#AAA Chapter 1 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

celestie0 · 7 months ago

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choso x reader | punk rock au [18+]

in another life ch.1 cupid's arrow

ᰔ pairing. punk rock au - bass player! choso x reader (f)

ᰔ summary. you and choso were lovers in college when him and his rock band were just nobodies with nothing but a dream, but when his band strikes a deal with an up-and-coming record label in tokyo, you make the tough decision to break up with him since you couldn’t go with him to the city. flash forward seven years, his band is the biggest rock band in the world, n you move from the countryside to tokyo with your fiancé nanami to start your new life together. but in the heart of the city, home to many, there’s one person there that still has the power to turn your whole life upside down. and when you run into him again after all those years, feelings you didn’t know were still haunting you come crashing back all at once, and you’re not sure what it is you want from your life anymore.

ᰔ warnings/tags. 18+, fluff, angst, smut, punk rock au, partying, drinking/alcohol, weed usage, cigarette usage, romance, slow burn, friends to lovers, second chance romance, time skips, love triangle, bad boy choso, slight age gap (five yrs), longterm pining, jealousy, messy decisions, you know the drill

ᰔ chapter. 1/x (probably 6)

ᰔ words. 10.2k

a/n. hellooooo aaa welcome to my new choso fic :'') i'm so excited for this one! i'm just laughing at how i cannot just stick to a oneshot idea and somehow end up planning out a fullblown series instead hahah. but anyways, i hope you enjoy! thank you to everyone that wanted to be on the taglist, i'm really looking forward to diving into this story. see you at the bottom!!

alsooo my m00tie @sykosugu and i decided to post for our fics at the same time hehe she has a really spicy suguru x reader fic called 'on the run' that i highly recommend so go check that out as well if you're interestedd <33

nav. ch1 :: ch2 (pending)

“and there was something about you that now, i can’t remember. it’s the same damn thing that made my heart surrender.”

present day. summer.

“We’re gonna miss you so, so, so much, love,” Mai groans, pulling you in towards her for a hug and you reciprocate with fondness.

Another pair of arms wraps around you, grip much tighter and you protest through a difficult breath. “Do you really have to go?” Nobara asks.

You tap on the skin of her arm, urging her to ease her hold in this group hug, and she finally relents and the three of you pull apart from one another. There’s a slight gasp from your lips as you breathe in fresh summer air. “I do, Nobie, I’m sorry. Nanami said it’s the final decision.”

You’re standing on hot concrete in front of a little countryside cottage that you’ve called home for years, but will soon just be a memory. You know which light switches illuminate corners of the rooms, and which creaking wood panels on the floor to avoid when looking for a midnight snack. It’s where you spent years studying for finals, arguing with your mom, learning how to care for Ms. Roxie, and it’s where you fell in love. More than once.

Your parents gave the house to you and Nanami once the two of you became engaged, but that blessing was soon to be given away, as Nanami received news six months ago that he was being promoted and relocated to Tokyo. Now, you have two bags in your hands, your purse slung around your shoulder, and a suitcase filled to the brim with the life you’ve tried to stuff in it. Your taxi driver has the other suitcase, because there were some things you couldn’t leave behind after all, and he’s putting it in the trunk right now.

“Nanami is so rude to take you from us,” Mai sighs, “but at least you’ll be one of those cool city girls now. So scary. I heard trends change faster there than the leaves on Rowan tree during spring.”

Nobara lets out a gasp that’s only half exaggerated. “No way! It can’t be!”

The taxi driver calls after you with a quick question, to which you answer back with a shout from where you stood. A quick glance at your watch tells you it’s time to get moving, as you’ll be taking a connecting train once you reach Tokyo that you need to be on time for. And then he’ll be there. Nanami will be waiting for you there, to lead you into the life that he’s started to make for the two of you.

“I’ll call so very often,” you promise the two of them, “and I will miss you two so very often as well.” Tears prickle in your eyes, and it seems to be contagious as they shimmer in Nobara and Mai’s eyes as well. Another group hug takes place between the three of you, harsh sun beating down with birds chirping in the distance as you try to take in the last few moments you’ve been granted of this place. “Take care of Roxie for us,” you say through a sniffle, “to you, it may seem like you’re only the bearer of food for her, but I promise that little kitty will love you two like no other.”

They both nod at you as you pull away, and you swipe at a tear that rolls down your cheek as you roll your suitcase down the pebbled walkway of your now past home.

The taxi driver helps hoist your suitcase into the trunk and places your other two bags into the back seat. You take a seat at the front with him, clicking the passenger seatbelt, and you roll down the window to wave bye with blown kisses as the taxi driver pulls away from the rocky mud road with crunching under the wheels. You watch Mai and Nobara and your home in the side view mirror until they’re no longer visible, but their voices of farewell linger in the air for a moment more.

“Alright, ma’am, bound for Tokyo!” your taxi driver chirps, his rough-looking hands opening and closing a few times to stretch out the joints of his fingers before tightly gripping onto the steering wheel again.

“Yes, Tokyo,” you murmur softly, gaze set out the window of the familiar street shops and stretches of patchy trees you know you’ll miss once you’re in the city.

“What’s your name?” the man asks, a thick country accent rolling off his tongue, with a sweetness like honey.

You turn your head to look at him more closely. The hair of his eyebrows is bushy, somewhat unkempt, and he has thick lines across his cheeks and forehead that can only mean that he’s lived a lot of life.

You tell him your name and he nods slowly as the two of you stop at a through road, a few school children hurrying past before he turns right onto the main road. “That’s a nice name. Which one of your parents gave it to ya?”

“Um. Both of them?”

He lets out a noise of acknowledgement, and doesn’t ask a further question. You smooth out the fabric of your long skirt with a hand, then toy with the band of your simple watch. Just when you think a comfortable silence has fallen between the two of you, and you think you have the luxury of losing yourself in your thoughts with sights beyond the polished glass window, the man speaks up again.

“Alright then, miss, tell me a story.”

You raise an eyebrow at him. “Pardon?”

“We’re gonna be spendin’ three hours in this car together, darlin’. It’s either I talk your ear off or you talk mine off,” he says, broad shoulders rolling backwards once as he gets comfortable in his driving position.

“Uh…do we need to talk at all?”

He glances over at you for a moment. The car wheels grind over rocks on gravel road near an agricultural field, and his fingers flex once again on the wheel. “You younger generations are so stuck in your own worlds. Entertain some conversation with the poor old taxi driver, will ya?”

You sigh, folding your hands in your nap neatly. “Alright. I don’t really have many stories to tell, though.”

“A young lady like you, packin’ up her whole life to move to a big city? I beg to differ,” he counters.

His words have you tucking your bottom lip under your teeth, a few blinks of your eyelids to process his observation of you. Your mind searches for stories to tell. Maybe that moment last week when you watched a momma duck waddle across a bridge with all seven of her baby ducklings. Or maybe you could tell him about that time you drove your car into a ditch the night of the comet festival and you swear you saw a UFO in the sky. The story you’ve been telling a lot lately, though, was the one of how Nanami proposed.

But then there’s a different story that comes to mind. With hazy images of blinding stage lights in dim venues, cigarette smoke wafting through the air, sounds of bass and drums and cheers. Smell of dry grass, the feeling of your back against a blanket, heart beating fast underneath the stars in front of a twinkling lake. And forever in your memory, the patterns of his inked skin.

“You got a boyfriend?” the man asks, suddenly.

“Are…are you hitting on me?” you ask awkwardly.

“Oh, no, ma’am,” he shakes his head, lifting his left hand up from the steering wheel and turning the back of it to face you. A silver ring adorning his fourth finger shimmers from the reflected sunlight through the window. “Happily married. Been with my missus for 22 years.”

A small smile makes its way onto your face as you relax into your seat a little, feeling calmer. “Oh, I see. I’m sorry for assuming. And I have a fiancé, actually.”

“Oh?” he chirps, stealing a quick glance at your left hand that was still folded neatly underneath your right one in your lap. “How come I’m not seein’ a ring?”

You tug at the small chain around your neck, a chill felt as diamond stone and cold metal drags against the skin of your sternum before you pull out your own promise of marriage, dangling it in front of your chest for him to steal another glance at. “I wear it around my neck. I’m a pottery teacher, so I usually take it off when showing my students any demos. I figured if I kept taking it off like that, I might lose it, so I just wear it around my neck now.”

“That’s interesting,” he comments, “It’s a real nice ring, that’s for sure! Tell me about this man you’re marryin.”

Your heart aches at the thought of Nanami. It’s been six months since you’ve seen him, since he relocated to Tokyo first, and you’ve missed him every day since. You were in the middle of the academic year at the elementary school you taught at, so they asked you to stay back, but Nanami had already accepted the promotion, thus the two of you made the decision that he would move to Tokyo first to get situated and you’d soon follow in the summer. It was a lot of stress to handle as just one person; searching for apartments on top of managing the heightened expectations from his boss from his new role, but he did it all without a complaint. Because he loves you, and that’s who Nanami was. Someone who would move mountains for you. He’s worked hard to make a place for you in Tokyo, one to call home.

“He really loves me,” you say to the man, softly.

“And you love him?”

“So much.”

“Was he your first love?”

Your breath catches in your throat from his question, a small chill running down your spine. The silence that settles could’ve lasted two seconds or two centuries, and you never would’ve known.

You lick your lips before answering. “No, he wasn’t.”

“Hmm…” the man hums. Bumpy roads are now smooth as he turns onto properly laid roads, the exit from your town onto intercity roads. “I can tell.”

“You can tell?” you ask, skeptic in your tone as you tilt your head at him.

“I can tell from your voice that there was someone else before. Someone who meant a whole lot to you, but he went away for some reason,” he says.

You’re not sure why there’s a lump in your throat from his words, a heavy thing with so much substance that it threatens to weigh your heart as well. Your eyes study the side of his face. “You’re getting all of that from my voice?”

The man’s expression is blank as if it were tabula rasa, something so different from the way you’ve felt for so long now, like your heart has been torn in two. There was something so tempting about it; the luxury of a clean slate. Of a new beginning. A fresh start. And it’s hard not to imagine how you would’ve painted things differently.

“Tell me about him,” the man says, the story he was looking for having been found. “Your first love.”

“He…” you start, shocked that you’re actually answering, but it’s like an invitation you can’t resist, “he was my first boyfriend…my first serious boyfriend. I met him the summer after high school. During a summer like this one.”

seven years ago. summer.

chapter 1. cupid’s arrow.

“C’mon, faster!” Mai exclaims, her hand wrapped around your wrist to tug you across the dim streets of downtown.

“Just— wait— Mai, please, slow down,” you’re stumbling after her, feet failing to keep up, and you almost crash right into her when she comes to a sudden halt on the sidewalk.

“This is it,” she says, staring up at the sporadically blinking neon lights of what appears to be a small venue, black marquee letters that spell out Backseat Serenade Tonight @ 10pm stand out to you in a way that feels haunting. “We’re so late, let’s head inside.”

Mai drags you inside, and the security guy is less than thrilled by the commotion as he stands in front of closed double doors. You can feel the bass of music vibrating the walls, accompanied by loud shrill screams and chants coming from inside, and the red velvet flooring underneath your feet fuel you with static as you two approach the man dressed in full black.

Mai fumbles with her purse to pull out her phone, and the man scans the barcoded tickets on her screen before giving the two of you wristbands to wear and then he opens the door for the two of you.

The inside of the venue is small but packed, minimal lighting save for moving lights that illuminate the band on stage, but it’s even harder to see anything over the heads of people with their hands up in the air. Mai’s grip on your forearm is tight as she roughly weaves the two of you through the crowd, determined in her gait but you feel the need to apologize to the people she’s shoving in the process. You’re surprised at how fast the two of you make it to the front barricades, thanks to Mai’s nimbleness alone, and your eyes raise to the scene onstage through wafting smoke through the air.

“Alright, alright, alright,” one of the band members chimes right as the final instrumentals of the song begin to fade. His hair is a pale silver under dusty lighting, pushed up from out of his face by a black headband snapped to his forehead, and his eyes are distinctly blue. He has an electric guitar hanging from his neck by a thick black strap. He raises both of his hands up into the air, waving them down a few times to calm down the crowd, and there are scattered hushes surrounding you and Mai. “This is our last song, and we just want to thank you all so much for coming out tonight! This crowd’s the best we’ve ever had!”

The people cheer in response as a light and relaxed melody begins to tune together from the instrumentals on stage. You hear Mai groan beside you. “What the fuck?! We missed the entire set?!”

Your hands curl around the cold metal of the barricade dividers and your eyes sweep across the stage. There’s a man in the far back with short black hair, bouncing his leg up and down as he’s seated behind a drum set, fidgeting with wooden sticks in his hands, and you’re puzzled by the fact that he’s wearing a very poorly fitted suit onstage. Off to the right, a man with pink hair is messing with the headphones snapped to his ears in front of an electric keyboard, spread fingers pressing down on chords, and you can vaguely see the black nail polish at the tips of his fingers. A woman with mid length blonde hair and pink highlights stands at the front, her hand wrapped around the mic resting on top of the stand. She’s laughing, tipping her head back at something else the electric guitar player says over the mic, but you’ve drowned out the words because your eyes finally land on what’s directly in front of you.

With an almost bored expression on his face, a man stands with a matte black bass guitar hung from his neck as he has one foot up on the top of a subwoofer located flush to the edge of the stage. His hair is raven black, longer at the nape of his neck with shorter layers scattered, and tendrils fall over his face. There’s a glint to his polished black shoes off of where you’re standing, and he’s wearing tight black jeans that cling to the thick and lean muscles of his calves and thighs, with a leather belt fastened around the circumference of his hips. The shirt that’s tucked into his jeans is just as tight to his skin, and a small gasp leaves your lips when you take in the sight of his arms covered in intricate patterns of ink. His right arm is practically covered from the wrist all the way up to the cut of his short sleeve, likely beyond, and his left arm has ink traveling up to his forearm only, like he’s still working on mapping it all out. You watch the way his biceps flex as he bends his arms, bringing his hands up to his face to push his hair back, and your heart is keeping fast rhythm with the music.

“Cho!” the woman at the front speaks into the mic, turning her head to look at this man who you’re sure is the most beautiful man you’ve ever seen. “You’ve hardly said a single word tonight, baby. Not that that’s unusual though. Why don’t you say a few words before we kick off the last song?”

A bunch of whoos!! and ahhhs!!! and yesss!!! scatter throughout the crowd in the form of cheers and you watch the man furrow his brows together, a scowl forming on his face. There’s a band of black underneath his eyes that runs across the bridge of his nose, with perpendicular lines resembling arrows running down his cheeks. Dark purple eyes that match the dark shadows around them glint under flickering stage lighting as he takes his foot off the speaker and walks a few steps backwards to position himself at his stationed mic.

“Fine,” he says, and you’re watching the way his lips barely brush against the mic as he speaks, “This is our last song. It’s called Lost Cause. Enjoy. Or don’t. It’s up to you. Who the fuck am I to tell you what to do.”

There’s only a slight beat of silence from the crowd before they’re cheering again, while his band members just stare at him stunned. The white-haired electric guitarist yells into his mic something like “THAT’S IT?!” before the drum player cuts him off with three taps of his sticks in the air, and then the song commences from them on practiced reflex.

The energy from the crowd is loud in the last few minutes of the show, smoke rising in the air from the machines spread across the raised stage, and you can’t tear your eyes away from the bass player. You rest your forearms on the cold metal in front of you, the sight of Mai jumping up and down in your periphery as she headbangs and shakes her hair.

The bass player’s eyes start to scan the venue within what seems to be the final chorus of the song, chin tipping up and fingers continuing to strum as he assesses the back of the crowd first, then gaze darting throughout the center, before he begins to study the front barricade. You watch his every movement, mapping the trail of his sight, and your heart skips a beat when those dark eyes finally fall on yours.

His eyes briefly flicker to your left, to continue his study of the crowd, but it’s as if his brain just registered something with a delay, and he quickly moves his gaze back to you in a double take. His eyes widen, bored expression quickly turned into one of surprise with a glint to his pupils, and you swear you’ve been struck by an arrow to your heart.

“Yaaaay! Thank you everyone!” the woman at the front exclaims, pulling her mic from the stand to walk around to make work of the crowd. The white-haired man approaches the edge of the stage with a pleased grin on his face, high-fiving all of the outstretched arms, and the man at the keyboard simply waves a few times before incessantly tuning buttons on his headphones. Drum boy hasn’t stopped playing some sort of loud rhythm as an encore. Your sight is set back onto the bass player, and he’s looking off somewhere else now. Somewhere backstage.

“Hey!” the white-haired man exclaims once he’s made it in front of the two of you. “Mai! You made it!”

She reaches out to grab his forearm, tugging down harshly so he’s stumbling and dropping one knee to the stage floor, kneeling. “Of course I was gonna make it! Thanks for the tickets,” she’s yelling over loud ambient cheers and music, “this is my friend y/n, by the way. Oh, and this is Gojo, he’s the guy I was telling you about.”

You nod at him, and try to accept his outstretched hand when someone bumps you from behind and your hand is in favor of stabilizing yourself over the divider instead.

You can barely hear the laugh from Gojo’s position on the raised stage. “Just meet us backstage! We can chat for a bit with proper introductions and all.”

As the crowd begins to dissipate with people moving through the sets of double doors out back, Gojo hops off stage to take you and Mai through a side door that leads into a hallway that lines the back of the stage. You look up into the high ceilings with metal structural poles banding between the walls, and the dim yellow lighting in small bulbs bolted to the walls like a runway remind you of movie theater exit routes.

“So, what’d you guys think of the show?” Gojo asks, his arms raised up and hands interlocked behind his neck in a casual-not-so-casual way as he sends the two of you a lazy look over his shoulder.

“Well, we only made it for one song since miss barista over here was running late from her shift,” she sighs, whacking your arm once with the back of her hand. You glance down and realize you didn’t even have the time to take your frilled and wrinkled apron off. “But, from what we did get to hear, AMAZING! AWESOME! SPECTACULAR!”

Gojo is grinning wide as he turns around to face the two of you, continuing to walk but backwards as he slaps the raised hand that Mai had in the air for him. “I’m so glad, I felt the pressure to please was high since I’ve been hyping up our shows to you for so long.”

“We’ve only known each other for like two weeks.”

“I know. But PSYCH 210 lecture at the ass crack of dawn really brings two people together, y’know.”

Mai and Gojo continue to laugh and talk about random things college-related, and there’s a stirring feeling in your chest that you’re surrounded by people older and much more well-lived than you. You’ve just graduated high school, barely a few months ago, but Mai was a few years older than you, so any time she tries to introduce you to her college friends, you feel the need to perform or be someone that you’re not so they’ll like you, despite the fact that you’re aware of the fallacy in that. And tonight, that responsibility feels much more daunting for some reason.

There are voices heard further down the hall, and as you approach, you notice the drum guy, keyboard guy, and devilishly handsome bass guy are all loitering around in that area, along with a few other people they seemed to have invited backstage.

Gojo walks up to them, grabbing onto the bass man’s hand firmly before patting him on the back, then slings his arms around the other two. “This is Higurama,” he says, rubbing the top of the black-haired guy’s head with the knuckles of his fist, “he does drums for us. And this is Sukuna,” he says, about to repeat the same gesture to the top of his head but his wrist is grabbed and twisted, “ow, fuck, fuck, fuck– sorry.” Sukuna lets go of his wrist, scowl dissipating into sadistic amusement, and Gojo’s holding his wrist, now slightly red from the burn, with a pout on his face. “He does the keyboard. And all the techno sounds. And some other stuff I’ve frankly no fucking clue about.”

The two of them acknowledge you and Mai, along with the few other people who Gojo seems to know as well, and then Gojo’s approaching the bass player again before resting his elbow up on his shoulder, leaning his weight onto him and the man just crosses his arms across his chest, sending Gojo a side-eye. “Mai, I think you two have met before, but this is Choso. Choso Kamo, our bass player. Best bass player I’ve ever known to be honest. Be careful though, he might bite you.”

Choso scowls, rolling his shoulder back once to get rid of Gojo’s resting elbow. His eyes are on yours, boring into you deep, and when he darts his tongue out briefly to wet his bottom lip, you finally notice the silver lip ring near the corner of his mouth. “Hi. Nice to meet you,” he says, hand outstretched and you shake it with a mention of your name to him. The skin on his fingers feel rough from play, a small sacrifice to pay for the talent he’s harnessed over the years from plucking at strings. His eyes sweep down you once. “Why are you dressed like Strawberry Shortcake?”

“I–” you start, glancing down at your attire and feeling the heat pool in your cheeks, “I just got off a work shift. I work at a cafe.”

“Oh,” he responds, and you notice his hand is still holding onto yours, Your eyes trail the patterns on his skin, visible in more detail up close, and you find yourself lost in every line and swirl and scale and skull and cross, the only thing breaking you out of your trance being Mai’s jab of her elbow to your ribcage.

You gasp, snatching your hand away from Choso, and when you look up at his face, there’s a hint of amusement on it.

“Babes, he was asking you a question,” Mai says, looking between you and the man in front of you.

“Huh?” you ask, suddenly flustered and you swipe your palm down your work apron to wipe the sweat that begins to perspire at your palm from the lingering heat of his hand.

“I was asking if you liked the show,” Choso says, tilting his head to the side and now he’s allowing his eyes to travel all across you in any way he wants.

“I loved it,” you respond, almost breathlessly, “it was great. I mean– we only saw, like, one song. But still, really amazing.”

“Only one song?” Choso asks, his eyebrow raising, “that’s a shame. You’ve gotta come to more shows then.”

Before you can respond, there’s a feminine voice heard down the hallway, sounding an awful lot like the one echoing off the speakers inside the concert venue, and then the blond woman who was the lead singer of the band skips right up to the group formulating in this hallway before wrapping her arms around Choso’s neck and pulling him down towards her in a kiss.

You’re standing there stunned, eyes immediately averting from the scene of the two of them in front of you, but in the corner of your eye you can see his arm wrap around her waist briefly before he pulls her away from him, and the release of her lips from his makes a sound that for some reason creates a pit in your stomach.

“Cho, baby, I just had an insane conversation,” she says, still practically hanging from his neck as she stands on tiptoes, “with this record label guy. He’s apparently hot shit in Tokyo, and he wants to offer us this city gig ‘cause he thinks we’re a potential sign-on, and–”

Choso’s hand reaches to the back of his neck, gripping around her wrist to pull it apart from her other one, and then her arms fall to her sides and her heels flatten to the ground as she blinks up at him. “That’s cool, Sana, but can we talk about that later?”

Gojo’s arms cross his chest as he leans forward, glaring at the woman. “Yeah. And as a band, not just with your lover.”

Sana rolls her eyes and scoffs, placing curled hands low on her hips. “He’s not my lover, bitch. Unless he’s my lover like you’re lovers with a blunt on a sunday– sucked off in a car ‘cause you’ve got nothing better to do.”

“That’s offensive to both of us,” Gojo grumbles but Choso just sighs, unbothered, as he rubs at the back of his neck. He makes eye contact with you again, and his expression sobers as though he forgot for a second that you were still standing there.

Sana turns to you and Mai. “Hi, I’m Sana, nice to meet you guys. Sorry, I thought you two were some of our other friends, otherwise I wouldn’t have kissed Cho in front of you. I hate PDA, trust me.”

Mai lets out an awkward laugh as she shakes her hand, and you almost don’t want to shake her hand, but you do just to be polite.

“You didn’t hate PDA that one time I was about to bag the girl I’d been talking to for weeks and you decided to grind your sorry excuse of an ass right up against me in front of her,” Gojo grumbles.

She waves a dismissive hand in the air. “Whatever, she thought you were gay anyways. Would’ve done yourself a favor if you actually grabbed my ass.”

She ignores the insulted gesture Gojo makes, cutting off whatever words he was about to spew with words of her own. “What are you girls doing after this? We’re having a post-show party, you two should come.” She glances at you. “Uh, love, I’d ditch the apron though. Unless it’s, like, some sort of fetish for you.”

You’re defeated as your arms cross your torso to grip the hem of your apron and pull it up over your head, shaking your head a bit to allow your hair to fall back into place, and then you fold the frilly article of clothing neatly before hanging it over your arm. “It’s not,” you sigh, too exhausted to be subject to the title of your occupation anymore. A small flicker of your eyes to Choso tells you he’s staring at you.

Sana shrugs. “So you pretty ladies wanna come?”

Mai shakes her head. “No, sorry, my baby here,” she says, wrapping her arm around yours tightly, “just graduated high school recently, so she’s too young for a party. I’ve got a responsibility to look after her. And throwing her into a room full of sleazy drunk punk college dudes is the opposite of looking after her.”

Sukuna comes around, leaning his arm against the wall, smirk on his face, as he eyes you like you’re something to steal. “Just graduated high school? So you just turned eighteen, sweetheart?”

Mai glares daggers at him. “Get the fuck away from her, Super Senior. You’re icky. Also, case in point proven.”

Sana whacks the back of Sukuna’s head, and he all but growls at her. “Stop being creepy,” she reprimands him before turning to Mai again. “No, I swear, it’s not like that. It’s chill, minimal alcohol. No drugs. Just a small get-together with a few of our fellow friends, and friends of fellow friends, from the music scene.” She leans against Choso’s arm, wide eyes looking up at him, but he doesn’t lean into her. “Right, Cho? No scary guys for her to worry about?”

His eyes narrow at you, raking down your figure again, and his chest moves a little faster with his breath. “I’m against it. It’s no place for an eighteen-year-old. You’re a fucking idiot for trying to invite a girl who just recently graduated from highschool to a house party. She’s practically a kid.”

Your heart sinks from his words, and you feel juvenile standing in front of him, in a way that makes you angry and embarrassed at the same time, and you can’t bite back the words in time, “Whatever, at least I haven’t been on crack since the day I was born like you probably were.”

Almost all heads in this small hallway snap to you, if they weren’t already there before, wide eyes blinking before Gojo bursts out into a laugh, which dominoes into Mai’s laughter, and you barely register the way Sana looks you up and down once before forcing a smile. Choso’s surprised expression turns into a disgruntled one as he crosses his arms across his chest, and you can’t help but watch the stretch of his inked skin over his muscles as they flex.

“I’ve never done crack, shortcake, and your lame insult only proves my point on your immaturity,” he scowls, leaning his upper body forward towards you, and his gaze briefly drops to your lips.

Sana comes in between the two of you, pressing herself up against him to get him away, and he takes an involuntary step back and now he’s scowling at her too. She turns around to face you, and there’s that forced smile again. “Uh, y’know what, sweets? Cho is sooo totally right, no place at all for a—I’m sorry, how old did you say you were?”

“Eighteen,” you say with a slight grit to your teeth.

“Oh! Yeah, no place for you, sorry,” she says, with a small jut of her bottom lip to signal a pout.

You roll your eyes at her, then glance past her at Choso who’s looking at you like he’s still got a few retaliating words for you on his tongue, but then he’s dropping his gaze to the neckline of your shirt, eyeing the shape of your breasts, even dipping further down your legs and you let out a scoff.

“You sure enjoy checking me out for someone you think is practically a kid,” you spit back.

He’s not angry this time, the corner of his mouth simply tipping up slightly into a smirk. “I meant you’re too young to drink, but you’re old enough to fuck, so spare me the attitude.”

Your cheeks flush at his comment, nonetheless made in front of a group of people who were practically strangers to you, and you’re about to give him a piece of your mind when Mai grabs your forearm and Gojo places himself between you and jerkface.

“Woah! Look at the time,” Gojo chirps, glancing at his wrist that was absent of any time-telling device but he rolls with it anyway, “should probably head out now, since the venue’s closing soon. Y’know, grab our stuff.”

Mai nods her head at you in response to his words, sending a single glare Choso’s way before exchanging some pleasantries with Gojo and then dragging you down the hallway with her towards the exit.

“Hey–” you begin to complain, her grip on you starting to hurt, and you eventually yank your arm away from her before she opens the backdoor exit. “Let’s go to that party.”

Mai sighs, leaning her back against the door and crosses her arms. “No way. Your mom wanted me to get you home before midnight,” she says as she glances at the time on her phone, “and it’s close to midnight.”

You roll your eyes. “I’m an adult now, I don’t have to adhere to a midnight curfew, like I’m fucking Cindarella.”

Mai raises an eyebrow at you from the profanity, recognizing the fact that it’s something you just forced into your vocabulary in a way that doesn’t suit you. “I already said no.”

“Take me or else I’m going to tell your mom about the nipple piercings you got last week.”

Mai hisses a sharp breath through her teeth. “You’re a bitch.”

“Take me,” you deadpan.

She tilts her head back so that it hits the metal of the door, and then she’s pushing her back against it to open it, the rush of cold wind from outside brushing past the two of you as she steps into the night and you follow her. “Oh my god, fine. But only for a little bit, and let’s get the lie straight right now–you had explosive diarrhea at the concert so I couldn’t take you home right away since you were incapacitated in the restrooms.”

“What? Why do I have to be the one with explosive diarrhea?” you ask, frown on your face but there’s a skip to your step as you follow her down the street to where she very poorly parallel parked and you open the passenger side door. She doesn’t bother answering you as she settles into the driver’s seat and her car roars to life with a few struggling turns of the key in ignition.

“No drinking,” Mai says, voice strict with eyes locked on yours, and it’s the last thing she says before she starts driving.

The house is just a few miles from the venue location, and Mai seems to have been there before since she turns the navigation off once she turns onto a street that has her driving switch to from perusal to more casual.

Gojo is the one to greet you two at the door with wide eyes and a drink in his hand. You notice he’s changed out of his stage attire into something more casual, and likely in a rush too since his hair is disheveled, and you figured that you and Mai barely got here after they did. The surprised look on his face is quick to turn into a pleased one at the sight of the two of you. “Oh sweet you two actually came,” he comments, waving a hand for you two to come inside, “figured Kamo would’ve scared you off.”

You roll your eyes, “where is that jerk? I still have a few choice words for him.”

“Babes, let it go,” Mai sighs, “Not worth your time.”

“I concur,” Gojo says, “but, if you really want, he’s upstairs putting some of my stuff he borrowed for tonight’s show back into my room. You can…” he glances down at you once, “uh. Cuss him to death? Or whatever you can manage, I guess. But just don’t fuck on my bed, please. That’s my only rule.”

“Why do you sound like that’s a rule you’ve had to make often?” Mai scoffs, amused, while your cheeks feel hot.

Gojo slumps his shoulders in some type of comical defeat. “I don’t wanna talk about it…” he mumbles, voice trailing off and turning on his heel to walk away while Mai follows him off with more follow-up questions he doesn’t seem receptive to answering.

Your eyes glance over to the staircase, studying for a moment as loud party music fills your ears before making your way over and up the steps. As you head down the hallway leading into bedrooms, the floorboards creak until your sneakers even over soft carpet, and you hear soft sounds of clattering off to the left. There’s a door that’s half ajar leading into a warmly lit room, and you deftly peek your head through the opening.

Choso stands near the foot of the bed inside a messy room, black boxes and cases and wires surrounding him as he fumbles with unplugging some sort of audio station pad from another piece of hardware. His hand grips tightly around the thick black rubber coating of the wire, and you watch the flex of his knuckles that tense the veins running up his arm, sleeve of the shirt he’s worn all night stretching to accommodate the roll of muscle at his upper arm. With a solid yank, the chord releases itself before the wire whacks him straight in the face and he grumbles a fuck under his breath and he rubs the skin of his cheek, to which you can’t help but let out a small laugh at the sight of.

His furrowed and frustrated expression turns into surprise as his eyes flicker to the entrance of the room. He stands up straight, and then there’s that bored expression again. “Oh. Shortcake. I thought I said you’ve got no business being here.”

“Yeah, about that, I’m waiting for you to apologize to me,” you say, leaning sideways against the doorframe as you cross your arms over your chest.

He sighs, eyes moving away from yours to busy himself with the jungle of equipment he’s practically drowning in, as if he couldn’t be bothered by your presence right now. “Apologize for what?”

You make your way inside the room, foot pushing aside anything sprawled on the floor that’s in your way so you can continue to approach him, and you stop just when you’re just a step away. His gaze is still set to the ground as he’s crouched over slightly, but it shifts from the speaker he was toying with to the shape of your shoes instead.

“Apologize to me for being so crass,” you say, “after we had just met.”

He slowly straightens his spine, and you’re a little shocked to find the height that he has on you. His expression is curious, eyes narrowing slightly like he has you all figured out already, and it pisses you off. “Crass is such a prissy word to use, princess. Try ‘apologize to me for being a massive dick’ or something, and I’ll start to take you more seriously.”

“Why are you so rude?” you ask, anger building up inside of you all of a sudden. “I’ve barely met you, I don’t see how I could’ve upset you in any way. Yet you’ve already insulted me in multiple ways tonight, and it’s not a cool look for you. Trust me.”

“You’re the one that basically called me a crackhead,” he counters, but there’s no real offense behind it.

“Yeah, because you called me a kid,” you say, face tightening even further with anger, “even though I’m an adult.”

He sighs, closing his eyes in irritation, and tilts his head up to look at the ceiling briefly as his mouth hangs slightly open, all as if he’s running thin of the capacity to deal with this conversation, and then he looks back down at you again. “Shortcake, I didn’t call you a kid ‘cause of your age. I called you a kid ‘cause you’re just so–” he starts, eyes traveling down your body paired with a vague gesture of his hand towards all of you, and you find yourself shifting on your feet to stand a little more poised, “you just seem so innocent and clueless and, uh, forgive me, naive.”

“You’re the clueless one here if you still think negging a girl will get you anywhere with her,” you say, hands clenched in fists at your side now.

There’s a hint of a smirk on his face as he tilts his head at you, some of his dark hair falling over his forehead from the motion and a few strands weave with his eyelashes. “I’m not trying to get anywhere with you here, sweetheart, unless you’re wanting that,” he says, voice almost purred at the end as he steps over a guitar case on the floor to get closer to you.

You’re unable to make eye contact with him when he’s close and you can smell the earthy notes of his cologne, mixed with another scent that seems more distinctly him that makes your head spin. Your gaze takes in the sight of his forearm, the one with scattered tattoos trailing up his arm but not yet fully inked in. You wonder what he’s saving the space for, and what he’s willing to let in.

When your gaze flickers up to his face again, you’re a little surprised to see his expression is softer. He suddenly holds his forearm up in front of you. Your eyes signal confusion to him, but he just keeps his arm up the same.

“You’ve been ogling my tattoos since we met,” he says, voice low, “if you’re curious, then just have a closer look.”

Your breath picks up in speed, and you hesitate for a moment but it’s true. You were curious. Your hands shakily hold onto his forearm to keep it still as you study the ink on his skin. You twist his arm as much as his joint allows, and he lets you handle him in any way you want, and you swear the snake tattooed on his skin moves as if it were alive. A dark blossoming rose with highlights of burgundy red catches your eye near his elbow, and you brush the back of your hand against it. Your fingers accidentally find his pulse at his wrist, and you find his heart is beating fast.

You run a flat palm up his arm, the skin to skin contact feeling intimate, and your fingers stop when they tuck under the fabric of his sleeve. You feel the warmth and curve of his bicep, lightly wrapping your hand around it, and you blush at the sight of how small your hand looks on him.

“What does this one mean?” you ask, not meaning for it to come out as a whisper, but you feel like his answer is meant to be kept a secret. Your thumb swipes over small roman numerals permanently etched into him over muscle.

“It’s my dad’s military tag,” he responds, voice quiet like yours.

You tear your gaze away from his skin to look up at him, and you realize he’s closed enough distance between the two of you to where his face is just inches away. From the moment you looked up, his eyes have been on your lips, and his brow furrows as if he’s fighting some voice in his head that’s testing this harmony between the two of you in this moment.

You swear he’s about to kiss you, since there could be no other explanation for the way he was looking at you, but instead he clears his throat and his face is first to distance from you before he pulls his arm back as well, and then a small step backwards. “Sorry,” he says, and he almost sounds awkward. It startles you, because it’s the first time he doesn’t sound cool or calm or collected.

“That-” you start, “...wait, what are you sorry for?”

His eyes widen, and you see the heaviness under them for a moment, “uhh…I’m actually not too sure.”

Your head feels clear now that he’s not close enough to breathe in, and you blink a few times as your annoyance from earlier resurfaces amidst the lingering energy he just broke between you two. “Start with ‘I’m sorry for calling you a kid, and then also just now calling you naive and clueless,’” you say, foot tapping impatiently, “and then, in front of all your bandmates, mocking the fact I’m not old enough to drink, and shamelessly traveling your eyes over me, and then–” your breath catches slightly as the words fail to leave your tongue, cheeks feeling hot, “and then saying–” you try again, but the thought only falls flat, and he’s taking a step closer to you again.

“And then saying that you’re old enough to fuck?” he asks, finishing your sentence for you, but there’s no remorse in his tone at all.

His hand suddenly finds the small of your back and he pushes gently so you take a stumbled step towards him, like he needed to have you close to him again. His lips brush against the top of your head, and the sensation sends a hot feeling through your chest. “Choso,” you reprimand him.

“Fuck,” he exhales, like in cynical disbelief, “my name sounds so sweet coming from you.”

It makes no sense, but you grip his shirt at his chest just to make contact with him, and you brave yourself to look up at him, wondering if he can see the hint of worry in your eyes, because he already feels like something you can’t resist.

His eyes are dark now, different from the tenderness in them before, and he’s freely studying the features of your face. “I don’t want to fuck you, Shortcake, if that’s what you’re worried about. You’re a little too good for me to do something like that.”

His words say one thing while his eyes say another, his arm wrapping around your waist to keep you close, and you’re astonished at how little he cares about the clear contradiction in his words from the way he holds you. His gaze slowly travels down from your eyes to your lips.

“What about–” you start, heart beating fast in your chest as you see the glimmer of the silver ring pierced through his lip. You bite back the words.

But he reads your mind, because his head dips down towards yours and he captures your lips in his, slow and sweet at first before pressing more firmly, more decisively with both hands flying to hold your waist. A moan muffles in your throat at the sensation of his bare fingers coyly traveling under the hem of your shirt, and you can’t help but slide your arms up over his shoulders, locking them behind his neck to pull him down closer to you, and he sighs in response as he presses your hips flush against him. The chill metal of his lip ring has the plush of your bottom lip tingling cold, and when his tongue swipes across to warm it for you, your mouth opens with ease. You taste spearmint on his tongue, and his lips curve against yours in what feels like an amused smile, large hands now slid so far up your shirt that his fingers reach the band of your bra.

“Hey, Cho, do you know where–”

The trill of a feminine voice in the air cuts through harshly, and he pulls his lips from yours but not without a moment of reluctance. You two turn your head to the door, and you see Sana standing there, eyes wide and blinking as she takes in the sight of the two of you standing in what feels like a guilty proximity from how her eyes silently curse you.

You can only manage an awkward laugh, fist shoving against Choso’s shoulder but his hands are still placed firmly on the curve over your lower back, dangerously close to the plush of your ass, and your hips are practically pinned to him while you do all you can to lean your upper body away. “Oh–sorry, this…is not what it looks like–”

“I…” Sana starts, and you can see the hurt in her expression, but she quickly corrects it, “Oh! Ah, was just lookin’ for Cho here,” she says, making her way into the room, and a harsh shove of your fist against Choso’s chest finally has him relenting to let you go. Your posture immediately stiffens when she approaches Choso’s side, and she playfully pushes his arm but the effort is weak. “Kissing girls in Satoru’s room is seriously not a good idea, Cho. That freak probably has cameras in here to make sure people don’t bump uglies in his room again after that New Year’s party.”

Choso gives her a pointed look, like he wasn’t caught up on that drama, but you’re just standing there with your eyes flicking between the familiarity of the two people standing in front of you. Why wasn’t Sana jealous? She was looking at you ten seconds ago like she was a whole lot of jealous.

“What are you looking for?” Choso asks her, and she holds her red plastic solo cup with her drink in it out for him to hold as she crouches down to the floor to sift through the equipment now surrounding the three of you.

“My lucky mic,” she says, “Gojo said it’d be here.” There’s a hint of something in her voice, something that mirrors betrayal if you’re perceptive enough.

You watch Choso lick his lips once, eyes darting to you, before he’s crouching down too to help her look. “For something that allegedly means a lot to you, you sure do a shit job at looking out for it,” he comments with a sigh before pulling out a black case from under three other ones and handing it to her. “It’s here.”

“I’m–” you say, taking a step back and almost tripping over a guitar case, “I’m, um, going to head downstairs. Mai is probably looking for me.”

Choso raises an eyebrow at you from where he’s still crouched down next to Sana, and he’s about to speak when Sana cuts him off.

“Okay. Bye,” she says, still rummaging through things mindlessly even though she had already been given what she was looking for.

Choso makes a move to stand up, like he wants to see you out the door, but Sana’s hand grabs him by his forearm, eyes still not meeting his, and there’s a beat of confusion in his eyes as he studies the side of her face. But you know what sort of look she probably has in her eyes right now, and you know only because you’re also a girl, and all girls know what it’s like when a guy you love doesn’t want you in the way that you want him. All you can do at this moment is feel sorry for her.

The atmosphere in the room begins to suffocate, and you head out of the door in a rush.

present day. summer.

“He kissed ya the day he met ya? Hmph! That wouldn’t fly with me,” the man seated beside you says, his grip on the steering wheel tightening as he shifts slightly in his seat to puff his chest out.

“Hmm,” you hum as you look out the window wistfully, memories that you had locked up for so many years opened like a pandora box that fills your chest with warmth but has your fingers trembling with anxiety because you know how it all ends. “You wouldn’t…let a man kiss you on the first day he met you?”

The driver humors you with a hearty laugh from his chest, at least. “Not talkin’ about it that way, darlin’. I’m talkin’ about my daughters. I’ve got two girls of my own. A man should keep his hands to himself the first time he meets a lady. At least that’s what I’ve taught ‘em.”

There’s a small smile that tugs at your lips at his words, the love he has for his daughters heard clearly through his strict tone. You left out a lot of the details that probably would’ve angered him on your behalf even more, so the fact he still ended up getting worked up about it has you a little amused and reflective at the same time. “How old are your daughters?” you ask, tucking strands of your hair behind your ear, watching the wind-rustled plains of grass that you two have been driving by for a while now.

“They’re a little younger than you,” he comments, his expression now a bit more serious, “one just graduated from college, she’s startin’ more school in the city soon, and the other’s still in highschool. She’s turning sixteen next week.”

“Ah, sixteen,” you muse, “that’s a confusing age.”

“You got that right,” he gruffs, “the other day, she called me on my way home from work to bring some drink called a boba. Fifty-two years of life and I never even knew there was a damn thing called a boba! Why would anyone want swirlin’ stuff in their drink?! Anyways, the shop got her order wrong, and when I brought it home, she refused to drink it, called me the worst dad ever, then stormed upstairs to slam the door on her room. I turn to my wife, and she’s shakin’ her head at me like I’m the one that did something wrong!”

You laugh, then press your lips into a smile. “I’d have to agree with her on that,” you joke, and he lets out another disgruntled noise that has you laughing again.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ve lived with my wife and those two girls for over two decades,” he sighs. “I’m used to it by now. All three are equally pains in my ass, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Your smile drops a little as you look at him more contemplatively. There’s a glimmer in his eyes as he speaks, and you realize it’s familiar, but the answer of where you’ve seen it before fails to arrive.

“My youngest,” he starts again, “she’s been listenin’ to really loud music lately.” He presses one of the buttons underneath the AC vents, static noises coming to life before he changes the output to bluetooth. “My wife says it’s some sort of phase, but I’m not likin’ the music. Always sounding tempered and inappropriate.” He plays a song from his phone paired to the car, speakers flowing with music, and a chill runs down your spine the moment the first few notes fill your ears. A song so painfully familiar, so connected to your soul it’s as if your heart still keeps time with it to this day.

“See what I’m talkin’ about?” the man says, “Lots of words about skin and cigarettes.” With a shake of his head, he lowers the volume. “She’s obsessed with this band, it’s probably a band similar to your old lover’s from the sound of it. She’s got posters of ‘em up on the wall, and she took the picture of us on our first fishing trip together out of the picture frame on her desk and replaced it with this man. This silly-lookin’ white-haired man that always looks like he’s just pretending he knows how to play a guitar. Hmph! She keeps saying ‘dad, I wanna go to their concert!’ There’s no way in hell I’m allowing that.”

You stare down at your lap, brow furrowed from the realization flashing through your head, and your thumb nervously passes over the skin of your other hand. In your periphery, you see him glance over at you once, and he sighs before stopping the music and speaking up again.

“It’s fine,” he says, “my youngest got her sister into the same band, and she likes one of the other ones. Plays bass. He’s too rough-lookin’ for my daughter. Arms covered in tattoos, he’s even got some on his face! She keeps dreamin’ about havin’ him for a boyfriend, but if she brought that home, there’s no way I’d approve. I’d scare him off with my rifle.”

Your heart is beating fast in your chest, and you realize what a small world it is. Or, you realize just how big Choso’s world must be now. So much bigger than he or any of the other members of his band could’ve ever imagined. For once in a lifetime, so rare and pure, are dreams that are fully realized.

“Gosh,” you respond when you realize you’ve been lost in your own revelations for too long, “that’s an…extreme response. You sound like my father, though.”

“Hm,” he responds, “I’m sure. Did your father approve of this lover of yours? The one that’s makin’ moves on you so fast and too soon?”

You lean back in your seat with your head hitting the headrest. It’s been years since you’ve felt like you’re being lectured or reprimanded for anything, but the feeling comes back to you at this moment as if no time had passed at all. No matter how old you get, you’ll never forget how humbling the feeling was when you thought you knew everything at eighteen, just to look back and realize you didn’t have a single clue.

You sigh. “No. He didn’t approve. Far from it.”

seven years ago. autumn.

chapter 2. the juvenile & the delinquent.

[to be continued]

a/n. eeeeeppp thank you very much for reading n supporting my new fic!! i hope you enjoyed :') still a lot more to uncover n unpack hahah i'm so nervous to start a new fic but i'm also very excited!!! i love choso sm but i also love nanami so this is gonna be interesting to write. also TYSM to everyone that wanted to be on taglist for this omg your support means the world to meeee. love you all sm.

taglist: @joemama-2 @sweetpo1son @lilluna12 @polarbvnny @4y3sh4 @sedona-the-l0bster @horisdope @ilovenana88 @thexmistress @atsushirolll @flvrrg0d @strawnanamilk @nighttwingg @indieotterxoxo @pirana10 @bakuhoethotski @tvdumarvelhpsimp @lavender-hvze @whereflowerswenttodie @alwaysfreakingout @kaitoluver @3xv5s @wrenabbadon @erwinslut @winsga18 @ynishalee @yungbloode

love u all so much!!

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rosedere · 2 months ago

Text

The Liyue Lotus and the Merchant from Snezhnaya (Pantalone x Fem Reader)

MDNI +18

Cw: kidnapping, Stalking, non con elements, Graphic violence (later chapters), Yandere content *will update as the series goes

Cross posted on AO3

Part 1,Part 2,Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6,Part 7, Chapter 8: The lotus sailing into Port (you are here), Part 9, Part 10~

Synopsis: Unfortunately, The Regerator develops a fixation with you while you are working undercover for Yelan. And there’s no one who can get in his way of his prized Lotus.

You tell me you're the best I'll get

Just don't know how to treat you yet

You pin me down, I make you let

Me do what I like and baby you're mine

Even learned to like the way

I get so close to say your name

And baby we'll learn to ride that wave

You could give it time, you'd learn to be mine

You didn't realize how soon you were supposed to go to Snezhnaya.

But you didn't expect the next weekend that was already upon you. Naturally, you didn't know what you needed to prepare when you went to the most frigid region in all of Teyvat.

And worst your missing Bow and Vision were nowhere to be found, bothering Galina every day if she had found your vision only for her to insist it had been nowhere once more, you were going to be completely vulnerable in a new world.You tried telling yourself through the small panic that it probably was at most going to be similar to Pantalone's recent trip back to Liyue.

This was going to be a vacation at best; maybe you'll finally figure out what he was currently planning with his various branches of banks. And maybe he might grow tired enough of you to slip away.

But oddly enough you weren't finding him to be as unbearable as he was when he first decided to court you.

Pantalone's entire demeanor changed since he had come back from his business trip. The quaint smile you remember when you first crossed paths with him was back as he carried on with his duties in his office downstairs.

And to your surprise he would now allow you to wander the outside courtyard you barely knew existed, coming up with his work sometimes or just to read beside you on the bamboo benches underneath the tall trees.

Of course, his lone eye was watchful as you busied yourself with various hobbies Galina and Fedor had gotten you into as he sat in blissful silence with you.

You couldn't place your finger on what was making you feel off about his abrupt mood change, but every day since then he would also come to check on you.

Sighing to yourself you gave up trying at the task you were busying yourself with before bed by packing your things.

Abandoning the small bag filled with just the basics you could think of you looked back towards the bed briefly before you began to walk back downstairs.

Pantalone was only casually browsing some papers in the bed that you couldn't see, just assuming they were notes he was making to himself, his hair casually let down revealing the true length as you heard him scribbling on the paper.

Deciding not to bother him you only slipped out of the room entering the hallway.

Reaching the spiraling staircase you were beginning to descend, your foot on the lower step when you heard the pained hiss and groan from below you.

Your ears perked up at the sound you turned back towards Pantalone's open bedroom behind you making sure it wasn't him.

Only once more was he in his world scratching the document with his ink pen.

Deciding it probably was something you confused for the stairs you kept going down the stairs, your destination to once again bother Galina.

At a third of the way down the sound once again was heard, this time very clearly.

“A -aaa h”

Stopping in your footsteps you leaned over the guardrailing of the stairs staying hidden as you looked over. You couldn't see anything in the lower foyer but the hallway was brightly lit up, unusual for this time in the evening since most of the help would be in the kitchen or cleaning before bedtime came.

“I—is it bad ?”

“ It's got to be bad if you aren't saying anything ”

“Hold still Lina– I can't properly see with this ambient lighting ”

Your eyes widen in realization, their voices sounding hushed and panicked from the usual formal tone they had around you gone.

“Did you inform the Lord harbinger?”

“Of course not– This is more of an urgent matter anyway”

“But Fedor that spy is trying to take (Name) to god knows where ”

A pained groan was heard once more before the shushing from Fedor.

“Please Galina calm down, I will take care of it before we depart tomorrow back home”

“Right now I need to make sure the arrows didn't pierce your vitals ”

“but what if she attacks you? That goddamn psycho woman almost killed m e ”

You didn't need to think too deeply about the words from the conversation you weren't supposed to be witnessing's actual meaning.

Yelan.

Starting to feel bad about what you had accused her of only weeks ago about not trying hard enough.

But you only let your frown take over as you realized the stakes once more in this highly complicated infiltration.

Deciding it was best to withdraw with your new knowledge you returned up the stairs assuming you'd see Pantalone back at his desk writing diligently.

But a thankful surprise was instead waiting there.

At the desk was the silhouette of your boss and roommate sifting through the journal he had been occupying most of his time filling out when he wasn't focusing on you.

You took a few footsteps to approach before you saw the blue and white flash beside you grazing your cheek.

The damp spot turned to frost as you gazed at it with your fingertips before it bled out little rivets of scarlet.

“You're losing it (name)” Yelan chuckled before flickering her deep sapphire eyes at you standing in the middle of your bedroom.

“well maybe if I was back on the field I'd be strong as ever” You pouted your lip, “You know I lost some vitamins since pretending to be his girlfriend?”

Yelan only raised a brow at you, noticing her face you realized she had certainly been roughing someone up by the few scratches she had on her neck and hand.

“Hopefully he wasn't poisoning you or anything; I'll have to get you checked out by Dr. Baizhu once we get back to the safe house” She muttered to herself.

“Wait? Like today?”

I'm finally free?

“Of course; He murdered all of my operatives that bastard— and if what I'm reading is true…” she shook her head.

“W-wait but I can't leave yet I haven't found my vision or my bow yet,” you said to her looking over to where your bed was

“I had it and I lost it a few days ago; I have zero idea where it could have gone” you panicked.

“Unfortunately you're going to have to abandon them for now; the Fatui are all leaving this fortress tomorrow to Sneznyhaya we can retrieve them after they leave” Yelan reassured you putting a hand on your shoulder.

“Come on; let's get out of here before he realizes I'm not down in the dungeon he has” She grabbed your evening dress sleeve pulling you towards the balcony; you didn't have any shoes but if it meant your freedom you assumed you could handle a few rough pebbles as you and yelan ran off towards the open balcony.

“Lián !”

You paused but Yelan only pulled you along by your dark navy sleeves.

Fedor was standing in the entrance with his sacral blades out around his form.

“Hurry! This is our only chance!” Yelan pulled harder on your sleeve almost ripping the delicate fabric.

Your eyes flicked back at Fedor for a moment; you had spent so much time with him and Galina but your freedom to go home was finally here.

Desperately you flashed a look of apology before running along with Yelan towards the balcony.

“Lord Harbinger The target has Lián!” You heard Fedors deep voice call from behind the paper screen panels lined across the balcony.

Yelan got up first over the railing, grabbing your hand you tried to get yourself up on the railing, but every time you tried your bare feet couldn't get a grip only causing you to slip under the sleek metal.

Desperately you tried to lift yourself into the metal. Finally feeling defeated you found some success in grabbing the railing hoisting yourself up and semi heavy gown you'd pick for the night.

“Grab on tightly (name) I've never used my glider with two people before” Yelan grabbed your hands placing them around her waist.

You tried not to look down; despite being inside a cave the drop was still at least as tall as a skyscraper below in the carved rocky surface below.

Closing your eyes you braced for the drop as Yelan jumped and began to glide.

Trying to resist the urge to kick you held on so tight to Yelans curved waist you thought you were going to squeeze the life out of her as you felt the cool breeze around your bare feet.

The sound of chatter and banter coming from the balcony growing distant from behind your billowing hair from the small draft in the cave opening coming slowly into view.

You began to squint as the choppy wind began to subside now smoothly gliding forward down out of the tall cave mouth.

Calming a bit you busied yourself with looking down at the passing clouds and the small amount of fog forming from below the mountain.

“Yelan what happens now?” You asked still holding onto her tightly.

“Well first things first we're not going to the Harbor— those rats are going to try to swarm and search for you over there before they decide to check in the mountains,” she said still focusing on gliding down towards the opening.

“And of course, our home is off limits for a bit— were going to take you to Chenyu Vale near Fontaine so if they do find you at least it's going to be hell for them to get into the village” Yelan dropped a little lower finally reaching the mouth.

Your stomach dropping now being completely in the sky with no ground in sight for meters on any side of you.

“Darn, I thought I could make sure all my snacks were still in my stash and not in the stomach of a certain Official I'm riding on” you teased.

“Tch– your snacks are all in the cupboard, I've mainly been running around doing what you and the trio used to do,” Yelan said.

After a bit of gliding through the tall mountains that made up the Mt. Aocang Yelan began to glide down slightly.

“Man this is a workout I wasn't expecting to make but at least we're away from That spiraling battle palace that rich guy has” Yelan sighed to herself.

“I see a flat patch of ground there maybe we can stop,” you said pointing towards a flat plain below the two of you.

Taking your advice Yelan began to gracefully glide down towards the quiet grassland.

Your feet were firmly planted to the ground as you both landed.

Of course, you practically fell forward onto the grassy knoll below you as you sighed in relief.

Yelans laugh once again becoming a melody that would be familiar to you as she stood over you.

“Yeah definitely once we get you back to work you're going to do some stamina training once again–” Yelan teased before she stood next to you.

Groaning you only peeked up at her.

“ugh anything but that— I’ll admit maybe thats the only thing I'll miss about pretending to be his girlfriend” You sprawled yourself on the grass.

“Speaking of, now what do we do about him? Since there's no more intel on him what are we going to do” you casually asked.

Yelan looked in the distance at the starry sky beginning to form above the both of you.

“well I did find a lot of stuff when I broke into his estate— Him and the Knave and Il Dottore are all in cahoots together,” She said scratching her chin for a moment.

“He was the one responsible for the attempted infiltration to become the new Tianshu— he even admitted to getting his agent to flee and hide out in the place you were staying out before secretly letting him slip back to Snezhnaya”

“Woah so he has his secret agents working with him?” You narrowed your eyes.

“If what I read was true; he's got a whole prison down there in the mountain,” Yelan said

You shuddered remembering everything you had seen down in the mountain after following the mountain water stream.

“So did he ever mention me? Was I good enough at hiding my identity” you asked rolling in the grass to lay on your back.

Yelan only stayed silent looking back up at the sky for a moment.

“Come on!!! I thought I did a good job I even pretended to have feelings for him and everything” You punched the side of her leg from where you lay.

“Maybe too good of a job (name)” Yelan lowly said

“What do you mean?” You snorted not picking up on how tense Yelan had become.

“Do you really wanna know?” Yelan said to you.

“I mean yeah I wanna know if you're going to torture me and force me to become someone's lover again” you bickered, “it was already difficult since he kind of looks like him if he was younger”

Yelan flinched at the mention.

“You still think about that traitor?” Yelan scoffed

“He was probably going to turn on all of us and do what that damn Harbinger did to all our shadows” Yelan coldly said, not an ounce of compassion she usually had

You frowned looking up at her now.

“How dare you say that— we were a team and he was going to Abandon the Fatui and work with us permanently”

Your words however only went into the empty void of the sky as Yelan began to keep gazing out towards the rolling hills surrounding both of you.

“Well I'm all rested now; we should hurry towards the Vale before the Fatui follow my energy” Yelan gestured to her back getting ready to walk off the edge of the hill.

You only quietly followed grabbing onto her waist once more getting a sturdy grip onto her before you both took off down the mountain once more.

It was after midnight when you both crossed the unofficial border towards Chenyu Vale. The lights and different water that flowed through the secluded mountains were otherwordly, different turquoise and deep reds were all around the two of you as you both were gliding down.

Only occasionally coming here once every 4 years to do errands it was a welcomed sight to the horrible trip to Snezhnaya he had probably planned for you.

Most likely selling you off to someone as the human trade in that region was high in demand .

Shuddering at the thought you only focused on the close-approaching the wooden planks of the small boat dock near the main village you and Yelan had been to before.

“you glad to see something that isn't mountains,” Yelan asked you as she landed with grace onto the open landing.

Trying to shake your legs awake you only merely nodded, rubbing your calves in discomfort.

“I just can't wait to see a bed; way past my bedtime” you murmured as you began to observe your surroundings.

“Well, follow me; Thankfully we aren't that far from the room you'll be staying in” Yelan gestured for you to follow.

Both of you weaved past the few people in the stony streets, some people still roaming around due to the weather and the clear skies as you both walked almost to the edge of the village towards a small run-down house.

“I'm not going to lie it's not the best quality but Once Dr. Baizhu checks you out and makes sure you're clear you can come back to our home in a new disguise” Yelan smiled.

You only observed the small run-down house, it was a step down from what you had been staying in.

Grabbing onto the creaky rickety door you walked in to see a cozy one room; one bed beside the window and a small stove and bathroom on the side of the house; nothing too special from what you had seen in the harbor.

Reminding yourself this was temporary as you plopped onto the bed sprawling yourself over the stiff mattress.

“Ah~” you let out a sigh of relief as you rolled onto your side.

“I still can't believe this is real— I thought I was going to be married off officially in Snezhnaya tomorrow” You stretched your legs letting yourself get comfortable on the bamboo mattress below your body.

You looked up to see yelan looking back at you with a small smile on her face.

“And I'm glad that at least I was able to rescue you from the trio,” she said before going towards the small 4x4 table near the stove and sitting on top of the small oak stool.

“You should get some rest (Name) I'll just be on watch here just in case Pantalone and his little pitiful guards come by again” She let her feet stretch underneath the table leaning with one arm folded on top of the table.

“I will but I can't sleep without you being here too,” you said propping your arm up on the bed.

“Like I said maybe once we go back home we can but for now” she looked over her shoulder towards the window.

“I gotta be on the job” she smiled at you.

Once more you practically had no recollection of how you fell asleep.

Or how long...

But you were being carried in someone's arms.

You couldn't open your groggy eyes but you heard the sound of something opening akin to a window maybe.

Before falling asleep you did fall asleep right next to the wide gated window you calmed down realizing it was probably Yelan closing the window before she crawled into bed herself.

The arms around you did feel like her after all.

You lazily swatted turning away from whoever was holding you.

But your sense came to you when you realized you weren't in your bed; the fabric around you was similar to a sheet.

And heavily insulated.

“Ye…?” You mumbled with barely functioning lips.

“Hmm? Oh, are you finally waking up?”

The voice was not Yelan.

But neither was anyone you'd heard around you either; Their voice was hearty and light with a hint of a fontainian accent.

“Yelan?” You asked once more in your groggy voice, your eyes were still heavy with sleep however leaving you to just see the spaces your eyes created.

“You must be silent Lián– If that spy woman notices anything is amiss We might not make the ship in time”

Lián…

Oh no

You carefully let your eyes flutter open just enough to see a slit view of whoever was carrying you against their chest.

You could see a dark ebony hood over her snow-white hair peeking from underneath her hood.

Her face was obscured by a dark black mask, adorned was what seemed to be her darl red eyes.

Looking inside of the now cracked window where you were just sleeping in.

You froze.

This had to be an assassin from the Fatui ,no way was this associated with Liyue.

You only shut your eyes tighter. When trying to think of anything to save yourself an irrational thought occurs.

Maybe if you make yourself heavy you could fall from the woman's grasp, she was only barely holding onto you anyway as she was balancing out of the window trying to shut it at the same time as holding you in her arms.

Concentrating you tried making yourself heavy in her arms; she didn't budge now but you knew if you let yourself stay heavy she would either drop you or just give up.

“The coast is clear” she whispered.

You felt yourself jolt up.

Was she flying?

You felt yourself being transported in the early morning winds.

Despite the urge to try to open your eyes, you kept them closed only experiencing your trip through sounds and smell as you heard the two of you fly through the night.

A soft thud indicating you both landed was how you knew you were not in the small sleepy village anymore.

The sound of water rushing was all you heard like the oppressive sound of waves crashing at sea.

“Lián!”

This time you knew exactly who was calling you from somewhere behind you.

“Galina— please allow me” The timbre tipped you off who it was exactly.

A precession of footsteps came from out of nowhere around you and the woman holding you.

You tried to relax your breathing pretending you were still asleep, or at the very least unconscious.

“Oh? I didn't realize how popular your beloved lotus was” your feminine kidnapper said to Pantalone somewhere in front of both of you.

“trust me when I say it was an unexpected ambush by the Tianquan of Liyue's eyes, Snatched away and taken to a dump of a town for god knows why” Pantalone snickered.

“Maybe she was going to be a bargaining chip,” Your kidnapper said extending their arms into Pantalone's feeling the weight transfer now in Pantalone's arms.

“Perhaps; but if it's who I think it was the vendetta that woman has against me knows no bounds” Pantalone replied.

Silence for a moment from what you could hear.

“Are you heading back to Snezhnaya? To the capital of course,” the woman asked.

“Yes, I decided to immediately go from here to the port before That spy tries to harm my lotus once more” You felt his gloved hands run a finger over your rustled hair as he said this.

“You need not worry Knave, I will not back out my word— the funds agreed upon for the children and the house of hearth will be immediately released by the bank once we arrive”

“I thank you for your kind patronage,” Pantalone said once more.

“Bon voyage Regerator” She said, the sound of heels hitting the wooden planks below away from the group near you.

Now was a good time to pretend to wake up.

Fluttering your eyelashes open you now were greeted with a dock that you weren't familiar with. The water was reminiscent of Chenyu Vale but was more Blue and clear.

The grass was not the same as the familiar grass from Liyue.

And of course to confirm your worst fears was Pantalone looking down softly at you; his hair tied back into a neat bun and his heavy insulated cloak around his body.

A whole squad of fatuus on each side of both of you from what little you could see over their shoulders.

The urge to widen your eyes in silent shock was suppressed when you realized the ship you were supposed to board tomorrow was also on the horizon.

“Pantalone?” You managed to say.

“Where am I?”

Instead of answering your question, however, he only began to walk towards the luxury liner in front of the small dock.

Feeling every step underneath he crossed the dock towards the unloading ramp only feet away from you as he brought you inside the small vessel.

It was around daybreak when you sailed from the small port near Fontaine.

Pantalone had left you in his private chambers; once again lying on the plush mattress facing the enormous wrap-around window.

You were defeated.

It seemed like this morning would have been spent going back to your small run-down upstairs room with Yelan.

The sunrise was pretty however, you thought to yourself.

You still haven't changed from your dress; mostly since you weren't sure where any of your things were.

A lurch was felt in your abdomen.

You clutched your stomach instinctively.

A feeling akin to butterflies was beginning to burn into your lower abdomen wall near your pelvis.

Now rolling yourself into a ball as the sensation began you assumed the worst— you had never been on a ship as long as this one before maybe you were getting motion sick.

But as much as you laid in your form under the dark amethyst silk sheets you realized it wasn't hurting.

Just a small flutter.

You heard the heavy metal door behind you swing open.

“Lián?” The familiar sing-song voice was heard.

You unsprawled yourself looking over your shoulder; Galina was holding a tray of a simple breakfast, some fruit, and a glass of water.

However, you were more concerned about the bandages on her arms and shoulders.

Yelan must have gone in on her from the way Galina struggled to walk over to your bedside.

“I didn't realize you would be awake” She smiled from underneath the mask.

“Thank goodness my timing is impeccable even under the Hydro archons region,” She said leaving the tray on top of the desk furthest from the bed near a small wardrobe similar to the layout of his home in Liyue.

“Were in Fontaine?” You asked with alarm.

“Of course, Thankfully your kidnapper was dumb enough to take you near the Knave's territory; a little small favor to them and they brought you back safely home” Galina smiled to herself as she sat herself in the desk chair firmly bolted to the ground with nails.

You smiled masking your unease by trying to get up off the bed.

Momentarily you forgot the weird sensation in your stomach until you felt it once more when you went to retrieve the tray.

“Are you alright Lián?” Galina asked from where she was sitting.

“Not sure—” you dismissed waving with your hand.

“I think my stomach is trying to be seasick despite only being a few meters away from the dock still” you smiled to yourself.

Grabbing a hold of the tray before returning to the side of the bed grabbing for the piece of Sunsetta sitting on the furthest corner.

The door was once again opened; this time being faced with Pantalone as he entered the room.

“Oh? Am I interrupting something”

“No, I was just sitting for a moment before I headed back” Galina began to get up from the chair, slightly hissing from the speed at which she got up.

“Galina I told you it was fine to rest during the Voyage— you defended with honor during the attempted kidnapping” Pantalone smiled interlacing his fingers together.

“I know, I just wanted to be sure Lián was safe” She finally steadied herself before brushing her cloak off.

“Besides, I won't see her for a while once we return”

“Wait what? Are you leaving” you asked with surprise dropping the half-eating Sunsetta in the tray.

“ah– yes I'm taking a temporary leave along with Fedor once we reach the port of Snezhnaya” Galina responded meekly.

“But don't worry! Once you get to the palace you will see us again” She smiled.

Suddenly they both began discussing something unrelated to the conversation leaving you to sit with your thoughts as the boat began to rock slowly, the flutter beginning to grow intense with each bite of the fruit.

Patting your stomach helped you enjoy the rest of your meal sitting next to the warm sunlight hitting your backside.