#Also i know that bunk beds are very small

[moonxknightx]

♡˗ˏ✎*ೃ˚ : I AM NOT GOING ANYWHERE : :;

╰┈➤ ❝ [PAIRING] ❞ Seong Gi-hun x F!Reader

・❥・GENRE: Smut & Fluff

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆FANDOM: Squid Game

ੈ✩‧₊˚ WARNINGS: Smut, 18+, piv, oral (F receiving), soft smut, very short mention of choking, Gi-hun being an absolute sweetie

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥SUMMARY: After surviving a number of games already, you are tired and want to go home which you know you can’t, but luckily Gi-hun is there to take care of you .

YOU LET OUT A loud sigh for probably the 100th time that evening as you roll onto your other side, trying to get comfortable in your bunk bed.

“Why can’t I just fall asleep?” You murmur, slowly sitting up right while looking around the room.

Your eyes fall on Young-il, Dae-ho, Jung-bae and Jun-hee who are all soundlessly asleep. Then your eyes fall on Gi-hun who is guarding your self made bunker.

Slowly and carefully, you slip out of bed and head for Gi-hun, sitting down next to him without saying anything.

Gi-hun turns his head to look at you and he can’t help but feel bad when he sees the tiredness on your face. Why is she awake? She should be sleeping.

As if you heard Gi-hun’s thoughts, you turn to face him. “I can’t sleep.” Gi-hun gives you a slight nod before going back to staring ahead of him.

“I’m sorry that I failed to get you out of here.” His voice breaks a little and you notice it immediately. “Don’t. You did your best. If these pigs want to stay to earn their money, let them. Sooner or later they will realize how stupid it was to vote for continuing the games. Half of them won’t even make it until the end.” You scoff at the last part which makes Gi-hun look at you again.

You had met Gi-hun on the first day of being in this hell hole. He had helped you cross the finish line during Red light, Green light. And since that moment you stuck by him, forever grateful that he saved you just seconds before the timer ran out.

When he told everyone that he had played these games before, you were shocked. Why would anyone ever return to here out of free will? Gi-hun explained everything to you. About how he joined the games to pay all of his debts. He told you about the games he played and about the people he lost during them. He also told you how his childhood friend ended his life so Gi-hun could live and get the money. In the end Gi-hun had told you that he came back for a reason. He wanted to end these horrific games, even if it meant his death.

So you joined his team. Not only because you stood behind Gi-hun’s way of thinking, but also to protect him. And he did the same for you.

Gi-hun had grown quite fond of you. He had this urge to protect you and help you with everything he could. He was always worried about you during the games. Especially during Mingle. During one of the first rounds, he lost sight of you and when he heard the ringing of the gunshots from the small room he was in, he couldn’t help but look if one of the fallen bodies were yours. Luckily that was not the case.

The moment the doors opened, you sprinted towards Gi-hun. “you’re alive!” Gi-hun beamed as he pulled you into a tight embrace. “I’m sorry.” You mumbled against his chest.

“Shh don’t apologize, it’s okay. I’m just glad that you’re alive.” Gi-hun reassured you. From that moment on Gi-hun did not once let go of you during remaining time of the game.

“I promise I will get you out of here.”

You look up from your feet to see Gi-hun staring at you. You give him a weak smile before laying your head on his shoulder.

“Please don’t die Gi-hun.” You say weakly. “I’m not planning to.” Gi-hun smiles softly.

“Ahem.”

Both you and Gi-hun turn around to see Young-il standing there. “You two should head to bed. It’s my time to guard anyway.” He says while scratching the back of his neck.

Gi-hun nods and gets back on his feet. He holds out his hand for you to take it, which you do and he helps you back on your feet as well.

“Good night you two.” You hear Young-il say as you head towards your bed, still holding Gi-hun’s hand.

“Gi-hun?” you say softly. “Yes?” He questions while looking at you.

“Could you��could you sleep next to me tonight. I really don’t want to be alone.”

Gi-hun’s heart practically melts upon hearing your words so he nods his head with a kind smile on his face.

He watches how you get ‘comfortable’ in your bunkbed before he joins you. “Are you sure this is okay?” Gi-hun asks as he awkwardly tries not to touch you, afraid he might cross your boundaries.

“It’s okay.” You reassure him while looking at him. Gi-hun’s breathing hitches in his throat as he looks at you. You are so beautiful and kind. You don’t belong here.

“What are you thinking about?” You wonder. Gi-hun just blinks at you. “May I kiss you?” He suddenly asks.

You are a bit taken aback by his question but you nod nonetheless. It’s not like you haven’t thought about it yourself.

“Yes you may.” You smile as both you and Gi-Hun inches closer to each other.

Gi-hun gently places his hand on your cheek before colliding his lips with yours. It’s a passionate kiss, both wanting to feel the other as close as possible.

You immediately kiss back as your hands make their way to Gi-hun’s hair. A small moan slips past his lips as you gently tug on his locks.

He breathes your name and it sounds so beautiful coming from his lips.

“Gi-hun…” You look into his eyes and you see that they are filled with love and sadness, and maybe even anger. But still he kisses you with the upmost gentleness, afraid he might hurt you accidentally.

“I need you.” You whisper and it doesn’t take long for Gi-hun to be on top of you. He leans on his arms which are placed on either side of your face as he looks down at you.

“You are so pretty Gi-hun.” You smile while softly caressing his cheek. Gi-hun can only smile at your words until he feels your hand in his pants.

“A-are you sure?” He asks quickly. “Only if you are. I want you to be comfortable too.” You explain him while placing a kiss to his cheek.

“I’m comfortable.” Gi-hun breathes carefully. “Then i am too.” You slip your hand into Gi-hun’s boxers and carefully wrap your finger’s around his cock.

“Oh fuck…” Gi-hun moans softly while hiding his face in your neck. You begin to pump your hand up and down his cock while Gi-hun is placing wet kisses along your jawline.

“It feels so good.” He says before kissing you again. “Good.” You mumble against his lips with a smile.

You feel Gi-hun grinding against your hand as a way to tell you he needs more.

You want to pull his pants down but he stops you. “Not yet.” You watch with confusion as Gi-hun taps your hips as a way to tell you to lift them up.

The moment you do, Gi-hun slides your sweatpants down and settles between your legs. You watch how he places soft kisses along the insides of your thighs before pressing a kiss to your clit.

“May I?”

“Yes please.” You breathe. Gi-hun smiles before pulling your panties to the side. He carefully spreads your lips and dives in.

“O-oh god!” You moan, immediately putting your hand over your mouth as you feel Gi-hun’s tongue between your folds.

Gi-hun stares up at you with his big puppy eyes while licks at your clit. You try your best to stay still but when you feel two of his fingers entering your pussy, you just can’t.

“Fuck Gi-hun!” You whisper as you clamp your hand down in his hair.

“You taste so good sweetheart. I just can’t get enough of it.” Gi-hun smiles, his face covered in your juices as he keeps licking your pussy.

“Gi-hun I can’t! I’m close.” You moan while bucking your hips. “Then let go for me love.” He murmurs with a lazy grin, still focused on your pussy.

You are immediately sent over the edge as you cover Gi-hun’s face in your juices. You can feel Gi-hun licking up every drop until his face is on your eye level again.

“How did that feel love?” he asks while pushing a strand of hair behind your ear. “Amazing.” You breathe with a slight chuckle.

“Is it now my turn to make you feel good?” You ask in a seductive tone. Gi-hun clears his throat as he nods, suddenly feeling shy.

“Come on now, don’t be shy baby.” You place a gentle kiss on his lips as you push him off of you, telling him to lay down on his back for you.

Once Gi-hun is settled, you straddle his lap, both hissing when his cock makes contact with your pussy.

“Is this okay?” You ask Gi-hun while playing with his hair. “Y-yes.” He stammers. “Relax baby.” You chuckle as you kiss his cheek.

Gi-hun watches how you grab his cock and align it with your pussy before slowly sliding down, making both you and Gi-hun moan as he grips the sheets in his fists.

“You feel amazing sweetheart.” Gi-hun whimpers, placing both of his hands on your hips, slowly guiding you up and down his cock.

“I can say the same about you.” You moan while steadying yourself with placing one hand on his chest.

Gi-hun watches how you bounce on his cock, trying his best not to make too much noise, but boy is it hard.

Every time you bounce on his cock he wants to scream out, letting everyone know how good you make him feel, but he knows he can’t, so he bites his lip instead.

“You’re so good to me Gi-hun.” You moan while leaning forward so you can kiss his neck.

“Oh baby…” He groans while digging his fingers into your sides. “Stay like this okay.” He whispers in you ear before starting to thrust up into you.

Your eyes roll to the back of your head as you bite down onto Gi-hun’s shoulder to keep you from making any noise.

“Oh fuck you feel so good baby. So tight and warm, i can stay like this forever.” Gi-hun moans as his thrusts get harder and deeper.

“Gi-hun…” You whimper. “What is it love?” He asks immediately. “Kiss me.” You demand with a slight moan.

“Yes ma’am.” Gi-hun smiles before pulling you into a kiss. You both moan against each other’s mouth while you meet Gi-hun’s thrusts with your own.

“I’m close sweetheart.” Gi-hun breathes while looking at you. “M-me too.” You say while unconsciously wrapping your hand around his throat.

Gi-hun’s eyes widen at the feeling and he can’t help but go even harder now.

“Gi-hun i’m s-so close!” You whisper in his ear while tightening your hold on his throat.

“Come for me baby.” Gi-hun groans. “Be a good girl.” At hearing those words slip from Gi-hun’s lips, you can’t hold it in anymore.

Gi-hun is quick to cover your mouth with his hand as you come onto his cock, soaking it with your juices.

“Fuck that’s it.” Moans Gi-hun before spilling inside of you. You let out a soft whimper as you feel him fill you up with his cum.

“Gi-hun….” you sigh as you collapse on top of him. Suddenly you become aware of your hand being wrapped around his throat so you immediately let go.

“Oh my god i am so sorry.” You quickly apologize, but Gi-hun is quick to shut you up with a kiss.

“Don’t. I liked it.” He smiles. “Really?” You ask surprised. Gi-hun immediately nods. “You should definitely do it more often.”

You and Gi-hun stare at each other before bursting into a fit of laughter.

“Shh!” You laugh as you cover Gi-hun’s mouth with your hand while he does the same with you.

It’s suddenly very quiet as both you and Gi-hun calm down from your highs.

“Thank you.” You suddenly say. “For what?” Gi-hun asks as he pulls you into his chest.

“For being there for me.”

Gi-hun can’t help but smile as he gently ruffles your hair. He places a soft kiss on the top of your head before closing his eyes.

“You don’t have to thank me sweetheart. Now get some sleep, you deserve it.”

“Will you stay here with me?” You ask as you look up at him. Gi-hun smiles, his eyes still closed.

“Of course love, i am not going anywhere.”

I really hope everyone liked how it turned out! It was so much fun to write for Gi-hun. He is quite literally underated in his own show😭

If any of you have any requests about Gi-hun or In-ho, feel free to drop them in my inbox!

[lavenders388]

hey :) I was wondering if you could do a Dae ho fic, where he and the reader are absolutely oblivious to their feelings and Jung-bae decides to do what he can to push them together (the ultimate wing man) Thanks

~Oblivious~

Kang Dae Ho x Reader

requested 💌

a/n: this is the cutest request ever:) i love jung bae and dae ho together and this is such a sweet idea! sorry if this seems a bit rushed!! i wrote it before school:3

"during lights out, we should keep watch over the group in pairs." gi hun states sternly. he is met with some mumbled "why?"s, but out of desperation and lack of anything else to follow in the place, everyone has silently agreed to just go with what he says.

as the recorded voice echoes throughout the large, intimidating room you all will call home for the night, you look around to who could be your second for watch duty. you think about choosing maybe guaem ja or her son as they have become the closest to you, closest to friends.

"hey y/n, you watch with dae ho tonight." you hear from the bunk next to you. you look and see it to have come from jung bae, the man who knows gi hun from before the games. you've grown to trust him as well, his genuineness aiding in delivering moments of relief from the awful place you've all found each other in. you notice he's trying to hide a smile.

"okay sure!" you say with a small smile, relieved to know what the plan is for the night as well as to have someone to spend it with. the thought of not being alone relieves your fear massively, and then thought of dae ho being your partner made your twinge.

"may i stay here until it's my turn?" you ask gi hun, referring to your bunk that's across the X side of the room. "yes of course, it wouldn't be safe to walk all that ways in the night." gi hun replies. the reminder of the unsafe situation makes your skin crawl thinking about what could come throughout the night.

all you want is to just go home, but knowing that home wouldn't be much better makes your spirit falter. you've grown to enjoy being apart of your group, the community being something very starkly different than what you're used to. you had a few friends before coming to the game, but you were never super close. they probably haven't even noticed you're missing yet. as the brisk thought of them not having a clue of your whereabouts crosses your mind, you look around to the group who decided they would protect you throughout this before even knowing you. they're all talking amongst themselves, joking and being kind. its refreshing. it makes you forget all about where you are.

you decide that when you're out you wont be notifying your friends back home. you'll take the money and spend your time with the people you're with right now, the people who chose to care for you out of the kindness of themselves.

thinking about this makes you realize how much you don't want to stop spending your time with these people. your thoughts are interrupted by a soft hand on your shoulder. you turn and see dae ho.

you smile at him, and listen as he begins to tell you why he got your attention. "we should stay close together until its time for our watch. would you like to sleep in the bed next to mine?" he says with his normal confidence, all though you notice his voice faltering a bit when he asks you to sleep next to him. "of course dae ho, thank you for asking." you say smiling at him again.

"actually would you guys be okay taking the first watch, it would probably be the safest one." you hear from above you as you see jung baes head poking out of one of the taller bunks. you both agree and get out of bed heading to where gi hun designated the watch point of your little base.

after you get settled, an awkward silence falls on you. "do you really think that people will try to fight us tonight?" you ask dae ho in a whisper, trying to start a conversation but also speaking your worry in a way that might make you feel better. "I'm not sure, but gi hun said that's what happened last time. he didn't say it was every night though, so maybe we'll be okay tonight." he says in a soft but still confident tone. it makes you feel safer, knowing that fighting may not even break out tonight. his voice comforts you as well.

"what do you plan on doing with the money when you get out?" you ask him, looking up at him for the answer. "well first i would pay off some debts, then i think i would buy a house, or even an apartment depending on how much i get. and then after that i haven't really thought of anything." he says with a chuckle that brings a smile to your face. "what about you, y/n?" he asks you. "honestly the same as you. like exactly. I wanna pay off whatever I can and then settle down somewhere. and then I'm not sure." you say to him with a smile. you think its funny you both have the same plan.

"i think thats a great idea y/n." he says to you softly and genuinely. you've grown to really appreciate the way he speaks to you, to everyone. you smile at him again as another awkward silence falls over the two of you. "if you make way more than what you think you will, then what do you think you would do?" he asks sweetly, caring for your answer as well as to dissipate the silence. "I have no idea!" you say a little louder than you should've, with a hint of sarcasm. "i think maybe id get like a cool car or something i don't know." you say laughing at yourself. your laugh makes him smile.

"what would you do dae ho?" you ask him in return. "i might start up a business or something, like maybe a coffee shop or a little market." he answers. you find this endearing. "that's really interesting!" you reply. "that sounds really fun, maybe ill do that as well."

"maybe we could do it together."

he states, his mood shifting from small talk to something more.

"i would really like that." you reply.

"hey lovebirds its our turn to watch." jung bae says laughing with gi hun from behind the two of you. you wonder how long they've been standing there.

as you crawl back into the bed next to him, you begin to hope there was truth in jung baes words.

[waterdeepwife]

The Companions with a Tav! Who sleeps with a stuffed animal.

Contains: Gale, Astarion, and, Wyll

Warnings: Established relationships, I kinda did a mix of writing and headcanons, typos probably, I think that’s all? Pretty fluffy!

A/n: sorry I’m not as active as I’d like to be college is a bitch.

Gale

You and Gale’s relationship was only growing stronger and deeper with love, so you decided to move into his tent with him(after her asked with puppy eyes). Of course you brought some of your things with you, which also meant you brought your childhood stuffed animal with you. A teddy bear that was gifted to you from your mother when you were born. As your lover was helping you set up some of your stuff both inside and outside the tent, you carefully sat the bear down at the head of the bedrolls which Gale immediately noticed.

“Ah! Who is this esteemed gentleman?”

The wizard questioned warmly, going to sit on his knees in front of the bear. His gaze shifting between you and the childhood stuffed animal. You explain the bears name and significance as Gale carefully examined your stuffed companion. He nodded a long with a smile, sitting the ever down and giving him a gentle pat on the head.

Gale loves the teddy bear and has no problem sharing a bed with the stuffy. You can cuddle the bear and he will cuddle you from behind, or whatever position yall end up in.

He will also look after the bear for you when you are away. He knows the bear is very important to you and you’d be devastated if anything happened to it. Gale has held it on his lap while he is reading, keeping his book lower like the stuffed animal is also reading with him. Lol.

You could walk up to him and hand him the stuffed animal and he just takes it like it’s nothing while talking. If somebody questions it he’s like “Oh this? This is (teddy bear name), anyway-“

The others joke that the bear has become your child.

He talks to the bear when he’s alone with it.

Astarion

“Darling, what is that?!”

The vampire scoffs dramatically, his eyes narrowing as he just noticed bunny plushie sitting on your shared bed at the inn the party was currently staying at. There stuffed animal is old, that much he can tell. It’s black, beady eyes staring into his, and for some reason he feels threatened. Astarion refuses to break eye contact with the rabbit as you explain, it was an heirloom from your grandmother who passed away. He finally tears his eyes away from the toy, lips pulled back in mock disgust.

“Does it have to sleep in the bed with us!?”

You shoot him a half hearted glare, which quickly shuts him up. But the second you turn you back to him and the bunny, he gives it a small smile. It’s kinda cute.

Keeps up the charade of him hating the stuffed animal as long as he can, but it doesn’t take long for you to figure it out. Which he begrudgingly admits he’s grown found of the stuffed creature.

Though Astarion will glade at it if you cuddle the bunny more than him, and has hid it from you to try and get your attention.

If anyone or anything happens to your bunny, he may or may not try to kill whoever is responsible. You don’t mess with his partner’s bunny!

Wyll

The party had stopped at an inn for the night and of course, you bunked up with your lover. As you both were unpacking, you placed a rather old, but cuddly frog, who wore a crown on its head. Wyll was immediately smitten and sat on the bed, gently tracing his fingers along the stuffed animal’s arm.

“Needed to find yourself another prince did you?”

The young man asks with a chuckle, pointing to the crown your fluffy companion wore. You turned to look at them both a sweet smile, joining Wyll on the bed as a few giggles escaped your lips. You explained how the frog was a gift from your older sister, since you had loved the story The Frog Prince as a child. Which then lead to your handsome prince retelling the story of the frog prince to you, since he to loved fairy tales.

Wyll has definitely made your frog plushie talk to you, he even makes his voice sound different. He will do anything to see you smile or hear your laugh.

He always makes sure the stuffed animal is account for and safe, if you accidentally forget him somewhere. Wyll would turn around and run back to go get him, then joke about how froggy hopped off own his own adventure.

You cuddle the plushie and he cuddles you, and he is beyond happy with this arrangement.

[keeps-ache]

[oh the original sketch btw cuz why not :3]

they're like shiny knickknacks to me

[elmushterri]

I filled an entire page of my sketchbook with Nori!

I love them sm!!! This has to be one of my favorite of your rewrites, I seriously did not think I could actually care abt PJ Masks past the age of 6 but now I'm obsessed 😭

On another note, just a random thing I'm curious about, before breaking off from GunnTech, did the main three basically live at the facility since they were initiated? I guess they do from what I’ve seen, but I was just wondering if they ever had to go to like. School or something, when they're not training. And if they ever got to see their family again (though I doubt both the kids and their family would want to lol)

And one more thing, totally important and necessary to ask, how does Nori acquire the kids? (..that doesnt sound right)

Like does he break in to the facility from time to time or did they just bring them with him when they left GunnTech or does he take them in when he finds them just out and about??

NORI… OUR FAVOURITE PROBLEM! The way you draw eyes scratches my brain /positive.

I think the idea is that everyone does live at GunnTech, they have rooms and go to school. GunnTech also has a prison somewhere (like, sci fi, clean, sterile white prison, a glass front-wall for cells instead of bars, and that’s where everyone gets put in Season 4. But, before that, when the main three villains (or at least, just Luna and Nori) escaped, it wasn’t totally locked down so they had to walk out suspiciously/tell the security guards reasons (you need to give reasons when leaving GunnTech so, “I’m hanging out with a friend” comes with ‘who is the friend + give us contact details’) and then probably remove a tracker (unsure as to whether the wristbands are the trackers or the trackers are put into their chest implants), and try to avoid getting caught for the rest of the time (until season 3-4 ofc). The main story probably begins with the three MCs trying to find them and bring them back. Romeo’s wanted cause he stole tech, though, he’s not a mutant.

Nori risks his life basically (not literally but he risks huge punishment) by constantly breaking into the facility to get out new kids. Kids who haven’t yet been mutated all have one room (several large rooms for many kids’ bunk beds basically, not literally one big room 😭) and he goes in and saves one or two each time. Some kids don’t *want* to come with him, thinking this is a cool superhero opportunity. He has an easier time helping kids who are scared and having second thoughts. He’s very gentle.

Also reminder that Nori had their finger prints burned off yipeeee. He’s not letting that happen to the others. (It doesn’t happen to every kid, but GunnTech probably has categories (like, heroes: animals, space, spies, drivers, healers?) and if you’re in the (name is a work in progress) Spies Category (stealth category?) like Nori, you get your finger prints burned off.

Daisy is canonically one of the only two Ninjalino names we know! I might make her into a small side character so that art isn’t 100% solid but eh!

Also he can’t really just “take them back to their parents”. If you’re a child at GunnTech, your parents either gave you away for money or you’re an orphan.

Nori’s usually a sassy ‘problem’ but they have their really serious and gentle moments.

[blackknight-kai]

Got Sick? Have a Monkey Nurse

Request: “since I'm sick with a cold, I wanted to ask for hcs and maybe scenarios if you're inspired, for both DO and Sun Wukong about how they'd react and what'd they do if reader got sick with a cold due to bad weather conditions. And while it's not life-threatening it has reader cough badly, losing appetite, being absent mentally, getting fever, headaches and not eating, body weakness and all around exhaustion, to the point she has to rest more often and longer hampering the group's speed. (She also managed to nearly collapse on the spot while walking because she wanted to carry on and keep it a secret maybe) Reader is also low-key embarrassed about it since she is so weak as a mortal and thinks DO and SWK will surely despise her for this. also maybe she is afraid she'll get them sick too so she will at first try to create distance”

Below will be a snippet, a reaction for DO & WK separately, and then some bonus stuff!

He knew something was amiss with you but he couldnt quite place what at first. Your scent had changed and you seemed sluggish, slower than normal as you helped pick up the small camp that morning so you guys could move on. He checked on you but you waved him off and with a shrug he decided to leave you be. But he kept a close eye on you, noticed how you lagged behind and seemed a little out of it. You didn’t even really react when tried sneaking up on you!

That evening when you guys bunked down for the night you didn’t hardly eat, much to his annoyance and concern. And you went to bed early claiming that you’d just been extra sleepy but that you’d be good to go in the morning. Come morning though, he realized you were NOT ‘good to go’. Instead you were even slower than the day before. And you were avoiding him, keeping a weird little distance between the two of you as if he suddenly started to smell, he sniffed himself self consciously of course because of this….a few times. But no, he doesnt stink. He wondered then if maybe it’s his breath? Or did you just need space?

Several times he had to stop and wait for you to catch up, or you seemed to stall periodically and would say you thought you saw something, which was starting to irritate him because there is never anything there, but he could tell by the way you were breathing that you were fatigued. Speaking of breathing, your breaths sounded strange. Rough. Like you were struggling to breathe.

As the day continued on something shifted, you started to cough. Light at first and you swore it was just due to a dry throat. But even after hydrating your cough continued, got worse even over the next several hours. Your scent also has changed even more since the day before. Around mid day, while he was keeping a suspicious eye on you, you seem to trip over your own feet and he had to rush catch you to stop you from falling. You’re warmer than usual, trust him he knows, and so he leans in and subtly sniffs you. You dont smell ‘bad’ or anything, but you dont smell healthy….almost like…

His eyes widen and he takes a moment to look you over carefully. Your face is flushed with a sheen of sweat on your brow and down your neck, your breathing ragged although you seem to be trying to hide it. You are also slumped in a way he hasn’t seen you stand before as though you are barely remaining on your feet. Plus, now that he’s looking for it there is a slight sway to your body and your eyes are slightly unfocused. The worsening cough, no appetite last night or this morning, and the slight sniffle you have going that wasn’t there before.

Shit, he should have know. You’re sick. As he watches you he wonders what caused this? You guys hadnt come into contact with any one who was sick and there hadnt really been any changes in diet and the pace of your journey hasn’t changed…but then it clicks. A few nights ago there had been a very quick and sudden downpour and the two of you had been taken by surprise. Normally he would have smelled the rain coming but he had been distracted by watching you try to show him that you’d been learning how to use a staff just by watching him. You’d picked up a stick and were waving it around with such fierce determination he hadnt had the heart to tell you that you definitely hadnt learned a single thing, but he did laugh at you though. Quite a bit.

The rain though had drenched you both and you’d taken shelter in a small shallow cave hed been lucky to spot. Scrounging up dry fire wood was a pain but after some searching he had managed. While you both sat in front of the fire to dry, him stripped of most of his clothes save for a loincloth covering his dignity, you had refused to take off most of your clothes, preferring to try to sit in front of the fire to dry. He had snickered at you for it, especially when later he was mostly dry and you were still sitting in damp clothes. Now though he realizes what a mistake that was.

He presses you about it and at first you try to lie, of course you do. But then you finally sag a little and tell him that ‘yes’ you are sick. And when you sheepishly explain that you didn’t want to slow him down??? He throws his head back with a groan and huffs. Of COURSE you would try to power through. He’s annoyed at himself for not stopping and pressing you as soon as he noticed yesterday that something was wrong. He doesnt want you to be suffering like this!

From your point of view how he is reacting is exactly as you feared. You assumed he would be annoyed with you, upset that ‘of course the human is so weak she catches a cold’. And that he’d be frustrated at the delay in your journey. Guilt weighs you down, you’d done your best to push through your exhaustion and aching body to prevent exactly this. Plus, what if you got HIM sick? Can he even get sick? This is when he stomps off without you right? Because you’ve finally shown you weren’t made for this…..cant keep up with him.

A cough tickles your throat and you try to stifle it but aren’t able to and before you know it your hacking, the feeling of his warm hand on your back rubbing soothing circles doesnt go unnoticed. You try to apologize after you’ve stopped coughing and clear your throat but the unimpressed look he sends you makes you look away in embarrassment.

Your supply bag is lifted off your shoulders and a surprised yelp leaves your sore throat as you’re bodily picked up, you’re not quite thrown over his shoulder but it’s a near thing. He stalks off carrying both you and the bag, walking with clear purpose and you try to protest but he wont have it. His grip remains tight and his pace steady all the way up until he finds a safe place for you both to bunker down and for you to rest.

What to do about this unexpected issue?

Both:

- [ ] Massage your aches, be it legs, shoulders, head, neck, back etc.

- [ ] Be super sweet.

- [ ] Manhandle you.

- [ ] Might whine in the back of his throat when you cough too long and knows it hurts you.

- [ ] You will NOT be getting up unless it’s to use the bathroom.

- [ ] A little overbearing….

- [ ] Hand feeding - unless you protest

- [ ] Checks your temp regularly with his forehead and hand.

- [ ] Depending on how bad your sickness is he may pace while you’re asleep and fidget or grumble as he worries over you. When you’re awake he wont show it though.

- [ ] Wants desperately to take your pain away.

- [ ] When you dont have a headache/ aren’t coughing a lot will try to make you laugh a little

- [ ] When you’re sleeping will give you forehead kisses and nuzzles.

- [ ] You will be taken care of and pampered. Comfortable. Made to feel important and not like a chore.

Destined One:

- [ ] Bare with him….he has never been someone’s nurse before. So he’s going to be a bit tentative as he gets you settled on to your bed roll and tucked in with furs/blankets.

- [ ] He’s a bit annoyed at you at first, mainly because you didn’t tell him you were sick and had tried to pretend, probably making it worse.

- [ ] But as he see’s how truly sick you are he’s going lose that irritation and concern will swallow it whole.

- [ ] He’s not going to know what to make of you but hes going to do his best.

- [ ] You‘ll probably have to guide him a little, hes never really been sick before so he’s lost.

- [ ] But once he knows what to do he’s going to take care of you. Getting you water, changing the cool towel on your forehead, getting you a little to eat here and there.

- [ ] When he figures you’re not warm enough he tries to use his body heat to warm you.

- [ ] Rolls his eyes at your protests and does it anyway - he wont be getting sick dont worry.

- [ ] He’s gonna be a bit of a mother hen….dont wanna eat? Too bad hes going to make you eat a few bites at least and wont stop prodding you until you do.

- [ ] He’s very soft during this time with you, gentle. Soft monkey noises to soothe and comfort - something hes not used to but cant help himself.

- [ ] Only leaves when necessary.

- [ ] He hates it the most when you say you’re dizzy and your head is throbbing from a terrible headache, seeing you be in such pain hurts his chest and he will gently massage your head for you while he rests it in his lap/on his leg.

- [ ] Towel bath. He will be respectful but he will wipe you down to get the sweat off of you.

- [ ] His voice, or well the grunts and sounds he makes are softer so that he doesnt hurt your head.

- [ ] Will rub your back and shoulders as you cough and hack.

- [ ] If you like ‘white noise’ he will rumble/purr in his chest to help you relax / sleep.

- [ ] When you finally let it slip that you were scared of upsetting him and that you’re sorry you were weak…please dont leave you behind, he is going to pout up a damn storm and very gently pinch your cheeks.

- [ ] If you HC him as speaking every so often he will finally use words to tell you that NO he isnt going to leave you and that hes not mad at you. That he just wants you to get better so he can see you smile again. He will sign this out or use his body language to tell you if you dont think he speaks. Either way, he just wants you to not be in pain.

- [ ] He’s gonna make sure you know he’s there for you. Sickness and in health.

Wukong:

- [ ] He’s gonna immediately jump on the mother hen shit.

- [ ] At first he’s going to be huffy as he talks and does things, but it’s because hes mad that he didn’t notice your plight.

- [ ] His movements at first will be rough but gentle as he lays you down and makes you rest on your bed roll.

- [ ] He’s going to tuck you in and if he has to, he will tie you down LOL dont play with him.

- [ ] He has helped with sick restless monkey cubs in the past so he at least has the basics down. Will definitely compare you to one teasingly by the way.

- [ ] He’s going to not take no for an answer, ever. He’s gentle about it though dont worry. But if he has to, he will put water in his mouth and kiss you - pry your lips open with his/his tongue and make you take the water. (So…I mean maybe refuse water for a kiss…?👀)

- [ ] He is going to ask you to do things ‘for him’ as in “Eat one more bite for me?” Kind of stuff. And hes gonna be sooooo sooo soft about it that honestly you’ll have to just do it because how tender he’s being.

- [ ] Will always be touching you, tail around you somewhere or hes massaging your neck and shoulders.

- [ ] He hates everything about this because you’re clearly in pain and feel horrible, but loves taking care of you. Loves that you let him.

- [ ] For once he’s pretty quiet, unless you ask him to tell you stories or talk. Might hum, very off key, for you too.

- [ ] Wont leave your side unless he has to for something.

- [ ] He’s going to tease you and coo at you - sweetly though.

- [ ] Will stroke your face and comb his fingers through your hair. Massage your shoulders/neck/head.

- [ ] Takes wiping you down seriously and wont make any teasing comments or do anything funny.

- [ ] Will ‘let’ you use him as a heated mattress (he makes you LOL) - if you get sweaty too bad he will just remove the blanket but you’re not going anywhere.

- [ ] When you finally come out and tell him you feared him leaving you behind, getting him sick, and slowing him down he full on scoffs and blows a gentle raspberry on your cheek.

- [ ] Tells you that you’re silly as hell for thinking that because, HIM? Getting sick? Fat fucking chance. And leaving you? Pffffffft good luck getting away from him (said as a joke).

- [ ] As for slowing him down? Well duh, you’re sick its gonna slow things down but he’d rather that then you making yourself worse - which he calls you an idiot for doing btw (but very fondly). But keep in mind he can literally just carry you and make up time. And he will.

- [ ] Go ahead, ask him for something, anything because it’s yours and he will GLADLY provide. He’s WAITING for you to make a request.

- [ ] He only asks for a smile as thanks.

Bonus 1 Both: He gets sick

- [ ] Huffing, whining, glowering at you when you aren’t near him so he can use your lap as a pillow/body as a pillow.

- [ ] Acts weaker than he is. Just so you will pamper him more. (Still able to manhandle you funnily enough…) He’s needy and clingy.

- [ ] Loves your attention - may not admit it. But his weak tail swishing tells you otherwise. Purrs while you take care of him. (Yes some monkeys purr)

Bonus 2 DO: He gets sick

- [ ] Tries to take care of himself at first but when you insist he allows you to - he’s not that hard to convince in his weakened state.

- [ ] Very cuddly and honestly? Kinda needy but silent about it.

- [ ] Very soft and has big imploring soft brown eyes that you cant resist. Never had to be taken care of so he’s living his best life right now even if he feels like shit.

Bonus 3 Wukong: He gets sick

- [ ] If he gets sick he is a HUGE fucking baby about it. I hope you’re ready for his pouting, whining, and dramatics (when hes awake, because when he sleeping hes adorable and an angel)

- [ ] Will pretend like hes fine, put a good show of refusing help, extra pouty. But when he gives in? Well….good luck.

- [ ] Will take everything you give him though like a good boy - wont feed himself, you have to hand feed him. He’s greedy for your attention.

Bonus 4: How I think he would sneeze in general (sick or not), this just was a passing thought….

- [ ] DO: Sneezes 1 of two ways, hides it or….sneezes like an adorable kitten with a little monkey sound in there. - first time you hear it you’d probably melt.

- [ ] WK: Sneezes loudly, suddenly, and obnoxiously like an old man whose soul is ejecting itself forcefully from his body. Does this on purpose just to be annoying and piss people off or scare them.

[b4mbiblooms]

Right next to you…

“If the world was ending, I'd wanna be next to you…” - Die With a Smile

Kang Dae-ho x Gn!reader

Warnings: Grammar mistakes/Cannon typical violence

Established relationship

You and your Boyfriend end up in a game of life or death, but at least you are together.

𖦹You were drowning in debt from a large loan you had taken out from a shady loan company a few years ago for college. Your debt that you were in was not something you were too proud of.

𖦹Those were some of the worst years of your life being in debt but also losing your mom but through those years you met your loving boyfriend Kang Dae-ho, he was a great boyfriend always taking you out on little dates. They may not have been the most expensive but they were still very nice. He would buy little trinkets for you and make small things for you like little paper flowers. It was the little things that made you know that they love you. He was a great boyfriend.

𖦹It didn’t take long for him to open up about his debt, falling into a bad gamble with some marines. On your way home at the train station you were stopped by a strange man with a briefcase offering to play ddakji for some money. You should’ve ignored him but the idea of earning money was tempting. However you lost now owing more money to some guy. All this did was create you more debt, but through that man he gave you this strange business with three shapes. Maybe just maybe you could get the money to pay off your debt and Dae-ho’s debt and you guys could live a normal life not worrying about loan sharks or debt collectors. It would all be worth it.

𖦹You should’ve walked away. These games were not normal games, these were death games. The first game was intimidating, it was nothing until the first bullet rang out but then came the screams. With those sounds you froze like a deer in headlights. People started running back to the entrance just to be shot down.

𖦹Right next to you a man with a bullet through his head in the back of your mind wanted to scream but out of fear you stayed still. You had to get out of this place; this was just a death sentence.

𖦹 At least we have a choice: we could vote to stay or leave and end these games. The money had been accumulated already from those dead body’s. It’s not much but if I leave now I could walk away from this hell with my life. With the money I could pay a good chunk of my debt and also his debt.

𖦹In your train of thought you forgot that the voting had begun. “389 please cast your vote… 388 please cast your vote…” The square guard said. Lost, you didn’t notice the familiar face walking down the aisle. “What?” You muttered. I'm going crazy, the adrenaline is getting to me. He would never go behind my back. I'm going crazy. “300 please cast your vote…” The same monotone voice came back. Another person voting to stay these greedy people risking their life for money. You were next. “298 please cast your vote..” The square guard said. Feeling all the other players eyes on your back but you could feel a special set of eyes on your back.

𖦹Your hand hovered over the X button but the idea of staying for just one more game one more was tempting to get more money and pay off all their debt. No, I have to get out of my life. You pressed the X button and the red illuminated your face a few more X’s and you could leave with some of the money and your life. “297 please cast your vote… 290…270..240… 232.” Said the guard. We are so close one more vote, one more vote and we could go. “Player 001 please cast your vote..” Said the monotone voice. As if there was a long pause as if nothing could be heard but people’s breath, and then another O. Another game to be played, life or death. All you could hear is the groans of the X side and the cheers of the other side.

𖦹As you were walking back to your little corner by little corner you ment little space between the tall bunked beds until you felt a familiar hand on your shoulder. As quick as you felt the hand you turned around. You see a face. “Y/n?” “Dae-ho?” You said at the same time. There was long silence between you both; taking in each other's features as if you hadn’t seen the other in forever. “What are you doing here? You're not supposed to be here!” He was the first to break the silence. “I should be the one asking you that!” You said. “I’m here to settle some of our debt! Why are you here!?” He said.

𖦹“Same reason you are but why didn’t you tell me!” You weren’t angry at him, you were just disappointed. Why didn’t he tell you? In thinking that you were being a bit hypocritical you were worried now you were both trapped in this death sentence.

𖦹“I didn’t want to lose this opportunity! I thought it would just be simple games to win and get money and I could pay off both our debts and we could live a normal life together and if there is any money left maybe just maybe get married!” The idea of living a normal life again with him and possibly getting married sounded so great but how would we even make it out.

𖦹These aren’t regular games, each game more money is accumulated but at the cost of dead body’s and who is to say that it wouldn’t be one of you. “But who is to say that either of us will make it to the next round even see the end of the game! Heck you even voted to stay! I can’t even entertain the idea of losing you!” In a flash you were pulled into a tight embrace.

𖦹“Look you know I love you, I know this is a really tough situation for the both of us and we may not know the outcome of all this but at least we are in this together.” He said with a tone of seriousness you haven’t really heard from him. The hug was really needed. He always knew how to calm you down in any situation. Hearing the rhythm of his heart beat grounded you back into reality; but most importantly it reminded you that he was there and he was with you and you weren't on your own.

𖦹“Remember that time I told you if the world was ending, I’d wanna be next to you? I really meant it throughout any situation, life or death, I'd wanna be next to you.” He said with passion like he really really meant it which you knew he did. “I love you and we are in this together.” He said as he held your face gave you a soft kiss on your temple. “I love you too and we are in this together…” If there was anything left to have hope for and live for was for him to stick together and see the end of these games.

- “If the world was ending, I'd wanna be next to you

If the party was over and our time on Earth was through

I'd wanna hold you just for a while and die with a smile

If the world was ending, I'd wanna be next to you.” -

☆Authors note: Yay first fan fic! Sorry for the shortness of this I hope to make longer ones in the future! I really had fun writing this I through in some head cannons of him being your boyfriend! If you have any recommendations to improve my writing it is very much appreciated! Thanks for reading! Have a lovely rest of your night/day!

[luxerians]

The Last Mask (04)

Hwang In-ho/Oh Young-il/Player 001 x Reader

Chapter 04 - Player 001

Story Masterlist

NEXT : Chapter 05

PREV : Chapter 03

After the voting, the guards began distributing lunchboxes. You reached the front of the queue and took one from a pink-clad guard. Stepping out of the line, you noticed player 390 behind you, and the two of you headed toward a quiet corner between the bunk beds on the right side of the hall.

Player 456 was already sitting there, his eyes fixed on the floor. His meal and drink sat untouched beside him. You sighed softly at his distant demeanor.

“You two are friends, right?” you asked player 390, slowing your steps.

“Huh? Me and Gi-hun?” player 390 glanced at player 456. “Oh, yeah. His mother liked me.”

You nodded, assuming they had been friends for a long time. You asked, “Has he always been this distant and quiet?”

“Not at all,” player 390 said, shaking his head. “He was actually really cheerful. Also very loud. He used to laugh at stuff no one else thought was funny. And you know what always set him off?”

Curiosity piqued, you asked, “What?”

Player 390 grinned. “Losing at betting on horses.”

“You two used to bet on horses?”

“Well, we did,” he said with a shrug. “But three years ago, he disappeared. I couldn’t reach him, and his mom was worried sick. She was already physically sick, too. She passed away not long after he vanished.”

“Three years ago? He said he played these games at that time.”

“Yeah, now that you mention it,” player 390 replied. “He should’ve contacted me after winning. I really thought he was dead.”

You lowered your voice. “Well, in a way, he does seem dead yet alive right now.”

Player 390 turned to you with a small smile. “Anyway, I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Jung-bae, and that is Gi-hun.”

You smiled back, giving your name in return. By then, the two of you had reached Gi-hun’s spot and sat down on either side of him.

You began unboxing your lunchbox while Jung-bae turned to his long-time friend. “Look at this lunch. It’s just like my mom used to make. What’s in yours?”

Gi-hun didn’t respond. His silence hung heavy, but Jung-bae pressed on.

“Aren’t you going to eat?” Jung-bae scooped a spoonful of rice with some fried egg and held it out toward him. “Look, you’ve got to eat. You know what they say, ‘Eat up, even on your deathbed.’ Just do your thinking while you eat, or afterwards. Here.”

Still, Gi-hun ignored him. Jung-bae sighed and pulled the spoon back.

“Forget it then,” he muttered before taking the bite himself. With his mouth full, he added, “This might be for the best. I don’t know about you, but that 20 million wouldn’t even cover my interest. If we play just one more game…”

“Jung-bae,” Gi-hun finally spoke, his tone heavy. He stared solemnly at his friend. “Last time I was here, someone said the exact same thing. And in the end, that person died here.”

Jung-bae chewed quietly, his earlier enthusiasm fading. You watched the two of them, a quiet curiosity growing. What kind of experience had he gone through here? Had he lost friends? The thought that everyone he once knew in these games had died was haunting. But why is he back?

“Help us then, sir.”

The voice drew your attention. You, Jung-bae, and Gi-hun turned to see player 001 approaching your corner. Behind him were player 100 and a few others. Their presence immediately shifted the atmosphere.

“You said you’ve played these games,” commented player 001.

Gi-hun stared at him briefly before lowering his head, as if retreating into himself. You thought he might ignore them altogether until player 001 spoke again.

“I pressed the O button because of you.”

Gi-hun looked up at him, surprised. Player 001 continued, “Honestly, I was scared. I wanted to quit and leave. But you made me think maybe I could play just one more game.”

“Me too,” another player behind him chimed in.

“Same here,” added another.

You glanced at Gi-hun and murmured, “Looks like it’s a bad idea revealing you’re a previous winner.”

Gi-hun turned to you, exhaling through his nose. “I thought it would make everyone understand… that everyone here is doomed to die as long as we stay here.”

You nodded slightly, your gaze shifting back to player 001, who was already looking at you. Feeling a bit awkward, you quickly averted your gaze and pretended not to notice.

“Sir,” player 001 said, leaning closer to Gi-hun. “You know which game’s next, don’t you?”

Several players leaned in, their curiosity evident. Even you couldn’t help but wonder. Jung-bae put down his lunchbox and turned to his friend. “You’re a previous winner, so you should know. What are we playing next?”

Gi-hun avoided eye contact, his voice low as he finally answered. “The second game was Dalgona.”

The bed beside you creaked as someone shifted on it. You glanced over to see player 388 leaning toward your corner. “Dalgona? The sugar candy with a shape you can carve out?”

“That’s right,” Gi-hun replied. “We had to choose one of four shapes and carve it out.”

“Four shapes? Which was the easiest one?” Jung-bae asked quickly.

“Triangle.”

“Which was the hardest one?” Jung-bae pressed further.

“Umbrella.”

“Umbrella?” player 001 scoffed. “Some people chose umbrella? Those unlucky bastards must have bitten the dust.”

At his words, Gi-hun stared at him silently, his expression unreadable. There was something in his gaze that felt like judgment, maybe even offense. You noticed it but chose not to dwell on it, focusing instead on your lunch.

“So that means we should all just pick triangle,” player 388 suggested. “Everyone could probably pass with that.”

“Hush now!” player 100 stepped forward, positioning himself beside player 001. “If all 365 of us survive, the prize money won’t go up at all. Then we’ll have risked our lives again for nothing.”

“That’s true,” a few players behind him agreed, nodding.

Player 100 continued, “Listen. We should probably keep this information to ourselves. What do you say?”

Player 001 stayed quiet, while others eagerly nodded their agreement. But before the discussion could settle, Gi-hun spoke up, his tone firm. “We can’t do that. I’m telling you this to save everyone’s lives.”

“And we don’t even know if the next game will really be Dalgona,” you added, scooping another spoonful of rice.

Gi-hun nodded. “That’s right. If it’s confirmed that the next game is Dalgona, I’m going to tell everyone what I know.”

Player 100 scoffed, rolling his eyes before turning and walking away. The group of players who had followed him quickly trailed behind, leaving the corner quieter and less tense. You exhaled softly, relieved to have the space back.

Player 001, however, remained. He shifted his gaze to you, Jung-bae and Gi-hun.

“So, which shape did you pick?” Jung-bae asked with a curious raise of an eyebrow.

Gi-hun looked at him deadpan, offering no response.

You chuckled softly at the exchange, drawing their attention. Their curious stares settled on you, but you feigned innocence, focusing on your lunch as if you hadn’t been following the conversation.

Still, the words slipped out.

“So, did you choose umbrella?” you asked, your tone playful.

Gi-hun turned his gaze toward you, his expression flat and unimpressed. For a moment, you thought he might actually answer, but then he looked away, ignoring the question entirely. His silence was pointed, as if he’d chosen to pretend he hadn’t heard you at all.

You and Jung-bae exchanged knowing glances, both of you stifling a grin. It wasn’t until player 001 spoke that you realized he had been watching the entire interaction.

“May I ask you something?”

All three of you – you, Gi-hun, and Jung-bae – turned your attention to him. Player 001 moved closer, sitting down on the stairs beside your group. He directed his question straight at Gi-hun.

“Why did you come back to this place?” he asked. “You said you won and made it out. Then you must have received 45.6 billion. Did you spend it all?”

Jung-bae’s eyes widened as realization seemed to hit him. He asked Gi-hun incredulously, “Did you bet on horses again?”

You side-eyed the pair, amused by Jung-bae’s immediate assumption.

Gi-hun shook his head solemnly. “That money doesn’t belong to me. It’s blood money for the people who died here. The same goes for the money up there.”

You couldn’t help but silently agree. Survival guilt had clearly taken a toll on him, and you imagined the weight of it must have been crushing.

“You don’t have to think of it that way,” player 001 said, his voice calm. Gi-hun looked at him in mild astonishment. Player 001 continued, “It’s not like you killed those people, and saving that money won’t bring them back to life.”

Gi-hun leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. His tone turned sharp as he replied, “If you had pressed the X, everyone here would’ve changed their mind by tomorrow. All of us would’ve made it out alive.”

Player 001 held his gaze, his expression unyielding. “That’s right. I was the last to press the O button. But there were 186 more people who wanted to stay.”

“And there were also 185 people who wanted to leave,” Gi-hun countered.

You and Jung-bae exchanged glances, sensing that neither man was willing to back down. Their differing perspectives created a palpable tension.

Player 001 broke the silence. “Let’s say I pressed X and we all got a chance to vote again tomorrow. Would everyone have been happy? Do you think a majority of O players would change their mind and thank me?”

Gi-hun’s brow furrowed deeper, his glower showing he was searching for another argument.

Before things could escalate further, Jung-bae intervened. “Enough, you two,” he said. “There’s no point in placing blame now. You know the saying. A widow understands a widower best. Let’s just focus on the game tomorrow, okay?”

He gestured toward Gi-hun and said, “He has won all these games before. If we stick together, we’ll have nothing to worry about.”

“But we can’t always rely on him,” you interjected. “He doesn’t need more pressure from everyone expecting too much from him.”

Gi-hun and player 001 both turned to you, their gazes quiet but intent.

Jung-bae nodded thoughtfully. “You’re right, but he has the experience. Any advice he has will help.”

“He’s right,” another voice chimed in. The four of you turned to see player 388, who had been eavesdropping from his bed. He hopped down and stood close. “We have to stick together. I’ll be with you all the way.”

Jung-bae frowned in skepticism. “Who are you?”

The man came to a stop in front of you all and gave a quick bow. “I’m Dae-ho. Kang Dae-ho.”

Dae-ho extended his hand to Jung-bae, a clear offer for a handshake. Jung-bae didn’t take it, instead replying dryly, “Oh, Dae-ho. Have we met?”

Dae-ho’s expression faltered briefly before he glanced at player 001, who kept his head low, and then at Gi-hun, who looked at him with indifference. Finally, his gaze landed on you. Seeing no skepticism in your expression, he extended his hand toward you.

You blinked in surprise but took his hand. He clasped yours in both of his, nodding gratefully as you introduced yourself. You could feel the others watching the interaction closely. After a moment, he let go of your hand, looking slightly more at ease.

“Earlier during the game, Mr. 456 here was like,” Dae-ho began, pausing to mimic Gi-hun’s urgent warning style from the first game. “Freeze! And I became his fan.”

You grinned at his enthusiasm while Gi-hun turned his gaze away, clearly embarrassed. Undeterred, Dae-ho continued eagerly, “I’d like to get to know you all better. Please give me a chance!”

Jung-bae stood suddenly as Dae-ho mimicked Gi-hun again. “Freeze! That was so cool!”

You chuckled softly, but the sound caught Gi-hun’s attention. He glanced at you with a look that felt half-judgmental before shifting his gaze elsewhere.

“Hang on,” Jung-bae said abruptly, grabbing Dae-ho’s sleeve and pulling it upward to reveal an ROKMC tattoo. Dae-ho looked at him, confused, as Jung-bae asked, “You were in the Marines?”

“Yes, why?”

“Class number?” Jung-bae countered, his tone sharp.

Dae-ho gave him a once-over before letting out a wheeze of amusement.

“Oh, you’re laughing?” Jung-bae challenged, unzipping his jacket and pulling up his sleeve. He revealed the same ROKMC tattoo on his forearm.

Dae-ho’s amusement vanished. He stepped back, clearly caught off guard, as Jung-bae stood tall, even combing his hair back dramatically with his fingers.

Suddenly, Dae-ho snapped into a salute, raising his voice. “Victory at all costs! I was in Class 1140, sir!”

Jung-bae saluted back, his grin wide. “At ease! ‘Dae-ho.’ I knew there was something about you.”

The sudden burst of military camaraderie caught you off guard. Are they really going all military here? Their loud banter is starting to draw attention to your corner.

“Do Marines get tattoos like that?” you asked to no one in particular, genuinely curious.

Player 001, who had been observing quietly, spoke up. “It’s not officially required. But for many in the ROKMC, getting the tattoo is a tradition.”

You nodded your head in understanding. “Oh.”

Dae-ho, still stiff in his stance, screamed, “Yes, sir!”

Jung-bae laughed, clapping him on the shoulder. “Class 746 here. Let’s make a good team.”

“I won’t let you down, sir!” Dae-ho barked back, standing straighter.

Jung-bae guffawed, patting him on the shoulder again, earning another resounding “yes, sir!” from Dae-ho. The exchange repeated a few more times, each louder than the last. You couldn’t help but laugh softly at the spectacle, while Gi-hun watched them with an expression that screamed secondhand embarrassment.

You turned away from the comedic display of Jung-bae and Dae-ho, who seemed more like overenthusiastic military recruits than grown men, and began cleaning up your lunchbox. As you took a sip from your water bottle, you noticed player 001 shifting slightly in his seat nearby.

Lowering the bottle, you glanced over and asked casually, “Have you eaten already?”

Player 001 looked at you for a moment before a warm smile crossed his face. “Yes, I have.”

You nodded, returning his smile. “Good. The food they prepared for us was worth it. It’s a waste not to eat it.”

Turning toward Gi-hun, you pointedly glanced at his untouched lunchbox. “You need to eat, sir. It’s better to mull things over with a full stomach.”

Gi-hun hesitated, meeting your gaze briefly before nodding. He opened his lunchbox without a word and began to eat.

After a brief pause, you leaned slightly closer to player 001, lowering your voice. “By the way, do you know where the ladies’ restroom is?”

Player 001 gestured toward the door on the right side of the main double doors. “That one there. The other door is for the men.”

“Oh, thanks. Wouldn’t want to get lost and get shot by the guards.”

Player 001’s smile widened. “I’m sure the guards would bring you back here if you are lost.”

You chuckled softly. “That’s comforting to know.”

The exchange put you slightly more at ease, but player 001’s expression soon turned contemplative. “If you don’t mind me asking… why did you come here?”

Your smile faltered for a moment, and you caught Gi-hun turning his head just slightly, clearly eavesdropping. Straightening your posture, you replied with a practiced smile, “I needed the money.”

Player 001 nodded slowly, his gaze steady. “That’s all of us. But if I may say… I’m surprised. A lady like you shouldn’t have to bear the burden of crippling debt.”

You looked away, lowering your gaze to the floor. The practiced calm you had maintained slipped, replaced by a somber expression as his words hit a nerve.

Noticing your change in demeanor, player 001 spoke gently. “I’m sorry if I upset you.”

You shook your head and managed a faint smile.

“It’s fine,” you replied softly. Your gaze stayed on the floor as you added, “The debts are my parents’, actually.”

Player 001 stared at you, his smile fading into something more solemn. Gi-hun, who had been eavesdropping, remained silent, his expression unreadable.

“You motherfucker!”

The shout shattered the quiet, pulling your attention to the other side of the dormitory. A commotion had broken out. MG Coin (player 333) was brawling on the floor with Thanos and his friend (player 124).

With player 124’s help, Thanos delivered a hard punch to player 333. Even as player 333 lay injured on the floor, they didn’t stop. Kicks rained down on him mercilessly while gasps of horror rippled through the watching crowd.

“I lost all that money because of you, fucker,” Thanos snarled, punctuating his words with another vicious kick. “Be grateful and fucking eat what you’re given!”

Despite the violence, no one moved. Players stayed rooted in place, their expressions a mix of fear and disgust. Jung-bae and Dae-ho, sleeves still rolled up with their tattoos visible, simply watched, making no move to intervene.

You sighed in frustration. “Good thing I finished eating. Still, ganging up on him is just unfair.”

Before you could consider stepping in, player 001 stood up. He walked past Jung-bae and Dae-ho with measured steps, heading straight toward the chaos. You rose from your seat instinctively, a mix of concern and suspense building. Gi-hun stood as well, his eyes narrowing as he watched the scene unfold.

“Boys, what are you doing in the middle of mealtime?” player 001’s voice carried as he approached Thanos and player 124. “No fights during mealtime. There are elders present. Mind your manners.”

Thanos and player 124 paused, letting go of player 333. They turned toward player 001, whose calm demeanor seemed to unnerve them. “And two against one? Aren’t you embarrassed?”

Thanos sneered and stepped closer, his posture challenging. “You’re lecturing me when you ended up in this shithole too? Uncle, stop running your mouth and take care of your own damn kids.”

The dormitory fell silent as everyone watched. Player 001 silently asked, “What did you say?”

Thanos leaned in, his tone mocking. “I said save the lecture for your own damn kid—”

Player 001’s hand shot out, gripping Thanos by the neck. The hold wasn’t a full choke, but his thumb pressed into a precise spot that made Thanos stiffen immediately. The calculated grip made it clear he knew exactly what he was doing. And it looked painful.

Thanos’ hands clawed at player 001’s arm, but the older man’s hold didn’t waver. His bravado crumbled under the pressure of the unyielding grip.

Player 124 advanced toward them. “You son of a—”

Before he could finish, player 001 swiftly kicked his shin. Player 124 let out a brief scream, immediately grasping his leg in pain. Without missing a beat, player 001 delivered another kick, sending him sprawling to the floor, clutching his injured shin. The speed of it all left several players gasping in shock.

Player 001 released Thanos’ neck, standing still in the same spot, his posture calm and steady. It was a stark contrast to Thanos and his friend who were already heaving in pain, struggling to recover.

Just as you thought it was over, Thanos stubbornly got up and advanced toward player 001 again. Raising his arm for a punch, he barely got the chance before player 001 landed a precise blow to his chest in the blink of an eye. Thanos doubled over, clutching his chest in visible pain.

“Wait,” Thanos choked out, holding up a hand in surrender.

Player 001, unfazed, grabbed Thanos’ outstretched hand and twisted it. With a calculated move, he brought Thanos down to the floor and delivered two sharp kicks to his chest, sending him sprawling.

Before Thanos could fully process what was happening, player 001 stood over him, gripping his neck once again. His free hand rose, forming a fist poised to strike. The dormitory’s atmosphere turned chillingly tense as everyone held their breath.

“I’m sorry,” Thanos choked out, his voice barely audible.

Player 001’s face remained emotionless, cold and detached. His grip tightened momentarily, making Thanos gasp for air. His purple hair seemed to match the growing discoloration of his face as the players around them watched in stunned silence.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, player 001 let him go. Calmly, he stood up as if nothing had happened. A smattering of applause broke out, quickly growing into full-on clapping and cheers.

“You’re the man!”

“Nice!”

You joined in, clapping in genuine awe of his combat prowess. He had taken down two bullies without breaking a sweat. What is he, really? He must be an expert at something combat-related.

Player 001 looked surprised by the positive reaction. With a small, appreciative nod and a faint smile, he smoothed his hair, clearly a bit embarrassed and shy by the attention.

As he walked back toward your corner, where you and the others were still clapping, Jung-bae leaned over. “What is he?”

“Is he an ex-Marine too?” Dae-ho asked.

You smirked and pointedly remarked, “If he is, you two might want to roll your sleeves down. He actually stopped the bullies, not the tattoos.”

Jung-bae and Dae-ho exchanged sheepish glances before simultaneously fixing their sleeves. They continued clapping enthusiastically for player 001, pretending they hadn’t been called out.

Player 001 returned to your corner, his calm demeanor intact despite the tension moments ago. You, Jung-bae, and Dae-ho couldn’t help but look at him with a mix of amazement and curiosity.

“Sir, that was incredible,” Jung-bae said, his voice tinged with admiration. “Where did you learn to fight like that?”

Dae-ho chimed in, “Seriously, the way you took them down without even breaking a sweat. Are you some kind of martial artist or what?”

Player 001 gave a wide smile. “Let’s just say I’ve picked up a thing or two along the way.”

Jung-bae exchanged a look with Dae-ho, both nodding as if they had just decided player 001 was the coolest person they’d ever met.

“Man of mystery,” Dae-ho muttered appreciatively.

You leaned forward slightly, your gentle tone more concerned. “But you’re not hurt at all, right? You seemed upset.”

Player 001 turned to you and his smile softened. “Not at all. I left and came back the same.”

His composed response only added to the awe emanating from Jung-bae and Dae-ho, who continued to marvel at him. The brief chaos from earlier now felt like a distant memory.

You couldn’t help but grin as you turned to player 001. “You know, I just told them to roll their sleeves down because you were the one who stopped the bullies, not those tattoos.”

Player 001 let out a steady laugh, the sound warm and disarming. Jung-bae and Dae-ho immediately looked embarrassed, glancing at each other before quickly shifting their attention elsewhere.

“Hey, the tattoos still count for something,” Jung-bae muttered, rolling his sleeve back up halfway just to save face.

“Sure they do,” you replied, still smiling as Dae-ho tried to look nonchalant.

The four of you sat back down at the corner. Gi-hun, who had stayed quiet throughout the commotion, gave player 001 a subtle nod of acknowledgment. It wasn’t much, but it felt like a truce of sorts after their earlier disagreement.

Dae-ho, ever the chatterbox, broke the quiet. “So, Mr. 001, you’ve got to teach us some of those moves. What was that neck grip thing? Looked like something out of a spy movie.”

Player 001 gave a faint smile, shaking his head. “It’s just a simple technique. Nothing fancy.”

“Nothing fancy?” Jung-bae scoffed. “You had that guy gasping for air and looking like he was about to cry. If that’s simple, I’d hate to see complicated.”

“I want to learn how to do that too,” you added. “It would be useful to protect myself out there.”

Player 001 replied with a widening smile. “Sure, I could teach you. We just have to focus on winning the next game and leave this place for good. I’ll teach once we’re out of here.”

“Sir, don’t forget about me though,” said Dae-ho. “I want to learn that too.”

Jung-bae chimed in, “Me too.”

Player 001 nodded, “Got it. I’ll teach you three, then.”

The conversation drifted into lighter topics, with Dae-ho recounting an overly dramatic story from his military days that had Jung-bae laughing and shaking his head. Gi-hun stayed mostly quiet, his focus shifting between the group and the room at large.

NEXT : Chapter 05

PREV : Chapter 03

Story Masterlist

I would love to know what you think so feel free to comment as long as you could!

Leave a comment on the masterlist post to be added to the taglist.

[salty-autistic-writer]

Tommy Kinard's Guide To The Best (And Worst) Places To Take A Nap

Tommy and sleep have always had a difficult relationship. 

When he was a child, he had a hard time relaxing his mind enough to fall asleep. Restless thoughts and the fact that he could also read one more page of this non-fiction book - just one more - kept him tossing and turning until his eyes burned.

As a teenager, he listened to his parents arguing, their shadows dancing in the hallway. When he drank too much, his father’s voice was like the hot sour breath of a dragon, his footsteps booming and his words sharp. 

The neighbours never intervened. They were blind and deaf. Tommy wasn’t. He listened and tried to stay awake as long as possible. At least until the dragon fell asleep. Just in case he had to help his mother. Because there was nobody else.

His time in the military taught him to cherish every possible second of sleep. He developed the talent to fall asleep anywhere, at any time and at remarkable speed. But with this special talent comes the tendency to wake up abruptly as soon as his mind decides it has to be alert.

A noise, even a smell, is enough to push his body out of sleep mode into ready-to-fight mode. That makes sleeping for several hours in a row very difficult. So he usually takes some exhaustion with him when he leaves for work in the morning.

Once he’s working, he has laser focus though, never feeling the missing hours of sleep. No. That only comes later, after the work is done.

His issues made Tommy a napper. And he’s napping a lot.

He’s not picky about where he’s taking his naps. But some places are better than others.

In the helicopter (2/10 - not enough space, leads to pain and embarrassing moment!)

Tommy yawns heartily. He’s working a shift from hell. And he’s tired. So tired that the thought of getting out of the helicopter and dragging himself to the bunk beds at the station fills him with dread. He doesn’t like the beds anyway. It’s never really quiet there. And they are too small. Well. To be fair, most places are too small for him to stretch out his legs.

Finding a comfortable position in the helicopter isn’t easy either. But he has to try. Has to close his eyes. Just … For a few minutes. Then, the alarm is probably going to go off again anyway. He sighs, tilting his head back and closing his eyes. He can already feel his mind drifting away, and his muscles are finally relaxing. At least, it’s quiet in here.

Is this smart? No. But he’s too tired to make smart choices.

Tommy already knows his neck is going to ache later. But it’s too late.

Sleep embraces him.

L aughter erupts when Tommy opens his eyes and he blinks into the sunlight, confused until his swimming vision clears and he sees Lucy in front of him. Lucy, surrounded by a few other colleagues, taking pictures with her phone and grinning in utter delight. Great. He won't ever hear the end of this.

Gr imacing, he stretches as best as he can, sore muscles burning and bones cracking in protest.

When he jumps out, his legs tingling from being immobile for so long, Lucy shows him a picture of his face pressed against the glass, drool running down to his chin, hair dishevelled. “It’s cute,” she says. “But I’m worrying about your poor old bones, Kinard. If you plan on doing more naps in the chopper, I will buy you a neck pillow.”

At a movie theatre (6/10 - comfy but embarrassing, at least Evan thought it was cute!)

Tommy loves the cinema Evan picked. 

He especially loves the seats. They are so comfy. Soft. Warm. Too soft and warm. Tommy can feel himself sinking into them, his eyes getting heavy. He tries his best to keep them open, telling himself he’s not going to fall asleep while he’s about to watch a movie with his gorgeous boyfriend who’s happily snacking popcorn, his shoulder nudging Tommy’s.

For once, they actually managed to go to the movies. Without any interruption. Without anything terrible happening. So he really should pay attention to the movie. Evan is going to want to talk about it later.

But the screen is too bright. He has to rest his eyes. Just for one little moment. He’s not going to fall asleep. He’s not.

It only takes seconds for him to drift off.

A hand on his shoulder. A kiss on the cheek. Soft laughter and warm breath tickling his skin. “Tommy. Hey, Tommy?”

Tommy hums, keeping his eyes closed. Just a little longer. He can tell it’s not even morning yet. It’s still dark outside. Huh. He wrinkles his nose in confusion. Where’s all the noise coming from? Did Evan turn on the TV?

Oh. Oh. Shit.

His eyes snap open and he winces, his hands rubbing over the slightly rough fabric of cushions, the smell of popcorn and sweet beverages reminding him of where he is right now. He fell asleep at the movie theatre. With Evan sitting beside him.

Tommy can feel his cheeks burning. “I’m so sorry,” he murmurs, wiping drool from his mouth and glancing at the screen, where a man and a woman are arguing.

“Don’t be. It was really cute. My highlight was when your head started to tilt and sank on my shoulder,” Evan says, smiling. “You also didn’t miss anything. That movie was horrible so far. I’m going to tell you what happened later.”

Tommy’s face still burns with embarrassment, but when Evan wraps his arm around him and pulls him even closer, he starts to feel better. It happens, he guesses. Especially after a long day.

In a dressing room (3/10 - not very comfy, loud, but leads to a good solution for future shopping! It's good to have someone who thinks of things you never really thought of!)

Tommy doesn’t like shopping for clothes. 

It’s not easy to find something that fits him. He also wishes people would just let him look around by himself before bombarding him with a row of questions, constantly asking if he’s doing alright. Why isn’t one “yes thank you” enough?

Once he does find something that fits and doesn’t scratch or feel too tight, he usually just tries to wear it as long as possible. But his favourite jeans tore and now he has to find a new one.

It’s nice to have Evan with him who gives him something to focus on.

“Hm. No. Let me get you that in another size,” Evan decides, looking at the pants Tommy tried on, frowning. “I’ll be back in a moment.”

“Okay,” Tommy mutters, too exhausted to really care. He sits on the bench in the dressing room and leans back with a sigh. As he waits, the warmth of the dressing room makes him increasingly drowsy. His eyes get heavy. Soon, he can’t keep them open anymore, his head falling forward as he succumbs to a slumber.

Only to jump when Evan opens the door and presents him with a new pair of jeans. “Sorry, took a while to find it. Here, I - Oh. Did you fall asleep?” “No,” Tommy says automatically. Evan raises a doubting brow.

Tommy notices he’s half lying on the bench now, quickly sitting up and wiping at his eyes. “Maybe,” he admits. “I’m tired.”

Tired of dressing and undressing. Tired of the too-bright shop lights which keep buzzing above his head. Tired of hearing the terrible nerve-wracking music in the background. Tired of seeing his tired eyes in the mirror.

Evan scans him, understanding in his eyes. “Hey, let’s just order some of those online, okay? You can try them on at home,” he suggests.

“Really?” Tommy asks, wrinkling his nose. “But what if they don’t fit?”

“We are just going to send them back,” Evan shrugs. “Come on, let’s leave and buy coffee somewhere.”

I love you , Tommy thinks, getting up happily. And wonders how far away he is from actually saying the words out loud. Feels like they are already lingering on his lips, just waiting for the right moment.

At a bookstore (7/10 - comfy, warm and with cat, but embarrassing!)

Of course, they happen to be outside on one of those rare days when it’s raining cats and dogs. All of a sudden, it pours from the velvety sky. 

They flee into a bookstore at a corner, laughing. Evan’s eyes brighten up in delight as he scans the shelves. It’s a tiny store with old hardcover books and narrow hallways. The dust-covered books are piling up everywhere, even on the window sill.

An elderly lady is the only other person in the store. She’s sitting at the counter, hidden by a heap of books. She has one in her wrinkled hands, reading, only briefly glancing up to nod at them and push her glasses up her nose.

There even is a cat. A tabby with a bushy tail, that raises as she approaches Tommy and curls around his leg with a soft meow. When Tommy pets her and looks up, Evan is already gone, looking at books. Tommy discovers a green armchair in a corner and decides to sit down for a while. The armchair is comfy and smells like oranges. Tommy sinks into the cushions, leaning his head back with a content sigh. He can hear the steady drum of the rain against the window panes. It’s making him dozy. Before he can fight the sleepiness, his eyes are already closed and distantly he thinks he can feel something soft, warm and vibrating on his legs, but then sleep reaches for him and pulls him into a quite pleasant nap.

“Tommy?”

“Hm?” Tommy perks up, blinking in confusion. “Is it time?”

“I don’t know. You fell asleep,” Evan says, amused. “And the cat immediately went to sleep on you. I took pictures.”

Tommy swallows, looking at the cat now sitting on the floor, licking its paw. “Sorry,” he says quietly, glancing at the shop owner. But she’s smiling while still reading her book. 

“No need to be sorry. It’s cute. Come on, let’s go home and take a nap together,” Evan chuckles.

In the bathtub (8/10 - warm, safe, clean and good-smelling, especially when Evan washes my hair, but it gets cold eventually!)

Tommy doesn’t know how he’s still standing. The shift seemed to last forever. His whole body is sore and aching. All he’s smelling is sweat and smoke. Every step he takes seems to add invisible extra weight he has to carry around.

“Come on, I’m going to draw you a bath,” Evan tells him.

“I have the best boyfriend in the world,” Tommy sighs, as he slowly, painstakingly peels his clothes off his body.

He hates the moment his naked body is hit by the chill of the air. Hates the first dip into the water. But once he sinks into the water and it embraces him, he groans in pleasure.

“I’m going to wash your hair, okay?” Evan says, sitting on the edge of the bathtub and pushing the sleeves of his hoodie back. “Please,” Tommy sighs, gratefully. He could feel how greasy it got with every passing hour. He leans his head back and closes his eyes, relaxing into the rhythmic movements of Evan’s fingers in his hair. Soon, he feels his mind drifting away, like a boat on the ocean. He allows it. He’s warm and safe. He can rest. Every troublesome thought and every ache disappears. Fading away as he dozes off to Evan washing his hair and the smell of his favourite shampoo.

“Tommy?” Evan asks, shaking Tommy’s shoulder gently. “You with me?”

“Huh?” Tommy opens his eyes, blinking up at the ceiling. He’s still halfway caught in the pleasantly floaty nothingness of his nap. “Hm. What?”

“Sorry, but I thought you might want to eat something,” Evan says. That’s when Tommy realises he’s lying in the bathtub, feeling boneless and … chilly. “How long have I been in here?”

“Long enough. Did you sleep well?” Evan asks, grinning.

Tommy grimaces as a shiver runs down his back and inspects his wrinkled hands. “Well, now I’m cold. But it was worth it.”

On Evan’s lap (10/10 - warm, comfy, safe. the best place to take a nap!)

It’s been a long day. It’s always a long day.

Evan takes one look at Tommy and says, “Want to order Chinese and relax on the couch today?”

“Yeah, I’d love that,” Tommy says, grateful. There was a time when he tried to hide his exhaustion and went out anyway to please his partners. But now he’s honest about how he feels and what he wants. He also doesn’t apologise for falling asleep anymore. His work is stressful and functioning can be exhausting. Being tired is nothing he has to be ashamed of.

They end up on the couch, Evan with his laptop and Tommy with his head on Evan’s lap, the rest of his body stretched out. He’s happy he can do that now. They bought a new, bigger and comfier couch a while ago.

Tommy has his eyes closed and relaxes while listening to the clicking noise of Evan typing and breathing in the familiar smell of his surroundings. Warm. Soft. Yes. This is by far his favourite place to take a nap.

He allows himself to drift off. When he comes back to himself, Evan smiles down at him. “Hey. There you are. Sounded like you were snoring the alphabet at one point.”

“Hey,” Tommy scrunches his nose. “Says the man who snores like a boar whenever he’s lying on his back.”

Evan chuckles. He clears his throat, eyes on his screen. “Did you know that neurodivergent people tend to get exhausted pretty fast? Due to the stress of sensory overload and the pressure of social situations. There’s even a word for it.”

“Yeah?” Tommy asks, raising a mildly intrigued brow.

“Yes. Autistic fatigue.”

“Hm.” Tommy shifts, frowning.

They’ve been talking about this topic for a while now. Collecting information. Finding certain things that … fit astonishingly well. It started with Evan talking to his therapist about ADHD and led to Evan going on an extensive research spree on which he found out that quite a few of the things Tommy is experiencing fit symptoms of the autism spectrum and that ADHD and autism have a lot of overlapping symptoms.  Tommy grew up during a time when children weren’t autistic, had ADHD or suffered from dyslexia. There were only two possible labels: “normal” and “weird”. At school, Tommy got the “weird” label pretty fast.

Actually, there’s been a teacher who apparently did some research and carefully addressed the possibility of autism, but Tommy’s father was fast to tell her to refrain from calling his son mentally ill. Tommy thinks the exact words Kinard Senior used were “My boy is not a nutcase.” And that was the end of it.

But now, now that he has the freedom to do research and the chance to figure some things out that have always confused him, Tommy is intrigued. 

It might be nice to know why some things are as they are.

For example: why does he hear noises no one else seems to hear? Why does he feel repulsion towards certain foods to the point that he has the urge to gag or spit them out? Why is he fidgeting so much without really noticing it? Why does he take things literally, which has led to many embarrassing moments in his life? Why does he sometimes feel like he’s following an invisible script while talking to people, and when they don’t do what he expects, the conversations become increasingly stressful? 

Or the “I’m so exhausted” thing that sometimes really hits him out of nowhere, especially when he’s outside.

“Do they also say how you can increase your energy if you experience autistic fatigue?” Tommy asks.

Evan hums. “Snacks. Vitamins. And accomodations. Like noise-cancelling in-ear headphones.”

Tommy perks up. “Noise-cancelling? That’s a thing?” He asks, surprised. He has normal headphones for his training. But they don’t cancel noise.

“Uh, yeah. They have been existing for a while now. Do you want me to order some for you?” Evan asks. “Or we can pick them together?”

“Yes,” Tommy says, fully awake now, sitting up and snuggling up against Evan, looking at the screen. “But I can’t promise I will ever take them out once I have them.”

“Well, you definitely won’t hear me snoring anymore,” Evan says, grinning and typing into the search bar.

(AO3 Link)

[bybobbysbeard]

The Last Few Hours

Day 10 for @bucktommyfluffebruary: sleepy cuddles read on ao3 read other days here

Buck wakes to the soft, muted sound of a rainstorm. Everything else is quiet and far away. It must be late, or very early. He doesn’t want to open his eyes. It's peaceful here, in that slow, syrupy place between sleep and wakefulness. He’s curled up on his side, a warm body pressed up behind him. There’s a broad, masculine chest against his back and thick thighs brushing the backs of his legs. A heavy arm rests on his side, fingers absently stroking over his stomach. Soft lips touch the back of his neck. They’re so close, not an atom of space between them. 

He would know that body anywhere. It’s as familiar to him as his own.  

Buck rubs his face into the pillow. The rough, starchy fabric snags on his stubble. That’s… wrong. Buck converted Tommy to his fabric softener immediately after moving in. Their sheets don’t feel like this. Also, they’re both fully dressed for some reason.

He opens his eyes. Instead of the cream-coloured walls of their bedroom, he’s looking at the empty bunk across from him.

He’s in the communal bunkroom. Nearly all the lights are off, and the blackout shades are drawn. One bedside lamp casts a cool white light over their corner of the room. 

That’s right, he’s at work. Trying to nap away the last few hours of agonizingly long 72 hr shift. 

He goes to turn over, but the arm on his waist weighs him down, one large hand spreading out over his belly and holding him still. “Shh, baby. There’s not enough room.”

“Tommy? Why’re you here?” He reaches down, over the sheets; tracing rough knuckles and blunt nails. That hand flexes, pressing him into the body behind him. 

Tommy’s low voice warms the back of his neck. “Your shift’s over. I came to pick you up.”

“Oh. Sorry.” He yawns, blinking and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. “I usually set an alarm, but I guess I forgot.”

“Don't worry about it.” His hand goes back to rubbing Buck’s stomach. “Hen mentioned your leg was bothering you, so when you didn’t wake up with everyone else, they let you sleep. How bad is it?” 

Buck takes stock, bending his knee gently and rotating his ankle. It throbs dully, but considering the amount of calls over the last three days, it could be worse. “Not too bad. It’s sore. The rain makes it ache sometimes.”

“I remember.” That aquiline nose runs along the side of his neck, sending a shiver down his spine. 

“Why are you in a bunk with me? Not that I’m complaining.”

Tommy laughs softly, warm breath gusting over Buck’s hair. “Well, Bobby sent me in to wake you up, but you didn’t answer when I called your name, and then you just looked so cute. I couldn’t resist.”

“Tommy!” He knows he’s whining, but if his family finds his boyfriend spooning him in the bunk room, the teasing will actually kill him.

“Oh hush, only Bobby is still here. I saw Hen and Howie leave, and Eddie was already gone when I pulled up. I’m not giving them any more ammunition.” Another kiss is pressed to his neck, and Buck can’t help but relax back into the mattress. It really is too small for the two of them and the white sheets have been washed thin and bleached half-to-death. The pillow is so flat, it’s basically flush with the mattress. The whole setup is miles away from their comfortable bed at home. 

But Buck is still so tired. And Tommy is so warm.

Tommy jostles him. His eyes pop open again; he hadn’t meant to close them. He can feel Tommy smile against his skin. “Evan, sweetheart, don’t fall back asleep. At some point, Bobby will come in here. And he will probably take pictures.”

Buck groans. “Okay, okay. You’re right. Let me up.”

Cool air rushes in behind him when Tommy shifts away, making him shiver. The rain gets louder against the roof. There’s some quiet shuffling as Tommy gets to his feet, straightens his clothes and walks around the bunk to face Buck. 

Buck braces himself, and carefully swings his legs off the bed. His foot tingles as blood flows through the swollen limb. He knows if the alarm was ringing, he’d be sprinting into his turnouts. And hurting. More than five years post-bombing, his leg still has limits that he can’t ignore. It’s frustrating. If he hadn’t picked up a shift in the middle of his week, he wouldn’t need to be this careful with himself. But he doesn’t regret it. Having someone from B-shift owe him a favour is always worth it. He mostly just regrets that all of his family has medical training. They usually notice him favouring his leg before he does. 

Tommy is standing in front of him. He’s muted to monochrome by the dim lighting. His well-worn jeans look silver, his black t-shirt is a void. The blue of his eyes is washed out to grey. He holds out his hands, open palms facing up. 

Buck rolls his eyes. “I’m fine.”

“I know. Can I help anyway?”  

Buck looks up at him. There’s nothing hiding in his open expression, no pity or judgement. He didn’t think there would be, but sometimes he can’t stop himself from checking. He puts his hands in Tommy’s. The bed frame squeaks as he’s pulled upright. A strong arm wraps around his middle while he finds his balance. When he's steady, Tommy leans in, peppering gentle kisses over his cheeks and lips. Buck sways forward, letting his boyfriend take his weight. The kisses taper off, until they're just standing there, forehead to forehead, wrapped around each other. Tommy pulls back a few inches and smiles at him. 

“Ready to go home?”

[byunpum]

My lost child…

Pair: Aunt Sully human x Spider Socorro (mother and son)

Warning: None. Cute, Kinda sad, Y/N being a good mother.

+REQUEST "Here"+

Note: My baby spider need love and attention. I got sentimental doing this writing. Auntie Y/N would be the perfect mother for him.

"Are you sure you want to keep this baby?" says norm, as you hold spider in your arms, a baby just 10 months old. The first time you saw this baby was in the arms of Socorro, a coworker. You were from the research area, but you still shared with other friends from other areas of work. And it was also the first time you saw the child of your husband's lover Miles Quaritch, who had betrayed you with this woman a few months ago.

She had a smile from ear to ear, showing her son to the others, with an air of self-satisfaction. She gave you a few glances as she laughed. You barely approach the group of ladies now surrounding the newborn. You decide to turn around and go back to the laboratories, you had a lot of work to do and the mission to escape to a safe area, in order to save the Omaticaya was your priority at the moment. After the war, many people were sent to earth, but some were too young to travel.

And there you were holding a baby that reminded you of all the pain you once had. But, what was this child's fault? None. "Yes…I'll take care of him" you say, pulling the spider closer to your chest. Norm watches you, he has been by your side all along, he knows how you feel. But he also knows your heart is so big. "You and your brother Jake have a heart like a chicken," he jokes. Norm knows he'll be safe with you.

That same night you are with spider, in your room. A small room, which had a very small bunk bed. A small dresser and a mirror next to it. You had to decorate it so it would be perfect for a baby. You are preparing a kind of nest with the sheets, you wanted him to sleep next to you. "ba b aba" spider barks, as you set up. "You're in the mood to talk, huh?" you laugh, as you reach over and give him a kiss on the cheeks. And you lay him down next to you, as you wrap him in your blanket. Your face is close to his face, while his cute little hands touch and caress your cheeks. As he lets out a few laughs. "You're a very happy baby… aren't you" you speak, stroking his golden curls. Spider begins to cry a little, and you pull him to your chest so that his head rests on your chest, so that he can hear your heartbeat.

This hurt you so much…you were not able to have children on your own, you had so many pregnancy losses that you had already lost all hope of being a mother. This was one of the many reasons why Quaritch had decided to look for another woman to give him what you could never give him. But here you were… caring for a baby that was the image of the betrayal that those two people had done to you. But your heart was not selfish, it was not cruel. It never had been… you couldn't be cruel to a baby who needed you. You needed him.

His little hands squeezed your hands, bringing one of your fingers to his hand. "I will take care of you… forever" you speak, as you stroke your boy's hair. For a moment you come back to reality, and there was spider, scared and hurt. His body was shaking with cold, as he hugged you and his head was pressed against your chest. Even though he was all wet, you could still feel the tears coming down from his eyes. "Mom…I'm scared," says spider, trying to breathe calmly into his oxygen mask.

You hadn't seen your son in the last 4 months since the RDA had kidnapped him, and now he was hugging you so tightly, you felt like he was going to crack a rib. " Darling…I'm here…it's ok. I found you, mommy is here" you speak while hugging your son. As you watch the boat sink into the sea. Your whole family was together, Jake and Neytiri and your nephews. Neteyam was hurt, but he was okay. Everyone hugs each other, while your sight drifts to the water… you almost lost what you loved the most in this life. You feel a hand drag you by the arm, and you see it's Jake. Hugging you and spider. "Here we are…together" Jake says, as the other family members gather to hug them.

Hours later, everyone was at the metkayina clan, in the marui that everyone shared. Neytiri was taking care of neteyam, and your other nephews were talking to each other. Jake had gone to talk to Tonowari and Ronal. While you were tending to spider's wounds, the boy was silently watching you carefully place the medicinal paste on his wounds. With such love and passion. "And how is he? Did you like meeting your father?" you ask him. Spider just says " mm yes" after a while you ask again.

"And you saw pictures of her… of your mom?" you ask, spider swallows hard. "Yes… and they told me about her. I even saw videos" says spider. Your heart squeezes a little, you're sure they told him about her. That they told him how wonderful his mother was, how he was such a wanted child. "It's good that you know who your mother was," you say, a little hurt. Neytiri was listening to the conversation, she knew the pain in your tone of voice. You had always had the feeling that the day would come when Spider would know more about his mother and you would move on.

Spider can see your face of disgust and sadness. The boy comes up to you and hugs you. "He and that woman do not affect my feelings for you. The one who took care of me…who raised me, and loved me is you…mom. My mother Y/N" says spider giving you a smile. You caress his face, and give him a kiss on his forehead. "I love you too my life" you speak. " I love you more…mama" spider rests his face in the crook of your neck.

Jake had returned from talking to Tonowari, as he walked in he saw the scene. Spider was still hugging you, while you stroked his hair. Jake carefully approaches neytiri's side, just as he sits down and begins to speak, the woman speaks. "eywa gives second chances, gives us something we have lost. It doesn't have to come in the best way…but it will always bring two lost souls together…like those two," says Neytiri, pointing at you. Jake is thoughtful for a moment.

"Am I missing something?" asks Jake, Neytiri just laughs and continues to look after Neteyam. Jake takes another look in your direction. You were hugging your son, he had never seen you so happy, your smile was just like his mother's, right there he could understand everything. Eywa always brings together souls that have been lost…always.

[loveriotss]

Hi! I've been seeing your profile for a while now and I liked the idea of ​​requesting a headcanon about Shinsou's best friend with gn!reader, the reader is similar to Shinsou in terms of personality but a bit more sociable and sarcastic, maybe the reader is in class 1A? Thanks!

HIM AS YOUR BEST FRIEND ⸻ hitoshi shinso

INCLUDES — gn! class 1a! reader, platonic relationship, fluff, crack, headcannons WARNINGS — swearing

main masterlist — mha masterlist ༊*·˚

you and shinso have the type of friendship where y'all know way too much about each other so a friendship breakup is out of question because no way you're gonna let him walk out alive after all that he knows. (/j)(i think)

he is still very secretive.

trying to gain information from him is a whole ordeal and you feel like jumping up and down in happiness when he tells you something at his own will.

but he will tell you at the most out of pocket times and acts as if it's not a big deal.

"i've started training with your teacher now . . . might even join the hero course." "WHAT."

also a loner who is surprised.

honestly you gave up on trying to get him to socialize for a while but after the sports festival you didn't give him an option to say no when you dragged him to dorms for a joint movie night or a mall day with your classmates in an effort to push him to make some new friends.

fights with him annoy you the most because no matter how big or small the situation is he does not give a flying shit so it's like arguing with a ghost.

however if it's a serious situation, he will apologize if he is at fault.

but if you were ever to do something that is your fault trust he won't ever let you live it down.

"give me some." "nuh uh, these are my chips get your own." "remember when we were seven and you fractured my finger in that one playground-" "UGH LEAVE ME ALONE IT WAS AN ACCIDENT AND I SAID I WAS SORRY!" "you should give me a chip." "shut up big back." "remember when you pushed me off a bunk bed and i almost broke my back-" "JUST TAKE THE ENTIRE BAG AT THIS POINT."

if something is bothering him he won't tell it to you verbally but you'll know when he randomly calls you over to some secluded place to listen to his music tapes in silence.

now if you're wondering whether he'd tell you what was wrong is completely up to him and his mood (annoying little shit 💔).

he's not the biggest fan of your class at it shows 😓.

"what do you think of this outfit? it's our first time going to the movies as a class i don't wanna wear something goofy and stop giving me the side eye hitoshi." "how can you willingly hang out with them? they're so odd." "oh i'm so sorry your highness i should have taken your advice and stayed at home playing that game you're obsessed with." "IT'S A GOOD GAME." "mhm sure, a good game indeed so good that you almost broke your phone while playing it." "the dress to impress voting is rigged." "you're just ass at it." "you look like an ass."

yeah that's not gonna stop any time soon because of how determined the two of you are to get the last word in.

NOTE — last request done gangalang!!!! i'm not gonna open up my reqs just yet because i'm starting exams soon and i don't want anyone waiting really long for their reqs to be completed because of how busy i'll be 😓😓. will probs open it around beginning of next month?? idk i'll see.

©loveriotss — all rights reserved to me. please don’t try to copy/steal my work. please do not use any of my ideas/translate my work without my permission.

[astrolynnworld]

sensual showers

pairing: matt x reader

summary: matt and y/n have shower sex while y/n’s parents are home

a/n- requested 🫡 lowkey a part 2 to car sex

warning: smut! sneaky, teasing, shower sex, quickie, needy.

word count: 726

matt had came with me to visit my parents for the weekend

i hadn’t come by in a few months and figured i should take a trip up there

he offered to come along and i, more than excitedly, accepted

when we arrived, my parents were very welcoming and kind

they helped us bring our bags upstairs to my childhood room

everything still the same as i had left it, as always.

“dinner is almost done, get ready then come down. your brother is also on his way for the weekend” says my mother in a lighthearted tone

i nod as acknowledgment then she shuts the door as she exits

matt seats himself on my bed, “wow how nice it must of been to not share a bunk bed with your twin brother” he chuckles softly as a joke

i roll my eyes with a smile

“how nice it must of been to be close to your brothers!!” i joke back

“yeah yeah.” he responds

i roam around my room as i get me & matt settled in

“alright, i’m gonna go shower now” i say as i finish unpacking all our stuff

“without me?” he says in a corny joking way

“you’re unreal” i laugh, “you can join if you want” i snuggly say before heading off into the bathroom

i close the door, and hop into the shower

no more than 5 minutes later i hear the shower curtain open

i turn around to see a naked matt

i chuckle at his boldness, “so you were serious?”

“of course” he smiles

i continue with my shower as he showers alongside me

until i feel his hard cock start to rub up against me

“matt? are you seriously hard right now” i ask

“i can’t help it.. you’re naked” he softly responds

“you always see me naked ..”

“and i always get hard..”

knowing that matt could simply get turned on by me doing something as normal as showering was kinda doing something to me

of course im naked but.. its not like im teasing him or trying to turn him on

he was just simply hard because of my naked presence

i look up into his eyes and wrap my hand around his cock as i make eye contact

he looks at me with his mouth slightly agape out of shock

i start jerking my hand back and forth as a tease

he throws his head back and whines out a small “fuck.”

i use my other hand to pick his head back up and bend it down close to my face as i kiss him

i kiss him softly as i continue to jerk his cock, watching him struggle into my mouth

i turn around and bend over as i align his head with my hole, watering hitting all on his back

once i align the head, i back up slowly into him as his puts his hands on my hips

“you’re so tight in this position fuck” he whines out

i adjust to his size and slowly start to move back and forth on his cock, matching his thrusts forward into me

slow and passionate movements, tickling my cervix with pleasure

“fuck matt. please don’t stop” i beg

i grip the wall and arch my back in more as i continue to throw back onto him

the sounds of our heavy breaths and bodies slapping against each other fill the room

“fuck i’m gonna cum” he says as he starts to pick up the pace of his thrusts

i groan at the pleasure of his cock slamming inside of me

i start to tighten around his cock

“mmm you feel - so-“ he tries to mutter out as he bends over into me while shooting his load deep in my pussy

i squeeze tightly around his cock as i feel the orgasm overwhelm me

“fuckkk” i whine out

heavy breaths fill the air as the slapping noise starts to descend

“you think we were too loud?” matt asks

“i hope not” i say as i start to stand up and let his cock fall out of me

he pulls me in for a kiss as the water continues to run down his back

“can- we actually- shower now.” i say through breaks of the kiss

“fine.” he rolls his eyes as we finish our romantic shower

————————————————————————

[measuredingold]

hi, angel <33 back with a request! also also no pressure at all ofc, if you’re not vibing with it just delete 🥰

just had a lil fluff idea, friends to lovers type beat. reader is on tour with the band, tagging along as a friend when she’s out late one night with the guys, gets a lil drunk/tipsy and ends up in the wrong bunk. (Noah’s.) he didn’t go out, he went to bed early. she doesn’t realize and she’s like “what are you doing in my bed?”

neither of them end up moving, and it doesn’t help that she’s a cuddly drunk. plus, he has a hard time saying no to you 🥺💗

anyway, do with that what you will 💖

just friends

authors note: thank you so much lovely anon for requesting this! i enjoyed writing this and kind of want to take it further, but i'm not sure? :) anyways, i hope this is what you were looking for and you enjoy it <3 reminder that my requests are open! also, happy birthday noah :)

pairing: noah sebastian x reader

cross-posted on ao3

word count: 2.6k

cw/tags: fluff (like tooth-rotting fluff imo), friends to lovers, confessions/admission of feelings, drinking/reader is drunk, 18+ minors do not interact

"Easy there, girl."

You giggled as Nicholas helped you onto the bus, his hands pressed against the small of your back to keep you in place. You didn't even mean to drink this, usually not one to do so, but after Folio had challenged you to see how many shots you could take in under a minute you had to prove to him that it definitely was more than two. Now here you were, giggling obnoxiously to yourself as Nicholas guided you onto the bus, feet tripping over one another.

"Nick," You hum, eyes squinting around the bus. "Is the room spinning?"

"It very much is not. You," A finger pressed to your forehead, and you barely registered that Nicholas was now in front of you, a smile tugging at his lips, "are very much drunk, though. Come on, let's get you to bed. Go change and I'll get you some water and Tylenol for that headache that should be kicking in... now."

You go to retort, but there was already a dull pain in the back of your head causing you to wince. Your headaches came a lot earlier when you drank, not waiting until the morning to hit. You give him a grateful smile when he hands you your bag you kept above one of the seats up front, knowing your drunk ass could not get that even if you tried your hardest, and you pulled out a change of clothes and made your way back to the very small, and very tight bathroom.

You change, clumsily, and shuffle your way back to the front of the bus where Nicholas was waiting for you. You take the Tylenol and bottle of water gratefully, swallowing down the medicine in one go. You take a few more sips of water, realizing just how thirsty you were before deciding you were good to go, twisting the cap back on a tossing it onto the couch.

“Good?” You nod, giving Nicholas a thumbs up in response. He smiles. “Alright. I’m gonna meet back up with guys, but Noah’s still here.”

Your brows furrow for a moment before you remember that Noah is still on the bus, opting out of going out with you and the crew after tonight’s show. You give Nicholas another nod as your response.

“If you need anything, just wake Noah up. He’ll get you whatever you need.” He leans forward now, tipping his head down to press his lips to your forehead, and you smile brightly up at him when he pulls away. “And if he doesn’t, hit ‘em upside the head and then call me.”

You laugh, “I’m sure I’ll be fine if I need anything. I’m drunk, not injured.”

He rolls his eyes at you before you gently shove him away, pushing him towards the door. You say your goodbyes and watch the door shut behind Nicholas, leaving you to stand alone in the front of the bus all by yourself. You stay put for a second, the dizziness coming back before a yawn rips from you, and you decide to finally shuffle your way towards the bunks.

All you needed was your favorite blanket and your bunk, and that duck squishmallow Noah had gotten you a few months ago. It’s quiet and you think Noah’s probably asleep already, and you yawn again as you finally reach your bunch, pulling the curtain back. You stare quizzically, though, at the man curled up in your bunk, and he stares right back, brows raised and just as confused.

"What the hell are you doing in my bunk?"

Noah blinks at you before pulling his airpods out, a brow raised. "What?"

"I said," You let go of the curtain to place a hand on your hip. "What the hell are you doing in my bunk, Davis?"

He stares at you for a beat before his lips slowly start curling into a smile.

"How drunk are you?" Noah squints at you.

"Why does that matter?" You argue, words slurring slightly. "I'm drunk and you're in my bunk. Two very obvious and true things. Now answer my question."

Noah snorts out a laugh. "You're right about one thing, you definitely are drunk. This is my bunk, though."

If you were sober, you would realize that yes, he was right. This was definitely not your bunk, yours was right below his, but for some reason in your drunk and hazy mind you were sure that this was your bunk. It looked just like it - just like the rest of the damn bunks on this bus - so it had to be true. You purse your lips, arms crossing over your chest.

“Very funny, Noah. Now get out, I’m tired and want to go to sleep.”

“I’m not moving.” He says more firmly, eyes narrowing at you. “This is my bunk, yours is over there.”

You turn as he points to the bunk across from his, the curtains drawn, and you squint. You look back at him, then back at the other bunk, and a voice in the back of your head is telling you that he was right. That was your bunk, not the one Noah was currently occupying. None of your stuff is there, your pillow isn’t even there, but for some reason the drunk – and very stubborn – part of you was firm on your stance.

Noah was in your bunk.

You turn back to him, arms still crossed over your chest, and you square your shoulders. “I’m just gonna climb up if you’re not moving, dude. So, either get out or we’re cuddle buddies for the rest of the night.”

The two of you stare at each other for a moment and you see the exact where Noah’s shoulders drop, realizing there’s no point in arguing with you because you are right (no, you’re not) and he sighs deeply, though you barely catch the slight curl of his lips.

“Whatever. Get in.”

You climb into the bunk beside Noah, slowly because you knew in your inebriated state that was a disaster waiting to happen, and the boy sighs to himself again, rolling onto his side and pressing his back against the wall to make room for you. You roll onto your side, back facing Noah, and press against him. It wasn't hard to do with how tight the space was, and you hummed to yourself when you finally got comfortable enough to relax, pulling the blanket up to your chin.

"Comfy?" You hear Noah murmur behind you.

You nod, "Very."

"Good."

You feel him shift behind you and if you had been sober, maybe the thought of being so close to him would have your skin blazing, but as your thoughts swirl, the only thing you can really think is how nice he feels pressed against you and how comfortable you are. His arm slings over your waist underneath the blanket and you swear he pulls you closer to him, if that was possible. A pleased sigh escapes him, the air fanning over the back of your neck. Now that has your body firing up, tiny goosebumps scattering across your skin. You melt against him.

"Why didn't you go out?" You ask through a yawn, eyes fluttering.

"Didn't want to."

"Why not? Everyone else did."

"Just wasn't in the mood," He mumbles behind you, his breath fanning against the back of your neck again. "Cold? You got goosebumps.”

You shake your head but feel Noah pull you closer anyways, sweatpant covered legs slipping in between yours. His limbs snake around yours and practically confines you, locking you against him. You're finding out that you like it way more than you probably should for a friend, but the drunken haze of your mind doesn't care too much about the technicalities of it all. 

"Did you miss me?" You ask after another beat of silence, and you feel Noah's body tense behind you.

“…Maybe."

"Maybe?"

"Yeah, maybe."

You pause. "Is that why you're in my bunk right now? Because you missed me?"

Noah lets out a groan and you can't help but smirk, soft giggles escaping you. You feel his hand move down to your hip, pushing your shirt up slightly to pinch at your skin playfully and you squeal, squirming against him. You barely move because this six-three, giant man has you tight in his grasp, and you feel his chest move against your back with his laughter. 

"Oh my fucking god," He grumbles into your hair, but you hear the smile in his voice. "Go to sleep. Please."

"I'm trying." You whine out, eyes slipping shut at the feeling of his hand now spreading out against your tummy, rubbing soothing circles there. "My head hurts too much."

"Did you take anything?"

"Mhm." You hum. "Nicholas gave me some Tylenol and water before he met back up with the guys."

"You drink all the water?"

You shrug. “Maybe like half?”

"Good enough for me." You feel the brush of his lips against the back of your neck and your eyes spring open, freezing in his hold. "You just need to relax. It should start kicking in soon."

You don't say anything, hyper-focused on the way his lips felt against your skin and the way you liked it too much. Even in your inebriated state you knew what that meant, and maybe you always had, but was just too scared to even think of the possibility. You and Noah were just friends... who sometimes teetered the line between friends and something else. It went unspoken for as long as you could remember, and you're not sure why you never said anything. 

You don't know if it's the alcohol, or if you're finally sobering up, but your stomach turns at the thought. Why didn't you say anything? Why didn't he say anything? You feel dizzy again, and there's a voice in the back of your head trying to tell you to shut up and sleep but you've never been a good listener, even to yourself, and your lips move before you can think twice about it. 

"Noah." Your voice is hushed and the feel of his fingers rubbing circles against your bare hip as your head spinning more than it probably should be right now.

"Hm?" 

"You do realize friends don't do this, right?"

It takes him a moment to reply, "Do what?"

"This."

You feel more sober than you did five minutes prior. You're aware of everything - where you are, who you're with, who you're pressed against. Noah lets out a sigh and you feel him nose at your shoulder, a shiver running through your body at the feeling.

"You know we’ve never exactly been just friends."

You can't believe he had just said that as your eyes almost bulge right out of your head, and you try to turn in his arms so that you can face him.

"Noah-"

His grip only tightens on you, and you can't move, stuck where you are, and you hear him huff out a laugh before saying, "Nope. No way. We’re not having this talk right now when you’re drunk as shit, and we’re trapped in this glorified death box. Go to sleep.”

"But-"

"If you remember this in the morning, then ask me again." You feel his lips move against the back of your neck and you shiver again, squirming against him.

"I will." You finally whisper after two beats of silence, trying to settle back against his chest. "I'll ask you tomorrow."

He presses another kiss to the back of your neck and your entire body flushes, and you can hear the smile in his voice when he says, "Okay."

You both lay in silence and it's not long for sleep to find you, body finally relaxing after the long night.

…

You wake some hours later, groaning quietly as you lifted your head up from the pillow. You blink blearily around you before rubbing at your eyes, trying to rid them of sleep as last night’s shenanigans flooded your brain. With another groan you roll onto your back and stare up at the top of the bunk, picking a part your memories.

Going out with the guys, taking way too many shots with Folio, Nicholas having to walk you back to the bus, the Tylenol, Noah… Your mind pauses at the thought of the male, and you realize you’re in the bunk alone. You remember everything clearly, from arguing with him about how this was your bunk – it in fact very much was not – from climbing into said bunk and cuddling with him. You remember him saying that the two of you have never been just friends but refused to elaborate.

If you remember this in the morning, then ask me again.

The bus is quiet, the only sound you hear are Jolly’s snores coming from below you, and the soft sound of the bus’s engine running. You were most likely on your way to the next city. You’re sure Noah’s already up, probably in the front working away on his laptop, and you peel his blanket off your body and do your best to get down from his bunk.

You find him where you expected him, beanie on top his head and hoodie wrapped around his body, headphones on as he typed away at his laptop. You’d make a joke about him always working, but you’re only thinking of one thing right now.

You come stand in front of him and he notices you almost instantly, pushing his headphones off his head as he stares up at you.

“Morning, sleeping beauty.”

You blush, eyes dropping for a moment as your arms come to cross over your chest.

“What did you mean last night?” You blurt out.

Noah pauses but his eyes never leave you, and you watch as he slips his computer off his lap and into the seat next to him. He leans forward, elbows resting against his knees.

“Ask me again.”

“No, I’m not-“ You huff out a groan and brush your fingers through your hair, wincing a bit at the knots that caught between your hands. “I’m not playing that game, Noah. What did you mean we’ve never exactly been just friends?”

“It’s exactly what it sounds like.” He leans back against the couch now, arms crossing over his chest. “And you know I’m right.”

Your heart hammers against your chest and all you can do is nod at his words, cheeks flushing with color. He was right. You two have never been just friends, too close, too touchy to be labeled as platonic. You’d be lying if you said last night was the first time you shared a bed together. But now what? You got the answer you were looking for, but for some reason you can’t even look at Noah, but his eyes are burning into you, watching your every move.

“Okay…” You start, sucking in a breath as you finally moved your gaze back to Noah, eyes locking with his. “If we’re not just friends, then what does that make us?”

He smiles. “People who like each other more than friends but are too scared to admit it?”

Damn. He got that spot on. You blush again, trying to find the right words, but come up short. Your brain is still playing catch up, sleep still very much in your veins, and Noah notices. He leans forward again and gestures you to come closer and you do, his hands reaching out to grab your own.

“We have the next two days off. Let me take you out. Dinner or something. A movie. Whatever you want.”

“And then what?”

He shrugs. “And then we see where this goes. I’m willing to give it a try if you are.”

You can’t stop the smile that’s slipping onto your lips, your fingers curling around his as warmth spread throughout your chest.

“That sounds good to me.”

[fen-luciel]

The mistakes of a Acolyte

5

Chapters

Summary: You are pregnant with Qimir's child and the universe is not big enough to hide you from him.

The excuse I used for carrying such a large bag was simple: I was a spoiled pregnant woman.

I regretted throwing away all those creams and gifts I had accumulated over the months, but I had used the containers to hide credits and various drives with not-so-legal collections I had gathered over the years. I only took the larger or more comfortable clothes with me, and the lightsaber well hidden at the bottom behind a pile of underwear. I doubted they would dig into the bag, but I couldn’t be too trusting; after all, they were still Jedi. And I was still an ex-criminal in their eyes.

I kept the poncho on to better hide myself underneath, as we were going to a cold, often rainy forest. The excuse of not wanting to reveal the pregnancy to Qimir was also valid; no one would question that.

I wasn’t even surprised that we left that very evening, but not seeing other Jedi made me suspicious. So after having a quick meal together, I casually started a conversation.

“Will others join us directly there? I mean Jedi” the three exchanged glances before Sol cleared his throat.

“We intend to go alone. We believe, based on the information you’ve given us, that it’s best to move in a small, quiet group. We know what we’re facing this time, and we have the element of surprise on our side” I was a bit annoyed by this, mainly because it meant I would have less time to slow them down, but I partly expected it.

“Don’t worry, we’ll always be close to you” Yord nodded decisively, with Jecki beside him smiling at me.

“I trust you” I said, shrugging.

The rest of the dinner passed mostly in silence. They were all tense despite pretending otherwise; occasionally, someone would try to start a conversation, but it would end quickly. There wasn’t much to say, and who could blame them?

Last time, they almost died.

And now they had me to deal with.

The journey wouldn’t last much longer, but I preferred to rest a bit before arriving at our destination. I lay down in one of the bunks in the bedroom, using my bag as an extra pillow out of paranoia to keep it close. I couldn’t rest all day; Qimir’s face kept flashing before my eyes. I thought about everything that could go wrong or how he might trap me. Yes, from his point of view, I was helping him, but it was obvious he didn’t trust me after what I had done.

I had taken extra precautions myself. I managed to contact my droid Sam as soon as it was reactivated through a private channel we kept for emergencies. I ordered it to assist Qimir but remain ready for anything. I didn’t trust telling it everything in case Qimir got his hands on it, but it had always been a loyal little companion. I knew it was on my side no matter what.

I don’t know how long I slept exactly, a hand on my shoulder woke me from slumber.

My first instinct was to reach for the lightsaber under the pillow in a habitual movement, but a moment of clarity was enough to remind me where I was and why.

Yord gave me a half-smile seeing me confused, and I rubbed the sleep from my eyes as he helped me sit up against the pillow. “What a knight” I joked as I stifled a yawn, and he grimaced, quickly looking over his shoulder. The door to the room was open, letting the cold corridor lights into the dark room.

“I wanted to give you this” he handed me a small communication device, and I looked at it confused in my hand. Then, with a raised eyebrow, I said “You already gave me one, don’t you remember?” He got up from the bed before placing his hands behind his back, then leaned against the furniture and again moved uncomfortably, not standing still for a second.

“Yes, but this... is private.” I raised an eyebrow, confused, while moving the blankets from my legs and sitting on the mattress. “What...?”

He cleared his throat. “When this is all over, we’ll take you home. And we’ll leave. And... you’ll be alone, if I understood correctly, at least. Forgive me if I assumed wrong—” a sad smile pulled at my lips “No, you’re right. I don’t have family. Friends... at least trusted ones. A life of crime hardly surrounds you with decent people” I joked at the end while standing up. Yord offered me a hand, but I ignored it.

The conversation was making me more uncomfortable than I wanted to admit. I turned my back on him while quickly slipping the communicator into my bag.

I would have to check later that it didn’t have a tracking device.

“Yes, well... if you need someone to talk to... I’m here. And maybe when I’m free, I can come to visit you” I shot him a confused glance over my shoulder before turning to face him.

Only then did I realize how close we were.

The ship wasn’t made for long journeys, and the bedroom was small and rectangular, the bare minimum for resting between destinations, but nothing more. And with Yord in front of the door, we were practically a few centimeters apart from each other. I could see a slight blush on his cheeks as he struggled to look me in the eyes.

It made me feel a bit tender.

“And what do the Jedi think of something like this?” I whispered with a poorly concealed smile. Yord blushed even more and took a deep breath. “The code doesn’t forbid friendships outside the order, and... maybe... I mean... if you want to chat with someone, I’m here” the difficulty with which he tried to finish the sentence was hilarious, but I avoided pointing it out. After all, he was... cute.

I rarely dealt with someone like that, even before my solitary path. My years as a student were very quiet, if not tense. Sure, the results were excellent by the end of my journey, but I regretted how I indirectly isolated myself, and considering what I did with all those years in the end... I wondered if there was anything in life that satisfied me.

That didn’t disappoint me.

Maybe I was the problem.

Maybe running from Qimir was just another whim.

“True. It’s very kind of you. I promise you won’t get rid of me easily” the lie came out naturally, but the pain in my heart was a surprise even to me.

Maybe I was sending him to his death.

Or at least I was deceiving him, the excuse of protecting my child wasn’t enough. I could have acted differently, but I was selfish and wanted to protect myself above all... and also leave an escape route for Qimir. In a few hours, we would part ways and never see each other again, and he would probably hate me... or something like that. He would realize that I took advantage of him, that I deceived him.

It was better to lie until the end. I didn’t want to be there when he realized the lies when he looked at me disappointed.

Maybe sad.

I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek that left him speechless, but with my bag, I passed him by, leaving the room without saying another word. I could feel his gaze burning into my back, but I ignored it.

It was easier that way.

Crossing the small corridor to the central hall, I caught a glimpse of Sol and Jecki at the command posts and approached them lightly. They turned to nod at me, but I remained silent, looking outside, beyond the glass where we could finally see our destination.

We had arrived in the space around the planet Teben. It was a place abandoned by civilization; centuries ago, there was life, not particularly developed considering the kind of ruins Qimir and I found the first time we came here, but there was everything needed to stay hidden in an environment not particularly dangerous, at least not for two like us.

It was a small green planet, forests and swamps covered most of its surface, the climate mostly cold, reaching particularly low temperatures at night.

We had chosen this location more out of my whim; I hated the heat and became particularly irritable as soon as I started sweating, one of the first things Qimir knew about me.

He didn’t really care where we camped, as long as it wasn’t an arid place. I remember well the early days here, we came in search of a temple... which turned out to be quite bare, but the place was great for making a quiet base.

It was also one of the first times we shared a bed, since we didn’t trust being too far apart in an unknown hostile environment, and resources were poor, so it was better to share more layers of blankets than to divide them.

I remembered we were fine, there was no discomfort, master and acolyte, no limits were crossed, we were... friends.

The problem is, I didn’t move during the night, he did.

So when the next morning, I found his arm around my waist, I skipped a beat, I wasn’t supposed to think about it, but... it made me feel good.

I pretended to sleep, and when he woke up, he realized the situation he had put himself in, I felt him prop himself up on an elbow behind me, his arm sliding away not before gently stroking my hip with his thumb.

After that morning, I couldn’t get that memory out of my head. If I concentrated enough, I could still feel that warm caress on my skin.

Maybe that’s how it all started, or maybe it was just the first physical proof of a feeling that had already begun and that I hadn’t seen. That I didn’t want to admit.

We descended into the planet’s atmosphere. I had mapped a safe route away from the main temple. We hadn’t equipped much nearby, the forests were so dense it was impossible to land except in specific, distant locations. Only by exploring the temple could you find a hidden passage leading to a large enough cliff for small or medium ships. Qimir guessed it was created later since it didn’t match the rest.

The nearest landing zones, external or internal, were almost the same distance on foot. Sol asked earlier if we could land directly there, but it was likely full, and we risked blowing up. Sure, we risked Qimir escaping, but landing with a destroyed ship made no sense.

We landed silently where I indicated, opened the door, and descended the ship’s stairs after gearing up. I put my hands in my pockets to trigger the alarm signal to my droid. Qimir was probably watching us, but it was better not to risk it.

Sol, Yord, and Jecki reviewed the plan while I nervously adjusted my poncho, hoping it hid my form. I put on my backpack and adjusted the fabric. Sol gave me a reassuring look before approaching me.

“Relax. I promised he wouldn’t even touch you, and I intend to keep it” I replied with a nervous sigh “I just hope... well, Qimir doesn’t know I’m pregnant. I don’t want to give him another reason to be angry”

He nodded understandingly. “Let’s go.”

I chose a well-worn landing zone, an old path led to the temple. Although roots had cracked the stone and symbols faded, it was better than traversing the dense forest full of insect nests and dangerous animals. I wasn’t sure of my combat skills five months pregnant, and I hadn’t touched a lightsaber since fleeing.

The air was cool, the sky turned purple as the sun set, casting large shadows. We were mostly silent and focused. We planned to trap Qimir in the temple. I would close the doors overlooking the cliff while they blocked the main entrance, confident they could corner him now that they knew his capabilities.

The key was surprising him and luring him away from the automatic doors I would shut. I had instructed Sam to equip my escape ship and make a map copy. The plan was to snatch it from Qimir and ensure he couldn’t track me. Luckily, he wasn’t into droids or gadgets, I usually handled locks and technology while he preferred organic methods like poisons. We had been a perfect team.

Had been.

Several doors blocked the path to the ships, so faking malfunctions or unfamiliar droids causing problems would be easy. As time passed, the Jedi seemed more relaxed around me, possibly not considering me a suspect once I escaped.

What made me nervous was not knowing Qimir’s intentions. He supported my plan, but I no longer had his trust. I saw the repressed anger in his eyes that night, and I still bore the marks on my arms. He was a ticking bomb, but I didn’t know if he’d unleash it on me or the Jedi.

During the confrontation, hiding my pregnancy was less important than staying safe. His reaction could be anger or joy, or worse, he might abandon our ruse and just drag me away. I couldn’t let him get too close.

It was nearly dark when we reached the temple. We hid behind large trees to see if Qimir was nearby. His presence was obvious, he wasn’t hiding. It felt like standing before a sleeping beast’s lair. The dark side rested but swirled around us, unsettling the three of them. But I was unfazed, feeling at home with its presence.

After nightfall, Sol gave a final warning before we moved toward the temple entrance. The large door was half-open. We hadn’t repaired it, focusing instead on the chamber doors.

Inside, most lights were off to avoid attracting small creatures.

Yord gently touched my side, silently asking a question. Unfortunately, we had to pass by the second-floor chambers to reach the passage at the temple’s end. Many areas had collapsed, and uncertain of the structure’s stability, we reinforced dangerous zones with beams, leaving only one safe path.

We’d pass the second-floor doors, including the bedroom, then descend to the first floor to close the first door. Yord would accompany me to ensure I reached safely and Qimir wouldn’t notice us. He might leap from the second floor, but it was too much risky, leaving him without supplies or a ship.

The plan wasn’t bad, given the few Jedi available. Too bad they didn’t know the surprise factor never existed.

I signaled Yord to climb the rusty stairs, with Sol and Jecki hiding in the main hall, ready to intervene if we were caught or if I triggered the doors and alarmed the Sith.

We walked silently, Yord a step behind, watching my back. The stone corridors were dimly lit by warm, faint lamps. I silently indicated the bedroom door to Yord, placing a finger on my lips. The dark side’s presence intensified, I knew Qimir was there, likely waiting for us.

Then I saw it.

At the corridor’s end, my small droid Sam patrolled, seemingly lost in thought. I froze, and Yord noticed the unexpected guest.

“This is new” I whispered to Yord, who prepared to move. I reached for my stun gun, ready to miss on purpose, but it wasn’t necessary.

Sam turned towards us, his usual blue eye turning red, and an alarm blared. Yord grabbed my poncho and pushed me down the corridor.

“Run!” he shouted, abandoning stealth.

I dashed past the bedroom door, firing stun shots at Sam, pretending to miss in panic. Sam dodged easily, disappearing around the corner. I heard Yord’s footsteps behind me, the alarm echoing, then an explosion.

Just as Yord passed the bedroom door, it burst open, and Qimir attacked, wearing a helmet. Yord barely drew his lightsaber before being slammed into the stone wall and parrying a powerful red lightsaber.

The plan was in motion.

[audreyscribes]

Ω PJO DEMIGOD HEADCANONS: 🌾 DEMETER: Goddess of Agriculture and Fertility, of the Harvest & Sacred Law, of the Earth, of the Seasons, Nourishment & Bread 🌽

author's note: I had a sudden idea about writing some headcanons Camp Halfblood demigods being claimed and what it's like for each respective god and cabin, followed by a small blurb afterwards. Thank you for reading and please like and reblog! The order is not in order of the cabin numbers. [PJO DEMIGOD HEADCANONS MASTERLIST]

When you get claimed, the ground beneath you bursts with vegetation. You look around you and notice that among the vegetation, it’s your favourites. Your favourite flowers, fruit, vegetable, and plants. It’s almost like Demeter had been keeping an eye on you this entire time and this was her bouquet for you. A wreath of corn and plants sit upon your crown.

Your siblings cheer and help you take the bouquet of vegetation, taking the roots of each plant to be planted later on, and the rest is gathered. You’re introduced to your cabin and siblings with a small impromptu picnic of said-bouquet as you all break bread together. As you sink your teeth into the nearest food, it fills you with energy you’re not sure how to place other than it’s good. 

There are plants everywhere in your cabin and the inside of the cabin is almost like a botanical garden that is also never uncomfortable to sleep in. You look around and you see plants hanging from above and/or rising above. Your bed smells like earth and flowers, and there are vines curling up around the frames. As soon you touch the bed, your bunk bed bursts into your favourite flowers and plants, providing you a little bit of comfort. 

The wreath you were given hangs above your head and it remains fresh. It’s like a soft reminder of Demeter’s presence.

You help with the camp’s business of growing and maintaining the strawberries they grow, and you find out you and your siblings all get a small portion of the profits. It’s almost like an allowance for doing your chores. 

Being a child of Demeter, you get along with the children of Dionysus and Mr. D. 

You also get along with the dryads at camp, being the child of Demeter. There’s a sense of love and respect directed towards you. If you don’t know, you’re later told by one of your siblings, the dryads, or Mr. D himself. 

Let’s just say, Demeter is very, very terrifying and you know when they say to never mess with Mother Nature. 

Do not mistaken for weakness and unimportance as a child of Demeter. Demeter herself is powerful, and hopefully no one earns her ire. 

People might not find your particularly threatening, but know that when the time comes, your hand that has handled the tools that till the earth, is just as practiced as a sword. 

Flower power to the max. You can sprout the plants beneath your feet, from the smallest of weeds that can tear apart stone through their cracks, to the network of tree roots beneath your feet that grow and grow. Fungi are also on the table and boy, there's no way more terrifying then razing down enemies with the power of fungi. You carry an assortment of seeds with you and let me tell you, a whip made out of Rose thorns go hard.

You looked at the miniature garden beneath your feet. You quickly take in the fact the plants around you are your favourites. Your favourite fruits, flowers, herbs, plants in general. You can’t tell if it is the pollen or dust, but you feel your eyes prickling at the fact that maybe, Demeter had been keeping an eye on you when her claim brought about your favourites. 

You felt the wreath of corn grow on top of your head, the vines and leaves moving and parting your hair behind your ear. It is soft, gentle, and deliberate, almost like a mother’s touch. 

You see a bunch of campers take out shovels, spades, and other gardening tools and begin working at your feet, gathering the plants. A girl steps forward and she had her hands on her hips, giving you a smile. 

“Don’t worry about the plants. Each new child of Demeter’s claim is different and their plants are a representation of them, so we like to gather the plants to celebrate. My name is Katie Gardner, child of Demeter and cabin leader. Welcome!” 

You introduced yourself before catching some of the children of Demeter talk excitedly about what to make with the produce they had gathered. “So what’s going on now?”

Katie gently guides you to the Demeter Cabin as she explains. “To welcome each new addition to our cabin, we also like to hold an impromptu picnic if its early or late enough before meal times, and we use the plants from their claim as the centrepiece. This also lets us get to know each other, a bit of an ice breaker if you get what I mean.”

“That’s actually pretty cool” you said as she led you to your bunk.

“It is, right? I know we may not seem as cool compared to the other gods, but trust me, being a child of Demeter is just as great as the others. We’re just…more down to earth.”

The reaction you gave to Katie as she let out a laugh. “Got you right there” she giggled. “Come on, there’s plenty to show you!”