#'but shes so annoying!' yes you're starting to get it! consider for literally a single second what the implications of that are!

[morallygreys]

i love the grey's fandom. truly ive had so many amazing and eye-opening convos with people about the choices and mistakes characters have made and thats so great. and then theres a seemingly endless supply of people who have no respect for compelling storytelling or writing multidimensional characters. like the titular character makes some of the most ethically questionable choices, and tbh all of them do, thats like the WHOLE show, and then one of them makes one choice and the character is so dead to you in a way that you think they should have been written to be the snoozefestiest fluff piece. this isnt the happy fun time friend show. people watch for the drama! the highest rated ep is the shooting and you're having moral panic because someone was annoying a few times!

you are so allowed to have opinions, more power to you, really, but its so strange to come on here and act like you know anything about crafting a narrative/character thats interesting enough to last this long when all you have to say is "this character is a bitch and i hate them" sorry girl, they served a purpose and reflected something back to the audience that the story relied upon at the time. your whole puritanical attitude is super weird in this context. you're trying to advise writers on how to make all the characters perfect and behave without fault. it is milquetoast as fuck and i dont know how you take yourself seriously.

[do-you-know-this-adhd-character]

Do you know this (noncanon) ADHD character?

Evidence below the cut!

He regularly forgets things and is late. Comes across as extremely scattered, stereotypically childish and hyperactive to begin with, like all speedsters is extremely intelligent and lives on a frequency much faster than other people so paying attention or waiting or doing one thing at a time is extremely difficult. His first solo comic opened with the introduction "Bart Allen, poster child for the judgement impaired" and went on to back that up repeatedly. It includes such jems as him not being able to pay attention long enough in class so he tunes out, a teacher asking what she was talking about and him taking it literally and listing the topics she covered. She calls him a smarty-pants (it's very 90's) and when he starts to say he "That wasn't what you wanted? I wasn’t trying to-" she responds that he's very trying. This is his first day in public school. Idk personally that hit hard. Later it talks about how his cousin named his behaviour pattern the "single synapse theory" because Bart goes from one action to the next, no pause between to consider if there will be consequences. And like. DC. That is literally how ADHD works my dudes plz just admit it at this point its been decades. Hes not allowed in Gotham anymore bc he genuinely upsets the rouges there with how much he talks and just manages to annoy them into giving up (not on purpose either, they're just mean to my boy) he's actually done that to the Joker twice.

In his callback intro in the og Young Justice comics he full on forgets he can vibrate through solid material and is stuck in tar for ages till he's talking about it, so we get "ow it hurts" "okay, you're heating the tar. It'll burn. Stop." "ow" "stop" "ow" "stop" "ow" "stop! So who named you impulse?" he's so smart but so dumb and btw his response is that Batman gave him the name and he doesn't know why, then after a second asks if he was being funny. Never stopped to consider if there was a reason behind the name. There are so many more but at that point I might as well hand over the Impulse and Young Justice comic runs and any time a flash writer remembered he exists, his name is literally IMPULSE because the goddamn Batman took one look and could already tell. Plz love my dude he's so worth it I promise

[canonmisogynyvictimstournament]

PROPAGANDA

HOLY KUJO (JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE: STARDUST CRUSADERS)

1.) She's treated badly by both the creator, Araki, and her own kid and father. When people start getting Stands (powers) hers tries to kill her, which functions as an excuse to start the plot of this arc of Jojo. The explanation is that she's too weak and gentle to control a Stand of her own, even though we see Stand users who are children, babies and even literal animals. Yes, animals. Holy's son Jotaro calls her a bitch and disrespects her for no real reason aside from establishing him as a rebel/delinquent, and Holy's father Joseph hates that she married a Japanese man and follows Japanese customs (Araki thinks xenophobia/racism is okay from a heroic character, apparently). Holy's saved from her evil Stand, but it's never explained why she couldn't have developed it into something useful- guess she was too much of a weak lady to have cool powers 🙃🙃🙃

2.) In the story, stands are developed due to Dio, who is in possession of the body of an ancestor of the Joestar family, stabbing himself with an arrow and developing a stand. In response, everyone in the family line begins developing them. Stands are supposed to be a representation of someone's "fighting spirit", and typically the stronger your spirit the more powerful your stand. Josuke(the main character's mom) develops a stand early on around the same time he does, except in her case she is too "weak willed" to develop a stand properly so she's dying from it. Part of the plot is that they have to defeat Dio to stop her from developing a stand in time or she'll die, even though everyone in the family keeps their stand but her after they defeat Dio??? This compassionate, caring woman who's practically a single mother is dying of being "weak willed" just what the fuck. There is 0 reason for this and It then takes multiple seasons for one of the Jojo's to be a woman and it's just a mess.

Also apparently when people try to justify it they put it as it needs to be a "fighting" spirit in particular but do NOT tell me Holy wouldn't have travelled to Egypt to throw hands with Dio for her son just do not she cared wayyyyyyyy too much about him.

POPPY PIPOPAPO (KAMEN RIDER EX-AID) (CW Mind Control)

1.) Poppy is a fully qualified nurse who magical girl transforms into a cutesy idol girl! Haha - yea you're never gonna see her act as a nurse. She's just a nurse because that's a Woman's Job and gives a reason for her to be supporting our Male Doctors. She'll provide some bedside manner because that's what nurses (women) do and that's their whole role. But better than that, she can scream really high pitched and sing songs because she's an idol! The other characters find this annoying and all make their annoyance at her doing this clear! But secretly (and this is spoilers) she's the villain's dead mother who he turned into a cute idol girl so she wouldn't be truly dead. She doesn't remember that that well but now she has a maternal instinct towards him! And also he kinda considers himself her father so… thanks for that. Well, since she's his mother, she can be in charge of babysitting him when he's caught for his bioterrorism time. Oh, and she'll sacrifice herself for the good of the world in an emotional scene where the writer forgot he literally already said that she has a revive button they can just press any time because who cares. Anyway here's a contrived reason she gets revived at the end to have an emotional scene with the male protagonist. Oh, but don't worry, we let her wear a superhero suit like 3 times.

2.) Despite working in a hospital for about 6 years, Poppy apparently isn't a nurse. Every male character around her is either a doctor, doctor in training, former doctor; but no. Poppy - who has been working here for 6 years - can't be a nurse. After all, she's just a rhythm game character! Yes, our female character isn't human, she's just a cutesy little rhythm game character who loves to sing and dance! She's our little mascot girl to sell the character song CD! Isn't she cute? She does all those cutesy idol girl things so you'll fall in love with her. Of course, it's not misogyny for a female character to be cute and girly, but the fact that she can work here for 6 years and not be considered a legitimate professional because she's an female idol-themed video game character, kinda rubs the wrong way. Also that the only exception for a male character being a doctor is the CEO that she gets stuck babysitting because she's technically his mother that he killed and turned into a cutesy idol video game character. Now she gets to play mother! That's what it means to be a female character we guess. Then we have how everyone around her treats her or reacts to her. We have Kiriya physically flinching away and looked annoyed when she talks too high pitched. We have her being told off that her personality is too "stressful" for patients to put up with. We have her being slapped by our protagonists. We have her being brainwashed to join the villains, who strangle her. And then she gets to die for the man pain and be brought back immediately. Then we get into the sequel movies where we put a collar on her to condition her into behaving in a way her master deems appropriate. She gets turned into a dress-up doll for them to play with.

3.) I'm just posting an image and would like to highlight the collar she's wearing in it

[fanfic-corner]

Irondad Kidnapping Fics

Hello everyone!! Peter & Tony getting kidnapped is one of my favourite tropes (I'm doing just fine, thank you for asking) so I thought I'd share some of those fics with you today!! Please mind the tags for all of them, as some contain graphic violence and other things which you might not enjoy!

the one who made it out by tiaylasglass (2.8k)

“It’s finished. We’ve completed all the research and experiments.”

“So, what now?”

“We dispose of him. He’s fucked in the head. Won’t be any use to anyone now.”

OR After seven months of torture, Peter is saved.

I'm Not Going to Wake Up if You're Going to Yell At Me by itsreallylaterightnow (2.8k)

“Well, I think there’s a cave right up the side of that hill. I should be able to get us a fire started easily enough. That, or run the risk of having a popsicle of a Peter to return home to your aunt.” 

“S-s-she’d kill you.” Peter said, his tone light, but the weight of the situation was settling on him.

“Yes, she would. Which is why I don’t intend on letting that happen any time soon.”

lay your weary head to rest by hopeless_hope (3.5k)

In which Peter gets kidnapped, and that's not even the worst part. The worst part is he's not allowed to sleep.

Love, hate on by madasthesea (3.9k)

She’d planned for this moment for two years, seven months, and eighteen days: As she’d stood above her daughter’s freshly dug grave, she’d decided that Tony Stark would die by her hand. And now was her moment.

She had only intended to grab Stark, tell him what he’d done that merited the punishment she was going to give, and kill him fast before anyone started looking. But here was this kid, an act of providence.

She didn’t have to tell Stark now, she could show him. She could make him suffer like she’d suffered, make him pay for his crimes. An eye for an eye, a child for a child.

Not Completely the Worst by mainstreamelectricalparade (4k)

Peter's spidey-sense had been going off all day. If he had to stay at school for literally another minute longer, he was probably going to go insane.

And of course, there was one person at school whose single goal in life seemed to be ensuring that that happened.

“Yo, Penis! Where are you off to in such a hurry?” Flash called after Peter as he took the steps three at a time in his attempt to make a quick getaway.

Peter squeezed his eyes shut in exasperation and kept walking. Maybe if he ignored the problem, it would go away.

Because that had always worked so well for him, in the past.

kidnapping by killerqueenwrites (4.6k)

Steve wakes up cuffed to a chair, which is kind of annoying considering he has a meeting today. 

He’s just coming to the conclusion that he really might be in trouble when he notices the kid across from him.

or Steve and Peter get some bonding time, and Tony is freaking out.

Under the Radar by Call_Me_Coley (4.7k)

“Tony, I honestly don’t think our friend could do the job right now, even if we needed him to. We’re two men down and unless your pupils are lying, you’ve got a concussion,” Nat patiently explained. Steve was out of commission, Peter looked just as out of it, Tony wouldn’t be steady on his feet and Natasha didn’t have any weapons.

But all Peter heard was “our friend could do the job” and that Tony had a concussion.

Well, that made his choice for him. He needed to act.

Very Normal, Totally Regular Human Intern by Winterturtle (5.2k)

Rogers and his merry band are granted a parole they are to serve at the Compound. Tony made Peter promise to keep his powers hidden, but when he wakes up kidnapped along with the kid and the Rogues, it takes Peter about ten minutes to break the whole totally regular human intern façade.

in an empty moral space by blueh (5.4k)

“Bring Spider-Man to us, Mr. Stark,” High-heels says and rattles off an address. “If that bug isn’t here in the next twenty four hours, then your intern gets it. We are not going to ask a second time.”

There’s a pause.

Then, “You want Spider-Man?”

“In exchange for your intern,” High-heels affirms.

“Spider-Man,” Mr. Stark repeats. He sounds more amused than worried for Peter’s apparent safety.

also known as: Peter Parker is held hostage…in order to get to Spider-Man. Throw in some Accords reconciliation and, well, Peter’s life just got a whole lot weirder.

Fate (Up Against Your Will) by blondsak (6.5k)

“Gotta keep your eyes open, Pete. Remember?” Tony pleads as soon as Peter startles himself back to wakefulness, somehow still standing up. He looks around with bloodshot eyes, only to moan in frustration and clutch at his hair when he belatedly recalls where they are, the nightmare they're living. He doesn’t remember Tony telling him to keep his eyes open before, but the distress in his tone is all too familiar.

He’s wonders how much longer it’ll be before he doesn’t catch himself in time.

How much longer until he all but pulls the gun’s trigger with his own hand and sends a bullet through Tony’s skull.

Breathe Deep by itsallAvengers (6.8k)

A deep, primal sort of fear struck him as he took it in. It wasn’t some fancy-schmancy death machine, it wasn’t intricate or even obviously threatening.

It was just water. But that held the potential for many, many unpleasant things.

you'll always get there first by crowkag (7k)

Home, home, home home home. It played on loop in Peter’s brain, loud and tumbling and distracting…

But not in a way that would have him miss the silver Audi speeding toward him in the opposite direction, a sight that made him do a double-take for two reasons.

One, because the fancy car was a foreign presence after nothing but rusty, dented Ford pickups for the past hour.

And two, he was pretty sure that was Tony in the driver’s seat.

(OR: Peter makes his way home after being kidnapped.)

it might not right now (but it's gonna hurt soon) by blondsak and seekrest (7.5k)

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that with the right amount of pressure, anyone can be broken,” Beck says with relish. “And I have a feeling that Pete isn’t going to be too happy when I reveal exactly what he’s done to the poor, damaged, oh so heroic mentor he’s been giving the cold shoulder for a week. The guilt will eat your precious Peter alive, if everything goes right. And everything will go right this time.”

Once again Tony tries to maneuver the bulky armor but its movements are out of his control. Which means he’s nothing more than a helpless bystander right now—a pawn for Beck to use against Peter for his own nefarious purposes.

“Almost showtime, Stark,” Beck says giddily into his ear. “Gonna be one hell of a finale. I do apologize in advance that you won’t be here for the encore. But hopefully you’ll enjoy the show before exiting stage right.”

Inside the suit, Tony silently screams.

Like Father, Like Son by An_Odd_Idea (7.6k)

48 hours to build a reactor. More accurately, 48 hours to talk Peter through building a reactor. And Tony is chained on the other side of the room.

For God’s Sake by MaryaDmitrievnaLikesSundays (7.8k)

Peter knows he could escape. It would be so, so easy to break out of his bindings, throw his kidnappers through the wall, and run so quickly that he’d be home by midnight.

The only problem?

Flash Thompson was directly across from him, cuffed to the wall and bleeding from his cheek.

Man in a Can by JinxQuickfoot (10k)

When Peter goes missing, Tony and the Avengers team search everywhere for him. Little do they know that Peter is a lot closer than they think.

To The End by The58thAcademic (11k)

The Avenger's kids are taken- Peter Parker, Cooper Barton, Lila Barton, Nathaniel Barton, and Cassie Lang- and Peter takes it upon himself to protect the others. The Avenger's have to work together to get them back.

kept me safe and sound at night by searchingforstars (13k)

All Morgan wants is a Strawberry Cheesecake Blizzard and permission to paint their mailbox to earn a Daisy Scouts badge.

All Peter wants is for Morgan to be happy, but when he regains consciousness after never making it back to the car from their impromptu trip to Dairy Queen, his first thought is that oh dear god, Tony is going to murder him.

Worst Summer Vacation by mysterycyclone (14k)

The last thing he remembers is leaving school. It was a half day, as he’d finished his exams early, texted May about staying over at Ned’s place, sent another text to MJ and then a twitch of his spider senses--

Then a pinch at his neck, like a bee sting, but deeper. Darkness. Then here.

Huh. Kidnapped. That’s new. If he was less emotionally dead from finals and sleep deprivation, he’d probably have a stronger and much more appropriate reaction to that.

At least he's got Captain America and the Winter Soldier to keep him company.

Not Gone But Forgotten by samos7 (15k)

Peter and Tony are kidnapped and willing to do anything to protect one another. Until one of them isn't.

Five Times Peter Parker Pretended to Be Asleep by blondsak (16k)

...and the one time he actually was.

Or: sometimes, faking sleep can work to your advantage. When it comes to trying to fool a certain genius, overprotective, superhero mentor, Peter finds this to be doubly true.

5 Times Peter Cracks a Joke in the Face of Death by polaroid15 (20k)

...and one time Tony beats him to it.

Or, Peter’s been working on his jokes. Tony’s been working on keeping his kid alive to see his 18th birthday.

Whatever it Takes by sparksaam (21k)

Peter froze suddenly, his heart practically leaping into his throat. His eyes had made contact with the man in the front seat, only to realize that the person gazing back at him was not Tony. Instead, a tall, gruff-looking man with a hoodie and a red bandana over his mouth occupied the place where Mr. Stark had been sitting just minutes before.

“Don’t move,” the man grunted forcefully “or we’ll blow Stark’s brains out.”

OR Tony Stark is abducted. Peter Parker just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Technicalities by Tess_Moon (21k)

“Multiple kids of wealthy and influential individuals have gone missing this morning. NYPD is actively investigating the disappearances.”

Tony didn´t think much of it when he first read the headline. Technically he didn´t have any kids, right...?

Too bad the kidnappers didn´t care about the technicalities of those things.

5 times Tony joked about Peter being part spider by KatinaMoon (33k)

+1 time he definitely didn't

Cloak and Dagger by Velnetta (34k)

After being kidnapped with some of earth’s greatest defenders, Peter is grateful that it appears that their captors aren’t aware that he’s Spider-man.

The problem? To the Avengers, he's just Tony Stark's teenage intern- and Peter intends to keep it that way.

We Can’t Have Faith For Everybody by Hale13 (38k)

It starts like this:

MJ and Flash, hands cuffed to each other and Peter, wrists and ankles held to the wall by thick metal cuffs and dangling in a way that’s surely to leave his shoulders aching.

The first week Peter, verbally, gives as good as he gets. He never lashes out physically and always does what their captors want the first time they ask. He still spends most of his time that he is in the cell chained uncomfortably to the wall. After the first week someone, apparently, decides that Peter is weak enough from the constant abuse and malnourishment that he is no longer chained up after his sessions; just dropped unceremoniously onto the dirty floor and left for MJ and Flash to care for.

The One Where Peter is Tony's Weakness by JinxQuickfoot (53k)

“I see you are confused. In a moment, I will allow you to look closer. But first, you must understand the position you are in, in full.” Banich rolled out an ancient TV screen and, when he turned it on, Tony felt like he’d been kicked in the stomach.

It was Peter.

OR A Sokovian doctor needs Tony's help to 'fix' his granddaughter, and Peter gets pulled into the middle of it.

Little Dove by nachocheese26 (95k)

She told him that she had saved him. She saved him from being killed. Because Tony Stark knew what Peter had done. And if Tony or any of the Avengers found him, they would surely kill him.

Brave as a Noun by edema_ruh (161k)

Some people think that Peter is Tony's son. Why shouldn't they? Peter seems to be orbiting Tony all the time, and it's not like the billionaire tells him off. They have a nice relationship - Peter is glad to have a father figure, and Tony cares for the kid as if he's actually his son.

The first problem regarding this arises when the people who think that Peter is Tony's son kidnap him for ransom.

The second problem regarding this arises when one of the people who kidnaps Peter turns out to be Mac Gargan, the Scorpion, and he's hungry for revenge.

Identity Theft by KitCat992 (267k)

It's been months since the events of Civil War, and the Avengers are doing their best to remain a team, having promised to forgive and forget. Unfortunately for them, Tony Stark's latest invention has been stolen and recovering it causes tension to reappear.

Meanwhile, in Queens, Peter Parker has two main priorities on his plate — complete his midterm finals, and track down a fishbowl wearing criminal that may or may not lead him right into the hands of the Avengers.

Somehow between all of this, Spider-Man's identity is revealed to the Avengers, Steve and Tony's friendship may permanently be damaged due to continued hidden secrets, and Happy struggles to buy a youth-sized casket for Peter's funeral.

Things were a lot easier when they were fighting over Bucky Barnes.

Stab Me in the Back (I'll Catch You From Behind) by Lansfics7 (296k)

"I am going to find Tony," the man hisses in Peter's ear, his gaze cold and cruel. "And when I do, I will kill him, slowly. What do you say to that-" The man stops short because Peter's shoulders are shaking, and before he can curl his lip in victory, he hears a snicker. When he lets go of Peter's hair, the teen's head slumps to his chest, but it's not out of exhaustion or defeat...it's to hide a smile.

The boy lets out a laugh, shaking his head before glancing to the sides admitting apologetically, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, it's just- it is so fun to mess with you!" He looks around before snorting, "Tony Stark? That's your play? You're not screwing with me, right? You actually thought that would work? Sorry guys." Peter straightens in his chair with a sneer and a cocky wink, "Tony doesn't give a flying crap about me."

In other words.... Peter is kidnapped and his captors think they can hold Tony against him. But they don't know what's happened in the past couple months.

I hope you enjoy all these fics as much as I did! As always, thank you to the brilliant authors who shared their fics with us!! And if there are any other kidnapping fics you like (or wrote yourself!) please share them with me!

[picnokinesis]

hello!! newcomer here, just got caught up on part 6 and felt like I had to express how amazing the entire series is - its so insanely well-thought out and intricately plotted, I can't imagine the amount of work that's gone into it!

I really wanna know more about the doc's family, but obviously any info on tecteun is Massive Spoiler territory so I'd love to hear any thoughts you have on brax and the doctor's relationship in any AU you fancied talking about?

thanks again for blessing us with this incredible fic, I get so much joy from every single update ❤

HELLO!! Welcome, my friend!! :D And oh my goodness wow, thank you SO so much!! You're so kind <3 I'm so happy that you're enjoying the story so far. I'm honestly so excited to start getting into the climax of the whole series - there are scenes coming up in parts 8 and 9 that I've been working towards since 2020, so it's literally years in the making. (Although SKKS i had to laugh when you said it was 'insanely well thought out and intricately plotted' - I cannot express how much of this series I have written by the seat of my pants HAHAHAHAH but that said! The number of times things have just...fallen into place? Is a bit startling, but also really great for me personally hahah)

And oooooh yes regarding the Doctor's family - you're absolutely right, I can tell you nothing at all rip, but you might be intrigued to hear that there are things related to the Doctor's family that I still don't completely know about - I have my own questions!! And I keep asking the characters but they are not very forthright. The mystery of it is so interesting to me though. I might never find out - it might be one of those forever open ended questions. I think I almost like it being like that, in a way. Regarding Brax though, I do love them both in Campervan AU - I don't think Brax is really going to come up again much, other than a very brief mention later in Part 6, so I can tell you a couple of tidbits. I know that Brax was actually quite open to the idea of having a new sibling when his parents considered fostering the Doctor, but then obviously the Doctor was......a bit difficult HAHAH so he mostly just found her a bit of a nuisance, someone who came into the family's quite orderly household and disturbed all the peace and quiet, as she is wont to do. I feel like he regularly attempted to tell her to cut it out, that people were only trying to help her, and that she was making everything difficult for herself, which she stubbornly ignored. So then they only really ended up bonding at all because of the TARDIS. Brax inherited it from his somewhat eccentric uncle (who, tragically, the Doctor never met, because I bet they would have gotten along great), and it was a bit of a mess when Brax got it, PLUS he didn't really want it all that much. It was something to do, though, when he wasn't studying, and so he sort of half-heartedly went about fixing it up. Enter the Doctor, who sort of finds him in the garage and just watches him for ages before she starts telling him he's doing everything wrong, until eventually he lets her help him out. They mostly argue when doing it and generally annoy the hell out of each other, but I reckon it's one of the few relatively positive relationships she actually ends up developing during this time (the other two being with two of her teachers at her new school, Barbara and Ian, who both take it upon themselves to help her as best they can because they quickly recognise that she desperately needs it). I think Brax realises that she's never going to really fit into the normal expectations of society, and as she gets closer to ageing out, I think he actually figures out that she'll run away and take the TARDIS - which is why, when he hears her going downstairs that night, he just gets up and takes the keys. There's no point in trying to contain her, he realises, and it would just hurt her to try - might as well just let her go, and at least the darn van won't be his problem anymore. And that moment is actually...quite important, for both of them, but especially the Doctor. I think they both cared about each other more than they realised - they just have very different ways of going about doing things, and very different wants in life. I think Brax knew it was probably for the best if he helped her leave, and made sure she didn't get into any trouble about it. Like sksksk imagine the Doctor in prison - oh wait, I don't have to....

ANYWAY! I'll be posting tonight's chapter within the next half hour or so, so keep your ears to the metaphorical ground!

[chaotic---calm]

Hi again! Thanks for the heads-up for this chapter! I don't usually use AO3 logged in (I get shy over commenting without posting fics of my own), so it's great knowing when to go for updates. I checked it early, but writing this took a bit. (ETA: I'm so sorry for how much of a mess this review is, I write as I read and then I get sidetracked and… well, this happens. ETA 2: This is freaking long, even by my own standards. Get yourself a drink before starting it?)

Warning given, this chapter starts with Yunmeng trio and going by the fact I already want to hug JYL and strangle WWX, I'd say you're writing them great! I love WWX in theory, but I also hate how easily and carelessly he insults JC every single time they're together. I know WWX doesn't mean to really belittle JC, but damn it, it's a form of affection I do not compute at all. You have an anti-LQR bias, I have an anti-WWX bias, if I knew him I'd punch his face within the hour. But getting back on track (wow, sidetracked within the first paragraph, this is going great), to make up for WWX being WWX, I love JYL pulling him back and calling JC sect leader! That is real material help to JC! She is, if not not worried about his choices, at least respectful enough to not question them directly. Or in front of the disciples. So bless her and her willingness to use her ability to order around WWX, who even when he's leaving I still want to slap because his reasoning is so annoying (he cares enough to bother and push JC emotionally, but not to not stray at the promise of fun? This man, I just can't with him. He'll probably get back on track eventually, but his logic is just so alien to me.)

Going ahead, JYL making sure to show concern without doubt is why she's the MVP, love that of her. JC has always been doubted, always been judged and found wanting, he needs more of this. I love how JYL asks for if JC is sure, if this is what he wants. She doesn't allow him to sidestep the question, she doesn't ask if he loves LXC because JC would say something like as sect leader he cannot wait to marry for love, but it does matter to her that JC wants this marriage, that he's not selling himself for the good of the sect, because they both know what a horrible weight to carry an unwanted marriage is, they both know how much it hurts everyone, and that's not what she wants for him.

And JC's answer! I love his answer! It's a direct parallel to LXC's to LWJ's same question! LXC wants to have a place where he's his own person, respected and listened to regardless of his gender, and because that place cannot be Cloud Recesses, then he does want to marry the one person who promises that at his own home. Similarly, JC wants his sect and himself to flourish politically so he can give his family the opportunity to have what they want, so yes he does want to marry LXC because it's a path to achieve his true desires and he trusts LXC to not undermine his goals in his search of his own. In that sense it is wanting, and yet it's not what JYL wants for JC.

Oh, so this is CQL-verse, I didn't even notice that, okay, the WQ mention makes sense then, and though in CQL I am a ChengQing believer, I think JYL is being extremely unfair bringing it up now. Like, girl, I believe you have more brain than to even suggest the idea, no matter how much JC may have wanted it, if he did. Even if he cared for WQ in that way (which here he never got to find out!), there's the whole "you're part of my trauma" issue even without considering the political suicide (which is the reason doomed romance CQL ChengQing is so cool!). Also, the trust issue that JC mentions, WHICH IS SO VALID OF HIM. NOT WANTING TO MARRY SOMEONE WHO WOULD DO NON-CON SURGERY ON YOU IS THE MOST NORMAL THING HE COULD DO. (Hey, I'm back on my "JC has the most normal —I said normal, not reasonable or healthy— reactions to trauma in this whole damn book" agenda. Because literally everyone else is insane, beginning with WWX.)

The good thing about JYL's little mention of WQ, besides the assurance that for all she's willing to enforce JC's place as sect leader, JYL still cares for him as her brother ("[I] don't want you to give too much of yourself" is literally the point I said about JYL worrying about JC selling himself for the sect, which is her acknowledgment of how devoted JC is to what he loves, something that JC needs because neither his parents nor WWX were ever good at letting him know his love was received, let alone accepted or even wanted), is the revelation that JC does trust LXC. It's a funny thing, because JC is only just figuring it out, but even before he was acting on that trust already. I love when the narration shows stuff before the character finds about it.

And back to JC and his wholehearted devotion to his family and sect, I love and hate how he tells JYL that nothing is too much for him to give. It's heartening how much he loves, it's also hurtful that JC holds nothing of himself as sacred as WWX, JYL and the Jiang sect. Something, something, you exist for this, owe yourself to it, have no worth aside from it, something, something. A mentality that JYL contradicts when she asks about his happiness. I think that question, and JC's answer, are worth much more than whatever "could have been" is there with WQ.

I also like that JC tells JYL about how this helps LXC too. Partly because that point is what gives coherence to the marriage (it already makes sense politically for the Jiang sect, but it's how it helps LXC that makes sense for JC as a person, and what would probably resonate to WWX, I think), partly because it brings the topic of omegas and their treatment. As one herself, I'd think it'd be something of a well acquitted sting for JYL, and she does mention some of it. YZY as an atypical omega is a great point! I love the comparison between them, the way it touches on how one is punished for straying out of the mold, but the other is constrained for staying inside it. I'm not sure if there's a name for this, there must be, but the point is how there's no winning route for an omega and JYL knows it from her mother's and her own experience. Even if the Jiang sect has a history of not leaning so much into omega oppression, it still have shaped all three Jiang siblings, especially JYL despite everyone's attempt to shield her. I do wonder what she's expecting of a future marriage, what with the contradiction of YZY's personality and expectations for her with JZX's attitude and the understanding that at the Jin sect omegas fear the sect leader. No wonder she's saddened to find even ZWJ would suffer for his gender, that not even the "righteous" Lan are above hurting someone simply for being an omega. Of course JC tries to reassure her after that. I'm glad JC is willing to threaten JZX again, though being real there's only so much that, as sect leader of a still recovering sect, he can actually do. If something did happen, I think they would depend on JZX himself admitting he deserved (a bit of) what the Yunmeng bros do to him to avoid getting into real trouble (which he probably would, since post-war JZX already went through the most of his character development and he's a mostly decent person).

I love how easily JC and JYL share "I love you"s. It's not that the other's brand of love doesn't sometimes rub them the wrong way (JC doesn't like JYL sending him to rest! he hates acknowledging he's not as capable as before! especially because he felt no one ever thought much of him before and he thinks himself even less now!), but they can say it and they do feel it form each other and it's very significant for how it opposes JC and WWX's love for each other, which neither feels they can say they love the other but also can't be sure that their acts of love can be understood (half the time they are not, but at least for now it's only half, since there's been no non-con surgeries nor years of lies. which makes me wonder exactly how did JC find out about the almost transplant, because I don't trust WWX to have told him. that moment must have altered their relationship and I want to see both the point of inflection and exactly where they are standing with each other now). Speaking of JC and WWX, the whole JC grimacing at WWX's antics is so part of the whole "cannot be sincere with each other" thing they have going. JC would hate anything grandiose and wasteful (mostly because the sect's coffers aren't exactly brimming with gold at the moment), but he wouldn't genuinely dislike WWX showing enthusiasm for his wedding, and JYL knows it, but still JC cannot just take WWX's exuberance in stride, it's not part of their (messed up by their parents) dynamic.

My heart aches for how JC considers his marriage under the lens of his parents', but I'm also so relieved by the fact he can feel confidence in his choice. On an unrelated note, I'm enjoying the whole JC doing introspection and considering the future while submerged in his private pond that repeats from the first chapter (may even come back in the future?). It makes it feel like that's his place, which, duh, it's private for a reason, but I mean it in the "I feel safe here" kind of sense.

Wow, I've barely finished the first section, I should move on. Let's tackle LXC's side now! I roll my eyes at the Lan elders because whether they want the wedding or not, it is happening, and it's politically unwise to not show unity as a sect. (I mean, they could intentionally be trying to say they disavow the union and won't treasure LXC once he marries out, but let me laugh at the idea of LWJ ever allowing the Lan sect as a whole turning their back at LXC with him as sect leader.) I like the mention of the awkward greetings between Lan and Jiang, a reminder of how out of the blue this wedding is, they never got time to grow closer! Also, I giggle at the image of LXC being spirited away by the Jiang servants to prepare himself to get married. Then there's how the whole wedding is a blur except for the vows! There's something there about the couple's synchronicity and what has significance in one's heart (or maybe just what a writer can dedicate time detailing).

More significantly, there's who has attended the wedding and oh! I love the detail of the Jiang having some disciples, not just the family. In part it's because the wedding is at Lotus Pier, but I think it also says something about how much the Jiang values them, despite none of them being the ones JC grew up with. They are described as "prominent disciples", but just how prominent can they have become in the short time since they joined the sect? What kind of prominent are they? I think these must be the ones that either first joined JC's recruitment, when he literally had nothing and no one except WWX and JYL, or the ones that must have proved themselves in the reconstruction, because I don't think any of them could have compared to WWX, NMJ, LWJ or LXC (or even JZX) in battle, but they sure could have made themselves known for being the firsts to obey JC's commands or putting the most effort into helping the sect, doing more than they were asked to. So, yeah, I want to know which Jiang disciples were invited to the wedding proper (I mean, if you are up to it, I know you said you want to focus on XiCheng).

For the Lan I already said my piece, which leads us to the Nie and now I want to strangle NMJ! THE FUCK IS WITH HIM SNUBBING JC AND LXC LIKE THIS?! HE THINKS HE'S TOO GOOD TO ATTEND THE JIANG-LAN WEDDING? HE'S PUBLICLY DISAPPROVING OF THEM? HOW DARE HE! *angry bunny noises* If it wasn't bad enough that this hurts LXC politically, he also makes him sad! Unacceptable. *bunny hides evidence of murder plotting* At least NHS had the decency to attend accompanied, it would have been too big an insult if he had to go by himself, it would look like only he (the unskilled omega brother) cared for this wedding, not the Nie sect. At least like this it's unconfirmed if the disciples are there because NMJ sent NHS as representative of his sect, or if they are only there because NHS insisted on going despite NMJ not wanting to acknowledge the marriage.

Then there's the Jin. I have no idea what the Jin sending so many people means. Is it an (at least on surface) signal of their interest in having a close relationship with the Jiang (and Lan?) sect? Is it a dare for the Jiang to serve so many people with their diminished wealth? Bunny doesn't know. But! I do know I hate JGS and his smarmy toast, fuck that guy! And bless NHS! A true friend of JC and LXC! LOVE how he used his "clumsiness" to his advantage. ALSO really liked JZX (and JGY, but that's more suspect) hurrying to manage JGS, I like JZX's little shows of being a decent person despite his family.

As mad as it made me, the whole scene with the toast was excellent. I love LXC hidding his displeasure while remarking on LWJ not doing so, as well as LXC noting JC shaking with rage but also signaling WWX to keep his mouth shut. It really says it all about the differences between the siblings that were raised to be sect leaders and the ones who were not. WWX and LWJ do not care for politics, they are very "this is how it should be" (mostly morally, but also to their own interests, as when LWJ is going "poor Wei Ying" over the guy that literally killed his brother-in-law —well, technically not in CQL, but he still did kill all those cultivators in Nightless city— even if there were circumstances, and because WWX is all "I do what I want and do not give a fuck about your opinion about it" even after that attitude literally kills him) and very little "this is how it can realistically be, because people in power are self-serving bitches and you cannot change that by simply thinking it's wrong", which is a huge headache for JC on a daily basis because WWX is a hundred time louder about it than LWJ. I like how the story points out that LXC does wish he could allow WWX to say what he wants to say, it's important to me that it shows LXC doesn't wish there was some polite way to handle this, he desires WWX could say what he's ready to say, even when he knows better than to act on it. Oh! Extra point here! I love LXC pointing out the condescension in JGS using JC's birth name! It's something important to me because it reminds me of the whole issue of how one addresses another person, the level of respect, and how JYL and WWX do or do not help JC by calling him sect leader when he needs them to reinforce his position. Like when JC referred to LXC as ZWJ to that one elder the other time! Titles can show distance, but they also show respect and using or not using them has meaning!

Getting back on track, after NHS saves the day, the Jiangs smooth it all over with a perfect combo: WWX clowns his way into relaxing the atmosphere and JYL politely ends the event, gold star for them! Then, on their way out, XiCheng meet NHS. I'm really happy to see him so accepting of the match, even eager for it to go well. Whether he really doesn't see where it comes from (possibly true, possibly not), he's already shown his favor by handling JGS for them. It does help that these are two of his favorite people (the way he's so playful with each of them! not quite hiding his smile at LXC and swatting JC with his fan!) who are getting together, but I think part of it is that NHS knows that JC is, if not exactly eager to start an "omega liberation" campaign, a decent person who doesn't judge his sister or NHS himself for being omegas (he probably judges NHS for neglecting his cultivation and his duties as his brother's heir —if he still is here—, but not his gender), so he will treat LXC fairly and with respect, which is more than he can say of his own brother. He had things to care of? Really? Whatever could be more important than his best friend's wedding to the sect leader of a major sect? Really, JGS, Mr. "I get off to politically oppressing barely-in-their-twenties adults" went, shouldn't that say something about how big an event this is? I feel for NHS having to tell such blatant lie. I also hurt for LXC having a front row seat to the easy friendship between JC and NHS despite their genders, while having to force himself to not think about his friendship with NMJ and what will happen to it. They don't mean to, but it really rubs salt on that wound.

Oh god, now it's time for JGY. I— fuck. Okay, here we go. It's very, uhm, say suspicious how he words his congratulations and hopes for their marriage. However, what I most take notice of is his taking LXC away from his new husband to talk to him. You… don't do that? At least say something like "if I may have a word with er-ge"! Besides being suspicious as hell, more so with that shoulder touch, even if no one thinks something inappropriate, there's how it doesn't look good for LXC to walk away from JC right after marrying him. JGY knows what he's doing and it's not nice of him, bad JGY! I can so see this being a play at making this marriage start with rumors of JC forcing the marriage and/or LXC resenting that he couldn't marry JGY (because he's a beta and there's his mother's profession), something about having XiCheng at odds with each other from the start, perhaps. Maybe putting NMJ against JC if he thinks that NMJ may come around to LXC's side despite his prejudices?

Then there's JGY's play at not having anything to do with JGS knowing LXC's secret. Ugh. I'm not even going to comment on how shitty that is (or how uncharacteristic, he does love LXC in canon —your pick on whether romantically or platonically but the man did care for LXC in his own way, he shoves him away so LXC doesn't die!), I just hate bad acting and he's not being at all convincing here (again, rare, man is an excellent liar usually, but then this is LXC, no need for his best performance with someone who wants to believe the lie). Wait, is that some jealousy I'm smelling from JGY? Is he upset that LXC only sees him as a friend? Uhm! That would be an interesting development. A particularly curious one considering he sold LXC's secret (and once again I find that so weird, JGY must have the greatest understanding of what happens to omegas, because I don't doubt for a second that there's plenty of them at the brothel, what was the logic behind selling LXC's secret? there must be something I'm missing).

Regardless of the details of JGY's machinations, I want to shake LXC. Boy, don't trust whoever tells you "I didn't do it!" just because they're your friend! Please, listen to common sense and logic a little bit more! Both you and JC suffer a lot in canon for trusting liars just because you love them and that's a great part of the overall tragedy.

Moving on, we're back to JC POV! OMG, they're so nervous and awkward, it's so freaking cute!! *squeal* And then ouch. I cringe at the landmine LXC stepped on when questioning their living arrangement. It's valid, because he was told he wouldn't have to perform those duties so obviously he'd have reservations to being lead to his husbands chambers, but damn it, he stepped on a touchy nerve. And oh! I love how hard JC is trying to not offend LXC. His situation is reasonable, it's only practical not to waste money on suits that are expected to remain empty, he has nothing to be ashamed of. But he loses face not having the money, and he values LXC so much, it matters to him so much that LXC be at ease at Lotus Pier, that he wants to make it better somehow. YZY was caged in a marriage to a man that never spoke up for her, JC wants to, at all cost, do the opposite for LXC. He wants to defend LXC and give him all the freedom possible, including his own space, even if it means giving him JYL's rooms when she marries (which would undoubtedly be painful for him, since he'd most definitely want to keep them for her).

I love that, in response to JC'd willingness to part with something precious for the sake of LXC's comfort, he sincerely says he wishes to remain by JC's side. It is so cute of him! I love his blushing ears! Of course JC melts at LXC's nervousness, the crack in his facade of the perfect jade. I'm so glad JC is finally taking LXC out of the pedestal of idolatry, and doing so to find the real human underneath no less, but rather more compelling. I'm sure I've mentioned my worries about how thinking someone is perfect can go horribly wrong, this scene is so reassuring regarding those.

Then we're back to the awkwardness. I love these two cuties, they are almost unmade just dressing. Domesticity is definitely going to kill them. JC is already crushing so bad, and between that and his "I must not be a creep" about said crush (I'm laughing so much at him, he's a good boy who drinks his "respect omegas" juice)��� It's going to be awesome.

What is not awesome is JC's thoughts about himself. It never doesn't pain me when he's so critical of himself, when he sees LXC marrying him as settling for less than he deserves ("the lackluster quality of the man he’d bound his life to"). I hate this because, even when he means to be critical of only himself, he's insulting everyone else too: LXC who still chose to marry him, WWX and JYL who still stand behind him, his disciples who still chose to follow him. It's really condescending of him to think so little of himself when he's the person everyone else place their trust into! Hum!

Oh! JC finally recognizes his longing for LXC. It saddens me that this is when he acknowledges how much not even getting the chance at love hurts him. Once again I'm mad at him thinking so little of himself, as if under any other circumstance LXC really would never have even considered him, and yet I have to acknowledge that JC would need a spouse who would marry into the Jiang, which sect leader Lan would not have realistically been able to do. *sigh* It still pains me that he needs to force down and away his own feelings. I said something once about LXC deserving to have his negative emotions heard, I say the same about JC's tender feelings.

JC… My dear baby, you're not the same as other alphas. Desire is one thing, but what matters is the fact that you care for LXC's happiness above it, even as out of your depth as you feel about how to give it to him. *pats JC's head* Aw! I love how JC straightens himself as soon as LXC has a request for him. His love language clearly is acts of service, he feels good being able to do something for his important people. Even as embarrassing as wearing a symbol of their marriage (and the affection it implies) is for someone so emotionally closed as JC, he still would not consider not wearing it. I smile at how he doesn't recognize the reason the ribbon affects him more than the wedding is that a single ceremony and banquet could be anything, and it was greatly understood as a political move, but this is without a doubt a romantic gesture. It's not a universal tradition, so the fact that he's willing to participate in it means something, and everyone will be able to see it. Still, pushing past his own comfort to show LXC that his customs matter to him is so sweet! The ribbon, the fact that LXC will never get another one, means so much, and he's being so open telling JC all this and still continuing to follow the tradition with all the romantic meaning out in the air. *squeal* Of course he's delighted that JC would accept his ribbon, would protect it, would thank him for sharing it with him! God, JC really is so smooth at the most unexpected moments and poor LXC is never ready for it.

Oh, next scene is LXC's POV! I love the fact that he almost didn't mention the ribbon tradition! The insecurity and fear make so much sense. Of course he was afraid that it would be brushed off, or taken as if he wasn't leaving behind the Lan despite having already taken his vows to belong to the Jiang, which is why besides the gratitude and happiness I'd already recognized, there's the relief he mentions. *bunny cuddles for the big buff bunny that is LXC* I'm so glad he could find something a sense of security and home right after marrying. And I love him for trying to give it back when he notices JC's tension when trying to bring up whatever he came up with to match the ribbon.

Even after the ribbon, they are so cute in how careful they are about touching! Oh! And I love the fact that JC says they have enough of apologizing. This LXC definitely is the kind to say "I'm sorry" for literally anything, I'm delighted at JC being the one who guides him to break the habit. Holly fucking shit! I didn't expect that! And yet it makes all the sense! He's giving him Zidian, holly cow! Zidian has so much meaning, it's a legacy, and JC is giving it to LXC! I'm— *screeches* *stops* *breathes slowly* I need a new paragraph.

Okay, here we go. First, because later I won't have the place to mention it (I tried, didn't find a good place to do it): I see the whole thing about JC having spiritual power still, enough to transfer Zidian's mastery at least, and I want to scream because what does that mean? Does JC have the capacity to recover his golden core somehow? Is it a byproduct of Zidian's ownership and he won't be able to access to it again now that LXC is the new master? Would dual cultivation help JC in gaining more spiritual power? WHERE DOES THIS DETAIL INTEND TO TAKE US?! IS IT ABOUT JC OR ZIDIAN? ABOUT THE PAST OR THE FUTURE? DOES JC EVEN KNOW?! *crazed bunny makes conspiracy theory board about this*

*breathes again* Right, there's that, but I won't go anywhere asking those questions, so let's continue with everything else this "little" moment says. JC giving Zidian to LXC makes him family in ways that go beyond their marriage. It's how JL is Jin yet JC still made sure to be his guardian and made him able to use Zidian because he's family despite to what sect he owes himself to. Here, LXC still observes Lan traditions, but he's now Jiang, the same way YZY was Madam Yu, but still the mistress of Lotus Pier. And speaking of YZY! She was an omega! A fierce omega that chaffed against her gender's restrictions! Who was powerful and intimidating and disliked for it, yet never changed! She had a personal title, something her husband didn't, and she never stopped being the Purple Spider. And LXC now will carry her weapon, her legacy. If that's not a symbol of LXC following her path, leaving behind the restraints he'd been shackled by while under the thumbs of the Lan elders, and moving on to be as openly himself (such a Jiang thing!) as YZY was, intentionally becoming just as much an image of his married sect's power as she was, I don't know what a symbol is.

All that and I haven't even touched how much it means to JC. Zidian is his mother's legacy in every way: power, protection, pride, family. He's giving away the (incredibly loaded) last reminder he has of her! Because he can no longer wield it. It's a horrible situation for him to be, and it's a heartbreaking choice for him to make, and still he's sure of doing it, even as he grieves. She gave it to him to protect him when she could no longer do it. YZY mean to arm him so he could be his own guardian, but he gave away that chance because of his love to WWX. WWX who she resented. There's the pain of the loss and the pain of the why, the knowledge that she would never have approved of what he did and how losing Zidian is the physical evidence of her rejection of his greatest act of love. And yet, now JC is handing Zidian to the man he's asking to protect him in her stead. Physically, because JC can no longer be on par with any cultivator with a golden core when it comes to fighting. Politically, as that's the very nature of their marriage, bringing the backing of the Lan to the Jiang sect's reconstruction. Emotionally, since JC being coreless has to deal with a particular sort of ableism that's hard to argue against when JC himself believes much of it and which therefor LXC will have to shield him from. JC, always his mother's son, a matter of pride and pain for both of them, is handing so much of his own identity with this move. With it, he's trusting LXC by choosing to move from family protector (as is his place as sect leader) to the one being protected (by LXC). (As an aside: I half wonder if WWX will have something to say about LXC taking that place, considering WWX sees himself as JC's protector —see golden core issue—, except that JC is the one that disagrees with WWX on that.)

This decision is so incredibly meaningful, I'm not surprised that LXC almost feels like protesting it, and yet he's right in thinking that would be a slap in the face to the multiple gestures JC is doing with his single gift (or is it multiple gifts in a single gesture?). It's, among everything else I've already said, a most pointed acknowledgement of JC's lack of golden core. Still, JC and Zidian herself agree to this. I love that! It proves that, as little time as JC spent as her master before loosing his core, without him even getting the chance to use Zidian before it happens, the weapon is united with JC in her understanding of LXC's character, his worthiness of taking the baton as the family's (physical) protector, and will help him fulfill that role. The whole concept of weapons having unique spirits, especially Zidian, and how a cultivator can feel them, it's amazing. I love it, more so with how LXC points out that it means the special connection with Zidian (and Sandu) is another thing that JC lost, another way that he's lonely, separated from everyone (and now everything) else by his unique disability. The understanding is humbling enough for LXC to apologize, but it really is something that words cannot make better, so JC just entrusts him with taking care of Zidian and I think there's some disability motive there, but I'm not sure what exactly it says.

Then there's what to do after accepting this gift and I love that LXC's first choice is to ask JC to teach him how to wield Zidian, it's sort of him asking JC how to be his family. The answer, appropriately, answers both questions: just feel it. "Zidian listens to the heart" is absolutely beautiful both in the sense that empathic weapons are awesome and because all I said about what Zidian represents, how she's a weapon that protects, so of course she needs to be wielded by someone who at heart wants to protect. (One can notice that even when using it on WWX, YZY wanted to protect her own marriage and children. The attack is misplaced, the purpose is honest.) I'm so glad for JC that LXC is appropriately reverent of Zidian and all she entails, otherwise it would have hurt him deeply, but then it wouldn't be LXC, the man JC could trust enough to marry.

Moving on from the heavy loaded symbolism, we're back to these two cuties being awkward. *gigles* I'm never tiring of it. Oh! They fumble through it and it's adorable, but also still really erotic, which… *bunny blushes* ໒꒰ྀི ๑>///<๑ ꒱ྀིა (I had been so interested in the sociopolitics that I forgot the smut tags were there. I'll readjust my expectations.) Ahem. So, the biting was sexy, but the best part for me is how JC apologizes for licking. I love how hard he tries to not pressure LXC, even when he's yanked around by literal instinct. The second-best part is JC asking why people don't complain about the biting. Yes JC, it's a mystery (/s). sdasd My man is so ace-spec. Probably grey-ace since there's both WQ and LXC, but he's not allo and it shows. What he is, is adorable, stammering and running away after LXC's illuminating answer. Poor LXC, abandoned by his husband on his wedding night.

Oh, okay, time for LXC's introspection. Cool. I hurt because LXC feels sad and alone, but in a way I also love that he feels JC's absence. He's moved out of the life he knew because JC made him an offer, his husband is all he really has in this new home at this time, of course he worries when the two of them are so awkward with each other. What kind of home can they make if they are both so uneasy with each other? Rationality has no place for the emptiness his heart feels. The distance between the two of them even after JC finally joins him in bed is natural between two people who never got to get close in the first place, yet no less hurtful for it. In a way, it's the same as the scene when they're changing and JC wishes their marriage wasn't like it is. There's less emphasis in the physical attraction, but the longing is the same. The way LXC forces himself to be satisfied with what was given already is exactly the same as JC pushing his own emotions and desires aside as meaningless. These two are so used to compromising for the sake of something bigger, learning to choose what they want is going to be a journey for both of them. (On an unrelated note: the image of LXC first looking at JC's back, as faraway as it can be while in the same bed, and then turning around to suppress his longing is just beautiful.)

Time for the next scene. Oh! *giggles* I love "we slept at our own sides of the bed, but woke up facing each other in the middle" scenarios (not bonus tangled limbs, but still counts!). I know I say it over and over again, but it's just that I'm never not touched by JC's awareness of the social power he has over LXC. He wishes to be tender, but he's all too aware how that can be misconstrued, how even good intentions can hurt, and so he restrains himself. I'm almost positive that's going to be a whole thing between them: LXC hoping JC would get closer, JC wanting to, and yet nothing happening because JC is afraid his affection will hurt rather than heal. JC is going to need invitation, but LXC will fear asking in case it's mistaken as a demand for something that was never promised. Ah~ The woes and pleasures of arranged marriages. Then there's the classic JC running away from his feelings (half of me giggles, half of me cringes at the licking thing, because it's funny to read, but JC's fear of taking advantage of LXC is very real, and yeah, that was a sexual-coded act that he had not asked permission to do, it could have actually bothered LXC) by burying them under a mountain of work. At least he's honest about his coping mechanism?

The wedding night (and morning after) is over. I sigh at XiCheng still being awkward and keeping distance, but also am so happy LXC can find himself welcomed at his new home despite it. I love that LXC can see how the lack of strict structure doesn't mean less work, but willingness to take the tasks as they come. The Jiang are the adapting river to the Lan's unmoving mountain after all, it's good he's starting to learn to go with the flow. Ah! I LOVE that LXC attributes the effectiveness to JC, the effort he puts into being a good leader, the devotion he inspires and the fact that his disciples know when he's pleased with them, even if he's not expressing it in honeyed words. I'm so happy at LXC falling a little more in love over that, it means he recognizes the sign of JC's love (for his sect) and values it.

OH! I ADORE that LXC notices that JC is doing too much and worries. JC is not alone here, he has WWX (I love that this WWX is still in tune with JC! he knows how not to upstage him! he can and will give effective support! the wonders not having to constantly lie to his brother does to their teamwork!) and JYL (best girl always forever, her managing of Lotus Pier's servants and guests really makes obvious that she's been trained to be mistress of a great sect from the cradle), he has LXC himself (I love him doing manual labor! of course the Jiang, with their experience at money and manpower shortage, couldn't care less for his gender as long as he's working! I am surprised at him doing the accounting, though, I think that's something JC would be quite annoying about doing himself, he's a micromanager), and yet he's still pushing himself too hard. I love how LXC can see it, how he stops and watches JC, enough to notice exactly when he's gone too far during training.

Then comes their real first obstacle: LXC reaches out in concern and JC bristles defensively. His need to pretend he's not incapable of doing things his disabled body physically cannot do without hurting itself is… a problem. I get it, he has a point about needing to keep appearances for his disciples, but it does not help that he pushes his insecurities into LXC's mouth. As is often the case, JC is using his words as a barbed shield that both defends from and attacks against those that come close enough to harm him. Except that LXC bears him not ill will and all this will do his make him doubt trying to offer comfort again. *sigh* Walking away is also not a good choice. *double sigh* LXC was being so sweet, wanting to care for JC as a husband should. Bad JC. *bonk him in the head*

Oh, JC feels bad about his words? Good! He should! He has his reasons, of course he does, so did his mother. They did not change what she did or how it affected every member of her family, it won't be any different with him. Still, the real problem is confronting his internalized ableism. I love the complexity of his feelings regarding the circumstances, though. The point he makes about how he's glad and yet upset at WWX and LXC painstakingly not outshining him is delicious. I love it because WWX outshining JC has always been a problem that JC has had to deal with, he's always been jealous yet proud of WWX, and WWX never made himself less for JC. Until now. And for once WWX is doing the political thing! And it pains JC. It hurts him because he loves WWX, he wants WWX to be free to be his most amazing self, he hates being WWX's shackle. And the same goes for LXC! Having people he looks up to restrain themselves for him offends him, what's the worth of looking better when one isn't the better? JC is a jealous person, but only the kind that wishes he himself had something, not the kind that wants to take the thing out of the other person's hand (he wanted his father to hold him more often! never did he say he wanted JFM to hold WWX less!). And yet, despite all this, he acknowledges his insecurities are so great that he really would react that badly if they did not act as carefully as they do. Ah, the wonders of childhood trauma he's not yet ready to tackle.

Back to LXC, now ft JYL! Yay! I'd been looking forward to a scene with these two since the beginning! Of course JYL does the "how are you settling" thing, but with her it's not just politeness, she's very much a family person, so the questions are also genuine, as is her invitation for informality and every tibbit about herself and JC he offers. I cringe at how he quickly moves from feeling welcomed, to worried about her motives, to sympathizing with her pain. Even when wanting to be comfortable with his new family, he's so ready to be criticized. And yet he reaches for JYL regardless. Boy is starved for more relationships, especially given the distance between him and JC. JYL is a good choice for that. He's not ready to bare himself to her wholly, but let's build this relationship block by block. Starting by talking about his feelings about Lotus Pier. They take a detour after that, but when they come back, I love how JYL takes such pride in her sect's treatment of omegas thanks to her family, as well as pride in her brother for being capable of inspiring the disciples' loyalty. Her love for JC is so sweet, I love family devotion and the way she approves of LXC's acknowledgement of JC's value regardless of his core.

And then we get to the touchy subjects! First, humorously: I cackled at LXC's nervousness when JYL asked about how XiCheng are getting along as a married couple. I wish I could say he was imagining her sly expression, but as much of a proper lady as she is, she's also a Jiang (aka at least 50% gremlin), so he may very well have not (one day it will most definitively not be his imagination and I'll cackle again at him actually having to go through such conversation). Regardless, LXC's mind went to the gutter, which is all that matters, really. Then, more seriously: Despite LXC's first thoughts, he gives her a very honest emotional answer. Like I said before, he's starved for company, for someone he can be open to, and JYL did place herself right there for him to lean on, so it's only natural for him to share with her. Despite his immediate fear of having said too much or sounding inappropriate, him talking is a good thing, because it pertains JC and few know him as well as JYL.

You did mention how JYL would have her place as XiCheng's guide around marriage, here she's doing just that. I love all the points she emphasizes: 1. JC being BIG on responsibility has always been there, but it has gotten worse with his disability, so it's a significant factor. 2. It's not just LXC, he distances himself from WWX and JYL too, so he shouldn't think that he's singling him out. 3. JC still cares. Each of those things is important for LXC to figure out the complexity of who JC is and understand both how he works and how to work with him. It makes me a little sad that despite JYL being so clear, LXC is still reluctant to accept how much he means for JC. But then, it's not like JC himself is helping his case. At least I can find the humor on LXC sucking at sounding reassuring while stating that he's okay with his and JC's marriage being and staying nothing but convenience.

After that, I love that JYL plainly states that she hopes LXC would be good for JC. For the sake of bringing him around, of having him join her cause of looking after her brother, JYL makes a point of talking about how much JC loves and why he's so reluctant at accepting love back. I love that she explicitly tells LXC not think JC's suffering as merely the product of the torture (horrible in a generic sort of way, hard for anyone), because that itself is not what haunts JC, it's how it interacts with every other trauma he carries what matters. Talking about her parents and admitting the things they did wrong is socially inappropriate, and yet she's willing to spell it out to ensure JC's husband understands him, got to love that of her. Her dedication to give JC the love he deserves, both by herself and by asking LXC to do it too, is heartening. I love familial devotion.

Of course, LXC can feel for JC, and for how JYL wants to help him, but for all of JYL's trust in them, his and JC's relationship is still very underdeveloped, they are not going anywhere near her goals anytime close. He's reluctant to try and unsure of how he can help, but even without touching on the potential for romance, I say that just having one more person supporting him unconditionally would mean the world to JC and that's something I think LXC should be able to figure out, what with how much of a difference JC's support meant to himself compared to LQR and LWJ. Regardless, I am not surprised that LXC continues lingering on JC's rejection, though I am happy that he's perceptive enough to notice JC's attempt at softening the blow, as much as turning to cold politeness can be called softer. What is, if not exactly soft, definitely open, is the memory of their wedding night, I'm glad that it can serve as an anchor for LXC to still reach for JC despite his blunder! I think that this can set a precedent for Zidian being their link. The transfer being a memory they can go back to again and again, a promise, in a way, to continue giving and trusting as much as they did that night (both for Zidian and the ribbon). (Speaking of Zidian, I wonder, does LXC wear it openly or hides it under his sleeves? I have questions about what people think about it, both at Lotus Pier and eventually outside. I especially wonder about WWX, since I think JYL would accept it more easily and WWX still has the whole "I would have cut myself open to give you back the power to wield Zidian yourself" going on for him, along with "that's the very same whip that I've felt lashing on my back at the hands of your mother", which is, of course, complicated.)

Oh! I almost forgot, I skipped on it to have the emotional core of the JYL-LXC conversation all together, but I absolutely loved the part when they talk about omegas! I knew there would be interesting bits to come from this, and it totally delivered! The contrast to their perspectives is so fascinating! JYL having her sight placed on the generations to come is wonderful! LXC's thoughts about gender have always been a little self-centered, being an omega is a matter that affects him, the structural issues are significant in how they relate to him. He's passed as an alpha for a long time, and while I don't think I'd call that privilege exactly, it certainly means he hasn't had the same kind of first-hand experience with several omega problems so much as an absolute understanding of several things that could be (and eventually were) taken away from him because of his gender. Meanwhile, JYL has always lived under the lights and restrictions of her gender in a more traditional way, the things that mattered enough for LXC to fear losing are things that she never had and could only hope to gain. Considering so, of course LXC sees the backlash to him being found as an omega, the revelation personally took him away from his position of power. On the other hand, what JYL sees is the bigger picture, how the future, when no one who felt personally lied to remains, people will be forced to admit how capable he was, that being an omega didn't stop him from achieving feats of glory, didn't keep him from becoming ZWJ, regardless of what society did to him after. I'm glad that as painful as the experience was, with JYL's reassurance of the meaning it will eventually have, he can endure the consequences more easily.

OMG, I'm finally done! Days after I started and an absolute incoherent mess towards the end, but this review is finished! It didn't fit in my note app (x2), but the length is brimming with love! Now that it's over, I can go tackle what remains of our last conversation and then finally close this ask. Regarding the last ask I send, about the gender demographics: hehe, sorry for the question you had not thought about before. I get excited over world building/politics, but it's totally okay that your focus is elsewhere, it's a shipping fic after all! Thanks for considering it enough to reply to me! Also, ahdhahs congratulations on getting new readers via overenthusiastic bunny rambling, I think that's achievement unlocked for both of us! (Also, a medal to whoever read a 2.5k review + your answer without even reading the fic first. Curiosity is a good thing!)

And that's it! Bunny is done! No more writing or editing this ask, or I'll never send it! Sending lots of love, bunny cuddles and carrot cake for you to eat after finishing reading this monster! Bye-bye! 🐰💛

*looks at length of the comment* Yes. Yeeeesssssss. *cracks knuckles*

Yeah…. I love WWX as a character, but I don’t think I’d like him as much if I knew him in real life. I’ve known people whose favored humor style was fairly sarcastic and/or biting, and yeah, it doesn’t sit well with me either, nor does excessive silliness (not because I don’t like people to have fun, but because I’m an introvert and lord have mercy but highly extroverted people like WWX are exhausting in large doses, lol). But yeah, I love JYL in all forms, and you’re correct that her referring to JC there as their sect leader rather than brother was deliberate.

Your assessment of the entirety of JYL and JC’s conversation about his choice to marry LXC is beautiful. JYL is masterful at taking great care with her words and approach to ensure exactly what she means comes across. And, importantly, in a way that doesn’t make it seem like it’s a frustration or chore to, like, care about how her words and attitude will impact another person, you know? While I can’t say that it’ll be spelled out in the text, I can say that LXC, who is by no means bad at talking to people, will definitely be taking notes as he studies her, especially as he learns how to most effectively communicate with his new husband. Wonderful notes pointing out the parallels between JC’s and LXC’s answers too! I feel like that just points even more to how good a match they really are for one another.

lol. You’re the second person thrown off by the CQL mention. I always tag both “The Untamed” and “MDZS” as the fandoms for every story I write because I figure both are relevant, but I rarely leave notes beyond that. But yeah, I’ve watched the live action drama several times through, watched the donghua once, and have read part of the book but not all (though I’ve read several posts talking about the various differences). I do not really ship ChengQing, lol, though I rarely ship het pairs (a whole long-ass discourse I could go into about why I rarely enjoy het romance compared with queer romance, primarily m/m). I think they’re cute, and I think they could make for an interesting pair in a fic where they married for political reasons, but as far as general attraction, the vibe I get is more that JC is having his first crush, and who knows how serious it really is, and WQ isn’t really all that interested in return, though how much is a lack of interest and how much is her just being too overwhelmed with all WRH’s bullshit is up for debate.

I dunno. JYL asking about WQ now might be a bit of a low blow, but I do also understand the big sister instinct to ask about it since she knows that JC crushed on her, even if she doesn’t have any way of knowing how deep that affection may have gone. I could see her trying to come up with some way for him to be with WQ if she knew he really wanted that; lord knows she would sacrifice her chance to marry JZX if she knew it could give JC what he wants (all three of them are self-sacrificing to a fault, after all). As far as the “part of his trauma,” she never knew about that canonically, and whether she knows about it here in this fic is yet to be seen. But yeah, I agree that it makes sense to be leery of marrying someone who you know was willing to alter your body without your consent.

So fun fact, JC’s sudden and/or accidental realization about how much he trusts LXC was also shared by me, lol. It was in writing out that scene that it occurred to me too. But yeah, out of pretty much anyone, LXC is one of few people who has never given JC any reason to mistrust him. Granted, partially because so far they aren’t that close, but still, for someone like JC, that means a whole lot. Really the only other person who fits that category is his sister, which is off-limits here because I’m not writing that kind of story at the moment, lmao.

And yep, back to the self-sacrificing to an upsetting degree tendency of all three of the Yunmeng siblings. WWX’s is by far the loudest and most noticeable (partially because he’s the main character of the canon), but JYL quietly gives up a lot for her brothers and family up until the opportunity to marry JZX finally truly presents itself, and JC’s sacrifices tend to get lost in secrecy or clouded by the prideful temper he displays at all times as a defense mechanism.

Yeah, the omega commentary here is very parallel to issues of feminism and femininity in the real world. Not being “woman” enough, whatever that might mean, gets negative reception, but playing by the rules keeps you stuck and all the further away from any progressive change you might like. Oh, and on your comment about wondering what JYL is expecting for when she marries JZX, I will say that one reason for her putting off marrying him (in addition to staying beside JC to be the support he needs) that I didn’t explicitly comment on is that she’s waiting for proof that he is a good enough man and strong enough man to protect her from anything his father might do to her. I won’t be dwelling on it much at all since they’re not the focus of the story, but that’s what’s running in my head; similar to how I feel like, canonically, given all that we know about how disgusting JGS is, I’ve no doubt that JYL most likely needed a watchful eye from both her husband and her mother-in-law to ensure that JGS didn’t try to prey on her too.

Yeah, we don’t really see any uttered “I love you’s” in canon, but I don’t doubt for a moment that they would come easy between JYL and JC. She would know how much he needed to hear them, and JC, who loves so much and, as you’ve addressed, has so few opportunities to really express or share that, would be beside himself to always vocalize it to the one person for whom it would always be welcomed, cherished, and believed. For him and WWX, the two of them definitely do love one another fiercely, but there’s a whole lot there that makes it difficult to share, not the least WWX’s very precarious and uncomfortable position as the foundling ward caught between all the family’s drama as well as JC’s inability to really see how that affects him (not that I blame him, because he’s also just a kid, so how could he even be expected to recognize something so nuanced?). Regarding how JC found out and how things drastically shifted course, that’ll come up in more detail in a later chapter.

Yeah, it’s only natural that JC would consider his marriage in comparison to the only solid example he has. But, he at least is capable enough of learning from others’ mistakes, so witnessing all that drama at least comes as a benefit in the big ol’ warning it is to not do literally any of that, lol. And yass, I’m glad you appreciate JC’s safe space too. It definitely will make more appearances.

I definitely wanted there to be significance to the synchronicity in their bows. Partially as a tell that they well and truly are soulmates. But yeah, another reason to focus on only one thing from the wedding is because of saving space and also because I really don’t know anything about Chinese wedding ceremonies, traditional or otherwise, and I didn’t want to devote the time to researching it just for my written-for-fun-despite-how-exhausted-I-always-am fanfic. 🙃

I honestly didn’t give a lot of thought to what made those specific Jiang disciples prominent; unless my plans change, right now I don’t have any intention to focus on any of them because narratively there’s no need to, and I tend to shy away from introducing OCs for anything more than the smallest side roles that I need them for. I like your idea of them being some of the first to join JC despite everything that happened to him and his sect. It could also be people who very noticeably threw themselves into their training or the restoration of Lotus Pier more than anyone else. Solid heads for strategy, good leadership skills, unique prowess on the few night hunts they’ve tried; who knows. But yeah, something about them is standout in particular.

lolol. For NMJ, we’ll just say he’s having some feelings and didn’t feel like he could go. Lord knows the man doesn’t really know how to keep the calmest or most level-headed approach when he’s all riled up with emotions. *tries to calm angry bunny with snackies* But yeah, as much of a goober as he present himself as, NHS is pretty savvy regarding social norms and appearances and all that; he knew better than to go alone (and besides, can you really imagine someone like him traveling without a few buddies along?).

The Jins had so many people because that’s how they do. Just like JZX traveling to Cloud Recesses early on in the canon with a big ol’ group of people, most of whom wouldn’t be studying, because they’re big ol’ fancy pants people who just gotta flaunt their wealth, status, and numbers. Not to mention, for JZX, it’s an excuse to see JYL and for JGY, it’s an excuse to see LXC. JGS is just a hateful jerk who lives for drama and to look for any way to be socially acceptably rude…not expecting a done-with-this-shit NHS to “accidentally” stumble to the rescue. 🤣 Kid’s a hero, and I stand by that.

You’re exactly right about the names and titles! I’m using all of those, especially names, very intentionally in this story (and each time I talk about that with a reader, my anxiety for editing the chapters goes up 10-fold because of course now that I’ve got people’s attention on that, I just know I’m going to fuck up and use the wrong name somewhere 😭). But YES! The use of a title in certain circumstances can force a reminder of respect when needed, just as use of birth name can either be a dick move or a sweet indication of intimate closeness.

I love NHS. He’s not my favorite character, because that’s JC (followed by LXC by virtue of shipping him so hard with JC), but he’s, like, my sneaky almost favorite that I don’t think about much but always shows up in my fics being awesome because he’s just great and I think he’s fun. Back to JGS’s motivation to come, I will say, if he wasn’t so much of a douchebag and if the scenario were slightly different, he definitely wouldn’t have bothered to come to what is, as he would dismissively say, such a low-stakes wedding. But he smells the opportunity to publicly humiliate people that he already disdains, so there he goes; plus, he’s still irritated that JC found a way around having to kowtow to him and marry JYL to him, thus giving up his sect to the Jin’s control.

Yeah, JGY definitely knows what he’s doing by pulling LXC aside alone with him, even if LXC clearly doesn’t. But it’s so easy to get away with too! This society expects everyone to be polite, including being polite about social missteps (to a degree and depending on who all is involved, of course). But yeah, because of that, JGY can get away with what could be considered a move in poor taste, especially given his beta status, his status as LXC’s friend, and his status as a person of “lower” birth who could play the card of not knowing better or the “I’m not really a threat anyway so you have to forgive me” card. Regarding what he’s saying to LXC, you are correct that JGY doesn’t have to try very hard with anything he says, whether true or not. There’s a user here on Tumblr named nuexue who did an episode-by-episode analysis of almost all of the Untamed drama episodes that was phenomenally insightful and engaging (seriously, I think you’d really dig it since you are so analytical with your assessment of even my stories), and she points out how understandable in the source material it is that LXC doesn’t see any hints of what JGY is up to, partially because he’s his friend so he doesn’t want to see any bad in him and partially because, very likely, JGY probably avoided being deceitful with LXC as much as possibly purely because LXC was so accepting of him. As for what JGY did here in this story and any motivation he may or may not have had? Only time will tell.

The awkwardness between JC and LXC was absolutely delicious to write. The tentative beginnings to a relationship are so endearing and fraught with moments you can’t help but sympathize even as you also cringe. You are right that both are going to struggle with figuring out all this “close but not too close” stuff, lol. Especially poor JC. Poor boy just wants so badly to be good.

Also, very good assessment that JC putting himself down internally is, in fact, an insult to everyone who cares about him. Just as a character so quick to be willing to throw their own life away is a direct disregard of the love or care anyone around them has for them. (There’s an anime/manga/something I’ve seen where learning this is a pivotal moment for a character, and I cannot for the life of me remember what it was or who the character was, and it’s going to drive me crazy.) But, given all that’s happened to him and treatment from his parents as well as publicly-known opinion about him, I also can’t really blame him for having such low self-esteem. He and LXC both experience this, albeit for separate reasons, but it will eventually be something that helps bring them closer together.

I LOVE your enthusiasm for everything revolving around LXC giving his ribbon to JC. Because yes, it is so very significant for so many reasons. LXC definitely wasn’t originally planning to disclose all those details, but JC’s presence, the fact that LXC well and truly does trust him so much already and his oath at how their relationship will be, that the words came easy for him after all. And then behind all that, awkward careful touching, haha! Once again, back to JC oh so desperately not wanting to be a creeper, lol.

Regarding your question about JC having a smidgen of spiritual power to briefly activate Zidian…I’ll just leave you to that conspiracy board for now, lol. There definitely will be more going on with this later, but I can’t say anything without revealing spoilers. You are correct that it is significant any not just a one-off thing. But back to the transfer itself, yes! JC giving up Zidian to LXC is so significant!

(Also, I really gotta say, as someone who’s focus both when writing and also when consuming content is always focused particularly on the emotion or feeling of a thing or moment rather than specific logical or analytical approaches, I am absolutely delighted to read your assessments of what I’ve written. The imposter syndrome wielding bitch in my mind tries to convince me that you’re giving me too much credit, but really, I think a lot of what you’ve laid out here is very intuitive to me as I write, but not in a way that I could ever articulate it so well as you do. So thank you for sharing all these beautiful thoughts and analyses with me! 💜)

It's very interesting that you’re commenting specifically on part of JC’s decision to hand Zidian over to LXC being specifically because he’s looking to LXC for protection. Because he absolutely is in a position now where he needs that from LXC, but he’s not consciously acknowledging that at all yet. Right now, all he’s focused on is just political shit, the fact that he needs LXC’s and his sect’s support to keep his sect afloat as well as the fact that his status as a sect leader can provide LXC with the social protection that he needs. The other side of things…definitely hasn’t set in just yet. I also love that you focused on the ableism too and on how JC needs to be protected from that, including from his own self. That is a fairly significant focus in this story, JC’s process coming to terms with the changes in his life and LXC learning the best ways to help his husband with such a burden. (Note: I haven’t commented on each aspect you commented on here, not because I don’t care of disagree, but because most of it is so thorough and spot-on that there’s nothing left for me to do but flail and squee excitedly, lol, so my apologies for just breezing through much of that, but my hat off to you once more!)

The concept of the spirits having their unique spirits has intrigued me so much since getting involved in this fandom. I’ve seen it range significantly across fics from being barely touched on at all to one I read very early on in my journey into this fandom where WWX’s soul had gotten sealed along with Suibian after his death and they could talk to one another (which was such a cool concept). Also, I know that per the book, the final confrontation is NMJ’s corpse coming after JGY in Guanyin Temple, but I really like the idea of it being Baxia in the live action drama, both in seeking vengeance for it’s wielder, but also in how it kills SS after NHS fakes being attacked by him, implying a loyalty of the sword spirit to NMJ that even it would also feel the drive to protect his little brother. It also reminds me just a bit of the manga/anime Noragami, where the Shinto gods use the spirits of dead people as their regalia (typically weapons and armor) and the relationships they establish with them. All that to say, that’s partially why I leaned on it a bit more here, as well as to twist the knife regarding what more JC lost with his core. But yes, the revelation/consideration of that from LXC does lend him an even greater amount of sympathy than he already had.

Heh. I had to chuckle so much that you’d forgotten that this fic is rated E. It’s very slow burn for the *ahem* truly explicit scenes, but yeah, even the exchanging of the mating bites is an intensely intimate moment, especially for two people who’ve barely had the chance to connect in much of any way. I also LOVE your comment about JC being ace coded! I, like many others, think it’s very easy to read him canonically as ace coded for a number of reasons, and I’ve written him as heavily ace in a couple of my fics. Here, I didn’t approach it necessarily with that mindset, but there are still arguably some remnants of that. But yeah, I am on both the ace and aro spectrums, so that’s yet another reason I’m so very endeared to JC, because the potential ace-ness is another way that I feel connected to him. Also, random aside, but it’s also interesting that you mention his crush on WQ here, because there is another way we can interpret that crush to support the “JC is ace” theory, which is that it’s him choosing a socially appropriate person to have a crush on like he’s supposed to, but one he knows is out of his league, so there’s no risk of it coming to fruition; that is something that some ace/aro people do when growing up to avoid having to have awkward conversations before they’re ready about not having crushes and all that. But yeah, JC idly asking about why the bites are a thing is partially inspired by me, lol. While I do have the ability to understand, enjoy, and get invested in romance/sex in a fantasy setting, both of them truly stymie me in real life, and I’ve had so many moments of questioning things, only to get askance looks from my allo companions, lol.

Ah yes, the longing. There will be so much of that, lol. But yeah, it is only natural to want closeness with a spouse, regardless of the situation, or maybe even because of it. And the physical representation of that internal distance that he’s feeling just makes it all the harder. Thank goodness their subconsciouses will instinctively fight that all the way! 😁 I just had to have them quite close in the morning, and they’ll only be getting closer the longer they’re together. It is an inevitability! Even if it’ll be slow, like JC’s overwhelming urge to be as hands-off as possible with LXC in order to protect him. (You are so so correct that this will be a continued issue between them: you’ve got one who’s sworn up and down to be respectful, and you’ve got the other interpreting that as a lack of interest and so something that can’t be asked for.)

I had to laugh at your comment about JC being a micromanager and your surprise that he’d let LXC do the accounting. Honestly, I can see that assessment of him a bit, but I do also think, depending on the other individual’s experience or level of importance (and truly, is anyone more splendid than LXC?), I think JC would be able to make the smart decision to delegate as needed. And so that small tidbit was also inspired by myself, because numbers and math can go die in a fucking fire, haha! I am the kind of person who has had to call her mother in tears multiple times to beg for help figuring out why her damn checkbook won’t balance correctly. I was an English major, dammit! There’s a reason I didn’t choose math. 🤣 So yeah, I guess a little self-insert characterization there.

But yeah, LXC is truly invested not only in his new home but also his new husband. And he’s so experienced a cultivator as well! So of course he takes note of JC’s actions, and of course he notices how he’s struggling. There’s no way he ever wouldn’t have on either account. And, sadly, it must devolve into their first fight. As well as they fit together, there are several ways that they don’t yet—like JC’s temper compared with LXC’s temperance—and it will be a learning curve for both to navigate, both to learn how to understand one another better as well as how to take care of one another.

But of course JC immediately feels bad! He’s not a dick or a bad guy, and I will die on that hill. He’s an overwhelmed, very stressed-out young man who is probably scared out of his wits more than half of the time who has terribly stunted emotional intelligence, largely caused by his upbringing. Honestly, it’s not all that different from, speaking broadly, many men (particularly in American culture). There’s such a pervasive amount of pressure to be “manly” and all that, that men are conditioned to never express any emotion apart from anger. It’s sad and upsetting, and something that needs to change…and just maybe something that eventually will change for JC here.

Once again, another excellent point from you, that JC’s jealousy is only the type in that he wants better/more for himself but never ever less for others. He doesn’t want to take, but rather only to grow.

The conversation between LXC and JYL was another that I was super excited to get to because they’re really a couple of my favorites as far as how soft and gentle they can be. Like you said, LXC is still a skittish man right now who still frets about and expects to be found lacking: he’s heard it his whole adolescence and young-adulthood, after all! So who better than JYL to gently ease him into truly feeling a part of the family? I also like when JYL talks so proudly about JC. I think she would anyway, but I think you can also learn a lot about a person based on how other people who know them talk about them when they aren’t around to hear what they’re saying. (You can also learn a lot about the person speaking if they’re a two-faced jerk, lol, but that’s another story.)

Oh yes, the sly look absolutely was there. The moment JYL heard about the upcoming nuptials, she made it her mission to do everything she could to steer this ship into genuine romantic waters, lol. As you note, she’s laying all the groundwork by giving LXC the inside scoop of what his husband is like and why he is the way he is. But it makes sense that LXC hesitates to believe that he’s important. His low self-esteem is slightly warping JC’s “I won’t ever take advantage of you pledge” to actually be “I won’t do that and it’s at least in part because I don’t want to,” and the longer their distance lingers, the worse that fear will likely become.

I like that you point out that the wedding night is a solid example/reminder for LXC of the softness and care that is within JC because it was such an odd night compared to the “normal” wedding night experience, but it’s true! LXC, even if he’s worried that this marriage will flounder or that he won’t be able to do what JYL is pushing hard for him to do, is perceptive enough to understand that the JC he saw that night who accepted his ribbon, who gave up his spiritual weapon, who licked his neck and then awkwardly apologized for it (lol) is real. So too might be the grumpy “I’ll bite your head off if I so much as get a whiff of you feeling pity for me” Jiang Cheng, but the softness is there, so there’s hope to bring that out more.

Regarding Zidian, LXC wears it openly! Just as JC wears his ribbon openly. The disciples at Lotus Pier may have some thoughts about it, but they haven’t got the history with the weapon that the rest do, and their loyalty to JC is such that they’d never gossip about it anyway. No telling what people outside the sect will think when they see or if we’ll even delve into it. JYL appreciates it—both on LXC in the first place and LXC wearing it openly—for the sign of acceptance and trust from JC that it is. As for WWX…his feelings are a bit more complicated than that, but not to any extreme degree.

lolol. Funnily enough, it took you multiple days to write out all your thoughts here, and it took me two days to get this reply to you composed as well. 😆 Nothing wrong with having a lot to say about a passionate topic, though. Thanks a bunch for your continued excitement and enthusiasm! 💜

(To anyone who’s read through this and now wants to check out this fic I’m writing, here’s a link: https://href.li/?https://archiveofourown.org/works/48148945)

[greekbros]

(Hey heads up Disney's Snow White is on YouTube right now)

(so hilariously here are my first thoughts:)

-literally this girl was a royal princess and yet the first thing she was forced to do as soon as her parents kick the bucket was practically do all the chores throughout the entire Castle.

-the queen ain't s***, getting jealous as f*** out of 16 year old not only is completely out of my range of understanding but if you're a grown ass adults and you're jealous of essentially a decade and a half old person in regards to their youth, honey you got so much worse things to worry about.

-Prince floren (yes the male protagonist who isn't a dwarf) is a bit of a weird ass. Like bro what were you doing spying on a 16 year old girl who you presumed was a slave at first and suddenly decide to go ahead and sell renate her ass in front of her crappy stepmother.

-look as much as I like the dwarves from an archetype standpoint, they really were actively being little shits not taking care of themselves and practically depending on Snow White to do their chores to a weird extent.

-my girl Snow White is a saint, cuz she dead ass found an entire house, and knew that there were individuals living and said house, and decided to clean it. Those proving my theory, that the evil queen literally gaslit her into thinking cleaning and doing chores is a hobby.

-also this girl is 16 she's doing a lot more for literally everyone around her rather than me so I don't know if I can even consider her by modern day standards as a damsel or in need of a modern-day update. Give it in consideration the current state of Disney and how they've treated their princesses as if there was a ton of things wrong with them to begin with, honestly Snow White holds up pretty well, she literally did not give a s*** about a single thing the moment she got out of the castle, had a rather traumatic experience in the forest, but outside from that she's been having the time of her absolute life.

-going back with the cleaning aspect of her character for some reason, I genuinely feel bad that literally her first instinct after she realizes that she doesn't have anywhere to stay, that she has to bargain cleaning the entirety of the house so that she can stay there is really kind of sad. I get it that's during the time of this movie the expectations of women were to literally just be homemakers and such, but it's still kind of a little sad.

-homegirl I know that you cleaned up the entire house and stuff and expect the owners to be very happy about that and likely let you stay, but did you really have to sleep on top of their beds? That's like some little goldilock shit.

-I'm so used to animals behaving like animals in media that looking at all these animals being just way too happy to help around is starting to annoy the s*** out of me.

-I'm going to be honest with you, I love animals, I love them to bits, but there's something somehow insufferable about the animals that are found throughout the movie.

-Hi ho and Dig Dig Dig is literally the best songs in the entire movie.

-most of the gems look like candy and I want to eat them.

-who else here thinks that if anyone wants to reimagine snow white, it should be in a JRR Tolkien style. Where the dwarves accidentally help a human princess from some evil elves or something. I don't know, you figure it out.

-the fact that the animals literally looked out of the window when they heard the dwarves come back and basically said "oh s*** fam let's bounce" is conceptually funny to me considering they just left their human best friend inside the house.

-not a single aspect of this movie would have happened in D&D. The dwarfs would have came in, kicked her out and got hella mad for messing around with their stuff.

-also mythologically speaking, I understand that in modern media that dwarves are supposed to be living near mountains, but I also find it hilarious that these dwarves are more comparable to gnomes rather than anything. Maybe they're just really big gnomes....

-you know what that's it, maybe this movie is just actually about seven gnomes rather than seven dwarves. In fact actually that makes it less racially conspicuous considering so many people have deemed dwarves as some sort of stereotype derogatory of people with dwarfism. I genuinely understand how that discourse happened and I understand why that discourse continues too.

-but honestly Disney designed these dwarves with lawn gnomes in mind.

-the dwarves being sus'd about the house being cleaned is funny and extremely accurate to the depictions of men who have never interacted with women.

-grumpy literally is the most realistic entity in this entire movie.

-Dopy actually has a voice, it's just a very particular scream.

-honestly I know have complained about the evil queen being absolutely dog s*** and actively having terrible self image issues, but her evil witch laboratory is an absolute vibe. Also mad respect for her having that to begin with for no reason.

-Bruv Prince weirdass came back and was like "damn I actually liked her I should pay my respects by kissing her CORPSE"

-i despise the supposed fan theory that she actually died and the castle they're going to in the end is actually heaven. I just like to imagine that that's how things look like when you just wake up from coming back from the dead, all nice and pretty and you have a New perspective in life and shit.

[escapenightmare]

BNHA AS ENDEARING THINGS MY CRUSHES HAVE DONE.

... izuku, bakugou, denki, shoto, tamaki x gn!reader

cw. implied mutual pining note. consider this a 2.9k special <3

— IZUKU MIDORIYA

✰ izuku gets to school early, and waits by the school gates until you arrive. if you say something like, “you don't have to wait for me every day, you know?” he'll reply with a bashful shrug and nervous smile, “i know i don't have to... but i want to.”

✰ izuku has told his mom about you (— he regrets it at least twice every single day because she pesters him about you on the daily) and after getting to know your favorite food, she cooks it for you and gives izuku a lunchbox asking him to give it to you during lunch. he is so embarrassed about it but will give you the lunchbox nonetheless, apologizing and mumbling about how his mom is sometimes.

✰ izuku who, without a second thought offers to carry your bags for you, even if he has to carry a lot of heavy bags himself, he just can't help but want to help you. if you say no, he'll say, “if you need any help, just tell me!” with an adorable smile on his face, and if you say yes, he's scrambling to take your bags from you, going as far as to say a “thank you” and even he doesn't know why he said that.

✰ izuku always sends you a “good morning!” and “good night!” text, whether you reply to him or not. if you leave him on read, he doesn't say anything, because maybe you just found it annoying? but if you reply, you will notice him being slightly more cheerful that day.

✰ if you're ever texting him, izuku will carry the conversation and it will not end until you say bye. while he himself admits that he's not that good at carrying a conversation in real life and through texts, he always somehow or the other manages to keep up a conversation with you. he just knows, what exactly to say so that you'll reply to him.

— KATSUKI BAKUGOU

✰ bakugou manages to convince his parents to pick him up from the school gate where you usually get picked up from, causing a lot of inconvenience to his parents but he doesn't care as long as he gets to spend some time with you. he doesn't tell you that though, but his friends told you as soon as they found out.

✰ bakugou mostly listens to loud songs, but if your favorite genres are anything other than that, he'll actually try to listen to some. even if he doesn't like the song (usually when it's not metal), he'll send it to you saying, “this sounds like something you'd like.” give it a few weeks and he'll actually start liking the same genres you like.

✰ bakugou who makes up dumb excuses to spend time with you. “i'm going that way too.... my class is the other way?.... yeah but i need to go to the washroom first!” you'd raise an eyebrow and say, “but the washroom is that way too?” and he'd either give up and go to his class or say something like, “oh yeah, but i have to borrow a textbook from this dude in a class this way.”

✰ whenever you're both walking somewhere together, bakugou casually throws an arm around your shoulder while he talks about something. if you shrug him off, he's offended and lets you know it (“hey! why'd you do that, idiot?”) but if you don't, he doesn't say anything but you see the slight smile on his face.

✰ bakugou lets you call him by a dumb nickname. you and you only. his friends have nicknames for him too, but they aren't stupid and dumb because if they call him something like that, he will get pissed. but he lets you do it, since it's you, and even if his friends tease him for it, he doesn't care because nicknames are usually terms of endearment right? his friends don't hesitate in telling you that either.

— DENKI KAMINARI

✰ denki who, if you ever miss a class or two, is literally jumping to give you his books so you can get the notes. after the first time it happened, he makes an attempt to actually pay attention in class and make his hand writing better and readable just in case you ever need them again.

✰ if you do any sports after school, denki tries to get his parents to let him stay at school until your practice ends, and waits for you next to the court so when you're done with practice he can give you the drink and snack he bought for you.

✰ denki waits for you every day after school is over. if you're in different classes he'll stand outside your class until your class gets dismissed. if you're in the same class, he'll wait patiently by your desk until you're ready to leave. although — if you leave with your friend(s), he'll be pretty shy, but still trail behind you, engaging in whatever conversation you're having.

✰ denki instinctively reaches for your hand whenever you're both in crowds, or are running down flights of stairs in a hurry to get to the cafeteria before the rush, he doesn't notice he does it and if you point it out he gets really flustered and shy.

✰ denki who's already very energetic and happy, but manages to look even more energetic and happy than he is whenever you walk into a room. you don't usually see any difference because that's how he always is when he's with you, but his friends do, and they always tease him and call him out for it. denki covers his face with his hands every time this happens — and it's so cute.

— SHOTO TODOROKI

✰ shoto heads to the library sometimes during the lunch break, and always makes sure that when he does, he asks if you want to go there with him. if you go with him, he'll give you book recommendations — i just know he's a bookworm, that's based on your favorite genres. he's quiet most of the time, except for when / if you nudge him and show him something funny in the book you're reading. he'll let out a low and cute chuckle before smiling at you.

✰ it's always the comfortable silence with shoto — he sometimes video calls or facetimes you (after texting you and asking if you're free ofc) and you both exchange a few words before you go on to do your own thing like homework/work. neither of you feel uncomfortable, but it's comforting even. you do talk once in awhile during the call, but otherwise it's just comfortable silence.

✰ whenever there's a debate in class, shoto's first instinct is to turn towards you and ask for your input. while everyone else is in a heated debate in the background, his gaze is on you, waiting for you to say something. you notice it when it happens a few times, but you don't say anything.

✰ shoto doesn't realize how sweet he's being when he always asks for your permission whenever he wants to do something. it ranges from him wanting to sit next to you to holding your hand. he doesn't get offended if you say no to anything, because he doesn't want to make you feel uncomfortable and genuinely wants to make sure you're fine with what he's doing (as he should).

✰ shoto doesn't hug you often, because while he is touch starved, he feels like he's being awkward when he does hug you. but when he does, it's usually on a special occasion like his birthday, your birthday, the last day of school, and the first (if he doesn't see you during the holidays). his embrace is warm, and yet, so gentle.

— TAMAKI AMAJIKI

✰ tamaki, whos crush on you is obvious. his nervousness and shyness gets the best of him each time you talk to him, resulting in him stumbling over words, his eyes wide while he tries to make sense of what he's saying. his friends eventually tell you why he's so panicky when he's with you, and that although tamaki cannot have a proper conversation with you, you'll have to appreciate the fact that he actually makes an effort (since he rarely ever talks to anyone other than his two best friends).

✰ tamaki gets more confident when the time goes on, and seems to be able to have a proper conversation with you — mostly when you're both alone or not with the rest of your classmates. but that doesn't stop him from getting anxious whenever you're both in a crowd (like a school assembly, or in the school cafeteria line during the rush). his hand will automatically dart towards yours, and to reassure him and visibly see him calm down, you just have to take his hand in your own and give it a reassuring squeeze.

✰ sometimes, tamaki has to stay after school for his extra curriculars, and when you're staying back for your own extra curriculars, tamaki always walks you to wherever it takes place. additionally, he also brings your favorite snack along more often than not, and a drink that you like — so that if you have time before your practice starts, you can eat together before going your own separate ways.

thanks for reading! likes and reblogs appreciated! <3

[elysianslove]

omg wait ok who in jjk do you think is an ass, thigh or tits person?? also congrats on 4k thats so sexc of u!!! you're so talented you deserve every one of them <33 MWAH

bb thank you so much ily so much <333 kiss kiss mwah <333 and! thank you for asking this i have been waiting for this ask to come into my inbox. warning; suggestive and mentions of nsfw

ITADORI YUUJI is an ass person. aside from the fact that it’s canon, i see him as someone that’s just mesmerized with ass. loves seeing it in jeans, or those patterned loose pants yk the one that make everyone’s ass jiggle, or in a tight dress, or in booty shorts. and not just that! he loves to be touching you too. as his s/o, you are never free from his groping hands. loves to lift you up and just place his hands on your ass, to ‘keep you steady’ or whatever, and also loves to lay on your ass if you’re on your stomach. makes you laugh so it jiggles against his head/cheek. he’s a bit too shy to smack your ass in public, but catch him doing it all the time at home. like as you’re passing by him or standing there minding your business. or just always having a handful of your ass when you two are sitting down/cuddling. definitely fake fucks you when you bend over too just saying. 

FUSHIGURO MEGUMI i see more as a tits kinda guy. he says doesn’t have a preference, but that all changes when he sees you in a low-cut revealing shirt. he’s a respectful guy so he will be trying not to look. it doesn’t really work though. it’s not that he doesn’t like ass or thighs, it’s more that whenever he sees your tits it goes to his dick a lot quicker lmao. he loves, loves, loves it when you don’t wear a bra, no matter the shirt you wear, no matter your breast size, and if it’s see through as well? consider him dead. oh and megumi’s hands are large. i’m not saying he has a size kink but, there’s just something about the way they look against your breasts. also! he really likes,,, just, kinda, fondling with them. holding them, groping them, as he’s sitting there. it’s fun. and warm. also adores stuffing his face against your chest, even if you have small tits, he just likes it. it’s all about the intimacy of laying on your lover’s naked chest for him <3 

KUGISAKI NOBARA is definitely a tits kinda girl. like no questions, no criticisms, nothing just vibes and titties. she loves the way they look, the way they feel, in her hands, in her mouth, literally anything and everything. considering she has breasts too, she knows just how comforting it is to hold onto them just randomly. if you have big breasts, she’s in heaven as she stuffs her face against them, nothing nsfw just cause. if you have small breasts, she’s still in heaven as she just sucks on them as a stress reliever. she’s like a toddler when she’s stressed like ‘lemme suck on your tiddies pls’ lmfao. also!! she is a fashion icon, an star, an idol, she knows the type of clothes that look flattering and which don’t. also she loves to go bra shopping with you just so she can get into the changing room and start groping and bouncing your breasts to test out the bra, as she claims. but yes, she’s a titties girl! 

RYOMEN SUKUNA is, if not an all kinda guy, a thighs man. wears them like ear muffs lmfao. his infatuation was first purely nsfw, and he would show it by constantly leaving bruises all over them, marking you, whether it was from his tight, vice like grip, or from his mouth. but then over time it became just genuine love and fascination, especially after that one time you had whined at him after sex to just massage your sore thighs for you. he’d begrudgingly agreed, but then he ended up loving the feel of kneading them in his strong hands. and after growing comfortable with cuddling, his favorite position is just where his head is in between your thighs and your ankles are crossed at his chest. he can stay like that for hours honestly. also he likes to have his hands resting there, squeezing every once in a while. but, like i said, sukuna just likes your body in general. 

INUMAKI TOGE was a little more difficult to decide, and i’m still not that sure of this, but i think he’d be an ass person, just because i think he’s lowkey very touchy with his s/o and he’d like to just— rest his hands there all the time. likes it when the two of you are cuddling and you leg is lifted up across him, allowing him to settle his hand on the curve of your ass. also he’s lowkey a very cheeky person when it comes to his s/o, so i can just imagine as you’re laying down on your tummy, he pats your ass and every time it jiggles he giggles to himself lightly. also the type to rest against his s/o’s ass just cause but he would actually fall asleep like that. also! whenever he’s resting like that, he likes to give your ass a little peck, just a small smooch, a token of appreciation if you will, before he pats where he kissed lightly, and in his own way he just says, “nice :D.” 

GOJŌ SATORU. ass. ass. ass. ass. ass. ass man! is absolutely in love with your ass. smacks it in public with zero shame, just sends a teasing grin your way, and like, finger guns at you with a wink or something. when you walk past him at home in shorts or like only your underwear, he likes to give it a nice little pat. every single time. and when you bend over while he’s sitting on the couch or laying on the bed or something, he calls out in the cheekiest, most teasing, most annoying voice, “nice.” i hate his sexy ass sm. does tiktoks with you that include you throwing it back on him because he wants to give you reason to. loves to watch you put on your clothes, especially jeans, when you like jump in them. he’s just a pervert with a license to constantly hit on you. 

NANAMI KENTŌ is also definitely an ass man. look at him. tell me he doesn’t love ass. loves to fondle and grope it all the time, no matter where you are, and he’s very good at making it look subtle too so he gets away with doing in public too. nanami strikes me as someone that’s slightly possessive, not unhealthily so, but he does always like to subtle hand on you whenever the two of you are out, and more often than not his hand’s resting right above your ass. also he’s a very giving partner, in all ways, so i see him offering to give you massages all the time. definitely lingers on your ass, kneading strongly yet softly, even if you don’t need it? he just likes to do it. is not as open about it as the others, but he’s very obvious about it hehe

ZENIN MAKI is a thighs girl. also is the type to love stuffing her face in between them, but it’s a fixation kinda thing where she cannot stop ogling at your legs, specifically your thighs. loves to grope and squeeze at them all the time, and her all time favorite thing is seeing you in thigh highs, where the stockings squeeze at your thighs just a little. it makes her mind cloud over. 

ZENIN MAI is a a tits girl. i was thinking maybe she’s an ass girl, but i’m so certain she wouldn’t be able to take her eyes off of you or your cleavage if you wore anything to show off your breasts. definitely likes to lay on your chest and kiss and suckle on them, just randomly. also kinda a possessive thing, cause she will absolutely leave marks. she just. loves your tits okay? 

GETŌ SUGURU is an ass man. loves seeing you all dressed up in outfits that show your ass off, and almost always he won’t really touch, not unless the two of you were really intimate, but he looks. he looks so much, and he makes it so obvious that he’s checking you out. in public, at home, doesn’t matter. he’ll be eyeing you up and down and will have this sultry smirk as he glances at your ass. kinda hot ngl.

MAHITO is also a little bit tricky because i want to say ass, but i also want to say tits. somewhere in between ass and tits then. he has like,,, moods for them you know. sometimes he won’t stop ogling at your breasts, and other times he can’t keep his hands off your ass. either way, he’s very teasing about it, and he will buy you really provocative clothes to show both off. so kind <3

[yanban-san]

OOUGUGH OK LSITEN. lsietn. sltien. i see ingo being a pile of goo and i raise u; kissin' his scale bc hes all melty and while its not impossible to kiss water/goo, the scales already on hand and it'd be sweet in a way and he just... gurgles? idk what the bass boosting of a puddle of water would be but tldr please consider kissing ingos scale while he's all goo'd™. also something something emmet always being on darlings mind and ingo always being in readers heart with their stuff placements, idk but you get the point hopefully hjgkmsd - feather anon

jafhsg yes

Darling is gushing about how sweet and cute and precious Ingo is to him in private and Ingo can't handle it- It's too sweet to hear from you how much you love him, how special he is to you- He's murmuring an apology while he hides behind the brim of his hat, and you can feel a sensation like little shadows crawling up your legs and arms- and you ask him why's he apologizing? He's too sweet not to want to compliment and adore constantly- and you start telling Ingo all the romantic little things you want to do with him and he can't handle it and all of a sudden your boyfriend is gone and there's a shadowy mess on the floor, extending out and beginning to pool around the room-

You're annoyed because now you can't kiss your boyfriend who you just spent so long turning into a blushy (and apparently literally) pool ready to be ravished by you- And you try to stroke the darkness only for your hand to fall into it-

Well you certainly can't kiss a void. And you hear a whispering I'm so sorry I'll - I'll return to normal in a minute echoing in your ear, but-

You get an idea.

You take out the scale you've kept in your breast pocket ever since you learned what it was- and you give it a kiss- And the shadow lets out a whine- writhing, bubbling, twitching at every little smooch you give the scale-

And you keep kissing it, stroking it gently and the shadows are going nuts and you feel them grabbing at you, and the pool of darkness suddenly shifts and you're about to be swallowed up in a void when Ingo manages to force himself back into a human form, but he's shaking and you can see he's got weird scaly marks on his face and an extra set of limbs and his coat is a writhing mass of shadows, He's glaring at you and the silvery bits of his eyes are emitting a soft light but his pupils look as dark as the void beneath him and he's blushing so heavily, begging you not to do that again because he almost swallowed you up in the void there, but then also asking you to please continue and he'll do his best to stay as a human this time-

Also before darling knows what the scale is or about The Truth(tm)

Darling can't help but take it out sometimes to stroke it, trace her fingers along the grooves-

And even when Ingo can't see it, he can still feel those loving touches tracing along his back and he keeps melting into a puddle of shadows-

It's a problem when he's on the Single Train trying to hold a battle with Random Challenger #42 and they notice... the inside of Ingo's coat suddenly turns pitch black, and looks almost waaay darker than should be possible- Or he stumbles and did Ingo's foot just fall through the floor of the subway-

And yes With Emmet's feather on her cap, Darling finds her thoughts drift towards Emmet so frequently- But whenever she sees Ingo she suddenly becomes oddly aware of how intensely her heart is beating- and aakajfhajshf

Feather anon I love your ideas so much you don't even know-

[kookznoona]

Hii can I make a request where all the members of BTS go to an interview but jungkook and the interviewer (reader) are secretly dating and the boys know so they do their best to tease him.

Thank you 😊

The Question

Genre: FLUFF Boyfriend!JK, Idol AU

Word Count: 1 K

Description: Banter of 7 Members and a Female Interviewer secretly dating one of them. You and Jungkook.

Summary: You interview Jungkook, Interview questions get some people squirmy quite often, you're used to seeing uncomfortable interviewees, Nothing new about this time right?.

****************************************************

You knew the drill…

Big Hit had specifically instructed the boys not to name any brands or cuss during interviews. Telling half-truths and white lies for the camera was nothing recently developed, it was for the band's image; all done in fear of losing the love of the fanbase. Although their life wasn't all lies, it wasn't like things didn't get filtered before reaching the audience.

Tonight, you're their interviewer. The group knows that you and Jungkook were secretly dating, they suspected it for a long time.

But their suspicion was confirmed when Jungkook just couldn't contain his happiness when you said 'yes' to him and spilled the beans. This has only led the banter to become even more chaotic when you're around.

The Crew Walks in, and before turning on the Camera, You touch up your make up and go through the questions.

"Hi" you say and wave at them

"Hello" they all reply back, and bow

"Y/N, we haven't met before have we?" J-hope asks teasingly

"Actually, we did, at BigHit's Anniversary party "

"Yes, but we were given the liberty to choose only 2 close acquaintances for the VIP passes, so who was it that gave-" Jin asks

"Hyung! Stop asking such questions!" Jungkook whines

You smelt the teasing in the air and giggled

"Do you ever miss me?" You ask him

"He'll never stop-" Jungkook covers Jimin's Mouth

"Milady, let's get to the actual questions, shall we?" Jungkook says

The camera has been set up

"Hello Everyone! Today we're back with a special guest appearance- BTS!!"

"Hello!" They all say in unison, eyes shooting at the camera

"So Let's Jump to the Questions" you say and start the interview.

Those questions were related to their current diet, reading habits and Exercise Routines.

"Who's music do you take inspiration from?"

Suga starts "Well, there are many artists that inspire us..."

"Jungkook, tell them… Any Sound that Y/N makes is Music to your ears" Taehyung whispers in his ears, smirking

"Shut up Kim Taehyung"

"But isn't that the truth? Every Word she utters sounds sweet to you"

"Oh please! you were totally referring to words" he whisper shouts

"What? I didn't mean any other sounds, I mean, It's not possible is it? Do you suggest otherwise?" Taehyung teases back

Jungkook covers his ears and you notice the coloring of his is Face is Flushed Red

"Which female Kpop idol would deserve to have the title of 'having the most attractive aura'". You ask

All of them except Jungkook throw some names, adding fuel to the fire. You're well aware that once you're done with this interview, rumours will resurface. You find it comical how fans and shippers will literally pair them with the idols' names they've uttered, while they're already dating someone else.

"I think Jungkook here doesn't quite have anything to say here" Jhope says giggling

"Actually, he says that he's more likely to fall for a normal person than a celebrity" Taehyung adds grinning

"For me, all of the females in the industry are working hard and making it big. I despise the beauty standards set by the industry. I wouldn't ever be able to answer a question like that, it wouldn't be fair to pick a single name when there are millions of them."

All the members get annoyed at his response, he's supposed to be a Blushing mess, not some smartass when his girlfriend is interviewing him.

"Okay, let's move to the next question, ARMY wants to know if you'd ever consider dating ARMY"

As expected all of them say a "yes" and Show finger Hearts at the camera

"Okay, here's the bomb question… is BTS Currently Dating?"

Jungkook chokes on his tea and spurts it on you. You widen your eyes in disbelief. Your Maroon Top is now Brown.

Jhope Falls Off His Chair Laughing.

"Extremely sorry, I'm *cough* so s-orry" He says in between his coughs

And All of this has now been captured on Live TV

"I think we've heard everything that Jungkook has to say about dating during past interviews, as you've seen, I just asked 'the fans' bomb question' and I literally got hot tea on me" you say laughing

Namjoon passes you the tissue box

"Thank you" you say

"Is there anything y'all would like to add regarding your dating lives?" You ask

"We're Focused on our careers" Namjoon says

"Voilà, the classic answer we've always received! Now, Fans, please have some mercy on me and don't wish for such questions to be answered, the world will run out of tea!" You say laughing

"Actually, I've read that tea is actually good for skin… probably Jungkook was helping you with your skin care routine" Namjoon jokes

"That was very kind of you Jungkook, thank you for showing me the benefits of getting tea sprayed on your face, I'll surely keep that in mind"

"You wanna try it once more? I mean, it'll be my pleasure" he says wiggling his eyebrows

"Although I hate to decline the offer, I must say a 'No', we could try it in the next interview though, I'll come barefaced with no makeup"

"oh please! Stop being modest! Why not this time?" He asks in a teasing tone

"Well, this time I stole the tea from dad's cupboard, I'm too young to die you know, hahaha I hope You Understand" you say Laughing

"Yeah Jungkook, You don't want to be the reason someone died right? I mean, Just Imagine what will be written in the 'cause of death' column" Jin adds, leaving the group in splits

"As Much as I loathe saying this, we've gotta wrap it up~ Thank You BTS"

"Thank you, thank you for the lovely tea" Namjoon adds in a badly faked British accent, everyone bursts out laughing

And with that you cut off the feed

Jungkook jumps and Pretends to strangle Taehyung

"I'm so sorry babe, I don't know how I just spat all the tea on you" he says

You kiss his forehead "It's okie Bunny"

"Bunny~ Take me Home Bunny~ Show Me Your Bedroom-" Taehyung Teases him

"Shut Up Please!" He says burying his face in his hands

"Bunny~ Spray Some Tea on My Face Bunny~"

Jungkook is Never going to Hear the End of it

****************************************************

Hey guysssss~!

❤️Thanks For All The Love And Support!!!❤️

∆ Don't Repost only Reblog

• Don't Forget to Like this post for More

• Feel Free to Send Me a DM

• Stalk me on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/kookznoona/

Take Care~

[thefvllsun]

more than one

❥ switch the chains

actual name: switch (m)

preview: “You’ll never guess who I have a date with tonight.” Your mom exclaims. Jamming her breasts into a garment tearing at the seams.

“Is that my dress?!” You shriek, ignoring her excitement.

“Shut up. When have you ever paid for anything in that closet, hmm?“ she reprimands. Smoothing the too tight fabric gathering at her waist. “You’re going to be so jealous. The hottest single dad in town finally asked me out.”

“..wait, you mean..” you near gag. Sitting up from your bed, gawking at her tawdry appearance with disgust.

“Yup.” She goes on boasting. “Finally snagged Johnny Suh’s eye.”

actual name: chain (m)

preview: “They’re just kids..” Johnny sighs. Rubbing his temples enough for skin to gather in folds between his eyebrows. Evidently annoyed and frustrated after listening to your mother scream for the last hour.

“How can you say that?!” She shouts, pacing around behind him ripping at chunks of hair.

Jeno smirks by your side, drumming his fingers against the dining room table. “We’re adults, and we fuck. Get over it.”

❥ hush, hush.

actual name: hush, hush

❥ maybe you should chip in

actual name: chippin’ in

synopsis: Finding solace in bad decisions probably isn't the best way to get over your cheating ex-boyfriend, but as you watch the strings of fate intertwine themselves with the four members of SAMURAI, you're starting to think the universe is sending you a sign to do just that. A drummer with a sex addiction, an alcoholic with trust issues, a stoner who's always high and the responsible leader who brings them all together – your mother taught you to never be greedy, but you can't stop yourself from wanting all four. Question is, how bad do you they want you?

❥ just so you know

actual name: just so you know

summary: you’re kinda with jeno, but when you realize his best friend jaemin is in love with you too, well it complicates things

❥ “you gotta watch me”

actual name: watch me | l.jn & l.dh

synopsis: Your gamer boyfriend has a love for watching you melt under his touch,

but when his best friend suddenly joins in the show, you’re in for a ride (literally).

❥ “saturday drip”

actual name: saturday drip (m)

summary: it’s already too cliché to fuck one of your roommates, so what do you call it when you end up getting fucked by both of them

❥ “for me?” “yes, you.”

actual name: for you?

synopsis: childhood bffs turned superstars, within their years of success the bond of friendship has never been broken, outings to let loose are vital in order to withstand the pressures of being a celebrity.

What will happen when you unintentionally push your body’s limits on a night out?

actual name: for you?

synopsis: We finally get some insight on what really happened the night you all went out… Oh, by the way, how was breakfast with Mark?

❥ nct dream - “quiet down”

actual name: quiet down pt. 1

preview: Snorting on the inside you watch as Haechan attempts to seduce you. He must not have learned his lesson the last time he tried to get you to cave into him. Having little sleep last night, both excited and dreading this little long weekend getaway and the fact that Haechan is right, you are stuck with Renjun — you may be more affected by his advances, but considering your dead tired…there was only one option, to throw it back in his face and hope he leaves you alone.

“If you saw me, why didn’t you come over and talk to me instead,” you lean into him keeping your voice to a whisper. “I mean, it was hard not to notice you. You looked very handsome,” you place your hand on his chest, feeling his racing heart. “Your golden skin glistening in the sun. You were so,” placing your lips to his ear you giggle. “Yummy,” you whisper.

❥ differences

actual name: differences - masterlist

summary: The individual stories of four young men who each have one thing in common. They are struggling with life. Not that they’d like to admit it to anyone though. With one struggling with his inner demons of mental health while making money through doing illegal street races. One a drug dealer who refuses to let anyone in emotionally, struggling with his own addictions and habits.

One a struggling young father who finds it hard to balance his social life and being a good father to his infant daughter. And the other one struggling to keep off of the law enforcements radar which is easier said than done when you have raging anger issues and earn your money through illegal underground fights. They each have their own story to tell, and cope through difference methods. How will they balance love on top of everything else they are going through?

❥ 00’s line’s no nut november

actual name: no nut november masterlist

summary: The Rules of No Nut November:

You cannot have sex, masturbate, or nut in any way, shape, or form.

Watching pornography and having boners are allowed, but you can’t nut.

You are only allowed one wet dream. If you have more than one, then consider yourself out.

You do not have 3 strikes; you only have one shot at it. If you miss it, you’re out.

If you have passed the month with a total of 0 nuts, you are a victor and you shall qualify for Destroy Dick December (Not Recommended).

Look man, just don’t nut in 30 days.

❥ beast mode

actual name: beast mode | nct series (M)

preview: welcome to Hel. this city, your hometown, is ruled by heroes and villains, constantly at war with each other for power. here, there is no right and wrong. only loss or gain.

❥ pick

actual name: THE PICK ME CHRONICLES — M.L

preview: when a night of drinking and games leads to a heated discussion on which boy fucks best, you decide to figure it out for yourself

❥ 가위 바위 보

actual name: rock, paper, scissors

summary: five friends rent a house together for a few weeks to enjoy summer like they used to do when they were younger, thinking that nothing could change their friendship. But teasing leads to pent-up tension and tension leads to problems. Problems that can’t be fixed by playing ‘rock, paper, scissors’ like when they were young.

❥ opposites

actual name: day and night

summary: after being kidnapped, the last person you expect to find responsible is haechan: the cute boy from the school baseball team that you tutor. but when you realize that he’s merely the partner-in-crime to jeno, captain of the baseball team, you find everything less surprising - considering your kidnapper’s are stark opposites.

❥ can you handle it?

actual name: can you handle it?

summary: Johnny drags her wildest fantasies out of her mouth, or to be more precise, out of her phone.

But can she handle it?

❥ 𝕹𝐄𝐎 𝕾𝐄𝐎𝐔𝐋 𝕮𝐋𝐔𝐁

actual name: 𝕹𝐄𝐎 𝕾𝐄𝐎𝐔𝐋 𝕮𝐋𝐔𝐁

preview: neo seoul is an underground club where fraternities and sororities from different specializations and programs take a few breathers and entertain themselves after dark. it was founded by the ‘Neos’, a brotherhood of infamous young enticing men ranging from freshmen to post graduates. hence, the club was named and described after them, electrifying, ruleless, untamed and crazy.

apart from that, it wasn’t the typical club nor a lit party hosted by the frat wherein an ordinary living soul could get in, a membership should be bought that obviously comes in reality simply as for formalities. however, what if the contrast happens? an uncalled invitation lands straight to your palms?

❥ saturday drip

actual name: Saturday Drip (M)

preview: Can you believe while we were sitting swamp ass in misery— Jaemin was fucking my favorite cam girl?!” Jeno blurts out before his roommate can recall the actual events that took place.

“We didn’t do anything like that, but..” Jaemin takes in his friends intrigued stares, nervously mumbling.

“She’s looking for Alphas..”

Renjun’s brows twist, inching closer with interest. “For what?”

“To film content.

❥ too long

actual name: game over

❥ option two

actual name: gorgeous ii | lmh (ft. ldh)

summary: ever since your shower tryst with mark, donghyuck has been feeling left out, and he’s been hinting at it. not so subtly. pretty damn explicitly, actually. after multiple failed attempts at reassuring him you’re all still a well-oiled machine of a team, you’re left with only one solution.

interestingly, it’s not an option anyone seems to be too averse to.

[the-wales-5]

"Valentine's Day 2003"

~ Chapter II

(chapter I here )

They left the forest at last, after 50 minutes. William checked the time, 9:55 PM. There was still more than 12 kilometres to St. Andrews University and as there was no phone signal around there they had no chance to call for help.

“The only way to reach university is to walk or to run through rain but if we'll walk, we will be there long after midnight” William said quickly

“Can't we just ask someone for help? I mean there must be something like some coffee shops or..”

“It is before 10 PM, it's all closed now, even bars. What are we even talking about? Do you see any bars or coffee shops over here? BECAUSE I DO NOT! And I don't see any cars or people passing by either”.

“Why are you screaming? It was your stupid idea to go for a walk to the forest with the knowledge that there's rain coming!”

“So it is all my fault now?”

“WHO ELSE'S? It made me feel better after a hangover BUT NOW I AM SOAKED FROM HEAD TO TOES! “

“Now it is you who is screaming, Miss Middleton”

“Stop calling me like that” she scoffed, fixed her wet, messy hair and threw her boyfriend's cap to the ground.

“It won't help anymore!”

William put it up and followed her as running.

“Why are you so stubborn? Yes, I should've considered..”

“You're repeating yourself - she cut him off. "I should've considered.." . You know what? Yes, you should have considered that I would rather write an exam than escaping, than almost fainting, than running to nowhere in the rain at night later. YOU REALLY SHOULD HAVE CONSIDERED ALL OF IT THIS MORNING, MR. WALES! “

“Kate, wait for me. You will get lost, you have no idea where to go!”

“Are you thinking that you are my only help right now? The fact that you're studying geography does not mean that you know everything about our destination or where we should go!”

“Your history of art is not helping us either”.

Catherine shook her head and went to the other side of the road to avoid him but William followed, grabbed her hand and sighed deeply.

“Alright. Stop walking. Look around. See? There is no one apart from me, we're literally alone here right now”

“And?”

“It means that we need each other now, more than you think”

“That is not true”

“It is true, Kate”.

She looked in front of herself. Her view was now just darkness and rain that was making her eyesight worse.

“Do you still want to go there alone?”

“No.. “

“Can I hold your hand, Miss Middleton?”.

Kate thought for a while and extended hand towards her boyfriend.

**

Her eyes were basically closed all the way because it was not making a big difference anymore if she was looking at the road or not. Her whole body was freezing and if she used to be a person who loved rain this experience supposedly completely changed her mind.

William was not even trying to start a conversation with her. He realised she must have been too annoyed. He didn't want to improve her anger.

After an hour of walking they wanted to take a cab but there was not even one in sight close to Fife.

“Why on earth there's not even a single car here?”

Catherine giggled with sorrow as replying:

“Let me think.. The reason for that might be: some other people would rather stay at home or elsewhere tonight instead of taking a walk in the darkest and the rainiest place in Scotland!”

William looked at her, letting go of her hand as saying:

“Could you stop reminding me how much I failed in making this day a romantic one? I AM SICK OF HEARING ABOUT IT”

“Watch out!” Catherine said suddenly

“What? Oh shit! “

William's shoe got into the mud and it was now smelling terribly.

“Hmm.. I think I just got another reason to not walk close to you”.

Catherine scoffed and again stepped forward.

**

At 11:35 PM, Catherine saw the university building and then the flat. Surroundings that she wanted to see for at least 4 hours.

She almost ran towards the building and passed by one of William's friends, just ignoring him as not feeling like she has to be kind or to explain anything.

William followed her with his head down. His friend noticed him:

“What happened between you and Catherine?”

“Between us? Nothing”

“She was going towards her room in a hurry, soaked and seemed to feel furious!” the guy stopped himself from laughing “You seem to feel the same way so I am just connecting dots, you know”

“Yes” William hissed by teeth

“It seems like she loves rain and you wanted to impress her because of Valentine's day which is or rather used to be her favourite time..”

“Stop talking in a sarcastic way”

“Alright.. So, Kate and you are basically a couple now?”

William sighed and said:

“I just wanted to take her for hot chocolate and to show that I love nature just like she does but it all turned out to be a complete disaster..”

“What can I say? I feel sorry for you both”

“By the way, where are you going?”

“To spend Valentine's day in the style of a single man. I passed today's exam so I need to celebrate it. But I assume that you're not joining..”

“Exam?”

“The one Catherine missed but better not mention it in a conversation. She is already furious and the professor, let's put it that way, was astonished to not see her there”

“Well, it's another reason why she hates me now..”

“Good luck, I guess” his friend chuckled and went to the bar.

William sighed and headed towards his room.

When he was on the way, he noticed his girlfriend was walking towards her room slowly and was shivering. Right in the moment when he wanted to approach her, the voice of Kate's friend reached his ear:

“What's wrong? Girl, you're shivering! What happened?”

“I had a hangover in the morning so I missed the exam because of it..”

“The professor was irritated”

“Yes, I assumed it. Can I finish? Thanks.. I quickly went to the coffee shop instead. Then I almost lost consciousness, as I wanted to feel better I went to the forest for a walk. It started to rain but I could not reach St. Andrews sooner..”

As she was telling it all, her voice was full of fury.

“Consequently, I am now wet as you can see and I had a fight with-- with someone.. To sum up, I have just had the worst Valentine's day ever so.. Do you want to know more?”

“No” her friend replied and added with hesitation “I really do not want to ruin this day more for you but..”

“Wait, something happened yet?”

“A simple situation, the door lock jammed”

“What?”

“And there's no chance it'll be repaired before 9 AM tomorrow”

“Are you kidding me? I'VE LEFT ALL MY CLOTHES INSIDE!”

“Calm down, Catherine.. I just was about to make a phone call to my mum and I'll come back home for the weekend. Thankfully I passed the exams so I don't have to stay here”

“Can I go with you? Please.. My parents are not available to help me as they're on a trip in French Alps right now”

“I am sorry but my family home is full these days because of my siblings. Also, I think you rather need to stay as your exam date is on 20th February”

“Yeah, that’s true.. I'll be fine, no worries”.

Catherine faked a smile and then hugged her friend. Having no idea how she'll survive the upcoming night..

**

After finally convincing himself to approach her, William put his hand on Kate's arm and called her name. She was still sitting and facing the door of her room. After feeling William's touch she startled but then looked at him with furious eyes:

“Why are you even trying to talk with me?”

“It's not about us now, Catherine”

“If not, leave me alone”

“Are you really going to stay here for the night? It is irresponsible”

Catherine scoffed as saying: “That is the exact word by which you should describe this whole day.. Irresponsible”

William sighed and sat down as he held a wet cap in his hands.

‘I know it was a failure in every way possible but can you just focus on the fact that the February's nights in Scotland are really cold and that you are already wet…”

‘Yeah, I could notice. Do I need to hide somewhere? Preferably in your room? I'd rather not do that, okay?. I am not as naive as you think, Mr. Wales”

“Kate..”

“Leave me alone!”

“I just wanted to help you with your migraine”

“By making sure I will be feeling even worse. Well, I must say that you completed your mission amazingly, Mr. Wales!”

She clapped, laughed sarcastically and sent him a furious stare.

“Could you stop calling me this way?” William cleared his throat

“Oh, Is it illegal? I am completely allowed to call you "Mr. Wales" just like you are allowed to call me "Miss Middleton" even though I hate it sometimes!”

“Can I at least prepare tea for you and bring it here?”

“I don't think so”

“Don't be so stubborn, Catherine..”

She was overthinking everything that happened and finally murmured:

“I hope this day or rather night will not be even worse..”

Right after that, she looked at her boyfriend and said in annoyed voice:

“Well.. I may enter your room but don't you dare to try to give me a "good night" kiss”.

She scoffed again and waited till William opened the door of his room.

Her clothes were totally soaked by rain and mud. Dishevelled hair was covering a part of her forehead and emotional state was far away from being "fine" .

William was not looking better though.

“I think you should have a shower first, Mr. Wales. It's not a tease but you're just not smelling good..” Catherine rolled her eyes.

William looked at one of his shoes that was still covered in mud and nodded.

As he quickly went to the bathroom, his girlfriend was sitting on a chair in front of a mirror. She was keeping her hands on her cheeks and whispered

“I am such a stupid and naive girl..”

Then she was walking around the room, waiting for her turn to finally go into shower.

Her socks were watery and so the carpet in the room was soon wet too but she was not paying attention to that. She finally noticed it but the only reaction she could give was a murmur:

“It's not my carpet, nor is it my room so it is not my problem”.

A few minutes later, William finally left the bathroom with a towel that Kate could use after the shower.

“Thanks” she said arrogantly “Your carpet is quite watery I would say..”

William looked at the carpet and then at the floor. "Oh shit!" He thought.

Catherine pretended to be innocent, it was her form of revenge.

“It's not only my fault, after all it was not even my plan to stay here for the night. You offered me that, I could easily stay in the corridor”.

“It's alright” William said with his teeth.

Kate spoke up again after a few seconds of awkward silence:

“What may I wear after a shower though? Don't tell me that I haven't ever left anything here, like some hoodie or-..”

Now her boyfriend tried not to giggle as he replied:

“Leaving something in place other than your room? Or leaving clothes elsewhere than in your own wardrobe? That's unlikely to happen in your case”

“Okay..” Catherine tried to stay patient “I am really glad that you reckoned my habits but now I need an serious answer to my question”

“No, you haven't left anything here”

“William! I meant the answer to my question, not assumption! You are still trying to make me more irritated and so now you are pulling out ridiculousness of my words despite the fact that I haven't said anything like that or anything funny as I am totally not in the mood for that because of you!”

Without saying anything, William pulled out one of his sweaters from the wardrobe which he put on the towel and said then:

“You can go and I will clean up the mess that you..” He corrected himself “that we both have made in this room”.

Catherine headed towards the bathroom silently.

*

"I hope he will be cleaning this mess until tomorrow. He deserves it. An idiot!" Catherine thought as she was putting her clothes into the washing machine.

To her dissatisfaction, William finished clearing yet before she left the bathroom. Sighing in relief, he hurled the old cloth to the bin and then also threw out the garbage. For a moment he wondered if he should throw the bottle of wine that he bought the day before as he realised it may cause Catherine's annoyance level higher as she would accuse him of trying to make her drunk so as to make fun of her 'dailly hangover' the following morning. At last, he just kept it inside the cupboard.

When he checked the hour, it was 11:48 PM.

"Twelve minutes to make valentine's day worthy of its name" he thought.

**

Catherine went out of the shower and then she wore William's sweater. It was huge, comfortable and covered her body nearly to her knees. "It's cute.." . She blushed a little.

A second later she came back to her senses though and the anger which she felt towards her boyfriend returned.

“Does he really think that this sweater will fix all the problems he caused?”

Kate scoffed, probably for the thousandth time that day and started searching for something.

“Where is the hairbrush? Let alone a dryer?.. I cannot do anything with my hair”.

Young woman again checked every 'inch' of the room but still there was nothing for possible use. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, sighing.

"I am still looking horrible but whatever.. I'm only going to sleep here" .

Finally she pulled the door handle.

What was her astonishment to see that the room was cleaned and her boyfriend was nowhere to be found.

Was she wondering what happened?. Not really. On the contrary, she had rather evil thoughts.

"I am glad I do not have to see him anymore. He probably went somewhere to drink alcohol because he doesn't want to hear my complaints any longer" .

She smiled evil and searched for something to eat for a quick dinner.

The prince came back to the room 2 minutes later though and noticed his girlfriend sitting on the bed with closed eyes. He assumed she was listening to the rain falling. Despite their recent 'adventure' she still loved this sound or at least it was making her calm.

William was looking at her and thinking how naturally beautiful she was, without any makeup or hair brushed.

“Kate.. Can you go with me somewhere?”

“Where? Oh, to the coffee shop maybe?’ she asked sarcastically

“No, just to the living room”

"Living room? Your 'accommodation' is not as big as the palace, so there's no chance of having a living room. It's rather just a bigger room”

“See you tomorrow” William said quickly.

It has not been said with sadness, not even with irritation. It was rather a situation where he was totally ignoring his girlfriend. Just like she has been ignoring him and his efforts since the early morning. He left the room and closed the door, without saying a simple "good night" to Catherine. He was annoyed. Not at himself anymore, but at her.

Just in that one second Middleton realised how selfish she was and how her behaviour was not her typical one. She left the room and saw William sitting on the sofa, in front of a vase with her favourite flowers that until now were hidden in the room of his friend (the one that he met earlier in the evening close to the university) and which he wanted to give her after returning from their walk in the forest.

“William..” Kate said softly

“What do you want?”

“I want to apologise for.. for everything”.

William looked at her and he scoffed.

“Do you realise how much effort I put into making this day good? Do you realise how I tried to make you happy? I was looking for a nice coffee shop near our university for days before today just because I know how you love to drink hot chocolate in the winter. When during our visit there and seeing a painting you said I have no idea about nature I wanted to make you realise it is not true so I took you for that bloody walk to the forest whereas I could easily take you for a motorcycle ride as you probably wanted and we would not have to run through the rain. I admitted that I failed but you are still punishing me”.

Catherine had become speechless. Until now she was not able to realise that she was not the only 'victim' of the imperfect Valentine's day.

“I've planned something else. I kind of changed it a few minutes ago, but now I think I should rather cancel it altogether, to not make you feel 'worse' .

“What did you plan?”

“Do you remember those 'radio announcements of love' on BBC Radio 1?”

“Yeah.. but what do you mean by that you "kind of" changed it?” Catherine asked

William sighed and turned the radio on. At almost the same time, the speaker said:

"It's 11:53 PM. We were supposed to basically finish our "Valentine's day 2003 edition of songs requests" but a few minutes ago we got something really important.. The person who requested this song also asked not to mention any names though. It was a request which is also a way of saying "I am sorry". We don't know what happened but we also have a request for that girl. Forgive him and let him not miss any moment with you anymore.

We're leaving that couple but also all others with the romantic song "I don't want to miss a thing" by Aerosmith. Good night everyone" .

Catherine was staring at her boyfriend in disbelief while the song was playing. Her negative thoughts vanished completely and she couldn't say a word. Her earlier confession about song requests made only by the people who "are cheating or are being cheated on" was now denied, at least in a small part.

"I was not right about it, same as about other things I did or said today" .

William, on the other side, was still upset. He had no idea what to say after turning the radio off. Finally, he got courage.

“I'm sorry if you will now feel totally disgusted by my efforts..”

Catherine looked at her boyfriend with tears in her eyes, she whispered:

“Disgusted? It was beautiful.. Every little thing you did for me. Even the fact that I could wear your clothes for the first time. Just now I realised how wonderful it all was.. I am so sorry for my behaviour” she said shyly.

“Catherine, are you serious?”

She smelled the scent of white flowers and replied: “I would never lie in those circumstances..”

Their eyes finally met. For the first time since the moment in the forest, seconds before it rained.

“Are you-.. forgiving me?” William asked nervously

Catherine smiled weakly “I am, but are you able to forgive me?

William just held her hand and Catherine kissed him on the lips then.

They were kissing for a few minutes. Catherine's boyfriend slowly stopped her and quietly asked if she was really sure of the way she wanted to end this day because he could read her thoughts. He also wanted it to happen but he didn't know if she was certain.

She just nodded and William lifted her up onto his arms. He kissed her and after he laid her down on the bed in his room, Kate whispered:

‘Happy Valentine's day, Mr. Wales”

“Happy Valentine's day, Miss Middleton”.

Basically the eternity of that day was spent arguing, but now they were not able to remember it at all.

14th February 2003 was supposed to be their first Valentine's day. In fact it was the day of their first serious argument.No matter what happened before it was also their first night, full of kisses and loveable moments that made them realise how much they love each other and that it was definitely not caused because of the atmosphere of Valentine's day.

When Catherine finally fell asleep in the early morning, William was staring at her. While he was carefully stroking her hair that were still wet after her evening shower, he thought: "I seriously don't want to miss a single moment with you, Catherine Elizabeth" .

The end ♡~~happy valentines day~~♡

[sckyie]

word count: 2.5k

genre + warnings: enemies to lovers; coworkers, office love, alcohol mentioned, swearing

pronouns used: she/her

a/n: hi hi here’s my exchange gift for @coophi! happy holidays and stay safe, i hope you like what i wrote for you! [ this was apart of @/haikyuucreations secret santa ]

You put your forehead on the table groaning at the recent news. "You'll get'em next time, Y/n," your coworker rubbed your back. You sighed louder as you heard something being placed on your desk. You shift your face towards the corner of the surface to see a coffee cup with your name scribbled on the side.

You rolled your eyes and looked up to see the new lead, Kuroo, being congratulated by everyone. "That was supposed to be my promotion," You grumbled. You stared at the coffee up and walked over to Kuroo's desk. Leaving the filled cup, you excused yourself to the bathroom.

Kuroo watched as you rejected his peace offering before leaving the office. He understood how you felt once you heard that you didn't get the promotion. Your papers were perfect, clients loved you both, but the one thing keeping you from getting the promotion was simple. Kuroo's numbers were much higher than yours and it crushed yours.

The thought of endless nights staying late to catch up became pointless. The effort in surpassing him wasn't necessary anymore. All your work, all your stressful nights, everything didn't matter to the manager and execs.

"Hmph," Kuroo seated himself and stared at your drink on his desk.

"Something wrong, Kuroo?" Your coworker peeked beside him.

"Oh nothing," He responds.

You return to your desk, side-eyeing your now superior. You took a deep breath before returning to your paperwork.

Numbers, numbers, numbers. You spent your shift calculating, writing, and fixing errors. The jumble of text on your screen began to hurt your brain for working so hard.

The day dreaded on as the anger in you fumed. It wasn't that you were mad for not getting the promotion. You were furious that out of all people it'd be Kuroo who got it. You despised his snarky, overly confident facade and his petty ways of trying to show you how great he was.

Finally, your shift comes to an end but so does Kuroo's. You two walk together to the elevators though you tried your hardest avoiding him. "Did I get your order wrong?" Kuroo smirked as he pressed the lobby button.

"I don't want your pity coffee," You muttered.

"It's not a pity coffee," He rebutted. "It was a hot chai latte."

"Haha," You mocked. "I don't even like chai."

"Then what do you like?" Kuroo smiled.

"Not you," You immediately walked out of the elevator, making your way to the parking lot.

"Tsk," He was the tiniest bit irritated by your tone but decided to try again tomorrow.

Papers, papers, papers. Endless papers for you to edit and write at home. It was torture but how else could you succeed in your career. Things were already shit with Kuroo trying to be friends with you. Nevertheless, you finished at least ten pages of reports for tomorrow's agenda.

Early morning, you arrived at the office before everyone like normal. Kuroo arrives with two coffees and a small brown bag. He walked over, placing the snack and cup on your desk without a word. He walks to his desk and begins his work without interacting.

You turn the cup to check what it was. "Café latte," You mouthed. You peeked in the small bag to see a blueberry muffin. Before you could return the drink, people began to file into the room. You rolled your eyes and sipped on the drink.

"Success," Kuroo thought to himself as he watched you snack and sip the offerings.

It became a daily thing for Kuroo to bring you drinks. Never the same one twice, but always a blueberry muffin. You gave in to his gesture and thanked him silently whenever he passed by.

Your favorite interaction however was his failed attempt in talking to you. "You come here often?" He asked as he placed your coffee on your desk.

"Considering I work here, yes," You say sarcastically.

"Wow I'm literally so stupid," Kuroo thought. Kuroo saw many opportunities to talk to you more but fell nervous every time. It was always hard for him to get close to someone new. His past relationships had left him hopeless for his own future. The toxicity from the past girls left him thinking he'd never be happy with someone. These past few years, he'd been focusing on himself.

Then you walked into his life. After being transferred to a new branch, you seemed different than any other girl he's met. Kuroo saw hope in you and believed that you could be the light of his love life. He admired your attention to detail, your determination, and well, your beauty. Kuroo saw all your greatest features yet he could never bring himself to tell you his admiration.

One day, you had already a shitty morning and didn't want to deal with anything at work. From annoying traffic to angry clients to the blisters from your heels, you wanted more than anything for the day to end.

A few upset clients later, your head began to pound and you excused yourself for an early break. Kuroo turned to see you sulk away, causing him to furrow his eyebrows.

"What's with Y/n?" He asks his desk neighbor.

"Oh, two of her clients weren't co-operating and it's getting her frustrated," She responded. "She's been having a bad day."

Kuroo looks at your desk curiously and noticed how you had removed your heels under your desk. "Be right back," Kuroo gets up from his desk and walked over to the shared kitchen area to grab some things.

You returned from your short break to be greeted with a small pile of things. Bandages for your blisters, medicine for your headache, water, and a cut-up apple. "Take it easy," You found a post-it on the water bottle. You looked at your screen to see your client queue cleared with everyone on the list as approved. Confused as ever, you make use of the mystery goods to tend to your needs.

"Attention everyone, tonight Ryu here is throwing a little work party at his apartment," Your manager announced. "It is a small goodbye party for him and congratulations to our new lead, Kuroo." You rolled your eyes at Kuroo's name and continued to snack on the apples.

Later that night, you arrived at Ryu's house, catching Kuroo's attention. "Woah," Your male coworker gasped at the sight of you. "Damn, how is she single."

"Hey calm down, Kuroo-san has a crush on her," Other teased.

"Fuck off and keep my love life out your mouth," Kuroo nudges his shoulder. Though they weren't wrong, you were stunning. Dressed to impress and you even put your hair down from your usual updo. Kuroo was left speechless, thus leaving him too anxious to tell you anything.

After one cheesy speech and a big congratulations, the drinking began. Kuroo began to get too into the moment, having one too many drinks. You, however, stayed sober the whole party. You snickered at the sight of your drunk colleagues.

Kuroo's cheeks were bright red and he walked funny. He made his way towards you and you couldn't help but laugh. This was his chance to confess. "I- I- want-" He hiccuped between words. Kuroo began to get lost in thought, forgetting he was drunk confessing. "I- want my- keys- I- need- need  to go- home."

"I don't think so," You snatch his keys from the key holder before he could. "Do you want me to take you home?" He nodded excessively as you rolled your eyes. You chat with Ryu shortly before taking Kuroo to your car.

"Kamikita Apartments," You say. You had asked Ryu as you saw no hope in getting anything out of Kuroo. He slowly fell asleep in your car as you drove through the lit city. "I hope you know, I'm only doing this because you're drunk. I still don't like you."

"Mhm," Kuroo says in his sleep. You giggled at his expression all the way to his apartment.

Kuroo rests his arm around your shoulder as you two made your way to the apartment. You unlock the door and Kuroo immediately walks to the bedroom. Once he realized you weren't behind him, he turns back. "Where'd you go?" He pouted.

"Nowhere," You followed into his room. "Where are your pajamas- Oh, here. Change while I get you water."

Kuroo obeys your order and seats himself as he waited for his water. To him, he had already confidently talked to you about how he felt. Yet in reality, he was too drunk to even comprehend the front of his shirt.

"Here," You notice the tag in the front of his shirt as he chugged the water. "Your shirt is backward."

"Help me?" He begged. You facepalm at his tone but agreed. It felt like you were taking care of a baby. Your cheeks flushed pink once you helped him take off his shirt. You stopped to admire his face as you adjusted the middle of his sleep shirt. His hands move to rest on your hips. "It's so cold. Thank you for helping me change. Oh, and Y/n?"

"Y-yes?" You stuttered at his large hands.

"I have something to tell you," His voice started to sound sleepy. "I love you." Your eyes widen and you couldn't show him your shy expression.

"Tell me that again when you're sober," You move his hands away from you. Making your way to the light switch, you looked at the sad Kuroo. "I'll sleep in the living room. Just- go to bed."

Thankfully you had a change of clothes in your trunk that you used to sleep in. You got ready for bed, chuckling at the sounds of Kuroo snoring next door to the bathroom.

You laid silently on the couch staring at the ceiling. Those three words, you never thought you'd hear them from him of all people. It'd been years since your last break up, so you'd always been so closed off when it came to men. After getting heartbroken, you didn't think another man could love you. Kuroo was no exception. Sure he was handsome but you were adamant about staying single for the longest.

The thought of Kuroo in your life lingered up until the morning. He had woken up before you and found himself with a pounding headache. He made his way to the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water. As he drank his water, he spit-sprayed the water out of his mouth when he spots you sleeping. He began to cough aggressively before collecting himself. "Wha- what is she doing here?!" He whispered.

You woke up to the sound of your dying colleague, rubbing your eyes to the bright room. Kuroo walked over to you as you sat up, pulling the blanket to your lap. "Good morning," You yawned. "How's the hangover?"

"What are you doing here?" Kuroo panicked.

"You were shit-faced. This was the one thing I could do for repaying you for the coffees," You say.

"Did I do- did I say anything stupid?" He hides his face in his hands.

"You told me something," You began to fiddle with your thumbs. "I don't know if you meant it or not, but you told me you loved me."

"I...did?" Kuroo slowly moves his hands to look at you. Your face was red and you were playing with your sleeves now.

"Well, did you mean it?" You ask. "If you didn't..."

Kuroo reached over and pulled your chin up with his index knuckle and thumb. "I meant it," He says. "I really did."

Your face grew warmer at his words. "Why?" You sighed. "I'm so mean to you."

"Because," Kuroo moves his hand away to stare at his lap. "I love your smile. I love the way you work. I love how determined you are. The way you sign your papers with a tiny heart. The way you laugh at the smallest things. And...I know you might hate my guts but ever since I saw you, I admired you. You make so many people smile and bring happiness to the room. I thought I'd been on your shit list but I'm glad you took care of me- See that's another thing, you put yourself after everyone else. That's why I gave you bandaids, buy you coffee, finished your quotas for you. I just think you deserve better than what you have right now. And I'm so impressed by you-"

You got annoyed by his rambling and decided to grab his cheeks. You interrupted his words by crashing your lips into his. "You literally talk so much," You pulled away. "Can I talk now?"

Kuroo was stunned at the fact that you just kissed him to shut him up. "You just- kissed-" You pressed your lips on his again to keep him quiet. He deepened the kiss before you could pull away. "You can talk." He smiled as he pulled away.

"Okay," You move from his face. "I wanted to say, you weren't on my shit list or whatever. I was upset I didn't get the promotion and I didn't like your attitude. But, getting to know you I learnt how different you really are. Especially when you’re drunk, it's funny. Besides that, I didn't know how you felt, I didn't notice all the things you've done for me."

Kuroo placed his palm on yours, carefully comparing the size of it to yours. "I didn't think I could fall in love with someone who didn't give me the time of day," He says. You moved your fingers to trace his.

"How are you so sure that you love me?" You laced your fingers with Kuroo's.

"That's the thing, I'm not sure," Kuroo looked down at his lap. "I did all those things just to make your days easier. I thought all the small gestures I did, wouldn't matter to you. That they were just tedious things that bothered you. To be honest, I'm afraid of letting someone into my heart. I was drunk when I told you and I meant it but I want to know for sure that I'm in love with you before anything."

"Do you want to find out?" You say softly.

"Only if you'd let me," Kuroo looked up to see you smiling at him. You nodded and leaned in for another kiss. "Man if only your kisses made this hangover go away."

You rolled your eyes and pressed your lips against his once more. The feeling of his hands move to your waist caused the heat in your face to return. Kuroo pulls you to straddle his lap as he deepened the kiss. Your hands rest on his shoulders while he rubbed your sides.

"I promise to make you the happiest woman in the world," He whispered as he pulled away.

"Do I still get morning coffee?" You giggled.

"And your blueberry muffin," Kuroo chuckled. You smiled before pecking his lips. You rest your head on the crook of his neck as he rubbed your back. "I won't disappoint you."

taglist: @amillionfandoms-onlyoneme @just-a-siiimp @d0llpie @elianetsantana

[sketchguk]

It's great to see you're relaxing after ☺️ what are you watching on Netflix??? And yes I'll keep give her my scarf and keep her warm 😭😭😭 hhhhhhhh I might slip and say I love her too 😭😭😭 and my house is Hufflepuff eheeee what's your house?? I was thinking about questions to ask about the au 👉🏼👈🏼 Can you say things about gryffindor soonyoung that makes mc angry and things mc does that makes soonyoung angry? I'm excited to know what makes soonyoung angry 😭 - 2am anon

Thank you !!! My break is much needed ;n; I've been watching Single's Inferno and Our Beloved Summer !!! I've also been watching Bad and Crazy on iqiyi because Lee Dong Wook is so hot..... Whenever he's on screen, my brain is empty, but my coochie is thinking 😵‍💫 are you watching anything ?? Let me know if you have recs 🥺 even if they aren’t kdramas, haha I’ll check them out !

No wayy, I'm a Hufflepuff too !!! 💛 I'll be your wing woman when you're ready to confess to mc hehe. If you need help sneaking her into the common room, I gotchu 😌

Oh God, let me start with things that mc does to piss off Soonyoung, that beautiful man..... Upsetting him comes easy because of how passionate he is. He's competitive as hell, especially when it comes to his girl

Very early on in the plot, it wasn't an unknown secret that mc had a puppy crush on Hufflepuff Mingyu. He's warm, reliable, always willing to listen, and he's got the biggest dick heart. So naturally, they developed a friendship. Somewhere along the line, she caught feelings for him, or at least she thought she did considering Soonyoung is in the picture. However, she would flirt with Mingyu very openly, and her heart eyes would not go unnoticed. Of course, Soonyoung's jealousy would rile him up like no other, and he'd be fumingggg

Mc didn't mean to do it on purpose, at least not at first. And she definitely didn't mean it when she fell into bed with Mingyu that one time..... lol (all hell breaks loose, but that's a whole other story). After all, she's convinced that Soonyoung isn't serious about her. She thinks this is all part of his game. He wants to break down her walls, but emotionally, she thinks that she's strong enough to withstand his charm. So who is she hurting by liking Mingyu??? (Literally every character in the story LOL), but ignorance is bliss, ya know?

So yeah, as smitten as Soonyoung is, he's also possessive 😔 That's his toxic trait, but I think I can overlook that LOL. Nobody's perfect right??

Okay, likewise, Soonyoung is a popular guy. He's the star quidditch player, and people can't decide whether they want to be him or be with him. His classmates gravitate towards him like the force of gravity, and mc can't help but get jealous as well further down the storyline when she develops feelings ;n;

Girls practically swarm him, and all she can do is stand in the crowd and watch. She'd stomp away, pretending as if she isn't upset, but Soonyoung would follow her anyways because she's the only person he cares about 😭 His eyes have always been on her ! Since he pays so much attention to her, he can read her like an open book :-( He's the only one who truly understands her because of that ksljdkal. I feel like we talked about this aha. But still, she doesn't drop her facade, so she continues to act indifferent as if Soonyoung doesn't have a chokehold on her heart. What is this ache in her chest? Why is it pounding so hard? Why does it hurt so much?

As for something that is in Soonyoung's control, mc gets annoyed when he interferes with her studies. She's all business when she hits the books, and she would honestly bite off his head if he doesn't stop his nonsense. There's no eating in the library, so what is he trying to do by stuffing a whole burger in his mouth?? What does he have to prove?? Any other day, it would be funny, but at this point in time, he needs to read the room because she is STRESSED.

Sometimes, she'll go a little overboard and say something hurtful. You're wasting my time, go away and leave me alone. Stop being so fucking annoying, can't you see I'm busy? You're embarrassing me. And Soonyoung would take it to heart :-( He just wants her to loosen up and relieve her stress :-( She's the smartest girl he knows, so why does she need to push herself soo hard when it's hurting her?? :-(( (sorry, I got sentimental loll)

And to this day... the headcanon where Soonyoung and Mingyu fight lives in my head rent free. Have I mentioned it already?? LOL sorry if this info isn’t new 😔

[pod95]

Pairing: Finn Balor X OFC (Ciara)

Word Count: 1981

Warnings: Mature to explicit as the story goes on.

Description: After moving to the USA from England to start her career as an NXT superstar, Ciara gets to meet her long time crush, NXT champion Finn Balor. It's clear the pair have chemistry, but when tensions start to rise, will they find they want more than a no strings attached relationship?

So this is the first piece of fanfic I have written literally ever. I will be posting them here periodically, but I already have 6 chapters out on my Wattpad, AO3 and FanFiction pages.

This series will involve romance, drama and (although it will take a little while) some smutt too. Hope you enjoy it! 😊

Chapter 5: Prince Charming

I had a quick shower in my locker room before heading out to the car park, where Fergal was coolly leaning against his car. I was feeling kind of nervous. Up to now every time I'd seen Fergal it was down to pure coincidence. Now we were very intentionally going out for food together.

"Ready to go?" he smiled as I approached his car. I nodded sheepishly in response. "Good. We'll swing by your place so you can drop of your stuff and change if you want."

"That would be great, thanks!" I threw my gym bag into the trunk and climbed into the passenger seat. Fergal turned the radio on low and pulled out of the car park.

"So can you drive back in England?" he asked me.

"To be honest no, I never got my licence"

"Really? How come?" I hesitated for a moment before answering. The truth was simple: I could never afford to. But the reason why was something I wanted to run so far away from that I'd never think about it again.

"Well... I grew up in a poor area and money was tight for a lot of my life. I guess I just... Never got around to it," I lied, before lowering my head in embarrassment.

"Ya know," he piped up eventually, clearly noticing my discomfort, "I didn't learn to drive until I joined NXT. Dusty actually taught me" he admitted, with a hint of sadness.

"You must have some great memories with him"

"Oh I could tell you some stories, " he smiled at me before turning his attention back to the road.

The journey was filled with laughter as Fergal recounted his driving lessons, and soon enough we were pulling up outside my apartment.

"Right, won't be a minute"

I jumped out of the car, rushed inside and dumped my gym stuff in the washer. Knowing that this wasn't a date took a lot of the pressure off of choosing an outfit. I kept reminding myself that this was just a casual meal between work colleagues and not to overthink it. I returned to the car in a nice top and some jeans.

"So where are we going?" I asked.

"Well there's a nice sushi place near here, or we could get pizza-"

"I LOVE sushi!" I interrupted loudly before catching myself "I mean... Sushi sounds great, please"

"Sushi it is!" Fergal giggled, and pulled away from the pavement.

* * * *

As we entered the restaurant, the host greeted Fergal with a warm, familiar smile.

"Mr Devitt! Your usual seat I presume?" he asked, eyeing me before giving Finn a knowing look. It was obvious the host was not surprised to see Fergal here with a new face.

"Yes please, if it's available"

"Of course! Right this way sir. And might I say, your lady friend looks ravishing this evening" he flashed me a charming smile.

"This is Ciara, she's a new superstar. She worked her ass off today so I'm treating her," Fergal flashed that gorgeous smile again, but his quickness to correct the hosts mistake had me a little disappointed.

"Ah, my mistake sir! I assumed... No matter. Can I get you anything to drink?"

"Just a soda, please"

We took our seats in a quiet corner of the restaurant.

"Same for me, thanks" I nodded.

"Right away," he nodded and left the two of us alone.

Our table was next to a large window looking out across a small stretch of beach. Not one of the many that were overpopulated with tourists, but a quiet, peaceful piece of heaven. As the sun started to set, its light was dancing across the surface of the ocean. It was a beautiful sight. I could see why this was Fergals usual table, though I couldn't help but wonder how many women he'd brought here, charming them with the view.

"So, what looks good?" Fergal opened the menu and glanced over the pages.

"Honestly, all of it..."

"I usually just get a sushi platter to share and then order some ramen or a bento box for myself."

"That sounds perfect," I closed my menu and set it down, relieved that he'd taken the lead before I said something stupid. Fergal called a waiter over to give him our order before turning his attention back to me.

"So how did you get into wrestling?"

"My mum is a huge fan, we used to watch it together. She's basically in love with Brett Hart" I giggled.

"She must be incredibly proud," he smiled. I nodded in response, trying to hold back some tears that had started to form. Noticing my sadness, his tone softened, "I know it's hard, moving away from family, friends, boyfriend..."

"Oh, I'm single so that's not an issue but... Yeah, I miss them a lot."

It could have been my hopeful imagination, but the look in his eyes seemed to shift slightly from sympathy to devilish triumph.

"Really? That's interesting..."

"How so?" I asked, playfully.

"Well..." he hesitated before leaning in slightly closer to me. He squinted his eyes in thought, as if he were trying to solve a difficult puzzle. "You're beautiful, so I doubt you're short on options. You don't have any annoying habits that I've seen, but honestly you're attractive enough that most guys won't care-"

"And what if I'm only interested in women?" I teased, enjoying watching his attempts at analysing me. He chuckled cockily and licked his bottom lip.

"Well in that case, all that flirting you did last night wouldn't make much sense would it?"

"I... Suppose not..." I mumbled, my cheeks beginning to feel hot once again.

Every interaction between Fergal and I felt like a game of Tennis, passing flirtatious remarks and enticing glances between us until one of us (usually me) was left feeling embarrassed.

"So that means, you're choosing to be single. Why is that?" he leaned back in his chair and folded his arms, satisfied with his theory.

"I'm just not looking for anything serious now. My career comes first."

"That's smart," he nodded in approval.

We were interrupted by a waiter bringing our food to the table. Everything looked and smelled amazing.

"I just got out of something semi-serious so, I'm focusing on my career too."

I popped a Maki roll into my mouth to hide my surprise. He didn't look like he was lying to me, but Saraya had mentioned last night that he was seeing someone. Maybe she was just taking a dig at him. There was a lot of hostility there after all.

Ugh... Thinking about last night was giving me flashbacks of my piss poor attempt at being alluring. I shuddered the thought out of my mind.

"You ok?"

"Yeah just, kind of embarrassed about last night," I confessed. "I don't normally flirt with complete strangers."

"I could tell, you were really bad at it. Do you always get like that when you're drunk or are ya just that attracted to me?" Fergal laughed, doing nothing to calm my already crimson face.

"I'm always like that, sorry to disappoint. But I did want to thank you for not taking advantage, and for making sure I got home safe. It was really kind of you..."

"Wow. No wonder you're single. You really need to get higher standards for men love. If not trying to sleep with you when you're drunk is your idea of kind, you're gonna be dating a lot of assholes."

I knew he was right, but considering my last relationship, honestly at this stage I'd say almost anything was an improvement.

We continued eating and laughing until finally the bill came. I reached into my bag to get my purse out.

"Woah, what are ya doing? I said this was my treat." Fergal insisted, reaching into his back pocket.

"At least let me pay for half of it"

"Absolutely not."

"You are fighting a losing battle here miss. Mr Devitt is a gentleman after all," the host chimed in, leaving me with no choice but to concede. We thanked him for the meal and said our goodbyes.

It was only when we got outside and it was pitch black I realised how long we'd been here for. Time really felt like nothing when I was spending it with Fergal. The journey home was made in a comfortable silence, both of us stuffed from dinner as I hummed along to the radio, and before I knew it we were pulling up outside of my apartment.

"Here, it's dark. I'll walk you to your door," Fergal switched off the engine and got out of the car.

"Thanks again for tonight. It was nice getting to hang out. Made me feel a little less lonely being here," I reached into my purse to grab my keys.

"No problem, I know what it's like moving to a new country. If you ever need anyone to just hang out with, let me know," he suggested.

"And next time I will definitely pay!"

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that." he beamed.

In the moonlight he looked more gorgeous than I could ever imagine, and I couldn't stop my gaze from wandering. They travelled from the pale blue pools of his eyes, to that intoxicating smile, to the perfect contours of his chest, all the way down to-

"Ahem, my eyes are up here," he smiled cheekily, clearly very pleased with himself that yet again he'd caught me checking him out.

"I was just-"

"No need to be embarrassed love. I take it as a compliment. I actually find it really cute you can't keep your eyes off of me. Besides..." he took a step closer to me and placed a tender hand on my cheek, "You're not the only one who's thought about it."

"Th.. Thought about... What?" I stammered, feeling a pleasant tingling at his touch.

"Oh, you KNOW what" he brushed a strand of hair behind my ear.

"I don't..."

He pushed me gently against the wall and held me there, one hand still caressing my cheek, the other pinning my hands above my head.

"So... You haven't thought about me ripping your clothes off and throwing you onto the bed. You've not thought about how it would feel, me kissing every inch of your body," he moved his face closer to mine until our lips were mere inches apart. His eyes were staring intensely into mine, and the feeling of his breath on my skin made my heart beat faster.

"And you've never imagined how, when you can't take any more, I'd make you feel more pleasure than you've ever felt before."

I ran my tongue along my bottom lip in anticipation. Anticipation for a kiss that never came. A let out a small whine as he pulled his face away and released me from his hold. Hearing this he smirked.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," he sighed, looking very frustrated with himself. "Look, you're sweet... But I don't do sweet. Okay? I do broken and desperate and fucked up. It's just easier that way. Good girls always think they can fix me, and then treat me like I'm the bad guy when they get their heart broken in the process. If you know what's good for ya, you won't cross that line. I'm not your Prince Charming, love."

He walked back to his car, leaving me alone at my doorstep, confused and disappointed as he drove off into the night. I shut the front door behind me and threw myself onto the sofa in frustration. Damn, having him that close to me, talking about the things he was had gotten me all worked up. I needed to get that out of my system before the next time I saw him, otherwise I might just have to show him how wrong he was to call me a good girl.