#BUT THEY HAVE SUCH A CUTE INTERACTION JUST WAIT THIS CHAPTER IS GREAT

[pastafossa]

my dearest pasta, will we be blessed with a new chapter this evening?

Possibly! Basically it's good news and bad news:

Good: we're currently sitting at 7.4k words, maybe 3/4 edited (I'm at around the 5.3k wordmark) so likely longer when we're done since editing always lengthens my shit as I add in what's needed. THAT MEANS TWO CHAPTERS AGAIN, BABY, INCLUDING A BITTA SMUTTY GOODNESS, BEEN TOO LONG SINCE WE GOT SOME DOUBLE CHAPTER DROPS AND SOME FIRE EMOJI WARNINGS.

Bad: it's 7.4k words and that's a lot to edit, so this might end up being dropped tomorrow. I'm not sure yet.

[redflagshipwriter]

Hot Ghouls in your area 7

masterpost

Chapter 7 

…Jason slowly put down the book and turned it cover up, shell-shocked from that interaction. He lifted his phone and took a photo. He sent it to Roy. 

“What do you see?” He typed. Jason bit his lower lip and tried not to scowl while he waited for a response. 

It wasn’t that Jason was unused to conflict. Jason was great at conflict. He won every conflict! (Almost.) But what the hell had this shit been? Why had that guy been so pissy about the book? What the hell was wrong with the book that Jason didn’t see?

“Gibberish?” Roy texted back a few minutes later. “It gives the impression of wonky Cyrillic to me. But it's got a terrible energy to it. The hell is that?”

Jason looked at the cover. To his eyes, there was a serif font declaring it Sense and Sensibility Universe D version 5. 

“Thanks,” he sent, ignoring the question and then the barrage of heart emojis. Shit, okay. 

That answered one question. But it didn't answer enough. What the fuck had that college kid been seeing that was so offensive? 

‘And why'd he think we would meet again?’ 

Jason pushed deep, deep down any awareness that he hoped it was true. That had been weird enough that it would bother him forever if he didn’t get answers.

He sort of hated the idea of getting his nosy family involved, but they would ask different and in some ways, less annoying questions than other groups he could poll. They'd know not to lie to him, at least. So he sent the picture on to the family group chat with the same question and grimly finished his tea. 

The elderly proprietor came out then and noticed that her other customer was gone. She looked confused for a moment, scanning the seat to see if his book bag was still there. She picked up the cash he'd left on the table and then started stacking dishes.

‘He’s a regular,’ Jason guessed, honing in on the opportunity to learn more. He flipped the book open but held the apparently offensive cover down towards the table, out of her line of sight. He needed to know what had gone so wrong. Jason wasn’t normally the kind of person that cute college kids had beef with.

He'd never been in this café before, his intuition had just told him to duck inside.

“I think he forgot something,” Jason offered casually, pretending to just look up from his book. “Ran out real quick in a panic.” 

The lady let out a soft “Ahhh,” of comprehension. “Something for his afternoon class, perhaps,” she agreed, looking a little happier. 

“Yeah, it looked like he was getting ready to settle in for a long study session and then he bolted,” Jason lied, watching her underneath his lashes. He had been paying a little more attention than he ought to when the guy came in. He was Jason’s type, aside from the thing where he’d hated Jason’s face for no apparent reason-

‘No, actually, everyone I’ve ever been into hated me on sight.’

Ouch. As Jason digested that embarrassing truth, the owner continued talking.

“He does that,” she agreed, apparently not thinking it was odd at all for them to talk about the habits of another customer. “Tuesdays and Thursdays. He's a sharp cookie, did you know that?” She continued, and oh, she had halfway adopted this college kid, huh? There was warmth and a hint of pride in her tone.

Jason valiantly swallowed the snort. “He looks familiar, but I don't think we have classes together,” he fished. 

“Mm, he's doing some kind of math and engineering,” the lady helpfully supplied. She gave Jason her full attention as she stood up from the table. “And you?”

“Modern language and literature,” Jason said, and sort of wished it was true. He didn't really have the time. Did he? Spoiler was a full-time student, wasn't she? …Huh.

While he chewed that over, the lady had drifted a couple steps closer.

“...Those are two meaningfully different courses?” 

“Modern language is learning additional languages, I'm doing Russian and Greek right now,” Jason lied easily. He was fluent in both already. “Literature is mostly classics, for my purposes. I'm focusing on Regency Lit.” 

She looked very interested, but she detoured away to deposit the dirty dishes behind the counter. They kept up a light conversation about books as she wiped off the table and reset for the next customer. 

When she left, he finally had the chance to check his messages. There was a full-on fight in the group chat. The last message was from Stephanie. She had tagged him and asked, “Is this an optical illusion??? Like that dress?”

Ah, fuck. Jason felt a rock settle in his stomach at the confirmation that something hinky was going on.

‘I can’t read this in public if it’s saying something I can’t control or even know.’

Fucking hell. Jason scrolled back up and checked. Damian listed the correct title. Dick saw what, ‘I thought was Greek at first.’ Stephanie might have been joking but she argued vigorously that it was pictographs that started with a bird. Drake had sent “You rediscovered Minoan Linear A? Cool.” and then not participated in any follow-up discussions. Duke had sent only a stream of confused and tearful emojis.

Cass had marked it read.

“Fair enough, I guess,” Jason muttered to himself. Resentfully he put the book back in his bag. 

What had that guy seen? If he’d just seen something foreign but illegible he wouldn’t have gotten so pissy about it. And who the hell had he been, anyway? Why was he so special?

Well. That was something to do with his afternoon. Jason paid up his bill and gave Phyllis his well-wishes for her doctor’s appointment tomorrow on the way out. Phyllis was a good contact, he would definitely come back for more of her jasmine tea no matter how mad that guy got at him.

…Jason really needed a name.

And found…

He headed to Gotham University and used the student computers to look up departments and then hack into the registrar. Jason flipped through photos until he found his guy: Danny Fenton, 19, sophomore double-major in the Engineering department. Good grades, no notes on his account about academic dishonesty or conflict.

'Little weird to meet two Dannys in a 24 hour period.'

Jason searched the guy online and found…

He let his mouth drop open in disbelief at the batshit insane website design he had stumbled into. The Fenton family had a website, apparently, and they had maybe let a 7 year old design it in 2008. The colors… The lack of centering… The.. the neon choices.

His eyes watered. It took a while to fight down his aesthetic grief and actually start comprehending the text.

He had expected this to be like, an online family newsletter. And it was! The link he had followed detailed ��Danno going to college in the big city!!!” The boy himself looked extremely resigned in the attached photo. Seriously, Jason had seen much less mortified mugshots. The thing was, that on the same page, alongside posts about other kids going college (Jazzypants!) and someone called Alicia recovering from ���supergout!” with "her eight favorite toes remaining!!!", there was also a lot of mention of ghosts.

Like, a lot.

Jason scrolled in pained disbelief. There were photos that showed extremely weird and dismayed green people obviously flinching away from a camera. A beautiful green woman with her hair halfway over her face snarled through a flood of smoke under the title “Wishywish Ghostie Interviewed: Learn what drives her generous heart!” and an ugly robot motherfucker was seen fleeing under the caption, “Skalker indicates that spook is a GHOST SLUR!”

….Was it a shit post? Just one long shitpost? It had to be a joke site.

Well. No. Jason buried his face in his hands and came to terms with the horrible fact that not only were ghosts real, he was accidentally married to one and this bombastic midwestern family already knew about it. This was his best lead for getting that 'beyond death do you part' separation.

They had been blasting the existence of ghosts for all the world to read, and it hadn’t been news. The Justice League didn’t know about this whole society. The journalism done by– Jason lifted his head to check– Jack Fenton interviewing clearly very unwilling ghosts was the only primary source that he knew of. 

He took a few deep breaths. He came to terms with grief. He decided to block his family from any further involvement in this shitshow, for what remained of his dignity. And he grimly noted down Jack Fenton’s email.

Jason cleared this history and closed down his tabs, feeling a decade older than he had when he had entered the library. He ignored the sultry ‘come talk to me’ eye contact that the student worker was shooting him from behind the counter as he slouched out. 

He stopped for a moment on top of the stairs to watch campus move. He saw the theatre building and the modern language headquarters from his vantage point, along with about half of the student center. There was just a trickle of foot traffic between buildings along paved paths. A few people were hanging out on blankets in the grass. An old man in a suit was taking a phone call next to a crawling rose garden. 

‘Maybe I should go to school.’

Well. After this shit was sorted out. Obviously he could not go to school before he got divorced. It would be torturous to hang out with cute boys his age and be committed to some hot dead mermaid who didn’t even wanna make out with him sloppy. Loser shit on absolutely every level, goddamn.

Jason shoved his hands in his pockets and jogged down the stairs. He kept an eye out for Danny, but had no luck.  

Not that he cared. It was interesting that he had a lead: Danny clearly had some connection to ghosts, and he had been able to read… 

‘Maybe he realized it was a ghost’s property and he thought I stole it?’ Jason realized in a stroke of inspiration. That made more sense. If he knew enough to recognize it as ghost language or whatever, then he might have felt affronted about Jason having it.

He went through his mental checklist to pick out what he did and didn’t know. Once he felt he had a hang on his priorities, he beelined to his own laptop in his favorite safehouse and started looking into the Fentons in more depth.

It was a great lead. It was suspiciously good, in fact, he thought as he found Jack Fenton’s online family newsletter again. What were the odds that he would run into Danny Fenton in a cafe that Jason had never even been in before? It had been a total fluke that he’d entered. He’d been walking past to a favorite place and then just had the urge to try the dark little family cafe.

‘…Ah, fuck’, Jason sighed. More ghost shit. It had to be. Something about Danny Fenton’s ghost shit had registered to him now that he’d been exposed to ghost central.

[whirlybirbs]

— BURNER CELL ; 2 ; DABI ; 荼毗

summary: after a week of silence, you finally text dabi. pairing: dabi / f!reader ; quirkless word count: 1.3k tag: humor, maladjusted dabi meets normal adult woman, flirting, canon-based world building, cancer mention, texting as a plot device, slight au, univeristy student!reader a/n: this stole all my concentration. siri play emo boy by ayesha erotica ← previous | the tag

It's the kind of week where, aside from class, human interaction isn't really on life's setlist. 

It's also the kind of week where you rediscover making a meal of raw cookie dough straight from the package. Your econ textbook might have a stranglehold on you, but you make enough time to scarf down a few globs between chapters — after all, who needs protein or fiber when you're sure this five-year master's program will kill you first?

Your head hurts.

You slump against the counter, refilling your water bottle. 

It's late now — and you can feel the quiet woes beginning to wane as you blink at the clock. By now, your friends are probably on their second or third drinks. You turned the invite down when they asked yesterday. Nuri tugged on your sweater sleeve and pouted the best pout she could manage, but you didn't budge. 

I've gotta finish this paper, I'm sorry, Nur'. 

You roll your jaw as you shut the faucet off, wandering to your freezer to wrangle some cubes from the tray. You bend it slowly, deep in thought. A few pop out, and you idly drop them into your water bottle with a twang. 

You're staring at your phone. It's by your computer on the counter. 

...You never did text Dabi. 

You told yourself it was for the best — after all, you weren't looking for a catastrophic derailment of your life at the moment. Things are good. You're two semesters away from finishing University, your family's bakery back in Kyoto is doing well, and Dad's chemotherapy seems to be working. Things are good! It's almost fall, you've managed to stick to your monthly budget, and Mizu settled in happily to your new apartment. 

No four-day poop strike like the last time you moved.

The large tuxedo cat in question ambles through the kitchen — brushing against your leg and letting out a long, low mrrooow. 

Things are great! 

You shouldn't text Dabi.

But... even if you did, it's not like it'd be the end of the world, right?

Wait, could he figure out where you lived from your number...?

You could use one of those anonymous texting services. Then, it wouldn't even be your number. Just some fake string of digits that allow you to satiate the bizarre curiosity that's been swirling in your head for the last week. 

You're sure the novelty will wear off. 

He's probably not even going to respond. 

You're telling yourself this is stupid as you begin to set up an account with the service — the app boasts privacy, andunlimited calls and texts... You can't help but feel a little strange as you finalize your account. 

It's done.

You import his contact with two taps and stare at the blank screen. 

...Now what?

Are you really going to do this? I mean — he's a wanted criminal. He's a member of the League of Villains. If anyone ever found out you were in contact with him, you'd be toast. You'd have All Might kicking your door in and demanding to look through your phone and that mental image is enough to make you cringe. Say goodbye to your degree, goodbye toyour future as Sakura Flour's owner, and goodbye to freedom. You're sure the Safety Commission would place you on some watch list for the rest of your life, and frankly, your tweets are already questionable. You don't need more scrutiny. 

...So, there are two options. 

Delete his number and move on... or don't get caught. 

You shouldn't text Dabi.

...But, you do.

Truth be told, he isn't shocked to see that cute Nuri girl hanging on Giran's arm again. The Broker seems pretty into her — the guy even mentioned something about taking her to a nice dinner during the week as a congrats on passing some big test. Dabi can't blame him. She's cute. Looks good in red. Not his type, but he can appreciate it from time to time.

However, Dabi is a little shocked that you're not a part of the group cheering in Giran's VIP section. There's bottle service being ordered, laughter, dancing, and a gaggle of pretty, five college girls — and none of them are you. 

His lips twist into a scowl. 

He decides he's leaving; his piss-poor drink is tossed back, and he dumps a bill down for the bartender before tugging his hood up and sucking his teeth. 

He never liked this club anyway.

He's crossing the threshold of the back door, stepping into the damp and dark alley, when the phone in his back pocket buzzes. Someone's smoking a Marlboro by the dumpster. The familiar smell makes Dabi's fingers twitch. 

He's tryna quit.

He tugs the phone from his pocket, no longer bothered by the splintered glass screen. His battery is at 13%. This fuckin' thing barely holds a charge anymore. 

The number on the screen isn't one he knows.

Dabi's passcode is unnecessarily long. His phone clicks open as he narrows his eyes and shambles towards the opening in the alley. He doesn't know this number. He has everyone's cell memorized that he needs. Shigaraki, Toga, Spinner, Jin, Compress, even Giran. He doesn't keep contacts. Doesn't work when he's ditching phones all the time. He's got his noggin. That's good enough.

The text is one word:

hi.

Dabi's squinting at the text when another buzzes through. 

← 909.999.3399 ;  11:48pm sorry, this is bar girl

→ dabi ; 11:46pm thought u were never gonna txt me ur girlie nuri is here where r u

There's no way.

Your phone buzzes three times from its far place where it sits face down on the counter — you just walked away from it, hellbent on distracting yourself while you waited out the potential reply. You go rigid in your kitchen. 

Did he seriously text you back immediately?

You purse your lips, then slink towards the phone. It buzzes again.

→ dabi ; 11:47pm c'mon don't leave me hangin pretty

Your eyes are wide as you stare at the string of replies. He has read receipts turned on like the psychopath he is. 

You lean back against the counter, chewing your cuticle as you let out a ragged sigh. Nuri is with him? Or... No, they said they were going to that club you hate. 

← 909.999.3399 ;  11:4pam oh, are they at the bar?‎

Dabi's fingers move fast.

→ dabi ; 11:49pm nah in downtown club tropical or whatever the fuck it's called

You snort a little.

← 909.999.3399 ;  11:49pm i hate that place. their drinks suck.

Dabi has started making his way back to their hideout — back to the shit box apartments they're renting above Kurogiri's bar. He's slow, idly texting as he weaves through the crowds of nightlife in Kamino Ward. 

→ dabi ; 11:50pm a girl after my own heart where r u ur dodging my question u on a date or smthng????

He's insistent, you'll give him that. You cross your legs as you lean back against the laminate counter and chew the inside of your lip.

He's typing. It starts, then stops, then starts again. 

When you start typing, the bubble disappears. 

← 909.999.3399 ;  11:50pm nah, got a huge paper to finish uni student, remember? sorry to disappoint 

→ dabi ; 11:51pm ur missin out giran got bottle service  him and nuri looked cozy

← 909.999.3399 ;  11:51pm not shocked she thinks she can fix him

→ dabi ; 11:51pm ooooo love when that happens poor girl

Typing... 

Typing...

→ dabi ; 11:51pm u think u can fix me? :p

The emoji makes your face break into a smile — it's so... not what you expected. 

← 909.999.3399 ;  11:52pm nah i'm not stupid

→ dabi ; 11:52pm just busy.... really lame of u tbh coulda been fun

← 909.999.3399 ;  11:52pm wasting cash on mid drinks is the opposite of fun

→ dabi ; 11:52pm i meant seeing me

Oh, what the fuck.

Why does that text make your face feel hot? Why does that text make you feel like you're not texting the League of Villain's #1 Arsonist, but some cute boy from class? He's not a cute boy from class. He's a danger to society. 

You're glad you don't have the opportunity to reply. Your phone is buzzing in your hands, the haptic feedback lighting the neurons in your brain on fire.  

→ dabi ; 11:53pm gtg phone is gonna die have fun with ur paper u loser hope u get a good grade or whatever i'll txt u later

You shouldn't have texted Dabi.

But you did. 

[citrustan]

for what it's worth [3/4] (jjk)

pairing: jeon jungkook x reader

genre: angst, fluff, light smut, college student!reader x crush!jungkook

summary: you make an awful revelation about your crush of two years.

word count: 3.8k

warnings: some bitchiness (or like justice? idk it's up to you really)

note: yes. there is a chapter 4 because i'm not ready to let go of this just yet. and a thank you.

1 - 2 - 3 - 4

Two weeks passed by and you and Jia pretended as if absolutely nothing happened. It was simply the quiet before the storm.

Your days seemed to blend into nights, you felt yourself slipping into a bad place mentally. Always feeling distant and fatigued.

The emotional turmoil of having your trust broken and your privacy invaded caused you to miss out on much needed sleep.

While on the outside, everything seemed pretty much the usual except for a few painfully obvious differences.

You had stopped (publicly) obsessing over Jungkook, and it initially invited a lot of concern from Yoongi and Namjoon. But they didn’t push you too much when you blatantly ignored their questions about him. You also avoided Jia as much as you could. She didn’t seem to have noticed.

Despite your crush on Jungkook, you had come to accept the boundaries of your non-friendship with him and the fact that he was deeply committed to Jia.

You had no intention of causing any harm to their relationship, as you had already shared your support with Jungkook for their secret.

It was difficult to not think of them. It often made you break into tears of anger and frustration. You had to mourn your loss.

Every night, thoughts of Jungkook would continue to consume you. You’d still imagine him to be yours. Images of him smiling at you and his voice calling you cute would linger in your mind.

It’s just pretend. There’s no harm in it.

You knew that Jia had described you as a ‘creep’ to Jungkook, but the label bothered you. You were not a creep, and you wanted to understand why Jia had portrayed you that way. No matter what you came up with in your head, nothing was a good enough reason to call you such a gross name. Sure, she hadn’t revealed to Jungkook your identity but that baffled you more.

Also, had Jungkook never wondered about this ‘creep’?

Too many things kept you up at night and you couldn’t stand being on the other side of the truth. You could no longer afford to let these things bother you. You were too fucking old for this shit.

With the final week before your course evaluations being right around the corner, you had subconsciously come to some harsh unanimous decisions. They weren’t impulsive or unreasonable. You really had thought this through. These decisions may be a risky, or bitchy, or just as sneaky as Jia was, but they’d still be within reason.

He needed to know the truth about you, Jia, and what she told him.

You wanted to tell Jia that you knew about them. It probably wasn’t going to come out of Jungkook, so it had to be you.

Why must you continue to suffer?

You didn’t want to wait around and anticipate Jia’s next move.

You’re not the type of person who sits around and ignores things like these. You had held it in for a while now.

You understood that your actions would have consequences and you were more than ready to face them. You hoped.

While you pretended nothing ever happened, Jia and you saw way less of each other.

You could count the times you interacted, or even passed by, or saw each other over the weeks on one hand.

Still, every time you’d think about your interaction with Jungkook, you were reminded of Jia too. Him and Jia. You couldn't help but notice his annoyingly deep feelings for Jia. He was so… considerate of her. It probably is just the bare minimum but it doesn’t matter. You could tell he was a great boyfriend to her. No wonder she kept him hidden.

Sometimes, it felt so wrong and scandalous to fantasize about the man. Maybe it even is so. But you weren’t just infatuated with Jungkook. You really liked him. Emotions like these don’t disappear overnight.

You longed to be loved and held by him too.

The campus shuttle came to an abrupt halt, indicating that it was the last stop. You had missed yours.

*

As the semester continued, Jungkook found himself missing the moments he had shared with you before everything became so complicated. Jia completely stopped mentioning you. Whenever he’d ask, she’d pout and demand his attention to be back on her. While he’d give into her, you still remained in the back of his mind.

It was late in the evening, and Jungkook had decided to take a break from his hectic study schedule, opting to go for a walk around his dorm on campus.

As he neared the drop-off point for the shuttle, he couldn't help but think about you, remembering the first time you had met at a bus stand.

He stood there, lost in thought, when he suddenly saw a figure leaning against the street light.

An involuntary smile crossed his face as he couldn't believe the coincidence.

"_____, is that you?" Jungkook called out, waving to get your attention. He jogs to where you now stood upright.

You turned towards him, your eyes widening in surprise as you recognized him. "Jungkook? What are you doing here?"

He chuckled and motioned to the bus station. "Well, it seems like the bus stands are our special spot. I thought I'd take a break and enjoy the nostalgia."

You let out a mix of a sigh and an awkward laugh, feeling a mixture of nostalgia and uncertainty. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Jungkook nodded, and he noticed the hesitation in your eyes. "Would you like to grab some dinner? We can catch up?"

You were caught off-guard.

"Right now? It's not late enough for dinner." You attempt to find an excuse.

"Sure it is. There's a new Chinese fusion restaurant right off the road outside." Jungkook urged.

"Fusion? What is it fused with?" You wondered.

Jungkook paused. "I... Actually don't know. Want to find out?" He smiled, invitingly.

Not used to the attention he was giving you just now, you found it difficult to tell him 'no'.

Especially when you really wanted to 'catch up' with him.

So, you reluctantly agreed, and the two of you were headed to the nearby restaurant.

Jungkook smiled back at you as he led the way, "Do you want me to hold your hand? It looks heavy."

WHAT?

Your mouth slightly parted open.

Oh, my god? What was his deal?

You're malfunctioning.

"No. I'd rather not..." You hesitantly refuse. Jungkook slows down to let to catch up to him. "Are you sure? You look like you've been carrying that around for a while. And, I really wouldn't mind it."

More confused than ever, "Well, it is attached to me. I'm okay."

"Well, un-attach it! I'll hold it for you." Jungkook's hands graze your shoulder.

Your brows furrow. Finally, you just ask him. "What?"

"Let me hold your bag. Unbuckle, un-attach, relax." Jungkook blabbered as he switched positions to walk behind you, gently taking your backpack off your shoulders.

Oh.

Oh, no. Did you really think he was asking to hold your hand? Really now?

You big dummy with a capital 'D'.

You sigh. "Okay. Thanks, but let me just-" You cut yourself off by unzipping your backpack and pulling out a white sweater with pearls for buttons.

The two of you pause mid-way so you can comfortably wear your sweater. The temperature was dropping my the hour.

Although you don't have your matching mittens and earmuffs, it should be fine.

"That's pretty, _____." Jungkook complimented you.

"Where'd you get that?" He asked, thinking about how much Jia would like this kind of clothing.

You shyly blush and look down at your glossy, red pointed toe heels, "Thanks. I made it myself with the yarn my mother spun for me."

Jungkook looked genuinely impressed. "No way. That's got to be worth a lot then."

You stared up at him with big eyes. Nobody had ever said such sweet things to you.

(That's a lie. Your other friends have always praised your clothes and outfits. But this is different, so it's ok!)

You wordlessly, softly smile at him. Jungkook stares back at you.

Suddenly, his expression changes. His eyes grow big and his mouth forms a smile, "Ah! Could I commission you to make something just like that for Jia? She loves stuff like that!"

And just like that, your heart shattered. Again.

Your kind smile turned into a forced one. "Maybe if I have time."

You noted that he didn't demand or suggest you to make a sweater for Jia, but rather requested it and offered to compensate for it. That just tells you more about how considerate and present he is.

Every time you've talked to people about your handmade clothes, they'd beg you to make them one or jokingly ask about it so that if you do end up making something for them, they wouldn't have to pay you for your efforts. This doesn't include your friends, obviously. And, even if your friends were to act this way, you'd gladly gift them your handiwork.

Well, even though he's somewhat of a stranger to you, if Jungkook ever asked you for something, you'd probably just do it for him too. No questions asked.

Jungkook asked you about your day and your classes. And, you him.

As you were walking on the snow covered sidewalk, you mentally cuss yourself out for picking these shoes. Not only were your feet partially frozen and numb, but also you were ruining very expensive shoes.

"Oh! Puddle, watch out." Jungkook swiftly skipped over a puddle of water that horizontally covered a significant portion of the walkway from one end to the other.

You watched him regain his footing and turn back to you.

Does he expect you to leap like that? Your legs aren't as long as his! But, you don't gave a choice.

You can't step in it, it could very well be a hole of icy water. That'd be risking a potential amputation.

You can't walk around it because there's nowhere to go. And, you can't switch to walking on the road because, well it's dangerous, and there's a metal partition placed specifically to avoid mixing people on wheels and people on foot.

Jungkook puts his hand out for you to grab.

"Just put one foot out to this side and I'll pull you up. Don't worry! I've always done this with Jia." He mentions Jia, hoping to reassure you that he wouldn't let you slip.

All it does is make you more uneasy. Just the thought of Jia. It has an odd effect on you. Your body feels colder. You shudder briefly.

Your only goal now is to get past this stupid puddle without humiliating yourself. You realize that delaying this makes you look more cowardly, hence humiliating you.

So, you grab hold of Jungkook's surprisingly warm hand. Not going to lie, you faked some uncertainty just so you could keep holding his hand.

Someone has got to get you in check.

Jungkook urged you to trust him yet again. His stance showed he was prepared to pull you through.

You lift your left foot and somehow land it on the other side of the puddle. Not even a second after, Jungkook roughly pulls you to him with all his strength.

Not expecting this amount of force, you clumsily collide into his chest, immediately wrapping your arms around his torso to avoid falling back into the very puddle you were trying to get across from.

Jungkook reciprocates by circling his arms around your shoulders and head.

How you wished he held you elsewhere, but he was so respectful.

Everything happened so quickly.

Embarrassed, your breath hitched and you suddenly pushed him to the side.

"Sorry." You whisper. You don't know if he could even hear you.

You fix your sweater and continue staring at your feet, eyeing the little droplets of water on your pants.

Your tummy and nether regions were blazing fire and you felt your nipples slowly hardening. You clench your hands into fists, desperately praying nothing is visible. I mean, you were wearing white.

You wanted so badly for Jungkook to reach out, just stick his hand up your top and soothe your pretty, sensitive nips. Your breathing has become unstable for a few seconds.

You should be beaten up for having these thoughts about a taken man.

Jungkook suddenly places his hand on your arm, making you jolt. "We're close. Look, it's there." He smiles and points to the establishment.

"Great. I'm so cold." You try to play it off, just in case he noticed something.

You then cover your chest by flipping your hair back over it.

This time, he let you walk ahead of him.

On reaching the restaurant, Jungkook skipped ahead of you and pulled the door open for you. "After you." He smiled, goofily.

You blush and instantly shake it off, "Why, thank you. My fragile hands could never."

Jungkook and you were immediately hit by the warmth and coziness of the home style, Chinese fusion restaurant.

"Huh. This is not at all what I expected." Jungkook looked around, pleased with himself.

You replicated that action.

The restaurant was designed to replicate someone's home, or garage. It had unique tables and chairs. No two items were the same. Even most of cutlery was different.

You appreciated the dedication to this concept.

"Good evening! Table for two?" A very familiar voice interrupted you.

Your head abruptly turned towards the direction of the voice.

"Joon!" You exclaimed, rushing over to throwing yourself into his personal space.

Surprised by your sudden enthusiasm, Jungkook raised a brow. This was the most chipper he'd ever seen you.

Jungkook and Namjoon knew each other.

Other than from your constant yapping, Namjoon knew of Jungkook because Jungkook was actively trying to pursue Namjoon, pleading for him to be Jungkook's musical mentor. However, Namjoon wouldn't budge.

Namjoon instantaneously engulfs your whole body with his arms, rubbing your back.

When Namjoon clearly looked at the man stood behind you, his eyes widened.

No way.

Is this why you went off-grid? Had you finally managed to bag Jeon Jungkook? Namjoon was too stunned to move.

Namjoon was just about to ask you about it when Jungkook speaks instead. "Table for two is right. Thanks."

You let go off Namjoon, confirming Jungkook's words.

Whatever. Namjoon will be blowing your phone up later either way. So, he decided to let you off the hook for the rest of the evening.

Namjoon cheekily smiles at the two of you as he leads you into an isolated booth.

It was a space behind some beaded curtains, giving the illusion of the space being more private.

The table was relatively smaller and surrounding it were three chairs; two regular wooden ones with soft cushions, and one loveseat.

Then, Namjoon abruptly left.

You didn't realize what Namjoon was doing until he returned with two menus and something that looked like a candle and a lighter.

Oh, no.

No. This was NOT happening.

You frown and awkwardly wait for him to set the table up and leave.

What? There's nothing you can do or say without overreacting! It's not like you WANT to wine and dine your friend's boyfriend.

(You totally do, but you would not pull something like that purposely.)

Jungkook seemed to just go with the flow, unbothered.

You promptly sat yourself on one of the wooden chairs and Jungkook opted to sit on the comfortable loveseat.

"So, how do you know Namjoon?" Jungkook wasted no time.

"We've been friends for a while." You continue, "Jia too. She knows him."

At that, Jungkook raises a brow. Jia knows Namjoon? Jungkook has mentioned Namjoon many times before. Jia never indicated that she knew him.

Still, he brushed it off.

"How do you know him?" You ask.

"Oh, he's like rhythm and poetry royalty. I've been sending this man emails for months begging him to mentor me... I can't believe Jia- It's so weird, finally seeing the guy who kept rejecting me." He cut himself off towards the end.

He can't believe Jia WHAT? Tell me. PLEASE.

You painstakingly push your annoyance away.

Instead you laugh, "I had no idea he was being pursued by students, wow."

"Yeah..." Jungkook giggled, somewhat embarrassed.

As the evening went on, you talked quite a bit. If he noticed, he didn't mind your awkwardness.

As if you were suddenly remembering something, you hummed. "I take it you didn't tell Jia about the... thing?" You struggled to find the right words to describe it.

Jungkook slowly nodded and repeated, "The... Thing."

"Yeah. You know, about you guys? Dating?" You press your legs together, a little anxious.

"Oh! Right!" He smiled in realization, "I actually did end up telling her about it that same night." He nodded, this time, positively.

You froze and your face dropped.

Had you been drinking something at that moment, you'd have spat that out. If you were eating at that moment, you'd have dropped your utensils on the floor.

"And then we talked about you for a while. I told her you gave me your word. I mean, I'm sure she already told you..." He continued.

Jia. She knows you know.

"Because she panicked..." Jungkook kept talking but at that point you had tuned him out.

Your mouth involuntarily formed a sad pout. Your eyes which were drying out from tiredness, slowly began to fill up with tears of... frustration, and anger, and confusion.

She knew.

She didn't even try to talk to you.

You assumed she was just busy.

But, she was actually just avoiding you. Just as you her.

Your eyes were glazed over.

The humiliation, guilt, anger and paranoia set in all at once.

Does this mean... Jungkook knows? Is he toying with you?

No. That's far-fetched. Way off. He'd never do that. He was so nice to you all night.

But, he IS a nice guy. Why wouldn't he be nice?

You're starting to make less sense now.

You don't even blink because if you do, your tears won't hold themselves back.

Jia fucking knew and avoided you on purpose. She couldn't face you. She fucking betray you, and she couldn't handle it. She didn't want to face it.

Jungkook sensed that there was something on your mind. "_____, is something wrong? Should I not have told her? What's going on?" He asked, his curiosity piqued.

You hesitated for a moment. You weren't used to being impulsive. That was never you. But, lately, that streak was becoming increasingly steady.

So, you decided to open up. Like an idiot.

"It's me."

Jungkook nervously smiled, "It's you?"

"The 'creep' with the schoolgirl crush." You added.

Jungkook's eyes widened in surprise, and he leaned in, his expression a mix of shock and curiosity. "You? But... I don't understand."

He shook his head and stared at you, expecting you to keep going.

Great job, idiot.

You didn't have a choice now.

You took a deep breath and began to explain, "I had a crush on you, Jungkook. I have a crush on you. I've never been silent about it." You winced.

The tears. They're coming.

"I mean, I've never been silent about it with my friends. Including Jia."

The knot forming in your throat felt tighter.

Jungkook listened carefully, trying to make sense of this... revelation. "So, it was all a misunderstanding? There was never a 'creep'?" He reasoned.

You kept your eyes trained down at your lap, more embarrassed than ever. "I... No? I don't know." Your eyes were heavy with tears. Your nose began to sting.

You pressed your lips together to hold all the ugly sobs in, and squeezed your eyes shut.

"_____?" Jungkook questioned worriedly.

You furrowed your brows and frantically shook your head, "Jia. Everyone, my friends, everyone knew about it- that I liked you. From the day we met. The- it was like a mixer?" You slouch and let your arms fall to your sides, "I can't remember. I've liked you for so long..." You trail off silently shedding tears.

You inhale before letting out a little squeaky apology.

Jungkook only looks at you. He doesn't understand, or register anything.

"_____..." Jungkook begins.

"I didn't know Jia was your girlfriend. I'd always talk to her about you, and how good you looked on whatever, whenever- and how you, and then she..." Your shoulders begin to shake towards the end of your sentence. You fully began to cry.

Thank goodness you were separated from the rest of the restaurant-goers.

You were clearly unable to hold a conversation.

You wanted to bang your head on the table. Repeatedly.

Jungkook's brows almost touched his hairline.

"I'M the 'creep' she told you about. I'm the reason for... But I didn't know. I SWEAR. Until you told me. I knew then." You sniffle every two seconds. "I was going to tell you how I felt but then you- I'm sorry!" You finally broke down, sobbing into your hands.

"Hey. Just... breathe, okay?" You felt Jungkook shimmy out of his seat and back away from the table. He then walks over to you.

You already knew tomorrow's _____ was going to kill herself.

Jungkook pours you a glass of water.

He has no idea what to tell you.

He can't find the words to even begin to describe what he's feeling right now.

Jungkook's brain had stopped generating new thoughts. All he's thinking about is the crying girl in front of him, half-heartedly confessing her feelings for him.

Frustrated, he ran his hands through his hair. Then he looked down at you.

You are whom his girlfriend was worried about?

The same girl whom he hadn't stopped thinking about the past weeks.

The same girl who's his girlfriend's friend. His girlfriend.

His girlfriend who lied- hid things from him.

Had you planned this? Was Jia right to hide him away?

Jungkook really doesn't know what to think.

Jungkook needed to leave. He felt suffocated.

"_____, I'm sorry for the way things turned out. I... wish I had known the truth earlier." Jungkook solemnly spoke.

He hoped you believed him. He can't tell if you're in the right frame of mind to talk. He knows he sure isn't.

You sniffle harder, still appreciating his understanding. "I honestly just wanted to clear the air and be honestly honest with you...." You sigh deeply, speaking shakily. "I just thought... Maybe Jia would talk to me herself. And when she didn't--- I'm sorry I made you uncomfortable."

Jungkook just stood by you, unmovingly. It was as if he himself was trying to figure out what to say.

After what felt like forever, you hesitantly lift your head up to look at Jungkook, "I understand if you'd want to leave now."

And you meant it. You couldn't force him to watch you cry like an idiot. So, you understandingly told him he had a free will, that he could walk away.

And he really did.

Jungkook stared down at your tear-stained face for a few seconds.

Then without uttering a single word, he slowly blinked at you and walked away.

Now, you stare at the back of his head, wide-eyed.

You didn't expect him to actually leave this instance.

I mean, he didn't owe you anything, but you still felt uneasy.

The rational part of you truly understood his choice. But the emotional part of you was destroyed.

Even though you have no right to feel this way, you're so disappointed. In him. In yourself. In Jia. You think that's well deserved though; your disappointment in Jia.

Did she hate you?

Nothing else mattered.

You don’t know it yet but the biggest burden had just been lifted off your shoulders.

(Until you face Jia. But, more on that later.)

And, as for Jia; Jia had enough time to come clean. This was not on you. It was all her.

[starglow-xx]

star's blue lock fic recs!

below the links are my own personal notes with a short plot blurb! a heart means it’s one of my personal faves! (but actually i just love all these fics so, so much)

im a heavy isagi simp so rn it's basically all him oops but i'll eventually add my fave fics for other characters too hehe

want more fic recs? see fic rec master list post here! all fic masterlists will be updated randomly!

✧.* Challenge Accepted : ̗̀➛ ao3 link

ᰔᩚ isagi yoichi you are a star

ᰔᩚ in which isagi is used as a chess piece for the jfa for more money and views by placing him in an exhibition match against ichinan high school with a certain someone taking his old spot as forward.

OR in which isagi yoichi proves he isn't just a lucky shot

ᰔᩚ status: complete! 3 chapters & 17,021 words

💗 More Than A Memory : ̗̀➛ ao3 link

ᰔᩚ sobbing over little isagi he's the cutest thing i just wanna pinch his little cheeks :(

ᰔᩚ isagi gets to meet his idol noel noa on his birthday and everything comes full circle 10 years later

ᰔᩚ bonus! the blue lock boys find out it's isagi birthday and chaos breaks loose as isagi and noel noa have a heart to heart

ᰔᩚ status: complete! one shot with 7,107 words

✧.* A Reason to Celebrate : ̗̀➛ ao3 link

ᰔᩚ isagi yoichi you are so, so loved & deserve nothing but the best

ᰔᩚ in which ego lets everyone know it's their favorite striker's birthday

ᰔᩚ status: complete! one shot with 6,371 words

💗 That's My Ego : ̗̀➛ ao3 link

ᰔᩚ AKSSVNSL i adore this fic sm, they're so cute i cannot

ᰔᩚ blue lock with a fem! isagi! some others are gender bent too but see fic for more hehe

ᰔᩚ sports with shoujo! follows the blue lock plot but has hints of romance as a side (?) plot mwah mwah

ᰔᩚ status: incomplete ; last updated april 19, 2023 ; 16 chapters & 85,024 words

💗💗💗 Butterfly Flutterby : ̗̀➛ ao3 link (but can also be found on quotev!)

ᰔᩚ this fic has my heart 10/10, i always reread ; i will never not recommend this fic, it’s honestly one of my faves of all time ; still patiently waiting for the next update :((

ᰔᩚ fem reader insert! the interactions with the blue lock boys are always so cute and so is mc i wanna squish her (our??) cheeks (author refers to her as rea-chan in the notes so sometimes i read it as an oc fic teehee)

ᰔᩚ mc gets chosen to be a manager for the blue lock program, competing alongside other managers facing risk of elimination like the boys

ᰔᩚ slight hints of romance/possible pairings but very minimal ; focus for now is being friends/a good manager

ᰔᩚ status: incomplete ; last updated march 19, 2023 ; 12 chapters & 64,042 words

ISAGI YOICHI

✧.* Hometown Hero : ̗̀➛ ao3 link

ᰔᩚ need more fics abt reuniting with isagi post blue lock bc man the angst potential is great :(

ᰔᩚ fem! reader where mc and isagi, her childhood friend, reunite but he's a bit different than how she remembered him

ᰔᩚ some angst but has a happy ending!

ᰔᩚ status: complete! one shot with 2,862 words

✧.* Fake It 'til We Make It : ̗̀➛ ao3 link

ᰔᩚ fake dating! do i need to say more

ᰔᩚ no pronouns! gender neutral reader!

ᰔᩚ a bit of angst but happy ending! :D

ᰔᩚ status: complete! one shot with 3,270 words

💗💗 if i had a choice : ̗̀➛ tumblr link

ᰔᩚ crying bc i want isagi to want me too :((

ᰔᩚ post u-20 match! fem! reader reuniting with isagi having already accepted soccer takes priority in his life right now

ᰔᩚ angst with a happy ending!

ᰔᩚ status: complete! one shot

💗 happily always after : ̗̀➛ tumblr link

ᰔᩚ ASDSVN i wanna marry isagi :(

ᰔᩚ a misunderstanding regarding a proposal causes you to distance yourself a little

ᰔᩚ hurt/comfort with a happy ending!

ᰔᩚ status: complete! one shot

💗💗 home visits : ̗̀➛ tumblr link

ᰔᩚ he's literally so sweet im going to die, isagi marry me pls :((

ᰔᩚ where you visit isagi's parents at his house and seeing some baby photos make you think of the future

ᰔᩚ fluffy fluff fluff, you'll get a tooth ache

ᰔᩚ status: complete! one shot

💗💗 as close as strangers : ̗̀➛ tumblr link

ᰔᩚ ASNVLS oh to have a meet cute with isagi yoichi :(

ᰔᩚ you go with you sister to a bar to meet her newest boy toy but end up getting rescued by a stranger when you get some unwanted attention

ᰔᩚ fluff fluff isagi yoichi pls marry me

ᰔᩚ status: complete! one shot with 1.4k words

[daisynik7]

Sweet Like Honey

Chapter 3: First Vacation

Pairing: Nanami x f!reader

Rating: Explicit - MINORS DO NOT INTERACT

Word Count: ~5.1k

cw: established relationship, fluff, smut – phone sex, mutual masturbation, PIV sex (doggy style, cowgirl), cunnilingus, vaginal fingering, dirty talk, pet names (sweetheart, sweeties, baby), use of the word slut (endearing)

Summary: You and Nanami go on your first trip together to a hot springs resort and things get steamy. 

Author’s Notes: Here’s the last spicy side story for A Bento for Kento! This is a repost; I’ve rewritten it a bit to reflect my current writing style better. I hope you enjoy it! Nanami deserves all good things in the world! Divider credit to @/cafekitsune. 

Previous Chapter | Sweet Like Honey Masterlist

Four months into your relationship, you and Nanami plan your first trip together. The two of you sit on the couch in your living room, digesting the dinner you just ate. There’s a nearby mountain town called Hakone, known for being a hot springs resort with views of Mt. Fuji. Apparently, Nanami has been there before and recommends it. Having never been to a hot spring yourself, the idea of snuggling up next to your boyfriend in a steamy stone bath excites you. That is, until he breaks the news to you. “Hot springs are separate for men and women, sweetheart. We won’t be in the hot springs together.”

You look at him, mouth agape. “Huh, what’s the point then?!”

He chuckles, lifting the back of your hand up to his lips, kissing your knuckles. “To relax. You really can’t go a few hours without being beside me?” 

You raise a brow at him. “Oh please. Says the man who made me late to work this entire week because you kept wanting to cuddle.”

Smiling, he responds, “I can’t help it. It’s getting cold and you’re too cute. Anyways, I’m planning to book a room with a personal hot tub on the balcony, so we can still relax together at night.” 

That does sound nice. And it’s not like you are actually upset about the separate hot springs. It’s probably a better idea not to be near each other when naked in public. 

Since the day you two confessed your love for one another, the sex has ramped up quite a bit. And by quite a bit, you mean a lot. With your dear brother Ren officially living in the dorms at Jujutsu High, you and Nanami are together nearly every day, either at your place or his. And with your love for each other growing by the second, it’s no surprise that sex has become a regular part of your lives. You can’t keep your hands off each other. Sometimes, the two of you don’t have the patience to move to the bedroom, so Kento made sure to hide lube in the drawers of each room in both your homes, even in the most unsuspecting of places, like the kitchen and laundry room, which has definitely come in handy already. In the beginning of your relationship, there was still that trepidation of figuring out what each other was comfortable with. Both of you were extremely cautious of not crossing any lines, always asking, “Is this okay?” or “Do you like this?”. After a certain point, you became more comfortable with each other. You feel safe when you’re together. Now, the sex is more passionate than it’s ever been. Knowing he loves you just as much as you love him makes all the difference. This is the man you want to spend the rest of your life with. There’s no holding back. 

“Hot tub on a balcony? Sounds very romantic.” You scooch closer to sit on his lap, wrapping your arms around his neck. “Let’s do it.”

“Great. I’ll ask Gojo to help me book it. He’s the one who got us in last time.” He leans forward to nuzzle his nose to yours, grinning. “I can’t wait. Our first vacation together.”

“I’m getting excited just thinking about it.” You kiss him on the lips as he cradles you in his arms. 

“What are you thinking about? Are you being naughty again?”

“Of course not! How dare you. You know I’m a good girl,” you say with a coy smile, walking your fingers up his chest to loosen his tie.

He hums. “You are a good girl. You’re my good girl.” His lips brush lightly along your neck. In just a few short minutes, clothes are shed and the drawer next to the couch is open. 

~~~

The week of their vacation, Nanami is sent on a mission to Osaka with Gojo. Not only does he have to spend four days in a hotel room with his insufferable friend, but this will be the longest he’s been apart from his girlfriend since they started dating. 

On the last night, Nanami groans at his phone, staring at a picture of the yakisoba she made for dinner tonight as he eats a bowl of spicy instant ramen from a convenience store. “Remind me why we don’t have any stipend for food?” Nanami asks Gojo, who is happily slurping away at his noodles, cross-legged on the bed.

“Geez, Nanamin. Sorry our agency can’t afford five-star meals every night. Since when have you been such a snob?!”

“I’d rather be at home, eating my girlfriend’s yakisoba than eating instant ramen with you.”

“I’m so glad you said yakisoba and not something else,” Gojo jokes, with an eyebrow raised.

They finish the rest of their meal in a comfortable silence. When he’s done, Gojo stands up to stretch his long limbs. “I’m going for a walk. Be back in thirty minutes.” 

“Where are you going?”

“Just around. I’m giving you some alone time so you can talk to your girlfriend. Take the hint, buddy.”

Surprised, Nanami murmurs, “You don’t have to leave. It’s fine.”

“Seriously, it’s no big deal. Just tell her I say ‘hi’. And remember, thirty minutes. I better not walk in here with your pants down,” he teases, smirking as he opens the door.

“Oh, you are awful,” Nanami mutters before he’s left all alone. Finally. 

Immediately, he dials her number and after two rings, she picks up. “Hi baby!”

He loves hearing her voice. It instantly puts him in a good mood. “Hi honey. How are you?”

“Honey? Are you alone right now?”

“Yes. Gojo went out for a walk.”

They chat for several minutes about each other’s week. Nanami talks about the multiple curses they’ve exorcised and how Gojo has them eating convenience store food every night. She complains about work and her friend’s boyfriend drama, which he shamelessly indulges in. 

“I miss you so much,” Nanami says. He’s sitting up on his bed now, loosening the tie around his collar. 

“I miss you too, Kento.”

“I can’t wait for our vacation tomorrow.”

“Me too.”

There’s a brief silence over the phone, a familiar tension growing between the static noise. She breaks the silence first. “What do you want to do during our trip?”

“Well, we’re going to do the hot springs, maybe a massage –”

“No, Kento. I mean, what do you want to do to me?” He hears shifting on her end. He wonders what room she’s in and what she’s wearing.

He exhales into the phone, reaching for his belt, unbuckling it quietly. “What do you want, sweetheart? I’ll do whatever you want me to do.”

“Whatever I want?” she challenges. 

“Yes, anything.”

“Can you fuck me like the little slut that I am?”

“Fuck, baby. Fuck,” he mutters, pushing past the waistband of his pants to release his erect cock. He starts jerking off hastily, picturing her sprawled out on the bed for him, legs spread wide and ready to be railed. “You’re such a slut for me, huh? Always so needy for this cock. Where are you right now?” He rasps filthy words into the phone, all discretion tossed out the window.

“I’m on the couch in the living room, touching myself.” 

“Already? Can’t even make it to the bedroom, huh? You really are a slut. Can’t wait to eat that pussy out tomorrow. Can’t wait to devour you. You always taste divine on my tongue.” 

“God, Kento. Wish you were here. Wish you could fuck me on the couch like you did last week.” 

“Have you been touching yourself while I’ve been away? Have you been naughty?” He bites his lip thinking about her rubbing that clit with those cute little fingers, sliding them up and down her wet cunt. 

“Yes, I’ve been very naughty,” she huffs, voice trembling with arousal. “How will you punish me?” 

“Going to give you a spanking,” he growls, fisting his cock faster, precum leaking from the tip. “Going to fuck you until you can’t come anymore. Going to milk you dry.”

“Is that a promise?” If he listens carefully enough, he can hear the lewd squelches while she pleasures herself, spurring him on.

“You’re such a bad girl, always trying to provoke me. Tell me exactly what you’re doing.”

“Rubbing my clit,” she stammers. “Spreading my cum all over it so it’s nice and wet for you. God, I miss you so much, baby.”

“I know, honey. I miss you too. I miss you too,” he repeats, getting closer and closer to the edge. “Can you make yourself come? For me? Fuck yourself, pretend it’s me doing it. I want to hear it.”

He relishes in her faint whimpers as she masturbates on the phone with him, timing his strokes to match her moans. “There you go, sweetheart. Just like that. You’re doing so good for me,” he praises. He’s close and by the sounds of it, so is she. “Tell me what you’re thinking about,” he says in a low voice.

“Your big cock filling me up.”

“What position?”

“Cowgirl. I’m bouncing on it until you come inside, like how we did it on the couch. It was dripping down my thighs, remember?” Her voice is hoarse with lust, gradually unraveling on the other end of the line. 

“How could I forget?” he smiles to himself, vividly recalling the erotic memory. “And what did I do after?”

She lets out a loud moan before answering, “You put it back in me and fucked me again.”

“That’s right, baby. I know how much you like that.” He strokes his dick in a frenzy, ears hot and eyes shut tight as he approaches his climax.  

“Come with me, Kento. Come with me.” 

At her command, his abs clench as he releases all over himself, painting the bottom of his button up shirt with his seed. He really should have taken this off beforehand, but as usual, they get too caught up in the moment to think logically. 

“Did you come?” Her voice is quiet, her breathing shallow just like it gets whenever she orgasms.  

“Yes, I did. All over my shirt,” he admits, laughing softly.

“Oh no! Baby!”

“It’s okay. I have another one. How about you? Did you come?”

“Yes, I did,” she replies. He smirks, picturing her laid out on the couch, panties around her ankles, that blissful gaze in her eyes. That’s my girl, he muses. 

“You should clean yourself up before Gojo gets back,” she suggests.

Gojo. Shit.

Nanami turns his wrist to read his watch; it’s been at least forty-five minutes since his friend left for his thirty-minute walk. In a panic, he checks his messages and finds three from Gojo that he somehow missed:

NANAMINNNNN coming back from my walk now

never mind, extending my walk another 30

you dirty bastard

~~~

The next day, you and Nanami reunite for your trip. It’s a two-hour train ride to Hakone. You rest your head on Nanami’s shoulder, hands laced together, basking in each other’s existence. A few days away makes you realize how happy you are being with him. As if you had any doubts. 

When the train approaches the station, Nanami lightly taps on your thigh to get your attention. He points out the window. “Look, sweetie.” It’s a gorgeous view of Mt. Fuji in the distance. The hotel you’re staying at is only a ten-minute walk from the station, meaning this is the scenery you’ll have all weekend. You can’t imagine anything more romantic and peaceful than this. 

The hotel is as quaint as you pictured it. You check into the room and settle in before getting ready for the hot springs. Two hours away from each other is a cinch, especially in paradise. You both enjoy your separate onsen experiences, rejuvenated and relaxed for the night to come. 

After a delightful dinner at the hotel restaurant, it’s time to retreat into your room. On the elevator ride up, Nanami pushes you up against the wall and kisses you, unable to contain himself any longer. You fumble on the way to the room, exchanging delicate kisses until you’re inside. He removes his coat, then yours, before wrapping his arms around you in a big bear hug. “I’ve been waiting all week for this,” he says softly. 

You both change into proper hot tub attire: Nanami in swim trunks, you in a two-piece bathing suit. He leads you to the balcony, holding your hand to help you into the spa. The sexual tension is palpable. As you sit beside each other in the water, your muscles relax in the heat. You let your head fall back on the edge of the tub as you sigh, feeling at ease, staying like this for a few minutes. Even with your eyes closed, you can sense Nanami’s gaze on you. Cracking one eye open, you smirk. “Don’t you know it’s rude to stare?”

His hand slides up your thigh. “I can’t help it when you look like this.”

You face him, smiling. “And what do I look like?”

“Happy. Tranquil.” He pauses, leaning in closer to whisper, “You’re beautiful.”

There’s a flutter in your stomach, a sensation you’ll never get tired of. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” 

Your lips brush together seamlessly, his breath warm on your mouth. With your hands on his chest, you feel the steady thump of his heartbeat pick up in pace as you continue to kiss passionately. Your skin prickles with goosebumps despite the surrounding heat. Something about the way Nanami kisses you always makes you tingly.

Straddling his lap now, you kiss his neck while you roll your hips on him, using his shoulders to hold on to. He lets out a guttural moan, making you ride him slower, touching every inch of him as you possible can until he’s undeniably hard beneath you. You want him. You need him.  

Water splashes over the edge of the tub, the waves rippling with each movement. The steam from the hot water is dewy on your skin. He caresses your head, fingers gripped to the back of your head, gently pulling you off so he can meet your lips with his before trailing along your neck, sucking on your skin, claiming you as his. His other hand cups your ass, moving with the rhythm in which you ride him. 

“You’re so good to me, Kento. Always so good to me,” you whimper.

He whispers in your ear, “I want you. I want you around my cock.” His squeezes your ass tighter, his self-control wavering. “Let’s go.”

You hop off and get out first. The contrast of the cold night air on your sweltering skin makes you shiver. When you watch him emerge out of the water with a very distinct bulge in his swimming trunks, you shudder even more. 

“Don’t you know it’s rude to stare?” he teases, grabbing your wrist and leading you back inside. His grip is strong, his pace quick. Seeing him unravel like this is arousing. Knowing how much he desires you in this moment makes you quiver for him.

He takes you into the bathroom, where he starts the shower, knob turned all the way to hot. He releases his hold on you to remove his swimming trunks, his hard dick flopping against his abdomen. The sight resonates straight to your arousal. In complete surrender, you bend over the sink counter begging, “Kento, please. I can’t wait anymore. I need you right now.”

He leans over you, his lips tickling your ear as he chuckles. “Be a good girl and get in the shower. Be patient, sweetheart.” His erection rubs against you, his lips grazing your nape seductively. He roams your back to remove your top, then down your ass, where he slides your bikini bottoms off at an agonizing speed. 

Pouting, you do as he says, slapping your ass as you step over the bathtub. He follows you in, pawing at your waist to pull you close. With a bar of soap, you stand underneath the hot shower, scrubbing the chlorine off your skin as Nanami watches you from behind. Soap suds travel from your neck down to your breasts. From the your peripheral, you see him lick his lips, salivating. When you’re ready to rinse off, you turn to face him, reaching between your legs, tapping your clit. 

“Can’t wait to taste you,” he says in a low voice, the look in his eyes carnal with desire. God, you want him. You want him so bad it hurts, pussy aching to be filled.

Letting the water rinse your body, you offer him the bar of soap. He shakes his head. “You do it.” This is the other side of him. Nanami is usually sweet and gentle with you. Never does he demand you to do anything or boss you around. But when he’s like this, you can’t help but heed his every command. Only you get to see him like this. You scrub the soap on his skin, sliding your hands all over his body. You pull him closer to you, letting the water wash away the bubbles. When you reach down to his still erect cock, he snatches your hand away and growls, “Not yet. I want to fuck you on the bed.” 

Once rinsed off, he gives you a small kiss on the forehead before stepping out, leaving you alone in the shower. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he gives you one last smirk before exiting the bathroom. What is he up to? 

A small groan escapes your mouth, your patience wearing thin. This is the longest foreplay you two have managed to last through. How much longer is he going to keep you waiting? How has he managed to stay this hard for this long without giving in? The anticipation puts you on edge. 

When you’re done, you wrap a robe loosely around yourself, returning to the bedroom to see Nanami sitting up on the bed, naked on top of the covers, watching you. He points to a small, black gift bag propped up at the foot of the bed. “Open it.”

Inside is a black slip dress and a matching lace thong. You swallow hard as you glide the thin material between your fingers, nervous and aroused at what’s about to come. “Put it on. Model it for me.” He leans back on the headboard, palms behind his head, cock stiff against his stomach. There’s a smug expression on his face; you can tell he’s enjoying this. 

You shrug the robe off and wear the dress first. Your nipples poke through the fabric. Nanami bites his lower lip and leans forward to get a better look. “Now put the thong on. Slowly.”

At his direction, you slip on the lingerie slowly. When it’s past your knees, he says, “Turn around and let me see.” With your back towards him, you stick your ass out and lift the hem of the dress to slide the thong between your cheeks. 

You hear him moan quietly. “Perfect. You’re perfect. Come here, sweetheart.”

~~~

She crawls next to him, where they begin kissing, all sloppy and wet. Her hand reaches down to stroke his shaft. He cradles her bottom, fingers feeling for the lacey fabric buried between her ass cheeks.  

“Get on your back,” he orders, hovering above her, marveling at how insanely gorgeous she is. The satin dress accentuates every bodacious curve of her body. He makes a mental note to buy more of these for her in the future.

He slides his hand beneath the dress to rub his fingers on the wet spot of her lacey lingerie. “So wet for me already,” he purrs, slipping past the fabric. “Always so wet for me.”

“Please,” she pleads. He loves it when she begs. Absolutely loves it. It awakens something in him. The usually calm Kento Nanami becomes unhinged whenever he touches her. But when she begs for it, he wants nothing more than to make her feel amazing, to be the reason she squirms in pleasure beneath him.

He slides his middle finger along her folds, gathering as much slick as he can before he starts caressing her puffy clit. She whines under his touch, the sensation too much. She’s been waiting for this all night. Been begging for it. This is her reward for her patience. She grabs the nearest pillow to cover her mouth, but as soon as she does, Nanami pulls it off and tosses it behind him. 

“No,” he demands. “I want everyone to hear how good you’re getting it right now.”

He shimmies down the bed, spreading her thighs apart. With his head between her legs, he leans forward, teasing her clit with a flick of his tongue, holding her panties to the side. She grabs hold of his hair as he presses soft kisses to her clit. Suddenly, he flattens his tongue on her bud and moves it side to side, surrounding every centimeter of that pretty clit with his mouth. Lewd sounds fill the room, from her loud, shameless moaning to the wet noises he makes as he eats her out. He adjusts his position to stroke himself as he continues to devour her.

She’s like honey on his tongue, luscious and decadent. He cherishes every time he gets to do this to her. Usually, she is too shy to let him eat her out. She deprives him of this treat. He’s starved for it. With her like this, spread out like a fucking feast in front of him, he’ll be damned if he doesn’t take full advantage of this moment. He latches his lips around her, sucking on it as he lets go of his cock to slide his middle and ring finger into her pussy. He watches her chest fall and rise with shallow breaths with his fingers pumping in and out of her, thumb rubbing circles around her clit. She cries out his name. “Kento!”

“Fuck. You have no idea how good you look right now, swallowing up my fingers like this.” He bucks his hips against the bed, desperate for any type of friction. All he hears from her is a litany of swears and his name. Her moans eventually turn into whimpers. He stops massaging her clit and eats her out again, this time sloppier and more erratic as he continues to work his fingers inside her. The sheets are damp with his saliva and her cum. He’s not sure how many times she orgasms; based on the evidence before him, he guesses it’s at least twice. She’s too busy taking it like a slut to even verbalize when she’s coming. 

When he’s close to his limit, he places one last tender kiss on her clit before releasing her lacey thong; he’s been holding them to the side this entire time. His fingers slip out of her, shiny with her orgasm. The temptation to suck her sweet nectar from his fingers is too good to resist. As he kneels next to her, he leans down to put his face close to hers. Her eyes widen with anticipation, waiting for his next move. With a dark look in his eyes, he licks his glossy fingers, dragging his tongue up and down, savoring it like it’s the most decadent treat. She whines, staring at him, grinding her hips up, desperate to be fucked. He never gets tired of seeing her like this.  

Fully aware of how her slick glistens on his lips and chin, he murmurs, “Taste yourself. I want you know how good you are.”

There’s a dazed expression in her eyes as she obeys, sitting up to kiss him sloppily, tongue lapping into his open mouth then down to his chin. It drives him crazy. Before he comes right then and there, he shoves his hand between her legs and tugs her panties off, admiring how soaked they are, all for him. Because of him. 

Under the pillow is the bottle of lube he hid right after he got out of the shower. He pops off the cap and pours a liberal amount into his palms, coating his shaft. He strokes his cock vigorously, asking, “Are you ready, sweetheart?”

“Yes, Kento. Please. Please. I need you inside me.”

“I know, baby. I know.” He kneels in front of her, aligning the tip of his dick with her slit, entering her slowly, careful not to be too forceful. She’s always so tight, even when she’s dripping wet for him. “Such a good girl,” he whispers, leaning over her to kiss her forehead. 

Halfway in, her body adjusts to his size, allowing him to thrust into her in fluid motions. She wraps her legs around him, babbling. “Kento, fuck. Fuck.”

“So wet for me. You’re perfect around my cock.” Once he’s fully inside her, he kisses her with open lips, tongue licking up her saliva as she moans into his mouth. He pins her wrists above her head, thrusting his hips against her. They make love like this for a while, Nanami relishing the way her body melts around him. He knows what she wants, but he takes his time teasing her like this until she groans out, “Fuck me harder. Please.”

As if on cue, he pulls out of her and taps his fingers at her hips. At his command, she flips over onto her stomach and gets on all fours, pushing her ass out. The hem of her satin dress rides up over the curve of her hips. The sight in front of him is immaculate. He wants this ingrained in his memory forever. “Think you can take it, sweetheart? I’m not gonna go easy on you.”

“Yes, baby. Fuck me hard. Please. I can take it.”

“Good girl,” he coos, placing a soft kiss on her back. Whatever she wants, he’ll give it to her, especially when she begs like this. He puts both of his hands on each of her ass cheeks and spreads them apart, watching his glistening cock slowly slide into her pussy. 

“God, I wish you could see what I see right now. It’s exquisite. You look fucking incredible like this. My sweet girl.” Once he’s all the way in, he grabs hold of her hips and fucks her. Hard. Exactly how she likes it. 

“Fuck, feels so fucking good!” she cries out. Her knuckles are tight as she clenches the sheets. He spanks her as he fucks her, causing her to groan into the pillow with her back arched. The sound of his pelvis slapping against her ass with each rapid thrust is filthy. 

“I needed this, baby. It’s been such a long week,” he grunts. “God, you take it so well. Such a slut for me, huh? Say it.”

“I’m a slut for you, Kento. Feels amazing when you fuck me like this.” 

Grip still firm on her hips, he continues to drive his cock into her, reveling in the way she swallows him up. She turns her head to the side, that dazed look on her face. Her lips are parted as she continues to moan incoherently, drool leaking down the sides of her wet mouth. When she makes eye contact with him, her lips curl into a small smile. “Right there, Kento. Make me come.”

Growling, he hits her sweet spot until she comes all over his cock. She tightens around him. his dick creamy with more of her cum with each thrust. It’s obscene; he can’t hold it in anymore. 

“Ride me,” he demands, pulling out abruptly. He rolls onto his back, watching her climb on top of him. She guides his dick inside her, exhaling deeply as she sinks lower onto his shaft. It goes in easily, her pussy sleek from her multiple orgasms, his own precum, and the lube from earlier. When he bottoms out, she leans over him, kissing him passionately as she thrusts her ass back and forth onto his cock. 

“Just like that. Fuck,” he moans. This is his absolute favorite position. He loves it when she rides him like this. Always so eager and greedy for his cum whenever she’s on top. It makes him feel like a fucking god. He cranes his neck to the side, tugging on the hem of her dress to watch her bounce on his lap. “I fucking love this. You know how much I love this, you fucking nasty slut.” 

“I’m such a nasty slut for you, baby. Only for you. Fuck,” she moans into his ear, riding him faster. 

He’s close. How he’s managed to last this long without coming, he’ll never know. Maybe his stamina has improved after all the sex they’ve been having recently. Or maybe it’s the thought of coming in her like this that kept him under control. Whatever it is, he decides he’s been patient long enough. 

“Let me take over,” he whispers to her.

Her body relaxes. Now, he’s in control. He plants his feet onto the bed and thrusts into her at a rapid pace, holding onto her waist to move her in perfect rhythm with his hips. 

“Come inside me, Kento. Fill me up,” she mewls into his ear.

At her words, he releases inside her, shutting his eyes tight as he rides out the rest of his orgasm. When he’s finished, he pulls out and she collapses beside him. The dress is defiled with the aftermath of their lovemaking, just as he fantasized about. 

~~~

You put your arm over his chest and lay your head against his shoulder. “Wow,” is all you can muster, voice shaky. Nanami just rocked your fucking world, and you can’t find better words to describe it. 

He chuckles, his eyes still closed. “Yeah. Wow.” He takes your hand and kisses the inside of your wrist. “I’m sorry for calling you a slut.”

You giggle. He always does this. “You don’t have to keep apologizing for that! You know I like it.”

“I usually don’t use degrading language like that. I just want to make sure it’s still okay with you.” You can’t contain your smile. He’s too cute for his own good. 

“By the way, how long have you been planning this?” you ask.

He finally opens his eyes and faces you. “All week. Saw the dress on display at a mall in Osaka. I knew it would look magnificent on you. It’s even better than what I imagined.”

“You sneaky devil!”

“I’m only this way because of you. You really unleash the devil in me.” He grins, nuzzling his nose against yours.

“I guess I’m the lucky angel then, huh?”

“You are,” he says, peppering kisses on your face. “My sweet angel. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

After a few more minutes of post-coital cuddling, the two of you wash up again and get ready for a well-deserved sleep. You snuggle each other in pure bliss, looking forward to more vacations with the man you love. 

Tag List: @chiyoso @bloombb @liliorsstuff-blog

[nightwriter357]

Just Friends 11 - In every way a person can be

Here we go guys!! Part 11 of my Damien Haas x reader story. I've been having so many great interactions this week about my writing with you guys and I'm just so so happy and grateful. You guys are amazing!! I hope you enjoy this chapter.

It had been a week since it was just the two of you. A week since everything changed and then... nothing. Damien had said you should talk about it, and you'd told him you weren't ready. At the time, you hadn't been lying. But now, after a week of waking up alone, of stolen glances and brushing shoulders in the kitchen while Shayne obliviously filled the air with his chatter, you were starting to feel the weight of it all.

The mornings felt quieter without him next to you, as though the world had been muted overnight. Waking up alone wasn't just lonely—it felt empty. Like something that was supposed to be there had gone missing. 

Shayne had been home a lot lately, buzzing around the apartment like he was making up for the time he was gone for Christmas. You couldn't blame him for being around more, but it made things harder. There was no space to figure out what to say, let alone find a moment to just be with Damien again.

And maybe that was part of the problem. You knew what you wanted, or at least, you thought you did. But knowing it and saying it out loud were two different things. What if you said the wrong thing? What if you couldn't take it back?

The sound of Shayne getting in the shower snapped you out of your spiral. He always took forever in there; you had time. Before you could overthink it, you slipped out of your room and into Damien's, closing the door softly behind you.

Damien was buttoning his shirt when you slipped into the room, closing the door behind you as though you'd just snuck into enemy territory. Your back pressed against it, your fingers gripping the handle like you might need to make a quick escape.

Damien glanced up, startled for only a moment before a slow, warm smile spread across his face. "You know, if you were trying to be stealthy, the door slamming kind of gave you away." His eyes softened as they took you in, lingering just long enough to make your heart stutter. "You're cute when you're sneaky, though."

You let out a nervous laugh, fiddling with the hem of your shirt. "Shhh, we don't have much time."

"For what?" he asked, turning fully to face you. His smile didn't fade—it rarely did around you nowadays—but there was curiosity in his expression now, or maybe even a flicker of concern.

You took a deep breath and stepped away from the door. " We're meeting everyone at the bar soon, and I figured now's as good a time as any. To talk. I mean, I've been avoiding it, and I just... I just don't want to do that anymore."

Damien leaned back against the edge of his dresser, crossing his arms as he watched you with that calm, steady gaze that always seemed to see right through you. "Okay. Let's talk."

Your mouth opened, but no words came out. Everything you'd rehearsed in your head seemed to scatter the moment he looked at you like that—patient, open, and entirely too understanding.

"I..." You faltered, biting your lip and glancing down at your hands.

His voice was gentle when he spoke. "Do you want me to go first?"

You nodded quickly, relief flooding through you. "Yeah, that would be good."

"Okay." Damien smiled and pushed off the dresser and took a step closer to you, his hands sliding into his pockets. "I want to be with you."

Your breath caught, and you blinked up at him. "In what way?"

"In every way a person can be," he said without hesitation, his voice steady but warm. His gaze glued to you.

Your words tumbled out in a rush. "I want to be with you too. I really, really do. But I also... I need to know that we can still be friends, you know? Like, what if this doesn't work out? What if we mess everything up?"

"Do you think you could wait to plan our breakup until we're actually in a relationship?" Damien interrupted, his tone dry but amused.

You blinked at him, caught off guard by the humor in his voice. "Well, can you blame me? Every relationship I've ever been in, has led to a breakup!"

"You know, that's true for all single people." He stepped closer, his smile softening. "But I get it. You're scared. That's okay. What do you need"

You bit your lip, glancing away before looking back at him. "I have a list of five things I need to know before I'm ready to decide what this is and tell people."

"Five things, huh?" He chuckled, but there was no mockery in it—just that familiar, easy warmth. "All right, lay them on me."

You straightened your shoulders, trying to channel some confidence. "One: We need to be able to hang out with our friends and be normal."

Damien nodded, his expression calm but attentive. "Easy. What's next?"

"Two: We need to be able to hang out alone and as friends." You hesitated for a moment, the words tasting heavier than they should as they left your mouth.

"Sure. That's what we've been doing for years we should be good at it as this point," he said, his voice steady but soft, like he didn't want to spook you.

You hesitated, feeling the weight of his eyes on you. They weren't just looking—they were seeing. 

"Three." You shifted your weight, your hands fidgeting slightly at your sides. "We need to test the waters with Shayne and Angela. You know, make sure they're cool with... us."

Damien's smile grew warmer, his gaze flicking briefly to your hands before returning to your face. His expression softened, a quiet patience in the way his head tilted slightly, like he was giving you all the time you needed. "Okay. I'm with you so far. What else?"

You swallowed, trying to focus on the list, but the way his eyes lingered made it nearly impossible. It wasn't just that he was looking at you—it was the way he looked at you. His gaze dropped momentarily, tracing the line of your lips, before meeting your eyes again.

Your cheeks flushed, your heart racing as your thoughts scrambled to keep up with your list. "Four: You can't look at me like that."

His eyebrows lifted in mock surprise, though the mischievous glint in his eyes deepened. "Like what?"

"Like..." You gestured vaguely toward his face, feeling your resolve crumble under the weight of his expression. "Like that!"

"Sorry," he said, though the grin that lingered on his face made it abundantly clear he wasn't.

Your breath hitched as you closed the remaining distance between you, unable to shake the way he was watching you like you were everything. "And five." Your voice softened, the vulnerability slipping through as your chest tightened. "You need to kiss me now."

Damien's grin softened as he stepped closer, closing the remaining distance between you.

His hands rose, warm and steady, as they framed your face. The calluses on his fingertips brushed your skin, as his eyes searched yours for the briefest of moments.

And then he kissed you again.

It was deliberate, slow, and full of everything you'd been aching for. His lips pressed against yours with a tenderness that left no doubt. His thumbs brushed over your cheeks as if to reassure himself you were really there.

Your hands found their way to his chest, gripping the fabric of his shirt as if holding onto him could stop time. The heat of his body seeped into yours, melting the lingering nerves and leaving only the overwhelming relief of finally, finally being back here with him.

When he pulled back just enough to rest his forehead against yours, his voice was low and rough, the words slipping out like a confession. "I've missed you."

You smiled, your hands gripping the front of his shirt as if to keep him from slipping away. "I missed you too."

It was true, you had missed him too. Somehow, even though he'd been right there—in the same apartment, sitting next to you on that same couch—it wasn't the same. You missed this. 

He leaned in, his voice low and warm. "Okay, so one down."

You smirked, trying to play it cool despite the heat creeping up your cheeks. "You could also stop looking at me like that, and we'll be two down."

Damien's grin turned mischievous as he shook his head. "Okay... so one down."

Before you could say anything more, Shayne's voice echoed from the other room. "Are you guys coming, or what?"

You froze, your mind scrambling for an excuse for why you were in Damien's room. "Yeah, I'm just... borrowing his... hat!"

Damien raised an eyebrow, barely containing his laughter as you turned to him, wide-eyed. "Do you even own a hat?" you whispered in a panic.

"Uh..." He scanned the room before grabbing a cap off his dresser and holding it out like a lifeline. "I have this?"

"Perfect." You snatched it and tugged it on, trying not to look as flustered as you felt.

When you opened the door to leave, Damien caught your wrist, pulling you back for one last, fleeting kiss. It was quick but enough to leave you breathless.

Shayne's voice called out again, impatience clear. "Let's go!"

With one last glance at Damien, you slipped out of the room, your pulse racing but your heart feeling lighter than it had in days. You put on the cap and turned it backwards as the three of you left your appartment, a small smile tugging at the corners of your lips.

When you entered the bar it was packed with lively chatter, clinking glasses, and the faint hum of music that seemed to weave through the chaos. You, Damien, and Shayne arrived just as Courtney, Angela, and Sarah Christ waved from a booth near the back. The place was bustling, with bartenders rushing to keep up with orders and a slightly bewildered customer at the bar insisting on ordering meatloaf.

"Finally!" Angela grinned, sliding over to make room. "We were about to send a search party."

Courtney smirked, sipping her drink. "Shayne probably got distracted by a twisted straw on the way here."

"I'll have you know I only paused to help someone cross the street," Shayne shot back, slipping into the booth. "It's called being a good citizen."

Sarah Christ's eyes locked on you and Damien as you slid in—Damien hesitating for a second before sitting just a little too close. Her knowing look was impossible to miss, and you instinctively shifted further apart. It felt like she was playing chaperone, ready to pounce on any slip-up. It was irritating, but maybe necessary.

"How've you been, Sarah Christ?" you asked quickly, hoping to redirect her attention.

"Oh, you know," she said. "Not sleeping, barely eating. The usual. Maybe now that Shayne's back, I can finally rest."

You gave her a pleading look, but Sarah just shrugged. Damien's leg bounced nervously under the table, and you nudged him slightly, a silent reminder to keep it together.

Angela leaned forward, her eyes twinkling with curiosity. "Why would Shayne being home make it easier for you to sleep?"

Damien nearly choked on his drink, coughing as Sarah Christ arched an eyebrow. "Well... you know, Shayne's so boring, it always knocks me right out."

You forced a laugh, trying to keep the mood light. "Yeah, that's what she meant."

"Right," Angela said, her smile a little too knowing. Courtney raised an eyebrow but didn't comment.

Shayne, blissfully clueless as ever, grinned. "Hey? mean!"

The conversation moved on, but you could feel Damien beside you. His hand brushed yours under the table, a fleeting touch that you knew would make things harder for you. You glanced at him as if to let him know this was against the rules. His hand withdrew quickly, and his jaw tightened.

"Let's play darts!" Courtney announced suddenly, breaking the moment. "Losers buy the next round."

Everyone groaned, but eventually agreed, shuffling toward the dartboard. The area was tucked into a corner of the bar, a bit quieter than the rest of the room but still buzzing with energy.

"Okay, ground rules," Courtney said, dramatically pointing at everyone. "No standing too close to the dartboard, no bribing the bartender for tips, and no Shayne sabotaging Angela by making her laugh mid-throw."

"That happened once!" Shayne protested, throwing his hands up.

"It was five times," Angela corrected, narrowing her eyes. "And I'm still mad about it."

"Fine! I'll behave this time," Shayne muttered, crossing his arms.

As the game kicked off, it quickly descended into chaos. Angela, true to form, managed to hit the wall twice. "This board is rigged," she declared, squinting at it like it had personally wronged her.

"It's not rigged, you're just bad," Shayne teased, stepping up to take his turn. He promptly threw a dart that bounced off the edge of the board and hit the floor. "Okay, maybe it's a little rigged," he muttered.

Courtney was surprisingly good, landing two darts near the center in quick succession. "I should've made you guys bet actual money," she said with a smug grin, twirling the next dart between her fingers.

When it was Damien's turn, you couldn't help but notice how effortlessly he played. He stood with a relaxed confidence, his focus unwavering as the dart left his hand and landed neatly in the second ring. You tried not to stare, but it was hard not to admire the way he carried himself.

"You're up," Damien said, stepping aside and gesturing for you to take his place.

You stepped forward but hesitated, the dart poised in your hand. "Can't you play for me?"

"No, he can't! That's cheating," Shayne interjected with mock outrage.

You pouted, sticking out your bottom lip as you turned to Damien. "Please, Damien."

He leaned in close, his voice a low whisper just by your ear. "You can't say that."

You faltered, glancing up at him. "Why not?"

His eyes flickered to yours, a mischievous spark lighting them. "Because I keep thinking about the last time you said that."

Your breath caught for a moment, a smile creeping onto your face as his words sank in. The last time you said that, when you two were alone.

"Are you two strategizing over there or what?" Courtney called out, breaking the moment.

Startled, you quickly threw the dart, sending it flying wide and missing the board entirely.

"Oops," you said, with a smile on your face as you stepped aside.

"Nice shot," Damien teased with a chuckle, his tone dripping with amusement as he moved back.

Sarah Christ stepped up to the board, sizing it up like it was the creakside killer. "I should've brought my gun."

"No," Angela said immediately, pointing a stern finger at her.

You went to grab another drink at the bar, when a guy sidled up next to you, his grin a little too confident. "Hey, haven't seen you around here before. Can I buy you a drink?"

"I'm good, thanks," you said, trying to be polite but firm.

He didn't take the hint, leaning closer. "Aw, come on. Just one drink."

Before you could respond, Damien was suddenly there, his hand resting lightly on your back. "Everything okay here?"

The guy looked between you and Damien, his grin faltering. "What, are you her boyfriend or something."

Damien's face searched yours as you shook your head at him "Ehm.. no I guess I'm not," Damien said, his voice strained.

Back at the booth, Sarah Christ gave you a pointed look. As Courtney seemed to mouth, "that's interesting."

Shayne, still oblivious, chimed in. "What? Do the drinks come with twisted straws?"

When Damien turned around to join the group the guy leaned over to you again, "So I was thinking.."

You responded quickly, "Fuck off" and raised you middle finger at him.

He scuffed, "bitch".

"So I've been told" you responed as you took a sip from your drink when a voice from behind startled you.

"Nice cap," said a man in a backward red hat, nodding toward your own. "We're bringing it back, huh?"

You turned to see what looked like Fred Durst. The resemblance was uncanny. "Uh, thanks."

He pulled his sunglasses down, "Are you okay?"

You gave a half-assed smile, "Yeah, I guess I'll be fine"

He tipped his hat. "You know, it's just one of those days."

You caught Damien watching from across the room. His gaze was intense, his lips pressed into a thin line.

When you returned to the group, Angela immediately leaned in, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "So, did you make a new friend at the bar?"

"One friend and one mortal enemy," you replied, settling into your seat and taking a sip of your drink.

Sarah Christ tilted her head thoughtfully. "I like that other guy. He's kind of attractive to me right now."

You snorted. "Be my guest. He's all yours."

Courtney raised an eyebrow. "Wait, are we talking about the guy with the beard or the one who couldn't take a hint?"

"The latter," Angela clarified with a smirk. "The guy that looked like Fred Durst cosplaying as himself."

The night remained lively and fun, the tension between you and Damien simmering under the surface, unspoken but undeniable. The night air was crisp as you left the bar, laughter trailing behind you. You pulled your jacket tighter, falling slightly behind.

Damien slowed to match your pace. "Cold?"

"A little," you admitted.

Without a word, he draped his jacket over your shoulders, his warmth still lingering in the fabric.

"Thanks," you murmured.

He nodded, his hand brushing yours as you walked. Up ahead, Sarah Christ attempted to piggyback Angela, much to Courtney's dismay.

When you got to your appartment Shayne unlocked the door, muttering something about needing water before disappearing into the kitchen.

You and Damien exchanged a glance before heading to your rooms, the silence between you heavy.

You lit all three of your cinnamon candles, their soft glow filling the room as you settled onto your bed, your phone buzzing almost immediately. Damien's name lit up the screen.

"Hey," you answered, smiling softly as you leaned back against your pillows.

"Hey," he said, his voice low and warm. "I miss you."

Your chest tightened at his words. "Tonight went okay, right? With the group? I mean... we did hang out with our friends and we were kidn of normal."

"It went great," he said, a smile evident in his tone. "Even if I couldn't stop looking at you."

Your cheeks warmed, and you were grateful he couldn't see your expression. "Yeah, well, you weren't exactly subtle with the whole 'knight in shining armor' act."

"That guy at the bar deserved it," he said, his voice hardening slightly. "He was out of line."

"I know, and... thanks for stepping in. I just... I didn't know what to call you earlier, and that's why I hesitated. It’s not that I didn’t want to."

Damien let out a quiet sigh. "I'm sorry. I should've just acted normal."

"It's okay," you murmured, your voice soft. "I just... I don't want to mess this up. Not with you."

For a moment, neither of you spoke, the silence stretching between you like a fragile thread.

"I know, I guess I just don't really know what you're feeling," he finally said, though his voice sounded reluctant.

His words hit you hard, the honesty in them impossible to ignore. You stared at the candles on your dresser as the flames danced. The truth was, you did know where you stood—you'd known for a while now.

Heart hammering, you slid off the bed and crossed the hall. Each step felt heavier than the last, but the thought of not saying anything, of letting this moment slip away, was unbearable.

You knocked lightly, your pulse roaring in your ears as the door opened. Damien stood there, disheveled and concerned, his brow furrowed as his gaze searched yours.

"I'm in love with you," you said, the words spilling out before you could stop them. Your voice wavered, but the conviction behind them didn't falter. "Are you?"

For a moment, Damien just stared at you, his lips parting as if to respond, but before he could, Shayne appeared at the end of the hallway.

"Returning the hat, huh?" Shayne called out, raising an eyebrow. His tone was heavy with irony as he gestured toward the cap that you unknowingly held in your hands. "Yeah, because that absolutely couldn't wait until morning. Wow, Damien, you must be thrilled."

Damien's gaze flicked briefly to Shayne, then back to you. His expression softened, his lips curving into a small, certain smile as he seemed to be answering both questions at once. "In every way a person can be."

[wuucchoo]

Hehehe.... Fushiguro Megloomy

wait are you the same anon that sent 'peepee poopoo'? >:(

but anyway!! true to what my bio says about me not playing about megumi i will now refute this accusations of him being 'gloomy'!! he is NOT gloomy! his situation was 😤! gege never gave him a chance to breathe since the day he was born - he even overlooked a massive plothole just to make him suffer even more (chapter 212?? sukuna harmed everyone up there and i will die on this hill), gege fridged his sister for no reason, like gege literally created a character just because megumi needed to have a downfall. who's tsumiki? whats her personality? other than being kind™? whats her goal? other than being kind™? how did her bond with megumi look like other than her being the kind™ sister? NOTHING! she was no one, coz gege didnt even take the time to flesh her out despite how much he was planning on using her death to make megumi's descent believable.

man im getting pissed again, you dont understand. and even after all that suffering what did gege do? it all ended with megumi never being able to even apologize to her. fuck that. wait was she even acknowledged? was the suffering even acknowledged? nah, every one just moved on. gege used too many heavy topics and he doesnt even know how to wrap it up properly. from r/pe to murder to genocide to whatever the fuck mei mei and ui ui was to fetus experiment??? to manipulation of souls so that sukuna's twin would end up having a son that can be a cage for sukuna? making sukuna yuji's uncle? no wait gege changed his mind he is now his grandpa?? lmao????

"sukuna was human too, he deserved to be forgiven" well, tell that to all the human he killed in shibuya and even before then. tell that to all the innocent 'women and children' who supposedly suffered through his hands before he turned into a cursed object. like, he was killing for fun!! how is that thing forgiven? how does he just walk into the after life like 'yeah all that mindless killing was just coz i want revenge against this world man, ehe. maybe in the next life i wont do it anymore, ehe, who knows uwu'. how does anyone sit there and think, 'you know what, you deserve a second chance' like????? bro i am pissed. jjk's tone by the end when it comes to how it portrayed good and evil is just so off. it pisses me off whenever i remember. like, a world that's willing to give a 'second chance' to a mindless killer genocidal massacering war criminal murderer is just so bleak and favors evil creatures more than good people. geto had a shorter screentime and yet how he ended up being a genocidal maniac was better portrayed than whatever the fuck was going on with sukuna, and geto suffered the consequences of his actions tenfold, even after he died. idk what gege was trying to say with that, but its making me angry. but wait this wasnt the topic.

uhhh yeh! gloomy!

megumi is not gloomy! coz even when interacting with people is not exactly what he would deem fun, he still joins nobara and yuji when they are up to shenanigans. like that episode with yuko. he was joining in on nobara's bit. idk how canon the novels are but there was one where he was showing yuji around tokyo and ended up in a maid cafe. he still is polite and accommodating even to strangers just asking for directions. he calls the sun 'mr. sun' bro, like? he brings his dog to a baseball game for no reason. its not his fault gege just kept on making his life miserable (with no pay off mind you, tragedy just for the sake of tragedy ugh) like he was just reacting accordingly 😤

but anyway, dont take this seriously lmao, i wanted to vent and you were in my ask so uuuuuhhh sorry.

have a great day!

((also megloomy actually sounds cute :3, and maybe he is gloomy but i look at megumi with my rose tinted glasses so yeh..))

((last also, i usually say people are free to debunk my claims whenever i make rants like this, even if i know no one reads this - but this time i wont accept a different opinion lmao - so nah, this is my opinion and im right actually))

[jcollinswrites]

hi! long ask incoming with positive thoughts and hypothetical questions!

so I just played the update and ooh love the new information about getting the crystals, and also meeting ahmose!!! I just wanted to say that I really applaud you for writing four quite different origins for the MC which must give you a fuck ton of variations to write so like. yeah! thanks for that, that’s kind of amazing lol

The character interactions and interactions with the ROs are so great this chapter!!! seeing narmer so terrifying and unlike how we know him was a really interesting new look at the pharaoh, and what zaia whispers about it later is just so intriguing. I love interacting with zaia (they’re probably my favourite character and RO and they make me so curious about their past) and ahmose is so fun! the poly option we could choose was really funny and I’m really looking forward to more. also, two things I thought might be fun! (hypothetically ofc, no pressure to add it in or anything)

when an MC that dived into the pool to save ahmose sees them later undressing and redressing, I think it’d be really funny if the MC could also just start undressing with the reason of “oh, I just need to let my clothes dry off now” and just hang out barely dressed with ahmose as well lol. would it fluster them? amuse them? idk ahmose is a really fun character, can’t wait to have more!

secondly, maybe further along in zaia’s friendship/route when they’re okay with questions about their home, I thought it might be sweet if the MC could ask em to teach them some of their language (assuming that zaia remembers it). it’d sorta be the MCs way of trying to get to know zaia better, and learn about as well as show that they care about their past. maybe it could also give zaia an opportunity to remember some hopefully nice bits about their past and share those memories.

anyways yeah, thanks for writing this great IF! love the story and the characters soo much, as well as the MC routes :)

Haha well, I'm not sure if the MC would be comfortable dressing down in front of the prince/ss just yet, but I could sneak in a sentence or two in that direction 👀 (this would only apply to bold flirts obviously). Don't worry though, this will definitely happen later!

Zaia still remembers their native language, and the noble MC already speaks it :D Although Zaia speaks a 300-year-old version, so if they start to speak to each other, there could be some funny scenes from the misunderstandings. The others could also learn it. I think deep in the romance, Zaia wouldn't mind teaching it to them, but Zaia prefers using Egyptian in any case. Still, they would think it's cute that the MC tries to connect to them this way.

Thanks for the very nice message and the cool ideas! It's so good to see some appreciation for Zaia as well ❤️ (THEY DESERVE MORE!)

[marunalu]

Hi. What do you think about new chapter?

Honestly? For the most part I was just bored. As much as I love that izuku got his arms back, you can see that the only reason why hori let him lose them in the first place was to shock the readers. This is the same bullcrap he did with bakugous fake death. To let him get "killed" just to let him get resurrected in the very next chapter.

It was clear izuku would get his arms back, but at least it should have lastet a few chapters to show readers how serious the whole situation is. There are no stakes in this "war". The good guys dont die and if they get injured a "wonder" happens so they will not die or end up terrible disabled for the rest of their lives. And just like I said after the latest chapter, deux ex machina eri is the one who saves the day of course.

Again, it was clear izuku would get his arms back and that it would be eris doing. Thats not my problem. My problem is that I dont like it when an author writes shocking scenes simply just for the shock value and to trend on twitter and not because its important for the story. Thats horrible and lazy writing and just screams "I want attention!"

An other problem I have is that eri can simply just "cut her horn off" it seems. By that logic there was never a reason for chisaki to abuse eri like he did. He could have simply waited till the horn was big enough and then cut it off and I dont think chisaki was to dumb to not realize that by himself. I dont know if it means that eri is kinda quirkless from now on, but knowing hori I wouldnt bet on it and I think the horn will just grow back. I also dont like how eri calls bakugou "kacchan." We never see them interacting in the manga or that they formed a relationship. As far as I know only in the light novels in which eri is scared of him they interact. I just dont think hori should put things that happen in other medias like the light novels or movies in the manga, because it could confuse people that only have read the manga and nothing else.

About the whole kurogiri vs aizawa and mic interaction. The whole thing just startet so I guess we will see an other flashback so I cant say much about it yet. I just wished hori would stop skipping whole fights of other characters just because he likes to focus on bakugou instead by giving him TWO fights! Bakugou has enough spotlight, other characters deserve it more and not just flashback fights.

I liked though that it was mentioned that eri is learning from aizawa and thinks rational like him, so thats why she cut her horn just like he did cut his leg off. Its also cute how she mentioned that she wants to become a singer like jiro. The only other thing I liked was that afomura is starting to look more like the original afo now, because thats a thing I was wondering if it will happen. Him looking exactly like his original body and then fighting izuku would be great.

All in all the chapter was meeehhhh from what I have seen so far. Its funny because I hated the last chapter at first because the spoilers and translation were worded so bad but now I actually quite like it. For this chapter I dont feel much except maybe bored and annoyance over hori writing shock moments that dont mean anything but to shock his readers. I simply dont like it when authors do that.

[elizabethwritesmen]

𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚜

chapter 3: the big picture

pairing: firefighter!steve x reader

summary: after a not-date with steve and a few revelations, y/n can’t hold her feelings in anymore. to make matters worse, tragedy strikes at the worst moment.

warnings: ANGST. smut to come.

a/n: i’m sorry in advance for the ending of this chapter, and i promise it will get better! i wanted to have all the parts out by christmas but it didn’t work out that way. still, though, i plan to finish this series as soon as possible IF you guys still want it! i’m grateful for all interaction but i noticed it went down on part 2 so let me know whether i should finish this or start working on something else please! (:

chapter 1 | chapter 2 | chapter 4

I knew it was silly when I grabbed the slinky dress out of my closet. It was delicate, white knit fabric with lacy pink flowers, and not quite my usual style. I was more of a comfort everywhere I go kind of girl, but for once, I wanted to make the extra effort. It definitely had nothing to do with the fact that Steve was going to come see me at work. Nothing at all.

I slipped a baby pink cardigan over it, letting it hang loosely off my shoulders, and pulled on some lacy pink socks, rolling them down and fitting them into white tennis shoes. I thought I looked cute, delicate but still quite pretty.

I walked into the living room where Robin was waiting, and she raised her brow at me, no words forming but her face saying it all.

“What?” I huffed, crossing my arms.

“Steve must be coming by the shop today.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because that’s the only reason you’d put on an outfit like that.”

I rolled my eyes, “Well does it at least look okay?”

“You look great, don’t get me wrong. Steve is gonna have to do a Darcy hand flex when he sees you. But you’re also being really obvious.”

“It doesn’t get more obvious than the Y/N and Steve sitting in a tree jokes you were making yesterday.”

“I guess that’s true,” she shrugged, “Everyone knows you two are gonna get together anyways. It’s just a matter of waiting now.”

“We are so not.”

“Yeah, ok, sure. Whatever you say.”

We drove to work separately, and the day passed by slowly. I anxiously awaited the moment Steve would walk through the door. It was almost embarrassing, really, every time someone came in and I heard the bell I looked up all giddy and hopeful.

Finally, about a half hour before we closed, when I’d given up all hope, he showed up.

I looked up, not at all expecting it to be him, but there he was.

He stood there for a moment, taking me in. His eyes scanned over me slowly, greedily. I smiled, knowing I got exactly the reaction I wanted.

“Hey,” he managed to get out, still distracted.

“Hey,” I shot back, “I started to think you weren’t coming.”

“Of course I’m here,” he met my eyes at that and chuckled lightly, a beautiful sound that met my ears and melted into them. “I brought you something.”

“Another cat?”

This time I earned a laugh instead of a chuckle, full and sweet, “Unfortunately no, but I think you’ll like it anyway.” He then pulled his hand out from behind his back, and, for the record, I’d been so caught up in my thoughts I hadn’t even noticed it was there. In it he was holding a perfectly tailored bouquet of pink tulips, mixed in with a few other delicate flowers.

I gasped, staring at it for a second before walking around the counter to grab it from him. It was already in a vase of water, which made me think it was from a flower shop instead of a supermarket aisle. Additionally, there was a pretty bow tied around the base.

“I don’t know what to say,” I stammered, holding them in front of me and examining them, unable to look away. “They’re perfect.”

“I forgot to get you flowers the day of your graduation. I wanted to make up for it now.”

“You’re still the only person who’s ever given me flowers.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Remember that time we went to the store and I said the flowers were pretty so you grabbed the prettiest bunch of them and bought them?”

“You asked me who they were for and I wouldn’t tell you ‘til we got back to your house and I stole one of your mom’s vases and put them in your room.”

“That’s still the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. Until now, at least. This even tops that.”

“I’m sorry nobody else got you flowers. You deserve to get them, and often.”

“You’re so sweet,” I smiled, placing them on the counter for everyone to see. They were such a statement piece, so beautiful you had to admire them. My heart was in shambles, completely wrecked from his kind gesture, and I forgot how to be normal, fidgeting nervously.

“I’m meeting up with a couple guys from the station in an hour at a restaurant outside of town. Would you wanna come with me?”

“Really?” I quirked a brow, “I wouldn’t be intruding?”

“Well, one is bringing his wife and the other is bringing his girlfriend. I know you’re not either of those, but you’re the only person I’d want there.”

I grinned, “I’d love to. Is what I’m wearing okay, or do I need to go home and change first?”

“What you’re wearing is perfect. I’ll wait here with you until you get off and we can ride over there together, if you want.”

“Of course I want that!”

And he did, sitting on a stool beside me as I worked. It was a slow day, so I was just helping Robin filter through inventory. It only took a few minutes for her to walk in and start picking on us.

“Where did these come from?” she said, glancing from the flowers to us and wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

“I brought them for Y/N,” he simply told her.

“Is that so? They’re very pretty. They look like girlfriend flowers to me.”

“They’re not girlfriend flowers,” I huffed.

“Sure, sure. Would you come help me in the back for a minute? I have a question about a record shipment.”

“Fine,” I sighed, standing up and grazing my nails over Steve’s shoulders on the way.

As soon as we were behind a closed door, Robin went in on me.

“Flowers?!” she exclaimed.

“Will you just tell me about this record shipment?” I rolled my eyes.

“There is no record shipment. Now let’s get back to the flowers.”

“What about them?”

“I don’t know any men who would buy a girl flowers platonically, especially not flowers that nice.”

“Yes you do. Steve.”

“But he wouldn’t, though. He’s never bought me flowers, or Max, or anyone. I don’t even remember him giving Nancy flowers in high school.”

“Well… it’s just a gesture, it doesn’t mean anything.”

“Who are you kidding, me or yourself? You need to tell that boy how you feel before this becomes a shit storm like it did last time!”

“It’s not that easy, Rob. I don’t know that he feels the same way. Flirting and feeling are different.”

“Y/N,” she sighed, “Eyes never lie and when his land on you they stay on you. You’re it for him. I just wish you both would realize that. Now go back out there. I’m assuming you have plans with him after work so you can go ahead and go if you want.”

“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Always. And obviously you have to text me all day and update me on your dazzling love story.”

“Shut up,” I smacked her on the arm as I walked out to the counter. Steve looked up at me, and I almost saw what she was talking about. His eyes landed differently on me than on anything else. No divided focus, no looking away. Just pupils, blown wide and taking me in like a mountain range or an ocean.

“You ready?” I asked, and he nodded.

“We’ll be a little early, but that’s fine. We can just go ahead and get the table.”

“Sounds good,” I smiled, following him out to his truck. He opened the passenger door for me and helped me in because it was a little too tall for me to step into gracefully on my own.

It smelled good in there. Like black ice and pure Steve Harrington, cinnamon and a hint of cedar mixing with his natural scent. I glanced around, noticing his work clothes in the back, for emergencies surely. It was a little messy, but not much, he seemed to keep it pretty tidy.

He hopped into the driver’s seat, cranking the trunk up and as he went to back out, he placed his hand on my seat and turned his body towards me to look behind us.

“There’s a backup camera, Steve,” I mumbled, eyes wide at his gesture. I didn’t know what was so endearing about it, but my heart skipped a beat.

“I don’t trust it,” he shrugged, putting it in drive and pulling out of the lot.

He headed directly to the restaurant and it was about a 20 minute drive altogether. Once we pulled up, I furrowed my brows.

“When did this get here?” I asked him, giving the place a full once over.

“Couple years after you left,” he shrugged, getting out. I did the same, walking to the front of the truck and letting him lead me inside.

Once the doors shut behind us, we were greeted by a hostess that was entirely too cheerful.

“Steve!” she screeched, her voice high pitched and bird like. I cringed, fighting the urge to cover my ears. “I wasn’t expecting you today!”

He gave her a polite smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. I could tell she annoyed him too, and I snorted slightly, causing her to glance at me for the first time.

“Oh, hello,” she remarked, her voice dropping an octave or two, “Table for two?”

“For six,” he interjected, and she nodded, marking something down on the paper in front of her and walking away.

“She’s cheerful,” I commented thoughtfully, gauging Steve’s reaction, “For you at least.”

“She just has a little crush on me is all. Me and the other guys from the station come here a lot, and she flirts every time. Her family owns the place.”

“You must never have brought a girl here before, with the way her face dropped when she saw me.”

“I haven’t. And I’ve been coming here with the guys for years, so seeing me with you for the first time was probably not what she was expecting.”

“She’s cute. Why don’t you give her a chance?”

“She’s like 20. I prefer girls that are only 3 years younger than me.” He winked upon saying that, and I fought off a blush.

“Your table is ready,” the girl cleared her throat and we nodded, following her to the back of the restaurant.

“Thank you,” I smiled at her, and she vaguely returned it, walking away briskly. I felt bad for the girl really, I’d been her age with a crush on Steve Harrington and it wasn’t an easy life to live.

“This place is nice,” I observed, taking in the roadhouse-like interior. There were oddities and signs hung up all over, creating a homey atmosphere that you couldn’t find many places.

“I like it,” he shrugged, “The food is good. I remember you loving macaroni, and theirs is some of the best.”

“What if I don’t like macaroni anymore?”

“I don’t think your tastes have changed.”

“You’re right, they haven’t.”

We stared at each other for a second before being interrupted by a booming voice, “Harrington!”

We looked up and there was an older man, probably in his late 40s, staring at us, smile on his mustached face. He was bald, and I hated to say that he looked like a typical fireman. If I saw him on the street, I would assume that’s what he did for a living.

“Hey, Larry,” Steve smiled, getting up to shake his hand and pat him on the back the way guys do.

“Who’s this?” the man, Larry, gestured to me, “You finally found yourself a good woman?”

“This is my friend, Y/N,” Steve introduced.

“Y/N,” Larry nodded in recognition, “I’ve heard that name a time or two. Hello, I’m Larry and this is my wife Jan.” He reached out to shake my hand and I obliged, standing to do so.

“Nice to meet you both,” I grinned as we all sat down around the circular table.

“So Y/N,” Larry began, “I thought you’d moved away?”

“I did, but I’m back now.”

“Back to stay?”

“Maybe. I haven’t decided yet.”

“Maybe Steve can help you with that choice,” he smirked, a playful air in his voice as he glanced at Steve, who blushed in return, rubbing the back of his head.

“I think he already is,” I smiled shyly, brushing my hand over Steve’s arm, an affectionate gesture to soothe his nerves.

Moments later, the other guy showed up. His name was Brad, and he did the same spill about “Oh! Who’s this?” They both seemed to be in disbelief that I was just Steve’s friend, and I couldn’t blame them much. I knew how our relationship looked to outsiders. You’d have to be stupid not to see it.

“So Y/N, got any boyfriends back in Florida?” Camille, Brad’s wife, asked.

“Not really, no. I was never focused on that, I threw myself into my work.”

“I see,” she nodded, “You’re a pretty girl, though, I can imagine you had someone in college.”

“Cam, stop prying, you’re gonna scare the girl away,” Brad tapped her on the arm in a gentle reprimand.

“No, it’s fine, I don’t mind,” I smiled, “There was a couple flings, but that’s about it. I couldn’t really get serious about anyone.”

“Wonder why,” she muttered under her breath, glancing at Steve. “You know,” her voice picked up, “Jan and I have tried to set Steve up and he’s never been interested. Guess that’s something you both have in common.”

“We’ve got a lot in common,” I shrugged. Her questioning was in good nature, but it was still rude and she was, by all means, a cunt. Harsh, but there are no other words for some women.

“Okay, anyways,” Steve changed the subject briskly, “What’s everybody ordering?”

The dinner went smoothly. Once Jan and Camille got to know me, they seemed to take more of a liking to me and their rudeness subsided. None of them ever stopped pushing the me-and-Steve agenda, though, and I was sure they never would. I’d like to say it was frustrating but really, I didn’t mind. From their lips to God’s ears, or whatever.

When it came time to pay, Steve asked that my food be on his check. I insisted otherwise, but he wouldn’t listen and paid for me anyway. That was so like him. He would never let me pay for anything.

We said our goodbyes and left, and naturally, Steve opened the truck door for me. I shot him a smile and a wink, stepping in carefully.

“Where to now?” he asked, sliding into the driver’s seat.

“Wherever you want to go,” I shrugged.

“How about you see my place for a change?” he suggested, eyebrow quirked in his question.

“That sounds good,” I nodded, and sat back as he headed there.

We pulled up at a small house, on the edge of the suburbs, cute and cozy and nestled beside a treeline.

“This is precious, Steve,” I grinned as I skipped behind him to the doorstep, waiting for him to unlock it so I could see the inside. As soon as he did, I was in awe of the decorating, deep maroons mixing with gold accents and shades of dark brown. “Wow. You decorated this?”

“Well, Robin helped a lot,” he chuckled, standing there awkwardly as I walked in and had a good look around.

“I love it,” I smiled genuinely, running my fingers over trinkets here and there.

“Want a tour?” he asked, and I nodded giddily.

He first showed me the front, which consisted of a living room and a kitchen with a small corner for dining. Then he took me down the hall to the small laundry room and small guest bathroom. Finally, he showed me the guest room and ended at his own bedroom.

“I’m gonna change real quick if you wanna just hang out,” he told me, grabbing some clothes from a drawer and walking into the master bathroom, pulling the door to behind him.

I took that moment to greedily take everything in, assessing details and committing them to memory. He had black sheets and a dark maroon comforter set, and I liked how the aesthetic of his entire house matched. It was very Steve, all cinnamon spice and warm ambiance.

My eyes drifted to his bedside table where he had an alarm clock and a couple books, then to his closet with an open door and clothes haphazardly laying on the floor. He’d always been slightly messy, so it was expected, but I still smirked. Then, I finally got to the dresser, which he’d mounted a TV above. On the surface, he had several frames filled with pictures from every point in his life. One of his family, whom he still didn’t see much. One of him and my dad golfing, and I furrowed my brows. “Steve?” I called, and he hummed in response, “Why is there a picture of you and my dad golfing in here?”

“Oh,” he started, “We golf together sometimes.”

I was slightly shocked, but I moved onto the next photo, promising myself I’d ask my dad about it as well for more information. In the frame was a work photo, everyone from the station lined up neatly in their turnout gear and posed with stoic looks on their faces. Well, all except Steve and Eddie, who offered smiles. I guess they didn’t get the memo. Then came a picture of him the kids at their graduation, everyone smiling big. I felt a pang in my heart as I wished I’d been there. Then was a picture of him with Candy thrown over his shoulders and Eddie and Robin making silly faces with him. And finally, in the biggest frame of all, a photo of me.

I gasped lightly. I remembered the exact moment. It was the day of my graduation, and I was looking at Steve, laughing at something he had said. My smile was big and there was a look in my eyes that I only gave him. I appeared positively love struck, as if under a spell, and maybe I was. Maybe I never wasn’t.

“That’s always been my favorite,” his voice came from behind me, and I jumped, dropping the frame but he scooped it up with ease before it could hit the ground.

“I didn’t even know that photo existed,” I honestly stammered, my face heating up. Why did he have a picture of me in his room?

“Your mom took it while you weren’t paying attention. She sent it to me the next day and said she imagines that’s how you’ll look at me when we get married.”

“She what?”

He laughed, “I know, I know. But come on, we were two halves of the same whole back then. What was she supposed to think?”

“How long have you had that in here?”

“I kept it in the drawer in my nightstand for a while. Seeing it hurt too much. But then when I put the picture of me, Eddie and Rob up, it felt wrong not to have you there, so I put it up, too.”

“So you printed it just to keep it in the drawer by your bed?”

“Just to look at when I really needed to,” he shrugged, sheepish and melancholic.

“Steve,” I whispered, “I can’t believe you did that.”

“Yeah, neither can I. You know how many girls saw it and ran off before I even had a chance with them?”

I giggled, the sound lifting the tense mood. He placed it back on the dresser in its rightful spot, “I want to take a newer one of the both of us and put it on my nightstand.”

“Why would you do that?”

“So I can look at you every morning and night. Why else?”

“Stop leading me on, Steve,” I scoffed, staring at my feet.

“I’ve never lead you on,” he countered, his voice soft, his brows furrowed as if I’d said something so incredibly silly.

“Yes, you have, you always have. Since the day I met you at that stupid ice cream shop with those stupid hats, you’ve lead me on. You act like you’re gonna kiss me but never do, you act like you want me but you don’t. You say I’m the most beautiful girl in the world and that you’ll never care more about anyone than you do about me, but it’s not true and I don’t know what you get out of doing all of that but you’ve got to stop!”

I don’t know where the explosion came from. I suppose it was pent up and had always been, bound to come out one way or another. He stood dumbstruck in front of me, mouth agape, eyes wide. I didn’t give him much chance to collect his thoughts and respond, I just ran, finding my way out of his house. He followed me, begging me to stop, to slow down, but I didn’t.

“Leave me alone, Steve,” I barked, tears starting to stream down my face.

“Please just stay,” he sighed, defeated from chasing after me.

“No. I’m walking to my car.” The music shop was close to his house, only a few blocks away from his neighborhood. It would be maybe a 10 minute walk, but I would rather it be a hundred minute walk than spend any more time with him.

I made it pretty quickly, my anger and embarrassment speeding up my pace. Steve had tried to call me, but I sent him to voicemail and put him on Do Not Disturb so I would miss any text messages. I didn’t want to hear his voice or see the pretty words he’d put together to make up for a lifetime of stringing me along. Maybe he had feelings for me, maybe he didn’t, but I was done waiting to see.

I drove home and went straight to sleep, not caring about anything else. Finally, the calls stopped. I guess he decided leaving me alone would be the best thing he could do for a while. Part of me hoped he would show up at my door, but there was so such luck in the world.

Hours later, I was woken up to the sound of pounding on the front door. I furrowed my eyebrows, checking my phone for the time and seeing I had missed 40 calls from Robin and Eddie.

I jumped straight out of bed and ran to answer, seeing Robin on the other side, bouncing frantically on her feet. “You need to come to the hospital with me, now,” She urgently grabbed my hand and pulled me towards her car.

“What’s going on?” I asked, worry flashing through my heart, noting the one person who hadn’t called me. Something happened to him. I knew it.

“Steve got called into work to help fight a huge fire right outside of town. He got stuck inside and the structure collapsed on him.”

My heart dropped straight into my belly, making me ill. “Let me grab my stuff.”

I ran back inside, taking five seconds to change into a pair of flair leggings and a white v neck then slipping into my tennis shoes. The fluffy pajamas I was wearing just weren’t suitable for a hospital, though I did need to rush. I raced out the door, wallet and purse in hand, phone in pocket, and climbed straight into the passenger seat of Robin’s car.

“How bad is he?” I asked her, and she gave me a grim look.

“Well, he’s not good. He’s in critical condition and as far as I know he’s comatose.”

“Oh God,” I sighed, tears welling up in my eyes. I couldn’t believe the things I’d said to him. Guilt overwhelmed me and threatened to spill over and break me into a million pieces.

“He was on the way to your house,” she told me, “When they called him and asked where he was and if he could come in, he told them that.”

Suddenly, it clicked. He was on the way to my house. He wanted to set it right. He didn’t want to leave well enough alone. Well enough was never enough for him when it came to me.

“Please hurry,” I sighed, on the edge of my seat.

Finally, she pulled into the parking lot and I jumped out before she even came to a complete stop, running straight to the doors. Eddie was there in the lobby, a small bag and drink in hand, and I guessed he was headed back from the cafeteria.

“Eddie!” I called out, and he turned to me, his face morphing into a sorrowful expression.

“You made it,” he gave a sad smile, pulling me into a huge hug that I didn’t realize I needed.

“How is he?” I asked, “Where is he?”

“Come with me, I’m headed back to him now,” he stated, hand on the small of my back guiding me, “He’s got some bad burns and he bled a lot. They also think he hit his head pretty hard, which is why he’s in a coma. But they think he’ll be ok.”

“When do they think he’ll wake up?”

“They don’t know,” he sighed, and my face fell. He instinctively pulled me closer, trying to soften the emotions I was feeling. Eddie was always that for me. He softened life when it was too hard. I’d forgotten how much I needed that.

He brought me to a waiting room where a few firemen were sitting, but other than them it was empty. Robin followed in after us as we found seats.

“You doing okay?” Larry asked, clapping me on the back gently and staring at me with those same sympathetic eyes Eddie and Robin had given me.

“I am,” I nodded, “Just worried.”

“I know. He’s strong. He’ll be ok. Especially knowin’ you’re here waitin’ on him to get better.”

“I hope so,” I sighed, pulling my phone out to let my parents know what was going on. I left them a few text messages, knowing they’d be too sleepy to wake up and come to the hospital but wanting them in the loop. They still kept up with Steve, they’d want to know.

As the night wore on, everybody kept checking on me. Even firemen I didn’t know were asking me how I was. It was almost like they thought I was his girl or something, the way they fawned over me. I was saddened by his family’s absence. Eddie said he managed to get in touch with them, but they were off on some trip and sent their regards. It was sickening, really, how they could have someone so positively wonderful as a son and not care enough to even try.

The doctor walked in and his eyes landed on me, singling me out.

“You the girlfriend?” he asked, and Robin nodded, pushing me forward. “He’s stable. We’ve treated his burns and all his cuts, and he’s not bleeding out anymore. But he’s still comatose, and we’re still not sure how long he’ll be out for. You’re welcome to come see him though, if you’d like, for a few minutes.”

“Yes,” I nodded frantically.

“Only you can come back, though. At least until visiting hours tomorrow. Is that ok?”

“Uhh…” I hummed, looking around, “Someone else should probably go in, somebody more important.”

“No, you go. Believe me, there’s nobody else he’d want in there,” Eddie gave me a small smile, and everyone nodded slightly in agreement, so I followed the doctor back to a small room.

Steve looked pitiful, more gauze than man, but even in his battered state he was still handsome. The tears I’d been holding in finally fell as I looked at him.

“I’ll be right outside if you need me,” the doctor excused himself, and suddenly we were alone.

I walked to his bedside, sitting on the side and grabbing his hand, holding it tightly in mine.

“You have to wake up, Steve. Please,” I choked out through quiet sobs, “I need you. I love you, more than anything I love you. Please just wake up.” I have his hand a squeeze. “You’ve always been there for me, and I promise I’ll be here for you. Every day, until they throw me out, I swear. I won’t leave your side, not now or ever. You’re my best friend, you’re the love of my life. I need you to wake up.”

I stared at his lifeless form, listening to the low beep like it was background noise and squeezing his hand once more.

“Please wake up.”

One year before graduation

I don’t know how we convinced our parents to let us spend a full week at the cabin alone. I told mine I was gonna be with Robin, but I had no idea who he said he was gonna be with. Or even if he made up a story at all, considering they didn’t care much.

“It’s so pretty out here,” he smiled at me, dazzling me with how bright it was. So much so I could almost see it reflected on the lake.

“I like it,” I shrugged, “I remember coming here with my grandpa to fish. That was his favorite thing about this place.”

“I’m sorry,” Steve sighed, coming closer to me and pulling me in closer, “The funeral was nice, though. He would’ve liked it.”

“It was, wasn’t it?” I grinned, leaning into him before pulling away abruptly. “It’s okay, I’ll get over it.”

“I can’t believe he left all this to your family. This is the coolest inheritance ever.”

“I don’t know, he used to tell me there was a monster in the woods that would come get me if I snuck out here alone at night.”

“I won’t let any monsters get you,” he laughed, “We should do something. Make this place ours.”

“Like what?” I asked, curiosity piqued.

“Hmm,” he hummed, looking around. His eyes landed on a tree, the biggest and prettiest one out there, nestled right by the water. He pulled a pocket knife out of his jeans and hustled over to it, beginning to carve.

I let him do his thing for a moment before he victoriously cheered, “Got it!” And when I read it, it was our names together beside a heart.

“Cute,” I smirked, running my fingers over the love tainted bark, “If people see this, they’re gonna think we’re together.”

“Let them,” he shrugged, “I don’t care. There are worst things they could say than that.”

“Maybe we will be one day,” I mused.

“Probably.”

“We would make a pretty cute couple.”

“And some pretty cute babies.”

“You’ve thought about what our babies would look like?” I full belly laughed.

“I’ve thought about making them, too,” he winked, leaning in to kiss my forehead and then turning back to his handiwork.

“You’re the worst.”

“You mean you haven’t thought about it?”

“What? Knocking boots?”

“Yeah. The horizontal tango. The super nasty.”

“Only when I’m super desperate or bored. Wouldn’t want to rot my brain.”

“Whatever. The point is, our kids would be next level. Grade A genetics. With my hair and your… everything else? Unstoppable.”

“What would we name them?”

“Hmm,” he thought for a moment, leading me to the water and sitting with me on the bank, “I don’t have a preference. Whatever you wanted would be fine.”

“So if I wanted to name our son Eustace and our daughter Muriel?”

“Then we’d get a dog and name it Courage. Dye its hair purple and everything.”

“You’re unreal.”

“Nah, I just want you happy. Happy wife, happy life, right?”

I giggled, slapping his arm. “It’s a good thing we’re not getting married. Those are horrible names for kids.”

“Yeah, I much prefer Donny and Marie.”

“Yeah, we could have a little bit of country and a little bit of rock and roll.”

“Right? They’d start making music right out of the womb.”

“Don’t talk about my womb!”

“Well if I’m putting kids in it then I have a right to talk about it!”

“Your kids aren’t coming anywhere near this womb, Harrington. She’s closed for business.”

“Oh, it’s a she, huh?”

“Of course it’s a she! This thing can push kids out and bleed for days without dying! A man could never!”

“Whatever. I’m going to get my trunks and take a swim. Wanna join me?”

“Of course,” I grinned, letting him help me up and running inside with him. I blushed as we passed the tree. “One day I’m gonna have to explain that carving to my husband.”

“Just tell him you were mine first,” he shrugged, and my smile widened. I wondered if he knew what he was doing to me, but even if he didn’t, I didn’t care. Whatever he felt for me was immortalized in an ages old oak, surrounded by hanging moss and hues of green. Nobody could ever take that away from me.

[lilac-murder]

I do not say this in a way of meaning that I wish they would stop being shipped (it's a work of fiction do whatever you want), but i am tired of going to AO3 to read fanfictions about "The Great Gatsby" where Gatsby just realizes that he loves Nick instead of Daisy like the flip of a switch.

I can understand why people feel that Gatsby falling in love with Nick would be easy, given how we see a lot more of the two's friendship and interactions throughout the book than the interactions between Jay and Daisy, which is ment to be a dynamic that we are ment to find romantic purely based on their past together. But this is of course because Nick isn't there to see them be together in the present except for chapter 5 where he helps to bring the two of them together for tea, chapter 6 where Tom and Daisy attend one of Gatsby's parties with Gatsby and Daisy sneaking off together at the end, and chapter 7 where they try to execute a plan of confronting Tom and having Daisy leave him for Gatsby. The main reason why some of the interactions between Gatsby and Jay have any sort of hint of romantic tension is because it is from NICK'S point of view, and for as much as i am writing here about how against i am about the current perception of how a romantic relationship between Jay and Nick would play out, there is no denying that Nick Carraway is about as gay as F. Scott Fitzgerald could accidentally write him.

Ever since chapter three Nick has had at the very least an infatuation with Gatsby, given how he describes his smile alone when he first meets the weird rich guy next door and how even just before Gatsby is shot in chapter 8 Nick proclaims to him that those around him are a rotten crowd and that Jay is worth the whole bunch put together even as he narrates of how he hates Gatsby at the same time. But even for all of Nick's subtle romantic feelings, it's most likely that Jay only truly sees Nick as a friend or at most someone that he can truly confide in about his worries or troubles.

There is also the matter of Jay's obsession with Daisy, or in other words, THE VERY DREAM AND HYPER FIXATION THAT HAS KEPT HIM GOING FOR YEARS. For as much as his love for Daisy is shallow and only exists because Jay can't grasp the concept of letting someone get away, he is VERY dedicated to his fantasy of having Daosy as his wife in a big house with lots of money. He has literally thrown himself into a very dangerous career of being a bootlegger just so that he could make the amount of money he didn't have when he and Daisy first met just to show her that he can take care of her now, and has wasted countless fortunes throwing extravagant parties just in the hopes that Daisy will come and see how much he has accomplished. In my eyes I don't see how there could be a way for Jay to just forget about his entire false love for Daisy just because someone that he's only known for less than three months is kind of cute and is really nice to talk to.

And wouldn't a story about Nick pining from a far without even realizing it with Gatsby constantly reminding him that he is in love with Daisy and Nick wondering why that makes him feel like crap and Nick only realizing he had feelings for Gatsby after he's dead be a more intriguing story than something like "Jay realizes he loves Nick at the slightest sign of rejection from Daisy." Nick realizing he loves Jay after his death would also give more meaning to Wolfshine's line in chapter 9 about showing someone your feelings when they're alive instead of waiting until they're dead, stabbing the dagger in his heart in further by giving him the false hope that Jay would have some how accepted his love when he was still around and breathing. This kind of grief powered wishing would also give Nick a tie to George Wilson in how they both experienced the loss of a close person in their lives that sent them into a bad mental state, with a narrative foil coming in with Nick deciding to move on with his life at the end of the book where as George decided to act on his grief by getting what he thought was revenge.

But I also don't really care and you can do whatever you want with your fanfics, I just can't write fiction for the life of me.

[skyfallscotland]

i should’ve known this wasn’t gonna be a chill chapter 😭😭 WHYYYY AMY WHYYY!!!! whatever its debriefing time

1. the sex scene…. had me sobbing. it was so fucking cute

2. SHES REMI RIORSON WOOOOOOOOOOOO

3. i can’t wait for mira’s reaction 🤭🤭🤭 (side note: do you ship mira and drake??)

4. GARRICK CALLING HER MRS RIORSON UGHHH I LOVE MY MANN

5. i’m actually gonna hit brennan

6. what the fuck happened. why did this have to happen??? um ?/!-?-!-?/!/?-$-$27/)-?/!-?-???-?:!:!@/!/?/?-? (i’m talking about visia dying)

ANYWAYSSS that’s it for the debrief, great chapter like always remi <3 hope you’re enjoying your summer 💗

PS: i would actually love cat and remi to interact with each other and try to get along…. maybe? i think that’s gonna stay an au though

1. There is never a chill chapter, it’s practically my signature move: give you something nice and then start hitting you with angst.

2. Remi Riorson 😭😭

3. Do I ship-….I’ll just leave this here.

4. Garrick is cute. That’s why he’s going to die (in canon), probably in book four after we’ve gotten to know him better in Onyx Storm, I don’t make the rules.

5. Do it, he deserves it.

6. It had to happen but hey it could have been worse ok 😭 you all have no idea what you were almost in for.

Cat and Remi will probably interact at some point in Love & Loyalty if/when I get to it, I’m sure! Whether she ever redeems herself is another story lol 🖤

[nerevarswritingstuff]

Hello!! I’m really glad to write you again and hope you're alright!! I was waiting for free time to read the new chapter, and I just finished it, and I have A LOT OF THOUGHTS AND EMOTIONS ＼(≧▽≦)／

I really like the interaction between Zan and Erlang, it was so cute. I had a thought that they may know each other from Zan’s past life, hope we’ll know more about this. And “handsome man”?? When I read this, my mouth fell on the floor for a few minutes, oh Zan the man you are

All my emotions about Nibby and Macaque I can describe as: Oh my god, my shayla😭. I can a bit relate to their trauma, bc I’m going through something like this(but for me it’s a cousin, so I can’t fully understand it). It breaks my heart when I saw them depressed and traumatized, nobody deserves pain like this. Btw, I really love Macaque’s and Nibby’s communication, it makes me giggle every time.

Unfortunately I didn’t reread the last chapter, so I’m a little forgot what was happening, but when I remembered that Macaque and Wukong would meet soon I was like “Well it’ll be through one-two chapters, I have time to prepare for this”. I WASN’T READY FOR THIS. I DON’T THINK ANYONE WAS. I can’t explain the feeling I felt, even in my native language. I just froze for a moment and can’t say anything. All I can do its sit and wave my hands in an attempt to explain emotions about this situation. Also, poor MK, buddy even doesn’t understand what’s happening around him, he just wanted to spend time with his big brother☹️

I still love you and your work, I can’t remember anything that gave me emotions like this. I hope everything in yours and Verdette’s life will be great! Love y’all, take care❤️

EEEEEE THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! Your comments always make me feel warm and fuzzy inside~

I can't wait to show more Erlang and Zan interactions because they're so god-damn funny and the reasoning behind Erlang knowing Zan is delicious... that'll be a fun reveal for the future~

The most fun part about writing the interactions between Nibby, Wukong, and Macaque is just how they talk to each other like oh my god

Macaque's teasing has more bite to it while Wukong's is a playful, if a bit childish, whining but both are so endearing nonetheless Nibby could say the exact same thing to them, delivered the same way and everything, and they'd both have VERY different reactions and that's what keeps me alive is the small differences

HUEHUEHUE goooood... honestly I was nervous about the BIG MOMENT of Wukong finally seeing Macaque, but I'm glad I conveyed the tension and panic inside Nibby well enough ;;;v;;;

THANK YOU AGAIN AND I HOPE EVERYTHING IN YOUR LIFE WILL BE GREAT YOU BEAUTIFUL BITCH

[justanotherperson1]

Hey I just binged read you ao3 fic scarlet ties and man it awesome 😍 just sitting here giggling like a school girl cuz of the cute/funny interactions between megatron and Y/N lol 😂

Anyway just wanted to say the I love the fic and I can’t wait for more chapters ^_^ hope you have a great day 👍🏻

Thank you so much! They are so fun to write, so I’m glad you are having as much fun as I am!

[goliig68]

19 days fic rec pt.2

Making pt.2 cuz I couldn't add all of my favourite fics here( again, with no particular order )

Mark My Love by ria_green

( E | 12,525 | 9/? )

He Tian gently holds Mo Guanshan by the neck, thumb pressing into where a bond bite might one day appear.

Shivering, Mo Guanshan shoves him away. "Go do that with an omega, idiot."

Note: a funny omegaverse story. Don't let the omegaverse title put you off it's seriously very funny and cute. I love the interactions between guan shan and jian yi😂 he tian and zhen xi too! I swear they all have weirdest dynamics!

*

It will come back by mgsdays (regencyaus)

( E | 44,417 | 12/12 )

He Tian leaving on self-protection, after Jian Yi's disappearance, makes Mo scared enough to make a move. They stumble into something together just as He Tian leaves the country, and they have to figure things out long-distance while waiting for He Tian to come back.

--

Mo's known the gist of it since the dawn of his puberty. Water's wet, sky is blue, Mo's sexual desires are intertwined with his complicated feelings for He Tian. Big deal.

But the reality of it is- something else. This is something else entirely.

Did you miss me? – H

Barely noticed. - MGS

...did you? - MGS

Every minute of every day. - H

How the fuck does He Tian just say those things? Doesn't he feel embarrassed? Mo thinks he's feeling embarrassed for him, and he didn't even write it. He stares at the words until his phone light goes out, and then he turns it on again and stares some more.

Note: an amazing reunion au. I think author did a great job at handling tianshan's long-distance relationship and all of that mafia stuff. I think this fic has to be In everyone's "to read" list👌

*

nothing fucks with my baby by figglypudding

( E | 23,897 | 3/3 )

unexpectedly, and in the most unlikely of places, mo stumbles upon a reunion he'd long given up on.

but how can he heal when he's only just begun to acknowledge the hurt?

Note: another reunion au. But angstier and so much sadder😭 but it's happy ending, so all of that sadness was worth going through.

*

swimming in the blood by powerandpathos

( M | 29,455 | 1/1 )

Guan Shan’s nose wrinkles. ‘I sing like I mean it. I don’t sing it ‘cause I want everyone else to hear. That’s Jian Yi’s thing.’

’And what’s your thing?’

He Tian holds his gaze. Street lamps and car headlights are mirrored in the amber surface of Guan Shan’s eyes, and He Tian can see his own shadowed silhouette in his irises, a blocky shape of darkness with no detail. For some reason, that bothers him.

‘Still figurin’ that out,’ Guan Shan says.

Note: rock band au. Sex, drama and rock 'n roll. No drugs lol. This fic in in my top 10 favourite 19 days fics, And it is so underrated!! Go read it, it's truly wonderful!

*

nail House by powerandpathos

( M | 13,309 | 1/1 )

‘God,’ Guan Shan mutters. He pushes himself up onto his elbows. His thighs are still trembling, and he rolls his ankles. ‘You fuckin’ love control, don’t you?’

He Tian sits back on his haunches. ‘Have you seen my family?’

‘I don’t wanna talk about your family right now.’ Guan Shan huffs. ‘Bet you can’t fuckin’ stand that I have to drive you about, right?’

‘I got used to it. It’s a shame the car isn’t a manual. I’ve enjoyed seeing your hand around the gear stick.’

Note: Triad au/driver!Guan shan. One of my favourite aus! I really enjoyed reading it, so I read it 3 more time.

*

hook, line, and sinker by fayre

( Gen | 3,673 | 1/1 )

“So everything that happened,” Guan Shan says, trying and failing to keep a steady tone, “The shopping, the barbeque — everything was just because you didn’t want to go home alone? That's pretty damn convoluted if you ask me.”

He Tian huffs, amused. “Not exactly. I had nothing planned; no expectations. I just wanted to be with you.”

a post-chapter 292 drabble (the day after the BBQ/sleepover at the He family estate.)

Note: i loved all of the calm feelings I got from this fic. The descriptions of atmosphere and everything around them was so detailed that I literally could feel them too. It was very gentle and pure you know?

*

allergy season by fayre

( T | 6,506 | 1/1 )

“You know, they say that sneezing a lot means you’re on someone’s mind.”

“Yeah?” Guan Shan says a bit drily, sniffing hard. “Then what a fuckin’ shame.”

He Tian watches him. “For you?”

“For the bastard unfortunate enough to have gotten me on their mind,” Guan Shan answers, walking again. He hates how nasally and gross his voice sounds, and the back of his throat feels sore. “If someone’s thinkin’ of me this fuckin’ much, it can’t be good news for either of us. Trust me.”

“Ah,” He Tian says, and then nothing more.

a post-chapter 348 oneshot (the He Tian & dog chapter).

Note: man...i remember reading this fic hoping that one day, we get a love confession and kiss scene between he tian and guan shan (and now we fucking have it)

*

Knee high, stage fright (even if you're alright) by fayre

( Gen | 5,383 | 1/1 )

It’s no longer about what He Tian thinks; it’s about what he knows. And he knows Guan Shan — at least on a foundational level — and he knows how Guan Shan doesn’t just ask when he needs. He knows how Guan Shan doesn’t talk but doesn’t listen, either. He knows that Guan Shan doesn’t always think rationally but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t think, and he knows how his body goes on autopilot before his thoughts cause him to malfunction and crash and burn.

He knows.

After all, it's the little things that add up. He Tian can only pray that they won't come crashing back down.

(or: no matter how hard he may try, guan shan can't hide all his problems. fluff ensues.)

Note: a soft and cute tianshan oneshot, with a little bit of angst but it's mostly fluff. I loved the ending, it melted my heart and brought smile to my lips🫠❤

*

singing in red by starlightstarshine

( T | 27,204 | 6/6 )

In which He Tian is the bassist for the most popular band in the world and Guan Shan is only doing modelling so that he could get enough money to pay for his next meal (based on that art by Old Xian).

Note: I love the fics where guan is head over heels for He tian haha😆

*

Tell Me On A Sunday by Llybian

( T | 1,501 | 1/1 )

He’d begun, with great difficulty, to accept all of this in his heart. But he still could do nothing. What was he supposed to do? Confess his feelings like a pathetic little schoolgirl? Not a chance.

But then again, what did he really suppose would happen if he told He Tian he “liked” him? Well, the world would end, for one. That was just a given. But beyond that, they’d probably just make out. There was really no chance of He Tian shooting him down or saying this was all just some long con.

Despite that. He just couldn’t.

Note: I think by summary everyone can get a brief foresight that what this fic is about. In my opinion, this fic is very real and in character.

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Bites by Asfodel

( M | 24,263 | 7/? )

Turning to look at the black sky, he let his mind wander to a place he tried not to visit too often. To the last words Guan Shan heard He Tian say in that dim corridor.

« I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I love you, I’ll fix it, I’m sorry. »

Like a mantra.

or a rewrite of their reunion a few years after high school, basically disregarding the Christmas chapters. Side of ZhengYi, angsty but with a healthy dose of fluff, tags will be updated as the story goes.

Note: reunion au. It's such a beautiful but heartbreaking story. I love author's writing style, it captures feelings perfectly👌

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A dog by Alien_Kitsune

( E | 50,000 | 10/10 )

Mo Guanshan and He Tian didn't meet in the school and each went his own way. Several years passed and Mo became a criminal. But on the verge of death destiny surprises him.

Two broken men who are still trying to find themselves in this world were always fated to find each other.

Note: mafia au. Thanks to @maruuzen for recommending me this fic!❤ I really loved the process of tianshan's relationship development. I'm sure that's how their relationship would go if they didn't meet at middle school, and/or he tian joined his family business, just like how it's stated in fic, fate brought them together. also it's angsty (of course) so be warned.

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Dawn Rising by powerandpathos

( E | 78,968 | 13/? )

An Historical Fantasy AU—A poisoning; a death; a thief. A prince struggling to be a prince. A guard trying to stop one from getting killed. And everyone else on the sidelines. It has never been so hard to navigate the court of an empire when not everyone can survive.

Note: my favourite historical fantasy au, the plot, the drama, the characters it's just_ugh👌💞 unfortunately, this fic is probably abandoned, but don't let that stop you from reading it, even though it's unfinished, I think this fic is still amazing.

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Cold On The Inside by incorrect19days

( E | 4,879 | 6/6 )

‘Look at me.’

He Tian instructed softly.

He took a deep shuddering breath and opened his eyes.

Note: a short and oh-so-beautiful story. It's a little bit sad but it's happy end, or hopeful ending better to say.