I’ll be honest: I’m a hopeless romantic who sighs over my favorite fictional characters; but if a real man approaches me with those same intentions, I’ll probably run as far away as I can in the opposite direction

WIP!!!

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Most of your nights were spend alone in the presence of the everlasting hums of Republic City's streets or enjoying the company of a good book on your deep green couch. Ever since your relationship with the Chief of Police became official her workload only seemed to multiply. Of course, whenever you were visiting her appartment she would eventually turn up home earlier than the sun rose for a quick nap and a refreshing shower before doing it all over again.

All the affection you could get from her severely diminished as exhaustion overtook her with each passing day. Kisses were shorter, softer, and touches weren't lingering for a scond too long on any exposed skin they grabbed. Needless to say your intimacy lacked too which might be something you could ignore but not when you barely get to hang around your girl.

You had to resort to grinding against her pillow (not like she'd ever find out), hugging one of her spare shirts who had the lingering smell of her earthy pine signiature scent, or when things got particulary steamy between your legs, using your own hand, picturing hers instead.

Countless times you wondered if she was missing your bodies tangled up together as baddly as you did and have images running through her mind during frustrating days when she was alone in her office. If she ever had to squeeze her legs in order to forget all the nasty things running in front of her eyes like a movie. If her fingers ever found their way in the heat radiating from between her legs as she shamelessly helped relieve the build up stress right in her chair. Did she also wish she could be home, sharing the bed with her partner or taking what was hers right on the kitchen counter?

As the gentle morning sun caressed your face, you decided that today all the pent up heat in your core will finally be released by noneother than your girlfriend, Lin Beifong, no matter what it took. Rubbing the sleep from your eyes, a slow yawn tore through you. Last nights sleep wasn't particulary resting. All of the restless dreams seemed to amplify, one second you were dreaming crazy nonesens, the next you were straddling her.

A heavy grunt escaped your lips as you haphazardly threw your legs off of the bed's edge, hitting the floor with a determined thump. You headed for the kitchen, set on preparing Lin the best lunch you could muster in the shortest amount of time and then delivering it to her in person.

You settled on making some easy ramen but spicing it up with two hardboiled eggs cut in half, rich miso broth, a handfull of sweetcorn and green onions on top of everything. Packing it up carefully in a insulated silver container, not forgetting to throw a pair of clean bamboo chopsticks and a spoon for the broth in a large piece of square cloth before tying a secure knot to keep the carefully prepared lunch in place.

Throwing the most comfortable but still good looking clothes you found in your closet (a form-fitting green tunic fastened to your side and loose black capris) and tying your hair in your signature half up half down knot you headed for the door of your apartement.

The walk to the RCPD Headquarters never took more than 20 minutes, now being thankfull for your proximity to the building since the ache in your core began to slowly warm up your limbs, each thought running steamier than the last. When you crossed the doorway into the massive hallway of the precinct the receptionist who you've grown to known greeted you warmly with a wave.

Answering them hurriedly with a shy wave of your own, striding to the metalic elevator door lunch in hand. As the arrival of the lift was made obvious by the ding of the bell and opening of doors you released a sigh of relief as you saw no-one else. You stepped into the metal chamber and pressed the number for Lins office floor.

Everlasting

Song: Everlasting by Matt Maeson

Pairing: Dad John Price & Teenage Kid Reader (no pronouns used)

Summary: Your dad, Captain John Price, comes home late again. Just this time, it's a really shitty time for him to be absent.

CW: grief, implied sh/past of sh, angsty (happy ending?), expletives, smoking, Price being a teenager's dad, PTSD(?)

Beware the Nightmares on the Land and Sea [9]

Chapter 9: Washing Sins

Rating: M

Pairing: Damian Wayne X GN!Reader

Summary: While the old man took care of you, Batman and his vigilante's turned their attention to trying to crack just what you are.

TW: Briefest mentions of blood, gore, and death. Mentions of hunger and survival.

Where to start? Here's the Masterlist , Beginning, Prev Chap, Next Chap

A/N: You can also read the story here on AO3! Thank the lovely @uzmacchiato and @essthereal and @toxisyddy for their borders and dividers! MAN, I was watching this recently poll with anticipation with how CLOSE y'all were with the results! I'll admit I stalk the polls with curiosity, and truly I felt like everyday I clocked in to look at it felt like I was clicking into a TV show. I was so enamored XD BUT ANYWAYS! Thank you for giving this story so much love, and with that, always remember...! Your Choices Matter.

You almost couldn't comprehend your own shock.

You just stared back at the boy, so caught off guard by his sudden venomous words that you just didn't know what to do really. It felt like he slid a dagger under your ribs. Cold and icy. A part of you wanted to be angry. You could sense Ella's agitation. Like a dull radiation of heat that felt similar to your own anger. But you knew it wasn't yours. It was hers.

Angry on your behalf.

Usually, it’s actually pretty easy for Denki to hide the fact that he’s basically always staring at his crush.  There are enough distractions in the classroom, in training and especially in the battlefield that he finds himself getting pretty comfortable watching them.

Not in a weird way, he swears.  Just… they’re kind of impossible to take his eyes off of.  So feminine and cute, even down to their mannerisms like sneezing or how they write the date at the top of their schoolwork.  

Even when he’s focusing on his own assignment or role in the mission, after long enough Denki finds his thoughts wandering back to them: The delicate clothes they prefer, the way they always do their hair and like to put little clips and charms and stickers on everything to brighten up little parts of the world around them… he can’t seem to get enough.  

His crush is like a fantasy princess come alive in Denki’s eyes and powerful, too, like the magical girl shows he secretly watched up until middle school and might only open up to them about someday, if only to ask (very shyly) that they cosplay one of the characters. 

But when he’s caught in the act, staring at them while fantasizing about the look on their face when he finally goes for it and brings them some chocolate this Valentine’s day, Denki’s brain seems to short-circuit a little and he needs a second to come back into the physical moment.

What was just going on?  What are those perfect lips actually saying?  Focus, Kaminari, focus!

“Denki,” they’re saying while he’s busy tracking the way their eyes look so hot when they’re rolling them at him, “I’m trying to focus.  Can you stop?” 

They’re in the middle of quirk training, combining abilities in a way they’ve already practiced a handful of times but haven’t mastered just yet.

“Huh?  Stop?”  His gaze snaps back to his hands, which are (thankfully) still sending a steady charge to the targets they’re supposed to be attacking, then back to their face which scrunches up so adorably when they’re frustrated that it’s an effort to concentrate when they continue.

“Yeah, I mean, you’re making me feel total cuteness aggression toward you right now and it’s distracting while I’m trying to concentrate!” 

The grin spreading across his face is unstoppable once the revelation sets in a few beats later.

“You… think I’m cute?!” 

Denki’s crush laughs at that and he swears he feels something in his stomach swoop, less like butterflies and more like Dark Shadow’s huge wingspan in the way that it completely takes him out.  Even their laugh -- no, *especially* their laugh -- is pretty.

The training session carries on with Denki feeling a little bolder.  Eventually he asks for clarification on cuteness aggression: “I’ve never even heard of that.  Does that mean you, like, wanna beat me up for being so cute or something?” (Bakugou, who overhears this, instantaneously lets him know that he’ll kick his ass no matter what his stupid face looks like any day of the week.) 

Denki really considers it though, as he and his crush move into the next phase of the assigned training and get onto the mat to spar.  He’s had general experience flirting, sure, but never found somebody cute enough that he’d let them bite him or something.  But when they manage to pin him and sink their teeth into the meat of his hand, he can’t ignore the way his pulse picks up and just hopes they don’t notice.

-Your sick, Hes Not, Now Hug-

Word: 2.5k

CW: GN!reader, Praise, break up (not with Kuni) Slight NSFW, angst, Sick Reader, SoftWanderer, Angst, and Slight Possessiveness.

Note: Lost Inspiration near the end, so it's the reason for the low key rushed ending. It feels like this needs a part 2, but I just wanted to post something for now.

-Rushed proofread.. so just a heads up if you see a mistake with anything.. 😭🙏🏽

Your running through the rain, tears falling down your cheeks; not being able to hold them in after your boyfriend- or lets say ex-boyfriend, broke up with you. Your overwhelming feelings and emotions in your delicate young adult heart, ripping into pieces causing you to run out his door like a TV girl in distress with your hands over your eyes crying buckets worth of tears.

You felt like a little kid who just had her lollipop taken away, absolutely balling as the rain poured down on you, drenching your clothes. He didn’t chase after you, of course he didn’t, when did he ever chase after you after an intense argument or disagreement? Never.

You sit at the bus stop, your eyes stuck on the ground unmoving. Not because you wanted to, but because you didn’t care to. Completely shocked from the aching pain in your chest and a knot stuck in your throat, keeping you from crying any louder then the tears that fell down your cheeks.

Why did he do this to you? After you thought everything was getting better, the ‘us’ in the relationship was getting better. The bus finally arrived, another 15 minutes of lonely silence, and a long walk to the warmth of your own home, not even the hug the bed gave you comforted the pain.

Your phone began to buzz but you didn't care.

buzz.. buzz.. buzz.. buzz...

Only a few hours after you had finally fallen asleep to the sound of your phone, you slowly wake up to loud knocking at your door, practically banging at this point. You did not care to deal with it, ignoring it.

Untill.. you heard keys, and the door slamming open that you decided to finally lift your head up and peek at your bedroom door which was creaked open, to see who the hell had the audacity to bother you on this long lovely night you were having. The sound of loud footsteps quickly approaching your door, immediately recognizing them.

Shit..

Wanderer walks into your room, shoving the rest of the door open like it was his to do so, "I've been calling you, why aren't you--" he takes one good look at your face and shuts up. Your eyes irritatedly peeking over your shoulder at him, over the blanket that wrapped your body, and passed the tears that laid dry on your cheeks and swollen eyes.

You turn away, a sigh passing your lips; laying your head back on your pillow. Its silent for only for a few seconds before you hear him walk to the side of your bed you were facing. You see his legs, and then his face. He crouched down to your level to see your face properly.

He looks at you for a moment, and you stare glare back at him. "Your an ugly crier" he commented. "noted, next time i'll kick you out when im crying." you were already annoyed.

He chuckles, finding your response satisfying. "HAh, like you would do that," his head rested on the palm of his hand, his head slightly tilted to look at you properly. You only let out a scoff as a response. "..mm, I can't help but be curious.. who hurt you so bad- that your ugly crying like this?" He glances over to the missing pictures of your boyfriend that used to be on your vanity, "You two finally break up?" he looks back over at you.

"Finally?" you snap, letting tears fall down your cheeks from the reminder. He doesn't say anything to make you feel better, he knows better than that. Suddenly, you let out a loud sneeze into your blanket, you nose feeling runny, and your head started to feel heavy and hot.

His eyes slightly widen at you, only taking a second before realization hit. "..Don't tell me you were that stupid to had run through the rain without an umbrella," he looks at you with a disappointed look on his face. Your eyes avoid his, dropping your head onto your pillow, guilty of being 'Stupid to run through the rain without an umbrella.'

He sighs at their carelessness. "Humans and their delicate bodys," he stands back up properly; walking out of your room, coming back in with a bowl and a cloth, and setting it down on your bedside table before pulling up a chair to sit on. "I don't need your help," you reject his help, well atleast try to. "Be quiet" he retorted, bringing his hand slowly to your for head, you feel as if your saw him hesitate for a second but disregard it, there's no way he- The great all powerful Hat guy, would find something undoable.

The last time he took care of someone was a very long time ago, so it's possible, a 'fruitless memory' flickered through his mind of those bucolic moments in his past. Pain, or hurt, was something he didn't want to experience again with someone he, cared about..

"hmph." you scoff dismissively.

He ignores you, and keeps checking your temperature. "Lay on your back" he instructs you, "Who are you to-"

"Lay on your back." he growled.

"I-"

"I don't like repeating myself." he asserted again. Finally you listen, turning onto you back and laying there defeatedly. "Fine," you mumble.

"Oh- Good, you can be obedient.~" he sneers. As soon as you open your mouth to say something, he puts his pinky into your mouth and presses it down against your tongue. After only a few seconds he extracts his finger from you mouth, wiping it clean on the cloth again. "Your running a fever. Way over a mortals standards." he sighs, "You need to stay in bed" he instructs. You mouth gapes open in shock to what he just did, "What? I'm capable of taking temperature with my fingertips, is that so surprising? Or is it that you want my fingers back in your mouth?" he says bluntly, a teasing smirk curving onto his lips.

"Oh my god, never mind." You retort. He lets out a chuckle, as he places the damp cloth on your forehead. "I was just kidding~" he purred lowly, amused by their reaction.

You can't turn away from him because the cloth would fall of off. So instead you close your eyes. "Good thinking, get some rest.. i'll be right here." he said in a hushed tone. You fell silent, and actually fell asleep somehow.

Your dream was starting off unsettling, with a huge purple cat with red eyeliner devouring you, eating you whole, while it roarded and laughed- then a black void quickly surrounding you, and the only other thing with you was the white outline of a familiar silhouette approaching you, slowly but surely stopping right in front of your face. It stayed there for a moment, its outline unstable and almost quivering but undoubtedly a person. It inched closer, hesitantly its lips connecting with yours, and you made no effort to move away. Even feeling the warmth of their lips felt real.

It didn't look like your ex, you felt like you would know if it was him. This was a completely different person, warmer, even sweeter.

You slowly open your eyes, and the first thing you see is your white ceiling. The feeling of the warm freshly squeezed towel on your for head, and a flustered Kuni beside you, his face turned away from you with his hand over his mouth.

"What's wrong?" You mumble tiredly. "Nothing. Nothings wrong, go back to sleep." he snaps. You blink slowly, a little confused on why he looked like something had just happened. "anyways, I just had a weirdest dream.." you breathed. He peaked over at you but only with his eyes, "Oh yeah? what was it about?"

Maybe craving more of who ever that was, was wrong of me. You had just broken up with your ex-boyfriend, and you were already dreaming of someone else. Even if it was just a dream, for some reason it just felt so real. You raised your fingers up to your lips, recalling the kiss from the dream as your eyes glued onto the ceiling.

"nevermind.." you say quietly, deciding not to expose your sweet dream. You feel the towel being taken off and watching as he refreshes it, carefully setting it back down on your for head, his hand still pressing down as he leans down slowly. "No, Tell me about it.." he drawls, his eyes darkened with something you couldn't read.

His persistence took you off guard, “well, uh.” Your cheeks turn a tint darker, only because you have never seen this side of him. Like, why does he look so serious? It was only just a dream.

“Well, It was about a cat that ate me, and.. inside that darkness, someone came up to me..” Your voice slightly shaky as you recalled and told the dream that you had just a moment ago, trying to leave out the unnecessary details, but of course he caught you. "and then what?" he got slightly closer, and you hesitate to tell him, but of course you did anyways. "it kissed me."

He stared blankly at me for a second, like he was unsure about something, but then backing up slowly onto his chair. "Really is unfortunate for your ex right?" he sighs, "If I were him, I would have totally been jealous of that mystery dream guy"

You sigh in relief, feeling like you could finally get some air. Not really reading into his words.

"Mm, well- that kiss felt way to real. Never had a dream like that before."

He doesn't say anything, only now realizing that one of his leg was shaking. Something that he usually does when he's stressing.

"You thinking about something?"

He sighs, you knew it. "It's nothing important." he says. "tell meee" you nag, "No." he turns away from you. "Pleaase" you keep pestering. His eye twitches in annoyance, grabbing the towel and freshening it up again.

He didn't know what to say or how to say it. That he wanted them? Craved for their attention? They just broke up with her ex and he's already going to make the moves on them? apart from that their sick. That would be wrong, it would be like taking advantage of their situation.

Really tho did he think he was to think that, he just kissed them earlier without their permission. What a Hypocrite. He bites his lip and they notice that of course. Curious to why he was so nervous, it was so out of character, it was a little bit of a shock to you.

"Did I do something wrong?" you ask, having no idea why he was so fidgety. It was a little cute, he was messing with a strand of his hair, he couldn't decide if he wanted his legs crossed or straight, and even the way he hesitated when trying to change the water from my towel.

"No, of course not." He responds quickly. Grabbing the bowl of water, "I'm going to go and change this water, it's gotten cold."

He leaves the room, leaving you alone in the room with your thoughts. You didn't know why you did this, but you got up and followed him to the kitchen. You wanted to sneak up on him to play a trick, quietly walking up behind him.

"You know, you shouldn't be out of bed."

Shit, well there goes scaring him. "O-oohh heyy"

He slowly turns around to look at you. "Don't tell me you were planning on scaring me were you? Heh- Maybe I should have humored you." he smirks.

You smile, trying to hold back a laugh. “Oh? Whats so funny?” Her smile contagious, he smiles too.

“Nothingg, I'm just grateful you’re here. I really don’t know what I would do without you Wanderer.” you were being honest, if he didn't come when he did, who knew how bad your cold would have gotten.

He looks blankly at them for a moment, turning away from them, “Don’t say things like that so easily.” You smirk, walking up to him to try to get a look at his face. He tries to hide by lowering his face a little more, but he doesn’t pull away, of course he doesn’t, it was you.

The moment you look at his flustered expression, your heart skips a beat. You realized his feelings, at the same moment you realized yours. Backing away slowly, clearing your throat. "I'm always being honest. Maybe, if someone else were as honest as me, things would be a little different.." you look off to the side.

He pauses for a moment, looking back over at them. Unsure if they really even knew what they were talking about, or if he was hearing things correctly. Maybe he was assuming things wrong..

"What are you talking about?" he scoffs. You only take a second to reply, your eyes back on him. "You know what Im talking about.."

He looks away, a little taken aback from their straightforward attitude, yet not exactly surprised. They have always had such a no bullshit attitude, something he admired about you.

"Honesty is not always necessary. Especially when one is hurting." he replies to your hints. He was obviously talking about you. He knew you had just broken up with that guy. He felt like you needed time, space, or some sort of break. If what you were hinting was real, he was willing to wait.

You sigh, smiling. "You don't have to filter yourself just because of me. You know, I can hand your honesty any day of the week." You felt like you knew he was trying to do. You appreciated him for it, it might have even made you fall for him harder.

"..Oh really?" He smirks, completely unhiding. He leans towards you, not too close, but close enough to make you nervous.

"Uhh, No hurry though, whenever your ready. I'm all ears." You were curious if he would confess to you today or later. His company so warm, that is completely forgot about the ex. If he could make your mind float and be this careless, you knew you were comfortable with him.

You didn't understand why wanderer; The slick mouthed, lazy academic, fight picker, and sarcastic guy- made you feel so good inside. He was taking care of you, something that 'man' could never do.

"How did things turn out this way.." He mumbles. Maybe he will just tell you about that kiss a different day.. Your lips were "so warm.." he remembers. Not realizing he said that outloud.

"what?" she asks. Curious to what could been warm. Assuming he might have meant her temperature.

"nothing.." he spits out instantly. Looking away from them again, grabbing the bowl of warm water with his hand, ready to head back.

"aaACHOO!" You sneeze again, and he only sighs in disappointment. You were raising your own temperature by just existing. Why was your body so weak, he thought.

They already knew what he was going to say, "I know.."

He sighs again.

"Your impossible. This is why you should have stayed in bed." He grabs your arm, pulling you towards the room so you could rest in your bed again like you should have been in the first place.

Why archons did you let him fall for such an idiot?

Sorry if it felt a little rushed at the end. I was running out of ideas. T_T

Synopsis: A notorious troublemaker finds himself drawn to the quiet, brilliant girl who spends all her time in the library. What begins as an unexpected curiosity turns into a daily habit, a soft pull neither of them can explain. As rumors swirl and the campus watches their unlikely connection unfold, the chaos he once caused is slowly replaced by something gentler—something that just might be love.

Word Count: 2,569

You’ve always been known as the troublemaker—the one who sleeps in class like it’s part of the syllabus, pulls dumb pranks for laughs, and bombs tests without even trying. You’re loud, reckless, and honestly? Most teachers gave up on you a long time ago. Everyone at school knows your name… and not in a good way.

But one day, it changed.

You spotted her sitting in the library. Same spot every time. Hair tucked behind her ear, pen tapping against her notebook, eyes glued to the page like the world around her didn’t exist. She wasn’t like anyone else here. She looked like she actually belonged—like the school made sense to her.

You asked around for her name. Nobody gave it to you—probably trying to protect her. Fair enough. But you weren’t the type to give up. So you marched into the library the next day like it was your turf, plopped down across from her table, and grinned.

You hesitated a little, hands awkwardly stuffed in your pockets, before slowly walking up to her table. You stood there for a second, unsure what to say. Then blurted it out louder than you meant to:

“Hey!”

She looked up, startled, then confused. “Do I… know you?”

“Uh—n-nope,” you said quickly, laughing awkwardly. “I mean… maybe. I mean, probably not.”

She blinked. “Okay?”

You rubbed the back of your neck, voice a little quieter now. “I, uh… I’ve just seen you here a lot. And I was… curious? About you.”

She stared at you. You shifted on your feet.

“What’s your name?” you asked, trying not to sound like a creep. “I swear I’m not weird. I just… you looked cool. And smart. And I thought… maybe I could sit here?”

She tilted her head, almost smiling. “You want to sit… here?” “Only if that’s okay!” you said quickly. “I don’t really do the whole studying thing but, uh… maybe I could learn a little.” She finally gave a small smile. “It’s Ningning.” You sat down before she could change her mind.

Your heart was racing but you tried to play it cool—emphasis on tried. “…I’m Y/N,” you added after a second. “I’m kinda… bad at all this.” “I figured,” she said, eyes twinkling a little. “But you’re brave for showing up.”

“Brave? Nah,” you muttered. “Just… really wanted to talk to you.”

After the first interaction you two had, You started coming to the library more often—not for the books, not for the quiet, but for her. Ningning. She always sat in the same corner seat by the window, earbuds in, focus locked on her notes like nothing in the world could reach her.

At first, she didn’t even look up when you sat across from her. No greetings. No acknowledgment. Just her pen moving and the faint sound of music leaking from her earphones.

You’d try to start conversation anyway.

“So, uh… did you know they banned chicken nuggets in the cafeteria? Crazy, right?”

No response. She casually turned the volume up on her phone.

Undeterred, you kept going.

“I failed another math quiz today,” you said, leaning back in your chair with a sigh. “Think the teacher’s out to get me. Or maybe math just hates me.”

Still nothing. Just her pen scribbling faster.

But every now and then, you’d catch it—a tiny smile at the corner of her lips, like she was fighting it. Like she didn’t want to enjoy your nonsense, but… maybe part of her did.

One time, you tried handing her a juice box. “Peace offering,” you said with a grin.

She stared at it, then back at you. “Are you trying to bribe me with juice?”

“…Yes?”

She rolled her eyes and took it anyway. “Whatever. Just don’t be loud.”

That was the most she’d said to you all week.

Even when she pretended to ignore you, Ningning never told you to leave. She never asked you to stop showing up. And eventually, your presence wasn’t strange anymore. It was expected.

but everytime ningning goes and study she always expects you to come, its like imprinted in her routine that you’d be there yapping for time and time, even everyone on campus notice the decrease of your stupidity around the campus, out of curiosity they’d always look for you and eventually see you always with ning ning, this week, next week and next next week, you’re day and as time passes by ning ning caught herself unable to put he rheadphones but rather listen to you.

Every day after class, Ningning would head to her usual spot in the library—corner seat by the window, stack of books in her arms, highlighters tucked behind her ear. Same routine. Same silence.

Except now, it wasn’t complete without you.

At first, she told herself it was coincidence. That you just happened to be there again. That the sound of your chair scraping the floor wasn’t something she waited for. That she wasn’t… smiling a little when you dropped your bag with that familiar sigh and plopped into the seat across from her.

But it kept happening.

Every day.

This week.

Next week.

The week after that.

And slowly, it became part of her schedule. Part of her. Like the smell of ink, or the weight of her books, your voice became something she expected—something she wanted.

She’d catch herself, finger hovering over her music app, earbuds in hand. But she never pressed play.

Instead, she listened to you ramble about nonsense. About how history was a scam. About how the vending machine was probably rigged. About how the school cat winked at you and you were now spiritually bonded.

And the craziest part?

She listened.

Really listened.

And the rest of the campus noticed. The chaos you used to bring—the pranks, the yelling, the weird rumors about you flooding the locker rooms with bubble bath—suddenly stopped.

“Where’s Y/N?” people would ask.

But they’d always find the same answer: in the library. With her.

“Y/N’s with Ningning again? What a weird combo…”

“Right? Must be tough for her, poor girl.”

The whispers kept coming, but you didn’t care—not when you were sitting across from her again, surrounded by stacks of books you wouldn’t read and snacks you sneakily smuggled in.

“I’m telling you, if I took school seriously, I could easily become president,” you said, chin resting on your palm.

Ningning didn’t even glance up. “You failed the last history test, Y/N. The one about presidents.”

“Technicalities. I was just… testing the system.”

“But admit it,” you grinned, leaning a little closer. “Campus has been way more exciting since I started bothering you.”

She finally looked up, raising an eyebrow. “Exciting isn’t the word I’d use.”

“What would you use, then?” you asked, trying to sound casual even though her gaze always made your stomach do backflips.

“Loud. Distracting. Questionably annoying,” she said, counting each one off with her fingers. But there was a small smile tugging at her lips, betraying her tone.

You laughed. “Ouch. But you didn’t tell me to leave.”

She shrugged, eyes flicking down to her notes. “Doesn’t mean I don’t want to.”

You gasped, dramatically placing a hand over your heart. “Cold. So cold.”

She sighed, setting her pen down. “Okay, dinosaur boy—what’s today’s wild theory?”

“I’ve been thinking,” you said, leaning in with way too much energy for a library setting, “if time travel was real, I’d go back and stop myself from ever taking math. Life changer.”

Ningning let out a laugh—a real one this time. Soft, quick, almost shy.

“You’re such an idiot,” she muttered.

“Yeah, but I’m your idiot now, right?”

You grinned. “No one. But you didn’t deny it.” That caught her off guard. She paused, cheeks turning the faintest pink. “Who said anything about you being mine?”

She picked her pen back up, pretending to write something. “Keep talking and I’ll deny your existence. You just laughed again, watching her try to hide her smile as she scribbled on the page.

After months of shared afternoons filled with soft bickering, side-eyes over snack wrappers, and silent moments that somehow spoke louder than words, Ningning decided it was time.

She wouldn’t call it a date, of course—not that she didn’t want to. But admitting it out loud felt terrifying. So instead, she called it a trip. A casual visit to a cozy public library she “just happened to like,” far from school and even farther from the watchful eyes of classmates.

You met her there, already surprised by the change in setting. She fidgeted with her sleeves for a while, eyes focused on the bookshelves behind you until—

“We should go somewhere… together. You know, for a change. Not here. Not school,” she said, her tone light, almost teasing. “You could consider it… a field trip. For your chaotic brain.”

You blinked. “Wait, are you asking me out?”

She smirked. “I’m asking if you want to escape studying for a day.”

But the slight blush dusting her cheeks betrayed her, and you felt your heart flip—no, cartwheel. The butterflies kicked in full force.

“You already know the answer,” you said, trying to play it cool. “But say it’s a date, and I’ll say yes even faster.”

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t push it, dinosaur boy.”

Still, the way her lips curled made it clear: she was happy.

The day finally came. You were buzzing the entire morning, practically bouncing in your seat waiting for dismissal. Everyone noticed. And so did the rumors.

“Is Y/N blackmailing her or something?”

“She looks so uncomfortable around him. It’s messed up.”

It spread fast, wildfire-fast, like people couldn’t believe a girl like Ningning could actually choose to be around you.

You were used to the judgment. She was too. Neither of you said anything—but it lingered.

Then, just as you were heading out to meet her, you passed by a group of girls near the vending machine. They were giggling, whispering—until suddenly, the machine tipped forward with a sharp screech.

Gasps rang out. One of the girls froze in place, right in the path of the falling metal.

Without thinking, you lunged forward, catching the edge of the machine and pushing it back into place with all your strength.

Everyone stared.

The girl you saved looked at you, stunned, as did her friends.

One of them muttered, “That’s Y/N…?”

And slowly, it hit them. The rumors. The stories. The reputation. But more than that—it hit them that you weren’t just the guy who disrupted class and played dumb. Somewhere along the line, Ningning changed you. Or maybe, just maybe, she brought out the part of you that was always there… just waiting for someone to see it

You finally arrived—about five minutes late—but Ningning didn’t seem to mind. There she was, sitting by the window of the cozy little library, not in her usual uniform but in a pastel yellow long-sleeved top tucked into casual beige pants, glasses resting on her nose, stacks of books beside her and a warm cup of coffee cradled in her hands.

She looked up and smiled softly, “Late, as expected.”

You chuckled, stepping closer. “Wasn’t expecting you to look this cute, honestly. Might’ve run here instead.”

She raised an eyebrow, but her cheeks flushed. “You say that now, but you’ll still fall asleep mid-convo like always.”

“Nah,” you grinned, sliding into the seat across from her. “Not today. Not when I’ve got your undivided attention for once.”

She narrowed her eyes playfully. “I always give you at least 10% of my brain.”

“Well, I want a hundred.”

Ningning laughed, sipping her coffee as she leaned forward a little. “Then make it worth it, Y/N.”

The conversation flowed easier than usual—no textbooks to hide behind, no distractions. Just the two of you in your own little corner of the world. Banters bounced back and forth like second nature, filling the room with soft laughter.

And somewhere between teasing her about the number of books she brought and listening to her laugh at your absurd theory about time travel and bread expiration dates, you caught yourself just… looking.

You’d always steal glances before, when she studied and you’d pretend to be bored. But now?

Now she was looking back too. No headphones. No fake annoyance. Just her eyes—clear, curious, and soft—locked on yours.

And in that quiet second, surrounded by the smell of old pages and fresh coffee, something changed. Something unspoken but loud.

Dressed Wounds (Iso x Gn! Reader)

Synopsis: The daily life of being an agent in Valorant and more

Author’s notes: I’ll be using the same name as the other iso oneshots i made and for the other valorant fics. I’ll be referring to the gn!reader as Agent 3rd just because :)

It has been around 5 months now since Iso joined Valorant, and it's been around a year since you’ve joined. You were in charge of teaching the new agents the ropes, so you handled Iso for the rest of his stay here. You were supposed to handle Gekko but Reyna insisted because she’s more familiar with the lime fellow. 

You’ve grown particularly close with the boba drinker, literally and figuratively. There were maybe around 4 or 5 times you and Iso getting close literally, you may not remember it, but he does.