#Chapter 20: Best Explanations | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

yelenasbraid · 4 months ago

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the view between villages pt.1 — joe burrow

mini series summary — it’s been years since you’ve seen your high school & college best friend, joe burrow. you went to high school together, went to ohio state together, but separated when joe transferred. distance wasn’t kind to you, and the total difference in careers stretched you further apart. when you reunite with him unexpectedly, you’re not sure you have an explanation. you’re not sure if he’ll take your explanation. little do you know he’s been ready and he’s been willing.

chapter summary — your sister asks for a pickup from a bar. little did you know you’d step back in time.

warnings — fem!reader, best friends to strangers to lovers, angst

songs that inspired this part — please don’t go home yet by stephen sanchez + the view between villages by noah kahan

note — i’ve had this done for a while and idk how much longer i could have gatekept this from you guys lol. i also have a request i’m working on AND I WILL GET TO IT!! it’s halfway done lol

part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5

YOU SET YOURSELF UP FOR FAILURE, you’ve realized. your living room is set at the perfect temperature, allowing for a blanket to be the only thing keeping you warm. a show played softly in the background and a warm-scented candle was lit on the coffee table. your laptop was perched on your lap, an attempt being made to study for an upcoming exam for your masters degree.

your eyes threatened to close, attempting to pull you into a light sleep.

your phone was the next thing you heard, the incessant buzzing against your thigh shaking you awake. you rubbed your eyes, grabbing your phone to see who was calling you. you groaned, answering the call.

“what?” a hand ran down your face as you annoyance slid off your single word.

“i need a pick up,” the slurred voice of your younger sister, kelsey, was on the other end. she decided to go out with some friends to a bar in downtown cincinnati. they picked her up without plans on who was to take her home.

so that left you.

“which bar are you at?” you grumbled, shutting your laptop and placing it on the coffee table. you blew out the candle while you were at it.

“uh,” there was a pause, and you cursed under your breath as you stood up to grab some shoes.

“kelsey, do you know where you are?” you didn’t mean to snap, but it was 12:30 in the morning; you weren’t in the mood for your sister’s incompetence.

“yes yes i do, geez,” kelsey groaned, “somerset,” she replied. you’ve only been there a handful of times, only because someone invited you. you didn’t go to bars with your own free will. you had too much work to do.

“i’ll be there in 10 minutes,” you told her, grabbing your keys and your wallet. you definitely weren’t dressed to be stepping foot in a bar, sweats and an ohio state crew neck keeping you warm.

“thank youuuuu,” kelsey sang, a hiccup interrupting her. you rolled your eyes as you locked the door to your shared apartment with kelsey.

“just don’t do anything stupid, alright? and no more drinks, drink some water,” you instructed as you got into your car.

“you’re no fun,”

“that’s what older sisters are for, kels,” you reminded her. ever since you were small you looked out for kelsey. your parents weren’t very present; both of them worked long hours. as the oldest, you looked out for kelsey. you often babysat her, fed her, and made sure she stayed out of trouble. you were still that person for her, and you often wondered if it would ever stop.

—

you parked outside of the bar, somehow managing snag a parallel parking spot. as much as you hated parallel parking, you weren’t going to drive around for 20 minutes trying to find a parking spot.

not when it was this late.

you stepped out, locking your car and quickly crossed the street. it wasn’t as crowded as you thought, the lights casting a warm glow on the street. it was peaceful, for the most part. the lights of the skyscrapers casting a beautiful glow onto the streets below them. the moon was out too, making the stars around it sparkle. the air was cool, ushering you into a comforting embrace. you opened the door to the bar, breaking the hold the cool wind and peaceful night had on you.

there were too many people here. every table was occupied, the bar was full, and there were even people standing, well, swaying. your eyes scanned the crowd, picking apart faces and bodies as you tried to find your sister. your fingers absently fiddled with your keys, your anxiety building. was she here? did she lie to you? were you in the right bar? your eyes moved to the sign behind you, and you were in the right place. so, where was kelsey?

you flipped over your phone in your hand, your eyes still searching the crowds. your eyes did find someone, a blonde who’s face was rosy from the warmth of the room. his smile was radiant, laughing along with the guys next to him. he was familiar, his presence filling the room and the hole in your chest. your breath hitched, watching as joe burrow sat a few tables from you. he didn’t notice you, but you noticed him.

he’d changed. his hair was shorter, his arms were fuller, he even looked taller in his seat. he’d grown up, gotten older, and moved on from the things of college. as he should. your heart clenched in your chest, remembering the simpler days when you and joe were close. the days where you couldn’t imagine being apart from each other.

flashback

the door to your car opened as you opened a granola bar. you look over, mid bite, as a shaggy-haired joe burrow gets into your car. morning tea sessions before school were a usual for you, and if you were honest, you liked it. you never admitted it to him and had a hard time admitting it to yourself, but you were starting to like joe. he paid attention to your interests, he geeked out with you over the simplest of things, and he made you laugh. all the time.

joe, on the other hand, felt safe in your car. he wouldn’t admit that to anyone, but he liked sitting in your car with you, talking about everything and anything. he liked how he could joke with you, how he could geek out about something and you’d join right in. he felt safe with you, and being with you was the best part of his day besides football practice.

“well good morning,” you spoke as you swallowed your piece of granola.

“have you seen the new marvel lego set?” he asked you, a boyish sparkle in his eyes.

“i haven’t,”

“dude, look,” he turned his phone to show you, almost as if he’d been waiting to show you. it was a set with your favorite character in it, bucky barnes. you gasped, pointing at his figure.

“it’s got bucky?” you grinned, and he nodded his head eagerly.

“i know! i think i’m gonna buy it, but i just want the captain america mini figure. so i’ll give you bucky,” he shrugged, like it wasn’t a big deal.

“wait, really?”

“yeah, he’s your favorite, right?”

end of flashback

your head was in a daze, fogged over with memories. you had to snap out of it, but god you couldn’t. you inhaled deeply, feeling tears sting your eyes. you still had that lego figure, planted in a small display case on your desk. you yearned for the simpler times, but those were past. you didn’t live there anymore.

“hello?” a hand being waved in front of your face interrupted your trance, shocking your bones with embarrassment. you rapidly blinked your eyes, clearing your eyes from tears. your cheeks turned a rosy red color as you focused on your sister.

“where were you?” you scolded, crossing your arms, trying to regain the little composure you had left.

“in the bathroom, wasn’t gonna pee in your car,” she giggled. you rolled your eyes, and instinctively you flicked your eyes over to joe again, except you met his eyes this time. it made your heart skip a beat, shocking you down to your very core. you felt your chest tighten, a prickly feeling spreading across your skin. why did he still do that to you? you quickly flicked your eyes away, focusing again on your sister.

“i’m glad,” you gave a fake smile as you ushered her in front of you and out of the bar. you wanted so badly to cast one, last lonely look at joe, but you didn’t. you sneered to yourself, scolding yourself for allowing a memory to resurface, one that was painfully sweet. it killed you, and even though you lived in the same city, it didn’t mean you wanted to see him yet. you couldn’t.

you didn’t see joe watch you leave. you didn’t see joe inhale, his chest constricting with a newfound urgency. you didn’t see him stand, wanting to go after you. he almost left, wanting to catch you, but you left too quickly. he swallowed, blinking away the memories as he sat down again. his evening wouldn’t be the same, not after he saw you, not after he heard your voice above everyone else’s.

flashback

he’d lost. bad. it was his fault too. if his hands weren’t shaking so bad, he’d have caught the snap. but no, he didn’t. his hands slipped, which derailed him for the rest of the night.

‘butterfingers burrow’ was chanted on the visitors side of the stadium, and he couldn’t have felt worse in that moment. he walked off the field, the heavy feeling in his chest not getting any better. he lifted his head, trying to put on a brave face, when he saw you. you were waiting for him, wrapped up in a puffer and a hat. he allowed himself to smile, just a little.

“hey,” you gently smiled, watching him walk towards you.

“hi,” his voice was hoarse, as it sometimes was after a game. it was even worse considering it was cold and he felt tears stinging his eyes. he stopped short of you, his breath hitching. you weren’t much of a hugger, and he always respected that. always.

“come here,” you opened your arms, and joe just fell into them. you wrapped your arms around him, feeling the eyes on you. you knew this would be talked about tomorrow in the hallways, in classes. joe knew it too, but all he could think about was you. the feeling of your arms around him and your sweet perfume that consoled him.

he parted from you, exhaling a shaky breath.

“you ok?” you asked, and he knew you knew he was far from it. joe swallowed, picking at his cuticles. your hands gently topped his, getting him to stop.

“it’s just high school, i’ll be ok,” he assured you. he watched you, getting lost in the feeling of your warm hands on his. he ducked his head, feeling his cheeks warm with a blush. he wished you both were something more.

“i know you will, but your feelings are important too, joey,” you reminded him. he nodded his head, and offered you to walk with him.

“for the record,” you continued, “you did well. i’m proud of you, and i don’t care what people say at school tomorrow. they’re a bunch of hormonal teenagers,” you joked, and it got a laugh out of him.

“we’re apart of that too, ya know,”

“yeah well, whatever makes you laugh, joey,”

end of flashback

you always had this tendency to make him feel better. you could make the most out of a bad situation, a bad game, anything. you did a lot for him, and he didn’t realize what the emptiness in his chest was until now. until he saw you.

he took out his phone, an idea popping into his head. it’s been a while, he knew that, but he’d try it. he typed in your name into his text messages, and found you. he didn’t delete your conversations, even if it’s been years since you’ve seen or talked to each other. he couldn’t bring himself to remove the last tangible thing he had of you. he opened the messages and typed a message.

you felt your phone buzz as you situated your sister in the passenger seat of the car. you looked at it, seeing a text from none other than joe burrow himself.

‘does this number still work?’

oh this is gonna be an angsty one. it’s part one baby!! i’m hoping i can commit to this series since i’m actually excited about it. if there’s anything you want to see, please let me know! i’ve got a rough outline but of course will hear you out lol.

#joe burrow #joe burrow x reader #nfl imagine #joe burrow imagines

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cinnablu3 · 1 month ago

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RECKLESS - ALL I WANTED WAS YOU

Masterlist

Ch 18, i lied about 20 chapters we might have 21.

After Utahime leaves, you find yourself alone, your heart racing. The time for Choso's arrival is drawing near. "I have to be honest with him, no matter the consequences," you remind yourself. Just then, there's a knock on the door.

Immediately opened the door and pulled Choso inside. "Easy, I know I said I couldn’t be spotted, but you were quick with it, doll," he teased.

"Cho." He immediately embraces you, wrapping his arms around your waist and squeezing you. He presses his lips against your forehead.

"Glad to know you miss me."

"I'm sorry about--" "Don't even finish that sentence. It wasn't your fault." He said, hiding his face inside your neck. "Give me a minute, I miss you, Doll."

It was a peaceful silence as he pulled away slowly. "I'm sorry. I wasn't even in jail for that long, but even then." He laughed. "I did miss you."

You couldn't hold back your smile, feeling the ache in your heart, knowing he wouldn't have the same feelings for what you were going to tell him.

"Choso take a seat please I need to get something off my ch--" "That you agreed to the kiss?" He interrupts, you can feel your heart drop. "He told me." He gives you a bitter smile.

"I'm not angry, I shouldn't be upset since we aren't even together," he says as he takes a seat on your couch. "Though, you wouldn't believe how frustrated I was when we had to share a cop car and a cell." He crosses his arms.

"He complains a lot, it really did makes me wonder what you saw in him."

You couldn't help but chuckle at his statement.

"I'm serious, I can't find anything attractive that could have caught your attention."

"That's a little harsh even for you."

"I told him, got in a fight in the cell." He grins, "I was supposed to get out much earlier but someone got offended and took another beating."

"I'm trying my best to be serious with you, I can't with you telling me all this information." You sighs holding back a smile.

He pushes back a strand of hair behind your ear. "Just know I forgive you, even though I was hurt about it, I just want to know." He turns serious. "Did you feel sparks?"

"I didn't, that's when I realized he wasn't someone I wanted my name to be attached to."

"Good, because being attached to mine is way better. Sounds better as well."

"I want to be with you, Choso. I do," You paused. "I want to talk to Satoru, can I? Just to clear everything and end things completely."

"That's a terrible idea, Name. He doesn't need an explanation. You don't have to acknowledge him anymore."

"Choso.."

"I'm serious. Write a letter if you have to.. that sounds terrible I'm sorry.." He puts his hands on his face embarrassed of his words. "I just don't want to feel like my feelings are being played with."

"You're valid for how you feel, I'll write a letter and that's it no more." Giving him a serious look.

"Promise?"

"Promise Cho."

"That's a promise. Just don't give me false hope that's all I ask." He intertwines his pinkies with yours.

"Since you kissed him, it's only fair that I finally do." He leans in and gently cuffs your face before pressing his lips against yours.

You couldn't hold back a smile.

"Glad to know you're out of jail, in good piece" Shoko teases pointing at Satoru eye as he sticks his tongue out.

"Don't remind me. That emo said I whine too much."

"He's not wrong."

"Shoko, don't you think it's rude to bully a friend?" Suguru speaks up.

"Thank you Sugu-"

"Especially when he has two ugly blackeyes by his nemesis." He smirks.

"My manager is going to kill me." He throws himself on the couch pouting. "Maybe don't respond so quickly especially when you can't fight Satoru," Shoko replied.

"I can fight, I was just drunk." He groans, "Speaking of drunk does Name know you're here?" Shoko looks off to the side and is silent.

"Utahime and her are currently not speaking to her after the whole party." Suguru chimed in putting a hand on her shoulder.

"That sounds like Utahime doing, not Name. She is not someone that often cuts people off."

"Look, can we not talk about this guys? I cannot have another reason why I need a cigarette again." She rubs her head.

"Why don't you storm for Utahime and ask to take you back?" Satoru looks up at her while she raises a brow.

"What?"

"For once, I'm desperate. I want my friends back, tell me. You guys can't be my only friends."

"So.. I was thinking.."

Taglist is now closed and full 💞 @miiiturix @superdonkeypatroleggs @inthedarkshadows000 @kumori-suwan @chilichopsticks @prized-jules 1ndee @lov3vivian @yuuuumii @chiiinglebells @sakurayashiro @ghostlyfanenemy @cisseadven @totallygyomeiswife bemebiu @chckn-pi @for-hearthand-home @sh0ot1ngst4r @muthic @lukaerith-morningstar meowforluv @uniquenicefangirl @4rmins @corvid007 @beautifulwitchcandy @iluv-ace @tartartagliaboo @genxnarumi lafrone @coffee-addicted-demigod @cupidsblonde depressedemosantaclaus @drownedbytears @s777athv @linaaeatsfamilies @lun4rchive @moonlitwitchdaisy @kooksbunnnn @shoma-nom @reagan707 @kaged-kitty b0nez9 btsinthesoop @shokosbunny @sleepykittyenergy @sad-darksoul @ghostswhoretbh @raquel12 @missthatgirl @explosivelywuisa @bunviixo @rifran @therealanxiety @harryzcherry

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penkura · 8 months ago

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last forever [9/13]

Summary: Zoro only offered to marry you to keep you out of an arranged marriage with a man much older than you. You agreed with the caveat of ending it via annulment once you received word from your parents regarding the original engagement, despite your growing feelings for your close friend.

Pairing: Zoro x Fem!reader, mentioned Sanami later (like epilogue later so chill)

Warnings: Marriage of Convenience, Fake Marriage, referenced sex (waaaaaay later on), mutual pining, Zoro is bad at feelings but what's new there, eventual romance I promise, mention of past attempted assault (I'll warn in that chapter), creepy older dude later on

Note: Post-timeskip, go let's go. Of course, they're a little older now, we know Zoro is 21, so Reader is now 20. :) This chapter IS shorter than the others that are left, but that just means we're getting into the better parts of the story. I really can't wait for you all to see what's next. :)

Taglist:

@misfits1a

[Ch. 1] ● [Ch. 2] ● [Ch. 3] ● [Ch. 4] ● [Ch. 5] ● [Ch. 6] ● [Ch. 7] ● [Ch. 8]

It’s been a long time since you’ve felt such strong anxiety about seeing people, not since the last time you’d met with your parents’ chosen fiancé for you, but it’s come back in spades at the thought of seeing your crew again after two years.

At the thought of seeing Zoro again, more than anything.

The thought of him deciding to dissolve your marriage when he sees you again is the main source of your anxiety, what you try to push away as you leave the lovely group of swordswomen who took care of you for the last two years, those who you’d told about your situationship with Zoro wishing you the best as they dropped you off. You hope no one is jinxing anything, but still feel nervous every time you see someone or something that could be Zoro as you go about, looking for things to purchase and for your friends.

When Nami and Usopp find you, the happiness between the three of you makes all your worries and anxieties dissipate for the time being. Both hug you so tightly, a three-person group hug, you almost cry out of happiness at seeing them again, before Nami starts fawning over how you look so much stronger yourself. She can’t believe how different you seem! She adores your outfit of course, a fitted tank top with knee-length shorts to match and ankle boots, your beloved sword from Elias still attached to your hip. You tell her how wonderful she looks, giving Usopp the same compliment as the three of you start making your way towards Sunny, running into a distraught Chopper who you’re able to calm down after an explanation of the fake Starw Hats on Sabaody.

Chopper gives you a big hug and lets you carry him the rest of the way, its like you have a child but you don’t mind it. You’ll baby Chopper all he wants, it’s the least you can do after he’d taken such great care of you all as your crew’s doctor before you were separated.

Once you make it to Sunny, you’re glad to see your ship and home is safe, and receive compliments from Franky and Robin regarding how more grown up you look. You are twenty now, after all, but it makes you smile shyly and your face feel warm as you thank them both.

After Chopper leaves to retrieve the missing members of your crew once Brook arrives, you start to feel your anxiety creep in again, Robin noticing right away and giving you a soft smile.

“Zoro will be glad to see you again.”

“You,” you gulp a bit, smiling nervously now, “you think so?”

“I do. You two have been close since I’ve been with everyone, I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you’re well.”

You really do hope Robin is right, especially when you hear Chopper calling for you all, the large bird he’d left on returning now with Luffy, Sanji, and Zoro aboard as well. You surprise yourself by not crying when you see Zoro, instead grinning brightly and joining Usopp at waving widely to the three of them, shouting their names.

It slightly catches Zoro off guard to see you so happy, but still makes him keep his own smile on his face when he sees you. Robin is correct, though Zoro doesn’t know that, but he is truly glad to see you’re fine, you look so much stronger than two years ago, and seeing how you keep yourself up on your feet when Luffy flings himself down to give you a hug, he’s even more impressed. He wants, needs, to talk to you alone, but after making it on deck, Luffy still hasn’t let you go, Zoro realizes its going to be a bit before he can take you elsewhere to talk, especially so once Sanji recovers from his nosebleed and also gives you a hug. He turns to fawning over you like Nami did, telling you how lovely you look.

Zoro can’t disagree with that statement.

He gives you time with Sanji, who continues to talk to you and tries to tell you about his own two years, until he notices you’re constantly glancing past him, and he knows exactly why.

Sanji smiles at you, before taking you by the shoulder and pushing you towards Zoro, essentially telling you to go see your husband already, he’s been waiting for you to be free so you could talk maybe. It makes you smile at him before you finally walk over to Zoro, who had turned to leaning against the rail with his arms crossed and eyes closed, until you tap his shoulder and he opens his one good eye to see you.

“Hey there.”

“Hey.”

You feel nervous, for some reason, before you notice the scar over his left eye finally and tilt your head.

“What happened with your eye?”

“Training accident,” Shrugging, Zoro stands up straight and you realize he’s gotten slightly taller in the last two years, he notices the same for you but you’re still shorter than him, “Come with me for a bit, yeah?”

Nodding, you follow Zoro up to the crow’s nest, the two of you briefly talking about your two years. You’re amazed to hear he trained under Mihawk, while Zoro is beyond impressed you ended up in a village for swordswoman. He knew you looked stronger, he can’t wait to see how much better you’ve become with your sword.

Once you’re both in the crow’s nest, before you can say anything else, Zoro surprises you this time but hugging you as tightly as he can, which you return once you’ve shaken off the shock that he’s initiated this. You thought the two years would make the two of you drift apart, not being around each other or anything, but perhaps you’d just been paranoid the whole time.

Don’t cry, I don’t want to cry right now…

“I missed you.”

He’s making it difficult for you not to cry, so you just nod a bit, biting your tongue to keep from crying.

“I missed you too, Zoro…”

Neither of you say anything for a while, you’re impressed the rest of your crew hasn’t tried to bother and bring you both back down with everyone, but you’re also grateful for it. You both need this, just some time together, time alone, it’s probably not enough time to discuss your marriage and what’s next, but you don’t really care that much.

“I…I love you…”

Zoro nods, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead briefly.

“I know.”

That’s enough for you right now, it still makes you smile up at him, before you frown a bit, causing Zoro to raise an eyebrow at you.

“My parents…they still want me to go back and marry him…”

“Oh yeah?”

You nod, staying quiet for a moment before you sigh and lay your head back against his chest and gripping his top while he strokes your hair a bit. He may not agree with what you’re about to say, but after two and a half years, your marriage could only be ended by divorce, a thought you’ve hated since this came into being. You even hated the thought of the annulment plans, and now, you two only had the choices of divorcing or staying married.

“I don’t want a divorce…”

“We’re not gonna. Not now,” Zoro hugs you a little tighter, one arm around your shoulders and the other around your waist as he gives you a kiss on the top of your head, “I won’t let anyone take you away from the crew, even if we stay married forever.”

“Thank you…thank you so, so much, Zoro…”

“Of course. I’d never let anyone force you into anything, wife.”

+!+

You think Fishman Island was one of the fastest “get to city enter battle” events you’ve experienced do far, maybe second only to Sabaody. Your crew was separated almost immediately, you ended up with Nami and she took you to the shops right away, demanding discounts and trying to put cute clothes on you, things she swears Zoro would probably like to see you in with a grin while you shy away and push her off a bit. Admitting to her and Robin that you’re in love with Zoro might have been a mistake, but at least you have people to talk to about the situation.

Of course, though, nothing is easy as a member of the Straw Hats and you all quickly are defending the Ryugyu Kingdom from Hordy Jones, fighting off masses of Fishmen to protect yourselves and the innocent citizens of the kingdom.

While you don’t take out anywhere near as many enemies as Zoro or Sanji, you still fight enough to help keep them at bay, getting some compliments post-battle from your crewmates and some of the citizens. It makes you feel both shy and proud at the same time, your two years of training weren’t a waste after all, even Zoro can see the changes in your fighting style and how well your attacks land now. You don’t look as nervous as you used to either, despite the confidant air you’d put on back then. The little bout you two had when you asked to stay with him, he saw you shaking so badly because you were scared but also still recovering from being sick, you tried your best and Zoro could see that, it’s part of why he had no problem with you following him, especially once you let him start teaching you more about swordsmanship.

You’ve definitely improved from the shaky, scared girl he met four years ago.

You feel like Zoro hasn’t changed at all, despite the scar over his left eye and definitely becoming bulkier, he was still the same to you. Still makes your heart flutter when you watch him fight, he still checks on you after fights, it makes you happy to see he’s still the same. He’s still Zoro, of course he wouldn’t change.

“Hey, come with me for a minute.”

During the celebration that’s being thrown for you all as thanks for saving Fishman Island, Zoro takes your hand leads you off again, just the two of you. It makes you comment that if he keeps taking you away from everyone, someone is going to get the wrong idea, but Zoro just shrugs it off. He doesn’t really care what others think still, you’ve always known that.

Once you’re far enough away from everyone, he guides you to sit beside him before surprising you with what he says next.

“We should talk about our situation.”

The fact Zoro actually wants to discuss what’s going to happen next is the surprise, but you still nod, agreeing with him.

“Change your mind on us divorcing?”

“No, I haven’t,” Zoro brushes a bit of hair behind your ear, placing his hand on your cheek which makes you smile at him, “We’re not divorcing unless you want to, but…I think we should try, you know, dating, or whatever you want to call it…”

You blink a few times, completely confused and shocked before tilting your head.

“…huh? You…what?”

“What, you suddenly going deaf or something?” Zoro pinches your cheek a little which makes you wince and pout, before giving him a glare that makes him smirk at you, “We should try a relationship, forget your parents and our original deal. I…I want to try being your boyfriend.”

You really didn’t expect this, you first thought, like you asked, that Zoro had changed his mind and decided he was done with your fake marriage, but instead, he actually wants to give the two of you a try. Wants to see if this might be something that really could last, not a temporary solution to your personal problems.

While you think it through for a moment, you barely register that Zoro is starting to look nervous, something you’ve never really seen before. Once you make up your mind, before he can say anything more, you lean up and kiss him, pulling away with a smile that Zoro returns.

“I’d love to give us a real try, Zoro.”

Everything is going to be okay, you’re sure of it.

+!+

Sanji and Nami can see a difference in your and Zoro’s relationship quickly after you leave Fishman Island. As you approach Punk Hazard, Zoro doesn’t really let you go, keeping you near to him even as you all draw straws and you end up being one of the group to stay on Sunny and keep watch. Neither of them say anything when he pulls you aside once again, but the smile you have while you talk to Zoro tells them both everything is fine, especially when you nod once more and hug him, which he returns to their surprise.

The two look at each with questioning glances, trying to see if you’ve said anything to the other, but both shrug. Truthfully there’s not been time to talk to either of them, and when the group Zoro’s a part of leaves, the two drag you to the kitchen and start asking questions, which causes you to laugh, but Nami doesn’t really think it’s funny.

“Come oooonnnn,” Nami leans against your arm, giving you a pout, “You guys are acting weird, you can’t tell us something isn’t going on.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Nami.”

The blush on your face starts to give you away, and Sanji figures it out, giving you a slight grin.

“Did he finally tell you he likes you back?”

“Mm…something like that.”

“Are you guys dating then?”

“Maybe~” You’re not very good at being coy, to the point Nami gasps and shouts that she knew it before hugging you tightly while you laugh and Sanji sighs, still smiling.

“About damn time. That stupid mosshead, taming two years to tell you anything.”

“Well, all he said was that he wants to try a relationship, so that’s what we’re doing.”

“So he’s your boyfriend!” The little squeal and giggle from Nami makes you join in. “Finally, I told you he liked you back!!”

“Yeah, yeah, you were right!”

Sanji is quiet while he watches the two of you for a few moments. He really does hope that you and Zoro are going to be okay one day, that he’ll stay your husband and neither of you has to deal with the divorce papers or anything like that. He doesn’t want to watch another couple in his life break down, even as you two are just starting out.

Well, minus your two and a half years of actually being married, even though it hasn’t been a real marriage yet. It still isn’t, as you explain after a bit, but your friends seem to get it. You still want things kept under wraps, until Nami brings something up.

“Yeah…umm…about that…”

You give her a confused look as Sanji sighs again.

“Luffy kind of told everyone that didn’t know. It was the day Franky was making comments about you and mosshead being in his bed.”

Groaning, you lean back in your seat before nodding.

“All right then…let’s keep me and Zoro dating between the four of us then?”

“A good idea.”

“At least we can keep a secret.”

#zoro x reader #one piece x reader #reader insert #last forever #fem!reader #roronoa zoro x reader

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msbigredmachine · 1 day ago

Text

New To This - Chapter 20

MASTERLIST

WARNING: Heavy themes, Please proceed with caution.

For the first time in weeks, the world around Delilah seemed at peace. Floating was a serene sensation, the weightlessness carrying her to a place of quiet tranquility. Free from worry, free from doubt, her mistakes drifted out of reach, dissolving into nothingness. Her mind emptied, her body unburdened. It was as if nothing else existed—nothing beyond the water, nothing beyond the surface. Here, she could not be touched. She could not be harmed. She could not be corrupted. She felt like a child again, safely protected in her mother’s womb, untouched by the world’s cruelty.

A sharp gasp tore from her throat as Delilah bolted upright, air stabbing through her lungs like a blade. Her chest rose and fell in uneven, frantic breaths. For a few disorienting seconds, she couldn’t recognize where she was. Her eyes darted around the dim room, her surroundings coming into focus—the soft lavender walls, the dresser lined with Simone’s carefully placed candles, the faint scent of vanilla in the air.

She was back in Simone’s house. Back in the guest bedroom.

Not floating. Not peaceful. Not safe.

The reality of it all sank into her bones like lead. The weight that had been lifted in her dream crashed back down, crushing her under its familiar heaviness.

She had gone through with it.

The tiny life that had once been inside of her was gone.

She curled into herself, pulling the blanket tighter around her body. She had known this would happen, had prepared herself, had gone to that clinic with her decision already made. Yet, it still hit her like a train. The finality of it. The silence in her body where something had been growing. Would she ever get the chance to be a mother again? Did she even deserve to?

A bitter scoff left her lips. She had sacrificed her unborn child at the altar of her wrestling career, right next to her failed relationship with Andre. She had made a choice. So why did it still feel like something had been ripped from her?

And Josh…

She squeezed her eyes shut.

She shouldn’t even be thinking about him. He didn’t deserve to be thought about. He had made it abundantly clear that this wasn’t his problem. That he wasn’t going to guide her, support her, or even pretend to care.

“I just want you to do what’s best for you.”

Bullshit.

He didn’t care. Didn’t care enough to have an actual opinion, to step up like a real man. He had been so sure when he kept having sex with her without protection, but when the consequences of that recklessness came knocking, he had nothing to say. To her, he had washed his hands clean of it, as if he hadn’t been the one to get her pregnant in the first place.

She blocked him the second she walked out of that clinic.

She wanted nothing to do with him anymore.

All she wanted was to get out of Pensacola, leave this chapter behind, and start over. She was counting down the days until she could be medically cleared and head out to Orlando. A fresh start. A new beginning.

But first, she had to get through this pain. Physical and emotional. She didn’t know how, but she knew she just had to.

--------------------

The afternoon sun was creeping in through the blinds when Delilah finally reached for her phone. She had ignored it for the past two days, but now, as she sat curled up in bed, she knew she owed one person an explanation.

Tank.

She Facetimed him, and after a few rings, his face appeared on her screen. The concern in his expression hit her immediately.

“Delilah,” he greeted, voice heavy. “Been wonderin’ when you was gonna call me back.”

She swallowed, her throat dry. “Yeah…sorry.”

Tank studied her through the screen, his jaw tightening. “You look like hell, girl.”

She let out a humorless laugh. “I feel like it too.”

He exhaled, rubbing a hand over his face. “Talk to me.”

Delilah hesitated, her fingers gripping the blanket draped over her lap. Then, before she could second-guess herself, the words spilled out.

“I was pregnant,” she admitted, her voice a hoarse whisper as she gauged the look of complete shock on his face. “I found out after I came back from Vegas.”

Tank remained silent, though the slight widening of his eyes gave his thoughts away. He didn’t interrupt, didn’t say anything, just listened.

She forced herself to continue. “It was Josh’s.”

His nostrils flared. “You said, was.”

“Yes. Was.” She glanced down at her fingernails, suddenly realizing she needed a manicure. “I…I didn’t keep it,” she confessed, her voice breaking at the end. “I couldn’t. Not with everything that's...not with the way he—he just didn’t care, Tank. He acted like it wasn’t even his problem.”

A long silence stretched between them. Then, finally, Tank spoke again, his voice low and laced with disappointment.

“That boy done lost his damn mind.”

Delilah’s throat tightened.

“I been knowin’ Josh for damn near two decades, but I ain’t never seen him be this much of a coward,” Tank muttered, shaking his head. “You ain’t deserve that, Dee. You hear me?”

She swallowed hard, nodding. “I had the procedure two days ago, that’s why you didn’t hear from me.”

“You did what you had to do,” Tank said firmly. “Ain’t nobody got the right to judge you for it. Least of all him.”

Delilah bit her lip, fighting the lump in her throat. She hadn’t realized how much she needed to hear that.

Later that evening, Simone tried her best to cheer her up.

“Come on, girl, you need to get out of this damn room,” she said, dragging Delilah into the living room. “CJ been askin’ for you all day.”

True to her words, her five-year-old nephew beamed when he saw her. “Auntie ‘Lilahl!” he squealed, launching himself at her.

Delilah managed a small smile as she scooped him up. “Hey, little man.”

CJ chattered away about his day, his excitement infectious. Even Clay, Simone’s husband, threw in a few encouraging words.

It helped. For a little while.

But the moment she was alone again, the weight returned.

----------------

The next morning, Delilah was ripped from sleep by the sound of shouting.

Her heart lurched.

She stumbled out of bed, moving towards the window. The second she saw who was on the front porch, her stomach dropped.

Josh.

He was standing there, his hands pressed together like he was praying, looking desperate.

“Man, I just need to see her!” he pleaded.

Simone was in the doorway, arms crossed, face twisted in disgust. “You got some fuckin’ nerve showin’ up here!.”

“Simone, please—”

“Nah, hell nah,” she snapped. “You ain’t got shit to say to my sister now, just like you ain’t have shit to say when she needed you!”

Delilah’s hands clenched into fists at her sides.

She didn’t know what pissed her off more—the fact that Josh had the audacity to show up here, or the fact that he suddenly gave a damn now that it was too late.

“You don’t get to do this,” Simone hissed, jabbing a finger into his chest. “You don’t get to be the fuckin’ victim when you was the one actin’ like this wasn’t your problem!”

Josh ran a hand over his face, exhaling sharply. “I ain’t—I ain’t mean for it to be like this, man. I didn’t know what to do.”

“Yeah? Well, too fuckin’ bad,” Simone shot back. “You shoulda thought about that before you left my sister to deal with this shit alone!”

Delilah took a deep breath, then stepped forward, pushing the door open wider.

Josh’s head snapped up at the sight of her. His eyes—damn those eyes—were filled with something she couldn’t quite place.

Guilt? Regret?

It didn’t matter.

“Delilah,” he started with that deep, gruff voice of his, “I tried to reach you, but you blocked me—”

“You need to leave,” she said, her tone cold.

Josh swallowed. “Baby, please, just let me—”

“There ain’t nothing to say,” she interrupted. “It’s done.”

His face twisted. “Delilah—”

“Leave,” she repeated, steel in her voice.

But Josh was stubborn. It was in his blood, in his bones, in the way he carried himself like he never took no for an answer. That Samoan pride, that relentless need to fix what was broken—he wasn’t the type to just walk away.

So, he didn’t.

“Delilah,” he tried again, stepping forward. “Please, man. Just…just come to my place. Let’s talk.”

She stiffened. “I got nothing to say to you, Josh.”

“Then don’t say nothin’,” he pleaded. “Just let me be there for you.”

She scoffed, shaking her head. “Now? Now you wanna be there? After I already—” Her voice wavered, and she swallowed hard, her nails digging into her palms. “It’s done, Josh.”

Something flickered in his eyes—pain, maybe, or something darker, something unreadable—but he nodded, slow and deliberate. “Aight,” he murmured. “I hear you.”

For a second, she thought he might finally let it go. That he’d turn around and leave like he should.

But of course, he didn’t.

“I still wanna see you,” he said. “I know you leavin’ next week. I know I fucked up, baby girl. But let me fix somethin’. Let me take care of you.”

She exhaled sharply, willing herself not to fold.

She hated him.

She hated that he had the nerve to show up now, that he thought he could just throw those eyes at her, all soft and sorry, and she’d melt.

But most of all, she hated that some part of her still wanted to go.

She chewed the inside of her cheek, torn.

Josh stepped closer, voice low. “One night, baby. That’s all I’m askin’.”

She closed her eyes. She should say no. She needed to say no.

But she never had been able to resist him.

Not then.

And not now.

Simone stared at her like she had lost her damn mind.

“Are you serious right now?” Her sister’s voice was sharp, edged with disbelief. “After everything? After what he did, what he didn’t do—you really gon’ go with him?”

Delilah opened her mouth, then closed it. She wasn’t sure. She really wasn’t. Every logical part of her screamed to tell him no, to turn around and go back inside, to stop letting him have this kind of power over her.

But there was another part of her. A part that was tired. A part that, despite everything, just wanted him. Not to argue, not to rehash every shitty moment of the last few weeks. Just to exist with him for a little while.

“I don’t know,” she admitted, voice barely above a whisper.

Simone exhaled, hands on her hips. “Wow, Delilah.” She shook her head. “You can’t be for real.”

Josh didn’t say anything, just stood there waiting, his dark eyes locked on Delilah’s. He could probably tell she was already breaking, that whatever resolve she’d had was slipping through her fingers. He always did know exactly how to pull her back in.

“You don’t even gotta pack much,” he said, voice low, coaxing. “I got you set up. Everything you need. Just come with me.”

Delilah swallowed hard. He had prepared for her?

She wasn’t sure if that made it better or worse.

“You really left Raw just to come here?” she asked, even though she already knew the answer.

Josh nodded once. “Soon as I realized you wasn’t gonna answer me, yeah.”

Simone let out a humorless laugh. “Oh, so now he gives a fuck? Now he wanna be here? You ain’t even call her back when she told you she was pregnant, but now you movin’ mountains to see her?”

Josh’s jaw flexed, but he didn’t take the bait. He kept his focus on Delilah.

“Baby, please,” he begged.

And that was it. That one word. The way it rolled off his tongue, deep and familiar, warm in a way she hated to admit she missed.

Delilah sucked in a breath.

She wasn’t ready to forgive him. Probably never would be.

But right now?

Right now, she just wanted to feel something other than empty.

Delilah exhaled sharply, rubbing her temples. “Fine,” she murmured, barely believing the words leaving her mouth.

Simone sucked her teeth in frustration. “You really—” She cut herself off, shaking her head like she couldn’t even find the words. “You know what? Do what you want. But he—” she jabbed a finger toward Josh, “—can wait his ass in the car. Don’t bring your sorry ass near my house again.”

Josh held up his hands. “Aight, I hear you,” he said evenly. He didn’t argue, didn’t push back. Instead, he turned to Delilah. “I’ll be outside. Take your time, baby.”

Delilah ignored the way her stomach twisted yet again at that last word. She watched him retreat to his car, the door slamming shut behind him, before she turned and headed inside.

Simone was right on her heels. “You know this is stupid, right?”

Delilah sighed. “I don’t know what this is.”

“You just had surgery, Delilah. You need to be resting, not running off with the same man who left you to deal with this shit on your own.”

“I wasn’t on my own,” Delilah shot back, feeling defensive. “I had you.”

“Yeah, but was he there?” Simone’s eyes burned into hers. “Did he show up when it mattered?”

Delilah clenched her jaw. She didn’t have an answer for that.

Simone scoffed. “Exactly.”

Delilah didn’t respond. Instead, she moved toward her room, her footsteps slow and heavy. She grabbed her duffle bag from the closet, tossing in a few essentials—leggings, hoodies, travel toiletries. She wasn’t even sure what she was packing for. She had no real plans, no real expectations.

She sat on the edge of the bed for a moment, fingers gripping the fabric of her bag.

Was she doing the right thing?

Probably not.

But for reasons she couldn’t explain, she was doing it anyway.

--------------------

The near-hour-long drive to Josh’s house was thick with tension, suffocating and inescapable. The silence between them wasn’t comfortable—it was sharp-edged, bristling with everything unsaid. The highway stretched ahead endlessly, the glow of streetlights casting fleeting shadows over their faces. Delilah sat stiffly in the passenger seat, arms crossed, jaw clenched, staring out the window as if the darkness outside could swallow up the turmoil inside her. She could feel his presence beside her, heavy and unreadable, and it only made her anger simmer hotter beneath her skin.

Finally, Josh broke the silence. “How you feelin’?” His voice was low, careful, like he was stepping on glass.

Delilah turned her head, her eyes burning as she glared at him. “How do you think I’m feeling, Josh?” she snapped, her voice raw with exhaustion and resentment. “I feel like I just had a fucking abortion, that's how I fucking feel. It’s done.”

His grip on the steering wheel tightened, the muscle in his jaw twitching. “Ay, I'm sorry, a'ight?” He let out a slow breath through his nose, then said, “Guess it is what it is.”

Delilah’s head jerked back slightly, disbelief flashing across her face before it twisted into something bitter. It is what it is?

She let out a sharp, humorless laugh, shaking her head as she turned back to the window. “Don’t act like you care.”

Josh sighed, running a hand over his face, but kept his eyes on the road. “Of course I care! What you want me to say, Dee?”

“I don’t know, maybe something that don’t make me feel like I was in this shit alone,” she shot back, voice shaking. “You were so damn passive aggressive in them texts, like you ain’t know whether you wanted this baby or not. And when I needed you to be there for me, you left me hanging.” She turned to him, her expression hard. “You never had a problem bein’ decisive when you wanted to fuck me raw, though.”

Josh flinched at that, his jaw tightening. He stayed quiet for a beat before speaking again, his voice softer. “I ain’t mean to make you feel like that.”

“But you did.”

A long silence stretched between them.

Then Josh sighed, gripping the wheel tighter. “Look…you did the right thing.”

Delilah scoffed, crossing her arms tighter over her chest. “The right thing?” she repeated mockingly. “And you know that how?”

His lips pressed together like he was trying to choose his words carefully. Finally, he spoke. “’Cause I been there,” he admitted. His voice was lower now, rough with something deeper, something heavier. “When me and Tameka had our first kid, my career was just startin’ to take off. We wasn’t ready, man. Thought we was, but we wasn’t.”

Delilah stared at him, but he didn’t look at her. He kept his focus ahead, his expression dark, troubled.

“I missed so much, Dee,” he went on, shaking his head. “His first steps, first words, birthdays, school plays…hell, you name it, I probably wasn’t there. My oldest? He still looks at me like I’m the reason everything fell apart. Like it’s my fault me and his mama ain’t work out. And maybe he ain’t wrong.”

Delilah swallowed, her fingers twitching against her arms, but she said nothing.

Josh sighed again, rolling his shoulders back like he was trying to shake off a weight. “I didn’t wanna say nothin’ before ‘cause…I wanted you to make your own choice,” he admitted. “But I ain’t want that life for you. You’re young, Dee. You crazy talented. You got a whole career ahead of you. A baby right now? It woulda changed everything. For real.” He finally turned to glance at her. “And you don’t deserve that. Not after everything you’ve been through. You deserve to shine.”

Delilah felt her throat tighten.

She wanted to stay angry. She wanted to cuss him out some more, tell him how much he hurt her, how much his indecisiveness had made everything worse. But some small, treacherous part of her understood. Maybe that’s what made it worse.

She turned away again, blinking rapidly as she stared out at the passing lights.

Josh exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m sorry, Delilah,” he murmured. “For all of it. On me.”

Delilah kept her eyes on the window, her reflection barely visible against the dark glass. Her throat felt tight, but she refused to let it show.

“I know I fucked up,” he continued, his voice low, almost pleading now. “I do. But I don’t wanna leave shit like this between us. Let me be here for you. Just for a little while. Before you leave for Orlando.”

She swallowed hard, her fingers twitching in her lap.

“That’s why I came back. For you. Like I told you, I’m staying off Raw this week to be there for you,” he said, glancing at her with soft eyes l. “Please, Delilah. Let me take care of you.”

Delilah closed her eyes for a moment, her breath unsteady. She should say no. She should get out of this car, go back to Simone’s, and pretend the last year never happened. But she wasn’t sure she had it in her.

Instead, she nodded. Just once.

Josh didn’t say anything else. But when he reached over and gave her knee a light squeeze, she didn’t push him away.

The rest of the drive stretched on in silence, thick with all the emotions neither of them had the strength to say out loud.

--------------------

THOUGHTS?

Credit to @cosmicdes for the gif.

🏷️: @harmshake @cyberdejos2 @thesamoanqueen @vebner37 @thewarlordsworld

@dreamsinfocus @fame-ass-ers @southerngirl41 @jeyusos-girl @iguessilikewrestlingnow

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@wwecrazed2010 @xbriexx @ashyknee @katrinnnn @thedondada05 @luvrsluxe

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@fearlesschimera @kuromiish @vampygomez @tshepisho @magnificentbouquetmusic @4milly @rollinssection

@disc0fairy @prettybitxhnica @mellybandzz @blveeeeeee @taytropicana @planetch1ld @mayasopinions @tribalchief2112

@sabrina-carpenter-stan-account @n-o-v-a-caine @sexyblacksimper @paigereeder @callmekayd @partypoison00 @originalgeezyy @muzaqueendom @naturally-nikkilynn

#jey uso #main event jey uso #jey uso fanfiction #jey uso smut #jey uso imagines #jey uso x black oc #jey uso x black reader #new to this

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livesworthlivingau · 7 months ago

Text

Lives Worth Living Chapter 20

ISAT Spoilers! CW: Vague Act 3 ending mention (Child death implication), slight mental spiraling.

(You sit in bed, plagued with boredom. Your body still hurts but you've gotten used to the sore, throbbing pain by now. It still hurts to talk but you can manage short bursts well enough. You were left mostly alone today, with just Odile staying behind to 'babysit' while the others went to restock on supplies and the like. They could all use a break from you anyways, you were tired of being such a burden on the-)

"Siffrin, there will be none of that." (You perk up as Odile remarks from behind her book, was she even looking at you? By the time you glanced back she was nose deep in her book again.)

"Wh-What?"

"You were stewing in your own head again, I could tell by the expression on your face." (She explained, looking up from her book again and giving a light smile to you.)

"... Thanks."

"Of course." (You sigh some again, shifting about and trying to get comfortable. You change positions several times before giving a defeated grumble, holding a pillow over your head and sighing a muffled groan into it.)

"Bored?" (You groan out again in confirmation. You hear Odile get up from her chair, lifting the pillow a bit to peek over at her. She grabs an empty journal from her bag, as well as a pen, approaching and holding them out for you to take.)

"Here, if you're so bored, perhaps you'll humor me with a little QnA session?" (You give a slight tilt of your head, but take them none the less, nodding. Anything was better than the depression and boredom fueled mental spiral you were bound to get otherwise. You open up to the first page, getting the pen ready to write.)

"Let us begin somewhere simple. Did anything like this happen in your previous life?" (She asks plainly, gesturing to the viscerally stained sheets that sat bunched up on the floor. You shudder some, hearing it referred to so casually as 'your previous life' gave you a light pause, but you shake your head, beginning to scribble down a slight explanation.)

Not exactly, but that "color" had shown up again sometimes.

"Interesting... Do you know what caused it?" (You nod.)

I said "it". The Island's name.

"The island?... So you can remember it's name? You're from there, aren't you?" (Right... You never went over all that this time around. You nod again, hastily going back to scribbling.)

Sorry. We didn't go over all the original stuff this time around.

"Ah ah! No, there will be no apologizing. This is purely academic, you're not allowed to blame yourself for anything during this, understand?" (She asks in her usually half joking half threatening manner, you can't help but smile and give a weak chuckle, coughing just a bit afterwards.)

"Y-Yes m'dame!"

"Splendid. Now, since it's already come up, would you like to regale me with the original loops? (You nod. It would take a little while, but you begin to furiously scribble away, trying to sum up the loops as best you could. You include most of the important moments, but you can't bring yourself to include all of them still... The kings grip around bonnie still flashing in your mind, haunting you to this day.)

(Once you're finished writing your several page summary, you hand the book over to her. She quickly glances across the page, reading over it all intently. Her expression slowly turns to shock, and then that of sadness. She covers her mouth at one point.)

"Oh Siffrin... I am so sorry you-"

"Ah ah! Purely academic m'dame!" (You interrupt, giving a light smile. She is a bit surprised by your reaction, but manages to smile back, nodding.)

"My apologies, you're right, purely academic..." (You give a 'wink' at that, causing her to roll her eyes with a light chuckle. She goes back to reading, trying keep her expression more stoic.)

(She finally finishes reading, pulling off her glasses for a moment to wipe her slightly watery eyes. She then hands the book back to you.)

"Thank you for telling me all of that Siffrin... How many loops was it?" (You pause for a moment. You want to pretend you were trying to remember, but you'll never forget exactly how many it was. Remembering how long you were in there always stings a bit, but you write it down in big numbers regardless.)

176

(She freezes at the sight of that, glancing away and starting to do some calculations in her head. You wave a hand to stop her before she gets too far. scribbling down some more.)

They weren't all 2 days. a lot were shorter.

(She nods, taking a deep breath to keep her emotions in check for all of this. It was a weird feeling, not being the one on the verge of tears, needing comfort, trying to hide your expression... You hold out a hand to her. She perks up a bit again, slowly placing her hand in yours. You just give it a comforting squeeze, giving the brightest smile you could muster at the moment.)

"Thanks, Odile."

"Of course Siffrin, Any time. Now you should get back to resting, this is all exhausting me as well." (You nod some, trying to settle in for a bit more sleep. Getting a lot of that off your chest seemed to help, slowly drifting off to a gentle slumber.)

#lives worth living au #isat au #lwlau #isat spoilers #isat fanfic #isat #in stars and time fanfic #in stars and time spoilers #two hat spoilers #isat two hats

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whatdoeseverybodywant · 9 months ago

Text

You're the Only Girl for Me- Chapter 20

I do NOT give permission for my work to be translated or reposted on here or any other site, even if you give me credit. DO NOT REPOST MY FICS

Reblogs, comments, likes, and feedback ALWAYS appreciated ❤

All OC Characters belong to me

August 1st 2021

Airielle jumped and let out a gasp as someone knocked on her driver's side window.

“Girl, are you okay?” Trinity asked her. “How long have you been down here? Yas is still upstairs waiting for you.”

Airielle just shrugged, she didn’t know how long she actually sat in the garage. Her mind was all over the place, because she had to be imagining Christopher… right? There was no way in hell he was in Pensacola. What were the actual chances?

“Airi?” Trinity called out again, unlocking her phone and sending a quick text to Yas who was down in the garage at record breaking speed.

“Airielle?” Yas called out her name as she got closer to her car. She looked over at Trinity who shrugged.

“I was going to my car and found her out here.” Trinity sent a quick text message to her husband telling him that she was staying with Airielle, there was no way she was leaving her best friend after seeing her in this state.

“Sweetie.. Come-on” Yas said softly as she unbuckled Airielle’s seatbelt and gently pulled her out of the car. “What happened?”

“He-He” Was all Airielle could get out, as Trin and Yas led her back up the elevator to her apartment. Yas sighed, suddenly feeling guilty that she told Airielle to go talk to Josh. Yas and Trin helped Airielle into her apartment and sat her down on the couch. Trinity went into the kitchen to call Josh and give him a piece of her mind while Yasmine sat on the chair and watched her cousin.

Yasmine had only seen Airielle like this one other time and that was on their vacation to California last summer where they almost ran into Christopher. He didn’t see them but Airielle damn sure saw him and shut down for the rest of the vacation, refusing to leave their hotel room. But there was no way… right?

Airielle didn’t know how long she had been sitting on the couch, all she knew was that her body no longer felt numb. “He’s in Pensacola, Yas.” Airielle whispered and Yasmine felt her heart drop into her stomach. “I went to the pier to clear my mind after going to Josh’s and when I opened my eyes, he was there. Just staring at me.” Airielle whispered and all Yasmine could do was blink at her, she was trying to form words but her brain had stopped working. “He wasn’t real though, right?” Airielle asked, her eyes pleading with Yasmine to agree. Yasmine nodded instantly

“He wasn’t real Airi, I promise.” Airielle let out a shaky breath and let herself sink into the couch.

“He wasn’t real.” Airielle repeated. But no matter how many times she said it, she knew it wasn’t true, and him being in Pensacola was only the beginning.

August 20th 2021

AIRIELLEJONES

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AirielleJones: 🥂🖤

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user: okay but the bob eats!

user: the bob!!

trinity_fatu: oooh girl. that bob is everything ! (❤️ by author)

850-876-5643: Airielle talk 2 me 850-876-5643: Please 850-876-5643: just answer the phone so i can explain. 850-876-5643: stop ignoring me.

Airielle threw her phone in her bag as she entered The Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Josh had texted her every damn day trying to explain himself and he honestly didn’t need to. He was single and could do whoever he wanted to. He didn’t owe her an explanation but he was hell bent on giving her one.

Airielle definitely needed those two weeks off, Paul had even granted her an extra week after Airielle lied and said she had a death in the family.. It was wrong but shit, the mere thought of going back outside and probably running into Christopher scared her shitless. She had somehow managed to survive off of whatever she had in her cabinets and pantry which mainly consisted of canned goods and chex mix.

“Hey.” Airielle jumped - she’s been doing a lot of that lately- “Woah.” Josh said, holding his hands up as he walked closer to her. “ I didn't mean to scare you Rih, You good?”

“You look nice.” He said and she rolled her eyes.

“Josh, wassup?”

Josh was taken aback by her standoffish attitude, she had never been like this with him. “You been ignoring me. I wanted to talk about what happened.” Airielle let out a soft grunt and looked around,checking her surroundings, she had been doing a lot of that lately, too. She let out a quiet hum as she noticed Yara and Zelina standing by the other end of the hallway, looking in her direction.

“Rih.” Josh called out, cupping her jaw and bringing her attention back to him. “I ain’t mean for that to happen. I was hurt and upset and-”

“Josh , stop” She cut him off, removing his hand from her face. “You don’t have to explain anything to me. You’re single, you can do whatever you want.” She tried to walk around him but he stepped in her way.

“Bullshit, you’re upset.” Airielle sighed and closed her eyes. She was on the verge of a breakdown and she needed to get away from Josh ASAP.

“I’m not upset.” She lied and Josh knew she was lying. But there was nothing he could do about it and it pissed him off. He wanted her to talk to him and to stop keeping shit bottled up inside. “Can I go now?”

Josh sucked his teeth and moved out of the way, letting her pass. For some reason he felt as if he had cheated on her and he wanted to fix things, but shit.. She kissed Raymond first. He sucked his teeth again and walked in the opposite direction to start getting ready for his match against Rey Mysterio.

Airielle held her head up high as she strutted past Yara and Zelina, she had almost walked past them when Yara reached out and grabbed her wrist, stopping her.

“Hey, um- i’m gonna need you to stay away from my man.” Yara stated, flipping her cheap ass wig over her shoulder. Airielle scoffed and looked around to see who she was talking to.

“Excuse me.”

“Don’t play dumb. You know that’s my nigga now. You’re old news, you have no need to be talking to him anymore.”

“Girl, get the fuck off of me.” Airielle laughed, snatching her arm out of Yara’s grasp.

“I'm being so forreal right now. I might be new, but he’s my man and you're getting too comfortable.” Airielle had to giggle at the look of anger on Yara’s face.

“Maybe you should be having this conversation with ya’ man. He been blowing my phone up for days.”

“All I'm saying is stay away from my man.” Airielle sighed and rolled her eyes. oh boy.

“Tell your man to stay away from me.” Airielle winked and shouldered her way past an angry Yara and amused Zelina.

Airielle : 1

Yara : 0

Sooo... hope i didn't disappoint w/ this chapter 😭

Yara is a grade A BITCH but Airielle can handle that ass.

I like how Josh's number is no longer saved in her phone neither lol

it went from being Josh to Josh ❤️ to J.Uso and now just a number lmao.

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dollfaceksj · 1 year ago

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BDSMSBSKFNSKSNKSD A DOSE OF WHATENDKSBSKSND DND FKDNDKDNSKSMS. CLOVER IM DKS SLSNSLSNS SKS. OC IS PISSING ME OFF. WTF IS WRONG WITH U IS A PERF TITLE BC WTF IS WRONG W HER !!! WHERE TF THEM PILLS COME FROM !!!!

this was written in a hurry. didnt feel like bullet point format would fit w this chapter. its not my best work but i hope yall get the feel i was trying to convey <3 (i won’t answer asks that spoil the story! gonna wait a few days so i don’t spoil the other readers who arent active currently!)

tw: body image issues(!!!) very deeply rooted issues that majority of women n ppl go thru. u have been warned. <3

wc: 2k ish

can’t afford love | myg (m) #20

⋆ TAGLIST ⋆

⇠ PREV. ⋆ MASTERLIST ⋆ NEXT ⇢

“Why the fuck do you have a dose of birth control pills?”

⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆

The instance the words leave his lips, your heart free falls—no, plummets—to the pit of the Earth. This isn’t how it was supposed to go. He shouldn’t have found out this way.

You can’t bring the anxious quiver in your lips to stop when your mind travels at lightning speed trying to come up with a response. An explanation. An excuse. A lie.

But nothing comes out.

There’s nothing that you can bring yourself to say.

You messed up.

Are you even sorry? Or are you Just sorry you got caught?

Your eyes mindlessly stare at the box of pills like it’s going to vanish into thin air and you desperately want to witness it.

Doesn’t happen, though. The box stares back at you like it’s mocking you. Laughing in your face whilst being in his grasp.

He says your name. Quietly. Angrily. Repeats it when you don’t respond. Sounds like his voice is inside your head yet it also sounds like it’s coming from a galaxy that is seven million light years away.

After what seems like ages—which in reality was just a few seconds—you finally find the voice in the back of your throat that seemingly abandoned you in your time of need. “It’s an old box of pills and besides, why are you snoopi–”

“The label says you bought these two days ago. I’m not fucking stupid.” The words don’t just roll off his tongue, they launch out of his mouth like a spear. Penetrates your chest. The tip of said deadly spear nudges at your heart. Pokes it a little. Maybe makes it bleed a little, you’re not too sure.

Your panicked gaze slowly shifts to meet his angry eyes after he aggressively throws the box back onto your dresser.

“And if you’re going to berate me for snooping, someone has been trying to reach you. Called you 3 times. Just went to check to make sure it wasn’t an emergency.” He steps aside and nods towards your purse, which is now lying on its side, wide open with the contents spilled out. Your phone. Lip gloss. Wallet. Tube of Vaseline. 3 q-tips. Pack of gum. Few loose pain killer capsules.

You slowly start shaking your head and take a small step back, hoping to enlarge the distance between the two of you that you had tried to close just a few moments ago. “You won’t get it, so just–”

“No,” he says as he stomps to you, wrapping his hand around your bicep to stop you in your tracks. “You’re going to stop fucking lying to me. What the hell has been going on with you? Why are you acting like this?”

You try to wiggle your arm out of his grasp but he doesn’t let you go that easily. Tightens his grip. Enough to keep you still. Doesn’t hurt, though.

“Let me go.”

“No.”

“Let me g–”

He pulls you a little closer. Not in a romantic way. In a don’t-you-move-an-inch way. “Why won’t you just talk to me? I don’t understand why you keep pushing me away.”

Swallowing is starting to feel like sandpaper scratching its way down your esophagus. “Please, just– stop.”

He shakes his head, damp black hair swinging back and forth. Water dripping off his ends onto his shoulders like shiny pearls. They drop onto the fabric of his shirt, creating tiny little polka dots that are darker than the color of his shirt. “No, I won’t stop. You’re crossing the fucking line and you know it.”

He’s got you. That much is clear.

The silence that envelops around you is so prominent. Heavy. Wraps around you. Kind of like you’re a fetus in a pregnant belly.

Heat starts rising to your nose and cheeks, enough for you to realize that you’re starting to get emotional. Doesn’t take much longer for tears to start rolling down your cheeks.

Is there any point in hiding it now?

“You’ll never understand, Yoongi.” You shake your head as you bring your hand up. Wipe your nose with the back of your hand. Sniff softly.

His chest deflates as he heavily exhales. Feline eyes soften for a moment before his brows pinch together again. “Then make me understand.” His voice is still angry. Furious. Fuming.

“Nothing’s been the same for me, don’t you get it?” you shakily murmur, finally wiggling out of Yoongi’s grasp but not bothering yourself to get rid of the proximity between you two. Somewhere there’s comfort in it. “I know I shouldn’t have got those, I fucking know. But what you don’t know is what it feels like, okay?”

“Like what fee– What the hell are you even talking about?”

You cut him off. Burst out. “I feel disgusting, okay?”

His frown deepens. Eyes never leave you. The intensity on his features keeps you glued to the floor beneath your bare feet.

Before he can even respond, you continue with your outburst. “You don’t know what it’s like to have been the it-girl, to have been looked at and craved by any- and everyone and to now look and feel like this.”

It’s the truth. Yoongi was the king of your college because he had you. You made heads turn. You made guys fight their best friends. You made girls copy your clothes and makeup.

And now, here you are. Gotten rid of a full-length mirror in your bathroom because you hated seeing yourself naked.

Silence prevails once again. Just for a few moments that feel like centuries.

His expression doesn’t change. “Like what?”

“Ugly! Fat! Disgusting! Don’t you get it? My hair fell out, I have stretchmarks and scars all over my body, my tooth fell out at one point, my boobs are saggy, I don’t feel like taking care of myself. I burst into tears whenever I even remotely look at myself.”

You continue, pointing an accusatory finger at Yoongi and press it into his chest until he winces. “And don’t you fucking get it wrong. I fucking love Jun. I would do it all over again. I love being his mother and there’s nothing, absolutely nothing, that I’d change it for. But nothing prepared me for this. I haven’t gone out, I haven’t done anything. I bring Jun to daycare and pick him up and that’s it.”

You start backing away from him. Lips still quivering and brows furrowed in hurt.

As you approach your bed, you sink down. Bury your face in your palms. Sob a little. “But then we started being intimate again and you made me feel so beautiful. So wanted. I didn’t see it coming at all. Like everything I was seeing was a lie and everything you saw was the undeniable truth.”

You take a shaky breath to continue, “I meant it when I said I wanted the baby, that was never a lie. I wouldn’t lie about that. But as we kept having sex, you just…” you sniff, “made me so addicted to the way you made me feel. Made me feel so good physically but also like I was the most beautiful woman on the planet.”

Your eyes involuntarily shift up to meet his but in the instance you do, you regret it.

He’s frowning. Black eyes staring you down. Arms crossed over his chest. Looks like his mind is racing at a million miles a minute.

You drop your head again, hurt coating your voice. “I got scared. Scared that I’d get pregnant when I was finally starting to gain some of my self esteem back. Scared that I’d have to end our arrangement and we wouldn’t have that anymore. That I wouldn’t see you anymore.” You steal another glance at him before shifting your eyes back to the floor. His face is still the same. “I decided to get birth control the day before the award ceremony. I swear, I just wanted to delay the pregnancy only by a month or two. I just wanted to feel okay for a little while longer.”

It’s quiet. Really quiet. Your vision is blurry. Makes the floor look like a pool of blood thanks to the bordeaux rug. Makes his feet look like two hazy clouds.

You hold your heart when he finally speaks up. “Why didn’t you just tell me?”

Ugh.

He doesn’t get it. He will never understand. Never.

“Because it’s humiliating! It’s embarrassing. I…” You exhale deeply in an attempt to compose yourself. “I’m ashamed, okay? The man that once saw me as the queen of the world has to see me come down to this? I didn’t want you to think of me as this… this pathetic, insecure woman. I didn’t want you to think ‘is this really what I once loved?’.”

The frown on his brows deepens. He kind of looks genuinely offended but still tries to keep the rest of his expression as neutral as possible. He’s failing, though.

Not possible when the line between his brows looks deeper than the Pacific Ocean. When his lips twitch like he wants to yell. When the veins in his neck look like they want to pop out of his skin.

You take a deep breath after the explanation. Hang your head down. Wipe your tears with your palms. Sniff quietly. Allow a soft sob to escape your system—which makes your frame tremble slightly.

All those days, weeks, months that you spent hating yourself. Mourning the you that once was. Mourning the Yoongi that loved you.

It all comes back to you in the form of tears. Sobs. Pain.

It’s so quiet that you hear him preparing to speak. The way his lips kiss his teeth. Clears his throat. He says your name. Once. Twice. Sighs when you don’t react.

Then he gently places your phone in your lap.

Mom

Missed call (5)

You sniff and wipe your nose clean. You clear your throat and dial her number. Hold your phone to your ear. Sigh softly before you let out a croaky, “hello?”

Yoongi turns his back to you. Sighs loudly as he runs his hands through his hair and tries to process all the information you just dumped on him.

Your mother sounds distressed on the other side of the line. “What the hell took you so long?”

“Sorry, I was in the showe–”

“Stop, stop,” your mom pauses. “You need to get to the hospital right now.”

Your heartbeat stutters in its rhythm. You shoot up from your seat right away. The back of your phone becomes slimy from the amount of sweat your palm has produced.

Goosebumps pop out of the upper layer of your skin. “What? The hospital? What happened?” The turmoil in your soul makes all of your limbs shiver.

Yoongi’s head snaps towards you. Horror is written all over his face. Lips parted in shock and body frozen in a state of panic.

“Just get here. I don’t want you to drive recklessly.”

You reach for your clothes as you tilt your head to your shoulder to keep the phone trapped as you slide your pants onto your legs. “Mom! I’m gonna drive recklessly now anyway! Tell me what happ– Oh, God. Is it Jun? Did something happen? What happ–”

Your mother cuts you off. “Stop it! Just get here.”

“Mom, I swear, you’re gonna tell me what the hell happened to Jun right no–”

A big pair of hands grab you by the shoulders and shake you out of your state of panic. At least they try to. Your eyes shift up, meeting black concerned eyes that are begging you to just listen to your mother for a moment.

The other line goes silent. Just for a few seconds.

“Jun had a seizure.”

To be continued.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆

⇠ PREV. ⋆ MASTERLIST ⋆ NEXT ⇢

⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆

a/n: and i hope everyone that hated on yn feels like a piece of shit😋🩷

— enjoyed it? you can always show your appreciation by buying me some coffee if you want ☕︎♡

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beegomess · 3 months ago

Text

Dark Paradise || Theodore Nott

Don't forget to watch the previous chapters

20. Polaroids

Toast had already gotten used to Y/N's dormitory as a new house, her friends Pansy and Daphne received him as if he were theirs, they simply loved him. The cat used to sleep all day on the beds of one of the girls, and occasionally, he walked around the castle during the school period, always avoiding crossing the path with Madame Nora's, the cat was older and was scary in Toast because she was still a puppy, not so small, but still a puppy.

At that moment, even, the cat sneaked through the trees in the garden while everything was still quiet because classes were taking place normally. Y/N sat next to his brother during the Transfiguration class with Gryffondor students, and although Y/N did not notice Ronie's looks, Draco noticed and reciprocated in the most rude way possible.

Y/N was more immersed in the explanation because of her extra need to learn such subject while Weasley watched her from her desk.

When Potter, his tablemate, noticed Malfoy's gaze on the redhead, he gave him a light elbow trying to get his attention, since Ron hadn't noticed by paying more attention to the girl than to the blonde next to him.

- What do you want? - The boy asked a little annoyed with Harry poking him all the time.

- I ask, you've been staring at Y/N for a while. - Harry answered low, Ronie instantly blesed. - I just don't want problems with Malfoy today...

Ronie looks again towards Y/N's table, but ends up crossing his gaze with Draco's, who showed very well his disdain and anger with his blue eyes, making the redhead shrink a little in the chair, but get angry in frustration. The whole discussion was heard by Granger, who sat behind the two friends. She just rolled her eyes in response.

Hermione thought the redhead was pathetic for having a crush on a member of the Slytherin Elite, a term she hated, in addition to being a member of the Malfoy family, that is, completely impossible and incompatible with any Weasley present on the face of the earth.

However, none of his friends' advice seemed to get into Ron's hard head, who continued to be content with the kind way Y/N always treated him and how different she was from her brother. Well, maybe he really lived in a fairy tale created by him, but who cares? Being in love is really a good thing, isn't it?

During the rest of the class, the girl really didn't notice it, but it didn't matter much to him, who still justified it as something normal, since she really needed help in that subject, which made an idea arise in her mind. The boy decided not to tell his friends about his idea, he knew that they would both tell the truth about not being one of the best ideas.

Y/N was even prettier that day in Weasley's vision, who noticed the fact that she was not wearing her usual black tights, in addition to having some buttons on her shirt open because of the heat, he loved her legs, and well, he was still a boy with hormones on the skin.

At this point, Draco didn't seem like the only one to notice Rony's look on Y/N, Theodore definitely didn't feel threatened, but he certainly bothered to have another boy considering the possibility of having her too.

At a certain point, the class ended and quickly the students got up in a hurry to leave the room, however, Rony rolled up to put away his books. However, Draco seemed to have had the same idea, waiting for his sister as patiently as possible. Idea also copied by Nott.

- I'll catch up with you. - The red-head boy warned his friends, who nodded, even though they were surprised by his behavior.

Y/N laughed with Parkinson's while putting away his things. Merlin, the boy could melt there with the smile she gave. For a moment, Y/N looks at him and when he perceives him, he nods gently, and then walked next to his friend to the small wallet corridor. And this would be the moment for Ron to call her and offer his help in Transfiguration, however, he was barred when Draco walked after his sister, realizing the boy's intention.

Rony snorted in frustration, gathering courage to call her anyway. When then, Nott was walking next to his friend and, in a quick movement of changing the hand books, a small piece of paper fell, drawing Weasley's attention as his friends went out of the environment.

Now alone in the room, Ron approached the small paper and tried to read what was written in pen. The boy tilted his head slightly to the side to read in the same direction as the paper. There was a date and something that seemed to be a message or something like that.

The redhead gathered the paper from the floor, when the room was invaded by Harry in search of him, strange the look of his friend pointed to an object in his hands.

- Ron, is everything okay? - Potter positioned himself next to his friend and tried to read what was written.

"So that you don't forget me during the time you're away."

- Whose is this? - The brunette asks and Ronie turns the paper, revealing to be a polaroid. - Merlin! - Both boys widen their eyes and swallow dryly in surprise when they see Y/N in a bikini lying on the beach towel with a huge sea behind. - Y/N gave you that? - Potter asks even without taking his eyes off the photo.

- No. - The boy, still gaping, doesn't look away from the photo either. - He fell from Nott's things.

- Why are you taking so long? - Hermione entered impatiently, making the boys look away from her immediately and hide the photo quickly. - What's wrong with you there? - The girl crosses her arms and refers to Ronald, who had slightly flushed cheeks.

- Nothing that interests you. - The boy tries to be as harsh as possible, leaving the room quickly, followed by Harry, both avoiding more questions from his friend, who just followed them determined to know what that photo was about.

[...]

The day passed quickly for Y/N, who had decided to focus as much as possible on classes during the week, again and again looking for Toast through the castle. The animal had simply disappeared, but decided to continue with classes. Maybe he had just left the castle since it was hot.

During dinner, the girl talked quietly with her friends, this time sitting next to Theodore. With their backs to the other tables, the two did not realize that they were being observed by two pairs of eyes of certain curious Gryffindors.

- Do you think they have something? - Rony whispers to Harry, taking advantage of the fact that Granger was distracted by one of his books. Potter quickly understood and looked at the possible Slytherin couple.

- Hard to say. - The boys observed in search of more clues in the interactions, but it was really difficult to confirm for sure.

- Don't tell me that you are also enchanted by Draco's sister, Harry. - Hermione comments without taking her eyes off the pages, delivering that she was listening perfectly to the conversation.

- Huh? No, not at all... - The boy explained himself quickly with a certain tone of nervousness, which made the redhead look at him with some strangeness.

The rest of the dinner was uncomfortable for the two boys, who luckily dodged all of Hermione's questions. After leaving the great hall, while Y/N accompanied Theodore in the astronomy tower for the only cigarette of the day, Rony was in his bed, looking at the ceiling and with the photo resting on his chest with his hand on it.

The room was dark and quiet, Harry was already sleeping heavily while the red-head boy martyred himself in imagining Y/N with Theodore or any other boy. Not that he thought she had never been with someone, but he didn't think it was something so serious.

On the first night Rony was still trying to understand why that polaroid was in Nott's things, as obvious as it seemed, he refused to think it was true. The next morning, he speculated a little more with Harry at breakfast.

- But don't you agree that it wouldn't make sense for them to hide a relationship? - Rony asks after taking a hot cup of coffee to his mouth.

- I don't know, what do you think?

- Both are Slytherins, pure bloods and, as far as I know, they grew up together.

- I really don't see any reason to hide any relationship. - Potter and Rony go back to watching Slytherin's table, when Hermione realizes and worries about helping.

- All right. What is the current doubt? - Granger had heard the end of the conversation and noticed the sudden interest of his friends in Y/N, which was certainly bothering her because she was being left aside.

- Nothing! - Ron said harshly, trying to push the girl away even more.

- Well, actually, Hermione could help. - Harry suggested and an expression of slight fear appeared on the girl's face. - Girls usually tell these things to other girls, don't they? - Now, a light lit up the redhead's face in front of her, maybe it was a good idea.

- What do you want to know? - The girl asks in income, she knew that now that the idea was planted in her friends' idea, it would be impossible to escape.

- Do you know if Y/N has something with Theodore Nott? - Ron asks curiously and the girl frowns in confusion.

- And what makes you think I know something about someone's life from Slytherin?

- All right. But you must know if someone who knows, right? - Harry asks still curiously.

- Well, maybe so... - Hermione thinks, remembering a slight buzz contact by Gina of a Lufana who lived boasting about being with a Slytherin boy, she just didn't remember who it was. - But let it be clear that I'm only helping to end this matter for good, did you hear? - Both boys nod quickly and go back to having their breakfast normally, anxious for the discovery of their friend during the day.

Luckily for Ron, Theodore hadn't missed the photo yet. By the night of that day, the boys had not yet met Granger, which made Weasley even more anxious. Suddenly, something very unusual happened. Y/N and Pansy entered the Gryffindor community accompanied by a first-year boy as a hostage.

Ron's heart went to her mouth thinking she was after the photo he kept, the girl had a frown on her face, apparently angry. She passed her eyes quickly through the communal, stopping at the little black kitten in a corner near the stairs. Toast was cornered by Hermione's fat and orange cat.

- Merlin, you're so scared, aren't you, Toast? - Y/N approached, scaring the adult cat that surrounded him, rescuing the puppy. - What a big coward, cornering a defenseless puppy. - The girl stroked the cat while talking to him, heading for the exit, when Hermione finally arrives.

- What do you think you're doing here? - Granger definitely didn't feel good with any Slytherin around.

- Rescuing my cat from that cowardly cat of yours. - Y/N answered in the same tone, continuing his way to the exit next to Pansy. The atmosphere in the communal became a little heavy after the two Slytherins left, Hermione just rolled her eyes and ignored the two friends who looked at her expectatly.

[...]

Rony went through another night of questioning, still with the photo in hand, trying not to look at the girl who was in it in respect. The boy was in a terrible dilemma, the photo shouldn't be with him, so he shouldn't look. However, when he had this opportunity again, I mean, it was just a photo, wasn't it? The room was empty and dark again, but lit up enough for him to look at the girl longer.

An idea, considerably inappropriate, crossed his mind, he knew that if Draco wanted to dream of what the redhead intended to do, it was possible that he would kill him, without any irony. But what if he didn't find out?

- Keep that, Ron. - Harry said from his bed with a sleepy voice, taking the boy completely out of his foolish ideas.

The boy frozzed violently, but did what his friend said. Thinking clearly now, it would be horrible if he did that. And if I did, maybe I wouldn't be able to deal with the guilt, as long as the girl at the first opportunity she had.

At breakfast, Ron couldn't look at Potter without being embarrassed, the boy didn't say anything and didn't even look at him differently, but it was really something to be ashamed of.

And then, Granger sat in the middle of the two boys, attracting the attention of both to her.

- So what? - The redhead asks expectantly.

- Look, I didn't get much, their group is usually very closed, besides I don't want to draw attention by being asked about her life. - Hermione starts. - But Gina told me about a Hufa-Lufa girl who kept spreading that she was the girlfriend of some Slytherin, it's not something to be proud of in my opinion, but it's okay.

- Okay, Okay, Hermione, and who is she? - Ron asks anxious for the conclusion, which makes her look with disdain.

- If you continue like this, I won't tell you anything, Ronald. - he looked at her with frustration, causing satisfaction in the girl. - Don't forget that I'm doing you a favor, so you owe me for it.

- All right, Rony, calm down. - Harry tries to intervene. - Continue, Mione.

- Well, so I went after knowing who this girl was. She's the one sitting next to Cedric, her name is Laila. - Everyone points their eyes at the Lufa-Lufa table looking for the person, finding a smiling girl. - Luckily, Gina wanted to help me, so she got closer to her yesterday during the break and took some interesting information. Apparently the Slytherin with whom she lived hanging was really Theodore Nott, but she confessed to Gina that he has been walking away since the end of last year after he had done something to her.

- What do you mean? What did he do to her? - Rony had his eyebrows furrowed in curiosity this time.

- By Merlin, you have to swear not to tell this to anyone, and Ron, prepare your heart in love, you won't be pleased to hear that. - Hermione warns.

- For God's sake, Hermione, tell me soon. - Harry hurries his friend and the two get closer to her to hear something a little louder than a whisper.

- She said that, in an intimate moment, Nott called the name Y/N instead of Laila. - The two boys automatically widened their eyes, pointing directly to Slytherin's table again. A disappointed face appeared in Weasley when Granger continues. - But she said she got it right with him, and that he and Y/N never had anything.

- Well, it doesn't mean he doesn't want to apparently. - Harry thought out loud, fueling Rony's frustration even more.

Definitely now Rony had even less courage to return the polaroid, Theodore could think that the boy took it because he wanted to or something like that. He would keep it in a safe place, until he had the opportunity to put it in one of the boy's books again.

Now that he discovered this, he began to perceive and pay more attention to Theodore and S/N's interactions. Slytherin really looked at her differently, sent notes during class, in addition to making the girl laugh frequently.

Well, it seems that Rony had an opponent, after all. _______________________________

next chapter>>>

xoxo, bee🫶🏼✨

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cruyuu · 6 months ago

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265 is an insane chapter. i can't move on from it. yuji and sukuna being twins, fishing, shooting arrows... yuji's sad eyes after sukuna's "i feel nothing"... like am i insane for thinking that yuji really wanted to get sukuna to open up there??? there's no other explanation for that chapter otherwise. god these two 😭😭

Sorry for a late answer anon!

I already ranted a bit about that chapter and tried to make sense of it. You are right, anon. There is absolutely no need for Yuuji to go that far for someone like Sukuna and then say... "I loathe you." as an explanation because it makes zero sense. He could've ripped him away from Megumi like 20 times already, and he claims he can kill him, but (just like Sukuna), I guess he has to hate on him (in a very fond way) first at least because priorities lol.

Because spending time together and trying to change that person's mind, talking with him constantly as if just wishing he would join in and say something about himself is the definition of loathing an individual, right? Silly me for thinking that was interest. For thinking that was care. For thinking that Yuuji wants to hear his thoughts and see how he thinks. Wants to try and understand him. Learn more about him. Otherwise, exactly like you asked, why? What's the point? There's no purpose to 265 and it could've easily been replaced by 266 wholly. He could've said all of that to a particular individual who needs it (and who Yuuji misses), and funnily enough, it would fit the shoe more so than it would with Sukuna. Why does Yuuji still care about the person who ruined his life enough to perform his very first Domain Expansion and spend nearly an entire day with him, hanging out? Really weird.

Like 266 just confirmed that. The sheer contrast between the chapters is just insane. I have a post about that which is half-written because I can't even put everything into words properly but I'll try my best to finish it when I'm not that busy to show you exactly what I mean.

Also the fact that Sukuna looks exactly like Yuuji, not in his true form but dressed like him, totally like his twin. That Yuuji is taking him everywhere, commenting on everything, from food, down to animals, seemingly as if to try and find a way to engage him in conversation yet Sukuna keeps his mouth shut. He even chooses to shoot arrows with him, something which is more Sukuna's thing than Yuuji's, just to get him to show anything at all. Yuuji's an open book here, and he tells him even that he considers these little things important (his speech about roles and life), but Sukuna brushes him off.

And Yuuji looks sad? Disappointed? because Sukuna remains closed off. His behavior towards Yuuji is unexplainable, and even his hatred is... just that. Nothing. Even if Sukuna keeps contradicting himself at every turn when it comes to Yuuji, treating everyone the same but not him, there's still no explanation about why he does that.

And this is why Yuuji talked about meaning in life. He was practically explaining his newfound viewpoint to Sukuna, because he was expecting an answer regarding his hate. Something like "Okay but there must be a reason for your uncontrollable hatred when it comes to me. Can you tell me what it is?" because to Yuuji, everything means something. It's not just that– some pointless, meaningless thing.

Sukuna's response is "I understand, but I do not care." yet he got pissed off when he recognized Yuuji's crestfallen expression as pity. Like why is he even mad about that? I thought he only lived for himself and didn't care about anything. I thought he felt nothing. I thought he didn't live to understand others, yet he cannot understand Yuuji and his expression makes him mad.

265 seems to expose Sukuna as a feeler in denial, who clearly has a problem with Yuuji's way of looking at him, but also generally has a problem with understanding Yuuji (still). Even though these two understand other people, with similar viewpoints, they're stuck when it comes to each other. Sukuna loathes weak people and yet he compliments everyone who is weaker than him. He calls them strong. Everyone except Yuuji.

One of my friends thinks Sukuna's anger towards Yuuji is because Yuuji cannot seem to hate Sukuna like he hated Mahito, which is a very interesting observation, ngl. It feels like no matter what Sukuna does, Yuuji will still find a way of pardoning it, while with Mahito he never did such a thing. He showed pure coldness. The scene of Mahito losing showcases Yuuji appearing cold-blooded, further exemplified by the prey/predator imagery and winter. Truly no notion of kindness. With Sukuna, that doesn't seem to be the case considering... well.. the entirety of 265. Sukuna had even done worse than Mahito and continually promises to Yuuji to do worse, only to ignite hate, but is spared of real, genuine, absolute hatred. He still gets a chance. He still gets, "Come back to me." He gets "pitied".

And that's the very thing I tried hard to figure out– the whole "pity" thing– because Yuuji doesn't appear to be pitying Sukuna. It's something else. It's something way more closer and kinder than that. It may appear cold and like "pity" to Sukuna, while to us, it is presented differently. This is because paneling is extremely important!

When Yuuji states "if this is what all that anger had amounted to" we, the readers, see him be sad, but Sukuna doesn't see that expression. He's looking ahead and is just listening to him. By his voice alone, he comes to a conclusion and asks if Yuuji is pitying him and when he turns to look at him, Yuuji's face is shrouded in darkness until the panel where we are met with the coldest way of pitying someone known to mankind, where Yuuji confirms his thoughts, yet still offers him a chance to still be spared.

That is Sukuna's explanation regarding what Yuuji feels, not what Yuuji truly feels and it doesn't entirely make sense because to pity someone is to feel sadness or sympathy for someone's unhappiness or bad situation. How can it be pity when Yuuji doesn't even know his situation? When Sukuna isn't unhappy nor in a bad situation? Plus he doesn't even know anything about him? If anything it feels like Yuuji is mourning the fact he has to kill him (that that is his "bad situation" in this case) and cannot reach him, that they cannot co-exist and that yes, this is what he's feeling sad about.

You could, also, argue differently. That it is precisely that– because he has no explanation for anything and keeps him in the dark about himself, and continually just keeps pushing him away. That he cannot care for him. Hell, even Yuuji's mindset which clashes heavily with Sukuna's is enough of a reason why.

We (the readers) see Yuuji be sad while Sukuna doesn't and Yuuji confirms his thoughts instead of offering a more fitting explanation because what is the point? Sukuna had already stated "He doesn't feel anything" so he won't get nor understand what Yuuji feels.

The pure misunderstanding is in focus between these two in that chapter. The whole "pity" which is, in fact, not that, because otherwise Yuuji wouldn't be offering Sukuna to come back to him, but would instead just try to kill him, not just keep giving him chances and allowing him to live and cause more mayhem than he already did.

But still, the whole insanity of this chapter comes from Yuuji's behavior towards Sukuna. Like why think of changing perspectives, of spending time trying to understand and offering that very same person (who had taken the very person you claim to care about) life and yet, when it comes to that other person, you're saying "it's okay if you choose to die even though I would be lonely without you"? It's so fucking absurd. You want someone you hate to live more so than you want someone you care about to? You're telling your entire life story to a person who never gave a shit about you to... change his perspective on life? Yet you're doing nothing to change the mind of someone who you'll be lonely without? Insanity.

So yeah, anon. You can see how crazy it all is when you really think about it. I would really love it if we can finally see these two being honest with each other because that seems to be this big, big issue here, where everyone is talking for them (even the story), instead of you know, them.

#melanswers #sukuita #yuuji #sukuna

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