#😬 this a hefty one

[gingernut1314]

Confidence: Zoro

Roronoa Zoro x F!Reader

Summary: You have never been defeated. No man or woman to have ever partaken in your challenge have come out victorious, only further solidifying your reputation. That is, until Zoro comes wandering into the bar you have set up your latest challenge in. You're confidence and his inability to back down from a challenge has Zoro feeling rather--weird toward you. A weird feeling that has him staying around you longer than he knows he should.

Warnings: tiny bit of angst, heavy alcohol use, mild talk of age difference (everyone in this fic is 18+), smut (dom x dom, p in v, hand job, fingering), very, very mild anime spoilers, Zoro not knowing what emotions he's feeling for 6K+ words

Word Count: 6.9K (Oops--my hand slipped)

A/N: This is my first time writing for Zoro soooo please be nice to me 🫣 I tried my best lol. And you already know I'm sorry about the word count--this whole mini-series was born from an inability to control the word vomit I type down, so the same thing happened here 😬 This is the 2nd part in the requested 'Confidence' series and I hope you all enjoy!!!

↞ to Confidence Masterlist and original request | to One Piece Masterlist | Request Rules | Blog Navigation ↠

“She has never been defeated. No man or woman alive can best her.”

“She’s as strong as a man.”

“No--as strong as ten men.”

“Ten--” A scoff, “try a hundred men.” 

These were the whispered and bewildered words of the patrons of the bar Zoro had wondered his way into. Words that piqued his interest as he made his way towards the bar, eyeing the gathered crowd of men just off to the side. An interest that was stifled when a mug of beer was placed in front of him--beer he’d been itching to have since he hoped off the Merry and onto the docks

Just when he had taken that first, refreshing sip of the wheaty drink, his name floated amongst the whispering. His name, his recent bounty, and his skill--skill they bet would take down whoever you were.

And Zoro was completely uninterested, a deep sigh huffing through his nose as he took another large, gulping drink. This would mean he would have to leave the bar he had just found. Leave because his name would only gather unwanted attention to him and his crew who had been trying to avoid attention of any sort.

You tucked a handful of berries into your pocket as the man before you cradled his arm, which you had so unfortunately snapped. Had just readied yourself to take on the next man who sat eagerly down in front of you when you caught a flash of green hair--of three swords strapped safely to a hip.

Roronoa Zoro.

He was a man you had heard rumors of throughout your travels through the Blue Seas. For an ex-bounty hunter, alleged demon, and holder of a hefty bounty he looked awfully--young to have gained all those titles and glory. Titles and glory that come with hard work--years of training. Years after tortuous years you had undergone to get to the level of skill you had achieved. 

You were proud of your achievements and no man, young or old, would make you feel any less…but it didn’t stop you from needing to challenge him. To test your power against his and see if he could finally beat you after all these years.

“A man carrying that many swords,” You called, silencing the crowd who gasped collectively, parting to allow you a better view of the pirate who was making his way out of the bar, “must be making up for something rather…small--weak.” 

Zoro stopped in his retreat, unwittingly taking the bait you had thrown at him

He turned his eyes, which were as dark as the night sea, onto you, looking like your remark hadn’t affected him--a remark you’ve known to throw many a man into a wild rage.

“Hardly.” He huffed on a blink. He watched you grab the man who sat before you by the scruff of his shirt and throw him out of his chair, sending him rolling onto the floor and nearly knocking over another who got in his way. Watched you gesture toward the now-empty seat before you.

“Then prove it, pretty boy.” You said, confidence and ego dripping from your every word. Dripping from the way you held yourself to the way you kept your features in that of cool, collected, confidence. It was a confidence and ego that called to Zoro’s own--called to it in a way he could not ignore as he usually would.

You smirked as he made his way over, sitting down in his seat--sitting down in his seat in a proficient way that anyone else in this room would have thought normal. But it was far from normal. You saw it for what it was--a call to his true abilities.

“How will I do that?” He asked you dryly. You placed your elbow on the worn, wooden table and raised your hand to silently let him know to take it. The famed swordsmen did no such thing, only eyeing it. “An arm wrestle? That is hardly a challenge.” He all but scoffed at you. 

“Oh? Scared?” You teased, making the man narrow his eyes the slightest bit at you. “Thought you weren’t making up for something?” Zoro grasped your hand in his, steadying his elbow just a little ways before your own. 

Zoro noted your hand was strong and calloused just any decent sword wields would be--but it also sported elaborately painted nails in a beautiful shade of purple with gold detailing. 

He liked those colors was the next thought that crossed his mind before he could shut it down.

“If I win?” He asked, knowing better than to take your bait twice. Your eyes lit with excitement as a chuckle spilled from your lips. A chuckle that took him utterly off guard.

“If you win, I’ll buy you a drink and let you do as you wish to me. Whether that be death, a task needing to be fulfilled, berry, or a quick fuck in the alley. You’re choice.” Zoro’s gaze fluttered over you again. Confidence--such confidence that had their hooks buried deep in his flesh. Hooks he knew he needed to rid himself of before something bad came his way. 

“You buy me a drink and show me to the docks.” You nodded at the fair wager. “And if you win?” You let your eyes wander over the swordsman’s body--over his strong stronger, calm features, and lips that you could tell were just full enough to be perfectly kissable. 

“If I win, you buy me a drink and give me one of your earrings.” You said eyeing the three, golden earrings dangling from his ear. Ones that had hardly moved as he walked over to you. Hardly moved as he sat and took your hand in his own. It was all call to the skill you were about to pit yourself against. 

Your response surprised Zoro. He’d taken on many challenges and won many duels, but never once had someone asked him such a thing. Such a strange request.

It only made those hooks dig deeper.

“I agree to your terms.” He said, readying himself to take you on.

“And I do yours.” You spoke on honey-dripped tones that had few men around the room huffing in flusteredness. 

Berry was passed around as bets were made. Whispered words laid just under the surface of the silence which had fallen over the bar. Whisper about who would win, how they would win, and what in all the gods’ names was Zoro thinking for just asking you for directions and a drink.

Zoro and you gave each other a brief nod before your challenge began.

You knew in an instant he had earned his bounty as such power bore down onto your arm--power that had your excitement whirl around in your chest, a laugh you couldn’t control spilling from your lips.

Zoro knew just as quickly that you had earned the reputation he had heard whispered around the bar. Knew that you weren’t worth ten men--not even a hundred. You were worth a thousand. 

But Zoro was, unfortunately for you, worth two thousand men. 

Arms shook, sweat pooled and dripped down brows, the wooden table whined and shook until--

Your arm budged. Budged and struggled to regain what little space you had lost. Another cheerful laugh flew from your breathy lips. 

A laugh that had Zoro’s chest feeling all--weird. 

Why were you laughing? You were losing?

Another inch was lost to you. And then another and-- 

The table snapped in two beneath the power roaring around the two of you. You were pulled from your seat and all but into the lap of the man you had nearly lost to.

You cursed, angered at the cut-off challenge only to find a deep, rumbling chuckle spill from Zoro’s lips. A chuckle you instantly liked and wanted to hear more of. A chuckle that rumbled through you as Zoro leaned in close, his breath brushing against your cheeks in a way that had your body heating.

“Let's get that drink.”

You both ordered a round for the other. A round that turned into two, then three, then four, until it was turning into another full-on challenge. One the patrons around the bar fed into by buying you both shots and drinks. 

Berry once again flowed. Bets were made and whispering dealings on who would win floated around the now music-filled bar. 

Zoro finished his eighth beer when he turned to find you finishing off your own eighth, flashing him a smug grin that had that strange feeling stirring in his gut.

“Slowing down?” You teased him, grabbing for your fourth shot given to you by one of the men sitting closest to you. 

“Hardly.” Zoro scoffed, ordering himself the same shot you had been given. “Just let me know when you need a break, princess.” He said in that dry wit he teased you with. 

“Princess--I like that. I think if I win, instead of buying me a drink, you’ll have to only refer to me as a princess.” Zoro raised his shot glass for you to click yours against. The liquid warmed your throat as it flowed downward, a warmth that spread through your body again when your eyes caught sight of the swordman’s strong throat bob on his swallow. 

“Fine. I still want a drink. But you’ll buy me a bottle of sake instead. A nice bottle of sake. Top shelf.” You nodded, pushing your empty shot glass away and replacing it with your ninth beer. Zoro was quick to follow. 

“Of course. Only the best for the great Roronoa Zoro.” 

You two had five more beers, two more shots, and a tiny cup of cheap sake before most of the partons left for the night, defeated. The bar closed soon after the last handful left and you two were kicked out, ending your second challenge before it truly began. 

“What bar closes before one?” Zoro gruffed as you two walked through the all-but-deserted streets of the port town. Only a few drunken men stumbled home, singing off-tune shanties and relieving themselves against the sides of buildings. 

“The kind whose clientele should have gone home an hour ago.” You huffed, placing a hand on the sword at your side absentmindedly. “I will show you to the docks. I assume your captain is waiting for you.” Zoro eyed you again like he wasn’t sure what to make of you. “Tell me…how did the mighty hunter become the prey?” 

“I am still plenty the hunter.” He said with that smugness that mirrored your own.

“Oh of course. A 60 million berry bounty doesn’t come from just laying down and being complicated.” You said, all but purring his way. It had that feeling in Zoro’s gut fizzing again. Made him want to challenge you again--over and over until a victor was found. 

“You tell me since you seem to know so much about me already.” You huffed, turning your face away from Zoro. He watched the moonlight make your eyes sparkle--watched your painted fingernails tap over the hilt of the sword at your side. One he could tell from the hilt was of strange make and good caliber. 

“Don’t flatter yourself, Roronoa Zoro. Your name has been whispered in the wind for a long time now. Your face now posted everywhere one can find space.” You said pointing towards the nearest building, where a few wanted posters had been plastered onto. 

Sure enough, there was Zoro’s face and bounty just next to Luffy’s goofy grin. 

“Stories of what you did in Alabasta are told in many a bar I’ve conducted my challenges in. I have good ears. Nothing more.” He almost would have believed you had the corner of your mouth not twitched. Had your painted nails not tapped over the hilt of your sword again.

“Who are you then? Bounty hunter? Marine? Pirate?” Zoro’s gut clenched as you turned your gaze back onto him. A gaze that pierced through him like a dagger. You chuckled. A chuckle that tickled at Zoro’s ears in a pleasant way that had his gut unclenching, only to clench up again like some fist. 

“I am merely looking for the one who will finally win my challenge.” Zoro wanted to know more. It was almost like a need to know who you were. Had you been a pirate once? A bounty hunter, just as he had? Who had trained you and how long would you be able to hold out against Zoro’s own blades? 

And it was all very--weird. Weird that you were making him feel all strange inside--making him want more of that feeling. 

You came to a stop at the entrance to the docks, Zoro stopping with you, his eyes hardly leaving your features. 

“I am sure you will be able to find your way back to your ship from here?” Zoro huffed, scanning over the docks, easily spotting the ram's head of the Merry just a little ways away. “Then it has been an honor to challenge you. May our paths cross again.” You said with a small bow of your head before starting off in the opposite direction of the Merry. 

“We haven’t finished the challenge yet.” You paused, looking back to Zoro with a small smirk.

“I have more sake on my ship if you wish to continue there. I doubt any bar for miles will be open.” Zoro scanned over your features once more. Over your body which you held so confidently.

He shouldn’t. Not when everyone in this town and the next knew what his face looked like--what Luffy’s face looked like. 

He needed to get his crew out of here before the Marines came sniffing around…but your smugness and ego and confidence were pulling at Zoro in a way he had only felt once before towards Dracule Mihawk, but this--you were different than the great swordsmen. You with your shining eyes and painted nails adorning his favorite colors of purple and gold. 

He should go. Leave you and your challenge…but Zoro had never been known to make good decisions before.

And he never backed down from a challenge. 

“Sake it is.” 

Your ship was tiny compared to the Merry, but seeing as it was a vessel manned by one person, it made sense. It was cozy and filled with trinket after trinket. Swords, daggers, and all sorts of weapons hung on the walls. Rings, necklaces, and all sorts of treasure sat on shelves blocked off by glass--and was that a finger bone sitting next to a golden goblet? 

Zoro came to realize these were trophies from your wins. Trophies his earring would surely join if you won against him--which he thoroughly doubted. 

You requested that he remove his boots before fully entering the inner workings of your vessel, just as you had. He obeyed the request without questions, not wanting to disrespect your hospitality. 

He watched you move around the small kitchen area, pulling two, wooden o-choko cups from the cabinet and then grabbing a bottle of sake from the fridge. 

“Let’s make this fun.” You said, sitting down at the kitchen table, gesturing with your hand holding the sake bottle for him to join you. “I have three more bottles after this one. Every time we finish a bottle and a victor hasn’t been granted, then we get to ask the other a question and you have to answer.” 

Zoro hesitated at your request. He knew better than to share details of his life with anyone. Hell, his own crew hardly knew much about his past…but he came this far. Had already boarded your ship and accepted your hospitality, he couldn’t leave now. 

And he couldn’t refuse the offer of free sake. 

“Only four bottles? Please, that’s nothing.” Zoro said sitting down across from you, taking one of the wooden cups and holding it out in sign to fill it. You poured the liquid into Zoro’s cup before passing the bottle to him, repeating the process but with your own cup. When both cups were filled, you lightly touched your cups together before taking that first sip of the fruity, apple-hinted sake you had purchased just the other day. 

“If you're that eager for me to ask you a question, then might as well just skip right to the chase.” Zoro huffed in something like mock amusement.

“Get to drinking, princess.” 

You both sat, sipping on your sake and passing the bottle back and forth to refill each other's cups. You both made idle, yet engrossing chit-chat about different types of swords and their capabilities before you finished that first bottle of sake. 

“Tell me your name.” Zoro requested as his first question.

“I feel like that is a waste of a perfectly good question.” You mused, rising from your seat to grab the second bottle of sake stored in your fridge. 

“You have to answer, remember? Your rules.” You chuckled, filling Zoro’s cup with the freshly open bottle of sake. But you told him, family name and all. A name Zoro repeated low and slow, rolling it over his tongue as his brow furrowed in thought. 

“Sounds familiar.” 

“I can assure you, it’s not.” Zoro let it go with a casual shrug as he took the sake from you and filled your cup. You both clicked glasses and took your first sip. Your eyes scanned over his chest, which his shirt hung open to expose. “How did you get that scar? Pretty nasty.” 

Zoro took another sip from his glass, watching you closely. Scars were seen by most as failures--as defeats. Gods’ know how many times you had scarred one of the men who had challenged you just to see the devatated look on their faces. 

“I challenged Dracule Mihawk to a duel. Lost.” He said simply like it was hardly a big deal. He said it simply even when that name shot through you like a hot iron. A name that had your anger rising in your chest.

Zoro took note of the anger that flashed through you at the mention of Mihawk. An anger that looked more like wrath than mere anger. He wondered what that was for? What had happened to make you hate the man so much…maybe that would be one of his questions. 

“Why--” Zoro cut you off with a shake of his head. 

“Keep drinking, Y/N, and if you make it, you can ask.” You huffed and continued to sip on your sake. 

The second bottle was finished much quicker than the first, mainly because you had been chugging your cups like an utter fool so you could ask your question. 

“Sake is meant to be enjoyed you know.” Zoro gruffed at you as you stood. 

“Ask your question.” You commanded. Zoro blinked his eyes at you, amusement flashing in them as you opened the fridge door. 

He liked your anger. It was fun to tease out of you.

“What’s with the finger?” He asked, shoving a thumb over his shoulder. That seriousness and anger that had overcome you banked the slightest bit at his question. You’re shining eyes gleamed in excitement at its mention. 

“My first trophy. He lost his challenge to me and instead of paying up the berry I had asked for, he tried to kill me. Took his hands for it.” You mused, eyes unfocusing as you remembered back. “Lost them both along my travels. His pinky is the only thing that remains.” You said, wiggling your pinkie at Zoro who laughed. A laugh that was hardly above a chuckle, but a laugh all the same.

It was--stunning. And hardy and fit him so well. One you wanted to hear again and again.

“What a pity.” You shrugged as you sat back down across from the swordsmen. 

“Why challenge Mihawk?” You asked, pouring Zoro more sake. He found that seriousness began to seep back into your features. “That man walks with death herself. She shadows him--sponsors him like some god would their chosen champion.” Zoro took the bottle from you and returned the favor. 

“Because I made a promise to someone a long time ago that I would become the world’s greatest swordsman. Mihawk is the holder of that title. I thought I would win. I was wrong.” He said simply yet again. 

Said it so simply--too simply, like he hadn’t gone up against Dracule Mihawk and left the encounter alive. Went up against the hawk-eyed Warlord, who had hadn’t always been as such. Who had once hunted those very marines he now served. Marines he had slaughtered regardless of who their deaths might hurt. Zoro had walked away from that true demon alive and was playing it off like it wasn’t a big deal. 

“I do enjoy myself a man with a vow,” You said, trying to lighten your mood, before clinking your cup with Zoro’s. “And a death wish.” Zoro held your eyes as you took a sip of your sake and he a sip from his. Eyes that dug into him deeper than any had before. 

“Any swordsman worth their weight in the steal they carry has one.” 

“I’ll keep drinking to that.” 

You both finished the third bottle in the span of half an hour. A bottle that merely had you feeling full rather than anything more fun. You found you were able to withstand the effects of alcohol the more you learned how to control your body in ways others never would. Ways Zoro seemed to understand as well. 

“What are you? Truly.” Zoro asked as you pulled the last chilled bottle of sake from the fridge. 

“I am nothing now but a lone traveler…” You said shutting the fridge door with your hip. A movement you saw Zoro track with those deep, dark eyes of his. “but in a past life one might have found me selling teas in my mother's shop.” 

Zoro watched closely as you sat down before him, something like pain flashing through your eyes. A pain he himself had felt once before. “Until death knocked on my door and changed that.” Your voice dipped dangerously low as you poured sake into Zoro’s cup before passing the bottle to him. “Then I did a quick stint as a pirate.” Zoro filled your cup, placing the bottle in the middle of the table.

“That’s how I know you. You had a bounty.” You narrowed your eyes at him. 

“Had. A long time ago.” You huffed, “Why the three swords?” You asked, changing the topic and pulling that calm and collected mask back on. Zoro’s hand came to rest on the three swords at his side when brought to their attention once more.

“My vow--I made it to a friend.” He said, deciding it wouldn’t hurt to tell you of his childhood friend. At least just vaguely. It wouldn’t hurt when you had told him just as vaguely of your pain. “When she died I was gifted her sword. I then crafted the Three Sword Style which I have been perfecting ever since.”

The fourth bottle was finished off just as you two had gotten halfway through discussing the ways you both had trained in swordplay, which took a pause as you poured the last half of the sake into Zoro’s cup.

“Why seek out defeat?” He asked, taking the bottle from your hand. His fingers curled around yours, holding them there as he leaned forward. Fingers that all but made your skin sizzle like you were touching fire. You slide your hand out from under his, trying to forget about the feeling of it against yours. “You are the strongest woman I have ever come across. Why look for your skills to be diminished?”

“Why seek out fame?” You asked back on a near snap, which the pirate hardly seemed to pay mind to your tone. “Why seek out titles that are only words to be spoken? Why seek out a title that will only have silly little boys, like yourself, hunt after you and inevitably kill you?” 

Zoro blinked at you. He ignored your jab at him once again. A jab that was only meant to rile him to anger. He was collected enough to not take your bait for a third time that night.

“I have a death wish, remember.” He said, taking his cup in his hand, leaning in closer than he needed to fill your cup. “Your turn.” He said with that gruffing voice. A voice that had your body growing warm. A warmth completely unrelated to all the alcohol you had drank. 

“Because I’m tired of winning.” Zoro watched you raise your cup for it to be filled. He watched your eyes as he filled your cup. Eyes that shined brightly yet held a dullness to them that called to that exhaustion you claimed. He placed the sake bottle down and raised his cup for the last cheers of the night.

“Are you sure you’re not ready to tap out?” Zoro asked, keeping his cup just out of reach of yours. Asked in that dry humor of his that had you narrowing your eyes at him.

“Hardly. Are you?” Zoro chuckled. A chuckle you paused your riling emotions to listen to. To memorize dispute only having just met the man. 

A man who could beat you despite your continued challenges. You knew he could--had felt it during your first challenge. You were big enough to admit defeat when it came time for it. When someone truly earned it. And Zoro had earned it…but you couldn’t help but want to keep his company a little while longer. 

“Hardly.” And your cups met each other in a gentle kiss before you both took that first, last sip. “What now?” He asked, leaning back in his seat heavily.

“I don’t know.” You said on a shrug, taking another sip as you leaned your forearms on the table. “A drawl?” The room fell quiet--a quiet that lasted all of two seconds before the both of you were laughing at such an absurd idea. 

“I didn’t know you to make jokes,” Zoro said as his laughter evened out. 

“Oh, I’m sure I have pulled a chuckle or two from you tonight,” Zoro smirked, sipping his sake. “This table is sturdy enough. We could try arm wrestling once more?” He eyed you long and slow. Eyes that danced over your face and down your neck. 

“Finish your drink and then we can resume your first challenge.” You smiled, excited as you set on sipping your sake faster than you knew it should be sipped. But you couldn’t help it. Not when you were eager to get back under that power that rolled off him in waves. To press your own power against it and feel it wane against his fire. 

 You both slammed your cups to the table and had your hands clasped together hardly a minute later. It seemed you both were eager to complete this challenge. 

Zoro gazed into your eyes and you gazed into his on a pause. A pause and a nod of the head before the challenge resumed. 

Once again, you were reminded of his power. Of how good it felt to feel your strength weaken against his. 

Arms shook, brows beaded with sweat, and heat pooled in your abdomen. A heat no man had been able to stir for a long, long time. No man had been worth its sizzling flames. 

A little noise spilled from your lips. A noise that had Zoro’s attention pulling from your shining eyes to your lips. Lips that hung parted on that small noise that had that weird feeling grow and thrash about in his abdomen. 

“Fuck.” He cursed on a deep rumble that had you clenching your thighs together against the frustration building in you. 

“Fuck, Zoro--win.” You all but begged the swordsmen, whose teeth were clenched so tight you thought they might fracture under the pressure. “Win, win, please.” You continued. 

Despite your pleas for him to win against you, you hardly gave up your hold on his hand. Hardly gave into his power. You fought against it, just as he fought against yours. A fight that your arm had just begun to yield under when Zoro cursed yet again. 

Zoro couldn’t focus. Not when you were making those little noises and begging him to dominate you. Couldn’t focus when you looked just as bright as your eyes--when your painted nails were pressed flush against the back of his hand. Not when that weird feeling wanted him to win against you in another way. 

The alcohol. It was the alcohol making him feel this--needful for you. 

He knew that wasn’t it. Knew he was hardly even tipsy. He knew he had felt this way as he had drunk his first beer. 

“Fuck it.” He hissed, reaching across the table to grab your cheeks in his free hand. You sucked in a breath as he all but pulled you across the table, lips pressing harshly against yours. You fought back against his lips in a fiery kiss that any outside might have thought looked more like two dogs mauling at each other's faces than any true kiss. 

But it was a kiss you felt your body ignite against--that you could taste the sweet, fruity sake you had drank on his tongue and lips. One that made your pussy throb and your limbs grow fuzzy as you climbed onto the table, knocking over the empty sake bottle as you crawled over it. 

He all but pulled you off the table into his lap where you moved so you could straddle his waist and press your kiss down onto him. 

Hands grabbed at clothes and relieved the other of their shirts, which were tossed to the ground before lips were rapidly moving against the others. Your hands smoothed over his hard-earned, muscle-lined chest, feeling the slight raise of the scar Mihawk had given him.  

Zoro’s calloused hands moved from where they grasped your hips upwards, sending goosebumps rising along your skin. 

He felt a scar along your hip bone, one that cut up your side, and another he felt just under the edge of your bra. But never once did he feel a scar on your back. 

You were a true swordsman. A true warrior. 

It had him grabbing you tighter. Had him hosting you up as he stood before pinning you on the table, fingers unbuckling your belt and unbuttoning your pants.

Zoro yanked your pants down your legs, trailing hot, opened-mouth kisses along your scarred skin making a huffing moan escape your lips. You ran your fingers through his green hair before grabbing for your pants which he wasn’t pulling off fast enough. 

You yanked them off, grabbing him back against you and claiming his lips harshly as you rose off the table onto your feet. 

Zoro’s back hit the wall, making the swords and other various weapons rattle upon impact. You wasted no time in going for his belt, which fell away from his hips under the weight of his three swords. 

They had just fallen to the floor with a dulled clatter when Zoro was turning you so that he could slam you against the wall, throwing his skillful power into you which had you moaning in gleeful pleasure. A throwing star, which had been hanging just beside your head, fell to the ground and embedded itself in the wood there. 

You wanted him to do that again. To move you despite your own power fighting against him. 

Your hands grabbed for Zoro’s pants again as his hands grabbed for the clasp of your bra, which he fumbled with and found he couldn’t figure out the mechanics of. One last harsh kiss was given to Zoro before you pushed him away, going for the clasp behind your back. 

“Pants.” You grit at him. He huffed at your commanding tone, but did so regardless of his want to ignore it. 

His breath hitched in his throat as you threw your bra off, your breasts falling from their confines and making his mouth water at their heft. You yanked your underwear off just as Zoro had finished pulling his pants off, leaving you both bare to one another. 

Your eyes scanned over his body shamelessly. Scanned over the scars he bore--the large one cutting across his chest, another smaller one on his shoulder, and two more rounding his ankles. Scanned over the sheer amount of strength that radiated off him that you needed to grab and feel against you all over again. Scanned over his cock, which twitched in the open air, precome already spilling for its tip.

Zoro looked over your body just as you did. A body that was strong--well-honed muscles built throughout it from the years of training he knew you had gone through. Muscle that did nothing but enhance your utter femininity. From your hair to your shining eyes to that shade of purple he found your toenails were painted as well. 

Zoro thought you might have been the prettiest thing he had ever laid eyes on. 

You were grabbing at Zoro just as he was grabbing at you. Lips caressing in that harsh manner that had your abdomen burning. Bare bodies pushed and pulled and felted at the other in a way that had your head spinning. 

You slammed Zoro into the door that led to your chambers, his teeth finding your neck in a pinching bite that was sure to leave a bruise as your lips pulled away long enough to open it. You shoved Zoro through the open doorway, his hands grabbing for your arms to pull you with him. 

He used the momentum of your shove to switch positions with you, lips claiming yours as he guided you back toward your bed. When the backs of your legs hit the frame, you climbed onto the plush mattress before he could shove you down, not wanting to give your position up quite yet. A position you wanted him to fight you for. He climbed in after you, lips hardly leaving the others.

That push and pull began again. You tugged at Zoro who tugged right back. It was a continuation of the challenge you had been waging to see who would come out on top--literally now. 

Your fingers brushed down his strong stomach before wrapping around his hard cock, pumping him nice and slow in a way that had him hissing out a breath. You watched his brows furrow under your admissions--watched as the corner of his lip twitched in a near snarl as your thumb passed over his dripping head. Your touch spurred his hips into motion--thrusting into your hand with each pass of your thumb. 

“I think I like this type of wrestling much better, don’t you?” You teased, tightening your grip just that much more around him. His fingers dug into your skin. Dug hard enough you were sure it would leave a mark. You wanted it to leave a mark. “I think I like the idea of having you come all undone first, looking so, so pretty.”  

His hips halted their mindless thrust, eyes narrowing down at the smugness that had filtered into your bright gaze. 

“Is that--” He hissed, finding your hand stilling working him in a way that was tortuous. “Is that a challenge?” You smirked. 

“Should it be?” You continued to tease, eyes fluttered to look at his parted lips which huffing breaths floated out of. 

“Same rewards?” He asked, making you nod.

“If that’s all you still wish for, then yes.” You lulled, leaning up to brush your lips against his. “But I think you’ll find it a harder challenge to win then--” You sucked in a shaky breath when a finger dipped into your needy folds. A finger that had found your clit in seconds and was applying just the right amount of pressure and type of touch to have your hips moving to get closer to such pleasure.

“I’m sorry,” He huffingly teased back, pressing your chest flush against his as a shit-eating grin plastered itself onto his kiss-puffed lips. Your hand paused its working of Zoro’s cock at the sudden sparks he sent shooting through you. “What were you saying?” 

“How--how did you--fuck,” You cursed, grabbing hold of his shoulder for balance. Jolt after jolt of pleasure rushes up your body. Pleasure you had only even been able to fully give yourself. 

“I think,” He gruffed brushing his lips against your ear, making a shiver rush up your spine. “That I’m going to have you coming all undone for me, Y/N, and then enjoy myself the best sake this little island has to offer.” His gruffing voice rang in your ear.

“In your dreams.” You huffed, swallowing a moan that wanted to escape. 

Zoro grunted as you resumed moving your hand up and down the length of his velvety cock. A movement that had Zoro stopping the circling of your clit only so he could shove your thighs open wider, all so he could sink a finger into your dripping pussy--and then another. He curled and pressed them into that spongy spot up in you that had stars flying across your vision--stars that grew in number when his thumb found your clit once more. 

Huffs and pants and grunts and cut-off moans between near-violent kisses filled the space as you fought to get each other off--to get the other to lose the challenge you had been trying to finish the whole night. 

You pulled away once more when Zoro gave a deep-chested moan. A moan that had his brows knitting together and his hips jerking against your hand as if to pull away because--oh yes.

“It’s okay, pretty boy. It’s okay. You can come for me. Yes, yes, please come for me.” You comforted, placing a gentle kiss on his flushed cheek and picking your pace up just that much faster. “So strong. So powerful. Come on my hand and let me taste just how--” Your words were cut off as Zoro pulled his fingers out of you only for them to wrap around your throat in a tight hold. A hold that nearly had you coming right then and there. 

He pinned you to the bed, your hand slipping from his cock in the process. But it didn’t stop you from wrapping your legs around his waist and rubbing your dripping, needy pussy against his twitching and as equally needy cock. 

“You talk too much.” He hissed, the hand not pinning you to the bed running down your body so that he could reach for his swollen cock. “I’m gonna make you come so hard around me you won’t remember how to speak.”

“Yes--please.” You panted out as he pressed the tip of his cock against your fluttering entrance. A pant that turned into your own deep-chested moan as he sunk himself into you, inch by glorious inch. A moan was met with Zoro’s grunts as he bottomed out in you, your pussy flexing around him as it worked to accommodate his size. 

You wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling yourself up enough to claim his rough kiss once more as his hips began to move his cock within you. 

His pace gradually began to quicken. A pace that grew so brutal, that tears brimmed in your eyes at the pleasure he pounded into you. And when his thumb found your clit again--oh gods you knew you might not win out against him. 

And as lust and pleasure fogged your brain, you found you wanted him to win. Just as you had wanted him to win against every other challenge you threw his way that night. 

“Zoro--oh fuck, Zoro keep going. Please, please, please.” You begged against his panting mouth. He kept up his wicked pace, the sinfully wet sounds of your pussy getting utterly destroyed filling your ears and adding to the pleasure that was rolling through you. 

Sweat slicked over skin, bodies buzzed and shook, lips moved frantically and hungrily. And that release your body begged for built and built and built and you had just began to tip over the edge. Your finish just a breath away--hot ribbons of come shot into you.

Zoro had come just seconds before your pussy was clenching around his twitching cock. Just seconds before you were moaning his name and holding him close as you’re finish rushed through you. His solid body fell on top of yours, chests full of uneven and choppy breath. 

“You win.” He huffed into your neck. You sighed deeply, running your fingers through his green hair. 

“I was only teasing--” Zoro pulled his face away so he could look into your eyes. Deep, dark eyes that never looked away from your face as he unhooked an earring from his ear lobe, holding it out for you to take. 

“You win, princess. Fair is fair.” You gently took the gold earring from his hand, brushing your knuckles over his cheek. A touch the swordsmen leaned into, his lips leaving a burning kiss to your writs. “Put it next to the finger.” You laughed, leaning forward and placing the softest kiss of the night to those lips of his. Lips that kissed you back just as soft--slow. A kiss that had your heart beating against your ribs.

“Just for you, pretty boy.”

Tags: @lostfirefly

[katatty]

While there's plenty of toil involved, Hilda actually seems to be enjoying her job as as a maid/cook/general servant. She likes cooking, and since there's not that many people living in the manor its easy enough to sneak away and goof off every once in a while. When I sent her to make the beds upstairs she walked up the stiars with such a cheerful, perky gait to her step, it was cute!

She's taken on the job since her older sister Bryanna began working as a midwife. Since she's commited several assaults this season, she's got a hefty fine to pay or she might face jail time 😬 Luckily she doesn't seem too concerned.

I was using the ChristianLov all-in-one NPC controller originally, but it was giving me problems where sims would make too much food and then refuse to clean dirty dishes. The manor was filthy! So here's how I'm playing servants now: I teleport them over using the Simlogical meeting controller, which is nice and convenient and also makes them controllable in one click. Then, to avoid too much micromanagement, I am using MATY macrotastics to direct Hilda to clean or garden. I was controlling her manually at first, but it was feeling like a bit of a chore and breaking my immersion a bit - I want to focus on my gentry family! There's still a bit of micro-management when it comes to serving meals and making sure she eats in the kitchen rather than with the rest of the family, but nothing too bad.

The only issue I've had with this is that sims will age while they are selectable - I changed my aging mod to have sims age up at midnight rather than 6PM to mitigate this since Hilda will always have gone home by then. I also have to pay her manually, but I don't mind that! She's also employed in the cookery career as a scullery maid, so can earn more money when I play her house :)

[ridiculous-hibiscus]

I'm an intp. I think I really like intjs but eventually they're all narcissists. Can't someone be clever, have emotional intelligence, humor and confidence without being manipulative?

Hi, @tikanw! Thank you for this ask! So...to answer your question, the short answer is Yes, absolutely an INFJ can be clever, emotionally intelligent, funny and confident without being manipulative. If you're asking if there are INFJs like this, I would say yes, the ones that are healing or have healed from the trauma of life, which hits us pretty hard.

Now for the long (probably pedantic) answer: From the small amount of research I've done (to help me understand myself), INFJs from the outside are a confusing mixture of seemingly opposite traits. But I can only tell you what I feel on the inside as an INFJ personally (can't speak for any others, and I only am aware of one other INFJ in my life).

I am an INFJ-T (turbulent). Took the MBTI about 4 times in my life, with intervals of several years, and got the same result each time. I definitely struggle with narcissism--always have, because from a young age, I seemed to simply "know" things and saw myself as a special snowflake 😬. I am keenly aware that my tendency is to self-aggrandize and JUDGE HARSHLY. So I have made what feels like a hefty effort to NOT do that. But it will always haunt me. I have a moral belief system that includes caring for others and helping them, and thankfully I don't have to expend any energy to want to do that. I want to be useful, helpful, the go-to person, the one who can make THE BEST difference and come in with the assist when someone else is drowning, hurt, or low for ANY reason 💞❤️💞. I feel that I truly care for people, and I am VERY tender-hearted, even toward insects and vermin. I am empathic, not in a "I can read your mind" way, but naturally attuned to the feelings of others. I think this creeps people out who don't know me, because I simultaneously care for them, understand them without speaking much to them, and hide my own true needs at all costs when in the presence of most people.

At the same time as I care so deeply, I struggle with people's decision making and behaviors that make no sense to me. Maybe you can relate as an INTP? 🤔 I've been forgotten and/or misunderstood by many people I've cared for, including friends, family, and classmates. I carried that self-righteous hurt and injustice for years. Now I'm starting to understand that my analytical, logical, "figure it out" process, which is totally internal most of the time, partnered with the desire to not bother anyone, not take up space, not be a burden, but to be ULTRA-INDEPENDENT, self-confident, and capable, confuses people. I've been doing the opposite of what's conducive to ANY relationship 😢. Not to mention that I get hurt by people who don't put effort back for me. I've reached out countless times, frightened and unsure of the reception, only to be (best-case scenario) smiled at politely and ghosted forever. I've also had reactions of awe, where someone was shaken because I knew all the obvious facts about them, but had never directly interacted, because of my quick, silent observations from a distance. I get it, I'm not for everyone.

I also struggle with humor. Usually when someone else tells me a joke I will get it the first time due to the extensive encyclopedia of references in my head. But if I try to joke back, I get an uncomfortable reaction, because what I said was too harsh or somehow off. Then I sigh and think it's no use. Again I am misunderstood. But I am used to it.

But I will tell you this: I have learned some social interaction rules, and had a few extremely kind people in my life, both personal and online, who were sweet to me no matter what. I married the most loyal of them, who is an INTJ-A and my rock, my ❤️ soul mate ❤️, my Person who Gets Me and I Get Him. I have a handful of women in my life who put up with my eccentric hyper-critical tendencies, and give me nothing but love and kindess without a hint of cattiness (which I can scent a mile away and run from) even though I am the most judgmental person they know. I know I am 😤😅. It makes me sad to think of hurting anyone with it, though, so I do try as hard as possible to welcome people, to be gracious with my words, expect the best of people's intentions, and conceal the blunt, harsh, logical things that pop up in my head. If I seem mysterious and awkward, it's definitely because I'm trying to spare someone from the nonstop hurricane in my head, trying NOT to slice, dice, direct, and arrange EVERYONE's lives and doings and feelings around me 🫣🫣.

I'd like nothing more than to speak my mind directly. Unfortunately only a few hardy souls are willing to receive that from me. And I would literally die for those people. I'm so dramatic haha. But you know, I finally love myself this way. And I know I am loved unconditionally, and it's ok for me to rest and not work ALL THE TIME. I have a managerial job that suits my analytical tendencies quite nicely, and it also gives me many opportunities per week to listen to people's problems, HELP them quickly, and feel satisfaction from doing so. If I can be paid to logic things out while helping and comforting people, that's a good day's work for me. To rest my brain, I lean into artwork of many types. I have been learning to open up verbally, to put myself out there more, to be more vulnerable with people that are safe. It's scary but wonderful.

Anyway, I've yapped enough, but thank you again for reaching out. I hope this helps you in any small way. Thank you for allowing me a philosophical moment with you...I truly appreciate it 😍. If you would like to talk more, feel free to dm. I am always open to sincere, kind, honest questions. Have a great weekend and week ahead!

Best always,

Hibi 🌺

[natscqtorccio]

Social worker mj / ex con jm continuation 😬 So mj obviously gets incredibly attached to this case being her first and wanting to do a good job and also so intrigued as to what jm’s past is… there is barely anything on her file, she only confessed to her crimes but gave no context or background info at all… during her check ins she is so quiet and calm, staring at mj deeply like she can read her mind and figure out her deepest hopes and dreams and it both scares and thrills mj in a weird way. One day jm tells her she has found a job at a warehouse and a couple weeks later mj goes there to check it out as part of her job (but she is also so curious to see jm outside of her office). Her breath hitches when she sees her maneuver hefty packages around the building, looking very hot in her work jumpsuit and bandana, all sweaty and focused on her tasks. She waits outside to be able to talk to her and let her know she will be submitting a good review regarding her re entry in normal life but stops short when she sees her approach a homeless man outside of the building and give him all the money she had just received from the warehouse manager a minute ago… mj is left speechless bc what kind of hardened criminal behaves this way!?

She cannot stop thinking about it for days and since jm is telling her nothing about her past during their check ins, one day she decides to go to the place where jm was arrested back in the day, that information available on her case files at least. She spends several hours casing the area and trying to get information from locals wandering by but everyone is very tight lipped and doesn’t let on anything interesting. She is about to give up when she stumbles into a convenience store where an elderly lady gasps when she shows her jm’s picture and nods eagerly when mj asks if she knows her. To mj’s surprise, the cashier starts telling her jm’s story as she knows it, how she was born into a low class family, her dad abandoning the family shortly after jm was born. Jm’s mom was a well intentioned woman but with fragile health and it didn’t take long for her to leave jm as well. Jm then became a child of the state, bouncing from foster home to foster home until she found some kind of stability with a family that was also fostering a younger boy. Jm grew increasingly close to him, to the point she considered him a brother, but the family stopped being able to support them and had to let them go. Determined to find a way for them to stick together, she tried to find a good enough paying job to provide for both, but she found people weren’t keen on giving a girl like her a chance. Desperate and afraid to lose what they had, she saw no choice but to start dealing as a way to make ends meet and provide for her brother and herself. It was risky but it was working and she made sure her brother never knew about her occupation. Everything seemed stable enough until one day a friend of her brother’s banged on her door, scared as shit and begging her to come help. She followed him to find her brother overdosed, lying on the floor of an abandoned building, every attempt of jm to try and resuscitate him useless. Jm was barely holding it together but she managed to get the name of the dealer who had sold him the drugs out of his friend. blinded by rage, she went to the guy’s house, kicked down her door and started beating him up, her fists vicious on the man partially responsible for her brother’s death until she felt several strong hands whisking her way, jm fighting to get rid of them so she could finish what she started…

Mj is left startled bc this was definitely not what she expected and it puts jm in a completely different light to her…

YJM… THE WOMAN THAT YOU ARE… I LOVE HER 😭

[sandsorghum]

yall i have two wolves inside me: pervroommate higuruma and Bodyguard/Knight!Higuruma

Conceptually they could not be on more opposite sides of the spectrum. Plus im, uh, inclined to be a lot meaner to one of them...

Kinda want to write them concurrently though the latter is going to be slow burn, im thinking a good 4-5 installments/chapters? Guess it'll be a period piece so there may be a hefty amount of research involved too @_@ (but anything for him)

Im excited to explore how to portray guilt and yearning and appetites across these diametrically different settings, the varying inflections and expressions but also, always the marvellous challenge of keeping certain characteristics of higuruma consistent.

I doubt the partners will be characterised the same but they def both have a bratty side to them, sorry 😖😳😬

As much as i wanna avoid the cliches sometimes well, it's odd but i feel like higuruma for the most part is such a mature character he involuntarily brings out the brat in me my protagonists. Maybe it's just sharpened by contrast

BUT OK ALSO HANG ON THIS JUST OCCURREDTO ME- Brat taming with Higuruma is one thing but BratHiguruma? Can you imagine? do you dare let yourself dream?

This is the guy who was introduced to us in a bathtub afterall you just know he has that streak of mischievious childish malevolence too and wow someone he can let his guard down around for once and let his inner child out to play? 🥺 GOD I NEED TO STOP WRITING AMD TELLIMG META ABOUT HIM AND SHOW YALL INSTEAD

It's 9am he's a plague on my brain send help

[meirimerens]

hii, one quastion, I was wondering if you had any pieces of canon lore attached to your vision of Andrey (and Peter I guess too) as bisexual? I remember you talked about what parts of canon made you consider Dankovsky as gay, Burakh as gay, etc but what about Andrey my friend Andrey… Is there lore or is it just pure vibes (which is good too) SORRY if it's already been asked lol

hiiii okay i probally already talked about this but doesn't hurt to talk more we love to talk Ok the two crucial points for me are

his line "You do look like a hero - from the front. But what about the other end? Bend over." addressed at a man was written to be sexually forward [source]. while many men will use sexual forwardness/bluntness not through the lenses of desire but through those of power/threat, a heterosexual man will refrain from sexual forwardness towards another man as homosexual acts are still The Great Heterosexual Male Taboo and in the heterosexual male mind, degrading in itself. tldr i think he means it this time

design documents say of him "Based on Benvenuto Cellini" and while it is pretty hard to find a Renaissance artist who did not go to bed with at the very least the Leg Of Bicuriosity, Cellini was arrested and charged Multiple Times for sexual affairs with men. called a sodomite by another sculptor to his face and all. had to be there in those times. other things appear to link Cellini & Andrey, such as the killing of the brother's killer in an act of blood revenge (which Andrey doesn't canonically do, but that sounds enough like something he would do). but the "multiple times arrested for gaysexing" is a pretty hefty thing in that lore.

tldr I see it for real.

as for peter I think it's funny. andrey hammers your head with "he and i are perfect twins" & since it's not uncommon for multiple siblings to be gay or bi That's Funny to me. also because i like to explore how fundamentally alike & fundamentally different they are, both bi & both living their bisexualities in very different ways. in my mind's eye peter got that "oh he's... 😬 sensitive 😬....." treatment as a kid but discovered himself bi later in life. andrey has lived his bisexuality openly loudly and amorously for longer, having more (multiple at once) lovers. not really a bi thing he'd be like that if he were straight regardless; i just think it contrasts with the In My Mind's Eye of peter getting no bitches before age 29. peter tried to get laid Once and it went so bad they had to kill the guy. women don't really want to deal with him. andrey insisted he come to the all-male gatherings of the capital's students to mingle with Like-Minded Men If You Know What I Mean and he just stood in the corner like that one meme. sensitive white bi boy scaring the hoes at the club. etc

[anatombombatallhours]

Writing a long ass post about the illiterate is kinda a bitch move. Eat shit and get hit, asshole

someone didn't read the post 😬

I used multiple line breaks, and each portion was barely more than a sentence long

I also used simple language

I did my best to make what I wrote accessible for those who may struggle to read and parse textual meanings. smushing more words into a single section (like this one) makes things harder to understand, especially for people who already have difficulty reading large blocks of text--hence why I *didn't* force the whole thing into three hefty paragraphs.

you don't have to like it, and accessible for one person doesn't mean accessible for all, but

you are doing exactly what I asked people not to do at the end of the post.

[29daffodils]

sweet tooth, good dentist : episode #1

well hellow, I'm back! life is going in all sorts of fucky directions, i am on the verge of losing my job (or pay a hefty sum of money to my greedy ass company) and my mental health is fucked. but! today is finally time for the dentist show. i had a few spoilers already before watching this, but nothing major so i had a tonne of fun! let's go!!

you can find all episode reactions here!

bruh, no wonder he took a trip to the dentist if he named his fandom “the cavity crew” 😭

ah yes, i just remembered what his actual name is lmao

and there i was thinking “he doesn't seem like a doc though” 🤣

love how his priorities are set right lmaoooooooo

and of course it's the weird dentist oh my lord 🤣🤣🤣🤣

(also what is that picture oh my god, i bet he never gets any matches with that.... or maybe he does because he is quirky and cute, who knows 🤷🏽‍♀️)

OH MY GOD DJJAWHHSHSHXHHXBSHAHHWWUHAA

I AM DYING GOOD LORD 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

oh this is straight out of a bollywood movie 😳

he's my new little pathetic meow-meow

(also, yes i noticed the neck pillow. very accurate. gmmtv should make that into a merch)

nawww poor baby his entire face is swollen 🥹

this is a very accurate portrayal of the middle class approach to healthcare lmao (we do this here in the country all the time and it's pretty hilarious to see that the same logic applies to countries that are not india🤣)

(crois)sant is so real for this 🤣

jway is literally me when i see cishet couples doing cringe ass pda 😩

the face of a man who's out for blood and fears no one 🤣

what did i say? he's shameless. (*whispers* and i love him to death)

bhai organ taskari ka shikar ho jayega tu, nikal ja 😩

(my desi moots will understand, but for the non-indians — “bro you'll become a victim of organ trafficking, run!”)

that's the kinda bestie you need in your life. sant is winning fr

oh. good lord. my heart 🥺

well, fellas, I'm afraid we've found our new ship 😬

annnnnnnd with that we have come to an end of ep#1. very enjoyable and silly so far, i hope the story won't get too complicated but i do want to see some serious things (and i think we'll get them if the tone so far is any indication). another thing i loved as an old school romantic is the use of the cinema reel format to showcase the flashbacks (a little too many of them to follow properly, but that's alright, I'm a little forgiving in terms of flashbacks heh). also too many other moments that didn't fit in here (because 30 image limit) but those will have separate posts because this show deserves it. moreover, i've always loved mark's acting but this guy ohm, goddamn, he is my new baby hah! he is a pretty good so far and hasn't made me cringe even once (which is my indicator for bad acting if I'm being honest). so. so far so good!

see you next episode! 😚

[clansrewritten]

Another Monday another bi weekly blog post!!

This week, like the previous, is juicy! I really am enjoying the one-a-day method even if it's not the most efficient it keeps me working on this passion project and from burning out!

First things first, I fixed the *AWFUL* lag spikes caused by the calculations mice run when fleeing from the player. It was running the code more than necessary but it is now fixed! When the full base mechanics are done, before we add npcs I'll be doing tweaks to polish the prey AI's but for now it's great!

Next is secondaries,(secondaries are the patterns that go on your pelt, ex: spots,) there was a problem with them, they are *always on top* of everything, unfortunately there is only one way to fix it but it is a hefty load that I'll start on today after I shower and get this out!

TDLR: the system needs a rework.

Next is that I added BACKGROUNDS, you can be a kittypet, stray or a clan born cat! Technically because the first map has no houses and there's no npcs yet, stray and kittypet have no difference but later they will be distinguishable! These backgrounds also change where you spawn, clan born cats spawn where their clan is while strays spawn in random-ish locations, I made a small map below with the red being stray locations and the blue being clans!

Minor change but the ugly generic sand bridge is now a super awesome path of rocks in the water, although it's functionally decoration now, in the future it'll cost stamina to cross, you can pounce on other cats crossing (hopefully they can swim 😬) and special events may cover it preventing non swimming cats from crossing!

Stamina is another mechanic that has been added! When doing actions like pouncing, you'll lose stamina, stamina is slowly regained every couple seconds in a batch of 10, you start with a base maximum stamina star of 100. It's not super complicated but I want to add it as another mechanic that affects your decision making but isn't a drag to play with.

Another base mechanic has also been added, sleeping and sleep deprivation! You have 4 bars of sleep that fade as the passes, but I'd you don't sleep out will go into the negatives causing you to have less stamina and eventually, *die*. You can also see i made an awful looking sleep indicator button, it needs polishing but it's the basis for other button prompts for things like burying prey.

A concern was brought up a long while ago by the games co-desginer (MsWolfy/Whimsy). The issue was that some people with disabilities or just in general may struggle to estimate where they will land when pouncing on prey, in the settings there is now a pouncing indicator! It's simply a red circle, I prefer to adjust myself but for someone who really needs it, it's there for you!! Also making this mechanic forced me to re-look at the pounce mechanic and realize that it was abhorrently coded and a mess to figure out where you would land, however it is now an exact sciences, down to the pixels!

And lastly but definitely not least, character randomization! Randomize; names (currently breaks when building the game for release but I'm working on that) pelt color, pelt secondary and the secondaries color too!

Anyway, my next update may not be so packed, I think the first week will be spent on bug fixes and polish, adjustments and smaller mechanics however I think that that's just as important as the big things!!! Have a lovely day or evening

Want to follow the progress of Clans:Rewritten?

Here's a list of our social links as of the posting date!

Enjoy :3

TRELLO BOARD (https://trello.com/b/wDOtypeX/clans-rewritten

DISCORD SERVER ( check other accounts like Tumblr for the link!

TUMBLR (https://www.tumblr.com/clansrewritten?source=share

GAMEJOLT (https://gamejolt.com/games/warriorcatssimulator/928727

INSTAGRAM (https://www.instagram.com/warriorcatslifesim?utm_source=qr&igsh=MWc2bjBhbzB3bHVzaw==

If you don't know what Clans Rewritten is here's a short descriptor: "Clans Rewritten is a 2D rpg game inspired by warrior cats, it provides a single-player roleplaying experience where the cats around you act dynamically with your and eachothers actions"

[mxtxfanatic]

I think the first few mdzs chapters made me believe 'jc and wwx are literal adopted siblings'. Ppl reccing mdzs on my tl referred to them as such too and the fantl I read (one of the earlier ExR versions) said in prologue something like 'it was his sect leader and adopted brother, jiang cheng, who killed him'. Afterwards when wwx overheard ppl discussing wwx and jc's relationship it cemented my belief. Wwx was taken in by jc's parents so voila they're brothers.

It was my first time reading cn novel as a westerner so I had no idea that sect siblings, martial brothers and sisters are very different things from actual 'siblings'

As I was finishing the novel I had some doubts but it was later, upon my reread once I was more educated that I changed my opinion. I now view them more as a young master&servant of sorts relationship and/or slightly unequal little toxic friendship. Further underlined that none of the Jiang parents actually considered wwx their child in any sense of the word. A "foster ward" would be the most familial word I'd use if pressed.

That is not to say their relationship wouldn't feel incredibly sibling-like for some people who grew up in similar relationships and applied hefty dose of projection.

However back then it used to be bad to say you don't think of them as siblings on tumblr bc it meant you think adoptive siblings aren't real siblings or you're somehow against wangxian and think wwx and jyl or jc should kiss and that's a crime (yeah idk either weird times) XD

Welp, glad I missed all those times cause 😬 The person who was reccing mdzs on my dash were tryna save me from myself by only posting fanart of wangxian and A-Yuan, and I still squandered their goodwill by trusting the wiki smh.

[husbandhoshi]

DID U SAY ROYAL JOSHUA IS COMING????? JNDFNKSDFJKSDF

it's coming eventually 😬 no guarantees when but it'll be a hefty one! and all you horndogs rejoice bc there will be at least 3 smut scenes

[vixstarria]

Asmodea x Astarion ask game 🫡

5, 14, 23, 28 😬

5. Who’s the first one to quit a new hobby because they’re not great at it on the first try?

Astarion. I think he would be very conscious of anyone seeing the result of his efforts while it's still in the learning stage and is less than perfect. He might develop something if he can ensure that he practices it in solitude though.

Asmodea's been ridiculed or booed offstage in her early bard days enough to have developed a thicker skin for public perception though.

Neither are patient.

14. Who gets the most invested in their hyperfixations?

Also Astarion, especially in the early days of his freedom. He's so amazed that he can devote his time to whatever he wants, whenever he wants, and no one will take it away or punish him for it, that he disappears down a rabbit hole, and good luck finding him.

23. Which of the two would you rather team up with for a game of laser tag?

Shit, I don't know. It's more a question of who would I rather not play against. Astarion is more likely to win. However, Asmodea is more likely to start eldritch blasting the opposite team when she loses.

28. Who brings CapriSun to a frat party?

I have thought about the circumstances under which they might attend a frat party, and I believe they would only be seen at one if they are paid a hefty sum to perform there. The answer is both. They would arrange a huge punch bowl of CapriSun, tell everyone there's alcohol in it, and inwardly laugh their asses off as their 'hosts' try in vain to get drunk.

Thanks for the ask!

[celiastjamesoscar]

Professors either are your best friends or your ultimate enemy. That dude needs to take a chill pill. He probably gets off on causing his students misery. Jon, on the other hand, seems so cool and like a fun dude! His love for pictures is everything, I adore it. If you can talk to him about gambling then he's really a chill guy. 4 finals, that's manageable! I'm the same study type as you; procrastinating it and only doing it a short time beforehand. But, I'm the prime example for this bad behavior. Don't be like me and fuck up your finals. So listen up, I will boss you around one more time. You will start studying early on and really put your heart and soul into it. The relief you will feel afterwards will be the greatest thing ever! Listen to me, miss ma'am.

Omg yes Sam and Butter are sharing one brain cell! Oh Sam definitely enjoyed his ball, especially since he lost his two... The new tattoos will be smaller, fineline ones. 1 is an ufo sucking in a human with "get in loser" on top. The other one will be a devil lady (naked) waking up from a nap inside of a coffin. The best news about all of this is that THE HOT MILF WILL BE DOING THE TATTOOS!!!!

Well... technically I'm already "fired" so they can't do anything. After my apprentices is over they couldn't offer me a job so I'm being let go. And because that company is really shitty and never treated us well, I don't give a fuck anymore and will call in sick. I already called in today. Hey! Cutting a banana is hard work! I held it in my hand (first mistake) and cut through it. Then I looked away because I got distracted (second mistake) and somehow cut my thumb. The one that held the knife. I genuinely don't even know how I did that...

YES GRACE THANK YOU!! I just grabbed that poor girl while she was stealing the pigs food. She's so soft and warm and fluffy. Hennifer even looked at me and put her head on my shoulder!!

Lol I don't think her poor husband stands a chance against a bunch of obsessed ladies. We will definitely win and kindly surprise adopt Melissa. I'm sure she wouldn't even mind...

That’s honestly so true about professors. My chemistry one, the guy who gave me a zero, is a complete asshole. It’s safe to say that my evaluation of him will be a long and hefty one. Jon is honestly the goat, im sad that I’m only going to have him for one more semester. although I will be glad that I won’t have to worry about an embarrassing picture of me making it into the slides 😭 4 finals isn’t too bad, and I don’t think any of them are on the same day. At least I hope not. I’m honestly the worst when it comes to studying, but I plan to use tomorrow as a study day, so don’t worry! And to make you proud, I finished my article review paper tonight and turned it in, instead of waiting until tomorrow to do it, which is when it’s due! It was supposed to be 4 pages, but it turned out to be 6 😬

Not Sam losing his 2 other balls! I got Butters 6 tennis balls a couple months ago, and now he only has 2 left 😭 Butters has been a handful today; first he came in from playing in the backyard with a small abrasion on his head which I had to clean it, and now he’s gotten welts around his mouth and on his nose. It looks like he had an allergic reaction to something, but I’m making him sleep in my room so I can keep an eye on him. My two boy animals have caused so much trouble 😭

But your tattoo ideas are amazing!! I remember you sending in those pictures of them too, and I can’t wait for you to get them!! AND THE HOT MILF IS DOING THEM?!?! YOU BETTER BE SENDING IN THE FINISHING WORKS!!

Well since you are technically already “fired,” I guess there are no consequences for calling off work, especially if the company can’t treat the workers properly. And you know what, you absolutely deserve that time off for your traumatic experience with cutting the banana. How the hell did you manage to cut your thumb that was holding the knife??? That’s what I want to know, like how is that even possible 😭

you snatching Hennifer while she was being a menace and stealing the pigs food is honestly gold!! And she even rested her head on your shoulder, that’s so cute!! Also, I absolutely lock her name so much!! It reminds me of Yennefer from The Witcher series. We used to have chickens but we had to get rid of them because A.) they were too loud and B.) my brother got attacked by the rooster and I got in trouble for recording it 🙄

Melissa herself said that her husband doesn’t get jealous, so I’m sure we could figure something out to where we all win 🤷🏻‍♀️

[seitmai]

“Because of how you went about all of this. I know you were desperate, and I get the drive behind some of your actions now,” you said, which you refused to excuse. You got it but couldn’t excuse it. “Your response of ‘where’s the fun in that?’ when I said you couldn’t just ask me out like a normal person? You almost seemed to delight in intimidating me. Why?" If you saved his mom, why do this?

💔💔💔

“I didn’t delight in that. I played it wrong,” he admitted in a quiet voice, surprising you. “I approached it like…” “Like everything else in your life where you have everyone under your thumb through fear. You did the same thing to me.” You laughed just a little. “In a way, it worked because I’m officially afraid to try to leave you.” “I don’t want you to fear me or what we have,” he whispered, reaching for you as you scooted back.

Uff I think it's too late for that 🫣

“What we have? Tell me, do you think your mom would be proud of your actions to obtain me or ashamed?” You couldn’t believe that was the kind of man she raised, to put fear into the heart of the person he supposedly loved.

I'm sure she would not be happy

How could you truly fall in love with him when he orchestrated everything from the start? “Feelings or not you’re still going to force me to move in with you soon, and that scares me,” you said. Your wings would forever be clipped.

Like a bird in a gilded cage

“If you can cancel or reschedule it,” he replied. You stared hard at him. Where was that coming from? “No, it's tomorrow, and I’m not cancelling or rescheduling. And don’t you dare use Zemo as an excuse to get your way,” you snapped. Even if it was a valid reason, you didn’t want to hear it.

His audacity has no bounds

The blonde stared straight ahead. “That isn’t my decision,” he said apologetically. Your shoulders slumped. For a short time, you thought he could be on your side or at least help give you some slack. “Right. Because you don't get to make decisions, and neither do I. You’re a bodyguard, I’m just a doll,” you said, looking straight ahead, too, and pulling your hand back when Bucky tried to take it. “Please, don’t.”

I get her frustration...

“I’m sure I’ll take her up on that soon,” you said, turning your head to glare at Bucky. While his expression was stoic, his eyes told you he didn’t want you to be upset with him. “And make sure she adds an inconvenience fee to the damaged wall bill. She’ll know what I mean.”

A hefty one at that!

You didn't speak until Ray walked past you to get his car. “You’re trying to get me to cancel my day out with my friends, after you went through the whole charade of buying me a new dress for it and everything. And after what you told me about your mom.” You took a breath to try to calm down. “Yeah, I’m upset, and yeah, you’re supplying me with the very bricks to build that wall.”

Period!

“Because even arguing with you makes me happy,” he sincerely stated. “And now all I want to do is find a way to put a smile back on your face.”

Good god something is so wrong with his understanding of love🫣🥴

Silence filled the vehicle. “So, you know the truth,” he said after a minute, his voice neutral. “Are you okay?” “I’m trying to be,” you answered carefully. You really were. “That’s all you can do,” he said before adding under his breath, “No good deed goes unpunished.”

For real 🥴

“Too nice for someone like Bucky Barnes,” he muttered, his smile disappearing completely.

👀

“Wait, you’re already home?” he asked. The background noise suddenly stopped. “Did you get a cab? Please tell me you didn’t walk back to your place.” “…Fine, I won’t tell you that.”

Hahah the perfect answer

“I’ll…” you began, steadying yourself. Natasha said you had power, and maybe you’d have to test that sooner than you expected. “Stay at your place tonight .”You could hear a pin drop from the quiet. “You’ll stay the night?” he asked, his voice moving like lava through your veinspp. “Yes,” you whispered, hammering the nail in the coffin.

At what cost 😬

Hold You Tight: Part 16

Pairing: Club Owner!Bucky Barnes x Female Reader

Fic Summary: The owner of The 107th wants you to be his girl whether you like it or not.

Part 15 | Series Masterlist | Part 17

Chapter Word Count: Over 5.4k

Chapter Summary: Bucky tries to pull you closer when you want to pull away, and someone else in your life my not take no for an answer.

Chapter Warnings: DARK AU, arguing, tension, slight harassment, kissing, reference to stalking, inner turmoil, manipulation, Bucky Barnes (he's a warning, okay?), more warnings to come.

A/N: More Hold You Tight! Thank you for sticking with me! Bucky edit by the beautiful @nixakimbo ❤️ Beta read by the lovely @whisperlullaby but any and all mistakes are my own. Divider by the talented @firefly-graphics. Please follow @navybrat817-sideblog new fics and notifications. Comments, reblogs, feedback are loved and appreciated!

Bucky traded lazy kisses with you as your tears slowed, and you had no idea if it was his mouth that had your heart pounding and the crushing weight of everything that surrounded him. It was so much to unpack. Every encounter with him seemed to be that way. Something blindsided you or suffocated you, but you hadn't been at all prepared for what he just shared. And how could you? He didn't keep photos of his mother around, and you hadn't gone poking around online.

Would you have found out the truth if you had?

He followed your lips when you pulled away. “It’s okay,” he whispered, pulling you back in.

It wasn’t okay. Nothing was okay. Though it partially made sense now why he was moving so fast. He believed if he met you then that you would've fallen in love and been together to this day. Because he didn't seek you out then and lost so much time, he was packing everything into a rushed time span. Dating, meeting his friends, getting you into his place. He was moving things along at an accelerated speed, and you were barely keeping up with the ride.

“No.” The muffled word against his lips somehow rang out loud and clear enough for him to stop, but you put a hand on his chest in case he tried to lean in again. “Why are you punishing me?”

His eyes rounded. “You think I’m punishing you? Jesus, why would you think that?”

“Because of how you went about all of this. I know you were desperate, and I get the drive behind some of your actions now,” you said, which you refused to excuse. You got it but couldn’t excuse it. “Your response of ‘where’s the fun in that?’ when I said you couldn’t just ask me out like a normal person? You almost seemed to delight in intimidating me. Why?”

If you saved his mom, why do this?

“I didn’t delight in that. I played it wrong,” he admitted in a quiet voice, surprising you. “I approached it like…”

“Like everything else in your life where you have everyone under your thumb through fear. You did the same thing to me.” You laughed just a little. “In a way, it worked because I’m officially afraid to try to leave you.”

Had things blossomed between you two organically, you’d like to believe that things would’ve been better. Healthy. There was always the chance that a relationship might’ve come to an end because life was like that. But if he frightened you enough to stay forever, he’d never have to worry. The stars would still align as far as he was concerned.

“I don’t want you to fear me or what we have,” he whispered, reaching for you as you scooted back.

“What we have? Tell me, do you think your mom would be proud of your actions to obtain me or ashamed?” You couldn’t believe that was the kind of man she raised, to put fear into the heart of the person he supposedly loved.

He flinched. Actually flinched. You might as well have raised a hand to him. “She…” He swallowed. “She would’ve wanted us together.”

“Like this? By you not giving me a choice?” you asked, pushing yourself up. “I need to go home.” There would be no getting through to him and this revelation was doing your head in. One cup of coffee wasn't enough either.

He got up to follow you. “Why are you rushing off?”

“I have a shift today, and I have to go home and shower,” you said, grabbing some of your things. “Don’t worry about dropping me off. I’ll get a cab.”

“What? No, you-”

“You put money in my account, so it’s not like I have to worry about paying for it. And it’s not like I’ll be alone either since you’ll have me followed whether I want it or not,” you said as a matter of fact.

“You’re putting a wall up,” he said, frowning as you grabbed your phone charger before he could. “Don’t shut me out, please.”

“I’m not shutting you out. I’m trying to process the gigantic bombshell you dropped on me,” you said, stopping to look at him when he grabbed your arm. “Bucky-”

“This has been a lot, all of it, but we can’t go back and change it, and you know I can’t let you go because we’re meant to be together,” he said, his eyes searching yours. “You feel it. I know you do.”

How many times would he say that until you agreed? “Just because you think fate stepped in-”

“Fate brought you into my club, but I gave it a much-needed push to bring us together after leaving things to chance for so long,” he said, tugging you closer and putting his other hand on your cheek. “You can’t tell me you don’t care about me in some capacity. You’re just afraid to admit it because it isn’t conventional in your eyes, but you don’t have to be afraid of how you feel.”

How could you truly fall in love with him when he orchestrated everything from the start? “Feelings or not you’re still going to force me to move in with you soon, and that scares me,” you said. Your wings would forever be clipped.

“We should’ve been living together and married by now,” he argued, keeping a tight hold on you. “I know I’m making you move in sooner than you want, but beyond safety it’ll give us a chance to really know each other before we get married.”

Talk of marriage had your heart thudding. The man would probably force you to marry him sooner than you wanted. “You said you already know everything about me,” you said. At least he thought he knew you. The vision of you he built up in his mind scared you, too. He couldn’t keep you on that pedestal.

“But you don’t fully know me yet, and I don’t know what it’s like to live with you. The experience will bring us closer together.” His smile was full of hope. “We can read together, do movie nights, dance in the kitchen.”

“Bucky-”

“We can exercise together, in and out of bed,” he continued, your breath hitching as he rubbed his nose against yours. “Don’t you already feel closer to me now that you know we're meant to be?”

A quick knock on the door followed by a long one saved you from answering. “It isn't check-out time, is it?”

“No. That would be Ray,” Bucky headed to the door and kept you back a small distance before he answered. The man really was protective, wasn't he?

“I’m sorry to intrude,” Ray said, giving you a polite nod before he leaned in and whispered something to Bucky. Whatever was said to him made his face harden. The entire change in his demeanor worried you.

“Kotyonok, let’s get your bag and get you back to your place so you can get ready for work,” he suggested, his smile tight.

“What’s the matter?” you asked.

“I’ll tell you later,” he answered, kissing your forehead. “And before we go, I know you suggested taking a cab, but please let Ray take you back to your place. It would make me feel better.”

The hint of a plea in his voice and the look in Ray’s eyes kept you from protesting. “Fine, Ray can take me home. Just give me a second to change out of these pajamas,” you said, a bit surprised that Bucky wasn’t offering to take you home himself. “But you are going to tell me later what’s going on, right?” you asked.

“I will, but I need some answers myself first. Get changed. I’ll get your bag,” he said, gently guiding you to the bathroom so you could change and officially ending that conversation.

Ray was still by the entry door once you came out, looking a bit stiffer than usual, too. You stole a glance at Bucky as the three of you headed to the elevator, catching the anger etched in his features as he gripped your bag handle tight enough that you thought it would rip. They were leaving you in the dark about something. You weren’t sure if you could take any other bombshells.

“Ray may need to pick you up from work instead of me, but I’ll message you if that’s the case,” Bucky said, fixing his hair in the elevator reflection. “And… we may need to talk about your girls’ day out.”

“What about it?” you asked, already knowing where he was going with this.

“If you can cancel or reschedule it,” he replied.

You stared hard at him. Where was that coming from? “No, it's tomorrow, and I’m not cancelling or rescheduling. And don’t you dare use Zemo as an excuse to get your way,” you snapped. Even if it was a valid reason, you didn’t want to hear it.

His jaw clenched, but he looked sad as he glanced at you. “I just don’t know if it’s a good idea.”

“We talked about this. If it’s a safety issue, Ray agreed that someone could watch out for me. That should keep me safe,” you reminded him. You’d be fine. “Right, Ray?”

The blonde stared straight ahead. “That isn’t my decision,” he said apologetically.

Your shoulders slumped. For a short time, you thought he could be on your side or at least help give you some slack. “Right. Because you don't get to make decisions, and neither do I. You’re a bodyguard, I’m just a doll,” you said, looking straight ahead, too, and pulling your hand back when Bucky tried to take it. “Please, don’t.”

“Kotyonok…” Bucky sighed as the door opened. You marched out, not waiting for either of them. “Wait.”

You headed straight for the desk, feeling sadder when you didn’t see Natasha. “Checking out, please,” you said, sliding the room card over to the woman standing there.

“Of course. I hope you enjoyed your stay.” She looked behind you likely at Bucky before giving you a smile. “Ms. Romanoff also wanted to remind you that you have a place here if you need one.”

“I’m sure I’ll take her up on that soon,” you said, turning your head to glare at Bucky. While his expression was stoic, his eyes told you he didn’t want you to be upset with him. “And make sure she adds an inconvenience fee to the damaged wall bill. She’ll know what I mean.”

“I’ll be sure to do that,” she smiled. “Take care.”

Bucky was hot on your heel and you didn't make it two steps out the door before he had a hand on you. “You’re upset with me. Putting up more of that wall.”

You didn't speak until Ray walked past you to get his car. “You’re trying to get me to cancel my day out with my friends, after you went through the whole charade of buying me a new dress for it and everything. And after what you told me about your mom.” You took a breath to try to calm down. “Yeah, I’m upset, and yeah, you’re supplying me with the very bricks to build that wall.”

“I said we may need to talk about it, I didn’t flat out say you weren’t going,” he corrected you. He might as well have. “I know it means a lot to you, but-”

You held a hand up. “No. There are no ‘buts’ in this. For all you keep taking from me, I don’t ask for much. I really don't,” you stated. In fact, you’ve shown lots of restraint. “Who knows how many moments I’ll get like this with my friends once you move me in.” He wasn’t about to take this small thing from you after everything.

He titled his head. “You think I’ll keep you from them?”

“Part of me thinks you will, yes. Because as soon as I think that there’s hope, the second I think that we could be closer together while you loosen the reins, you say or do something that puts me back in your full control,” you said. He had to see that. “And every time you do that, like you are right now, it makes me want to push you away.”

“And you can push all you want, but I’ll just pull you closer,” he smiled, making you huff when he actually did so. “I’m not afraid to let you burn me.”

“You keep saying that. Give me a match or a lighter and we’ll test that theory,” you said. He burst out laughing, the sound loud in the morning air as your eyes widened. “Why are you laughing?” you asked incredulously. How could he laugh when you were still worked up?

“Because even arguing with you makes me happy,” he sincerely stated. “And now all I want to do is find a way to put a smile back on your face.”

You exhaled. He was so in love with the idea of a relationship with you that arguments appealed to him? Anyone else would've walked away by now.

“You’re infuriating,” you whispered when he touched the corner of your mouth and made it twitch in a small smile. “Impossible.”

“I know,” he whispered back, running a hand through his hair. “Listen, you’re tired and you’re overwhelmed, which is completely my fault. Am I right?”

“Yes,” you sighed. He hit it right on the nose.

“And maybe I was rash in suggesting that you cancel your plans, but I need to take care of a couple things before we discuss that more,” he said, leading you to Ray's car before you could protest. “You just have a good shift, okay?”

He was placating you now, and it was sadly working. “Fine,” you said, touching his hand, the metal one. “I don’t think I said so earlier, but thank you for finally telling me the truth,” you said, calmer than you were moments before. He should've told you from the start, but it couldn't have been easy reopening old wounds regarding his dad.

His gaze softened. “Thank you for letting me.”

“And whatever Ray told you or whatever’s going on, just breathe, okay?” you begged.

He took a deep breath. “I’ll just think of you and it’ll help,” he said, adding in a low voice as he pulled you against him. “And this.”

This was nothing like the slow, languid kisses from minutes ago. This was dominant, claiming, threatening to rob you of the air in your lungs, like he wanted you to feed your own breath into him. He either forgot Ray was there, or he simply didn’t care.

By the time Bucky stopped kissing you and helped you into the car, you didn’t want to look either of them in the eye.

“I love you,” he whispered, kissing your temple and shutting the door as your heart flip flopped. God, he was insufferable. Confusing. Obsessed.

“You're certainly keeping him on his toes,” Ray said, not driving off until he made sure Bucky was in his vehicle, too.

“Someone has to,” you said, staring out the window. “I’m going with my friends tomorrow. I don't care if he makes you drag me back,” you said. Unless your life was in some sort of immediate danger, there was no reason for you to skip out on meeting up with the girls.

“So you’re aware, the suggestion of you moving your day out has nothing to do with wanting to control you. He’s upset because of the news I delivered and he wants to keep you close,” Ray explained, making you feel a little bad.

“So, that news was the reason why you both changed your tune, and you can't tell me what that news is,” you guessed. If you were in some sort of danger though, surely Bucky would’ve said so. “He told me about his mom. How I saved her.”

Silence filled the vehicle. “So, you know the truth,” he said after a minute, his voice neutral. “Are you okay?”

“I’m trying to be,” you answered carefully. You really were.

“That’s all you can do,” he said before adding under his breath, “No good deed goes unpunished.”

You snorted. “I guess I'm living breathing proof of that.” It was ironic how an act of kindness put you on this path. “And as much as I don't like to wish pain upon people, I hope Bucky's dad got whatever he deserved.”

Winnie, from the short time you knew her, was nothing but wonderful. Bucky said the dahlia painting in his office served as a reminder that he would never do to you what his dad did to his mom. He would never set you up to take the fall for anyone else, wouldn’t let someone else hurt you if he could help it. He would forever stand by you.

Was pushing him away doing you any good?

“He did,” Ray promised you. “And I say with complete sincerity that I hope today is very uneventful for you after the time you've had.”

Your nose scrunched as you laughed. “So do I, Ray. So do I.”

Ray was kind enough to wait outside of your place as you showered and got ready for work, and didn't push you to talk more before he dropped you off at the shop. He was even kind enough to stop so you could get another cup of coffee. It helped improve your mood.

“There she is!” Kate smiled when you walked in. “Little miss not-so-single anymore.”

“Hey,” you giggled before you paused. “I didn't know you were working today. Did you switch shifts with someone?”

“God, the schedule’s all messed up. Mrs. Crandle called out for some business thing-”

“Business thing?” you asked, your brows pinched. She hardly ever took time off for things like vacation let alone a business thing without informing her staff.

“Yeah, I’m not really sure about all the details, but Lorraine ended up switching the whole schedule around. Mya’s coming in later, and I had to come in early, and your shift’s ending early.”

“What?” you frowned, checking the schedule to make sure. She was right. Your shift today was almost cut in half. “Would’ve been nice to get a text or something.”

The assistant manager wasn't bad to work with, but she could be a little forgetful with things like that. If Bucky hadn't just put money in your account, you may have been more upset over having half a shift cut. After the night and morning you had though, maybe an afternoon off wouldn't be so bad.

“She probably forgot since you were coming in at your normal time. Who knows?” Kate shrugged. “You know, I half expected Clark to be here waiting for you. Seemed really eager to see you yesterday.”

“Yeah, about that.” You looked toward the door, your body tense in anticipation even though he wasn't there. “Why did you tell him I was working today?”

“He’s kind of a regular, and I didn't really think about it. Then Mrs. Crandle brought up your boyfriend and…” Her face fell as she stopped cutting stems, which made you feel bad when she glanced your way. “Crap, I did something wrong, didn't I?”

You weren’t about to go into specifics regarding your personal situation. “I just don’t want customers to know when my shifts are unless I’m specifically working on an order or event for them, okay?” you said, hoping she understood that it was a general request.

Bucky was not getting in your head about your safety.

“Okay, as long as you aren’t mad,” she said. You gave her a smile to assure her that you were okay. “So, tell me about your new boyfriend.”

You filled her in as much as you could to make it sound believable, just like you had with Addison. Like her and Mrs. Crandle, Kate was excited for you. And they would never know the full truth.

As your shift went on, you were surprised you hadn't heard much from Bucky. It was for the best though. He was clearly dealing with something. As much as you didn't want to defend him in your mind, it had taken a lot for him to talk about his parents. To show you some of the damage done to his body. It was a vulnerable moment. Did you owe it to him to be vulnerable, too?

Wait, why did you owe him anything?

“Heading out?” Kate asked once your shift was up.

“Yeah,” you replied, glancing at your phone. You wondered if you should text Bucky before you decided against it. You'd let him know once you got to your place that you wouldn't need a ride. “Just call me if you need me to come back in.”

“Don’t worry about that. Enjoy the rest of your day!” she smiled.

Satisfied when you didn't see Bucky or Ray’s car waiting for you either, you decided to take a walk. It was a nice day, and you needed the fresh air. You hoped the weather was nice for the winery. You’d have to take photos to look back on what was going to be a fun time.

“Hey!” you heard someone shout after a few minutes of walking.

You stopped when you spotted Clark waving at you from the other side of the street. You barely waved back before he joined you. “Hey. What are you doing here?”

“Oh, I was just in the neighborhood,” he smiled, pushing his glasses up. “You done working already?”

“Yep,” you said, adjusting your bag. “And I should really-”

“Could we talk for a minute?” he asked.

You hesitated before nodding. “Sure,” you said, falling in step beside him.

“You know, I actually went to the shop to buy you flowers yesterday. I was going to buy you some roses,” he smiled.

Oh, God. “You were?”

“Yeah, but you weren’t there and… It doesn’t matter,” he smiled, shoving his hands in his pockets. “But I was thinking… Maybe we could grab a coffee sometime? My treat.”

The hopeful look in his eyes made a pit form in your stomach. “Clark, I’m seeing someone,” you said, his blue eyes dimming. Hadn’t Kate said that Mrs. Crandle brought up that you were in a relationship? “It’s fairly new, and I don’t want to mess things up,” you explained, though he wasn’t owed an explanation.

“I didn’t want to believe it,” he mumbled, kicking a small rock on the sidewalk. “Well, if it’s fairly new, I'm sure you can get coffee with other people.”

“Get coffee with people? Yes. But this kind of sounds like a date, and I don’t think that’s a good idea. I’m sorry,” you said. That would feel like cheating even if you didn't consider it a date, and you weren't that kind of person.

“Then we won’t call it a date,” he grinned.

Maybe you were feeling paranoid, but there was something weird behind his smile. “You just got out of a relationship, and I don’t want to send mixed signals by agreeing to go with you.”

His smile shook a bit. “It's just a coffee.”

“Is it?” The longer he stared, the more odd things felt, and you didn’t like it. “Listen, when you find someone else to give flowers to I’d be happy to pick some out for you.”

“I don't understand.” He laughed, but it sounded bitter. “You’ve always been nice to me.”

“Well, yeah. You’ve always been kind, too, when you come into the shop.”

“Too nice for someone like Bucky Barnes,” he muttered, his smile disappearing completely.

You gaped at him, almost faltering in your step. “What did you just say?”

“I said you’re too nice for someone like Bucky Barnes,” he said louder, his ire clear as day. “You think I don’t know about his reputation? He’s dangerous, and you’re too good for him.”

“How do you know I’m dating him?” you asked. And what did he know about his reputation?

He was quiet for a moment. “Mrs. Crandle said his name, and she has no idea what kind of man he is,” he said, making you feel uneasy. “I don’t think you do either.”

Oh, you knew plenty. “I appreciate your concern, really, but it’s nothing for you to worry about.”

“Well, I do. And I just don’t see why we can’t have one cup of coffee together,” he said, flashing a smile again. “It’ll be fun.”

“Because you know I’m seeing someone,” you said. He knew it before he bumped into you, but was still pushing for you to go with him. “And I also kind of make it a rule not to date customers,” you added, stopping when you got to your building. You walked faster than you thought.

“Well, rules should have exceptions, right? And if Bucky cared so much, where is he? Why wasn’t he waiting to pick you up and take you home?” he pressed, his eyes narrowing when you dug into your purse. “Maybe he doesn’t care about you as much as you think.”

Your next breath came out shaky. He hadn’t raised his voice at you, but you didn’t appreciate the third degree, or the implication that Bucky didn’t care. “Because he’s a busy man who sometimes works both days and nights. I don’t expect him to drop everything just to take me home.”

“If you took a chance on me, you’d never have to worry about things like that.”

You were starting to feel nauseous. “Well, sometimes I like the quiet after the bustle of the shop, so walking helps me decompress. And I can't take a chance on you when I’m seeing someone else.” Why was he being so pushy?

He took a small step closer. “You know, it’s dangerous to walk home alone.”

You took a step back, your keys between your fingers. “You’re right about that,” you agreed. The only reason you did so today was to take back a little control, which didn’t seem so smart now.

“I can start walking you home if you want,” he smiled, towering over you. Was he always so imposing? “When’s your next shift?”

You managed a smile in return, but it was extremely forced. “Clark, that’s really not necessary, but thank you for the offer. Enjoy the rest of your day.”

He gently took your arm when you turned toward the door, worry crawling up your spine when his hand tightened a fraction. You suddenly wish you had Bucky or Ray around. “I really don’t mind.”

“My boyfriend will mind, and I’m sure you can understand that. So it’s a no on the coffee and the walks home,” you said gently but firmly, pulling your arm back and rubbing the spot where Clark grabbed you. He wasn’t listening. It somehow felt worse than Bucky and you couldn’t pinpoint why. Was it because Clark tried to act nice? “It’s been a long few days, and I’m going to get some rest. Have a nice day, okay?”

His eyes narrowed again, but it was his chilling smile that unnerved you. “I’m sure I'll see you again soon. We’ll have to get that coffee,” he said, walking off before you could say another word.

You rushed into the building once he was out of sight, your hands shaking. It may have been from the confrontation or the combination of everything. Maybe Clark was just lonely and latched on a bit because you were nice. Hadn't Bucky done something similar?

But if Clark wanted to see you, why hadn't he just gone into the shop if he knew you were working?

Double checking your locks once you were in your apartment, you took a breath and stared at your phone once you sat down. You had to talk to Bucky. He answered within a few seconds of you calling.

“Kotyonok, is everything okay?” he asked, sounding both happy and concerned to hear from you.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t it be?” you asked, hearing a few other men speaking in the background.

“Because you’re calling me and not texting. And you sound a little off. What’s wrong?”

“Everything’s fine,” you lied. How did he recognize that you felt off? “I just wanted you to know that the assistant manager changed my shift, so I went home early.”

“Wait, you’re already home?” he asked. The background noise suddenly stopped. “Did you get a cab? Please tell me you didn’t walk back to your place.”

“…Fine, I won’t tell you that.”

Bucky let out an impressive string of curse words as you pulled the phone away from your ear. “That’s not safe. You know it isn’t,” he hissed, but you knew he wasn’t actually angry with you. Just the situation. And bumping into Clark today and Zemo the day before, he had a bit of a point. “You did that on purpose, didn’t you? Because I said it may not be a good idea to go out with your friends.”

You closed your eyes. He was not going to make you feel bad. “I just needed a breather, okay? And I made it home just fine.”

“But did you? How do I know someone didn’t follow you?” he asked. Clark’s face flashed in your mind when you stayed quiet. “…Kotyonok, did someone follow you?”

“No one followed me that I know of,” you said. You really didn't have any idea. “But… I did bump into Clark. He was in the neighborhood.”

“Clark? That guy from the shop who tried to give you flowers just happened to be in your neighborhood when I wasn't around?” he asked, fury seeping into his tone as you winced.

“I… I’m sure it was a coincidence,” you said. Placating him in this wasn’t going to work, but you had to try.

“That isn’t a fucking coincidence and we both know it. Did he say anything? Try anything?”

You shut your eyes. It would be like ripping off a band-aid. “He asked me to go get a cup of coffee with him, but I told him I was seeing someone.”

He chuckled humorlessly. “He asked you out?” he asked, making you shift in your seat. “Why the fuck do I not have a file on him yet?!” he snapped at someone in the background.

“I’m working on it, boss!” you heard someone promise. “Should I call-”

“No. I’ll call him myself,” Bucky growled.

Who was he talking about? “Bucky, it’s okay. The guy asked me out and I said no,” you assured him. You weren't going to go out with Clark. “I’m sure women throw themselves at you every day and you turn them down.”

“They don't ‘bump’ into me in my neighborhood. And had you told me you were leaving early, I could’ve made sure this guy didn’t go anywhere near you. I don’t even want him near your shop until I know more about him,” he said, his anger not lessening. “If he tries anything, I will tear him apart piece by fucking piece,” he promised you, the intensity in his tone making your throat go dry.

“That isn’t necessary,” you whispered.

He sighed. “Why would you deliberately put yourself in a spot like this just to prove a point? Be pissed at me, I can take that, but do not risk your safety,” he said, adding in a quieter voice, “I couldn’t take it if something happened to you.”

You bit the inside of your cheek, hating how guilty you felt, how worried he sounded on your behalf. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to worry you,” you said. It was stubborn and dumb on your part, and now you were afraid that Bucky really would try to cancel your day out tomorrow. You couldn’t let him. “I’ll make it up to you, okay?”

“Make it up to me?” he asked. That seemed to get his attention. “How are you going to do that?”

“I’ll…” you began, steadying yourself. Natasha said you had power, and maybe you’d have to test that sooner than you expected. “Stay at your place tonight.”

You could hear a pin drop from the quiet. “You’ll stay the night?” he asked, his voice moving like lava through your veins.

“Yes,” you whispered, hammering the nail in the coffin.

“Give me two hours and I'll come get you,” he said, his voice strained, eager. “Be ready.”

“I will be.”

God, you hoped you knew what you were doing.

Oh, Clark. He's a problem now, isn't he? What do we think Ray told Bucky? And what's going to happen when you spend the night? Love and thanks for reading! ❤️

Masterlist ⚓ Bucky Barnes Masterlist ⚓ Ko-Fi

[theccpress]

The High Court of Kenya just dealt a heavy blow to Worldcoin—and honestly, it might just be the plot twist we didn’t know we needed! 🚨📉 In a dramatic ruling, the court banned any future biometric data collection, citing blatant violations of the Data Protection Act. Yes, you heard that right! Worldcoin’s parent company, Tools for Humanity, found itself in hot water for not conducting a crucial data protection impact assessment. Let’s be real; asking for consent through inducement does *not* win you the good guy award. 🙄💔

So what does this mean for our beloved crypto landscape, you ask? Well, first, expect a hefty regulatory crackdown that might just leave Worldcoin's local operations gasping for air. 🌊⛑️ With the global stage set for increased scrutiny on data privacy, we might witness a compliance renaissance across industry projects. Who doesn't love a little chaos? 😉💼

The ramifications could ripple through financial procedures and shift market perceptions faster than you can say "where’s my Bitcoin?" 🪙 But hey, if Worldcoin can pivot, so can others...right? This might just scare everyone else into tightening their data belts and reviewing privacy protocols. 😬📜

Justice Roselyne Aburili didn’t hold back, stating, “The company, through its parent firm Tools for Humanity, violated Kenya’s Data Protection Act...”. Ouch! 🥴

As the rest of the world watches this unfold, we’re left mulling over one question: Are you ready to take compliance seriously, or will you remain a meme in this crypto saga? 🌍✨ Check out the full details and catch up on the spicy drama here!

Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. Invest wisely! 💸 #CryptoNews #Worldcoin #Kenya #DataPrivacy #InvestmentDrama #CryptoCompliance #BlockchainBuzz #StayInformed

[sugurusfavemonkey]

I have something silly. Nanami x demon!reader where Yuji, Nobara and Megumi summoning a demon arguing about it's validity when reader appears in the middle of the room when the ritual is finished. Reader just poofed out of Nanami's arms while reading before bed lol

Yessss! perfect crack + fluff prompt! I'm sorry for the delay and I really hope you enjoy it, lovely anon <3

warnings: not much with the exception of one suggestive line, still... MDNI; Canon divergence (Nanami is the trio's teacher); not proofreaded because I was lazy and just wanted to post something. wc: 2.2k a/n: this was supposed to be a short drabble, but I went a little bit overboard with it? 😬 ALSO, Here's a Nanami fanart to accompany the fic, because that's exactly what I imagine he looks like in bed, waiting for his wife.

"You're doing it wrong!"

"No, I'm not! I read this page over a hundred times! We did everything it says in here!"

"So you'll read a book on demon summoning multiple times, but five pages on the subject of our group project is too much for you?" Megumi interjected from his spot splayed on a couch that had seen batter days while his friends argued about the merit of an old book they had stumbled upon when they had gone scouring through a flea market earlier that day.

He was completely dismissed as both Yuji and Nobara seemed to be too engrossed into their own heated discussion.

"No, you're not! The circle you drew is crooked and I'm pretty sure you're pronouncing the Latin wrong." She pointed to the weird shaped drawing made on the ground where a rug had been haphazardly pushed to the side of the room.

"Weren't you the one who drew the symbol?" Megumi remarked again, hiding his amusement at their antics behind a well crafted poker face.

"Yeah! You even insisted on using the orange crayon to do it!" Yuji indicated the same poorly drawn symbol, "and why don't you do the incantation then?!" he challenged, chin pointing upwards and arms crossing in front of his chest.

Megumi scoffed at Itadori's evident selective hearing, but chose not to interfere any further. He'd rather let the two idiots sort that out by themselves.

"You know what? I will! Gimme the damn book!" Nobara almost ripped the tome from the pink-haired boy, her expression one of resoluteness.

"Hey! A 'please' would have been nice, Kugisaki."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Nobara dismissed Yuji with a wave of her hand, focus already turned to the yellowed pages of the leather bound book in her hands.

She cleared her throat theatrically before launching into a passionate monologue in also atrociously pronounced Latin, as instructed per said book.

The closure of her speech was followed by a hefty silence, the three of them holding their breaths in anticipation, even Megumi leaned forward in his seat.

...

"Huh. Guess this is just fake then." Nobara was the first to speak as her shoulders fell, the tension releasing from her previously tense muscles.

"I was so sure it was gonna work." Yuji's voice was small with defeat, a small pout forming on his lips, "Maybe demons aren't real?"

Megumi stood up and sighed, a bored look on his face. "I could have said that from the beginning."

"I always knew this wouldn't work." Nobara said matter-of-factly, throwing her short hair over her shoulder and swiftly closing the book.

"That wasn't what you said earlier." Megumi pointed out.

"You know what, Fushiguro?"

"I'm kinda hungry now." Yuji interrupted with a frown before Nobara could do anything harsh, which wasn't a far fetched possibility considering her aggravated expression and perch for violence.

"Oh! We should try that new soba place by the plaza! I heard they open late!" The seemed to work as she immediately perked up, beaming at Yuji.

"We could catch the late night showing of Human Earthworm 4 after that!" His reply was just as excited.

"Haven't you already seen that movie three times?"

"It's a good movie!"

"Right. Because it isn't just like all the previous ones."

"Hey! It's completely different! It shows a fresh view on the inner turmoil of the human experience from the perspective of-

"Guys!" Megumi interrupted their bickering, but he wasn't looking at either of them. Instead, he glared at the person standing right in the middle of the circle they had drawn.

"Hi." You waved timidly, unsure of how to get out of the circle uncomfortable situation you were put in.

。。+゜゜。。+゜゜。。+゜゜。。

You stopped by the threshold to your room upon the scene displayed in front of you.

Nanami Kento laying in bed with his back against the bedframe looking absolutely breath taking in his matching pajama set with his hair down, face unusually soft and eyes focused on the book on his hands.

He didn't even look up, merely patting the empty side of the bed, beckoning you into joining him. You grinned contently before setting into motion. Who were you to deny this beautiful man of anything?

You climbed onto the bed on your knees, lifting his arm closest to you so you could lay on his chest. He chuckled at your silly endearing demeanor, glancing at you briefly and placing a soft peck to the top of your head once you were properly settled, arms thrown over his middle, one leg over his and ear poised right over his left pec, his heartbeat a comforting sound.

"How did I ever get so luck?" You mused quietly, fingernails drawing random shapes against his covered stomach.

Kento hummed soothingly a soft smile upon his lips, "if anything I'm the lucky one, love."

Nuh-uh. I hit the jackpot with you, Ken. You're not only the sweetest man on this earth, but you're also so, so pretty!"

"Oh, I'm pretty?"

"The prettiest! And it doesn't hurt that you're willing to bend me over the table and absolutely ravish me when I visit you in your office at work every once in a while."

Nanami nearly chocked at your bluntness before he started laughing, the sound one not many had ever had the pleasure of listening to. Possibly your favorite sound.

"Anytime, sweetheart." He acquiesced as soon as his laughter died down.

"Don't mind if I take you up to that."

"You're a menace."

"I-"

And then you were gone: *poof*

One second laying snugly against the chest of your husband and then, the next standing inside a demon summoning circle in a poorly illuminated room along with three of Kento's students.

。。+゜゜。。+゜゜。。+゜゜。。

"Wha- what are you doing here?" Yuji questioned, brows furrowed in confusion.

"I was just... umm... oh! Kento asked me to check what you guys were up to."

"We weren't up to anything!" Nobara called, nervous over the thought of their strict sensei discovering they had been messing around with the occult.

"We were just, umm, studying?" Yuji threw in, also alarmed. He tried to subtly move closer, one feet sliding by the ground to reach the crayon dust so he could attempt and erase it without your notice.

Except you'd have noticed it either way, considering you were very much aware of the constriction the circle put on you.

"Wait. Don't erase it yet." Megumi blurted, also stepping closer but to stop Yuji with a hand to his shoulder instead. "Why aren't you moving? And where did you even come from?" He questioned you, protectively pulling Itadori away.

You winced, knowing there was no way you could come up with an excuse to the plight you found yourself in.

"I came from the door?" You tried anyway.

"We would have heard and seen it if that had been the case." Megumi was unyielding with his grilling, eyes seething, "tell us the truth."

"Megumi! What are you doing?! That's Nanamin's wife!" Yuji hissed at his friend, terrified that would get them in trouble with their stern teacher.

"Yes. And she's also appeared out of thin air into the room where you were performing a ritual and is coincidentally standing right inside the demon summoning circle Nobara drew."

"You can't possibly think-"

"You're a demon?!" Nobara finally clicked it all together, her voice shrill with shock.

"No, I'm-" You cut yourself off, glancing at each of the teenagers surrounding you before sighing in defeat. They were smart kids, there was no way you would be able to beguile them in this situation, "well, shit. Guess the cat's out of the bag, huh?"

"I know it would work!" Nobara whispered to herself, but it was still loud enough for everyone in the room to hear if Megumi's flat response was to be taken into account:

"You just said the exact opposite."

"I d-"

"Listen," you cut them off before they could start arguing further, you were literally in your pajamas, tired from the day and craving a night of sleep beside the love of your life. "I can explain. Just wipe off the circle so I can maybe move out of here?" You suggested, pleading eyes on Yuji (the most susceptible to your pleading).

"Yuji," Megumi sharply put a stop to his friend, "don't."

"But-"

"We don't know if it's safe." He continued, not once letting you out of his sight.

"Guys, I'm exactly the same person you've always known. Just... not human."

The three teenagers stared at you with different degrees of bewilderment. You threw your hands up in exasperation

"You know what? Just call Kento, please." was your suggestion. "If you don't trust me, at least you'll trust you sensei, won't you?"

"I... suppose." Megumi nodded once, still unsure, trading a glace with a shrugging Yuji.

"I'll call him." Nobara picked up her cellphone her glare settled on you. "Don't you dare trying anything!"

"I won't. I promise."

She huffed, narrowing her gaze and placing her phone at her ear. Kento picked up after two rings.

"Nanami sensei! Hi! So... we have your wife here" Nobara halted as if unsure on how to proceed. "inside a demon summoning circle," apparently, she decided to go for honesty.

There was a brief pause before you heard his voice from the other side of the line.

"Text me the address. I'm on my way" and then he hung up.

"He's-"

"On his way. Yes, I heard." You sighed, deciding to sit cross-legged on the floor to wait, in the limited space you had.

"You heard? I'm right beside Nobara and couldn't hear anything." Megumi seemed more curious than cautious then.

"Perks of being a demon, I guess. He's probably already inside his car by now. Send him the address please, Nobara."

She did as you told, finger flying over the screen.

"That's so cool! What else can you do?" Yuji sat down as well, leaning forward slightly, eyes wild in wonder and you couldn't help but thinking of how cute the boy was. It's no wonder Kento has a soft spot for the lovable teenager.

"Not much, really. I just have very sharp senses, maybe above average stamina too, but I've given up whatever supernatural skill I've had before the moment I decided to bind myself to Kento." You shrugged.

"That's still so cool!"

You smiled fondly at his excitement.

"Meh. That's lame. Did you seriously give up your powers for a man?"

And then you burst into laughter. Nobara truly didn't measure her words, but you enjoying her fiery, non-nonsense attitude nonetheless.

"Trust me. I would have said the same thing if I were in your place before I met my husband." You shrugged, still smiling.

Nobara regarded you for a second before deciding to sit down. If you were gonna be stuck there for while, she might as well.

"What else could you do?"

。。+゜゜。。+゜゜。。+゜゜。。

And that's how Nanami found you when Megumi opened the door for him.

"-and that's when I discovered demons do not mix well with chili." You finished, smiling proudly at yourself for being the cause behind their joy when Yuji fell back against the ground with a cackle and Nobara had to cover her mouth to muffle a snort.

"Ken!" You exclaimed once you saw him standing behind Megumi.

Kento had clearly rushed over, dressed in a crumpled beige long sleeved top, unironed slacks and a brown jacket thrown over the ensemble, hair still falling over his forehead.

He rushed forward ignoring his students until he was right before you, hand brushing away part of the circle on the ground before lifting you up and into his arms in a tight hug, "my love! I was worried."

"I know, I know, Ken. I'm so sorry." You murmured muffled against his shoulder and hugging him back.

"It's not your fault, love. Don't apologize." He carefully settled you back on your feet, hands carefully framing your face. Then his soft gaze steeled up suddenly and he turned aways from you and towards the three awaiting younglings.

"We're very sorry, Nanamin." Yuji started tentatively.

"You better be. Messing with things you do not understand, can you imagine what would have happened had you summoned other-"

"Ken. Ken, darling. It's fine. They won't do it again." You stopped your husband with both hands on his shoulders, dropping a kiss to his covered back, before joining his side and looking at the kids, "will you?"

"No."

"Never!"

"Nah."

"See?"

He huffed, but still agreed with a nod of his head, "well... it seems the matter is resolved then?"

"Yeah. I think we got the gist of the whole demoniac thing." Nobara spoke indifferently.

"Your wife is really cool, Nanamin!"

"I know, Itadori."

"Again, we apologize for the inconvenience, sensei."

"It's already been forgiven, Fushiguro. We'll take our leave now. Goodnight."

As always, Nanami kept everything succinct. To be honest, it was obvious to you that he just wanted to go back to bed for a good night of sleep after a tiring day of grading papers... preferentially cuddled with you.

"And kids,"

"Let's keep this between us, yes?"

...

"You guys think we can still catch the last showing of Human Earthworm?"

"Oh my god!"

"Shut up, Itadori."

©sugurusfavemonkey 2024┃all rights reserved. do not copy, repost, translate or otherwise modify this work