#(I get this because I paid attention to more than two seconds ago and noticed how that literally happened with Crimea and now)

[simplyholl]

Happily Never After Pt. 1

Summary: A marriage proposal from Prince Loki is every princess's dream come true, except for yours.

Pairing: Asgard Loki x F. Reader

Warnings: Smut. Minors DNI. 18+ ONLY. Loss of Virginity.

W/C: 3.4K

A/N: This will be two parts!

See My Masterlist Here

"Married to Prince Loki?!" You shriek. It was the most absurd thing you had ever heard. "Stop being dramatic, dear. You two are very close. Since Prince Thor is already promised, this is the best match we could secure. Your father and I thought you would be happy considering he is your friend, and not a stranger."

"We used to be close! That was ages ago! I loathe him, mother. This is unfair. I would rather marry a stranger." You protest, wiping your sweaty palms on your long gown as you pace the room. "Why do you hate him? We just visited them last week." She tries to reason with you.

"You said yourself he was your best friend. Do you not recall the tears you shed when your father forbid you from spending time with him unchaperoned?" She pours herself more tea, waiting for your reply. "Yes, well he was my best friend. He's a different person now. I barely know him." You look out of your window, the palace in clear view of your own estate.

Your father was king of a neighboring realm, when the ogres attacked, forcing your family to seek safety in Asgard. You were welcomed with open arms. Frigga and your mother became fast friends. Odin relied on your father's knowledge of the other realms' customs, so he became valuable to him. Frigga invited your mother for tea every day. She insisted your mother bring you along since she had two boys close to your age you could play with.

Thor was older, more focused on playing rough with the other boys. He never paid attention to you. Loki was only a year older than you. You often found him reading under a tree instead of playing. He didn't notice you at first until you insisted the older boys let you play. Volstagg accidentally knocked you to the ground.

When Loki heard you crying, he stood up for you even though Volstagg towered over all of you. He was an unusually large child. Loki brought you to his favorite hiding place. Deep in the woods behind the palace there was a treehouse. He explained that he often came there for solace. It was built for Odin thousands of years ago when he was a child.

Thor didn't like to play there because it was too far from the palace. He thought he would get in trouble. One evening, Loki lost track of time and fell asleep in the treehouse. When he was finally found, Frigga had the place cleaned up, so it wouldn't be dangerous. Ever since that day, you and Loki were inseparable. You used the treehouse as a secret lair for you two to spend time alone.

The other children didn't play with you. They only played with Loki because they were scared of Odin. You understood each other completely. You would make up stories and put on one person plays to share your creativity. You grew up together. It went from playing as children, to hiding out in the tree house after mandatory appearances at balls. You despised when your father wanted you to meet other royals. He would force you to dance with their sons. After two dances, you and Loki would slip away to your private place.

You would laugh about the cheesy things they said to impress you. You would never forget the first time your heart skipped a beat. You were laughing about the visiting prince who told you your gown was lovely. It was the most hideous shade of lime green the seamstress could find. You had requested it that way, so you could hide your beauty. You wiped tears of laughter from the corners of your eyes as you told Loki your reasoning for the unpleasing color.

"You should have known you couldn't hide beauty like yours even in that atrocious gown." His sentiment made you blush, your heart stopped beating as he held your gaze. His eyes lingered on your lips for a few seconds too long. You were sure he was going to kiss you. You closed your eyes in anticipation, feeling his face draw closer to yours. Then you were interrupted by Thor bellowing down below. Your father was looking for you.

You wouldn't be allowed out of his sight if he caught you out there. When you got home, you wrote everything down in your diary. How Loki had made you feel beautiful for the first time in your life, how you wished Thor and your father would have waited moments longer. The next day your father called you into his study, your diary in hand. Oh, how you wished the floor would open up and swallow you whole.

"I forbid you to see him ever again." Your father's stern words instantly made you cry. Loki was everything to you. You couldn't lose him. You told him it was just a silly crush. That what you had written was just a fantasy you made up. He finally believed your lies, but now you couldn't be with him unless you were chaperoned.

Hundreds of years went by, you were as close as ever. You still found your way around the chaperones. You would sneak out at night meeting at the treehouse. You would stay up half the night together laughing as you did when you were children. He would have you back in your bed before sunrise. You always thought it was unfair that you had to be chaperoned, but Loki could do as he pleased.

Then came your first heartbreak. A visiting prince had met you at one of Frigga's balls. He immediately asked your father to court you. You were devastated. You didn't want to be courted. You were happy with your life. But your father couldn't wait to marry you off. But the more time you spent with the prince, the more you liked him. He had dark hair and blue eyes, sometimes you pretended he was Loki.

But he wasn't and there was your whole problem. No one would compare to Loki. But if you had to marry someone, at least the prince was nice. The prince would often find you with Loki going on strolls through the gardens, eating, and reading in silence. One evening, he visited your estate. He said he wanted to end this courtship. You couldn't think of anything you did wrong. He explained that he was certain your affection lied elsewhere, and he wanted to be the only man in his future bride's life. You didn't understand what he had meant, but you thanked him. You were free once again.

Then the latest scandal sheet was delivered by your maid. It mentioned how you and the prince were getting close. You rolled your eyes, thankful that was over. But when you reached the last paragraph, your whole world shattered. Prince Loki had been seen at the brothel three times this week. Not only that, but he had been caught with an unnamed maid in his mother's garden.

It wasn't uncommon for royalty to fuck around like whores, but this truly wounded you. You cried for a week after it came out. Your mother thought you were upset over the prince ending your courtship, so she explained there would be other princes. You didn't visit Loki for three months after the scandal sheet came out.

Another one hundred years passed, and you had grown used to Loki's womanizing. You were at the market, Loki carrying your basket filled with trinkets, winking at the unsuspecting maidens. He made note of the ones he wanted to bed later. You rolled your eyes, as you handed your coins to the shopkeeper, peeling the orange you just purchased.

"Really Loki, can you go one minute without finding four new lovers?" You joked. "Jealous?" He smirked. "Of course not, don't be ridiculous." "The only reason you are not overcome with jealousy is because you do not know what I am capable of carnally." The bite of orange you had just taken lodged down your throat causing you to choke. Loki smiled, pleased with himself.

"Of course, I wouldn't know that, or care to find out. You shouldn't speak of such things so loudly. What if someone heard you?" You looked around, your maid, Greta had her eyes on the ground pretending she wasn't listening. Loki walked over to her, dropping a few coins into her hand, and whispering to her. You watch as she goes to the next vender looking at the silks.

Loki grabs your arm, leading you behind a tent. "Aren't you curious? Your parents keep you in the dark, only for the bumbling fool you end up marrying to spill his seed in a matter of minutes." You would be like the other princesses, not knowing what to expect on your wedding night, if it wasn't for Loki. He had told you all about the act some hundred years ago, so you would know what to expect. You were thankful for that, at least.

But now, when he was looking at you like that, and speaking of such things, you wished you didn't know. "You won't experience pleasure with them. They just want to produce an heir, and once that's taken care of, he will get a mistress. I don't want that for you. I hope that you find a love match, but that is highly unlikely considering your father allows anyone with a title to court you."

You consider Loki's words as he leans in, his breath tickling your ear. "Let me show you what you are missing. I'll make it good for you. You deserve to experience mind blowing sex at least once in your life." He was the devil himself; you were sure of it. He was so tempting. You knew he was experienced, and women threw themselves all over him everywhere you went. He had to be good at it.

"I - I'm not sure. I would be ruined if anyone found out. My father would kill you.” You whisper, just in case someone was listening. "That's not a problem, I would just marry you before your reputation took a hit." He smiles as if what he said wasn't crazy. "Loki, I couldn't ask you to do that. To be honest, I am frightened. Not of you, but of the act itself. It doesn't sound like it would be pleasurable. Oh, but it must be if every eligible maiden in the kingdom lets you have your way with them."

You continue your ranting until Loki grabs your hand. "I would be gentle with you. We could start slowly. We would only do what you are comfortable with." You agreed to meet him at the treehouse that night. When you're back in your chambers you call Greta in to question her.

"Greta, have you had sex before?" She gasps, looking everywhere but at you. "My lady, that is not appropriate." You sit on your bed, gesturing for her to sit beside you. "Oh, spare me, we have known each other since we were girls. So out with it." You fold your arms across your chest waiting for her to answer.

"Yes, there was one man." She answers, her cheeks turning red. "Greta! Who was it?" She smiles, "Bart, the baker's son. We had a lovely couple of months together, but then he married the butcher's daughter. You see, men are fickle creatures. They use you until they find someone else. So be warned, my lady, keep your heart out of it. Men can have sex without emotions, and us women, well we often times end up heartbroken."

Greta's words repeated in your head all afternoon. You had known Loki for centuries, so you didn't think he would hurt you. But you were tempted to turn around, go back to your chambers and pretend like none of this ever happened. Luckily, he was in the treehouse waiting for you, so you couldn't leave now.

"It has been brought to my attention that men will do this with anyone, so I know it will mean nothing to you. And apparently, it will mean everything to me. I just don't want to regret this." You confide in Loki. "My darling girl, this will mean everything to me too. You are far too precious to me for it to mean nothing. We don't have to do anything if that is what you wish."

"I think you are right. I deserve to feel pleasure, and I trust you. I'm just nervous." Loki cups your face in his hands, bringing himself closer to you. It was so similar to that night when you were teenagers, your stomach erupts in butterflies. You never imagined the cute, gangly boy you knew so long ago would grow into the devilishly handsome man before you.

He kisses you, and it is exactly how you had always imagined. It was as if no time had passed between the moment when he almost kissed you centuries ago and now. You felt exactly the same. When he finally breaks the kiss, you look at him with wide eyes. If just his kiss could make you feel like this, you were in trouble.

Loki sat you down on the old mat you used to read on as children. It had fresh linen on it. Loki must have put it on before your arrival. He pressed kisses to your neck, sharp teeth nipping at your exposed skin. He had you sit up so he could undo your dress, nimble fingers working quickly on your corset until all your clothing was sat aside. You were bare for the first time in front of a man, but you were not ashamed. You should have attempted to cover yourself, but when Loki looked at you like you were a priceless painting, you felt no need to.

Loki took his time kissing every part of you. He toyed with your nipples, and you felt yourself growing wet. When he lowered his head to take one between his lips, you finally understood why all those maidens would jump at his beck and call. He kissed his way down your stomach, nipping your upper thigh. He spread your legs apart, pleased with your arousal dripping down your thighs.

"May I?" He asks, pink tongue poking out to lick his bottom lip. You aren't sure what he is asking, but he knows what he is doing, so you give your consent. His tongue envelops you, sliding from your slit to your most sensitive part. "Loki!" You shout, as he continues exploring you. His tongue flicks your clit as your hands weave through his messy locks.

You never imagined it would be like this. And you suppose if it wasn't for Loki, you would never know. He slips a long finger inside you as he continues licking you, He stretches you, placing another finger inside. You jolt at the intrusion, his fingers curling to caress your walls. You feel like you are about to explode.

"Loki, I feel so wonderful." You tell him. His lips suction around your clit, tugging while his fingers work their magic. Stars explode behind your eyes as your first orgasm rips through you. Loki waits until you finish writhing on his face before coming up for air. He wipes your arousal off his face with the back of his hand.

You think that has to be the most attractive thing you have ever seen. But you are proven wrong when Loki undresses. He has filled out since the last time you saw him shirtless, when you were swimming as teenagers. He drops his trousers, hard cock springing free. You gasp when you see the size of him. You were beyond thankful he told you about the differences between men and women so long ago. What a surprise this would be if he hadn't.

"You still have time to change your mind, love. Just say the word and I will stop." He stalks toward you, lowering himself to the mat. "Please do not stop." You say breathlessly. Loki chuckles, settling between your thighs. "This will hurt, but only for a moment. Tell me when you are ready for me to move."

Loki sinks into you, pressure and pain causing you to cry out. "I'm so sorry. I can't help it. It will feel better soon, I promise." You grit your teeth as Loki bottoms out. He stills inside you, waiting for you to give him permission to move. You take a minute, adjusting to his size, before you tell him you are alright.

Loki slowly removes himself before filling you completely again. After a few thrusts, it starts to feel good. "Faster, Loki, please." You beg, clawing at his back as he ravishes you. His hand comes down between your joined bodies, skilled fingers swirling against your clit. The feeling you had earlier comes back full force, another orgasm sending you soaring. Loki pulls out, finishing on the fresh linen on the mat. You lay there, breathing heavily, looking at Loki. He truly is beautiful. "Shall we go again?" He asks, his signature smirk returning.

Loki laid with you three more times before the sun rose. He walked you back to your estate, making sure you made it inside safely before walking back to the palace. The next day, you were excited to see Loki. You secretly hoped you would spend the day in the treehouse.

"Mary was looking for you." Fandral tells Loki, raising his eyebrows suggestively. "Well, you can tell her I never wish to see her again. She is of no use to me anymore." They laugh in unison, walking away as you round the corner. "Has someone finally caught your eye?" Fandral smiles. "Actually, I plan on asking the princess to marry me." Loki shocks Fandral who places a hand over his heart.

"Did you hear that, Greta?" You ask your maid, unwanted tears filling your eyes. "Yes, my lady." She answers. "Repeat what you heard please."

"Prince Loki said "You can tell her I never wish to see her again. She is of no use to me anymore." She looks at you with pity. "That's what I heard too. Oh, Greta." You collapse into her arms, sobbing. "Let's go home, my lady. We mustn't let the prince see that he has hurt you."

From that moment on, things were very different between you and Loki. He demanded to know why you avoided him now and why you never had a kind word for him. You never answered because he knew what he had done. He just didn't know you heard him talking about you. That was five months ago. Now, Odin was ordering him to marry and they had chosen you of all people.

If this happened before you would be ecstatic. Now, it makes you sick thinking about being alone with him. You had no choice. Your father had been trying to marry you off for centuries, and you always got out of your courtships somehow. You suspected Loki had a hand in it. But now that he wanted to marry you, there was no getting out of it.

You were expected at the palace by noon tomorrow. You paced the floor so many times, your footprints were probably embedded into the floor. Then you had the perfect idea. You would run away.

The next day everyone awaited your arrival. Your mother and father sat with Frigga and Odin having tea while they waited. Thor patted Loki on the back. "Finally, brother. Everyone saw this coming. I am very happy for you." Loki brought his cup to his lips, when a timid knock on the door interrupted them. He jumps up, rushing to let you inside. Instead of you, he is greeted by Greta. "Forgive the intrusion, your highness. It's the princess she ran away." Greta hands Loki the letter you left.

She sniffles, worried about you. While he reads the note, your father and Odin start planning on sending knights to find you. Frigga comforts your mother. "What does it say?" Thor asks, peeking over Loki's shoulder.

Greta, I cannot marry that pompous ass. I would rather live amongst the pigs. Do not bother looking for me, because you will never find me. Tell mother and father I love them dearly. Thank you Greta, for everything. I wish I could have taken you with me. All my love.

"No need to create a search team, father. I will find her myself." Loki states, leaving the room.

Tags

@cindylynn @wheredafandomat @multifandom-worlds @lokisgoodgirl @lokischambermaid @wolfsmom1 @loz-3 @kats72 @crimson25 @litaloni @zombiesnips-blog @gruftiela @mochie85 @cakesandtom @eleniblue @violethaze @lokidokieokie @buttercupcookies-blog @mjsthrillernp @chantsdemarins @lulubelle814 @anukulee @theallknown213 @alexakeyloveloki @tmilover1993 @fandxmslxt69 @artemis-13 @fictive-sl0th @nomajdetective @goblingirlsarah @foxherder @kathren1sky-blog @javagirl328 @kcd15 @asgards-princess-of-mischief @soggylampshade0 @weirdothatwritess @silver-tongue-taken-to-bed @mischief2sarawr @ozymdias @freegardenbanananeck @lamentis-10 @jainaeatsstars @aoirohi @mushycore @marygoddessofmischief @queenshu @jasmine-pudding @kcd15 @jiyascepter

[tsxkkis]

# tsukishima kei - perfect match

a/n: watch me suddenly appear out of nowhere after the school year has finally ended to post something!! i'm sure absolutely no one is surprised that tsukishima is the centre of this fic, but tbh idk how to feel about it (it's definitely longer than my usual ones but i didn't proofread it, so idk if the lenght is an advantage or not) but i hope you'll like it ^^ with school being over for the next two months i'll finally have time to write, so expect more works soon!!

summary: you and tsukishima decide to help your friends get together, but the plan is long forgotten when you realize what your own feelings are.

warnings: nothing really, canon yamayachi (my loves), some light swearing, bad writing

tsukishima kei did not expect any of his friends to bother him in the middle of the night. hell, he didn't even expect any of them to disturb his alone time at all. and yet at exactly 2.34 in the morning, right as he was about to turn off his currently binge watched tv show and go to sleep, he felt his phone buzzing on the nightstand. 

his eyes focused on your name, written in white font on his phone screen, surely shocked by the sight.

'why are you calling me at 2 in the goddamn morni-'

'is yamaguchi interested in anyone?'

your question caught him off-guard even more than the call itself, his brows furrowing in a weirded-out look. 

'if you're asking for yourself, i'm positive that he is not interested.' 

tsukishima heard a sigh of annoyance on the other side of the call and could only imagine the exact look on your face in this very moment. 

'well, thank god, because i'm not asking for myself.' you said. there were muffled sounds of someone preparing food in the background. 'i'm asking for yachi.'

the blonde boy smiled unconsciously.

'he does like her.' the boy stated, turning off his laptop as he put it back on the desk. 'so much so, in fact, that it can be kind of annoying sometimes.'

you squealed with excitement, a giggle leaving your mouth at tsukishima's remark. 

'perfect! now, listen carefully.'

that singular phone call created an alliance between you and kei. an alliance with only one goal; getting your two best friends to finally confess to each other. to both of you, it was almost infuriating how blind they were; how they didn't notice just how obvious it was that they both shared the same feeling. constant blushing at as little as a mention of the other's name, the stolen glances, the very obvious pining - all of it seemed to be non-existent in the eyes of both yamaguchi and yachi.

but lucky for them, you had a plan.

his eyes lingered on you for a few seconds, as if awaiting a sign from you. tsukishima still thought of your 'master plan' as rather silly, but seeing the determination on your face, and the frown that appeared when he called your idea stupid was enough for him to sigh and go with it this once.

the four of you were currently occupied with studying for a math test coming up next week, everyone nose deep in their notebooks. well, everyone except for kei.

the boy cleared his throat almost theatrically, drawing the attention of the three of you.

'yamaguchi, i think i'll have to pass on the movies this weekend.' he said, the tone of his voice as lifeless as ever. 'akiteru insisted that i go to one of his games, so i guess you'll have to take someone else.'

the freckled boy looked a little troubled upon hearing the information. both you and tsukishima were well aware that the tickets to the cinema were already paid for; yamaguchi would definitely be sad if it all went to waste. 

'well, i guess i can ask hina-'

'yachi, didn't you tell me last week that you wanted to go to the movies with someone?' you barged in before the boy could even finish his sentence, your friend freezing in her spot at the mention of a conversation you had not that long ago, cheeks flushed pink at the mere thought of going somewhere with yamaguchi one-on-one. 'maybe you'd fill in for tsukki?' 

the girl glanced at you, panic in her eyes as an awkward silence filled the room, everyone waiting for her to answer. you gave her an encouraging smile, as if trying to non-verbally tell her to go for it, to use this as a chance to get closer to the boy she liked for so long. 

'if yamaguchi doesn't mind...' she mumbled quietly, head turning to face the boy who was already shaking his head. 

'of course i don't.' yamaguchi smiled, his small dimples showing up in the process. 

you glanced over to look at tsukishima, a triumphant smile on your face as if you just won a volleyball tournament. his hair was slightly messy, and his glasses were sliding off his nose, two of the top buttons on his school uniform unbuttoned, showing a bit of his collarbones. surprisingly enough, the blonde boy smiled back; a small, quick smile that your eyes barely noticed. you had no idea what it was, but something about that singular smile made your heart beat faster. 

don't. the main focus of this entire thing is to get yachi and yamaguchi together. not to think of tsukishima and how attractive he looks- 

shit.

developing a crush on tsukishima kei was certainly not part of your plan. 

at first, you tried ignoring it as much as you could, focusing solely on your friends and getting them to date. as time went on and yamaguchi and yachi started getting closer, you almost felt a sense of relief - you could finally stop spending so much time around tsukishima, which made your chances of getting over your stupid crush higher. 

but it wasn't as easy as you thought. tsukishima was intelligent, pretty, and his snarky remarks and judgy personality actually drew you to him even more with each passing day. through the countless conversations and numerous phone calls, he proved himself to be more than just a salty, mean guy that everyone viewed him as.

'soon enough, they won't even need our help.' you mumbled to yourself as you opened your bento box, a smile on your face as you noticed your mom homemade onigiri inside. 'i don't know what i'll do with myself then.'

tsukishima scoffed, closing the textbook in front of him.

'maybe start focusing on your own love life for once.'

'hey! it's not my fault that i'm a good friend.' you stated, mouth full of food, as you looked up at your friend sitting on the opposite side of the table, looking through the tasks assigned for next week. 'besides, it's not like i'm the only one.'

tsukishima adjusted his glasses, looking up at you for a mere second before focusing back on his notebook.

'touché.'

'oh, come on.' you whined out, dissatisfied with the lack of response from the blonde boy. 'you won't miss this even a little bit?'

alright, maybe just a bit-

'no.' tsukishima stated firmly, fixing his posture as he highlighted one of the important sentences written down. you heard a bit of hesitation in his voice, and the few seconds of silence before hearing an answer couldn't help but make you wonder. you decided to ignore it this time - he was focused on something else right now, there was no need to disturb him. 

'do you think yachi will like my outfit?'

tsukishima was sitting at the edge of his best friend's bed, mindlessly scrolling through his phone and occasionally looking up to see the twelfth - no, thirteenth shirt that yamaguchi has tried on already. the boy sighed, turning his device off. 

'it's your first official date, i'm sure she doesn't mind what you wear.' he stated, gaining a frown from yamaguchi.

'you didn't answer my question.'

'alright, i think she'll like it.' the blonde haired boy said, reaching out for a bag of chips, opening it with a loud sound. 'but i'm sure she'll focus more on the date itself rather than what you're wearing.'

ever since announcing to their friends that they're going on their first official date, both yamaguchi and yachi were full of stress, constantly overthinking every little detail from their outfit to whether or not the date will go well or not. tsukishima found it rather comical - it was only a date after all. why stress over it so much? he never went on one, obviously, but he always thought that when the day came, he'd approach it calmly.

'do you have any tips on how to not freak out?' yamaguchi asked suddenly, catching his friend off-guard. 'during the date, i mean.'

'how can i know? i've never gone on one.'

the freckled boy looked at tsukishima, a confused expression on his face as he processed his words.

'oh.' he paused for a second, his voice quieter when he continued speaking. 'i thought you and y/n were, you know, a thing.'

huh?

to say tsukishima was shocked was an understatement. he genuinely had no idea what to say; he never even let a thought of you and him being more than friends, 'partners in crime', as you loved to say, slip through his mind. never did it occur to him that someone from the outside would see your relationship as being something more than a merely platonic one. 

well, maybe there was something to it after all. 

yamaguchi's words made him wonder - although he did find you annoying at times, it was only occasionally and to a very little degree. that in itself was very rare in tsukishima's eyes, as he found most of the people surrounding him at least normally annoying. you, on the other hand, were a completely different case. your jokes, no matter how awkward or downright cringe, made him crack a silent laugh more often than not, and every time he saw you smile, his lips uncontrollably curved up into a small, barely noticeable one themselves. 

'oh, no, absolutely not.' the blonde blurted out after a long minute of silence, the tips of his ears turning a bright shade of red. 'there is not a single bone in my body that would want to date her. now get up idiot, or you'll be late to your date.'

the moment tsukishima opened his bedroom, after walking his friend to the bus stop, he immediately plopped down on his bed, phone in hand, instinctively opening messages to write to you. surprisingly enough, a message was already waiting for him.

'yachi almost cried because of how stressed she is T-T'

'do you think we should spy on them to make sure it all goes well?'

he found himself smiling at the words on his phone screen, quickly typing back an answer. 

'do you really not have a life of your own?'

'idiot.'

only after a few minutes did he get a response from you.

'can i come over?? i'm bored :33'

a harmless message, one might think. in reality, tsukishima was freaking out at the mere thought of hanging out with you for a reason other than setting up your friends, his cheeks a light shade of pink as his eyes kept digging a hole through his phone. 

you weren't any better than him - hands slightly shaky as you awaited a response for what felt like hours, but was actually just a few minutes. you had no idea what took over you; was it a sudden wave of bravery or rather an idiotic spontaneous choice to ask tsukishima that. but nonetheless, when you finally got the response, you felt ecstatic.

'alright.'

'bring some snacks.'

'kei, i think yamaguchi is he- oh, that's certainly a new face.'

you stood in front of the door with an awkward smile, facing tsukishima's older brother, akiteru, his eyes scanning you from head to toe. to say he was surprised was an understatement - he looked as if he'd seen a ghost. as if a friend that's not yamaguchi coming over to tsukishima's house was so out of the ordinary that it could become a national holiday. 

'come in.' the younger male appeared in the back of the hall, an oversized dinosaur shirt and shorts on. his expression was softer than usual; not until he looked at his brother, whom he gave a sharp stare, signaling him to let you inside and don't make such a fuss about it. 

you sat down on his bed, awkward silence filling up the room. not wanting to make the conversation about your friends as per usual, you slowly realized you don't know what to talk about, trying to think of something, anything, as you began unpacking your bag filled with snacks. 

surprisingly enough, it was tsukishima who spoke up first. 

'wanna watch a movie?' he asked, opening his drawer to pull out two bottles of soda, hidden there so that his brother doesn't devour all of them. 'unless it'll make you even more bored than you were before.'

'well, if you have a boring taste in movies-' 

'says the one who looks like their favorite movie is mamma mia.' tsukishima scoffed under his breath, turning his laptop on and starting to search up movies. you looked at him, a dramatic expression as you pretended to be offended. 

'and you look like you're about to mansplain the godfather to me.' 

a short silence filled the room before you heard the blonde boy let out a short, muffled laugh at your comment. 

'you couldn't be more wrong.' he sat down next to you, a small smile still on his face. 'i found it kind of boring, actually.'

'what do you like, then?'

'horror movies.' tsukishima stated, eyes focused on the screen. 'but tadashi gets easily scared, so i often don't have a chance to watch them.'

'same with me and yachi.' you said, unconsciously scooping a bit closer to the boy as you tried to get a better look at what he was searching up. 'i love them, but yachi jumps at every small scare on the screen. sometimes, she even gets scared when there's nothing happening at all.'

'they really do match each other.' he mumbled, putting the laptop on the bed as he pressed play on a movie he chose. his eyes quickly glanced your way to get a nod of approval on his choice.

'yeah, they do.'

and we could, too.

'are you and tsukishima dating?'

you almost spat out your drink, the words coming out of hinata's mouth catching you so off-guard you were close to choking. 

the three of you, along with kageyama, were currently cleaning up after volleyball practice, the boys racing on who would clean more balls off of the floor.

'no, we're not.' you said in a clearly sad tone with an obvious hint of dissatisfaction in your voice. 'what the hell made you think that way?'

the orange haired boy stopped in his tracks, his signature smile disappearing for a minute as he got lost in his own thoughts. 

'oh! i remember now.' he said after a short while, his grin coming back. 'yamaguchi told me that you two are close.'

'he did also mention that he seems happier around you.' kageyama added, joining the conversation. 'seeing tsukishima happy must be pretty scary.'

not really, you thought. but at the same time, what confused you more was what kageyama said right before. 

he seems happier around you.

yamaguchi has been kei's friend for the longest time, so any of his observations must be true, or at least that's what you liked to believe. but would that mean that tsukishima kei, the salty, closed-off guy whom everyone finds intimidating could possibly like you? was there truly a possibility that he enjoyed spending time with you? 

as you finished cleaning up the hall, saying your goodbyes to your two friends who ran off to practice volleyball somewhere else, a familiar, tall figure appeared in the doorframe, sharp eyes staring at you with an expression that you couldn't exactly decipher. 

'want me to walk you home?' he asked, hands in his pockets. 'it's getting late.'

you looked at him, trying to hide the blush creeping up onto your cheeks before quickly nodding as an answer.

'sure, let's go.'

most of the walk was filled with silence on both parts, exactly as you expected. even though it might've felt awkward for some, you did enjoy his presence in itself enough that a conversation wasn't necessary. 

the boy stopped in his tracks mid-way, reaching into his backpack and pulling out his phone and an old pair of white, wired earphones, showing them to you as a silent question of whether you wanted to listen to music with him or not. you agreed without a second thought, a small smile on your face as he put on one of his playlists. 

'i really like this song.' you mumbled, eyes lighting up upon hearing the familiar melody. with both of you wearing the same set of headphones right now, you were practically forced to walk closer to each other - hands constantly brushing against one another, a faint blush on your face as you tried to ignore it and focus on the music. 

tsukishima, on the other hand, couldn't shake away the thoughts roaming around his head. he felt as if what he was doing now was incredibly unlike him; and maybe it was. but for some reason, he didn't mind being like this around you. less cocky, sarcastic, mean and more... gentle.

he could feel his fingers brushing against yours from time to time, and it drove him crazy. should he go for it and play it off nonchalantly, or just ignore it? should he even make the first move or wait for you to do it?

before he was able to decide, tsukishima felt your hand reaching for his, heart rate immediately speeding up as your fingers shyly intertwined with his, looking the other way to hide your anxious expression.

his hand was much bigger than yours, but somehow it fit perfectly with yours. as if they were created solely to hold one another and nothing else. the plan to get your friends to be together was long forgotten by now - your mind was clouded with thoughts of tsukishima only, and little did you know that his wasn't any different. 

you glanced his way only to find his eyes already on you, hiding his true feelings behind a nonchalant look. only now did you notice that the two of you were standing in front of your house, the boy adjusting his glasses as he waited to see what you'll do next. 

'i guess i should go home now.' you mumbled, but you still didn't move an inch, hand not leaving his. 'see you tomorrow?'

his hand squeezed yours tightly before taking it away, an unusually warm and welcoming smile on his face. 

'sure. see you tomorrow, idiot.'

but as you slowly made your way towards the door, tsukishima couldn't shake away the feeling in him, telling him to go for it. and as much as he tried to resist it, he just couldn't anymore. 

'wait.’

before you could fully turn away, tsukishima kei's lips were already on yours, a sweet, long kiss that felt as if he was waiting to do it for years. his hand traveled to your waist and it didn't take long for you to react; lips moving swiftly with his, noses bumping into one another before you pulled away, a giggle escaping your mouth as you saw just how red tsukishima's face was.

‘don't laugh at me, moron.’ he said, immediately catching the reason for your laughter as he flicked you in the forehead. ‘your whole face is red, too.’

‘i didn't expect you to do this.’ you mumbled, eyes focused on his as you reached to hold his hand again. ‘didn't expect my feelings to be mutual, either.’

‘i'm glad we feel the same.’ his face leaned in closer to yours, a wave of confidence taking over him as he placed a short kiss on your forehead. ‘but i would still prefer to properly ask you out. if you'd say yes, that is.’ 

‘of course i would.’ you smiled, ‘i'd be stupid not to.’

‘should we bet on how long it takes the others to realize we're dating now?’ tsukishima smiled at you, eyes not leaving yours for even a spare second. you laughed at his idea, giving his hand a squeeze. 

‘get ready to lose, kei.’

‘you wish.’

taglist: @moonswolfie

[wicchyy]

—0.5 flipped ; james potter

sum: you’ve been obsessed with James since you met him, but he doesn’t feel nearly the same. then, he’s flipped.

warnings: James throwing his breakfast in the trash

notes: this was inspired by the movie ‘flipped’. delulu girls win!!! sorry for being a bit too long, this is different from my usual works !

These are all the things people know about James Potter; he’s a skilled quidditch player, one of the smartest students in your grade, a lightweight, and he can manage his time well between practice, classes, and parties.

But those things, they’re just surface stuff. These are what you know about James Potter; he has the most beautiful brown curls, hazel eyes that change between brown and green depending on the sunlight, a delirious laughter, and the most flirty drunk you’ve ever known.

Sirius introduced you to James during your second year. And since the moment you saw him, robes askew, chocolate smeared all over his cheeks, and glasses slanted on his face— you’ve been in love with him since.

Maybe it was love at first sight, the plausible explanation. Or perhaps it was obsession. Either way, you haven’t paid attention to anyone other than James Potter himself.

“Hey, Siri. Hi, Remus. Have either of you seen James? I thought you lot finished practice minutes ago.”

Sirius nodded, chewing down the rest of his waffles before replying. “Mhm. Doing extra rounds, Prongs looks a bit stressed on the field today.”

“Perfect!” You clapped your hands together, “I’ll just bring some breakfast down for him.”

“Actually, Y/n! I don’t think you should—�� Remus interferes.

“Don’t worry, Remus. I’ll be sure to get two waffles. I know he gets hungry after practice.”

Remus tried to protest again, but Sirius waved him off with a look that said ‘what can we even do to prevent it?’

…

In the middle of December, snow covers the Hogwarts ground. You’re careful as you hold onto the napkin that holds James’ breakfast. The quidditch field isn’t far off the castle grounds, so you make haste of your movements and quickly head to the entrance of the Gryffindor locker rooms.

“James?” You shout, stepping inside until you see the one and only locker door open and the curly headed boy lying on the wooden bench in the middle of the room.

He immediately stands up, the voice all too familiar for him to not flinch. “Y/n?”

You appear in front of him with a wide smile, grinning happily as you set the breakfast in front of him on the bench. “Hi! You didn’t come for breakfast so I asked Siri where you where and he mentioned you’re practicing extra by yourself. So I figure you’d be—“

“Y/n!” James shouts louder.

“.. So I figured you’d be hungry.” You finished, your voice lower this time like you’d been caught red handed at something.

“Thanks. But no thanks.” He smiles forcefully. He grabs at the napkins holding the waffles and two pieces of strawberry, crumpling it in his hands and aiming it for the big black bin at the corner of the room.

Of course it lands perfectly inside, and he huffs an angry breath as he takes in your flushed, ashamed look.

“Look, just like you noticed, I wasn’t at breakfast. Because I don’t want breakfast. I’m not in the mood, yeah, Y/l/n? And I don’t need you trailing after me like a lost fucking puppy you want to feed breakfast. I’m not your anything, understand?”

Harsh. His words struck you in the gut. Maybe you should’ve listened to Remus earlier. James had never been practicing late unless he was ordered to. And you should’ve remembered it was winter as well. No one would willingly practice more quidditch than required in the harsh December winds.

“I— I’m sorry.” Your face flushed. You had to admit, you’d never been so embarrassed quite like this moment before. “I thought it’d be a nice thing.”

James stood up, picking up his towel, a spare shirt, and his knit beanie and stuck it in his locker before banging it roughly.

“If I haven’t made myself clear all these years, Y/n, let me make it clearer. I’m not interested.” He scoffed. “And I won’t be fucking interested because you bought me breakfast.”

You were left standing in embarrassment. Your eye making contact just a second with James, then to the bin where the breakfast you had bought for him was thrown in.

“Just back off, Y/n. I mean in.”

…

James had been feeling pretty guilty for the whole week. Yes, he was annoyed by you at the moment and yes, he’s always been annoyed by you. But all the times he’s ever been annoyed with you, none of those times has he said something like that. And after careful realisation, he’s understood that his words may have hurt you a tad bit.

He wants to apologize, but he doesn’t know how. Especially not to you. So he doesn’t. James doesn’t apologize for weeks, and then a month, and then he finally comes to terms with the fact that his brain somehow misses your annoying face, your annoying voice, and your annoying personality always annoying him.

“I have a question.” James interrupted his friends who were mountain deep in their homework.

“Hm.” Sirius shot lowly while he closed his subject book, “Go on. Think I’m done for the day.”

Remus shot his eyes at the interaction between his friends, leaning back on his seat to pay attention to James.

“So, you lot know about the incident a month ago, yeah?”

Sirius scoffed, “Mate, the bin waffle? Course we know!”

“Not really something to brag about, Prongs.” Remus chimed in.

“Look, I know. I’ve done some thinking and—“

“You wanna apologize to her?”

James stayed silent, “Well, I—“

Remus shot his friend a look of pity, “Honestly, you should’ve done it months ago. We know you may not like her, but she’s still mine and Pads’ close friend. And yes, she’s done so many things to annoy you but ..”

Sirius continued, “But it was a really shit thing to say. And you were fucking rude! I mean honestly, Prongs! Throwing out the waffles? Not necessary!”

“I know, I know. I’ve been feeling pretty bad about it recently and I want to apologize, really. But I dunno— things are just confusing.”

“How is it confusing? You just need to walk over to her and apologize.” Remus shrugs.

“That’s not it, Moony. It’s more confusing, like— I don’t even know how to explain it, y’know. Like, I used to be so fucking annoyed and pissed when she’s around. But now, it’s like somethings missing. Something like .. her.”

Sirius scoffs, “Shut the fuck up!”

James looks confused, “What—?”

“Shut up!”

“Literally not saying a word.”

Sirius stands up, “James Potter!” his hands banging on the table until the librarian is ordering him to calm down.

Remus looks up at him and pulls Sirius’ hand to sit back down at his chair. “Maybe you should tell him quietly.”

“I love how much you don’t notice, mate. You’ve got a crush on her, Prongs!”

James scoffed, his arms immediately crossing. “No I don’t.”

“Yes, you very much do.” Remus replied.

Sirius smiles, “You may not have liked her when she was bothering you, but you sure are thinking of her when she’s gone.”

“That’s nothing. It’s just cause I feel bad.”

“No you don’t!”

“I actually do, Pads. That’s why I’m bringing this up.”

Sirius scoffs with a wide smile, “No you’re bringing this up because you need to talk about it.”

“Well— yes. Because I need advice on how to apologize.”

“No, mate. Prongs, you’ve totally got a crush on her!”

“I don’t!”

“You’re so stubborn, mate. You know that saying ‘you lose them and then you know’? Thats you!”

Remus interjects, “Actually, the saying is ‘you don’t realize what you’ve got till it’s gone’. But yes, I do think it resembles this situation.”

“It doesn’t resemble anything. Besides, if she is here right now I’m positive I’d be annoyed just the same. I just feel bad for the .. waffle incident.”

“Wrong. Don’t believe it.”

Sirius looks across the table where James is and gives him a dumbfounded look. “Alright, fine. If you really think that, then what d’you say to a bet, huh? We prove that you’ve got feelings for her and if we succeed you pay for all your drinks whenever we go out for a whole month.”

James rolls his eyes, “And how would you prove that? She’s not even talking to me.”

Remus shoots Sirius a coy smile, the gears in his head turning as he makes up a plan in his head. “Well we’d just apologize to her for you and ask her to hang out with us. Then we’ll see your reactions and … other things.”

“Perfect plan!” Sirius chimes excitedly.

“I don’t agree to all of this.”

“That’s cause you’re scared to show us you actually do have a crush on Y/n.”

“One, I don’t. And second, fine. I’ll agree. But if this doesn’t prove anything and I’m right all along that I do not have a crush on her, you both will be doing my Arithmancy for a month.”

“Really? Why’d you even take that elective?” Sirius scoffs.

James smirks and extends his hand for a shake, “Deal?”

Remus shakes James’ hand quickly as his boyfriend beside him makes a sound of protest. “Moony! It’s Arithmancy, I thought we’d just have a counter agreement.”

“Come on, Pads, I’ll be doing all the work anyways.”

…

You clutched your books tightly, the familiar weight providing little comfort as you walked the corridors of the castle. Resentment and annoyance simmered within you since the incident with James.

As Sirius and Remus approached you after class, your expression soured. "What do you two want now?"

Sirius cleared his throat, putting on a cheery facade. "Hey, Y/n! Prongs wanted us to extend his apologies again for the breakfast thing. He's really sorry, you know?"

Your eyes narrowed at Sirius. "Sorry? James is sorry for tossing away the breakfast I brought for him without a second thought?"

"Yeah, he's been beating himself up about it. Really wants to make it right," Remus chimed in, attempting to sound convincing.

Your frustration reached its peak. "Is he? It's easy to be sorry now, isn't it? But where was his remorse when he threw the waffles in the bin like it was nothing? Tell James I don't need his apologies.”

Sirius and Remus exchanged a quick glance. Remus spoke softly, "Y/n, we understand how you feel, but Prongs is really trying to make amends. It might help if you could give him a chance to apologize properly."

"Yeah," Sirius added, his tone earnest, "We all miss hanging out together, and Prongs, he genuinely wants to make things right. Look, we’re all hanging in the commons just after classes are done.”

You hesitated, torn between your anger and their earnest plea. After a moment of contemplation, you sighed. "Fine, I'll be there. But not because of James. I'm doing this because both of you are my friends. And I’ve missed hanging."

As you walked away, Sirius and Remus exchanged relieved smiles, hoping that this hangout might just make them win the bet.

…

i - reconciliation

You sat in one corner of the Gryffindor common room, a book in hand, although your mind was elsewhere. Sirius and Remus hovered nearby, trying to create a relaxed atmosphere, but the tension lingered like a thick fog in the room.

When James entered, your heart skipped a beat. His eyes fleetingly met yours before darting away, a visible unease surrounding him.

"Hey, Y/n!" Sirius exclaimed cheerfully, attempting to break the heavy atmosphere. "We’ve been thinking of names for Moony’s new owl!"

"Yeah .. definitely that," Remus added, striving to mask the tension in his voice.

James cautiously approached, his gaze finally meeting yours. "Y/n, can we talk?" His voice was quiet, carrying an earnest plea.

You hesitated momentarily, then nodded, reluctantly setting aside your book and following James to a quieter corner of the room.

"I'm sorry, Y/n," James began, his voice laced with genuine regret. "I was thoughtless and I hurt you. I don't expect forgiveness, but I want you to know I'm really sorry."

As James spoke, his eyes held a raw sincerity that tugged at your heartstrings. The hurt remained, but you found yourself softening, unable to resist the depth of emotion in his gaze. Your own feelings for him, buried deep within, began to stir, making forgiveness a more feasible option.

"You did hurt me, James," you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper. "But..." You hesitated, your resolve faltering as emotions swirled within you. His eyes, filled with remorse, seemed to tug your emotions. "I appreciate the apology. And I... I forgive you."

Meanwhile, Sirius and Remus tried to lighten the mood by engaging everyone in different activities. Yet, in the corner where you and James stood, the emotions were palpable, the unspoken tension slowly dissolving with your admission.

Conversations flowed more easily throughout the evening, punctuated by shared smiles and lingering gazes between you and James.

Beneath the surface, an unspoken understanding seemed to grow between you and James, sparking a flicker of hope for reconciliation.

Remus and Sirius settled into a quiet couple, minding their own business. You took the moment to excuse yourself to avoid anymore awkwardness. You’ve never been in the situation without being so all up in James’ business. James watched you leave, a mix of relief and gratitude evident in his eyes.

…

ii - jealousy

“What do you guys think of Cassius Flintwood?” James broke the silence at his table. His friends looked up from their work, giving James a puzzled expression.

“Nothing. Other than he’s probably the saving grace of Ravenclaw’s abomination quidditch team.” Sirius shrugged.

“Yeah, that. And he tutors Marlene, oh and Y/n— wait, are you asking cause you’re seeing him tutoring Y/n?”

Sirius gasps, immediately turning around to see where James’ eyes are making intense eye contact to. “Prongs, you’re jealous. Christ, this is perfect! Might as well just go get drinks right now, cause we’ve won!”

James rolls his eyes, head making contact with the wooden table as he lays his head down. “Shut up, Pads. I’m not jealous, jus’ asking.”

“Mhm. Definitely.” Remus chuckles.

“I’m so confused with everything. I apologized to her, we’re good. Why’s she .. I dunno, distancing herself still?”

“You dimwit.” Sirius says with a hint of shock, his hand slapping the top of James’ head. “You have a big ego James Potter. D’you honestly think she’d just go back to obsessing over you?”

James lifts his head up and rolls his eyes “No, that’s not what I meant. Just—“

“Look, mate,” Remus interferes, “If you’re that bothered by her and Cassius just go over there and study with them. Sure he won’t mind.”

“What? I can’t do that.”

Sirius narrows his eyes, “So you’re admitting that it does bother you?”

“No! She’s just having a tutoring session.” A tutoring session that involves Cassius touching her arm and making her laugh. She’s probably not learning anything right now. James’ annoying head thinks.

“Then stop looking at them.” Sirius warns.

“Y’know what, I’m tired. Might just fit a nap in before my late classes.” He begins to stand and collect his things. Just before putting everything inside his satchel, an idea pops into mind.

James glances at the thick Potions book beside him along with other books stacked below it. He lays his hand flat on the wooden surface and gives it a small shove, making the stack of books clattering on the floor and making a loud echo throughout the library.

Sirius just scoffs at his friends’ action, meanwhile a smile plays at Remus’ lips, clearly understanding the dumb little trick that James has just performed.

In a second, your eyes landed on James for almost the tenth time. When you see him finally collecting all the books from the floor, you make eye contact. His face is red, a hint of embarrassment showing on his cheeks. A small smile twitches on your lips, trying not to let it show to James.

James kept a steady hand in the table and lifted himself up, quickly putting his books inside his satchel and making haste of his exit from the library.

“Think we’ve got this bet in the bag, Pads.” Remus says.

…

iii - realisation

The Quidditch pitch resonated with the energy of practice, but James's mind was elsewhere as he maneuvered through the air on his broom. Sirius watched from the sidelines, unable to ignore James's distracted flying.

"Oi, Prongs, you’re flying like you’ve got a Bludger lodged in your head. What’s going on?” Sirius remarked, concern etched into his tone.

James landed his broom, "Just not in the zone today, I guess," he muttered, trying to downplay his disarray.

Sirius crossed his arms, gaze unwavering. "It's about Y/n, isn't it?"

James faltered, caught off guard by Sirius' directness. "Maybe," he admitted, a tinge of regret lacing his words.

Sirius arched an eyebrow, probing gently. "You miss her, don't you?"

James sighed, the weight of his unresolved feelings palpable. "It's more than that, Sirius. I've been a complete prat to her all these years," he confessed, his voice tinged with remorse.

Sirius's expression softened, understanding dawning in his eyes. "You mean treating her like a pest?"

James nodded, guilt weighing heavily on him. "Exactly. I never gave her a chance and, Christ, I feel awful for it. She's been nothing but a good friend, maybe a tad obsessive but .. I've been too blind to see it."

“It’s fine, mate. Least you’ve figured it out now. Who knew the waffle incident would’ve caused this, huh?”

"I dunno though,” James admitted, a mix of regret and uncertainty clouding his thoughts. "It's like realizing something you should have known all along."

Sirius gave his friend a coy smile, "Give yourself time, mate. Just remember, she's not going anywhere. Maybe it's a good thing to figure it out now, yeah?"

James nodded, a mix of emotions swirling within him. With Sirius's encouragement, James readied himself to get back on his broom.

…

iv - confession

The first thing James saw when he entered the common room was you. Sat there in your too big sweater and a book huddled in your lap. His heart beats nervously as he walks closer to try and calm himself down.

“Y/n!" James greeted, trying to hide the hint of nerves in his voice.

You glanced up from your book, smiling warmly at his approach. "Hey.”

Taking a seat beside you, James fiddled with the sleeve of his robe, trying to find the right words. "I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. Reflecting, you know?" he started, eyes darting to meet yours.

You raised an eyebrow, curious about where this was going. "Reflecting about what?"

James let out a small chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. "Well, you see, I've had this knack for making a right mess of things. Especially when it comes to... certain people."

Your lips curved into a small smile, sensing the playful tone in his words. "Certain people?”

"Right, so I've been a bit dim, maybe blind even. Overlooked something that's been there all along."

"James Potter, are you about to confess your undying love for someone?"

James laughed, a touch of color rising to his cheeks. That laugh that you could get high on no matter the situation. Well, it's not quite as dramatic as that, but..." James took a breath, looking straight into your eyes. "Maybe I've been a bit of a fool. Y/n, you uh … , are more than just a friend to me. You're, uh, rather important."

Your smile widened, realizing the sincerity behind his playful demeanor. "Oh really? Important, am I?" You teased lightly.

He nodded, his smile widening. "Yeah, you are. I guess what I'm trying to say is... I rather like having you around, you know?"

Your smile softened, this was the moment you’ve dreamt for probably millions of times. Truthfully it wasn’t as dramatic as you’d expect. But having to see James in his awkwardness, words falling clumsily from his mouth and making eye contact with you, it was a moment you’d dream of. That was how much you were in love with the boy.

"As long as you mean it, Potter."

💌 thanks for reading lovie! support me by reblogging <3

[jungwondazed]

18+ only. / camping tent sex with jungwon

it was much chillier at night, a gentle sprinkle hitting the plastic lining of your camp tent. a few days ago jungwon urged you to come along the camping trip with him and his other friends, telling you how much you needed a break from studying all the time. with much effort he convinced you to tag along, promising you how he would take care of you the entire time, despite your worries because you’ve never been camping before. 

the group was divided into six different tents in a small camping ground just nearby the forrest, you and jungwon were luckily able to get your own. the space was extremely tight, no extra room for anything but two bodies and a small side table for a lamp and belongings. 

the day was a very long one. you had no problem with nature, in the sense that flowers are pretty and sure maybe you’d dip your feet into a pond every once in awhile but in a boy’s world, camping was a whole different thing of it’s own. for the most part, you stayed by jungwon’s side to which he was kindly receptive about. he was extraordinarily cute out in the wild, with his gear and backpack, throwing his head back to laugh every time one of his friends cracked a joke. it was fun observing just how men acted around each other, something you couldn’t handle for any longer than a week even if you were paid to. but jungwon was having the time of his life, and you enjoyed just being there with him. however, you felt like you didn’t contribute much, feeling a bit like a burden as you didn’t do anything but stand beside him. was it also wrong of you to slightly miss him? sure he was next to you all day, but not being able to talk a lot even with his presence made it harder. 

with that last thought, the tiredness from the day finally took over and you were seconds away from sleep, before jungwon’s body scooted closer towards you. too exhausted to do anything about it, you kept your eyes closed and in response he pressed his body against yours, wrapping his arm around your waist in the sleeping bag you both shared. 

“mmm?” he breathes out. you can feel that small smile anywhere. “my baby’s asleep isn’t she?” 

you feel the tip of his nose rub your cheek, before his lips pressed gentle kisses on your chin. finally, some undivided attention from him. 

“you’re not upset are you baby? i noticed you were a bit quiet before settling in to sleep. i missed you so much too, you know.” his arm wrapped around your abdomen shifts so that his hand can touch you a bit more. his fingers ghost right under your sleep shirt, and you question if the chill you feel is from his touch or the sudden rush of wind on the outside. 

he makes his presence much more apparent when he brings one leg over you, almost on top of you at this point. jungwon’s kisses grow wet and intimate, the pecks are deep and sloppy, and you hear the tiniest bit of desperation behind them. 

“wanted you with me all day for a reason, ____. if you weren’t by my side i think i may have gone crazy.” 

his hands dip under your shirt entirely, the callouses on his hands from today’s activites are rough on your skin. he rubs you from the sides of your waist to your navel, and gently to the underside of your breast, hesitating a bit as his breathing speeds up. 

he pulls back from touching you there, before doing something that makes your breath hitch immediately. jungwon lifts himself to be completely crouched over you, both his hands pulling your shirt up to cover just your chest. you feel his face inches away from your abdomen by his breath on your skin, and he licks a stripe right at the midline. he kisses your entire stomach, moaning into it, whispering things you can’t quite make out. your stomach caves in at the sensitive sensation, and a whimper escapes your lips. you feel him chuckle right at your waist, satisfied that you’re giving him a reaction. he circles his tongue at the side of your stomach, sucking on the lower side of your rib cage, not caring how eager he really looks. he continues making out with your entire front side because not only did it make you feel good, but he missed you desperately too. 

your stomach was entirely wet, although you didn’t mind. a few seconds pass before you notice a pause in jungwon’s movements. you open your eyes a bit to see him lost in thought, calculation in his eyes as he glowers at the way your panties reveal a bit under your sleep pajamas. you look away, red in the face at the arousal in his stare. you’ll never get used to how much his demeanor changes when he’s turned on. 

his fingers creep at your sides, hooking themselves onto your pajamas and pulling them all the way down. you open your eyes, shaking your head at jungwon and trying to reach for them to dress yourself again. 

“there’s people around us,” you hush out in a single breath and he pushes you gently back down, giving you a serious look and you back down immediately.

despite the demeanor, his movements are gentle, slowly prying your legs apart as he lays himself between them. his face is directly in front of your cunt, and he snickers at the wet spot that formed on your panties. you’re mortified, to say the least, but jungwon looks up at you, the slightest smirk on his face that you would’ve missed if not for the small lamp.

he presses his fingers firmly on your damp panties and you bring your hand to your face to hold back a moan. he’s a bit cruel with his foreplay, not immediately going in stick his tongue in you, jungwon takes everything slowly because he likes making you gradually lose it. he rubs you right there, fingers circling you through that thin cloth, and you’re sure your slick is soaking every string of fabric. jungwon watches intensely at the way your legs are scrambling everywhere, stomach heaving in and out at the mere stimulation of his fingers. 

he inches his face closer to you, sticking out his tongue just slightly and pressing it firmly against that same wet spot. 

“wonnie, please no” you whine out and he fucks his tongue over your panties, lapping at your clit, and slowly losing your own mind. 

he pulls your shirt up to your mouth, signaling you to bite down on it, making you feel a bit pathetic and inferior. he enjoys that though, and he continues licking your pussy.

“you like this don’t you?” you feel his teeth grazing on your panties and your abdomen buckles immediately, a small fang hitting your clit and you swear if it wasn’t for the fabric you may have came all over him. he furthers it by slightly biting your clit ever so gently, it all makes you want to do nothing more but push his head deep inside you, needing his tongue in all your holes if this is the game he wants to play. 

“what if i stopped just like this? hmm? is this enough for you?” his face pulls away, halfway getting up before you pull at his arm to stay there. his bottom lip releases from the tugging of his teeth, his jaw dropping a bit at how eager you look. jungwon has a thing for making you beg, pushing you to ask him for what you need. he likes to see and hear your desires, especially if it makes you look the way you do now. 

you shake your head with tears forming in your eyes. he wouldn’t be as cruel as this would he? you want him on you again, you wanna feel all of him inside you, really. instead of lowering himself down to tease you there again, he creeps up at you, a dark sensation in his eyes as he’s beyond turned on. he eyes your body the whole way up, before he’s right in front of your face, leaning down to kiss you deep. you love when jungwon gets like this. he’s all about teasing you to get desperate but what about him? does he ever realize how needy he looks? with the way his tongue is deep inside your mouth, you’re at ease knowing he’ll always need it just as much as you do. 

“you heard everything i said earlier, didn’t you? i missed you baby.” you nod, bringing your two hands to cup his pretty face. you heard all of him. 

“i wanna give it all to you right now, but you have to be quiet okay? kiss me whenever you can’t take it.” and you almost fall apart at his demand, jungwon and his filthy ideas that force you to be silent and secretive. curse the way you both were in the middle of a public camping ground and not the comfort of your own home.

he gets up on his knees, pulling his bottoms and boxers off, and you whimper at how big he’s gotten. his cock hits his abdomen once he pulls it out, his tip glistening a bit with him pre-cum. it’s bulging and you wanna do nothing but suck on it, teasing him like he did to you earlier. he smirks once he realizes you staring, lowering down to kiss you once more before he pulls the front of the sleeping bag so that it drapes his broad shoulders, covering the both of you completely.  

you reach up to touch him through his shirt that he still kept on, wanting nothing more than to see him in his entirety. you grip at his shoulders, feeling how fit he’s always been. 

he pumps himself a few times, clear fluid leaking down on your stomach and you gasp at how he’s already making a mess, not even inside you yet. his eyes close and bites his lip at the feeling of him stroking himself, and a small bit of jealousy bubbles in your chest wishing he was getting off by using you. but god, you can’t deny how good he looks right now. stroking his dick above you like he was about to finish all over your stomach when in reality he hasn’t even begun to fuck you. 

you pull your panties down since he didn’t earlier, and he opens his eyes to lazily chuckle at you, making you blush. he kisses you on the lips again, his cock laying right on your stomach. you think you gushed a bit just at that feeling, your patience quickly thinning out.

with his mouth still pressed against yours, he lines his tip to run it up and down your clit. you moanly loudly and he bites down to gently shut you up. jungwon and his fucking teasing, you’re on a thin line, just a few more minutes and you don’t care what anyone sees or hears, you’ll climb on him immediately if you have to. 

his tip strokes your clit over and over, your hole clenching around nothing as he stimulates you this way. it fits so perfectly between your folds, and you force back a whine. jungwon’s not too quiet himself as you feel him pant against you, his tip as sensitive as ever. he presses the entire backside of his cock to stroke between your folds, still not entering your hole yet. he humps your pussy this way, and you wraps your arms around his neck to taste his lips again. 

he can barely kiss you back. always pushing you to the brink, never realizing how he can barely hold on too. 

“please, just please” you whimper out, begging for anything in you at this point. 

it’s minutes later before he finally reaches down to grab himself, lining to fit right into your hole. he groans immediately once his tip is inside, you moaning alongside him.

“fuck me already fucking please,” you’re desperate, too turned on to worry about anything. he brings his arms behind your head so that you rest on them, holding himself up with his forearms. 

“wrap your legs around me” he demands and you do just that, realizing what this angle does to you, but it excites you nonetheless. 

after a few more strokes with his tip he deepens himself, stretching you out further to which you can’t recall a time it ever feeling better than this. he’s big inside you, his thrusting steady. you kiss him as you can’t find a will in yourself to be quiet, hoping his lips can silence you as much as possible. 

jungwon finally bottoms out, so deep both of your chests touch each other for a minute as he rests there, letting himself twitch inside you. your walls warm the throbbing of his penis, which makes him struggle to immediately start thrusting. his moans are a bit whinier, still deep but there’s a soft desperation there that leads you to believe how much he needs it now. 

he finally pulls back and pounds hard inside you, your whole body shaking. usually, this would have made you cry out but jungwon taking his time to warm you up, he could do anything and you’d probably take it a bit too well. he fucks himself in and out, still cradling your head, kissing your forehead in adoration of his girl. he loves you so much, you feel it in the way he keeps his hold around you soft.

you like when jungwon fucks you at a pace that he maintains, laying there and letting himself thrust in and out for minutes so long, doing nothing but mewing and whining at how good it feels. tears brim your eyes as you feel yourself getting closer, while simultaneously hoping this never ends. 

“could fuck you all night,” 

you nod at his confession, genuinely believing him. you love how he never stops pumping in and out of you, his stamina so consistent there isn’t a doubt in your head that this could keep up for hours. 

you don’t realize how jungwon meant what he said in this situation, because throughout the night he brings you both right to the edge before pulling himself all the way out for a few seconds just to thrust inside you all over again. you ask him why he won’t let you cum over and over, promising that you can handle it instead of being edged this way. he whispers how he doesn’t believe you, that he’ll only allow that after he sees how well you behave when you do cum.

with the countless edging, it gets to the point where even jungwon doesn’t know when it’s time to cum, he edges until he absolutely can’t anymore. there’s been multiple instances where he’s so close his mind forgets the entire game he’s going at, speeding up because he’s so ready to spill himself in you. however, you can always tell when he’s given up on the edging, his breathing and whines gets very evident. he fucks fast, hitting a spot so good you couldn’t force him to edge you again even if you wanted that. you beg him for your release in the minutes of him finally giving in, and you could cry at the orgasm that builds up. 

“i love you so much, ____” he weakly moans, kissing you in the places he can as he’s far too gone to be precise. 

“i love you, wonnie, love you so much” you reach up at his face, feeling his warm skin. 

he looks down at the way he’s entering you, his final strokes sloppy as he cums deep inside you, the semen releasing as the base of his cock hits your clit. he groans so deep and he thrusts a few times more to which you cum right with him, moaning in his mouth and digging your heels deep in his lower back. you’re both completely on each other, holding each other so tight the only friction being him stroking in your walls. he continues moving in and out of you, dragging out your orgasm for as long as possible. it feels good beyond words, for a split second you think about whether you would wanna suggest a round two, but the thought goes away when he pulls himself out, his seed pouring out of you and the exhaustion hitting you once again. 

he lays on you for a minute before rolling right by your side, pulling your body against his and burying his face inside you inner neck. both of your eyes are closed, the after feeling of sex resonating between your bodies. 

was this something jungwon was thinking about doing to you all day? or did he only feel up for it once he saw how down you were? you recall back to the many times jungwon has comforted you this way, blushing at how good he always makes you feel. 

“feeling any better?” he starts, “i don’t like my girl going to sleep upset.” his lashes brush your skin as he lazily kisses your shoulder. his aftercare is always so sweet, reassuring you that he still loves and adores your body even after he had his way with it. jungwon keeps you close after sex, you used to think that this was to make you feel better but his care is so sincere you wouldn’t doubt if he did it for his own needs too. 

you smile, turning your head around to slightly look at him. he always looks his best after cumming. 

“i was never upset” 

[alotofpockets]

Fun facts | Grace Clinton x Reader

5k celebration prompt: “Do you ever run out of fun facts?”

Woso masterlist | Words: 1.4k

-----

A knock on your door interrupted your thoughts. For the past hour you had been debating your outfit, switching between a top every five minutes. But, the knock on your door meant that Grace was here to pick you up for your first date, so the top you were currently wearing had to be the one.

You quickly make your way to the door, not wanting to leave her waiting for too long. When you opened it, Grace’s face lit up. “You look amazing.” You feel your cheeks flushing, already by even such a small compliment. “Thank you, so do you.”

Grace moved into your apartment building a few weeks ago. The thick Liverpool accent had caught your attention instantly when you were making your way downstairs. None of the neighbours that you knew had that accent, so your curiosity was instantly triggered.

What you hadn’t expected to find around the corner was the contents of a moving box scattered over the hallway floor. “A single cardboard box can be reused 5 to 7 times before it starts to break down and lose its strength, yet here I am on my first use with my stuff scattered all across the hall.”

You couldn’t help but laugh at the unexpected commentary as you stepped around the corner. “I think you might’ve gotten the one box that has a vendetta against moving. Clearly it wasn’t cut out for this life.”

The girl looked up, startled but amused. “Ah, so it is the box’s fault, is it? Not my fault for not using proper packing rules, and putting more weight in it than you’re supposed to?”

Within ten seconds of meeting this stranger, you already loved her humour. You crouched down to help her pick up the scattered items. “I mean, who am I to argue with a moving box expert?”

She laughed at your joke, the sound of her laughter like music to your ears. Never had you imagined you’d be able to fall for a stranger so quickly. The way she so effortlessly joked around with you, made you want to get to know her better.

“Oh, I’m full of fascinating facts about boxes, and well just random facts in general. Stick around long enough, and you’ll learn loads!” She stood with her hands now filled with her items.

“Well, if this is how you introduce yourself to your new neighbours, I am definitely interested in sticking around for more. I’m y/n, by the way. Your neighbour who now knows more about moving boxes than she ever planned to.”

The girl chuckled. “Grace, the neighbour who might’ve just exposed her weirdest talent way too early.” With a smile and a shake of your head you say, “I think it’s cute.” You noticed the light flush of her cheeks before she quickly turned her face away from you. “What floor are you on? I’ll help carry your stuff up.”

Since that day the two of you have been chatting every day, whether it was face to face or over text, the two of you were connecting. It was instantly clear to the both of you that it wasn’t just a neighbourly or even just friendly connection, and you wanted to explore it more. 

So, Grace asked you out on a date and now here she is standing in front of your door. All your nerves faded away as you walked down together, and she started talking.

“Did you know that dates involving outdoor activities create stronger connections?” If you had learned one thing over the past few weeks is that Grace had a fun fact on just about every topic. “I didn’t, but it makes sense if you think about it.”

She agreed, “It’s why I wanted to grab some coffee to go and walk through the park on our way to what I have planned.”

“That sounds lovely, and also very adorable, telling me you want to have a stronger connection with me.” You smiled at her as you walked out of the apartment building.

Grace paid for your coffee, even if you told her that wasn’t fair because she was already paying for the rest of the date. “You can get them next time.”

“Oh, you already know that there will be a next time?” You said with an amused smile. “Around 66% of people say that they know within the first thirty minutes if they’re interested in a second date.”

You chuckled, of course she had a fun fact for that too. “Thirty minutes sounds doable for getting the vibe of a person, but Grace we’ve been out for like five minutes.” She smiles and shrugs, “I already knew before I knocked on your door.”

Gosh she was a smooth talker. “I think I may need the remaining twenty five minutes to decide.” You joked back, and the glint in her eyes was enough to make you cave in. “Fine, you got me. I was already thinking of what I could plan for our next date before you knocked on my door as well.”

You continued on your walk, sipping on your coffee, and talking with Grace. If you had only done this for the duration of the date, you would already have considered it a good date. Grace had more planned though, as she led you into town and you stopped in front of one of the buildings.

“Are we going to make pottery?” You asked as you took in the shop’s window. “Close, but no. We’re painting pottery.” Her smile grew when she saw the excitement on your face.

Once you were inside and you were all settled in at one of the tables, surrounded by a bunch of different pottery dishes, paints and brushes, Grace started speaking excitedly about pottery. “Did you know that pottery is one of the oldest human inventions, with the earliest known pieces dating back over 20,000 years?”

With a shake of your head you say, “Wow, that is so long. Isn’t it cool how some things stick around for so long?” She nodded, “Yeah, I love it.”

You decided on a mug for your first pottery piece, while Grace went for a bowl. You thought for a moment on what you wanted to paint on the mug, deciding on some tulips. After dipping your paint brush into the green paint, you fill the mug with the stems and leaves, leaving room to add the flowers in different colours.

“Did you know in the 17th century, tulips were so valuable in Holland that they were used as a currency?” At this point you weren’t even surprised by Grace’s random knowledge on all topics anymore. “That’s crazy, imagine getting coffee somewhere and just paying with tulips.”

“Yeah, it’s so weird to think about, right? They even named the period Tulip Mania.” With the new knowledge about tulips, you fill the already painted stems with red, orange, and pink tulip flowers. 

When you looked over to Grace’s bowl, she had filled the outside with small watermelon pieces, and she was now working on painting the inside of the bowl like the inside of a watermelon. 

“Yours looks so cool!” You say in awe. “Thank you! I love it, and yours too. Did you know that watermelons belong to the cucumber family? Technically they are classified as both a fruit and a vegetable!”

“Do you ever run out of fun facts?” You say with a soft chuckle. Amazed at her excitement over the classification of a watermelon.

“Oh, is it too much? I can stop.” She says taken back. You’re quick to reach out your hand and place it over hers. “Please never stop, I love it.” Her smile grew again. “Yeah?” You nod, “It’s so cool that you have all this random knowledge, and I love that you want to share it with me.”

The rest of the date was amazing, and like you had already said at the beginning of the date, a second date was definitely happening, and you couldn’t wait to plan something for her.

-----

💗 If you enjoyed this fic, please consider liking, commenting, and reblogging! You can also supporting me by leaving a tip 💗

[mwuaferrari]

ROOM 308 ୨ৎ chapter 4

lando norris x reader; franco colapinto x reader

sum: because sometimes, being almost his hurts more than not being his at all.

warnings/notes: SMUT!!!!; toxic relationships; lando being a fuckboy; fwb; english is not my native language. italics: conversations in spanish. JUST A FEW MORE CHAPTERS AND FRANCO APPEARS, I PROMISE.

(prev | next)

taglist: @htpssgavi @madkohi

───────────୨ৎ───────────

The return to Madrid was silent.

Helena kept glancing at you on the plane, but she didn’t say anything. She didn’t need to. She knew you too well not to notice you were stuck in some kind of mental loop. The same one that replayed the images of room 308 over and over again like a poorly edited indie film.

As soon as you landed, you switched on “nothing happened” mode.

Messages with Lando: zero.

Instagram stories: happy, outings with friends, mirror selfies, Taylor Swift songs that no one else would understand.

You convinced yourself it was for the best. That it was just a moment. A beautiful mistake. A "what happens in Australia stays in Australia."

That you couldn’t get into something when you didn’t even know if he wanted it.

That if he wasn’t texting, it was because he had already moved on.

That Lily and Carlos were right.

You spent an entire week working hard to get him out of your head.

You went back to work and that helped distract you.

You went out with your friends to those classic Madrid party nights that lasted until sunrise.

Maybe Carlos was wrong and you were one of those people who could easily forget something like that, block out your feelings.

That’s what you thought.

Until one night, you opened your phone and found a new message.

Your heart stopped. Literally.

You looked at the message.

Read it again.

Ignored it.

For six minutes.

Until you replied.

And so began the second wave. Messages again. Late-night video calls. Voice notes with stifled laughter. But you weren’t the same anymore. 

Every word from him made you doubt. Was it real? Or did he just want to sleep with you again? Maybe it was the second option. And maybe, just maybe, you wanted that too.

─────────────────୨ৎ─────────────────

A quiet corner, with hand-painted metal chairs and the smell of toasted bread. When you got to the place where you'd agreed to meet, Lily was already there, sitting at one of the tables looking at her phone.

—Heyyy —you said once you were beside her. She stood up and you shared a hug, two kisses on the cheeks, and both sat down facing each other.

You ordered coffee. She got a flat white. You, an americano. The waiter didn’t take long. For a while, you talked as if you were just simple friends with very separate lives. Flights. Weather. Shows. The excessiveness of your job. Things that didn’t really touch the real surface.

Until Lily tilted her head, set her cup down on the saucer, and said:

—And you? Everything okay?

The question was loaded. It had nothing to do with health, or your job, or the weather.

You brought the coffee to your lips, held it there for a few seconds, and then set it down without drinking.

—Yeah. I mean, yeah… —you said.

—Yeah?

You looked up. Her eyes were fixed on you. Not hard, not soft. Just attentive.

You sighed.

—I’m handling it —you said.

—Handling what? That he’s not texting you? That he is? That you don’t know if you should text him first?

—Lily…

—It’s an honest question.

You didn’t answer. You paid the bill and walked. The air was cool, but the sun made the shadows more intense. Lily’s flight was leaving tomorrow at 9 AM, so you invited her to stay at your apartment for the night.

You knew that meant taking the conversation to another level.

The doorman, don Miguel, greeted you from his desk. He closed his book and stood up.

—Miss, this was left for you a few hours ago.

He had a bouquet in his hands. Big. Wrapped in paper and a white linen ribbon.

It smelled from afar. A perfume of peonies, soft roses, and something else. Something you couldn’t name but pushed your heart to your stomach.

—From who…? —you asked, words hanging in the air.

—No name was left. But there is a card.

—Thanks… —you said, receiving it as if it were fragile.

—Someone’s courting you? —he joked, smiling.

You let out a nervous laugh. Lily just glanced at you from the side. She didn’t say anything, but frowned slightly.

You went up in the elevator without speaking. There was no need anymore.

Once inside the apartment, you placed the bouquet on the dining table. Lily stared at it openly.

—Aren’t you going to open the note?

You bit your lip. The little note was tied with a thin string. You slid it free.

"I know you’ve been struggling with your job. I can’t help you with that, but I hope this softens it —L"

You walked to the kitchen looking for the only decent vase you had, Lily followed you. You filled it with water and arranged the flowers carefully. The note stayed to the side.

—“L”?

—You know who it’s from, don’t be sarcastic —you said.

—So that’s what he’s doing now? Sweetening you up? What else has he sent you? —Lily said, leaning on your kitchen counter while reading the note more closely.

—Actually, this is the first thing he’s sent me. Look, we’ve been talking, a lot, like we used to before what-you-already-know happened. He tells me his stuff, I tell him mine. We video call, we laugh, we have a good time.

—And that’s it? —she asked, resting her elbows on the counter—. Just a good time between friends?

—Yeah. No… —you sighed—We’re not together, we don’t talk about “that”. We keep going like we’re… friends. Just that some things feel different.

—What things?

—The late night calls. How he listens when I’ve had a bad day at work. Or when things go badly on track and all he wants is to talk about anything but cars. Sometimes he texts me just to tell me something silly. Or to tell me what he dreamed that night.

Lily raised her eyebrows.

—Is that what friends do now?

—I don’t know. Or maybe friends who don’t know how to go back to just being that. But we’re not anything else either.

She went quiet for a moment. Then shrugged.

—As long as you’re okay with it.

—He’s not promising me anything, and I’m not expecting anything either. For now.

Lily nodded slowly.

The note stayed on the shelf, the bouquet in the vase, and the smell of flowers filled everything again. Outside, the evening started to fall over Madrid, and for a moment, you thought maybe everything was a little bit okay.

That night, when Lily was already lying down in the guest room and you in yours, the apartment was silent, except for the low hum of the city from the window. You sat on the edge of the bed with your phone in your hands.

You saw him typing. Then he stopped. Again. And again.

Until finally, his reply appeared.

──────────୨ৎ──────────

Saudi Arabia, Sunday, April 18

The paddock was its usual chaos: photographers, engineers, fans, everything in motion. But in the middle of it all, there he was. Lando. With the sun at his back, wearing joggers, a white t-shirt, and hair tousled from the cap he had just taken off. You recognized him immediately, and he recognized you.

He walked toward you in that way of his: distracted, a bit clumsy, with his hands in his pockets.

—I thought you weren't coming — he said.

—Neither did I. I couldn’t come friday and saturday because of work stuff, and I wasn’t going to come today either— you replied, honestly.

Lando smiled. A small one. The kind of gesture that hides more than it shows.

—So?

—Carlos insisted— you said, brushing it off. Even though you knew it wasn’t just because of Carlos.

—I owe him one then— he joked. And looked down a little — You look different.

—Different bad?

—No. More like… you. But Bahrain version.

—That means nothing— you laughed.

—Okay, well, I’m not a poet. I’m a driver.

You stood there for a moment, looking at each other.

The noise of the paddock went on, but the two of you seemed to be on a different frequency. Until you remembered you weren’t alone: you were surrounded by people and cameras alert to any situation. So you took your gaze off him and subtly stepped just a few inches away.

—Thanks for the flowers— you said, voice a little lower.

He nodded, searching your eyes.

—I didn’t know if it’d be weird if I sent them.

—It was weird,— you admitted— but it was also sweet.

—And this…?— he asked, gesturing subtly between the two of you— Is this weird too?

—I don’t know yet.

He took a deep breath.

—Wanna see the cars?— he said then— Or we can grab some water. Or… whatever you want.

—I think I’ll go find Carlos, say hi, and hang out with him before the race starts.

—Want me to come with you?

—No, I’m meeting Lily to go with her… but thanks.

—So we won’t see each other? Will you be in the Williams garage the whole time?—his voice had a soft way of pleading, like he hoped you’d say “no, I’ll stay with you and watch the race from McLaren’s garage.”

—Carlos was the one who invited me after all, Lando—you unconsciously reached for his hand and squeezed it for a few seconds, as if to give him some encouragement— But we can see each other later.

And you did see each other later.

The race didn’t end well for Lando, at least not the way he wanted or expected.

Since he crashed in Q3, everything had gone downhill. He started tenth, trying to save what he could with a different strategy, but the Safety Car never came. By the time he passed Hamilton, Leclerc was already too far ahead. He finished fourth, Piastri first. Another race where he was beaten by his teammate and main rival in competition.

When you found him later, he had already showered and was zipped up to the neck in his team suit. His hair was damp, and his eyes looked tired. He was leaning against a fence behind McLaren’s hospitality area, half-hidden from the rest of the paddock, like he wanted a break from everything.

—Hey— you said, approaching.

He looked up, and when he saw you, he gave a faint smile.

—Here to console me?

—Do you need it?

—Maybe a little.

You stepped next to him without saying more and stood quietly. A minute passed in silence. Then he spoke:

—It wasn’t enough. Again.

—It doesn’t always have to be.— you replied— But look, you’re still up there. It’s just one race.

—Yeah, but it hurt. I lost the lead. And it was my mistake in quali. I took it from myself.

You shrugged gently.

—Then you’ve got one more reason to win the next one.

He looked at you. That look of his that always seemed more honest when he was tired, when he wasn’t smiling for a camera.

—Got plans tonight?

You turned slightly, raised an eyebrow at him.

—Besides comforting a frustrated driver?

Lando smiled, more genuinely this time. He rubbed the back of his neck with a hand.

—I was thinking... Netflix and chill? you and me? ice cream for two? in my room? Unless you’re too busy with Carlos and your spanish friends.

You bit your lip, smiling despite yourself. He noticed. And looked down, like he was suddenly afraid he’d overstepped.

—Only if you want to. I’m not… pushing anything.

—I know— you said softly.

Then you moved a little closer.

—Okay. But only if you pick good ice cream.

—Cookies and cream?

You looked him up and down and squinted.

—Acceptable.

You knew you weren’t going to fix the world that night. But between a silly movie, some ice cream, and a look that said more than everything left unsaid… maybe you could fix yourselves a little.

You lay on top of his bed over the blanket, just a few inches separating your bodies, but still feeling the warmth coming off each other.

You picked a random movie on Netflix, and a few minutes in, you heard him sigh and turned to look at him.

—Are you okay?

—Yeah, just tired.

—I can go to my room, we can watch something another day, or maybe...

—No, stay, please. I want to spend time with you. It calms me down.

A genuine smile appeared on your lips, and then you patted your lap as a gesture for him to rest his head there. He didn’t think much of it and obeyed.

While watching the movie, at some point, you tried not to do it, but in that atmosphere of total trust and peace, your hand found its way to Lando’s hair, your fingers burying themselves in his curls. You heard him sigh in pleasure, so you kept going.

You stayed like that for several quiet minutes. But the mood changed when, on screen, the characters shared an intimate scene. You didn’t expect it, so your body tensed up, your fingers stopped moving, and you slowly pulled your hand away.

But he noticed. He looked up, found your hand, and put it back in his hair. And everything seemed normal. But he looked at you in a way that made every inch of your skin tingle.

—Are you okay?—his voice came out rough. You swallowed hard and nodded. He smiled and looked back at the screen.

You tried to calm down, you really did, but the scene unfolding in the movie only made your mind wander. You imagined if that were you and Lando right now—you truly imagined it.

The torture ended when the movie shifted to a calmer scene and you were able to relax again.

But then you felt Lando’s hand on your leg. You looked at him and he was still watching the movie like nothing, like it was something you did every day. He was doing it on purpose, you knew it.

Then you saw him grab the remote, pause the movie, and turn to look at you directly. There were no more distractions between you. Just him, you, and that suspended tension that seemed to breathe on its own.

—I don't want to pretend I don't feel this,— he says, his voice low, almost a whisper— Not when you're like this, here... with me.

He sits up slowly, still resting his head in your lap, but now his eyes rise to yours, studying you. Your fingers are still in his curls, though they tremble slightly now. He notices, takes your hand and kisses it, softly, as if he's giving you permission to feel.

—May I?— he asks simply, a mixture of respect and desire pulsing in his gaze.

You nod. You can't speak. You don't need to.

Lando slides up your body, with a slowness that quickens your pulse. His torso settles between your open legs instinctively. His lips seek yours as his hands explore your body.

He lowers himself back into the position between your legs as before and begins to undress you calmly, as if each piece of clothing were an obstacle he doesn't want to tear away, but rather reverently push aside.

When you're almost completely naked beneath him (just your top and bra) and his lips travel between your abdomen and your pelvis, you understand there's no turning back.

His mouth descends, and with a single gesture, he settles you more comfortably between the sheets, parting your legs securely. He watches you from below, his gaze fixed on yours as his tongue brushes your inner lips with a slowness that leaves you breathless.

A moan escapes your lips, a soft, almost involuntary one.

—Like that...— he whispers barely, and licks you again, deeper now, more deliberately.

His movements are slow, deliberate. There's no anxiety. It's as if he's testing you, studying you, memorizing your reactions. He caresses you with his mouth, with his fingers, with the labored breathing of someone on the edge of control.

Your hands return to his hair, buried in his curls, guiding him, wordlessly asking for more. He responds, with rhythm and commitment, until you can't help but tremble beneath his tongue.

You arch, gasp, feel him lick you faster, deeper. Then he stops for a second, looks at you, and without breaking eye contact, slides two fingers inside you with a smooth but firm motion.

You moan in surprise at the sudden intensity. At how your body breaks and rebuilds with each thrust of his fingers, with each lick that takes you from this world. Your orgasm comes with an uncontrollable shudder. Lando holds you tightly, continuing to taste you until your body collapses.

But he's not finished.

He sits up, his chest heaving, his lips wet. He undresses slowly, still looking at you. There's no shame in either of us. Only desire. Only trust. Only that feeling of having arrived at a place you didn't know you were looking for.

He settles between your legs and caresses your face.

—I'm going to do it slowly,— he warns you— because I want you to feel everything.

And when he enters you, he does so with a depth that steals your breath. His hips move rhythmically, slowly at first, as if dancing with you. Your bodies understand each other effortlessly. Every moan, every sigh, every word murmured against your neck.

—Watch me— he asks, and you do.

You look at him just as he accelerates, when his body slams into yours harder, with more hunger.

You come again, harder, more uncontrolled. And Lando lets himself go seconds later, his body trembling against yours, his breath ragged, his lips kissing your collarbone as if it were sacred.

He collapses beside you, not fully separating, his arm still around your waist. You don't say anything at first. You don't need to.

But then, he breaks the silence.

—Do you know what I thought while you were on top of me?— he asks softly.

You look at him, still panting.

—That you could be my safe place. And that scares me. But it also gives me peace.

You kiss him, without responding. Because sometimes the body speaks louder than any words.

[thatguywrites]

a lil while ago i was wondering why nobody was sending me requests only to discover that i still had requests closed in my bio so you're not alone in inbox mishaps 😅

perhaps drivers + wheelchair user!reader? ideally oscar w whoever else + whatever you think of!

Grid with Wheelchair user Boyfriend

Piastri, Sainz, Leclerc

A/N: Vinnie! Ty 😂 I'm terrible at figuring out tumblr settings

Drabbles

Oscar Piastri:

When you and Oscar first meet in a Café in Australia, it's because he tripped on his own feet when he first saw you, and spilled his coffee all over you.

He then spent over an hour talking about anything he could think of with you, just to keep you at that table with him; to be able to keep looking in your eyes.

Your future meetings went a lot like this too, Oscar taking you to new restaurants, or movie theaters, everytime doing extensive research to make sure that your experience would be exactly the same as his. If there was ever a hint of ableism, he would be ready to fight tooth and nail for you, or just go home if that's what you'd prefer.

When you first meet his family, you were delighted to see that they had a newly installed ramp to ensure that you would be able to enter their house and join them for dinner, Oscar and his mom having moved all the furniture to also give you a clear path throughout the house.

After many months of dating, you and Oscar decided that it was time to come out to the public as well, with no better place to do it than Oscar's home race. Oscar was in a frenzy, trying to make sure that all the entrances and exits in McLaren were accessible, and that you would be comfortable.

Carlos Sainz:

When you and Carlos first met through a mutual friend, he was so determined to score a date with you, that he spent the entire time ignoring your friends, focused on you. He offered to push your chair when you got ice cream so that you could eat while moving with the group, he went along the ramps with you even while others took the stairs, and always defaulted to talking with you every second of the day.

You soon learned that Carlos was always like this. Even one on one, he was as aware of your needs as his own. As he toured you around Madrid, you noticed that all the places you went were accessible, and welcoming.

When you met his family, they treated you like his past girlfriends, they paid no mind to the fact that you were a guy, or your disability, they simply welcomed you in, and fed you. You had a feeling Carlos gave them a talk on how to act beforehand, but nonetheless his family welcomed you in with open arms.

The two of you decided to come out at a Real Madrid game, where neither of you had pressure to perform or work, and could just enjoy yourselves in a public event. Pictures circulated endlessly of Carlos looking live-struck at you while you watched the game, and of both of your hands interlinked between the seats.

Charles Leclerc:

When Charles learned he was going to have a new engineer, he wasn't overjoyed. When he learned it was going to be you, he suddenly and unexplainably found a new pep in his step. During preseason testing, when he first had your voice in his ear, he found you a touch distracting. Your calm soothing voice made him want to curl up in your lap, not drive! Charles' sub par performance attracted Ferarri's attention, who then told him to spend more time with you outside of work, to try and get a bond going.

When the two of you came back a few days later, Charles followed your directions much better, it seems like he may have gotten some practice in...

When it comes to dates, Charlie much prefers to stay in with you, staying curled up with you in bed, or laying in the couch watching movies. He basically sees work as dates too, so when possible, he'll prioritize nights in. No need to worry about accessibility, or outfits, or reservations, just cuddles.

When you met Charles' mom, she instantly fell in love with you as well. She began chiding Charles for not bringing 'a gentleman like this' over sooner, and piled her homemade dishes onto your plate.

The two of you came out at Charles' home grand prix, kissing as you entered the paddock, and as Charles entered the car. There was some backlash as people weren't the biggest fans of Charles dating his coworker, or a man, or a disabled man... but Charles didn't have a shit about that and had to be sternly talked to by multiple PR officers to not curse out a ton of people online.

Taglist: (Comment or DM to be added)

@koalapastries @justaf1girl @spoonfulofmilo @lokisen

[knmaskitten]

Love me back ⊹ ♡

Pairing: Kageyama Tobio/ afab!reader.

Summary: inspired by love me back by fromis_9. You moved to your new house thanks to college, and one day, as you were preparing to deliver a gift to your neighbour, you encountered said person, Kageyama Tobio. After that, you keep longing to bump into him and slowly get him to correspond to your feelings. But when that does not happen, you plan a scheme with your best friend as the ultimate test to see if Tobio likes you or not.

warnings/tags: afab!fem reader. No use of y/n. Neighbours to lovers. Kageyama really is bad at expressing love. Reader is head over heels. A little bit of physical descriptions but nothing specific like hair color, length, etc. You use Oikawa Tooru to make Kageyama jealous. Oikawa is your best friend.

notes: I wanted to write this since so long ago, Kageyama is one of my favorite boys. As always, this was not proof read so I apologize for any bad grammar. Not necessary but english is my second language so have that in mind while reading. As always my AO3 is here (I post there first).

wc: 2,500

It was so utterly frustrating having to look at him all day long, knowing how your heart wanted to escape your ribcage every time you exchanged glances with his dark ocean eyes. You longed to see him every day, whether the sun was at its highest or lowest. You wanted to see him. For him to notice you and to exchange more than just “Hi” or “How are you?”. You’re sure you would have a stroke if he ever said something related to your outfits, which you carefully picked whenever you were going to “accidentally” bump into him.

Being neighbours with Kageyama was going to be the death of you. Your anxiety went through the roof when you thought about him, which was no bueno. Your cortisol levels were so high that your therapist advised you to finally blurt out a confession to him so you could be let out of this misery. But no, you were not that kind of girl anymore. All your life, you were the one who always had to confess to everybody, and you hated not being the one being confessed to. This had a huge impact on your self-esteem and made you doubt if you were loveable enough to be even considered a lover.

You were a nice lover, you thought. It isn’t like you haven’t dated anyone before this crush. Your first boyfriend, Marco, was a nice guy™ and you two had a very nice relationship. The thing is, your first relationship was just nice—not passionate, not vehement, not ardent, not fervent—nothing. Just nice. And it was rare to feel what you felt towards Kageyama; you were sure it wasn’t just infatuation; you could already feel what it really was and what it really meant. 

You were Kageyama’s right-side neighbour. You moved by yourself, next to where he lived, a few years ago because of college. You met him on your second day in your new home. He was returning from practise; he looked sweaty and tired. He had a jacket that said “Japan” on it, a volleyball ball on his right hand, and his sports bag on his shoulder. His hair was dark and messy, giving him a certain kind of freshness. You were casually walking towards his house, a friendly gift on your hands, hoping to form good bonds with your neighbours.

He observed you carefully and analyzed you, as if he were searching for something else behind your clear intentions. He did not smile at you, but he did stop walking to face you fully, silently questioning you. So you nervously replied:

“I’m…I’m your new neighbour!” You tried not to yell, but your words came out a lot louder than you intended to. This made you feel wobbly, with the tray in your hands threatening to fall to the ground. “I made some strawberry shortcake for you.” You pointed with your head towards the tray; it was a cute, soft pink platter with a ribbon design. It was trembling slightly thanks to your jitters.

“Thank you.” He bowed towards you, his hair moving with its movements. You paid attention to how his muscles flexed and then relaxed, creating wrinkles in his jacket and sports shorts. “I’m sorry, I don’t have anything for you.”

“That’s not necessary; this was just a small gesture. You dont have to give me anything, really.” You blurted your verbiage out without thinking. What was going on? You usually weren’t this awkward with people. You had confidence, which you slowly but surely cultivated through the years, and it was really hard for your ego to accept that a mere boy could have this impact on you.

He was a handsome boy with knowing eyes; his eyes were hungry to analyze the world around him, and the profound, dark blue ocean that his eyes were had you wanting to explore every nook and cranny in them. He was taller than you—almost 20 centimeters taller, giving him a certain kind of power over you. He had a toned and muscular figure, which coincided with the fact that he was a volleyball player, which you admired. You guessed he played in the Japanese volleyball league, making him a professional at what he did. And that was so interesting.

It just occurred to you that he perfectly could have rejected your dessert, given the fact that he needs to eat well and your shortcake was considered junk food. This fact struck your heart like lightning, making you feel butterflies in your stomach. He looked at you expectantly, waiting for you to pass him the tray. It seems you were in awe for too long because he gave you a frown.

“Right, sorry, here you go.” 

"Later.” He said while walking towards his house, leaving you perplexed.

That was the first time you two had any interaction. You took every opportunity you had to talk to him: sometimes you needed sugar, other times you needed a kitchen supply he had, and one time you needed help grabbing something from the top of your kitchen cabinets that you couldn’t reach. Other times you nonchalantly waited outside your home, seemingly sweeping your entrance, while you knew he would return from practise around this hour.

One particular time, he looked strangely dazed and out of tune, which you knew (by observing him so much) was weird. You had your broom on your hand, and the leaves in the cement were in a little pile right to your feet. You kept looking at him without a care in the world, scrutinizing him. This did not go unnoticed by him.

“Do I have something in my face?” He straightforwardly said, making eye contact with you. His back was ever so slightly arched and his hair was sticking to his forehead. His blue eyes were lit up with annoyance.

“Kageyama-kun, are you alright? You look out of it.” Worry seeped out of your words, a tender breeze brushing your hair.

“N—no! I mean, yes! I’m fine” He replied a little bit flustered, like he didn’t expect you to read him so well.

You left your broom on the side of your fence and you started walking towards him until you faced him. Face to face, he had to arch his back a little bit more to look at your eyes, which were full of a weird determination.

“Kageyama-kun I know I’m not your friend, but I can help you if you desire; I’m right next to you, and I swear I will do my best.” You stated that you were dead set on helping him out; even if he rejected your offer, you wanted to let him know you were worried about him. The sun shone on the right side of his face, highlighting his skin in a dance of light and shadows. This made time slow down around you, leaving just the two of you in this odd bubble you created.

“I…” He pouted, averting his gaze from yours as he frowned. “I just had a bad practise, that’s all.” He reluctantly said it in a mumble.

With all the will and courage you could possibly muster up, you walked even closer to him and gave him a big, tight hug, mumbling in a low and serene tone, “You’re still an amazing player.”

He trembled and then squished out of your hug, flustered. “I know!” he yelled, pointing to you with his index finger. ”I won’t lose!”

Kageyama was never socially good, and he was even less good with friends. So he did what he knew best: yell and challenge. You stood still, thinking you fucked up, your feelings bubbling in the pit of your stomach as anxiety started to gain a strong presence in you.

“S—sorry.” You muttered before walking rapidly towards your home, obviously not before taking your broom with you. You stopped on your heels, turned towards him and gave him a bow “Excuse me!” You yelled, leaving him there.

And after that, you both exchanged conversations that tacitly had something behind them. You sometimes thought Kageyama hated you and other times that he merely had to stand your presence, but once you thought he saw you as something else. You wanted him to look at you the way you looked at him, to long for your presence like you did his, to analyze your figure and eyes like you did his. To invite you on a damn date! If he didn’t hurry, you were going to finally accept the advances of a guy at your college.

In the battle of egos, you were not going to lose; you had a strong resolve, and that was: Kageyama had to confess to you. And it is not like you didn’t do anything to achieve this; you kept giving him gifts and kept advising him when he looked troubled. You secretly loved when he gave you attention, even if it was just crumbs. You had the opportunity to know a little bit more about him in every exchange you guys had, craving every chance you had of getting his attention. The feeling of his eyes on you, looking at only you with a certain kind of intent.

This went on for about six months—six long months of crumbs. And you were so not having it that you managed to get Kageyama’s phone number and his socials (you always waited for him to text or call you, but he never did, so you reluctantly had to be the one to initiate the conversation), but even then, you were not certain as to what he felt for you. Did he love you as well? Did he hate you? You were so nervous, uncertainty filling your body to the brim.

So, you decided to do a scheme with your best friend, Oikawa Tooru. This was evil in many ways, as you knew the rivalry Tobio had with your best friend. You met Tooru on a trip to your aunt’s house in Miyagi, and after a weirdly funny encounter, you two hit it off as best friends. You rarely met, but this was no excuse for how close you two grew together. It really was a coincidence that the “stupid setter from Karasuno” that Oikawa often talked about turned out to be Kageyama, which was stupidly funny.

You definitely were not the type to do these type of schemes, but you were desperate. You needed at least a glance that said I love you—a lovingly full of attention glance. And this fact also ashamed you; a guy had you craving attention; he had you in the palm of his hand, and he was so oblivious to it. This simply made you furious; you were not one to give into a guy this easily, and it made you angry that he didn’t show any signs.

So, you decided to carry out your plan. You called Oikawa and discussed with him:

“Tooru-chan, accept, please.” You pleaded.

“Using me! Huh! And to make Tobio-chan jealous! Him, of all people!” He said, frustrated and a little bit offended. “Why him, dear? Why him?”

“Please, Tooru, he means a lot to me.”

“But he is an idiot if you have to go to these lengths to get his attention.” He scolded you.

“But, Tooru, I love him!” You cried over the phone.

There was a brief silence on the other line; you could only hear the faint sound of static.

“You are lucky I’m in Japan right now.” He said, resigning to your plan.

“I love you, Tooru! You’re amazing!” 

Happily, you hung up the phone. The plan was as follows: he was going to pick you up for a “date” at the time Tobio arrived home from practise, and then you two were actually going to go out because Oikawa asked to at least have some real time with his best friend. So you texted him with the date and time he had to be at your front door. You insisted on him looking extra handsome that day and reacted with, “I’m always extra handsome! >:c” .

When the day came, you decided to pamper yourself. You wore makeup today; you wore a light pink eyeshadow that highlighted your eyes, applying a little bit of glitter at the center of your lid. You carefully placed your blush to make you look naturally flushed. You did your winged liner and used mascara. You successfully enhanced your natural beauty. You left your hair down, as it was what you were most comfortable with. You wanted to look cute, so you picked a white, flowy dress that made you shine. You paired it with black Mary Jane shoes and white socks, as well as a pearly necklace with a purple gem. 

At six thirty, your door bell rang and a text bubble appeared on the screen of your phone: “Open the door, dummy.” . And so you hurried up. You put your phone in your black purse and grabbed a black jacket to pair your dress with. You ran downstairs towards the door and opened it very happily.

“Tooru!” you exclaimed, excited. As you hugged your friend tightly, you peeked over his shoulder and saw Kageyama’s figure approaching. You whispered, "Ok, Tooru, let’s do it. Kageyama’s coming”

You knew you were going to get a reaction from him, but not this one. He stopped, looking between you and Oikawa; he got the clue instantly as he saw you both well dressed. You could swear you saw fire coming out of him.

“Oikawa.” He said it in a low tone, angrily.

“Tobio-chan!” He cheerfully replied.

“What are you doing with her? How do you know her?” He blurted out, arching his brow, walking closer to you.

“Going on a date. Not that its any of your business.” Oikawa gave him an annoyed smile.

“No, you’re not.” You swear you and Oikawa are still in your places, surprised by this. Your heart started to race. 

“You’re not fair!” You yelled at him, feeling overwhelmed. “You ignore me, then forbid me from going on a date?”

“I…its just…I." He started.

“You what?”

He then walked towards you fully, and taking you by the shoulders, he kissed you passionately. His hands were not moving, and you were so stunned that it took you a second to correspond with him. Oikawa stood still, a little awkward. He decided to slowly walk towards your door and leave you two to it. He was still going to have his time with you nonetheless.

“Oikawa is not the right guy for you. I am. I think I love you. I want you.”

You didn’t say anything, as those words were the one thing you wanted to hear the most, for the longest of times. And you had it now, and it felt amazingly odd; it was a new feeling that meant your love was reciprocated. 

“Oikawa is my best friend. I love you, idiot.”

And then you hugged him, and this time he hugged you back.

Thank you for reading <3

masterlist and more.

[babybatss-blog]

A REUNION LIKE NO OTHER (PT2)

totk!link x f!reader, 860 words

authors note: Thanks for the love on the first part! Here is the second one which is from Links perspective, I don’t think I’ll go beyond in this story this is just a little wrap up (unless y’all have any ideas on where I should take it)

cw: none ~

summary: Link is now reunited with his wife, and ready to meet his little girl.

Once Link woke up on a foreign island with a foreign arm, his thoughts immediately flew to you. His gorgeous wife, on the border of giving birth all alone and waiting for him. He did whatever he could to return, using his expertise from being the princesses guard to his advantage to restore your family’s peace.  

And now his hard work has paid off, with you standing in front of him as gorgeous as ever. “My beautiful Link” you say, caressing Link’s hair with that same caring gaze. “We’ll find Zelda, I promise. Just because she’s the princess, doesn’t mean she isn’t strong.” He knows you’re right, because you always are. You’re his rock, always calming his nerves and doubts after having the world on his shoulders.

He nods in reply, unable to get the words out as per usual. But now more than usual, because you had the baby that the two of you have wanted forever. When you told him you were pregnant the two of you were in bliss for at least a month. All you wanted was to be a mother, and all he wanted was for you to be a mother. And now, the dream has come true. “Shall we go meet our baby?” You ask, reading his mind the same as ever. You lock hands with his natural one and lead him out, ignoring the perplexed crowd still around the two of you. As you walk, he admires your face, still almost dazed by the fact you are reunited. The way your eyes twinkle and your mouth creases in a smile in the same as ever. He hopes the baby takes after you.

When the two of you arrive at the camp, it doesn’t take long for everyone to notice his appearance. That familiar yet uncomfortable whispering momentum enters with Link, eyes glued to him, and mouths covered by hands concealing their gossip. “Over here is the tower. We plan to use that for land surveying, and Purah said that she needs help from you with that. And there are the stables, Epona is getting great care by the stable hand Lester. Oh and over there…” You tug him over to the centre “Is where Navi is!” A guard stamps his weapon on the floor three times, which causes a harsh rumble. Low and behold, the bunker that Link remembers from 100 years ago opens, revealing a considerable shelter filled with people. It is unbelievable to him that all this advancement has been garnered in the couple of months he has been gone, almost subtly grateful that so many people have come together to find him and Zelda. His attention is quickly brought off this fact when he enters the bunker and sees a cot, gently rocked by a nurse and donned with a mobile he remembers you making in the first trimester.

He locks eyes with you, gaining an affirmative nod that signals its truly time to meet his baby girl. Link slowly walks forward, oddly nervous despite the fact he has been dreaming of this moment from the moment he met you. Peeking over the crib, he sees bright blue eyes blinking widely at him. His eyes swell with tears as he scoops his baby into his arms, who immediately somehow recognises him and therefore grabs his shirt in her precious little hand. Link stands there for probably ten minutes in a comfortable silence with his daughter, taking in every little breath and murmur she makes. “She looks just like you.” You say, now appearing at his shoulder and looking at Navi just as lovingly as he did. He smiles and looks down. “She does, but she has your smile.” You hum, wrapping your arms around Link from behind to enjoy your first ever family hug.

“You know… I think Navi would love to go on her first ever adventure with us.” Link’s eyebrows crease, inquisitive towards what you mean. “I know you want to find Zelda, and we won’t stop you. I’ll follow you to the end of the world Link, and so will Navi.” Now rejecting the hug Link turns around, fully facing you. Never in his wildest dreams would he think to put the two of you in danger, but he also never thought about the fact it is his responsibility to find Zelda. “We will be safe Link. I know if anything happens you will protect us, but I helped you on your journey before and I’ll do it again.” Link takes a deep breath, understanding what is at hand for the three of you. Even if he is the hero of Hyrule he knows he has you and Navi by his side, with another adventure to be had once again. 

[astro-nomaly]

The Graveyard Shift

Impulsively posting a chapter 1 draft I wrote on a whim a while ago enjoy ig

No content warnings aside from foul language

Lloyd blew a strand of bleached blond hair from his eyes as he stared dejectedly out of the window of his social worker’s car. 

He watched, bored out of his mind, as the near-empty road sped past, scenic green fields and plots of land with lonely houses whizzing by. Dareth, the aforementioned social worker, tapped his hands on the steering wheel of his beat-up Camaro while humming along to the 80’s rock on his old stereo.  

Lloyd checked his phone, an old model from seven years ago, and grimaced when he saw no new notifications.  

Lloyd Garmadon lived in Ninjago City, the biggest city on the continent of, unoriginally, Ninjago. He lived in a two-bedroom apartment with his mother, Misako, who despite being divorced in all but legality to his absent father, refused to drop his last name.  

Mom was... a strange case. She was an archeologist who worked abroad half the time, and worked at home online the other half. Despite her historical interests, she was a conspiracy theorist: his mom was the sort to drink herbal teas and drown in essential oils instead of getting a flu shot, because, in her words, “what if the government begins to track them”? As if they were people worth tracking. 

She was overprotective, too, but only really when it was convenient. Most of the time, she didn’t pay much attention to her only son; just tossed him a twenty and told him to order out.  

He was used to it. Oftentimes, she was away on work, and Lloyd would be left alone in the apartment. It wasn’t like she was abandoning him – she was just busy. Besides, the utilities were always paid for, and she always left him an envelope of cash for food and emergencies. She just also didn’t text or call much. 

Social services didn’t agree.  

Mrs. Hepworth, his homely old neighbor, got worried when she noticed Misako had been gone much longer than usual. His mom was only supposed to be at work for three weeks – she'd been gone for two months, and hadn’t texted him in several weeks. On top of that, Lloyd skipped school so often that she took notice, and called CPS.  

He’d been caught totally off guard when several social workers showed up and began rooting through his apartment the second they found out he was alone, and didn’t have a guardian to actually prevent them from basically raiding the place. Faster than he could blink, he was saddled with Obnoxious Dareth and shuttled off to Jamanakai Village, where his uncle supposedly lived. 

Lloyd rolled his eyes at the thought. He’d never even met his Uncle Wu, his father’s brother. The guy had never so much as called, and Lloyd was supposed to live with him? Sure, it was better than being placed with a bunch of strangers he wasn’t even related to, but he’d much rather be back at home, eating pizza and playing video games well past 3am. 

Of course, this was sort of his own fault. Maybe if he’d just gone to school, Mrs. Hepworth wouldn’t have noticed anything... 

Lloyd’s eyes refocused on his reflection in the grimy window, and he scowled. His eyes glared back. The sclera – fancy word for ‘whites of the eyes’ - were pitch black, and his irises a bright, radioactive green. He hated them.  

A rare, but harmless genetic mutation, the doctors said. Harmless his ass. Almost his entire life, Lloyd had been bullied for those weird eyes. He’d been called everything from a vampire to a demon at schools, and the more religious kids hated him with an equally religious passion. Despite his attempts to fade into the background, he could never escape the stares. Even teachers found him off-putting.  

For the longest time, he’d wanted to just buy contacts to cover them up, but Mom would never let him. She hated wasting money on ‘unnecessary stuff’. So, basically, anything Lloyd ever wanted. She certainly never had a problem paying extra for rip-off VPNs.  

His mood soured even further at the thought of his mother, and he slouched in his seat. Soon, he’d be stuck at Jamanakai Village, which was so small it barely had its own zip code, with his estranged uncle.  

Lloyd checked his phone again. Nothing.  

“So,” Dareth spoke up, much to Lloyd’s annoyance. The guy was obnoxiously cheerful, and super awkward. Worst, he wasn’t even self-aware! But, Lloyd supposed, he could be stuck with someone worse than the chubby, middle-aged man. 

“I was supposed to ask you some extra questions, but honestly, I forgot,” Dareth chuckled, and Lloyd rolled his eyes. “But, just for the paperwork later –last time you spoke t’ your mom?” 

Lloyd shifted, scowling down at his beat-up converse. “Define ‘spoke to’.” 

“Called, texted – communicated in any way.” 

“Three weeks ago,” he mumbled, thumbing his phone. “I told her I needed her to send me some extra money for food and she replied with a thumbs up. That’s the last time she said anything to me.” 

“Hm,” Dareth hummed, looking concerned. Lloyd hated that look. He got it all the time – people who thought his eyes were a disease, people who heard about his nonexistent father, people who knew about his perpetually absent mom – it was the worst. And he just knew what was going through Dareth’s head.  

Poor, sad, neglected little kid. 

Jokes on him. Lloyd liked it when Mom was gone. He got the whole apartment to himself and got to order as much junk food as he wanted. She was such a stick in the mud about those sorts of things.  

“And, just checking; how long is she usually gone?” 

Why was he even asking? Lloyd went through this all already at the station. “Like, around three weeks at a time,” he said anyway, shrugging. “Sometimes she gets held back or shit comes up. The cell company probably got fucked and that’s why she hasn’t called me.” 

It didn’t escape him that he was making excuses for nonexistent accusations. His mom hadn’t called him – and hadn’t even sent the money he’d asked for. He’d been eating ramen and frozen dino nuggets for three weeks.  

But the other option was that something was wrong. Mom, as flawed as she was, was all Lloyd really had. What would he do if something happened?  

He shook the thought away before it could latch on. Mom was fine. She just got wrapped up in work, or the cell company really had gotten fucked somehow. She was in another country; it was totally plausible. These people were blowing stuff out of proportion.  

“Well, aside from that,” Dareth continued, drumming his fingers rhythmically. “You got anyone that checks in on ya?” 

“Mrs. Hepworth knows me,” Lloyd says, partially dodging the question. “I’m not a little kid, I don’t need a babysitter.” 

Dareth laughed. “Not at all, kid! Just wondrin’ who’s been keepin’ an eye on ya.” 

Lloyd didn’t say no one. 

The car slowed to a stop at a red light, and Dareth took the chance to turn to look at Lloyd, an open look on his face. Immediately, Lloyd was tense, and internally cursed himself. He was told that he looked downright freakish when he got defensive or angry, what with his strange, black-rimmed eyes... 

But Dareth didn’t seem to mind, because he just smiled softly. “Y’know kiddo, I get it. You’re a little nervous, little anxious. And those nerves get to ya at places like the station! But you can totally talk to me, about anything.” 

Lloyd broke the eye contact. He wasn’t totally wrong – Lloyd was nervous. But it wasn’t the social workers who questioned him, or even moving. It was his uncle. 

Lloyd was terrified. His uncle was an older Japanese guy in his seventies, and Lloyd was, well, trans. Wu had never even met him, but surely, he’d been told about Lloyd’s gender when he was born. And if he hadn’t, he’d find out when Dareth handed over the radioactive medical papers. Aside from that, who knew how religious or superstitious the guy was? What if he found Lloyd’s eyes freaky and unnatural too? 

Lloyd knew that something like his eyes was an immature and self-centered thing to get so worked up about, but he couldn’t help it. He was scared of being judged, or worse, turned away when Wu found out about the trans thing. Somehow, being judged for his eyes was more acceptable. 

Lloyd opened his mouth, ready to say as much to Dareth, who already knew and didn’t care, but a sudden honk from behind them interrupted the moment, and he clamped his mouth shut.  

“No. Nothing. I’m fine.” 

Dareth’s face fell, but he nodded anyways and kept driving.  

After a tense few minutes, Dareth spoke up again. “This song,” he whistled, faux-casual, “you know, they played it at all the dances in my day.” 

Lloyd grimaced. “Wow... cool...” 

“Yep! Ol’ Dareth here knows a thing about the hip, pop songs of the day!” Dareth said. There was more of that hopelessly self-unaware behavior. Lloyd cringed, both internally and externally.  

“Well, it’s actually pretty... hip... to just listen to music on car rides,” Lloyd tried, desperate to end the conversation.  

Dareth raised an eyebrow. “Really? Supposed folks talked on trips-” 

“Yeah, well, they don’t. They listen to music and ignore each other,” Lloyd snapped, shoving his earbuds in, thoroughly worn out socially. “Which is what I’m doing now.” He turned up his music as loud as it would go and pointedly ignored Dareth for the rest of the drive, trying not to think about anything at all. 

__ 

They pull up into Jamanakai Village over two hours later. The barren highway slowly transforms into lush green lawns and cozy, old-timey cobblestone streets. Townhouses frame the old-fashioned roads, and cozy storefronts capitalize on the walkable structure. 

Lloyd hates it. 

He misses the city already; the ever-present noise, the irritating smog, the light pollution and neighbors as perpetually grouchy and rude as he is. This town feels unbearably small and quiet, the kind of place where everyone knows everyone and their grandmothers.  

Worse, the most exciting thing he sees on their slow roll down the streets is a movie rental that has definitely seen better days. There’s going to be nothing to even do here. 

The car rolls to a stop at an empty stop sign, and Lloyd takes out his earbud, looking out the window.  

“That’s where you might be goin’,” Dareth says, chuckling. “Small, isn’t it?”  

The high school is the smallest school Lloyd’s ever seen in his life. It’s a single story and doesn’t take up half the space of his school in Ninjago City. And, he gets it; city schools are way bigger than itty-bitty town schools. But this is ridiculous.  

Lloyd scoffs, rolling his eyes. “I won’t be here long enough to enroll anyways,” he says with as much bitter conviction as he can muster. Like if he doesn’t say it like he believes it, it won’t be true.  

And Lloyd really, really doesn’t want to go to school here. 

If he thought his old high school was bad, in the city, what will a tiny school like this be like? Where everyone’s known everyone else since kindergarten, and gossip spreads like wildfire? He wouldn’t just be the new kid – he'd be the new kid with freakish ghoul eyes.  

No, thank you. 

Dareth hums in response, looking uncertain, and they keep driving.  

As they pull into a more suburban looking area, Lloyd takes out his earbuds entirely. It’s cozy, he has to admit. The old-fashioned street lights have begun to flick on, illuminating the sidewalks in friendly orange light.  

Not as pretty as the city, though. 

Dareth pulls into the driveway of a strange-looking townhouse. It’s three stories of dark brick and wood, and the front is advertising “Steepers Wisdom”. 

“God,” Lloyd mutters, his mood steadily dropping. “How fucking stereotypical can this guy get?” 

Seriously, a seventy-year-old Japanese uncle running a tea shop? What, is he secretly a ninjitsu master too?  

He knows he’s being unfair, but he doesn’t care. He just wants to go home. 

Dareth puts the car in park and groans as he steps out, joints popping. “Alright, kiddo! You grab your stuff from the trunk.” 

Lloyd shoves his phone in the pocket of his hoodie and loops around to the trunk, where he has his grand total of a single suitcase. Dareth had insisted on him packing more – his books, action figures, posters – but Lloyd didn’t see the point in packing anything but his wardrobe. He wouldn’t be here long enough to decorate, anyways. 

Lloyd grimaces as he looks back at the townhouse/tea shop. Yeah, definitely not.  

He’d call Mom again tonight. When she heard about him being stuck with his estranged uncle, she’d be home as soon as possible, and he’d get to leave.  

The idea lifts his mood, just a little. It helps to remind himself that this is all temporary.  

He hauls his green suitcase from the trunk, meeting Dareth at the front steps. His social worker is leafing through a file, and smiles at Lloyd. “Ready, kiddo?” 

“Yeah, whatever,” Lloyd mumbles, shoving his free hand in his pocket. It’s starting to get chilly out as summer wanes. If nothing else, he wants to get back into a heated building. Lloyd’s always gotten cold way too easy, and he hates it. 

Dareth rings the doorbell, and a few seconds later, it opens. 

As it turns out, Lloyd’s uncle can be even more stereotypical. His uncle is wearing a traditional white haori, cinched at the waist, and an off-white nagagi underneath. He wears simple light brown pants that strangely poof at the bottom, and sandals with socks.  

And he has the longest pure white beard ever, and wears a huge rice hat over his likely bald head.  

Wu’s eyes widen in surprise (didn’t he know they were coming...?) before he smiles, strained. “Oh, Mr. Dareth! It’s good to meet you,” he holds out a wrinkled hand for Dareth to shake.  

Dareth smiles warmly. “Hello, Mr. Garmadon, you too.” 

“Please, call me Wu,” his uncle insists, opening the door further to wave them inside. “Please, come inside.” 

Lloyd awkwardly smiles as he passes his uncle, but he’s sure it comes out as more of a grimace. Wu is similarly strained. When he turns around, Lloyd finds that he has a pure white braid that goes past his shoulders. 

Inside, Steepers Wisdom is... boring. There’s a counter, behind which is a huge wall of different tea bags and a large menu, and the rest of the limited space is taken up by thrifted couches and coffee tables. At least there’s cozy lighting? 

Lloyd’s thoughts drift to his own fairy lights back in his bedroom, and he sours again.  

Lloyd plops down on the nearest overstuffed couch, sinking into the cushions glumly. Dareth sits down next to him, spreading his papers over the coffee table. Wu, thankfully, takes the hint and sits down across from them.  

“I apologize,” Wu says, “I didn’t prepare anything. I hope the two of you ate?” 

“Oh, no problem,” Dareth says, “got the kid some fast food on the way. Now, here I’ve got Lloyd’s medical papers...” 

Lloyd lets his thoughts drift as the adults talk over his head. His gaze lazily roams the tea shop, taking in the details. It’s decorated very traditionally, with several Japanese paintings taking up the walls.  

Personally, Lloyd had never really connected with any of his Japanese heritage. His father was Japanese, but his mom was Vietnamese, and given that she’s the one who raised him (duh), he was always exposed more to that side than anything else. Even then, his mom’s parents had immigrated when she was young, and Lloyd ended up without much exposure to the culture at all. It didn’t help that Mom was never interested in teaching him anything. He knew like, two words of Vietnamese.  

Lloyd’s attention drifted back to the conversation the next time they said his name.  

“And, given that he’ll be here for the foreseeable future, you should probably go ahead and start enrollment.” 

“What?” Lloyd sat up before Wu could respond, and the attention shifted to him. “Why do I have to go to school? I’m already enrolled at Ninjago High!” 

Dareth got that look on his face, the one that meant that he was pitying Lloyd. Lloyd bristled, growing even more defensive.  

“Well, kiddo, we don’t know when your mom will be back,” Dareth said sympathetically. He reached out a hand to put on Lloyd shoulder, but thought better of it at Lloyd’s murderous glare. “You might be here a while, so it’s better to just go ahead and get you back into school.” 

Wu nodded, speaking directly to Lloyd for the first time. “He’s right,” he said, and Lloyd swallowed back the angry retort. What the hell did Wu know about his mom? Nothing, that’s what.  

“Fine,” he snapped venomously, “whatever, I don’t give a shit.” 

Dareth shot Wu an apologetic look. “Ah, sorry Mr. Wu, he’s just had a long day...” 

“It’s quite alright,” Wu waved him off, unfazed.  

Lloyd glowered as harshly as he possibly could in Wu’s direction. He didn’t care what Wu said – he was determined not to like the guy on principle. Mom would be furious that he was here, so he would be furious too.  

If no one else would be on her side, Lloyd would be.  

He fought the urge to yell again when Wu kept talking. “...and I was told there was a bit of a hoarding situation...” 

There was not. The social workers were fucking convinced that Mom was some sort of hoarder that belonged on one of those shitty reality shows, but it wasn’t like they had mice or roaches. Mom just had trouble keeping all her stuff organized – it wasn’t her fault their apartment was so small! And Lloyd liked the clutter anyways – it made the place feel lived in.  

Apparently, a little too lived in for CPS. 

Slowly, the adults wrapped up the conversation. Wu signed a few papers, and Dareth handed over Lloyd’s social security, birth certificate, and medical records. Then, he turned to face Lloyd.  

“Alright kiddo, I gotta get going,” he said. He pulled a small card from a pocket on his shirt, holding it out to Lloyd. “Here, my number. Don’t be afraid to call, ‘kay? I’m here for you anytime you need.” 

Lloyd hesitated, but eventually took the dumb card anyway. “Thanks,” he mumbled. He really wanted to ask if Dareth really thought he would be here long enough for school and doctor appointments, but he didn’t. He already knew the answer anyway.  

Dareth clapped Lloyd on the shoulder and stood. “I’ll be back later this month for a wellness check! Keep up those grades, Lloyd!” With that, he brushed out the door.  

Lloyd fidgeted awkwardly as he was left alone with his uncle, who also seemed unsure of what to do.  

Finally, Wu cleared his throat. “It’s nice to meet you... Lloyd.” 

Lloyd stiffened. Of course, Wu didn’t recognize his name. He was probably just waiting to see how Lloyd reacted to it before he whipped out some crazed nonsense about ‘the youth these days’... 

Lloyd instantly became defensive, straightening. “Yeah, Lloyd,” he spat, trying to sound more confident than he was. “Mom doesn’t have a problem with it.” 

“Of course not,” Wu said, holding up his hands to placate him. “It’s just, when they called... I wasn’t sure- that is, I did some reading on the subject-” 

Oh. Lloyd’s shoulders fell a little as he lost his momentum. Wu was just sort of oblivious.  

Deciding to put the poor old man out of his misery, Lloyd interrupted. “Uh, yeah. I’m trans, it’s whatever. He/him.” 

Wu looked visibly relieved, untensing. “Of course. Anyways, it's late,” he cleared his throat again, standing. “I took the liberty of preparing your room.”  

Lloyd wondered where he was hiding a bedroom, but it became obvious when Wu led him through the back of the kitchen where a few chairs and boxes collected dust, and a staircase led to another floor.  

“You’re the attic,” Wu said, oblivious to Lloyd’s growing dread at having to lug a suitcase up four stories. “Come on, then.”  

On the way up, Lloyd gets a peek at the layout of the house. The second floor, above the shop, is home to smaller kitchenette and living room, where the third floor is the laundry room and Wu’s bedroom, which his uncle points out. “In case you need me,” he says. Lloyd knows he won’t. 

Finally, Lloyd gets to the attic. Wu pulls down a wooden ladder from the hatch in the roof, and Lloyd nearly breaks his neck shoving his suitcase up. He’s suddenly extremely glad he only brought the suitcase and his shoulder bag.  

Wu follows him into the room, having done nothing to assist with the suitcase. Stupid old man and his stupid old man bones.  

Lloyd surveys the room with mild interest. The ceiling is slanted inward on all sides, with a completely flat top. He tries to picture it from the outside – sloped sides, with a flat top and railing. There’s a short loft, big enough for a bed and nightstand, and a smaller hatch that leads up to the roof. Aside from that, the attic is fairly spacious, if not old fashioned. He turns in a circle, eyeing the giant window that he’s definitely throwing a curtain over the second he can.  

The room is empty except for an old wooden wardrobe, a writing desk, a bed with green and black covers underneath the loft, and a short nightstand. A paper lamp stands beside the bed. 

“I wasn’t sure what you liked,” Wu offers from behind, previously being content to let Lloyd take in the attic himself. “If you’d like, we can of course go shopping for decorations. Perhaps some posters?” 

Lloyd shrugs, rolling his suitcase next to the bed. He sits down, feeling the soft mattress curve beneath him. The covers were recently washed.  

“It’s nice,” Lloyd lies, just to get Wu out. His uncle doesn’t go. Instead, he sits on the stool beside the desk.  

“I have some old tapestries,” Wu says, like Lloyd wants anything else but to sleep. “They might make the space nicer.” 

Lloyd suddenly feels a deep sense of anger. Why is Wu acting like either of them want him here? Like Lloyd is staying here for any longer than a few more days?  

It’s not like Wu actually gives a shit. He’s a seventy-year-old man running a business. He never had kids, or a spouse for that matter. All Lloyd is doing for him is fucking up his whole routine and costing him extra money. And all he’s doing for Lloyd is pissing him off. 

“Look, man,” Lloyd says, not bothering to keep the annoyance out of his voice. “You don’t have to act like you care, okay? I don’t want to be here and you don’t want me here. You can cut the,” he waves his hand vaguely, “whole ‘caring uncle’ shtick.” 

Wu looks taken aback, straightening in the chair. “I am sorry you feel that way,” he says evenly, “but I do care, Lloyd.” 

“You didn’t even know my name before today,” Lloyd snaps back, not bothering to acknowledge that Wu couldn’t possibly have known Lloyd’s chosen name. It feels like a good enough comeback. “Admit it, you didn’t even recognize me.” 

“Lloyd, I want to make this transition easy for you,” Wu says, ignoring Lloyd’s comment. “I’m trying to get to know you.”  

Lloyd scoffed, glaring hard. The covers bunch up in his fists. “Well, I don’t want you to. I won’t be here long enough for it to matter.” 

“You don’t know that.” 

“I do,” Lloyd insists. Wu sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. Lloyd takes satisfaction in it. Maybe, maybe, if he can make Wu mad enough, he can leave. It’s a small hope. 

“You’re tired and stressed,” Wu says, standing. “I’ll let you sleep. Tomorrow, we can see about getting you some decorations.” 

The thin thread of patience in Lloyd’s chest snaps. When is someone going to listen to him?! 

“When are you going to get it?” He bites, standing from the bed. Wu’s gaze hardens. “I don’t fucking like you. I don’t want to be here, I don’t want to talk to you, and I don’t give a shit about this stupid fucking attic!” 

“Lloyd Garmadon!” Wu reprimands as Lloyd’s voice rises to a yell. Lloyd clamps his mouth shut, glaring as venomously as he can. Wu doesn’t care, glaring right back. “I understand that you are stressed and exhausted, but I will not tolerate the disrespect! As long as you are under my roof, using my facilities, you will respect me, or I will teach you to!” 

Lloyd bares his teeth. “What, is that supposed to be a fucking threat? Get this through your rotted, dementia-riddled brain,” Lloyd jabs the side of his head as emphasis, stalking toward Wu, stopping only a foot away. “I don’t give a shit! There is nothing you can say to me to make me like you!” 

Wu stands up straighter, literally looking down at his nephew. “You don’t have to like me,” he says cooly, “but you will respect me, unless you’d like to be working in the shop every day after school, and every weekend until close for the remainder of your stay here.” 

Lloyd recoils. “Fuck you,” he spits. “When Mom gets back, she’ll sue the hell out you.” 

She won’t. She’ll be mad as hell, and probably yell at Wu a lot, but she won’t spend any more time thinking about him than she has to. He doesn’t feel like telling Wu that, though.  

“You’re just some fucking relative I’ve never met,” Lloyd continues. He suddenly has this urge to make Wu know how much he hates this. The lack of control he has, the anger he feels at everyone tugging him around without his say-so. He knows that Wu’s barely even done anything, but he’s the closest punching bag. 

Mom says he gets the anger issues from dad. Makes sense – whenever Lloyd thinks about the guy, he wants to track him down and scream until his face goes blue. Wu makes him feel the same way now. 

Wu shakes his head, like Lloyd is a particularly disappointing mess. “Goodnight, nephew,” he says, and leaves back down through the hatch. Lloyd kicks it closed behind him, screaming incoherently.  

“And stay the fuck out!” 

He falls back into the bed, curling up on his side. Now that Wu is gone, the silence begins to set it. Outside, a stray branch taps against the window.  

It’s so quiet here. The city is always screeching and honking. Lloyd doesn’t think he can fall asleep here without that white noise.  

He pulls up his phone, squinting as the blue light lights up his face in the dark. Still nothing from Mom.  

Against his better judgement, he leaves a voicemail. “Hey, Mom,” he mumbles, glancing out the window. He hadn’t really noticed before, but it’s a bay window. He always wanted one of those. “I’m stuck at Wu’s house. He’s a giant asshole,” he ignores the fact that he’s the one who initiated the argument, “I want to go home,” no, he doesn’t. He just wants to be wherever she is. “But I know you’ll be back soon. Just... maybe a little sooner? I hate this. I want to catch up on our shows soon.” 

Never mind that she hadn’t watched anything with him for months before she left.  

“Bye,” he mumbles, suddenly out of energy. He hangs up and kicks off his shoes, letting them fly in either direction, and shoves his earbuds in. There’s no way he’s sleeping tonight.  

He hates this place, Lloyd decides, glaring out the dumb bay window he always wanted. His black sclera shine in the dark, reflecting the green moon. 

[maybeitsalivescribbles]

Febuwhump 17) Hostage Situation

(tw: team whump, captivity and some fights going on – I made a cut because it’s long but honestly it’s more adventure than horror)

*

Fighter had too much hair over her face. The band that’d held her ponytail had snapped when she’d been caught. That was the least of her problems at the moment, but she didn’t like it. Mediator noticed. Mediator had an unnerving instinct for this kind of things. He pulled out a brush and gently arranged her hair behind her ears.

“Still can’t believe you have that,” she said with a wan smile.

Mediator raised an eyebrow:

“I have an afro Blondie, you wouldn’t understand. Yours doesn’t get dry once an hour.”

“Maybe I should do like Leader and buzz them off.”

The mention of their Leader made them stop for a second. According to the number of meals they’d had, he’d been taken out of their cell since at least two days and they had no news since. Their guard had refused to tell them anything.

A couple of days ago, the team had been sent into enemy territory to negotiate. Mediator would have swore then that it’d went very well, and he wouldn’t have been wrong. But while Enemy Leader, their Leader and he were fiercely debating, he hadn’t seen that a guard had pointed a gun on his head, whereas none of the participants had been allowed to bring a weapon. Fighter though, who never paid attention very long when negotiations were going, had noticed. Her first kick had disarmed the man, her second had gone right into his rib cage. Five guards had rushed toward her, and she’d been on her way to knock down the fourth when she’d seen the gun against her Leader’s forehead. They’d immediately been accused of betrayal and sent into jail, then the latter had been dragged...somewhere else. By mutual agreement, they’d tried not to talk too much about this with the Mediator, especially since the guard was obviously listening to them. Sometimes frustration was stronger though, and her teammate whispered:

“I do not understand why that man shot. Weeks of work undone. Why?”

Unable to shrug, Fighter twisted her mouth:

“Sometimes men break.”

The guard had caught on and groaned:

“Or maybe he was sick and tired of hearing you talking shit -”

“Don’t even”, snapped Fighter.

“And you keep your mouth shut, you monster. Do you know how many guys are still hospitalized ?”

“Good.”

Mediator laid a hand on her knee and shook his head. Fighter gritted her teeth. He was right, it was no use to argue. That was wasting her strength. By what she could only call pure pettiness, the guard had ordered her to be covered in chains, like a gladiator in an old peplum. If he’d wanted to get on her nerves, she was sorry to say that it’d worked. Not being able to move her arms at all all this time had grown to annoying into painful and sometimes just short of unbearable. His teammate, who hadn't been deemed dangerous enough to be tied up, had helped her the best he could. He'd been very delicate and caring as always, but it was maddening having to rely on someone else for eating and other things.

Their bags had been confiscated, but trust Mediator to keep a whole array of objects on him. He never carried any weapons, but aside from the apparently very important brush, he had a pack of gum which had been useful to forget their hunger, and a tiny crosswords magazine which they’d used to kill time. They'd carefully avoided the sensitive subjects. They'd mostly bickered about what was the Wordle of the day they were missing out, a little bit because they were unhealthily interested in the game (that’s what Leader pretended anyway), but mostly because the guard was not-so-politely bored to death by their spats. Fighter had never been a great talker, but Mediator was, and all in all she was really grateful for his presence.

Still, Leader was missing. Mediator had the same train of thought as her, because he whispered a moment after:

“ I'd even gladly listen to his dumb hand puns.”

She couldn’t help but smile. Since Leader had lost his right hand in a mission, his delight and first priority had been to make this everyone else’s problem. A thousand “this got out of hand” had been answered every time he’d been asked how he’d lost it. Mediator and Fighter had applauded him at first, until they’d slowly realized he had no intent of stopping there. That had only been the beginning of an unceasing storm of hand jokes that would have made middle-schoolers groan in agony. Of course, if you’d roll your eyes even a little about that, this grown man would look at you with puppy eyes and whisper with a false tremolo: “Are you oppressing me ?” Basically, only the fact that they both loved him to pieces had prevented his teammates from pulling out a mutiny.

Mediator’s eyes were shining with tears.

“If I’d been convincing enough -”

Fighter did her best to bump his shoulder with hers.

“Don’t think like that,” she gently admonished. “It will get us nowhere.”

“Right.” Mediator sniffed. “I’m sorry. It’s just – that it’s been a while.”

“You’re tired. You should rest a little.”

He nodded and curled up next to her:

“Wake me up if you need anything.”

“I will.”

She didn’t. It was another one who jolted him awake. A tall, bulky and bald man barged into the room, his wrists tied behind his back, accompanied with another guard with a sour face. He made an entry as solemn and dignified as usual:

“Heeey kiddos ! Did you have fun without me ? Eesh, can’t say that you did. You look terrible.”

Fighter made a deep sigh of alleviation. Mediator woke up with a gasp and ran towards the bars:

“Leader !”

It was him all right, and it was a huge relief to see him alive and on his feet. He looked fortunately intact. There was not a scratch to be seen on his face. His walk was strange though, like he’d been drunk, and his gaze was unfocused, gleaming with fever. He suddenly stopped, making the guard behind him start, and squinted his eyes:

“Fighter, what the hell are you wearing ?”

She laid down her eyes on her chains and made a face. Leader glanced at the cell guard:

“Seriously, who gave you the right to wrap up my girl like that ? I only have zip-ties and I am their chief ! It’s so goddamn unfair !”

Everyone was unsettled by that yell. He tripped on his feet and nearly fell, but caught himself in time. He burst into laughs before beginning to shake from every limb, leaning his back against the bars for support. Mediator tossed a terrified glance at Fighter; sure, Leader was always a little bombastic, but he’d never sounded that manic. What had they done to him ? Fighter had a look of grim understanding on her face.

“Sleep deprivation,” she mouthed to Mediator.

Leader whistled at her:

“That’s right, give this woman a prize ! Two fucking days, folks, and not a single drop of coffee !”

As he turned around, he had his back to Mediator, his fingers fidgeting wildly behind his back. With a dry gesture he’d already made before, his teammate pulled off the prosthetic hand, leaving the zip-ties to cling uselessly to the left arm. Leader giggled and punched the guard as hard as he could. The latter, who was unprepared, was instantly knocked out. The other rushed to the rescue and met the same fate.

“You do not fucking touch my team.”

Leader’s voice sounded sane now, only very tired. When he faced his teammates, his eyes were as cold and sharp as a steel blade.

“Mediator, gimme a hand, would ya ?”

Mediator literally did that, holding out his prosthetic back to him. In return, Leader threw him the keys found on the guards.

“Brief us,” asked Fighter.

“Sure.”

Mediator knelt next to Fighter and opened the lock of her chains. Leader sighed and put his back against the wall, his eyes half-closed.

“You okay, boss ?”

“Take a wild fucking guess,” answered the aforementioned, wiping the sweat from his forehead. “Anyway, long story short, they wanted a pretext to keep us hostage until our beloved Chief relented to their demands. Said beloved Chief being what she is, she threatened them so bad they decided they needed to negotiate again, so their Leader is out with his own counselors and stuff. Meaning, he’s not here right now. Meaning, we’re out of this junk. I’m not gonna stay and play the role of the fancy trinket. We’re far too expensive for our own good.”

“On that point, I agree,” said Mediator. “But um, does that mean the negotiations I worked so hard for were for nothing ? And then they still went back to negotiating ?”

“Sorry, my guy. At least enough people heard them, maybe it will make them think. Then again, their team is made of guys thinking that handcuffing amputees is a great idea, sooooo…”

He threw out his hands in a frustrated gesture. Mediator frowned with a cold determination:

“It’s only the first try. I will make them listen.”

“Sure, yeah, but for now we bail. Fighter, how do you feel ?”

Kicking the chains far from her, she rolled her massive shoulders, stretched with a groan of pain, and made her knuckles crack, a small smile on her face:

“In the mood to go to work.”

“That’s what I like to hear. Come on kiddos, let’s take a walk.”

*

The Fighter is the Badass Lady from here, with her teammates making a cameo. I still don’t know that the Team does for a living except getting into Situations™ and rescuing themselves, but they love each other very much so that should count for something.

Back to Whump/Horror Masterlist.

[unclassedguy]

The Details of Genderbend Naoya Au:

*yap incoming*

Just a collection of my thought process and ramblings about this collection of drawings to scratch the itch in my brain.

General ramblings:

This is not a fleshed out au. There isn't much of a storyline and I don't exactly know if I will ever make one.

The au doesn't follow the jjk canon apart from some general things like Toji leaving Megumi and Tsumiki etc.

The ‘story’ follows Naoya Zenin after an accident that should have killed him instead leaves him unscathed. That is, until he wakes up the next day with a girl's body, a kogane companion, and the ability to see strange creatures (cursed spirits) and people who should have been long dead.

Bro is basically now part of a culling game-esque event involving people who were saved from death like him, those who died long ago and were resurrected, and creatures that should have never entered the living realm. Some people such as him with bad karma for their actions, are given certain handicaps and/or punishments when they're brought back from death. Hence girl-Naoya.

But, by destroying the souls of beings with even more bad karma than you, you can gain points that will give you access to abilities (cursed techniques) or lessen your own punishment or handicap.

The Kogane function the same here as they do in canon.

Basically, this is me drawing fem Naoya with a bunch of extra steps 💀

Drawing one:

A lot of the ‘story’ of this au just happened randomly as I was doodling, Kenjaku and Takaba running Naoya over being part of that.

I wanted to draw Naoya reacting to him becoming a girl for the shits and giggle, yk, the sillies

And before I knew it I had Naoya getting run over by a truck 💀

The reason Takaba is the driver is because of that one scene in Kenjaku vs Takaba, Kenjaku is in the passenger's seat just because.

There is no reason as to what they're singing besides me wanting them to have been distracted by something goofy 

You might have noticed Naoya is holding something. Idk what it is though 

Its like….a wand…a club…? It's based off his first form as a cursed spirit, the one where he looks like a worm

Yes, his shirt does indeed say “why women deserve less”. It's based on that one fanart of him reading a book with the same title. 

Drawing two:

The first thing I thought of when I imagined Naoya going on a ‘quest’ to become a man again was that ant carrying a bindle.

(It gives pathetic energy, which i enjoy giving my Naoya drawings)

This is actually my first time drawing Hana, I actually like drawing her

I'm so sorry to people who like Nobara and Maki, I can't draw them that well 😭😭😭

I'm thinking Hana/Angel are trying to fix whatever is going on with the souls of the deceased/players, and are thus gathering allies (though they also want to defeat a certain king of curses even in this au as well 👀)

Naoya ends up joining her, Maki, and Nobara as allies (no one is happy about this)

They will put him in his place, especially Maki.

(I wonder what would happen if he met Yuki…)

Naoya and Hana is a combination I didn't think I'd ever draw interacting tbh 💀

But for some reason that's what ended up happening

Other thoughts:

It's so cute how the kogane have different designs sometimes based on who they belong to. It reminds me of the crows in kny.

I wonder if they're meant to represent something about each player???

For example, the one we see with Naoya when we're first introduced to his curse form has a skull like face, which we later see on Naoya's second curse form.

His looks so crusty and I love it

I rlly wanted it to be his companion in this au

Honestly, I was thinking Naoya upon turning into a girl would try everything he could to make himself look more traditionally masculine

But I still wanted to draw him in a skirt, you know, because

So…uh…yeah 👍

His ass doesn't even want to be a woman, but let's be fr, he be styling his hair in the mirror or some shit thinking things like ‘if only every woman paid half as much attention to how she holds herself as me!’ Thinking he's giving everyone a good example or something 💀

Stfu Naoya 

I have a third addition to this collection of drawings in the works. It'll probably be up in a few days, depending on if I have time to work on it or not. This will probably be the last piece of this au for a while.

Part 1 , Part 2 Edit: Part 3

[icanbeyourgenie]

“ Did one of you discover anything at all about the Backwater? ” – Morgana to Aeron and Yasmeen

Aeron arrived last at the little meeting, and he could already tell his fun night out was compromised. Morgana was obviously seething. Such a shame, he was already pre-drunk for the party he organized.

They were not alone in the room. Euphemia was on the side, with an annoyed look that didn't leave her since Aeron and Calypso's wedding. Rhys put an arm over her shoulder and she made no effort to hide her disgusted face - he's been courting her ever since her engagement to Aeron was called off. Aldris was stoic next to them, looking every bit the sociopathic serial killer he was. Xanthe paid them no mind, scrabbling something on a page like the whole room was empty.

It was only when Aeron noticed Syrus that he lightened up a bit. His uncle was practically laid out on a chair, smirking at him, like they shared a private joke. Like he found Morgana's temper as laugh-worthy as him. Aeron repressed a smile. Despite his uncle laid out posture, he radiated power all the same. And so did the high queen. So the golden son straightened up and looked at her.

But she wasn't looking at him. Her ire gaze was directed at Yasmeen. Aeron suddenly realized how she was the only human there. He had a tendency to forget it. That girl had never looked fragile or weak to him, like all humans were. But here, in this room, he suddenly remembered her mortality. And if she did too, she didn't show it one bit.

❝I know about princess Calypso's interests.❞ Yasmeen spoke, voice clear. ❝Her hobbies, her favorite food, items. Nothing of interest to you, my queen.❞

Morgana relaxed a second at this mention of respect, and Aeron couldn't help but find this childish. ❝No, indeed. I was beginning to think that wasting your abilities on Calypso was a mistake on my part. But I heard that a few nights ago, the prince Malachai asked you to come to his chamber.❞

❝He did, your Majesty.❞

Euphemia chimed in. ❝And? What happened?❞

Aeron almost rolled his eyes at his cousin's ignorance. Yasmeen didn't react. She knew that answering Euphemia's questions while Morgana was directly talking to her would be considered disrespectful. Besides, it was a stupid question.

❝I assume that if you learned anything valuable, you would have reported to me immediately?❞ Morgana threatened, more than asked.

❝Yes, your Majesty.❞

❝Good. Because it doesn't align with me how my most skilled spy have found no valuable information about the enemy after two months in their constant presence.❞ Morgana grabbed Yasmeen's chin threateningly. ❝One might wonder where said-spy's loyalty lies.❞

This is when Aeron decided to speak. He didn't know why. ❝I've spent months trying to gather informations out of Calypso. I don't think she has extensive knowledge of her father's moves.❞

Morgana finally diverted her attention away from Yasmeen, back to her favorite son. But Syrus spoke first. ❝But his first son and general of his army will. Our lovely changeling here caught his attention. Now she simply has to keep seducing him and all the informations will be ours.❞

A part of Aeron wanted to argue that Yasmeen had shown she had other means to get information rather than sex. Another part wanted to argue that he believed Malachai to be less stupid than that. But instead he just said: ❝Let's all clarify why I was forced to get married to the daughter of Triton if we're still talking about a war, shall we?❞

❝I told you,❞ Xanthe answered, and Aeron was surprised to see that he actually listened. ❝We're just buying time.❞

❝And you could help if you spent a little more time with your wife gaining her trust instead of... whatever the hell it is you're doing.❞ This time Aldris spoke - the one person in this room Aeron disliked more than Rhysand.

❝My wife is happier away from me, and it works both ways.❞

Morgana came closer to him - Yasmeen forgotten, the girl was as silent as the dead. Morgana cupped his face in a more gentle way. ❝But ruling a kingdom isn't about being happy, my son. It's about doing what you have to do.❞

Rhys immediately stood up. ❝He doesn't understand this, mother. But I do.❞

Aeron rolled his eyes shamelessly. What a sucker his brother was.

❝So if I recap, Yasmeen and I are expected to slut our ways into getting informations for your awaited war. Is that what I'm supposed to get from this little meeting?❞

Syrus chuckled at his impertinence. Aeron knew that no one else in this room would have gotten away with that kind of answer. He had privileges on that part. ❝That's pretty much it, yes.❞ His uncle said almost fondly.

❝Then Xanthe should join us too. After all, he had Nathaniel in his bed like what... six ? seven times?❞ Xanthe looked at him with an unreadable expression. But Morgana cut before he could reply.

❝Xanthe will do his part to help the family and so will you. I hope I am making myself clear. Now, Yasmeen, escort my son back to his chambers. His wife awaits him.❞

Aeron didn't say a thing as he followed Yasmeen. It's not like he had any real agency here, and neither did she.

❝You must truly hate us all.❞

❝I love my queen, and I am loyal to her.❞ She answered with a placid voice that made him smirk.

❝Lies are so fascinating. You have always been a great liar. Maybe this is why you told the best stories.❞

❝I didn't know you liked to dwell on memories.❞

❝I don't. But I'm rather drunk, even if it doesn't show-❞

❝It does.❞

❝Ouch. Okay.❞

They walked in silence for a while until Aeron grabbed her wrist to stop them. She immediately grabbed one of her knives.

❝I know Calypso is nice to you. But no one is worth losing your head over. She'd betray you in an instant if her father asked it of her.❞

❝You don't know her.❞

❝It doesn't matter. Everyone is like that, no matter how nice. Sooner or later, they'll turn on you. You should know that.❞

❝I do.❞ She answered coldly while retracting her hand. ❝There's nothing to betray. I didn't lie. Now, if you'll excuse me, we reached our destination and I have other places to be.❞

Aeron frowned when he realized they were not in front of his marital chambers, but his old ones, that he still used. ❝I think my mother intended for you to escort me to Calypso.❞

❝Then she should've been clearer. I'm only human after all. Besides, the princess deserves better than your drunk company.❞

He laughed while her gaze remained icy. ❝You like her too much. It'll get you killed.❞

❝Your Highness is ever so kind to worry about me.❞ The sarcasm was now clear in her voice. She opened the door. ❝After you.❞

Aeron sighed and entered the room. He opened his mouth to say something but she had already closed the door. He knew that if he were to open it, Yasmeen would already be long gone. So instead he just fell on his bed, trying to find every possible ways to get out of the castle and back on his ship as soon as possible, until the moment sleep claimed him.

[tifa1991]

Trafalgar Law and Reader Part five.

"Then why did you stay behind?"

"I didn't want to risk missing anything until we got back here. The agreement with Chiaki is that I explore the island but don't do anything that could put me in too much danger. Arianna explained to me what course I had to take from Yellowhealth to reach Punk Hazard and you already know how I ended up here".

Trafalgar Law let the new information sink in. "What exactly is the experiment you heard about?" He needed to find out how much you and your crew knew in order to estimate how much he could trust you some information of his own.

"Nah, it's your turn to answer my questions." Trafalgar made an annoyed face on which you paid no further attention. "Why are you here?" His grey eyes pierced your (E/C) as he answered your question directly "Because I'm here to destroy what you're here for. Artificial devil fruits".

You weren't particularly surprised, someone as smart as Law certainly had more than one reason and plan for hanging around on an island like that.

"They are sold on the black market. The man who invented them is Caesar Crown, i have to find out where he is making them." He looked at you as if you were about to give him the answer to his question, but you shook your head "I'm sorry, I don't know either. But the name that kept coming up in reference to the devil fruits was Joker."

Actually, it had always been easy for Law to hide his body language and his thoughts. He was anything but an open book. It was only for two seconds that his body tensed and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up at the mention of the name. Still, you noticed it despite the dimmed lights. "You know who Joker really is, right? You know him," your weakened voice sounded soft. You had the feeling there was more to it. Trafalgar Law remained silent. He turned the chair back into its correct position and sat down on it. Resting his elbows on his knees, he folded his hands before explaining more to you. "You should know him too. Maybe even fought him two years ago at Marine Fort".

Your organs tightened at the mention of Marine Fort and your eyes narrowed briefly at the pain. Many people lost their lives in this battle, both on the Pirate and Marine sides. It was so unnecessary and in the end it was all for nothing. Firefist Ace still died on the battlefield. The man who was once your captain's captain and best friend, the man you still loved at this point.

"He is also one of the Seven Samurai of the Sea and the current King of dressrosa. Don Quichotte de Flamingo".

The face of the blonde man with the flashy glasses and clothing flashed right through your mind. In fact, you and your captain, along with Sir Crocodile, had fought him so that Luffy could get past him. Back then, one of his thread bullets had hit you in the groin and probably the others too if Chiaki hadn't neutralized them with his paramecia fruit. It was even Sir Crocodile who then catched you to prevent another shot. You automatically place your fingers to your left groin, where you were hit. Your crew's doctor had treated you after Shanks' ended the battle. De Flamingo was a strong opponent and at that time you had nothing to oppose him. Only with Sir Crocodile's distraction were you and your captain able to deliver a hard blow to his face and stomach, the image of him spitting blood and his veins on his forehead thickening and pulsating with rage was a lasting memory for you.

"Then Caesar Crown is the one who invented the artificial devil fruits while De Flamingo sells them. “That’s what it looks like, yes,but i don't know where exactly. But everything lead me to Punk Hazard for now.” confirmed Trafalgar Law. "It's important to know who Joker sells the artificial devil fruits to."

You told the black-haired man what else you knew. "If the information we have is correct, the devil fruits are Zoantypes. In the underworld we found out who Joker sells them to...he sells them to one of the four emperors.

Kaido".

"Kaido".

You said in sync. “Could it be that you already knew everything I’m telling you” more of a statement than a question.

"When you started talking about the artificial devil fruits, I thought that your knowledge reached as far as to Kaido. The man, Caesar Crown is in this factory." Trafalgar informed you about his presence on the island, he told you that he has been on Punk Hazard for a month and has more or less entered into a partnership with Ceasar. He informed you about Caesar and his abilities as well as Mone and her snow devilpowers. “So gas and snow,”

“That’s where you come in,”

“Huh?”

"You're not a logia type, but with your wind devilpowers you should actually keep Caesar's gas away from us when it comes down to it, right?"

"Yes, that shouldn't be the problem, but I can't tell you exactly how well it works until I know for myself how strong Caesar is." Trafalgar leaned back, one leg over the other and arms crossed. "That's enough for me for now. Your Dendenmushi is unable to reach your captain from here, so I would like to suggest something to you until you have the chance to contact him...-"

"Who says I can't reach him?" Law raised an eyebrow "Because this is a baby den mushi. They only work internally".

"Not this one" you said and held two small black antennas in your hand that you had pulled out of your belt. "You put it on the Dendenmushi and then it has a much greater range...but the connection isn't always the best." "Interesting. Where did you get that?" the black-haired one was actually curious. “Three of our crew have been working on it but it’s not quite perfect yet.” "Anyway," Trafalgar began again, "a new age of pirates has arrived and something has to change. I'm here because I have a plan and I want to defeat one of the four emperor." "Let me guess, Kaido" "Exactly.

Sooner or later it will come down to joining one of the emperors if you want to achieve something in the New World. Either that or you defeat one of the most powerful pirates. That's a big deal. I could use some support. I don't think Chiaki likes to be given orders and wants to join one of their crews and that's why I'm proposing an alliance to you and your crew." “An alliance to overthrow Kaido” a wry smile appeared on your lips “How good that our captain has the same plan”.

Thanks to @phsycochan for the Help😎.

[theratandcatshow]

Episode 4: I Spy With My Little Eye

As you sit down to rest on the second largest treetop in Critter Valley and summarize all your important characteristics of this world, you are interrupted. Down below, completely alone in the Great Meadows of the Valley, CatNap is walking. The 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐫𝐝 part? He runs in the direction of the forest, seemingly with a purpose and a realization. But what exactly does he want in an area that is formally beyond his territory? 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞��𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐩 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐍𝐚𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞.

Notes:

Here I am again! Yes, the update took a damn long time, don't worry it had its reasons: 1. I was on vacation for a week. 2. I had to deal with a job offer. (In case anyone is interested: IT specialist) 3. I had to build up my new kitchen all by myself. (Thanks IKEA for the good service) But here I am again, and with a chapter that is slowly getting the stone rolling. Have fun reading!

---

Dear diary,

I've been here in Critter Valley for 3 weeks now. I'd like to write that you get used to this world, but you don't. Is it because I'm just a spy and know that everything here is fake? Is it because the only reason I'm here is to monitor the Smilling Critters?

I don't have much space on these notebook pages, plus I only have 10 pages left in this book. So here are my most important findings that I absolutely have to write down before I forget them:

1. The employees of this whole operation come at night and fill the fridges, empty the garbage and take care of everything. I assume that there are cameras in the critters' houses that monitor them and employees are sent out on a fixed schedule. I've already watched them, they disappear on the other side of the valley from where I came and where I have to hand in my reports. Since the forest encompasses this whole world, I assume that there are several exits from this world. However, I only know of two at the moment, the one in the Dark Forest where I hand in my reports and the one where the employees disappear.

2. There are no insects. It's weird, the Valley consists of 90% meadows, but so far, I haven't seen any insects. At first, I thought that insects such as flies were equipped with very small cameras and were a kind of extra surveillance, well, there are none. But there is a small problem, a gap in logic, at least that's what I would call it. Two days ago, when I was on a hill near DogDay's house at night, under the dark starry sky, I heard them. At first, I thought I had something on my ears, after all I feel like assembled scrap metal and fur parts.

They were crickets, the little green insects that chirp. But after I sat down close to the ground, under the cool night breeze, I noticed them: loudspeakers, deep in the ground and almost invisible. I am very sure that there are microphones somewhere deep in the ground, but I didn't look any further.

3. The ration or portion that I get to eat depends on my report. To be precise: the quality. The quantity doesn't matter at all, as I realized last week when I wrote a page and a half instead of just one. It's about the most important thing, and that was the relationships between the critters. Most of the information people get when they watch this cartoon, the Smilling Critters, but of course it's scripted. The real, important stuff is behind the scenes.

I had no choice, hunger and thirst made me completely weak and I did what had to be done. I wrote in the report about the suspected relationship between DogDay and CatNap. I paid attention to all the details: At the meeting, DogDay's hair on CatNap's left thigh, the looks they always gave each other while filming the episodes and the secret meetings.

Their "secret" meetings were often more dangerous for me than I thought, they meet once a week at the edge of the forest. Not just DogDay and CatNap, all of the critters, but I left that detail out of the reports for now. I can now control my tail to some extent, which allows me to climb trees faster and better like a predator with claws and tail. This has allowed me to observe them all much better so far, especially these meetings. Since my ears are much better than I remember, I could easily listen in. It was always about the Critter Valley, Bubba was always babbling about how dangerous it was here and how they were under constant surveillance. He even seems to know about the cameras in their houses and says, "it's really creepy".

Above all, I kept thinking: How will it all end?

The job doesn't really have an end, or so I think. How long should I monitor the critters? Until they manage to get out of here? Until one of them kills himself because this whole world is a pile of garbage? Or maybe until they come at me and try to kill me?

No, they would never be able to do that. Since I found these mid-forearm-length gloves here at the beginning, they wouldn't see me extending my claws. Even if it gets close, I'll run away or take some of them to their deaths. I will slaughter them like God-damned animals, that's all they--

You look up from your notebook, your back hurts and your legs feel numb. But that's not the reason for your abrupt movement, there's something down there. Your gaze goes along the tree you are sitting on, right at the top of the crown. When you look down, you see it... him.

CatNap. He is all alone in the wide-open spaces of the valley's meadows, his purple looks stand out like nothing else. He walks with a stoop, for the fact that he is by far not the biggest of the group he walks much too stooped, he is alone.

What is he doing here all alone?

Where are his friends? Is he walking slowly around Critter Valley? Why?

But then comes the important question with a flash of insight: Where is he going?

You look down at your lap, still sitting on the tree crown at a height where a fall would be fatal. Your notebook lies on your lap, your eyes immediately landing on the page that has now been opened by the light wind.

Information about CatNap has the highest value.

You don't waste another second; you get up straight away and run to the trunk. You get your claws from under your gloves and claw at the tree. You leave your things at the top, taking no chances that one of the critters might find them with your backpack.

You claw at the tree and climb down it in seconds, although it is the second tallest tree in the whole valley, you make it in 4 seconds. On the ground you take a quick look around, the same bushes and trees that you have lightly marked on the ground with a scratch.

You run off with it, chasing CatNap, who has now run into the forest, at a huge distance. You're on the tip of the knife, if he sees you somehow, that's it. What would the scientists do with you then? Do they just replace you or turn you into one of the critters? Will they erase your memory again?

You can't think about that right now, it's about staying in the game... fulfilling the mission. You can do it, nobody else can. You are completely in the flow, behind the trees and in the shadows you move as if you were born there... In the background. You analyze his crooked posture, his wagging tail and his purple ears.

He always turns backwards after eight breaths, which gives me a few seconds interval.

Habits can't be fixed.

He runs straight through the forest, along a few trees and bushes, but he doesn't let you see him from the side of the vast meadows of the valley. He's slowed down a bit since you started chasing him, as if he doesn't have enough stamina to keep up the pace.

Why is he walking slower now? Does he have asthma? If he does, then he will certainly have medication at home, I'll have to remember that.

Somehow the whole situation is surreal, like a dream that you suddenly remember from a long time ago. Your legs feel so sluggish as you walk along the grass, along the trees and bushes. Far above you is the clear sky, but you're not paying attention to it because you're chasing CatNap.

And then CatNap suddenly stops.

It happens far too quickly, your body reacts automatically and you feel the adrenaline flood your senses. You hid behind a tree that was so wide you didn't have to climb it with your claws. Your breath feels heavy as it rises up your scratchy neck and out of your mouth in a tiny cloud. Your legs, bent against the tree, are no longer sluggish or numb, you feel each toe touch the ground and carry the sole of your foot.

Why did he stop? We are in the middle of nowhere in the forest, what should be here?

You remember back to the map, the Critter Valley is large, most of the area is taken up by the huge grassland where the critters live, but the forest is not to be underestimated. But there is nothing here, on your inner map, which you always have with you in your mind, you are in the middle of nowhere, no exit out of this world or anything else. Neither the beach in sight nor the houses of any critters.

What is this guy doing here? Does he want to meet someone? Don't tell me he and DogDay have their relationship out here? Or is he meeting up with some other critter and cheating on DogDay? No, then he wouldn't have walked this far, he would have met in another part of the forest...

Except...

Unless he meets with someone from the outside world...one of these employees.

No, that doesn't make any sense...you wouldn't send me to spy on him and then plan something with CatNap. None of this makes sense, who is he going to meet here now?

You look slowly and carefully along the tree to where CatNap is standing. Along a few bushes and trees, he has turned to the part of the Dark Forest that begins here. He just stares into the darkness, none of his features moving a bit, looking like he's dead.

"You...are...here" The voice is raspy, mechanical and sounds like an accurate description of the voice of death. The person, if it is one, leaves an incredible amount of space between the words, as if they were first calculating which word would be appropriate to say.

You peek out a little further, a few millimeters at most. Behind CatNap's form you recognize a silhouette, but not a whole body. It's just a hand, slender silver pins that barely stand out in the darkness of the Dark Forest.

That's not a human being. What the hell is that thing?

"I-I can't take it anymore- I mean...this whole pretending like there's nothing wrong with all of this I..." CatNap stutters, takes way too much time talking, you've never seen him like this. You've never heard him talk before, he never did in the cartoon, but you know straight away that there's something wrong here. He sounds very frightened, as if he's about to be pierced by that hand.

"Theodore... you have to be patient" says the voice from the darkness, at the same time the hand makes a small gesture. All the "fingers" rotate slightly from top to bottom, a gesture that says something like "Come here". But it seems totally unnatural, like an adult trying to entice a child.

Theodore? Is that his real name? Do the other critters know or also have real names?

"It won't be long now...until the Hour of Joy" The voice has changed, it no longer sounds like a robot, more like a human. The voice sounds familiar, a little arrogant and like someone who doesn't take others seriously.

This thing can imitate voices, but I know them from somewhere. Who does this voice belong to? There are only humans on the outside, and this is definitely not one of the critters.

"There's something else..." CatNap says, still without any movement or anything else. His voice hasn't changed either, except the tone, it sounds serious, unlike his previous words. "Two weeks ago, someone new came here..."

"A...New Smilling Critter?" The voice from the darkness hasn't changed, it still sounds human. However, there is interest in it now, not only in the pronunciation, but also in the fact that you can clearly see the metal hand moving in front of CatNap. The index finger wags around, like a sign to say "tell me more".

"No...A rat" CatNap looks uncomfortable, his tail moving slightly on the ground and making circular shapes. You are still slightly surprised by his voice, he sounds like a small child left alone in a grocery store, so helpless.

"The Rat?"

Bingo.

You know that voice. As if you'd forget it... It's that scientist who's been preparing you for this assignment all these days. You still have something with the name Sawyer in your mind, but that's all you can think of right now.

This thing... This hand knows too much. It comes from the real world when it wants, and now it wants to tell CatNap something here. Shit! He can even imitate the voice of this scientist, which doesn't bode well.

"Next week...Next week we will lead the Hour of Joy...Until then...don't stand out and neither shall your friends." The tone of the voice changed abruptly, now it was deadly serious, like a leader of the war, preparing the final move. From your position far behind the trees you see no movement, all is deathly still.

"I-I haven't convinced them yet..." CatNap stutters again, but you can literally analyze his character through his posture. He is bent over again, wagging his tail wildly on the ground and wiggling his ears forward towards his face.

He doesn't want the whole thing, this "Hour of Joy", but he seems to owe it something. But what? What could CatNap or Theodore owe this metal hand? Is it really so important that he wants to start a riot with it against the outside world? But he certainly hasn't told the other Critters about it yet...That's my advantage!

"That's... not bad, Theodore. They will all repent, And they... their existence is a sin... we must dispose of them" The voice gets quieter and quieter with every word. It is no longer the human scientist's voice, but the robot metal voice again.

This thing... wants to kill them all. All the people who run everything out here in secret, he wants to slaughter them all. And CatNap is meeting with someone like that? No, he must have a reason for it, he's also addressed by him as Theodore, which means they have a history together.

No wonder I should keep a special eye on CatNap, he's meeting with a metal hand that can exit this world. This thing is also planning to slaughter all humans...with the Smilling Critters. But they will never agree to the whole thing.

"Okay...I'll do my best, prototype." With that, CatNap turns around, away from the Metallic Hand, now known to you as: Prototype.

But CatNap walks to a different direction, you thought he would go back the way he came, where else? But he turns right, leaves the dark forest behind him and heads in the direction of Bubba and DogDay's houses. As you look at his back, your eyes wander into the darkness where this prototype was just a moment ago. This makes you think.

Prototype? This thing is called that. Was there a human hidden in the darkness? Is it taking the piss out of CatNap? Or was it the prototype for the other Smilling Critters? Shit, way too many questions and hardly any answers... If I could stand there and talk to this prototype...

That's it for the secret meeting, the conversation between CatNap and this prototype. The most important things immediately pop back into your head as you slowly make your way back to the Big Tree.

CatNap is secretly working with this prototype, a metal creature that plans to start something of an uprising against the outside world in a week's time. But since there are so many collaborators, it must mean that the Smilling Critters aren't the only ones here! There are others like them...experiments!

Fuck.

Fuck

Fuck.

I'm on a Roll right now!

I will be the only one to emerge victorious from this unsuccessful situation and join the side that wins.

But...

I won't dress it up. At their base, humans are no different from a flock of pigeons. If one bird flies right, they all go right. Every last one of them don't try to see anything but their own gain and their own hubris. They're all just an assembly of pretenders. Even the Smilling Critters!

I will stand above that flock of pigeons, and I will control them! I will win, all by myself! And I will find out who I really was before this rat! And anyone who gets in my way...

You feel the gloves tighten slightly, you pull out your claws and feel the cracks on your skin. You lift your tail slightly, it feels like a sixth sense that you can use completely freely. You tense your arms slightly, your tail too, and in less than a second you have carved horizontal lines into the big tree next to you.

Gets ripped apart.

Three important pieces of information flood your memory and let their importance speak for themselves:

1. CatNap is planning an uprising with this prototype, the Hour of Joy.

2. In one week, everything will go down the drain here, CatNap will never manage to make the other critters join in the uprising.

The third seems even more important: you have leverage against CatNap, you could join him or slaughter him, you still have to decide.

But through all this information's...

I can already feel The winds of victory blowing at the back of me.

---

Phew, that was 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞 the chapter, unlike the others. The next story to get an update will be my Arcane Story, because I want to get to the end before Season 2 comes out. I also have some damn good ideas for it, which I just have to write down. Then the "To understand the Soul" story, after all I'm looking forward to seeing how it continues after DogDay's kiss. Please leave a star and a comment, see you then!

[zedpercyfan]

Left Behind - Chapter 1

The Status Quo

ASH KETCHUM had always been too busy traveling on the road to pay much attention to those in his circle of friends and acquaintances.  He always remembers a face when he’d see them again but in transit it was always what was in front of him or a second step ahead that mattered – long term plans were kept vague and that’s how he liked it.  “Day by day” in his words.

As he aged, however, that philosophy began to get challenged.  It was after Alola when he took notice.  Ash hadn’t paid attention to the social media accounts that Bonnie had made him set up, so one day when he went to Kalos for Professor Cerise, he had a huge shock when he noticed a ring on Clemont’s finger.

“Hey, Clemont, what’s that about?” he asked eventually has they conversed over tea and cake.

“Oh, didn’t you see, Ash?” replied Clemont.  “I proposed and got married to Serena two years ago.  The wedding was eight months ago.  She and I posted about it on InstaShoot.”

The black-haired boy blinked in shock.  Had he really not noticed, he thought.  Strange…

“Er – yeah, I-I must’ve forgotten about it! Haha!”

Clemont cocked his head to one side.  “Yeah.  I-it’s okay.”  Something in his voice told Ash it wasn’t though…

Stranger things happened still.  Soon he found out Bonnie and Max had crossed paths somehow and were now dating; Kiawe got engaged to Mallow (he’d been apparently developing feelings for her the whole time when they were in school together.  Ash seriously questioned how he hadn’t noticed before.  Wouldn’t that have been obvious?); Brock got engaged to Lucy; May and Drew got married and already have a kid on the way.

The then 24-year-old was incredibly confused and wondered: had he never really noticed any of these relationship signs?  It seemed odd to Ash…and the worst part was learning all of this either on his new social media accounts or by directly encountering those friends and apparently being the only one not to know.

Worse was to come.  He returned home to Pallet Town a few days after learning about Kiawe and Mallow’s engagement to each other.  He wasn’t physically or psychologically tired from the journey as Goh and Professor Cerise suspected but he took the vacation regardless because he needed a break from all the shocking news he was enduring.

“Ah, Pallet Town,” sighed Ash when he saw it once he ascended to the top of the hill.  “Doesn’t look like much has changed.”  Ash huffed with content; it was a line he uttered every time he saw the place.  Then has grew closer and closer he heard an orchestra of familiar sounds, sounds that didn’t belong to Pallet Town.  “Er…”

Past the thick tree lines that filled his right vision stood familiar yet alien buildings.  There stood several new suburb blocks with several more under construction nearby.  “Um, no one mentioned those last time we talked…” Ash groaned.

As he entered town, the changes hit him in his heart more.  Now there were shopping strips, more than ever before, the once quaint and quiet town now a hustling bustling place.  A whole crowd of elementary students rushed by him from a café he usually only saw in the big cities – the sight of it in his hometown hurt his head.  He sought out his family home, yet once again, it hit him like a bullet train to the solar-plexus, and that hurt.  “Oh, what in the hell is this?” asked Ash Ketchum.

Now his house was replaced with a bigger one, the material the same, now with more storage rooms and a bigger kitchen, dining, and living room.  Ash slept that night, not feeling at home at all.

The next day he found his Mom already out of the house.  Not thinking this strange, Ash went about his breakfast before he headed for Professor Oak’s Laboratory.  His time in the company of his Pokémon at the corral went by peacefully.  Professor Oak and Tracey were as cordial as ever with him and nothing seemed amiss to Ash in comparison to the shock he had had for a homecoming yesterday.

Delia Ketchum was noticeably tired when Ash returned home late in the afternoon, but she hadn’t given him any reason to be concerned.

The next morning saw her absent from the house yet again.  Ash was unconcerned and once more set off to the Oak Corral.  It was at the lab where Ash wondered if something was up, because he found the Professor and Tracey both absent.

“Huh… Strange.”

He headed for a convenience store and was in the middle of walking back to his family house when he saw Gary leaving the local church.  Ash froze up where he stood adjacent to the doors. “U-uh…”  Ash was without words.  Gary was in a tuxedo, a girl with long brown hair he didn’t recognize in a wedding dress, her left arm hooked with his, Professor Oak walking nearby and his Mom in a fancy dress right behind.

“Oh, hey, Ashy-boy,” said Gary as soon as he noticed him.

Ash recovered and tried not to show how stunned he was. “Hey, Gar-bear.  You’re…you’re married – er – that’s amazing!”

“Yeah, it is.”  Gary paused and looked at Ash.  Ash’s lips trembled slightly.

“So, um, no one said anything…”

“Sorry about that,” said Gary awkwardly.  “It was RSVP, and when I talked to your Mom, we weren’t sure how available you’d be to come.”

Ash’s heart sank.

“I’m sorry, dear,” his Mother added solemnly.  “You just seemed like you really needed a rest so I didn’t want you to worry about attending.”

“I totally get how busy it can be as a Research Buddy so I just assumed things were busy with ya.  It was a surprise to hear you came home, but like I said…”

“That and the church does get upset with last-minute arrivals,” said ‘Leaf’.

“Well, it’s not like we were that crowded,” said Gary suddenly.  “A few people couldn’t make it anyway.  Your Mom probably prepared too much food for the reception anyway, so come with us.”

“Well, um…”

“Good idea! Ash, you do have some fancy clothes for parties, right?”

“Well, yeah, I-”

“Good! Put them on and head for 720 Purwey Street. No, on second thought I’ll come with you to make sure they’re on right,” said Delia as she ran up as fast as she could – or as fast as a woman could in heels – to him.

“Y-yeah…thanks.”  Ash sighed inwardly.  Now all he’d done was waste his money buying some hundreds yen worth of food in the plastic bag he was carrying.

***

“Oh, hurry, hurry,” fussed Delia as she knotted his tie on his dress shirt.

Ash grimaced and kept his thought about how they wouldn’t be in a hurry if he had just known about the event that morning to himself.

The reception went by with Ash not knowing how to feel.  He felt happy for Gary but he also felt an icy loneliness.  He didn’t know this ‘Leaf’ girl, never knew she existed, and couldn’t shake the feeling he was a spare brought to eat the food that some five absentees left behind.

“Why wasn’t I told?” he muttered to himself as he swallowed his second glass of white wine.  No one heard him, though, and he preferred it to stay that way.  His Mother happily conversed with some of the local ladies in attendance while Ash was left alone – he figured his own feelings didn’t need to be known, the loud music and clicking of shoes on the dance floor drowned him from sight…

He felt hurt and unsure of himself.  It seemed like pointless bureaucracy to think about the logistics of letting him know of the festivities.  He had been around Professor Oak’s practically all day yesterday, why not inform him of Gary’s special day.

***

Delia now placed more focus than ever before into the family business left to her by his Grandmother.  It turned out that the expansion to their house was necessary to allow his Mom to host cooking lessons that she started offering.  Ash kindly offered to move out to leave space, his Mother gave her blessing.  In truth, Ash only agreed to it because it hurt too much to feel so out of touch with everything around him.

He was glad when he was able to go back to work soon after.  The problem, however, was that he soon became too engrossed to work.  Months passed by, and he was forced to take an even longer break.by Professor Cerise and Goh again.

Ash tried to spend his free time not obsessing with what else was happening, but he couldn’t escape it.  Tracey and Daisy had twins before his break; May had given birth while he had been researching in Hoenn and he had not been invited to say ‘hello’; and Lana had recently become a CEO of a now global-expanding Riding Pokémon Training and Education Company.

“Ugh…and Lana really asked Brock and Professor Cerise to help with setting that up before asking me?”  Ash hated trying to make it about him, but something stung about not being trusted enough to help with those ventures.

“Everybody…has so much going on, buddy,” Ash said to Pikachu early one morning on the second-floor balcony.  There hadn’t really been a point to sleeping in as he’d have liked, everyone he knew was either out of town or preoccupied with other things, so he couldn’t have a nightlife (not in a small town like Pallet) and doing it of his own accord wasn’t really his style anyway.  “They’re all doing things I wouldn’t have expected, or are deep in their relationships…”

Even Paul had gotten a girlfriend recently and that weirded Ash out just because his image of him was a surly one.  Maybe he’d been wrong about Paul the whole time…

Still, things could be more shocking, Dawn was currently juggling two relationships at once after deciding she indeed has bisexual leanings.  Then again, he isn’t an expert in romance so maybe it made sense Dawn never confided this to him.  Then there was Ritchie, who changed careers entirely and now is a building engineer; both Violet and Shauna separately went from fashion models and influencers into real estate and restoring national heritage sites; but perhaps worse of all was how he could see and read about pretty much everyone he knew but Misty.

He'd never been able to get an answer, not even a word.  Her sisters always picked up her phone, apparently busy with meetings with the League – none of his and her mutual friends really knew either and social media was of no help.  Ash sighed and drank his milked-down coffee, he had a feeling he knew what was going on, or at least an inkling.  His heart ached as all of that weighed down on his mind.

“Y’know what, though?” he said to Pikachu, continuing his out loud wonderings.  “There’s no point in dwelling on ‘ifs.’  We’re here, and we’re now.  Not like there’s anything else to do, Mom’s running the restaurant.  Let’s just go for a ride.”

“Pika-chu!” said Pikachu in agreement.

Ash hurriedly got his bike out the door and after collecting a random assortment of his Pokémon friends to bring along, began his journey.

“Anywhere you really want to be, Pikachu?”

“Chu. Pika!”

“You don’t have an idea either?  Seems we’re in agreement – anywhere we please!”

Ash biked along aimlessly.  He breezed through Viridian Forest and past the city and out into the unknown, biking without awareness.  He peddled through fields of flowers, past lonely farms and rice paddies, rumbled past bridges that were above rivers or dips in the grasslands, plunged into naturally formed rocky caves turned tunnels and ones purposefully built, he’d tread and weave through towns and cities, climbed up winding roads, and crested a hill and took in the sea breeze as he passed by the ocean from atop a cliff.

He took it all in, not really caring for where he was or how much time had gone.  His only stop was a ramen cart at the border of some town somewhere along the way.

He didn’t keep up where he was going because he didn’t want to think.  Thinking, he realized, only brought him pain and regret.  Traveling was in his heart; he loved adventure and that was where he felt truly at ease.

Yet he couldn’t escape his anxieties.  Alone in the open country with only the sound of bike gears winding alongside only the occasional Pokémon cry left his brain to go back to speculation.

Had Misty found a boyfriend or girlfriend by now?  Was she pregnant?  Running a business or had she taken over from somebody – followed in Violet’s footsteps?  Perhaps all his calls in the past few months fell on deaf ears because she was preparing for her wedding?  Ash shook his head, trying to will the bad thoughts away but he just couldn’t.  Out of everyone whose lives were changing without him knowing, it was Misty’s that strangely irritated him the most.  The idea of yet having to have another major epiphany of events beyond his control was too much to bear.  He never noticed that he was suddenly going uphill.

Atop the slope lay a four-way crossroad.  Ash in his state climbed it without a problem and when the gradient flattened, he had no way of slowing down as a stopped bike with someone on top came into view!

“Whoa! Look ou—”

With a resounding crunch, metal met metal and Ash was hurled into the dirt path.

“Ow…! Damn it. Hey, are you all right…Misty?”

Perhaps it was his last thoughts making him think it was Misty.  There was no way such a coincidence as the very person he was thinking of would be there when he needed them was.  No way her hair was still as short as the last time he saw her.

“Ash, is that you?”

It was her.