"you're Safe With Me Babe, You Can Sleep. I'm Not Leaving, You Know..." They Just Smiled While Staring

Nighttime Nostalgia (Tim Klitz)

Pairing: Tim Klitz x GN!Reader (romantic)

Word count: 1016

Description: Klitz brings Y/N out to a park for a nighttime hangout. Y/N soon questions why Klitz chose this park specifically.

Tags: slight fluff, first kiss, embarrassed Klitz, Klitz's first name, confession, light language

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sun had set a couple of hours ago. Darkness covered the park in a blanket of obscurity. Sitting on top of the play structure, you and Klitz said nothing. You didn’t feel the need to say anything and neither did he. Comfortable silences were not uncommon between you two, you liked that about your friendship. 

You would steal occasional glances over to Klitz, but each time you looked, he was just staring into the dark sky, not looking at anything in particular. For a reason you knew very well, this troubled you. You didn’t want Klitz to look at the sky, you wanted him to look at you. 

“Is there any reason you wanted to come here in particular, Klitzy? I know it’s close, but so are, like, five other parks,” you said, trying to break the quiet as gently as you could. Klitz had suggested you come here to watch the sunset, not just to a park, but this one. 

Klitz looked at you, eyebrows raised calmly. 

“Oh, I don’t know,” he responded. “Yeah, I guess it’s just close.” You could tell he was lying. Klitz had a tell that you had quickly learned to identify. He would look down at his hands and slightly clench his fists before he lied to you. His lying about something so small bothered you.

“Is that so,” you replied, a slight questioning tone in your voice.

He did it again. “Yep, it’s just close.” You took a deep breath. If he doubled down, you knew it had to be juicy, but you also could tell he was a little embarrassed. You and Klitz had been friends since you were in diapers, so the fact he was doing this was weird. A small idea tickled the back of your brain, it was stupid, but you were also shit out of ideas.

You stood up from your sitting position and hopped off the play structure. Klitz looked a little surprised at your sudden movement but didn’t say anything. You then started to slowly walk around the playground, keeping a close eye on Klitz’s face. Your steps were long, but they were slow. You kept an eye on Klitz’s reactions as you moved around the park. 

As you made your way towards the monkey bars, Klitz’s expression changed slightly. He looked down at his face and, even though you couldn’t see the color, his posture gave away his blush. You then walked up to them and sat next to the ladder. You motioned your head to beckon over Klitz. He visibly sighed but got up to join you. He walked a little reluctantly and sat on the opposite side of the monkey bars. 

You smiled at him, an air of mischief on your face. 

“So, Klitz, why this park?” You looked at Klitz expectantly, and he huffed at you. He now knew how easily you had read him, just how quickly you had picked up what he was desperately trying to hide. 

“It’s kinda embarrassing,” he muttered, his arms crossed over his chest. You stood slightly and then sat directly across from him. 

“Now you can whisper,” you whispered to him, a big smile on your face. Klitz couldn’t hold back his laughter at the sight of you. 

“Ok, ok,” he surrendered. “You asked for it.” He adjusted his glasses nervously, and you could now see the blush in his cheeks. He looked up at the monkey bars with nostalgia in his eyes. 

“One time, when we were five, our parents brought us here.” You looked at him, expectant curiosity on your face. You tried to conjure up a memory like that, but nothing appeared.

“We were sitting and talking under the monkey bars, and our moms ran back to the car to get a bottle of water, or something, I can’t remember.” He laughed a little. “As soon as they had gone far enough away, you turned to me, and…you kissed me.” 

Now it was your turn to blush. Klitz had brought you to a park where you had kissed him when you were five. That sentence was all you needed to piece things together. 

“I guess some stupid part of me thought bringing you here would,” Klitz sighed a little. “That it would make you wanna kiss me again.” As that last part entered your brain, you leaned towards Klitz and closed the gap between you.

It was a small kiss, your lips met him and you sat there for a second. He leaned back in surprise but you followed him. Before long, he leaned forward again, into you. After a couple of seconds, you pulled away. 

“Something like that,” you asked. Klitz’s face was bright red and his glasses had slid down his nose. 

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to put any pressure on you, it was a stupid thing to-” You put your finger to Klitz’s lips to silence him. 

“You didn’t pressure me, doofus. It just wasn’t a bad idea is all,” you said confidently, it felt nice to look like the cool one in this situation.

Inside though, you were screaming. You had wanted your first kiss with Klitz to be a little more special than in the middle of a park. You had liked Klitz since middle school, and this is how you showed it? However, the more you thought about it, the more special it felt. A park from your childhood under the stars, and Klitz, who looked just as flustered as you felt. 

The blushing boy before you had never looked more beautiful. The light of the moon lit up his face as he looked at you with such intense emotion burning in his eyes. He smiled slightly as he parted his lips to speak. 

“I really like you, Y/N,” he said, shrinking the gap between your faces as he got closer to you. The way he looked at your lips expectantly screamed at you that he wanted you to kiss him again. 

“I think I feel the same way, Tim,” you smiled, resting your lips on his once more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: I was so excited to write for Klitz! I'm in the middle of my Paul Dano phase right now, so I'm simping hard rn. Also, if you can't tell by this fic and the last one, I'm enamored with dates under the stars, nighttime is just so nice :)

Imagine Giving Zoro A Massage After Training

Zoro Ronona X FemReader

Rating: T

Warnings: Suggestive themes, mentions of blood, insults, stubborn Zoro, arguing, Zoro and reader have short tempers

Word Count: 1.3k

(A/N:) Happy New Year everyone!! Man how the time flies when you’re having fun. Or at least trying to anyway! Anywho we made it another year and I look forward to spending more time writing and bringing more stories for my readers to read! I’m still in a One Piece mood as I try very hard to catch up (I still have a LOOOOONG ways to go) but I can’t help myself I can’t wait to share my ideas I’ve already gotten for these OP babes. So yes I most likely am jumping the gun but a fangirls gotta do what a fangirls gotta do. So please enjoy these tidbits as I explore this world and all the wonderful characters in it! But please everyone have a safe year and if all else fails just enjoy every moment that you can. Struggle through the hard ones, grow from them. Laugh through the good ones, grow from them as well. Life is all about growing and becoming the people we’re supposed to be. I love you all and I hope for this to be your best year ever! <3 Man that got deep didn’t it? Anyway I’m rambling now but until next time happy reading! ~Countess

Afficher davantage

messy stuff

Do I read my own fics? Yes and I’m not ashamed to admit it. I am a very talented writer

set later in the Solar Lunacy timeline where the Daycare Attendants are rooming with the reader, drew this funky maintence guy during the art stream and twitch chat got too attatched to him

( Reader DID tell the Daycare Attendants that the maintence guy was coming over and to hide, but Sun just wanted to say hi \ and Moon is lowkey territorial since there’s no more daycare to patrol )

I dont even care about this guy but twitch chat has grabbed him.

Im here to ask for some Riddler hc with a male s/o

Please all of the ones in the tag are just fem or just an extremely feminized reader. I just want to kiss the incel and not get dysphoria orz

I hope this is good! ^^

---

In the dim, neon green light, your eyes adjusted to your surroundings. You had once again been ordered over intercom to move from room to room into whatever hideout or safe house or riddle nightmare dungeon The Riddler had squatting in.

You hadn't known what had made the man pick you. You weren't necessarily out of the ordinary, didn't stand out more than any other citizen of Gotham. You weren't especially wealthy or powerful. The Riddler should have had no real reason to target you. In fact, you couldn't even recall having seen him before, outside of news reports.

The only thing you could call back to was the strange feeling that you had been watched for the past few months. You had waved it off as a paranoia, and now you had come to regret it. This was Gotham, after all. If someone felt as though they were being watched, there was at least a chance of it being true.

Though luck hadn't been on your side in that matter, it had at least been in your grasp during the riddle trials he subjected you to.

You awoke here, in the dark, in one of the seemingly endless rooms you found in the building Riddler stuck you in. It had taken a few minutes for you to truly wake, to shake the grog from your mind as you adjusted to the dim light.

Feeling your way around the room, you had found a letter. Squinting your eyes, you made out the message.

It is priceless, but it comes to you for free. What is it?

Your heart sunk, your eyes going wide and mouth dropping open in horror at your circumstance. Your heart radiated in your chest, breathing becoming shallow and fast as panic and adrenaline overtook you. It took everything within you to keep your legs from going weak and slumping to the floor in hopelessness.

Oh, God. Oh, God, why you? You hadn't even seen the guy in person before! What did he want from you?!

Trying to get your breathing under control, you read over the riddle again. It is priceless and comes to you for free...

Glancing to your side, you could spot the outline of a door that hadn't been visible to you before. And beside the door was a receiver, most likely in which to give your answer.

Slowly, you approached, note still in your shaky hands.

Priceless and free. Was it... Silence? Silence was golden, and it was free.

You took a shaky breath, slowly breathing out. "Silence?"

The speaker fizzled to life as you heard a voice imitating a buzzer. "Not quite! Try again."

If your mind could have made a noise at that moment, it would most assuredly be the sound of an old dialup computer as it tried to process what just happened.

The Riddler. The Riddler had spoken to you. Bad told you that you had gotten his answer wrong. And you were still alive. Not that you were complaining, but this was normally the part where he started killing people.

Try again. He wanted you to try again. Well, not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, you thought over the riddle again.

It is priceless, but it comes to you for free. What is it?

Your eyes practically burned a whole into the paper, as though hoping it would reveal some sort of secret. This wasn't even fucking fair, anyway. You could know every riddle on Earth, but put someone in a life-or-death situation, and it's no wonder they forget everything!

He was probably running out of patience. He could kill you at any moment.

Licking your lips, you decided on your answer.

"... Love?"

Almost immediately, you heard the sound of a lock being opened, and Edward's voice flooded into the room.

"You got it! I knew you would...~"

For a moment, you simply stared at the door, unblinking. You took in your situation, at what the criminal had just said, at the both terror and relief at still being alive.

Eventually, taking a deep, shaky breath, you forced yourself forward, hoping that once you stepped out of the door, you'd be free.

Of course it couldn't be that easy. You barely made it through the other trials Edward had put you through.

You were placed into another room, with another note.

I am round, thin and shiny, and often studded with stones; I am one symbol of a relationship. What am I?

A timer began to tick down as you took in the room. You knew you needed a ring - but which one?! The dark room was littered with them. On the floor, on tables, hung up on hooks. Metal rings, copper rings, rings that toss at carnival games. Throwing yourself to the floor, you dug and sifted through the different rings that were on the floor.

30...

You pawed at any of the rings on the floor, hoping that touching them would count as an answer.

25...

But what if that doesn't count? Did you need to wear them?! You began fumbling with them to put them on, sliding the bigger rings onto your wrists like bracelets.

20...

Your hands shook with adrenaline as you looked over the rings on the table. Your anxiety and the low light made all the circles blend into one blobby shape as you tried to figure out which one was the right one. You held back sobs as you tried to deduce which one was right - if there even was a right answer.

15...

You jumped, hearing a clicking noise to your left. Whipping your head about, you spotted it: One of the rings that were hung on a hook, suddenly illuminated in green lighting.

10...

You flung yourself over to it, your whole body shaking as you wrestled the other rings off a finger.

5...

You couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't hold the thing without dropping it, your vision going fuzzy with tears. This is it, you were dead!

5...

You managed to pick it up on your second near-blind swipe at the ring.

5...

Had... Had the timer stopped?

You never took your eyes off the timer as you put on the ring, unblinking.

Another unlocking noise.

"Such a smart cookie!" The Riddler spoke again. "And Batman has the audacity to say he's the smartest man in the city!"

You were pretty certain Batman had never said anything like that, but weren't exactly in a position to argue.

Another room, another life-or-death riddle.

When it comes to both you and matters of the heart, it can break you under the wrong amount of pressure. What am I?

Luckily, the walls closing in on you steadily lead you toward the answer rather quickly.

"A crush!" You screamed.

In an instant, the walls returned to their original positions. As the door unlocked, Riddler praised you once more.

"It's incredible how witty you are in dire circumstances. It seems we have a lot in common!"

And the final room. You head felt fuzzy as you tried to recall what happened before you lost consciousness.

A knife. And a note that read, What is mine, but only you can have?

A body on the ground. A woman. You felt sick. You knew that riddle. The answer was "my heart", but what was thr body for?

"My heart!" You announced.

"You're very close, dear."

You swallowed, turning your attention back to the woman's body. God, you felt like you were gonna vomit. Slowly, you searched the woman's pockets. She felt deathly cold even through her clothes. Pulling out a wallet, you opened it.

Maya. Maya Hart.

Your eyes flicked back to the knife, and an image flashed into your mind that made you retch.

No. No, no, no, no, please, God, don't let him make you do this. You didn't want to. Even if she was already dead, she was still a person...!

But, he'd never let you out of here if you didn't solve it.

You didn't even recall picking up the knife. Just the feel of it in your hands. The flash of metal in the dim light. The sick sounds and how her blood looked so black in the light. The feel of the already cold organ in your hands as you barely kept yourself from becoming sick.

My heart.

And then... You couldn't recall the next moments after that. The Riddler had probably stuck up on you, attacking from behind and knocking you out somehow, and here you were. Tied up in another room, restrained in a chair. Waiting for death. Or worse.

You kept your head hung, as it had been when you awoke, waiting for the inevitable. Or maybe stalling the inevitable. Either way, you waited in the darkness until the weight and strain of your position grew to be too much.

The cracking of your back hadn't made you gasp, but it sounded like someone else had. Someone in the same room as you.

Him.

He was here with you the whole time.

"Ah, finally! I've been waiting for you." The Riddler cooed as he looked upon you, helpless in your restraints.

With all the courage you could muster, you locked eyes with him. "What... What do you want from me?"

"Just one final riddle, my love. I promise."

Your eyes shot open wide, stuttering out a barely formed series of sounds. His... His love?

Before you could even process the previous sentence, he continued. "What is the fabric of your shirt made of?"

The fabric of your shirt? What the hell? You could barely even remember where you had bought the thing, let alone what it was made of! What were shirts usually made of? Cotton? Polyester? A mix of both-

As you feverishly wracked your brain for an answer, The Riddler used that distraction to swiftly move in, swooping down to your sitting position to press his lips against yours. A gloved hand rose to cup your cheek, a thumb stroking softly at your jawline. He hummed into the kiss, pressing even deeper into it, before pulling away.

Edward chuckled at the shocked look on your face, grinning wide ad he gave you the answer.

"One hundred percent boyfriend material."

Thanks for reading!! I'm happy you like my stories that much! <3

Of course Ghostface wants you!

Gf!Ethan X GN!Reader

‼️CW/TW‼️: scar; manipulative E; yandere!Ethan

If there's others tell me.

Not satisfied with this one, like really not. I fell like this is pure shit. Sorry.

"I'm scared, E. I'm actually terrified."

Ethan tightens his hold around you and kiss your forehead. The both of you lying down on your bed after a movie and an argument with the group.

"Ghostface wants us, he probably wants me, too! I don't wanna die, not like this. And the group... They want to separate you from me. You're my only support. Don't leave."

"I won't leave you." He whispers in your ear. "I'd never leave you. Nobody'll ever separate you from me. We'll be together forever. I'll protect you from everything."

According to Mindy, Ethan was the main suspect. When the first attack occurred, he wasn't here. Everyone got hurt, and Anika...

A wave of sadness overcome you and you feel your eyes water again.

"Love..." Ethan whispers, concern in his voice.

His thumbs caress your cheek while a weak smile makes his way to your face. The first attack was so unexpected, nobody was ready.

You even got hurt, too. Ghostface plunged his knife into your thigh. The hit was directed towards Sam but, trying to push her away, you fell and got hurt instead of her. Badly. You'll never regret it though.

Ethan's hand goes down your shoulders, to your hips to finally settle on your thigh. Where your stitches remains. He does not put his palms directly on it since the scar is really fresh and not healed yet. But his hand was still close to it. He was feeling guilty ever since he saw you with Chad near the ambulance. He was blaming himself.

"It's not your fault, E." You say.

-Yes, it is. I should have been here.

-But you weren't. It's useless to think of what you could have done. I'm alive. That's what matters."

You feel water running down your head. A single drop. A tear. Ethan is crying. You take Ethan's hand which is on your thigh and move it to your hip. Your good leg sneak its way in between his. While the hurt one goes above them to frame him. But not too far in case you worsen your stitches by stretching it. Both of your arms go under his. Your chest is glued to his.

"It's my fault.

-It's Ghostface's fault. He's the one who attacked me. Not you."

Ethan stays silent. His hand caress your back slowly and you do the same for him. Both of you comforting each other in the almost religious silence of the room. Some cars could faintly be heard outside but you were not paying attention to them.

In this hug, you were protecting each other. You were telling him how much you loved him, how much you were grateful. While Ethan was telling you that everything would be fine. He was so worried... You were happy he had econ. You don't know what you would have done if you saw him get hurt. He's the only one who understands you. The last thing you want is to see him in danger.

"You're risking your live by staying with me, you know ?" You talk with a shaky voice. You were getting emotional again just by thinking of what could happen.

"I'm sure Ghostface won't hurt you. How could he kill someone as pretty as you?"

"That's not funny, E. I'm really scared.

"I know but I swear to you, from now on, I'll always be by your side."

You nod, burying your face in his chest. Your arms tighten around him. You feel him tense for a second. Worried, you look up at him to just see him smiling, all softened, at you. He was so pretty. How could the others ever think of him as a criminal ? He was the one massaging your back when you were tired. He was the one cuddling you when you were sad. He was the one litteraly apologizing to chairs when he bumped into them. He was the one crying watching romantics movies ! How could he kill someone?

"Did I hurt you?" You ask.

-No, love. Why?" He whispers back.

You took time to respond, chilling in the pretty silence of the room where all you could hear were your two breath. It was hot but a nice hotness. A calming one. It made you sleepy, you who had sleep issue.

"Your body contracted when I touched you.

-It's nothing..."

Still worried, you move in the bed. Your back now facing him. He's whining, missing your body close already. You grab your phone and quicky return under the blanket. This time though, your head goes underneath. With the flashlight of your phone, you move up his shirt and look at where you touched moment prior. Ethan sighs.

"I told you it's nothing."

But you ignore him and go back to the surface. Meeting his accustomed yet loving gaze.

"Did your hurt yourself? You have a bruise on your hip."

He laughs nervously, as if embarrassed. His big hands takes a good hold of your hips before moving you up until you're face to face. He then hides his face in your neck. He loved doing that, manhandling you. You never understood why. He sighs once in the comfort of your body.

"I bumped into the corner of the table yesterday."

You had doubts.

"You're not hiding something from me, right ?"

But Ethan never doubted himself.

"What ? You think I'm Ghostface, too?" He said in a ironical tone, knowing damn well he won already.

You were not laughing. You would never dare doubt your boyfriend like that. The only reason you asked that was because you were scared he got into a fight or simply hurt himself bad. It happens, after all. Never would the thought he was a murderer even cross your mind. So you push him away from you a little to see his face. Not even a shadow of a smile on your face.

"Don't say that. Even for a joke. You know it makes me angry. I don't like them saying that. You're not Ghostface. I think I'd knew it well if you were a damn serial killer." You said, gritting your teeth, your hands clenching around his shirt.

-Well, I don't like them saying that either. Plus, they imply that you'd be stupid enough to be in a relationship with someone you barely know. But you're not stupid. And we know each other. You're the cleverest person in the damn world.

The subject changed and you didn't even notice.

-I am stupid sometimes, though. There is lot of things that I don't notice. Like when that guy was following me home. If it weren't for you I'd be dead.

-And that's why I'm here.

It was his duty, after all. To protect you.

-But Ghostface is not just a creepy guy in an alley. He's much more dangerous Ethan. And he wants me dead. He wants me.

-Of course he wants you my love, you're so pretty. Everyone want you.

You move away from his embrace and stare at him angrily. You had already told him not to joke like that and he was still doing it. Your eyes were swollen and your cheeks were dry. Contradictory with the long minutes you spent wetting them.

-Seriously Ethan, don't joke on that subject. It's making me uncomfortable. Anika is dead because of that guy. I don't want to laugh.

You cringed internally mentioning your friend. Fuck, she wasn't even related to the group that much. She was new, like Ethan. Why was she targeted ?

-I'm joking on it because I know nothing will happen to you. You're safe with me." He was smiling. A reassuring smile. One you could pour all your trust in.

You could never stay mad at Ethan anyway. Less in a situation like this. You needed support. And your friends didn't want him around. You only had him to dry your tears.

"I don't want you to get hurt." You said, entering back your safe place: his arms.

"I already told you. I won't. I'm staying here until you are safe.

-And the group? Chad, Mindy, Sam and Tara ? What about them?

-I'm sure they'll be fine. Even if they threw you out of their house...

-They didn't throw me out of the house, Ethan. I know you don't like them but they're my friends. They're scared too, you have to understand that.

-Okay, I understand. But if I wasn't here, you would have been all alone. They shouldn't have kicked you out in a situation like this."

You found nothing to answer this time. Because it was true. If he wasn't here, you'd be alone. They didn't kick you out, you left with Ethan because you were angry with their accusatory remarks towards him. But still, no one tried to call you. To know how you were doing. To even check if you were alive. And realizing that, you start crying again. You were so sensitive since Anika's death. You were truly in edge. You were happy Ethan was here.

"I'm alone E. I'm so fucking alone..." You realized.

-No, of course not. You're not alone. I'm here. I'd die for you. I'll protect you. Nothing will ever harm you as long as I'm here. You'll always be seen with me by your side. I'll marry you one day. You know that?"

You weren't listening anymore. You were remembering every memory you had with your friends. Searching a way to come back to them, to regain their trust. You needed them, they were your dear friends. Maybe you were dramatic but you had every right to be. And Ethan was right. They had left you alone to die by Ghostface. They had left you knowing you were a target. But you loved them, you couldn't resent them.

"We'll live a life where you won't need anyone but me. And I won't need anyone but you. A house secluded where no one can come. After all of this is done, we'll be together."

Ethan was smiling. But you couldn't see it.

Locker Room (Eddie Munson x Reader)

Masterlist 

Eddie Munson x Reader (She/Her)

Warnings: Swearing

Tag list: @Mikinyi @justaproudslytherpuff @angelicjinwoo @k12baby @spiderman-berries​ @ruhro7​ @justanotherhappyidiot @dontcallmesavvy @kenzi-woycehoski​ @gh0stm3g​ @lagataprrr @spencersbookbag @ygrworld @ambernicole90 @alwaysbeenfamous @angelsarecallin @voteforevilthoughts @iameddiemunsonshair @hellf1reclub DM me if you wanna be on the Eddie tag list!:)

Synopsis: When Y/N realises that Eddie was hiding in the girls locker room, she has the decision to out him or believe him that it was all just a big misunderstanding

Afficher davantage

Favorite Customer: Edward Nashton x Gn!reader

description: (based off of this concept and this concept) Eddie's picking up shifts at the diner where he's quickly gained a favorite customer who comes in without fail, every saturday. when eddie though, is the one who fails to show up one saturday, his favorite customer realizes how much they enjoy his company, so they make an effort to make sure they'll never miss eddie again.

content: crushing!!! so much crushing!! eddie has a huge crush. no real established timeline (can be pre- riddler or riddler era eddie, whatever your heart desires!), lovesirck, nervous, stuttery eddie <33 (he's too cute) this fic is pretty much pure fluff! no real warnings to be given :)

word count: 4775

a/n: i have had THE biggest diner!eddie brainrot since i started discussing the concept a few days ago... him as a shy waitier with a favorite customer who he just adores :(( TOO CUTE... so here's a short little drabble while i work on some bigger fics.

-

Edward felt his chest tighten as he looked across the crowded diner, an increased foreboding feeling filled the space between his ribs. His stomach churned with a certain disquietude while laying his eyes on the sea of people surrounding him. Chattering customers sat about, making more noise than Eddie knew how to deal with, their incessant ranting and raving filling his brain to a capacity that he could not stand. He let out a shaky exhale, desperately preparing himself for the Saturday dinner rush that had already begun.

"Nashton!" An unnecessarily loud call came from directly behind him. He tried his best not to cringe at the sound, Edward could spot the voice of his shift supervisor anywhere, he loathed the sound of her thick New Jersey accent, and shrill, scratchy tone that could only be found in a woman who's been smoking for far too long. Her rough voice alone made Edward contemplate quitting his own nicotine addiction, not wanting to end up barely over 60 and already sounding like he's decaying. But with the anxiety caused by shifts like these, he found himself desperate for a cigarette. His long fingers lightly grazed the front pocket of his work pants, making sure the half-empty package of cigarettes still remained where he left it.

Edward turned around to face the voice, looking at his supervisor with a big, lost look plastered all over his face. He did little to hide the nameless dread that swarmed every cavity of his being, his low-hanging head, and god-awful posture all alluding to his negative state of mind.

"Ya regula' is here sweetheart, table 8, go make ya-self useful it's too busy for ya to just be standin' around like that."

At the announcement of his regular being there, Edward's entire demeanor changed. Suddenly he's standing up straight, and his eyes are wide and attentive, he'd hardly even noticed his supervisor's condescending tone. An involuntary smile crept on his face and his stomach began to do loops.

"Y-yes," Edward nodded, an overwhelming excitement threatened his stuttering voice.

Edward began to make his way over to table 8, the anxieties of the crowded diner slowly drifting away as he caught a glimpse of you from across the room. You were sitting there, with a strained look on your face as you hunched over a beat-up notebook. Edward worried you'd be able to feel his eyes burning into you from how intensely he was looking in your direction, but he couldn't help himself, he was infatuated with you.

Ever since he started picking up shifts at the diner on weekends to help out with rent he'd notice you come in every Saturday. You'd always come in on your own, sometimes with textbooks, or notebooks, maybe even a computer. Over the course of weeks spent serving you, he'd come to find out that sometimes you would come to the diner to study and as the two of you grew closer he'd even on occasion helped you out with your coursework. Usually on nights where it was late, and the diner had gone nearly empty, but you and he still remained, you'd let out a frustrated sigh, and Edward would ask to take a look at your work. Edward wasn't always the greatest in school- he was smart but too miserable to ever put in enough effort to apply himself properly. But you, you gave him the boost he needed and he was more than happy to put in as much work as necessary to show you his capabilities. That being said most of the time he did understand the work you were doing, and he'd sheepishly look around the diner, making sure no one else needed his help, and once he was in the clear he'd sit next to you and try not to stutter too hard while explaining whatever concept it was to you.

Those nights were Edward's favorite. You always looked so cute with that exasperated look on your face, asking Edward for help. Edward sort of liked the feeling of someone needing his help. Even if it was just for some schoolwork.

But, regardless of whether you were studying or not, every Saturday night without fail, you'd come in completely on your own. Edward always wondered what someone like you would be doing all on your own at a cheap diner on a Saturday evening, after all, Saturdays were for having fun, right? He'd wonder if you were lonely like he was, or if you just liked to take time to yourself. Maybe spending your night surrounded by rude, rowdy strangers was your idea of a fun Saturday night.

He wondered a lot about you actually, even outside of his Saturday shifts. He thought about you often, he couldn't help himself. Your weekly appearances made the job worthwhile, your pretty smile and sweet demeanor were Edward's escape from the usual verbal abuse and beratement he suffered at the hands of most of the customers while on the job. You treated Edward like he was real, like he was a person, your quick waiter-to-patron exchanges were warmer than any of the treatment he'd ever gotten in his life thus far.

So, when Edward had fallen ill last weekend after a co-worker at his day job had come into work with a nasty cold he was absolutely devastated he'd miss his weekly encounter with you. While Edward sat home, sick, fever overcoming his body, he continued to wonder. He wondered if you even noticed that he was missing, or if you were maybe even glad he wouldn't be bothering you tonight. He worried maybe you'd like your server tonight more than you liked him, maybe you'd gotten one of his more confident, more "conventionally attractive" co-workers as your server and maybe the two of you really hit it off.

The worries plagued his aching head until a calmer, more appealing part of his consciousness took over, one that dreamed up a fantasy of you sitting alone at a booth by the window, completely on your own, unhappy with tonight's waiter, missing him. The thought of you even just recognizing Edward's absence put a smile on his face. Of course, it also made him feel a little guilty, he didn't want you to be unhappy, only, unhappy regarding the fact you weren't with him.

But now, Edward was back, and in good health once again. He wiped his clammy palms against the thick fabric of his pants. His thighs tremble under the firm touch of his hands. Something catches your attention and you suddenly drop the pencil in your hand and look up from your notebook. Your head turns to the side and all of a sudden you and Edward are making eye contact, Edward feels his body go stiff as a large smile spreads across your face.

"Eddie!" You exclaim the moment he gets within a few feet of your table. Edward feels his heart begin to beat faster as the sound of your voice. He can't help but melt every time you call him Eddie, you were the only person who'd ever called him that.

"H-hi y/n," He smiles, approaching the small table.

"I missed you last week Eddie," You lean forward against the table, resting your chin in your hand. You noticed. Edward felt his breath get caught in his throat and he had to try to think really hard for a moment about how to remember to breathe. The way you looked up at him had him in a daze, the way the soft diner light's reflected off your eyes, and how this lighting perfectly flattered your skin. Edward had never in his life gazed at something so beautiful.

"Oh-oh yeah, someone at my other job got me sick so I couldn't come in."

"Aww, my poor Eddie." You whine, giving Edward an overexaggerated pout, looking up at him with big, sad, puppy-dog eyes. Edward's head begins to go a little fuzzy, who's Eddie? YOUR poor Eddie? Edward worries he may pass out, but the thought of how embarrassing it would be to faint right there in front of you is enough to keep his consciousness half-working. "You're feeling better now though, right?"

"Yeah, yeah- i-it was just a cold."

"Good," You smile, "I'm glad, it kind of sucked without you here, I was looking forward to seeing you and all- I even brought this really hard crossword puzzle I found in the newspaper for us to do together." A crossword puzzle? Together? Edward can't believe his ears. He's sure he looks absolutely insane right now, eyes blown wide, and his usually pale cheeks a deep, rosy pink.

"Did you um- finish it yourself?"

"No," You shake your head, "It's still on my coffee table." You let out a small, soft chuckle at the end of your sentence, and Edward swears he's fallen in love the instant the sound of your stifled laugh hits his ears. It's only been two weeks since he last saw you but god did he miss your voice.

"Well, if you bring it next time I'll do it with you." Edward nods before once again wiping his palms against his thighs. His hands tremble slightly as he tries to relieve them of some of the moisture they've accumulated from his nerves. It doesn't work. Edward's eyes quickly dart from you, to the notebook that's open in front of you, "What are you studying today?"

"I was really hoping you'd ask" You pick your head up from your hand, 'Remember how I was telling you how I was taking that forensics class?"

"Mhm." Edward rocks forward slightly.

"We're studying the Zodiac Killer right now, and as a challenge, my professor gave us the 408-cipher to try and solve for extra credit, and, god, this shit is hard." You let out an exasperated sigh.

Edward's face lights up upon hearing this news, excited that he now has the opportunity to help you out with something he knows he's good at.

"Do you want me to take a look at it when I get my break?" Edward asks, trying his best to not talk too loud or too forcefully out of pure eagerness.

"Would you please, Eddie?" And there you go again, looking up at Edward with those soft, sweet eyes, and he's weak in the knees now.

"Of course," He nods eagerly. Just then he's startled by the feeling of someone's hand on his shoulder. His body flinches slightly, caught off guard by the sudden sensation.

"Hey- hurry it up Nashton, you've got other customers waiting." Edward turns to see one of his fellow waiters standing behind him. Edward's jaw clenches tight in frustration at both being touched and being interrupted. Edward stares the man down, a long string of expletives brew in his vocal cords and he bites down on his tongue to stop himself from saying something that would get him fired or even worse make you upset. His teeth are puncturing his tongue so hard that a slight metallic taste seeps into his taste buds.

"Sorry." Edward barely mumbles out through gritted teeth. Who does he think he is, interrupting such a moment? Edward quickly turns back to face you, your brows furrowed slightly at the waiter who'd just reprimanded him. "Oh-uh I should probably take your order. The usual?"

"Yes please," Your expression quickly softens to a smile as the other waiter leaves your presence. You hand Edward back the menu the hostess had placed at your table, "You know me so well."

"I'll get that to you as fast as I can," Edward says, taking the menu back from you, rocking forward back and forth slightly on the balls of his feet.

"No rush Eddie." You assure.

-

It had been nearly two hours since Edward had cleared the dishes from your table, and you still sat there, in that booth, nose down in your notebook. Edward stared at you from across the diner, admiring your every move, he felt a little creepy but he just could not take his eyes off of you. A faint smile grazed upon his small pink lips as your brows knitted together and you let out what seemed to look like a sigh.

The diner had cleared out substantially as the late-night dinner rush faded into the early hours of the morning.

"You can take ya' 30 now Nashton," his supervisor said, pushing past his shoulder with a mostly empty coffee pot in hand. He nodded in response, despite no longer being within the woman's line of sight.

Edward makes his way over to the dessert case that sits right at the front of the diner. He slides open the case and takes out a slice of pumpkin pie that sits on one of the shelves, before heading to your table. Edward places the glass plate down and it rattles against the plastic tabletop, before taking his place on the seat opposite you with no warning. Your head popped up from your notebook immediately as you heard the sound of someone in front of you.

"Edward!" You said with a small gasp, "You startled me."

"Oh- I'm sorry." Edward frowns, his cheeks flush, hoping he hasn't upset you too greatly.

"It's no bother," You shake your head, "Come sit next to me," you scoot yourself over in the booth and pat the cheap pleather next to you.

Edward is quick to get up from his spot- anxiously taking the opportunity to get at least a little bit closer to you.

"Is this for me?" You smile, pointing at the slice of pumpkin pie that sits in front of you.

"Yeah, it's on me."

"You're too sweet to me Eddie," You say grabbing the plate and bringing it towards you. "You want to share?"

"No, it's okay, only if you don't finish it." He shakes his head and puts up his hands, motioning that you can keep the pie to yourself.

"Okay," you pause, "Should we get started?"

"Mhm."

-

"See? You got it." Edward said handing you back your pencil. "And this shape here... this would also be..." His voice trailed off as he extended a long finger to point at a square-like shape on the cipher.

"L...?" You asked, looking over to Edward for reassurance.

"Exactly! See? It's easy." his voice full of nothing but adoration and praise.

"Easy to you Eddie, you're like... a genius." You giggle. Edward's cheeks begin to turn a soft shade of red in response to your compliment.

"Oh," He sighs and shakes his head, "Not a genius, look, you did most of the work."

"With your help Eddie."

Edward's entire body gets hot and he can feel your eyes on him, he can't think of anything to say, no words will come out. You sound so kind, so appreciative, it has Edward in a trance. He's almost glad that his words are stuck in his throat, worrying that if somehow, someway they were able to climb their way out of his mouth he'll say something dumb. In a weak attempt to escape your unrelenting gaze Edward glances downwards and while doing so gets a quick look at the watch that wraps around his wrist. The ticking minute and second hands instill dread within him as he looks down at their surface.

"Shit." He sighs, "My break ended 5 minutes ago."

You frown, "Well, I'm not leaving until I finish this cipher, so, I'll probably still be here when you get off."

"Alright," Edward looks back up and pushes his glasses back up his nose, glancing back up at you he notices a sudden change in your face, your brows hang lower and your mouth points downwards. He can't quite explain the way your look makes him feel but he knows its not good. Edward looks around, noticing the lingering customers that are still scattered about. It's not that many people, he sighs "I- I'll be around a few more times." He sets his hands on the table and nods reassuringly.

"Okay," You respond in a hushed voice, barely above a whisper. Edward usually loves to hear your voice, but not now, you sound dejected, disappointment radiates off those two little syllables and he's well aware he's the one who caused it. Edward tilts his head as he looks at you, the corners of his mouth involuntarily falling just as yours had done seconds prior.

"You've got this," he barely lifts his finger to point towards your open notebook, he gives you a wholehearted smile, cheering you on in an attempt to hopefully lift that frown off your face.

"Thanks, Eddie." Your lips perk up slightly in a small smile, and Edward is relieved slightly that he is able to make at least a tiny change to your disappointed appearance.

He wants to stay sat down, helping you with the rest of the cipher, praising you every single time you get something right. He wants nothing more than to sit next to you for the rest of the night, and he contemplates just saying fuck it and doing just that. But the rational part of Edward's brain knows he can't risk getting fired, can't risk losing this job, and in the long run spending an extra few hours with you was not worth losing out on potential weeks' worth of diner visits.

So, unwillingly, he begins to send himself back to reality, away from your warmth and delight. He looks back around, noticing that the old couple that has been harping on him all night is still sitting at a booth in the far corner of the diner. A long breath falls from his lips, wishing that all of his customers could be as sweet as you, greeting him with a kind smile and attentive eyes. But even then Edward knows no one could ever compare, he knows he would never get as much pleasure from serving anyone as he does you. You were an experience he could not find anywhere else, and that's why it pained him so much to once again leave you alone in this booth, left to try and solve this cipher on your own.

Edward slowly stands up from the table, his hands warily pushing into its surface, reluctantly supporting him as he makes his depart.

"I'll be back soon," He smiles, stepping out of the booth.

"See you, Eddie."

-

A brisk wind hits Edward's face as he takes a step out of the overwhelming confines of the diner, slipping out into the dark Gotham streets. He sighs as he leans up against the building, his fingers slipping into his pocket to fish for the battered cigarette package. His hand wraps around the flimsy cardboard and takes it out of the tight confines of his trousers, flipping open the top and taking out a cigarette. He places the long, slender stick in his mouth before placing the package of cigarettes back in his pocket, and searching for his lighter in the other one. The cigarette sits between his teeth as both of Edward's hands come up close to his face, one cupped around his mouth to protect the impending flame from the wind, and the other holding his lighter, ready to strike. A calloused finger flicks down on the cold, metal flint, eliciting a bright orange flame from the cheap green lighter. The soft glow from the flame casts a small amount of warmth against Edward's face as he lights the end of his cigarette.

Edward inhales the warm smoke, letting the cool taste of menthol coat his mouth and throat, his prior urge to quit dissipates just as quickly as the smoke that exits his mouth does when it hits the wind. Edward's vaguely aware of each inhale's toxicity, but people fill their bodies with garbage every day, so really, how much more harm could a cigarette be doing?

Edward suddenly turns around, startled by the rattling of the diner door behind him. His gaze now falls upon you, who's just exited the diner, bag full of books slung over your shoulder, ready to leave. Your sudden appearance catches Edward way off guard, causing him to stifle his inhale, the smoke getting stuck in his throat. The once comforting warmth is now burning as he begins to viciously cough, nearly dropping his cigarette in the process. You stand there next to him, a vaguely worried look on your face.

"You alright, Eddie?" You ask, tiliting your head to the side.

"Yeah-yeah," Edward barely chokes out after a few more coughs, his face flushed with embarrassment. Finally, he catches his breath and straightens himself out, and a more relieved look washes over your face.

"I finished the cipher." You state, "I- uhh- I left a copy of it on the table- right next to your tip- if you wanted to take a look at it."

"Of course I do," His face lights up, "That's good. I told you you could do it." Edward's free hand taps anxiously at his side, his fingers pattering at the fabric of his pants.

"Well," You look down at your feet, a shy smile tugging at your lips, "It was mostly you, Eddie."

Edward wonders why you're being so bashful, you should be proud of yourself.

"Don't discount your work, I merely just helped,"

"I guess." You shrug, "Well- I just thought I'd let you know it's there for you on the table, I didn't know if you're staying 'til close- but I'm getting pretty tired so I figured I should go."

"No-uh-yeah that's alright, I still have a bit left on my shift." Edward nods incessantly. "Thank you for letting me know."

"Of course Eddie." You smile, "Goodbye," You shift towards Edward slightly and open your arms. He freezes for a minute, all of his joints simultaneously feeling like they've just locked up. He needs to take a second to process what your open arms are inviting before he anxiously opens his up slightly too.

Your arms find themselves on his torso, just barely giving his upper body a squeeze. Edward is completely thrown off guard, you've never hugged him before. He wants nothing more than to throw his arms around you, pull you into a bone-crushing embrace, and show you the full force of his affections. But he stops himself, only wrapping one arm fully around your back, and the one with the cigarette loosely around you, keeping it stuck out slightly to keep the flame away from your body.

Even in your friendly embrace, Edward can't help but admire the warmth that radiates off of you. Not just physical body heat, but the way your arms hold him, and your headrests just gently on his shoulder, no one has ever handled him with such delicacy. He couldn't even tell you the last time he had a hug, years probably, and one like this? Literally never.

"Goodbye." He choked

He desperately suppressed the urge to tell you how much this meant to him, to get comfortable in your arms, to let you hold him there- but Edward knew this was no more than a friendly goodbye hug between two acquaintances. Your arms slowly pulled away from him as a small yawn escaped from your mouth. He couldn't even be disappointed at the sensation of you letting him go, the afterglow of even the simplest affection, was so heavy on his face.

"See you soon!" You wave, beginning to step away from Edward.

"Please be safe." He urges, unable to not worry about the possibilities of wandering around Gotham late at night.

"I will Eddie," You sport a content grin across your face as you turn around and walk away. Edward's gaze follows you down the sidewalk until he sees you get into a car that he presumes is yours.

He brings his cigarette back to his lips, inhaling, desperate for some relief now that his mind is once again moving at a million miles a second. The nicotine does little to calm him down now, still all too stunned from your sweet goodbye. If anyone were to pass by now he'd surely look like a madman, his body entirely stiff and locked up, smiling like an absolute maniac. But he didn't have half the mind to even care about his perception to other people because you hugged him. How could he ever possibly stop thinking about that? How could literally anything else in his life matter?

Edward quickly finishes his smoke, eager to see your work on the Zodiac cipher. What remains of the cigarette falls from Edward's fingers and onto the cold, hard ground below. He steps over the dwindling flame, crushing the cigarette with the heel of his boot and scraping the rubber sole against the rough pavement to make sure it's been put out. He anxiously steps back inside where he b-lines right to your table. The first thing he notices is a generous $15 tip, way over 20% for your meal. The sight of the wet bills sitting under a cup covered in tiny droplets of condensation brings a small smile to Edward's face, even though it makes him feel a little shallow.

Next to the bills, however, Edward notices a copy of the Zodiac cipher penciled out on the same notebook paper you had been using, on a separate sheet, the answer to the cipher, both of which he'd expected to see. However, Edward is slightly caught off-guard by a third sheet of paper, containing the same symbols of the 408 cipher, but of a different length in order, with a simple"Solve me :)" scribbled at the top.

Edward quickly realizes that you've left him your own cipher to solve, and he's even more excited now than he was before, just getting to see your solution to the Zodiac cipher. But now you're actually partaking in a puzzle for him to figure out? Could you get any more perfect? Edward's chest moves so rapidly, his breathing so present, that he's positive that it could probably be heard from tables away.

Despite all his eagerness to immediately drop everything and begin to decipher your message, he can hear his supervisor calling his name from across the diner. He gives out a shaky sigh, collecting the things from the table before returning to his job.

-

It's after 2 a.m. and Edward's finally home, his aching back hunched over his large wooden desk, papers sprawled throughout, illuminated only by a single, blinding lamp. He chews on his lip as he scribbles out the last remaining letters of your cipher before stepping back to read your work.

To my favorite waiter,

I know you love puzzles, so I wanted to try my hand at one I hope it's not too easy to solve, when you get the answer, give me a call!

The cipher then spelled out a series of ten single-digit numbers. Edward's pen fell right out of his hand straight onto the ground and his jaw went slack once he put everything together. Those numbers spelled out a phone number your phone number. You wanted him to call you. HIM!

Edward runs a hand through his sandy-blonde hair, lightly tugging on the strands as his fingers pass through in pure disbelief. Had his apartment always been this warm? His vision always been this blurry? Anxious fingers fumble towards his back pocket, quickly whipping out his phone. His hands are visibly shaking as he holds his phone out in front of him, typing the numbers onto the keypad. His nervous shakes causing him to hit the wrong number more than once.

Once he finally has the number down he sits there, staring at his bright screen reflecting back onto his face. He's lost, he has no clue what to do. You said to call him... but what if you're asleep? It is pretty late. What if it's a cruel joke and that's not even your real number? What if he says something stupid and embarrasses himself. Edward is at a loss, but he can't give up this opportunity, no way.

Edward screws his eyes shut tight, fuck it, he presses the bright green call button that shines in his face. The phone begins to ring, each high pitched toll feels like a growing mockery of Edward's own anxieties.

And finally, the ringing stops, the line picks up. Edward's heart drops down to his stomach.

"H-hello," He stutters into the speaker.

"Eddie!" A familiar voice says on the other side, comfort reigns over Edward as his body finally slumps back into his chair, "You called!"