for this vase every week and then i was gonna ask you to look inside….” you gesture at vi to do so, and she reaches in to pull out a velvet box. “and then i was gonna get down on one knee —”
“it’s okay — you’ve already done plenty of that tonight,” vi laughs, and you bump her shoulder playfully.
“and i was gonna tell you that i love you, that i have for basically my whole life, and that i want to spend the rest of it with you,” you finish, heart fluttering in your chest.
“i can’t believe you were going to propose to me.” vi places the vase on the kitchen counter behind her, smiling at you softly.
“is that a yes or….?”
instead of answering, vi walks over to the couch, reaches behind and pulls up a heart-printed gift bag, and hands it to you. she watches intently as you pull out a turquoise-blue collar.
“damn, i did not know you were this kinky.” you raise an eyebrow at vi. “so, is this a yes to my proposal or….just something you just wanna try in the bedroom?”
“w-what? no!” vi stutters, her cheeks blooming pink. “i mean, yes! well – okay, i also had this plan for valentine’s day.” it’s very endearing, how vi’s scrambling to find the right words. your punk rock girlfriend, flustered and lovesick for you. “okay — there’s a dog at the shelter i thought we could adopt. i brought home the paperwork for us to fill out, if that’s what you want — it’s all in there. there’s a picture of him, too.”
you reach in the bag again and find a printed photo of an adorable brown lab with the warmest eyes.
“he’s adorable,” you squeal. “does he have a name?”
“scooby, of course.” vi grins. “so, do you wanna adopt a dog together?”
“i do.”
“i love the sound of that,” vi hums. “there’s one more thing in there for you….”
it’s a ring pop — and you’re not sure if it’s the sugar rush, or the woman getting down on one knee and asking you, so tenderly, so sweetly, to marry her, but your heart is absolutely soaring.
“we might have to tell our kids a more pg version of the night we got engaged,” vi whispers later, when you’re back cuddling in bed under fresh sheets.
“kids?” you twist around in vi’s arms to find her grinning at you. “is there something you want to ask me?”
“is scooby not our first child?” vi guffaws and you poke her ribs at her cheekiness.
“true.”
“besides, you know what they say, stargirl,” she practically sings. “first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes —”
you cut her off with a sugary, confetti-flavored kiss, your smiles melting into one.
in which mattheo is absolutely in love with you before you two even talk for the first time (part one to lovesick!mattheo)
SECOND PART HERE - lovesick!mattheo christmas edition
pairing: lovesick!mattheo riddle x reader tags: lovesick mattheo, fem reader, so tamino inspired word count: 3.7k warnings: just fluff again! along with easily flustered mattheo (+ teasing theo)
author's note: my second post!! i made a small playlist of tamino songs i used for mattheo in this. if you haven’t, please go listen to him (his music is so good). i based this off a small part of my first fic where theo sang to reader. as always, while english is my first (and only) language, that does not mean i claim it in any way shape or form (aka this will probably suck ass)
NOW SHE HAS ME UNDER HER SKIRT | M.R x READER
Mattheo didn’t know much about love.
Between being raised by a dictator and his craziest follower, he already didn’t have a very good start. Especially whenever he would get in trouble, the Cruciatus Curse was definitely no joke. Not to mention everyone pestering him about the legacy he led. News flash to the Gryffindors who would try to pick on him, he found it quite obvious that he was Voldemort’s son.
Suffice to say that he didn’t know much about love. He never had a true showcase of it, never had an example of it to compare to anything. The closest he ever had being another stunted teenager by the name of Theodore that considered him his brother, but even then there was still distance.
That was until he met you.
You, the most beautiful person he had ever met in his entire existence on this Earth. Anything he lol looked at on you he would find absolutely perfect, from the color of your eyes to the way your hair bounced in the sunlight.
That alone made it hard to approach you. Your nice demeanor seemed to make it even harder.
So, he settled with admiring from afar. Mattheo knew your schedule, the classes that you would take and every time that it varied. He would subtly watch you in classes, hang around the same areas you did during your break periods, or even where you went for fun. And, to the best of his ability, he tried to avoid things that looked bad. No more fights or cursing, not unless he was truly provoked.
His mind also got its grubby hands on the idea of a journal. A place he could write about you freely, one he charmed so only he could read it. Entries, song ideas, anything he could think of. You made him an artist, you as his perfect muse.
And it all got even better when you two finally met.
You had just walked down to the courtyard, Mary Janes clacking along the rocks as you made your way over to a small pillar.
Recently, you noticed someone sitting by the pillars a lot more than usual. He was tall, his face usually covered by his brown curls as he wrote inna small journal he always carried with him. Said tall man with a face covered by his brown curls was your current potions partner, you had both been assigned to create a Liquid Luck potion.
“Hello?” you called out gently. face tilted down just a bit as you looked down at him. His eyes locked with yours when he looked up, the most beautiful shade of molten honey you had ever seen meeting your eyes. “Hi there, stranger.”
“Hello?” he whispered back at you, eyebrows furrowed as he spoke. His face looked rather cute when it was all scrunched up like that, a light blush covering his cheeks.
“I’m your Potions partner.” you said with a smile, flattening your skirt before moving to sit down next to him. “For the Liquid Luck project.”
“Oh,” he whispered, nodding as he closed his journal. It had a rather pretty leather cover, the pages aged and covered in ink from what you could tell. “Yeah, I remember. Y/N, right?”
“Yeah,” you smiled, nodding. “And you’re Mattheo.”
“Yes I am.” he said, a soft smile coming on his face as he heard that. He looked at you with something special in his eyes, eyes that carved themselves deep into your soul with the most intricate patterns you could think of.
The trance both of you seemed to be stuck in was broken when he cleared his throat, fingers tapping on his journal. “Did you have any ideas for the project?”
“Oh,” you whispered, nodding. “Yes, yes I do. I was thinking that we head to the library and research different potion methods and whatnot. Based on Slughorn’s instructions, I’m assuming that the instructions in the books won’t help much.”
“You’re a genius.” he whispered, barely loud enough for you to hear.
“What was that?” you asked him, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
“Nothing,” he said, clearing his throat as he began to sit up. “Do you want to go now?”
Mattheo thought that he was dreaming, if he was being honest.
The girl of his dreams, the girl that he had wrote almost obsessively day and night about for almost six years, that same girl was currently sitting across from him. Laughing.
“You’re ridiculous,” she smiled at his joke, her voice sweet like a piece of cotton candy melting on your tongue. He didn’t even remember what he had joked about at this point, his mind turning to mush the moment he heard that sound pass your lips.
Those lips that haunted his dreams every single night, the image of them so plush and pure he wanted to worship them like one would a holy angel. They looked absolutely perfect.
“Thank you,” he whispered, smiling softly as he rested his chin on his hand. He probably looked like a lovesick puppy, but he didn’t mind.
“I found something really interesting in this book by the way,” you said, Mattheo’s eyes instantly darting to where your hands were resting on the page. “It says in the recipe that we need to juice a squill bulb, which most people just cut it for. But this recipe here notes that squeezing ingredients over a funnel gets more juice out.”
“That’s really interesting.” he whispered, his gaze looking at your face as you spoke.
“Isn’t it?” you asked with a smile. “And here it says that adding the entire Murtlap makes the potion last longer, rather than just growth.”
“That’s also really interesting.” he whispered again, gaze still stuck on your face. You looked so pretty whenever you were concentrating on things, the way your eyebrows furrowed making him think of a million different songs and rhythms.
“Is it?” you asked with a chuckle.
“Well,” he muttered, looking at you with a small smile on his face. “I always found Potions an interesting topic.”
“Always is not a word. It’s more of a concept.” you said, humming as you continued reading the pages. Mattheo chuckled softly, looking at you like a lovesick puppy.
“You’re lovely,” he whispered.
Theo was sitting in his bed reading a book, his curtains almost completely closed as he flipped between page to page. At least, he pretended to.
Recently, he had noticed Mattheo’s obsessive journaling habits. How his hands would be covered in ink by the time he was finished, or how he’d write until his new candle burnt out. Sometimes Mattheo would write even when the candle burnt out, instead opting for yet another one.
It was rather concerning to Theo, to say the least. Out of all of the things Mattheo could do, he was changing who he was. Self-improvement was one thing, but it seemed like he changed an obsession from fighting to writing.
“I can feel you staring at me.” Mattheo mumbled, looking back over at where Theo was sitting.
“I’m surprised you can,” Theo said under his breath, closing his book and standing up. “With how much you’ve been writing, I’d assume you get sucked in by a black hole sometime soon.”
“Oh hush,” he whispered, looking up from the journal. His hands were stained black and red with quill ink, the candle beside him still burning brightly. “Why do you keep staring at me? You’ve been doing it all week.”
“Your journal.” Theo smirked, walking behind Mattheo and placing his hands on his Mattheo’s shoulder. “What’s inside?”
“Why would I tell you?” Mattheo grumbled, continuing to write in the journal. Theo’s eyes squinted as they tried to read whatever was on the page, but the words were too jumbled to make any sense to him. No doubt a charm.
“You charmed the journal?” Theo asked curiously, looking down at Mattheo.
“Like you care.” he whispered under his breath, the quill scratching loudly against the paper. The room was quiet other than that, nothing but the quill scratching and the candle crackling.
“I do.” Theo said, his voice a bit more stern. He pulled up a chair next to Mattheo, resting his elbow on the table. “Mattheo, you’re pushing everyone away. Even me, and it’s not healthy. All you do is write in this journal, it’s kind of worrying.”
“I just like writing,” Mattheo whispered, moving his legs to rest his knees near his chest.
“About what?” Theo asked, his voice more soft than teasing.
“You’ll judge.” Mattheo whispered again, flicking the quill back and forth as his eyes glanced over at Theo. “Why do you want to know?”
“Because you’re my best friend.” Theo whispered. “I promise I won’t judge.”
Mattheo sighed before turning to the journal, pressing his wand against it as the words came into view more clearly. His handwriting was a lot more cursive than Theo first remembered, no doubt changing the more he wrote.
“It’s a journal about her,” Mattheo whispered, flipping through some of the pages. “Love letters, poems, songs and stuff.”
“Her?” Theo asked curiously. “Who’s her?”
“Her,” Mattheo muttered to Theo, picking at his fingernails as he spoke. He looked like a blushing schoolboy who found his first love, it was rather cute to watch. “It’s, like, she’s a girl I just really like. I think about her a lot, you know? And I’m just trying to improve myself for her.”
“What’s her name?” Theo asked, resting his head against his hand as he crossed his legs.
“Y/N.” Mattheo sighed, like the word itself was a part of some holy prophecy. “She’s so beautiful, you know? Like something from heaven, just beautiful. And I just can’t get her out of my head.”
“Have you ever tried talking to her?” Theo asked, a small smile on his face.
“We have this project together right now.” he said, chuckling softly as he spoke. He was so down bad. “She took me to the library to research more about potions. Merlin, she’s so smart Theo. She figured the reason why nobody could make the potion was because the instructions were wrong.”
“So you both started researching?” Theo asked.
“She researched, yeah,” Mattheo said, before chuckling again. His hand moved to scratch the back of his neck nervously. “I kind of just sat watching her the entire time.”
“Mattheo,” Theo chuckled softly, shaking his head.
“You said you wouldn’t judge!” Mattheo protested.
“I’m not judging.” Theo chuckled, looking down at the journal. “I’m just confused on how you think you’ll get your girl if you can’t even talk to her. Journaling can only go so far.”
“I know,” Mattheo whispered, looking down at his journal again. “But it still helps.”
Theo nodded, looking down at the journal again. “What are you writing about right now?”
“Uh,” he muttered, looking at the pages. “It’s a song. She said something at the library that made me think of a song, I haven’t been able to get it out of my head.”
“What’s it sound like.” Theo asked, leaning back in his seat.
“Uhm,” he whispered, picking at his nails again as he pushed the journal towards Theo. He hummed softly as he picked it up, eyes squinting as he tried to read his handwriting.
Darling, just calm with your voice
Let your heart sing, how I always enjoy
When you say “always” is not a word
You think love is a bit absurd.
“That’s really nice,” Theo said, looking up at Mattheo with a small smirk. “This is a lot better than I thought it’d be, to be honest.”
“What did you think I was writing about?” Mattheo asked confusedly.
“Dark magic or something.” Theo chuckled softly, shaking his head. “Like you were possessed by a ghost to figure out how to resurrect themselves.”
Mattheo chuckled at that, taking his journal back. “I think you’ll find someone like this, you know. It makes life really nice.”
“Being in love?” Theo asked, an eyebrow raised.
“Yeah,” Mattheo whispered. “In love.”
“Well, there’s always an opportunity for that. And when it happens, it’ll happen.” Theo said, patting his pockets and pulling out a box of cigarettes. “But until then, there’s cigarettes.”
“You know the way to my heart, don’t you?” Mattheo snickered at that, using the lit candle to light his own cigarette.
It had been a couple of weeks since you and Mattheo had started working on your project. You had figured out how to maximize the efficiency of your potion brewing, including changing methods of brewing and preparing ingredients. After about three different trials, you had finally found the perfect way to brew the potion.
“That’s perfect.” Mattheo smiled softly at you, chuckling softly as he scratched the back of his neck. In all honesty, it looked like a regular potion to him. “I think that’s perfect, right?”
“That is perfect.” you said, giggling softly as his reaction You found it rather cute, if you were being honest. He seemed rather nervous around you. “Thank you for doing all of this with me, the potion work and all. Most people would probably just leave it to me, you know?”
“Why would they leave?” Mattheo asked, eyebrows furrowing.
You shrugged, looking down at the potion still set in the cauldron as you spoke. “I don’t really know. I guess people consider me weird or something like that. Someone said that I was whimsical once, I don’t think it was a nice way though.”
“That’s absolutely ridiculous.” Mattheo spat. He couldn’t understand the logic of that. In his eyes, you were absolutely perfect. He would give anything in the world to hang out with you more often than he got too, and people gave that up for free? The thought was absolutely ridiculous.
You chuckled quietly at that, smiling softly. “Yeah?”
“Definitely. I mean,” he paused, looking up at you like that was the most absurd thing in the entire world. He had a small flush on his face, no doubt questioning what he was going to say. “I mean, you’re such a nice person. And I think that hanging around you is comforting.”
“And I think that you’re rather sweet.” you chuckled, looking at him with a soft smile.
“I’m being serious!” Mattheo said, looking you in the eyes. You hadn’t heard him talk this much in the entire time that you had been working with him, and you especially didn’t expect it to be him defending you. “You’re just, like, you. Which is really sweet, you know? I really like you and your whimsy, or whatever they try to call you.”
You giggled again, smiling softly at him as you scooted a bit closer. “You’re rather nice yourself, if I do say so myself.”
“Thank you.” he whispered, his voice raising a pitch as he looked at the potion. “Do we need to test this?”
“I think so.” she nodded. “Do you want to do it?”
Mattheo looked at the potion, a small frown coming on her face. If anything went wrong with the podcast, he wouldn’t want you to be hurt by it. Which led to him nodding, the best option for him obviously being him taking the potion himself.
“I’ll bottle it for you.” you said, grabbing the small ladle and pouring it inside the potion vial. “Here, one vial of Liquid Luck for you.”
Mattheo smiled softly as he took a sniff of it. “Is it meant to smell like something?”
“No, just air. I mean, clean air. Not like toxic air or anything.” you said, before ending your small speel. “It doesn’t smell like anything.”
Mattheo nodded again, taking a swig of it before coughing. “That’s definitely hot.”
“It did just come off the cauldron.” you chuckled, fingers fidgeting slightly. “Do you feel lucky?”
Mattheo looked up at you with a look you could only describe as a lovesick puppy, a small flush covering his face as he admired you. You could only assume the amount of thoughts running through his mind were plenty, some very hard to sort through.
“Yeah,” he whispered, blinking slowly as he looked at you. “Very lucky.”
You chuckled softly at that, your face flushing as you watched his eyes lock onto your lips. “Do I have something on my lips or something?”
“No,” he whispered softly, his Adam’s Apple bobbing as he spoke. “No, I just,”
“Something on my teeth?” you asked, shining your teeth to him.
“I want to kiss you.” he whispered.
Your mouth closed again as you heard that, eyes locking onto his after he spoke. That didn’t last long though, as his eyes focused back on your lips again. “You what?”
“I want to kiss you.” he said a bit more clearly, his voice hoarse as he spoke. “I mean, I don’t want to pressure you. But I really want to kiss you.”
“You can kiss me.” you whispered softly to him, scooting a bit closer to him in return.
Mattheo blinked for a couple of seconds, the shock of your answer plastered on his face. It filled you with a small sense of confidence, the blush on his face fueling your own. “I can?”
“You can.” you smiled.
Mattheo smiled brightly at that, the burn of it brighter than the sun sucking his lips in like a blackhole would. His lips immediately met yours, burning like fireworks against his skin. It was absolute bliss to him, burning through his skin and turning him into nothing but lovesick ash.
“Your lips are absolutely perfect, my love.” he whispered, his eyes boring into yours with a gaze full of adoration. “So perfect.”
“Was your luck to try and kiss me, Riddle?” you chuckled softly at him.
“This is the luckiest moment of my life.” he whispered.
“Theo!” Mattheo spat out, opening the dorm room door as he stormed in. His palms looked sweaty, and his face was absolutely covered in a bright blush.
“Mattheo.” Theo said his name back, closing his book as he looked at where Mattheo had stormed in. He looked absolutely wrecked, almost drenched in sweat. “You look like you just got your ass kicked on the Quidditch field.”
“I just,” he whispered, walking closer to Theo as he paced around the room. “I just kissed her.”
“Y/N?” Theo asked, a small smile crossing her face. “You kissed her?”
“It was so perfect.” he whispered, laying down on Theo’s bed. “Like, it was like her lips had a magnetic pull on me. I couldn’t stop for the next hour. A whole hour!”
“That’s wild, mate.” he chuckled softly, patting Mattheo on the head.
“It was just perfect,” he whispered under his breath, sighing softly. “Like, I don’t know how else to describe it. Maybe like looking at a supernova for the first time.”
“You are down bad, Mattheo.” he chuckled softly at that, continuing to pat his friend on the head.
“And then we, after that right?” he said, the smile on his face only growing larger. “We snuck off to this broom closet. You know the ones. And we did, we had,” he paused, sighing in frustration as his words jumbled in his head. “You know?”
“I know.” Theo chuckled.
“I have a song idea again.” Mattheo said, sitting up again as he rushed to the journal he kept so dearly to his heart. “I will be dead to the world for the next few hours.”
“You want me to go tell Y/N that, lover boy?” Theo smirked.
“She can come in whenever.” Mattheo said, dipping his quill in black ink. “I already gave her our dormitory password.”
“You what?”
“I have a present for you.” Mattheo whispered under his breath, a small smile on his face as he walked towards you.
It was the 6 month anniversary of one of the happiest relationships you had ever been in. There was communication and there was love. Small dates near the Black Lake at midnight, with breakfast you stole from the Great Hall earlier. Times where he’d take you into town and let you dress up however you wanted, all on the cards he stole from Malfoy. Or small get-togethers like this, hangouts at the top of the Astronomy Tower.
And the presents were always lovely. Small poems that he wrote for you, or love letters that he hand wrapped himself. A small blush or dress you had been eyeing for more than two seconds, or room decor that went with your forever indecisive aesthetics.
“You do?” you giggled softly, gasping softly as he pulled out a small guitar. “A song?”
“I’ve written a couple for you,” he whispered. “And I wanted to sing them to you. For our anniversary.”
“I love you.” you giggled, smiling as he sat down.
He cleared his throat as he made sure the guitar was in tune, strumming a few chords before eventually developing a melody. It seemed almost hypnotic the way his hands moved, his voice humming along as he figured out the rhythm.
“Yesterday, I was a word. Left with no voice to speak it,” he hummed softly, his voice and the guitar both vibrating through the walls. You smiled brightly as you heard his voice, not realizing how pretty his voice actually sounded.
“Now I am a happy song, placed on the lips of a woman.” he sang, winking at you. He continued for a few lines, a small smirk growing on his lips as he got to the instrumental part.
“What are you going to sing next?” you asked, watching him giggle softly. “Seriously!”
“Patience,” he whispered, chuckling as he strung the melody again, his eyes darting down at the guitar. “Now she has me, under her skirt,”
“Mattheo!” you flushed, slapping his arm and breaking the rhythm of his song. “My skirt?”
The both of you burst out into a laugh at that, the sound breaking through the cold night air that breezed through the alcove you sat in. Or maybe you just felt warm in his presence, a constant feeling of love rushing through your body.
“Can I finish my song now?” he smirked.
“I suppose you could.” you whispered, resting your head on his shoulder as he continued to sing.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
my second post oh my GOD this one took a hot minute to get through. beta-reading and proof reading is definitely not my jam, and there's definitely things that i missed in this. but i hope it still works out well, especially the whole lovesick angle i was going for. if you guys haven't already, please please please go check out tamino's music. it is actually so. good. if you listen to hozier or adrianne lenker, i think you'd really like his songs (my favorites are the first disciple and habibi)
if you would like to read the second part, click here!
as always, please like, comment, and reblog! it really helps out, and i really appreciate everyone who does! if you guys have any requests or something you can request in the ask box!
blaise!!!
Olive Theory
Images ltr: Pinterest here, Pinterest here, Pinterest here | Divider by @saradika-graphics here
Blaise Zabini x Reader
Word count: approx. 4.2k
Summary: You and Blaise complement each other perfectly as best friends, but little do you know, he’s been keeping a secret.
Warnings/be aware: best friends to lovers, use of Y/N, introverted!Reader, Slytherin!Reader implied, the Slytherin boys being sweeties, kissing, fluff
A/N: had a little one-shot fun in between working on chapters for my Theo series 🤭 Based on the olive theory from How I Met Your Mother!
You staggered up the dimly-lit stairwell leading from the dungeons to the Great Hall, yawning. Pansy and Daphne, who walked on either side of you, looked just about as toasted as you were. The three of you had just finished another exhausting study session in the Slytherin common room, leaving you feeling ready to give up on your NEWTs altogether.
“Ugh, what a day.” Rubbing your eyes, you stepped up onto the landing.
“Tell me about it.” Pansy’s face soured. “If McGonagall gives us one more surprise essay, I’m getting on my broom and going the Weasley twins’ route.”
“I’ll join you.” As she crossed the corridor, Daphne tightened her ponytail. “If I get anything less than an ‘E’ in Transfiguration, my parents are going to kill me.”
“Would it be mad to just go to bed after dinner?” It was only six o’clock, but you could scarcely keep your eyes open. “Maybe we can get up early and study.”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Daphne agreed.
“When did we get so boring?” Pansy shook her head as the three of you stepped through the doorway and into the Great Hall, a wall of chatter hitting your ears as you entered the space where many of your classmates were already eating. “We’ve got to get out more, I feel like I’m losing my mind.”
As the three of you approached the Slytherin table, you saw that your other friends had already arrived. Theo, Mattheo, Draco, and Enzo were preoccupied with some debate about whether a dragon could beat 10,000 flesh-eating slugs in a fight.
“What is wrong with you all?” Daphne muttered, her nose wrinkling in disgust as she took her usual spot to the left of Enzo.
However, your best friend Blaise immediately caught your attention, his midnight eyes meeting yours as he grinned. You felt the tension dissipate from your body as you sat down next to him.
“Rough day?” He raised his eyebrows as he caught the exhausted look in your eye.
“Terrible. Even Herbology is difficult these days.” Letting out a heavy breath of frustration, you leaned your head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around you and gave your shoulder a comforting squeeze, letting you rest on him.
You and Blaise had been best friends since you’d beaten him at Wizard’s Chess in the Slytherin common room during your first year. Though you’d since become close with many of the other Slytherins, your relationship with Blaise was special. The two of you complimented each other perfectly. He was outgoing and popular while you were more introverted and kept a closer circle of friends – you calmed him down when he became too worked up and excitable, and he brought you out of your shell when you began to isolate yourself. You would remember the million parties, games, and school club meetings he’d agreed to attend and then immediately forgotten about, and he would make sure that you left the library and went to them with him. Rarely was one of you spotted without the other.
“Tell me about it. A chomping cabbage got me yesterday.” He pulled up the sleeve of his robes to display an angry, scabbed bite on his forearm and you winced.
“Blaise!” You sat up, fixing him with a displeased frown. “Please let me heal that, it looks like it could get infected.”
“After you eat something.” Acquiescing, you scooped a sandwich and some salad onto your plate. “Want my olives?”
“Yes!” You bounced in your seat excitedly. Olives were your favorite food in the world. Blaise somehow hated them, which was a blasphemous opinion in your eyes. However, you could hardly complain considering every time there were olives in his food, he gave them to you. It was just another way that your differences somehow made your friendship even better. He grinned as you happily dug into your meal.
The food was exactly what you needed, and the feeling that your head was going to explode from stress soon began to subside. You chatted with Blaise and Daphne for a few minutes until a small voice interrupted you.
“Uh, hey guys.” You turned to see Daphne’s sister Astoria standing behind you, glancing bashfully at the ground.
“Hi, Astoria!” Grinning, you greeted the shy girl brightly. You and your friends all loved the younger Greengrass, though she wasn’t around much. She was almost always with a large group of other fourth-year Slytherins, who Daphne disdained for the way they overran Greengrass Manor during the holidays.
“Daph, can I…can I sit with you today?” Tears welled up in Astoria’s eyes and your eyebrows furrowed with worry.
“Yeah, yeah, of course!” Daphne scooted closer to you, patting the seat on her other side. She turned towards you and Blaise. “Budge over, you lot.” He reached around your hips and pulled you closer to him as everyone squished together to accommodate Astoria. “What’s going on?” Daphne watched her younger sister, her eyes full of a concern that you rarely saw her display.
“Yeah, who d’I need to fight?” Mattheo chimed in, his mouth full of food.
“Riddle, close your mouth, that’s disgusting!” Pansy scrunched her nose in displeasure, calling out from across the table.
“I just need new friends.” Astoria let out a sigh, wiping the tears that were threatening to overflow. “They were all hanging out without me after class today! I asked Lacey what she was going to do after Arithmancy and she said she was just going to the library to study, but when I went outside for a walk they were all by the Black Lake, having a picnic.” She glanced hesitantly down the table towards the area where the other fourth-years were sitting. “I don’t even think they notice I’m gone.”
“Ew,” Pansy remarked, glaring at the distant group scathingly. “They sound toxic. You should get some better friends.”
“That Julius Mulciber sure acts like a git,” Theo scoffed, nodding in the direction of one of the fourth-years. “He was so busy trying to impress that lot with some candy he’d nicked from Honeydukes that he ran straight into me when I was coming back from Divination the other day. Knocked himself clean over."
“Sit with us for as long as you like.” Enzo squeezed Astoria’s shoulder gently, sounding somewhat more gentle than Theo. “You shouldn’t have to waste your time with people who treat you that way.”
“Thanks, guys.” Astoria smiled softly as Daphne pulled her in for a hug. “You lot make it look so easy, getting on all the time. I want a friendship like…well, like you two.” She glanced at you and Blaise, and you couldn’t help but grin as he nudged you playfully. “How do you find something like that?”
“Well, you find someone you ought to be snogging, and then you dance around each other for half a decade or so and you have what they’ve got.” Draco’s smug voice drawled as he picked up his sandwich.
“Draco!” Your cheeks suddenly felt very hot as Blaise snatched a dinner roll from Mattheo’s plate and pitched it at Draco’s head.
You knew that most of your other friends were placing bets on when you and Blaise would start dating, and to be honest, you’d thought about it. How could you not? Your best friend also happened to be one of the most handsome guys at Hogwarts, with beautiful eyes, a swoon-worthy smile, and a gorgeous physique from years of playing Quidditch. But what you and Blaise had was like catching lightning in a bottle already. If you confessed your feelings and he didn’t feel the same, you ran the risk of pushing your favorite person out of your life. Nothing was worth that chance.
“Don’t do that.” Pansy rolled her eyes. “You just have to follow the olive theory.”
Astoria frowned. “What in the world is that?”
“I’m with you,” Enzo agreed, nodding at Astoria as he eyed Pansy with confusion.
“It’s simple,” she stated. “Y/N and Zabini get on so well because one of them loves olives and the other one hates them. They balance each other out in a way that makes them both better off – Y/N gets to eat twice as many olives and Zabini doesn’t have to eat any. It works in other ways too.” She glanced at you. “You get Zab to study,” she said before looking towards Blaise, “And you get Y/N to actually go outside. That sort of thing. Dray and I have it too.”
“How?” Draco’s eyes shifted to Pansy.
“You’re a massive prat sometimes, and when that happens, I balance you out by telling you you’re a massive prat.” You and your friends burst into laughter as Draco grimaced.
“Had that one coming.” Mattheo shook his head, chuckling.
“Olive theory is real, though,” Daphne agreed, nodding. “It’s why they work.”
“Wait.” Blaise raised his eyebrows. “You’re telling me that you think that Y/N and I are best mates because of…olives?”
“That’s not what I was saying at all.” Pansy threw up her hands in frustration. “Do you all even listen to me?” She paused for a moment, her brows furrowing. “Don’t answer that.”
“I get it.” You shrugged. “The olives are like a bribe to put up with him. They keep me friendly.” You shot him a teasing grin as he narrowed his eyes at you.
“Well if they’re supposed to keep you friendly, clearly they aren’t working.” Suddenly, his fingers that were previously resting lightly on your waist squeezed your side. You shrieked, giggling as he grabbed an olive out of the salad bowl and threw it at you.
“Get your disgusting fingers out of the salad!” Daphne smacked Blaise in the back of the head as the two of you began to push each other.
“Maybe don’t follow the olive theory.” Enzo looked on at you, Blaise and Daphne resignedly before glancing back at Astoria. “Don’t follow any of their advice, they’re all mad.”
“Clearly.” Astoria giggled.
Meals with your friends proved to be your only respite from the mountain of schoolwork that you were struggling to complete. The next couple of days were packed with essays, assignments, and revising, mostly alone but occasionally with Daphne, Pansy, and some of the boys. It was rare that you actually saw your best friend for more than a few minutes at a time, though. Blaise seemingly always had somewhere to be.
“B, pleaseee come sit down and do your work.” You pouted in his direction as he prepared to head out the common room door once again, Quidditch broom in hand. This is for his own good, you told yourself. He needed to catch up on Arithmancy before Professor Vector gave him a month’s worth of detentions. But if you were honest with yourself, you were tired of studying on the couch without him to rest against.
“Can’t, Malfoy has got us doing two-a-days since the Cup final is coming up.” To his credit, he looked genuinely apologetic as he strode back toward you, squeezing your shoulder gently. “I’ll come study with you as soon as I get back, I promise.”
Your eyes found his brown ones as you looked up at him and scrunched your nose. “You'd better shower first.”
He chuckled, flicking you in the ear as you walked away. You let out a squeak of protest and threw a pillow at his retreating back.
The hours seemed to drag as you waited for Blaise and the rest of the Slytherin Quidditch contingency to return to the common room. Enzo and Pansy did eventually join you, plopping down on two of the surrounding armchairs as they pulled out their textbooks.
“Where’s Daph?” Pansy frowned, glancing around the common room.
“I’ve no idea.” You shrugged, jotting down an idea in the margins of your Defense notes.
“I saw her when I came back from the lake,” Enzo said. “She was talking with Astoria…Astoria was crying.”
“Oh no.” Your face fell at the thought.
“Looks like Riddle and I have some fourth-years to fight.” You glanced up to see that Pansy had stood out of her armchair, glaring at Mulciber and the girl that Astoria had called Lacey from across the common room.
“Pans, no.” Enzo extended an arm to gently push Pansy back into her seat. “We should at least wait and hear what happened. Besides, Riddle’s gonna be in some serious trouble if he gets another detention.”
“Then we won’t get caught,” Pansy murmured to herself, but remained seated nonetheless.
Strangely, even as the sun slipped behind the mountains and night overtook the day, no one returned to the Slytherin common room. Finally, after several hours, Theo ducked his head through the common room door.
“Oi!” His familiar voice caused you to jolt from your studying-induced trance and glance around.
“Nott! Where is everyone?” Enzo furrowed his brow as Theo stepped further into the common room. His hair was still slightly wet from the showers and he held his broom in his hand, a set of muddy Quidditch robes poking out of his bag.
“We’re all in the kitchens if you guys want to come. We ran into Daphne and Astoria on their way there after practice. Astoria’s really upset, Daph is getting her some ice cream.”
You cast your books aside and stood along with Enzo and Pansy. “Yeah, let’s go.” Astoria seemed like she was really having a difficult time and the last thing you wanted was for her to feel alone.
When you arrived at the kitchens, Daphne and Astoria were sitting atop a counter near the corner of the room, out of the way of the busy House Elves as they ate their ice cream. Around them stood Draco, Mattheo, and Blaise, all snacking on something or other as they listened to Astoria. It was heartwarming, really. As tough as all the boys were, they could be so kind as well.
“And…and Lacey said it was my fault that Julius likes me, even though I said I wouldn’t go out with him!” Astoria sniffled as she wiped her tears and allowed her sister to wrap a reassuring arm around her. “He told her all kinds of things that weren’t true…and then they all came up to me after Charms today and told me they were dropping me from the friend group.”
“That’s it, I’m giving Mulciber a bloody nose.” Pansy stepped forward, looking irate.
“I already called dibs.” Mattheo’s mouth contorted sourly as he set aside the crisps he’d been eating and cracked his knuckles.
“If anyone gets to fight someone, it’s me, so shut up.” Daphne glared at the group before turning back to her sister. “Tori, I’m so sorry. They’re awful. You told Mulciber you didn’t want to go out with him, it’s not your fault that he doesn’t know how to accept rejection.”
“I know.” She sniffled again, her shoulders shaking slightly. “I just don’t know what I’m going to do now. I don’t have any friends.”
“We’re your friends!” Enzo chimed in. “I meant it yesterday when I said that you could sit with us in the Great Hall for as long as you like.”
“And we’re way better friends than they are.” Blaise’s mouth was full of food as he spoke, and you couldn’t help but let out an exasperated little chuckle as you turned to look at him. He was leaning languidly against the counter, in his hands a jar of…olives?
“B, are you eating olives?” The words came tumbling out of your mouth before you could think, and you immediately clamped your mouth shut as everyone turned to look at you. Astoria laughed despite her still-watery eyes.
“Yeah, weren’t you guys just telling me yesterday about how you two are the perfect friends because he hates olives and you love them?”
“Eh, just testing whether my tastes have changed. Haven’t tried an olive since I was twelve after all.” Blaise shrugged nonchalantly, scooping a few olives into his mouth before he grimaced. “Yeah, these are still nasty. Here.” He held the jar out in your direction.
You raised your eyebrows, unconvinced. “If you like olives now, you can have them.” With a gentle hand, you pushed the jar back towards him. “It’s fine, I promise.”
“No, they’re gross. I don’t want ‘em.”
“If you insist.” You shrugged, accepting the jar of olives. “Anyway, I’m so sorry to interrupt,” you continued, turning back towards Astoria.
“Oh, it’s fine.” She shook her head. “I don’t want to bother you guys, sitting with you in the Great Hall all the time. I know I’m just Daphne’s little sister.” Her gaze dropped to the floor as she let out a bashful chuckle.
“Don’t worry about it.” Theo shook his head insistently. “You’re at least as mature as Riddle.” Everyone laughed as Mattheo snatched the brownie that Theo was about to bite into out of his hand.
With Astoria’s spirits successfully raised, you all continued to joke and snack until curfew was drawing near. Finally, with a nervous glance at the clock you announced that it was probably time to get to bed. Draco and Pansy split off for Prefect rounds as the rest of you returned to the Slytherin common room. As Astoria, Mattheo, and Theo walked ahead and Daphne and Enzo chatted quietly behind them, you fell in step with Blaise.
“How was practice?”
“Awful. You’ll need to speak with Malfoy if you’d like to have me around for much longer, because I think he’s trying to kill me.” His dramatics made you giggle.
“Well, that would be awfully stupid of him. It would be more difficult for Slytherin to win the Quidditch Cup if you were dead.”
“I knew there was a reason I still call you my number one fan.” He winked, nudging you playfully. “Looks like all the food I’m bribing you with is working.”
“Yeah.” You paused, remembering him eating from the olive jar. “Although, if you’re ready to join me on the dark side and embrace your love of olives, all you have to do is say so.” Flashing him a teasing grin, you nudged him back.
“Absolutely not.” He shook his head ardently. “I’ll always give you my olives.”
You watched him for a moment, taking in the serious expression on his face. “B, you know that’s not actually why we’re friends, right?” Letting out a hesitant little chuckle, you rested your hands in your pockets. “If you like olives now, it’s fine.”
“I don’t. They’re nasty.”
“You were literally eating them!” Stopping in your tracks, you turned towards him as your friends continued on ahead of you, your little dispute unnoticed. “I can procure my own olives, I promise.” You couldn’t help but laugh at the ridiculousness of the whole thing. They were olives, for goodness’ sakes. “You don’t need to give me yours.”
“I want you to have them. I mean it.” He stepped forward, his eyes softening as he gazed at you. “I would rather you have them.”
“But I feel bad, I mean, I’ve been taking a food that you like…”
“Olives are olives.” With a grin, he shrugged. “But they make you so happy…” His eyes lowered. “It’s a small price to pay, really, to see you smile like that.”
“Blaise.” Your voice was hushed, and you could feel your cheeks heating up as he grinned sheepishly at you. You drew closer to him, your heart pounding in your ears. “That’s so sweet. That might be the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me, I –”
“Well if that’s true, I need to start getting you some better presents.” His mouth tilted playfully as he rested his hands on your hips. He’d touched you like this a thousand times throughout your friendship, so why, this time, was your stomach flipping inside you? Trying not to let your hands shake, you reached up and twined your arms around his neck. He was head-spinningly close now, and he didn't seem like he minded the proximity in the least. As you reached up the hem of your sweater lifted, leaving his fingers brushing your exposed skin. Your body tingled as his thumb stroked across your back.
“You don’t have to get me anything, B.” Your voice was a hushed murmur – you knew it would tremble if you spoke any louder in the silent corridor.
“What do you want, then?” He gave you a slight, gentle grin. “I’ve got to do better than some olives.” You bit down on your lip nervously, knowing what you truly wanted.
“You.”
As the word left your mouth, your breath hitched in your throat and your mind raced, struggling to read the look in his eyes. What if he didn’t feel the same, what if you’d misinterpreted the situation, what if he never wanted to speak to you again, what if –
His fingers dug into your hips as he pulled you flush to his chest and you stopped thinking altogether.
“Are you sure?” His eyes were gentle and his voice almost pleading as he held your gaze, seeming to search for any trace of doubt.
“Positive.” With bated breath, you watched as his eyes darkened. In a second, his lips were on yours, kissing you fiercely.
Salazar. It was like he knew your body like the back of his hand, and in a way, he did. He knew you better than anyone on Earth. One hand twined in your hair as the other explored the bare skin of your back, and you melted into his touch. You gasped softly into his mouth, allowing his tongue to slip past your lips, and he groaned needily as he pressed you up against the stone wall of the corridor. Tugging on the collar of his shirt, you pulled him closer, relishing in the feeling of his skin on yours. Though you’d dreamed of this moment a hundred times, this was better than anything you could’ve imagined. It felt so perfect, like this was what the two of you were meant to be doing all along.
“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that.” His low, breathless whisper brushed against your lips as he pressed his forehead to yours.
“Need you so bad, B.” You pulled him back to you, desperately crashing your lips against his once again. You could feel him grinning against you as he continued to snog you senseless, exploring your skin. An eternity seemed to pass in his arms as you indulged the desire that you’d struggled to suppress for so long.
“Are you two aware that it is now ten minutes past curfew?”
Curfew. Prefects. You’d completely forgotten. By the way you felt Blaise tense beneath your fingers, you could tell he had too. Reluctantly, you pulled away from him, glancing up to see his dark eyes sparkling in the moonlight.
“Run?” The corners of his mouth twitched mischievously as you twined your fingers together with his.
“Run.” Hand-in-hand, the two of you took off down the corridor, sprinting as the Prefect shouted after you.
By the time the two of you arrived back at the Slytherin common room, you were both gasping for breath, chests heaving.
“I think we lost them.” Though you could hardly get the words out, you couldn’t help but giggle as Blaise grinned at you.
“You’re a quick one. We could use you on the Quidditch team.” He winked before murmuring the password and allowing the two of you through the common room door. As you stepped through, you saw your friends lounging on the various sofas and couches in front of the fireplace. It seemed that Enzo and Mattheo were trying to play a game of Wizard’s Chess as everyone else shouted advice at them.
“Enz! If you move your knight to E5 you can capture the rook!” Your friends turned towards you as you provided your input.
“Oh, hey, where have you two been?” Theo glanced nonchalantly at you and Blaise.
“Yeah, we thought that – ” Daphne paused, her eyes narrowing, and your eyebrows furrowed in confusion until you followed her gaze and realized that you and Blaise were still holding hands.
“No way.” Mattheo’s mouth fell open as he laughed in disbelief. “No way!”
“Uh, yeah.” Giggling bashfully, you beamed as Blaise wrapped his arm around you, pulling you into his chest and kissing the top of your head.
“Aww, congratulations!” Astoria exclaimed.
Enzo shook his head, chuckling. “Draco’s gonna lose his mind when he realizes that he missed this.”
“Checkmate!” Mattheo raised his arms victoriously as Enzo’s gaze whipped back to his opponent.
“No fair! They distracted me!”
As you and Blaise sank into your usual armchair, you draped your legs over his and leaned into his chest. You both laughed as you watched Mattheo sic his chess pieces on Enzo’s, to the latter’s great protest.
“We’ve still got revising to do, you know.” You sighed reluctantly as you sat up, glancing around the common room in search of your textbooks.
“No, we don’t.” He grinned mischievously as he pulled you back down, his arms capturing you firmly.
You scrunched your nose at him. “You’re a terrible influence, you know.”
“Yeah, but I’m your terrible influence.” As he leaned down and pressed a kiss to your lips, you hummed contentedly. “You’re stuck with me.” With a blissful sigh, you rested your head on his shoulder.
“Good.”
Watching titties bounce is good for the soul
stiles is incredible funny bc yeah he's the brain the strategist the plan maker super smart etc but everytime he checks, just in case, like "hey just letting you know the easiest way to fix this is murder. just a thought" and then everyone is like "stiles NO" and then he gets to the actual plan
hi so I did just ghost a girl bc I think she has a gf, which she OBVIOUSLY didn't tell me, so now I'm really sad bc I was super into her. That's my life, incase anyone was wondering !! 😋🔫
So bad at this WLW shit a straight guy is giving me advice😭😭😭WTF help meeeeee
Something is coming tonight. My lips are sealed. 🤫
8 PM MST…you’re not ready…