#// no one said the muse is going to answer honestly hehe

[wendichester]

if i could request a little thing with sammy that’d be lovely? was thinking dean and sam run into a photographer (you) involved in a case they’re investigating. your photos end up being a huge help in their work but sammy, while snooping around, discovers that you’ve been taking candid photos of him alongside your other projects. hehe kind of like a secret but not so secret admirer. the feelings being mutual can be up to you, i don’t mind either way.

⋆. 𐙚 ̊ candid,

summary. it's impossible to not snap a picture when the subject is sam winchester

pairing. sam winchester x reader

wordcount. 542

notes. the loveliest of requests ᵔᴗᵔ i just love sam and think he would be so immediately in love with you by this act that he would just melt. hope you like it ⭑.ᐟ

The case was almost wrapped up, thanks in large part to you. Dean had noticed the way Sam lingered when you spoke, how his usually quick answers slowed to keep the conversation going. Ever the observant big brother, Dean decided to bow out of the next visit to your studio.

"Why don’t you handle this one, Sammy?" Dean said, smirking as he patted Sam on the shoulder. "I’ll, uh, follow up on that lead at the diner."

Sam gave him a look, knowing full well there wasn’t a lead at the diner, but Dean was already walking away, keys jingling in hand.

That’s how Sam found himself alone in your studio, waiting for you to return. He admired the space—walls lined with your work, each photo telling a story in a way words couldn’t. His fingers traced the edges of an album you’d left on the counter. It's out in plain sight but it almost feels hidden. Like you had purposely left it tucked away in that corner. Curiosity got the better of him, and he opened it.

At first, it was the usual landscapes and candid shots of the town, but then he saw… himself.

There he was sitting on a park bench, sunlight framing him like something out of a movie. Another photo showed him leaning against the Impala, his jacket slung over one shoulder, jaw set. One particularly soft shot captured him reading, his face relaxed, almost peaceful.

He barely noticed you come in until you spoke.

"Sam?"

He jumped, nearly dropping the album. "Uh, hey. I was just—"

"Snooping?" you teased, though your cheeks turned pink when you noticed what he’d been looking at.

Sam closed the album, turning to face you with a sheepish grin. "Didn’t mean to invade your privacy. But, uh… these are really good."

You crossed your arms, your embarrassment obvious. "They weren’t supposed to be… seen."

"Why not?" he asked, tilting his head.

You hesitated, biting your lip. "Because..." You trail. "I promise I'm not a weirdo. I just… you’re really photogenic. It’s not like I planned it. You just… fit into the moment, and I took the shots."

Sam’s grin widened, his hazel eyes lighting up. "Photogenic, huh?"

"Don’t make this worse," you muttered, looking anywhere but at him.

"I’m not," he said, leaning against the counter, clearly basking in your flustered state. "Honestly, it’s flattering. You think I'm the most handsome person in this town."

"Photogenic isn't necessarily handsome" you protested, your cheeks burning despite knowing he's teasing.

He chuckled softly, his voice warm. "Isn't it, though?"

You rolled your eyes, but the tension between you shifted, his teasing turning into something softer.

"So, uh," he said, his tone gentler now. "You free for dinner tonight? Maybe we could talk about something other than the case for a change."

Your eyes widened. "Are you… asking me out?"

"Yeah," he admitted, his confidence faltering just a bit. "I mean, if you want to."

A small smile crept onto your face despite your embarrassment. "Dinner sounds lovely."

His grin returned, brighter than before. "Great. I’ll pick you up at seven?"

You nodded, and as he left the studio, you couldn’t help but laugh to yourself. Sam Winchester: hunter, scholar… and apparently, your muse.

want be part of the taglist.ᐣ ⋆.˚ ★— @iloveeveryoneyoureamazing ⋆ @deans-daydream ⋆ @ariasong11 ⋆ @ambiguous-avery ⋆ @itsdearapril ⋆ @whereiwakewarm

[idkfitememate]

Hi I was wondering if you could do a polar bear 🐻‍❄️ anon? Like reader could be just chilling in shnezyha with the Fatui and come and go as they please, but they’re enjoying being a polar bear and just snooze anywhere and everywhere, eating a fish on the floor? No, let’s eat right next to Singora’s coffin R.I.P. if not that’s ok, thx for reading!!!!

Harbingers Encounter

૮꒰˶ᵔ ᗜ ᵔ˶꒱ა Pairings : GN! Polar Bear Reader x Harbingers

૮꒰ྀི∩´ ᵕ `∩꒱ྀིა W.K. : 447

໒꒰ྀིᵔ ᵕ ᵔ ꒱ྀི১ Tags/CW&TW : Fluff, there is a penguin corpse tho

No one really knew what to do.

They all stared at the random ass polar bear that wondered into the room, in the middle of Signora’s funeral.

It was honestly baffling, and all Pierro could think about was how a few Fatui were going to get…. Let’s say fired, later.

“… What do we do..?” Childe questioned. He was - ironically- the closest to the bear and even he didn’t really feel like fighting it. As much as he and Signora “totally got along”, it would still feel mildly disrespectful to start going at it with a bear in the middle of her literal funeral.

“… I wish to take it back to my labs.” Dottore suddenly suggested, and immediately Pantalone was on his ass about it.

“Why? Whatever could you need a polar bear for?? It’s a waist if you ask me..” His disappointment was clear as day, despite the sterna smile etched into his face.

“Perhaps I could enhance its strength? Create a brand new type of creature to protect us.~” Dottore mused, his grin widening.

All conversation was halted however when a giggle rang out. Heads turned to see you gently playing with Columbina.

Your paws firmly planted on the ground as you nuzzled a blood-soaked-face into hers as you nipped at her ears.

She then took out a very dead penguin from under her coat and threw it at you, you catching it in your mouth and bending down to chow down.

You looked up after ripping a wing off the bird, offering it to her.

“Oh no, I’m alright for now my dear. Oh! But do save the large intestines. I may get hungry later, hehe!~”

Everyone stared at her as she conversed with you, a simple nod showing you understood before going back to ravaging and defiling the corpse beneath you.

“… What?” She asked now that all eyes were on her.

“… I suppose none of us were expecting you to have such an animal as a… pet..?” Capitano said, only to receive a giggle from the shorter girl.

“Oh they are no pet, simply a friend I made during a walk once.” She answered.

You lifted your head and nodded.

“Well did they have to attend?” Pierro asked, annoyance in his tone.

“Ah, I have no control ever where they go, though they have shown to have a respect for all of us.~” Giggles escaped her lips as she spoke, finding the faces of her fellow Harbingers amusing.

Pierro only sighed before continuing to speak. The funeral now continued without a hitch, even as you ate behind Columbina.

… Would the Tsaritsa ever consider making an animal a Harbinger…?

໒꒰ྀི˶˙Ⱉ˙˶꒱ྀིა Author’s note : Polar Bear!Creator after revealing they can control the elements: 🐻‍❄️

The Harbingers: One of us, one of us, one of us, one of us, ONE OF US, ONE OF US, ONE OF US, ONE OF US-

The Tsaritsa: 😐 Fine

And don’t worry I love your idea!! Never be afraid to share my dear ૮꒰˶ᵔ ᗜ ᵔ˶꒱ა˖⁺‧₊˚ (also, do you want to be an anon? It’s a bit unclear-)

[moss-with-legs]

Hold You Close; Call You Mine

“So, tell me... Do you like sweets?” 

"Sweets? Of course I do! My favorite are gummy worms, what are yours?" 

“Ice cream.” 

"Ice cream? I'll have to share one with you sometime," he said with a sly smirk before he chuckled to himself. 

The two of you were chilling out together as friends, watching tv, and chatting. 

he puts his arm around you and pulls you close. 

"Do you mind if I rest my head on your shoulder?" he asks, blushing. 

“Go for it.” 

After all this time being partners and going on missions together, this was like second nature to the two of you. ‘Comfortable,’ you think. ‘Domestic,’ even. 

he wraps his arms around you, hugging you tightly 

"You're so soft~" he says in an even softer whisper 

“Favorite color?” You muse, pressing further, trying to ignore the heat building in your chest and the fact that you stopped paying attention to the sitcom that was playing fifteen minutes ago. 

"It's hard to pick one....but I'd say sky blue. What about yours?" 

You tell him yours and he lets out an amused ‘hmm’ at your answer 

he leans his head against you. “That is a nice color." 

“Favorite... tv show?” 

"I really love Friends. I know it's cliche and all, but there's just something I enjoy about the show," 

he chuckles slightly before he closes his eyes 

"You're too comfy..." 

“Bleh. I don't like that one.” (It’s a perfectly fine show you guess, just not your favorite...) 

"Bleh? What do you watch then, you heathen?” 

“The Golden Girls,” you say smugly. “Top Tier Comedy.” 

"Really? That show is kinda old," he chuckles 

"Do you like old shows more?" 

No... something about it is just comforting I guess,” 

"Yeah I get what you mean....it kinda feels like home doesn't it?" he asks as he moves his head to look at you 

“Hmm maybe.” You quickly look for a way to get his gaze off of you- it's too piercing, too... intimate. 

“Favorite band?” 

"Ah,” this catches his attention, and you can’t help but smile at the way his sky blue eyes light up when he hears the question. “I like a lot of different types of bands. But I really love Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, and Guns N' Roses." 

He seems satisfied with his answer, albeit a bit shy to have revealed it so easily. He rubs his arm with his hand and yawns 

"What about you?" 

“Honestly, that sounds about right for you,” you chuckle. “I don't know if I can choose though...” 

he raises his eyebrow as a slight blush tints his cheeks 

"Why does it seem right for me?" 

“Heh, I dunno... I can just picture you listening to something loud and instrumental.” 

"I like how you know me pretty well, it's cute," he says with a smirk, nudging you with his elbow 

“Then it's a good thing you have me for a partner then, huh,” you quip back. 

"You're such a dork hehe... but yeah I guess you're right. It's nice having you there by my side," he chuckles as his stomach growls. 

"I'm pretty hungry, you?" 

“What are you thinking?” 

"How about this? How about we go grab some burgers?" he says as he gets off the sofa and stretches 

“That also sounds right for you,” you say, definitely not looking at the way his muscles flex when he does that. 

"Well, it's my favorite food," he chuckles. "You want to get in my Truck? Or shall we walk?" 

“I won't say no to a ride.” 

He smiles warmly as he holds out his hand for you to take. 

"Then let's drive together." 

“Okay.” 

he takes your hand and you both head towards his truck and he opens the passenger door for you 

"After you~" he chuckles as he glances at you 

“Oh, how charming,” you fire back. 

"I try, I'm glad to see the charm thing is working on you~" he teased as he closed the door, walking around the truck and getting in the driver's seat. 

You turn on the radio as you pull off. 

"Oh yeah?" he looks over at you 

"What do you like to listen to?" 

“Hmm...” You flip the stations until you land on something you like. 

He turns his head in your direction again as he turns the steering wheel. 

"heyyy,,," he says after a beat. 

“Yeahhh?” you mimic. 

"I... kinda like you,” he pauses, “if you know what I mean..." he offers a small smirk before returning his gaze at the road again. 

“Awh, only kinda?” you tease, “Your trusted partner that keeps you out of trouble and knows your favorite things and rides with you at 2am to get burgers? Dang, what’s it gonna take to make it into this guy’s good graces?” 

He sighs, blushing slightly as he looks at you. 

"You know what I mean...I really like you. A lot." he adds shyly. 

“Heh, well then...” you say, smiling to yourself, “I'm glad. I like you too Leon. A lot.” 

he looks at you 

"And what if I asked to kiss you?" 

You smile wholly then,  

“Can I ask that you feed me first?” 

He raises an eyebrow before he chuckles 

"Of course, you can babe. It wouldn't be a very romantic date if we didn't eat now, would it?" 

he asks, continuing to drive and taking exits for the burger joint 

“Oh?? Is this a date now?” you ask, your eyebrows raised in turn this time. 

he smirks. That Bastard. 

"I thought it was." 

he says with all too much confidence, before slowing down to park and turning off the engine, turning to look at you 

You laugh playfully, “That's to be determined I suppose.” 

he gets out of the car before coming to the passenger side and opening the door for you. 

"Shall we enter the burger joint my lady?" 

he smiles before extending his arm out in order for you to hold it. 

You raise an eyebrow, but take his hand and step out anyway, playfully bumping your hip against his. 

he chuckles softly as he puts his other hand over your hip, looking over to your face as you both enter the restaurant. The restaurant itself was notably bustling despite the late time 

"It's a lot busier than I thought it would be" he mumbles to you before walking in to find a table. 

“Mmhm,” you hum in agreement as you lean into him. 

The two of you manage to find a table and a waiter comes up to help. 

"Table for two?" 

"Yes please" replies Leon as you take your seats, him sitting next to you. He nudges your side. 

"What would you like hm?" 

“Fries and a shake please,” 

"And I'll have a bacon burger and a milkshake please" 

he said smiling softly before the waiter walked away. He turns to face you. 

"You know, I don't think I've ever been on a date with someone like you before, you're really sweet." 

“Oh? How have your other dates been then?” 

"...I think it would be better if I didn't answer that question...” 

he says as color fills his face 

You laugh, “Ha-ha, no, I really wanna know now. Tell me?” 

he looks around first to see if anyone else is hearing the conversation before turning to look at you 

"Alright, you asked for it," he teases. He leans closer to you, a smirk across his lips as his voice goes down a volume. 

"All of my other dates were...they were...well...they wanted to..." 

“They wanted to what?” 

"..." 

he stops talking, he sighs, looking at you intently. 

"...you want me to say it don't you?" 

“yES!” 

"...they only wanted ONE thing from me...you know what I mean..." he said slowly, blushing 

"...after the second date they never wanted to see me again..." 

You’re taken aback. Honestly it makes sense because he looks Like That. Still, it’s sad, and you feel bad for him. Don’t they realize how sweet he really is? 

“Aw you poor thing...didn't you mention you had a girlfriend once though? How was that?” 

his face flushes more as he hears the topic being changed 

"Umm...my ex girlfriend....she....she...was nice for a while..." 

he said with a small frown 

"But she started getting...more distant. And then she cheated on me," 

he said softly 

“Oh...” 

“I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked” 

"No, it’s alright, Really,” he adds upon seeing your concern. 

He leaned back on the seat, sighing before looking at you again. 

"Hey...can I... can I try something?" 

“Try what?” 

he leans in closer to you, his face only inches away from yours 

"Can I try...giving you a kiss?" 

You lean in to meet him, only to stop short and whisper, 

"the food is here." 

"Huh? Oh right...alright let's dig in," 

he chuckles softly as the waiters place the food in front of the both of you. Leon takes a few fries and eats those. 

"Y'know....there's something I've been meaning to ask..." 

he looks at you 

You look up from your milkshake. 

“Something beyond wanting to kiss me?” 

"Haha okay...you got me there. But if you let me...can I ask what I've been wondering?" 

You not-so-subtly sneak a piece of bacon from his burger. 

“Sure, ask away.” 

He looks down at his burger and the piece of bacon that is missing. 

"Hey! Give it back~" 

he laughs as his face turns slightly red. he sighs, 

"Okay....well...., do you ever think about maybe wanting to be more than just friends?" 

“Hmmm...” You pretend to mull it over. 

“Getting to patch you up after missions, hang out with you to get food at horrid hours of the morning, hold you close and call you mine, kiss every mole and freckle on that cute face of yours... 

...I think I'd like that, Leon.” 

his jaw just about drops as he blushes intently, he was caught off guard after you described...what you wanted to do 

"W-wait a minute! You really want that?!" 

he looked at you with a blushing face and a shocked expression 

You grin wickedly and start to laugh  

“I do, yeah.” 

He chuckles with you and takes your hand, squeezing it tightly with his. 

"'Hold you close and call you mine.' What do you mean by that hmm?" 

he asks in a whisper, his blushing face filled with curiosity 

“Oh, ah...” you falter. You begin to feel your cheeks heat up and go to take a sip of your milkshake.  

“I did say that didn't I? 

Leon smiles as a look of anticipation flashes across his face 

"So, what did you mean by that, darling?" he asks softly. 

“Oh you know....” you start, “I just want to um... hold you sometimes... 

I would be so lucky... to know that... you would enjoy being with me too...” you trail off. 

"Baby," he chuckles, 

"I'd Love to be with you, it'd make me feel...not so alone anymore." 

he says, taking the milkshake from your hands and taking a sip of it. 

“Heyy! Is that payback for the bacon?” 

he sighs, 

"Yes, it is, I figured it was only fair if I took some of your milkshake." 

He takes another sip. 

"Damn...this is actually pretty delicious." 

You chuckle and continue eating your fries with one hand, while holding his with the other. 

"I see you're not too angry I took your milkshake," 

His face was still blushing as he looked at you with a grin. 

"C'mere." 

he said to you as he leaned in and kissed your cheek, giggling as he did so. 

You giggle as well,  

“hol’ on you got a little somethin’ there.”  

You point to the corner of his mouth at an imaginary stain and lean in to kiss it, catching him off guard. 

he was surprised, his face turning an even brighter red as the feeling of your lips touching his made him flutter 

"Bleh!" 

he giggled 

"You're a meanie, you know that?" 

he said with a pout, smiling. He then licked the imaginary stain in the corner of his mouth just to tease you. 

“Bleh?!” you say in mock affront. 

“I thought you wanted a kiss?” 

"Oh I do~ I definitely wanted a kiss..." 

a smirk appeared on his face 

"Would you mind giving me a proper one~?" 

he asks, his face still blushing despite your teasing 

“A proper kiss? Hmph! I'll have to think about it.” 

"Ohh nooo, what shall I do to convince you? You want to hold me close right? Wouldn't a kiss help with that?" 

With a smirk he looked around to see if anyone was staring before he leaned in and kissed you on the lips, holding it for a few seconds before pulling away. 

“You're such a dork,” you whisper across his lips. 

"And you love that about me, right?" 

he says, looking at your smiling face. The two of you are now sitting there like lovers, smiling from cheek to cheek. A few of the people in the restaurant begin to look at you and him. 

"Uhh babe...people are looking at us now..." 

his face turns red as he sees the people looking at the both of you 

"W-want to maybe go outside and eat our food there??" he mutters 

“Nah, let ‘em look.” you say, “I'm almost done anyway...unless you're really uncomfy? Then I don't mind.” 

his confidence comes back to him 

"You know what? You’re right. Let them stare, we're dating and that's all that matters." 

he grins as his face turns red 

"I'm pretty much done with my food anyways," 

he says before patting your leg. 

"Wanna head to the truck?" 

You stifle a yawn and nod.  

“Yeah, okay.” 

"Alright sweetheart." 

He smiles with a nod he gets up from his seat and holds his hand out for you. 

"After you of course~" 

You groan at his teasing but take his hand again anyway. 

he smiles 

"Why? You don't like that?" 

he asks curiously as if he didn't know. He walks outside with you as you both head to the truck, he then opens the passenger door for you. 

"Aww, are you tired cutie?" 

his face was still red, blushing at the nickname 

You get in, shaking your head at his antics. 

"Aw come on, you're just so cute~ you can't help being so cute you know?" 

he chuckles. 

Once you're inside, he gets in, getting in the driver's seat and turning on the engine before turning to you and grinning. 

"So, I know it's really late, but do you want to sleep at my house tonight? Or would you like me to drop you off at yours?" 

“Hmm... would you let me hold you if I stayed over?” 

"Oh please~ I would love that," his face goes red immediately as he looks at you, grinning happily. 

"I would love to cuddle you right now darling; you make me feel so...comforted..." 

he leans over and kisses your cheek again. 

“Alright then,” you smile, “let's go.” 

he smiles and starts to drive back to his apartment; it took a few minutes but eventually he parks 

"Alright, we're here. I'm so lucky to have met you..." 

he says before getting out of the car and opening your door, waiting for you to get out 

“Despite the unlucky circumstances that brought us together?” 

he nods. 

"Yes, despite everything....I'm happy I met you. I'm happy I'm dating you. My life would be boring without you in it." 

With a wide smile on his face and he holds his arm out, his hand waiting for you to hold it once you get out of the truck. 

You take his arm in yours and lean against him. 

his eyes light up and he smiles gently 

"Thank you." 

he leans down to your ear and whispers, 

"Shall we head up to my apartment? The neighbors won't be able to sleep if we're making out in public." 

He laughs, and it's delightful and genuine and makes you feel bubbly inside. 

“Woah there, Agent. I remember discussing cuddles, not making out.” 

his laughter dies down into chuckles. 

"Oh, come on, give me a little credit, it's hard to want to just cuddle you. But if that's what you want then that's what we'll do." he leans in closer to you as the two of you walk on the sidewalk, looking at you with a smirk. 

"Besides...if we do end up making out, I don't mind~" 

“Uh huh,” you say giving him a little pinch in the side. “We'll see.” 

he looks down at you with a wide grin 

"I think it'd be fun~" 

The two of you eventually make it to his apartment building, his arm still around yours as he opens the door and you both enter. 

It's quiet now and you yawn again while taking off your jacket and shoes. You look over to the clock on the wall and muse that it might be time for us to head to bed. 

he yawns as well. 

"We probably should head to bed but...I dunno, I want to keep talking to you tonight." 

he says softly 

"You know...I want you to stay in my room with me tonight...will you? I know it may seem sudden but...I don't want us to be separate tonight..." 

“Well, we've shared a bed before on mission so it shouldn't be too different right? Can I borrow a t-shirt to sleep in?” 

"That's exactly what I was going to say, and yes, you can have one of my shirts to sleep in, I'll go grab it." 

He went to his room and grabbed a T-shirt as he came back, walking over and giving it to you. 

"Here you go babe" 

“Thanks.” You go to get changed and hangout in the bedroom waiting for him. 

He comes into the bedroom a few minutes later, wearing sweatpants. 

"Can I sit with you on the bed?" 

he asks softly, his tired face looking at you. 

"I'm sorry if I sound clingy...I just want to hold you right now." 

No, no, it's okay. Come here,” you say. 

he walks to you and you both sit on the bed; he leans on you and wraps his arm around you 

"Thanks, just having you here is already soothing...you know that?" 

“I feel the same,” you tell him.  

You turn towards you and begin to nuzzle into his neck, inhaling his freshly showered scent and leaving a quick kiss on his shoulder. 

“Wanna lay down?” 

He smiled and laid down flat on the bed, pulling you to lay atop his chest. 

"Of course, I do...c'mon, cuddle with me, you can even sleep on my chest," 

he says softly, his face blushing again as you kissed him. 

You sigh and wrap your arms and legs around him. 

“I'm so happy. You make me happy, Leon. Thank you... for being mine.” 

you hear a soft sniffle, and he pulls you in tightly. 

"Thank you...thank you soo much for loving me..." 

he smiles 

"I really am lucky to have such a beautiful person like you..." 

He's about to speak again until a yawn escapes him. 

You rub small circles across his hip as you grow more tired, comfortable and safe in his warm embrace.  

His face turns red as you start rubbing circles on his hips, his arms wrap around you as he gently kisses the top of your head; his eyes slowly droop as he holds you. You could feel him start to breathe in and out softly. 

“Goodnight Leon.” 

He smiles in his near sleep, wrapping his arms around you more tightly. 

“I love you...goodnight sweetheart~" 

he says softly, his eyes slowly shutting, and falling asleep. 

[lixenn]

I have some questions for Dave this time hehe

What was his first meeting with Chief like?

What was his original hair color?

I wonder if he gets along with Bel?

*crawls out of trenches, bloodied and covered in mud*

"I-" *huff* "I have fought in war and it was close but! I HAVE WON! The evil snippet has not defeated me!"

So now, I can finally answer this!! I'm sorry that it took so long Ein 🫠🥺🥺please forgive my tardiness 😣

Let me satisfy your curiosity!

Original hair color

Dave's hair used to be this really mousy brown and it just wouldn't do! No! He refuses! It was boring and common and absolutly clashed with his vibe so it needed to be adressed immediately. He bleached his hair the first time when he was 14 and it turned out horrible but he was still happy with his shitty dyejob because at least it was unique!

Dave and Bel

Do they get along? Ohhh boy, honey they get along like a house on fire! Dave and Bel often team up for pranks and mischief (Levi is one of their regular victims lol). Surprisingly Chief doesn't actually mind this relationship mostly because Dave tends to curb Bel's more ... homicidal tendencies. Dave prefers leaving his victims alive (though there's no guarentee for their sanity) mostly because killing them would limit his options for pranks. So when Dave and Bel plan mischief Dave puts his foot down about murder.

First meeting

As for that question....

Have a snippet!

The world is undoubtedly cruel. Criminally unjust. Life is filled with hurdles and hardships, with unimaginable challenges and dreadful chores.

Dan has been kicked out of his own office by an overly worried Lussuria.

(Honestly, the audacity of his doctor, the inhumanity. He is seriously considering a lawsuit.)

Apparently working for ten months straight without a break is “unhealthy” and “terrible for the skin, just look at those wrinkles Dani-boy”. Which is ridiculous in his humble opinion, he doesn’t have wrinkles. His skin simply has more character, more definition, that’s all. No wrinkles here, just a well-developed background story edged into his outer shell.

Nevertheless, Dan is left with no other choice than take the day off since he doesn’t want to deal with Lussuria drugging his tea again. One time was more than enough.

Well, at least he can use this opportunity to finally get some shopping done. His sister Is going to skin him alive if he shows up empty handed to her birthday again. Finding the perfect jewellery set to make up for his blunder took him some time but now he can at least cross that off his list.

He is slandering down the empty streets, enjoying the sunshine on his face, when his peaceful musings are interrupted by a body landing right in his path.

…

What?

Dan must have committed war crimes in his past life, it’s the only explanation. His former self probably kicked puppies for fun and slaughtered babies in their sleep because he can’t even take a stroll in the city without someone throwing bodies at his feet.

Puzzled and slightly annoyed Dan takes a closer look at the young man sprawled in front of him.

The first thing that catches his eye is the absolutely garish shade of neon green decorating the top of his head. Whoever did that dye job needs to be fired. His hair isn't the only thing that needed fixing though. He’s covered in bruises and dirt, blood is dripping from his nose and - Dan squints - is that a tooth on the pavement? Yes, it is. … Gross. Hopefully the guy knows a good a dentist.

The sound of footsteps alerts him to the arrival of even more people. Dan inspects the newcomers in irritation. There are three of them, all clad in ill-fitted suits, hair slicked back and fake gold rings on their fingers, making them look like stereotypical comic mafia goons brought to life. It would have been funny and something to laugh over with Squalo over coffee if said goons hadn’t interrupted his quiet afternoon with their petty disputes.

What a drag.

“You have five seconds.”

“Hah?” Goon #1 sneers at him, somehow turning even uglier in the process. “What do ya want, shrimp? Don’t ya see we’re a little busy here.”

Only sheer willpower prevents Dan from inspecting his nails in disinterest. Instead, he crooks an eyebrow, giving the idiotic trio his best deadpan fish stare.

“Three seconds.”

Goon #2 spots the Varia emblem on his hoodie and the Cloud clocks the moment he recognises what it stands for. He shakily points at Dan’s chest. “U-uhm… boss?”

“What?” Goon #1 snaps, but his gaze follows his friend’s finger and all colour leaves his face. “V-v-varia?”

Dan puts his hands in his hoodie pocket and smiles. “You rang?”

The way they freeze like a deer in the headlights. How they start quaking in their knock off designer shoes when realisations dawns upon them. The fear in their eyes.

Ah… making grown men piss their pants with a single look never gets old.

“By the way,” Dan drops his smile, his voice turning ice cold. “Your time is up. Better start running, boys.”

One would think that the Vendice are on their heels with how fast they scrammed.

Now, with that sorted.

Dan looks back the stranger who’s still lazing on the street. “You okay?”

“U-uhm yes…” he stutters with wide eyes that are filled with something uncomfortably close to awe. “Thank you so much.”

Feeling slightly awkward now, Dan avoids his shining gaze. “Don't mention it.”

“But-”

“Seriously don’t,” Dan interrupts him, combing a hand through his hair. He wishes this interaction was over already. He’s no good with shows of gratitude. “You should let a doctor check you over.” That should be enough polite concern, right? “I will be on my way then.”

Dan tries to speedwalk away to avoid further socialising but is hindered by a surprisingly strong grip on his hoodie.

Only his ingrained manners (thanks Mom) prevent him from breaking a hand and escaping anyways, which is probably for the best, the poor guy has enough injuries, no need to add broken bones to the list.

Dan turns around and sighs. “What is it?”

The young man gives him a solid try at puppy eyes. “What’s your name? I’m Dave by the way! You can’t just rescue me like a knight in shining armour and then disappear off into the sunset. That’s not fair at all.” He adds a pout to his pleading expression, which – in Dan’s humble opinion – just makes him look even more pathetic.

“Have you suffered head trauma recently?”

Dave cocks his head, confused. “I mean, one of them kicked my face for a bit but that was nothing, I’m good! They mostly focused on my upper body and limbs.” He lets go of Dan’s hoodie and lifts his shirt up to point at his battered torso in demonstration. “See?”

“Then, why are you spouting nonsense?” Dan takes a step back after he is freed from Dave’s clutches. “Run along and try to avoid getting beat up by shady men in the future.”

The puppy eyes start to fill with fake tears. “But they keep on finding me.”

Dan is suddenly overcome with a desperate need for coffee.

“And that’s my problem, how exactly?”

The responding grin sends shivers down his spine. It reminds him of Bel’s smug smile after he caught another one of his employees in his wire traps.

“Well, all your hard work would go to waste if they came back, wouldn’t it? So, how about you help a buddy out?” Dave winks and it would have been charming if his face wasn’t covered in dried blood. “You can start with your name and we will go from there.”

Dan barely lifted a finger, is this guy on crack? In fact… Is he trying to con him? This feels like a con.

Why did I even bother leaving my room today?

“Look, Dave,” he begins trying to salvage the situation, “if I tell you that Varia Housekeeping is always looking for new members, will you go away and let me enjoy the rest of my day off in peace?”

The other man’s jaw drops like Dan got on his knees and proposed instead of throwing in a job offer as distraction tactic.

Dan takes his surprise as an opportunity to exit the premises once again. This time he isn’t stopped physically but a broken “W-wait” still gives him pause and he reluctantly glimpses back. Dave has dropped his cocky façade leaving behind only shattered pieces and a tiny fragment of hope.

“Please. Tell me your name?”

His voice sounds fragile compared his confident tone before.

…

Dan has always been a sucker for the broken ones, hasn’t he?

Fuck it, in for a penny, in for a pound.

“You can call me Chief.”

---

Hope you liked the little sneak peak into Dave's mysterious past 😊! Honestly the delay was mostly because that meeting was fighting me with tooth and nail but I managed to get it done!

I feel like I wanted to add something else but I forgot because goldfish brain lol

Anyways keep being awesome like the legend you are Ein!! Hopefully I could brighten your dim days in study hell 💕✨😊

[ravensliterature]

Mission Failed Successfully?

A/N: Hehe I posted again

pairing: Obi-Wan Kenobi x Reader

warnings: Violence, description of wound

w/c: 2743

Prompt: You and Obi-Wan go on a mission but things don’t really go according to plan. Will you make it out in one piece? 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You did not want to go on this mission with Obi-Wan. It wasn't that you didn't like him, you actually did a lot. It could even be said that you liked your fellow Jedi too much to the point of concern. You had no idea if he felt the same way and you never were going to ask. You knew it was wrong and were content with his company. 

The mission was supposed to be simple enough. There were slavers Tatooine who were raiding villages and taking the villagers as slaves and captives. They were also apparently forced senstive according to some reports. Your job was to stop their activities and free the captives. 

Currently, you were on your ship sailing to Tatooine. The ship was on autopilot as you and Obi-Wan talked in the cockpit. 

"So what are you thinking about Y/N?" Obi asked, breaking the silence.

"Oh um nothing really," you replied awkwardly. Your face heating up. Damn Obi for being perceptive.

Obi looked at you skeptically and raised his eyebrows. "I think I know better."

Your cheeks grew hotter and you couldn't say anything else before Obi turned to look ahead again. Your hands clenched around your knees and your lips pursed together in annoyance and embarrassment. Obi would find out anyway since it was impossible to hide something from Obi. You hated when he did this. He would always figure out everything so it's better not to bother trying to keep secrets.

"You've been spacing out a lot lately, are you nervous about the mission?" He questioned. His eyes were still forward on the ship.

"No," you lied. Well, you weren't sure exactly what to say. Maybe you should tell him the truth? No that wouldn't make sense either, why lie now? You sighed defeatedly. "Fine fine," you groaned, looking down in defeat. "I guess my heart is beating really fast because of anxiety or something." That sounded believable enough to Obi.

"Do you have any problems you need help with, Y/N?" He asked, still not turning to look at you. You shook your head.

"No, but can we talk about something else?" You asked, your voice soft and barely above a whisper.

He glanced at you before returning his attention forward to the stars. "Sure, just don't feel pressured to speak about anything, Y/N." He assured. Your mouth slightly parted before you snapped it shut again. "What do you want to talk about?" He continued. He wanted to change the topic so he could get to know you more. 

"Uh well," you started. "Have you ever seen a holofilm called Love Actually?" You asked.

Obi laughed a little before replying. "Actually yes I have." This caused you to turn to look at him in surprise.

A few weeks ago during one of the missions, there was an incident in a cantina on Tatooine where a gang was fighting over the women in the bar. The weird thing is that he would not stop talking about an old holofilm called Love Actually. You an Obi-Wan after that mission vowed that you both needed to watch this film. 

"What did you think?"

" You asked. Obi shrugged before answering you.

"It's pretty good," he answered honestly.

"Really?" You exclaimed in disbelief. "I never pegged you as a Jedi interested in romance films!" 

"They're just a genre.  Besides, I'm quite fond of them." He explained while grinning. His smile seemed contagious and you found yourself smiling too. "There is something about them... They just make you wonder..." 

 He trailed off before shaking his head, dismissing his musings and wants. 

"Wonder what?" You pressed curiously.

"Nothing important, Y/N." He answered shortly.

"You're such a bad liar." You retorted playfully. Obi chuckled softly under his breath, a small smirk making its way onto his lips.

"You always can tell."  He stated before returning back to gazing at the stars. The silence lingered between the two of you and neither of you dared to break it. Eventually, Obi broke the silence by saying, "So you haven't watched it yet have you?"

You chuckled. "Not yet," you confessed. "But now I have to with your glowing review!" You joked. Obi glared playfully at you but eventually gave in a smile, laughing along with you. "Well if you're really that curious, we should watch it together sometime." You said matter of factly.

"Okay," Obi answered without hesitation.

You both joked and laughed discussing various movies that you decided you need to watch together. You ended up telling him all about your favorite movies and how you thought they were better than others. In exchange, he told you all about movies like Titanic which he enjoyed greatly. As usual, your conversation quickly drifted away from the film and towards each other.

"Can I ask you something?" You questioned hesitantly. You had a feeling that you'll regret asking, but this was Obi so you probably had to continue anyways.

"Hmm?" Obi hummed inquisitively, glancing up at you.

"Do you ever wonder about what life would be like if you weren't a Jedi? " You questioned quietly.

Obi looked surprised.

"Like what would your job be? Where would you live? Who would you be with?"

" You asked, knowing full well the answer. But you felt like you needed to hear him say it anyways.

"Y/N…"

Your breath caught in your throat when Obi looked at you, his eyes searching for something you did not know.  You waited patiently, hoping for a response.

"…I would have been very happy with someone like you." He answered quietly. It seemed like he was struggling to say it.

"Someone like me?" You repeated, your heart skipping a beat. Did you read him wrong?

"Yes. Someone… special."

His eyes searched yours for a sign of uncertainty or doubt. Finding none, he continued speaking. "For years you inspired me to do more as a Jedi. You helped to give me purpose." His words warmed your heart. Even though you knew he meant well, you still didn't feel like he fully realized the extent of his feelings toward you. "You showed me how wonderful living could be." He added before leaning in closer to you.

You closed your eyes and held your breath, unsure whether or not you should respond.

"But... We are Jedi." You were finally forced out.

You opened your eyes and saw Obi staring right at you, waiting for you to continue.

"We fight evil, we save people. We are nothing more than a soldier." You concluded. A tear slipped down your cheek as a single word echoed in your mind.

Silence loomed once again in the cockpit until you saw Tatooine in your sight.  

"This is it," you mumbled to yourself. 

--- 

You and Obi-Wan were on the perimeter of the town, seeing where your best advantage is. The slavers had all their captives huddle together guns pointing to their heads. They were also force sensitive so that was nice for you both. You had to be extra cautious. 

Obi took out his lightsaber, holding it against his palm as he approached a group of the men with his head tilted slightly upward. You followed behind closely, staying in the shadows and ready to attack when necessary.

Apparently, Obi-Wan was not as stealthy because when they saw him they immediately started firing. Obi ducked out of the way to avoid being hit by the bullets. He grabbed the captive closest to him, pulling them out of harm's way with him to safety. You went to attack the next target but Obi shot you a look, signaling you to stay put.

You stood where you were but didn't move. You watched as Obi ran up to another group of the slavers and fought them with ease. His movements looked natural. You wondered what kind of training he received to be this graceful.

As you observed the battle going on, you heard a loud scream coming from one of the captives, causing you to snap out of your observation.

You jumped forward, using your force push to jump over the bodies of the fallen slavers who tried to shoot you. Once you landed on the ground you scanned the area, desperately looking for the victim you came here for.

 When you saw her lying unconscious on the ground you instantly rushed over to her side. She was clearly injured judging by the large bleeding gash across her forehead and the dried blood caked across her face. You checked her pulse and breathing, relieved to find that they were both stable although weak. 

You crouched beside her body as you reached into your belt pocket for some bandages and disinfectant. You used the disinfectant on the wound first and then proceeded to wrap some medical tape around her arms to protect them from further damage. She should be fine for now. 

You quickly looked around to survey the area and saw that there were about five slavers left and that they were surrounding Obi-Wan.

 You gritted your teeth and pulled out your lightsaber, trying to save Obi-Wan from the remaining slavers.  You charged at one and slashed him across his abdomen, earning you a cry of pain from the man. When he fell to the ground, the rest of the men started shooting at you.

You dodged every bullet that flew by and slashed and cut at whoever was nearest to you.

That was until you felt a main in your abdomen. With a yell of pain, you fell to the ground with your saber clutched in your hand. Before anyone else got close to you, you ignited your blade and cut through the attacker. 

Obi-Wan rushed to your side and tried to support you but your feet were beginning to fail to keep you up.  You grunted loudly as you tried to stand upright once again. Your breathing was heavy, and beads of sweat began forming on your brow.

"Y/N..." Obi whispered worriedly. You smiled at your friend despite your current condition.

"Don't worry; I've fine." You reassured him. 

"Well, you don't look fine," Obi stated while examining your injury. He glanced at one of his fallen enemies and kicked him harshly in the stomach. After kicking him once again for good measure, he turned his attention back to you. "Let's get you back to the ship. Can you stay conscious for me?"

You nodded. He picked you up bridal style with little effort and carried you towards the ship. He sat down on one of the medical tables in the small medical room. You winced slightly when Obi touched the gash on your abdomen, causing you to wince even more. The laser caused the wound to cauterize but it was deep. Very deep. 

"I'm calling for the medic bot, okay?" He said while caressing your cheek gently with his thumb. Your gaze flickered over to him, a gentle smile tugging at the corner of your lips.

"Yeah." You breathed. He placed a tender kiss on your forehead.

"You remember the movie Love Actually?" You asked but your voice was rough. 

He chuckled lightly as he recalled the holofilm. "Of course I do."

You grinned, your eyes crinkling at the edges, and his heart melted at that moment.

"Promise me that we will watch it. If not now, somewhere else."  You requested. He smiled softly.

"If that is your wish then I'll grant it." He hated saying stuff like that. You were going to be fine.  You couldn't die. He wouldn't let you. There was no way. Not after everything that happened.

Your eyelids began to start to feel heavy.  You leaned against him with a sigh of relief. You wanted to tell him that you loved him. That you always will love him. To tell him that you loved him. But you weren't sure if you were strong enough to make that statement yet. Right now you just wanted to sleep.

"Hey, you gotta keep those eyes open for me, Y/N,"   Obi spoke softly, a sad smile plastered onto his face. Your heart swelled at his words as he brushed his thumbs over your cheeks comfortingly.  "Please."

The last thing you remembered before you passed out was the sound of Obi's soft voice telling you to hold on.

--- 

It was definitely too bright. You groaned loudly when you awoke to the blinding light above you. Everything hurt. Your whole body ached. And even more, your abdomen hurt. The only thought that came to mind was that the last thing you remembered was getting shot and then passing out. You opened your eyes slowly and blinked a few times. The brightness of the lights made you grimace and squeeze your eyes shut again.

Suddenly you heard voices, muffled and unfamiliar. Opening your eyes again, you squinted to see if the light would help but you still could barely see anything due to how blurry it was.

"How is she?" A familiar voice asked.

"She'll be fine, Obi-Wan. She just needs some rest." 

"Fine? She's been unconscious for three days!" 

"Again, she just needs rest. I'll check on her again to see if her vitals change but she will recover completely." 

The door could be heard opening with swift footsteps slowly becoming further and further away. You thought that they had both left until some of the footsteps appeared to be coming closer to you.

"Y/N?"

A warm touch rested on top of your hand. You blinked once to try and focus on your vision.  As soon as your eyes were able to focus, you saw two blue orbs staring back at you. 

"Obi." You choked out, reaching up to cup his face. You pulled him down to lean your foreheads against each other.

You closed your eyes, taking a shuddering breath. You missed his warmth.

"Are you alright?" His voice was laced with concern and his eyes searched yours intensely.

"I'm...fine...Just..." You trailed off, clearing your throat. You opened your mouth to speak again but paused, he was very close.  You closed your eyes again, leaning your forehead against his and enjoying his presence. You inhaled his intoxicating scent deeply, trying to memorize every detail.

You slowly lifted your head and gave him a sweet smile. "Thank you. For saving my life. I...wasn't sure that I was going make it..."

His expression softened at your words. "You're safe now."

You shook your head and sighed tiredly. "Obi-Wan, I was so scared... I need to tell you something..."

His eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. "Y/N, Tell me what?"

You began to glance at his lips. 

"Obi..." You trailed off before placing your fingers lightly on his jawline, closing the gap between you, and pressed your lips to his softly. 

You knew exactly what your decision meant. You were hoping that he would return your feelings.

However, Obi wasn't moving at all as he continued to stare at you. He had frozen completely in place as he watched your lips on his. This didn't mean that he didn't want this, he did. It was just that he was shocked. 

"Y/N, you do know what this means. We are Jedi. If we do this..."  He trailed off as he swallowed nervously.

You nodded slowly, knowing exactly where he was going with this.

"I want to. I want to live I life that I know when I die, I can say it was worth it."  You said, gazing intently into his eyes.

Obi gazed down at you, studying your beautiful features closely. He noticed that your pupils were dilated and your skin was glowing faintly with health and strength that he was scared wouldn't come back.

"If we get found out, we'll have to leave the order."  He stated firmly.  

"For you, it is a risk I am willing to take." You replied. His face lit up at your words and he leaned down to place a small kiss on your forehead.  You felt the tingle in your chest that accompanied the feeling.

"Then I shall follow your lead, Y/N.  Together we shall bring balance to the Force."

You leaned up to capture his lips again, savoring the taste of him. He reciprocated immediately as the kiss deepened.

Eventually, you broke apart, resting your hands on his shoulders as he cupped your face with his hands.

"What now?" You questioned.

"Now...let's go home."

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Submit a request here

[wintercrystal]

Together with You

Venti x Reader

AN: Hi, this was supposed posted on Christmas but stuff happened. So Happy holidays and Happy New Year wherever you are. (This is also my first fanfic so yeah, take it as you will.)

Note: Fluff, Female Reader, Reader is referred Dantalion and implied? to be a god, Venti might be OOC, mentions of alcohol.

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

Snowflakes danced as you hummed gently, filling the silence in the air. Dragonspine during the season is simply perfect for a festive atmosphere. You could see the snowmen, smell the festive treats, and hear the carols and the wind’s laughter.

Wait…

Wind’s laughter?

“Ehe~”

You recognize that voice 

You open your eyes and meet with a green figure jumping onto you, then instantly clinging to a koala, (whatever that is). 

Hugging him back to make sure he doesn’t fall (and not be the reason he gets incredibly annoying and whining about being dropped). You let out a sigh.

The Anemo Archon, The god of freedom, Barbatos, your dearest Venti, is currently squeezing to death. How you missed him and his near-death hugs.

“Venti?” you questioned.

He didn’t respond but instead, look at you in a daze.

“Venti!” 

“I heard you the first time, Windblume. I was just enraptured by your beauty within this snowy atmosphere.”

“Really?” 

“Yes!” He giggled, putting his forehead on yours.

You just hugged him tighter, feeling his warmth.   

“Huh, you sure missed me, didn’t you?” he teased. Instead, of teasing him back, as he expected, you answered honestly.

“Of course I did Snowdrop.”

Venti choked up, blushing but quickly composed himself. “You know how to fluster a bard, you know.”

“I’m aware” you sighed, kissing him on the cheek then noticed something in his hands.

“Is that a bottle of dandelion wine?”

“Mhm, bought straight from Angel’s Share. ”

“...” You stare at him with scepticism. 

“I didn't steal them! After all these years together, you doubt my sincerity,” Venti said, feigning hurt in his voice as climbed off you.

You grab his hands, warm against your cold ones. You let out a sigh.

“Snowdrop, it’s not that I doubt you. It’s that I’m surprised that all.”

“What’s the problem with bringing my favourite wine to share my dearest?

“Nothing but… Dandelion wine costs a lot and you...” you teased.

Venti lets a huff as he turns his head, mumbling ‘I did pay for it, thank you very much’.

You chuckled, then tugged him into you, hugging and feeling his warmth. 

 “Sorry. How about, as an apology, how about we go home and have some hot cocoa, mmh?” you asked sweetly. Ah-hah! This had caught Venti’s attention. He pulled out of your grip and tugged you, in the direction of your home.

“What are we waiting for? Let’s go Windblume!”

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

As night falls, Venti listens to howling winds outside, as you brought  

“Here you go.” 

Venti took a sip of it and smiled at you

“You made my favourite,” He said softly. You returned the smile.”Only for my favourite bard during the festive seasons.”

“Well, since I’m your favourite bard, surely my dear muse, you have- 

“Don’t worry, since I have more, in storage.”

 Venti’s eyes lit up as jumped to and gave you a peck on your lips, before dashing off.

Touching lips and staring off into space, you thought ‘I wonder how long it will be before I have to drag him to bed.’

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

“Huh… you really helped yourself, didn’t you Snowdrop” you sighed, dragging, carrying him to bed.  

“Hehe… Windblummme~” Venti giggled, leaning on you as you. He smiled up at you as if he didn’t just drank most of your wine. 

You sighed as you tucked him into bed, then started to caress his hair. 

“Snowdrop, how do you feel?   

“Hehehehe, good, really good~”

“That’s good, now move over.”

You climbed into the bed, and laid down next to him 

Immediately he start to cling on to you and started to slur.

“Hmm, Windblume, you’re cold! Let me wrap you up”

He began to (messily) wrap in your blanket. 

“Thank you, Venti."

Then silence.

.

.

.

.

“Windblume, will you stay with me for the rest of our lives together?”

“Of course, my love.” 

“*Hic* So marry me~

“Snowdrop, we’re already married”

“Even better~”

“Please go to sleep.”  

“Hmm, only if you hum. I heard you humming our song earlier… So… Could you hum it again, Dantalion?"

You sighed lovingly.

“Okay, Barbatos.”

[fanfic-chan]

ayo wait super scared to ask this- idk if i’m doing this right shsjsjsj so with the event thingy could i suggest like- the new discoveries one (i think it was number 16?) with heizou and kazuha? idk why but i feel like it’d fit them, like heizou acting as if it’s part of a new case he’s working on or smth 😭😭 i just think that’d be rlly adorable and funnysjsjhdhsj

sorryplsignorethisifyouwant-

Tickletober Day 16: New Discovery

Ler!Heizou/Lee!Kazuha

"Oh? What's this now? Was that a giggle I just heard Kazuha?"

Heizou couldn't help but smirk at the way his 'prisoner' immediately went stiff at his words, the wandering samurai's usually carefree expression suddenly shifting into something a tad more nervous as he tried to subtly get out from under the amused detective, but to no avail.

"Um... N-No?.." Kazuha tried shakily, though his half-hearted lie was obviously so flimsy that he doubted he could even fool the most ignorant of children with it, much less an actual detective of Heizou's caliber.

This was pretty well confirmed to him when his far to perceptive friend merely smirked at him in response, before moving to capture both of his wrists and place them under his knees, pinning him effectively. Ah. Well. Perhaps now would be a good time to start begging.

It might be the coward's way out, sure, but Kazuha was also smart enough to know when to fight and when to flee. Heck, that way of thinking was probably the only reason he'd survived as long as he had during the vision hunt decree, and make no mistake, those instincts were still just as sharp now as they had been back then.

And right now? Those instincts were practically screaming at him to run.

"Ehehe- Err, hold on... Heizou, w-we can talk about this right? Come on, if you let me go, I'll make you this really good dish that Thoma taught me- HEHEHEE!! NO WAHAHAIT!! HEIZOHOHOHOU PLEHEHEASE!!"

'Well, so much for that...' Kazuha thought to himself as he immediately broke into a hysterical fit of cackles, squirming around helplessly as the detective went straight for his armpits. His worst spot. How had he found it so fast?!

"Well, well, would you look at this? Who would have guessed that the samurai who was giving us so much trouble to catch would turn out to be so sensitive?" Heizou mused as he continued to mess with his normally composed friend, paying little to no attention at all to his useless struggling.

After all, Kazuha may be a highly skilled warrior, but so was Heizou, and with his own hands on style of combat, in addition to his experience as a highly skilled detective who's work regularly involved having to capture and detain the most unruly of criminals, he had the advantage here over the poor swordsman, and he was able to keep him pinned in place rather effortlessly.

"WHA- WAHAHAHA!! WAIT!! HEIZOU WAHAHAHAIT!! HEHEHE OK!! MEHEHERCY!! SOMEWHERE EHEHEHEHELSE!!" Kazuha pleaded after only a few more seconds of this, and to his relief, his pleas were immediately heard, as the detective finally moved away from his underarms to instead just scratch lightly at his chin to calm him down.

"Better?" Heizou asked teasingly, though there was still a subtle note of real concern in his voice that made Kazuha's giggly smile soften a little.

"Ehehehe- yes, th-thahahahank you..." He answered honestly, immediately easing the other's worries as he continued to lightly scratch and tease at his friend's chin and neck area. Once Kazuha finally seemed to have come down from the majority of his giggle fit, aside from the very soft ones that were being caused by the current gentle tickling, the detective decided to let him go.

"Hehe... Hahaha... Well thahahat was certainly unexpected..." Kazuha said with a chuckle as he moved to sit up with a small embarrassed blush on his face. Heizou merely laughed in response as he stood and offered him a hand up, which Kazuha took gratefully.

"Hm. Maybe. But to be fair, is it not the unexpected things in life that offer us some of the greatest experiences at times?" Heizou pointed out, and honestly?

Kazuha couldn't really find it in himself to disagree with him.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Portrait of a Dangerous Man🎨4

Warnings: (series) non-consent sex and rape; slow creep; cucking; (this chapter) only plot hehe

This is dark!mob!Clark Kent x reader and explicit. 18+ only.  Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Synopsis: Your dream of having your work hung in an art show comes true but your first buyer is not all he seems to be.

Note: I’m at my tipping point, I swear. I’m dealing with everything in our household, new bed (delayed delivery yay!), cleaning, cooking, dog walking, and working. My only escape are my fics and this weekend I’m telling everyone to fuck off so I can do the writeathon... but sorry for the rant, enjoy more Clark.

Thanks to everyone for reading and thanks in advance for all your feedback. :)

I really hope you enjoy. 💋

<3 As usual, I’d appreciate if you let me know what you think with a like or reblog or reply or an ask! Love ya!

Wednesday trickled by like sand in a glass. You could hardly keep your eyes open as you typed away and a double espresso shot was the only thing that saw you through your hours at the gallery. Vanessa was excited for her next event and already asking after some new pieces from you. You promised her some from your storage unit to stave her off as you held in your yawns. 

You collapsed into bed that night beside Marcus. He complained about his day until he drifted off and you followed suit shortly after. You awoke with a decision, the echoes of your boyfriend’s gripes in your head and heart. You hated how miserable his job made him, how dull your own was. It felt like there was nothing else but the almighty dollar.

You called Clark after an email to Jim, your nerves alight in anticipation of the disgruntled reply. It didn’t matter. You were done. You didn’t need to worry about the all caps messages and curt zoom calls.

“Hey,” Clark picked up, he sounded out of breath.

“Oh, hey, sorry, it’s me,” you swiveled in your chair, “I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

“Nope, just getting in a work out,” he grunted, “you’re not bugging me if you have good news for me.”

“I think… I do,” you forced out, “I just sent in my resignation.”

“Mmm, you don’t sound… happy,” he hummed.

“I am, I think I’m just processing it,” you replied, “I said I’d let you know today so I’m letting you know.”

“Well, how soon can you be here?” he asked.

“Today?”

“Sure, why not?”

“I guess, I could leave as soon as you want me,” you said.

“I’ll send a car,” he intoned, “I’ll give the driver your number, if you don’t mind.”

“Yeah,” your voice almost squeaked, “I can do that.”

“Alright, sweetheart, see ya soon.”

The line cut out and you lowered your phone slowly. You stared at Outlook and the new email icon along the taskbar. You closed the laptop and stood. You could worry about the fallout later, right now, you had to get ready for another day of painting.

🎨

It was starting to feel like deja vu every time you arrived at Clark’s house. You got out and thanked the drive, Jeremy, before he drove off. The doors opened before you got to the top of the steps and your host was already dressed in the same outfit he wore for each session. His hair was neat but his beard was even thicker than before.

“I think you can tell I’m a little antsy to start,” he chuckled, “how are you, sweetheart?”

That pet name caught in your mind again. It might just be a habit of his. Nothing more than an absent-minded word.

“Me too, honestly,” you smiled, “but I have a weird question for you.”

“Ask away,” he said as he walked with you through the foyer.

“The beard… you want that in the portrait or--”

“Oh, ha, yeah,” he ran his fingers along his jawline, “I guess I wasn’t thinking. You’re the artist, what do you think?”

“Well, erm, either way is fine,” you said, “I was just… wondering. I’m not even close to starting on, uh, you yet. I mean, right now I’m just working on the background and basic shapes.”

“I’ll let you make the call when you get there,” he said, “say the word and it’s gone.”

“Alright,” you came to the top of the stairs and he pointed you ahead of him.

He followed you as you entered and you went about filling the jar with water and resituating the set up. He sat as you mixed and chose your brush. You climbed the ladder and peered around the canvas at him. He took on the same pose as usual and you dipped the bristles into the pigment. You could make a happy life of this.

🎨

Clark shifted and cleared his throat. You rolled your wrist and glanced back over at him as you drew your hand back from the canvas. He braced the chair and pushed himself up.

“How about a break?” he asked as he shook out his arms, “back’s a bit stiff.”

“Sure,” you said, “I think I could sit down for a moment.”

You took a step down the rung of the ladder but your toe slipped and suddenly your palette was against your chest. You slid down backwards as Clark rushed over and barely kept you from toppling the entire thing over. You laughed at yourself as he righted you and looked down at your paint-streaked shirt.

“Jesus,” you muttered.

“You okay?” he asked as he kept his hand on your upper arm, “be careful.”

“Yeah, I’m-- clumsy, is all,” you carefully pulled away and set down your brush and palette.

“Come on, sit,” he pulled up the stool and planted it before you, “take a minute.”

As you sat, he stretched his arms over his head and then out to the sides. He paced around the other side of the table, long strides as he worked the cramps from his long legs. He stopped and came up to play with a brush as you leaned an elbow on the table.

“Well, I did have another offer for you,” he said, “I was thinking of waiting but might as well ask now.”

“Oh?” you raised your brows curiously.

He swished a slender brush in the air then lowered it and picked at the tip.

“I’m having a get together on Saturday, some business friends and the like,” he said as he set the brush back with the rest, “it won’t be work. You’ve earned some time off. You can even bring the boyfriend.”

“Saturday?” you pondered, “I’m usually at the gallery on Saturdays.”

“It would be great networking,” he said, “and I already told all my friends about you. They’re excited to see your work. It will almost be like a viewing and it’s only right the artist is there.”

“I could make it work,” you mulled, “Marcus would love to come back.” You snickered, “he loves this place.”

“It’s a nice house,” he said casually, “a bit big for one person… hence, the party.”

“I’ll put it in my calendar,” you stood and slid your palette closer and cleaned it off to remix the mess of paints.

“Great,” he said as he rounded the table and brushed close to you, “it’ll be nice to look at a mug besides mine, huh?”

You laughed as you squeezed out the dark paint and nodded, “ha, sure.”

🎨

The rest of your week was spent much the same. Jeremy drove you to Clark’s and you went up to the studio to continue your work between small talk and silences that grew so thick you had to break them with mindless comments. It wasn’t enough to focus on the path of your brush as the man tugged at your attention.

Marcus was excited when you told him about the party. He raved about how he needed to let loose, about how much expensive alcohol he was going to drink, and the awesome backflip he was gonna do into the pool. You reminded him, he hadn’t done anything like that since college but he swore he could still do it.

You didn’t share the sentiment. You were anxious. You were flattered to be invited but despite what Clark said, it still felt like work. His friends were going to be there and he apparently was trying to sell them on your art. 

You didn’t realise until after you hit send on your email, but you put your livelihood in this man’s hands. A man, you reminded yourself, who was little more than a stranger.

On Friday, a day you were thankfully not called to the mansion to teeter on the ladder and paint, the buzzer rang and drew you off the couch from amid your YouTube binge. The man on the speaker called back that he had a delivery and you let him up. You took the box from him, the thick silver ribbon giving away the sender even before you could read the tag.

Inside you found a black dress with little gemstones set into the fabric like stars in the sky. It was nicer than anything you’d ever owned before and a pair of silver shoes were tucked in beneath the outfit. You took the shoes from the tissue paper and something else shifted in the bottom.

You reached in and revealed a velvet box from the depths of overzealous stuffing. You opened the lid and found a simple chain of diamonds. You gaped in disbelief. They were real. The fake ones didn’t look so nice.

You phone chimed before you could even think to call Clark. It was as if he could see you. You answered and your voice warbled pathetically.

“Hi, I was just gonna call,” you touched your throat as it constricted.

“Yeah? I got the notification that it was delivered,” he said, “you like it?”

“It’s too much,” you gulped out, “really, I can’t--”

“I want you to look nice. I want you to feel good and have a good time,” he said, “I feel like you’ve been working so hard. You need a chance to just let it all go.”

“Look, I…” you were uncertain how to handle it. It was more than generosity but you felt wrong denying it as much as you did accepting it, “I’ve never had a boss buy me diamonds. At least let me give those back.”

“Boss?” he mused on the word, “I suppose, but you gotta dress the part now, sweetheart. You’re gonna rub shoulders with a lot of rich dicks like me. Pardon my language.”

“I didn’t realise it was such an upscale thing,” you put the velvet box down and turned to sit on the couch beside the large box. You played with the silver ribbon and chewed your lip.

“Sweetheart, it’s nothing, you got this,” he said, “trust me, if you can win me over, my friends will be child’s play.”

“Mhmmm,” you stared at the tv mindlessly, “Clark?”

“Yeah?”

“Why are you doing all this?”

There was silence and you heard him sigh then a subtle metallic click.

“Because I can. And you’re a talented artist. Didn’t all the big painters used to have patrons back in the day? You know, Da Vinci and all that.”

“Sure, I guess--”

“Look, sweetheart, I’m glad you like the dress, I gotta go.”

He hung up abruptly and you turned your phone to stare at it in confusion. You were starting to get a bad feeling and that little voice in that back of your head, that little sabotaging bitch, whispered in your ear. No, you wouldn’t let your self-doubt get the best of you this time. You either grabbed this chance or you spent the rest of your life doing menial work and painting the world as it passed you by.

🎨

Friday night, Marcus couldn’t stop rambling about the party the next day. You just couldn’t get over the tickle in your chest, the same one you got before job interviews and doctor’s appointments. You were on edge, even as you spent your stress on him, your body writhing against his as you panted and pouted. It had been a while since you fucked. All the work and the stress had just let things slip past you. Maybe with your new gig, you could get back to those early days when it was all you wanted to do.

You slept soundly. You blamed the sex and the momentous week. You got up, had a lazy brunch time meal, and beat Marcus at MarioKart several times over before he convinced you it was time to get ready. 

You pulled on the gifted outfit after fighting with your make-up and hair. You gave a little tada spin to Marcus and he lifted his brow as he tried to figure out his tie.

“Wow, where’d you get that?” he purred, “fuck, let’s be late.”

He ran his hands over your hips as you neared him and fixed his tie for him. You giggled and planted a kiss on his lips.

“Jeremy’s on his way,” you warned, “I don't wanna bite the hand that feeds.”

“Oh, and it feeds you well,” Marcus chirped, “you think he’ll let me have a spin in the McClaren?”

“Maybe, but I wouldn’t. I don’t need to scrape you off the side of the road,” you took your phone as the screen lit up, “come on, he’s here.”

“Fuck, babe, really, you’re gonna make me follow you out of here with your ass looking like that?”

“Stop,” you tittered, “you know, there might be more sellers tonight?”

“Oh yeah? I guess you’ll be paying a mortgage soon enough.”

“Me?” you scoffed.

“Sure, I’ll be your sugar baby,” he kidded.

“Well, baby is accurate,” you teased as you stepped onto the elevator, “please, just behave.”

🎨

You were surprised to see Vanessa at the party but reassured to see a familiar face. Clark had been distracted by his other guests and you did your best to mingle, letting Marcus take the lead until he was distracted by another guest’s Rolex and started asking too many questions. If you did start selling art to these kinds, you suspected you’d be paying for a lot of overpriced brands. That was a worry for another time.

You stood with Vanessa and a man she introduced you to. Bruce Wayne was tall and his dark-hair was combed back neatly as he spoke over the glass of wine in his hand. You were bored of the Monet-Manet argument, one you’d heard a million times from the stubborn gallery owner, and you were at your limit of socialisation.

You excused yourself and put down your unfinished drink on a table. You looked around but couldn’t see Marcus anywhere. The last you saw him, he was with Clark but you couldn’t find him either. You frowned and wandered between the pairs and trios gabbing around the room.

Just past the bar, you looked back and still no sign of either man. You huffed and your heels clicked into the foyer and to the stairs. You’d go to the studio and sit for a moment and collect yourself. You just needed to take a breath.

You climbed the stairs slowly, the din of the party floating up behind you. You came to the top but stopped as your eyes were drawn to a pair of open doors opposite the studio. You neared and stayed against the wall as you peeked inside. Marcus admired an old-six shooter and spun the barrel.

“You got everything, man, I swear,” you hid behind the door frame and listened.

“Eh, it’s all just things,” Clark replied, “I bought that from an auctioneer down in Texas. A verified antique but it just hangs here. Not good for much but looking at it.”

“Dude, what I wouldn’t do to live here? Have cool guns and even cooler cars? Shit, you know how fucked it is that my lady is making bank and I’m over here with my dick in my hands? I mean, I’m proud of her but… I mean, if I could get paid thousands for drawing, I would’ve tried to learn.”

“She’s good. Dedicated,” Clark remarked, “she’s special. Worth more than money.”

Marcus hummed and you heard the barrel click back into the place. Neither of the men spoke as you heard something shift and Clark cleared his throat. Subtle footsteps moved around the room and you pressed yourself to the wall. You should leave and let them talk but you couldn’t help but be curious.

“Isn’t she?” Clark prodded.

“Y-yeah, but… I don’t know. I just wish I had more,” Marcus said, “I probably sound like a chump, huh?”

“You can’t have it all,” Clark replied.

“Says the guy who can buy anything and everything,” Marcus moped.

“Oh?” Clark intoned, “so… how about it then? Fifty thousand.”

“For what?” Marcus chuckled nervously.

“Her,” Clark answered.

“Her-- I… my girlfriend?” he sputtered.

“If money can buy me anything, that’s what I want,” Clark said firmly, “it’s a one time offer… whether or not you agree to it, I’m gonna fuck her.”

You skin crawled at his words and you covered your mouth in disgust and shock. You inched closer to the door to hear better as you waited for the response.

“One hundred,” Marcus said.

“Seventy-five,” Clark countered.

“That’s my girlfriend, dude,” Marcus hissed.

“And yet you’re haggling with me over her. Eighty.”

You tore yourself from the wall before you could hear anymore. You felt hollow and heavy all at once. Your eyes were glossy as you scurried over to the studio doors and pushed the left one open. You unhooked the diamond necklace and tossed it onto the paint-stained palette and rolled up your brushes.

You stormed over blindly to the easel and pushed it over. It clattered to the floor loudly but you were already out the door and halfway down the stairs. You gripped your clutch and the bundle of paintbrushes tightly as you continued on outside and the blurred outlines of luxury cars passed you by. 

You stomped up the long drive in your heels as you flicked away tears and pulled out your phone. You knew it was too good to be true. Any of it; your art, Clark, Marcus. You weren’t good for anyone unless they could get something out of you.

[chifuyuzu]

leap of faith — sano manjiro x reader.

word count — 1.3k.

genre — fluff fluff fluff, i love sweet mikey.

contains — cursing, timeskip SPOILERS present, reader is gender neutral.

description — sano manjiro is in love with you, and he realizes how much he loves you at the ass crack of fuckin' dawn.

author's note — hey besties, this is my first published fic here, kinda short but mikey brain rot is heavy. i hope you enjoy this cute fic before i rip your hearts out with some angst in a few days :^) reblogs and likes are always appreciated! and please give me feedback in my inbox! hehe, enjoy.

“it’s late.”

you know. but you still wanted to hear the sound of his voice before bed.

“mm… i missed ya’, is that a crime?” your voice echos through the receiver, the sound of your duvet crinkling in the background as you shift in place. sano manjiro was a busy man. always has been, always will be. being the leader of a biker gang was never easy—let alone some “new age” criminal organization.

you didn’t understand why manjiro persisted to play this game of russian roulette with his life. but it was never your place to overstep, especially since this was his life. it was all he knew, all he understood. you’re not sure what he’s doing, or if he’s even allowed to talk on the phone at this hour, but you still wanted to hear him. just so you know he’s alive and well.

you hear him chuckle, the sound of his feet scurrying against whatever floor his sandals were clacking against. the background noise that accompanied him earlier has dissipated; you realized he probably went outside to hear you better.

“your crime is loving a fool like me way too much. don’t think you’re sane.” he’s right. you’re actually crazy for even pursuing him. there was a lot of push and shove in the beginning, both parties scared of being hurt and getting hurt. but you were always there, even when manjiro went through whatever darkness was eating at his soul.

“crazy for you.”

“corny.”

“you love me.”

a pause. eerie enough to send shivers down your spine. why wasn’t he responding? did something happen? did you smother him too much? is he regretting—

“marry me.”

… not what you were expecting. especially not over the phone.

“sano manjiro, did you just propose over the phone? what kind of shitty rom-com are we in?”

“is that a no?”

“... never said that.” you wanted to marry him. but you wanted him to put that lifestyle behind, for the sake of the family you might have in the future. kids, dogs, cats, etcetera. you wanted him to be in, one hundred percent. but you knew he was too deep into this world to run now—especially since he’s so well-known as the ‘invincible mikey.’ you still longed for a happy home with manjiro, and a normal life.

“maybe you’re right. it’s not my style to ask you this over the phone.”

“try again later. when you’re really ready.”

the gag is, he is ready.

manjiro hurries home, blond locks hidden underneath a thin, black hoodie. he’s shaking, like a pomeranian in the presence of fireworks. his hand meets the left side of his chest, back pressed up against the grey colored wall of your shared apartment as he slides down to sit on the floor. it was four in the morning, and manjiro was about to shit himself.

he gulps, eyes peering around for you, double checking that you were fast asleep before he makes a phone call. his fingers tapped the back of his iphone, impatiently waiting for the other caller to answer. though it was the crack of dawn, he still needed some moral support.

“mikey? fuck you callin’ for at this hour? haven’t heard from you in mo—”

“ken-chin. i’m proposing.”

a loud ‘flop’ rang through the receiver, accompanied by the bedsheets seemingly slipping underneath draken’s feet. it was a huge bomb to drop, especially when the duo has been separated for months on end. manjiro hears more shuffling, followed by a few curses. “you’re fucking lying. the one you’ve been one since—?”

“yeah. i’m crazy as hell. but i love them. head over heels. i’m a goddamn simp.”

“why the hell am i the first to know, man?”

“you’re m’best friend, even if i need to stay away from you. and, also… you’re not the first to know. i asked them already.”

“you WHAT? don’t fuckin’ tell me you did it some dumb way like over the pho— you did. you’re impulsive enough to do it like that, too.” regardless of how long it’s been, draken still knows and understands manjiro like nothing ever happened.

“yeah… not romantic. but i can’t see myself with anyone else. i trust no one else. but i… am…”

“scared? man, you’re the head of a criminal organization. ‘course you’re scared. you don’t want the love of your life… to get hurt…” his voice trails off and manjiro’s heart tenses even more. the memories of the past still felt fresh. all the people they lost in tokyo manji… could never be replaced. not in a million years.

but the living must live.

“i love y/n. never felt like this before. i’d quit everything. but i would have to make sure they’re safe and whatever future we have together is secure. i know i promised takemichi that i’d protect everyone and that future he worked so hard to save… but what about mine?”

manjiro really did sacrifice everything for his friends. being the type of person who carries everyone else’s burdens takes a toll on his mental. he felt selfish for wanting to leave it all behind. but maybe being selfish was beneficial once in a while.

“listen—”

“do you think i’m stupid?”

“mikey. you’re not stupid,” draken sighs, shuffling again in place. “you just want to love someone and be loved in return. nothin’ stupid about that. what is stupid though, is you proposing over the damn phone.”

he’s not wrong. it was a spur of the moment decision that could drastically change his life forever. but with you, he doesn’t care. as long as you’re his, forever.

“how do you think i should do it?”

“well. i guess, tell me some sappy shit. how do you feel about them, and whatnot.”

“i don’t think i could ever imagine me with anyone else. a lot of people have tried to grab my attention but i only have eyes for y/n. sometimes when shit gets real hard…” manjiro takes a deep sigh, fingers threading through his hair, tilting back the hood to let it fall onto his back. “i think of y/n and i remember that even in this shit world, someone is here for me. someone cares about me. they make me feel like i’m not alone anymore.

i have dreams ‘bout us, y’know? me and y/n… kids running around. a little mikey clone. pissin’ them off because we want little flags on our meals. going to the park and letting kids be kids. maybe i’ll teach ‘em at a dojo like gramps did for me and my siblings. maybe i’ll teach ‘em about bikes—with your help, of course.”

draken laughs, letting his friend continue his little speech as he gets comfortable in bed again. don’t think i’ve ever seen mikey like this, ever, draken muses.

“man, we can own a whole zoo if we wanted. chifuyu could hook us up, in secret, of course. still have to protect everyone,” manjiro is grinning from ear to ear, head resting against the wall. “i wanna grow old with them. honestly, i didn’t think i’d make it to my twenties. more so, i didn’t want to live past twenty-something. but now… things are different. wanna be old and gray. see grandkids terrorize our children. die together.”

the tension in manjiro’s chest has faded away, only left with warmth that only you could bring him. his free hand reaches into his pocket to fumble with a small box, snapping it open to reveal the engagement ring his grandfather handed down to him.

he wasn’t the marrying type. but for you, he was.

“that all? you sound good like that, man. make an exception and let us come to the wedding.”

manjiro wants that more than anything. his friends, you... all safe. all happy. but again, the fear creeps up. he doesn’t know what to do with himself if any of you get hurt.

“... how do i tell y/n that?”

“you already have.” your voice makes him jump, knocking the velvet box out of his fingers and onto the hardwood floor. his face pales, followed by a huge lump forming at his throat when he sees your figure emerge from your shared bedroom.

“i-uh… i thought you were a-asleep.” manjiro mumbles, earning a huge laugh from draken on the other side. he hears him say something along the lines of ‘my cue to leave. good luck. send me an invite.’

“i was waiting for you.” 

he’s sweating now, a small bead forming at the base of his neck. his phone is now at his side, the screen flashing from draken’s caller id to the lockscreen photo of you on your first date together, a few years back. your eyes zone into the box, though.

“i was going to do this… better. god, i fucked up, huh?”

you’re laughing now, rubbing your tired eyes before you join him near the wall, picking up the box. “what makes you think that, dummy?”

now he’s confused. you wanted him to ask when he was serious, but in his head, serious meant rose petals, candles, someone singing celine dion in the distance.

without a word, you slip the ring onto its appropriate finger, holding up to the small rays of sunlight that peaked through the window from the approaching sunrise. manjiro’s hands fly up to your face, holding his whole world in his hands. his eyes are shiny, on the brink of tears. you nudge your noses together, foreheads connecting tenderly. your hands hooked onto the hem of his hoodie, bringing his frame closer as you whisper a soft ‘yes.’

“yes?”

“yes, i’ll marry you.”

manjiro’s lips curl up into the silliest grin you’ve ever seen him sport, before he presses a soft kiss to your lips. now he’s kissing you quite desperately. as if he’s trying to make sure you’re real, that this isn’t a dream. you feel his words vibrate against your lips, “gonna make you so happy, i promise. i love you. i love you so, so much.”

“forevermore.”

“forever yours.”

[gentlemancrow]

idk if you’re still taking requests so no pressure but maybe jmart 18 about jon’s scars? or,,, honestly however you wanna interpret that lol

Hehe bet you thought you weren't getting one. But of COURSE you're getting one! <3 HERE YOU GO!! Sorry it is late I am not a fast writer haha! This was a VERY interesting one to interpret and I got a little wonky and metaphysical there for a bit WHICH I LOVE and THE IDEA MIGHT HAVE BEEN A BIT LONG FOR A DRABBLE BUT! It's soft and I'm soft and I enjoyed this one SO SO MUCH ; w ; I hope you do too!!

Jon had Seen enough. Martin had decided that long ago. He had witnessed enough, been forced to witness enough, been the vessel into which literally everything had funneled into in an unrelenting typhoon of unspeakable, unfathomable horrific knowledge comprehensible only to him long enough that he damn well deserved the luxury of imperception. He had earned the right to not notice when Martin accidentally bought the wrong brand of chai, the one he insisted tasted like someone rubbed a stick of cinnamon on plasterboard and jammed it in a cardamom pod, but honestly tasted just like the one he preferred. The universe, whichever one they happened to be in now, owed him not realizing the buttons on his cardigan were one off until they were about to head out and Martin had to fix them, fingers humming with the warmth of him lingering in the cashmere every time. He deserved to forget his keys and then also have to go back to check that their flat door was locked twice, just to be sure. He deserved tossing cabbage in the trolley at the market, only to get home and realize it was a head of iceberg lettuce instead, and also he had completely forgotten the onion anyway so back he would have to go. Tiny and insignificant, patently human foibles that any normal person might tally up to a really rotten day overall and gripe about over a glass of Châteauneuf-du-Pape he had won as gleaming, pyrrhic badges on the ruins of his humanity yanked back from the claws of the yawning, devouring dark matter of the cosmos and stitched painstakingly back together with love.

But mostly Jon deserved to not notice the way people looked at him.

He need not see the painted-on expressions of strangers that ran the gamut from quiet pity, to voyeuristic curiosity, to outright revulsion that Martin could not help but see everywhere they went. They had no idea. Not even the slightest inkling of what, exactly, had composed that magnum opus of horror and pain scarred resplendently on his flesh, his bones, his sinews and synapses. To even try know was to go mad, the mind looping through and around and between consciousness and logic and love and fear and philosophy and metacognition until it squeezed into an ouroboros black hole singularity of dense unknowing that collapsed in on itself and perished in cataclysm. They had merely gotten lucky that being extruded through the plumbings of creation seemed to straighten out their fibers enough to be woven back into the fabric of reality, but they were too kinked and snagged and gnarled to ever lay fully flat again. And that was why they stared.

The invasive beings of Jon and Martin had come to mutual terms with it long ago, but they also knew they would be forever incongruous with an innocent world, with a world where they did not belong and that collectively looked at them both like an ontological cancer, benign but festering and ugly. They would never know the thing that crouched behind the stars with pointed knees and elbows that even then, groped to find their new world in the lightless vast, and Jon deserved to not perceive any hints of that either. He deserved their quiet, their peace, their wordless human acceptance.

Jon deserved to be innocently chewing a periwinkle-painted thumbnail in front of the ice cream counter, just as he was that gossamer spring afternoon, turning woeful and forever mismatched brown and green eyes at his husband and asking if he should get mint chip or rum raisin before deciding, actually, could he have a sample of the salted caramel ribbon first? He pointed eagerly at the various frozen tubs behind the glass with his gnarled right hand, where the fingers never did quite open or close properly again, and missed in his wonderment at the veritable cornucopia of sweet delights available to him the mingled look of pity and horror on the cashier’s face as she doled out samples at his request. Martin lurked protectively behind, silent, sentinel, seeing it all, a hot brand of fury boring its way through his chest as he glared icy blue daggers at the clueless young woman, who only compounded her crimes by complimenting the permanent white forelock in his ginger curls as she took his order.

Martin snatched his double scoop of rocky road and pralines and cream out of her hand with a withering scowl and said nothing. Jon, frowning in the dread shadow of Martin’s hushed wrath and finally deciding on just the mint chip, took it upon himself to pay while the poor young woman skirted around both their gazes. They took their ice cream to enjoy in the balmy sun on the metal patio tables outside the shop under a cloud of unspoken insults and slander which Jon was more than happy to pop open the conversational umbrella beneath before the downpour.

“Something wrong?” he asked solicitously.

“Nope. I’m fine,” came the curt answer, suspiciously also lacking in eye contact as Martin stabbed his pink spoon into the rocky road.

Jon’s mismatched eyes narrowed shrewdly. There was one thing that never escaped his notice, even now, and that was the painfully obvious way Martin always broadcast his inner hurts and the physical language of his turmoil he had become fluent in over the years.

“Okay, yes you are probably fine. And I’m guessing it has nothing to do with you actually, because you’re angry and you rarely get angry on your own behalf, which means it’s probably something to do with me or some perceived slight. What happened in there? Did someone make a snide remark about my eccentric ice cream selection? The long skirt on a warm spring day? Oh, no, I’ve got it. It was probably the earrings, yes? I knew I should have gone with the feathers instead of hoops, matches the outfit much better.”

The corner of Martin’s mouth quirked up in a hapless, crooked smile as Jon coaxed a laugh out of him, and he looked up into his gaze adoringly to grant him unspoken conciliation.

“No, no not at all. Nothing like that. It’s nothing, love. It’s not a big deal. Just low blood sugar or something. Just eat your nasty mint chip or rum raisin or whatever that unholy concoction is,” Martin snorted, gesturing at his cup.

“Liar,” Jon crooned with loving reproachment, reaching out to thumb a little bit of rum raisin on the tip of Martin’s nose as punishment.

Even breathed with such unfettered, undying affection, Martin hated that word. He hated how transparent he still was to the man he loved, how much he still truly saw him, saw through him. At least all it took to compel him now was a little melted ice cream rubbed clean off his nose and a winsome smile with love-puddled green and brown eyes.

“Okay, okay… fine,” he admitted with a resigned smirk and a sigh, “I don’t like the way they look at you. Okay? That’s all.”

Jon’s brow knitted together curiously.

“Hmm? Who? What do you mean?” he asked.

“Everyone!” Martin finally effused in frustration, “Everywhere! They look at you like you’re… like you’re damaged goods! Like you’re some pitiful beaten animal on the street, or worse, like you’re some sort of- some sort of um…”

“…Monster?” supplied Jon, lips pursed and lids drooping.

“…I wasn’t going to say that,” Martin stammered.

“What other word is there?”

“Fine, they look at you like you’re a monster. They take one look at your face or your throat or your… your hand. And I can just see it on their faces. They look at you like you’re a monster, and I hate it. You don’t deserve that. You never did! They don’t even know you! They don’t know what happened to you…! And sorry, Jon, but I get angry about it because it’s not fair, and I can’t exactly go about lobbing right hooks into the faces of everyone who even looks at you cross-eyed, now can I? Much as I’d like to…"

Jon went quiet as he listened, dabbling first in the rum raisin, then indulging in a little mint chip chaser, cocking his head to the side thoughtfully as he nibbled on the plastic spoon.

“Is that what you see?”

The color rolled out from Martin’s freckled cheeks along with the very spirit from his eyes in a fog, his entire mien awash in pallor.

“What? How could you say that to me? I would NEVER think that about you, Jon! How could you ever think I would think that? I-I know I said some awful things in the past about your scars, but I-“

“No no! Martin, no! Of course not! I know you would never!” Jon cut in, reaching across the table to snatch his hand and squeeze it reassuringly, rubbing his knuckles and over his wedding ring, “You misunderstand! I was asking if that’s what you see in their eyes?”

Martin clung to Jon’s hand, heart palpitating and breath easing.

“Oh…” he blurted dumbly, flushing with lively hues of reds and golds once more, “I-? Of course I do, what else could it be?”

“I don’t see that. I don’t see that at all,” Jon answered simply, “It’s… hard to describe but, damaged goods, disgust, morbid curiosity, those are all… Hard things. They have sharp edges. And when people here look at me, I don’t feel anything hard or sharp, it feels… soft? It feels gentle.”

Shaking his head, Martin frowned.

“Gentle? How is openly gawking at someone’s scars in any way gentle?”

“It’s just a feeling I have. I suppose,” Jon mused, thumbing at his beard with his free hand as he constructed an analogy that would make sense in his mind, “Mmm… Think of it like this. Humans, life, we’re all very visually oriented creatures, right? We respond to visual cues in our environments that are universally understood. We wear these rings so that everyone knows we belong together, just the same as bright colors usually mean poison, or how specialized feathers, or horns, or dewlaps and the like let others know they’d be a good mate, or how some things look like eyes or like entirely different creatures to scare off predators, and so on.”

The creases in Martin’s forehead only deepened in confusion.

“Okay sure, but scars aren’t a natural adaptation? We don’t look at scars the same way we look at pretty eyes on a moth wing or something.”

“I know that, that’s not what I’m saying,” Jon reiterated tenderly, “What I’m saying is I’ve always felt like my scars are a visual cue, but one that says to others ‘treat me gently’, because clearly I haven’t been. And it’s… well it’s been quite nice. You were about to tear that poor girl’s head off, but didn’t you see how she not only gave me about six samples when the sign clearly said two per customer, but then she also gave me the rum raisin ‘by mistake’ and then conveniently forgot to charge for it?”

“Wh-did she?” Martin gasped in shock, rewinding the transaction to remember that indeed, Jon had only asked for mint chip, but there was clearly also a generous scoop of rum raisin in his cup, ”She did… No I… I guess I didn’t notice…”

Jon let Martin’s hand go to cup his cheek pointedly in his scarred palm, running his thumb over the soft curve of his cheek and the spray of his ruddy freckles comfortingly.

“You want to know what I think? I think what you perceive as disgust or aversion or even pity is just fear, like you had. Fear of pain, fear of disfigurement, of fallibility. People are always afraid of seeing what can become of their mortal bodies, but that has nothing to do with me, or being disgusted by me. People are, at their cores, good and gentle, Martin. I know they are, we both do. They see me, my cane, my limp, my hand, my gray hair, my face, and they don’t even ask, they just know, on some primal level, that life was not kind to me. And so in some tiny way, like free rum raisin, they almost always try to give something back to me.”

Jon had known. He had noticed. It had never escaped his perception as Martin had assumed. Jon had known all along, but it was only Martin who still saw daggers in the smiles of strangers while he had taken the last vestiges of his powers irrevocably branded on his body and soul and sowed something delicate and beautiful and blossoming in his new earth. Martin had made a weapon. Perhaps no less delicate and beautiful, but still cold and sharp and deadly. The razor white edge of the sun through frigid fog.

“I’m so sorry, Jon,” Martin choked, his throat pinching shut with the threat of tears, “I-I had no idea…. I-I only thought…”

“It’s alright, please don’t cry, darling, you have nothing to be sorry for. I understand. You only thought you were protecting me. I protected you for so long, when you were desperate to do the same for me, to save me, but had no power to do either. Now you’ve got your turn to do the protecting in earnest, and honestly, it’s a… can I- can I say hot? Can I say it’s a hot look on you? Or is that weird?” Jon asked, tips of his ears blushing coyly.

Martin managed a laugh as he sniffed back the tears and thumbed both sets of lashes dry under his spectacles.

“It’s a little weird for you, in particular, to say it, just because it’s you. But I’ll take it.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Perhaps then, Martin thought as Jon leaned over their whimsical little metal table outside an ice cream parlor by a park with a striped canopy above them and birds singing and kissed his tears away and then kissed his lips into a smile, that sharp things needn’t always be weapons. Perhaps his sword was, in reality, a spade, or a hoe, something to tend and nurture the new and fragile happiness Jon had tilled. Gentle things deserved gentle protection, and he was still going to devote every iota of his being to protecting Jon until the end of their days. After all, as they finally got to enjoy their slightly melted ice cream, Jon still dribbled a bit of rum raisin down his beard and carried on none the wiser. Martin let him go on like that, blissfully unaware, talking about Polyphemus moths and the myth of the cyclops and something about someone going about as Nobody, until he finally reached out with a napkin to attentively wipe it away.

Other than a gracefully paced ‘oh, thank you dear,’ Jon never missed a beat.

[yoonieboonie]

The Substitute Lover (6)

word count: 2.5k

genre: fluff, angst hehe

pairing: myg x reader

summary: Finally meeting the college boy you’ve been eyeing on for months, everything goes wrong when you realise what you’re really getting yourself into.

a/n: this is part 6 !!! Thank you for the feedback from last chapter!  The vote for updates was split so I updated on the weekends and weekdays! :> If you can, please please please leave me a feedback after reading this chapter. :> Thank you!!!

NEXT | PREVIOUS

"Joonie, you promised." You groan into your phone. You are pacing back and forth in your apartment as you talk to Namjoon who decided to do a raincheck on your plans today. You were supposed to buy a gift for your Mom as her birthday was near. If you can't be there physically, you at least wanted to send something.

"I know, Y/N." he sighed on the other line. "I was pulled in by Mijin saying Mrs. Lee needs me for rehearsals. No one else in our batch can play flute but me." you can hear in his voice that he wasn't fond of the circumstances too, so you decided to let it go. You can just go alone.

"I contacted Hoba, he can take you."

You found yourself roaming the mall alone for a good hour when you receive a message, asking where you are. Assuming that it was Hoseok's new number, you respond with your location and saved it under the name "Hobi" as you pocketed it to continue your stroll.

You turn to a corner and your mouth opened to gape like a fish. Yoongi is walking towards you with his hands in his pockets. He finally reaches you as you close your mouth.

"I'm assuming Joon didn't tell you that I was coming?" He mused. I shook my head mutely.

"Does Eujin know about this?" you asked. You didn't mean to impose. Yoongi nodded his head. Why was he lying about something as simple as this?

He doesn't know. He doesn't even know why he said yes to this at all. All he knows is that he intends to enjoy today. He's having too much on his plate. You shrugged and cleared your throat.

"I want to buy a shark charm." you said, not looking at him.

"Shark?" he repeated. You put your hands together and placed it above your head as if to act like fins. "Sharks. Jaws. Fish are friends, not food?" you mused.

This made him smile to himself. You really are a peculiar one. "That's my favourite animal to exist, I'm giving that to my mom as something to remember me by."

He nods in understanding. He then leads you to what you assumed were a jewelry store. You trail behind him quietly. This was the start of your friendship and you didn't want to jinx it by doing or saying anything stupid.

You two walk around the store quietly. Charms of different sizes and figures displayed in a glass case, sparkling in the lights that illuminated the whole store. You try to focus on looking for the charm you intend to buy, momentarily forgetting about Yoongi.

You hear a throat cleared beside you and you turn thinking it was Yoongi, rushing you to hurry and pick already. To your surprise, you were faced with a handsome, handsome young man. Confused, you moved to the side, thinking that you may have blocked his way.

"Anything I can help you with, ma'am?" the man asked politely. You then realised that he was a clerk at the store. You feel heat creep up your cheeks just as you failed to answer immediately. You were too busy being flustered to even open your mouth.

Yoongi was quickly beside you, making you recollect yourself.

"I-I'm looking for a shark charm." You said, and awkwardly doing the fin thing you did for Yoongi earlier. The man in front of you chuckled heartily, revealing a dimple on his cheek. You found yourself blushing again.

Yoongi clicked his tongue in annoyance and lifted his hands to bring your "fins" down. Once your hands are back to your sides, he spoke up.

"He knows what a shark is, Y/N. You don't have to do the hands." You nod, and subtly glance at the nametag of the man in front of you that read "Jeongguk".

"Follow me, sir." Jeongguk paused for a while. "Ma’am." he warmly smiled again.

Jeongguk showed you all types of charms and pendants available in the store and in the end, you bought a bracelet charm. It was beautiful.

"Thank you, Jeongguk. My mother would love this, I'm sure." You thanked him one last time. He bowed slightly.

Yoongi was itching to leave and you are honestly sorry to take up so much of his time. So you both head to the exit but before you reach the door, you hear a soft "wait" behind you.

Yoongi was the one to turn first, and then you did. It was Jeongguk. You assumed you have forgotten something but he handed you a piece of paper.

"I wasn't going to since it was unethical," he explained. "But I don't want to have met you and not shoot my shot."

Yoongi snatched the piece of paper from Jeongguk before you could get it. Was he fucking invisible? What was this guy's deal?

"What's your deal, man? Don't you see that we came in together?" Yoongi asked, trying to stay calm.

"I didn't think you would mind, sir." Jeongguk explains. Yoongi shot a brow at this.

"The ring on your finger." Jeongguk answers. "She doesn't have one."

You try and keep a straight face and act unaffected with the statement. Before you can even reply, Yoongi was dragging you out of the mall and into the parking space, not even bothering to stop. He was pissed beyond words. Why was everyone endeared by you? This was a mystery to him.

And you? Blushing furiously at everything that boy said. He scoffed beside you, while you are still oblivious to why he got angry. You assumed it was because you inconvenienced him. You are already thinking of ways to apologise but you were busy not tripping. He wasn't as tall as Namjoon but he was relatively taller than you and you had to jog in order to catch up to his pace as he continue to drag you by your cardigan sleeve.

He was mumbling angrily as he dragged you to his car. You stayed quiet beside him, he must've felt humiliated to be with you. Had you not been with him, he wouldn't be mad right now.

"Yoongi." you call out. His head snapped to your direction. You cleared your throat awkwardly, and fixed your glasses.

"I'm sorry," you start. This made Yoongi's eyebrows furrow in confusion. "I should've just waited for Namjoon to be free and not have you come with me." you spoke up.

"Stop." He replied. "I told you before and I'm telling you now. I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to."

You look up at him, you felt your entire emotions surge and you are fed up with everything Yoongi does and says. You sigh as you ran your hand through your hair.

"Yoongi, why are you here?” you asked. “Have you figured it out?” “Figured what out, Y/N?” He returned. Your mind flashed back to last week’s events.

You were on your way to Mr. Do, your professor’s office, when you heard a female voice that made you stop in your tracks. You start hiding at a corner while at the Business Administration building..

There you found Eujin and Mr. Do hugging tightly. You didn’t really know how to react. After all, it was just a hug. You would like to put a little faith into the love of Yoongi’s life. She would never do this to him, you thought. But when he attempted to kiss Eujin you were quick to react. With your small frame, you pushed the two away from each other. Your chest heaving with every breath that you took.

"Eujin. Mr. Do." You cleared your throat. This made them jump away from each other. Like a fire was lit and burned the two of them. "I-I will pretend to have not seen whatever this is" You start.

Mr. Do, as you addressed him to be, seemed to relax at your statement.. After all, he will not only lose his job but also his dignity once this gets out of the three of them.

"But" you continued. "This has to stop, please."

The way you begged confused the fuck out of Eujin. Why were you begging? Weren’t you supposed to be happy that you caught her and can finally be with Yoongi?

"Y-Yoongi. He loves you so much, Eujin." You faced Eujin who has no emotion in her face but shock. "Please don't hurt him, please." You continued to beg.

Unbeknownst to you, Hoseok followed you to the building for you have left your apartment keys on the chair you sat on. He watched the whole ordeal as you started to beg. He wanted to zoom into the picture and take you away. You were lowering yourself to beg for Yoongi? He was infuriated with whom? He no longer knows.

"Mr. Do, please know that if this continues, I will report to the Dean immediately." You threaten and with that, you grab Eujin's arm and drag her to the restroom nearby.

"Don't fucking touch me, Y/N." Eujin takes her arm back as soon as you both arrive at the restroom. She made sure no one was around when she turned to face you. You can see clear as day that she is terrified with what you saw. She didn't want to lose Yoongi.

"I-I won't tell." you promised as you fixed your glasses.

"Why not? Wouldn't that benefit you? You can finally have Yoongi." Her voice was shaky as she said this.

"I'm not selfish, Eujin. I want him to be happy." You smile. "So please, while you haven't done anything you'd regret yet, stop now. I can guarantee that I won't tell him." you urge.

She closed her eyes, ran her fingers through her hair and looked in the mirror. She was still shaken but better. Without saying a word, she turned and left.

You had no choice but to watch her figure leave.

“Nevermind. I can go home from here.” You fake a smile. You bowed your head and turned to leave. Yoongi has had enough of you leaving and grabbed your arm. The contact sending shivers down your spine. You were quick to remove his hand and something flashed in his eyes. It was gone before you could even decipher what it was. “I’ll take you home. You accept these offers from Hobi and Joon, why am I any different?” He was going to start dragging you but you spoke up again. “Yoongi. we're friends, right?" you asked, as you removed the paper bag of the charm from his hand.

"Of course, we are." He answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Then don't act more than that. I asked you to give me a chance and you didn't." you face him tiredly. "I had to endure seeing you with Eujin for months and you didn't hear anything from me. The least you can do to is to not confuse me with all these halfass comments. I like you but I will never be a substitute lover."

With that, you turned to leave. Everything is crashing down on you. With the stress of having to hide what you saw, to your studies, and now with Yoongi confusing the fuck out of you. You just cannot catch a break.

Yoongi was too shocked to react, he wanted to follow you but what would he say to actually appease you? You were right, after all. Spending time with you honestly confused his feelings for Eujin. Hoseok and Namjoon knew this but didn't say anything. They took matters into their own hands and set you two up.

You sat at a bus stop as you rummage through your bag for your phone. Dialing Namjoon's number, he picked up after a few rings.

"Y/N?" He had a teasing tilt to his voice. "How was it?" As you expected, he wasn't in practice as it was quiet around him. You sigh into the receiver.

"W-What do you t-take me for, Namjoon?" You try to make your voice as stable as you can but it cracked in the end. The humiliation and exhaustion with the whole narrative is making your head spin.

"Did something happen, Y/N? What did Yoongi do?!" He grew alarmed as you cried. You heard shuffling as another voice spoke into the phone.

"Y/N? Are you alright? Where are you, I'll pick you up." Hoseok spoke.

"You were in this too?" You gritted your teeth. Anger and disappontment bubbled in your stomach, no matter how you tried to push it back down, trying to be rational.

"I am not a toy for your trio to play with." You finally spoke coldly. "I have feelings too. I'm not a charity case, Hoseok."

Hoseok winced at the lack of nickname and familiarity to your tone. He and Namjoon only wanted to make you happy, hence the setup of the date.

"Please, I'll pick you up." Hoseok sounds panicked already. "Y/N, love, tell me where you are." On his side, Namjoon watched shocked with how he addressed you. Hoseok was shocked too.

"Don't bother showing your face to me," You breathed. "I don't want anything to do with the three of you.” You were about to drop the call as a bus approached the station but you stopped as soon as Hoseok spoke again. “I saw you last week, Y/N.” You didn’t reply. You both knew what he was talking about. “It was none of your business. That was up to Eujin and Yoongi to fix—“ “Come on, Y/N! Do you hear yourself? She was cheating on him and you know it.” His voice was cold, you barely recognized it. “Even if Eujin did cheat on Yoongi, even if they break up,” You pause. “It still wouldn’t be me. Yoongi will never choose me.” “And how sure are you of that?” A voice spoke but it was not Hoseok. You glanced to your right and saw Yoongi who must’ve followed you. He was panting as his chest heaved up and down. He ran. The bus finally stopped in front of you. You gave him a final look. Yoongi’s eyes were begging you to not get in. But you did. ------------------------------------

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[geordiewrites]

Exile | George Weasley

Summary: Y/N catches sight of her ex-boyfriend, George Weasley, at his older brother’s wedding after exactly one year apart. Based on Exile by Taylor Swift and Bon Iver :).

A/N: This isn’t directly linked to the song, but its certainly inspired by it as it’s about two ex-lovers seeing each other again at Bill and Fleur’s wedding and how they feel when they see each other again and shit like that. It’s very angsty, since I’m unable to write anything else hehe, and I do enjoy a good angsty story! Hope you all had a great Hanukah and Christmas, or any other events you celebrate too in December and fading into the new year. Also my requests are now open, go wild xox.

Warnings: angst and a hell of a lot of it, swearing, drinking. Let me know if I’ve missed any!

-

Y/N’s hands gripped a pristine glass of mulberry red wine so hard it seemed as though it would smash. Her Y/H/C shone in the dim candlelight of the marquee she was awkwardly standing in the corner of, fervently wishing she had politely declined the invitation to Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour’s wedding that she had received a few months prior. It seemed like a good idea at the time, just to be in the same room as all the people she had let down twelve months before and simply survive the palpable tension. But now she was there, Y/N couldn’t think of anything worse.

She could see where George was, dancing with some blonde girl from Hogwarts that Y/N didn’t care enough to remember the name of. Just seeing his arm slung lazily around the girl’s waist was enough to make sticky bile rise up in her throat.

Exactly one year had passed since Y/N had abruptly ended her whirlwind engagement with George Weasley, the younger brother of Bill, who’s wedding it was. Granted the ceremony was beautiful, with a huge marquee tent in a meadow of autumn flowers on a poignant, warm afternoon, but Y/N couldn’t feel anything but uncomfortable and out of place around her ex-boyfriend’s dotting family. It had been a messy breakup, with Y/N running away to France in fear of the brewing war and leaving George behind with it.

She had lived in Paris for eleven months, stewing over the pain of losing George by her own sword. But she couldn’t go back. Being both muggleborn and associated with a pureblood, even if he was a Weasley, was dangerous to say the least. So many years were spent with Y/N constantly getting put down for her purity, even in the supposed sanctuary of Hogwarts. She had never said anything to George. He wouldn’t have understood anyway. And so, she agreed to marry him. Agreed to wear the diamond ring he could barely afford, and agreed to a life she didn’t want. One she had never wanted.

It didn’t occur to her that she was too scared to go through with it until her clandestine bag was packed for France, and the words ‘I can’t marry you’ tumbled from her lips.

Draining the rest of the dark wine until her glass was completely empty as a distraction, Y/N barely noticed a tall, redheaded man move to stand next to her with a crooked smile close to George’s own.

“So, how have you been?” The man said, making Y/N snap to attention in surprise before having to force herself not to smile. She wanted to, but Fred Weasley wasn’t somebody she entirely expected to try and talk to her after what went down between herself and his twin brother.

“Fine, you?” Y/N replied hotly after a moment of hesitation, pouring another large glass of wine. Her voice was clipped as if she didn’t want to be talking to him, and her eyes were careful not to meet his.

“Better than ever. It’s nice to see you, Y/N.” Fred mused with a brutal honesty that made her want to spit out her drink. “Truly, I’ve missed you.”

“Not usually something a guy says to his twin brother’s ex.” Y/N chuckled in return. “Especially me, for that matter. Out of curiosity, did he ever tell you what actually happened?” She continued worriedly. Breaking up with George was the hardest thing she had ever done, the hardest thing she would ever have to do, and it was the messiest, most gut-wrenching breakup either of them would face. The details of it... she just dually hoped Fred didn’t know them. Really she hoped nobody but herself and George did.

“Of course he did.” Fred said, but he’s lying. Y/N knows he’s lying from the way he scratched his nose: it’s his tell, but she goes along with it anyway.

“Oh really?”

“Obviously, why wouldn’t he?”

“Well...” Y/N trailed off, making Fred both curious and suspicious.

“Alright I lied. He hasn’t said a word, just told us you two split up and the engagement was off. What didn’t he tell me about, Y/N?”

-

“Why are you doing this? We’ve set a date, Y/N, October fifteenth next year. Please, just don’t leave me.” George begged, years streaming down his face as his hands clutched Y/N’s shoulders, as if he was desperately clinging to something that was already gone. “We can work through this, we can.”

Shaking off his hands, Y/N moved away from him with a deep cold spreading through her icy veins. “I don’t want to. I don’t want to marry you, I don’t want to be here anymore.”

“What are you saying?” George asked simply. It was almost rhetorical in the complicated tangle of feelings that Y/N couldn’t decipher herself could never be expressed in speech.

“I’m saying I’m leaving. Leaving you, leaving this goddamn country where people want to fucking kill me for something I can’t control.” Y/N cried, but there are no tears from her. Her eyes are dry, as is her throat and her skin feels parched, drained of all moisture and blood and richness. “I’m going to France.”

“France? Y/N, just calm down. You can’t go to France.”

“Why the hell not?”

“Because I love you. And you can’t leave me, Y/N, please.” George continued, not meaning to be possessive but it just came out that way. Y/N used to like it, but now it just feels like a gilded cage. Have the marriage but don’t be free. Have the husband but don’t be safe. Have the life while others are slaughtered, and you might be next. She was done with it all.

“Funnily enough that isn’t your decision. I’m going to France, I’m going away from this war, from Dumbledore and the Order constantly expecting me to just be okay with everything, when I’m not.” Y/N ranted, waiting a few seconds to see if he would continue. When he didn’t, she carried on yelling, wanting him to know why she was leaving for good. “I’m not okay that they want me to just fight aimlessly all the goddamn time. I’m not okay that you think I’m some goddess when I’m so fucking terrified. I’m not okay that nobody sees that people are about to die, and I’m the most likely out of all of us to do exactly that-“

“Don’t say that. We will get through this war.” George replied, but Y/N was already at the door with her suitcase handle clutched in her colourless hand.

“No, we won’t. I’m sorry, but I’m so done. I can’t take it and I’m leaving-“

“You’re running away.” George said in a tone that made Y/N clutch at the roots of her hair.

“Of course I am. Don’t be pathetic, George, of course I’m running away from my inevitable death.”

“You won’t-“

“No, I won’t. I’m not going to die aged 20 because I’m not going to let them have the opportunity.” There was a beat before Y/N finally spoke the last words George would hear from her for the next year. “Goodbye George, all the best.”

All the best, George thought bitterly as she slammed the door, ready to rush to the airport. All the fucking best.

-

Fred watched as Y/N flinched, her shoulders tensing for a brief second before she airily smiled, an action even he could see was very clearly forced. Noticing she wasn’t going to answer his question, Fred asked yet another. “Where have you been for the last twelve months?”

“Paris.” Y/N chuckled darkly, feeling her heart clench as George kissed the blonde woman on the forehead. Her soft smile faded and an involuntarily frown settled on her delicate features. “In France.”

“I know where bloody Paris is, just wasn’t expecting that. Why Paris exactly?” Fred pressed, and Y/N had consumed just the perfect amount of mulled wine to be in the talkative, tipsy stage of inebriated. Perhaps getting piss drunk hadn’t been the best plan.

“There’s not a war in Paris.” She answered honestly, feeling the urge to laugh as Fred’s face flickered between shock and disappointment, almost identically to how George’s had one year previous.

“You ran away.”

“Yep.” She said, idly popping the ‘p’ and smudging her crimson lipstick slightly.

“But you’re back.”

“Also yes. I decided not to be a coward for any longer.” Y/N giggled tipsily, placing a chaste hand on his arm to steady herself, but to the untrained eye it appeared she was flirting with him. While Fred knew this wasn’t the case, another ginger across the room didn’t know as such, and felt a pang of all too familiar pain as his eyes landed on his ex-fiancé. “Alright Freddie, I feel a bit hot. I’m just gonna head outside for a minute or two.”

Fred barely had time to nod before Y/N swanned out of the room, her deep red dress clinging to her sensuous curves as she walked. She certainly stood out against a crowd of bland, Weasley-like fabrics from their family, and combined with her Y/H/C, Y/N was very easy to spot in the wedding. George watched as she left the tent to go stand just outside the entrance, strands of her hair fluttering around sharp cheekbones just visible past the marquee. With a quick apology to his blonde girlfriend, George rushed out after her.

Seeing Y/N again after exactly one year was similar to getting hit by a bus. It was exhilarating and melancholy and a whole other myriad of emotions that George was too mentally immature to comprehend. He didn’t even realise he was standing outside, just beside her before he was there. She looked almost exactly the same, except for the smudged red berry lipstick across her cheek. Y/N noticed he was there and stared adamantly at the ground, not knowing exactly why he was there or what he wanted.

“You’re here.” George said, his tone making it a statement far more than a question. Y/N nodded silently, not finding the courage to look at him for fear she would just spontaneously start sobbing. She hadn’t during their breakup, or even after during the mourning period, but right now she felt tears threatening to spill. “Why are you here exactly?”

“It’s a wedding.” She said, again more of a menial, random statement than an answer to his question.

“Yes, I realised that.” George snapped irritably. “The shop is doing brilliantly considering everything going on. And I have a girlfriend. She’s called Angelina, a Quidditch player-“

Unable to take it anymore, an elastic string pulled taunt in Y/N’s heart tore clean in two. “Why the fuck are you telling me this?”

“Wanted you to know.” George said after a significant beat.

“To hurt me.” Y/N muttered venomously, her eyes squeezing shut for a brief second. “Well congrats.”

“Didn’t know you had enough feelings to be hurt.” George cruelly replied. He knew it was beyond harsh, that it was pathetic considering how long it had been, but seeing Y/N looking quite to radiant had brought up a number of old feelings from their breakup right back.

“You know I came here to try and be in the room with these people again. You, your family. Turns out, I can’t.” Y/N said, tears beginning to fall from her eyes, lips tightened into a thin line. “It’s impossible to be near you.”

“It’s good to see you.” George mumbled, so quietly she wasn’t even sure that he had said it out loud. “I mean it.”

“That’s a change of tone.” She laughed, and even that simple sound was enough to make George smile, however much he wanted to be mad at her. “I thought you would hate me.”

“I do.” He smirked, making her laugh again in a way only he could. In a way both of them had dearly missed. “I really do, but I also missed you. Missed your laugh, your smile, your stupid shoes. I never understood why you needed more than one pair of shoes.”

“For the sake of fashion.” She said.

“You haven’t changed a bit.” He whispered, a saccharine mist clouding his hazel eyes as she brought herself to look at him for the first time, and not at the floor. He was older, not in looks but there was a tinge more wisdom held in solemn eyes. Even though he was smiling, he just looked sad. “You’re still beautiful to me. Even though I hate you.”

“I hate you too.” Y/N said, but her tone is soft and almost loving in it’s insinuation. Her heart swelled as she realised he had called her beautiful. “But you can’t call me beautiful when you have a gorgeous girlfriend waiting for you inside.”

“I do, and she’s wonderful.” George said. But there it was again, that sadness that only Y/N could possibly ever notice. Even then, nobody knew him as well as she did. Not even his new girlfriend. “But she’s not you.”

“Nobody ever will be.” Y/N laughed arrogantly, but it was utterly truthful at the same time. Nobody would ever be who Y/N was to George during their relationship, but even she wasn’t that person anymore. She was still Y/N, but a different version. The one he had fallen in love with was gone, and in her place was Angelina.

“Why’d you leave Paris?” George asked.

“I didn’t want to be scared anymore.”

“You were always braver than you gave yourself credit for, Y/N.” George complimented, making her face flush with a rosy glow. Her eyes were hazy with alcohol and a want for something she had forfeited so stupidly. Her lips were in a slight pout, and she gave him a look he had only seen a few rare times before. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I want you to kiss me. Will you? For old times sake?” Y/N asked, her face just a few brave centimetres from his. George wouldn’t have to do much to close the gap between them, and the urge to feel her lips against his for a final time was too overwhelming, like chugging red wine. Forbidden, something he wasn’t supposed to ever do but it was so duplicitously tempting and devilishly irresistible.

George was kissing her before he knew what was happening, adrenaline coursing through his veins. A warmth spread throughout Y/N’s entire body, fuelled by passion and sadness. His hands found her waist, sending involuntary tingles up her spine and back down again to her coccyx, the fabric of her dress riding up slightly so when he moved her hand lower, it just grazed her thigh. The kiss was treacherous, but as addictive as any drug that George had ever heard of. He couldn’t imagine anything both worse and better.

But it wasn’t a kiss of cheating in intention or action really, it was a kiss of goodbye. A kiss of hello to an old soulmate as he departed their chapter in his life, and finally let go of Y/N. A kiss of want and of love eventually disappearing forever. A kiss of teenage infatuation, of snogging in abandoned classrooms and first times in the Room Of Requirement, young and in love. A kiss of unspoken words and emotions, of ‘I want you but I hate you’ and ‘I love you but I left you’. A kiss of finally portraying unspeakable emotions that neither could understand. Perhaps they never would.

When their lips parted, George walked off without speaking. He just quickly made sure her lipstick wasn’t anywhere on his skin and walked seamlessly back into the party, sweeping Angelina off her feet as he once did with Y/N. As he now finally didn’t wish he was doing with Y/N. That chapter was closed, that storybook finally completely written and the ink had run dry. Angelina was who he wanted now, who he had now and who he loved now.

Y/N was a memory of George’s first love, while George was the memory of the biggest mistake Y/N would ever make. He was a reminder of who she lost, but also of who she could find again with someone else. Someone she was ready to marry, and ready to get through the war with. She hadn’t found them yet, but someday she would. She was sure of it.

At least for now, George wasn’t a part of her thoughts. He wasn’t a part of her dreamless sleeps or of her worst nightmares. He simply existed, and that was the best she could’ve asked for by even attending the wedding in the first place. George was a part of her life that was over now.

And Y/N was so ready for the next chapter, however messy and painful it could be. She was finally ready.

[jensungf]

𝐂𝐀𝐓 𝐆𝐎𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐔𝐄? ฅ 𝐥.𝐣𝐧

summary: your mother always told you a lot as a child — about how you should always be kind to others, to always watch out for stray kittens in dark allies on your way to school and most importantly, to not judge a book by its cover. you didn’t always listen to her. yet you would have to say your biggest weakness would come in the form of cats. and maybe lee jeno as well. 

pairing: shy!reader + badboy!lee jeno genre: high school!au, fluff<3 word count: 1.8k warnings: language, mentions of disease

author’s note: another one of my blurbs that accidentally turned into a really long drabble hehe i hope the anonnie who requested this enjoys! <3 as always constructive criticism is appreciated and you can request after checking my prompt list.

  just like every other caring parent, your mom went on and on about what she deemed to be important life lessons during your childhood, and even now — about how you should always be kind to others, to always watch out for stray kittens if you pass by the alley next to the flower garden on your way to school and most importantly, to not judge a book by its cover.

you tried your best to listen to her. you really did. but sometimes, people had weaknesses and besides your more than often bouts of procrastination and incessant affinity for watermelon sour patch candies — 

(“if i was your dentist, i’d probably hate and love you,” jisung snickered as you shot him a look of confusion. “‘cause you must have hella cavities but that would mean i could charge you more money! i’m so sm- ow, that hurts (y/n)!” you rolled your eyes after picking up the bag of watermelon sour patches you had thrown at his forehead and ripping it open to pop one in your mouth) 

—  yet you would have to say your biggest weakness would come in the form of cats. cute, fluffy, insanely adorable stray cats.

    although you had your fair share of friends, you preferred to stray away from human interaction (honestly, it was too much of a hassle, you were never really the type to approach people first anyways, your shyness getting the best of you and you preferred it that way), you preferred the company of much smaller, fluffier animals. although your mother always warned you about the dangers stray animals possessed, whether it be how they could carry rabid diseases or put you at risk of bad luck, you stopped hesitating to bring some snacks for the poor, small kittens years ago on your daily walk to school.

    you paused as soon as you heard a small mewl followed by some rustling and shuffled your feet forward, peering into the dark alley before you felt something nudge against your leg. you jumped back, but let out a sigh of relief. you crouched down, holding your hand out for the tiny kitten to nuzzle against.

    you cooed and reached into your backpack, bringing out the cubes of watermelon you had packed earlier before gently offering a piece to the black and white kitten. 

    “what do you think you’re doing?” a gruff voice asked, causing you to flinch and jump back. your head snapped up, only to find the source of the voice to be someone who scared you a lot more than you liked to admit.

lee jeno.

    everyone who knew anyone knew that lee jeno fit in with the cliche archetype of a bad boy. he hung out with his troublemaker friends in a group of seven (including jisung, but how you still managed to be friends with that giant noodle without encountering his friends, you will still never know), with rumors spreading like wildfire amongst your peers of them always being late to school, stirring up mischief with their motorbikes and causing ruckuses during detention. 

you didn’t expect him to be here out of all places.

     he was never the center of all of the attention, preferring to stay behind his loudmouth friends and observe quietly, laughing whenever donghyuck or jaemin would make a joke and joining in with his friends’ antics whenever he felt like it. but make no mistake — the moment anyone saw his muscular arms and the glint in his eye, they knew he wasn’t going to be one to mess with.

    you realized he was staring you expectantly, waiting for an answer but your brain seemed to short-circuit from surprise. you opened your mouth, desperately trying to rack up a response with your pea-sized brain (stupid y/n, why did i have to forget how to speak an entire language right at this very moment?, you groaned internally) before closing your mouth and averting your eyes to the very interesting concrete ground.

“cat got your tongue, sweetheart?” he teased, smirking almost flirtatiously. (you never noticed it but jeno’s ears flushed red, not knowing where this sudden confidence came from. he usually wasn’t the type to flirt… at least not like this in broad daylight with a random pretty stranger. he’d be damned to say jaemin was finally rubbing off on him.)

   you bit your lip, unsure what to say back and cursed yourself for being so awkward. you glanced briefly at his figure, his broad shoulders donning his signature outfit of a black leather jacket, low cut almost hawaiian-looking shirt and ripped skinny jeans (it was literally so sunny outside, how was he not sweating in that? also, did he ever wash that jacket? you could’ve sworn you had never even seen him without it) before pressing your lips into a firm, thin line.

  your eyes fluttered down to the kitty, ignoring him, yet you were struggling to remember how to breathe properly. your friends had always called you shy, albeit approachable, but you never realized how difficult it was for you to just simply talk to someone you actually sort of wanted to talk to until this very moment. why was just saying a single word so hard? and why did it have to be the school’s notorious bad boy here with you out of everyone in this town?

  he frowned, not used to girls blatantly ignoring him, but it wasn’t the first time it happened. he tried to search your face for any sign of recognition, but you were too invested in the cat, or rather, his cat to pay him any attention.

(he’s never been jealous of a cat before but he’d never admit that at this moment, he would’ve liked to switch places with nal. what a nice life it must be for a cat to be fed watermelon all day and be coddled with attention and affection from a pretty girl.)

“how’d you know she liked watermelon?” he asked before bending down. your eyes flickered up until you realized how close he was to you, only a few mere inches away from your body. you shrugged, not trusting your voice to speak.

“nal,” he whispered, bending down to your level, whistling to coax her towards him. she meowed, licking the last bit drop of watermelon juice on her paw before pouncing towards jeno, her fluffy tail looping around his beat-up hightops. his usual stoic expression curled up into a boyish grin as he started petting her and murmuring praises of how adorable she was.

   you could hardly believe your own two eyes. lee jeno, everyone’s picture-perfect example of a bad boy who looked like he walked straight out of the  cheesiest teenage rom-com flick was ... a softie for cats?

never in a million years would you have pictured this in your mind.

   you tried to stifle the laughter bubbling in your chest, but jeno looked up to catch your eyes. heat crept up your spine and consumed your face, causing you to look back down at the kitty who was nuzzling against him again.

“what’s so funny?” he asked, cocking his head and raising his eyebrows.

   you couldn’t help it if your heart decided to do somersaults seeing his innocent expression, resembling that of a confused five-year-old child.

you shook your head before softly asking, “she’s yours?”

   he bit back a grin at finally hearing your voice and reached into his jacket pocket to pull out a silver chain collar with a charm (engraved with “nal”), the silver bell attached to it lightly jingling. how ironic yet fitting, you thought.

“i can’t take her home with me because i’m allergic, so i let her roam around here and visit every day until i can find a place for her to stay,” he explains as he scratches her behind the ear, earning a delightful meow before slipping the chain over her head.

   you took a step back, mentally taking a snapshot of this moment. you couldn’t help but giggle lightly once you realized that jeno and nal looked almost exactly alike, as if nal was jeno in cat form, with her black and white fur adorned with a chain collar looking exactly like his usual monochromatic outfit and worn black leather jacket, not to mention the silver chain bracelets and necklace he wore all the time.

jeno’s head snapped up once again to watch you laugh.

his heart thumped a little harder than he would’ve liked to admit.

“bad boys don’t take care of stray cats,” you say, finally locking eyes with jeno. “especially the bad boys who are allergic to cats,” you smile.

   he shrugged, his boyish grin still etched on his handsome face. (screw handsome, you couldn’t lie — you’ve wondered on more than one occasion how blessed his parents must be to have a son whose looks could rival a professional model’s face.)

you couldn’t help but notice how different he seemed now, looking more like a carefree and lovable child rather than a reckless troublemaker.

“don’t judge a book by its cover, sweetheart,” he said before giving you a wink, starkly contrasting with the way he tried to hide how he scratched his reddening nape afterwards.

he gave one last gentle rub to nal’s head before standing up, getting on his motorbike. he looked back, with a glint of something in his eyes. “need a ride, sweetheart? or the cat still got your tongue?”

you froze in your spot, feeling your face turn hot with embarrassment. you weren’t used to this. it was the school’s bad boy after all.

but you could get used to it.

mustering all the courage inside of your shy mighty heart, you look down at nal and gave her a gentle kiss on the top of her head, letting her nibble on one last piece of watermelon.

“my mother always told me not to judge a book by its cover,” you mused, a hint of playfulness in your voice. “i guess i was wrong about you.”

“i’m y/n,” you added shyly.

jeno’s eyes crinkled into crescents, a genuine smile forming on his face.

“jeno.”

you walked hesitantly up to his bike, and took a seat behind him gingerly.

you let your arms fall to grip the sides of the seat, before jeno shook his head and lifted your hands up to wrap your arms securely around his toned torso. “hold on tight.”

guess your mother was right after all. 

+ bonus blurb!

[almorica]

Merry

all ages, fresh precure, berry/passion, 4,190 words

what are two girls who’ve never dated anyone to do but see what it’s like together? it’s only the natural conclusion.

ao3 / ffnet

“I really like how organized your room is,” Setsuna noted, turning her head from side to side as she slowly walked through it. When her eyes fell on the bookcase, she paused to examine it. “Especially all these books. It’s impressive, keeping them all grouped by color like this.”

“Oh, that’s nothing,” Miki replied dismissively, but the pride in her tone expressed how well she was taking the compliment. She observed Setsuna’s progress from her place seated primly at her vanity table. “Leaving things out of place just isn’t perfect, you know?”

“But you go above and beyond, and I think that’s amazing.” Setsuna gave her a refreshing smile before leaning down to inspect a set of light blue spines. “This is a series, isn’t it? What’s it about?”

Miki shifted her posture to look around her shoulder. “Black Sparrow? It’s about a high school girl who becomes a detective and uses that name for her alias. I’ve collected them since I was in primary school.”

“Really.” Setsuna straightened up and turned toward her. “It must be good, then. Do you think I could find the first one at the library?”

“One of my best friends can borrow it straight from me,” Miki responded with a wink, and Setsuna’s eyes widened. “I’m not reading it right now, and I trust you to take care of it. I’d love to have someone to talk about it with.”

“If you don’t mind, then.” Feeling a rush of joy both from the designation of best friend and Miki’s encouragement, Setsuna carefully pulled the book from the shelf. It was just the right size to fit in her purse. “I’ll be sure to tell you what I think about it.”

As Setsuna moved to take a seat across from her at her desk, Miki smiled cheerfully. “I can’t wait. You know, it’s gotten much easier to talk to you now. I’m glad you could make time for me today.”

“It’s a relief to hear that,” Setsuna replied, rotating the chair to face Miki directly before sitting down. “Thank you for inviting me. I know last time we were alone wasn’t much fun.”

“It’s been a while, and we needed a chance to try it again. Plus, there’s always more to talk about.”

“Did you have something in mind?”

Miki nodded, then gave her a sly look. “Was there any dating in Labyrinth?”

Setsuna tilted her head. “Dating? No. I’d never even heard of it before coming here.”

“Is there anyone you’ve thought about dating since then?”

“I haven’t thought about it at all. Should I?”

“Why not? It could be a lot of fun with the right person. Hey, if you did, do you think you’d like to go out with boys or someone else?”

Setsuna stared down at the pale floorboards, giving it some serious thought. Dating was spending one-on-one time with someone, touching affectionately and being touched in return. At least, that was what she understood of it so far. “I don’t know for sure, but I’ve never exactly wanted to be alone with one of the boys.”

“Right?” Miki looked thrilled with the answer. “Boys are overrated. I’d rather let them think my brother is my boyfriend than have them ask me out. But some still do…” she added with a sigh.

“Hehe, you’re popular with others too, aren’t you?”

“Yes, but some people find me unapproachable. No one has ever confessed to me that I could see myself with.”

“So you’ve never dated anyone?”

“Hard to believe, right? And you’ve never dated anyone either.”

“That’s right.”

Miki leaned toward her expectantly. “Soooo?”

“So?” Setsuna repeated quizzically.

“Why don’t we fix that and try it together?”

“Try it… together?” she asked with a blink, long having lost the thread of logic tying together this line of questioning.

Standing up, Miki strode over to her and held out her hand. “Today, I’ll be your girlfriend.”

Setsuna glanced between her friend’s optimistic face, her hand, and back. Delayed realization dawned on her. “Eh?!”

—————

The sun shone brightly on Clover Town Street that morning, casting moving shadows below the rustling leaves of the line of trees at its center. Miki and Setsuna had strolled through it together before, but this was the first time Miki had laced their fingers together between them. She was in such a good mood that she sometimes swung their hands forward and back a little, and Setsuna continued trying to mentally catch up with this turn of events.

“Are you sure holding hands like this is okay, Miki?” she asked self-consciously, furtively glancing around. They weren’t alone in the district, but no one seemed to look at them for long.

“Hm? Why wouldn’t it be? Girls our age still sometimes hold hands like this as friends. No one’s going to think it’s anything else.”

“Oh… I see. But what if they do? You’re a model; they’d probably think you should be with someone more like you.”

Miki squeezed her hand. “I’m not embarrassed about being with you, Setsuna. In fact, I’m happy to show you off.”

A blush colored Setsuna’s cheeks. Awkwardly, she angled her head away. “Don’t tease me too much today, okay?” That side of Miki was cute, but she was becoming more aware of the fact that her inexperienced heart wouldn’t be able to handle it.

“Geez, I’m not always teasing~ Ah, the cinema’s right here.” Lightly tugging on Setsuna’s hand, Miki led her up to an old brick building. Setsuna caught the name of the establishment on the marquee before they passed under it, and there was a detailed listing of films on a rearrangeable sign between two sets of double doors. Miki stopped them there. “Did you give what kind of movie you want to see some thought? New showings will be starting in a few hours.”

Setsuna, looking around at the movie posters instead of the show times, left her gaze on one with an older boy and girl posing with a cat. She knew Miki preferred having some kind of opinion over none, and it gave her a good feeling. “What about “Love Fur Real”?”

Miki laughed, quickly putting her hand over her mouth to quiet more of them. “I thought that pun was awful, but it is funny when you say it so seriously.”

“Um, thanks,” Setsuna replied, not convinced it was something she should be proud of. “Do you want to see it?”

“Of course. I love a good romantic comedy. Let’s come back closer to the time.” Hand in hers, she guided Setsuna back onto the neatly paved path.

“What will we do until then?”

“I have the perfect idea,” Miki announced proudly. “We’ll go clothes shopping.”

“Is there something you need a new outfit for?” Setsuna asked, head tilted.

“No, we’re going shopping for you.”

“Wait, I don’t need anything either—”

“Nonsense. We’re on a date today, and this time, I want to dress up my girlfriend. Is that okay?”

Both Miki’s words and playful expression flustered Setsuna. “I… I guess so…” It wasn’t like she had to buy anything, right? And it would make Miki happy.

It definitely did. “Great. We can start right around here. A store with a style like yours is nearby, and we can branch out into the city afterward.”

Setsuna felt a bit tired suddenly, but she couldn’t deny that she enjoyed the special attention. Miki could have chosen anyone at all as her dress-up doll, and Setsuna imagined her eye for fashion would have made them instantly more beautiful. She just hoped Miki could find something on her that this expert would find worth her time.

The first shop was one Setsuna had been to with the Momozonos after joining them with barely more than the clothes on her back. It wasn’t as cutting edge as those further into Yotsuba, but it was within her comfort zone. About halfway through, she realized that was why Miki had chosen it in the first place.

“Aah, you look good in pants and skirts! It’s so hard to decide which is better,” Miki observed fondly, her hands clasped together in front of her. A pink-faced Setsuna was amateurishly turning for her in front of the dressing room, comfortable in the dark and delicately-laced skirt Miki had picked otherwise. It was already clear the compliments were going to make this feel like much more of a new experience than it was.

They left that store empty-handed. Miki had agreed with Setsuna that she didn’t need more of the same filling up her closet. On their way to the train, someone finally did acknowledge the two girls holding hands by waving at Miki. Friendly and composed, Miki used her free hand to wave back as they continued on their way.

“So you really aren’t embarrassed about being with me,” Setsuna said afterward, surprised by how relieving it was that Miki hadn’t moved away from her.

“I told you so. You’re not embarrassed about being with me, are you?”

Setsuna shook her head. “I think… I’m proud, honestly,” she admitted, and Miki’s smile radiated self-confidence.

Surrounded by buildings rising much higher into the sky, their next stop was a store with a clean and functional interior. Miki helped line a dressing room with sporty looks and then had her model the strikingly colorful assortment.

“I never thought about wearing these before, but they’re pretty practical,” Setsuna mused, looking down the length of her polo to the end of her cargo capris.

“They are, and they can be in style, too. If you keep up with the trends, you’ll find out when.” Miki looked her up and down as well. “It’s cute, but the mature look really does suit you best so far. Why don’t we move on?”

The next building Miki led her into was flashier, and the smooth black floor was shiny enough to see their reflections in. As Setsuna was more distracted by it than a lot of the clothes, Miki was the one to fill her arms again and send her on her way. Modeling the dark denim, torn band T-shirt and sleeveless black dress was getting easier, despite how radical the change was getting.

Of course, Miki’s support helped that a lot. “You pull off the cool look so well. If we were a little older, you’d look right at home at a live house.”

“You think so?” Setsuna asked, breathlessly pausing her rotation. The flattery was boosting her confidence, but it was also making her lightheaded.

“I do. Actually, I think mixing a touch of this with your usual clothes once in a while would bring out the best in you.”

“Thank you. But…”

“What?” Miki asked patiently.

“...What’s a live house?”

After Setsuna changed back into her own clothes and they held a short discussion, they agreed Setsuna should take the cropped denim jacket with her. One shopping bag left with them.

Miki was set on one more store she already had in mind, but on the way they passed an ice cream stall that her attention lingered on for a little too long. Noticing her friend’s distracted state, Setsuna tilted her head forward. “Do you want to get ice cream first?”

“Eh?” Miki’s eyes snapped back to her. “Well, if we do, we’re probably not going to want anything at the cinema.”

“That’s fine with me,” Setsuna said with a cheery expression, and once Miki mirrored it, they settled on sitting down with a pair of cones. Both of them managed to be surprised at the vivid swirls of color on display, and that made Setsuna feel more like they were on equal footing. They returned to their usual state of not holding hands for as long as it took them to eat, but resuming it afterward felt natural by then.

She’d never realized how adorable Miki looked when she was enjoying something that much.

The last stop was a boutique cute both inside and out, with a pleasantly pink interior and crowded clothing racks. The frilliest dresses Setsuna had ever seen were on display. They didn’t look childlike, but they were a lot to take in.

“You want me to try on one of these?” Setsuna asked, warily regarding the voluminous skirt of one of the mannequins.

“It’ll be refreshing,” Miki answered, winking at her when she glanced over.

Setsuna sighed. She was no match for this fashion style or her friend’s eagerness. “All right.”

She was promptly dressed up in both black and red dresses, a pastel blue skirt, and a matching frilly blouse. Miki was completely enchanted by the last combination, dreamily holding a hand to her face as Setsuna curtsied for her. “You look just like a doll,” she commented. “I’m too tall to manage that now, but your height is just fine.”

“So… it looks good?” Setsuna sheepishly clasped her hands together behind her. She was more than a little skeptical when she looked into a mirror, but the reflection in Miki’s eyes was always kinder.

“Definitely. I don’t think any of these were really you, though, so we should come back another day if you’d like to buy something. I’m sure we’ll find one that’s right.”

“Haha. I’ll think about it,” Setsuna replied, and she turned away her shy smile to slip back into the dressing room.

On their way back to the train, Setsuna was the one to lead them into one final browse at an accessory store. Filled with other students, the hair decorations and jewelry were impressively affordable. Despite the bustle, the atmosphere was cozy, with abundant sunlight illuminating the glass cases and quirky shelves.

“Did you find something interesting, Setsuna?” Miki asked from over her shoulder after they’d split up for a couple minutes. Setsuna nodded, pointing to a set of thin silver bangle bracelets.

“The gemstone flowers in the center are pretty, and they come in so many colors,” she explained.

A few seconds of mulling it over later, Miki plucked the bangle with the red flower and the bangle with the blue flower from the display. “They’re not expensive, so let’s get them.”

Setsuna blinked at her. “Just like that?”

“If you don’t want to, it’s too late to disagree now. We’ll have matching bracelets, just the two of us, so you can’t forget today.” Miki made for the register before Setsuna could get another word in, but she was happy enough to accept through simple silence. Outside, they each slid on their own bangle and took the other’s hand.

They returned to the cinema with a safe amount of time left before the movie. Miki took care of the tickets and their planned seating; Setsuna paid for their drinks. Never having been inside before, Setsuna kept looking curiously at everything around her, and Miki watched her in amusement.

Once she dropped down into one of the plush red chairs in the dim atmosphere of their theater, Setsuna sank right in. “Wow, I didn’t think about how much we’ve been walking until now,” she remarked quietly, careful to not disturb the clusters of other moviegoers seated around them. Time's gone by so fast.”

“It really has. Are you already tired?” Miki was seated in a more elegant way, but Setsuna could tell she was more relaxed than she let on.

“Not really. I could just use some time off my feet in something this comfortable.”

“Don’t fall asleep during the movie,” Miki teased. “We have to talk all about it when it’s over.”

“I won’t. I promise.”

Being so aware of the different nature of the day kept her nerves up just high enough to make sure of that. Her only concern now was the budding disappointment that it would eventually have to end, and whether or not that would prevent her from paying enough attention.

They whispered between themselves until the screening began, and then silent, comfortable darkness took hold for a long time. Whenever Setsuna felt her eyes drifting from the screen, she usually found Miki looking back at her. She sufficiently distracted herself with the cute couple’s misunderstandings and the adorable cat that kept them together, at least.

The lights came on again after the credits. Other attendees began to pick up their things and file out. Miki’s good mood was immediately apparent when the two moved to join them. “Keiko was such a sweet girl. It’s too bad her cooking sense wasn’t as good as her fashion sense.”

“It was nice of Haruto to try to teach her, even if the cat kept causing problems with that.” Setsuna laughed. “Little Yuki was so cute. I would have forgiven her even faster than they did.”

“Remember you said that next time Tarte does something you don’t like.”

“Eh—He’s different. He causes trouble even though we can understand each other, but I’ll do my best.” Setsuna shook her head with a smile, trailing along beside her on the low-lit path out. “This was a fun first movie to see. Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. I’m grateful for your company too,” Miki returned. Her gaze caught on a clock on the wall as they passed through the first hallway out. “I still have time before I need to go home. Do you?”

Miki really was giving her the entire day. Setsuna was amazed her friend wasn’t bored with her yet. Definitely not there yet herself, she said, “Yes, I do.”

“Is there anywhere you would like to go before then?”

Honestly, she’d been thinking about the answer to that already. It felt silly to say it, but it was both a place she loved visiting and one she thought might be a perfect end to the night.

Bashfully, Setsuna nodded. “Could we go to the restaurant up on the hill?”

—————

By dusk, they were seated at a table covered with a pale blue cloth. The clinking of silverware around them punctuated the warm murmur of conversations of other customers. Their table was inside under the soft lighting spaced throughout the dining room, but the beautiful sky was visible through the wooden awning over the deck. The place was so welcoming each time Setsuna walked through the door, and yet…

“It’s more expensive than I remembered,” Setsuna said awkwardly. “I didn’t think about it before now, because I was never the one paying for it.”

“Magazines don’t just pay in fun, you know. What kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn’t treat you to something nice?”

Miki said it so easily — girlfriend, girlfriend, girlfriend. Setsuna was too stunned by it each time to say anything in return. She was envious of that boldness, but also felt wistful over the possibility that it could be an act at all. With her eyes averted, she said, “You don’t have to go that far just for this…”

She was being awfully spoiled for a pretend date, and it was getting her hopes up.

“Don’t worry. You can pay me back just by enjoying it.”

Miki’s sincere smile was enough to ease anyone’s worries for a little while, and Setsuna nodded. “Okay.”

They discussed previous times they’d been at the restaurant once that was settled, both revealing it was with their families. “I’ve never been here without my mother before,” Miki admitted, looking around as if seeing the establishment in a new light. “It feels so mature. Coming here was a nice idea.”

“I’m glad you think so. I’ve only come here on the Momozono Monthly Eating Out Day, so it’s the same for me.”

“It’s sweet that your family has something like that. It’s never planned that far ahead for us.”

“I think it’s sweet, too.” She couldn’t take credit for starting it, but she could allow herself to be just a little proud of it.

They ended up on a tangent that led to a conversation on their separate schools, and their food came not long into it. It looked and tasted as delicious as usual, and Miki’s enraptured expression after the first bite of her pasta dish was one more adorable thing to add to the list. Setsuna was sure she made something like it when she tried her own, because she could hear Miki giggle from behind her contentedly closed eyes.

She still had room for cake once she cleaned her plate, but only barely. Miki suggested sharing a slice to avoid either of them being too stuffed to walk home, and Setsuna was quick to accept. The rich chocolate dessert melted in her mouth, and she couldn’t think of many more moments she’d felt happier.

Miki paid as promised. It was fully nighttime when they stepped out, leaving only the row of lamps guiding them along the path down the hill to illuminate their stroll. Setsuna had been the one to take Miki’s hand this time, and Miki readily accepted.

Before long, Miki’s arm snuggled up against hers. “It’s gotten chilly out since this afternoon. I suppose it is that time of year.”

Setsuna took a moment to look over Miki’s outfit and see the problem: she had long sleeves, but only a thin scarf around her neck. Of course she would be cold. “Just a second,” she replied, letting go of Miki’s hand and stepping back. She set the shopping bag and her purse down long enough to take off her navy blue blazer and hand it over.

Curiously, Miki took it in hand and blinked. “Setsuna?”

“Go ahead and wear that. I’m not cold at all,” Setsuna explained.

After staring at her a little longer, Miki laughed and rearranged her things to do as she was told. “You could have just given me the jacket you bought today. Now you should put that one on before you do start to feel the chill.”

“Oh, you’re right.” Setsuna returned the laugh nervously and reached for the shopping bag. The denim jacket went on smoothly. She then picked up her things and resumed the walk, feeling Miki take her hand a second later. Setsuna was still kind of embarrassed, but she managed to look over anyway.

For the first time, Miki had a satisfied blush on her face. “...But thank you. It feels more special this way.”

“N-No problem.” Hastily, Setsuna turned her head away. Looking out over the green hill to the wide expanse of Yotsuba, it occurred to her again that their “date” was almost over. She exhaled with the predicted disappointment, unable to find the words to express it instead.

“I had a great time today,” Miki said. “You must have tried pretty hard to understand me since then.”

“I did. You’re my friend just like the others, so I didn’t want things to be awkward forever. And you’ve gotten more patient with me, haven’t you?”

“Was I that obvious?” It was a time Setsuna could picture her playfully sticking out her tongue. “I wanted to become a nicer person, and I wanted to understand you better. You were an important friend to me.”

“Were?” Setsuna repeated.

“Er, well…” As Miki trailed off, she stopped walking. Setsuna paused with her, bringing her gaze back to the other’s conflicted expression. Their clasped fingers kept them connected. “I said it was just for today, but I realized I don’t want it to end here. If you don’t either, I’d like to be your real girlfriend.”

Setsuna froze for as long as it took to process what Miki said. Undeniably genuine this time, girlfriend struck her heart with a tender ache. She wasn’t sure whether she or Miki had the reddest complexion. “Do you mean that?”

Of course she did, but Setsuna wanted the reassurance.

“I do. Could we say today was a real date after all?”

“Yes,” Setsuna replied, a hopeful smile blooming. She stepped back toward Miki, closing the suddenly unnecessary distance. “If you’ll have me, I’d be happy to.”

Miki, too pretty under the lamp overhead, drew another few centimeters closer. Even if they weren’t the only two this far on the path, it would have been impossible to spare any thoughts for someone else. “Do you know what people on a date do now, Setsuna?”

She did. She knew even before today, but the movie’s touching end was still fresh in her mind. It was difficult to believe she could achieve the same happy ending even as she prepared herself for it. “Mm hm,” she answered softly, eyes half closed.

Releasing Setsuna’s hand, both of Miki’s rose to her shoulders instead. She only had the shortest space left to shut her eyes and lean in before her lips pressed against Setsuna’s in a brief, sweet kiss.

When Miki pulled back, Setsuna’s erratic heartbeat continued hammering away in her chest. Miki looked affected as well, but she quickly, outwardly, recovered. “Now, let’s get home before our parents worry too much,” she said confidently, winking at Setsuna as she took her hand one last time. She restarted their progress down the hill, now at a pace where neither was dragging their feet.

One more treasured memory for Setsuna to keep in her heart, their long day together gradually came to a close.

[justjstuff]

HI J!!!!!! hope you're doing well and having a great week! for the asks!!! :)))

5, 10, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20

Hiya, honey!! Hope you’re okay <3 Thanks for the asks!!! :D

5. What’s a crackship you love?

R: Oh boy, what even is a crackship in this day and age xD I guess I don’t have one? I think the idea of a crackship is honestly so old lmao Back in the day I think it used to mean like... funny, unlikely ships? But it was mostly used for rareships and... I dunno. I don’t like the connotations of it lol Basically I don’t have one bc I don’t like calling any ship a crackship xD

10. Mutual pining or enemies to friends to lovers?

R: Enemies to friends to lovers with a dash of mutual pining and maybe hold the friends? xD I love enemies to lovers and while I do find enemies-to-friends-to-lovers interesting, I always prefer when that friendship is more tentative or like a forced partnership? Mutual pining is great imo... in small doses. I absolutely HATE the going around that happens with fics that focus on that? Like, the endless miscommunications and the unnecessary angst... really not my thing. 

14. (For authors) Post a line of dialogue from one of your WIPs without context.

R:  “You smell a bit like whisky and smokes,” Kakashi said, completely surprising her. 

“Genma’s a bad influence.”

15. Post the last line you wrote without context.

R: 

Sakura got it, really she did. And she even appreciated it to some degree that he was level headed enough about the situation to be able to take a step back and state out loud what they should be doing was actually resting up for the day. But a sudden wave of anger hit her so hard she was actually speechless. Not at him, not ever, but at the situation in general.

(this might not make it to the chapter tho lol)

18. Do you have a fic reading/writing routine?

R: I used to ;-; I was just making myself write a bit everyday to create the habit of it, and kept track of my word count. I managed to write over 71k in January this year and so far have written 114895 words in 2021 but I stopped keeping track of my word count after I started this break from DoF. Mainly bc I haven’t been writing at all (just a lot of outlines for different fics in a different fandom) but also because when things started to get hard and I started to see so many zeroes in my spreadsheet, it just made me feel worse and worse. 

Mainly, the mentality I’m at right now is: Don’t treat your hobbies like a job. Yeah, it was great to be so productive and see those numbers and just feel accomplished in doing something I love. But I essentially don’t get “anything” back from it, and it was kinda completely dominating my life in a way that I’m not sure was all that healthy. Do what feels good and don’t compare yourself to others. I’m currently trying to find my love for writing again, my muse has completely left me lol burnout came for me and just fucking kicked me in the kneecap. BUT my knees have been bad for years and I still kick Life’s ass all the time so I’ll be back on my feet soon enough >:)

19. What’s your favorite character headcanon?

R: Oh yeah! This one I already answered but since I really can’t choose between all of the many headcanons I have, I’ll just give a different answer lmfao. Mokuton!Sakura ! ! ! ! ! I cannot stress enough how fucking badass Sakura is and I personally think it’s bullshit that Mokuton was portrayed as a kekkei genkai essentially even though NO ONE ELSE in the Senju clan got it??? Like. No. Uh-huh. I refuse. Sakura absolutely CAN do it, imo. In every fic I read, I just assume she just hasn’t gotten to that point yet if they don’t say it lmao

20. Do you have a favorite fanfic or author? If so, tag them/post a link and share the love!

R: I actually don’t have a favourite!! I have so many different moods when it comes to fanfiction, it would be impossible to pinpoint just a single fic or a single author. Since you’re from the KKSK fandom I’ll give you the fics I’m currently reading and LOVING! (please keep in mind that I haven’t really been keeping up with the fandom like I probably should have so these are not at all the only good ones out there lol)

running out of reasons by @pandorasbox014

Like the Eventual Descent by @umechaw

Unmasked which is the collection of afterthoughts to Masks by @ambivalens999

Turn Right by Orcana (It’s a KakaSaku x KisaSaku fic and it starts when Sakura is underage so beware of that)

Haruno Sakura: Psychopath and Saviour of the World by Jememe

Here’s to Us Series by @sleepyfoxfanworks is not strictly KakaSaku but it’s great!!!!!

There are, ofc, many others but again I’m not really keeping up with the fandom right now hehe anyone who sees this! Feel free to add on to it :)

[emilycollins00]

omg it's now open!! can i ask for the tenma and izumi's sister street act pretty please? hehe uwu thank you very much!

Wish I could hug you so bad love, I’m so sorry this one took so long!

I’ll be honest, I had for a long time an idea but I just wasn’t feeling it, didn’t like it. So I waited to get some other ideas and honestly I’m much happier with this version! Hope you like it too.

Note this is another short of the Izumi’s sister!reader Series. I know for sure it will be a mess if I start to link each previous post, so I will put the link to my Masterlist HERE and if anyone wants, you can look for the previous parts there.

Once again, thank you so much for your patience 💕 Please enjoy! 

Izumi’s little sister! Reader. Pt. 4. Street act and thoughts

-

“Wait, you mean THAT'S why everyone keeps Masumi from talking to me?”

Izumi laughed awkwardly inside her coat, small clouds coming out of her mouth due to the cold. “It's fine, Y/N. He’s a good kid and most of the time it only gets a bit weird.”

“Most of the time?”

“Anyway!" Izumi clapped her hands and looked at you with a big grin. "I'm so excited you are staying tonight. We should have done this sooner!"

You raised your eyebrows. It was as clear as day she was trying to get out of the conversation. Sighing, you decided to humor her and let it aside for now. “Are you sure it’s fine though? You said the winter troupe was rehearsing for the upcoming perf-”

“Of course it’s fine! Everyone was delighted when I told them you were coming,” she insisted as you both crossed the Veludo district. “Besides, thanks to you we’ll even get to have curry sooner than I counted for!" as she lifted some bags, you couldn’t help but laugh at her expression.

“You look more excited about the spices and ingredients I brought than me staying over, you know”

“Hey! Not true" Izumi pushed you lightly with her hips, making stumble and giggle. You had been sceptic, but it felt nice having some sibling quality-time with your sister again.

A few minutes later, you two finally arrived at the dorm’s entrance. Izumi took out the key to enter when someone slammed the door so loud you even let out a shrill screech.

“Yes! Yes, I am deeply sorry!” you blinked with a mixture of worry and wonder at the manager of Mankai talking on the phone feeling a deja vu. How could someone bow so fast while moving around? “Of course! Yes, I'm already on my way!"

“Matsukawa-san?!” Izumi called out worriedly, but he was already out of her reach. The man did seem to hear her though, turning slightly but not stopping.

“Everything’s fine, director! Please don’t worry, I’ll make sure…!”

Neither of you got to hear the end of the sentence, the silhouette of the man getting smaller and smaller. You saw your sister looking at the distance with a tired expression “You don’t look surprised”

Izumi shook her head at your comment, pulling the door knock and allowing you to enter “If I had to question everything that happens around here I... Anyway, let's-“

“Here comes the tour guide! Here comes so don’t move another step!”

She pressed the bridge of her nose.

                                      -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

“Ah, welcome back you two,” you heard Omi’s voice coming from the kitchen as Izumi opened the lounge door with you behind. “You arrived just in time. I’m finishing some scones.”

“Omi-kun, did Matsukawa-san say…”

“Y/N-pi!” Kazunari’s voice vibrated from the living room’s couches. “Come here, we missed you! I’m sure you’re looking as bomb as always though!”

“Took you long enough, Wild Currian Performer.”

Tenma turned to you as well to talk but stopped halfway. “What the hell.”

Looking up, you were thinking the same. Kamekichi had yet to move from your head “Uh, thank you for… bringing me inside.”

The bird flapped its wings vigorously. “Of course, took you long enough! I am the tour guide!” after that, he took fly and left.

You stared at the hallway visibly confused. What was up with this dorm.

“Wait, was he waiting at the entrance all this time?” a blond man with a phone frowned from the couch. “No wonder I couldn’t find him to bring me- shit, advertisements,” he groaned, glancing at you and then turning his attention back to the screen. “Anyway, nice to meet you in person, Y/N-san. Although Citron and Sakuya talk so much about you I feel like I was there the first time.”

“Uh… thanks?”

As if summoned, the spring leader popped his head into the room “I heard the door, did- Y/N-san! Welcome back, I’m so happy you could come to visit us again!”

You smiled at the boy.

“Okay everyone, help yourselves, there’s more if you want.” Omi walked towards the table and left the plate of scones in the middle, allowing everyone to grab a piece.

You took one, humming delightedly at the sweet flavor. The autumn member chuckled “Would you like anything special for tonight’s dinner, Y/N?”

“Ah, we already covered that, Omi-kun! Y/N brought spices from home, this curry will feel so nostalgic!”

All the actors in the room flinched.

“I see…”

“F in the chat. Why am I not surprised” Itaru mused to himself.

“I-I am sure it’s really good…!”

“You two really are family uh…no, wait!” Tenma shook his head. “Forget about curry!”

“Hey! What’s with everyone dissing curry?” you frowned as you cleaned the rest of the crumbs from the scone, raising your eyes to everyone in the room.

“That’s not what I mean” he rubbed his forehead. You and director were too alike. At your confused stare, he pointed at you indignant “You owe me a street act, remember?”

“Ah, that!” taking another scone and biting it, you nodded. You hadn’t really done street acts before, but you would lie if you said you weren’t interested. “Sure, if you still want?”

“You bet I do.”

He had heard Taichi and Juza commenting on your acting during that autumn rehearsal too- there was no way he would pass the opportunity to test it himself.

“U-um!” Sakuya stood up, his eyes shining “If you are going out to do a street act, I’d like to join too!”

You tilted your head at the boy, curious why he seemed so eager. Didn’t they usually do acts outside?

“All right then, let’s do this.”

Tenma smirked walking towards the door, looking somewhat excited too. Well, they wouldn’t be living in a theatre dorm if they didn’t enjoy acting after all, you concluded shrugging it off.

“GG guys.”

“Tenten, do your best!”

“Yeah, try not to embarrass yourself, hack.”

“What does that mean?!”

                                        -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

By the time you all three walked out of the dorm, jackets and everything on, the sun had started to set up. You shivered. Maybe you should have brought more clothes.

“Was the winter troupe in rehearsals?” you turned to the troupe leaders walking alongside you “Izumi told me they are doing a mystery play of some kind.”

“Yeah, Hisoka-san is the lead and whenever he’s not sleeping he’s pretty good… so they’ve been going all out.”

Sakuya agreed at Tenma’s statement “I’m excited to see them perform!”

As you all continued sharing some light talk, you arrived at Veludo. Looking around, one could see winter was almost there. There weren’t many kids around, just adults and teens returning home walking faster than usual given the time and cold weather.

A bit later, you finally decided to stop on a roundabout next to a fountain to perform.

“What do you guys usually do?”

“We normally just pick a theme and go along with it!” the spring member answered smiling while Tenma stretched. “Do you have anything you’d like to do, Y/N-san?”

You looked around humming. You weren’t usually given the freedom to choose so nothing really came to mind except… “How about doing something similar to the winter troupe? There are not many people around, but maybe we can engage them.”

Sakuya might as well have started jumping.

“A winter-like street act sounds perfect! I don’t think I’ve ever done something similar to what they do. What do you think, Tenma-kun?”

“Not bad. Let’s go with mystery for our theme.”

“Wait, I know I just said that but if the point of a mystery is to solve it, shouldn’t we plan how to-”

Ignoring you, Tenma walked to the middle of the road and turned to you and Sakuya knowingly. His eyes shone with expectations.

You frowned confused still. None of you hadn’t decided anything, was he really-

“You can’t be serious!” Tenma’s tone of voice changed, cutting through the somewhat calm street like a knife. You also noticed his whole demeanour turning hostile, making people look his way. "I have better things to do than wait here to be murdered!”

Even faster than you had anticipated, Sakuya ran to him. "P-please wait, uncle Miles! I won’t move from here until I know who killed my brother. I’m sure the detective must have a reason for having us stay here!"

“Oh?”

“What’s this, a play?”

“Hey, these guys are from Mankai!”

As expected, people stopped noticing the performance.

You felt a thrill in your stomach, engines already turning inside your head. So you had indirectly gotten the part of the detective and therefore in charge of being the one to solve it uh.

Walking slowly, building anticipation, you placed yourself in front of them, blocking out the noise.

Tenma and Sakuya were awaiting, as well as the crowd surrounding you now and it was a strange feeling, if you were honest. Who knew what their next sentences would be after you spoke? You had no idea what could happen, and somehow, that made you smile. This really was a street act.

And so, you chuckled dryly but with elegance “I can assure you, gentlemen, this won't be a problem.”

She’s good. "HA!” Tenma crossed his arms, looking grim “Bet this is just another plot, typical of Marshall and his-”

“Uncle, please!”

And so, it began.

You didn’t notice how long you had this push and pull of allegories, fake names or places. At this point you were just a detective in charge of solving the death of Marshall Jones, a fraud who had been the successor of the Jones Industries.

...And that the biggest suspects were the two people in front of you; his younger brother, William Jones and their uncle, Mr Miles.

“This is stupid, I have men working for me on the government! They will turn a blind eye if I command it I-!”

“Just tell us who did it! I need to know who killed Marshall!” Sakuya trembled anxiously.

You just nodded calmly at both of them “You are right. This has taken too long and I apologize for it.”

Tenma and Sakuya both held their breaths. Acting with you was being a mental workout to keep up, but none of them could dismiss the thrill that came with it.

“However, I feel like I shouldn’t be the only one apologizing. Isn’t that right, Marshall?”

‘What?’

Confused, Tenma followed your pointing finger towards the crowd, and Sakuya almost let a gasp when a shadow made his way towards them. The crowd whispered furiously at the sudden change of flow of the act.

‘M-Misumi-san?!’

‘Since when was he there?!’

While they stared at the summer member, Misumi didn’t look that surprised, to which you inwardly breathed in relief.

Everyone’s eyes laid on him, his attitude perfect for the act, gloomy and mysterious.

Nothing like the happy young man who had wanted to show you triangles the first time you met "I was wondering if you would call out for me at some point, detective."

"Thought I would let you enjoy yourself for a while" you shrugged, and Misumi laughed huskily at your comment.

“Thank you for taking the job.”

“Yeah, yeah. Next time just try to not hide in such a melodramatic way.”

“B-brother? Is that really you…?" Sakuya walked slowly to Misumi, almost making it look like he was about to break into a cry.

Tenma took advantage of the situation to step in. He wasn’t about lose there "Y-you were supposed to be dead! I made sure of-!" he stopped half-way, covering his mouth. "Shit."

“Turns out you should have stayed in the room to check the works of the poison, Mr. Miles.” you made it look like you pulled two sets of handcuffs “As tender as this familiar reunion after death might be, I'm afraid you will have to accompany me. You are both been placed on a charge of murder… and inflicted fraud.”

And scene.

A few seconds passed and you swallowed. Had this been too much?

As soon as the first stupor faded, the now quite big surrounding crowd erupted in applause.

“T-that was amazing!”

“Wait, what?!”

“Didn't think another actor would be hiding!”

“That was Mankai, right? Wanna check their next performance?”

After thanking the audience, you hurried to the boy with a triangular earring, embarrassment running through you, noticing now what you had done. “I-I’m sorry for pulling you in! My body moved on its own and when I saw you…”

Tenma just scoffed, but you could tell he was proud. “Yeah, well- if there’s someone who shouldn’t have any problem with what you just did, it’s him.”

“It really was great!” Sakuya approached you both. “I almost broke character for a second there. Where you watching the whole time, Misumi-san?”

“Not really! I was looking for triangles and then I heard Tenma’s voice… and when I got closer I saw you guys acting!”

“Still, sorry for...”

“Mhm! It’s okay, it’s okay!” suddenly, Misumi started patting your head. “Good job, detective Y/N.”

You felt a blush rush to your cheeks at the touch and so you stepped back, laughing embarrassed. “I-I was also surprised how good everyone is! I mean of course you are, you guys are real actors but-”

"Let’s do another one."

“Uh?” you squeezed your eyes at Tenma. Maybe you hadn’t heard correctly. “But we just-“

“We have time. Misumi, you stay too."

“Okayyyy!”

Turning back to Sakuya the boy laughed nervously, but didn’t look surprised.

Ah, you were so screwed.

                                     -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The streetlights started lighting up when you made a decision to finally head back to the dorm.

“That was great!” Sakuya was moving as if he had received a burst of energy “It’s so much fun acting with people outside Mankai, isn’t it!”

“Everyone’s applauses were really suuuper loud too!”

“…and you say you only go sometimes to your theatre club?" Tenma saw you nod and shoved his hands into the pockets of his winter coat, groaning. "Just what's up with people like you and Misumi?"

"Hmh? Y/N and I are similar? Yaaaayy!"

"Misumi? it didn't sound like a compliment to me."

Sakuya laughed at the exchange. It truly had been an amazing experience. "Did you do theatre with director when you two were younger?"

You hummed, thinking about it. To be honest, theatre had always been around but you hadn’t really... When was it that you started acting again?

A scream stopped your train of thought.

"M-Misumi-san?!"

“You scared the daylights out of me, Misumi!"

Turning to the young man, you noticed him making a triangle with his hands and, while using it as a telescope, suddenly speeding up the pace. "It's a triangular cloud!"

"Misumi-san, please don't follow the cloud, we’ll be late for dinner!"

"Tri-triangle, tri-tri-triangle…!"

"Oi Misumi, quit singing and stop! I know you can hear us!"

Watching the interaction, you couldn't help but laugh, running after them.

They were a weird bunch… but in an endearing kind of way.

                                              -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

“Oh? If it isn’t our cute Y/N” Azuma smiled softly as you all walked in.

“Did you guys go do street acts?” Tasuku lifted his head from the script in his hands. Sakuya nodded eagerly at the older actor, explaining the performances and the audience reaction.

Tsumugi laughed after the spring leader finished. “Seems like you all enjoyed yourselves out there.”

“Ah, youth! If only time would let us stop our bodies to enjoy the real pass of time of our souls!”

“Arisu… you’re annoying...”

“Okay everyone, let’s call the rest and start plating everything, okay?

You spent the rest of the night with the majority of the dorm. 

You had a banter with Masumi about not giving your blessing, being cut by Citron’s weird proverbs and him being at the same time stopped by Tsuzuru. You laughed at Banri’s and Juza’s not so passive aggressive comments, heard some more stories about everyone and of course, you talked about acting and performances.

You shook your head amused. They really were acting addicts.

By the end of dinner, you excused yourself to go to the bathroom.

Closing your eyes, you splashed water in your face, deep in thought. “Living in this dorm must be amazing though…”

They all seemed to work so hard on any act they did… that it confused you. Izumi had always been insistent about you doing theatre and, while you appreciated it, you never took it seriously.

You enjoyed it, sure, but was it maybe because it came naturally to you? …What if you chose to act for real and then didn’t feel the same way after seeing the bad aspects of it?

Your mother was another matter too. She had made it clear she wouldn’t say anything, but you could tell it didn’t… exactly enthusiasm her. She barely mentioned Izumi’s work at home.

However, acting with everyone in Mankai had been fun. Every time.

Even you were surprised. Just how many street acts had you done after the first one today? You hadn’t practiced that much improv in a long time, not even in your theatre club.

It wasn't as of you didn't enjoy your own theatre activities, but surely there had to be a reason why you found yourself so awestruck by everyone here.

Or maybe not. Your mind was a mess. Closing the bathroom door, you sighed before noticing a figure walking towards you.

“Hey, I got the money ”

Without skipping a beat, you ‘tch’ed at Tenma. “First you’ll have to show me the body.”

“I have to see the money,” he pointed at you with his chin.

“First the body… or yours.” A few seconds passed and you both finally sneered. Tenma sighed, shaking his head.

“Thought I could get past you, dammit. You really should consider acting.”

Bullseye.

“Actually- Tenma, I was thinking” you faltered. “Um, did you… always want to be an actor?”

“Well- I was pretty much always in the industry since I was young, so yeah, I’d say so?”

“You never thought it could have been your parent… you know, telling you how you had talent what might have made you start acting?”

The summer leader thought about it, looking at the ceiling. However, he soon shrugged “If so, what?” noticing your confusion, he kept talking. “I mean, I guess they did have some influence… but in the end it was me who decided to stay. For me, not for them.”

You nodded. That made sense.

“Why the question?”

“Ah, nothing it’s just- I think Izumi tends to overreact saying I am like dad, you know, with acting and all. I didn’t think much about it until these acts made me feel…”

“Fulfilled?” The summer leader finished for you. Seeing he was right by looking at your face, he shrugged again in response. “I don’t know Yukio-san to say you are a copy of him, but yeah, you are good. Still though, you should do what you want above everything else.”

You nodded again.

You both headed back to the living room as a heated karaoke discussion between Citron and Banri while a few others tried to act as mediators.

Izumi turned to you and smiled “Everything okay?”

You faced her. The thoughts about acting and theatre could wait. As Tenma said, you didn’t have to rush and for now. You decided to let it aside and enjoy the warm feeling of being reunited with your sister and her weird, but lovable group of actors.

You took her hand and squeezed it. “Yup!”

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Hope you guys liked it. Have a wonderful day!  💕